SPLITTING WOOD

Brent and Paxton helped Kent split and stack wood today. Paxton loves to help and thought it was great fun running the log splitter. In between, he came inside and helped Gramma bake cookies. Dumping the flour in the mixing bowl, he kinda missed a little -- "Whoops, sorry Gramma! Guess I need a little more practice!"



Paxton helping stack the wood.
(Brent's pic)











Running the log splitter for Grampa! Great fun!
(Brent's pic)

THIS IS SPRING???!!! March 28, 2008

Woke up this morning to SNOW!!! A real contrast to our last two weeks in AZ and CA!!! I thought this was supposed to be SPRING! No school again today. The robins must wonder what is going on. Lots of birds at the feeders all day. Well, HAPPY SPRING ..... sometime! CHEERIO!

A bird waiting his turn at the feeders...

Looking down our driveway... Looking across our front lawn...

2008 MARCH 19-22 - - ON TO CALIFORNIA!

Here we are in sunny California! Everything was lush and beautiful with flowers blooming and warm sunny days! Ron & Terri Bone picked us up at the airport in Orange County and drove us around sight seeing a bit. Had a lovely lunch at the beautiful Montage Hotel overlooking the ocean where their daughter Courtney got married. Meeting that night was at John & Myra Hazelrig's. She is Janet Nicol's cousin, and they were in our home with Janet several years ago. Nice to see Steve & Joyce (she is Greg Kilgas' cousin) Smith there also. Thursday was more sightseeing around San Clemente area, some shopping,lunch at a neat little place on the beach, and back to their home in San Clemente for delicious grilled salmon dinner. Dennis & Karen Stip came for dinner and the evening. He is Ron's uncle, and Kent was in the service with Dennis also. Friday was more sight seeing and shopping and then to a gorgeous nursery farm, which had some of the most fantastic displays and home decor I have ever seen. Most interesting! Also saw a display of farm machinery & tools with various pieces put together & brightly painted -- very artistic and interesting! That evening we went to their daughter's home in Orange, CA -- Wade & Courtney Harritt. Carmella (Smidt) and her husband Jimmy Tisdale live right nearby and met us there and went out to eat with us. Nice to be with them. We had a great evening. Sorry we didn't get to see the Bones' other daughter -- Jamie & Brett Gonce who live in Bend, OR. Saturday after a relaxing morning over coffee, Ron took us to San Diego and we flew home. Leaving the desert and sunny California to come back to the prospect of more SNOW! Where is spring??? :)
Ron & Terri Bone's home in San Clemente with a beautiful view of the ocean over rooftops of homes.













Ron & Terri's back yard & patio












Ron & Terri















Our cottage bedroom at Ron & Terri's











The Montage Hotel














Enjoying the ocean after lunch at the Montage Hotel. Beautiful spot!












Beautiful view of the beach by the Montage Hotel














Another scenic spot!












Meeting at John & Myra Hazelrig's













Steve & Joyce Smith

Checking out the interesting display of farm machinery & tools. Someone is very creative!













Artistic & colorful display of farm equipment & tools!












Some of the gorgeous flower displays at the nursery farm.















Dennis & Karen Stip











Painting of Courtney & Jamie Bone
















Wade & Courtney's home -- just moved in!














Jimmy & Carmella Tisdale














Good-bye to Ron & Terri! Great bed and breakfast hosts!













Beautiful flowers along freeway on the way to San Diego airport.

2008 MARCH 11-19 -- TRIP TO PHOENIX

Kent flew to Las Vegas Tuesday March 11th with Dad and Roger and met up with Carl's family for the big Construction Expo for several days. At the same time, I flew out to Phoenix to see my sister Donna in her new "snowbird" home. They have been flying back and forth from Iowa all winter to enjoy some time there. They live in a new development way out from Phoenix and all the hustle bustle with beautiful quiet walking paths for miles and the desert and mountains behind them. A whole different landscape with stone yards and desert plantings and flowers in the stones and the saguero cactus everywhere. We enjoyed leisurely mornings with coffee and walks, relaxing in the sun, a cooking class one morning including a delicious lunch, touring model homes, visiting, and of course some "retail therapy"!!! We had a great time! We had hoped my sister Marilyn would also be able to join us for some special sister time together, but that didn't work out for her this time. We did visit my cousins, Edgar & Louise Bengtson who live in Mesa, and another cousin wintering there from MI, Leonard and Charlotte Bengtson came over for the afternoon also. Lots of reminiscing and laughs of our growing up years. One evening we joined Myron & Darlene Peterson and Lou & Sharon Bergh (MN) at a Japanese restaurant for dinner. Kent flew in from Vegas Saturday eve but had the stomach bug that night and Sunday, so that kept him in bed. It was nice to be in meeting at the Berghs Sunday and see several that we knew, including Verna Eames Anderson whose family and 3 daughters we knew growing up in St. Louis and Des Moines. The Bergh's daughter and family were there, and she lived in Boston for a year -- Carmen & Patrick Mazza. It was nice to be in Debbie Gillette and Gayle Perry's gospel meeting in the PM. John flew in Sunday eve, so we 4 had a few days all together anyway. Went to a Marriott for a huge delicious brunch Monday AM and then on to Sedona in the afternoon. What a beautiful scenic area!!! Tuesday we had another relaxing AM and walk and then went to a baseball exhibition game between the Texas Rangers and Oakland A's. That was fun! After that we had a very interesting tour of the inside of the big U. of Arizona dome where the Super Bowl was played this year. Wednesday the 19th we left AZ and the desert and flew on to Orange County airport in sunny warm California.

Donna & John's home in Peoria, AZ.

Their back yard with desert, a country club, and the mountains behind them.












Sisters enjoying a relaxing week together!












Stopped back at Darlene's for a drink after the Bosch Kitchen cooking class.











Had coffee and a good chat with Edgar & Louise in their home.













Leonard & Charlotte joined us for coffee and visit at Edgar's.














"The desert blooms as paradise..."
Enjoyed spring in bloom on our walks!









Walking along the road behind Donna & John's home with the country club and mountains in the background.











One of the many cinder paths we took on our morning walks....














Out to dinner at a Japanese restaurant after relaxing in the sun in the PM.















Myron & Darlene Peterson









Lou & Sharon Bergh from MN, wintering in AZ











The Bergh's daughter and family -- Carmen & Patrick Mazza from MN












Verna (Eames) Anderson. She and Loren (deceased)had 3 daughters our ages and also lived in St. Louis & Des Moines.












Enjoying the beautiful grounds of the Marriott Hotel after our big brunch!












Kent & Sharon enjoying a walk around the Marriott after brunch.















John & Donna










The big stadium where this year's Super Bowl was played (and the Patriots' LOST!!!).












Inside the DOME that has a retractable roof














Beautiful scenery in Sedona!














Another view of Sedona












Late afternoon in Sedona.











Kent & Sharon enjoying Sedona beauty!


Off to California tomorrow!

EASTER SUNDAY 2008

Our whole family was invited to Brad & Shelley's for a scrumptious dinner after meeting. Brent & Brad hid a bunch of plastic eggs outside for the kids to find, and the kids had a mad scramble to fill their baskets with eggs before dinner. Many of the eggs were filled with coins or candy, so that added to the fun. After dinner we took a bunch of family pictures. Shaelyn is 6 weeks old now and smiling, but we didn't catch the smiles on camera this time. (I am using some of Brent's pics along with my own, as some of mine didn't come out as well as his. Thanks again, Brent!)


Grandkids happy with their full baskets of eggs!
(Brent's pic)












Grampa & Gramma with grandkids
(Brent's pic)












The 4 grandkids

Shaelyn dressed up in her little bunny outfit from Grampa -- 6 weeks old!

Our whole family

(Brent's pic)

Brent, Johanna, Paxton & Shaelyn


(Brent's pic)





















Brad, Shelley, Ellie & Ava
(Brent's pic)