Thanksgiving

This year we were invited out to Meledies house for Thanksgiving dinner. We really enjoyed the meal with her and the Missionaries. The only problem was that we didn't get cell service and missed several of your calls. We had a wonderful meal and ended the evening teaching our missionaries the fine art of playing Chicken Foot.

Cannery

Dave and I were just called to extend our service mission at the dry pack cannery for another year. We were supposed to be released November 9th but are happy to do it another year.

Right after we came to Washington last year to take care of my parents we called Shelf Reliance in Utah and ordered some shelves for the #10 cans and a bunch of food storage. We set up a storage room and have been working hard to fill it but we are still lacking enough shelves and would like to get a better variety of food. We are working on it and hope all you kids are doing the same!
I'm sure you have seen www.shelfreliance.com
We love these shelves and use the same ones at the dry pack cannery! It might be a good idea to think about for your families for Christmas!

Two Weeks of Bliss

Erin was so nice to change my background so I decided I'd better post something new. Doris (My wonderful sister) came here from North Dakota on Amtrak so she could stay with my parents and let Dave and I go visit our kids. She was here for 13 wonderful days!!
Now the embarrassing part. We went on a wonderful trip and didn't take any pictures! It was so crazy because we planned to but all we did is take some as we drove down the coast and then we never pulled out the cameras again.
Here are some pictures of the Redwoods. Dave took all the pictures in this blog. He is enjoying his photography.

The trees are so big and it was so quiet and restful there.

As we came to the Coast in Oregon this funny little motel was right across the street from the first ocean view we saw. We stopped and wouldn't go another foot. It was so beautiful there and the roar of the waves was so wonderful. It was wonderful and dumpy and cheap and we would do it again! We truly relaxed on this vacation!
So beautiful! You know how much dad always liked doing panarama shots... now his camera helps him. Isn't it pretty? You can see why we relaxed so much!

Not a bad picture for a beginner is it?

This is what Dave did most of the trip. I drove and he relaxed!

I mean really relaxed!!!

On our trip we went to David and Julies home in California. He got us into Disneyland the next day then we met his family at Disneyland for dinner. David got us a fancy suite at the Paris in LasVegas to stay on our way to Utah the next evening. It was so fancy that we just stayed in our room all evening! We went on to Utah and saw the rest of the kids. Everyone had fun things planned for us. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!!! Lee took Dave to enjoy a U of U football game in box seats, I went trick or treating with Erin's kids, We went to breakfast with Tracy and Steve, went out to Lunch with Lee, Had a fun family home evening and dinner with everyone, Had a fun day and dinner at Jared's, Dave talked at a youth fireside in Erin's ward. We were only there a few days but it was a whirlwind and wonderful thanks to the kids! I think it was a perfect trip.

Moms projects

Remember our cute little chicks??? Guess what? They grew up and now we have 12 hens and 2 roosters! One rooster reminds me of fried chicken but so far he has been spared. Mom gathers the eggs every day and counts them. Here we have 7 eggs.
Today's eggs are more like it. Eleven!!! We have even had 12 eggs twice. We sure do love them and so do our neighbors and friends!
Mom decided she wanted to do something with her dining room curtains. They look much better in this picture than they really were. They were faded and even broken in some places so we knew we needed a change.

The problem was what to do?

We put up 3 new cordless shades that are so easy to put up and down and we took a trip to the thrift store to find the perfect valance. Boy did we luck out. It is hard to tell in these pictures but the fabric on these valances is so rich and beautiful. WE LOVE IT!

It is so much better in person so come on over!!! After that mom was getting pretty confident so without saying a word to Pops or Dave we took a hammer to........

Moms wall!! IT LOOKS SO GOOD AND DIFFERENT! Can you see what is gone? The Amber plastic panels that went to the ceiling are now gone. Pops heard the banging while he was outside but looked all over the living room/dining room and couldn't see what we had done. Whew! He did seem okay with it though when he found it. Okay mom now what?

Mt. Ranier, Herman, Sheri leaves

Last Monday we took a little adventure down to Enumclaw and stayed overnight with Uncle Ron and Aunt Alice. Our plan was to take a drive up Chinock Pass and enjoy a picnic while looking at Mt. Ranier. The mountain looks so huge from there but we never did get to see it because after having a beautiful week the clouds decided to obscure our view. This was the most we saw of the mountain!

We saw a few huge trees however!!!

And the scenery was breathtaking! The Mountain Ash were full of berries and looked beautiful.

Oops! Still no Mt. Ranier!!! This was the view most of the day.

But this view was what I saw when I turned my back on Mt Ranier!! So pretty! We didn't feel slighted in the least.

We drove up into the clouds and stopped for our picnic. I thought it was so beautiful! Here is a real cute guy on a rock!!

Isn't it beautiful up there?

Aunt Alice made the most wonderful picnic lunch that we really enjoyed!

It wasn't as cold as it looks but it was damp from the fog. The type of damp that goes right through ya and yells I need a jacket!

Dave, Aunt Cathern Harston, Pops, Mom, Aunt Alice & Uncle Ron Brownell
It was a perfect day and now we must go back to see what the clouds hid!

Herman Gets a New Family Look

Herman has been stuck in that tree for years and finally received a new "Family" look. The hairdu seems to fit. I have been watching for a new face for a long time but they were all too scary and grotesque. This week I finally found this one at the thrift store for $1.25. Was it worth it? Pops says he looks a little too happy but I'd be happy too if I finally got a new face after wearing the one he had for so many years!

Oops I guess you can't really see his face. Sorry... mom says it isn't happy but a grimmise. Whatever?!

Sherilyn and Joel leave for Nauvoo

Friday Sherilyn and Joel took their 5th wheel (after living in it here on the property for a year) and left on a long extended vacation. They will go see Lynn and Sharon in Nauvoo then go down south.
Ellie wasn't sure she wanted to travel in her carseat that far but Seth was already asleep by the time they left!

It was quite a job hooking it all up and unpluging from life here after a year!

There they go!! That is one BIG travel trailer!!! We already miss them.

Mish Mash

I called this post Mish Mash because it is a lot of little stuff that I should have blogged ages ago but didn't get around to doing it. I didn't even take very good pictures but plan to remedy that in the future!

This first picture was taken at Randy and Lisas in Coupeville. They invited us last Monday for Family Home Evening. Randy caught some Salmon that morning and barbequed it for us. It was SOOOO good!
Here is Pops and Dave sitting on Randys new patio with the kids playing and having fun on the trampoline.
Last Saturday Sheri had a yardsale in our carport to make some money for their trip to visit Lynn and Sharon in Nauvoo in 2 weeks.
There was lots of stuff!!! We all took advantage and cleaned out lots of closets. We hope she made lots of money. It was fun and full of people.
Pops has been going to Physical therapy twice a week and also doing some at home everyday because of his accident. Here he is with his elastic exercises
Today Mom and Pops and Dave and I froze 20 packages of Corn. Yummmmmm we love frozen corn from the garden!
We still have our deer coming thru our yard every day. There are several bucks, does and fawns.

We really enjoy watching them!

Jenny and Bryant came and stayed the night Sunday and enjoyed Labor day with us. They have just moved here to Fort Lewis from Cincinatti. We had a fun barbeque. They have a neat family.

A couple of really nice old men who hang around here!

Oops! Where is Tera? Wrong picture! Oh well. Tera and Erick came to bring their car to ship it to Germany. It has to be shipped from Seattle or LA, We were so glad they chose Seattle so we get to see them again before they leave. We did a bit of sightseeing because Erick has never been here. We took them to Deception Pass. That is the bridge behind Erick.
Here is Tera with Erick up on the Deception Pass bridge. We enjoyed them for a few days and will really miss them!
Meledie and I spent a day at Friday Harbor. This is a lighthouse on the island. It was all so beautiful!
But what was really cool is there were Orca whale out there . We watched several of them out in the waves.

What a day!

Where are they??? Oh ya there they are!!! It was a really cool day and I'm so glad I got to go.