Statesmans J's Picture of Swimmers

Here's a nice inclusion that was on the front page of the sports section of the Salem Statesman Journal.

Madrona Manta Rays City Champions

Madrona Manta Ray's Swim Team has swept every city swim meet and gained the All City trophy for swim team of the year. Madrona last held this title 13 years ago. Here seen is the team with their coaches. On Sunday, July 26th, the Manta Rays celebrated their victory with a cookout and swim at the Madrona Pool. Lots of proud parents and grandparents cheered on as the individual members were honored and recieved their ribbons and awards. The coaches were given Jambajuice and other gift cards as an expression of gratitude from the team and parents.

Go Rays!

Spencer Returns From 6 weeks in Europe

Lauren and I were excited to meet our globetrotting Spencer. Thinner and sporting a reddish beard he appears to have become quite a traveler in spite of his 18 years!

Hope to see his pictures and hear some great tales of the adventure.

Welcome Home Spencer!

Lauren Enjoys Wild Waves

Lauren and I went to Wild Waves for the afternoon. We were killing some time before Spencer's plane came in from Europe.

Lauren is fearless. She singlehandedly went dashing from one hair-raising ride to another. We both managed to get through most of the day without a sunburn. (no small feat for us redheads)

My Pencil

This is a practice run on the blog, I want to setup another with blogger and wanted to see how easy it might be to blog from the road.

Max in Salem

Who did you invite to Homecoming?

Don't Spencer and Mitchell make a lovely couple? They had a great evening at the Homecoming Dance which was followed by a visit to Applebees. They first met at Sumpter in Kindergarten and have continued their special relationship over the years. Oh, did I mention they had georgeous dates! Get all the details here....

" I HAV A CAT "

Lauren showed me her latest creation called, "I HAV A CAT". A handbound book by her with bright illuminations and succinct text. Please follow the .pdf link to see her great book. Click here.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

I went to work with my teeth, a scarve and a gold earring. The night before I practised some rudimentary pirate. Like "is/am is always conjugated as "be". Women are wenches, be they good or bad. Most important is the Arrrr or or its affirmitive cousin Yarrr. Always backthroated and with a look of a growl. I warz adrift in a blur of landlubbers til attorney Carl's wenches be kind enuf to make der selves be knowed. Later after work, I decked out the girl child and turtored her in "shiver me timbers". She be of sound stock and a bonnie lassie to boot. Aye, she got me smile, too.

Kitchen work progresses

We are going Mediterenean. After having taken down the cabinet doors and drawers, cleaning, filling, sanding, priming and painting, it was time to paint the walls. The walls were stripped of the old green and white latticed wallpaper, washed, filled, sanded and painted. The first color looked great as a swatch against the wall, but as I started the edge work Dawn was picking up Lauren from a birthday party. I thought, boy this is bright, the more I looked at it, the more it resembled the dividing line on highways, sure enough, Dawn said no. We decided on another color and I took off to the paint store to have it mixed. Well, in short, I love it, Dawn is still deciding.

Me and my million dollar window

Self-portrait at the shop. Behind is my favorite window. It overlooks the stream and grounds of Mission Mill. In eighteen years I have never been bored as I stared out this four season view.I have seen my children taking their first steps, ducks with ducklings, angry opposums, floodwaters to my floorboards, sheep, llamas, too many politicians, six directors (Mission Mill), my in-laws and ex-in-laws, hundreds of weddings, Rotary on Wednesdays and in general my life has passed by this window. If I am to become a ghost, I know where I will haunt.

Lauren's first day of first grade

Here, our scholar is leaving to attend the first day of school. She's toting about 15 pounds of school supplies in her new pink backpack.




After meeting her teacher, Lauren finds her spot in class. Her room is of good size and is a first/second grade blend. As many as five of her last year classmates are here, too. Mom and Dad have readjusted their schedules to the new school year.

Lauren's top tooth missing!

While playing at Amanda's, Lauren pulled a top off and it snagged a very loose tooth. She had been eating apples and wiggling this thing for some time. Surely the Tooth Fairy will show up tonight and give her a reward.

Oreo

Oreo is a litle over a year old. She has been a great cat. We all love her and she does her slinky, lazy, loving, stealthy, cuddlely catness very well. This summer she has gotten very comfortable with the great out of doors. She even caught a bird. She eats bugs, grass and cat food. She's not too fond of the rain. When it was hot, she would lay on the flagstone floor. (smart kitty) Her clinkey id necklace sometimes gives away her hunting sorries. Over winter, she had become heavy, now as summer closes she is as sleak as a jaguar.

Lauren's Swim Lessons

Lauren has worked very hard for several weeks to earn her Level 4 status. We have gone to the Olinger Pool for 6 weeks each day of the week. It really has paid. She has given close attention to the instructors and can easily swim the pool side to side. Often she would compete with the 3 other kids (boys twice her weight and length) and beaten them every time but once. And boy did she let them know, too.



Today was the final swim and the kids got to just have fun in the pool. Lauren most enjoyed the swing rope and waterslide. We will have her take additional lessons in spring with the hope she will make Level 8 (Where they continuously lap the pool with crawl, backstroke and breast stroke). Go Lauren, we are so proud of you!

Erik leaves for Tulane University

We got up at 3:30 to get Erik on a plane for New Orleans. Lauren was not too pleased or chipper this time of the morning.

Later he called to let us know he had gotten there, checked into his room and was on his way to the French Quarter to have dinner with a new buddy (fellow student) and his family. They ate a "Irene's", a really great restuarant in the Quarter. Tomorrow he starts his orientation.

We are really sad he's left, but very excited at his prospects.
We love you Erik!!

Spencer and Allie

We couldn't leave out Allie, she was over visiting Spence. These guys are way too cool.

Kid's Portrait

Dawn insisted on a group shot of the kids before Erik departs for school. They were cutting up the whole time. Hopefully, Christmas will give us another opportunity for portraits.

Linda's going away/birthday party

Robert was a gracious host to Linda's cookout ... going away ... and surprise early Birthday party. I made a traditional Lindholm Pineapple Upsidedown Cake. But in this case it is really a Rightsideup Pineapple Cake! Robert and Erik made deck furniture and then grilled the steaks. Yum, yum.



Linda and Erik group for a shot of the departing, Erik's leaving on the 21st for Tulane. Linda's starting a new job in the tri-state of Idaho, Utah and Nevada. Good luck, we are missing you already.



Thanks for the family shot, Robert. Here we all are, just before we watch Linda open her gifts.

A tearful farewell

Here we are at Willamette University, under the Eagle Fountain, getting some last pictures while the buses arrive.These kids have had some great experiences they will carry forever. Eriko says she had noticed how much more open and spontaneous they all had become.



And now the tears,the girls openly and me a bit misty eyed. Eriko is a sweet,intelligent and considerate person who has done much to enrichen our lives in only a few days. I wish we could have spoiled her more! Eriko, we miss you and hope you stay in touch.



ALL ABOARD!! Eriko departs on the bus to Seattle where she will see a Mariner's baseball game before flying out tomorrow. I know her family will be so happy to see her safely home. Sayonara, Eriko.

Eriko's Sayonara Party

Eriko and her school mates threw a great party with lots of dancing, singing and celebration. Here Eriko announces her group's song. Those kids really sing well. We enjoyed every minute and were very proud of her contributions.



Eriko with three of her musical friends entertained the audience with the "Sound of Music." It was lovely, they really gave the crowd some great music.

All things considered the event showed how much the girls had done over the two weeks. The video shown at the end encapsulated in a colorful montage of each day and the many, many activities they participated in together. When they get home I hope they will have many wonder memories of Oregon.