When the weather cooperates, Rick and I like to go on hikes around our island..here are a few pics from some of those walks this year.

Big trees and big legends...

I love this picture of mom, aunt Jean and aunt Carolyn. They are actually sisters-in-law...but in this family a sister is a sister. Mom and aunt Jean were married to aunt Carolyn's brothers, Bob and Jim. We had a fun time visiting over lunch and discussing our family history.

A picture of fun. We were at Sean's and after bringing home pumpkins from the pumpkin farm ( they really had plenty but we wanted the experience..it rained) we carved pumpkins with Brock and Kelsie Sean and Amanda and Jason..Grandpa played with Bria, Erica helped the kids decorate the cookies she and Kelsie made and we gobbled popcorn and candy apples...

2010 San Jose to Eugene/ A Postcard of our trip

Every year Rick and I attend his annual ICMA conference and try to see some of our kids at the same time. This year the conference was in San Jose and we took mom and were able to visit Rick's brother, my brother, my aunts and mom even visited my nephews. We saw San Jose, the Redwoods and Yosemite. We rode on a steam train through giant trees and ate lunch on the boardwalk of Santa Cruz with the ocean on both sides of us. All of that without leaving California. Then we rented a car and drove from San Jose up the Pacific Coast Hiway to Florence, Oregon and over to Eugene to see Amanda and Sean and our favorite Oregon Grandkids. Stopping along the way to watch the ocean and take lots of pictures of BIG trees and Big waves. In Eugene, we played games with Kelsie, watched Brock play football and played and fed baby Bria. We took a drive south of Eugene and visited our niece Keri and took Brock and Kelsie to the Animal Safari where we drove through a park with Lions, Tigers and Giraffes. We put a lot of miles on the rental car, visited lots of loved ones and just had a great time. It rained, hailed, and stormed. There was lightning and there was sunshine and lots of great surf. None was as important as the precious moments we shared with our loved ones. Thanks to Gerald and Emiko, Steve and Sandy, Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Bob, Aunt Jean, Sandy, Drew, Clay and Lee. Thank you all for making time and room for us. We love you and miss you.

Rick and Nita