A Week in November

This is what my vacation week in Tacoma was like! I had a lot of fun but it was a very busy week!
MONDAY: Meysa turned 4 years old and had horse birthday. We played "pin the tail on the horse!" No donkey in this party!
TUESDAY: Mom had cataract surgery so I went with her and Dad. Once she was home and resting, I stayed inside while Dad worked on the leaves to get ready to mow them up! I then went swimming in the evening with Beth and Bryan.
WEDNESDAY: It's the day before Thanksgiving and I helped Beth out with all the cooking chores. We got ourselves ready for the day by going swimming and then we spent the day cooking, laughing, and generally enjoying ourselves. I am so thankful for my sister!
THURSDAY: It was truly a day of Thanksgiving for me. Greg drove up (with Rusty in tow) and we had Ryan, Aimee and the kids here too. With Beth's family and mine, we had a great time. I got out of dishes - thanks Lauryn for needing "Grandma time!!" I love my family!
FRIDAY: The best day of the year for shopping for me! I LOVE the day after Thanksgiving and this year I got to spend it with my daughter-in-law, Aimee! She's a great friend to have and we got some great deals. Thanks for standing in those long lines with me, Aimee!
SATURDAY: The annual cookie baking day! We baked and baked and baked...did I say we baked??!!! But the cookies are done and now we can focus on other Christmas stuff! We were so tired at the end of the day but it was so worth it! Really wish Aimee and Teresa had been there to join in this tradition - we'll have to try for next year!
Meysa's cake - Aimee did a great job on it! Great tasting too!
No donkey here - it's only a horse!
Lauryn and Rusty- she loves dogs and Rusty loves the attention!
Thanksgiving with the family - much to be grateful for!
Here is the cookie baking gang! Aren't we a site to behold!! L-R: Joanne, Beth, Mom, Margaret (me), and Amy.

Family Fun!

Taking an afternoon walk to the park - here's the whole gang. Even Rusty got into the excitement of a crisp fall day! We enjoyed our outing and had a great time watching the kids burn off energy. They really love going to the park (and Mom and Dad love that they are tired when they come home!!)


It's still baseball season for Ayden; but he just can't give up the snow boots. He will be so disappointed there won't be the Iowa snows this year for him to play in! There may be trips to Mt. Rainier in the future for him!!
Lauryn is ready to run! She loves the park and can't wait to get to the slides.
Meysa and Lauryn spent most of the time on this slide. Lauryn could do this all day!
Higher, Daddy! (Grandma says - that's high enough!)

Happy Birthday, Rusty!

It's my birthday - I'm a Halloween Dog! I am now 7 years old (that's 49 years to you humans!) and I'm still having fun! What I love to do: sleep, eat, play, run in the sand, run on the beach, hike and sleep!! Yep, love to sleep - I even have my own couch. Okay, so I'm spoiled but that's what being a dog is all about. So you see, that's why humans often refer to it as "it's a dog's life!"


It's all about the sleeping!
Okay, is anyone ready to take me for my walk?

Hiking in the forest is so much fun!

Fall Retreat

Greg and I took Sunday and Monday to rest and rejuvenate at Troutdale. We went to the Poor Farm in Edgefield. This place has so much history in it and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the sites.
One of the beautiful fall colored trees that are on the property.
We spent Sunday hiking to the top of Multnomah Falls. It was a great day to explore.
See - we actually survived the 2.0 miles up to the top of the falls. We hope to come back in the spring when the falls are really flowing and take another picture. Bet we get really wet then!!!

TAG- I'm it!

4 Jobs I've Had:
Mom
Speech –Language Pathologist in the schools
Director of Operations for Rehab in nursing homes
Program Manager for Rehab Services in hospital (current job)

4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
Gone with the Wind
Sister Act
Harry Potter series
Twisters

4 Places I've Lived
Riverside, California
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lewiston, Idaho
Tacoma, Washington

4 of my Favorite Places to Visit
Hawaii
The Oregon Coast
Florida
Italy- still waiting to go there!

4 Favorite Desserts:
Sherbet
Kolaches
Apple Strudel
Peach Pie

4 Favorite Dinners:
Any Olive Garden dinner that has shrimp!
Spaghetti – the way Greg makes it!
Salmon on the BBQ
Christmas Eve dinner with my family

4 Websites I Visit Daily:
Blog, Scrapbooking.com, Creating keepsakes, Aimee’s blog

4 Hobbies I have:
Scrapbooking
Running
Reading
Working on my computer

A Very Special Man

Neil Odell Warrick
August 6, 1922 - September 8, 2007

Greg and I had the blessing of knowing Neil. He was our neighbor and "housed" our plane in his hanger when we first moved to Oregon. I remember sitting in his kitchen, drinking coffee, sharing stories, while Greg flew around the area. We helped Neil with his garden and often were guests in his home for wonderful dinners that he cooked for us.

When Neil was diagnosed with cancer 15 months ago, we made a special effort to help him with the things he needed done. We tended to his garden; Greg would rototill and I would weed. Neil's greatest pleasure was watching his garden produce so many wonderful vegetables, fruits and flowers, and sharing the harvest with us and many neighbors. Last year, we brought a wheelbarrow down to his home, picked corn, onions, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and cantaloupe and then wheeled this around to the neighbors' homes, giving it away.

It's so hard to say good-bye to such a dear friend and someone who gave to others so generously. We only hope and pray we made life a little easier and happier for him. We miss him terribly and will always love him.

Good-bye, Neil. We know you are at peace with God and in no more pain. We will always remember you!

From the Statesman Journal:

Neil Odell Warrick
August 6, 1922 - September 8, 2007
INDEPENDENCE - He was born August 6, 1922 in New Raymer, Colorado, where he spent most of his early childhood before moving to Oregon in 1935 with his parents, Edward and Mae, two brothers, Alwyn and Wyatt ‘Bud’, and two sisters, Gretchen and Kathleen. He graduated from Monmouth High School, then served from 1944 to 1946 in the 96th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in Leyte Gulf, Philippine Islands, and Okinawa, Japan, where he earned a Purple Heart.His work experiences included farming with his family, Shell Oil as a delivery driver, and Bishops Clothing Store as a manager. He semi-retired in 1981 to become a private contractor as a “Jack of all trades”, where he found his true passion, before fully retiring in 1991. He was known for his fine woodworking, fabulous soups, and bountiful gardens.In 1950, Neil married Lucile Schwichtenberg in Salem, where the couple made their home until her death in 1991. The couple tremendously enjoyed spending time with family and friends, as well as traveling on many road trips all across America, and their annual trip to the beach with the granddaughters. In 1996, Neil built his home with pride at the Independence Airpark, where he made many friends.Neil is survived by his son, Gary Warrick and daughter-in-law, Chrissie of Portland; granddaughters, Brek Boehmer and Heather Miller of Salem; great-grandchildren, Cody and Bailey Boehmer and Jakob and Caitlin Miller; and friend Wilma Muench of Salem.Neil’s Celebration of Life will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, September 16 at Neil’s home, all are invited to come and share in the final harvest of the garden. Arrangements are by Barrick Funeral Home.

ARMY STRONG 13.1 MILES!

The first annual Army Half-Marathon: September 8, 2007 The race started at 8am!

We had our very own cheering section - Dad, Lauryn, Aimee and Mom! We are blessed to have such a supportive family. Thank you for being there for us.
Ayden and Meysa are waiting patiently for us to arrive at the finish line.

This is about mile 3 - still going strong!
We did it and we're glad it's over!
Greg stood around and took great pictures - glad we are finally in a picture together.

Okay - we're sitting and not wanting to move - do we look like we have any energy left???? Not so anyone can tell!