Springtime!

I suppose I'd get tired of the weather if each day were like today, but I'd sure like to give it a try!  I think I could enjoy morning coffee on the porch with a light jacket at 50 degrees that leads into a day of a light north breeze and a high of 70 degrees -- absolutely beautiful!  I had a really, really hard time staying indoors and getting my computer work done today, but I did it.  This morning, though, I spent a few hours outdoors repotting some plants, spring cleaning the front porch, washing a few windows...it was wonderful and much, much better than the 90s we had last week.
Before they left for Vienna, Nathanael and his daddy and mommy helped us get the garden started.  Nathanael planted a small area of potatoes for his garden.

And here's how they're doing so far, Nathanael.  When they bloom, I'll show you that, as well as when Grandpa and I dig them!

More than a year ago, Gregory and I cleaned out all the overgrown irises and lilies from around my birdbath in the back yard.  I divided the plants and replanted only a very few of them so they'd have room to grow again.  Last year, the drought prevented them from doing hardly anything, but this year, they bloomed beautifully.  Here are some of the fruits of our labor (mostly Gregory's!):

I cut these and brought them in the house early one morning that we were expecting temps in the 90s with a strong south wind.  I knew they wouldn't last outdoors, and I sure did enjoy having them inside.

When the lilac bush was in bloom outside my office window, it was covered for a few days with various kinds of butterflies.  I was able to catch this beautiful one with his wings spread.  It's a wonder I ever get any work done!

With the unusally early spring, the wild flowers are now beginning to bloom these few weeks early, and they're starting to look like it's going to be a bumper crop.  I especially enjoy the heavily scented wild roses.  It sure makes mowing a whole lot more fun when I get to see and smell all the flowers in the nearby pastures and ditches.

Hope all of you dear ones are enjoying your springtime as much as I'm enjoying mine!

Sure Is Quiet Here!

A little over a week ago we took Gregory, Kim, and Nathanael to the airport, sending them off to begin their lives in Vienna, Austria.  We sent them with lots of hugs and prayers and blessings, but we sure miss all three of them - and especially our little Nathanael.  We feel so much richer for having been able to be a close part of his first two years, and we look forward to Skypes and phone calls and letters and visits to Austria in the future.  I think the Amish have something pretty special going in their families by having multigenerational homes and homesteads!

We spent a long weekend in Erie all together as a family at the end of March, and we had such a good time - laughing and remembering and playing on the floor with trucks and tractors and toys!  Just continuing to make more memories! 

So we send the Kings off to Austria with not only an excitement and anticipation with how they will settle there and be used but also with a sadness because this chapter in our lives has ended.  Now we just need to start planning for a Gimple Family Christmas in Vienna, right Girls?!

Now, on a totally different topic:  I planted a salad mix in my garden this year, and it has a mix of a couple of "normal" types of lettuce - leafy green and red leafy - and also 3-4 more unusual kinds.  Every time I pick this (or eat it), I remember being at Ron and Sandy's wedding reception dinner.  Each guest had a wonderful little salad of mixed greens with some of the unusual types.  We were sitting with Bob and Ann, and I'll never forget Bob's comment when I said how much I liked the salad greens.  "What!  That's just like eating a bunch of weeds!"  Such a Kansas farmer comment!  I loved it then, and I still love it now every time I pick my salad greens from my garden.  Ah, good memories!

End of Summer

Here are a few pictures from the past couple of months:

Nathanael and Grandpa are waiting for a K-State football game to begin with their K-State shirts. Two pretty good buddies!

We spent a long weekend in Erie with Drew and Carrie and had a wonderful time. On that Saturday, we went to Pittsburgh and visited the National Aviary and had a fun trip together as well as seeing lots and lots of birds. Drew, Carrie, and Dick are in one of the habitats in the top picture, and the other, of course, is a couple of napping flamingoes. Looks just like a couple of yard ornaments, huh!

This is the little white table and chair set that I had when I was growing up. Then Carrie and Kim played with it. Now it's been repaired and repainted for Nathanael to enjoy -- which he definitely does -- stacking all kinds of toys and trucks, etc., on it and having snacks there.

Nathanael is helping Grandpa pick tomatoes from the garden. Picking tomatoes is one of his favorite outdoor activities ranking right up there with gathering sticks and acorns and walnuts from the yard. He's a good little helper!

And here's the little red chair that my Grandpa Henry Arthur Wiles made for his sons, Clifton and Earl (Daddy). We always played with it as we were growing up at home, and then all the grandkids played with this little chair whenever they were visiting at Grandpa and Grandma Wiles' through the years. Now Nathanael is having a turn with it, too.

Here's our little "farmer" on Grandpa's JD tractor. Of course, it's just sitting in the garage, but that doesn't make it any less fun for Nathanael to drive!

Grandpa took Nathanael out to see some BIG tractors when we were visiting at his great grandma Gimple's home.

Colorado 2011

We had two wonderful times with family and friends in Colorado this summer. The mountains with all the melting snows from the winter and all the spring rains were absolutely gorgeous this time.

The first was a week with Drew and Carrie and Greg and Kim and Nathanael in Winter Park, just relaxing together. This was in mid-June, and we actually had a couple of inches of snow the first day we were there! The mountains were unbelievably lush and beautiful; just couldn't get enough of them.

Greg, Nathanael, and Kim at one of our family meals in the condo.

Nathanael and his Auntie Carrie!

Drew and Carrie at the condo.

Nathanael and his grandpa taking a walk/wagon ride around Winter Park.

And we had a terrific time connecting with our dear friends, the Millers, for a bit of time in Estes before heading back home. This was the first time we had been all together since we had Drew, Greg, and Claire join the family as spouses and Evie and Nathanael join as first grandchildren! (Drat! Just realized I haven't yet received the group picture from the Miller camera of this.)

Then, after a couple of weeks in warm, humid, heating-up Kansas, Dick and I returned to Colorado for our annual get-away to Rainbow Lake with Daddy and Lois and Larry and Galena. This time we started our trip in Grand Junction to meet up with the Shumard cousins so we could go up above Paonia to the West Muddy area where Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Grant and Nellie Shumard and Grandpa and Grandma Art and Dora Shumard along with Aunt Rene and Uncle Wes (at that time both under about four years of age) homesteaded for a couple of years. Thanks to some invaluable preparation and legwork by Gary and Dorie, we were able to drive up to the location of the homestead, tramp around the area, and see a few meager remains of equipment and perhaps pieces of the old barn and see the spring/creek that had been dammed up for their water use. What a very hard life that must have been -- but beautiful mountains surrounding and gorgeous old quakies! Truly a special time with the cousins.

Julie's prolific flowers at her home in Grand Junction -- absolutely beautiful!

The cousins up on the Shumard homestead site. Rita, Julie, Joann, Larry, and Dora.A large grove of quakies near the homestead site. Dick and Gary went out close to them so we could get a picture of their size in perspective. They truly were big, old quakies!

Then it was on to Rainbow Lake for a few days of fishing and just enjoying that lovely, restful area together as family.

It sure was tough to return to Kansas in the midst of the hottest summer in lots of years. After the 60s of Colorado, we were hit really hard

Holiday Happenings

We had wonderful family times both here at home and as we travelled to Hutch and Douglass to be with extended family. Here are a few pictures:

Drew and Carrie all the way from Erie with their two dogs,

here for a whole week; it was terrific!

Greg, Kim, and Nathanael for a First Christmas picture. Santa brought Grandpa and Grandma Gimple a wagon! I wonder who might like to take rides in that when the weather gets nice!

Bob, Audra, and Grandma came to spend Christmas Day with us, too.

Card games for the "girls"...

...and Wii for the "boys".

Nathanael all tucked in for his car ride to Hutchinson for the Wiles family Christmas.

I didn't get many pictures this day, but we again had some lively card games going and had a wonderful time altogether.

The next day found us down at Douglass for the Gimple Family Christmas. Here's Mom and her boys.

Nevaeh and her grandma -- can you tell they like each other?

The cousins -- Darcy, Deena with Nevaeh, Audra with Nathanael, Carrie, and Kim.

Thanksgiving Afternoon

The yummy traditional dinner has been eaten, and we're all feeling the "turkey coma" effects -- some more than others (Dick's mom has nodded off in the rocking chair!)

Dick and Greg are playing dominoes with our two Iraqi friends (ESU students) who came to enjoy the day with us.

Nathanael's headed for yet another nap along with his sweet mama.

We had a brief chat with Carrie earlier to exchange "Happy Thanksgiving" greetings as they spend the weekend with Drew's family.

And I'm counting my many, many blessings -- the list is endless!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my dear ones who check in on the blogs occasionally. Love to all of you!

These are a few of my favorite things...

In no particular order...

Sitting on the deck with a good cup of coffee, sun shining, hoodie on because it's 50 degrees
Crisp juicy apples
Gregory who does the mowing and yard work faithfully and cheerfully
The smell of fall in the air - dusty, dry leaves; marigolds and chrysanthemums
Drew and Carrie both doing well at their jobs
Phone calls with dear friends and family
Kim who does the shopping and helps with some terrific meals
Open windows and no air conditioning
Erie visit planned for mid-October
Dick shifting his work hours and carpooling so we have longer evenings
Fields of wild sunflowers as well as 6-foot tall prairie grasses turning to rust and gold and bronze
Nathanael who provides hours and hours of delight with his giggles

...and this list could go on and on and on...I AM BLESSED!