Sunflowers in Cheney

Such beauties this time of year (August 2016).

Daniel's New Place

Daniel loves his shorter commute to work each day now from Redmond.  We enjoyed a nice Thai lunch together in the very quiet and beautiful downtown area.  This place is just two blocks from his apartment, lucky guy.  Delicious!

Visiting Jake, Lyndsey, and Calvin (this was August 4, 5, and 6)

Sure is comfortable at Jake and Lyndsey's house. . . we always feel welcome and loved.  It's nice that Lyndsey's parents Lyn and George always come by for a brief visit when we're there.  As Don said about Lyn after experiencing them come to visit at Jake and Lyndsey's house when we were there earlier this year, "She's just a breath of fresh air, isn't she?"  True.

Calvin as snug as a bug with his dad.

First Morning

Caitlin outside by her tree in her new house with the blue door.

James is so easy going about the whole deal.

Trina and Tori are so great at getting things done.

Love how this picture looks like Christ could be sitting right on those steps of theirs.

Home sweet home!

New House for Ben, Britan, Caitlin, and James

Here's what was happening as I drove in the evening of September 31.

Yep, Brittan drove this monster.

Robert and Ben getting the beds set up.

Caitlin enjoying dinner and a movie.

Tori is so good with her grandkids.

It's been a long, full day, but these two are still smiling.

Huckleberry Picking with Erik, JoAnn, and Christopher

We thought we were skunked on picking huckleberries because in our usual picking spot the berries were all dried up except for an occasional berry or two.  But then Erik, Christopher, and Don went to scout out a higher elevation and came back with this!

Yahoo!  There are huckleberries in "them thar hills."  I was so happy and surprised to see Christopher's successful picking because that meant that we had berries to pick and we weren't skunked after all.

These are two pictures Don sent to me when I checked in with him to ask about how the scouting for a new picking spot was going.  If you look closely, you can see lots of berries on those bushes.  And Sox is in his typical "I'll wait here while you pick" pose where he always finds a comfy spot to hang out.

Buster taking a break with Erik on the hammock.  This is such a comfy hammock that when the three guys went scouting for a new spot to pick, I took a little nap in it.  Awwww.  This is the life.

This hammock tent is comfy, too.  JoAnn bought this for Erik's birthday this year, and they brought it over and put it up in our little forest beside our house.  It is tied to three trees and is important to get level or else everyone in the tent slides to one spot . . . especially if you're in a nylon sleeping bag because the floor of the tent is also nylon, so that makes for some fun sliding.  This view from inside the tent is a new perspective of our back yard.

The Parker boys, downtown Spokane, August 2016.  Thanks for coming over to visit.  Great weekend!  Wish I had thought to take a picture of the salmon dinner where Don declared, "This is the best salmon I've ever tasted."  True.  The salmon Erik cooked on alder wood planks on our barbecue was amazing.  They brought both fresh salmon and crab with them from the Washington coast.  So delicious--thank you!

My Three Sons and My Three Grandchildren (oh yes! and my Grandpup Sully--can't forget you, for sure)

Good times together.  Love listening to these three talk and share. 

The moment that Calvin and James meet for the first time:

I got to babysit Calvin and James Saturday morning, but James slept the entire time Ben and Brittan were gone . . . so Calvin and Grandma had some fun.

And Sully kept reminding me that he wanted to play, too!

In the afternoon, both of the grandsons went to town with their parents and I got to hang out with Caitlin.  We explored all kinds of things both inside and outside.

See what I mean about Sully wanting to play, too?

Caitlin made a small flower arrangement to help decorate the bathroom.

These two pictures with Grandpa were taken before Jake and Lyndsey showed up with Calvin and Sully. . .

Here are Don and Norris making not one but two batches of homemade ice cream to go with the huckleberry pie.  Norris picked the raspberries from our patch for one of the batches . . . Tori said it brought out his inner farmer.  Those two are so great to have come visit.

Love having family gather together at home!  Not sure how Lyndsey escaped getting into any pictures, but that's the last time she'll get away with that.  That goes for you, too, Tori!