2011 COWLEY COSTUME PARADE 10/31/2011

Last year had a blast spending Halloween with #1 son's family and we so missed being able to see the other kids do their Trick or Treating.   This Halloween we were with #2 son's family for Christmas, so we decided to extend an invitation to our other son's and their families to send us their pictures of their costumes and we would have a Cowley Costume Parade via the internet.
So here for our and your entertainment is the FIRST ANNUAL COWLEY COSTUME PARADE!  Take special note of our talented and creative daughters-in-laws' creative powers as seamstresses and stay up late to satisfy the kids creations!

Superman transformed into Megatron The Transformer

 Bananas cast magic spells as a Water Princess

 Oranges Trick or Treated as Rapunzel

 The Hulk was costumed as Kung Fu Panda...... but refused to wear the top piece

 But he made up for it by showing us his Jack o' Lantern face

 Peaches flew through the night as a Fairy Princess

 Captain America created his own unique interpretation of a Zombie Santa

 I had to include this one as it was the best one of Brody as a reindeer

 Brody the Reindeer, after a night of Trick or Treating

 Strawberry became a Greek Goddess for the night

 Mango was Little Red Ridinghood

 Apple was transformed into Rapunzel

 Each child's costume was properly judged by a fair and balanced, un-partial group of judges.  Following the judging, each child was sent a specially delivered, by the USPS, Costume Certificate of Award. created by two loving grandparents.
There were two grandchildren from which we did not receive pictures.  They will be added and posted with certificates sent later....... when we get the e-mail.  So check back regularly for the update!

SICK TRUCK 10/21-27/2011

Shortly after we got to Russian River TT we were going to #2 son's house to pick up three grandkids, Superman, Oranges and Bananas for a sleepover.  But our truck had different ideas.  It decided not to start.  Wayne was depressed over his little truck being sick and called for a truck ambulance to take Ol' Blue to the truck hospital.  We were both bummed about not being able to have our grandkids over too.

 Wayne supervised the removal of his poor sick truck and then rode in the truck ambulance to the truck hospital.

It was sad to see our truck be sick!

Our little home on wheels, just did not seem the same w/o the truck out front.  But, we managed while the truck was gone.  A week later the truck was cured and life returned to normal.  Having a little Corolla rental was a savings on gas usage, but it was nice to have our truck back.

We soothed our truck loneliness challenge by spending lots of that week with the grandkids.  That helped keep Wayne's mind off his depression and worry

A VISIT WITH SON # 2 AND HIS FAMILY 10/20 - 11/03/ 2011

We arrived at Russian River Thousand Trails Preserve on 10.20 and will leave 11/03.  While here, we have spent a portion of nearly every day with our #2 son and his family who live about 35 miles from here.  They also have joined us for a dinner and one grandchild for a sleepover.  During this time we have been very busy with activities together.  Some of the activities included:
Dinner at our trailer,

 Using Grandpa as a wild Disneyland ride,

 Seeing who can kill Grandpa first,

 Seein how long Grandpa can remain in his base position,

 Teaching Grandma about backyard weeds that can talk,

 Visiting a Pumpkin Patch Farm and getting a ride with Grandma Mule,

 Seein who can get farthest from Grandpa when he tries to take a picture,

 Visiting with some fellow full time RV'ers we made friends with a couple years ago,

 Taking naps (Well at least The Hulk did),

 Soccer practice,

 Farm animal visits,

 Bananas' soccer game,

Superman's soccer game (He's the redhead making the awesome kick),

 Being king and Queen Grandparents,

 Wincing at #2 son's activities with his kids,

 Visits to the TT Preserve dilapidated playground,

 An evening at their Ward Halloween Carnival and Chili Cook-Off,

 Watching Bananas be Lady Guinevere,

 More wincing,

 Stll more wincing,

 Rock throwing at Russian River,

  And exercising our right to put our mouth on the drinking fountain and collect all the germs we can.

Been a good time!

GOT NOSE? 10/8/2011

 Nothing needs saying.

GRANDMA THE MEASURING STICK 10/6/2011

 Do you remember when you were kids and you thought you were really tall when you measured up against Grandma?  Ann's turn!  Superman and Bananas have discovered they are getting closer to Grandma's size!

GRANDMA THE PUSHER 10/24/2011

For the last two weeks we have been at Jared and Angi's in the Bay area of California we have been privileged to go retrieve Superman and Bananas from school many times.  It is a short 1/2 mile walk from their home.  Sometimes we take The Hulk and Oranges with us and while we wait for big brother and big sister, we play on the playground.

  Grandma is a good pusher.

 Grandpa is a good picture taker of the deal going down.

 Her customers are always very satisfied!

GRANDMA'S GOT A YARN TO TELL 10/29/11

Grandma has has made a white blessing blanket for each of our sons' families with children. Another goal of hers is to make a comforter for each of her grandchildren.  She is making them in order from oldest to youngest and just finished Bananas'.

 She has worked really hard on this blanket, having to take it undone several times to do it perfectly.

But. now it is finished!

 And she presented it to Bananas while we were here visiting #2 son's family.

 It sure is warm and soft!

 There will be a picture of the two of them and the blanket added soon as Grandpa forgot to take one at the presentation.