Here are highlights of the week with Emily and Joshua here. It is so hard to narrow the pictures down, but here are my favorites.
Joshua was a bit nervous on the first ride up the lift...his little hands tell it all...but it really is a LONG way down!













It only took us one time up with the kids and they had all the confidence they needed to go it alone. Next thing we knew they were not even riding up with each other!




There were so many activities up there for them to do!

Misc. pics of the week.
Emily and I went for a couple of walks, the first picture here is one she took of our shadows, isn't it good? Joshua decided the swings needed backs, so he added in one of their little chairs. Emily and I started working on some knitting for the little babies that will be joining our family this fall. And of course we had to have a game of Monopoly.

Remember those giant marshmallows we had on the 4th of July? Well, I thought it would be funny to get mini marshmallows as a joke for the next fire and batch of Smores...topped off with Teddy Grahams and chocolate chips, we used toothpicks to toast them. They thought it was funny, but actually, they were REALLY GOOD!

We have this little game we play, the grandkids and I...as I tuck them in, I ask them "What was YOUR favorite part of today?" I ask them and they ask me. Sometimes we add in what was your worst part of today.

We always have so many things that we did each day, that it is fun to hear from them what their best part was. This week, we got to ride horses at Aunt Lindy's, hot tub at Great Grandma and Grandpa McCool's place, have lunch with them and Aunt Cyndi three times, play with my friend Pat's grand daughter, have a fire every night and make smores while we drink our lattes together, go see 'Despicable Me', and the biggie, on Wednesday, the plan was that we were going up to the Alpine Slide on Mt. Hood. It was a blast! They not only got to slide down the 1/2 mile slides, the got to ride up on the ski lift for their first time, jump on a giant trampoline, ride go carts, ride tiny canoes, mini golf, inner tube slide, hit balls in a real batting cage...the list goes on, they really have a fun set up there.

But MY favorite part of the WEEK was not any of that. Mine was on Wednesday morning. The kids had been telling me that we could not eat breakfast, that we needed to go to McDonald's. They never just ask to go out for breakfast, that was weird to me. We worked it out so that on the way to the mountain, we would stop in and have breakfast. As we headed up to the counter, Emily, so in control and grown up said..."Just find a place to sit down...WE ARE TAKING CARE OF IT!" I was like, "WHAT?, well, OK, here is some money go ahead.." She said, no way to the money, that she and Joshua were paying! I was not about to let them pay for it, but they were determined, Joshua grabbed my hand and started pulling me to a table and said he would guard me there, and told Emily to go on. And he did, he just sat there giggling while we waited for Emily to return. She came back with three sausage McMuffins and three boxes of something I had not seen before...THAT was the surprise...something that they had had with their Dad and just KNEW that I would love. Cinna Melt is what I think they called it. And they were right, it WAS good! So THAT is what my favorite thing of the week was...not that they bought my breakfast...but that they thought up a surprise FOR ME...that was so cool! It is so amazing to see them so grown up!

My WORST part of the week? Having to take them home on Friday!

I had special company last week. Joshua. The morning after the 4th, Emily was headed off to Summer Camp so we decided that Joshua should stay here for a few days of 'Grandma Camp'. It was unplanned, so they had to make a quick trip into the store to buy him a couple pairs of underwear and a pair of shorts and shirt because all he had with him was what he had on and that was jeans and the forecast was HOT and sunny. He told me later that the reason that he decided to go along with his parents to buy the new stuff was that he was afraid that they would come back with something like ‘Dora the Explorer’ underwear or something. He has his own special way to make me laugh.


It is not very often that I spend time one on one with the grandkids, so it was really special to have the time to get to know him all on his own. He liked it that he was getting to stay without his sister too, but it was nice to see how often he let it be known that he missed his sister. Some of the activities I suggested he declined saying “no, let’s wait until Emily is here to do that with us” We had a bonfire every night and he got to burn a stick to his heart’s delight. Fire is so fascinating to little boys, but especially for him. I let him pick out where we would have lunch and so I had the pleasure of eating fast food burgers EVERY day (he didn’t like any of the places I suggested), BUT he loves his coffee, so that was nice to have my morning and evening lattes with him. We went to see two movies while he was here. First, ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, it was so cute. The next day we decided on ‘Toy Story 3’. It is 3-D or regular. Now, I have never seen a 3-D movie, so I thought it sounded like something he would think was cool. But as the time got closer, he seemed to be getting a little nervous. Just before it began, he asked me how scary I thought it would be. TOY STORY?? SCARY??? Somehow, he put the 3-D part together with scary movies. When it was over, he went on and on about how it was NOTHING that needed 3-D glasses for! He liked it, but I think that he would have liked it better if I had not taken him to a 3-D one so that he would not have been so worried beforehand. I liked it too…but I am wondering…AM I THE ONLY ADULT WHO CRIED AT THE END? Isn’t it so nice that they make those cartoon movies for adults as well as kids?

p.s. we were the only ones in the movie, so that is why I was able to take pictures.

and don't forget, you can click on the pictures to see them bigger.

I saw a new recipe in the paper for these. Whoopie Pies.
A cross between a cupcake and a cookie. Filled with marshmallow creme frosting. They looked so fun, so I decided to make them for the 4th when the kids were planning to come up. I made Chocolate and Smores ones. The Smores were my favorite. Made with graham flour and filled with the marshmallow frosting and dark chocolate ganache.

John and Rachel and Emily and Joshua drove up after church. First we picked the raspberries and then we had ribs along with a bunch of salads, then we toasted marshmallows. Take a look at the size of those marshmallows I found! HUGE. The kids loved them. Joshua especially liked it because he could burn it, tear off the burnt layer and then burn it some more! After that, they lit off some fireworks.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!! Father's Day had a little bit of a different celebration to it this year. John announced to the family that today was his last day of meat cutting and being the dept. manager. No, he is not retiring. Not yet...but he had himself transferred to a different position. Tomorrow morning, he will begin training to take over as the store secretary. Don't laugh, well, OK, laugh all you want!...he is too! He thought he might just be the first and only store secretary, but found out that WINCO has FIVE other male secretaries. It will take a few weeks to pick up his duties, but once he gets it all figured out he thinks he will like doing something different until retirement. For the first time ever, he will have weekends off and will not have to wear long underwear to work in 100 degree weather. On his way out of the store today, he picked up a cheap bottle of champagne to celebrate his news with the family before we had Father's Day dinner at my parents place.

airport again? already? you would think it would get easier, but I always hate having the kids leave. This time, not only my kid, but HER kid! unreal...but God willing, they will all be back in September!

We went to Newport for the weekend. John ran a marathon on Saturday morning. He was really happy with his time: 3:50:40. It has been raining and raining here this spring and it was raining all day on Friday, but Saturday morning, we woke up to beautiful clear skies. A great day for a run. Especially since he was the one that got up at the crack of dawn to run it, while we slept and leisurely got up to sip on lattes.

As it turns out, the house we rented was right on the course, and they ran past our house two times at the beginning of the race, so we got to sit there in our lawn and see him run.

We loaded into the car and headed to the finish line a couple hours later on, we dropped Joshua off about 2 miles from the finish line and he ran in with his Dad.












After the race, we went to the tide pools. We always like looking at all the things that live there, but this time, I had an extra bonus. Of course I had my camera and I wandered a ways past where everyone else was congregated, somehow, I didn't even notice some little signs posted that told everyone not to pass....REALLY! I did not see the signs....and so I got all the way to the end of the beach, and I remember thinking, WOW! Why aren't more people down here? I saw some waves crashing up on some rocks, so I climbed up to get some better shots of the waves and on my way up, I noticed on the wall behind me...sea gulls nesting...so cool, I have never seen nesting seagulls. But an even better surprise was in store for me... SEA LIONS!!! Right there ahead of me, there they were laying in the sun...but to make it even better, a BABY! He was in the water and making all kinds of noise trying to get up where his mother was laying. Finally he made it up and started nursing, I took so many pictures. I decided I better get back to the group, since they had not seen me slip away...and there behind me was a park ranger telling me that I was out of bounds and was not supposed to be there! I think that maybe she believed me as we walked back and I showed her how I got to where I was....there really is a way that does not go by those little signs. Oh well, I got great pictures!!!

Jessi made it home...of course that was 2 weeks ago...we've been so busy, shopping (she CAN'T go home without maternity clothes, right?), lunching, meeting up with old friends, seeing family, Julie came from Phoenix with her new baby for a weekend and then the next weekend Alan brought his family from New Mexico. I could not wait to see her pregnant belly...which has already grown from her first day here, the blue photo was day one, the dress was a couple of days ago. We went to her midwife for a visit and on Friday get to go see my little grand baby on the ultrasound.





The weather has been record setting wet, but in spite of that, we have had tons of rainbows. In between downpours we have managed to get a few walks in and when it is too rainy we have done her 'Fitmama' workout DVD. It is yoga and salsa dance. I could not believe how pregnant I felt after the first time...my back was aching! Julie, her college room mate from Phoenix came up for a visit with her newest baby, Drew. He is such a content happy baby to have around. Jessi had not met him yet. It was so much fun to see those girls together again. We drove around to all the local places that they used for filming the 'Twilight' movie. We have had lunch out almost every day, except for the days that we had the flu...oh yuck!...that was horrible, I got it first and thought it was food poisoning, I can not remember the last time I was that sick. Two days later, before I was feeling normal yet, Jessi started throwing up...thankfully, it only lasted a day for her. John started feeling like he might be getting it, but to his relief he made it without getting sick. Alan and Melinda and Makena and Alana (AJ) were due in at noon on Friday, we had to call and let them know we were not doing too well. They decided to get a hotel when they arrived and see how things went. We were so happy that by Saturday morning, we were pretty much back to normal and they came on out and spent the rest of the weekend with us. They have such cute little girls. So with all the little kids and babies around, Jessi and I got a little practice in for when her baby joins us!Today, I cut her hair...normally when I cut her hair, it is just a blunt even cut. But today, when we got the highlights in, she decided it would be fun to try to do the haircut on the front of the highlight box. UMMM....that was a bit more than I know how to do, but we decided the worst thing that could happen was that we would have to rush someplace and have them fix my mess. Surprisingly, I am pretty proud of it! Sure, there are some rough spots, but not too bad if I do say so myself. Jessi always has been a pretty brave one!

Sometimes the only pictures you get are the ones you take in your mind. Maybe those are the best kind to have. Everyone knows that I love to take pictures. I try to carry my camera with me most of the time, ‘just in case’.

Last week, I knew that it would not be appropriate to take my camera with me. We went to a funeral. I did not even consider taking my camera with me. It is not the place or time to be snapping away at people’s lives like that. But something happened in that short span of time that made such a deep impression on me. It was one of those moments that you take it in and close your eyes and take that mental picture to bring back to mind later on. It has come back to mind many times the past couple of days.

Our close friends Fred and Pat had to say goodbye to their son. It was an unexpected goodbye, it happened suddenly without the physical chance to say goodbye, to let go. That moment was not given to them. He was only 40. He seemed so healthy. He had a 6 year old daughter. And then he was gone from them.

So there we stood last Friday afternoon, huddled together with Fred and Pat and their family, under a small tent and a few umbrellas, trying to stay dry on the outside from the pouring rain, all the while tears flooded their souls. Their daughter read a letter she wrote, full of hope and love and gratitude for the time that they were given with Freddy, a few others shared some thoughts and memories, many cried outloud, the pastor spoke, then another pastor asked us all to join in prayer and THAT is when my ‘picture moment’ came. It was then that Fred, who already had one arm wrapped around Pat, who was also holding Freddy’s daughter…it was then that he reached behind him and grasped on to his daughter’s arm. Sitting in her lap were her own two daughters, her free hand clasped onto her father’s while at the same time both of her girls hands were resting there as well. Right next to them was their other daughter with her husband standing behind her, holding tightly to her shoulders as if he were trying to take the burden of grief from them for her.

I saw this family bound together by this pain that they were feeling, I saw their faith holding them there. Those arms of Fred’s seemed extraordinarily long and I knew that they were not only FRED’S arms, they were the arms of GOD holding Fred as well. Their tears were not of unbearable, un healable pain, not tears of anger or hurt. It was obvious that their faith and hope was on the God who was holding them through all of this. No questions asked, if God allowed them to go through it, then it was what they would do.

I saw a family at their most painful moment, but also at their most closest moment. At the worst moment that we all hope never happens to us, and yet even at their worst, I saw them with the MOST. They showed me love, a family’s love, their love, GOD’s love. Thank you Fred and Pat for allowing me inside your most intimate moment with your family. It is a treasured photo. God bless you!

Man! Has it been a busy two weeks since I quit my job! Exactly the reason I felt I needed to quit. Blogs go backwards in time, but this entry I am going to start with the first and move on down so it is all in the right order.

John's parents decided to move back to Portland from Oxnard. Mark flew down from Montana and drove them back here in a rental truck. They spent the first night (Thursday) here at our place and then then Friday, we spent the day unloading into their apartment. Then Mark stayed with us for a few days and we helped get them all settled into their place. On Saturday, Mary arrived from Idaho. She takes a yearly trip to the beach with her kids and so had already had plans to see us on the way. It worked out perfectly so she was able to see Mark and her parents too!

Tuesday night, her daughter Jennifer and husband Josh and their kids Haley and Connor stayed the night too! Lucky for me, Jennifer is a hairstylist and I was in dire need of some highlights and a cut. Of course it is not to cover the gray, right? She did a fantastic job!

Mother's Day was a bit unusual for us. My nephew, Lindy's son David and his wife, Beth, just adopted a girl from Ethiopia. Two years ago they adopted a baby from there and while they were there, they fell in love with her too! They came home and started the paperwork to bring her here too. After all this time, they finally were able to get her home! Welcome Meri!

Spa Day.

As I've said before, Lindy has her birthday in March, mine is April and Cyndi is in May, so a few years back we decided to get each other a spa certificate. Then for Mother's Day we go together and get one for Mom. That way we all have paid massages and we go have them together. We have been to quite a few spas, and all are really good, but the past three years we have gone back to Ruby's Spa at Edgefield McMenamins in Troutdale. It is close to home, and has plenty to do right there on the property so we can spend the whole day. Yesterday, we started with lunch on the patio. What an awesome day! So warm and sunny, I actually have a little red line from the sun! We wandered around the place, then had our massages and then went out to the hot mineral pool and soaked. After that we met up with the guys for a while. They stayed for dinner, but John had a work meeting, so this year we didn't have dinner together afterwards. Happy Mother's/Birthday to us!!!!

I turned in my key today...all done at LOFT. Not sure what to call it, I can't really call it retirement, because I only worked there 1 1/2 years, and of course it has no benefits, I can't call it maternity leave since I won't be going back, besides, I'm not pregnant, Jessi is, so I really can't call it much except quitting. I have soooo much coming up in my life in the next while. A ton of company, I LOVE company and I want to be around to spend time with them all, and Jessi will be here in 3 weeks for 3 weeks, a long weekend at the beach with John and Rachel, Emily and Joshua, a trip to LA to meet Dennis and Abby's baby when the arrive back from Korea, (still not sure WHEN that will happen, but know it will be this year), and then of course wanting to be around when Jessi has the baby later in the fall. Rachael, the store manager was always so perfect at making sure that I had off any day I requested, but after taking a look at my calendar for the next few months and beyond, I knew that there was no way that she would be able to work that kind of magic to give me all that time off and still have me be a manager. Nope. I had to let something go and work was the obvious choice. It was the only choice if I wanted to enjoy all the good things coming up. A month ago, when I realized I need to make some choices and I told John I thought I needed to quit, he said "But you LOVE your job!" and I did...it was fun, and I really loved it when I took on the manager role. (I wasn't the store manager, I was a manager on duty.) I will miss it, miss the ladies I worked with, miss the play money, miss the fantastic discount on clothes. It was always fun to help somebody find an outfit for an event, whether it be a wedding, job interview, concert, or even a funeral. Sometimes, they would see something I had on and say, "I want that!" Now, I have never considered myself a fashion type person, but it was a nice ego boost when somebody bought something because they liked how it looked on you.

I will laugh when I remember all the things we didn't like there too, the clients who would ask your advice but not believe your answer, like which color they should wear, and buy the opposite, what size looks best, but buy the bigger one anyway, picking up the clothes they left in a huge pile, clients who spent the whole time on the phone...even at the register while paying...kids EVERYWHERE, falling mannequins, the amount of theft, unbelievable!!! and the craziest thing that happened EVERY day...some of the women would be kind enough to hang the clothes back up...INSIDE OUT!...yes, on hangers inside out! What the heck? ...so many little things that some days are nothing and other days very annoying. But I will miss it all....well....maybe... in a few days.....maybe? Funny how much I loved it until I knew I was going to be done there.

Today was my last day. WOW! What a long day it was...I felt like I was just going through the motions, good thing nothing really important happened there today, I was in survival mode only. How can a clock move so slow? Especially that last hour...tick...tick...tick...tock! I was outta there!

and then guess what I did? I met John and my parents and Cyndi and Dan (Lindy had to work, or would have been there too) and we had a little 'retirement party'. Yep, some people will think up any reason to celebrate! That's ME!

I tried a new recipe last night that was so fantastic that I have to share it! Normally, even though I love to eat shrimp, I avoid cooking shrimp at home because I just can't seem to get it right and they taste terrible.

Well, last night, I got it right! Maybe it was just that I bought some better shrimp than I usually find. WINCO had some really nice jumbo wild shrimp. Don't know if it was because they were wild or jumbo or whatever it was, but they were so good!

The recipe is a soup, but since it was mostly brothy, I served it over rice. It has red curry paste, which I have never used, I thought it was going to be spicy, but it was not, only a medium curry flavor that didn't overpower the coconut milk. I have one more serving left for my lunch, I can't wait!


Here goes:

Coconut Shrimp Soup
3 cups chicken broth (I used 3 c water and 3 tea MSG free bouillon)
1 14-0z can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 tsp red curry paste
1 T fish sauce (I didn't have any, so I used oyster sauce)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tea minced garlic
1/2 tea salt
1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 scallions (green onions) sliced very thin
a sprig or two of fresh cilantro, chopped

1. In a medium pot over medium high heat, combine chicken broth, coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, ginger, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
2. Add green beans and cook 2 min. Add shrimp and 1/2 of scallions and cook until pink, about 5 min.
3.Put a cup of rice in bottom of bowl, pour soup over, top with the rest of the scallions and cilantro. Makes 3-4 servings.

I can't believe I ate the whole thing!

really...
except for those tiny slivers I shaved off for John and Rachel and Emily and Joshua...

the rest was all MINE...

a whole cake...

BUT!..It was MY BIRTHDAY!!!!...

time to hit the road...

I took a photo class last Sunday. It was so much fun! I can't believe that after all these years of taking pictures, I really don't know that much about how to really use the camera. I am finally learning how to use all those settings. Sunday we started out in the studio for some basic info, then headed to the Chinese Gardens and finished up at the waterfront. She had specific things she assigned us to do and we have to send her our assignment photos and she will critique them for us. I am especially happy with what I learned about night photography. Did you know that the hour before and after sunrise/set that the pictures you take will have a blue sky? It is called, believe it or not, BLUE HOUR. It was dark and cloudy when I took the photo above, but looks like it was mostly clear and blue sky. There were storm clouds up there and it even dropped a few drops of rain on us as we were leaving. I feel like a whole new world has been opened up to me and can't wait to take more.

Wishing you the Blessings that God has planned for you this Easter!