2011 Hole Family Christmas

Christmas Eve is always the annual Hole Family Christmas. Long ago we outgrew Nanny’s house and now have it at the Clubhouse at the golf course.  Nanny, the eternal matriarch of the family feels obligated to host. She is just starting to accept help, at age 95.

This is Nanny and her brood of 9 grandchildren (2 were missing), 13 great-grandchildren (2 were missing) and 3 great-great grandchildren.

(One day Nanny was lamenting that she was so old that she was a Great-great Grandma.  I told her it had nothing to do it with age, but rather that she was just doubly great.)

I know I am biased but I think she has done well and has reason to be so proud of the family that she reigns over.

You are one in a million, Nanny, and we all love you so much.

Have I ever told of how Nanny got her nickname: Nanny Hoo Hoo?  When we were little, whenever she would come over, she would poke her head in the door and holler “Hoo Hoo, is anyone home?” And so that translated into our young lives as “Nanny Hoo Hoo”.  And we always differentiated our Grandmothers as Grandma Dora and Grandma Nanny.  It wasn’t until I was well into my 20’s that I came to realize the redundancy of the title.  It was always just the way it was.

I have been so blessed to have such wonderful women to model and look up to.  Thank you Nanny Hoo Hoo for all that you have done and taught us.

I love you so much!!!

April Storm at the Homestead

April 19th brought a pretty big storm.  We spent about 45 minutes in the basement. The kids never even woke up as we hauled them to the basement and then back to bed once the winds died down. I hate storms that come after dark.  This one hit about 945. 

Dad called about 1030 to say that he lost two barns at the house.

The next morning a couple of guys from the Crawfordsville office and I made a tour of the county to inventory the havoc. 

This is Dad’s concrete block barn, or what is left of it.

This one just collapsed in upon itself.  This one housed mismatched stuff and junk.  This barn has been here for over 65 years or as long as Dad can remember.

This is what is left of the big pole barn.  This one has been here since I can remember.  Dad said Grandpa Bernard built it so we know it has been there at least 38 years. 

The wind just sheered off most of the posts.

And it took part of the barn, laid it in the yard and then blew off with the rest of it.  These boards are planted so deep into the ground that you can’t even budge them.

Debris, tin and two by fours are strewn over 1 1/4 miles.  It will be a while before the fields dry out enough to go and clean things up.

Trusses were laid down on mowers and tractors but the worst damage to any of them was a bent muffler stand pipe on the little blue Ford.  The John Deere drove right out once the Bobcat lifted the truss. And then they were able to pull all of the other equipment out.

And this barn was not even touched.  It’s back was to the wind, which we think saved it.

There was a plastic funnel laying on the ground right here and it never moved.  Crazy.  There was a family of raccoons living in an old file cabinet.  They were NOT happy once the cleaning crew started moving their “home”.

This is the view I found at 430 pm after taking the previous pictures at about 930 am.  There were about 20 guys there helping clean up and they had cleared the pole barn completely.  The concrete floor was swept clean and all the debris was piled ready for pick up.

And as Uncle Gerald said: “You know it’s a big storm when it blows in a dozer!”  Now that’s funny!

I guess Nanny cried when she came over and saw it.  The old homestead has changed/lost a lot over the years.  It is slowing blowing away, literally.

A Day With Nanny

We went to visit Nanny.  She just loves to see the kids, and me too.  It took Kora a little bit to get warmed up to her but in no time at all they were fast friends again. (It’s a 15 month old phase)

This is one of my favorite pictures. 

Kora was just intrigued by Nanny and her magic trick of balancing the block letters.  She loved knocking them down so she could do it again.  Nanny also showed Tuck how to line up dominoes and tumble them all down.

Here Nanny is playing Puff the Magic Dragon for us.  This was one of my favorites growing up.  I’m pretty sure I have mentioned this in a previous post but this time I have pictures.

By the end of 3 hours I think she was beat though she would NEVER admit that.  We picked up toys, I ran the vacuum, hugs and kisses all around and we headed home for naps.

Nanny also got the kids some surprises but I will show you those in another post.

Thanks Nanny Hoo Hoo for a great visit.  Love you!