Happy New Year ----Trip to Michigan

We left Todd County on December 23 and headed for Michigan.  We decided to stop at our daughter Marti's family first.  Her husband, Tim, had just had surgery and we wanted to see how he was doing.  (.....he is doing great --- just has to really, REALLY, watch what he eats now).  It was Christmas Eve when we arrived so we had Christmas with the Sparlings.  Tim's parents were also there from South Carolina so it was a fun time.

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 Yes, Ron and Stephanie are a fun couple to hang out with.  The "antlers" were actually something for Oliver - but he wasn't all that excited about them --- so grandpa Sparling gave them a try.

 We didn't get much for Oliver ---- we were going to head out to Shedds Aquarium in Chicago for a Christmas gift for the grandkids.....but we HAD to give something that night ---- so.....a shovel to help daddy clear the driveway......

 Cooper the dog was a happy camper!!!!  He didn't know what to do with the HUGE bone at first - but when we returned a week later.....he had a good portion of it devoured!

 Oliver LOVES stickers and Grandma Sparling had done her best to make him happy......He had fun sticking them all over my face.  Good quality bonding going on there    :)  :)

The floor looked like.......like Christmas.....wrappings all over the place.........

We always kind of smiled at my mom ---- she used a lot of brown paper bags for her wrapping --- or the funny pages.  Now we have Tim ---- who is REALLY into recycling!!!!  My mom would be proud of him   :)  :).......made me feel GOOD inside.   Thanks Tim and Marti.  :)

Like I said - we were going to take our kids and grand kids to the Shedds Aquarium in Chicago for their Christmas gift. ............ Well --- things were not looking real good.  When we arrived,  Mike and Julies family were overtaken by the flu bug..... We had tickets for Saturday, December 29.  On Friday, Sidney came down with the "YUCK".  So --- they, of course, decided not to go.  Dennis, Holly's husband, was not real keen on the whole idea so he opted out for a farm auction.......(Yes, we had a discussion about that decision -------but he won.  We still love him!)  So, we gave his ticket to my brother, Bill.  On Saturday morning we headed out at 6:00 a.m. to catch the Commuter Train in Michigan City, Indiana.  That was a 1 1/2 hour drive.  Immediately upon arrival - we heard an announcement.  "All trains are suspended due to a semi-loaded with steel dropping it's load on the tracks" or something to that effect.  NOW WHAT?? ---- well with all the smart phones in the group (Marti and Tim and his parents had met up with us right at the announcement also)......we said -- "let's drive it".  We got to the Aquarium at 8:30 and were the 2nd car in the parking lot!!!  GOOD going!!!!  With our tickets in hand - we entered the world of "fish"......and more.

 the Jellies were a special exhibit....... WOW is about all I can say.

We ( I ) decided that God must have had a LOT of fun creating some of his sea creatures!!!!  UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

The place got REAL busy around noon ---- and by about 2:00 we said "I think we've seen it and done it".....including an aquatic show and a 4-D movie.......so we headed back home.  The weather had turned a little bit nasty --- slippery roads.....so we were all thankful for safety in getting back home. 

As it turned out we got to spend a lot of time getting to know Oliver a little better.  It was his birthday on the 31st.  So ---this grandpa and grandma had to do some heavy thinking.....what do we get the little guy who "has all the toys he could need".   WELL --- a good ole' cardboard box -- what do you think?!?!?!?  YES!!  So we went to Sears and lo and behold they had unboxed a lawn mower (???In December??).  So we claimed the box for Oliver.

 HE LOVED IT!!!

 Daddy (and everyone else too) got in the box with him ........ grandpa Peters is looking through the window.

 We gave him some stickers too (he loves stickers) so he could decorate the inside of the box.....some glow in the dark stars, some flowers, panda bears and sun and moon and stars.  We even got Cooper, the dog, to take a peek inside.  It was a WINNER!!!!  And then when we saw Tim reinforcing some of the corners with tape --- we knew that daddy thought it was good too.   :)

And then for some birthday cake decorating fun......  What a fun time we all had!!!

We had safe travels home --- roads were clear all the way.   We just wish some of the winter storms had hit our area while we were gone.  STILL need moisture  real badly!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE NEAR AND FAR!!!!  MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU THROUGHOUT 2013.

GARY AND BARB