Merry Christmas

On the 18th we had a pre Christmas celebration with Joe and Sheri at Round Table Pizza. Kyla and Emmy came but alas, Jed was ill. Kelli, Isaac, Jill, Wade, Brian, Charo and of course Dave and I were all there. Lots of fun and laughter. Thank you Joe and Sheri!

Too much Christmas fun

Kyla, Emmy, Jill and Noah

We had a wonderful Christmas. Emmy spent the 20th with Gram and Grandad making cookies for Santa. Christmas eve was spent at GG and Grandad Max having clam chowder and oyster stew. Brian, Charo, Kelli and Jill spent Christmas eve and Christmas morning after opening gifts and having brunch we spent the afternoon and evening at Mike and Linda’s. They put on a spectacular dinner for all the family.

Cookie Exchange, Birthday Dinner and Tree Cutting

Friday Dave and I did some Christmas shopping for a few hours and got a few things. Saturday Kyla, Jed and Emmy went to a cookie exchange and came back with lots of great cookies which they brought out for a treat that night. We had a birthday dinner for Charo and Wade Saturday evening and watched "A Christmas Story".....one of my very favorites.


Sunday I managed to drag all the Christmas decorations down out of the attic and have begun to decorate. In the afternoon we took Kyla, Jed and Emmy to cut our Christmas trees at the Munsell tree farm in the pouring rain. We ran into Joe and Sherry who were there to do the same.


After that we went home and Dave made chili and we had hot chocolate and watched "The Wizard of Oz".....it was Emmy's first time.

MRI Results and Happy December

Kyla and Jed returned from San Francisco early today. Her scan was clear!!!! What a blessing! Dr. Chang is now weaning her off of Tegratol (her seizure medication) so she is happy about that.

Emmy spent the night with Dave and I last night and we watched Frosty the Snowman before bed time. She is so much fun.....this morning we had a trauma. She stepped out of the car at the UO and tripped and fell in a mud puddle soaking herself and her bear. Luckily I had her clothes from yesterday in the car and so off we went to my office to wash and change clothes. Happy Birthday to Wade!

Thanksgiving

Barb and I made a quick trip to Vancouver on the 22nd to watch Jordie, Addie and Lexie for Pat and Kristi while they attended Pat's brothers wedding reception. They are a very busy little bunch of munchkins but we had fun. They are growing up so fast. On the 23rd all the kids came for dinner. The only other bit of news was we had a very nice Thanksgiving with Dave's family. Poor Kelli had the stomach flu on Wednesday so she wasn't feeling too great all weekend. Brian and Charo went to Baker for Thanksgiving and stayed with Loretta and Ralph. Charo met most, but not all of the family. She was feeling pretty overwhelmed but she thinks Baker is like the towns in all the old western movies. Of course there were lots of people wearing cowboy hats and boots so no wonder. I would have tried to make it out to Christmas shop a little but I was too tired from cooking all day Thursday so Dave and I just stayed home. We did manage to do a little on Sunday but not much. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.....I know I have much to be thankful for. Happy Birthday to Brett and Charo and Happy Anniversary to Ralph and Loretta.

New Job for Kyla and Weekend with Emmy

Kyla started a new job last week in the admissions office at the University of Oregon. Emma is in preschool at the UO so it works out well for them since Jed also works on campus in the Graduate School. Brian took Charo to her first Blazer game in Portland a week ago and I guess it was kind of non-spectacular.....not a lot of excitement. Dave and I kept Emmy all last weekend and took her to see "Brother Bear" with Brian and Charo. She loved that movie and I must say I really got a kick out of it also. I highly recommend it.

I had lunch with Sue Rich, an old friend, and as usual we laughed until our sides hurt with tales of my Baker visit. I saw my doctor for my knees and now I am doing some physical therapy to strengthen the muscles. Hopefully this will help. We kept Emmy again this last Saturday while Kyla and Jed went to a movie with GG and Grandad Max and then had dinner with all the kids. Happy birthday to Celina, Carrie, Patti, Tony and Jacob.

Spanish Party, Quick Trip to Baker City, Birthdays and Happy Halloween

We had dinner at Charo's home on the 24th and her father, Domingo, was the main chef. Of course Charo was a very gracious hostess.....it was wonderful!


Charo's family wanted to experience carving pumpkins so we gave them two and they had maybe a little too much fun.


Sunday we hosted the party for them at our home. Kyla, Jed and Emmy were there as well as Jill and Wade, Kelli and Isaac and Brian of course. Jen Simonds provided some entertainment and even with the language barrier, everyone seemed to enjoy the party. Dave cooked a mean salmon on the BBQ and Kyla was such a great help. She made a fabulous dip that was gone in the first half hour and was the main dish washer for all those many dishes. My boss and his wife also came and Sharon just took charge and was working along side of Kyla.

My mom had back surgery last week and is now home but needs help for a while. My sister in law, Laura, helped her until my older sister and I could go home. So it was off to Baker for a week to feed dogs, cats, horses, do some winterizing of her yard, clean house and cook meals. She seems to be getting better but it is a slow process. We returned on Halloween and I missed both Brian and Dave's birthdays. However, we did manage to make it to our nephew, Braedyn's, birthday party on Sunday. Lots of birthdays this month.....Happy birthday to Max, Lisa, Marisa, Dave, Brian, Jen, Braedyn and Happy Anniversary to Max and Delpha.

Fall Upon Us

Things are going well even with the scooping of pounds of leaves from our pool each day. Curious how the world works. The trees are all becoming ablaze with color now, though yesterday and today it feels like summer....in the 80's. It is all so beautiful yet so much pain and suffering is happening at the same time. I choose to think we are given all this beauty because we may not be able to get through the bad things if we didn't have something positive to focus on.


We went to dinner with Charo's family last week at Dos Amigos. Brian and Charo treated everyone to a great Mexican feast. It was a first for some of her family members but I think they enjoyed it. Since they speak no English and Dave and I speak no Spanish poor Brian and Charo were trying to keep up with translating. They are a very nice family and seem to have so much fun together. This Friday they are going to cook a Paella for us which is one of the most famous Spanish dishes with seafood and rice and looks something like the picture above. We are excited to try it......it is Brian's very favorite. Sunday we are hosting a dinner for her family and friends and some of our family. I think it will be around 30 people give or take a few. It should be lots of fun with some entertainment and lots of food. It also doubles as a birthday party for Brian and Jen Simonds and a going away party for Charo's family. They will be going home on the 27th.

This past weekend we cut all the pumpkins even though some are still green. They look so festive sitting on the deck. I mowed the lawn and pulled weeds while Dave burned our huge wood pile. I also worked on our bathroom for part of Sunday and then went to a bridal show with Jill and Kyla. We watched most of the fashion show and I have to say those little flower girls modeling was worth going. They were so cute! We managed to get her toasting glasses and a scroll which takes the place of a guest book. I had never seen one before and it can be framed with all the signatures of the guests.

Another MRI, Fun with Emma, Giant Tomato, Sears Saga, Spanish Boy

Kyla and Jed just returned from San Francisco where Kyla had another clear scan. Amazing isn't it? We are so very happy about how well she is doing and depending on what Dr. Chang says in December, she may be able to be weaned off of her seizure medication (Tegratol). She has had no seizures since the first one when this was diagnosed in December of 2001 so we are hoping that at some point it will be safe to take the last medication away. Dave and I kept Emmy while they were away and had a great time as usual. We fed the chickens, the cat, Oreo and Buster (the cows). I also had some great help in dusting the piano, we baked cookies and picked tomatoes and pumpkins. Speaking of tomatoes, we took this picture a couple of weeks ago of Emmy with our big tomato, mostly to tease Dave's dad. I think the fact that she is holding the "BIG ONE" with only one hand might be a give away about the fact that we zoomed in on the tomato. But Dave swears it was huge. We also took her to her swim lessons where of course she is doing great. All in all, we had a great time.



September just flew by. A few of the things that we did......I had a great birthday. Dave took me to the coast for the weekend where we had dinner at LaSerre in Yachats. We met with Jill and Wade on Sunday and went to see the place where they will be getting married next September and met with the scheduling person at the Best Western in Newport where the reception will be. We now have that all taken care of. Jay, my youngest brother worked so very hard picking those Northeastern huckleberries and sent me enough for a pie for my birthday. I was so happy because I love to pick those berries and I haven't had a chance for a couple of summers to go home and do that. Dorothy, Isaac's grandmother, took Dave, myself, Kelli, Isaac and Gail (Isaac's mom) to dinner at the Olive Garden. She is such a sweet lady and very interesting. I found out she is working on her 8th novel and has written her memoirs already. She just has such a zest for life and is cherishing every moment. I love to be around people like that.

The continuing saga of our Sears appliance repairs continued but we finally have the condenser fan and ice maker working in the refrigerator after 5 visits and the bottom oven working. All of this on appliances 2 1/2 years old. We spent a fortune at Sears when we moved in to this house and now we have this $400.00 repair bill.

We found out my mom has diabetes and at the same time hurt her back so is looking into surgery for that as soon as they get her blood sugars stabilized. John, my other brother, fell off a ladder while installing windows and broke his arm. He had surgery and they wired the bones back together and we are praying that it heals well. He is so blessed to be here.....someone was looking out for him that day.

College classes have started for all and Brian came home from Spain a couple of days ago. He had a wonderful time, loved Charo's family and friends and was not ready to come home. He is now our "Spanish Boy".

I'll try to be better about updating. I have been so busy the past few months with things outside at home and conferences at work that I haven't had time to really do this much. But the good news is that all is well in our small part of the world.....now if only everyone else in our family would heal.

Dinner, Sisters Vacation, Brian Goes To Spain

August has raced past me. Where does the time go?? We did manage to have a special dinner for Brian's friends. Charo's cousin, Isabella and friend, Miguel from Spain as well as Santiago, Luciara and Jen Simonds. They wanted a "traditional" American dinner which Brian seems to think is fried chicken, potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, green salad and apple pie. So that's what they got, but personally I figure people from other countries probably think "Burger King" is traditional (at least in my dreams so I won't have to cook traditional). It was a very nice evening and they are all such a fun group.



Jen Simonds entertained all of us with singing and playing the piano while Emmy danced with her dad.


Monday, the 25th Dave and I joined friends for an Ems game and didn't get home til very late. But we won!!! I just returned from my annual "sisters vacation" where we had a great time. It was so nice to re-connect with everyone. Barb, Loretta, Lisa, Kyla, Kamisha, Kelli and Jill were all there. The only missing one was Kristi....we wish you could have been with us. Kelli made a run to Krispy Kremes in Portland and brought us all back a sample (like we all need that!). We shopped, visited, watched a couple of movies, took a day trip to the coast where Loretta's husband, treated us to a spectacular dinner (no he wasn't there....only provided the funds), made our craft which was a wind chime (mine was so ugly I had to start over later), Barb cooked us a wonderful dinner and her husband, Rick kindly let us all invade his home while he took a trip to visit his family.


Brian and Charo left for Spain today. He will be gone for a month visiting Seville (the city he will live in for four months while there for the exchange program beginning in January), Granada (where Charo now lives and works), Almeria (where Charo grew up) and I think Madrid (but I am not sure about that one) . He was pretty excited and should be arriving there around noon today. What a great experience!!

Most Recent MRI, Newspaper Article, Birthday Parties, and Other Upda

Kyla and Jed went to San Francisco on the 6th and her scan was clear AGAIN! Isn't that the best news? Each time it looks a little better. She was also featured in the local Register Guard which did a followup story on her. The first article was 14 months ago and the second was the first of this month. Associated Press picked it up so we have been getting calls and emails asking about the treatment from the many people that are afflicted with this terrible beast. I just wish there was more we could do. You can read the stories by clicking on the photos left and below.




On Sunday the 3rd we all went to celebrate Greysen's 3rd birthday at Dave's brother, Mike's home. Greysen is our nephew, Jason's little boy. Emma had a great time playing with the cousins and riding around on the battery operated cars. Of course Kyla and Kelli had to clown around being the "2K" sisters.


Other news in the family is that Gary (Dave's brother) had a birthday and Dave went to Vancouver to help him celebrate along with other family members. (Happy Birthday Gary!!!!) On the 15th Kelli moved out to share a house with two high school friends while in college. So far she likes having her own place away from mom and dad. I guess the chicks must try their wings even if it is hard on the mom and dad. Jill has been working long hours to cover for another employee that broke her knee....but she needs the money so that is a good thing. She had a root canal today so isn't feeling all that great and she and Wade are still in the middle of planning the wedding for a year from now. Brian went to Seattle and Vancouver Canada with Charo and some other friends from Spain this past weekend. Had a great time and is hosting a dinner for all his Spanish friends on Tuesday evening (tomorrow). Of course his "hosting" is my "cooking" so I will be busy too. But I enjoy doing it.

Upcoming event......the Fuzi Sisters Vacation. Loretta gets to come this year for the first time. We are so happy to get together and shop, talk and relax with our grown daughters. We missed it last year because of all of the things going on in everyone lives. This year we are just staying here in Eugene and taking day trips to different places but it should be fun. I am so looking forward to it.

Hot July Days, Birthday Surprise, Anniversary, Belknap Springs and Snake

July has been a very busy and hot month. Everything is so dry now which of course makes for a dangerous situation in the forests. But the upside to the hot weather is that our swimming pool gets used almost every day. For as much cleaning all year it is good to see it in use.

The fourth of July began with a real bang! We were preparing to have a few people out when I tore the cartilage in my right knee. So instead of having guests Dave and I spent some time in the emergency room and I came home with a leg brace, crutches and got to ice it for a few days. It is much better now. The kids and Dave went ahead and made the rest of the fourth dinner and we still had a nice time. Our niece, Alisha, was here staying with Barb and Rick that week and came out to visit before returning home to Baker.

Saturday, the 12th we threw Jill, Isaac (Kelli's boyfriend), Shalon (my nephew) and Isaac's brother Jake a surprise birthday party and BBQ. Jill and Shalon have the same birthday (13th) and Isaac's was on the 12th and his brothers was on the 19th. All of Isaac's family came which was quite a few since he comes from a large family. My sister, Loretta was here (Shalon's mom) as well as Schelly and Wade's family and ours. Lots of people and a lot of fun. Isaac's mom and brother, Luke played the piano for us. They are so talented.....a great big thank you to you both!!

Pat and Kristi and the three little pumpkins (Jordie, Addie and Lexie) came for doctor appointments on the 15th. We all got together on the evening of the 16th at Barb and Rick's for a BBQ. It was good to see them and the kids are growing so much. Barb as usual did an outstanding job on the food. Friday, the 18th Dave and I along with Mike and Linda took Dave's mom and dad to Belknap Springs for the weekend. It was an old gift we had promised a year or so ago. The grounds are so beautiful. We took Jill and Wade the following Saturday (this last weekend) to check out the place for a possible wedding site. However, I think they have their minds set on the coast. But it was a nice day trip and we had lunch and wandered around.


Kyla and Jed celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary on the 25th with a day trip to the coast and dinner at LaSerre in Yachats. Emmy spent the day with Jill playing in the park and swimming at our house. We fed her dinner and took her home just in time to see mom and dad before bed.

One last little note.......we had a large snake in our house on Saturday. It looked like a racer (according to our book), about 2 1/2 feet long. It was curled up in one of our sky lights in the family room. We don't know for sure how it got in but we think from the attic. There is somewhat of a gap between the frame of the sky light and the ceiling. Those are new windows so it is well sealed up from the roof area on top the house. It was really creepy but Dave managed to save the day with LARGE tongs and a plastic recycle tub. We let it go outside so we are all safe now. Gads!

Retirement, Birthdays, Graduations, MRI Results and Such

It has been such a busy few months. Sorry for no updates in that time. I will try to sum up what has been going on without getting too wordy.


Following Amber's wedding the end of April, I returned to a very busy week of planning for my bosses retirement event (a two day meeting with guest lectures and dinners). Although it was extremely busy, it was a very fun event.....one of the nicest I have been to at the University. However, retirement for Mike Posner just means he is enjoying his coast property a little more. He is the busiest retired person I know. The main dinner event fell on the same day as Kyla's birthday so we had a small celebration the next day. I am afraid that she got a little cheated this year for her birthday....low key and very slow in getting her gift to her. However, I did manage to finally get her flower boxes for her house and will fill them soon.

The next several weekends were filled with planting flowers, weeding, cleaning up outside in preparation for Kelli's graduation. The last week of May and the first week of June was filled with award ceremonies, senior activities such as senior/parent breakfast, baccalaureate, year book banquet, etc. We then had a nice BBQ party following her graduation. A lot of fun, but very busy.


There were several more graduations! Our nieces, Tristin and Autumn also graduated from high school in Baker. We didn't get to go because of our own activities, but congratulations to both girls! Last but certainly not least, Jed graduated from college! After many long years of work, married life, being a father and taking care of Kyla, he has done such a wonderful job. We are very proud of him. Kyla put on a nice party for him after graduation at their house.


AND Kyla's scan in San Francisco on June 11th was clear! She is doing so well.....thank God for all our blessings. She will be going back some time in August....still every two months.

So Sorry......No Updates Were Done For May

Happy Easter and Wedding Trip

Kyla and Jed had a seminar on the Saturday before Easter so we kept Emmy all day and colored eggs. On Easter morning, the bunny had to hurry and hide them before Em arrived at our house. Hmmmm! Dave and Brian were suspiciously hopping around outside in the morning....either they were helping or eating....I don't want to know. We had a lovely Easter brunch with GG and Grandad Max, Brian, Jill & Wade, Kelli and Isaac and of course Jed, Kyla and Emmy.

We also made the trip to Baker for our niece, Amber's wedding. She was a beautiful bride and we enjoyed seeing all of our family and friends. The weekend went very quick and was not long enough as usual. We got to spend a little time with Kristi and Pat and the kids, had dinner with mom, Kristi and Pat, Barb and Rick and some of the cousins at the "Phone Company", a great little place to eat. We had dinner Saturday with Loretta, Ralph, Shalon and Schelly and got to see the barn and corrals that Ralph built. We put in a late night visit to mom on our way back to town and then of course spent 8 hours in the car on Sunday when we returned home.

MRI Results and a Baptism

Kyla called and her scan was clear again! So now every 3 months she will have a scan instead of two. Dr. Chang told her that the first patient in this treatment program is still doing well....over two years now.

We kept Emmy on Thursday night after Kyla and Jed left for San Francisco. As usual we had a grand time even if Dave was still sick. Em went to preschool on Friday afternoon and was covered from head to toe in grass when I picked her up. They got to play tag and roll down hills in the grass. Well worth the dirt I would say!

I have come down with the same stuff Dave had....wicked.....so Saturday we just stayed home and rested. Sunday Kelli was baptized in the river and of course it was pretty cold and it rained the whole time but she braved the water.

Happy Birthday Emmy and a MRI Scan Date

Emmy's 3rd birthday is today. Kyla and Jed had all of the family over for a BBQ and cake on the 4th. On Saturday some of Emma's friends came and shared another birthday party with her. The theme was a frog birthday and all of their things turned out very cute.

Kyla and Jed leave for San Francisco on Thursday, the 10th for appointments on Friday the 11th. We will post back then.

Goodbye to Another Uncle, Wedding Shower and Rap Music

Dave's Uncle Carl passed away and he, his parents and two brothers attended the funeral in Weiser, Idaho this past week. He got in late Thursday evening just in time for Kyla, Jill and Kelli and I to leave early Friday morning to attend a wedding shower for my niece, Amber in Baker City. We attended the shower Friday evening (Amber will kill me when she finds out that this picture is up).

Saturday we spent visiting sisters, Loretta and her family, Kristi and her family and Barb, who also came from Eugene to attend and help Kristi and Pat out with their little ones. Sunday morning we took mom and brothers, Jay and John and their families to breakfast before leaving for home....another lovely 8 hours in the car. Speaking of in the car.....the girls all made me listen to rap music....they think I am so out of it but I showed them my moves! We arrived home to dinner that Dave had prepared and Wade, Jed and Emmy were there to greet us.

Dave was busy all weekend spreading grass seed and fertilizer in the field, mowing our huge lawn and cleaning up in general. But all that work must have done him in....he is now sick.

Kelli got her hair cut and it looks very cute. I will put a picture up as soon as she lets me take it.

Sunrise, Feathered Friend and a Birthday Party

This morning I caught a beautiful sunrise. Because of the fog and cloudy days that are common to the area this time of year, I rarely get to see them. Later in the morning there was a red headed woodpecker outside the laundry room pounding away at a tree.

Last night was Kelli's birthday party. She invited a group of friends to have hamburgers and cake and then they went on a scavenger hunt. Each group had to video tape the hunt and we watched Kelli's tape the next day. It looks as though they had a lot of fun, maybe too much fun! Gram and Grandad Evans came as well as Wade and Charo and of course Kyla, Jed and Emma. All the girls came back home and spent the night with Kelli and the next day they went shopping. Kelli got some great gifts and although she was tired from watching videos half the night, she was happy.

Happy Birthday Kelli!!!

Kelli, The Birthday Girl!

Today is Kelli's 18th birthday. It is hard to believe that our youngest is just about to fly! We will celebrate her birthday Friday with the family and her friends. She has decided that she wants to cut her hair soon so we will update that later.

My sister, Barb and I drove to Portland to attend our Uncle Bill's funeral. We met up with two of our brothers, Jay and John. We spent some time at our Aunt Ellen's home and got to visit with our Aunt Mary and Aunt Ann and Uncle Cody, who John had brought from Baker. It was nice to see some cousins but as usual I wish we didn't have to wait until sad occasions to see everyone.

Planning a Rose Bed, A Frog, Egg, Bridal Shower and Goodbye to An Uncle

Last Friday Dave and I spent the evening visiting with Delpha and Max and then went to dinner at the Road House Grill. Sunday Dave had to work so I began digging up the sod in front of the garage so that I could plant a rose garden. Kyla, Jed and Emma came and so darn, I just had to quit digging and go in. So it is about a quarter done. After Dave came home, we fed the cows and found an egg. We also found a little frog which Emmy found very funny when he was hopping about.

On Monday Jill and I attended a bridal shower for Jena, one of Jill's long time friends. It was fun and she got a lot of nice gifts. We will be in Baker at my niece, Amber's, bridal shower during the wedding for Nick and Jena so I am glad we got to go to this. The sad news is that my Uncle Bill passed away Wednesday. He will be missed but I am glad he won't be suffering any longer.

Yesterday was quite a wind storm. It uprooted trees which downed power lines. We suffered no damage this year but it was an eerie reminder of last years storm and our new car. Speaking of new things, a co-worker's new home was smashed by a tree. She had just moved in a month or so ago.

This morning I heard some geese honking really loud. It sounded like they were in the trees outside our house. I went outside and there they were....on our roof. I managed to take a picture before they flew off.

Spring Lambs

Saturday Kyla met Aunt Barb and her cousin Kamisha in Springfield to buy some fabric for curtains from the Habitat for Humanity sale. After that she, Jed and Emmy went to Corvallis with the staff from Jed's office to enjoy a day visiting the OSU Sheep Center, where lambs are being born daily. The OSU Sheep Center hosts school children and other visitors interested in seeing up to 800 new lambs expected to make their appearance this spring. They got to see some lambs being born and then went to a co-workers home afterwards for hot dogs. Emma thought that the mother lamb was laying a baby lamb. I guess she has been around the chickens way too much!

Today I went to Portland with Barb and met with our brother John and his wife Lisa. We went to visit our Uncle Bill, who was in the hospital suffering with bone cancer. We met his step-son, Bob and spent several hours with Aunt Ellen and Uncle Bill. Seeing him so frail brought back many painful memories of dad before he passed away but I am so glad we went. While gone, Kyla, Jed and Emmy came to have dinner with Dave.

Valentines Report, A Weird Rooster, New Hens, Nutty Cows and Fun With Emma

Valentines day was fun for Kyla, Jed, Jill, Wade, Kelli and Isaac. The girls cooked dinner and made special desserts for their valentines and decorated Kyla and Jed's house as the "Tunnel of Love" with hearts and lips. The guys were all blindfolded until they were led to the door and when Isaac's blindfold was taken off, he said he thought it was some kind of Gothic decor until he saw the hearts and lips because the tunnel was a gray and black stone wall. They served them a candlelight dinner and then watched "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" after dinner. Jill and Wade went home after that and Kyla, Jed, Kelli and Isaac went bowling.

We (Dave and I) kept Emmy over night and had a great time with her as always. We took her to Alton Baker Park and fed some ducks and geese and we took a walk over to EWEB to see the fountain that sprays water up from holes in the ground. On our way back she picked the one spot to step in dog doo and so off came her boot and we could not get the stuff off. So that ended the park visit and we had to carry her back to the car. So we had dinner, went home and she helped Grandad feed the cows and collect eggs. We got ready for bed and read a couple of stories.

Kyla standing before the "Tunnel of Love"

Jill standing before the "Tunnel of Love"

Wednesday my sister Barb and I went to dinner at El Toritos and then to a movie, "Catch Me If You Can". It was nice to get out together. We don't get to do it that often since I moved way out in the country.

This past weekend was filled with the usual things. Saturday I cleaned house and Dave worked on replacing some outlets and light switches in our bedroom. We went to town to pick out new glasses for Dave and then went to buy three young hens that are laying to add to our chickens.

Speaking of our animals, we have the craziest bunch. I think I mentioned that we have had kind of a strange chicken that we really couldn't tell if it was a hen or rooster. It wasn't laying eggs, but it didn't look like a rooster and we never saw it crow. However, after Dave butchered the other three roosters when they began fighting, I would hear kind of a half hearted sound after the one remaining rooster would crow in the mornings so I was suspicious but could never really catch who was doing it. Well when the new hens arrived he definitely started showing that he was indeed a rooster. I guess he just needed his own harem. The other rooster is really bugging me. He attacked me and Dave this weekend and got a couple of good kicks from both of us. He may have to go! Then there are the strange cows. Little Oreo is such a small shrimp. He thinks he is a lap dog or something. He moos at us every time he even sees movement outside or even through the windows. Then there is the big brown steer that Emma named "Brownie". He is so crazy. Every time Dave goes to feed them, he just practically dances around and he bucks and twists when he sees us coming. Brian watched him chase a deer yesterday and I had watched him chase our neighbors when they were riding on their four-wheelers. Good thing they are all on the other side of the fence. I don't think he is being mean......he acts like he is playing. Of course that starts all of them running.

Kyla and Emmy came to have dinner with us in the afternoon and then Emmy stayed with us while Kelli and Kyla went to see Maya Angelou at the University of Oregon. Jed was meeting with his group from school and then he came and ate and took Em home. Emmy and Grandad spent most of the evening chasing ladybugs and playing hide and seek. The weather was crisp but sunny and we had a delightful time.

Happy Valentines Day

Kelli was in middle school I believe when this picture was taken on Valentines Day. She really got in to the spirit of things......little did she know that those pictures could be used later. Watch out Isaac.
Today Kyla, Jill and Kelli have something special planned for Jed, Wade and Isaac. I can't say what just yet because it might spoil the occasion. However, Dave and I will be taking Emmy out to dinner with us and she is spending the night....more later.

MRI Results and a Day With Emma

Kyla just called from San Francisco with the great news that her scan was clean. We are all so relieved and thankful but none of us as much as she is. Her next scan is April 11th, almost a year since the treatment began. Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes....they make a huge difference.

Emmy and I have spent the day taking a walk in the sun and looking for special rocks, which means I have a pocket full of gravel and what not. She had to have a hot dog for lunch so we went to do that and ended up coming home with a Dora, the Explorer doll that dances and sings in Spanish and English. She loves those toys that drive her mom and dad nuts but what is a grandma supposed to do?

Spring is coming, I feel it!

Settling In, A Trip to the Coast and A New MRI Date

Kyla striking a pose at the lighthouse

Kyla and Jed are settling in their house and busy unpacking, organizing and raking lots of leaves. They did take a break Saturday and went to the coast with Jill to look at places to have Jill's wedding. I think Jill and Wade have decided to have the wedding at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. Now we just hope the weather is good....cant' trust the Oregon coast. However, I guess we can have tents just in case. They are still deciding about the reception location but it will all work out.

Dave and I have been busy picking out the trim for the kitchen end of the house so we can get it put together before Kelli's graduation in June. We spent most of the weekend trimming bushes and cleaning the herb garden. I can't wait for the frost to be gone so I can plant flowers. We did manage to go see a couple of movies.....My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Antwone Fisher. Both were good for different reasons....but I especially like My Big Fat Greek Wedding because it was so funny. Some people say Dave is like the father in that movie and in some ways I have to agree.

Kyla is going to San Francisco this Wednesday, the 12th, for another MRI and we are all praying for great results. I will update as soon as I can after her scan.

Roosters and Eggs, Pizza with Friends, Moving Experience, Marriage Proposal and Happy Birthday Delpha

What a couple of weeks! !

The Saturday before last Kyla and Jed painted in their new home while Dave and I watched Emmy. After a full day with Emmy installing new porch lights and whatnot, we (Kyla, Jed, Emma, Dave, I, Kelli, Isaac, Jill and Wade) had pizza with Joe and Sheri Rose at Round Table then ice cream at Dairy Queen. A lovely evening.

The saga of the chickens continues. On Sunday before last, Emma and I decided to feed the chickens and much to Emmy’s delight we discovered two of the hens have begun to lay eggs again....it looks as though it is an every other day thing right now. You should see the size that the little black hen lays.... smaller than a golf ball. I think it will take about 3 of those to make a large egg. It is very funny. Because we had four roosters, we were beginning to have a few problems with fighting so Dave put on his "Farmer Bill" act and butchered three of them. However, I am not so sure he saved the right one. It is the biggest but he follows me and crows non-stop and now has begun to attack me when I get too close to the chicken pen. He doesn't seem to know where his food is coming from, does he? If he keeps this up, I just might have to have a nice roast chicken for dinner soon.

Last Thursday evening we went over and helped Jed install a new hot water heater in their house. Friday afternoon I took off work to help Kyla clean so they could move in on Saturday. We got most of the kitchen and bathroom done, but not all while Dave installed a new kitchen stove hood. Jill watched Emmy most of the day (thank you Aunt Jill! ) and Jed and Kyla then took us to dinner that evening at Tio Pepe’s, a great Mexican restaurant in Eugene.

Saturday was the big moving day and Dave, Jed and Brian moved all of the heavy things while Kyla and I moved a couple of car loads of smaller things. GG and Granddad Max watched Emmy and provided us with a wonderful spaghetti dinner afterwards. We were all tired and hungry and it tasted great! Thank you so much Delpha and Max! While we were having dinner Jill and Wade arrived and announced the good news that they are now engaged. A tentative wedding date has been set for September 4, 2004. We are so happy to welcome Wade who fits right into the crazy family. He is a great guy and makes Jill very happy.

Sunday we watched Emmy so Jed and Kyla could get a little more organized and put away things with the help of Kelli and we had dinner together when they picked Emma up. We had a great weekend and since we had Monday off because of Martin Luther King Day, Dave and I went to see “About Schmidt”. It was a good movie, but left us feeling kind of sad at the end.

First Home, Swimming with Sharks (no, not loan sharks) and Lunches

Back to work…….Thursday and Friday. It never seems to be enough time, in fact the more time off, the more I wish I had. Oh well, such is life.

Friday we closed on the house deal for Kyla and Jed. They will be moving in the end of January…..it is so exciting to buy your first home. Now comes the work…..cleaning, painting and maintenance. Saturday Kyla, Jed, Kelli and Isaac painted while we kept Emma and did some chores around the house. Emma spent a lot of time swimming in the pond (the round chair pad from Jill's papasan chair) and I had to get rid of all the sharks which was rewarded with gales of laughter. But don't ask me to ever give a repeat performance for anyone except Emma.....I won't do it (see Emma in her swimming goggles on the right). All the kids came and had pizza with us that evening. Sunday was more of the same except Dave spent most of the day on the roof cleaning gutters and spreading moss killer while Emmy and I watched “Babe” and made dinner. Emma and I went in to look at the paint progress and there is still much to do, but at least it is a beginning.

Monday Kyla spent her morning running around getting signatures on yet another missing form for the loan. I watched Emma in my office while she took the paper to Dave at his office for a signature. We read stories and wrote on the chalkboard and visited with Roger, one of the accounting people in my office. She calls him “Mr. Rogers”….I guess from seeing “Mr. Rogers” on television. I also had a nice lunch with Susan Rich, a childhood friend. Thursday I had lunch with “Emma’s group” which consists of Kyla, Jed, Emma, Joanna and Colleen. Joanna and Colleen are both co-workers of ours at the University. Jed brought yet more papers that were missed in signing.

Today Dave took me to lunch and we plan on spending the night at home relaxing, maybe renting a movie or something and looking forward to having Emma this weekend again. The day was beautiful and sunny….a nice change from all of the fog we have had this past week.

Happy New Year and Celebration of Life

Dave and I spent the weekend relaxing and resting from all the events building up to Christmas and then did a little shopping for some new clothes for Dave with his gift certificates and birthday money. Yes, he held on to his money for two months…..talk about control! He got some great buys and then we went to dinner at Chapala’s and to a movie, “Two Weeks Notice”. It felt wonderful just to get away from the house and cooking and holiday celebrations and do something together.

On the 29th we had a celebration of the one year since diagnosis for Kyla. We had a spaghetti dinner with all the kids and gave her a bracelet to signify our love and support. She is feeling good and so far this IL-13 treatment is doing its job. We are thankful for every day we have.

On the morning of New Years Eve we watched two baby fawns eating our grass outside the living room (see picture at the below). The mom was nowhere to be seen and they stayed around for most of the morning. The afternoon was spent taking down the Christmas decorations and Kyla, Jed and Emma spent the evening with us. Brian, Kelli and Jill all had places to go to bring in the New Year so we just relaxed and watched a couple of movies.

New Years day we finished packing away the decorations, had lunch with Kyla, Jed and Emma and while they took Emma to the “Jonah, A Veggie Tales Movie”, Dave and I went to dinner at the Roadhouse Grill and to see “Lord of the Rings-Two Towers”. This is a time for reflection, resolutions and appreciation for everything we are blessed with. To sum it up we have had a very full year, some stressful and scary but mixed with love, laughter and support from everyone around us. We are very blessed to have so many wonderful friends, family and strangers in our lives. Your prayers and your love continue to sustain us. May God bless you.