Happy Birthday Grandpa!

The view of Grandpas garden from the house.

Today, Grandpa, you would've been 98 years old! I was
feeling like there was something really special about today
(besides the GORGEOUS weather) and when I happened to
glance at the calendar, I saw that today was your Birthday.
(I still keep your and Grandma's Birthdays on my calendar
and I always will!)
What I wonderful person you were! I have so many wonderful
memories with you in them! I remember one time Marylou
and I were in the backyard at dusk, near the garden. We were
talking about you and marveling at everything around us. We
thot you were amazing how you built your own house, made a
kitchen for Grandma to look out of and see the garden- The
Garden!! Your garden was so wonderful!! Your raspberry
and black raspberry bushes, your STRAWBERRIES!! The
huge rhubarb plants that grew and the yummy rhubarb sauce
that Grandma made! It is only because of you that I learned
to LOVE vegetables at such a young age- fresh garden grown
veggies taste SO much better than the ones bot at the store!!

Loulou and I marveled at how you built your own carpentry shop
down stairs and how, even after you had passed on, every time
we opened the basement door to go down, we could smell the
yummy fresh shavings of wood. You built so many things down
there- even your very own toilet!

Happy Birthday Grandpa. I love you still. I can still hear you
imitating the trumpet thru the corner of your mouth and
smiling at Grandma. Thank you for all that you did, for loving
my mom, my aunts, my Grandma, me and everyone around
you. I'll never forget your Navy bean soup either- yes, I
LOVED that soup!!

I have this picture on here already but I thot it deserved
another look. Here is my mom, my Aunt Jayne, my Aunt
Cheryl, my Grandpa, and my Grandma- how LUCKY was
I to have ended up in this picture??

My Grandpa was surrounded by women: had one sibling, a
sister, a wife, 3 daughter, 5 granddaughters! If anyone could
handle the "dames" it was Charles Freeman Chrisman!!

My Grandpa and me

I love the look on his face in this picture!!

Grandpa and me again!

This is the cross he built for his church.
I love you, Grandpa!

St. Patricks Day and Pear Blossoms

Saila looked so cute on the morning of St. Patricks day
that I had to take a picture of her! I put green yarn in
her pony tails! She also has on her new shoes!

Yes, this is corned beef boiling in the pot. Just the meat,
onion, garlic, and peppercorns- that's it!

The butcher at the little market I go to told me to boil the
meat for about 3 hours, take it out and cover it with a
mustard and brown sugar sauce (that Saila made!) and stick
it in the oven at 300 degrees for however long it takes
the vegetables to cook (about 1/2 an hour). Mmmm!!

In the "meat liquid" throw in the potatoes, carrots,
and cabbage- this is mine simmering away!

While all of this was cooking, I went outside in the backyard
and couldn't help but take some pictures of our
GORGEOUS pear tree's blossoms! The bees were buzzing
and the blossoms smelled heavenly!

It's only for the season of Spring, so we have to enjoy
this now! Reminds me of white lace!

Saila and her bugs- I let her collect rolly pollies cuz
they eat baby roots and are harmful to gardens...

She said "We are going to have LOTS of funerals
now, Mama!"

When I came down stairs to do the blog this morning,
this is how I found silly Shadow!

A Walk at Joaquin Miller

We went on a walk with Grandma Saturday while Rob
was at practice. Before the walk, I wanted to take some
pictures of the tulips that are growing in my neighbors
yard. Thank you, neighbor!! Tulips are my favorite
flower and there are so many colors happening here, it
is gorgeous!!

Deep Purple tulips!! (Color is better in person!)

Look at this one!! White with tips edged in purple!!

Up at the lovely and most beautiful Joaquin Miller
park!

The kids!

With their beautiful Grandma!

The Bay between the trees

Johnny boy!

My beautiful Mama and me

Miss Saila!

Rob asked me to marry him while we were standing up
here. It was a gorgeously stormy day (for July) with dark
clouds and I found a raven feather that day too!

I love the Bay Area!

Our Tahoe Vacation!!

We took the kids to the snow!! This is the first morning at
our motel in Tahoe City. They both could not WAIT to get
out in it!! And this was just a little patch of it!

An Alpaca that was roaming the streets with her
owner

The first little snow sculpture that we built

While Rob and Johnny were bombing each other
with snowballs, us girls were building this little
snowman!

Tucker Snocat!

We didn't know it but we made it to "Snow Fest"
which is a snow festival up at the lake! This was part of
the parade they had Saturday afternoon!

Then, of course, we went took the kids to the "hills"
with saucers and sleds! Saila is a TOTAL Snow Bunny!!
She LOVED the snow and was a non-stop MANIAC!!

Johnny has No Fear of any hill!!

These were the two little hills.....they don't look that
steep at this angle but when you slide of a spinning
saucer, you go FAST!!

Johnny by the fire pit and the snow mobiles

His gloves were pretty wet and the fire pit was SOOO
hot!! His gloves were steaming!

Saila came down the hill and you can see Dada
in the distance...

Saila sliding all by herself!

Johnny playing Snowball Basketball!

Rob has years of experience throwing snowballs but
Johnny has pretty good aim too!

Day 2: Saila brot Sweetie Belle to experience the snow!

Lake Tahoe in March

The water is so beautifully clear!

The kids with their hot chocolates

My boy!!

My girl!!

Rob being a stud-muffin, Rock Star Dad with the
video camera!

Johnny took these pictures....I think he was
amazed by the water

The Donner Party statue marker....

Donner Lake.....just GORGEOUS!!

The thick, thick snow....that is a covered train
track winding into the mountain!

The snow was even deeper than this in some
places!! I don't think I've EVER seen it this deep!
This trip was Beautiful, Gorgeous, Amazing and soooo
much Fun!! I want to go back!!