Mexican Christmas & Californian New Year!!

A wonderful Christmas vacation beginning in Mexico.....the Grand Mayan Palace located on the Riviera Maya just south of Cancun. Wonderful weather....swimming, delicious food, sight-seeing, snorkeling, beaches-equal a marvelous time!!!


Mayan Ruins tour....Chichen-Itza. Lots of history....which Amador ate up!!!!


Lots of gekkos and iguanas-everywhere!! This one was the king of all iguanas!!


Pools were like one big lake surrounding the resort-all connected. Very cool water so night swimming was chilly!!


On to California!! Spent a day & part of another at Universal Studios-we were on the go all the time and extremely exhausted by end of the day!! Had a super fun time!!

While in San Diego, we met my cousins,on the Holland side,for dinner to catch up after not seeing each other for several years!! Was a GREAT time!! Amador, Lisa & the girls met up with Amadors brother, Adam & his family and they joined us to go to Sea World.


Sea World!!!!


Awesome Christmas whale show! All music for the show was traditional Christmas hymns. Very beautifully done...all live music.


Caught on camera!!


New Years Day in Disneyland!!! Hannah & Savanna at Mad Hatters Tea Party!


Minnie Mouse....can't go to Disney without seeing Miss Minnie!!


There really IS a Santa!!!!


It's A Small World.....Gary & Amador's FAVORITE Disney ride!! Lit up so beautiful at night!!


HAPPY NEW YEAR......2010!!!!!!!

Memories.....Grandpa's barn

This is our "little red barn". I love our little barn and I can't help but think about my Grandpa's barn almost every time I look at it! I half expect to go back in time when I open the door to our barn. Not that Grandpa's barn was anywhere near the size of ours-the barn on the farm was huge. It WAS red and shaped like our little one is though!! I believe it may have been built in the late 1800's by my Great Grandfather. I was told it caught on fire and burned down once, then was rebuilt, but I do not know details-will have to get the history on the barn sometime. My cousins and I played in the hayloft-the boys built awesome tunnels throughout the hayloft. It was amazing fun!! The cows were milked in the barn-I can still remember the barn smell....sweet milk, cows and manure!! I was always fascinated by the barn and the farm activities in that old barn!! The family farm was eventually sold and as the years went by, the old barn aged and begin to deteriorate. Gradually its roof sloped in and it was one day leveled. When I traveled back to Minnesota, I took my family to the farm to see where their great-great (and even another great for MY grandaughter) grandparents had lived. The barn was no longer standing and I felt a saddness to see the empty spot where the big old red barn had proudly stood for so many years. We made many wonderful memories on the farm - I miss you Grandpa and Grandma....someday I will see you again!

Football...Seattle Seahawks game at Qwest Field

Qwest Field...October 11th, 2009



Seahawks mascot.....Blitz



Blitz bringing the team out of the tunnel onto the field.





What a great time we had....an exciting game to go to!! Seahawks defeat Jacksonville Jaguars at Qwest Field, 41 to 0! Matt Hasselbeck threw for 41 yds and 4 touchdowns....Gary & I had a great time together!! We can never go to a Seahawk game and not think about Jeremy-he loved the Seahawks and would have LOVED this game!! We miss you, Jerm!

Las Vegas Trip-October 2009

Spent a week in the Las Vegas,NV area-went to some evening shows and out to dinner at wonderful restaurants. The weather couldn't have been more wonderful! Sun, sun and MORE sun!!! During the day we drove to several "touristy" places and had an awesome time everywhere!



Decided to go to the Grand Canyon and on the way we stopped at Hoover Dam-they are building a new bridge which you can see in the background so that cars will no longer travel over the dam but "above" the dam. It is amazing to see how they are constructing the bridge!







Arrived late in the day to the Grand Canyon so our first glimpse was pretty much in the dark. Still was breath taking but the pictures did not turn out so well! Not having been to the Grand Canyon before, we were both awestruck by the majesty and beauty of the canyon. Would love to go back again!



One last day trip-just outside of Las Vegas is the Red Rock Canyon. You take a scenic drive thru the canyon. Many people were hiking and some rock climbing. Was again, a wonderful day!

Hannah's 14th Birthday!!

September 2009....the "birthday girl"!!



Fourteen Years Old....how have the years passed by so quickly?!?! Our grandaughter is a lovely young lady....Happy Birthday, Miss Hannah...you are loved so very much!!

Labor Day Wknd Campout 2009

No matter where we are....the neices want to run a race with Gt Uncle Gary!!






Savanna and Grandpa having a stare-down!





Hannah helping to prepare dinner.


















Finally we all get to go camping together....NO sunshine.....just cold, rain, and wind!! Could see our breath even!! The only time we felt warmth was when we loaded up into the car and headed to Cl Elum and went out for lunch one day!!!! People kept leaving but NOT us, no siree.....we stuck it out!! Played games, took naps and and tried to stay warm when we could get the fire to burn good!! Grandpa & Grandma Nelson came up to visit one day and then Malachi, Cathy and Rob & Meegan and all their kids came by on their way to pick blueberries to say hi!! Of course the neices all wanted Uncle Gary to race them again!! Inspite of being soooo cold and almost getting flooded out a couple of times, we had a fun time being together!!

Annual Republican Party Picnic

Our chuckwagon cook, Bob Ottmar & assistant Randy Russell...
mmmmmm....ribs were sooooo goood!!!



Dorothy Weitzel
Dad and Mom-Ed & Kitty

Angus Lee, Chuck Yarbro, Chuck Yarbro Jr & Gary






Picnic Crowd and Grant County Republican Chairman Tom Dent





Representative Judy Warnick
Representative Bill Hinkle










We have had the priviledge of hosting the Republican Party picnic at our home for quite a few years now. Many people have put their hands together to make the evening a success and we have provided the yard. Tom and Dayna-and Monte- head up the plans & together with their "crew" make it happen!!! Each year has been better than the last ...great food, good people and dedicated politicians gather...another informative, successful evening!

A Few of My favorite things.....

Flowers~weeding is not my favorite thing to do but oh how I LOVE my flowers!!!!!
There cannot ever be too many flowers!!