Kenny and Maxine

Kenny and Maxine, Ben and Penny's lake home neighbor, drove in on Thursday and they spent 3 wonderful days with us.  If you wonder how a son and daughter-in-law's neighbor would ever travel 3000 miles to see their neighbor's parents, perhaps my blog entry from Jan. 2, 2008 would help.  On that morning, Barb and I left Lake Oconee in our RV.  We had arrived at B and P's lake home for Thanksgiving 07 and we stayed there until after New Years.  Kari and Nathan's family joined us for a late Christmas and New Years, and all left to fly back to Puyallup or go back to work in Atlanta on the morning of that Jan 1.  Barb and I were alone with our memories of the past weeks.  It was a special time, in a special neighborhood.  And I blogged:

Also, we regretted leaving our new friends Kenny and Maxine. They live two houses down the lake from B&P. B&P introduced us to K&M on our first day at the lake. K&M virtually adopted us. Just a few years younger than us, we went out to dinner with them three times and attended gatherings at their home another 3 times. They introduced us to neighbors and family and made sure we attended the neighborhood Christmas party. They also advised us as to where to make our holiday purchases. Kenny filled us in with the local lore. He grew up in LA, God’s country he calls it. LA to him is lower Alabama. A graduate of Auburn, he manages private forests in the area and keeps his eye on local politics. An affable and knowledgeable person, Kenny added to our experience on Oconee each week. Maxine is a middle school teacher and the consummate family matriarch. At each gathering at their home, we met family and neighbors. We relished in her ease at inviting us and others into her home. Meals were always centered around bubbly conversation and family stories. We will miss them but now look forward to them coming to our area. Almost family, they are, Kenny and Maxine. Come and drink our coffee and see our woods. A bedroom is always open to these special people.



And they did come to stay, drink our coffee and see our trees.  We had 3 evening dinners with friends and family in our back yard.   We spent one glorious day on the mountain and one day via ferry to Seattle.  We were so happy to have our extended neighbors so close for a few days. 

Kenny, a forester, wanted pictures of "big" trees

Barb and Kenny hiked up to Glacier View Point on the mountain

The wildflowers were at their peak.

Reflection Lake

Catch Up

Wow!  It has been 45 days since I last blogged.  Apparently I was a bit spent after the wedding.  Since then:

July 14 - Cailyn hosted a 60th birthday party for her mom in our back yard.  Over 80 attended the event in which Cailyn, two of her aunts, and a cousin spent 2 days in the yard preparing.  Several serving stations were created, using retro (antique?) displays.   Our daughter in laws are so creative!!!!

One of several stations

The instigators

We had two weeks (15 - 30) in which we returned to the routine of having the three gkids overnight and we were able to invite friends over for dinner.  Barb and I welcomed Gordon and Carol, and Terry and Nelda for a barbecued steak dinner in an attempt to thank them for serving us the morning after the wedding.

We also gathered with Jim and Sharon Moa (San Antonio), Ron and Joan Gadde (Lacy) and their daughter Karen for a small reunion of 1972 Bangkok friends.


We were itching to get the RV moving since it had not been used since late October.  Barb and I gathered Jane and Jensen and headed for a RV park at the base of Mt Rainier, near Elbe.  Mineral Lake was just two miles away.  Jane caught her third fish and Jensen caught his first two fish.

Her third

His first

Jensen has the making of a real fisherman.  I asked them to pose and tell how many fish they caught.  Janie is truthful showing one.  Barb is truthful as well, she did not fish.  Jensen though shows five (he caught two) a common characteristic among fisherman.



On August 8, Barb and I celebrated our 43rd anniversary.   No big event this time, just a elegant dinner on the water in Tacoma.

On August 9, Kari and Eric returned home from their 7 week honeymoon.  They traveled four continents and too many countries to mention.  Their trip took them to the primitive areas of the Philippines, Kenya, Ethiopia to the modern settings of the London Olympics.  Bill and Patty, Eric's parents, invited us to go with them to pick E and K up at the airport.  For six hours, we sat in Bill and Patty's sun room and listened to Kari and Eric report their travelogue.

The travelogue story begins...

Kari did not know where she was going on the honeymoon.  Her maid of honor did know and helped Kari pack.  Eric had obtained Kari's passport months before and got the prescribed visas, etc.  As each leg was completed, Eric brought out his i pad and showed a short video of the next leg of the trip.  Here he shows scenes from the Taj Mahal in India.

The final leg, the Olympics

Very happy

The next day, August 10, (and I cannot believe that Kari and Eric were able to join us) we gathered with the Thompson clan at Ft. Stevens State Park near Astoria, Oregon.

Six children five and under

Over 150 years of combined bicycling experience.  Sister Vicki, sister in law Kathy,  Barb and Jensen

Jane

Jane, getting her hair braided.

The cousins enjoying Barb's book of 30 plus years of Thompson camping memories.

The omelet crew

At the arcade in Seaside

Over five years of combined trike experience

This has been a phenomenal 9 weeks.  We are so blessed.