A Long Trip...

Yes, we went on a long trip...three weeks....then one week to rest and renew our strength to begin decorating for the Homes Tour I agreed to do on Dec 6th. We drove (instead of flying)on this trip to see the leaves and colors and to just see mid-America....and to take two pieces of heirloom furniture to our daughter from my Mom.....it was a joy to drive especially since the price of gas had gone down. We were on our way going through La., Ala, Miss, Tenn, Kentucky and ending in Ohio to see our missed and new grand children!! It was a beautiful trip...especially when we arrived in the driveway of Olivia, Eli and our new Elena....and our beautiful daughter Kellie (the Queen, as they call her)and her King...Jimmy. It was a fun visit with swimming team, gymnastics, piano and home school, plus I introduced them to collage art and we made a journal and some Christmas ornaments...(an idea I got from Nelda Ream's Blog made with old spools) ....but the MOST FUN was learning a hard lesson with two competitive kids ages almost five and seven.....the fun in losing???....good ole OLD MAID....I grabbed them at the last minute at the store before we left Texas.....and I'm sure I played OLD MAID at least a hundred times....each time a little less CRYING from the loser who ALWAYS wanted to play another game....I never saw so much "hope" for some one to lose!!...I never laughed so hard! If we accomplished anything with our grand kids it was learning to be a good loser....we think! I HATE TO ADMIT...I WAS THE OLD MAID THE MOST....I wonder how that happened!? But they laughed the most when Grand-dad was the Old Maid...especially Eli! I'm thinking of some art along that line....also you will see some photo art pictures I did of Eli and Olivia for their new bathroom, with matching shower curtain....they loved the manipulated photo art and will send me one to do of baby Elena in her bathing suit! Anyway, here are some pictures of them and some of the beautiful barns and trees we saw while we were there. These are only a very few!!!....as I have tons of photos....a lot for new art ideas.....so please no copying the photos....We also visited some friends, Rita and Daryl Ruehle. Daryl's first wife Sue had gone home to be with the Lord in 1992...and then he met his wonderful wife Rita, who was also widowed. Daryl and Sue were our friends in F-100 training in Clovis, N. Mex in 1966 before Viet Nam, when Dick and I were newlyweds! Sue gave me her Grandmother's Christmas Cookie recipe and it has been a family tradition with my grown children, now for 42 years....so this year at the Christmas Home Tour I am honoring Sue and her cookie recipe....We had a wonderful time with Daryl and Rita....Rita shared a fabulous old family photo, quite large that was hand colored....it was inspiring!......Her old family picture is at the top of this blog...first photo!...also they drove us all over that beautiful little town of McCutchenville, Ohio. Thanks you two!!! We hope to get back to see you again!! On our departure from Ohio we took a different route to Texas going West thru Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and home....if it hadn't been Nov. I would have gone straight to Mt Rushmore....but a blizzard was coming the next morning, so we headed for warm Texas. We had perfect dry cool weather the whole trip! It was perfect.....then we stopped in Flower Mound to see our Peyton Marie....our two year old biker and artist....and her precious parents, our son, Scott and his beautiful wife Carrie. I don't do grand kids and travel much on my blog so bear with me....some new art is coming soon, PLUS photos of the Home Tour Decor and happenings.....but not tonite!! Glad to be home....I missed my blogging buddies!!! WOW, IT'S BEEN A MONTH!!!!!