Kay's Seattle family

At home, Kay has been surrounded by her family (Kara was in the State of Washington at this time, high in the sky on a Delta flight).  Kay enjoyed her grandsons being on the bed when she had a bit of energy, but they spent most of the time downstairs with toys.

Gareth is growing fast!  His face is very expressive.  He enjoys furrowing his brow in the cutest way.  He is content.

Yuri is clearly taller since Christmas, with beautiful hair and eyes.  I am understanding much of what he says, and it is so polite and interesting.

He enjoys conducting, as countless videos prove.  I used to do this by the hour, but did not know about the baton.  One cannot consider conducting unless there is a platform.

Alyssa's Birthday, January 28, 2013

Vivian and Stephen came over to join us for a Thai food birthday supper at Alyssa's.  They arrived looking party-ready!  I noticed Yuri looked at them quite intently for a while after they arrived.  He had been unable to nap that afternoon, given his excitement over having selected the cup cakes, balloon, and a monkey-game gift when we went shopping that morning, and, knowing Vivian and Stephen were going to come.  He jumped out of bed after only fifteen minutes to announce very brightly, "I had a good nap"!

A brief visit to Goshen and Jackson

Janice and I enjoyed a very brief visit with Mother, Don, Rachel, Evelyn, Alan and Eleanor, and the Linds this past week.  The after-lunch photo is hardly flattering, yet it is very natural.  It was good seeing Mother and Rachel looking well. 

On the way to the Detroit airport, we stopped in Jackson to visit with Frank and Lori.  We spent some time in their jewelry shop.  Customers came in, despite the unexpected dump of 5 inches of snow.  We drove during several whiteouts, which was no fun (or the wrong kind of fun).  Again, I took only one photo, but the food was delicious:  salmon done in a lovely mustard sauce freshly made, and stir fry veggies of all sorts.  The rich vegan pie came later.

'Tis the season to be jolly with family in Seattle

Kay and I, along with Evan and Janice, got to have our extended families gather together in our home this year on Thursday evening, December 27.  We happily anticipate this is the first of many future ones to come!  This was the first year that Aaron and Julia visited in our home in Seattle, and the first Christmas season gathering for Gareth who clearly enjoyed spending a little quality time with each one of us. 

Photos from Mike and Michelle in Florida

[When Frank showed me these photos, I asked that they be sent to us to be shared on 'We Five Brothers'.  Mike kindly sent them to me, with the accompanying note:]

Greetings,

Dad had asked if I could forward you some pics for the site. Hope these will do. They were taken 3 weeks ago here at our place. Hope you two had a nice visit with the rounds to your family and friends. Things are doing great here with all of us as I'm sure you have heard all the updates with our lives. Although I will admit I am sprouting white hair up top!! I blame the kids! Hope all is well.

Mike

 

Kara and Nick visit Seattle

We enjoyed meeting Kara and Nick in Seattle, catching Nick on his last full day there.  We met at Paul and Kay's, seeing Yuri and Gareth as well.  Then the four of us went out to eat at Ray's Boathouse on the water.  The food was great (tuna, salmon, scallops, etc.) and the corner window absolutely picturesque. We watched young people paddle boarding as the sun set behind clouds which promised some badly-needed rain.

Sadly, I forgot to take my camera to Alyssa's and Bill's place Saturday when the clan gathered to enjoy three of Paul's delicious pizzas, each having two pieces specially made in accordance with his healthy diet.  The rest of us gayly added potato chips to our plates.  Dessert consisted of lots of juicy watermelon, an entire flat of raspberries and I forget what else.  I always enjoy those informal family gatherings at their place, seeing Yuri somehow being lured upstairs for his bath/book/bed routine at about 6:30.

With Stephen's mother's visit in several weeks, there was a special urgency to get the main floor in shape.  The guest room was nicely furnished with a new bed and adjoining bathroom.  The plumber will soon install the shower fixtures, but the toilet and sink were operational.  Stephen and Vivian installed the remaining kitchen cupboards, primarily the ones which hang on the wall, and then did the electrical work on the dishwasher, kitchen disposal, and electric stove.  The fridge was already in place and operational. 

On Sunday, Kara joined us at Vivian's and Stephen's house for an afternoon of work.  She and Janice cleaned/mopped/washed the dining and living rooms which had just been cleared of doors, boards, boxes, tool chests and the like for the first time in memory.  Kara also used the power sander on one of the trim boards and then, with Vivian's guidance, operated the power nailer.  Janice and I also washed the leaded windows inside and out, something I had wanted to do ever since I first saw them.  Since some windows could be reached only by using an extension ladder, it was surely the first time they had been cleaned in decades.  By about 6:00, the five of us closed shop, put all the tools in their places, and trotted off for a delicious meal at a local Ethiopian Mom-n-Pop restaurant.  When we learned that it was cash only, four of us had to empty our pockets while Janice smugly sat and watched . . . she had fortuitously left her purse back at the house and consequently got a free meal!

Goshen Reunion

Last Wednesday I left Bayside at 5:30 AM to go to Goshen to visit Mother with Bruce soon to arrive. Many hours later exiting PA I entered 196 West Street into my GPS for a quick look at the places I remembered there.  Even though I was six or seven years old when we moved to Indiana I have some very vivid memories from those young days, roller skating around and around the furnace in the basement with the wringer washing machine off to the side during the winter and on the concrete driveway in warmer days, swinging on that wonderful swing, eating golden pears right off the tree and, probably my favorite, forever playing in the big sandbox building and shaping things sometimes needing a bucket of water.  There was also the time I got a book of Citizen's Bank matches from Grandpa with the caveat I only use them to light trash in the trash barrel.  I gathered all the trash from the wastebaskets, mostly kleenex, and put it in the barrel.  To light the trash I had to get up on and lean way into the barrel.  As you can imagine or even remember, the kleenex went up with a whoosh and I was without eyebrows for several weeks.

196 West Street

Grandpa's Farmhouse Next Door

The Stover Homestead

Grandpa and Grandma Kreider's Last Home

Old Citizen's Bank Building

I drove on after taking these shots finally stopping for the night south of Toledo.

I reached Goshen in ample time for lunch with Mother in the dining hall on Thursday.  It was so good to see her and know that she was well and her usual cheerful, engaging self.  That evening we were surprised when Bruce arrived.  We had been expecting him on Friday but he drove from Kansas straight through in one day!  That's way more than thirteen hours behind the wheel.

Friday we spent a little time rearranging the furniture in Mom's living room and took measurements of the window in order to buy a curtain rod for a future valance.  Bruce drove us over to Walmart to replenish some of Mom's supplies and to look for a curtain rod and valance.  We found a nice simple rod but there was no suitable valance so we headed for J.C. Penny in the Concord Mall first stopping for a nice lunch at the Bag Factory's Trolley Cafe.  As it turned out Penny's and another store we went into had nothing that would go well in he apartment either.   The rest of the day we chatted, had supper, met some folks we knew then played Upwords on Mother's kitchen table.

Saturday was a bit on the gloomy side so we didn't venture out until noon when we went to Das Dutch Essenhaus in Middlebury.  The countryside is so beautiful. It still speaks to me in ways I can't explain.  I had a "Manhattan Style" roast beef sandwich though I've never seen anything like it in Manhattan the past forty-two years.  It was good though and even had enough gravy for me!  In the afternoon we played some Rummycube with one of Mom's game mates, Dorothy, I think, who's funny and pleasingly feisty.

On Sunday Frank, Lori and Nick drove down to join us. After catching up for a while we went for buffet at the Ponderosa.  In the afternoon we trekked down to the game room where Mom taught Frank, Lori and Nick how to play Rummycube.  I you haven't played before, the games are short and addicting!  Nick was a quick study and had five wins under his belt in no time at all.  Each of us won at least once.  Toward evening it was time for the Jackson Kreiders to head back home.  Bruce, Mother and I had a final supper in the dining room after which we played just a few more games, then said goodnight and goodbye to Mother as Bruce and I would be heading homeward very early next day.  It was a wonderful time all around.  Frank, Lori and Nick's appearance really topped things off in such a nice way.  It felt so good to be surrounded by family!

Next Move

A Clean Slate - Game On!

Then...and Now

April 14 and April 21

The Big Reno

It appears that the two brothers are glad that they are not in charge of this project. The sister-in-law is imagining how great it will look when finished.
Here is an historic photo with the Ohio license plate, now replaced by a WA plate. In the background is the rear of the house, with the deck. You can see a bit of the old part on the left--the guest bedroom. Upstairs above the guest bedroom is a walk-in closet designed especially for midgets. I hope this helps you envision this BIG project, combining the old and the new.

Name the brother

Name the brother . . . .

"Whiter than snow, yes whiter than snow . . . ."

Grandma

I found this photo amongst some taken at our celebration of Grandma's 90th last May.

[and for the record . . . .]

Grandma the Librarian

Just before we left Goshen, we had yet another lovely visit with Grandma.  As we were leaving, she put on her Library Volunteer ID card and I thought it deserved a photo.