HELLO BOYS!

I can't believe how time goes by so quickly and these little guys are already 1 month old.

This grandma misses her boys already.  Can't wait to see Bridger on next week for his baby blessing.

BRIDGER

CAMERON

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME

IT HAS BEEN AN EXCITING SUMMER SO FAR.  WE HAVE HAD TWO GRANDBABIES, FIRST WE VISITED BRIDGER IN WALLA WALLA AND NOW WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO SEE CAMERON.  THIS TRIP IS DEFINITELY TURNED INTO A FAMILY AFFAIR, NOT ONLY ARE JEFF AND I GOING, BUT JESSICA IS JOINING US AND WE ARE PICKING UP GRANDPA CLIX IN OGDEN ON OUR WAY TO THE AIRPORT AND HE IS GOING WITH US AS WELL.
THIS TRIP WAS JAM PACKED WITH THINGS TO DO BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY IT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO SEE BRANDON AND DAYNA IN THEIR NEW HOME, AND OUR LITTLE HAILEY WHO WE MISS SO MUCH AND CAMERON OUR LITTLE/BIG BUNDLE OF JOY.

HELLO CAMERON

EVERY MORNING THE WHOLE GANG CAME DOWN TO THE HOTEL FOR BREAKFAST.  IT WAS A FUN WAY TO START THE DAY.  HAILEY LOVED TO GET A WAFFLE. AND BOTH GRANDPA'S TOOK ADVANTAGE OF GETTING SOME CAMERON TIME FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.

HANGING WITH AUNT JESS AT THE POOL

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

  BRANDON AND DAYNA WANTED TO TAKE US TO THE BEACH FOR A PICNIC.  WE TOOK A DRIVE DOWN LAGUNA CANYON AND UP PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY THROUGH LAGUNA.  I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK OFF SEASON AND GET OUT AND DO SOME SHOPPING.  IT LOOKS LIKE A FUN PLACE TO DO THE TOURISTY SHOPPING THING.  THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO GET A PARKING SPOT AT THE FIRST BEACH  WE WENT TO, HOWEVER WE ENDED UP AT ANOTHER SPOT CALLED STRANDS BEACH THAT WORKED  OUT IDEALLY.  WE FOUND A PICNIC TABLE LOOKING OUT OVER THE OCEAN AND ENJOYED OUR SUB SANDWICHES.  THE OCEAN IS JUST SO BEAUTIFUL, EVEN IF THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE  THERE.  

A STROLL ON THE BEACH.  THEY EVEN DRESSED PATRIOTICALLY!

 BEING THAT IT WAS THE FOURTH OF JULY AND THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT,  IT JUST MADE SENSE TO HANG A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME.  AFTER A WALK DOWN THE BEACH WE WENT BACK TO BRANDON AND  DAYNAS.   WE HAD A LITTLE BBQ AND THEN HEADED TO THE PARK BY DAN AND CAROLYN'S (DAYNA'S PARENTS) TO WATCH FIREWORKS.  IT IS CRAZY TO THINK THAT ON THE FOURTH OF JULY IN CALIFORNIA YOU NEED A COAT, BUT IT WAS VERY COOL AND THE HUMIDITY EVEN MADE THE BLANKETS ON THE GROUND WET.

FRIDAY WAS  ANOTHER VERY BUSY DAY.  WE WENT TO THE OAKLEY OUTLET TO SHOP.  YEAH!   (I DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYMORE). 

ENTRANCE TO THE OAKLEY BLDG.
HAVE  YOU EVERY SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS
BEFORE? CRAZY!

A QUICK BURGER AT IN-AND-OUT AND THEN ONTO THE LONG BEACH AQUARIUM.

IT'S A GOOD THING THAT HAILEY IS USED TO THE DISNEYLAND CHARACTERS, BECAUSE  SHE WASN'T AFRAID OF GETTING HER PICTURE TAKE WITH THE CHARACTERS AT THE AQUARIUM.  SHE LOVED THE HANDS-ON SECTIONS AND GRANDPA WAS JUST SO INTERESTED IN EVERYTHING THAT WE ALMOST HAD TO PRY HIM OUT OF THERE.

PERFECT TIMING...IT LOOKS LIKE THE PENGUIN IS KISSING
HAILEY'S CHEEK.

SO MUCH TO DO SO LITTLE TIME.  THERE WAS EVEN MORE DOWN BY THE AQUARIUM THAT NEEDED TO BE EXPLORED, BUT WE RAN OUT OF DAY WAY TO SOON. MAYBE NEXT TIME.

SATURDAY WAS ANOTHER JAM PACKED DAY.  WE WENT TO THE SWAP MEET IN THE MORNING AND HAD FUN SHOPPING AROUND.  I BOUGHT A HAT, (RIGHT, ME A HAT?)  I NEVER WEAR THEM, AND THINK I LOOK RIDICULOUS IN THEM, BUT IT WAS SO HOT AND SUNNY I FELT LIKE I NEEDED THE PROTECTION.  IT WAS A CUTE HAT, MAYBE SOMEDAY I WILL WEAR IT AGAIN.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DO WHILE WE WERE IN CA., WAS TO GO TO RUBY'S ON THE PIER.  I SAW IT IN A MOVIE ONCE AND IT LOOKED SO FUN THAT IT WAS ON MY LIST OF THINGS TO DO.
GRANDPA LOVED WALKING UP THE PIER, THERE WERE A LOT OF FISHERMEN  CASTING THEIR LINES AND HE KEPT STOPPING AND ASKING THEM WHAT THEY WERE USING, IF THEY WERE CATCHING ANYTHING, ETC.  WHEN THEY FINALLY CALLED OUR NAME AT RUBY'S WE HAD TO TEAR HIM AWAY SO WE COULD EAT LUNCH.

                                    

GRANDPA SHARING A MILKSHAKE WITH HAILEY

IT'S JUST AMAZING AT THE AMOUNT OF
PEOPLE AT THE BEACH. AS FAR AS THE
EYE CAN SEE.

HAILEY IS VERY MUCH AT HOME ON THE BEACH.  

SHE HAD HER TOYS OUT AND WAS READY TO GO IN NO TIME.

  JEFF, JESSICA AND I EACH SPENT SOME TIME IN THE OCEAN WITH BRANDON GETTING  NAILED BY THE WAVES ALL WHILE TRYING THE ART OF BODY SURFING.  UNSUCCESSFUL NEEDLESS TO SAY, BUT FUN NONE THE LESS.

GRANDPA CLIX ENJOYING WATCHING THE SURF.

   I CALL UNFAIR 

 HOW IS IT THAT EVERYONE ON THIS TRIP GOT A PICTURE WITH CAMERON EXCEPT ME?



Add caption



FOUR GENERATIONS OF SWANER BOYS...



WE GOT A WONDERFUL SURPRISE ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND THAT WAS THAT BRANDON AND DAYNA HAD DECIDED TO BLESS CAMERON AT CHURCH THE NEXT DAY.  HOW EXCITED WE WERE TO KNOW THAT CAMERON WOULD BE BLESSED BY HIS FATHER AND THAT HIS GRANDFATHER AND GREAT GRANDFATHER WOULD BE THERE IN THE CIRCLE AS WELL.  THE ONE PROBLEM WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT WAS WHAT THE GUYS WOULD WEAR SINCE WE DIDN'T TAKE CHURCH CLOTHES.  LESSON LEARNED IF YOUR VISITING OVER THE WEEKEND, ALWAYS TAKE YOUR CHURCH CLOTHES.

THIS WAS THE PERFECT END TO OUR VISIT TO SEE BRANDON AND DAYNA, HAILEY AND CAMERON.  WE LOVED OUR TIME THERE AND I LOVED CALIFORNIA.  I WOULDN'T WANT TO LIVE THERE (SORRY KIDS), BUT I  AM GOING TO BE VERY HAPPY TO GO BACK ANYTIME TO VISIT.

JUST ONE MORE PICTURE BEFORE WE LEAVE

AUNT JESS AND HAILEY ON THE CAROUSEL
AT THE IRVIN SPECTRUM

 RANDOM FYI

The Swaner button is alive and well, still surviving through the  generations.

OUR TRIP TO WALLA WALLA

OFF TO WALLA WALLA WE GO TO SEE BABY BRIDGER.  JEFF AND I WERE SO EXCITED TO SEE HIM.

 WE HAD SO MUCH FUN HOLDING THIS LITTLE CUTIE AND I EVEN CAUGHT HIM FINDING HIS FINGER... THERE WAS EVEN A LITTLE SMIRK WHEN HE DID. OH OH MOMMA, I HOPE HE DOESN'T FIND IT AGAIN.

THE SWANER BUTTON STILL LIVES ON.  THIS IS THE SLEEP GENE THAT SEEMS TO FOLLOW THE BOYS IN THE FAMILY. GRANDPA SHOWING BRIDGER HOW ITS DONE....TWO CUTE BOYS ENJOYING SOME SHUT EYE.

NEWBORNS...THEY EAT SLEEP AND POOP AND WE ENJOYED BEING ABLE TO FEED BRIDGER.  WE KNOW THAT TO SOON WE WILL LEAVE AND THESE SQUEEZES WILL BE OVER..

 

WE LIKE TO GET OUT AND ENJOY WHAT WALLA WALLA HAS TO OFFER, WE WENT TO THE FAMER'S MARKET, TOOK BRIDGER FOR A WALK UP WILLOW CREEK, MICHELLE AND I TRIED TO GO TO THE LAVENDAR FARMS, BUT THEY WERE CLOSED, TO BAD.  BEN AND JEFF WENT FISHING,  WE BBQ'D OUTSIDE, WENT FOR ICE CREAM AND BEST OF ALL WE SPENT AS MUCH TIME AS WE COULD HOLDING THE BABY WITHOUT THROWING OFF HIS SCHEDULE.

BREAKFAST AT BACON AND EGGS IS NOW

GOING TO BECOME  A NECESSITY WHEN GO TO WALLA WALLA.  OH THE PEANUT BUTTER AND JAM WITH BANANA AND BACON FRENCH TOAST. IT IS DELIGHTFUL.

NEW BABIES

WE ADDED TWO NEW BABY BOYS TO OUR FAMILY IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS.  BABY BRIDGER WAS BORN SUNDAY JUNE 9TH, WEIGHING IN AT 7LBS  AND 21 INCHES LONG

WE COULDN'T BE HAPPIER FOR BEN AND MICHELLE.  HOW JEFF AND I WISHED WE COULD  HAVE BEEN THERE BUT BEING 8 HOURS AWAY AND KNOWING THAT BABIES COME WHEN THEY ARE GOOD AND READY, WE JUST DECIDED THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE HIM IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

BABY CAMERON WAS BORN ON MONDAY JUNE 10TH, WEIGHING IN AT 12 LBS 14OZ AND 21.5 INCHES LONG.  YES, THAT'S RIGHT HE IS A BIG BABY BOY.  WE ALL THINK THAT THE DR. WAS A LITTLE OFF IN HER TIMELINE AND THAT THIS LITTLE BOY SHOULD HAVE BEEN BORN A FEW WEEKS AGO.  

THANK GOODNESS EVERYTHING WENT WELL AND BOTH MOMMA AND BABY ARE DOING GREAT.  DAYNA WAS A CHAMPION, HER EPIDURAL WORE OFF AND SHE BASICALLY HAD HIM ALL NATURAL.  BRANDON SAID THEY HAD A TODDLER.  HAHA

WE TRIPLED OUR NUMBERS IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS, CAN ANYONE ELSE BEAT THAT?  WE WENT FROM 1 GRANDCHILD TO THREE.

WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO CALIFORNIA TO HOLD THAT LITTLE BUTTERBALL.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

I know that sometimes I wonder why I can't make it down to my sewing room to work on any of my projects and Karen asked me the other day if I had been down there and I had to say no and then I started reflecting on what I am doing that is keeping me so busy and away from doing the projects that are waiting for me in my sewing room.

Brief overview of the last couple days:
Saturday
9:00am:  Headed to Lower Palisades lake trail for a day hike
3:00pm:  Finished hike and headed home
4:00pm:  Town and Country gardens to purchase a couple plants for the yard
6-8ish:    Fixed dinner, worked in yard
9:00pm:  showered
Exhausted after hike, I think I just hung out while Jeff watched Hatfield and Mccoys, I would not recommend this show unless you like a lot of old fashioned Western killings because there was a lot of that and I really disliked this show.
Sunday
Til 1:00:  Fixed dinner, got ready for church and misc. things around the house
1-4:00:   Church
4-6pm:   Dinner
6-7:30:  YSA fireside (one of the things that was touched on in this fireside was that one of the tools that satan uses to keep us from doing the things we should do is to keep us busy doing other things.  I know this is true for me and I have decided that on Wednesdays, since I get off work early, I go to the temple.  If you don't plan it won' happen and I know that before I could always find something else to do, but if I put a dress on in the morning I know I will go.
7:30-8:30  Visit with friends
Wind down and get ready for monday, finished laundry  ( have to be sure the underwear is done before Jeff leaves for the week :) ), talked to kids on the phone etc.

Monday
6:00am:  Get up, exercise till 7:00
7-8:15am:  Get ready for work
8:30-5:00:  Work
6:00-7:00:  Gym
Fixed dinner, laundry, talked to my mom and Michelle on the phone, Put preparedness binder together, made a few more invitations for YSA on sunday. I dont what else I did but I didnt get into the shower until 10:30 and went to bed.

Tuesday
7:00- get ready for work, ran an errand before work
9:15-5:30  Work
after work:  UPS store to ship a box,  Fred Meyers to get pineapples 10/$10, groceries and potting soil
Home:  Planted plant out front, pulled weeds for a bit, watered garden,
fixed dinner, timmed and cut up 6 pineapples to freeze for smoothies, made treats for neighbors and
YSA on sunday. Took polish off nails, ( you would think that is easy but with gel polish it takes forever)
cleaned up kitchen, folded and put away laundry (always have laundry washing or drying or ironing)
10:30pm Went to bed.

Today Schedule
Work-12:30
Temple
Bank set up CD, make a return at Sams club
Gas in car
3:30 eye appt
5:15 gym
7:00 RS meeting

Enough said, I am busy and I dont even have kids at home, I don't know how I would be able to do that any more.  But this is why I don't have time to sew.  Ugh sew sad. (pun intended).
Sometime it doesnt seem like I do a lot after work, but when I dont get home till after 7 because of the gym or running errands and such, the couple hours that I have left just aren't enough to get a whole lot done. :(

Next week Dr. is on vacation.  I am planning a few days in Utah and I am taking my sewing machine, we will see if I have any time to sew at night at Karens.  I am hopeful.

JUNE

TODAY IS JUNE 1ST AND IT IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY.  JEFF AND I DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO HIKE UP TO THE LOWER PALISADES LAKE.  IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN A BETTER DAY, THE WEATHER WAS BEAUTIFUL AND WE HAD A COUPLE LITTLE CHIPMUNKS CHECKING US OUT AND ONE WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO COME AND EAT LUNCH WITH US.  I LOVE SPENDING THE DAY WITH JEFF AND AFTER ABOUT 8+ MILES WE WERE HAPPILY EXHAUSTED.  TIME TO GET OUR HIKING LEGS AND FEET IN SHAPE.

MOTHERS DAY

A pre-cursor as to how my mothers day went
Saturday night  11pm
Jeff:  I would like to make you breakfast in bed tomorrow, what would you like?
Kathy:  Well if you had asked me earlier I might have been able to help you out, but seeing its  11pm
and what I would like we dont have and  you dont know how to make Amish oatmeal my favorite, you don't need to worry about it.  (really I did try  to be nice and understanding, but seriously you don't ask this at 11pm if you really want to do this, especially when you haven't checked to see what is in the fridge first)
Needless to say I got up before Jeff ( not on purpose) and made my own oatmeal.  Happy Mothers day to me.
Thanks to Pinterest who regularly gives me an attitude adjustment with some of the quotes that  come my way.  On purpose perhaps?
I need to work on this....

ATTITUDE IS NOW IS CHECK....

WHY DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO BE REMINDED?

REST IN PEACE MY SWEET BABY

My Sweet baby. Lexie is in the last days of her life.  She is almost completely blind and deaf and has a hard time finding her food, her bed and get disoriented when I put her outside.  I don't know how much more time she has with us, it is hard to see a loved one get old.   I love this little dog.
SINCE THIS WAS POSTED OUR LITTLE LEXIE HAS GONE TO PLAY WITH HER PALS...JAKE, NIBS AND WHISKERS.  I HOPE SHE IS HER OLD SELF AGAIN AND RUNNING AND PLAYING LIKE THE OLD DAYS.  I WILL MISS HER DEARLY.

VISIT FROM MY MOM

THE LAST TIME MY MOM WAS HERE WAS LAST SUMMER FOR JESSICA'S WEDDING AND AT THAT TIME SHE SAID THAT SHE JUST DIDN'T THINK THAT SHE WOULD BACK UP TO SEE ME BECAUSE TRAVELING WAS JUST TO HARD.

MY MOTTO HAS ALWAYS BEEN NEVER SAY NEVER BECAUSE GUESS WHAT?  THANKS TO KAREN AND WYNN  SHE MADE IT BACK HERE AND WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND WE HAD.  MOM'S BIRTHDAY WAS COMING UP AND SO KAREN AND I DECIDED TO TAKE MOM OUT FOR THE DAY....WE TOOK HER TO GET HER HAIR DONE, THEN WENT TO MACYS FOR A LITTLE SHOPPING, MACYS IS ONE OF MOM'S FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP AND SHE GOT THE BARGIN OF THE DAY  3 SWEATERS FOR $17, WE WENT OUT TO LUNCH AND DINNER, AND FINISHED THE DAY WITH A LITTLE BIRTHDAY CAKE AND ICE CREAM.  I THINK WE WORE HER OUT HAPPY.

SOOO...  OR SHOULD I SAY "SEW"....

 I HAVE HAD MY NEW SEWING MACHINE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING IT OUT OF THE BOX.  THANK GOODNESS KAREN CAME TO MY RESCUE.  SHE HELPED ME GET MY MACHINE OUT, STOCK MY SEWING ROOM WITH NEEDED GADGETS AND HAD JEFF HELP HER MAKE ME A IRONING PAD TO USE WHEN ( I SAY THIS LIGHTLY) I GET READY TO USE IT.  I FINISHED THE EDGE OF A BABY BLANKET WITH ONE OF THE MANY  CUTE DECORATIVE STITCHES THAT IS ON MY NEW MACHINE.

I CAN'T WAIT TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.  I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT WILL BE BUT WHEN I DO IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER LANDMARK OCCASION I'M SURE.

I HAVE TO SAY THAT I DO LOVE MY NEW SEWING ROOM, I BOUGHT MY SEWING TABLE IN WALLA WALLA AND IT IS PERFECT FOR MY ROOM.  FOR ME SOME THINGS TAKE A LITTLE TIME AND I AM WORKING AT SPENDING MORE TIME IN MY CUTE ROOM.