Old Snowball Bush

Phil asked Jon to come take a picture of us after Church in front of the old Snowball bush which is in full bloom. It is so pretty in the Spring...we've taken a lot of pictures in front of it over the years.

Tool Shed Update

Here is a little update on the progress of the tool shed. We have been so busy with other commitments, there has been little time to work on this project. I am ready for the mess to be cleaned up, however.

jessica

Hi grandma!

Economic Downturn Example

Well, actually, the tv is in the shop. But this is what we are using in the meantime. Had you kids worried for a minute though, huh? Thought you would have to get rooms ready for the parents!! :)

Jacob's Spring Concert

Jacob goes to preschool at New Life Christian School a few blocks from us and they had a concert Thursday night. Kreanna invited us and it was so much fun. They sang three songs, "He's Still Working on Me", "Say to the Lord I Love You", and then a fun one "The Skeeters and the Bed Bugs". They sang that one twice, putting baseball caps on for the last time.

Tool Shed

Just an update on the backyard progress...Phil started on the tool shed (6' x 8') already this spring. It will be nice to have a place for the lawn mower and garden tools, etc. He says we will be getting bikes to put in it too. I think that is because he has been coaxed into taking walks with me and it's not his favorite thing. Hiking, yes! Walks, no! (Makes me smile!) I tell him it will get him in shape for hiking.

Another Easter Treat

On Easter Sunday we had dinner early with Jon and family. Later in the afternoon Aleigha got so tired she got her blanket, climbed on my lap and went to sleep.
This was one of the highlights of the day for the Grammie!

Ballet Costumes 2009

I can hardly believe it is time to work on costumes and alterations again. It is fun and one of the few creative things I get to do during the year.


The theme for the Spring Performance this year is "Sleeping Beauty",(you will notice some of Princess Aurora's royal costume hanging on the door). The costume we usually use for the "Blue Bird" was too small for the three dancers who will take turns in the three perfomances. So, I dreamed up the one modeled above. All the girls really liked it when I tried it on one of the dancers yesterday. This is a costume overlay I have been working on the last couple of weeks.

One of the hardest costume accessories I have done was the last time we used the theme "Sleeping Beauty" in 2005. I was asked to make fairy wings. Actually, MANY fairy wings. Bigger ones for the big girls and little ones for the petite fairies. Well, this year Ms Laurie needed one more petite fairy wing for a little dancer who came in just under the deadline. Not good! I can't remember how to make the things! I remember making a prototype in white net and white satan and it was still there among the lilac ones, so I began ponder the idea of dyeing it.

I checked the directions on the Rit dye at the store and it called for HOT water which I realized would not work for the delicate construction. Then after I dyed eggs for Easter the idea came to me to use Easter egg dye. Unfortunately, I had none left. So-0-0, I made an emergency call to Kreanna and YES, she had some extra packages!!


I tried the purple first and it came out a lovely, bright pink with a hint of purple. Then I experimented and added a red tablet and that just made it brighter. Rinsing it under clear, running water helped make it more pastel, but it was still obviously pink. I decided to experiment one more time and made a blue dye bath, adding some of the purple to it. Thankfully, when I add the purple ribbon for the middle it will be close enough to pass and I have now been saved MANY hours of figuring those little wings out.

After yesterday's try-ons, there are many alterations to make for fittings, so it's hard to express how thankful I am this worked out. Nice to live a block from a daughter who comes to the rescue.
Just a FYI: These wings are fastened on the tutu top in such a way they stand away from the back and really are cute little "training wings" for the little girls. The top one is an original, the closest one is the dyed one. (Yes, Grammie's are just antique little girls and still like to play dress-up.)

Getting Ready for Easter Fun

I love to dye eggs! Every year on the Saturday before Easter, whether anyone is around or not, I color eggs! It is even more fun when I have someone to share it with.

Jacob didn't know about writing on eggs with the wax crayon, so it was really fun to put his name on an egg before we dyed it.

Then we had to have an Easter egg hunt. I used plastic eggs for that however. When I was growing up we always used the eggs we colored.

Green things in the back yard were only beginning to provide cover, so it wasn't a very difficult hunt for the five-year old.

Altogether a fun day. Then I had to go take a rest!!

Long-time Friends

One of the special experiences at our 50th Anniversary party, along with family and many friends, was being able to share that time with my Maid of Honor, NancyRambeau Amell. We met when we were in the third grade when we lived in Orofino, Idaho the first time. Shortly, we moved to Greer, Idaho and then, when our house burned there, we went back to Florida.

When we returned again to Orofino, I was in the seventh and eighth grade...then we moved once again to Florida. I finished the last half of my tenth grade year in Orofino and stayed with Nancy and her mother during that time, while the rest of my family went to Kooskia. a small town up the Clearwater River beyond Orofino.

Nancy was very much a part of our family. Having no siblings, she fit right in and my parents loved her. We have kept in touch over the years, usually by phone, but it had been awhile since I had actually seen her.

I was so glad she was able to come and feel very thankful for another former classmate, Patty, who drove her here from Boise, Idaho.

One of the things that comes to us as we get older is there aren't many people left who actually knew and remember your parents. It adds a certain nostalgia to a reunion with someone who, not only knew them, but also knew ME as a young girl. ( Not many left that can claim that either!)

Ephrata Canal Caper 2009

This 10,000 meter (6.2 mile) run is held every March. When Steve was a Freshman ( I think) he mentioned to me a few days before the event that he wanted to participate. It sort of came out of the blue...he hadn't trained or anything, but I knew he had a lot of energy and thought nothing of it.
He did SO well in the race that shortly afterwards the Cross Country Coach called him and asked him to join the team. That was the beginning of his participation in Track and Cross Country. He was awarded the "Most Inspirational" and the "Team Captain" awards twice during his high school years.
This year he wanted to run with his son. I wasn't there for the beginning of the race this year to take pictures, but it's the end that counts, right?!!

This is Jeffrey at the finish..There were 143 participants and he was # 52 at 58.16 minutes. He said he wanted to run it in under an hour and he did!!

Below, the runner in red across the canal is Steven.

This really brought back memories of watching Steve come in at the finish. When he was in high school he usually collapsed after crossing the finish line...which is nerve wracking for a mother.

After one of the meets I noticed his heart was still beating hard nearly thirty minutes after the race. Following many tests it was concluded that, yes, it does take HIS heart longer to slow down than the usual runner. He was advised to keep moving for awhile after crossing the finish, which he does now. (In High School he had a group of teammates who would run/jog with him after a race).
Steven came in # 77 at 70.34 minutes.

I know this was a special time for Steven, but it was also memorable for me . I never considered I would watch two generations run THIS particular race.
I wish I had been in training too, so it could have been three generations, but I haven't run it since 1996.

These two are winners in our family!!!

Joshua and Aleigha

I didn't get a chance to take many pictures last week, but these two caught my eye when my camera was close at hand. I've always thought that this age didn't usually play together well...but apparently I was mistaken! It was heartwarming to see my grandchildren having fun together.

Not sure what happened to the shape of this picture...but the "story" it tells is still intact.

George and Allene

Here is a little story from our history.
When I was dating Phil he had a black, 1954 Ford which he was very proud of...and which had extemely loud, way cool pipes that I could hear coming at least four blocks away. I have no idea why he was never stopped for disturbing the peace; maybe the law liked the sound of them too.
Anyway, he had a small, stuffed bulldog that sat on the dash. It kept falling off, so I told him if he got a magnet I would sew it on the feet. This he did and, after sewing on the magnet, it stayed put quite nicely. We decide to name him George because it was Phil's first name and he has never been at all fond of it.
When we were on our honeymoon we stopped in a small town and had breakfast. There we saw a little dog that looked like a good mate for George. We named her Allene, because it was my middle name. They are still together...after all these years.

Jacob's Family Birthday Party

I'm a little late with this but I forgot they were in my camera. Can hardly believe he is five-years old already...five going on fifteen. Kreanna is reading our card to Jacob before he opens our gift. We have enjoyed watching him grow these past five years. What a special child he is. His Grandpa and I both miss not getting to spend much time with him anymore.

Daffodils in February

It is so dark and ugly outside this time of year. The snow has melted and what hasn't melted is dirty. I love it that Phil always brings me daffodils in February. He started doing that a long time ago...so many years I can't remember when. This year was no different and, as usual, they were a bright spot when the sun doesn't shine. Don't they just make you smile!

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!

For several months I have been making a plan to surprise Phil with a gift as we neared our anniversary. Last Wednesday, as we entered Ephrata after work, I mentioned to Phil that I wanted to stop at Safeway to pick up a prescription and also stop at Harrison Jewelers. He agreed without any comment. When we got to Harrison's and I was getting out of the car, I told him that he had to come in with me. That surprised him and as we went through the entrance he asked why he needed to come in. I stopped, faced him, and said: "After being married nearly fifty years, I thought it was time he wore a wedding ring". I told him he could choose what he liked and I was going to pay for it out of my personal savings.

When we ordered my wedding ring 50 years ago a narrow, gold band came with it without charge and he wore it for a few years. It becamed worn and misshapen before long and he hasn't worn a ring in more years than I can remember.

He doesn't like gold jewelry, and wasn't interested in the ones I would have chosen for him. Silver colored jewelry with a more traditional look was his favorite and that is what he chose to get. It really was a fun surprise and.....about time!

Ephrata's Artist

Jacob came to our house yesterday while Kreanna took Aleigha to the doctor. (She has an ear infection as it turns out, and has been running a fever for a few days.) Anyway, one of the things he always likes to do is draw. I was tempted to scan this picture, too, after it was finished...the explanation was so much fun. He was just beginning to draw when I took the picture. He drew a car (which you can see) (a FAST car as he put it) and the road it traveled, including some figures like this: /\ /\ /\ . When I asked him what they were he responded they were bumps in the road and drew my attention to the fact that the road went around them. There was also a point in the road where it went into spirals. I asked what was happening there. He replied, "That's where the car goes round and round, REALLY FAST!!" Hum, I'm wondering if this should be one of those things you share with his parents...or not...or just hope for the best when he turns 16. Also notice his favorite snack: Papa's bread and apple juice!

Our Companions

Here is a "not very flattering" picture of our mission companions. Jeff and Jackie work Wednesday through Friday at the LDS Employment Resource Center and we work Monday through Wednesday. We have a correlation meeting Wednesday morning and work together that day. They are dairy farmers on the Mattawa area and volunteered for a part-time mission. We have REALLY enjoyed getting to know them and serving together. We have to go to Spokane for an overnight, training session in February which will be held on a friday 6:00 to 9:00 and saturday 8:00 to 4:00. We decided to go together to take the class. We are looking forward to traveling with them.

Looks Like Winter

Phil has really jumped into this "pictures on the blog" idea. He took a bunch of pictures this week knowing the snow would be melting today. So, those of you in Arizona can see how much fun you are missing!

He has been shoveling nearly every day. My stress is constantly reminding him to slow down and pace himself a little while shoveling. He sort of attacks the snow...

It is nice to have the walks and driveway cleared, but I don't like it when he comes in panting from his efforts.

He especially wanted to get these pictures of the icycles.

Christmas Day Brunch 2008

Jon showing Jacob how to work his new Leap Frog game.

It didn't take long for him to feel pretty comfortable with it. Aleigha likes to make sure she is always where the action is...or she creates a little of her own!!!

We all look forward to Breakfast Casserole and Cinnamon Rolls Christmas morning.