• Happy Thanksgiving!

    November 26, 2013 / 4 Comments

    ThanksgivingI received this precious Thanksgiving greeting card years ago from my firstborn’s firstborn.  It traveled all the way from Peru where my son was a missionary doctor.  He and his family lived and worked among the Quechua Indians for almost seven years.  They are back in the states now, thankfully for this grandmother.  The photo above was taken in the Sacsayhuaman ruins in Cusco, Peru, when I visited them.

    I will spend ten hours tomorrow in a mini-van with my daughter and her family…seven of us…PLUS Kiana, the Hungarian Vizla!  We are traveling to Kentucky where I will spend a wonderful week with my son and his precious family.  My daughter and her family will travel an hour farther to spend Thanksgiving with my son-in-law’s family.  I can’t wait to see them all!  There is a pan full of “party mix” in the oven for the road trip and I’ve been stirring it every 15 minutes.  It smells delicious!  Why does riding in a car for so long make you hungry?!  😉  I have so much I’d like to do with my three beautiful granddaughters in Kentucky.  We’ll have to work hard to get it all done in a week!

    On December 4, I will fly from Kentucky to Dallas for ten sweet days with my youngest and his family.  With a two year old granddaughter and a three-month-old granddaughter, I will be in grandmother-heaven!  I was visiting with my two year old granddaughter the other day on Skype and mentioned that I couldn’t wait to play with her.  She promptly picked up her Dad’s iPad and carried me into the playroom with her…setting “me” down in the little chair beside her!  I was playing with her!  I loved it…

    Wishing each of you a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving with your family and friends.  May you have safe travels and make wonderful memories that will last a lifetime…

  • Anna Maria Island…

    June 14, 2013 / 9 Comments

    After a wonderful fun-filled-four-days visiting all four theme parks at Disneyworld, we headed to Anna Maria Island, Florida, for another four days of sun, sand and relaxation.  It had been more years than I could remember since I had seen the beautiful Southern waters of the Gulf.  It brought back memories of our family’s vacations on the Outer Banks of North Carolina on the Atlantic side years ago.

    My daughter had found a very nice beach house for us right on a canal and complete with a private pool.  The house was decorated in the sunny and cool colors of the beach:  shades of blue, yellow, lavender and coral.  The white trim throughout the house accented the colors perfectly.  There were several abstract paintings throughout the house that we learned had been purchased in Brazil.  With speakers inside and outside for the pool, we also enjoyed the beach music selections provided by the owner.

    I shared a room with my four year old grandson with a twin bed for each of us.  He’s a perfect little roommate and I loved it when he said, “goodnight, Grandmommy”.  Although on a couple of nights, I was actually asleep before he was and he tiptoed in without waking me.  Perfect little gentleman.

    After a morning on the beach, we walked the 5 minutes back to the house and had lunch – after rinsing off in the outdoor shower.  Afterwards, we usually watched a video, played or read for a while during the hottest part of the day.  Then it was out to the pool where the fish my grandchildren loved practicing all their strokes and actually playing in the water.  The three older ones swim competitively and have a stack of blue ribbons to prove it.  Consequently, they have little time to actually “play” in the water.  I enjoyed being in the pool some with them, then reading my Karen White book which I’d brought along with me.

    I think my daughter had the perfect idea, scheduling the four relaxing days after the four busy ones.  Ten days passed all too quickly and we flew back to Iowa on Tuesday morning…with a bank of memories of a wonderful time together.

  • Four days at Disneyworld…

    June 13, 2013 / 2 Comments

    On Sunday the 2nd day of June,  I took a direct flight to St. Petersburg, Florida, with my daughter and her family.  They rented a van to seat all seven of us and we headed for Orlando and four wonderful days touring all four of the theme parks at Disneyworld!  I was finally going to see Disneyworld for the first time in my life!  My daughter had rented a fabulous 4 bedroom – 4 bath house complete with a private pool and about a ten minute drive from Disneyworld.  It was beautifully decorated and fully equipped, although it was hard to imagine using such nice furnishings in a vacation rental home!  Nevertheless, we totally enjoyed it!

     

    Below:  After we picked up the rental van at the airport and were headed to Orlando! 

    Can you tell the kids were excited!?

    On Monday morning, we headed to Epcot and spent the next twelve+ hours seeing everything!  (On the first of the four days, I was tired beyond measure but got progressively better as the week progressed.  I took that to mean that I should definitely start walking TEN+ miles a day!)  😉  Well, maybe not ten!

    Epcot was amazing with all of the different countries represented.  I could have spent a whole day just visiting that section but there was so more much to see!  And there were so many great rides!  I think my two favorite rides in Epcot were Test Track and Soarin’.  We finished the first day at Disneyworld enjoying a fantastic fireworks show.

     

    On Tuesday morning, we headed to Animal Kingdom.  That was probably my favorite of all the parks, but it’s hard to say.  There were also some great rides in Animal Kingdom.  I loved the African setting especially and seeing all the wild animals.   My daughter loves roller coasters and rode the Expedition Everest several times.  I gave her my fast pass ticket – that’s for sure!  😉

    Read about the Tree of Life below here.  Amazing sculpture!

    On Wednesday, we enjoyed the Magic Kingdom…a fairytale come true!  Each day, there were great shows to see as well as rides.  I especially enjoyed The Little Mermaid musical and The Lion King show.  Such talent!  There were also great rides at the Magic Kingdom!  And, yes, I rode Dumbo the flying elephant and the Goofy Barnstormer among others!
    Tropical storm ANDREA arrived in Orlando on Thursday morning.  We ventured out anyway, covered in plastic ponchos – this time to the Hollywood Studios theme park!  We enjoyed several shows and rides to remember.  Altogether, a fun day regardless of a mere tropical storm!
    In past years, I have taken my camera everywhere but, this time, I was carrying a backpack with water, etc. and didn’t take my camera.  I wished I had but we were moving so fast, not sure there would have been time to take pics!  My daughter snapped these pics with her phone but I never could get HER in any of the photos!
    Coming post:  Four days on Anna Maria Island…

  • One wonderful week…

    April 29, 2013 / 4 Comments

    I arrived in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport on April 20th after an uneventful two hour direct flight from Des Moines (the best kind of flight).   My son, his sweet wife and my beautiful nineteen month old granddaughter were there to meet me.  I had not seen them since Thanksgiving and the changes in my granddaughter were apparent.  Children grow so fast!

    The week flew by.  We took advantage of the time and crammed a lot into it!  There was a block party that first weekend with grilled hot dogs, music and all the goodies.  There was also a blow-up-jump-tent which my granddaughter loved!  Unfortunately, once too many “really big kids” got in, it was time for her to get out according to her protective dad and I agreed!  She wasn’t too happy about getting out though.

    Over the week, there was lots of time to:  go to library preschool story hour, play together, visit a park (which she loved), go out to eat a few times, enjoy my daughter-in-love’s great cooking, play with my granddog Bernie (who, we decided, is a Jack-Chi…1/2 Jack Russell 1/2 Chihauhau), read books to my granddaughter, shop at Ikea, shop at a terrific book store, babysit & give them a night out, visit an Etsy Crafts Fair and watch my son’s great morning television show which I cannot see here in Iowa.   It was also fun seeing the large home they will be moving into at the end of May.  Their family will be expanding in August when my new little granddaughter arrives.  They will love all that extra space in the new house which includes a wonderful playroom!

    All too soon, seven days passed and it was time to drive me to the airport.  My granddaughter fell asleep on the way there.  I reached over and kissed her lightly goodbye, not wanting to awaken her.  It was sad to leave them.  My son and daughter-in-love emailed to say that it was sad when she woke up – wondering where Grandmommy was and reaching over for me.  Of course, I cried when I heard that.  I miss her so much already.

    I’ve said before, that in a perfect world, all my children and grandchildren would be no more than two hours from me.  Apparently, according to my son, I have given them “roots and wings”.  I’m glad for that but, evidently, that meants that they are to be scattered, living happily ever after…fulfilling their destinies.

    …but I still miss them all.

    At the park…

    I love her adorable profile and her windblown hair!  She has lots of barrettes but doesn’t like to keep them in her hair!

     

    Above:  crunching her munchies and watching Bernie play with the other little dogs at the dogpark!

     

    She wasn’t too sure that she wanted to slide, so her Mom took her on her lap.

     

  • Packing for Dallas…

    April 17, 2013 / 12 Comments

    It has been almost five months since I have seen my two sons and their families…not since Thanksgiving.  I miss them!  On Saturday morning, I am flying to Dallas for a week-long-visit with my youngest and his sweet family.  My now nineteen-month-old granddaughter has changed so much since November!  I see photos of her.  I have brief visits with her on Facetime…but nothing compares to a visit in person.  She is absolutly adorable with her big blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair – just like her dad’s.  I can’t wait to see her!  And spend lots of time coloring together (she loves to color) and going for walks and playing.  The first couple of times that I went to visit, we “toured” Dallas, but to be honest, I just want grandbaby time!  I’m sure Dallas is lovely, but Dallas cannot compete with a nineteen-month-old granddaughter!

    Chicago Bulls’ fans at a Bulls game in Dallas! She’s clapping!

    So, my carry-on suitcase is packed with all the blankets & the quilt that I have made for her.  There’s a sweet vintage book by my favorite illustrator, the late Eloise Wilkin.  I look forward to reading it to her.  I’m taking a tape measure and several patterns to show her sweet mom.  I want to make some little dresses but I don’t have a clue what pattern size to make at this time.  So, I will take measurements and hurry home to make them before she grows a whole lot more.

    There’s also a soft, sweet baby doll complete with her blankie and bottle.  (I took her out of her box.  She’s a “My First Nursery” Middleton doll.  I will pack her in soft tissue paper and place her in the middle between blankets.)  I also want to look for a couple of toddler coloring books when I am, hopefully, out & about tomorrow.  (Today it has stormed all day long…complete with pouring rain, loud thunder and bolts of lightning.)  Then I should be all packed!

    What’s that?  Where are my clothes?!  Uh…good question.  Guess I should pack those next!

    Both graduates of IU, they’re definitely Hoosier fans!

     

    And I get to meet my new granddog, Bernie!

    See you soon…

  • Over the river and through the woods…

    November 26, 2012 / 6 Comments

    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.