Mauri and Sherry

Posted by Sherry on August 7, 2010

Earlier this week the Macy/Anderson/Williams family enjoyed four days out at the Oregon Coast. We know the weather can be beautiful out there—as in blue skies, sun, mild temps—because that’s what we always get on the day we leave for home! No worries. Our less-than-perfect weather doesn’t dampen the joy of family togetherness.

With all the photographers*, both amateur and professional, shooting and sharing digital memories (*John & Erin / Rachel & John / Mauri & me) of our time together, I hope you can appreciate my self-control in posting only 67 pictures. Ready?

On Sunday, the Andersons (who arrived late the night before after driving from Denver), joined me in our tradition of walking to church down the middle of School Street.

Our view of the Twin Rocks from the Lighthouse at Harbor Villa.(Some day I’ll tell the story behind this property.) The ocean looks especially calm, don’t you think? Each night Mauri and I moved our sleep pads and bags out to the deck and slept with the sounds of the ocean, which sounded anything but calm.

One of many games of soccer played with the aunts and uncles.

Nothing could take the place of the individual attention the aunts and uncles give each of the kids. We feel so blessed.

Mauri has a knack for shots like this one.

And once the sun goes down, we head inside for games.

Dusty is proficient at solving those pesty 9-piece puzzles.

Sometimes we just sit around and chew the fat.

After sleep, the kids join the game fun. Do you recognize what they’re playing? It’s a game some children taught John and Erin when they were in Cambodia—a little bit like Jacks.

They’re both experts! Can you name this one?

This grassy area rarely got a breather.

And despite the weather, we had some beach time.

Rachel got surprised by a sneaker wave.

And we went exploring! Who’da thought there’d be a rain-forest-like jungle trail just blocks from the beach?

Whew! We found our way to the other side of the jungle!

On a different day we explored with geocaching. Mauri and John both had gadgets to help us locate the nearest caches.

John spotted the first one, and the kids enjoyed exchanging trinkets with what others had left in the cache.

Paul found the next one.

I don’t remember who found this one, but when you’re searching as a team, everyone shares the victory.

Marissa signs the log.

Our trusty navigators.

We ate, of course. John serves up a big pan of French toast.

Rachel and Linsey bake chocolate brownies for a birthday celebration.

Happy Birthday, Erin!

We divvied up the cooking and the KP.

A trip to the coast wouldn’t be complete without stopping at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for samples…

…and lunch…

…and ice cream!

The traditional shrimp boil.

We switched up the s’mores tradition and tried “s’moreos” to mixed reviews.

…and the traditional sparkler finale.

The whole gang.

Gus and her six grands.

A couple of miscellaneous favorites…

Sixty-seven! The end.

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Posted by Sherry on July 31, 2010

The littler one was born three weeks ago to Derin and Andra.

They’re quite fond of the chap.

It’s hard to catch Oscar still enough to snap a picture (unless he’s sitting at the table). He’s a very inquisitive 18-month-old, and that’s just how we like him.

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Posted by Sherry on July 30, 2010

We started the day’s celebration thinking up mushy Facebook updates. Mauri thought “To the little woman: For sixteen years of washing my socks—Thanks!” would work. Then his breakfast looked like this—

and we thought that was pretty romantic.

I had to wear my heart shirt to work. And Rachel snapped this picture to compare to the one from sixteen years ago.

I agree! We haven’t changed much at all! (hahaha)

No review of our wedding day would be complete without remembering this fun discovery. Just Mauried!

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Posted by Sherry on July 28, 2010

A grandma is allowed to gush a little when such a sweet and handsome boy as this shares her breakfast table. Oscar and his parents arrived yesterday afternoon, and we’ll be enjoying their eagerly awaited presence for the next week, partly here at our place and the other part out at the beach with most of our immediate family. Consider this fair warning for more glimpses of our time together.

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Posted by Sherry on July 27, 2010

I didn’t spend a lot of time at my cousins Jim and Lisa’s house, but back when our Michigan home bordered their Indiana home I’d sometimes drop in on them for a couple of hours just to see what was happening. And since they raised five kids, there was always something happening. They eventually grew used to Cousin Sherry showing up unannounced and let me just be part of the family scene for a spell. (That is still the case.)

On one of those visits I snapped this common sight. A kid on the counter.

This is Hannah. (Don’t you just love the sugar canister?) She’s having herself a sweet treat.

Hannah’s now a mama of daughter Lily, who’s about this age now. This morning I read Hannah’s blogpost that alerted my love for a good series and sent me to my photo archives.

Here’s the photo match and the story Hannah tells.

I snapped this picture a few months ago when I was in Indiana for some family time. What goes around comes around. Will I live long enough to see Lily’s baby girl on the kitchen counter?

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Posted by Sherry on July 25, 2010

I really do love this picture of Paul’s grandmother (my children’s great-grandmother) holding his dad as a babe.

It triggers the memory of stories told of how she had already raised a daughter when a large “tumor” turned out to be baby Frank Leslie Gustaf Carlson, all 13 pounds of him! Imagine her surprise!

But as much as I love the picture, it probably won’t end up on any of our walls. Still, the frame seemed to be the perfect size and color for one of artist son-in-law John Williams‘s etching.

It probably won’t be mistaken for a professional framing job, but who’s going to see it besides you?

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Posted by Sherry on July 23, 2010

We held a successful garage sale two weekends ago, which is always a joyful event around our house. And since then I’ve cleared out another whole garage sale worth of stuff. But we have family coming (Yippee!) and I want the stuff gone—now! Yes, we could haul it to the thrift store two blocks from home, but (insert lightbulb) I got an idea.

My idea coincides with Newberg’s annual Old Fashioned Festival, held in our neighborhood, and people stroll past our house night and day all weekend long. (I enjoyed reliving the festival in a past post.)

I wish I had thought to take a picture of our hall before I’d already refilled the free box several times.

And the best part: Mauri has started adding some of his treasures to the box.

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Posted by Sherry on July 21, 2010

I’m sure living in a small town has disadvantages. I will need some help in thinking of any.

Today on my lunch hour I stopped in the library to check out some books for grandson Oscar, who will be visiting us in a week. (Yippee!) Heading into the children’s section I waved to LaNeal and Nicole, friends from church. Around the corner I talked with Brandon, who spends a lot of time there with his young son, Inen, asking if he had any recommendations. He directed me to the baskets of board books.

Before long, LaNeal and Drew joined us in the serious business of book selection. I left with my arms full of reading material—and a big grin on my face.

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Posted by Sherry on July 17, 2010

If you ever wondered about the stoker’s role on a tandem, it’s been described as “a sack of potatoes with legs of steel.” I’ve never sat in the captain’s position so I don’t know anything about being in charge. No this isn’t a hint to the captain of our tandem team; I’m perfectly content to remain compliant on the back of our two-seater transport.

The rear view is pretty good though, don’t you think? And unless we’re climbing, I don’t have much responsibility. I don’t even need to hold on!

These pics were taken last Sunday. We were headed to Yamhill Grill a mere three miles from home. But we need to get ourselves in gear for what’s coming up on August 8.

We’ve signed up for the seven-bridge ride.

Mauri did it last year with the local Macy “kids,” and now I get to experience it for myself—from the rear.

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Posted by Sherry on July 16, 2010

I’ve never been a fish eater. Except for tuna from a can, that is. For some reason I’ve always liked tuna sandwiches and tuna casserole. But just plain ole fish, no matter how enticingly prepared, gets me gagging. Maybe it’s the smell; maybe it’s the bones; maybe it’s all the rumors I’ve heard about bad fish; maybe it just tastes yucky.

You know what’s coming, don’t you? You’ve always been one step ahead of me.

Of course any diet I’ve tried wants to push fish on me, which makes losing weight a little more challenging for me than for you fish lovers out there. Yes, I just finished a six-month stint of restricted eating, but now Mauri’s naturopath has him on the Rosedale diet for three weeks, and I’m joining him in the fun of metabolism adjustment. I mean, what could be more fun than that? Well, someone in my Weigh2Go! group suggested I try tilapia, a very mild fish. I’d never heard of tilapia, but I liked the word tilapia, which must mean tilapia couldn’t be all bad. So the last time we were at the food store Mauri bought this one small filet for a trial run.

It looks innocent enough. Right?

This recipe sounded easy, which is about the only kind of recipe I’ll try these days. You broil one side for 2-3 minutes, flip it, and broil the other side. I know, I know…you do this all the time, but it was a first for me.

It’s not looking very appetizing yet. But wait for it…

Slathered with a mixture of butter and mayo and lemon juice and spices and there might just be hope.

Back under the broiler for another 2 minutes and, well, I had to admit it held possibilities.

Add Mauri’s green veggie medley to our plates and we had ourselves a tasty supper. Which didn’t look all that dissimilar to the $16 lunch I ate at The Allison earlier today.

And the tilapia? I’d still choose a tender rump roast over it, but it wasn’t half bad. There might be hope for me yet.

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