Summer has Flown By

My daughter tonight made a comment that I hadn't blogged since Hawaii (in February) and she is right I haven't. Not because I didn't think about it but because I have been too busy reading all of their posts and my life is really boring in comparison to theirs that I have been very neglectful of my own. Besides I wasn't sure that anyone even looked at mine.

It has been a very busy summer, one that has been filled with some fun, some disappointments, and some tasks that have taken on a life of their own. Shall we say, I sit down to my computer and don't really know where to begin. A lot of the summer was spent playing and loving on my grandchildren. I always look forward to time that I can cuddle and play with them.

Early in the summer we took Brianna with us to our family reunion in Nebraska. She did a great job and is a wonderful little traveler. It was a fun time to see and visit with family. Thanks to all who made the time a huge success.

Summer is also a time that Gary and I spend at our trailer in North Branch. However, this summer has been a bit different in that on the July 4th weekend there was a storm that took down a huge tree branch and damaged our trailer and it had to be taken away from the campground to be repaired. It was August before we were able to put it back at the campground and begin to put our campsite back together.

August 5th was Gary's 60th birthday and the girls and their families (all but Laura's family)joined us up at Eme's in-laws cabin for a funfilled weekend.

Then summer ended and it was back to work for me. Gary met with his back doctor and found that his back is as healed as it will be so the decision was made to begin the process to put our home up for sale by this fall to move to somewhere the lawn work will be taken care of. Big decision with lots of work involved.

I am hoping to put together a few pictures to show our busy summer and early fall.

Hawaii Trip

What fun it was to take a trip to "warm" country and visit with Laura, John and Danya. I arrived late on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 and stayed until February 14, 2011. On the first Thursday we headed to the beach to soak up a little sun and fun in the ocean as Danya was to have surgery on that first Friday and would not be able to go back in the ocean for two weeks. We searched for rocks (coral) and swam in the ocean which Danya loves to do.

During the time spent in Hawaii, I learned about Monarch butterflys and got to see what the caterpillars look like; I got a chance to meet several of Laura's "Mom" friends and the one she calls her "Hawaii Mom"; We visited the Plantation Village which is a fun thing to experience and learned that Waipahu means Spring of Water; I got to hear John preach; and basically enjoy time of talking, sharing, laughing, and playing with Danya and Laura.

The pictures are only a small sampling of the fun we shared. Thank you John, Laura and Danya for sharing the time with me. Love you all.

Christmas 2010

Christmas is a time to spend with family. We have for the last couple of years invited our extended family to join us for Christmas Eve (a potluck dinner and a time of opening gifts). This year was no different, and many were able to be with us and enjoyed our time greatly.

Christmas morning was a quiet time for Gary and I to make preparations for our children and grandchildren to arrive to spend the day. We love having them here and enjoyed the excitement as each of them had the chance to open the gifts bestowed on them. One of the gifts given to us by our daughters was a change in name for the grandkids to call us. We are honored that each of them had their own ideas and traditions/cultures to bring to us and are wowed by the fact that they all came together to choose one name that all could agree on. So from Nana/Papa; Mormor/Morfar; Grandma/Grandpa we have gone to Gammlemor or Gammie for short and Gammlefar or Gamfie for short.

Enjoy our little slideshow of pictures from time spent with family. Merry Christmas to all near and far.

Make a Mess Wednesday with Oliver

What's this?

Hmmm, what's outside?

Casen is helping recycle pop cans.

What Grandpa?

 This week I have been on Christmas Break from school.  I took the opportunity to spend time with my grandkids and have been having a great time.  On Monday Casen came over to share the day with Grandma and Grandpa as it was snowing outside and Grandpa can't work when it's snowing.   After Casen went home on Monday, I went and picked up Oliver and Lucius for an overnighter at Mormor & Morfar's.  Oliver and I decided, because Grandpa was home in the morning to keep an eye on Lucius, we would make some cookies and then be able to decorate them after nap time.  What fun to experience making cutout cookies with a 2 (soon to be 3) year old.

Auntie Em and Brianna came over for part of the day so Eme could snow blow our driveway.  Lucius and Brianna played while Oliver napped.  Then Eme napped while Brianna napped.  When Oliver woke up it was time to decorate the cookies.  You ask how many sprinkles are too many.  Apparently whatever a little boy decides to put on the cookie and not the table is the right amount.  I love taking care of my grandkids to give their mommies and daddies a break.

Check out the slideshow of our day:  

Danya, if you were here, we would go play in the snow again AND you could have a sleep over too.

Enjoy this season of family and remember the real reason for the season is Jesus.

Thankful Thanksgiving

Wow what a weekend.  We started our weekend at Church on Wednesday evening sharing a turkey meal with Gary's cousin Bob.  It was a fun event and very good food.

Casen, Michelle & Copper.  Copper wanted to be a part of the action.

Grandma, Help; Copper dog's in the way.

Okay, we'll make room for you Copper dog.

Really, mom, I was here first.  Copper is such a ham.

Grandma, this ball makes noise.

Help, I've been jailed!!

On Thursday Michelle, Jeremy, and Casen came over so that Gary could help with schematics for a project that Michelle wanted to get accomplished using wood from a wardrobe that Jeremy had.  It will be a toy box of sorts for the other grandparents house.  While Gary and Jeremy worked on cutting the wood and getting it ready to assemble Michelle helped me in the house by sweeping and preparing lunch for us all.  Casen played on the floor with Kleo and Copper, who was here to visit.  Then I decided to move the TV back down to the lower level so as to have a room for the grandkids to play in on the main floor.  Michelle and Jeremy helped carry things down and then Jeremy hooked the TV back up down stairs.

In the afternoon, I received a call from Margaret telling me that Oliver had a question for me and she added it was NOT her idea.  Oliver very politely asked if he could have an overnight with Mormor?  Of course when he asks so politely, who can say no (about 3 am when he announced he was awake, I was questioning myself).

After we got ourselves up on Friday morning, Gary headed to physical therapy and Oliver and I played and read some books.  When Gary came home we headed to breakfast with Pastor Ron, Priscilla, and Doug at Bonnie's cafe.  After finishing a very large pancake and helping me to eat my breakfast Oliver announced it was time to go home.

We then headed over to Eme and Jon's for our family Thanksgiving feast.  On the ride over to Eme's, Cousin Bob was sitting in the back seat with Oliver and they were having a discussion of sorts (the kind you can have with an almost 3 year old).  They were not quite seeing eye to eye and Gary, from the front seat said to Oliver & Bob -- "seems you have a difference of opinion".  To which Oliver says "we have a difference of a penguin?"  We all chuckled at that and just a few minutes later Oliver leans over to Bob and says "Bob, you give me a headache".  Of course, that comes under the category -- Kids say the darndest things. 

What fun to watch all of the grandkids as they play and chase each other.  We had a wonderful time of eating food and playing games and watching Jeremy and Jon play Wii.

Saturday was spent doing projects at home, creating crafts for Christmas presents.  What a time to reflect on all the things we have to be thankful for.  Family, Friends, Relatives, and provisions of food.