Thank you to all our veterans…..

We are so grateful to all of the men and women who have given so much to our country…..to protect us, our children, and grandchildren.

Thank you, dear son, Owen.

Today we said a special prayer for all the men and women who are serving in our American armed services and to all our veterans.  Then we solemnly saluted the American flag that flies proudly in our yard.  We love our country and want to honor all who have given so much to other fellow Americans.

Thank you to our grandfathers who fought in World War I, and our fathers who joined the military during World War II.  Thank you to our son-in-law, Calvin, our nephew, Paul, brother-in-law, Dennis, and our numerous uncles and great uncles for your service to our country.  Thank you to so many of our relatives, friends and neighbors who have served in the US military.

We mourn the death of all of those who died fighting for our country—some of our own family died fighting for all of us and our future generations.

Many of our ancestors have fought through the centuries for democracy and a free America….all the way back to the Revolutionary War.

We honor every American soldier not just today, on Veteran’s Day….but every day.

Thank you.

In honor of our son and all the Green Berets and military veterans, today we danced to the Ballad of the Green Beret.

Swimming and kissing the window at Nuestra Casa!!!

It was such a blast swimming with our dear grandchildren….

Back at Nuestra Casa we turned around and there was little Gideon standing up—kissing the window….and looking out at the big beautiful world!!! 

 

Gideon couldn’t go swimming with us since his open heart surgery was performed not even  a month ago, so Mila held him and let him dangle his feet in the swimming pool.  Wait until Thanksgiving when he will be cleared for swimming.  What an amazing day it will be to celebrate our country with our children and grandchildren sharing our Thanksgiving dinner AND all of us swimming together!

Brag Alert! Emily!!!!

 

Happiness is living in the midst of a loving family!

My dear Danny welcomed me home to Nuestra Casa with pink roses filled with all his love.  Thank you, my love!

Nuestra Casa was filled with joy and love…. Grandchildren, children, and grandparents gathered together at our little paradise in the desert.

Babies bring the love 💗 with them !

Thank God that Gideon is recovering from his heart surgery and growing stronger every day.  Our little Gideon is trying to stand up and run off to play with his sister and brothers!

Surprise Happy Birthday party for our dear daughter, Candice!

 Cowboy Robert patiently waiting for his piece of birthday cake….

Aunt Candice training for the HURT 100 with Hannah and Vernon….she got a few miles in playing with Hannah, Vernon, and Robert!

The best place ever to take a nap!

Time to say goodbye to Aunt Candice….

We are truly blessed with all the love that surrounds us!

What a fun family

 

Leaving Pine for the winter…..

Wouldn’t you know it….the day we needed to leave our Love Nest in Pine another series of massive tropical storms, which included thunder, lightning, and flooding, descended upon most all of Arizona!

We had an amazing send off filled with hugs and kisses from Owen and Mila and our four little grandchildren, Hannah, Vernon, Robert, and baby Gideon.  

As we drove off we could still hear all their voices several blocks away filled with loving messages, “Goodbye, we love you, God bless you, drive safely, come back soon, we love you, see you Monday, God bless you…!”

We love living, hiking, and spending every day outside together in our mountain hamlet of Pine from April to November each year. But then fall arrives, the days shorten, the leaves turn bright yellow and orange, and the sun no longer warms our old bodies.  It is time for us to head south for our winter home in the desert….Nuestra Casa.

Soon our children and grandchildren will also travel south and join us in this charming little oasis in the middle of the Sonoran desert.  Ok sunshine, we’re ready and waiting for you to break through the clouds and shine upon our dear Home, Sweet, Home….

Happy Birthday to Easton….Happy Birthday to Aryana!

Both of our grandchildren who live in the Midwest were born in October. Easton just turned five and Aryana is seven today.  

Hannah, Vernon, and Grandpa and I called to wish them a very Happy Birthday!

Here are their birthday gifts:

Hannah and Aryana compared their new teeth….this is six- and seven-year-old “Girl Talk.”

Aryana and Easton showed us their Halloween costumes….

Aryana and Easton’s birthday presents from us.  We figured that it’s about time that they are a cowgirl and cowboy, especially since they both enjoy their toy guns and Aryana loves horses.

Aryana and Easton’s Mama and Papa say that they have now decided to be a cowboy and a cowgirl for Halloween!

We wish that our dear grandchildren, Aryana and Easton, lived closer to us so we could celebrate their birthdays with them.  They are so incredibly sweet and enthusiastic in all they do, including giving us all their love. They are a joy for us and we love them very much…..Happy Birthday Easton and Aryana!!!