Putnam Family

Christmas 2012

2012-01-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas

After spending two weeks away on a cruise, we were surprised that we got everything done and ready for the holiday in time for everyone to arrive! Emily, Alain and Sophia came home for Christmas and Mike and Jayme drove up for a few days prior to the holiday. It was so fun having everyone here and watching Sophia in her excitement with all the Christmas lights and decorations. The weather was unusually warm this year but a visit with Rudolph helped make it feel like Christmas and having a little one around for the holidays makes it that much more special! We played lots of games, watched movies, enjoyed holiday meals and spending time together.

The girls are ready to begin the Christmas Eve festivities.

Sophia is ready to open her presents!

There is nothing better than the pure joy of playing with a new toy!

Hawaiian Vacation

2011-11-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

Family Vacation Cruise

Sapphire Princes

Hawaii

Saturday November 26, 2011 - Saturday December 10, 2011

Sat., Nov 26 Los Angeles, California

Sunday At Sea

Monday At Sea

Tuesday At Sea

Wednesday At Sea

Thursday December 1 Hilo Hawaii

Friday December 2 Honolulu, Hawaii

Saturday December 3 Lihue (Port Allen) Kauai, Hawaii

Sunday, December 4 Lahaina, Maui Hawaii

Monday At Sea

Tuesday At Sea

Wednesday At Sea

Thursday At Sea

Friday, December 9 Ensenada Mexico

Saturday, December 10 Los Angeles, California

The day after Thanksgiving, Don and I left for Southern California to join my parents and family on a two week cruise to Hawaii. We had just spent a lovely holiday in Sacramento with our children, grandchild and good family friends for Thanksgiving and were looking forward to a relaxing vacation. Our preparation for the cruise began weeks prior to Thanksgiving with shopping and decorating for Christmas as we would return home the middle of December and knew we had little time for our usual holiday preparations! We had the presents bought, house decorated and Christmas cards all written before heading out on the first leg of our trip down to Sacramento for Thanksgiving. Since we were not hosting the Thanksgiving holiday here but were hosting Christmas, we skipped our usual fall decorations and moved right into the Christmas spirit with the house and tree decorated and put up the Christmas lights on the house the weekend before Thanksgiving, probably a neighborhood record!

We left the cold weather of Northern California and arrived in balmy and sunny Los Angeles ready to board the Sapphire Princess and join the rest of our family to begin the adventure!

Don parked the car and was ready to load up the luggage!

David and Nancy on deck waiting to set sail.

Sapphire Princess slowly leaving the port out to sea.

Nancy and David near Catalina Island

We slowly set sail out of the port and cruised around Catalina Island just before sunset. Watching the city lights of Los Angeles slowly disappearing and the coastline of California growing smaller and smaller as we sailed out into the Pacific Ocean on a beautiful and warm fall Southern California evening.

We met the rest of the family for a bite to eat (became one of our favorite cruise activities) while sailing out to sea.

Pat, Don, Nancy, Yvonne, Betty, Tom, Debbie and Tom Deike

Sapphire Princess heading out to sea.

We enjoyed a leisure four days at sea prior to arriving at the Hawaiian Islands. We participated in poolside lounge chair tag, drink of the day, sampling soft serve ice cream (often), line dancing, napkin folding classes, lectures, movies, eating, eating and more eating and a few naps here and there!

Just watching the sea everyday was amazing.
The beautiful deep blue waters, waves often with white caps, sunsets and sunrises, and occasionally a flying fish and for a lucky few, a large group of porpoises with a nursery of little ones.

Sunrise at Sea

We would get up early almost every morning to get a cup of coffee and go out on deck to

watch one of the beautiful sunrises that greeted

us each day. Such beauty in just the sky and

ocean!

The family would meet each evening for dinner. It was a great time to share our stories of the days events and to plan the next day's activities. We had three formal dinners while cruising at sea. What fun it was to get all dressed up and join the group for dinner.

David, Nancy and Don on the first formal dinner evening.

My parents had a cabin with a balcony with an awesome view of the ocean. What a great place to meet for coffee in the morning or cocktails in the evening!

Marv, Yvonne and Aunt Betty

Marv, Yvonne, Nancy and Don

Cruising with the family was a great way to spend quality time together. It was fun to run into each other at different locations on the ship throughout the day and evening. With 10 of us on board, there was always someone to do an activity with or to just hang out!

One of our favorite things to do was sit by one of the beautiful pools. We only had a few days of warm weather where we could really enjoy the sunshine and poolside activities. There was always music playing and activities planned by the cruise director. We liked lounging around reading our books, partaking in the delicious snacks and meals and of course people watching!

Dad, Aunt Bettie, Mom, Debbie, Dave, Nancy and Don

Aunt Betty poolside

Watching the waves at the back of the boat

Dave and Don

Debbie and Nancy enjoying the drink of the day! It was so fun to vacation spending time with each other individually and as a group.

After four days at sea we were eager to spend time at our first destination, Hilo Hawaii. We arrived early morning and saw the island in the distance as we neared shore. We decided to rent a shuttle van as a family to visit several areas of interest on the island.

Hilo, Hawaii

The Sapphire Princess was a beautiful ship. It was amazing to see it docked and realize how big our ship really was!

David taking a picture of the ship.

Aunt Betty, Don, Nancy, Debbie, Pat and Tom

Hilo is home to dramatic waterfalls, fertile rain forests and blooming gardens; the geographic flipside of the volcanic Kohala Coast. Hilo is also the gateway to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park located south of Hilo. Hilo has great museums such as the Lyman Museum, art galleries and unique gift shops. Our first stop was along Banyan Drive at Liliuokalani Gardens, a 30-acre Japanese garden dedicated in 1917 as a tribute to Hawaii's first Japanese immigrants. The beautiful park features arching red bridges over fishponds, rock gardens, pagodas, Japanese stone lanterns and a teahouse.
                                                    Liliuokalani Gardens Hilo, Hawaii

Our next stop was to Wailuku River State Park to visit the famous Rainbow Falls. The waterfall is 80 ft tall and almost 100 ft in diameter. Rainbow Falls derives its name from the fact that, on sunny mornings, one can see rainbows in the mist thrown up by the waterfall.

The Cruising Family

We traveled on to the Lyman Museum that was originally one of the first houses on the island to be built in the style of New England. The Museum has an extensive display on Hawaiian culture and is renowned for its collection of shells and minerals. After the Lyman Museum, we dropped part of group off back in town and then proceeded on to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden a 40-acre valley of nature trails, tropical rainforest, bubbling streams and several beautiful waterfalls and ocean vistas along the rugged Pacific coast.

Don, Nancy and Betty

We had a great time visiting the garden and seeing the exotic tropical plants, walking along the trail and ending at a beautiful vista overlooking the rugged Pacific Ocean.

Tom, Pat, Nancy, Don, Debbie and Tom

Just a few of the over 2,000 species of tropical plants.

Debbie, Aunt Betty, Nancy and Pat
Hilo, Hawaii

After a great day exploring Hilo, we returned to our ship to discover that it had been decorated for Christmas! What a surprise. It was so beautiful and really got us into the spirit of Christmas with all the beautiful decorations and adorned Christmas trees. Will that happen to our homes when we return? Will they magically be decorated as well? Ha!

We woke the next morning sailing into the harbor of Honolulu Hawaii. We watched our ship slowly sail into the busy port while watching military planes flying above and landing at the nearby airstrip. The port was full of hustle and bustle as our ship was serviced to replenish fuel for the long sail home. The weather was cloudy but warm and humid and we looked forward to exiting the ship to begin yet another adventure!

Several different itineraries for the day included a tour of the city and Pearl Harbor, museums, walking along infamous Waikiki Beach, surfing and WalMart! Yes, we went all the way to Hawaii to go to WalMart! It was the best place for souvenirs and conveniently provided a bus outside of the terminal to take you there!

Yvonne, Nancy and Marv with their purchases from WalMart!

Pearl Harbor

USS Missouri

Pearl Harbor was in the midst of preparations for the 70th anniversary of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Members of our group toured The USS Arizona, the resting place of more than 1,000 sailors killed in the 1941 attacks, and viewed the USS Missouri, the site of the 1945 Japanese surrender to the Allies.

Later in the day, the group all met at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for drinks on the deck at sunset. Dave and Don walked along Waikiki Beach and Dave did a little surfing before meeting us at the beach hotel. The hotel was beautiful and so very elegant. It truly is pink and was decorated for the holidays.

Dave surfing

The Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Pat, Tom, Marv, Nancy, Betty and Yvonne

Diamond Head
Honolulu Hawaii

Having drinks at sunset is a tradition my parents have whenever they visit this island. We had a fun afternoon and evening with the entire family at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel!

Don and Nancy

Pat and Tom

What a beautiful beach and fun place to spend time with the family!

Don, Betty, Yvonne and Marv

Tom and Debbie

Sunset at Waikiki Beach

Yvonne and Marv

Sunset at Waikiki Beach
Honolulu Hawaii

Don and I, Debbie and Tom took a cab back to the ship after a little detour up a winding hillside to see the city lights. What a great view from there and a perfect ending to a great day in the Islands!

Honolulu Hawaii

Kauai

Kauai is Hawaii's fourth largest island and is sometimes called the "Garden Isle". It is draped in emerald valleys, sharp mountain spires and jagged cliffs. Some parts of Kauai are only accessible by sea or air. Kauai is circular in shape with lush, mountainous regions in its center and beaches covering almost half its shoreline. Kauai's most striking geographic feature is the Nepali Coast with cliffs thousands of feet high, complete with green valleys, towering waterfalls and hidden sea caves. These cliffs can only be seen from the sea, by air of by hiking the Kalakau Trail.

Sailing into another beautiful port, my favorite island of Kauai. Don and I spent a week on this amazing island years ago and loved exploring the valleys, beaches, cliffs and boating along the Nepali coastline.

Don and Dave enjoying a cup of coffee while sailing into Kauai.

We took a shuttle bus to a local shopping area and discovered an amazing hotel, restaurant/bar and beach to spend the day.

Don and Tom

Debbie and Nancy

The single best known figure in modern surfing history is Duke Paoa Kahanamoku. The Big Kahuna known as the father of surfing.

Dukes Barefoot Bar and Restaurant. We spent the day here enjoying each others company while David and Debbie went for a swim in the ocean. The shops were full of local crafts and jewelry and Debbie discovered the most amazing toy store where we spent some time purchasing gifts for the grandchildren!

We spent a fun day on the island of Kauai and then returned to the ship to meet the rest of the family. Debbie and I decided to hitch a quick ride to Hilo Hattie to do a little more shopping. Even the parking lot was full of beautiful flowers! The lush landscape of this island, the warm tropical breezes makes it a favorite!

Dave and Nancy on deck.

Having a snack on deck with the family after visiting Kauai.

Maui

Sapphire Princess

We arrived in Maui to another warm tropical day. We had to take the tender boats into the harbor so we had a beautiful view of the island from the ship. We were greeted at the harbor with true hula dancers! Aren't they adorable!!

Hula Dancers in Maui

We did a little shopping before strolling through the seaside streets of Lahaina. We stop at the Hard Rock Cafe for a drink while waiting for the city bus to take us to Black Rock Beach for an afternoon of snorkeling and swimming.

Lahania

Dave in Lahania with our ship in the background.

Waiting for the city bus to take us to Kaanapali Beach, also known as Black Rock Beach with three miles of white sand and easy walking access to Whaler's Village and Kannapali beach and hotels. The northernmost section of the beach is well known for excellent snorkeling. As Don and I were strolling along the beach, we realized that this is the same beach we vacationed at while visiting Hawaii for the first time in 1983! David, Debbie, Don and I all rented snorkeling equipment and set out to catch a glimpse of the great green turtles. Debbie did find a sleeping turtle nestled in the rocks. We enjoyed sunbathing on the warm sands of the beach and swimming in the ocean waves and seeing the different fish swimming near the rocks.

Christmas in Hawaii!

We ended our island cruising and headed back out to the open sea. We enjoyed another four leisure days of cruising on the ocean, spending time together and enjoying all the amenities the ship had to offer night and day!

David and Dad

Debbie and Aunt Betty

Our dinners were always a highlight of the day. We would meet at our table and enjoy a few hours of conversation with each other while being thoroughly entertainment by our wonderful table servers on the ship. We were served gourmet entrees each evening and enjoyed every bite!

Pat and Tom

Each night we would change our seating so that we could sit and visit with another member of the family for the evening.

After dinner we would catch the evening entertainment in the ships theatre or meet in one of the bars for a night of dancing and of course people watching!

Marv and Yvonne

We loved vacationing together just before the holidays. Since we can't always spend Christmas together, we got to see each other and enjoy the festive mood of the ship just prior to the holiday.

Debbie and Tom

After spending two weeks with the cruise staff, we learned more about them and where they were from. They were an absolute joy to see each evening and we appreciated so much how they made our dining experience a first class even each and every evening!

Nancy and Don

Only a few nights left of the cruise enjoying another gourmet dinner. Glad I packed my sweat pants for the long drive home after the cruise!

Formal Dress Nights on the Sapphire Princess

Aunt Betty David

Yvonne and Marv

Pat and Tom Deike Debbie and Tom

The Deike, Putnam, Lockwood and Fiemann Family Cruise

THE CHILDREN!
DAVE, TOM, DEBBIE AND NANCY

Ensenada, Mexico

Our last port of call before heading home to Los Angeles was Ensenada, Mexico. Ensenada is located on the Baja California Peninsula and is the third-largest city in Baja California just 78 miles south of San Diego. We had only a few hours to explore this port so many of us decided to stay on the ship or at least not venture very far from it! Don and Dave visited Cantina Hussong which hasn't changed a bit since they first visited this fine establishment in their youth. Just one of those unique places you have to see for yourself! We did manage to do a little shopping at the gift shops located at the ships terminal purchasing pure vanilla and other trinkets for souvenirs.

Entering the bay to Ensenada, Mexico

Last night packing in Mom and Dad's cabin

Our last morning on ship, we gathered for breakfast and quick goodbyes. It was hurry up and then wait in one of the lounges for our number to be called to exit the ship and go through customs. It was sad to have our trip finally come to a closure. We all had such a wonderful vacation and will have so many memories to cherish of traveling as a family on a luxury ocean liner, lots of entertainment and activities to enjoy, and time to really spend together.

Our last breakfast together on the ship.

Don walking the deck one last time.

LUGGAGE!

We said goodbye as the family loaded their luggage onto the shuttle and headed for Riverside while Don and I got into our car and began the journey up north towards home. We stopped for a night in Sacramento to see our kids and pick up the dog before the last few miles home. We had a great vacation and enjoyed spending so much quality time with the family prior to the holidays. Now it is time to get home and finish preparations for Christmas that is only two weeks away! The thought of having to return to the "normal" life after two weeks at sea are far from my thoughts! Thanks to everyone for making this one of the best family vacations ever!

Mele Kalikimaka

Halloween 2011

2011-11-05T13:14:00.001-07:00

We had a great time visiting with family in Sacramento for Halloween again this year. The boys went golfing and the girls had a great lunch out. Don and I took Sophia to the park, we carved pumpkins and best of all we got to see Sophia dressed up in her kangaroo Halloween costume!

At the park with Grandpa

Carving Halloween pumpkins

Cute little kangaroo and her pumpkin

Happy Halloween!

Road Trip

2011-11-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

October 2011 Road Trip
Don and I recently took a road trip that began with a birthday celebration in Lake Tahoe. We stayed two nights at the Sunnyside which is my favorite place located near Tahoe City. Tahoe City is a cute little town and each fall the businesses decorate their doors with fall decorations and scarecrows. We left unseasonably warm weather in Redding and enjoyed gorgeous fall weather and crisp cool nights in Tahoe.

Birthday celebration at the Sunnyside

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Sunnyside

The Sunnyside Hotel and Restaurant has been one of our favorite places to sip a cool drink while sitting on the patio and enjoy the beauty of Lake Tahoe. It is also a fabulous place for people watching!

Lake Tahoe from our hotel balcony

The Sunnyside is located near a campground that we used to camp at when our kids were very little. We would walk across the street and swim at the little rocky beach located next to the Sunnyside. I think I prefer hotel camping now instead! We have often visited this area with family and friends and it is one of our favorite vacation destinations.

Harvest Moon over Lake Tahoe

The water at Lake Tahoe is unbelievable clear and very cold! Don took this picture of a duck swimming in about 15 feet of water! You can see the rocks at the bottom of the lake below.

We took a stroll along the beach near Tahoe City. Fall is the best time of year to visit Tahoe, very little traffic and tourists! The leaves are just turning colors and the mountains have their first dusting of snow.

After our experiences with bears this year, this is about the only kind I wish to get close to!

The bridge at the headwaters of the Truckee River.

This is Arthur, a scarecrow from the Bridgetender Restaurant. The restaurant is located along the Truckee River and in the summer time if offers outdoor dining right along the river. A fun place to be any time of the year!

A great cove to kayak

Don

We left Tahoe and traveled Hwy 395 through Carson City Nevada on our way south towards Bishop. The great part of a road trip with no real agenda is that you finally get to stop and do all those tourist things that you always wanted to do but never had the time!

Along the way, we decided to made a detour to Bodie State Park, California's official gold mining ghost town. Bodie was once notorious as the wildest town in the West.

Only about 5 percent of the buildings it contained during the 1880's heyday still remain.

The J.S. Cain Residence. James Cain took out about $90,000 in gold in 90 days from the Standard Mine he leased.

Bodie boasted a population of 10,000 by 1879.

It was a very warm and clear day while visiting Bodie. The drive from Bridgeport to the park entrance was beautiful with sweeping views of the valley and Sierra Nevada mountains.

After visiting Bodie, we continued our drive south towards Mammouth Lakes and the Devils Postpile. Mammouth Lakes is renowned for winter skiing and also a favorite summer destination.

Mammouth Lakes

Devils Postpile

Full moon over Sierra Nevada mountains

We stayed the night in Bishop and then the next morning we headed towards Death Valley. Don and I had never made the trip through Death Valley before and were surprised at the beauty of this amazing place. The temperature here in the middle of October was nearing 100 degrees. I can't even begin to imagine the temperature during the summer months!

Nancy at the overlook to Death Valley

Don

Twenty Mule Train

We left Hwy 395 and headed towards Las Vegas, Lake Havasu and the Colorado River. We spent the night in Las Vegas and had dinner at the New York New York Casino at an authentic Irish Pub. We walked along the strip towards our hotel and stopped at the Belagio to watch the water show and see the amazing fall decorations in the lobby. Thank goodness for the great public transportation in Vegas! The strip is a short 4 miles long and after walking into the casinos along the way, dropping off a few dollar donations, a bus trip back to our hotel was much appreciated!

Lake Havasu is a huge attraction for vacationers during Spring break! Looked like a fun place to me!

London Bridge at Lake Havasu

We followed the Colorado River south and stopped along the way at places where Don used to spend a lot of time water skiing, camping and even worked for a few months for the Department of Highways before we were married. It was fun to see the places he has spoken of for so many years! Still wouldn't want to live there though!

Parker Dam, probably one of the few dams you can still drive your car over!

Along the way, we stopped a Fox's floating dock for a cold drink. What a beautiful location along the river. We discovered the bar was a bikers bar, no wonder we got some strange looks when we sat down!

The Parker Strip is a great place for camping, boating and having a great time on the river. It is a beautiful place with desert scenery, large cliffs along the river bank and sweeping views of the desert hills.

Saddleback Campground

Our destination along the Colorado River was near Blythe, California at the home of Don's good friend from high school. We spent 3 days there with Steve and his wife Barbara fishing, boating and having a great time with good friends. I went fishing one morning with the boys. We launched the boat just down the street and rode right up to his dock behind the house! What a great way to live!

Steve Zaricki and Don fishing

Another mode of transportation!

We drove up to the Parker Strip one day for a relaxing day on the river boating and fishing. It was a warm fall day and beautiful! There was very little traffic on the river, unlike spring and summer where you could practically walk across the river from boat to boat! We cranked up the music on the boat and cruised up and down while the boys stopped from time to time to fish.

Steve, Barbara and Nancy on the Parker Strip, Colorado River

The rock formations along the river were magnificent. The colors and the landscape were so beautiful.

After a great day, we took the boat out of the water and headed towards home. We stopped at the Blue Canyon Indian Casino for a late dinner and again made a small donation in the slot machines. We drove home to Steve's along a quiet highway with the windows rolled down, 60's music playing on the radio and just for a brief moment we felt young again and reliving good times spent with good friends!

We had a great time visiting with our friends and boating on the river. The last part of our journey was to head towards Riverside and spend a few days with our families before heading back up I-5 and home. We had a great family dinner one evening at Pat and Tom's home and enjoyed a day visiting with Don's family. Perfect ending to a fabulous road trip!

Back row: Dave, Don, Nancy, Pat and Tom
Front row: Debbie, Tom, Yvonne and Marv

Berkeley Wedding Weekend

2011-09-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

The son of our good friends got married this weekend in Berkeley. We spent a wonderful weekend at the Berkeley marina relaxing and visiting with our friends Tim and Gayle and reconnecting with other friends that arrived for the festivities.

Parents of the Groom

Don and I had a wonderful dinner after arriving at the hotel on Friday evening. The football team from Presbyterian College South Carolina, their parents, friends, and alumna where also staying at the hotel so it made for a very interesting evening! The next day we took a stroll around the marina with Tim and Gayle and enjoyed the spectacular view of the bay. Tim and Gayle were the most relaxed parents of the groom I have ever seen! The wedding was held at the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley California high in the hills above the university. The exhibit at the museum was dinosaurs which made for some very interesting guests!

Matthew and Shahla
DMT Photography

The view from the Lawrence Hall of Science was the most amazing view I have ever seen! These pictures just don't do it justice. From the wedding site, you could see the entire San Francisco bay south towards Oakland and north towards Marin and all the way past the Golden Gate Bridge out to the Pacific Ocean. In the evening as the lights starting blinking on over the city and the bridges the view changes from amazing to dramatic. We stood out on the patio admiring the view while listening to the music from the wedding watching the fireworks shooting over ATT park.

Sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean

Our friends Kevin and Marybeth at the wedding. The centerpiece was a jar with "fireflies". An influence of the South where Matthew proposed to Shahla.

Don with one of the special guests.

Congratulations to Matthew and Shahla.

Butte Lake

2011-09-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

As often as possible, we go camping to Butte Lake in the Lassen Volcanic National Park. Don and I first started camping there when we were first married and lived in nearby Susanville. Years later we took the kids camping there and Don taught them how to fish and canoe in Butte Lake. We often went there with our family and friends either camping or just for a day trip to picnic near the lake. The area has lots to offer with hiking trails, kayaking on the pristine lake that is surrounded on one end with a lava flow and just enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Lava Flow into Butte Lake

Cinder Cone

You can hike to the top of Cinder Cone and view the area of desolation from the volcano eruption May 22, 1915.

The lake is a great canoeing or kayaking lake, no power boats are allowed on this lake making it a very peaceful and relaxing float along the shores.

Butte Lake

The newest member to our family joined us along with her parents on the camping trip during the Labor Day weekend.

Alain, Sophia and Emily

Uncle Mikey and Sophia enjoying a snack at camp.

Uncle Mikey and Sophia

Mike playing our new camping game, laddertoss.

Our campsite

Sophia chillin

Sophia enjoying her own juice box and riding in style in her stroller.

Sophia trying out a juice box for the first time.

Sophia and Grandma

We had a great end of summer weekend with our family camping at Butte Lake. Just glad that we didn't see any bears this camping trip, especially after watching the true story of The Night of the Grizzly just days before we went camping! That was not such a great idea, had nightmares and swore I heard something outside of our tent one night! Discovered the next morning it was just a loose plastic trash bag blowing against the side of our tent! Whew!

Mike and Jayme kayaking on Butte Lake

Jayme on top of Cinder Cone

Mike and Jayme at the top of Cinder Cone
with Mt. Lassen in background

We came home to over 100 degree weather after enjoying mild days and cool evenings in the mountains. We got all of the camping gear cleaned up and repacked it for storage until the next trip.

As for me, I am done camping for awhile and it will only be hotel camping from here on out! At least until they talk me into going tent camping again next Spring!

Summer Garden

2011-09-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

Summer Gardening. Each year we plant a garden with little or no success. We plant too early to beat the heat and then get a rainy cold spring. We plant later and get burned out by the hot sun. This year we had a beautiful big garden and worked often in it to keep it weed free and watered. Each week we would go out to the garden and see the plants thriving in the raised box garden beds. We looked forward to a late summer harvest of summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, pumpkins, strawberries and sunflowers just for the fun of it.

Box Gardening

Summer Garden

Then one day we went out to the garden to check on the cucumbers and pumpkins and discovered they were gone, disappeared! Last year we had a problem with deer but didn't see any signs of them in the garden, what could it be? Pests? Yes, lots of them with four little legs and long floppy ears. I was sitting on the couch one morning and saw a little bunny run down the driveway from the road and right into the garden. Then there was another one, and another! Just about that time a squirrel ran by clutching an apple from the orchard in his mouth! Yes, our garden became the smorgasbord for all the neighborhood rabbits and squirrels!

We will try again next year, but with new fencing surrounding the garden and each raised garden bed to keep out the little critters!

Weekend Fun

2011-08-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

Fun at the park with Sophia.

I decided to drive down to Sacramento for a few days to spend time with family and friends while Don stayed home and did a few more home improvement projects - isn't that a given? My first stop was at my good friend Susan's (Mike's mother-in-law) house for an evening of catching up with each other and having dinner together with Mike and Jayme. The next day I went to Emily's house to visit and spend time with Sophia. On Saturday, we took a walk to the park and then the girls went out to lunch at PotteryWorld. We met Susan and Jayme and my sister-in-law Deanna for a wonderful afternoon together and enjoyed a gourmet lunch and then "window" shopping in the most amazing patio and home design shop. I just imagined that the Housewives of New Jersey or where ever could shop there with all the ornate Tuscany themed items and the huge price tags to go with them!

I had a great weekend just spending time with my family! To my surprise, when I came hone Don had installed two new bathroom windows that look amazing! It just wouldn't be the same without coming home to some kind of a remodel surprise! At least this one didn't require the removal of a wall!

I had such a great time that I am looking forward to visiting again soon. Besides, we need new windows in the front of the house installed!

Family Visit

2011-08-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

The Putnam Family. (back row) Gary, Steve, Don, Michael, Jayme

(front row) Deanna and Bobbie Putnam

Don and I love to entertain our family and friends and it is a special treat when we get family from Southern Cal to visit! Don's mother and brother Steve from Riverside spent a week with us recently. The first day we spent a rare cool summer day and evening sitting on the patio catching up and visiting. Don's other brother and his wife from the Sacramento area joined us along with Mike and Jayme for the weekend. We had a great visit with everyone and enjoyed swimming, croquet, horseshoes, golfing and boating on Lake Shasta. It was great to have the "boys" together again to hang out and reminisce the good old days. We had such a good visit we can't wait to get together again.

A rousing game of croquet in the backyard.

Grandma Bobbie with Mike and Jayme.

Morro Bay Vacation

2011-08-04T11:50:00.001-07:00

We spent a fabulous week at the beach in July. One of our favorite places is Morro Bay, California. Our son went to school at Cal Poly and we would visit this beautiful area several times a year and decided it would be a great vacation destination for the family. We rented a beach house and piled in for a week of relaxation and beach gazing. We loved the beach house and all it had to offer including just a short walk down to the beach.

We took a day away from the beach to visit several of the wineries along Hwy 46 in Paso Robles. The area was beautiful and offered renowned wines for tasting. We spent a relaxing day wine tasting and picnicking on the beautiful winery grounds.

This area reminds me of the Napa Valley but with much less traffic and congestion. The wineries were so friendly and we enjoyed the scenery as well!

One of our favorite wineries, Donati Family Vineyard.

We all took a drive down to Pismo Beach for lunch one day. We drove past Mike's old college apartment and walked along the pier before having lunch at a little pub.

Nancy, Don and Dave at lunch in Pismo Beach.

Dave and Don on the pier watching surfers in the waves below.

My girls, Emily and Sophia.

Sophia loved the beach! She loved playing and crawling in the sand and dipping her toes in the water. Sophia took her first steps walking on this beach and we all got to be there to see it!

Little beach girl!

Grandpa and Uncle Dave taking Sophia for a stroll along the beach.

Mommy and Sophia wading in the ocean.

Grandma and Sophia playing at the beach.

Our little beach girl playing at the beach.

Alain and Dave discussing the waves and the possibility of surfing that day.

Alain teaching his little girl how to ride a board at the beach!

Shopping in Morro Bay.

Grandma and Sophia in Morro Bay.

Our last day at the beach.

Dave and Nancy saying goodbye :-(

The family in front of the beach house. We all had such a great and relaxing vacation, we can't wait to return again with the family!

Goals for June

2011-07-17T15:04:00.001-07:00

Goals for June

Replace fence and gate to backyard
Finish rail fencing along driveway
Frame and pour concrete for new patio
Make cages for vegetable garden
Finish planter by pool
Make a rose garden planter
Clean shed

What We Did Instead

Went to San Francisco for a San Francisco Giants Game
Went wine tasting in the Alexander Valley near Napa
Went to Sacramento for Alain's Citizenship Party
Went house boating on Lake Shasta with friends
Went camping to Mackerricker State Park with friends
Went to San Ramon for Brooke's 1st birthday party
Went to Graeagle to celebrate Sophia's 1st birthday and celebrate 4th of July

As you can see the setting goals thing just isn't my style! We finally did what we thought retirement would be all about, flexible, spontaneous and fun! We were able to join friends at the last minute at the lake and camping instead of doing what was on our list! We can always tackle those tasks at some other time and decided to just go for it this month and have a good time. What a great way to kick off the summer and spend time with friends and family, so what if the rabbits nibble at my garden and the shed doesn't get cleaned out yet again this summer!

Posting on the blog hasn't been a priority this summer either so I have finally added 7 new posts with pictures of all our summer activities so far! Hope you are having a great summer too!

Graeagle

2011-07-17T14:49:00.001-07:00

Every year we go to Graeagle for a few days to celebrate the 4th of July weekend old fashion mountain style. We have had large groups with lots of friends and family and some years just a few of us. Last year Sophia was born just a few days before our annual Graeagle trip and this year we celebrated her 1st birthday there.

The drive to Graeagle is one of my favorites. We drive up towards Mt. Lassen, along the shore of Lake Almanor, follow the Feather River through the canyon, through the historic mountain town of Quincey and then just a few more miles to Graeagle.

When Don worked for CalTrans, part of his district included Graeagle and he often stayed at the River Pines Resort and got to know the owners there very well. Each year we see the same families and many like ours have expanded to include other generations to enjoy this family favorite destination!

Birthday girl and her parents arrived from Sacramento to begin the big birthday celebration!

There was a delicious cake that her mommy made just for her!

Presents to open!

And more to open...

And to play with.....

Grandpa brought his kayaks.

We all went to Gold Lake one afternoon to kayak. Many of the back country roads were still closed due to snow! We have never seen the lake this full or so much snow this time of year.

Alain getting ready to go out on the lake.

The water was so clear but cold! Emily and Alain enjoying time on the lake.

Sophia's first swimming pool experience. The water was pretty cold, afterwards Emily noticed that they were the only adults in the pool! Could have been a clue on how cold it really was! Sophia didn't mind a bit!

We had a great trip to Graeagle this year and celebrating Sophia's 1st birthday in one of our families favorite vacation spots. Happy birthday little girl!

Cousin's Birthday

2011-07-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

We were invited to Brooke's 1st birthday party in San Ramon. We met Alain, Emily and Sophia along with my parents, sister and her husband there. The birthday party was great fun and the little cousins were so cute together!

My nephew Sean with his wife Michelle and daughters Claire and Brooke.

Grandpa Don with Sophia, Emily and Brooke.

Sophia and Brooke both have birthdays just 8 days apart! What cute girls they both are!

Four generations. Sophia, Emily, Great Grandma Yvonne, and Grandma Nancy

Don and I had a great weekend in San Ramon at the birthday party for Brooke and visiting with my family. We had dinner in Berkeley with Debbie and her husband and our parents to celebrate Debbie's birthday that was the next day. It was a quick trip to the bay area but great to be able to visit with family again.

Camping at MacKerricker State Park - Fort Bragg, CA

2011-07-17T14:14:00.001-07:00

Tim and Gayle with their daughter Monica.

We went camping for a few days with our good friends, Tim and Gayle, from Sacramento. Don and Tim used to work together in Sacramento and are still good golfing buddies. We used to go camping to Mackerricker when we lived in Sacramento when our kids were younger so it was a real treat to go camping there again. The beach is located in Mendocino County and has beautiful beaches with rough ragged cliffs and lots of sea life. The weather was clear and warm our entire stay and the sunsets were amazing.

MacKerricker State BeachThe campground is located on the bluff overlooking the ocean. The fishing town of Fort Bragg is located just a few miles south and is full of local shops and great restaurants and includes the North Coast Brewery. There are lots of trails for people and horses to enjoy a stroll along the cliffs.

Our tent in the woods.

Beautiful meadows golden in the sun.

We visited the Blue Star Winery located on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We enjoyed a picnic and wine tasting and finished the afternoon with a little whale watching!

Caves are located on either side of the cliff and an earthquake fault line was recently discovered down the middle of the winery!

The camping group enjoying an afternoon of wine tasting.

Seals have taken over a cove near our campground. This area is now protected for the seals and their newborn pups.

The best for last, a large whale breaching in the waves. We were just about to leave the area when someone noticed the large spray of water in the waves.

Shasta Lake

2011-07-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

Houseboating on Lake Shasta

Early June we took the boat out to Lake Shasta and met our friends Bruce and Bridget on their houseboat. We spent another great few days visiting with friends and enjoying the lake.

We found a beautiful cove to tie up the houseboat for a few nights. We had a great view of the McCloud arm of the lake for our spot.

Other friends joined us on their patio boats and the boys headed out fishing.

Don preparing cocktails for our sunset cruise on a patio boat with Dave, Margie, Mike, Emma, Bruce and Bridget.

The passengers enjoying refreshments on the beautiful lake.

One of the coves up the McCloud River arm of the lake. The lake was only a few feet from the crest which is unusual for this time of year. There were not as many waterfalls this time of year as we saw in April but it was still beautiful.

Dinner on board! We enjoyed delicious meals and great company.

Sunset on the lake.

We had a great time spending a few days on the lake with our friends. Hope we can make it out there again soon!

New United States Citizen

2011-07-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

To become a citizen of the United States, among other requirements, applicants must pass a test of their knowledge of U.S. law, politics, history and geography. Can you answer these questions?

What is the supreme law of the land?
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
Who was President during World War I?
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.

Our son-in-law Alain became a United States citizen on June 15th. His family attended his swearing in ceremony in downtown Sacramento. Sophia is so proud of her papa!

Emily and Alain hosted a BBQ at their home with all the good ol' country favorites, hot dogs, potato salad and cupcakes! Alain, Don, Mike and Jayme.

Red, white and blue!

Table set for an old fashioned BBQ.

Grandpa and Sophia.

Celebrating after the party with a ride in the tub!

Congratulations Alain, we are very proud of you on your accomplishment!

Answer to questions:

The Constitution
Checks and balances or separation of powers
Serve on a jury or vote in a federal election
Woodrow Wilson
Missouri River or Mississippi River

San Francisco Giant Baseball Game

2011-07-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

A summer day in the city.

What does everyone think of when you say summertime? A baseball game of course! This year we got tickets to the San Francisco Giants baseball game against the Washington Nationals. We had a great time visiting the city and going to the game. After the game, we walked back to our hotel near Pier 39. We followed the walkway along the bay for three miles, stopping along the way for dinner and drinks at the Pier. It was a beautiful day for a game and we had a great time exploring the city.

Coit Tower

A view of the Golden Gate bridge peeking out of the fog.

The next day we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped to walk back part way across the bridge. It was a cold and foggy morning but what a view from there!

On the way home, we drove up through the wine country and stopped at our favorite White Oak winery in the Alexander Valley. Although it was a lot of driving, we enjoyed our trip to the baseball game and home through the beautiful wine country.

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-07-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

We spent the Memorial Day weekend at home with friends and family. The weather this season has been unusually cool so we enjoyed a day relaxing in the backyard and had a great BBQ. Sophia showed off her new skill of crawling and kept us entertained much of the weekend!

Crawling around Grandma's house!

Taking a little rest break with Grandpa.

Toys are not meant to be kept in the toy basket!

Sophia's new friend "Bob" the vacuum cleaner!

Yosemite 2011

2011-05-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

We spent Mother's Day weekend at our favorite campground, Yosemite National Park! This trip has been our family tradition for over 30 years. Although we have not always been able to go to Yosemite each year, for nearly the past 10 years we have tried to make it a priority in our busy lives to meet as a family for a fun weekend of camping, hiking, bike riding, playing games and cooking fabulous food! This year we welcomed the newest member of our family to our camping tradition, 10 month old Sophia!

Arriving in the valley is the most amazing sight. After traveling through the mountain roads, you wind your way around a curve and through a tunnel arriving at the edge of the valley to the most amazing sight. On the other side of the tunnel is the beautiful valley stretched out before you and in the distance you glimpse the first magnificent waterfall, Bridalveil Falls. We have often labeled this feeling of anticipation and awe upon arrival as entering an adult Disneyland. No matter how many times you visit, you just can't get enough of it and are always so eager to explore everything it has to offer.

This year, thanks to the abundant snow and rainfall, the valley was rimmed with snow capped mountains, lush green meadows, raging rapids in the river, thundering waterfalls and beautiful dogwood trees in bloom.

Our camping group. Todd, Alain, Don, David, Mike, Jayme, Emily, Sophia and Nancy.

Dogwood Trees

Dogwood Trees at the Ahwahnee Hotel

We arrived on Thursday afternoon and met Todd and Dave at the campground. The rest of the family arrived on Friday so we had a relaxing evening to enjoy the campground with about 100 school kids from the bay area!

Sophia arrives with her family! She is happy to be camping (really I think it was to see her Nana!).

Sophia loved camping and playing in Nana's tent.

Momma and Sophia.

Alright then, had enough of this tent thing, let me out to explore!

Relaxing on Grandpa's lap before bed. Wish I had jammies like that!

Alain, Mike and Todd playing cards.

What did you say Uncle Dave, are there really bears in those woods?

We all took a stroll down to Curry Village to the infamous Pizza Patio for refreshments. This is the place where you will meet visitors from all around the world enjoying a hot pizza and a cold beer sitting and gazing in awe at this most amazing place.

Auntie Jayme made Sophia a t-shirt for her first camping trip. It says, "Bears don't scare me".

Little did she know that night a bear would be visiting us in our campsite!

Sophia ready for her "hike"!

Back at camp ready for another challenging game of cards!

Sophia wanted to join in the fun, just give her a wooden spoon and something to bang it on and she was a happy camper!

Each year there is usually rock climbing or a big hike planned. This year, Dave took Jayme and her brother Todd on a hike to the top of Yosemite Falls. What an amazing view they had from the top of the falls.

Dave, Todd and Jayme

Dave and Todd on the edge!

What a busy day, goodnight Sophia!

Later that night, we had a little visitor from the woods. Todd, Mike, Don and I were sitting around the campfire when I heard a bang on the bear proof locker. Jayme was sound asleep in the tent right next to the locker so we knew it wasn't her - what could it be? Todd and Mike jumped up and flashed their lights in that direction to catch a bear running off with Jayme's green Yosemite bag in his mouth that was filled with her healthy foods and treats. The boys locked the bear proof locker again and we settled down by the fire and were just amazed that a bear came that close to us. Not 20 minutes later, we heard the banging on the locker again! Again, the boys jumped up to scare the bear away. We probably woke the entire camp with our excitement, or was it my screaming? The next morning, Dave found the bag across the stream from our campsite with the food wrappers strewn about. The bear ate all the protein bars, nuts, sugar substitute but left the apple and the lemon pepper seasoning (with bite marks in the container).

On Sunday, we had a delicious Mother's Day breakfast at camp before the kids had to pack up and head for home. After saying goodbye to everyone, Don, Dave and I headed out on our bikes for a ride through the valley. We stopped at Yosemite Village for coffee and to wait out rain showers. We then rode on down by Camp 4 where all the climbers camp and then on to Yosemite Lodge for a bite to eat in the most awesome bar complete with a roaring fire and views of the granite cliffs. I sat there wondering if the Lodge had any vacancies for the night! We then rode back up to Curry Village for a dinner of pizza and to wait out another rain squall before heading back to camp. Storm clouds brewing over Yosemite Falls.

Back at camp for the last evening. We braved the bear, the rains and cold and enjoyed our last evening by the fire.

Dogwood Tree

Another great family vacation to Yosemite. Farewell until next year!

Easter Camping 2011

2011-04-26T16:20:00.001-07:00

As often as we can, we go Easter camping with our good friends and their families to Shasta Lake. We began camping at the lake the weekend of Easter over 15 years ago when our kids were younger and continued the tradition of camping on Easter well into their college years. The tradition of Easter camping began well over 40 years ago when our friends camped at Shasta Lake as children with their parents. Last year our friends camped in the cold and snow while Don and I opted to stay home and have a campfire in the backyard instead. This year, despite the rain, we went out to the lake with the new fishing boat for another great weekend of fishing, camping, gourmet camp cooking, and socializing with great friends. We have friends from as far away as the bay area and Southern Oregon meet us for the annual camping trip and the group has swelled to over 40 campers in some years.

Dekkas Rock across from our campground.

Don took a few of us for a ride up the McCloud arm of the lake in search of a soccer ball that rolled into the lake. We didn't find the ball but we did find at least 8 waterfalls that were just amazing! The lake is always so beautiful this time of year, full to the brim, wild flowers blooming right down to the water, bald eagles flying overhead, fish jumping and beautiful bright stars fill the sky each night - when it isn't raining!

We usually have a big fish fry on Saturday night and everyone brings a homemade dish for the big pot luck dinner. This year, no fish but lots of yummy foods to share. Unfortunately, we had to leave early before the pot luck. Don took a little tumble down the steep muddy bank barely missing the water and hurt his ankle so we had to head for home - just before another huge rainstorm so in a way it was time to go anyway! I had to leave behind my broccoli salad and strawberry trifle for the group, darn it!

This was our favorite waterfall - it was two tiered with wild flowers blooming over the lower falls. The cove was over 90 feet deep and dark blue. By summer the lake levels will drop exposing red clay shores, the waterfalls will stop flowing and the lake becomes a huge vacation destination for house boaters and water skiers and our favorite spot for boating is only a 20 minute drive from home!

Traveling

2011-04-14T08:25:00.001-07:00

On the road again...... Traveling south along I-5 and over the causeway near the Sacramento airport.In February, I started a part time job in Sacramento testing the new statewide computer system for the courts. I was traveling quite a bit for almost three months back and forth north and south along the I-5 corridor. I started the job the first of February in the dead of winter traveling along the miles and miles of ranch land and orchards between home and my destination in West Sacramento. The first trip south began with barren brown farm fields and bare dormant trees. On the trip home north just a few weeks later, I was greeted with miles and miles of bright pink and snow white blooms on all the fruit and nut trees. The fields were just beginning to sprout their little green plants along the way. The weather was also a challenge on my travels back and forth. Lots of winter storms with high winds, heavy rains and just barely missed a small tornado - yes we do get those from time to time in sunny California! On the drive south, just as I approach Sacramento, I drive high above the rice fields on the causeway. Usually, there is low lying water in the rice fields in the winter but after one particular brutal storm; the fields were raging with water from the heavy rains.

On another trip down south, the fields were a darker green and the orchards were blanketed with snow - actually white blossoms fallen to the ground to make it look like a fresh dusting of snow. The sheep and cows were now grazing in the fields and the foothills and mountains were still covered in deep winter snow. Traveling home north, the cloud formations along the foothills are amazing especially during a spring rainstorm. The last drive home was probably the most beautiful drive ever. The sky was churning with angry dark rain clouds, the fields were now a deep dark green, trees in the orchards were full with their bright green leaves and the fields were sprouting their spring and summer crops in yet another beautiful shade of green. The cows and sheep were getting fatter and I just barely missed the birth of a calf by seconds. The mother was standing near the easement road in the field and her newborn calf was struggling to gain his footing near his mother, amazing!

Half way home, the valley gently rises upward to greet the end of the great valley surrounded with the coastal range on one side and the Cascade mountain range on the other. Snow covered Mount Lassen with its flat top is the first to peek out in the distance followed by its sister Mount Shasta covered in glaciers and deep snow with her pointing sharply toward the sky greeting me home. I drop down into the last valley - following a truck with wine barrels headed to a local winery, getting closer to home! What a beautiful sight it is arriving home with the beautiful mountains, lazy Sacramento River winding its way along the way, Shasta Lake glistening in the distance, so good to be home! At least until the next adventure!

Storm clouds brewing, the road headed north, Sutter Buttes peeking out smack dab in the middle of the valley.

The job has ended and time to stay home and watch my own garden and orchard grow!

Gone Fishing

2011-04-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

Don went fishing recently on the Colorado River with his good buddy from high school and brought home a new boat! Actually, it has been something he has been planning and thinking about since retiring almost two years ago. We owned a boat when we lived in Sacramento when the kids were younger and moved it to Redding and enjoyed several more years on Shasta Lake and Whiskeytown Lake in the summertime until our schedules and sports took up so much time on our weekends that we just didn't use it as much. So we sold the boat years ago and yearned for the day we could have another one to enjoy our "retirement" years on our beautiful lakes and river making new fun family memories. We picked the first sunny and warm day after a week of crazy cold weather and storms to do a practice run and launch the boat. We lucked out that day since there were no other cars in the parking lot, a good thing since I parked the truck and trailer and it wasn't pretty. Good thing I had many, many choices of parking places.

Nancy behind the wheel, note that there is not another boat in sight so I gave it a try and took it out for a spin.

The Captain!

OK, the real reason we didn't invite anyone to join us on the maiden voyage - honey where does this plug go?? There aren't any pictures in this darn owners manual!

DIY Home Improvement

2011-04-05T18:01:00.001-07:00

When we bought our house over 22 years ago, we had talked, and talked about dividing the living room from the family room. This house was designed with a very open floor plan, more suited for decorating a hotel lobby! It was great for entertaining but a nightmare to decorate and make cozy. So after all those years of planning and thinking about it, we finally decided to go for it! Of course, Don waited until I had to leave town for work for a few weeks before the demolition began, very smart man! This is a view of part of the living room from the front door looking towards the family room.

And from the family room looking towards the living room. Lots of couches - hense the lobby look.

Another view from the family room. The two rooms are divided by a step which made it even more difficult to decorate.

The demolition begins!

The new wall goes up!

The results are in, I love it! Now all I have to do is shut the french doors and Don can turn that TV up as loud as he wants!

A view from the front door. We now love our living room.

Welcome to our new home! Next, new carpet and windows in the front! Don has pretty much replaced everything in this house except the walls, although some have been added and some have been torn down. We did hire experts for the two heating/cooling systems, kitchen counters and installing the pool but other than that it has been all done by Don and some very helpful friends. He has replaced the roof, all interior doors, exterior doors including adding two french doors, windows, a bay window for the dining room, new wood burning stove and hearth, remodeled three bathrooms with tile floors and shower, including sinks and counters, tiled the laundry room, painted and so on and so on. It has taken years to do, one of the drawbacks from doing it yourself but financially much more reasonable. You just have to be patient, endure the dust and mess, not freak out when your husband starts up a chain saw - inside the house- and live with walls missing and just plastic between you and the outdoors, having a washer and dryer in the middle of the family room for a week and an old toilet sitting on the back patio!

Between all the home projects, we have been also working on our yards with patio covers (thanks to the help of our son and my two brothers - one for his brawn and expertise and the other for his design. Walkways, planters, box gardening, fencing and landscaping. Next on the list is a new patio and cover for beside the pool, unless the man cave idea wins and Don starts building his "men only" rec room! Right now, I will just settle for the patio cover!

Birthday Celebration with Family and Friends

2011-01-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

Dad's birthday party with cousins and little cousins. Michelle and Emily with their daughters, Claire, Brooke and Sophia.

I have never pretended to be a super blogger, in fact I constantly delete my pictures that I have placed in the perfect sequence and can't get them back where I want them without starting all over! So, above and below are pictures that I deleted by accident in the middle of this blog but really wanted posted so here they are!

This is a picture of Emily with Sophia and Grandma Bobbie (Don's mom).

Don and I just returned home from a two week vacation celebrating Christmas in Sacramento and then a trip to Riverside for my Dad's 90th birthday. We had a great time spending time with family and friends and seeing many of our old hometown sites. The weather for Southern California was not the typical sunny and clear that we have enjoyed in previous winters, we experienced heavy rains, wind, and even snow at record breaking low altitudes. Don and I had to delay our return trip home several days due to sever weather and the closing of the mountain passes. It allowed us extra time though to spend with family and to also celebrate my Mom's birthday on January 5th for a bit before leaving for home.

My Aunt Betty from Moorehead flew out to help celebrate my Dad's birthday. My sister and I got to reconnect with Aunt Betty in Minnesota this past summer on our vacation there with my parents. When Betty returned to her home in Minnesota, she was greeted with deep snow and low, low temperatures. I bet our itty bitty rain storms were nothing compared to the weather back there!

The evening before Betty returned home to Minnesota, we all went to the movie to see True Grit and then out to dinner at Applebees. We had a great time and it was nice to see everyone again before Don and I also left for home.

Pictured: Debbie, Dave, Tom Lockwood, Marv, Nancy, Mom, Tom Deike, Pat and Aunt Betty.

Before the big birthday bash, we had family traveling from all over to attend. Sarah and her family drove in from Denver, my cousins Sue and Cal flew in from Denver, Aunt Betty from Minnesota, my children and their families from Sacramento, Don and I from Redding and other family members from Southern California. Don and I along with our kids stayed a few days at Dave's house. This was Dave's first meeting with my grand daughter Sophia. I think he liked her!

Proud grand pa Don holding Sophia while getting a good night kiss from her mommy.

2010 was the year of the baby boom. My nephew Keith and his wife Ericka had their first child Andrew in April, followed by cousin Emily with her first child Thomas in June, quickly followed by cousin Sean and his wife Michelle with Brooke and 8 days later Emily with her first child, Sophia.

I think Sophia was happy to see her great grandmother Yvonne!

Great grandpa Marv can't get enough hugs and kisses from those babies!

We also got to spend time with Don's family during our visit to Riverside. We were eager to meet the newest addition to the Putnam family, little cousin Skyelynn. (see picture top of post)

My daughter-in-law Jayme holding Skyelynn at Grandma Bobbie's house.

Emily with Sophia and Jayme with Skyelynn. Sophia and Skyelynn are the newest "little" cousins in the Putnam family.

On Thursday, December 30th was the big event. We hosted a birthday party for my Dad's 90th birthday at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Redding. The hotel was just a few blocks from the famous Mission Inn that was totally decked out in Christmas decorations and lights and is a huge attraction for So. Cal residents and visitors. The evening was perfect for the party, no rain or wind so we were able to take a several family photos outside by the pool before the party began. Here is a family picture of the Putnam clan.
Alain, Sophia, Emily, Michael, Jayme, Nancy and Don.

The entire Deike family. It isn't often that we are all together and in one place at the same time. I think the last time we were was at our Eide/Deike family reunion in Lake Tahoe in 2009.

My parents with some of the great grandchildren.

Mom and Dad

Sophia, Andrew, Lily, Brooke, Claire and Garrett.

We had a great party with wonderful food and entertainment. We had made centerpieces with pictures from throughout my Dad's life including childhood, Air Force, sports, travel, wedding, early family photos and with family friends. The carrot cake my Dad's favorite - mine too!

We also had other family members attending the party, including my cousin Dale Deike pictured here with David. My Dad's step sister Carol and her husband Kirk , my cousin Judi from San Diego and several of my parents friends also attended the party.

Sarah Smith with her Auntie!

A few years ago, some of the family went on a Mexican cruise to celebrate my parents 60th wedding anniversary. We took a picture of my Dad at Senior Frogs that we loved, although he wasn't to thrilled about it! My daughter-in-law Jayme made these t-shirts and the boys presented their attire to my dad to the song of the Godfather played by the band.

Alain, Mike, Don, Dad and Dave.

Debbie, Nancy and Aunt Betty.

Alain with Sophia in her new pretty yellow party dress.

Mike and Jayme

Mom with Pat, Cal, Sue, Nancy and Debbie.

Have you even known me not to get a picture with the band? Of course not!

The Roger Espinoza band.

After the party, some of us staying at the Marriott Hotel walked over to the Mission Inn to look at all the decorations and lights. What a magical place!

Nancy, Jayme, Mike and Don.

Mike and Jayme

The Mission Inn, Riverside, Ca.

The great man of the evening and his beautiful wife. So glad that we all could help celebrate this very special birthday together. Another fabulous family event! Happy birthday Dad and Happy birthday Mon!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-28T07:02:00.001-08:00

Don and I spent the Christmas holiday with our children in Sacramento this year. We had a great time celebrating the holiday and spending time together. Christmas Eve we had dinner with Jayme's family at her mother's home with the traditional yummy ham dinner. Christmas Day was at Emily and Alain's home, we opened presents, played games and cooked a pasta dinner together.
Pictured: Alain, Emily, Sophia, Don, Nancy, Michael and Jayme.
Grandma and Grandpa with Sophia.

Alain, Emily and Sophia.

Christmas morning. Sophia was the biggest present of all! How fun to celebrate her first Christmas together. She really got the hang of opening presents too! We had to take several breaks throughout the morning for breakfast and naps, Sophia's of course!

We left Sacramento on Monday and drove down to Riverside to beging the New Years celebrations there. My dad's 90th birthday party is Thursday and we can't wait for the party to begin!

San Francisco 2010

2010-12-12T19:00:00.001-08:00

San Francisco weekend.

Don and I spent the weekend in San Francisco with Alain, Emily and Sophia. Emily and Alain have made it their tradition to visit the city each year before the holidays for a weekend of site seeing while enjoying the holiday decorations and festivities that the city has to offer. We have gone with them for the past two years and this year we enjoyed it with the newest addition to the family, Sophia! We love to shop in Chinatown and walk around Union Square in the evening looking at all the Christmas decorations and displays. Last year we had dinner at Cafe Bastille in the International Food Court (where Alain proposed to Emily 4 years ago) and this year we enjoyed a delicious dinner at an Italian Restaurant in the courtyard.

Alain, Emily and Sophia in Chinatown.

Along the way, you always run into interesting characters!

Besides enjoying the Christmas decorations, the city has so many interesting things to see including many buildings with unique architect designs. This year we had great weather and enjoyed strolling along the city streets and checking out the shops in Chinatown.

San Francisco cable cars.

The Coit Tower in the background was built as a tribute to firefighters of San Francisco.

A walkway with interesting design.

The Transamerica Pyramid Building is the tallest and most recognizable skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline.

A giant Christmas tree decorated with burnt orange lights - one of our favorites!

This year we walked down the steep street to get a picture of this tree. I kept hearing from Don walking behind me, long way down, steep climb back up but we made it!

Union Square - Macy's department store. Each window is beautifully decorated with a lighted wreath. Union Square is always full of visitors from all over the world and includes an ice skating rink during the holiday season.

Alain, Emily and Sophia

Don and Nancy in Union Square.

Sophia was a great traveler and such a joy to spend the weekend with. Thanks again to Alain and Emily for another fun family adventure! Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving tradition has always been to fill the house full with family and friends, good food and lots of fun! This year we had a special treat for Thanksgiving, a new granddaughter and Don's mother came to spend the holiday with us. Sophia met her great-grandmother Bobbie when she arrived in Sacramento to spend some time with the kids before coming up to Redding with Emily, Alain and Sophia for the week.

Mike and Jayme arrived on Wednesday and we spent the rest of the holiday playing games, cooking and eating!

Sophia liked the eating part, she has just begun to eat "real" food and liked her new highchair at Grandma's house!

Another tradition is to check out the big store sale section of the newspaper on Thanksgiving morning to scope out the best buys and get ready for Black Friday. Auntie Jayme is teaching Sophia just the right technique for checking out the best buys!

Jayme and Grandma in the kitchen helping with Thanksgiving dinner.

Does that thumb taste good Sophia? It was fun to have Sophia sitting at the dinner table with us on Thanksgiving.

Mike, Jayme, Grandma and Nancy.

The day after Thanksgiving, we took a drive out to Shasta Lake and had coffee at the Tail O' Whale over looking the lake. The mountains are covered in snow and it was a beautiful day.

Grandma Bobbie, Nancy and Jayme enjoying a break from the festivities at home - and football!

Emily and Alain

Another tradition is to have a family/friends bonfire the night after Thanksgiving. We invite friends over and have a great time swapping stories around the bonfire and playing games.

Emily, Carla and Nancy

Grandma Bobbie, Norma, Kirk and Don.

The bonfire crew. Mike and Jayme and friends from high school.

The end of the weekend and Sophia was exhausted! She was so much fun to play with and was so good will all the people wanting to hold her and play with her. Grandma still has that special touch to get a sleepy baby girl to take her nap!

Sophia loves her great-grandma! We had a great Thanksgiving week and loved having everyone home and Bobbie here to help us celebrate another memorable holiday!

Fall Wine Tasting

2010-11-19T14:49:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, Don and I took a break from house remodeling and cleaning to drive down to meet Emily, Alain, and Sophia at Holly's Hill Winery near Placerville for a wine and cheese event. We had a great picnic and a nice time visiting with them and their friends for the afternoon and the drive down and back along I-5 was relaxing and we enjoyed seeing all the fall colors in the fields and orchards. Alain, Emily and Sophia.

It was a nice break from all the work we have been doing at home and getting ready for the holidays. I will take any opportunity to get out of housework and see my grandbaby any time!

Carnival Cruise Ship

2010-11-11T07:50:00.001-08:00

This Carnival Cruise ship is being towed into San Diego Bay today after being stranded at sea for several days without electricity or power. Just a few weeks ago, Don and I were in San Diego for our cruise on the Holland America. We did follow this same ship to several ports in Mexico and we called them the Snooze Cruise because we were on the Blues Cruise party ship, guess they lived up to that name cruising at a snails pace home!

This is the Carnival Splendor in port in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on October 20th.

It is all about the experience and making the best of any situation. When we were on our cruise in 2005, our ship hit the dock in Costa Maya, Mexico and we were stranded there for two days while the ship was being repaired. We had a blast and didn't mind adding a few days to our cruise vacation! It was a bit unsettling though returning by sea to New Orleans knowing that there was a huge hole in the ship and hope they fixed it well!

This photo was taken right after we hit the dock. Soon after, they put up a fence so we couldn't see the damage or take photos!

First Halloween

2010-11-04T09:14:00.001-07:00

Just a few days after coming home from Mexico, I drove down to Sacramento to spend Halloween with this little cutie. Happy Boo Halloween!

I had a great time visiting with family and babysitting Sophia for the first day her mommy went back to work teaching her other 33 kids! :-(

Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise to Mexico 2010

2010-10-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

Packed and ready to go cruising with the blues!

Don and I spent a week on a cruise ship to Mexico with over 30 legendary blues bands. We flew to San Diego on October 16th and spent the night in San Diego before boarding the Holland America ms Zaandam on the 17th. We have never gone on this cruise before but have heard about it for years from fellow blues fans. As we were flying down to San Diego we reallized that this was the first week long vacation for the two of us together, alone, in over 27 years! We have had lots and lots of vacations but either just weekend trips or vacations involving family or friends! As usual, I over pack for everything not realizing that a "casual cruise" meant exactly that, casual! We had a great time on our vacation and what a thrill it was to be on board with so many famous musicians, getting to see them perform, riding the elevator with them, having meals together in the dining rooms and just enjoying a week of great music. We decided to fly into San Diego the night before and then stay a day after returning from the cruise to allow us more time to get into the "vacation" mode and to spend some time exploring the San Diego bay area. The morning of boarding the ship was exciting with seeing so many people arriving and noticing some of our favorite bands in the crowd carrying their instruments and just as excited as we were to be heading out to sea!

Don on deck before heading out to sea. We followed the shore for the first few hours at sunset and as we were cruising South we saw a long line of lights and then realized that was the border line between California and Mexico!

The sunsets were amazing every evening. We saw flying fish, turtles and on the last evening dolphins swimming and jumping in front of the cruise ship.

The first night we saw our favorite, The Tommy Castro Band, perform on deck at 12:30 am! Each night a different band would perform until the wee hours of the night and then you could also catch a set in the Piano Lounge until 4am with many of the artists jamming together. Sorry to say, I never made it to one of those performances! Performances usually began at 11:30 am and would continue throughout the day and night. When cruising at sea you could catch up to 27 different performances in one day!

The great thing about this cruise was that we were able to catch performances from artists that we had never seen before. Our new favorite is Grady Champion. What fun he was to watch, he would get into the crowd and dance and sing with the audience. All of the performances were up close and personal, as one of the cruisers said it was like having a back stage pass to each and every one of the bands 24/7! So true!

The weather on the cruise wasn't all that warm and the evenings on deck were darn right windy and cold. One evening it was so windy with the ocean swells getting bigger and bigger made for a rocky ride. It was a little intimidating walking on the decks at night being out in the dark, dark ocean with the wind howling.

We followed another cruise line - the infamous Carnival Cruise "party" ship from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and then Mazatlan. When we were docked at the ports and were ready to set sail, there would always be a performance on the back deck. It was so fun to see the cruisers on the "party" ship come out on their decks to watch and hear our ship as it sailed away. One of the cruisers on Carnival told another of our cruisers that our ship was the Blues Cruise while theirs was the Snooze Cruise!

Zaandam in Cabo San Lucas

I loved Cabo San Lucas, it was a beautiful sea port with amazing landscape including the rocks. I also was awed by the dramatic landscape of the steep Sierra Madre mountain range.

Don and Nancy in Cabo San Lucas. We had lunch at a little bayside cafe and were serenaded by three musicians that were hysterical. We walked around the port and then visited the infamous Cabo Wabo for a few margaritas! What a fun day it was in Mexico!

The "Snooze" Cruise ship as were leaving Puerto Vallarta.

Mazatlan Mexico. I found Mazatlan another amazing seaport. On one side is the city and on the other side is the jungle with tons and tons of palm trees with the Sierra Madre mountains looming in the background.

The Pacifico and Corona Beer Factory.

The Low Riders Band

The Low Rider band loading up their van after the cruise. I think the musicians had as much fun as the passengers. They would go to each others performances and would often jam together at the performances.

San Diego Bay with the Coronado Bridge in the background. What a fun week we had cruising to Mexico. We saw some great performances and met some new blues friends along the way. Hope we can go again next year - and take a lot less luggage!

Some of the bands were Elvin Bishop, Larry McCray, Eddy Clearwater, Leon Blue, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Wayne Baker Brooks, Coco Montoya, Marcia Ball, Los Lobos, Cafe R&B and much, much more.

Summer Vacations

2010-09-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Since retiring in June, I have only been home for a total of two whole weeks and a few days here and there between my many travels to Sacramento, San Ramon, Sacramento, Minnesota, Riverside, Sacramento, Chico, Mt. Lassen Butte Lake, Trinity Alps, Sacramento and so on and on....Some people have asked what does Don do while you are away so much? Well, let me give you a hint why it is not so difficult to be away from home from time to time! Other than missing my husband, I do not miss the many home projects he works on while I am away! This summer has been mostly outside work with new fencing, brick work, landscaping and box gardens. When it got to hot to work outside any longer, Don decided to move indoors and work on one of our many remodels to the house. Check out the next photo below the picture of the two of us (before this recent remodel!) and see what I often come home to!

After my visit with the girls, I arrived home to find my laundry room and bathroom contents sitting in my family room and the toilet sitting on the back patio! Patience is much needed when doing your own home remodeling and repairs and after living together for over 35 years, Don knows it may be best that I am not home when he is in the middle of one of his infamous home remodel jobs! I won't even go into the time I came home and he had a chain saw running in the house!

The laundry room and bathroom in the middle of the remodel job. They have been completely striped and getting new windows, tile floors, cabinets, sink, door, and paint. Stay tuned for the final results!

Grandma's visit

2010-09-19T10:38:00.001-07:00

Sleeping baby girl. With all of my travels this summer I wanted to be able to spend more time with this precious baby girl while Emily is still on maternity leave from work. So I drove down to Sacramento for a visit with my kids and some quality grandma time!

Emily and Alain had gone to Apple Hill with Sophia the weekend before I arrived so I thought this was a great picture of the girls for this post of my trip to visit them! Grandma and Sophia. Spending quality time with my girls was so much fun, I got to get up in the morning with that happy baby girl, see her taking a bath, play with her and of course lots of snuggle and hugging time! Emily and I went shopping one day with Sophia and we had a great time together just hanging out and visiting between feeding, napping and diaper changing time! Seems like Grandma got the worst diaper changes though, how did you time that one Emily?

I also love that my kids live so close together and I always get to spend time with Mike and Jayme while on a visit to Sacramento. Uncle Mikey with Sophia.

Thanks to all of you for a great visit and especially to Alain, the best son-in-law ever for letting his mother-in-law come visit so often, you are the best!

Girls Getaway Weekend

2010-09-13T10:16:00.001-07:00

I spent last weekend at the Trinity Alps Resort with my girlfriends enjoying a relaxing weekend along the Stuart Fork on 90 private acres surrounded by 500,000 acres of wilderness. The resort was built in the 1920's and the cabins are very rustic with sleeping veranda's overlooking the river. This was our 2nd year visiting the resort and it is a great way to get together and enjoy one of the last few warm weekends before fall. The Bear's Breath Bar and Grill is where we were served 3 delicious and generous portions of breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is a great place to gather in the morning for a cup of coffee sitting around a warm fire in the stone fireplace and in the evening after dinner to play darts and listen to music and visit with the other guests at the resort.

Jodi, Emily, Carla, Brenda sitting, me with Cathy standing outside of our cabin before heading down to the grill for dinner.

Cocktail hour with Terri, Carla, Jodi, Jamie and Jan.

A relaxing afternoon at the beach along the river.

Emily's mom Jeannie relaxing before heading back to the Bear's Breath to fix dinner. Jeannie and her husband Jim have worked at the resort for 10 years and are the best!

Terri, Jodi, Nancy and Carla outside of our cabin. It was a great weekend relaxing, visiting, hiking and enjoying great friendships with the girls!

Butte Lake, Lassen Park

2010-09-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Labor Day Weekend
We have been camping at Butte Lake for over 35 years. Don and I camped there when we were first married and living in Susanville. We have camped here over the years when the kids were young and we still try to get there as often as we can for Labor Day. This year we went with our friends Jim and Carla and their dog Molly.
Jim and Don with Molly and our dog Mishka on a hike to Bath Lake. Bath Lake

Butte Lake - is a great lake for canoeing and kayaking. No other types of boats are allowed on this lake so it is very peaceful to kayak and enjoy the beautiful landscape. The lake was divided into two lakes from a lava flow from Mt. Lassen so it makes for lots of interesting coves to boat around.

Sneaking in and out of coves divided by lava rock.

We had a great relaxing Labor Day weekend camping at Butte Lake with our friends. Best part is that it is only a little over an hour from home! Butte Lake is a great area for hiking with lots of trails around the lake and up to Cinder Cone with amazing views of Mt. Lassen. It is one of our favorite places to end the summer with a little hiking, kayaking and enjoying a good time with friends. Happy Labor Day!

Sophia Pictures

2010-09-08T21:01:00.001-07:00

Just a few pictures of Sophia. These are her two month pictures.

Getting so strong already!

Sleepy girl!

Minnesota

2010-09-08T19:42:00.001-07:00

August 12, 2010
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Yvonne, Nancy, Marv and Debbie
On August 12th, I met my parents and sister Debbie to begin a two week trip to my parents home town of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. After spending the night with my daughter and her family (ok ok yes it was Sophia's house - my precious granddaughter) I got up at 3am to catch a flight from Sacramento to meet my family at the Ontario airport. A 6am flight from Sacramento to Ontario would afford me lots of time to get my bags and check into another terminal and hook up with the folks, little did I know that was just the beginning of a very long day of delays and wild rides! Our flight from Ontario to Denver was delayed several hours making us miss our connecting flight to Fargo. We finally took off to Denver landing with an announcement that our second flight was also delayed waiting for the flight crew to arrive! Flight crew on board and then there was a mechanical problem. Problem fixed with an announcement that this flight might be diverted due to SEVER thunderstorms in Fargo. After circling around somewhere North Dakota for 45 minutes we flew low over the city of Fargo noticing that all the streets were deserted to only find out later that there was an announcement that due to the sever storm it was suggested residents stay home and stay off the streets. Not our plane, it made a noble decent into Fargo rocking back and forth between lightening strikes. With Mr. Toads wild ride finally over, we touched land in Fargo at 11:15 pm. Waiting for us was my Dad's sister Betty from Moorhead. Aunt Betty was such a welcoming site to see after that day and patiently waited for us to rent a car and locate our luggage, mine was the only one confiscated because we had the nerve to dilly dally around longer than 15 minutes to retrieve it from the luggage belt. Another hour later we were finally on our way to spend the night at Aunt Betty's home. We were welcomed with hot coffee and home made peach pie and then headed off to bed that felt like heaven!

Breakfast with Aunt Betty before taking off for a tour of Moorehead and Fargo.

Debbie and I walked from Minnesota across the Veterans Memorial Bridge into Fargo, North Dakota crossing over the Red River. Being from California where it takes you 14 hours to drive from one end of the state to the other, that was pretty impressive to us!

Next stop was the campus of North Dakota State University. My dad graduated from college from NDSU so it was exciting to walk around the campus checking out all the sites where he took classes and played sports. A quick stop at the bookstore to buy some NDSU memorabilia and off to the next stop!

Mom and Dad lived in the upstairs apartment of this house when they were first married and Dad was finishing college. Still a cute couple aren't they?

After a great day with Aunt Betty touring the towns of Moorehead and Fargo, it was time to head for our destination of Detroit Lakes. Deb and I enjoyed the 50 minute drive thru the countryside looking at all the fields and farms along the way.

Our first evening in Detroit Lakes was warm and muggy just the way I remembered it on our summer visits while growing up. We enjoyed a quiet evening and watched a beautiful sunset over Detroit Lakes from our condo at the Edgewater Park Resort.

We visited the downtown mall several times, checking out the stores and restaurants. I even caught a big fish! Ok, I just like this picture!

Downtown Detroit Lakes really has not changed much, still only about two blocks long. The town is only a mile wide from railroad tracts to lake!

Mile long beach (really isn't a mile) but a nice walk from the condo to the public beach.

We did so much site seeing and checking out places where my parents and their families lived. This house is the last house that I visited with Grandma Stella and her husband Robert Videen on our trip to DL in 1970. It looks just as good as when she lived there and the gardens were still breath taking. I remember all the terraces of flowers in her backyard and how much she loved to garden.

Deb and I were amazed by all the trains going through Detroit Lakes and the cars of coal. We didn't get a picture of the coal cars but it was amazing seeing one after another roar through town. Dad wondered if there was anything left of Montana after seeing so much coal role by!

Robert Videen's jewelry store was in this location in downtown DL.

Aunt Betty arrived to stay with us for a few days and we took off on a drive out into the country to Richwood. My Dad's grandfather once owned a farm on this land. The countryside out there was amazing with green rolling hills and fields and fields of corn.

Dad standing on the site of Grandpa's farm.

Debbie and Aunt Betty standing in a corn field near the farm site. Debbie and I were constantly in awe of generosity and kindness of the local people. We had pulled the car over to take one of our many pictures when a van pulled over to make sure we were alright and if we needed any help! We just told them we were tourists taking pictures of the cornfields!

We made another stop at the cemetery where my grandparents and many family members are buried. Although it was a somber visit, we enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and being able to pay our respects to our loved ones once again.

The next day we went out to Aunt Betty's cottage on Floyd Lake. We had visited Aunt Betty's cottage before in 1992 when we were in Detroit Lakes with most of the Deike family from Riverside. I remember how much fun we had that day out there with all the kids enjoying the lake. True to form, we had another fabulous day at the lake enjoying visiting with each other, swimming, walking and a great BBQ dinner.

Yvonne, Betty and Nancy

Nancy and Marv

Mom knitting a Christmas stocking for one of the 3 newest great grandchildren!

You have heard of the Red Hat Ladies? Well, here are the pink hats! Too bad I didn't bring mine along that was identical to Aunt Betty's!

Debbie and I went for a walk with Aunt Betty and enjoyed looking at the beautiful homes and yards that populate this lake. Aunt Betty and Debbie in front of the cottage. We had a great day with our Aunt Betty at her cottage and it was so much fun being with her and getting to know her!

The weather was ever changing, warm one day and cloudy and cool the next. We loved watching the storms roll in and enjoyed the coolness after our long hot California summer! On a rainy day we decided to tour town and visit the Becker County Museum.

One of the displays was from World War II. There was a plaque on the wall listing all the boys from Becker County that served in the war. Lots of familiar names were on that plaque including my Dad's name and several of my Uncles.

How many familiar names can you pick out under the letter D?

My cousins arrived on August 20th for a few days. Sue and Cal are from Denver and Jan is from Minneapolis. We had a great time with out cousins checking out gift shops, reminiscing about the good ol' days and going out to eat! We had dinner at the Hotel Shoreham. The Hotel Shoreham was also the place that my parents first met. They went to the Hotel Shoreham right after V day to celebrate and my Dad asked my Mom to dance and the rest is history!

The cute couple after all these years!

Dinner with the cousins.

The sisters!

This trip was all about seeing the sites, family memories, being with family and friends. These two lovely ladies grew up with my Mom and invited all of us to their summer cottage for fresh strawberry pie. Pat and Betty with Dad and Mom.

On Sunday, August 22 we all went to servies at the Congregational United Church of Christ. This church is where my Mom and Dad were married and several of us baptised.

The family in church. Marv, Yvonne, Jan, Cal, Sue, Nancy and Debbie. After church we had lunch at Floyd Lake and then headed for Itaska State Park and to the headwaters of the Mississippi.

Nancy and Debbie at the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

The Cousins. Nancy, Jan, Sue, Cal and Debbie.

Sue and Debbie looking at Lake Itaska.

Dad's Hill. My Dad always talked about the best place he lived while growing up in Detroit Lakes as a child. This hill was where his family home used to be.

Dad on his hill.

Dad had hoped to buy this property once he returned from the service but it had already been bought by the family of a boy killed in the war and dedicated it as a park for the children.

Debbie on the hill near the playground of the park. Deb and I sat one day on this hill and watched a big thunderstorm roll into the area. It really is a beautiful place and we were so glad to bring dad here to enjoy it with us and have him tell us of his childhood memories living there.

On the cousins last night in Detroit Lakes, we all went out to dinner to the Fireside, a family favorite! We had a delicious dinner and watched the sun setting over the lake.

Afterwards, we stopped by the Lodge where the cousins were staying for a night cap and gazed over the moonlit lake, it was a perfect ending to a perfect visit!

Our last day in Detroit Lakes was a beaufitul warm day. I went for a walk along the beach past the Pavillion where my parents used to go to dances. When we were kids we would swim at this beach and I remember a big log out in the water and the tallest slide I have ever seen (as a small child it looked huge!). They are no longer there but this is still a great beach for swimming and water sports.

With the lake being so calm that day and the warm weather, we couldn't resist renting a pontoon boat for our last tour of Detroit Lakes from the lake. We had a great day riding around the lake looking at all the homes and enjoyed our last day together.

Captain Marv

August 26th we headed for Fargo to catch our flight home. We met with Aunt Betty for lunch and one last goodbye. Buffalo statue near the airport.

Good bye Fargo and Detroit Lakes! We had a great vacation visiting our family and friends and the four of us being together enjoying the many stories and memories of times past. It is a trip none of us will ever forget and we were so glad to have shared it together.

Baby Tour 2010

2010-08-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

My sister Debbie and her husband Tom drove my parents to Northern California this past weekend to visit their newest great grandchildren. The first stop was San Ramon at Sean and Michelle's house to see their new daughter and my parent's great granddaughter Brooke (five weeks old). Debbie's daughter Sarah drove up from Paso with her two children to spend the weekend with everyone so it was a fun and fabulous weekend for everyone!

Lily, Marv, Claire, Yvonne, Brooke and Garrett.
Four generations. My sister Debbie, her son Sean and his new baby girl Brooke, Marv and Yvonne with Sean's daughter Claire.

Debbie and her adorable grandchildren. Garrett and Lily (Sarah's children) Debbie holding Brooke and Claire next to her (Sean's children).

Don and I drove to San Ramon and picked up my parents and drove them to Roseville to meet their other newest addition to the family, great granddaughter Sophia.

We all stayed with my daughter Emily and her husband Alain for two days and got a lot of baby time in, just holding and loving that little girl! My parents just loved holding their newest great grandbabies and visiting with their grandchildren and great grandchildren. What a great trip for them and for us too!

Here is another four generation picture with Nancy, Yvonne, Emily and Sophia (1 month old)

After spending a few days in Napa with their friends, Debbie and Tom drove up to Roseville to meet us and spend time with my family. Don and I stayed the last evening in a hotel in Rocklin with Debbie, Tom and my parents. My son Mike and his wife Jayme met us for dinner and we had a great time visiting with them at the hotel and at dinner.

Thanks to my sister and her husband Tom for providing this great opportunity for my parents to see the babies while they were still so little. It was a great family trip for all of us and a fun, fun weekend!

North Coast Camping Trip

2010-07-21T07:36:00.001-07:00

The same week in July that my family in Southern California vacationed in Newport Beach, Don and I headed for the North Coast for the annual camping trip with our friends. Walking along the deserted beaches I thought about my family in Newport and how different the two beaches are and how they both have their own special attractions!
Don and I got the best campsite, right on the beach. Loved hearing the sounds of the waves crashing on the beach each night and being able to see the ocean while cooking and eating dinner! Perfect!

The weather was great, you never know what to expect with the North Coast - fog, wind, cold - yes we got all of those but also sunny afternoons. North Coast beaches have wild crashing waves and the water is way to cold to swim in, unless you are a kid with no fear! My friend Carla and her nephew Wyatt and Molly the dog.

Grabriella and Sophia were camping with us this year, they made for a very entertaining weekend!

Besides camping, hiking, fishing and hanging out on the beach there is also golf! Yes, golf! This is an annual tradition with the guys! You can just imagine the looks on people's faces when they walk by this group!

Each night is the traditional campfire. Don, John (from Hawaii) and Jim at the campfire. We took our dog Mishka with us this year and he had a great time. Mishka loved camping and walking on the beach but was not too sure about those big waves and didn't like that much!

This year we only saw one mighty elk near our campground. There have been years past that the elk wonder into the campground each day. One year, our daughter Emily couldn't retrieve her tent when she had to leave because 3 big elk decided to take a nap next to it! Those were the days!

Sunset on the beach.

We had a great time camping with our friends and their family. Can't wait until next year!

Sophia

2010-07-12T16:59:00.001-07:00

On June 30th, our first grandchild was born. We received the phone call from our son-in-law that he and Emily were headed to the hospital. We jumped in the car and headed for Roseville arriving at 9pm on the night of the 29th. After a long, long night in the hospital, Emily delivered Sophia Luzetta at 7:10 am. Sophia is 7lbs 11 oz and 20.5 inches long.
Mommy and Daddy taking baby Sophia home from Kaiser Hospital on the evening of July 1st. The hospital was only a mile or so from their home so very convenient for the trips back and forth waiting for the "girls" to be released!

Upon arriving at home, Sophia was greeted by the family dog, Pepper. Pepper likes to lick Sophia's toes and her head when Mom and Dad are not looking!

Nap time in Sophia's crib.

Proud Mommy holding her new baby girl. Don left Emily's house the day after they got home to return to our home to take care of our dog and yard and came back the following week. I stayed at Emily's house and spent a quiet 4th of July with Sophia, Emily and Alain. I was so happy to spend one of my favorite family holidays with them. Happy 4th of July Sophia!

Each day Sophia seemed to change but even though she looks like such a big girl in this picture, she is still so tiny and cuddly! Love to hug and kiss that baby girl!

Proud grandparents. I can't believe how much I miss this baby girl already! She is such a joy and a wonderful addition to our amazing family! Welcome baby Sophia, we are so glad you are here!

Retirement

2010-06-29T08:19:00.001-07:00

After 18 years with Superior Court I retired on June 18th. I thought it would be harder to let go after supervising the family law division for so many years but it wasn't! My first week home was busy with errands and getting things done around the house and yards and just waiting for that phone call that my new grand baby was on her way - she decided it isn't time yet so we are in a holding pattern just waiting! My fabulous children sent me flowers on my last week to wish me well.
We had an office pot luck (of course) at work.

I got some great retirement presents that were for the pool and gardening and an awesome Grandma basket filled with things to keep at my house for those special visits with the baby - when she decides to make her grand entrance!

Saying goodbye to dear friends at work was the hardest part.

But then we had a little celebration on my last day after work that was just perfect. Very informal and just a few of my favorite people.

I am looking forward to spending more time with my family and friends , traveling with Don and doing all those things I never had time for. It is a new beginning and I can't wait to spend most of it being the best grandmother! Just waiting for that little baby now!

Teacher of the Year

2010-05-31T14:38:00.001-07:00

May was a busy month for our family! We drove down to Sacramento last week to see Emily receive the Frontier Elementary School Teacher of the Year Award. Our family was all there to see her receive this much deserved award for all of her dedication and hard work teaching. We all are very proud of Emily.
Brother and sister.

Very proud parents!

Emily's Baby Shower

2010-05-31T14:13:00.000-07:00

Emily's friend Sarah and her mom Vicki gave Emily a baby shower on May 26th. I drove down to Sacramento with 3 girlfriends for a great "girls" weekend. It was great to see Emily's friends and to see all the adorable presents for baby Sophia. Sarah, Emily and Megan have been friends for many years. Many of her friends from teaching were also there and our special guests, cousin Michelle and her daughter Claire. Claire was adorable and such a good guest. Michelle and Emily are both expecting baby girls with due dates on the same week in June! What cute little cousins they will be.

When Emily was a little girl, my grandmother Stella gave Emily a baby doll cradle that Stella's grandfather had made for her when she was a child. Emily's dad fixed it up and painted it and my friend made a quilt and pillow for the cradle to match the same material in Sophia's crib. It was a very special gift to hand down to another generation. Grandmother Stella and Emily when she was 2 years old. The doll cradle with the baby doll that Grandpa Don bought for Sophia and Emily when she was just 2 days old.

Emily, Nancy, Sarah and Carla. Sister-in-law Jayme painted these letters for Sophia's bedroom. We can't wait to meet you baby Sophia!

Yosemite 2010

2010-05-31T13:31:00.001-07:00

Our annual trip to Yosemite on Mother's Day weekend was another great family adventure. On the drive into the valley, we saw two bears near Curry Village. I didn't get a picture as you may know driving with Don is from point A to point B and no exceptions! Don and I met my brother Dave at the campsite and had a relaxing afternoon and then a delicious BBQ steak dinner. Mike, Jayme and Todd arrived in the early evening and we all enjoyed an evening around the campfire. The next morning, Emily and Alain arrived for the day as they had to return to Sacramento that evening.

On Friday we walked down to Curry Village for a traditional breakfast of coffee and bagels and sat outside on the patio for the best people watching! Later that morning we went for a walk along the Merced River.

This was the year for bears! All total, we saw 4 bears. One across the road from our campsite and we believe in our campsite during the night! It is amazing how quiet they are and the rangers that chase them out each night. Don woke up one night after hearing a crashing noise and saw the shadow of a ranger just outside our tent! I know we cook amazing dinners that attracts the bears but maybe next year we could get a site not so close to the trash dumpster?

My family. We are so glad that Emily and Alain could come for at least the day, it wouldn't have been the same without them. Next year, we will have a new addition to family and on our camping trip, can't wait!

My brother Dave. Dave always makes our trips that more special. It was so good to be able to spend some quality time together. It was just the three of us on Sunday and we had a great adventure checking out the valley in the pouring rain! We found a new cafe and bar where all the great climbers hang out and toured the museum and book store. Dave and and I also were on the Yosemite shopping bag hunt, they were giving them away for free every time you bought something in the store! Scored at least 4 of them! Just don't ask me why!

On Saturday, Dave took Todd, Jayme and Mike rock climbing. Uncle Dave showed them how to scale a rock wall and Jayme was so good at it she climbed it upside down!

Camping is one of our family favorites. Each year we try to outdo the last one with some special meal. Don perfected his Egg McMuffins on his new fancy grill and we also made Zaricki's kabobs. What a meal that was, so yummy! That was also a night we got a visit from a bear!

Although the weather wasn't the greatest this year, it was still a great weekend. The falls were raging with water and there were falls over the granite cliffs everywhere! It was just beautiful with the clouds and fog in the valley.

We decided to tough it out and stay through the weather on Sunday and so glad we did. We had a great time together and it was another adventure for sure!

Don and Dave braving the weather in the rain while I cooked under an umbrella!

As always, the weather is the best on the day you leave! We stopped at Curry Village for coffee and bagels before heading out of the valley. It was just amazing to see the ice forming alongside Yosemite Falls that morning. We also saw our last bear in a meadow that morning and stopped to watch some climbers mid way up El Capitain. They were just beginning to climb again after a night of rain, wind and ice. Dave said it takes them 3-4 or more days just to climb, can't even imagine how they did it in that weather!

This is the first time we saw ice on Yosemite Falls. It was really amazing, amazing that we camped in this weather!

The road home was full of fresh snow and just beautiful. We are always so sad to leave the valley and a great time with our family. Until next year!

One last stop on the way home to the amazing Bass Pro Shop in Manteca. My nephew Aaron has talked about this place before but I never imagined how much I would love it! It is beautiful and amazing and has the best camping gear I have ever seen. Almost makes me want to stock up and go again, or buy that new bass boat and head out to the lake instead!

Newport Beach

2010-02-25T18:09:00.000-08:00

Last week, we flew down to Riverside for a quick visit with family. Mom and Dad took us to Newport Beach and we had a great time visiting the old familiar sites and hanging out on the beach. The weather was beautiful and there were no crowds in February at the beach and on the boardwalk, although there was still plenty of day visitors for great people watching! We had lunch on the end of Balboa Pier at Ruby's and just enjoyed a relaxing lunch visiting with each other while gazing out onto the ocean.

Our hotel was right next to the Balboa Pier so made it easy to take leisure walks along the boardwalk or out to the pier. Just wish we had more time to stay!

Our visit was short but we got to see lots of the family and enjoyed our time with all of them. Thanks for a great visit home everyone!

Weekend with Family

2010-01-24T11:42:00.001-08:00

We took a quick weekend trip down to the bay area last week to visit with Sean, Michelle and Claire. Emily and Alain joined us and we spent the afternoon wine tasting. We had a great weekend visiting with our family and playing with Claire! Our hosts, Michelle, Claire and Sean.

After a fun weekend of wine tasting at two wineries in Livermoor, we all went out for pizza while Claire entertained us with her doll, Abby.

Clair was also a great hostess, she fed us plastic donuts and tea!

Claire and Abby's dollhouse. Thanks for a great weekend, hope to see you again soon!

Christmas Day

2009-12-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day Christmas Day. We opened presents in the morning and that evening, Mike, Jayme, Susan and Todd came over for Christmas dinner. We had a great evening, fabulous dinner, good conversations, games and just being together to celebrate the holiday. The next day the boys went to the USC vs. Boston bowl game in San Francisco. Em and I are enjoying a girls day watching sappy movies and hanging out on the couch! Perfect!

Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve in Roseville

2009-12-26T15:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve 2009 We spent Christmas with our family in Roseville this year. We stayed with Emily and Alain and had a wonderful time visiting with our family, cooking great holiday meals, playing games and watching movies. On Christmas Eve, Alain made us a traditional French Canadian meal that was delicious. The recipe was in French so he called his Mom in Canada for some helpful tips with the recipe. Alain's family Christmas Eve tradition was to make Sea Pie and serve it at midnight after all the adults had attended Mass and the kids had opened their toys. Alain did exclude the moose from the recipe, can't find that in a grocery store here in Roseville! Thanks Em and Alain for hosting a wonderful Christmas!

Mike and Jayme

2009-12-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

Mike and Jayme's new home.

On Christmas Eve day, we drove over to Rocklin to see Mike and Jayme's new home which is located just minutes from Emily and Alain's house. They both have lots of plans for decorating their new home and looking forward to moving in soon. Congratulations to you both!

San Franciso

2009-12-23T15:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Don and I went to San Francisco for the weekend with our daughter Emily and her husband Alain a few weeks ago. We had a great time seeing the sites, Christmas decorations and enjoying the city. We found this little Irish Pub near the hotel and had to stop in and try out the Guinness!Emily and Alain in Union Square. Our hotel was just a few blocks from Union Square and Chinatown. We watched the ice skaters and walked around looking at all the beautiful decorations in the store windows.

Alain, Emily and Don in Union Square

Macy's had holiday wreaths in every window, it was really beautiful and so fun to walk around downtown San Francisco.

We went to Chinatown for some shopping.

Don and Nancy near the entrance to Chinatown.

Holiday decorations.

The trolley cars were so fun. We rode the trolley on Sunday all the way down to the Wharf and Pier 39. On the way back we were given a guided tour on the trolley, that was more entertaining than the ride!

Pier 39 with a view of the City in the background. It was a very rainy weekend, but then again isn't it always in San Francisco?

Boats in the harbor decorated for Christmas.

The Golden Gate Bridge.

We had such a great weekend and thanks to Em and Alain for sharing their weekend with us. They took us to the French restaurant where Alain proposed to Em a few years ago. Very special and delicious! Loved listening to Alain ordering dinner in French for us! Visiting the City during the holidays was a great way to really get into that holiday spirit!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-29T11:21:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. It is the time to celebrate family and friends and enjoy spending time together. We enjoy the good food, company and having fun together playing games, watching movies, going for walks, and just relaxing! My brother Dave came up early with Emily and Alain so we took advantage of the beautiful weather by going for a stroll across the Sundial Bridge and taking a walk along the Sacramento River Trail. Em and Alain

Nancy and Dave

Don and Dave helping out in the kitchen. The boys cooked a delicious dinner the first night and we all went out for Chinese at one of our favorite restaurants at the airport the next evening.

Thanksgiving with our family. We had Mike and Jayme with her Mom and brother, Em and Alain, Don and I all home for the weekend. We enjoyed a great Thanksgiving dinner and spending the weekend together.

The boys and their toys. The boys always enjoy being outside especially with Don's new toy. They sat out on the patio for hours shooting at targets in the backyard.

Mike, Jayme and their dog Madi

Our friends came over for a BBQ and bonfire to celebrate Dave's birthday. We had a great time outside around the fire and visiting with friends. Happy birthday big brother!

The Michaels. Mike P. and Mike L. have been friends since grade school and our families are great friends and spend many holidays and vacations together.

Mike's dog, Madi. She loved climbing trees!

Madi sitting in a tree.

Our special guests. The kids bring their dogs home because they have just about as much fun or even more than we do! They play and play and are great buddies and so darn cute!

Madi, Pepper and Mishka.

Thanks to everyone for another memorable Thanksgiving!

Fall Fishing Trip

2009-11-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

October was a busy month for us. After logging in many hours on his new part-time job, Don went on a fishing trip for over a week with Dave and their friend Steve to the Colorado River. I helped organize a training day for for court clerks throughout the state and then flew to LA for a child support conference, riveting subject matter! We are now just getting ready for the holidays and looking forward to our family coming home for Thanksgiving.

Dave caught a bass on the Parker Strip of the Colorado River. The boys enjoyed their stay at Steve's place on the River. They all used to go to the River for Spring break while in college so brought back lots of memories.

Steve on his awesome bass boat. The view from Steve's home.

Parker Dam

We have been working on the backyard and hope to finish up one of the many projects this fall. We drove up to Shingletown this weekend and found this yard art. Not sure Mishka likes his new buddy the Coyote in his yard! It took some treats to get him to sit near it for a picture!

Girls Getaway Weekend

2009-09-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend with girlfriends at a little hidden treasure less than an hour from home in the Trinity Alps. We stayed at the Trinity Alps Resort and had a great time! It was the our 1st annual girls get away and we hope to repeat it next September because it was so much fun! It is a very rustic resort with small cabins, a lodge, store, and beautiful scenery. We had to cross this bridge for each meal that was served in the lodge.
A view from the bridge

We had two cabins and started the weekend getting to know each other better while enjoying a few snacks and cocktails on Friday evening before dinner at the lodge.

Apparently, we were having so much fun that our neighbors decided to join us!

After dinner , everyone would just hang out and enjoy playing darts, listening to music and just having a great time. Here with Jamie, Carla, me and Catt.

Brenda and Jody.

We made friends with the other guests staying at the resort. Al is from Santa Rosa and thought we were his new best friends. Jamie loaned him a bit of her hair for this picture and I think Al thought that was great!

The girls movin to the music.

We enjoyed having breakfast on the deck overlooking the river. What a fun and relaxing weekend, already looking forward to next year!

Bodega Bay and Blues on the Russian River

2009-09-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed over to the coast for a few days. We spent the day walking along the beach and watching huge waves break on the shore and enjoying the cooler weather. We spent the night in Bodega Bay and then headed inland on Sunday to the Russian River Blues Festival in Guerneville.

On Sunday we had a great time at the Blues Festival seeing the Delta Wires, Dr. John, The Neville Brothers and our favorite, Tommy Castro.

A Blues Festival always provides great entertainment in music and people watching!

The Russian River area is absolutely beautiful and surrounded by redwood forests. The festival was at Johnson Beach right on the Russian River.

Even though it rained for most of the day we still had a great time listening to the music and of course the best part of all, getting a picture with Tommy Castro!

We stayed the night in Guerneville at Dawn Ranch which reminded us of a 40's summer camp with little cabins, beautiful grounds and access to the river. On the way home we had lunch at our favorite brewery in Healdsburg and then stopped for a little wine tasting at the White Oak Winery. We had a great time on our little mini vacation!

Houseboat Weekend

2009-08-23T07:49:00.001-07:00

Houseboating on Lake Shasta
Last weekend we were invited to spend the night on our friend's houseboat on Lake Shasta. It just isn't summer without spending at least one weekend on one of the beautiful lakes just minutes from home! So we loaded up our stuff and headed out onto the lake with our friends to look for the perfect cove to moor for the night. Even though the lake was down 100 feet, yes that was 100 feet, this summer there was still plenty of water to travel way up into the McCloud River arm of the lake to find a private cove for the night. We had a great time relaxing, swimming and fishing with our friends.

Of course, when you are invited to spend a weekend in bathing suits and flip flops you better make sure your feet are presentable! The four women on the houseboat thought it was funny that we all had toe rings and polished nails. Hey, when you are sitting out in the sun with 105 degree weather, just about any thing becomes funny! Of course the cool drinks didn't hurt any!This is the ultimate relaxation! Floating and napping on the lake. What a great weekend!

Family Visit

2009-08-23T07:42:00.001-07:00

After our family reunion in Lake Tahoe, Mom and Dad came home with us for a few days. We left the cool mountains and drove up the Sacramento Valley watching the temperature rise from 85 degrees to 90, 100, 105, 110, and finally 115! Needless to say, we all wished we could still be in Tahoe! After our visit with the folks, we headed back down the valley to spend the night with the kids before taking the folks to the airport for home. We had a great visit and BBQ at Emily and Alain's house and really enjoyed the evening together. It was a perfect ending to a great vacation in Tahoe!

Family Reunion Lake Tahoe

2009-08-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

The Family

Last summer my Mom and I flew to Denver for a family wedding. It had been many, many years since I last saw my Colorado/Minnesota relatives. It was a wonderful weekend reconnecting with family and celebrating Emily's wedding! We decided wouldn't it be a great idea to have a family reunion the following summer and invite all of the relatives on my Mom's side of the family? Well, after a year of planning we did and this past July in Lake Tahoe, four generations of the family met for a fabulous weekend!

My Mom, Yvonne, and her two brothers Bob and Jack.
I spent many, many Saturdays on the phone with my sister and Mom planning the reunion. My sister and I would talk for hours, so a special thanks to our husbands for putting up with us during this process! We arrived in South Lake Tahoe and began setting up for the weekend. Good job on the banner sis! I wonder what everyone on the beach thought of our banner and if they thought we were visiting from another country. No, I think the old fashioned BBQ, cold beer and margaritas gave us away!

My grandmother Stella smuggled a piece of Christmas cactus into California when she moved from Minnesota. It was only proper then that we had pieces of that original cactus for family to smuggle back out of California!

Another special thanks to daughter-in-law Jayme (and her mother Susan) for making the fabulous name tags. Since it had been decades for some of us seeing each other, although we all looked fabulous, we may not have been as easily recognized for what part of the family we belonged to! Therefore, the color coded tags with names!

Em and Mom assembling the name tags at the condo.

And a very special thanks to my daughter Emily for the updated family tree right down to the very last baby born just days before the reunion! This was a great way to learn about the families. Thanks to the "first" cousins for providing the information along the way!

Grandpa Marv hitting the beach with his cell phone....where are you, what are you doing, come on over! Mr. Social Director and the best!

Honored Guests - Marv, Bob and Ruth relaxing on the beach. True California beach bums!

The three siblings on the porch. Every minute of planning, every detail, every headache was worth seeing these fabulous people with those huge grins on their faces all weekend long!

The girls from Oregon! My memories of my cousins were always of fun and laughter. These three provided that and much more! Kris, Judy and Barb. Love those hats girls, I know you were just getting in the mood to see Kenny!

Judy, Dave and Marilyn

The three "first" cousins together - Deb, Barb and Sue

I spent some time in the kitchen but let me tell you that was where some of the best stories were told! Nancy with Emily and Kate. I learned all about blogging and Facebook from these two but apparently it is obvious I didn't get to spend enough time on those subjects with them. My favorite part of the reunion was getting to know the "little" cousins better and spending time with them, my nieces and nephews and their children.

We had three days together beginning with the Friday night meet and greet that included authentic Californian Mexican food direct from Mamma Costco (thanks to Em and Alain) fresh salsa and guacamole (thanks Michele) and Don's secret recipe for Margaritas! Saturday was an old fashioned BBQ on the beach and Sunday a brunch at Tom and Pat's.

Family

More family..

And more....

And a little bit more....

Dave and Don at the BBQ

Of course, this family always finds time to play! Don and Mike playing Washer Toss.

Nancy and Sarah stealing a moment out on the lake in the kayaks. The water of Lake Tahoe is unbelievable and the waves were crystal clear.

More about Washer Toss. It is a great game to play on the grass but not so good in the sand! Where is Claire when you need her? She can find anything!

More games. There isn't anything better than a good game of UNO Attack late at night!

And of course there is always time for rest and refreshment! Lunch at the Lake Tahoe Brewery across the street from Lakeland Village.

It is always sad to say good-bye especially after such a warm and heartfelt weekend with family. Thanks to all for coming and making this the great event it was and for all of your contributions along the way and during that weekend. May this just be the beginning of the family spending more time together.