More miscellaneous pictures from Joplin; I couldn't resist!

I played a LOT of games while I was in Joplin.  This is a Safety game that Quil and Micah loved to play.  It was all about making good, safe decisions and moving along the board.

This was another favorite, Qwirkle.  We played it many times.  The boys have lots of fun games, and I believe we played them all, most of them repeatedly.  

 One of the meals when Tim and Brenda came over to Randy and Joy's house.  Jeffrey lived in Joplin all summer, working for Randy and Tim's ABE Painting Company, and Joanna, Joy's sister, was visiting during this time.  Of course, Emily was there, behind the camera lens too.

I don't know why Quil is looking at Aunt Brenda in this picture, but I think it is a neat picture.

 Even Aunt Brenda got to have a turn holding the baby!

 Micah loved holding his new little brother.

 Aunt Ranae, Joy's sister, brought over M&Ms.  They had a good time playing with their food before they ate them.

 Another of Micah and Jonathan

 Quil and Micah playing with their cars and trucks in their room.  They love to do this for hours!

 Jonathan on the changing table

 The baby shower cake for Jonathan.  We didn't let him eat any of it! :)

 My parents celebrated their 57th anniversary on August 9 and took Emily and me out to eat that day!

 Emily asked if they ever kissed anymore?

 Jeffrey holding Jonathan after the baby shower.

 That's me with the baby and the shower balloons.

 Emily's turn in the balloon-spot (kinda like limelight).

Charissa wanted a picture with the balloons!

A nice picture Emily captured of Quil

A Tim Albertson Family pose 

                         My parents when they were over at Tim and Brenda's house for supper.

                                A conversation with my daddy

                              Mother holding Jonathan for the first time.

                                    Daddy just a little amused at something

                             See, my hair is not as curly as Shirley Temple's!

                             My mother relaxing after feeding everybody Sunday dinner

                                     The Randy Albertson family at church

                               Jonathan's first time to church.

                            Charissa and her Grandma Albertson

Our trip home from Joplin: Emily's first airplane flights

On August 21, Emily got her heart's desire, to fly on an airplane.  We actually flew twice, first from Joplin to Dallas, then on to Denver.  Brenda, Charissa, and Joanna, Joy's sister, took us to the Joplin airport.

 Emily had a great time watching everything that happened out the window.  She took many pictures of the ground and the clouds and the wing, and this one of herself to show how happy and excited she was.

 We had a 2.5 hour layover in Dallas, so we rode their train, Skylink, ate, and walked a long, long ways.  We had excellent flights and were just happy to be getting back home after being gone for 30 days!

 Here is a familiar sight:  Denver airport!

 Rowen took this picture of Jason and Beth waiting for us to appear.

 We finally got there!

Pictures from Aug. 19, our last Sunday in Joplin

                      Some pictures of the grandsons, Quil, Micah, and Jonathan

                                                 Micah and Jonathan

                                                 Quil and Jonathan

                                         Charissa and her Uncle Randy

 I asked Tim to take us to the Joplin Falls, because it had been so many years since I had been there.

                                          Emily and her mother

Special friends I got to see

I got to spend a little time with my lifelong friend (ever since 3rd grade) Cyndi Smith.  These pictures are taken in her lovely house with two of her beautiful quilts.  We had a meal together and a wonderful visit.

 The other lifelong friend I got to see, was Phyllis McKibben, friends since nursing school.  She also served me a meal and we had a lovely visit.

                       I also loved getting acquainted with her daughter, Kalyn.

Smith-Kirks Reunion July 28, 2012

This is a picture taken of most everybody who was there.  It is from Facebook; Emily's camera had run out of battery by then.

I hadn't known whether to plan to go to the Smith-Kirks Reunion in advance this year, but it did work out that I could go with Mother and Daddy and Emily, since Joy wasn't threatening to have the baby immediately when we got to Joplin.  So I was glad to be able to go and see relatives I rarely ever get to see.  This is the drive into my brother, Lyndell's land, where he has built this multipurpose building and a nice lake.  

 I took a bunch of balloons out to the end of the lane so people would know where to turn in.

 The view of the building from the lake.

 The view of the lake

 My daddy and brother-in-law, Charlie, visiting.

 My cousin-in-law, Darla Hulett, and I had a wonderful visit while we paddled around on the lake.

 Emily and her cousin, Tasha Wampler in the paddle boat

 My daddy and my sister, Sherry

 Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Thelma Smith, and my daddy and mother, Rex and Wanda Scoles

 Looking up from the kitchen to the next level

 My cousins, Kevin and Kent cooked the hamburgers and hotdogs to perfection.

 Darla and me

 Darla, LaDeana, and me.  LaDeana is my cousin, and Darla is married to LaDeana's brother, Brent.

 My niece, Amanda Scoles

 My niece, Leah Owens

 The downstairs bedroom.  Some of the people eating from left to right:  Rebekah Owens, Mother, Aunt Geneva, me, Charlie Owens, Daddy, Brenda Owens

 Some of the cousins eating in the upstairs bedroom

 Lots of relatives eating under the pavilions outside

 Another outside table, with Michelle Hulett, Leah, Amanda, Andrew Owens, Kent Hulett

 Emily took all the pictures except when she was in the boat.  She took many pictures of the frogs in the lake, and she also managed to catch one.  Last I heard, no one had kissed it!

It was a fun day and I am so glad I got to go!