They know how to make the most of the life we each have on this earth of rolling green hills, snowy mountain peeks that reach for the sky,, ocean waves rushing in to the sandy beaches, sunshine that brings the beautiful flowers and ever so many wonders of this world.

You want me to show you proof. Well take a peek at these gorgeous pictures and you will know I didn’t exaggerate their happiness.

This is the family of my nephew Larry Gardner and his beautiful, looks like a movie star wife, Patricia as they celebrate Patricia’s seventieth birthday, on the banks of Lake Erie. And I agree with you, it is no way she looked seventy. She doesn’t even look fifty!

The family here are Astrid,Jessica,Todd,Greg, Patricia, Brad, Larry with little Blythe and Sabine

Larry comes from a family of three sons and Larry and Patricia have three sons. However their second son Brad and Tonya have three fun loving happy little girls pictured also by Lake Erie.

Here you see those three precious little girls as big sister Astrid with a warm pretty smile cradles her adorable sisters Blythe and Sabine with a loving arm.

Here are those same three little girls a couple years earlier. Astrid is holding new born Sabine while Blythe is looking at their baby sister with delight.

Over 2018 New Years Larry and Patricia visit their son Brad and wife in Austin Texas. And Larry with the help is his little granddaughters Blythe and Sabine is mixing up chocolate chip cookies. See the empty Nestles chocolate chip bag on the table? The recipe is on the back of that little bag, just in case you want to make some for your family.

And here you can see little Blythe giving her Grandpa Larry a helping hand preparing the cookies ready for the oven. And the when baked…..yum yum!

Brad along with Blythe and Sabine taking gifts as they go to visit Patricia’s sister.

Have a look-see at this beautiful wedding picture of Larry and Patricia’s youngest son Todd and his beautiful bride Jessica with all the family.

Brad, Tanya holding little Sabine’s hand, Astrid, the beautiful bride Jessica and the handsome bridegroom Todd, little Blythe, Patricia, Larry and their first son Greg.

I can’t finish this story without showing you, pictured above, the Gardner sons with their wives, Phil and Nancy…Steve and Karen….Larry and Patricia. Family of my sister Bobbie (Hazel) and her husband Harold Gardner.

And last but most important of all my beautiful sister Bobbie cutting roses at her rolling hills country home just north of Columbus Ohio.

If she could look down from heaven and see this little story she would be BURSTING WITH PRIDE.

FRF❤️

There is no way I could have my stories on line if it were not for this young man. Although typing the stories on my iPad is easy, taking pictures with my iPad, placing pictures in my IPad album are all easy for me to then add them into my story, that is the limit of my know-how.

I once told this young man’s mother that I call her son a genius, to which she replied “He is a genius”.

In may 2014 I emailed my story TO PLANT A SEED to him to put on line for me as he had been doing all along, in fact he set up the beginning format for me. In that story was a picture of my brother Howard Rockhold’s home, his airplane parked out front, his hanger for the plane and his paved runway for take off into the wild blue yonder.

My brother Howard and his wife Mary walk from the front door of their home, get in the plane, take off on the run way and now see where they land.

That story planted a seed in this young mans head. And it has bean growing and growing until GUESS WHAT!

That picture above is Matt Bender, my granddaughter Evin Drake Bender’s husband, who owns the business Prenault, and places all my stories on the web. And you have to see the beautiful sunset picture he took overlooking the town of Bloomsburg Pennsylvania where he and Evin live. I call it a prize winner!

Another photo from his flight on high he said shows the hospital where Evin, a new Doctor is now doing her residency.

Back in 2014 when Matt put my story TO PLANT A SEED on line he told me he was some day going to have my brother’s set up as depicted in that first photo.

Matt’s dream is on its way to becoming a REALITY.

FRF❤️

I would love to have been there in Dillon Montana with my daughter and son-in-law Meredythe and Joey Wedding but old lady Flo (I’m 95) not flying anymore.

Luckily my lovely daughter Meredythe agreed to do my shopping for me with all my Wedding Family. All I had to do was send her a check.

Just before Christmas Day she flew to Ohio for her grand daughter and my great granddaughter Holli Carpenter’s nurses pinning in Springfield Ohio. So she got a new outfit (Her Christmas present from me) to wear to the ceremony. And here she is wearing it.

Here is my granddaughter Jodi wearing the blouse and necklace gifts from me. You look very pretty Sweetheart. Jodi had one of the girls who work at Gables Nursing Home in Marysville Ohio take this picture with Jodi’s IPad and send it to me here in Florida.

With so much excitement going on at holiday time Meredythe forgot to tell me what I gave to Levi and Holli in Ohio. But whatever it was I’m sure they were happy with it.

Now she flew back home to get ready for Christmas with all the other ones of my family in Dillon

Dillon is a little town nestled between two snow capped mountain ranges. Having been through the Rocky Mountains several times in a car I can picture that little scene. Can you?

Now let’s go inside and see actual pictures and not have to imagine. Since Joey is an avid hunter you see mounted deer heads on their walls. Holding true to the north western thyme.

Meredythe changes the scene with this Christmas decorated table holding some of her treasures.

A group of Shirley Temple dolls with two little Madame Alexander doll in front and Lawton dolls Tom Sawyer, Oliver Twist the English orphan who ask for the second bowl of porridge and Mary Tilton the little girl who came over on the Mayflower.

Also photo of her grandsons and my great grandsons Jeffrey and Darren when they were little and a picture of Levi an Holli my great grandchildren sitting on Santa’s lap, a Santa Claus, a book “‘The Night Before Christmas” a keepsake from Dean and Jodi’s childhood among other treasures.

Here is the picture I have of Levi and Holli on Santa’s lap, so precious!

Dean and Joey went out in the woods and cut down a tree for each of them. Meredythe said theirs was a Charley Brown tree. Not many branches!!

Another

That Shirley Temple doll looks like a little girl standing there, doesn’t it? She is from my collection of eleven Shirley Temple dolls most of them I gave to Meredythe for her doll collection.

And now for the other gifts from me

Joey showing the new watch I gave him and Dean seated holding his gifts

Patricia, Deans pretty wife with gifts

Jeffrey and Maegan…. they just purchased their first home in Three Forks Montana

Darren always the comedian. He did a show for television hunting in mines for gold that robbers had stashed. You should have seen him on his galloping horse going across the prairie with the man from the TV station. He was a real cowboy!

My great granddaughter Terra with Jake. Aren’t they adorable together?

And now for my great great grandson. Darren and Diana’s little boy Jayden. I think he likes what I gave him.

Little three year old Isaiah, Jayden’s brother, opening his gift.

Hey Isaiah don’t cut down your Gramma Pat’s Christmas tree with that buzz saw.

I gotta say YOU DONE GOOD Meredythe. Thank you so much for all your effort making everyone happy for your mom!!!!

I couldn’t have done it WITHOUT YOU!!

FRF❤️

Turning into Deer Creek Blvd you view these beautiful Florida oak trees

You slow to a stop at the gate house waiting for the attendant to give his nod and raise the bar.

And now to Tracy and Pamela Drake’s home in beautiful sunny Sarasota Florida where I am very fortunate to live with them.

As we arrive at the Tracy and Pam Drake home let’s see what is going on inside.

Pam has set the table with her best China, newly polished silverware, goblets and champagne glasses.

On into the kitchen and… oh great…. Tracy has just taken the ham from the oven and is assisted by my always helpful grand daughter Sarah. Also very nice is that her friend Ado is our family photographer.

Sarah checks to see all our dishes of mouth watering food made it to the table as she fills our champagne goblets. As you see Matt, always helpful, has already seated me at the table.

Our happy family together.. photo taken by Ado our professional photographer.

Just how helpful is this? We are so fortunate to have Matt and Sarah fill our dinner plate with our chosen food. Ham baked with brown sugar and mustard coating topped with pineapple slices, also escalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, asparagus and Tracy’s special corn bread. His secret….he adds whole kernel corn, cream and butter with two boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix.

I made a coconut cream pie and a pumpkin pie but we are all so full we decide to wait…….someone said 15 minutes…..for desert.

We all gathered around the tree and opened presents that Santa left for us.

Matt and Evin showing the present I had wrapped and ribboned. How you like? They call them “Flo’s bows”.

Tracy and Sarah watch as I open a package from Sarah and Ado. Delicious Belgium goodies.

I had baked sugar cookie cut outs that Pam, Evin and Sarah decorated them Christmas Eve while joining Tracy, Matt and Ado in the family room watching a ball game on TV.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT. I had already gone to bedzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

FRF❤️

My son-in-law, Tracy Drake, is very busy in the kitchen making oyster stuffing for the turkey getting it ready for the oven. He rubs soft butter all over the turkey, salts, the places it in a cooking bag, in the big roaster and in the oven to bake four hours.

Tracy usually buys mashed potatoes already made from Publix freezer. Since I wanted real potatoes and red ones guess who peeled them on thanksgiving morning. You guessed right, it was 95 year old FLO.

We invented our lovely neighbors Pat Boyer, 100 year old Lee LaPage and her daughter Darlene to join us. They brought baked corn and a sweet potato marshmallow casserole plus two bottles of wine. One bottle was my kind Sutter Home White Zinfandel.
My daughter Pamela made a pecan pie and a pumpkin pie. She also did this beautiful table setting.

Tracy has just taken the turkey from the oven

Pamela, Sarah and Pat, that is her arm, assist Tracy in draining turkey drippings from the roaster for gravy.

Sarah inspecting all the food she has just placed on the dinning room table

Some body forgot to tell me to smile

We each had so much to be thankful for. A delicious dinner, lovely friends and family in beautiful sunny Sarasota Florida.

FRF❤️