The Journey Continues

The journey really does continue. Just wanted to let you know this site has continued/moved as well! Anything I post from now on will be at www.theadventurecontinued.blogspot.com. It is mostly still pictures:-) and a few verbal updates on what has been going on!

The Rest July and some of August.

The trip to the Northeast was the last in the line-up and I have been home since. Did some catching up with school and finished my summer semester by July 31. What a relief! This Fall I will be taking a Health Assessment class which includes a lot of the reasons I want to be a CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist) vs a NP (Nurse Practitioner so that will be a bit of a challenge. It includes 12o clinical hours which a doctor at church has graciously agreed to do with me! I actually created a website discussing the differences in the roles. The CNS has much more of a teaching and hospital based emphasis - http://cnsandnpdebate.weebly.com/. I am just going to have to power through. Speaking of websites though if you have not seen Abigail and Olivia lately you should check out the photos on Lynn's site at http://thecaliforniasmiths.blogspot.com/!
I plan on working at KU again in the learning lab and this time I will be teaching health assessment techniques to bachelors nursing students. Hopefully the two classes will compliment each other! Until then I am just enjoying the summer. Some of the past few weeks highlights were:Having dinner with Dee and Cheryl and playing with their precious ones (Adam above being some sort of monster) Emma and Riley!



Baseball games with the Royals and White Sox - the last of this season for those two at home!
Canoeing at Shawnee Mission Park with Adam's friend from work whose name is Adam and his wife Laura
The Fray concert - Adam took me for a surprise date. (AKA I like them and he was making me happy by taking me:-) )
Yolanda coming in town. Sarah broke her foot so she wasn't able to make it. We went to the zoo, made whiskey cake from the whiskey Adam had received as a groomsman gift at the wedding, went to Theater in the Park and saw the wedding singer (we don't recommend it), and a tour of the local brewery - Boulevard Brewery!


Dinner out to celebrate the end of the semester. Sushi, yes I am one of those pseudo vegetarians that loves sushi!
And then for my birthday weekend we went to Oceans of Fun which is a water park and had a blast. Afterwards Adam cooked me dinner - a recipe that his brother created. Yummy again!




And since I am working nights I will leave you with a 1/2 and 1/2 tower taken at Perkins. I have been working a lot of nights lately so we have been eating breakfast for dinner...My favorite meal!

Home Sweet Home

So it was home again to work over 4th of July and write a few papers (are we seeing a pattern here?) and then off to Adam's home sweet home - Pennsylvania! We started in Philadelphia with his brother. Adam is above with his brother's cat. I made everyone take a picture in front of the Liberty Bell:-) We visited Independence Hall and some of the historic buildings around Philadelphia. One of the most interesting, and a bit strange was magic garden which was created by an independent artist over years with pieces of pottery, glass clay, wood etc. (http://www.phillymagicgardens.org/about/general-information) The mosaic took incredible patience and a little bit of insanity! From there we went to a Phillies b-ball game. They didn't win but the stadium was packed! While we were there Adam's brother created a NINE course brunch for us which was delicious. He is a chef so had thought of some crazy wonderful creations like salmon and bulgar wheat sushi, carrot sausage, french toast bread pudding with almonds and black cherries, toasted white chocolate, fruit with bee pollen and tarragon....I could go on but needless to say it was wonderful! Rob lives near the famous 'Rocky' steps and although we did not have time to go to the art museum, we walked around the outside and got a great view of I think Main St.









We took the train from Phillie and traveled to Hershey where Adam's parents live. We went to Chocolate World of course complete with singing cows saying how sweet the milk is, we road rides at Hershey Park, walked around a butterfly house, visited with his family and spent some time at Hershey Hotel. I am not sure that I could ever afford to stay there but it was beautiful!





The view from Hershey Hotel!

From there we took Adam's parent's car to Ithica, NY to attend a wedding of one of Adam's good friends from college. The drive was so pretty and reminded me a lot of Nashville with the rolling hills. Adams friends were so fun and welcoming and I had a great time seeing the campus where he studied and getting to visit some of the gorges that Ithica is famous for. We enjoyed beautiful sunsets and stayed with Adam's friend Joey who is a southern boy who has been up north for the past 8 years. He made me feel right at home with his accent and we were able to run some of the trails while Adam was hanging out with the guys. They played Wiffle Ball at the reception and Adam and I danced. I still love to dance!

Colorado Reunion 2009

After Nashville it was back to KC for a few days to write some papers and work. Then off to the Reno Family reunion. I flew to Denver and then took the 4 hour fabulous drive over the mountains to Gunnison. I came at the beginning of the reunion to catch as many Renos as I could. There were a ton of kids of course, lots of game playing and walks in the cool mountain air. One of the highlights was a day at the Blue Mesa Reservoir. All of the kids had fun paddling around in the rafts that Ter Bear had bought. It was another great trip, too short, but great to see the crew all together again!

Nashville Summer 2009

I went home to work at the VA and then was on the road again....this time to Nashville. Mom was in Nashville for a bit to visit with her mom so I went for a few days to see her again and visit some friends. Betsie, Stephanie, Becky, Emily Ann, Vanette, Mau Mau, Aunt Leslie, Melissa.....to name a few. Melissa who is Marcelle's sister spent the summer taking care of our Mau Mau and did a great job! Mau Mau is 93 and the most lovely resident of Richland Place!




When I came back from Nashville Adam had lunch ready for me. And then an evening out shopping!

The Rest of Califonia Summer 2009

We spent the night after the winery at my grandparents and then headed the next day to Point Reyes National Seashore, only one of my favorite places in the world. We again had a clear, sunny day, saw and smelled lots of sea lions and visited the light house. Adam and I braved the cold water but only for a few moments before getting out to lay in the sun!





Adam had to get back to work and I stayed in California with the family. I spent time at the grandparents and we celebrated their wedding anniversary with chocolate ice cream, only their favorite food in the world!



It was good to get to spend more time with the Smiths, Gail and my mom. Abigail is a ton of fun and definitely has a personality all of her own! We got to visit with Abigail and Mary Jane who have moved to Sacramento. We sure do miss them! The Kibres and Aunt Helen and Uncle Norm also came to visit which was so fun!







I started online summer classes while I was in CA which was interesting. I have sworn off summer classes but I am not sure that I will be able to actually keep that promise to myself:-) I do want to finish school sometime.

On to the Winery

After visiting with my family Adam and I headed to Napa Valley/Sonoma to check out a winery. You can see that Olivia was not happy to see us go - (I love this picture!). We again had beautiful weather and good food. They fried lemons to put on our lemon and shrimp pizza. Yummy again! We brought a bottle home to share with our friends Molly and Adam.

California Dreaming

With the semester over it was time for me to head to California to see my family. There was a new addition making it especially crucial -Olivia Smith was born the end of May and is a precious addition. Gail was finishing her first year at college which was more of a challenge since she broke her foot/ankle in a trampolining accident. Her friends had been a great help getting around campus and even bought a carrier so they could bike her to go with them. Gail also has a significant other in her life right now - Ben. I thought he might be interested the way he acted when I visited in January and I was right. He has been a great source of friendship and support for Gail and we like him!































Adam come to meet my family for the first time and since my mom was in town to meet Olivia it was great to have everyone in the same place (minus dad) for a little bit! Abigail really missed her Nanni ( my mom) after having a constant playmate for a month. I know the feeling was mutual. We spend an afternoon at the park and just hauled Gail there in the little red wagon!


















Meet Olivia!
Dad had read about the world's best Barbecue place that was located in Oakland, CA. Adam and I picked it up on the way back from San Fran. I passed on the meat but it was a hit with the rest of the clan!
The three girls were happy to be together and to have our mommy in the country!
The whole clan minus mom who could not stop taking pictures:-)
Gail and her newly found mothering skills. It has been great for her to live so close to Lynn and the grandparents. Currently (August 2009) she is in Bangladesh visiting my parents but she spent the beginning of the summer helping Lynn and the grandparents. There was still a lot of recovering to be done to recuperate her foot.









































Adam and I spent a night with my cousin in San Fran. We went running on the beach in the morning and ate clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls at Fisherman's Warf. It was a beautiful day to be on the Golden Gate Bridge and you could see everything in the city. It was wonderful to get to see my cousin. Lots of things have changed for her life as well and we did a lot of talking! She still loves being in San Francisco!


I love my cousin!


Adam and I visited Ghiredelli Square and had one of the best fruit sundaes every created. We sure do like to eat


I often am asked questions about Adam. One of the most frequent is " Is he really mature?" I guess because he is younger than me and I have had some different life experiences it is a question so yes he is mature but I also taught him the fish face above:-) We are in a serious relationship and prayerfully considering the future. There are many questions, uncertainties and unknowns but we do know that we love being together. We make each other laugh and are able to cry and rejoice with one another. It is another part of the journey. It is a bit more complicated having been married before but has been a blessing! If you are still praying for me, you can add prayers about our future to the list!

Golf Tournament and More Visitors

To kick off the spring we made the inaugural trip to the lake. It was Adam's first time on a boat and skiing. Adam's best friend from High School and before came in town and we were able to teach both how to ski! The Millers are so generous to let us come with them on the boat and jet skis which we all love. Molly even let Adam take her out on the jet skis which are able to go 60+ miles an hour!

Mike learned how to ski and although I don't have any pictures of Mike or Adam up on skis it did happen. My camera battery stopped working but I will get some later in the summer!

We went bowling one night and I am yet to break 100. Adam and Mike on the other hand had no problem with that. I did plenty of kidding since they showed up in matching colored shirts. Ends up they both had picked out the same color and neither wanted to change:-)
For the end of my semester Adam and I went out to dinner. It was a different kind of semester as I learned to juggle work and school and I was quite glad that it was over. Summer school was right around the corner!
May also brought great kite weather. We did as many outdoor activities as possible with the kids in addition to tutoring since they were all restless. The program is as much about relationship building as it is about studies.
This year's golf tournament was on Will's birthday. It was a beautiful, cool day to be on the golf course. What a contrast to last year with the 100 degree heat. We work jackets and long pants. You can see some of our awesome swings:-) Emily Ann being a faithful friend came in for her fourth annual tournament. I would like to say that we were better this year but we continue to fight for our consistent last place award. Karilee was our fourth player and she had the best form. Rarely could we get the ball to go where we wanted. There was a lot of laughing and a lot of just picking up the ball and walking!




Was a great day! Two thumbs up!!
Since all of the Renos had come in town for Will's birthday, death anniversary and golf tournament we decided to head to see a Royals game. The White Sox were not playing this time but Adam just loves to watch baseball and I love to be outside with people so it was a good match!
Here are most of the nieces and nephews. I think I have 18 now and there has not been an addition for a while on the Reno side. My sister Lynn though has added one to the Smith/Schroeder/Reno clan who you will see later!
For Memorial Day weekend Adam and I headed downtown to crown center for bluegrass music, a light show and fireworks! They were so beautiful and great music. The KC symphony played the 1812 overture and used real cannons for the sixteen cannon shots. They were really cool if you can make out the shape of the one Adam is sitting on.

Visitors and Home Maintainence

April and May brought lots of fun visitors to Kansas City. First was my best friend from college Becky/Rebekah, who of course we had to take to play Lazar tag. The place was located near the caves in Missouri. Adam got the high score mostly but once I lucked out. Either way we all had a blast!

Adam plays the violin in the civic orchestra in Kansas City and had a concert while Becky was here so she was able to hear him play. My sister-in-law Susie also was able to come so it made for a fun Sunday afternoon outing. Becky came to tutoring with me which was a great help as she could just listen to the girls read. We mainly just hung out and ate some good gluten free food but in true college fashion we dyed Becky's hair and cut it. I love dying hair! We went one evening to Skies which is the rotating restaurant in Kansas City. It was night by the time we took this picture so you will just have to believe that it has a great view!
In between visits Adam took me to a Mongolian barbecue place near KU. It is a smaller scale version of BD's but was just good food:-)
Shortly after Becky came, Adam's parents Liz and Bob came in from Pennsylvania. They live in Hershey AKA chocolate town. We went to my first Indy car race and though I did have to wear ear plugs I thought it was really fun!

We took an afternoon to walk around Powell Gardens in Missouri. There were beautiful birds, orchids and trails to spend the day just walking. I love birds and Adam loves orchids so it was a good way to share the day with his parents. We cooked cheese fondue one night with the fondue pot Adam got for Christmas. It turned out delicious and we have used the pot several times since to make chocolate covered strawberries. Yummy!


In between visitors a lot of time was spent writing papers for school and doing various odd jobs around the house. Adam and I painted the room upstairs that had a huge tree painted on the walls and I learned that pressure washing a deck and fence is for someone much stronger than me! Man was a I sore. I ended up paying someone to repaint the trim, stain the deck and fence, fix wood rot and then I was ready to put the house on the market with a Realtor. Currently Prudential is managing the sales and I am just waiting for someone to buy my house. I would like to stay in Kansas City but move out of the suburbs to more downtown where many of my activities are. I have 2 or more years left at school and I would like to finish that before moving to another city but who knows what life will bring! Adam and I have found out that we enjoy running together. Below is a picture of us at a Jay Doc (KU med center) race to benefit their free clinic. While Adam's parents were here we ran a 4 mile race and this was a 3 mile which Adam ran really well in both. I feel blessed to have such a great guy in my life and be able to share so many interests with one another!
One of Adam's main interests revolves around baseball. The White Sox are his team and they were frequently in Kansas City allowing us plenty of baseball time. I still know little to nothing about baseball but enjoy the game, I enjoy it most if we are able to sit close to the field!
For the end of the year party where I tutor two 2cnd gradersm we took our kids to the children's petting zoo near Olathe. They were hilarious with all of the animals! Scared and excited, I think we ran the whole time!

May brought some cool weather and a great time to prepare for the Annual Will Reno memorial golf tournament. I cut my hair to surprise Adam (I now have had 2 serious relationships, marriage with Will and now Adam where the guys prefer short hair, go figure:-) and then we spent the evening shooting golf balls at the driving range. Adam was able to hit it 12xs as far as me but neither of us with any sort of direction!It was a fun time and made us as prepared as we were going to be for the golf tournament!

Through Easter

So if you are continuing to check this blog it means I probably just told you that I updated it or you are forever optimistic that I would get around to it! I remember an old friend used to have a round shaped hot pad that said "Round Tuit" and it was so she could do all the things she said that she would do when she got a 'round tuit.' Maybe I need one of those now!
After Spring Break we all headed back to Kansas City. A late snow met us not too long after we returned. It was warm so Adam and I took advantage of it and went out for a Sunday afternoon walk. There was steam coming off the ground and snow melting all around. Above is one of my favorite pictures of Adam in front of one of the many bridges on the trails behind my house. Through the semester we continued to go to the shelter once a month for Saturday morning recreation and just play with the kids. We had some regular helpers like Abby and Mary Jane below....



The kids love when you pay special attention to them. Adam was teaching a few of the little girls how to hit the pool balls and you could just see there faces light up from the individual positive attention this grown-up guy was giving them!
Kalie below works full-time at the mission. I have been tutoring there once a week and have found her a joy to be around and serve with.


For Easter Adam and I decided to have some friends over for brunch after Church. We made his family tradition of nut and poppy seed rolls which was labor intensive but beautiful when finished! Everyone brought something for brunch and I was able to get people to color Easter eggs with me!


Mary Jane may be interested in the eggs more next year!

Another one of Adam and my cooking explorations was homemade pizza, we don't cook often but think it turns out pretty good when we do:-)
Since I have traveled back and forth to Indian we decided to have an Indian food night at my house where we made dahl and rice, chicken curry, vegetable curry, cucumber salad and of course rice. Here are some of our friends John and Katy who will have to come next time since they love Indian food!
Tom and Elly were able to make it before moving to Chicago. We miss you guys!

Molly and Adam and then Crick and Kim. Molly and Adam are still her but Crick and Kim are starting a residency at Wake Forest.

Rosho Gula to round out the evening with dessert. I was the only one who ate with my hands but we all sat on the floor. Made for a fun evening. Even John and Linda thought the food was tasty! Crick tried to put on a Lungie and I let him keep it to use at home.

Spring break!!

Since I have returned to school I was able to go on Spring Break this year! It was great! Karilee and I went on Thursday to CO Springs and were able to visit with Will's oldest brother Ron and his family and spend some time at Focus on the Family where Ron works. It was really meaningful to get to meet people who had prayed for Will and I and those who are continuing to pray for us. Adam met us the next day and we drove to Denver to meet up with some of his Cornell buddies. We had a yummy meal at the Cheesecake factory before heading out to the mountains to see Gail and Terri and their families! We spent the next day just hanging out with the McCrerys and Dillinghams and their nine kids. There is always something to do! We went to the hot springs and enjoyed the natural hot tub:-)
The next day Adam, Karilee, and I drove to Monarch ski resort to try our hand at snow sports. It was Adam and Karilee's first time in a long time to ski so I decided to try skiing for the first time in 12 years. I have been snowboarding for a long time I guess! They did great and Adam was ready to head to the green slopes after an hour which was OK with me. We were on blues by the end of the day. I think he had the skiing bug bite him while we were there which means there might be another trip next year!

We left a day early because of the predicted snow. Ends up they did get 2-4 inches which since we had a V-4 Mazda we would not have made it over the pass. It again was a great time to spend with family and friends and I am looking forward to the crew coming out in May!!

Valentines Day

In February the snow continued to fall, although we have had a more mild winter than I have ever experienced in KC, and my best friend Betsie came from Nashville to see me! We cooked Valentine's Dinner together and used my Mau Mau's china for the first time since I moved to KC which was really special. The crystal makes everything look fancy! Adam played in a concert and it was beautiful! He is a talented violin player (among other instruments) and it is a joy to hear him play. We met friends on Friday to have dinner and drinks at Sky's restaurant which rotates and is a great way to watch Kansas City go by!

Transition again into KC

In January I returned to KC to start my semester. I continued to work part-time at the VA and I started a new position at KU as a teaching assistant to bachelors nursing students in the learning lab. Adam and Molly Dixon and Adam S. continue to be special friends and we are able to just have fun with one another. A friend from work Cheryl had her baby and Jessica and I have loved getting to know Emma June!


Karilee's brother Brian (who was Will's best friend) came in town with his twins and we had fun playing with them!

Adam's company Garmin had a winter formal which felt like going to Prom again and we had a good time getting dressed up and watching all the others who seemed to take this formal thing very seriously! Kim (in picture underneath to the right of me) went to cooking school in Spain and blessed us by making some yummy Paella that she had learned to cook while she was there. I have discovered I am more of a pescaterian then a vegetarian...I do love fish!





















City Union Mission continues to be a great place to partner with and be blessed by kids at the shelter and the youth center. As you can see it is not a very serious time
:-) but instead we are able to bless and be blessed! January was full of transitions, some of which I continue to adjust to and learn more about how God grace really is sufficient for today!

January 2009

Most of the rest of January was spent in California. I was able to visit with my cousin, friends from my first job at the VA, experience Davis with Gail and eat at the Crepe house, spend time on the beach, skiing at Tahoe, sledding near Tahoe, playing games, football and just being together!

The December of change 2008

In December my dad came to visit in the first of the month. It was great just to be able to do work around the house and have nice dinners. The leaves fell off the trees and we had our first snow! I am not sure that I will ever get used to the fact that everyone drives in the snow. Here is a picture of the VA on one of those days.





Times at the mission have remained an important and meaningful part of life in Kansas City as well as time with friends. Molly and Adam Dixon, and a new friend Adam and I took as much advantage of the cold weather as we were able. I think Adam D. was trying to do an aerial in this picture. Christmas in KC really is a great time to enjoy the city!

With my parents still being in the country I then headed off to CA to spend the Holidays with the family. I had just found out that I was accepted into Graduate School at the University of Kansas (KU) to study to get my masters in Nursing. I consequently went part-time/PRN at the VA which enabled me to spend 3 weeks in CA. As you can see Santa came to visit, Lynn is expecting her second baby, (its a girl) and it was just really wonderful to all be together. Gail is loving her time at Davis and becoming quite the special young lady and Abigail is getting so big!

October and November 2008

So I just realized it has been a while since I updated this blog so I figured more of a pictorial update would give a quick 'rundown' (as they say in The Office) of what life has been like. In the summer, after participating in a mission trip to Yakama Washington a desire was put in my heart to help those who live closer to my geographical region. I was struck with the reality that you did not have to go far to find people who were hurting and in need. I have had the privilege since sometime in September/October to partner with the City Union Mission in tutoring with children in the community and recreation on Saturdays with kids in the shelter.


It has been rewarding and just fun!

Fall around Kansas is a beautiful time to enjoy the weather and the trees. Around the same time as starting at the mission Karilee moved into the upstairs of my house. She is the little sister of Will's best friend Brian who had taught him how to fly an airplane. This has been an enjoyable albeit at times difficult transition. I thought I would be married so having a roommate just is a new thought but she is so sweet and it has worked out great! Here I am trying to teach Karilee how to use chopsticks:-)


At the end of October Molly (red hair, Abigail, (one with the baby), and Mary Jane (the baby) took a trip to South Carolina. It was a great time just to relax and be with the girls! We had some stormy weather but enjoyed good time on the beach just relaxing and eating some great seafood. Abigail's family was so kind to let us stay at her place and showed us real southern hospitality!








At the end of November Will's family came for their yearly Thanksgiving trip to Kansas City. There were almost 30 of us in the house making it loud and really a wonderful time to be thankful. I still miss Will all the time. I think that will always be a part of who I am.

Nashville in October

October was a sweet month filled with spending time with family and those who are just like family. Lynn, Abigail, Mom, Dad, and I met in Nashville for Community Bible Church's annual missions conference. Gail was missed as she had to stay in school! We stayed at a close friend house and were able to just hang out. It was the first time many people had see Abigail and she put on the charm!

The Searles had a new edition, Tegan had little Gavin (Stephanie will have to tell me if I got the spelling right) but he looks like he could be in a Gerber commercial! Precious!

I got some play time and smiles!





Abigail was thrilled to be staying at Emily Ann's mom's where Ginger (the dog) lived during the day. It was a highlight of her day to be able to pet and feed the dog. A highlight of my day, besides seeing all of the precious people, was to get to drive the rental car.We all had a blast riding with top down!

Coincidentally and luckily the weekend we were in town was my high school homecoming football game. My cousin was playing in his senior game so we took Mau Mau and watched #44 work his magic. I was able to see people I hadn't seen in 6 years. The track team was an important part of my high school life and I was excited to see the girls on my 4x800 team and one has two kids now. My how life does keep going!

People were so generous to open their homes but sometimes Abigail and Lynn just needed to hide a bit from the crowds:)

Mom was in charge of speaking at the women's brunch and did a great job with a slide show and power point presentation to communicate what she is doing in Bangladesh.

Miss Ruby is one of our dear friends in Nashville. It is truly a joy to be able to sit and talk with her sister and her and hear the tales of their childhood and nursing experiences. If I am half as spry and encouraging as Miss Ruby is when I am in my 90s I will be one happy chick. I guess add my Mau Mau to that list of 1/2 as well as someone is in their 90s. She was a champion and just jumped into whatever we were doing at the time!
Mom's good friends from college Barb and Natalie came for the missions conference to hear her speak. It was good to have the support of so many who have been praying for us all though the years.

This is one of my favorite photos with Mrs. Haver and Mau Mau and then below with Mrs. Ramer. We stayed in Mrs. Ramer's house since she is living in an Altzimers home in Nashville. I don't understand why God has us all age so differently. It was great to be able just to sit and go through some photo albums together.

Cousin Melissa came and of course Abigail chose the 2 1/2 year old favorite toy to play with- the brown box filled with peanuts for packing. Abigail's laugh makes everyone else smile:)


Abigail at the International Market learning how to use chopsticks. She was quite proud of herself!
Mau Mau recently moved to a different apartment where she could have a bit more help if needed. It has worked out really well with most all of the staff being very helpful and kind. I was looking around her place one day thinking "this is about the size of house that I would like to be responsible for cleaning." It is a beautiful facility and comforting to know Mau Mau is being well taken care of. Abigail liked it because there were always plenty of crackers for her to eat!




Abigail liked to 'help' Mau Mau walk. Some friends that had been displaced by hurricane Katrina came to visit. Fran has been a friend of my Aunt's and it is great to have her living in Nashville now. Abigail loved playing with her grand kids the twins and as you can tell we just had wonderful weather.

Always wonderful to spend time with Emily Ann and my roomie from college Becky!

A really special treat was getting to have dinner with Gretch and meet her husband. I felt like we were able to be open and maybe that is a part of having history with one another. It was a sweet time to get to sit and share what life is teaching us in this season.

Stephanie and me in the good old 'camera on top of the other car in the parking lot' shot. You know what I am talking about!
Then it was time to go. Abigail carried her own suitcase like a grown up. Mom and I spent the morning with MauMau and then grabbed some breakfast at a place where you could have gigantic pickles with breakfast. What more could you want! In this season to be thankful I can say that I am most thankful for my family and friends who continue to walk with me and beside me on this journey.

Sun, Sand, and Family

September brought the beginnings of travel. On the 18th I headed out to California to spend two weeks with my family. Gail was accepted to UC Davis and this was a chance to get to see the beginnings of her life there. We took family photos before she left with all 4 generations and those are what I started these pictures off with.

Here is the college girl and Abigail who we adore! She knows all of our names, knows what she wants and loves to be tickled by her Aunts who pretend like they are the infamous 'Crusher'. We love to make Abigail laugh:)

The 'Crusher' in action!!

Since Will died I feel as though I am a bit back in the family that I grew up in, different last name, different person in some ways, widowed now, but back in the flock in a sense. We decided to take a few pictures of the 4 of us and below are some of  what we got! 

We spent the Sunday before Gail moved into college at my sister's church. Below is my sweet niece. She looks cute in he Sunday dress and cute teaching the raccoons how to go to the potty like she was learning. 

Here are the three sisters before we made the trek to drop Gail off at college. The next step for her new 'American' adult life. 

University of California in Davis (UC Davis) is in a town called Davis near Sacramento. The sky is nearly always blue and the grass green due to irrigation. Gail's dorm is a remodeled motel with a middle courtyard equipped with laundry, computer rooms, and of course the college essential - a hot tub and pool! Blow are just some assorted family photos of our campus invasion. Even the grandparents came on one trip making it really a special time! 

Below is our family and the Jessica's (Gail's roommate) family. They are town nearby Lynn and although Gail and Jessica are very different (ex. Jess is not into sports) she has been a great roommate for Gail and a sweet friend. 

Gail and Jess are below. They share a bedroom and a sink with each other and a bathroom and living room with two other girls. Davis is a very culturally diverse college making Gail feel right at home! We lofted Gail's bed to let her have more room. None of us could believe we were actually moving the baby into college!

Abigail playing in the pool. She thinks college is great!

We had lunch at an Indian/Nepali place. We all enjoyed the curries and lots of good spices.

My Grandma had her 84th birthday while we were visiting! Lynn came in and we went out for lunch with a wonderful family friend, Kathy Dean, who brought her 1940s car named Milly to transport us to lunch. It was a beautiful day in CA to ride with the top down and just celebrate my Grandma's life. 

Of course there was plenty of chocolate cake for lunch....

.......and dinner!!!

This is what my dad calls a Will picture ~ taken with one person's arm stretched out. He never understood how Will could take such good photos with one arm:) 

Another highlight of the trip was getting to spend a day in the city with Marcelle. There were beautiful sunsets and just a gorgeous day to lay in the park, eat sour frozen yogurt, and talk about life. 

We ended up at the beach across from where we used to live and just enjoyed the view and each other. I really had a fantastic day getting to be with my cousin. I am thankful for my family.

After Gail was moved in I kind of enjoyed being the only kid for little bit. Mom, Dad, I spent time just messing around Novato where my grandparents live eating breakfast and spending time around the house. 

We took the ferry into the city and just acted like tourists all day. We started off a Fisherman's Wharf eating clam chowder in sourdough bowls and then headed off to Lombard street to walk up the most crooked street in the USA.

It was another beautiful day full of sunshine and lots of walking which my dad was a good sport about. We enjoyed some treats at Ghiradelli Square and then kept on walking:0 

We ate some delicious sushi in the city and established that I really am a pescatarian vs a vegetarian. 

After two weeks in San Fran it was time to head back to Kansas City for a week of work before heading to have some more family time. 

Putting and Skiing

After returning from Branson our good friend from Nashville Emily Ann came in to play in our Willis P memorial golf tournament. It was a hot day, a really hot day but tons of fun. Molly and Adam came out with all the Renos and friends. Mom, Gail, Emily Ann, and I were on a team and we were terrible but it didn't matter because it was a great day to be outside and to be together!

Look at that swing!

Did I say that it was hot!

The next day a good friend at work had a baby girl named Emma June. She is absolutely beautiful and healthy. Her big brother Riley is a proud sibling!

That afternoon was my 26th birthday and everyone came to the Gardner water park to celebrate. We had dinner and played which made for a great birthday. I of course wish Will was here to celebrate with us. Some of the sweet girls game me a rock star 'build-a-bear' complete with gold shoes and embroidered jeans. 

That Sunday was spent on the lake reminding Gail, Emily Ann, and Mom how to ski. Below is the crew at the Miller's lake home. 

Mom and Gail were here for almost two weeks and it was a blast. Shortly after they left I had an intruder in the garage who was not scared of me at all. The neighbors got involved and we chased him into the engine of Will's truck. We had to put the truck in neutral and back it out of the garage. Still we could not get the pesky possum out so my next door neighbor was kind enough to scoop him up with a snow shovel and throw the possum into the lawn. I was glad to see him go!

One morning I was watering the plants and there were three of these in the backyard. What a beautiful sight to wake up to! August quickly floated into September and before I knew it fall was on its way, my house is on the market, and I am in California to visit the folks!