Joplin & Remembering GG

This is me with my Grandmas and Great Grandmas (GGs) and my sister Chelsi...

Here we are again...all "grow'd" up as we say in Missoura

GG watching me play a game at Family Fun Center...

GG on one of her visits to Cincinnati...dad was driving her around to see all the sites and despite the rain she hopped out of the car to get her picture taken in front of the skyline =)

GG at Sea World in Orlando, FL our crazy family vacation to Disney world...the mime was giving her a hard time, teasing her and "flirting" with her so she pinched his bottom right back =)

G up by the lake on the farm...

playing Skip-Bo with her sister...she loved to play games and do puzzles and write poems...

playing with sparklers....

Her 80th B-day...she was 87 and would have been 88 this year...

my GGs got their picture taken together...

at our wedding last May...

Clara Edna Arehart was an amazing, Godly woman. She was one of the kindest, sweetest people I have ever met. She never met a stranger and you'd never know if she was having a bad day. She loved life, to travel, to play games and do puzzles. She liked to go to the movies and loved spending time with family and friends. She was a farm girl and loved being outdoors; she had a green thumb like you wouldn't believe and made the best dinner rolls and sticky buns. She taught me to write poems and how to quilt. She loved music and was always humming. She knew the names and songs of all the birds and trees and told the greatest stories. But most of all my GG loved her creator, her savior and I look forward to spending an eternity in heaven with her. I have been blessed to have all of my grandmas for the better part of my life. I have grown up with them and learned from them and my life has been enriched and I have been stretched as a person. I know I am a better person for having had my grandmas.


Airport...had to...

our wedding flower- Dan & Rosie sent these...

the "kids" playing in the pool at the hotel...

trouble...

my dad's side of the family...

Grand Falls at Shoal Creek...

had to stop at Fred & Red's for some chili...

More Holidays & Birthdays

Some naughty little puppy was trying to "help wrap" by unrolling all my ribbon...this was his punishment =)

The Family Christmas Card HA!

We went home for Christmas!!!

Ice Skating with the Ball family in Fountain Square =)

Family Photo #1

Makin' Christmas Cookies w/ Chloe...

Lisa was excited about her blender =)

Family Photo #2

Crazy Christmas morning at the Ball's...

Nosey little puppy almost went to the dump...not really...

Tired from Christmas dinner and all their new toys...yes they received resents from both sets of "grandparents" and were given a "special" Christmas meal...

Playing PS2 at Grandpa Rothhaar's =)

Paulie took me to D.C. for my Birthday to see the world's largest library (like in Beauty & the Beast-except that I don't get to keep it :/ ). Our friends Justin & Jess went too...
(ps- these pictures are in reverse chronological order if anyone cares...it bothered me and my O.C.D. at first but then I just let it go... )

This is inside the Library of Congress...it's gorgeous!!!

This is the front =)

House of Representatives Offices...

The Capitol Building...

The Constitution of the United States at the National Archives...

My Birthday present... nope! This is the Hope Diamond at the Natural History Museum...

Dinosaurs at the Smithsonian's Natural History museum....

Paul and Justin "being" R2D2 next C3PO at the Smithsonian's American History museum...

my birthday flowers...

Paul took me to see Tale of Despereaux bc I loved the book so much...yes I'm a kid at heart

before the movie...we ate at Chipotle's my favorite...we had to drive out to Virginia Beach to get to it but it was worth it...look at all that deliciousness!!!

AND before dinner we had dancing =) We went swing dancing and had a "blues" swing lesson...

earlier that day...
Paulie made me an excellent cookie cake with dark chocolate melted on top for icing...it was yummy...

and I also got breakfast in bed...

So, to sum up. My birthday was amazing; it involved a lot of fun and a lot of food =) For those who are like me, here is the correct order- Breakfast in Bed, presents, a cookie cake, drove out to Virginia Beach and had our dance lesson, then Chipotle for dinner, followed by a movie. That weekend we went to DC!!!