Cookies!

We started cookie decorating for Christmas when Kristin was about 5 or 6. My friends came over with their children and we spent all evening decorating tree, stocking, reindeer or Raggedy Ann/Andy shaped cookies. Some spent all night frosting just one or two cookies! I'm so glad Kris remembers this annual event and carries it on to this day.

This year Kris invited some of Miss C's classmates and their parents. 

The guys had to watch football-and sample cookies, of course!

So many choices-such artistic results! 

Of course, some couldn't take all the excitement-Miss E snuggled up to Mama and fell sound asleep! 

Merry Christmas to all!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm kind of behind in my blogging but since I bought  new computer, had surgery again and had Thanksgiving I guess I have a decent excuse! I bought a new Apple-a powerbook Pro- that had some new features such as I-Life replaced I-photo and I can't figure out how to do some routine stuff. It's coming along, slowly but surely....
Now for the surgery.....right knee total replacement...so many people told me it would be so painful and a lot of work-there's a huge difference between the pain before and what I feel today. My leg is tight and of course there's some discomfort over the suture sight but really, NO PAIN! It's unbelievable...I could put full weight on my right foot by the 2nd day, walk 160 feet and get my knee up to 85 degrees in flexion. Whee! I was discharged on day 3 post op. Of course, that wouldn't have happened if Teresa weren't here. She's being my everything-miss johnnie-on-the-spot. Jack is in Oakland Airport being Santa to all the Southwest Airlines travelers.......

 Here's Santa Jack with the girls the night before Thanksgiving...It was so cute watching them put coins in Miss c's bank. Miss C gets a penny for every word in her vocabulary pack-Miss E just likes to put coins in....Jack loves their antics...this is the first time Miss E showed interest in playing with him-so I guess he's in!

 Anything and everything Miss C does Miss E must try, too. She's in the kitchen, helping prepare Thanksgiving dinner.

 Now isn't Miss C all grown up??? She's five going on forty.....She's helping mom peel potatoes for dinner-so pretty!!!!

 After all that work we must "rest".....E and buddy take a break in front of the fireplace..

 The day after Thanksgiving-black Friday- is usually the one time I wouldn't be caught dead in a store...we made an exception this time and went to Bass Outlets- a store that has everything you could possible conceive of for hunting fishing or other sports. They have a beautiful aquarium that Jack wanted me and the girls to see and we were only 1/2 hour from the store.

This year there were lots of stations for the kids as they waited for Santa (Miss C says she has her own Santa Jack) and lots of stuffed animals...Miss E is feeling her first bear claw....
Fun weekend!!!!!!

Fall Is Finally Here!

Jut a short note to let you know we're hale and healthy-kind of.  My foot surgery was a breeze-and I wanted to post a picture of the Dr. removing my stitches but Jack said it was too gross...Now I'm prepping for my knee replacement on November 30th. Lots of hoops to go through, but I guess they want to be thorough...
Jack is getting ready for his Santa job (more on that later) so he has hoops to jump through, too.
Looking forward to Thanksgiving-let me at that turkey!

Miss C is Five!

This was a fun weekend....We went to Miss C's soccer game on Saturday and then partied on Sunday to celebrate the big 5!

Miss E is visiting the rig-I think maybe for the first time...

Miss C tried on my junior ranger hat-isn't she cute?

C is introducing one of her favorite games to E-safety belt on the way to Disneyland

Miss C plays her heart out and it's a joy to watch 4 & 5 yr. olds on the field...Miss C scored!

Then Jack treated us all to lunch at C's favorite-Denny's

C had a fun house at her party-Miss E had a ball with the older girls! 

Grandbabies

Miss E and Miss C think that a ride on Grammy's walker is cool-Well, Miss C thinks so.... 

Miss C's school (Las Palmas) held their first McTeachers night. The teachers help out with the cooking and serving and McDonalds contribute 20% of the day's profits. Miss C's teachers were scheduled for 4-5 pm so of course we all went to Mickey D's for dinner.

There were several activities-the play area and free face painting. Miss C didn't want her face painted and chose her hand instead.

She was very good and patient!

 

Then we were off to soccer practice....Everybody has to warm up.

Miss E is of course, the team's biggest fan.

Reunion and a Baby Fix

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (San Jose)  celebrated their 40th anniversary of Rehabilitation Services-that's where I worked for over 20 years....Jerry Wright (pictured below) is the Grant Projects Administrator and a good friend. He told me about the party and I was so glad I went! Lots of old friends and reminiscing....and so many changes! I had a brand new audience to share about my trip and made a few folks envious.....

I left SJ about 2 and went to the kids house to get my fix...Oh, my! Five months is a LONG time in a child's life. Miss C was very glad to see me but hopes that I'll still send her stuff in the mail and Miss E just stared at me...Both put on their socks from Crater Lake and Miss C showed me some moves on WII.

Miss E will try to duplicate everything Miss C does...she's Miss C's greatest fan and gets frustrated when she can't find C...

Miss C is playing soccer on a team this year...she's front and center-look at that determined face!

And of course Miss E is on the sidelines cheering big sister..

They have the traditional hand slapping and congratulating the other team...C's team won!

#35-The long journey home

We stopped in Sun Valley and Ketchum to visit with a dear friend of Jacks..I was happy to meet her-she's a very classy lady! This is a piece of art called  "Centerpiece"-the children have fun playing in and out of the structure. I just thought it unusual...

Outside of Ketchum are several streams and hot springs....we meandered up the road and followed the stream. Later we found the raod, ifwe wanted to, would take us to Boise!

Jack found a few pools in the stream and got his fishing pole out....and caught two rainbow trout!

So, I am treated to my first fresh trout dinner! Yum! 

Jack's culinary skills include filleting and the presentation was as good as any gourmet resturant.

Next day we headed west on 395 and stopped at Mono Lake. There is so much to see there! We watched several films and of course did the work for our Jr. Ranger badges. This was one of the toughest badges in our quest for obtaining the Jr. Ranger status....

Do you HooDoo? Nope, these are Tufas, the calcium deposit formed under water then shows as the lake    evaporates.

Then we continued on 395 to enter Yosemite via Tioga Pass...again, stunning scenery! I hadn't seen Half Dome from this position.

And, to finish the journey we went to Mariposa Grove-this is the clothespin tree.

And this is the walking-in tunnel tree, one of two that were cut out.

And our final, fifth Jr. Ranger badge-very fitting that  we saved our last badge for Yosemite.

So, now we're home, back in Coarsegold and boy, is it hot! We've been gone almost 5 months-where did the time go? It's been the most memorable, exciting journey I could ever imagine!

#34 Craters of the Moon

We left Jackson Hole but not without tasting some of Bubba's delicious ribs-a lunch portion was big enough for two! 

 

And on to Idaho! The first thing you think of when one says "Idaho" is potatoes...and this is a storage area for potatoes 

Most important was our visit to Craters of the Moon National Park-did you know the astronauts trained there? Since they didn't know what to expect when they landed on the moon they used the different types of lava rock  to practice all kinds of scenarios....

We attended a demonstration, several movies and finished our Jr. Ranger books and were awarded our Lunar Ranger patches!

Then we drove through the loop to see all the different areas and types of lava....very interesting!

Can you see the crater?

#33 The Tetons and Jackson Hole...

After Yellowstone, we visited the Grand Tetons-and they are just as beautiful as I remembered...

This is a view  from the window of the Cunningham Ranch-there's a few buildings left. He was very influential in settling the area...

Near the South Entrance to the Tetons is Menors ferry-still running- and a chapel called Transfiguration.

This is simple, inspiratational and moving chapel is an active church-the alter looks at the Tetons...just stunning..

We packed a picnic lunch and stopped at "Lunch Counter"-Kahuna- to watch the rafters go down the Snake River. Jack thinks it would be too tough for me (class 4) but I disagree...it will go on my bucket list for sure!

While we were there, a mom waited with her two month old and a two year old toddler for her husband to come down the chute-so I got a baby fix!

Now, we did go into Jackson Hole several times-trying to get our mail! If you are traveling, I DO NOT recommend using JH for a mail drop-we have been delayed several days because of it, and I don't believe it was the source (Jack's mail came from Livingston, mine from POS). Luckily for us, Ken and Carolyn Kimpton are staying in Thayne at Star Valley Ranch Resort and helped us get comfortable here-We rented Dave and Brenda Neil's site while we were here-we had a lovely visit!

Jackson Hole still tries to keep that old Western flavor...A stagecoach meanders around the town square and offers rides...

Anyone who's been to Jackson Hole recognizes the Elkhorn arches positioned at each corner of the town square-nice to see they survived! Now we head for ID to visit a dear friend  of Jack's, then heading west-home, Toto!