I look at him and I'm so amazed......

This video is for dad Andy.
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Catch up time again

Busy week-end, beautiful weather sums up life right now. Since the weather was so wonderful Saturday and Sunday I spent more time out in it! Saturday morning Megan and I drove to Black Mountain for a hike and afterwards stopped by Sharon and Arne's place to fill the fish pond and throw some food at the little guys. The Swensen's are in Iowa for a week. Iowa Wesleyan had a big reunion that they wanted to attend since they are both alumni of that college. They rented a car and drove to the farm last Wed. and spent the night with Mark. He said they had an enjoyable evening together and he grilled ribeyes for them. Yum! They return to AZ tomorrow so were gone exactly one week. They talked about getting to enjoy fall weather but from what Mark has told me, Iowa has not exactly been having fall-like temps. Very, very warm and even higher humidities. Unusual for October....

Saturday night Megan and Andy went to hear my nephew Aaron and his band play in Mesa. He was going to be the third band to play that night so I offered to keep Drew overnight since they would get home very late. It was the first time I had Drew for a sleepover with Grandma and he did just great. In bed by 8:30 and slept until 7 a.m. I can handle that! Megan picked him up shortly after 9 am on Sunday. That afternoon I started out on a walk and ended up going to Megan and Andy's, which is 2 miles. After some water and a brief visit I walked back to the townhouse.

I also did some gardening this week-end. It is really weird.....when I was at home in Iowa last week I was clipping all my perennials back, trimming the hedges for winter, etc. I get back to AZ and I go buy geraniums, other annual flowers and start planting them! I have been told that Oct. is the time to plant flowers in your pots, etc. since the heat is subsiding. I also brought some of the farm's canna bulbs on the plane with me and stuck them in a big container in my front yard. Will be interesting to see if they grow out here. I am sure they won't look as good as Mark's did but you never know! Be watching for pictures if they ever do make it. :-)

Well, hope this finds everyone happy and healthy.

I cannot do a post without a picture or two of this blog's main character.....

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Having fun

Grandpa wanted some video of Drew crawling......

And it's only Monday...... :-)

Four days in Iowa....

I made a trip to the farm on Thursday to see my husband, "winterize" my flower beds and to just generally enjoy the harvest season with Mark. Of course, it is more enjoyable when the combine stays healthy, which it did this week-end except for a minor thing or two. Mark grilled delicious meals each night.....I have never made steaks on the grill quite as wonderful as his and probably never will! Anyway, had a wonderful week-end with him....

I am now back "on the job". That hard job of caring for Drew. I flew back last night around 7 pm out of Omaha. Mark and I left Sunday for Omaha around noon and met Matt at a sports bar to visit and watch some Pro FB on their huge screems. Got to visit for a couple of hours and then it was time for my flight. Megan picked me up at Sky Harbor last night and I was home by 8:45 AZ time.

Drew, Sox and I went for a walk this morning. Really, really nice. From here on out the weather is looking finer and finer. Worth all that heat this summer! I will still be in shorts probably all winter here, except for evenings and some cooler days that pop up. I will be thinking of all my friends and relatives in that midwest god awful weather and thankful that Mark and I will be golfing, hiking,etc. this winter. Doesn't that make old age sound like something to look forward to? I want to say to all my old friends at Ogden: "Take your IPERS as soon as possible and enjoy a stress-free life!" :-)

Pictures posted show the farm looking very fall-like..........landscaping all trimmed back, corn ready to be harvested. Also some pics of Mark's new pick-up, a Toyota Tacoma. He needed something to have out here this winter and the diesel big truck didn't seem very practical. Matt got him a great deal through connections in Omaha and it just happened to be ready on Thursday to be picked up. That was the day I flew in to Omaha so Matt got me at the airport, drove me to the Toyota dealer and I drove that home. It worked out quite well, as he didn't need to stop combining to drive all the way to Omaha. He got his new truck and his old wife in one fell swoop that day. :-) It is a really nice truck and I think he is going to love it! Have a great week everyone.

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Good morning to all

Hope everyone had a great week-end. I certainly did. Sharon and I hiked Black Mountain on Saturday morning then came back to her place and changed clothes and went to the driving range for over an hour. It was good to hit some balls again, especially since Sunday we golfed on her home course at Terravita. It is a beautiful desert golf course with mountains and rugged scenery everywhere. The weather was picture perfect, too, in the low 80's. Never even broke a sweat out there! If I could get 365 days a year of that exact day I would be in heaven...... :-) Before golfing on Sunday I went with Megan, Drew and Sox for a long walk. Anyway, other than the Hawks losing to the Badgers it was a nice week-end. The only thing keeping it from being a perfect week-end was if Mark could have filled out a foursome on Sunday! Soon, Mark, very soon!

The pictures are varied in this post. Some are from here, some are from Megan and Andy's Labor Day trip to Omaha and a Carroll wedding. Pictures 5 and 6 are Drew with his Grandpa Butch and his uncle Mitch in Omaha. The last two pictures show Drew meeting his brand new cousin, Macie Rose Thiel, for the very first time!!

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Drew makes a new discovery

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Oh my! The Cardinals actually won!!

Megan and Andy have season tickets for the AZ Cardinals pro football games and they finally had something to cheer about last Sunday. Maybe it is just the beginning of a winning streak! Hope so. As they say, everybody loves a winner. :-)

The week is flying by here in the desert. It is cooling off (into the 90's, and yes, it is noticeable and welcome) so Sox, Drew and I have been finally able to go back to morning strolls in the beautiful outdoors here.

Tuesday night I picked up sister Sharon and hubby Arne at the airport as they arrived back home from a 16 day cruise. Must be nice! :-) Sounds like they enjoyed seeing the Panama Canal, Colombia, etc. A Jamaica stop was bypassed due to a hurricane. Yikes. Big waves but they were not even close to trouble from the sound of it. With this nicer weather I look forward to getting back to hiking with Sharon on the week-ends.

Hope all my friends and relatives are doing well, wherever their location. Have a great week-end!!

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A peaceful Sunday afternoon......

Megan and Andy and another couple are at the Cardinals FB game and I am babysitting. Sox and I have another guest today, Bailey. Bailey is the pet of the other couple attending the game. Someone please get me Michael Vick's lawyer. I may need him..... :-)


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How 'bout them Hawks?!?!?!?!?

Ok, Cyclone fans....go ahead and gloat. You deserve to do that! Needless to say, I was not all that thrilled about today's outcome. I have never quite put my finger on just why ISU is always ready to play this game and the Hawks always are never ready to do so. The only thing that gives me ANY hope at all is past history of this match up.......when they lose, the Hawks usually go on to do very well in the Big Ten. Here's keeping my fingers crossed.

At least Drew can still smile........

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No nap for me

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The week-end

The week-end went fast, like they always do I guess! Megan, Drew and I did some shopping on Saturday and that evening they all came over to my place to watch Iowa kill Syracuse. UNI was also playing so Andy dressed for the Panthers and Drew and Megan dressed for the Hawks. UNI beat Iowa State. I am so glad! Now wait, you Cyclones, if UNI had beaten Iowa I would have been equally glad so don't get all huffy!! :-) Both my kids and son-in-law went to UNI so thus the great loyalty to that team.

Sunday I spent the morning sweeping the garage and patio of lawn debris and in the afternoon I went to the mall. It is still hot here so the mall is the best place to be on a lazy Sunday afternoon. :-) Of course, the mall is good for me anytime of day or night or weather conditions! Love to look and wish!!

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Drew's getting mobile!

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Great Labor Day Week-end

I had a wonderful time being back on the farm with Mark and family and friends. I got into DM around 3pm on Thursday. Mark and I stopped for a quick bite to eat and it was on to the farm. I got to do something I have missed this summer.....MOW! I know most people abhor that particular task but I have always loved mowing and making the farm look nice. I couldn't believe how great Mark had the place looking. I know first hand how much time that takes and never dreamed he would keep it up with the farming at hand. He did and I noticed little things that looked "better" than when I did them, i.e. the cannas looked great which he says all the rain accomplished but the zinnias looked awesome, too. That flower bed didn't miss me one little bit! I also noticed the shower looked better so that one had me a bit embarrassed. :-) He has done a great job in my absence because that place usually takes two people to keep it going so I know how hard he has worked at it.

Sister Jan from Osakis, MN and good family friend Cyndy from Ankeny arrived Friday afternoon. We grilled kabobs that night and Kevin and Jan and Clayton came for dinner.

Saturday Jan, Mark, Cyndy and I golfed at Gowrie and when we got home Matt was there. It was so wonderful to see him. You will notice a "for sale" sign out in front of our home in one of the pictures, courtesy of Matt. We got a good laugh out of that. Hope he doesn't get any calls on it!! He had just received his real estate license the day before so now will be doing that along with his appraisal business. He is keeping busy!

Brother Larry and nephew Lane, wife Angie and Jacob came on Saturday. It was getting to be a regular family reunion. So fun to see all of them.

Brother Kevin brought his Harley over and we all took the opportunity for photo ops, but no one was brave enough to ride it!

Saturday night we had a bonfire and hot dog roast and Sunday we drove in to see Jan and Clayton's new home in Dayton and also stopped out at the carnival. We could have passed on that pit stop. :-) That evening Mark grilled all of us ribeyes, courtesy of Jan and Larry. Everyone left Monday morning and I had a 2:50 flight out of DM so had to leave the farm around 12:30 for that.

On arrival in Phoenix little Drew had sprouted his first two teeth while I was in Iowa. Geesh, can't be away from them for a day and they change. :-) I am now back in granny nanny mode today. I hope all of you had a wonderful last holiday of the summer. The weather in Iowa will start noticeably changing and here in Phoenix everyone is looking for "good" weather to soon appear. AZ has another month of really hot weather then the good stuff comes. Mark and I will get to enjoy that good weather together after harvest. Nice things to look forward to....

I hope you enjoy the pictures. I naturally had to throw in a picture of Drew from this morning.

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Heading home

Tomorrow I fly home for the holiday week-end. I am quite excited to be heading back to the farm and Mark. It should be a great week-end as Matt is coming home and sister Jan and brother Larry are also coming, along with our "sister" Cyndy from Ankeny. I hope to see some friends while I am home, too. I hope everyone has a great Labor Day week-end.

Some misc. pics of you know who. :-)

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Happy Birthday, Matt!

My first born turns 30 on August 27th. Now why does that make me feel rather ancient? It seems like yesterday he was at Ogden High, UNI, etc......time, it does fly by. Matt was born on his grandparent Kalkwarf's wedding anniversary so that makes it extra special. In honor of his day I have posted two pictures. One is Matt with my parents when he was just a wee one and the other with his cousin Erik and Uncle Kevin. In that picture, Matt is the "tiny" one on the right. Matt is about 6'3" and around 280? so calling him "tiny" is a bit of a stretch but these two guys are bigger! They all three need to play FB somewhere! I love you, Matt! Have a great day!

FB season is nearing....

All this IOWA grandma can say is: GO HAWKS!!!!
(Ignore his tags.....we wanted to make sure it fit before we pulled them!)