Ready for Fun

Colin is ready for a fun day at the beach ...












"Do it again, Grandpa!!!" Colin loved jumping off the edge.

Hangin' Out at the Beach

Sandy toes : )


Shore is fun with Matt ...


Let's bury Dad on his birthday!


I can't remember a nicer day at the beach ... the colors all around us were intensified. It was warm, relaxing, and fun to just "play." So much to do and enJOY!

24-Year Tradition Switch

After nearly 24-years we broke from our annual tradition ... Wi-Ne-Ma Family Bible Conference over Labor Day weekend ... and rented a house in Lincoln City to celebrate Brian's 30th birthday. {Can't believe it ... 30!!}
It was a fabulous weekend of fun and family ... outstanding weather, great beach days, amazing view from every window in the home ... we couldn't have put together a more awesome weekend!
It was perfect timing ... it gave us some family time before saying "goodbye" to Tim and Rae as they head off to the Bay area for 8 weeks the following day.

This was our first experience in spending time in the Road's End area of Lincoln City and has now become our favorite beach spot. It is rather quaint and far enough away from the business district to truly enjoy the beach atmosphere.

Joy on the Journey???

I guess I need to share all the joy on journey even when it doesn't seem all that joyful.

This is the scene of the "joy-stealer" .....

I was helping Walt from the upper level of the front deck one Friday evening. While trying to assist him I stepped on a loose board and was catapulted into the nearby shrub, fell to the river rock below with my head hitting a railroad tie. Ouch ... the bush removed skin from my ribcage, my elbow was split and I was black and blue here and there.

I've decided to hang up my toolbelt and resign my position as construction assistant on any future remodeling. I think I'd be much safer in the house scrapbooking!!!

But look at the finished product ... what an amazing transformation from our old deck. Walt did a fabulous job even though it was built with a little "blood, sweat, and tears."

Speaking of Jewels

Only two short days before returning to work several of my co-workers got together on a rainy day in August and spent many hours at Nancy's fashioning jewelry, enjoying lunch together, and catching up on our summer stories. With a couple of months off work I was missing the fellowship of those I spend so much time with during the school year.

And an added benefit ... I have several new gems in my jewelry box : )

Birthday Surprise

Looks like I've just returned from an all day shopping spree at a scrapbooking convention ... but no ... everything in this picture is from my Bible Study Birthday celebration. Yes, there's even a new Barbie in there : ) It's amazing -- there were absolutely no duplicates and each item reflected part of my life or an interest. I have already completed several layouts using these fun new "toys." Seems like I've been in a scrapbooking rut and these new papers and embellishments have added new interest and detail to my pages. Yoohoo ... I'm almost starting my 2005 album -- just a tad bit behind ... but plugging along!
Thanks ladies ... you are truly jewels in my life!

Shaping Up

After a summer of one project after another it was time to enjoy the fruit of our labor ... time to have a BBQ and enjoy the view from our new deck.
Since Rae & I share the same birthday in July we decided to celebrate right in our own backyard ... complete with roasting marshmallows.

Yum! We always enjoy any celebration/occasion to spend time with the family!

Two New Digital Layouts

So ... after returning from Wallowa ... cleaning, folding, storing all the camping gear and laundry ... it was time to do something creative. In the past month I have been trying to learn digital scrapbooking using Photoshop. I used templates on the last two digital layouts but this time I wanted to create something on my own.

With all the great freebies I've found online and two "darling" subjects to work with I spent a couple of days creating layouts from our trip. I'm a hands-on, visual learner so I jumped right in to give it a try. I do have resources in case I get stuck -- Walt, a reference guide, and great online tutorials.

It was fun and very stretching(!) but I think the next step is to find out how others organize their files and downloads. I'm sure there are shortcuts and tips that would speed up the time necessary to complete a layout.
I know having something larger than my 12-inch iBook would definitely be a timesaver.

Another Wallowa Tradition

Twenty-seven years ago Walt captured a picture of Brian and I down by the Marina. Brian was pointing to something and I was trying to see what he was showing me. He was nearly three years old. In a few weeks he will turn THIRTY!!!!
So .... now we carry on this tradition with Colin.
Did I mention earlier ... we are a very traditional family !?!?!?! : )

Why We Vacation Here ...

It's always so hard to say "goodbye" ... especially when you've experienced such a great week. Despite several "setbacks" ... colds, fever, pinkeye, keys locked in the car/locksmith, lost and then found cellphone, back/chest pains --> emergency room visit, thunderstorm ... all will one day become great campfire stories that pass down from generation-to-generation.
This year included much joy and laughter ... plus ... an engagement (Jeremiah & Melissa) -- which is not a Wallowa first for our group. Steve and Mindy in 2000 -- and Doug is engaged to marry a local girl (he met last summer while at Wallowa) in October. Wallowa is such a big part of our family and our relationships with friends ... roots of tradition run deep.
That's why I must share this exceptional photo taken by Chris early one morning.

This will definitely be one of those campfire stories shared for generations ... it kind of captured the theme of our week: JOY and LAUGHTER.




P.S. Yes, that's a bikini top on the "rack." : ) Maybe there's a beach towel to match on another clothesline?!?!?!

These Boots ...

Paula saved up all year to buy a pair of boots at the Sports Corrall.
We all shared in her joy : )

Hhhmmmmm ... I think earlier in the week I noticed her checkin' out my new "Country Kicks" Barbie!!!

Our Little Star

Calleigh really enjoyed camping ... she seemed much more content living outdoors : )

I wonder if she will be the "outdoors-y" type as she gets older?!?!?

Camp Chores

This year we had another set of hands to help with the camp chores. Colin also liked to sweep out the tent and help with recycling.

The Rodeo Review

Both Colin and Calleigh were decked out for the Wednesday Night Family Rodeo. We found this little cowgirl outfit at the Sports Corral and Aunt Sissa gave her the boots.

Colin got a new hat AND a pony ride.

We started the evening at Ember's Brew House for dinner ...


And then off to the rodeo ...

Wallowa Treats

We definitely have Wallowa treat traditions. In the early years we would enjoy marshmallows and s'mores with the kids ... but as soon as they went to bed ... out came the gourmet treats : )
I think we have tried every campfire delicacy ... hot dogs (plain, stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon), a baked potato with all the toppings imaginable, every form of dessert ... s'mores using (frosting, snickers and other candy bars), pineapple upside-down-cake, baked apples -- just to name a few. As we've aged, we just can't seem to eat that much late at night anymore. Now our top treat / lunch(!) is an occasional ice cream cone from Joe's or the Swiss Village. My favorite is Mt. Huckleberry. Sure tastes good on a hot day.

Seems like we always celebrate a couple of birthdays while camping. Neil's on Sunday and mine on Tuesday. We enjoyed our new "camping cake" idea ... cupcakes, ding-dongs, and twinkies -- yum : ) Always a fun place for a party!
Notice the new Barbie ... Country Kicks Barbie!

Wallowa Weather

Is that fog ?!?!? This year the nearby fires left a haze around the lake resembling fog. The Myers caught a picture of lake where it appeared rather eerie.
In many of our pictures, the sky looks very gray and cloudy ... when we actually had temps in the 90's.

We did have one thunderstorm event on Thursday evening ... lightning, thunder, showers, wind ... but by morning -- the sunshine and blue skies were back. Fortunately, we didn't have any water or wind damage this trip!

Bathing Beauty

One of the advantages of the warm weather ...

Calleigh could enjoy a lakeside bath in her new bathing suit.

Wallowa Playground

This year Colin discovered the playground. It's actually pretty close to our sites, giving each of us the opportunity to take him down to "swing" ... Although, Dad was by far his favorite choice! : )


So much to do at Wallowa!

The swing in this picture became "my swing" and several times we had to wait our turn when it was in use.

Lakeside Lounging

These are a few of our favorite things ... down at the lake ...
relax, read, play games, nap, chat, floaties, ... just getting "refreshed" -- unwind. Sunday morning started out very hot in our site so we headed down to the lake early.

This year Colin and Dad spent hours with a tugboat on a stream that he named, "the waterfall."

Colin also made a new friend, Mr. Chris who played Tracball with him and "earthquake" on a floatie.

There's just no place equal to the fun we have down at the lake!

Destination: Wallowa Lake

Here we are ... stuck in The Dalles! We stopped for a quick breakfast at McDonald's and missed our exit by 5 minutes ... The Dalles Parade started at 10:00 a.m. We had to wait until it was over to get back on the road again. Due to other circumstances we didn't arrive at our campsite until after 5:00 p.m. Thanks to Doug, giving us a helping hand, we were set up faster than any other year in our Wallowa history. He also provided us with a week's worth of firewood. Thanks, Doug! It was a great start to one of our best years at the lake : )

Photoshop Elements

Instead of sticking to my summer "to-do" list I've been playing around with Photoshop Elements and I'm starting to get the hang of the program. In the past month I have been getting familiar with digital scrapbooking sites and have subscribed to quite a few of them. I am finding them very helpful with tutorials, free templates and layout ideas.
The layout of Colin was a tutorial online and the template was provided with step-by-step instructions. Of course, I had a great subject to work with -- Colin! I changed the picture to sepia because his shirt was royal blue and a little too bright for the background paper. It looked much better with that change.
I found the template I used for "Princess Calleigh" at a site for Let's Scrap International. It was a bit more advanced with the 6 picture frames and I couldn't have done it without Walt's help. I changed the background and added all the other pieces from freebies I've found on the internet. it does help to have great photos (thanks, Michelle) and a darling subject -- Calleigh!
I'm enjoying my summer -- being "stretched" with new technology and techniques! Very F U N !

Camp Namanu

This week I'm concentrating on cleaning out desks, closets and cupboards and I'm finding myself distracted by old photos, memorabilia, etc. I found an old envelope with all the receipts for Campfire Camp. From 1963-66 I spent summers of fun at Camp Namanu starting in Sherwood and ending in Pioneer. Camp Namanu is located about an hour from Portland near the Sandy and Bull Run rivers. Once only available to girls (when I attended) -- it is now a coed camp.
There are so many good memories ... canoeing on the pond, nature letters to Mr. Skriggleboggle, weaving & craft classes, stargazing, hiking ... so many activities packed in our week.
Mail call was always something to look forward to. I still have the letters I received while at camp in my childhood scrapbook. The first year I went it was a little sad to only get one letter and the content did not make sense. It mentioned, "Brian is now sitting in a highchair." -- the only Brian I knew was someone my age. Come to find out ... another girl at camp and I had the same name and she received all the mail sent to me! My family had written everyday!
In 1987 I took my boys to an Open House at Camp Namanu so they could "see" the stories I have shared with them about my camping experiences as a young girl. I was amazed at how small the duck pond was and the stargazing tower had always seemed so high. We walked the hiking trails I once believed to be so long, so steep etc. It's funny how things look through the eyes of a child : )
I've included pictures of the boys from that fun day. Brian was the same age as when I first went to camp.I noticed on their website that they still hold open houses. It would be fun to go back again. Maybe this time my camper buddy, Paula can join me!

Girl Talk

Calleigh is starting to interact with us in "conversation." In this picture at the zoo she's trying so hard to tell Grandma something with "cooing." It's fun to watch her facial expression when talking to her. A precious moment.

Family Zoo Day

We enjoyed an awesome family day at the zoo Saturday - minus Matt(hiking) and Rae (Eugene). Hopefully they can join us next time.
We haven't been to the zoo in years and so much has changed! It seems much greener with the landscaping -- not as much cement and cages as from the past -- and much
more family-friendly. Even though it was a very hot day, we felt cool and refreshed at the exhibits. After enjoying this all day event, we're hoping to visit again soon!

Ki-a-Kuts Pedestrian Bridge

We just got home from a new adventure. We have lived in this city for 18 years and today we explored areas we never knew existed. With Matt as our guide, we walked across the new pedestrian bridge -- it opened June 23rd -- found Durham Park (new to me), and then over to Cook Park. What a beautiful area they have created there ... a butterfly garden, soccer and baseball fields, nice restrooms and covered picnic area. An added bonus -- we crossed paths with the Moores and had a nice visit. It was a pleasant evening for exploring and felt good to walk after our Mongolian Grill lunch with Matt.
This 223-acre area has been a long awaited project connecting our 3 communities. Now you don't have to go far to enjoy a great hike or bike ride.

Fabulous Fourth

Our holidays are steeped in tradition and the Fourth is no exception.
Since the mid-eighties we have celebrated the Fourth at Lewisville Park in Battleground followed by fireworks at Ft. Vancouver. We have the timing and plan down to a science – perfected over the years. BUT … this year we had to “readjust” our plans and go with the flow!
Everything seemed in place … wonderful weather, two cars packed with family members, BBQs, coolers and all the essentials for a fabulous Fourth. As we approached the exit for the park, we realized we would be facing Plan B this year. Cars lined the highway shoulder in both directions and there was a slow moving line at the entrance of the park. Due to overwhelming demand, only those with reservations would be admitted. After making a big u-turn and sitting in the nearby Safeway parking lot …hot, tired and clueless about an alternate park plan ... we finally decided to try Battleground Lake State Park. Even though the sign stated the parking lot was full we patiently waited -- a very short time -- for an opening. We found a great shady spot to BBQ and enjoyed an amazing meal. I remember a previous visit to this lake the summer I was pregnant with Brian – 30 years ago : )
Near dusk we headed to Vancouver to watch the fireworks and as always … Plan A worked out. As we spread our blankets and got settled, I heard someone calling my name. Sitting right behind us was the entire Dooms family –minus Cathy. What a delight it was to visit with them and meet all their grandchildren. We seem to keep crossing paths with Dennis and Brenda (from our youth group-now in their late 30s. I’m feeling old!) … but it’s usually at Original Taco House.
We enjoyed a wonderful family day and learned a few lessons along the way --
flexibility: characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements.

Sometimes Plan B is a better plan!

The Oregon Coast (?)

Yep … that’s our feet in the normally frigid, numbing water on the Oregon coast but on Tuesday the ocean water temp was a mild 66 degrees. It was the most perfect, awesome day at the beach. Only thing missing – Walt’s wave jumping buddy, Don!

Thirty-three

We left Sunday on our thirty-third anniversary getaway to Cannon Beach. I believe this is our third year in a row to spend time down here -- two at the Inn at Cannon Beach and one at a "spiritual retreat" cabin we bid on at an auction. We loved the time we had there too ... very small, no TV, no phone ... a great place for R & R -- to unwind.
I am sitting on our deck that overlooks the garden area. The skies are blue, temperatures are warm and there's a hint of a breeze. Life is good : )
We're packing up and getting ready to spend the day on the beach before heading home. It has been a great to spend time with my best and dearest friend! I am so thankful for the thirty-three year "journey" and all the joy, ups and downs, etc. we've shared on the "road."

RSS Feed

Tim is always introducing me to new technology. One of my favorites is NewsNetWire Lite. It allows me to keep up on my favorite blogs, topics, crafts, recipes etc. without manually searching for each one -- new updates are displayed similar to an email "inbox." It's a great time saver!
Many people have asked me what an RSS Feed is ...
Wikipedia describes it as -- "RSS (which, in its latest format, stands for "Really Simple Syndication") is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a "feed," "web feed," or "channel," contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually."
RSS content can be read using software called a "feed reader" -- I am using NewsNetWire Lite for MAC and it can be downloaded for free at this address: http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/NetNewsWire
Wikipedia also describes how you can subscribe to a feed by entering the feed's link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. You can check the feeds you have subscribed to regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds.
Since I enjoy scrapbooking I have subscribed to several sites such as:
posts to del.icio.us tagged "scrapbooking" enabling me to check out sites I do not have time to search for
pictures tagged "scrapbooking" in flickr! -- some great layout ideas
digital scrapbooking layouts, feebies, tutorials etc.
blogs of my favorite scrapbooking artists
If you are a MAC user, give this a try. You will be amazed at what you will find!