Michael Ryan Cardona 12/12/12
By Artie and Heidi Caardona
On Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 4:41 am, Michael Ryan Cardona joined us. He is a healthy, 6 lb 2.4 oz, 19 1/2 inch baby boy. He stayed at the hospital a few days to make sure all was well and is now home. Now the fun begins!
Click here to see the pictures.
Click here to see the video.
Renton Concert Band Christmas Concert 12/09/12
By John Schmit and Barbara Lawrence
Sunday afternoon we attended the Renton Concert Band performing their Christmas Concert. We really enjoyed the day - a different kind of day with a lot of laughing which is so good for all of us. The music was outstanding. The classical selections were very well done and the big band music had us rocking in our seats. Cheryl's friend, Mary Lowry, plays Tenor Saxophone.
12/11/12 - Added video sample of concert to picture page.
Click here to see the pictures.
Click here to see the video.
New Pictures 12/04/12
By Barbara Lawrence
Here are some pictures - two of Daryl's dogs and both my new frig and stove that were delivered today.
Click here to see the pictures.
Cookbook Update 12/04/12
By Barbara Lawrence and Cheryl Schmit
Two new recipes were added to the Family Cookbook. Barbara sent hers for Rum Pie and Cheryl submitted hers for Turkey Bone Soup. Check the Cookbook for more delicious items and don't forget to send in your favorites.
Holiday Bus 12/01/12
By John Schmit
The Holiday Bus is on the streets for 2012. Also known by many as the Christmas bus, a whole group of new passengers are enjoying the decorations this year. It's always fun to see the surprised look on the face as I open the door. Later this month we will have Candy Cane Day.
Click here to see the pictures.
Autumn on Turkey Day 11/24/12
By Susie Devries
Here are a couple pictures of Autumn onTurkey day, she was going to visit her Mama and Step Dad's family's for the day and then come back to my house. So we 'gussied her up'.
Click here to see the pictures.
Leftover Turkey 11/24/12
By Susie Devries
What do you do with the left over turkey, besides eat it till you can't look at it any more. I cut all I can off the bird and portion it, put in food saver bags, seal and freeze. I bet most of you do that too.
Click here for the rest story.
My Hero 11/11/12
By John & Cheryl Schmit
On this Veterans Day we honor those that have served and those that continue to serve.
Click here to see the video.
Fall Pasco Trip 11/06/12
By John Schmit
Last Sunday we had the opportunity to cross the Cascade Mountains and visit Artie and Heidi in Pasco, WA. The ride was great as the fall colors were at a peak. The weather was dramatic in the mountains and very nice on the other side. The kids new home is really taking shape with the new patio and the baby's room. Heidi is ready for this baby.... NOW!
Click here to see the pictures.
Halloween On The Bus 11/01/12
By John Schmit
It was a Halloween party on wheels last night. We had decorations, costumes, scary sounds and plenty of candy to go around. The passengers had asked to do something for Halloween, so we did. My friend Linda rode along and handed out the candy to all who rode. Here are a few pictures of last night event. Enjoy!
Click here to see the pictures.
Fall Color and High Tide 10/28/12
By Cheryl and John Schmit
Had a wonderful afternoon out with Mom today. Lunch at Applebee's then a ride to Des Moines pier.The tide was in and the trees were displaying beautiful fall colors.On the way home we stopped for a great view of the Kent Valley.
Click here to see the pictures.
Edgewater Hotel 10/05/12
By Barbara Lawrence
Darlene and I went with a group from the Senior Center today to the Edgewater Hotel and restaurant in downtown Seattle, on the water front. This hotel was built in 1962 and is very iconic because the Beatle's fished out of their rooms windows.
Click here for the story and to see the pictures.
Baby Shower 10/03/12
By Heidi Cardona
I had a great time at my baby shower on Sunday that a friend of mine hosted. I was really happy that Mom, Nana, and Lisa got to be there. There were about 14 people that came to the party. We played games and had cake. The men went target shooting and had a good time as well. That evening Artie BBQ'd some pork chops and we visited. We all had a great time!
Click here to see the pictures.
Connor in Honolulu 09/24/12
By Wendy McLaughlin
Connor just arrived Honolulu this afternoon to refuel and get the ship ready to deploy for parts unknown in the Middle East. He said the weather is beautiful, but other than that, quick call with no details.
He captured the shot I've attached as they were coming into port - nice picture of the USS Arizona Memorial in the background. We had the privilege of viewing this memorial a few years back, so I'm sure memories of our trip are flooding back as he approaches.
Safe journey Connor!!
Click here to see the picture.
Muckleshoot Casino 09/19/12
By Barbara Lawrence
Four of us gals went on Access bus tonight to the Muckleshoot Casino, in Auburn, to see "Society of Seven", a Las Vegas show that was originally started in Hawaii almost 30 years ago. The main people that started this show were Hawaiian but they've since added others to their group. They mostly stay in Vegas at the Riviera and I have to say, this was the best music show I think I've ever seen.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Connor 09/18/12
By Wendy McLaughlin
Well, some of you know my Mom and I went to San Diego Sunday to watch
Connor deploy on the USS Green Bay Monday morning. MANY tears, but quite
the site to see so many brave men and women embark on the same journey with
the same intent - to keep us all safe and help protect our freedom on this
wonderful country. Try to keep Connor and the rest of these Navy men/women
and Marines in your prayers, and I'll do my best to keep you in-the-loop
the best I can. They don't always share their whereabouts or plans, but
I'm hoping to get some information to post throughout the months. Here are some links about their deployment and some of the details about their journey.
About USS Green Bay
USS Green Bay 9/17/2012 - Flickr
Navy News Service
Another Flash From The Past - 2011 4th of July Weekend 09/12/12
By John Schmit
Finished another video from last year. The 2011 4th of July celebrations was one of the best. We blew up quite a few fireworks both Sunday and Monday. Arite and Heidi, Allen and Nana, and Lisa and Lexi joined us for a fun weekend. Enjoy!
Click here to watch the video.
Flash From The Past - Artie And The Eagle 09/03/12
By John Schmit
Here is another video from last year that needed finished. This one, called "Artie And The Eagle" is from July 3, 2011 and was at the start of our 4th of July holiday celebrations. Enjoy!
Click here to watch the video.
A New Project 08/31/12
By Susie Devries
I am learning how to Machine Applique. I got a new sewing machine about 6 weeks ago that has "90 unique built in stitches". It will also machine embroidery letters, numbers, punctuation and symbols. I'm taking a class at our Local Quilt Shop, {LQS} One class every month. Each month is a different block, using different stitches and techniques. When all is said and done, these blocks will make a quilt top 85" x 93"!! That is by far the biggest project I will have attempted yet. To do it all at once would be so intimidating for me, I doubt I'd get far. But doing one block a month will make it much less intimidating for me. I hope it comes out as pretty as I think it will. This was the first block I have done. Its far from perfect, but maybe, with a little luck, I will get better as time goes on. Ya Think?
Click here to see the picture.
Baby N Me 08/29/12
By Heidi Cardona
Here is a video of a compilation of Ultrasound visits.
Click here to watch the video.
The New (Incomplete) House 08/26/12
By Judie Riggen
I thought you might like to see the latest pictures of the house. It's coming along, but we are still 6 or 8 weeks from the finish line. Still it's beginning to look like a home.
Click here to read the rest of the story and see the pictures.
Summer Is Over 08/20/12
By Susie Devries
Summer is over, today is Autumn's first day of 1st Grade. Wow, how is that possible? It has been a horrible hot summer and thankfully Mother Nature finally decided to be nicer to us and give us double digits that begin with 8 instead of triple digits!! What a nice change.
Click here to read the rest of the story and see the pictures.
Connor 08/09/12
By Wendy McLaughlin
Here are some pictures of Connor while on their 3-week practice tour
(COMPTUEX) off the coast of San Diego getting ready for the big send-off in September. In the group photo, Connor is in the front/middle looking like a very proud Navy Gunners Mate!
Click here to read the rest of the story and see the pictures.
Camera Fun 08/05/12
By John Schmit
Here is a video of our recent check of Cheryl's new camera. We did have a lot of fun.
Click here to watch the video.
Palm Springs Tram 08/01/12
By Frank
Our grand daughter Lauren (age 17) has been visiting for the last few days out here with us in the desert. She has had a great time swimming, cooking, shopping with Carol and reading. Yesterday she and I took the Palm Springs Tramway from the desert floor to the top of the lower mountains for the day.
Click here to read the rest of the story and see the pictures.
The Graduate 07/30/12
By John Schmit
Last month we visited with Artie and Heidi. While there we took some time to celebrate her graduation from St. Leo University with a Masters degree. Heidi could not attend the graduation ceremony and we wanted to enjoy pictures of her in her cap and gown. Enjoy!
Click here to watch the video.
Snoqualmie Pass Area 07/27/12
By John Schmit
This last Sunday we went to check out the Snoqualmie Pass area. We started at Denny Creek and worked our way over to the Alpental ski area beneath Snoqualmie Mountain. There's a great waterfall coming down from the 6100 foot peak there. We took many pictures of Keechelus Lake. The area around Hyak had many roads to choose from. We also went around to the dam and looked back north toward the pass area. Yes, there's still some snow up there. It was a bit cool and there was a nice breeze.
Click here to see the pictures.
Museum Of Flight 07/25/12
By Barbara Lawrence
I had my appointment with the gal at the museum at 1 p.m. and she wants me to volunteer. Security took my picture etc. and then I went outside and waited for a bus to bring me home. I had a ball watching all the air traffic landing and taking off. A lot of small to bigger corporate jets and they weren't really doing touch and goes but were landing, waiting about 5 min. or so and then taking off again. There weren't too many private planes though. There was an Air Berlin jet (older but not old) that landed and he took off again after about 10 min. There was an old TWA plane (probably a DC 3 because it sounded so different) that came in and then took off again. I was in 7th heaven sitting there watching all the air traffic.
Click here to see the pictures.
50th Wedding Anniversary 07/20/12
By Frank
Carol and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary by driving up to Carpinteria and staying in our favorite motel for a few days. Carpinteria is about 200 miles north of Palm Springs, on the beach, just below Santa Barbara.
Click here to read the rest of the story and see the pictures.
Arties Extension 07/19/12
By Artie and Heidi Cardona
We are also proud to announce that Artie has been extended for an additional 120 days so that he can be here for the birth of his baby. He is still scheduled to go to Korea afterwards though for a year. We are still hoping that his follow on assignment from Korea will be Ft. Huachuca, AZ where his side of the family is located. Wish us luck!
Flash From The Past - Coming Home 07/11/12
By John Schmit
Catching up with some videos from last year that needed finished. This one, called "Coming Home" is from August 6, 2011 and our trip back from Cheney, Washington. Enjoy!
Click here to watch the video.
Pink and Yellow Roses 07/05/12
By Cheryl Schmit
Came home from work and found some pretty color in the back yard. Just can't let these go without sharing.
Click here to see the pictures.
Announcement 07/03/12
By Artie and Heidi Cardona
Arthur Cardona and I have an annoucement to make.....Drum roll please.... We are 14 weeks 2 days pregnant with a healthy baby!!!! :)
Click here to see the picture.
Autumn's Haircut 07/03/12
By Susie Devries
I took Autumn home Sunday evening with long hair. I picked her up today, Short Hair!!! It's just too cute so I had to share!!!
Click here to see the picture.
Doug & Joni's Northwest Adventure Part 6 07/02/12
By John Schmit
The south end of the Puget Sound. Lunch at Anthony's and antique browsing in Port Orchard. Relaxing on the ferry back to Seattle. A nice ending to a great week. Last of the series.
Click here to watch the video.
Tri-Cities Turnaround 07/01/12
By Cheryl Schmit
We decided to make a quick trip to see Arti and Heidi in Tri-Cities. Along the way I gave my little camera some exercise. It was a picture perfect day.
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Doug & Joni's Northwest Adventure Part 5 06/25/12
By John Schmit
Headed east to see the Falls, do some shopping and visit the casino. Had a nice, surprise visit and party in the evening.
Click here to watch the video.
Doug & Joni's Northwest Adventure Part 4 06/18/12
By John Schmit
Downtown Seattle in one day. Sightsee, shop, have lunch and get some fish to take home!
Click here to watch the video.
Doug & Joni's Northwest Adventure Part 3 06/11/12
By John Schmit
On this day we went to Vancouver, Canada for lunch. We stopped at Peace Arch Park and the Vancouver Planetarium. An interesting, relaxing day.
Click here to watch the video.
Fun Day 06/10/12
By Cheryl Schmit
We had a really fun day out and about. Enjoyed the water and the beautiful sky. Even The Mountain looked good!
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Lemoyne Star 06/05/12
By Susie Devries
I am contemplating making a quilt using this star. It's called a Lemoyne Star. I put the boarder around it just cause I was messin around to see if I could actually accomplish the silly thing.
Click here to see the picture.
Doug & Joni's Northwest Adventure Part 2 06/04/12
By John Schmit
The second video of Doug and Joni's visit is now posted. We continue our fun with a visit to the Seattle Center. There we toured the Space Needle and enjoyed the Pacific Science Center.
Click here to watch the video.
Memorial Day 05/28/12
By John Schmit
We celebrated Memorial Day by taking the opportunity to enjoy all the flags at a local cemetary. They had a nice tribute to our fallen heros.
Click here to see the pictures.
Doug & Joni's Northwest Adventure Part 1 05/28/12
By John Schmit
The first video of Doug and Joni's visit is now posted. We had so much fun while they were with us. Check out the begining of the adventure as they shop and taste a little wine.
Click here to watch the video.
Autumn's Graduation 05/23/12
By Susie Devries
Autumn has graduated kindergarten and is thrilled about going to first grade. She, and all her class mates are disappointed that Mrs. Hawkins is staying in Kindergarten. The ceremony was held at First Baptist Church in Sherwood and the church was nearly full. Along with her 'diploma' Autumn also got a certificate for perfect attendance for the last 9 weeks of school. We are all proud of her.
Click here to see the pictures.
Bill's New Digs 05/21/12
By Susie Devries
As many of you already know, Bill was laid off February 6. I knew the world as I knew it was ending right then and there. What about our house? What about my truck? What about our responsibilities? Good news is he was hired and began a new job May 14. He is working for Fed-Ex, at corporate headquarters, auditing airplane parts manuals. He will be living in Memphis TN. and commuting on weekends. Sometimes I will be in Memphis, sometimes he will be in Little Rock. He is in a nice area of town, called Kirby Station, about 20 minutes from his work. 15 min in good traffic, 35 in bad. I've taken a few basic pics. Hope you enjoy them. A little drab for me, but hey---he's a guy, he doesn't care about color!!! LOL
Click here to see the pictures.
Doug & Joni's Northwest Adventure 05/06-12/12
By John Schmit
What an awesome vacation week we had. Doug and Joni came and spent six days with us. Mom joined us on many of the adventures as we played tourist. There was so much to show them. We went all over the Seattle area. They brought their passports and we even took a trip to Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Allen came over to run the barbecue and we had a special visit with Wendy that night! Good food, good wine (and beer) and good company added up to a wonderful week.
Click here to see the pictures.
Strawberry Pickin' 05/07/12
By Susie Devries
Over the weekend we took Autumn to the 'Strawberry Farm'. We did not go until later in the day and it was hot. Autumn had a great time. She loved picking strawberries. She was not so excited about the cleaning and cutting up. I think she ate as many as we picked!!! After the 'big pick' we climbed into my truck, cranked up the a/c, downed some cool water and then went to Western Sizzler for lunch. It was a great day.
Click here to see the pictures.
Walmart Bus (Part 2) 04/30/12
By Barbara Lawrence
We took the Walmart bus today and as we got on, it wasn't raining but as soon as the bus started up, here came the rain. When we got off at Walmart, it wasn't raining but all the time we were in the store it poured. When the bus came back to pick us up we got on with a tiny bit of mist in the air and as soon as we started up, RAIN and then some. We got home and no rain. One of those lucky days.
Click here to read the whole story and see the picture.
Walmart Bus 04/23/12
By Barbara Lawrence
This Walmart bus is brand new, holds 20 people and it does have a lift towards the back and also very comfortable with a/c and we really needed it today. There is a gal, Jackie, and the bus driver - Jackie acts like a hostess and is a regular employee of the Federal Way Walmart. The Home Office of Walmart asked her if she would like to do this with the bus and she jumped at it as she's worked for Walmart for 16-1/2 years.
Click here to read the whole story.
National Aviation Weather link 04/21/12
By John Schmit
Frank sent us a great link to a NOAA weather page that gives current aviation style weather for many cities across the USA. Try holding your mouse over your favorite place!
Click here to see the page directly.
Stump Removal 04/14/12
By John Schmit
Artie and Heidi came early for Easter weekend. They came to rmove the stump from our fallen Birch tree. Artie put in a lot of effort and there were some very funny moments. A very good job and nice cleanup. Cheryl took some very good video. Check out her work!
Click here to see the video.
Easter 04/08/12
By John Schmit
We had a great Easter this year. Artie and Heidi, Nana and Allen joined us for the day. Lots of munchies and Heidi's special salsa. Cheryl made a delicious pork roast for dinner. Later we gathered around the fire pit to enjoy some smoke. Just a lot of fun. A special thanks to Cheryl for making sure some pictures were taken. Enjoy!
Click here to see the pictures.
Message Center Problem 04/09/12
By John Schmit
We seem to have a problem with the Quick Message Center. I have reports that it is not accepting input from people using Internet Explorer. I am researching the problem and hope that the company that provides the service will correct it soon. It seems to work on some other web browsers. If you are using Internet Explorer and it works for you, let me know. Thanks!
Autumn and Her Flowers 04/08/12
By Susie Devries
Here are some pics of Autumn and her Papa building her a planter over the weekend and as she was planting her flowers. She had great fun operating the drill. If Papa tried to help, she would look at him and say "I got this Papa". It's a big planter, 2 ft square. She now has it loaded with dirt, (her and I did that job) and her flowers planted. She has petunias, sweet william, marigolds and moss roses, all of which she picked out special. What fun we had. Don't look at the old lady in the pics. I have no clue who she is!!! Boy was I a tired gramma!
Click here to see the pictures.
Easter Breakfast 04/07/12
By Barbara Lawrence
We had a great free breakfast at our yearly Kiwanis Easter breakfast held in the Senior Center - scrambled eggs, ham, biscuits & gravy (I asked them if I could have my biscuit without gravy), orange juice, a small dish of fresh fruit and all the coffee anyone could drink.
Click here to read the whole story and see the pictures.
Cascade Mountains Drive 03/25/12
By Barbara Lawrence
WOW, what a great day. We took a wonderful ride through the Cascade Mountains to see the snow. We had never been in the mountains while snow was on the ground. What a sight!
Click here to read the whole story and see the pictures Cheryl took.
Red Neck Hot Tub 03/21/12
By Susie Devries
Yes, we are true hillbillies now. We have a Red Neck Hot Tub!! Autumn gives her seal of approval!!! We got a bunch of rain, and the little flower thingys that fall off the oaks had built up in the bed of the truck. Then the rain came! LOL
Click here to see the pictures.
Vegas Visit 2012 03/5-9/12
By John Schmit
We had a great time in Las Vegas. A visit with Mom, shopping, playing tourist and just plain relaxing. It was fun to get away and good to be back. Enjoy these highlights of our trip.
Click here to see the video.
Renton Concert Band 03/18/12
By John Schmit
It was a lot of fun to see and hear the Renton Concert Band again. This time it was their Spring Concert. Cheryl's friend, Mary Lowry plays Tenor Saxophone. Turn on your speakers for a sample of the band music.
Click here to see the pictures and hear the band.
Tree Cutting 03/01/12
By John Schmit
Planted on Thanksgiving in 2004, this Himilayan Birch became known to us as "The Thanksgiving Tree". Each year whoever was with us at Thanksgiving would stand in front of the tree and we'd all have our picture taken. Over seven years the Birch has stood proudly in our front yard as our 'first' tree. This year the ice storm in January was too much for it to bear.
Click here to see the video.
Lisa's Visit 02/25/12
By Barbara Lawrence
What a FANTASTIC day we've had.... We left here this morning and Lisa drove to Seattle (per Cheryl's instructions) to where Cheryl works and we picked her up a little before 10. She sat in the front seat and told Lisa how to find a parking structure.
Click here to read the whole story.
Click here to see the pictures.
Cardona Seattle Visit Video 02/15/12
By John Schmit
The Cardona Seattle Visit video has been added to the Video Menu page. Check out this fast paced visit to some of Seattle's best features.
Click here for Video Menu.
Autumn's New Glasses 02/09/12
By Susie Devries
It's been a couple weeks but Autumn now has glasses. This is the first time I've been able to get a picture of her. I wish my first pair of glasses were as cute as I think hers are. She is farsighted.
Click here to see the pictures.
Signs Of Spring 02/04/12
By Susie Devries
Here are a few signs of spring in AR. I don't know what the little yellow flowers are. Mini Dafodill? That plant comes up every year, this is the first year I remember it blooming. The tall skinny green things are shallots or garlic. The short green ones are some kind of lily. And theres a picture of my broccoli growing!! The bulbs in the planter out front are Paperwhites. It's supposed to be around 70 on this first Saturday in February. I think spring is here in AR.
Click here to see the pictures.
Snow 01/18/12
By Artie Cardona
As of midnight this morning there was no snow on the ground, just wind blowing constantly on my new fence. At around five this morning there was no mistaking that the snow was everywhere. Now, we are experiencing more snow, on top of snow and a chance of an avalanche coming down off of the front door.
Click here to see the pictures.
New Tool Chest 01/17/12
By Susie Devries
Guys have tool chests for tools. Us quilting gals have tools too, we need tool chests too. So I took my self out to Harbor Freight and got me one. 11 drawers, locking wheels, locking drawers! Perfect for what I need. Sewing machine can fit in the bottom. The drawers can lock, and that makes me a happy camper. When we have a bbq and little ones, I'm always worried that one will get in the shop and get one of those rotary cutters. Those things are super sharp. Now they have their own top lockable drawer!! I can put every dangerous thing, sewing machine, pins, needles, seam rippers, rotary cutters, all in the chest, lock it and not have any worries.
Click here to see the pictures.
Fence & New Truck 01/16/12
By Artie Cardona
Here is the new cedar fence that we just put and the new truck to go and pick up more pickets with. We still need to pick up 200 more pickets to finish the other side. Got the truck just in time for the winter storm that is approaching.
Click here to see the pictures.
My Newest Quilting Project 01/15/12
By Susie Devries
Here is my newest quilting project. It's called the Lil Twister Christmas Tree. The top is done, now it has to get a back and quilted. Pretty nifty little tree huh!! My cat, Ralph, was checking it out too!! Possibly wondering where the presents were.
Click here to see the pictures.
Some Christmas pics of Autumn 01/03/12
By Susie Devries
Here are a few pictures of Autumn getting her hair curled and her new Christmas dress. Also some pics of Robert and his little girl.
Click here to see the pictures.
New Years Day Pictures 01/01/12
By Frank & Carol B.
The heat of Summer has gone, Fall came to cool things down and now Winter is here in Palm Springs. Our Winter is some of the best times of year for us. Everything is so bright and refreshed from the sprinkles we got earlier in the Fall. The flowers are in full bloom and the fruit trees are brimming over with fruit. Most of the fruit has been ripe for a while now so Carol and I eat all we want. Its nice and will stay this way until mid May when Summer comes back.........
It is a bit over 80 degrees today (1/1/2012) with no wind just warm beautiful sunlight streaming down. I have to say I really love this but at the same time both Carol and I miss the snow of Durango, Colo. and our old home there out in the country. I have attached a few pictures that I took a few minutes ago in my back yard.
Best to all of you and the family who may read this letter.
Click here to see the pictures.
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