July 18 through 29, 2011

Monday 18~~~~The wedding is over and everything is back to normal, it is raining here in the park and it is so peaceful, I just love it. The rain is so calming and gentle to listen to on the roof of the trailer. People are out walking in the drizzle and buying lots of wood to burn in the fire pits. I love these days, as I love to stay inside and read books or watch old movies I have recorded.
Tuesday 19~~~ day off Wednesday20~~~~day off Thursday 21~~~~The park has so much wood that needs to be split and stacked into our wood sheds, it keeps the rangers busy hauling wood to fill the wood sheds for us to sell. There are some blind kids that come up to the park to work with their supervisors guiding them, they help us by splitting kindling and tying it into bundles for us to sell. It is really something to watch these handicapped people work away so happy with a hatchet splitting wood, laughing and talking as they work. I have a terrible time trying to bundle the sticks and tie a cord around them and they do it blind with no trouble. They delivered the kindling to our wood shed and they together carried it from the van and stacked it in the shed working as a team, they even swept the side walk when they were done. Today was their last day to work in the park for this year, so I baked brownies which I frosted with chocolate fudge frosting for them to eat at the picnic table in our site. The park Mgr. bought them each a glass of lemonade from a little girl selling it across the road from our site, it was so cute when Joey who was so excited over the treats, clapped his hands together and with the biggest smile ever, said "this is the best day ever". Ryan the oldest one who is 21, has been blind since birth asked one day while he was working if there were any hot chicks in the park!! We really got a kick out of that one. We could all learn a lesson in life from these kids when we think we have it tough. Joey is the short one with the red hat and Ryan is the tall one. I took a few pictures of them working raking sites and doing the wood. Enjoy!!!!!

July 16, 2011

Saturday 16~~~~I was up early this morning getting last minute things done at my house before I left to go decorate the reception hall. I never did any decorating for any of my 5 kids weddings, here I am a grand mother and learning how to do it. My sister and brother helped do the decorating at my kids weddings, I was busy fixing food with my mother. LOL Jen's (the bride) mother really put a lot of time and thought into the decorations. She had everything so planned out and all we had to do was listen to her instructions. She had a "Sweet table" that was very different from any wedding I have been to. It had all kinds of large candy jars and containers and every kind of candy imaginable, in the color of blue. The tables had beautiful scarves on them and she sewed all of them. She had a table with a tree branch on it with circles of paper for everyone to write a thought for the bride and groom on and to hang on the tree. There was also a beautiful album with pictures of Jen and Justin on each page and everyone wrote their thoughts in the album. It took us several hours to get the decorating done, it was a lot of fun and I am glad I took part in doing it. I worked with my grand daughter Breanna who was home from Portland for the wedding. She was such a big help and we had fun together. We slipped out to the coffee shop for a latte, as we were the first ones to be there and we needed a coffee break. LOL Justin was there trying to help, but not a single groomsman was there, maybe they partied a little the night before????
The wedding was so beautiful out doors at the Old Mill with the creek running through the park, everything was so green and beautiful. The weather was supposed to be rain showers, but it turned out to be a gorgeous day. The ceremony was out doors and after the ceremony and pictures, the party began in the reception hall. They had a real neat Disc jockey who played a lot of music that he led the dancers to all the different moves of the song. Kind of like line dancing, only more fun and everyone caught on to the dance steps real easy. The dance floor was full of people all the time. Joel was his brothers best man and Jen's sister Sherrie was the Matron of honor. Joel gave the funniest toast to the bride and groom and he had everyone in stitches. I never knew Joel had so much humor in his body. After a delicious buffet dinner the dancing began and of course the famous "hanger hat dance". The disc jockey announced there was going to be a hanger hat dance and he didn't know what kind of dance that would be, but everyone was to make a hanger hat. The tables from the food had been cleared, so we put all the hangers there and lots of crepe paper and junk and all the guests came over and they had a ball making a hat to wear. The young men really got into their hat making. Lisa got up and told the story of the men at FHO who wore Stetsons and the Toupal kids version of a "Stetson" was a "coat hanger" on their head. The disc jockey played the Hank Wm's song, "Family tradition" and everyone on the dance floor with their hanger, sang the song with the music. I think this was the biggest hanger dance I have seen, because everyone came to the hat deco table and made one for them self. It was sure a lot of fun and all of you in South Dakota, Nebraska and Seattle missed a real fun time. I think it is time for some of you to head to Oregon!!!

July 14 and 15, 2011

Thursday 14~~~~I drove into Salem this morning to be in town to help with last minute things for the wedding on Saturday. I had to buy a pair of shoes and return a couple of things I bought and didn't like. Kent will drive into town tomorrow night to attend the rehearsal dinner that will be held at Pam and Jeff's house. Friday 15~~~~ I got up early this morning to get things done at my house before I went over to Pammy's house to help her. She had her house all ready for the rehearsal dinner; all we had to do was move the furniture and set up the banquet tables and chairs and put the linens on them. Deciding on the table arrangement took the longest, but it really was nice when we got done. I remember when my kids got married and how my mother came and helped me a few days before the wedding, it is such a fond memory I have of the two of us sitting outside peeling boiled potatoes and eggs for the huge bowl of potato salad for the reception. I worked full time at Kmart then as a claims clerk and I sewed the dresses for 5 brides maids for Kim and Pammy's weddings. We also had all the out of state guests stay at our house for 3 days before the wedding. I don't know how I possably did it all now that I look back on it. I cooked and fed all these people every meal for 3 days besides fixing the food for the reception dinner for all the guests at the wedding. I had my guests help with some of that I remember!! LOL Those were the good old days, now days everything is catered and so easy, just harder on the wallet. I told Pammy that I hoped she will have the same fond memories of her and I working together that I still have of my mother and I making all that potato salad and the other jobs we did for those weddings. The weather is rather iffy today and we are a little worried about rain tomorrow for our outdoor wedding. It was rather chilly and windy for the rehearsal but we did it and then we headed over to Pam and Jeff's for dinner. They had the most delicious chicken with roasted vegetables and a spinach lasagna, salad and hot bread. They had it catered and it was so easy and so enjoyable for everyone. Kent had to head back to the park as he has to work in the office in the morning and he will drive back in for the wedding. I went home early, as I had a big day and we have to be at the reception hall at eleven AM to do the decorating in the morning. The Bride and all her attendants are getting their hair and manicures done while we are decorating. The wedding is at 5:00 PM tomorrow at Mission Mill.

July 9 through July 12, 2011

Saturday 9~~~Tonight after Mass we met Lisa and Ray in Stayton at Ugo's Pizza parlor where we ate dinner and we took Ray home with us to stay 3 nights with us. I wanted him to come earlier and stay longer, but he does the collection and Communion at St Vincent's Church in Salem every Saturday night and his mom doesn't like him to miss. Ray was an Altar boy for several years and now he does the collection. Usually the old men do the job and I was surprised they made room for such a young man (14 years). They actually were glad to see a young man want to do the job. LOL After we ate our pizza, Lisa went back to Salem and we brought Ray to the park. I think as the kids get older, they like to stay with grandma because I let them watch television all night if they want to, Isn't that what Grandmas are supposed to do when they are teenagers and don't have to go to school the next day????? LOL Sunday 10~~~~Our friends John and Linda checked into the park for a couple of nights about noon today. I was out cleaning sites, Kent was working in the office and Ray was still sleeping, because he watched a lot of TV last night. I made a potato salad and baked a cake in between cleaning sites for dinner tonight. We are going to have burgers on the grill and chips and salad. Ray went with Kent for a ride in the golf cart to check out the park when Kent got off work. I visited with John and Linda and when Kent got back, Ray painted a large rock that he found when he and I were out to the rock pile. He painted it to look like a basket ball, I think he did a great job, he left it for me to show the kids when I have the painting class on August 20. After dinner we played cards at our trailer and Ray rode his bike around the loop outside with some friends he met in the park. One of the friends he met was a girl he went to school from 1st through 6Th grade, He had a lot of fun riding bikes all over the park with the kids he met. Ray came home when it got dark, he watched us play cards and TV and he was just in time to eat cake with us. Monday 11~~~~Ray slept in again today, but not as late as he did yesterday. He rode with me in the gold cart and helped me with some of my jobs, we played "Wahoo", our marble board game the grand kids like to play, after lunch. I won the first game, Ray the second, so we had to play one more and he won that one too, so he went bike riding and I visited with our friends. I put a roast in the crock pot this morning, so dinner was easy with mashed potatoes and salad. We played more cards after dinner. Tuesday 12~~~~John and Linda left for Redmond, Oregon and Kent and I drove Ray home, he had some sport event he was in that he had to go to. Kent and I drove up to Portland to spend the day with our friend Gary who is leaving to go back to California in the morning. We also stopped at Kent's daughter Cindy's house and saw them before we went home.

July 7 & 8, 2011

Thursday 7~~~~Yesterday after work, Tress brought Bodie up to the park to stay with us for a couple of nights because Blaize has to go to the Dr. in Portland this morning to see why her tummy hurts all the time. We always welcome his visits and he is such a good little helper. The Santiam River runs beside the park and Bodie had a lot of fun playing in the water, moving rocks and gathering snails and catching tiny fish in the water with a small net we bought in town. (pictures) He likes to ride all over with me in the golf cart, down all the back trails and out to the huge rock pile at the parks 17 acres. We picked up a bunch more rocks to paint and Bodie painted some more rocks with me. Friday 8~~~~ Tress drove to the park and had dinner with us, she picked up Bodie to take back home. Blaizes Dr. appointment went well, and all is OK. They are leaving for Rockaway Beach to spend their weeks vacation at the beach house. Tress and Blaize love the beach for vacations better than camping and Cory and Bodie like both. It is a great place for kids to play in the sand and run on the beach picking up sea shells. My Grandson Ray is coming up tomorrow night to stay with us for 3 days, we look forward to him coming also.

July 3 & 4, 2011

Sunday 3~~~~~Kent and I traded days off this week so we could go to the beach house for the 4th of July and enjoy the holiday with Kent's two daughters. We left the park early this morning and we stopped at the Casino for an early lunch on our way to the beach. We didn't spend much time in the casino, we were anxious to get to the beach. The weather at the beach was so nice and warm and we sat on the beach chairs looking at the ocean and all the people on the beach. We adults drove over to Nehalem to have our traditional broasted chicken dinner at Susie's tavern. She has the coldest beer and her chicken used to be the best, but not anymore, we still eat it and grumble about how good it used to be. We decided rather than change our tradition, we would just suck it up and still go there for the cold beer and each others company. Monday 4~~~~~Today is the 4th of July, Kent got up early and drove the truck down to our favorite spot to watch the parade the town puts on every 4th of July. He took our chairs and set them up in front of the truck so we had good seats to sit on . Everyone in this small town does the same thing and they really go all out for this holiday. At 2 PM the activities for all the kids starts, they have 2 tarps on the beach covered with sand where they have $50 and $35 of change hid in the sand. One is for the preschool children up to age 5 I think and the other one is for the 6 to 8 year old. They sure have fun finding all that money. For the older kids up to age 18 they have races on the beach in different age categories. They have the 2 legged race, the wheel barrow race and several team races and individual timed races. Our grand kids always do real good in these races and the win a lot of money. This year the grand daughters weren't here for the boys to race in the team races, so they had to get girls from the crown to race with and they didn't do as good as they do with their cousins. These races last for several hours and I really got sunburned down by the water with all the sun. We had to be back at the park by 10:00 PM so we had to leave before the fireworks on the beach. Last year we got a $300 fine for our illegal fire works, so we won't be shooting off anymore of them, we will watch the neighbors shoot off theirs. It is fun to sit on the deck and look down the beach both ways and see all the fireworks going off, it looks like a war zone. LOL We made it back to the park by 11:00 PM. tired but happy for all the fun we had together.