Saying Goodbye to Grandma

We found out that my Grandma's funeral wasn't going to be held until Thursday and since we were already down there and Adam had already taken some days off work for the week, we packed up the camping gear and headed to my Geer Grandparents house for the rest of the week. Tyler enjoyed a creek walk with Adam and my Mom, he went to the library with Aunt Emily, swam at the hotel pool with Uncle John, played at the park with cousin Brodie, and got a tractor ride with Grandpa. He also got to ride in Grandpa Geers big farm pick-up truck in his new booster seat. He said "This is SO EXCITING!" Having him busy freed me up to spend time with my Stephens side of the family and get ready for the visitation and funeral.

 

After the visitation we fit the entire Stephens family into the back room of J's Pizza for dinner. I can't remember when we all fit inside the same room to eat a meal!! If I counted right there were about 47 of us.

Family photos after the funeral and following the lunch at the Christian Church. This is my family - Tyler didn't want his photo taken

My Grandpa Carl and his kids

All 17 Grandkids who will miss their Grandma Lois very much!

It was an exhausting and emotional week. Thank you to everyone who sent cards and prayers my way!
This is a picture I am so thankful to have from the last time I saw my Grandma.

Hallowgiving 2011

My hometown has a ghost walk on Saturday when kids in their Halloween costumes walk around to the businesses on the square and collect candy. We participated for the first time. Even Hannah got dressed for the occasion - no candy for her though.

Pretty Page County Courthouse in the background

Thomas the Tank Engine was running out of steam by the time we had waited in line for the walk to begin.

Each year on the last weekend of October, my dad's side of the family comes together near my hometown to celebrate an early Thanksgiving. Since it is close to Halloween - we have dubbed this event "Hallowgiving." Close to 50 family members come for a day full of family fun and lots of great food. Sometimes all that food and fun and wear the (big and little) kids out!

 Quiet time for some of the kids, including Tyler and cousin Kelsey

 Betsy and Kelsey enjoying the afternoon craft - painting a pumpkin jar.

 Trust and Faith painting together

Conner

 Kelsey

 Katie

The next day we went on a dry creek bed walk on the Geer Family Farm. Tyler and Kelsey hunted for treasures for their baskets.

 

 

 Grandma & Kelsey checking out a wolly worm

 

 Climbing under....

 ...and over

While in Clarinda my family aslo got a family picture taken on the farm for my parent's Thanksgiving letter. Tyler and Kelsey played ring-around-the-rosey after the photo shoot.

 

 Then it was snack time in Great-Grandma's kitchen

 Then we braved the windy day to go collect some field corn for my Mom's squirrels to enjoy over the winter. This field had been damaged by hail, so there was a lot of corn on the ground to find.

 

Clarinda Craft Carnival

Hannah and Mommy left the boys at home to drive back to my hometown of Clarinda, Iowa for the annual Craft Carnival. My sister and I had fun shopping, I spent the weekend at my Grandparent's house, and I enjoyed a night out catching up with my high school friends.

Here is how Emily and I carted Hannah along thru 5 craft buildings.

 Hannah and her Great-Grandma Ardelle Geer - and a new bow from the craft carnival.

 

 Hannah and her Great-Grandpa Lowell Geer

 

Trip to Clarinda

This was Hannah's first trip to Clarinda. Tyler was too busy to sit still for pictures - he was busy on a creek walk with Grandma Janelle, going shopping in town, getting lawn mower and tractor ride with Great Grandpa, and going to the pool in town with Aunt Emily. Then he got a high fever on the last day and didn't feel good most of the way home.

Hannah, on the other hand, had fun cuddling with her Great Grandmas and napping in the peace & quiet while Tyler was busy elsewhere.

This is Traci's maternal grandmother, Ardelle Margaret Geer -
the one Hannah's middle name is in honor of.

Napping in the same baby bed Great-Grandma Geer slept in when she was a baby

Loving Arms!

Visiting Great-Grandma Lois Stephens for the first time

Talking to each other about their day

Easter Weekend 2011

We traveled to Clarinda for Easter weekend. It was an extra special weekend because for the first time in her life, my 78-year-old grandma Geer had a birthday the same day as Easter, so the whole family gathered for an extra special Sunday celebration.

We started the weekend with Tyler's 3rd annual Easter egg hunt on the courthouse lawn. (I have decided no more pregnant pictures of me - I just don't photograph well right now!!)

Tyler got to see the Easter bunny before the hunt started. As you can see, he wasn't impressed! I was the town's Easter bunny for many years growing up. The Chamber of Commerce rep at the hunt joked that I wouldn't fit in the costume this year!

And the hunt begins!

Showing off his candy!

One of the eggs Tyler got in the hunt had a coupon for a free candy bar at Easters, so he and Adam went over to find a candy bar and also take a couple of rides on the horse while I was running other errands.

The guys also spent some time at the library before meeting up with me for lunch at Vaughn's

With all of the family in town, we got hotel rooms instead of crowding in at Grandma's house. Tyler enjoyed swimming in the hotel pool! I got a bed all to myself and the guys shared - well...as you can see toddlers don't share well!

Tyler finding the basket the Easter Bunny left for him in his hotel room.

He wanted to play with the hollow chocolate bunny -
the thought of biting off it's ears didn't seem right to him!

The siblings outside of church

The family

Easter egg hunt back at Grandma's house
After awhile his bucket got so heavy he decided to leave it in one spot and just run the eggs back to put in it rather than lug it around. Problem solver!
The great-grand kids: Kelsey, Soley, Tyler & Brodie

The sun finally came out and warmed up the afternoon.
Here is the birthday girl!

Playing in the yard and burning off energy from the Easter candy and the birthday cake