Halloween-Lynden Style

HALLOWEEN

I did not know what to expect but purchased bags of candy, just in case. However, we had very few trick-or-treaters at our door. Maybe because our door did not exist last Hallowen. I did not know what box held Katers' parrot costume so she was not dressed for the occassion. She did enjoy greeting George, Laine & Tabby D.J. when they came for their treats.



Little Addison D.J., dressed as a dog, won the cutest dog contest...OK...maybe it was a tie. 

Calvin Alumni Dinner

CALVIN COLLEGE UPDATE

Two good friends from Grand Rapids were visiting Lynden as members of the Calvin College Development Office. Sally Vander Ploeg, an attorney, had worked in the legal department at Amway when Tim worked there. Jeff Plymert, and his wife Susie, were good friends from our Seymour School days.

They shared renderings of the soon-to-be-constructed Spoelhof Fieldhouse at Calvin College. Since our kids have all graduated we will have to wait for our grandkids (?) to take advantage of all of these beautiful facilities. (No pressure, Jack.)

In the meantime, I'm sure we will attend some Calvin basketball games and enjoy the fabulous new Arena & Fitness Center.

It was great catching up with old friends. Be sure to let us know when YOU are going to be in Washington. We love an excuse to have a dinner party!

Wedding Photos

Here are a few wedding photos taken by Jason's mom (Thanks, Sherry!)

For lots more photographs you can go to this website until Christmas:
www.jasonbecky.weddingherald.com

Derby Pie

Justin's Kentucky Gift

On my final night in Lexington I was presented with a most delicious thank-you gift from Justin R., Libby's fiance. He had a Derby Pie (as in Kentucky Derby) hand-delivered from Louisville, where they are made, to Lexington where we were hungry. He knows the family that produces these delicious pies so it was a very apropos dessert. Thanks again Justin. I really enjoyed it and appreciated the trouble you went to for that delicious pie.

Tonight I baked my first Derby Pie for dinner guests (Roy/Marilyn G,Rod/Carol DJ, & Carol DJ. ) They thought I said "Dirty Pie" which says more about their minds than my pie. It was a big hit and the name may stick. Libby, I will send you the recipe and you can try it...Justin will be impressed, it will definitely seal-the-deal, but now I have spoiled any element of surprise I suppose.

This all serves as intro to a quote I collected a while ago. In celebration of the end of my pre-wedding diet, let me share it with y'all. (How do your spell that anyway?)

"No diet will remove all the fat from your body because the brain is entirely fat. Without a brain, you might look good, but all you could do is run for public office."- George Bernard Shaw

This insight helped me more fully enjoy the wonderful Dirty Pie I ate tonight. Hi fat, hi suger and hi ratings from the guests.

Oh ya...I guess with a May wedding in our future, I will be going back on a pre-wedding diet. I knew it was too good to last...( I know, it is a "healthy way of eating" and a "lifestyle choice," etc. but we all know a diet when we are on one.)

If you would like the recipe for my Dirty Pie just send a Comment to this blog and I will be happy to share it. NOTE: I am working on a version with Bourbon in it, since everyone at dinner thought Dirty-Derby Pie ought to have some in it...and it does not...yet. On second thought, you may want to wait for this new & improved version.

Oh, by the way...Go Tigers & Go Blue!!!! What a night...the only one happier than Tim is my mother who allegedly skipped the chance to GO to the Detroit Tiger game so she could watch BOTH games on TV.

Wedding Was Wonderful

Finally Back...

Since I last posted I have traveled to Michigan (twice), Kentucky (twice), Virginia, Washington state (twice), hosted my folks for 2 weeks in WA, & admired Libby’s new engagement ring* among other things…I am finally home, currently aka Lynden. I apologize for being AWOL but life has been full and now I have lots of blogging to do. [Wedding photos to follow, eventually.]

(*For Libby & Justin's ENGAGEMENT UPDATE please go to this blog’s LINKS and click on Sara&Tommy’s blog/Sept 4 for photos and details. Sara (My future son-in-law’s sister) is way ahead of me and takes wonderful photos.)

Here is a picture of Becky’s new Mother-in-Law, Sherry D. and I, at the very end of a very long and very happy day, September 15, 2006. We look tired but we each came home the mother of a new daughter or son and that’s a lot of labor. I love you, Jason. Welcome to our life.
(Remember, Jason: “Families are like fudge. Mostly sweet, with a few nuts.”)

For today's post I am including a list I just finished.
My thanks to Sara F. who challenged her blog guests to complete this for themselves…



I am: madly in love with my husband.
I want: to live a life of praise.
I have: so much to be grateful for & so much to do.
I wish: my family would all move to the Pacific Northwest, so we didn’t have to move again.
I hate: having to skip dessert.
I miss: our family & friends esp our kids & Jack, oh yeh, & I miss Utah & our Utah family!
I hear: Katers “calling” me...better see what’s up.
I wonder: if I will ever get all of our boxes unpacked?
I regret: that I have lived more than half of my life…but I expect the best is yet to come.
I am not: a morning person.
I dance: with my Dad, among others, at our daughters’ weddings!
I sing: with all of my heart.
I cry: during Hallmark commercials and other major emotional events.
I am not always: as confident as I may appear.
I make with my hands: biscotti, dishcloths, dollar rings, wedding stuff, & lots of other nonessential stuff. Dinner occassionally.
I write: lots of lists & e-mails to family and friends, and an occasional check that bounces. Recentl,y I wrote an agenda for my first tobacco issue train-the-trainer…
I confuse: just being tired with being older.
I need: to pray more and leave it all to my faithful Father in heaven.
I should: be ready on time more often, right Tim?
I start: watching 24 and can't stop.
I finish: each day with a prayer.
I must: get back to my blog…getting so very far behind.

That’s mine for this week…I am sure some things change with time and circumstances. Now how about you?…I’d love to read your list. It will fit in this blog's Comment box.

Kristin & Kids-Part I

Today was Coffeetime at our condo...


in honor of Kristin (D.J.) M. and Nick and Isabel, who are visiting from Michigan. Isabel has a big smile and a big hug for her mom.








The special surprise guest was 4-day old Addison Jo, daughter of Jeff and Kelly D.J.


Here grandma, Carol D.J., is all pride and joy as Addison snoozes.







New mom, Kelly D.J., chats with Carol D.J.

We all sampled Brownie Biscotti from the practice batch of Becky's wedding reception favors....they got very good reviews.









Shelly rocks her daughter, Tabby, to sleep. It is hard work being so cute! Now that cousin Addison has arrived Tabby has some competition...and a eventually new playmate.

Continued in Part II...

Kristin & Kids Visit-Part II

The kids had fun...

Cousins, Isabel M. & Laine D. J., played with shells and stones in their pretend beaches of rice or sand.














Cousins, George D. J. & Nick M. put the dominoes to work after a session of clay sculpting.

The girls brought their "beaches" inside and decided they looked like decorated cakes, so we had to add candles and blow them out...in honor of 4-day-old, Addison D. J., the guest of honor.












We wrapped up the morning by going on a Bear Hunt.
Thankfully, everyone survived!

Even the Bear. 

Roses are Red...

Roses are red,
Sometimes its true.
Ours are on fire,
For hottie's like you...

Poetry has never been one of my gifts, but sometimes I cannot resist...

One of the joys of living in Lynden, Washington, is that it does not take a green thumb to grow gorgeous flowers. The climate is perfect for gardening, and while we have very little garden area of our own we do have a spectacular rose tree just outside of our patio area.

I took this photo a few weeks ago. Right now the tree has three major stems with 10-15 blossoms on each tip...they look like 3 bridal bouquets growing on one tree.

I am the official 'dead-header' for the 4 trees in front of our building, so I keep them trimmed for the neighbors. (Most of these condos were empty last spring, so I started taking care of the roses--spraying, tieing them up, removing the deadheads, etc.)





The roses are called "About Face" with petals that are golden-orange on the inside and bronzy-red on the outside. They look like flames all over the tree.



I wish I could send you all a bloom but this will have to do.

Computers...

"Computers used to take up entire buildings, now they just take up our entire lives." unknown


Recently we discovered that our poor computer is almost maxed out as far as memory is concerned. (Not due to too little memory but rather too much stuff.) I will be focusing on cleaning out/deleting things. As a result I may not post for a while until this project is completed.

(Have you DEFRAGMENTED your computer lately? I didn't know it needed to be done. But thanks to our recent house guest and friend, Jerry W., I now know how...and will do so regularly.)







Included in this post are a few photos of kids who have not been DEFRAGMENTED regularly...







I found them at the recent Botlab* company picnic.


*Botanical Laboratories - Tim's company.

Lavender Festival-Part III

Lavender Festival-Part III

(Please see Parts I &II below or click on them at the Right)

The Festival included many local farms where one could enjoy live music, great food, and lots of things from artists and crafters, not to mention all the lavender stuff produced by the farms. In Sequim, there were street fairs (more music, more food, and lots more stuff to buy.) Jacque and I also thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Quilt Show. We'll see who finishes their purse project first!


















The lavender was lovely and I think Tim might even consider another visit someday as long as we schedule a Mariner's Game first.








On Sunday, we took the ferry from Port Townsend to Whigby Island...











....and then headed home by car.

The purple bow selected by the groomer last week was so appropriate for the festive week-end.
Katers got tons of attention and seemed to enjoy herself as she shared the kingdom of "Ivory" and "Wegman"-her much larger canine hosts.

Lavender Festival-Part II (See Part I)

Lavender Festival-Part II
(Start with Part I for the correct sequence)

Now here is a sign we all could get into...Note the little kids enjoying their peach lavender and blackberry lavender ice cream cones on the swing.





...reminded me of you, Jack. What flavor would you like best? There is lavender lemonade, if you get thirsty later.
















Tom and Tim enjoyed their cones-they had some of each flavor. I think you preferred the Blackberry version, right?




When I saw this sunflower I thought of you, Libby...this almost looks like Kentucky, don't you think?


This sunflower reminded me of you, Becky...because you are so often "outstanding in your field."







(Pardon the Blog humor)

...Continue with Part III

The Lavender Festival-Part 1

Lavender Festival-Part I

This past week-end we visited Tom and Jacque S, our favorite S. cousins in Washington. You may recall the shrimping story of a few weeks ago at their summer home. This time we stayed with them at their delightful home in Sequim (skwim), a very dry area of the Olympic Peninsula; rain is blocked by the mountains to the SW. This makes for a climate similar to Provence and well-suited to the cultivation of lavender. We had a great time sampling the aroma, flavor, and glorious lavender fields as we pretended we were back in France. This required just a short ferry ride...






Unfortunately, the festival folks were big into signs...some of which seemed needlessly restrictive.


Some more formal than others...but they did always said "Please."















We liked this sign better and brought home both white and purple* lavender to dry, as well as a couple other lavender mementos.









*There was also pink lavender...an oxymoron, don't you think?


Please read Part II, above, for the "Rest of The Story."

Sunset & Software

This is one of the magnificent sunsets Tim and I enjoyed last December when we stayed at a lovely little cottage on Birch Bay while we looked for a place to live in Washington. I wanted to share it with all of you...












I also want to share some great software for storing and handling your photos. It is easy and FREE...just click on the colored icon at the end of this post and check out Picasa. (A part of the Google family.) I learned about it this week-end from Jacque while visiting cousin Tom and Jacque in Sequim, WA. Thanks, Jacque!
Check it out!

Utah Reunion

I planned to post these in the opposite order so they would end up on the blog in chronological order but somehow I failed in that effort. To read them in a logical and correct timeline-start with the last (3rd post) and work your way backwards. For most of you it just doesn't really matter...

I will get this all figured out eventually...but not this late at night.

Utah Reunion: Lots of Socializing

Shelly V. S., her husband Nik and their family, share our Dutch heritage. When we arrived at CEC, I think we doubled the Dutch influence there. Sorry we have abandoned you guys, but I trust you will carry on without us. Shelly, thanks for hosting me on Monday-sure appreciated your chauffeuring me around. Keep up your terrific work at the Pregnancy Resource Center-you are doing a fabulous job as their director. If you ever get up to this Dutch enclave in Washington, please stay with us and let us show you are around the Dairy Country of the Pacific Northwest.




We first met John and Lori T. at the church picnic we attended 2 years ago shortly after moving to Utah. Their hospitality was so appreciated when they invited us to dinner at their home later that week. We have been hanging out with these two ever since. This visit we shared a delicious (as usual) meal in their lovely garden-a favorite place to eat, drink, & share lively conversation together.

Hope you come to Washington so we can "Start slow and taper off." (John is a great philosopher and this was his latest insight.) We love you guys!




Tuesday evening we visited with Linda and Charlie H. who we also met at CEC. Unfortunately, they moved to Salt Lake City shortly after we arrived in Orem. We kept in close touch anyway and we have shared lots of great times!

Loved dinner at "The Avenues" even if there were a few rain drops...the rainbow afterward made it all worth while. Linda, thanks for driving me around the area during this visit. Loved Tai-Pan. It was so terrific to spend time with you, Linda & Charlie, and of course, Oreo (dark spot in the middle of photo-see eyes and nose). He was a perfect host to Katers. Come see us sometime!

We missed photos of other special friends...how did I miss you, Pastor Scott? Next time.

Utah Reunion: CEC Church Picnic

When we learned that the Sunday we arrived in Utah was also the day of our church's annual picnic....we were delighted. This made it easy to see lots of friends from Christ Evangelical Church (CEC). I only caught a few on camera, but here is a little photo album from that evening in beautiful Provo Canyon.

Tim gets an update from Nick A. regarding the college ministry that he coordinates.








Annie M.K., our former dog-sitter and Kater's good friend, introduced us to her boyfriend, Nolan, who is looking for life after the AirForce. Best wishes in your job search...and whatever else you may be searching for!























Bobbie M.K. (Annie's not so little brother) is heading to Chicagoland this fall for college! Welcome to the Midwest, Bobbie.




















Mark and Lili C., members of our small group at CEC, introduced us to the newest member of the family, Elias, only 6-weeks old. They moved in just down the "block" from our former home in Orem. Wish we could have been neighbors longer!














Now it is time to be embarrassed...Katers and I played with this little "doll" and her mom, but my memory is failing me...can someone please "Comment" with their names, so I can label this photo correctly??