Congratulations Aaron - June 26, 2009

Our oldest grandson, Corporal Aaron Robertson, United States Marine Corps, finished his training at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, TX on June 26th.   He is now qualified as an MOS 2676 - European II (East) - Russian Cryptologic Linguist.   Aaron is on Leave now and will report to his permanent duty station, 3rd Radio Battalion, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, on July 13th.

Aaron graduated from Basic Training at USMC Recruit Depot San Diego in November 2007, after which he was assigned to the Department of Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, CA where he was immersed in the Russian language program for a year.    At graduation from from DLI, Aaron gave the class commencement speech, in Russian.   Aaron then went to Goodfellow AFB for further Military Intelligence training, from which he just graduated.   

We are very proud of OUR MARINE.

Saturday night dinner - June 27, 2009

It's now just a little after 7 PM and we just finished a great dinner in the patio.   Pork chops grilled on the BBQ which had a light sprinkling of a Rosemary Herb seasoning and brushed with Stubbs Smokey Mesquite Bar-B-Q sauce Hanna brought back from Texas; Japanese sticky rice; buttered Italian green beans; and a Cabernet Rosé from South Coast Winery in Temecula, CA.   Beautiful wife to enjoy dinner with, comfortable 78 degrees, sun filtered through the woods next door, and just a hint of a breeze - what could be better?

Just in on June 26, 2009 - new photos of CA grandkids

I just received some new photos of three of the five California Robertson grandkids. 4 month old Elizabeth Susan Ann sure has big blue eyes, and apparently likes to nap on Daddy's chest while Daddy is taking a nap.  Also, there are some photos of 4 year old Emily (she will be 5 in August) at a swim meet, and the three Robertson "E-grandkids":  Eric, Emily, and Elizabeth.

#1: Eagle Crest Resort, Redmond, OR - Jun 23-26, 2009

For Father's Day, our daughter Amber and son-in-law Christopher treated us to a stay at the Eagles Crest Resort in Central Oregon on the Deschutes River, just a few miles west of Redmond, OR.    Bend, OR is about 20 miles south and Sisters, OR is about 15 miles west.   The resort is one of the WorldMark properties in which Amber and Chris have a time-share.   We stayed at the hotel portion, while Amber, Chris, Isaac, and Abigail stayed in a townhouse about a mile away in another part of the property.   Also staying with Amber and Chris were Tiffany and Dan Somerville and their boys, Liam - 4 and Everett - 19 months or so, which meant that we could visit and see all 8 Korenthals and Somervilles if we wanted to, or just do what we wanted ALL BY OURSELVES.  We had a great time and had a chance to go to Sisters (see #2 below) on Wednesday the 24th and Bend on Thursday the 25th.   In Bend we toured the Deschutes brewery, where we forced ourselves to partake in the obligatory tasting of the samples of their brews before the tour.   Afterward, we walked around town and stopped in a candy store that featured all the "old time" candies, gum, toys, and stuff from the 1940's  (and maybe even earlier), then we bought a freshly baked loaf of honey wheat bread and monster cookies at a bakery.

For the photos of Eagle Crest, the four photos in the top two rows, and the photo of the ducks in the third row were "borrowed" (OK, you can interpret:  stolen) from Tiffany's photos in Facebook, the four of the Deschutes River behind Amber's townhouse and one of Amber and DeeDee looking at the river are really mine - thanks Tiffany, even though you have no idea you "loaned" me your photos.

#2: On the way to Sisters,OR from Eagle Crest, Jun 24, 2009

On Wednesday the 24th, we drove to Sisters, OR, about 15 miles from where we were staying. Sisters was named for the three Sister-volcanoes southwest of the town (South Sister, Middle Sister, and North Sister).   Sisters is also famous for a MAJOR - AND I MEAN MAJOR - annual quilt show every 2nd Saturday in July - QUILT:  need I say any more about why we went to Sisters.  In Sisters, Pop 1,700 or so, we walked, window shopped, and stopped for lunch in a really great little restaurant.   After lunch, we went back up the street to the Stitching Post, a well known quilt and fabric store, owned by Jean Wells, who appears on several of the quilt shows on TV that DeeDee watches.  Of course we helped the local economy by depleting some of the Stitching Post's inventory.    DeeDee bought a quilt book authored by Jean Wells and luckily Jean was in the store, so DeeDee was able to get her to sign the book.   During our walk through town, we spotted Abigail's gift shop, which of course DeeDee had to get a photo of to show grand daughter Abigail.

On the way back to Eagles Crest, we stopped at a view point where we were able to see seven volcanos in the Cascade Range.   The video below shows all seven, starting from south to north: Broken Top - 9,173'; South Sister - 10,358'; Middle Sister - 10,047'; North Sister - 10,085'; Mt. Washington (with the strange pointed top) - 7.794'; Three Fingered Jack - 7.841'; and Mt. Jefferson - 10,497'.   Black Butte is between Three Fingered Jack and Mt. Jefferson - it is a small volcanic dome, but is too low and too far east from the Cascade range to get accumulated snow on it and was only about 10 miles away.    The volcanos were all about 30 to 40 miles from our view point.

 

#3: Returning Home to Scappoose from Eagle Crest Resort, Jun 26, 2009

On Friday the 26th, on our way home from Eagle Crest Resort, we took US 2o and 22 from Redmond to Salem, where we picked up I-5 to Portland.   We saw some beautiful pine and cedar forests and captivating views of Mt. Washington and a glimps of Mt. Jefferson (couldn't get photos - no scenic view points and trees were too tall).    At the view point for Mt. Washington, there were also informational signs regarding devastating forest fires in 2002 and 2003.    These photos are of Mt. Washington.   I tried to capture some of the damage from the fires in the video below.   The burned areas went on and on for miles and miles.

Everyone is welcome

Everyone is welcome at our home.  We take shoes off at the front door to keep the carpets clean.   There are booties available for those who want to wear something over their socks.   As you can see, everyone, from big to little is welcome.  Drop on by, anytime.

Auf Wiedersehen, Hanna - Saturday, June 13, 2009

Today was a sad day, as DeeDee and I had to say Auf Wiedersehen to Hanna at PDX (Portland International Airport) when Hanna went through the security check-point to board her Lufthansa flight home to Germany.   Hanna has lived with us since August 29th, 2008 and was truly a part of our family.    While here, Hanna met my sister Susie when she visited with us last September and a whole lot of Morse family in Bellingham, WA during Susie's visit; our daughter Jennifer and two of the five Robertson grand kids, Ian and Emily, when they visited in October; our daughter Christine when Hanna flew to San Antonio, Texas and spent a week with Christine and Trey; and of course our daughter Amber and grand kids Isaac and Abigail who live near us in Oregon.    Isaac and Abigail really love Hanna and are very sad that she had to go home.   The photos of DeeDee and Hanna and the one of the massive crowd of people were taken at PDX while we were waiting to get to the check-in counter and Hanna and me just before she went through the security check-point.

Hanna experienced several milestones and many new experiences while she was here in Oregon.   Hanna turned 18 in October; she experienced a US Halloween for the first time; then an American Thanksgiving; Christmas with Santa Claus leaving a filled stocking at the mantle over the fireplace; a theme park - Universal Studios in Universal City, CA; getting an Oregon Learner's Permit so she could drive the Scappoose High Driver's Education car as part of Driver's Ed class (and lots and lots of practice driving on the back roads around of Scappoose in our Camry), then getting her Oregon Driver's License on May 29th, passing with 95%; and finally graduation from Scappoose High School on June 6th.

We will miss Hanna.

Scappoose High School Graduation, June 6, 2009

Hanna graduated from Scappoose High School on Saturday, June 6th, with an overall  3.67 GPA for the three trimesters she was enrolled in the Senior Class at SHS this past school year as an exchange student from Germany.   Hanna's credits for her 9th, 10th and 11th grades at Gymnasium in Germany, plus her credits for the 15 classes she took as a senior this last school year at SHS met all State of Oregon and Scappoose School District requirements for graduation from high school in Oregon.  There were a lot of the other 172 graduates in her class who wished they had the grades she earned.  Hanna worked very hard for her grades and accomplished a lot this last school year.   During the year Hanna made presentations in several of her classes at the request of her teachers.  In addition, several teachers from other classes sought her out and asked her to also speak to the students in their classes.   Hanna is very personable and a very effective speaker.   She represents the best of what a foreign exchange student can be and of the youth of Germany.  DeeDee and I are very proud of Hanna, as I know her Mom and Dad, Sabine and Dieter, are back at home in Germany.

The Marine and his first tattoo, June 1, 2009

Just in -- this photo of our oldest grandson, Corporal Aaron Robertson, USMC, of Springville, CA, sporting his first tattoo.   As his mother Jennifer says, "Well, it could have been worse".  

Aaron is currently at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, TX for Military Intelligence training, prior to his assignment to his first duty station - Hawaii.

Ian's Successes at the Porterville Fair, June 1, 2009

Our 13 year old grandson, Ian Robertson of Porterville, CA entered several events in the Porterville Fair, as he does every year. 

Here is the report from our daughter Jennifer about this years successes:

     Ian won Reserve best bantam duck and Reserve best waterfowl (with the same little female duck).  He also won rosette ribbons for best and reserve best lightweight ducks, best and reserve best heavy ducks and best turkey (when you have the only turkey there - it wins) and took 3rd place in showmanship using a bantam drake.

 

     He took 2 pens of meat chickens, 1 received 5th place, the other did not place. He was able to sell the 5th place pen at the auction for $100.00. Which he will be reinvesting into his poultry project for next year.

 

     The big award this year was Junior Grand Champion for decorated cake, and yes he did decorate it by himself.   His strawberry jam won a 1st place ribbon as well.