“The month of August had turned into a griddle where the days just lay there and sizzled.” ― Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

August 1

Grandson Knox is ready for all the firsts

First day of school — First day of Middle School — First day of Fifth Grade

borrowed this pic from his mom Kelly

August 4

Granddaughter Ella is ready for her pre-ballet class

borrowed this pic from her mom Kelly

August 9

First day of school (Mother’s Day Out pre-school)

She was excited to see all her friends again

borrowed this pic from her mom

August 13

Neil and I enjoyed lunch at Mamma Rosa’s with the cool kids

Grandson Elijah and his girlfriend Kiara and granddaughter Shelby

Thankful they don’t mind hanging out with the old folks

August 13

Ella had a close encounter of the moo kind at the county fair

Pony ride

A county fair Grandpa tradition — riding the merry-go-round with the grands

Knox and friend flying on the swings

Ella wanted to ride everything — even a roller coaster

Her mom Kelly rode this one with her 

Knox and friend are right behind

Screams are optional

August 16

Neil and I enjoyed lunch at Steak n Shake with Shelby

This was her last week of summer freedom before

she had to pack up and head back to college

August 17

16th Birthday = Driver’s License

Congratulations, E!

Celebrating 16 with family and friend

The picture on the right was taken by Elijah’s dad Jerry on their way home from a doctor appointment

where ten year old E was given a blue balloon tied around his wrist. I think this is one of

everyone’s favorite pictures of E because here’s this ten year old kid, staring straight ahead through those cool shades with this balloon tied around his wrist. Maybe just a tad too old to get a balloon at the doctor’s office, much less tied to his wrist. And he’s good with it.

Doesn’t get much cooler than this.

The picture over the years has achieved legendary proportions in our family.

So on his 16th birthday, he was good-humored enough to have fun with it and recreate the look.

But wait, there’s more …..

It’s been suggested by various family members over the years that this picture

would make a great T-shirt. His cousin Sarah put the idea into motion and had T-shirts

made for all of us to wear on this milestone occasion. E’s cousin Knox happily modeled

the T-shirt as E recreated the iconic look.

Needless to say, never in his wildest dreams was E expecting all of his party peeps

to walk in wearing this awesome T-shirt. Of course, we were all in on it, and his mom Holly even

planned his party theme around that long-ago blue balloon. He was totally surprised, and it made

for a very memorable 16th birthday.

Elijah and Sarah

Thanks again, Sarah, for making it happen!

August 18

Another close encounter of the moo kind

Moo!

August 21

Momma’s little kitchen helper stirring up homemade spaghetti sauce

borrowed this pic from Kelly

August 27

Be happy

August 29

Grass growing update

The front yard is green again

August 31

“Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

With your one wild and precious life?”

~Mary Oliver

“July is hot afternoons and sultry nights and mornings when it's joy just to be alive.” ~Hal Borland

July 1

Never fear. Owlette is here to save the day.

July 2

“Grandpa, will you play with me?”

Independence Day 2022

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Jerry, Kerry, and Terry

This is Will’s first Independence Day

Ella thinks he’s pretty cute

Kelly, Sarah, and Cynthia

Ladies first. They might leave some for the guys.

Shelby, Sarah, Julia, Cynthia, Holly, and Ann

Everyone loves Holly’s deviled eggs

Holly, Shelby, and Kelly

Ready for ribs

Kiara, Elijah, moi, and Ken

It’s nice when the young folks don’t mind eating with the old folks

Knox, Sarah, Ella, Julia, and Shelby

Jane, Kelly, Cynthia, Ann, Alex, Laura, and Don

Jerry, Holly, and Kerry

Freedom Peeps

Ella, Shelby, Will, Julia, Sarah, Knox, Kiara, and Elijah

Cousin Peeps

Ella, Shelby, Elijah, Julia, Sarah, and Knox

Just the girls

Family Peeps

Traditions are important

Will is chanting, “USA! USA! USA!"

Ready for the fireworks

Kaboom! Our little city knows how to celebrate freedom.

Happy Birthday, America!

July 9

Oh, she’s going places!

July 13

Knox ~ off the high dive into the deep 

July 13

My niece Sarah celebrated her 27th with her mom’s homemade pineapple upside down cake

July 15

Ella’s first catch ever

She’d caught three before anyone else caught one

Knox has done this before

I think they caught ten fish then released them to swim another day

July 16

Kelly and Ella painting Barbie and friends

Art is good for the soul

July 18

Our first grandchild celebrated her 21st birthday

21! 21! 21!

If I say it enough, maybe it will finally sink in.

"Can I still turn 21 if a 3 yr old blew out my candles??" ~Shelby’s quote from her Instagram post

That face you make when your 3 year old cousin is blowing out your birthday candles

before you have the chance. After about three seconds of stunned silence, we had a good laugh,

relit the candles, sang the last line of the Birthday Song, and Shelby blew out her candles.

21! 21! 21!

Kelly had some fun with the Play-dough

Taco, chips and salsa, and a drink of course

July 20

Neil and Knox went to see the new Thor movie and had the place to themselves

for a little while anyway before others drifted in

July 22

Neil and Shelby went to the shooting range for some target practice

She tried out her new Glock she got for her birthday

Good shootin' there, Shelby

Neil was happy with his bull’s eye. Said it took him about a hundred rounds to finally nail it.

July 24

When the carefully cultivated grass in the front yard died yet again, Neil started digging

and discovered just below the surface this tree root. Six feet wide. Hard to tell it in the picture.

Spent most of a day digging it all up and cutting it into smaller pieces. He thinks this may

be the reason grass won’t establish deep roots for the long haul. 

July 29

In yo face

She plopped herself on my lap and got in my face

So I took her picture

July 31

Fourth time’s the charm?

Green sprouts already pushing up through that blanket of straw

1 Corinthians 3:7-8

7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 

8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

So whether you’re sowing Kingdom seeds or grass seeds,

it is God who makes things grow