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.