Al and Lori

Ride 'Em Cowgirl

2012-02-12T15:51:00.001-08:00

As Maggie doesn't talk much yet, the following is my interpretation of her non-verbals.

I think I'll go for a ride.

I love Dakota.

It's alright Nammie. I'm hanging on tight.

I don't care what you say. I'm going to go really fast.

Please stop taking my picture, Nammie.

I SAID, STOP TAKING MY PICTURE!

OK. I'll be precious again.

It Really Is Incredible

2012-02-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

Last week, Porter and Maggie and I took a walk down to the lake. Porter rode his bike and I pushed Mags in her stroller. We took a break at a neighborhood water feature because Porter loves the fountains and there was a pair of nesting Canada Geese sitting on the shore. We played and took pictures and ran around the pond. As I was preparing to take one last picture of Maggie, I bent down to get a close up of her and she batted at my hand and slowly but surely my Android Incredible flew in to the pond. The pond is only about 2 1/2 feet deep but it was a cold day and the pond water was freezing. What to do? Leave my ruined phone staring helpless at me from the bottom of the murky water? Wade into the arctic abyss and make the rescue? See this entire event as God's provision and permission to buy an iphone? Or...ask some landscape guys that were parked on the other side of the pond for help. Not wanting to scream across the park at them, I packed up the kids and walked over and asked to borrow a rake. Nice guys that they were, they drove around and fished out my drenched phone. They gave me some advice on drying the phone out and were on their way. The kids and I walked back home and P & M went down for their naps. I took my phone out on the patio and laid it on a lounge chair in the sun. When AJ came to pick his kids up, he took it apart for me and we put the pieces in a bag of rice and there it sat for the weekend. On Sunday morning Al put it back together and incredibly, everything worked perfectly. I was told by several people in the know that their iphones NEVER would have survived. So thanks Incredible phone, you really are!

Magalicious is One!

2012-01-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

On January 16, our precious granddaughter Magnolia Raine DeBacker turned 1. Maggie celebrated her first birthday yesterday with family and friends. Maryanne and her sister Christy made darling and very girly decorations, which Maggie didn't care about at all. Our little social butterfly was thrilled by all the people and all the attention she received. She had a great party and by 6:30pm she was pooped! It was a good day for our little birthday girl.

Gettin' gorgeous for her big birthday celebration.

Pre-party family picture.

Make a wish!

C'mon! Let's get to the good stuff!

Big brother Porter is happy to help when Maggie takes too much time opening her presents.

An ariel view of some of the guests

Almost Finished

2012-01-15T18:42:00.000-08:00

The newly redecorated Living Room. I'm so happy with it and Al likes it too!

The buffet and two of our new dining chairs. The picture above the buffet is a rematted and framed Goodwill find.

Two new wool rugs for the entryway and in front of the buffet.

On the way home from our third trip to Ikea in a week, Al asked in his most sincere voice, "when we get a rug for under the dining room table, can we be done with all this decorating stuff?" Last summer, we started a remodeling/redecorating project that included painting all the rooms in the house as well as the millwork, adding granite counter tops in the kitchen, updating most of the appliances and hardware and totally changing the decor in the living room. The walls and ceilings are still yellow but instead of cobalt blue accents, we have changed to black and white. My chairs were recovered in black and white polka dot and the couch and love seat in a black and white plaid. I had our art & photos reframed, and did some do-it-yourself projects. We added a buffet table on the staircase wall that I have loved decorating and filling with all my white accessories. I still have some work to do on the color block and shelves but I'm taking my time and doing it just right. So, to answer Al's question, "yes, we are almost finished with the decorating stuff." But I will never be done decorating. I'm always thinking about the next project, real or imagined. I can't tell you how many vacation homes I have decorated in my mind, usually in the middle of the night. I love decorating magazines and HGTV and I'm always willing to help friends and family with ideas and elbow grease. So...enjoy the pictures of our almost finished "decorating stuff". When we're done done, I'll let ya know.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

We started the holidays with our dear friends Nancy & Curt Kendall

During the Christmas break, Jana and I took the kids to OMSI. They all loved the giant sandbox. Porter is in the red shirt, Finn's in blue and Maggie is in stripes.

Colorful fun

Porter loved shooting the balls up the tubes

All bundled up for the Salem/Keizer Festival of Lights parade

A typical "float"

Al and I took Finn to Magic at the Mill the week before Christmas.

Santa was ok as long as Nammie was holding Finn

Finn could have watched the train all night. He loved it!

Porter was a big help mixing the dough for our traditional Christmas cookies

Rollin' and cuttin'

Maggie in her Christmas finery

David & Jean Avison shared Christmas Eve with us and brought present for all

The last thing before bed, we put out the reindeer food

Checking out what Santa put in the stockings

AJ models his new super warm jacket

Maggie loves her new dollie

Al gets a day of slave labor from AJ

My Dad sharing his framed Lloyd family photos

The House Is Done

2011-12-12T05:38:00.000-08:00

Al and I had fun designing the big basket of greens that we picked up off the ground after a big windstorm. Free is a very good price!

Santa greets you at the front door.

The niche in the entryway

Our bedroom

I don't have bookcases so I love decorating these shelves.

Do you get why there is a 2 and a 5 above the buffet? Al was confused.

The living room side of the mantle.

The kitchen side of the mantle.

I stole this idea from Al's Nursery in Woodburn

We bought our nativity set 30+ years ago.

Lots of sparkle on the tree this year

Al and I have been married for almost 39 years. In all those years, we have collected Christmas decor. We always buy something whenever we travel. I love craft shows and usually pick up some decorating ideas at them. I collect Christopher Radko blown glass ornaments and now have quite a few of them. I love fresh greenery and have wreaths and swags and cuttings in almost every room. I love candlelight, and have candles everywhere (even tho insurance guy Al hates them. He's seen too many house fires due to candles) Needless to say, our house looks like a Christmas bomb hit it. It takes several days to get everything put in place but the results are so worth it. Both Al and I love to sit and look at all the pretty. It gives us a good excuse to slow down and enjoy the season. Now it's on to several other projects I enjoy, baking Christmas goodies and wrapping presents. I love this time of year!

Tradition Has It

2011-12-03T06:54:00.000-08:00

Approaching Autzen always raises the excitement level. It's so imposing and gorgeous.

Paula Newman and me cheering the Ducks to vistory.

Fox covered the game nationally and stopped play a million times for TV commercials.

Very cold (do you see red noses?) but havin' fun.

Cannons in all four corners of the field blasted the place with tons of confetti.

The final score and the Duck making snow angels.

The smoke around the stadium was from the confetti cannons and the fireworks.

Tradition has it that "IT NEVER RAINS IN AUTZEN STADIUM" and that may be true. But let me tell you, it can get darn cold!!! Last night at the Pac 12 championship game, spirits were high and the temperature was low. Not even the body to body contact necessitated by the miniscule area they give each fan to sit on could warm the place up. The only things that saved me from a misreable night were my Ugg boots and gloves, a very warm cashmere sweater, a wool hat and a ton of layers. But freezing temps and all, we had a great time. The game was far better than expected and pretty intresting right up to the end. The celebration after the win was very cool with fireworks and huge green and yellow balloons. Confetti cannons shot out so much paper that fans on the field were making snow angels. It was definately a party. And it will be a party on January 2 when the Ducks win the Rose Bowl. Go Ducks!

An Old Tradition Revived

2011-11-28T06:39:00.000-08:00

Pioneer Square was crowded!

Pretty pretty tree

The lobby of the Benson Hotel

The beautiful Heathman Hotel Tea Room

Years ago, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Al and the kids and I would go to Portland for the Christmas Tree Lighting in Pioneer Square. We would stay at a downtown hotel, shop during the day and then crowd into the Square for the big event. There would be great music, a Christmas carole sing-along and then the big moment when Santa would throw the switch and the huge tree would light up with thousands of twinkling lights. It was a really fun way to kick of the holiday season.

Fast forward to recent Thanksgiving weekends. Both kids and their families go to their spouses celebrations and often times, Al and I travel during that week. But this year we decided to stay home and host Thanksgiving dinner for my Dad, my brother and sister in law, and my nephew and his 2 girls. We started out the day with the traditional Lloyd family recipe cinnamon rolls at Dad's. It was relaxing and unhurried and a great time to laugh and catch up with each other. After breakfast we headed home and spent a quiet afternoon preparing for dinner. At 5:30 all 8 of us sat down to a yummy turkey dinner. Everyone lingered over homemade apple pie and coffee and we enjoyed a delightful time together. By 9:30 that evening the dishes were done the kitchen was cleaned up and all was right with the world :D

The next morning Al had an early breakfast with a friend, I headed out for some Black Friday madness and we met at home around 11:00. We threw some things in our overnight bags, jumped in the car and headed north on I-5. By 1:00 we had checked into The Nines Hotel (conveniently located above the downtown Macy's) and were out shopping our socks off. At 4:30 we pushed through the crowds at Pioneer Square and found a pretty good spot to watch the tree lighting festivities. Not much has changed over the years except this year, The Von Trapp Family singers (great grandkids of Maria and Gregor)joined in the fun. The Occupy Portland group was there but behaved very nicely. Pink Martini entertained, Santa showed up and the tree was lit. And it is gorgeous!

After the tree was lit, Al and I walked down to Mama Mia's restaurant and had a great Italian meal. After dinner we walked back to the Square and took pictures and looked at the tree again. Such a nice start to the holidays.

Next morning, we lounged around the hotel, then walked to some of the beautiful old hotels downtown and took in the lovely decorations. We headed home in time for the Civil War, refreshed and completely into the Christmas spirit. A good tradition rivived...at least for this year!

A Big Day for Lauran

2011-11-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

This is it!

Papa, Lauran, sister Lyndan & Nan

Even Maggie was excited for Lauran

Go Red Raiders

On November 9th, my great niece Lauran, signed her National Letter of Intent to play softball for Texas Tech. Most of the family was there, Lauran's past and current coaches were there and a whole bunch of friends turned out to cheer her on. Nice speeches were given, lots of pictures were taken and Lauran signed on the dotted line. This summer she will head to Lubec Texas to become a Red Raider. We're all so proud of her, and not just because she's an awesome softball player. Lauran is a really exceptional young woman and we can't wait to watch her show those Texas girls what an Oregon girl is all about.

Las Vegas # 2

2011-11-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

The whole crazy group

The Lloyds

The Lloyd boys

Dad & Marek checking out the garages on qualification day

Ashley Judd was at the track cheering on husband, Dario Franchitti

Dad's pal from the old days in Phoenix, Mario Andretti

Al took alot of pictures of Danica Patrick

The boys on race day

The sisters-in-law at the Bellagio

The Oregon Gang at the Dam

Dad & I standing on Hoover Dam

I'm going to blog fast. Our internet hasn't been working for 2 weeks abd it has been SO frustrating. Even my genius son-in-law was baffled. But right now, at 8:00pm, it's up and running. Whoop whoop!

5 days after we returned home from the State Farm Convention in Vegas, we headed back for a long weekend with my brothers and their spouses and my Dad. What started out to be a boys get-away dedicated to the last Indy Car race of the year, morphed into a family reunion of sorts. It was the first tme in 12+ years that we have all been together. We have all seen each other often but not all of us at the same time and in the same place. It was so fun. Suzie and I spent 8 hours on Friday sitting in the shade poolside talking our heads off. She had her Christmas cards to address and I had my Bible study to do and neither project ever left our bag. Then on Saturday we all hung out during the day and then had a Las Vegas buffet dinner. We found a quiet corner and spent almost 3 hours catching up, eating too much and laughing. On Sunday, it was breakfast & shopping with Robin and Kerry and then more pool time with Suzie.The boys headed out to the track for what was supposed to be a glorious day of racing. However on the 12th lap there was a terrible 15 car accident and 32 year old Dan Weldon was killed. It was awful to say the least.
The weekend ended with some sight seeing and a yummy dinner at a new resturant in the Paris Hotel. Farewells and hugs on Monday morning and we all went our seperate ways. Marek & Suzie and Dad and I had a late evening flight so we jumped in the car and explored the new bridge and Hoover Dam.
All in all it was a really fun time and I loved reconnecting with my brothers and sisters in law. I hope it's not another 12 years before we can do it again.

Las Vegas # 1

2011-10-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Vegas!

Checkin' out Hoover Dam

Dinner with Don & Cheri at Toby Keith's BBQ joint

Outside New York New York

Caesar's has an awesome pool. This week the weather failed me.

The Conservatory at the Bellagio

The lobby of the gorgeous Bellagio

Last week, Al and I flew to Las Vegas for a State Farm Convention. As I have been to MANY such events, and Al is required to go, I had 3 glorious days all to my self. With the weather report predicting sun sun sun, I was looking forward to lots of pool time and some good shopping. Tuesday was wonderful! I spent many hours at the pool (in the shade) and then went to the sales showcase with Al late in the afternoon. Delish meal with friends that evening and a walk through the Forum Shops to cap off the evening. Wednesday I awoke to a familiar pitter patter on the window of our room. Knowing it was too early for Santa and his 8 tiny reindeer, I knew that the rain had come. How can this be? It's the desert! It never rains in the desert! But alas, rain it was. So, for the next 2 days I shopped. For me, for the kids and g-kids, for now and for Christmas. Lots of fun stuff and some pretty good deals.

After convention, Al and I stayed 2 additional days to hang out with our friends Don & Cheri. We went to the lovely conservatory at the Bellagio and then went to the "Bodies" exhibit at the Luxor. If you haven't seen this, look for it and go! It is a fantastic look at how wonderfully God made us. It will amaze you...I promise. The next day we rented a car and went out to see the new Memorial Bridge that has replaced the drive over the Hoover Dam. After 9/11 security closed the dam for car traffic and tours. Now you drive over a crazy high bridge to get into Arizona. Scary to look at from below, but driving across it is easy. You don't even know you're a million miles from the canyon pit.

So even though it rained for most of the week, all is not lost. This Thursday, Al and I, along with my Dad and my brother Marek and his wife Suzie, are headed back to Vegas to meet up with my 2 brothers and thier wives who will be coming in from Phoenix. Stay tuned for Las Vegas # 2.

Leftovers

2011-09-20T14:30:00.001-07:00

My sweet grandbabies

Porter sang Happy Birthday to Nammie while playing the guitar. So so cute!

Shopping in Portland as part of my birthday celebration

I can't remember if this aircraft is a B-17 0r a B-24. So fun to crawl around these vintage WWII planes at the Salem Airport.

Can you imagine sitting in one of these during a dog fight? NO THANK YOU!

Porter & Maggie spent a morning in Corvallis decked out in their Beaver gear. The quizzical looks on their faces reflect the outlook for the OSU football season

Bubble Boys

Happy 82nd Dad.

Oregon State Fair

2011-08-28T13:27:00.001-07:00

Our 37th State FairHonoring Oregon's fallen soldiers
Just a portion of the gorgeous gardens
The art of glass blowing in the Artisan Village
Maggie lovin' her first State Fair
Gigantic sandbox at the Recreation Station
City kids checking out the cows
Mags and me trying to decide on what to eat for lunch
The cutest "colts" in the horse barn
AJ & MA stollin' in the Ag Barn
JJ & Finn check out Native American life

Finn & Nammie Do San Diego, Jana too.

2011-08-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of August, Jana attended a conference in San Diego. Like last year, I went along as Finn's nanny. Watching a four month old was easy. We spent most days at the mall doing what I wanted to do. Finn could sleep right through my marathon shopping. Taking a 16 month old this year was quite a bit different. We spent our days doing what Finn wanted to do. In the mornings while Jana got ready for her day, Finn & I would head to the hotel lobby for coffee with the staff. Robert the bellman, Antonio the concierge and Annabelle our sweet housekeeper loved visiting with happy charming Finn. After coffee we would go to the restaurant for breakfast where Finn was treated like royalty. The minute we were seated scrambled eggs and fresh fruit showed up in front of Finn. The wait staff hovered and met his every need. By the end of the 8 days, the staff would sit with us when they weren't busy. And believe me, they weren't there because of me. Everyone loved Finn. After breakfast we would go exploring.We walked and ran and jumped and balanced and climbed all over the lovely hotel grounds. We covered miles and miles I'm sure. After a light lunch it was nap time. Whew! For both Finn & I! At 5:00 when Jana got back, we'd jump on the Trolley and all see the sights of San Diego that we didn't see the year before. Old Town, Balboa Park, Mission Valley Mall, Seaport Village and the famous zoo. We became experts at navigating the San Diego transit system. After sightseeing and dinner, it was back to the hotel for a good nights sleep. All and all it was a wonderful week and I loved hanging with Finn and all his new BFFs.

King of the Town & Country

Exploring at warp speed

Finn loves to swim

Waiting for coffee with the hotel staff

Old Town

Are we having fun yet?

We loved the bigger animals

I'm with ya Finn

Stealing AJ's Thunder

2011-07-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Taj MaCoop

The front door

The architects/builders

Porter has named all the hens and loves to throw scratch into the coop.

For the last couple of months AJ has been working on a chicken coop and hen house for his 5 beautiful hens. Al has helped on and off but because of terrible spring weather, the project took much longer than expected. Finally, finally the feathered ladies have a cozy and safe place to live and lay their organic eggs. When it's time to say goodbye to the chickens, Maggie & Porter will have a fun little playhouse. Way to go AJ!

A Mini Vacation

2011-07-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a close to home get-away, check out the Allison Inn in Newberg. It's snuggled into a vineyard and although you are really close to town, you feel like you're out in the country. We spent our first day lounging in the luxurious spa. A great massage, healthy snacks, cozy couches and chairs and a good book made for a reeeelaxing day. My intention on day 2 was to explore the outside of the Inn but the wonderful window seat called. A little room service, same good book and no deadlines or responsibilities kept me in my jammies till noon. It was wonderful! After check out, we hopped in the car and were home in 40 minutes. I highly recommend the Allison Inn for a fun little "retreat".

Grand Floral Walk & Parade

2011-06-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

We started the walk at Memorial Collesium. The crowd spreads out as the walk progresses

Maryanne & I made rose wreaths for the girls

JJ & I pushin' the kids. Maggie is facing backwards next to Porter

Nammie & DuPa at the finish line

The Reesers Food Float

The Alaska Airlines Float

The Budweiser Team

The grandboys loved the equestrian units

At the end of a very long day, what's better than a nap on Daddy's shoulder?

I know it was a while ago, but Al took some good pictures of our walk and the Grand Floral Parade. For the second year in a row, our fam participated in a charity walk prior to the GF Parade. Several thousand people walk the parade route to the adoring cheers of all the parade spectators. It's a great people watching activity whether you walk or are settled in to watch the parade. The weather was fantastic and the 4+ mile walk was fun fun fun! Some people dress up, the Hari Krishna's sing and dance, people decorate their dogs or stollers and everyone has a good time. At the end of the walk there is a reserved area for parade viewing so we don't have to wrangle for a spot to sit. The parade is always gorgeous and the grandboys are old enough to be amazed by the bands and horses and floats. I'm pretty sure this event is going to become an every year family tradition. Join us next June. You won't be sorry.

Pre Iris Festival Fun

2011-05-21T12:28:00.001-07:00

Gorgeous Columbine

I guess Al was tired of looking at non blooming Iris
Last Thursday evening on our usual family dinner night, everyone was out of town except for Al and I and AJ, Maryanne and the kids. It had been a gorgeous day and I decided that rather eating inside at our house, I'd make a big pasta salad and we'd picnic at Schriener's Iris Gardens. It is such a wonderful place and I figured that because the Iris aren't really blooming yet (too cold & rainy & cloudy) we might have a chance at snagging 1 of the 4 picnic tables. On the way home from work, Al bought some yummy Great Harvest bread, we packed some fruit and sodas in the ice chest and away we went. We did indeed have the place pretty much to ourselves so Porter ran around and enjoyed the fish pond and all the flowers that were in bloom. The best part for him was sitting on the tractor that was parked in the barn. AJ was mortified that I'd let him sit on the tractor w/out permission, but as my Dad always says, "all they can do is say no" or in this case, GET OFF OUR TRACTOR! Fortunately Mr Schriener was in having his dinner so we escaped unscathed. And even tho the Iris were not in bloom, the Columbine and Rhoddies and Azaleas and trees were all gloriously decked out. If you haven't been to the gardens, take some time and visit. It's a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours.

My Wonderful Weekend

2011-05-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

May 7, 2011 Salem Alliance Church
Barbara prays over our precious Maggie.
Porter presents me with his handmade card. Love it!
Maggie & Grandpa
Beautiful table and yummy food.
A toast to all of us Moms.
Me with the kids & grandkids.
All 3 Moms and their kids.
Saturday, as Al & JJ were out doing guy stuff, I got to run around and do girl stuff. I went to Pier 1, and Macys, a garden shop and a shoe store. Later in the afternoon, Al and I met up and relaxed at home until church at 5:00. It was a special service because our sweet Maggie was being publicly dedicated to the Lord. Dear friend Barbara Fletcher, who not only is a Pastor at our church, but also one who stayed up the night Mags was born and prayed, dedicated our special girl. Needless to say, it was an emotional and beautiful time.
This morning, Mother's Day was another fun treat. Al and the kids prepared and served a beautiful brunch that included Mimosas, banana bread, ham strata, fruit parfaits and thick cut bacon. Everything was Mmmmm good! We laughed and ate and took pictures and opened presents. I got the girls big red hanging flower baskets and they got me Starbucks cards and my favorite lotion. It's just after noon now and the kitchen is cleaned up, Al's asleep on the couch and I'm enjoying catching up on my blog. So far, it's been a great day.

Easter Fun

2011-04-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

The Easter table before we started eating

Blowing bubbles with JJ

There's fun stuff inside these eggs

Finn checking out his Easter basket

Maggie in her Easter dress

I wasn't sure what to expect on Easter morning. Maggie had been admitted to the hospital on Saturday afternoon and was staying overnight. Maryanne and AJ were tired so we left all our Easter morning plans up in the air. Maggie was released around noon and AJ called and said that he and Maryanne wanted to do our Easter egg hunt and brunch early that evening. So at 4:40, the DeBackers and the Avisons came over and we had a fun time finding eggs, playing with our Easter goodies and eating our traditional Easter brunch. After a stressful Saturday, it was a lovely ending to the weekend.

Welcome Home

2011-04-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

Another building at Petra

The Treasury @ Petra

Petra

If you're poor, you only get the goat's head. You boil it and eat it for breakfast

Very recently slaughtered goats hanging in the market...dinner anyone?

180,000 shards of broken glass =number of Kurds killed by Sadam. 5,000 lights = number of villages destroyed by Sadam.

More at the museum
Part of the Kurdish Museum dipicting Sadam's atrocities.

Where Al was asked to be the pastor.

The beach @ Aqaba.

Jordanian women at a class at the Alliance Life Center.

Giddy-up.

Aqaba Jordan

Where King David had Bathsheba's husband killed.

Amman Jordan

Al just returned from 2 weeks in the Middle East. He and 3 other guys from our church went to Jordan and Iraq to encourage the missionaries and visit some community centers. In Jordan, the team spent time in Amman and then the coastal resort of Aqaba. The community centers are doing a great job of reaching out and meeting the needs of their neighborhoods, something we want to do with our center here in Salem. After a week in Jordan, Al and the guys flew to Kurdistan Iraq. While there, Al had the privilege of preaching at the International Church. He preached from Ephesians and got wonderful feedback from the congregation. They even asked him to be their pastor. A great compliment...but no thank you. The noise and the dirt and the lonliness of being away from family was a clear indication to Al that he is NOT called to the mission field. God bless those that are. They serve Christ with incredible strength & determination. On their return to Jordon, the guys got to travel to Petra to see the amazing city that is carved into the canyons there. Al said that the structures were more impressive than the pyramids, and that's saying something. All in all his trip was wonderful. But he and I are glad he's home.

Happy Birthday Sweet Al

2011-04-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

Lunch at our favorite restaurant at the Paris

A pretty good Beatle cover band

March Madness at the Mirage Rhum Bar

No explanation needed

The lobby of the Wynn

The beautiful Encore Hotel

On March 26th, Al turned 60. To dull the pain a bit, I surprised him with a trip to Las Vegas. We left really early on Friday morning and returned really early Monday morning. We have been to LV so many times that it feels like our 2nd home. But for some reason, this trip was really really fun. The fact that it was Spring Break and NCAA Tounament time added to the party that is always happening in Vegas. And for some reason, Al and I got invited to several parties...with fun young people buying us drinks, pretty girls fawning over Al (for a bachelorette party scavanger hunt) and lots of great basketball. We ate fabulous food, enjoyed the sunshine, took long walks and sampled beverages of all types. Mmmmmmm! Bust mostly we just had fun being together. Happy Birthday Al. Your wife loves you!

Happy Birthday Sweet Porter

2011-04-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

Look who's 2! Porter Everett John DeBacker came into our lives 2 years ago today. What a precious gift he has been to us. His sweet gentle spirit, his kind nature and his curiosity are wonderful traits that he demonstrates everyday. Our 2 grandboys are perfect counterpoints to each other. Finn will teach Porter courage and Porter will teach Finn restraint. Someone once told me that until I had grandkids, I just couldn't imagine how much I would love them. And they were right. Porter, Finn & Maggie are my joy. Happy Birthday P-Man. Grammie loves you!

Happy Birthday sweet Finn

2011-03-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Finn is already a year old. It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming him into the fam. Finn is an incredibly fun and funny guy that does everything at hyper-speed. He cut several teeth at 13 weeks, rolled over way ahead of schedule, and walked at 11 months. His determination is becoming legendary and his approval/disapproval/joy/frustration and every other emotion is obvious on his beautiful little face. Truly, I have never seen a more expressive baby/toddler. There is never a doubt about where you stand with him. It's hilarious and delightful! Happy Birthday, Finn Boy. Grammie loves you!

The Playroom is Done!

2011-03-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

After several months of planning and painting and shopping and ordering, the palyroom here at home is done and I love it! During the school year, I have the priveledge of caring for my grandkids 3 days a week. Porter is 2, Finn is 1 and Maggie is 2 months old. I knew that keeping 3 little kids at the same time was going to be a challenge so Al and I decided to eliminate 1 guest room and create a fun and safe place to contain the g-kids.We chose the downstairs guest room so there would be no stairs involved plus there was a connected bathroom. It was hard to come up with a decorating scheme that was winsome for the kids but also somewhat sophisticated as it's the first room you see when you come through the front door. I finally found a rug in the Pottery Barn catalog and I had my inspiration. We refreshed the yellow paint that was already on the walls, painted the brown on the bottom half and painted and put up the red chair rail. I bought the workbench in Redding last summer, we've had Dakota the Wonder Horse for years, JJ donated the easel (the chalkboard was green so I painted it brown) the table and chairs came from Costco, the little windsor chairs were picked up at a street sale in Silverton, I ordered the alphabet letters on-line and the rocking chair was ordered through Goodnight Room at Bridgeport. The last project was to clean out the closet so all the plastic toys could be put out of sight (someday the closet will become a fort or secret cave, a space ship or maybe an enchanted castle for Maggie). I'm so happy with the finished project and the best part is the kids LOVE it. And for this grammie, knowing that the kids are safe and contained and well entertained is the icing on the cake.

Uncle Phil's Palace

2011-03-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Al and I met dear friends Nancy & Curt Kendall in Eugene for a basketball game at the new Matthew Knight Arena. Let me just say, WOW! The entire facility is first class. Other than the size, you feel like you're in an NBA arena. The exterior of the building is beautiful and much like Autzen, the long stairway to the entrance gets you revved up for fun stuff ahead (and we went in the back door). Inside there are a couple of things that are baffling. The first being the floor. As you can see from the picture, it's brown and has trees and they are brown. Oregon's colors are green and gold. Don't you think green trees might have been a better choice? Also, our $41 seats were three rows from the top of the bottom level which was fine. However the next tier up, hung over our heads and impeded our view of the stats board. Some architect goofed I'm sure. On the plus side, the Knightvision scoreboard was fantastic, the food was good, the seats were comfortable and the place was rockin'. There's nothin' like college sports if you want to have a good time. Alas, the Ducks lost to Stanford but that was the only downer of the day. Thanks N & C. for makin' it happen. Love you.

Phoenix In February

2011-02-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

Jana was scheduled to attend a conference in Phoenix so she and JJ and Finn and Al and I decided to make a mini vacation out of it. What would be nicer than to get of rainy grey Oregon and head down to warm sunny Arizona? In a horrible trick of fate, the sun was out beautifully, but the valley was experiencing the coldest temperatures in 82 years. None of us packed with that kind of cold in mind so we all ended up buying some more appropriate outer wear. Finn was sick with a cold the entire week were there so we didn't do much visiting and Jana and JJ missed a few dinners out so they could get Finn to bed on time.
Jeff & Kerry opened their home to us so we invaded in force. One tends to forget how much stuff you have to take when you travel with a baby. We had a delightful time catching up with Jeff & Kerry and their daughter Katie, and brother Randy and his sweet Robin. We had a Taco night (of course) and made the trek into Jordan's (our favorite restaurant when we all lived in Phoenix). We spent a couple of hours at Encanto Park, the site of many Sunday picnics, birthdays parties & duck feedings. The park is in the heart of downtown Phoenix and it is really lovely.
Once at the hotel, Finn & I just hung around while Jana was busy during the day. We brought our dinners in so Finn didn't get sicker and so he didn't expose others to his cold.
It wasn't exactly the vacation we had expected but it was really really nice to spend a little time with my brothers and sisters in law. And truth be told, I like Phoenix best when it's blisteringly hot. Next visit will definitely be in the summer :-)

Christmas 2010

2011-01-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

Can anything be more fun than experiencing Christmas through a child's eyes? How about 2 adorable children? We had a wonderful day with our kids and grandboys. The boys were a bit overwhelmed by all the stuff, but they had a fun time none the less. Finn loved the paper and boxes and Porter loved his vacuum and guitar. I had so much fun taking pictures of the boys that I didn't take many of anyone else. I think Jana took the one of the boys and me. Later in the morning, Marek & Suzie and Rhonda, Lauran and Lyndan came for our traditional Christmas brunch of egg casserole, fruit and cinnamon rolls. It was so delightful to relax with the extended family. We sat around the table for several hours and visited and laughed and caught up with each other. We don't do that often enough. 2010 was a very good year and our Christmas celebration was the icing on the cake.

2010-12-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

Magic at the Mill

Zoo Lights

This Christmas, Al and I did a few things we've never done before. We had never visited Magic at the Mill here in Salem and had never gone to see the Zoo Lights in Portland. So a week ago Friday, we bundled up and headed out to Mission Mill. It was really "small town" but fun none the less. Lots of lights, crafts for the kids, special entertainment, a fun model railroad layout, victorian carolers and a very interesting demo on how the mill actually worked (both before and after automation). And their Santa was fabulous looking. I think he was the real Santa. The cost for admisiion was $5 and it was worth every penny. It will be fun to take the grandboys next year.
A few days later, we joined Maryanne, AJ & Porter, Jana, JJ & Finn and JJ's sister Kristy and her 2 boys at the Portland Zoo for their annual ZOO Lights Festival. If you want to see lots and lots of lights, don't miss a Christmas trip to the zoo. It's really incredible to see every tree & bush, every fence, every walk-way, every building completely covered with multi colored lights. It's gorgeous! And all the little boys LOVED riding the train. We will definitely do Zoo Lights again.

Random Pre-Christmas Pictures

2010-12-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Porter showing Grammie the handful of grass he's about to feed Big Brown
My Hearts at Home girls after our dinner and party.
After the Gospel Christmas Concert, we had a nightcap at the gorgeous Heathman Hotel
Fun to ride the carousel with the special Christmas horses

Porter & Santa in front of the playroom tree

It's All Good

2010-12-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

We left Hawaii at noon and it was 89 degrees. We arrived home at 9:00 p.m. and it was 39 degrees. The minute we stepped off the plane into the airport, it felt like Christmas. PDX was decorated beautifully and Christmas music filled the air. All the harried travelers were smiling and nice to each other. Even the TSA folks were in the holiday spirit. Now I'm not saying that being in Hawaii wasn't sheer joy, but there is something about dark and cold and rain that makes it feel more like Christmas. I'm so glad to be home!
We hit the ground running as we needed to get the tree up and all the decorating done that 1st weekend home. Al's family was coming for lunch on Dec 3rd and we wanted to have the house looking festive. And, although the decorating is all done, the Christmas cards and shopping are way behind schedule. This morning Porter and I hit Macy's for a few Early Bird Specials and I've ordered a couple of things on-line. But other than that, zilch! O well. A good attitude and a good plan are all I need to get everything done. Hope the grandboys like the mall :-)

Random pictures from the last few day in Hawaii

2010-11-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning to beautiful blue skies and incredible wind. Al just got back from his walk and said that he saw giant palm frond falling from the trees. Our last day on the beach could be interesting. But unless we get a hurricane warning, nothing is going to keep us from spending our last day here on the beach. Tonight we are having Thanksgiving dinner at the golf club here at the resort. It won't be like home, but I won't be cooking so...
Tomorrow we head back to winter so for the first time in a week we'll put on jeans and long sleeve shirts. We'll dig out our jackets and throw them in the carry-on and prepare to change outside temps by 40+ degrees. O well. It wouldn't be Christmas if it wasn't cold and rainy and dark. Bothy Al and I are anxious to get home. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

A Perfect Day

2010-11-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Al hired a captain & his sailboat to take us ocean sailing. Capt. Dan was a really nice guy and he sure knew how to adjust the sails for maximum wind but beyond that he was rather, shall we say, relaxed? He couldn't find several pieces of equipment, didn't know where the life jackets were stowed (we found them) and thoroughly enjoyed the fact that Al could handle the boat...so...he let him. Al steered the boat the entire day and even motored us all the way into the harbor. It's a smaller harbor with some VERY nice boats moored there so Al was quite nervous as he steered us in. Capt Dan was chillin' with his fishing gear while I prayed:-)
The whether was absolutely perfect for a sail and the light winds and small swells made for a delightful day at sea. The highlight of the day was when 7 dolphins came right up to the boat and swam along side of us for about 10 minutes. It was amazing!
Last night, Al and I went to the Muana Kea Resort for dinner. We arrived early so stopped for a cocktail at their beautiful outdoor lounge. As Al drank his 21 year old single malt scotch and I enjoyed a key lime martini, we watched a spectacular Hawaiian sunset. Both Al and I had the prix fix menu at dinner which included squash bisque, skirt steak, truffled mashed potatoes and apple bread pudding. Everything was excellent and the service was great. We even got a gift wrapped bag of macadamia nut bread as a thank you after we paid. Gotta love aloha service.
Like yesterday, it's back to the beach all day. The beach club here is really really nice. So, ice chest and books in hand, we spend the day in the shade of the palm trees, RELAXING! Aloha for now.

It's Jana's Fault

2010-11-20T09:54:00.001-08:00

Since Jana became my very excellent Facebook manager last summer, I have had zero motivation to blog. I do my FB status updates but Jana does everything else including posting my pictures. However, every time I log in to read other blogs I feel very guilty about not keeping up. So as of today, I'm going to try to post a lot more frequently.

This morning, I'm sitting in a gorgeous condo near Kona Hawaii. The temp outside will be in the low 80s by the time we get on our boat for our big sailing adventure. Hopefully I'll post about that tomorrow.

Yesterday, we spent the day at the beach. It was perfect! Sun, white sand, comfy lounges, yummy tropical drinks, warm water, huge palm trees for shade and a great little restaurant right on the property. Al and I split a sandwich that I'm going to try to replicate at home. It was essentially a caprese salad inside a sweet Hawaiian roll. A little pesto, a lot of fresh tomato and buffalo mozzarella cheese. Deelish!

Last night we ate at the Four Seasons hotel and had the best meal we've ever eaten. And believe me, Al and I have eaten some pretty good meals. Al had a beautiful rib eye steak and I had lobster ravioli. The bread was some kind of knotted rolled pull-apart that was served with a sun-dried tomato/marscapone cheese spread. And might I just say... YUM!!!!! Top off the whole thing with a lovely wine and a couple of fantastic desserts and call me one happy camper. O and the restaurant was on a wooden deck RIGHT ON THE SAND! AND...I WAS WEARING A SLEEVELESS BLOUSE! AND...IT WASN'T COLD! AND...AFTER DINNER, WE TOOK A LONG LONG WALK ALONG A BEACH PATH LIT BY TIKI TORCHES! OK. Sorry. Enough for now. Hopefully I'll talk to you soon.

Blog Blahs

2010-08-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

After being without a computer for 3 weeks, I was catching up with all my blogger friends and realized that we all have been in the same blogger blahs boat. Jen and Becca and Maryanne and Jana and brother Jeff joined me in an extended "I'm just not in the mood" funk. It's funny too because I've done a lot of fun things over the last month. Al and I took Sarah and Porter to the county fair. We went to a lovely wedding in Pasedena. Spent an evening with one of my precious cousins and her hubby. Lounged on Huntington Beach for a day. Vacationed with the kids and grandkids in Redding. Nannied for Finn while Jana and I were in San Diego (Jana was attending a conference for her new job). I took lots of pictures of all of the above with every intention of posting them. Do you see any pictures? Huh. Anyway, I'm home now and hopefully I can hop back on the blogger wagon and stay there.

They are NOT the Andretti's

2010-06-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today Al and Don celebrated their March birthdays at Malibu Grand Prix. Al had never been and boy did he have fun. Apparently you pay for a lap and you race against a clock. With each lap you try to better your time. Don almost broke the track record and Al was not far behind. When they got home they both looked like they'd driven in the Indy 500...dirty, tired and happy. Did I say tired. Al took a nap at Jana's and Don fell asleep in a recliner at Costco. Sheesh, you'd think they just finished Le Mans. Anyway, they had a great time and look forward to racing again.

You know its....

2010-06-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

You know it's summer in Oregon when school is out, the strawberries are ripe, the Spyder is out of storage, the top is down and you're not only freezing, but you have to stop twice to put the top up so you don't get rained on. Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! It's June for heavens sake WHERE IS THE FRICKIN' SUN?
P.S. I heard that the Nat'l Weather Service has registered 4, count 'em 4, sunny days in Salem since April 1.

Grand Floral Stroll

2010-06-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

I made rose garlands for our hair.

Fun people, perfect weather.

Our shady reserved seats.

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde float. Lovely!

Last weekend, Al, Porter, Jana, Finn & I joined 2500 other walkers and kicked off the Grand Floral Parade in Portland. The Grand Floral Parade is a our version of the Rose Parade in Pasedena and is every bit as good (just not as big or famous). The 5 mile walk starts in NW Portland and crosses the Steel Bridge to the Collesium. From there it heads down the east side of the river then crosses the Hawthorne Bridge and meanders all over downtown. 500,000 parade watchers cheered and clapped for the walkers as we strolled down the parade route. Right after the walkers finish, the big parade starts. Marching bands, equestrian units, clowns, crazy motorcycle cops, and gorgeous floats. This family friendly, easy walk will become a DeBacker/Avison family tradition. Next year we'll get AJ, Maryanne and JJ to join us. All had other obligations on the 12th. At the end of the walk, the event organizers had chairs set up for all the participants in a prime parade watching area. No spending the night drawing chalk markers for our lawn chairs for us. We'll just take a delightful walk and watch the parade from our reserved seats. Ahhhhhh!

How cute is this?

2010-06-02T19:30:00.001-07:00

Today Jana and Finn and Porter and I took a little shopping trip to Life Source in South Salem. Porter just started walking this weekend so I thought...why not have the P man push our cart. He loved it and was the talk of the entire store. He just walked up and down the aisles smiling at one and all. He did stop to look over the merchandise several times but decided to stick with the bananas, lemonade & yogurt.

Happy Birth Day and Birthday.

2010-05-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

On May 14th, Maisie Claire Lee was born to my neice Sammie and her husband Austin. As you can see she is a beautiful baby. Truly. What fun to have a girl baby in the fam.

May is also the birthday month for my little pal Sarah. She turns 4 in a couple of days so I took her to Red Robin for dinner. She was thrilled to have a special dinner with a surprise treat for dessert and a couple of presents to open. There were lots of laughs and messy fingers, chocolate milk and an adult hot fudge sundae compliments of Red Robin, balloons and a whole bunch of servers singing and clapping as they celebrated Sarah. Needless to say, I dropped a very hyper 4 year old off at home...right a bedtime. HeeHee.

Yesterday, The Zoo Really Was.

2010-05-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

A heads up for next year to all of you who decide to do Mother's Day at the Oregon Zoo; be prepared for rediculous crowds. The gorgeous weather and a Mother's day brunch made for a gigantic crowd. We did have a good time though, even if we didn't get to see all the exhibits. Porter loves the animals and it's a treat to be with him no matter what we're doing. When we got home, Jana and JJ had prepared a lovely meal for us; beef brisket, delicious asparagus and mashed potatoes and carrots. Al made a cake on Saturday so we enjoyed that for dessert. It was so great to be with new mom Jana and old pro mama Maryanne to celebrate the day.

A Fun Couple of Weekends

2010-05-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday!

Key Lime Cake - so good.

Grandpa and his boys.

Grammy & babies r us.

Beautiful flowers and beautiful Porter.

Such a good helper!

Enjoying the gazing balls.

We have been suffering through another typical Oregon Spring...sunny and warm, cloudy and cool, rainy and cold and hailing and really cold, all in the couse of 6 - 8 hours. Twice, Porter and I left the house to take our walk in the glorious sunshine. When we had reached the point of no return at Staats Lake, the rain and wind blew in and drenched us both with cold cold golf ball sized drops. I had thought to bring along a waterproof covering for Porter but it's not recommended that you put a plastic garbage bag over a baby's head and face. So although Porter's body was dry and warm, his little face was wet and cold. It's an interesting study in mental toughness to be a mile away from home, have a crying baby in the stroller, AND have an overwhelming need to pee! But we made it home and after drying off and warming up, all was right again.

Crazy Oregon Spring is also the time when annuals need to be planted. So we packed Porter into the car and headed off to our favorite nursery where we purchased petunias and other wonderful color spots to fill our yard and pots with lovely color all summer long. Al planted 7 huge pots with an asortment of flowers so they should be gorgeous by the time summer shows up.

Last weekend, Jana and Finn, Maryanne and Porter and I met my niece Sammie (Jeff and Kerry's eldest) at Washington Square for lunch and shopping. Sammie is expecting Maisie Claire any day now, so it was fun to squeeze in some girl time with her before her big day. We ate at the Cheesecake Factory then picked up a few things at Pottery Barn for Kids, Jack & Jill's and Baby Gap. Sammie was hoping that walking might get labor going and maybe it did just a little. I got an email from her this morning and she's having some stronger contractions as well as some other indicators that L&D is coming soon. Can't wait to meet you Maisie!

Last night at our family dinner, we celebrated both Corban and Lauren's birthdays. As they will be out of town on their actual b-days, we combined them last night with a taco dinner. AJ made yummy margaritas and we kicked off "taco season". With the Enns' 2 b-days, then JJ's at the end of May and finally AJ's in early June, Thursday night dinners will have a decidedly "Cinco de Mayo" feel for the next couple of weeks. Birthday people get to choose their dinner and they all choose tacos. Ugh! Fortunately they all like different desserts so it's not completely a lost cause.

Spring Has Sprung

2010-04-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

Sammie's Baby Shower

2010-04-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Darling Sammie & Porter

Austin's big excitement: The Diaper Genie

Austin really knows Sammie's circumference

Sammie & the DeBacker clan

hosts, sister-in-law and mom-in-law

Easter & Two Birthdays

2010-04-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

Porter, Beckham. Beckham, Porter.

Easter kisses

Happy Sweet 16, Lauren!

Last weekend was a busy one. We had Bob & Peg Kirkland here from Thursday evening till 7:00 Easter morning. We said goodbye to them and then rushed off to the 7:45 service @ church...Praise God for His beautiful "saving" plan called Easter. Later that morning Al and I hosted Easter brunch. Thankfully I got all the prep done on Saturday night and everyone helped by bringing food for brunch. It was a fun time together with family and until the end, I didn't take one picture. Sheesh! We did celebrate both Porter and Lauren as they each had a birthday that weekend. Lauren turned 16 and Porter turned 1. Lauren was exhausted and Porter had an awful cold but they both soldiered through. We missed Jana, Finn and JJ as they stayed home to rest before a busy day with JJ's fam.

Bob & Peg

2010-04-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Al's best friend from high school & college came up from Chico, CA for a quick visit. Bob brought his great wife Peg,and together they brought some of their cool musical instruments. Bob and Al spent hours and hours together when they were young, playing water polo and swimming AND writing and playing music. After college they lost touch and Al played his guitar only occasionally. Bob however, became a high school English teacher AND a professional musician. He and his wife Peg and two fellow music makers have made several CDs and travel all over playing gigs. Bob is heavily into the mandolin and is called to play with different bands on a regular basis. Peg has a gorgeous voice and plays guitar and percussion. Needless to say, our house was filled with music all weekend and Al played till his very out of shape fingers nearly bled. He was in heaven! On Saturday, Al and Bob played a little water polo at the Kroc Center. Al hurt his shoulder and Bob threw out his back...not the young jocks they once were:-) We did some wine tasting and sight seeing and had a yummy dinner at Farm to Fork in Dundee. It was so cool to re-connect with these old/new friends. The 35 years just disappeared and we talked and talked and talked. We have plans to visit Bob and Peg in Chico and I know they'll be back this way sooner rather than later. So fun!

Baseball, Baby & Birthday

2010-03-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

What's better on a sunny Spring day than a baseball game? It was cold, & when you buy outfield seats, you have no access to the actual stadium. What's up with that OSU?

Finn's first Thursday night dinner.

Al's folks took us to Spirit Mountain for a birthday dinner. Happy 59th Al!

Meet the Amazing Finn Tokala Avison

2010-03-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

March 19, 20107 pounds 12 ounces 20 1/2 inches
Who is happier?
Porter gets his first look at his cousin

And So, We Wait

2010-03-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Finn is officially 1 week overdue. Jana feels great. The rest of us are on pins and needles. Even cousin Porter, who was 11 days late, has his bags packed in prep for the big day. Come on Finn!

Waiting for Finn

2010-03-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

My Hearts at Home Sweeties

JJ converted a double closet into a darling crib and shelves

Troy & Michelle's VERY precocious 3 yr old, Myla

No, Jana is not in labor yet. She's been having lots of contraction action but nothing that's got her heading to the birth center. She's walking all over town in hopes of getting things started but so far Finn is content to stay put. In the mean time, we have almost finished his nursery, I have spent a delightful evening with my Hearts @ Home girls and had dinner in Portland with Jana's college/after college/pre marriage/after marriage roommate. Michelle and her husband Troy invited Al and I to their beautiful home for a fabulous dinner. Troy is an amazing cook and Al and I ate way too much. And unlike my usual self, I only took one picture of that evening. Enjoy.

Hi Chris & Dan

2010-02-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

Date Night Friday: For some time, Jana and JJ have been telling us about a really fun restaurant in Lake Oswego. It's called Oswego Grill and it really lived up to the Avison's hype. The food was excellent and the service was delightful. Chris & Dan served us our yummy food and beverages and took our picture for the blog. We in turn took their picture and at their request, gave them the blog address. So if you're reading this guys, hi and thanks for a fun evening. If you haven't been to Oswego Grill, stop in sometime. It's a winner.

One With The YoYo

2010-02-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

Porter holding Daddy's new "off string" yoyo
AJ trying to memorize a new trick
Ryan Lee qualified for nationals
Pretty nice view from our room at the Mayfair Hotel

Once again the DeBackers and the DeBackers traveled to Seattle to enjoy the Regional YoYo Competition. And as usuual, the guys dazzled with their yoyo artistry. I know it sounds lame but these guys can do things with a yoyo that just boggles the mind. If you've been watching the Olympics you have seen that the Northwest is having spectacular weather. The skies are blue and cloudless, the sun is shinning and it's right on the verge of being warm. On Saturday morning I headed out to shop while Al, Maryanne, AJ and Porter went to Seattle Center to watch the early yoyo events. It was so wonderful to shop in such a great downtown...so many shops, so little time. At lunch time I walked down to Pike's Market and had lunch sitting beside the sparkling Puget Sound. Finally around 2:00 I headed down to Seattle Center and arrived just in time for the 5 group finals, the best part of the competition. At 5:30 after all the winners had been crowned we jumped in the car and headed home. Porter was a trooper and slept practically the entire time. So did Grandpa. It was a quick trip but fun nevertheless.

Valentine's Day # 42

2010-02-15T19:18:00.000-08:00

Al always sends gorgeous flowers
I wanted a Starbucks card and got 2
Al wanted a picture for his office
The Thursday night gang minus Corban & Lauren

2010 marks our 37th wedding anniversary. We started dating 5 years earlier so if my addition is correct, this is the 42nd time that Al and I have celebrated Valentine's Day together. And I hope we get 43 more. This year, we started V-Day weekend with a dinner at our church. Each year, the high school kids do a fundraising dinner and this year Jana & JJ, Maryanne & AJ and Dad & Jeanne joined us. Then on Saturday night we went out to dinner with Don & Cheri Suklis, which is always fun. Sunday morning we exchanged cards and gifts and then lounged around all day watching the Olympics. We got a chuckle over the fact that the outside designs of our cards were different but the words inside were almost identical..."I love you today and always will". True 42 years ago, true today.

It Was A Super Sunday

2010-02-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

The Boys chillin' in the man-cave
JJ's BIG TV
No one left hungry

Porter hung out with the girls and played with Connects

Jana and JJ hosted their first Super Bowl Party last weekend and it was a smashing succes. JJ's wonderful home theater is almost finished so the guys enjoyed the game on a gorgeous 90" HDTV. They were in heaven. The girls hung out upstairs and visited and kept the food company. Everyone brought yummy treats so we feasted. The only time we saw the boys was when their tummies drove them to the kitchen. Jana and JJ are wonderful hosts so I hope they plan on doing the party next year. It was a super day!

Rip City Party

2010-02-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

Al and I were invited to see a Blazer game in one of the luxuary suites at the Rose Garden last week. What a lovely way to enjoy the game. Big cushy seats, flat screen TVs in case you're too lazy to actually watch the game live, private bathrooms, free yummy food, an open bar and visits from the Blazer Dancers. Our poor injured Blazers even beat the San Antonio Spurs in a very close and exciting game. Sometimes it's fun to live like the very rich!

This One's For You, Jeffrey

2010-02-03T13:56:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of spending yesterday afternoon with my trucker brother Jeff. After a warm greeting he started trash talkin' about my lack of blog updates. His words...I drive hundreds of miles everyday and yet I manage to keep everyone posted. I explained calmly, as only an older wiser sister can, that my life is far less exciting than his. I'm not complaining mind you it's just that after our big trip in November, we've been stickin' pretty close to home. And how many pictures of Porter do you really want to see??? So Jeff, I'll do better. If you get bored with my ramblings and unending pictures of the perfect grandchild (till next month) remember...you asked for it.
Love you loads so stay safe!

TOP Still Rocks The House

2010-01-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

42 years ago, 1 year before Al and I graduated from high school, two guys in Oakland, CA. got together and formed Tower of Power. TOP is an urban soul band, heavy on brass and bass, consisting of 10 of the most talented musicians I have ever seen. They are old and fat now except for the new young singer, but they have lost none of their joy or energy. Even if you don't like their type of music, you can't help but smile at the fun they're having.
Over the last 25 years Al and I have been to many of their concerts and when we heard that they were playing over at Chinook Winds, we bought our $10 tickets, reserved a room in Linclin City and headed to the beach. The show room at the casino is a throw-back to the really old dinner theaters in Vegas...tacky, hot (not in a good way) and ugly! But the acoustics were great and TOP played non-stop music for an hour and a half. Lots of old people made fools of themselves thinking they were back at Woodstock but Al and I retained our dignity and acted our age...sort of.

Finn's Nursery

2010-01-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

Work has begun on Jana and JJ's nursery for Finn. Jana picked a darling bedding set, JJ is fabricating a built-in crib and I'm doing the painting and decorating. On Monday, JJ, Jeff Kurtz and I painted the room a beautiful "Tiffany" blue. Tuesday night, Al put on the 2nd coat and this morning, Porter & I laid out the horizontal stripes. I measured and taped, Porter pulled off the tape. We had a great time laughing and unsticking little fingers wrapped in blue painters tape.

Rothenberg Germany

2010-01-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

And Finally...Germany

2010-01-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

After 2 weeks of warm sunny weather, Al and landed in Frankfurt Germany for the last days of our amazing trip. Always the frugal car renter, Al got us a Kia something at the airport. We loaded our 6 big bags in the trunk, set the GPS for American English and headed to our hotel. After a late dinner in a very smokey bar, we dug out the winter woolies in preparation for our next day walking/sightseeing adventure. Germany is gorgeous and cold! We had been told at the hotel that the Germans love Christmas and they were right! A huge portion of downtown Frankfurt was closed to car traffic and a huge Christmas market was set up. Booth after booth, decorated to look like old German houses and shops, were filled with handcrafts of every kind, sizzling sausages and steaming liquor laced ciders. We literally spent the entire day, well into the evening shopping and eating and sipping our yummy brew. I had wisely packed an extra suitcase so we loaded up on handmade knit hats for the grandbabies, Christmas gifts for the kids, wool scarves for Al and I and other wonderful finds. We did take time to visit a beautiful and simple cathedral that was spared destruction when the Allies leveled Frankfurt during WWII. The next day we jumped in our little Kia and headed 125 miles south to the old village of Rothenburg. Jana had visited there several years ago and highly recommended it. And she was right. The little town looks exactly like what you would expect a German Village to look like. And...the entire town was celebrating with yet another huge Christmas Market! WaaHoo!!! What a fun fun day. As a sidebar. Al got the thrill of driving on a German Autobon (highway). It is unbelievable how fast the Germans drive. We estimated that in the fast lane the cars were traveling at 140+ mph. Now remember WE'RE IN A FRIGGIN' KIA!. Al would floor the excellerator and we would barely feel it. Changing lanes became a study in planning and raw nerve. But he did a great job and on the way home he was even able to relax and enjoy the experience. When we got home and Al was telling AJ this story, AJ uttered the best line of the day. He said, "Dad how much more would it have cost you to rent a real car"? We have laughed about the whole thing and maybe the next time we're in the country that builds the best cars in the world, we will rent a real car.

Shipboard Misc.

2010-01-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Palermo Italy

2010-01-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

The Acropolis

2010-01-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

Who knew that Acropolis literally meant "edge of the city"? There are Acropoli all over Greece. But the most well know one is in Athens and believe me it is a sight to behold. It towers above the city on a tall majestic hill surrounded by gardens and green spaces. The walk up to the top is quite a hike but it is so pretty that you forget that you're getting a work out. Once on top you have many ancient buildings, most famous of course is the Parthenon. You'll recognize it. There is the Temple of Diana which you will know because of the statues of virgins carved around the outside. The huge bare rock surrounded by green is Mars Hill where the Apostle Paul gave his impassioned speech. Amazing to see it!. All the scaffolding testifies to the constant restoration that goes on...thank goodness. These places are absolutely worth saving. They are magnificent!

More Athens

2010-01-05T13:57:00.001-08:00

Athens

2010-01-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

Wow. What a city! Busy, smoggy, modern, clean and filled with amazing sites.

Rhodes Greece Part 3

2010-01-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

After returning to Rhodes, we walked into town and did some shopping. The walled village had darling shops and delightful restaurants. A perfect setting to people watch and relax in the Plaka.

Rhodes Greece Part 2

2010-01-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

After leaving Lindos, we visited a pottery shop that is run by a husband and wife. The type of pottery they create and paint is very rare because the craftsmen are dying and their children haven't learned the skill. The pieces are beautiful works of art and it was a delightful stop.

Rhodes Greece

2010-01-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

Our first stop in Greece took us 47km from Rhodes. Lindos is a Greek vacation spot and is so crowded in the summer that you can hardly move. Like Bend Oregon, Lindos has 300+ days of sunshine so we enjoyed a sunny and warm trip up the coast of one of Greece's prettiest islands. We visited the 4th Century BC Temple of Athena, a Byzantine Church and the fortifications of the Knights. These ruins overlook St Paul's Bay where the Apostle is believed to have landed.

Cyprus Part 2

2010-01-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

We had some fun laughing in the face of death. Paphos boasts an extensive burial site from the 3rd century BC.

Limassol Cyprus

2010-01-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

Limossol is Cyprus' largest resort and a great place to shop. I got some beautiful linens there. However, Al and I traveled by bus to the town of Paphos about 1 1/2 hours out of the city. We passed the place where Aphrodite was "born" and saw some awesome coastlines. The city of Paphos is know for it's castle guarding the harbor and the well preserved mosaics in the ruins of ancient buildings.

Egypt

2010-01-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Egypt was an experience I will not soon forget. To see the Sphynx and the Pyramids was a dream come true. Spending the afternoon in the Cairo Museum was amazing. The very near death experience on the highway in the Sahara, the piles of garbage everywhere and the vicious traffic made us glad that we weren't staying in Cairo.

Mdina Malta

2010-01-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

This darling little village made primarily of yellow limestone was charming and beautiful. Al and I loved exploring the narrow streets and beautiful St Paul's Cathedral.

Malta Part 2 - St Johns Co-Cathedral

2010-01-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

This church was supposed to be a very plain and simple place of worship. Legend has it that the French delgation of the Knights of St John did a little decorating in their chapel. Not wanting to be outdone, the other 7 delagations began to decorate and you'll see the results. Anything that looks like gold is the real deal...and not gold plated.

Malta

2010-01-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

Valetta Malta is an ancient walled city that was built by the Knights of St John in 1530. Founded during the Crusades, the Knights of St John protected Christian pilgrams traveling to and from the Holy Land. The Classical and Baroque styles of architecture are a wonder to see.

The Cruise

2010-01-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

We left Barcelona and headed toward Africa and the Middle East. We had a lovely stateroom and enjoyed many hours on the balcony. Coffee in the morning, tea and cookies in the afternoon and a glass of wine in the evening. So so relaxing.

Barcelona Part 3

2010-01-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

Barcelona boasts a world renowned architect, Antoni Gaudi. He designed this gigantic cathedral in the early 1900's that is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. It will probably never be finished and I don't think there has ever been a mass inside. But it is an breathtaking non the less. Pictures don't begin to do it justice.

Barcelona Part 2

2010-01-05T06:24:00.000-08:00

It was warm and sunny the entire time we were in Barcelona so we enjoyed the beach and shopping and sightseeing.

Barcelona

2010-01-05T05:53:00.000-08:00

Barcelona is a glorious city filled with beautiful and unique architecture, wonderful markets and amazing churches. I'd love to go back!

I'll catch up, I promise!

2009-12-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

I have a good excuse. We were gone for 3 weeks. On vacation, internet use cost 55 cents a minute. No blog updates at that price. It was Christmas Christmas everywhere when we got home. Running all day, old age collapse at night.
After today, I'll be at home with time on my hands. I'll briefly blog about our fabulous trip abroad and then I'll do Christmas.
Thanks for being patient :-)

Day 1 & 2 in Barcelona

2009-11-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

After a good nights sleep Al and I headed out for a walking tour of the city. We started at the Music Center and then visited the Cathedral of Barcelona. Both are examples of colorful Catalan architecture. Then we walked down to the port and saw some very fancy and very large yachts. Where do these people make the kind of money that can afford these gigantic boats? By this time we were getting hungry so we walked down to the sand. As we were gazing at the blue Med Sea, I noticed an older man looking out to sea wearing a tiny thong. As I continued to look, the man turned toward me. Again I was surprised that this man would wear such a tiny tiny swimsuit. Suddenly I realized that he wasn´t wearing a thong or anything else. My American sensibilities told me to avert my eyes but my curiosity kept drawing me back. Al agreed that the guy was naked and that he was proud of it. After a quick picture we continued toward our lunch destination. As we sat down at this funky little cafe on the sand, I looked back at the boardwalk and noticed an older man riding his bike along the path. And guess what? He was also buck naked! OW OW OW! After our lunch, Al and I went exploring along the boardwalk and came upon another group of totally naked people frolicking in the sand. Interestingly enough, when in France the beautiful young women bare their tanned and perky breasts. Here in Spain, fat old men bare it all. Toto, I don´t think we´re in Kansas anymore. And who says travel abroad isn´t educational. From here we stumbled across a fully clothed monument to Christopher Columbus pointing to America. Small world eh? Later that eveing we ate at a cute restaurant, took another long walk and then crashed at the hotel. This morning we walked to La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that Antoni Gaudi started building in 1890. It is still under construction and will be finished in 20 years...maybe. I won´t try to describe it because it defies description. Suffice it to say it is amazing and huge and amazing! We spent 2 hours enjoying an audio guided tour of the place and then headed way down the road to the Picasso Museum. Wow! That guy is a crazy good painter. He started when he was 15 and painted like the old masters...portrait style, then progressed to the wild stuff we are now familiar with. It was really interesting. We are in an interenet cafe, sipping on yummy red wine, listening to good jazz and trying to figure out how to download our pictures. Hopefully we´ll add them on at the end. If not, we´ll update tomorrow on the ship.

Twas the Night Before Halloween

2009-11-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Thursday night we had our usual gang of diners, minus Corban and Lauren, over for crab cake sandwiches, french fries, lemon/pineapple jello salad and fresh vegees. I had seen a fun idea in one of the many magazines I read so I decided to try and make a Halloween centerpiece. You start with a bunch of moon pies for the owl's head/face. I melted chocolate almond bark for the "glue", seperated 2 Oreo cookies and used the white sides for the eyes. Add a little chocolate glue to the back of a black M&M and you have eyeballs. And one piece of candy corn makes the perfect owl nose. Stick a dowel in the side of the moon pie, tie a halloween ribbon around the dowel, stick the dowel in a black and orange container, cover with black and white shredded paper and you've got a pretty cool centerpiece. I did some plain pies coated with colored candy just to add interest. As an extra bonus, it's completely edible!

The next night was Halloween and Al and I manned the fort while AJ, Maryanne & Porter had dinner at JJ & Jana's. This year we decided to count the number of kids that came trick or treating and between 6:40 and 9:00 when I turned off the porch light, we had 147 little pricesses, vampires, hobos and Harry Potters. What fun!

IT'S A BOY!!

2009-10-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a "reveal" party and this is the minute the kids found out

that they're having a boy. Details about the party later.

I have to hurry to my Bible study this morning but I wanted to post the great news about Jana and JJ. Yesterday the ultrasound showed without a doubt that they are having a baby boy. If he was born today his name would be Finn Tokala Avison. But by March, who knows. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for this little guy. Keep it up!

Double Datin' with the Folks

2009-10-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night, Dad and Jeanne treated Al and I to an evening of Musical Theater. A group of Broadway performers visited Salem and sang 25-30 selections from famous Broadway musicals. The 5 singers hit on everything from Oklahoma, to Hair, to Cabaret, to Phantom of the Opera, to Rent and a whole lot more. It was 2 hours of great music mixed in with a lot of "behind the scenes" Broadway. It was fun to realize that Al and I had seen almost all of the plays that were featured in the program. As usual the Elsinore theater was beautiful and a nice woman in front of us agreed to take our picture. Obviously Jeanne didn't get the memo that black was the uniform of the day. It's a pretty good picture tho, don't ya think?

Before the theater, we met for dinner at a little French restaurant here in town. I had never been to La Capitale on State Street but I will be going there again. The atmosphere was lovely and the food delish. I had a yummy baked eggplant dish, Al had a thick rich onion soup and epicurian dare devil Dad had a hamburger that he split with Jeanne. The salads were fresh and came with toast points smothered in goat cheese...O baby! Al and I also found a new wine that we love. It's a pinot gris/guwertziminer that is dry and light and so so good. Anyway. the whole evening was delightful and we didn't even have to go to Portland.

Susie Homemaker Times 2

2009-10-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

I don't sew very well but I can do curtains

Porter is lovin' eating avacados and sweet potaoes mixed with breast milk. Mmmmm!

Last weekend Al, AJ & JJ drove to Chico CA. for the National YoYo Championships. While they were away, Maryanne and I practiced our domestic goddess skills. We both got caught up on all our ironing, Maryanne made and then froze a whole bunch of organic baby food (sweet potatoes and avacado) for Porter and I made the curtains for his room at the new house. You'll notice there are no pictures of either MA or me and that's because we never got out of our jammies. Neither of us was fit for photographic posterity AND we wanted nothing out there on the web that could be used for blackmail purposes down the road. Sometimes it's fun to just be home and do homey things. Thank goodness no one came to the door!

The Awesome Kroc Center

2009-10-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

South Salem makes a fast break towards the goal.

Last Friday night Al and I had the pleasure of watching our multi talented neice Lauren, play water polo for South Salem High School. Al was in 7th heaven watching the teams "duke it out" and remebering his glory days as an All American WP player in high school and college. The Kroc Center compition pool is state of the art and a real gift to our schools. Everyone of our public pools have closed due to lack of funds so the Kroc Center came about at just the right time. Besides the pools, there are wonderful community rooms, a day care center, a pretty nice work out area, a fantastic gym, an amazing kitchen, a beautiful chapel/theater and tons of classes and events that the public can be involved in. I don't love McDonald's food, butI'm sure impressed by what McDonald's money has done for Salem.

The frighteningly high rock wall.

The very fast and very tall water slide in the "play" pool.

Expert Advice

2009-09-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

All the baby experts say that your baby will give you clues when they are ready to eat solid foods. I think Porter is ready, don't you?

We did clean the high chair and the table with Clorox Wipes

I'm Back In Business

2009-09-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

I finally decided on a new camera! I waffled back and forth, looking at a bigger fancier model, but in the end decided on the sweet little Canon Powershot. The other camera may have been better for our vacation in November but I knew that I would get tired of lugging around a bigger and heavier body. Anyway, I'm happy with my little Powershot. Now I have to get back in the habit of taking pictures and blogging.

How Can I Blog Without a Camera?

2009-08-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Something has gone horribly wrong with my sweet little "purse" camera! We are in the process of deciding to fix it or replace it so I go day after day with no camera. It feels funny not having my trusty documenter of my life tucked inside my purse. I have missed so many photo ops recently that I just haven't been inspired to blog. But in the spirit of keeping you updated, here's the latest.
Maryanne and AJ took posession of their house on the 4th of August. It's an old house that they are renovating top to bottom. AJ and JJ have been re-wiring, replacing all the outlets and switches, adding outlets and cables and things too complicated for me to even remember. JJ has been so wonderful in sharing his genius for all things and teaching AJ how to make his home safe and user friendly. Jana has pulled babysitiing duty with Porter so Maryanne & I could paint. And I have found that all the things that make an old house charming are also the things that make you crazy when you're trying to paint. We have used the best paint and have still had to do at least 3 coats on every surface. I can't tell you how many feet of beautiful carved trim and millwork I have painted and painted and painted. I was one step from being institutionalized (which by the way sounded pretty good at the time). Now the painting is done, some furniture is in place (but needs to be cleaned), part of the backyard fence is up and the hideous and overgrown landscaping out front has been removed. There is a very faint light at the end of a very long tunnel. The kitchen is completely torn apart so that's the next big project that needs to happen. Once that's finished, a move-in date can be scheduled and our nest will be empty.

In the midst of all this, my Dad rented his house and had to move ASAP. We helped with the big stuff 2 Saturdays ago and then last Thursday got the house completely emptied. Marek was going to help finish the garage that night so hopefully all went well. Poor Dad & Jeanne. They worked like dogs in miserable Oregon heat to make this happen on such short notice. I need to check in and make sure they're still alive.

This past weekend Maryanne's parents came to help on the house so we had company as well as busy. Maryanne, AJ, Jim & Glenda worked from 9:00 a.m. till about 6:30 p.m. I took Porter around the MCNary Estates garage sale all morning so the workers could actually work. And boy did they! Around 1:00 Al and Porter & I showed up and started in on paint, fence and landscape. By the time we got home that evening, all of us were exhausted. I think everyone was asleep by 10:00.

Next morning some went to church, and some stayed home and ate donuts. At 12:30 we all headed out to the Oregon State Fair. Maryanne's folks went and picked up their three oldest grandkids so all 10 of us wandered around and enjoyed the fair. Al and I are going back tonight to meet Jana and JJ and JJ's folks for dinner and the Fair "after dark". Should be fun!

Hopefully I'll have a camera soon so you won't be completely bored by my posts. I truly believe that a picture is worth way more than 1,000 words.

More Pictures of Dad's Big Day

2009-08-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

Jeanne & Dad looked great...and happy

We were so glad that Randy & Robin could be here

Randy & Robin came from Phoenix. Marek & Suzie were unavoidably out of town & Jeff & Kerry were on the road. Maryanne, AJ and Porter had not yet arrived.

The happy couple right before the ceremony

Huge fir trees shaded the glass roof of the chapel

Jeanne couldn't get Dad's ring over his knuckle

Communion

The kiss

Dad & Jeanne were very polite feeding each other the cake

Al offered a beautiful & heart-felt toast

Happy Dad

Finally a quiet minute in our backyard

The last shot before they head to the coast

Wedding # 4 of the Summer

2009-08-10T03:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my Dad got married.

The ceremony was held at St Paul's Episcopal Church here in Salem on a gorgeous summer day. Jeanne and Dad had a very traditional and personal service that was especially moving to both families. Jeanne has been a widow for 5 1/2 years and my Mom passed away 3 years ago so both were ready to start a new chapter in their lives. They are spending a few days at the coast and then taking a longer honeymoon this Fall.

I didn't take many pictures because I was busy hosting the reception that was held at our house. Al had the yard looking wonderful with all of his huge flowering baskets on the patio and around the grass. We covered 3 tables outside and 1 inside with white linen tablecloths and soft green overlays. Jeanne had selected white and peach and pale yellow for the flowers so I ordered small bouquets in those colors and paired them with white votives as centerpieces. I used my clear glass dishes so th tables looked really simple and fresh. Dad and Jeanne hired a pianist to play the keyboard which I thought would be really cheesy but actually turned out great. He played excellent background type music that Dad and Jeanne and all the guests really enjoyed. I talked to both Dad and Jeanne on Sunday and they were absolutely thrilled with the entire day.

When I get the professional pictures back, I'll post some shots of the ceremony and the family.

Another Wonderful Redding Weekend

2009-07-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

We love Redding California. Almost since Al and I moved to Oregon 35 years ago, we have been taking a long weekend a year in Redding. Early on, we met the Huntington Beach part of the family for Memorial Day weekend. We had a favorite motel that we took over for 3 or 4 days of food, relaxation, swimming, the Indy 500 and family reunion. On Monday, we would all go to IHOP for breakfast and a family snapshot then head to points north or south. Once Mom and Dad moved to Oregon we went less often with the whole extended family. However, Al and I and our kids kept up with the tradition and went maybe every other year or so. As spouses were added they too enjoyed the pleasures of Redding. Early morning trips to Starbucks and the doughnut shop, yummy dinners at CR Gibbs, Whiskey Town Lake, the water park, Urban Retreat Day Spa, In-and-Out Burger, Der Wienerschnitzel and a whole lot of hangin' out poolside. We take over a shady corner with lounges, table and chairs, ice chests full of beverages and snacks, decks of cards and good books. Porter even took his morning nap at the pool...Grandpa too. People in Redding think we're crazy for leaving cooler Oregon for their 100+ heat but we love it!

Summer @ Timberline

2009-07-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

Hwy 26 to Mt Hood. The first time Al & I saw this view was 33 years ago when we were traveling with A&W. It was just as breathtaking today as it was then.

The rear view of Timberline Lodge and the very bottom of the glacier.

Looking up the Mt at the end of the glacier "run". Amazingly, there were hoardes of skiers & boarders enjoying the only resort in N. American that is open all year round.

If you've never been to Timberline Lodge in the summer, make an effort to get up there this year. It's a fantastic 2 1/2 drive through some of the prettiest country on the planet. On Friday, Al and I put the top down on the Spyder and set out for points north. We took back country roads to Donald/Aurora, hopped on I-5 to Estacada and then Hwy 26 to My Hood. It was a perfect day for travel by convertible so we slathered on the sunscreen and headed out. Timberline Lodge is always a fun place to visit and in the summer you can ride the summit chair lift, hike on wonderfully groomed trails, watch crazy snowboarders and skiers take on the glacier or do as Al and I do... eat!. There are several lovely restaurants with spectacular views of Mt Hood right out your window. Try the BLTA and a brew at the Blue Bull...mmmm. O yea. We did take a short hike in order to get a photo or two but we tried our best not to break a sweat.

What Happens in Vegas...

2009-06-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

The view of the strip from our 51st floor room

Valley of Fire

Crazy beautiful red rock formations in the middle of the white desert

Tapas and Sangria at the Firefly

A small part of the pool @ the Wynn Resort

Havin' fun in the Cabana @ the Wynn

I know some of you probably think we're insane for going to the desert in the middle of summer but that's when we like it best. What's better than hanging out at a swanky hotel (that's super cheap because no one in their right mind goes to Vegas in the summer), spending time in a poolside cabana with Nick waiting on you hand and foot, sipping frozen beverages delivered on your slightest whim, eating in 5 Star restaurants, enjoying fabulous entertainment and being warm even at 10:00 in the evening? Jana & JJ and Al and I spent 6 days taking advantage of all of the above. It was so much fun and even though it's only been 3 years since we've been there, Las Vegas is a city on the move. There are a ton of new hotels and the energy is so vibrant and exhilarating. When AJ and Maryanne lived in Vegas they made a point of finding new trendy restaurants so we took their advise and hit a couple of "off strip" places. Yum!!!

Needless to say, when Al and I are looking for a cheap, close to home get-away, LV is it for us!

Wedding # 3 of the Summer

2009-06-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Three days after my niece's wedding, the kids and grandkid and Al and I squeezed into the faithful minivan and headed over to Sisters for wedding #3. Julie Kendall, the daughter of my dear friend from High School, Nancy (Roberts) Kendall, got married on a cold and windy golf course. And even though it was cold, it was still beautiful. The mountains were snow capped and the sky was crystal clear blue. Julie's attendants were in gorgeous deep red dresses so the visual affect was stunning. Thankfully, the reception was inside the lodge and was toasty warm...in temperature and atmosphere. Nancy and Curt threw a great party! Yummy food, fun guests and great dance music. It was a delight to catch up with Nancy's younger brother, David, who when Nance & I were in high school, did nothing but bug us to death. We were uber-cool and he was a pesky but funny Jr High kid who lived to drive us nuts. Dave is now a structural engineer in SoCal with a wife and 2 darling teenage kids. As we visited, we decided we hadn't seen each other since Nancy & Curt's wedding 31 years ago and amazingly, neither of us had changed a bit :-) By all accounts it was a really fun day!

Best of friends for...gulp...43 years

Wedding # 2 of the Summer

2009-06-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

On June 17th my darling niece Samantha (Jeff's eldest daughter) got married at the beautiful Abernathy Center. It was a lovely warm evening so the garden setting was perfect. Sammie was a gorgeous bride and it was fun to have almost the entire family together. We missed Randy and Robin from Phoenix but we knew they were thinking of us and celebrating this special occasion. Sammie and Austin will spend 2 months in Provo and then will settle in Beaverton. Hopefully we'll get to see them more often than when they lived in Phoenix.

Tip Toe Thru the Tu...maybe not.

2009-06-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

My rose bushes were about to take over the house so Porter & I did some gardening.

Catching Up...Again

2009-06-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

McNary High School in Keizer, won the State Baseball Championship yesterday. Dad, Al, AJ Maryanne, Porter and I spent a fun evening at Volcano Stadium watching the home team beat Roseburg 5 to 1. Porter stayed awake for the entire game so maybe he'll be a sports fan or a baseball player when he gets older.

Corban and Lauren at Michelle Gordon's wedding reception.

Porter wishing he could have some Mexican food with the rest of us.

My cutie pie great niece Lauran Bliss, plays softball for South Salem High School. She is their All-League catcher and her team made the State play-offs this year. After a fantastic game ending throw to second base, picking off a stealing runner, Lauran celebrates with Porter.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

Porter's not sure about all the wedding hoopla.

Corban, AJ & Maryanne

JJ & Jana and the gorgeous gardens

It as a busy and fun 3 days. The sun was shinning, it was warm and we had lots to do. Friday night, Al and took a long drive in the Spyder and enjoyed the gorgeous spring scenery. The hops are just starting to grow, the corn is about a foot tall and all the trees are in full bloom. We survive the cold rainy winters in order to enjoy days like this. On Saturday, we ran errands and worked around the yard. Al planted all our annuals and 5 big baskets of petunias and pansies. Everything looks so pretty. That evening we went to church and had dinner with AJ and Maryanne and Don & Cheri Suklis...always a good time. On Sunday, we relaxed until late afternoon when we drove out to the Oregon Garden for Michelle Gordon's wedding. The perfect weather and the beautiful gardens made a lovely backdrop for the event. After dinner and dancing, we headed home. Porter wasn't the only one who was pooped. Then today, our dear friends Jim & Paula Newman joined us for a picnic lunch at Schrieder's Iris Garden. If you've never been out there, pack a picnic and spend a couple of hours enjoying the beautiful flowers. They have lots of places to sit as well as plenty of picnic tables. Even if you just want to walk thru the gardens, it's worth the trip to Keizer. This evening, Maryanne's parents dropped by for a yummy BBQ prepared exclusively by AJ. He even made deviled eggs and strawberry shortcake. In my opinion this weekend was the perfect way to spend a holiday...surrounded by friends and family, celebrating a special event and enjoying beautiful Oregon in the Spring.

Paula and I enjoying a stroll thru the Lupine

Do Blondes REALLY Have More Fun?

2009-05-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

As I write, Maryanne is doing Michelle Gordon's practice wedding hair do. Part of the look Michelle wants is achieved with hair extensions. Having been a blonde all my life, I thought I'd try a new look. What do you think?

Yikes!!!!

An Early 29th & 30th

2009-05-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Birthday girl Lauren with some of her lovely friends.

Last Friday night, Corban and Lauren invited their friends over for a combined birthday party. Corban was celebrating his 30th and Lauren her 29th. Both have early May birthdays but they will be out of town when their big days roll around. Corban grilled yummy flank steak and salmon and Lauren made her famous Ceasar salad. The rest of us brought side dishes. And I must say, we had some mighty good eats. Corban's sister Hannah took the cake (literally) with her amazing custom birthday cake. It was really great looking and it tasted fantastic. The predicted rain held off and we were able to enjoy the backyard and patio and some gorilla style badminton. I hope C & L had as much fun as we did.

Hannah's wilderness themed B-Day cake.

Corban, Jake and A.J

We're all waiting to pounce on the buffet table.