Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Christmas at Gma & Gumpy's House
Zoe poses in one of her Christmas presents - a Yoda hat. Actually, Zoe is a character straight out of the Star Wars movies, a distant cousin of the real Yoda. Sometimes we call her Zoda!
Mr. Peackock
This summer, Isabel and Zoe went to the zoo with Gma and Gumpy. The first bird we saw was a beautiful peacock, who began to spread his wings and flutter his feathers as soon as he saw Beautiful Bela. So, then, one day in early December, Gma and Gumpy went into a store called Playthings at the Hilldale Mall. Lo and behold, just one solitary two-handed puppet peacock beamed down at them. Immediately, Mr. Peacock jumped into Gumpy's hands. It was Isabel's peacock at once!
Pre-Vacation Preparations
Here are Craig, Gma Kathy, Zoe, Isabel, and Judy posing in front of the tree. Gma Kathy had just opened their gift of sunshiney, fun vacation items - note the sunglasses and hat. Dominican Republic, here we come and Gumpy, too (in late February!) 
Andy Feeling Mellow
Ah, Christmas break! Also, the good news of 3 A's and a B+ for the first semester. Well done! Andy's a linguistics major at UW Madison.
Andy Opens His Gifts
Andy shows a little Christmas spirit, opening a package of bandanas from brother Craig and sister-in-law Judy and family. He also received a cool wall clock. Gumpy and Isabel supervise. Note the tree in the background - same tree as last year. It grows outside in its pot in the summer out on the patio.
Cuddly New Bathrobe
Mommy Judy, Zoe and Isabel snuggle up in the new bathrobe Mommy received from Gma and Gumpy. Judy loves frogs, hence the green color. It's her first bathrobe since college!
Craig (aka Darth)
Craig models his new Darth Vader zip up hoody. Quite colorful on the back side. It was a Star Wars Christmas for Daddy!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
A Kodak Moment!
Grandma Kathy's three sons! This Christmas photo of Craig, Ben and Andy charmed the family. Even then, you could tell how talented they would someday be.
Such A Little Peanut!
Ben, Grandma, and Great-Grandma Ruby Olson pose in Great-Grandma's living room in Plover, WI. Great-Grandma Olson always told us to make good food choices. Perhaps this is the start of Ben's career?
Vegas Baby!
Here, Andy, Ben and Grandma pose in front of the Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas. Many adventures occurred in April 2001, when Grandma and Gumpy Ken were married there. The four of us journeyed over the Vegas desert in a hot air balloon at 6 in the morning....
Cheeeeese!
Seems like we were always enjoying fun times. This picture was taken in 1999 in front of the house in Madison, WI. Andy was 12 and Ben was 13. The Three Mousekateers!
Way Back When
Here are Grandma Kathy (age 30) and Great-Great Grandma Olson (age 70) at Grandma's house on Tree Lane in Madison. Great-Great-Grandma took a special shining to Craig right from the very beginning, babysitting him in Phillips at three months of age, while Grandma taught part-time at the middle school.
Florida Fun
Way back in 1980, when Grandma Kathy was 32 and Great-Grandma was 52, they took Aunt Michele, age 15 and Craig, age 6 to Florida to visit Disney World and other attractions. Here are Gma and Great Gma in a wax museum. Clearly, in the background, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are quite smitten with them.
Walking His Way To Hawaii
Ben is seen stepping into the Pacific Ocean on the coast of Oregon. He and Mom (Grandma Kathy) flew out to visit Craig, who was living in Portland at the time. It was a great adventure!
In A Field
Here are Andy and Ben in a field near their Creswood School. A photographer friend of Dad Jim took the picture. Note the missing teeth in Benja's smile!
Baby, It's Cold Outside!
One of the fun weekend activities Ben and Andy enjoyed was skiing at Tyrol Basin, near Mount Horeb, WI. As they grew older, they also enjoyed snowboarding. Even Mom took up skiing. Dad was an expert. A good time was had by all!
Ninja Baby!
Andy and Ben were truly into the Ninja Turtle craze. They wore these sweat suits quite frequently back in the early 1990's.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Magnificent Mackenzie
One of the bright moments of Andy's cross country trip this past summer was getting reacquainted with his sweet, smart niece Mackenzie. She had plenty fun entertaining him!
Breathtaking View
To celebrate summer, Andy (left) and a friend traveled across the country to see his brother, Ben, in Windsor, California.
We Three Girls
Isabel, Zoe and Grandma Kathy hanging out and having bonding beauty during a sleepover day at Gma's house. Isabel is nearly 5 and Zoe is nearly 1. Grandma just passed the milestone 60.
Sleepy Time Girls
Here are Isabel, Zoe and Flamingo asleep early on a Sunday morning during an August three-day visit to our house. We had fun eating ice cream, swimming at the Middleton Pool and creating beautiful works of art.
Peacock Girl
Isabel loves peacocks! This summer, when we went to the zoo, she amazingly, befriended a peacock, who spread his beautiful plumage, at her command. And boy, did she command that Mr. Peacock! Here, she had fun dressing up like a peacock.
At the Tennis Court in Heathsville
We inherited a home in Heathsville, Virginia, and this picture shows me next to a plaque that is posted on the tennis court fence of the White Sands Harbour community. Ken's father and mother were among the earliest "settlers" of the community and were instrumental in getting a tennis court installed. The plaque names and dedicates the courts to them. The home, built to specifications in 1979, served as a retirement home to Ken's parents, Ken and Kay, until their deaths in 2006 and 2005, respectively. White Sands Harbour is gorgeous, with many huge pine trees and winding roads along the pond and Potomac River.
Bedroom Overlooking the Potomac
An additional bedroom was added to the home after it was built. The ceiling is very high. From one window, we can see the pond; from another, we can see the Potomac.
Artist Studio
The large studio is large and bright, with many of Ken's mother's pictures stored there.
The Living Room
This view is from the front door, looking into the living room. The gazebo is beyond the chair in the center of the picture.
Looking Out the Front Door
Beyond the house and trees is the Potomac, viewable from our front stoop.
The Sprinter in Front of the House
We made a trip in the Sprinter to Heathsville over the Fourth of July in 2008. Driving and stopping took 20 hours each way, however, it was less costly and more fun than flying.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Marvelous Mackenzie!
A future movie star.....Mackenzie welcomes Gumpy and Gma Kathy to California in May 2008. It's party time!
A Village of Beauty
Just 45 minutes from Santa Rosa were a number of small communities along the Pacific Ocean. We enjoyed the view from several restaurants. These homes are along a bay that feeds into the ocean. We journeyed a few miles down a road to come to a beach on the ocean. A windy day, we loved it!
Pacific Coast Fun
We journeyed from Santa Rosa up the highway a bit until we hit a small road that took us over to the coast. Part of our journey took us through a redwood forest, and it was breathtaking and mysterious. As soon as we hit the coast, we pulled over to view the flowers and cliffs. Let the adventure begin!
Outside the Restaurant
We waited for a table at a cool restaurant in Healdsburg, California. Note the Brewers t-shirt on Chef Ben!
It's Been A Looonnngggg Day!
Here we are at a restaurant in late May 2008. Can you imagine how tiring it was for poor lil Mackenzie to listen to two 60-year-old foggy grandparents chatting on and on and on? At least, Daddy seems amused (and handsome, as usual!)
The Pacific Coast
On three separate days, we drove up and down the coast. The winding roads, high cliffs and spectacular homes were breathtaking. As an aside, I overcame my fear of heights as we twisted and turned down the narrow roads. I think.
Loving Being Gumpy and Gma Kathy
At the IHOP restaurant in Santa Rosa, here we are enjoying an entertaining meal with Ben, Brianne and Mackenzie. We didn't mind eating out a lot of our visit, as every morning, we took a walk outside of our Extended Stay hotel, through eight car dealerships. (No, we did not buy a car, but Gma Kathy came close to buying a cool, green convertible two-seater Mazda MX5. The clincher was that it had brown seats!)
Pancake House Breakfast
Mackenzie enjoyed looking at and a little bit eating of a Happy Face Pancake. She charmed the wait staff and customers, natch. Here, her playful Papa strikes a pose of "too many pictures, Mama!"
Golden Gate Bridge
The tour boat took us in the Bay, near the Bridge and alongside the island of Alcatrez. We were told the Bridge is in a constant state of being painted, section by section, day by day.
Chinatown, Baby!
Another world! While riding on a jump on-jump off tour bus, we hopped off at Chinatown. To my amazement, the stores, buildings, and people are predominantly Chinese. Most startling were the fresh fish stores and fresh vegetable stores. I felt immersed in the culture.
Entering the Coit Tower
A wealthy woman, who loved firefighters, donated money at her death to finance what is known as Coit Tower, outside the Downtown area of San Fran. Here, Ken is entering the building.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Above the City
It's the former hippie, Grandma Kathy, on top of a hill overlooking San Francisco in May 2008. The beauty of the clouds, the water and the city (f0r the second time) are magical to Gma Kathy and Gumpy Ken.
Picnic Fun in the Redwood Forest
Gumpy and Mackenzie enjoy lunch in the theater section of the Redwood Forest. Most definitely, the bonding has begun!
Mommy Brianne and Mackenzie
It's dance time for spritely Mackenzie and Mama Brianne in the Redwood Forest Theater stage. They are a natural duo! Very talented and carefree!
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