Visits with our kids & Grandkids

MELISSA & the GIRLS

After spending the evening & night with the Weddle Boys, I got up the next morning and headed north to Melissa & Ryan's home at Lake Stevens, WA. We had a such a nice time just catching up with things, and Grandma got her "Grandma fix" by getting her hugs from Payton & Gracie. The weather was beautiful so we sat on the front steps while Gracie was napping, and watched Payton playing in the front yard. What darling little girls...

Melissa & Gracie

Payton in the front yard

She was picking Dandelions and bringing them to Melissa & I. She's full of energy & spice!

Gracie.
Look at that red hair & huge blue eyes! What a looker!

VISIT WITH THE WEDDLE BOYS & THEIR FAMILIES ...

Aspen's Baseball game

Last week I got an excited phone call from Aspen Weddle telling me he had hit a "Grand Slam" in his baseball game. This was the same night Ichiro (from Seattle Mariner's team) hit his first grand slam of the season. Since Neil was gone to Tonasket, I decided this would be a good time to go and watch one of Aspen's games. I called Nathan & also let Jon know I was coming over. Jon & his family also came to the game, so was a great time to be together. Afterwards we went to Nathan's to have Pizza.

Jon & Rachel Weddle...Kyleigh, too, watching the game
Tracy Weddle, holding Brooke, Braydon & Kyleigh

Nathan Weddle, Brooke & Jon Weddle.
They moved to the top bleacher to sit in the sun.... It was getting cold

Back row: Braydon Weddle, Tracy Weddle & Jon Weddle

Front Row: Rachel Weddle, Kyleigh Weddle & Brooke Weddle

Aspen Weddle getting ready to hit another Grand Slam. Didn't happen this time, but he got on with a base hit. Good stance, don't you think?

THE HUNTING CABIN near TONASKET, WA

This past weekend, Neil went up to the Hunting Cabin near Tonasket, WA, to spend a few days with Ryan Dewey & his boys, Trent & Kaden. This has become a yearly event in the spring. Unfortunately, Trent decided to stay home to not miss any school, but the other three had a great time. Kaden went looking in the woods for Antlers that had fallen off deer, bird eggs and coyotes. Sounds like he kept BaPa and Dad busy.

BaPa and Kaden in front of Hunting Cabin

Ryan & Kaden Dewey

North Dakota and Montana .. and finally HOME

That's all folks. We had planned on spending a couple of days at our home on Loon Lake, WA, but after being gone for over 3 weeks, and spending 4500 miles driving, we just wanted to get home. We have wonderful memories..... I hope you will enjoy reading through them....

Montana

Following our visit with Ed & Gloria, we spent the next night with friends, Don and Donna Harbaugh in Missoula, MT. We didn't take pictures (guess the camera was tired), but sure enjoyed being with them, and also meeting their two daughters & families.

We spent three days in Begrade, MT with my twin brother, Ed, and his wife Gloria. Since taking a job as a Building Inspector 2 years ago for the town of Bozeman, MT, we don't get to see each other as often as we did. We always take advantage of being together when we can.

Ed & Gloria Nordby, Rosie's Twin Brother

North Dakota

In the town of Rugby, ND is the geographical center of North America. We took a picture of Flat Stanley with it for Cody.

After driving out to the old homestead, we went to the County Musesum in Watford City, ND, (which is always open) and on the wall found this picture taken in 1904. It shows Neil's grandfather, George Benn, and his wife, Bertha Sigurdson. Apparently this picture was taken before they were married, because her name is still listed as Sigurdson. In the top row is Matt Benn, which was probably George's brother. We don't know anything about Matt. Neil's uncle, Jim Olsen, bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather.



In the early 1900's Neil's great-grandfather settled in McKenzie County in North Dakota. When a dam was built on the Missouri River, his land was flooded and he had to relocate. We wanted to try to find the location of this 2nd homestead where they settled. It's also known that he donated a buckboard to a local museum, and we wanted to try and find that. Unfortunately most of the museums are closed for the winter, so we weren't successful in locating that. We did go to the County Seat in McKenzie County (Watford City) and read through all the Deeds of Record for the early 1900's. Eventually we found the records where he acquired his property for the 2nd homestead, and also the deed for the sale of it to his son, Sidney. We were able to determine the location of his property, so then drove the 40+ miles to locate it. This is a picture of the land as it looks today. There is a creek going through it, and just a piece of a building that has fallen down. We're assuming it was part of the original homestead.

Ice on the tree branches in Minot as we were driving out.

We drove into Minot, ND, in normal weather, and the next day when we turned on TV at the Hotel, it said schools in Minot were closed. We looked out our window and saw snow blowing sideways. They had had a blizzard come in over the night, and everything was closed, including shopping malls. Some restaurants were able to be open that were right off the freeway. Neil & I ended up staying in Minot for two days, and our car was even stuck in the parking lot of the Best Western with snow drifts blown around it. When we were finally able to leave, there was black-ice on the roads which made for careful driving for the first 50 miles or so.

Niagara Falls, Canada, Classmates & Friends

Best Friends in Michigan; Classmates in New York and Michigan

Proud Grandma, Marian, and her granddaughter, Lucia (Luci)

Grandpa Ken, and Luci. She just started walking a couple of weeks ago.

Our best friends, Ken & Marian Russ, from Roslyn, WA, were in Lansing, MI visiting with her son and family, and helping with some upgrades to their place. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop by and spend some time with them, and also meet their granddaughter, Luci. We hadn't seen her before. On the first day, we helped them work in their son's back yard, had dinner with them in their camper. The next morning we met for breakfast and then Marian & I went shopping at a neat fabric store -- she just had to show me! . At the store they had a special promotion going on where you spun a wheel and whatever number you landed on, you got that amount of discount for your day's purchases. The majority of the numbers on the wheel were 5%, 10% and 15%. We were very excited when Marian got 40%. Then it was my turn -- and I got 50%. As you can imagine, we did quite a bit of shopping.... great time! Their granddaughter is adorable!

We also stopped in Traverse City, MI, and spent and afternoon and evening with another Classmate -- Curtis Holliday, and his wife Sandy. They took us on a driving tour of Traverse City, had dinner at Applebee's Restaurant, and then went back to their place for more time together. We spent a lot of time discussing what we should do for our next reunion (50th) that's coming up in 2012.

One of my classmates from Deer Park High School lives in Niagara Falls, NY. Neil & I made arrangements to meet for dinner with Joyce (Riehle) Koch, and her husband, Gary. After a very nice dinner, we went back to Joyce & Gary's home to continue our chat. While there, we dug out our Senior Album from 1962, along with a Reunion picture from 1972 (10 year reunion). It was fun to reminisce and laugh about our High School days.

NIAGARA FALLS, from both the New York and Canadian sides

The Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian side. It is difficult to get a clear picture as the mist is always coming up from where the water hits below. It's an awesome and breathtaking site.

Neil & I, with Horseshoe Falls in background. It was very,very cold -- my hair was wet with icicles forming on it by the time we made it back to the car.



The American Falls from Niagara Falls, New York, side. Notice the big chunk of ice in the front of the picture. On the day we were there, a man had gone over these falls in an attempt to commit suicide. They were able to rescue him.... and he got served with a huge fine. I can only imagine how cold that water is.

Amish country, Trains, Liberty Bell & Independence Hall

Liberty Bell and Independence Hall,

Philadelphia, PA

Neil & I standing in front of Liberty Bell, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Independence Hall is in the background. The crack in the bell developed over time as a result of the weaker material that was used.

"We the People" .... and "All men are Created Equal" are great messages that originated at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA. It is where the Declaration of Independence was drafted and finally signed; and where the Constitution of the US was formed and signed. Unfortunately, we arrived to late in the day to take the 3-1/2 hour tour of the hall.

Train Museum, Strasburg, PA

When Neil was looking through literature and tourists books for the Pennsylvania area he saw that they had a museum of trains. On our way to the Quilt shop, we happened to drive by it, and it was open. We spent one entire morning looking at all these old Steam Engines and older trains. It was great. Neil standing on the landing of an old train in the Museum.

Two very old Steam Engines
Right next to the Train Museum was a "Caboose" Motel. Had we known this existed, we would have made plans to stay here, instead of one in town. It would have been a neat experience.

THE AMISH COUNTRY, Lancaster County, PA

The Amish people are known for their hand-crafted items. The ladies make beautiful quilts and craft items from fabric, while the men build wonderful furniture out of wood. While in the Amish Country, we visited the Zook Quilts, Craft & Furniture Store in Strasburg, PA. I really enjoyed talking to Mrs. Mary Zook. She showed me how she works her sewing machine without using electricy, and talked openly of their way of life. It was wonderful. I have always loved the quilts they make, especially knowing the are done by hand. Neil talked me into getting one for our home in Ronald. It just arrived by UPS today, and I love it! What a treasure to have from our trip!!! I also picked up several hot pads, and a purse that she designed using the "Log Cabin" Pattern of quilting.

The form of transportation for the Amish people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This is a young boy driving the coach and horse.

We watched this gentleman for quite some time plowing his field using the horses. It such a simple way of life they live, yet so peaceful. No electricity, no phones, no automobiles, no conveniences as we know.

Lancaster county has many covered bridges. If you look closely, you'll see that the man behind the wheel is Neil driving our new (new to us) car we picked up in Charlotte, NC. It's a 2005 Honda Accord EX -- Silver with Black leather interior. Very nice.

More vacation... Washington, DC, Arlington, Gettysburg

GETTYSBURG, Pennsylvania

One of the most monumental visits for me was to go to the scene of the battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the Civil War on July 1 - 4. We chose to hire a personal guide to give us a first-hand tour of the site. It brought it to life! He took us day-by-day thru the battle between the Confederates (led by Robert E. Lee) and the Union Soldiers. The guide would take us to a point that looked over an open field and would then show us where Union or Confederal troops were advancing towards each other. He started by showing us the town of Gettysburg and the Bullet holes that still exist in some of the buildings. The site where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address is still standing. You can see the porch on which he stood. As much as possible, the Gettysburg National Museum has kept the grounds where the battle actually took place in it's original condition.

This is a picture of one of the farm sites that still exists and was there during the Civil War. At this particular location in a single day 9,000 Confederate soldiers were killed. The owners had left because of the advancing soldiers, and when they returned, they found the dead in their farm lands.

A statue of Robert E. Lee on his horse Traveller that stands overlooking the site of the Gettysburg battle.

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, ARLINGTON, VA

Only Soldiers who served in the military, and their spouses, can be buried at the Arlington National Cemetery.

Just a few of the many grave sites at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, VA. Most of them are white crosses line up in perfect rows. A few of the older grave sites have regular head stones

Neil & I standing under the sign "Dewey Road" in the Cemetery. The Road is named after Admiral Dewey, a distant relative of the Dewey family.

The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In the tomb is buried an unknown soldier from both WWI and WWII. The soldier that had been buried from the Vietnam War was identified and removed. It is a very solemn and moving moment. Someone stands guard at the tomb 24/7, 365 days of the year.

The Memorial resurrected for the men who were killed on September 11 when Terrorists flew an airplane into the Pentagon. From this spot you can see the corner of the Pentagon where the plane struck

WASHINGTON, DC

The War Memorials

The Korean War Memorial

The World War II Memorial


The Vietnam Wall where all soldiers killed in the Vietnam War are listed


Neil standing in front of Vietnam War Memorial

The Smithsonian Museums

Of the 12 Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC, Neil & I were able to visit three of them. We saw the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of American History, and the Air & Space Museum.

The Red Shoes are the actual ones worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz Movie. The Hope Diamond is a 45 Carat "Blue" Diamond, and is surrounded by 16 beautiful diamonds. The largest diamond in the world.

Neil is holding"Flat Stanley" as he stands in front of a NASA plane in the Air & Space Museum. Flat Stanley is for Cody, my brother's grandson, 3rd grade school project. We took pictures of all the "tourist" sites with Flat Stanley to show where he had traveled.

Dorothy's Red Shoes from Wizard of Oz.

from Museum of Natural History

Dinosaur Skeletons


Neil in Air & Space Museum holding "Flat Stanley"

The Hope Diamond

Start of Vacation: North Carolina; President's Homes, Quantico Museum, Wash. DC

Washington, DC

Pictured here are the Lincoln's Memorial, the White House, and the Congressional Building.

For our trip to Washington, DC, Neil's cousin, Jane suggested we stay in Springfield, VA, to avoid driving into the city. We could then take the Metro Train into town. Sounded great to us; except our Navigation System on the car wasn't current, and didn't show the new freeway systems that had recently been installed.

We could actually see our hotel from the freeway when we drove into Springfield, but we couldn't get to it!! After an hour of trying, and 3 or 4 trips down different freeways looking for a place to turn around to get back to the hotel, we called. They said they couldn't help us because we didn't know if we were traveling North, South, East or West.... Finally, Neil shot across at a stop sign to get out of the Freeway loop trap and found an exit that took us to the hotel. That was our driving nightmare of the trip. At least it was only once! And, when we got to the hotel, they didn't have a room. They directed us to a nearby nice hotel and we found a place to eat close by! Believe me, we didn't get back on the freeways until we were heading out of town towards Arlington National cemetery. And, we had made sure we got specific directions from the computer before we left the hotel!

Quantico Marine Museum, Virginia...

After our visit to the President's homes in Virginia, we traveled North towards Washington, DC. We stopped at the Quantico Marine Museum in Virginia, which had a wonderful display of World War II memorabilia and pictures. With Neil's interest in WWII he really enjoyed visiting here. It was then on to Washington DC.

FORMER PRESIDENT'S HOMES

George Washington

Neil & I in front of Mount Vernon, Arlington, VA. Home of the first President, George Washington

Thomas Jefferson



Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, a former president and one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence.

VASS, North Carolina

After visiting with Jane for a couple of days, we traveled on to Vass, NC, to stay with a high school classmate of Rosie's, Darla (Stevens) Howe and her husband Jim.

While there Rosie & Darla attended a Women's Fashion Show, and Neil & Jim went to a nearby Airborne Museum. Later that day we all toured the area, and visited the Pinehurst Golf Course where several U.S. Open Golf matches have been played.

CHARLOTTE, NC

On the morning of March 9, Neil & I flew out of Seattle, WA, to Charlotte, NC. When we left Seattle it was snowing hard and they were de-icing our plane. We arrived in Charlotte at 8:30 pm in 80 degree weather, and I was wearing my fleece-lined snow boots! Ooops. We went shopping the next day so I could pick up some short-sleeved blouses. I had only brought warmer clothes - sweaters and sweatshirts.

Neil's cousin, Jane Retherford, was selling her 2005 Honda Accord, and we decided to purchase it from her. Instead of having it shipped to us, we chose to make a vacation of it by flying back to pick it up, and then driving it back home. It was a great time to see many famous tourist attractions and visit family & friends along the way.

Neil & I with his cousin, Jane, and her friend, Rob

Neil & I at the Lowe's Motor Speedway (Nascar Race track) in Charlotte, NC

Neil & Jane in front of Slave home at Latta Plantation