Homeward Bound

Just a note to tell you all that we will be heading home to Hemet on Feb. 24th. We have had a wonderful winter here, scale of 1 - 10, both hubby and I rate it an 8 as high.
We have experienced the highs and lows of healing with our family here after losing our second grandchild before a breath was taken. Two are in heaven now and we will fellowship with them someday. Thank you Lord for your love, it is boundless, it is true, a relationship with you is possible and our best friend you are.
We had a wonderful Christmas here with lots of snow, it has been beautiful and often cumbersum. We enjoyed a grand birthday party with our now 13 year old granddaughter Emily in Dec. Susan sent Gary and 3 of the girls to get a Christmas tree for my birthday on Dec. 12th, it was a delightful surprise! We all enjoyed decorating it and so many evenings having the lights on the tree here in our little home here in Iowa. A birthday party for our daughter Susan and then one for Marc, our son-in-law Feb. 3rd. We will celebrate Brecken's 6th birthday on Feb. 23, (actual Feb. 26th) at the Pizza Ranch here in Red Oak, IA. Then when arriving in California, down to Oceanside to celebrate Dusty turning 14, don't know where the time goes!
We took off for Grinnell Ia and Indiana and Ohio. Stopping in Grinnell first for a visit with Ralph Fleener who is now 93 and doing well, then while there spent time with Gary's cousin Beverly Miller and his cousin Arlo Miller and wife Marilyn. Rosemary Taylor also lives in the same park as Beverly, Rosemary was married to Virgil Taylor Gary's uncle who passed around 2002. Enjoyed two meals at the local Elks, we like to visit there while in town. We drove to Lynville to see David and Garnet Gertsma, Gary's cousins, we always have a lovely time with them, I attended the Lynville Friends Church with Garnet on Sunday morning. Garnet is a great cook, we are not hungry when we leave there! David and Gary had a great visit, we love to hear the stories, (of course those we have not heard before!)
A wonderful visit with my sisters Deb, Carolyn, hubbies Stuart and Steve and their sons families in Indiana. Off to Ohio also to visit friend Linda. We have been very blessed and have many pictures, stories to tell to make you laugh and cry.
We enjoyed spending time with a few of our Red Oak friends, neighbors across the street and behind us. Seeing and spending time with some of Susan's friends from her Bible study group and also making new friends at the Red Oak, Community Bible Study.
We ate a lot of meals at our hang-out The Rainbow Cafe and also have a new place The Red Coach Inn, today we are going for cheeseburgers and the best fries, Texas brownies with vanilla ice cream, meeting our friend Betty there for lunch.
We had a lovely 40th wedding anniversary, Marc and Susan took us to a steak house in Omaha, Gorat's, which is owned by an Italian family, 55 year old restuarant. Great shrimp and filet migon. Carrot cake for dessert. We bought our bottle of Korbel champagne and actually had that on our anniversary after watching The Amazing Race opening episode.
Anyway, I will probably not post again until back in California. thank you all for putting up with this bragging post. love cheryl