Cleaning Out

 We are trying to clean out some boxes and files---today's job was stuff which Grover left us.  Articles about Sportsmen's park (printed in 1990)

 Various cards featuring dogs looking like our Griffin (from us)

 Valentines from us and a card from Lucy Morgan with a clipping on a Tennis Tournament in Lowell Morgan's memory in Jacksonville, FL.

 There are also many photos out his patio door in various seasons.

 And photos of "his pets" (Christmas gifts?)

 Newpaper clippings about the criminal trial of various bosses of his at Transit Casualty.

 A few California mementos

 And some Xerox copies of my husband and his patent.

 These will all be going to that big Recycle Bin Feb. 3 unless someone rescues them.

Still Looking for Eagles

 We might have seen a few eagles fly over while we were driving along the river road, but we were hungry and decided to stop for lunch in Grafton with no confirmed sightings.

 Ruebel's had a delicious menu and wonderful atmosphere with their 1904 World's Fair bar. Dave and I had eaten at the Pere Marquette Lodge when we had gone several years ago (Click here), but this was a nice alternative.   Refreshed, we were ready to head home---not the same way we had gone. . .

 On the Brussel's Free Ferry---crossing the Illinois River to a peninsula area of beautiful farmland and rolling hills.

 Then, we had to take the Golden Eagle Ferry across the Mississippi River. . .not free.

 But, just as we got off that ferry and the sun was starting to set, Brett says, "Look at that dot in the tree---it's an eagle."  As chance would have it, there was a gravel area for us to pull off the road and get a closer look

Although, Rachel's was not as blurry as mine, I think you can still see the white head on the eagle! 

Looking for Eagles

 Rachel's family came to St. Louis to see the bald eagles.  Although we had seen plenty of eagles in the past, this year had been too warm. We had heard there weren't nearly as many.  Click here for the blog on eagle watching 3 years ago.

First, we went to the Melvin Price Lock and Dam outside of Alton, IL.  They have a wonderful museum there and there are always birds flying around the churning waters.  The only birds we saw were gulls, but we did get to see a tug boat coming through the locks.

 But, there is also a wonderful museum there explaining the lock system, the efficiency of barges, the wildlife of the Misssissippi River.  The kids loved it---they made eagle hats, colored pictures, tried a game which had them piloting a barge and we watched a movie about eagles.  We drove a little further to Hartford, IL so the kids could see the confluence of the rivers from an observation tower.

 They are on the top floor (there is an elevator but they walked)--see the red in the photo below.

 Rachel and I had chosen to stay below---we thought we saw an eagle. . .

 That it didn't have a white head, didn't bother us (immature bald eagles have brown heads), but when we saw it from an angle, we realized a white chest was definitely not a bald eagle. . .

Christmas Eve

 

After Church, we all met back at the Lewis Family's house.

 While dinner was being prepared, some video games were played. . .

Anna shared her love. . .


We had some family portraits made in front of the tree.. . .

And of course numerous attempts at getting the grandchildren to pose. . .

But when all is said and done, it is about the joy of being with family and the joy of giving that special cousin a special gift!

Making Christmas Cookies

 Christmas cookies must be an important pre-Christmas activity since both of our Kansas City families made them.

 There was an occasional fashion show interlude. . . .while they baked.

 Then, came the best part DECORATING!

Meanwhile, Roman (to the North) was also decorating cookies.

Some may think these were overly-decorated, but Santa liked them just the way they were!