Finally Indiana Beach Photos

I still have a couple more pictures. I will load them later. Today I am not going to label these pictures. Maybe I will get around to it soon. When you don't see this message you will know I have labeled them.

Devon was excited to see me. We had been talking about meeting at Indiana Beach for a week. Soon as he saw me he wanted to go ride his favorite ride with me.


However, I had Rachel and Ashley on this ride, bumper cars, and had to wait for them to finish the ride.


Before we could ride we needed to stop and feed the fish. Check them out in the next picture.


Then the old timer cars. Ashley drove grandpa and Devon around. She said grandpa is the worst passenger she has ever had...LOL... He kept asking, "Are we there yet?", saying, "I am hungry and we get food?"

Rachel took Austin for his ride. Austin didn't want to drive this trip around.



Next we decided to ride the subs. It was great to get wet; as it was a really hot day.




Next Rachel and Casi rode this beast of a ride... first clockwise, then counter clockwise.



Then Rachel jumped off and rode it with Austin and Devon.

Granddaughters and the Motorcycle

The granddaughters love riding on the back of the motorcycle with their grandpa. One of these days they will be riding on their own.

Ashley getting ready to ride.

Rachel and Grandpa leaving for their ride for the day.

NO words to describe these pics

I know that Lara wants this picture

This here is Lara with most of her nieces and nephews. Some are missing... hummmmm

Indiana Beach and Junk Food

Making cookies and butter cream mints for tomorrow. Hope everyone is ready for a junk food day. I am going to see if dad will buy a cooler so we can take ham and bread and chips so we don't have to buy anything. We will pay to park so the food will be close to the picnic area. See ya there.

A message I wrote to help a cousin with a school assignment

I wrote this opinion for my cousin in Wales. He had an assignment and the old folks in America could possibly help him. I hope you enjoy my thoughts.

In the United States of America, individuals are allowed to worship as they please. We have individuals in almost every religious organizations possible. I personally belong to the Methodist Church.

I believe there is a superior being. Through this belief I am able to understand things that are unexplainable. Miracles. I question how the Earth came about, how human life started, or even those animals that they claim we have evolved from. It is hard to imagine life just evolving from basically nothing. Even those nothings had to come from someplace... but where?

In our church we do not try to convince individuals that they should be afraid of God, nor do we try to convince them that we are the only chosen religion.

God is similar to Santa Clause. In Santa we believe a special person cares enough about us to reward us with presents on a special night. We worry about the naughty or nice list. In our hearts he is so real we write letters and wait for the special night. We know he doesn't exist, yet we believe. This belief helps us to look forward to a magical time, and to live the way we think he wants us to. Excitement builds, sleep is hard, and then after hours of anticipation we sleep - waking to the wonderful joy of seeing the results of our behaviors.

God rewards us when we are prepared to leave our Earthly state and join him and others that have passed before us. Why do I believe so strongly in a life after our Earthly state... I have watched and talked to individuals as they know they are dying. They talk of talking to others that have passed before them, many times months before their actual passing. While in surgery once, I walked, talked with, and drove my father's favorite car - he had passed on 12 years earlier. While with him I could see other relatives, some I did not know in an Earthly state, but knew them in the Heavenly state. After waking from the surgery, confused, I called my mother to see if I could speak to my father. She was so shocked that I would ask such a silly question as he passed so many years before.

My father must have spoken to my sister before she passed as she kept telling him she could not see the lights. Those lights were of the car, the car my father loved. She cried out for me as I had told her this story I kept to myself for years just two days earlier. I thought she should know that daddy would be there, to help lead her to Heaven. The morning of the day my sister passed, my nephew called and wanted me to come right then, he said he was scared, he was a grown man, but he was frightened in the night watch of his mother. He told me his mother was crying out for me and my father. This was three o'clock in the morning, a foggy morning with visibility of just over the front of your car. A two hour drive normally would take much longer this night. Strange as it sounds, visibility for us was good. We met up with others that were going to visit with my sister, and we had no problems seeing the path there, yet the fog was so thick you couldn't see the farm land just beyond the road. Tom told me that he was feeling movement in the room where my sister was. She kept crying out she needed my help. She got calm when I told her I was there. My cousin said she had been with my sister just a few days before. My sister confided in her that the angels were there, but she was ignoring them, even though they wanted her to talk to them. She was not ready to pass yet. She still had hope. That night the angels were there preparing my sister for her welcoming to her new home, Heaven.

Would such an experience be one you would readily tell others? Probably not. They would feel you are crazy. May even tell you that you are crazy.

So my belief in God is there. Not necessarily because the teacher has taught me this, but I truly believe God himself was giving me a hint that death is not something to fear. That when you are in your "low tide", belief in him can guide us.

So much to do.

So much to do and it seems so little time. I have been scanning things into my computer since 6:30 this morning. I don't like paper clutter so the old scanner and computer are being put to the use of the old filing cabinet.
Casi and Shane are painting their new home. Contractor paint is cheap, not children friendly and looks tacky. I can't wait to see it when they finish.
Lara and Chris have their furniture in and I think they are enjoying the life of home ownership again.
Kristina is soooo busy with the girls and softball that she doesn't have much time for anything.
James broke his arm. So he isn't in the water like he would normally be this time of year. He is doing better after the accident of March 2009. Healing has been slow, but he is now having more good days than bad.
Hubby is at work. Chewy is coming out with... well you will find out soon enough.
Mom got a different cell phone. Now she is learning to text. 92 and she is a texting.
My cousin Glenda's mother-in-law passed away today. Just found out. She has been in a nursing home.
Well all for now. I need to get back to work. Multitasking. Downloading videos for work on one computer, scanning on another, have laundry going and have swept and mopped the kitchen floor. I think I have done a good days work already. I am also making chili for diner in the crock pot. Talk later. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Rummage Sales

This is Saturday, and we went to many rummage sales. When we had finished with the one Casi wanted to go to, the block on on Oak, Shane showed up at Mom's. We then parked his truck and he went with us. Austin found many items that he wanted. He needs to blog about them. Devon found a few things today, but my candyland game was his favorite thing, next to his huge fire truck, and I already owned it. He found it in the trunk of the car since I carry a few games for trips in case it rains we will have something for the kids to do. No I didn't let him take it home as we had found one of those floor carpets with the game.
They have left for home now. So I will see them again in about 1 week. Miss my boys and Casi already. When they are here I always have something to do.

What a busy week

Casi and the boys have been here all week. We have been on the go. This afternoon, my mom, wanted me to let the yard guy know if he came by that she needed some weed-eating done...so Casi did it and Austin pulled weeds. Austin is to post pictures of the "slave-driving-great-grandma" making sure he did it right. You know he likes making money, and this is rummage sale weekend in mom's neighborhood, so now he has some cash to spend.

phone calls and the craziness of computers

I really "hate" the fact that businesses have done away with REAL PEOPLE to answer the phone. The menu choices are not always what you want or need. After punching in 5 million choices it finally gives you a HUMAN. Why not to begin with, the HUMAN could send you to a computer for account information if that is what you want.

The tree

A tree we have all been watching to tumble, finally did. No wind, no storm, just fell down. Sure has made a difference in the neighborhood. The storms were pretty wild around here last night. All I can say is that I am glad I live in the part of the state that I live in. The boys just knew we would get a bad storm, however they were disappointed when they didn't.
It did storm bad in the middle of the night, they slept right through it. I didn't!

Going to Casi's

I am going to go to some cemetery research and then I am heading to Casi's house. She has a dentist appointment early tomorrow morning. The boys and her are coming back with me. I think we need to plan some activities for the boys other than sitting at grandma's or the library. Who knows if Aunt Lara isn't working or going to school every single day we may come up for a visit and go to the beach. Maybe Aunt Kristina and the girls will want to take the boys geocaching.

Plans for the next week

The summer seems to be flying by. I have been going to the library frequently. I have done much research. To see the information go to my family tree blog. It has the obituaries and other information I have found. Seems that most of the information you need comes from the obituaries. Some research is still needed. I have one relative that I have questions about. It seems that another child was born to David and Harriet. I found her living with her sister and her husband. I cannot find anything else about her. You know with a common last name as Jones and then a common first name for that time, Elizabeth, there are too many. I have gone to the court house, but none of the Elizabeth Jones' on file there match mine. I am also looking for another relative that seems to not appear any place except mentioned in an obituary (the person had 8 children, we know of only 7) and in an article that interviewed my great-grandmother. Mom and I plan a trip to "track" this child down. All we can think of is that he was born in Indiana and he must of died in Indiana. We believe he was born in a town called Stone Bluff. Other relatives were born there. The records are in an unlikely area. But I checked on the Internet and they are kept where I thought. Happy hunting to us.
I made a trip to Fowler to do some look ups. I did find some very interesting information which lead to more information. Woohoo.
Poor Casi and Devon had to go along for the ride. Devon however has read many library books with his mother and is on his third reward. First he got a really nice box from Barnes and Nobles, then he got a pizza certificate to Monicals. I don't know what his next reward will be, but he likes to listen to someone read to him and he loves to look at the pictures and make up stories.

Casi is blogging

Casi has decided to start blogging. She has only posted once, but that is a beginning for her.

I have been busy working on genealogy. Many trips to the library. I think I have cursed the weather. Every time I go we get a storm... Oh well I am in the library... except it always starts when it is about time for the library to close or the time I plan to leave.

2 Danville Schools Awarded War Flags ~ April 22, 1945

I found this article while searching newspapers at the Danville Public Library. I just thought it was interesting, especially those of us that went to Roselawn or Edison Schools.

Danville Commercial News ~ April 22, 1945
2 Danville Schools Awarded War Flags
"Roselawn and Edison Schools of this city have been awarded the School at War Flag by the American Legion and the War Finance Committee of the Treasury Department for participating in the War Bond and Stamp Drive.
Plans for a program at which flags will be presented are presented are being arranged by C. A. Hack, commander of the 18th District of the American Legion, and Miss Mildred Brandenberger, acting principal of the schools."

Indy 500 Pictures

Here are the few pictures of the Indy 500. The excitement of the day, far out weighs the time to take pics.

Memorial Weekend

Saturday, Mom, Casi, Austin, Devon and I went to the cemeteries and put flowers on the graves and to make sure that the graves of our vets have flags on them. Locally we have relatives that go back to the Civil War. I found one of our more recent losses that did not have a flag, however I could not find anyone in the office to tell. Saturday afternoon, the boys went out to Kristina's to visit with Rachel since Ashley was at a friends house playing and spending the night. Saturday night Rachel spent the night with us as I decided to let her go to the 500 instead of me. Sunday rolled around and up at 5 AM grandpa, Austin and Rachel headed out to meet up with Lara and Chris for the races. Austin told me that the cars were going so fast he couldn't count them. He said that they tried to video them and you couldn't even see them on the screen. Rachel informed me the fastest car went 245 miles per hour. Well that is a little faster than they went when I was a youngster. On Monday we all met at Lara and Chris' new home to help them move, Casi, Devon and I went and picked up Ashley and headed north. Rain, Rain and more rain. Lara and Chris are all moved in and 4 of their 8 nieces and nephews have been to visit them already. After helping Lara and Chris, I took Casi, the boys and the girls to Casi's home. Austin actually has school tomorrow. We are not sure how long he has to go to school, so I guess going to the genealogy library might not happen...
I have not seen any of the pictures from this weekend yet, so if they are good I will post them later.

Hoarders

I have been watching the show hoarders. I feel great stress watching it. I know that this is a problem. Frances was our family's hoarder. However unless you understand OCD, you do not understand the emotions that are involved. I wish there was an easier way to help these people, but I know there's not. So many of the times you find out that they had some kind of trauma in their life. Sometimes it is death, some times it is childhood molestation, sometimes it is being bullied and other times it is an emotional need not being met. The emotional ties are so great. I listen to them and my heart aches for them.
The shows clean house and clean sweep are the same. The emotional ties to things is so great. You can see the ache, the pain, the emotions when they are trying to talk them into giving things up.
I have a tendency to throw or give away things. Sometimes I wish I hadn't. Don't get me wrong, I have some OCD tendencies, I believe everyone does. I for example hold on to shirts that I have gotten for participation in something.
On one of the shows they showed the following in someones home...

10 Commandments of Clutter by Stephanie Culp

1. Stop procrastinating. Decide what you are going to do with the next piece of clutter you pick up.

2. Quit making excuses. You are only fooling yourself.

3. Use it or lose it. If you're not going to use it, get rid of it. Period.

4. Learn to let go. For every square foot of space filled with clutter, there is one square foot of living space in your home that is lost.

5. Be a giver. Poor, needy, friends, relatives--everyone benefits more from a giving person than a pack rat.

6. Set limits on the amount of space allocated to any kind of clutter. Limit closets, bookcases, and filing cabinets. When one space fills up it doesn't mean you should buy more space ( another house).

7. Use the In and Out inventory rule. When something comes in, something goes out.

8. Less is more. Less = more time, money and energy. Also = less stress.

9. Keep everything in its place. For example, the blender doesn't belong in the bedroom or the mail in the bathroom.

10. Compromise. Stop letting perfectionism keep you from doing what needs to be done, or from letting someone help you dispense with your clutter.
Functioning efficiently is better than functioning perfectly.

So if you know a hoarder, show sympathy and try to help them. It may be a slow process, but let it be!

Can't believe

I can't believe this school year is about to end. Seniors are gone and I only have a few students. The ones I have are all great kids. We have been enjoying watching movies covering various things we have discussed and studied this school year. We watched My Sisters Keeper. What a tear jerker. Even big strong Kody cried. Then we watched Radio. Great movie. We watched Hoot, since we read the book. So the summer is about to start, and then it will be another school year. Time sure does fly by.

Austin Ready to Blog

Austin wants to blog. He has an email now... woohoo... Casi let him have an email account... I purchased a journal for him because his mother journals and he thinks it is great. Now he is writing one. SO the next step is blogging... NO FACEBOOK! Of course his will be by invite only. We plan to do this as soon as school is out. We are looking for the perfect picture for his profile, and he is practicing his writing skills! He took pictures this weekend so he can add them to his blog. He and Devon love looking at the pictures. Casi.... remember he wants to BLOG!

Trains, trains and more trains and then the Celtic Fest!

Kristina went home early sick. The girls stayed with us. We were trying to decide what to do. LegoLand seemed to be a good place, but then we decided we needed to take the boys too. So we drove over to the metro station and hopped on the northbound to Chicago. We went to the Celtic Fest. I joined a Welsh heritage group. I was fortunate enough to met and talk to folks from Wales that now live in the states. One man was from the same area as my original family. His last name was Owens. Probably related. We plan to do the genealogy later on this fact. Here are our pictures for the day.
We rode four different metro trains to get to the Celtic Fest. At the fest we enjoyed a $4.00 Chicago Dog, great Celtic Music, Story telling, and meeting many new people. The girls loved the Irish and Scottish dancing. The Welsh dancing reminded me of our traditional square dancing. We walked many miles and the girls enjoyed the free activities they offered for the kids. Rachel may be 11 years old, but she still enjoys the bounce rooms and miniature golf.

Chicago Skyline for the folks in Wales

Here are some pictures I took Sunday of the Chicago area. Enjoy!

Saturday of Mother's Day weekend

We headed to Chicago area. Off we go grandpa, Rachel, Ashley and me. We arrived and met up with Kristina and Dustin at the hotel. Then we all went to eat. After eating we met up with Lara and Chris at the Allstate Arena ~ Smuckers's on Ice. We headed back to the hotel where Chris gave all of us gifts, games, craftsman tools, calculators and pens... Then off to bed... a TV in each room of the suite.
I didn't take pictures of the skaters. I was enjoying watching them perform.