Heading Back Home

It was difficult to head back home to Oregon and leave two of our children's families behind. It was such a privilege for me to spend time with Megan and Andy's new little son, and I enjoyed time with Will and Julie's famiy as well. Their children are so much fun! Here are a few more precious baby pictures, and a few pictures of our challenging drive home. Bill and I were delayed for 6 hours at one point because of high winds and drifting snow. However, it was a very beautiful drive.

Enjoying baby Jesse

Mom and baby are doing very well. Megan is really going to enjoy being a Mom and Andy finds it exhausting (ha! ha!). I wish I could steal Jesse and bring him home.

Our new grandchild

Our daughter Megan and her husband Andy were very excited to welcome their first child into the world. Jesse Taylor Summers was born January 5, 2008. He weighed 8 lbs. 14 oz. and measured 21 inches long. Jesse is a handsome baby with a very easy-going temperament. We are happy that he is safely here, and that his Mom is doing very well!

Busy Times!

Our holiday was very busy. I continued to enjoy my grandchildren, Drew...

Billy...





and Maggie.












Mom enjoyed her Great Grandson Drew,









and her Great Granddaughter Peyton (my brother Chris' granddaughter) as she helped to entertain Billy and Maggie.



I had to include this picture of Drew in with his cute little hat :).

I went for a ride in the hills with my brother Chris and enjoyed the beauty of the river.
Maggie went along and enjoyed a ride on Chris' 4-Wheeler.



Thanksgiving always runs through Elk season,

and sure enough, Bill got a bull on Thanksgiving Day. Kate loves going with him as he hunts with my brothers, Terry and Chris.




Before leaving the coast we had to visit the infamous Tillamook Cheese Factory.













We also stopped to visit Bill's brother Jim.












Bill and I made a trip back to Mom's a couple of days later to help cut up the elk (this is my brother, Terry)...




tenderize the steaks (this is my mom using an ancient machine that still does wonders)...










and sort them into portions for everyone (this is my sister-in-law, Diane). Next, we wrapped the steaks for the freezer.








We caught Chris just coming back in from a fishing trip.






He had a beautiful catch!












We were surprised when he offered us the whole fish, which we took home and grilled with Teriyaki sauce. This should make your mouth water!

Thanksgiving Holiday

The best part about a holiday is getting together with family. Right now we are enjoying a visit from our son Will, his wife Julie, and their children Billy, Maggie, and Drew. Billy is missing teeth,

Maggie is a character,




and Drew is so much like his Dad as a baby, I feel like I'm going back in time.









































We all spent time together over the weekend, and then Bill, Will and Katie left for the coast to hunt elk. Julie and I stayed in Salem and had fun shopping together. We also found many creative ways to entertain the children.







I think the highlight for Billy and Maggie was our day spent at the Gilbert House Children's Museum. From playing giant checkers...












to inventing optics, the kids participated in a variety of activities.
They played musical instruments,








maneuvered through a giant web,






and danced together in a little theater.



It didn't take much encouragement for our little "drama queen" to show what she was made out of.














The kids made giant bubbles,












created crazy photo images,


sat on dinasaur eggs,















cuddled giant pandas,


explored with microscopes,















had a tea party,


and braved a long, dark spiraling slide.
















We thought they would end their stay after climbing into a giant chair, but they wanted to go back and do several things over again! We left exhaused, but happy. We will leave for the coast tomorrow to join our husbands, many other family members, and to participate in a feast of true thanksgiving for our many blessings!