new picture

A friend who flies took this picture of our place this week...hopefully it will all show here as it is a little wider angle than the header picture..

...click on the picture and you'll get a bigger view.

Family reunion time is coming...2013

Our branch of the family is working out the details of our next reunion.  We had hoped to find a place in Minnesota near where our one set of great-grandparents homesteaded but we couldn't find anything.  We had heard of a place in NW Nebraska that has had good reports so we went with that...hard to believe it has been 5 years or will be 5 years next summer since our last one ( look here ).  In trying to figure out some special things to do for this one it has been fun looking through pictures to find ones of us 4 through the years...I think this is the oldest one....at least oldest I could find so far...

...about 10 years later....

... pushing 20 years later on this one...

...not quite 10 years on this one....

 ...and a little more than 10 years on this one....

...and this the most recent....looking forward to an update...all being well.

Some stats changed from last reunion:
      1.  One more of the 'next generation' has gotten married
      2.  6 new babies were added
      3.  One of the 'next generation' has moved to a different state
      4.  2 of the 'next generation' have changed careers
      5.  Retirement is looking good to the 'old generation'

Feel free to remind me of anything else you can think of.  So here's to a good reunion next July!

Family ties are precious things

Woven through the years

Of memories of togetherness--

Of laughter, love and tears.

Family ties are cherished things

Forged in childhood days

By love of parents, deep and true,

And sweet familiar ways.

Family ties are treasured things,

And far though we may roam,

The tender bonds with those we love,

Still pull our hearts toward home.

As I've been doing this a few more pictures of us 4 have come to mind...will have to try and find them and add them in!

'I'll gladly go the gospel story telling...'

I have wanted to get a new post done for a while but just didn't seem to be able to get my thoughts together on what it should be....this evening that phrase came to mind again.  I had been looking for this picture and couldn't find it and then happened on to it a couple days ago and got it scanned in to my computer....

 ...Clarence A. and Charles T.....both have been laid to rest but we knew a wonderful influence from them when they walked amongst us.  Charles' Wisconsin funeral was during our convention and another funeral in his home state where he was laid to rest.  We know that neither looked for glory for themselves but sought to be a servant to help others have a clear vision of what any of us can have through the Lord....''tis best to serve, though least within Thy walls'...

In reading blogs lately I have felt others have expressed things so much better than I could...experiences we have had the last month.  Also another person's blog, who is going through cancer treatments, and all she has shared and others have shared about her.   I'm glad I found the blog and glad she has shared what she has...her thought being it could be of help to another who might have to face the same experience...what a wonderful spirit...

I know that I've had a lot of special privileges lately....and have been touched deeply ...'I'll spend my days Thy statutes humbly keeping, for with Thy precepts Thou has quicken'd me....'

...where the deer and the antelope play

I had the privilege of going out to our daughters....where the deer and the antelope play

 ...from their back yard...

 ....between the development and apartments near them....

....again from their back yard....(hopefully no developments go in there for a while!)

A few other pictures from my recent time there...

 ...with Grt. Uncle D....

 ...I think this one is self explanatory!..

 Big brother ready for the first day of school....

 ...already to walk to the bus stop with him....

 ...and here is the bus....

...and home again home again...first day is done!

Was special to have the trip out there (except that Farmer Marv wasn't able to go this time).  I got to see family, extended family and special friends.  Weather was nice and I managed the 15 hr. travel time out and back with little fanfare!  (its been a long time since I did that...).  So another summer season is winding down...and definitely signs of fall but what I think is harder to see is the distress of so much vegetation because of draught...maybe this week will bring rain!  Saw some pretty sunrises and sunsets  but kind of sobering to think some of the beauty lies in the fact there was lots of smoke in the air from forest fires...I'm sure the people nearer the fires are hoping for rain, too.

special summer days

First someone had a birthday....

....hmmm...that cake was good!

...some of my fun stuff!


Lets see now...who is going to drive?

...hmm...looks like Zayda got the keys!

Z & Z in the wagon!

And a few video clips from earlier this summer!

You will be missed...

This week brought some news that we weren't expecting when hearing of a friends death....she will be missed by many....appreciate pleasant memories with her...this is a picture of her and her husband when they visited us when Aunt Agnes was here a couple years ago....

neighbors

Life is always interesting...it is interesting some times to see who our neighbors are...sometimes they don't really want to see us...others don't mind...they might even fly over...here are a couple resent pictures...

I thought this was kind of neat...

Farmer Marv's cousin sent this photo and I thought it was kind of neat....wouldn't we love to have this now...in mint condition, of course.  The cousin who sent it is on it along with one of his sisters...their Dad owned it....

Farmer Marv was looking at this and 'corrected me'....it didn't belong to his Uncle but to his Grandpa...Grandpa also to the children in the picture

Found pond...

No wonder I was having trouble knowing if I had water or fish in my pond....this is what we removed....

(I did kind of like it in the spring with its yellow flowers)

...now we can see the pond again and know there are fish and frogs in it.  Had 5 fish last year...this year we counted 8 (one did die though)...so wonder what has been going on in the pond!

 

Summer marches on

Here we are almost to the end of July....I had big plans for getting lots of stuff done this summer....and well there isn't much I can cross of  "The List" yet....that being said it hasn't been that there has been a lot going on that has been special...was special to have the first month of summer with special people here and now they are back to 'their place' getting ready to move in to their new home..(more on that here) and we are so happy for them...Also in June it was very special to have our other Princess and Prince #3 move in next door to us...along with their Mom and Dad as well...that being said there needs to be a couple pictures!

...from July 4....with Uncle Will....and such a pretty dress.....

 ...playing with Ophie at family picnic....

 ....all excited about the animals at the little zoo in the park...

Was nice to have a day with extended family...guess I wasn't good at getting many pictures .... would have been nice to have more of the family there but guess that is how it always is so just glad for what we did enjoy.
Our summer turned dry (although other places have it worse) which has been sad to see...the corn and soybeans not having the development that we would like...we do have 3 crops of hay done...not sure we'll get much more unless it rains...

...but we still are part of 'America the Beautiful'.

The garden is doing fairly well...since I'm watering it....

..Farmer Marv's favorite vegetable...(this comment could be 'grounds for divorce' but he'd only have coffee grounds!)

This 'season' has started as well....yummy!

Since two and a half years ago when both our sons told us they would like to become involved with the farm...Farmer Marv and I have had to change our plans for 'limping off in to the sunset'...one of them being this....

..another addition to the barn.  We have the cows to fill this coming fresh starting next month and in to September.  With this additional amount of animals we pretty much max out our parlor facility (Changing that I'm sure will come after we have 'limped' off!) It has been nice to see our sons come in with enthusiasm for doing the necessary upgrades and focusing on being progressive (more about that here). 

Zoie...where are you when they need you?

And of course, I need to add some flower pictures....
...this first one is for Prince 1....he helped me plant them and they are just starting to bloom...

...and this for Princess 1....

and I could go on and on with the flowers...maybe just one more!

So this is just a little account of our summer so far...there is much more I could share but need to 'wrap it up' for this time!

another tutorial....How to shampoo a pet...

...not sure this needs any explaining...although I may have some explaining to do after some people might see it!

update

Need to do a little update about the Munchkins...they have been gone a week but I still feel I should be hearing them chattering about this or that and running to do one thing or another or asking 'Grandma, can I have an ice cream cone?'...(and you would know what any good grandmother would do!)  It was pretty special to have them and it is kind of hard to think they live so far away now...but at least no ocean between us!

 ...here we are .... hanging out at Uncle W's and Aunt B's.....

 ...taking lunch to the 'field'....or are we just 'shade tree farmers?...

 ....so what's wrong with eating out of the jam jar?....

 ....all dressed up with Grandpa and Grandma....

 ...a trip to 'Norske Nook'.....

 ....a little pool time with cousins and Uncle T....

...and here we are in car and ready to head home.....
And so the time here was done...it was a fun ride and we look forward to the next time and a trip their way, too!