October Birthdays!!!

This Picture Says it All

Yes, Fall is here whether we are ready or not. I suppose in most ways we are ready. Even though we have had a very nice and mild Summer, I think our minds will welcome a change--shorter days and longer nights plus less outside work to do. Our wardrobe will change color and style, football games will replace other entertainments and popcorn and hot chocolate will be nice along with a fire in the fireplace. Also, each day we are getting a little closer to the Holidays which are always enjoyable. We are looking forward to our Thanksgiving company this year.

Well, our house is NOT getting a new roof today. No one has called and no one has come!! Perhaps they will come tomorrow. The bundles of shingles are lying on top of our house so I KNOW they will come back some day!!!

Looks as if it is time for our October birthdays. They are as follows:

G. J.............................Oct. 3rd.
Bill..............................Oct. 3rd.
Heather......................Oct. 9th
Brandon.....................Oct. 24th.
Roger..........................Oct. 26th.


Love you,
Dortha

A Beautiful Fall Day!!!

We must now accept the fact that Summer has officially ended and Fall has fallen!!! We are seeing a few leaves fall as well. Very soon we should have some beautiful, vivid colors to enjoy. Our weather has been picture perfect---cool nights and warm days. We are promised a high of 68º tomorrow. That will still be nice.

Our house is getting a new roof. We have had some leaks inside and have had enough hail damage for the insurance company to give us a new roof. Can't ask for more than that!!! Perhaps it will be finished tomorrow.

I have refrained from blogging to give others an opportunity to relate some happenings. That hasn't happened so I will resume posting even though there is nothing very interesting to report. We did enjoy seeing Ryan for a few short hours last Sunday. I do not know what his orders will be since he is now back in CA. He looked very handsome in his Marine Uniform and seemed very pleased with his decision to become a Marine. I understand the boot camp training was extremely difficult and yet he passed with flying colors. It will be nice if he can come home at Thanksgiving time and again for Christmas. If he is stationed at Pensacola, FL, that will be much closer to us than CA.

Merrel had a near tragedy at our church 2 weeks ago. His Guardian Angels were certainly on guard when a car backed into him and knocked him to the ground as he was walking to his car. We are sooooo thankful that he was able to crawl to safety and avoided being run over by the back wheels. The lady who was backing out from her parking space apparently did not see him but stopped backing when some 'walkers' caught her attention to stop. Merrel was a bit sore and had a terrible head ache the rest of the day and night. He explains that his condition was the reason the ladies beat the men at the card games that night!!!

I thought Sherlyn or Jan would want to post some pictures of Ryan but if they don't do that soon, I will post some.

I am going to watch a program on TLC at 9:00 of a family who lives close to Bentonville where we lived before moving here. They have 17 children and are expecting # 18 on New Year's Day. They are a beautiful family and the children are so well behaved. The oldest boy was married recently so now they have added a daughter-in-law. All the children's names begin with 'J'.

Thank you, Kim, for adding the 'hit counter', also your picture and name as a member of holland central. It is interesting to see the numbers change even though I have no idea who logs on.

That is all for now.

Love you,
Dortha

Thanks, Kim

Thanks, Kim, for sharing your pictures. Seems as if you have had a busy and very interesting Summer. Your week on the island must have been quite an experience and very different from your everyday living. Your pictures were beautiful. The week must have been slow-paced and laid-back compared to a normal week for you.

I had supposed Jan and/or Sherlyn would share the events of their attending Ryan's graduation from boot camp. Since I didn't get to attend, I had to wait until last Sunday to see Ryan. He looked very handsome in his uniform and seems happy. I guess he is back in CA now.

Keep the pictures coming, Kim,

Love,
Dortha

Mackinac Island

Here a few shots from our trip to Mackinac Island at the beginning of the month.

This is looking out across the field in front of the Grand Hotel. Mom, does it look familiar? The movie Somewhere in Time had a couple scenes down there. The ivy sculptures below are of a horse and carriage, which is how you get around the island, since cars are not allowed!
Molly in fron of the Grand Hotel, the largest summer hotel in the country. It is a unique experience.

A friend of mine captioned this photo, "I Coley" . . .which is exactly how he would say it.

This garden was at a restaurant we stopped at on the way home.

The kids and Lacey, who we took along as a babysitter while we golfed. This is the harbor at Mackinac, where the boats and ferrys pull in.

Kim

Connor laying out.

White Water wave pool

What a great group of kids.

What a great group of adults!

They had to wait for over 30 minutes to get back in the water.

I love how they are all lined up.

Last week she had to fill out an information sheet for her teacher. She was asked to write her name, which she did. Then she was asked to write in what she like to be called . . .she wrote, "Good Golly Miss Molly". Now you know what to call her!!!!

Cole had so much fun on the inner tube rides, but he was not a fan of the wave pool.

We got sidelined for awhile since there was lightning in the area. The kids were forced to wait patiently for the okay to get back in the water.

Miss Emelia

Annie played some nerf football with the boys.

OF COURSE they are going to tackle each other in the grass . . .they have their white shirts on.

3 generations

Baylea at White Water. When I told her I used to go to White Water when I was a kid, she said, "Wow, this place is really old." Thanks a lot, kiddo.

Connor and Marshall flipping coins.

Mavrick- looks like his daddy, doesn't he?

Cole and Mavrick playing with a toy truck . . .or at least the packaging it came in.

Jessica and Molly - Molly is soo excited to have her first cousin! She loves babies and is always so good with little ones.

Me and Kristin. It's hard to believe it's been fourteen years ago Sherlyn and I were there when this little girl was born.

I thought I'd post my pictures from Grandmother Holland's 80th birthday party. We all looked like we were having fun, weren't we? I believe we were! It was good to see everyone and learn what they've been up to. The party and reception had a good turnout, we heard stories about Grandmother through the decades, and we got to see family members that we haven't seen for a long time. I have lots of pictures, it's going to take several posts to get them all in . . .

Kim

Baylea and Molly - I'm still able to get them to dress alike. It won't be much longer now.

Pretending to fight.

Me and my girls.

Cole, affectionately known as "Doofus"

Baylea, Connor, Kim, Cole, Ron, Vicky, Molly, Keith, Jessica

Happy Birthday, Andrew!~!~!

Happy Birthday, Andrew

I know I am one day late but I had problems with my computer yesterday so I hope you had a great day and a super big party!!! Now you are a "big sixteen"!!!!! Only 4 more years to enjoy your teen years. Make them memorable in a good way like------being nice to your Sister and obeying your Mom and Dad even when you think they are wrong. Someday when you have a little "Andrew Jr.", you will understand why they did some of the things they did. Until then, you may think they are unfair but remember they only want what is best for you.

I wish for you a great year and many more happy birthdays.

Grandmother Holland

Fall Has Fallen!!!!

Happy Birthday, Kelly, 2 Days Late!!!

We hope you had a very good birthday and will have many, many more. This is the only year in our lives---yours and mine---- that I will be EXACTLY twice your age. Getting "old...er" is not all bad. Life is a journey with many twists and turns-------some we enjoy, some we do not but each thing we experience makes us the person we are. Without the valleys, the mountain tops would be less meaningful. My advice is to enjoy and appreciate each and every day as they come and remember to count your blessings.

Well, Labor Day has come and gone. School buses have resumed their daily routes. Our days are beginning, ever so slowly, to become shorter and Summer, as we know it with it HOT, STEAMY days, has officially come to a close. We do not have to be reminded that Fall is here. The air feels differently, the leaves on the trees are beginning to rustle in the breeze, soon they will be falling to the ground and our trees will become bare. Our garden has stopped producing the veggies we have enjoyed so much all Summer. (We will continue to have tomatoes and okra until our first frost.)

We have had some nice rains and some very cool temperatures. Today our high has been 67º. When Septembers arrive, my mind travels back to my childhood years. At this time, instead of beginning a new school year, I would be out of school until November. I would have attended 2 months (July and August) and then been free to help harvest the crops that would then be ready---cotton to pick, corn to gather and haul to the barn, peanuts to pull out of the ground, stack in huge stacks until they dried enough to be hauled to the barn. Our meadows were mowed, raked and bailed (square bales) loaded onto the horse- drawn wagon and hauled to the barn. Some years our hay was not bailed. After it was raked, with a pitch fork, we simply threw it (loose hay) up onto a flat bed wagon. We kept throwing until it was piled very high---1o or more feet from the ground, then we would climb up and sit on the hay and drive it to the barn. You guessed, I have done it all!!! Also there were always apples on the apple trees, peaches on the peach trees and we would gather them and either can them or prepare (peel, core and slice) them to dry as they laid out in the sun on top of the chicken house for several days. I suppose you could say that was our method of de-hydrating during those early years when we had none of today's conveniences. You might be surprised at the delicious fried pies that we made with those dried apples and peaches in the Winter time. Many mornings my Mother would get up early enough to make the pies so we could take them in our lunch boxes to school. This routine continued through my ninth year of school. When I went away from home---one week after my 15th birthday---to attend high school, I no longer had to help with the farm work in the Fall. I was home and helped with the garden planting and harvesting during the Summer months, however.

That is all for today. I hope everyone will find themselves in Church tomorrow and will have a good week-end.

Love you,
Dortha

September Birthdays!!!

Dortha's Birthday Gift From Her Family!!!

I will never be able to say enough about the wonderful "birthday week" with my family. Of course, there was one special "party" day but having family here for an entire week was a special blessing. There were lots of gifts, cards and written thoughts but the picture above is of the "big" gift from my family.

My computer had a problem and I was unable to post the September birthdays at the first of the month. Sorry Kelly!!! Today is Kelly's birthday and I wish a very special day for you, Kelly. His age may be a secret so be sure and don't tell anyone that he is now a big 40!!! If you do tell, be sure and tell that person not to tell!!! We appreciate you, Kelly, and hope you have a wonderful year ahead. It was so good to have you and your family here for my party.

Since this is September I suppose our weather should support same. We have had a great rain----5" since Monday night. We really needed the moisture and today our temperature has only reached the mid 60's. Fall is definitely in the air. I fear the cold temps because of the expense of heating our homes. We may have to turn the thermostat down a bit and put on another sweater.

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS:

Kelly...........................................September 4th
Andrew....................................... " 7th

(I hope I didn't forget anyone. If so, please correct me.)

My love to all,
Dortha

No Internet!!!

Sorry I haven't been able to post. My internet has been down for awhile. I am at Jan's now using her computer. Life goes on without a computer that works but it is not the same. Hope to be up and running soon. You will know when that happens!!! In the meantime, just keep looking at the picture of all those VIP's I posted last week! Or you could post something yourself!!

Love you,
Dortha

Too Long No Blog!!!

Dortha & Her Wonderful Family

What a week we have had!!!! I didn't realize how much was involved in turning 80!!! I thought it would just be another day but that is not what happened. I cannot begin to relate all the special things my family did to make the day special, in fact we had not only a special day but a special week. Family members began arriving on Wed. August 20 and most stayed until Wed. August 27. Our special, special day was on Saturday but I do believe each of the 8 days were special in their own way. We had a "family reunion" to be sure. It all seems like a dream until I look around and see the deluge of cards and gifts and read and re-read the kind words and thoughts that were written and presented to me. I feel so undeserving of the love and effort that was very evident in each one. Also I am touched by the fact that so many traveled long distances to be here. It meant so much to have each of you here. Next time I will post a picture of the beautiful TV and stand that was a gift from my family. I might even let you watch it sometime!!!!

Thanks to all for making my day so memorable.

I love you,
Dortha