Peyton & Garrison Visit Clinton for a Week - September 2013

As Amanda and Chad went to Palm Springs, California for a week for both a vacation and for Chad to play in the Nationals of his Amateur Golf League (he won two tournaments to qualify - go Chad), Peyton and Garrison had a grandparents vacation!  They started with the Todds where they had fun at Peyton's soccer game, Whitney spent the night, they went to Wyatt's soccer game, and then on Monday to an orchard where they got apples and pumpkins before the Todds brought them to Clinton to start the Clinton leg of their week-long vacation on Monday afternoon.

I probably won't get things in order, but here are some of the things we had fun doing.  We went to the Methodist Church playground where they had fun swinging, going down the slides and lots of climbing.  Afterward, we picked up McDonald's food and then had a picnic at Optimist Park - then more fun on the
playground equipment there.

On Wednesday, we went to the Aquatic Center to splash and swim.  Peyton is quite the accomplished swimmer and loved going around the lazy river, down the big slide and swimming in the big pool.  Garrison remembered the duckie slide from the last time and had fun with the pop up fountains, etc.  They didn't want to leave.

We had lots of outdoor play with yard darts, the slide, golf, watching frogs at the pond, climbing on the concrete wall by #17, dodge ball, t-ball, etc.  Grammaw and Peyton worked on a scrapbook of their vacation here.  She had fun cutting pictures out of magazines and wanted to go to Walmart to have some pictures she took printed - so cute.  They had a lot of fun.  Peyton loves to play games - we played many games of Go Fish, Old Maid (Grammy always lost) and Candy Land.  Puzzles were fun too.

We had lots of fun in the kitchen.  Peyton and Garrison made cream cheese mints for their Mommy and no-bake cookies for their Daddy to take to them when they got home.  We made homemade pizza.  Peyton made iced tea with orange juice in it.  She thought that was so funny.

Wednesday afternoon around 4 p.m., the cable went out and didn't come back on until the next morning.  Thank goodness Amanda had put Max and Ruby on my ipad for the kids to watch before bedtime - part of their routine!

On Thursday while Grandpa went to Rotary, the kids and I went to Grandma's house and played outside.  They loved having squirt bottles of water and rags to "wash" their toys - too funny.  They probably spent 30 minutes washing and drying the tricycles, etc.  We had lunch there which was fun.  Murray and Grammaw spent 3 nights with us over night - Peyton really wanted her to do that, and Grammaw agreed.  We all had fun.  

Peyton rode on the Class of 1973 Float with me during the Homecoming Parade and had a blast.  She waved to everyone and enjoyed it all.  We all went to the CHS Alumni Tailgate BBQ dinner and then to the football game.  Peyton was so excited to go to her first ever football game - liked the band, the cheerleaders, the actual game and the crowning of the homecoming queen.  They were both so good, we went to McDonald's afterward and had ice cream cones!  Garrison sure says "ice cream cones" so cute.

Peyton and Garrison received mail at our house!  Mommy and Daddy sent them a letter from vacation which made Peyton sooooo happy.  I think she was starting to miss them very much.

On Saturday night, we went to the chicken dinner fundraiser at Davis R-12 where Ron went to the first 8 grades of school.  The kids liked seeing Grandpa's picture on the wall when he was 13 years old.

We went to church Sunday morning before starting back to Overland Park to take the kiddos home.

Peyton and Garrison made 3 grown people - their Grammy, Grandpa and Grammaw very happy people for a week - we love them sooooo much.

We are blessed.


 

Soccer, Golf, Football and Fun

What a busy weekend!  Friday morning, Mom and I spent the morning going to garage sales.  We found some wonderful buys and had fun.  

I went to Overland Park Friday afternoon and Chad came to Clinton!  Amanda, Peyton, Garrison and I picked up dinner at McDonald's and had fun eating under the shelter house at Deanna Rose Farms Playground.  After eating, the kids had a great time on the playground equipment.  It was a very nice place.  

Chad and Ron attended the CHS football game - the first one with the new "turf" on the field.  Ron went out on the field as an alumni football player.

Saturday morning, we played outside.  Peyton and Garrison took a spin in her car, Peyton rode her bicycle,
Garrison painted with water, and we had a great time.  After an early lunch, we went to Peyton's first soccer game!  It was a beautiful day to be outside.  Amanda served as coach on the field part of the time, and Peyton scored a goal (although for the wrong team, but she didn't know).  Garrison and I were cheerleaders on the sidelines and had a great time watching her!  After the game, I took Garrison home for his nap, and Peyton had team pictures taken and enjoyed a team snack!  After that, Peyton and Amanda went to Luke's birthday party (a schoolmate) at a facility equipped with bounce houses, etc.  She had a great time and had chocolate cake!

Ron and Chad played in the Boy Scout Golf Tournament where they tied for first place in C flight, even winning a little money!  

When Amanda and Peyton arrived back home, we all loaded up in the van and headed for Clinton.  Ron picked up Grandma Mintun and Pizza Glen Pizza and met us at the house for dinner.  

Sunday morning, Ron, Chad and Amanda played golf.  The rest of us, including Grammaw, played and played - both outside and inside.  We had taco salads for lunch, and the Todds headed for Lexington for a family baby shower.

Such a fun-filled and memory-filled weekend.  Priceless.  

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.