Vacations

As you can see, not everyone enjoyed vacations all the time. 

Or maybe Comfort Suites wasn't so comfortable. 

Sketches from the Young

When we went to visit my parents years ago, we did not have the luxury of taking devices with video games or other diversions.  The kids would have to pack some their own toys, or become creative.

We ran across this page in a notebook when we were visiting my parents recently, and it reminded me that one of the favorite activities of my daughters was making stories.  The stories had fanciful characters and far out plots. 

Apparently, this story was about dogs.  Valerie was always very good at creating fanciful worlds filled with furry friends.  Her attention to detail always included naming her pets as well. 

The story may be lost in time, but the images remain. 

From Mother to Daughter II

Maria's daughter just turned two years old today.  For her birthday, we passed down a memento from her Grandmother.

When Gail was little, her father made her a cradle for her doll.  As she grew, her parents stashed it away and when Maria was two years old, passed the doll cradle down to her.

Now, years later, Maria's daughter turned two, so we pulled out the cradle from storage, cleaned it up, gave it a new coat of varnish, and made her a quilt that matches a quilt Deanne gave her when she was born.  By that evening, it once again had a doll inhabiting the cradle and was being taken care of by her "Mommy". 

From Mother to Daughter

Long ago, when Gail was growing up, her parents gave her a small rocking chair.  As a young child, she played with the chair, first sitting in the chair then using it for her dolls and other stuffed animals.

When Maria was a year old, Gail's parents found the chair, cleaned it up, and presented it to Maria for a Christmas or Birthday gift.  She followed in her mother's footsteps, sitting in it and then using it for her dolls and other stuffed animals. 

A year ago, we took it down out of the attic, cleaned it up, and gave it to Maria's daughter.  It sits proudly in their living room, and is used daily for sitting and displaying dolls and stuffed animals. 

It's held up this long, so maybe in another thirty years or so, it will be used by another generation.  Only time will tell. 

Favorite Pictures: Daughters on Sea Lion Statue

In 2003, we traveled down to Arcata, California for summer vacation.  We spent much of the time driving along the coast in Oregon and Northern California.  Along the way, we stopped at Sea Lion Caves in Florence, Oregon.  We saw this statue, Stellar Sea Lion Family, and decided we needed to have a family picture as well.  

Circus Memories

One of Gail's cousins ran off and joined the circus.  Really!

Sorry Roy, the elephants always wanted to be in front

Both Gail and I have a horde of cousins, and one of her cousins, Roy, joined the circus when he was young.  He found out he was good with animals, so started training them.  He gradually worked his way up to training elephants.

Being in the circus, he was always traveling around the country, so every couple of years the circus would come to town and we would visit Roy.  And of course, when we went to the circus, Roy treated us like royalty, including the obligatory elephant ride. There's nothing like a good circus to bring out a smile in a kid.

I was reminded of this recently when Ringling Brothers retired their elephants due to pressure by animal rights activists.  I can't say I agree or disagree with them, but I do remember that Roy loved his elephants.  He treated them with respect and cared for them as best he could.  I remember he got mad at one of the handlers when he thought they were treating his elephants poorly.

He's retired now from his circus life and living happily with his family, but I'll always remember his hospitality when the circus came to town. Thanks, Roy. 

Daughters

One of my favorite images also dates from our summer vacation in 2001 and includes a photo of my daughters.  They are hiding behind a tree we found while hiking or camping, and I liked the juxtaposition of the knarled trunk and the faces of the girls.

When we were pregnant with the youngest, I was often asked if I wanted a boy.  My response was always that I hoped it would be another girl, since I had two older sisters growing up.  I couldn't imagine growing up as a boy with three older sisters.

The oldest, Maria, is now married and is expecting in September.  At their ultrasound, they found out that they were expecting a girl.  Carrying in the family tradition, I guess.

Looking forward to spoiling another generation.