Category Archives: Father’s Day

Busy Days Behind Us

June 7th through the 9th was filled with family activities and gatherings.

Josh and Laura started the drive across the mountains early on the 7th to make it to JJ’s Taekwondo exhibition at Town and Country days in Kettle Falls.

The sun heated up those mats and they had to make the presentations fast so the soles of their feet wouldn’t burn!

Yep the mats were hot. I’m pretty sure there will be discussions for next year to have the presentations from our group and the gymnastics group for performing on the stage instead of in front of the stage!

A snow cone and ice cream made things better.

From Town and Country Days we all gathered at our country bungalow for a Taco Salad meal. After dinner we all made our way back to the Woodland Theater in Kettle Falls for The Haran Dancers recital.

Addy performed beautifully.

On Sunday after church Josh and Laura traveled back home.

They won’t be back for Father’s Day so Laura took an early Father’s Day photo.

On Father’s day weekend I’ll share the very thoughtful gift our kids and grands gave their dad/gramps.

Very early on this same Sunday morning (2:00 am) our Niece, her hubby and our grand niece found their way to our home from Boise, Idaho where they had attended a wedding. They let themselves in and found their guest rooms without waking us up. They slept in on Sunday and we managed to get ready for church and leave without waking them up. We left them at Bedside Baptist and returned from church in time to make them fresh coffee.

Sunday afternoon we were at the Woodland Theater again with this new crew who wanted to see Addy perform with the Irish Dance group.

It was a great matinee performance and once again we all headed to our country bungalow for a meal.

Pulled pork sandwiches with homemade coleslaw and not home made beans. There were homemade desserts.

Fun and goofy times.

The fun continued on Monday at Bayles Mountain.

Cousins once removed making memories.

The California crew left about noon on Tuesday June 9th after enjoying Uncle Greg’s famous Swedish pancakes. They headed for Josh and Laura’s home for another week in the Pacific Northwest.

And while the westside crew were on the Olympic Peninsula we were back in Kettle Falls at JJ’s Taekwondo Promotion.

We also participated in a community garage sale on Thursday and Friday. We were happy to get rid of some large items that were getting in the way around here. So thrilled we didn’t have to haul them back home.

I’m watching World Cup Soccer games while I work on posts and visiting blogs. It’s no secret that I’m a soccer fan. It’s been an exciting start in the group stage. It’s been fun following fans that have traveled from around the world and who are soaking up the food and experiences unique to the USA!

Thankfully we have a relatively quiet week ahead of us. We need that. Have a good week y’all.

Pend Oreille County Road Trip

 

On Thursday June 12th we left our home bright and early to travel to the Metaline Falls area of our state. Instead of traveling highway 20 to Highway 31, we chose a back road that looked simple enough to navigate. The map showed that Aladdin Road would get us to an alternate route to the town of Ione. After a while we knew we had missed the turnoff. We turned around and saw a gentleman on his morning walk so we stopped to ask him if he knew where we went wrong and if he knew an alternate route to Ione. He said he did and he had just driven it the day before and if we didn’t mind getting our car dirty we could drive Smackout Creek Road for 14 miles and get to Ione. We found the primitive road and set out slow and easy. After several miles the road changed names to Smackout Pass Road. It was a pretty but very remote road.

We did not see another vehicle until we got to about mile 12. We were relieved to finally reach the small town of Ione.

Our first stop once we reached highway 31 was Box Canyon Viewpoint in Ione.

We were happy to see a nice parking area with a clean restroom.

We saw eagles besides the nice views up and down the Pend Oreille river. Pend Oreille is pronounced ‘Pond Array’.

We made a quick stop at Eagle Nest Viewpoint but we were only entertained by swallows.

Continuing on Highway 31 we crossed the bridge over the river into the little town of Metaline Falls.

The Farmhouse Cafe was the spot we picked for our breakfast. Since it was the only choice for food we were happy the food and service was good.

After breakfast we stopped at a Mercantile for a little shopping. We bought a puzzle for me and a hat for Greg.

We got some extra information about the area from the owners of the shop and set off north again on Highway 31. We had two planned stops that were about 1 mile from the U.S. – Canadian Border.

We knew the next two stops were something we’d enjoy seeing in person because our son, Dan, had been in this area last month and had sent photos via text of what he saw.

I’ll save those stops for another post.

Yesterday we had a nice Father’s Day starting with church and then we enjoyed a quiche for brunch.

Our Colville kids brought us a wonderful homemade Curry for dinner along with a Strawberry/Rhubarb Pie that Addy and JJ helped bake.

They forgot to bring a strawberry for the top so they improvised with the fresh cherries we were enjoying.

It was high time to take a fresh generations photo of the guys.

Enjoy the last days of Spring!

The Last Three Days…

After pulling some weeds early on Friday morning we were inspired to hit the road and go a little north and then west about an hour to the little town of Republic, Washington.

We had lunch at the Mexican Restaurant in town and then poked around the few shops on the main drag. We found the thrift store in town and then found the park where there was a Farmer’s Market and a Library book sale.

Republic, Washington is a city with an early 1900s look and a heritage based in the mining and logging industries. Originally named Eureka Gulch, Republic had a population of 954 in 2000. Noted for its fossils, natural beauty and recreational possibilities, it is nestled in a valley between Wauconda and Sherman Passes at the intersection of Washington State Routes 20 and 21 in the north central part of the state.

On the way back to Colville.

When we spot the Columbia River we know we are close to home. The weather was great for our quick trip to Republic and back home but things began to turn after we got home.

On Saturday we got some mighty winds and thunderstorms with some hail and rain. At one point the temperatures inside our home dropped five degrees. We also saw that the same roads we had taken to Republic that were clear and dry had snow and slush on Saturday and into Sunday at the highest point on Sherman Pass! Sherman Pass has an elevation of 5574 feet.

On Father’s day we had clear weather again as we headed to church and after we got home from church this was the view we had out our windows.

It didn’t dampen our little Father’s Day meal on Sunday evening with our Colville kids.

Happy Father’s day to our son who is faithful and loyal and cares for his family well.

The two dads got nice gifts and we enjoyed our time together.

Dear got phone calls from our out of town kids wishing him a happy Father’s day.

Happy Father’s Day to Dear. A good Father with integrity and faithfulness.

Today we are scheduled to have our windows washed. We didn’t anticipate all this crazy weather. Hopefully the day will be dry and we’ll be able to enjoy the clean dry windows for a few hours.

Tomorrow I’ll be helping in the kitchen for our Church High School camp and I’ll be gone from home from 6am till after 6pm. I won’t be visiting blogs. Time will tell if I’ll be able to muster for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

Hope you all had a good weekend and have a good week ahead.

Thankful for Fathers Hodgepodge!

Greg with our three in Ventura, California, 1987.

It is time for another Wednesday Hodgepodge and Jo From This Side of the Pond has the questions ready.

1. June 12 is National Simplicity Day. In what way is your life simple? What’s one way that it’s not? 

Since moving to the country our life has become more simple in a few ways. We entertain less. We don’t leave the house as often. When we drive anywhere in town we only encounter 2 traffic signals. There are many places we travel to without even going through one traffic light. The one way it’s not as simple is that we have more property to care for. We need a riding lawnmower and we have more weeds to pull!

2. Something you remember from a ‘simpler time’? 

One of the things we enjoyed doing way back before 9-11 was to drop travelers off at their airport gate and greet them when they returned at their gate. Nowadays you can barely get a hug in when you drop them off at the curb.

3. Do you like squash? If so what’s your favorite variety? What’s a favorite way to prepare squash? 

I don’t mind squash but I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat it or prepare it except for maybe Butternut Squash Soup.

4. Do you shop the warehouse stores (such as Costco, Sam’s B.J’s, etc)? If so how often do you go, and what’s something you always buy in this type of store? 

We do shop at Costco regularly and when we have a project we might shop at Home Depot. Monthly trips to Costco are normal. We always fill the gas tank when we first arrive at Costco. They have the cheapest gas prices around these parts. We regularly buy coffee beans, lemons, toilet paper, water, tissue, toothpaste, shaving cream, bar soap, liquor, rotisserie chicken, pure maple syrup, agave sweetener, ranch dressing, and nuts. We were there on Monday to pick up Dear’s hearing aides. He has never had them before so he is now getting used to them. I also check out their clothing piles to see any deals on items that will work for us. I regularly make purchases for the church kitchen at Costco, too. The items in italic come in multi-packs so we purchase them less frequently.

5. Father’s Day is this coming Sunday. Any plans to make the day special? Tell us something about your own father, or something about your hubs as a father, or about someone who stepped into your life and acted as a father if yours was not a part of your life. 

My older sister Kathy, Pop (working on a jigsaw puzzle) and me camping in Big Bear California in the 50’s.

My pop was a carpenter and he worked hard to earn enough money to feed and clothe us. When he immigrated to the U.S. just after World War II he had to get creative to find work, later he was able to get carpentry work regularly and he was part of the Carpenters Union. Although he was religious there was something missing until He heard the Gospel clearly at a Billy Graham Crusade at the Los Angeles Coliseum. He knew God was calling him to repentance and a new life following Jesus Christ as his Savior. When he asked God to forgive him, and he put his faith in Jesus Christ for his salvation, he knew immediately that something changed in him. He now had the help of the Holy Spirit to live this new life following Jesus. He desired this new life for all of us and for his parents and siblings, too. Sharing Christ with others was a priority in his life. When his papers were filled out for his legal immigration his name was translated to Moisi in English but it would have been more accurate to be spelled Moses. Our parents sacrificed for their children. They very rarely spent money on themselves. Pop lived to be 95 and outlived our mom by 5 years.

This photo is from a celebration we had for our parents in April of 2013 for their 90th birthdays and for their 70th wedding anniversary. Our brother Fred was missing from this celebration.  Our mom died in September of 2013 and our Pop lived for 5 more years.

Our kids will be giving their tributes to their ‘Pops’ on Sunday. He’s a good man and I’m thankful for him and our life together. While I’m sitting at my computer answering these questions, Greg is vacuuming our entire home! What a guy!

We will celebrate with our local kids on Sunday evening here in Colville.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Me and my Pop, 1973. This was taken at a Los Angeles terminal for chartered flights. Several family members and friends were all together with no restrictions at the departure gate.

Father and Children

This is another tribute to Dear/Greg upon his 70th birthday. Some photos with our children in their growing up years. Some are out of order and I haven’t transferred all the photos from when our kids were young onto the computer so these are limited but more than you might be interested in. 🙂

Joshua’s baby dedication at Huntington Beach E.V. Free church with pastor Bob Thune.

Daniel’s baby dedication at Huntington Beach E.V. Free church with Pastor Bob Thune.

For those who don’t miss a trick there isn’t a photo from Katie’s dedication but it did happen.

Our kids appreciate their dad and his wisdom, integrity and faithfulness.

Reunited and Celebrating

Our dear grandchildren are back in our neck of the woods and we were able to enjoy a meal together at our home on Friday evening June 17th. After the meal JJ and Addy were keen on preparing me another meal in their play room. JJ prepared the crab for me while Addy put together a sandwich.

Later we headed outside for some time enjoying the latest skills these two have developed on their Big Wheels.

In the same week our kids on the Coast enjoyed a meal out together and sent us this picture. Love seeing them together.

On Father’s Day we received texts with photos and Happy Father’s Day greetings from all our kids and grands.

We enjoyed a Taco bar meal together in Colville with extended family. These two fathers were celebrated.

So happy these 4 are back home in our neck of the woods.

Happy First Day of Summer. We are supposed to enjoy some sunshine the rest of the is week instead of the cloudy rainy days we’ve had up to now! How goes it in your neck of the woods?

Love One Another…

Uncle Joshie joined Auntie Lolo who was already in Colville for Father’s Day weekend. Addy and JJ were delighted to see him and spend time with him. Their daddy was away because of work and they really missed him. Uncle Joshie was a nice diversion.

Josh flew back home on Father’s Day. Auntie Lolo drove back home on the day of my cataract surgery. Before Lolo left she captured a lot of photos. Thank you Lolo and Joshie for all your help and love!

Collecting the eggs and enjoying garden delights picked fresh!

Addy and JJ’s daddy came home on Thursday the 24th of June and their little family is together again much to everyone’s relief.

The news around our region is the heat! We are above 100 degrees with predictions of temps getting as high as 114. Yikes. That means fire danger, too. We are more appreciative of our cooling possibilities. We are watering early in the morning and have blinds closed and curtains drawn during the day. The birds are enjoying our watering. We hope to get to more normal summertime temps in a week.

Father’s Day Celebration 2020

For our Father’s day celebration in Colville we gathered at Dan and Jamie’s Saturday evening. It was a small group with Dear, me, Dan, Jamie, Addy, Jaymison and Linda (Granny). I was happy to be able to get some snaps of the grands with their dear Granny, Jamie’s Mom.

Happy Father’s Day to our son. Let’s see how many shots I can get with everyone looking at the camera.

I think we did good with 3 out of 6!

And on the official Father’s Day we received this photo via text! Happy Father’s Day to our son, Daniel. We are happy that he is a hands on dad. He doesn’t even shy away from those diaper changes others would refuse. We pray that Dan and Jamie will always be a team in leading, guiding and teaching our grandchildren in the things that matter most.

This coming weekend we’ll get a photo of the whole family together. We are having a couple days with temperatures in the upper 80’s here! I mowed today and will try to do some weed wacking in the early hours on Tuesday. After Tuesday we’ll cool down some. Summer has arrived for at least a couple of days. We had a cooler Spring than normal and we were commenting on the fact that the wasps and yellow jackets are fewer in number. Hooray!

“Baba, Where’s My Rag”?

Our Father’s day table this year was Red, White and Blue inspired by Flag Day. There were 11 of us counting Addy and JJ. Addy’s chair is not in these photos. At all the meals we’ve had at our house when I set the table with napkins and napkin rings I’ve added one for Addy too, on her highchair tray. For this meal I overlooked doing that. Baba fail! When Laura helped Addy into her highchair Addy looked around at the table I had set and said, “Where’s my rag?”. I hurried to grab her a napkin ring and napkin. I love that she calls a cloth napkin a rag.

The photo below is Addy in her chair at her house but she has an identical one at our house. I did not take photos of everyone around our Father’s Day table or the delicious food we had. Blogger fail. Since Addy’s question was the quote of the day I wanted to include a photo of her in this post. In the future I will not forget Addy’s rag.

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When Addy saw this banner (bunting) she said, “how cute”.

Reminds me of the song we used to sing…

The Lord is mine and I am His

His banner over me is love

He brought me to his banqueting table

His banner over me is love

I’ll keep our red, white and blue décor up through the summer.

It is staying light so late here in the northeast corner of Washington State. It was so light when we hit the sack at nine. Today we are heading to Spokane for an appointment. We’ll do a little shopping while we are there, too. Colville has a Wal-Mart, a Country Store, a North 40, a Builder’s supply, an Outdoor Sports store, a couple small décor stores, a few furniture stores, a Do-It Center, and a small independent Sears. When we go to Spokane we like to hit the Home Depot, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Hobby Lobby, Fred Meyer, At Home, T.J. Maxx and Total Wine.

More and more we are learning to do without the Spokane stores that we don’t have in Colville. I’m learning to appreciate Wal-Mart. When we lived on the Coast (Seattle area) I very rarely stepped foot in a Wal-Mart.

Today is the last day of Spring! Yikes! Enjoy the day dear bloggers and my other friends who visit here.

Colville Rodeo Parade

We had a super weekend but I left my camera at our kids’ house in all the excitement and only have these fun photos our daughter-in-law posted on Facebook to share for now. My camera will get dropped off tomorrow.

This weekend besides being Father’s Day Weekend was the Colville Pro-West Rodeo Weekend. The parade was on Main Street. Our kids went to the parade on Saturday afternoon before coming to our place for a early Father’s Day dinner. Addy was a little concerned about all the loud noises.

She had fun collecting beads and candy from some of the floats in the parade.

It was a hot and humid day and Dear and I opted to skip the parade this year and make the final preparations for our time together Saturday evening. Just look at that sky in the photo above. It says heat and humidity to me. I am so very thankful for the heat pump we had installed in November. It is a pleasure to be cool inside when the temps get over 90 outside.

Thank you, Laura, for the great photos that you always take and share with us!

Hope you all had a good weekend.