February Date Night

Steve and I are having Date Nights once a month. This was my Christmas gift from Steve and he spent a lot of thought and time setting them all up for the upcoming year. He has some dates that are a simple dinner out and others that are day trips, or even a couple of overnighters.

This month was a trip to the Washington State History Museum and dinner at the Iron Chef.

It happened to fall on the weekend we had the girls while Mom was having a girls getaway with her "sistas", so we dragged the girls along with us. I wasn't sure they would have any fun seeing as a museum and a Japanese restaurant might not be their idea of fun. You can see by the pictures, I couldn't have been more wrong

Entering the museum

Checking out the displays

Some of the "touchable" itemsLivvy recording her visitA little role playingSheriff and damsel in distressHannah's favorite spotOn the bridge to the Museum of GlassHannah recognizing a photo op........ and taking itAt the Iron ChefThis is a small fire.........compared to this one!!!!!The girls reaction to the "Japanese Firefighter", a small figurine that when squeezed would drop his pants and squirt out the fire...............This was our chef and server, he was very, very entertaining

3 down, 1 to go

It has been a birthday marathon around here, so I'm a little late on posting pictures of all the events. It started in January with Olivia's 9th birthday on the 29th, 13 days later is was Grace's 12th. Joey's followed on February 17th with Steve's sandwiched in between there on the 16th. There is a bit of a reprieve now until our grandson Jak's birthday on tax day, April 15th. I can't make a cake for his birthday since he lives so far away, but I see a "powice caw" cake for Gabe's birthday on the 27th of April. So, while I rest up for that one, I'll post some pics of the past celebrations. Better late that never I guess.........

January 29th

February 11th

February 17th

I wanted to post a picture of the party at the Rain Forest Cafe which was a combo party for Joey and Grace, but somewhere in the flurry of photography, I have misplaced them. Suffice it to say, it was a wonderful time with family and friends!!

Today is Steve's birthday

.....so I wanted to share some photos of the boy I fell in love with and the man I love even more today...


Not to give anything away..............

but did you notice the truck in the background......

how old is that thing anyway?????

Wedding Day 12/69. He's smiling now. The consequences of what

he just did haven't sunk in yet.

Working the back country of the Los Padres National Forest

Fighting Fire in California

Discovering a Survivalist camp deep in the woods in Oregon

District Commander for the Federal Protective Service, Department of Homeland Security

Enjoying a canoe trip down the Little Deschutes River in Sunriver, Oregon

Gabe took this picture of Papa with Papa's new camera

not bad for a 3 year old

Merle Hendricks Riley Jr.

aka "Timer"

I'm so done with Valentines' Day!!!

Now we can finally celebrate an important day,

St Patricks' Day.

In Honor of my Irish heritage (yes, I am Irish!) I want to pay tribute to my Great Grandfather, James McGuiness O'Riley. That is truly his name and he was born in Dingle, Ireland. He traveled to America in the late 1800's as an indentured servant and landed in Astoria, Oregon. He paid for his passage to America by working as a Chemist, today known as a Pharmacist. Legend has it he traveled from Astoria to Ashland, Oregon after completing his seven years of servitude. There he met and married a Native American woman of the Nez Perce Nation named Lydia (which makes me a volitile combination of Irish/Indian). As my father relates the story to me, James and Lydia left Oregon approximately 1898 with the family and traveled by foot to California with my grandfather, Merle Hendricks, riding a pinto pony given to them by Lydia's family. They settled in the San Francisco Bay area, which is where my father, Merle Hendricks, Jr. was born. I always loved to hear this story when I was young, and I think my father had a little bit of the 'blarney' in him. So, to my father, grandfather and great-grandfather, I'll lift a pint of Guiness (or Smithwicks) and say, "slainte" (cheers in Gaelic).
Everyone should be Irish for a day!!!

Viva La Gracie!!!!

We celebrated Grace's 12th birthday in style at Los Pinos in Orting last night. It was quite a celebration!!! Party hats, the restuarant singning Happy Birthday and complimentary dessert for the Birthday Girl. Just perfect for Grace and her fun loving personality. Last year as a tweener. Next year she is offically a "teenager", dun,dun,dun dun..............(scary music sound)

Celebrity of the evening

Her smile just captivates your heart

Is this card singing, ok forget the singing, just give me the money!!

The whole restuarant joined in with a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday, with the owner singing, albeit off-key, over the loudspeaker

I'm soooooooo embarrassed!!!!

Complimtary Empandas, Hmmm, these look pretty good

The Monkey cake, as requested by the Birthday Girl

Gabe contimplating which body part he wants

Olivia and Gabe getting a close up smell

Two peas in a pod, both beautiful

A Sunday with the girls

Last Sunday I got to go shopping with two of my favorite girls. Sarah and Hannah and Hannah's friend Hannah (confusing, I know, especially considering they have the same middle name!) and I went shopping. Sarah was stocking up on clothes for her growing boys and Hannah was looking for shoes for, get this, her very first Prom!! Yes, I said prom. She has a dance at the end of the year for her 8th Grade Promotion. This is not possible. I'm sure it was just yesterday she was a Fairy Princess trick' or treating and telling Papa, "Goodies, Papa Goodies!!"

Wouldn't you just love to have a spell from this Fairy Princess

Still smiling hours later

The final decision, simple, yet elegant

We have been blessed with an awesome family. We have 2 wonderful children, Craig and Sarah, who have in turn blessed us with 9 beautiful grandchildren. I honestly believe grandchildren are a reward from God for all the years spent worrying and being anxious for our children. We get all the benefits with none of the 24/7 stress. I wanted to share some pictures of our family, but they really don't do them justice.

Sweet Kelan

Jak, I wonder where he picked this up????

Handsome Kai!!!!

Our sweet angel Riley

she came to us 12/2/95

went home to be with Jesus

April 1999

Rebecca,

how did Craig snag such a beauty???

Craig, lookin' good in his camy's