Thanksgiving 2011 at the Bennetts

Thanksgiving 2011 with the Bennett Family in Green Bay

Jacob and Charlie at Perkins

In November, we took the long drive out to Wisconsin. Was stopped in Lincoln to visit Peter and Bonni. They have a very cute apartment and seem very happy.

Me with Bonni and Peter in Lincoln NE

The states we went through were Wyoming (a cold and windy state and motel 6 we stayed in left much to be desired,) Then to Nebraska (A very flat and boring state in the winter but it has beautiful sunsets.) Then Iowa. (I like some parts of Iowa and especially the type of homes they have there.) There we got to see the Mississippi. Then of course Wisconsin, and the way home South Dakota.



Savannah with Her Cinderella Doll





Brother and Sister So Cute



Savannah Eating a Large Meatball at Old Chicago

Tammy and Charlie were perfect hosts. We had a wonderful time and got to see Jacob too. They have a large home theater and a hot tub. We felt like we were in a 4 star hotel. We had really Old Chicago pizza. Us girls went to see The Nutcracker. And of course Charlie fixed a lot of wonderful food. We had both turkey and ham and of course the way Charlie makes turkey it is so juicy and good. Then there was cherry. pumpkin and pecan pie as well as apple crisp. It was all wonderful and fattening and delightful. I also gave Savannah a Cinderella Barbie doll because she always liked mine. She is so cute and smart. She loves math. Savannah had Randy wrapped around her little finger. She talked him in to picking her up from school and taking her shopping where she coaxed him into buying candy and stuff for smore's . Randy said she just melts his heart. How can you tell you tell a precious little girl "no" Randy says.

Randy and Me at Old Chicago

But good time have to come to an end. So we had to take the long road home. We were very fortunate to have good weather (although cold) all the way home.  Our cats were glad to have us home. We wish it wasn't 1500 miles to Green Bay. We put over 3000 miles on our new car. The car was so comfortable to ride in but us old folks get really stoked up riding so long.

Home from the Hills

We got home from camping yesterday. It was a lot of work. Sometimes I wonder why we want to go to all this work just to go out in the woods and leave our electricity and comforts of home. Of course, we don't really rough it. We have a nice trailer. Anyway, we did have fun and enjoyed some family members visiting while we were there.

We are camping again on July 26 for 5 days.

After the Cruise

When we visited Jennifer in Seattle, we took a walk and Randy found a cat to talk to and of course he just loved it. We visited my brother Chris and his wife Elaine in Kent. Had a wonderful visit.

On the way home, we stopped in Ontario to eat and there was an old man with a scruffy beard and hardly any teeth who ordered only coffee. Randy asked the waitress if the guy was ordering anything else and she said no. Randy then ordered a prime rib dinner for the guy when we ourselves were eating only hamburgers. It was wonderful of him do do that I guess. I would never have. Randy doesn't have a lot of money so what he did was truly an act of compassion. People can talk all they want about religion but Randy showed true love of his neighbor which is what Jesus taught. This is one of the reasons I love him.

We visited Monica in Tremonton and got to see Peter. Jay was off work and we all went out to eat. Then we went home and back into daily life. We will be camping soon though.

Beauty of the North

Randy and I just got back from a trip to Seattle and a cruise to Alaska. Tina, Kip and Dom joined us on the cruise. We had a great time. We rode the train in Skagway in which the railway was built during the gold rush. The train was White Pass. It was a very long trip along the mountain where there were so many interested landscapes to see even the Skagway old cemetery. We visited the glaciers of Juneau and the Fjords were beautiful beyond compare. The glaciers were gorgeous with deep blue ice formations. When the ice is blue, it means that it is very old and has no oxygen inside. The fjords were in a narrow strip amongst many glaciers and there were icebergs floating in the still blue-green water. We visited Victoria in Canada where we went to a beautiful butterfly garden and also visited the Buchart Gardens which were gorgeous. I could not see it all as there was a lot of walking and my knee an back hurt. The driver took us around the town and we saw the sites including the famous Empress Hotel.

We had so much to eat on the cruise that we both gained weight. We were totally pampered. Randy did get sea sick the 2nd day and spent the day in bed. He went to the top of the ship where there is more bouncing and the sea was a little rough that day. He had an empty stomach and had just taken insulin so think that had a lot to do with it. After the cruise we went to Jennifer's and then visited my brother Chris on the way home.

I can hardly type with these fingernails so I won't write much right now. I will write more when I get them off. We did have a wonderful time.

Our Las Vegas Freemont Experience

We enjoyed a three day trip to Las Vegas this past week. We went to attend Jennfer and Robert's renewal ceremony. We stayed three days at the Golden Nugget Hotel on Freemont Street. Freemont Street used to be a regular street but now it is a tourist attraction that has a light show every hour on the hour. The hotel was very nice with a big screen TV and a swimming pool that was designed along a shark pool so that it looked like you are swimming with the sharks. It also had a tube slide that leads right to the pool. The pool is kept quite warm but was not warm enough for me because the weather was only in the 50's. I did get into the hot tub though or should I say I fell into the hot tub. I misjudged the distance to step in and landed with my whole body underwater and made a fool of myself. Oh well, it would not be a vacation if I didn't fall. I have fallen on most every vacation I have gone on.

We dined at restaurants in the hotel and had a brunch at the buffet with the family that visited to see Jennfer and Robert renew their vows.

The Freemont Experience is wonderful with a light show that cannot be appreciated unless you experience it in person. We had a great time and it was hard to come home. Even though it was not warm in Vegas, it was a heat wave compared to here. And we resisted the urge to gamble. Matt and Kelly and Kipp and Tina and kid also attended as well as Robert and Jennifer's friends from Seattle.

Also, happy birthday to Jennifer: February 13, 40
Jaden Carrillo: February 14, 2
Andy Riehle: February 17, 24

Elvis is Still Alive in Vegas

We spent last weekend in Las Vegas. Jennifer and Rob decided they wanted to renew their wedding vows and what better way to renew them than to have an Elvis wedding. They didn't get a wedding for their marriage because they were in Taiwan. We had a wonderful time there. Jennifer dressed retro in a 60's style coat and dress and was going for the Jackie O look. The ceremony was cheesy and fun. They had it in Cupid's Chapel in Las Vegas.

We also enjoyed an after ceremony snacks at her spa condo at the Golden Nugget. She had a steam shower, mirror on the ceiling, a jacuzzi and a bidet (however you spell it) The family and friends also met for a brunch before the ceremony at the Golden Nugget.

Vacation Photos: Seattle and Oregon Coast