Thanksgiving and Baking Day 2021 - Bingo Joins the Family

Again this year, Ron and I participated in the Community Thanksgiving dinner - delivering to 4 households.  We did not serve this year due to Covid restrictions.  We brought home a delicious turkey dinner to enjoy while we readied the house and snacks for the arrival of the Todds later in the day.

They arrived around 4 p.m.  Since Peyton wanted to make cake balls this year, we baked the red velvet cake Thursday evening.  Peyton and Garrison had a great time "crumbing" up the cake - with gloved hands - then added the frosting and made out the cake balls to freeze so we could dip them in chocolate the next day.  We had fun playing Kings in the Corner and watched Holey Moley and laughed a lot,

On Baking Day - #18 I think - we dipped the cake balls, made peanut butter balls, baked 11 dozen monster cookies, made divinity and reindeer noses.  Peyton mixed up and rolled out Grandma Mintun's recipe of homemade noodles to fix the next day.  She did a wonderful job.The guys played 9 holes of golf.  We had a great time.  In the afternoon, Amanda and I took Peyton to the cemetery to practice driving.  It was so much fun.  She did a great job.  For dinner, we ordered Pizza Glen.  We played the Saran Ball game which was fun   The next day we played a game with gift exchange and Have You Ever   Harrison especially enjoys the games   

On Saturday, the. kids counted the money in their piggy banks that we keep here and Grandpa took them to the bank to make a deposit.   We all pitched in fixing "our" Thanksgiving meal after which they went back to Overland Park.  

On Sunday, Marnie Bellamy and I played the entire service, including the gathering music and special music for the 8:15 service and played the hymns at the 9:30 service.  The Todds were busy choosing a new dog at Wayside Waifs - and Bingo is his name ago.  Garrison is especially thrilled.  The new addition to our family is 2 years old and is pretty much housebroken and is very loving.  We can't wait to meet him.

It was a great weekend.  We are blessed.  

Late October through Peyton's 13th Birthday 2021

 Busy 30 days!  I spent the night with Amanda, Peyton and Garrison on 11/10 then Amanda and I shopped on Veteran's Day since she had the day off.  Nice breakfast at Snooze and lots of laughs.  Garrison's Cub Scout group raised the flag at school for Veteran's Day.  

Peyton turned 13 on November 20.  A few days before, she had her party at Great Wolf Lodge with Hailey, Victoria and Charlotte attending, along with Amanda as their chaperone.  They had a great time having dinner at Olive Garden then spending the night at the lodge with two visits to the water park inside and pizza for lunch the next day.  On her actual birthday, Grandpa and I took her her gifts and the family out to brunch at Snooze before attending Garrison's first basketball game of the season.  They won 45-6, and Garrison had a great game.  

Marnie and I have been playing the piano quite often at church, and I played the gathering music and offertory as a soloist this past Sunday.   We practice every Monday and have great fun.  We are working on a couple of 8 hands numbers for Christmas with Brenda Ford and Janet Parks joining us.  

We are blessed - God is good.

September 14 - October 26, 2021

 It's been a busy month.  We've been to see Garrison play several baseball and football games and to see Peyton play volleyball and to see her play at school for which she was the assistant director.  

We all went out to eat at The Tavern to celebrate Ron's birthday and him finishing radiation.

Ron got together with Merle and Bryan for their annual Arthur Brothers Week (actually 3 days), but there was no golf.  Ron got a stomach bug and felt poorly the whole time, but they were able to visit.  

The picture of Peyton is with her best friend, Hailey Heckman.  They have been walking home from school together and doing their walking and exercising for their virtual PE class.  

Amanda and Chad travelled to Phoenix for a few days for a couples trip in October, but we were the real winners getting to stay with the kids in Overland Park Thursday night - Tuesday morning.  We laughed that we were really the Uber drivers during the few days as they had lots of activities - football, volleyball, play, church class..........we had our usual meatballs and rice, Burger King and I took them homemade chicken noodle soup.  Peyton babysat for some neighbor kids, so Garrison and his friend, Ethan Heckman and I frosted and decorated Halloween cookies which I had baked in advanced.  We had fun.  We had lunch with Merle and Debbie during the few days too while the kids were at school.  It was good to go but also good to get home.

Peyton's volleyball team won the sportsmanship award   

During the month, Marnie and I played the gathering music at church, and our 8 hands group of Brenda Ford, Janet Parks, Marnie and me played the special one Sunday on two pianos.  

We had our Covid booster shots which I had a reaction to - fever of 101 and aches and pains along with a headache - only about 24 hours, so all is good now.

Not much else happening in our world.  God is good and we are blessed.