Our trip to Washington & Oregon...

Papa & Mama's Gravestone with the little Kleenex that Ben left for us because he knew we'd be stopping a little while after his family did.

Me holding Brighton & Desi

Floor baby...in the kitchen at Lou's.

Brighton sitting in the little rocker at his Auntie Lou & Uncle Andy's (His Godparents) house.

Me w/ Brighton & Joy w/ Desiree

Joy at Burgerville, she was on the other side of the table and Desi was sleeping in her carseat.

Rhoda, Brighton and I at Burgerville........Joy and I had lunch with her. :o)

Cousins ~ Brighton & Desi

At the Ilwaco Park

At the cemetary.

On the lawn in front of the "Home Place"

Hanging out with Mom on in front of the house she grew up in.

Discovering his toes......YUM

Airport Baby

was a lot of fun. I left Alaska with Brighton in tow on the 14th of August & returned on the 22nd! I got to see all of my siblings & most of their families who live in the area. AND my sister from Minnesota flew out and we overlapped for 3 & 1/2 days. I hadn't seen her baby yet and she hadn't seen mine. So, our babies got to see their closest cousin in age!! Joy's Desi was born in Feb. and Brighton was born in March......just under a month apart. I was a little apprehensive, flying for the first time with a baby. But he did so awesome. We got through the checkpoint just great (thanks to the TSA people who helped get my bags, baby and shoes sorted out) He fussed only minutely and slept most of the flight. He only slept a little on the flight from Seattle to Portland but he was fascinated by the two male flight attendants and that kept him happy.

It was good to see the homeplace again and say goodbye to the house and visit the cemetary and see Papa and Mama's gravestone since they carved the date of Papa's death into it. I took a pic of Brighton next to it. That is how he will know my parents, his Pappa & Mummo! By pictures and stories that I tell him, from when I was growing up.

We got to go to one of my niece's 30th birthday party!!! It was a gorgeous day, but a little windy. I got to see my newest great-nephew....he was brand new, only a few days old. I got to go to Clatskanie for church on Sunday, always a treat. And everyone got to see my baby!! :o) I just loved showing him off. I got to spend time "at the beach" (not really, but close to it), see an old friend (she worked at the Chinook cannery with us girls) who is so sweet and recently lost her husband, show off my baby to one of the girls I used to baby sit years ago....she's in college now (that makes me feel so old)!

We did lots of other stuff, too. It was awesome seeing everyone, having lunches with sisters, sisters-in-laws, brothers families, etc. Big THANK YOU's to my sisters who let me sleep at their houses, my niece and her husband who let me use their extra car for my wheels while I was down there and my niece who let me borrow her pink, yes, I said pink, carseat for my son to use (it wasn't blatantly pink.....but it was pink nonetheless.....but it was a pink and gray plaid and I don't think he will be scarred by the experience.....I didn't even get any pics of him in it).