Ted’s and my wish came true: for our 50th anniversary celebration the last weekend of June, our entire family–children, spouses, and grandchildren–was together at the same time! It was an enjoyable, event-filled weekend.

Friday morning, we had an appointment at a photography studio for a family portrait and for a portrait of Ted and me. We’ve selected the ones we like, and the photographer is in the process of putting the digital files into the final portrait form.

Since her fall on April 25, Mutzie’s condition has improved noticeably each day, and she is now in a rehabilitation center. The blood clot has dissolved and her face is healing very well. She walks on her own, but still has difficulty swallowing because her facial bones are not completely healed. She speaks clearly and seems to remember everything, although the memories are sometimes jumbled as a result of her concussion. She recognizes friends and family, but doesn’t always remember their names. It is expected that Mutzie will remain in the rehabilitation center for 90 days, after which she will be evaluated for future care. At this point, it seems very likely that she will be able to move to an assisted living facility at that time, rather than to a nursing home.

Yesterday, on our way home from Colorado, Ted and I stopped in Grand Island, NE to visit with Mutzie and to see her miracle aura in person. We joined a group of her visitors and enjoyed our time with her. She didn’t call Ted by name, but told the nurse all day that her “little brother” would be coming. (Ted is five years younger than Mutzie.) When Mutzie became tired, we left and enjoyed dinner with Lisa and her husband, Doug. This morning, we stopped in again for a short visit with Mutzie before leaving for home, and we had another nice conversation with her.

Her miracle aura is still working.

As always, Ted and I enjoyed our time with Jeff’s family in Longmont, CO. Friday night, we joined Zaque at his pre-graduation party; Saturday morning, we attended Zaque’s graduation; and Saturday evening, Ted and I took the family out to eat to celebrate Zaque’s graduation and Jeff’s retirement.

Although he has a few more details to wrap up at the office, within a few days, Jeff will leave the U.S. work force and will qualify for the “not seeking employment” checkbox on the Department of Labor forms. He and La have bought a house in Flathead Lake, MT and plan to move there in September. They are looking forward to the move, but will be very busy in the next few months preparing their current house for sale, traveling with their family, and taking care of other details before heading to Montana.

Meanwhile, still in Longmont, we went to church together on Sunday morning and had the privilege of hearing some of the graduates, including Zaque, speak to the congregation. The students’ talks were very interesting, and addressed topics related to going forward in their lives now that they have finished high school.

At the house, we had good food and good times with our family. We looked at pictures of Jeff and La’s new house, played sheephead and some other games, and spent quality time together. The bad weather forecasts continued, however. Longmont was under a tornado watch Sunday evening but, luckily, all we had was rain.

I think Ted and I will have one more visit to Longmont. We will bid farewell to Zaque in September when he leaves to serve his church for two years in Oklahoma City. After that, we’ll be visiting Jeff and La in Montana. The fun never ends!

Today, our fourth grandchild graduated from high school. The weather was perfect for the outdoor ceremony.

And then, the obligatory family pictures.

Congratulations, Number Four. We’re proud of you.

We arrived at Jeff’s house later than planned today due to some serious storms. The night before we left home, the storm sirens went off at 1:00 a.m. A radar-indicated tornado was barreling down I-70 straight toward us. We didn’t get the all-clear until about 2:45 a.m., when the storm cell suddenly weakened and took a left turn to the north. Due to the weather, we got to bed much later than planned, and since we anticipated driving 8-9 hours the next day, we slept later than planned the next morning.

Yesterday, when we got to Junction City, KS, we were treated to what Ted calls “active weather.” We drove through severe thunderstorms, beginning in the early evening. Lightning was flashing all around us and directly overhead; thunder was booming constantly; visibility was less than one-quarter mile; traffic on I-70 was going only 40-45 mph; and I was looking no further than the taillights ahead of me to stay on the road. Result: we stopped for the night at Hays, rather than going all the way to Colby as we’d planned. Fortunately, we called ahead to a hotel and had a room. Other people stopping at the hotel because of the storm were told there were no vacancies.

In spite of our later-than-usual arrival at Jeff’s house today, we were still in time for Zaque’s graduation party at the church. Each of the seniors in the church sets up a display and every family brings food to share. Zaque baked chocolate chip cookies for the event. (He let his hungry Grandma “sample” a warm cookie before taking them to the party. I gave them the Grandma Stamp of Approval.) We attended the same type of party for Alex and for Kyra when they graduated. Here are some pictures of Zaque, his display, and the party room.

We’re glad we could be here for Zaque’s pre-graduation party. After two consecutive nights of severe storms, we were also glad to sleep in peace.

Yesterday, Kathy and I met in Columbia for one of our highly anticipated mom-daughter days. We usually mention changing up our long-established routine, but we like how we spend the day, so we end up following the same pattern every time: begin with a 2-4 hour lunch; wander around downtown Columbia, with a stop to purchase a few pieces of chocolate at the chocolatier; sit for 2-4 hours in the mall food court eating the chocolate; then end with a 1-3 hour dinner. We talk, talk, talk during the entire day. Our day together isn’t about what we do or where we go–it’s about the talking. We usually spend 11-12 hours together and, when our time is up and we have to leave for our 1.5-hour drives home, we always mention how we aren’t nearly finished talking yet.

Yesterday, we were expecting a cool, cloudy day with a chance of showers, but the skies cleared, the sun came out, and I’m sure the temperatures were in the mid-70s. It was beautiful for our walk around the downtown area. After all the rain we’ve been having, sunshine made the day even more fun.

Thom and Katie gave Kathy a Shakespeare’s Pizza gift card for Christmas. The card’s expiration date is “When the revolution begins.” Since there was no revolution in sight, Kathy decided this was a good day to use the card. Shakespeare’s irreverent attitude continues on the gift card holder.

Shakespeare’s is near the UM campus, but the crowd includes people of all ages, from cradle to (still-this-side-of-the) grave. The restaurant atmosphere is funky and fun, like the gift cards, and includes this impudent sign in the parking lot.

The impertinence continues inside the restaurant. For example, if you want to find the restrooms, just “follow the yellow brick road.” There is an actual, continuous yellow brick inlaid path on the floor from every room in the restaurant to the restrooms.

You might think of Shakespeare as highbrow, but the restaurant owner doesn’t.

As always, the day ended before Kathy and I were finished talking. After an uneventful drive home, the first thing I saw when I opened the door to the kitchen was a bouquet of roses from Ted.

Ted missed me. The card said “For all the good news this week,” referring to my cancer-free diagnosis and his sister’s remarkable recovery from a severe accident. What a nice homecoming. The roses are gorgeous in the bay window.

Six days ago, Ted’s sister, Mutzie, fell as she was entering her house after attending a luncheon for the city library volunteers. Her neighbor saw her lying unconscious on the patio and called 911.

Mutzie broke all the facial bones on the right side of her head and had a blood clot on her brain. The doctors said the blood clot was in the speech area of her brain, and it was unlikely that Mutzie would ever speak or understand speech again. Surgery was too dangerous in her condition, and her face was not grotesquely mutilated by the broken bones, so the doctors decided to let her heal on her own. A breathing tube was inserted, and she was admitted to the ICU. She was given nothing more than Tylenol for her pain, because the doctors wanted her to wake up, and pain killers would sedate her.

After three days of being unconscious, Mutzie’s liver began to fail, so the breathing tube was removed according to her wishes as expressed in her advanced medical directive. She was moved to the comfort care floor of the hospital for end-of-life care, the liquids that were nourishing her were discontinued, and she was given morphine to keep her comfortable. The family was told she would probably live only one or two more days.

Today, the sixth day after she fell and three days after being admitted to the comfort care floor, Mutzie woke up. Two of her church friends were in her room at the time. She greeted them, asked what time it was, looked at the clock, and said, “Oh, it’s 1:20.” When the family arrived at the hospital, she recognized all of them. She is cognizant and remembers falling, knows she is in the hospital, and is able to sit in the chair in her room. The medical staff reinstated IV liquids and is assessing her ability to swallow. If she can swallow, they will give her solid food. The new prognosis is that she will need some rehabilitation and will then be able to go home.

Miracles happen.

Kathy and Annette came for a Saturday-Sunday weekend to celebrate Kathy’s (April 26) and my (March 20) birthdays together. Of course, Kari’s family joined us. (That’s what’s so great about having at least one of our children living nearby.) Thanks to all the outdoor work Ted and I did last week, we thoroughly enjoyed the near-80-degree temperatures.

Today, we all went to church to hear Kyra’s talk to the congregation about her mission experience. She did an excellent job. It was obvious that she is accustomed to talking to people (she admitted she wasn’t even nervous) and that she has matured a lot over the past 18 months.

Before getting involved in the rest of our day (lunch, games, conversation, a walk in the sunshine, etc.), I decided to take some family photos.

Today’s is La’s 50th birthday, which deserves something special, so Ted and I gave her a bouquet of flowers this morning.

The men of the family pampered the ladies for lunch. First, they cooked grilled cheese extraordinaire sandwiches for us. Thom, the family grilled cheese expert, was in charge of the griddle.

After dinner, the younger generation of men did the dishes.

Kurt and Megan, friends of Jeff and La, hosted a party at their house to celebrate La’s birthday and Kyra’s homecoming. Jeff, La, and Kyra left early for the party. The rest of us walked over a little later. I was escorted by this group of handsome men.

As the guests of honor, La and Kyra were presented with bouquets.

On our way home from the party, we saw some daffodils sprouting. It’s nearly spring!

Ted and I took the family out to dinner this evening to celebrate the four events of this week: Kyra’s homecoming and Julian’s, Jeff’s, and La’s birthdays. The Persons of Honor selected Outback as our destination. Here’s our family table.

Zaque has the ability to amuse himself in innumerable creative ways. While we waited for our food, one of the things he did was practice balancing his forks on his knife on his finger.

After dinner, Ted and I took some pictures. Here I am with my only granddaughter. It’s so nice to see her after her 18-month mission.

My grandsons are getting so tall! Sky isn’t here, but he’s taller than I am too! I’m starting to feel like a little shrimp with all these tall guys.

Finally, a picture of La’s and Kyra’s flowers with Thom and Julian at the piano (left).

Ted and I had a wonderful day with our family. I wish we all lived closer together so we could see each other more often, but maybe we are more appreciative of our time together this way. More good times are on the way tomorrow.

Yesterday was Sefton’s second birthday. Thom and Katie had some activities planned for the day and they didn’t think Sefton would mind waiting until today to celebrate with us. We shared a video call tonight and were able to watch Sefton open his birthday gifts from us. We also heard him say “Grandma” and “Grandpa,” practice his alphabet, identify colors, and read the numbers on the toy cell phone we gave him. Obviously, he’s one of the world’s eight smartest grandchildren. (Do I need to mention that Ted and I have eight grandchildren?)

After celebrating with Sefton, Thom and Katie took us on a video tour of their new house, and it was fun to see where they’re living and what everything looks like. Ted and I are eager to see it in person, but this was the next best thing.

While we were video chatting, I discovered that I could take screen shots, so here are some pictures I took of Sefton while we were talking with him.

During one of Kari’s holiday shifts at Great Skate, there was a private party. Kari said it was an unusual group because all the adults skated. Most of the time, she said, the kids skate and the adults watch.

As a surprise for their dad, the family asked if the DJ could play some Elvis songs in memory of their mom, an Elvis fan, preferably near the end of the party so the family wouldn’t feel too sad during the rest of the evening. They had an Elvis costume and asked the DJ to wear it and to skate with the family in memory of their mom.

The costume was too small for the DJ, and the two teenagers on shift with Kari didn’t know any Elvis songs. Kari, however, grew up listening to the Elvis records I played on the stereo (what can I say?–he’ll always be The King). As the only viable Elvis impersonator in the house, she put on the costume and skated around the rink with the family following her. As part of her act, she lip-synced “Hound Dog,” playing air guitar during the instrumental portions. What a ham!

Kari’s impersonation was such a hit that the family videographed her performance and took group pictures with her. The only picture Kari herself has is below.

Kari’s family opened their gifts at home this morning and then came to our house in the early afternoon to join Kathy, Annette, Ted, and me to open more gifts.

Ted and I saw some prank gift boxes while we were Christmas shopping. We immediately knew two people who “needed” them. Annette was the recipient of a Roto Wipe (box).

The other lucky (?) recipient of a prank box was Laralee, who enjoys jigsaw puzzles.

Of course, the boxes did not represent the real gifts inside, although we included a small jigsaw puzzle to make Laralee’s box sound more authentic. After all the gifts were opened, it was time for a snack.

Merry Christmas to all!

Last night, Ted and I went to Teddy’s first orchestra concert.  To anyone without a loved one in the orchestra, it wasn’t much different from Sky’s and Dylan’s concerts in previous years.  For us, though, there was a grandchild change and an instrument change.  Sky and Dylan both played cello, but Teddy is learning to play the viola.

Ted and I arrived 10-15 minutes before the concert began, knowing that Kari was saving us seats with her family.  We would have arrived earlier, but the orchestra must have a bumper crop of musicians compared to previous years.  Traffic was backed up about a half-mile to enter the school property.  When we finally reached the parking lots, we joined many other attendees trolling the lots in search of empty parking spaces.

Even the auditorium was packed, with the bleachers filled to capacity and staff members scrambling to set up folding chairs around the margins of the gym.  Kari had seats saved for us, but another lady pushed Kari’s coats aside and sat down.  When Kari mentioned she was holding two places, the lady said, “Well, we only need one more,” and then that person sat down, leaving no room for Ted and me.  We joined the rest of the overflow crowd on folding chairs (which were probably more comfortable than the bleachers).  The photo below shows our view of the concert.  About a dozen people were even farther back than we were.  The sixth grade orchestra is partially visible.  Teddy is seated with the fifth grade orchestra on the other end of the gym.

Ted walked to the other end of the room and managed to get a photo that showed Teddy playing his viola.  Follow the red arrow to Teddy’s adorable curly hair.  If you could follow the other red arrow far enough, you could see me sitting on a folding chair, waiting for Ted to return.  Notice the other people on folding chairs along both walls.

Kari’s family joined us after the concert and we exchanged greetings and hugs with all the family and took a better picture of Teddy with his viola.

Ted and I love these concerts and we’re already looking forward to the spring performance.  We plan to be there earlier to avoid the unexpected parking and seating issues.

Since Ted has our yard cleaned up for the winter, he and Kari decided to spend this warm afternoon (mid-60s) cleaning up the leaves from her yard.  Ted loaded his chipper into the car and headed to the work site–Kari’s house.  Dylan was the official on-site photographer.

Kari takes a turn, . . .

. . . Ted takes a turn, . . .

. . . and the job is a team effort.

Dylan noticed that even the cat was on-site to snoopervise the work.  Since he’s a cat, he did no actual work, but he most likely needed a nap when the job was finished.

Kari invited Ted and me to join her family for Thanksgiving dinner.  She prepared our family’s traditional Thanksgiving ham dinner and, of course, everything was delicious.  I’m thankful every day for all the blessings I have in my life, but Thanksgiving Day is a special time to acknowledge them.

Ready to eat the delicious dinner.

Later, we had pumpkin and/or apple pie with whipped cream.  When Kari said “pie,” the boys came running to help serve it.  They were ready for dessert.

After dinner, Sky and Dean disappeared for awhile and Kari, Ted, and I continued visiting in the living room.  Soon, the front door opened and a surprise guest (Sky) joined us with his escort (Dean).

Dean bought molds and made this costume out of fiberglass for Sky.  Sky wore it for Hallowe’en and was the hit of the neighborhood.  Groupies along the trick or treat route asked for selfies with him.

It’s just as authentic-looking in the back.  This is definitely the. best. Hallowe’en. costume. ever.

Like the groupies, I needed a picture of myself with my grandson / stormtrooper ready to protect me.  He’s getting so tall!

Spending Thanksgiving with our family is one of my best blessings.

Ted regularly waxes his car and mine, and helps Kari wax her car.  They found a mutually agreeable day for the job this week and spent some quality father-daughter time together.

When I was scanning old photos, I found one of Thom, showing how he always chewed his food with his fingers in his mouth.  This week, Katie sent me a photo of Sefton, side-by-side with that picture of Thom.  She captioned it “The apple doesn’t fall far . . . .”

We had brunch this morning with Tom, Jo, and Andrea.  Andrea works seven twelve-hour days, then has seven days off.  We were fortunate this was her week off so that we could see her while we were visiting Tom and Jo.  We had a window booth at the restaurant, which provided some good people-watching while we ate and talked for two hours.  The window made a group photo impossible, however, unless all of us became shadows.

On one side of the table (without the window backlighting), we have Tom, Andrea, and Jo.

Ted and I sat on the other side of the table.

Was the food good?  I think Jo’s waffle says it all.

We had an uneventful trip home from Tom and Jo’s house.  There was some heavy rain as we approached the St. Louis area but, except for a little sprinkle, it was south and east of us.

We saw a cumulus cloud developing into a thundershower as we drove.  During a period of light rain, we could see both ends of a strong rainbow, but couldn’t photograph it from the car.

We stopped at a rest area that had a small park attached, complete with a bridge over a little creek.  It was so pretty, we went for a selfie.

These two people just spent an enjoyable week visiting with friends and family in WI and IL.  The selfies still need practice.  I included my extended arm as a reflection in my sunglasses.

We’ve had beautiful–even unusually warm–weather every day on this trip–until today.  We drove to St. Charles, IL under gray skies and through several rain showers to visit my brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Jo.

Lunch was ready when we arrived, and included what I’ll call a “heritage recipe.”  It was a perfect example of the discussion Donna, Nancy, and I had at lunch yesterday about the imprecise nature of our grandmothers’ recipes.  Hershey Bar Pie is one of Jo’s mom’s recipes and it includes a “5-cent Hershey bar” as one of the ingredients.  I remember 5-cent Hershey bars, but I have no idea how many ounces of 2018 melted chocolate equals a 1950s 5-cent bar.  Tom said he looked up images of 5-cent Hershey bars on Google and read the weight of the bar.  The pie was delicious!

The four of us spent the afternoon catching up on family news and telling family stories.  We have eight grandchildren and Tom and Jo have four, so there were a lot of good stories to tell and lots of memories to share.  Tom and Jo treated us to dinner at a restaurant recommended by a friend.  They had never been there before, but we decided to live on the edge and try it.  We all agreed that we’d enjoy a return visit any time.

L>R:  Tom, Jo, me, Ted

Today, Ted and I had lunch with my cousins, Donna and Nancy, and Donna’s husband, Jon.  We went to Pier 17 in Sheboygan for a delicious lunch, caught up on recent events in our families, and shared lots of good family stories.  I’ve almost had a Girl Cousin Reunion on this trip:  I saw Lara and Linda in Holmen, and now Donna and Nancy in Sheboygan.  Judi (Milwaukee) is cruising in South America, so I couldn’t get together with her this time.

We laughed a lot at lunch as we talked about how our grandmothers cooked with ingredients only–no measurements written down–making it difficult for us to replicate old family recipes.  I told Donna and Nancy how I cracked the secret of Vienna Torte.  They admitted they have not yet mastered their Grandma Drott’s Christmas ribbon cookie recipe, but their mother could make it perfectly.  Ted and Jon had little to contribute on this particular topic.

L>R:  Jon, Donna, Nancy, Ted, me.

After lunch, Ted and I had a very nice visit with Uncle Gibby.  He has bladder cancer and is living in a facility that provides the nursing care he needs to remain comfortable.

In my photo gallery at home, I have a picture of my great-grandpa, George Washington Dexheimer, sitting at a table with “Eddie.”  I’ve always heard the photo described as “Grandpa and Eddie,” but I never knew who Eddie was, so I asked Uncle Gibby.  He told me that Eddie was one of Great-grandpa’s four brothers, all of whom were born in Germany.  Eddie moved to one of the Dakotas and bought land under the Homestead Act.  He farmed the land until he died in an accident with a plow, after which his body was brought back to Ada, WI to be buried in the Dexheimer family plot.

L>R:  Ted, Uncle Gibby, me.

Next stop:  The Oostburg Bakery.  When Ted and I come to Wisconsin, we make sure to buy some hard rolls to take back to Missouri.  When we lived in Maryland, we shopped for hard rolls, but the grocers and bakers all thought we meant stale buns.  Unless you’re from Wisconsin, I can’t explain hard rolls (which are not hard) to you.  Ted and I now have hard rolls, some of my favorite Danish pastries, and some filled coffee cakes to take home and share with Kari.  A stop at the cheese factory in Gibbsville, just a few miles up the highway from Oostburg, provided us with some awesome Wisconsin cheese to take home as well.

The other side of the sidewalk sign says “I am in shape.  Round is a shape.”  There is a chalk drawing of a doughnut beneath the text.

We ended the day by playing sheephead and sharing dinner with Gary.  Ted won the pre-dinner game and I won the post-dinner game.  These were not high stakes games–together, we made 16 cents.  Gary won’t have to skip a meal to pay his debts to us.

We’re near Elkhart Lake.  Those are all Road America race pictures on the walls.  P.S. Ted does not have a good sheephead hand.

Ted and I met the Spencer gang at a local restaurant this morning.  All of us had afternoon plans, but we caught up with each other for several enjoyable hours over brunch, courtesy of Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ken.  The food was delicious, and the company was better.  I’m already looking forward to the next time we get together with this group.

Around the table L>R: Tim Bena, Ted, me, Dave Spencer, Bev Nelson, Ruth, Ken, Lara Hines, Jim Hines, Linda Bena.

When our group reluctantly parted, Ted and I headed across the state to our next destination:  Kiel, WI.  We’re farther north than St. Louis, and it’s evident in the landscape.  The trees are already changing to their fall colors in this area.

We had a beautiful drive on a warm, sunny day.  After dinner with Ted’s brother, Gary, the three of us spent some time coordinating dates for an October trip to Nebraska for all of us and time in Colorado for Ted and me.  Working around previous commitments Gary, Ted, and I had, we passed our information on to Jeff and La (CO) and to Mutzie (NE).  If their schedules can accommodate us, Ted and I will have a chance to spend time with Jeff, La, and Zaque in CO, and Ted, Gary, and Mutzie will have a sibling reunion in NE.  Ted can’t remember being with more than one sibling at a time since his mother’s funeral in October 2000, so we hope the dates will work out.

Ted and I spent the afternoon and evening with my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ken and took them out to dinner to celebrate their 63rd wedding anniversary.  Ruth told us they have been married longer than anyone else in their families.  It’s Ted’s and my goal to celebrate at least as many anniversaries as Ruth and Ken have.  There were lots of good stories and happy memories to share during the hours we spent with them.

We belatedly celebrated Sky’s birthday this evening.  As always, it was fun to spend time with Kari’s family and to share a delicious dinner with them.

These are the gifts we gave Sky.  Since he sent us an itemized list of what he’d like to receive, shopping was easy and his surprise factor was low.  His satisfaction factor, however, was high.

Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  Mm-mm good!  At Sky’s request, we did not sing “Happy Birthday.”  I think he feels as awkward as I do when people sing to him.

Three of the things Ted and I always enjoy about visiting at Kari’s house are the boys’ bedroom tours.  Each boy gives us a tour of his bedroom, describing all the creative things that are currently in process.

Sky’s room is a Star Wars enclave.  He’s modeling part of the complete stormtrooper costume Dean created for him.  Sky ordered the helmet and said it was exciting to get such a big box in the mail earlier than he expected it to arrive.

All of Sky’s Star War items and Lego pieces are sorted for easy access.  Here’s one wall of his room.

Additional mini figures (sorted, of course) are kept on these shelves.

Dean built stairs for Dylan’s access to his loft bed.

Each step of the loft stairs has a storage bin beneath the stair tread.

We gave Dylan a 3D puzzle for his July birthday.  I’ve never seen a completed 3D puzzle, but now I know that the end result is more of a model than a traditional puzzle.  This is Dylan’s finished product–the U.S.S. Constitution.

Dean gave Dylan this storage box for his birthday and Dylan has filled it with art supplies.

Teddy told us the boxes on the wall are his pig apartments.  The quilt and pillow I made for Teddy and Waffles are on the bed and in the rightmost apartment.  Waffles is in the penthouse.  Teddy mentioned that there is room for more pigs in the housing complex.  (Hint, hint?)

Teddy converted one of his closet shelves to an apartment for himself.  Dylan offered to rent the apartment for additional storage, but Teddy turned him down.  He likes having a private refuge.

I always enjoy the bedroom tours and, every time Ted and I are treated to a one, I marvel at the boys’ creativity.  Grandchildren are one of life’s greatest gifts.

One of the nice things about not traveling this summer is that we’ve spent many summer afternoons with Kari and the boys in the pool.   School starts for the boys next week and September (cooler weather) is looming, but it was 90+ degrees today and a perfect day for another afternoon together in the refreshing water.

Thom and Katie are preparing to start their own business.  Thom’s last day at REI was July 3.  Katie continues to work at REI while Thom writes their business curriculum and makes other preparations to begin their new venture.  Thom’s Facebook posts tell the ending of his REI story and the beginning of his and Katie’s Ascend Leadership story.

Good luck, Thom and Katie!  Dad and I are very proud of what you’ve done and what you’re preparing to accomplish.

Dylan’s golden birthday fell on Friday the 13th this year, but I don’t think his 13th birthday was an unlucky day for him.  He chose Chinese food for his dinner and chocolate ice cream cake for his birthday cake/dessert.  He also received some very nice birthday gifts.

Dylan wasn’t the only one to receive a gift.  Dean was shopping and found a new pig for pig-loving Teddy.  The pig is soft (it even feels sort of “pig-like”) and, fortunately for a pre-teen boy, it’s squeezable with a small hole under its tail for the air to whoosh out.  This little feature was a source of delight for quite awhile for Teddy.

But back to Dylan . . . .  At a flea market, Dean found a perfect storage box for Dylan.  It was in bad shape, but Dean refinished it and then stocked it with goodies before giving it to Dylan.

Here’s Dylan with all of his gifts on display.  He wanted a compass and binoculars, so Ted and I gave him both.  He plans to use them on family hikes, but I bet he’ll also find other things that are interesting to spy on with binoculars.

After all the gifts were opened, it was time for ice cream cake, the birthday song, and blowing out the candles.  I hope Dylan gets his wish, whatever it was.  Happy 13th birthday to our sixth grandchild.

Jeff, Kathy, and Kari and their families joined us for several days over the past weekend.  It was hot outside, with heat warnings in effect, so we spent Thursday and Saturday in the pool.  On Friday, we went to City Museum.  We had a chance to use our new party lights when we sat on the patio every evening.  There was food and fun for everyone and lots of quality family time.  It’s the best of times for Ted and me when our kids and grandkids come home to visit.

We had plenty of pool time.  The water temperature was 88 degrees.

Sky fastened himself into a swimming ring with lots of noodles.  (I think the lump over Sky’s head is Dylan’s head.)

Afterward, there were lots of swimsuits and towels to dry.

Indoor games were good for cooling off in the air conditioning.  This time it’s “Exploding Kittens.”

Switching to “Settlers of Catan” was a change of pace and players.

There was afternoon time to relax and visit with each other . . .

. . . and evening time to relax and visit with each other.

Kathy and Annette gave us BevBoys so that when Ted and I relax in the pool, we can float our canned beverages in the water beside our mats.

These two guys bought shirts in Hawai’i.

Here’s the whole gang, waiting the final two minutes for dinner to be ready.

City Museum in St. Louis is a very popular attraction.  Jeff said when people find out he’s going to St. Louis, they ask if he’s going to City Museum.  To make that happen, Ted and I decided we should take the family to the museum while the kids were visiting last weekend.  While we were there, Jeff and La met some people they knew from Longmont.  (Maybe that’s why they wondered if Jeff and La were going to City Museum.)  It is definitely known far and wide–lots of out-of-state license plates in the parking lots.

Jeff described City Museum as “eclectic.”  I think another word that might apply is “odd.”  It’s not like any other museum I’ve ever visited.  Ted and I have not been to City Museum for over ten years, and it’s changed a lot.  The museum is located in a renovated shoe factory and began with displays of architectural city artifacts.  This might be where the “City” part of the name originated.  Over the years, many tunnels, stairways, caves, slides, etc. have been added, so there’s a lot of activity going on inside and outside the museum.  It is a very active museum.  (Also a very loud museum.)  Some of the throughways are very small–designed for little children; others have age/height requirements for older attendees.

Here’s City Museum from the outside.  The rooftop attractions require an additional admission ticket, but things on the level of the airplane are included with the rest of the museum.  The school bus on the roof has become the iconic symbol of City Museum.

This photo illustrates the jumble of the inside of the museum.  The kids on the right are in line for the slide that goes down to the exit.  If you take the slide, you must exit, so you’re limited to one trip down.  Use the stairs if you’re not ready to leave the building.

What the kids and grandkids did

Here are Jeff and Zaque going through a tunnel.

This is an entrance to a cave.  Paths–including staircases and tunnels–go every which way, including up and down.  I don’t do caves, so I didn’t get very far inside.  I talked with one lady who said she didn’t think she was going to find her way out.  It’s good that I left, if that’s what it was like!

Members of our group went outside to this level and climbed and crawled their way around.  Their report:  it was hot!  (Upper 90s.)

There were areas with all kinds of twists and turns.  You never knew where someone was going to appear because you couldn’t see the direction the paths were going to take.  Some kids found a way to get from the bottom to the top in this area.

Here’s Zaque, who found a way up to a new level from where he left us.

What Ted and I did

With all the optional directions to take everywhere we went, it was hard to stay in a group.  After leaving the cave, Ted and I decided to check out the museum stuff that didn’t require crawling on our bellies.

Here’s an old elevator door–one of the architectural artifacts in the museum.

How about a surprising twist from under a sewer cover?

Remember?

There’s an huge box of pencils on display–some new, some used.  Why?

Pillars throughout the building are covered in a variety of substances.  This one is decorated with shells.

For a change of pace, this tower is covered with gears.  All the round spindles on the stairway spin.  Some have messages on them; others have designs.  That’s the slide to the exit in the upper left.

The kids were having fun in the sit-and-spin area.  Why is there a net on the ceiling?

Some kind of mythical creature wraps around the staircase and the edge of a snack bar loft.

The mosaic birds on the floor continue up the wall.  Note that the bird on the wall has a pair of goggles in its beak.

We found an art gallery with unusual art.  I like the copper sit-and-spin in the back.

This man is trapped in glass.

There were two windows filled with slides encased in glass.

What we all did

We all had fun–even the boys who look serious.  It was time for a snack.

Our last celebration on this visit to Puyallup was Father’s Day.  It was fun to have four fathers with us:  Ted, Thom, Scott (Katie’s dad), and Nate (Katie’s brother).  Thom and Katie provided all of us with another delicious meal–this time from the grill.  There was German potato salad, corn on the cob, and hamburgers, plus a vegetable tray, a cheese tray, chips, fresh seasonal fruit, and beverages.  Julian made two more batches of his delicious brownies for dessert and everyone had a wonderful time.

The four fathers were the first to go to the dinner buffet.  L->R are Scott, Thom, Ted, and Nate.

Everyone had plenty to eat. Ryan and Jennifer (Katie’s other brother and his wife) were also with us and so was Nate’s three-year-old daughter, Naomi.  (You can see her blonde hair and her pink princess skirt and slippers at the left of Ted’s chair.)

Sefton enjoyed the bubble machine.  When he decided to inspect it to see how it worked, it got moved to a higher location.

We finished the evening with a fire in the firebowl and a glass of wine.  The patio lights Thom and Ted strung provided a warm glow in the darkening evening.  Good times!

June 16 was Julian’s big day–his high school graduation, including a celebratory lunch and dinner.  Katie’s parents, Scott and Carmen, joined us for a graduation lunch.  The ceremony was at 5:00 p.m. at the fairgrounds, about a half-mile from the house, so we walked and avoided the traffic and parking hassles.  After Julian was duly graduated, with all the rights and privileges thereof, we took pictures and went out to dinner in his honor.

Ted and Katie blew up purple and yellow balloons to decorate for the lunch party.  Sefton’s second favorite activity (after books) is gathering and throwing balloons.

Thom and I made German potato salad while Julian whipped up brownies for dessert.  (Julian is up to the licking-the-bowl part of the process.)

Katie made a candy bar bouquet (she’s so creative) and Thom hunted up photos of Julian to display on the table.  Julian is apparently an M&Ms lover like his Grandma Schroeder.

After all his years of hiking and camping, Julian never had his own tent, so his graduation gift from Thom and Katie was a tent and some camping supplies.  Julian loves hammocks, so Scott and Carmen gave him a hammock.  Our gift to him was money–not photographed.

The weather was beautiful and the lunch was delicious.  Julian gave it a thumbs up.

Sefton has his own toddler-size lawn chair.

This graduation was unlike any other I’ve attended.  The graduates were allowed to select seats at will for the rehearsal.  The seats they chose were the order in which their names were called.  There were around 450 graduates seated in four sections of chairs–two sections on each side of the podium  After all the speeches that no one remembers, two people called names in turn, bringing up a graduate first on one side of the podium, then on the other.  This really moved the ceremony along, and it was over in less than two hours.  There was a big screen on each side for a better view of the speakers and the graduates at the podium.

Here’s Julian on the big screen, waiting for his name to be called next.  Unfortunately, the screen on this side was in the sunlight, so the picture is washed out.

Even with three cameras among us, none of us got a picture of Julian accepting his diploma.  Here he is in the foreground, immediately after receiving his diploma folder–diploma to be picked up at the school next week.

This guy was the last to receive his diploma.  He got at least a two-minute round of applause and a standing ovation before his name was called.  He tapped his watch and gave the crowd a thumbs up while waiting for the noise to die down.  After his name was called, he got another big round of applause.

It’s official:  the graduates move their tassels to the left.

Mission accomplished.  The mortarboards are in the air.

Here’s “our” graduate with his little brother.

After the picture-taking, we went out to dinner.  Just inside the door, there was a sign to welcome us. It had four misspellings, but the one at the end of the second-last line was the worst.  Really?  Nobody caught that one?  Fortunately, the food was much better than the spelling.

Julian, waiting for his dinner to be served.  Congratulations and good wishes to our third graduating grandchild!

Ted and I flew to Puyallup for Julian’s high school graduation on Wednesday, June 13 and came back home on Monday, June 18.  During that time, we had three celebrations:  Ted’s and my 49th anniversary (June 14), Julian’s graduation (June 16), and Father’s Day (June 17).

Before we started celebrating, Ted and I had some time to get re-acquainted with Sefton, who is now 17 months old.  The last time we saw him was April 2017 when all of our kids came to St. Peters for my best birthday ever.  Of course, Sefton didn’t remember us, but he warmed up very quickly and was happy to let us play with him as much as we wanted to.

Sefton and me, April 2017.

Sefton, June 2018.  He’s grown so much since we saw him last spring!

The red barn book–one of Sefton’s many favorites.

A morning wake-up story with Grandpa.

Thom always loved Grandma Schroeder’s applesauce, made with maiden’s blush apples.  A number of years ago, Thom planted a maiden’s blush apple tree so that, someday, he could make applesauce like Grandma’s.  The tree is not yet ready to yield applesauce, but it is old enough to bear small apples, and each small apple has a maiden’s blush.

When Thom and Katie got home from work, it was time to go out for dinner to celebrate Ted’s and my 49th anniversary.  We decided on a nearby Italian restaurant, toasted the event with a bottle of wine, and enjoyed a delicious dinner.  The waitress was an experienced mom–she brought out Sefton’s pizza before the rest of us even had our appetizers.

Ted and I are ready for the next 49 years together.

Thom took this picture of Julian flipping on the ski slopes at Stevens Pass.  Thom noted that onlookers were applauding.  Go, Julian!

This week, Ted and I attended the St. Charles School District orchestra concert.  This is my favorite school concert of the year because it includes the entire string program in the six participating district schools:  elementary (5th-6th grades), intermediate (7th-8th grades), and high school (9th-12th grades).  In thanking the parents, community, and administration for their support, one of the teacher/directors mentioned that she is proud to be part of such a thriving string program (about 400 students) when many schools are eliminating similar programs due to budget cuts.

L -> R: elementary, intermediate, high school orchestras

The elementary school orchestra always plays first.  Their selections are short and simple (“Hot Cross Buns,” “Flintstones Theme,” etc.), and it’s amazing to hear their improvement since the fall concert.  Then the intermediate students play more difficult pieces (e.g., a simplified arrangement of Dvorák’s “Cavatina”).  You think the elementary orchestra sounds good until you hear how much better the musicians are with two more years of practice in intermediate school.  Finally, the high school orchestra performs and it sounds even better.  This year, one of their selections was a Disney medley arranged by a high school student musician.  The concert finale selections are played by all three orchestras together–a challenge for the teacher/directors, I’m sure.  Those pieces were my favorites of the evening.

Author’s note:  As a former band member (clarinet), I was amused at the way the directors kept the three orchestras on the same beat for the final pieces.  The elementary director (on the left) plays her violin along with her students and keeps time with her bow strokes.  The high school director (on the right) keeps his eyes on her to keep time with his hands.  The intermediate director (center and a little forward of the other two) watches the high school director and keeps time with him.  Teamwork! 

The intermediate orchestra takes its bow after its performance.  The arrows point at Sky (front) and Dylan (back).

When the concert is finished, cake and punch are provided for the students and guests.  The moment the musicians are excused after taking their final bow, there is a mad student rush for the gym door to get to the cake and punch!  (After all, it’s probably been nearly two hours since they had dinner.)  Yes, it’s always an enjoyable evening.  Next year, Teddy will be joining the elementary orchestra.

Cake!!!  The still photo doesn’t do justice to the speed at which these kids are heading for the door.

It’s spring (except weatherwise), so that means it’s concert time.  Ted and I were able to attend the orchestra concert at Hardin Middle School, featuring Sky and Dylan on their cellos.  They play much better than they did when they started, and it’s obvious that the music is more difficult than “Three Blind Mice”–one of the first pieces they learned several years ago.  The music was wonderful and, thanks to daylight saving time, it was still light outside when the concert was finished.

I couldn’t see Dylan very well from where we were sitting.  Follow the arrows to find Sky and Dylan.  Yes, that’s Dylan hidden behind the scroll of the cello played by the boy on Sky’s right.

Dylan is (a little) more visible in this close-up.  Sky takes this music seriously.

Kathy and Annette came for a weekend visit to celebrate my birthday.  When they arrived, we headed to Pizza Hut to meet Kari’s family.  The boys had not planned to join us for lunch, because they thought we were going to have something like grilled cheese at the house.  When they heard we were going out for pizza, they announced that “Pizza Hut trumps grilled cheese” and immediately found time in their busy schedules to join us.

I saw the kids less than two weeks ago, and Sky was almost taller than I am.  Today, when I saw him, I was looking up into his eyes just a little bit.  I now have four grandsons taller than I am and three more who are growing quickly.

The girls, Ted, and I spent the afternoon catching up with each other while the kids played, and then we had a birthday dinner with gifts and cake.

The woman who has it all:  family, birthday gifts, and a perfect Vienna Torte.

Kari’s family gave me a book I can’t wait to read and a voucher for a lunch date with Kari.  That means there’s some quality mom-daughter time coming up soon.  The hand soap and lotion are from Kathy and Annette.

When I was about 11 or 12, my Aunt Shirley gave me a pretty bisque porcelain flower pot with hand-painted raised flowers on one side.  I could never get anything to grow in it, but I love it.  Some time ago, I gave it to Creative Kathy and asked her to think of a way to make the flower pot pretty to display.  She filled it with flowers to match those on the pot.

With a table runner Kari made, the enhanced flower pot is a perfect spring centerpiece for the kitchen table.

The big finish for the birthday dinner was the perfect Vienna Torte I made yesterday.  Yum!

Teddy (left) is in a state of supreme happiness anticipating the cake.  He came back later and asked for a second piece.  Of course, Grandma said “yes.”

The weekend was over too quickly.  Now I’m looking forward to my remaining birthday lunches / dinners with friends and with Ted–two down and five to go.  I love my birthday season!