He's Growing Up!

Yesterday was Grandparents' Day at Rossville Elementary.  From the other side of the desk I know that these types of days can be a teacher's worst nightmare.  The kids are so excited so the main goal is to get them through any type of academic endeavors with focus on the work, doing their best, and forgetting for a few hours that their favorite people (of course) will be arriving after lunch.  Then there is the general disruption---and it was!  Grandparents everywhere.  Children coming and going.  Escalated noise levels!  Lost people!  Finally there is the small group of students whose grandparents cannot attend for one reason or another or who may not actually have grandparents in their lives.  How do the teachers include them without their feeling left out or sad that they are missing a vital component of what is important in their growing-up years?

Fortunately Landon is blessed with multiple grandparents who love him (or rather WE are blessed by him, but that is another story...).  Yesterday Grandpa Jan, Grandpa Don, Papaw, and I all journeyed to the elementary school to stand in the long line in front of the building, waiting to make our way to Landon's second grade classroom.

 

When we entered the room and he saw us, the smile that lit his face was priceless!  He scurried over to us and gave each of us hugs and then presented us with his picture captioned with "I love you with all my heart." 

 

We sat at a large table, the reading table, since there were 5 of us.  We made our way through the list his teacher had prepared of suggested activities to do with your grandparents.  He selected a story from his reading book and read it to us. It was one of his favorites about two dogs who rescued their owner when he fell in a hole in the ice.

Next he showed us his Chrome Book and the reading series that the students work through individually.  It really is a great idea for improving the students' reading levels and comprehension.  They select a story, listen to it, then read it aloud, then take a quiz.  When they complete all the steps, they move to another book. When all of the books are completed, they move to the next level. There is also a math program where they can practice simple addition and other math procedures.  He wasn't a fan of the math - takes after Mamaw on that!



His teacher asked us if we would take another student with us to the Book Fair.  His grandparents could not attend, his mother had sent money with him to purchase books, and he needed help with the selection.  As we walked to the auxiliary gym, I noticed how friendly Landon was to the other boy, how he talked to him in the hall, helped him look for books, and was patiently waiting for him while he made his selections.

When we walked to the music room for pictures, both boys were included in the picture with Gary and me, but the other boy chose not to sit with Jan, Don, and Landon for their shot.  He also, at first,  refused the offer of frozen yogurt that was a special treat for the grandparents and their grandchildren.

Later as we sat around the table again, and the other Landon had been convinced to join us with HIS frozen yogurt cup, we played a Mother Goose nursery rhyme game.

 
Through the afternoon I noticed just how much Landon was growing up.  He wasn't that little kindergarten boy from the last time we attended Grandparents Day (we missed last year because of the Bicentennial Torch Relay in Winamac the same day).  He was compassionate and showed kindness to others.  We found out later that the Other Landon was actually a neighbor and they rode the bus together.  They aren't really friends, they don't play together, and from what Blaine and Hilary said, they may be living in the neighborhood temporarily.  Their house had burned and this was a 'just for now' residence. So even though they aren't really friends, Landon was still kind and friendly to the other boy and included him in our group for the Book Fair, for pictures, and for enjoying frozen yogurt.  He also was kind to the girl who sat at the same table during the school day.  When they were cleaning up to go home, he helped her with the chair on the table and moving some things to make manipulation easier.

 

Landon also wanted to be sure that Papaw was with him.  He checked to see where he was during the Book Fair.  He waited for him at the bottom of the steps when we were leaving. He wanted to walk with him to the car. That special bond is still strong---it just isn't seen as often now as it used to be.

Finally after we were back at the house, after Grandma Jan and Grandpa Don had left, after Megan and Cooper went home, Blaine asked if we wanted to ride along with them to Indianapolis to Castleton Mall to Build a Bear and the Disney store and finally dinner at Red Robin.  Even though I was ready to go home and relax for the evening, who could resist one's oldest grandson, his puppy-dog eyes pleading, saying "Please, please, please.  Go with us! Please, please, please!  I don't get to see you very often. Please go with us."  Who can resist that?  

He held our hands as we walked into the mall and through it to the stores.

He sat between us at Red Robin.

 

On the drive home he held onto Papaw's arm and leaned against his shoulder, falling asleep in that safe spot where he knew he would be protected and loved.

That little boy, our first grandchild, is growing up.  We love him more today than we ever thought we could.  Spending time with him is just the best!

*And we love Tessa, Cooper, and Owen just as much too!

Capturing LIfe's Special Moments through the Lens of a Camera

That's what she does.   She captures the moments through her camera.  And she is good at it!

Last week we went with her and the rest of the family to Hamstra Gardens between DeMotte and Wheatfield.  Neither Gary nor I knew that they existed and decided that they were the best kept secret for photo shoots in northern Indiana.

The weather was great, the grounds were spacious, and the settings were perfect for each and every shot that Hilary wanted.

Now one might think that a maternity photo shoot, a set of pictures to mark a little boy turning 4 and another set for a little girl's 5th birthday coming up would require a more varied setting than what was offered here.  Wrong.  "Something for everyone" was definitely applicable for this afternoon's shoot.

Pictures speak louder than words, so here are my favorites. 




Tessa is turning 5 in November.  She is spunky.  She is sweet.  She has the most beautiful blue eyes and the cutest smile ever. I love this picture so much, I made it my screen saver on the upstairs computer so I can see it every time I turn it on. I just know she is smiling too!


Tessa is spunky and fun.  She loves bright colors and fancy patterns.  She melts my heart each time she smiles at me and says "I love you, Mamaw!"  Such a sweetie!


I really like this picture, because I just do, but I also think of the prep work for this shot.  Tessa was scared to sit on the post.  Hilary was trying to move her and situate her just so for the shot, and Tessa was scared she would fall off.  So Papaw put her there, stood by her, just out of range, and told her he would catch her.  She was still scared, but she did flash the smile for the shot, which is one of my favorites.

Then there is Cooper.  He just turned 4 and started pre-school this year.  

 

He is adventurous, he loves baseball and all kinds of sports, and he doesn't like cats.   



This is my 'behind the scenes' picture for Cooper:



As we were walking around Hamstra Gardens with Owen in the stoller, I spotted Cooper lying on his stomach on the bridge.  He was looking at Auntie who was also lying on her stomach on the bridge, camera focused on him, looking up occasionally to smile and coax him into different facial expressions.  If I had had my phone handy and had been quicker, I could have captured that moment with both of them lying on the bridge, facing each other, laughing and enjoying the fun.  I knew this picture would be a good one!

His whole world will be changing soon.  His status in the family will go from 'only child with all the attention' to 'Big Brother who must now share Mommy and Daddy with the Little Sister.'



Which brings us to these shots----



There is something about watching your first born child with her first child and knowing how much the world for both of them will change.  Just like I know how my baby feels with her baby growing up and becoming a little boy, more independent, and thinking that this is it.  The last one.  I love watching my daughters be mothers, if that makes any sense.  Hilary captures moments so well, and this one is a favorite shot of one of those moments between a mother and her son.


And everything will be fine!


These nine months have flown by, yet they seem to have dragged too.  While it seems like forever ago that Megan and Matt told us that there would be an addition to their family (Valentine's Day) suddenly it seemed like it was time for Lynnlee to arrive!  Maybe it was because Gary and I were gone for most of March. Then Mom died in May and the summer was spent in trips to Ohio.  Then school started (too early) and schedules were changed again, family weddings either happened or have been anticipated, and now the birth date is close!

Once again, Hilary has captured the moments of anticipation....


 My favorite ^^ - and I was standing by Hilary when she was taking this one too!


Such a good picture of Mom and Dad in anticipation of the new baby




My first thought when I saw this walk around the pond was "I can never walk on that because I would be dizzy because of no railings and be scared I would fall off"  Then Tessa dashed across it and I  had to follow her...and I didn't fall...and I wasn't dizzy....but I did move fast!  I was happy to see this picture because the setting was so pretty and the shot of the two of them is just perfect.

Hilary has a special talent for capturing moments through the lens of a camera, moments that are very special for families and for family history as well.  When I think of 'having an eye' for shots, for beauty, for love, for connections, for catching personality, I know that it takes a special person with special talents to be able to do that.  I don't have it.  Hilary does.  

And with this wonderful family of ours, I know that so many more special moments are yet to be captured!  Can't wait!

"Sittin' on a bench by the lake...."

Remember the song by Otis Redding years ago?

(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay

Otis Redding

Sittin' in the mornin' sun
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time

That is kinda the way I felt last week, only I would need to substitute 

"Sittin' in the afternoon sun

I'll be sitting' when the evenin' come

Watching the sailboats float in

And then I watch 'em float away again, yeah

I'm sittin' on a bend by the lake

Watching the water lap the shore

Ooo, I'm just sittin' on a bench by the lake

Wastin' time......"

On Thursday last week (Sept. 14) Gary and I started the day with riding the Maid of the Mist under and around the American and the Horseshoe Falls, then we drove into Canada to view the Falls from that side.  First we drove to see the floral clock and onward to a place called Niagara-on-the-Lake.  E. Anne, her sister, and their two cousins had stayed there a few weeks ago on their annual Sisters Trip.

 

Niagara-on-the-Lake was impressive for as we reached the edge of town, gone were the country views from the windows.  They were exchanged for narrow streets, crowded sidewalks, and quaint shops close to each other, ready for tourists.  It was not a 'tourist trap' full of cheap souvenirs like we saw later on Clifton Hill.  No, these were high end shops, restaurants with $$$$ menu items, and 5-star hotels. 

We continued to drive and eventually found ourselves pulled off in a parking space, next to an area with staggered benches overlooking a lake.  Lake Ontario.

 

While I was reading the historical landmark sign explaining the battle of one war hero as he commanded his troops to fight unsuccessfully against the American soldiers at Fort Niagara across the Niagara River, Gary had wandered down a path to a bench and was seated, gazing out over the water.



When I joined him, I was impressed. Sparkling blue water.  Blue skies dotted with puffy white clouds. White sailboats gliding across the water, criss-crossing in unknown patterns.



Totally peaceful.

We sat for quite a while, just gazing at the water, watching the sailboats, talking about the war which had been fought many years ago.  The Americans won the first battle, but the Canadians won the second; otherwise we might have been sitting on American soil that afternoon rather than Canadian.

Eventually we decided to pick ourselves up and move back to the car, re-traced our steps (somewhat since we by-passed the downtown part of shops, traffic, and pedestrians), and returned to  Niagara Falls.  The spell was broken.

But for about an hour it was total bliss.  Peaceful.  Tranquil.  Beautiful.  Nature in all its glory.

What could be better than sitting on a bench by the lake, wasting time........

Another Loss, Another Angel

Today Courtney's Grandpa Cervenka passed away at the age of 89.

Everyone says the usual.  "No more pain" and "Now he will be with Isabelle" and "It is better now. He won't be suffering anymore."  But still.  The loss of a grandfather, or a grandmother, is just hard.

One of Courtney's sisters posted on FB earlier this week a good point.  Grandpa Cervenka stressed a hard work ethic.  You should always work hard and do the best you can no matter what the task.  I commented that the advice from Grandpa Cervenka was often said by Grandpa Siemens...and after I thought about it, by Grandpa Henderson too.  Those role models, those men we looked up to, the men that our daughters and their friends called Grandpa were special.  Hard working.  Family oriented.  Freedom loving.

Riley posted these pictures on FB and they really do sum up much of his relationship with her and her sisters

So many memories.  So much to be thankful for.  So special a relationship between a grandfather and his granddaughters.

 

Fly high with the angels, Grandpa Bill.  You will be missed.

Can't Get Enough of Their Music

You may remember a week or so ago I shared that Tessa and I were singing along with The Ball Brothers on the way back to her house after I picked her up at pre-school in Flora.  The song was spirited and easy to sing along with, titled "Happy Rhythm." This translated to "Happy Weirdo" to Tessa, though, which was what she was singing in the chorus.

On Friday this past week Gary and I were staying in Saginaw, MI, after spending a few days at Niagara Falls.  We drove to Port Huron through Canada and crossed back into the United States over Lake Huron.  After a stop at Bronner's Christmas Store and dinner at the Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth, we drove a few miles north to the Country Inn and Suites where we had reservations for two nights.

As usual sleep eluded me for an hour or so in the middle of the night, so I opened up my iPad to catch up on Words with Friends.  Then I checked on recent Facebook posts. I noticed a post from the Ball Brothers, inviting people to attend their concert at the State Theatre in Bay City, MI the next night.  Whoa.....Bay City, MI?  The next night????

I quickly checked the maps app and found that Bay City was just a few miles north of Saginaw, a short 30 minutes drive if there were some traffic. That was closer than driving to Lafayette from our house!  

The next morning I casually mentioned to Gary that the Ball Brothers were going to be singing in Bay City and it was just up the road a few miles.  

No response.

About 20 minutes later he said, "Well, if you can figure out how to get there, we can go."  I was ecstatic.  I LOVE listening to the Ball Brothers and I really enjoyed the concert Hilary and I went to in Kentland in June.  I bought two CDs that I listen to frequently in the car ("Happy Weirdos" remember?) and I feel like we "KNOW" them because of their suggestion of a recording of "I Shall Know Him" to be be played at Mom's funeral, the fact that they sang that song at the Kentland concert because I had requested it, and both Hilary and I had our pictures taken with all of them after the concert.

So we went.  Driving to Bay City was very easy and we found the old renovated movie theatre quickly.  We parked on the street across from the theatre, went inside to buy our tickets, and stood with many of the locals awaiting entry when the doors opened an hour preceding the concert.

There was an opening act.  Another group, well-known to the crowd, sang for the first hour of the concert. During this time Daniel had wandered up and down the aisle,

 

 
 Chad was visiting with people on the front row (who turned out to be a former neighbor and his sister and brother-in-law and other family friends), 

 

and Mr. Bell was adjusting the sound at the soundboard at the end of our aisle.



After the first group finished and during the door prizes, I slipped out to use the restroom.  I didn't want to miss any of the music and take a chance on standing in a long line of women.  When I descended the stairs to return to the auditorium, coming in the door from the front lobby was Matt, the bass singer.   I swear there was a look of recognition in his eyes, warmth in his greeting, and he gave me a hug too! While I know they meet hundreds of people on the road, he did tell us at Kentland that we looked familiar, we are FB friends, and we did chat for a while after that first concert.  We talked for a bit, took a quick picture, then both of us returned to our seats.

 
During the rest of the intermission, most of the audience was gathered around the table featuring the CDs of the other group and visiting with them.  Since Andrew and Daniel were standing on the other side of the theatre, all alone, Gary encouraged me to grab my phone and move over to them and chat.  Which I did! Once again there was a glimmer of recognition, and I explained that my daughter and I had been to the concert in Kentland. Aha.  We talked about our being on vacation, just happening to see their FB post about singing in Bay City, and it being Gary's first time to see them perform in person.  I asked if we could get another picture, and Andrew took my phone, called over Matt again, then Chad appeared, and he snapped a few.




The concert itself was super.  Since I have been listening to their CDs so often, I know most of the words and recognize the intros as soon as they begin ("I can name this song in two notes!").  Much of the banter was similar to what Hilary and I heard in Kentland, but a few twists were added and several topics were deleted, probably because of the time constraints since the other group had sung also. 

 

 
 














It is no secret that I love to listen to them sing, and I am super glad that Gary was able to hear them live also.  It is one thing to listen to the songs on a CD, know who is singing which parts on some songs and guessing who is singing them on others. Seeing them in person, interacting with each other personally and watching them add in their own phrases and mesh their voices together is just a fantastic experience.

And to know that everything they sing is gospel based and that their purpose is to praise the Lord makes their concerts and music much more moving (how was THAT for alliteration?).

 

Crossing It Off the "Bucket List"...no "Things I Want to Do Just Because I Want to Do Them"

I really don't like calling it a "Bucket List" because it makes me think of 'things I want to do before I die' and that is just depressing.

So I think of it as the list of "Things I Want to Do Just Because I Want to Do Them."  Better, right?

One of those things is riding on The Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls.

I had visited The Falls twice before - once when I was 10 with Mom, Dad, and Greta.  It was our first vacation ever, and I remember being in awe of not only going someplace other than the Cleveland Zoo or the Pittsburgh Airport to watch the planes PLUS these were two of the biggest waterfalls I had ever seen!  To top it off we stayed in a cottage of some sort and Greta and I had our own room.  Not too shabby for a 10 year old and her 6 year old sister!

The other time was with Gary and Megan, who was 2, so that meant Hilary wasn't born yet.  The main thing I remember about that trip was that we were on the Canadian side, looking at the Falls, and I had Megan standing on the wall with the railing and wanted Gary to take a picture and he wouldn't do it.  He was nervous that somehow she was going to slip out of my hands and fall over the railing and toddle through the grass and escape down the incline into the water far below and disappear forever.

A few years ago we decided we wanted to return to the Falls and take it all in again, as adults, without kids.  One problem.  We didn't have passports and we needed them to cross Rainbow Bridge and view the Falls from the other side, which in my opinion, is the best place to see the Falls and marvel at their similarities and differences.

The American Falls from the Canadian side

 
The Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian side

Fast forward to 2017.  Passports packed into our suitcases, we planned a trip to the Falls. Well, not really.  It was the Plan B if Irma messed up our planned trip to Myrtle Beach, then Charleston, then Gatlinburg.  Irma expended her wrath, we cancelled our reservations, and we headed northeast from Wooster after two days at the Wayne County Fair.

First of all, things change.  No, not the Falls, because how can they?  But the tourist parts around them have.  There are more steps and platforms and walkways to view the Falls on the American side than there had been in...well...1983. Watching the rushing water, hearing the roar of the falls themselves, and feeling the spray as the slight breeze carried water droplets everywhere....amazing.


The American Falls



The American Falls



Gary looking at the top of the Horseshoe Falls


At the top of the Horseshoe Falls

Thursday morning after breakfast we headed to Niagara Falls State Park, parked in their lot (for the going rate everywhere $10), followed the signs and found ourselves decked out in blue hooded raincoats, standing on the deck of the Maid of the Mist.   I was SO excited.


On the boat, ready to go

Now, lately with all that has been going on in our lives, excitement just hasn't been there.  I seem to be plodding my way through the daily routine, the trips to Ohio, the sorting and pitching and packing.  But I felt the excitement building as I tugged the hood around my head and worked to keep my phone dry as I snapped pictures.

First the boat cruised past slowly past the American Falls.  The wonder and splendor were remarkable.  The sound was deafening, I thought.  I was impressed, amazed, overwhelmed. 



The American Falls, up close and personal

Then we moved to the Horseshoe Falls.



 
 Approaching the Horseshoe Falls




 Getting closer

As I clutched the railing, trying to lean against Gary for support, right hand holding tightly to my phone and trying to capture pictures, I felt myself disappear into the intense spray to the point that I realized we were right. there. in. the middle. of. the. Falls.  Really!  IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FALLS!  All around us was the roar of the water rushing over the edges of the horseshoe.  Everywhere I looked I could see nothing but water pouring rapidly in front of my eyes.  The boat was rocking with the force of the waves as the water tried to escape out into the river. It was terrifying yet it was amazing and incredible all at the same time!!

 
In the middle of the Falls - only picture I could take because my phone was drenched and stopped working

Totally awesome!  After our boat turned and made its way back into the river, heading to the dock by the overlook bridge, my heart was pounding and I was speechless.  I couldn't believe we had just been into the Horseshoe Falls, really into the Falls.  My raincoat was drenched, my phone was spotted, my FitBit was soaked, and I couldn't see anything out of my glasses for the waterspots that covered them.


Gary was WET!




Past the American Falls on the return trip

Later Gary and I stood on the observation bridge and watched the next boats make the same journey with another group of blue-parka-ed passengers.  We stood in awe as the boat disappeared in the mist that billowed from the base of Horseshoe Falls and then several minutes later, appeared again to make its way past the American Falls and back to the dock.



 
If you look closely in the middle of the base of the Falls, you can see the boat swallowed up in the mist.

Totally awesome.  Wonderfully memorable.  Communing with nature up close and personal.

Cross that one off the List of Things I Want to Do Just Because.  But if given the opportunity, I just might do it again!