In Praise of La Nina and Bush Park

Is Maggie havin' fun, or what?



The crooked house with a map inside



Engineer Porter



Let's give Nammie a heart attach and rundown this giant hill really really fast



Why collect just 1 leaf when a handful is so much more fun.



I'm going to pretend this stick is a snake and scare Nammie. Hisssssss!



Follow the leader



This is Porter's shot of the group.



Dribbling on the Soap Box track



Finn prefers to carry the ball



There was lots of moo-ing going on in this picture



Resting up before headin' home


Today was another gorgeous winter day in Salem. How often do we ever get to say that? Gorgeous, winter and Salem just don't go together. But this year, thanks to La Nina, we have had a sunny December and since then, several sunny days in January and February. Whenever I have the grandbabies AND it is sunshiny out, no matter the temp (today at 9:00a.m. not yet 40 degrees)we bundle up and head outside. Sometimes to Englewood Park, sometimes to Riverfront Park and sometimes just to the backyard. Today, we took on Bush Park and might I just say. YAHOO! The park was beautiful with just a hint of spring in the landscape. The fun playgrounds were just the right size for 3 little ones. The miles of paved paths made pushing Maggie's stroller a joy AND the bathrooms not only were open, but they were warm and clean. And at my age, bathrooms are a big issue. We stayed for 2 1/2 hours and we all had a blast. We walked all over the park and McCullough Field. We ran up and down hills. We petted BIG dogs and played soccer in Mc Stadium. We picked up leaves and sticks and walked over bridges and around puddles. What a great way to spend a sunny winter morning. Thanks Nina and Mr & Mrs Bush. I appreciate you all!

Ride 'Em Cowgirl

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

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!

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

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

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

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!