SUNDAY AND MONDAY
Staying at Gabe and Missy's was such a blessing! Getting to know Forest and Willow was wonderful. Everything went so well...we felt right at home (THANK YOU!!!). We had fun working together, baking, cooking, playing, doing devotions, shopping, WII-ing, eating, going to church, catching up, etc.
Steve and Gabe did lots of odd jobs with the help of John.
Sarah and Forest loved playing on the trampoline together.
Aunties Grace, Moriah, Sarah, Maggie and Uncle John had lots of fun with all their neices and Nephews. Willow gave them good baby practice. What a happy baby.
There were many precious moment during our visit with family...Forest was very cooperative with picture taking.
Another precious moment.
Gabe taught John to play Redemption...how great!
And then Brei arrived from Alaska!!
We got to spend time with Ben and his beautiful family...Carter has grown and changed so much in just a year.
Kaely is a real beauty! The kids had fun playing with each other...just like old times.
Will Stand For Food. Joseph is as happy-go-lucky as his Daddy was when he was little and loves to eat just as much! We had a great time getting to know Joseph. I thought he might be afraid of us, but somehow he knows that we love him and we're Grandpa and Grandma.
Everyone loves Joseph including Maggie:~)
Mommy (Rebekah) giving Joseph his first taste of Sloppy Joes.
Ben helping Sarah with the Wii Ski Jump. I think everyone has a Wii except us...hmmm.
How fair is this?
TUESDAY
We got to watch our grandsons, Logan and Jacob, and our nephew, Luke, play football.
Moriah and her good friend Emily.
The kids got their wish to eat at Pizza Ranch. Friend Emily joined us.
WEDNESDAY
We went to Kalona to the Bent and Dent, Cheese Factory (yeah--fresh cheese curds!), and then to an Amish bakery where Forest helped me eat a yummy pastry.
Forest helping Grandpa be brave and touch a horse:!)
I braided Sarah's hair and Maggie did the beading--THANK YOU MAGGIE!!
Auntie Moriah and Willow.
Forest helping Moriah blow out her birthday candle.
THURSDAY, A Rainy Day
Sarah reading to Forest.
Passing time with the Game Boy.
Maggie decided to bless Missy by cleaning and organizing. Where would the world be without 'Type A's'?
The guys worked in the basement setting up Gabe's new wood working shop.
Forest trying on his new Big Boy Undies and giving Grandpa a 'high five'.
Moriah got Willow to take her pacifier for the first time while Missy and I were out shopping for Forest's new undies.
The rain stopped so we got to see Kaelyn play soccer! She wasn't afraid to get right in there and kick the ball even though most of the players were boys.
It was great to see Abby again!
All the kids had fun kicking the soccer ball around, including Carter and Maggie.
FRIDAY
We went to Vinton early so I could go shopping with my friend Holly up in Hazelton at the Amish stores we love. Steve and the kids went to his Mom's to visit and help move some of Izzy's things for her.
John got to play in the Redemption tournament at Gabe and Missy's Friday night...what a great experience for him.
SATURDAY
After a family meeting at Marion's, the girls and I picked up Karla and Phaedra for a trip to the Alpaca Farm Open House.
A fun ride in the Llama pulled cart. It was a cold day but this place is so much fun that we hardly noticed.
Our friends, the Deardens, were there too!
Phaedra makes a cute Llama.
My friends, Ann(-e) and Christine, were at the Alpaca Farm...I was so happy to see them.
Then we met the rest of our family at Dan and Kim's where more than fifty Isbell family members spent a day enjoying each other, eating, reminiscing, hiking on the sandbar, canoeing, warming by the woodstove, collecting shells, playing football, etc.
Steve hiking with neice Kelly and her little ones, Karly and Nolan.
Karla and Aaron giving Grandma flowers.
Alex, Logan, Jacob, Luke, and John playing football in the background, Gabe and Forest playing catch in the foreground, and Dave and Sheila getting back from a hike.
A nice family pic of Gabe, Missy, Forest, and Willow.
Our nephew, Justin.
A sweet picture of Karly.
Uncle Matt helping Moriah with a flower arrangement.
We celebrated Luke and Moriah's 14th birthdays, just six days apart.
Karly, Sarah, and Phaedra washing shells the found on the sandbar.
Our 'crew' with their "Pirates For Hire" T-shirts from Valdez, Alaska.
Visiting on the porch.
Grandpa and Phaedra climbing up the river bank.
My awesome sister-in-loves, Kim and Sheila!
This is a moment and photo I will always treasure...my son, Aaron, loving on me..ahhhh.
Ben and Rebekah enjoying family.
Uncle Dan took anyone who wanted to go, for a ride in the canoe.
Aaron added some background music inside while some of us warmed up.
The brothers...Matt, Steve, Dan, and Dave.
Marion and sons.
Moriah and cousin Connor.
Nolan singing for the ladies.
SUNDAY
We honored my Father-In-Law, Izzy, at a memorial sevice at the Presbyterian church. Many friends and family attended. It was a blessed time to remember a very loved man and appreciate his life. Dan read a beautiful story he'd written to honor his father about the passing of heritage from one generation to the next and the impact one life makes on so many others. Before the service we took family pictures since getting so many in alarge family together is rare.
Most of us.
MONDAY
Our friends and old neighbors, the Dearden's, opened their home to us and let us stay with them Sunday night through Wednesday. What a blessing. Monday a.m. Steve and the kids, Mark Dearden, Dave, Matt, Dan, and Tom Garwood all met at Marion's to help clean out Izzy's work rooms in the basement. It was a good time spent together with family and friends. Dave, Matt, and Sheila would fly back to Montana that afternoon.
A little work...a few old stories...
The Dearden kids meeting our kids after school.
Friendship is a wonderful thing!
Girlfriends baking in the kitchen.
Moriah and Emily share a birthday so we had to celebrate while we were together.
Brei stopped by...nice surprise.
TUESDAY--Goodbye Brei :~(
Karla and Phaedra and the Dearden family went with us to see Brei off to Fairbanks, Alaska at the Cedar Rapids airport.
Goodbye hugs...
and kisses.
Time to go..Steve, Brei, and Phaedra.
:~(
Mark and Minda opened their home not only to us but to all of our family. They are such dear friends. While Steve loaded the Suburban for our departure Wednesday morning, Mark and Minda fixed a wonderful meal for our family. Jake and family, Brooke and family, Ben and family, and Marion were all able to come for supper.
Steve is warning me not to bring one more things out for him to load. As it was, we had to borrow an extra car top carrier from Mark.
Joseph and Grandpa.
WEDNESDAY--Home to Ely, Minnesota
Some well-seasoned travelers.
With a few inches to spare, we stopped at Sam's in Duluth to stock up a little more on groceries. There's only two small grocery stores in Ely with the nearest larger stores (WalMart, Target, Super 1, etc.) all one to two hours away.
We drove up the North Shore to Two Harbors and then up to Ely. If you've never driven the North Shore of lake Superior I would highly recommend it.
Rose Lane...our new home. Come and see us!
Thanks you everyone for your love, hospitality, friendship, and the time you took out of your busy schedules to spend with us. We are truley blessed and my cup really is running over. We'll be back for Thanksgiving...hooray!...so we'll see you soon.
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