Dover Family Doodles

A New Year...Let's Start at the Very Beginning....

2012-01-01T22:46:00.000-08:00

...After we finish the end.....(of 2011, that is...)

I am behind in recording the past three months.(I know...shock!....not really. I am always behind!)
So much has happened...where do I even begin?
I'll do a brief run-down and see if I can keep up better in 2012. (It could happen!)

It seems that I didn't mention in Oct, that we celebrated Kyle's birthday. We usually give the kids a token gift, then some money for their birthdays. Kyle has lost a bunch of weight so his Hawaiian shirts are all to big for him. While Mikel and I were in Astoria, Mikel found a Hawaiian shirt at a consignment shop that looked to be Kyle's new size. So....in Kyle fashion......

Yep...I gave him his $ in $1 bills, pinned to his shirt. It was pretty funny!

November rolled around so we celebrated Ric's birthday by having him and all the girls in the family (besides Mikel and all the grandsons) over for breakfast since the other guys were at work. Ric does not like having his picture taken but I managed to snap one. By the way, we gave Ric a big container of chocolate covered raisins (one of his favorite) along with his $.

Little Coralie has kept us entertained with her ever changing fashion show. I love seeing little girls all dressed up in their frills and bows, and Mommy Roy'l is doing a good job! It's also fun to see the little boys dressed in their boy stuff...camo, sports, trucks and trains...the list goes on. Babies are just fun and our babies are the best!

Coralie

Daniel

In November, my daddy, Reas Harold Allen, passed away. We spent his last hours with him, holding his hands, talking to him, praying over him, and saying goodbye. I got to massage his head one last time. We shared good memories with his nurses and doctor who showed such compassion. Tony entertained us for a few moments when he walked in wearing full paper scrubs along with his mask. When we told him he didn't have to wear the scrubs, he pulled them off but had a hard time putting his mask on again. It was nice to have the comic relief at such a sad time.

(This picture was taken just a couple weeks before he passed away as we celebrated our parents 70th wedding anniversary.) I love you Pops!

Daniel and Coralie met Great Grandma Ruth the day Great Grandpa Reas was buried.

My brother, Lonnie, and my sweet sis-in-law, Sandy came for the family gathering and burial. We don't see them often enough so it was special having them with us, even for just a few hours.

My hero nephew, Anthony Maureas DeRoest was home for the family gathering and burial also, along with his cute boys and sweet wife. (Anthony was born the day before my birthday, so I consider him my birthday present so many years ago. He was named after his father, Anthony, (Tony) and both of his grandfathers, Maurice and Reas. He has brought honor to all of their names!)
Anthony is in the Air Force, and has now been deployed over seas, protecting and rescuing those in harms way. I am so proud of this guy! One of the most touching memories the day my dad was buried was witnessing Anthony standing before daddy's grave after everyone else had walked away, mouthing something only for his Grandpa Reas to hear, I am sure, and then watching Anthony saluting the grave. I had thought of taking a picture of that tender moment, but decided that it was too precious. It is a memory that I will hold dear to my heart forever!

God Speed Anthony! Come home safely!

Eddie and I celebrated our birthday together again....probably the last time for years to come. I love you Eddie boy!

We also went to watch Celeste perform in The Christmas Carol. She did an awesome job and we were so proud of her! We presented her with a rose after the play. Her eyes lit up and she loved it!

Mikel and I spent 9 days in Utah with Mikel Jr., Brooke and Adam. We had a wonderful time, as usual and were sad to have to leave them, but excited to come home. Isn't that always the way it is?

The first day we spent in Utah was Adam's birthday. Mikel Sr. and Mikel Jr. were attending a concealed weapons certification class so Brooke and I took Adam out for the day. First we took him to Karate, then out to lunch at Carl's Jr. and let him play for awhile, then to the Dinosaur Museum. It was a wonderful, full day!

Adam and I put together a gingerbread house. We loved it!

We also made melted snowmen.

We attended their ward Christmas dinner where the Primary put on the nativity. Adam was one of the shepherds. He's in the red shirt next to the little boy wearing the black beard to the right of the little "Kings" wearing the crowns. I think he was trying to get a look at the baby Jesus....maybe....

We also went to Salt Lake to see the lights on Temple Square. It is always awesome!
Usually we eat at The Gardens, but the waiting time was over an hour and we could get into The Rooftop right away....so guess where we ate? It is our new favorite restaurant! These pictures were taken in front of the tree on the main floor of the Joseph Smith building. It was beautiful!

....and the lights on Temple Square....breathtaking....

We celebrated Adams birthday with his Utah grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. It was so good to see them all again!

Look at these handsome Dover guys!

We put up their Christmas tree.....or should I say, they put up their tree and we watched....

We also attended Zoo Lights in Utah while we were there.

Did you know there is a captured Caterpillar at the Hogle Zoo? Well, there is!

Back home again in Oregon, little Coralie was blessed on Christmas day....such a pretty little thing!

Celebrating Christmas together was a bit delayed because Church was at 9:00 AM. Everyone went home and changed back into their pajamas before gathering for brunch, then gift opening.

Ric was with us also, but when we took his picture, instead of Ric, we got a heavenly being....haha

I did get a picture of him after all.

On Monday evening, after Christmas, we went to Zoo lights with the family here in Oregon. It was also the last evening we had to spend with the Hunter family before their move to Kentucky. The evening was so bitter-sweet.

All in all.....2011 was a very good year!

Oct......A Very Busy Month!

2011-10-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

***WARNING*** this is a long post! Read at your own risk of boredom!

Not only did Mikel and I have a weekend adventure to celebrate our anniversary, but we also made our annual family trek to the Hood River Fruit Loop. For those who have never been, there is one main loop around the Hood River fruit growing area. Not only apples and peaches grow in Hood River, but also pears, Lavender, grapes, blueberries, cherries, Alpacas, pumpkins, apple cider pressed, wine is made, jams and jellies, and just about anything else you can imagine for year round adventure. Our family LOVES the day trip in the fall!

We have some favorite places to stop along the way, and some favorite things to do....

The drive home is always rather quiet as the worn out kids fall asleep....

...And what is Oct. without pumpkin carving?

On Tues, Oct 25th....before Roy'l's due date, some of us girls went for pedicures.

...then the big day arrived! Friday, Oct 28th at 8:01 AM...the day Roy'l said was her due date (differing from her midwife's guess), Coralie Pearl Dover was born weighing 8 lbs. 11 oz and 21 inches long.

Friday night was our ward Harvest dinner and Trunk or Treat. I only got one picture of Javen as the other kids were off running around. I will post pictures of kids in their Halloween costumes later.

On Sat. my sisters and I threw an open house celebrating our parents 70th wedding anniversary. They were married Nov. 29th, but we decided to celebrate a month early before the weather turns bad for those traveling. Sandi, Eric, Linda and Joanna came from Idaho and Utah, and our Aunt Wilma and cousin, June (Squeek) came from Medford for the occasion. It was so special to spend time with them, and we're so grateful they came!

From left to right: Lorna, me, cousin Squeek, Linda, Sandi.

Aunt Wilma and my dad. They are the only living siblings left from the family of 8 children.

Lots of dear friends from our past attended, including Myrna (Montana) and her mom, May, who lived across the street from us all during our "growing up" years.
From left to right: Linda, May, me with Daniel, Myrna and Sandi.

Family members who could attend, beginning top left counter clockwise: Mikel and me, sister-Sandi and Eric, sister-Linda, sister-Lorna and Tony, Pam and brother-Ron, mother and daddy.
Those missing: brother-Lonnie and Sandy, and Hal(Linda's husband. Our oldest sister, Sharon passed away years ago from cancer. (Sharon's husband, Warren, lives in Utah).

Today was Daniel's blessing but we didn't get any pictures of the little guy in his shirt and tie, but Cavan and Sarah did have family pictures taken this afternoon. As soon as we see them, I will post here.

The next post: Halloween and everything else I forgot!

Our Anniversary Celebration

2011-10-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

Mikel and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary on the 23rd of Sept. But since we had a meeting up at LMCH that we had to attend, we really couldn't fully enjoy our time together (although we did get a nice afternoon ride in the boat). We planned a weekend get-away last weekend to the Oregon coast to enjoy the sites, relax, eat wonderful sea food and even drive across the Astoria bridge to Washington to visit my brother, Lonnie and sis-in-law Sandy.

We arrived in Seaside on Friday afternoon and stopped to walk on the beach. It was wonderful! It was a bit windy but we enjoyed our walk. A Seagull even walked with us.

Of course we had to visit the Candy Man store to enjoy a $.75 ice cream cone!

We then drove up the coast to Astoria to check into our motel room. We reserved a kitchen unit which was very nice. We were able to eat breakfast in every morning and pack a picnic lunch to take with us as we went site seeing. Our room was the center room on the top floor with a wonderful view of the Columbia river from the front windows. We loved watching the ships pass by.

On Sat morning, Mikel decided that he wanted to go see the Lewis and Clark fort. We hadn't been there in years, and it has been rebuilt after burning several years ago. It was interesting, and made us grateful for our warm home and all our comforts!

Sat. afteroon, we drove across the Astoria bridge to Washington to visit my brother Lonnie. He lives and works in Ocean Park. We had never been there before so after driving and only asking directions once, we found our destination. I could not remember the name of the store Lonnie works at, but knew that there was only one main store in town. There it was in front of us..."Jacks". We went in and found Lonnie helping customers and stocking shelves. It was fun to see him in action and visit for a minute or two, not to mention see a little bit of everything you can imagine in that store! They have things you can't find any place else, or have to order from specialty stores! They have a web site also, so check out http://www.jackscountrystore.com. They also have a catalog http://www.jackscountrystore.co/reference/flipfiles/fall2010flip.html.
It is amazing!

After leaving Jack's, we drove out to Lonnie's house to make sure we could find the way in the evening, after he got off work, then we drove back into Long Beach to walk on the beach and do some window shopping and site seeing. We even had another seagull walk with us on the beach. Do you think it was the same one from Seaside?....hhmmmm

It was a wonderful day, which ended with taking Lonnie and Sandy out to dinner and visiting. But to top off our evening, as we were getting ready to drive back to Astoria, we discovered our headlights would not turn on. It was 9:30 on a Sat. night, out in the middle of no where...in the dark with no street lights...and we had no headlights. Lucky for us, my brother solved the problem quickly by finding some fuses in his garage which were for a truck that he didn't own any longer. After plugging in a new fuse, we were off...safely...with headlights!

Our Weekend at Lake Merwin

2011-09-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

Mikel and I spent the weekend up at our place at Lake Merwin. We had a membership meeting to attend on Sat. at noon so we sat through that for 2 hours. We had a few things to vote on so after attending to business and casting our vote, we escaped (before finding out the results) and headed down to the water. We knew that this would be our last boat ride for this year...sigh....

We spent a good 3 hours on the lake, not only cruising but just drifting and enjoying the beauties around us; reading, chatting and even napping. We've been enjoying the scenery at Lake Merwin for 33 years now, the past 7 years actually on the lake in a boat, but we never seem to tire of the view. It certainly is humbling, knowing that Heavenly Father loves us so much, that he created these beauties of nature for us to enjoy.

When we bought our first boat and took the maiden voyage out on this beautiful lake, we discovered a cabin several miles up the lake that has intrigued us for all these years. Every summer, we cruise by it. A few times, we've seen people there, but usually it stands vacant...with the Adirondack chairs waiting for someone to relax in. If only walls could talk and share the history of this fascinating little cabin!

This view is of the Campers Hideaway. Yes, those are trailer houses on the ledge! Now, imagine 1500 sites hidden amongst the trees....
We're up toward the top on the left, back away from the ledge...safely on flat land...whew!

Notice how calm the water is. During the summer when more boaters are scooting about, the water can get pretty rough, especially in the afternoon. We love this time of year because fewer boaters are out. It certainly made for a wonderful day!

Celeste's Baptism

2011-09-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

Celeste is 8 years old and old enough to be baptized. How can that be? Where did the time go?

Last Sat. Celeste was baptized by her dad. Both her Grandma Marla and I (her Nana) spoke. Her Papa Mikel and I gave Celeste a special baptism bracelet, a little Baptism scrapbook, and her scriptures. It was a wonderful day! We sure love Celeste Marie Hunter!

July With the Whole Family Together!

2011-09-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

We had an exciting July. We started off the month with the 4th of July. We went to Corbett for the Parade in the morning, then spent the day at the festivities at the school there. There was live music all day, along with the blow up games/play things for the kids. It was hot, but we brought our pop up covers and made ourselves comfortable in our "camp". It was a good day. The fireworks are the best!

Mikel, Brooke and Adam came to spend a week with us. We had so much fun! We spent a day at the Oregon Coast....

...a day at the Zoo...

and then we went to Lake Merwin to spend several days. We played until we were exhausted....but that didn't stop us! We swam in the pool and when the sun went down, it was time to sing around the campfire, along with eating s'mores and chocolate eclairs. Is there a better way to end the day

And the best part of the whole week was family pictures!

I love my family!

Welcome Daniel Bradley Dover!

2011-09-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

Today is an exciting day! I am a Nana again! Sarah and Cavan have a very handsome little boy as of 12:43 this morning. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 9 oz and is 19 1/2 inches long. What a sweet boy he is! Sarah was in labor all day yesterday and finally went to the hospital at about 8:30/9:00ish last night to sit in the labor tub. That did the trick, and helped move things along quickly. Roy'l and I arrived at about 12:00ish to find Sarah resting. The midwife came in to check her and found the baby's head crowning. One good push and Daniels head was out, and another half push and he was fully delivered. (No need for coaching this time!) Sarah was a trooper! Good job Cavan and Sarah! Daniel is definitely a keeper!

I took KaeLynn over to visit today so she could bond with her brother. At first, she was shy and wouldn't even look at her mommy or daddy, much less her brother. It took a few minutes of comparing her toes and fingers to Daniels for her to warm up a bit. Then she surprised us with "I need to hold him!" She inspected him from top to bottom. It was pretty cute! On our way back to our house, she kept saying, "I love my baby brother. He is so sweet!" She will be a wonderful big sister!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CAVAN, CELESTE AND KAELYNN....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

2011-09-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

We had a birthday bash at Cavan and Sarah's new abode. They moved from a 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment to a 3 bedroom, 2 bath duplex, and we properly broke the duplex in with the birthday celebration!
It was a lovely day!

Baby Shower for Sarah (and little Daniel)

2011-09-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

We had a fun baby shower for Sarah. Some of her family members came along with her friends.
...and we had CHOCOLATE!

I AM SO FAR BEHIND, I'LL NEVER CATCH UP!

2011-09-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

I guess I will start with this weekend and work backward a few months...
I will post pictures all together at the end of each post since that is how it comes out when printed off in book form anyhow.

Labor Day weekend has come and gone, so that means summer is soon to end also...sigh...
It seems it was late in arriving so maybe the weather will hang out a bit longer.
The weather was glorious for the long weekend. All of us arrived at Lake Merwin on Friday. Sat was spent on or around the lake. We set up our little "day camp" area and had fun watching the kids play in the shallow water while some of the big kids played on the Seadoo or in the boat. One thing that is important to learn....shallow water and rocks are not good for a propeller! yep...the boat prop got damaged so we were grounded for the rest of the weekend...bigger sigh....

Sarah looks to be ready to have this baby at any moment. (I'm sure that is how she feels also), while Roy'l is still a couple months from her due date.

Mikel and I stayed up at the lake an extra day after everyone else left. We've decided that it is our favorite thing to do. The crowds from the camp and lake go home and we were left with peace and quiet, not to mention a beautifully calm quiet lake also. We kept Eddie and Leann with us for the extra night, so they played, played and played some more. What a pair of sweet kiddos!

Two Weekends, Not Worth Repeating!

2011-06-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend, Mikel and I were alone at Lake Merwin because our bath house across the street from us was closed and locked "until further notice". It seems the drain field for the shower and sink water collapsed so there was no drainage. So...we had to cancel our traditional camp out with all our kids and grand kids because all those extra people would be too much of a problem in our one little trailer bathroom for a long weekend....sigh.... The camp did bring in one Port-o-potty but it really couldn't take the place of the 6 toilets that were behind locked doors.

Now, don't get me wrong...being at LMCH, alone with my sweetheart was not a bad thing! No way! We had a wonderful time! The bad thing happened when we went to the hot tub to relax. We went for the "adult swim" session- from 10:00 to 11:00 PM. At 10:55, I got out of the hot tub and heading into the shower in the women's dressing room. I was in the shower when I heard a man and woman's voice...really close by. I thought they must be by the door talking so I finished my shower, wrapped my big towel around me and stuck my head out to make sure the coast was clear. The man's voice was now "falsetto"...which I found rather strange. As I headed into my dressing stall, I noticed that one other shower was in use...and the falsetto voice was coming from that shower! A female kept trying to quiet the "falsetto voice, and kept popping her head out to see where I was. It felt very strange, knowing that there was a strange naked man just a curtain away! I finally said "he does not belong here and I want him to leave now!" The female jumped out of the shower and, talking to the male, said: "I'm just going to head to my aunts house without you," and then proceeded to inform me that "if it's any of your #@%^@ business, we didn't know anyone else was in here, and we weren't *^#$# bothering anyone." ...(REALLY!...well I was bothered!...and it was obvious there was someone in here with the shower going and a towel hung on the wall!....REALLY?)

Oh...I was upset! Not only was a male in the female shower, but I had some little twit swearing at me! So...I wrapped my big towel around me again and headed out the door to tell the attendant that there was a man in the woman's showers! That attendant called the other attendant who was more experienced, who called Security. I went back in to get my clothes on but before I could close my curtain, the male turned off the water and threw open his curtain...and stood before me very proudly..with nothing but a smirk on his face. I was shocked and speechless! All sorts of things were going through my mind...things I could or should say....like "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought there was a man in here!" or "Are you kidding me? I have a 3 year old grandson who..."
....you get the picture...
I closed my curtain to throw my clothes on when the attendants came in. The male must have thrown his pants on because, fortunately, the attendants were not greeted the same way I was! He then fled into the men's dressing room. I gathered my wits about me enough to yell out at the attendants to get his block and site number (our addresses up at LMCH). I then asked the female who was still dressing what her site and block number was. Her response...."I don't have an %$^#& site and block number." ...to which I replied that without a site and block number, she did not belong here!" She then said "if it's any of your %#^$% business, I am a guest here." My response..."not any more if you break the rules!" She then walked out to the awaiting security guards. I was dressed so I followed her out as security was trying to get her name, etc. which she refused to give them. I told them what she said about not having a %#%&&@ site. Her response was, "really lady, like I would swear at you!" By this time, I was just downright MAD and wanted out of there before the male came out of the dressing room so Mikel and I headed out to our car, as the female began downloading her profanities on the security guards. Her "really lady, like I would swear at you" became the big joke for everyone, I'm sure!

To make a long story short...they refused to give their names or block and site number, and the assistant camp manager made the decision that these 20 something adults were just pulling a teenage prank. (Our assistant camp manager is single, late 20's, really shy, and does not like to handle unpleasant things) SO....I am trying to get over my MAD and move past it!...kinda sorta...cause I'm still kicking myself for leaving before insisting that the sheriff be called for the indecent exposure! It still goes through my mind....what if the young pool attendants had been the ones to walk in...what if my daughters had been there...what if some other young adult woman had been there...what if...what if...what if... I really HATE the what ifs!

The rest of the week went pretty smoothly until this Sat. night. Michelle and I had a garage sale Friday and Sat. which was not very successful! The weather was maybe a little to GREAT because there sure weren't a lot of people out garage sale-ing! Anyhow, Sat. Kyle was running the 5K race before the Star Light Rose parade, so we decided to go to the parade to see him run, and enjoy the parade with the kids. We found our spot, and were all settled in. The runners ran by...I missed Kyle because he was so much faster then I expected (he ran the 3 miles in 32 minutes!...AWESOME!) not to mention, I had someone's back side in my face waiting to cross the street when there was a break between runners. (Note to self...if we go next year...DO NOT SIT NEAR THE CORNER WHERE THE CROSS WALK IS! I was hit more times then I can count by bicycles, strollers, big bags!...not to mention, arms, the feet of kids being carried...shall I go on?)

With the city streets blocked off for the runners and parade, all the kids played in the streets and ran races themselves. Little did we expect, that some of our kids would run races....and not stop to come back! Little Gordon ran up the hill...and kept running and running so Casey had to chase him. At the same time, Eddie and his cousin ran down the hill. His cousin turned around to come back...but Eddie kept going... and going...and going...till he ended up lost! When we realized that he was missing, we had no idea how long he had actually been gone. A bunch of the adults with our group took off walking in every direction looking for him as Michelle informed the police who were very present. Casey and I walked down the hill for the one block before the parade route turned the corner. Then we walked about 3 blocks further in that direction til we decided that, surely, he wouldn't have gone that far! We turned around to head back and stopped to talk with the police officers patrolling there. They already had the report that Eddie was being returned to his parents, so we headed back. We got back as Michelle was talking to the police again, and found that the little boy in the green shirt with the airplane hat was not Eddie. So we headed out again. I went the one block up hill, over the freeway overpass, to the next corner on the parade route, searching the crowd for Eddie's little face, and imagining him being terrified, while praying..."Heavenly Father, you gave me this precious child as a birthday present 4 years ago! Please bring him back to us!" I was so close to tears the entire time but I knew that if I began crying, I would not be able to see, so I held it together and continued walking and walking....
When I got back to our seating area, we heard that Kyle's two nieces had found Eddie and were on their way back with him. They had walked down the same direction as Casey and I had gone originally (and several other adults we later found out) but we all stopped, thinking he would not have gone that far...only to find out that he had gone at least another block or block and a half further! Eddie realized he was lost so he found a police man and told him he couldn't find his mommy. The police kept him safe and bought him cotton candy. It seems there was another little lost boy also on or around the Max line (our mass transit train) so he took top priority, which we fully understood...only to realize that Eddie crossed those same train tracks to get where he ended up! Kyle's nieces carried Eddie back to Michelle who met them at the corner down from us. I walked down that direction also so after Michelle put Ed down to carry Gordon back through the crowd, I picked Eddie up to carry him. I needed to know that he was safe.
We were able to enjoy the parade when it began, while keeping a close eye on all our precious little ones who liked to get up and move about. I am all for investing in the Kid LoJack devices for all of them! I think that would be money well spent!

This Nana can't afford to lose any more years off my life! I lost enough years when my 5 took turns wandering off years ago! Hopefully, my adult kids forgive me know for always dressing then alike whenever we went places together. I knew that in a stressful situation, I wouldn't be able to remember what each child wore, so I dressed them alike so I could easily show police, etc. what my child was wearing...which I had to do several times!
It worked!...and I don't think any of my kids psyches were damaged because of it!

Javen Had a Birthday!

2011-05-21T00:12:00.000-07:00

Javen turned 3 years old on May 9th. It was a fun party! (and the food was good too!)
Roy'l came up with an activity for the kids, making Dinosaur feet with empty tissue boxes. The kids each got to decorate their "feet", and then we enjoyed a parade of little Dinosaurs!

(Gordon)

(Eddie)

(Celeste)

(Eddie)

(Leann and Javen)

(Leann)

(Javen)

(KaeLynn in the purple)

All the little dinosaur feet!

(Celeste)

Javen's three grandpas....Mikel (Casey's dad) on the left, Mark (Roy'l's dad) in the middle and Kevin (Roy'l's step dad) on the right.

Yummy ice cream cake!

No, these little ladies did not eat to much dessert! They're measuring pregnant tummies!....and the winner is....

2011-05-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

And The Results Are....

2011-05-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Sarah had the ultra-sound to find out if she is having a boy or girl in Sept. She had the technician put the results in an envelop and seal it so even Cavan and Sarah didn't know. She then took the sealed envelop to a friend who makes cakes. The friend colored the cake batter to match the gender of the new baby. We had a barbecue and picnic with Sarah's dad and grandparents before the announcement was made. It's always fun when they come from Astoria for a visit!!

The cake...was ADORABLE!

...then the guessing began...

....and the results are in!

We can't wait for little Daniel to come out to play!

It's Been Awhile...From A Birthday to Easter!

2011-05-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

Let's see...much has happened since I last posted. Where does the time go?

I forgot to take my camera over to Michelle's on her birthday in March...so there are no pictures. (She did have us take some with her camera).

We've had torrential rains and hail. Sometimes we wonder if it will ever end!

We celebrated my dad's and brother's birthdays in April.

We went to an Easter Egg hunt in Wood village. It was exciting...and chaotic...but the kids had fun on the playground equipment to begin with!

Then the waiting began for the arrival of the Easter Bunny via helicopter. We waited...

and waited...

and waited...

..then we heard it...

The Easter Bunny was FINALLY THERE!

Everyone LOVES the Easter Bunny...

...and Easter Egg Hunts!

Everyone looked their best in new clothes on Easter Sunday!

..and then there's always the FOOD!

..not to mention, the Easter baskets and egg hunt...

We've been busy! Please come back again to see what else we've been up to!

Saturday in the Snow

2011-03-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

Last Sat. the kids wanted to go up to Lake Merwin to play in the snow. The snow had been almost 3 feet deep, but had melted down to just over a foot deep. I wasn't going to go but was talked into it to see the grandkids have fun. I'm glad I went. The kids had so much fun until they got wet and cold. Fortunately, it was rather warm outside but once I got chilled, I stayed inside, wrapped in a blanket infront of the heater, reading my book or entertaining the little ones. The big kids...well, I'll let the pictures tell the story!

When I asked Eddie today if he had fun last Sat., his words were...
"It was so fun! It was great!"

A Lake Merwin Weekend Ends Early...sigh....

2011-02-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

Mikel and I planned a long weekend get-away at Lake Merwin. We haven't been up there together since last fall. Mikel took Friday off work and we headed out in the early afternoon. We had heard that there was snow, but that didn't stop us.

We arrived to about 8 inches of snow on the ground and beautiful clear blue skies above us.

The plow had been on the main road so we had to shovel out a spot to park. Lucky for us, the snow was a light, fluffy powder! (perfect for snow-boarders or skiers...eat your heart out~!)
We were able to load all our gear into our place by sliding it across the snow. Our deer friends came to help by sticking their noses into everything...thanks alot!

We had the chains on the car in case it snowed more during the weekend.

Yesterday, (Saturday) was a little overcast, with just a little moisture in the air. We spent the day inside, reading, listening to music, sleeping, putting a jig saw puzzle together, and totally relaxing. Hey, everyone should do it once in a while! We couldn't turn on the water, which meant having to get our winter gear on to go across the street to the bathroom/shower house. On go the boots...off go the boots...

This morning, we woke up to about 4 more inches of fresh snow, and it continued to fall, mixed with frozen rain. It kept falling, and falling....you get the picture!
At about 1:30, we decided to pack up and head out in case it got worse.

We were going to come back Monday morning...(Some people do have to work, you know!) Heading down the hill, we drove past the plow, and just 2 or 3 other vehicles.

A fabulous weekend had to come to a close early!
The snow was wonderful...in the mountains where it belongs this time of year!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T14:45:00.000-08:00

Sat. night was our stakes Sweetheart's dance, so we had our annual Sweetheart's dinner with our kids. This year, Cavan was out of town on business, and Ric was sleeping before work, but Sarah and Cameo came and brought KaeLynn and Leann. Everyone dressed in our finest...even our little Princesses. We invited my sis and bro-in-law, Lorna and Tony also.

We served an Oriental salad, rolls, Teriyaki chicken, fried rice, stir fry veges, and Red Velvet cake balls and fortune cookies for dessert. I think everyone had a good time!

After dinner, we headed out for the Stake Sweetheart dance and had a wonderful time dancing the night away.

Alone Time!

2011-02-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

I love to go up to our lake house with my hubby, but I also love to go up by myself.
It is a time for mediation and contemplation, not to mention the serenity...
I drove up on a Friday afternoon...well, it began on Friday afternoon, but ended up Friday evening...but that is a whole story I won't get into right now. Anyhow, I arrived at our place about 8:00 PM, after a white-knuckle drive up the windy roads in the thick, pasty FOG! I unloaded all my gear for the weekend, and turned on the water with no problem at all...except for a leaky hose (after several months of no use)...but all was well after I had running water. I turned on the propane for the stove and furnace, but again, after several months of not being used, not to mention the cold that takes place during winter in the mountains, I gave up and was grateful for an electric heater and my flannel PJ's. I rented a couple movies on my way up so I watched a movie and then read my book till my eyes wouldn't stay open any longer.
The next morning, Sarah called to tell me that she wanted to come up to spend the day with me hibernating and sleeping. I was able to get the propane working so that by the time she arrived, I was taking breakfast out of the oven. We ate a breakfast casserole of eggs, hash browns, onion and cheese, buttered toast and orange juice. After breakfast, Sarah made her nest on the couch and I went into my nest on the bed where we stayed for hours...or should I say an hour and a half or so when Sarah got hungry and had to get up for some left over breakfast. Another 1 1/2 hours went by when she got hungry again and had more breakfast. After another hour and a half, we had lunch. (We mustn't forget that Sarah is carrying our #8 grandbaby so she needs nourishment regularly!) After lunch, we ventured outside to feed the deer herd that gravitates to any human who will most likely offer a handout of food. We counted 17 deer around us at one time.

The rest of the afternoon went by in a flash as we watched a movie and visited...and read and napped some more. There wasn't anyone up around us so we had total peace and quiet. What a marvelous day! We finally realized how late it was getting when dear Sarah was...you guessed it...hungry again, so we had dinner. More time went by then Sarah decided that it was time for her to head down the hill to home. I was worried about her hitting fog,(which she did) going home.

After another peaceful night alone, with no one but me and the deer, and an occasional bird,(and the security guard who drives by a couple times each day), I packed up, re-winterized again, and headed home, ready to face the world again. After 32 1/2 years of enjoying Lake Merwin, I appreciate the Camper's HIDEAWAY part of the name so much more...because it truly is our HIDEAWAY from the world!

Another Birthday!

2011-02-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

My baby boy celebrated his birthday on Feb.3. It's hard to believe he's getting so old...yes....OLD!
We all gathered at Michelle and Kyle's house for snacks and then icecream cake.
What a wild bunch attended!

At the end of gift opening, the last gift to be opened was from Cavan and Sarah.
What happy news! #8 grandbaby is on the way!!!

Wednesdays with Javen!

2011-01-30T11:19:00.000-08:00

We watch Javen on Wednesday mornings while Roy'l works. Javen really is a delightful little boy, and so much fun. A week ago, we took him with us over to visit my parents. Javen was shy but entertained himself, until my dad woke up from his nap and I brought him in to see Javen. Javen became very bashful and buried his face in his arms on the floor...and fell fast asleep. My dad was watching him for awhile, then he fell asleep also. It was the perfect picture moment!

This last Wednesday, the sun was shining. It was a beautiful day! Papa was working in the yard, so Javen decided he had to go out to "help". In minutes, Javen was in the wheel barrow, "helping" Papa by riding around the yard.

And then there was the trampoline...needing to be jumped upon.

...bars to be climbed upon... (remember...Javen is almost 3 years old)

and the playhouse to play in.

...such a cute, brave, busy boy!

Birthdays...and more Birthdays!

2011-01-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

Gordon recently celebrated his 2nd birthday.
What a happy little guy he is!
He LOVES Mickey Mouse and Elmo, so the theme of his party was Mickey Mouse...

...although Elmo did make his appearance...

as a Chicken...doing the chicken dance. He was the hit of the party!

Leann's birthday was this week, so we celebrated tonight with a Pizza party. She and her daddy like the Transformers, so her party theme was Bumblebee. Now, when I heard that, I was thinking the little yellow and black buzzy insect. Nope...it's a yellow Transformer that kinda looks like a bee...I guess. Leann is a girlie girl who loves Princesses, My Little Ponys, playing dress up, and baby dolls...and Transformers.

Her Aunt Lettie decorated her cake.

It was very....Transformerish...and so YUMMY!

We even had entertainment! Uncle Cavan brought his RC Helicopter to fly around the room,

and then there was Javen....

Just Hanging Out at Nana and Papa's!

2011-01-28T21:28:00.000-08:00

I love spending time with my grand kids. I mean I LOVE spending time with them, especially when it's just one or two at a time. We spend time snuggling, playing "Granny" on the computer, baking or reading, playing games or building blocks, or just sitting in the same room staring at each other. I have a basket of soft blankets behind my couch that the kids just love to grab and snuggle watching a movie or listening to a story. (Don't tell anyone, but Papa and I have both been known to snuggle up in those soft blankets for a short little snooze before Papa heads off to work in the afternoons.)

One afternoon, Eddie needed some "Nana" time. Being the middle child, he gets lost between his big sister and his little brother. (Papa and I are both middle children also, so we understand that placement in the family.) An hour or two usually does it, then he's ready to go join in whatever is happening at home. But while he was here, he enjoyed Carmel Cornpuffs and watched the movie of his choice.

KaeLynn is another one who loves to snuggle at Nana's house. She makes her "nest" on the couch and will stay there for long periods of time...as long as she has her blankie and her thumb...and Nana's soft blanket, she is a happy little girl!

I know I have more pictures of more of the kids with Nana's soft blankets, but I can't put my hands on them right now. Let's just say, that Nana's soft blanket is well loved...and so are our 7 precious grand kids!

Zoo Lights with Ron, Pam and Ian

2011-01-03T23:21:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday night, we took my brother Ron, his wife, Pam and their son, Ian to see Zoo Lights. I don't think Ron has ever been, and Pam and Ian have only been once, several years ago. We picked up hamburgers to eat on the way, and headed out on our adventure. It was fffrreezzziiinnnggg out there, but a lot of fun. We're so glad we did it!

The lights are so beautiful! I wish we could cover our trees like this in our front yard, but I'm afraid that it would require a nice big expensive "toy" to reach all the high places...sigh...

It was cold, but at least it was dry!

On the way home, we drove down Peacock Lane to see those lights also. What a wonderful way to end the season!

Gumdrop trees and Graham Cracker houses...

2010-12-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

The six Oregon grandkids were here tonight with parents to make gumdrop trees and graham cracker houses. It was pretty crazy, and all the kids were on a sugar high...but everyone had a good time.

December Is A Very Busy Month (part 2)

2010-12-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

After the Dec. birthday celebration, we moved on to the Dover family Christmas gathering. Mikel's dad and Step mother, and his sister Laurie and Bro-in-law, Rod drive up from Eugene each year to be with us on the Sat. before Christmas. Other family members come from Hillsboro, Tualitin, and N. Portland to join in on the food, visiting and reconnecting. We all live in the same state, but we just don't get together very often. We hold the gathering at our church building since none of us have homes large enough for everyone. It works so well! The kids have room to run and play as we enjoy each others company.
It was an awesome day!

One evening, I went out to dinner to Joe's Crab Shack along the Columbia River with Kyle and Michelle, Casey and Roy'l and Marla, (Kyle's mom) to watch the Christmas ships. They were beautiful, and we had such a good time!

(this is a picture of Casey and Roy'l's "crab pot" and below is my coconut shrimp...yummy!)

On Christmas Eve, we had my parents here, by brother, Ron, and sis-in-law, Pam, and their son, Ian, my sister, Lorna, and bro-in-law, Tony, and my niece, JoAnna, and her hubby, Zack here for dinner. It was a very pleasant evening...(some of my pictures turned out really fuzzy, but here are a couple that turned out...sorry Lorna and Tony, JoAnna and Zack...no pictures of you...)

Christmas day began with the Hunter kids modeling their new capes.

All the kids received pillow pets (from Santa) so we had lots of cuddling going on around here!

Other Dover randomness...

(WILSON IS BUSTED!)

Such a busy time of year...but OH SO MUCH FUN!

December Is A Very Busy Month! (part 1)

2010-12-28T20:03:00.000-08:00

Let's see...where to begin...
First of all, I have some adorable pictures of Javen, taken the first time he saw my Nutcracker room. I showed him some of the music boxes...he was enthralled!

On Dec. 8th, (a birthday shared by my Eddie boy and myself) Eddie had a party with the Hunter side of the family. Mikel works swing shift so we waited to celebrate til the following Sat. so Mikel could be with us.
Eddie had a wonderful time and received lots of fun gifts. He was the #1 guy that evening, as so well deserves!
I love my Eddie! He is one of the best birthday presents I've ever received! I say "one of the best" because our Adam was born two days after Eddie, so I consider Adam my birthday present also! Eddie and Adam. Two of my favorite little men!

Meanwhile, in Utah, our Adam played Joseph in the nativity for his Joy School preschool program. As expected...he was adorable! Just look at the picture!

...some random pictures of Adam, captured by Brooke.

Brooke knew she has taken too many pictures when Adam melted down...the poor thing...

We had the grand kids here many times throughout the month. These kids have such fascinating imaginations! Just see what can happen with Mr Potato head accessories...

We celebrated my birthday, along with Eddie's and Sarah's. What a celebration we had!

Next post...the extended Dover gathering, dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, Christmas, and more...

Nutcrackers Gone Wild!

2010-12-02T00:03:00.000-08:00

It takes me several hours to unpack all my nutcrackers. My collection began with one nutcracker music box and proceeded to grow when I found some "after Christmas" sales, and expanded more when people gave them to me as gifts. I have over 125ish. I haven't counted in several years. A few more have been added since that count, including a vampire nutcracker and a pilgrim nutcracker. I love them all, but it has gotten a little out of control since they are all displayed in one room....all over the room! I enjoy them and that's all that really matters, now isn't it?!

The Many faces of Javen!

2010-12-01T23:51:00.000-08:00

This is the boy we all know and love! Just look at the many expressions on his face. The silly boy closes his eyes and says "cheese" when he sees a camera.

Holiday Wreath Making

2010-11-29T00:59:00.000-08:00

Last year, the girls and I got together to make wreaths for our homes. It was so much fun that we had to do it again. Last night, (Sunday evening) we got together for some homemade Turkey soup and rolls, put on some Christmas music, and then the girls (Celeste included) went at it with wire, fresh greenery and ribbon flying in all different directions till we came up with some festive wreaths.
What is Christmas without a wreath....right?

Zoo Lights....Awesome Zoo Lights!

2010-11-28T23:05:00.001-08:00

I received an email reminder that with our zoo membership, we were invited to an early preview of the zoo light display on Thanksgiving Eve. We rounded up the Oregon kids and grand kids and made the trek in the cold night air to view the zoo lights. It was awesome, as usual! There was laughter and a festive feel in the air...and did I say...cold?

LET THE SEASON BEGIN!

TOFW Infinate Hope!

2010-11-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

Friday night and all day Sat, Michelle, Cameo, Sarah, Roy'l and I attended
Time Out for Women.
We had a wonderful time!

Friday night, Michael McLean performed. For anyone who doesn't know who Michael McLean is, he is a very talented LDS song writer and performer. He doesn't have the greatest singing voice, but he writes the most inspirational songs/music, plays, and books. He approaches very sensitive issues that we all experience, and shares the Spirit and the Gospel through his music and humor.

We were sitting close to the front, to the left of the stage...not bad seats, but not the best, but close enough to bask in the Spirit!

Sister Ardeth Kapp spoke about her years of service in the Church and finding hope that helped her through trials. What a special woman she is, and such an example!!

Mark Mabry spoke and shared his marvelous photography. I was most impressed with his sensitivity to emotions that, I'm sure, were displayed by those who actually saw and touched the Savior.

On Sat. as I was showing Mikel one of Mark's books of photography, I was overcome by the same tears and emotions that were felt the night before when the photos were first displayed for us on the screen, so Mikel purchased the book for me for my birthday. It's put away till Dec. but even the thought of it now brings tears. Needless to say, Mark Mabry's photography is fabulous!

On Sat. Mikel attended with us as he was asked to be one of the Priesthood holders in attendance in case a blessing was needed, etc. (As it turned out, he and another brother were called upon to give a blessing to a sister who had a seizure. The sister was fine afterward but her husband was called to come pick her up.)
Back to the story at hand....we arrived early on Sat. so Mikel could report for his duties. We sat in the third row from the front, to the right of the main stage. All the center seats were reserved for the sisters who arrived in the very early hours of the morning to get front seats. Mikel and I were able to enter before the crowd and save seats for our girls. It was a completely sold out event with no spare seats....except for one seat next to us. I like to think that seat was supposed to belong to our Brooke. We love you Brooke and wish you had been there!
...back to our Sat...

That day, Hilary Weeks performed. Hilary is another wonderful performer who shares her testimony of the Savior through her music. She is also a wonderful speaker and shared some very personal, humorous, touching stories and experiences.

Sis. Emily Watts shared humorous stories and experiences from her years of motherhood, and service in the Church. It was very easy to relate to her because the experiences that took place in her home could have very easily taken place in any of our homes...and probably did or are still happening!

Michael Wilcox spoke and shared that his wife is dying, but he holds to HOPE as they spend her last days together....not hope as in healing, but hope, as in Eternal families, the Atonement, service, and Gods love for each of us.

Mariam Kallon spoke about her escape from Sierra Leone, Africa, and witnessing the murders of her parents and brother and sister. She shared about the hygiene kit that was given her, and that it gave her hope to continue on to a better life. She still carries that hygiene kit as a reminder of where she came from, and what is left to do in this world.

Sister Merrilee Boyack spoke about her desire to continue servicing during her trials, and the heavy weight she carried as she ran for a political office, serving as Relief Society president, organizing the Proposition 8 campaign in California, all while fighting her cancer.

Kris Belcher spoke about her battle with cancer of the eyes at a young age, and how she held onto hope as she learned how to live her life to the fullest even though she can't see.

All the speakers shared the same messages of hope, faith, and Heavenly Father's love. We laughed, we cried, we laughed till we cried. What a glorious day and a half spent with over 2500 other women!

...and we were given adorable tote bags too!

...Just Too Darn Cute!

2010-11-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

My little KaeLynn has been gone for a week, so she needed some Nana time. I went over to have dinner with Cavan, Sarah and KaeLynn tonight, and got some "snuggle" time in. She also performed for me...what a talented little girl she is!...Just too darn cute!
(sorry this is so dark. Sometimes those moments happen without the proper lighting!)

The Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake

2010-10-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, we went to the Hogle Zoo. We have a zoo membership here in Oregon, so with our zoo membership, we are able to go to other zoo's for half price, or free...(depending on the zoo.) We are also able to go to the Aviary in Salt Lake free of charge. It is the best investment for our family! Our grandkids love to watch the animals, and we love to watch the kids, so it makes for a delightful combination!

This big elephant scared Adam because it snores, sneezes actual water from the trunk, and makes other strange noises...all detected by motion, of course.

Adam LOVED the train ride, although it just wasn't long enough for him.

The weather was beautiful and the day was great!

Frightmares at Lagoon

2010-10-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, we went to Lagoon for their Frightmares. There were all sorts of haunted houses.

Brooke and Mikel Jr went to one but they said it was pretty gruesome so I'm glad we passed, and spent out time with Adam, sharing a big pretzel and drinking hot chocolate.
Other then that, we had a great time on the rides, and watched Adam enjoying our attention. He must have ridden all the kiddie rides 3 or 4 times each, and then some of the big rides too!

There was even a "spook alley" for little kids that was not scary at all, and the kids actually got to "trick or treat". Adam loved that!

We had a wonderful time, and we can't wait to do it again sometime! Being with the kids was great....but then...it always is!

Utah or bust!

2010-10-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Mikel and I flew to Utah to spend a week with Mikel Jr. Brooke and Adam on Sat afternoon.
Sunday afternoon, we were invited to Brooke's sister, Brittani's house for ice cream.
It was so much fun watching everyone play their Wii. (I took some video but can't seem to get it to post on here, so I'll keep working on it.)

Papa spent time doing "fixer upper" things as he usually does, with Adam's help, of course!

We took a trip to the pumpkin patch and corn maze...where Adam had the time of his life!

Our next activity was a visit to the Aviary in Salt Lake.
We loved watching the beautiful birds of every kind!

\

Our 4 legged Friends

2010-10-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

We absolutely LOVE our 4 legged friends up at our Lake house! They come visiting and we can't help but take pictures! Over the years, I bet we've taken hundreds of pictures...but we always take more. Heavenly Father must truly love us to provide these beautiful creatures in our world!

Melissa's Wedding, a Visit from Aunt Jo and Cousin Leor, And Kyle's Birthday

2010-10-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

Mikel's sweet niece, Melissa got married to a wonderful man, so Aunt Jo and Leor came for the festivities. Melissa's new husband is one of the pastors of their church and has "personality plus", so they will have a very funny, and wonderful life together, as they serve in their church together, and raise their boys. Mark has two boys, and Melissa has her little Ashur. Three boys in the household will keep things interesting!

It was so sweet! After they exchanged vows, they were excused for a "private" moment behind a big cedar tree to wash each others feet. It was the first act of service for one another as a married couple.

God Bless you both Melissa and Mark! We're praying for a long and happy life together! We love you!

Since Aunt Jo and Leor were in town, we had them over for dinner one evening. It was cool outside, but we braved the elements and planned a back yard gathering.

It just so happened to be close to Kyle's birthday so we celebrated that also.

(We gave Kyle $20 all in the $1 coins, a 12 pack of Mt Dew...

and a six pack holster for his Mt Dew!)

Poor Wilson...he's not in the party mood, no matter how cute he looks!

Cameo gave Mikel a back massage...

...so Aunt Jo got in on the action too.

What a weekend we had!

Morning with Nana and Papa

2010-10-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

One morning, Michelle, Cameo, Sarah and Roy'l were all going somewhere together, so we got to have all the "Oregon" grandkids here with us, except for Celeste (who was in school) to play with and spoil. We had a great time!...especially Papa!
They played, ate, played, ate, ate some more, and played! What a morning we had!...and how blessed we are!

Catching up!....KaeLynn, the Birthday girl!

2010-10-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

I have discovered that I am so far behind, I may never catch up...but here goes!
Our little princess turned 2 years old. We had a full house with most of the Dover's here, and her great grandma and grandpa from Astoria, plus her Aunt and uncle and cousin from Vancouver....and FRIENDS!
She is one lucky little girl, having so many people to love her!

We do have a scanner....Dah!

2010-10-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, For those of you who know how to use a scanner, and know that you have one, congratulations! We used to have an old scanner/printer/copier... then we got a new "All in one". I thought it was supposed to scan, but I just couldn't figure out how to do it.

Well, my nephew asked me to scan some pictures of my daddy, so today, I set out to find a way. After about 15 minutes of hunting and searching, I FOUND THE MAGIC FORMULA! TA DA!... so the next couple hours were spent scanning and more scanning! First I scanned the few pictures I have of my dad, then I scanned some of mine, and then a few other pictures.

Pictures of my daddy over the years...

...as a young Marine- about 1941

taken in about 1944 at Camp Elliott in San Diego CA

This picture is of my Daddy-Reas Allen, my cousin-Reas Allen, and my cousin's grandson-Reas Allen. Daddy was named after his uncle Reas Axtell.

Uncle Jack, Daddy, and Uncle Glen

Hey...I'm excited!

Company Picnic

2010-09-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Mikel's company picnic. Every year, it is a race to see if he can collect enough meal tickets for our adult kids from fellow employees who don't plan to attend. As usual, he was able to collect enough. The food is always plentiful and terrific! This year, there were burgers and bbqued chicken, salads, corn on the cobb, and baked beans. And then there are the never ending hotdogs, strawberry shortcake, cotton candy, ice cream, elephant ears and soda pop. The kids nibble off the adult plates, and then go for the good stuff. Usually, the adults just let the kids "have at it", and enjoy a day of goodies. It won't kill them...right?...and just look at these happy little faces!

(Javen and Gordon sharing ice cream)

There were rides to be ridden...

...walls to be climbed...

(Sarah made it to the top...)

(so did Roy'l...)

(and Kyle made it to the top also...)

...animals to be petted...

...and bouncy things to be...well...bounced upon...

...and the cutest little face that waited in a long line to be painted!

...at the end of the day, there were happy faces...

...and some "other" faces...

How can we not love this group?

Visiting the Zoo...and more camping!

2010-09-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

We have enjoyed our Zoo membership! It is a wonderful thing! We not only get to enjoy the Oregon Zoo as often as we want, but our membership also allows us to visit other zoos. We can also visit the Wildlife Safari in So. Oregon, and the Bird Aviary in Utah for free! Free is a very good price!

We visited the zoo last week.

It was a great day!

....now back to the mountains...
Javen and his uncle Dillan enjoying some quiet time...

Breakfast at the Hideaway.

...entertaining Javen...and our little sleeping beauty, Leann.

Snuggle time with Cavan, Sarah and KaeLynn...and little Gordon.

A morning adventure on the boat...some of us enjoyed the ride while others slept through it!

...some good times...and wonderful memories!