Hannah had her first day of preschool.

I had to run to church anyway, so I got to be there to take pictures!

So excited!

Her new backpack.

Joan Duerksen, the helper, taking pictures of the kids as they arrive.

You can see Kendall , the amazing teacher!! to the right in the back.

Have a great year, Hannah!!

Labor Day

We Graber ladies decided to have a fun day at the zoo. All the guys were busy with other things - farming, working on the basement, camping, or too cool to be with the girls (my junior high nephew). Left to right: My daughter, Mindy, holding grand-daughter, Sophia. Sister-in-law, Gayle Graber and her daughter, Bailey. Al's sister, Julie Stephenson, and her daughter, Susie. Grand-daughter, Hannah and my daughter, Jill.

Sophia's favorite of all things at the zoo are the "monkeys"!

She talks about the monkeys at the zoo a lot!

Feeding the giraffes!

The obligatory penguin shots.

Some days when you go to the zoo, the animals might be sleeping or whatever.

Today they were great! Put on quite a show.

Even the lion roared 3 great roars for us.

For lunch we went to Freddie's.

So good.

But I have to admit, not as good as Culver's.

I think there are only 2 Culver's so far in Kansas.

When Adam and Jill lived in Wisconsin, we would stop at Culver's all along the way. One in Newton, Iowa, and then those in Wisconsin. Love, love, love Culver's!

The girls love their frozen custards!

I think we all inherit our love for frozen ice-cream products from my parents. When Dad was going to college in Omaha, he used to work at an ice-cream factory and he could eat what he wanted! What an ideal job - except for the gaining weight part.

All tuckered out.

When I got home, I took an hour long nap! Usually, I am one who cat-naps. 5 minutes and I'm good.

After I woke up, Allen and I ran back into Wichita. Had some shopping - Al needed to get some items for hiking the Grand Canyon. And no, I'm not going along. If I could stay at a hotel at the top or take a helicopter ride in, I'd do it, but I would NEVER try hiking down it. I wouldn't be able to get out!! And I'd be terrified of going down on a donkey. I am scared of heights and I hear those donkeys get pretty close to the edge some times. Last time Allen went, he slipped on the icy path and had a close call. He got within a foot of going over the edge. At least this time he won't have to contend with ice.

We also went to Broadway Funeral Home to visit with Sarah Weber and her extended family. Sarah's dear, gracious mother passed away. The funeral is tomorrow. They will be playing a tape of Sarah's sister singing a song that Linda and Allen's mother arranged many years ago. How sweet! Sarah's family is wonderful and what a legacy they leave us! Her Dad has spoken to the young married's Sunday School class about marriage. He has been such an example! Sarah's brother takes tours to Israel and we want to go with him some time! He has a wealth of knowledge, Biblically and culturally. We love you Dave and Sarah and family! May God comfort you. What joy in knowing this is only a momentary separation.

Friends from Green Bay

Adam and Jill's friends from Green Bay came down for the week. Today Adam and Jason went to a movie while Jill and Andrea went shopping. Allen and I watched the 4 girls. What fun they had swimming - watch little Anna! She would just fall into the water and we'd run to rescue her but she would just turn herself right up and keep going. She did this over and over. Quite nerve wracking for us but she was having a blast!

Then the girls played in the "house" under the stairs. Lauren was confused with my old fashioned kitchen set since it didn't have a microwave. Just a regular oven, sink and frig. All made of wood. I bought it years ago at a craft fair. All 3 pieces for $100. Hand made. The family thought I was silly. The kids were in junior high and high school at the time, but I was looking ahead to the future when I would have grand kids that would love it!

In the same way, we look forward to that day, when we will be with Christ. We prepare for it and look forward to it with anticipation!


2 peter 3:8-14
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." NASB

Bubbly hair

I grabbed the hair spray this morning and when I sprayed my styled hair for the day, all this white junk sprayed out. What was wrong with this stuff? I looked at the can.

I'll let you know how well it holds my hair today.

Sophia's birthday

Sophia turned 2 this weekend!

We had an Elmo party.

On Saturday, Josh and Adam ran in a 2mile race put on by the

Cross Country team at the high school.

After the race, the kids played at the park...


and we had breakfast too.

Making sand angels

Happy Birthday sweet Angel!

Heavy

The girls LOVE come to Nana and Papa's house to swim and slip 'n' slide. When they came a couple of days ago, we set up both the pool and slip 'n' slide. The girls put on their swimsuits.

Sophia was wearing her swim diaper. Within the first few minutes, she had a "stinky". Thank goodness for that diaper! I didn't have an extra swim diaper so I just stuck on a Dora training diaper that I had. I had no idea how absorbant a diaper can be!

Sophia's bottom was HUGE!
Hannah and I just laughed and laughed and laughed!
It seemed like it weighed a ton (well, over 2 pounds)!


Next time, Jill will have to send along an extra swim diaper.

Little boy Jesus

I was working on Sunday school ideas when I came across this sermon. I don't know anything about the pastor who wrote this (Jon Burnham) but was moved by what he had to say:



We don't often see Jesus' degree of wisdom or devotion in a twelve year old child. In fact, we may assume it has never happened at any time since then. We can only grasp at straws when we try to think of a modern parallel to the love and devotion to God displayed by little boy Jesus. Perhaps the closest we can get to it is a poem. I regard this poem in light of a terrible scene I witnessed once upon a time in Jerusalem. There is a exhibit with a glass front wall at the Yad Vashem, the Holocaust History Museum in Jerusalem. Behind the glass wall is a room full of little wrinkled leather children's shoes. They are the shoes of children who were killed in the gas chambers of Nazi Germany. This poem was found by the body of a dead child in the concentration camp called Ravensbrook during the Nazi era:

O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will
but also those of ill will.

But do not remember all the suffering they inflicted on us
remember the fruits we have bought thanks to this suffering
our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, our courage, our generosity,
the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this.

And when they come to judgement
let all this fruit which we have born
be their forgiveness.

This is the loving spirit of little boy Jesus as he demonstrated in his teaching in the temple when he was twelve years old; and this is the forgiving spirit that Jesus demonstrated as he was hanging on the cross, as he said in regard to those who were crucifying him, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Here we see that by continuing to pour oneself out in self-giving love even the darkest evil can be transformed into a scene of incredible love. We can do this ourselves, we can walk this path of self-emptying love, by staying soft instead of hardening our hearts, by not tightening up but by relaxing and letting in the energy of God's love flow into us and spill over into the world, into our families, into the heart of the child in each of us, even the oldest adult. In doing so, we may be more like little boy Jesus, who increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor. We may also hear God say of us one day: "You are my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased."