Just In From Esna, Egypt...

Kim and Adam reported in from an internet cafe yesterday. They want everyone to know the trip is excellent and the sites are as wonderful as they had imagined. They also want you to know they are well and SAFE. Information in the note is scant, they had but a moment to stop. Becky will pick them up at the airport next Sunday.

Hot Diggety Dog!!!

It's Sunday night, Hunter's night to cook and he's on top of things. Looks good, don'tcha think? That's a hot diggety dog dipped in pizza sauce, placed in a hot dog bun and topped with Italian cheese. After dinner we finished painting the dessert cookie...a winter scene with evergreens, a sun, and a snowman made with cookie cutters we found in the kitchen drawer... Ummm...can't wait to get a piece of the picture puzzle.

Hey Mom, We're On TODAY!

One of Adam and Kim's adventures in New York City was to get up early enough to get down to the TODAY SHOW and smile on camera. Becky received the call: "Hey Mom, turn on your TV set...we're standing right behind Al Roker, Meredith, and Matt." One hour later (different time zone here) there they were, grinning from ear to ear but (being sophisticated northern Europeans) not waving wildly like most Americans.

One day later, they called from the lounge at JFK...they were about to embark on the flight to Cairo, a Nile cruise to Luxor and Aswan, and horseback riding in a canyon.

They'll be back with pictures in a week. Stay tuned.

On the Move, or Not...

Becky here, stuck in Denver on the way home to Des Moines (yes, Mileage Plus FF get the shaft and the long detours). There's a blizzard and the Des Moines airport is closed so I'm waiting for a new departure from Denver. No pictures of the bleak horizons around here; I don't have the knowledge for translating a photo to the web or the desire to go out there to get a shot (my winter coat is in my checked bag at the Denver airport).

On the east coast, things are going much better. Adam and Kim called from New York City and they're definitely on the move. With subway tickets in hand, they've explored Fifth Avenue this morning, had lunch at Grand Central Station, saw an Alfred Hitchcock movie, 39 Steps, and at 5 this afternoon are taking the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building. They're planning for dinner out tonight but aren't quite sure where...they have two more days before departing from NYC to Egypt.

So glad things are going so well for them.

Hunter is a Chef!

Hunter has decided he will be making dinner for us every Sunday night. He is picking two items from the Kid's Cookbook and shopping for the ingredients then making dinner. For our first dinner we had....
Silly Snake Dogs and...

Nightcrawler Cupcakes. Mmmmmm......

Nana plan to come over on Sunday night for the next Hunter dinner, who knows what it could be? It will be special no matter what it is.

Goodbye, Paradise

I'm leaving this beauty behind to wander in the white wilderness of Iowa and Minnesota for six weeks. Am I crazy?

aaaaaaarrggggh...

Tourist: Why are you all dressed up?
John: Why are you dressed down?
Tourist: Because I'm at the beach.
John: I do it because I can.

Hey Floridians!

Do you remember these days? Enjoy your retirement!

Kate

Kim’s grandmother, Kathleen Hayes was laid to rest on Tuesday, February 5.
There was a visitation on Monday at the funeral home which many dear friends and family attended.
The flowers sent by those who were unable to attend were beautiful and in abundance.
Lyle and his family received many cards and well wishes which they were grateful for.
Thank you to those who took the time to show your respects for Kate, and the Hayes family.
On a happier note, a good friend of Kim’s, Sandra (Gary) Neville, gave birth to a baby girl on Wednesday afternoon. Ironically, the name that had been pre-chosen for the baby was Katherine (Kate) Neville.

No Mom

That's an RV. This is a CTSW.

Is this your dream plane, Adam?

While we were checking out warbirds at the Venice Airport, we caught this little yellow number on the tarmac. We're thinking this may be the plane Adam talks about buying someday...the plane with its own parachute. The Venice Airport sports hundreds of small jets now, business has picked up. Thanks to the old military runways, the airport survived near extinction.

Historic warbids, aloft in Venice skies

War babies Becky and Al here. We were in diapers during World War II but are glad we stopped at the Venice airport to check out the B-17 Flying Fortress. On display, the "Nine-O-Nine" is one of only nine in flying condition, according to the Collings Foundation, which is sponsoring a 130-city tour. Also on the tour is a B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. The original pilots fly the planes from city to city. For a price, you can take a flight on one of these old-timers. We got shots of the Flying Fortress but the B-25 was out on a flight.

Kate Hayes

Kim's beloved grandmother, Kate, has gone from this earth.

Please keep Kim and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

The funeral will be held in Guthrie Center, Iowa.

Read Kate's obituary here.