Honoring "George"?

Our Uncle Bill passed away in December, but because of the holidays, my cousins decided to wait for a memorial service until after the new year.  Driving back from Wisconsin, we received the call that it would be happening that weekend.

So, after being home a couple of days, it was back on the road, off to Arkansas on a cold winter day.

Webb City for a stop at Culvers!

Our grandpups welcomed us.

Checking out the nearly finished deck/pool.

Al helped Josh with dinner.  Steak, brussel sprouts, caesar salad and couscous.  And I had brought chocolates!

Eli showed me his latest Lego project.  It has 11,695 pieces!

Eli's arsenal!  He'd be ok if left "Home Alone"!

Clipping Reggie's nails.

The next morning we played a few games of ping-pong with the grandkids.

Then we said our good-byes and headed for Jane, Missouri to our uncle's church.

Uncle Bill and Aunt Betty (my dad's baby sister)

Uncle Bill's name is George, but our family called him Bill.  But the people here at this church called him George.  It seemed odd to us as that is not what we ever called him!  He was not a "George" to us!

 

Uncle Bill was quite the hero!

I don't know about tomorrow
I just live for day to day
I don't borrow from the sunshine
For it's skies may turn to gray

I don't worry o'er the future
For I know what Jesus said
And today I'll walk beside Him
For He knows what lies ahead

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand

There was a delicious lunch provided.

We had a cousin photo.  

Then time to go home.  It was a very short trip, but our hearts were filled.

The road home

Going home from Wisconsin

 I love to look at the barns we pass as we drive along.

We've watched this one slowly deteriorate and fall down over the years.  

Interesting ads on a dump truck and exterminator's van.

Beautiful scenery

Leaving Wisconsin

We stopped at the Hy-Vee grocers in Dubuque, Iowa for coffee and sushii

We've been seeing an increase in eagles lately.

Construction around Iowa City seems to be taking many years.

Lunch at Panera's in Des Moines.

Our GPS took us on a new route out of Des Moines.  Instead of Mills Civic Parkway, it took us on South Jordan Creek Parkway to Grand Ave.  Lots of building going on around there.  

We stopped in Lawrence to eat dinner with Al's sister, Julie.  Again, our GPS took us on a new route that we'd not been on before.  So although, this day, we were trying to be mostly on the main, fast way home, we were able to go on 2 new roads.  A couple of nice surprises!  I love new routes!

Just before arriving in Lawrence, we received a  phone call about a memorial service being planned for my uncle in Missouri in a couple of days.   Guess we would not be unpacking our suitcases!