Aria turns 1

In a blink, Aria turned one. The past year saw lots of dramatic changes in our family. Aria took it all in stride and turned 1 on July 2nd.

Mega thanks to Samantha, Jake and George for bringing us the fun.

June 13th

It has been almost 4 months since Mother died on Valentine's Day. Every day since, Dad has ridden the turbulent waves of grief. Today would have been Mother's 91st birthday. 

Brother Sam came to town to commemorate the day

and to celebrate her life. 

 We miss you, Mother.

Happy Birthday.

Memorial Day - 2016

This pretty much tells the story.

Dan plays golf in Arkansas - again

For the 21st straight year, our golf group met in beautiful NW Arkansas for 4.5 days of good friendship, tasty food, cheap cigars, mega-drinks and marathon golf.

Looking forward to year 22.

Helen's birthday

Phill and Sheree hosted a fun-filled evening for Helen's 64th birthday.

It was a blast.

Dad turns 90

With great pomp and circumstance, Dad turned 90 years old on May 5th. We had parties for 2 days. His office hosted their annual luncheon and the family hosted dinner for 35 - complete with Dad making fun and interesting remarks. 

The sunflowers stood in for Mother.

Of all the pictures and videos taken, this is one of my favorites. 

It is fun to see Dad smile. I think 90 looks good on him.

The Elms Hotel and Spa

The Elms Hotel and Spa is a funky old place located in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Built on a reputation of healing mineral springs in the 1920s, it flourished until the 1960s when critics discredited the medicinal powers of the natural waters. The next several decades were tough on The Elms Hotel, and the entire town. Our visits there in the 1980s saw a shabby Elms Hotel in the middle of a semi-ghost town.

Hearing that both had rebounded, we tried again. While it is still funky, The Elms Hotel and Spa is in excellent condition and offers a wonderful resort-like escape.

Excelsior Springs is recovering as well. There are fun and tasty restaurants, tons of odd-ball shops and two live theaters. The once magnificent Mayan Revival art deco Hall of Waters is being restored too. It is a piece of art in itself. It features the World's Longest Water Bar (no kidding) and also provides a historic walk-through of the glory days of Excelsior Springs.

Relaxation and healing - a formula offered by The Elms Hotel and Excelsior Springs. And, one we gratefully welcome after these last couple of months.

Tag Sale

The home at 207 SW Broadmoor has served as the repository of Gardner and Janssen family possessions for more than 62 years.  Covering 6 generations spread over 2 continents, some are heirlooms dating back to 1823. Some are mere curios. Changing circumstances sometimes requires difficult decisions.  With irreversible finality, family history was distributed to hundreds of new homes during this weekend's tag sale.

207 Broadmoor still stands strong and proud, but poignantly void of the thousands of memories it so valiantly preserved.

Easter 2016

Potwin Easter

Aldersgate Easter 

George goes to PreSchool

George is 2 and a half years old. This past week, he gathered up his extra cool firetruck lunch bag that his Komah gave him and, for the first time, went to PreSchool. 

It is a Japanese immersion school. They made Easter Eggs. 

It was a big week for George. And, for his parents, too.