Indoor Band Concert

It was Chase's evening to shine last Thursday.  He had an indoor band concert featuring their parade songs as well as their field show.  It was wonderful - much improved from the first time we saw the program in September.  We are so very proud of this young man!!!  He says he really likes marching band and will be doing it again next year.  Can you pick him out in these band pictures?  He's the handsome one with the trombone!!

 

He even posed for pictures with three of his favorite gals.

 

 

We had pizza with the Koele's, and Hiemstra's at Dar's Pizza before the concert.  The only way it could have been a more perfect evening is if Sam and Katie could have been with us. 
I don't know how we came to be picked to be the grandparents of the most awesome kids ever!!!!

Love to all
One proud Gramma!!!

Scholarship Banquet & A Finished Shed

Last Friday evening we were invited by this lovely lady, Wilma, to attend the Dordt College Scholarship Banquet.  Wilma's husband, Rich, set up a series of scholarships before he died and Holly was the recipient of one of them.  We did not tell Holly we were coming and it was priceless to see her face - she looked right at me and all of a sudden, realized who she was looking at.  We had a wonderful dinner and program.  So proud of you, Miss Holly.

 

We took Holly home with us for the weekend - she needed a little "Grampa and Gramma loving".  On Saturday afternoon we made applesauce - it was a fun activity.  Holly just sat and peeled the apples with the little peeler and I had to do all the work!!!!  But then if you see the crutches in the background, you'll understand why.

 

Peter's "summer time" project is finished.  Kurt and Amy had an old garden shed in the backyard that was rotting away.  Peter decided it would be a good project for him to undertake.  It turned out so nice - I know I have before pictures somewhere but can't find them.  Will keep looking.

 

NOW I have to get to work.  Have guests coming for dinner tomorrow night so have to do some dusting and vaccuming and grocery shopping.  Have a wonderful day!!!!

Love to all,
Gramma and MOM

Grandma, the Hired Man

Grandma has been wanting to ride in the combine with Dick for a couple of years now.  I didn't know how we would be able to get her up in it because there is no way she could climb the ladder.  Uncle Dick called this morning and asked if I had time to bring Grandma out today because he was combining just north of the farm and the skid stir (or whatever that thing is) was there and he could lift Grandma into the combine.  Worked like a charm - he lifted us up to the little landing on the top of the steps and Grandma could step right into the cab.

 

Does she look like she's enjoying herself?  She did!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hope your day was as exciting was Grandma's was.

Love to each of you,
Gramma and MOM

Slight Interupption for Music



In the last week, we have had the privilege of seeing two of our favorite grandkids (there are four favorites) perform with their band/orchestras.

 

This is Chase's first year in the Pipestone Marching Arrows Band and we think he did awesome.  Chase has been playing the trombone since they moved to Pipestone and he was going into the 5th grade.  Next weekend he will be in the parade in Luverne and then participating in the band show or whatever it's called when they do their "performing or as Amy calls it, their dance".  I've been waiting for this special day since I heard Chase had joined the marching band.  We are so proud of you, Chase.  Keep it up!!!!

 Be sure to exercise those lips of yours!!!!

 I'd have taken more pictures of him but it was hard to keep track of where he was - they all look alike and they keep moving around.

 Last Friday night was a beautiful evening in Sioux Center where we went to attend Holly's first college orchestra concert.  The sky was such a beautiful blue as we were walking across campus.

 She spotted us!!!  Isn't she cute?  She's a 70's gal.....

 It was a fun concert - some music from several eras - from the 40's to the 80's.

 Miss Holly with one of her roommates, Tara.  Don't you LOVE the pants Holly's wearing.    Aunt Amy said she would pay the deposit so Holly could keep them but only if she promised to wear them.  Holly did not agree.

 

We are so proud of both Holly and Chase and plan to attend many more concerts and band performances this fall.  Love to you both,

 

Gramma

Coming Home from Washington

I was reminded again recently to "get with it" and post on my blog.  It's so much easier to post if I keep up but I also want to include my summer pictures, so once again I'll try.

 

As you both know, Dad and I took Chase home with us from Washington - what a fun kid to take on a trip.  He's up for anything and doesn't even complain with Grampa spends three hours at a museum that it took him only an hour to go through.

 

Our first stop was Leavenworth, Washington - a neat little Bavarian town.  We actually just stopped for lunch and walked around a little.  It was so hot - they have "misters" above some of the sidewalks to keep people cool.  We sat under one while we had ice cream.

 

 Then off to Yellowstone.  We came in through the north gate and almost the first wildlife we saw were these elk sitting in front of the medical clinic.  They must be rather tame because you had to go up the steps right next to where the big male was lying.

 Mammoth Hot Springs - there was a lava-something flowing down these hills and it would solidify along the way.  It smells pretty bad but very interesting.  Lots of unusual things in Yellowstone.

 

Quick stop for some snacks - there were trees in this area that showed this was a favorite spot for the bears.  Lots of claw marks and "bear hair" on several trees but don't worry, we didn't see any bears. - YET

I forget what these were called - thermal pools, I think.  They were beautiful.  My pictures didn't capture how colorful they were.  Lots of steam coming off them.  These were some of Chase's favorite pools.  He had studied Yellowstone and it's natural phenomenon in science so he was just a wealth of information - I was amazed and rather proud of how much he had retained about thermal pools and geysers and all that and the differences between each of them.

We only had to wait about 15 minutes for Old Faithful to "blow" and we had almost front row seats.  This is my favorite sight at Yellowstone and I was as excited to see it as I was the first time.  Absolutely amazing.  One of the rangers gave a short little talk about geysers in general and Old Faithful in particular a few minutes before it went off.

 Me and my very favorite teenaged young man.

Happy Tuesday to all!!!

Love,
Gramma and MOM

Washington in May

I see it's been a month since I posted my last blog.  Sorry!!  Seems like our summer has gone by so quickly, especially since we spent over a month in Washington but it was a GOOD month.  In fact, we've had one of the best summers we've had since retiring - busy but such a good busy.

As DeAnn wrote in her last blog, I'm also finishing up May.  Since both of you girls moved in May, I'm not posting any pictures of your houses at this point.  Want to share some of our highlights of the time we were in Washington. I have lots of pictures for you.

 We left Brandon on May 12th and could not believe that we still found snow on the sides of the ditches - good thing we drove out of it again.

 This picture was in Montana and reminded me of the song that says:  "He owns the cattle on a thousand hills...."  we had such a pretty ride going out.

 As we were going over the last pass in Washington, we discovered we were getting low on petro.  There was a sign for gas at the summit of the mountain.  While there we decided to stop and have lunch - good choice!!  It was beautiful up there.

 We bought Katie a ceramic lizard for her birthday to hang in one of the trees in their yard.  I looked out the window when Holly and I were painting.  Katie and Grampa are trying to find an "appropriate" tree to hang the lizard - Katie thought any of the low-hanging branches would be perfect.

 We were so very fortunate that we were able to go to Washington three weeks before Holly's graduation.  We were able to go to all of her end-of-the year festivities.  She kept telling us that Awards Night was not that big of a deal and we didn't have to go, but we said, of course we're going.  I couldn't have been prouder to be the Gramma of the Female Orchestra Student of the Year!!!  She got an award plus a DQ certificate - that's our girl.

 The the music concert - this is the elite group - forget what they were called - look at those fancy dresses.  She also sang in another choir first and wore a robe for that one.  Talented granddaughter.

In this picture, she's apparently filling me in on the finer points of a concert or something.

 My dear daughter, DeAnn, I just had to put this picture in too - I'm sorry you were having a little bit of a hard time with all of the end of high school activities for Holly.  You handled it gracefully.

 

 This is my favorite place driving in from the new house to Lynden.  You come to a corner and when you turn the corner, if the sun if out, this is your view.  Breathtaking - never got tired of seeing it.

I'm not going to promise how soon I will get to June but hopefully I can stay on task.  Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Have a good week.  DeAnn - drive safely!!!!  Looking forward to seeing you and enjoying this next chapter of your life with you.

Love you all,
Gramma and MOM

Thankful Thursday - Chase Donald Carroll

This young man is an amazing kid - at least as far as I'm concerned.  Chase is now 14 and I find that very hard to believe - what's even harder is to realize that he is now taller than I am.  He still allows Gramma to give him hugs but gets a little queasy about kisses.

 

Chase with his little cousin, Katie.  Thank you, Chase, for being such a gentle, kind big cousin.  Katie loves this young man and likes to sit by him or hold his hand or whatever.

 Thanks for enjoying Yellowstone and Devil's Tower with us on the way home from Washington this summer.  You are an awesome traveler - never any complaints from the backseat.  You were also a very patient young man at the museum while Grampa read everything in sight.  You can come on vacation with us anytime - only thing better would have been if Sam had been with us too.

It will be exciting to see what the Lord has planned for you in the future.  Keep blowing that horn of yours - maybe we'll even get a chance to see you marching this summer.

Love you!!!!

Have a great week
Gramma and MOM