Summertime glimpses...

Summertime seemed to flash by so quickly this summer - reminiscent of my childhood when school first got out in June it seemed like forever until September and then suddenly being thrown back into days of sitting in hard, uncomfortable desks and nights of studying had come back all too soon.  (Seeing friends again was of course a huge plus!)

  

                                                         

Kids being kids!

                                                   

Hiking with family and friends in Grand Teton National Park

Hiking in the Tetons

June 3 was my father's 99th birthday!  My sisters and I and some of the grandkids made the trek to warm and sunny and wonderful San Diego to celebrate.  Cathy's trip was suddenly cut short when Gerry fell and broke his hip and her presence was definetly missed.  We all enjoyed spending time with Dad and he kept saying how much he just enjoyed listening to his family enjoy each other.

Dad's 99th Birthday party in San Diego on the harbor.

Spending a week in Jackson with Colleen, Erik and the girls, Amy and her little ones and Ryan and Emily,  sharing in our long time friends son's wedding celebration gave our summer the perfect beginning.

This summer we were blessed to have wonderful visits - both short and long with family and friends and a few new faces:)  The summer weather arrived later than it should have but still cooperated enough to share our little edge of the Willamette river.  Wakeboarding and skiing proved to be a favorite activity and "Grace" did her part by running well throughout the summer - providing hours of parading passengers and boarders up and down the river.  Some would like her to be glitzed up with a tower but watching Ryan sail over the water hasn't convinced me we really need one:)  Though they all keep trying!

Lots of breakfasts on the patio and barbeques sandwiched our days - giving us all time to connect and enjoy each other.  Laughter and song filled the house.

Little ones ready for a ride on "Grace"

Somehow in between, we managed to complete the retaining wall - well I helped unload blocks and shovel gravel - and Ryan built the wall and stairs.  Michelle and I picked 17 pounds of strawberries and made jam or froze them - to be enjoyed at a later date!  Early morning boat rides with just the three of us - Ryan and Michelle perfecting their wakeboarding tricks and trying some new ones (bare footing - pretty funny!)  helped round out our days.  (Ryan's new job and my weekends at the flower shoppe kept us grounded.)

One Tuesday evening we enjoyed sailing on the Columbia River with a couple who had donated an afternoon through a fund raiser Michelle and I had attended.  Lucky for us, Tuesdays are designated sailing regatta days and the warm sun and breezes brought many colorful boats out to play.

Sailing on the Columbia River

As summer waned the evenings on the river quieted and  I often found myself trying to capture the sunsets from the bow of our kayak.  It was quiet and majestic - God painting pictures of solitude and glory.  Time for quiet reflection and prayer and finishing off with a sprint back to the dock before it was completely dark.

Usually I look forward to fall and the warm days and cooler nights that create the myriad of orange and red colors but this year I still long for summer - at least a few more Indian summer days.  There is always hope for tomorrow....

So summer did fly by but we managed to squeeze a lot of fun and memories in.

Spending time with two of my favorite people!

So yes I did start this post in October and because loading pictures was taking nearly an eternity (my internet is working better these days) I have not finished it until now (December 30th!)...Thanksgiving and Christmas also were celebrated in between:)

Remembering

Learning to live….

Living has taken on a completely different image for me the last four years.  Learning to live without my love and best friend – learning how to get up everyday and find purpose -  learning to believe that joy can be found again – learning how to hopefully be a better person than I was the day before - learning how to live each day to honor my heavenly Father and desire to be His humble servant.  It is a journey - that I am learning.

Alvis lived every day to the fullest – whether in his work as a surgeon, enjoying his children and all their endeavors, on the ball field with his team or working in our yard.  I am trying to remember to live this way, too.  To find joy in all those around me, to find contentment in everyday tasks and pleasures and to not falter in the life that God has given me.  

Today, again, I will look for joy, love and laughter as I relive memories of Al – because this is what I remember most about him – his contagious smile, goofy antics, his sincerity in his work and his deep, unashamed love for God and his family.

We are choosing to do things today, that we know Al would want to do - so we are starting our day with breakfast potatoes and wakeboarding, followed by a cross-country meet, a Hall of Fame induction for a great coach and probably tacos for dinner!  

I love you, Sunshine.

Still fiddling with flowers!

Yes, it has been a very long time since I posted anything about flowers - but yes I am still playing with flowers -  designing and gardening....the flower designing is almost entirely at the shoppe lately though.  The gardening is an ongoing process:)  With my children's help we have cleaned up several spots in the gardens, laid bark, planted roses and pulled out creeping vines and flowers that are attempting to take over the yard.  I never thought I would yank out flowers but I can only handle so much wild geranium and when it crowds out the calla lilies it simply has to go.

We are actually working on preparing the lower yard for a lawn and sprinkler system and the first step was to complete the rock retaining wall that we had professionally built two summers ago.  This time we are doing it ourselves - actually Ryan is doing the building, I am shoveling gravel out of the truck bed and offering encouragement.  He is one-third done and doing a great job!  He let me place two blocks but I think he moved them :)  Alvis would be very impressed and proud of Ryan for taking on the job - making our yard a more beautiful place to spend time in (and for little grandchildren to run in!)

I continue to learn more about flower design and trying to not be stuck doing similar things - some days it is hard when nearly every order that comes in is similar to the last but sometimes we (my co-workers and I) actually get to break out and do something big and creative - this usually involves a customer with a larger budget and directions to be creative!  Fun times!

Once in while, Ryan brings home flowers from the hotel after an event - and this week we were graced with gorgeous displays of roses from an "Alice in Wonderland" event.  Each "mushroom" was created from beautiful red roses.  I counted the smaller one - 72 rose buds!!!!!  The larger one I am sure had well over a hundred roses!!!!  There were also table centerpieces of roses, orchids and dahlias.  It is fun for me to not only enjoy the arrangements, but to see what another designer will come up with for an event theme. I certainly was impressed with the "mushrooms!"

Alice in Wonderland roses!

Daisies have always been one of my favorite flowers - they just seem to say "cheery."  Recently I made several table arrangements for a GriefShare dinner (the ministry I am involved with).  I ended up bringing several back home and rearranged them into two larger ones.  The greenery all came from our own yard - and the jasmine added a nice sweet fragrance - especially since daisies are cute but not so sweet to put your nose up to!

Even though I face lots of weed pulling in our yard - I am so very thankful for all the flowers blooming - a sweet blessing from my heavenly Father to me.

Father's Day

For days I have been thinking about Father's Day.  At work there have been special floral arrangements for dads - a '47 Ford Pickup model and even a mini, red Weber kettle grill.  I never would have thought about flowers for my Dad for this celebration.  But an aromatic barbecue in the backyard....mmmm followed by one of his favorite desserts of pie or ice cream or both.

The barbecue tradition carried on for my husband, too.  Nearly every year from 1991 on, we celebrated Father's day at Lake Powell with our wonderful friends on the houseboat.  Almost always by unanimous decision of the three dads - London Broil, baked potatoes, salad and french bread - all done on the grill (except the salad of course.)  We started playing early at Lake Powell - the water is most calm early in the morning - a ski before breakfast, which was always huge and yummy and then more play time or a nap or a round of "Scum." 

These were days made of wonderfully sweet memories.  Sometimes we had brought gifts with us, definitely cards - but what I treasure most and I think Alvis did too, was being on the water with his family.  His children were his greatest blessing.  He loved being involved in their lives and having fun.  He loved being a kid with them - pulling them skiing or wakeboarding, cliff jumping and floats through the narrow canyon walls with the music bouncing off of the sandstone cathedrals.  He loved being their father - to listen and talk to, to protect and enjoy every day with.  As our children grew older and started moving on to college, he often said he wished we had more children:)  

I was able to talk to my Dad today.  At 99, he is as brilliant as ever - always thinking of designing something that would work better (usually an automobile) or how to make our world a better place.  He is in the process of writing another letter to our president.  His ideas and thoughts about the future of our country and what will be here for his grandchildren and great children are thoughtful and clear.  He diligently prays for our president and congress every day.  My dad blesses me in every conversation and visit.  

At church this morning,  our pastor asked how I was doing.  He is a very compassionate man.  He really does take the time to know his flock.  I awoke early this morning thinking of Al and Father's day.  My heart aches for my children.  No cards to buy or games to play or gifts to wrap.  I hurt for them because I know they had the best dad ever and they miss so much.  You don't think about missing a holiday, until the one you love is gone.

The sermon this morning was a challenge for fathers to be godly men - men who love and devote themselves first to God and then to their families and by this their children will learn to be godly men and daughters also.  He called wives and mother's to be godly women and be submissive to their husbands as  onto the Lord.  The lesson brought tears - because I miss Al so much and the godly father he was to our family. I would have enjoyed celebrating with him today.  

So today, in celebration of something Alvis would have enjoyed - Michelle and I went to Sonic for lunch!  I even had a hot dog:)  

Thank you Father for my father, who makes me laugh and smile all the time and for my husband who made our lives better everyday just by being him.

With love and thankfulness - Memorial Day

Sunday morning - I awoke very early - even earlier than I had planned.   The sun was actually shining - for this I was ( and am) thankful.  I headed outside with my scissors to clip flowers to place on Al's headstone - the moisture of the night's rain still clinging to the petals and leaves while the sun created small rainbows in the tiny crevices of the blossoms.  Bright pink and creamy white peonies, purple larkspur and iris became a hand tied bouquet - for these I am also thankful - I am grateful to the previous owners of our home who planned the gardens to have something blooming year round which I can share at Al's resting place. 

Willamette National Cemetery is quietly majestic - but this morning even more so - the roads are lined with billowing flags and each head stone and memorial wall is also graced with our  country's stars and stripes.  The morning is quiet - it is early - there are a few others who have also come to reflect and remember - but I am thankful for the solitude. This morning - looking across the rolling hills with thousands of flags I am humbled by the numbers who have gone before us - willing to take the charge of protecting our freedom at all cost.  Reflecting on our history as a nation - built on the courage of ordinary citizens.  We are truly one of a kind.  My heart wonders if we as a nation now really take time to ponder what others have done in our behalf.  I pray that today we do - that we will stop and pray for those who are serving and those who have served - prayers of thanksgiving and gratitude for allowing us to be a nation of freedom for all.

Today, while I place flowers on my husband's grave, I tell him again how proud I am of his service to his country - for his unwavering belief that God called him to serve our military by caring for the wounded and broken.  I thank him again for never complaining when he was called again to Iraq when he had only been home for a little over a year.  I thank God for the skills He gave him to bring healing and hope to both our military and the civilians he treated who had been ravaged by the war.

This morning the sun is bright and the mountains in the distance shout God's majesty - I am thankful for this place of honor for my husband and all the others who have been laid to rest here.  Words cannot express how much I miss him yet today I want to feel thankful for all he gave to our country and I do. I want to honor him for his bravery and courage and unwavering willingness to serve.   He is my hero.  I love you, Sunshine.

Catching up... the Cinque Terre

So, tomorrow night Ryan will be home!  Yeah!  It has been forever since I last saw him and can hardly wait to hear first hand some of he and Emily's latest adventures and see lots of pictures.  But most of all, I truly want to just enjoy him being home - enjoying his laugh and smiles, his music - the piano has been calling you - and even his laundry.  I want to enjoy my family being around the table and maybe even playing a game of Chinese checkers or two.

I also, want to finish my story of my trip to Europe to visit Ryan and Emily and Michelle before he returns home... so onto the Cinque Terre.  I am quite sure I never knew of this enchanted land hugging the rocky coast of northern Italy - but I am very thankful my daughter did.

The Cinque Terre are five small towns - maybe even considered villages - that are only connected by train or trails.  Each one can be individually accessed by narrow, winding steep roads but  there are no roads between them.  They grip the edge of the sparkling turquoise sea dotting the cliffs with pastel hued homes and shops as if in a fairyland.   Carved into the steep hillsides are vineyards and small farms.  Fishing boats bob gloriously in the bays waiting to be  hoisted up to the towns narrow streets before the tide changes.  No one is hurrying.  Italians and visitors linger outside in the evening savoring the sunsets and cooler temperatures.  Daybreak comes and the shop keepers open their shutters and welcome you in with genuine warmth.

A small balcony over looking the sea in Corniglia

We stayed in the middle town, Corniglia.  It is teasingly referred to where the mountain goats live because it truly is clinging to the hillside.  If I remember right it was 370 stairs down to the train station!  It had a wonderful cove for swimming and jumping off the rocks.  They had built a cement jetty where everyone gathered to soak in the Mediterranean sun.  We had a delightful little apartment - the proprietor did not even ask for our payment up front - "just find me before you leave"  (she worked at one of the small bakeries).  Our first afternoon we spent in the water - swimming, jumping off the rocks and soaking in the sun.  We made our own dinner of pasta and fresh local tomatoes and basil, which we enjoyed so much we made it again the following evening!  Add a glass of wine and of course a short walk to the gelatorie and we felt we had tasted a little of heaven.

One goal was to actually swim in each of the towns bays - Riomaggiore -is the furthest west - the train takes you the edge of the town, where you can take a elevator up to the town.  Each town had its own distinct flavor - I could have settled down for days in any of them. (But Corniglia did turn out to be our favorite.)  From Riomaggiore you can "hike" towards Manarola along the lover's walk.  It really is a paved walkway along the edge of the cliffs and part way through there is a statue of two lovers kissing.  People attach locks to the fencing behind it which is to prevent them from being torn apart.  Of course we had to have Emily and Ryan sit in front of the figures and kiss for us:)  A little further we came upon a musician playing in the tunnel part of the hike - where  Emily and Ryan enjoyed a sweet dance!

We took the train to Vernazza and Monterossa.  Monterossa is furthest north and edges the Italian "Riviera."  It has a wonderful long beach - but nearly all of it - one has to pay to enjoy and use the lounge chairs.  We walked to the far end - still lots of sand  and swimming but tucked in with fishing boats.  We all took a short nap, I think, and cooled off in the water.  Monterossa felt much more like a tourist town - it is considerably more level, has several large hotels and shops.  We did a little grocery shopping before heading back on the train to Corniglia for the night.  Tired and warm but I wouldn't have changed anything.

Our last morning we cleaned up the apartment, paid for our stay and headed out to play in the water again - only to find out the wind and waves on the Mediterranean were huge that morning.  No chance of going swimming - the waves crashed over the cement jetty and found Michelle and Ryan testing my nerves as they stood out on the edge!  We watched for a while and then headed to Vernazza to swim  (it has a more protected bay- but still parts of the walkways were closed to pedestrians) enjoyed lunch, a  little shopping and more gelato!

Vernazza

None of us were really ready to leave - but Ryan and Emily had to get back for work the next day - so off we headed back to Garmisch.  We all fell in love with the beauty and simpleness of everyday - especially in Corniglia.  Fortunately for Ryan and Emily - they were able to enjoy visiting this magical land of pastel homes, bright sapphire seas and delicious tomatoes again.  Maybe I will too, someday.

P.S.  So I didn't get this quite done before Ryan arrived - but he is home and we have had a wonderful weekend enjoying being a family.

Once a upon a time....

Goodness, it has been a very long time since I last posted.  I don't know why - I just couldn't sit down and write.  There were definitely different things going on in my life - trips and visits with family to issues with being a homeowner but my heart wasn't in writing.   Maybe today.

Maybe, because the sun is actually shining outside!  Maybe because my taxes are done (although writing the check will not be fun) Maybe because a friend is giving me an opportunity to bid  her wedding flowers or maybe and most importantly my daughters were all together for nearly two weeks with all the little ones and Ryan will be home in 12 days!  Now is a time for smiling:)

When our house is filled with family - there is so much joy!  There is of course a lot of chaos, laughter, smiles, tears and screeching - but I love it.  Witnessing little cousins develop friendships - knowing somehow that there is nothing better than having instant friends- ones that will be there to play with when you when you wake up in the morning is even better.

Observing Elisa, now five, take on the role of protector for Ephraim from the bugs that had him nearly paralyzed in fear, certainly made this Nana realize how much she has grown up already.  Two one year old little girls (Selah and Raina) charging after each other and demonstrating their independence;  Sadie, 3, always reading - a book off of Nana's shelf, often upside down and telling the story of Laura and Mary (Laura Ingells Wilder); Ephraim and Elisa "crashing" the remote control cars until I found little silver pieces on the floor - are only little glimpses of the memories we made.

Keeping 5 little ones entertained when it is totally soggy, wet and just dreary outside provided a few challenges but trips to an art studio, a bouncing house (for toddlers), cookie baking, a carousel ride and a trip to the Tacoma Zoo all helped.  Throw in one fun filled cowboy birthday party at my daughter's home and the trip was filled with memories.

Now feeling rejuvenated by their company - maybe I will actually finish the other blog posts I started and never quite finished.