Fashion Show

Our grandkids are visiting (kids too) and in preparation for their visit I knitted and sewed some doll clothes for their American Girl dolls.  Here is the fashion show:

Christy with her doll Josephina

Becca with her doll Rebecca

Hike and Horses

Over three weeks ago some new friends invited our Pastor's family and me to go on a hike followed by a BBQ.  Then the week before it started raining every day but we did not call off the excursions.  We met at Fara and Colin's house and they loaded up their horses and then we headed up to the edge of the Ochoco Mountains to  Lookout Mountain, which is about 15 miles east of Prineville.  The weather was warm even though it was drizzling rain.  We had a great  time even though we got wet and the fellowship and BBQ afterwards were great.  We hope to do it again soon (but maybe it won't rain next time).

Ochoco Blevens Test seed orchard

Paster Dan  on Fara's horse

Joe (Dan and Sharon's child)

Joe is one of our "adopted" grandchildren

Sharon on the hourse and Fara

Me trying to get on the horse - I had to have help - it was so tall

Was on the horse about 5 minutes - it was fun but how do you get off?

Aunt Marcie

Marcie 

December 24, 1933 to June 4, 2013

She was the very best Aunt anyone could ever have.  She was more like a second Mom to us rather than an Aunt.  She live close by during my childhood, so we saw her often. For the last 24 hours I have had so many memories pop into my head.  This picture captures her joyful spirit.  She loved people and "adopted" many and treated them like family.  She had a servant's heart and would do most anything for you.  When my son Ryan was 8 and had to stay overnight in the hospital after an operation, she stayed the entire night with me as we both watched over my son.  She said I was the one you named her "Marcie", because when I started talking Marilyn was too hard to say.  She liked it so much, she became Marcie to everyone.    She faithfully sent birthday and anniversary cards and cards for all the holidays and always signed them "Love you ever, your old ancient auntie Marcie"

We praise the Lord for the gift of having her part of our life.

Central Oregon Sites

This weekend was spent being a tourist in Central Oregon, hiking and seeing the sites with Ryan and Julie and grandkids, Lance, Liam and Shella May.  We went to Newberry National Monument and saw the Obsidian Flow, Paulina lake and Paulina Falls.  Then hiked through the Lava Cast forest and into the Lava River Cave.  The cave is over a mile long and we walked as far as the Forest Service would let us.  At one point we were 81 feet directly below Highway 97.  It was about 42 degrees in the cave.  After that we took another hike on some trails through the Lava Flow below Lava Butte.  The weather was great - overcast with clouds that kept it from getting too hot, but also it never rained on us until we were getting close to home.  It was a fun weekend.

Cascade mountains seen from lava flow below Lava Butte

Lava flow at Lava Cast Forest - it goes for 7 miles.

Side of Obsidian flow and lake created by snow and rain runoff

Twisted tree at Lava Cast Forest

Tree growing on the Obsidian flow

Obsidian rocks

Interesting design in the rock at the Obsidian flow

More Obsidian rocks

Paulina Falls

Paulina  Lake as seen from the top of the Obsidian flow with Mt. Bachelor in the distance

Tourist in Portland

A couple of weeks ago we spent the weekend in Portland hanging out with some of our kids and grandkids. We saw Shella May's softball game, took a short hike in Forest Park (the largest urban park in the country) and went to the Wooden Shoe Tulip festival.  It was fun seeing sites in Portland that we had never been to before.  Here are some pictures of the weekend:

Shella May at bat - she ended up coming in for a run

Lance and Liam sorta watching their sister's game

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm

More tulips

Flowers in Forest Park in Portland OR

Ryan and Liam looking for trolls under the bridge in Forest  Park

Trees in Forest Park

Just working

I have been putting in gobs of hours working on the company's project to move the Distribution's 7 plants to an SAP enterprise database.  My task is to migrate customer, vendors, materials, inventory from the old system to the new one.  There are about 30 people on our project team in several different sub-teams.  I am on the Master Data team.  It is great work and I love what I do but it is getting close to the "go-live" deadline and I have worked around 55-60 hours the last 3 weeks and have about 4 more weeks to go.  So, I look for little successes along the way and other things to give me a positive attitude and take mini-breaks (like looking at the new tiny flowers starting to grow (even though they are probably weeds) and seeing leaves bud on the trees and rose bush!)  See the sunshine peak through the clouds.

I am blessed to get to work several days a week from home and I am getting great help from Bogey and Birdie.  They love it when I am working from home and they take several naps while I am working.  They think that their "power" naps will give me extra brain power.  Here are some pictures of them hard at work:

Ups and downs

DOWN
1) Got up early on a Saturday (instead of sleeping in) so I could get my studded tires off before the big rush next week because of the deadline imposed to get them removed by April 1st.
2) Planned to have to get 2 new tires but they said I needed 4!!! Apparently, if the tread between the old and new tires are too much apart it will ruin something in a 4-wheel drive.
3) They didn't have any tires I needed in stock and would have to order them.
4) I have to go back later next week.
5) Totally frustrated that I have to pay double what I planned.

 UP
1) We have the money we need to get the tires we need. With as much as I drive good tires are important. 2) Terry will be home next week and said he would make the trip to get the tires put on.
3) Having a WONDERFUL husband who can cheer me up and encourage me when I am down.

 DOWN
1) We have had cold weather, rain and snow the first 2 days of spring. Highs in mid-40's and lows in low 20's.

 UP
1) Tiny signs of spring
                     

2) Our grand daughter's birthday

Happy Birthday Christy!!