Hello Again

I'm finally back.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge

and I'm not even going to attempt to cover it.

After our big trip east, the older kids scattered to the four winds

but eventually made their way home before school started.

It wasn't necessarily an excessively busy summer 

but it was an emotionally tiring summer in many ways.

It was fun to have my brother David and his family come one week

and made our home the base for their excursions to 

San Francisco and Yosemite.

Then we spent a few fun and relaxing days camping together.

When school time rolled around, I had three that headed off to college.

This one headed off to school for the first time since preschool.

It's been a big adjustment for her (and me) and she's had to learn how to function

in a class setting and how to get along with a variety of kids.

She has helpful teachers and a supportive staff to help ensure her success.

Now everyone asks what I will do with myself.

My standard answer:

"All the things I should have been doing while homeschooling

but didn't have the time or energy to do."

So far, I have not been bored or run out of things to do.

We slowly and reluctantly started the kitchen remodeling project that 

was have successfully put off for the past 12 years.

It was sparked by our dishwasher dying in May and the 

ensuing three months of hand washing all the dishes.

So, the first step was getting the new sink and dishwasher installed.

That's pretty much all I cared about!

We are pretty sure we have the most unique counters and back splash.

They are made from very good quality left-over linoleum and attached with roofing nails.

It's actually a very durable counter top and easy to clean.

We like to scare Bethany by saying we will just keep it this way.

The teen years have been left behind.

It's rather hard to believe that twenty years can pass by so quickly.

These two are an excellent example of how twins can be so very different.

Most people forget that they are even twins and just regard them

as two brothers with one being quiet and more serious and the other a bit zany.

Happy 20th my dear boys!

Family Reunion

{Day 2- Auction Day}

The second day is dedicated mainly to the fund-raising auction and family pictures
but sometimes there's additional events thrown in.

This time a friend of the organizers came and gave a slide-show

of a trip he and his wife took in his Model A from Pennsylvania

to California.  Then he gave rides around the campground in his car.  

 The auction is what funds the family reunions.

People bring items to auction off: some are hand made, others are new,

and still others are old family heirlooms.

Since we flew, we were rather restricted on what we could buy

and take home with us.

The doll bed generated great interest in the American Girl Doll fans.

It was a bed with a comforter, sheets and a pillow on a plastic box

that can be used to store doll accessories.

Tiana was pretty sure she needed this bed but I thought it might

be a rather bulky carry-on and there certainly was no extra room in our suitcases.

Another item that generated a lot of interest was the Mary Ellen doll.

Auction items are placed on display tables as people arrive so there's plenty

of time to check out the items before the auction.

During the auction the children bring the items to the auctioneer.

The crowd bids and some organized person keeps tally of 

what people owe so they can settle up at the end.

This year the auction came within $100 of covering the expenses 

so very little was removed from the savings account.

This little girl's mom died suddenly a year ago 

and she especially liked to sit on Bethany's lap because

her mom's name was also Bethany.

Our family picture.

We had Bethany's friend and a cousin's daughter

traveling with us.

Some of the teens relaxing before supper.

After supper there was time for singing.

Later that evening was volleyball time for the youth.

I snapped this picture as I passed the kitchen.

It was full of people but they were not all there to fix food.
 There were small groups of talkers, some doing breakfast prep, and hair being "fixed."

On Saturday morning we packed up and headed to the airport for

our early afternoon flight.

Bethany and her friend Heather traveled by car to Ohio 

and we took Alicia with us to the airport.

There was no lack of luggage.

It was a bit of a challenge to make sure it was all accounted for,

hauled around, and checked in.

Finally we were on our flight headed homeward.

She was my seat buddy.

I may have been a bit exhausted due to having shared a

bed with an over- exuberant sleeper for three nights.

It was good to see the familiar sights of California again.

It was home-sweet-home later that evening

with a very relieved Rudy to greet us. 

Despite his heavy work load while we were gone,

10 days was just a little too long for his liking.