Biggest catch up news - Jacob & Karli got married!

Well, by now I think everyone knows this big announcement, as I e-mailed family and close friends and put pictures on Facebook and the Ferenz/Richardson/Russell/Simmons/Travis family website, but thought I would put a few here as well, just in case.

We only had a week to prepare, once they announced to us their plans to do so. But with that, it really turned out to be very nice.

The wedding was on Aug. 21st and the wedding commissioner performed the ceremony at her home which was absolutely beautiful. She did a wonderful job and we got some great pictures both inside her home during the ceremony and some nice ones in front of the house next to her rose bushes afterwards.

 The ceremony

Michelle is her Maid of Honor and since Jacob's friend could not come to be his Best Man, Karli's little sister, Breezie filled in for him.

The Happy Couple

                         Karli's Dad (Don) and Mom (Pat)             Us with the Happy Couple

My niece, Roxie and her family are now living in MD, so they were able to come down and join us for the simple reception afterwards. We met them at our house after the wedding for pictures and then changed and headed to the reception/BBQ!

The Reception/BBQ.

The sign was made for them when they visited his aunt & uncle and cousins in Co in July.

 Their friends and neighbors.

               Jacob and Karli with their cakes.           Cutting cake #1              Feeding of cake #1

                                               Cutting of cake #2           Feeding of cake #2

Opening cards and gifts

Wow, have I neglected my blog! Catch up time again!

Well, I guess I will start with our vacation in June. We went to Ruidoso, NM to a time share that my folks have and had a great time. With the exception that is, of the car breaking down 72 miles from our destination. Well, actually farther than that when it started acting up. about 45 miles from Roswell, NM it started acting up, sputtering and loosing power. After we coasted to a stop about 30 miles out and turned it off and then restarted it, it would run, but with no A/C, but at least it got us into Roswell (so I blame the aliens - UFO kind!).

It was Fri. and the dealership was closing in 5 min., so we had to stay there and take it in in the morning. Long story short, the service manager ended up doing the repairs at his home after they closed at 1pm and even let us use his truck to go look around and get some dinner. He finished by 4pm as estimated and even had to do less than predicted. Originally thought the fuel pump needed to be replaced, but ended up replacing just the fuel filter and plugs and plug wires. So it cost us a less than originally quoted. Yeah! So we made it to our final destination on Sat., instead of Tues. (when the dealership would have finished it as they did not have the plug wires in stock). So he saved our vacation by doing it for us at home.

The temps were much better up in Ruidoso (average 85) than they were in Roswell (104). We went to the White Sands Ntl. Park twice, toured a pistachio farm in Alamagordo, drove the Billy the Kid By-Way thru Lincoln and Capitan (saw Smokey the Bears gravesite), visited the NM Museum of Space History Hubbard Museum of the American West and some shops in downtown Ruidoso. We ate some great Mexican food in Alamagordo and had a delicious pizza in Ruidoso.

Our first day to White Sands. It was very windy and at times looked like we were in the middle of a blizzard. We didn't realize until the 2nd time on a clear day that we had been unable to see the mountains surrounding the White Sands Ntl. Park.

This is Billy the Kid. We drove the by-way and saw where he had been held and escaped, killing two deputies in the process.

 This is an overlook to Capitan Gap

(this is also the area where Smokey the Bear had been found in a fire)

 Smokey the Bear's gravesite

 Those are pistachio trees behind us.

We got to tour the plant and see all the machines they use once they are picked and how they are prepared. Did you know that the male trees bear no nuts, just the female trees?

 NM Museum of Space History

This is the second time we visited White Sands. Notice the difference in the sky and you can see the mountains beyond the sand mounds.

                 You can see the mountains on the left.                         Here are some people having
                                                                                                 fun sledding on one of the larger dunes.



 Harold got these pictures when he walked along one of the boardwalks thru the dunes.

This was at the Hubbard Museum of the American West. Carriages of all kinds thru the years.

 These horse statues were outside in front of the Hubbard Museum which was located at the entrance to our timeshare, so we passed them everyday. Love the one leaping over the bush.

One last visit in the land of aliens on our way to Texas to visit the family before going home. This one and a pink one were in front of a scrapbooking store in Roswell that I spotted as we were heading to Ruidoso, so of course I had to stop and check it out on our way thru again. I got some adorable alien paper to scrapbook with later.

Made it to TX (car acted up again, but was fine once we put gas in - same conditions, extreme heat,  low on fuel. Worked fine once we filled up at the next town, but had to do another 20 miles with no A/C until then). I still think it was vapor lock and that was probably the problem the first time, but I know what we had done did need to be done, so it worked out). We visited some with dad, he is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. He pretty much sleeps all the time. Could not get him to talk much at all, I think he just prefers to lay there with his eyes closed and listen. You think he is asleep and then he will say something in regards to the conversation around him, so you know he isn't.

We had to visit our very favorite restaurant in Ft. Worth - Edelweiss! We have been going there to celebrate our anniversary everytime we are home around that time. We celebrated  our 34th a month early, but that is okay. Here is the owner, Vern leading everyone in the Chicken Dance.

 Jay-Jay wanted to go dance, so grandpa took him out to the dance floor, but once there he wasn't too enthused about the whole idea, but he did it as well as he could. So cute!

 Here is the best shot we could get of the whole group.

My sister, her DH & son, my SIL & BIL, Nephew (in-law), DH, my sister's daughter and her DH (can't see them), my brother, me and my niece (BIL's daughter)

 I did manage to get this great picture of my beautiful sister, her adorable/beautiful daughter and SIL.

We always stay with my niece when in town, she and her DH are so sweet to put up with us - LOL!

Sad to say we were not impressed with Edelweiss this time and probably won't return. Apparently, he turned it over to a management company and they have made changes and NOT good ones. The Vienna Schnitzel, is no longer veal, but is turkey breast (and the waitress wanted to argue with us and say it always had been - sorry been going there for more than 34 years and it was always veal - we all said so - then we ordered our favorite, sausage/potato soup and it was more like goulash (according to her they did not bring us the goulash in error) and it wasn't nearly as tasty. I am truly surprised that Vern allowed them to make such changes. There were other little changes as well with the side dishes that came with what we ordered and they did not taste as good as in the past either.

And it wouldn't be Texas without an armadillo. - LOL!

Well, I didn't see a real one, but I just had to take a picture of this big guy when I saw him, for my friend Mary after her armadillo fiasco in Florida when she and her sister were on vacation. (Long hilarious story! Let's just say, she found out that what she thought she knew about them was all wrong, like they are not slow moving creatures, they don't always curl up in a ball when startled and they will run straight at you when frightened and very quickly, too.) This one I think they could have handled - LOL!

We only got to visit for a couple of days as DH had to get back to work. Shame we have to have money to do the things we want to do in life.

MOTHER'S DAY

Late, late, late posting this, but I have been busy and not on the computer much of late. Now that I can read most of my e-mails on my cellphone, I tend to get on my computer loss often. Anyway. I had a very nice Mother's Day weekend. Jacob surprised me Fri. night and was here when I returned from taking the cats to the vet for their shots. He had parked his car on the street behind our house, so I wouldn't see it - Little Sneak! Plus I had called to see if Harold wanted me to pick-up some dinner at Arby's, which I did and I had asked if he had called yet to say if he was coming home or not and was told "No!" Come to find out he was already here (but that cost him to get no food - LOL!).

Saturday I went to a tea (not red hat related for once) at the Rising Sun Tavern. A friend of mine that worked there had put it together and asked me to come. I did dress up with a hat, but for once it wasn't a red hat. I wore one of mom's old hats that I had kept after she passed away. I felt so very close to her that day.

That is me in the black dress and white hat in front.

My friend Jo is in the center in her colonial wear.

Later on Sat., Jacob, Karli and Harold took me out for an early Mother's Day dinner at Carraba's Italian. It was delicious. They gave me my presents then.

My Mother's Day presents. The large dragonfly glass and flowers are from Harold, the smaller one was from Karli. The Password Organizer and Pink Ribbon Note pad are from Jacob.

On Mother's Day we grilled some chicken and sausage before Jacob had to head back to NC.

THEY'RE ENGAGED!

Jacob and Karli are engaged. He had told us while he was in Ft. Polk that he intended to propose when he returned. He proposed to her last weekend when she went down to see him in Ft. Bragg, upon his return. This weekend they let each of her parents know and then at a party for her grandparent's 50th anniversary (her mom's parents) and after telling her mom, her mom had them make an announcement to the entire family at the party. We are extremely happy to welcome her into the family. They have known each other since middle school.

Both my boys have made wonderful choices for their mates. I know they will both live happy lives together.

Our Visit with George and Family

Last month we went out to KS to take care of Brexton while Mandy packed up things for them to move out of their apt. while George is away. She and the kids are going out to CA to stay with her mom while George is overseas.So she packed away the things they were taking out with them in a trailer. George will finish up a few things that will go into storage before he heads out. They drove out to CA the day after we left and then George flew back to KS. Brexton is soooo cute and cuddly. He took to us immediately - no little shy boy act at all. He loves his grandpa, especially when he starts to get a little sleepy and grumpy. Grandpa had the magic touch with him then.

 

Such a cutie!

 

Who could resist this face!

 

Who me - I ain't gettin' into anythin'!

 

 

Brexton in the adorable sweater that Mary V. knitted for him!