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.