A TRAVELOGUE.....FULFILLING A PROMISE

In the last few weeks, we've traveled to Idaho--for temple visits and overnight stay with cousins, Peggy and Terry. We enjoyed two huge meals and a visit to "Death Valley," the retirement village where Terry and Peggy have a home!!
Then on to Kanab, Utah, a favorite spot of ours--ask Vale about The Three Bears Bakery. Kanab is known as "Little Hollywood" because many Westerns were filmed in the area!! You can see whose room we stayed in; we swear the pillows are the same ones Maverick slept on!!

Alas, no pictures of our stop in Sedona, AZ to visit Kevin and Debbie and enjoy a huge Southern meal fixed for us by Debbie's stepmom!
Then, to Mesa to visit our favorite Desert Dwellers:

By plane to Champaign, Illinois for the graduation!!

Then, to Springfield, Illinois where we saw flooding, Abraham Lincoln historic sites, and interesting spots along historic Route 66.

W

We returned home to spring in all her glory!!

Yawn...remembering all that traveling makes me sleepy!! We're headed out tomorrow to decorate family graves....yawn...I'd better take a nap! Love from Mom

BLANK PAGE, BLANK MIND

It really isn't that I have a blank mind, just a mind in random free fall...what, of all that's happened, should I write about??? Well....there's a visit from...drum roll please...our kissin' cousins from North Carolina...the Kennedys. A few months ago, we became acquainted with Dad's cousin and his wife, James and Margaret Kennedy, from Fayetteville, NC. We've been exchanging emails, genealogy info, etc. James' grandfather, Donald, is the brother of Dad's father; but our side of the family never met James because of a divorce. It was so fun to connect when James and Margaret came for a visit. Instant connection, lots of talking, touring, eating...all the ingredients for a warm friendship!!

And there's Grandma's birthday party. A smashing success with lots of wonderful refreshments provided by all the ladies of the family, a nice gathering hosted by Aunt Marian, and a good time had by all.

On our way home, we found these:

We were not very far from the log cabin where Mark and Tricia lived. No, we didn't buy one...this time. I've already asked for an external hard drive for Mother's Day, but we're going to get one or two for our lawn for a 38th wedding anniversary gift. Yes, 38 years together...in June. The man who built these has over 30 birdhouses up in his yard, and we talked with him about our home menageries!!

Today is Mother's Day. I am feeling blessed for the opportunity of being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. I'm proud of my daughters and daughters-in-law who face many more challenges than I did as a mother and are rearing my sweet grandchildren and great grands. Many years ago, over thirty now, I dreaded Mother's Day because I had no children, but I soon got over that. Now, I only dread Mother's Day church programs because, in the speakers' praises of the perfect mothers, we real-life, not-so-perfect mothers begin to squirm and feel a bit uncomfortable, remembering our shortcomings...ah well. I'm off to church--late because of a call from Mark, the first who made me a mother, and my makeup's already ruined, and....I love you all. Kiss your babies and your spouses...Love from here. Mom