Pool Fence

After waiting allllll summer, we finally got our pool fence in. This will help us keep our little grandkidlets safe. It works great for the dog too. She can't come up to the door, they can't go out to the pool. Win Win!

Labor Day Weekend

Eli, Chloe, Scarlett, Mia and Luke

We were able to get away for a few days to our place on Cammanche Lake. The whole family came up along with Nicole Ziniker (Shana's sister) and her boyfriend Blake Berg, Russell and Lacy Berry and Butch and Janis. It was a lot of fun with the boat, jet skis, and just swimming....and of course eating, eating, eating. I was able to take an adorable picture of all the grandkidletts. We have 5 now, and Cari and Juan are expecting (our #6) in March. Yippee!!!!!

I'M It!

Well I guess I've been tagged. I'm supposed to write down 7 things that most people don't know about me. I have to admit it's been a lot of fun thinking about what I would write. So here goes:

1. I love to vacuume. But I especially love to vacuume with a bagless vacuume because I can see all the nasty stuff I'm getting up. I also "savor" cleaning the filter. It's just so gratifying. (and maybe a little disturbing?)

2. I marched in the Capitalaires All Girl Drum and Bugle Corps, from Sacramento, for 6 years, age 14-20. I played a french horn bugle. (Towards the end of my time they became the "Sacramento Freelancers", I guess the all girl thing was not working anymore.)

3. I played a french horn in college. Couldn't play one now, but I did learn and retained how to read music.

4. I keep a pretty tidy house (actually I can be a little anal about it) but look out if you open a closet or drawer. If I see it, it's clean, if I don't, then it gets cleaned sporadically.

5. I love to read. My dream vacation would be Maui with Don and I just laying on the beach (or pool) reading our books. BUT....Don hates to read. He's read, maybe, 3 books in the 33 years we've been married. Well 3-1/2. He's been working on a John Grisham for almost a year. He's too hyper. Wants to ride around looking at things.

6. I love my country. When we were in Europe for 3 weeks, I was homesick for America, where I knew how things worked, I could get water with my food and I feel safe. And I'm so glad that I now have a women that I can vote for in Sarah Palin. I can't think of a better Presidential office than one that has both voices.

7. I'm trying really really hard to stop a horrible character flaw that I recently discovered was getting a little out of control (no Don, it's not shopping)it's

oh...I only need to put down 7. hahahaha

Beings as I don't know who reads this site, if anyone, I'm going to tag Sharon C. and Gina. You're IT!

Family Pics

A few family pictures:
Grandpa and Luke
Picnic in the park.
Chloe turned 2 in July. Shana made a great Straberry Shortcake cake.
Joe got a deer up at Mt. Ranch with his bow.

Saturday's are brutal

When you live on 5 acres there is always, always work that needs to be done, and most of the time Saturday's are the only day available. EVERYONE has to pitch in and do his share.
Don working in the field
Roxy protecting the property
Eve, hard at work

Home Again!

Standing on Mars Hill in Athens.
Lunch after Meeting in Athens.
At the Vatican in Rome
At convention in Norway
Well Don and I are home from our Med cruise. We were in a whirlwind of countries, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Monaco, France, Greece, and Norway, all over three weeks. Had a great time (thanks Castons, Wainwrights, and Chappels for making it so). And a BIG thanks to Ester Lynch who did all the hard work of putting the trip together for all of us and then inviting us to Norway for convention. John and Ester are the most gracious hosts. I missed my kids and grandbabies terribly. Eli was just 2 weeks old when we left and now he is over a month and built like a truck. There is no doubt that he and Chloe are siblings, just one is blonde and one is dark. As fun as it was to see the world, we were very happy to come home to US soil where things are familiar, and we know the rules. Greece was my favorite place to see. We were there on a sunday so the meeting we went to was so touching and afterwards they put on a big lunch, with authentic Greek food, for all of us, then 3 of the workers toured us around Athens. Mars Hill, the Parthenon, and the Acropolis were by far the most amazing thing I have ever seen. The only down side to the trip was the HEAT! I so appreciated the dry heat we have in Elk Grove, because over there it is humid and hot, hot, hot!

Father's Day

The Old guys, Don and Max
The "Joe's"
The "Jim's"
The backyard in bloom


On Father's Day we had a BBQ for the "Joe's" and the "Jim's" (as they say in Wisconsin), along with Max and Ellen and Lynell Hansen. (Cari and Juan and Scarlett were out of town for the week.) It was a fun day and great to spend time with the newest little grandguy Eli.....jah Joseph. And of course, Luke, Mia, and funny, funny Chloe. Now that she is starting to talk she says the funniest things. Well funny to her Nana and Grandpa, anyway. The weather was great, in the low 90's but with the delta breezes we get it felt in the 80's. The backyard is so pretty now, flowers are blooming, of course so are the bees, but for the most part we let them make honey and they let us swim. Joe and Jim are such good dad's it was nice to share this day with them, and of course the big guys, Don and Max.