stess29 Posted Feb 7, 2012, 7:53 pm |
Sundy has begin his travel to Finland.
I hope he will have a very interesting trip |
mmm105 Posted Mar 12, 2012, 4:58 pm |
Well, this update is little bit different than "usual ones", because ToyVoyager Sundy-cat has arrived here in Finland in the beginning of February, but I couldn't register in this website then... Sundy cat has already left back home, so I'm making this update afterwards.
Now I tell you, what Sundy did here in Finland... * * * Hello Mom, I finally arrived my first destination, Finland. It's 6th February now. A human took me out of the envelope (I travelled in it!), and she introduced herself. Her name is Mervi, and I can live in her home the next some weeks. She seems to be a nice person, and I'm so exited to see how she's living and what kind of place this is. Oooooh, this is so exiting!!! My new hostmom show me a map of Jyväskylä. Jyväskylä is the town, where I am now. It's a nice town, where live about 130 000 inhabitants. My hostmom said to me that her home is just next to a small lake in northern part of the town. This is the picture of the house where I live here. My hostmom's home is in the second floor. Actually you can see her windows just in the middle of this photo. I got a new friend in my very first day in Finland. My hostmom has a cat. His name is Jeppe, and he is 1,5 years old very kind cat. In this picture I'm having a relaxing time with Jeppe in his climbing tree. It was nice, because Jeppe's furr is so soft. Purrrrrr purrrrrrr purrrrrrr We had a quality time together several times, as a cat and a cat! One day I was walking in the city center, and my hostmom introduced the city. And we had a company, Roos from Belgium! This place is called tori in Finnish. I think it's plaza in English. Can you see me? Here I am. Just in front of that BIG statue in the middle of the plaza. The statue is so big, that my hostmom has difficulties to take a photo. It was so nice to meet another travelling toy! We had lots of talk about, because we are both in our very first place to visit in our travelling history. We are both newbies in travelling toys. We could share our experiences, and that was nice. This is the main street in this town. This is the place where the most of all shops located. This is the street where are not aloud to drive a car. Only pedestrians can WALK here. It's kävelykatu in Finnish. Hih, I was on the big ball statue. There's also some snow on it, too! Do you want to go to the restaurant? I'm sitting there next to the lady! To be honest, this is not a restaurant itself, it's a wall decoration Here you can see the local post office. There's two kind of mailboxes there. The blue one is for priority mail, and the orange one is for economy mail. Roos and I decided to climb on the mailbox. Posti is post office in Finnish. This building is matkakeskus (=travelling center). There's the bus station and the rain station in the same building. In front of matkakeskus building there's a nice statue of elk. I wanted to see railways and some trains, too. That's why we walked on the bridge, and there's a big street for cars and also railways under us. It was fun to watch how all cars and trains drove under us. And they all looked so tiny! Here I am, in front of the church of Jyväskylä. It's a beautiful church, don't you think? Ooooh help!!! The lion!!! Iiiiiik!!! No way, I was just kidding... Next to the church there was a statue where you can see the coat of arms of Finland (Finnish lion). What is this WHITE and COLD thing? It's everywhere... and it's a LOT !!!! My hostmom told me the white stuff called snow. She told me also that every winter there's lots of snow in Finland. I walked very LONG stairs one day. My hostmom told me that this place called Harju, and it's located in the central of Jyväskylä. It's like a little forest and hill just middle of the city. Nice! It was really really cold day! (about -30 degrees Celsius!!!!) Can you believe it? It was so cold, that all stones look like they are frozen. Finally I'm up. It was long stairs! Hi there! This funny sign shows how far away different cities are from here. Do you noticed, that all those cities are in different countries, and no one is in Finland? Mom look! I found some homes of birds, birds' nests, look up in the tree! It was really pritty sunset in that day, isn't it? Oh, look Mom! Guess what funny thing we did? I was swinging with my pig friend! It was really fun although there were snow, too. ...and snow was cold ...and wet!!! We didn't swing long time, because we didn't want to get cold and have a flu... It was so cold day, that there was some ice crystals in the window!!! The round light in the picture is the Moon. Those ice crystals look beautiful in the Moon light, aren't they? Pictures are cool, but I can say, that it looked MUCH better in nature than on the photo!!! One day I was in the Tupperware home party with my hostmom. Party was in the house of my hostmom's friend. There was a nice map of the World! It was a curtain in front of the window! ...And there was also a real living dog! Lucky that she's kind. In those Tupperware Party I was cooking. This is how we made some cupcakes in the microwave oven in total 10 minutes. Those cupcakes looked so yummy! And they were yummy, too! Look how many fridge magnets there were!!! Wow! Can you see me? A group hug! <3 <3 <3 So funny sign! Do you think those humans are going to crash? Look Mom! There's so much snow that those signs are almost under the snow!!! Well, my hostmom explained, that this place is children's playground in summertime. Children can learn the rules of traffic there in safe environments. And that's why all those signs are smaller than the normal sized. Oooh, how cool is that? It's nice that there's this special place for children, I think. What do you think about this art sculpture? Is it pretty? And what is this? Well, it must be rabbit's footprint. But what about this one? My hostmom guessed it might be squirrel's footprint. Look Mom, I can climb!!! Well, it's not a surprise because I'm a cat. MEAOW!!! Hurry up, my brave horse! Hurry up! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! HYVÄÄ YSTÄVÄNPÄIVÄÄ! I ate something something very pink and sweet. It was delicious! I was skiing!!! It was difficult, but very fun!!! I'm so lucky, because I was able to visit in a POSTCARD FACTORY named Karto Oy. It's a biggers factory which make postcards in Finland. There were so much postcards there, propably millions of them in the storage! And I saw how they make postcards with step by step! How awesome is that!!! I never forget this experience about visiting in the postcard factory. It was so exiting! Now I'm ready for new adventures, for new places, for new countries to visit. Bye bye Finland! Bye bye my hostmom! I'm goooooooing back home now! |
mmm105 Posted Mar 12, 2012, 5:10 pm |
Sundy-cat started to travel back home to France today.
Safe journey! |
stess29 Posted Mar 16, 2012, 9:54 pm |
Sundy came home yesterday and is ready for a new adventure.
I see his notebook with him, it is beautiful and his previous host showed him so interesting thing |
MamiTig Posted Mar 27, 2012, 4:59 am |
Sundy and his notebook arrived in Kansas today! |
MamiTig Posted Mar 29, 2012, 5:03 am |
Dandelions in the lawn are a sure sign of spring! Halo kitty, the neighborhood stray, came to say hello! |
MamiTig Posted Mar 29, 2012, 5:05 am |
It's been a really busy couple of days, so host mom took me for a walk after work. She showed me a lovely but somewhat rundown house a couple of blocks from home, that used to be a coach house. It still looks very pretty, even if it has seen better days. |
MamiTig Posted Mar 30, 2012, 4:01 am |
Host mom said she experienced "sticker shock" at the gas station today... the price of gas is rising quickly |
MamiTig Posted Mar 31, 2012, 6:06 am |
Tonight was the last night of play practice before the first performance! Everyone was so excited! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 1, 2012, 5:42 am |
Host mom stopped and showed us the water tower in Thayer, on the way to church today. This one is the most round of all the water towers we've seen! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 2, 2012, 2:59 am |
Sundy enjoyed watching the children's Easter play and service! The children told mission stories about activities in Asia and the play told the story of Easter, with two big girls telling the story and the little kids acting it out. |
MamiTig Posted Apr 2, 2012, 5:45 am |
Twin Trestles is such a fascinating place, I don't think I will ever tire of going there! So much to see and explore. It's just starting to green up and look pretty now |
MamiTig Posted Apr 3, 2012, 5:16 am |
We went to Topeka and saw tractors! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 3, 2012, 5:49 am |
Host mom made herself a pretty skirt today! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 4, 2012, 5:28 am |
We stopped at Garnett's South Lake in the morning, to look for Canada geese, and we also found mushrooms! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 5, 2012, 3:49 am |
Host mom bought some very brightly colored fabric and said she is going to make some spring dresses for the little girls! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 6, 2012, 5:16 am |
We were going to Topeka today and Anastaysia talked host mom into stopping at a lovely old cemetery called Mt. Hope! It had graves from the early 1800s... so much history! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 7, 2012, 3:40 am |
Sundy enjoyed visiting El Charro to have a Mexican food lunch with the kids. |
MamiTig Posted Apr 7, 2012, 4:54 am |
We drove out to Arnold's Greenhouse today, to get some early planters and enjoy all the things there are to see! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 7, 2012, 10:18 pm |
We stopped in at the convenience store in LeRoy and saw some interesting things! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 9, 2012, 4:16 am |
Today was the host family kids and their friends' final performance of the Easter play. The kids did the entire service, and they did such a wonderful job. Afterward, there was a yummy potluck! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 10, 2012, 5:49 am |
Today we startled a small flock of sheep by stopping to take pictures! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 12, 2012, 4:56 am |
Host mom took us to the river today. It was gray and chilly, but the trees and wildflowers were bright and happy! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 13, 2012, 4:18 am |
Today was gray again, AND rainy, so we didn't get a chance to do anything very exciting. We sat on the porch and watched the clouds, and visited with the outdoor kitty, Halo. Host mom finished making a dress for one of her daughters! She is going to make two more in the same colors, but different combinations, so her youngest three daughters will complement each other nicely |
MamiTig Posted Apr 15, 2012, 5:48 am |
Sundy enjoyed the warm meal and great company at the SDA church potluck today! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 16, 2012, 5:39 am |
Today the host family took us to Gage Park in Topeka, to celebrate a birthday! There was a lot to do and we had tons of fun playing! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 17, 2012, 5:08 am |
On the way home from work, host mom stopped to show us the pretty scenery and the rural water tower that is just west of Colony, Kansas! It was such a pretty day! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 21, 2012, 2:33 am |
The host family decided to do a small garden in their back yard this year, but host mom wanted to stop by the community garden to see what other people are growing! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 22, 2012, 5:18 am |
Host mom got working in her garden today. She planted onions, watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and a few cabbage in the ground and then mint, tomatoes, and oregano in pots. There's still more to do, but it was a great start! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 22, 2012, 5:21 am |
In the afternoon, we took a ride to the Great Plains Mall! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 23, 2012, 3:49 am |
Sundy wasn't too sure about these zombies... there seem to be an awful lot of them! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 24, 2012, 3:05 am |
Host mom finished her second little girl dress! So cute! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 24, 2012, 3:06 am |
This morning we took a look at the water tower in Garnett. It's yet another shape of water tower! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 25, 2012, 4:29 am |
Host mom and her youngest daughter took me for a walk to see what was blooming at Hillbrant House. Mr. Hillbrant was home and he let us go in the back yard to see his koi and waterfalls back there! Sadly, he is selling his house because he is in his 80s and figures he doesn't need a house and yard that big. We sure hope the next owners will appreciate and maintain his gardens! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 26, 2012, 5:15 am |
Yay, a birthday to celebrate! Sundy loved the ice cream and cake, and the unwrapping of the presents! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 27, 2012, 5:28 am |
This morning, host mom took us to see the community corrections garden that is maintained by the county jail. The motto is "Building Character Through Gardening." We met a super nice lady there, who told us about how she works with the inmates in the garden. Being a small town with a large jail, our county houses a lot of female inmates from the bigger cities, when they have overflow. She often works with people who have never, ever gardened and have no idea about plants or where vegetables come from. One day, she was working with a group of ladies and handed them each a radish, plucked from the ground, and they stood around, and finally one said, "What am I supposed to do with this?" She said, "You eat it." The lady thought a while, then said, "I can't eat it, it's dirty." The nice lady explained all vegetables grow in dirt and you just have to wash them off. The lady argued a bit, so she showed her how to wash it with the hose and try it. The lady tried it, gobbled it down, and then her whole face lit up, and she exclaimed, "I like dirty food!" |
MamiTig Posted Apr 28, 2012, 1:05 am |
We made a potty stop at the tourist stop in Burlington! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 28, 2012, 6:30 am |
We had a delicious pizza dinner at CiCi's in Topeka. |
MamiTig Posted Apr 28, 2012, 6:32 am |
Host mom finished her last little girl dress! Her three littlest daughters are going to be so happy (and so cute) in their new dresses! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 29, 2012, 5:11 am |
The dresses were so adorable that we Toy Voyagers insisted on being photographed with the pretty princesses wearing them! |
MamiTig Posted Apr 30, 2012, 4:26 am |
Sundy enjoyed sabbath school and potluck at the Seventh Day Adventist church. |
MamiTig Posted Apr 30, 2012, 5:59 am |
Host mom got started on a new project... I wonder what it will be? |
MamiTig Posted May 1, 2012, 5:04 am |
Host mom and one of her daughters took me to see the historic Old Allen County Jail. It was closed so we just poked around outside. |
MamiTig Posted May 3, 2012, 4:22 am |
Host mom and her littlest daughter took me for a walk down the alley behind the house, to see what we could see! |
MamiTig Posted May 4, 2012, 5:15 am |
Play time! |
MamiTig Posted May 5, 2012, 3:54 am |
We are helping Anastaysia on her goal of visiting 10 cemeteries, so the host family took us to visit Iola's new cemetery. There are stones that date back into the 20s, so it's not THAT new. They looked for their friend, Patty, who succumbed to breast cancer last year, but could not find her stone. Her daughter had said it had roses on it, but there were so many that had roses, that didn't help narrow the search! |
MamiTig Posted May 6, 2012, 6:39 am |
Host mom had to take a trip to the airport very early this morning. She watched the moon the whole two hour drive, since it was supposed to be a "supermoon" today. When she got done with checking in her cargo, the moon was nearly to the horizon and kept threatening to go behind the clouds, so the pictures aren't great- but the moon sure was pretty! |
MamiTig Posted May 7, 2012, 5:11 am |
After watching the supermoon set, we took a nap and woke up hungry. We drove to Ryan's, where we enjoyed the breakfast bar! |
MamiTig Posted May 8, 2012, 3:02 am |
One of the TVs in our group has the goal of visiting state line signs, so host mom took us a few extra miles east to get a picture of the Missouri sign. There wasn't a Kansas sign when we crossed back in, so we didn't get that |
MamiTig Posted May 8, 2012, 4:35 am |
On our way back toward the highway, we found a little old cemetery. Anastaysia got really excited, so host mom was super nice and stopped so she could see. It is the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Overland Park, KS. We found information about it here: click here! Who knew cemeteries had so much history?! |
MamiTig Posted May 9, 2012, 5:56 am |
In the evening, we had SDA youth group in Thayer. It's the last one for the season- they take a break until fall, and we'll really miss it! |
MamiTig Posted May 10, 2012, 3:59 am |
Host mom started an interesting new project. She said she is making armor out of craft foam for her son's history presentation, where he has to dress up as Chandragupta Maurya and do a presentation. |
MamiTig Posted May 11, 2012, 4:04 am |
The host family were looking for a service project and found a garden that needed weeding. The garden belonged to a lovely lady named Lula, who lives way out in the country. It was hard work and sometimes the kids wanted to quit, but when they looked up and saw Lula's happy smile, it made them work twice as hard We made quite a dent, but there's still plenty more to be done... we plan to go back in 2 weeks and do some more |
MamiTig Posted May 11, 2012, 5:21 am |
After working hard in the garden, we all needed a nice, hearty meal at El Charro! Yum! |
MamiTig Posted May 12, 2012, 5:44 am |
We watched the host family's oldest daughter play cello in the spring concert! |
MamiTig Posted May 13, 2012, 1:43 am |
Host mom took me along when she ran errands over lunch hour today. She stopped to take pictures with me on the northwest side of the town square. |
MamiTig Posted May 13, 2012, 2:07 am |
We met a baby sparrow named Elizabeth. She fell out of the nest when she was little and is being rehabilitated to return to the wild as soon as she is able. |
MamiTig Posted May 13, 2012, 4:49 am |
Mmm! Church supper at the Seventh Day Adventist Church! |
MamiTig Posted May 13, 2012, 5:57 am |
We visited TLC greenhouse to look for more garden goodies. We found all sorts of amazing things to explore! Beautiful! |
MamiTig Posted May 14, 2012, 5:46 am |
When the host family was going in to church this morning, they noticed butterflies all around the pretty purple flowers at the entrance. Host mom came back later to take our picture with them, but they are small and brown, so you have to look very hard to see them in the pictures. |
MamiTig Posted May 15, 2012, 4:44 am |
One of the host family boys prepared for his history class final: giving an autobiography as Chandragupta Maurya, with his trusty war elephants! |
MamiTig Posted May 16, 2012, 5:33 am |
This evening we attended the middle school choir and band concert, on the northwest side of the Iola town square. |
MamiTig Posted May 17, 2012, 3:13 am |
We went to the fifth grade graduation at the elementary school today! So many happy kids! |
MamiTig Posted May 18, 2012, 6:02 am |
Host mom stopped and took a look at the Prairie Spirit Trail on the way to work this morning! |
MamiTig Posted May 19, 2012, 2:09 am |
From late spring to early fall, the west side of the town square in Iola is blocked off every Thursday evening for the Farmer's Market! We wandered around and met many nice people and saw fascinating things! |
MamiTig Posted May 19, 2012, 4:15 am |
Hedrick's brought their petting zoo to town, so of course, we had to go and see! So many amazing critters! |
MamiTig Posted May 20, 2012, 2:45 am |
Today, the host family took me to their dance studio for recital pictures. There were so many kids, so many costumes, and so much energy! I had sooo much fun!! Dance recital is in two weeks, and I can't wait to see the kids perform! |
MamiTig Posted May 21, 2012, 1:52 pm |
The host family went to help Lula with her garden again today. I had so much fun exploring! My favorite thing was the lovely, intricate bird nest that we found on the ground. |
MamiTig Posted May 22, 2012, 4:58 am |
When we were coming back from Lula's, host mom decided to take a country road we hadn't explored before. Anastaysia got excited and we stopped to explore an old cemetery we found! |
MamiTig Posted May 23, 2012, 5:10 am |
Host mom showed us why Kansas and the midwest are called America's bread basket. The fields of wheat are so lovely, and I could see why the song America the Beautiful refers to "amber waves of grain" as the wheat blew in the wind and made ripples like the ocean! |
MamiTig Posted May 24, 2012, 3:32 am |
Host mom and two of the little sisters took me for a walk around the neighborhood this evening. We looked at the houses (most were built between the late 1800s and mid 1900s), as well as taking a stop to look at Mr. Hillbrant's amazing garden! |
MamiTig Posted May 24, 2012, 5:10 am |
The host family all went to the dentist today, so we hung out in the waiting room for quite a while. |
MamiTig Posted May 25, 2012, 2:01 am |
Today I got to see two week old baby hedgehogs in their nest! |
MamiTig Posted May 25, 2012, 4:32 am |
The cows at Strickler's Dairy made a lovely scene today! We couldn't resist stopping for pictures |
MamiTig Posted May 26, 2012, 4:21 am |
When host mom went to take some pictures at El Charro, while taking her sons out to lunch, the had the horrible realization that I must have fallen out of her toyvoyagers purse when she was hurrying back to her car, after taking pictures of us with the cows yesterday!! She was sooo worried, but really, I was okay. Me and the cows had a great talk, and when host mom brought eight kids to look for me after she got off from work, they found me very quickly. Host mom made me apple pancakes for dinner to make sure I was warm and well fed! |
MamiTig Posted May 27, 2012, 7:27 am |
Sundy enjoyed Sabbath School and church supper! |
MamiTig Posted May 28, 2012, 7:18 am |
We went to Twin Trestles again today! It's turning green as spring turns to summer, and there were so many amazing things to explore! |
MamiTig Posted May 29, 2012, 5:33 am |
Today was Memorial Day, so host mom had the day off from work. In the afternoon, the family took a picnic, then stopped at the town square to see the flags and contemplate their loved ones who are gone. |
MamiTig Posted Jun 6, 2012, 4:48 am |
Sundy was glad to be back from his brief "vacation" and enjoyed exploring host mom's new project today! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 7, 2012, 5:46 am |
Sundy met a baby blue jay today |
MamiTig Posted Jun 8, 2012, 6:01 am |
Today, host mom took us to see the caboose at the head of the Garnett rail trail. The rail trail is many miles of hiking and biking trail, that runs along the lines of an old railroad corridor. |
MamiTig Posted Jun 10, 2012, 3:43 am |
We visited Arnold's Greenhouse! It's such a magically relaxing place, with all of the amazing plants and flowers! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 11, 2012, 5:37 am |
After visiting Arnold's Greenhouse, we visited a curious place called Luther's Beef Jerky and Convenience Store. There were lots of unusual things there! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 12, 2012, 5:40 am |
Sundy enjoyed Sabbath supper at the SDA church. |
MamiTig Posted Jun 13, 2012, 4:47 am |
We took host mom's parents to meet Lula and work in the garden. It's looking so pretty and nice as all the weeds get gone! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 16, 2012, 1:55 am |
Mmmm, Sundy loves El Charro's Mexican food! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 17, 2012, 8:42 pm |
Today we went to the Farmer's Market- the vegetables were lovely |
MamiTig Posted Jun 18, 2012, 1:44 pm |
Today we went to Deanna Rose Farmstead! There were so many fun things to see and do. The gardens are lovely and the petting zoo animals were very curious. We had fun playing and exploring! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 20, 2012, 5:07 am |
After visiting Deanna Rose Park, we went to China Star for dinner. Some people think that dessert is the very best part! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 21, 2012, 5:33 am |
There are always interesting things to see and do in Lula's garden! We had fun exploring! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 22, 2012, 4:48 am |
The ToyVoyagers loved the tooth fairy bench at Legends Drive Dental! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 22, 2012, 5:42 am |
Host mom was really excited that she finished her daughter's Prinplup costume today! Only about a month until Tokyo in Tulsa and she can show it off! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 24, 2012, 7:27 am |
One of the host family boys was in a play this morning, at the community theater. It was all very exciting! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 26, 2012, 1:19 am |
Today I went fossil hunting with the host family! It was so pretty and we skipped rocks and saw lots and lots of interesting things |
MamiTig Posted Jun 26, 2012, 5:02 am |
Host mom took us to the south lake in Garnett to watch the geese at lunch hour and we got a special surprise! She had to take pictures through the windshield so she didn't scare it away, and couldn't get a close up shot with me in it to show the details of what we were looking at, so please forgive (but enjoy) the picture that shows closer up! |
MamiTig Posted Jun 28, 2012, 5:12 am |
Today was a quiet day, just visiting with the hedgehogs. |
MamiTig Posted Jun 29, 2012, 6:48 pm |
Host mom's garden has sure grown nicely since I last explored! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 1, 2012, 8:39 pm |
Host mom had errands to run in Chanute, so we stopped at Santa Fe Park to have a picnic and play. It was very hot (over 100F) so we were very glad that the park is mostly shade!! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 2, 2012, 6:26 am |
I went to a party with the host family, to celebrate a couple of birthdays (including America's)! We had water balloons, snacks, fireworks, and all sorts of fun! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 4, 2012, 12:22 am |
There are always so many amazing things to explore in Lula's garden! Host mom's oldest daughter took my travel pictures today |
MamiTig Posted Jul 4, 2012, 4:51 am |
Host mom said that even old, broken down things can be beautiful. She showed us this old, abandoned building in Garnett as an example! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 5, 2012, 6:23 am |
Host mom started a new sewing project today. She said it's going to be a costume, that will be entered in the cosplay contest at Tokyo in Tulsa! I can't wait to see how it turns out! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 8, 2012, 11:01 pm |
The host family got the car all packed and ready to head out on an exciting adventure! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 10, 2012, 3:49 am |
About four hours after we packed into the car, we arrived at Broken Arrow Ranch for family camp! The host family unpacked everything, and then took us on some grand adventures! It was so nice to end the day with campfire, overlooking sunset on the lake. |
MamiTig Posted Jul 10, 2012, 6:41 pm |
The second day of family camp was just as amazing as the first! We started with a yummy breakfast and morning worship. Then the host family went horseback riding. We didn't get to see that because host mom was worried we'd get lost or hurt. Then we had lunch, played in the basement, and then we had to wait while the host family went ziplining. We got to see the equipment, but again, we had to stay behind because host mom was worried for our wellbeing. In the late afternoon, we played on the beach at the Tuttle Creek reservoir and that was so relaxing! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 11, 2012, 3:21 am |
Day three at camp was just as wonderful as the first two days! We climbed up the hill to the nurse's cabin to enjoy the view of the lodge. After breakfast, we went for a hike through the woods. In the afternoon, we celebrated a baptism in the lake. It was a lovely day! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 11, 2012, 4:07 am |
On the way home from camp, we stopped to fuel up in Lyndon, KS. Host mom remarked that this is the first time she's ever seen gas prices fall during summer! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 11, 2012, 5:39 am |
Ready for another road trip! This time, the packing is light. |
MamiTig Posted Jul 12, 2012, 2:28 am |
After four hours in the car, we arrived at Lives Under Construction Ranch, where one of the brothers will be staying for a month of summer camp! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 12, 2012, 1:20 pm |
On the way home, we stopped in Ozark, MO to stretch our legs, look in the tourist shops, and enjoy a meal at Lambert's (home of the famous "throwed rolls")!! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 13, 2012, 1:27 pm |
Host mom and her youngest daughter took me and the other TVs for an evening walk down Elm and First streets. We looked at all the pretty houses! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 14, 2012, 2:16 am |
We took a look at the Farmer's Market tonight, to see what was for sale! They hold the market every Thursday evening, on the town square, when the weather is nice |
MamiTig Posted Jul 14, 2012, 4:19 am |
Today some men came and started digging out the bricks on the south side of the host family's house! Host mom said they are contractors and they are fixing the foundation. We were very curious about what they are doing! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 14, 2012, 6:20 am |
We went up to the town square to see what all the excitement was about! Today is the Mad Bomber Run, and there was a car show and a motorcycle show, and entertainment. Here's the website that tells about the historical event that inspired the modern Mad Bomber Run! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 14, 2012, 3:26 pm |
The contractors came again today and jackhammered at the foundation. Now all of the stone blocks under the south wall are gone, and three little jacks are holding up the side of the house! Yikes! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 15, 2012, 6:51 pm |
We enjoyed a lovely vegetarian supper after Sabbath services at the SDA church today! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 17, 2012, 4:42 am |
A birthday at El Charros! I just love celebrations! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 17, 2012, 1:37 pm |
They sure seem to be making progress on the foundation! Who would have known there were so many rocks down there?! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 18, 2012, 4:13 am |
We did a little sightseeing on the grounds while waiting to check three of the kids in at summer camp. I wish I were staying, it is so lovely at Hidden Haven! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 19, 2012, 4:08 am |
We went to the Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence, KS! It is an old zoo that is very lovely. The Monkey Island is the birth place of the first monkey in space! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 19, 2012, 1:50 pm |
On the way home from the zoo, host mom noticed this lovely abandoned school house on the prairie, so we stopped to take a picture! The clouds behind it were especially pretty; very much showing Kansas in the summer. |
MamiTig Posted Jul 20, 2012, 4:55 am |
It was hot and everyone was hungry, so we stopped at a Dairy Queen for sweet ice cream treats! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 23, 2012, 4:43 am |
They're making good progress on the host family's foundation! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 23, 2012, 6:02 am |
The foundation will soon be done! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 24, 2012, 1:25 am |
We crossed into the Cherokee Nation as we crossed the Oklahoma border, just south of Caney, KS. |
MamiTig Posted Jul 26, 2012, 3:27 am |
Our first night in Tulsa was wonderful! We got to the hotel and waited in line about 45 minutes for our room assignment. This turned out to be a blessing as they ran out of double rooms, so they upgraded us to a suite at no extra cost! The view was beautiful! I had fun wandering the convention (Tokyo in Tulsa) with the host family! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 26, 2012, 3:55 am |
Most of our day two at Tokyo in Tulsa was spent at the pre-judging for the cosplay and skit contests, then at the panel about "Pokemon Gijinka" that the host family presented, wandering "artist alley" and then at the final cosplay contest! Host mom and two of her daughters won a judge's choice award in the cosplay contest! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 26, 2012, 5:21 am |
Most of our day two at Tokyo in Tulsa was spent at the pre-judging for the cosplay and skit contests, then at the panel about "Pokemon Gijinka" that the host family presented, wandering "artist alley" and then at the final cosplay contest! Host mom and two of her daughters won a judge's choice award in the cosplay contest! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 27, 2012, 5:57 am |
On the last day of Tokyo in Tulsa, we took a last wander of the vendors room and ogled all of the fun and amazing things! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 28, 2012, 5:35 am |
We liked the new waterless look to the fountain at Legends Drive Dental. |
MamiTig Posted Jul 28, 2012, 5:36 am |
This year has been terrible for drought, and the corn is shriveling up in the fields |
MamiTig Posted Jul 29, 2012, 6:51 am |
Storm shelters like these are a reminder of how deadly Kansas weather can become! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 30, 2012, 4:54 am |
We had a delicious dinner at Pizza Street, to build up our energy for shopping! |
MamiTig Posted Jul 31, 2012, 3:30 am |
Next we went shopping at Bass Pro Shops! It is an amazing place with just about anything you can imagine for outdoor sports. We bought 8 life jackets, so the host family can go rafting! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 2, 2012, 3:18 am |
The host family took me to the Allen County Fair! We saw the livestock, the baby barn, and the amazing fair entries, ranging from vegetables to photography to baking to clothing construction. |
MamiTig Posted Aug 3, 2012, 3:52 am |
I liked what the host family had for dinner! Yummy! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 4, 2012, 5:02 am |
The local community garden has suffered from the drought, too. The only plants that stayed green had a lot of extra water! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 5, 2012, 9:35 pm |
Today, the host family took me on a huge road trip! Our first stop for the day was at the National Fish Hatchery. We enjoyed the exhibits, then went outside to feed the fish. There was only one pond filled, and a family of ducks came to see the excitement! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 6, 2012, 5:23 am |
Our next stop was the lovely, old cemetery in Neosho, on the way out of town. |
MamiTig Posted Aug 7, 2012, 5:24 am |
The next stop was at the Lives Under Construction Ranch charity thrift shop, then on to Lives Under Construction Ranch! We completed our debriefing, then got to see what the boys on the ranch do during the summer camp. They help feed the animals, water trees, and camp out on the weekends! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 8, 2012, 3:15 am |
We stopped at the scenic vista just north of Shell Knob, MO, where it seemed like we were on top of the world! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 9, 2012, 3:57 am |
After a long day of traveling and exploring, we were HUNGRY! So we stopped in Carthage, MO for some authentic Central American food. It was so very good! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 12, 2012, 6:21 am |
Sundy felt lost in the crowd while visiting the hedgehogs! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 13, 2012, 3:02 am |
We went to Sabbath supper at the SDA church and enjoyed great food and great fellowship! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 14, 2012, 4:25 am |
A picnic in the park was a perfect occasion for blowing bubbles! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 15, 2012, 1:00 am |
Sundy met Spoink, the baby pig who is being bottle fed by the host family. Once he's big enough to be outside on a regular basis, he'll be going to a family that plans to keep him as a farm pet for a 4-H project |
MamiTig Posted Aug 17, 2012, 8:53 pm |
Host mom took me to see the Neosho River. She said that in the twelve years she's lived here, she's never seen it this dry. You can definitely see the results of the drought!! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 18, 2012, 8:49 pm |
Today I experienced an anime convention called Motaku! We are going to be here for the whole weekend and it's so fun! Today I played in the board game room, met people in costumes, and learned about kandi beads! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 20, 2012, 4:16 am |
We had lots more fun at Motaku today! We went to several interesting panels and people watched! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 21, 2012, 6:19 am |
We visited the host family's friends and met their cats! They have nine cats, and it was fun to track them all down! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 23, 2012, 2:40 am |
The host family loves to go to Red Robin for the amazingly delicious veggie burgers! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 26, 2012, 6:10 am |
Sunflowers are the Kansas state flower! This sunflower spent all summer growing tall, then it got heavy so it bent in half and finally, started growing little blooms! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 26, 2012, 6:11 am |
It finally rained today!! It was very badly needed. Host mom said she heard that two days ago, one of the small towns in our county ran out of water. Everything is dry and there have been fires. I sure hope we keep getting more rain! |
MamiTig Posted Aug 28, 2012, 1:27 pm |
We walked over to the Cottonwood Garden to see what is left as summer starts to fade. The Cottonwood Garden was just a vacant lot until someone bought it, landscaped it, and donated it back to the city for everyone to enjoy. |
MamiTig Posted Aug 31, 2012, 3:42 am |
Two of the giant's brothers took Arizona, Tucker, Wotan, Sissi, Anastaysia, Fidditch, Hryusha, Vriendje, Snakiey, Bambi, Kalso, Kali, Ming Jung, Jellybean, Chrissy, Strider, Plaudagei, Faschi, Mini-Mina, and myself to the playground at the elementary school today! We played on all of the equipment and had sooo much fun! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 1, 2012, 3:26 am |
Host mom had to go to Burlington to testify on a court case, so we came along. She showed us some of the pretty murals that decorate the town! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 2, 2012, 2:04 am |
Host mom made colorful pancakes today! She uses this recipe, but said that she adds vanilla to make them extra fluffy. They sure turn out delicious and disappear fast! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 5, 2012, 1:58 am |
Today we went exploring at Elm Creek! It was hot out, but the shade of the trees made it kind of nice. We explored the north side of the creek, then drove back around to the bridge so that we could explore and see the south side. Host mom has lived here for 12 years, and this was the first time she ever explored this part of Elm Creek! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 5, 2012, 5:27 am |
Today we stopped and took a look at beautiful, historical Fort Scott! Unfortunately, Sundy was hiding in the TV bag and didn't make it into any of the shots, but here is the rest of the group at the historic fort! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 5, 2012, 1:36 pm |
These little hedgehogs were about half a day old when I visited with them. Aren't they adorable? |
MamiTig Posted Sep 7, 2012, 4:08 am |
We visited the Farmer's Market this evening and bought a few things. The vendors were closing down while we were there, and some nice ladies gave us peach pies and cinnamon rolls, too! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 10, 2012, 3:55 am |
Today we enjoyed great company and delicious food at the SDA church supper! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 11, 2012, 4:52 am |
Host mom and her oldest daughter went ghost hunting at the Pythian Castle! They joined members of the Paranormal Task Force and learned how to use some really cool equipment! It was a mostly quiet night, but there was an electromagnetic field that hovered in one room for over half an hour that had no explainable source we could figure out! Some women felt their hair pulled and backpacks pulled on, and then could not initially leave the tunnel below the castle. They got really spooked, but host mom and her daughter didn't experience any thing scary! For more pictures of their experience, you can click here! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 13, 2012, 4:57 am |
On the way home from visiting the haunted castle, we stopped at the Precious Moments chapel to take a break and breathe in the peace and beauty that is there. |
MamiTig Posted Sep 14, 2012, 4:50 am |
Host mom stopped at Twin Trestles to take a photo shoot with us this morning. The sky was pale gray and threatening rain, and the late summer flowers were in bloom, but the leaves aren't turning autumn colors yet. The water in the river was nearly all dried up. This is one of host mom's favorite local places to take pictures! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 16, 2012, 7:36 pm |
The host family took me to Marsha's Great Plains Deli today... they swear it's the best deli in the Midwest! The sandwiches were amazing!! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 17, 2012, 5:10 am |
Host mom had to take a trip out to Nevada, MO and stopped to show us the lovely building that is now Heartland Behavioral Health Services. Like the Pythian Castle we went to recently, it was originally an orphanage. You can read about the history of the building here. |
MamiTig Posted Sep 21, 2012, 4:58 am |
We got to celebrate a birthday! It was so much fun to see the presents unwrapped! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 25, 2012, 2:37 am |
We enjoyed another delicious church supper! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 26, 2012, 4:23 am |
We went to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival and saw so many amazing things! Around every corner there was something new to see or do! The performers and shopkeepers were so incredibly nice to us, too |
MamiTig Posted Sep 29, 2012, 1:08 am |
Red Robin has the most amazing veggie burgers and stuff! |
MamiTig Posted Sep 30, 2012, 3:41 am |
I inspected the progress on host mom's latest project! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 1, 2012, 4:54 am |
One of host mom's daughters is taking a photography class for her after school program and had an assignment to look for patterns. On Saturday, after Sabbath school and while waiting for potluck, we helped her look for patterns! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 3, 2012, 5:49 am |
Host mom took us down to see the Neosho River today. She was amazed that even after all the rain we have had, it is still incredibly low! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 4, 2012, 5:04 am |
Host mom finished her project today- a dress for her oldest daughter! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 7, 2012, 4:15 am |
Host mom got her new full spectrum camera in this week, so we decided to take it somewhere interesting to try it out. We visited the Galemore Cemetery, and host mom took pictures with both full spectrum and her regular camera. |
MamiTig Posted Oct 8, 2012, 3:00 am |
Sundy inspected the cranes that host mom's oldest daughter is making. She says she wants to make 1,000 cranes so she can make a wish. |
MamiTig Posted Oct 9, 2012, 5:21 am |
Host mom is finishing up another costume... she calls this one "Little Red Fighting Good"! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 10, 2012, 4:29 am |
Today was host mom's birthday! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 14, 2012, 12:09 am |
We were supposed to go to the high school football game today, but lightning, thunder, and torrential rain meant it got postponed. We took shelter in a nearby recreation building and watched the middle school and high school bands at marching practice! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 15, 2012, 12:55 am |
Another delicious vegetarian Sabbath supper at the SDA church! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 16, 2012, 5:18 am |
The stormy skies had an amazing yellow shade that we never could quite catch in a picture, but host mom did get these lovely pictures with her regular and full spectrum cameras. |
MamiTig Posted Oct 17, 2012, 5:32 am |
Host mom is hard at work on another costume... |
MamiTig Posted Oct 18, 2012, 5:07 am |
More progress! Host mom told us that inspiration for the design came from Edward Gorey. |
MamiTig Posted Oct 19, 2012, 4:32 am |
Oh my! There was a ghost cat in the downstairs bathroom tonight... |
MamiTig Posted Oct 22, 2012, 5:12 am |
We visited the Farm City Days celebration in downtown Iola today! We saw all sorts of things, like carnival rides a blacksmith, tractors, and vendor booths! It sure was a lot of fun! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 23, 2012, 6:03 am |
We got to watch The Passing Zone performance at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center! We even had front row seats. |
MamiTig Posted Oct 27, 2012, 4:59 am |
We met a new friend named Axie! Host mom was so happy that Axie joined her family because Axie is a squishable axolotl and #426 in the series! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 29, 2012, 1:15 am |
Sundy enjoyed another Sabbath supper at the SDA church! |
MamiTig Posted Oct 30, 2012, 3:29 am |
We took a visit to Twin Trestles, to see what autumn is doing to the landscape. The trees seem to be going straight to curled up and brown, or to leaves falling, without a lot of the usual pretty colors this year. |
MamiTig Posted Nov 2, 2012, 4:08 am |
We visited the Attachment Center in Wichita, KS today. This is what it looked like outside and inside! |
MamiTig Posted Nov 4, 2012, 2:40 pm |
On the way home from Wichita, host mom stopped to take a short walk and find the spring around which the Kansas town of Eureka was founded. |
MamiTig Posted Nov 5, 2012, 5:43 am |
There were strange things afoot on Halloween! |
MamiTig Posted Nov 6, 2012, 4:00 am |
Mmmmm! The Mexican food at El Charro is amazing! We tried the vegetarian fajitas today |
MamiTig Posted Nov 7, 2012, 5:20 am |
Sundy is traveling to his next host! |
Jerena Posted Nov 18, 2012, 5:03 pm |
Hi at all! I arrived in Oldenburg!
Miggy, HelgaHH and Pitzelpatz are my new TV friends here. They listened to my stories of my travels and they told me theirs. We had a lot to talk about. Pitzelpatz and me found out that my last host MamyTig once hosted him, too! Then I met Kitty, my host´s cat. She is very cute! Now I have to sleep a little bit after the long journey from the US to Germany. At the weekend I´ll have my first trip in Oldenburg. Greetings! |
Jerena Posted Nov 18, 2012, 5:39 pm |
My host, TV friends and me visited the "MeinTier" exhibition in the Weser-Ems-Halle in Oldenburg! The cat show was wonderful. I saw a lot of different cat breeds: small kittens and really huge ones like the Maine Coon. Cats with long noses like the Siam and ones with short noses like the Perser.
Also we saw different breeds of dogs and horses. But there were snakes and turtles, too. It was a great trip! |
Jerena Posted Dec 27, 2012, 7:12 pm |
Hi mum, today we welcomed Pingi and made Christmas cookies together. That was great fun! I was responsible for the butter. We put flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder and the butter in one bowl and roll out the pastry on a table. We cut out Christmas symbols, mmhh yummy
In my oppinion the ones with the white chocolate topping are very tasty! See you soon, Sundy |
Jerena Posted Dec 27, 2012, 7:26 pm |
Christmas time is a wonderful time! We had a short trip to the Oldenburger Christmas market, called "Lambertimarkt". My pics aren´t very good but I hope you can see a little bit. |
Jerena Posted Jan 1, 2013, 4:30 pm |
Hi mum! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas time! Me and my TV friends had a big dinner, a beautiful Christmas tree and we got chocolate as much as we could eat! Hopefully I´m not too heavy now for my travel back to you.
Bye, yours Sundy |
Jerena Posted Jan 1, 2013, 4:44 pm |
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!!
Yesterday we celebrated New Years Eve with tasty cheese, champagne and wondeful fireworks! |
Jerena Posted Jan 5, 2013, 4:50 pm |
Today I left Oldenburg to go back home! I´m so excited because I´ll see my mum after a long journey.
For my "Good Bye" my TV friends and I completed a part of my life missions: We played "Spongebob Monopoly"! That was big fun! Now I hope the time in my envelope will pass quickly so I can see my mum soon. À bientôt, Sundy |