Happy 90th Grandma T!

My grandma turned 90 a couple of weeks ago! I know I am a little late in getting this out. We threw her a big 90th birthday party up on Fernhill Road. I have so many fond memories of that place. Fernhill Road is the famous Timmerman road in Astoria. My grandparents owned a holly farm and they raised their 5 children there. My Uncle Conrad and Aunt Evelyn now run the holly farm and both have lived on the land as well, raising their families. My best vacations as a child were going to the farm and playing with my cousins. We would get lost in the forests for hours building forts, finding new paths, and sometimes making traps for people to come upon (we weren't always sugar and spice:). There were so many places to go that were so exciting to a young kid. We loved playing cops and robbers in the warehouses, and the smell was to die for! It smelled like Christmas all over. My Uncle Conrad always had a diesel truck. We loved to get rides from him around the farm. We would all hop in the back and pound on the truck yelling, "faster, faster" My Aunt Evelyn had a huge garden full of the yummiest fruits and vegetables. We weren't supposed to get in her garden and I can't remember how many times I heard, "Hey guys, get out of there!" My grandma Timmerman also had, and still has an amazing garden but we didn't dare go near hers. I could go on and on about all the great things about that place but I won't. Maybe I will get around to recording it all in my journal.
Not only do I have fond memories as a child of Grandma T., I also have very fond memories as an adult. Daniel brought me out to a weekend with grandma to propose to me. It was down on the docks by the barking seals. Awww the memories:) When we came home grandma said, "well how'd it go?" I showed her my ring and she said, "good it's about time!"
Daniel carved our names in grandma's tree. I don't know why he even attempted to do my whole name but it made me happy when he did it and even happier to see it again the other day.

I just love her so much!

My Grandma has been a widow for at least 30 years now. She was much younger than my grandpa and he died before I was even born of cancer. She is one tough woman. She has lived in that house for so long by herself. She has been through so much in her life it amazes me. I love sitting in her living room and talking with her. She always has fun stories to tell. When grandma talks to you though you listen. I love that Isaiah has had the chance to get to know her well. To this day he still talks about how great grandma Timmerman taught him to chew with his mouth closed. I don't know how many times Daniel and I have heard the story of how she was asked to play "women's professional basketball." I can't do the story justice but she basically told how she knew she needed to get a career and if she played basketball that would not have happened. My grandma was a nurse, in fact that is how she met my grandpa. Anyway I started on all this because as kids our grandma was the strongest, meanest, toughest, lady we knew. Over the years she has softened and become more limited to what she can do. The picture above is of grandma's golf cart she got so she could get around the farm easier. Daniel loves to give her a hard time about it.

Daniel and Isaiah in grandma's kitchen.My grandma's favorite word is "damn." If you don't want to be exposed to a list of how it was used scroll on. Grandma has had a tough time with technology. This is how she feels about it.

"I can't get this damn remote to work."

"Those damn cable people don't know what they are doing."

and how she felt about anyone or thing that got into her garden.

"That damn dog" (after getting it in the rear with her cane).

"You kids get out of my damn garden." (as we run as fast as we can away).

Happy 90th Birthday Grandma! You are truly amazing!

New Years: Part II

After my sister and family left, we were able to enjoy some alone time with just our family. We had a really good time. We had a Star Wars marathon. Isaiah didn't quit make it but he tried so hard. We also went back to Hug Point to do some more exploring. It was so fun walking through the trails with all the bushes and trees around. It was a real adventure for Isaiah...and Daniel was pretty excited as well. After climbing a huge tree we finally made our way down to the beach for the sunset. It was lovely!

I thought this picture was pretty cool. They are actually standing on top of the water fall and the ocean behind them is really ten or fifteen feet down.

Isaiah bummed because I wouldn't let him go down by the water fall with Daniel. The waves kept coming too close in and with all the rocks around you really could get trapped. He'll have to wait and do those things when moms not around. The tree climbing was enough for me!

Dad and Isaiah up in the tree. My hands were literally shaking while I was taking the picture. I really have become quite a wimp in my old age:)

Mom and Isaiah looking out at the ocean. It was so peaceful and beautiful up there. There wasn't a soul in sight and the weather was quite nice.

Every time Daniel starts to freak me out with is adventurous spirit, I always remind him that I trust his judgment and know that he wouldn't do anything stupid to get hurt. I think he was pushing the envelope here. Can you believe how high he was? He came down and I began to explain my anxieties to him about climbing so high. His response was, "What, it's just like climbing a ladder?" Yeah like 80 feet up. I then reminded him that people fall off of ladders all the time. I don't think that phased him too much.

Views from the tree.

There's a fun conversation about this tree that went on between my sister and Daniel. It was quite funny because my sister was trying to make a nice analogy about strength in unity using the tree. Of course Daniel had his own analogy as well. Not quite the same:)

New Years: Part I

We had an amazing New Year! We had the chance to go to Daniel's families house in Nehalem. We got to see his parents, brother, and nephew the first night and then my sister and her family came for a few more nights. The weather wasn't great but we had so much fun getting out when we could and then just playing around the house when we couldn't. Of course Lindsey and I played games any chance we could. Our last night together we stayed up until four in the morning savouring every last minute! I know either crazy or stupid, maybe both, but we had fun.

Sam and Isaiah. They think they are stopping the water from flowing. In reality they were making Grandpa Dewey quite nervous about clogging the drain:)

New Years eve party. Jeffers let me do his hair.

The rest of these pictures are out of order but I am in a hurry so sorry. One day we wanted to go to hug point and walk around the rocks to a nice beach spot. Well the tide never went out far enough for us to do it so we decided to go up and over the mountain to get to the beach. It was quite an adventure with 4 kids (Adam took Jeffery home).



We finally made it. It took us about an hour to find the right path and get all the kids down onto the beach.




We actually climbed down that slope to get here! Daniel did most of the work. We just kept handing him kids saying, "Careful, careful!" over and over again.

This was the clay hill we had to shimmy across to get to the top of the water fall, before the climb down to the beach. The kids did great but Lindsey and I almost bailed. Seriously your walking across clay that can crumble under your feet and take you to your death. Okay so I guess you wouldn't die but it was quite a fall and it would hurt!

On the way down.

Daniel up in a tree. He is a monkey. He loves climbing trees.

Connor following Uncle Daniels example.

Like I said, these pictures are out of order. This is actually the first hill we climbed up from the beach. The white blur to your left is the ocean.

Our night visit to the beach.

Daniel climbing again but this time in the dark, on a huge rock, during high tide. Diana I don't know how you survived 5 boys!

Christmas

We had an amazing Christmas. Grandpa and Grandma Dewey surprised us and came down for the day. Isaiah couldn't have been more excited. My parents were already there, so he was a lucky kid that day.

He was very excited about his new Spidey pj's. I bought them a little in advance so I don't think they will fit for long:)

Here's the happy boy with both sets of grandparents

I thought this face was too funny. His Aunts got him a subscription to Ranger Rick. He was very excited!

He had to give dad a hug for this one. Star Wars IV, V, and VI!!!

Another winner from his dad. A box of cool rocks! If I was as smart as my SIL I would be able to have you click here and it would take you to the post of his rocks...but I'm not and I won't take the time to figure it out:)

I made these stockings when Isaiah was born. I even made Daniels before he was in our lives. I also have six more with blank names, who know, just in case;)

Isaiah and dad read the Christmas story out of the Bible before we opened presents. Just one of our traditions.




We had such a fun weekend full of walks, food, games, food, movies, food, and sitting around chatting. Who could ask for more!