what are you thankful for?

It is the last day of my birthday month and I am recovery from a nasty tummy bug.  Sunday was the worst day, Monday was just bad and I am hoping for much better today.

I am thankful for a wonderful nurse, Kaitlin

I am thankful for Sprite

I am thankful for TV

I am thankful that I am not on a trip so I can just veg out

I hope your April 30th is a wonderful day!

A mountain top, a battlefield and a steamship

  I went on a business trip with Carl this past week.  Here are a few things we did before Carl's meetings began.

We went to the Steamboat Arabia museum in Kansas City.  A father, two sons and a friend began a search for the steamboat in a field near the Missouri river.  This museum details the hunt for the boat, what all they found and how they preserved it.  They are still cleaning things up.  You can talk to the folks about what they are working on.

I love keys!

The china was beautiful!

In the museum they have a paddle wheel that is moving, I loved sitting and watching it.

We also stopped at the birth place of Harry S Truman in Carthage, MO

We stopped at a Civil War battlefield in Carthage, MO.  The battle took place July 1861

I have always wanted to go to the tallest point in Arkansas.  We have driven past the turn off many a time.  This time we stopped!  Mt. Magazine is located in the Arkansas River Valley region.  If it were located in any other region it would really be tall!

This is the lodge near the top.  I would love to stay here and spent a few hours looking at the beautiful view.

Aunt Elaine, Uncle John and Atticus

 One of my favorite weeks of the year is the week that my brother, John, and his wife, Elaine, come to visit.  This was the 29th year in a row that they have taken the time to come and stay with us.  They started their visits when Andrew was 2 in 1984.  This year as Uncle John got in the car with Kaitlin, as she took him to play racket ball with John and Robert, it was not lost on me that he has been coming to see us and taking care of us since before she was born and now she is chauffeuring him around.  For the record, he beat John Austin 3 games on Wednesday and Robert two games on Thursday.  John Austin did beat him 2 games on Thursday.

The timing of their visit this year was Atticus' first birthday.  As Marisa said, it was like a mini vacation-  We ate out, got to visit in John and Marisa's home, ate out some more, the guys played racket ball, Aunt Elaine went with me to Bible Study, we went shopping, they got to visit with Jennifer, Uncle John took a few naps, we watched TV and we ate out.

They also helped us celebrate Atticus on his birthday.  Kaitlin brought us all lunch, we ate cupcakes, put on party hats, sang and took lots of pictures.  A fun time was had by all.

 All the pictures on my blog today were taken by Aunt Elaine.

 She has a unique gift with Atticus.  Any time she takes her camera out to get a picture of him- he posed.  She even tried to take a video but she couldn't because he stopped what he was doing and just looked at her, mostly he smiled.  We all got great enjoyment out of it.

 Uncle John and the birthday boy.

 I decided to get in the action.

It was a great visit!  Come back soon Uncle John and Aunt Elaine and see this happy fellow again and us too!!!

Has it been a year already?!

 A year ago today a fine young man was born into our family.  Here are few pictures of his first year.

one month

his baptism

Christmas

first birthday party

Dearest Atticus,
Your Gpapa and I pray daily that you may not know a day without Jesus.
 Love, Bubbles

Two articles you will enjoy!

Click on these links and enjoy these-

A wonderful article about Motherhood for all my friends that are mothers especially my daughter in law Marisa- I see you do this daily


America's pasttime- This is for all the baseball lovers especially Andrew

My birthday month!

This is the first day of my Happy Birthday month!!!  I have some fun things planned for the next 30 days and then I am sure life with happen too.  I love a good celebration and a month long one is even better!