A COUPLE DAYS WITH #2 SON'S FAMILY TOO!! 11/26-28/2011

After Thanksgiving, Jared and Angi and crew came up from California to spend a couple days with us and celebrate Superman's birthday.

 Jed, Kate, Alvaro and Michelle (pronounced Ma-Kay-Lay), Jared and Angi and kids and Cliff & Linda and a few of their kids all got together at Cliff and Linda's for an evening of visiting.

 Angi, Oranges and Jared.

 At Angi's parents' home for another get together for Superman's birthday. L - R: Bananas, Oranges, Jared, Angi and Ann.

 Superman blows!

 The cake survived!!

 Back at Cliff and Linda's.  L-R: Michele, Alvaro and Linda

Bananas, Braden (Cliff and Linda's grandson), Oranges and Angi get in some snuggle time at Cliff and Linda's house.

  Michele and Alvaro strike a pose.  It was so much fun having these two Italians from Jed's crew with us.  They became like family to us as they hung out with us.  But they sure talk funny!!

 A frazzled and exhausted Grandpa and The Hulk play musical chairs.

 At Cliff and Linda's  L-R: Jared, Superman, Oranges and Jed.

 Jed the movie director!!

 Family visit time.  It was so relaxing and so much fun to get to spend family time with two of our sons and their family and Wayne's brother's family.  We were truly blessed!

 Aunt Kate and Oranges

 L-R: Jared, Jed and Superman.

  A hilarious time!  Uncle Cliff tells the story about and shows Superman about his crushed finger from years ago.  It is a blast to watch kids reactions as Cliff, straight faced, shows his fingers to them and tells the story behind the scar.

 The Hulk finds and tries on Uncle Cliff's hard hat.

 

Back at Angi's parents house we gathered to have a birthday celebration for the overly excited Superman.

 

Then we opened presents, which included books, which were immediately engaged by eager readers.

 Oranges practiced her beauty shop skills on Grandma.

 Pretty talented, eh?!

 Wrestling is a must at Cowley family gatherings.  Jared pins his son, The Hulk!

  Then we practiced doggie tricks of speaking, rolling over and balancing a cracker on their nose.  L-R: Doggie Oranges, Doggie The Hulk and Doggie Bananas.

 Also, we all went over to John (Ann's brother) and Karen's house for some more family time.

 We were so lucky to have so much family time before we got to work on the shooting of the movie, "Shale".

THANKSGIVING 2011 11/24/2011

On November 21we left our trailer in Hollister, CA and drove to Central Point, OR where we would spend the next couple weeks with John and Karen Huff and Cliff and Linda Cowley while helping our #3 son, Jed, shoot a short film for his Masters Degree in Film from Columbia University.  Amidst the hustle and bustle of preparing for the film, we were blessed to have Thanksgiving with Cliff (Wayne's brother) and Linda and some of their family.

Jed and Kate were in Seattle with Kate's family, so we got to have Jed's Producer and Asst. Producer (Michele and Alvaro, both on the right side of the picture) with us for the Thanksgiving feast.

 They are both fellow Columbia Film Masters students and are both from Italy.  Great guys!!

 The feast!

 We were so blessed to have family and friends to join with for this Thankful holiday!!!

Happy and full Cliff!  My goodness, he's got Daddy's nose!!

ANN BACKS UP IN HOLLISTER, CA 11/19 - 12/5/2011

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!!  When we pulled int camp and decided which space we wanted to park in, Ann quietly asked, "Can I try to park it?"  I could not believe my ears!!  Ann has never expressed interest in trying to park the trailer in the 30 or so years we have been trailering!!  In fact, she has only driven this rig once on the highway!!  So, out I hopped and in she popped.  10 minutes later the pro had it almost perfectly in position!!!

A little more maneuvering and walla!!  We have a parked rig!!!   See the professional trailer backer proudly showing her job!!!!!

 So, here we are in San Benito Thousand Trails, where we will only stay two nights before we leave our rig in storage until we get back from Thanksgiving at Cliff (Wayne's brother) and Linda's in Central Point, OR, staying 10 days with John (Ann's brother) and Karen's house and a week of helping # 3 son shoot a film called "Shale" to finish up his Master's Degree at Columbia University.

On Dec. 5 we will come back here and get our trailer at which time we will tow it up to Morgan Hill TT for another couple weeks up there before coming back here for 2 weeks.  Funzies!!

GILROY, CA 11/10-19/2011

After leaving Oakland, CA we headed south a little to Morgan Hill Thousand Trails, situated just west of Gilroy, CA.  Here we set up for about 10 days.  We parked 2 spaces over from the site we stayed in a year ago when we were here.  It is a peaceful spot in the busy preserve.  We spent our time here working hard and saving money!  We did not need to fill up our fuel tank for the whole 10 days due to not going anywhere but two trips to the store and one trip to church!!!  We exercised!!  Wayne walking 20.6 miles and Ann walking 15 miles.  We also upped our sit ups and push ups a big notch!!

 Ann slaved away developing her creative cooking skills, attempting to tempt Wayne to eat more as he worked on dropping 7 more pounds.  Here you see a delicious pumpkin soup she made from two pumpkins we found deserted in a nearby camp space accompanied by a delicious veggie salad.

 Another creation was a recipe she has wanted to try for the last 2 years.  Prune Cake!  It was not a light on the calorie cake!!  But, oh so yummy!!  We allow ourselves one piece a day!

We also read a lot, worked on investment research, church history study, Family History research and compilation and Wayne found some English walnut trees nearby of which he harvested 2 more bucket loads and then shelled them all.
 It was beautiful weather for working outside on the shelling process.  Wayne had two very interested and vocal bystanders as he shelled out the nuts.  You can see the blue jay on the post in the center of the picture and the squirrel on the tree trunk.  The jay scolded me repeatedly until I tossed a cracked walnut his way.  He took a while, but eventually got brave enough to pick it up off the ground about 5 feet in front of me.  He came back after awhile and repeated the process a couple more times.

 But, this fella came down the trunk of the tree chattering and grumping all the way.  I thought he was going to attack me.  He seemed pretty annoyed.  But then he decided he wanted to get quiet and watch me closely.  I gave him a couple nuts and each time he would take the nut up into the tree and eat it.  Each time he would return scolding me and telling me off, until I gave him another walnut.  Then I went in the trailer to e-mail a friend about something I had been thinking about and look what the little bugger did!

 Then I went in the trailer to e-mail a friend about something I had been thinking about and look what the little bugger did!   He got up on the table and......

 ....helped himself!!!

 Then he took off and ate it in another place other than the tree!

 We had fun here in Morgan Hill TT, even though the turkeys made messes of things occasionally.

So, on Saturday, a couple days early, we left and went down to San Benito TT near Hollister, CA, where we set up for a couple days stay before we head to Medford, Oregon for Thanksgiving.

ANN'S FOOTPRINTS 11/6/2011

These last several years since retirement, I have probably spent more time with my wife than I did in our first 30 years of marriage.  Funny, I thought I knew her really well.  I thought we were intimate with each other concerning all our thoughts, goals and people skills.  I have found, since retirement, I knew Ann much less that I thought.
Recently, while visiting our #2 son's family, I went for a walk with Ann in their neighborhood.  We came upon these footprints left in the sidewalk.

 They struck me as symbolic of Ann's sweet quiet spirit, who goes about quietly leaving her mark on all she meets, especially her family.  Quietly, patiently, unassumingly, she loves our sons, their wives and their children and leaves a path for them to follow of how to behave, how to love and how to live.  She leaves a path of footprints of her quiet examples as she moves through life.
A few days later, when the business of four grandchildren was taking its toll on my nerves, I went for a walk alone.  I found myself later standing and then sitting near those footprints.  As I sat there, thinking of Ann and these footprints, I cried.  There sitting on this sidewalk in front of somebody's home, I thought of what a blessed man I am to share my path through eternity with such a wonderful person.  I thought of me slogging along, tearing through life like a bull in a china shop, thrashing through the learning experiences of life and families.  And there quietly along side of me is a gentle, smiling woman, leaving a loving path for others to follow, all the while letting me think I am the one leading and creating a trail.

 Over a period of time, as I composed myself, wiped away the tears of love for she to whom I am married, I contemplated telling the story in pictures of the power of those small footprints and the effect they had in form of an experience of self recognition they had upon me. So, a few days later I gathered two of my grandchildren and Ann and took them with me to the footprints.
I set up the following shots to tell the story of the wonderful woman to whom I am married and the example she sets as she quietly walks through life, leaving examples behind of how to live, serve and love.....leaving.... her footprints.

 Sometimes those examples are followed by those around her and dear to her.  Still, even though time may pass, those examples she leaves behind continue to influence lives that pass where she has walked.  Generations later, lives I'm sure, will be affected by the path she left behind her.

 Generations that follow are and will be influenced by her example.  I have seen it already in her relationship with her sons and then her daughters-in-law, and now, her grandchildren.  They see and feel of her love.  They see her pattern of life.....

...and strive to emulate her....

 ....her path she has trod influences those that come after her.

 We all, at times, contemplate our lives and the paths we desire to follow.  It is good that we have good examples to follow, footprints left by those who have gone before.

Whether now or many generations down the road of life eternal, I am sure there will be those who choose to follow the examples Ann has left behind.  She is leaving good footprints for her loved ones to gain direction.

 May we each be leaving good footprints for others to follow.  I know, because of being blessed to find my path through life at the side of Ann and because of the self reflecting experience I had with these footprints left in the sidewalk, I will try to be better at the examples I set and the footprints I leave behind.

  Just today I was reminded of the power of Ann and the footprints she left behind her while we served our mission in Oakland a couple years ago.  Today we met with some of the Cambodians we served while on our mission.  They flocked around us, shook my hand, smiled at me and then lovingly embraced Ann.  Unabashedly, they expressed their love for her and tearfully told her how much they missed her.  I was there too, but the focus was on her.  I puddled up as I watched my quiet little wife.  These people truly loved her and truly were effected by her footprints she left in their lives several years ago.
I am a blessed man to be by her side, trying to leave gentle footprints where we tread.  May we each leave good footprints.

OAKLAND, CA 11/3-10/2011

We are currently located for a week on the grounds of the Oakland Temple where we lived for 18 months when we served as missionaries back in 2007-9.  It is a nostalgic visit to see a few friends made while here and to rest in the memories of our past.  The Christmas decorations are partially up and it lends to the walk down memory lane for us.

We are parked a few spaces down from where we had our trailer parked several years ago. Though we can hear gunshots and sirens around us it is peaceful here on Temple Hill!  We ventured into Oakland for some groceries and remembered how this town was.  It is not a place we wish to visit often.

But, here in the shadow of the Lord's House, we are secure and at peace.

 Another reminder of our past here..... we had an earthquake last night!!  Small, but startling still the same.  We will leave for Morgan Hill Thousand Trails Preserve in Gilroy, CA on Thursday 11/10/2011.

SLEEPOVER WITH ORANGES 11/1-2/2011

While here at Russian River TT we had the opportunity to have three of our grandchildren for a sleepover.  First we had Oranges up all by herself with us.  We had a blast together in what was the last of the great weather here.

We had a picnic.

 Oranges found the kids toy drawer and immediately latched on to the Etch-a-Sketch and some stories for Grandma to read.

 Here you go Grandma!!

  Looking out the window at all the doggies being walked was a fun pastime.

 Helping Grandma fix breakfast was fun too!

 Let's make a Mickey Mouse one!!

  Delicious, Grandma!!!

 We also had a sleepover with Superman and Bananas.  But the weather was riny and cold, so we played Thousand Aces and Sorry and told stories.  Unfortunately, Grandpa was forgetful with the camera and failed to take any pictures, but we had lots of fun with them too!!! Bummer, no pictures!!!