A Grand Forks Fourth

Ben and Linnea hosted a really wonderful July 4th Cookout--
I think once everyone had arrived--the count was 38 so that was a pretty good party-
Cheddar Brats
Hamburgers
chips, baked beans
delicious fruit salad
pasta salad
fruit pizzas
cookies
etc etc--all very good!
Of course I had my camera in my pocket but forgot to take pictures--But she did! SSo maybe she will post some. I did take 1. I meant to take more--but I did remember when we went to the river to see the big fireworks!

Linnea found a cd with patriotic instrumental--you know--Battle hymn of Republic. America the beautiful, Star Spangled Banner, Dixie, Camptown races, Swanee River(Is that patriotic?!--Well distinctly american anyway--)--she had it on repeat all evening in the house--She and I thought it was pretty cool--especially since she found it at Target for 25 cents on Thursday--that's right!
But Ben thought it was annoying...Hmmmmm....

Fireworks were at dusk--we got to the river around 10--and had to wait a bit for them to start--YEP--Dusk is pretty late here in the northlands.

Ben and Linnea enjoying the SHOW down by the river--

I think L to R is Sarah, David, and Abby Waldorf--from Faith Pres church

Grand Forks Fireworks on the Fourth Finale!!!...actually I missed some of the beginning--but you get the idea:-)

WooHoo! It was a great show.

PS. WE ALL AGREED WE MISSED BEING AT THE HARR'S!!! But we did the best we could! We miss you all.

going--gone

This has nothing to do with July 4th--But I love this picture Pat Eubanks took at the Salisbury zoo when she visited. Look at Bright's feet--I just love this--We were trying to get a picture of both of them by the little deer statue--and Krue just took off--into the little woods--and Bright is about to follow!

By the way--Hi Pat! Happy 4th of July!

Since Mae asked...

I was eventually going to post this...but now is a good time I guess--Yes, in the old mall right smack dab next to the church is a rock climbing wall--all kinds of metaphors would apply here :-)



And, Suzanne, sometime this spring they had to vacate the little upstairs room near K-mart (Fire marshal's orders) and were able to get this sweet spot. Behind the curtains at the front of the "sanctuary" is a little area with tables, shelves and a fridge-- and a restroom--so it is very nice.

This is the OLD mall in Grand Forks--and it has some interesting tenants--see below:

Across from the church is THIS little business--for some reason I was tickled--I've heard diversification is a good thing!

WHY North Dakota for 2 months!!!??? --Because we can!!

These 2 cuties are the main reason we came to North Dakota June 7. Yes, We have been here 3 weeks and this is my first post--Shame on me--Now that I have broken the ice--maybe there will be more. For the first week Hannah and Patrick were here too--double fun--


This picture of Ben and Linnea was taken after 10 pm--It's like we are in the land of the midnight sun--only not quite!

Below is another reason we are here--It is a little church plant--that has a very nice spot in the Old Grand Forks Mall--They have an elder that does lay preaching--but no pastor. Jason is preaching for them on Sunday mornings while we are here and doing a Sunday School study of Pilgrim's Progress--Probably more on this later.

Little Jason

Patrick put his glasses on Krue--pretty funny--to us anyway!

Bye Bye Birdie...

The last bird has flown.


Congratulations to Jared on his new house--He moved today.

(P.S. yes, it is weird knowing something has passed forever--I can't even find the words! -- maybe another day)

grandbabies

Pretty Baby, Pretty Baby

These are 2 little siblings whose mama has been hanging around the shop I work at. They need a home---or they may end up at the humane society.

There are 2 more but these two were caught today and are being handled and loved on alot so they will grow into FRIENDLY kitties. *smile*

On my way out the door to go home today I realized I could take their picture and post--and maybe somebody would KNOW somebody who wants a pretty Kitty.

Most who read this know who I am so give me a call and I'll give you the number for The Dusty Attic!

The second one is more fluffy than the other one.

Broom Hockey

I wish I had a picture or video of this to share, but I do not--because I was holding the broom and trying to sweep the crumbs on the dining room floor.

Bright has a little person sized broom--and in their pantry closet they had 2 swiffer things--so one day when I was straightening up a little--I took off one of the sections of the swiffer(to make it shorter for Bright) and put a wet paper towel on it for her to "help" me.

The last several times I have tried to sweep, Krue runs to the closet and gets out the short broom or swiffer to help me and I have to hurry to get the "mess" into the dustpan before he can get to it with his little broom (or mop)to "sweep" (more like push)and the pile of dirt and bits goes flying across the floor I just swept.

As I hurry--HE hurries and I try to out-maneuver him and our handles bang repeatedly into each other--like the "dirt" is a puck and we are battling it out with hockey sticks. I laugh every time.

ANYWAY--I wish I had a video.

Wow--New Youth rooms almost finished!

This is especially for the people we miss--People who are now living far away but close to our hearts and may think this exciting--or at least interesting!

Over a year ago--our church decided to build an addition on the farmhouse

for storage and a SR HI room--while they were at it they gutted the old back room to be a future JR HI room

It is nearly done--the floor is linoleum tiles and all I can say is

COOL BEANS!!




The Senior hi from 2 angles:

The jr. hi room from 2 angles
There is an adjacent new bathroom--Bright Blue--not done yet and a storage room and upstairs walk up attic storage.

Thank You Nancy!

My dear friend, Nancy, was a friend indeed today--She helped fill in a time gap watching my grandchildren.
Added Bonus!!! Nancy likes to take pictures with her fancy pants camera! These are so sweet!
Hudson is almost 2 weeks old--wow.

BROTHER SEE, BROTHER DO

We were at a Sarah Meadows gathering at the Townsends--and I saw "the brothers" whooping it up--they looked so cute laughing--I went to take a picture--of course they had stopped laughing by then--so I just parked there outside their conversation looking through the view finder waiting for them to laugh again--taking random pictures while they were talking--hoping they would turn in my direction and laugh again.

I never got the picture I was hoping for ...

BUT when I looked thru my pictures of that night to see which ones I wanted to delete--I realized something kind of funny happens when they talk to each other...

Yeah--they are definitely brothers.

do you see what i see?

ps i am a rotten picture taker:-(

LOVE at FIRST SIGHT

Monday Morning, Bright's grandparents (Nick and Martha) brought Bright home. She was so excited and happy. These pictures were taken those few first seconds Bright met Hudson.

Krue on the other hand didn't seem too impressed. He seems to like Hudson but isn't very interested yet. Actually this whole past week he has been unusually moody.

Bright acted just as excited and loving when Krue came home--and she was the age Krue is now--1 and 1/2 . Is it a girl thing?

(what she said is "I have a present for you")--she's holding it --a peepeeteepee--good grief--you are supposed to use it to cover little boys while changing their diaper--I think Martha sells them at her shop---What will they think of next?!

Hudson isn't this "tanned"--I was holding him and didn't want to blind him with the flash up close:-)

TA DA! (part 2)

HUDSON KNOX SHELTON

(more pictures tonight I hope)

TA-DA!

Born today--Friday April 4, 2008--3 o'clock in the afternoon

8 lbs. 2 oz.

21 inches

Sweet Little No Name Boy

Mother and Baby doing really great.

He has a fair amount of hair under that cap.

Beautiful skin.

When his eyes are open--reminds many of sister Bright.

Ears and Chin--all Jack--looks alot like brother Krue.

5 hours old

Daddy Jack and Sweet little no-name shelton:-)

Pops, Daddy, and sweet baby boy.

Happy Birthday Jamie Peipon

Grandma Cindy's Helpers

BRIGHT washing the dishes

KRUE "drying" the dishes

I AM CURIOUS...

If you go to the VERY bottom of my postings--there is a survey I have concocted because...

well, because I COULD! --

while freshening up my page look--I noticed I could add page elements--and this looked kind of fun--but I didn't know it would be on the very bottom--

A Ferry Nice Day

THE OTHER DAY--Mae and I were driving around--seeing the sites :-) and we planned to take the little ferry across the Wicomico river to go to Foggy Bottom--a shop of neat stuff--It was about 1:20 pm and the ferry had no line--but wait ...the ferry was closed--Aha! I have the ferry information number in my phone--since last year--"Ferry is closed due to high tides--2 hour delay"

So we drive all the way around---beautiful day for a drive!

THE VERY NEXT DAY--5 pm--as I leave work in Fruitland I think--I am sure if I take the ferry--I'll only be 5 minutes later getting home--(the ferry is in the opposite direction of my usual route--which is to go through town and around in lots of traffic!!) Beautiful day--quite breezy but just lovely-- Get to the ferry--NO CARS--This is great!...but wait...the ferry is closed !!!??? You couldn't have high tide at 1:30 one day and at 5 the next ? I call the number--(are you wondering why I don't call this number BEFORE I drive all the way to the ferry?? I was!)

Ferry closed due to high winds. The water was rough and even the ditches on the side of the road leading up were full of water--Made for a nervous 3 point turn to go all the way back and around to my usual route home--

This past Tuesday I thought as I left work--it is a beautiful day--I'll try the ferry--I'm no dummy--I called the ferry number first! (Gomer Pyle always said--Fool me once--shame on you--fool me twice--shame on me!--well--it took me 3 times to learn the lesson)

a long wait behind a dozen cars(the ferry holds 3 at a time) That's okay--something about being out on the water for just a minute or two--being carried along under blue skies--windows open--just a lovely place to be.