GREEN VALLEY UPDATE

Sunshine, Taryn, Taegan, Ffiona and I had fun at an Irish Tea Party last weekend at the Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix.

Everyone had a great time trying out the various "treats" on the menu and I decided to try a delicious looking cranberry scone.  It WAS absolutely delicious, but I was in pain the rest of the afternoon!  Sunshine's beautiful cake was delicious also (so I heard).

 

This handsome prince Nicholas was so fun to talk to.  He's originally from Wooster, Mass and enhances his New England accent when he performs at the famous Renaissance Festival held soon for 8 weeks east of Phoenix.

 

Don't you love the cute hat Ffiona is wearing?  There were many cute hats at the party.

                                                                                   

I was able to donate 50 baby blankets last week and feel very satisfied  about that.  Now I'm sewing quilt blocks, larger baby blankets, quilting one and binding another (nice to do on these cold, rainy, windy days).

 

Speaking of babies, I heard from my adopted nephew and niece living in my northern home and they are pregnant.  They are so excited as am I and hope and pray that all will go well with their second attempt for a precious child.

 

 

My fun neighbors, Jack and Jeri,  left this morning for Boise.  Jeri needs to have her knee taken care of and they will be gone a month.  I'll miss them and miss baking for them (he loves anything I take over).

 

Thanks to Rebecca for digging into her archieves for those fabulous photos of my oldest" birthday boy" grandson.   Seventeen years young and doing great!

 

Are any of you aware that the Superbowl is this coming Sunday, ha!?  I'll be emailing instructuions for GGGG in separate email for particular guessing with this final game.

Happy 17th Birthday

Happy 17th Birthday Hyun.  Enjoy your last year before adulthood. 

xoxo Montana Howells

Fun Feis Weekend

We had lots of Irish Dance fun in Phoenix this past weekend. (completely forgot there was football or inauguration)

Saturday Ffiona and Taryn Competed in Championship levels. It was very stiff competition with dancers coming in from both Massachusetts and California (know for having great dancers) They did a beautiful job, but neither placed as well as they wanted to in their age groups. Then Taryn swept up in the all ages Trophy Specials. 2nd in Treble Jig and 1st in the Slip Jig! She got to take home the Memorial Trophy and will have her name added to the base.

Ffiona has vowed to unseat Taryn as the household champion :)

 

On Sunday Taegan and Haedyn had HUGE groups of dancers to compete against. They both did a great job a brought medals home! 

 

Let's Go Ravens!!!!

SUCCESSFUL POST, HURRAH!

I have been trying for over two days to upload a few photos on this bog without success.  There has been a lot of crying, depression, stress and unadulterated screaming at this process.  I'm ready to throw all my electronic equipment out the door and not deal with it all any more at my age.  Some of my grandchildren tease me about hanging out with the dinosaurs, and I'm beginning to think they are right or at least my brain is getting too old to deal with these problems I've been encountering with no husband to say "Oh dear, let me fix that for you.  I've been on the widow's path for seven years now and thought I was doing okay until yesterday.  So I watched two sad movies and cried a lot.

Okay, enough of the pity party - I think it's warm enough today to go for a walk in the sun to get some oxygen to my deprived brain. 

Lance and Becky gave me several puzzles to work on this winter.  This one was a scene of London where we spent some wonderful days 18 months ago.  This weekend Brooke and kids helped me get started and it reminded me of my youth when Santa left us puzzles and Kate, Lance and I would take turns putting them together on one of mom's card tables.

 Also this weekend Hyun  showed me his new driver's license and now he has become the designated driver in the AZ Howells kids car pooling.  I'm sure Brooke and Sunshine will love that as much as Brady and Mary do.

Hurray for Hyun as he joins Hannah in the licensed grand kids of GG.

Good going, I'm proud of you!!




My congrats to Taryn also for winning the AZ Miss Irish Lass contest this weekend.  Loved the photos on the blog.  I've been invited to join her at a special Tea in Phoenix later this month.  Should be fun.  Good Going, Taryn!

Also congrats to Derek as he graduated from Primary and was ordained to the Priesthood and will now pass the sacrament with Drew in his ward.  Good Going, Derek.

And congrats to Derek, Rowan, Hannah and Drew in GGGG picks last weekend.  You did an excellent job in choosing the winners and did much better than Grandma Gloria who didn't listen to the analysts facts, reasons, and predictions and just went with my connections to the teams.  Papa would have done much better because of his love of the game ever since he played it when the dinasauers were used as the goal posts.  GGGG was instituted in his honor.

Remember:  Have your guesses emailed to me by Sunday morning for the next round.

Thanks, Katie, for trying to help me yesterday with the blog.  When I hunted for a phone number to call about it and searched in buried info online I finally found a link to problems uploading photos - one suggestion was to use a different browser.  So I did and voila found the link I needed to post.

  The good book I told you about is "The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet" by Colleen
 McCullough".

I'd better quit before I lose all this.

Happy 12th birthday!

Derek had lots of fun eating pizza, playing video games with friends, enjoying cake and ice cream, and of course opening presents!

AZ Irish Lass 2013

Yesterday Taryn Competed in the Irish Lass Selection again  and this year she was one of the title Holders! We are so proud of her!!

Taryn had to write an essay, do a PowerPoint, on stage  interview  - answering questions from all 3 judges and readding her essay -  and share her talent.  

Irish Lass is designed to introduce young women of Irish descent ages 13 through 17 years old and their families to the Arizona Colleen and Rose of Tralee Program. (Most cities have this program)   Two titleholders of Arizona Irish Lass were selected with a prize package awarded to each. They represent the State of Arizona  Irish community in area events and will debut on stage during the Selection night for the 2013 Arizona Colleen . They help promote the Irish Community in Arizona. The Lass & Shamrocks title holders make up the AZ colleens court at the Parade &, Ren. Festivals & Celtic Festivals

Boo Tom Brady

I can only hope this is what Tom will look like tomorrow after the game.

Happy Birthday Derek

Derek,
Have a most excellent 12th Birthday you goof ball.  We love you.  xoxo Montana Howells

Better late than never blogging entries.

Dylan helped carve the turkey with his new haircut on Thanksgiving. I am growing his hair back.

Rowan's new haircut.  I am definitely growing his hair back!  My kids are cute no matter what, but I miss the bangs and curls!

Shannon gave me this mug from our summer raft trip.  It was so much fun.  PS: Shannon is almost 19 weeks pregnant with her first!  Yee-haw!

Rowan's 4th birthday party.  He had a banana split and ate every bite of it.

Rowan's new flannel (that Grandma Chris made).  That kid can smile.

Marshmallow fight for Rowan's birthday.  Dylan is hilarious in this photo.  I think I found all the marshmallows around my living room.

Christmas and more

     

Decorating the tree with Mr. photogenic.

Dylan and mom.

Making snowflakes to decorate.

Dylan reading his letter from Santa (aka Grandma Chris).

Dylan reading Rowan's letter from Santa. So cute!

Decorating the tree at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Sledding is so much fun!

Jesse and Dylan sledding.

Mosaic activity with mom.

New shirts. Go Raiders! (Boo Tom Brady!)

Rowan's new Cheetah named Jinko ( after our real cat Jinko that Rowan was missing a lot).

Dylan got Lord of the Rings Legos for Christmas!

Dad and Dylan have just as much fun playing with Legos.  Do you see Shelob, gollum, samwise and Eomer on a horse?

Jesse and Reba did their 3rd annual Hot Springs hike with their dear friends (peeps) Kahne and Nat this year.  Here is one of our amazing views from the water.

Another awesome photo.  It's about an hour hike to get there and we stay about 3 hours.  What a wonderful time.