2016

Photos of Marguerite's Grandchildren Grace & Crawford in 2016

2016 began with Crawford IV's birthday January 2 with a special cake made by his sister, Gracie, with her new EZ Bake Oven.

In mid-January EE kept Grace and Crawford for 5 days while Gar and Chandi were out of town. We had a wonderful time! The most fun for the kids were two play dates with Gabrielle and Henri, twin 5-year-olds who are good friends. They had an animal/dress-up parade and also did a magic show for EE and their mom. EE put together an Easy Bake Oven cooking lesson and they made delicious oatmeal cookies. The twins' mom brought dinner one night and that was also a treat. Crawford has become an expert at both floor puzzles and i-pad puzzles and he and EE did some puzzles when the bigger kids' got involved in creative fantasy that Crawford doesn't like much.

The end of January Grace was at a playground play date and fell off the monkey bars. She fractured her arm/elbow and was in a cast for 3 weeks. Her hot pink cast was autographed by many, including EE who got the prize spot of the elbow bend! Grace is left handed and her left arm was broken so she adapted by learning to write with her right hand. Again in early February EE kept both kids while Gar and Chandi were out of town for a few days. Lots of cooking and crafting and and some FOF (feet off floor) time so EE could get a little rest. A couple more play dates were also part of the time together. Mid-February the family joined another family for three days at Big Bear. Not much snow but they had a good time and slept in the "bunk room" of the house they rented.

The weekend of March 5-6 EE kept the kids again so that Gar and Chandi could have some R&R at a Desert Resort. We had a great time! Grace's cast is off and she is back to normal. EE brought a floor puzzle of the presidents and the three of them put it together in record time! Another tradition is pancakes in the shape of monkeys and lions. The weekend also included a birthday party for a little friend who turned 3.

Easter Sunday was spent as guests of Lisa and Bill Johnson who belong to the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. The buffet was scrumptious and there were lots of fun things for the kids to do. Crawford and Grace both especially enjoyed the petting pen for goats, bunnies, and puppies, and the family took a few turns in the little train.

A few days later Gar and Chandi got approval to buy a wonderful home in Heath, Texas! The home is 3300 square feet on an acre next to a 35 square mile lake -- and the price was a fraction of what a similar home would cost in Southern California! Heath is an up-scale community about 20 miles from Dallas where Gar's principal client has corporate offices. Public schools are excellent and there is a wonderful sailing yacht club on the lake near their home. The family moved the end of April right after the Spring Show for Monarch Bay Montessori School that was attended by both grandmas too!

On June 10 Grandma EE went to Heath, Texas to visit Gar, Chandi, Grace and Crawford. She spent ten days there and the details are elsewhere on this website, (Marguerite's First Visit to Gar's Home in Texas.) During the time she was there, she kept the kids for a few days while both parents were out of town on business. They had lots of fun swimming with the neighbor twins and also at the Rush Creek Yacht Club that the family joined when they moved. Grace is moving rapidly toward becoming an engineer! She attends classes at CORE, a "technasium" where she has private lessons twice/week from a graduate engineer to learn to build machines with legos and then use computer coding to make them run! Crawford can start at CORE when he is five. Core focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and both girls and boys are welcome!

In Mid-July, Chandi and Grace and Crawford came to Orange County for a week of day camps. Gar stayed in Texas with Gretel, the poodle, and his work. Grace attended a synchronized swimming camp and Crawford attended a nature camp with several of his friends. While in OC, Grandpa George and EE had dinner with them at Mama D's, an Italian family restaurant that has always been a favorite place. EE also spent a couple other days with them including attending Grace's synchronized swimming show! From OC the three of them will go to Long Island to spend time with Oma and Opa. They return to Texas on 8/20 so kids can go back to school.

August in West Hampton Beach, Long Island, New York, included "Beach Camp" with Oma for both Grace and Crawford. They also met their new cousin -- Henry Oliver Neubauer, born July 1, 2016. Lots of visits to local sights including Farmers' Market for pickles! On September 2, one of the companies Gar represents, First Cash Financial Services, joined the New York Stock Exchange and Gar, Chandi and the kids all went to the ceremony. Grace even took a gavel to the original "bell" on the floor of the Exchange.

On September 16, EE went to Texas again to visit Gar and family for 10 days. An important goal for the trip was to make drapes for the living room and begin other sewing to make their house a real home. Of course much of the time was spent with Grace and Crawford. We started the trip with a visit to the Dallas Arboretum where they annually have a large "pumpkin village". Many photos of EE, Gar, Chandi, Grace and Crawford were taken in the almost 100 degree heat!

EE made another trip to Texas in November and spent Thanksgiving with Gar and family. The first week Chandi was out of town so EE and Gar did things with the grand kids. The sewing machine was set up and EE did lots of sewing while the kids were in school. When Chandi got home we enjoyed a very nice Thanksgiving and also getting ready for Christmas. Grace and Crawford and the twins across the street made wonderful gingerbread houses! EE came back to California after Thanksgiving and the family got ready for more company over the holidays. Gar's cousin Keith visited for a few days and then Oma and Opa came from New York. Everybody loves the Texas house and yard!

Birthday Cake Movie

Teeter Totter Movie

Parade Movie

Magic Movie

Kids Movie

Swinging Movie

Balance Beam Movie

Climb Movie


Gar's Family Moved to Texas in May 2016


Kite Movie

Picnic Movie


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