Layne drew this picture of her family! Look closely. Layne is there, Kristin is there, and Justin is there. Do you see someone else! Baby Lathrop is due April 17th! So exciting! Kristin and Justin want the sex of the baby to be a surprise! That's fun. Baby Lathrop will be grandbaby number 5 for Mike and me. We are blessed!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Announcement
Layne drew this picture of her family! Look closely. Layne is there, Kristin is there, and Justin is there. Do you see someone else! Baby Lathrop is due April 17th! So exciting! Kristin and Justin want the sex of the baby to be a surprise! That's fun. Baby Lathrop will be grandbaby number 5 for Mike and me. We are blessed!
Another Cougar Football Saturday
Well, since I suspected the score might be a bit lopsided on Sat. I decided that taking pics of the game might not be the best thing to do. I decided to focus on different things. I am not even going to type out the score of the game. It was sad. I feel for the kids on the team!
Well, here we go! Pullman is about 75 miles from Spokane. You drive through the Palouse to get there. Rolling hills created by glacial flooding a long, long, time ago. It is farmland today. Lots of wheat fields. The wheat had been harvested and the winter wheat hasn't broken through the ground. When it does it is a treat to see all the green in a season where the colors are changing to golds, browns, and oranges.
About 60 miles from Spokane you enter Colfax. You know you are just about to Cougar Land when you hit Colfax. Lots of Cougar colors in the store windows. Go Cougs painted on windows and buildings. Colfax is a one main street town. There are a lot of rustic looking brick buildings.
Mike and I like to stop at The Cottage Gate. I can usually pick up a couple Christmas presents for my sisters here. Not this year. We were too early for Christmas items this time. It is a nice place to stop, stretch, and have a cup of coffee. We saw a couple of older folks heading there too but they weren't making much progress for some reason.
If you want to go to the Colfax Hullabaloo the details are on the sign. You can pick up some nice yard art there I am sure. We passed on the yard art!
Now we are on the last leg of our adventure. My thoughts as we were driving to Pullman were on having fun no matter what! Actually, that isn't hard for me to do because I love the atmosphere and the band and Butch and football. I hate to see the Cougs lose and feel for the kids on the team but I still have a great time. We took more pictures of the landscape and some of the farmhouses along the way. 
We made it safe and sound to Pullman. It was homecoming so the campus was busy, very busy!
Check this out! The students from the veterinary school had these birds out and about. Wow! This first picture is of a golden eagle. It is blind and the parents fed it until it could fly and then left it. The eagle was found and had nearly starved to death. 
This owl thinks it is a human and the students said it would never survive in the wild because it wants to be around people all the time. 
Next is a redtail hawk. I am not sure what the story is on it. Mike talked to the students about the birds and told me. Can't remember this one. 
One more and I can't remember the name. Something whip! Cute little bird.
Ok we finally made it to the game. The pre-game festivities were exciting as alway. Butch on his ATV the players running through the tunnel out on to the field. All very exciting!
Cheryl, Shannon, Scott and Holly are somewhere in the crowd in the last picture above. You win the prize if you can find them. I actually saw them all. Mike went to the Bookie and I was roaming around the stadium. I bought the best carmel apple I have ever eaten in my life! I turned away from the booth selling them and there was Scott! Who would have thought! The game started and I put my camera away hoping to enjoy a few moments of hope for the Cougs. There were some but not many. It was still a great day on the Palouse! The drive home was beautiful. 
Maybe next week in Los Angeles Cougars!
Well, here we go! Pullman is about 75 miles from Spokane. You drive through the Palouse to get there. Rolling hills created by glacial flooding a long, long, time ago. It is farmland today. Lots of wheat fields. The wheat had been harvested and the winter wheat hasn't broken through the ground. When it does it is a treat to see all the green in a season where the colors are changing to golds, browns, and oranges.
About 60 miles from Spokane you enter Colfax. You know you are just about to Cougar Land when you hit Colfax. Lots of Cougar colors in the store windows. Go Cougs painted on windows and buildings. Colfax is a one main street town. There are a lot of rustic looking brick buildings.
Mike and I like to stop at The Cottage Gate. I can usually pick up a couple Christmas presents for my sisters here. Not this year. We were too early for Christmas items this time. It is a nice place to stop, stretch, and have a cup of coffee. We saw a couple of older folks heading there too but they weren't making much progress for some reason.
If you want to go to the Colfax Hullabaloo the details are on the sign. You can pick up some nice yard art there I am sure. We passed on the yard art!
Now we are on the last leg of our adventure. My thoughts as we were driving to Pullman were on having fun no matter what! Actually, that isn't hard for me to do because I love the atmosphere and the band and Butch and football. I hate to see the Cougs lose and feel for the kids on the team but I still have a great time. We took more pictures of the landscape and some of the farmhouses along the way. 
We made it safe and sound to Pullman. It was homecoming so the campus was busy, very busy!
Check this out! The students from the veterinary school had these birds out and about. Wow! This first picture is of a golden eagle. It is blind and the parents fed it until it could fly and then left it. The eagle was found and had nearly starved to death. 
This owl thinks it is a human and the students said it would never survive in the wild because it wants to be around people all the time. 
Next is a redtail hawk. I am not sure what the story is on it. Mike talked to the students about the birds and told me. Can't remember this one. 
One more and I can't remember the name. Something whip! Cute little bird.
Ok we finally made it to the game. The pre-game festivities were exciting as alway. Butch on his ATV the players running through the tunnel out on to the field. All very exciting!
Cheryl, Shannon, Scott and Holly are somewhere in the crowd in the last picture above. You win the prize if you can find them. I actually saw them all. Mike went to the Bookie and I was roaming around the stadium. I bought the best carmel apple I have ever eaten in my life! I turned away from the booth selling them and there was Scott! Who would have thought! The game started and I put my camera away hoping to enjoy a few moments of hope for the Cougs. There were some but not many. It was still a great day on the Palouse! The drive home was beautiful. 
Maybe next week in Los Angeles Cougars!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Cougar Football's Most Adorable Fan
It was Cougar football Saturday and Kristin, Layne, and I headed out on what started as a beautiful day to watch the Cougs play the Vikings (Portland). It has been a tough season so far and we were hopeful that this could be a win. It was Layne's first experience at a Cougar game! She learned how to say "Go Cougs" as soon as she could talk. Now she would see what it was all about. We all had our crimson on even Layne wore the colors. She had a jersey and was pretty excited about that! 
We are off. The ride down was uneventful except Kristin was hoping Layne would sleep. She didn't! When we got to Pullman we did some shopping for Cougar gear! Then we headed to the game. The sky wasn't quite as sunny as it was in the early morning. It was starting to get windy too. We piled all our sweatshirts and blankets in Layne's stroller and off to the stadium. 
Along the way we saw the Cougar faithful getting warmed up for the big game. 
We had seats in the end zone. We actually had 4 tickets so we had a ton of space for Layne to move around. She was a true Cougar and stood most of the time we were there. She cheered and yelled touchdown and wanted to know where Butch was. We didn't see Butch as much as we normally do! She also did not want to let go of the tickets. We finally put them away for her to have later! The wind was starting to really blow and I was getting cold. I added another Cougar sweatshirt to the Cougar gear I was wearing. 
Of course being the responsible grandma that I am I took some time to explain the game to Layne. Hey, it is a complicated game I have to start 'em young so they understand by the time they can play fantasy football. You know about 8 years old!
The stands look pretty empty but they did fill up. Not totally full though. Another highlight for Layne was the band. She clapped and sang to all their music. So darn precious. 
Layne also figured out that the red guys were supposed to smash the black and white guys. Once in a while she would ask why the red guys didn't smash the black and white guys. Didn't know what to tell her on that one. 
The weather was getting more sketchy as the game went on. Every once in a while Kristin or I would say, "I felt a drop." We were not prepared for rain at all. Sweatshirts only. I think this would be a good time to share a bit of video of the Most Adorable Cougar Fan.
She missed the camera by the way! As we got closer to half time Kristin and I started discussing a game plan in case of rain. Hey, we all need a game plan not just the players. We firmed up that game plan just before half time. I think there was about one minute left in the first half and it really started to rain. We looked at each other and said let's go to the Bookie! We piled Layne in the stroller and off we went for a bit more shopping and then to the car for the rainy ride home. We listened to the game on the way home. Go Cougs! Glad they won. I was so glad to be able to share Layne's first Cougar game with her and with Kristin. Who knows Layne may be a Coug someday!
We are off. The ride down was uneventful except Kristin was hoping Layne would sleep. She didn't! When we got to Pullman we did some shopping for Cougar gear! Then we headed to the game. The sky wasn't quite as sunny as it was in the early morning. It was starting to get windy too. We piled all our sweatshirts and blankets in Layne's stroller and off to the stadium. 
Along the way we saw the Cougar faithful getting warmed up for the big game. 
We had seats in the end zone. We actually had 4 tickets so we had a ton of space for Layne to move around. She was a true Cougar and stood most of the time we were there. She cheered and yelled touchdown and wanted to know where Butch was. We didn't see Butch as much as we normally do! She also did not want to let go of the tickets. We finally put them away for her to have later! The wind was starting to really blow and I was getting cold. I added another Cougar sweatshirt to the Cougar gear I was wearing. 
Of course being the responsible grandma that I am I took some time to explain the game to Layne. Hey, it is a complicated game I have to start 'em young so they understand by the time they can play fantasy football. You know about 8 years old!
The stands look pretty empty but they did fill up. Not totally full though. Another highlight for Layne was the band. She clapped and sang to all their music. So darn precious. 
Layne also figured out that the red guys were supposed to smash the black and white guys. Once in a while she would ask why the red guys didn't smash the black and white guys. Didn't know what to tell her on that one. 
The weather was getting more sketchy as the game went on. Every once in a while Kristin or I would say, "I felt a drop." We were not prepared for rain at all. Sweatshirts only. I think this would be a good time to share a bit of video of the Most Adorable Cougar Fan. She missed the camera by the way! As we got closer to half time Kristin and I started discussing a game plan in case of rain. Hey, we all need a game plan not just the players. We firmed up that game plan just before half time. I think there was about one minute left in the first half and it really started to rain. We looked at each other and said let's go to the Bookie! We piled Layne in the stroller and off we went for a bit more shopping and then to the car for the rainy ride home. We listened to the game on the way home. Go Cougs! Glad they won. I was so glad to be able to share Layne's first Cougar game with her and with Kristin. Who knows Layne may be a Coug someday!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Top Ten Reasons I Like My Motorcycle A Lot
I know you are all missing seeing my motorcycle so here it is in all its glory. Isn't it nice!
As many of you know on Keri's blog you will find 2 top 10 lists. One is the reasons she loves Ryland and the other the reasons she loves Mark. They are truly touching. I am serious. They actually brought tears to my eyes. I am so proud of her. What a great wife and mother!
Well, I thought the "top 10 reasons" list was a great idea. I didn't want to totally copy Keri so I am putting a different spin on it. The top ten reasons I like my motorcycle a lot(not necessarily in order). Here we go...
1. It sparkles kind of like a diamond and we all know diamonds are a girls best friend.
2. It does exactly what I want it to with no questions asked. Now that is unique. I will just leave it at that.
3. It is low maintenance not high maintenance like other things. Check the oil, tires, chain, and it is ready to go.
4. It likes to travel on all the side roads and doesn't care if it takes longer or if I stop and smell the flowers.
5. It doesn't care if I am my own radio. I can sing as loud and as out of tune as I want to and it just keeps plugging along. It never asks me to turn down the volume. Yes, I really sing when I am riding. Loudly! Get your motor running, head out on the highway, looking for adventure...
6. It is cheaper than counseling. You forget all your troubles when you are turning through the twisties. All you think about is cruising through the turns on the motorcycle. AND if you don't forget your troubles you could take a little spill. That would not be good.
7. It likes to make new friends. Every place we go it seems to start conversations with new people. Oh and let us not forget the biker wave. Almost every biker we pass waves. Wouldn't it be fun if people did that in cars!!!
8. It can keep a secret. If I am going a little too fast(OK speeding) or don't put my feet down at the stop sign and roll (slowly) through it or I get grumpy with another driver it never tells anyone. I can even talk to myself.
9. It requires that I wear leather clothing. Now really! When can a 55 year old grandma wear leather pants except on a motorcycle! Think about it!
10. It allows me to be in the moment and experience right now when I drive. I can smell the smells, feel the air, hear the sounds, be a part of the world around me. Need I say more? I think not.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Mariners 5 Yankees 2
It was an early morning Sunday. The alarm rang at 4:40 AM. Well, three alarms rang at 4:40. My phone and two on my alarm clock. I didn't want to miss the bus! At 6 AM we headed to First Presbyterian Church to meet about 40 others for a bus ride to Seattle and a Mariners game. I didn't hold out much hope for a victory for the Mariners but I love the game and making new friends so I was very excited to go. I have left to go skiing before sunrise but I don't think I have ever left for a baseball game before sunrise! Three people forgot to bring their tickets with them to the bus. Oh NO! Our organizers had three extra tickets if you can believe that. Coincidence? I think not. 
On the way over many slept, others read, visited, or listened to music. I did all of those things. I took some pictures out the bus window of the scenery on the way too. 
When we got to the stadium I could hardly wait to get out of the bus. I just wanted to run around the stadium! Safeco field is such a neat place! We didn't go right into the stadium. We took pictures with a couple of the players. :-)
Then into the stadium. I love getting to see batting practice and the mystery Mariners were still batting. I say that because I didn't recognize one of the players taking batting practice. 
We walked all around the stadium looking at the field. It might sound silly but I can actually feel my heart beating when I first get inside a ball park. 
We had plenty of time before the game started and I was hungry. Can you guess what I had to eat? No there is no Taco Bell at Safeco.
But we found the next best thing! Tortilla Junction! Yum. Yum. Life is good. Baseball and tacos! 
Here is a picture of downtown Seattle from the stadium.
I got pictures of a couple of big dog players. Ichiro of course doing his famous sleeve pull. I think his sleeve gets in the way of his swing??? Another former Mariner Big Dog, Alex Rodriguez. He still gets a round of BOO'S for leaving Seattle the way he did. Let it go people!
Safeco field has a retractable roof. It was open today but it can be closed with a push of a button. The weather was great so the roof was open.
The highlight of the game was the score!!! Yippee!! The Mariners won! What a treat. It was great to see a victory especially against the Yankees. The game went so fast I was ready to watch a double header but there was no second game to watch. So we all trudged back to the bus. We headed out and our dinner stop was in Ellensburg. I can't remember the name of the place where we ate but it was quite unique. Check it out. 
As I was taking pictures of the restaurant I noticed this guy at a home across the street. He was sort of hidden. He wasn't out in front of the house where everyone could see him. HMM! He is very, very, large!
The ride home went fast because after eating another taco dinner and a chocolate milk shake I slept! Great thing to do after a big meal!!! It was a great time meeting new people from church and visiting with friends we already knew. The game was fun! Another great outing! Life is good!!
On the way over many slept, others read, visited, or listened to music. I did all of those things. I took some pictures out the bus window of the scenery on the way too. 
When we got to the stadium I could hardly wait to get out of the bus. I just wanted to run around the stadium! Safeco field is such a neat place! We didn't go right into the stadium. We took pictures with a couple of the players. :-)
Then into the stadium. I love getting to see batting practice and the mystery Mariners were still batting. I say that because I didn't recognize one of the players taking batting practice. 
We walked all around the stadium looking at the field. It might sound silly but I can actually feel my heart beating when I first get inside a ball park. 
We had plenty of time before the game started and I was hungry. Can you guess what I had to eat? No there is no Taco Bell at Safeco.
But we found the next best thing! Tortilla Junction! Yum. Yum. Life is good. Baseball and tacos! 
Here is a picture of downtown Seattle from the stadium.
I got pictures of a couple of big dog players. Ichiro of course doing his famous sleeve pull. I think his sleeve gets in the way of his swing??? Another former Mariner Big Dog, Alex Rodriguez. He still gets a round of BOO'S for leaving Seattle the way he did. Let it go people!
Safeco field has a retractable roof. It was open today but it can be closed with a push of a button. The weather was great so the roof was open.
The highlight of the game was the score!!! Yippee!! The Mariners won! What a treat. It was great to see a victory especially against the Yankees. The game went so fast I was ready to watch a double header but there was no second game to watch. So we all trudged back to the bus. We headed out and our dinner stop was in Ellensburg. I can't remember the name of the place where we ate but it was quite unique. Check it out. 
As I was taking pictures of the restaurant I noticed this guy at a home across the street. He was sort of hidden. He wasn't out in front of the house where everyone could see him. HMM! He is very, very, large!
The ride home went fast because after eating another taco dinner and a chocolate milk shake I slept! Great thing to do after a big meal!!! It was a great time meeting new people from church and visiting with friends we already knew. The game was fun! Another great outing! Life is good!!
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