who said its all roses

A VISIT FROM A BROTHER

2010-09-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

We had lunch with Lee last week. It was sooo good to see him. We don't connect often enough, living so far apart. We had a great time at lunch. He was in town on work business.

Loved seeing him!!

GUESS WHO'S FORTY?

2010-08-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

Pam turned 40 on July 30th!

We started celebrating Pam's 40th birthday a day early at the Budd Bay Cafe. They have delicious seafood and you can see the bay from the windows. The company was more than wonderful too. We don't get to celebrate with Anne and Suzanne very often.

On her actual birthday we had another party with bbq steaks and strawberry/rhubarb pie. The pie was Pam's special request.

Suzanne told a made up story to A-G. A-G loved the story and Suzy had to tell the same story every night!! She may have told it "40" times! (or more)

Full tummies, relaxing outside. We all had a very good time turning 40 with Pam.

Thank you for having a birthday, Pam. We love you tons and tons xoxo!!

SPECIAL VISITORS

2010-08-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

We just had visitors from far away a few nights ago. Sue, Ken and Anne drove down and Jacquie and Ken and N.B. and K.A. came over for bbq hamburgers. A beautiful evening to eat outside.

N.B. and K.A. had a good time in the sun. K.A. ran around and around the house causing fear and concern for his mother.

So good for all of us to see Sue, Ken and Anne. We don't get to be with them all the time!!

GUESS WHO CAME FOR LUNCH?

2010-07-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

N.B., K.A. and Ruth came over for lunch. Ruth was kind enough to bring Tim Horton's. We had peanut butter sandwiches, apples and cheese. It was an interesting lunch time!

There was wrestling after lunch...

And K.A. love to wear my reading glasses. I usually have to find them after he leaves...

It was a good time, lots of laughs!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAUL 2

2010-07-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Paul 2nd birthday celebration was in Canada. We are so blessed to be able to do this!!

Thanks for having a birthday, Poppa... God bless!!

THE ARMY AND THE NAVY

2010-07-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

Pam and Paul recently toured a small schooner called Old Man IV. The Navy fellow who was touring lent Pam his hat for this picture.

No one lent Jeff this army uniform, but I thought these pictures would look good together!!

They just recently celebrated 14 years of marriage. How the time flies!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAUL

2010-07-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

We had a fun day on Paul's birthday at the park and walking along the boardwalk beside the water. There were lots of boats and ships to look at. Just the kind of thing Paul likes.

We had snack in the play park. Delicious fruit and cheese and CUPPIE CAKES. It was quite the celebration!

(Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the birthday cupcakes. They were strawberry cake with green icing and sprinkles, practically unheard of and very very tasty)!!

It was a wonderful birthday morning with Pam and A-G and C.H.

The grands love the park!!

CANADA DAY, EH?

2010-07-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

We have some friends that we go touring with on Canada Day. We went to Granville Island first then to Stanley Park. It doesn't seem to matter how many times we have been to Stanley it always seems new. The trees grow and no matter which direction you look it appears different. It's new every morning and it changes constantly!!

Scenery watching and people watching at Stanley Park. The scenery is good and the people are interesting, especially the ones were were with!!

Of course, you can always call someone no matter where you are...

Our friend Walt was born and raised in Vancouver so he was able to tell us a few trivia facts about the park and Vancouver that none of us knew before.

We drove around the park, then on our way home we went to White Spot for dinner.

All in all, a very fantastic CANADA DAY, EH?!!

ROUGHING IT AT THE CABIN!!

2010-06-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

Dinner out at a favourite restaurant to celebrate 2 birthdays. The food was great and the company was even better!!

We do not suffer from not having any form of communication.....

It almost seems shameful to spend time on a computer when we are there, but we do....

The golfing is good, I got a score of about 500 on 9 holes when I played this mini golf....

It's a good time!!

WHAT A GOOD TIME WE HAD!!

2010-06-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

A fun family time at D & J's.

Some young people were there and some handsome people were there!!

We had a professional photographer!!

We had coffee made on a camp stove.

Totally fun evening!!

Thanks D & J for having us and thanks for coming home, Suzy.

YOU HAVE BEEN MISSED!!

ONLY 80 DEGREES!!

2010-06-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

We were all at the cabin the Memorial Day weekend. The water in the pool was freezing cold, only 80 degrees. That is a long ways from body temperature!! I don't know how they could stay in as long as they did. I only lasted 3 minutes, but Ken and the grands stayed in for quite awhile. K.A. was blue and shaking when he was forced to get out..

We all had a very fun time on the weekend, even if the pool was cold.

Last weekend it was considerably warmer and even the "older people" could stand to stay in for longer.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

2010-06-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in our family.

And to those who are being both Mother and Father for awhile....

K.A. thinks that if you have cake it has to have candles to blow out, and I say "you can't go wrong with candles on any ocassion"!!

GUESS WHO CAME FOR LUNCH?

2010-06-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

Pam, A-G and C.H. spent the morning with us at the cabin. It was so great to see them!!

CH loves to go to the loft and hang over the edge, much to his Mother's dismay...

They always enjoy the toy cupboard. It always seems new when you only see it once a month. Loved the time with the grands and Pam!!

ENJOYING THE PARADE

2010-06-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

We all enjoyed the PM parade a couple of weeks ago. It was on the only sunny day we had seen for several days. It is a fun day and celebration starting early and ending late. It is much enjoyed by everyone in the area.

We all love a good parade!!

SWEET!!

2010-06-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

A happy, smiley picture of two of our lovlies. Looking good, ladies!!

HERE THEY ARE!!

2010-06-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would put some pictures of our American family.

Hi, you wonderful people. We enjoyed seeing you!!

We will miss you, Jeff, God bless you and keep you safe as you travel. We are praying for all.

CELEBRATING C.H.

2010-06-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend at the cabin and got to celebrate C.H.'s birthday. I did not have my camera with me at the 3rd Birthday party, but these pictures were taken on the day before and the day after.

The many faces of C.H., our handsome and wonderful almost 3 year old. It is a few days until he actually is 3 so maybe I will get some pictures when we are there this weekend. Looking forward to seeing them again so soon.

SHE'S GRADUATING ALREADY!!

2010-06-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

The time goes so quickly. A-G graduated from preschool to kindergarten. It hardly seem possible that she will be going to school in September.

Like her Grandi, she does love sparkles in her life. Shoes, T-shirts, whatever can sparkle. The shoes are beautiful with large "diamonds on them!!

The tassel got in the way of seeing where she was going, so she moved it over.

Walking up to the stage, where they all sat.

We had the pleasure of being able to attend this wonderful occasion. They had a little program, received their diplomas and of course, cookies and milk.

What a celebration!!

LET'S HAVE A LITTLE CHAT

2010-04-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

KA loves to talk to Papa on the phone, sometimes he will even talk to me. Its mostly all about Papa though!!

He will talk and talk, not all of it can be understood, but he talks on!

Well, I guess we're done. Bye, See ya!!

FUN WITH PAPA

2010-04-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

It's so much fun to see Papa comfortably sitting down in a chair and pounce on him, then the next ones joins in. Now its a party!!

What a great time they all had!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 3 YEAR OLD

2010-04-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

K.A. is 3.

He enjoyed his birthday so much, blowing candles, cake, pizza, lots of attention, it was nearly too much for anyone.

A little help with the candles from N.B.

Eating cake with Papa.

He only ate the vanilla ice cream with Paul, then moved onto the next person who still had vanilla on their plate.

A very good time!!

CHECK OUT THE NEW BED

2010-04-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

C.H. was very excited about the new big boy bed. He is really enjoying the freedom of being able to get out of bed and go to Jeff and Pam on his own. FREEDOM is a wonderful thing!!

A-G was not feeling well when we were there, so did not want her picture taken. The pictures I did take were not very good, so I won't put any on of her this time. She felt much better before we left .

We had a wonderful time with everyone as always. It is such a joy to go there and spend time with them.

OUR LAST VISIT

2010-03-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

Dakota thinks he's a lap dog. The family love him in spite of his very few flaws.

A-G and Mommy having a hug fest!!

C.H. at the lake, just before he went too deep and fell in. The fun was then over for him.

A-G and I stayed at the lake for quite awhile after the disasterous fall, until her boots were full of water too. It was a wet day, but we did have fun.

After all the water and walking we had pancakes for lunch at the cabin. It was a wonderful weekend and day with the U.S. family. We love you and love spending time with you!!

A FEW OLD PICTURES

2010-02-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

My Mom, Dad and me. I am probably about 3, just guessing, of course.

Homes have changed somewhat over the years!! This is in northern Alberta.

My paternal grandparents, Ben and Rhodie!!

This is my maternal grandfather, Albert.

Photographers used to take pictures of people on the street, then try to sell them to the person in the photo. This was probably taken in Toronto or Edmonton. I am not familiar with the scene in either place, but know these are the 2 places most likely!!

THE TORCH RUN

2010-02-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

K.A. and I went to the Torch Run. We were delighted to be out at 8:00 am checking out the city. There was excitement in the air. We were standing in front of N.B.'s school and all the classes from the school were out on the street waiting for the torch. As you can see K.A. was waving his flags and watching everything and everyone. He was entertained! More flag waving!

The RCMP riding by...

Some dancers on a big truck riding by...

He he comes...

Here he is....

There he goes...

K.A. liked the ice sculpture. He studied it for a long time.

We both loved it. Its quite fun to see the people, enthusiastic and cheering the runner on. It was over in about 5 minutes, so we didn't have to stand around for a long time either.

K.A. and my kind of event, not too lengthy!

Altogether a very exciting morning!!

RESCUE CHICKENS

2010-01-30T13:40:00.000-08:00

Jeff and Pam have inherited a few "rescue chickens" during the time they have lived on acreage. They all enjoy the chickens, A-G and C.H really like them and want to see them everyday. They are abit messy sometimes but are quite fun. They eggs are very good too...added bonus!

This is Mr. "Farley", the newest rooster. He is very handsome and charming and not as "bossy" as some roosters are.

This is Lacey, the newest hen they have. I couldn't find the name of the breed, but they are good looking chickens, as chickens go!!

We all enjoy them when we visit, its not complete without seeing the chickens!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RUTH

2010-01-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

Our friend Ruth had another birthday and we celebrated with dinner at our house.

E. and G. sharing a laugh...G. made the lovely cake...

A few played dominoes..

D. had a good rest, while the games went on. We all had a great time.

Thank you, Ruth for having a birthday and a reason for us to get together and celebrate you!!

THE ANNIVERSARY FLOWERS

2010-01-18T15:51:00.000-08:00

The anniversary flowers still look very good. They dried beautifully.

A-G continues to look as lovely as before!!

It was such a great bouquet!!

THE PUDDLE POOL

2010-01-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

A-G and C.H. love to play outside everyday that the weather permits. They have a liner from a fish pond that holds large amounts of water for jumping in. C.H. loves to jump up and down and fall down and just generally get totally wet. He is always soaked when they go in. Its quite a party!!

A-G doesn't get very wet but goes in too.

We enjoyed watching them play in this puddle pool and outside around the yard. It was a great day for playing and being outdoors.

JANUARY VISIT TO OUR U.S. FAMILY

2010-01-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

We try to visit our US family every month. These pictures of last weekend with them. We walked, we played, and we had dinner and breakfast together. The whole weekend was very good and went by very quickly. They all pass too fast, but we appreciate every minute that we spend with each of them.C.H. throwing stones into the lake. He loves the water and had such a hard time not going in to water with his shoes. Next time boots for sure!

Our handsome Jeff

They all came for dinner on Friday nite. Always fun when everyone is together...

A-G really love bouncing on Papa's new exercise ball.

The whole weekend flew by and we spent as much time together as possible. We are so thankful to be able to go there so often!!

COMPANY FROM ALBERTA

2010-01-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

We had a fun visit at a local restaurant with cousins/friends.

We totally enjoyed our time with Dale and Sally. Thank you so much for getting in touch with us so we could see you!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

2010-01-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

I know I am late doing this birthday post, but I thought I would put it on anyway.

The party was great. The guests were fun and the ice cream birthday cake was very tasty, as N.B. will tell.

Thank you everyone for making my day so special. Love you all!!

CHRISTMAS 09 HERE AND THERE

2009-12-29T07:48:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas both with the D. family and the T. family. We celebrated mid December with Jeff & Pam, then here with Ken & Jacquie later.

These are random pictures of both times. The Chinook

Dinner with A-G at her new table set

K.A. at his new airport

Making gravy. Delicious!

C.H. trying our his new table set

Dinner at our house. A guest we don't often have. What a pleasure!

C.H. likes pink too

A new book

Carving the ham.

It was so much fun to get together with everyone. We love you all.

GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU!!

THE CHALLENGES OF READING A STORY

2009-12-26T15:22:00.000-08:00

This story time was rather distracting. The reader was focused but the listeners were not!

This story time was more of a party that a story time. I am not sure that I even know what the book was about and I am definately sure that neither N.B. or K.A. do either. Good thing I don't have to write a book report about it. I do believe that N.B. and K.A. had a very fun time though!!

ANOTHER DECEMBER BIRTHDAY

2009-12-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

N.B. turned 9 yesterday. It was a long day waiting for the pizza and cupcakes. Yes, pizza again! It seems to be the favourite birthday meal in our family. Oh, and also waiting for presents. N.B. had a party early in December with his friends and this was the real day family one.

We all enjoyed our time together very much!!

The cupcakes were quite delicious too.

I believe 9 will be a very good age.

Thanks for having a birthday and inviting us over.

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY!!

ANNIVERSARY FLOWERS

2009-12-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

Jeff and Pam, A-G, and C.H. gave Paul & I these flowers for our anniversary. The day we received them it was very cold in our cabin so we left them at P. & J.'s. The next day when we came back they looked so beautiful on the shelf beside A-G, I took this picture.

The sad thing is that we forgot to take them home with us, so we only have the picture to remind us of them. They look really good with A-G. They will last much longer this way!! Thanks Jeff and Pam for the kind thoughts of us, and it is kind of nice that you got to enjoy them too.

44 YEARS

2009-12-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

Could it be possible that we are old enough to have been married for 44 years? Doesn't seem like it could be, but apparently it is. This picture proves it!

We celebrated our anniversary at the Red Lobster in Lacey, WA. Great food, and of course the company was great too. Just us!! 44 years sounds long, but it seems like the years have gone by quickly.

I want you to know that we did not order this dessert, it seems that they bring dessert to people who are celebrating something. It was very delicious too.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!

FIVE AT LAST

2009-12-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

A-G has been saying for some time that she is almost 5. Well it has finally arrived. She is 5 and we were there to celebrate with her. Also celebrating, although not in the pictures, are Chuck and Grace, Jeff and Pam, and of course C.H.

We had pizza and cupcakes. The cupcakes had double chocolate frosting. Delicious down to the last sprinkle!

C.H. loves chocolate too, mostly he ate frosting, in fact, thats all he ate of the cuppies!

We all had such a good time celebrating with A-G. We plan to be back next year for 6. Thanks for being 5 and giving us a reason to party...Love you all!!

AUDREY'S CHRISTMAS CACTUS

2009-12-04T13:07:00.000-08:00

We were at Gerry and Audrey's recently and discovered that Audrey has a huge Christmas Cactus. It is absolutely beautiful!! It had alot more blossoms to open when we last saw it. The little one in the background had white flowers on it. It looks really great too.

We had a Christmas Cactus in our house in Kamloops that came with the house when we bought it. It never bloomed, in hardly grew, but was still alive when we sold the house 13 years later. They seem to have staying power, but I believe they require more care than we gave it.

Audrey's is so pretty and actually blooms at Christmas time.

THE GUITAR PLAYER

2009-11-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

K.A. loves to play the guitar, or I should say try to play the guitar.

This way works...

So does this way...

No matter which way he holds it or what position its in, the music is the same. He is an amazing player!! And lots of fun too!

IS SKATING REALLY A SAFE SPORT?

2009-11-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

Gerry was skating recently with B. and C. and took a tumble. The results were not good. He has a broken arm and dislocated shoulder. I am told it is quite painful!!

Apparently skating is not as safe as you would expect, at least not for some!!

Get well quickly, Gerry.

You look much better with 2 usable arms. We are praying for you!!

HOW MANY MEN DOES IT TAKE TO....

2009-11-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

fix a lamp for a sister? Does it take only one?Or could it be that it takes two? I wonder?

Maybe its three?

Look at this, I'm sure its three!!

It just takes one Anne to turn it on, stand beside it and make it look good!!

THE WILD SLIDE RIDE

2009-11-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Jacquie, N.B. and K.A. recently went to a place called Jungle Jack's for an afternoon of fun and frolick. It was a pro D day.

K.A. did not want to go into the place at first, but there was enough fun stuff for little guys to keep him busy too.

As you can see they all had a wonderful fun time!!

FAMILY FUN

2009-11-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

Jeff plays wildly with A-G and C.H. They usually love it, especially C.H.

C.H. loves playing with Jeff.

We had a great time with Jeff, Pam, A-G and C.H. They are so much fun!!

THE ALMOST FIRST HAIR CUT?

2009-10-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

K.A. was scheduled to have a hair cut last Saturday. Some of his hair is coming over his ears and his Mother doesn't like that.

BEFORE
On the way in...

N.B. enjoying a video game while the wrestling match is on...

More discussion...

More wrestling...

AFTER

Nice haircut, eh?

VISITING THE CABIN

2009-10-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Visiting the cabin is more that just visiting the cabin. In fact, mostly it's not about the cabin at all but about the family that live down there. Paul and I went on one weekend and I stayed for the week with P., A-G, and C.H. We had a great time. A-G is wearing the T shirt J brought back for her, also the stuffed animals he brought them. A-G enjoyed stuffed animals more than C.H. does.

A-G enjoying the day, she is a pretty happy little girl. Enjoys life fully...

P. and C.H. after bath time. Going to get the jammies on then to bed.

I love Mommy

No more pictures, please Grandi!!

WHERE DID THESE PEOPLE GO?

2009-09-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

I love both of these pictures. What fun to look back and see ourselves...

LONG AGO TRIP TO VICTORIA

2009-09-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

We went to Victoria from Kamloops for a vacation weekend and probably some days added on. The ferry ride was so windy we could hardly be on the deck. We look like we will be blown away "out to sea". This holiday was probably in about 1984?

These horses look very tired. They are probably not working anymore!

We had a very good time together. One of the many fun vacations we took as a family. When we lived in Kamloops we often went to Vancouver or Victoria for a few days. Good memories!!

TRAVELING WITH THE WIDOW SISTERS

2009-09-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

This is the "widow sisters" getting ready for the day. Anne is the hair dresser of hair dressers.

When we toured the cabin area, we were fortunate to see this deer. He/She stood for the longest time just looking at us, of course when I went to take the picture she started to run. We did have a long look first though. We will have to keep that picture in our minds.

At Jeff and Pam's for dinner.

A-G and Auntie "En"

C.H.

Looking Good is what these two do best!!

The time went so quickly. It seemed like we just got there and we were getting ready to leave again. We all had a great time together. Thanks for coming with us...
Lets do this again sometime?

A VISIT TO MOTHER'S

2009-09-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

We were visiting Mom and Anne a couple of weeks ago. We all had a very good time. Anne always does such a good job of her hair. She looks really good!!

We had a fun time with her.

It is always soooo good to see our Mother!!

SWEET!!

2009-09-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

What sweet pictures these are...

The reflection in the mirror behind is Al. Its hard to tell on the blog, but very plain in the picture.

Sweet people, sweet day!!

THE REST OF THE PICTURE

2009-08-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what you find when you clean out a drawer. I am still not sure what the occassion was but I believe this is Mother's Pizza.

Glad to find the other piece of the puzzle!!

OUR ALBERTA VISITORS

2009-08-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had company for lunch from Alberta. My dear Uncle Ernie, his son Richard and daughter Mary and Richard's daughter Jenn. Paul even came home for lunch.

They have been traveling in the Seattle area for a few days and are now on the way home.

We loved seeing them, and hope they will travel here again soon, so we can show them around our area. We enjoyed their visit soooo much.

Thanks for coming!!

( I apologize for these pix, they do not do some of our guests justice, but they are all I took.)

RIDING STYLES

2009-08-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

Bike riding is such an individual thing. I didn't realize it until I started taking pictures of N.B. learning to ride and saw some pictures of others riding.

Jeff

N.B.

Learning has its ups and "downs". On this fall N.B. said "I'm dead on the road, call the hospital"!! He recovered fully and was able to ride again.

GOOD WEEKEND

2009-08-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great time on the weekend shopping, resting and having Jeff and Pam and the grands over for dinner on Sunday.

Pam and Jeff played at tennis and had a fun time hitting the ball back and forth. The grands ran back and forth across the court getting the ball. Everyone had alot of exercise running for over an hour. Good on all of them!!

Just swinging...

Just looking good...

Oh, how we love our family!!

50 YEARS AGO!!

2009-08-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

My family always had a summer vacation from the time that we had a car. We camped in a tent before it was stylish to holiday that way. One year we went somewhere? and it rained the whole week we were away. We came home, dried out our tent and left again for a few more days of rain. We were gluttons for punishment. My Dad loved to see places, talk to people and just be look around here and there. My Mom was not very fond of camping but Lee and I never knew this until we were older and the camping days were over. She obviously did not complain about it at all or at least when we were around.

These pictures were taken on a vacation in August 1959.

Lee and I feeding chipmunks and squirrels at Miette Hot Springs, Alberta.

Mom and I at Tunnel Mountain Campground in Alberta

Lee and I feeding chipmunks on road to scenic viewpoint of Sundance Canyon, Banff, Alberta.

These pictures were all taken on the same vacation. I don't necessarily remember but I am sure we had a great time.

Lee and Darlene have just returned from a 3 month vacation in Italy and we have been to Olympia countless times, Kelowna, Barkerville in May and Lynn Canyon on the weekend. It goes without saying "vacations have certainly changed" in many ways but they still bring wonderful experiences and memories each time.

We are so blessed to be able to travel as we do!!

BC DAY AT LYNN CANYON SUSPENSION BRIDGE

2009-08-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

Paul and I had never been to Lynn Canyon in all the years we have lived down here. We went with Ruth and Gary on B.C. Day. The scenery was spectacular and as you can see the bridge is quite long. One of the nice things is that you can touch on both sides if there are no other people coming from the other way. It is quite an exciting walk across!!

Once you are across the walk is very uneven and light and dark in the forest. The trees around are old and very tall.

Huge rocks in the creek and there were literally hundreds of women, children and men enjoying the water the rocks and just whatever there was to see.

The day was beautiful sunny and warm.

We walked to the area where the people jump from. They jump from three places. Two are lower and one is quite high. Each spot just keep taking turns jumping. Needless to say none of us jumped!!

Gary was not so crazy about the trip across, but he endured it.

The rest of us loved it. It was a wonderful day out in the sunshine. We felt like tourists in some exotic place.

Great BC DAY!!.

JULY VACATION

2009-08-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

We spent almost 2 weeks at the cabin in July. We had our whole family together for some of that time. It was a most wonderful time for Paul and I. We love it when everyone is together!

The pictures are the complete opposite way they should be, I cannot seem to get them to move today, so you have to look at them from the bottom up!!

Jeff arranged a day at Northwest Trek. It is just a wonderful wildlife sanctuary very close to where they live. This picture of A-G was taken there. It is the only one I took in the park unfortunately. I just got distracted by all that was going on around us.

Ken and Jacquie and K.A. came for the weekend and they had to canoe out for a ride. K.A. playing with Papa, always fun!!

The new canoe, what fun this will be? Paul loves it, I am not so sure!

Jeff riding N.B.'s bike! C.H. being C.H.

N.B. getting ready to ride his bike. There isn't much place to ride at his house, so he is going to learn while we are at the cabin.

A-G and N.B. playing a new game. Not really new, just new to them!

Arriving at the cabin to spend 10 days with Grandi and Papa. It was just fun and we all learned lots of things about one another.
Paul, N.B. and I watched 4 Karate Kid movies, 3 Dr. Doolittle movies and there could have been one other one I cannot think of. We watched a movie most evenings. The days were full of visiting with Jeff, Pam, A-G, and C.H., swimming, learning to ride a bike, canoeing and just plain playing.

What a good time we had!!

CHANGES AT THE CABIN

2009-06-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

We recently spent a week and some days making some changes to the cabin. Paul and Chuck moved the stairs from the front to the side to make more room in the short driveway.

Paul also put up some lattice in the front and the sides. The lattice has to be completed down the sides, but it looks very nice.

This is what it looked like when we left. We were quite excited about the improvements. It was more of a working holiday than a playing holiday this time...at least for Paul!!

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY TO YOU

2009-06-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

C.H. turned 2 last week. We were there for the day and the party. He was a little awe struck at first, but recovered nicely when the presents started coming.

A-G really enjoyed seeing all the gifts too. She commented favourably about each one of them!!

C.H. got a new bike too. He was not very impressed with a helmet but he sat on the bike long enough for a few pictures.

The cake was delicious, the singing ahh mediocre..

We all had a great time.

We were so thankful to be there for his birthday party!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY C.H.

OUR AMERICAN SWEETIES

2009-06-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

A-G and her Care Bears. There are some that are not in the picture. Who could not love a Care Bear?

Gramma Grace brought A-G a flower from her garden.

C.H. looking his best.

We had such a good time with these two, and their parents, of course!!

GONE SWIMMING

2009-06-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time at the pool with A-G and C.H.

At first C.H. was not crazy about the pool or the water. He got better each day.

C.H. decided that he liked the pool and the water the last 10 minutes of the third and last day that we planned to swim. We stayed an extra few minutes so he could continue to splash and play. A-G enjoyed everyday all the time we were in. We spent one and a half to two hours in the water each day. It was a great introduction to the pool for both of them. We will do it again really soon!!

ENJOYING THE PARADE!

2009-06-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

Every year Pitt Meadows has a great parade. This is just a few of the wonderful people that come out to watch this parade.

K.A. and some of his cousins

N.B. and a friend

Ruth and Gary

We all had a great view and thoroughly enjoyed the parade. It was great!!

A NEW TRAMPOLINE!!

2009-06-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

N.B. and K.A. just got a new trampoline. This is the second time they were on it with Papa. It seems to be getting a lot of use already.

K.A. is not so sure about this. He is always trying to get out of it. He thinks its a giant play pen, a play pen is a play pen, he was never very fond of them at any time in his short life!!

We will all enjoy it for the summer. What fun!!

THE BROTHERS

2009-05-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

Tim, Gerry, Paul, Ken, Ben, Keith

I love this picture...

SISTERS AND COUSINS

2009-05-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

Meeting at Tim Horton's to drop Anne off to come to our house.

Thanks Lois and Elsie & Ernie for bringing her to us.

We had a great time, as usual.

OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BABY!!

2009-05-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is the newest member of the family with Joanne. G. is a gorgeous baby boy. He slept the whole time he and Erin were with us.

We had the pleasure of meeting him on the weekend. What a joy!!

E's. special baby...

Suzanne and Auntie sharing a moment.

SOME PEOPLE CAN...

2009-05-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

K.A. can play the piano in any position!!

What fun...

I LOVE THE PIANO

2009-05-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

K.A. always enjoys playing on the piano. He can now get on and off the bench himself.

All a person really needs is a good cup of coffee and some good music!!!

AWANA SPARKS OVER

2009-05-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

N.B. has been in Awana Cubbies and then Sparks for the last 5 years. He has learned more bible verses that we can count, answered questions, played games and for the most part had a wonderful time. The picture below he is saying the verses he learned for the week.

He has received prizes every year. This is his final year for Sparks and will move onto the next age group of Grade 3 - 6.

He received the final plaque and goodie bag recently. I have been a helper all of these 5 years, but not sure if I am up for the next age group. We will see in the fall. I have enjoyed Sparks as much as N.B., I think.

SWEET NEW PICTURES

2009-04-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

I just spent the weekend with Pam, A-G and C.H. We had a wonderful time. Both Paul and Jeff were out of town.

They are so sweet. I had such a good time at their place. What a joy they are!!!

MORE CHICKENS

2009-04-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

N.B. went with a friend to visit a farm.

What would happen if I squeezed this egg?? Ugh!!

They had a wonderful time, collecting eggs, watching the chickens etc.

A great time was had by all...

THREE MORE SWEET MEMORIES PICTURES

2009-04-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

And time marches on!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

2009-04-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

Ken and Jacquie

April 10, 1999

Happy 10th Anniversary

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT CHICKENS

2009-04-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

Jeff and Pam were given 8 chickens about a year ago. This is the house that came with them. They quickly outgrew this place and have been sort of homeless for the last while.

Honey and Chickie are the only ones left. The rest are somewhere else, perhaps someone's lunch. No one knows!!

Meet the new babies, soon to be living in the new chicken house...

with fancy nest boxes...

and a new place to roost...what more could a chicken want?

And finally the new chicken house.

The landscaping is not finished yet and there may be other touches to be added. Other than taking care of the chickens, collecting the eggs and whatever else is involved with chicken farming this building project seems to be coming to an end.

It has been fun to watch this develop.

VISITING THE FAMILY DOWN SOUTH

2009-03-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend with the D.'s down south. We had a great time with the Grands. They are such a joy, I just sit and watch them play.
C.H. loves to be outside and look outside. He always talks about the trees. There are lots of trees in view from this window he is looking out.

C.H. reading...

Pam taking it easy. We had a very relaxing time with Pam and Jeff and at the cabin.

We drank gallons of tea from this tea set!!

A-G likes to put toys, stuffed animals, care bears, anything in neat rows.

more neat rows...

C.H. does not like to put things in neat rows, he even sometimes likes to mess up neat rows!!

As we leave they always look out of A-G's window and watch. It always makes me sad when I leave.

We love you all!!

2 TODAY...WHAT A PARTY WE HAD!!

2009-03-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

The guest of honour is not too sure about all the people and action going on.
Another guest, a friend of N.B.'s

N.B. enjoying himself

Look at all the presents!!

K.A. was not too sure about all the presents.
He really likes the tape. What's a party without tape!!

Still enjoying the tape.

Help with the candles from big brother..

More help with the candles from Daddy...

Oh, these presents are fun after all. I wonder how many times Jacquie and Ken will pick up all these balls? Any guesses??

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, K.A.

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!

TOURING A MILL

2009-03-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Paul usually takes N.B. swimming on Wednesday after school, but this past Wednesday they had a tour of a mill that our friend Gary works at.

I can't tell you anything about this tour or mill because I wasn't there, but it does look interesting.

Sometimes we need a little help from a friend!!

This picture of the eagles was taken at the same mill, but at a different time. They are beautiful...
Paul and N.B. had a great time...thank you very much, Gary!!!

FUN WITH THE GRANDS

2009-03-05T09:16:00.000-08:00

A-G and Papa

K.A. and Papa

C.H. and Papa

N.B. and Papa

Is there anything more fun than the Grands...I think not!!

SWINGING DOWN THE LANE

2009-03-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

Cool in the shade and warm in the sun.

Jacquie, K.A. and A-G.

WINTER AND SUMMER

2009-03-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

I complained BITTERLY about the cold and snow this year. This picture of my Dad made me think our winter was not so terrible...even tho' we had lots of snow.

Again, my Dad, but more recognizable and probably more comfortable.

He loved to fish!!

WHERE WAS THIS TAKEN?

2009-02-22T16:06:00.000-08:00

Joanne, Cory, Pamela, Suzanne, Dianne and Judith

Does anyone remember where this was taken? Does anyone remember the occassion?

EVERYONE LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE HAVING A GOOD TIME!!!

A VISIT FROM A MISSIONARY

2009-02-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

Last week was our Missions Week at church. On Wednesday morning we had a brunch and our speaker was Lisa Rohrick. She was at our church for the first time. She doesn't usually visit in our area but we were blessed to have her.

She was very informative and has a wonderful sense of humor. From the comments I heard, was enjoyed by everyone.

Lisa talked to the children at Awana on Wednesday night, then spoke again on Friday night. We had a speical dinner, then listened to what our missionaries have been doing in their areas.

It was a great week. Thoroughly enjoyable and interesting to learn what our missionaries are doing. Thanks Lisa, you are a blessing!!

COUSINS

2009-02-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

I recently received some grandchildren pictures from an old friend. I was thrilled to hear from her and to have new pictures of her Grands. It made me start thinking about relatives and who's who and what's what and all that goes around and around, so here's the scoop...

Paul T.

Paul T. and Paul A. are first cousins. They have a set of common grandparents and they each have a parent who are siblings.

Paul A.

Paul A. Kerrilyn, Paula (missing Charlene) and Pam
Paul T. is the first cousin once removed (meaning removed by one generation) to Charlene, Paula and Kerrilyn

Paul T. Pam, Jacquie
Paul A. is the first cousin once removed to Jacquie and Pam

Jacquie and Pam

Shirley, Colleen, Kerrilyn, Paula, Charlene, Jacquie, Pam (not in order)

Jacquie, Charlene, Paula, Pam and Kerrilyn are second cousins
They share great-grandparents

Paula, Charlene, Jacquie

Charlene, Paula and Kerri are second cousins once removed to N.B., A-G, K.A. and C.H.

Charlene, Jacquie
Jacquie and Pam are second cousins once removed to K.M. and R.C.

K.A., Jacquie, N.B.

Pam, A-G and C.H.

Kerri and K.M.

Paula and R.C.

N.B., K.M., A-G, K.A.,R.C. and C.H. are third cousins

They share great great grandparents.

N.B.

K.M.

A-G

R.C.

K.A.

C.H. and K.A.

C.H.

Shirley

Mother and Grandmother to Charlene, Paula, Kerri, K.M. and R.C.

Colleen
Mother and Grandmother to Jacquie, Pam, N.B., A-G, K.A. and C.H.

Shirley and I are not related in any way, but we are old friends.

BOTH THREE

2009-02-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

This is an old (not really old) picture of A.G. with Auntie "En" at her 3rd birthday party.

This is an old picture of Pam at her 3rd birthday party. It is a bit older than A-G's picture.

My Dad is to the side of Pam.

They are both pretty adorable. Pam still has a 3 in her age.

Love you both!!

REMEMBERING THE PAST

2009-02-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of my Mom when she was about 18. She has been gone from this earth for more than 30 years, but I still miss her.

Her name was Phyllis Eileen.

Below is my Mom and Dad. They look happy!!

Just reminiscing. My Dad has been gone for many years too. I miss them both!! They were both lots of fun. Especially my Dad.

FROM SAD TO HAPPY

2009-02-04T09:20:00.000-08:00

Away back in September N.B. got a new kitty called ChiChi. She had surgery a few weeks later and did not survive. N.B. was very sad.

A few days ago a new kitty has come into his life. Her name is Lucy. She is a very sweet girl and fits right in with every one and especially N.B. She loves to sit on laps and be petted. She also purrs beautifully.

She is loved already, she's a keeper. I guess you could say she is purrfect!!

A MORNING AT THE CABIN

2009-01-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

We always have Jeff and Pam, A-G and CH over for pancake breakfast when we are at the cabin. The cabin is quite small so breakfast is manageable. Then we watch cartoons
all morning. Pam and Jeff don't have T.V. so the kids love to watch, especially A-G. C.H. doesn't really care about cartoons at all. Jeff did not come, as he was working this time.

We just visit and watch. I watch the Grands, thats my entertainment!!

We were just there for 5 days, but it seemed like quite awhile. We saw lots of the Grands and had a wonderful time. We are so thankful for the cabin. Hopefully we will spend more and more time there each month as it warms up and the weather gets better.

THE PUZZLE

2009-01-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

A group of friends gathered at Gary and Ruth's house on New Years Eve. We played games, ate, visited, joked, laughed, waited for midnight....we also started this jigsaw puzzle. I put approximately 10 pieces in, so I cannot claim much of the fame on this.

Ruth had K.A. a few days later and he was fascinated with the pieces and kept trying to take them away. Ruth was worried as she neared the end that a piece might be missing or even more than one.

As you can see, they were all there and it is complete.

WAY TO GO GARY AND RUTH!!

WHAT A PRETTY PICTURE...

WILL THIS NIGHTMARE NEVER END?

2009-01-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

And here we are again, it just goes on and on....

Shoveling again!!!

AND YET ANOTHER BIRTHDAY!!

2009-01-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

It seems that the year goes by so quickly. The young long for their birthday, the old not so much!!

The alternative, of course, is not have one but that doesn't seem so good either. So I will continue to have them and smile and enjoy each one with those who like my company.

What a great birthday it was. Thank you to everyone who made me feel so special. I love all of you.

2009

2009-01-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!!

GUESS WHO'S EIGHT?

2008-12-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

N.B. turned 8 on Tuesday. We had a fun party and great gifts.

Indiana Jones showed up, what a surprise that was...

The cupie cakes were great, made by Grandi and N.B.

Other guests included Grandpa and K.A. They look like they are in party mode.

What a good time we all had. It was a little bit chaotic, getting the gifts unwrapped and the food on and everyone sitting together but we managed. HAPPY BIRTHDAY 8 year old!!

AND THE SNOW CONTINUED

2008-12-26T08:59:00.000-08:00

Paul continues to shovel the snow. The pile by the side of our driveway is about 8 feet high.

And its still snowing...

looking up our street...

N.B. and a friend in N.B.'s back yard on Christmas Eve day.

They played out in the snow for a very long time. It was so deep they ran out of steam and had to come in. We will definately have a White Christmas. Although I don't think I have ever dreamed of having one! I hear we are having more snow today. Will it ever stop?

SNOW, SNOW, SNOW

2008-12-21T13:55:00.000-08:00

We usually have a lot of rain where we live and Paul always says "at least you don't have to shovel it"

Well, sometimes we do have to shovel the dryer kind of rain. It does look beautiful before it gets all dirty and it is terrible to drive in. It is still snowing here.

HAPPY SHOVELING!!

GUESS WHO'S 4

2008-12-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

Here's the Birthday Girl, looking every bit her grand old age of 4. The presents were great!

She had good help to assemble them...

The cake was beautiful and the singing (which you cannot see or hear) was even more beautiful!!

We all had such a fun time. What a joy to go to a Birthday party. Thanks A-G for having a birthday and letting us share in your special day.

DINNER WITH OLD FRIENDS

2008-12-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

I just had dinner with some friends from many years of working together. Some of them I have not seen for more than 3 years. Some are retired, some are off for other reasons and 3 actually still go to work everyday. We had a lovely time of talking and catching up on all the family and old office news.

Thanks for thinking of getting together. I wish each of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a JOYOUS NEW YEAR.

Hopefully we will be together again next year or even sooner.

THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER

2008-11-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

Could it be that this is the last rose of summer with a bug in it?

That little dark mark at the top of the rose really is a bug....

RELIVING THE SUMMER

2008-11-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

This summer we had a BBQ for Paul's work and friends. We played this game with glazed donuts hanging from a tree and each person had to eat one as quickly as possible with their hands tied behind their back.

As you can see the competitors were serious!!

And the winner is? Our one and only Ken. It was a sticky sugar fest and a very popular game. We all had a great time... I am sure we will play this again next year. Oh yes, the rest of the party was fun and the food was great. Most important of all the people are so special. We love them all!!

NEW VAN

2008-11-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

Jacquie and Ken have a new van.

Could these pictures be of the next drivers?