Our bags are packed...

and we are off again! This time we are heading for Oregon!! The Lambs are all excited because we are coming. We hope to see a few of the things they enjoyed over this past summer, but mostly we are looking forward to just spending time together. We'll talk to you again after we get back, sometime around the middle of October. Maybe I will have some great pics to share!!

We're just back...

...from Branson this afternoon. I have been reading all the blogs I follow and catching up.
We had a wonderful relaxing time. Got down there on Wednesday afternoon and got settled in our condo. It was very foggy on Thursday and Friday mornings. You couldn't even see the trees that were just off of our deck for a while. By around 8:30 or 9:00 it had all burned off and we had a beautiful sunny day. We went out to Silver Dollar City on Thursday. It was the 'Craft Festival' so there were a lot of extra booths set up around the city with 'outside' vendors[not usually part of the city] selling a big variety of things. I saw a lot of interesting stuff, but nothing I couldn't live without! We took in 2 different shows there, too. One was like a little mini-musical about "Moving West". The singing in this one was outstanding! Great voices. The other one was a family of "Bluegrass" singers that were very good,too.
Friday we slept late, did a little shopping and ended the day with "The Concert". Remember, I told you Ron had gotten tickets for Johnny Mathis concert for our anniversary. When you go to onw of these concerts, and it is someone you have admired for several years, you often wonder."Will it be as good as I am imagining it is going to be?" Well it was!!! The venue was sold out and it was worth every bit of the time and effort anyone made to get there! He sang lots of our favorites, but quite a few newer arrangements, too. A lady next to us had a souvenir book about him [I tried to get one today but the shop wasn't open :-(], and it gave his birthdate, etc. We figured out that he must be around 72. But he sure didn't act or sing like it! He was on pitch and smooth with the delivery;--It Was GREAT!

Do you believe in prayer?

I do! It is wonderful to just be able to talk to God and share with Him and know He cares about me! It is also good to be able to 'share' a prayer request with another believer and know that they will be praying, too. Sometimes you can share what the need is, but sometimes it is so private, or something that you just ask for prayerfor the 'unknown ' need . I have two such requests today. Two people I know have a need that can not be shared at this time. I don't have to know what it is to pray for them; and God already knows, doesn't He?



Father God, I pray for these two people you have put on my heart. You know the needs they have. I pray for wisdom for them to know the best thing to do in their situation. I pray for strength for them to to do the things they must do. I pray for Your presence to be so evident in their lives in the next few days that they feel you close beside them as they work through this period of their life. Bless them, Father, I pray In Jesus name, Amen



I would appreciate your prayers for these two people, too. Thanks!! Judy

BDACE* continued

* Best Day After Christmas Ever ( which is how I had titled the last post, but it somehow got erased.)
One more shot of Rob and Karl in front of 'the sign'.
Here they are, talking in the restaurant.
Here is Kris, Ron, Karl, Rob, and Kevin. I was sitting next to Rin when I took this pic.
Here is a (too dark :0( ! ) pic of the whole gang that was there. Karl was standing on a chair or something at the back. Our waitress took this pic. In this pic: Ron and Judy; Kevin, Dillon and Dakota, Dillon's room mate Hiro [from Japan]; Danielle, Cecil, and Maggy; Kristopher; Karl and Rob.

Some of you may already know that Karl made a BIG MISTAKE in his life a few years ago and because of that he spent the past 5 Christmases in prison. It was so great to finally go get him on the day after Christmas 2007 and spend a little of the Holiday with him again. He will be on parole until 2012, but he is doing very well and we are so proud to see him accomplishing some goals. Sometimes it is Baby Steps, but that is alright. He is moving forward with his life.

The top left picture shows his reaction to a little bit of Christmas we had set up for him in our motel room--a tiny tree, his stocking, and a gift. (You can't send them any gifts in prison) The top right picture is of him looking at the gift. I had made all of the kids a Childhood Memory scrapbook the year before, and he is finally getting to look through his. Ron, Kristopher and I went to pick him up and then we met Kevin and Family at the Union Station in St.Louis.[Karl spent several months at a 'halfway house' in St.Louis when he got out] . When we got to Union Station, Karl and I waited by this sign while Ron and Kris went to meet Kevin and family and bring them to our location. In the middle pic on the left, you can see Danielle and her family greeting him and keeping him occupied while Someone Special was sneaking around the other side of the sign to surprise him. Karl saw something out of the corner of his eye and turned...there was Robbie [his son]! He was so surprised because it had NOT looked like Robbie was going to get to be there. You can tell in the right pic that Karl was extremely glad to see him. Because of certain rules at the prison, they had not been able to see each other for 2 or 3 years. The last time they were together, Robbie was just as tall as Karl. You can see from the last picture, that Rob had grown several inches since then. Karl just kept saying "I can't believe you're here! I can't believe how BIG you've gotten!"

Another trip to Branson?

My sweet darling husband did something really different for our anniversary this year.
He heard someone tell about how they had gotten tickets for a special appearance concert in Branson. So he got on the net and looked it up Sure enough, he bought two tickets on line, and printed the order form off, then he put it in my anniversary card.
Johnny Mathis is coming to Branson and we have tickets for Friday night the 26th. I am really amazed and excited!!
Now I realize that not many of you may know who he is and why I am so 'over the moon' about this. So, I will try to explain: Johnny sings love songs and ballads. He was really popular about the time we got married. We had several 'albums' of his songs [You know...several songs on one 'record'. Kinda like you have on a CD,now?] Anyway, 'Our Song' is one that is done by him. It is called "Chances Are".
Chances are 'cause I wear a silly grin the moment you come into view. Chances are you think that I'm in love with you. ( sigh!)
Well, I won't bore you with any more of that... but now, maybe you can understand why I am excited!

Why is it...?

that when you are very busy with a project, or you are looking forward to something good...THEN is when you get a stinking cold or the flu or something?!?!?! I have been coughing and sneezing all day. I don't think I've been around people with colds... Oh, wait a minute! There were so many people coughing and clearing their throats in church on Sunday that at times it was hard to follow the sermon.
I don't have time for a cold right now! We are singing at a church in Warsaw on Sunday, and we are leaving for 3days in Branson on Wednesday... GRRRRR!!
Oh well. Guess I will just have to take extra vitamin C ,and some cold medicine, and suck on some lozenges. This had all better be gone when we head to Oregon on the 2nd of October!! And, oh, I hope Ron doesn't catch it!

Seeing Karl in St.Louis

The Lamb family(minus Chris, who had to work) came to Missouri for Spring Break. We took a day to go over to St.Louis and see Karl. It was early March, so it was windy and your jacket felt good, but it was warmer in the sun. Here, everyone but Nana and Papaw are having their picture taken at the bottom of the Arch. This was the first time Erika had been there and Karen has pics of Jacob's first and Madison's first, so she wanted some of Erika, too.
They are looking at one of the exhibits in the museum under the Arch. Erika really attached herself to Uncle Karl. I think by his smile that you can tell--He didn't mind THAT at all! This was the first time Erika and Karl had seen each other.
Now she is talking to him about another exhibit. Karl's aside to Karen, after listening to Erika talk on and on: "Does she ever slow down?"
This view across the Mississippi to Illinois is from the walkway between the Arch and the parking garage.
We had a really great day together. Ate downtown and then drove out to the Science Center entrance. We didn't have time to go through it, but we played around on the interactive exhibits outside. For some reason, I didn't get pictures :(.
Jacob was feeling a little 'rocky', because he was recovering from having his tonsils out, but he seemed to feel better as the day went on. His biggest problem was getting something "easy" to eat! He managed a little better this day and then I fixed mashed potaoes, creamy hamburger gravy, and mushy broccolli and cauliflower (cooked like Papaw likes it!) for supper a night or two after this. He got that down really well and then he really started to feel better, and pretty soon was 'on the mend'. Poor Guy! He was just wasting away! Ha! He's just a teenage boy. They need LOTS of fuel at this age!!

My "Guitar Heroes"

Hmmm! I hope these pics are brighter than they look like they'll be right now. They looked alright through the camera...so I guess we will see!
These were taken last February when we went to visit The Lambs in Hutchinson,Kansas. This is in Jacob's room and Jacob, Chris, and Ron are playing Guitar Hero [if I remember the right name]. Chris was playing the drum part here, but they switched instruments around, at times.
Look at how hard Ron is concentrating. Jacob likes to challenge Papaw to try some of his video games. He has had him bowling on the Wi game and 'racing'/driving on another, among other things. Jacob gets a real kick out of just watching Papaw playing the games, but I believe this game was pretty new to all of them at the time.
I got these pics without them realizing I was even in the room. I really like this last one!

"Buddie"

Here are a couple of pics of our dog, Buddie, modeling his new 'coat'. Santa thought he ought to have something to keep him warmer when he made his trips outside each day. At first glance you might think that it was fitting him really well......WRONG!
Everytime we put it on him and took him outside he would come in with one or both front feet OUT of the sleeves, or with the coat tangled around him in some way. It is simply too big! and it was such a bargain,too, from Old Navy. Oh well... I am going to see if I can take some tucks in it and make it fit better. Meanwhile, I found a sweater [in a smaller size!] that will fit him better. He is a really good dog. Doesn't bark when he is out on the chain. LOVES to be outside,but also loves to be in your lap, or chase a ball for you. Schnauzers like to 'cock' their heads and look at you when you talk to them like they are understanding everything you are saying...and sometimes they do!

Maggy LeAnn

Maggy is our first GREAT grandchild. Her Mom is Danielle, our oldest grandchild, and her Daddy is Cecil. This first pic is when she was about 22 months. She was playing on the floor in our living room in front of Uncle Kristopher.
This pic was in a restaurant in St.Louis on the day after Christmas. She was 2 and 1/2 here. She has really big expressive eyes and dark softly curly hair. She is tall for her age and very smart,too. Most people she meets are sure she must be anywhere from 6 months to a year older than she really is. She got the best physical features of both her Mom and her Dad, and is usually very outgoing!
Contrary to the date shown, this was taken on the 4th of July. She is talking to Uncle Kristopher in the area around the pond at Kevin and Cory's [her grandparents]new house. I think she is telling him about the paddleboat that her Uncle Dakota is taking out on the pond. She got to ride in it [with her flotation vest on!] but somehow I did not get a picture.
Danielle was fishing in the pond,too. Maggy got to look at this fish up close and even touch it before Danielle threw it back in. There are a few bigger fish in here I guess, but most of them are still pretty small. In the background you can see Dakota, Danielle's youngest brother,taking the dog for a ride in the paddle boat. Ron and Kevin were on the other side of the pond. Kevin was fishing, Ron was watching!!
Maggy was 3 on July 21st. Danielle recently started back to work,evenings, and I occasionally get Maggy for the period between Danielle going to work and when Kevin/Cory get home. Then they have her for the evening. I just wanted to introduce Maggy to some who have never met her. She is a cutie!

Keith and Family

These pics were taken when we went to see them in March. This is Joel Keith. He was 9 in January--almost exactly 9 months older than Madison. He is a big guy for his age, he is almost as tall as Jacob!, but with a stockier build. He likes baseball and basketball, and his dad is teaching him to play the trumpet. He is a good combination, in looks, of his Mom and his Dad.
This is Philip Neil. He was 5 in January--a year younger than Bostin. If you want an example of perpetual motion, you might consider Philip! He likes/needs to be busy. He likes Thomas the Engine and swinging [when the weather is warm]. He looks a lot like pictures of Ron at this age, except for the blonde hair. He is showing me a book he had gotten at the library. Sharon homeschools the boys, and they are ahead of most kids their age in their studies.
The boys are making silly faces because this was the 3rd attempt to get them all smiling in the picture! We had a great visit with them. Even got to go to church with them. Keith sang a solo for church and then, after church we got to hear him practice with a Brass Group that was going to play the next week for evening church. [ Keith plays the tuba for that.] Sharon treated us to some good Polish cooking for Sunday Dinner. Something she grew up eating, but I can't tell you what it is, because I have no idea how to spell it!! It was very good, though, and seems to be a family favorite.

Pics from Karl's birthday

Here sre the rest of the pics from Karl's birthday. [Go back to my first post with pictures to see Karl eating his BBQ ribs.] We walked the block and a half from Karl's apartment to this barbecue restaurant called Masterpiece. The food is very similar to the KC Masterpiece restaurant that Karl used to work at in Overland Park Kansas. The owner here had a connection with that chain in the past. Ron and Karl are listeniing to Kristopher give his order, or something.
This silly looking gal has barbecue sauce on her face and the tip of her nose! We all had ribs and boy were they good---but messy!
Ron took this pic and the one before. Wonder if Kris was eating his beans--or maybe his slaw.
Here is karl opening his cards. There were some silly ones, but it looks like this was one of the more serious kind! After we were through here we went out to a shopping mall and took Karl shopping for some clothes,etc. at a Kohl's store. We ran into some good bargains, and I got a couple of outfits,too. It was good to get to spend this time with him, although we were a few days before his birthday on the 28th.

Echo Hollow at SDC

Here is the"set" the show was on in 'the hollow' They have upgraded it a little fom the last time we saw a show there. There were 6 guys and 6 gals who did the singing and dancing plus the band. The singing and dancing and music was good, but it just didn't have the 'edge' we have felt in other shows there. Another thing I just realized--they didn't have a comedian! I hope they don't abandon the show there, but they need to do some work to make it better!
Bostin is sitting between Papaw and Stacy with his big old bucket of cotton candy. He thought the show was pretty good. Stacy had brought 3 cups from home that they had bought at SDC on other visits. We could use them for our drinks and saved quite a bit of $ that way. We used to have some cups, too. I think I need to look for them before we go again.
Here is Emily enjoying something she sees. She did pretty well until almost the end of the show. Then she was tired and 'done' with being there. She went to sleep on the way home to the condo.
This is the end of my pics from Branson.

This horse and the one you can barely see in the next stall were the ones the trick rider rode [both at the same time] in the Dixie stampede. [ I took several pics of the horses, Madison, and I'll try to bring them when we come.] Several of the horses were already saddled and waiting for the start of the show. These two had sparkly gold blankets under the saddle. The rider stood with one foot on the back of each horse and did flips etc while they ran in a circle around the ring.
Here is a pic from Branson Landing of the fire and water show. The trees you see behind it are on the opposite bank. Part of Lake Taneycomo runs by the Landing. I can't wait to catch this at night and see the light show with it, too.
This pool and fountains were right behind me when I took the last picture. The water 'danced' through several patterns--twirling here, jetting up really tall, or with more 'spouts' showing than are showing here. It is very soothing and restful to watch.
Here is Emily eating one of her lemons at McFarlains {I spelled it wrong in my other posts]. This is the first of 2 or 3 that she ate. It was shortly after this that she pitched her temper tantrum! [Read "Boy was she mad!", several posts back]

Can we go swimming?

Bostin noticed the pool from our room at the condo so he asked "When can we go swimming?" Since we had some time, Kirk said "How about right now!" Here Bostin is trying to figure out how to get on this air mattress and Emily wants to 'get daddy'.
The pool toys were evidently part of the amenities because they were there when we got there and still there the next day, too. Bostin found out he could kick a little with his feet and make this go wherever he wanted. We kept reminding him "Don't let go!" when he got into deep areas. He really did pretty well for someone with very little experience in a big pool.
Can you tell he is starting to get a little cold? As the sun started to go down it got a little chilly!
Here, everyone is wrapping up in their towels to head back to our condo. Ron and I sat out and watched this time, but we all went swimming in the indoor pool a couple of nights later. Didn't get any pics there, though!

More pics at SDC

In the top picture Stacy is talking with Bostin in the glassblowers shop. She was explaining what the man was doing .

The middle pic shows Kirk and Stacy on yet another rollercoaster. This one went upside down and around in circles, too. I was able to snap this shot as they were going past us. I'm so glad I caught them. I was afraid that I missed the shot!

This bottom pic is Emily at the ice cream shop. When they sing "The Bus" song she does the motions with them. Here they are singing "...the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round...". She loved the ice cream, too. Her hair is pulled up into a 'fountain' on top of her head to keep it out of her face.

Pics from Silver Dollar City

Top: The first ride of the day, and they were thoroughly soaked!

2. Emily loved this 'ball vacumn' at the Geyser Gulch area.

3. Here are Stacy, Bostin, and Kirk on the 'Silo" ride. This is close to the Big Barn Swing. Bostin said "No way!" to that!

4. Getting drenched, again, on the Lost River ride.

5. Just Kirk and Stacy rode this one. This is the fastest moving [from the start !] ride I have ever seen! They loved it! Stacy said Kirk was screaming on this one!!