Home!

Yes, I’m home  and will take up blogging  atleast once a week again! It was a fast but somewhat long 3 weeks packed full of fun, work, friends, and family!

Where do I start? Well, I guess I flew in to Rochester Ny as I had mentioned earlier. Everything went great and that feeling of independence revisited me as I marched to my gate with a loaded back-pack over my shoulder and pulled a just -as -full suitcase behind! Oh , it’s a wonderful feeling!  I was off to a good start to when the guy that checked  my license and ticket before security marked a few things on my ticket and with a smile said I could take a ‘not-so -thorough’  {so to speak} metal detector  where I didn’t need to take off my shoes or get out my lotions etc! Apparently  I didn’t look threatening ,which I found as a total relief ! 😉

I was greeted at the airport by five cousins and an aunt and uncle who came to pick me up despite the late hour of 11 pm!

The next day , Wednesday, I went over to my aunt and helped her do pears! When lunch time came , I had an adorable little helper help me husk corn!

For some reason, Cameron got such a kick out of pulling the husk off an ear of corn when I held the cob! I never realized husking corn could be so much fun!:)

On Friday, the 4th,  I was able to meet my foster ‘cousin’ for the first time!

Kaiti’s  very blonde hair ,big ,blue eyes and sweet personality wrapped itself around my heart ! I was tickled when she remembered and called me by my name ,Audy, the times we met up within those three weeks! Carson is such a little man with many questions and a sweet smile!

Grandpa and Grandma had taken me out to Pizza Hut for lunch one time! Afterwards Grandma and I did some shopping!

Kyle-4 with their beloved cat Bubblegum! This poor cat was robbed of one of its nine lives one evening when it got injured on the road. We didn’t think it would make it very long with blood oozing from its eyes and nose ,but we were wrong and the next day it was walking stiffly around! Did God hear a seven year old’s  prayer? I’m sure he did!

Angela-10  was so tickled to finally have a sister! Shiane Lynelle joined Sheldon and Donna Martin’s family on September 9.

Everyone made sure they got a turn to hold Shiane before bedtime  ! Kyle -4 and Ryan-almost 3  enjoyed ‘babysitting’ while Angela and Joshua were in school!

Staining part of the deck one warm, gorgeous afternoon was a welcome break from the usual cleaning and cooking! I had a willing helper and the job didn’t take very long!

I swam for the first and last time of the season in the time I was in New York! One lovely evening  my aunt and uncle and cousins invited Grandpa and Grandma Martin and I to join them on the lake to go boating  and swimming!

Unfortunately it didn’t work for Grandpa to go so just Grandma and I went with them! Katrina-12 and Madison -10 had mastered the skill of knee-boarding long already and made it look so easy! My uncle Lee Weston convinced me to give it a try and two failed attempts later I was back in the boat! It’s less complicated to watch!

Can you guess where I was?! On September 12, a busload of young people went down to New York City for the day. We were on the road by 3:30 am and back by 11:45 pm! It was a long and tiring day but full of fun and  great memories! It was the first time I was ever in NYC  and was able to see where the Twin Towers stood which is now two pools as well as the only tree that survived the crash.  We sang at Bowery Mission for maybe 45 min. before  going on a boat ride that took us past the different islands that make up NYC and the Statue of Liberty!

I was treated to soft -serve ice cream 3 different times and each time it was delicious! Obviously Ryan thought it was good to!

Here Shiane is one day shy of two weeks old. She is  a very content baby and fun to care for! I got my chances to hold her in between everyone else’s turns!

The anticipated morning has finally arrived! Delores and Janelle as well as my Grandpa and Grandma Zeiset had taken me to the Rochester Airport so I could make my 7 a.m. flight HOME to Minnesota!  My bags were heavy and the zippers were stressed {notice I’m wearing my jacket? It was a bit chilly that morning but I don’t think it would have fit in my bags if I had tried to squeeze it in there!} with my 3 weeks worth  of ‘stuff’ plus a few more items that ‘somehow‘ found their way in there! I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and wouldn’t trade the experience and memories for anything!  It felt good to help someone  when they needed it and to cultivate deeper relationships with the friends and family there!

Hmm. Was it possible that I was missed? This was the banner that greeted me as I walked in the door made by my two youngest siblings! How sweet of them! Yes, I had missed everyone to and was glad to be home!

 

 

 

A Century back in Time

 

Remember that guest writer I hinted about  earlier? Well, here’s the post! Following is a post written by my cousin, Janelle {front right of the picture}. I was glad when she agreed to do a post and hope you will enjoy it ! ~Audrey

 

Hello Everyone,

I felt  honored when Audrey asked me to do a blog post for her while she is here in New York for a few weeks. Now what to blog about 🙂 I decided I will write about last Thursday when Audrey, Delores and I took the day off to tour Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua.

Thursday turned out to be a warm, humid day, thankfully it wasn’t raining then since we were planning to do some hiking. We arrived at the Gardens around noontime and were awed at the old-fashioned gardens…And there was more on the premises than just gardens we were pleased to find out! There were also old greenhouses the ones with the actual glass windows etc. instead of the regular greenhouse plastic. One of the greenhouses had a fish pond in and the rest of it  looked almost like I imagine the jungle would(with cactuses instead of trees) this I found out when I got a little too close to a large cactus and was quickly brought back to my senses by a sharp prick! 🙂

After touring the green houses and several other gardens we happened upon a large magnificent  mansion, amid more beautiful gardens and a large porch.

This was the Mrs. Mary Sonnenberg’s and her husbands summer-house where they would raise the produce in the summer and ship it to New York city for the food supply come winter. It is a 40 room 3 story house with lots of beautiful old rooms inside. (Unfortunately my  camera had died just a we were ready to tour the mansion or I would have taken some inside pictures).It was interesting to hear the history of Sonnenberg and its ancient owners and fun to imagine living in such a large house in the olden days.

After touring the mansion we stopped to smell the roses in the garden behind the house and then we headed to our waiting carriage. Which just so happened to be a modern ‘horseless machine’  🙂

I enjoyed the  flowers,greenhouses, and all the other things in between and never cease to be amazed at all the conveniences we have now days and think we couldn’t do with out. Electricity,internet, cellphones  and   social media. Communicating should never be an issue. lol

Hope you all have a blessed week and enjoy the last few days of this summer!

Adios…..

…For about 3 weeks! I’m spending 3 weeks in New York visiting friends and helping family ! I fly out tonight and return on the 24th in time for youth camping on the 25th 🙂 ! I won’t be posting very often but will hopefully do that when I return!:) This is only my third and fourth time in a plane and the first time I’m flying alone ! It’s a bit nerve – wracking but also exciting to be faced with the challenge it brings! If you think of me within the next three weeks there is a good chance I’ll be busy,tired,homesick ,or disoriented and a prayer would be helpful! 😉
Look for a guest posting sometime in the near future.. 😉 It’s gonna be good!
Until next time…
~. Audrey