The outdoor theater.

While the gang was all here, it was time for some outdoor fun and a camp out in the backyard.  The activity was watching a movie on the big outdoor wide screen in the backyard.

The four Larsen kids were there as well as their Barnhart cousins.

Mingah loved the grass.  She loved it so much that she would grab a bunch of it and try to eat it. See all her fun moves below.

Ellie with Lorelei and Gigi.

Playing inside the phone booth.

 This is our mosquito proof theater.

This is the after the show sleeping quarters.

During show time, there was a log of excitement with all kinds of treats and drinks.  Who else could have root beer floats at a movie?

The sleeping quarters were divided into a boys side and a girls side. Kyle stayed with the boys

and Tana stayed with the girls.  They actually stayed there all night.  The rest of us slept comfortably in the house.

Picnic at Snail Lake

With Kyle in town, it was time for a picnic at Snail Lake, with the Smenteks.

Mairin showed us the best way to eat a strawberry.

After playing on the playground equipment, and a quick lunch, the kids wanted to go to the lake and throw rocks, sand and snail shells in the lake.  Grampa was elected to take them there.  I told them not to get too close or they would get their shoes wet and their parents would not be happy. One had crocs on so I didn't mind that but it was his younger brother that had shoes and socks on that didn't seem to mind just walking right in.  So much for listening ears.

The next day Judy had promised to pick her Norwegian relatives at the airport in Minneapolis and bring them to the Mall of America during a five hour layover.

We met up with the Barnharts at the MOA along with some other cousins. We took a break with some ice cream.

 

Calvin was there doing what Calvin does best.

Lorelei

 

 

We all met up with them: Olav, Nils Magnar and Vilde. I dropped Judy and Erik off at the airport to pick up the Norwegians and hop on the light rail to the MOA.and then I drove to the MOA and waited for them to arrive.

 Marit and Olav.

Vilde with her two cousins Britney and Janie.

Erik waiting patiently at the airport. Judy and Erik brought the Norwegians back to the airport on the light rail and waited for me to pick them up for the ride home.

Going home - with a few extras

It was time to say goodbye to Glendale, AZ. We helped clear out the house and pack up and deliver Kyle's household goods to a storage unit. We spent several hours cleaning their house top to bottom. We split up three of the four kids in two cars and headed out to Minnesota.  Tiffany and Amelia stayed behind to tie up any loose ends and they will fly to Minneapolis at the end of the week. We will spend 2.5 days getting back home.

Ellie is ready to go, watching a movie.  She was in the Honda with Judy and I.

Erik and Charlie were in the van with Kyle. They are all smiles.  We left Glendale right after lunch and spent the first night in Albuquerque, NM. Ellie and Erik traided spots the second day.

Charlie was so tired he fell asleep and stayed sleeping.  In the morning I found him underneath the air conditioning unit.

It was lunch at a fast food joint.

Charlie likes to eat out, but he also loves to run around alot. The second day was long but we made it to Wichita, KA and the third say was even longer and we made it back home before it got too dark.  We already had Charlie-proofed the house for an extended stay of the grand kids and had beds ready for those tired kids.  Tiffany and Amelia flew in on Saturday.  The best part of their stay with us is that while they were here, Kyle landed a job with Hertz in Oklahoma City.  To go along with that there would be another move for them. This is how it happened: Tiffany flew down to search for a house to rent and stayed with my niece Rosie while searching; Kyle flew to Arizona to get a big rental truck, get their household goods and start driving to Oklahoma City.  The kids stayed with us and Judy and I left the next day with their van and our car and made it there in 15 hours, with several stops. This has been their longest drive ever. By the time we got there, Tiffany already had purchased a fridge, dining room table and benches, and washer and dryer. And after that got a couch - all on Craig's list. But in the middle of all this, Kyle needed to start his job and his first week was in New Jersey.  So it was up to me to get the truck to the new house and unpack it and return it to the rental agency, while Kyle was out east.  It is just amazing how with all this turmoil, everything seemed to fall right into place. The kids were registered in school (within walking distance), and started school the day Judy and I left for home.  Another plus is that Kyle's office is a 5 minute drive from home.  The distance between our two homes is 798 miles and can be driven in 12 hours or less, depending on stops.