Wonderful Thanksgiving......and then limped home.

We had a way too short ....but WONDERFUL time in Michigan for Thanksgiving with our family.......then Christmas on the same day.  That was a BIG day!!!!  Did we eat too much --- what ya think?!?!?   But it was great.  Let's see......Rick (our oldest) was missing  - he's in the Netherlands.... Ethel (sister) and her family (they live in Wisconsin) were missing but everyone else was there.  So Linda's house was full with lots of food and laughter and fun.....27 of us. 

We also got to share some time with several of our cousins, family members and also a few friends.    Then came the request......   Dennis wanted some new cabinets in his workshop......could dad do that for him?!  Yes, of course, but "I left all my tools in South Dakota".   But with what he had --- Dennis got a pretty good looking
set of cabinets.  And another good part was that Grandpa got in some good quality time with Clayton  ---- who in turn got some teaching from Grandpa about using the drill.   Clayton was responsible for a lot of the screws that were put into the cabinets......and he did a very good job!

Dennis was very happy with the finished product.  It's  fun to do these kind of things for our kids.  Last summer Gary did a lot of work on some windows in one of Mikes barns ....and one time before he worked on Marti and Tim's laundry room.   So I guess we've helped them all out over a couple of years.  I'm sure they will come up with more projects.....and that's good ----- keeps grandpa happy if  he's busy when we are out there.   He's just not a "sit around and do nothing" kind of guy.

Thanksgiving was by my sister Linda and Dave's house...... our Christmas party was by Mike and Julie.  Julie and the kids got the tree up and decorated - and there was snow on the ground........so it DID seem like Christmas.  I think everyone was happy with their presents --- so that makes Gpa and Gma happy too!!
A couple of the grandkids got a special gift handmade by Grandpa.

An Easel for Oliver and a Cedar "Keepsake" Box for Halle.

We got to spend some time with Marti and Tim and the boys at their place in Kalamazoo........had a good time and then left with a few of our belongings still laying around --- forgotten. We had fun in the hot tub that Tim gave Marti for her ....SSSssshhhhh  -  40th birthday.   Good grief that makes me feel OLD!!

Keller is at that teething age ....so he had some good times --- but also some sad times. It was great getting to spend time with our grand kids --- but it wasn't near enough time!!!!!

Then came several of those -----is it a curse or a blessing?!?!?  BOTH!  --- --- --- ---   We were going to leave Holly and Dennis --- (right after those cabinets got finished) --- at 3:00 --- going to have supper by Dale and Barb.  Gary hopped in the car ... ......and the battery was dead -- or almost.  So we headed for John's Battery Shop in Zeeland .   The batteries in these newer cars don't come out in any sort of a simple way --- but good ole John got 'r done in time for us to make it to our supper right on time.   ~~~~~   The next "curse / blessing ~~~~~  When we arrived Dennis heard a bad noise coming from our front passenger side wheel.  - a squeak.   Then at another time a few days later, he heard it again and it was louder......"better look at that dad"........ a new wheel bearing was in order.  In a way it was kind of cool ---- Dennis did the wheel bearing job so dad got paid back for the cabinet work. ~~~~~  The final "curse / blessing" was on the way home.  We were just a little more than 50 miles from Valentine --- I was driving --- and all of a sudden the cruise died and the car started to slow down and  a message came across the dash.  Oh GREAT!!!   Had this one before -but thought it was fixed.  Anyway, I could keep the car going about 55 but no more than that.....the up-hills made us slow down to about 45 but the downhill helped us speed up again. When a semi - or whatever came along behind me ---- I got off to the side --- kept going --- but let them pass.   We chug-a-lugged all the way home - not stopping in Valentine for any groceries or that car wash (get rid of the Michigan road salt) that we wanted.....  But SO GLAD to have made it without sitting on the side of the road saying "what now"!!!  OR worse yet --- in Chicago or on the Interstate!!!   And why do we call them a "curse /  blessing"??  Because they all happened in a good time and a good place --- where we had help or when we were close to home.  We have had this happen so often that we see the blessings in each one of them.  God is always good!!!!

The weather for our trip was good and now we are back and getting ready for JDC and Release Time once again.    Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts.
Gary and Barb