This and That

This is so much better than

that.

And it sets off our pink shower nicely...

Spiders

Garden spiders are all over the new place. After explaining to the kids that they are good for the garden, they became crazy protective of the one that made camp on our front porch the other day. Their dad is not allowed to relocate him.

But, he has nothing on the one that I did relocate at the Memphis house in 2009, so I can accept our new tenant.

Our Four

Yeah, that was a cute picture of the four of them earlier.
This is really more typical.

Back to School

And so it was, that on August 4th in Alabama, with temperatures forecasted in the high 90's, the crew headed back to school. The bus stop is the top of our drive, but you only see three here because Ben, as usual, was lagging a bit behind.

Home Again

And then it was time to board again and train for home.   

And, the skies were not as big and clear those last two days. 

And school was just a few days away...

Minnesota

And then we landed in Minnesota, to visit my parents.  I was immediately put to work picking blueberries.  It reminded me of the strawberry patch of my youth. 

But the kids loved it (I secretly did too).

And there were lots of blueberries, although if you look at Nicholas' batch, they are all much more perfect than the group that the rest of us picked--not a reddish one in his bucket at all. 

The annual trek to the Mississippi headwaters. 

A birthday celebration!

And they never seem to wear out.

Although Elaine may have been more worn out than she let on.

She perked up fin good time though, although our girly-girl was completely uninterested in getting wet this year in the Mississippi. 

More next week from the camera that has not been completely unloaded yet.

Big Sky Country

And this time, we dropped off our train in White Fish, Montana, and had the pleasure of taking the kids to Grandma Montana for a change.  We hit Glacier Park, and to us Southerners, the weather really was glacial, except to Patric it seems.

And we just spent some time together for a change. 

It really is an amazing place. 

But this was the highlight for the girls.  And they have not stopped talking about horses since we returned. 

Even though these hats were the highlight for me. 

Family pictures.

Another birthday celebration!

And trekking the park before a long lunch. 

By the time we got around to the huge maze, I may have opted to sit in the car and close my eyes for a few minutes after snapping a picture. 

Stranger's On a Train

And then we picked up the brood and headed East, so we could pick up a train and head North, so that we could switch trains and head West.  I don't know who this wonderful woman is, but she played cards and drew with our kids for two hours one afternoon.  We love lovely strangers.

We slept on that train, and the pillows the kids made at grandma's using the sewing machine came in very handy indeed.

And in the beginning, we love the adventure.

And playing in the viewing car. 

And eating dinner on the train together, even though they can never sit us all together.  So this evening Elaine and I sat with some strangers and made even more new friends. 

And we always watch movies on the train. 

And then, about the time that we get tired of the train, we get dumped off somewhere beautiful.

Grandma and Grandpa Airplane's

Where they rode in an airplane, of course. 

Tried on their aunt's clothes from when she was their age. 

Went fishing. 

Celebrated a birthday

I don't even know what they are doing, but I love this picture. 

Always a ride on the golf cart. 

And, polished grandma's silver, which they loved. 

And once again, grandma and grandpa airplane stepped in and took these four for two weeks, while we unpacked a new house.  We couldn't really be so nomadic if we didn't have such a solid base!