Taking the Grandkids to G'dale

We took both of the grandkids to G'dale with us on Tuesday, this was V's first time without Mama. We all had a great day!!! Here are the pictures of the day!

In Cameo's driveway, ready to roll!!! They both did well on the 3 hour drive. Asa has always been a great road trip traveler, but Valentina is sometimes not.

We arrived and both the kids headed to Papa's shop. Valentina followed Asa everywhere he ran.


Asa always heads for "his" gravel pile to play trucks, and Valentina was just chugging along,
here and there.

Here they are trying to catch lizards, but they are really fast, and so Asa needs a little more practice. I think he may catch one before the summer is over though.

Papa had a bought a work table that needed to be put together, and he thought he could do that while we had the kids. They really were fun and really wanted to help. Asa did really good, and learned to use the socket wrench. So cute.

Valentina had to "help" too.

The box was so fun also.

"Helping" some more.

Upsy Daisy....

Playing the box was a room.

They both had the most fun putting the complete socket set, piece by piece in side the frame.

Asa and his new tool he learned to use.

Taking everything out of the box.

Asa decided to check out the wheel. Yup, it rolls.

Looking for the socket set down the frame where they had put them.

"I know we put them down there"

All at once, Asa walked up to Papa and hugged him for a long time. How cute is that?

Valentina saw that and had to come for a hug too. Papa was feeling the love.

My three cuties!!!

Still loving on Papa.

Asa riding his horse. He got up there by himself for the first time, and off too.

After they ran up and down the driveway, I thought they needed to cool off and get the dust off them as well, so papa brought out the old bath tub the girls use to use. How cute! It was a big step for V, but she did it, Asa could so she did it too.

But Asa was off to better things, he is chasing down the yellow jackets to "wack". He wanted mum mum to buy him a fly swatter at the store today, he liked it so much.

Finally, the day was over and it was time to head back. Asa kept saying "a couple more minutes" . He really wanted to wack a yellow jacket. This was taken about fifty feet from the house. Valentina was out!!! Asa was out within 8 miles too. Asa slept the whole way home, while Valentina woke up after 45 minutes. Papa had just said how great it would be if the both slept all the way home. It was a wonderful day, but I know I could not do that everyday, Papa and I were both exhausted!!!

I have been tagged by Cameo

Ten Years Ago:
1998, I had just started working for NKC in Portland. Papa and I were going out dancing every weekend. Fun times!!!

5 Things On Today's To Do List:
Shower
Swim and hang out in the backyard at Cameo's all day
Play with Asa and Valentina while in the backyard at Cameo's all day
Talk with Trina and Cameo while in the backyard at Cameo's all day
Eat and Drink while in the backyard at Cameo's all day
Sounds like a fun day for me!!!!!

Snacks I Enjoy: Cheetos!!!!!

How Funny Is It: I cannot remember where I bought the tablecloth weights for the picnic table!!!!!!! It was only a couple of weeks ago, and I cannot remember!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Things I'd Do If I Was A Millionaire:
Pay off the girls mortgages and other bills, college funds for the kids, travel with entire family, and last but not least, I would support the hogar where Valentina was.

Five People I'm Tagging: Anita, Sonia, Amanda, Christina and Denise

Another Week........

Another week is gone. They seem to just fly by. The weather is nice and time seems to go even faster then.

We went to Yakima and G'dale on Thurs. and Fri. this week. I was so excited that my potted plants were still complete when I got there. I guess the soap water spray really kept the deer from eating them. I sprayed them again when we left. We will see............

It was good to get back to the girls and the kids. Valentina was so glad to see me when I came in. She does this cute thing with her legs when she is really happy, we call that her "frog legs". Asa is just the cutest too. He had never seen me cry before Mom died, so he finds it rather interesting to see me cry. He gets in front of me and looks right in my eyes with a half grin on his face and just looks. He give me a great big smile and I cannot help but smile and laugh at him. What a sweety. Both of the kids love my Mom's old yard swing. They sit longer there than any place, just swinging back and forth like their mommys did with their grandma. It is nice to remember the good times.

The weekend is suppose to be hot here, 90ish. We sure enjoy everyday that you can see blue sky here. We all plan to give the pool some time this weekend.

Life is good.....

Planting Flowers.......

We went to G'dale again this week. We went on Tuesday and came back on Thursday. On Tuesday I planted some flowers in pots. I never know how long the deer are going to let me enjoy them, but I love to plant flowers. This year I planted all pink flowers because my mother loved the color pink. It makes me happy to look at them and remember the good times mom and I had together. After I planted them, I sprayed them with soap water. I heard somewhere that the deer leave them alone if you do that. I will see if that is true.

I really enjoyed this week there. It was fun to just putter around and the weather was so nice. I took off the winter plastic on the back porch. It always feels so open after I do that. Papa and I sat outside for our morning coffee and our breaks also. He comes in from his tractor every couple of hours for a cold lemonade. It was really nice.

My mother had about 14 photo albums full of her photos. My oldest sister Jean took half of them and we are to take them all apart and separate all of the photos to divide among the six of us. I got all of the ones I was to do done, that was a relief. It went alot faster than I thought it would. Mom had pasted alot of them to the pages, so that was hard to get them off, but it is done. Poor Jean, she took the really hard one that had every photo pasted. That will take forever!!!

It was good to come back to Vancouver Thursday also. We got back in time to see Valentina before she went to sleep, but Asa had fallen asleep before we got over there, so I went over and had a nice time talking with Trina. We sat outside and enjoyed the nice weather but Trina's allergies were terrible. Both of the girls are miserable with allergies right now.

Trina had us all over for grilled chicken last night. It was the best chicken I have ever had!!! She used a chili pineapple grill sauce. Yum!!!!!

Today we went over to Trina's again for morning coffee. We enjoy every moment that the weather is not raining here in the summer. So nice outside!!! The rest of the day, I was at Cameo's.

Mom had an outdoor swing that my dad and her would spend hours on after they had worked hard all day. She had paid $25 for it at a yard sale about 30 years ago. She was so excited when she brought it home. It had been stored at our cabin for the last 7 years since my dad had died. We had used it alot together when she came out to our place when she lived in town the first 3 years, but it had not been used for the last 4. Well, she had written that if Cameo wanted it, she would like Cameo to have it. So, we brought it to Cameo a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, it was old and rusted and so Papa spent about 2 hours this morning painting the whole frame black. It looks so nice now, and I know we are going to enjoy hanging out on it and remembering the good times with mom and dad. The girls spent alot of time on it also with them while they were growing up. It is comforting to have it with us. Good memories!!!

Life is good!!!!!!!!!

I Like to be Happy

OK, I do not like to be so sad, but I will be at times very sad for my mom's passing. But today and onward, I am going to do my best to be happy for myself, my girls and my grandchildren. My dear mother always tried to be happy, even after my dad died, she would try and find things that would make her happy again. I can do the same! I will always miss her and love her, but she would find the happiness in life, and I am going to try to do the same. From now on, only happy posts.

Life is Good!!!!!!!!!!!

This picture always makes me laugh, it is of Asa this winter when he went to G'dale with us and was running through the road puddle. He loves to run through water and even though it was freezing cold, he was getting soaked!!!!

Happy Father's Day to my husband and Trina and Cameo's Papa!

We Are Back!!!

We arrived home from the California Family Reunion on Tuesday night at midnight. I was just trying to hold it together while we were there, and knew I could fall apart when I got home, which I have done for the last two days. It was just too early after Mom passed to go and have a vacation. It is time for my monthly visit to my mom, and she is gone. I don't know what to do or say. I cannot wish her back, but I miss her!!! My heart hurts so bad, and I am sad. I am finally letting myself feel the pain, and I miss her! When I see Asa and Valentina, I am happy. They make me smile and laugh and I am so blessed to have them. I am glad for my dear girls also. They are hurting too. We will all be okay someday. Thanks for listening.

Life Goes On

I want to thank everyone for their support and love. The funeral is over and life goes on. My sister Jeannie had a wonderful dream/vision about Mom the day she died. In it Mom was young and in the middle of a great field of daisies dancing and carefree. Mom was never carefree, ever, so that makes me happy thinking about her like that. I will always miss my dear Mother, but life goes on. I am so blessed to have my sisters, brother, husband, daughters and grandchildren.

We have a big family reunion on Papa's side that we are going to this coming weekend in California, so we will be traveling on Friday to that. It will be the first time everyone will meet our little Valentina!!!! Asa is excited about seeing his California cousins again.

So thanks you again everyone, and life is good.