Finally We Meet Roselle in Oregon!

Richard and Roselle drove down from Seattle and met us Monday night in Seaside, Oregon which is on the coast. The next day we did some sightseeing. En route back to Forest Grove which is where Julie and Sheldon live, we stopped at Tillamook Cheese Factory for lunch and a tour of the plant. On Wednesday we drove into Portland and hiked through a huge wooded forest called Hoyt Arboretum. We enjoyed a picnic lunch, and then drove a short distance further into Washington Park to see the famous Rose Garden. We couldn't resist taking a few pics of Rose by the Rose Garden signs. Then Rich and Rose had to be on their way back to Seattle. Although it was a short few days with them, we were really excited to finally meet Richard's new wife.

Silver Falls State Park

If you ever get to Oregon, you won't want to miss Silver Falls State Park. It is 15 miles from Salem which is the capital of Oregon. The park is incredibly beautiful. This is the second time we've gone, and both times I think it is amazingly beautiful. After awhile, it's hard to remember which waterfall you're looking at when you see all the pics. There are 10 falls in all, and each waterfall is powerful and dynamic. When hiking the 8.7 mile trail, I would swear I'm in a rain forest from one end to the other!

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

Steve and I just returned from a one-week vacation in Oregon this evening. We had an absolutely fabulous spring break with Julie, Sheldon, and Jace. Thursday we drove to Woodburn, Oregon which is very close to Portland. We went to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. There were acres and acres of beautiful tulips. Even though it was cold, damp, and rainy every day in Oregon while we were there, we bundled up and enjoyed tromping around the tulips posing for picture after picture. We stayed in a hotel in Silverton after the tulip festival and an afternoon of shopping at a nearby outlet center. What a gorgeous state! I'm really going to miss vacationing in Oregon after Julie and Sheldon move.

Look Who's in My Tree

When I came home from church on Sunday, I was surprised to see Natalie's car parked in front of the house. I quickly observed Cali sitting quite comfortably perched on one of the limbs of our plum tree. I've never seen anyone climb that tree let alone Cali! It was so cute, and she was so proud of herself. She even tied red ribbons on some of the limbs. How fun to have such a sweet granddaughter who didn't let Sunday attire stop her from acting like a monkey!!!

A Quick Trip to Missouri

Over President's Day weekend Steve and I flew into St. Louis so we could spend a few days with Melanie, Heather, and her family. We had a great time. It was sooooooo cold. Temperatures were in the 20's, but we had lots of fun building snowmen and having a snowball fight. We spent time shopping for Kyra's birthday presents at our favorite store, "Kohl's." We went to church, and I was once again shocked at how many women go to Relief Society in Heather's ward. I think there were at least 50 sisters in attendance. We don't have anything close to that in our little ward here in Vegas. Heather planned a fun Valentine's Day dinner and party. I also got to see where Melanie works in Jeff City. Tuesday morning everything fun came to a screeching halt because Heather had her tonsils removed. The surgery went well and finally Heather's frequent episodes of strep will soon be a distant memory. It's been a long ten years; they should have come out much sooner. Now, she just needs six weeks to recover. Ugh!

Saturday Night on the Tracks

Friday night Natalie invited us to the Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix located on Rainbow near their house. Cali had fun riding a few rides; and as you can see from the video, I enjoyed racing with Steve. Although I got a better time with each lap; unfortunately, I never did beat his time. I guess I'm just not brave enough to punch it on the gas even around those corners!

Disney on Ice

Today we took Cali to see Disney on Ice at the Thomas and Mack Center. It was our first official grandma/grandpa date with her. All three of us had a great time. We saw acts from Mickey and Minnie, Cars, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Tinkerbell. What more fun could a person ask for then seeing beautiful costumes, graceful ice skating, and enjoying it all while munching on cotton candy and popcorn?

Proof That It Snows in Vegas

This last week has been so cold. I've wondered if I really lived in Las Vegas. However, I have to say that one of my favorite things about teaching at Sierra Vista High School is the view I get of the mountains either early in the morning as I arrive for school or late in the afternoon when I find myself wandering out to my car at the end of the day. Today when I left school I couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful mountains. In fact, I thought it was so pretty I went home and asked Steve to drive back with me so I could get some pics. I think the pictures say it all!