Happy Birthday, Justin

Today my oldest grandson, Justin, turns 5 years old. It is so hard to believe he is 5 all ready. Boy they sure are growing up fast.

In this picture he is helping his mom make M&M cookies. Our church (Olivet United Presbyterian Church of Easton) is selling cookie mix, cappuccino mix, herbal rice packs for the neck (you can microwave them) to help one of our young mothers, wife, and Youth Leader, of our church to help defray her medical cost from her battling brain cancer. So, naturally the good person that I am bought this cookie mix for her grandkids, because I knew their mommy would make it.

Doesn't he look so serious there stirring the mix. His father used to love to bake too, with his grandmother, when he was a young boy. Too, bad we didn't have digital cameras back then because I would be comparing the two together.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUSTIN!

Nanny-Sue and Pop-pop love you.

Fundraiser For Nicki

I thought I would post this so I can get the word out to my readers. Maybe there is someone out there that may want to come, or may have something to donate for a worthy cause. Please help us to help Nicki. She has been a Godsend to me and our church family.

How others can Help

Well as many of you have read my medical bills are insurmountable. My friends and church family have graciously put together a fundraiser for me. It is a Potluck dinner and Chinese auction. It is a free will offering for entering and there will be many things to auction off such as Front Row Iron pigs tickets, Gift Certificate to Woodys sports bar, All types of gift baskets and more. It will be held on July 26th at 5:00pm at Olivet United Presbyterian Church 1151 Northampton St Easton, Pa 18042. Please come and join us and tell anyone you can. Anybody who may know someone willing to donate to the auction feel free to have them call me at 610-533-5781. If anyone has a place where they could hang a poster with the details email me at cnkvogel@verizon.net and I will email you a copy you can print off. THANKS SO MUCH FOR EVERYONES CONTINUED SUPPORT!!!

Patches, My Little Dog and Kylie

Patches loves the kids and as you can see she has to be where the action is. She was sleeping while Kylie and I were playing Go Fish for Letters game. Then I called her name and the next picture I awoke her.

Here Is Another Little Girl I Had Monday

I would like you to meet Kylee, she is 2 years old. Her and her parents, Nicole & Chris, go to my church. Nicole needed someone to watch her while she was at church talking with our, Pastor Bob, about Vacation Bible School. Nicole is one of the organizers for this year's theme. Nicole is the woman I placed on my Blog, called Nicki's Story, she is battling brain cancer. So far, so good, the Lord has been keeping her in his hands and keeping her safe from the cancer growing back. All prayers are welcome for Nicole.

When Kylee first came she cried because she knew her mommy wasn't staying but 5 minutes after Nicole was gone she was just fine. She loved playing with Kobe. Big Kylie, took her under her wing, like a little mommy would, and helped her to calm down.

First, Kobe sat in the highchair and ate his lunch, then I put Kylee in it and she ate her lunch. After lunch we went to the park down the road from my house. Kylee loved the sliding board and baby swings. She is one tough little girl, but you wouldn't think she is by looking at her. She is this cute & tiny little girl wrapped in this tough little body.

It was a very fun and exuberating day on Monday. I just loved it. Thank you Tara & James, Nicole & Chris for trusting me to care for your children. I really enjoyed it.

More Pics of Brother and Sister

Kylie loves playing on the computer. She plays on Nick Jr. and I think her webkins website. I let her play on it so she doesn't get bored. She is so good.

This is one of Kobe's favorite toys I have. And it is the one he escaped from today because it was close to the sofa. What a little bugger he is.

My New Set of Kids I'm Watching This Week

This is Kobe, he is 17 months. What a cutie pie he is. He loves to climb and WOW, can he escape for from things you would never thought he could get out of. I guess I forgot what my "Tommy the Terror" was like when he was his age. Now I remember, LOL.

This is Kylie, she is 10. She is such a gem of a little girl. She is a BIG help to me with her little brother. She will make an excellent mommy some day.

This post is for John

John has an Eagles Room in his extra bedroom that displays all his Eagle things. I wanted him to see Jason's collection of Phillies and Eagles stuff. Wow, I never knew there was so many different Phillies and Eagles things to display.

Aidan, Jason, and Becky (the parents)

Jason and Becky took Aidan strawberry picking. I don't know where, but he looks like he was having fun picking them. He is just so cute with those BIG blue eyes of his. He looks just like his belated papa and his daddy, Jason. It looks like it was a beautiful day for strawberry picking.

Josslyn All By Herself

Here she is giving you rasberries. I just love this pic of her. She is only 4 months old and she is sticking her tongue out all ready.

And here she is trying to sooth her gums with her fingers. She is drooling all the time from cutting teeth. Soon her mommy and daddy will see little white dots trying to peak through those gums. She is a very happy little baby.

Jonathan and Josslyn, pics

I just had to steal some good pics that Jamie put on her Blog of Jonathan and Josslyn. She is just so adorable you just want to eat her up. Jonathan is just so tender and sweet to his baby sister. Here he is just being a good Big brother. She just has the biggest smile.

Happy Birthday, Leanna!

My Little Leanna turned 8 years old on June 19th. I can't believe she is 8 years old. I can remember going to the hospital waiting for her to be born at Sacred Heart Hospital. She was this tiny little baby girl, born to my son, Tommy and his wife, Stephanie. She is growing up too fast, only if they could stay little and so innocent.

Happy Birthday, Leanna! Nanny and pop-pop love you so much.

The 2nd week at Jamie and John's

This week was my last to watch Josslyn and Jonathan, because my girlfriend's daughter's fiance' started working and I will be watching their children or child. The reason I say 1 or 2 is because things are up in the air with Kylie, whether she is coming to my house or if she is going to a summer program with a daycare with her cousin. Her mother doesn't want her to be cooped up in the house all summer long and missing out on her summer vacation. Her cousin goes to a daycare a few days a week and the daycare takes them to Stones Crossing Pool, in Palmer Township, if it's nice out. I can't blame her mother because Kylie is 10 years old. I'm sure she wouldn't want to be with her little brother all the time, when she can be having fun with kids her own age.

Tuesday, Josslyn and I played a bit. She is such a happy little baby. She just loves to watch me and smile and smile. She loves to be bounced on my knees. After every feeding she would swing in her swing and then off to sleep for about and hour. The time went by very quickly for us.

Wednesday, was very nice. This time Jonathan didn't hybernate upstairs all day like last week. When I went to use the bathroom I stopped in his room to see what he was doing. I talked and listened to him tell me what he was doing. He was playing with his Bat Cave and Batman figure. He was showing me how he rescues batman and whoever else he was rescuing. When I started to leave he asked me if I would help him carry down some of his toys because he wanted to come downstairs. That's all it took was for me to talk with him and I was his best bud for the entire day. I asked him if he would like to go to the park and throw the ball around, but he said he would rather stay in the house. So we did. He is a very good brother to his baby sister. He comes over to her and she is all eyes for him. She laughs so hard and coos at him. It is just so nice to see how much they love each other. The time went by very quickly again.

Thursday, was my last day to spend with Josslyn and to enjoy her. I got to watch her roll over on the floor where I had her laying with her colorful play mat. It is this cloth mat that has 2 crisscross tubular things that go from one corner to the other corner. They have eyelets in the tubes to hang her plastic rings from so she can grab and play with them. It is a really neat thing for little people. I wish I had something like that when my boys were little. Back then you put them in the playpen and put mobiles on top so they can watch and try to grab at them moving. I layed her down on her back and the next thing I saw she was on her stomach. I put her back on her back and again she rolled onto her stomach. Yeah! It won't be long until she will be pulling herself up on those knees and taking off. I gave Josslyn this little Angel doll that says the children's prayer "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" well she just loves that angel. She watches it and listens to it pray. She smiles so BIG it is just so awesome to watch her. She was very playful today. We went out on the front porch to watch the traffic go by their house. I had her wrapped in her blanket so she wouldn't get chilled. She loves being outside, not like her brother who hates going outside. He is a homebody. After we went inside I layed her down on her play mat and she fell asleep. So, I picked her up and put her in her swing, because I knew she wouldn't stay asleep long on the floor, because she likes movement. She was still asleep went mommy and Jonathan came home. Mommy layed Jonathan on the sofa and he went back asleep from the trip home from daycare.

I will miss them so much. Thank you Jamie and John for giving me this opportunity to watch them for thes past 2 weeks. I really enjoyed my time with them. Hopefully, I will be of some assistance again for you to care for them. I really will miss them.

My Week at John and Jamie's House

Well, should say my three days at their house. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I watched Josslyn while John started his new job and Jamie was working.

Tuesday, Josslyn and I went for a nice 30 minute walk around Nazareth. It was such a beautiful day to enjoy our walk. By the time we got home she was fast asleep in the stroller. After our walk and while she was sleeping I played my pogo games. I'm glad John setup a guest account for me, because it made the time go fast. When she awoke it was time for a feeding and a changing. She is just a pleasent little baby. She laughs and smiles all the time. We played for a bit. Then off to sleep she goes.

Wednesday, Jonathan was home with us and you never knew he was there because he hibernated upstairs in their bedroom watching his movies and building his legos. He would come downstairs when he was hungry and then back up he would go. He gave me a new name....he calls me Nani-Louise. When he found out my middle name is Louise the same name as Michele's mom, who lives next door. That is all he calls me. He says Nani-Louise come see this or get me this, whatever he wants it is Nani-Louise. So, I told him that will be his special name for me. He was thrilled to death.

Thursday, John, Jamie went to work and Jonathan went to play school, while Josslyn and I had fun, again. Someone gave me a traveling swing and the cushion was put on backwards, so mommy and daddy couldn't see her in it before they left for work. The reason I brought it was because my arm was getting so tired of moving the stroller back and forth because Josslyn likes movement and it helped her to go to sleep. I fixed the cushion and put her in the swing and she slept for about an hour and a half. When she awoke we went for another walk before the rain came. This time I went hunting for a playground near their home. Found a ballfield that I know Jonathan will like, but not one with swings or slide. We walked for 30 minutes again, but this time Josslyn stayed awake for the whole walk. When we got back it was her feeding time. We played for a bit on the floor with her musical toys. She just loves to look around and smile. After that I put her in the swing and not long she was off to sleep again because of the movement. Jamie said she is like her mom, Carol. I am the same way too. I love to rock and swing on the swings.

It was just an adorable three days. I didn't even mind that I had to get up at 5:30 AM to be at their house by 7:00 AM.

Here is a picture of Josslyn in her swing. I took it with my cell phone

Nicki's Story

I posted a link of my friend, Nicole's cancer fight (it is at the right side of my blog, titled Nicki's Story). If you would like to read and know all about my young friend Nicole and her battle with brain cancer, please open and set up an account. Every time you go to CaringBridge.org you will have to type your email address and password in to follow her postings.

She is a 27 year old woman, married to a wonderful man named, Chris. Together they have this beautiful little blonde haired, blue eyed girl named Kylee. She is just so darn cute.

Nicki was diagnosed with brain cancer last year, after under going brain surgery to remove this tumor. To know this young woman is just utterly amazing. In her 27 years of life she is so smart and wise beyond her years.

Nicki goes to my church. Nicki, her husband Chris, and Kim Ward are in charge of our Youth Group. She is just awesome with the kids. Nicki also helps out with the Children's Choir and her little Kylee sits on her mommy's lap just watching and trying to sing along. Kylee is only 2 years old and wants to be a part of what our little kids do, when her mommy is working with them.

Please read her story and if your eyes aren't opened to what our Lord Jesus can do for us, then nothing will open your eyes.