I didn't get anything posted in the past few months.  Not because I didn't have anything to post, but because it has been just too hard to post without decent internet.  As I have said in previous posts, the lack of internet has been the biggest frustration since setting out in my trailer.  So here it is, April and we are in California at Dennis' place and I can finally take the time to catch up.  This post takes me back to..

JANUARY

Because of the pandemic surge, we held off with our planned trip, south to California, then east to Florida and up the east coast to where we left off on out trip last fall, then cross back over the lower mid states.  

Well, it took 3 extra months and being fully vaccinated for us feel safe about hitting the road again.  I talked John into leaving the trailer for his birthday.  We went to the Salishan by Lincoln City.  The restaurant was closed, but we could order room service.  Housekeeping was only allowed to our door to deliver fresh towels.  A few places in town were open for eating.  We walked the beach and it was even sunny.  We hiked to Drift Creek Falls.  I mostly wanted to hike there in order to see the suspension bridge, but the falls was extra special too!!  

Way last spring, the girls went with me to pick out yarn for me to make them a cape.  Josiah also wanted me to make him a gray sweater.  I loved having a project as we traveled to fill the spaces when the internet was so awful while we traveled.  I finally managed to finish them all and delivered them to the kids.

We took the kids for a hike to the Columbia River.

One of the biggest events of the month was getting our first vaccines!  Jimmy's home asked me if I wanted one along with him and I said yes.  Then I asked if there was a chance my parents could get any of the extra shots.  We were so happy that we were all able to get one.But for my parents this was HUGE!  They had been totally secluded since last March.  My kids qualified for theirs for either medical or education, and Cyndi and Dan received theirs because of using their plane for Angel Flight. Here are a few of us.

Here are three of the birthdays that we celebrated this month. John, Johnjr, my Dad, Emily, Ariel too, but didn't get photos of them all.

For Joshua, the biggest event of the month, most likely his whole life was his leaving to begin his Marine training!!! He flew out and had to do a 14 day quarentine before the actual boot camp began. Graduation is in April and we are all hoping that it opens up to the public so we can share in his acomplishment. 

So proud of him!!!

    

The day after Thanksgiving, we moved the trailer to an RV park in Salem and spent a week with the Salem Dixons.  It was excellent to spend so much time with them!  We went for walks at Ankeny Park, Minto Brown and Basket Slough, had relaxing times without having to hurry off and Emily invited us to her place for dinner one night.  That is so weird to have your grand-daughter cooking for you!  What a reversal!!!

John and Rachel showed us their spot to see owls!

Silver Falls

We celebrated Lina's 6th birthday.  My youngest grandchild is 6!

We took Lina birthday shopping. For her birthday, there was a drive-by for everyone to wish her a Happy Birthday.

The day after the birthday, I suddenly felt awful, headache, swollen glands and tired.  I was thinking it might be the starting of COVID, so I did an online assesment and was asked to get tested. I didn't want to spread it around if it was.  Results came back the next day and it was negative.

This was my decorating for the year.

Daniel had to get his tonsils and adnoids removed.  What a great way to feel for the holidays.  Oh well, since it had to be done, why not this year when nothing else is going on.

I took all the ingredients to Salem and we had a candy making day.  There is just no way I could have done my candy in the trailer and it was really fun to make it with the girls.

I took the ingredients to Jessi's house and we made my cookies there.

Josiah helped while on his hoverboard.

Lindy went to Colorado to see her kids there, so I got dog duty.  Jimmy sure loved me bringing Maggie in for a visit.

Because of the virus, we decided to heed the warnings and we split up our celebrations.  It wasn't the way I always want to celebrate, but it worked.  It was going to be a weird one for me anyway, since I don't have a house this year, so we all made it be a fun time.

First was the Salem Dixons. Dinner, gifts, boardgames, and an arm wrestle...Grandpa vs. Josh.

Then came the California Dixons.

We watched Gabe lead the Christmas worship service online and also watched the boys open their gifts via FaceTime.

Next came the Veras celebration. It was super windy at the trailer, so I spent the night with the Veras' on Christmas Eve.  I arrived late and had these sweet notes left for me on my bed (Josiah's bed that is).

I had a little fun with my crystal ball and their tree.

And a little birthday cake for JESUS.

Another shot of my crystal ball and my Mom's tree.

McCool Christmas was out on the covered back porch.  My Mom cooked the usual meal, but only about a tenth of the amount of food.  My Dad wheeled it out on the teacart and we ate all spaced apart. It is going to be so weird to go back to normal!!!  At the moment, we have not been inside my parents house since last March.  Only a little bit longer and we will all have the vaccine and we can begin to adapt back to our old customs.  

It feels so good to be back in Oregon!

But, I can't say it is just perfect because it isn't the same living in the trailer as it was traveling in the trailer.  When we traveled, I was busy going on hikes and seeing the sights.  But now, we have not been hiking and I have seen the sights around here that I have wanted to see.  I find something every day that keeps me busy, but I don't like not having a real house to have my grandkids and kids visit.  With the predicted COVID-19 virus getting worse after the holidays and the southern states having record cases, we have decided it would be best to postpone our plans to travel right after Christmas.  So the decision for right now is to begin looking for a house and wait it out until next year to begin the travels again.  I have found a few houses online and we have been doing drive-bys.  We have toured a couple.  Right now, with it being winter, fewer homes are on the market and add on the virus and things are pretty slim in the home buying business.  It is not a rush, but I know I can't just live in the trailer if we are not traveling. 

The 6th of November is Joshua's birthday.  We drove to Salem and took the 4 of them to lunch.  Just after that, the governor closed restaurants back down a second time because of the virus.

The next day was an online play the Gabe was in.  He tried out online, did a call back and was selected for the part of Peter a mute boy.  Even though he didn't have lines, he had hard work to learn to express himself without words.  The acting company that does these plays really did a good job of getting it online instead of onstage.  I went online to watch the performance.

And then came Josiah's birthday on the 12th.  He had a couple of friends from school over and there was a drive-by for family and friends to wish him a Happy Birthday.

His parents gave him a fishing trip on a boat.They had to go away overnight to be there at the crack of dawn when the boat left. So I got  to spend the night at their house with the girls. We celebrated with a breakfast out and piles of pancakes. 

We had sad news that my Uncle Dale passed away. He was like a brother to my Mom and my Dad.  He was such a special uncle.  Each of my sisters and I think he thought we were more special to him that the other.  How does a person do this? He had pet names for each of us and we didn't really notice that until the past few years. Even after Aunt Carlene died, he continued to write Christmas cards to us.  I loved him. He will be so missed!

The last of the fall colors was beautiful and I saw some gorgeous sunrises from my back window.

I love it that the grandkids know how much I love certain things.  Hearts, bugs, butterflies, birds, chipmunks...and rainbows.  One day I received a phone call with an excited voice telling me to "look outside 'really quick'.  Its a double rainbow!"  I ran outside with my camera and captured a few shots as they drove in to watch it with me.

Just across the road is an historical house and a tree called a pointing tree.  In the settling days of Oregon, Indians used these kinds of trees to point out directions to certain things.  

All spring and summer, we were still able to visit my parents outside.  We took our own food and didn't go inside the house since March.  Well, with typical winter weather coming on, my Dad closed in the back porch.  They have a little gas fireplace out there already.  He made sure there is plenty of ventilation and we are still able to sit a ways away and visit with them.

The hope was that they could still have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner out there.  Well as time clicked on, my kids said no way did they want to risk exposing everyone in that area.  They each decided to have their own dinners at their own homes.  And so it was just 6 of us spaced out at two 8ft tables.  My Mom cooked the whole meal and my Dad wheeled it out to us.  Each of us had our own serving bowls for our very own private dinners.  Afterwards, we took home whatever was leftover in those bowls and we threw our plates and plasticware in the trash.  Not traditional and I hope we don't have to repeat it, but it was still nice to have a tiny resemblance to normal.

Two days later, the same six of us met up again at the same spaced out tables and celebrated Mom's birthday.  Cyndi had a special video message for her from friends and family.

And that brings us to December.  Vaccines are on the way, but it looks like Christmas will look like Thanksgiving out there.  The grandkids and great-grandkids are all seeing Grandma and Grandpa at a distance, all on different days.