Heigh-Ho Heigh-Ho, It's Off to Disney World We Go

Every fall Glenda and I make every attempt to go somewhere for vacation. When our fifth grandchild, Porter, was born this spring, Glenda was able to spend a week with Maryanne and AJ and little Porter. She had a wonderful time, but that altered some of our plans where we wanted to go on vacation. When I returned from my last trip to Washington, DC on June 21, I began looking at various possibilities. We want to travel to the East Coast sometime in the fall to catch all the leaves changing colors. I looked into a cruise at that time, but the cost was prohibitive when the airfare was added in. I considered a couple other possibilities, but then my eye caught a vacation plan offered by Alaska Airlines to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Well, the more I looked into it, the more inviting it became.

We did in fact go on that very vacation on September 17. What a remarkable time we had; Glenda couldn't say enough good things about it. We picked one of Disney's off weeks, so the plan was inexpensive when considering it included airfare, lodging, all meals, and a park-hopper pass for 5 days. Now we both agreed that this is a one-time vacation at Disney World. Boy, we enjoyed the two days spent at Epcot, the day at Animal Kingdom, the day at Hollywood Studios, and the day at the Magic Kingdom. We walked and walked and walked and walked.

When I made the reservations, I was asked if we were celebrating anything special. Since Glenda and I had just celebrated our 39th anniversary, I told them that. When we arrived at the resort, we were given Happy Anniversary pins which we wore everyday. Boy, did we get the "Happy Anniversary" greeting from all the workers and characters throughout Disney World. It was a great way to celebrate.

Here are a few pictures starting with a couple I know our grandkids will love.

More Sights We Saw

Hope you enjoy these pictures. We surely had a fun, relaxing time although our feet and legs ached at the end.

A Few Pics from the Oregon State Fair

What's a fair without the animals? You're right; it's not a fair. The corn dogs were hot and soooo good!

Grandkids Are the Greatest

August has been an exciting time for Glenda and me. We got to see all of our kids early in the month. It was definitely a busy weekend, but it was soooooo enjoyable. We even got to go to the Oregon Zoo with Andy and Christy. Of course Gracie, Benjamin, and Zoey made our day. Christy finally linked up with us at the zoo after being lost in Africa. After passing the fruit bats three times, she knew she was going batty. We are so thankful for cell phones that helped us connect, and I am glad she didn't give up and just leave. After a full day at the zoo and riding the train, Andy and the grandkids left for Salem; and Glenda and I had a delicious dinner with Tobin, Christy, and Tobin's folks (Marty and Darrol). Then on Sunday morning all of us got together at Andy and Ruth's home for a relaxed brunch. We are so thankful for our grandkids because they really keep us young. Then at the end of the month we stayed with the DeBackers so that we could help paint at AJ and Maryanne's new home. We also cut down blackberry vines and bushes. On Sunday after church Glenda and I took Gracie, Benjamin, and Zoey to the fair. We met AJ, Maryanne, Porter, and the DeBackers there. Benjamin and Zoey got close up and personal with a python.

Relaxing Hours Working on the Yard

After returning from my travels to Washington, DC this spring, I was able to spend my time working on our yard. After our driveway was completed, I was able to weed the front flower bed. Since then I have worked in the backyard--mowing, pulling weeds, and mixing soil. What a relaxing way to spend a summer.