The Boys

The boys are watching the animals. Which ones will they feed next?  We'll have to wait and see.

Sorry to have so little for you to see tonight. But this has been a busy week. Tonight, we kicked off our 55th high school reunion. It was an interesting evening.

I'm lucky to have gone to school when I did, when we respected authority, loved our country, were taught to be independent thinkers. No groupthink at that time...only in the book 1984, which we read for government  class.  Our teachers had not been brainwashed. I even had a teacher in 6th and 7th grades who had escaped communist rule, knew what it was like to live in a socialist country, and was so glad to have become a citizen in our free country.

Everyone should know someone like that, instead of having ones head stuffed full of rubbish like how bad our country is and how great it is if the government runs your life for you.

Please help us God. Help us recover our freedom. Give us back our Constitution. Let these boys grow up with respect for individuality and the freedom and safety we once knew.

Feed the Animals

Evidently I'm losing it. I thought I missed one night posting because of a thunder storm, but  the last post showing was on the 13th. I know that is right; but I don't have time to figure it out  right now.

Anyway, tonight we have another cute picture of Caleb and Oliver at the city farm in Ft Collins. 

Little Helper

It's really nice when a two year old has a helping attitude. Now if that toy lawn mower really worked...


It's been a long day and I'm not sure I've accomplished much of anything...but I was trying.
Hope that counts in the big scheme of things.

A Fishing Trip

We are happy to see Mason was invited to share a trip with his friend to Welaka, Florida. I was not familiar with the area in Putnam County, but it doesn't seem far from St Augustine on the map. His paternal grandparents live there.

We do have more pictures so there will be at least one more layout of that vacation.

We are comforted today that Mason is not in the Orlando area. Terrible news awaited us this morning when we turned on the TV for the news before leaving for church.

It was a terrorist attack, the worst ever in this country, with 50 dead ( the cold blooded murderer, an ISIS sympathizer  died himself) And over 50 more were badly injured. It was enough to strike fear in our land...just what they want.

What I fear worse than ISIS right now, is our own government which will do nothing but talk and bring thousands of the enemy in, to live off the taxpayer. We need a big change in Washington. Protection of our people is the one and biggest obligation of the federal government.

I am hoping that this has an affect on our people that neither ISIS nor the Democrat Party expect. I hope it makes people realize that Trump is right about this. We must rid ourselves of this threat...and quickly!

It is now summer. Tomorrow, we expect full blown HOT summer weather. But it was still spring and very pleasant when these pictures were taken in Colorado.

I love the sweet way Caleb poses and smiles for the camera. He is also able to get good results when he is the one taking the photos.

If you are wondering why there are so many of the youngest grandchildren, this is the reason. I need to use them in the order they were taken, so that when I get down to the last 20 pages or so, I'm not making ones that should be in the book that follows the one I'm presently making.

Since we were in CO, there is a significant number of pictures that were taken.

Because of that,  I have several pictures of the older children that I am very anxious to use in layouts. Once in a while, I'll sneak one into this order. I really love the pictures I've been getting.

Little Tractor Driver

The layout features Oliver. It was fun to watch that little guy climb up on that tractor like a big boy. What a fun day we had at the city farm in Ft Collins.


Recently, as you know if you've checked, I've been trying to mention something positive each day. Today, I received this piece in my email from a friend. I like it. I like it 
very much. I hope you do as well.


Find Something Beautiful To Notice
Lisa Beamer on Good Morning America - If you remember, she's the wife 
of Todd Beamer who said 'Let's Roll!'
and helped take down the plane over Pennsylvania that was  heading 
for Washington, DC back on 9/11.   She said it's the little things that she 
misses most about Todd, such as hearing the garage door open as 
he came home, and her children running to meet him.   Lisa 
recalled this story: "I had a very special teacher in high school 
many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack.  
About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a 
classroom of students.   As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming 
in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, 
she moved a few things a side on the edge of her desk and sat 
down there.  With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she 
paused and said, 'Class is over.  I would like to share with all of 
you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I 
feel is very important.  Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, 
love, appreciate and give of ourselves.  None of us knows when this 
fantastic experience will end.  It can be taken away at any moment.   
Perhaps this is God's way of telling us that we must make the most out
 of every single day.  Her eyes, beginning to water, she went on, 'So I 
would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to 
school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice.   
It doesn't have to be something you see; it could be a scent, perhaps of 
freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the 
sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way 
the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground.  
Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may 
sound trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life.  The little things 
we are put here on earth to enjoy.  The things we often take for granted.  
The class was completely quiet.  We all picked up our books and filed out 
of the room silently.  That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way 
home from school than I had that whole semester.  Every once in a while,
 I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all 
of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all 
overlook.   Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour 
today.  Go barefoot.  Or walk on the beach at sunset.  Stop off on 
the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone.  For as 
we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but 
the things we didn't do.   If you like this, please pass it on to a 
friend,  If not just delete it and go on with your life! Life is not 
measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments 
that take our breath away."   GOD Bless you every day of your life.  
The nicest place to be is in someone's thoughts. The safest place 
to be is in someone's prayers, and the very best place to be is in 
the hands of God.

She learned to look for the good. I am trying to do that as well. One of the
good things I remember is the freedom teachers had to talk to us about 
things like that...and God was still in the classrooms.

Wise as an Owl

Julia seems to study her environment constantly. She isn't going to miss anything. Everything peaks her interest. I'm thinking she will be a very wise little girl. I don't think anyone will pull anything on her.

It is 11:20 P.M. here. In 15 minutes,  I will be 73 years old. I'm starting to plan the changes we should make to our home that will make it accommodate us when we are older. We see the day approaching.

I believe in preparing for the future instead of just letting it happen. I've seen how hard it is when all of a sudden it hits...one or both spouses needs a wheel chair, for example. Not all houses are wheel chair assessable. The doorways inside this house, for example, are not wide enough. Bathrooms are generally in need of some changes. I would rather do the work before it is needed.

Today was a special day. I spent hours on the computer 'speaking' to friends and relatives and on the phone with well wishes from my family. One friend always calls to sing Happy Birthday. I will call him tomorrow with the same wish. His and Ron's birthdays are the same.

Some are excited about electing the first woman president. Yes, even though a person's gender should not have anything to do with his/her qualifications  to be president, I want our first female president to be one of whom we can be proud.  I want an honest one. I want one who has a clean record, one who does not get most of her funds from foreign sources. I want one who would never think of leaving the White House taking with her the china, etc. I want one who is responsible  enough to keep state secrets off her  email. One who wouldn't stand by and let our men fight and die needlessly and then say, "Oh what difference does it make now?" One who isn't just riding in on her husband's coat tails. My goodness! Could we just have someone like Margaret Thatcher?