I thought I would take a few minutes and tell you about our Memorial-Day weekend at Barton Park with family and friends… and also post some pictures. This Memorial-Day outing over  the long weekend has become a family tradition that we look forward to.  We used to go to our Thousand Trails out at the coast in Pacific City, but got so tired of fighting the traffic coming home on Memorial-Day Monday.  The Rickers (Josh and Jay’s parents) invited us to Barton Park the year that Leslie and their Josh got engaged, we decided to go there instead of the coast… and have been going there since and it has become quite a tradition for both families to be there over the Memorial-Day weekend.  It is close enough for us to go home and get things that we forget (and we ALWAYS forget something) and also close enough that we can go home on Sunday, shower and attend church.  This year Jenn, Taurean and family (Bentley, Jaidyn & Madison) came up from Richmond (UT) as well as Jeff & Becky from Maricopa AZ.  Shauna and Aaron John did not make it this year and me missed them a whole bunch.

Jenn & Taurean arrived Thursday afternoon, so the family all got together to visit with them on Thursday evening.

Left:  Judy Lynn, Taurean (soaking his ingrown toenail) & Jenn
 Right:  Jay & Heather(only her back)  with Otis, Jenn, Leslie’s back, Judy Lynn & Josh with Truman

Me with Heather’s Otis and Leslie’s Truman — Finn, Bentley & Sawyer with their “electronic” toys.

Chad had come over on Thursday and helped me pack the trailer with all the toys and equipment that we take along with us to the campout, so on Friday we had to just finish packing food and last-minute things.

Trailer with playground equipment, bikes & other “toys” and equipment.
(Another reason we like camping at Barton… close to home)

We got out to Barton Park mid-afternoon on Friday and we were one of the first ones there.  I drove the motorhome, Taurean drove the pickup with the trailer, Jenn drove the Denali and Judy Lynn drove the Terrain.  We could have done without the Terrain out there, but Judy Lynn had to go pick up Jeff and Becky from the airport a little later, so going out ended up being quite a train (with the “Terrain”…. no pun intended).

 
Left:  Teri Lynn and my “pop-up” tent in the background
Right:  Pop-up cover over table, Chad, Chase & Cort’s tent, and the pop-up cover over the playground equipment.

Friday night was “Steak night” and everyone brought their own steaks and I cooked them on my grill.  Dinner lasted a LONG time since we cooked as folks arrived, got their camp setup and then came to eat.  Judy Lynn went to get Jeff & Becky at the airport and had a heck of a time getting them.  First the traffic on the Friday afternoon before the long weekend, and then their plane was late.  Judy Lynn took them out to Todd and Jacki’s so Jeff could help Todd get all of his things loaded.  He is the one that brings the HUGE tent for all those that do not have a motorhome or trailer.  They did not get set up until nearly dark… but that was okay.  Since everyone else was setup, when they got there, they had lots of willing help to get the tent up.

Two covers over the two table where we sit to eat
Right:  Looking down the road at the “campers”

Left: Our “old” Denali that Jenn and Taurean purchased from us, with Todd’s tent in background (can’t see how HUGE it really is)
Right:  Todd’s truck and borrowed trailer

Les and Josh’s MH — The Rickers covers for the potluck on Sunday

Craig and Edie’s campsite

For breakfast on Saturday morning I cooked bacon, sausage, pancakes and eggs (to order).  Cocoa and orange juice to drink.  Saturday morning Les and Josh had their little soccer team come down to the park for their game and they ended up letting just about any little kid that wanted to play soccer join the teams at one point or another.

 
Kids playing soccer — Parents & spectators watching the game

Reese & Finn  — Judy Lynn, Leslie & Finn (Heather top-right)

The Clackamas River is down below the camping area, and the kids found some water to play in.

Gwen, Finn & Jaidyn — Royal, Gwen, Jaidyn, Oscar & (the back of ) Finn

Kids never seem to get tired of playing in water.

Later the pavement made for GREAT drawing

Teri Lynn with Oscar, Gwen, Jaidyn & Jenn’s friend Julie’s Jacqueline

Oscar, Jaidyn, Finn & ?? — Julie, Abby ,Jacqueline, Teri Lynn, Oscar, Jaidyn, Finn & ??

Oscar & Jaidyn

Breakfast Sunday morning.  We usually don’t fix breakfast, but with our Sacrament meeting not until 2:00, we had plenty of time.

Hashbrowns partially cooked — bacon and Sausage (no picture of the French Toast and eggs)

Dutch-Oven Orange-rolls ready for cooking

Cooking area Setup

Now for some just random pictures

Todd’s Jackie — Mary Beth’s friend ??,  Brian & Mary Beth

Reese in the little play area.

Rick, Jay, Leslie, Abby — “Folks”

Todd, Becky — Dave & Jeff

 
Edie Richey, with Brian McCann and Edie’s “students”

Randy, Teri Lynn and Roger (me) — Jenn & Madison (with hat that Heather made for Madi)

Josh showing Reese how to ride the “Strider” -  What Reese’s hair looks like without her helmet

Kevin w/Preston — Judy Lynn, Becky & Monica (Jacki’s sister)

Todd & Jacki’s Avie — Jaidyn & Gwen

Jaidyn & Gwen

Left: Dave & Erin (Lindthorst), Lauren & Rick (Enoch), Heather & Jay
Right: Sisters Heather and Jenn (don’t know what baby because they exchange kids all the time)

Left:  Brian and Monica’s Chase, Cort (our) Chase, Finn & Chad
Right:  Jacki & Todd — Kevin & Hailey

Leslie & Truman — Hey Reese, your helmet is on crooked!

Me & Jaidyn — ??. Aunt Monica with Avie

Bentley, Jaidyn & Sawyer — Jeff & Becky

In our motorhome pooped from the day (Bentley and Jaidyn)

Easy-over eggs… coming up. Mary Beth, Brian, Jay — Cooking the eggs and French toast

Game of Volleyball — Brian & Jacki

 
Oscar

We thought about taking a picture, but not before most everyone had left, to this is just part of the “crowd”
If you go to Facebook and find this picture, many of the folks are “tagged”.

When we got back home on Monday, we “Hung-out” and here are some pictures of family.

Pizza for dinner
Jaidyn, Reese, Gwen, Oscar, Bentley & Sawyer

Heather & Todd with kids on the trampolines

Heather with Gwen & Jeff with Jaidyn

Now some family pictures

We had all fifteen of our grandchildren here… and here they are
Chase holding Truman & Oscar, Finn, Jaidyn, Cort holding Otis & Chad holding Reese & Madison
Judy Lynn, Quinn, Avie, Gwen, Sawyer Bentley and PROUD GRANDPA

 




Jeff and me while the girls were taking the pictures

Well that is about it for today.  My thanks to all of my family and friends who work to make this outing such and “event” every year.  Special thanks to Jenn and Taurean for driving up here for the weekend.

Bentley & Jaidyn all buckled in for their ride back to Utah

The “taillights” of the Denali way down there as they left for home.

Jeff and Becky are driving to Oakland (Oregon where Becky is from) tomorrow (Thursday).  Becky will stay there with her parents for a week, Jeff comes back here and flies out this weekend to get back to work.  We love having our family here. 

GREAT WEEKEND!!  Thanks everybody… for making it so!

I thought I would take a couple of minutes and post some pictures I took on Mother’s Day.  It was a good day… fun to have family and friends over and spend some time visiting and eating good food.  We had 28 people coming over to celebrate mostly family, but Judy Lynn invited Jill (Jill works with Judy Lynn in the library at church), Edie and Craig (Edie and Craig are good friends and Edie is my Choir Director in my calling as Ward Music Chairman.  Kelly came after his work at Lowe’s. I BBQed chicken legs and the rest of the food was brought by family… oh… except Judy Lynn made her brownies that the family likes so well, brownies baked in her Silpat that makes them like small cup-cakes and not mushy and messy to eat. 

Quite a stack of chicken legs on the grill

Folks started arriving at around 6:00and lots stayed until nearly 9:00, so we had a good time. Judy Lynn made a card for me to give to her (but I did write a nice note) and I gave her some money so she could buy something. I hoped she would buy herself some clothing, shoes, or something like that, but she says she is going to use it to buy some more Stamp-in Up stamps… and if that is what she wants, that is okay with me.

 
Left:  Judy Lynn, Finn, Heather, Chad
Right: Teri Lynn’s face, Jay, Chase, Judy Lynn (Todd and Leslie in background)

   
Jacki, Leslie with Truman, Todd and Finn

 
Left: Reese (just fell down), Quinn (Hidden by her sister Avie), and Sawyer helping Reese
Right:  Finn, Avie, Quinn & Reese (fallen down)

 
Grandkids having a ball on the trampolines… even in the light sprinkling of rain

Not much has gone on this week. The weather has turned off a little cooler… in the 60s and low 70 during the daytime with a few sprinkles, but not really much rain. Last night I met with a next-door neighbor(well in back of my house in the cul-de-sac that is back there) over at the Mossytree pool-house. We are having to put in a new card-security system. The one we have had there is REALLY old and just stopped working. In order for homeowners to get into the rec-room and then to the pool, they have to use a card system. That way we can monitor who is going in and using the pool as we don’t want folks outside our neighborhood to be in there. This also limits the availability of the pool to anyone that is not current with their dues. Jared(his name) does security for his work and profession with Xerox, so he is getting the equipment for us and helping us put it in. The equipment came in yesterday and we want to open up the pool for Memorial-Day weekend so we need to get hopping to get it installed by then… since it is just a week away.

The weather has turned of a little cooler and we have had a little rain… not much, just enough that I have not had to water the garden or any of the lawns.  So I have spent a little time working on my hot-tub room to play-room conversion, but BOY is it going SLOW.  As I mentioned last post, I do not know what I am doing when it comes to framing, so I go out and look, think for a LONG time and then MAYBE pound a board into place.  Where I am mostly stuck is where I am going to break the hole in the NE corner of our family room to go out and in to the playroom.  So far on that part, I have just torn things apart.  I am making some headway on the north wall and have the west wall mostly framed.  But it SCARES ME TO DEATH to start tearing into things for fear that I will goof.  I have already goofed a couple of times, but tearing too much wall out of the house would certainly be a problem to have to put back together.  Here are some pictures of the progress… or lack there-of.

North Wall of room being covered with the OSB boards.
(I had Chad come over and help me hold the panels until I got them fastened)

 
With the hole for the window

 
Starting to cut around the family room window that will be smaller and has to be moved about 6″ to the west.
This is the part that is scary for me.

 
West wall of room – almost done framing.  Doorway into family room will be off to the right where you see the bucket.
I don’t dare finish the framing here until I figure out how far to come out with the hallway so I can connect the walls.
Here is where I waste so much time THINKING!  I am certainly glad that I am not paying myself by the hour.

Lastly, here is a picture of Judy Lynn on Mother’s day Showing off the pearl necklace and bracelet that Jeff brought her from Singapore.

May, 2013
Dear Family,
It is late and I just got home from celebrating recent birthdays with a party at one of our local pizza joints. It was a party for Heather (April 30^th), Josh (May 4^th),(Star-wars day… May the 4^th [force] be with you), Reese  (May 13^th) and Cort (May 14^th).  We reserved a room at the place and filled up the entire room.  They have pizza (and nice salads) and lots of gaming for the kids, so the kids love going there.  And while the kids are “playing” (until the quarters run out) the adults gab (and fuss, pass back and forth, and take care of little babies (Otis & Truman). Fun times.

Reese starting to open her gifts

 Got a picture of Cort and Josh in the background, but somehow missed Heather
Left: Cort with Sawyer, cousin Dustin & Finn / Right: Reese w/Josh holding Truman and Jacki

We have been having absolutely perfect weather for the past three weeks.  I have my entire garden in and everything (except the corn… must have been some bum seed) is coming up and lookin’ good.  In all the years I have lived up here I have never been able to be this far ahead with the garden this time of the year.  I have even had to water the garden and lawns already.  The other day I went over to the park and cranked up the well over there and started watering the park also.  I have always spent my time cranking up the watering system and checking for leaks during the annual park cleanup (which is tomorrow this year).  But this year I had to do it a couple of weeks early.

Left: Tomato Plants (Peas climbing the fence in the background)
I decided to plant the radishes a little different this year to see if I can get some.  Planted in a
row the bugs get at them and plant their eggs and get to the radishes before they are ready for us to pick. 
This way I can treat the plants more openly.

 
Kelly brought home a grape plant to see if we can get some going. 
The last one I tried years ago did not make it!

Okay Brent, the “plant” has made it.  What do I do with it now?
(Can’t even remember what it was… Dewberry?)

Yesterday (May 9th) afternoon I went out to Todd’s and run the tractor up and down the rows of our trees with the sub-soil attachment.  Todd had already tilled them and they are looking pretty good.  I took some pictures and will post them along with this letter on my blog.

The little Kabota tractor Todd Borrowed to do the sub-soil work. 
My tractor is too big to get into the rows.

Trees are looking pretty good

We are just hoping that the weather holds for a couple of weeks so we will have good weather for our annual Barton Park outing.  Jeff and Becky & Jenn and Taurean are all coming up, so we are hoping the weather will hold.  I will report next month how that goes.  Aaron said that he was going to try to come,but we have not heard from him lately, so don’t know whether that will happen or not.  We are excited to have all (or at least… most) of the family here and all together. 

We have been busy getting our motorhome business lined up for the summer rental season and are not doing so well. I have had three motorhome leave the fleet and have been having trouble replacing them.  I sold our 31’ Conquest and when I went to replace it, I found out that the company I have been doing business with since starting the business back in 1998 has stopped manufacturing motorized RVs and only sell travel trailers, so I have been trying to establish a relationship with a new company and have not been having a lot of luck.  We did have the Phaeton go out this past week on a rental so that always helps getting some revenue coming in to take care of the expenses of getting things going again for the summer.

I have been trying to find a weekend to drive to Idaho to see Mom sometime in May, but have not been able to work that in yet.  It is only two weeks until Memorial-Day, so I don’t have a lot more options.  It is crazy how time flies and the weeks just seem to fill up.  I remember Dad saying how busy he was after he retired and I did not understand that at all… but now I certainly do.  I keep thinking things will slow down.  I wonder if that will ever happen.

Here are just a few more random pictures that I have collected the past few days/weeks.

The Azaleas and Rodies (Rhododendron) are in bloom.
Lovely!

Back in the early 1970, not long after Judy Lynn and I were married, I got the (not so) bright idea to buy a little motorbike so that I could ride it to work and save some money on gas.  At the time I still had my 1965 Buick Skylark Gran Sport (hot-rod) and it used A LOT of gas.  So I looked for a long time and finally found this used bike that was relatively new.  Loran Hirschi lived up here at the time and lived just through a church-yard away.  He also had a motorbike and we worked at the same place (Hyster) which was a 25-mile drive in to Portland.  The big day came and we mounted our bikes and took off… and that was a one-time deal.  Driving down the Banfield freeway with other cars going 70MPH around me SCARED ME TO DEATH and that was the end of that!

The next idea for it’s use was to teach Judy Lynn to ride a motorbike and then purchase another one and “we” could go riding.  Grant and Colleen Widmer both had bike and I just thought that would be fun.  So one day I took Judy Lynn out in the back of our first home (first mistake) and was going to teach her to ride the bike (second mistake).  Although it was a relatively small bike, it was still to heavy for Judy Lynn and when it started to tip, she could not keep it standing up.  In the process teaching her in the confines of the back yard, the telephone rang and I left her alone riding while I went inside to answer the telephone (no portable phones back then).  While I was answering the telephone, Judy Lynn went to stop and twisted the throttle the wrong way and the bike took off and she and the bike went crashing into the side of the house.  Something hit her upper lip and when I got to her she had a nice little cut that was bleeding.  Now here is where our stories about the incident part.  My story is that I carefully took care of her, loaded her into the car, took her to the hospital where she received a few stitches.  Her story differs in that she says I pulled her off the bike and told her not to bleed on my new bike!  Then when we got to the hospital and the doctor was stitching… then was when she needed my comfort and concern, and I had to leave to keep from fainting.  That last part about the fainting is true, but the rest of it is just a story she like to tell.

We took the bike to Malad with us in the early 80s and used it quite a bit then, but when we moved back to Gresham in 1986 we left the bike there.  A few years ago after Jeff purchased his home in Maricopa, we got the bike to him and he is in the process of restoring it.  Although it was running when we stored it in Malad, I did not drain the gas, etc., so the carburetor was all gummed up and Jeff has had to do a lot of work to get it going again.  But this past week he finally got it going and sent this picture.

Jeff and “my” bike.

 
Gwen with her new little brother Otis

After Trunan’s blessling in April, the Rickers (Josh and Jay’s Parents) had some family and friends over.
Corinne came and here she is holding Reese with Leslie looking on.

This past week Les and Josh found this play-set on Craig’s List.  I hooked John Ricker’s trailer behind my pickup and went with Josh to pick it up one day on his way to work.  They put it together yesterday and sent these picture.  When I was visiting my Mom in March and Leslie and Kids went with me, one day I was left with the older kids while “the girls” went shopping.  Jenn and Taurean have a play-structure similar to this one and the kids played the entire time on that thing, so believe it will be a good investment.  Here are a couple of pictures of Reese and her new “play-toy”.  Looks happy doesn’t she.

Reese and Finn Playing on their new play-structure.

Yesterday (May11th) was our Mossytree (development we live in) annual cleanup.  To keep our homeowners association dues down, we do a lot of the work ourselves.  We have five acres, three in one park and two in another.  We have a pool and a rec room, a basketball court, horseshoe pits, and pathways all they way through both of them.  I do most of the mowing of the lawns year around and the watering (we have our own well) mostly during the summer months.  Yesterday I mowed the entire five acres and picked up all the grass and leaves that the folks racked out of the burms and flower-beds.  It took me about six-hours to mow and pick it all up.  I completely filled that big trailer of mine that we had put some 4′ high temporary sideboards up front and on the sides.  But… the parks do look nice.  I forgot to take some pictures so you will just have to take my word for it.

John Deere tractor with “Material Collection System”
It work GREAT!

When I got home from the park I got in my pickup and went out to Todd and Jacki’s to help Todd for a while.  He also has about five acres and with all that yard and the trees we have growing, he gets a little behind sometimes.  So I got on his little JD tractor and mowed his lawns while he tilled the trees where I had sub-soiled earlier in the week.

Todd’s back of his property.  I mowed clear back to those trees past the green shed in the background. 
I did not “catch” the grass though so that made it go lots quicker.

While I was mowing, Todd was tilling.  Here is is turning around and heading back into the rows of trees.

Not much progress with the hot-tub to play-room conversion.  Here I started tearing into the side of the wall of the house
where the door into the family room will eventually be.

OOPS, there wasn’t suppose to be an electrical wire there!  I was up on a ladder sawing with and it is a wonder I did not get knocked on my tush!  I have found where the wire comes from but still have now found what it feeds.  All outlets and lights I have tried still seem to have power.  I will investigate more as I tear more things apart around this area.

One day when I was going out to the farm store to pick up plants and seeds, I took Gwen with me.  Cort had gone with me earlier but he was nearly as “cute” as he looked at the little chickens, ducks, rabbits, etc. that they have for sale there.  Gwen was just so fascinated with the little animals.

Gwen looking at the young chicks.

I think that is about it for this update.  I hope that this letter finds you all well and happy.  But last of all I want to wish all the Mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day.  Enjoy your special day… and to my Mom, I love you and will be thinking about you all day.

Jeff and Becky sent these flowers to Judy Lynn

Love to you all,

Judy Lynn & Roger