The Mt. Carmel School

These are some photos Mom sent to me of the Mt. Carmel School. Last week they took the corner stone out and opened the enclosed time capsule. In it they found some newspaper clippings about the placing of the cornerstone, some coins and I think there was also the total expenses for the building and some of the details of the building contract. If I understood correctly, Mt. Carmel supplied the brick and labor to lay the brick. Unfortunately, I think it is going to cost more to tear it down than it cost to build! I wish I had remembered to take a photo of the front, they have already taken the big columns off the front to save them for a landscaping project for the parish hall. The plan is to burn the school down the first part of June. It will really look different to not have the school in town.- And kinda sad! My girls are upset and they didn't even go to school there.

science experiments

Here is one of the kids doing Fizzy Foamy Science experiments. This was taken when Marv and Fran were out visiting in January.
From left it is:
Marv, Fran, Miles (Lisa's), Sebastian (Dawn's), and Kate (Lisa's).

Test picture

I was checking the procedure for uploading pictures and selected this at random from Matt's many photos. It is from this spring in our yard.

Spring has arrived in Tennessee . . . finally!

Finally, Spring has come to Tennessee. After temperatures jumping around from near freezing to beautiful, warm, sunny days the trees and flowers are starting to bloom. We are still trying to get use to this earlier Daylight Savings Time. We are once again getting up when it is still dark and leaving for school in the morning just as the sun is starting to come up over the hills. I was really liking the fact that the sun was up when we awoke at 6:30 AM. Guess that will straighten itself out soon.

Happy Easter to all too! This is Spring Break for our boys and the mark for one more quarter left of school. That means it will be summer vacation in 9 weeks. Whoo-hoo!

Yes, these are daffodils from our yard. Ryan was the photographer.

Am looking forward to seeing some returning members and some who have yet posted. Sent an email to my sisters to remind them to get on here too.

winter in the northwest

Our ongoing project has been getting a 3rd bedroom done. We FINALLY moved my son down, gave Charlotte his old room and I got mine back after a year and a half of sleeping in the sunroom. But we are still working on the window well out front. Happily there have been breaks from the rain and we are getting close on this too...

That's my poor husband in the red.

Ready for Spring

Hi All,
It's been a long winter and we are very ready for spring. The Bendgen's in Council Bluffs have kept busy this winter with bathroom remodeling...removing a classy turquoise tub and just giving our 70s outdated bathrooms a fresh look. We have one done and one left to paint!

I hope we can liven up this blog...I have tried to spur my brothers and sister to action, and even volunteered to post for them if they want.

Nancy is working to re-establish her posting rights and Dan tell us that he will connect soon. He and Sherri have been busy settling into their life in Seattle. I will let them share their own news but Dan is happy to say that he has a new full-time job and they have just made an offer on a house and hope to move at the end of the month. So life is full and busy for them but they promise not to forget the relatives and give everyone an update, hopefully with pictures!

We also stay entertained by the pictures of the wildlife at the feeder in the woods behind our house. Bob has a motion camera mounted by the feeder so we are finding that all kinds of action goes on in our own backyard!

I'm a volunteer reader for the radio talking book network and I've also had a couple of interesting experiences this winter having to read the newspaper live over the radio. I definitely now have more respect for radio DJ's!

We were surprised in church last Sunday to see Norm and Diane. They were in town for their annual "Old Farts" weekend with friends. Good to see familiar faces. We didn't have a lot of time to talk but it sounds like their family is all doing well.

March always brings along memories of Grandma -- it's hard to believe that it's already two years that she's been gone.

So those are my ramblings -- hope to hear from other families too!

winter fun

Emily and Nicholas (Karla//Marv)

Any other good winter pictures?