Below is a slideshow of the time I spent in Oregon with my daughter and her adorable family. To explain a bit about the photos: Most are just ordinary good times, but some include special moments. Abby, my granddaughter, has NF. It was my good fortune to be in town when Abby's Army participated in a collaborative fundraiser for tumor research. My daughter and her husband are proactive in fundraising and joined forces with someone who was organizing a paddle event. The collaborative person is a writer for the TV show *Bones* which I'd never seen until I returned home. :) He even wrote an episode that featured NF in the anthropological research. Prior to the fundraising paddle event there was a party. I swear, it was the most fun party I've ever attended. The pics with the computer screen? I treated my grandchildren to a new Mac. :) The visit was more fun than a person deserves.







Below is the slideshow of my KCMO visit which lasted 10 days so we did a lot more. We went to Powell Gardens, which were spectacular! We went to the movies, Legoland, several restaurant destinations, swimming... it was a busy time doing lots of stuff, but my favorite moments were at the house where creativity oozed. Malcolm, the youngest, is the creative one. Bert, the eldest, is equally talented but with a focus on studies & sports.

Malcolm slays me. He serves ice cream with flair, creates his own muffin recipe or salad dressing with flair. He created a lemonade stand under a box! He created a monument of Dixie Cups... his imagination never napped. I find him so engaging. Bert is the pensive intellect and I immensely enjoy him too. He speaks Chinese, for goodness sakes.






The last slideshow is most recent. David is living with me for a few months (Joy! Joy!) until he's commissioned into the Army as a JAG officer. His sweetheart, Olivia, recently made her second journey to the mountain to visit. The slideshow is a compilation of their time together over the past two years. Of great importance, I'm absolutely crazy fond of Olivia - she and David combine to become the perfect couple. Not only is she beautiful, she's smart. David brags that she's much, much smarter than he. :) She interned in Washington DC this summer for PBS's General Counsel. She's just entered her third year at Washington and Lee School of Law, and recently interviewed for a clerkship for a Federal Judge in Virginia.