90th Birthday Party!~

The "Birthday Girl" and her children!  Keith, Melody, Heather, Mom, Joy, and Dolores. So glad I managed to steal this photo - my camera died right after the party started!

Fabulous photos of Mom's life.  I tried to get photos of the pictures but just couldn't make it work.  Maybe, if I'm lucky, I can eventually get them scanned. 

 

A beautiful (and good tasting) cake!

Mom cuts her cake!

April brought this chair up and used it for a very original guest book.  It was full of names before the party was over!

Elizabeth and Bray - They enjoyed hanging out!

Rick and the girls

Me, Keith, and Bray

A few of the ladies that came to wish Mom a great day.

April and Brennan

Mom and Melody

 There was a lot of good food and great company for all to enjoy while being with Mom on her special day.  We are blessed to have been able to be with her.  And it was so great to work with the family for the little amount that I was able to contribute!  It was to bad that the roses that April sent didn't last long enough to grace Mom's table ~ they were so beautiful! 

After getting everything all cleaned up and back into the proper order - Dolores brought her grandkids over to the Motel and joined us at the pool - time to cool off and relax!  I plugged in my camera - but - no battery yet!

A mad dash!

After the 4th - we worked on trying to get the house finished in time for our mad dash across the US!  Brayana joined Keith and I in our summer trip to Florida to get the final load of our belongings out of storage there.  And to bring the pickup back out here to the West Coast.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn on the beach for a few days while we re-connected with Barb and Jim, and, Jessie and John from Lakewood Village.  The summer Florida heat is something that is definately for those strong at heart - not for a weakling like me!  About all I wanted to do was to sit in the relative cool of the ocean breezes!

At Mulligans Restaurant in Vero Beach

Walking back from dinner at the Waldo's in the Driftwood Inn

Headed out to see the SEA TURTLES and the wreck just off the beach with the kayak and snorkles!

On the way to DisneyWorld - the pick was Magic Kingdom! 

We did Magic Kingdom until the wee hours of the morning - we caught the last bus back to the hotel at 1:30 am!

  The heat was about to get the best of all of us!  I do believe that it was well over 100 degrees but even that didn't stop us from riding all the rides and walking the whole park.  I don't think there was anything that Brayana wanted to ride that we didn't make it too.  Right up until closing time!  I had a great time ~ I was sure tired when we got back to the hotel! :-)

And after the Magic Kingdom we took off for Kentucky.  That oppressive summer heat stayed with us the entire drive.  I had wanted to stop at the Lookout Mountain (that had been on my bucket list for years) but it was just to hot!  Maybe next time!

We made it to Ken and Dolores's home in Kentucky in record time - and got started in trying to make sure that all went well for Mom Beatty's 90th birthday on Saturday.  We went over and had lunch in Charlestown, checked out the Church, had a great visit and got pretty well caught up since the last visit.  Brayana kept saying "I think I was here, I think I've been here before" and it turned out - she had already actually visited both Dolores's and Mom's homes when they visited Elizabeth and Brennan a few years ago.  So she got to revisit and remember!

Bray got her hair done and looks soooo pretty!

Keith and Mom at lunch

Dolores making sure that all is coordinated for the Party!

And here is my disclaimer for the time stamps!  I forgot to change the time and then it got changed to 12 hours later than it was - So if it looks like it's close to midnight - it was probably closer to noon!! 

Sorry!!

Independence Day Weekend!

To continue our weekend - on Sunday, we actually made it to Church on time!  Had a great message sitting out in the Ampetheater at River View Fellowship.  Sitting out in the sunshine, looking at the trees, and feeling the breeze while listing to Pastor Matt - puts a whole new meaning to God's works.   It is just so amazing!  After Church we met with a few of the leaders for trying to organize Jeremy's Memorial Event next month.  I wasn't able to participate much in that meeting - but I did watch the little ones...

Then Amanda and family brought all the leftovers from thier camping, Diane brought her kids over, and we had a wonderful afternoon of friendship and food. We wrapped up the little one's evenings with s'mores... boy how funny!

and a friendly little Elmore wrestle! (btw Chato rescued Raffy, his toy)

Then all but the 2 youngest went down to watch the Mill fireworks while I stuck the 2 boys in the tub and they watched tv.  We liked that better than the "booms"! LOL

And on Monday, we actually went down to Bandon ourselves - to Jay and Amanda's.  Keith hadn't been down that far on Hwy 101 - so he saw a little bit of 'new' (hahaa) scenery!

Where we ate SOME MORE!!

We meandered home again just before dark - and in time to see the Eastside Fireworks go off over the Bay.  They were the best!  We just watched them out the front door - at least I did!  The kids went out to the front yard and watched them from there!

And bright and early Tuesday morning it was time for the Elmores to pack up and leave, sniff sniff,  I'm always sad to see them leave - I pray often that we can be closer in distance - but - time will tell if that one is God's will.  I love having them here and watching them grow!  I love the life and vitality that having children in the house brings - even when they've become part of the mindless (hehee) and I am teasing!

So, now we are back to our normal hahaa!  Brayana is still with us - working most days and waiting for our intended take off date to go back east!

But first! the house!!! ;-)

Home again, Home again!

We have been safely ensconsed back in Coos Bay for a couple of weeks now!  We brought Brayana and Jaleel back down from Washington with us.  They are earning some spending money by helping the contractor who is 'doing up' the new addition to our house. 
Since we sold the biggest house we had when we sold out in Vero - we had to have someplace for all of our prized personal possessions.  We both pack a load of 'stuff' that we have become very, very attached to~  kid pictures, gifts from kids, crafts kids made, cards from kids, albums for kids, photos and keepsakes from our travels, and then there is the legal crap that we seem to need at every single turn, old tax returns, birth certificates, etc.  So we decided to add on a room.  Then that room became a master bedroom with bath - then it became a whole new addition!  So now - finished in just a short few weeks - will be our 1,000 sq ft addition to our 812 sq ft house! LOL

It is going to be sooo neat!  We have also been able to fix may of the issues our last contractor, that fixed the flood damage, left undone or did very, very sloppily!

Meanwhile, the Elmores came down for the 4th of July (and to pick up Jaleel) weekend and we had a great time! We went to Powers for the White Cedar Days (of course we missed the parade) and had pot luck with Evelyn's Model A Club.

Destini, Dad, Evelyn, and Me at the Pioneer House Grove in Powers

Cavelle had a blast!  Red Snowcone, lots of fruit, and in the old Koontz Dairy Model A~~ What more could an almost-4 year old boy want!

 From there we went up to the County Park to see Amanda, Jay, and kids!

Makkiah, Taniyah, Danika, Cavelle ~ from oldest to youngest!

Just us "Girls" at Powers.

Then came the Birthday Girl!!
And she's 15!!!

from there Keith and I went to pick up Chato from his Grandaddy - who stole him from the pot-luck :-)

and we had another BBQ at Yellow Creek

We finally made it home just before dark - and boy were we tired!





Celena's Pizza and Best Western Hacienda

First my rant and if I have time I will recap our trip!  And that will more than likely be in a different post as I'm pretty ticked right now!!!

We left after Church on Sunday and flew to SD for several reasons - one being me needing the dentist rather badly - It worked that the contractors really wanted us out of the house so they could get thier work done - but - that's still another story!! LOL  I know, I do tend to run around the track a bit -
But to my rant!

I've been 'dentisting' all week.  My mouth has been to sore to eat since Monday morning!  Tonight she finished up everything (amazing in itself!) and it all feels really, really good.  And I'm hungry!!.

Keith and I walked down to Coldstone for a snack.  It's Friday night in Old Towne and everything is crowded - and long lines everyhwere - so we decied to come back and order from the flyer that we found in our room...  Celena's Pizza.

Boy, If you are ever in San Diego and find a flyer for Celena's Pizza - just use it for tp or something!!!
The flyer says "FREE DELIVERY TO MOST AREAS", as well as offering a 10% Military Discount, and $2 off if you have to use your cell phone.  The menu has a pretty good variety of pasta and pizza.  So we decide on the Pasta for 2 for $20.00 which included 2 salads, garlic bread, and 2 cokes.  Keith decided that he also wanted a piece of cheesecake - so ok....  Still not bad.  He got the spaghetti and meatballs and I ordered the lasagna.  It is announced that the total is 36.95 and 45 min to 1 hour.  It took a minute - (and after the hangup) for me to realize he hadn't gotten the credit card number either.  And I was still trying to figure out the total price.  So I find in little bitty words on the back - 'delivery charge $5.50  So.. still I am confused - but then again - that is normal... hahaa!!

So our food gets here and we give him the credit card - he says - give the number to the man on the phone - so - ok - and the man says there will be an additional charge for using the credit card!  and the free delivery is only in "most areas" -- so I ask several times where 'most areas' are and completely get the run around before he finally says, it must mean downtown... and then he wants a tip.  I know it's not his fault - but I just got ripped off for his tip by his employer!!  $10 for taxes, delivery charge, and credit card payment charge!!  and he wants a tip too???  Well, I left that part up to Keith - don't really know what he did - but GEEEZZZZ!!  And I looked up the place and it's in Mission Valley - a scant mile from here.  Talk about a total rip!!!

And we open our now lukewarm food - Keith has no meatballs, the lasagna is watery,the salads are wilty lettuce, no parm, the garlic bread was put in the bag with the cokes, and the portions are so small that Keith ate both of them... and the cheesecake was the size of a matchbox. 

So that is what you get from Celena's Pizza menu that is in the hotel room at Best Western Hacienda!!  So very disappointing ~ and so sad that yet another person just practices a rip off!

So, now I'm over my rant and feel all better - and hope to save some other sucker from being the same suckers we were!

June Gloom!

On June 1 we went up to Washington to watch the older 3 kids participate in the District Track meet. Destini didn't end up qualifying at the end, and right before the meet - Brayana didn't either - she was 1% below the allowable grade in one of her classes ~ and not enough time between the grade check and the meet to do anything to bring it up - so we all went and cheered Jaleel on. He did the Javelin thro - 108 feet (or somewhere close to that) - his team placed 1st in the 2x200 (which gave his team 1st place in the state) and 3rd in the last relay of the day. Their team was affected by an injury which necessitated a last minute substitution ~ but made up a lot of ground and finished well anyway. We had a blast at the track meet.

Here is Jaleel winning the 1st relay:

We also attended Tetee's t-ball game.  She reminds me sooooo much of her mother at that age!  'Nuff said there! LOL

 She loves getting her uniform on and all the preparation~

But the rest of it gets a bit boring for her! LOL

Since we were there for S'te's birthday I thought I'd work with the kids to bake a cake for her ~~~ It wasn't one of our finer outcomes - to say the very, very least! Being unfamiliar with her ovens - I didn't realize that neither of them (she has 2) heat evenly or tay at a temp well...

So needless to say.. the cake looked rather terrible! I went to stack it and .... welll....

I did find enough of a piece to put her flames on!  Boy what a volcano!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!

Spring in Coos Bay

We have several projects in the works again this summer! I spent Jeremy's birthday staying quite busy. Tim drug out the roto-tiller and we tag team tilled and piled the fresh mound of dirt that has really made our garden quite a site. Since it is all fresh dirt - we decided to plant potatoes and just a few other items - and when they are done - maybe we will level it out a bit more.

Buiding a pile of dirt for the garden!

Cleaning up a bit!

Leveled out some!

Tim and Keith built the terrace up some before the rototilling ended.

So after all of that preparation - we (Tim and I) planted some 'taters, tomatoes, lettuce, and a few peppers.  I left him with a bunch of seeds - so we will see what he accomplishes while we are gone haha....

It has been colder than usual and really quite wet - so we were really late getting much of anything done.  The berries have a lot of blooms and the fruit trees had a lot of blossoms on them - but so far - no fruities are showing up. 

We had a little guy come stay with us for about a month - which was pretty neat in itself.  I always enjoy being busy!

Our biggest project has been an addition to our house.  and I will post more on that when it is complete.  It has been a big, big learning experience watching those guys put it together.  An amazing project!  I am excited about seeing the finished project!!!