A fun week with family and friends

Dear Family and Friends,

Chuck and I spent last week visiting in Richland, Washington.  Thanks to our friend, Judy Keplinger, who welcomed us into her home, we had a nice comfortable bed and a wonderful time.

Below is Judy and Ginger.

We visited with our friends, Jim and Robin Morris.  We are so excited that they are planning on visiting us in Ecuador this Christmas.

A fun prime rib dinner at the local tavern with friends.

 But the best part was getting to get and give hugs to our kids and grandkids.

We were delighted that we were able to see Heidi compete in her last track meet of the year.

Matt and Michael with their old "mom."  They make me look like I shrunk.

Our grandson Cannon singing at karoke night at the local Wing Stop.

How many drinks does it take to get Grandma up to sing?  Actually none....I sang with Michael and Kathie and had a fun time.

As you are reading this post, Chuck, Matt and I are in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  We flew here yesterday and will be spending the day with more grandchildren today.  We are in grandparent heaven.

I want to wish Merri, Kylie and Kathie a very special morther's day.  You are doing a wonderful job of raising our grandchildren.  

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms.

Love,

Nancy 

FOTO FRIDAY - 5/09/14

Dear Family and Friends,

This Friday photo is of the Rhine river in Germany.

Cruise boats go up and down this river full of tourists.  The sights are incredible, hill top castles, small villages, hillside vineyards, so much to see.

There is also a train track that runs along the banks of the river.  Chuck and I have been fortunate to have traveled the river both ways....tourist boat and by train.

Love,

Nancy

Cowboys...maybe.

Dear Family and Friends,

Chuck and I had a fun time with Audrey and Jim.  They took us to a winery and resort area near their town.  We had a wonderful afternoon sipping wine and snacking on the patio that overlooks the beautiful countryside.

Below is Audrey and Jim.

Unfortunately for me, it is spring here and pollen is everywhere.  I am having a heck of a time with my allergies.

On our drive between Cle Elum and Richland, we had a fun experience.

Our life is made up of a lot of experiences.  In my opinion, how we interpret those experiences determines the quality of our existence.  They don't have to involve money, or influential people, it just has to be appreciated.

Example...

In Sunnyside, WA we saw these cowboys(?) roping a make shift calf.

Here is the calf.

Here are the cowboys..

I am thinking there was definitely booze and money involved in their fun.

They kindly let me photograph them.  Actually when I pulled out the camera, things really got animated.

They had fun and I had a grand time too.

It is experiences like this that make me so happy to be part of the human race.

Today, we will be hugging kids and grandkids.  Can't get much sweeter than that.

Love,
Nancy

FOTO FRIDAY - 5/02/14

Dear Family and Friends,

Knitting is not just for women Ecuador.

Here is a little boy knitting away and it looks like he is doing a terrific job.

Making crafts to sell so the family can be fed is a job for all the family members.

Love,
Nancy

Beautiful Drive over the Cascade Mountains

Dear Family and Friends,

Tuesday, Chuck and I flew from Atlanta to Seattle.  First thing on the agenda was renewal of Washington state driver's license for Chuck.

We spent the night in Seattle and headed out Wednesday morning for the east side of the mountains.  We drove north and crossed Steven's pass in the north Cascades.  The weather was perfect and the ride was so enjoyable.

Here are some pictures....

Stevens pass ski slopes and lodge.  When we were at the summit of the pass the sign said we were at 4,062 feet.  Believe it or not, this is only half as high as our home in Cuenca, Ecuador.

I took this picture of our car showing how deep the snow is at the end of April.

We took our time, stopping a lot along the way.  That is how we like to take road trips.

We are now in Cle Elum, Washington, visiting with Audrey and Jim.  Audrey is Chuck's sister.  She and Jim have been to visit us in Cuenca numerous times.

Following a great class reunion, we will spend the rest of our visit having great family reunions.

Love,
Nancy