Grampa Great turned 80 last weekend, and we joined him for a celebration in Lincoln. He’s made life amazingly fun for three generations of kids, and we love him so much!
Archive for the ‘Family’ Category
29 Nov
Happy 8th, Olivia!
My sweet, funny Livie Lou Who turned eight this weekend, and we celebrated with an art party in Nebraksa. Many thanks to Doug and Karyl for hosting, and to the aunts, uncles and cousins were able to join us following the holiday.
Livie is smart, hilarious and kind. A bit mercurial, too, which just makes her that much more intriguing. We love her with all our hearts.
26 Oct
NYC obsession
There was one real draw to New York City, and that was the siren song of the Statue of Liberty. She’s been the focus of a number of school projects for Olivia – and was a downright obsession of hers by the time I visited the East Coast earlier this year. During the LaGuardia approach on that trip, I sent Olivia a photo – Lady Liberty was but a speck in the middle of the image, yet Olivia was transfixed. That sealed the deal in my mind – a trip was not only warranted, it was essentially required. While we were unable to secure tickets for the crown (as it is currently under repair), we did book pedestal tickets – worth every penny and then some. It also represented a first for me and Katie, as well as the girls.
8 Oct
Olivia Fix
The Bornemeier is strong in this one. Could she look any more like my mother?
Lucky girl.
27 Jan
The week(+) in review
January is off to a crazy start!
Last weekend, Ava hosted sleepover with her best pal, Sophia. Festivities included facials, destroying one’s bedroom and a fluffy new pancake recipe.
Last Monday was a holiday. Sixty degree temps, cocktails on the deck with some of my best pals, lots of bike riding (and crashing), and a KU basketball game made it a pretty great start to the week.
On Tuesday, I secured this once-in-lifetime opportunity…
I also surprised Bryan with a bourbon tasting dinner, thanks to an assist from my favorite sister.
Wednesday marked the first time of many I’ll take three kids to the dentist. (It was also Owen’s first appointment, and it yielded referrals to an orthodontist and periodontist for Olivia, whose college fund may now be spent in other ways…)
That night, a new acquisition arrived for our speed demon.
Despite some very long lines, Thursday was pretty cool, too:
On Friday, Bryan’s parents arrived for a lovely weekend, save for the terrible cold Owen shared with all. Monday was a sick day with lots of morning snuggles, but some rambunctious afternoon play.
Tuesday brought a sweet first grade winter music program, complete with mittens and hats, despite nearly record-breaking warm temperatures.
And what’s on tap for tomorrow? Just a first piano lesson for Ava and Olivia…
3 Jan
Olivia Fix
Aunt Katie helped Livie build a gingerbread house last month. Pretty impressive, especially considering it somehow didn’t serve as a holiday sweets smorgasbord.
18 Nov
WORDS.
One of my favorite blogs is known for occasionally submitting “WORDS” in place of actual commentary, as if real sentences can’t do justice to the ridiculousness of the situation. It’s likely an overreaction to do so here as I outline the past couple of weeks, but it’s tempting. If nothing else, it might explain my delay in writing.
Ava had her tonsils out nearly two weeks ago. A couple of days prior to her scheduled surgery, our ENT recommended a third set of tubes for Olivia, who had straight up failed a hearing test at school. The scheduling nurse suggested we bring them into the surgery center on the same day. At first I was reluctant, but in the end, it was hard to argue with the efficiency a joint recuperation created.
Both surgeries went well, and it wasn’t truly stressful until the girls were in recovery. (These were the fourth and fifth surgeries we’ve had as a family with this doctor, and so we knew we were in good hands.) But, it felt worrisome as Bryan and I bounced between post-op rooms, each of us catching only half of the instructions imperative for our patients.
Olivia, who initially–and quite literally–protested surgery, woke with no discomfort and a smile on her face, thanks to a renewed ability to hear. Ava, on the other hand, struggled through strong pain medicine, and resisted the very things that would ease her transition from hospital to home.
Ava continued to do the same (as she’s known to do) for days on end. She would occasionally yield, allowing us to give her pain medication and popsicles without protest. In my experience, there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing a child in tremendous pain decline obvious remedies. WORDS.
But, the week progressed, and both girls were the beneficiary of incredible generosity: visits, calls, cards, gifts, homemade soup, balloons and even ice cream treats. These helped pass the time, and we were so appreciative of our parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and neighbors.
Ava finally returned to school Monday, after 10 days of recovery. She’s nowhere near 100 percent, and I’m surprised she’s made it two full days. But, it seems she’s on the mend, and we are hopeful she will experience far fewer illnesses in the coming year.
This fall has felt like a challenge for more than a handful of reasons, but if nothing else, we know we are fortunate to have tremendous support. Thank you!!
10 Oct
Ava’s Designs
Ava has taken a real interest in design, devoting most of her free time to watching Project Runway and using her little sister as a model for her own constructions.
I asked my mom to show her how to use my old sewing machine when she comes later this month, and the anticipation is almost too much for Ava to handle. If the recent advertisement posted in the kitchen is any indication, she’s planning for some pretty comprehensive lessons.
18 Sep
Lyle Eugene Dankleff
My grandpa passed away earlier this week, and while it was perhaps not unexpected, it is heart wrenching. I’ve spent a couple of days looking through the boxes of photos and mementos that Grandma sent home with me before she died. The process has been alternatively comforting and terribly sad.
While I can’t offer many cohesive thoughts on the matter at this point, I did want to share a portion of a note from my Grandma, the photo that was near, and Grandpa’s obituary.
“There is no way you can tell someone else your love story, but I hope these two boxes help explain Lyle and I to all of you left behind.”
Lyle Eugene Dankleff of Avoca, Neb., died at the Good Samaritan Center in Syracuse, Neb., on September 15, 2014. He was born to John and Bernice (Mendenhall) Dankleff on November 14, 1932, in Avoca, and grew up in Nebraska.
Lyle married Carol Ann Wallen on July 20, 1952. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1953 and served in Korea. He received many medals and honors, including a Korean Service Medal with a Bronze Service Star, a United Nations Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
Lyle and Carol enjoyed nearly 50 years of marriage before Carol died in 2001. Lyle was a farmer, and he worked tirelessly for more than six decades to cultivate the land. One of his great joys was time spent fishing with his family. He also liked to trap, and he loved card games with good friends. He read voraciously, studied the weather closely and took exceptional care of the wild birds that called his farm home.
He is survived by his son Gary and daughter-in-law Rose (Syracuse); his son Greg (McCook, Neb.); granddaughter Rebecca Smith, her husband Bryan and great grandchildren Ava, Olivia and Owen (Lawrence, Kan.); granddaughter Katie Pasniewski and her husband Tom (Lawrence, Kan.); granddaughter Lindsey Miltner and her husband Matthew (Denver, Colo.); and grandson Christopher Dankleff, Taylor Berner and their daughter Addisyn Berner (Unadilla, Neb.). He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and his brothers Robert and Richard.
Smith Family Weblog 