Our Life & Times

Lehman Family Reunion

We waited all year for this particular week in March to arrive... The time when all the Lehman children would be here for a visit .... Jay & Amy, Matt & Tasha, and Alyson & Ben.... The main focus of the visit was for Alyson's Baby Shower on the 28th.... but before that day was to arrive, we had a few days in between to spend precious family time together.... just hanging out relaxing and catching up.... Thursday evening we played a couple of games... Scene It and Taboo!! Bruce had Matt help him out with his lap top as he hasn't been able to get it on line and I had a few issues of my own with my computer.... The following pictures are moments of our time together ....

Alyson posing for big belly shot... Looking pretty good isn't she!!

Just a pretty shot of Tasha and Amy....

Hanging out watching TV, working on computers, and cell phones...

Armani' and Chewy getting acquainted....

Boys being boys....

Expectant parents enjoying a moment....

Matt & Jay chatting with Dad while he makes breakfast....

I never looked this good when I was pregnant!!

One afternoon, Grampa Bruce took us all out for a ride on one of the school buses he drives... What fun that was!!

Ben & Chewy making friends....

Alyson hitting on the shrimp....

Stopping off at Talcott Falls for a look see....

BIG NEWS!! Amy and Jay are expecting twins in October.... Some days weren't so good for Amy but she hung in there the best she could...Here she's taking a moment to rest with Armani'.....

Expectant Dad, Ben poking Baby Mac in hopes to get him moving about ....

Playing a game of Scen It.... Guys against the Girls!! The guys won!!

These were just a few of the moments of our few days together... Always our time together, too short but always filled with great memories to hold us over until the next family get together....

"Chandler"

"Chase"

"Charlie"

Alyson's Baby Shower

March 28th... Alyson's Baby Shower.... Alyson went with the Winnie The Pooh Theme, which was fun to work with in decorating.... Her mother in law not only ordered her the cake for the party, but an additional smaller cake for them to freeze until Baby Mac's 1st Birthday....

With "loads" of help from Tasha and Amy, we got the place decorated for the party, which started at 1 p.m.... The men folk took the little fellas out for the day ....They had lunch out and then went to a movie...

Starting from the left: Ben's Gramma and Mom....

Alyson and her Mom (the proud new gramma to be)....

Alyson and one of her close friends from her high school days, Kelly....

Time to play some party games... Here everyone is trying to make out who the adult version of the baby pictures were... I only guessed two....

Another game involved sniffing diapers and trying to guess "What Daddy Fed The Baby"... For those weak in the stomach... the diapers were filled with different chocolate bar versions.... Her my good friend, Debbie trying to snif out what her diaper held....

It may be chocolate now... but the real thing is only a couple of months away for Ben & Alyson... Have fun you two!!

The big winner of the day...... Tasha!! She won a gift certificate for Starbucks!!.... You go girl!!

JoAnne and Alyson trying to find out what she's carrying... a boy or a girl... The needle got it right.... It's a boy!!!

You're suppose to hold the needle over the pregnant woman's wrist (from a string) and allow it to move on it's own... straight up and down.... boy ...... in circles.... a girl!!

Debbie holding it over Amy's wrist, who is pregnant for twins due in October.... They're hoping for a boy and a girl... AND according to the needle.... It's one of each!!

The little Momma to Be ready to open her gifts......

This basket full of goodies is from Amy.....

A cute littel piggy bank where Mom & Dad can discard their coins at the end of their day....

This gift bag filled with all kinds of good stuff to include "green" products, is from Tasha....

The Pack N Play is from me along with the other stuff in it......

Bruce put Tasha in charge of running his "new" video camera....

This quilt was homemade by my boss's wife, which is one of the gifts from me, along with a couple of crocheted crib blankets....

After all the gifts were opened, Alyson's cousin placed this ribbon hat on her head from all the gift packages.... Of course we had her model it for us...

Time for Alyson to cut the cake....

The shower was a grand success and Alyson received loads of great stuff for her new little baby boy.... The men were allowed to return... and I got Ben & Alyson to pose together for this shot....

Time to load up the gifts....

It was a snug fit but with a little push & shove, they were finally able to get it all loaded into their car ready for their trip home in the morning....

And of course, Dad had to have his final 'good-byes' with his little girl.... He's still dealing with the fact his baby girl is a full grown woman now, not to mention about to become a mother... We are both so proud of the fine young woman she's become and the wonderful mother we know she'll be....

Alyson & Ben... we so enjoyed our time with you (although way too short) and will be standing by waiting for that "special" call.... whether it be day or the middle of the night.... The call telling us of the arrival of our newest grand baby.... We'll be down in July to check him out.... See you then!!!

The Lehman Family 2009

While we had everyone together and who knows when we will again, Bruce wanted to make sure we got plenty of photos of all of us together... Luckily for those of you viewing this entry, I'll only post the following three.....

Starting from the left: Jay - Bruce - Matt - Alyson

From the left: Jay & Amy - Alyson & Ben - Matt & Tasha

And here we all are together.... Amy, Jay, Alyson, Ben, Me, Bruce, Chandler, Charlie, Tasha, Matt and last but certainly not least... Chase... One big happy family!!

We had a wonderful visit and look forward to when we can all do this again!! Until then, we're already starting to miss each and every one of you... So let's make it soon!!

Semi-Retirement for Bruce

Getting tired of the long hours and grind of the bread industry, Bruce finally decided it was time to consider other options... Starting with getting out of the business completely and going into semi-retirement.... So to help him/us celebrate the opening of a new door in our lives, Vaughn & Debbie opened their home (once again) to help me throw him a Surprise Retirement Party.... Actually all the work fell upon Vaughn & Deb.... My part was to keep Bruce oblivious of everything until the appointed day of the party... Although Deb and I did manage to get a little shopping time in for party favors the night before (I told Bruce we were shopping for a shower gift for a friend at church, which in part was true).... What's a party without balloons!!!

I think he was pretty much fooled right up until we pulled up in front of the Shoen's home... I think that several cars parked outside when we arrived, might have been a little give away, but it was when he spotted John & Linda's new KIA, that he started to put it together.... but I stayed mum and kept walking towards the house, Bruce following behind adding up the pieces of my suspicious behavior of the past few days.... I would have loved to have caught a picture of his face when he first walked through the door, but this is the closest I could get... ....

He was really surprised when he finally noticed his sister, Bonnie and her husband Fred in the room....

Of course with every good party there's always good food to accompany....

And of course, good friends.....

Bruce and Bonnie finding time to do some catching up.....

This may look like an ordinary cake, but don't let the outside appearance fool you... This is the ultimate of Carrot cakes.... one of Bruce's favorite cakes, I might add....

Bruce, getting a little help from Deb.....

This thing was packed full of flavor .... If anyone's interested in checking it out for themselves, I do know the chef who made it for us.... She's in the business and this is her Signature Cake.... And let me tell you... she knows what she's doing......

A gift from Uncle Paul.... I might add here that Bruce's new endeavor in life is as a school bus driver... He's already in training and loving the idea of a slower paced job where he can find time to enjoy life more..... Not so sure how much he's going to like driving around a bunch of noisy children, but hey it's only a few hours each day and the rest of the day he can recoup and who knows... maybe even get in a game or two of golf.....

Saying good-bye......

Last but certainly not least... a good-bye to his sister, Bonnie... Hopefully it won't be long before she and Fred will be back for another visit... This time maybe even an over nighter and we'll have more time to spend together and catch up on each other's lives... It was really great that we got this time with them and I know for Bruce is was one of the highlights of the evening for him...

Now time to move ahead into the next chapter of our lives.... Sometimes a little scary, yet exciting too....

I do know though, that whatever lies ahead.... we're in God's hands and HE has it all in control and we look forward to our new adventure together....

Visit From Jay & Amy

In early September we received a visit from Jay & Amy, home on leave from Iraq..... They brought their little dog, Armani with them....

Here everyone just lazying around the house taking it easy and watching a little TV... A nice break for Jay & Amy.... A time to just relax and feel the comforts of home....

Well, OK, except for Jay having to help Bruce move in my new Dryer.... That did take a little bit of time away from the R&R part of their visit.... But they did get it in and all hooked up in no time.....

Relaxing on the back deck.....

Armani, finding comfort in his Mommy's lap.....

It was so wonderful having the kids home for a visit and spending precious time with them ..... It was also a time for the two of them to regroup and refresh before returning to 6 more months in a war zone....

On their return, the plan is for them to stay somewhere very close to our area... build a new life for themselves here and start raising a family together... Bruce and I look forward to any part we might have the pleasure in sharing in that dream with them... Especially the prospect of "grandchildren" living close by once again.... Stay safe Jay & Amy... and hurry home... We love you and miss you!!! You are in our prayers always!!!

Visit From Ed & LIsa

August 22nd.... My daughter and her new husband, Ed came into town for a weekend visit with Bruce and I.... They were just married July 12th.... They originally planned to marry August 23rd, but plans changed and they moved the date up a few weeks to accomodate other important issues going on in and around their lives at the time... Unfortunately Bruce and I were unable to attend the wedding, but understood fully their need to change their plans and gave them our full blessing ...... As they had already gotten the time off for August, they decided to pay us a weekend visit and call this their honey moon.... (They did get away for a few hours on Saturday for some time to themselves)....

Of course I had to take a few pictures of the newlyweds. throughout their visit.... Hard to tell they're in love isn't it.....

Showing off the weddng rings....

I think my daughter (finally) picked the perfect man for her husband... It is so easy to see how much he loves and adores her.... and she him..... Her children think he's just "AWSOME"....... ED... We welcome you into our family with open hearts.... Thank you for all you've done to bring the light back into my daughter's eyes and into her life..... I know God has plans for the two of you.... And I look forward to watching HIM bring them all into fruition over the coming years......

The Making and Devouring of "Ed's Famous Ribs"...

Once our good friends, Vaughn & Debbie knew Ed & Lisa would be coming into town, Debbie immediately came up with the idea this would be a good time for them to finally get to sample some of the famous "Ed's Ribs" they've heard us brag about.... We ran the idea by Ed & Lisa, who agreed to our plan..... So Saturday afternoon, Bruce and I took them out to Sam's Club where we allowed Ed to pick out his choice of ribs to work with... Then Sunday afternoon, after church we all gathered around him in the kitchen to watch him do his thing.... (No pressure Ed)....

Possibly a little showman within???...

First step..... open the packaging and wash down the meat.... (By the way... These are baby back ribs).....

Placed in the baking tins ready for the next step.....

As we didn't have large enough tins, Ed had to cut each set of ribs in half....

Then he slices into the back sides ever so slightly so they can obsorb the ingredients better during precooking in the oven....

Adding the "secret" ingredients......

And a little touch of TLC also goes into the mix......

As Ed says, This is the most important step.... Making sure the tins are tightly sealed during the oven cooking.....

Instead of using the oven, Ed thought he's like to try something new and precook the ribs in Bruce's steele kitchen ..... It was a very hot day and we wouldn't have to have the oven running any more then necessary... (I still had to bake my Mac & Cheese)....

Once the ribs precooked the time required, it was time to start the grilling part of the craft....The Chef working his magic......

Mmmmmmm..... Mmmmmmmm.... Looking Good!!!

And.... Oh yeah... A little of Merredith's Mac & Cheese to go along with the ribs....

Table set... ribs served.... Time to eat.....

This pictures says it all I think... Need I say anything more??

A little editor's note here.... I DO NOT DO RIBS!!!.. I DO, DO ED'S RIBS!!! The others pale in comparison by far!!! These are the best ribs out there... Not only are they DELICIOUS.... the meat falls right off the ribs.... Delicious and tender.... We keep telling Ed he needs to open up his own little place... He says he's thought of it... And calling it, "Ed's Rib Shack"..... (Sounds good to me..... Now just take my reservation please)

A Little Wedding Cake Surprise For The Newlyweds...

Unbeknownest to the newlyweds, I ordered a small wedding cake made so instead of just any dessert after Ed's famous ribs, we'd also take a few moments to celebrate the two of them and their marriage by presenting them with the wedding cake.... And of course you can't have a wedding cake without pictures of the couple cutting it....

Nice and easy does it.....

Open wide, Lisa.....

Congratulations Newlyweds!!! .....

Visit With Old Friends....

Before coming to town, Lisa had called and asked if I'd help her get hold of some old friends from when she lived in New York... Ralph & Beth... She had lived with them for a short time and during that time they built a very close and loving relationship....She had hoped her and Ed could take an afternoon to visit them at their home in Lowville, but as it turned out they would be closer to our area and asked if they could just drop by our home instead... Well of course... We loved the idea...Here they are getting caught up with all the news in each other's lives since they last seen each other.... (the young fella over to the right is their grandson).....

Lisa & Beth....

Lisa & Ralph......

The quilt in the picture below, is a gift Ralph & Beth received for their recent 50th Wedding Anniversary... (They were also married on July 12th)..... Beth's sister, Birdie, makes quilts and she put this one together with the help of other family members... She sent each one the square material and asked them to create their own square with whatever they wanted to personalize their wishes to Ralph & Beth.... Once she got the squares back, she put them all together to make this gorgeous quilt....

Nice quilt, huh Vicky!!! Will send you some more close up pictures as well....

The Bride & Groom

July 12th, Lisa's & Ed's wedding day!!!... I thank God for bringing such a grand fella into my daughter's and grandchildren's life.... The photos below are just a few from the CD they brought along with them for their visit.... Although I'm not the photographer, I think the one they had got some really good shots of them and we only had to edit a few... and then mainly to put some in black & while or a little cropping here and there... The wedding took place outside in the back yard of her best friend and Matron of Honor and her husband (the Best Man).... I might add here a HUGE "THANK YOU" to Cathy & Mark for all they did to make their wedding day a beautiful and memorable occassion for them!!! It was only the four of them, but Cathy and Mark not only provided their beautiful back yard for the ceremony, but also added some special touches such as champagne and chocolate covered strawberries to toast them after the ceremony... Took them out to dinner at a very nice restaurant, and then sent them off for the night at a lovely hotel for their honeymoon night..... NOW THAT'S FRIENDS FOR YOU!!!

The Beautiful Bride.......

The beaming Groom....

Hiding in the bushes and sneaking a kiss....

Posing and smiling pretty for the camera....

Wishing you both many, many wonderful and blessed years ahead!!!

WOW!! I'M 60 NOW!!

August 4, 1948.... Day of my birth.... 60 long, long, long years ago.... (Thank you for that "kind" reminder, Vaughn)

My dear "brother" Vaughn....

Debbie thought that since I would be turning "60", It should be reason to have a party..... So her and Bruce put their heads together (with a little help from me) to throw me a 60th Birthday Party..... She also thought I should have my very own tiara to wear.... I'm thinking "Why?" "Isn't turning 60 enough to deal with?"

Lots of good food to go around....

Pizza, pizza, pizza.....

And we can't forget the beautiful birthday cake from Alteri's.... Chocolate cake with raspberry filling and of course chocolate frosting.....

For a change, I wasn't in charge of the camera... That was left to Bruce and our good friend, Lil....

Lil and her husband, Will...

Knowing my love for veggies (NOT), my boss, Pete, couldn't resist giving me a bag of zuchinni and summer squash.... Thank you, Pete... Thank you so very much!!!

He also couldn't resist giving me a flashlight .... The story behind that is Bruce and I had been experiencing some electrical problems (which our good brother, Vaughn was so good to fix for us in the meantime)... which left us without lights in our Master bathroom and our guest bedroom.... But to give credit where it's due... He and Kim also gave me a gift certificate for the Chocolate Cottage.... more than made up for the other two gifts..... Can't wait to hit that place....

My boss, Pete.....

Our good friend, Donna....

My card from my favorite aunt, Aunt Bett... which she also reminded me, she's my only aunt, but she'd still be my favorite even if I had many, many more.... And I know I'm her favorite niece too.... Just don't tell my cousin, Jeanette, she thinks she's the favorite....

Debbie's and our new little kid sister, Karen.... isn't she just the cutest thing.... Welcome to our family sis....

MerMer and BonBon.... together again....

Debbie and me....

Debbie, knowing how much I've wanted bushes for around the house (like forever)... got me these two little bushes here.... Now I just have to figure out where we'll be planting them.... I have a couple of ideas.... So have your shovel ready, Bruce....

Our guys getting some fresh air on the front porch...... (I finally got my hands on the camera)....

Pete and Kim heading home (and trying to avoid me and my camera... didn't work)...

Thanks Debbie and Bruce.... What a great party.... I am definitely a blessed woman..... with great friends, and especially a great husband....

4th of July With The Russells

The Russells arrived on the 4th of July.... They started out the day before (late in the evening) and drove through the night.... By the time they reached our place, they were a tad road weary and although Klaus & Olivia may have felt exhausted, the boys and the dogs wanted to burn off a lot of pent up energy after being coped up in the truck for several hours.... So off they went to the back yard to do just that....

The dogs greeting Grampa Bruce when he returned home from his work day .... They were excited to see him, and he them (right, Bruce)......

Finally calming down a bit and taking time to relax a bit.....

Klaus showing off his new truck to Bruce (the car expert in the family), so of course wanted to show him all the neat assecories he has.....

After a bit, Klaus and Olivia had to run off to set things up with some friends regarding their camping plans for the week ahead... Jasonn & Kyle stayed with Grampa Bruce and Nana.... And Nana decided it would be a grand idea if we took a trip to the Ice Cream Shop...... And all were more than happy to participate......

Jasonn indicating he has a 3 scooper here......

Mmmmmm..... mmmmmmmm good!!!

Kyle got a death by chocolate .... dipped in chocolate.... He's definitely my grandson!!!!

Mmmmmmm..... mmmmmmmm good!!!! And what a mess he made too.... I had to get extra (damp) towels to help him clean up.....

Even Grampa Bruce and I got into the act.... I had my usual medium soft vanilla in a cone (sorry, no picture as everyone was too busy eating their ice cream to get a picture of Nana)... But I got a quick one of Bruce as he was putting his away.....(He gets an ice cream sundee).....

Full...... mellow and ready for a nap.....

Nana and her boys.....

Once back to the house, Klaus returned and while Olivia was out shopping for camping groceries, he stayed busy on the phone checking in with his New York friends, letting them know they were in town for the week and inviting them to join up with them at the camp grounds....

Once Olivia returned, Klaus and I got busy making up some super duper Klaus/Mom "special" hamburgers and got the grill going.... We kept things simple, but also had a nice little cook out meal and sat around a bit and just chilled for awhile on the back deck....

I got Jasonn to water my flowers for me.....

When bedtime finally rolled around (8 p.m. ... thank you very much), the boys wanted to sleep on an air mattress out on the back deck, so in spite of Bruce's protests that it would get too cold for them, sleep out there they did.... At least for a few hours, but around midnight I heard them come in and this is where I found them the next morning... Of course, unfortunately for them, the Nana couldn't resist taking a picture of her sleeping fellas..... (Remember.... I'm your Nana... you got to love me)

The next morning things were in quite the rush for everyone.... The Russells had to get ready to head off camping and the Lehmans had to finish packing and get ready to fly out that very afternoon to Oregon for our 3rd Annual Air Force Reunion..... So lots of hustle and bustle going on.... Klaus took a little time to play with his dogs awhile before they all hit the road to go camping... and Bruce and I were right behind them in the opposite direction headed towards the airport....

Although we only got a short visit in, it was one we enjoyed very much... It was so nice to have that time together with the grandsons and with Klaus & Olivia.... (Yes, Olivia, and with Oreo and Chloe too) Who knows when we'll get together again... Everyone lives such busy lives and so far apart, we have to grab the time when we can.... Not my idea everyone lives so far away, but I also understand the reasons for it.... I'm happy that all is going so well for them in South Carolina ... It was a good move on their part.... And for that I'm happy!!! I know we'll have more get togethers in the future.... As they say, "WHERE THERE'S A WILL.... THERE'S A WAY"!!!! Love you guys and thank you so much for heading out early for New York so you could fit that time in with us before we left....

3RD ANNUAL AIR FORCE REUNION - OREGON - 2008

After much waiting, planning, counting down the days.... The time has finally arrived for the 3rd Air Force Reunion... This year we all met in Oregon at John & Cindy's home ..... This will be the longest air flight I've taken, and believe it or not I wasn't apprehensive at all (well, OK, maybe a little).... We did deal with a few delays at the on start of our trip, but thankfully, we had enough lay over time between flights it didn't affect our connections.... Our flight didn't leave until 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) and arrived in Oregon 11:00 p.m. (Pacific Time).... (No this wasn't our plane... but thought it fit the thought).....

Arriving In Oregon

The whole clan was there to greet us, even at that late hour of the day (11:30 p.m.)....

Here we have Phil, John (Our host), Bruce and Steve....

And then there's their lovely wives, who make their lives complete and full in every way...

Vicky (Steve's wife), Cindy (John's wife and our hostess), me and Val (Phil's wife)....

Everyone's anxious to get the vehicles loaded up and on the road back to John & Cindy's.....

John & Cindy's home.....

The view from our bedroom window was just gorgeous.... What a beautiful sight to wake up to each morning....

Who knows what lies ahead, but all we cared about is that we're with our good friends, and as for the rest...... "LOOK OUT OREGON... HERE WE COME!"...

Relaxing And Getting Reaquainted

After getting a good night's sleep, our next morning started out with a delicious breakfast prepared by Cindy.... Eggs, bacon, sausage, and pan cakes..... Then off to church.... What a beautiful service they had too... Seeing as it was 4th of July weekend, they did their whole service around that theme.... At one point as they sang a melody of songs, behind the singers was a large screen showing pictures of different members of their church, or family/friends of church members who had or were serving in the military... And then, very unsuspectingly, there appeared on the screen a photo of our 4 guys taken back during their visit in New York... What a nice surprise..... After church we all headed back to John & Cindy's .... The plan was for everyone to just relax and get reaquainted with each other while also mapping out our plans for the week...

Steve checking out the sound on the piano.....

Of course, cameras going off left and right every where....

John & Phil taking a quiet moment to map out a few road trips for the days ahead.....

Some outside relaxation......

The chief Quilter in the group.... Vicky has made many, many gorgeous quilts.... Very talented lady here....

Val and Cindy are pretty good at it too.... Unfortunately I'm not, but the girls decided it would be a good idea to introduce me to the craft.... and believe it or not I find it very interesting and who knows, maybe one of these days I'll make my very own quilt.....

More outside relaxing and reaquainting....

Steve's and his guitar..... What better way for him to find to relax... (well, ok... maybe a ride on one of his motor cycles)....

Val & Cindy looking over some downloaded pictures .....

John & Steve in deep discussion.....

Snack time.....

Bruce doing what he enjoys doing best.... taking a little siesta.... (Lots of that going on with everyone).....

Phil helping Val out with some laundry.....

Steve showing off a pair of his "fancy" sneakers.....

It was great seeing everyone again and just having that little bit of down time to catch up and plan the events to come..... Good thing we took time to rest up, because things picked up considerably from there.....

Taking A Jet Boat Ride On The Columbia River

In trying to come up with some fun things to do during the reunion, John and Cindy decided it would be a good idea that we all take a jet boat ride on the Columbia River and afterwards have dinner at a nice restaurant nearby.... (Sounded like a good idea).... So off went went.... Ready for our first adventure....

(I don't think anyone paid close enough attention to this sign... and and maybe we should have)...

So off we went..... not a clue to what lay ahead for us.... Had we known, would we have continued on?.... probably so... After all we were looking for a little adventure, weren't we....

(You're smiling now, Cindy)....

Look at these innocent, unsuspecting faces.... Just a group of good friends out for a fun boat ride on the Columbia River..... What a nice way to start things out.....

No fear here.....

Or here..... Just a couple of good ole boys out for a fun boat ride.....

Some interesting sights along the river.....

We had hoped to watch him reel in his catch, but we were on our way again before he did.... It looked like a really huge fish he was struggling with too....

This is the pilot of our boat.... he may look innocence... but don't let his looks fool you.... There's a very devious mind at work in there.... Very devious indeed.....

And it wasn't long before we found out just how devious..... It seemed like one moment we're peacefully floating along on the river taking in the sites about us, and before we knew what was happening, our good ole pilot sped things up a tad and we found ourselves bouncing down the river at breakneck speed... I thought for sure my back was thrown out of alignment .... But there was more to come.... As quickly as he took off.... he just as quickly brought our boat to a screeching halt, and with a swipe of his hands, spun her around in such a fashion that as I looked to my left I saw this huge wave of water coming right at me... Before I had a chance to react, I was drenched... right along with everyone else... (Oh yeah, did I mention our nice "captain" suggested that our little group might enjoy setting in the front row, which we later found out was the worst place to be.... Oh, yeah... You want to talk about devious minds... there's one for you).....

Here's Val using Steve's hair to dry her face....

And now a little breather before the next assault, our captain takes us closer to shore where we see these neat little boat houses.... Each one unique in its own way.... They're hooked to these tall posts so that as the river rises (and it has been known to)... They will be held in place as they rise right along with it....

Note the 96' marked at the top of this pole??... That's showing how high the river rose at one time.....

After a few more sites along the river and a few more drenching turn abouts.... our ride was over .... Didn't take any brains to figure out there would be no dining out for our little group.... There wasn't a dry area on any of us....

I think Bruce got hit the worse.... He could wring the water right out of his shorts, and there was still plenty left in them when he was done....

His shorts were so wet, they nearly hung to his ankles.... His sneakers were soaked through and through... He had to go out and buy a new pair the next day...

Wet.... Tired..... and ready for some dry clothing..... We all agreed instead of dinner out, ordering in pizza was more than satisfactory for us.... We just wanted to get home and dry off.....

So..... What's next John?......Cindy....??? Bungee Jumping??

Mount Hood

Can you imagine.... just driving down the road and right there in front of you... sits this huge beautiful snow capped mountain...... It's like you can reach right out and touch it.... Beautiful!!! Simply beautiful!!!....

A Game Of Horse Shoes

Bruce and the guys discovered a horse shoe pit in John's & Cindy's lower yard and decided to play a game or two.....

Looking for a misguided horse shoe....

Steve watching the guys ..... He just had surgery on his shoulder so wasn't able to play.....

Not sure who won..... but looked like the fellas had a good time and that's what really counts, right!!!....

To Helvetia And Back

John and Cindy told us about this neat little place out side of town where you can get these really delicious burgers.... So off went went to check it out....

Not only do you get good burgers, they even have "JUMBO" burgers.....

But not necessarily made just the way you want them.....

In spite of the sign above, the cook as well as the waitresses were very friendly .....

They had these neat hats hanging from the ceiling, which added to the atmosphere....

Here we all are ready to order..... (I'm there too... just behind the camera)....

Some cute couples here don't you agree....

Steve decided to go for the "JUMBO" burger....

We weren't sure if he could eat the whole thing.......

But.... lo and behold.... He did!!! YOU GO, STEVE!!!

Phil's happy.... he convascated the chips for future road trips.....

It was a neat place.... Our burgers were very good and no one walked away hungry that's for sure.....

A Time of Song And Worship

One of the things that makes our get togethers so great is our christian bond.... Although none of the fellas were (active or practicing) Christians during their air force years, the years to follow brought each through different life experiences, which eventually brought them into a relationship with Jesus..... Steve is the worship leader at his church and so brought along his guitar and some song sheets and we all sat around one evening singing some of our favorite christian music....

This evening of song and worship, was one of my favorite moments during our reunion.....

Visiting The Test Rose Gardens

Yes, indeed.... Beautiful Oregon.... I was amazed at the many beautiful roses I saw growing.... EVERYWHERE!!! In the wild even..... Cindy told us about a Test Rose Garden and offered to take us there for a tour while the guys went off to check out a National Aeronautical Museum....

What a beautiful sight over looking the rose gardens.... Gorgeous roses everywhere....

Cindy & Val, taking time to "smell the roses".....

Looking pretty, girls....

I shared only a few of the many photos I took that day.... Just one beautiful rose after the other.... It was a most enjoyable afternoon ..... Thanks for the tour, Cindy.....

LEARNING NEW HOBBIES

Here at home, Bruce's hobby is golfing.... Mine is my photography.... And now that we were in Oregon, we were about to learn a couple of new ones....

Making Pens For Bruce

This remarkable red & black wood pen was made by Steve....

These following photos were shot as the guys puttered away in John's wood shop in the basement of his home....

Phil showing off a couple of the nice pens he made.... (Good job, Phil)....

Bruce and Steve with their pens.....

Steve and Phil enjoyed making pens so much they were at it every free moment they could find... Bruce, on the other hand wasn't as enthuesed about making pens as the others, but he did make me one, and was able to convince him to make one for my boss, Pete and his good buddy back home, Vaughn..... And he did a very good job too!!

Quilting For Merredith

As I may have mentioned .... The other three ladies are into quilting.... Vicky is the pro of the group and Cindy close behind her... And Val is coming on board quickly herself... Now me, on the other hand, have never made a quilt... I have thought about it once or twice and even made a stab at it many years ago... but never got much past that point... So now here was my opportunity to check it out... up close and personal..... Cindy took us to her favorite little Quilt shop so we could do some shopping.... This little shop sits way out in the country surrounded by beautiful scenery everywhere.... That alone made the trip worth while.....

These are quilts Cindy made and had brought to the quilt shop to have them quilted (for lack of knowing a better term, basically they have a machine here that can do fancy stiching all over the quilt).... Didn't she do just a beautiful job!!!......

Now this table runner (below) caught my eye... The shades of blue and yellow spoke to me..... And Cindy suggested to me that Vicky might be willing to make one for me.... So I found a ready made package with similar colors and Vicky took it back to Kentucky with her to make..... She gave me a call the other day to let me know it was finished and would soon be on its way to New York.... I can't wait to see it!!! (THANK YOU VICKY!!!)

My material.....

Val, also found some pretty fabric to make a quilt with.... How about them bright colors!!!

Four happy shoppers.....

Back at the house, Vicky measuring out the material for my table runner, while Cindy works on one of her pot holders....

The Four Quilting Ladies......

With my left over material from the table runner, the girls showed me how to make a pot holder for myself.... Don't look too closely.....

Testing Merredith's Taste Buds

Now those of you who know (and love me?), also know what a finicky eater I am... To the point it's down right embarrassing for me at times..... not to mention frustrating for those friends considering inviting me to their home for meals... You should know that Cindy and John went to a great deal of effort to provide good and interesting recipes for us..... And everyone enjoyed their meals with great relish.... except for ... (you guessed it).... me..... Thankfully they were great sports about it and didn't make too much of a fuss over my lack of enthusiasm in trying out new dishes.....

Vicky helping Cindy put together a broccli and cauliflower salad....

Now we're talking.... A chocolate Eclair cake.... Right up my alley... and oh so good..... (I got that recipe).....

Now noting the burgers on the grill below, don't go thinking these are just any ordinary burgers.... No way!! These, my friends, are Buffalo Burgers!!! Yep... Buffalo Burgers!!! Now who out there thinks for one minute this girl is going to eat one of them... Doesn't matter how good they look or smell or how much everyone loved them.... It just wasn't going to happen.... Note the two chicken breasts on the grill.... Guess who they're for....

We drove by a Buffalo farm one day, so I of course had to have Cindy stop so I could snap a picture of one of the lucky ones who didn't make it to their grill..... Or anyone else's for that matter... at least for that moment in time....

Now here's another delectable dish for the sea food lovers out there.... John's grilled salmon.... Looked good... Even I had to admit to that... but eating it was another story.... Although Cindy was able to convince me to try a tiny piece later.... And as she put it, now I can say,"I've tried it, and I don't like it".... Chicken for Merredith again!!! This time I shared with Vicky too... Seems she's not all that big on salmon herself.... I know a few of you out there are thinking we're nuts... and I agree... but that's what I'm saying about the embarrassment of being such a finicky eater... People go all out to give you the best and you're the "one" in the group saying, "No thank you".....

Another evening, John fixed us stuffed chicken legs... Now they were very good... I especially liked the stuffing he used.... Here he's showing Val how he puts it all together....

Looks good doesn't it!!!....

I really enjoyed this jello dessert.... and it's very easy to make, although time consuming.... You have to let each layer set before applying the next... But well worth the time and wait.... I made sure I got that recipe too....

Now this isn't just any mixture of berries... Note the yellow ones in there.... They're another form of raspberry.... I did try them... and I did like them.... Mayabe there's hope for me yet??

There were plenty more fine dishes during our visit..... Some home made banna bread for one, which I forgot to upload for this post...... Anyway..... one of these days I'm going to learn how to appreciate good food .... Meanwhile, I'm so thankful for such good and understanding friends who lovingly and patiently put up with me and my finicky ways....

Fun Along The Oregon Coast Line

John & Cindy thought we'd all enjoy taking a day trip up along the Oregon Coast line... It seemed like a great idea, so bright and early one morning, we were on the road .... The guys decided since we'd be taking two cars, we should have two way radios with us.... Bruce was in charge of the one in our car... What a riot he was... I never knew my husband could be so funny.... I'd try to explain all he said and did, but it would lose something in translation... Just know... he was one funny guy along the way.... at least for me anyway..... Ain't that right, Rubber Ducky!!

We sat my camera on the top of one of the cars for this shot.... Note all those pine trees behind us... I use to think we were running low on trees.... then we visited Oregon and I've since reconsidered my thinking .... I never seen so many trees in my life..... And a good thing to know is that when they clear an area of trees, they also replant!!! Now that's a GOOD THING!!!

The guys are using the hand under the chin method to appear more youthful .....

I don't know if it worked for them, but for sure it did for us ladies.....

Lots of beautiful scenery along the way...... It was hard to decide which to post .....

It was also a very chilly day ......

This Sitka Spruce was very interesting... Hope you take the time to read what the sign says about it.....

One of the trails we walked on....

Heading towards the Light House.....

There was a neat little gift shop inside the light house.... And this was going to be one of their good sale days... With it being so cold, most of us ended up buying ourselves some hooded jackets....

Getting a closer look at the beach area.....

Phil and Steve getting their feet wet....

But not Bruce....if he can help it that is.... Steve and Phil did manage to get him close to the water's edge so I could take their picture, when a wave washed in over his sneakers and that was enough for him.... Forget about getting his picture taken, he was heading back in land....

Val enjoying watching the sea gulls and kites.....

Observing from above.....

A couple of Beach Comers....

Another Light House out on the ocean....

Every where we turned there was another beautiful sight to behold..... And not soon forgotten!!!

I Just Love This Man

Bruce & Val Make a New Friend....

While we were off here and there enjoying the rscenery around us, we came across this little baby squirrel... It was clear he hadn't had too much contact with humans, as he didn't seem to have any fear of us whatsoever.... Especially when food was in the offering.....

He came right up to Bruce once he realized he had something for him to eat....

And he and Val had quite the time together as well.....

Another Interesting stop In Our Journey

I'm not sure just where we were here at this point ... But that bridge leads across the river into Washington State.... and we took a drive across it and back.....just because we could....

This was an old burial canoe for Indians......

Bruce and Steve gazing out over the landscape.....

What a beautiful sight to see.....

Reading interesting information about the area.....

Somebody sneaking a little smooch along the way....

This pole has a whole story written on it from one period in time to another (in words and pictures)....

Some close up shots.......

This was a map of the area where we were....

Camp 18

We stopped at "Camp 18" on our way home..... What a very interesting place indeed!!! It's a huge log cabin Restaurant.... with the most interesting enterior.....

Cindy making a new friend of her own....

This was a young fella who took it upon himself to give us a guided tour of the restaurant... Very nice young man and really seemed to have a fondness for the place.....

Note the detail in these tables.....

And this beam ran the distance across the ceiling from one side of the room to the other..... The picture doesn't really do it's size justice.....

This area is in the lower level of the restaurant and is used for banquets.....

A cozy little sitting area in front of the fireplace....

Ready for some fine dining......

This was my plate... Aside from the carrots, right up my alley... Especially those mashed potatoes and gravey!!!! Mmmmmm mmmmmm GOOD!!! Nothing healthy about this plate of food....