Trek to the Abilene Zoo

We made a trip to the Abilene zoo.  What would a zoo be without the King of Beasts?

I finally got a picture of the Wood Duck which we have up north but is very camera shy.  It isn't as good as the one cousin Pat got in California, but the colors are amazing!

E's favorite... hard to argue with that color.

The giraffe cage had two recent additions.  I can't imagine what they feel like if they get a sore throat. 

One of the kids favorites, of course, are the Spider monkeys.

Our two monkeys out of their cages.

A close up of the plumage of the Flamingo.

Cousin Pat took a trip to Africa a while ago and got a kiss from a  "long necker" like this one.

Marilyn's least favorite visit... the reptile house... she wouldn't look at most of the displays.

The winner for outstanding colors and finest display of an original outfit is the Wood Duck!

The winner of "a face only a mother could love,"and most in need of a bath!

The winner for the most loud mouth. 

The winner of the longest eye lashes and ears most like Dr. Spock from Star Trek is "Oink Oink" and his brother "Grunt."

Christmas Time in Abilene

We came a few days early to have Christmas in Abilene.  The neighborhood ruffians are off from school and the weather, unlike ND, makes for good outside play time.

Tutu made sure that the tree ornaments would not just be nostalgic.  Hawaii was exchanged for...

Texas!

Dad took M to check out the Boy Scout Camp nearby.  Rob was an Eagle Scout and bravely held the punch while M hammered a stamp into a leather necklace.

Then it was off to the archery range.  The compound bow was a  bit too hard to pull and a "norther" was blowing over the targets. 

The last bit of fun was the zip line.  Harnessed up and buckled up, the smile tells what activity was his favorite. 

The smile was plastered on his face the whole way. 

Then it was out of the helmet and into the car to warm up those red ears.

Mack and Ellie display their transformers.

A "light" drive is a tradition in this family.  Personally, I like the laser projected  lights.

Friends from Across the Pond

The last few days we have had visitors from Czech in our town and at our church.  P who interned under me 20 years ago returned with a friend from his church.  I said at that time, that if God had blessed us with a son, I would have wished for a man like P.

In 1996 when P was here we had a flood but nothing like the one a year later.  P was glad that he missed that one.  The obelisk near the river marks the height of various floods in our town with 1997 standing at the top.

The reason for the visitors was to share their plans to remodel a cinema in downtown Olomouc into a permanent church building.  P pastors our sister church there, and J is a contractor in their church who will oversee the year long process of remodeling while taking no salary.  Their church has always had to rent facilities and set up and tear down for their weekly activities.  Both men are delightful and our church has been blessed by the sister church relationship that we have had for 23 years. 

Sunday night we had a banquet to see and hear the plans for their building and to share in their financial need.  The goal of $200 K was not reached but we are hopeful that the last 25% will be raised throughout 2017.  What an encouragement our friendship continues to bring!

Last of the Birthdays of October

R reached official middle age the last day of October.  Birthdays are a big deal in the family and Daddy's is no less.

I couldn't pass posting this expression of his reaction to his mother-in-law's card to him.  I'll let you decide what he is thinking.

Birthday Boy shares the day with Halloween.  I guess as a kid he felt all the activities of Halloween were because it was his birthday.  The kids went to a church carnival instead of going Trick or Treating.

Our little gymnast seems practicing her tuck. 

The carnival gave the kids the opportunity to dress up in their costumes.  Do you recognize that nose? 

Spider man was joined by Elsa on the way to the Halloween Carnival.  Papa and Tutu stayed home and handed out candy to the neighborhood kids.  Bright and early the next morning we headed north after a great time with the Texans celebrating their October birthdays.

More Abilene

We went with the kids to the Abilene State Park nearby.  Kind of a rustic place built at a small creek where buffalo used to gather and wallow...hence the name of the near-by town; Buffalo Gap.

We packed a lunch and Mom had a moment of quiet while the kids played on the  play-ground equipment.  I saw some Bluebirds, but not a whole lot else. 

The family has a big yard with lots of places to run.  The neighbor lady informed C that the rattlesnakes haven't hibernated because of the warm weather and are found in the flower beds and shrubbery.  So no hide and seek in the bushes!  You don't have to tell me twice!  One was making it's way into a neighbor's garage.  Lovely.  How would you like to step out of your car on a rattlesnake?

The weather has been beautiful...sort of an extension of summer with temps in the 80's and 90's.  Quite a contrast to the 40's and 50's up north.

A favorite park. 

These guys weren't very neighborly at the park and seemed like they wanted us to move on which we did.

E made us a fancy meal with sandwiches and pizza and individually drawn placemats.

A catalog from Toys' R Us brought giggles and the start of the Christmas' lists.  Hey, wasn't it just your birthdays?  Can it be that these two are really 8 and 6?

Prettiest Town I've Ever Seen

Our trip for October birthdays began with a visit to my brother Don and wife Jeannie.  Then the Abilene family joined us at the Perot Museum of Science and History.

Like most things in Texas, it is big and expensive. 

Dallas is not the city it was when I went to seminary.  The main north south road was North Central Expressway.  Then it was four lanes, now it has ten and is still congested.

I think E liked her birthday gift. 

And so did M.

Then it was on to Abilene and gymnastics class for E. 

Oh yes, i forgot.  E was excited to stay in a motel because you could order breakfast.  This place even had cartoons while you ate.  How great is that?

Some of their birthday gifts were a lot of fun but a little scary.  Papa had an arrow zing right under his nose until clear limits were set.

In Dallas we walked by the original Hunt estate, named Mt. Vernon... it has dropped down to just 19 million from 34 million if you are interested.  It requires ten full-time workers to keep it up.

Then there was the last BB practice.

Saturday the kids went to the base for a mock "Kids Deployment" to help them understand what it is like when parents get deployed.  They got uniforms, dog tags, ID cards, canteens, mission orders and were sent to a plane like Daddy's for deployment. 

Of course it wouldn't be like the real deployment without the typical "Hurry up and wait."  The waiting part wasn't so popular.

Inside Daddy's plane there is plenty of room to romp around

And you had to climb up a ladder to get into the cockpit.

Who says the military isn't changing?

This bomber was sitting next to Daddy's plane but we didn't get to go into it.  Dyess AFB has both the C-130J's and the B-1 Bombers.

But each of the kids got to "shoot" a gun.   

And we watched the K-9 demo.

And after a visit to the "Welcome Home" hanger for food and trinkets it was back to the house with the balloons they got  as souvenirs.  It is bad enough when Daddy gets deployed, so I don't think I want the Grandkids to be deployed too.