A Few More of Our Special Memories...

Hours banging away on Andrew's drums.  This teenager had an amazing amount of patience with my little guy.  I loved watching them play together!

Noah enjoying Uncle Nathan's old truck.

Honestly, who needs toys when you can have giant boxes to play in?

Chloe developed this habit of putting interesting things on her hamburgers, hotdogs and tacos.  This hotdog was full of very strange "condiments" but she ate the whole thing with pleasure!

HOURS in the pool due to very high temps the last few weeks of our visit!

Visiting cousin Megan's FFA project

A wonderful weekend with my dear, dear friend Irene.  A fun visit to Bass Pro Shop was one of our weekend events.

Finally, Miss Syd arrived from N.D.  What fun!

Visiting with friends at my 20th Year High School Reunion.

Honestly, guys, has it really been 20 YEARS???  We have not changed...really.  At all! :)

I consider it an honor that these lovely girls are still my friends after 20 years (25 years for some of them).  What a privilege.  How I love them.  How I hate living so far away from them but am so grateful for the short, sweet times we get together every few years.  From left to right: Roberta (Severin) DeJong, Lucinda (Irvine) Avis, myself, April (Rodgers) Wolfe, Rosette (DeYoung) Harlan and Stephanie (Dutter) Franklin.

Celebrating Grammie's beautiful dance recital!

My son trying to find the keys to the Ranger that he knows his uncle hid somewhere in the thing!!!

Yup, love this kid.  He will be forever my little bub...even though he is an adult now.  Jonathan Paul, my "little brother."

Noah's favorite of all favorite pastimes!  Riding around on the Ranger with his cousins and uncles!

Our fun, fun outing to the Frantz Ranch.  Yup, those are REAL zebras, imported from some foreign country that I don't remember!  Noah thought they were glorified "wow, wows" (dogs!).

Mr. Frantz has hunted in numerous countries, bringing home amazing  animals that he now exhibits in his private little museum.  It was truly amazing.  The kids loved it, as did their mother!  I love elephants and giraffes but have to say, glad they are stuffed!

My precious little Sami girl.  She was miserable this day on our outing from a horrific cold but allowed me to walk around with her in my arms.  Made this auntie very happy!

Enjoying Papa's hot tub.  The 3 youngest babies of the family: Noah, 21 mon, Fiona, 1 1/2 and Samantha, 10 mon. 

The three "big" girls of the family: Chloe, 5, Sydney and Haley, 3.

A delightful Tea with Miss Mildred, Grammie's friend, who came to teach us girls about good manners!

Each girl got to choose her own hat.

A delightful evening at U. John and A. Betsy's lovely home.  Their two girls played with our littles all evening long.  Us mommies felt we had been given the evening off.

My sister-in-laws and I.  My sisters, my friends, my confidants, my encouragers.

Been awhile since we were all together.  Years actually.  How I love my brothers.  To this day, they are among my dearest of friends and I miss living close to them.

My precious A. Betsy and I.  What an example, what a joy, what an encouragement this woman is in my life.  Thank you for investing in my heart and soul this trip, A. Betsy.  Only the Lord can truly repay you for your love and grace over my life.

My "little" girl cousins all grown up and now lovely young women who I love dearly!

This papa has so many little grandbabies, he doesn't know what to do with them all!

Making Brazilian "Brigadeiros" (chocolate candies) with the girls: notice that Haley is eating more than she is actually rolling in chocolate sprinkles!!!  Darling!

A fun outing to the Farmer's Market on Thursday.  Sensory overload for this fruit loving girl!

Four special days with Indiana visitors.  I was so honored they came so far to spend a few days with us.

My darling little Fiona and I.  She liked me and that made me oh so happy.  Every so often she would come up to me and hold out her arms to be held.  She is a love bug.

Our hot but very fun outing to the Cover Ranch the week before we left.

Train Ride at Cover Ranch

My dear Auntie Terry and I.

When you are wearied out from swimming, listening to a story is a wonderful alternative!

Auntie Terry reading to two very tired out kids at the end of the day.

Celebrating Kate's 10th birthday over Mexican food.  We were so honored to be included!

Dancing and singing with U. Gordon!

The two Chloe girls...

My children and I with my Grandma Barbara.

Noah loving on Grandma

Sami enjoying her corn on the cob!

And our reunion with Daddy...finally!  It was very sweet.

Our hearts are so full of gratitude for a marvelous, safe and joy-filled trip to California.  Thank you to all who made it possible: to those who bouught our tickets, to those who had us in their homes for incredible food and precious fellowship.  To those who blessed us with gifts of clothes, almonds, meals out, and so much more.  To those who spent hours loving on and playing with my children.  To those who took the time to love on me and sit and chat.  To my classmates, Lu and Rosette, who traveled from other States to spend a day together.  To my Indiana family who traveled across the US to visit us. To my precious ND family who made the needed sacrifices to come visit us.  A huge thank you to my gracious husband, who spent 7 weeks without his family so we could have much needed time with my family.    THANK YOU.  A million times over.  I could never repay you for blessing me so richly.  May He bless you richly in return is my prayer.  And most of all, thank you to my Lord who took my children and I thousands of miles and back again safely.  Truly we are most blessed!

And now we are back to "real life."  Chloe and Everson are on vacation from school.  It is Winter break in Brazil.  That means that my days are full of trying to keep two very busy children from jumping off the walls during these cold, wet days and daddy gets home at 8 or 8:30 instead of midnight.  We like that part!

                                                                   Until next time!
                                                                                Jama