Yeah for BABY!

When everyone else I was taking pictures of during our annual Christmas outing to Shari's was saying "cheese" , these two were saying "BABY".

Congratulations to Bob and Lalita Ham. They are infant-icipating in August 2007. Thanks for being part of our family and making us "honorary grandparents".

Our prayer is that you would have a healthy pregnancy and delivery and that you would be able to draw closer to each other because of this blessing in your lives.

Would this little one be eleven sub-two one?

Fun and Flavorful Construction

We have done gingerbread houses in past years. Always made with kits from the store. This year there were grand plans for a castle spear-headed by Krystle and her friend Matt. Building took place on Christmas Eve and decorations were completed on Boxing Day. Everyone seemed to have a good time making it. Isn't it spectacular?

God Bless Us Everyone

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family.

Here is our official 2006 PJ pic. Wyatt and Genevieve have new ones too but they are sleeping already.

Clockwise from upper left we have: Rylan, Krystle, Cherise, Courtney, Hayden, Logan, Alyssa, Cameron, Joylynn and Jess

The Club

Har and I would like to congratulate our good friends Tom and Kim for being indoctrinated into the GRANDPARENTS CLUB!

On Monday their daughter June presented them with a 7lb 12oz granddaughter. Her name is Isabella Nanimarie Morales and is soooo cute.

We are so thankful that things went so well with the delivery. You are now on your way to experiencing the blessing that comes along with these little bundles. Ps 103:17

He's Back!

Harlan, Courtney, Hayden, Cameron and I went to PDX to meet Rylan's flight from Pusan/Tokyo. It is good to have him home. He will be here for 31 days! He arrived at midnight Korea time so he was tired by the time I dragged him all over the mall and back.

We have to figure out what sort of adventures he wants to go on here. It is going to be an adventure to experience Wyatt and Genevieve and their antics.

Cherise, Lyssa and Logan hurry to Portland! Let the holiday celebrations begin.

"It's beginning to look a lot like...."

I have many little helper elves. Some of them get into candy canes :-O My how they've grown. Pretty pretty princesses!
Krystle and her Prince Charming. He is a very nice gentleman.

It is looking Christmasy around here. Not totally finished but getting there. Have a happy week.

Closing thoughts on November

November 2006 has been one of fun with grandchildren, kitties, puppy and kids. It has also been challenging time for our school. We need to get on a good schedule. And stick to it. I am not a firm taskmaster when it comes to anything. I am always up for a spontaneous adventure and have the attention span of a gnat. But we are plugging along. All three Connections Academy students took the tests that are required by the state and did quite well.

Joylynn has a new job at a "memory facility". It is 6 am to 2 pm Sunday, Monday and Thursday. Our current job is to get the grandkids on our schedule for schooling. They do nap which I am happy for. They are such fun though. Wyatt cracks us up daily. Miss Genevieve is getting more dramatic in her dealings with people. She is quite the little actress.

Our Thanksgiving was a quiet one. Only twelve of us sitting down to dinner. We missed Rylan, Cherise and Logan. Everyone else was here in addition to a friend of Krystle's who is from Ohio and is going to school out here. We hope to have everyone here for Christmas. Should be more fun this year since Genevieve and Max are going to be involved. Possibly kittens as well :o)

Christmas trees are going to be gotten this week with hopes of having all the Christmas decor in place by the 4th or 5th of December. We have some busy days ahead. But November has been good.

Momarazzi strikes again

A photo session just isn't finished until someone is in tears. Taking pictures of both Wyatt and Genevieve is a little like herding cats. I snapped 30 pics of them in about 10-15 minutes yesterday. Not one was I happy with. I guess I shouldn't feel bad....a professional photographer took 40 minutes to get 5 shots of Wyatt when he was 11 months old. I think a different camera would help. I have few complaints because we've taken some pretty great pictures of those kids in the past. Just not very many of both of them together. I just have to say and I'm sure Harlan will second my sentiment: Thank the Lord for digital cameras! I can't imagine how much film processing would have cost in the past couple of years.

New kitties- New house-Dualing pajama pants-Washingtonians are weird

We spent a lovely three days in the Lacey area of Washington State.

Cherise got there about a half hour ahead of us. She got to experience her first trip towards the edge of the road due to snow. She said there was about a foot of snow on the road over the pass. The rest of the trip was rainy. She had a couple of stowaways from The Wallas. Chaos(left) and Havoc (right) now live with the G-fam. Max is getting used to them as well as them to him. They are sure cute & playful.


The picture of the outside of the house isn't the best but it is a great house. Max has a huge yard to run in. He already made friends with the neighboring American Eskimo dog. They enjoy romping back and forth along the fenceline pouncing and barking. Max leaps like a gazelle through the grass. It is great to see him getting all that exercise.


The dualing pajama girls are both official Washingtonians. By birth and residence. But as you can see by the final picture they are a bit weird. We thought they were a little strange when they were growing up here in Oregon, but something happened when one crosses that river I guess. We'll have to see if it is only temporary.

Another Goodbye

Our (Cherise's) Anna Cat died suddenly today. We don't know what the cause was or when exactly she did die. She just slept away. At least she was in the house and we don't have to worry or wonder like we would if she just never showed up at home again. Since Sabre died the kids have been asking for another cat. After today I'm not sure we want any kind of pets anymore. We do have one more cat. Her name is Chloe. She is a very unique and reclusive character with a very interesting meow. Her preference is to spend time with Cameron or Courtney (her owner) if she deems anyone worthy of her presence.

Anna was our working cat. I have her to thank for a dead mouse on my bed pillow. On the bathroom floor. In my window box. A live mouse brought into the house. Various bird parts left on the doorstep. Yup she knew her job and we are going to miss that aspect. She is also the only cat that jumped up on Harlan's lap and curled up there without getting booted off. She liked people and people food. Much to the chagrin of kids who turned away from their cereal bowl without finishing. She had no qualms about getting in there and cleaning up leftovers.

Thank you for entertaining and loving us for the past many years. You had the prettiest curly tail.

@! That is 21 if you hold down the shift key!

Happy Birthday Alyssa!!!!!! You are of legal age in all 50 states. What a year it has been hey?

Last year when you turned twenty we were still planning your wedding for June 3rd. Little did we realize what a whirlwind of an adventure we all were going on.

Wedding in December.

Logan gone. New apartment in the spring. Get Mad Max the Road Warrior (the best dog ever!!). Logan at school.

Buy new house in late summer. Logan at school. Buy new vehicle. Throw in there a few (many) trips to Portland, a couple to Sisters, at least one to see Logan's grandparents.


Our grand adventure to The Wallas.

Visits in Tacomer by Joylynn and kids, Courtney, and several by Hayden and Cameron.... You should have kept a journal. Yup it's been quite a year. But wait there's more! The "Adult" adventure is just beginning.
Hope the year ahead is filled with blessings beyond measure.

We love you. You are still our "Sunshine".

Life is full of exciting changes and challenges

I have about all the change I can handle these days. Alyssa and Logan moving. Him being off to school. Joylynn and Jess moving. Her getting a new job. Rylan months away from getting his Masters Degree. Looking to start PHD studies.

And today... Krystle became a Navy recruit. She leaves here and reports for Boot Camp at Great Lakes on March 27, 2007. She has her career choice made and she should be on her way to 6 years of adventure. Harlan and I are excited for her. It is not going to be smooth sailing all the time but we believe that all things we go through in life are opportunities to grow. Our little "Kritter" is all grown up.

Tacoma here we come!

Actually we won't be going up there until Saturday but Harlan and I haven't been to Alyssa and Logan's apartment yet! We are going up just in time to help them move out. Then in little over a week we get to go and help them move into their house!

Genevieve's birthday party was fun. Typical of a little girls birthday. Lots of oooohs and aaaaahs at all the cute little outfits. Plenty of good food and messy cake. She had a brother to help eat her dessert. And help her play with her new toys too.

I hope to have lots of pictures and news and such after the expedition. I may have to break it up into a couple of blogs since the Hallelujah Party is the Tuesday after we get back. Busy busy busy.

Happy Birthday Genevieve! The Big ONE!

Our little doll baby is officially one year old. Here are a few pictures of us from this past year.


You are such a sweet little girl. Your Aunts and Uncles and Grandpa and I are so glad you are a part of our life.

Have a wonderful time today with Mommy, Daddy and Wyatt. We'll party soon!

I like my job.

Loving on these grandbabies of mine is one of the best jobs around. I do enjoy hanging around our kids in residence too. They are each growing and changing and getting to be fun people. But these little critters keep us on our toes.

Hope to enjoy the next one and the next one and the next one and the .... for years and years to come.
Amen

Hello Old Friend.

I realize that a blog title like that can pertain to lots of people, places and things. Like seeing Travis Adams at church last week. Seeing an update on Michael or Micah's blogs! Talking to a girlfriend that has been in my life since Kindergarten or a cousin that I've lost touch with...Hi Sandy, Hi Deb. This however is a "welcome back" to the truck that Har and I dated and honeymooned with.

It needs some work to get her on the road again. Basically new brake lines. Could use a touch from that Overhauling TV show but don't have plans to do anything like that. Just enjoy being able to visit Home Depot, do an occasional dump run, perhaps pack a lunch and go up to Rocky Butte and eat overlooking the airport, freeways and the 205 bridge. We already have 3 kids that are chomping at the bit to learn to drive in her. In any case it's good to have her home.

Stages and phases

Boy kids do grow and change in the blink of an eye. Going from little dependent creatures to crawling, standing, taking some steps on their own, then running climbing, biking, driving... Miss Genevieve is almost a year old and loves being a big girl. She has been standing for a while but is bravely taking steps in the middle of the room.

Wyatt as achieved a new milestone of being able to be up in the tree with the big kids. He is exhibiting quite the sense of humor too. "I have diapie hat" was his latest attempt to be funny. His "y' welcome" instead of thank you is so precious. He thanks us all the time. For food, for drinks, for changing his diaper, giving him a bath, getting him dressed, putting on his shoes..... He is quite the unique young man. Of course I'm not biased or anything. ;-)

Sabre, You were the best!

July 7, 1992- September 18, 2006

Fairest of them All

I don't know if all 4 of her sisters voted on this one. But someone dubbed Joylynn the fairest of them all. She was definately first and foremost of them all. She is a beauty inside and out that is for certain. She's a good mom too!