I'm BACK!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh! I cannot believe that I haven't posted since Fathers' Day!!!! I am sorry. I wanted to keep posting, but only had access to a very slow dial-up connection while in Michigan so just didn't make the effort!

To back up, I will tell you that the 2 weeks following Fathers' Day were busy with finishing the small remodeling project we were working on....and we nearly did it. I have a few days more of work and it will be done. But our planned day of departure caught up with us and we left on June 28 for Michigan.

Shortly after we arrived, friends (and former neighbors from "The Plains") Wayne and Nel

Robertson arrived in their motor home and we spent a couple of days showing them the area.

One of my favorite spots, the Betsie River

Lighthouse, is shown here.

Then there was a whirlwind weekend of graduation open house (for my brother's twin daughers),

(A very rare photo opportunity)

My sister-in-law Geri Ann, brother Duane, Alissa, Casey, Ann-Shea

a wedding (a cousin's daughter we didn't know well, but an excellent opportunity to see so much of the family on that side...the bride was Mom's sister's granddaughter!), and then family gathering with that group which included Mom and her sister (and their spouses, of course) and all of the cousins in that generation minus my brother. My Aunt had 4 children, and 2 of Mom's 3 were there with spouses.

Standing: Kit Simmons, Jerry and Jeannie Mitchell, Diane and Lon Kinney, me and Ron, Joanne and Larry. Seated are Cinda Simmons, Kay and Bill Tester. My cousins in the picture are, from oldest to youngest: Cinda, Kay, Jeannie & Lon. Joanne is my younger sister. What a group! We sorely missed my brother and sister-in-law in this photo op!

The following weekend was our Beeman Family Reunion....the 61st or 62nd annual reunion!!!!! My Dad's mother organized a group of her husband's siblings back in 1947. Their descendents have continued that tradition to this day. We had 69 family members in attendance but it was sad that THREE of my father's siblings (Aunt Ada of Pensacola, FL and Uncle Ed of the Orlando, FL area, Aunt Nancy of southeastern Michigan) were not able to attend this year. Dad has 6 siblings still living and they ALL have been at the reunions for years now. This was difficult because 4 of the 7 are in their 80's ...Uncle Ed having turned 87 in June! It is always precious to have all of them together with the rest of us!

From top to bottom on these photos are: Walt Beeman and daughter Cathi and her entire family; Jason Beeman family (also Aunt Maxine). Jason is Gerald's son Rod's oldest son.; Earnie Bullion and wife Rosemary with all 3 of Earnie's kids; Jennifer and her 3 children. Jennifer is Maxine and Jerry Olson's daughter.

A last minute decision by Jake resulted in them arriving in Michigan by rail on July 22 and riding back with us. Jake said it had been 13 years since he had been there and was anxious to go. I know Emmaleigh had fun on the beach and the weather was very cooperative. Each day they were there was unbelievably warm, (but not TOO warm) and calm and perfect for a 2 year old to enjoy the water and sand. Joanne and Larry provided boat rides and we closed a couple of the days with bonfires on the shore.

We are home now and the remainder of August is already filled to overflowing with projects and responsibilities for me. The week coming up is full of babysitting....the big girls as Heather returns to work Wednesday but they don't start school until next week, Emmaleigh a couple of times so Christie can get a bit caught up at work. I will be attending Ashlyn's orientation with her tomorrow and will be helping in the library there for the rest of the day. I have a dr. appt. on Thursday and on Friday Sammie and I will be getting our hair cut. NEXT Monday school begins and I will be working in the library at Ashlyn's school. Hopefully my being there on campus will help her adjust....she is the one of our three granddaughters that struggles with anxiety over new situations and Heather will NOT be at school with her for the FIRST time in Ashlyn's life! Heather will be working at Zachary Ele. where Samantha will be in 3rd grade. Ashlyn will be attending 4th grade at Copper Mill Ele. I plan to spend as much time at her school for the first two weeks and pray that she will not have any major difficulty settling in.

At the end of the second week of school (Aug 23) I am hoping to head over to Aunt Ada's house for a visit. I have not been there since April and missed seeing her this summer. Her daughter is in the process of having a mother-in-law apartment or wing added at her house (even though it is for her mother) and Aunt Ada will probably soon be moving out of her home. I am hoping that frequent visits from her children and other family will help in the transition. She is at a stage in her life where she becomes confused at times and Laura (who lives about a mile away) spends a lot of time watching out for her. With Ada's other 4 children living farther away, this is a lot of responsibility for Laura. The others help as much as possible by visiting often and I am "part of the family" so need (and want) to take part in this. Also, Aunt Ada is one of my dearest friends and I want to spend as much time with her as I can.

The weekend AFTER the 23rd is Labor Day weekend. We are hoping to take out the camper. With the gas prices so high (and we burn diesel which just doesn't seem to be coming down in price AT ALL) our dreams of traveling all over the country have been curtailed somewhat. We have decided that we WILL attempt to take shorter trips closer to home....and would like to take a stab at one weekend a month for awhile. We'll see.

Ron will spend time in August catching up in our yard and also wants to head up to Mississippi to fish with his brothers some weekends. We will not be working too much on home remodeling until September (I am sure he is dismayed by THAT!!!!! LOL)

Anyway....the above carries Ron and I through the month of July and our plans for August.

Thanks for listening!