Seriously......

Ok - I knew it had been a while since I posted - but 3 months??? Seriously......

I have been super busy! Back in October - Curt and I went to Chicago on business. It was really fun and we got to do quite a bit of sightseeing. We have a policy - whenever we are in a new city we do not eat at any chain restuarants - instead we eat at local places with local flare and unique qualities. We have some pictures but I have not had a chance to download them. Also in October - I went to Phoenix to take care of our precious grandson - love love love being a grandma! Who would have thought that being a grandma was SOOOO much fun? If I could be 1/2 the grandma my grandma was I'm in good shape! I also went to Palm Springs to spend time with Vanessa. Love Palm Springs! It's beautiful and warm and most of all my youngest lives there! I have to say that at times I feel a bit inadequate with the rich people on the flights - ok not really - but seriously.....who needs rings that big? Who needs their socks to match their sweaters? LOL

November - oh - November was really busy with work - one of my contracts kept me traveling across Oregon and parts of Washington - I really enjoyed it and I seem to be good at training. Who knew? LOL

Can't beleive it's December already! My first child - Savannah turned 22 on December 8th!!! Seriously - can she be that old already? I guess that makes me a bit older as well. LOL I also took a part time seasonal job at Coach - for those of you who don't know - Coach is a high end designer bag store. (purses) I really like it!!! I have never worked in retail but seem to be good at it....haven't heard any complaints LOL. I also have to say that I LOVE the employee discount! Dylan got to come up and spend part of a week with us - he is the best little boy I know - the cutest too!!! We just love him so much and we have so much fun with him. I took him to see Santa Clause last week - he was cool with it until Santa tried to hold him. I picked him up and sat next to Santa so we both had our picture taken. It was that or nothing. Me and Savannah took Dylan to Cafe Sip n Play - Dylans favorite place to go play when he's here.

We are off to LA Wednesday - then to Disneyland on Thursday with Dylan, Brandon & Emily. Back home on Friday just in time for round two of winter storms. Since we live on the Columbia River Gorge on a hill we get really strong winds. It's going to be under freezing for the next week to week and 1/2. For those of you who are saying "Thats Nothing - Try Living in Idaho" I have to politely decline. NO Thank you!!!! I do like to have changing seasons and I enjoy snow but I couldn't live in freezing tempuratures for extented periods of time. Good news is my husband keeps me warm!!

I'll post some pictures when I get time. :)

Till next time..........

Havin Fun! - Look at the other 2 posts - for more cool pictures!!

This place was really cool! I had to break it up - it only let me upload 5 pictures at a time. :)

We have really enjoyed Dylan - it's been hard on Emily - even though she knew he was in good hands. It's always hard to be away from your kids - especially when it's 3 nights and your husband is gone too! They head back home tomorrow - we will be sad to see them leave but we are SOOO happy that we got to spend this time with Dylan!!!!

More Pictures from Dylan's Trip

He really enjoyed the petting area - there were only pigmy goats but Dylan loved it. They look like good old friends.
This is at Cafe Sip n Play - not too far from our place. It's awesome. The kids get to Play and the parents/grandparents/nannies get to Sip on coffees or teas and have lunch.

Dylan's Trip to Grandma & Grandpa's House

At the Oregon Zoo


This is the funniest picture ever!!! The Orangatang came right over to the window and looked right into Dylan's eyes. Dylan just looked right back. I wonder though - was the Orangatang interested in Dylan's Green Tea Lemonade from Starbucks?!?!?!?!?!

3 Year Anniversary

So yesterday we celebrated our 3 year anniversary. Can't beleive it's been 3 years but it also feels like it's been more than 3 years. :)

We are truly happy and enjoy doing things together and we also enjoy doing nothing together - especially when the weather is bad - we totally love laying in bed or on the sofas watching TV in front of the fire or playing games.

We went to "Jake's" downtown - the one on 10th and Alder - the one on 12th doesn't have my favorite dessert - it's a warm chocolate cake with warm chocolate inside with vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate drizzled on the plate and lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. YUM!

The food is always fantastic, the service is always great - even though it's a bit on the fancy side - the staff is down to earth. The steak is always tender and flavorful and done just right (yes that means well done for me LOL). They also had menus for us that said, "Happy Anniversary" across the inside. (they print the menus daily) We have both been sooo busy that we haven't taken the time to go out and sit and have a 2 hour dinner - we both needed to relax and enjoy each other. We had a nice table for 2 by the front window near a corner - so we had privacy and also got to watch the interesting characters of Portland.

Family photo at our wedding - we got married in Vegas with just us and our kids. It was a great time. Brandon and I were laughing so hard at the lady doing the ceremony - she did something funny - for some reason I don't remember what it was - but it was hilarious! We all had a good time. We are truly blessed to have such great kids.
Yes this is the same picture as above - it's not easy to remove a picture - oh well. :)

Above - we took an ATV tour that went through the dessert and came out on the beach - it was beautiful! You can't swim in it though - the currents are too strong - you will die. It's where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean.

The next one is taken from our room - it was a nice place - great service - great pool - we took the bus into town a few times - it was fun!

The last one is us at our favorite restuarant in Caso San Lucas - yes over Cabo Wabo. The margaritas were amazing - the food was good - they bring the meat in from California. Our favorite waiter was Omar - very nice young man.

BBQ at the Spains

So let me give you some backgroungd- Curt and I live in a development - first time for both of us. We've had empty lots - 3 on one side and 2 on the other. When ground broke on one of the lots we kind of grumbled about the contractors showing up at 7 am on Saturdays and making all kinds of racket. We had gotten used to not having any immediate neighbors. Well - Dennis and Leslie bought the house and we have become the best of friends. We have get togethers at each others houses and thier kids (Alex & Anna) - we are pretty close - we can be our selves around each other. Long story short - we will not complain about new houses being built - ya never know - they could turn out to be good friends.

That leads me to explain these pictures - they were taken at Alex & Anna's house in Portland. They were so kind to invite us to their place for a BBQ. We had a great time! Dylan had a really good time - he didn't actually fall into the ice chest - he really liked sitting in the ice chest and playing with it's contents. Dylan got filthy dirty and he loved every minute of it!!

Brandon, Dylan, Suzanne, Curt, Emily, Dennis, Leslie with Alex and Isabella in the back. Anna was taking the picture.

Road Trip - Canada

Some of you know that I am pretty wrapped up in my tribe - politically and culturally. Dancing, singing and drumming with friends and family is awesome! I can't explain it - but the songs are still in my head from the weekend before.

Mom and I went to Duncan, British Columbia (Canada) the 2nd and came back late on the 4th. We went there for the final days of the annual Tribal Journeys - and for the beginning of the North American Indigenous Games. Anybody can go really - but we were invited guests of our friend, Edgar Charlie aka Hanaquii, Chief of Ahousat (Canadian Coastal Tribe). We had a blast. The license plates say "Beautiful British Columbia" and they really mean it - it is beautiful! The ferry rides were amazing - we had nice warm weather - blue skies - beautiful water. We took our drums on deck for the 1 1/2 hour ferry ride. We quietly played our favorite songs and without knowing it - we apparently drew a crowd. Part of that crowd were 4 Army Officers who just returned from Iraq. They were very nice and very respectful. We ended up taking pictures of each other. We also sang them an honor song - to thank them for their service.

I told them I would post this picture on my blog so here it is. :) What can we say - we make friends easily.


So we get to this little town and started to look for the place we were going to camp. We pulled into the area - which has thousands of people running around and we drove right up to Edgar. It was funny but I guess you had to be there. We spent time sitting around chatting etc. then drove around to look for friends in the dark. Came across the Blue Heron Camp - which is the Snoqualmie Canoe. Anyhow - ran into friends there - ended up drumming some more. Fun!

Next day was the Parade for the opening of the Games - we had to be bussed across town - where we lined up. The parade was really fun - an overwhelming feeling from the crowds. Lots of cameras and video cameras - we kind of felt like celebrities LOL. We lined up with our host - Ahousat - and what an experience - their singers are amazing. We drummed, sang and danced for quite a ways - not sure how far - but I can tell you that I lost weight because it was so hot and I had on my dance blanket - which in itself is hot. Part of the experience.

So here's mom, me and Hanaquii (Edgar Charlie). We were in line for the parade.

It's really hard to describe it - there were really thousands of people there - look into the big screens to get an idea - that is just part of the seating area for the athletes.

Ok - so up above is me and Haliqui ( Ralph Edgar) doing a social dance - ya so he didn't tell me he had a bad back - he paid for it the next day - but we had fun.

The one just above is us at the end of the Potlatch - we were all happy since we had a great time.

There are a bunch more pictures to share and stories to tell - I think I've rambled on enough for now. I could go on and on.

Missing The Kids......

So I guess it's been a while since I posted - we have been super busy. We've had several house guests lately which is cool. Family and friends. Got to see our friend Cami & Talon for 2 nights and about 2 days so that was cool - it had been a while since we had seen Talon so we really enjoyed it.

It's really been hard having the 'kids' gone - we really miss them. We totally got used to having them so close! We know that it feels good to be home and their home is in Phoenix. :) We will get to see Brandon from time to time when he travels on business - been trying to talk him into bringing Dylan but it is hard to travel with a small child. We hope he brings him soon!

We've really been missing Vanessa!!!! If you don't know - she is my youngest and she is living in Cathedral City - which is next to Palm Springs. She love love loves it there! I'm so happy for her - I miss her but I am happy that she is happy. Everyday she wakes up to a beautiful day! She loves both of her jobs and totally loves playing soccer for the college. She also coached soccer this summer - about 100 kids a week and all on the same day. Go Vanessa! As you can see she is totally stunning! I miss her soo much! I am going to go down and see her and go to her soccer game - not sure when exactly - but I can't wait!

So the eldest daughter Savannah lives here with me and Curt - so we get to see her all the time which is nice. She's doing good - working close by. It's especially nice to have her here since Curt is out of town for a few days every other week or so. This house seems really big and empty when nobody else is here.

Remember When??

Do you remember when?

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! If we're only blogging friends, write about a post that is most memorable.

2. Next, post these instructions on your blog and see how many people have a fun memory of you. It's pretty fun to see the responses.

3. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. :)

Can't wait to read your memories!

Captions

Ok - so as you can see on previous posts - when I add pictures and text it looks dumb - so I decided to take the easy way on this one and post them seperate.

Grandpa and Dylan on a walk (Curt and I walk several nights a week); Me & Dylan getting ready for dinner - Dylan eating strawberries :); Over at the Carranza's house - his little blue car has been in my family for years - my brother and I rode it when we were Dylan's age! As you can imagine it has good memories with it and it was really cool to see Dylan on it - Dylans friends Lily and Riley are watching; and last but not least - Dylan looking in through the screen door - not too exciting but he enjoyed it.

Apparently I really wanted the picture of me and Dylan because I posted it twice and for some reason I can't delete it when in the edit screen - so it'll just have to stay - no biggy.

Cool Pictures

Curt & Brandon

So after family dinner at our house today Brandon, Emily, Dylan and Abby got stuck in traffic - yes - traffic in Washougal! There is a Motorcross track here and it draws huge crowds and people from all over the county this time of year. They decided to turn back and spend time at the park instead of in the truck and they called us so of course we went down to play.

Curt & Brandon are really close and enjoy their talks - everything from business to golf. It is really hard living so far away but we make the most of the times that we have together. These are great unposed pictures of them.

Canoe Journey Protocol at Little Boston

This is what it's all about - big smiles! This is a good friend - Ellene Porter. Mom to her right - uncle Dave to her left.

Me and mom - sunning ourselves waiting for the canoes to arrive at Little Boston - Port Gamble Sklallam - Northwest of Bremerton/Poulsbo area.

Aunt Savannah

Dylan having fun with his Aunt Savannah - this picture is adorable - they are both having a great time!

Summer Fun

Dylan chillin on the back deck.
Dylan helping me water flowers with Abby supervising!







Getting ready for a BBQ.







We sure are enjoying having "the kids" here (Brandon, Emily, Dylan & Abby). It's hard to beleive that in just two weeks they will be gone! Time flies - between their schedule and ours but we have had fun times. We have also enjoyed the nephews, "Teagan & Michael". They are very nice young men and were always willing to jump in and help out - whether it be carrying in the groceries or helping out with Dylan.

Abby's exhausted from watching me work all day! LOL

Ok - I admit it - I totally over reacted to having a dog in the house. OK OK - I was wrong! I really enjoy having Abby here! She is so good and loyal. She even hangs out with me when I'm working - she sits and looks out the window watching the neighbor kids playing outside. I just don't see how she can sleep so much - it's not like she does much besides going for an occassional walk. :)

Pictures

Isn't Dylan handsome! We took him to the park yesterday - he had a great time!

The other picture is of me performing a blessing ceremony. It is rare to see a picture of this ceremony because cameras are not normally allowed. The family granted permission for a local newspaper. It's not the most flattering picture - I was singing - not posing for the camera. In fact - we only look at what we are doing - not at people during this ceremony.

Pics

So this weekend we had memorial services for our tribal chairman and it went as well as could be expected. We did the work that we needed to do -in addition to drumming and singing, we fed over 250 people a huge dinner of salmon, ham, smoked fish, rice, green beans, fresh berries, bread, homemade pies, cakes, lemonade, soda, and coffee. I was impressed with how David Barnett conducted himself - It's amazing that he MC'd his fathers memorial services. How he kept his composure - he drew strength from his dad - it was evident.

So it seems like summer is FINALLY here! YAY! looking forward to sitting on the deck playing scrabble with Curt - LOL - I think I'll let him win next time. :) Also looking forward to bike rides and long walks in the fresh air and golfing with Curt.

We've had a great time with 'the kids' Brandon, Emily, Dylan & Abby. They are leaving tomorrow for 12 days to visit family in Idaho. We will miss them but we have really enjoyed having them close by. Yesterday Emily and I took Dylan to the park - he loved it - he swang, climbed up the big toy and went down a huge slide and ran in the grass through the sprinklers. It's sooooo much fun being a grandma!

Suzanne's Blog

Here is it - my new blog. It was alot easier than I thought it would be LOL. I need Emily to show me how to make it pretty and add music. :P

So - life this weekend will be tough - we are having memorial services for our Tribal Chairman. It is really sad - his death came as a shock. We have been asked to drum and sing at the services - which is an honor! In addition to druming, singing and ceremony we will be helping to prepare food for about 500 people who will attend to show respect.

We had planned on spending the weekend with the kids - the Phoenix kids: Brandon, Emily & Dylan. But they will be here for a few months and we will have lots of time with them - hopefully! Between their schedule and ours it's tough to find a free weekend until mid July.

I know you won't beleive this - I don't even beleive it - but we are letting Abby stay with us for 12 - yes 12 days! Those of you who know me well know that I am a freak about the house - I notice every speck of dust, dirt, lint of whatever. They are having her groomed and clipped and Curt promised to vacuum every night. I really do love Abby - she is a really good dog! She has been sooo good to Dylan.