Charleechats

Projects

2009-05-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of projects I've been working on..the 4 squares below are part of the Block of the Month quilt club..16 tulip squares, and 52 of the others..these make up the center of the quilt I'm making....I'll post more as it comes together..

The flooring is almost finished in my new craft room! After the floor comes the moulding and boxing in the window!! I'm excited to have my own space!!

This is a table runner I made in a 3 session class I took back in March..Today I pinned it together with the back and batting..

Catching Up

2009-03-28T23:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since my last update..It may be redundant to post here and on Facebook, but..so what! :)

My sister and I embarked on a Memory Lane roadtrip. Through Facebook we have reconnected with our Morrison cousins..our Mom's side..I hadn't seen them since 1974 and it was even longer for Debbie. So, our trip evolved. We went to the Charles Schultz Museum in Santa Rosa..Schultz is the Peanuts creator and our Dad was a huge fan! The museum was great..afterwards we headed south and went through San Francisco to Palo Alto where we had lived from 1963-1967..we found our houses there..From there we went to Bakersfield for our reunion with our Morrison cousins..from there to Los Angeles..we visited our Grandparents gravesites, their homes, our homes and got together with our Hagopian cousins! We shared lots of tears and lots of laughter as we traced our California lives. Our trip ended in Anaheim where Debbie headed back to Oregon...The second part of my trip was about to begin.

About 2 hours after Debbie left, Reg and our friends Gary and Doras Cronce arrived for our Disneyland adventure. We stayed at the Cronce's timeshare and spent the next 3 days at Disneyland and California adventure! We had so much fun.

We arrived home Saturday March 14th and woke up to snow the very next day!!! We had such a fun time..there tons of pictures and you can see them here

Weekend

2009-02-23T18:12:00.001-08:00

Tillie and me listening to the tunes on my Ipod! She loves music!! Yea!! She can carry a tune, though still needs to get a bit more verbal to get the words with the music..and she loves the drums too...Notice her hair? She had her first (attempted) haircut on Friday the 20th..Joy, the stylist and good friend of Emily's got one cut in before Tillie went ballistic..I only heard this from Emily and Joy..sure wish I could have been there! But enough of the bangs got cut, so hopefully they will stay out of her face..(sounds like a grandma, eh?)

Here's a picture before the haircut..

The video is Tillie's animal sounds..longtime family joke..When Emily was Tillie's age, her sisters taught her the animal sounds wrong..on purpose!!! Anyway, the last of Tillie sounds is the best!!

Mamma Mia! Here I go again, my my.......

2009-01-17T21:50:00.001-08:00

Last night I had a "Mamma Mia" party! We had a blast! This outfit of mine is straight from Goodwill. I learned something..Goodwill can be expensive! The blue eyeshadow is from Emily!

Dancing Queen!

Diane Teague's pant legs..they were awesome!!
Here's Diane's whole outfit. She added a feather boa later!

Tillie got into the act too, but she did have to go to bed before the movie!!

Singing and dancing!!

more silliness!!

Melody and Tracy..

Mrs. Candido..aka JoyMarie

Faith is wearing the slip from my wedding dress..She was a Mamma Mia rookie!

We had fun singing and dancing and being silly! Good for the endorphins!

The Weekend

2009-01-11T22:48:00.001-08:00

This past weekend I got together with others from Clover Park High School's class of 1976. We didn't have a 30th reunion and are planning an informal gathering in August. It's being billed as the 33 1/3. This will hopefully springboard into a more formal 35th...

On Friday Reg officiated at the memorial service for our good friend, Hollister (Holly) Young. Holly passed away Dec. 12th. He asked that Reg officiate, but did not want a religious service. Reg shared just a little bit about the Lord as Holly would have wanted that.
The memorial was held at Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo. It is such a beautiful place.

This is looking up!

The view outside.

My first completed quilt

2009-01-05T19:27:00.001-08:00

I have finally completed my first quilt! Whew..This was my present to my sister, Debbie. This is the same quilt we made for our Mom last Christmas. When Mom died, Debbie had me take the quilt, so I thought Debbie needed one too..The only difference is that this quilt is all flannel..it is sooo comfy!

Here's Debbie opening her gift!!
This is how I put the whole thing together, using the floor in my bathroom..and lots of painters tape!

I have 2 more completed quilt tops that need finishing and many more projects to work on!!!

Christmas..beware, lots of pictures

2008-12-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

In the 35 years I've lived in Washington, I got to experience my first White Christmas! It certainly makes the holiday magical, but it can go away now! Really...This is our house on Christmas Day!

Christmas Day was a quiet day for Reg, David and me. Emily and family stayed home because of the weather. Emily is suffering from morning sickness (translated, all day), and was not having a happy day. Christmas Eve services were cancelled, but we had Ken and Deb Nielsen, who pastor the Foursquare Church, and our other friends, Gary and Doras Cronce over for a yummy prime rib dinner..Christmas Day dinner was leftovers..mmmmmm!!

Saturday, December 27th was the Hearn Christmas party at Melony's house in Seattle. Here are Don and Linda, Reg's folks. Still so much in love. They've been married for 61 years!!
Ok..there will be lots of pictures of Tillie...That's a grandparent thing..Next year will be fun with the new baby!!! Tillie got a doll from her Aunties...She wasn't too sure about it, but it will be a good learning tool for a new baby!

Here's our Santa Baby..well, she's not a baby anymore!!

David was our Santa this year!
Reg and Kathryn..

Reading a new book..

Melony has a great view of Seattle..This is my failed attempt of taking a nightime picture looking at Qwest Field.

Our nephew, Seth..our chef for the night! Good job Seth! Dinner was wonderful!!

Me and my Tillie Girl! She is growing up so fast!!

Another picture of Tillie with her Mama in the background!!

Meredith, Kathryn and Melony..Notice Kathryn's new pressure cooker?? Can't wait for a dinner cooked in it Kathryn!

Uncle Levi and Tillie..they always have fun together!!

Linda and our son-in-law, Albert

Tillie's wearing Uncle Levi's hat..

Kathryn and Albert..

Here's Tillie again!!

Eliza and David

Eliza and her Momma, Jo

Tillie was doing something cut here and you can see all the cameras going! Gotta love a 2 year old at Christmas!!

Here's our goofy girl!

This is a pottery piece we got Eliza on our roadtrip to Mt. Rushmore..

Christmas 2008 marked my first Christmas since my parent's death. My sister and I talked and cried together..I posted a blog entry on my other blog here

I hope each of you had as wonderful Christmas as our family did. Happy New Year to all who read this!!!!

Update

2008-12-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

HI,
I decided to post here instead of answering on Facebook one by one..that's one thing MySpace has going for it..I can blog it there or do a bulletin..

ANYWAY...the news was mostly good. The lump was pre-cancerous. The surgeon got all of the affected tissue out..

The next part is where it gets difficult..Traditional medicine says 6 weeks of radiation, or mastectomy..those 2 options are not at all what I want to do. Most disease comes from environmental causes and my biggest issue in life is nutrition and exercise..I am trying to make better choices and am supplementing with good, healthy supplements, but have a ways to go..at this point, I believe that's how I will choose to keep this at bay, but will look at all sides..

Thanks for all your prayers and support..

Love you all,
Carolyn

Fun with Anne and Sara

2008-11-29T22:51:00.001-08:00

Today I got together with longtime friends, Anne and Sara..We all went to high school together..Anne now lives in Virginia, Sara in Kent and me..well..Shelton, but you all knew that..

Here we are at Jared's picking out my new wedding ring..My Mom left me my Grandmother's ring, so I'm using the diamond from that.

Here is the ring I'm getting..I'm excited..I have Reg's blessing to make this change. I am thinking of having a pendant made with my original diamond to give to Tillie when she is older..I'm not sure yet what I'll do..
From Jared's we drove up to Kent to where Sara gets pedicures and she treated us all to pedicures..It was fun!! It should be added that this year all 3 of us turned 50..So, this was an especially fun visit..
Our pretty toes!!
From pedicures we wandered the shops at Kent Station and ended up at Dukes for a drink and some hors d' oerves..
We headed back to Lakewood..that's where Reg visited with Anne's husband Steve..they can talk for hours. Emily and Tillie went to Chuckee Cheese with Anne's kids..(kids..they're 26, 24, 20, etc....)

It was a wonderful visit!!

Duke's New Family

2008-11-23T22:21:00.000-08:00

Here is Duke's new family..2 kids and a large fenced yard! Perfect for a puppy!!

It doesn't take much to excite me...

2008-11-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Today we took out the gross shower doors and put in a new curved rod and shower curtain..It's pretty cool..it's a little bit long..Reg didn't take into account that it would hang just a bit longer because of the hangers..but, I think it looks cool!

Ooohhh....the curved rod..
Another view..One other problem is that it's much darker in the shower now..I'm not sure that can be fixed..I also scrubbed the ceiling..we have a mold problem and later down the line we will probably tear out everything and start over..but for now we'll see how long my mold scrubbing will last!!

Puppy Update

2008-11-17T13:13:00.001-08:00

Most of you know that last month we got a new puppy..His name is Duke..Here he is on October 28th...

a few weeks later..
Sleeping on his back...However...

after 3 weeks, I decided that Duke was a lot more than I bargained for. We found him a new home with 2 kids and a fenced yard. So, yesterday Duke went to his new home..Many thanks to Elisabeth Cooper who helped me find the home..they are friends of hers..Duke will be much better off..Thank you Reg for supporting me in this decision..it was much harder for him..

Shop Hop part 2

2008-11-09T20:06:00.001-08:00

This is our shop here in Shelton..I may be a bit biased, but of the 12 I visited..this is the best!! I picked up my material here after Chehalis and Centralia..

On Oct. 31, my friend Doras went with me to my last two stops. They were in Aberdeen and Ocean Shores. We had a great time..I did forget the camera though, darn it!! This quilt project will be for the new year..I have plenty to do for now..including a top secret project!!

Shop Hopping

2008-11-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I visited my sister in Salem. On the way home I started my journey on my very first Shop Hop. This was the SW Washington Shop Hop. There was a list of 12 shops between Vancouver and Shelton. At each shop you get a free piece of fabric and directions for one of the 12 squares. Since this was my rookie Shop Hop, I was learning along the way..like I needed to purchase more fabric for the squares..so, I started doing at later stores.

This first store was in Vancouver. I combined this stop with lunch with our good friends, Glenn and Cindy! (Miss you guys!)
Inside the Vancouver shop they had a quilting room. There were 2 huge quilting machines, all computerized..It can be quite hi-tech..maybe that's why I haven't finished any quilts yet..this is daunting..granted..the home quilter usually doesn't have all this fancy stuff.. Here is the shop in Battleground. This shop was on the owner's property. I had to maneuver around the chickens in the yard!

My next stop up I-5 was in Longview. Not only did this shop have sewing and vacuum, it had a whole kitchen section..It was pretty cool..

Traveling just a few miles north, the next stop was Castle Rock. I've never been to Castle Rock and it's a cute little town.

After heading a bit further north, I turned east and went to Morton. That was the hardest drive, only because it was 3o miles off of I-5..but, it was a beautiful drive and had a beautiful view of Mt. Saint Helens!

As the hour was getting late, I wasn't able to get to Chehalis or Centralia on Friday, so I continued up to Tumwater..It was opened until 6:30....this shop is not too far from my house so it's another place to learn..

On Saturday, Oct. 25th, I headed to Emily's candle party and spent the night. She and I went to church the next day and on my way home, I detoured to do some more "hopping." This shop is in Yelm...I should say that both days were wonderfully sunny..I couldn't have asked for better driving weather.

From Yelm I went down a back highway to Chehalis and Centralia. I went through the town of Rainier..I wondered where that town was. We have friends there, so that was fun to see. This is the Chehalis shop..once again, I had never been in the downtown part of Chehalis. Only stops right off of I-5. I think that's been one of the neatest thing of this journey..

Here is the Centralia shop. Now this was fun..the shop?? No, the 2 guys in there planning their next quilt. Not that guys can't quilt, but I hadn't seen it before..they were brothers..one did the sewing and piecing and such and the other did the grunt work..the cutting!

Yo, Ho, Ho and a Bottle of.....Milk?

2008-10-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

Here is Pirate Tillie!!!

What a cutie!

Projects

2008-10-15T19:32:00.001-07:00

Here are the first 3 squares of the 2008-09 Block of the Month club..I'm caught up on that one..

I've also joined the "buck a block" club. It's using a method called Thangles. I have some questions, so off to the quilt store tomorrow I go!

David's old room is just about finished..meaning that it should be able to hold heat in the winter better and hopefully stay a bit cooler in the summer. I'll be moving my craft stuff up there, giving us more room in the family room and giving me my very own space. I'm excited..

My New Life...

2008-10-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

This week has been the first week since "retiring" that I have had to rest, relax, start projects and the such..How nice!! There were 3 nights that I didn't sleep well, but made up for it by sleeping in until 11AM....I got 2 quilt squares finished for the current block of the month club. I'm now trying to master setting triangles...Tomorrow I'm going to Sue's for help!

Emily and Tillie came over Saturday for Chrissy Hammond's baby shower and they're staying for my candle party on Tuesday..need candles?? Come on over!

Here's Tillie wearing Uncle DJ's boots!! Size 12..mens!!

These boots WEREN'T made for walking..by a 2 year old!
Tillie and Reg having fun before bedtime..Tillie's working hard at saying Grandma and Grandpa...

Giving Uncle DJ a kiss goodnight..and you know what?? David loves it! (He'll never admit it)

This next week doesn't have a whole lot to it either..I can't wait!

3445 miles later and.....

2008-10-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

We arrived home Friday, Oct. 3rd around 9:30. We had such a WONDERFUL trip! Here are the latest highlights.

Here's Reg, the photo dude! On Tuesday Sept. 30th, we went from The Homestead in Utah to Boise, Idaho to visit my Mom's cousin. It was an easy drive so we stopped for many photo opportunites for Reg.

This is a Utah outhouse..yuck!!
The Utah scenery is awesome. We were northern, so it's not quite as neat as the southern areas, but it is sure nice..it's so different than what we are used to in the Northwest.
On Wednesday, Oct.1st, we went to this warbird museum in Nampa, Idaho

This is my Mom's cousin, Marion Harford. She has always been my aunt as far as I'm concerned. We hadn't seen each other for 22 years. I sure hope it's not that long again!!

Here is Aunt Marion, my second cousin, David and his wife Bev. Dave and I were trying to figure out how long it had been since we've seen each other..probably 35-40 years..whatever it was, he was a kid when I saw him last..so was I!

The Homestead

2008-09-29T19:35:00.001-07:00

Today we went from Craig, Colorado to Midway, Utah.

Here is Reg, the Photo Dude! Since today was an easy day, we made lots of photo stops..the scenery went from dull to spectacular and back. As we were getting near to Midway, we came down a canyon with incredible fall colors.

We are staying at The Homestead Resort. My family stayed here in 1968. I was looking through the AAA Tour Book for Utah to see if it was listed. I had no idea if it was still in operation. It still is and it is fantastic. I don't remember a lot of specifics, except for the pool. I was only 10 when we were here. I remember it being a lot of fun. The pool HAD a diving board and also a ladder that you jumped from onto a trampoline and into the water..It's not there anymore..gotta love liability insurance!
It was about 80 degrees here! It's such a pleasant place to be!
This is a picture of the main building. I remember it being all white. I have some of our trip in 1968 on video, so I want to take a look again..

This is the patio outside of our room.

This is our room..it's small but very quaint..

Focus on the Family..Adventures in Odyssey...12,050 Foot Elevations..oh my

2008-09-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

Ok..this update has a couple of days and since there are so many pictures, I'll give them to you in 2 links. We arrived in Colorado Springs Friday night..Sept. 26th..Saturday morning we started our day with a really good free breakfast at our hotel..then off to visit Focus on the Family. This is a ministry that is 32 years old..I think..it has grown from Dr. Dobson and 2 employees to a whole lot more..As a family when we traveled, we listened to "Adventures in Odyssey." It was a radio show that put different collections together on tape/cd..It was wonderful..At Focus on the Family, their whole downstairs area in the Welcome Center is dedicated to children and most of it is Odyssey stuff..It was really neat. Reg and I wandered around quite a bit, and then had lunch at Whit's End. We both got emotional..it was cool to be there..because this show has played an important role in our lives. Click here to see the pictures...

Today, Sunday Sept. 28th, we left Colorado Springs and headed north to Denver to have brunch with our niece, Meredith. She is going to school in Denver. Meredith suggested as we travel, to go to Boulder, which we did..we drove around a bit and toured the town. We decided to continue that path and head over the Rockies (which we would have gone over somewhere). We kept climbing and climbing and climbing...the highest point we reached before going back down was 12,050 feet above sea level..Let me back up a bit..We have been at higher elevations than we are used to..we live at sea level. So, both Reg and I have noticed the higher elevations..less breath..feeling like we're more out of shape than what we really are..well, at the 12000 level, let me tell you! WOW..out of breath, nauseous, light headed..you name it..but it was so beautiful..and so worth the trip. The fall colors are really beautiful...Here is a link to these pictures..

We are on the homeward stretch of our trip..Both Reg and I are ready to be back at sea level, that's for sure. We do have 2 more stops on our journey. One is to spend a couple of days in Boise with my Mom's cousin and then we'll have dinner with our dear friends, Glenn and Cindy..

So, until the next update...

More Rushmore..Wed. September 24, 2008

2008-09-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

We spent several hours at Mt. Rushmore...it is spectacular..incredible..I could go on and on..

There are so many views that you see depending on where you stand. Here we're at the base of the monument.
Some views have more of a focus on Washington and others on Lincoln. Jefferson and Roosevelt are seen head on.

This is the Hallway of Flags. Each state is listed with the date they were admitted to the Union.
Reg and a steam locomotive. There is a train that runs between Keystone, which is where Mt. Rushmore is located and Hill City, 10 miles away..

Reg!!

Each night, during the summer season, there is a lighting ceremony. It starts with a ranger talk, then a video. Then they had us rise to sing the National Anthem and the lights went up on the monument..another awesome moment. Afterwards, all military personnel, past and present are invited up to the stage. The flag is lowered and folded. The ranger then went from person to person and had them place their hand on the flag, say their name and what branch of the military they had served..or were serving..it was a touching moment.

Today we are heading for Colorado Springs!

Roadtrip!!

2008-09-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the hotel we stayed at in Billings, Mt...it was a Best Western..see the bears on the balconies..it was cute. We left there around 10AM and arrived at Keystone, SD around 5PM..

We drove up to the monument, but the park was closing..so we found this area that shows Washington's profile..Tomorrow starts the real fun!!!

George, up close and personal!!
We had dinner tonight at the Powder House Lodge. It was yummy..More later! Good night!!

Greetings From.....

2008-09-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Billings, Montana. We have finished day 2 of our roadtrip. If I've read the maps right, tomorrow should be an easy drive to Mt. Rushmore..I don't have pictures yet, but figure they'll be plenty tomorrow.

We left Monday around noon and went to Spokane. We stayed at the Comfort Inn on Division..right near our favorite breakfast spot..The European Breakfast House..yummy...

Then it was a long drive to Billings...since we had a huge breakfast, we didn't stop for lunch..but had several bathroom breaks, oh, and an ice cream break! Dinner at McDonalds (whatever) in Bozeman and we arrived in Billings around 9PM..Mountain Time..I'd forgotten about time changes..

More updates later..

The Reluctant Flower Girl

2008-09-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 13th, Anthony's sister, Robin, was married and Tillie was a flower girl..well..a reluctant flower girl. According to Emily and others, she was a terror before the wedding and wouldn't take part in the pictures and everytime she was put down, she ran! (That's my Tillie!) When it came time to go down the aisle, she got about 5 steps, sat down and cried..it was too funny! I have it on video and while it's not a good video as I was trying to help, it sure is funny..

Here's Tillie with Reg after the "walk" down the aisle..

With Reg and puppy at the reception..oh yes, and the beloved sippy..

Later that night in her beautiful dress

The dress fluffed when she stooped down..it's so pretty! Love those curls Tillie Girl!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-09-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Last week was my first week of retirement! IT WAS BUSY!!! The week included Reg's and my 25th anniversary on September 10th and Reg's 60th birthday on the 11th...it was a week of surprises which included deceptions to make the surprises..IT WAS FUN!!! On our anniversary Reg took me to Falls Terrace in Tumwater. He gave me a beautiful necklace with 3 diamonds representing the past, present and future. I'll post a picture later..I gave Reg a new wedding band..Here we are..

The day after our anniversary celebration was Reg's 60th birthday..more deception..I planned a surprise party for him..hahaha...here is the cake with a picture of his airplane, Juliet. There were about 25 people at his party and he was surprised!
Dennis and Diane Teague found this train set at a garage sale and thought of Reg. Dennis got it all set up ready to go when Reg came through the gate..the train has a remote control and....

Dennis hid behind our fence, just waiting for Reg!!!!

Here are Linda (Reg's Mom), Emily and Diane blowing up punching bag type balloons..some of the men had a competition to see how could punch the longest..Reg won!!

It was a fun 2 days!!!

25 years ago.....

2008-09-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

We were married! September 10, 1983!

As of today I have been a Hearn as long as I was a Hagopian!

Tonight we went to Falls Terrace in Tumwater. Reg got me a beautiful necklace with the 3 diamonds representing the past, present and the future. I got Reg a new, white gold wedding band..it's beautiful, but doesn't fit..we'll get that taken care of..

Happy 2nd Birthday Tillie Anne

2008-09-07T22:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated Tillie's 2nd birthday! Wow has time flown by so quickly. Here is Tillie with her ponytail!

Auntie Eliza helping Tillie opening her presents.

This book was a big hit!

More help..

Do you think we have enough video cameras?

Kathryn, Emily and David

Finally, a decent picture of Anthony!

Happy Birthday David James Hearn

2008-08-18T20:03:00.001-07:00

Today is David's 24th birthday!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID..WE LOVE YOU!!!

Begging Gulls???

2008-08-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was eating my very healthy breakfast at McDonalds..(yeah, I know..) I usually park my car and eat in it..there have been crows, birds, that hang around looking for a handout. Yesterday, there were 2 seagulls and they were begging! They'd look at me, raise their heads and made a seagull sound..THEY WERE BEGGING!! I've seen lots of birds, gulls, and such hang out by the food, but never overt begging..It was funny..Ok these days finding stupid things to make me laugh is a good thing!!

Some Tillie Pics

2008-08-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Emily and Tillie came down for the weekend. One of Emily's friend's is getting married and she and I went to her bridal shower. On Saturday we took Tillie to Kneeland Park.

Swinging..at first she wasn't too thrilled. So, we tried some other toys.

Her first slide with her Mommy. She liked that right off!
Tillie's first solo slide! She really liked that..so much so that she tried to climb up the slide to do it again..She got a bit frustrated having to go back up the right way!

We came back to the swings..some other kids were swinging and Tillie was watching and observing that they were having fun, so we put her in again and she liked it..so much so that she pitched a fit when we took her out! Ah...Tillie!!
Here's my goofy girl!! Love you Tillie Girl!

July 26th

2008-07-26T18:42:00.001-07:00

Oops...this blog was posted on the wrong site...Oops..

Today Mom is back to being out of it again. I called this morning for an update and she was still pretty alert. She was asked if she wanted food and she declined. She didn't want any liquids either. I think she is fearful of choking as it has become hard for her to swallow.

When Debbie had gotten there around 10, Mom was out of it..apparently she had become agitated and was also having trouble taking her morphine. And, her right leg was very restless (which is part of her disease). She was given some Adavan (sp) and that combined with the morphine has knocked her out. She has not had any food or liquid since Monday the 21st. I don't know how long someone can go without that, especially in a very weakened state.

More later...

Weird

2008-07-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Tillie's been here all week and I have yet to take a single picture! I'll have to get one in, but now she has the flu..she is cheerful, but feverish..Emily has had it and now Reg has come down with it too..I need to stay away! EEK!!

Independence Day

2008-07-07T18:38:00.001-07:00

This Independence Day was a sort of independence for Reg and me..it was our first without kids at home..So we celebrated! We went to the Mariners Game. The game started at 1:10PM. We decided to stay overnight in Seattle at the Silver Cloud Hotel, right across from Safeco Field. This was the view from our room! Pretty cool!

Here we are in our seats in the Terrace Club level. I had some 2 for 1 tickets, so we went this route. It was fun! In seat food service, bigger, padded seats..In order to experience it all, we did have our food delivered to our seats. It's more expensive, but our attitude was.."who cares!" We were in row 2 in the 200 level. Real close to the foul pole in right field. It was one of those areas where you need to keep an eye on the ball. I have found though that my perception of where the ball is hit is a bit skewed.
Our view (no zoom) of the field

Ichiro!! Zoomed!! No, he's not on the phone!

Happy 4th of July!!

After the game we returned to the hotel and vegged out. We had dinner at Jimmy's which is in the hotel. The food was great! At the Silver Cloud, the pool is on the 9th floor and that's where we headed around 9PM to wait for the fireworks on Elliott Bay. It was quite crowded up there. I'm glad we got there early. This is a picture of the sun reflecting on one of the downtown buildings.

FIREWORKS!!

It was a wonderful time and with all that's gone on recently, it was a nice escape for us!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday too!

Improvements

2008-06-24T19:16:00.001-07:00

We have been making improvements to the house recently..well, more accurately, we're having them done..this picture is perhaps the most dramatic. This is the back of our house...it was awful..it's been powerwashed..WOW!!!

I've titled this by the weedless shed..now we just need a step!
Last year the patio got finished and this is a privacy fence. I want to put roses, I think, in front of it..it needs some color..We'll paint the trim maroon and then use some kind of weather proofing on the rest.

For years we have barbequed on the balcony off our bedroom. Reg is building a shelter for our BBQ's..yes, that's plural. We just bought an actual BBQ for slow cooking. The shelter will be big enough for both the BBQ and the gas grill.
All that's left is the roof. Reg got the materials today. We should be up and running real soon!!

Father's Day 2008

2008-06-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today was our annual Father's Day outing at the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field. This was Tillie's first time..I think someone said we've been doing this for 9 years. We have a tailgate party afterwards..it's great fun! Here is Miss Tillie Anne at 21 months. It's hard to believe she's almost 2!!!

The astronaut baby!! ( I guess she's really not a baby anymore..but oh, so cute!)

In order to understand this picture, you need to look back at our Father's Day outing in 2006..Well, Anthony was serving in Iraq then, so we took a picture of a pregnant Emily in front of this airplane.. We sent it to Anthony!

Maverick and Goose!!

Ok..this is the Smart Car..It is the funniest looking car..Talk about feeling vulnerable..I could handle something like this if everyone else on the road was in the same..The van is a future possiblity..

For those of you who know my Armenian heritage, you'd understand the significance of this! :)

At the tailgate party..my cute Tillie..More visiting going on.

The annual Dad picture of 2008.

Memorial Day

2008-05-28T21:50:00.001-07:00

Father and son on the patio, sharing good conversation and cigars..well, I wasn't quick enough, Reg had finished his..

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day!

Wild Wake Up

2008-05-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted here. A lot has happened. This morning though I had one of the wildest wake ups ever!

Emily and family have been down this weekend and stayed with Anthony's family. The 3 of them are all in one room and any mother who has had her child sleep in the same room knows that you hear every move, noise, etc..especially when you're not used to having them in the room( and, Dad sleeps right through it all). So, for 2 nights, Emily didn't get much sleep..Conversely, Tillie hears things too and woke up much sooner than normal. This morning, Tillie woke up sometime in the 5AM hour. Emily didn't know how to work the tv remotes at her in-laws and was sleep deprived and emotional, so she and Tillie came to our house..at 5:30ish!! I've been sleeping on our couch recently because of a sore arm..I was sound asleep and heard a LOUD scream! After flailing on the couch, I saw Emily sitting on the other couch and Tillie was near the stairs and she was screaming! We think she was afraid of the fan..needless to say it was not the best start to the morning..but, we got a couple of hours with our granddaughter!!! The whole episode now seems funny..Emily said my reaction was hilarious! I'm so glad I could provide such entertainment!

No pictures to post this time. As soon as Emily posts some Tillie swimming pics, I'll hijack them and post them.

Easter Weekend

2008-03-23T22:35:00.001-07:00

We had a great Easter weekend!! This is Thursday before, visiting my Mom. I noticed in this picture that Mom really looks like my Gram here. My cousin, Andi, noticed it too!!

Easter afternoon we headed up to Bob & Andi Pistay's..(Bob's my cousin!!) This is Tillie (duh) and their dog, Cayenne..a real gentle retriever..
Andi set a beautiful table as usual. That's a skill I haven't mastered yet..oh well...Hollister thinks I make great gravy! (Inside joke)

Here's a goofy picture of Tillie and me!

Ems and Cayenne. The Hearn family really misses having a dog sometimes..Especially being around wonderful dogs like Cayenne!!

Here's a pretty Easter girl..Did I mention I bought her Easter dress..It was so pretty..a little long, but oh so pretty!!

When Tillie would stoop down her dress would look really cool!

This is Brian, Reg and Bob looking at a computer at boats and planes..The Pistay's are a sailing family. Bob started sailing way back in the 60's. I got to go with them back in 1968. It was when my (maternal) Grandfather passed away and my sister and I were getting pawned off on various people. Bob's family tooking us sailing..All I really remember was Bob making the boat go way over on it's side and my Aunt yelling at him..It was pretty funny! Too bad I don't know the proper sailing terms..:)

Bobby Baby!! My cousin! He calls me Chuckie!

Here's Tillie in the Pistay antique high chair that they've had since Brian was a baby!

Andi & Brian. I didn't get far enough back, but Andi is holding Brian....I hope she survived! tee hee!! Hey Eliza..remember Brian as a bratty little kid?? He's all grown up!

We started Easter Sunday at Moriah Foursquare. Celebrating the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ! We combined all the different groups that lead worship. It was a great service! John 3:16 says "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in Him would have everlasting life." What a gift!!

2008-03-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

These 2 pictures are Emily and Tillie...The one on the left is Tillie at 17 months..the one on the right is Emily at 14 months..this doesn't quite capture it, but when you see Tillie in person and then look at the picture of Emily, the resemblence is amazing! Tillie and Ems were down this past weekend and when people saw the picture and saw Tillie, they couldn't tell them apart..including Reg!! There have been pictures when we all say she looks like Emily and others where she looks just like Anthony..

Spagetti

2008-02-12T21:25:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the Maier's came down and on Saturday we went to Poulsbo and got to introduce Anthony and Tillie to some dear friends of ours..I scored and got a picture of Anthony. I guess he can't hide when he's sound asleep.

When we got home, David came over and we had a family spagetti dinner. It was Tillie's first spagetti dinner! This is the before picture!
Uh..this would be after! Babies and spagetti are too much fun!

Then of course is the cleanup! Love you Tillie Girl!!

One last picture

2008-02-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

I had this picture in the last post, but somehow deleted it..This is a totally Grandma bought outfit!! It's so much fun being a Grandma!

Where have all my children gone?

2008-02-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we celebrated Emily's 21st birthday..we are no longer parents of children! WOW!!

Before we headed out, we had the piano fixed. We had some roof damage with all the storms in the last 2 winters and it leaked onto my piano..Fortunately it was an easy fix..the roof..a bit more expensive! :)

Emily's actual birthday was on January 21st. She had various celebrations and this past Saturday the family celebrated. The party was held at Albert and Kathryn's, in Bellevue.

Ems blowing out her "candle." I forgot the candles..thank goodness for tealights!
Anthony, ever camera shy...well, we got the elbow! What an elbow!

What's a blog posting without pictures of Tillie Anne! Don't worry, there's lots more!

Married for 60 years, Reg's folks, Don and Linda..sitting next to DJ

Now Emily has been officially initiated into adulthood..Tequila shots! Corrupted by her elder siblings!

A very special picture..

Reg and I spent the night at Albert and Kathryn's. Sunday morning, Reg and I went up to Bothell and went to church with Emily at the new church she's found. Afterwards we had a quick lunch at McDonalds..And guess what..more pictures of Tillie!!

cheese anyone??

The first part of our big year is over. Now we wait for September when Reg turns 60 and we celebrate our silver anniversary!

Vacation

2008-01-16T21:28:00.000-08:00

For many years my friend Anne Bourgeois and I have been planning to spend our 50th birthdays together. (we're 12 days apart..she's older!) At first we talked of meeting somewhere warm, spas, Vegas..Anne came up with the idea that I should come to visit her as I had never done that in all the time she's been gone from Washington..hmm..that would be over 28 years! Anne's husband, Steve, told Reg he should come along and they could do battlefields while we shop..not a bad deal, so on January 10th, Reg and I headed out for Richmond, VA. We flew on separate flights..it just worked out that way..that's the short story. It was cool though as Reg and I came out into the terminal area about 20 minutes apart. The picture below is to show all in the Northwest there really is sunshine out there.

The Rockies, from the airplane.

My flight went from Seattle to Dallas, then on to Richmond. I had sunshine all the way. It was wonderful! Especially as it got warmer..
Anne and I at the famous Trellis restaurant in Williamsburg, VA. We are sharing a Death by Chocolate cake. The Trellis restaurant's claim to fame is that their chef (not sure if it's a past or present chef), came up with the original Death by Chocolate cake..
A closer look..it was yummy! Really yummy! I did NOT check my blood sugars for awhile.

A street in Williamsburg, VA. It was 70 degrees on Friday.

Friday ended with a great dinner at Alexander's in Petersburg. It was to be our treat as a big thank you to Steve and Anne for their hospitality..however, there are still restaurants that don't take plastic..thank goodness Steve had cash! :)

Saturday we headed north to Washington DC. (The next 2 pictures are reversed..) The Smithsonian has added a new section of their air and space museum at Dulles Airport. They have a shuttle there and it is HUGE!! Reg kept saying over and over..I can't believe how big it is!! We spent Saturday night at the Marriott Gateway in Crystal City. (On the Virginia side of the Potomac). We had a wonderful dinner at Ted's Montana Grill. It's a fairly new chain owned by Ted Turner..the ex Mr. Jane Fonda. The food was outstanding and our waitress was wonderful too. We must have made some kind of impression because both the manager and the chef came and visited our table. To top it off, the restaurant did take plastic! We were able to treat!! On Sunday we then went the main air & space museum. In there they have pieces from the American History Museum since it is undergoing renovations. Here is the Scarecrow costume from "The Wizard of Oz."

The Shuttle, Enterprise

We spent time on the mall. The monuments and buildings are awe-inspiring. The weather on Sunday had cooled quite a bit from our 70 degree Friday, but the rain held off until we were heading back to Steve & Anne's.

The Capitol Building.

Reg's sister, Nadine and her husband came down from Delaware to have lunch with us. We went to a wonderful mexican restaurant (in Chinatown) called Rosa Mexicana..oh my oh my!! The food there was wonderful. I think I may adjust my guacamole recipe a bit. We had such a good time.

We headed back to Steve and Anne's around 5:30PM. It was about a 2 hour drive. Their home is in Prince George, VA which is about 40 some miles south of Richmond. Our whirlwind vacation was coming to a close. As whirlwind as it was, it never felt that way. We had a really great time! You can click here to see more pictures

We headed for home, on separate flights, Monday. Mine went without a hitch. I even had my own row from Dallas to Seattle and landed a half an hour early. Reg, on the other hand, didn't have the same good fortune. When I landed in Dallas, I had a voice mail saying his flight from Richmond had been cancelled. All he knew was he'd be on a Continental flight arriving sometime around 12:30AM..He ended up landing at 11:30. Fortunately for us, Reg's folks live minutes away from the airport, so I waited there for Reg's call. He called twice..the second to say his luggage was lost! :) If I wasn't so tired, I think I would have laughed. Because we were worn out, we decided to stay with Don & Linda and drive home in the morning. I traded shifts with Erika and got to work at 12:15PM..I worked until 7 and both Reg and I were wasted..

So, thank you Steve and Anne for such a wonderful long, weekend. We had so much fun and it was great to finally see your home! We'll be back!!

A New Year

2008-01-01T18:01:00.001-08:00

Today is January 1, 2008. 2007 is behind us now! I am glad! It's been a year. The year for me has been dominated with my folks. It has been hard to see their decline. Going through John Henderson's death with Reg has been difficult and to see Reg suffer the loss of his best friend. It's been hard releasing Emily and Tillie into Anthony's care and it's been hard to see DJ move out. That said, it's been a joy to watch Tillie grow and to see her learn new things all the time. It's been cool to see my kids grow up and live as adults on their own. Reg's girls are doing wonderfully with their spouses. Both Kathryn and Eliza had great things happen this year. We have been so fortunate as a blended family. It has worked!!

I read this on another person's blog and it is perfect! The Book is "A New Kind of Normal" by Carol Kent (Thomas Nelson, 2007). She includes eight choices we can think about as we ponder what 2008 might be.

When despair tries to take me under … I choose life

When I wonder what God could possibly be thinking … I choose trust

When I desperately want relief from unrelenting reality … I choose perseverance

When I feel oppressed by my disappointment and sorrow … I choose gratitude

When I want to keep my feelings to myself … I choose vulnerability

When nothing goes according to my plan … I choose relinquishment

When I want to point the finger … I choose forgiveness

When I want to give up … I choose purposeful action.

By our own attitudes we can have a say in how our year turns out. There will be cirucumstances beyond our control, but we can choose our response! I hope to always choose the positive.

Have a GREAT 2008!!

To know Vince is to love Vince

2007-12-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

Erika and I decided to honor Dr. Morson today! It's we love Dr. Morson day!!

This would be an inside joke!

PS

2007-12-25T18:43:00.001-08:00

Well, David and I did go see the movie. It was good! We are having a small white Christmas!

Our Tree! Not the best picture but I like the shadow of the cross.
Ok..I found a goofy setting on my camera!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

A Different, but Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

This year Christmas is a different holiday for us here at the Hearn household...As I write this, it is Christmas day and it is very quiet!! Emily, Anthony and Tillie are celebrating their first Christmas as a family at their apartment in Bothell, so it's our first Christmas without Ems. David came over last night and is still here watching TV. So, that is some normalcy. He and I might go see the new National Treasure movie. This is also my first Christmas without seeing my folks. We visited last Friday and did some caroling at the nursing home. My Dad is having lunch with my Mom today at Manor Care.

This past Saturday was our annual Hearn gathering. It was held at our home and it was so much fun! I look forward to it every year, especially this year. Thank you all dear family for being so wonderful!

Back in a November post is the quilt making adventure Debbie and I had. We made a quilt for Mom and gave it to her this past Friday after we sang. There are pictures there of Debbie and I with our mom, giving her the finished project!

I have so many pictures, I created a link to make it easier..Click here to see all the pictures. They are in random order..There are a couple of pictures of Ems with her friends, Hannah and JoyMarie. They have been friends for a long time. It's fun to see them get together and giggle.

I find myself near tears today. I'm sad because my parents are not well. I'm not sad that Emily is not here, just trying to get used to it. It's important for Ems and Anthony to establish their own traditions now. When Reg and I first got married, I was adamant that Christmas morning would be just our family. Then we could do whatever in the afternoon. It's so easy to lose the meaning of Christmas. Not just the shopping, but also the busyness of the holiday. As I was thinking of my Dad, who has kind of ignored Christmas, I thought that in spite of all that is going on in our lives, and I think of my Mom who is not well, today we celebrate the birth of a Savior. His birth has made it possible for us to see God face to face! To give us eternal life when our earthly bodies give out! That alone is GREAT cause for celebration! It is a gift offered to all! It just needs unwrapping.

So, as this day starts to wind down, I will choose to remember the incredible gift offered to me which I opened back in 1974, and I thank God everyday for His Son who offers me salvation and hope. Romans 5:5 says "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."

Merry Christmas everyone!

Mom and Me

2007-12-16T21:43:00.001-08:00

Here's a picture of Mom and me this past Friday..she had her hair done that day! Manor Care takes such good care of my mom..My Mom is a hero to me! Life has thrown her a big curve and she makes the best out of the situation as she can..a couple of weeks ago she was given the opportunity to see the Festival of Trees and she was so eager to go..When we took her for a drive she was up for the adventure.

Thanks for being such a role model Mom...I LOVE YOU!!

Christmas Parade

2007-12-01T18:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Shelton's annual Christmas parade..tonight it SNOWED!!! It was big wet flakes and smaller dry flakes. We had Em, Anthony & Tillie too and no stroller! Never haul a 25+ pound toddler, who is all bundled up, around..She's HEAVY!! Tillie's upper body was staying warm, but her legs were getting wet, so we left early after we saw the SHS band march and also the float from Kidztown, which is a community Children's church..It's headed up by a good friend of ours..No pictures of the parade though..too many layers to deal with a camera..

But here's a picture of Tillie in her new sweater that my co-worker, Erika, made..She is a knitting fiend! :)

Emily and Anthony are off on a date and Reg and I get to babysit! YEA!!!!!

Please pray

2007-11-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, November 29th, my great-nephew, Elijah James Nance was born. His mother is diabetic and he was early and had low blood sugars. Later in the day they put Elijah in intensive care because he has a blockage. They were able to find the cause, and today they are operating. Below is an email from my sister, Elijah's grandma..Thanks for praying!!

"Hello all,
Thanks for your prayer support!!!

Elijah will be having surgery today some time this afternoon. He has a deformity of his trachea and esophogus. His esophogus is not attached to his stomach. His trachea has an extra turn or something so that things tend to back up into his lungs.

He has an IV that is feeding him. Nathan and Tara seem to be doing pretty well. They have been able to hold him and spend time with him, even with the various wires and such. Elijah seems to be peaceful and doing well, considering.

Lenard will be flying down from Ketchikan to here on Sunday evening.

Again, thanks so much for your prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TTFN
Love Debbie"

PS..Debbie called around 9:45 Friday night..the surgery went well..Tara, Elijah's Mom will be released tomorrow and Elijah will be in the hospital 1-2 weeks...

Dinner for two

2007-11-30T20:30:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, November 24th, Reg and I officially became empty nesters. David moved out and in with his friend, Sean Rowan. While excited to see him move, it was also hard to say good-bye. When he was ready to leave with his last load, we prayed him on his way out..it was so special as Reg, David, my sister, Debbie and I prayed and cried..

Enjoy my tribute to our son, David...

Busy weekend

2007-11-26T13:29:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend was a busy weekend for us..Thanksgiving itself was on the quiet side. Our normal guest list topped off at 17-18. This year there was just 7 of us. It was different. The stress level was much lower, that's for sure. More leftovers and less dishes! :)

My Martha Stewart moment..the table
This is my brother-in-law, Lenard.

This is Erika..she works with me!!
My sister Debbie having a Chiropractic exam with Dr. Morson. (See Debbie, I told you I would put this picture in).

This is my best friend from high school, Anne! She and I turn 50 in January..She's the older one! By 12 days. She and her husband Steve were visiting from Virginia. Their youngest is stationed at Ft. Lewis so Thanksgiving was a perfect reason to come visit. After a lunch of turkey sandwiches and soup, Anne, her Mom Kay and I visited both my Mom and Dad.

While we were visiting my folks, Reg and Steve visited. They always have such good discussions. They have lots of common interests.

For Christmas my sister and I have decided to make our Mom a lap quilt. The plan was to sew on Saturday. I had gotten the pieces all cut out ahead of time. So, sew we did..

Here I am hard at work, pin in mouth!

I am so grateful that our Mom thought it important that we learn to sew. Debbie and I had so much fun doing this project. We sewed most of the day.

My sis!!

Look!!! It's almost finished! Well, at least the top part.

I think we were getting a bit punchy by this time!!

Here is the nearly finished top. We aren't sure how to do the mitered corners. Debbie has taken it home to finish it. I hope she figures out the mitered corners!!

There is more to our weekend, but I have to pull that posting together..It involves my scanner..keep watching!!

Oh, and Mandy, Elisabeth, Becky and Kristen...hahahahaha!! The above project is why your little escapade wasn't successful at my house!! TEE HEE!!

Guess Who Came To Visit

2007-11-12T00:47:00.001-08:00

Tillie came to visit! She came with her parents!!!

Reading "Goodnight Moon" with Grandpa! (You should have seen her climbing all over Reg..it was pretty funny..He had to work hard)
There's nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby!

Saturday Happenings and then some

2007-11-05T21:16:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we went up to Kirkland to Emily's first concert with the Woodinville Community Band. Of course, we went early enough to go visit the Maier's at their apartment...
After the concert, we went to our friend's Jeff & Tammy Keith's for pie..it was nice to arrive home and set the clocks back an hour..

What would a visit be without new pictures of Tillie...What a go-getter! That child gets into EVERYTHING..she walks everywhere...

Like an idiot, I forgot my camera, but these did ok with my phone..it was hard to keep her still long enough to take the picture... :)

Here is Tillie on Halloween...She was a turtle!!

Saturday was a great day!!

Ladies Afternoon Out

2007-10-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Debbie and I took our Mom on a bit of an adventure..We've been trying to find ways to make her life a bit more fun. For those who don't know, my Mom is in a nursing home in Gig Harbor. She's been there since late February, early March. This summer, we started to find ways to "spring" her for adventures..This was our "grand" adventure. We took her to Sharis for an early meal. Because she struggles with eating utensils, we ordered finger foods. Afterwards, we went to a couple of stores and then back to the nursing home. This was the second time we got to take Mom over the new Narrows Bridge. She got to see it go up but was wanting to go over it again. I have to admit I was nervous about the afternoon, but Debbie wasn't. We got instruction in how to get her in and out of the car, so that helped quite a bit. Mom was pretty tired afterwards. We visited for a little bit after returning her to Manor Care, but she was ready for us to leave.

Watching my parents decline has been hard. I'm not sure how to explain. Part of it is the decline itself, but a lot of it has to do with the change in roles. Debbie and I are in process of parenting oiur parents. Also, when they both go, the thought of not having parents is weird. It's been a process, that's for sure.

There are thoughts of "what if this happens to me?" Part of my Mom's disease has some dementia to it. My Grandma and her sisters all had dementia..I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind. It's not something I dwell on, but, I do wonder..

My faith in the Lord is what sustains me through all of this. Going through this in my own strength would be impossible. Having the support of praying friends means everything..One of the things I was able to verbalize recently was the loss of my Mom, or my Mommy....as she was. While not perfect, my Mom has been a rock for me.

My Dad's health is not good either. He is living in an assisted living facility in Tacoma. He goes to see my Mom several times a week. I'm sad for him as his grief for my Mom and for the way things are has consumed him.

Our responses to life circumstances is a choice. Granted, sometimes initial responses are reactions, but I believe overall, we choose how we respond. I choose not to be consumed with that which is wrong in my life. There is so much more that is right!!! God is GOOD!!!!

Lake Chelan

2007-10-15T22:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was spent at Lake Chelan. Each year my boss takes us on a weekend getaway. Each year we score with a wonderful place and wonderful weather.

This was the view right outside our hotel room.

The fall colors were beautiful in Blewett Pass..

Reg and me at our group dinner

More views outside our door

It was fun hanging out with everyone. I would love to go back during the summer and rent a jet ski!! I'm still waiting for one, Reg!!! The rest of the pictures from the weekend can be seen here.

Retreat

2007-10-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went on a retreat with the ladies from my church and from other churches. It was held in a beautiful home on Whidbey Island..the home is a 10,000 square foot mansion on the water..it was beautiful...you can click here for pictures of both the home and the weekend..

I got there Thursday evening around 7:30ish. It's always fun finding something in the dark, but find it I did..There was a fast going on from 3PM that day to 3PM on Friday. Being diabetic I can't take part in that, so had some snacks..worship was going on in the main room and I could hear it from where I was..It was beautiful...it was free form and it sounded like angels..I missed the first speaker and was disappointed..it was my friend Kelli..in a smaller group we were asked what had brought us to the retreat..Since leaving our old church, I had pulled back from a lot of "churchy" things..I really feel that the Lord is saying "get back in the game." (Not that I think that any of this is a game...but it best describes what I'm trying to say..) I got to sleep around 11:30 on an Aero type bed..it was VERY comfortable..more so than the bed at the Shiloh Inn...

Friday was a beautiful day..it wasn't forcast to be so, but it was..After worship the next two hours were to be spent quiet with the Lord..well...I met a woman, MaryLou who happened to be from Hoodsport..we walked all around the beach and had wonderful conversation..I'm hoping she will be someone in my life later....later as we regrouped, I was with another group of women who prayed for me as I was able to articulate how much I missed my Mom..or more accurately, I miss my Mommy...It is hard to see my Mom in her current state..My mother is still alive, but my "mommy" is not..I hope that makes sense..I have also felt a sense of abandonment with my sister's impending move back to Ketchikan..I have not been able to be emotionally supportive in their project. I am afraid of being the "main" kid for my parents.. In another quiet time, I was working on a Bible Study I'm involved with and something I read clicked...it was perfect..it has allowed me to emotionally let go of my sister and to honestly be on board with what they are doing..Another woman I met the night before sought me out and we had a good discussion on legalism and such..she is not happy in her marriage..she's been married for 39 years (I think) with kids ranging in age from 12 to 34..I feel so fortunate..I have been truly happily married for 24 years..Thank you Lord for Reg..he has loved me unconditionally for all these years and has modeled the love of our Lord to me..too many of my friends are not happily married and I find it so sad.

Finally at 3PM the food came out..while I hadn't fasted, I was eating small things to keep my blood sugars at an ok level..Friday night was a salad potluck..My contribution was guacamole, at Diane's request..it didn't last long! :) We had more worship and speakers and group time..it was all wonderful..I was most definitely ready for bed by 10PM...

Saturday came and more wonderful worship and word..I found as the time to go home drew nearer, I wanted to stay..it was a nice feeling...I think it was partly the physical surroundings, but mostly the Lord was so prevalent there..

I left at 5PM in order to catch the 6PM ferry to Port Townsend. It was running late due to the windy weather..it took 2 tries to dock the boat and the second one was pretty rough..the drive home in the dark and wet on Hwy. 101 was not what I would call fun..but I made it home!

It was a wonderful weekend that opened up a sense of freedom in worship for me. I didn't play in any of the worship sessions, I just got to partake and it was such a gift. On Sunday, the freedom continued at church and seemed to be contagious..it was great!!

Day 3 - the end

2007-09-23T22:12:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day with Tillie!! It was fun..we played at Moriah this morning..during practice, Tillie munched on Cheerios and when that got boring, she crawled around with a rhythm egg and some bells..she was playing along with us..the nursery person didn't show up, so one of the ladies held Tillie during worship. Apparently there was a little boy nearby that Tillie was interacting with and the little boy was very touched. He told Nancy, the lady holding Tillie that at his last church, no one was very nice to him..God works even through the littlest ones..How cool is that...

This picture shows how blue Tillie's eyes are..

The outfit that Tillie is wearing was made by my Mom for Emily when she was a baby..it's too cute!! Thanks Mom!!

Babies are a lot of work, but they sure are fun..Thanks for being with us Tillie Anne!!

Day 2

2007-09-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Day 2 is over..unless Tillie wakes up in the middle of the night. Tillie woke me up at 6:08AM..love those digital clocks..Breakfast and some playing, she went down for a morning nap..Grandpa and I took her for a walk to the Post Office..He left for Seattle and Tillie and I hung out..Vince came over to practice music for Sunday, and after he left it was nap time again!! Gotta love nap time...

Mugging for the camera

A real ham!!

Mastering a new skill and slowly working to lose the bottle..

The obligatory bath picture..still hamming it up!

As an addendum to the the Day 1 entry, I had fallen asleep on the couch in the family room when the baby monitor started making noises...Tillie??? Ah..no, it was Reg snoring in our room. Tillie's sleeping in Emily's old room. If you are familiar with our house, our room is across from Emily's.sort of..anyway..It scared me at first and once I identified the sound, I thought it was pretty darn funny!

Emily texted me and they were heading for the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train..it sounds like a lot of fun!

Day 1

2007-09-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Reg and I are soloing with Tillie, giving Emily and Anthony a weekend alone to celebrate their first anniversary!!! On Thursday I drove up to Bothell and spent the night with Ems and her family..After going out to dinner, I went with Emily to her orchestra practice..I got to see good friend Tammy and her daughter, Theresa..Friday morning Ems and I worked on Tillie's room. Tillie and I left around 1ish to a crying Ems..as much as parents look forward to the breaks, that first one is always the hardest..well, until they REALLY move out..

Tillie is now asleep and it's my hope she stays that way until morning...

No pictures yet...I thought my camera was in my purse..I hope I can find it!!

Surprise visit

2007-09-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Friday night around 10:30, Emily called to say they would be down on Saturday..Anthony and Bill were going to organize their storage unit..so..we got to see the Maier Family. Tillie started taking her first steps on August 30th, and I was able to capture some when they visited..Baby steps are soooo cute!! This upcoming weekend is Tillie's first weekend away from her parents..Em and Anthony celebrate their anniversary on the 24th, so Grandma and Grandpa are taking Tillie..(well, mostly Grandma..) It ought to be fun!!

24 years

2007-09-13T21:25:00.001-07:00

Reg had a conference to attend September 10 & 11 at Ocean Shores and I got to tag along...we arrived at the Shiloh Inn Sunday evening. This was the view out our balcony Monday morning.

Having the whole day to myself, I brought a project. Tillie's pictures..there are LOTS AND LOTS..before getting started I checked out the pool and hot tub..the pool quickly killed my eyes, so I switched to the hot tub..afterwards and after lunch, I got started on Tillie's scrapbook..
After a couple of hours of scrapping, I decided I had to go to the beach and read. The one thing I forgot was a chair, but took my beach towel and book down to the beach. I didn't last long as it was very windy and sand was blowing everywhere. Anthony talked about the sand in Iraq and how it was everywhere. Well, I know I have nothing to compare it with, but I was finding sand all night long..I could at least empathize with his sandy experiences.

While sitting reading, this little guy came near me to see if I had any goodies..when I first saw him he was just standing there and then settled in for a bit. He took off after figuring out there were no goodies.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MR. AND MRS. HEARN!!

24 Years..September 10, 1983..next year is our triple excitement year..50 for me, 60 for Reg and 25 years of marriage. We need to do something spectacular..

Tuesday, September 11th. We woke up to fog that was still there at noon when we left. We stopped at the airport in Hoquiam for lunch, then ventured home! Reg thanked me for going with him...The thanks were all to him to give me an opportunity to totally veg out and do whatever I wanted to do..It was great fun..

Our next adventure starts September 21st as I drive up to Bothell to pick Tillie up for her first Grandparent weekend..It will also give Ems and Anthony a chance to celebrate their first anniversary alone..wow..one year already!!

The past week

2007-09-09T21:23:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was a 3 day weekend..I love 3 day weekends..Saturday was very laid back..Sunday we played at Moriah in the morning and Rivers in the evening..so we were really looking forward to Monday. One of the places I have never been to since moving to Shelton was out the Skok Valley Rd. and on up to see the Steel Bridge. This is an old picture when the bridge was for the railroad. Now you can drive across it, park just after and go back and look down..way down..It was beautiful...the pictures of that day are on Reg's computer. I was kind of disappointed with the bridge itself because we couldn't figure out how to see it like in this older picture..I suppose maybe Reg could fly near???? Probably not. We had also wondered if we could get to Hoodsport from up where we were, so we kept driving. We came to a closed off road that said N. Cushman Ridge Rd..so, we don't know where it would have come out. We turned around and headed back in the direction we came from and decided to explore some more roads...these are all forest service roads..well, we headed up one and came upon a fork. As Yogi Bear says, when you come upon a fork in the road, take it..so we did..and up we went and the road kept getting worse and worse..Reg kept going saying it's got to go somewhere..we finally gave up as we weren't going anywhere..going down was a bit scary, but we got to use our 4-wheel drive!!! We got down and it started to rain and we then headed to the Teague's for a picnic..it rained a bit there, but it gradually cleared and the sun came out once again..we had a great day..

Saturday the 8th, Reg and I went to visit my Mom..when I saw her last, I got the courage to take her for a real walk (well, push her wheel chair) and we went away from her nursing home. We went as far as the QFC grocery store and I offered to buy her something, but she didn't want anything..This Saturday we got even more adventureous and took Mom for a drive. With help from one of the aides, we got her into my SUV and off we went. We wanted to show her the new Narrows Bridge..it's quite the bridge. Then we came back toward Gig Harbor and down to the waterfront. Reg knew some back roads and off we went. We were out for about an hour and I think Mom really enjoyed it. She seemed much more talkative, so that was encouraging.

Right now it's Sunday evening, Sept. 9th and Reg and I are at the Shiloh Inn at Ocean Shores. Reg has a convention to attend the next two days and I have NOTHING TO DO!!! I brought projects if I so choose..I brought scrapbook stuff to get Tillie's book done..well, at least started..getting started is the hardest part of any project for me....it's the procastination thing!!!

Flash back

2007-09-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

A few posts back I wished my son, David, happy birthday..the scanner is once again hooked up, so here is my tribute to my boy!!

Christmas 1984

One year later..with a haircut only a mom can do.
David today with two of his 3 sisters...What a guy!!
Love you DJ!!

Happy Birthday Tillie Anne

2007-09-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

September 2, 2006

August 25, 2007..(Birthday party)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TILLIE!!!

Happy Birthday Tillie

2007-08-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Tillie...We held Tillie's birthday party on August 25th, a week before her actual birthday..it was quite the day trying to get people here from King/Snohomish County..there was a big accident on I-5..Don & Linda along with the Stanley's ended up turning around and going home. Everyone else made it..we had a great time!! Click here to see the pictures..

We had a lot of fun and it will be fun to see Tillie at Christmas..

THe weekend

2007-08-19T22:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we spent Saturday moving Anthony, Emily and Tillie to Bothell...here is the outside of their apartment building..within 10-15 minutes of getting everything unloaded from the trailer, the rains came.

Mr. and Mrs. Maier

The kitchen

Boxes..boxes..boxes..

The two black cases are their saxaphones...Ems clarinet is behind there too..I hear there is a symphony in Woodinville that some friends of ours are involved in..I hope Emily can get involved too..

Saturday was DJ's 23rd birthday! I had hoped to put a baby picture up with a current pic..the scanner isn't working right now..when we got home from Bothell, we cooked birthday dinner for David and had birthday ice cream!! YUMMY!!

Need I say more??

2007-08-10T01:15:00.001-07:00

Pretty cute, eh??

I had to snap the camera fast..Tillie wouldn't keep her cool shades on!

Ahhh Vacation

2007-08-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Today (Sunday) ends a wonderful week of vacation. Last Sunday I put together a list of goals. By the end of the first day, I crossed them off and put a new goal down. RELAX!!! It was so wonderful. Monday I worked on the house a bit..I had gotten a roll top desk at a yard sale and got it incorporated into the family room. I still have a long way to go to organize my craft area..I need help..we are still trying to get rid of our old entertainment center, so that's still sitting in the room..

Tuesday, I worked some more on the house. One of my goals was to go to a beach with a chair and a book. I was really enjoying my time at home all by myself and almost gave up that goal. It was a conversation with my sis that made me decide to do the beach..so, I packed a chair, a book, some magazines and my IPOD and headed for Potlatch State Park. It was a warm, but not hot day and there was a nice breeze there. From there I went to our Hoodsport office and got adjusted..I topped off the day with a spa pedicure!

Wednesday arrived..Reg was taking Wednesday and Thursday off. We started Wednesday with a meeting Reg had in Issaquah. We met a nice couple and while Reg toured the water system, I visited with Terry, the wife of Reg's client. We had a lot in common, but the best (funniest, weird) part is that her husband's ex-wife is someone we know from our old church here in Shelton...That was crazy!!

After the meeting, we found Fatburger and had lunch there. That was good. Figuring out all our options, we then decided to experience IKEA..that is an experience all its own..

We were then going to the Mariners game, but had some time to burn, so we went to Fred Meyers in Renton and found our patio furniture on sale!! Then it was off to the Mariners vs LA Angels..I forgot my camera, so this was the best picture I could get with my phone..The Edgar Martinez sign..The Mariners won in 12 innings and we finally got home around 1AM...it was a wonderful day!!

On Thursday, Reg built me a platform for my washer and dryer we bought last year. The cost for the manufactured platforms are $180 A PIECE!! Way too expensive..actually the owner of the appliance store recommended the platforms..so, the first picture is last year..

This picture is the new platform and rug. It looks much nicer, better yet, it makes me like the washer/dryer now..without the platform, I was down on one knee putting clothes in and out..it was no fun! (not that laundry is fun)

Finally!!! Our patio is finished! Well, the patio part. The step from the dining room is the last project, but we are still waiting for the city to finish whatever they need to do with the sewer project. We had dinner on the patio Saturday night and invited our neighbors, Ken and Linda over..Ken was who put in the brick with his friend Danny...IT'S SO NICE..

So, right now it's Sunday evening..Sunday went a little different than planned..we got a call Saturday night at 9PM from Hope T...she was supposed to lead worship at Olympia Rivers, but was very ill and every other alternate person was out of town or otherwise commited..so, I led worship at Olympia and at our church in Shelton..it all seemed to go well, so I'm thankful...

On Monday I had a job interview...this was something I hadn't looked for, but the opportunity presented itself..it's the second time since the billing at my office was outsourced..the attractive part of the job was the benefit package..that's something Reg and I don't have at either of our jobs..the interview itself was kind of stupid..I interviewed with 4 people and they had a list of scripted questions. Each person asked me a question and it kept going around until the end of the list. It seemed very impersonal..oh well...By Wednesday I had decided that changing jobs, especially from a job that I like (most of the time :) ) just for benefits may not be the right thing. All week long I worked at leaving it in the Lord's hands..On Friday I got my "Dear Carolyn" letter...I didn't get it..I took that to be confirmation to what I had already determined..Reg was in agreement with me..but it was a good experience. I haven't really interviewed much in the past..let alone doing the cover letter thing, having an objective in my resume, etc...

Life is good. We are blessed. We have a wonderful family and great friends..and of course, just the cutest granddaughter..Tillie Anne!!

Blessings to all!

July 20-29

2007-07-29T23:44:00.001-07:00

The weekend of July 20-22 I went to Salem and visited with my sister..Just me!! We had a great time. My only issue is traffic..I hate traffic. I spent an hour going 10 MPH on I-205!! I would have been ok except for the leg cramps I've been having..But I arrived safely and Debbie cooked yummy chicken and veggie shishkabobs..along with some bran muffins that were not only tasty, but healthy!

Saturday started at a women's breakfast at her church..the speaker was very good. We went onto the farmers market and I got some fresh garlic..Yummy!! After a rest, we went to an antique type mall then out to dinner..Sunday I went to her church and then headed home with a stop in Vancouver to visit the Earls and see their new home.

This past weekend we visited my mom..Kathryn and Eliza came down to visit too. That was neat! Afterwards we all headed up to Seattle to visit Reg's youngest sis and family, visiting from Delaware..Of course the pics tend to be mostly of Tillie..I should reform, but probably won't!!

Seth and Tillie

MacKenzie and Larry Bangerter.

Kathryn and Linda

Sunday evening after church, the sky was beautiful..I am trying to carry my camera with me so I don't miss these beautiful oppourtunities.

There is a bird in this picture..Nothing spectacular..a seagull, but it I think it is still cool!!

Last week was great..this week will be great..I'M ON VACATION!! I have some goals in my home to accomplish, and Wednesday we're going to the Mariners game and King Felix is pitching! I'm excited. I'm also reading through "The Power of a Praying Wife." Emily and I are reading it together..I hope we can have good discussions.

stuff, stuff and more stuff..OH MY!!

2007-07-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

Whee!!!!! Take a look at that! The patio is IN!!! I'd like to say this was a joint effort between Reg and me, but that wouldn't be accurate..Reg did the hard work of tearing out the grass..I provided water..However, Reg hired out the rest...Our neighbor and a guy from our church did the sand and brick...I can't wait to finish..we need to build a step from the dining room outside, but need to wait. The city is replacing the sewer lines..so we'll wait until that project is finished.. Here's one for the record books..David called me at work today and said "Mom, I need to tell you something. I wasn't going to say anything, but the parties involved think I should." Oy! He then announces he's going on a road trip to California with Kerri..yes, a girl!! And he's leaving tomorrow..(7-19)..He assures me that Kerri is just a friend...I said, where are you staying..hotels...separate rooms...OY VEI!!! Kathryn and Eliza, I know you are laughing!! I can hear it..when I called Reg, he started giggling..We're not entirely sure this is a good idea, but an adventure can be fun...I JUST WISH HE WAS GOING WITH A MALE FRIEND!!

Bath Time

2007-07-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

The Pictures say it all!!

July 4th and Tillie

2007-07-04T22:57:00.001-07:00

Our 4th of July was spent with the Hearn side of the family. It was Melony's birthday, and Meredith's good-bye party. Meredith is heading off to Denver for school. Good luck Meredith..The party was held on the Bainbridge Island ferry. We decided it would be easier to drive to Winslow and ride the ferry to Seattle..so, we ended up riding 2 full round trips. It was great and very relaxing..no Seattle traffic and 4 ferry rides..ahh...

Here is our Tillie Anne

Tillie, again
The Maier family arrived at our house at 5AM, July 3rd. They surprised both Anthony's family and us by arriving so early. They nearly drove straight through..I guess they had about 4 hours of sleep.

After the ferry rides, we went and visited my Mom at the nursing home, then off to see my Dad. Mom really wanted to hold Tillie...I love this picture.

It was a great day!! Now, I have to remember to go to work tomorrow at 8AM...not 9AM..long story!!

Musings

2007-07-02T18:17:00.001-07:00

Last week, beginning Sunday, started a big week. On Sunday, the 24th, we bid farewell to our dear friends, the Earls..Glenn, Cindy and Kelley. Actually, they are still here, but they are moving south to Vancouver this Thursday...I haven't even cried yet...I think I'm in denial. The only good thing out of this is that our out to dinner budget might get in better control!! Dennis and Diane Teague made a bunch of calls and we had a great turnout Sunday to say goodbye! It was great! Reg and I are now trying to figure out where and what our roles are with church. We will continue to lead worship at Moriah once a month and also in Olympia once a month. We're not sure beyond that...for now we will continue with Sunday evening too. Glenn likened his past experiences to Elijah. I want to read 1 Kings to see it for myself..I think it's too late to get them to change their minds..they will be close to their son Ryan and his family..I understand that with grandchildren..you want to be near them to see all the changes..click here to see the pictures.

The next day Reg and I ventured north to McCaw Hall, or the Opera House as we used to know it. Kathryn graduated from Bastyr University. WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, KATHRYN!!!! Here are some of the pictures...

The Proud Parents

Kathryn & Albert

More Family

Kathryn & Eliza

A Graduation tradition

A Seattle icon

Another tradition..the

diving board pose

And, speaking of grandchildren (1st paragraph) TILLIE WILL BE HOME TOMORROW!!! So will her parents!! We are excited!!

Father's Day at the Museum of Flight

2007-06-21T21:43:00.001-07:00

Saturday, June 16th was spent at the Boeing Museum of Flight. This is something we have done for Father's Day for many years. This year the museum had a space exhibit that was really cool!! I have always loved following the space program. I suppose I have my Dad to thank for that. We used to always watch whatever we could on TV..I remember Apollo 11's landing on the moon, but I don't remember the Apollo 13 drama. I remember when the first shuttle landed back on earth. I was working for Boeing at the time in their bank services division and there was a whole lot of us crammed into an office watching the landing on a small tv. When the Challenger exploded, I was glued to the tv all day. I don't even remember what this picture is. I remember thinking from the back it kind of looked like the death star from Star Wars! :)

This is a picture of the Mars rover. A childhood friend of mine worked on this project at JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab). It's kind of cool to say....I know him!!

Here is Reg trying to land the shuttle in the simulator..He was 50%..

My wonderful family..Kathryn, Levi, Albert & Eliza

Linda and Linda!!

Reg and most of his kids! We we really missed Emily. Hopefully she and her family will be around next year. We need to introduce Anthony and Tillie to this tradition.

It was a wonderful time!

Rainy Saturday

2007-06-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Reg and I spent most of today mucking out Henderson's apartment today. We were joined by John Taubeneck, John Cummings, Jerry Henderson and a guy named Dan, who needed bifocals! How can one man have so much JUNK! (Not Dan, John) My gosh..it makes me want to go through each room and throw the stuff out the window. (Ok..that thought will leave soon enough)..I know someone who recently sold their house, 99% of their stuff and are living in a 5th wheel..It sounds somewhat attractive, but at the same time, I really like having my home. But also recognizing that when we die..we can't take it with us!

I've had so much running through my mind lately that it's hard to sort it all out..I may use this medium as a way of sorting things through or I may use a pen and paper..I'm not sure..I know I'm on overload, that's for sure..I used to always think it was kind of rude when people talked about feeling relief at the death of someone, but to be honest, I understand it. Sometimes I feel guilty about it, other times, I don't.

Good news ...The Maier's will be home next month...they are planning leave 29 Palms July 1st! I'm excited and am praying that Anthony can find a job soon...

Well, dinner's just about ready and I need to coordinate it!

Welcome to the 21st Century, Reg & Carolyn

2007-06-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

We have joined the 21st Century with our new, HD, plasma tv!!! Whee!! Now I have to figure out the room again..oh darn!! We're watching "Top Gun" with surround sound!! The music is awesome..the sound system even has an Ipod dock and connection..too fun! New stuff to learn..

Bruce and Cathy came to visit too. We gave them a taste of Shelton culture and went to the Forest Festival parade. I love small towns..it was fun walking down the street and seeing lots of people I know..

Tillie is 9 months old today..3 more months and our little peanut turns 1!!!!

We also bought a new mattress set for our guest room...aka, Emily's old room..the old mattresses were ANCIENT!! My grandma moved them up here in 1983 and no telling how long she had them when she lived in California..so, company..come on over!!!
I visited my Mom on Thursday..she's in a different room..at first I freaked because she is in the area where those with more severe dementia are...I hate going there to visit..I wish things were different, but they're not..anyway, I felt better this visit. When I arrived, Mom was in the activity room where one of the aides was doing a hymn sing along..they had a tape player with all these old time hymns on it and typed words for us...afterwards we wandered the halls and went outside for about 10 minutes, but it was hot, so we went back in..went around the halls again and I stayed with Mom until she went to the dining room for dinner. She seems to be accepting of where she is at and knows she is nearing the end..

Well, back to "Top Gun!"

Mothers Day Weekend

2007-05-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

This week and weekend has been yard time! Here is the start of my planter. It's always fun to take the first picture, then take pictures as time goes by to see if I'm successful in growing plants! I also planted 2 tomato plants today...The most exciting part is I FINALLY GOT MY MOTHERS DAY HYDRANGEAS!!! Yes, I'm excited..I've wanted them for years. I love the blooms! I actually had threatened Reg...I told him I would give him the plants for Fathers Day if I didn't get any...tee hee!!!!

Here is Reg starting to dig...and dig...and dig...all for a worthy cause...ME!!

There are the plants!

We didn't want to leave David out of the fun, now did we...Me..I was supervising...

The finished project. The neat thing..everything in our yard is straight..and squared...Here we have a slight curve...yes!!

Another view!!!!

I can't wait to see these grow and bloom. I think I'd like to plant some other things around here..any ideas????

Tomorrow I'll visit my mom. That coupled with Emily being away make for a different Mothers Day..It's part of the changes that we all go through in life.
I hope everyone has a great day!!!

Defying Gravity

2007-03-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

Thursday I went on my first flight with Reg in Juliet! WOW!! I was sort of nervous beforehand, but as we got ready to, I felt peaceful about the whole thing. The weather conditions were perfect..no winds, so no bumps! Reg did a great job! I took a bunch of pictures. We flew for about 45 minutes and afterwards celebrated at Burger King..(I'm a cheap date)

Click here to see the pictures!

Rambling thoughts

2007-03-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it's most definitely been an interesting time. Emily's moving to California ended up being one of the easier parts of the last month! John Henderson died March 1st. This past Sunday (18th) was his wake at the Haven (pub) in Parkland. Then a few of us went to Truman Glick Park in Matlock to scatter his ashes in the creek. That was different! I'm not sure how to define my feelings. I know I was thinking about my folks and how that's going to be when it's time to do that for them. It was sad to say goodbye to John. Eternity without the Lord can not be a good thing. Watching my Mom go downhill has been very hard. There's the part of me that wants things the way they were, but the other part says I don't want her to suffer a long time either in her current state. This Sunday I'll be leading worship at Moriah..The theme that came to me was overcoming. Without the Lord, all the "stuff" of the past few weeks would be unbearable. But, I have a Redeemer. I have an advocate! I have someone I can bare my fears, tears and uncertainties to..

On a lighter note, last night I finished my first full quilt top. The next step is the borders and then the backing..I think that seems more intimidating than all the squares. I have no idea what I'll do with this quilt..but, it sure is soft...It's flannel! I have the first year's quilt to finish too. I think that I'll put that one in my new guest room..aka Emily's room..

Leaving on a jet plane

2007-01-24T21:31:00.000-08:00

Emily and Tillie flew to Spokane today so Emily could see all her college buddies and favorite teachers..It was Tillie's first airplane ride..here are some miscellaneous pictures from the airport. This was taken from inside the newer part of the terminal. I was able to get a pass to go to the gate with Emily... This is the cutest baby ever!! Emily said she slept most of the way to Spokane!
A contempletive Tillie..wondering what in the world an airplane is! :)
A mommy and daughter moment!! Have a fun trip!

Cereal

2007-01-05T23:30:00.000-08:00

Today was a momentous day for Tillie..she had rice cereal! Emily called me at work all excited. Tillie took to it very well. In this picture she is modeling her new bib from her great-aunt Nadine. (Before the cereal...it now needs washing)

M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-good!!

Oh, this stuff is just too delicious.

Always posing!

At Tillie's 4 month check up she had grown 2" but dropped 2 ounces in weight from November..She is a petite little girl. The doctor was concerned so she had a bunch of blood work done. That was no fun for Tillie, but she's a trooper! She seems to be very healthy and happy, so we're not real concerned.

The 2006 Holidays

2007-01-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas started with Emily playing in a trio. It was wonderful to hear her play again since it was the first time she has played since leaving college in June.

Our stockings.

We added one for Anthony and Tillie This is Tillie's gift from us..

She rolls over a lot on it to get to the different things on it.

Two of my 3 wonderful sons-in-law! Anthony will be home SOON!!

Emily and Tillie..

Eliza and Tillie..our gift

PS..........

2006-12-21T07:09:00.000-08:00

Tillie rolled over last night!!! It was from her back to tummy!!! Whee!!!

Guess What?! More Tillie Pictures

2006-12-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

Digital cameras and babies are just too much fun!

Here is Tillie with the Santa hat..now it looks like a Santa hat..look at the next picture...hmmm George Washington???
What you talkin' bout??
YO!
Getting good at lifting her head up..just has to figure out the arms.
Several times a day Tillie has "tummy time."
It helps her use her different muscles..she's getting
close to rolling over!

Holiday Breakfast

2006-12-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Dec. 10th, we met in Olympia for breakfast with my folks, my sister and brother-in-law and my niece and her 3 kids. In the past, we have gone to Kelso and met for lunch. But this was easier for my folks and Debbie and Lenard were up visiting Shannon and kids on Saturday. They stayed with us Saturday night..Anyway..here's more of my family.

My niece, Shannon(r) and her daughter, Cherie
(Cherie is the baby person..she's holding Tillie)
That's my Dad, Mom and Lana, my Mom's aide

A totally zoned out DJ..he had slept only 4 hours
since Friday..ah, the life of a gamer!

Mrs. Emily Maier

Debbie and Lenard with their great-niece Tillie

Baby Jesus

2006-12-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

Today was the Shelton Christmas parade..yesterday, our friend Melody called and asked Emily if Tillie would play Baby Jesus in the parade, and if Emily would be Mary..I got a kick out of that, but after thinking about it, it seems like an incredible honor to portray our Lord...even if it's a girl baby in the role..I also have had some thoughts wandering through my head on forgiveness..I saw a book in a catalog that talked about forgiveness as a choice..I have to think this through some more..so, when I do..I'll post more.. (If you're wondering why Emily is laughing, she's laughing at me, trying to keep up with the truck pulling the float while I was trying to take the picture.)

Random Tillie Pictures

2006-11-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

The following pictures are very random..in no date order.

Here is Tillie on the floor, learning to raise her head off the floor. She gets stronger each day!

This hat was made by our friend, Donna.
Ah, the little princess!
Fuzzy hat
This sweater and cap set was made by my co-worker, Erika
In her bouncy chair
SNOW!!

Thanksgiving and Tillie's 1st snow

2006-11-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

Today is Sunday, the last day of the Thanksgiving weekend..I took Friday off, so it's been a glorious 4 days off from work. A much needed break..and I only missed one day of pay! Thanksgiving this year was a bit different and I fear that our Thanksgivings will not be the same..Part of that is the kids are grown and will do things either on their own or with their extended families..Bob and Andi are separated and it's not looking good. Andi, Matt and Erika came down, but I really missed Bob..His job in my life is to tease, tease, tease!! Brian stayed with him. Divorce has got to be hard on kids of all ages. But in spite of it all, there is so much to be thankful for! We woke up this morning to about 2" of snow and it's still snowing..there's been some freezing rain! We took Tillie out for her first snow experience.

Milestones

2006-11-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

Wow..3 days of milestones!!! Tillie has finally slept in her own bed during the day...only for bits and pieces, BUT IT'S PROGRESS!!! David found a car..it's a 1999 Ford Escort..and it's white and he says he won't trash it!!! Emily found a car that has 4 doors and such...she's just got to get her car sold...

Today, Tillie went to her first movie! SHE SLEPT! Emily and I saw Santa Clause 3 and Reg and DJ went to see Flags of our Fathers..I think that's the title..we're just waiting for them to come home and we're having a late dinner!

Toodles

Tillie's 1st Halloween

2006-11-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

Here's Emily, Tillie and the Great Pumpkin on Halloween!! Tillie's not sure about all this!
Crazy Tillie???? :)
Get me out of here!!

Tillie Anne..AGAIN

2006-10-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Here she is again. This was Friday, October 13. She is just starting to smile. We've seen a couple of them. More to follow..of course, more pictures too!

Tillie Anne - 5 1/2 Weeks

2006-10-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

Here's our little peanut at 5 1/2 weeks old...she looks so happy..looks can be deceiving..She has had some colic and can be quite vocal! Life is interesting with a baby in the house once again. Still, she is the cutest baby ever..that's my unbiased opinion! I'm entitled, I'm the Grandma!!Work is becoming a challenge..I don't know if it's because I'm tired or what, so it's a wait and see for me right now....I wish I knew what it is I want to do when I grow up! Any ideas??

Welcome Home, Anthony

2006-09-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

Anthony made it home, Friday, September 15th!
This picture says it all!

Emily's 2nd shower

2006-08-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

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My friend, Melody Olels hosted Emily's shower here in Shelton. It was held on August 26th...We had so much fun! Thanks Melody and JoyMarie!

New Toys!

2006-08-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

How pathetic is this...I'm excited about doing laundry in my new washer and dryer!! Oh well, the excitement will fade quickly. I have no doubt! This picture shows just how ugly our laundry room is..It needs work! The only thing I don't like about the washer and dryer is that I have to bend way over to load and unload..you can buy pedestals for the machines, but they're like $175 each. I wonder if Reg can build something? Hmmm....We've been working hard at getting Emily's room ready for her little one. And in our new washer, we have been washing baby things getting them all ready for her. We aren't washing the dresses, and real girl stuff until we see the baby..make good and sure she really is a girl! :)

More Shower Pictures

2006-08-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics..Eliza, you need to show me how to link to something..

This is Auntie-in-law Elyse...thanks for coming
Elyse!!

Great Aunts Debbie and Melony

Great-great Aunt Jean and Great Grandma
Anne..

Pretty pink clothes..Tee Hee!!

Jo won the "baby" game..she caught
everyone who said the word
"baby."

Emily's Baby Shower..Aug. 12, 2006

2006-08-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

Emily's sisters, Kathryn and Eliza threw Emily a baby shower at Kathryn's house in Bellevue...At both Kathryn and Eliza's bridal showers we took a picture of them on the diving board holding their "bouquets." Here is Emily with her bow...The photographer though had a mental meltdown and forgot to put the diving board in the picture...(Eliza..help..did you get a better one??!!)

Auntie Kathryn..Auntie Kat?? Auntie Roo??
Or Auntie Boo?? Thanks for hosting a great party!

The cake..Eliza asked me to make a cake..I
think she was lobbying for a spice cake..She
wins!!!

Emily got the classic book, "Goodnight Moon"
from Jo!

Party guests!! Jo, Debbie, Kathryn, my Mom
and Meredith..

Great Aunt Debbie and Aunt Kathryn

Auntie Eliza..Auntie Liza Jane, Liza Beans
Auntie Lili...Thank you for hosting
a wonderful party!!

July 4th

2006-07-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

We spent July 4th at the Cooper's annual shindig!! We had a blast!!! Here is Glenn and Cindy enjoying the sunshine..

Elisabeth on the rope swing...

Mandy and a roman candle and not real happy about it!

Reg and Glenn and a roman candle..Much happier..

Brian, Kelley, Becky, Elisabeth and Mandy roasting doughboys!

Sunset..one of many pictures of a beautiful sunset..

An attempt at catching fireworks on the camera! Happy Birthday America!!

Father's Day

2006-06-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day. We went to the Museum of Flight today....It's been an annual tradition for many years with a break last year for Emily's graduation. We had a great time...After visiting various parts of the museum, we had our tailgate party....

Reg and his dad, Don

Reg, David and Emily

A VERY big airplane

Reg, Eliza and Kathryn

We couldn't resist this one for Anthony!! Happy Father's Day to the new father!!