The O's Have It

Tuesday, August 07, 2018

Pinterest and Instagram have kind of taken over my blog time and posts lately. But since a lot is happening that I want to keep track of, I am going to blog again. It's fitting that the wallpaper background is just right for this time of year again. I won't have to change it.

We are building a home in Cowley , Wyoming. It is a semi-Craftsman style but more eclectic. I didn't want to get caught in the "have to decorate" in this style but I like the componants of Crafstman. It will be about 3000 square feet, all on one level except for the storage and extra room above. As I age, I think of all the things I want for a house in the future, such as all drawers in the kitchen so I won't have to bend down or do a headstand to find my pots and pans. The doors are wide as are the halls in case one of us needs a wheel chair in the future. There are only 2 steps to get up into the house and no basement so I don't have to do stairs. We will be living right next door to my Mom and Dad so I can keep an eye on them as they are both 85 and may need a little help sooner or later.

The outside will be Hardie plank for very low maintanence, and most will be already prepainted. The shingles have a 25 year warranty. Wyoming has low property taxes, and right next door is Montana which has no sales tax so we can save a lot on a retirement salary. The only thing that puts a fly in the ointment is that I don't want to live there full time. It gets cold in Cowley....really cold at times. -30 is typical and sometimes a little lower. Here it is +36 so there is a big difference. We will live in the house we are in until the Cowley house is finished and then probably sell the one we are in and get a smaller house near the Utah kids and Grandkids. Who knows, Shon and his family might get a transfer here too some day.

Here are a few photos of the house getting built.

Friday, October 11, 2013

I don't know why I have not posted this blog entry. It has been on preview mode for weeks...OK months. I haven't blogged in a while either for some strange reason, since I like to do it as a sort of journal for me. Let's just say, I am starting again and I hope you do too. I see some of my friends and family that have blogs, haven't been blogging either. I truly enjoy hearing about your lives and the "life happens" moments. I know it takes time, but let's get going again. I like Instagram and Facebook but it is less personal and passes all too quickly.

Anyway, here are some photos of our trip to Wyoming. We took Colett and her girls Isabelle and Millie with us and Amy and Wes and their kiddos went to. We got to visit with my parents, our friends in Wyoming and my siblings. I cherish these things so it's nice to have some of those moments in photos. I don't have a camera right now so these are all just camera photos. Not the best, but not the worst.

This is a creek by 5 Springs at the base of the mountains that we love and have been to so many times. I want my back yard to look like this and to sound like this.

When we were in the Big Horn Mountains, Emerson looked up and thought that the mountain looked like a bear. Well of course it does. It even has a mouth and and eye. I had never noticed this before. Leave it to a little child to notice those things.

Here is a photo of myself, my daughter Amy, my daughter Colett and my sister Margaret. We are at the parade for Pioneer Day.

My cousin Ed WIllis and his son Kole.

My friend Maurine, my friend Brenda and her husband Randy (my adopted little brother) and my real brother Greg. I keep telling him to lose the beard because he is hiding his really handsome face, but it hasn't worked.

My daughter Amy, my hubby Wayne, my daughter Colett and her two daughters Isabelle (12) and Millie (9) and last but not least my "special" son in law Wes, who more than once has done this pose when I take a photo. He's lucky I didn't crop him out.

My tiniest grandchild Era (age 1) and Emerson (age 5)...and in the background, the little photo bomber Millie

My nieces Lucy and Natalie and my nephew Ben, throwing candy

The whole gang

I will do part two later this week when I get all my photos organized. That has been a chore project this past week but I think I am seeing the end.

Monday, June 24, 2013

I Love to Travel

If I had it my way, I would be traveling someplace every month. I want to (some day) go overseas, but until then I love traveling to places I have never been in the good old U.S.A. It amazes me how different the topography and the floral and fuana can be in just a couple of states over, up or down.

We recently returned from a trip through Idaho, Washington and Oregon. We went through miles and miles of growing wheat, beets, potatoes, onions, corn, safflower, garbonzo beans, and of course, sage brush. Spring is a nice time to travel while the temperatures are lower and the hills are green. It made me reflect on just how much Heavenly Father loves us. This is still the best country in the world. We are a great nation and we have the ability to feed nations. This trip also fed my soul and I better appreciate this world of ours. I got too used to hearing negative press about people, places and things. I got so I wouldn't watch the news. This trip was a let down of that negativity for me and gave me a renewed hope for our country in so many ways.

We saw these beautiful flowered hillsides above, surrounded by pine trees below. That's a little different from what I am used to. It's usually the tops of the mountains covered in pines and farmer's fields below.

We saw old mansions that were restored or kept up, as opposed to homes that are new and are 90% are stucco like mine. It was refreshing.

We visited cities with diffrerent architecture, climate, and art venues.

City parks

Someone's idea of big old butterfly statue and I like it.

Hotels that have hosted presidents, poets and history making pioneers

The Columbia River Gorge where barges and tug boats operate as if it was the ocean instead of a river.

Museums about the Lewis and Clark expedition

"Old" reminders of where we came from... (the car) not my model

A reminder of how far we have come in medical science

How important our railroads were and are to us. This shows Wayne on top of the gorge.

the middle

and down below

I'm not opposed to a great motel room either and this was the view from ours in Sun River, Oregon.

This was the deck off our room which contained two rockers like this. We could just sit and look at the view and pretend, yes I said PRETEND, that we are getting old and rocking away on our porch.

Wayne got to play 2 of the 3 beautiful golf courses surrounding Sun RIver Lodge, one of which is a PGA course with white sand, baby eagles, water everywhere and which he played one of his best games since taking up the sports 40 years ago.

Our room also had little silly ammenities like extra TP in a bag.

And included cotton balls and swabs.

There was a resort village about a mile away which I walked to a couple of times, bought some books, had lunch and window shopped while Wayne golfed. The good thing about this is: I made it back to my room. Those who know me, know that I don't have the homing gene in my body and can get lost very easily. I usually have to hunt for my car in a parking lot. I did have to stop a couple of times and backtrack once but got back without incident. I knew when I found the walking tunnel, I was almost home. Whew!!

The walking tunnel

This was home for a few days.

I don't know what they are but they were gorgeous

The fireplace in our room

The front deck

The refrigerator is behind those doors.

We went to a couple of banquets that were to die for. This was the centerpiece at one table. I thought it was simple and clever. The food had everything from salmon, steelhead, steaks, chicken, ribs etc. and all the sides and desserts you could ever eat. Catered food is not always that good but this one riveled the best I have ever had. I thought for sure I would gain 5 pounds before we got home but at the end I had gained 4 ounces.

OK, it's not like I am an over busy person with trials and stresses that I needed to get relief from. I am the first to admit that I have a pretty good life. So what's wrong with that? We got away, we ate, we played we saw and I want to do it again.