Summertime!

I know, I know, I know.  I really should have noticed several weeks ago that summer is really over- and our visitors are certainly gone- and that it was time to share with you our summer adventures.  Or maybe it was really time to start this about 4 months ago in numerous editions, but hind sight doesn't provide much of an excuse.  Does it sound really, really lame to say I've been busy- or maybe distracted- or just plain lazy.  I think on any given day any and all might apply.  But I think probably the most accurate explanation might be that the sheer abundance of all of our visitors- and the massive number of pictures taken- made the task seem rather daunting.  I put it off!  I found diversions, many of which are presented in the pictures below. I would put it on each day's "To Do" only to find the day complete and the summer blog still hidden in the pictures- and memories- tucked nicely away.  Now I'd like to promise that I'll be better.  That in the future our life will be recorded in a more timely fashion.  I don't think you'd believe me.  I don't think I'd even believe me.  So I'm sure future blogs will be somewhat like my past blogs- we just have to wait for the spirit to move me.  Well, I am moved- so read on!  

Now this blog is going to be much more a story in pictures rather than words. Actually this blog only presents the joys that family can bring over a given period of time represented in fractions of seconds of time.  One has to fill in spaces in between knowing that each fraction of a second that the picture provides represents what is sometimes a week of events.  Not being here to experience the events may leave one wondering about the details, but given that even we probably cannot fill in the details allows you to provide your own.  Just make them a much fun as you can imagine. I think always the magic of a child is captured in the upturned face- the wide eye stare- the mischievous glance. And this blog is so often about the wee ones of our summer visitors.  Now we did have some "adult" company- and often our wee ones came accompanied by an adult- but the pictures suggest that this was the summer when just being little captured the centers of attention- ours at least.

The summer we lived wasn't the summer we planned- the summer we lived just happened- circumstances changed- our summer changed.  Had you asked me what I anticipated our summer might be like last May I would have said "quiet".  I would have been wrong.  For whatever our summer might have been, "quiet" is not one of the adjectives you might choose.  There were some brief quiet moments.  Children do take naps.  Grandparents even get the occasional nap.

Beginning in May, Brandy and Mikayla arrived and intended to stay for about a week while they waited to close on their new house in Michigan and for their "stuff" from Florida to make the trip to Michigan in the moving van.  This short week visit stretched to four weeks with the unforeseen delays that so often complicate buying and moving into a new house.  It was a gift to us-but a frustration to Brandy and Will as they persevered the complications that just kept adding upon each other.  

Clint left in late spring for his last trip to Afghanistan (he is now safe in California with his beautiful family) and Marianne planned a summer "road" trip that would include a stay of two weeks in Cincinnati.  The "road" trip fell through and Marianne and the kids arrived in late May and left mid September (with two "road" trips to Florida interrupting the Cincinnati time).

And then Amber and Evan (and their new puppy "Bo") drove down from Chicago for a visit- and later Matthew and his girlfriend Sarah (with their dog- and frequent visitor to Ohio- "Gigi") drove over from Philadelphia.  So the summer was filled to the brim.  We made trips to the zoo, and to the pool (and given the heat we went a lot more often to the pool than the zoo) and the Children's Museum and the park.  We ate in.  We ate out.  Mikayla took swimming lessons.  Reeder took swimming lessons, musical theater and cooking classes (and a day horse camp as well) and swam on the Wyoming Rec Center Swim team.  Hayes took sports camp and also took swimming lessons.  And Weiler just managed to look adorable in the middle of the commotion about him.  And of  course, Sarah joined in the fun with Anthony and occasionally Deseree.  But Deseree is nearly 16, not a wee one at all.

So this story is in the pictures.  I hope you enjoy.  You must know that I will often go back to this blog and look again- and relive again- our summer with the wee ones. I'd like to think I might find a way to create some organization in these pictures- but I just don't think I'll be able to get them as organized as I might like- even my memories mix everything all up.  But perhaps we can all just meander along together.

Now I don't know exactly which picture to flash on the page first.  There just isn't one picture that captures the summer.  It is rather each individual moment that finally adds up to our experience of summer.  So I think I'll just begin- and leave you to sort out the summer in whatever fashion you might.  As I said earlier, whatever you might come up with is probably as good as what we could describe as long as it gives you a smile.

Maybe I'll start with cousins!

And of course trips to the Root Beer Stand:

And trips to the Dairy Queen:

And lunch at the counter of Half Day Cafe:

And Reds games:

And the park:

And the POOL!

Sarah's Graduation!

Adventures away from home:

Reeder's Horse Camp!  She did terrific!

And of course many wonderful times at home!

It is quiet now.  Autumn has set in, the days are finally cool, everyone is well settled in their new homes and we have quiet evenings at home.  So maybe now is the best time to write about the summer, to look at the pictures again and remember what a wonderful summer it was.

Spring Travels 2012

Well, I guess there is an explanation to be made on this long delay.  A rather long explanation for the long delay.  It has been a very long time since our last post- so long in fact that our dear friend Earline called to make sure that we were all okay - we are - (Thank you Earline, that phone call meant a lot to me!).  To say we've been a bit distracted is probably an understatement. A big understatement.   And then as things settled into something looking a bit like routine (I faintly remember that...) I just was rather lazy.  For these last days it seemed that just reading the paper, practicing the piano a bit and cooking dinner for Don and then usually ending the day watching the Cincinnati Reds play baseball was all the energy I could muster. I on the other now have a job, not a full time time, but it is a 60% of full time job doing the kind of work I love to do, helping a company build their technology base by finding new opportunities for the company and then negotiating access for that technology.  So I haven't been just sitting around all summer.

 But I am returning to my old resolve- we actually had friends over for dinner Saturday (you'll have to watch for the recipes on "In the Kitchen with Don").  But before rambling anymore I need to get to the point.  We spent much of the spring traveling (or packing and unpacking for the travels).  I think I made monthly trips to Florida and we also made it to New Orleans, Tulsa and Chicago.  And then came summer.  I know you're thinking well certainly things settled down then.  Well in addition to absolutely unbearable heat and drought (we know- you suffered that as well), we were covered up with grandchildren.  Now don't get me wrong- I love, love, absolutely love the time I get to spend with the grandchildren.  But to put it mildly THEY EXHAUST ME!  Was that mild enough? 

 Brandy and Mikayla arrived the first of June and stayed until July because there were many delays getting into their new home in Rochester Hills, Michigan (which is absolutely, I mean absolutely gorgeous!).  Clarification of exactly why Brandy and Will were moving north provided a bit later in this blog.  Marianne and Reeder and Hayes and Weiler (we're not counting Baby #4 quite yet though Don has named him/her "Cuatro") arrived in mid May after Clint departed for his vacation in Afghanistan.  We didn't notice quite so much because they were staying over at the Simmons until the Simmons had to vacate their condo because it was sold out from under them, and they had to move into a significantly smaller place. Marianne and the kids then came to our house but left shortly after their arrival for a vacation in Florida- as if Cincinnati isn't all the vacation haven that anyone needs!  Well eventually Marianne got back to Cincinnati and stayed until mid September (with another long vacation to Florida again!).  More in a later blog about the Kappel Kids and this summer. 

So, what can I say- I've been distracted.  But I think I'm returning to normal- or at least my normal.  And I do want you to see how beautiful everyone is- and how wonderful it is to spend time with them.  So I thought I'd start with the SPRING TRAVELS.  And then with a renewed boost of energy  in the next blog  I'll tackle the hundreds of pictures from the summer (it is absolutely unbelievable how many pictures I have from this past summer)!

So first to Florida and Brandy and Will and Mikayla.  Will was given a promotion- and a relocation- and then about the same time he was tapped to manage a BIG JOB in Arlington, VA.!  And this involved mucho travel.  So now that I'm retired I started making monthly trips to Florida to keep Brandy and Mikayla company when Will was out of town.  Actually Don made all but one of the trips with me.  What fun we had!  But I must confess the Florida pictures are all mixed up- so some might be from March- or then maybe May- or was it April.  So I'm just going to call it one long, long visit to Florida that occurred episodically over 3 months.

There was the trip to the strawberry patch!

Florida strawberries come in a lot earlier that we get them up here in Ohio, although this year I think our Spring was warm enough to plant in February.  If you like Strawberries, then picking them just before you eat them is quite a treat.  Not sure where the pictures are, but the strawberry field also had a small "restaurant" that served strawberry shortcake.  And, yes we did sample some that too. 

And of course many trips to the park!

And then of course there were trips to the beach!

The pictures aren't posted here, but Max did liberally apply sun block to Mikayla, as well as her own arm, shoulders, and legs.  Unfortunately, she forgot the tops of her own toes.  I have never seen such sun burn blisters as she had on, between and around her toes. I feel certain you're glad we skipped that picture!

And then there was time just to hang around- at the house or maybe an ice cream shop or maybe a diner.  Just hanging out...

Mikayla did have plenty of time to play with her babies.  She had sick babies that needed care, babies with wet pants, babies that were hungry and babies that needed their hair done.  That girl does take care of her babies.

And I almost forgot (in fact I did forget but Don remembered- and has the pictures to prove it!).  Mikayla and Brandy were here in Cincinnati in March.  Mikayla stayed a bit longer than Brandy as Brandy drove up to Michigan to house hunt with Will for their new home.  We did visit the zoo and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens do put forth a spectacular Spring flower show.  Of course the zoo does have a Merry-go-round.

Now I know you're thinking that all we did during the spring was travel to Florida but we also stopped at New Orleans...  There was a good reason to go to Florida because I do need a good reason to visit that city.  Max and I are trying to visit all of the States in the U.S.  And by visit I mean actually spend the night in the State, not just drive through it.  We had both been to Louisiana, but never together.  And since Will and Brandy would soon be relocating to Michigan, we decided to extend our last trip and check off Louisiana.  On the other hand we did drive through Mississippi without stopping the car.  We decided to just avoid ever going to that state given its political and social atmosphere.  In Now Orleans we stayed in the French Quarter for two nights, which was enough for me.  I just have never enjoyed that town, especially with the heat, the humidity, and the depravity.  We did enjoy the jazz musicians that played on the street, had some good food, and of course visited the Cafe du Monde a couple of times.

We also did a walking tour of the Garden District and walked through one of the old cemeteries.  If you have never been there you may not know that people who are 'buried" in New Orleans are all "buried" above ground in crypts  Most of New Orleans sits below the water table, and thus when you dig a hole, it usually fills with water.  That obviously has serious consequences when a big hurricane blows through. 

And then we stopped off in Tulsa to see Dad and Fay and Bub and Nancy...  Tulsa is almost straight north and a little west of New Orleans so it is only a good days drive, especially if you avoid Mississippi.

And then of course our wonderful trip to Chicago to see Amber and Evan...  Why not just keep heading north since Chicago is just a little north of Tulsa.  Okay, it is a little west of Chicago too, but if you are doing the big circle you head north from St. Louis instead of northeast.

We did have a great time in Chicago.  Our best day was spent taking a walking tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright homes in Oak Park.  Those were the Prairie Homes that Wright built and we toured his personal home and walked and saw about 14 others.

We also spent some great time with Amber and Evan including a wonder dinner in their apartment.

Thanks Amber and Evan for always showing us such a wonderful time in Chicago!