Washington

After a long day yesterday including me being told by  the US immigration man that he could keep me out of the US because I don't have a US passport we arrived in Portland.  Margaret and Tom met us and we came on to Vancouver.  I was tired.

Today we drove around looking at the beautiful green scenery in Washington and Oregon.  The weather is great.

Joan and Earl - 50 Years

Last night we braved the cold, snow and wind and went to Stirling to celebrate Joan and Earl's 50th Anniversary.  Every one of their twelve children were there and many of the grandchildren and one great-grandchild.  Wendy and her new baby were released from the hospital at noon and were able to attend.  Donald and Diane came from Brooks.

Lights at the Japanese Garden

The New Year started out cold and snowy.  On the 5th we visited the Japanese Gardens to enjoy the lights.  It was starting to warm up a bit.

The weather gradually warmed up and by Tuesday the roads were clear.  Unfortunately on Wednesday it started to snow again and today it is near -30 degrees.

2017 is Over

Where did November and December go?

We spent a few days in Calgary with Edward's family (except for Erica) while Edward and Jacqueline were away.

Christmas Eve we went to Taber and attended church with Sue-anne's family and stayed until boxing day.

We worked on a puzzle, played games, opened presents, ate and enjoyed our holiday - even with the low temperatures and cold.

Boxing day we returned to Lethbridge and met Julie, Jeremy, Kennedy, Jackson and Mickey for breakfast before they went to Montana.

Later in the day Edward and family arrived and spent a couple of days with us.

Nathan's family came and spent the end of the year with us.

It was a good Christmas except for missing Darwin and family.

Last Week-end of October

Liam and Nathan came to our house on the 27th and stayed over.  Liam was going to write the ACT in Cardston on the 28th.

While he was writing we went to the Temple to do family sealings.  Sue-anne, Courtney and Devin joined us.  It was a very peaceful morning.

Nanjing China Teachers Reunion

On the 15th October we drove to Calgary in time for Church in the Somerset Ward.  We stayed overnight at Nathan and Tara's and the next morning Tara drove us to the airport.  We traveled to Reno with one stop in Salt Lake.  Marilyn and Doyle met us at the airport and we went to Marilyn's home for supper.

Marilyn's Back Yard

The next morning we set out for Lake Tahoe stopping at Donner Pass.  We wandered the grounds and visited the museum and learned some of the sad history of the 1846 Donner Party:

In the spring of 1846, a group of nearly 90 emigrants left Springfield, Illinois, and headed west. Led by brothers Jacob and George Donner, the group attempted to take a new and supposedly shorter route to California. They soon encountered rough terrain and numerous delays, and they eventually became trapped by heavy snowfall high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Purportedly reduced to cannibalism to survive through the winter, only half of the original group reached California the following year. 

After a picnic lunch we went on the Lake Tahoe where we stayed until Friday.

We did a cruise down Lake Tahoe to Emerald Bay.

Emerald Bay State Park

     Look down on this astounding bay and you can see why Mark Twain dubbed Lake Tahoe "the fairest picture the whole earth affords." While the main lake is as blue as a topaz, a color created by Tahoe’s remarkable clarity and depth, this somewhat shallower bay on the lake’s west shore takes on a startling and beautiful blue-green, made all the more striking by the perfect dot of tiny Fannette Island—the only islet in Lake Tahoe—right in the middle of the bay. There the ruins of a tiny stone teahouse perched on the top of the island. The teahouse, and the 38-room Scandinavian-style stone castle known as Vikingsholm that’s built on the nearby shore, were constructed by Lora Knight, an extraordinary woman who married into extreme wealth, then used her money to educate young people who could otherwise not afford it. 

We went back to Reno via Virginia City.

On Friday evening we went out for Chinese food.  One other couple that had been in China when we were joined us.  Later Marilyn took us for a drive around downtown Reno.

All too soon our reunion was ended.  Marilyn drove us to the airport.  We went by Salt Lake and Seattle and didn't get back to Calgary until midnight.  Nathan picked us up and we stayed over at his place.  We arrived home on Sunday.

Thanksgiving

Jeremy and Julie and girls came on Oct. 8th for Thanksgiving.  On the Monday Sue-anne, Darryl and family joined as all the dinner.  (Bob's enchiladas instead of turkey).