• One fun visit…

    This time last week, I was enjoying my first out-of-town company since moving into the condo.  Penny, my sister-in-law of 39 years, and her sweet husband Mike had arrived about 9:30 p.m. the night before in the midst of a typically severe Midwest thunderstorm.  I greeted them with hugs and a “welcome to Iowa”!

    The photo below of (L to R) Mike, Penny, me and Bill was taken sometime in the mid-1970’s.  When you’ve been together since 1966, there is a storehouse of memories and a strong bond.  I’m sure Bill was looking down from Heaven…reminiscing along with us and laughing at the three of us. 

     

     

    We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and lunch together each day.  In the afternoon, we headed over to my daughter’s house for a fun visit and delicious supper.  The grandchildren love Aunt Penny & Uncle Mike!  It was all so much fun.

    As a superb craftsman and “handyman”, Mike found several things around the condo that needed repair and attention – and fixed them!  I had been living with having to plug/unplug the lamp in the living room each day…trying not to trip over the exposed cord!   (The condo was built in the 80’s and does not have a plug in the floor).  Among other creative fixes, Mike devised a method of hiding a new cord under my large area rug and plugged it in behind the entertainment center.  No more exposed cord and no more tripping over it!  Oh, so much better that I did a little happy dance!  😉

    One day, we headed to Lowe’s where we picked up brown felt feet for all my bookcases, entertainment center, table and chairs (Mike’s super idea).  Since they came in their dual-cab truck, we also picked up a glass-topped round table and  two new chairs for my porch – in keeping with the blue & green theme of the pillows which my daughter selected.  I also found another inexpensive table to elevate my other fern.  Mike arranged all the furniture on the porch and it looks great!  Penny says he’s a “keeper” and I agree!

    They had been searching for a travel trailer and actually purchased one here!  It’s a 24′ one that can sleep 6, complete with television, stove top, microwave, bathroom and table & banquet!  It looks so comfortable – a home away from home in the Smokies or wherever they journey.  My grandchildren loved it – especially since they had to store it at my daughter’s house while they were here.

    After the Monday night storm on the evening they arrived, the weather turned cool and very much like Fall.  The porch was a very pleasant place to be.  They enjoyed sitting out there and Penny especially enjoyed reading there.

    All too soon, our visit was over and they made the long trip back to Memphis – this time pulling a 24′ travel trailer!  Thank you, Mike and Penny, for the fun visit and all the help.  I miss you guys already.  Come back soon!

     

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  • Over the river and through the woods…

    Over the river and through the woods, to Aunt Penny’s house we go…

    Actually, it was eleven hours by interstate and the prairie farm backroads of Iowa, Missouri and Arkansas…but the end result was definitely worth it!  It had been two long years since we’d all been together in one place…my children, my grandchildren and myself. Not since the summer of 2010 when we all met in Chicago.  At that time, my oldest and his family were returning home from almost 7 years on the medical mission field in Peru.

    Thanksgiving 2012…and all my precious grandchildren

    We all drove from three different directions to meet in Memphis…where I had grown up…where my children were born and, sadly, where their father is buried.  My children’s paternal Aunt Penny and Uncle Mike graciously hosted our family in Memphis…along with their three sons, wives and four grandchildren.  Thank you, Aunt Penny and Uncle Mike!  We love you!  My oldest and his wife are host parents to a fourteen year old South Korean foreign exchange student this school year so this was her first Thanksgiving. Altogether, there were 27 of us there for the Thanksgiving feast!  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and I found myself wishing more than once that their Dad could have been their with us…no doubt he was in spirit.

    On Friday night, my niece Sharon and her husband joined us for a fun Corky’s Barbecue dinner.  Delicious food and fun fellowship!  Sharon and Tommy’s son and his wife and their two children stopped by to see us.  They were headed to the Christmas tree lighting at their church so they couldn’t stay for Corky’s.  It was so good to see them!

    I loved watching all my grandchildren playing together and sometimes pairing off by age and interests.  It thrilled me to see the love (and talent for) art in all my grandchildren as well as the love of music.  Four grandchildren are superb on the piano and one plays the violin beautifully.  (I know I sound just like a grandmother – what can I say?!  It’s true all the same.)  The love of books and reading was evident as well.

    I was in grandmother heaven until it came time to say goodbye to each one…then I was a crybaby.  Now, it will mean flights to see my sons and their families…and waiting until we are all together again.  Thankfully, for my daughter and four of my grandchildren, I can just get in the car and drive 14 minutes.  😉

    To see more of the Thanksgiving crazy fun, enjoy the slideshow below!  Just click the arrows to forward or reverse pics.

     

     

    P.S. For those of you who asked for them, the cookie recipes are now at the bottom of the previous post! 😉

    Note:  The Thanksgiving song above is here.

  • One week from today…

    One week from today, I will be in a mini-van with my daughter and her family (seven of us) traveling (11 hours!) home to Memphis for Thanksgiving.  Memphis is where I grew up, fell in love and got married (39 years) and had three wonderful children.  My three sisters (two now in Heaven) and I spent so much time together in Memphis and Mississippi.  My nieces and nephews are so much a part of my life there.  The closer I get to Memphis, the more the memories come flooding in…whether I’m flying into the airport there or on a rare drive.

    The last time all of my children and grandchildren were in ONE location (always my dream), was in June 2010 in Chicago.  What a wonderful time we had!  My precious little Peruvian granddaughter – never shy – walked in first to the hotel room where we all were and proceeded to introduce her big sisters and then herself.  A perfect introduction.  Of course, she didn’t realize that she was the one everyone  was meeting for the first time!  (Except for me of course – I had been to Peru in 2008 where my son was a missionary doctor.)  Special memories.

    I’m looking forward to making more special memories as we are all together in Memphis with my late husband’s sister Penny and her family.  This time, my younger son’s fourteen month old  baby girl will be there too!  I can’t wait to hold her!  Although now she is so “busy” I probably won’t be able to hold her for long, but we can definitely play.  She will be so excited to be with all of her cousins!  My precious niece Sharon and her husband will come over for a fun barbecue dinner.  I can’t wait to see them!  I miss everyone and wish that we ALL lived closer to one another!  My youngest says “but, Mom, you gave us roots and wings”!  Let that be a lesson to me – about the “wings” that is!  😉

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    Featured photo at top:  Sweet baby girl!  She will have so much fun with her cousins in Memphis!

    I would be tempted to stay in Memphis and visit a while longer then fly back home to Iowa; however, I do not want to miss the first birthday that my baby girl and I have been able to spend together in a very long time.  My birthday (and her late Dad’s birthday also) is December 1.  Her birthday is December 4th!  She was almost born on OUR birthday.  She took the photo below at arm’s length under flourescent lights the night of the Great Pumpkin Party at our church!  Please remember:  flourescent lights are not kind to anyone!  😉