Thanksgiving 2011

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration, as usual.  Shawna and Doogle joined us from Las Vegas and Gpa Kelly made the trip from San Marcos.  We started the day with a hike @ Daley Ranch, then went home to make dinner.  Gma outdid herself cooking and everyone chipped in, including Costco, making pies. Cayden even made a pie (it was very good) and insisted we vote on the best one. He scurried from the dinner table to make ballots, insisting that the Costco pumpkin pie was not eligible.

Hike at Daley Ranch

CJ eyes the turkey

Aubs puts the finishing touches on yummy rolls

Gma smashes potatoes

Table is set

CJ has been talking all week about eating a turkey leg - he got one!

We sit down to eat

The 'finalists' in the pie competition

We had to taste them all - right?

Pie 'sample' plate

Collecting the secret ballots

Counting the votes

Guess who won????

All-in-all it was a terrific day.  One thing everyone forgot is the tradition involving the cans of whipped cream.  Oh well.  Everyone is out getting a jump on shopping and I'm home alone.  Kinda nice, actually!

Catching up

I just downloaded the pictures from my camera and realized I hadn't blogged in awhile, so am taking this opportunity to do a little catching up.

James turned 13 last week so we took a ride up to see him with a few goodies.  James is quick to point out that he's a teenager now.  I guess he thinks that's a good thing.  Oh well!

Overcome with cash

His favorite- angle food cake with strawberries.  I really think devil's food would be more appropriate!

Yum!

Go James!

Halloween was another missing blog chapter.  It started when we built a doughnut eating apparatus for a party Aunt Shawna was involved in.  It seemed pointless to build it and not try it out.
Aubry and CJ celebrated by dressing as The Mad Hatter (Aubs) and, for lack of a better description, plunger man (Cayden).  Cayden has this plunger that he likes to play with, no worries, it's never been used for its intended purpose.  It was, in fact, a Christmas gift he asked for last year.  If there's anything CJ is not short on, it's imagination!

It's a bird, it's a plane, no....it's plunger man!

Bonnie and the kids at the doughnut machine

It's harder than it looks, or so I'm told

Aunt Shawna gives it a test

Plunger man and Miss Aubrey as the mad hatter

Today we celebrated Bonnie's 29th birthday, for the second or third year in a row.  Her birthday is actually tomorrow, but she's busy with a softball game.  She wanted chicken kabobs, so we BBQ'ed and enjoyed an afternoon clowning around.
Happy Birthday Pook!

Do you think she could eat it in one bite?

Aubrey and G'ma make kabobs

They were yummy!

Opening gifts

I think this family's cuteness comes from their grandpa.....what do you think?

Another good year from the garden!

We were blessed with another huge crop of just about anything you can think of this year, and it's not over yet.
Besides all the fruit that we have every year, we grew vegetables galore! This worked out nicely as Gma and I have been dieting some, and fruits and veggies are a BIG part of the plan we are on. We have fruit salad nearly every night and it seems as one fades out, another takes it's place.
Vegetables and fruits (besides the fruit trees) grown this year include tomatoes, green beans that we needed to pick every day, snap peas, cucumbers, carrots, beets, radishes, several varieties of squash, onions, watermelon, honeydew Mellon, cantaloupe, and pumpkins. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
I have a new hydroponic project in which I'm growing lettuce and cabbage that I just started planting. In addition to that I have 2 other hydroponic systems not including the one in the greenhouse. Presently there are pumpkins, watermelons, cucumbers, cantaloupes, tomatoes, and a few other things growing in them. We also just started broccoli and cauliflower for the winter. We have an entire planter dedicated to asparagus, which takes a few years before you can harvest, and should have an ample harvest starting next year.

Honeydews on the vine

Hanging hydroponic unit with a little of everything (including cucumbers and watermelon)!

Lettuce starts from seed

New lettuce and cabbage hydro system

Asparagus - next year!

Carrots, beets, radishes, ???

Lettuce in the new hydro

Pumpkins, cantaloupe, others in hydro on the ground 

Cantaloupe blossoms

Yummy!

Our 25 lb watermelon!

Gma cutting a honeydew

Ta Da!

River Trip 2011

This years river trip to Laughlin was a blast, as usual. It's taken me awhile to blog because each year we take more pictures and this year I had to select from 363.
I hope I chose a little of everything. We found a cool new beach right near the hotel that I'm sure we'll go back to next year. We also took great grandpa Kelly this year and I initiated his first river trip by turning the new boat over on its first run and depositing GGpa in the river. All was well, though, as it was extremely hot and the cool water felt good. I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

Getting ready to leave

Aubs and CJ in the car - let's go grandpa!

Gma and Gpa at we hook-up with Scott's family

Our "convoy" at the rest stop outside of Needles.  Man was it hot!

Camp Skelly - day one @ Jack Smith Park in Needles

Brooklyn didn't care for the heat much

Gma

Molly trying to keep Brooklyn happy

Scott and family going out for a ride.  They also dumped a boat.  I still don't know who was more upset - Olivia or Rachel!

Trying to convince Olivia to go for a ride (?)

Skyler chillin'

Scott, Bonnie, and Aubs

Aubs and her Mom

Another view of camp Skelly

GGpa. 

James and CJ looking for ????

I guess the found it, or some, or???

Aunt Bonnie takes a turn with Brooklyn

Scott getting a feel for the "road"

Molly going for a spin

Shawna coming in from a ride

Are those gpa's apricots on your face?

Day two - Big Bend Park at Laughlin
This place had a cool little bay where the kids (large and small) could lounge in calmer waters
 

Aubrey, Olivia, and Brooklyn keeping cool

GGpa and Olivia

Brooklyn and her mommy

Scott keeping cool on a tube

Olivia and Aubs

Rachel and CJ

Gma and Gpa getting ready to tow someone in a tube

Towing Aubrey or Cayden

More towing

Camp Skelly from afar

Gma & Gpa

Aubs tubing

Bryan, Molly, and Shawna swimming out in the bay

Brooklyn brought her own pool

Bonnie and kids going for a ride

Bonnie and CJ on the boat.  Just about everyone else in the water.  It sure felt good!

Bonnie goofing off

Scott, James, CY and Gpa kicking back

Sky keeping out of the sun (Smart!)

Olivia

Bringing in a "tuber"

Bryan and Gpa unloading a boat

GGpa going to relax by the water.  Was it hot, Dad?

Gma blowing up some toys

Setting up camp Skelly.  Who's in charge?

Aubrey watching Brooklyn and olivia.  What a helper Aubrey is!

GGpa trying to keep cool

Sky helping to keep Brooklyn amused

Shawna on the new boat.  Do you miss purple?  I hope not

Lounging in the lagoon

Let's all gather at the water

Bryan and Molly

Shawna reading

Shawna and her blow up boyfriend?  No, letting the air out of a tube.

Done for the day

Tootsie pop picture

Checking out of the hotel.  I'm sure everyone is looking forward to the long, boring drive home

Brooklyn doesn't care

HOME AGAIN!

SEE YA NEXT YEAR!