JUNE VISITS

Kelly and Crystal's families came 2 weekends ago. They overlapped on the weekend. Dylan got his first tractor ride. He loved moving the bucket up and down. I couldn't get this program to upload videos, so no video on this post--bummer.

Chris had to stay home and work, but the rest of the gang came.

Crystal and Ryan's family came over for lunch, then dinner the next night. Darla and Chris came too.

Alex and grandpa lit up a burn pile. After dinner, we all walked over and stood around the fire and visited, then walked back up to the house for dessert---strawberry shortcake, mmmm.

On Friday, Kelly's family, Jim and I went to Newport. There was just enough wind for Jim to fly his kite, but not too breezy to play on the beach. We walked in the surf and for the first time ever, the water was luke warm. It's always brrr freezing cold. If someone told me the Oregon ocean was warm, I wouldn't believe them until I felt it myself.

I love to watch and hear the sea lions on the docks, cute mama and baby. The girls can get up to 250 pounds and the boys up to 1.000 pounds.

Next stop, Aunt Belinda's candy store. THE BEST salt water taffy on the Oregon coast.

This boat is filled with salt water taffy, sooooo many choices, so little time.
Dylan's got his candy and he's on the go.

Lunch at the Sand Dollar on Nye Beach.

Dylan, not sure at first about the sand and sea.

Then he fell in love with it and played and played.

On this tide pool, Dylan and Addy and Sophia touch the open sea anemone. They are sticky and fun to watch curling back up. There was little crabs. mussels and other creatures. I don't have any pictures of Kelly feeding the seagulls, but it so funny. There were 3 seagulls that she threw food out to. Then within a split second, she was swooped upon by about 20 seagulls all at once. The shock on her face was so funny, just as she was saying, "I wonder if they will like this food?"

Picture perfect pose.

We had to leave our "presence" on the beach.

At the day's end, the beach left it's "presents" to us----drunken by the sun, the constant flow of the waves, the discovery of new things and the time spent together gives us all inner peace, relaxation, and the memories to cherish.

JUNE PROJECTS

I actually got some quilting done in May and June. Crystal wanted me to make some table runners for her. These are 2 of them.

Got some weeding done. In the foreground there are strawberries and blueberries (weeded). Beyond that are raspberries (unweeded and almost unseen)

Planted the garden in May and it's growing, hooray.

Kevin did a TON of tree trimming and blackberry chopping over the winter. We've lived here 6 years and can finally walk in areas we've never been able to walk on because of the massive overgrowth. We took his piles and burned them. Jim told me I "overlit" this pile. Guess he was right. You can see how tall the flames went in relation to Jim's height, he's on the right side of the pile.

There's more work and lots of tractor work for Jim, but just about the time things begin to dry up another rain storm comes in. Rain rain go away, come again. . . . . . . . in about 6 months.

MEMORIAL DAY 2011

Jim decided he wanted to go visit Williamette National Cemetery in Portland today. His dad, mom and twin uncles and aunt are buried there. As you can see from this line of cars, many others joined us in paying respect to these military men and women.
The front gates.

All the armed forces insignias--Army, Navy, Marine Corp., Coast Guard, and Air Force.

In the office, there are the flags and

3 cases of memorabilia.

Every single grave honored with a flag.

Jim standing by his dad and mom's grave marker.

This is what the grave marker looked like when we got there . . . .

and what it looked like after we cleaned it up and added flowers from our yard.

Jim's uncleand his uncle's twin brother and his wife.

This is an interesting picture, look closely and thank these men for our freedom.

Jim has a sad, but interesting story about Jim's dad, Lanar and his older brother, Robert. The 2 brothers were both serving in World War II and had a chance to meet up with each other. Both brothers were serving in England. Lanar made arrangements through the "chain of command" to go see Robert. Within 3 days of the reunion, Robert's plane collided with another B-17 in the fog over southern England. So the 4th and oldest Coverstone brother is buried in Cambridge, England.

KUBOTA JIM

April and May are good months. This is me on my birthday. I got lots of good gifts and fun cards and 1 prank, which we won't discuss. Jim's birthday is on May 1st. And we celebrated our 35th anniversary on April 23rd. But Jim ended up with the best birthday present.
For years and years, Jim would ask for a tractor. So several years ago we gave him the little green tractor that is in his hand.
We told our neighbor 4 years ago, "If you ever want to sell your tractor, we're interested." Last week, he knocked on our door. As you can see, by the picture below, "the rest is history."

Here's Owen on his tractor and Jim and Payton on Jim's. I have nicknamed Jim "Kubota Jim".

He bought the tractor the same week the grandkids were here, so first things first, they all needed a ride. And grandpa had fun driving. Please don't report us to OSHA.



Cracks me up how Owen is using boths hands and looking over his shoulder, like he's really backing up the tractor.

The girls had a fun time. Addy in Kevin's hat pretending to be a cowgirl.

SPRING VACATION VISIT

Our grandkids had spring break the last week in April. It is always the week of Easter. When I went to school in CA, we called it Easter Vacation, but that is now "politically incorrect". Addy and Sophie stayed with their dad. Alex stayed with us one night and the rest with his dad. And Crystal and her 2 little ones stayed with us and Darla. Darla came over on Monday night when Crystal arrived and had dinner with us. It's so nice when your grandkids love you!

On Wed. night, I picked up Addy and Sophie. Jim and Addy played with their phones. I asked them to see who could be the first one to find out what was playing at the movies. Addy said, "I accept the challenge!" and you can guess that she beat grandpa in finding the website. She also solved a "problem" Jim was having with his phone.

Sophie beat me miserably on the Wii with the Mario Kart game. I don't understand how one person can come in last on every game.

We all went to the new yogurt shop in town for the first time. It is self serve. Hint for first time LimeBerry goers: Serve yourself the yogurt in a cup but make sure to leave lots of room on the top to put lots and lots of yum yum yummy toppings.

After yogurt, we went bowling. Jim got the highest score, but it wasn't easy. Addy and I kept doing little tricks on him and it was fun (at least for Addy and I)

We went a few places with Crystal, despite the cruddy weather. We went to the Portland Childrens' Museum. It is in the zoo parking lot, where the old OMSI used to be.

Curious George had an exhibit there.

There are different rooms with lots of hands on activities to do.

I told Crystal, I want one of these water tables at my house.

Paint your own face.

Train table, Owen LOVES trains!!

BIG Light Bright wall.

Shop til ya drop

We went to a place in downtown Albany. It's been there for 8 years and I have never gone in. It's where they are carving the animals for a future brass ring carousel. They also have old carousel characters.

There is a picture on the wall and then the carvings in various stages. There will be 58 animals.

This goes around the top of the carousel.

This is the platform for the carousel, its HUGE.

Payton had a certain liking for this unicorn, kept coming back to it.

Here's one painted.

The dog is finished and ready to "try it on"

Jim's favorite.

On the way home, Grandpa stopped at this train and let Owen play on it. It used to be a business in downtown Albany.

This was a popular play place at the Children's Museum. The material they are playing with is rubber like, but scoops and dumps just like dirt.

This one shows wind patterns