Thanksgiving in Woodbridge

I thought I'd try to get some of our trip pictures posted. This first one is giant paper airplanes that decorated the entrance to the underground tunnel at Cleveland Hopkins airport. We had to take the tunnel from one terminal to another to make our connecting flight coming home. We didn't have to use the tunnel on the trip out, but we could have explored it thoroughly, since we were in Cleveland about an hour longer than we were supposed to be. They kept telling us that our plane had an indicator that needed to be checked, and they were trying to get a techician to attend to it. When they finally got that busy person to stop by, he told them that it was a false indicator, and nothing was wrong. They probably didn't put their gas cap on correctly. That's what makes my check engine light come on.




















But the rest of our trip out featured trains. When we arrived at the Baltimore airport we caught the shuttle to the train station. There we got on the MARC (Maryland Area Regional Commuter) train for the trip to Union Station in the heart of
Washington D.C.

Once we got to D.C. we got on the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) for the trip to Woodbridge. Both trains were electric and very quiet. And a lot less stressful than the traffic on the streets. I think DC stands for "Drive Crazy"








When we got to the Woodbridge station Andrew and Grant were just pulling up - perfect timing. After a stop at the grocery and picking up some Chinese take-out for supper, we finally arrived at 3710 Beaver Ford Road. Boy, was it good to see everyone again! It seems like it has been a long time since July. Little Keara was only 3 weeks old the last time we saw her.





I set my alarm every morning so that I would be up when the first little grandchild peeped. The first one was always Jordan. She and I would have breakfast together, and would just be finishing up about the time Grant got up. Jordan would shout "Bubby!" and run over to give him a big hug. She loves her big brother.

Jordan hasn't forgotten how to push the buttons on Oma's phone.

We got lots of breakfast pictures - Jordan usually on my lap

I think we were watching "The Cat in the Hat."

Notice the sock monkey slippers.

Little Keara sure has grown since July.

Here are Jordan and Opa at breakfast.




Then it was out for a morning walk for Opa and Jordan, while Andrew went for building supplies, Oma stayed in with Keara, and Amie and Grant went to the theater to see "Tangled."

Opa took this picture of the wild life in Andrew's back yard.

Keara ready for bed.

Jordan and Grant helped me make muffins one morning.

While we were there, Opa helped Andrew put a new mantle up around the fireplace in the family room, and they put down laminate flooring in the basement. The mantle will still need to be painted. And the carpet will be put down in the rest of the basement soon, and then I think most of their big projects will be done, until spring and time for some landscaping.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and Monday it was time to come home. Andrew dropped us off at Union Station. It is pretty mind-boggling to take a morning drive that goes past things like the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. This picture shows the view out in front of Union Station.

This is the front of Union Station
While we were walking around I was on the lookout for someone famous.












Just across the street from the station, just out of view beyond that red and white bus, is the Smithsonian Postal Museum. Since we had a few hours to kill until our train left, we had breakfast, and then went to the museum. As an employee of the USPS, I thought it was pretty interesting. As we were finishing up looking at the exhibits, we came back to the atrium area of the museum, where a program was going on. A semi-big wig from the postal service was addressing a group of parents and school children, with Santa and a few helpers in attendance. and then what , or who. to my wondering eyes should appear, waiting to go on, but Al, the "If it fits, it ships" guy from the TV commercials. I love that guy! We get a lot of business because of those commercials. And the commercials are actually pretty clever, which is surprising. Clever isn't the first word that comes to mind when I think of the USPS. Check out the toy clown commercial on youtube. That's my favorite. But I think the commercials work because the guy who plays "Al" does such a good job.

Well, anyway, I was all excited. As soon as Al was done with his part of the program, I got up my nerve and went over to ask him if he would sign an autograph for my postmaster. He said he would be glad to. He signed a blank postcard I had in my purse that I was going to send to Micah. Sorry, Micah. Maybe next trip.

Then I asked him if he would mind if my husband took a picture of us, and he graciously posed with me. His mother should be very proud of him. He seemed like a very considerate, kind young man. And he says he uses priority mail!

So I got to see a famous person up close. What a way to end our trip!

I don't know if this video will play, but if it does you'll be able to get your laugh for the day.

Next post - bedroom upgrades

Catching up........

It was a long busy summer. New granddaughters. Andrew and Amie moving to D.C. Summer lunch program. Grandma 'Carty having another stroke on Father's Day, and having to move from assisted living to nursing care. I'm ready for things to slow down a little, so I'm doing a new post, finally.



Last week when we had temperatures in the upper sixties, we had this rainbow. It was double, and we could see both ends of it. This was the last of it, as it was disappearing.











Our big excitement last week (before our trip to D.C.) was the arrival of our new bedroom furniture. Opa and I figured that after 37 1/2 years we could treat ourselves.



In preparation for the furniture we did a lot of furniture moving. Another incentive was that the weekend of Nov. 14, Sandy and Karen Christophel came and stayed with us for the weekend. They were in town for the library's 75th. anniversary.



As we were preparing for their visit, it became apparent that the bed downstairs in the guest bedroom was going to be too short for Sandy to lie down on, and too tall for Karen to get into. So we decided to do our planned furniture moves a little early. We moved our old bed downstairs to the guest room, along with our old dresser. The high back bed and rocking chair from the dining room went up to Micah's room. We donated the twin bed to some folks had a need.



So we slept in Micah's room until the furniture came. And as you can see from the photos, we had a pretty empty room upstairs. It seemed like the perfect time to get the carpets cleaned, so I had Stanley Steemer come and do our room and the guest room.



















To complicate things, I had a funeral dinner to supervise the day the furniture was supposed to come. So Anna and Eryn volunteered to come up and wait for the new things. Eryn is growing and learning new things all the time. She still has her "queen wave" going on.....










The day after the furniture came we went to Bob Evans for lunch. Eryn was by far the cutest customer in the room.














I'm sure most of you saw the Starbucks picture of me and Eryn on Anna's facebook page. This little grouping was taken the same afternoon, out in Opa's "thinking room," the room formerly known as "the back porch." The new name is courtesy of Mark Longenecker.



As much as Jordan wants nothing to do with Sydney, Eryn seems to think she's pretty amusing. She likes to pat (whack) Sydney on the top of the head, which Sydney loves. And Eryn just laughs when Sydney comes charging over at full speed. She doesn't seem to mind high-decibel barking, either. So Sydney has found a new fan.





Well, the new furniture did arrive, and here is a shot of the bed and night stand. You can get a little glimpse of the new curtains behind the bed. I have the bed in front of the south window in our room. In another post I will try to get some more pictures to give a better idea of the new look in all the bedrooms. But the goal is that when you all come to visit, you will have comfy, cozy places to stay.



More soon!

Opa's Nursery

There is so much to catch up on that I think I will try to do it in short segments.

Back in May Opa got 30 new chickens. This is how they arrived from the post office.

This picture was taken last week, and they have changed quite a bit since then. Opa has spent some quality time in the evenings watching them grow. There are several different kinds, as you can see. The little brown one on the right side of the picture is one of the Aracanas. They lay blue, green or yellow eggs. They look more like a wild bird than the others.

Last night while we were in eating supper, Opa's goat gave birth to three little doe kids. Grant was here, and he was excited to see them. We'll try to get another picture soon, now that they are all dry and fluffy and a little more steady on their legs. They were all good sized for there being three of them, and they have gotten right down to the business of eating. The mom seems like she has some promise as a milker.

I told Opa I thought he should name the new babies Iris, Rose and Dahlia, in honor of his love of flowers. We'll see if he agrees.

We have a new baby calico kitty out in the nursery, too. I'll try to get a picture of her tomorrow.

More later.

Well, I am going to try to stay more current with my blog, so I thought I'd better do another post.

Some of you may be disappointed to hear that the church broke with tradition today. I did not get a petunia in a styrofoam cup for Mother's Day. We got little butterfly lapel pins instead. Makes the 4 1/2 years of pregnancy all worthwhile.

Here is a picture I didn't get into the last post. Poor Opa got bit by something while he slept a week ago Friday. By the end of the day he had a big goose egg on his forehead right behind his birthmark. But by the time I got home from work on Saturday, the whole side of his face was swollen, and he could hardly open his eye. He looked pitiful. He has such nasty reactions to bug bites. The sad thing is that the same bug probably bit me and died. To the insect world, I am the equivalent of Brussel sprouts.

This next picture is of Opa's new buck goat. Right now he is at the cute, non-stinky stage of life. If only it would last.

Now we have some shots of Grant helping Opa this afternoon as he was planting some flowers. I had picked up some Grant-size gardening gloves, and a Spongebob (of course) watering can. So Opa planted and Grant watered.

Anna and Eryn were here Friday and Saturday while Jim was doing some more painting at the house. Anna got her hair cut on Friday, and is donating her pony tail to locks of love. After her haircut, she and Eryn and I, along with Ruth, went out to lunch at the Brick House Cafe in West Milton. Later in the day we took Eryn to meet her Great Grandmother McCarty.

On Saturday, Grandma McCarty came to spend the afternoon. We had Micah take a 4 generation picture.

Now this last picture is from Grandma's doctor's (Dr. Pohlman) office. They are always dressed fo whatever season or holiday we are in. The nurses told me they are taking pictures of them for a calendar. I hope they sell copies.

Got to go fix supper - Take care, everyone!

Where have I been all this time?

I had already started this post when a cold front began to make its way through our area. These pictures don't do justice to the dramatic appearance of the clouds. They were very low and very fast, driven by a cold wind. Fortunately, none of them seemed to be rotating. They were so low that they almost seemed to be skimming the roof of the barn.
Ah, life out on the prairie.

Now, back to the blog.....








Just in case you've been wondering, we weren't kidnapped by Stephen Hawking's unfriendly aliens. Since the last post we've gone down to Cincinnati to see Baby Snooks several times, we've kept Grant and Jordan some, I made one ER trip with Grandma (nothing serious, just the usual), I cleaned up the sewing room, last Friday I baked 19 dozen cookies for a program down at the Brethren Heritage center, Daddy hauled horse poo out of the barn and onto the garden, he bought a baby buck, we've mowed the grass a couple of times (and it needs it again), I worked for at the Ludlow Falls post office once, we get up, go to work, come home, go to bed, etc. - pretty much the same old same old. But we do have some pictures of the highlights.





Not long after Eryn was born, the next big event was the AFIT graduation. Here we have Master and Dr. Lt. Col. Stryker.

Sister Jennifer, Amie, niece Jessica:

Then There was Easter. Andrew, Amie, Grant and Jordan all dressed up for Easter:

This year: egg hunt at Opa's. Next year - the White House Lawn?

Then it was time for chillin' with Uncle Micah.

Uncle Micah tells one of his amusing "nose" jokes. Jordan totally gets it.

Then it's jammies on the pew with Oma.




It was great to see everyone at Anna and Jim's. All that was missing to make a perfect day was the Atlanta branch of the family. But they'll be on their way soon!

Ma and Pa Davis with Oma, Aunt Melissa and Eryn.

Uncle Micah and Uncle Matthew sharing a laugh. More nose jokes?

It was good to see Josh and Tara

pi r good

Aunt Melissa & Eryn




Brotherly love?

Motherly love

Jordan in the 'hood!