80th Birthday Celebration!

Gene celebrated his 80th birthday with daughters Lori and Terri at a campout along the Missouri River. The RV was home base with four tents circling the motorhome.

 

Gene blowing out the matches on his birthday cake . . . we forgot the candles!

 

 

The Taylors borrowed a friend's boat for fishing, water skiing and pulling the kids on a tube. Gene won the fishing contest: the biggest, the first, the most . . . and the only fish caught.

 

Doesn't he look proud!

 

We played games, napped in the hammock, sang songs around a roaring campfire, viewed wildlife (wild turkeys, deer, redheaded woodpeckers). The most fun, however, was watching old 8mm films of the Crabb family circa 1968 and earlier. The projector hadn't been used in about 35 years and when it was started up everything worked, even the light bulb. Gene started it up like it was yesterday.

 

 

Our favorite photo of all 15 of us crammed in the RV watching old family movies. Cozy huh?



Family Visits Norfolk

The RV is currently parked on the east side of Gene's daughter and son-in-laws' home in Norfolk, Nebraska . . . and it was the perfect resting spot for Shawnda, Janet and their two boys who are on their way to Phoenix for a vacation.

They only had one day with us, for which we were grateful, and we filled it up with lots of activities to keep Jack busy. The Discovery Zone at the Elkhorn Valley Museum is filled with toys, crafts, a stage with costumes for dressing up and a train that runs around the perimeter of the ceiling. Jack had fun scanning food items in the pretend grocery store, decorating his arm with body paint, and playing with all the toys.

Early Saturday they were back on the road with a stopover planned for Denver. We can't wait to see them again!

Jack scanning a box in the pretend grocery store.

Janet, Shawnda and one-month old Finnley. We think he will be a redhead!

Shawnda and Jack in the attic of the Dederman cabin on the grounds of the Elkhorn Valley Museum. The cabin was built in the 1860's and ten Dederman children used to sleep in this room.

Johnny Carson's six Emmy Awards are on loan to the museum. Johnny grew up in Norfolk, graduated from Norfolk High and the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. A room at the museum is dedicated to Johnny's life.

A poster of Johnny Carson.

Jack and great grandma Sue eating cookies!

Mama and Babies

Lewis & Clark State Recreation Area near Yankton, South Dakota, is a great place for viewing wildlife  . . . like this doe with twin fawns. We spotted this trio from our RV while we were working on a crossword puzzle and, of course, grabbed the camera.