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Saturday, July 28, 2018

I think this is the busiest summer I have ever had!  So many things happening that don't normally happen for us and they are all happening at once.  But it is all good.  Better busy than with nothing to do and nowhere to go!
The month started off with Mom getting a knee replaced.  It all went well and she was up and walking before the end of the day.  She has done so well that she is already done with her therapy before the month has ended.  She is determined not to let anything keep her down and Dad is the perfect nurse/therapist/cheerleader.  Of course, since she had her surgery on the 2nd, she wasn't able to celebrate the 4th with us this year.
Our neighbors, John Sandy,  Dennis and Jean and Emily's future in-laws joined us.  It was really nice to meet the newcomers to our family and it felt like they have always been a part of this family.  They just fit right in.








 It cracked me up when I watched this little video.  They sure moved fast, right?
Ariel and I spent a few hours picking my friend Wally's blueberries.  
I still can't believe that we are actually going to have a wedding!  Emily invited me along on their wedding dress hunt.  It was so amazing to see her try on the gowns.  She only tried on 5 and knew she had found her perfect dress.  Of course, I won't be posting it until after the wedding in December.
 The yard is still showing off its colors.
 and so is Mt Hood.
From the very first ,when we first moved in here, I have wanted to see if I could get to the river directly from my house.  Joshua really wanted to go along and help me get there and so we made plans to do it someday.  Well, that someday came and the two of us headed on down.  It was  pretty steep right at first and then once we got to the treeline, it started leveling out.  Josh had his machete along and hacked his way through to make me a trail.  And 1 1/2 hours later, we were there!  Once we got to the bottom, we noticed 4-wheeler tracks and then there was a huge high gate with cameras and signs saying NO TRESPASSING NO EXCUSES ACCEPTED!!   well, of course we didn't go in the gate, but we did go on into the river.  We soaked our feet a while and then headed back on up towards the house.  After we had gone up for a little while we started hearing a sound like a caterpillar or some kind of tractor, but we never saw it.  Then suddenly we started hearing dogs.  They were barking and getting louder and louder as they came closer!  Josh and I were going so fast, which was extra hard going back up.  Finally the barking stopped and we were able to catch our breath. We were so tired!  the trip down was 1 1/2 hours, coming back...1 hour!  not normal to go faster coming up than going down.  Josh choked me up when once we were back to the house, he said "Grandma, I am so glad they stopped coming after us, because I really didn't want to have to kill a dog."  Poor guy, not only was he trying to get himself up the hillside, he was worried about protecting me!
The deck on this place was rotting when we moved in and so we decided that this summer we needed to replace it.  John (son) and Ariel and Josiah all got in on tearing it off.
 I helped a little on the tearing off and putting back on and it was my job to stain it.  The kids enjoyed a lunch on the deck after it was done.  We still need to get the railing and steps done.
 
 It has been years since we camped.  Jessi and family invited us along on a trip to Wallowa Lake.  I have never been there, but heard so much about it.  It held up to its reputation.  Totally gorgeous.
Deer wandered around out campsite, we biked, we fished, we hiked, and kayaked.




I had to show the kids how to make my favorite camp recipe.  Camp Chicken Nuggets.  The girls helped me get them ready for the coals.
Josiah just had to fish.  and fish and fish.  He never caught anything, but it didn't seem to matter.  He fished.  We even rented a boat to get him out there closer to the fish, but still nothing.
 While we were in the boat, Jessi and the girls tried out the kayaks.  Arianna even went on her own.  The next day, we all rented kayaks and Josiah learned to go alone too.


We were home for a day in time to wash and repack and off we flew to see Dennis and Abby's new place.  It is gorgeous and they were pretty settled in, so there wasn't very much to help them unpack.
Home again with a week before we head off to Florida with the older two grandkids to celebrate Josh's 16th birthday.  Every day was loaded with something to do.  John's Dad had a cataract surgery, and then our nephew Dan and his wife Tamie and daughter Danielle stopped in for a couple of days.
July was a  packed month, but everything was something I wanted to do.  I wouldn't change a thing!

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