WOW....lots to catch up on....

Not sure where to start.  We made it to the Kelley Reunion in July and then to the Little Reunion in MN in August.  We drove up and took the dogs with us.   They enjoyed the time at the dog parks and playing with Paris and Chip and Luna and chasing the cats!  Oh, yes, chasing cats.  One of Khaki's most favorite things in the world to do!   H managed to get a 24hr bug the morning of the reunion, so he didn't make it....poor guy!  So I went and enjoyed every one's company and good food.   There are some stark differences between the gregarious Irish Kelley Family and the stoic Scandinavian Little Family. (now don't get me wrong....we enjoy BOTH of them very much and love all of our family!)

Kelleys: 3 days.  Treasure hunt that encompasses the entire county, an auction, fireworks, skeet shooting, with the horseshoe & volleyball courts available and eating and visiting.

Littles: 3 hours.  Basketball, volleyball court and swings & jungle gym. But mostly eating and visiting.

The gardens at home are doing ok and the community garden was a total bust!   The popcorn all got eaten by the birds and the sorghum didn't get made into a syrup...but I did get some grain....not sure what to do with it...and the peanuts...what few there were....got eaten, except for 4 of them!   EEERRG!   Critters! 

We harvested a watermelon yesterday....not quite ripe.  SO, HOW DO YOU TELL when one is good to go?  Last year, we waited too long....this year, not long enough!   The packet of Sugar Baby Watermelon says to wait til the rind is a green-black.   What's that look like????
We have 4 more to go and we don't want to waste those ones.  HELP!

 

Then, U.Paul passed away.  H and I went to SC on Labor Day to see him in Hospice.  Pneumonia made it so that he couldn't talk or move much.  When a family friend came in, he tried as hard as he could to speak to him that it was heartbreaking.   So many words were spoken without anything being said.

There wasn't as many Kelley's that were able to make the funeral.  But laughs, reminisces and fellowship abounded.  We got to meet some of the newer additions to the family and also see the ones that are now much taller than when we saw them 20 some years ago!  Pop, A.Sara & A.Pat are now the stalwarts of the family and they were all able to make it, thankfully.  As they get older, they also have their challenges, but seem to be plugging along as well as can be expected.   A.Jane has some adapting to do but does have some activities to look forward to: water aerobics and a trip to Rome or so with a college friend are just a few.  Of course, that can't take away her sorrow and emptiness but we all know that having something to look forward to is important.  She is also blessed with family and friends nearby who will help her transition to her new life.

Nikki, Claudia, A.Pat & A.Sara

 

 

 

 

Kathy & A.Pat

Diane & Becky

Pop trying to use his I-phone as a camera...it is so funny to watch!

Kathy & Pop

A,Sara, Diane, Becky, Nikki

Nikki & A.Jane

Some people you just envision as invincible.  U.Paul was one of those people.  And quite frankly, the world needs a LOT more U.Paul's in it.  As the pastor said, if a life can be summed up in only one word, that word for U.Paul is INTEGRITY.
Yes, God, we need more U.Paul's down here.