Labor Day Activities Galore!!

This year our Labor Day week was full of fun filled activities. None of it required tons of work but loads of fun!! I'd say one of the biggest hits was the Gator. Usually if I'd look at the window it was going somewhere. Another big hit was our new travel trailer. I didn't take tons of pictures of it but the kids had fun watching a movie in it while having snacks. Papa gave airplane rides on about the only wind free day we had! Most of the time it was like hurricane winds with heat!! One day we took the travel trailer to the Salt Plains Lake for a trial run to see how it would work. It passed with flying colors. The shower outside on the trailer was awesome to get sand off and the air conditioner sure was nice on a hot day. We also enjoyed digging salt crystals at the salt plains. Eric and Shawn use to go there for field trips when they were in school. It is quite interesting really!! We went to the lake and had fun in the COLD water!! We were actually quite surprised at the temp of the water!! Weird!!

On top of the fun, Carrie and I froze apples, put up applesauce, made apple butter, 3 pies, and dehydrated apples. Pies didn't last long at all. We sent a box of apples home with Theresa and also Carrie. I'm sure all the apples will be great this winter. I know Theresa has had her crockpots busy making apple butter too. We even had time to celebrate my 60th birthday which was a total surprise and also had family pictures taken here at the farm. I thought they turned out really good!!

I forgot to mention K-Girls big achievement!! We went out to Aunt Colette's to ride since Blackie is getting tuned up out there! She rode for the first time all by herself!! Wow, big achievement! and I rode on Babe next to her! Was fun seeing her smile and enjoying the same things I grew up doing!!

K-Girl and Sherman

Shawn and K-Man working on a wetland at the lake!!

Carrie and the girls at the spillway at the same lake.

Salt Plains after digging the salt crystals.

In the camper.

My birthday party! ;)

Konnor and Papa after adding his footprint to the concrete at Artie's hangar.

Konnor's first hunting trip = looking for doves!!

Our little man on the Gator's jumpseat!!

Eric and Theresa after picking more apples!!

Katie loved the Gator too!

Moose getting in on the action pulling apples off the tree. Emmy's waiting on one to fall so she can have a healthy snack!!

You guessed it - on the Gator again! We start them driving very young here on the farm....

and the video is of Konnor getting his footprints in the concrete where all of the other K-counsins handprints and footprints are!! Very special time!

The L2 has wings!! and Bugs home for some play~

It's been a long three years, but the L2 has been transformed from an old ignored relic to a refurbished beauty. From removing the fabric and taking it apart into what looked like a million pieces, she is like Humpty Dumpty and put back together again. Bruce has worked tirelessly on this project, learning new techniques and when problems arose, he'd have to redo it again. So much work and time dispensed... Bruce was so thrilled to get to see it start and on the first hand prop too!! Eric came home to check some of the work done on the engine and after a few corrections, they were ready for the start! Bruce needed help putting the wings on so after several friends from the airport and also Eric lifted and attached the struts, she was ready to be rolled outside of the hangar. Its an understatement to say they were excited!! Well done Dear!! Mission Accomplished!!

Bruce and Eric after all their work getting the L2 started!
The L2~

L2~ enjoying her new wings!!

Bruce and his girl that has been occupying his time!! :)

While the boys were busy at the airport, Katie and I had some fun at the house!! Maybe she's going to be a runner... She really enjoyed trying on my shoes!! What girl doesn't! I love this picture!!

Gettings things just right....

and of course, had to cool off a little ~

Watering anything that doesn't move!

PULL!

Yes - our little man is growing up! Already he is 6 months old!! Where does the time go?? The picture below shows how much Konnor is changing!! He sure loves to be around his brother and sister and they love him back! We enjoyed the grilled pork too as well as all the veggies.

Well, when we went to Eric and Theresa's to spend time with the kids - we also got to have some fun!! Papa and Daddy shot clay targets while Kelton got to run the electronics for the targets.

He was really good at it too! Theresa and Konnor went to town to have his 6 month pictures taken which turned out awesome! Boy is he growing!!

Kelton with Papa and Daddy at the first stop!! Was really pretty there and the people who run it are so very nice.. was a little hot but they had water stations set up really often!

Papa showing everyone how it's done!!

Daddy gives it a try and nails the target!! Kelton was our official scorekeeper!! He kept giving updates on who was ahead and it was always Daddy!

Papa with the grandkids!!

Katie showing off her key that she got to carry for Papa and Daddy!!

Our official scorekeeper!! :D

Katie got to help by carrying the key to the next shoot.

Katie and Kelton all ready to begin our day shooting clay pigeons.

Papa and Emmy showing off our grass up on the hill by the hangar.

Bruce has spent days and days on the grass in our pasture and this is the result!! Awesome grass! Thank God Shawn helped in the planning stages as well as planting the native prairie. I know our cows really appreciate it!!

My once a month blog...trip to the north country

My blogs have morphed into a once a month blog! Oh well, I'm trying to get back on track!!!

Our trip to Oshkosh was again so much fun! We stayed in a home this year right by the lake and made great new friends with Patty and Bill. They had a beautiful home and treated us like family. Bruce volunteered 2 afternoons so I got to spend some time looking around and hanging out under the wing of an airplane each afternoon watching the airshow. My favorite part of Oshkosh is always the Warbirds reenactment and frankly, just watching them fly!!! So much history in the sky to witness - it's a little daunting to take it all in..... Someday soon, I hope Eric and Theresa will get to take their family to enjoy it.

I once again got my pictures out of order, but it's okay, at least I got the blog up....

Shawn and Carrie never told the kids we were coming after Oshkosh - so it was a big surprise when they came to the airport and voila - there we were in the 182.

Kolsen with his surprise smile!! :)

Kaylee just couldn't quit giggling~

Karolyn couldn't quit grinning!

and well DeeDee, just kept hugging....Papa that is!

The clan jumping out of the van - SURPRISE!

Oshkosh Air Show (warned you pics were out of order!)
One of the new air programs this year was this powered glider with a jet engine. I couldn't get over how graceful and beautiful it was in the air!

They always start the show with parachute jumpers who honor all the veterans.

One of the DC-3's (they had a total of 21 flying at once this year)!

I'm not sure which warbirds these were, but they were certainly LOUD!

Every evening Papa and I would go to the lake - and soak our tired feet or just take in the beautiful landscape and watch airplanes fly over our head. We got in the habit of going to a drive-in where the girls roller skated out to us and got our order!!! FUN, Fun...

Meanwhile, back at the Papon house....

Carrie took us out to the Hospice House where they all love to volunteer, so we all made trail mix, chocolate chip cookie bars, and fresh green beans they were to have for supper.

K-Girl is busy making her trail mix. We got a wonderful tour of the Hospice House and it is so beautiful and peaceful there.

All of us in the kitchen after pulling out the cookie bars from the oven.

The girls love to cook, we are making Princess Wands with Mommy. Yum, yum.

Their recipe Princess book. :)

and then, we went fishing and swimming at a lake. The lake was very cold!!! The kids didn't seem to care at all.

The Papon boys fishing in the honey hole.

Dee Dee has no fear and was constantly in the water up to her neck!!!!!!

My fishing buddies....



Below is video of the Aeroshell Flight Team - one of my Favorites.

Gotta download pictures of our trip to Mulvane to see the Kansas Papon family. So that will be my next blog.... until next time.....