Family events of spring

I've been bad about making posts lately, but I wanted to share some photos from some recent family events. I'm also hoping someone who got a good family photo from Matthew's graduation will share that. That might make a good new blog banner photo. I'm also interested in seeing photos from Maya's first communion.

A modern Sarah

My thanks to Sarah for providing some updated photos. These photos are much more indicative of Sarah as she looks today, now that she is 17.

I am certainly glad I don't have to deal with a candle representing every year of my age on birthday cakes anymore. From this photo, of Sarah with Andrew, even 17 candles looks daunting.
The other photos is Sarah getting ready to attend the Oregon FFA Convention in Pendleton over the past weekend.

You remember FFA, its the organizations that used called the Future Farmers of America. It's a great organization, but if you've forgive me for ranting for a moment, if there's one thing more annoying than acronyms its and acronym that doesn't stand for anything.

The rant aside, Sarah sure makes that classic-style blue cordoroy jacket look good! I'm trying to persuade Sarah to share some of her impressions from the convention in a post here on the family blog. I doubt I'm the only one who would be interested in hearing about all the excitement of the convention and Sarah's views on it.
My thanks to Sarah for sharing the photos. I hope she had a great birthday and a great time at the convention.

Where's Matthew?

Kudos to Matthew for being one of the Citizen Cup honorees from Pendleton High School. Featured in the EO , a Citizen Cup award and he's got a birthday coming up on March 3.

Does the recognition ever end?

A weekend of good food, good music and celebrating all things Elizabeth

The photos in the slideshow in the right side rail are from dinner at Cat's house on Saturday and Monica and Elizabeth's house on Sunday for Elizabeth's birthday. For those of you who were there, it was great to spend time with you this weekend. For those of you who weren't, we missed you all.

Elizabeth, I hope you had a great weekend. And thanks for sharing it with us all. And Cat and Monica, thank you very much for the great food. I should have brought home doggie bags.

Can you picture it?

I added a couple of photo slideshows to the side rail. One has some photos Suzanna took at the Hermiston watermelon giveaway in Portland this summer. The other is the photos I've uploaded to the blog so far.

Check them out and feel free to share your own photos for those of you who have signed up for the blog.

Our opening pic, blogs and safe landings...

Hello!

Just wanted to share with all of you that my little girl has just safely landed in Portland! Phew! She's ours next year....so, i say that we all try and get together on the actual holiday of x-mas!!

that's A....

who says that we should update that opening pic?? i bet that it's the last time a pic like that was sucessfully taken of most of us together...but we should really try to gather for a new one...WHO'S WITH ME?!

that's B....

and C is....

THIS IS SOOOO COOL!! GARY YOU ARE A GENIUS!! Rockin Rockus!

k, that's my lot!

love you all! be safe for New Year's!!

ps- did i mention that my oldest baby is home??!!?? yeeehawww!!

Christmas past and present

Christmas always falls on the same date on the calendar, Dec. 25, but many years Christmas is celebrated on another date. Sometimes there are several Christmases each year. It all depends on when family or friends can make time, or traverse distance, to be together.

For many years, I was not really a big fan of Christmas. And I've never cared for shopping very much But that changed sometime over the years. I have found I actually enjoy Christmas shopping for Suzanna. I'm not sure I'm any good at it. But trying to find things she will like -- maybe things on her wish list, maybe things she hasn't expressed a wish for, has been much more fun that I really care to admit.

Now the wrapping part, that I hate. I"m not good at it. The gifts I wrap always look like they they were wrapped by a 5 year old or like gifts that have been sitting under the tree for weeks that pets have been using as chew toys. It's not good.

Thank goodness for whomever invented the gift bag!

I would be hard pressed to remember many specific gifts I've received (or given for that matter) for Christmas. But I have many happy memories from Christmas gatherings from one end of the state to the other. So I thought I'd share some photos of Christmases past from the holiday season. I'm not many, or any of them were actually taken on Christmas day. But these are some examples of what I remember about Christmas.

Does anyone else remember the year Anna was pregnant with Andrew and Christmas at Martha and Michael's house? One of the lasting images for me were Michael and Suzanna on the little couch and Michael covered with holiday ribbons. Another was Cat going around the room demonstrating Anna's head massager gift. Judging by Anna's reaction, she's seemed to like it.

I lost most of my photos from Christmas last year in Pendleton, but I do still have this family portrait, that shows just how much Andrew has grown. And of course this year, Sarah no longer has braces, and Andrew is bigger still.

Sadly, though, Shawn is still known to wear green U of O Duck gear.

And speaking of changes, does anyone recognize the little brown-haired girl in this photo? Before we all know it, Isabel will be that age and Maya will be looking and acting all grown up!






In this one, Monica shows off some fancy martini glasses she got as a gift, and Elizabeth seems to appreciate them too. Unfortunately, there weren't martini fixins included with the gift.



And this photo was from a recent Christmas at my parents' house, with my grandmother, my parents and my brother Dean. This will be our first Christmas without my grandmother, who died earlier this month. We miss you Grandma.

For those of you I won't see this holiday season, you are much on my mind this season. Thanks for the Christmas card Martha and Michael. And thanks to all of you who have been the part of so many happy Christmas memories.

May you all have a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year!