On the road again

Mark and I left on Wednesday and drove to Omaha and a night at Matt's.  Went out for a steak dinner and then to bed early....by 5 am the next morning we were on our way to Santa Rosa, NM.  We drove about 750 miles after almost 13 hours.  We slept like logs last night!

This morning we are on our way to our Phoenix home.  Should arrive mid afternoon.  The skies are clear and sunny as picture shows.  Thinking of everyone back home!

A wonderful Thanksgiving with my family

I flew to Peoria the Friday before Thanksgiving, allowing me many days to be with my grandchildren for the holiday.  I watched Drew and Kayley's basketball practice and swimming lesson.  I had Ryan while the other two went to school on Monday and Tuesday.  We all played lots of minutes on the x-box, chugging Thomas and his friends around the tracks that we built, assembled many puzzles and watched some iPad videos of Wheels on the bus and more.

Mark arrived from Iowa on Wednesday and Matt drove in from Omaha on Thanksgiving morning.  Megan and I made the traditional turkey dinner and it seemed to fill everyone up for the day.  Later that afternoon we put up their Christmas tree and other holiday decorations.  It looks very festive at the Thiel home! 

Matt left Sunday morning and Mark and I drove back to the farm yesterday.  We plan to leave for Omaha on Wednesday and start driving to AZ on Thursday morning.  We should be at our winter home Friday afternoon if we are trouble free on the long journey.  We won't be there long and we will be flying back to Peoria for Santa's arrival.  Fun time of the year!

Cheese

Drew and Kayley love their swimming lesson

Costco is selling one big teddy bear this year

Sweet Ryan

Kayley is ready for the elements!!!

Ryan has never met a wheeled vehicle that he doesn't like

Ryan and my iPad

Drew, Kayley and Uncle Matt

Grandpa and a cheesy Ryan

Train time

There is even a "Frozen" play doh set...

Return to the desert

I arrived yesterday afternoon in Phoenix.  Monday and Tuesday were both beautiful days for driving so that was a big plus.  I found the house especially dusty compared to years before...I thought all those days of rain would tame the dust storms, but evidently a few got through during the monsoon season!

Matt rode his bike to the farm Saturday afternoon for a very short visit.  It was good to have him home for a few hours.  We went in to see Jan and Clayton so that was especially nice.  We both left for Omaha Sunday around 1:00.  He had a going away party to attend for a friend and he took me with so I could meet all his friends.  It was lots of fun.  Afterwards we went to one of his favorite pizza places for dinner.

I woke very early Monday morning so decided to toss on some clothes, brush my teeth and hit the road by 5 a.m.  The new car was such fun to drive and each stop I was amazed at not being stiff, so that was awesome!  :-)  I always stop in Santa Rosa, NM the first night.  747 miles and a little over 11 hours.  I had a special treat when the kids decided to Facetime.  So good to see them! 

Tuesday is a shorter day for me so I didn't leave until 6:30 a.m. and arrived in Phoenix around 2:30.  So tired, but managed to go to Costco and pick up essentials.  Due to the 2 hour time difference I went to bed WAY too early and then woke up around 3 a.m.!  Wide awake.  I decided to make the most of it and started unpacking all the junk I hauled with me. 

When I was tired of that, I decided to do what I love best about being here and went for my favorite mountain hike.  I was 10 minutes slower than when I left last spring.  Ha!  Darn flat Iowa got me out of shape!  I will have to work on that.  :-)

I have spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon dusting and mopping the floors.  I plan to go over the floors again later.  The water kept getting so dirty, I kept changing it often but I think it needs another go over! 

I am looking forward to Mark's call that says the harvest is finished.  It has been a real struggle with too much rain and muddy fields.  Those boys will be glad to see this behind them!

Before I left I went to see Dan, Katie and sweet Piper.  She is a good baby!

Matt and I decided to take Jan out for a spin on a very gorgeous Saturday.

Me and my baby boy.  :-)

28 miles until Flagstaff!!

I have some yard work to do!  The grass is usually dead when I arrive, ready for winter seeding.  Not this year!  Time to mow this down!

Beautiful morning for a North Mountain hike.

Final trip to Peoria

I spent almost two weeks with my grandchildren and enjoyed every minute of it.  I went earlier than I had planned because Kayley was ill and I had time to watch her, so I did!  She recovered rapidly and we all stayed healthy the rest of my time there.  We took in football games on Saturdays, made lots of play doh cupcakes and cakes, a "real" easy bake oven cake, played lots of football in the back yard, had fun with Kayley while she was Top Frog in her class for the week and much time spent in the sand pile.  Grandparents Day for Ryan happened to be scheduled while I was there so had much fun attending that!  The kids love me being there so they can ride the bus home instead of going to after school care for several hours.  It was a fun "last" visit before I head out to AZ.  It is always sad to go but I know I will be flying back for Thanksgiving.  As fast as October is flying by, that will be here in no time!

Ryan just loves to sing, so I caught him in action one day:

As much as he loves to sing and is constantly doing so, he was a bit shy at Grandparents Day during the songs!  I was surprised, as he is usually such a ham, or as Andy says, The Class Clown.  :-)

If you look quickly, you will see Drew get a reception and run for a touchdown in this video:

Still hasn't mastered pedaling but loves his trike

We spent a lot of time together for two weeks and had fun!

Kayley with her top frog.....this picture wasn't included in the school journal.  Lol

Kayley bored at Costco

Our first Saturday game was COLD!!!

Kayley and her red velvet easy bake oven cake

They actually ate it...I resisted

Ryan looks so tiny next to one of his classmates.  He was a big boy!

Cute!

Clowning around

Into selfies this week

The sand pile.  A favorite gathering place for these children.

One last week-end at Okoboji

I decided to run up to beautiful Lake Okoboji one last time this summer to see my good friends Jim and Nancy.  They will be heading to TX soon and I to AZ, so it was great to get one more visit in before we flee the state!  The weather was drop dead gorgeous so I really lucked out on that.  Also, due to the Clay County Fair, the park was open so lots of action where I thought it would be rather "dead".

I arrived Saturday morning and we went right to work getting Jim's boat cleaned up and ready to put away for the winter.  Nancy and I took a car tour that afternoon and dinner with Barb followed at Tweeters.  Tweeters is a "Hawkeye" sports bar so went there in honor of the squeaked out victory by Iowa that afternoon. 

Sunday Rick and Nadine took Nancy and I on a boat ride and tour of the lake.  I love looking at all the beautiful homes along the shore and dreaming of which one I will buy should I win the lottery.  Ha!

It was a great way to end my summer and I thank the Houchins for their friendship and hospitality!  I will let the pictures of this magical place speak for themselves...

Pizza Ranch CEO building a large home two doors down.  This was formerly Picks Resort.

Dorothy Dockpost....carved by Nancy many years ago!

Another view of the house going up next door.

Baby bald eagle on north shoreline

Babysitting in Peoria

Megan and Andy took a belated 10th Anniversary trip to New Orleans over Labor Day Week-end so I drove to Peoria to babysit on Thursday and returned home on Tuesday.  Mark was still busy at the Boxholm farm, getting ready for demolition of the acreage, so I had to go it alone with my three grandchildren!  We got along just fine and had lots of fun.

I picked the kids up from school on Thursday and they thought it was great fun riding home in my new purchase, a Hyundai Sante Fe Sport:

I

I love it!

Friday morning Megan and Andy left very early for a 6:15 flight to Atlanta, then on to New Orleans.

I managed to get Drew and Kayley off to the school bus on time and I had Ryan at home the rest of the day.  Saturday, Sunday and Monday were very hot and humid so we spent many hours playing in water and also worked in a walk to the park, which proved to be too warm to have much fun there!  We had to eat at my least favorite food joint, MacDonalds, but the three kids thought it was just great.  Ha!  They all were so good these four days, I couldn't have asked anything more of them since I was going it alone.  I have one more trip to Peoria to see Drew play a football game before I pack up the new wheels and head to my winter home.  I will miss them but already have a ticket purchased for a Thanksgiving return!!!  Some pics and a video of our time together:

Ryan hasn't been in the high chair for a long time but insisted for this meal!  Ha!

Cheese

Grandma bought Kayley a salon chair....just because

Fine dining

Ryan with his new Deere gator

Another beauty salon session

Wheels on the bus video was Ryan's favorite

Ryan playing with a Barbie and pool.  Sorry Andy!