Wrapping is Done!!!

Cori and I finished wrapping gifts at 2:30 this morning....I'm so
glad that we have completed that chore. Of course many of the
wrapped items were for a bingo game that we have planned.
Here you can see Cori modeling some of our raw materials.

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!!!! :)

The Puzzle is now Complete!!!

Thanksgiving day this puzzle was started and just recently was

completed thanks to Cori... Mom started the puzzle with me that

afternoon and many worked on it that evening before we ate

supper, we just didn't have enough time to get it done. I thought

it was so pretty it deserved a picture :) I guess I like it so well

because the puzzle brings to mind springtime which is very,

very far away!!! sigh....

Florida Vacation in Random Order

Sea World lighthouse on the cove at the front of the park. It was
a beautiful day for exploring...

Dolphins performing a jump at the end of the program...

Shamu rests at the finale of the program while everyone snapped pictures..

The Tree... very unique...

Fruit bats which eat ONLY fruit but are the biggest bats...

The girls and I took a walk one evening through Pleasure Island

and this fellow tapped me on the shoulder and gave me a 'start' -

Cori posed for me... There were many of these creatures

jumping throughout the plaza and were alot of fun to watch.

Our hosts, Bobby and Marlene. They were ready to work on a

house they are refurbishing for their daughter, Tara, right

before we left that day.

This is one of their two afghan hounds...

It was Amanda's birthday when we visited Sea World and Cori &

Amanda did the dolphin encounter... they fed and petted the dolphins.

Shamu show and a free ride for one of the trainers...

Epcot park - we ate in France one evening and then saw a beautiful

laser show over the lake...

Cori attempts to get her 'baseball pitch' in order...

She normally pitches a 'softball'...

The castle at Disney World and "The End" of a fun week in Florida.

JORDYN!!!

This is the highest form of flattery...for Angie who took these
photos, which I love of our youngest granddaughter. I like the
photos so much that I am posting them on my blog too....

I took many pictures of Nathan when he was a baby and some of
Ben - but to my regret have not been on the ball taking pictures of
our baby, Jordyn, who is growing in leaps and bounds.

I can picture Jordyn following her brothers everywhere in a few
short months...she's always watching what they are doing...

Here I come, ready or not............................
Thanks for the pictures, Angie, I hope you don't mind sharing!!

It's a BUG'S Life???

Don't we make cute 'BUGS?' We were in Disney's Animal Kingdom
and waiting to see the unique 3D movie "It's a Bug's Life"... FUN!!!!
It was also a good place to get out of the rain...

Cori and Amanda enjoyed the 'specialty glasses' for the Bug's Life also...

More to come later on our Florida trip when time available ***

Florida Vacation Coming to an END>>>>

Dale, Cori, Amanda and I have spent the week in Florida -
with accomodations at the Bob and Marlene Riley homestead..
We've enjoyed going to three Disney Parks as well as Sea
World... I think we'll all need some vacation to rest up
from our vacation... See you all soon :)

Plattner Family Visit in May...

The end of May the Plattners came to visit and spent
time with Grandma Brinker at Chapel Hill where they
shared songs and scripture with the residents. We
enjoyed a meal together at Bob Evan's that evening.

Chad interviewed 'Jubilee' during the program
as he did all of their children. He asked what
they enjoyed spending time doing and they
all quoted scripture verses or sang a song.

A candid photo of our oldest grandson, Jesse, who
was 10 years old in August...

Javan is our second oldest grandson who has

taken up the banjo... can't wait to hear his

banjo music.. Javan will be NINE in

November.

Jared is our third grandson and he is shy and alot

of FUN!! Jared was SEVEN in July.

Jolene was FIVE in March and somehow escaped

getting her picture taken all by herself at Chapel

Hill - here is a picture of Jolene seated in one of

our trees...

Jubilee loves the outdoors and follows her

brothers everywhere. Jubilee was THREE

the end of July...

Jonas is the youngest child of the Plattner

family and was ONE in May this year!!

More of the Plattner adventures to be

posted in the upcoming days :)

Last Weekend of Summer..

Nathan enjoyed one of the squirt guns I recently acquired...
Labor Day weekend he wasn't feeling his best - but when
it came to harassing me with the squirt gun I saw a hint
of a smile... :) Of course I helped by sticking out my
tongue at him through the kitchen window!!

Mark and I took a 4-wheeler ride which was fun! Here
is Mark in the creek..

Sunday after church (8/31) we met The Brinkers and Mom

for dinner in Wadsworth. Darrel is so good at charming

the children. Here Uncle Darrel and Jordyn got acquainted.

The whole Brinker family with Jordyn: Uncle Darrel, Jenna

and Aunt Lori.

Grandma Doris enjoyed visiting with Jordyn too!!

Wow, I can't believe Jenna is a Jr. in HS this year,

where has the time flown?

On Labor Day the squirt guns were enjoyed by both

Nathan and Ben. Of course they enjoyed 'chasing'

Grandma and Grandpa, giggling all the way. I even

enjoyed watching them chase Grandpa Dale.. he

just can't run as fast as he used too.

Ben was getting wet in the process as you can tell.

Here Nathan and Ben were squirting something

through the doggy door and having a good time.

Shortly after this the squirt guns were put away

and the boys had to go home for the day.

Love you - Nathan and Ben

"Incredible" Sweet Corn Saga

August 29th Dale picked the last of our corn for the summer
which was incredible... Actually the name of the seed corn
was "Incredible" and both Dale and Mark said it tasted great!!

Jordyn took a little snooze as Andrea helped to husk

the sweet corn that evening in our garage.

Here, Dale is working away to get all the corn husked...

Even though Nathan wasn't feeling his best - he wanted

to help.

Saturday morning Mark came over and helped Dale and

I get it ready to bag. Mark is great at cutting off the corn,

just like his Dad...

Dale was in full swing here..

Our efforts yielded 64 more pints of sweet corn for

the freezer. INCREDIBLE, wouldn't you say??

Nathan is Feeling BETTER!!!

After enjoying the kiddie park and eating out
at Nathan's favorite restaurant "Olive Garden"
we returned home to take a short ride on the
newest 4-wheeler. While Mark and then
Andrea took turns riding with Ben - Nathan
was using my watering can to water my
plants around the yard.

Upon entering the garage to refill the
watering can Nathan said to me, Why doesn't
that kitty let us get close, or pet him? I said
he doesn't know us....

At which time Nathan said (to the kitty)
"I'm Nathan!"

(I knew then that Nathan was feeling better)

Then Nathan selected me to go on a
4-wheeler ride with him... Mark said
Nathan can drive it and I could just ride...

Yeah, right!! We went on the grass trail
across the road and Nathan kept speeding
up and I kept spitting the bugs out and
Nathan was laughing hysterically... I
finally had to put the brakes on, I think
Nathan was enjoying himself a little too
much!!! "Good Night, Nathan!"

Labor Day FUN!!!!!

I enjoyed a small kiddie park today with Mark, Andrea,
Nathan, Ben and Jordyn... Here Ben tries his hand at
a hand propelled cart on a train track. Ben did VERY
WELL and enjoyed it enough to go back a second time.

Jordyn was good the whole time we were at the park as
Mark took it upon himself to be her escort!!

The boys wanted to go on the roller coaster... Here

it looks like Ben is having second thoughts. Andrea

said the back car that they were in was really rough!

Not rough enough for Nathan, who went back to ride

several times. Here's Nathan's THUMBS UP!!

The whole Riley family took a train ride together - I

think I took an even better picture than this with

Andrea's camera - I used (3) cameras today...

I rode the train one time with Nathan while Andrea

rode with Ben. Ben was enjoying himself today :)

Jordyn enjoyed herself too. Next year, Jordyn, you'll

get to participate a little more!!

Here Ben enjoyed driving the horsecart...

I was eyeing the boats on the water - but the boys

never rode them. I always enjoyed the boats at

Kiddieland in Loves Park, Il when I was little...

(Yes, everyone, I was once little). Dad always

said, "Sharon, would you like to have a boat

some day?" I'd always answer "yes" and Dad

built his first boat in our garage. Those will

always be good memories for me.