Osborne Nature Center....

Hayden had her first trip to the area nature center.  The small center had a lot to offer little Miss Hayden Elizabeth, but she had more fun traveling from exhibit A to exhibit Z.  She got to see a bobcat, a grey wolf, a bald eagle, a brown bear, a mountain lion, a red fox, white tailed deer, a raccoon, snakes, turtles, and the flowers in the Osborne Arboretum.  Even though she wasn't too interested in the animals, the grey wolf would have enjoyed having Hayden for lunch.  He paced and barked at her as she came near and never went too far from where she was. 

Her first Happy Meal....

A definite benefit of living in the Villo is it is in a location that provides very little opportunity for "fast food" experiences.  At nearly 20 months....Hayden's first fast food / pop culture experience was a Chicken Nugget Happy Meal from McDonalds.  She was a little apprehensive about the chicken nuggets, but tackled two of them.  Her most favorite was the french fries!  She loved them.  What amazes me is she is a pretty fickle eater but she took to the fries right off the bat.  I guess that is the unbelievable magic of McDonalds and the hold it has over all of us.

As we pulled into the drive through, Andy couldn't help himself to point out the two McDonalds workers who have had a quite a few too many Happy Meals.  As they were sitting outside taking a smoke break Andy made sure he taught the risks of eating too many Happy Meals.  Always a great dad..taking moments  to teach his daughter about "real life experiences."  ☺ Happy Father's Day!

  

For Hayden's memory...

Although Hayden had limited moments and time with Great Grandma Donna, I want her to have a memory of who she was and how much she meant to our family. "GG Donna" (as referred to by Hayden) had so much love to give and always had her own way of sharing her love with each of us. We will miss the way she made us smile with her feisty personality and spirit. We are saddened that she is gone, but GG Donna will always be remembered with love.

I'm Free

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm Free,
I'm following the path God laid for me.
I took his hand when I heard him call,
I turned back and left it all.
I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work, or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
I've found peace at the close of the day.
If my parting has left a void,
then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Ah, yes these things I too will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life's been full, I savored much,
Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,
Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me,
God wanted me now; He set me free.

Donna Marie Cornish was born on September 19, 1929 in Maquoketa, Iowa, to Buren R. "Brownie" and Laura Anna (Wirth) Cornish. She was a 1947 graduate of Elwood High School and then attended Cosmetology School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She married Harlan Bartels on October 2, 1949 in Elwood, Iowa. He preceded her in death.

Donna was a homemaker and then worked for the Clinton County Department of Human Services as a case worker in the General Relief office from 1972 until retiring in 1998.

Donna was a member of the Elwood United Methodist Church. She was a collector and was an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan.

Donna is survived by her children, Vicki (Mike) Wing of Maquoketa, IA, Brent (Beth) Bartels of Olathe, KS and Brad (Beth) Bartels of Cedar Rapids, IA; a brother, Benjamin (Betty) Cornish of Phoenix, AZ; 8 grandchildren - Joshua David, Mindy Marie, Seth Andrew, Jesse Arthur, Aaron Michael, Kara Elizabeth, Emily Amanda, and Jacob Harlan - and 6 great-grandchildren: Grace Ann, Thomas Joseph, Rylee Jo, Taylor Anne, Hayden Elizabeth, and Millie Harlan.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.

A, B, Cs with Hayden Elizabeth......

Hayden has been working hard at recognizing the letters of the alphabet.  Hayden has nearly the whole alphabet down and has fun learning with her jumbo magnet letters.