Portland and Points of Interest

We spent Memorial Weekend in Portland with Jenn and her family. The children are growing and changing so much, we try to see them every six months at least. What a beautiful city with giant size blooms on bushes. These are the same ones we have as flowering plants because they don't grow larger than twelve inches here.

Tillamook Cheese is a few hours west and the great sandy beaches. Cannon Beach with the Haystack outcroppings are dark fortresses full of bird rookeries. The Portland Temple, Saturday Market, the OMSI museum and Portland zoo were other stops we made.

This is definitely a city we need to visit again. A river runs through it and freeways and bridges crisscross in many places. Why don't you meet us there?

Tillamook Cheese Factory

Cannon Beach with a Haystack in the rear

At the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) predicting the weather

Portland Temple

Mad about something. 

Beautiful huge flowering bushes

Saturday Street Market Fountain

Do a Dodge

We have a newer truck 2001 Dodge Ram 3500 dually.  You know the kind everyone hates because of the big hips (four back wheels), so to speak.  Well that is just what Allan wanted to pull the heavy loads from all the concrete jobs coming up.  After he decided on the right truck, he came right home and cleaned out the old one.  The contents filled both the recycle and garbage can to the top. 

His old truck stood taller and acted much prouder having been emptied of its 200+ lbs and seventeen years of accumulation. The transformation shocked passersby, even. KSL and the roadside parking spot are touting the 1995 best side. The miracle is that we sold it in three days to a man in Vernal, meeting in Heber to make the transaction and getting paid in cash. Super Yeah! Farewell old Dodgee Podgee. Hello new one. 

Now we just needs some horns to put on that front grill.  Don't you think?  LOL!

Seventeen? So Soon

It is Mauri and Aaron's seventeenth anniversary today.  Hard to believe.
On this day, May 9th not so ago here's what happened:

The first member of our family got married.

Stormy all week, but clear and beautiful on this day.
The gray van ran out of gas on the freeway, with many of you in it.
Wheeler Farm Barn was decorated with quilts, cloths and oil lamps.
Her colors were dark green, navy and maroon.
Everyone wore vests, levi skirts and cowboy boots.
We did a mock ceremony with Gary Gibbs conducting.
Remember when the ants swarming the nut bowl?
Delicious apple & cherry pie, eclairs, veggies & such.
Finishing the basement apartment for them.

They certainly have learned alot since then. So have we.

The Limo Life

I lived the Limo life.  It was my first.  We were invited to a night on the town by some new friends who happen to have a limosine.  We never imagined they would bring it, but sure enough at 6 pm the doorbell rang, with the stretch car sitting in front of the house. We were wisked away to Joanna's Restaurant for a scrumptious prime rib dinner along with two other couples, eight of us in all.

Then we headed to the Off Broadway Theatre to see 'Sheerluck Holmes and Snotson' with front row seats. What a hoot the play was with its laugh a minute jokes.  How exciting to step out onto the busy sidewalk from the car, with so many people watching us. I could get used to living that life, at least for a while until the bill came.

Oh, that all neighbors could be like these. I smiled all night long, even in my sleep.  I was in the lap of luxury.

All Over April

April fooled us all month with its jaunty jokes, wacky weather and sweet successes. 
Here are the top ten teasers for the month. 

1.  90 degree days preceeded and followed by 30's. 
2.  Hot nights necessitating opening windows.  Never happens in April
3.  Pea plants growing six inches in five days.  Barely pushing out of the soil.

4.  Bean seeds germinating and emerging.   Did we really plant them this early?

5.  Our first marathon family member, Dave.   He ran it in Pennsylvania.

6.  Figuring out how to and be able to Skype w/family.

7.  Purse falling in the toilet, wetting pants laughing while wiping off the water splashed all over in order to use and not quite making it.

8.  Gretchen having nine baby bunnies, all surviving and growing.

9.  Making three delicious and quickly devoured cheesecakes.

10. Date night in a limo with a prime-rib dinner & staying away in the play afterward.

2012 is one third complete.  Here's to May being just as terrific!:)

Birthdays, Balloons and Baptisms

Before time gets away from us here are a few photos of Sarah's baptism standing with dad, David just before the blessed event on March 11th.  What a great decision to be baptized and bring more joy into her life.    'Being eight is great' so after much coaxing from Sarah, mom Alicia, agreed to a birthday party.  Intent on decorating Grandma Vawdrey's famous sugar cookies, the children frost, taste and sprinkle to their hearts content.  Streamers of circles and beaded yarn criss crossed the room with a big banner, too.

Blow out them thar candles, said Grandpa Vawdrey just after lighting all eight of them and standing back to see Sarah arrayed in blue, blow for all she was worth at the giant cupcake lounging loftily before her. 

Having grown some Sarah, was excited to get these fancy white heels and tried them on with anticipation.  They look great, but I may need a larger size, please.  Blown up balloons beckoned for her to boot, bounce or burst to find what treasures were inside. 

See His Snore Silencer

While trying to find ways to spend the final $120 in my flex spending for 2011, I read about a snore guard. Just ask your dentist, the article said. I called on the spot and made an appointment for our king of night noise makers.

It works!! He is now the 'last man snoring' and I get to sleep without all the clatter, like an out of control freight train, going on in the room. Did I say, silence is golden? It sits on his pillow like a Hilton bedtime truffle waiting for him to retire. Yeah, we did it! Problem: The Flex account ended on March 15th and the appointment was March 19th. All $120 was lost, but the $200 snore silencer is a God send. Next time, PAY ATTENTION TO THE EXPIRATION DATE GIRL!!