Hello everyone, December is here. The final month of the year and we have three birthdays. Please take time to wish Rhyee, Jordan and Victor a Happy Birthday !!! Hope your Thanksgiving was enjoyable and wishing all a Merry Christmas !!

Meet Beauty

Well, I've done it again. Went and bought another "new to me vehicle". Named her Beauty, because she is a beauty and as a respectful nod to Black Beauty. As you may remember, Black Beauty made the ultimate sacrifice to protect family members from harm back in September. I couldn't seem to find any vehicle worthy enough to step up and take her place until today. Beauty is the same year model, 2005 and has the same equipment options as Black Beauty. The mileage is even close. It felt right when I slipped behind the wheel to take her for a spin, so I brought her home tonight.

11-11-11 Veterans Day
Thank you for your Service.

Hey, hey, hey, here comes turkey day, also everyone please wish a Happy Birthday to Chris and Aunt Cindy. Hope everyone had fun trick or treating.
Uncle John

Hey everyone listen up. After visiting and thinking, here's this years Family Christmas Plan. On December 10th Cindy and I will be hosting the event. As usual we will be open late morning time to begin collecting snacks, goodies, etc. and anxiously await the arrival of Auntie"M"'s fudge, along with that of others. A good afternoon of eating, visiting, and napping by the younger ones will be had.
A new twist this year. About 5:00 we will make our way to the Benton Airport for dinner. Those so inclined are then invited back for desserts and visiting.
On Sunday Uncle John and Cindy will for those wishing to attend have Cinnamon Rolls, bisquits and jelly, toast, coffee, milk, hot chocolate. No doubt the fudge will all be gone.
Mark your calendars for the 10th, see you here.

Uncle John

Christmas?!?

Hey elders and cousins,
I'm wondering when we are planning on getting together for Christmas this year? Was a weekend decided and I just wasn't informed? Please lets all decide so I can get off work in time for this wonderful time with my wonderful family!!!

Hope everyone is looking forward to Halloween this month. Also please wish Auntie "M" and Uncle Mike a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Be safe trick 'o treating.

Uncle John

Wow what a hot summer. Uncle John just heard that Shaina this months birthday girl is moving to Wichita. Lets all wish her amd Jackson a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Good luck to all of you returning to school.
Uncle John

Hey Uncle John is behind the curve and late to wish AUNT GERRY a HAPPY BIRTHDAY here on the blog. I did give her a call on the day. Please give her a shout if you haven't. Also on the 6th is KLANCEE'S and on the 9th is AUNT FRANCIS. Be sure to wish them a happy bday also. Back on track now, stay cool.
Uncle John.

Happy Belated Birthday

Since Dad/Uncle John usually does the birthdays, we forgot to put his on here for him. :( oops. Anyway, everybody wish Uncle John a happy belated birthday, it was on July 4th! Hope to see everybody that can make it this weekend!

Hello everyone, hope you had a fun and safe firecracker day. Please wish Mark and Kyle a
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! UNCLE JOHN

Hope everyone had a fantastic Flag Day. Please wish Uncle Dan & Aunt Barb a Happy Birthday this Friday the 17th, and Grant on the 21st. Stay cool this summer. Uncle John.

POOL PARTY!!! SUMMER FUN! JULY 15-17TH

Here ye, here ye, all we are having a summertime pool party. Chris says it's Christmas in July party and celebrate belatedly John's 60th birthday! Come celebrate July 15th thru the 17th! Bring your swimsuits and babies and dogs if you want. It will be a summer blast!

Grandpa's Decoration Day-Susan Lawrence Bartel

As the end of May would come around each year, I not only looked forward to school ending but to Decoration Day. Decoration Day was the signal for the wonderful lazy days of summer to begin. Fresh strawberry jam, then later sand plum jelly, bacon and tomato sandwiches eaten on the swing in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard in El Dorado. Decoration Day was Grandpa's holiday. He would collect large coffee cans all year. When I would show up, usually the day after school was out, all focus was on Decoration Day. The cousins, who had the luck of living one block from our grandparents, and I would get up early. We helped Grandpa cover all the cans with shiny aluminum foil. Sometimes we licked our fingers and we could taste the tiney, metallic foil. Then we'd followed Grandpa to the front yard. There, with his long rusty scissors, he would quietly, almost reverently, cut the peonies, the wild blood red roses growing along the fence and the purple flags (iris). He would jam them into the cans we held so carefully, there was never any arranging, but there was something unique about his jamming technique. It made the most beautiful bouquets we cousins had ever seen. If we ran out of cans, Grandpa would sneak into the house and get some mason jars to finish our floral duty. Then we were off in the old Dodge to visit the cemeteries: Quito down by Leon, the OLD El Dorado cemetery, we'd swing by Sunset Lawns to check out where Grandpa and Grandma would be laid to rest, ending up at Cumberland to meet up with the rest of the family to decorate and visit and then head out to a picnic. At each cemetery, Grandpa would tell us who was buried there, how they were related to us and, most especially, if they had been in the "Armed Forces", a most highly honored job. Sometimes on the drive between cemeteries, he would tell stories about being an Army cook in France during World War I. I didn't know then what a trench was, but I knew it was a despicable place to have to cook, sleep, and basically live in. As we drove along, with all the windows down, our small heads hanging out the back windows with our hair blowing in our faces, if there was a long silence. . .my Grandpa would begin to whistle. And that was a most wonderful holiday.

I think

we need a summer get together at the pool!! Who's in?

My Grandpa's Garden - Susan Lawrence Bartel

Every summer I spent weeks at a time at my Grandma and Grandpa Lawrence's house in El Dorado. Across the small driveway was a 1/3 acre garden plot that was my Grandpa's pride. I can still feel the freshly tilled brown dirt, warmed by the summer sun, squishing up between my toes on my grubby bare feet. I can hear the hum of the honey bees, busy gathering nectar. I can taste the first ripe strawberry...never have any strawberries been so sweet, so juicy. I can remember lying in between the rows and watching the fluffy, white clouds pass slowly by, creating animals in their shapes. And I can hear my Grandpa's melodic whistle. My Grandpa was known for his whistling...even to the point of being nicknamed Birdie and known throughout Butler County as Birdie Lawrence. He whistled old folk songs, probably tunes he made up, theme songs from the 50's television shows, and hymns. Of all my memories spending time with Grandpa in his garden, the one engraved on my heart and that brings tears to my eyes so easily is Grandpa whistling, "In the Garden". Sometimes he sang it in his rich baritone, softly, while his hoe kept time. And I was quiet and listened and knew that time was exceptional, when spent with my Grandpa, in his garden.

Happy April's fool day. Everyone please wish Matthew a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Also have a Happy Easter. Uncle John

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ALL!!!! Please take time to wish Hanna, Garrett, and Sarah a HAPPY BIRTHDAY...Well the groundhog says an early spring, but you can't tell it with all the snow. Uncle John