Grandparents for hire

Dan and I had the pleasure of visiting with Mel and Ben Porter yesterday. Melody is my Son in Law's Sister and they live in the little town of Pe El Washington. We Love her like she was one of our own (and Ben too). The bonus for us is that they have 2 adorable little ones that we can Love on as well. Ceeley is 2 and Kyan (pronounced like Ryan)is 4 months old. She is a Very proud Big Sister! Here is a link to more Pictures.I am very grateful that they allow us to be a part of their lives.

FOTO FRIDAY

I just talked to my Daughter Melissa this morning. She is getting ready to book flights and make arrangements so that her 3 kids can come spend some time with Dan and I this Summer. Hanging out with Mimi and Papa has become an annual event that we all look forward to. This picture was taken last year after Jacob got his new Cowboy boots and Lee Jeans so he could be just like Papa.

FOTO FRIDAY

Meet Flat Stanley. This is the second time that he has come to visit Mimi and Papa. The last time he came to stay with us was when my oldest grandaughter Kasey sent him on an adventure with us when she was in Kindergarten. This year her brother Jacob is in Kindergarten and his class is doing the same Reading/Geography lesson. Flat Stanley is a Book about a boy who is flattened when a bulliten board falls on him. He makes the best of the situation and finds that he is able to do lots of fun things now that he is flat.
Many school classrooms have adopted the Flat Stanley Project and the students mail their own flat stanley to a family member or friend. He stays with the family and has his picture taken of where he has been and then is mailed back. The children then learn about the area he has visited.

When Flat Stanley was returned to Kasey's class, I had put his adventures in a scrap book. The teacher pulled down a map and showed the class where Wenatchee was. The kids already knew that Wenatchee was the Apple Capital of the world. Of course, there was a picture of Flat Stanley in an apple orchard in the scrapbook.


This time Flat Stanley flew with us to Napa and rode in a Hot air Balloon. He visited the Golden Gate Bridge, and has been to Las Vegas and Havassu Arizona. It is just about time for us to return him back to Omaha so that Jacob's class can learn about all the great places Flat Stanley visited.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CURTIS!

Today is a Special Day. It's not just the Day after our Taxes are due, but it is my Grandson Curtis's 5th Birthday. He is in Malawi Africa with his Mom and Dad who are Free Methodist Missionaries. They have been there a little over a year now and this is the second Birthday that Curtis has celebrated while there. I have to plan ahead and send their packages at least 3 weeks early. I have been so good up until now and most everything I believe has arrived with time to spare. His package arrived last week and inside the mailing envelope was this outfit that he is wearing. I guess that he put it on right away and wore it until bedtime. But he didn't wear it the entire day so that it would not be dirty and he could wear it at his birthday party the next day. =O)
I know all of this because I had the sincere pleasure of chatting with him on my cell phone Saturday morning. There is a 9 hour time difference and he was able to call me after his afternoon birthday party. Really, he was the one who did all the talking. I could hardly understand a word he said as he was talking 90 miles an hour. But it was pretty apparant that he was 1)excited 2)happy 3)Very excited and 4)Very Happy! My daughter was able to make a sheet cake for him and I had talked to her a few days prior explaining how she could color coconut and make grass and put some little figurines on top of the cake. Jen used some dinosours he had. He was pretty excited about the coconut I must say.









I guess that there were about 15 kids who showed up for his party. My heart is smiling inside knowing that he has so many little friends and that my daughter is finding her way there. She seemed to be having as much fun as he did. She even was able to rent a Jumping Castle. Curtis is sure that you can only get these in Malawi Africa.
I guess that Curtis had some concerns because his party was on Saturday which was a few days before his actual birthday and he wanted to know what he was supposed to do when the kids sang Happy Birthday to him. "When they get to the part; How old are you now? What am I supposed to say?" Well Curtis....TODAY is Your Day and you can say that you are 5 years old!! I Love and Miss you My Handsome Boy.