Mindy arrives!

Mindy was not able to be there for Claire's birth, but she was able to fly in just a couple of days after.  We all went to the airport to welcome her.

 These pictures just show how much the nieces and nephew LOVE their auntie!

And I KNOW the new little niece will LOVE her auntie too!  We are so excited that Mindy is moving back to Kansas!!

Birthday

Every year for my birthday, instead of the traditional birthday cake, we have birthday pie.  Yum!!
The party was last night since Mindy was going back to Alabama this morning, but as it turned out, she got the flu and then Claire had a tummy ache and so Jill and Claire were not able to come either.  :( 
But we had a good party inspite of that.

We celebrated at Mom's so we could wheel my Dad from his room at Kidron.  His room is just across the road in the southwest wing and then Aunt Millie walked over from her wing in assisted living.  She lives just across the road too in the northwest wing of the Home.

 

 Dad got to spend some time on the computer.

 Uncle Mahlon, who lives in Ohio called to chit chat.

Today after Min left for the airport, I went to the girls' last swimming lesson and then Adam took us out

to eat for lunch.  (by the way, we weren't too very sad to have to say goodbye to Mindy because she is moving back soon!!  She got a job back here in Kansas!!  I guess she just misses us too much and we missed her a lot too!  Yay!!!!)

  

The restaurant was sooooo cold, we decided to eat our ice-cream cones outside and watch the ducks on the river.

 Maybe a silly idea since it was over 100 degrees!!  We were all a sticky mess before the cones were eaten!

In the afternoon, my sister-in-law and niece arrived from Pretty Prairie to meet Claire and to bring gifts for all the girls.  Gayle also baked me a cookie in the shape of a 5 and a 7 but forgot it on the kitchen counter back on the farm.  We had a good laugh about that.  She said she will take a picture and mail the photo and they will eat the cookie.  So funny!

What an enjoyable birthday I have had!  Hannah made the remark that I am 57 and that Sophia is 5 and she is 7.  Isn't that interesting?

Here is the photo Gayle sent me of the cookie!  (I couldn't get it to go sideways but you get the idea!)  Thanks Gayle!!!

June Restaurant Pick

Each month this year we are going to restaurants we have never visited before.  As it was the end of June, we needed to get our restaurant pick for the month in.  So this is a break from posting about Claire's new arrival and the visit of all the children for that.

Mindy, Allen and I took a trip to Wichita to the Old Town area.  We decided to try out Hana Cafe.  I remember going to a Hana restaurant back several years ago when it was across from Towne East.  Do not know if this is the same restaurant or not, but Al had never been and I had not been to this one. 

Mindy ordered sushii.  I ate her ginger since I love that and she doesn't!  Al ordered yakisoba and I had katsu-don.  It was pretty good, but it wasn't quite authentic Japanese.   That's ok.  It was still tasty and filling. 

For authentic, I loved Mama-Sans, on 13th.  The cook was a Japanese lady (a war bride - married a serviceman back in the '50s and came to the States with him) and she and her 2 daughters made a most wonderful Japanese meal.  But alas, it is closed.  So sad.  And those so-called Japanese restaurants where they throw the food around for show - well, those aren't authentic either.  At least we never, ever saw places like that in Japan.  It is kind of touristy and for American show.

As we left, more families had gathered to play in the water park.  It is very hot in Kansas this week! 

Keeping cool

When the days are so HOT,

what better way to keep cool than going to the splash park...

or setting up the pool and sprinkler in the backyard!

Puppy store

Several years ago, Chisholm Trail Country Store was built just down the road by the outlet mall.  They sell farm products.  When they were building, we debated whether it would be a restaurant or clothing store.  I purchase my bird food there.  Our grandchildren have lovingly dubbed this store the

"puppy store"!

On the day Jill and Adam went to the hospital to have Baby Claire, we decided a good way to pass the time would be to take a trip to the "puppy store".

 They sell puppies there and also baby chicks.  And this day they had baby turkeys.

The children LOVE to hold the puppies!  For those of you who know me, well, I am a tad bit "shy" of puppies and dogs.  Got bit a couple times as a kid and I just can't hold the wiggly things.  I like to look at them.  They ARE cute.  But, nope, I won't hold them.  Silly, I know.  So the girls are happy when Papa, Daddy or Uncle Josh go along to help them take the puppies out of the cages so they can hold them.  I just can't do it.  Don't want to get nipped, you know.

 Sometimes the puppies like to nibble on shoes.  And I know if I held them, they would nibble on me!

 

The store sells lots of toys too.  Hannah would LOVE to have a stable and all these horses to go in them! 



After about an hour or so, we went home to do some more playing - and waited forever (it seemed) to wait for the arrival of the new baby!!