Sunday, November 29, 2015

Kam in November

I have to start this off with my favorite video of the month, taken by his mother.  Click the link for 10 seconds of pure cuteness. 



He was awfully cute in his Beaver jacket at the park.
 He loves riding on mom's or dad's shoulders.
He quite expressively
talks and jabbers,
telling the best stories!
Here he is, just chilling with mom.
He really got into
his grandpa's library book,
everything he always wanted to know
about Genghis Khan.
Possibly he read it
from back to front.
He loves climbing the stairs, up and down, holding onto the spindles. However, he has learned that going up the stairs without permission means Grandpa will put you in bed to go ni-night. (Even Grandma did it once!)  So he sometimes goes to the second step, sits down and says "ni-night", then decides to come down. Or if it's nap time, he's been know to say "ni-night" and head upstairs to bed! Once he laid his head down on a pillow in the living room and said, "I sleep". I can take a hint!
He loves driving this car around that Aunt Jean donated after Jamie outgrew it. 
Zeek loves following Kam around.
Such a good gentle dog.

Kim spent more time running around the park than actually playing on the equipment this month.
He is going to be an excellent running partner for me before long!
I gave him one of my free school pictures just for fun.
He walked around the house and tried to make it stick to the wall. That's where pictures belong!
He loves to climb up on the piano bench (it's easier when it's pulled out!)
and has quite a nice touch on the keys!
He loves these legos and is starting to build and put toy cars or animals inside things. I think he says "car" several hundred times a day!
Such a big boy, he likes to have his own stool up at the bar.
Look, a big stick!
Where did Nana put that big stick?
We walked/ran around the cut de sac on the way back from the park.
He loves the neighbor's dog statue!
He had a great time with family at Thanksgiving.

Brody's mom figured out how to finally be taller than her cousin Nick!
He and cousin Brody shared the kitchen.
Kim enjoyed watching Betsy play the violin.
He appreciated the juice her sisters gave him too!
He wasn't always sure what to think of the lovely music the family made,
but while they sang old hymns and gospel songs and even "Jesus Loves Me",
he kept playing, though he did sit on Jewel's lap for just a few minutes.
He ran all over that big house and played hard. We were happy to keep him overnight, since his dad had to be to work at 4:30 am and his poor mama was dealing with some back issues. I thought he would be so ready to go to sleep by the time we got home about 9:30, but no. He started to empty the toy box and was ready to keep on playing, happy as could be! But he crashed pretty quickly when we put him to bed a short time later and slept about 10 hours.

So thankful for this blessing!


Thanksgiving Weekend 2015

One of the best things about holidays is just the break from the routine of life - the opportunity to spend more time with more family and great excuse to go somewhere for the weekend!

 My brother Mark and his lovely wife Paula came down from Alberta and joined us for Thanksgiving. We rented a house at Nye Beach for the weekend.

But first we had a big Thanksgiving dinner with lots of family, more than 25 for dinner and about 40 by the end of the day.
 Dave and his grandson Brody enjoyed the music provided by Steve Hesser, my niece Jewel's husband.

 Molly and Eric were looking fine as they enjoyed dinner,
 as were Craig and Steph.
Apparently it was Nick's turn to be the short one - My niece Brittany is beautiful
 whether she's tall or short!
 My lovely sisters Hope and Jean. I joined them on this little loveseat for some close sister time, and I know some pics were taken. Whoever took one of the three of us, could you share it with me? I'm sure it's really cute!
 My three boys! Love them so! Nick really doesn't have a giant head, it was just a hasty "hey get over there and let me take a picture of you with your brothers" kind of pose.
 Uncle Eric enjoyed watching Kam play in the little kitchen. Kam was delighted to be allowed to open cupboard doors and remove everything! And to turn the knobs on the stove!
 What a good grandpa Dave is - right down on the floor to play with Brody and Jewel's girls. (Ouch!)
 Kam and Brody shared the kitchen pretty well, when Kam didn't have him trapped in the corner!
 Perhaps a love of the violin was planted here? My great-niece Betsy plays so beautifully.
 Great-niece Heidi loves Kam and got him to sit still for a few seconds!
 Emmie figured out a great way to get him to sit! (I love a bookworm, reminds me of myself way back when!)
 The happy expectant couple...
 Hope's son Joel has a lapful with Heidi and Jean's son Chavon.
 Uncle Craig also enjoyed keeping an eye on Kam in the kitchen...
 Later in the day, we gathered around to sing some old favorites, accompanied by Faith on the piano, Betsy on the violin, and Steve on the guitar. When the Roll is Called up Yonder, Amazing Grace, Victory in Jesus, A Little Talk with Jesus, Jesus Loves Me, and many more.  Hope and I shared a fun one from an old children's record, "I'm Getting Nuttin' for Christmas" (though we have forgotten so many words).  Mark shared a heart-rending rendition of "Gloom, Despair and Agony on me…." HeeHaw did not play a big role in our non-TV family history, but thank you, Mark, for sharing!

A bunch of us met up again for lunch at Red Robin on Friday after shopping. I was going to send this to Tavin to let her know we missed her but I forgot. (We missed you, Tavin! Hope to see you playing basketball at George Fox soon!)
 Then we hopped in our car and travelled out to Newport. What gorgeous weather!
 And what a handsome man!!
 A beautiful sunset, and we stayed off the dangerous cliff.
 Such happiness, such joy, to run on a sunny beach under cloudless skies next to the deep blue sea the next day!
 That's Galen waving as Anisa, Mark and Paula and I approached them to watch the sunset, barely in the nick of time after an impromptu run for salt water taffy.
 My oldest brother Galen and his wife Carol are two of my favorite people.
 This whole group of people are also among my favorite people. (We had a miscommunication with Doug and he was waiting for us at the house. Poor Doug.)
 But what a cute picture of his wife Anisa, son Duane and the wonderful Rachel.
 So happy together….(sing it!)
 Gorgeous at the beach again today.
And a close call for Mark after a long weekend of bantering with Will…but he escaped uninjured!

So much fun and beauty and great food….wonderful memories were made. And now here we are, home again, ready to get back to work tomorrow and the routine of life…but Christmas is coming!!