Nebraska Trip ~ Part 2

The big reason for going to Nebraska was to work on the rental properties that Dad owns there.  One was especially in need of some attention...and the others just needed some maintenance work.

 Here's David on the roof of one of the houses, cleaning out the gutters!  I  did a little bit of gutter cleaning, but I just cannot feel comfortable on a roof - getting on and off ladders is *traumatic* for me!

 David also trimmed the hedges and bushes around the houses.  He was pretty good at it!

 One of the houses needed a basement wall fortification job.....we watched the construction crew drill all the way through the walls to the soil outside.  It was pretty interesting to watch! 

These huge panels are what they placed in the basement. 

 David's job was mowing, and then I came along and spread fertilizer afterwards.  Don't laugh at my pink jacket.  It was very cold out and I was slightly miserable that day.  I didn't exactly dress for the chilly day that I wasn't expecting!!

  

 We had such a good time working together!  The work might not have been a blast, but doing it together in Nebraska was the fun part.  Plus we used to do this kind of stuff all the time when we lived there.....seemed like old times. :-)

 We replaced window-well covers.....

 Hiding a yawn.....yes, I was tired.

 Anyone been to Valentino's before?  It is our very very VERY favorite buffet ever!  Been going there since I was five - maybe even earlier?  It was just as good as I had remembered.

 Unfortunately they're tearing down the old original building in place of a new one.  In the words of one of the very first Adventures In Odysseys, "Why do they always have to tear down all the fun places?"

 Can you tell I like this place?  Alot?  It's the best Italian Buffet EVER. 

 On another day, Dad took us flying!  He is a pilot and built this plane before I was even born.  (Pretty cool, huh?!)  He used to take all of us kids flying when we were little ~ now, looking back, I can imagine Mom's instinctive worrying as she watched Dad and four-year-old me go soaring off into the clouds!! 

 Dad and David about to "board" the plane.  :-) 

 I practically have Dad's chat's with the air-traffic-controllers memorized by now.  "Niner-three-one papa-kilo experimental plane, clear for take-off?" 

 I had originally decided I wasn't going to go flying this time......it's been eight years since I've flown with Dad and last time I did, I got sick.  :-(  And, my five-year-old innocent trust in all knowing Daddy has been replaced with this horrible realization that, if my aging Dad happens to die during a flight, (hey, it could happen), I'm on my own for landing!!!  Which means hello Heaven.  And it didn't help matters that Mom called the day before with an *interesting* story on the news about an 81 year old pilot taking his 83 year old wife for a flight in his plane and yes, kicking the bucket mid-flight.  I don't remember if the wife made it or not.

But all this aside ~ I finally decided that I might as well go up for a quick flight because who knows how long it could be before I get to go flying with my Dad again? It's special (if not risky).  Thankfully my pilot was quite accomadating and let me tell him when I was ready to land; or rather, when my stomach was ready to land.  Which was about 15 minutes. 

 Right after take-off.

During that week, we also made time to visit our Grandpa's grave. 

 Dad trying out his grave plot for size.  :-)

David seems to have expired early.....

...and I mourn him.....:-)

Seriously though, it was good to just walk through the small little cemetery and read some of the graves.  Some died early, others had long lives.  But they all died.  It kind of re-affirmed the fact that even though I stay busy and have so much going on right now, even though I'm young and full of life, all this will end someday. 

And then it won't matter if we got dinner on time, or what kind of mascara I bought, or how excited I was to graduate, or how many plans I had.

What will matter is the decision I made about eternity.  And how I lived my life for Jesus Christ.

Sobering, isn't it?  I qoute I recently read and shared with a friend is as follows:

"Only one life, twill' soon be past; only that which is done for Christ shall last."

~C.T. Studd

Stay tuned for my last round of pictures from our trip!