Hello Cousins

"CJ breaks ice with bare hands in Iowa"
12-29-09 vacation brain
I’m back in Des Moines on Monday afternoon, but still on vacation for another week! I will be blogging about the holidays at some point…… to keep my cousins updated about us here in Iowa..... maybe tomorrow, but tonight my head is still swimming from just returning from the Avatar movie this evening.

Greg and I attended along with nephew CJ, who returned to Des Moines with us this afternoon.We are planning to continue working on the basement project which CJ helped us with last February….. one more wall to waterproof and paint.

Here is a special post for my cousins out in Oregon.
I have only two cousins, where as Greg has 53 or so first cousins.



Photo was dated 1960, our second train trip out to visit relatives in Oregon. I was almost 5 years old and I do remember this trip on the train.

Interesting to note here that my sister and I were not dressed a like. Although it looks like our shirts might be the same.

I was very shy at this age, and my cousin Diane scared me.... she would give me great big "bear hugs".... and squeeze me too tight! Notice I am holding my kitty stuffed animal. I felt safer if Kitty was with me.

More silliness from CJ.... does this look like a future History PHD? Yes, I think he will make a wonderful eccentric professor some day!