The Amazing Train Ride

It was one of those first treasured summer days that you are so happy to have and so a beautiful day for a train ride! Mike and Bailey met us in Cleveland at the invitation of friends Cindy & Harvey. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic train in Independance is in a quaint area that we enjoyed. Bailey was super excited to ride the train which goes from Cleveland to Akron and back. It stops on trails for bikers (below) who enjoy riding too.

The train came and she couldn't wait to go. It's just fun to hear her ask in her cute little voice "Can we get on now??"

The views were interesting...

food delicious.....

and entertainment so much fun! Harvey, here with daughter-in-law Elke and grandaughter Leina.

"Paw-paw" Larry playing with incognito Bailey behind green bird.

There was an amazing clown artist aboard who created balloon treasures at your request. Here Bailey is playing with a fishing rod and reel that he made for Larry.

Below he is creating a rainbow for Judi...

We watched in awe!!!

The end product!

Max (Cindy's grandson) with an "Ariel" mermaid.

Cindy, Judi and I all have BIG birthdays this year...

and this trip was in honor of Cindy's!

so we all sang and enjoyed the cake too!

More balloon creations...Rich, here with his grandmother Mary (an amazing lady who is a retired teacher. She an her husband -a retired audiologist, go to South Africa for 3 months each winter to teach children there) and a Cleveland Browns football player!

The artist taking requests...

Rich's sister Rachael with Snoopy....

Star Wars figures and others....

and again amazed watching one last one....

Cinderella and her horse for Bailey....her favorite color is blue!!!

the Boys...and squash

Sunday we met Tim, Joni and Cooper at one of our favorite places for lunch...Cheesecake Factory!...Chelsea and Bryden came along for the visit. Cooper talked to "Baby Bryden" and was so sweet to him, -it was a joy to watch. He told him stories about his superheros....

and what might be on the menu for lunch.

Chelsea made her latest batch of organic baby food....

Squash is not on the fav list at the moment!!!

Going Green....

I LOVE this time of the year!! I think most people do. I love the windows open, the fresh air coming in, the sound of mowers, the birds singing....my mother used to call me "Pollyanna". It just puts me in a good mood. Picking out flowers, this year with Chelsea, -we had a great time looking at all the colors and choosing what to get.

This is my work area...to start planting.

The day was a little cool so working in the yard was just perfect to "go green".

Larry plants the flowers on the bridge (did a great job!) and I do pots.

Then in the afternoon, a different kind of "going green" came about....my neighbor invited me to a "BeadforLife" party. Bead for life is a non-profit organization providing impoverished Ugandan women an opportunity to lift their families out of poverty by making beaded jewelry out of recycled paper. Around the world people partner with the beaders to sell their wares and educate others on ways to end extreme poverty. One out of every 5 people alive struggle to survive on less than $1 a day. After paying the beaders for their work, -all net proceeds are invested in programs to fight poverty. It works this way, if you choose to help, they send you a consignment of beads for a week. In that week you show the beads to as many people as you can, take them to work, show your friends, have parties. All proceeds go back to Uganda.

In this case the woman shown is the beader. She was supporting 6 people in her family as well as a husband who had a recent leg amputation. She was doing manual labor, exhausted at the end of each day and barely making any money. When she was introduced to this program, the beaders taught her how to make the beads, yet she struggled to do it. They found that her eyesight was poor so they got her glasses. She then was able to work more easily, sitting all day and able to provide food and shelter for her family.

Here are examples of the colorful jewelry...bracelets are $5.00, necklaces $20 and bags of beads $15.

One more "going green" weekend project was Mother Earth....Chelsea making baby food. She is really into it, purchased a food mill/processor on the Internet and is here making carrots to freeze. I was amazed at all her effort...good old Gerber's was too easy for me!!

A lot of work....

The rest of the weekend was just nice visiting the girls...here are some favorite pics...Bailey got a haircut...fun to hear her tell about it...ha!

She took this picture of her family...

Miss Emma sleeping, while we...

shopped.

-and last but not least,...Emma woke up smiling!!!!

Bailey spelling her name....poor quality light and sound, sorry! Grandpa asked her if she wants him to go shopping with her, she was polite and answered "yes"...he had previously asked her the same question to which she replied..."oh no." (our laugh for the day)

Chelsea's first Mother's Day

After church today Chelsea, Brant & Bryden went to lunch with us ...Happy First Mother's Day, Chelsea!! Starting to feel those teeth coming in more and more...

Changed clothes...later in the day....I love this hat!!!

After putting on a bib for new solid food meals...

Happy Mother's Day Chels!!!

Day before, took him to see Larry's mom in the nursing home...Bryden's great-grandmother Irene. (Don't know why pic is so small...taken from my cell phone)

Mother's Day Weekend

My favorite Mother's Day blessings.....


COOPER BRYDEN


BAILEY

EMMA

Everyday I'm grateful for these little guys and thank God for them. I wish so much that my mother was here to watch them grow....she would have loved that! Who knew we'd have these 4 sweet little faces in our lives so soon after she was gone. The legacy that she left was building such great love for family....

~
New pictures from Mike and Lori...most of the sisters~Love this one of Bailey because she has a bow in her hair!!!

Bailey is really so good with Emma.

Oooops! This must have been a few minutes later after falling asleep...ha!

So careful...

(((hugs!)))

Color coordinated!!!

This made me laugh!!! Note the change in Bailey's expression while Mom is so calm....Emma's cry is too cute.

So sweet!!!

BRYDEN

Five months old this week....smiles so easily now...rolls over, plays with toys and holds things!