PaPa and Valleri WAIT'N for those babies!!

This is Papa and Valleri, sitting together in the waiting room at St. Joseph's Medical Center. You ask what are they waiting for? Well this is the day Emily was born.

Here they are again, in the waiting room at Newton Medical Center. Can you guess who they are waiting for? Yep! This is the day Shelbie was born.

When I find the third picture I will add it. It is, as you probably have guessed. Waiting for Landon. It is so much fun to look at these pictures again.

WHY??

I bet you are wondering why all of these old pictures are appearing. I started a scrapbook a long time ago, and I can't seem to get it done. So, I am using my blog space to share these pictures and brief stories about the pictures. Sorry if you're bored, but I am trying to preserve some of this stuff while I still remember it. Maybe I will finish the scrapbook, maybe not, but at least some of it is here.

The Girls

Well, here they are, Gary's girls. This was taken before Valleri was born. When our sons got married, these two were just as much a part of our family as if they were born into it. You hear the nightmare stories of really rotten daughters in law, but that is not the case here. Our family was truly blessed when our son's chose them as their life partners. They fit together like "peas in a pod". It's so nice that they like each other, not to mention that they are the best Mom's to our grandchildren, and wonderful wives to our sons. What more could you want for your children? They look so young in this picture, get it YOUNG. Danelle hails from a very small town in northwestern Kansas, it's a miracle that they ever met, guess that is what God does, the miracle thing. Michelle is a Wichita girl, and as the story goes, she and Mark didn't like each other. Here again, miracles at work. I am so glad she changed her mind, him too. Gary loved these two, and they loved him back. They gave him so much joy in the time they had together. Thank you girls for all that you are, and all that you have given to our family, I love you with all my heart.

"YOO HOO"

Mark, Valleri, Grandma Yoo Hoo holding Emily and Gary (1997)

Tim, Grandma Yoo Hoo holding Shelbie and Gary (1997)

Over the years I have talked to some of you about Gary's Mom. The kids called her "Grandma Yoo Hoo". I guess you are wondering why she was called that. Well it all started when Kerrymaie was born. Yoo Hoo would come to visit her great granddaughter, and when she came in the door, she would yell "YOOOO HOOOO", thus the name was born. Attached are a couple of pictures of what we called a generation picture. So enjoy, and sorry Landon, you were not born yet.

Yoo Hoo was always so excited when a new great grandchild arrived. When she passed away in 2000, she was blessed with 9 grandchildren; (8 boys and 1 girl); 16 great grandchildren: (5 boys and 11 girls). If she were here today, she would be enjoying a great great grandson, and looking forward to the birth of the second great great grandchild. My oh my what a legacy she has. She was the oldest of her siblings, and was the last to survive. Her sons preceded her in death, and it was a very hard time for her. She just did not understand what God's plan was when Bill and Gary passed before her. But she is dancing in glory now with them. Praise the Lord.

The RED Apron

I mentioned the RED apron below, so here is a picture of it. It is the only one I could find, and as usual, Dad was grabbing the "short" hairs on Tim. Ornery ornery!!
We lived in a country home the years our kids were growing up. We had a beautiful yard, and the first summer after we had the extension on our patio poured, we added a table and chairs. River rock surrounded it and there was a walkway from the original to the new. When they poured that patio, Gary had them put a strategically placed hole, that was so the umbrella could go through the table into it's hole, it made it lower and steadier against that Kansas wind. If you check out the folks in that picture you will see: Tim, Danelle, Michelle, Mark, Dad and the little blue eyed bombshell Valleri!! You will notice that Missy is pointing at something and has the undivided attention of her Papa. It looks like Michelle is holding Emily, Shelbie had not arrived yet, she arrived later that year.