Happy Thanksgiving 2010

This year all the family met at the Brooks and we had a wonderful Turkey dinner with all the special trimmings. Everyone pitched in and brought some of their favorite dishes. There were about twenty of us all together. We ate and ate, until we were all stuffed. Then there was dessert of Pecan Pie, Banana Cream pie,and Pumpkin Pie and Strawberry Cream Cheese delight,delicious. After dinner we visited and caught up on all the Family News.While the men watched the Football games on T.V.

A wonderful Thanksgiving Day for all our Family.

Our Scenic Trip through Washington

We stayed at my Sister Julie and Frank's home for a week following her Surprise Birthday Party. We slept in the guest bedroom upstairs. It was a beautiful king size bed they had just gotten from Kali .It was like the Bed in the Movie  "The King and I. "It was 4 feet off the ground and was a challenge for us to crawl into.Finally we got a box to stand on which helped. Still I ended up pulling Ron into the bed.

Ernest LeRon Derricott and wife Betty

Julie and Frank took us to the their new Stanwood Cupcake Shop.There we enjoyed Ice Cream Cones and Cupcakes. It was started by their Bishop and his wife recently. They were yummy. We helped her clean her house. We started to get colds from the wet weather and air. We watched DVD's with them every day to pass the time.  We left for home on Thursday Nov .11 th.

         Phoned my cousin Erna Derricott Hershey who lives in Vancouver, Washington. She told me a lot of family history about her family. Also that her brother Ernest LeRon Derricott was living in Salem, Oregon. So when we went through Salem I called him and we went and visited him and his wife Betty Anderson Derricott. He is Ron's age 70 now.He had his own Upholstery business, loves to cook and do wood working as a hobby. He made a beautiful patio kitchen with lots of cupboards. Lots of build in seating around the deck.

     Ron's Childhood Home in Roseburg,Oregon

They gave us a lot of family photos. Told us about Grandma Hildegarde Thelin who lived with them when they were children. She taught Ron how to sew when he was three years old by hand. Taught him to love green onions as a snack. Grandma died when Ron was seven years old.  She had been blind before her death but seems to manage fine. Grandma had diabetes and died peacefully from heart problems.

What BIG Tires we saw.
   We continued on our way home through Oregon, met Ron's cousins again, visited Barbara Robertson Elaine ,Don and Betty Reber. Stayed at Barbara's motor home that night. Then went to Grants Pass and stayed at Cheryl and Dave's for a night. We needed to get our car brakes fixed there. There were leaves all over the yards. It was Fall and everyone was complaining about all the work to clean them up. Stopped at the Olive Pit Store and stocked up Olives and oil.

  Drove to Kettleman stayed in a Hotel for two days to rest. We needed it.Drove straight home through California  on Monday. Saw lots of Windmills in California. We are back to Sunshine and Palm Trees. Arrived home at 7:30 p.m. We were glad to be back in our own bed.

Tacoma,Washington Dome
 Our daughters had surprised us again , they had repainted our living room walls beige and the ceiling, and the bedroom ceiling. They had rearranged all the pictures for me, took down the shelves in the living room.

My Sister's 60 th Birthday Nov. 6, 2010

It was a BIG SURPRISE planned by her two daughters. It was held at the Church Cultural hall in Mill Creek, Washington. Thirty five of her friends came from her town.Thirty five relatives came also. We arrived early and helped the girls in the kitchen with the food. Ron made the punch, and I arranged the fruit trays and ham trays. Ron and Betty, Darcie, Quinn and Jewel arrived later. Kali and Michelle decorated the Hall in her favorite hot pink colors with lots of colorful Pink Balloons. Fresh pink Roses on the tables. A beautiful pink boa around her neck.

     When she arrived we all sang Happy Birthday to her.She was really surprised to see her son David who was sick with the flu in Layton, Utah.and her Grandson Parker. And also her Sister from Arizona. Julie was happy to be there.She scooted around the hall with her new scooter. Notice her broken foot in her hot pink cast for the past two months. Due to her bone cancer it is not healing well. She may have to have Surgery later on it. There was lots of delicious food for everyone.

     This is the gift table with the scrapbook of her friends.
Then a short program was enjoyed by all. Her friend Beverly did a Belly dance for her with candles. Two of her Singing students sang solos. Her daughter Kali played two piano solos. Cindy her friend made up a poem especially for her.  "Roses are Red Violets are Blue, Julie, you know how much we all Love you. "  She had thought and thought and finally came up with this original poem.
   
    Then her only Sister told a few Senior Jokes on her turning 60 to lighten the Birthday Party. Like the new Campbell's Soup for Seniors, It is called Large Letter Alphabet Soup. Another one was Julie always wanted a BMW. But now she doesn't care about the W. " One time Frank asked Julie ,what do Old Men wear ?Boxers or Briefs."She thought about it for awhile and said "Its DEPENDS. Now she can sing along with elevator music, eat dinner at 4 p.m. if she wants, and nobody will care.

   
      The Birthday cake was specially made for her .It had her name on it. It was circled by white and black piano keys. On top it had a large black music note. Notice the fresh pink roses.

Halloween in Oregon

          Sunday was Halloween this year, we drove through dense fog to Church. Dennis and his family were there. They had been babysitting the Triplets all weekend and they were both lacking sleep, therefore Zombies.

       After Church Dennis toured us through the new home he was building for Justin. It was huge, 5ooo sq.feet.three levels, 5 bedrooms, Theater room,bar, basketball court in the basement, butlers pantry, lots of storage shelves everywhere, a large kitchen with a farm sink and a great Island, a large dining room and living room with a fireplace joining each room,three car garage. Large swimming pool with slide and beautiful large gray rock features. Large patio with a long tube to slide down, from the second floor to the ground for the kids to escape when they are teenagers.

      Then we arrived at his home, we ate delicious Venison Stew, Dennis had made. Then the preparations began for the Halloween Party that evening. Marianne made a large Veggie Skeleton, pumpkin pies out of pie crust, little smokie mummies, out of smokie sausages, wrapped with bread dough.  Then we took it all to Jeremey's home when all the family met for the Halloween celebration.

      The Grandkids all came in costume and were very cute. Of course it was photo time to catch them all in their costumes. JaNae did a little craft with the little kids making plastic candy corns into people. Everyone brought Halloween type food. Bats and ghosts made from tortillas, a brain from Peach Jello with eyeballs, bread dough fingers with red almond fingernails, A spiderweb in avocado dip and salsa. For Desert Ice Cream with Halloween toppings like Frankensteins teeth, chopped walnuts, Zombie Eyes, cherries, vampire's blood, strawberry syrup topping. and spider legs, chocolate sprinkles.

       Dennis had made a spook alley in the garage for the kids. It was dark, spooky. Long black strips of plastic garbage bags, hit you in the face as you walked through the spook alley.You stepped on sheets of bubble wrap which popped under your feet. Scary ! It as great and really spooky even had real stuffed mountain goat head in it so the kids could pet it. A fun but a long day for all.
Happy Halloween in Oregon.

Trip to Oregon

       We were on the way to Oregon, it was dark, detours, first we got lost in Los Angeles,California, for two hours. When we finally figured how to work the GPS Gal, she directed us out to I-5 to Redding, California. Stopped there to visit, Aunt Ruth Helton and her family. They showed us the Funeral DVD of Uncle Vernon's Funeral, which was great to see. Then they gave a copy of the DVD of the Funeral.
   

       Then we drove to Grants Pass to visit Ron's cousin Cheryl and Dave Painter. Ron hadn't seen them for 25 years, so spent five hours with them. Drove to Winston, Oregon, visited more Reber cousins for a few more hours. Stayed at Garden Island Palms, in Roseburg,Oregon.
     

       The next day, we drove to Buxton Oregon, to stay with Ron's brother, Tom and Sharon. We stayed with them a week helped Sharon do her Geneology. Spent Sunday going to Church through the dense fog which we had forgotten about in Oregon. Spent the day visiting Dennis and Marianne and their family. Had Halloween dinner with all their family. Visited our daughter Rhonda and grand kids in Lake Oswego one day. Of course Grandpa took them Krispy Kremes.

        It took three days to arrive at our destination. It was beautiful driving through the wonderful Autumn colors. The trees were several colors of gold, orange and red. Grants Pass was especially beautiful this time of year. Then travelled to Vancouver,Washington, stopped at looked up the phone number for my cousin who lives there. But was unable to contact her then. So we continued on to Stanwood, Washington.