Memorial Day

Today we had a BBQ and celebrated our freedom with friends & family. What a blessing to live in the land of the free...to worship God...to spend time with the ones that we love...to have the right to vote...to enjoy the things that we love...like our card games, fresh watermelon, & children`s giggles. We salute all of  those brave men & women who have fought and who still fight for that freedom.          God Bless America!!  

You are a redneck when...

Your toliet is made with a 5 gallon bucket!!

Today we went to the Cabela`s store in Tulalip. Nana`s mission was to get a toliet for the cabin that she & Papa (hopefully the girls too) will be staying in during my scrapbook retreat in July. We found the luggable loo (so funny!!). This was my first visit to our new store but I have been to a Cabela`s near Mt. Rushmore. The store is awesome and I love all the camping gear & the fish wall. Oh yea and my friend Mac works there which is pretty cool too!! He was working there today and he said that he wants to buy his dad a luggable loo too.

Prize in the Cereal Box

The girls came over to our house for a sleepover while Katie and her mom & dad went on a Birthday date to the Alderwood Mall. As you can see, watching movies is Elsie`s favorite part of staying at Nana & Papa`s house.

After the girls went home, I noticed the unopened box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in the pantry. Nana had bought the cereal for the girls but they decided to have blueberry pancakes & veggie bacon for breakfast instead. I decided to have a bowl of this deliciousness for a dessert snack. To my surprise when I opened the box there I found the prize. It was a C-3PO pen!! I was so excited that I had to call Felicia & Jeremy. They weren`t home but I left a message bragging about my surprise. Whats funny is I hadn`t even read the outside of the box which reads "Pen inside 8 to collect!" The back of the box shows all 8 character pens to collect (Yoda, R2-D2, C-3PO, Anakin Skywalker, Queen Amidala, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, and Jar Jar Binks).

Katie`s 7th Birthday Party

Katie`s Birthday Party at the Anderberg house, was a fun day filled with family, friends, sunshine, games, candy and yummy cake pops!!

First Baptist Church in Pasco,WA

 Before we left Pasco, we stopped by the First Baptist church where Nana & Papa were married and Cheri & I were dedicated. We looked around the grounds first then Nana decided she wanted to go inside. We went up to the front doors of the church but the doors were locked. When we had drove around to the back of the church, we had noticed someone doing the yard work. So Nana drove back around to the back of the church. She talked to the lady running the weedeater and asked her if the church was open. The lady said no but that it would be open later that evening. Nana told her that we were leaving today and that we had stopped by to visit the church that she was married in. The lady said that she would try to get a hold of the Pastor. Papa & I felt that we shouldn`t bother this lady and let her get her work done. Nana was determined to go inside. The Pastor had actually been outside working on yard work too. He was very nice and walked us inside and showed us around. He said that he had been the Pastor for 15 years. Nana and Papa had talked to him about how they remembered the church looking and then he showed us the church scrapbook (there was a picture of Roy Hutchenson- a family friend) that they have in church foyer. It was a very sentimental time (of course Nana & I shedded a few happy tears) and wonderful visit.

Spud Nuts & One Crazy Nut

Today we said goodbye to our friends & Nana said goodbye to all her comfy hotel pillows (8 of them). We were off to see Spud Nuts in Richland. The drive through the desert was pretty nice and Papa was glad for no Hanford tours today. We arrived at the Uptown Shopping Center in the afternoon. Nana said that we had shopped here years ago with Aunt Bonnie. This is also where the Spud Nuts Donut Shop is located and I was hoping to get a delicious maple bar. We were greeted by an older lady at the counter and she let me know that they were out of the maple bars and I think she was a little suprised that we only wanted one donut. I got the glazed donut and I really didn`t taste the difference from a potato flour donut to a flour donut. After grabbin` this sweet treat, we headed for Pasco where we planned to spend the night. We were early for checkin at our hotel so Nana decided to go down "Memory Lane" again. The first place that we visited was the hospital that her three sisters were born in. At Our Lady of Lourdes, we saw one large bathroom, several Mother Mary statues, and three nuns. After visiting the hospital, we went to a park (Volunteer Park) that Nana use to play at as a little girl and she remembers beautiful peacocks that were there. At this park, we met the other nut (not spud nut). We were walking back to the van when I saw a lady throw down her trash to the ground. I said to Nana and Papa, "Did you see that? That lady just littered." I guess she overheard our conversation and as she walked across the street from the park, she yelled out at us, "I don`t like you!" I began to laugh. She then yelled at us again and said, "I will never like you!!" I couldn`t help but respond so I said back to her, "God bless you." THEN I DIED LAUGHING!!! That lady was a real nut. After a little bit of crazy, we headed over to the state park that Nana use to go swimming at when she lived here. At the park, we saw a coyote and visited the museum. We then visited downtown Pasco aka Little Mexico. Then it was off to the Red Lion Hotel to relax and take a late afternoon nap.

Playing cards with our friends at Pateros Lakeshore Inn.

On the road to Spud Nuts...

My glazed donut!!

The one large bathroom and Mother Mary statues...

The three nuns watching me take a picture of them.

The grocery store that Nana use to shop at.

Roy`s house

Nana`s church that she went to as a little girl.

The first place that Nana & Papa lived at.

The house that Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Allen lived at when Nana and Papa were first married.

The house that Nana lived at as a little girl.

 Our hotel room at the Pasco Red Lion Inn...

 ...beautiful and right next to the pool. Its just a little too cold and windy to swim.