Halloween

Mason, Superman

Rachel and Matt joined Cal, Adon, Kael, Paige, Cardson & Mason for trick or treat fun tonight in our neighborhood after we had a pizza dinner together and gifts for Kael. They looked so cute and had so much fun together treking through our neighborhood. We ran out of treats because we had just tons of children this year!

All of our Goblins

Kael's Baptism

We all had a memorable day at Kael's baptism today. Grandpa was asked to lead the music and I played the piano. Tyler's Mom and Sister, Lindsay, Brian, Deb, Matt & Rachel also joined us.

Our Grandchildren at the baptism
Grammy & Kael
Grandpa and Kael

Applesauce

Malcolm and I worked all day yesterday and canned 37 pints of applesauce from Fuji and golde delicious apples we bought at Apple Hill. Looking forward to a yummy winter!

Apple Hill Trip

Malcolm and I took our annual trip to Apple Hill to purchase apples today. What a wonderful and fun place to visit. There are all manner of vendors with some very creative things they have made. We started out at Larson's to buy our apples and cider, then to High Hill Ranch to visit the Chocolate Factory for our favorite candy - only once a year. Then we were told that Mill View Ranch was had the finest apples fritters so we visited and truly they are just delicious! It was a memorable day for us boh!

Malcolm at High Hill Ranch
A very nice lady agreed to take our picture together!

46 years for us 37th Birthday for Brian

I had a couple of doctor appts Thursday and Friday so we got a motel in Martinez and got together with Brian & Deb and had a delightful dinner at a wonderful resturant in Napa - a steak house which had unusually delicious food and magnificent service. Anyway it was quite a treat. Afterwards we went to their home and had dessert and sang happy birthday and watched Brian unwrap birthday gifts. Matthew is learning he guitar and played happy birthday for his Dad on his guitar. It was a touching moment - we had a great visit with them all!

Sunday Visit

We were out walking today and met Tyler & Amanda walking too. They stopped by and our grandchildren all wanted to hang from our front tree, which has finally grown big enough!- I also talked Mason into sitting on our bench with a pumpkin so I could take a picture and he was very cooperative - kids are so cute!

Mason with a pumpkin
Adon peeking through the tree
Calvin is almost there

Paige can hang a long time

Kael, clowning with one hand

Carson is a monkey

Russell's 35th.

Our son Russell just had his 35th birthday. He is just a delightful young man and has brought us much joy and chuckles through the years. He just spent the weekend with us before he went with the family on a hike to Mt. Lassen. We enjoy his conversations, guitar playing and his nephews and nieces just love him - We love you, Son!

Russell's first birthday
Hanging from our tree in Redding
His first paper route
School picture
Trip to Disneyland
High School Graduation!

With Niece, Kylie

With Niece, Paige

At with nieces, Sarah & Brittany

At Marine boot camp graduation

With aunt Kathi & Cousin Erik

Hike up Mt. Lassen

Mt Lassen Excursion

This past weekend 7 of our 8 children and their families gathered at Mt. Lassen to climb the volcano. Malcolm has been wanting to get the children together to climb for a while and this weekend worked for most of the families. I could not go because of my leg and knee, but thanks to the photographers in the family there were some wonderful photos. This one was thanks to Amanda. We had Russell, Dan & Brad, and Brian, Deb, Rachel & Matt at our home Friday night. It was so much fun to have them here so I could see them before the climb. Dan and Brad came in from Utah on the train and Russ and Brian and their family drove up. We had dinner together and visited and caught up. Valerie and Don hosted Todd, Billie, Andrew, Brittany and Sarah and Mike and Annette with Josh, Natalie and Chilly. I understand everyone made it as far as the trail went, then came down and had lunch and played together. Looks like it was a perfect day! Great effort Family!

Our hikers, From Back to front: Brian,Todd, Daniel, Russell, Michael, Valerie, Amanda & Malcolm

Malcolm's 50th High School Reunion

This weekend we traveled with Jack & Mary McCormick to Malcolm's 50th High School Reunion for Sonoma Valley High School in Sonoma. We called our friends in Sonoma, Jim and Judy Adams who graciously invited us both to stay in their home. We had a great time for the two day event. There was a reception in one of the classmates home Friday evening, a tour of the updated high school Saturday morning and a dinner Saturday evening at a Culinary School in Sonoma. Everything was nice the all of the students were fun, friendly and very well behaved and enjoyable to socialize with. In between activities we had wonderful visits with the Adams too - just visiting and laughing and recalled past fun times with them. They have a beautiful home up in the hills of Sonoma so we actually saw deer outside the windows. It was a memorable weekend, especially for Malcolm and Mary who were the reunion students!

Malcolm, Patsy, Jack & Mary

The table decorations were pictures of the students on cubes and a dragon on the center cube (The mascot for the school) There is large statue at the high school.

A message from President Monson

http://www.youtube.com/mormonmessages

Our Visit to Idaho Falls

Malcolm & I drove to Idaho Falls to visit with Amy, Trent, Rylie, Madison, Alexis & JT for the girl's birthdays. Malcolm helped with some fence repair and cutting of weeds at their new home. I helped Amy with some projects around the house and we both made Fall wreaths. We had a dinner out and went to the Eastern Idaho State Fair. We have never seen so many people and a lots of families with strollers. We had a great visit with them! We got to meet some of their friends and their favorite babysitter too.

Madison's Cake
Rylie's Cake

Madison's birthday Dora

Rylie's Little Pony

Grandpa Playing with Rylie, Mady, Alexis & JT

Grandpa & JT Crusin'

Rachel's Birthday

Lots of family and friends gathered in Napa at Brian and Deb's for Rachel's Birthday celebration!. They had bounce house, pinata, trampoline and tons of fun things for the children to do. It was really HOT so many of us stayed inside and the kids played WII games and we visited, & took pictures. There was delicious food prepared for us and cake with ice cream and all the toppings. It was a great day and Rachel was sweet and appreciative of all her gifts and enjoyed all her guests!

Tomato Soup & Pears

Some of the results of peaches and pears canned in the last couple of days. I still have a couple of boxes of pears to can and dehydrate, but this is a start and we are happy about having canned fruit put away for winter!

Our friends and neighbors, the Stewarts gave us a couple of buckets of tomatoes so today I made tomato soup - 16 pints. It is a great feeling to add to our storage for the winter months! It took me most of the day because you need to skin tomatoes, cook them with celery & onions, then put them through a sieve so it will be smooth. It was well worth the time spent. Thank you Stewarts!

To Malcolm

A big thanks and lots of love to my husband, Malcolm who is so thoughtful, loving and helps me so much! I am very blest and am truly grateful for all we have together!

Pears

We just purchased four 36lb boxes of pears so in the next week so so I will be canning, drying and making pear butter. This has been a huge project for our stake, but a very worthwile effort so we can all get some fruit canned for winter and we love pears! There was quite a lot of work collecting money and calling everyone who ordered, but it is now done and Malcolm was wonderful to assist with the unloading of the pear truck and helping the sisters put pears into their cars.

Gram Weston's Memories

Mike and Annette came over today to interview Gram Weston and write her personal history. It was fun and interesting as Mike asked Gram questions about her life- there lots of chuckles. They are going to start compliling histories for people. Annette is a court reporter and has all the equipment to make this project just a little easier. Gram recalled some fun and entertaining moments from her life, but couldn't remember some that Malcolm could vividly remember.. It will be interesting to read the finished history of her life. We enjoyed the day!

Updated Scooter

Rachel and Matt love the homemake scooter that Malcolm's Dad made when our children were young. Over the years a face was put on my Amanda and Amy and has faded so this week Rachel and Matt repainted the face and Malcolm tightened some bolts. They have spent part of every day riding it up and down the street and to the park. What delightful children! We have had a week of fun, giggles and just pure enjoyment! Thanks Brian and Deb!

Matt and Rachel with the repainted scooter (40+ years old)

Brian and his cousin Erik riding the scooter at Grandpa and Grandma Weston's home years ago and before the face was added - what wonderful memories!