August 2024

We had our family gathering on August 10. All of Ron's boys and their families came for the weekend, and most of the 23 cousins enjoyed playing in the lake, camping, hiking, playing badminton and volleyball, and more. 

Cash, home from ranger training in the Army resting and recuperating. 

Martin, the youngest grandchild loving the fairytale book.

It was a strange month weather-wise...beautiful - even hot for 10 days, then we had a big storm. Fierce wind took down one tree and left debris covering everything. Then unseasonable cold and relentless rain for a couple of days.

But with rain in summer, we sometimes get a bounty of Chantrelle mushrooms. And harvest begins in earnest.

Cabbage did well this year, so a crock of saurkraut is fermenting away. I realized that we don't actually use much applesauce, so I've been making apple butter for the past couple of years.  This year, I decided to make apples into something we really use: apples for smoothies. We make smoothies nearly every day, so why not cut the apples up and freeze them to be ready? If I get more fruit and berries ready for smoothies and dedicate a shelf in the freezer to them, it will be easy to send Ron out to the freezer for smoothy fruit without him having to look for it.

So now I have nectarines, cherries, berries, apples, and peaches ready in quart size bags. Organizing a freezer is much like everything else...life is easier when you know where things are!

It's also fig harvest time, so I have a dehydrator working on figs, and some fig preserves on the pantry shelf. 

 

Grandchildren and Summertime

One of the nicest things about summer is we get to see our grandchildren a lot more. 

We live on a small private late that would be totally pristine if it weren't for us.  There are hundreds of bullfrog polliwogs and Stickleback fish around the shore and we buy Dollar Store nets so the kids can catch them.  We allow them to catch and put them in a five gallon bucket while they are on the job.  Once we all get done swimming and playing in the water, we release everything they have caught back into the lake.

Leeches are a sign of a healthy lake - We like to catch and release leeches also - they're creepy but fun too!

We have an assortment of life jackets, and they all understand that they don't go on the dock or near the water without a life jacket until they can demonstrate good swimming skills.

My daughter and her husband own a house on the other side of the lake, and it's a right of passage for the grandchildren to "swim across the lake with Grandma".  We are always happy when they are able to swim well enough to do that.

Learning to dive is the next step!

Boating - and learning to row a boat are part of the fun.

So is learning to paddleboard with Aunty Amy,

Learning to fish with Uncle Tony,

And there's the Bulldog.  

Second Annual Family Camping Experience

When our family from Utah visits, we have a party here at the lake.  It has turned into a camp out, where we fill the house and pitch tents, and eat and visit for a couple of days.  This past weekend was this year's family gathering.

Gavin, Marcus, and Max enjoying the Mother's Day hammock my daughter, Amy, and son-in-law Dan gave me.

One of the many loads of children who jetted through the trails in the woods on the putt-putt.

The putt-putt also works as a gym tool....

Friends from high school annual get-together.

Amy calls this one "the Gap model" - when he's good, he's very good, but when he's bad he's horrid - typical 2 year old.

Kids are all getting older - still handsome though!

Another successful fishing lesson and time for uncle bonding.

Visiting,

Boating,

 Catching polliwogs,

playing horseshoes,

telling stories, 

taking the puppy for a kayak ride,

teaching a doggie to fetch,

toasting marshmallows for Smores - so much to do, and so fun to see all the cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. 

Great Grand Babies and Baby Showers :)

Granddaughter, Sara, with husband, Dan, and the subject of the party, beautiful little Adeline.

Auntie Amy and baby Addy.  We almost had to arm wrestle to see who got to hold her next.

Fortunately there was more than one baby to hold - Tina and Jesse with Sammy - 3 generations.

Makes everyone think about having one!

Blue eyed beauty cousin - funny how the toddlers immediately find each other.

Sunshine and warmth made for a perfect day for a party!

Tina knows how to throw a party!

Food, good friends, and fun games.  I especially liked the "Diaper raffle" where everyone brought various sizes of diapers and a name was drawn for a prize.  Fun and Practical!

Even Jasper had fun because he got to hang with Jesse and Randy, "the big boys". 

Memories of Millie

Millie Hammond Rains Schoen

1919-2016

My mother was loved by so many and an inspiration to everyone who knew her.  None of us was surprised when she became the oldest woman to ever get a scuba license in Hawaii at 72.  She still swam 20 or more laps in the pool until she was 94.  

My family gathered yesterday to remember Millie.  The two remaining members of her generation, my Uncle Spud, and my Uncle Marvin, came along with several cousins, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren to celebrate her life with us.

My cousins, Jessie May, Susie, and Theresa, got to meet my great grand nephew, the cute red haired baby, Jackson

Baby Sammy taking a nap holding firmly onto Grandma Tina's locket.

Hard to think of my son, Tony, as a grandpa, but he's a good one!

My sister's grandson, Joey, on the left, my grandson, Jesse, on the right.  Another generation bonding.

Dan and Amy getting baby time with grand nephew, Sammy.

Enjoying catching up!

Sierra and Chris and baby Jackson going for a ride

Tina, Sara, and Dan

Cousin Ross and Uncle Spud

Brittany and Carla

Kim and Teri
I'll post more cousin pictures on my Cousins Blog