Hi folks! After much prompting from Aunt Sue, I'm finally getting this updated. Other than Aunt Sue and Aunt Rose, I'm not sure who else reads about our family up here, so I try to make it somewhat interesting. Thus the delay, not a lot going on in the northwest!

Haunauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii!

This summer the Langstons invited Mom and I to join their family in Hawaii for a few days. It was wonderful! My favorite thing was snorkeling in Haunauma Bay! Good thing we did that the last day Mom and I were there because Cyndi and I got really sunburned! It was worth it. I loved it and would go back in a minute! Mom did everything we did and went everywhere we went. What a trooper - we dragged her all over the island. We souvenier shopped at the famous Swap Meet, we went to the Dole Pinapple Plant, body surfed on the North Shore where we saw turtles! Those big waves are so cool!!!! We toured Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona and people watched at Waikiki Beach. We enjoyed the hot tub and pool at the resort, ate out just twice, so another favorite thing to do was to make dinners at the condo and enjoy our time at the table together. Those boys, Kyle and Jake are hilarious!

Kyle is a senior in high school and busy, busy with his Boy Scout Eagle project, band, track, holding a job and taking college credit classes at the university. Whew! Makes me tired just thinking about it. Jake is also in Scouts, band and has found his niche playing football. Their team - the Warriors went all the way to the championship! Last night Jake was honored with playing in the All-Star game. Aunt Tammy made it some of his games and said they were more fun than the Seahawks! Go Warriors!

Cyndi and Dave are busy being taxi drivers, cheerleaders, loan officers, coaches, and chefs just trying to keep up with these busy guys.

Here's the famous line backer!

Anna and Dan are in the process of buying a house north of Spokane. From my understanding, it is on two acres. They have been searching for sometime and will be hosting Thanksgiving there if they are moved in by then. I can't wait to see it! In our family, we have created a tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving with the family member with the newest home. You know, kind of initiate it ! It is fun and chaotic! When I moved in - during Thanksgiving week - 6 years ago, everyone came and we enjoyed being together and christening my new house. I had little furniture and a "one-butt" kitchen, but it is a treasured memory for me. I hope Anna and Dan will have fun having us all crash into their new place! Congrats! I'll post pictures when I get them.

Tammy and Dick hosted us all in Yakima to celebrate the Septmember birthdays. It was fun to see Dick's lovely home and meeting in the middle of the state was easy for all of us to make it. I went on to Spokane and stayed with Mom a few days. We picked the plums and some apples and I got to enjoy walking the loop early in the morning. Mom is doing great and keeping busy. I can't wait to see her on Thanksgiving.

The deck and shed that Glenn built!

My last couple of months have been spent finishing up landscaping my backyard. It is almost completed! Thanks to brother Glenn, the electricity is hooked up to the shed and all the irrigation and lighting systems are in. I hired Eric-the-yardboy to help do the lifting and digging that was too hard for me. We have transformed the backyard into what I had envisioned when I first moved in. Man am I tired! I had it excavated in July. The 80 foot long and 3 foot high rock wall and steps built in September, we put in the sprinkler system, lights and laid nearly 3000 sf of sod in October and November! Now, I'm just waiting for the fence contractor to come this week and next to frame it all in and it should be done!

The General Contractor at work!

Glenn was the general contractor, plumber, electricitian, photographer, historian, comedy relief and brains behind the whole project. I just had help once in a while, pay for the materials and clean up the muddy mess when we were through. I made so many trips to Home Depot and Parkrose Hardware that they know me by name! Tomorrow I am concentrating on getting the inside of the house cleaned up which has been neglected and Eric will help me get the Christmas lights up! (Yes, I know I'm a little, tiny bit early, but I have to be the first one on the block to have them up! I usually shoot for the driest day on or after Veteran's Day! It helps the whole neighborhood get in the mood!)

The rockwall, sod, lights and sprinklers are in! Just waiting for the new fence!

I've been enjoying having Monica (Peggy's youngest daughter), flit in and out of town lately. She is working for a cruiseline that is ported in "Port"land and so she drops in between cruises. One weekend she popped in and Tammy came down while we were digging all the trenches in the backyard. Now that's what I call a fun visit with Auntie! She will be in and out the next couple of months so I hope to get some good visits in. I am so privileged to have her visit and want to hang out with me! She's a doll and a very hard worker! She just bought a little Cabrio convertable that needs a home while she is on the ship...I think it would look great parked in front of my house - just don't forget to leave the keys Monica!

Hope this all finds you well. We are keeping Aunt Sue in our prayers as she continues with her treatments and upcoming tests/surgery. Happy be-lated birthday to Aunt Rose and Uncle Norm. We miss you and wish we were there to celebrate with you!

More later!

Love you!

Sandi