a trip to the kids museum Marbles

We've been to this place, Marbles Kids Museum, before; and to go the day starts early, with being read to by Grandmama. like before breakfast.  That is all except Luke who has his 'muk' early, and if it was up to him, often.  He looks like he has had plenty of muk too. 

There is so much to do and play with and build and experience at the museum it is amazing, one of the kids' favorites was building cars and racing them down this race track.  Note Julianna's and Lydia's excitement and leaps as they themselves race down the way to get their cars.

Lydia especially seemed to just bounce as she went after each of multiple and I mean multiple trips chasing her car down the track.

This is Lydia showing off one of her models, she made several.

These two boys worked like their lives depended on it loading little balls into this pulley system to feed conveyer belts to feed a huge overhead bank that would later drop the balls as shown below.

Julianna and John Paul are about worn out loading balls at various load points and are waiting on other kids to load some for a while.

Matt got the kids suited up for a hockey game on the slick floor with plastic sticks.  The spirit was pretty high, the skating and stick skills not so much I think.

Now on this court I heard, "watch me Granddaddy, watch me".  

and I sure did

There were unique physical testing / exercise devices that the kids enjoyed doing and Isaac surprised himself that he could pull himself up strapped into a seat.

While I was playing ball with Luke, Patt was in a kitchen with John Paul, photos later. Matt was in a building shop with the big three - I got there in time to get these action photos.

The kids were making boxes or shelves or something that involved sawing-

Using a drill - a hand drill - not one of those power ones, and screw drivers, and appropriate facial expressions.

Yesterday Patt's company celebrated her retirement with a party in the parking lot between the office buildings at their Raleigh offices as is their custom.  In addition to staff from the local office staff from other offices attended as did people who had worked with Patt from other agencies around the state.  It was quite nice and many wonderful things were said about her.  I asked her quietly as an aside where was this always patient, understanding (among other platitudes ) person they were talking about?

The photo above is of some of Patt's former direct reports along with their new supervisor.

and here is the view from the "family section as Luke, Laura, John Paul and back of my head, and Lydia's hat are prominent.  Julianna is sitting up with Patt in this picture while  Patt's former supervisor and person who hired her away from Apex is telling of recruiting Patt.  

They did indeed say very nice things about Patt and her contributions to the company and to the many communities that they served over the years.  It was obvious they meant them too.

Patt was given among other nice gifts a beautiful magnetic wall map with little magnets and directions to mark locations of travels and visits in her retirement.  The intent is to seriously follow that direction.

Though the party was but yesterday, Patt's last day of work was actually two weeks ago in Asheville at a conference that ended at noon.  Rather than driving back to Raleigh,  those last four hours of being employed.

Here is Patt hard at work, practicing being retired enjoying the Little Tennessee River.

and the view into western NC real near Murphy.  The return to Raleigh can happen whenever.  You know, Patt's retirement starts on Monday and if she uses that day or the next to return to Raleigh so what.

moving right along

All of a sudden the house got full, the basement is being turned into a school or camp, or store or play house of some sort,  and it is much more lively that it used to be when I was sitting at my desk down there listening to sport talk radio and "doing some bills" or some sort of record keeping or something — and a lot more fun too.

We have wagons to load and pull around, being in motion is apparently pretty important to this one.

and the basement is getting a full dose workout and the old toys a new exercise.

and yes I have participated in a tea party already.  Do note that is lower case tea party. And the tea was quite good I would point out after I had Luke adjust it much to his delight.  It is never sweet enough to start with for me.

Matt  had the kids help him wash the car.  Brave Matt, he suggested I might want to move our car up the street.  I did.  Wise move.

Look who has the hose.  He was not the only one either.  All of them dipped rags in buckets and applied elbow grease.

wide areas of the cul-de-sac were wet down, kids were wet, car got washed, kids got sprayed, feelings got hurt, the whole gamete of events transpired.  Great activity for the kids to shake out a long car ride.  And they did a long car ride too.

more adventures to come.

Andrew & Jenna's big weekend

Andrew and Jenna got married this past weekend in Wilmington.  Two events marked the occasion.  The first hosted by Eric and Barb was on the banks of the Cape Fear - seen outside the window over Andrew's shoulder- as he and Jenna listen to toasts at the rehearsal / welcome to Wilmington dinner party.

The River Room, right slap dab in the middle of the River Walk section of historic downtown was well decorated.  It looked very very nice.  Friends from Graham helped with the set up.

The room was full, food and drink great,  and son-in-law Dave did a super job bar tending.

and lots of table hoping and moving around going on- Jenna's family is a large outgoing one.  that will - no joke- break into song.   and sing.    Fun to be around.

Here are Eric and Barb holding forth both proposing toasts and welcoming guests and being happy.

The actual wedding took place the next day in a historic old church now an event place.

As for photos of the actual ceremony with drawn swords, standing bridesmaids, groomsmen, brides, mothers-of brides, preachers, and such will have to be from actual wedding photographs.  I have none.  However from the reception, I do have a few.

Of which I do have one of the bride and groom with full regalia.  I did not get all the other Marines with swords and such.

The party went late, the dancing was fun and full bore, and proving that at least one of our family has got the moves, young Nathaniel, was awesome.  Wish the photos could capture the vigor and intensity.  This apple not only fell far from the tree, and in fact possibly was tossed in from the outside.

He was so good

Let's not have to have many days like this one.

Yesterday was an exciting day.  A "responsible adult" (Patt apparently qualified), took me to the City of Medicine mid morning where I got a new hat and tendon in my shoulder along with one more body part - a plastic screw - to hold the tendon to the arm bone connected to the shoulder bone 

It was out-patient and by mid afternoon, we were traveling US 70 East.  

It is a rather space age type sling in my limited exposure to slings.  The little white radio looking thingee is a electrical stimulus thingee that sends out little shocks to confuse the pain nerves.  I am glad too because I told them I was allergic to pain.  I also have some pretty strong prescription strength pills that interrupt pain.  And induce a nap.

Recovery will involve therapy and take a while.  Patt is going to have to be more than responsible.

And I am so thankful I have her with me.

I still have a few more photos from North Dakota I hope to post.  We have photogenic grandchildren.

a real weather difference

As previously mentioned we were supposed to leave North Dakota on Monday, well this is a photo of Monday  night, a genuine blizzard, interstate got closed, all the way from South Dakota to Canada from Fargo to Bismarck and so on, schools closed for two days, mind you.  

 Well,  this is Tuesday mooring,  sky was just a tad blue, drifts up to five feet and officially only 11 and a half inches at the airport, so no big deal, just a lot of wind and snow.  The snow was dry and the day was cold.  Surprised you on that one huh?

Check out the snow blower.  Never thought I would get to run one of these babies.  Fun too.  Seriously you make a path, you get to see what you've done and you make a little noise too.  Throw some snow too while you are at it.

I am not sure I would fool anyone as an expert operator, but I did not chew up the bushes or the neighbors fence, so I reckon I was not a bad operator.  Check out the drifts across the street in front of the car.

If you will notice what Matt is holding, you will see why I was reluctant to give up holding the snow blower.  Matt may have some Tom Sawyer in him, but I was not born yesterday either as I had seen  those shovels in the garage earlier in the week.

 the kids enjoyed watching out the window and please note Matt pushing the shovel.  The snow blower is self propelled.  See what I mean about not being born yesterday.

After a path was cleared there was space for the kids to come out a play, prior to that, as you can see, there would be very little moving around that John Paul could do in the snow.  He did try, got snow inside his gloves, was not to happy and went back inside.

 The kids did tunnels and snow forts into the snow banks.  I walked a bit in the snow with Julianna, but it was tough going.

In the afternoon, we went to the sledding hill, it was beginning to be "broken in" with the fluffy snow getting packed down, but was still a little soft.  Here the three kids are going up the hill,  The sky was THAT BLUE.  Really beautiful.

Laura and Lydia on their way down.

And this is what it looks like from the air.   

We were sent off in style from GFK airport.  We had such a great time.  Sure did miss those kids (and Matt and Laura today)

This was the hardest thing to get used to today.  Driving around town today doing various errands, grocery, post office, REI and so on and in summer like weather.   Wearing a T-shirt, hearing lawn mowers, seeing flowering trees, having the top down on the convertible and seeing the temperature gauge read in the 80s knowing what it was like just a couple of hours away by air where I was yesterday was hard for me to process.

I hope to get around to posting a few more photos of the trip in the next day or two.  We did have some great times.