Bonus Pictures

We had a good lunch and enjoyed our time celebrating with Grandpa and Auntie yesterday!  Here's a few extra pictures...

Adelynn assisting with presents.

The photo paparazzi.

This piggie was a hit!

Olivia making her party favor with Great Auntie. Party favor is a purse, which was used today!

Olivia enjoying cake with Great-Grandpa.

Happy Birthday!

Today we celebrated Grandpa's 80th birthday and my 52nd.  It was a fun day with lots of family, although those that were absent were greatly missed.  Enjoy the pictures.  Following the pictures is everyone's favorite things about Grandpa.  What a nice day!

80 Things We Love About Grandpa 

(plus a few extra…)

Vicki
1. His favorite foods are popcorn, sugar cookies, and gravy bread.  (Although that might not be true now)
2. His loyalty to K-state
3. His strong faith 
4. Proud of his family
5. Also Can't think of Pa without thinking of the pasture
6. Three favorite memories are: of he and Ma balancing the checkbook,  how he always stretched how tall he was, eating popcorn in the evenings.


Tim S.
7. He is a spiritual leader for the family.  
8. He enjoys the unique qualities of the family and loves when they are together.
9. He is resourceful - especially at the pasture.
10. Tim's  favorite stories are the snowstorm for he and Ma and Korea stories.
11. He said his first thought was when we were first together and Pa was ready for church at 7:30 and it didn't start until 8:30.  Which probably impressed him because it was so different from his family! :)

Hannah and James

12. I love that all of his best stories start with "Incidentally."
13. I loved watching Gone with the Wind with his historical commentary.
14. I love that he leads by example with his faith in our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
15. I love his commitment to family and all of the Christmases we have spent together.


Andrew
16. I always enjoyed his love for the pasture but especially how much he wants to share it with us. It’s not just for him, it’s for everyone who follows and that’s obvious
17. I have a specific memory of being next to him in church one Sunday and we were singing Onward Christian Soldiers and his big deep voice was resonant and passionate
18. His passion for K-State. My favorite memory is when K-State was destroying Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game and we came upstairs to tell him and he refused to come watch for fear of jinxing the win.
19. Finally another anecdotal example of what we’ve all already said: When I went to Tanzania he sent me the pocket New Testament Bible that he had with him during his service in Korea. He has a way of quietly supporting us that I haven’t always appreciated. 

 

Erik 
20. His knowledge and view of the world. Every time we're having a family get together, I am amazed by all the things he knows. There were several times in high school he knew things that were happening at East before I had any idea.
21. Definitely the pasture. Learning all there was to know about what our own unique nature get away had to offer and all the great history our family has from him. 
22. His passions. His abilities in craftsmanship as well as his love of history are all things I think of when I think of Grandpa. Even though these things aren't my primary interests when he would talk about them I found myself enthralled with what his experiences with them had to offer.
23. The fantastic family he has forged. Not everyone can say that they have such an amazing group of individuals with whom they can share such great times. He has provided a second home that has always been an enjoyable place to visit. His values have been a strong positive influence on everyone. Plus he raised great children, one of which is my mother who no doubt learned much of her great parenting from Grandpa, both of whom I can say with certainty, have mastered the art.


Samuel 

24. His love of history and old things.. 

25. His love for the outdoors and sharing the pasture with us.
26. All of his old stories and life lessons
27. His love of building things and working in the workshop.
 
Pam
28. Golf – I really enjoyed being able to play golf with Pa at Chase.  I especially enjoyed a time with Pa, Grandpa Al, and myself when we went to the golf course outside of Haven.  It had sand greens and was just nice to see how Pa and Grandpa Al talked and had fun together.
29. Pasture – A couple of years ago I was able to go with Pa alone to the pasture in the summer to help with odd jobs.  I enjoyed the time together and the talking back and forth.  He really enjoys the land and all it can tell and give you.
30. Faith – Probably Pa’s biggest testimony to me is his faith in God.  He has always showed kindness and understanding to all through his faith in God.  I especially remember the times he taught Sunday School at Christ and how the students he taught always respected him.
31. Charles’ birth – When Charles was born, Pa was the first one up to see him.  He was so proud and wore the biggest smile after seeing him!
Randy
32. Fat Christmas Tree –One annual event that has many different twists includes an annual trip to St. John to cut a scotch pine Christmas tree often done in the blue and white Plymouth Fury. One year in specific, a particularly large tree was chosen. “Oh my” was a typical response for anything that didn’t make sense, but probably was going to happen anyway. After donning coveralls, wielding the saw, and cutting the tree, which was perhaps bigger across than it was tall, a massive tree was being hauled back to Hutchinson to be squeezed through the front door to become a special part of that Christmas season.
33. Live Nativity – Charlie was instrumental in the tradition of producing the living nativity at Christ Lutheran. It didn’t matter how many or how few cars came or how cold it got, Charlie would be faithfully there to help with animals, parking or whatever task was needed. He was particularly pleased to expand the story with the Magnificat, and always wanted everything as accurate as possible.
34. Building the family room and fireplace – It was obvious as more outsiders were joining the family that more space was needed. Converting the garage to a family room became a project in 1974-75 where both Tim Shook and Randy helped by laying the bricks for the fireplace. Although none of us were the best craftsman, we wanted to be and tried hard. Randy spent so much time helping Tim that his side of the brick fireplace wound up not in line. Charlie did his best to express that it was “OK” but when Ned Shook came to look and pointed out which side “had to be Tim’s” Charlie jumped into the conversation saying “no, the straight side is Tim’s and a little flaw gives the fireplace character.”
35. Playing pinochle with parents Albert, Louise and family – Gathering family of all kinds, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and children made for wild games at the new home on the farm. “Breast your cards” would be the call for the wandering eye balls that “never cheated”. Laughter was frequently so hard that choking and white faces were particularly common.
36. Singing in Choir – Any church deserves a good choir, and when we started choir together, we were anything but good. We learned Leonardisms such as “silence reigned and we all got wet”. Since our baritone voices don’t exactly fit the traditional tenor or bass parts, we simply tried to get in the ball park of the notes. Eventually, we did sound like we knew how to sing together. We wound up sponsoring singing events at the church with the efforts of bringing in and installing risers or visiting our sister church in the city to make an appearance and sound not only respectable, but really good. Choir provided multiple good times and special moments.
37. PMS Foods – Meat, bread and potatoes were the staple diet then and now, and after a tour of the PMS Foods facility, I learned why pizza and other spiced food was never really on the diet. If Italian spice ever smelled good, it would not after working in the labs. However, the freshly baked bread as experimental loaves was a keeper.
38. Playing Church Softball – It was tough to get enough people to field a whole team to play, so Charlie stepped up to play. Arthritis was already calling before the first game, but it was a matter of much importance to play. Charlie did play so those of us who were younger got a chance to play until there were enough team members to field a team.
39. Shed building – Everyone’s construction skills improved with projects at homes and at the pasture. Building the shed in the backyard as a weekend project was a time for Charlie to supervise and be general foreman. He was able to get all of the parts needed, and keep us all working together, finishing up the loose ends once we were done.
40. Riding to the pasture – It is hard to be from the city while most everyone else stayed on the farm. However, visiting the pasture in the back of the yellow truck with Grandma Louise driving was always an experience. Riding in the back of the truck with Charlie, the girls and myself as the newcomer gave a special sense of the relationships in the Kinast family

Sarah and Dan

41. How he uses archaic phrases and expressions or at least lesser used ones- i.e. "I'll be darned." and then asks to make sure you've heard what just caused him to exclaim that.
42. How he reminds us to stay out of trouble.
43. His passion for family history and his ability to share that with us.  
44. His relationship with Grandma and how it is so loving and passionate with just the right amount of teasing and spice.
45. His smile and eye twinkle.  
46. I also agree with Chris' top one--when I think of Grandpa one of the first things that comes to mind are his hands.


Olivia
47. How he always asks for a kiss from me.
48. How much he enjoys watching me play when I come to visit.
49. The way he held me when I was smaller.
50. How he will sometimes refer to me as a rascal.

 

Mary

51. Happy Times at the state fair with Grandpa always there to give us all the good stuff that the booth had to offer

52. the ethics that he imparted to each of us as kids
53. spending time together at the pasture and the love that Grandpa has just being together in the outdoors
54. the special interest and pride that he has for K-State


Kurtis
55. His welcoming nature
56. His incites and stories about K-State
57. His interest in what's going on in our lives
58. His enthusiasm for the outdoors and the pasture


Charles
59. My earliest memory of grandpa is visiting him at work at PMS Foods.  And him giving us BBQ Sauce and letting us play with his trucks from the shipping companies he worked with
60. The adventures we would have when I sat on his lap and drove the riding lawn mower for the first time at the pasture
61. The love of trains and playing for hours with the different trains he has in the house.
62. The integrity he has maintained as he's struggled through health issues.  I will never forget him always asking me how I was doing no matter how bad he felt. 


David
63. His shared joy for everything K-State
64. How he makes everyone feel welcome
65. His always positive look on things
66. How he interacts with his great grandchildren


Cassi 
67. How you’re always in the know about what’s going on in the world.
68. Your great sense of humor. 
69. How you’re always thinking of what other people would want to know and are always prepared to share that info with them.
70. You can always find something to laugh about.


Adelynn 
71. How you play ball with me.
72. That you let me play with toys my Daddy and Grandma played with.
73. I like your walker.
74. Your hugs.


Laurie
75. His strong faith in God.
76. His loyalty to family.
77. The twinkle in his eye when he is being ornery.
78. His fairness-he always gives everyone the benefit of the doubt.


Tim G. 
79. That he is the father of the woman I love.
80. I love his love of history and being able to discuss history with him.
81. That he took time to show me how to do simple electrical repairs (without killing myself)
82. That he raised such beautiful family that I could join.


Kate
83. That you are letting me help you with the library paperwork. I know how important that is to you and I feel honored to be the one you are choosing to show it to. Also, how patient you are as you teach me to add. 
84. When I was little (and older) when someone bullied me or had done something wrong you never hid your dislike of them. You taught me that I deserved to be treated better than the percussionists and how the girls at church treated me. 
85. How you are always willing and wanting to learn about something new. You don’t want to be left behind and take a lot of effort to learn about new technology and other things. 
86. You ask for help when you need it. I really admire this.
87. You have never judged me with everything I have gone through the past four years. I always knew you loved me and your through your hugs I knew that you were supporting me. 
88. That you color! I love your pictures and how excited you are to show them to us. I’ll always take them off your hands and hang them in my apartment if you need something to do with them. 


Chris 
89. The way his hands show how hard he's worked
90. The smell of his wood-shop
91. His love of the pasture
92. His appreciation of all things Kansan

Granddaughters, Cats and Surgery

Granddaughters:
We have been enjoying the granddaughters lately with fun play time!

Adelynn especially likes to have me play with her at the small table. Today we enjoyed having tea, mixing food, and feeding the baby.






When we've babysat at Sarah and Dan's house, Olivia really likes to try on my coat. We then play peek-a-boo with the hood. She also loves to use the camera case as her purse. Here Olivia is studying the camera case very intently.

Adelynn and Olivia are a joy to have in our lives and can make your day 100% better!!


Cats:

This week we had a time with the cats. Both Longstreet and Ez are 15 + years old. Longstreet started out the week not feeling well and with a trip to the vet. He had bad tarter on his teeth and an infection so meds and soft food have helped. In fact, he now comes to see me around 5:30 a.m. for more food so I'm sure he is gaining back the 1.5 lbs he had lost!

Ez went to the vet on Friday as she had not been eating even the new soft food. If you know Ez this is a bad sign as she loves her food. Well, the bad news was that neither her kidneys or liver were functioning and she died yesterday morning after being with us for 15 1/2 years. She was Sarah's cat so we met Sarah, Dan and Olivia at the pasture and she now resides in the pet cemetery at the pasture. Clara still looks for her outside as they had become good pals.












Surgery:
Randy went to the doctor the first part of February and will be having surgery March 9th on both of his knees. The right one has two tears on either side of it and the left one has one tear. They will use the scope like Grandpa had. He is doing both knees at once since he has the problem of his heart stopping with needles. It should be an interesting time for both of us :)

Updates

Hello family,
I can't remember when I last wrote so I'll just give some updates about what is going on in my (relatively unexciting) life.

The Service Dog
First, thanks to all of you who helped, donated or prayed for us as we have raised funds. We have met our goal for the dog!! We still have travel expenses but we never thought that we would be able to have that much money raised or that many people turn out to support me and the rest of our family. Everyone wants to know what the dog will look like and who it is. Here is the latest: We know that the dog is a male and probably a lab. Also, it will large. As in coming up to my waist large. Which means probably weighing between seventy-five and 100 pounds. To put it in perspective if you have managed to see the elusive Mandalay she weighs sixty pounds. So this will be a big dog.

Bible Study
I started a Bible Study this month at a church in Wichita calls Pathways (formally Westlink). It is a Beth Moore study on the book of James. I learned that Martin Luther suggested throwing "Jimmy" into the fire but James is my favorite books. I like the Bible Study approach. Each week I have about five hours of homework in a book that is sent home. I have a small group I meet with once a week and we watch a video about what we will be studying for the next week. So far I have had three Bible studies and we are at verse 8. So it is a very comprehensive study.

My Apartment
I know live in my apartment Monday through Wednesday afternoon. I am loving the independence and being closer to my Bible Study and my many appointments is handy. I love tinkering around and changing little things or adding something that I brought from home. It is very cozy and I love it! You are all invited to stop by anytime. Oh and Shona loves it. She loves being an only dog (time is ticking baby girl) and how much people watching the apartment provides. She is a busy body.

Recovery
The twenty-fourth of this month marks my one year of recovery and being home from CFC! I am planning to celebrate by having a gormuet cupcake with mother and getting a new charm bracelet which I will add a new charm for every year. I also will be getting a tattoo. Mary has kindly agreed to go with me so it will be a little bit but I have decided that it will be on the underside of my wrist and simply say hope with the recovery symbol beside it.

NEDA Week
NEDA (National Eating Disorder Awareness) week is the 26th through the 3 of March. I would love it if you recognized it in someway. This can be by wearing purple (the color of e.d. awareness) or more elaborate by participating in a walk (NYC might have one) or participating in operation beautiful. Operation Beautiful is an amazing movement. It encourages you to leave post-it notes in random places that say things like you are beautiful or love your body just the way it is or you are enough etc. etc. Leave the address operationbeautiful.com at the bottom so hopefully then will pass the message along.

Well, that's all from me. Hopefully, the next time I update it will be with a service dog at my side (if Shona moves over enough). Love to you all.

-Kate