How was everyone's Christmas?

So did everyone enjoy their Christmas? We did presents with Greyson's parents and sister in the morning yesterday and then went over to his brothers house for Christmas dinner and more present opening.

I heard that Kalena and Emma tuckered out before they got all their presents open but were very happy with what they received. How did the Porter clan fare?

My house sitters are leaving today and Greyson and I are flying in tomorrow. Then I have to go right back to work the following day. I am not looking forward to that.
-Melanie

Bad pet owners

Well apparently Greyson and I are bad pet owners. We left Ada outside when we left with a bowl full of food and a big plastic bin half full of water. Thankfully Brian went to check on her the day after we left and when he arrived the dog was inside, the front door was unlocked and Ada's water dish was frozen solid. My only guess is that my neighbors put her in the house for some reason. We do have our house key "hidden" under a plant on the front porch for anyone to find (including my parents when they come). So Brian took our baby with him to his house where she will have fresh water.

Everything here in La. is good. It has been warm but raining so I haven't been outside much. I might go hang out with my sister-in-law for a few hours this afternoon so that will be fun and tonight we are going out to dinner with Greyson's parents and brother.

Where's the Key

Melanie didn't call and tell me where she put the key to her house. What to do, what to do? Maybe the Dean's have a key?? Maybe Melanie will e-mail me about the key? Pregnancy must make one absent-minded. . .

Electricity is Wonderful (from Mom)

The storm was very scary and I cowered in the living room until after 10 p.m. Of course there were excursions to hide in the kitchen every once in awhile when the wind really howled. It actually seemed to growl sometimes.

Our power went out at 5 p.m. on Thursday evening and came back on at about 2:00 p.m. this afternoon (Monday). We are fortunate to have hot water and a range and fireplace that work. Had to tote all the refrigerator contents to ice chests. Grandma has our refrigerator freezer contents at her house. I haven't opened the chest freezer but am hopeful all is okay there as the garage was pretty cold throughout this.

I am very glad to have a truly warm and light house this evening. And the garage door works. And Charlie's electronic collar works. And the Christmas lights are on. And the microwave works. And the garbage disposal. And my toothbrush.

We spent one evening at the gym where it was warm and we worked up a sweat. Another day we spent at the mall. Today I went to work where it was nice and warm and the computer worked.

My office painting project is scheduled for December 29 through Jan. 1st so anyone passing by is welcome to help out. I also need a lot of consultation about enlarging old pictures. I have large, very tall walls so I need fairly large pictures to go on them. The pictures I have are not very good resolution so I don't know how I can get them big enough to put up.

Also, I'm actually thinking about retiring at the end of next school year. I would officially retire this coming July but then work another school year and draw my retirement at the same time. So, if the district will agree to hire me back for that extra year, that's the plan. I have a much better attitude about going to work suddenly.

Melanie, if you need someone to help out in late July/early August, I'll be available.

Mom

Wild weather

So how did you all fair with the wind and rain last night. Our power was out most the evening. As we were going to sleep I asked Greyson to make sure the bedroom light switch was off in case the power came back on in the middle of the night, and as he reached for the switch the power came back on. We may lose power at the drop of a hat here but they almost always get it back on before the morning. I saw one big tree down on our property driving in last night. I will have to take a tour later and see what else came down. We are getting some slushy rain right now even though it is fairly warm out.

Greyson and I are going to a holiday luncheon this afternoon and then I have my office holiday get together later in the afternoon. So I don't see much work getting done. Then we have exciting plans of cleaning all weekend to get the house in shape for my house/pet sitters (mom and dad) that I think are coming next Friday. We also have dog washing, dog nail trimming, dog bed washing, and fish tank cleaning. All sorts of fun things we are going to do this weekend. I am hoping my hubby will take on a lions share of this as I am rather wimpy these days.

FYI, we are leaving on Tuesday for Baton Rouge and should return the following Tuesday. You all know how I don't like flying, and now I get to do it with an upset stomach. That should be fun. It should be a relaxing time with Greyson's family so I am looking forward to that. His mother and father moved within a few blocks of his brother so it makes it much easier to spend time with everyone. Hope you all have a great Christmas where ever you are.

two of 'em

picking the town

I pick Camas J  The small gift idea sounds good…and I’d still like to do the white elephant exchange with kids and/or adults. 

Christmas spirit (from Mom)

I'm also a little depleted of Christmas spirit. I have the house decorated and the lights are up on the house. But since none of my children/grand children are planning to visit, it seems kind of superfluous.

It would be more fun if were were all much more poor and could buy each other small items we wouldn't get ourselves otherwise - like fancy soap or an electric can opener.

Just one more week of school and then we are off on vacation until after New Years.

Grandma has a small tree outside her house decorated as well as the porch area peak. Looks pretty cute.

I say we pick a town and all move there. We will all have to get new jobs, except for Greyson who apparently can work from anywhere with Internet connection.

Merry Christmas

No holiday spirit

I think something happened to me when I missed Thanksgiving this year. I just didn't seem to get any holiday spirit. The only decoration at our house is the wreath Greyson made. And I don't have any plans to get any out. And we haven't bought a single present yet.

Speaking of, do you all have any ideas for yourself or others?
I don't really have much on my list. I would like some clothes in tall, especially fitted shirts, long sleeve T's or sweaters. I have a ton of turtlenecks so I would probably prefer some other cut but whatever. I always like jewelry too. Or whatever. I really have everything I need. It sounds like some of you are already done shopping anyway.

Take care and send me some holiday vibes,
Mel

Dean family update

Well guess who was right about her diagnosis a week ago- Kaiser just sent in my antibiotic prescription yesterday (so the little buggers got to multiply for five days!).  So I’ve got two pills in me- and feeling better already.  I haven’t heard anything about the X-ray results- but I don’t think that was the problem.  Haven’t had time to read all the blogging lately- hope everyone is doing well.  I’m almost done with my Christmas shopping- YEAH!  Also- if anyone knows of good deals – like Mervyn’s- please post them.  We are in search of some good prices on electronic products for the boys.  Well I came in early to get work done.  My basketball team is 1 in 2, we lost by 6 points last night.  Gabriel did not lose a match at the last tournament…he’s practicing again today.  Nicholas is growing up- I think he has grown a few inches in just the past month- and his sense of humor is changing.  I enjoy the greater awareness and plays on words.  I bought Emma and Kalena new black dress up shoes- both have been wearing them the last few days- Emma’s have a slight heel- she looks too grown-up in them.  Brian is still fighting off a cold- I haven’t heard much complaining about it lately- so it must be getting better.  He had our Christmas tree lighted up outside when I came home last night.  It was very festive- and nice to see we’ve got at least one holiday decoration started. We bought another live tree this year- we have four planted around the property from previous Christmas’s.  Well I’m procrastinating what really needs to get done- school work.  Take care.  Jenn and family. 

Dean family posting

Everyone is invited to the Dean household to celebrate the New Year- we will provide the site for X-box competitions, nerf and air soft wars, and other food and entertainment.  I hope this works for everyone- and maybe there will be snow on the ground- so put on your chains before you head up the hill.  We will have the wood stove burning and the holiday music playing.  Also- I bought these yarning loops/pegs?? they are supposed to allow one to easily and quickly make scarfs and hats…so if a grandma could show me how to do it- I failed last night on my first attempts.  I want to make red, black, and white scarfs for my bball team for their end of season awards.  Well I’ve got to get some grades submitted and get to practice- we are late practices this week.  Love. Jenn and family.

Almost vacation

It is just 2 weeks until we leave for Louisiana. I am really looking forward to being able to just relax. Yes, I did get quite a break from work while I was in the hospital but that wasn't quite relaxing. My hyperstimulation has calmed down a lot. I still have some fluid in my abdominal cavity but it is staying put and I can finally sleep on my side again and not wake up with horrible backaches (Yeah!). Well it looks like I may follow the trend in this family of "morning" sickness. However mine doesn't seem to care what time of day or night it is. Apparently my diet these days can no longer include Thai food, pizza or Mexican food. And I am only good for about 1/3 of the portion size that I used to eat. You know this whole pregnancy thing kind of sucks right now. Who thought this was a good idea?

I know you don't need to hear all the details for the next 8 months. What else... I am back to work full time but may work from home all week. We still have snow on the ground from last weeks snow. Greyson and I had to go fix the electric dog fence again yesterday as some critter chewed through the wire again. At least they do it more or less in the same spot so I know where to look. When the fence was down Ada figured out she could push the garage door open and helped herself to some of the recycling, spreading it out on the lawn, and had a meal of chicken feed. Greyson is still very busy with his "interactive map" and restaurant website contracts. Other then that we are very happy being snuggled up in our warm house during these cold days.
-Mel

A hello from the windy city

From Aunt Chris/ Sister:

No not that windy city; Simi Valley is Indian for "windy something".. city, valley, who know?

Well, I'm glad to say we all are doing very well here; we're shying away from hospitals, emergency rooms and health clubs.. They can all be dangerous to your health...... ha ha.

We're very busy with our new puppy, but couldn't ask for a better one. He slept through the night since we brought him home; goes outside and loves the grass. Does his business there except when the winds blew leaves and twings around him. Guess he thought a whole play yard was coming just to him. Kind of forgets to do his job and chases everything blowing by. But cannot complain at all. Everything he does is funny and that's more than I say about Phil and me. Can't remember the last time we were funny, especially after 35 yrs of marriage. ( your folks have us beat by 3 years) We're very excited to see our pregnant daughter and son-in-law. They've got temperatures of 13 degrees at their house , so we're glad they are coming here and not us going there.

Melanie, so glad to hear you are better.. You know in medicine they always say "common things happen commonly and rare things happen rarely?". Well you are a rare one. Even thought that complication is known to happen, you sure don't think it will happen to you. So now it's time for you guys to have the "common" thing have happen; hope you have a common pregnancy.

And yes, Jennifer; kidney stones are also "common" but definitely need to be watched. ( what is it with you guys??) Stay well this next year, you hear!!

Grandma is fine, but getting tired of the Simi Valley winds. Her apartment on the third floor and is like a wind tunnel. She asked me about if the wind is always like this; then remembers she's been here almost 4 yrs, so she should know.

Well, I need to go and finish decorating the Christmas tree. The best to everyone.

Love,
Chris

real quick update before bell rings- Dean family

Brian, Emma and myself all have a cold right now- that attacks our voices.  The doctor at Kaiser thinks I might have kidney stones- had strange happenings yesterday with constant discomfort involving my urinary tract…and then progressively worse blood in my urine- it looked brown in the sample I donated last night.  Boys are both healthy…Gabe has wrestling in Oregon City on Saturday.  Nicholas has a break from sports until January.  We’ve had two late starts due to the weather…we still have frozen snow at our house.  That’s it in an nutshell…time to rush to my classroom.  J I’ll think of more positives to share in my next posting.

Yes I am home

So I got my abdominal drain tube removed last night and then got to go home. I am feeling alright today, just a little beat up. I finally got a pretty good nights sleep last night. Greyson went into town this morning and got my pain meds and pizza which is helping me feel better. Apparently my last hcg test (which tests progression of a pregnancy) increased at a normal level and higher then my last tests. So at this point it is still ok and I will just have to wait and see what happens. I am supposed to try to go back to work tomorrow but I don't know how that is going to go. For one thing, I am leaking fluid out my side hole. I tried some bandages but it soaked through those in just a few minutes. So I have switched to laying with a handtowel folded up next to the hole. I have already gone through 2 towels and am working on my third. But I think it is actually keeping the pressure off my stomach so I am not to eager to close it up.

So enough of all that. What are all of you up to?

HOME!! (post by Mom)

Melanie is on her way home from the hospital at last.

Up and about

I was feeling well enough today for a trip to the Starbucks (pushed in the wheelchair) to check email and get a smoothie. Those dang Starbucks are everywhere. This one is in the neighboring Doernbecher unit. I still get really tired if I walk around much. My tummy is getting slowly better. We were draining off 4 liters of fluid a day in the beginning but am now down to between only 1 and 2 liters a day. The only drawback of not having much fluid in me is that if I run out of fluid while drawing it off it will suck random internal body parts against the holes of the tube instead. And that really, really hurts. My latest baby related bloodwork levels are a little concerning so there is a fairly big chance at this point that I may get some sad news with the next blood draw tomorrow. We will just have to deal with that as it comes. We have a bunch more embies frozen for more tries.

Other than that I am pretty bored and really tired of the food here. Since I am feeling a bit better I may try to get out of my room more and check the blog. So get to writing so I have something to do.

Mel

Happy Holidays (from Mom/Janice

Had a good time at the Deans. Brian has another skill we knew nothing about until today when we undertood Melanie wreath-decorating activity. Brian knows how to tie beautiful bows. Learned it at his Mother's knee apparently. You just never really know a person.

The boys preferred pumpkin pie to chocolate cream. Odd, I thought. Not Sharp-like. However, they certainly can pack it away so no concern about their appetite. The girls are so cute and full of energy as usual.

Melanie is still in the hospital, but looks a lot better. I feel sorry for her now, but am not so worried. For awhile there she had all my motherly instincts at high alert. Hopefully she will be out in a few days. The tube they put inside her belly is huge - like 6 mm in diameeter and about a 10 inches long -- clear across her belly. Hurt like crazy going in and probably will not be much fun coming out.

Jennifer had lots of food for us plus what we packed. More than we could begin to eat, of course. Jennifer showed the utmost in generosity by suggesting to the boys that they invite Vic because she didn't think he had anywhere to go for Thanksgiving dinner, and he didn't.

Greyson gave us his king-size bed for the two nights. Very kind of him considering he has been sleeping on a very uncomfortable hospital bed the last few days.

Hope the Porters had a yummy Thanksgiving. Any snow yet?

Mom/Jan

Scare (from Janice)

Melanie gave us quite a scare. Her follicles went into super overdrive after the implanting & she ended up with a gallon of fluid in her belly and very little in her blood stream. The kidneys don't work well in that situation. This was a known risk, but we were hoping it wouldn't happen. Anyway, we made a mad rush to Portland to see her. She was better by the time we got there but still looked beat up. She has had enough shots and blood draws and IV's in the last couple of months to last a lifetime. Poor baby.

She's at OHSU and will be for a week or two. We are moving Thanksgiving to Jennifer's house.

The wind is blowing and its raining tonight. Makes me freaked out that the trees will topple.

I'm baking pies, cooking giblets & Larry is chopping veggies. We'll pack it up and take it all to Washougal. Hope there are no disasterous spills. Compared to the scare we had today though, it kind of puts everything else into perspective.

I am very thankful for my whole family, blood and by marriage. May they stay well and happy.

j

The Mangers are having another baby!!

From Uncle Phil and Aunt Chris,

No, no , it's not what you think. You already know Stephanie and Nate ( the newlyweds) are having a baby; due next april.

No, that's not it... The house is too quiet since our Raleigh dog is gone.. So we are getting a new Golden Retriever puppy. I know.. it will be a lot of work, but a lot of fun. So here's Murphy.

We were going to get an adult dog through the L.A. Golden Retrieve Rescue organization. But everytime we found one that seemed to be a good fit, it was gone overnight. And I just happened to find a local breeder in Simi Valley and they just happened to be available. And they just happened to have 9 adorable puppies...... end of story.

We chose between there two brothers........ Murphys the one on the right. It was tough choice, but the one on the left was whining, so forget that one.

Anyway........ Grandma is so happy with her new apartment and off to play Bingo today. She's going to dinner with us tonight, because Phil and I like to leave town for Thanksgiving. This year we're going to San Diego.. need to get away from my work. And it'll be the last getaway without the responsibilitites of a dog.'

So have a happy thanksgiving to you all. Hi to Larry and Jan.

Love,
Chris

thanksgiving plans

We plan to leave after Brian gets back from work.  I missed the blog invitation to mom’s house…so mom if you didn’t want company or wanted to drive- we are more than happy to do the celebration at our house.  We will be bringing our own sleeping arrangements.  In addition- I will try to bring some favorite foods- a dessert or two, and maybe a pasta dish of some sort.  Well volleyball is officially over- and today is the last day of bball try-outs.  It looks like I’m going to have a great team.  This time I’m going to take lots of pictures and have parent assigned statisticians …so I will have lots to say at the awards banquet….although the presentation went much better this year…that’s the problem though with my public speaking- I never know when it will be horrible and when it won’t.  Take care everyone- looking forward to seeing a lot of you over the holidays! 

Thanksgiving

Hey all, I want to know who all is going to mom and dad's for Thanksgiving. Greyson and I are coming. We may actually wait until Thursday morning to come down. We always do that Wed. night traffic fighting but I just don't think that I am up to it this year. I am assuming we will have a bed for Thursday, Friday and Saturday?? Is there something that I should bring? You know I am not going to cook much but if you want me to pick up something from Costco I can do that or make something simple. Has anyone been by Costco lately to see if they have the plain wreaths in? I plan on going by next Tuesday.

Are there going to be any special activities or just food. I have had a terrible time eating the last week. All my belly bloating/swelling left very little room for stomach expansion. So the minute I ate anything I felt like I had already ate a complete Thanksgiving dinner. Two days ago I woke up feeling much, much better and have been working on getting my stomach stretched back out in preparation for the big meal.

See you many of you soon,

Mel

Playing catch-up

Howdy all. I have been sitting in bed trying to catch up on some work since I have missed quite a few days last week with all the Dr. Appointments. For any of you outside the "inner circle", I have polycystic ovaries which prevents me from making babies the old fashioned way. So anyway, we completed the transfer today of two IVF embryos without a hitch. The others are all being frozen in case this one doesn't take and we have to do some more cycles. The chances are at about 50% right now and if I do get pregnant I have about 35-45% chance that it would be twins instead of just one. But even if this cycle doesn't work the hard part of making the embryos is done and we could do a good number of frozen cycles which would be much easier on my body (and considerably cheaper). I have been lucky to have so much financial support from both my and Greyson's parents.

The retrieval of the embryos on Tuesday was the worst part. They put you under light sedation and then stick a large needle through the vaginal wall and pierce the ovaries about 60 times. I was pretty much asleep for the first half hour and didn't feel much. But for some reason the anesthesiologist lightened the load for the last part and I came back to earth and could feel it all as they shoved this large needle over and over. But the pain is forgotten quickly. My ovaries are still the size of softballs and will stay that way for awhile. It is almost time for my evening intramuscular shot that Greyson has to give me for the next 5 weeks (if I get pregnant). All the previous sub-q shots where pretty much painless, but the intramuscular ones hurt. And the medicine is oil based which doesn't absorb very quickly and leaves me with sore butt cheeks. I am in the "two week wait" now and will go into the clinic for a pregnancy test just after Thanksgiving.

What else... Greyson is doing great. He is busy with his graphic design contracts for a restaurant website and a online city business map. He also has a couple other bids out on some promising projects. I don't really know many details. I have been pretty self involved lately and haven't given him much spousal support so I will have to get on that.

Well it is time for dinner and a shot.
Melanie

collections and elections

Okay. Mel went through the procedure without a hitch. We didn't get our favorite doctor. This one was more of a technician. Very good with her hands, but tight-lipped in the doctor-patient relationship depaartment. We are now the proud owners of 37 eggs. That's quite a clutch. Let's give melanie some blogplause (gotta love blog wordsmithing). Haven't gotten the count on the sperm yet, but perhaps we'll get that good news along with the election results. Of 2008. Melanie's doing well, and has some pretty fierce pain killers to get her through the next couple of days.

Just heard that big business paid 75% of campaign contributions this year. wal-mart tops the list. Wonder who is getting that money?

Sorry for the non-sequitor, but that was on the news in the background.

So le menu includes instant mashed potatoes and sprite if certain folks can stomach it. We should have some mixing of x's and occasional y's this evening in a petrie dish as we speak.

Oh I should be working right now. Got another project. It's a pretty big website redesign of the chamber of commerce. I may have enough work in the first quarter of 2007 to pay for the rest of the year, and maybe not enough time to do it.

I'm back in the gym with a new routine after a week off due to sickness. Hey how's that weightset, Tim? Keeping it dusted? Ya know. We might have a place to store that. I took an incredible walk yesterday. Must've been 70 with warm winds swooshing through very colorful trees. The sound was beautiful. And these big ominous clouds rushing overhead. On the way back, the rain pelted Ada and me. And it was so warm. Almost like a shower. Felt wonderful.

Holiday Wreaths

So I was thinking that we should make wreaths at Thanksgiving this year. Costco usually has those plain (live)wreaths. I could pick up one for each person that wants to partake and then the rest of you could be responsible for bringing the glitz. Ribbon, berries, pinecones....
What do you think? And who is going to make it this year?
(Greyson and I will be in Lousiana for Christmas.)

The Sharp/Rudd sniffle scene

Greyson and I both woke up with a scratchy throat a couple days ago. I fell asleep that night at 6:30pm and got up the next morning at about 5am feeling fairly good. Greyson didn't fall asleep until midnight and woke up sniffling and sneezing. So I think my quick action got my white blood cell working and I feel pretty good. Greyson is still fairly miserable.
I had a doctors appointment this morning and all's good so far, I will get more info when my labs get back this afternoon.
The kittens are fine. They are still annoying my husband and I tend to find them outside quite a bit.
I am still taking a class at PSU in the evening and I am learning a lot but the time and stress that goes with it is fairly high so I will be glad when it is over.
We had our first freeze two nights ago and my flowers are almost all gone. I may get out the Christmas lights early to cheer things up.

Brief and to the point.
-Mel

looking for a babysitter on Nov. 11th early in the morning...7:30

Brian is elk hunting- and I would like to chaperone a field trip to Seattle- to see the “Bodies” exhibit- yes cadavers- 21 in total- supposed to be quite an exhibit at the Pacific Science Center….so- let me know if any aunts/uncles or grandma/pas are available to watch the girls.  We originally scheduled for Friday- but that’s a holiday which means we have to pay double for our bus driver costs- so it got moved today- to Saturday.

news from Delaware

I have enjoyed keeping up with all you so I will catch you up with my life.

Bob had back surgery in August and then, ten days later, played tennis and aggrevated the nerve. (He may be a college professor but he's obviously not too swift, huh?) He is much better now and played tennis last Sunday without any bad results. I think he is on the mend.

I am enjoying the weight training class I started with I got home from Oregon. I am developing very strong muscles and dense bones. Thank God all the ladies in the class are my age. I am slowly increasing the amount of weight I can lift - only up to 30 pounds with 15 reps but I will get better as I work it. I have dropped a clothing size but not lost one ounce. The trainer says that muscles weigh more than fat and I should be patient. I sure would like to see that needle on the scale go down.

It is fall in Delaware - warm days and cool nights. Lots and lots of people decorate for Halloween so it is very festive. Happy Halloween to all of you.

Joanne

Finally sun

The clouds have parted and I am sitting outside my hotel room typing in the sun. Things are starting to wrap up here with just two more days before I get to go home. I am almost not excited to get home because of the large amount of work I will have to catch up on when I get back. But I miss my hubby and my bed and could handle a dip in the hottub. I am going to splurg (diet wise) and get a big fat juicy bacon, mushroom cheeseburger with onion rings at the Rusty Skillet tonight. What could be better than that? It is kind of funny but when I call Greyson at night all I have to talk about is what I ate for dinner. That and the weather is the only thing that really changes for me out here.

That is it for me. How about the rest of you?
Dad?
Mom?
Traci and the Porters?
Grandmas?
Aunts?
.....

DEan family update

Ok- my intruder (Greyson) was great.  My students were surprised- and complaining ‘that’s not right’- so I had to remind them a murder isn’t planned for an eye witness..it just happens.  They will be turning in sketches and info on him on Monday. Today is homecoming so our school is a little crazy right now.  I’m a little worn out- I’ve had a parent come up to me right after our last two volleyball games and just lecture me about some complaint or another- one parent it was about her daughter’s playing time, and last night it was because I let them out of practice early to go to a meeting….its been a little frustrating- and I was tired, stressed and that was the last straw last night- I had to make a quick exit outdoors as the tears flooded out.  My girls have lost only one game this entire season- and I was up on this great feeling that I’d gotten all 13 girls into each of the three matches- and all with about equal playing time- and we were still able to win all three games…then to just still have complaints.  Its very trying.  I need a weekend!  Well the bell is about to ring- and I need to mark tardies.  Everyone have a great Friday!

sloshing through the rain

Well today was a wet one here in the forest. We had beautiful weather last week and made me forget that this was Oregon. But working out in the rain all day today snapped me back into reality. Things are going well here in McKenzie Bridge. The fish are swimming and work is good overall. The hotel is decent and there are actually a few restaurants out here with good food. I ordered a pizza to go tonight so I could get some work done. I have a class I am taking, or missing I should say. So I am trying to make up all my work in the evening after 12 hours of work. It isn't going so great so I am a little stressed out. My latest assignment was to work with this data off the internet. When I went to download it they wanted $400. I sent a "what's up" email to my teacher with him responding that the data is free, if you download it from a university. Well that doesn't do me a whole heck of a lot of good out here in nowhere now does it. And I made a special trip in to see him before I left to make sure all my bases were covered.

I don't have much time for writing but I do enjoy reading the blog quickly each night when I get in from work. -Mel

Raleigh's passage

Friday the 13th was a very sad day for the Manger family. Our sweet golden retriever helped his human family make the worst decision a pet owner has to do. We agonized about how he was doing, knowing full well that the end was drawing near. Our wonderful friend was 13 yrs old and not doing well. He had two very serious bouts with dehydration and abnormal liver labs. Appeared to rebound and gave us another 4 months together.

Then 2 wks ago, Raleigh stopped eating and drinking. Phil worked full time giving ice cubes, every possible type of dog food and human food to entice him to eat. We gave him 10-15 pills a day of antibiotics, narcotics to relieve any pain and natural drugs to heal his liver, etc. etc. One day would be good, with him gobbling up some very expensive meat balls, and the next barely raising his head from the floor. But always, always, doing his best to do what we wanted. Would try to stand up with the back legs sliding out from in front of him. Then just staying there waiting for us to put our arms under his back legs and raise him up. Would do pretty good then... would walk crookedly outside to do his duty. Wore a diaper with great dignity at night and never complained.

But friday was the day the vet put it all together. Even with all the love we could give him, he was dehydrating again, his tongue dry and heart beat rapid. He had lost more weight and was boney, but beautiful. So Phil and I made the sad decision ; Stephanie aware of it all and kept connected by phone calls; and said her good byes . Grandma came over and shared some time with Raleigh, too. He was pampered and pet, and brushed.. after all, he needed to be the best dog he could be. He always was.

Michelle and Christopher went with us..... and we came home without our Raleigh. I must say our vet was absolutely the most incredibly compassionate professional I have every met. She felt it was a priviledge to help with the passage of such a loved friend and guided us all the way.Helped us to know he was aware we were there, that he could hear us, and feel us.. And I guess in the end, it is all anyone could ask for when their lifecycle ends.

I hope this wasn't too long and sad, but just had to share .
Love, aunt chris

oh yeah

I got a job offer for part-time work, but it had a funny title to it, and paid too little. I gave them a counter, asking them to pay me more, change my title to "graphic designer", allow me to work one day a week at home, and buy a macintosh. They didn't go for it. It wasn't THAT demanding.

update for whatever

I've been caught up in a whirlwind of activity. It's what I wanted and it is what has happened. I've always been fortunate in that I get what I want in life I suppose. I wanted to design from my laptop in a coffee shop (or wherever) and I'm doing it. I wanted to take part in giving a certaing visual quality to stevenson and help it grow, and that is happening too.

About 5 weeks ago, I finally met this guy (john) in Stevenson that I'd been emailing with periodically, and we had a certain degree of musicianship in common. So we got together an played one evening. John is involved with business development, and he introduced me to another guy (Joe) who owns the two most successful restaurants here and is also an active member of the chamber of commerce and business development.

These two are great, and because of them I have enough work to keep me busy for quite some time. So I've been attending business meetings and really trying to make myself known in the community. All of these guys show up in a little homemade venue to play music each weekend, and I'm there. They appreciate a new drummer in town I think, and I am extremely grateful that I stuck with drumming. I went to locals night last night at the "walking man" and everyone was there, joe and john included. I also went to an internet security lecture last night, and learned about problems that are not really mine (macintosh). Joe was there also. I offered to do some legwork and writing in a "no whistle policy" for a local hotel owner, where the trains won't be allowed to toot their horns at 2:00 am, so maybe he'll give me some business down the road. I sent off a proposal today that should be approved for an interactive map of stevenson. I billed Joe because I'm at a halfway point on the first restaurant site. And I finally have a breather after a flurry of proposal writing and design work. It's a beautiful chilly day in Stevenson and I'm writing from Bahma with their refreshingly fast internet connection on my laptop. I'm learning how to create wireframes for the purpose of web design functional specs and estimating programming requirements, and I'm learning to write propsals to incorporate those estimates. I guess that's about it. I'll sip from this cup as long as it's in front of me. For fun, I'm learning guitar and I have been inline skating along the columbia river too. For a while there, I was getting way too into my TV shows, but I only allow an hour a day now. Things have since become a blur.

That's my update. It's a little dry, but I'm fried today, and all of this stuff has been the ONLY thing on my mind.

Michelle and Raleigh

Hi everyone,

Well ,Stephanie is 13-14 weeks pregnant and feeling great; no nausea or wierd cravings, yet. She and Nate are checking out daycare and baby furniture. Wish we lived closer so we could be a bigger part of their lives, but will just have to do so long distance.

Mom/ Grandma had a good time at the casinos, but couldn't win a thing. She moved into her new apartment last week-end and I'll have to send some pictures. She is on the third floor in a building with an elevator. It is a two bedroom, two bath but the living room is smaller than then her other one. So figuring out what to do with her furniture was a challenge. But what a view!!! She faces the new outdoor mall, swimming pool at the rental complex and all of Simi Valley. Here best part is being able to leave the bedroom windows open... hasn't been able to do that she she left Vancouver. Hope she meets more friends.. Her bestfriend did not move and they aren't as close as before.

Our sweet golden retriever, Raleigh, is on his last legs. He was hospitalized in June with severe dehydration while we were in Chicago at the wedding. I had to fly out of New Orleans to get home to care for him. Now he's done it again.. Strange how illness creeps up on animals since they don't let on that they are sick. He's 13 yrs old ( 91 yrs in human time) and definitely showing his age. He just stopped eating and drinking; it was so gradual. Went into doggie ICU with IV's, medications and expensive medical care. He just came home and is doing better; but his back legs have neurological impairment . He can hardly hold himself up at times, and then later does fairly well. With these animals that are such a great part of our family, it is so hard to let them go. Keep hoping we will know the time comes to let go. Right now the veterinarian says it's not time;

Michelle is taking Raleigh's pictures and sending them to Stephanie via phone. It's amazing what these phones can do; it makes Stephanie feel like she's more involved.

Enough about us,
The next time Mom/ Grandma is over, I'll show her all your blog entries.

Love,
Chris

Dean's quick message to family

Greyson:  my lunch on Wednesday is from 10:35-11:05. 

Dad:  dogs are not allowed in the house or trailer without a bath first ( I will not be home to enforce this- but I’ve sent an email to my husband), apples sound great

Mel:  have fun with your salmon ballooning- take some digital pictures of the process and I’ll share them with my students….we could make up a power point and you could bring in some of the equipment you work with to show to the students.  I’m going to be in the ecology unit for another two to three weeks.

Traci:  great job with the creative writing, your use of the English language is impressive, keep it up- we still need to come visit and check out your hot tub

Mom:  do you have school on Friday? We actually have an inservice this year on diversity training

To all others…just ran out of time to personalize the rest of this message..bell rang.  Take care- have a great week.  

work trip

So I am off for two weeks to work down outside of Eugene at McKenzie Bridge. It is the same spot I spent during the 2 summers after graduation for fire fighting. I am excited to go back and see it all again. I know my crew boss still lives there so I plan to look him up.

My next cycle of shots starts next week. I hope everything goes better this time but I am not too optimistic.

Greyson has some friends over tonight. He made a huge batch of fried chicken and I made some brownies for desert. He has been busy putting together some proposals for work in the community. He has made some great contacts in the last month and it looks like some work is going to come through.

We are going down to Louisiana for Christmas. I just need to figure out the best time. Greyson Was suggesting the 19th-27th. So if you all have some time off after that, maybe we can get together for a weekend. Maybe the New Year? That leaves us home for Thanksgiving so I will plan on being at mom and dad's.

I finished Traci's book last week. I thought it was great and really is better than 80% of what I have read. It is kind of funny but I see parts of our family, especially her, in the characters she writes about. I need to send her an email with some details of my thoughts. Keep working Traci, others will find out how good it is too. We will see you on Oprah's bookclub some day.

The kittens are sleeping on my chest as I write this so I better say "goodnight". I don't know if I will have internet for the next two weeks so I might not be in contact much.

Melanie

maybe you can get our two wheeler jeep working

Mel seems quite handy- the two seater we purchased from Craig’s list is not working- maybe she can get it functioning for us.  We are going to buy new batteries- hopefully that will do the trick.  Now we are on a search for the boys- 4 wheelers that are gas powered. Fun. Fun.  Even with the fixes- much better deals than buying new. 

Craig's list purchase

Well my cooktop was down to just one burner that worked consistently. The others sometime went on when you wanted or not and sometime instead turned the fan on instead. And sometimes turning the fan on turned the burner on instead. I had looked into getting a new cooktop, but to replace a 36" electric, downdraft model it was $1500 for the cheapest one. So I started watching Craig's list about a month ago and yesterday I clicked on an add for a cooktop. And when the picture came up I was staring at a duplicate to the one I have. Why would I want what I already have? Because I know it will fit! And the wiring will be a snap. So I talked the guy down from $125 to $65 and have me a new, used, almost exactly the same cooktop, except hopefully this one won't have electrical problems that could burn the house down. Mine was about 25 years old and this "new" model is only about 10 years old. So anyway, I have some installation to do tonight and hopefully I can now cook more then one thing at a time now.

You can really find some good bargains on craigs list. I see ads for free plants (you dig) all the time, dad.

porters

We have Lucy. She is a good, little dog.

I've stained my fence- looks awesome. Scrubbed tile, bathrooms, and cleaned the living room carpet. My new novel is coming together although we had to go to Helix this weekend for Stan Flershinger's funeral. That was Tim's old basketball coach. The kids rode four wheelers at their Uncle Kevin's house. India straddled their pony and sat very still for awhile. Lucy smelled the rabbits and the horses and played quite well with their 3 dogs. She ran all over their farm until she wore herself out exploring barns and fields with tumbleweed and mice and all kinds of terrier thrills. The kids dote on her and call her their "princess" so I think she's got a good life. We were thinking Dad could show Lucy and then we could breed her when she's old enough and he could have first pick of the litter???

Tim is gone again tonight doing a presentation on buildings and facilities; the gist is that schools of our size have much nicer facilities and these buildings are key to growth in the community etc.

Tucker scored all three of his teams goals tonight. I like soccer much more than baseball, especially when you have an aggressive little guy running around out there.

I'm going to hot tub and then go to sleep. I'll try and be a more active blogger in the future. With all these shootings it's good I have a million dollar policy on Tim. Now is that million tax-free?


Traci

Dean family update

Well not to be outdone by Melanie and her pet pack…I was reading the paper and saw an Airedale mix for $50….so I thought if this puppy (10 mo.  In Battleground) looks like an Airedale I’m getting it…it might be the great-great-grandson of Rosie- the dog my parents made me give up as a child.  Well to make a long story short- he looks like an Airedale and has the personality of a Walker hound…extremely mellow.  I will send pictures soon.  He’s 95 pounds- and my husband thinks retarded.  I think he’s just houndlike- kind of bumps into you- puts his head and body into everything you’re trying to do.  Just a good family dog….didn’t attack the cats, got along with the dogs and Kalena running at him didn’t make him flinch or really react.    Mariah and Edmond have a blast playing- Brody plays less and less- so this is good for Mariah to get some energy out.  My vball girls got 2^nd of 16 teams in our tournament this Saturday.  Kalena had another accident- she was watching her dad drive into the driveway- and wasn’t watching where she was walking- fell right off the deck and onto her nose (on the cement) so scraped her nose up- looks pretty beat up.  We are hoping it doesn’t scar.  Well the bell is about to ring. 

Nothing up with the Rudd/Sharp's

So I really don't have much going on. The kittens are good. They can be extremely cute one moment and then extremely, persistently obnoxious the next. Work has been very, very slow. I basically haven't had anything to do for the last month but go to my office and try to stay busy. I do have a short, two week trip down outside of Eugene in just over a week. The one new thing is that I am taking another GIS class 2 nights a week at PSU. So that adds long commutes with added stress of crammed in homework. Missing two weeks of class at a time certainly doesn't help things.

I think I am ready for a whole new field of work. I just don't know what that is yet.

Greyson and I went rollerblading around North Bonneville today. The entire town has paths all throughout it. You just have to make sure to avoid the acorns and pinecones that can trip you up.

That is all I have to share.
Mel

Grandma Ruby off again!

Grandma Ruby is off to Laughlin, Nevada to gamble, again.. She does love going to casinos, and loves winning even more. She is going with the senior group in Moorpark; it's a nice group and I kid her about her boyfriend. There is a short asian man who really enjoys seeing Mom/ Grandma; guess he has a history of kissing her on the cheek when he sees her. Don't think a new father is in the future since she doesn't hang around long enough to encourage the poor guy.

We have very exciting news in our house!! Stephanie and Nate are having a baby next year! yup, she's the one that just got married.. They wasted no time starting their family. Stephanie had a time frame for her life and it's all falling into place. Naturally Phil and I are so excited.. we've already sent baby clothes and a couple of maternity tops for Steph. We just can't wait.

Michelle and Christopher are working hard at his real estate company and finishing the yard and pool. Real estate has slowed down a lot in California; hope it picks up for them.

Signing off... we love keeping up with the family.
Love, Aunt Chris

greyson the intruder for my class

Ok so here’s my idea for when Greyson comes into my class- I’m calling on the creativity of the rest of my family.  The objective is to teach students about eyewitness testimony and see how accurate they are when they aren’t prepared for such an event.  Greyson would come into my room in the middle of a lesson/lecture—dressed in normal attire- jeans or pants and shirt and carrying an empty back pack- but grasping a bloody set of scissors- behind his back most likely-  and having some blood like substance on his shoes.  I’m thinking even a good fake mustache at this point would be cool….and he asks me if he can use my dishwasher- and I will say sure..Then he will go into my prep room- start up the dishwasher and take off his first set of clothes- underneath would be some athletic attire- shorts and T-shirt and gym shoes- he would stuff all his outer clothing into the back pack, place the scissors in the dishwasher and start it, remove the mustache- then come back out (you have to leave an enter the prep room through the classroom doors)- so he would leave…saying thanks or something afterwards.  I’ll also have the unusual phone calls and things on the white board again this year from my other staff members.  What do you think Greyson?  And any other clever ideas from my family?  Oh and as he leaves he drops a wipe in the garbage can- but the classroom door- that he used to clean off some dirt that was on his face- or the blood on his hands- whatever.  The wipes are in the science prep room..but the garbage can is by the exit door in the classroom. 

poop scootin pooey

Now Larry. I understand the value of having lamb or chicken as the top ingredient in a dogfood, but after seeing the doggie constitutional dance days in a row, and carpet crabwalks, I think the fiber found in "lesser brands" could be introduced in a mixture. That or coffee and a cigarette. The vet said that more fiber may be key,and I'm inclined at this point to agree. Something to be aware of, dog owners.

Two cats are as good as one baby, right?

Well our bad news is that the first cycle had to be cancelled a few days ago. My over zealous body stimulated way too much which can lead to a life threatening condition (OHSS- ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome) if allowed to progress. OHSS is kind of a neat syndrome where all the fluids in your body get sucked into your abdominal cavity and your ovaries become the size of softballs and leads to all sorts of problems. So anyway, my doctor cancelled the cycle and we are going to start over again in a few weeks. This time I will be using a much smaller dose of the stimulation medication. The problem there is that I could understimulate and not produce enough eggs and then the cycle gets cancelled. This was not a cheap setback but it could have been worse; some people get much further along and then get cancelled.

The good news, I talked my hubby into a pair of chocolate point Siamese kittens. We named them Louie and Parker in keeping with the jazz theme started with Miles. Right now they look so much alike I had to write an "L" on Louie's forehead in permanent marker so we could tell them apart. They have been a fun distraction given the disappointing cycle. Miles was very upset the first couple days (all sorts of hissing) but has started to play with them today.

The other good news is that Greyson has started to make some great contacts in town and has been hired to design a website for the Big River Grill, the most popular local restaurant. And that owner also owns the mexican restaurant in town and may want some future help with that site. I know he will do a great job.

-Mel

Dean family update

Nicholas got selected to be on safety patrol- only 20 students out of his elementary school get this honor.  He is quite happy about his new position of importance. 

Gabriel is excelling at wrestling- his coach talked with me this morning (he’s a staff member) about how impressive a job he did last night at practice…beat everyone except a 7^th grader- and that’s because he went into a scramble?? And when that happens the more experienced players tend to win.  His first match is next month.

Emma still talks constantly- until you are in public- where she becomes mute.  If I make a comment about a dead animal on the road- it was a baby deer the other day- it became an entire discussion for the next 20 minutes of our drive- how a bear must have scared the baby onto the road- and that the daddy dear must be sad and missing his baby…and on and on. Kalena, well she keeps us all busy…I’m still waiting for the day when everything quits going into her mouth and where all drawers are meant to be emptied and all chairs and tables are meant to be climbed.  My husband- I don’t see him much- I think he’s this handsome guy that works at a dairy.  He’s wonderfully supportive and has been busy chauffering children to soccer scrimmages, wrestling practices and picking up girls from child care.  As far as me- I think I’m a little crazy- but hanging in there.  I spend most of my day with teenagers talking science- and a whole lot of other topics- then another few hours with some freshmen girls, and then if I’m lucky I get to go home…lately I’ve had games, first aid training, and departmental duties (checking our tech equipment, etc.).  Hope everyone had a great week!  Love. Jenn.

• 
  
  
  
• 1. Elvis's grave at Graceland. 2. Steam locomotive trip from Williams, Arizona to the Grand Canyon. 3. Aunt Chris/ Sister at the really Grand Canyon. 4. Michelle and Christopher's outdoor fireplace.

Grandma had a fun time seeing all of you; wished we could be with you, too. So glad your family vacation was such a success. Just wanted to share a couple pictures with your family. ... Enjoy!

food galore

Like Mom, I'm afraid our van is going to be too small to hold all our stuff and "snacks." Fear not of hunger. Between sushi, salmon dip, peanut butter fudge, meats and cheeses, fruit leather, cheesecake, peach pie and icecream, trail mix, veggies and dip, grapes, clementines, bananas and a brocolli-tortellin salad...we shall have the energy needed to crash the waves, corral the children, and still play cards at night. Oh and some sweet and sour meatballs and danish butter cookies and sour licorice too. I had so much fun shopping. I have to go and make some of these snacks. Can't wait to see everyone. We'll try and pick up a boogie board or two once we get up there. It seems Anita and J.C. have bailed so we can have all the kids in our room and the grandma's and aunties will have their piece. Hope no-one is trying to diet.

Traci

Recovering from chores

We asked my father to come up for two jobs; picking up a dryer and cutting down some trees around our garden. Somehow that turned into days of tree cutting throughout multiple areas, days of deck staining, fixing the heater ducting in the crawl space, tightening the toilet down, staining the hottub and changing it's water, making a dump run and cleaning the garage. I have to admit I didn't do that much work and I am still trying to recover. I have never seen a person drink as many liquids as my father drank while he was here. He was going through a gallon of milk a day, coffee in the morning, lemonade at lunch and some beer at night. It was amazing. He said he gets thirsty when he works. Anyway, it was awesome to get that many jobs done and it was great to have my father's help.

I started in on my shots last week. There is really nothing to it. Greyson gets the meds ready and I inject. The only bad part is that they are supposed to put me into a temporary menopause with all the associated symptoms. I haven't noticed anything yet. But I am always cold so maybe the hot flashes just make me comfortable. So anyway, so far so good.

-Mel

Blogging for the sake of blogging

Hello all,

It sounds like the weather is going to be great at the coast for our trip. We have started back to school but won't have any kids until the 6th of September so everyone is preparing for the onslaught.

I have been golfing as much as possible and Traci and the kids will join me every so often. Everyone is very busy around here and we are looking forward to the beach trip.

Well, I have to go take Tucker to soccer practice and really didn't have anything to report on anyway but my wife wanted me to blog so here it is.

Tim

Weather update

Here are two different forcasts for Lincoln City. Both are looking quite nice. We are bringing our boogie board and wetsuits to enjoy the nice weather. -Mel

Thu Aug 31 Sunny 66°/52° 20 %
Fri Sep 01 Sunny 74°/55° 20 %
Sat Sep 02 Sunny 74°/55° 20 %
Sun Sep 03 Sunny 76°/54° 0 %
Mon Sep 04 Sunny 73°/54° 0 %

THURSDAY - Partly sunny in the morning - then mostly sunny. Highs 60 to 65.
THURSDAY NIGHT - Partly cloudy. Lows around 50.
FRIDAY - Mostly sunny. Highs 65 to 70.
FRIDAY NIGHT - Partly cloudy. Lows around 50.
SATURDAY - Partly sunny. Highs around 70.
SATURDAY NIGHT - Partly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows around 50.
SUNDAY - Partly sunny. Highs around 70.
SUNDAY NIGHT - Partly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows around 50.
LABOR DAY - Partly sunny. Highs 65 to 70.

Instructions Repeated (from Mom)

OKay, this is for those people who lost the directions Dad originally sent.

Come as early as you like on Friday because the adult crowd has secured an extra night and will be arriving Thursday evening. We have to be out by noon on Monday.

They say the kitchens are fully equipped with dishes, pots/pans, etc.
I have packed enough toilet paper for the 4 days.

You need to bring:
* food (I have cookies, bacon, potato salad & will think of something for Friday evening)
* sleeps bags or sheets & blankets
* towels
* charcoal & lighting fluid if you plan to use the barbeque
* personal toiletries (I have thrown in several bars of soap)

Here are the driving directions: If you come into Lincoln City from the north, turn right onto Logan Road (when you see McDonalds). The signs will also say "Roads End State Park." Drive about 1/3 mile and turn left onto NW 53rd and then immediately within 50 feet turn left into the first driveway. They say there is room for 6 cars.

We have a sleeping plan with a couple of alternatives.

Bedroom on main floor: Grandma Sharp and Grandma Far Away
Downstairs: Room with king bed for Janice and Larry
Downstairs: Room with 2 sets of twin bunks for Aunt Joanne, Aunt Nancy, Anita, India
Upstairs: Double Bed room for Melanie and Greyson
Upstairs: Room with two sets of twin over double bed bunks-Tim, Traci & kids or Time Traci and all the boys (or girls)
Upstairs: Room with two sets of twin over double bed bunks--The Deans & kids or Jenn, Biran and all the girls (or boys)

If you have read this far you will be rewarded with the "door code." It is 29.
Enter through the front door inside the sun porch and locate the combination key lock box to the left of the door. Enter the code number and remove the front cover with the door key attached. Unlock the door. Return the cover with key to the lock box. Re-enter the code to put the key back.

Or, open up the door & say hello to the dozen people who are already within.

Mom/Janice/Grandma

Lincoln City, Here we come!

Soon the chaos will begin.
I was talking to my mother tonight and she was saying that it looked rather gloomy for our visit to Lincoln City. So I decided to get online and get a weather update so all can be prepared. So here is what different sources are saying....

Yahoo says:
Friday 01
High 69°FLow 54°FPrecip. 0 % Sunny
Saturday 02
High 70°FLow 52°FPrecip. 0 % Sunny

Weather.com says:

FriSep 1 Sunny 69°/54°
SatSep 2 Sunny 70°/52°

Accuweather.com:
Friday, Sep 1
Mostly sunny. Winds from the N at 10 mph. Realfeel®: 58 °F High: 63 °F

Friday Night, Sep 1
Mainly clear. Winds from the NE at 10 mph.Realfeel®: 45 °F Low: 47 °F

Saturday, Sep 2
Sunny. Winds from the NNE at 12 mph.Realfeel®: 61 °F High: 66 °F

Saturday Night, Sep 2
Clear. Winds from the NE at 5 mph. Realfeel®: 52 °F Low: 49 °F

One tooth down, one to go

I think I have only had 2 or 3 cavities in my life. But today I got to see what all the fuss was about. I had my first tooth drilled on and my first temporary crown put on. I go back in on Monday to get the same treatment on the other side of my mouth. I would like to blame my parents for these cracking teeth of mine. I am going to have to get a mouth splint to wear at night so I don't repeat this process. If only I didn't grind my teeth. They say it is a sign of stress. I remember doing that even back when I was like 7. Poor kid.

I had been weeding, picking up dog poop, watering, and cleaning this evening. I have a bunch more jobs I want to do before Rudd Sr. and the Mrs. get here. Stinky dog needs a bath, then the bath needs a bath...

Greyson borrowed the first series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer so we have been watching that at night. It isn't great but it passes the time pretty well.
The chickens destroyed a part of my flowerbed so they go sent back to the coop. Everytime we go outside they cry and cry to get out and run free. I told them that they blew it. No second chances when it comes to my plants.

That is all my tid bits.
-Mel

Californi Family Photos or Boring you to death

Hi Northwest Family ,
I'm still experimenting with the Blogg adventure. Wanted to send a couple pictures of Mom/Grandma Ruby. One is at Stephanie's reception with our best friends that came from California.( the date is not correct on the photo) The other is Grandma with Phil and Michelle's in-laws. Her new back yard was just finished and hope you can appreciate their great back yard and the view of Simi Valley. Notice the pool in the back with water spouts; at night there are lights and looks like Las Vegas.

You'll get to see Grandma in person for your Labor Day Family reunion; just wanted to share a couple photos. Bye for now,
aunt chris

Weekend at the beach

So I was told that us girls (and corresponding husbands) are supposed to be taking care of food for this coast trip family gathering of ours coming up. Just so you all know, I don't cook well and don't really like to cook either. So that said how do you want to divvy up tasks and what do you want ME to do. I can and will prepare food but it will not be up to the standards set by the Porter's or Dean's. Traci laughed at the last meal I prepared for her family at my house. I am not sure exactly why she was laughing but her children did not go hungry. That is the important point.

So we could each take a day, or whatever. Any ideas? No hurry since we have a month left. I just thought I would throw it out there in case I needed to make a trip in to Costco.

-Mel

Time for a new mailbox

So yesterday I sit down at my computer to download my banking into quicken. As the information rolls in I noticed that Greyson had written three checks out of his new business checking account we had just signed up for and transferred funds into. I asked him what he was writing checks for already and he said "what checks, what are you talking about". Well US Bank scans in all checks cashed against your account and you can view them online. So I started opening the checks up and sure enough, someone else has our checks and is spending our money. Apparently someone went ahead and helped themselves to our mail, including our new checks and was spending away. So we went through all the steps of calls to the bank and calls to the sheriff. They say they have to conduct an investigation and then they will give us our money back. The thing that I found odd that two of the checks were for $15 to winco and $25 to Safeway. If you were going to break the law and use a stolen check, wouldn't you get a little more bang for the buck with each check? I sure would. My co-worker had his info stolen by the parking garage attendant a couple months ago. He gave him a check card to pay for parking and the attendant wrote down the numbers real quick while it was processing and then bought a couple thousand dollars worth of eBay goodies. So I guess the moral is that we have to be a little more careful. hence, our new locking mailbox. We will have to install it tomorrow. One time is enough for me.

I think that was the breaking point for me yesterday. I was feeling stressed out with work since I started working with our Vancouver office last month doing a new type of environmental consulting I haven't done before, including cold calls to potential clients. Next, I was surviving on a limited budget but then our dryer broke a few weeks ago so we have been using a clothesline(which is fine till say Oct.), and then yesterday the dentist said I had 2 fractured molars and need $800 crowns on both and a $400 splint to keep me from grinding my teeth at night and breaking even more teeth. "But your teeth look great" he tells me. How can they look great but be falling apart? What else... Oh, I almost forgot the whole upcoming "lets have you stick yourself with needles twice a day and just ignore all those side effects that make you feel like you are going through menopause for 6 weeks as we try a process that probably won't work" stress. So when the whole stolen money thing occurred it sent me into a stunned/freaked out trance. But with a quick hottub, hug from my hubby and a good nights sleep I awoke renewed.

So on the bright side (which I can see today):
-I will get my money back.
-I now have a locking mailbox that no one can steal from.
-I like the way my clothes smell from blowing in the breeze and my house stays cooler without using those power hungry dryers.
-Once my teeth are crowned I won't have to worry about cavities.
-And hey, there is a chance for a baby where there otherwise wouldn't be. And as a side note, if those of you who have been trained for giving bee sting kits would like to give me a shot here and there for practice I would love to be your pin cushion.
So seriously, things are really pretty good around here.

What else is going on in the Sharp/Rudd household? Well my chickens finally figured out they can fly over a 3' fence. It took them about 4 months but they finally tasted a bit of freedom and are loving it. I am not sure if my flowerbeds will ever be the same. Ada has not killed either yet which is good. I had 2 hummingbirds in the house today that I rescued and one I freed from Miles grasp. I save about 2 or 3 animals a day from Miles even though he is equipped with not one but two bells. I have seen him with birds, bugs, snakes, squirrels, rodents and scorpions. He stalks the chickens but is smart enough not to mess with them.

Our summer has been good but a bit lonely sometimes. It doesn't seem like we have gotten out much or had much company the last few months. I am also working from home a couple days a week which is nice but keeps me from getting out as much as I used to. I have been working out quite a bit and have started doing the bike ride down to SR14 with Greyson. I tried sewing a dress last weekend and I think I over adjusted the pattern for height. I got part way through and the waist was too long, so I tried to adjust here and there. The final product was cute on the hanger but just didn't quite fit. It might have been a tad overambitious for a beginner. I might go back to another shirt for next time.

I think that is all for my update. See most of you at the reunion next weekend.
-Mel

Stephanie and Nate's Wedding in Illinois

Hi everyone,

Wanted to share a picture of Stephanies wedding; was never sure how to do this before Melanie's great email... thanks, melanie. Most of the pictures with Mom/ Grandma Ruby are in the Kodak website our family uses, and I can't make them work.
I had a heck of a time getting Grandma to go to Chicago;she is not comfortable flying alone. She misses all your families, but is so nervous about going places without someone else. So she flew out with me and Phil drove to Chicago with his car full of many of Stephanie's shower gifts that we had for her in Simi Valley.

The wedding was wonderful but would have been even better if more of the family could have come. But we understand Illinois was not very close. After the wedding, Grandma flew back with Michelle and Christopher and Phil and I went on a driving vacation. We had lunch with a couple from Oregon; I went to nursing school in Portland with the wife who now live in Louisville, Kentucky. Then on to Nashville for a couple days which was a great town to visit and to Memphis. Of course went to see Elvis Presley's Graceland and had a great time. Then we drove to New Orleans with lots of heat and humidity. Hard to describe that town; some beauty and some tragedy. We stayed in the French Quarter that did not have much destruction, but still was a sad place visit. Hardly anyone was visiting, the famous bars/ discos open for business, but almost completely empty. Comedians and singing were singing to maybe one or two people. The hotel wasn't anywhere close to being full. Very sad in so many ways. But the spirit of the people was everywhere, they want things back the way it was before.

All was going well, we were having a great dinner in New Orleans until we got a phone call from home. Our 13 yr old golden retriever had gotten very sick and got heat stroke. We had a girl at the house with the pets, but due to the weather and his age, he got overheated and had to go to animal ICU. So.............I flew out the next morning and Phil drove home from Louisiana to California. Raleigh did recover, but is definitely a very fragile elderly dog.

I'll get some pictures of the new rental complex where Grandma is going to live in October. She will be on the third story in a building with an elevator and should have a great view of Simi Valley. Hope this is her final move, our town doesn't have as many choices as other states have, as California has too few choices for the amount of people who live here.

Anyway, I wanted to share a little of what's going on and will be better at publishing.

Love to all,
Aunt Chris/ Sister