Thanksgiving - Saturday

So while Jeff's family was here, and at his request, we had our gingerbread house-making party. The kids were excited, of course - let the candy flow!!!

Ethan works on his roofing skills.

Aubrey catches Larissa sampling the decorations!

Mitchell and Noah work on their train - an engine and a caboose.

Busy, busy, busy

Jesse with his finished house.

Becky helps Grace with her creation.

Noah and Mitchell beam at their "finished" product.

Grace with her completed house.

Larissa beams with her house complete with lollipop tree.

The train needs some more decor.....

Ethan shows off his house.

Some of the finished projects.

Kaylee with her house.

Jayden with his house.

Aubrey with her house.

Anna has a completed house.

Everyone had a good time and the house smelled wonderful. Thankful for all these special grandkids (and the ones who couldn't make it). Making memories!

Thanksgiving - Friday

Prep work to take down 2 trees, the big redwood and a smaller one next to it.

This is the smaller of the 2 trees down now.

Dave Jones, our home teacher, brought his bucket truck to take this redwood down limb by limb and then in 4 chunks. He used to do this for a living. He's an electrician/lineman with his own company nowadays.

Mom almost had a coronary when he stepped out of the bucket and onto the limbs 40 feet in the air!

Tied off now Dave instructs how to pull when he finishes the cuts.

The top came down slightly more to the left than was comfortable - I nearly had a coronary. The whole idea was to keep from smashing the neighbor's sheds. Dave did a magnificent job.

Came down in 4 chunks with only 1 minor divet in the driveway.

Our other home teacher, Allen Berry, had a bigger saw than we did and was able to do a better cutting job. Took awhile but it all got taken care of.

Dave prepares to level off the stump.

Huge rings. About 20 years ago we bought it as a live Christmas tree in a container.

Cutting up the logs.

All that's left - plus a top that might become a Christmas tree this year. Thankful for good home teachers willing to help and for the safety of all involved.

Thanksgiving - Thursday

This cutie-patootie, otherwise known as Aubrey Timmons, loved watching stuff cook.

"Wow, grandma, what a big turkey!"

Didn't get many pics of the "grown-up" table. This is the kid table - have to get them served before you have a mutiny on your hands.

Jeff and Becky arm wrestle. Still teasing each other after all these years! He won but he was good and sore afterwards! We had a great day and a wonderful weekend visiting with family. Truly something to be thankful for.

Beating the Heat in Grandma's Yard

Okay, so Jeff's family was in town and Kristina's boys were divided between me and Mandie (she was at Girl's Camp all week) and it was hotter than..... I got out some containers I'd been saving for just such an occasion. I figure boys are going to throw water somehow so I just helped them along and they all had a blast.

So while Phil and Jeff re-shingled the roof in the heat cousins Jesse, Jayden, Ethan, and Noah were throwing water all over the place.

These are the containers I've collected from Costco. I make a lot of cocoa mix around here. Unfortunately they don't come with the nifty handles that these have anymore, so I'm glad I saved these.

Hike to Dry Creek Falls

Okay, so after attending the dance festival Friday night and finishing our hosting responsibilities Saturday morning, June 26, we went for a hike. I found somewhere new to go. It's a little-known place along the PCT (Pacific Coast Trail), near the town of Cascade Locks.

Becky and her girls joined us for a day in the woods. Felt good to get out there after the wet spring we've had.

Of course, no hike is complete without the obligatory climb on downed trees. These were obviously cut this year to clear the trail. This is Kaylee and Grace.

Becky and I were walking along behind Phil and the girls when this deer came through the brush. He did not seem in any hurry as he walked through the brush along the trail as we walked along. Eventually he crossed in front of us. We watched him for a long time as he ate leaves. We got several pics before we decided to catch up to the rest.

Then as we entered this clearing we found our deer again! He had taken a short-cut over the ridge. This time everyone got to see him as he again leisurely browsed before heading back into the woods.

We almost turned back as we didn't hear any water and wondered if my information was outdated. My book said 2.2 miles and sure enough at around 2 miles (GPS) we heard water and came out at the creek (exactly 2.2 miles). Pretty place for lunch. As you can see Phil found his spot.

This is Grace trying to give the grown-ups a heart attack trying to cross the creek on slippery rocks.

Here Kaylee and Grace watch sticks they've thrown into the river float downstream.

Rock-throwing is a must-do activity at any creek. Aubrey did her share.

Nice little hike to a beautiful spot.

Aubrey. This is what it looks like to drop your walking stick and no one will let you go back for it.

A little farther up from our lunch spot was the falls. Becky's family pose in front of Dry Creek Falls.

"I can fly"

Oh my.....just read the shirt!

Grandpa and his shadows head back down the trail.

Grace and a log.

Kaylee and the same log.

No trip to Cascade Locks is complete without one of their famous ice cream cones. This is a baby cone!

Jumping off the rocks in the nearby park. Perfect ending to a beautiful day.