Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Crazy Ladies!

Instead of having our usual Women's Ministry Council meeting our President and VP decided we should have a party! So instead of talking about budgets, programs and plans, we met at Leslie's home for goodies, games, and fun. Below is our illustrious leader!


Don't think this game has a name, but it was very fun. Leslie and Joyce, our illustrious V.P., gave each of us an object that we were to describe in a little story. The catch was we had to "repurpose" the object and describe it as something totally different than its original purpose. So here's Lisa with her "tire jack". Clever and crazy. Lisa has been through SO much this year with chemo, radiation, and stem cell transplant. We think she looks great and we love her new curly "do"!

After a round of games at Leslie's, we were each given a large, lemony-yellow bath towel and instructions to walk to the spray park in our neighborhood. I've taken this walk many times and it never went as fast as it did that night. I guess it requires a bunch of laughing, gabby women!

It had been so blistering hot but a cold front moved through and cooled everything off. Grace is in charge of our Prayer Pearls.



The sky was so beautiful, too bad it became too dark before we could get any good sunset photos!

These crazy, fully-clothed women loved the water and COOLER temperature! I was feeling more than a little grumpy because of the heat, but this fun activity did a lot to change that disposition! :) We laughed a lot! It was really fun!

The "towel choir". Before leaving the park these gals sang "Praise God From Every Blessing Flows" - all in LOVELY harmony!

The laughter tells it all!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Cole

Happy birthday to our #1 grandson! Today Cole is 17! Can hardly believe it!




2000


2004



2005



"For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."


Jeremiah 29:11, NASB



Love ya! Coley, Cole-Man

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

California Visitors - 7 - The End!

Our last night in Branson we played miniature golf at "Pirate's Cove", just a short walk from the Marriott. What a BLAST we had! We had an early pizza dinner and then golfing, ahead of the crowd!! GREAT planning - no one was behind us!

Our three groups:
Cole, Moira, Audrey, Jeff, Jordyn


Lauren, Esther, Brett, Maeve, Isabel, Katelyn


Caroline, Allison, Grandma, Papa


This course was so much fun and the kids did great!


It has some really interesting holes.




Everyone except Esther and Audrey had at least one hole-in-one! They weren't easy, either!




Oh NO! Caroline hit her ball....


in the WATER! There was lots of it around the course.


It was a beautiful course, built on a hillside. We all agreed it was the most well-designed miniature golf course we'd ever played on. Suffice it to say, we did a LOT of whoppin' and hollerin' - and LAUGHING! What a fun evening!

The CA family asked for a Cracker Barrell stop, so that was the dinner stop on the way home. Everyone loved it and just hung out awhile with after-dinner candy sticks and rocking chairs.


When we returned home, Cole, Jordyn, Lauren, Katelyn, and Allison put their stepping stones in one of the flower beds. Thanks kids!


The next day was Father's Day and we went to Brett & Esther's church so we could hear Brett preach. We said our good-byes there and then took Jeff & Caroline and kids to airport for their flight back to L.A.




It's always SO HARD to say good-bye. I tell my kids, "it's OK to cry. Just think how blessed we are because we love each other so much. Think what it would be like to cry because we DIDN'T feel that love, if there were hurtful words or actions."


To the blog readers, thanks for "bearing through" some of our memories!

What a treasured time we had!

Monday, July 19, 2010

California Visitors - 6

After leaving the Little House on the Prairie, we headed for Branson, MO. But first we stopped for an early dinner at Lambert's Cafe, south of Springfield, MO. Lambert's is advertised as "Home of the Throwed Rolls".


This very family-friendly restaurant is a very fun place to eat. Not exactly gourmet, more like hearty "southern". They are famous for their ginormous dinner rolls. Servers come out of the kitchen with carts bearing very hot dinner rolls. They'll throw them to anyone who raises their hands - sometimes clear across the dining room. Plan to be there by 5 pm for dinner or you will have a VERY LOOOONG wait. It's not unusual to see tour buses lined up in the parking lot.

See those dark spots on the brown paper towels???? That's from the buttery rolls! Chicken fried steak is not my thing, but I'm told it is the BEST!



Esther (and Jordyn) ordered the chicken Caesar salad. Simple enough??? Well it came in this HUGE, plate-sized bread bowl. Who could EVER eat the whole thing??


We would spend four days at Marriott's Willow Ridge Vacation Club. We had two villas, with two bedrooms each with full kitchens, living rooms, etc.

We didn't take in any shows. Completely enjoyed all the Marriott had to offer. Checked out lots of board games...

Brett read - as did all the other adults and Cole.


Caroline relaxed at the pool.


Jordyn and Maeve played in the pool.


Papa and Katelyn played their form of volleyball.


Papa and Lauren helped Isabel swim.


Katelyn and Moira and


Audrey and Allison tried their hand at shuffleboard.


Lauren and Jordyn were just their usual beautiful selves.


As was Allison.


Jeff and Cole played basketball.


Jeff had his strong arms full with four wet 'n wild little girls!


Isabel loved the poolside treat of nutella and pretzels!


Brett & Esther, Moira, Isabel, Audrey, and Maeve loving that nutella!


We also LOUDLY cheered on the Los Angeles Lakers in their championship win and cheered on the USA in World Cup soccer. What a great time we had!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

California Visitors - 5

We took the long way to Branson, to visit The Little House on the Prairie in Independence, KS. This is where the Ingalls family lived for about two years and where daughter Carrie was born. It is DEFINITELY LITTLE and in the MIDDLE of the PRAIRIE! It is the little log structure among the trees. All of the kids have read, or are in the process of reading, the book series, so we thought this wouild be a fun place to visit. And it was!


Above the door hung a ziplock bag containing water and a coin, supposedly to keep away the wasps - an "old time remedy".


You can tell how short the doorway is, measured against our heights!


Inside the one room house.


Caroline, Rich and "Caroline Ingalls" writing in her journal.


Allison and Audrey checking out the tiny little post office.


We loved the one room school house. It brought back memories of my school days spent at desks just like these! A poster on the wall listed rules for the teacher such as, her skirt couldn't be more than 2" off the floor, she was to be unmarried, she was to arrive early to start the fire in the stove, was to sweep the floors each day and mop them once a week. A couple of display cases contained fascinating memorabilia, such as a teacher's TINY little shoes, record books, lunch boxes, etc.


Jeff, Caroline, Lauren, Cole, Jordyn, Katelyn, Allison.


The grounds included picnic tables - perfect for our picnic lunch - with cookies! Such a lovely, cool, breezy spot. A nearby sign said that just beyond the fields, before the hills, was the covered wagon trail.


Katelyn and Allison - two little city girls in a hay field!


Suunyside School and the post office.


It was a lovely stop. Out of the way, but we all enjoyed it!