Celebrating Family in Kansas City on Saturday and a Visit With Kimmy and June on Monday!

 I have been SO looking forward to Saturday, February 25th!

Sister Rita invited me to join the family at the baptism of her two youngest grandchildren.

ALL of her children and spouses and grands would be there as well as Buster's two daughters and their families.

I was honored to be included and excited about going with my son.

Jesse arranged for us to fly up on Saturday morning and back on Saturday night.

Summer stayed here while I was gone and she and Louis Dean had a great day together.

I felt like a movie star for flying up for the day!!!!

It was so much fun!

I love flying and it had been a good 10 years or more since I have gone anywhere by air.

The last time was when Summer and I flew out to San Francisco for my birthday back in - I can't even remember!! We did the whole Napa Valley Wine Tour thing and had the best time!!

My brother-in-law Thomas picked us up at the airport - they live just 8 minutes from there while I live 7 minutes from DFW Airport! If we had arrived just two days later - it would have been at the new airport just about to open!

My brother Buster and other family members were already at the house with Rita.

My handsome brother!!!

I have to say that I was a little shy about taking pictures so I don't have a lot to share here in tonight's journal post - but more will be coming soon.

Rita had been up early baking the best strawberry bread for which she is famous as well as a big brunch of breakfast casserole, potatoes, biscuits, fruit! Thomas made the gravy and it was ALL absolutely delicious.

Their son, Joe, and his beautiful wife and two children were there as well as Danielle and her daughters and Megan their beautiful daughter. 

Let me just say right now - EVERYONE was beautiful!!!

I'm serious!!

And they were all so kind and welcoming that I had a hard time not tearing up.

We ate and visited and then it was time for Buster to take us to his home and pick up Anna Marie before we all met at the church for the baptism service.

While we were at Buster's house, he took us down to the basement so Jesse could see his grandfather's workshop. My children never had a grandfather in their life and I believe Jesse was touched to see photos and the things his grandfather had touched and made and where he had spent so much of his time.

This is Anna Marie and she is SUCH an amazing lady!!!

She is a performer, a singer, an entertainer, and just the most sensitive kind soul and I love her dearly!

She is unexpectantly shy in a group but I insisted on getting a photo with her and thank you, Danielle, for taking it for me.

This is Ashlee, one of Buster's daughter's holding her sister Brook's new baby girl.

This is who I'm making the baby quilt for and I did not get it finished in time!

I appliqued fabric hearts on the front using the floral backing material and it really needs pink rick rack around the hearts. I hope to get that finished and in the mail early next week!

The babies were as entertaining as they could be during the baptism and they had a photographer that got some amazing photos, I'm certain of that!!

From the church we went to this restaurant Em Chamas.

I so wish I had snapped a few photos!

Elegant and delicious and so much family that it took up a complete dinning room.

As good as the food was - the fellowship and visiting with one another was even better!

I met Rita's cousins and best friend and many others.

I'm still trying to get names straight!!

A few family members read my blog and that just about blew me away!

How blessed I am to be a part of such a wonderful family.

This is my niece Nicolette, son Jesse, and niece Megan!

Cousins!!

Everyone loved Jesse and he was happy to meet everyone.

Our return flight was delayed by a couple of hours and that gave us more time to visit as several of us went back to Rita and Tom's house.

I wish I had taken a video of all the happy talk and conversations we all had together.

We mixed and mingled and I truly feel like I'm getting to know my family.

How shall I describe them to you?

They remind me of the TV series Blue Bloods.

They are close and happy, supportive of one another and laugh and love the Lord with all their hearts.

Every single one of them welcomed me with such grace and charm.

You know, when a family suddenly finds they have a sister/aunt they have never known, you could certainly understand if they were a little skittish at meeting her.

But not mine.

It is an honor and a rich blessing to be a part of this incredible family!!!

Saturday was a magical time from start to finish and I loved getting to spend the entire day with my son.

Since our flight was delayed, it was midnight when Summer picked us up from the airport and 1:30 on Sunday morning before we got to bed.

My going on 75 years old body decided to rest all of Sunday.

I had made plans to go to church and later to visit with Kimmy and June....

but instead I slept and rested and spent time with Louis Dean.

He and Summer had fun while I was gone and he took her out to eat - however he still managed to escape while she went thrift shopping. He high tailed it to the grocery store and bought LOTS of things while managing to get back before she did!

I haven't looked online at my bank site to see how much he spent yet but whatever it was was worth it.

He is doing so well and what's a little $$ when it makes him feel good?

So Sunday was a rest and recover day for me and real life started this Monday morning!

I started coffee off in the KC mug Rita gave me - I always save the last cup to drink mid afternoon.

Rita also gave me the KC goblet the first time we met and I use it for my tea.

Spring has sprung in Texas and when I went out to cut mint for my tea - it was everywhere!!!

I rue the day I planted mint IN THE GROUND!

One should always plant it in a pot or a plot of its very own.

One time Louis Dean tilled up the mint bed and you know what it did?

MULTIPLIED!!!

Summer is still here for the next day or two and we shopped ALDI this afternoon.

Oyster crackers were over $3 a bag at a recent trip to a regular grocery store.

$1.35 at ALDI.

I wanted to make dilly bits which I love to use in place of croutons on a salad or a topping for cottage cheese.

It takes so much dill that I buy it on bulk.

I made two batches for me and Summer bought four bags so I made those up for her.

She is living at the Bar-J Ranch in El Dorado, Arkansas and has her own little cabin. 

She often entertains and serves meals or has teas with a charcuterie board and such.

These dilly bits will be a big hit when she goes home.

I also made a HUGE fluffy salad!

For this version I used strawberry Jello, cottage cheese, Cool Whip, broken pecans, canned crushed pineapple, canned peaches diced, fresh raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

It is seriously good!

Summer drove us over to visit Kimmy and June tonight.

I sat in June's walker but my feet couldn't touch the floor unless I stood up!

I had meant to come visit as soon as we got back from the ranch - but that didn't work out.

I promised to be back soon and June promptly asked, "WHEN???"

As soon as I close tonight's journal entry, I will take the last remaining Christmas tree down from here in the sewing room. Tomorrow I hope to bring in some Easter decorations and certainly some spring 'debris.'

I forgot to mention my grand niece, Sylvia, who is 11 years old.

She loves Fall every bit as much as I and I think I have found myself another Mini Me!!!!

I still have so much to share about my Kansas City family.

Louis Dean and I plan to drive up there in early May as he has only met Buster, Rita and Thomas.