Happy Birthday to "US"

Don't ask me what my mom was thinking.... But... my brother and I are the same age for two days.  Yup.  He just had a birthday on the 17th of July and mine was 2 days later on the 19th.  We were both 52 for those two days. 
When we were younger we often spent our joint birthdays in Reno, Nevada.  Our Grandpa & Grandma  Garrett would take us out to dinner.  We both knew that Grandpa would excuse himself to go to the bathroom... but really he was off telling our waiter that it was our birthdays.  They would "surprise" us with sparklers lite on top of a big piece of cake! 

This year Marshall and I were together.  He's the BEST brother ever (Mark, you're pretty cool as well). Because we like Marshall so much, we gave Marshall as Robert's middle name!

Thanks Marshall for helping me at 6:00a.m. with the irrigation.  Thank you for bringing a ton of Junk Mail for Derek, and thank you for putting up with my erratic driving on the way to the Family Reunion (I'll learn to like cruise control sometime)!!!  Oh, yes, I can't wait to try your Raspberry Jam!  It looks yummy!!!

A Busy, Fun Day!

Wow, what a busy Thursday.  It just seemed like everything happened on this day.  (I just so happened to have my camera in my car)

Derek worked with Gina from 9-11:00.  We then "galloped" over to the "Oregon High Desert Classics Equestrian Class AA International Hunter-Jumper" competition.  We've gone three years and find it so relaxing and the horses are beautiful.  We invited Gina and Phyllis to join us.

We then "swam" over to the Heinrich's pond to meet Caprice & Zach for a swimming play date.  Zach is a great peer for Derek. 

We buzzed on home to prepare 2 dinners to deliver to two different homes before "Picking" the Coopers house to visit next. 

They have gorgeous cherries, ready and ripe.  We then "Sprinted" over to the High Desert Middle School track to walk with Alyson Graves! 

Wow... what a day.. Oh, how could I forget..  We went to the Spay and Neuter Project to borrow 3 traps for our cat problem...(Not excited about taking the trapped felines in my car on Monday!)

Oh and another thing Bob... we didn't did the irrigation once we got home!  We slept well!

Time just flew by!

The Bledsoe's came and went.  I think mom and dad enjoyed the "noise" and the happy voices that rang throughout the house.
The boys and Rebecca, Derek and I went to a really fun garden nursery.  So fun that I took my parents the next day.  I'm not great with the wheelchair and gravel.. but I got my arm workout for the week!

(No, I didn't take dad on the pirate ship)

I did put sunscreen on dad's legs.. hum.. not much on his forehead.. Whoops!

Funny thing, at 11:30 p.m. the phone rang.  I thought (mom too) that it was a neighbor calling to tell us to quiet down the cows (We have separated 3 moms and their babies.. oh, the noise!).. no, it was a phone call from one of mom's New Zealand friends.  The friend forgot to figure in the time difference.  She called back the next day and apologized for the late night phone call.
Today (Sunday the 15th) was the big polo match next door.  Dad enjoyed (mom too) sitting on the front porch to watch the "real thing" happen.
We've enjoyed eating out on the back porch, (Probably my dad likes it the best so he can warm up.. we keep the house too cold, and we haven't yet turned the air conditioner on)
We leave this week for our family reunion.  Our parents are so excited to see everyone, worried that they won't know all the names of the cousins and spouses,... but it will work out.

   Dad was up early Saturday morning wanting to watch the vet in action.  Dad got a kick out of the smart calf that ran right through the shoot.  (Bob didn't think it was amusing)

Mom and dad love a certain Arby's sandwich.  Notice the candle?  There were a few flies.  Kent guaranteed there wasn't going to be flies at the re union!  Thanks Kent!

Not sure if I'll post again.... time is running out.  I can't believe it is time for them to turn back and go home.  Lets hope they will join us here in Bend (God's country) real soon!

We LOVE the noise LEVEL!!!

Before the Bledsoe's arrived, mom got her hair done.  She seems to like the ladies at the shop, and wow.. 45 minutes she is in and out.  Dad, Derek and I ran and took care of some errands, and made it back just in time.
(I just so happened to have my camera in the car.  I thought I'd shoot a picture of mom after the appointments.. Hum.. I should have done a before and after.  Mom complains about the wind... it does a number on her hair!)

With Trey & Tian here, the noise level goes up a notch or two, but I can tell that mom and dad enjoy having the boys here.

With Bob driving, they all jumped inside the Ranger and did the irrigation, checked out the cows and checked the level of the pond.  Dad loves being out with "the girls"  (That would be the cows).

Mom is a trooper and is found doing the dishes.  I told dad that I felt bad that mom was left after most dinners to tend to the dishes... he said, "Oh, she doesn't mind!"
 (I personally think she'd rather be inside safe, than outside "jeepin" it!)

It's warming up!

Did I mention to you that our oven broke during our "Break the Fast"?  Well, we have a double oven and the heating element went crazy... it smelled like burning wires.. kind of scary!  Anyway, all week mom and I have been clever with our meals.  I had told a friend that I'd take her dinner... everything I could think of required an oven.  Well, Mom is clever so we made do.  So happy that Sears is going to get our ovens tomorrow!  (Just as mom was getting the hang of my old oven's buttons and controls)

I think it was the first day since my parents got here that they didn't wear a jacket or sweatshirt outside.  It's warming up nicely, but the good thing about Bend, Oregon.. it ALWAYS cools down at night!  (Did I mention that while I was out herding calves that weren't ours.. it was 37 degrees at 6:15.. up, chilly)

Mom's taking a break from the cooking & cleaning!!!

Dad keeps a record of what irrigation systems I have on.  It's a little confusing, but he's getting it.  He keeps the chart in the little glove box in the Ranger, then he circles the "Station" that we turn on, and then marks it when we turn it off.  He likes knowing everything there is to know about the fields.  He hopes that before they head home our hay field will be bailed.  Fingers crossed.  The ranch hand started his field yesterday, so we drove to the fence and watched him work!  Maybe ours will be long enough next week!  (Dad could only wish)

Happy Fireworks!

Dad and Mom slept in this morning till 9:30.  Wow!  (They missed all MY fun morning... cows were on the loose... neighbors thought they were ours.. (Praise the heavens) They weren't ours .. ours are obedient and don't climb through fences)
We missed Bob's amazing BBQ.. he promised us one at a later date.. he was in Portland working!
Tonight we had front row seats to watch the fireworks.  The fireworks are  shot  off  of Pilot Butte.  We turn the radio to a certain station and listen and watch... they are famous in these parts!  Glen Roberts had chairs and hot chocolate ready and waiting for us!  It was quite enjoyable!  I loved hearing the oohs and ahhs coming from mom and dad.  Another late night... it's 11:21 and they are just now crawling into bed.  Good night!

It's WAR!!!

We had a few minutes to spare while waiting to do the irrigation, so we got out the cards and Derek played War with dad and then with mom!  Dad won, then Derek won.

While Derek and I were in Sisters, Dad put together 4 quite difficult puzzles.
They are getting excited about the family reunion coming up.
Dad will appreciate California's warm temperatures.  He's pretty much bundled up here, today's high was maybe 68 degrees.
We read the new way to cook corn on the cob.. WOW, it worked amazing for mom.  Thanks Bob & Aunt Donna! Nothing on the corn but corn!!!

It's after 11:00p.m. and mom was in reading dad a bedtime story.  Derek and I went to the library today (Always on Tuesdays), and picked up a child's book about How they Built the Empire State Building. Mom was interested, so she decided to read it to him before she turned out the lights. 
Mom is concerned with all the fires going on in Utah.  You know fire & heat is not good for the Elderly, one more reason they need to stay here!