FAMILY ATTACK 12/29-30/2012

Our #2 son, Jared, his wife, Angi and their family stopped by for a quick visit on their way home from Angi's parents house.  We went beach exploring on a day when the plankton had been murdered by the violent surf,

 creating a foamy shoreline.  The kids had a blast chasing the wind driven rolling plankton foam.

 They also had fun climbing Turtle Rock. The Hulk was not too excited about getting up too high.

 But, Bananas climbed all the way to the top!

 And Dad went along too!

 There they are way up there!

 Oranges and Superman were all over the place and I never got a shot of them up on the rock.  Then they all decided to climb a fallen tree.  Bananas was the highest.

 Then came Superman.

 Then The Hulk and Oranges.

 Superman thinks deep thoughts as he ponders the world.

 Bananas decided to jump......as long as Dad was there to catch her.  Her knees caught Jared just right and knocked the wind out of him.  Poor boy!

 Then we went to our trailer and the kids all admired Ann's beach treasure collection.  They each got to take one home with them. 

 After an explore of the huge metropolis of Gold Beach we hustled back home to watch the sunset from our sun room.

 Our first family dinner in our sun room/dining room!!

  After dinner, it was time to open belated Christmas presents.  jared is a tru Daddy.  he has sop much fun watching his children open presents.

 Here they go!!!

 After presents, Grandma set up a cookie decorating experience for her grand kids.  I think Ann is happiest when she is building memories with her grand children!  Superman added sprinkles for topping.

 Oranges frosted her Christmas bell.

 The Hulk adds sprinkles.

 Jared gets into the act too!

 Banana sprinkles.

 Then ist is time to settle down for night time sleepy time.  But first a story by Dad!

On the 30th, the family left us to head home.  Thus ended our Christmas time.  New Years Eve we spent having a wild party at church. "Waffles from Heaven at 7"  We had waffles and root beer floats, then played games until 11:00 PM.  A wild night to ring in 2013.  We were both in bed when the gunshots and fireworks began!

GOLD BEACH CAROLERS 12/23/2012

A Mormon congregation, usually consisting of 250-500 members, is usually called a Ward.  A smaller congregation, about 25-100 members, in more rural areas, is called a Branch.  Our congregation in Gold Beach is a Branch, but..... taking into account its small numbers, maybe it should be called a twig!  But, what we lack in numbers we make up for in activities, fellowship and fun times together!
On the 23rd we went caroling at the only assisted living facility in the area.  Wayne had a bad cough, so he did not sing, but all our members sang their hearts out and we were well received!
Here are a few of the members that went to sing:
Our Branch President and his wife, the Weichers.

The Wardle Family

  The Tuttles

 Us'ns!

The Ashcrafts

 Our audience

 Performing

 A small group, but we sounded really great!!

 And good looking too!!

GOLD BEACH WHITE CHRISTMAS 12/21-27/2012

On December 21, 2012 we took official possession of our new home in Gold Beach, Oregon.  Here we are at the front door on that date.

Immediately, we realized there was a problem with the living room carpet, having found old dried mold and decided it needed replacing.

 We immediately began the long process of finding the right one and had the rest of thge carpets in the house shampooed on Christmas morning.

 While the carpets dried on Christmas morning we resorted to the only dry carpet in the house, the living room and had our little Christmas present opening time in our new home.  The vacuum was not a present.  It just happened to be in the corner where we opened presents.  By the way, we have no furniture in the house yet!

 Christmas day we hung our only Christmas lights.  Ann found them at a Thrift Store in town the day before.

 We went into town ans saw that we could see our house lights hung in our sun room widows from Hwy 101!

 We were still not sleeping in our new house until Dec. 27th because the carpets needed to dry.  So, back at the RV Park we were greeted one morning by a White Christmas, though not on Christmas day

 How about that massive snow build up!  Actually it was hail, but at least it was white!!

 OOOOOHHHHHHH!!!!!!  Break out the tire chains and the sleds!!

 On the way to the house we saw the build up on the side of the street.

Back at the RV Park, the work campers that were there for the season had a Christmas BBQ and invited us too because we were the only other ones in the park.

 There weren't many of us, but the atmosphere and company made for a nice time together full of RV stories from a life on the road.

 They had some oysters cooked in a special sauce that was just delightful!  Wayne had two!!!

It rains a lot here! 

 And regularly in the RV Park we see ducks and geese in little pools in the lawns.  it is kind of cute!

 Anyway, we are in the house and are now beginning the process of moving the stuff out of the trailer, cleaning the trailer for sale, going to Medford to get our stuff out of storage and settling in to life on the coast.