God Is With Me

God was with me. Sunday evening as I was driving home from my son Peder's, I was entering the exit ramp close to my house when a car was coming straight toward me – UP the exit ramp and entering the highway I just left — going the WRONG direction! I called 911 as soon as I entered my driveway and was connected to the highway patrol. I told them what had just happened and was asked the make and color of the car. I told them it was a newer Cadillac. I didn't notice the color. After talking to the patrol, I put my car in the garage and I heard sirens. 

I have been thinking about this since Sunday and I have questions running around in my head. How would the patrol handle this? They couldn't go down the highway the wrong way to stop the person. Would they block the southbound traffic so others wouldn't be headed in the direction of the wrong way car? If I ever get the chance to visit with a patrol person, I am going to inquire.

At Last, All of My Kids Came Home at the Same Time!

On the weekend of August 6 and 7, Sunday and Monday, my three kids and their children came to my home. My heart was overflowing! We had not been in one place since December 2010. Considering my grandkids range in age from 13 down to 3, one can imagine the changes. For instance, Hans had never met his niece, Corinne, who is 3-1/2 years old.

Peder with his three kids: Rellie, Felix and Leo

Sunday morning the family gathered at my swimming pool and the kids, Heidi, and I got in the water with them. It was so much fun!

L to R: Josiah, Anni (back), Rellie, William, Marshall

Grandma D with her three granddaughters: Rellie, Corinne, and Anni

Felix and Josiah

Marshall and Heidi

Felix wearing flippers

Heidi holding Corinne

L to R: Rachel, Sarah and Leo

Grandma D with Felix, Leo, Rellie, Anni, Josiah and William

After a time in the pool, we had a light lunch at my home. The kids were finished eating quite quickly and had a good time running around in my back yard. Josiah, now 13, stayed indoors and quietly played my piano. That was fun!

Once lunch was finished, we made our way to Peder's house where the kids played outdoors and the adults were able to visit for awhile.

Corinne hugging a stuffed cat

Heidi, Peder and Hans

Heidi, Hans, Peder and yours truly

The kids had a lot of fun playing in Peder and Sarah's backyard while the adults had a good time catching up with one another. When it was time to eat, Sarah's dad, Ken, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for everyone.

L to R: Ken, Barb, Heidi and Donna Mae

L to R: Heidi with her two kids: Marshall and Corinne
Peder with his three kids: Leo, Aurelia (Rellie), and Felix
Hans with his three kids: William, Annika (Anni). and Josiah

* * *

On Monday we gathered at my cousin Pat's home in Willernie. My brother and sister joined us, which was very nice. The kids had fun playing in Pat's new sunroom and I enjoyed taking Corinne on a little walk at Reed Creek.

Corinne petting clay deer at Reed Creek - across the street from Pat's

Grandma D with Corinne

Hans with my brother Jerry

Heidi and Hans (Peder had to work)

L to R: Heidi, my sister Janet, cousin Pat, Rachel and Josiah

 I had such a good time but wish it could have lasted longer. Isn't that how it is with anything one enjoys: an ice cream cone, a good book, a vacation? I am still living in the afterglow of my time spent with my dear, dear family.

Anni

I had a real treat when my oldest granddaughter, Anni, came to see me for four days. On July 25th I picked her up at the airport. This is the first time she had flown as an "unaccompanied minor." I was really proud of her! After she got off the plane, she told me a flight attendant moved her up to First Class!

We were busy while she was here. The first evening we went to the Mall of America for dinner and for a bit of shopping. I had warned her I may have to sit down to rest once in awhile, and she was fine with that.

Anni enjoying pizza at Tucci Benucch

Anni loves my cat, Nels, and so she enjoyed holding him and playing with him.

On her second day with me, I drove her and Rellie, my twin cities granddaughter, to Austin (MN) to see their grandpa and to tour the SPAM Museum and to eat lunch. The girls had fun inside the museum with the "canning six cans of Spam" competition. Here you see them wearing a lab coat and hard hat like I wore for the ten years I worked at Hormel's.

Anni is a bit over 20 Spam cans tall.

Rellie is 18 Spam cans tall

 


On Thursday Anni and I went to Como Zoo in St. Paul. I took her into the conservatory and showed her the spot where her mom and dad were married. I'm not sure she was impressed. She really did like the rain forest where we saw colorful birds flying around and got up close to a sleuth. We wandered around the zoo and got to see the new baby giraffe standing close to her mother.

It was a very warm day (89 degrees) and many of the animals were lying in the shade. We cooled off with an icy drink—sort of like a slush. Anni liked the banana flavor so much I bought her a second one.

Every day while Anni was here we went swimming. One day Rellie joined us. I'm hoping this is the beginning of Anni and my other grandchildren coming to spend some time with me.

Rellie and Annie eating supper