Happy day to you!!

Happy Birthday Hester!!  I have lots of fond memories of visits from the Kerksieks and all you girls playing your hearts out!!

Hope it's a happy day - and a great year ahead!!

Weekend News!

Leslie and Tom have been here for a brief visit.  I went out Saturday and saw Leslie.  We were all going to get together yesterday, but it didn't happen.  I'm just glad we had a few hours together anyway!!

On Friday, Tom, Leslie, and Donna went to the taping of Jay Leno - they met up with Harry for dinner too.  The photo at the top is Leslie outside the Nokia Theater - for the Leonard Cohen concert - the reason they came.

We were going to join up with them at Phillipe's, but that didn't work out either.  Fate seems to have been conspiring against us.

But we have email, texting, Facebook, blogs, and regular old phone calls - glad I at least got to have a nice visit with Leslie!!

Annika's Special Day!

Here is our sweet Miss Annika Joy - in 2004!!  Where has the time gone??

And here she is on her special day yesterday - getting ready to be baptized!

Bishop Dad - always taking care of things!!  But of course he took care of the most important thing yesterday - Annika was baptized after church - many friends and family members came.  The program was lovely!  Harry F. spoke on baptism.  Becky, Bruce's sister, spoke on the Holy Ghost.  Both great-grandmas gave the opening and closing prayers.  Ella sang, Ara played the flute, and Esme accompanied them on the piano for a beautiful musical number.

Scott, Shelly and family joined us - here for a great-great grandma photo op with baby Charlotte.

Birthday cake and candles - always a hit!  There were lots of people at the house - 60+ in fact - and many were kids of varying ages - looked a lot like a school playground at one point!!

Doug, Jenae and girls joined us too - it's always great to see family!!  I didn't get photos of everyone - but Mom, Donna, Charlie and Mary were with us.  Also Harry and kids - Dawn is in Texas with her mom - we missed you Dawn!!  Bruce's sister Becky and family were there - and lots of friends too.  We had a great meal - Bonny always puts on a nice spread!!

Miss Isla kept us charmed indeed!!

(I tried to get a photo of her covering up her eyes and whispering "Where's Isla?" but she demurred!!)

Miss Ara has a learner's permit now too - am I feeling old??

A breezy summer day in Malibu is something we love!!

Seems like my mom often has "half" of her kids when we have different events - seems to be the same for us!!  Here we are with the "top half" and part of the "bottom half" - any way you describe it - it's great to be with our kids!!  But we do dream of having everyone there some time!!

It is always so nice to see Jinny - the best part about your kids getting married is all the family you then inherit!!  Bruce Sr. and Jeff came too.

Finally - the girl of the hour - our own lovely Miss Annika Joy - "clean as earth right after rain!!"  Remember this day forever Annika!

Family Fun!

Visited with an old friend from the neighborhood - the neighborhood I grew up in that is - and she has 2 kids and a younger sister from whom she is estranged.  She has one nephew too.  She has a great relationship with her two kids and good friends, so she doesn't feel abandoned, but she commented about how she loved coming over to our house as a kid - there was so much activity she said - and everything was lively.  Not perfect and sterile like her house.  She commented that her mother never gave her chores - didn't want anyone else doing things in her house - wanted them done her way.  She even remembered how long it used to take me to clean the bathrooms - my eternal chore growing up.

And then I came home to an email from Larry Steimle with this photo from Youth Conference of 7 or 8 years ago.  We certainly have always had plenty of family around.  And even though family can sometimes seem to take up a lot of our time - what better way to have our time taken up??

The Weekend!!

I hate to upstage the new Mr. Lars, but we did have a fun weekend, and we did take some photos!! With all the excitement, it was also Alice's visit - and we had a great time together. We walked, went to breakfast at the Peach Cafe, scoped out a new yarn store, explored Burbank trying to get back on the freeway, finally found a thrift store open that I'd been passing for what seems like years, found some good deals at said thrift store, had fun at Target, got ready for Sunday, fixed dinner for 14, had dinner with 14, and enjoyed the thrill of hearing that Eliza was on the way to the hospital - and then getting the good news!

Eve and Grandma Mary discovered they were color-co-ordinated!!

Do Dad and I look tired? I think we are tired!

Grandma Mary with the " Terrill boys!"

Alice and I with Mom.

Mom's eyes are closed, but it's the only shot with all of us girls who were in attendance!

Miss Isla with her dad - she is turning into a regular little miss - charming everyone who encounters her! Dawn had to leave to go to the Young Womanhood Recognition program. But she brought gingerbread with lemon sauce - yum!

Alice is back at Mom's - so glad we could connect even briefly before I needed to leave. I'm doing all the last-minute stuff before I can go.

Not sure how much posting I will do - I am taking my photo cable so I will at least have the possibility. But even if you hear nothing, I will probably be having a great time with the East Coast Contingent!!

Even if I'm "melting" in the heat and humidity - it will be worth it!

Boston Update!

Harry did not bring the cord I need to upload the photos - so the photo report will come later!!

Suffice it to say that we are enjoying our time with Hannah, Robbie, Eliza, Matt, Theo, and Ida.

We did Orchard House and Walden Pond yesterday. We hit the Expo today - Harry in his hurry forgot his registration and bib!! But a photo i.d. did the trick.

We feel like we've paid a small fortune to the Mass Turnpike toll road stands.

We have checked out numerous eateries - some better than others.

Dad and I did an REI run with some nice results. (Why is it so much fun to shop a chain store that is across the country from the one you go to all the time??)

There is not much on the hotel's T.V. channels.

Fortunately we enjoy one another's company and the conversation has not lagged.

Hannah, Robbie, and Harry are doing the Freedom Trail as we speak.

The rest of us are kicking back. (The little ones are getting bathed and ready for bed.)

We wish you were here though!! It would be fun.

It is cold - very cold - at the moment - and it is supposed to rain tonight. But it was sunny and warm yesterday - and is supposed to be sunny and warm tomorrow and Monday - but their idea of warm is high 50's.

Not sure where we are going to church tomorrow - maybe Cambridge? Or New Hampshire - if Dad can find a phone number he needs to connect.

We still wish you were here - this would make a fun Terrill reunion spot!!

Have a Good Time on your Chrip

This the note Annika left under my pillow last night. And then she came upstairs and asked me to find the note she left under my pillow.

She is a little worried about mom and dad going away. I think all the children are. And that's ok. I guess I would be worried if they didn't miss us. We will miss them.

Luckily we know they are in good hands, better than Allstate, the good hands people.

Have fun!

Rollin' with the Bowlin'

Sand and Surf

On Monday we went to the beach. The beach is beautiful in the winter. And usually empty.

This Is What We've Been Doing

Riding Bikes.

Lots of bikes.

How the years fly by!!

I was looking for another photo and came across this one from summer of 1990 - Ashland, Oregon.

That's a young Bruce - and a young Israel Nebeker - now of Blind Pilot.

It's great fun to camp with the Nebekers. Heck, it's great fun to do just about anything with the Nebekers!

(That was the year a very young Noah said, upon awakening in a tent, "Oh, there are leaves in the tent sky.")

In the news -

Dad and I both got a good chuckle this a.m. upon reading the LA Times Comics section.

We keep talking about ending our subscription - what you get each morning is pretty thin - the Sunday Times is the size of what the weekday Times used to be - but then this happens and we think, well, we'll keep on subscribing.

Besides, we both read it - just doesn't take nearly so long!

"Oh what did you do in the summertime?" (at least at the end!)

I have not blogged in a bit - lots going on - for starters, you may read that the fires are 3 miles from Monrovia, but we've been getting voice mails from the fire dept. that we are not in danger - it's apparently over a ridge - and Dad says it would be another couple of miles before it was upon us. Apparently conditions are getting better and they are getting close to having an upper hand. Containment may take up to 2 weeks however, so keep us in your prayers! And boy, is it smoky!! We really can't open our windows - and even though we have room a/c units, I really start feeling claustrophobic when I can't feel "real" air blowing about!

Toward the end of August, the Hoopes included us in their 4th Annual Corn Fest - corn on the cob, corn bread, and other delicacies - and a contest for who can tell the corniest joke!1 (I got 2nd prize - my joke: "Two ariels met on a roof top. They fell in love and got married. It wasn't much of a ceremony, but the reception was brilliant."

The festivities were in the front yard.

And we got a show when the police made a call across the street!!

Never a dull moment in the 'hood! The McClures were included too.

We flew to Portland on the 26th - I tended the kids while Phoebe and David went away to celebrate their anniversary.

Calvin is loving his swimming lessons.

So is Henry.

This pool is pretty impressive for a high school pool.

Phoebe on the phone - getting things arranged.

Dad and I went with the kids to REI for some last minute race items. I couldn't persuade Agnes to stand next to this sign!!

Calvin was happy to pose for me inside the tent however.

Don't you think they should sell these little models of the tents they sell? What great Barbie tents!

They gave Dad a large woman's tee - we got a chuckle out of that!!

The kids and I dropped him off Friday a.m. - and then I was on my own.

Managed to find my way to the pool in Portland by myself - with only 2 phone calls to Phoebe.

Calvin wanted me to take a picture of him going down the very large frog slide.

Saturday p.m. I drove to Seaside for the race finish. Phoebe and David had gone to Astoria, so we met up at Nebeker's in Seaside.

Do you just love Ry's new glasses??

Henry made a sign for Grandpa.

Since it's a relay, everyone starts and finishes at different times - but then the team meets up to go across the finish line together.

Could not resist this mullet team!! Best team name by far: Cirque de Sore Legs!!

Dad's team was "The In-laws and the Outlaws."

It was overcast and a bit cool, but Agnes was loving the sand.

Henry was watching the finishers.

Calvin was pretty much on a treasure hunt.

This is Dad's team.

Dad and Romney were in Peru together - and we were both at the U at the same time.

These signs always give me pause!

Ran into Kelly Shaw - who was a support person for her family's team. It's always great to see Kelly!!

Went out to dinner in Gearhart with the Nebekers afterwards. Ask us about the waiter - who spilled the ice water down Ry's back!!

I realized I had no pics of David - except when I caught him eating!! The host guy acted like he didn't care if we came or not - then was our waiter too. He had some awkward tendencies!!

Next day at church, in Relief Society, as I was introducing myself, the woman in front of me turned around and said, "Did you go to Grenoble in 1966?" It was Joan Browning - we had some fun recollecting and of course exchanged email addresses - another voice from the past!! I love re-connecting!!

Sunday was a lazy day - church, scripture reading, games, food - David made peach cobbler. And Dad's iPhone is always a hit!

Calvin found his own way to play Yahtzee!

Calvin demonstrated his newly acquired bike riding skills.

And before I knew it, it was the first day of school. Now I'm swamped - the first week is always that way. It's pretty hot - smoky and dry too - makes me happy I'm not a P.E. teacher!!

It was great to be with Phoebe and crew for a few days - always hard to leave to come home - but we had Noah there at dinner tonight - so we had some company!!

And last night we watched Dark Victory with Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart - and a very young Ronald Reagan!!

I'm sad to see summer end - but I'm sure I'll get over it!!