Merry Christmas to all.... and to all a good night...

Please click on the photo you will be taken to the album to see it larger.. great snow pictures.... then when you get to the album click on the picture to see larger.

Snow By The Sea

I am so excited...

I had to show you these.... I was wrapping presents and I thought I don't know where my tags are.. so I came up with this.. my daughter had done some a few years back except she did them from paper.. I am doing mine digital. The kids will love them.

I live near the beach.....

You wouldn't believe it by the snow photos.... I don't know what made me look out the window at 1:30am but I did and I couldn't believe how it was snowing... we usually get snow and it will last for about a day and a half. We have had snow since Sunday and now it is really coming down again. I must tell you that it does make my heart sing... I love love love it.

These are taken at night so they aren't the greatest and I lightened the snow ones so you could see them better.

The first one was around 5:30pm before I left for bunco... and the snow ones were like I said at 1:30am I am hoping that the roads will be drivable later so that I can take some photos by the beach.

 

 

 

Have a great day and keep warm.

Winter has arrived...

This is hwy 30 on the way home from Portland on Sunday.

Festival of Trees

We went to the Festival of Trees.. it is an event/auction that is put on by our local hospital to raise money for large items that they need. Last year we didn't go because the storm we had knocked the power out of the whole city for 6 days, and we couldn't go on the date that it was rescheduled because we had another engagement. Needless to say the auction this year is to buy a emergency generator for the North Coast Clinic.

It is always a lot of fun and the trees are beautiful... they have a silent auction on wonderful gifts and wreaths... then a beautiful dinner and then a live auction for the decorated trees and of course it is never just a tree, many of them come with extras such as dinners and gift certificates, also nights in resorts etc... you can spend a lot or a little and then at the end of the night you can buy the center piece on the tables.

I really did have a good time seeing people I had not seen for a very long time, my favorite artist Jeffrey Hull and his wife were special guests because one of his pieces was being auctioned off, it was awesome to see how much it went for.

Have a great Week... I think I am finally getting into the Christmas spirit.

christmas tree 2008

They are not the greatest pictures... it really is so much prettier in person. click on the photo and then see as slide show.

Thankful...

For this beautiful day... it is sunny and I can see the ocean.

update.... sunset that evening...

I really am still around...

Thank you to everyone that has let me know they are still praying... Thank you so much for my friend Barb... whom always checks up on me and always has such sweet things to say to help me get through rough times.

Thanksgiving was quiet.. I truly loved and enjoyed my son and his family being here there is still every once in a while the sadness would sneak in and grab me.. thank GOD those boys are so funny and would get me out of it. I know it will take time but I do know I am being carried through it even when I feel overwhelmed with grief.

I love this photo.. I did not take many.. but this one makes me smile.. his daddy use to do the very same thing when he was his age.

My sweet little grandsons blessed there grandma with a virus they had... I am fighting it and Robert is taking very good care of me. As soon as I can get past the headache and sore throat I am going to start working on a rag quilt for a Christmas gift.. I have never made one before so wish me luck *grin* This is a link to the website that I got the idea from. Kevin & Amanda I will post pictures when I get it done.

Resurrection - Nicol Sponberg

I want to feel whole again..

Yikes....

My laptop crashed!!!!!   What is going on... Roberts crashed when the grandson was here.... and now mine crashed.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Late... posting...

I am still struggling with my moms passing, I am trying but I am really having a hard time getting back into doing anything. But it was really good for us to go babysit.. we had such a good time... we took the boys to the park we had never been there before.. it was really beautiful and they had such a good time. They ran and jumped and wore them selves out. It was so hard to believe that on the other side of the trees was I-5 freeway.They loved the leaves jumping and throwing them. We took them for a hot chocolate after, then to see their dad at the fire station on the way home. We said hello and then Jade had to run to a call so we grab a shot as he went by. lol... he scared us to death honking the horn like we were in the way as he went by. We really enjoyed seeing every thing that Jade and Deb had done to their home.. every time there is something else they have done... they are so awesome at DIY and their yard is changing all the time also.. I enjoyed helping Jade and the boys plant bulbs. I cant wait to see all the flowers when they start popping up.

click on the photo to see more also then click on slideshow the pictures look better.

Centralia 10-25-2008

Robert has been very busy... I do not know how the man finds the time to do all he does.. he has had to work the road because of people on vacation and illness and this year he is President of Rotary... and has his fingers in many other things. We are going to take a week and go somewhere by ourselves as soon as we can make a decision of where. :)

Our sweet little granddaughter "D" sent me a picture of her teeth she lost.. it was a cell phone so not the best.. but she looks so cute and she is so proud.
I had to show you what I sent the the kids.. I found something like this on the internet and I thought it would be fun to do for the kids... they really look so much cuter in person... Robert and I filled them with candy.

Have a great week and don't forget to VOTE!

Heading on out....

I took this picture with my cell phone so it is not the greatest... but I thought it would be worth posting.. I haven't done a lot of decorating but we thought this would help us get into the groove.

I am heading up to Washington for the weekend... I am going to watch my two little grandsons for the weekend and they keep calling to see if I am on the way.. cracks me up.

Robert is going to come up tonight and spend a day with us.

The weather has been beautiful, cold but beautiful.

I have made the decision that I have to get myself going and start scrapbooking.. my goal is to try and do a page a week and if I can more. wish me luck!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

I went out today....

I went to the hospital today... I felt it was time for me to get out of myself and go do some volunteer work.. I was so nervous about going out ... I knew I would cry when I saw my friends that work there. soooo... I did and they loved me.. and told me it was ok to cry.. and it was good. I got some work to do that I actually can do from home for a couple of days. oh yea!! and those brats grabbed hold of me and made me get a flu shot, they said that my immune system is really run down and I needed to do it... ackkkkkkk!! but hey I didn't even feel when he gave me the shot.

Time to let go...

This is a picture of mom exactly one year before she passed.. we were on our Alaskan Cruise.

Last weekend was the scheduled memorial for mom. Roxane arrived Friday and everyone else arrived throughout the day on Saturday. For those who arrived early, they were treated to breakfast as we visited and many took turns going to the beach. The weather even cooperated and it turned out to be a beautiful day.

Before the memorial, we all met at McKeown's for dinner , we had the back room all to our selves. It was a nice gathering and we toasted mom. You had to be there to appreciate the toast but we were all sure mom was smiling.

After dinner, it was off to the Cove for the memorial. This was a special place for mom and a fitting place to scatter her ashes. As we all gathered, we had a moment of silence and then everyone has a small part of mom's ashes and scatted them along the rocks. ok... now don't freak out... but I scattered my dogs ashes too... and my sister was also ready to let her husband go and she and her daughter scattered his ashes as well.I am sure that mom was very happy they were all together. I have kept my dogs ashes for 3 years... I told my husband.... could you see if I kept mom's.. I would never let them go. Each person had a pink a balloon (breast cancer ) to let go after we scattered her ashes...

It was hard to say good bye and release her... we all cried and hugged each other. As we watched the balloons float toward the sky out of nowhere comes a jet(now you guys may not find that strange but around here you don't see anything but private planes and not that many). The trail of smoke out of the back of the jet looked pink.. I am sure that was just for mom. It was hard but everyone said they felt a sense of closure.

My sweet cousin Karen volunteered to take pictures and as you can see did a wonderful job. She took many more photos and other family members took them also... but I think they were just too personal to blog them.










This is Jade's first time trying a panorama shot... it came out awesome.


This was the sweatshirt I had on.. I thought it was appropriate for mom.

We were going to have a bonfire on the beach.. but I think everyone was just to wiped out to do it.. It was the hardest thing we have ever done in our lives.. we went back to the house and relaxed. Sunday everyone stopped by to to say bye and head back to their homes (my siblings all live in Washington State).

My son and his family said they were going to head out and were going to the Portland Zoo on their way home. They created quite a stir and before you knew it, we said lets all go.... and off we went. The trip was uneventful and included Jade and his family,Roxanne and her family, Laurie & Tom and Robert and myself. Wow was it hot in Portland... there was no parking we had to walk to a shuttle area... take the shuttle to the Zoo. Yikes.. Who's bright idea was this!! Actually everyone had a good time and you know... seeing the new baby elephant was so worth how hot it was.



On the way home we stopped at Camp 18 for dinner, We had the greatest waiter... he kept us laughing all night.

Monday morning Laurie brought brought coffee and breakfast for Florence and myself before heading home. They finally got out of here by 1pm and made it safely home. It was Robert's birthday so he took the day off and played golf with his best friend Monte.

It was so hard when everyone left... I am told to take a day at a time. Some days it is hour by hour. This is a poem I found on the Internet... says it all...

I wanted to thank you again for all the prayers.

I wish I could have expressed myself better with this post... it feels flat and it deserves more. I wanted it to be more celebratory that she is in heaven and happy.. I truly believe that... but it still hurts to not have her here in the physical.

The disappearing photos

I have been trying and trying to figure out why when I go on my blog the photos are there and sometimes they are not... have you had a problem with that or is it just me?

The rain has started! I hope it is going to be a mild winter.

I noticed my husband was wearing a purple ribbon on his uniform today... I asked him if that was for domestic violence and he said yes. I asked if he would wear a pink one because it is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month... he told me he would.... whoooo hooo, what a man I have.

* update * I think it is LiveWriter that is causing the problem.. all of the photos that disappear are the ones that I did on LiveWriter... bummer.

Friday night Robert and I and Andrew (of course Bug) went for a long walk.. we walk from our house to the Ocean and back. We walked by the new Library so we decided to sneak in and see if we could see the tiles we had made for my Mom and my brother in law Shayne. We were told that they were not together but close to each other... we were so happy to see they were right next to each other. I don't know if someone moved them after we asked or what.. but we are thrilled and I know Mom and Shayne are. Here are some photos I took... you have to understand they are soooo much prettier in person. Click the photo below and it will take you to the slideshow.


We then continued to walk to the beach and I took a couple more photos.. There was a event on the beach where they were seeing how far your dog could jump and land in a huge pool of water. Of course everyone that walked by us would ask if we were going to enter Bug in the event. : )

 

 

 

It was nice to go outside enjoy the air, and feel like things were normal for a little while.. Have a great Weekend.

Joy

Mom...

I thought of you today.
But that is nothing new.
I thought of you Yesterday.
And will tomorrow too. 
I think of you in silence
and make no outward
show.

For what it meant to lose
you, only those who love you
know.

Remembering you is easy.
I do it everyday
Its the heartache of losing you
that will never go away!

Love and miss you!

~

Happy Birthday

~

Mrs. Miles

 

My dear devoted, loyal friend.

Please go over and say hello and Happy Birthday to this wonderful young lady.

 

I am still here....

Please continue to keep me and my siblings and family on your prayer list... we are all having such a rough time..  We miss mom so much.. and it is really hard to imagine her physical presence not here.

I know where she is... I know she is so much happier than she has been in her entire life...  but I still miss her.  I am having a hard time talking to anyone .. so I have been just staying home.

I had a coffee event this weekend that we promised we would do and I did the first day and could not hardly make it through it.  Robert did today and I stayed in bed most of the day.

Please hang in there... I know that I will return to my old self... I am just struggling right now.. 

I wanted to thank so many people but I don't want to do it on this post.. I want it to be when my mind is clear.  I truly have been blessed with the most wonderful people in my life,  I thank you for that.

Love ..

joy

Please check out this blog...

Give a helping hand if you can... a heartbreaking story.. the link on the left is for directly donating to them through PayPal... you can go to the blog and read about them. Thank you...

http://www.nierecovery.com/

Joy

I am heading home....

I will be heading home in the morning... it has been a very long three months...  I am having mixed emotions... I am so very happy to be going home to my wonderful husband I have dearly missed him. I am anxious to see the beautiful calming ocean. 

I am sad to be leaving my mom's house for the last time, leaving my siblings... leaving my daughter and her babies..... just leaving

Joy

Has it really been a week ..

I cant believe that mom has been gone a week.. we all miss her so much.  We are going through mom's things... and in some way it just doesn't seem right.

Please keep us in your prayers.. mom was the glue for this family.  Thank you everyone... thank you for all your notes and prayers, phone calls, cards.  Thank you.

This is a picture of mom in January... we had a surprise birthday party for her at her favorite Bingo place. She was 77.   We decorated  the tables and  had balloons all over her  chair.. and made her dress up... More later.

joy

Mom

My momma is gone... she passed at 3:33AM... I miss her already. Thank you thank you thank you for all your love and prayers... GOD really did bless us.

Love Joy

HOT HOT HOT

 

ramblings...

Mom felt good when she woke up. We  visited and had coffee... My sister and her daughter came over .. her daughter painted mom's finger nails a very pretty pink. Then  we made dinner... I made salmon with that we had  garlic potatoes and we picked up a Caesar salad at Costco and it was yummy.  Then we made strawberry shortcake... yum o... as Rachel Ray would say.  My sister Laurie came by for a  visit and we gave mom a shower and gave her a massage... and slathered her with lotion.. she was in heaven.

Sunday  was a good day for mom...  my brother and his wife came over for a visit... both sisters came by we had a full house... then we hear a knock at the door.. and there is mom doctor... he stayed for quite awhile and mom loved it... he is really quite funny... very dry and I mean dry sense of humor... he is from the east coast... I think that is why he really likes mom. I was so happy that he came over, it meant so much to her.. he told us he would check back before he leaves for vacation to see what meds she might need while he is gone.  I took a picture of him while he was here. 

Probably starting Thursday... it is going to be crazy here.. the Hydro races start and there are so many people here you cant go anywhere. 

 This website has a nice article on the races..Click here.

Monday my daughter Roxane and her two daughters came for a  visit while my grandson was in drivers training... I know what you all are thinking... I am not old enough to have a grandson that old... hehe... I am not.. I tell you I am not! .. really I am not!  It was a great visit.

after they left.. I took mom for a ride through Columbia Park along the Columbia River... lots of memories down there.. I use to take my son fishing down there.. we took the kids to the playground more times then I could count.  We saw many hydroplane races, and rode our jet ski's every summer on the Columbia River. 

We drove all over Kennewick an looked at all the different houses that Robert and I and the kids lived in.. and what people have done to change them.  Mother really enjoyed seeing them. We drove around new housing developments.  Housing is so inexpensive here. But it couldn't ever replace Seaside.

We then headed over to my sister Florence's to see what she was up to.. and told her that we wanted dinner.... *grin*... so she fixed us dinner and I fell asleep in her big chair for about 20 minutes. We had a nice dinner and visit... then we headed home to bed.

I had such awesome gifts waiting for me on the table when I got home... I had mail from many friends in Seaside... and a book from one of them.. I cant tell you how nice that was.  THANK YOU !

Please bare with me if you have not gotten a response to an email... I try to get to them as quickly as I can. I do love getting them so please... don't stop.

Tuesday  morning we were woke up with someone banging on the door... we all got home and ran to the door... another wonderful surprise..  My sweet adorable husband send a bouquet of flowers to my mother and one to me... we both were so excited.. what a great way to wake up.  I made some lasagne .. because this morning my brother told me he was tired of the girly stuff I was making... he wanted some BEEF...  *grin*

ok... so I really didn't make it.. I bought it from Costco... good.... my sister Laurie came over to visit and she brought some yummy garlic bread.

I really should get some sleep.. but when mom goes to sleep it is my time to unwind then I tend to stay up too late.  Good night..  : )

 

The hot weather is melting me....

These are flowers that my sisters bought me when they went shopping while we were in Seaside... so beautiful.

So I know I keep complaining about the heat... but come on... it is hot here..   My whining must have helped... my brother went out and bought a AC unit for the bedroom mom and I are in... Praise GOD... I am telling you... the first night in a month that I was actually able to sleep. My mother said today it was cold... and I told her she better not say a word. *grin* Thank you brother.

Mom has been having a pretty rough time since we came back to Tri-Cities... she has been getting sick a lot and sleeping a lot.. it was making me feel very sad.  She tells me she just wants to go to sleep and not wake up.

Yesterday when she woke up I had her get up and put on a fresh outfit instead of PJ's and I took her to see her husband... she ended up getting sick there so we returned home.  She woke up late in the evening and Her and I had a wonderful evening of chatting and laughing.. we really enjoyed it... then we watched  a movie until 2am...  we had popcorn.. then brother came home and yelled at us to go to bed... lol  we stopped our movie and we finished it tonight.

She is tired... but feeling good tonight. I really wish that she would get better and be healed.. it is such a hard thing to watch.  I hope you all don't think this is a bummer... I am not sad all the time.. I have very sad moments.. but I am hanging in there.  I think it helps to journal it... even though I didn't like I should have in the beginning but I couldn't get out of my own way for the first month... I was wiped out. I am going to start having someone stay with mom so I can get out a little bit.  She is really pressing me to get out more also.. it is just hard to do, I hate leaving her. I had my first outing today... lol... well tonight..  my sister and I went to Costco to do some shopping.. and my sister kept telling me ... come on hurry up... lol.. I told her this is my first outing... leave me alone.

We have spent time going through her closet and going through her clothes and getting rid of everything that looked like it was 50 years old, It made her feel good.

While she is sleeping and I am not cleaning or organizing I surf the web. lol.. I am not really looking for anything ... lots of scrapbook stuff... and mindless stuff so I don't have to think. Although I did come across this...

I am not really ready to buy anything... but my mom and I drove by and took a peek in a lot after we found it online.. it sure is cute.. but I really wanted to buy a hybrid...so I don't know what to do.. so I will do nothing for now. I will see what Robert thinks of it when he comes down next weekend... woohooo  for 3 days... I am so excited.   I am going to sign off for tonight ... or this morning... lol.. what ever it is. Thanks again for all the wonderful thoughts and prayers from everyone. Hugs...