Just for the beauty of it

These were in our yard, begging to be photographed. 

Are we there yet?

Jess learning the Hole Pie Gene from Aunt Melodie and her dad, Brian. We made 26 pies in 8 hours. 

Very interesting journey for Jess this year. Last summer she made a commitment to join a group of classmates on a trip to Washington, D.C. this spring. Since these economic times aren't the best for parents to be springing for jaunts to the East Coast, she knew she'd have to earn the money on her own. It's an expensive trip (especially for only 5 days!) but she wanted to try and we supported her wholeheartedly. 

She met her goal this month, just in time to make the last payment to ensure her spot. And it's been a great learning experience for her. She made a few missteps, making things harder than they had to be a few times, but mostly she thought things out and made good choices. 

We are all so proud of her. And now, thanks to Aunt Melodie, she knows how to bake killer cream pies. And let me tell you, pies are big in the Hole family. 

Jess in our winter wonderland yard

Bonnie Chronicles

Sigh.

I hope I don't give my family this much trouble when I get old.

Bonnie's epilepsy is under control, as is her weight and thyroid condition. For a 13-year-old small dog, she's in decent health.

She's also totally blind. Her cataracts have progressed to the point that she can't see a thing. How this manifests itself is odd -- besides walking into walls and standing in corners because she can't figure out how to get out.

She's a constant motion machine, like those electric cars that back up and go another direction when they bump into something. It's like she's constantly looking for something and can't find it.

We vacillate between amusement, sympathy and irritation dealing with her. All of the feelings (except the sympathy) make us feel guilty.

I feel like we're in an Old Dog Period of our lives. We just got done with a couple of tough years with Max, now it's Bonnie's turn. And in a few short years it will be 8-year-old Kodiak's turn.

It's tough, although probably not as tough as it is for them.
Just got to keep remembering that.

Autumn wrap-up

(front row) Leslie, Ruby, Sue, Gloria. (back) Susan, Terri, Mary, Julie, Syliva.

Enjoyed a very brief - one night- reunion with a bunch of The Girls up at Mt. Hood this October as well. Five of went to high school together and the remainder are various friends from the Portland area picked up from work or school or socially. Basically, all of us knew most of us there forever. 

Leslie, Jess, Josh and Brian at corn maze

And of course fall would not be complete without a visit to the corn maze. We've done this so many times we're going to have to go in blindfolded next year. Getting too easy.

Fall +apples=cider

Back to Methow this October for cider making. It was a good crop of red roans this year so we got some good tasting cider. It was a very kid-centric weekend; each of the three Hole grandkids invited a friend so there were six teenagers and only five adults. We were outnumbered. 

Grandpa Keith leads Jessica on a horse adventure

The roan tree gets tag-teamed by the whole crew

Cousins Jess and Shiori (rear) get a ride from buddies Kelsey and Shayla

Josh and buddy Sean were in teen boy heaven with all the old cars

Fall = Apples

Autumn was all about apples for us. This bounty was  from our tree in Redmond. Our single fruit tree has been a mixed blessing. Some years the harvest has been meager and some years we've neglected it woefully but this year was a bonanza of what we think are Jonagold's (we didn't plant the tree, came with the  house). 

So what to do when life gives you too many apples? Make applesauce!! Spent the better part of  a Sunday churning out more than  2 dozen jars of applesauce and only used half the apples. We love homemade applesauce but may end up giving away some apples before we get done. It's a lot of work. 

Fall Joshua Fest

The end of September is Birthday Hell Week in our house. They fall like dominoes: first Kristin, then Travis, then Josh have birthdays -- within only four days. 


This year, however, was fairly simple. Kristin was in school in Portland and Travis didn't want any kind of celebration (only money) so it was All About Josh. 


He had a big to-do with a bunch of friends, a sleep-over movie and game orgy. It's been years since he's had a friend party, by his choice, so it was nice to see him do it up big socially. 


The next day was still All About Josh, as he was turning 16, which I guess B's family does big. So family came from all over to fete Josh with a Sixteenaganza. Seems like every gift had some sort of 16 theme, most silly and fun. Josh seemed to get a big kick out of it. He didn't get a car for his birthday or an expensive game console or fancy clothes but he did get lot's of love and lot's of laughs. 

Meanwhile, back on the ranch...

Immediately after the Prineville camping adventure we headed up to the Methow Valley, where B's folks live, at least part-time. The homestead used to be an apple orchard, back when B's grandparents owned it, and now that his father and stepmom are there it is a ranch with horses and cattle, called...wait for it...Hole In The Wall Ranch.

Tara, Josh, B, Leslie, Jess

The first half of the week was quiet; we hung out enjoying the ranch and B gave us a tour of the notable spots surrounding the valley. We drove to Leavenworth (Auf Wiedersehen!) and saw cousin Tara, explored some of the scenic spots in the valley and spent the morning in Chelan, where Jess got her very first pedicure -- big moment.

Later in the week the whole fam damily showed up, Hole aunts/uncles and cousins with appropriate offspring. The kids went crazy riding on Stubby, the ranch's venerable go-cart, and ogling the horses. The adults drank a lot of beer, ate a lot and sat around visiting. Everyone was awed by the improvements made on the ranch over the past two years, it was glorious in all its irrigated glory. 

Can this thing go any faster?

Kenny, Jessie, Josh at Mach1

We're posting this in September because August was too crazy to find time for anything that required us to stand still more than 30 minutes.
Mid-month we headed to Prineville Reservoir, an hour's drive from our house, to spend a long weekend camping and boating. Also in attendance was Leah and Shiori (B's sister and niece), Melodie-Ken-Miranda-Kenny (B's cousin and family), and Dan & Clan (B's buddy from way back with accompanying family including sister Deb and good friend Deb).
It was a full weekend, centered mostly around the kids, who took to tubing like ducks to...well, you know.
Travis stayed home to work and dog-sit, saying he couldn't get time off, but in reality we know he melts when touched by water that's not coming from a shower head. He did have little adventure later in the month however, when he flew to New Jersey (he used a plane) to meet up with his friend D2, then drive ACROSS COUNTRY in three days. It's the most traveling he's ever done in his 20 years (TJ just celebrated his birthday as I write this), which is a shame because he didn't really see much. But it's something to say you did, I guess, and something most of us will never do.

Leah, Dan and B after a successful morning watersking

Bail, we're taking on water!

It feels like we've hardly had a weekend at home this summer, and indeed, we nearly haven't. In June we spent five days in Pacific City, just me and Brian -- kids were all too busy or, in the case of JJ, they were at their moms. So we had a peaceful, low-budget getaway, just what the doctor ordered. Practically all we did is read and hike in the woods or at the beach. Oh, we did make a side trip to Garibaldi, so I could visit the jetty were Mom and Jack's ashes were scattered. Very nice.

Then we headed to Salem for a newspaper publisher's convention. My boss was outgoing president so I thought I should be there. And it was great to visit with like-minded journalists - I suck at networking and never go out of my way to do things like that. While there I picked up an award for General Excellence for the Spokesman and a handful for my own work. Yeah, me!

Then we headed south to Gold Hill, to visit B's cousin Melodie and her family. Very lovely down there close to the border, I'd forgotten how nice and it was so much fun spending time with the Ealys and offspring. 

Most recently we spent a long weekend camping in Maupin, mostly for the rafting, with a large group. Brian loves the water sport, I go because I consider it a character-building exercise to face the things that scare the crap out of you. We were able to take a side trip to Tygh Valley to visit old family friends of Brian's that he hasn't seen in years. Those are the things you keep saying you'll do but you keep putting off. 

You shouldn't. 

Meet Frog Boy

We've had a Bugalicious summer so far! Besides the Mothers Day visit, we stopped in Portland to see Kristin at her boyfriend Dustin's birthday. It was great, they have some really great friends and they're all so talented. Then the two of them came to visit last week; we gave them a taste of high desert life -- went to the county fair, hiking (and bouldering) at Smith Rock and up to the Cascade Lakes.

We didn't take them to the famous Buckaroo Breakfast -- figured a cowboy-style shindig with sausage, eggs and flapjacks would be too much for tender vegans like them. They did, however, cook us delicious vegan enchiladas for dinner one night. Who knows, I may be convertible

ketchup whydoncha

Couple of red-letter days in June for the family. Josh and Brian ran a 5K -- Brian for the experience and Josh 'cause Brian told him to. Brian, of course, had a blast. Josh ran the whole way, said he never wanted to do another, but didn't waste anytime bragging about his accomplishment a little. As he should, not everyone can run more than three miles on a warm summer day. We'd like to think he'll keep up the physical fitness but at this point he prefers working out his thumbs, on the video games.

The other accomplishment was less dramatic, but no less important. This summer marks 18 months I've been hanging out with my knitting buddies, one of the few moments in my week I set aside just for me. I've come to treasure that time and miss it when things get too busy. Now if I can just figure out how to set aside time for fitness, as well. Maybe Josh and I should become workout buddies!

lph

Growing up

Yes, our Jessica graduated from 8th grade this June, impossible to believe. Here she is with Grandma-nana, looking every inch like the young lady she's becoming.

We took a day trip Fort Rock while Grandma was here, went hiking at Fort Rock and checked out the Boy Scout camp where Josh got a summer job.
It's all going by so fast; they are nearly grown.

Happy Mother's Day 2010

This year Mother's Day was active, rather than passive. I figured I could wait around for my kids to observe it, or not observe it, in the manner they chose. Or I could create my own destiny and plan my own special day.
Three guesses what I did (and the first two don't count)?
Drove up to Portland to meet up with Boo and Bug. We ate, we caught up, we got our nails painted and sat in the sunshine. Sunday we visited the Japanese Gardens, a brilliant idea except that every second person in Portland had the same idea so it was pretty crowded.
Sarah was just back from Rome and had numerous...Roman...stories to tell. Bug was feeling distracted but managed to enjoy herself (I think) and enjoyed being with mom (I hope).
Did I mention how I love Portland in the spring? Seems I luck out most of the time and get glorious sun when I visit.
Must have done something right.

Flashback one month

It was a season of birthdays for us this winter. In March we traveled up to Yakima to celebrate the 90th birthday of Brian's grandmother, Peggy (or Granny-Gram, as she is known to the immediate family, a tradition that sounded like stuttering to me -- I'm used to it now). Above are assorted members of the Brumbaugh branch of the family tree, pretty much everyone made it, which was really cool. Please God, let me be as healthy, alert and good-natured as Granny Gram when I turn 90.

Brian turned 40 this year and said what he wanted most of all was to spend time with family and friends. Knowing our house was too small and the other side of the mountains was more central to everyone, I rented a huge house at the beach for three days and we had an open house party, with more than 25 staying the whole weekend.

The event was notable for: mild weather, incredibly bad directions given by yours truly to pretty much everyone, an introduction to blues dancing, the ache in calves you get with three stories and way too much to do, one design and one veterinary student who managed to do homework among all the chaos, a constantly full coffee pot, and most of all wonderful loved ones who showed up to do tribute to Brian.

Flashback 2 months

Jason, Toby, Brian

In early February we had the chance to get back to Seaside, meaning we actually got back to the beach several times in the last year (our original goal when I moved to Central Oregon, a goal never realized by the way).

We were able to be there during Toe's introduction to a carousel. It was hysterical, he went from interest, to doubt, to fear, to terror.

We'll have to wait a bit to try again.

Flashback 3 months

Jessica Wynona

It wouldn't be a Troutehole holiday season without a serious day of sledding. As usual I sledded a little and photographed a lot.

It makes me uneasy - people weren't meant to go that fast!

Catching up- flashback four months

Kristin Nicole

It was a grand holiday. Both Kristin and Sarah (and her sweetie, Eric) were able to come to see us for several days. We ate, slept, opened gifts and played games. Oh, yeah, we watched movies too. What else do you need? Jess and Josh were able to join us at the tail end of our visit so it was a full and happy household. Plus, notice how beautiful my girls are?

Sarah Jeanne

Yes, this was our Christmas. Something like 5 degrees, with hoary frost everywhere. We eventually got so stir crazy we went for a walk in the canyon Christmas morning. It was actually enjoyable (and beautiful), except for the part when Sarah burned her mouth on tea from a too-hot thermos.

That sucked.