MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010

Another year is over. Where did it go? Time is flying and we have so much yet to accomplish before our lives are over. I regret all the hours when I should have been studying the scriptures, doing family history and writing my own personal history. At least we have a Christmas letter that I have sent out for 45 of our 50 years of marriage.

DeWayne has been diligently writing his personal history and has put 10 or more years of photos into albums! What a monumental chore that was. He also helped his sister, Deanna, move twice this year and she loves the apartment where she now lives next to the Columbia River. She has a view of the Astoria/Washington Bridge. DeWayne also drives Deanna and me (Kathy) to all our doctor appointments. He started out the year driving Tiffany home from the hospital in Portland after she was taken there by ambulance for a deep cut on her forearm. He also does all the cooking, cleaning, shopping, laundry, car and home repairs, lawn care, etc. He cooked the whole Thanksgiving dinner by himself.

Kathy moved down stairs after Tiffany and family moved out into a trailer off Hwy. 26.

DeWayne and Barry painted and put down laminate flooring. Next came a handicap shower unit next door. It is all very convenient. Also they found a Buick Park Avenue in McMinneville and drove that here. Wahoo! No more climbing up into the Suburban. De also got a small trailer to pull the wheelchair after us. Kathy likes to spend time watching TV (HGTV, TLC, and the History channel are her favorites), and reading (Science Fiction and Fantasy novels).

We enjoyed a visit in March from Kay-Lynn and Hannah. We were happy to meet Hannah our 22nd grandchild. Then Jennifer and Zoey visited us in April. We have missed that little Zoey since she was born here and then moved to Las Vegas.

Our 50th Wedding Anniversary was on June 6th but we waited until our family reunion in July to celebrate it. We saw most of the family as well as friends during that time. Debbie, Brett, Lisa, Michelle, Kay-Lynn, Erica, and Tiffany and most of their families were here. Jen had to work so was unable to be here.

Michelle and family moved to Las Vegas were she was hired as a 2nd grade teacher. Jennifer heard next that she was hired to teach first grade. Erica (in Utah) heard earlier this year that she was hired to teach 6th grade. We are so proud of them and of Debbie who is halfway there with her education classes. Jennifer announced that she will be having a baby in June. We are so happy for them. They have waited so long for this. Greg and Kay-Lynn are thrilled with their weight loss. Lisa has had shoulder pain and hopefully her shoulder surgery will solve that problem. Tiffany and Adam have separated so changes will follow in where she and the kids live. They are welcome if they want to come here.

Brett and Katie were married this fall and we welcome her and her son William to the family. We felt badly that due to health problems we were unable to be there. Congratulations and Best Wishes to you! They went on a Mexican cruise on their honeymoon and seem really happy together.

Well we have an Oregon North Coast winter to face. The power has gone out three times already and DeWayne has fired up the generator. The longest time was three hours. Nothing like the week we went through after the Gale of 2007! We have mixed feelings about our "empty nest". It is quiet and lonely (that is a minus) but stays clean (that is a plus). We miss our family down south and would be really happy if Tiffany and kids would move with us.

Family is everything--worth more that all the college degrees and money in the world. We miss all of you and hope you all have a great year!

ASTORIA AND TWINS, MAY-JUNE 2009

Michelle and twins at the Astoria Sunday market. It runs from Mother's Day to the middle of October each year.

Chantrelle looking very serious.

A very serious Brenna.

Michelle thinking "Must I have my picture taken?" (Looks like Bunny ears sticking out of the top of Michelle's head)

Rhiannon also looking serious. Be happy guys!!!!

Choosing something for lunch. Aw Rhiannon---be happy!

My very handsome Ryder.

There's my happy Rhiannon,

I wonder what the world looks like from a stroller. Maybe it's like the world from a wheelchair.

And this is my baby, Tiffany, who turned 30 on November 18, 2009.

I think Rhiannon met every dog that came to the market!!

All three are loving on this dog. Poor dog! I mean lucky dog.

And another dog! Rhiannon likes them all.

I wonder how much dog food this one eats each day?

Astoria from the Young's Bay Bridge.

The Columbia River looking from Astoria toward Washington State.

The waterfront trolley. It goes 4 or 5 miles. Then passengers flip their seats over and they can ride back facing forward. There is one trolley and one set of train tracks.

Here it comes, or (goes)?? Does the driver changes seats?

The Astoria column. We called it the Astor column when I was a kid. It is named for John Jacob Astor. He lived from 1763 and to 1848. He was the richest man in America during his

time.

There is a ship in trouble...let's go help it.

It is a big freighter. It looks empty. Sometimes they are piled high with containers---big cubes full of something. Goods from the Orient or if they are leaving then full of paper from the mills in Longview, WA or logs from Oregon. Maybe fruit from Chile where it is harvest time.

The large ships need a pilot boat to help them cross the bar and follow the deepest channel into the river.

Here we are.....safely back home.

Ready for the next ship to guide into the river.

More baby pictures of the twins. They are so darn cute that I love taking pictures of them.

This is Chantrelle.

And Brenna.

And Chantrelle again.

And Brenna again. Nakemiin (See ya" in Finnish) The "a" is supposed to have two dots over it but my keyboard doesn't have that option.

JEN'S VISIT....APRIL 2009

It has been a year since Jen visited us and here we are two days away from April and that means I am a year behind on my blog. Compounding my problems are that my computer hard drive died and I lost my pictures of Jen's visit, so most or maybe all of these are courtesy of Michelle. Anyway we were so happy to have Jen visit us.

Hmmmmm. Where were we? This could be of the cheese factory in Tillamook, or maybe Fultano's in downtown Seaside.

Cute Zoey in her stroller loaded down with Jen's jacket.

The problem with waiting a year is I can't remember where we were in most of these photos.

This is the largest cruise ship ever to dock in Astoria so we HAD to go watch it come in and dock.

Jen and Tif, my two German babies, in front of the ship. I'm messing with my camera in the lower left corner.

Another view of the monster ship.

Michelle by the ship.

Here is the baby angel, Zoey, tired from our long exhausting day. Bye Jen and Zoey until next time!!!

BEACH SCENES

Sanderlings. I read that they spend the summer in the arctic and winter along the Pacific Coast.

More sanderlings. It's fun to watch them chase the wave as it recedes and then run back as the wave returns. They are tiny birds and their little legs go so fast you can't see them move when they run--it is just a blur.

The Cove, a well known surfing spot in south Seaside.

It is almost Sunset.

Near sunset at Sunset Beach near our house. Actually within walking (or hiking) distance from our house.

A lone surfer with Seaside in the distance.

A flock of seagulls. Several have been killed from being hit by cars driving on the beach.

More seagulls. They fly away if you drive slowly.

Miles of beach are in this location for riding from the Peter Iredale to the river between Gearhart and Seaside.

The Robbins visit-March 2009

Kay-Lynn, Greg, and Conner are here for a visit! They drove up in their mini-van.

What are you eating Kay-Lynn?

Rhiannon, Racer, Ryder, Chantrell, Brenna, and Conner at the Carousel Mall in downtown Seaside.

Connor at the hat store wearing a hot dog and bun hat.

The minivan at Sunset Beach by our house.

Connor and Kay-Lynn's (???) hand taking his picture.

Chantrell feeling the sand.

Our usual stop on Neah-Kah-Nie Mt. to see the gorgeous view.

Rhiannon holding Racer, Connor, and Ryder.

The Blue Heron Cheese Factory has yummy samples to taste and for the kids---THE PETTING ZOO!!!

The boys climbing and being boys.

They love to pet and feed the goats.

Rhiannon and Racer.

Conner behind Brenna, and Racer behind Ryder who is holding tight to Chantrell.

Kay-Lynn and Greg with a few of the kids.

Greg at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Rhiannon and Chantrell, and Kay-Lynn and Connor upstairs in the Cheese Factory where you can watch cheese being made, cut and packaged.