First day of school…again!

For Taylor, leaving Kansas meant not only moving to a new city, but starting all over again at a new school.  Since she would be spending lots of time at Grandma’s house (mom & Dad both working to make enough to start paying back some of those student loans),  She started at Finley Farms Elementary, which was right around the corner. 

I’m sure when she is older and looks back at this picture…she will think “what was I wearing on my arms”…but right now she thinks she looks AWESOME!

An Attitude of Gratitude

  As my years of Empty Nesting fast approach…I am so grateful  I still have a couple of happy helpers.

  Summer usually finds a ride home for Thanksgiving even though she will be on Christmas break from BYU Idaho in three more weeks, not really sure if its to see us or everyone else she ever came in contact with.  But what ever the reason, she is usually good for some dishwashing duty.

Jessica is always anxious for her to come (more clothes to wear), but always just as ready for her leave…must be a sister thing, can’t live with them…can’t live without them! 

This year Calli took on the funeral potatoes, so Jess took on the assignment of the Deviled eggs…did an outstanding job (too bad we forgot them in the refrigerator until dinner was almost over. 

This year we were joined in Thanksgiving festivities by Ron and Paula’s family, and Tony and Brenda’s…and of course Mom and Dad. 

We ate lots of food…

Talked about life and love

made turkeys…ate turkeys…Ate olives off our fingers…

 

spent quality time with a beautiful  granddaughter…

Posed for pictures…

Posed for more pictures…posed for awkward pictures

Looked around an saw lots to be grateful for.

Leaving Kansas…ready or not!

Five years ago Calli and Brendan loaded up a small U-Haul with all their worldly possessions, and my only granddaughter, and moved to Missouri so Brendan could start Chiropractic school.  During that time they added two more children to my cache of grandchildren, acquired a little more furniture, borrowed a boatload of student loans, made some really good friends, moved from Missouri to Kansas, gave me someplace to visit, scrapbook, trick or treat, get my back adjusted, and see what 4 seasons look like.

But the fun is over and its time for life to start, so I flew back to Kansas one more time (although Arlon and I will make one more trip in December for Brendan's graduation).  Helped pack up a lot more stuff than they left Arizona with, and Said Farwell to Kansas, (small sigh) and followed this all the way back to home!

But first things first…MY LAST TRIP TO KANSAS.

Lisa was able to find a cheap flight over from Ohio, so she and Riker came to visit me,via the Potters.  Riker has really grown since their last visit.

He now stares a lot, is fascinated by my fingers, and has a mouthful of teeth.

     They stayed and visited a couple of days, so Calli and I were able to take Lisa to our favorite Kansas Scrapbook store for all day scrapbooking, leaving the kids with a babysitter (one real one, then Brendan) which caused Lisa to shed a few tears at leaving her child with a sitter for the first time.  But with only a few trips back home to make sure he was fine, she persevered and got a taste of the scrapbooking bug.

       After Lisa went home, it  left us Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to  attend Taylors Primary program, finish up any packing Calli had not yet done, eat dinner at their friends the Soubie’s, several times,  Have a melt down as we load up to go…so no last picture of the apartment they lived in for the last little while, visit Wal-Mart, (who will really miss Calli and Brendan's business) buy really cute pajama’s from Wal-Mart, as our parting gift to the store which gave them such enjoyment for so many years.

Buy one last drink and a bag of seeds for the road….load up and drive,

.and drive, and drive, and drive, and drive,

 and drive.  The trip was not without its moments though…can’t be in Kansas without a visit to OZ…

several stops at Micky D’s…

rest stops ,

.

and even a little road rage (There are some really dumb drivers on the road).  But we survived the trip and the Potters are back in Arizona ready to face the reality of life!

See Jessie Swim

Jessica Lewis…Senior, Student Council member, Costa Vida worker, and Swim Captain. 

Juggling all those activities might have made a normal person crazy…good thing she’s not normal!!!

The lovely shirts Jess and Jared Standiferd made for the Breast Cancer lap-a-thon.

Senior Towel…

Senior swim meet.

Go team “Lewis”

Farwell to Swim…4 years, good friends, fun trips, pasta parties, LOTSA Exercise!!!