Our Times News Archive

2007

We went to dinner at a restaurant on the lakefront called "Coast". The food was very good and the cocktails were even better. It was a very nice visit and Aunt Vi really enjoyed it. I have included a few pictures.
 
Spiders & Kitties 09/01/07
By Susie Devries
Not really sure how many of you are interested in spiders. They are not my favorite critter, but I do like to watch them. Also, here are a couple pictures of my three kitties. Click here for the rest of the story and the pictures.
 
Ryan, Wendy & Zoe 08/30/07
By Blanche Gleaser
Ryan and Wendy sent a note with pictures. They had a wonderful time here in Las Vegas. They included pictures of their anniversary at the Mirage and their dog, Zoe. They are still working on an adoption and hope it won't be much longer. Click here to see the pictures.
 
My Turn! 08/29/07
By John Schmit
It has been a very busy time and I guess it's my turn to tell the story. From getting the car in and out of the shop to staying up all night for the eclipse of the Moon, the schedule has been tight. Click here for the rest of the story.
 
Home Cams 08/24/07
By Susie Devries
If you look at my home cam after dark you can see my new outdoor accents. They are hummingbirds that change colors, from red to blue to green. They have a light sensor that comes on at dusk and goes off at dawn or whenever it gets light enough. They are sure pretty and Autumn just loves them. She points up to them and says Petty. When Janae came to pick her up she looked at Mommy said bird-petty and pointed to the birds. Then she told her Mama later cycle and Janae looked at her, all of a sudden here comes a motorcycle down the street and Autumn says cycle!!
 
Autumn In The Pool 08/24/07
By Susie Devries
Here are some pictures of Autumn in her pool. She is having a blast learning how to slide down the slide! With her floatie swim suit, she is more interested in sliding down since she has realized she doesn't go under as easy. Also she is very happy trying to catch bubbles!! Also, here is the result of all the fun in the pool!! Click here to see the pictures.
 
Telling On Myself 08/22/07
By Susie Devries
I have to tell on myself. I know all of you will get a good laugh out of this.
This morning I had a 9 AM appointment to get my hair cut. My truck is out of commission, (fuel pump) so I had to walk to my appointment. No big deal, the place I go to less than a mile away. Click here for the rest of the story.
 
Bella 08/21/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I had to take Bella in again yesterday to have another claw taken out - the third time since I had her declawed. The vet said yesterday that she must be a "freak".
When I got up this morning at 6:15, she wasn't in bed with me so I checked in the front room and didn't see her. I had to go to the bathroom and there she was, laying curled up in the sink. When she lived in the trailer, she loved to sleep on the bathtub seat so I guess she missed that. I tried to get a picture but when she sees the camera, she gets out of the way fast, unless she is asleep and can't move as fast. She is some cat!!!!!!
 
Bedroom Complete 08/19/07
By Heidi Schmit
I took these pictures today, everything is complete in the bedroom. I finished it with the plant in the corner. Click here to see the bedroom pictures.
 
Misty Sleeps 08/19/07
By Blanche Glaeser
I thought you'd like to see one of my Misty's favorite places to sleep. You can see she's taken over here. Click here to see the kitty.
 
Commuter Train 08/19/07
By John Schmit
This last week Cheryl started taking the train to downtown Seattle. They are doing major work on the freeway causing big delays, even for the busses. Even though it's pretty crowded, the train does arrive on time. It is a nice alternative to have. Click here to see the pictures.
 
Vacation At Grandma & Grandpa Schmit's 08/17/07
By Ryan and Aaron Simmons
We drove up north in our van with my mom after the Brewers game on Sunday. My dad drove up by himself because he could not stay as long as we could. - Ryan
We did lots of fun things like swimming, fishing, driving the gator to the haunted house in the woods. We went golfing, watched tv, and we went to the movies to see Underdog. - Aaron
Click here for the rest of the boy's stories.

 
New Pictures 08/15/07
By Heidi Schmit
Here are new pictures, I had to get new batteries for the camera. The first two are my new nightstands. As you can see Mom, I moved things around a little bit. The next two is me and Brandi getting to know each other, and the last one is Brandi and Chloe cleaning each other. Awwww!!! Click here to see the pictures.
 
Kids Up 08/15/07
By Roger Schmit
Last week we had Jeanne and the boys up for for the whole week. I think that everyone had a good time as we managed to tire everyone out each day. Click here for the rest of the story.
Click here to see the pictures.     Click here to see the video.
 
Summer 08/14/07
By Andrew Duron
I finally got to write. I have had a fun summer so far. I am glad to be home though. I start school soon. Right now I'm in summer camp. It's fun. Today I went on a field trip to the park, but it was really hot. We got to eat pizza too.
 
Happy Grandpa 08/12/07
By Cliff Chamberlin
Here are some new pictures taken last week while I was in Denver. Rebecca Louise, Matthew and me - a fine bunch and a happy grandpa. Click here to see the pictures.
 
Cottage Front Room 08/09/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I finally emptied the front room of the cottage of all boxes etc. so thought I better send you a picture while it looked like it should. Daryl has a mirror he's going to put up for me in the "living room" part (west wall) but he's been pretty busy to get that done. At least now you have an idea of what the front room looks like. I haven't got my bedroom done yet but when I do, I will send a picture. The kitchen is on the northeast wall of the same room as the "living room". Click here to see the pictures.
 
Hunting 08/05/07
By William Foster
I went hunting on the first of August. To start things off, I was blessed to see two baby raccoons, 5 turkeys, and some deer. I ended up with 1 squirrel for the day. I shot 2 but one got away and I was unable to retrieve it. It made me feel sad that I could not find that one, but it was still a good day. The best part of the day was knowing that I could bring something home for the family. It made me feel really good inside.
 
New Front Gate 08/04/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I just went out and took these two pictures of the front gate Daryl & Jan installed yesterday. It is a real light gate and very easy for even me to open. Daryl can't find his camera as it got misplaced somewhere in all the moving so that's the reason I took these pictures. Click here to see the new gate.
 
School Grades and Kitties 08/01/07
By Heidi Schmit
Well, one more semester is behind me. Its been a long semester of writing and reading and well a lot of tests but in the end it was worth it. In my Essential Bussiness class I received an A and in my Quest for Wisdom class I received a B. I'll take that. Now I have 3 weeks off before the next semester starts and i'm going to take advantage of every minute of it. Also, here are some new pictures of my kitties....THEY ROCK!! Click here to see my kitties.
 
Vow Renewal 07/29/07
By Blanche Glaeser
Recently we had a Wedding Vow Renewal service at my church. I normally don't take pictures in church but a friend of mine was participating, so... It was a fun and romantic experience. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Rebecca Louise Mohrbacher 07/26/07
By Cliff Chamberlin
Welcome Rebecca Louise Mohrbacher, Born 7/26/07, 11:44a, 9# even and a long baby (they have not measured her yet)(Now measured - Rebecca is 21 1/2 inches!). Everybody is fine and all have smiles on their faces. Mugsy, Dan and Candy showed up at the hospital last eve at 9pm and they induced labor. It was the same nurse mid-wife that delivered Matthew 19 months ago, that got the job again today. Mugsy works the system just right, brought her own suport team, Dan, with her and also her own ICU nurse, Candy, along for good measure. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Trip to Harrison 07/23/07
By Susie Devries
Here are some pictures of our trip to Harrison, AR. to see Grandma and Grandpa McWilliams. We had a great time! Autumn was not sure about her Great Grandma and Grandpa. Click here for more story and to see the pictures.

 
Granddaughter Visits 07/23/07
By Blanche Glaeser
Over the Fourth of July holiday, my Granddaughter Wendy and her husband, Ryan came to visit. They raise and train show horses in Middle Tennessee, besides their full time jobs. They came out to Las Vegas to celebrate their anniversary. We all had a great time. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Moving 07/21/07
By Barbara Lawrence
Daryl got most of us moved today with Jan's brother's help. We had a "moving sale" this morning at Daryl & Jan's in town and we did real good with that. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Visiting Jumpy 07/18/07
By Blanche Glaeser
Early last month, Jumpy's grandson, Ronnie J., his wife and family came to visit. They traveled here to Las Vegas from Wisconsin. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Wedding Party Pictures 07/18/07
By Erin Lawrence
My brother got married. Here are a few we were able to get on our camera. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Pictures 07/16/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I'm sending you a picture I took of Bella yesterday afternoon. She is always laying like this but I usually can't get my camera in time to take a picture. I know that anyone with cats think theirs are the cutest but I still thought you would enjoy this. Also here is a picture of our new "wireless tower" (or whatever it is called). Thought you might like to see how different it is and also it is faster than the old one. This one can even "see" through the trees and our old one wasn't able to as easy without cutting branches down that were in the way. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Party Pictures 07/14/07
By Sue Fisher
The group picture was from Mom's 90th party in Savannah, The only one missing was Terry and I sent a picture of him with Cameron. The party was a lot of fun and all the kids had fun seeing each other. I'll send more as soon as I get some taken. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Bird Nest Slideshows 07/11/07
By John Schmit
Many checked the Special Events Cam page during the month of June to watch activity in a birds nest on our front porch. Both the web cam and our bigger camera took many pictures. We've created two slideshows of some of the best images. One has an image every second and the other an image every three seconds.
Click here for the one second slideshow.
Click here for the three second slideshow.

 
Home Again 07/09/07
By Susie Devries
Here I am, home again after a wonderful trip to Nebraska and Missouri. I was lucky enough to be able to spend quality time with my son, William, & his family. We had a great time. Click here to read the rest of the story.
Click here to see the pictures.

 
Keys 07/05/07
By Erin Lawrence
We got our keys to our new home July 3rd! We are so excited. And relieved. We were beginning to think the day would never come! Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
4th of July Celebration 07/05/07
By John Schmit
We visited with our friends, Jim and Mira Bergsma for the holiday. They live on Lake Tapps and invited several friends and relatives over. There was good food and plenty of fun in the sun. Click here to see a video of our visit.

 
Pigs On Parade 07/02/07
By Cheryl Schmit
The Pike Place Market in Seattle is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. On my lunch breaks I have been walking around downtown taking pictures of their mascot, the pig, decorated many different ways. Click here to enjoy these pictures of Pigs On Parade!

 
Brandi 07/01/07
By Heidi Schmit
Saturday was another awesome day for me, I got another kitty! Her name is Brandi and she is about six to eight months old. I got her from my girlfriend Theresa, who found her around her house. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Empty Nest 07/01/07
By John Schmit
At three-thirty yesterday afternoon the baby birds left their nest. Cheryl happened to be on the porch when all four birds flew up and out into the yard. Mom and Dad birds were right there prodding the birds to hop and fly to safety in the bushes. Four healthy babies are on their way! Click here to see pictures from the last day in the nest!

 
New Tree 06/30/07
By Barbara Lawrence
Daryl just planted a new Red Oak tree today to replace the one that snapped off last week in the storm. From the looks of it, we are probably going to lose the other four trees also if they keep on as they are now. We both think they just got too much rain on their roots because the paper work that came with them said they can't take too much water. And..................we've had more than our share of rain!!!!! Click here to see the tree!

 
Re-Enlistment 06/29/07
By Heidi Schmit
Thursday was a big day for me as I decided to re-enlist for three more years in the Army. That will put me at 10 1/2 years. With this re-enlistment I get to stay here at JCSE in Florida for at least two more years. That should be long enough for me to finish my Bachelor's degree. Stay tuned for pictures of the ceremony soon.

 
Church Merger 06/28/07
By Blanche Glaeser
A few weeks ago our church, Good Samaritan Lutheran, merged with New Hope Lutheran, here in Las Vegas. I attended the ceremony and enjoyed the time with our newly expanded church family. We also had a service at the location of our new grounds, where the new church will be built. We then went back to Good Samaritan for more celebration. Enjoy these pictures of the events. Click here to see the celebration!

 
New Washer & Dryer 06/27/07
By John Schmit
On Tuesday our new washer and dryer were delivered. Allen works on the delivery truck for Fry's, so he was the one to bring them and install them. Click here to see the new machines (and Allen).

 
Gator/ATV Ride 06/26/07
By Roger Schmit
On Monday we got together 14 people, 4 Gators and 6 ATV's and went for a ride. We all met at The Four Seasons Resort and headed for the woods. I think the object became finding the most difficult terrain to ride through. We went through deep woods, forded a few creeks and went up some pretty steep hills. Everyone made it back very dusty but in fine shape. Jumping in the river at the end felt very good. Click here, I've included just a few pictures.

 
Tree Down 06/26/07
By Barbara Lawrence
The tree that you usually saw in the middle of my west web cam view was snapped off at the root yesterday because of the high winds we had. Daryl thinks he's going to buy a Maple or something else to replace this tree. It was a real loss to us being we've been babying these trees for so long.

 
New Clock! 06/22/07
By Susie Devries
Here is a picture of my new clock. It chimes music on the hour and turns off automatic at night. There are also Christmas songs for the holiday time. Click here to see the clock.

 
New Car! 06/21/07
By Daryl Lawrence
We traded in Jan's Durango. I will be driving this one to work, we figure it will save about $130 a month just in gasoline alone... Of COURSE we kept the pick up truck, with all the construction and hauling stuff from one house to the other... And of yeah, check out the last picture, NO key needed to start it, just push the button... what will they think of next... Click here to see these pictures!

 
Alexxis-Rae Olivia Torres 06/20/07
By Barbara Lawrence
Congratulations to Daryl's daughter Lisa and her fiance Ray Torres on the birth of thier daughter Alexxis-Rae. She was born this afternoon at 4:30pm Pacific time. She weighed eight pounds, nine ounces and is 20 inches long. Click here to see the new baby!

 
Wedding Pictures 06/20/07
By Cliff Chamberlin
Here are 2 pictures from the wedding. The first of the bride and groom on our driveway at the start of the reception and the second of Candy and her 3 sisters and their Uncle Lee, singing their Danish toast song, sang in Danish. Craig had already shed his coat off and Tammy had a size 99 smile on. Click here to see these pictures.    Click here to see Joy's pictures.

 
A New Car & No More Smokes! 06/19/07
By Robert McWilliams
Well, I've done it again! I put my self in debt a bit more. Last Friday Janae and I took Autumn to a doctors appointment, which by the way doctor says she is doing great, anyway, we went to Crain Dodge in Little Rock and spent about four hours there. I traded in my 2002 Ford Explorer 4x4 for a 2007 Dodge Charger and my goodness it's an awesome car. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Great Wedding 06/18/07
By Cliff Chamberlin
This past Saturday Craig and Tammy had a great wedding and a fine day. The wedding service was really special and the reception here at our place was one fine party. We had about 130 people at the reception and all had a fun time. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Kids & Garden 06/15/07
By Susie Devries
I sent some pictures I took with my camera phone today over at my son's house. There is a picture of a tomato plant. It's ONE plant and it's huge. The other two pictures are of Chloe (in the sundress) and Angelique. Click here to see these phone pictures!

 
House Update 06/15/07
By Chris & Erin Lawrence
Our house finally closed in Lancaster. The original closing date was May 5th- a 45 day escrow. It ended up an 89 day escrow! At the very end ( a few days ago) the lender, knowing how desperate we are, added points to the buyers loan. The buyers refused to pay it and said they would walk away from the whole deal if they had to pay it. It was $6,000. So we paid the 6 grand. Click here to read the rest of the story!

 
Ava Grace Herrera 06/14/07
By Susie Devries
Here are the most recent pictures of my Grand Niece, Ava Grace Herrera. Ava was born May 10, 2007. In these pictures she is 3 weeks old. I see a lot of both her Dad and Mom in the pictures. Proud Grand Parents: Jim & Judie Riggen!! Click here to see!

 
Grandma's New Toy 06/10/07
By Roger Schmit
Barb went to a rummage sale Saturday. This is what she came home with. Click here to see!

 
We Moved! 06/10/07
By Robert McWilliams
Janae & I , her little sister Jamie & her boyfriend recently moved into a new house. It's about 5 miles from where we were, still in Jacksonville, but it's 3 bedrooms, 2 full bath, laundry room, and a big deck, which Autumn loves. Autumn also has her own room now & is very happy about that. This house is a lot bigger & better than what we hade. We have a huge front yard also.

 
Take Your Cat To Work! 06/04/07
By Heidi Schmit
Friday and Today I had to bring Chloe into work due to plumbing maintenance in my apartment. She had an absolute fun time. Everyone that came into my office just had a blast with her and had to pet her. She's had the most lovin' since I had her. She's been great help getting things done around the office. Click here to enjoy these pics!

 
Braden 06/02/07
By Erin Lawrence
Braden's b-day is tomorrow. He will be 4! We are going miniature golfing during the day, then visiting Chris at his new store, since he has to work. The kids love going to see him at work. We'll bbq for dinner. Chris got him the Superman cake he's been wanting. It's not the big party the kids usually have for their birthday, but there will be balloons, cake and presents- so I think he'll be just fine. : ) Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Update... 06/01/07
By Lisa Lawrence
Just wanted to give a quick update on the baby! I have been in early labor for a week and a half now. Last week I was in the hospital 3 times. My contractions were 2 min apart but not strong enough, and I was only dilated to a 2. So they kept sending me home. Now I saw my Dr. on Wed and I am a 3 now and completely thinned. So she is sooooo ready! But nothing yet. It is so frustrating, I am just waiting for my water to break. The Doc says any minute any day now. Ray is out of town for the weekend and won't be home until Sunday night, so I am praying she waits til then. Hope everyone has a good weekend!
Love, Lisa

 
Garden Project 06/01/07
By John & Cheryl Schmit
Our Memorial Day weekend project was to plant more around the water fountain. We wanted to plant climbing plants behind the pond. To get enough dirt there, Cheryl built a custom box to hold both the plants and the trellis. We finished the project by adding some plants to hang over the front of the box. Enjoy these pictures.  
Patio Flowers 05/30/07
By Heidi Schmit
Well it's Spring time so I decided to plant some new flowers, don't ask me what kind I just go by colors. Click here to enjoy the pictures!

The Spring II semester is over and I received a B in the Physical Science class. Not to bad I think. I'll be taking two more classes starting on 5th and 7th June, one will be Philosophy and the other Business essentials. Wish me luck.

 
Cottage Interior Complete 05/28/07
By Daryl Lawrence
The interior of the cottage is now complete, except for the addition of the shower to the bathroom. That can be completed anytime and still be able to use the cottage and come in to the house for a shower. After finishing the paint job on the exterior, then I will continue with the shower addition. Underground drain pipework already done, and is also the same line the kitchen sink runs in.

More exciting news to follow when able... John, I could use some help with these 90 pound bags of concrete when I do the floor in the bathroom, stop by for some fun... Click here to see the pictures.
Editor's Note: That's OK, I'll send Allen.

 
Moving Update 05/23/07
By Erin Lawrence
Hello everyone-
I apologize for the delay in our update.... Here is what's going on- Our house in Lancaster is taking FOREVER to close and because of that we have lost our house we were in the process of buying. SO! we are currently looking for homes- again. The good news- we are in Paso Robles, we got our kids out of the Antelope Valley and we are staying with Jody and are welcome here until we find a home. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Busy Times 05/15/07
By Roger Schmit
I'd like to say that things are finally settling down, but they're not and I don't know when they will. Click here for the rest of the story and to see the pictures.

 
Home 05/13/07
By Frank Bingham
Just one last e-mail related to our trip to Bowser, B.C. -- We are home safe and sound. We left Anderson, CA this morning at 6 A.M. looking at a 660 mile run to home. We simply kept coming South with all due haste and made it home at 5:05 P.M. today. No traffic, no close calls, no fighting, and no tomato throwing at the driver !!!! Click here for the rest of the story and to see the picture.

 
Camping 05/13/07
By Will Foster
We went camping for a little bit and enjoyed the whole time. Jasmine caught a bluegill. Daddy didn't catch anything. Jasmine really enjoyed the time out there. Izaya was so excited that all he would do was make me chase him all over the place. He loved the fish, campfire, and everything about camping. He even got to feed the geese and goslings. He really enjoyed that alot. It was a great time for the whole family. I am hoping we can do that again very soon.

 
Last Posting from Bowser 05/10/07
By Frank Bingham
Time is growing short before Ralph and I leave to return to the desert. Tomorrow will be filled with clothes washing, packing up and a few little things here. Then we will get up very early on Sat. morning to drive back to the ferry terminal and take the 5 A.M. ferry to the mainland. Once there we will cross the Canadian border to the U.S at the Peace Arch entrance. Then on to Bellingham, Wa. to pick up Slim. We should arrive there about 8:30 - 9:00. Click here for the rest of the story and to see the picture.

 
Monday Activities 05/07/07
By Frank Bingham
Monday arrived right on time this morning so I did not miss anything. It was cloudy and wet this A.M. but that burned off and left a beautiful day to look at the wonders of the world I am surrounded with. Click here for the rest of the story and to see the pictures.

 
Eagle 05/05/07
By Frank Bingham
Sometimes we are able to get a special picture quite by accident. Such is the case with the attached photo. I was walking along the beach above the high tide line looking for clams. I had my camera a ready in case I saw anything that caught my fancy. Click here for the rest of the story and to see the picture.

 
Scenic Pictures 05/04/07
By Frank Bingham
Ralph and I drove up to Courtney today [abt. 60 km North of Bowser] to go to Home Depot to get flower basket frames. On the way there and then returning we drove off into a rain forest on a dirt trail in 4 wheel drive. Once in the forest we gathered tree moss to make the flower baskets with. Attached are some of the pictures. they are: Trees in Bloom, Interesting store sign found along the way, Beautiful flower just growing in a forest clearing, The forest itself, and finally new plants coming up in a small clearing where sun light gets to the ground. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Picked Summer Work 05/04/07
By John Schmit
Seniority is paying off! This Summer's work will be the best yet. My schedule is changing for the better. From June 2nd until September 21st I'll have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. I will no longer be driving the small (and uncomfortable) van busses. All my work is in a 40 foot coach. My weekday work will be on a route I really like and my weekend work will continue what I have now, and like. The bonus is almost 5 1/2 hours of overtime built into each week. It will be a very nice Summer.

 
Baby Birds 05/03/07
By Susie Devries
I went to one of my favorite quilt shops today and was talking with Betty. Last year they had a Robin who decided to make a nest in the wreath on the front door of the shop. Very gingerly, they moved the wreath to a window so mama Robin could continue her nesting. She did, and had 3 babies. This year no Robin's made a nest. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Bella On Wheels 05/02/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I was getting ready for bed last night and after walking around in my walker, with Bella, I decided to take pictures of her. She is so funny as she rides on my walker seat most of the time when I'm walking. If she's not on top she's trying to play with the wheels while I'm moving - very hard for me to move while she's chasing the wheels. She is the best thing that has happened to me in years because she keeps me smiling and/or laughing all the time. She has grown so much more since I got her on 2/17 and the vet seems to think she's somewhere close to 10 months old by now.

I took the stroller out on the back porch just as my neighbor stopped by with my mail. We watched Bella go in and out of the stroller and I was able to snap pictures both ways. I thought I might be sitting there for hours to catch her doing this but she seems to love the stroller because when it's in the kitchen, she sleeps in it. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Morning Pictures 05/02/07
By Frank Bingham
I promised not to send lots of stuff but the attached pictures were a look at my morning here on the island. It was quite rainy last night and very cloudy this morning but that is OK. Ralph and I are going to drive up to Courtney, a nice town about 45 minutes North, and go to Wal-Mart of all places. So far all is well here. I am trying to see if this attachmant will go as the provider has allowed larger files now. Click here to see the pictures.

 
We've Arrived! 05/01/07
By Frank Bingham
Carol and I have gotten to our respective destinations without any serious matters arising. We left home yesterday at 3 A.M. and drove to Olympia, Wash. by last night late. The drive was fine as all three of us drove for a few hours at a time. We had a great time on the way. Somewhere far up North, this way, it began to rain and has not stopped since. It is no small wonder that everything is so green. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Going Away 04/29/07
By Frank Bingham
Carol and I are going on a new adventure up to Washington and Canada. We are leaving at 3 A.M. this morning driving with our friend Ralph and should arrive in Bellingham, Wash. about 10 o'clock on Tuesday morning. Carol is getting off in Bellingham to stay with her girl friend while Ralph and I are proceeding on to his house in Bowser, Vancouver Island, B.C. We did this last year also so in that respect this is a repeat. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Doug & Joni Visit 04/29/07
By Barbara Lawrence
All four of the kids went to a winery in Pittsburg yesterday (probably close to 35-40 miles each way). Deanna and I went there when she was here two years ago and the kids said that they REALLLLLYYYY enjoyed themselves while they were there.

Daryl & Jan got here about 9 a.m. this morning and Jan and Joni fixed breakfast for all of us which we ate on the back porch. Doug & Joni left at 10 a.m. so they would have time to stop at Dean's before they go to the airport. The thermometer on the back porch says it's almost 90 when I left the porch 1/2 hour ago. Daryl put the grout on the tile this morning so is taking the time to wash it all off the tile before it dries.

 
Promotion Celebration 04/26/07
By John & Cheryl Schmit
Last Tuesday evening we finally got to celebrate Cheryl's promotion. We had a special dinner out on the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train. We were seated in the City Of Renton dome car and had a large table to ourselves. It was nice to spend the relaxing evening together. After some wine tasting at the Columbia Winery, we walked through the gardens for a very romantic evening. Click here to see the pictures.

 

New to the Website! 04/26/07 By William Foster Hi! My name is William Foster. I am Susie Devries son. My wife's name is Christina and I have a two year old boy, Izaya and a six year old girl, Jasmine. I play on a dart league every Wednesday night and I love to hunt. I use both rifles and bow and arrow. This year I got a rabbit and a squirrel. They were very yummy! I'll be sending in stories and pictures to the website soon.

William Foster

 
Cottage Work 04/22/07
By Barbara Lawrence
Here are the newest pictures. Daryl & Jan just about did themselves in this weekend. I went to Lowe's first thing this morning and bought the paint I wanted. The pictures don't really show the true color but I bought the lightest beige I could get (had to have it mixed) as I wanted all white trim, accessories etc. The door and screen door were such a pretty white that I wanted a contrast in there and did not want all white. I bought a very light baby blue for the north and east wall of my bedroom but that will get painted on down the road a little. Daryl is ready to put the tile on the floor and will match what is in the bedroom. Then come the cabinets which all of us are waiting for. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Garden Pictures 04/21/07
By Frank Bingham
I am sending you a few more pictures of the garden production plus a photo of a extremely beautiful Hibiscus. Remember the tomato picture of the other day - well attached are the same tomatoes a few days later. It is amazing to me how fast these vegetables grow and ripen in the soil.

I'll pick the tomatoes today to have in a salad tonight. I have also included a couple of yellow squash pictures. The little squash plants were about the size of a saucer a couple weeks ago -- quite large. One photo shows the tiny squash forming. These will be ready to eat in a few days. Finally, There are two pictures of our Grape Fruit. One as it is picked and the other when sliced open. Slim and I ate the fruit and it was so juicy and sweet. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Weekend Time 04/17/07
By Susie Devries
It was great to be gone and away from every day life here in Little Rock. But at the same time it was great coming home too. I really did miss my husband, kids, grand kid and kitties. Everyone was happy to see me too, which made me feel really good. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Award Winner 04/16/07
By Lisa Lawrence
Andrew received two awards this morning at school! One for Student of the Month, and the other for Most Improved for second semester. We are so proud of him! Click here to see the pictures.

 
Cottage Work 04/15/07
By Barbara Lawrence
Here are pictures of what Daryl & Jan did this weekend with all the "mud" and taping. I also took a picture under the steps which is behind the kitchen sink wall. Daryl is going to make this into a closet and if a tornado comes, that's where I will go if I'm home. If a tornado hits, and the building falls in on me, they will know where to find me....... but I am rarely without my cell phone so that would help. I have to make this as fun because there is always the possibility of a tornado where we live - but rare. Next weekend is mowing as part of the work but it's supposed to be 82 by next Sat. so it will be a "hot" one to be mowing. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Bar-B-Que 04/14/07
By John Schmit
I spite of the few rain showers that moved through the area yesterday, I went ahead and cooked the chicken on the grill. Allen came over and we had a salad and baked beans with the meal. The season premier of SG-1 and Atlantis were on, so it was a big TV evening.

 
Thunder Storms 04/14/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I stayed at Daryl & Jan's last night, with Bella, because the storm was supposed to be so bad. The tornados were all south and west of us but were supposed to come further north which was too close for my comfort - therefore, Daryl's. Everything was fine here when I got home this morning except I had to reset the wireless. Daryl has inside work to do in the cottage but is planning on doing some more burning in the barrel also. We only had 1/2" of rain last night but sure could have used more.

 
Easter In Joplin 04/13/07
By Susie Devries
Have not been looking at the Family Web Site for a little while now. I've been in Joplin, MO. with my sister, Judie. We had a great time and the weather was everything from almost 80 all the way down to 19!!! It snowed, but didn't stick the night of April 5th. There was some light snow Friday too, but it was almost so light that you had to look at a dark spot to see if it was actually snowing! Everyone was saying we'd have snow for Easter. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Easter Weekend 04/12/07
By Heidi Schmit
Last weekend was an exciting weekend for me, My friend Justin and I went to Orlando to visit his family. We left Saturday afternoon from Tampa to Orlando, a trip that took only 1 hour and 15 minutes. We spent the evening with his parents, talking about everything from the military to his mom's sewing. We finally went to bed around 4 in the morning. We woke up around 9 am and got ready to go over to his sister's house where the festivities were being held.

We arrived at his sister's where I got the grand tour of her house and then met the rest of his family, like his brother-in-law and the rest of his brother-in-law's family who came from Nottingham, England. It was a smorgasbord of food and people having a great time. We finally left to go back home around 6pm to play Army again on Monday.

 
New Home 04/07/07
By Erin Lawrence
We found a home!! It's in Paso Robles. It's a 2 story town home in a gated community. It's almost 1400 square feet with a tiny back yard. Next door to us is the 'tot lot' play ground. Two streets over is the pool and spa. It's 2 minutes from the freeway so it'll be easy for Chris going to and coming from work. Click here to read the rest of the story.

 
Neighbors Roots Planted 04/06/07
By John Schmit
Our neighbors finished planting the rest of the street trees today. The nine trees represent the first long string of street trees in our complex. It was an investment of over $1000 for our small group. Along with the trees are support poles that will stay for at least one year. I had a great time working with both my neighbors on this project.

 
AirFest 2007 04/02/07
By Heidi Schmit
This weekend there was an Air Fest at MacDill Air Force Base for the first time since September 11. I had the chance to go on Sunday with my good friend Justin and his sister's family who live in Orlando. We arrived early and parked our cars at our work due to traffic and walked through the private entrance for military personnel only. We spent the whole day looking at all the different versions of fighter and cargo planes as well as helicopters. Around 3pm the Blue Angels came out and did a little show that really please the crowd. After a long day in the hot Flordia sun it was time to call it a day. By the way, we ALL got pretty sunburned. Click here to see the pictures.

 
Planting More Roots 04/01/07
By John Schmit
We planted more roots in our Northwest front yard today. We got together with our neighbors and joined in buying a total of nine Cleveland Select Flowering Pear street trees. Our two trees join our Himilayan Birch already there. Click here to see the tree pictures.

 
Cottage Drywall 03/31/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I asked Daryl if he could put a cabinet above the frig and he said yes but not now as he wants to get the room and shower done first. He is going to "tape and pucky" the walls tomorrow - I think. He and Jan are going to Lowe's in the morning to get paint and pucky so he can put the trim around the outside of the door. Click here to see the rest of the story and pictures.

 
Rain 03/31/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I just went out and checked the rain gauge and it showed a very scant bit under 3 inches just for last night during the night. Lots of lightning and thunder accompanied with heavy winds. The tornado watch just went to Sulphur Springs when I went to bed but I wasn't sure it would go further east during the night. All turned out well and the pond and stream are full again. Bella didn't like the storm at all and was so frightened she wouldn't settle down and during the night when the storm was the worst, she meowed real loud which woke me up before the storm did. All in all, it was some night!!!!!

 
Roger & Barb Visit 03/30/07
By Blanche Glaeser
The pictures from the visit have finally been developed. Roger & Barb came to visit in early February and Jumpy and I had a great time with them. The visit went by too quickly as we enjoyed each others company. Roger even spent some time working on my computer. Click here to see the pictures.

 

Promotion 03/26/07 By Cheryl Schmit Back in December I applied for a position in the Accounts Payable department at King County to be a Senior Accountant. I finally heard back from them in late February and went for an interview on 3/1. About a week later they made me an offer for the position and I accepted. Monday, 3/26 is my first day. Click here for the rest of the story and the pictures.

Cheryl Schmit

The Cat & The Cottage 03/25/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I started letting Bella be on my computer desk because it was easier than fighting her and also this desk will be the only place where she can see outside once I move to the cottage. Daryl had to mow all three properties yesterday so he was pretty busy. He did come back out somewhere around 3 p.m. but was working on the plumbing in the cottage.

Daryl said that Chris and his family might be here about 2pm. Daryl is working over here today and already has the old doors off their hinges (in the cottage) so he's now getting ready to do what he has to do in order to get the new door on. Click here to see Bella's pictures.

 
Family Pictures 03/21/07
By Susie Devries
Here are the new family pictures of Robert and his family, Janae, and Autumn. Also, here is my older son, William, and his wife Christina, Jasmine, and Izaya. Click here to see the pictures!

 
Move/Birthday Party 03/21/07
By Erin Lawrence
Well we accepted an offer yesterday on our house! It'll be a 30 day escrow. It's a full offer but they want us to pay closing costs. Apparently a week after we listed our house the guy around the corner dropped his price $40,000. Ian's birthday party is April 14th, Saturday. It's here at the house. Probably at 1:00. Also we are driving out to Texas to see Chris's Dad and Jan and Nana on the 23rd of March- this Friday. Click here for the whole story.

 
Cottage Work 03/18/07
By Barbara Lawrence
Here are a couple of pictures I took last weekend and two pictures I took today of the progress in the "cottage" and one of Bella asleep on her bear. Click here to see the pictures.

 

Autumn's Birthday 03/09/07 By Susie Devries Here are some pictures from Autumns 1st Birthday. Oh boy did she love her cake!!! Click here for the pictures!

Autumn McWilliams

Growing Belly 03/08/07
By Lisa Lawrence
New Picture of my growing belly... 26 weeks along now. Getting bigger everyday! Ray and I are getting married! Either April 28th or May 12th. We'll know for sure by the end of this weekend. New last name will be Torres. :)   Click here to see the picture.

 
Wildflowers 03/07/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I took this picture this afternoon (March 7) of some wildflowers in our yard in front of the back porch - and it's only the first part of March! Click here to see the picture.

 
Bella 03/02/07
By Barbara Lawrence
Bella sleeps on the foot of my bed on a huge towel during the day - if I'm in my bedroom. I let her use my small bear to play with but she likes to lay her head on it to sleep. Of course as soon as I moved, she woke up so I couldn't get the picture with her sleeping against the bear. It's amazing how well this cat has done from her spaying on Wed. - like she'd never had it done. Click here to see pictures!

 
Flowers 03/02/07
By Susie Devries
My one Daffodil bloomed. Also the Camellia bush is beginning to bloom. Just one month ago, we had a bit of snow on the ground. Nothing like Roger, but a bit!! :) Click here for the pictures!

 

Promotion 03/01/07 By Heidi Schmit Today there was a small ceremony outside where I received my Sergeants promotion. My unit was there including my Commander. Afterward they even had a cake. Tonight we party! Click here to see the pictures.

SGT Heidi Schmit

New Record Set 03/01/07
By John Schmit
Our family website has achieved a new record on the last day of February. We had 22 unique visits to the website on Wednesday. We generally average 17 to 18 unique visits a day. Last year about this time we had 7 to 9. It's great to see the wonderful participation.

 
 
Moving News! 02/26/07
By Erin Lawrence
About a year ago Chris told his upper management to let him know when a position opened up in the North District (we found out a position did open up up there and he wasn't told because his district doesn't want to lose him. Selfish ***tards, but looking back, it's o.k. because he wasn't ready then and you know that everything happens for a reason). Click here for the rest of the story.

 
Winter Trip 02/21/07
By Roger Schmit
We returned Sunday from our trip out to Green Valley Arizona, Las Vegas and Lake Havasu. We started in Milwaukee with the birth of our granddaughter, Lauren Simmons, on January 26th. Click here for the rest of the story and pictures!

 
Phone Pictures 02/20/07
By Robert McWilliams
Here are some new pictures I took with my phone. Click here for the pictures!

 
New Kitty - Bella 02/17/07
By Barbara Lawrence
I now have a new "baby" in my house. She is a short hair female with kind of a tabby coloring. She is a young kitten probably between 3-6 months old and came as a stray to Sheila's (the gal who brought the cat to me). Click here for the rest of the story and pictures!

 
New Pictures of Laney Rae 02/17/07
By Lisa Lawrence
One is her foot, you can see all the bones even in all the little toes. The other is her face, with her hands right below her chin. They are folded together. If you look on the top side of her face you can see her eye is open. She has grown a lot in the last month. She's over a pound now. We are both doing wonderful and I no longer have to see the specialist for preterm labor! The cyst that was on her brain is gone now, thank goodnesss and she is very healthy! Click here to see the pictures!

 
Promotion 02/16/07
By Heidi Schmit
It's been a long time coming but I finally made it to SERGEANT (SGT). Due to the reconstruction of the Army and the discontinue of the 25M series in the Air Force, the points required have gone down. I was promoted to SPC in 2001 and was promotable on 1 MAR 2003, exactly 4 years later I will be at SGT.

 
Baby News 02/13/07
By Lisa Lawrence
We found out the sex of the baby at the end of last month. They said there were some possible problems so I didn't want to write yet. We found out last week though SHE is in good health! Yes, it is a GIRL this time. Thank goodness beacause I am done. Three is just perfect. Everything is pink. She already has a quite a few outfits and 2 pairs of shoes. They are so cute. I could shop all the time for her. We are very excited.... and the boys can't wait. Chance reminds me all the time that I am getting big. :)

 
Amaryllis 02/11/07
By Cheryl Schmit
I bought an Amaryllis bulb in early November and planted it thinking maybe it would bloom by Christmas. The box said blooms would appear in 7-10 weeks. Mine took just a little longer.

Click here to read the rest of the story and see the pictures.

 
Job Update 02/05/07
By Allen Manese
Ha,

I can come home for lunch. I get a 1 hour lunch break for the first time in years. Going to love Fry's.

 
New Job! 02/04/07
By Allen Manese
Monday afternoon I start training at my new job, Fry's Electronics. My first interview was last Monday and I had a second one right after that. I had a third interview with one of the store managers on Tuesday after which they sent me to Bellevue to get my drug test. They called me late in the afternoon on Friday and told me to start Monday afternoon for training. They have me scheduled in the Appliance Department to start with.

 
Arkansas Snow 02/02/07
By Susie Devries
Snow in Arkansas! Click here to see these pictures.

 
Texas Snow 02/01/07
By Barbara Lawrence
It started snowing earlier this evening and the flakes were huge but it's now been snowing for over an hour. The temperature is still in the mid 30's but with the wind chill, it feels lower. Click here to enjoy the picture.

 
Michael Jr. Update 01/23/07
By Susie Devies
I think this will be the last update on Michael Jr. We took him in for a CT scan yesterday and he got the stitches out of the back of his head. All went according to plan. He was not the least bit happy at getting the stitches out, we had to hold his head still and oh boy he doesn't like that!!! Results of the CT scan will be available today (Tuesday 1/23) but I don't think the results will be negative. He is doing pretty good. Tough little boy that's for sure.

 
Space Fun 01/22/07
By Cheryl Schmit
From now until February 1, 2007, The Planetary Society is collecting names, which will travel to Mars on the Phoenix DVD. When the Martians of the future find and decode our message to them, your name will be there too, a permanent record of your part in the story of space.

Click here to add your name.

 
Update on Michael Jr. 01/16/07
By Susie Devies
Word on Michael Jr is getting better. He is being observed this week. Still has the EVD (drain tube) in his head. And it's still draining puss. YUCK! I spoke with a doctor on Sunday and he said that they want to observe this week. There is still a possibility that they will have to go in and remove the abscess as originally planned.

He gets Tylenol and morphine on a regular basis, has only the PIC line for an IV now and is back on regular feedings. Two different broad spectrum antibiotics of course. Until they figure out what is causing the infection, they are giving the broad spectrum medication so he's pretty well covered. Will keep you informed.

Susie

 
Michael Jr. Update 01/13/07
By Susie Devies
I've got some more good news on Michael Jr. He was released from the PICU Saturday and is now on the 4th floor in the ITU (infant/toddler unit) Doctors have removed one of his IV lines.

Click here for the rest of the story.

 
Michael Jr. Update 01/11/07
By Susie Devies
Good news concerning Michael Jr. He was in surgery for about an hour and a half today. Doctors were considering cutting out a portion of his skull and removing the abscess, but decided against that. Instead they drilled a small hole in his skull and put a drain in his head. It is in the back of his head and secured so the abscess will slowly drain. He will be in the hospital 3-5 days, in the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit).

Click here for the rest of the story.

 
Michael Jr. 01/11/07
By Susie Devies
Most all of you are familiar with the event's concerning the pre-mature birth of my grand-twins Chloe and Michael McWilliams. Michael Jr. is currently in the hospital and waiting for brain surgery today.

Click here for the rest of the story.

 
Another Storm 01/10/07
By John Schmit
I saw the big black clouds as I headed North on my trip from Factoria to Kirkland. This is normally a one hour trip. About half way through the trip the tiny hail started to fall. Down it came so fast that two blocks later the street was covered with the ice balls. This brought the early rush hour traffic to a crawl. Then the bigger hail hit as we listened to them thump the bus. Now the streets were turning to sheets of ice.

Click here for the rest of the story.

 
Eleven Days & Fifteen Hours 01/10/07
By Cliff Chamberlin
Most of you know that we and 1000's of people around us have been out of electircal power since Saturday morning - Dec 30 at 2am. The power came back on today at 5:25p, a very welcome relief. We ran a generator to keep the freezers and put our refrigerator stuff in clothes baskets, on the garage floor. Lost very little and no treasures, so the cold game worked just fine. The weather cooperated and did not get to cold, lows of 18 - highs of 40 at best.

Click here for the rest of the story.

 
Happy New Year 01/01/07
By Bill & Susie Devries
Dear Family and Friends;

Happy New Year! Hope all is well with all of you. Click here for the rest of the story.

 
Cook Book 01/01/07
By Cheryl Schmit
The addition of a Cook Book to the website has been a long time in the making. Each holiday seems to bring lots of phone calls asking each other for the family favorite dishes. I thought it would be a good idea to have a place where we could all share these recipes. I would like to encourage everyone to contribute your favorite recipes and if possible send along a picture. To visit the new pages, use the Cook Book link in the menu on the left.