G-words=Great-Grandma, Gale, Grandma and Grandpa



Wednesday--May 15.  It was time to head home.  Twelve days is a long time to be away from home with kids!  Everyone was tired from all the excursions and amazing sites we'd seen.  We spent many a fabulous meal and evening together...but it still wasn't easy to go when the time came.

 

We sure enjoyed our time in St Louis.  We loved Gale's loud and happy disposition.  She spoiled everyone rotten!  We're still detoxing from all the goodies. Now that we're home--the kids want sausage and gravy, bacon and eggs, or biscuits every morning! (But, alas, that's vacation food!!)  There's a bag of sausage still hidden in the back of the fridge...and it's cut into little pieces so that it will last me longer and not be eaten all by the same person!   I'm not German...but I love the landjaeger sausage!

 

The kids loved spending time with their cousins and grandma and grandpa too.  We're still adjusting to living closer to "family" after 17 years out yonder.  It was nice to be a part of several family get-togethers and to see how all of the Kuffer side of the extended family aren't just cousins and siblings, but friends.   What a tribute to the grandmas! (No offense to the grandpas...but for some reason, they didn't last as long as the grandmas!)   The best part of the trip was spending time with the people.  It helps the kids understand who they are and what they came from.

 

A funny story...we stopped at Ted Drewes' for a second round of heaven after the zoo.  The GPS led us in a different way then where we had come the first time.  Thinking I knew the way back from the last trip, I headed back into the neighborhoods.  We came to a stop sign and all of a sudden I realized we'd been there before.  Then Cameron piped up and said: "That's Grandpa's old high school!"  Gale had taken us on a drive through the neighborhood last year and showed us where everyone had lived.  The boys listened to all the stories and didn't forget!  Before we knew it, we were telling the rest of the family that hadn't seen it, the same stories and pointing out the houses and streets.  The boys had listened and related to all of the people in the stories.  It might have seemed a frivolous conversation for Gale to have had with them, because most of the people have been gone for decades, but the memories and details are priceless.  It made quite an impression on those young men because, ultimately, it's part of their story and history too.

This has been a trip that the kids will look back on for years and talk about.  The funny stories with Great-grandma will one day be priceless, and retold over and over.  Her down-to-earth sensibility and kindness is very appreciated in a very uptight world.  I'm glad Jeff had a few tender moments with her before we loaded the crew up!  Her and Gale's next trip out is already planned for a year from Christmas.  Cameron's already set the timer and is counting the days till then.  It's definitely something we will all look forward to!

St Louis Zoo

Monday--May 13th.  We headed for the St Louis Zoo.  Grandma stayed home with Aunt Gale and Great-Grandma. They missed quite a show!

It is the third-largest zoo in the nation and has over 700 different kinds of animals to see.  And today, you could see TEN different Eiberts'! 

 Can you tell which one takes after Grandpa?

After we went through the entrance, we picked up the tram to see the sights.

The first stop was the camels.  They were starting to lose their winter coats and even had some babies with them. 

These camels had two humps, and contrary to common belief...they store fat in the humps, and not water.

There were loads of zebras out today.  The shade was a good place to be because it was definitely warming up into the 80s this morning, and heading for the 90s!

I don't know what it is--but the carousel is always a hit--young and "older"!

I asked Jessica if she wanted to get a little closer to the boys for the ride.  She said no because she liked the animal that she was riding.  We saw some real ones in the park and it was a new creature--even for mom!

It's an Okapi--it looks like a cross between a giraffe and a zebra.  Then there were some animals that interested the kids more than others. 

  A lot of the animals were sleepy when we went through...like Mr Tiger, here.

 

We wandered down the path to see who was awake. I think that these fat asses were more exciting for the boys then, let's say, the giraffes, leopards, or monkeys put together.  The heckles and interest was strictly about their name, no less! 

Yep.  The zoo requested that you use their proper name.  But they are quite chunky, aren't they!

It was the first real day of what felt like "summer" heat, and as long as everyone had a drink bottle, we were set to keep going.

Jessica saw some ostrich and then we went into the aviary.  She now has 25+ different birds on her list, instead of the mere 5, her teacher requested. (Over-achievers ROCK!!) 

And speaking of over-achievers!  We found out while we were in St Louis that Jessica was admitted into the Gifted program at NTPS and will be attending a new school next year!  She passed the written and computer tests with an accumulative score of 97%.  She's definitely one to watch in the future for great things to happen!!

But the real crowd-pleaser for the day was being able to touch the sting-rays and baby sharks!  Everyone had to wash their hands before they went into the pool area. 

You could only put your arm in the water up to your elbow and then wait for the rays to circle around.  Then you take your finger and run it down their backs. 

It was quite a show just watching the creatures circle over and over.

 

We were here the longest.......because it was a bit more exciting to touch the animals then walk in the sun.

The tram was a great way to make it around the zoo.  I know.  I was the crazy lady taking pictures when they called "All aboard!"  But it was worth the glaring looks! 

 

It was back to Gale's and Grandma's for another birthday celebration and GREAT barbecue!!

Celebrating Great-Grandma's 90th Birthday Party

Sunday--May 12th.  Great-Grandma's 90th Birthday Party


















Our whole purpose for going with the entire family to St. Louis was to celebrate Ida Mae's 90th birthday. 

Gale planned and hosted a beautiful catered dinner party in a classy reception hall. Grandma's only birthday request was that all the kids be there.  Well.  After several months of planning, saving, and finagling through life's curve balls--our whole family was able to be there for this special weekend--and it was worth it! 


















One of the greatest things about Ida Mae...also known as Ida, Ma, Grandma, and Great-grandma...is how good she is to the kids.  Too many people get over-excited by normal kid stuff...but she is so down to earth and realistic in her expectations of them.  That's a special quality that not all people have.



















She kept saying she didn't want a party...but she loved seeing everyone.  Lots of nieces and nephews, with their spouses and family were in the crowd.  Here is a picture of her with her sister, Louise (89 years old) and her cousin, Wesley Kaetzl (100 years old).  Wes just celebrated his 100th birthday in February with a 150 people and dancing!  His mother was Ida Mae's father's sister--making them maternal first cousins.



















I sat next to Carol Jean, Wes' daughter, who's already in to her 80s, and she was telling me about the times she was a kid and her parents dropped by Ida and Nick's house to visit. 

She said that was a day when children were supposed to be "seen and not heard".  She said that Ida Mae would welcome them right in and she didn't have to worry about being scolded or being made to feel less than!  What a wonderful tribute to the kind of mother, grandmother, and person she is!  That made quite an impression on this lady to remember it after almost seven decades!

Nathan stayed close to great-grandma in her wanderings through the room.  She can't see very well anymore and he was worried about her falling--but not with him glued to her side!


















Ida Mae loved telling the kids stories about her adventures with her sister Louise.  Louise likes to drive fast.  One day she was pulled over by a police officer for not wearing a seat belt.  The officer told her that the seat belt looked brand new. The car is almost 25 years old.  She said it probably was and proceeded to tell him that she didn't like wearing it and she wasn't going to put it on.  He issued her a ticket, but it was declared a "default"--which ended up only costing about $10.  Ida Mae just sat in the passenger seat and watched her sister charm the officer. The story made quite an impression on the boys because when Louise was introducing herself, they asked if she was the sister that got pulled over for not wearing her seat belt!  She let out a roar of laughter and said that it must be because she was the only sister that drove a car!  Cameron made quite made quite an impression on her too...she loved him!  She told us later what remarkably well-behaved kids we had--that they were so pleasant and respectable. 














Gale said that was a HUGE compliment coming from Louise, because if they had been any different...everyone would have known exactly what she thought of them!  Good thing they weren't pulling any of Grandpa's stunts!


















Aunt Jan and Uncle Dave were making the rounds.  Jan filled us in on who was who and how everyone was related!  Thank goodness...because I was lost after the first cousins!


















Out of the crowd, we recognized some of the relatives!! I actually know these people!  It was no small feat having all the grand kids together for the big day...and Don and Linda are the grandparents to all the great-grandchildren.  We met most of Don's first cousins that he grew up with.  He is one of the older cousins, even though Ida Mae was the fifth of seven children.
























Cameron was asked to give the blessing on the food and then after a yummy dinner, it was time for blowing the candles out on the cake and singing "Happy Birthday" to grandma.  Her real birthday is May 13, 1923.....but Mother's Day was the perfect day to have her party!


















Lots of cameras were moving around the room!  A 90th birthday is quite the occasion to celebrate!  We're already planning the 100th birthday party too!!


















Ashley was sick all week...and she was trying to keep it together for the party.  We got lots of information on the Kuffer side of the family from Pat Adkison, John's wife, and daughter-in-law to Louise.  She's been compiling the history for quite awhile and it already goes back a couple hundred years!  Another cousin in Montana and St Louis have the pictures of all the relatives.  Wes offered any information that he may have. It was a smorgasbord of people wanting to keep the history alive.  The internet will make it so much easier to collect!!


















There were a few children there, but we provided the majority of them.  Jessica and Kaylub entertained themselves for quite awhile in a corner of the reception room.  It was the perfect place to have a few giggles!














The party was the opportune time to catch up with relatives from all over the country.  Cousins...Jerry Schultze is Ida Mae's nephew (son of Lillian and Ted Schultze)--lives in Missouri, Don (Nicholas and Ida Mae Eibert)--Tacoma, WA, and John Adkison (son of Louise and John Adkison)--Gulf Breeze, Florida.


















Gale was pretty in pink and a gracious host...not for just the birthday dinner, but for almost two weeks with 11 people!  She definitely earned her wings this week :)
























Arijana and Kaylub



















The nieces and nephews with Aunt Gale

And when it was finally over.......it was time to go home and relax with Great-Grandma.  Presents, a wonderful southern BBQ dinner, and cake were the highlights of her "real" birthday the next day!

World Bird Sanctuary

Saturday--May 11th.  We had plans to meet friends and go see the Cahokia Indian Mounds in Illinois.  But plans changed and we had a lazy day close to home.  Jeff and I took the boys to the World Bird Sanctuary, near Lone Elk Park.  It happens that Nathan and Cameron are working on their Bird Study Merit badge and I thought that this would make for a great outing to jump start their scouting assignments.























There was a path leading through the Sanctuary that had bits of information for kids to glean.  Here was an Eagle's nest...anywhere between 6-8 feet wide.  Definitely big enough to fit my soon-to-be eagles!


















We saw some amazing birds on display.  There was a Peregrine Falcon with it's handler out and about while we were there.  It is the fastest bird in the world and can fly up to speeds of 280 miles per hour.























It's always good to know the law when you are out and about in new places.  I didn't realize that picking up a feather off the ground was illegal.


















We saw a few different kinds of eagles today.  The Golden Eagle was beautiful...
























but not as striking and majestic as his brother, the Bald Eagle.


















I'm partial to my own eagles...like Cameron.

After our trip to see the birds...the boys checked another restaurant off their list.  White Castle.  It's amazing how famous this little burgers are.  In the North, we call them sliders.  They've been around for decades and are famous.  Great-grandma was telling us that they were only 9cents when Grandpa was a kid.  He'd bring a sack of them home and eat them all. Our boys could have eaten more...but we reined them in at 5 each.  They were pretty tasty.