Father’s Day Cards

I made this card for Wally’s Dad

This card was for my Dad

This is Wally’s card

Andrea made this card for Wally

A new card maker from the family…JoEllen sent this card to Dad!

Firecrackers and Father’s Day

I was just outside and heard someone firing off their firecrackers.  Now what does that have to do with Father’s Day?  Nothing really.  I was just thinking, they are getting in the spirit a week early, and I am getting in the spirit for Father’s Day a week late.  Not getting in the spirit really, we had a very nice Father’s Day.  I’m  just now getting around to sharing about it.

It’s kind of tradition that we get together each year and everyone brings their own steaks.  This year was different in that due to Mom recovering from her eye surgery we had dinner over at our house.  Also Robin had to work….arrgh! And I think this is the first year that Wally did not have at least one of his kids home to share in the celebration. 

Dads of the Day…Terry, Wally, Scott and my Dad

My Dad whom I love very much!

The Dad of my kids, whom I also love very much!

 

Wally does not usually get into opening gifts.  He’s smiling here because as soon as he picked up my gift he said, “it’s an atlas!”  And it was!! How did he know?  It’s not like that is a popular gift or that he wanted one.  I was flabbergasted.  He was pretty pleased with himself!

It wasn’t just an atlas!

Does this even look comfortable?  Well at least he got his nap!

Half of us kids…Sherry. Robin, Scott…with Dad and Mom

My sister Robin with half of her kids…Nathan and Aaron and their Dad, Terry.  It was nice getting to visit with Nate and Aaron a little more than at other get-togethers.   After all they were the only kids there that day!

Just Elaine

The thing I love most about Elaine is just her…looking at and watching her.  Everything seems so so cute to me.  So I’m sharing it here.  Hope I am not boring you.  But if I am feel free to click that red x in the right hand corner. 

 

A perfect duet!

What is Better than being a Grandparent? Being a Great-Grandparent!

My sweet Mom!  She and Dad were on a road trip at the same time as we were. On their way home her cornea perforated while they were in Des Moines.  After a trip to the ER there, my Dad drove straight through to to get home.  He is 84!  They spent Wednesday being seen by my Mom’s eye doctor and specialists.  On Thursday, they removed her eye.  While we were driving down the road getting to destinations, we were praying!  Surgery went well but not the meds afterwards.  Mom spent the weekend so nauseous she could not keep anything down.  After a trip back to the doctor on Monday, some changes in medicine, she began to feel better.  Elaine visiting her on Tuesday was just more good medicine!

I feel so blessed that my parents have been godly examples to their children.  Doubly so that they have and still are influencing my children.  And now, the third generation my Elaine, will benefit from their love and prayers.

One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.  Psalm 145:4

A Visit with Andrea and Elaine

I love spending time with my daughter.  But this visit I know was a big sacrifice on her part. She had just moved and even though she is efficient at unpacking a home there is much more to settling into a new home, not to mention a new ministry.  So I do thank you Ben and Andrea for disrupting your lives, plans and daughter to make meeting great-grandparents a possibility. (I am only grandma, but I sure did benefit as well)!

I don’t think Andrea and I ever lack for things to do when we get together.  One  big thing on our agenda for this visit was some computer stuff.  Andrea moved my Memory Manager file of pictures from our desk top computer to my laptop.  While doing a little porch setting, I got a few blogging lessons (hope I can remember).  We went to the petting zoo with my friend Alethea and her daughter Taliah.  Andrea and Alethea met over Andrea’s blog, their mutual interest?  fuzzy bunz!  That's cloth diapers like you’ve never experienced before!  We spent an afternoon with my Mom recovering from surgery. We even made cards for Father’s Day together! I

I loved breaking out the old toys for Elaine to play with!

 

 

Alethea and Taliah.  Taliah cracked me up.  She was very cautious in her “petting”!  I would call it more like “poking”! 

 

 

 

 

We took a turn around the park on the little train

Taliah is also a cautious train-rider!  However, Elaine isn’t looking too excited either1

Great Grandpa Paul came over to the park.  He had a doctor’s appointment so he came for a little extra time with Elaine!

There’s No Place Like Home

6,077.5 miles, 20 states and 15 days later, we pulled into our driveway again!  I guess for a lot of people two weeks is  a normal vacation.  For us home bodies, it is a l-o-ong time to be gone!  We parted ways with Kenny and Becky and they headed back to NC.  Andrea and Elaine drove to Colorado with us.  

Elaine was so upset to be leaving Uncle Kenny!

Elaine was a pretty good traveler…14 hours in a car seat is a long time!  Andrea rode in the back with her which was probably pretty helpful!  Andrea was also helpful to us.  On our road trip I had a terrible time playing our Adventures in Odyssey stories form my iPod.  I would start an episode and a few minutes into the story, it would switch to another story.  Very frustrating especially when we could get nothing on the radio. So I ask Andrea if she can figure anything out.  After two seconds she had it fixed…apparently I have a shuffle mode on my iPod!  Well I did know this, just didn’t know it was on! 

…and Turns

We arrived in Mountain Home, AR in the afternoon and set up our camper.  Grams and Gramps had arrived the day before in their fifth-wheel.  They were the main gathering spot for the weekend as Grams wanted to provide the meal each evening.  Kind of like hanging around the kitchen table!  We had supper together Friday night and the family time began.

It was a very hot time in AR…not with family but the temperature. Saturday it was 95 degrees and the humidity was heavy.  I don’t really like to be hot but I don’t think I’m a wimp either…it felt like an oven to me and before the day ended I was feeling sick.  I think Elaine was feeling it too, she was just not her normal happy self.  I am so thankful our little camper had AC…such a relief!

Here’s some photos of  our time together:

Kenny and Wally got up early and took a motorcycle ride

…then Wally took Andrea for a quick spin!

My sweet New York Girls!

Me and Elaine

      

Kenny and Becky

 

Meet the Family

Wally’s parents, Gene and Nyla known to us mostly as Gram and Gramps

Lewis and Becky…Lewis is the “old”est!

Leah and Marlin

Wally and Sherry

Tim and Zane…Tim’s wife Ann and daughter Maddie were in Chicago at a bike competition

 

I didn’t do too good at getting pictures of the cousins…they seemed to be pretty busy playing!  I really wanted Grams to have time enjoying Elaine so I did get a picture or two of that…

 

Four Generations