Dale's Birthday

Yesterday we celebrated Dale's birthday! I seem to get more excited about these things, but I think he enjoyed his special day too. Now I get to enjoy the fact that I am dating an "older man." See, I am still in my forties; for a few more weeks!

Truthfully, we both are enjoying this time of life. We don't mind the birthdays and feel fine about getting older. It's a great time of life! Birthdays always make me think about the past a bit but mostly look toward the coming year. I do look forward to the next year together!

Volunteering at 801 Grand

Sunday morning my friend, Jennifer and I did our annual shift for the American Lung Association. When I first moved to Des Moines I looked for opportunities to volunteer. I have always been passionate about volunteering and I knew that it would be a good way to meet people. When I met the volunteer coordinator for the ALA, I offered my services. I invited Jennifer to join me and this is our third year helping at the 801 Grand Power Climb. Climbers race up 40 floors of the tallest building in Iowa after gathering donations to fight lung disease. Jennifer and I have wisely decided to skip the stairs and ride the elevator up to the fortieth floor where we organize and manage the buffet table at the finish line. We are in constant motion for at least five hours, serving hundreds of pieces of fruit, pastries and bagels along with gallons of water and coffee. We have a system and enjoy the morning lots. It feels good to contribute to an important cause and meeting the climbers of all ages is a bonus. We are looking forward to next year already.

Hockey, Hockey and More Hockey

Our Valentine's weekend was spent at hockey arenas. It's been quite a hockey winter this year. My nephew, Jake, had a hockey tournament in Ames on Saturday, so he brought a friend and his parents and came to visit me and see the Iowa Chops play hockey on Friday night. Dale and I met them at the arena after they had a snowy drive to DM. We enjoyed the game then came home and stayed up late (well late for me, it was midnight!) Saturday we watched Jake and his teammates win two games in Ames before heading to Great Plains for pizza. It was great to have time to hang out with Dan, Jill and the boys. The Iowa Chops were so grateful to the fans that braved the snow storm on Friday that they gave free tickets to all of us for Monday night's hockey game. Dale and I will be heading to the arena again on Monday with our free tickets. I think that might be enough hockey for this week!

My daughter, the photographer!

Ashley has officially set up a website for her photography.

www.ashleyschragephotography.com

I am proud of her for following her passion and working hard to develop her skills. Feel free to check out her website or pass it along to others who may be interested in looking at the photos or making arrangements to set up a session. I do realize that I may be biased as a mom, but I think that the photos are gorgeous!

Sunday Skating

Jay and Briana liked the idea of going ice skating at the outdoor Brenton Plaza in Des Moines. Jay had not been ice skating for almost twenty years and Briana had never ice skated. The weather was gorgeous and the sun was so warm. It was a great day to be out there.
I choose to photograph rather than skate. I always say that I do not want to be the old lady on the sidelines, but I just did not feel brave enough to put on ice skates after breaking my arm three months ago. I am also in physical therapy for an apparent frozen shoulder and did not want to mess up my shoulder or any of my bones. So Dale and I watched from the sidelines. I told Jay that if I don't break another bone between now and then, I will skate with him next winter. Not sure how my ankles will hold up since it's been close to forty years since I wore ice skates, but I think I will find the answer next winter. Dale is brave enough to skate, just kept me company, but next year we will both be out there! It was a wonderful weekend. Thanks so much for coming down, Jay and Briana!

Saturday at the Iowa Chops

It is so fun to have Jay and Briana here for the weekend! Jay had wanted to see the new Iowa Chops hockey team play at Wells Fargo Arena, so we made it to a game on Saturday night. It was a fun game. Chops won and it was very physical hockey.
We also got to the Des Moines Art Center to see American Gothic by Grant Wood, which is here from Chicago for a few weeks. It was a quick trip through the art center because we wanted to be outside to enjoy the spring thaw and temperatures in the fifties. Unfortunately that meant that the lawns and gardens were quite muddy so we headed to Qdoba for the very best burritos. It is a favorite stop for me and I was thrilled to find out that Briana understands the joy of Qdoba. Dale led us on a driving tour to see West Glen, Jordan Creek, downtown, East Village, Gray's Lake, Valley Junction and other fun places. We both love Des Moines and enjoy the chance to show others, especially the "kids." It's been a great weekend!

Last of January

This last day of January makes me think ahead. I feel a countdown to warmer weather! It's just four more months until the pool opens. I look forward to the sunshine, bright blue water, cold drinks, novels and girlfriends. I know that tanning is not good for our health, but somehow I feel much healthier when I have been kissed by the sun!

It's just five weeks until day light savings time. That means that we will actually have sunshine after work. Maybe a stroll around Gray's lake with sunshine, no ice and no polar wind.

This is also the time of year that Dale and I enjoy vacation planning. I love vacation and Dale has taught me a whole new depth of what it means to plan for a trip!

Today the temperatures will be in the forties, snow will melt and the sun will shine. All more reasons for me to focus on my countdown. I think this may be an early case of "spring fever!"

My Sister, Cindy's Birthday!!

Cindy is younger than me but we are both officially in our late forties. . . only 20 months apart. Yes, I am the older sister!
She doesn't get down to Des Moines often, but this photo was from a very fun trip to the farmer's market in Valley Junction in 2007. We enjoyed the music, atmosphere and samples. Did you know that one can actually get tipsy on those teeny tiny little wine samples?
This photo reminds me that the weather will be warm again someday and that Cindy is "still wild and crazy after all these years!" Happy Birthday, Cynthia Colleen!

Jake's Hockey

Jake is my youngest nephew and he is a great hockey player! I watched him the first time he tried skating and he loved it. After years of practice and probably hundreds of games, he is strong and confident on the ice. It's fun to watch him play and to sit with family at the Mason City arena. Sunday morning we got to watch a game and see lots of family. The games are great, but more importantly, Jake is a good guy and a very nice young man. I hope that we get to watch him play baseball or football later this year.

Happy Birthday, Jay James!

How fun to get to celebrate Jay's birthday with him today! Dale and I drove up to Mason City and we all saw Jake's hockey game. (More on that later.)

We took Jay and Briana out for a long lunch with good food, conversation and plenty of time to relax. After lunch we all went to the mall for the best cookies in the world. We love the "mall cookies" in Mason City. . . a family favorite and birthday tradition for Jay! To walk off a couple of calories and enjoy the very refreshing air, we walked across the Meredith Willson Footbridge which is a "Music Man" landmark. It was a great place to get a photo for the blog! I wish you a very happy and healthy year, Jay!

Jay's almost 28!

My baby boy will turn 28 this weekend. Jay was born on Superbowl Sunday 1981. Since his birthday will be Sunday, it would have been a Superbowl birthday party had the NFL not changed their schedule. I still think that the Superbowl should be in January, but that is another story!

More importantly, I get to celebrate with Jay on Sunday. It's fun to look forward to the time with him and remember the day that he was born and birthdays past.

Jay was the biggest baby in the nursery with a huge appetite and little need for sleep. He turned into a joy filled, energetic, friendly toddler. His personality and golden curls appealed to strangers often. The years flew by; elementary school, teen years, college and adulthood. I am very proud of him and look forward to celebrating his birthday with him!

Our First Dog Show

Mowgli and I both experienced our first dog show today. He was a participant and I was a spectator. We both did very well! I was very proud of my grandpuppy who won a first place ribbon. Ok, so he was the only Canaan in the puppy category, but it's still a blue ribbon.

I was pretty excited about the opportunity for people watching and I was not disappointed. It was like a beauty salon for dogs. The owners were busy with blow dryers, powders, brushes, combs, hairspray and ribbons. Some of the cuts on the poodles must have been embarrassing to the male dogs in particular. I did try to get some photos but the action and the lighting did not serve me well. This is Mowgli hanging out with us while we waited for his breeder to be ready for him. It's actually the breeder who shows him. We just showed up to watch. I learned lots about the different breeds from my friend, Tammy. We enjoyed the people watching and saw some gorgeous dogs and some interesting (weird-looking) dogs as well. It was a fun event. I hope Dale and Ashley got better photos.

Happy Fiftieth, Jill!

Jill is officially my sister-in-law, married to my brother for almost thirty years! But she has been a part of the family for so long that she is like a sister. We have shared great memories. We met before we even had our driver's licenses. In 1978 we were next door neighbors in tiny little apartments. We loved the seventies music and will even sing together now if the right song comes on at a hockey game, party or wedding reception.
Happy Birthday with love, Ethyl!

Friday Quilting

Remember the fabric that Ashley and I purchased and cut about a month ago? We have a goal: two tree skirts in 11 months. I have made some headway on the project and I am anxious to show Ashley when she arrives tonight.

I know very little about quilting but fortunately I have some good advisers. They are over 100 miles away, so the advice comes over the phone. I am working at this one step at a time. Right now I am sewing together the small squares to make two large squares. I will figure out the next step after I finish this one.

Today was my day off so I had the luxury of staying home till noon when the temperatures were above zero! I stayed in my robe and quilted then left home for a burrito lunch with a girlfriend. It's a good start to the weekend!

Brrrr....It's officially cold!

It was below zero today and now the temperatures are dropping! These are the coldest temperatures in Des Moines in the last decade. It is frigid. Even the metro schools are closed tomorrow.

This bird feeder (at work) had been occupied much of the day by house finches and cardinals, but when I brought my camera, they got shy. The icicles are absolutely gorgeous. They were formed on a warmer day earlier in the week but will not be melting anytime soon.

Fortunately I have a warm coat and got new mittens and a scarf for Christmas so I am well protected and cozy.

Fun Weekend

It was another weekend with very few plans but plenty of options. I did get time to hang out at home, relax and get a few things done. Dale and I also found several opportunities for fun here in Des Moines. Friday night we went to Wells Fargo Arena to watch the Iowa Chops play hockey against Manitoba. We saw a huge hockey brawl in the last period...only one player kept his gloves on.
Saturday we went to see a movie: "MILK" at the Fleur, one of our favorite movie theaters. The movie was excellent and so was Sean Penn who played the lead role.
Sunday night we headed to the Knapp Center to watch the Drake Bulldogs men's basketball team. Although it was a very close game, Drake won. I enjoyed the game lots and the people around us add to the pleasure. There were a large group of cub scouts near us as well as some of the regulars who often sit in the same section. I love watching the games. It's fun that we feel like "regulars!" Now the weekend is over and its time to face Monday and the next snow storm of the year.

Orange Tic Tacs

I took this photo months ago. I had planned to tell the story of our family tic tac tradition, but Ashley beat me to it! From the time that Jay and Ashley were very little, orange tic tacs were in their Christmas stockings and Easter baskets. They were a favorite of their dad's. Even after the divorce, I continued the tradition. They seemed to look forward to that predictable treasure in their stockings or baskets. When they went to visit their dad for a weekend or longer period of time, I would occasionally slip tic tacs into the bottom of their bag. When Ashley went on church service trips, I would put the tic tacs in her bag secretly as I would load it into the car or unload it at the church or airport. When they left for college there were tic tacs. When they would bring laundry home it would go back to the dorms with some tic tacs from time to time...always slipped in quietly. I am sure that they saw me sometimes, or heard the familiar sound in their bags, but they never mentioned it. Recently when Ashley and Travis visited, I slipped tic tacs into her bag when she was out of the room. It was this container of tic tacs that I photographed. (Not very creatively!) I was surprised to find that she photographed the same container of tic tacs and added them to her blog with the story a couple of weeks later. Her photograph is much more creative and inspiring! The photograph was partially for a contest submission that asked for an object that inspires. This week the contest announced the five finalists and Ashley's photo and story were selected as a finalist! How exciting. You can check out the contest at http://www.merakohblog.com/ You can even vote if you like, but most importantly, I just wanted to share her accomplishment. I am very proud of her and her courage to develop her passion for photography!

Looking back at 2008

I have a tiny drawer in the guest room. It's really not big enough for much but it has become home to my ticket stubs. Its a jumbled mess, but all in one place. I used to save the stubs just when I would to to a Broadway show in NYC, but then decided to keep more as a memento. In this photo are lots of ticket stubs from 2008. It's fun to look back and remember all the fun. If you are over 40 and actually want to read the words, you may have to click on the photo to make it larger. (I feel your pain.) At the bottom of the drawer I found a ticket stub from Yankee Stadium (may it RIP) from July of 1994. Dale and I went together to most every one of these events pictured except I went to Frost/Nixon with my Kaley JoBo (niece.) Our kids joined us for several events and that was very fun too. There is plenty of room left in the drawer and I look forward to adding more ticket stubs in 2009. Maybe a St. Louis Cardinal baseball game or even another nascar race. Let the fun begin!!


Comments??
Several people told me that they tried to leave comments on my blog but it would not allow the comment. I checked and changed my privacy settings to allow people to leave a comment without having a blogspot identity. So...if you want to add your comments, great! It should work now.

Welcome 2009!

First I have to give Dale credit for the photo. He got out the camera to document the New Year's Eve meal. I had never made jambalaya from scratch. It sounded good and like something that would be fun to cook together, so I found a recipe and we worked together. We started out the evening early with a Drake men's basketball game. It was a fun game and Drake won. Then we headed to the grocery store to purchase ingredients. There was lots of chopping and slicing vegetables and sausage. We did substitute the craw fish tails with small shrimp, which is acceptable especially in Iowa. We put on some music, cooked, sipped wine and relaxed. The jambalaya was good, but enough for six more people. After dinner we got out the raspberry chocolate from Chocolaterie Stam that Santa had left in my stocking. It was a wonderful New Year's Eve and I didn't have to stay up till midnight!

Happy 2009!

Happy New Year!!
It's time to say good-bye to 2008. There were some sad times and some tears but there were many wonderful times in the past year. I treasure the love and the experiences shared with family and friends.
I will miss my Uncle Lloyd and hold on to great memories of time shared with him and my entire family. My kids are well and I am very proud of them and how they are living their lives. I feel blessed to share life with Dale and enjoy exploring so many new things and places together.
I look forward to starting a new decade of life and learning more about myself, others and the world around me in the coming year. Life is good and I am grateful.
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy"
Philippians 1:3-4

Empty Stockings

The stockings are empty. The gifts are opened. The cookies are gone and the wrapping is in the trash. Every one has returned home. Christmas 2008 is over. It was a wonderful holiday filled with love and joy. I was so blessed to be able to spend time with so many loved ones. I think I saw every relative except the ones in Nebraska. That's a good reason to get to Lincoln this spring. This week has been a great celebration. I think I may leave the stockings, nutcrackers and Christmas tree up for a few more days, just to bask in the glow of the holiday.

Family Christmas

I got to celebrate Christmas with my kids this weekend. We have always gotten together when we can find a night that works for all of us. It's usually "around" Christmas, but not on the actual day. Whatever the date, we wake up and it's OUR Christmas Morning. We do stockings, gifts, breakfast and just hang out among the boxes, ribbons and wrapping paper.

Jay, Travis and Ashley posed for me; all wearing new shirts they got for Christmas. How fun is that? We had chili the night before then played dominoes with Dale and his son, Eric. It was a good time to just be together and enjoy the holiday. Now everyone has left to go home and the house has a very odd quiet. It happens every time!

Iowa Energy Basketball

Jay's here!!

Jay drove down this morning and we spent the entire day just hanging out. We laid around at my house most of the day which was very relaxing. Dale came over and took us out for dinner before we headed to Wells Fargo Arena for a basketball game. Jay would have preferred hockey, but the hockey teams were not in town for Christmas. This was a first for me, a sporting event on Christmas, but it was good. I love tradition but am open to change too. I have had many opportunities to learn that lesson!
It was a great game...won by the Energy in the final minutes. Next time Jay comes maybe we can get to a hockey game. That would be lots of fun too! So fun to hang out with Jay today!!

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Day! Merry Christmas to all.

The fun and family continue for me. Jay arrived today so that we have an extra day to hang out before Ashley and Travis arrive tomorrow. We have two more days of Christmas here. I just love having my kids at home!!

I wish you all a beautiful Christmas. May the true spirit and love of the season be alive for you.

Christmas Eve

I am very blessed to have loving cousins, aunts and uncles who value family and time together. We gather every year on the Fourth of July with the entire family. On Christmas Eve some of the family members gather as well. Many years I was unable to attend this gathering when I worked at the church or had other obligations. Not everybody can make it but those that do enjoy lots of food, photographs and conversation. Yes, we pose for lots of pictures. This is me with my sweet Uncle Fred. Aunt Snooks and Aunt Carol are my wonderful gorgeous aunts who are in the top photo. They are also amazing cooks who have taught the younger generations very well. I woke up still full on Christmas morning!! It was wonderful to be able to spend a couple of hours with them, cousins and second cousins. Now I look forward to seeing all again on the Fourth of July!

Merry Christmas, Wreghitts!

December 23, Every Single Year!

Dan and Jill are the first to be grandparents. Izzie is adorable and the first of the next generation!

In my family of origin December 23 means Family Christmas! It's a true holiday tradition. Since my siblings and I were very young, the family celebration has been on December 23. We traveled to relatives on the 24th and 25th. When we all got married, we continued the tradition to avoid schedule conflicts with in-laws and other families. Now that our children are getting married we still gather on December 23 each year.

I do not have a photo of everyone, but all made it this year, except Gary who was at work in Nebraska. I seem to spend less time behind the camera than I did in the past. It is fun to just enjoy the moments and I sometimes forget to grab the camera!

We play a gift exchange with a $5 limit on each gift. It's a challenge to find the best gifts and to steal them from each other before the timer buzzes.

This gathering is a highlight for many of us. It's constant, talking, eating, laughing even some complaining and it's FUN! Merry Christmas, Nonnweilers!

Family Nativity

When I was a young mother, my mom offered to buy me a nativity for a Christmas gift. I looked around and decided that this was my choice because it seemed unbreakable, but yet did not look too plastic. I wanted my children to be able to play with the figures. I hoped that they would use the nativity in a way that would bring the Christmas story alive for them. They did play with it and we added some animals, musicians, shepherds and wise men over the years. Often baby Jesus was found in the arms of Mary (as shown) rather than in the manger. The baby Jesus would often be missing, hidden some special place till Christmas. The nativity did become an important tradition in our family, both of my kids enjoying and appreciating it while voicing the desire to have that someday. So years ago I started buying a piece each year for each child. The first year Jay and Ashley got the baby Jesus. The next year I gave them Mary followed by Joseph the following year. Because they were always the same and in the same size box, Jay would look at Ashley's then not bother to unwrap his. Ashley has her nativity set up in her home this year. Jay's is still in one of those big boxes in my garage, some of the figures still gift wrapped. He doesn't have room in his apartment, but he knows where to find it when he is ready.

Nutcrackers at Christmas

Nutcrackers have become one of my favorite things! In 1987 I took Jay and Ashley to see the Nutcracker Ballet in Ames on the Iowa State Campus. Ashley was enchanted by the production and the nutcracker. (Jay was fairly bored until I pointed out that if he turned around he could watch the lighting guys with all their equipment.) So that year when Ashley was just three and a half, I purchased her first nutcracker at Younkers for $7. As I learned more about nutcrackers and the German versions, I purchased more for her over the years. She didn't get a nutcracker every year but she did get many! About ten years ago I realized that someday when she left home she may want to take her nutcrackers with her. I couldn't imagine decorating for Christmas without these noble wooden soldiers and kings to stand guard on the mantle, so I kept the white and blue king for myself. Ashley contributed the two on the right to my collection during her college years. Travis gave me the red trumpeter when they were dating. Last year Dale gave me the brown horseman on the left to join the others. So when Ashley and Travis got married last year I was able to delivered her collection to their home and still have my own nutcracker display at Christmas!

More Snow Coming

More snow is coming tonight! We already had three inches of snow this week and we are predicted to get more next week. Snow is in the forecast for December 23 which may not mean much to most but if you are a Nonnweiler, that means Christmas!! We have celebrated on the 23rd for close to fifty years. I hope the roads are good. This photo was taken in February 2007, but it has been so cold and snowy in the last couple of weeks that it is feeling like February already.

Weekend with Ashley

What a wonderful weekend with Ashley! It was fifty degrees when she arrived and below zero when she left. I guess that's December. We hung out together, relaxed, slept very well and caught up on life as we prepared for Christmas. I just love it when the kids come to visit. It just feels so homey to share home with family! We spent most of the time at home but did go out each day.

We went to the fabric store and started a Christmas project. The fabric you see in this photo should be two quilted tree skirts by this time next year. We are trying to be realistic about our expectations. Neither of us is very crafty but we will have fun with this and create some memories too. My current tree skirt was hand made with a good friend about twenty five years ago. It may be time for a new one!

We did some Christmas shopping together. It was nice to help each other with ideas and choices. I got lots of wrapping done in the evening while we watched a movie at home.

Dale took us out to a movie on Sunday, Four Christmases. It was cute and a nice break from all the kitchen work. The windchill was so awful when we left the theater that it took our breath away. It was good to get home and hit the kitchen again and turn on the oven.

We made sausage won ton stars, freezing most of them and eating a few for lunch. We made chocolate mint cookies and enjoyed the melting swirls of the mints on top. We made caramel corn to send home for Travis since he missed out on all the fun. We did have fun and made good progress on our Christmas preparations.

Christmas Season

There are so many things to enjoy this season. The sights and sounds of December are so tied to Christmas. I have enjoyed the snow, but I am also enjoying the fact that it is all melting today. I enjoy the Christmas lights too. This is one of my favorite views. I took this photo two years ago. It's Valley Junction in West Des Moines, just two miles down the street from me. Ashley is coming this weekend and we will enjoy some Christmas preparations. We might bake, we might shop and we might make a new tree skirt. We will most definitely relax, enjoy each other, talk, eat and laugh. I am looking forward to her visit during this Christmas season! In less than two weeks we will have celebrated Christmas with the "boys" too. It's all good.

Fruit Instead of Cookies

I am trying to do better, staying away from the cookies and shopping in the produce department more often! Between the broken arm and poison ivy, I have felt pretty cruddy for the last couple of months. One of the best ways for me to make some changes to feel better is to eat healthier (and exercise, but let's not get carried away yet.) My arm is healing very well, just some discomfort from the sprain in my wrist, the break is much better. I am finally off the drugs for my many ailments associated with the break and the ivy. All this makes me anxious to feel better.
Did you know that fresh home baked cookies are delivered to my work place daily? That's a huge temptation for me, but I have stayed away from them for a couple of weeks. I prefer a fist full of cookies but am working at embracing the beauty of the produce aisle. I want to feel good and age well....staying active and feeling healthy. The fruit is pretty, isn't it?

Brrrr. . .

It's cold and windy today! The temperatures are expected to drop all day long. I guess this can be expected, but I still plan to have a good weekend.
Dale and I went to the Drake men's basketball game last night and it was a great game. The winning bucket just seconds before the buzzer saved us from overtime! I think we will go to a movie later today.
I am very content to spend my Saturday morning snuggled in by the glow of my Christmas Tree lights. It took me a full week to decorate the tree. I assembled it on Sunday, added the lights on Tuesday then started the ornaments on Wednesday and just finished today, Saturday! Every single ornament I have is on this tree. Its packed! Hopefully Jay, Ashley and Travis will be willing to take a few home with them at Christmas. Maybe it's my age, maybe it's having a smaller home, but I find that I want and need less "stuff."

It Feels Like Winter

Sunday morning we woke up to snow. It was gorgeous. Knowing that it was predicted to melt, I really did enjoy it.

I photographed these same berries during the first week of October and posted the image on this blog. They looked lots different then. I do love the change of seasons in Iowa. It's just that I think winter might be a bit too long.

Tomorrow is expected to bring another inch or two of snow. Although we did have lots of melting today, the ground is still covered. Since tomorrow's accumulation will add to the Sunday snow, I guess it really does feel like winter. Fortunately I found my boots. Not cute boots. Not boots with heels. Real boots...Iowa boots. I will need them!

Happy Birthday, Dan!

It's my big brother's birthday today. The photo is from last year when we celebrated his 50th. It was the best party, a camouflage party! His wife and kids planned the surprise party in their garage. All the guests were dressed in camouflage clothing, including his sisters! That's all four siblings in the photo. There was an ice storm that day but Dale and I braved the roads and drove to Mason City. I just could not miss this party. It's not that rare to have Dan's garage filled with people wearing camo because he loves to hunt and fish, but it is unusual for some of us! I purchased my shirt so that it was the right size to pass on to my son. He will wear it when he goes hunting but I will not need that shirt again! It was a fun party and it's a great memory for me. Happy birthday, Danny!

Waterloo Thanksgiving

Ashley and Travis hosted a family Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. It was a wonderful holiday. Jay, Dale and I arrived on Friday so that we could enjoy more time together and I could cook with Ashley. I loved cooking a Thanksgiving dinner with Ashley for the first time. It may be the last. She was quite grossed out by the raw turkey, especially when I pulled the neck from the cavity. Dale was a big help in the kitchen with cooking and photography. We cooked, ate, laughed, played and enjoyed each other. Travis got out the guitar hero and the boys had a good time with. We all had fun with Mowgli. I absolutely loved it when my kids were little, but having adult children is also wonderful!

Thanksgiving in Mason City

My sister, Sandi and her husband Dale hosted Thanksgiving on Thursday. Cindy and her entire family were there also. It was a great day to travel so it was easy to make the two hour drive up in the morning and back home in the late afternoon. We had a good time together; eating, talking, laughing, making Christmas cookies and watching football. Yes, we made cut out sugar cookies right after we cleaned up the Thanksgiving dinner mess. Sugar cookies have become a tradition with the girls for lots of holidays. It was nice to get to see nieces and nephews that I get to see so seldom. I am again reminder that "the kids" are no longer children!

Grateful Heart

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of mine. I love the family, food and the meaning. I am grateful for so many things. The people in my life are at the top of that list today. I am thrilled to be celebrating the holiday with both of my sisters. This weekend will also bring another big Thanksgiving celebration with my kids. I will miss my brother and his family. My tradition for many years was to spend Thanksgiving morning cooking with my brother while the rest of the family relaxed or slept in. Now that our kids are no longer kids and I moved to Des Moines, the tradition has changed.

I thank God for each of you, my friends and family. I am grateful to have been blessed with so many wonderful people in my life. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!