Paul and Susan

Our First Cruise

2012-02-05T21:15:00.001-08:00

Paul surprised me at Christmas by giving me a gift that said we were going on a cruise in January. We flew to San Francisco where our flight was delayed 9 hours so we were lucky enough to have my brother-in-law pick us up and take us out to lunch.

It was a beautiful sunny day in the 70's and sitting outside eating my lunch was like heaven.

Marshall was great about entertaining us while my sister was busy at a conference.

We ate at a place that served delicious crepes.

Thanks for rescuing us from the airport Marshall!

Debbie finished up with her conference and was able to join us for a nice walk in downtown Burlingame.

They took us to their home and Ambyr and the kids were nice enough to drop by and visit. Gracie was worn out from playing hard all day.

Ben and Alyson were home and it was great to get caught up on what was happening in their lives.

Tyler stopped by after work and joined the fun. Luke took off before I could get his picture with the family! Thank you Nielsen's for your wonderful hospitality. It was a wonderful day, full of great memories.

We flew from San Francisco to Miami where we boarded our cruise ship. They had a formal night where we got to get all dressed up.

We loved the cruise with it's food, the entertainment, our nice room with a deck, lots of activities, and very nice people.

Jamaica was windy so we had to pull into a different port. It worked out great for us because we were going to the resort you see in the above picture. So it was only 5 minutes away instead of 30 minutes away.

Here is a picture of the building where we ate our buffet lunch.

Paul gave me some pointers on how to pose with my hand on my hip.

I was getting the hand on the hip thing down okay by this point. Here is the beach were I swam in the Caribbean Sea for the first time in my life.

We had fun trying out the water slides at the resort.

My timing wasn't very good at catching Paul coming down the slide!

The resort we spent the day at. It was really nice.

The next day found us at Grand Cayman Island. Their beaches were beautiful. They were clean and the water was so blue.

We walked for hours along the beach, jumping in the water when we got too hot. It was so salty that I could float easily without moving a muscle. It's the only place I have ever been able to tread water in and stay afloat. We got our exercise by walking all the way back to the dock to get back on the boat.

Here is the wonderful group of people we enjoyed dining with every night. We had a great time on our cruise. I was sorry to have it end. Hopefully there will be more cruises in our future!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2011-08-21T16:40:00.001-07:00

My Dad's sister celebrated her 90th Birthday this month so me, my Dad, my sister, and her husband traveled to Colorado Springs to help her celebrate.

It had been about 9 years since Dad had last seen his sister Beth.

Auntie Beth's family planned a big party for her with all the family. Her grandson Jake helped her blow out the candles.

Here she is opening up her cards and gifts. I loved this bear card that she got.

Here is Beth with her children Steven, David, and Diana.

I loved the birthday tiara they had for her to wear. It's not everyday you turn 90 years old!

Here is a picture of me and Auntie Beth. I hadn't seen her since Ryan was born, so that was about 22 years ago. She is such a sweet lady and was such a gracious hostess.

This is a picture with me and my sister with Auntie Beth and all 4 of my "Wright" cousins, who all preside in Colorado.

We celebrated her birthday lunch at a beautiful restaurant in Manitou. Here is my cousin Dave with is adorable grandson Nicholas.

My sister Debbie and her husband Marshall.

My cousin Steven and his wife Carol.

Me and Dad.

The star of the show, Beth.

Carol thought of this wonderful idea of taking pictures of us holding rainbows.

This rainbow literally stayed in the sky for an hour!

I had never seen a rainbow last so long. Good catch, Diana!

Debbie getting in on the fun!

And don't forget Dad!

My cousin Dave got very creative with his picture!

Here is a beautiful baby girls quilt Beth made. She loves to quilt. We sure had a wonderful visit with all of our family in Colorado. We miss you and hope to see you sooner than the 30 years I had last seen my cousins!

A New Home for the Chickens

2011-06-27T19:55:00.001-07:00

Paul spent three full Saturdays building this nice chicken coup for our chickens. It has wheels on it so he can move it around the yard.

Here they are settling into their new home.

Our cat was not quite sure about this new contraption and the large birds.

The chickens have grown quite a bit since the last pictures I posted.

They loved their new place!

Finally, lots of room to roam!

Now we just have to wait for them to get old enough to begin laying eggs. Our adventures continue!

Introducing Baby Lucas!

2011-06-05T19:49:00.001-07:00

Lucas Parks Wheeler was born May 14th weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz. and was 20" long. He surprised us by coming a week early.

It took Soren awhile to get use to this new person in his home. Most of the time he just ignored the baby. Here is one of the rare times he sat next to the baby.

It is hard to get good pictures of newborns. First of all their eyes are usually closed and secondly, they are constantly moving. This is one of the better pictures I got of him.

I like this picture of him too with his little hand by his face.

Here he looks relaxed and laid back.

Ryan and April came over to visit. They helped out by staying with Soren when Melissa and Scott were at the hospital.

Here is a picture of Ryan's leg that he injured in a flag football game. He ended up getting a staph infection in it. It was swollen and red and hard to walk on for a few days. Soon he was back playing football and I got to watch him catch two touchdown passes.

Lucas with Uncle Ryan.

In the morning Soren would hang out on the couch with his blanket and binkies and watch a program while we tried to let his Mom and Dad sleep in.

Checking out this new baby brother.

Hanging out together.

Baby Lucas was happy as could be sleeping in his Daddy's arms.

Soren loves to play with his trains and build his track. I had fun playing trains with him each day.

Break time!

Having fun eating out with his cousins.

Scott's family and our family went out for pizza Saturday night when everyone got into town. Here is a picture of our side of the family.

Scott's side of the family.

Sunday we were all there for baby Lucas's blessing. This was taken afterwards when Soren had had enough.

Grandpa and Soren spending some time together. Paul flew into Salt Lake City Saturday and took a shuttle up to Rexburg. Than he drove home with me Monday, so it was a short stay for him.

This is the same cute outfit that Soren was blessed in except that Soren was a month old and really fit into the outfit. It was a bit big on 7 lbs, 2 week old Lucas.

Mommy and baby.

It's an exhausting time for the Mommy.

Nana trying to enjoy her last bit of time with the baby.

Time for baby to go to bed and for Grandpa and Nana to say good bye until we get to see your sweet family again.

More Additions to the Family

2011-04-24T20:14:00.001-07:00

This weekend we picked up seven baby chicks. We are planning on raising them for their eggs. We try to handle them everyday to get them use to us.

It was hard to get good pictures of them because they are running around constantly. Maybe we can get some pictures in the future that show them all. We have four different breeds: the Americana, Buff Orpington, Wyandotte, and Rhode Island Red. They are sure cute when they are chicks.

Introducing the Newest Addition to Our Family

2011-04-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Her name is Buttercup and she currently resides on our 5 acres. She is expecting a little one. Paul is becoming quite the farmer, he is in the midst of purchasing chickens to add to our list of animals. I foresee many adventures ahead. Welcome to our home, Buttercup!

February Trip to Rexburg

2011-03-13T19:43:00.001-07:00

We took a trip in February back to Rexburg to see our kids and grandkids. I just love this picture of Jett. Such a happy little guy.

Here he is in his car seat, ready to go on an outing.

April and Ryan drove with us on the trip and they enjoyed seeing family and friends.

We visited Scott at the photo lab on campus while he was working.

It is hard to believe Soren is two years old now.

We celebrated Nicole's birthday a week early. Melissa got her some sewing things to help get her started with her new sewing machine.

We had fun eating out at Winger's. Jett was entertaining himself with whatever was at hand.

He has such big, beautiful eyes.

Soren was having a fun time eating out also.

Ryan and April joined in the celebration.

Soren loved the popcorn they served while you wait for your meal.

Paul and I had the opportunity to go to Sugar City and see Paul's great aunt Reva Barnhill. It just happened to be her 99th birthday and they were throwing her a nice party. It was good to visit with everyone. Reva is an amazing woman, I'm glad we got to be with her on this special occasion.

Jett loves to jump in his jumper!

While the boys went snow mobiling, the girls and kids went to Craigo's pizza. Here is Jett teething on his first pizza crust. He definitely liked the flavor.

Jett having fun with Ryan and April.

Grandpa and Nana spending time with Jett before he headed out of town with his parents.

I have to get all the grandkid time I can grab, since I don't see these boys very often.

Nicole, Jett, and Ryan before they headed for Utah.

Soren and Grandpa sharing some time together.

Soren and Grandpa are best buddies! It was a great trip. There is nothing like spending time with family!

An Early 30 year Anniversary Present

2011-02-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

Paul surprised me with an amazing gift at Christmas. I opened my present and there were pictures of places in Nassau, Bahamas with the dates of when we would be going there. It took awhile for the reality of it to set in. But I was ready for some sunshine and he had us scheduled to leave the beginning of January. I considered this an early wedding anniversary trip since we hit 30 years in August. And a much needed rest after having just planned and gone through the rigors of April and Ryan's wedding.

Unfortunately, little did we know that Nassau was experiencing their coldest January in 60 years. Here is the view from our room at the first resort we stayed at. It would take 3 days for it finally get warm enough for us to brave going in the water and even then we froze.

We did enjoy just sitting on our deck and looking at the beautiful view for hours.

You could see this slide from the deck of our room. It looked like such fun. So that 3rd day we went down it three times, until the cold winds drove us back to wrap up in our big beach blankets.

One cloudy day we went exploring the city of Nassau. They were under British rule for years. They drive on the "wrong side of the road". Their store vendors were too pushy for us, so shopping wasn't very enjoyable.

The next couple days we stayed at a hotel near the huge Atlantis Resort. Our hotel cost was half what staying at Atlantis was, yet we got access to all their pools, beaches, water parks, and acquariums for free (which would normally cost you $120 per person each a day). Here is one of their cool water tunnels you could walk through to see the fish.

And they had some pretty big fish!

Here is the picture of the famous Atlantis resort. We see advertisements for it on TV all the time now. It's a huge resort.

This was our hottest day--a sunny 74 degrees. We hit the beach early before any of the crowds arrived. Unfortunately, their main beach got washed away and was closed while we were there.

Finally some sun and warmth! Did it feel good. The sand was very fine and soft to walk on.

Usually we had to take our own picture to get the two of us together. We are getting better at it! (Not as good as our kids though).

Paul was crazy and went down this vertical water slide called "Leap of Faith". It was practically straight down. He even did it twice! There is another ride on this side of the pyramid that we did on a double intertube. Starting at the top of the pyramid it weaves down dark tunnels until you come out at the bottom where the sharks are. Luckily you are in an enclosed glass case, but the sharks seem like they are swimming right next to you.

We had fun walking this rope bridge. Paul liked to get the bridge moving to make the walk across it more exciting.

They have a huge casino at this resort. We were amazed at the elaborate furnishings. I kept bugging Paul about getting my picture taken in this chair. It is called the "Million Dollar" chair, because that is how much it cost to make it. I figured I would never again get the chance to sit in anything so expensive for the rest of my life.

Some fascinating mythical sea creatures.

At times there are lines of people waiting to get their pictures taken in the chair and by these creatures.

Resting by a palm tree during one of our evening walks around the grounds of Atlantis. The main entertainment at night is the Casinos and the bars. We walked for our entertainment.

One evening we were walking in this little outdoor shopping area near the harbor when we heard these steel drums playing. I just had to go and watch. The guy was really talented. He let me try them out when he saw how fascinated I was with them.

I couldn't figure out how he got different notes hitting a drum. Once I looked inside the drum I could see that each indentation is a different note. He had me try to play the C major scale and the notes were not next to each other or even in the same drum. It would be a crazy instrument to learn to play.

It was fun to play around with it and so nice of the guy to let me do it.

He let me take his picture. Then he told us he wanted to dedicate a song to us and wanted us to dance right there next to him. The song was Elvis Presley's "I can't help falling in love with you". I loved it, Paul courageously endured it. It was one of my favorite evenings.

The day we were suppose to fly out to Atlanta, they got hit with an ice storm so our flight was cancelled. We were able to get on a computer and book a cheap room at the Sheraton Resort. This was the beautiful view looking off our deck. Doesn't it make you just want to jump in that water and walk underneath that waterfall? We wanted to do that so bad, but it was in the 60's and the wind was blowing and we just couldn't brave the cold water.

So my suggestion to any of you interested in the Bahamas is, don't go in January, just in case they are having their coldest weather in 60 years!

Ryan & April's Wedding Dec.18, 2010

2011-01-30T14:47:00.000-08:00

Ryan Cleaver & April Wylie were married in the Seattle Temple Dec. 28, 2010.

The happy couple just coming out of the temple.

Here was the group of family and friends at the temple.

We were so glad April's family and bridesmaid were able to join us all the way from El Paso, Texas.

Here is a picture of all of our family, including the two grandsons.

My friends Tom and Becky Harlan master minded the decorations for the reception. They did an awesome job and we got so many compliments from people on how lovely it was.

My friend Gina Ewell made and decorated all these delicious cupcakes. I like how she displayed them too.

These were the beautiful center pieces put together by Deborah Brown.

Proud parents.

It is a wonderful day for a mother when her son choses to be married in the temple.

Our family.

The part of April's family that could make it up here.

Melissa and Nicole made these cute ties for their boys.

My Dad was able to perform the sealing to marry April & Ryan.

Here is a cute family shot of Nicole, baby Jett, and Ryan.

The food was arranged so beautifully on the chocolate fountain tables.

Some more delicious food.

Me and my Dad. I was glad he was with us on this happy occasion.

This is the arch where the wedding party stood.

I love this picture of April & Ryan they had hanging up on the stage behind the arch.

A beautiful display of little sandwiches, crackers, dips, cheese, breads.....Yummy!

Instead of a wedding cake, we had cupcakes. Ryan's was the big cupcake decorated like a tuxedo and April's was decorated like a wedding dress with pearls and a veil.

The food was displayed so professionally.

Here is an overall view, showing the canopy with the chocolate fountains in the middle.

We had a chocolate fountain on each of these two tables.

Everything tastes good dipped in chocolate!

Here is their sign in table. It was a wonderful reception and I am so thankful to the many friends who helped make it possible!

Happy 21st Birthday Ryan!

2010-10-03T18:28:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe my baby is 21 years old. Our family tradition is to let our kids choose where they want to eat dinner. Ryan chose Azteca. Here he is opening his present from Nicole.

On one side of the table we had April (Ryan's fiance), Nicole, and baby Jett.

On the other side of the table were Ryan, his Dad and me (who is taking the picture).

A picture of the happy couple.

Nicole took a picture of me just to prove that I was actually there.

If it is your birthday you get to wear this Mexican hat and the waiters sing a birthday song to you and you get a free chocolate mousse dessert.

The happy birthday singers.

April knitted Ryan this cap for his birthday. She is a very talented girl.

Ryan requested Dirt Cake for his birthday, it's one of his all time favorites.

He blew the candles out before I could catch it on film!

We enjoyed having my Dad up for dinner a couple times while Nicole and Jett were here. Here is Dad with one of his many great grandchildren.

Mommy and Jett enjoying some time outside.

Good head lift Jett. His neck muscles definitely got stronger while he was here.

Mom and Jett hanging out on the couch.

Gotta love those big eyes.

Nicole proudly bought Jett this outfit.

And he does love his Mommy so much!

Practicing sitting up.

Bright eyes!

I like this laid back happy look.

You could put your own caption to this picture.

Aren't they so precious looking when they are asleep? We miss you Jett and Nicole, but we are glad that you are back with Ryan.

Nicole and Jett's Visit

2010-09-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I have blogged. Ever since Nicole and Jett arrived three weeks ago, my life has been busy, busy, busy with them.

Here are Nicole and Jett all dressed up and ready to go to church.

Nicole has so much fun dressing Jett up in his cute outfits.

Jett likes his Mommy a lot.

He is starting to learn to hold his head up a little better all the time.

I was glad we were able to get a four generation picture when my Dad came over for dinner.

Here is a happy boy sitting in his bumbo.

We sure do enjoy these peaceful moments when he is sleeping and we can get things done!

Jett and his grandpa.

All dressed up and ready to go to church. A baby sure keeps the house lively!

Wright Family Reunion 2010 San Diego

2010-08-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

It's been four years since we had our last "Wright Family Reunion". Thanks to Tyler and Melissa for making it finally happen. Here I am with my two sisters. It was mainly our families who were able to make it. Hopefully in two years my three brothers and their families will be able to join in on the fun.

Marshall arranged for us all to have dinner together the first night. It was delicious. Here are Allyson and Ben.

Seth and Rebecca

Robert and Shannen

Their children Riley and Josh

Marshall and Debbie

Katelyn with Mom Bethany

Dad Mike with Amanda

Darlene holding Baby Eli (Seth and Rebecca's baby). We are excited that Darlene is expecting her own little one in January.

Melissa, Scott, and Soren

Ryan

Paul and Nicole

Dad

Tom

Denice

The next day we went to Mission Beach and enjoyed some fun on the water.

Marshall cooked up a delicious Bar-B-Q for us.

Robert and Tyler spending time together.

Allyson and Ben.

Scott, Tyla, and Trisha.

Melissa and Soren.

Cousins Jaylie and Riley having fun.

Sisters!

That evening we had a delicious Pizza dinner headed up by Denice. She found a nice patio at the hotel that we were all able to fit into.

Raya.

Scott and Paul.

Ryan.

Allyson and Darlene.

Nicole with her baby Jett.

Trying to line up the great grandkids for a picture.

I had to take several shots to get them all.

Pretty Darlene.

Poor Scott got sunburned around his sunglasses.

Guitar time with Marshall, Scott, and Allyson.

My two grandsons side by side. Soren wasn't too happy about it.

Talent night our final evening.

Uncle Ryan and Soren,

Getting ready to say our goodbyes to Scott, Melissa, and Soren.

Nicole and Jett outside our hotel room.

Sisters with their children.

It was great to have my kids get to see their cousins and their kids and aunts and uncles and grandpa. Family Reunions are awesome!

Introducing Baby Jett!

2010-07-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

On June 28th baby Jett Ryan Wilder was born to Nicole and Ryan in Frisco, Texas.

Here he is, just hours old. His hair had some brown in it.

I went down for two weeks to help out. Once in awhile I would remember to take a picture of him with a sign showing how old he was.

We decided he looks good in blue.

It was interesting to see him change little by little as each day went by.

He has a great Mommie to take care of him.

So peaceful when he is asleep.

I loved to see his pretty eyes when they were open.

We thought this outfit was adorable on him.

Paul joined me the last week and took some great professional pictures.

Nicole found this cute little hat to take his picture in.

These were challenging pictures to take! But the end results were worth it.

Precious baby and Mommie.

What a little angel!

Spending time with his Grandpa Cleaver.

Nana had to get her special time with him. I loved the smile.

They are so tiny at this age.

Here he is with his Grandpa & Grandma Wilder.

Beautiful eyes.

Here is the little outfit he was blessed in. It was special that both sets of grandparents got to be there when he was blessed.

A proud father with his son. Thanks Nicole and Ryan for letting us stay with you and enjoy the miracle of Jett.

A Visit from Melissa & Soren

2010-06-28T11:32:00.001-07:00

We were so excited to have Melissa and Soren come stay 2 weeks with us.

Soren's Nana is very fond of him.

Playing in Nana's kitchen with the bottle tops.

Sliding down the slide with Mommy.

He's not quite sure about this swinging thing.

Puttering around in the kitchen.

Sometimes getting into a bit of mischief.

Playing at the park.

Eating his first ice cream cone.

Playing with the trucks outside.

Playing basketball with Grandpa.

Blowing bubbles with Nana.

Watching the long horn steer and the mule.

Fascinated with the animals.

Pretending the duster is a vacuum.

The joys of watermelon.

Looking at Andrea's chickens with Nadia.

Eating strawberries out of our garden.

Helping his Mommy pick strawberries.

Helping Grandpa in the yard.

Always following Molly and saying "Meow".

He loves trucks and was excited to stand on the tailgate.

Playing in Grandpa's truck.

Sitting in Grandpa's yellow lawn mower.

Checking out Grandpa's red lawn mower. Oh, these big boy toys are fun!

Eating strawberries with Nana.

Playing with his truck in the dirt and rocks.

Helping Nana weed.

Climbing over the rocks.

Loving the outdoors.

Life couldn't get any better. We love you Soren and Melissa and we will miss having you around!

Wedding Shoot in Portland

2010-06-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

We went down to Portland this weekend for our son-in-law Ryan's sisters wedding. They asked Paul to be their photographer. It was rainy, but finally gave us a little break to be able to take some nice pictures outside the Portland temple. Here is Paul visiting with the couple at the end of the shoot at the temple.

We were so excited to get to see Nicole and Ryan. They flew into Portland for the wedding from Dallas, Texas.

It was special to get to see Nicole just three weeks away from having her baby. I will go down to Dallas the end of June to be with her and the baby.

The baby, Jett, is an active little guy inside his Mommy's womb.

That evening there was a reception in Salem at the Grand Ballroom. Here Nicole is helping out Paul as he takes some outside pictures of the wedding party.

I'm so glad we had the one day to see Nicole and Ryan.

Having fun posing by something musical.

Nicole got some nice baby gifts at the reception from Ryan's relatives. I thought this onesie with a tie sewed on it, was adorable.

As we headed back home, we stopped off at Tualitan to visit my brother and his wife and their youngest daughter Amy. They feed us a wonderful lunch and made us feel so welcomed into their home. We live fairly close, but we don't make it down to Portland often to visit with them. It was great to catch up on what was happening with their lives.

Paul's Spring Photos

2010-05-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Paul enjoyed going up to Skaggit Valley and taking pictures of the tulips.

He enjoys taking nature pictures the best of all.

This is a unique tulip.

I think he has a great eye.

Taking a picture of a painter painting a picture.

Reflections of the tulips in the water.

Being artistic.

Paul has met this photographer at other places and they enjoy talking photography.

Love the colors.

He took this picture of an iris in our yard.

These bleeding heart flowers are also located in our yard.

You don't always have to go far from home to get some great photos.

Beautiful photography work Paul!

Memories of Soren

2010-05-06T19:52:00.001-07:00

When I miss Soren, I like to go back and look at pictures of him. This picture was taken in January when Melissa and Soren were able to come for a visit to our house. Here he is entertaining himself in the kitchen by emptying out my drawers. I'm so thankful for cameras that can preserves these memories. Nana loves you Soren!

We Will Miss You Guys...

2010-04-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

For the last 7 months, Paul's nephew Preston and his wife Jennifer and their kids have been living in our basement apartment. Since we are empty nesters, the sounds of a young family living downstairs was music to our ears. It reminded us of our younger days with our children. But today they left for Colorado and the house seems silent and sad.

We enjoyed when the kids would come upstairs and play for awhile. Here they are shining their flashlights at Paul while he pretends to grimace from the bright lights.

Hallie loves anything pink, especially her pink kitty that she likes to take every place with her.

Cole was into balloons, so I blew up a bunch for him. He also enjoyed the ones I would blow up and not tie and he would let it go zooming around the room. Here he is with a green balloon mustache.

But even though we said good bye to Preston and Jennifer, we had a happy hello for Brian (Preston's brother) who just got back from his mission. Life seems to be made-up of comings and goings...

Nicole's Baby Shower

2010-04-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

The same day Nicole graduated, Jenny Wilder threw her a baby shower before she left for Dallas. She liked this card of a Daddy, Mommy, and baby elephant.

Melissa made her some delicious cupcakes from scratch for the luncheon.

Melissa also made this "I am a child of God" wall hanging.

Nicole's nephew Jaxon had fun helping Nicole with her gifts.

Of course, because Ryan is such a huge Oregon Ducks fan, the baby had to have a one-sie with the colors and logo of the Ducks.

It even came wrapped in Oregon Ducks paper.

Here is a quilt Nicole got from Cindy.

Cindy, Jenny, and Laurie watching the fun from the couch.

She got some great stuff.

Everybody liked the little bear feet on this sleeper.

Jenny had a spread of delicious food. It was a wonderful baby shower. Thank you everyone for making it a special day.

Nicole's College Graduation

2010-04-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Rexburg to celebrate Nicole's graduation from college. Each graduate received one of these beautiful roses.

We appreciated Ryan's Mom, Cindy, coming from Oregon to see Nicole graduate.

It was just five years ago that Melissa graduated from BYU-I.

Taking photos between commencement and convocation.

Proud parents.

Ryan, Nicole, and baby Jett who will make his appearance the end of June.

We were able to find her in the crowd. There were about 1,500 graduates.

Posing for her Dad as she comes off the stage with her diploma.

She was one happy girl.

She looks so studious in her glasses.

We had to stand in a long line to get this photo by one of the few BYU-Idaho signs on campus.

Cute couple!

Nicole, we are so proud of all of your hard work and dedication. You are an amazing person and a wonderful daughter.

Soren's Photo Shoot

2010-03-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

When Melissa and Soren were here in January, Paul set up his studio lights and background and took some pictures. Here is Soren with his favorite toy--a ball.

It was a challenge to get him to stay still, look the right direction, and smile all at the same time. He kept crawling off the white paper.

He loves his Mommy!

Being with Mommy made it a little easier to take some good pictures of him.

Our March Road Trip to Rexburg

2010-03-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

Paul has been making a trip to Rexburg every two weeks to go snowmobiling. I only go once a month with him. It is great to see my family. Here is Soren in his doggie sweater.

He found something on the floor he decided to put in his mouth. Probably dog food. He is always finding something new and interesting to put in his mouth.

He is having a blast walking all around the house now. Here he is checking out the washer and dryer.

Having a good laugh with Mom.

We had to take some pictures of Nicole, now that she is finally starting to show. Here is the forward view...

and the side shot.

A mother and son moment.

Here Soren is with is buddy, Grandpa!

My three wonderful children! I love you guys!

Nicole gave Soren this rubber type ball. At first he was afraid of it.

Then he thought it was great fun and it entertained him for a long time. It was great to see all of you. Next time I will see you will be in April for Nicole's graduation! Go Nicole!

22 Years Ago Today...

2010-02-25T09:14:00.000-08:00

...a wonderful baby girl named Nicole Renae Cleaver was born to us.

We took this picture of her next to Melissa's doll when we brought her home from the hospital.

Then we took a picture of her next to her 4 year old sister Melissa. Children grow a lot in four years.

This was the dress we had her blessed in.

19 months later, little brother Ryan came on the scene and most of the time Nicole was loving and nurturing to him. She use to like to drink her bottle and stroke his head.

Nicole liked to be a big girl like Mommy and put on a little make up in the morning.

Nicole was a good little helper. Here she is helping me do laundry.

She was full of energy and joy!

Here is a glamor shot of her wearing sunglasses.

Oops! A little too small to be taking a bath in.

Nicole loved cats. She hauled this little cat "Midnight" all over the house with her.

Nicole tried Ryan out as a rocking horse. It didn't quite work.

She took such delight in the simplest things.

Dressed up as a fairy for Halloween. She loved the pink boots.

Her first day of school. It's hard to believe she will be graduating from college in two months!

Having fun playing T-Ball.

In 6th and 7th grade she gave soccer a try.

A picture before she goes to a ninth grade dance.

Showing off her muscles at the Grand Canyon.

We have years of pictures and wonderful memories of Nicole and these are just a few. We are so thankful she was sent to her home. We love you Nicole and we are glad we will have you with us forever.

Melissa and Soren's Visit

2010-02-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

In January Paul and I made a trip to Rexburg to visit the kids and for Paul to go snowmobiling with "the guys". Melissa and Soren decided to come home with us for a week and a half. This picture was taken at an amazing travel center as we headed home. This bear gave Soren some nice entertainment.

Soren, Paul, and Melissa as we take a break from the road.

Once we got home, Soren kept himself busy pulling the CD's out of the holder and dropping them on the floor. He looks cute in these overalls.

Paul watched Soren so that Melissa and I could go to a Chocolate High Tea at the Port Gamble Tea Room. Yummy!

While Melissa was shopping, Soren had fun exploring the store.

My Dad was able to come up and visit Soren and Melissa. I'm glad they got some time together.

Me trying to entertain Soren by putting diapers on our heads like hats.

I love this cheesy grin.

Grandpa was definitely his pal.

He really showed off coasting around on this centerpiece we have in our family room. You can tell he is pretty pleased with himself.

A happy boy!

Soren was really good about not chasing the cat. Soren would just hold out his hand to the cat. I think he expected the cat to lick his hand like his dog Leo does.

We discovered that Soren loves balls. Small balls...

...and big balls. He would lift the ball behind his head and drop it.

Who can help but love a face like that. We love you Soren and miss having you and your mommy around.

Proud of Ryan Wilder

2010-02-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

Nicole's husband Ryan works really hard every summer selling pest control. It is a tough job and hard to be successful at. He received three awards from his company in January for his outstanding work.

This one was for the best extended season sales representative.

This one was for being one on the top ten selling sales representatives for 2009.

It is incredible to me that he sold 1,006 accounts in 3 summers of work. You are an amazing worker Ryan and know how to relentlessly go after your goals. You definitely have a talent for selling. We are proud of you!

Girl's Day Out In Idaho Falls

2010-02-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

I have started a tradition with my girls of taking them to a tea room when they come home to visit or if i go visit them. We discovered this place in Idaho Falls. Here is Melissa looking very mysterious with her fan and hat.

The owner helped us dress up in hats, shawls ,and gloves. Then she took pictures of us posing in various areas of the 100 year old home.

Here we are sitting at the table for our lunch and tea. She taught us proper etiquette and gave us a lot of historical information.

This was a striking hat on Nicole.

Me, getting in on the fun.

The owner had a peacock motif throughout the house. For those of your who remember, we had a peacock adopt our family for two years and live in our yard. I took this in memory of him--Sir Robert.

Here we are after our lunch standing outside the house. We will have to go back in the spring and see her beautiful flowers. We thought since the boys were having fun snowmobiling, we could have fun doing our girl stuff!

Cleaver Christmas Party 2009

2009-12-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

The Monday before Christmas we had a Cleaver Christmas dinner and party at our house.

It was wall to wall people. 54 to be exact.

Santa made his appearance with gifts for all the children under 10 years old.

Some were happy to sit on Santa's lap and some were not.

We were glad to have Tiffany and Grayson with us. Tiffany was past her due date with having her baby, but was brave enough to come to our gathering.

Here are some of the Piecuch guys hanging out on the couch.

Brother and sister managed to coordinate their colors.

We were so glad Nicole and Ryan could join us for a few days, even though they couldn't be with us for Christmas.

Hallie is my best friend. Her and her family live downstairs in our basement apartment.

Here is Hallie and her Dad Preston.

What a crowd!

There was barely room to walk around at times.

Valista and Wilma hanging out.

I like this couple shot of Chad and Laura.

Jill with her granddaughter.

Jill with three of her grandkids.

Suzanne enjoyed holding baby Shawn all evening.

Brody with his Mom Stephanie.

Besides lots of great food to eat, those 10 years old and above enjoy doing white elephant gifts. Ryan ended up with a DVD.

Ron got a cookbook.

Ryan got a DVD he liked.

Tanner got all sorts of goodies.

Justin got a variety of magnets.

Jarin got a candle.

Trevor got a toy.

Our friend Rory got a candle.

Lauren got a reubix (?) cube.

Bethany got a bag of peanuts.

Andrea got some yummy chocolates!

Jimmy got some ornaments.

Preston got a DVD. His son Cole is sitting on his lap.

Jennifer got a vase.

Rick got a DVD and some books.

Jill got a pretty thing to hang up. (Sorry for taking the picture with your eyes closed!)

Suzanne got a Taco holder.

Reona got some perfume.

Ron got the perfume squirter.

Pat got some lovely earrings.

Tiffany got a plaque.

Grayson got a "love" cup.

Laura got some ornaments.

Rachelle got some nerds.

Chad got bubbles and play dough.

Valista got some homemade CD's.

Lisa got an empty locker.

Our friend Wilma got a photo album.

Nicole got a healthy drink.

Stephanie also got a vase.

Emilee got a glass.

Dave got the matching glass.

Penny got some peanuts.

Logan got some delicious candy.

I think everyone had a good time at our celebration!

Paul and I

2009-11-27T18:04:00.001-08:00

Paul and I got one good picture of us at Rexburg when we were visiting the kids. We sure enjoy our time with them. I just wish we lived a little closer....

Melissa, Scott, & baby Soren

2009-11-20T09:35:00.001-08:00

Here are the pictures Paul took of Melissa, Scott, and Soren when we were in Rexburg the end of September.

Soren is such a happy little guy.

He loves his Daddy.

Soren has such a variety of expressions, this one cracks me up.

He is blessed to have a mommy and daddy that love him so much and take such good care of him.

This is probably my favorite picture of the three of them. (Although it's hard to choose, I also really like the one above.)

Melissa has always loved willow trees, so I like having the willow tree in the background in this picture.

We love you guys and look forward to seeing you again!

Pictures of Nicole and Ryan

2009-11-13T10:40:00.000-08:00

When Paul and I were in Rexburg the end of September, we thought we would take some pictures of the kids.

Scott had to work late so we started out taking pictures of Nicole and Ryan.

These pictures are taken on BYU-Idaho campus in a beautiful garden area they have.

We were rushed because the sunlight was quickly going down, but I think Paul got some nice pictures.

What a good looking couple.

Very romantic!

I like the variety of poses we have of them.

We love you Ryan and Nicole!

Halloween at Our House

2009-11-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

No, these aren't scary Halloween costumes. This is what Paul and Ryan looked like after spending Halloween day spray painting our living room, dining room, entry, downstairs hallway, and the upstairs hallway. It was a major project with days of preparation. The color they painted it was a light tan color and it looks very nice. I told them just to head out the door as they were and go Trick-or-treating. Maybe they should carry a paintbrush just to clarify what they are dressed up as...

Second Beach Photography

2009-10-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures Paul took this summer at Second Beach in Washington. For those of you Twilight fan's, this is next to First Beach where Bella goes and it's not very far to the Quinault Indian reservation.

Our Trip Part 4: The Marathon

2009-10-22T08:23:00.001-07:00

The whole reason we took this trip, was to support Nicole as she ran her first full Marathon in St. George, Utah. A full marathon is 26.2 miles and believe me, that .2 is a LONG distance at the end of such a race. Here she is, front and center, at the 23 mile mark where her Dad was waiting for her.

Around mile 20 she said she started having a hard time, but she knew her Dad was waiting for her at mile 23 and that is what kept her going.

Paul couldn't believe she could be smiling after running 23 miles.

Then he was amazed that she stopped and chatted and gave him some funny poses. She still had her sense of humor. Paul said, "You have way too much energy for having run 23 miles" after he looked at everyone around her painfully struggling along.

Baby Soren and I were camped out about 1/2 mile from the finish. I took this picture of her as she ran by. She said that seeing us gave her a lift to push on to the finish.

This is what the finish line looks like. Melissa got Nicole's finish on video. Nicole was sprinting all the way down the home stretch. Her goal was to finish in 4 hours 30 minutes. She finished in 3 hours and 59 minutes. Way to go Nicole!

She was proud of her medallion, as well she should be! (It's a shoe print on the medallion and says St George Marathon 2009). She wore it all day and the next day too. I think she should wear it all year!

Here she is with her two friends Ashley and Ashley that she ran the marathon with.

Ryan was very proud of his wife.

Melissa was so excited and happy for Nicole.

A proud Father with his daughter.

Here is Nicole with all the Wilder side of the family that came to support her and cousin Ashley.

Here is Nicole with her parents and sister. It was definitely worth the trip to be part of this event with Nicole. She told me "I can't play the piano and I can't sing, but I can run!" Running is definitely a talent and she has many others that she just doesn't recognize as talents and many hidden ones that she has yet to discover throughout her life. We love you Nicole. Way to go!

Our Trip Part 3: Paul's Photo Trips

2009-10-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

Paul went with my brother-in-law Tom to take pictures at Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.

This is part of Antelope Canyon.

This is a rock formation through the Slot Canyon that if you position yourself right, you can see the shape of a heart.

This is the wolf rock formation.

This is a picture of Horseshoe Bend.

Here is a picture of Tom at work.

Some other photographers at work.

This is Zion's Canyon.

Paul's hike took him up the river and through the narrows.

It was a wet hike and sections were waist deep.

This is the Watchman Tower and the Virgin River.

Paul's adventures.

Our Trip Part 2: St. George

2009-10-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

Paul and I drove Melissa and Soren down to St. George to watch Nicole's marathon. We stayed in a nice condo. Here is a content looking Soren.

We stopped off to visit Scott's Grandparents and Aunt who lived in St George. They gave us all a warm welcome.

Happy baby. Happy mommy.

Paul liked this picture of Melissa and Soren.

I liked this one.

Our Trip, Part 1 Rexburg

2009-10-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

September 24th we took off for Rexburg to visit family. Ryan and Nicole were gracious enough to put us up in their apartment. Thanks!

Nicole loves her nephew Soren and has fun with him.

We took Melissa's picture next to an advertisement that features her when she was a student. Cool, huh?

Here is my cutie grandson.

Whoops! I forgot to wipe his face completely clean after feeding him lunch. But what a smile!

Here is Soren in his adorable Sunday Summer baby blue pinned stripped outfit.

Soren loves his Mommy!

Ryan was nice and hung out with all of us women and the baby.

Grandpa finally got back from taking pictures in Yellowstone and the Tetons. He quickly made friends with Soren.

I think this picture is sweet.

Soren is teething and so anything and everything goes into his mouth!

I tried to help Melissa out by cooking and cleaning the kitchen.

Soren and Auntie Nicole.

Scott, Melissa, and Nicole were trying to read a paper on the refrigerator in the kitchen to see who had the best eyesight.

Nicole's glasses look great on her.

Nana and Soren.

He is growing up so fast!

Ryan's 20th Birthday

2009-10-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Ryan's birthday a day early since we were taking off for Rexburg on his birthday. No, this isn't his birthday present, but we had fun pretending it was. This picture was taken outside the chinese place were we had his birthday dinner.

20 candles ended up covering his "Dirt Cake" from end to end.

He couldn't blow it out all in one breath! Not as easy as when you were 5 or 6. (Time flies, it just seems like yesterday he was 5 and 6).

There, he did it. We love you Ryan. You are the best son ever!

Family Visitors

2009-09-20T19:59:00.001-07:00

At the end of August my brother John, his wife Carol, and her mother Margaret, came to visit my Dad. One day they came up to Poulsbo and my brother treated us all to dinner at J.J.'s Fishhouse. He loves sea food. It was delicious, thanks John. Then they came over to our house and showed us their pictures from their Italy trip this last summer and we showed them ours from 2007. It is always great to see family. I'm lucky if I get to see my siblings once a year, we are all so spread out. Paul was taking this picture, but he was there for the dinner also. Our home is always open to any of the family that wants to come to Washington for a visit! We always love to see you!

In Memory of My Mom... Louise Fuqua Wright

2009-09-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

It was one year ago today that my Mom died. No one can ever fill the empty space left in my heart.

A picture of baby Louise with her Mother.

A grown up Louise with her Mom.

Louise at nursing school in Colorado Springs.

As a bride on her wedding day.

I love her smile in this picture. Her Mom is next to her.

We moved to Washington from California and this is a picture of me and my brother with her after church one Sunday. My other 4 siblings were gone from home by then.

I was going to school at BYU and Mom came up for General Conference, so we got some time together.

Our wedding day with our wonderful parents.

Mom with baby Melissa July 1983. She was always there to help her daughters with their newborn babies.

Mom with Nicole February 1988.

Mom loved working at the temple for over 20 years. This is a picture of her at her desk when Dad was in the Temple Presidency.

Mom definitely had a sense of humor.

I think my kids loved their grandma a lot.

We would celebrate Mother's Day together.

When my sister's family was up we went to the Nutcracker in Seattle. She appreciated the arts.

Mom coming out of the Seattle temple in time to tell us Melissa and Scott were coming and to get ready with those cameras.

Melissa with her Grandparents.

I will miss you Mom. I am so glad you are not suffering anymore. I can't wait to see your smile again. I love you.

Our 28th Anniversary

2009-08-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

Paul surprised me by taking me to Coeur d'lane, Idaho for our 28th anniversary. Here is a picture of the beautiful resort and marina that is on the water there. We didn't stay here, but we took a little walk through it.

They had a beautiful public beach for people to enjoy.

The shops downtown were fun to visit.

We decided to take an hour boat tour around part of the lake. Here I am on the lower deck getting sprayed once in awhile by some big waves.

You could sit up on the top deck outside and take in the view from there also.

Here is a picture of the boat we took. It was a beautiful day.

We took a walk around the marina at sunset.

The sunset had some beautiful colors in it.

Here is a good looking guy I picked up on at the dock.

That night we went to the "Hot Rod Cafe" where Paul says they have great ice cream desserts.

We are still learning how to take pictures of ourselves by holding out the camera (our kids are much better at this then us.) This dessert had a warm chocolate chip cookie on the bottom with fudge and ice cream and cool whip on top.

As if that wasn't enough, the next morning we went to a European breakfast place and had these Swedish strawberry crepes and...

blueberry Danish Aebelskivers that are ball-like pancakes. Yummy.

It was a very memorable anniversary trip. Thanks Paul for being so thoughtful.

How does your garden grow...?

2009-08-21T15:21:00.001-07:00

Paul helped me put in our vegetable garden this year and it has done very well. He takes care of the corn (just like his father) and enjoys playing in it as well. We just ate our first ears of corn for dinner last night. Um-um-good!

Molly, our cat, enjoying the corn patch too.

Here is an example of my zuchinni. I only have 2 plants, but they produce plenty of zuchinni for us (actually me, since I am the only one that eats them in the family). I like to pick them when they are small and tender like this.

I finally got cucumbers this year, after a dismal failure last year. Yeah! I pick them when they are small too.

My spaghetti squash always grows like crazy. I can't seem to do anything wrong with them. (Thank goodness.) We are still eating spaghetti squash from last year!

My carrots were HUGE by July. We have found that the longer we leave them in the ground, the sweeter they get.

I actually had success with green peppers. I was just kind of ignoring them and then happened to look under their leaves and was surprised to see some huge green peppers and many more beginning to grow. Unfortunately, after this picture was taken, the deer ate the tops off the plants, so this will be all I will probably get, but it is enough for us. (The guys prefer the red peppers. I will have to try my luck with them next year.).

Molly loves to keep us company outside in the garden.

My healthy size Walla Walla sweet onions!

My peas are just finishing up, so I am planting a fall crop. Ryan actually ate them raw out of the pod this year, so I wasn't the only one eating them.

My cherry tomatoes have ripened up since this picture. I have red cherry tomatoes, orange cherry tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, and roma tomatoes. It has been a good year for the garden. Robert Willard, I wish you were here to cook up all the veggies like you did for us last year. You are such a great chef. I wish I could work magic with these vegetables the way you can. Come visit my garden any time!

A Visit from Denice

2009-08-13T09:48:00.001-07:00

My sister Denice came up from Phoenix to visit my Dad for a week. On Monday we had them up to our house for dinner. Then we took these pictures outside. We finished off the evening with a lively game of Mexican Train, which was dominated by Denice winning the most rounds.

Dad & Denice.

The whole group of us.

I had to get my Daddy-Daughter picture too.

Sisters, sisters...

On Tuesday we spent the day in Silverdale. We had lunch at Famous Bob's Bar B Q. Everyone liked their food. And of course we had to get our picture taken with the bear.

Then we went to the park on Tracyton Blvd. that has this lovely garden.

Denice did a better job taking a picture of us than I did of them. Sorry about that Denice.

Tuesday we went to Port Gamble for High Tea at their lovely Tea House. Dad was happy with the scones, chocolate fruit fondue, hot chocolate and their chocolate truffle. Denice and I had some lovely herbal teas and enjoyed their sandwiches too. We boxed up the delicious left overs to continue to enjoy for awhile.

This is a picture of the home that I use to visiting teach at in the early 1990's. They have perserved a lot of the beautiful buildings from this milling town founded in the 1850's. The lumber was shipped to San Francisco from here.

Thanks for coming up Denice, we enjoyed your company. Come back anytime!

Vote for your favorite lighthouse picture

2009-08-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Paul and I went on a date to Port Townsend and had fun looking at the shops and eating at the Nifty Fifty's diner. We shared a salmon sandwich and a carmel fudge sundae. Then we headed out to Fort Warden so Paul could take some pictures of the light house at sunset. He wants to get other people's input as to which of these pictures they like the best. He would like to enlarge one and put it on our wall. So please help him out by leaving a comment on which one is your favorite. Thanks!

What we do at our house...

2009-07-31T09:19:00.000-07:00

This is what we do at our house...play paintball in our big field outback. My niece's husband Pat, bought these huge inflatable air bunkers for the guys to use. It took him all afternoon to blow them up with a leaf blower.

To give you an idea of the size of them, here is Ryan positioning himself behind one of the smaller ones.

And here is Paul behind one of the bigger ones.

Pat is ready to take on the other team.

Paul, by the middle of the big X and closing in on the other team.

Team one: Blaine, his friend Shawn, and Ryan.

Team Two: Nathan, Paul, and Pat.

Paul showing the agony of defeat.

Paul showing the joy of victory.

Ryan laying low waiting for the right moment to shoot.

Pat is ready for action.

Ryan is looking good in his outfit.

Ryan getting in on the action.

Ryan sneaking up on the enemy.

The aftermath of all this fun is welts all over your body. The joys of playing paintball! They can hardly wait to do it again. So come join us at our house and have a shooting good time.

4th of July

2009-07-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

We mainly had the "Cleaver Clan" over for the 4th of July at our house, but it was nice that my brother Bill could make it and my Dad. I think the total count of people was 60.

Here is Ryan with his Uncle Bill and his Grandpa Wright.

The Mom's visiting and taking a break from watching the kids.

I liked these flag shirts that Dave and his son (and actually their whole family) were wearing.

Pickle ball anyone? The pickle ball court was well used, mainly by the adults.

Andrea's cute baby Malek was happy with the gathering.

Jill and Telly helping to clean up my kitchen after 60 bodies had been through getting their food.

Penny and Dave with their cute baby girl.

I liked this picture.

Valista with her daughter Annalese and Reona on our deck watching the men and boys play paint ball below in our field. I mainly ended up with pictures of women and children because I was so busy preparing the food, supervising the food, and cleaning up the food, that by the time I got to take pictures all the men and boys and other spectators were down in our field playing paint ball. Oh well, hopefully some of the other relatives got some pictures and maybe they will post them.

Time Does Not Stand Still

2009-07-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

It was just yesterday that Ryan and his friends James and Spencer were in elementary school together. They would come to Ryan's birthday parties every September and we always played games outside. But now they are going to college and working full-time during the summers and they are all grown up. Where did time go?
I am proud of the great individuals these guys are and it is so nice to have some young people back around our home, it helps to not feel so lonely. Best wishes to this generation their success in life.

Men at Work

2009-06-25T20:56:00.001-07:00

I thought how funny it was the other day the contrast of what Paul looks like when he comes home from work compared to Ryan. Paul has a nice desk job and comes home clean and carrying his backpack with his computer and papers.
Ryan, on the other hand, is covered in dirt and tar since he is working for an asphalt company. Paul has had to pay the price of coming home covered in mud and dirt for years when he worked construction the majority of our marriage. So he knows what it is like and appreciates his desk job. So now you know what my men look like when they come home to eat my dinner.

On the Road Again

2009-06-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

We couldn't resist the opportunity to drive to Rexburg, Idaho and keep Melissa & Soren company while Scott was in Utah on a field trip with his photography class. I love how Soren looks in this hat.

Here are the proud grandparents of this little boy who loves to suck on his fingers.

Here he is with his favorite person--Mommy.

Melissa was nice enough to let me feed Soren his bottle and have some cuddle time.

We all took a drive to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and had fun visiting the shops and galleries. The animals actually shed these antler. They had an arch of these at each of the four corners leading into the park which is located in the middle of town.

Soren wasn't too sure about this buffalo.

We love his smile and bright blue eyes.

We had to get a picture of him with Grandpa wearing his "I love my Grandpa" bib.

He likes to practice his standing and sitting.

Here he is all decked out in his swimsuit.

His first time swimming in a pool. Lucky he has Mom for security.

He loved the pool and never cried, even when he would get splashed in the face from the other kids playing in the pool.

I love it when we can get a picture of him looking at us with those big blue eyes and no hands or binky in his mouth.

A happy boy in his jumper. Bye Soren. Nana and Grandpa love you and your Mom and Dad.

Memories

2009-06-01T09:20:00.003-07:00

Ryan came home this week and it is nice to have one of my kids back home. I miss having my kids around. I thought I would take a stroll down memory lane and print some pictures of the kids. Here is the famous Halloween costume shot.

We took this picture at Easter with the beautiful flowers in the back ground.

They definitely knew how to have fun and be silly!

Whenever it snowed at our house it was such an exciting time. The kids would play outside in the snow for as long as they could. We had a great hill to sled down, it was just the walking back up that was a killer.

Posing for Dad on the park bench in Ellensberg.

We were out camping and hiking when they did this pose of "Hear no evil, say no evil, see no evil". I can't remember who came up with that idea.

This picture was taken on vacation in San Diego, California. Melissa was a senior in high school and we knew our time as a family would be changing.

Luckily Melissa would come home summers during college and we were able to camp out on the beach for some last vacations together. I'm glad I have these great memories and pictures to make me smile when I am all alone at home.

One Year Anniversary for Molly

2009-05-24T19:08:00.001-07:00

We adopted our cat Molly one year ago this month. Molly was Paul's Mom's cat and she was so worried about what would happen to Molly when she died. We told his Mom not to worry about her, that we would work something out. Paul's Mom died and then our cat Shanana died a few days later and so we adopted Molly.
She has been a good cat. She loves the outdoors when we have good weather, but definitely hibernates indoors all winter. She loves to hunt mice, rats, and rabbits (unfortunately). She will sleep in a little box with a blanket in Paul's workshop if he leaves the door open.
Here she is coming indoors from the back balcony. We only let her out during daylight hours.
She is a well behaved cat. She is the first cat we could let wander the house at night. The other cats we've owned we had to confine to the laundry room because they would wake us up by meowing or attacking our feet while we slept. Most nights Molly will sleep at the foot of our bed and leaves our feet alone, or quietly goes off somewhere else in the house.
This is her at the top of the stairs. When you go upstairs she will race by you to get to the top first and then she will throw herself down in front of you so you will pet her. Silly Molly. Happy Anniversary, we are glad we have you.

Surprise!

2009-05-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day I really enjoyed the special things my daughters did for me and a phone call from Ryan, but what really surprised me was to get this in the mail. It was a box of chocolate covered strawberries sent to me by my brother Ron and his wife Donna. I talked to him and said you aren't suppose to do anything for ME on Mother's Day. But he said they just wanted me to feel loved. They know that depression is my daily companion and that just getting through a minute, an hour, a day is hard. Needless to say, I felt very loved and special.
They were so delicious. There were dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. Doesn't it just make your mouth water! I even shared them with Paul and he got as much delight out of them as I did. Thank you Ron and Donna for such a pleasant surprise. It is nice to be loved by family.