ap1220048.jpg -- In 2008 we gained two more great-grandchildren. Nathan Ebenkamp was born January 20. Here his big brother gets an early look at him.
ap2090019.jpg -- And here Betty gets her turn at holding him.
ap2290057.jpg -- Our son and daughter-in-law sold their Southern Missouri home for another a few miles closer. It is located on a high cliff over-looking Table Rock Lake. Here is the view from one of the decks.
ap2290072.jpg -- The back of the house.
ap3010084.jpg -- We found these prehistoric (or not) figures in the yard of the lake house.
ap4190008.jpg -- In April, we went to the Renaisance Faire, an annual event held in Wichita. They like medieval costumes.
ap4190013.jpg -- and dancing
ap4190019.jpg -- This guy could wrestle a bear with his chain mail.
ap4190021.jpg -- They have camel rides for the kids.
ap4190022.jpg -- and fights to the death (almost).
ap4190026.jpg -- And they have singing pirates --
ap4190033.jpg -- and walking, talking trees.
ap4190046.jpg -- More fights.
ap4280070.jpg -- Betty had her 73rd birthday in April. Here's our daughter, Sue and her two boys, John and Luke.
ap5080090.jpg -- We had numerous events including our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Here in May is an evening of dance and music in Conway Springs.
ap5080092.jpg -- Another shot of more of the same.
ap5110014.jpg -- Here are the nine great-grandkids we had in May.
ap5130017.jpg -- In May we went back to Bob and Kathy's place in Missouri with daughter Katy and Tim. Nice view.
ap5130022.jpg -- Katy explored the place.
ap5130043.jpg -- From the boat, the house is hard to see. Click for a better view.
ap5130049.jpg -- The lake was over-full and some nearby roads were flooded.
ap5130050.jpg -- Road closed.
ap5160055.jpg -- Also in May we spent some time at Botanica during the Wichita River-Fest.
ap516bush-c.jpg -- There was a sign saying that the white stuff is Bush Clematis. I remembered it for 30 seconds and at another patch of it, a gentleman asked his wife what it was. She didn't know, so I piped up "Bush Clematis." They acted like they were really impressed.
ap5160071.jpg -- We watched people and things along the river.
ap5160073.jpg -- They had lots of healthy food at the RiverFest.
ap5160074.jpg -- Still at the River Fest, Tim and Kate discussing our next move.
Go to the other column.
ap6150111.jpg -- In Conway Springs, in May, we saw the biggest highway rig ever. A fifth wheel and a trailer.
ap6150112.jpg -- Jordan's birthday in June.
ap6150116.jpg -- More Jordan's birthday
ap6240125.jpg -- Our first tomato on June 24.
ap6250127.jpg -- A mother duck raised her family for a while in the neighbor's yard.
ap6300174.jpg -- On the last Monday of each month, we always met for lunch with Bruce's highschool classmates.
ap7040188.jpg -- During the summer, boaters and swimmers congregate in the lake below Bob and Kathy's house. This is July fourth. Lots of folks in the water.
ap7040201.jpg -- Watching the boats
ap7220221.jpg -- Bruce's birthday.
ap8160026.jpg -- A volunteer pumpkin just kept getting bigger.
ap8200029.jpg -- On August 19th - our tenth great-grandchild with her aunt Courtny.
ap9260068.jpg -- In September, we went to the Octoberfest (well, it was only four days until October) in Lee's Summit, Missouri. They completely closed off the main street and three or four side streets.
ap9260071.jpg -- The end of Main street.
ap9260076.jpg -- Teachers posted art done by their students.
ap9260078.jpg -- Looking down a side street.
ap9260087.jpg -- A busier side street.
ap9260091.jpg -- The beer is down thataway
ap9260093.jpg -- Of course you expect lederhosen and polka dancing.
ap9270106.jpg -- On the way home, we stopped a the Kansas City outdoor market.
ap9270102.jpg -- They have lots of homegrown goodies.
ap9270112.jpg -- Lots and lots.
ap9270113.jpg -- The steamboat Arabia by the K.C. market is worth a visit. They have part of the remains and much of the cargo of a sunken river steamboat. This is a duplicate of one of the paddlewheels which were 28 feet in diameter.
ap9270118.jpg -- And a picture of the steamboat in its prime.
apb270074.jpg -- Back in Missouri in November, we visited the cave from which Roaring River eminates. Twenty million gallons of water per day come from the cave.
apb060087.jpg -- We got to wear hard hats and carry a special breathing apparatus when we visited the Salt mine and museum at Hutchinsone, KS in November. The whole thing is 650 feet down and it is still an active salt mine.
apb060118.jpg -- The carts carry you through miles of tunnel and you see a lot of black,
apb060122.jpg -- but in between the blackness are many of the old types of equipment once used to mine the salt.
apb060127.jpg -- One of their sources of income is storage of vital records and films. The mine is a constant 66 degrees and the humidity is very dry and constant, making it ideal for storing important documents and film.