Saturday, July 4, 2015

The 4th

Last week as we drove to the grandchildren's swim meet, I saw signs of people getting ready for the 4th.  


 See the flags at the entrance gates.
 A small orchestra played the national anthem before the swim meet we attended last week for the grandchildren.







When we put up our flag this week, Claire said
"It's waving!"
And then she waved at it!



We attended another swim meet today.
People are "wearing" patriotism.




 And of course it is around town.





Really like this picture I saw this on Facebook


May we continue to be the land of the free.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

60

How can it be that I am 60 already?  



I remember 5 years ago when my oldest brother turned 60.  
My mother lamented to me that NOW she felt old, to have a child that is 60!




This is my first birthday without Mom here to celebrate with me.
It puts a little pit in my stomach to think of it.

Last year, Mom, Uncle Bill and Aunt Betty and I went to the Breadbasket  
to celebrate Mom's and my birthday.  
I'd be at Dauphin Island for our birhdays so we had a little party early.

 And this year....
our family made an impromptu decision a couple of days before the real date to celebrate at the Bread Basket with their German buffet.  German food of our West Prussian Mennonite ancestors is THE BEST!  Sausage, verenika with ham gravy, potatoes, zweibach, bread pudding, bohne beroge (I'd never had this before.  It was a bean filled dumpling which was a dessert).




 Claire has learned to do bubbles in her cup.  Good photo bomb, Adam.

Claire decided for ice-cream instead of the German desserts.  
Did you know that ice-cream originated in China as early as 3000 BC??

 The children each gave me sweet cards!


We were so full after dinner that we decided to take a little walk to the train park.




 Papa pushed out his tummy to show the girls how much he had eaten; how full he was.


But Claire asked "Is there a baby in your tummy?"
"I have a baby in my tummy too!"

 What is everyone pointing at?

 Claire kept asking to ride on the train.  "It is stopped.  We can get on."


 One does not have to wait long in our town for a train to come along.

 

 The Old Mill - In 1886, Mennonite immigrant Bernhard Warkentin purchased the flour mill which was used to mill Turkey Red hard winter wheat. For this, Warkentin has been credited with making Kansas the "breadbasket of the world." In 1973, the site was saved from demolition and renovated by Lloyd Smith. Today, it houses several businesses and a fine restaurant.



 Another train came through and Claire loved it!




























* * * * *

On my actual birthday, the girls came to town and we celebrated with the traditional chocolate pie.  Several years ago I told my family that I preferred chocolate pie to birthday cake so we've done pie ever since.





They put 6 candles on my birthday pie - one for each decade.

Thank you family, for helping me mark 6 decades!

And thankful to all my dear friends who sent cards or good wishes on Facebook!  How blessed I feel!









Monday, June 29, 2015

Nana and Me days

With summer vacation here, we thought a Nana and Me day was in order.  

I had a Nana and Me day with Sophia first.  I went to pick her up.  I took a different route and drove by this church.  I LOVE this church building!  Some of my relation who immigrated from Russia helped build this.
Happy Hills Road - so aptly named!
I love this place on that road!  
If it ever is for sale.....

Beautiful Kansas wheat!

Sophie was having swim practice when I got to the pool 

 After she was done, we came back to town.  Her pick of the restaurant to eat at was McDonalds.  She hadn't been there for at least a couple of years and she wanted to try it.

We ate at the picnic table by the river.

We went inside for dip cones though so they wouldn't melt all over.
They don't make the cones as pretty as Dairy Queen, but they sure are tasty!!

 

We went to Walmart to get a new toy and some craft things.
 Sophie loves Legos!
 We painted some tennies - an idea I found on Pinterest.
 
You paint with sharpies, then put rubbing alchohol over it to make it smudge.

Making cookies was next 

 Snicker doodles (thought of you Aunt Mindy!) and some faces.
 What a fun time with Sophia!!

*********

Then another week I had a Nana and Me date with Hannah. 
She also picked McDonalds to eat at and we did a Walmart run too.


We made cookies - Hannah's invention. 





I do not recommend adding gummy bears to cookies.  
They melt and stick to the pan.

We played Battleship and Waterworks.
Guess who won?


We got online and watched "Who's Smarter than a 5th Grader" 
 Such a fun show!

It was getting late and Hannah has been begging to go to Twisted Cow.































What a great time with grand kids!

Can't wait for spending time with a couple of Arkansas grands soon!

Proverbs 17:6New International Version (NIV)

Children’s children are a crown to the aged...