40th Wedding Anniversary Week

Friday was a mother/daughter day.  Amanda and I spent the day together shopping, having lunch at Olive Garden and working on switching the kids' closets from Summer to Fall (well, not completely).  I picked up the kids at school and had an evening with them - lucky me - while Chad and Amanda had a date night dinner at 801 Chop House.  I spent the night and had a fun morning with them before heading back to Clinton.  Before Amanda and Chad got up, the kids and I were lying in my bed watching cartoons.  Peyton kept wanting to hug and kiss on Garrison, which he wasn't too excited about.  He kept pushing her away and saying, "no thank you" - so cute. Amanda and the kiddos enjoyed watering the flowers - and themselves - and then Garrison was "painting" the concrete when I left with his bucket of water and paint brushes.  Peyton and I made a trip to Hyvee on Friday evening which was a hoot!  As you can see, we had a fudgesicle party with Peyton's special treat from the store for being good at the store - which she announced on our way in.  She said her Mommy lets her pick out a treat if she is good.  Both kids are so special and precious.

Saturday, August 31 was our 40th wedding anniversary.  Our "big" celebration was our family trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands where Amanda, Chad and the kids treated us to a private anniversary dinner on the beach with our own butler!  The whole week was a celebration and wonderful.  So many priceless family memories.  Peyton told us while looking at the photo album the other day that she wants to go back - me too!

We had a pretty uneventful day Saturday - it was very hot just like 40 years ago.  Mom had made us a chocolate pie for our anniversary which was sweet.  She spent the day with us at our house.

Saturday night we went to dinner with our friends, Dennis and Debbie Sieger at the Courtyard Grill in the square - yummy food and great fellowship.  Afterward, we went to the Siegers for fresh peach cobbler and ice cream.

We started out Sunday at Mom's for Ron to mow the yard, but a storm blew up about the time he finished the front yard, so he had to quit.  We brought Murray and Mom to our house for the day where we grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for lunch.  We all had an afternoon nap before Mom wanted to go home for her 5 p.m. weekly Sunday night call from St. Mark!  She told me she really looks forward to that call every week which is great.  Amanda and family went to the zoo today.

The storm blew a lot, and there was a power outage out by Walmart.  We saw the poles down when we went to the cemetery to visit Daddy's grave.  Some limbs down but no major damage in town.  Mark and Mary said the storm at the Lake was bad - half the pool furniture was in the lake and the other half in the pool!  Geez.  They had no power most of the day.

Labor Day tomorrow - Ron is playing golf and we plan to shampoo the carpets - LABOR day you know.  I also plan to take down Mom's drape valances and shake the dust out of them and she has a few other chores on the list for me!

Good week - treasured memories.