Emma's visit in Omaha 8-11

OK, do they look tired?  We were ALL soooo tired from 2 days of moving T&T into their new apt., then traveling 9 hours from Chicago to Omaha.  We met dad at Carlos O'Kelly's for dinner....I just couldn't go home and cook.  Love those Naked Nacho's!  : }

Lots of pent up energy being released here.  T&T decided to drive me back home and leave Emma with us while they took 2 days by themselves down in Nebraska City for some much needed R&R.

So poor Papa had to work while Emma Mae & I "tried" to find things to do.  Not really!!  We had loads to do on our agenda.
The first day, I did home stuff to catch up while Emma found lots to keep herself busy.  We even went grocery shopping in the afternoon with my latte' and her chocolate milk in one of those HUGE carts that look like a racing car.  I had to laugh at myself trying to push this monster machine up and down the isles.  Totally gained new respect for the "young" moms who do this all the time.  Emma even got a free cookie from the pastry chef to go with her milk.  Good times!!
                                     

Emma wanted me to try out her computer and I thought, "OK, I can do that".  Well....not so user friendly!  I had difficulty.  She kept trying to explain things to me and finally said, "Non, just push this button. It's the easiest!"  I laughed 'til I almost cried!!  She gave up on me  : }

On Friday, we went to the Omaha Zoo.  Our zoo is in the top 10 zoo's in the nation!  She chose this tiger on the merry-go-round because it reminded her of the tiger, Schekan, in the movie Jungle Book 2 we had just watched.  Actually, we watched Happy Feet, Cars and  Toy Story too!

Since the tiger didn't go up and down, Emma had to change to the elephant
                                    

Children's petting zoo
                                     

I loved this "crown" on top of the chickens' head....too funny!
                                      
Waiting on the train

The Butterfly House.  Emma took this pic
                                    

The Aquarium was the BEST part of our day!  She literally stopped mid stride and yelled with excitement when we entered the doors...too cute!  She took this pic of me and actually told me where to sit.

Papa took us out to 5 Guys hamburgers for our Friday night date

T&T's move in Chicago 8-11

I went to Chicago to help care for Emma while Tara & Tim moved to another apartment on the other side of Oz Park in Lincoln Park.  We got up early on "move day" to take our personal belongings over to the new place before the movers came, then went to McD's for breakfast.  Everyone walks "everywhere" in Chicago!!

Walked back over to bring the guys pizza for lunch and see how far they had gotten. Emma couldn't believe that all their "stuff" was on the front sidewalk at the old place : }

 Showing off the living room at the new place before ALL the boxes arrive.  This place has so much natural light coming through ALL the windows allowing the sun to shine right in.  Such a HAPPY HOME!!  : }

Kitchen going into the storage room that allows you to pass through to another deck area.

Emma took the pics of me...pretty good!

Emma's new bedroom that has 3 huge windows and enough room to hold her bed, school desk and all her "stuff".  This child has a lot of STUFF!!  : }   Such a HAPPY room!
                                   
                                    


The back deck going into the kitchen

I was coming out of the kitchen onto the deck to kill wasps, and this view caught my eye.  I loved it and it made me think that no matter where you go, He is right there!

T got to spend the day with Emma and me instead of helping with the initial packing of the truck.  We visited 2 parks, had lunch at a Mexican place and ice cream at Mandi B's.  We were exhausted!!  : }

I love these statues in Oz Park.  There is also one of Dorothy and Toto

 Mandi B's ice cream parlor - Oprah's favorite : }

Lusk Camp - 2nd Generation 8-11

In the beginning......this was the little cabin where the original Lusk Camp was created many, many years ago  back in "the box" 20 miles outside Creede, CO  : }

First pic of ALL our Lusk men

The following are "many" pics of our time in Creed at the Lusk Camp - 2nd Generation. It was the very first time all 7+  g-kids were in one room at the same time!  Everything a Noni and Papa could have ever dreamed of, except our 2 youngest guys weren't there, Rob & Phil : {

We took turns preparing dinner each night

Pops needed help clearing "stuff" off the land, so Mark, Adam and Papa went down to help

View from the deck Can you see the 3 4-wheelers going down the road to the little pond?

This was our trip over to the "burial mound" from the wagon train days.  There is a wagon trail right through the property at the cabin, so cool!  When people would die back then, they would be buried in this huge mound and rocks would be placed on top so animals didn't dig up the bodies.  Grandma Lusk started the tradition with me to always make an effort to go over and place rocks on top of the mound each time I visited.  And I am continuing it with our g-kids.

Visiting a small private cemetery on our way back to the cabin

 We were so busy - dancing, reading, hiking, fishing, crafts, fort building, water gun/balloon fights,4-wheeling, sight seeing, ice cream treats and of course, some-mores!

Mark getting in a little work time

 Back by the little pond and the 100+ year old cabin

Aunt Amanda hiking up the hill the back way to the cabin : }

We all learned to drive the 4-wheelers, so fun!

View as I was walking back to the cabin from the little pond

Our little 100 year old fish hatchery we are renovating

The Lusk family cabin - home of the Lusk Camp - 2nd Generation

Went to lunch in the town of Creede at "The Best Little Dog House in Creede".  Great hot dogs!

So one of the craft projects that Uncle Adam was in charge of was building bird houses from all the natural things the kids could collect.  It became an adult project and actually a competition between Uncle Adam and Aunt T

Water gun fights

 Another craft project, making sun catchers

                                       

                                     

Pops totally involved in his i-pad  : }

Look at all our grand children....we are truly blessed and another one on the way : }

Wonderful some'mores

Bristol Head Mountain as seen from the deck

The g-kids and grown kids LOVED being outdoors and just playing and exploring.

The dad's even got to teach their sons gun safety with the BB gun and a soda can as the target

There was one evening when we had at least 12-15 hummingbirds at one time trying to drink my "very special recipe"  : }

This was Grandma Lusks donkey and Ali loved sitting on it. Grandma would have smiled : }

Standing in fort that Uncle Adam had made as a child and now is rectifying it.  Cool!!

I had special "Lusk Camp" t-shirts made for all the g-kids, Papa and myself.  On the front left pocket was a number according to their birth order

Standing in front of the view of the "headwaters of the Rio Grande"

Walking back from the "waterfalls"

 We just "had" to go to Freeman's Ice cream place down the road.  Besides the ice cream being wonderful, the place itself is an experience.

                                       

Time to say our good bye's  : }