The Elliott Chronicles

2010-11-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend my friend Debbie and I retreated to Suncadia Lodge on the east side of the mountains. It was a combo of nature, nurture and reflection. We had massages and sat in the hot salt pools until dark. It was sprinkling out, so we were lucky to have them all to ourselves. We had dinner in, watched a movie and relaxed - all toasty by the fire. It was just what I needed.

In the morning we woke to glorious sunshine and a cool fall day. The views were amazing and Suncadia's acreage goes on for miles, so we walked and walked, taking in the fresh air. It was nice to not have the background freeway or airport noise I am used to at home. Getting away from it makes me realize how much noise pollution I live with. No wonder I have to wear earplugs at night!

I love Debbie. She is one of my dearest friends. We always have such a great time together, and I am truly grateful to have her in my life. She has the gift of knowing just what to say or not to say to me when it is needed, and she reminds me that it is alright to feel my feelings and most of all she makes me laugh! I have a lot to thank her for...

Thank you, Debbie, for the last eight years!

Bake Day

2010-09-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile Troy and I like to have a bake day. This usually means making Jill's cinnamon rolls and some variety of cookie. We are definitely getting better because this batch turned out YUUUMMY. The cookies on the other hand were another story. Troy tells it well on his blog here: Troy's Blog

Uno Manano (aka Troy and Steve)

2010-09-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

Troy and Steve making fire (Jack supervising)

Me man. Me make fire. Me make BIG fire.

2010-09-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of mine, Linda, and her husband Chris took a group of us out on their boat for lunch. Linda wanted to do this last summer as a graduation gift but was diagnosed with mouth cancer. She spent the last year going through countless oral surgeries, radiation treatments and hyperbaric chamber visits. She is now cancer free and feeling back to herself. We are so thankful and really wanted to celebrate her recovery. All of us "wise women" decided we would let the spouses join. :)

It was an amazingly beautiful day in Seattle. We left out of Elliot Bay and motored up the sound to Bainbridge Island, into a little cove called Pt. Madison, where we anchored and lunched. Everyone who wanted could take a turn at the wheel, but we mostly sat in the sun and told stories. We had a great time! Thank you Linda & Chris!

Leaving Elliot Bay Marina

Troy at the wheel

A beautiful brick cottage covered in ivy. (Not good for the brick, but very beautiful)

Yours truly

A great picture of Marilyn looking very nautical

Nan at the wheel

Debbie and Gail soaking up the sunshine

The boat, Flying Colors

2010-08-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Troy and I traveled with our friends Dennis, Kari & their daughter Taylor to Steamboat Rock State Park about four hours east of the mountains from us. We wanted to head over and see a laser light show off of Grand Coulee Dam. The light show was ok but the scenery and weather was A+. Except for the drive home. Boy oh boy it was hot! Here are a few pictures of the canyon we camped in. This was a lot of fun...too short but we both wouldn't mind going back.

"Hello!"

Steamboat Rock State Park

(this is a great spot for a camping trip...lots of grass, sandy beaches, and bike riding, and it was very clean...nice for a State Park.)

Canyon at Sunset...turning purple
more canyon

Grand Coulee Dam

more dam

Troy jack hammering at the visitor center

Outside temp as we were sitting in a traffic jam due to an accident...yuck.

Junior Rangers

2010-08-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay in getting this uploaded. My previous Junior Rangers post didn't work. But, then my awesome husband (yes, he's helping me compose) showed me how to resize the video. Thank you Troy!

2010-08-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend Troy, Steve, Cole, Carmen & I went to Teatro ZinZanni. TZ is a dinner theatre. It is a traveling act that rotates every few months. For our show, we were entertained by Maestro's Menagerie. We were entertained by music, contortionists, comedians and opera singers. The entertainment is interactive, so between meal courses the cast walks through the theatre doing silly things with the audience. We had a lot of fun watching the "creepy" human Count Dracula (the Maestro) sneak up and scare Carment. The staff highly encourages fancy dress and gaudy accessories...hence Cole's facepaint and Steve's wacky sun glasses. A little girl came up and asked Cole if those were real tattoos. She explained it was body paint. :) Too cute!

The best part of this experience is the fun you have with family & friends. Steve,Cole & Carmen are like family, and it was so fun to celebrate a long end to Carmen and Steve working consecutive 100-hour weeks at work, and to have the family back together again. All-in-all the meal was amazing, the company great, and there was fun to be had by all!

Red Carpet Tour 2010

2010-08-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

This year's Red Carpet Tour was so much fun. It was titled "Hunting for fun in Cle Elum". Cle Elum is a small town in Eastern Washington, just over Snoqualmie Pass. Troy and I were in charge of the "getting there" tour. Our main objective was to find backroads, that allowed the old cars to do between 45-50mph all the way to Cle Elum. Troy and I spent a few trips, we had to wait until the snow melted, trying to find just the perfect route. With a couple of suggestions from other club members, we found the perfect tour route. Since this was just the small tour, we only had to worry about a dozen cars or so. Much more easy to manage. Most of the time we were able to keep everyone in sight. Which is a big deal when leading a tour. People don't like getting lost, and we've found they don't like reading their maps either! They simply want to follow and enjoy. :) I have to admit, I do too.

Our drive began in the Cascade foothills and snaked up between E & W bound of I-90. We immediately ran into unexpected traffice due to I-90 being down a lane because of maintenance. It was literally bumper-to-bumper and a lot of our group was beginning to have problems with their cars overheating. We fortunately got through that mess before anything major happened.

The exit we took to begin the tourc is called Asahel Curtis and the old-timers loved it! The road was shaded by thick evergreen forest and smelled of dry pine needles...that has to be my favorite smell ever! It was much needed relief after sitting on the highway sweltering for 45 minutes. After we were over the pass, we were forced to make our way back on the interstate a couple of times because we pass by Lake Kechless, with no alternite routes. That is very frightening. We tried our best to stay together and let people go around us. Let me tell you, semi trucks flying by at 70mph while you are driving in an antique car is very intimidating. We finally pulled in to Lake Easton and unpacked our picnic lunches. Everyone was ready for a break.

After lunch we finished our tour, which was amazingly beautiful. The weather was perfect. Sunny with a slight breeze. We drove our way into Cle Elum to our lodge, unpacked and wiped down the cars and rested before dinner.

Dinner was provided at the Teanaway Grange. They cooked us a wonderful meal of homemade lasagna, salad and shortcake. It was delicious and the view from this place was incredible. It sits on a knoll overlooking the Teanaway Valley. The sun was setting and the view of the sprinklers on the fields was gorgeous. The old cars, in all of their glory, were spiffed up and shining in the setting sun. I would love to go back.

The next day of the tour took us through Salmon le Sac. This was a beautiful drive through campsites, old cemetaries and through the historic town of Roslyn. We were headed back to the park for lunch when our truck died. We had run out of gas! The gas guage was stuck at 3/4 of a tank for the longes time and we paid no attention. Troy one the booby prize at the very end of the tour for this! Luckily the rear car stopped to see if we needed help. Debbie drove Troy into town to buy a gas can and gas. That evening we enjoyed another trip to the park. This time we walked. The BBQ we had was so good. We played pin the tale on the moose for fun and games. It was really fun to see all of the old-timers blind folded trying to pin the tale. ..needless to say there was a bit of cheating going on. We had such fun!

The next day took us to Yakima Canyon. This drive reminded me a lot of Idaho. It was sunny and beautiful. One of the cars broke down at the bottom of the canyon and Troy and I thought we were going to have to two him into town. You can see in this picture what it takes to get things fixed...at least five heads under the hood and just as many opinions on what it takes to get it done. We never did get to finish this tour. We spent two hours working on Jim's car and then hightailed it back to the lodge.

The evening dinner was at the Cle Elum Senior Center. Boy, what a beautiful facility. They sure know how to welcome guests. Their event coordinator did the napkins and the whole bit. The evening was full of laughter and fun. Eric drove over from Seattle and joined us.

Here a picture of Friday's tour stop. Troy and I went for a walk, and I kid you not, 15 minutes later everyone was gone! This perimeter of this lot was completely full when we left. Where did everybody go????

My favorite car....

More beauties.....

Our ride...

The end. I am already excited about next year. Victoria, B.C. here we come!

Checkin In

2010-04-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

I just realized how terribly long it has been since I have updated this space. What can I say? We have three home-improvement projects going on at one time and only one of them was planned. I am NOT a do-it-yourself kind of gal, and we continue to uncover things that have finally given out after 60 years and need to be fixed RIGHT NOW!

So, more to come later as we tackle our house.

xo

Fun Visit

2010-03-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

Dennis & Jill visited us last weekend and we couldn't have asked for a better time. Friday and most of Saturday was sunny and beautiful. We took a tour of underground Seattle. It was interesting, but not as interesting as our guide...right Jill? We walked to Ivars for lunch and then walked the Pike Place Market. We took the light rail from the airport to the city to save on the hassle of parking and navigating Friday afternoon city traffic, so by the time we got on the train we were beat. It was a great day. We played Troy's favorite game Big Boss and cards. Saturday we drove a couple of hours north to Skagit Valley to see if we could see the daffodile and tulip fields in bloom. The daffys were out and brilliant as were some of the tulips, but most of the tulips will be fully in bloom in a week or so. We drove to Uncle Dion's beach cottage and cooked in the dutch ovens. BBQ chicken and potatoes...yummy. It was so good. By then the weather had really turned cold and rain was moving in. We stayed and visited for a bit and then hit the road home. Jill slept the entire way. She didn't snore at all! (wink, wink). Sunday Dennis and Jill saved us by helping us get the final things done on the basement so Gary could begin to drywall on Monday. Thank you both so much for this! It helped more than you know. I'll post pictures of the progess a bit later. Sunday night my folks, brother and Steve, Nicole and Jack came over for dinner. It was nice to have everyone there. We had such a nice visit and really loved the company. Our doors are open for anyone who would like to come and visit! My favority picture is the last and one of many kissy-face pictures I took of Dennis & Jill. Happy Anniversary. We love you!!!

Happy Anniversary!!!! We love you!

I spoke too soon...

2010-02-25T17:54:00.001-08:00

Now we are back to our more typical spring weather. Rain, sun, rain, sun, rain and sun and lots more raaaiiiinnn. Boo hoo!

Ahhh...Spring.

2010-02-22T18:54:00.000-08:00

Yurting

2010-02-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend was our first camping trip of the season. The Loftus, Adams & Weatherloerch family made way for Kanasket-Palmer State Park for a weekend of Yurting. The weather here has been so gorgeous the past week that our weekend campout couldn't have landed on a more beautiful weekend. Sunny and highs near 60. The time was spent walking, reading, crafting, cooking and enjoying the campfire. The highlight of Saturday night were the Girl Scout Thin Mint smores. YUM! Troy made his dutch oven potatoes and Cole made eggs-in-a-bag for breakfast and we snacked on sandwiches and things the rest of the time. The Yurt was great because it had power, which meant we could plug in heaters, and that came in handy at night because lows were in the mid 30s. Each yurt had a double-size futon and a bunkbed. Jerry, Jessi, Troy & I shared one while the Adams had their own. Little Jack had fun digging with his shovels and climbing up on the picnic table. It was a great weekend with a great group of friends. We, as a group, decided one thing that should be on our life lists in to visit all of the State Parks in Washington State. Fun, Fun, Fun! Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

---Yurt with sun coming up behind it---

---Cole, Jack, Jessi---

---Irresistible---

---Troy with morning hot chocolate and bat wings (hair)---

---Sun bathing beauts---

---The beautiful Green River---

---Troy being silly---

---Trees with green sleeves of velvet moss---

---My favorite...twilight---

---Steve enjoying the fire---

---Troy and Steve reliving their Scout days---

Goodbye Tooth

2010-02-10T21:40:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the big day. I am saying goodbye to one of the front teeth. After several years of discomfort, it's outta here. Scared? Yes. Looking forward to getting it over with? Yes. Will I be using "laughing gas"? Yes. I have my fake tooth in hand while everything heals over the next six months...dental implants...gotta love them. Watch out kids...the scary toothless lady will come and get you if you aren't good!!! :)

L.A. Fun & Games

2010-02-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures of our short but sweet trip to visit friends in Los Angeles. We were very sorry that they moved a year ago, but are so happy they are still close enough for us to visit. The thing we love to do most with them is play board games. As you can see from one of the pictures, the games are stacked high waiting to be played. Big Boss is our favorite game. You can see it in the picture. Little Rainy Kitty liked visiting our bedroom every morning to see what we were doing. I don't think she wanted us to leave and that is why she is trying to hide in my suitcase. :) The laughter was great and the food was great (Yang Chow Chinese!!) Thanks again for the fun time!!

Fun Day with Girls!!

2010-01-17T09:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had such a great day. A friend from work treated me to fun as a congratulations for graduating. I started out by riding our light rail system into the city, and I just have to say this is the only way to go into Seattle anymore. It saves on the hassle & cost of parking.

We started out by visiting a historic hotel in Seattle's International District for tea. The hotel used to house many Japanese immigrants, Alaska Fisherman and international travelers. They were best known for their soaking tubs. It was a luxury to be able to take a bath in those days. The presentation and atmosphere was spectacular, and I really enjoyed exploring something new and learning a little more history about our city.

Afterwards we walked back uptown to the Seattle Art Museum. They are currently featuring a full exhibit on Michelangelo. We walked through looking at all of the exhibits, some were really beautiful and some were terrible (at least to me :) but it was great to see so many people, children included, enjoying the museum.

While the husbands were having poker night, I spent the evening with Nicole watching girl movies and eating Ivars clam chowder and grilled cheese at her house. Total comfort in all aspects!!!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

This Christmast was one of our best. We were able to spend Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas day with Troy's family, plus an extended visit in Idaho through the 1st of the year. This is likely how we'll do it in the future. We had such a fun time visiting with everyone; laughing, playing games, snacking, shopping, Lava, and driving in the hills. We look forward to it every year, and every year Idaho does not dissapoint. We are already looking forward to the summer campout.

Here are some pictures I captured near the end of our trip:

Arctic Blast

2009-12-21T18:24:00.001-08:00

We had Idaho cold temperatures a week ago and this picture captured it all...

Shower Remodel

2009-12-21T18:01:00.000-08:00

My husband is amazing. He can do anything he sets his mind to and he makes it seem so effortless. I was only the gofer on this project, and other than picking out the tile and helping take out the old tiles, Troy put it all together. The bulk of it took a long weekend and all of the finishing touches took about three weeks. I am so glad to have our shower back. Thank you Troy!

Possibilities

2009-12-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

Gulp. I am applying for a new position at work. It is in the very department that I work for now but will be doing actual claim handling vs. claim processing. It will be a promotion for me and a bit scary because of the responsibility, but I am very excited for this new challenge. Positions like this don't come along very often in my department...the last opening was 10 years ago. It is funny how it happened. A woman far north of us decided to switch careers and that left an opening in her department. A different claim handler did a lateral move which opened yet another spot. They decided not to replace this second person directly in her own department but in mine instead. You see, I feel like this was meant to be. I just graduated from college and now this! I knew that I would never be competititve enough for this position until I finished school, and now that I have, this door has opened. I am rambling a bit, so I guess what I am trying to say is please keep me in your prayers for the interview that will likely be happening within the next few weeks.

Kathryn Rockafield

2009-12-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

On a more somber note, my Grandmother Rockafield passed away this past weekend. She was born in 1912 and lived to 2009 and was 97 years old. My grandmother was a beautiful woman. She had smooth skin and a quiet voice and was sharp as a tack for as long as she was alive. I admire so much about her...she was a quiet woman, but had strong opinions...I see my mother in her and love that. Growing up, my Grandma and grandpa's house was the best for playing. They had a huge fir tree in their backyard that we would make forts under. The neighbors had a horse pasture with horses that I would always sneek over to pet. If you couldn't find me, I was over there. Grandma was incredibly gifted with a greenthumb and always had fresh food and a full greenhouse. I will always relate the smell of a greenhouse to her. My favorite foods at Grandma's house were cheese and crackers and her angel food cake with whipping cream frosting. She would decorate them with flowers from her garden. I really do miss those days. It has been a long time since she lived in that house but the memories will stay with her family forever. We love you Grandma...it's amazing all of the things you've seen in your lifetime...I feel blessed to be part of you and am happy for you to be resting peacefully.

Thanksgiving Cheer

2009-11-30T20:59:00.000-08:00

Troy and I had such a great time at mom & dad's for Thanksgiving this year. We arrived around noon laden with potatoes, stuffing and beans for our side dishes. Mom had the bird, grandma had the pies and Eric was in charge of the condiments and rolls. It was a fun family feast. I especially love Thanksgiving for the pumpkin pie. I wait all year in anticipation for this pie...and yes, it is a long wait but I never like to spoil it by eating pie early. We played a couple of games, Mexican Train dominoes being the most fun. The best thing about Thanksgiving was being able to be together as a family and enjoy the time together. Oh, and rough housing with my brother is a lot of fun too. We have such a great time being silly! What it boils down to is that life seems to be flying by, and for me, spending time with loved ones is something I cherish. I love you family!!!

Perfect Day

2009-11-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I met my oldest friend, Renae, for a walk. I have known Renae since I was in the third grade. We grew up together and have remained friends throughout our lives. We have been in each others weddings and look forward to remaining close until we are old and gray. She now has two daughters, Grace 3 and Lilly 6 mo. It was my turn to meet her in Gig Harbor, so that is where we are. It was cold and crisp but not raining or windy, as you can see from how calm the water is. I love our walks together and am grateful to have her in my life!

Renae, Lilly & Grace

All is calm on the water

Fall foliage

Wise Women Weekend

2009-11-15T13:17:00.000-08:00

Last weekend marked the 7th annual Wise Women weekend that partakes every year in the fall. It is a group of women that I have become close to and share similar interests with. I am the baby of the group. Our ages range from 35 - 72. There is a lot of wisdom to be had. We stayed the weekend at a family condo of one of the women. It is on the Canadian border in Blain, WA. We pretty much had stormy weather, which made crafting indoors all the better, but the sun did peek out to warm our faces here and there. Debbie is one of my best girlfriends and someone I cherish greatly. We had a fun time combing the beach for aggots and seaglass.

Marina at twilight - Canada in the background

Debbie

Sunset

Vacation

2009-10-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

Troy and I are finally back into our routine after having been on vacation for ten days. We started planning, oh almost 8 months ago now, a trip to San Diego and then a five night Mexican cruise. Luckily for us, before making our final payment to the cruise line there was a Swine Flu epidemic in Mexico causing Royal Carribean to reduce their price not once but three times!

We had a marvelous time in San Diego. Troy was able to show us his old haunts and enjoy the tourist attractions he didn't have a lot of time to see when he lived down there...mainly because he was working a lot of the time. First stop was for lunch at his favorite Mexican place called Santanas. They have the best carnitas! We went to Point Loma and took in the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and San Diego. We went to the San Diego Zoo, Coronado Beach, Old Town, Gas Lamp and of course the Midway Aircraft Carrier (I'm a bit obsessed after watching the PBS series "The Carrier"). We had Jack for the day so that Steve & Cole could have some time alone. It was so fun! Jack had a great time crawling and climbing on the carrier. The best part about San Diego is that we were able to get a very good deal on a beach bungalo that was one block away from the ocean. It was so much fun!!

After four days we went to board the cruise ship and met up with five other couples who were joining us. The ship took us to Ensenada, Mexico and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Ensenda I don't need to go back to, but Cabo was so beautiful. The beaches were beautiful and the snorkeling we did was so much fun! We saw lots of neat fish and pelicans swan diving into the water right next to us to eat them. It was a bit starteling!! Oh yeah, and I got stung by a jelly fish. It felt like stinging nettles. We took a boat tour on a Tall Ship that was really neat and beautiful with all of its sails. Troy got sea sick, as he usually does, but not before he had the opportunity to take the wheel. It was very hot in Cabo. Probably close to 90 degrees with 90% humidity. Between the sweat, sunblock & salt water my eyes were done. It felt so good to get back on the air conditioned boat and take a cold shower.

We had a lot of fun, and a lot of laughs. Here are several (it was hard to choose!) of our favorite pictures:

Lovers Beach

Sailing on the Sea of Cortez

Pelican Rock

Los Archos

Keyhole to the Pacific

Troy at the wheel

San Diego Marina - it's the perfect climate for sailing

Troy & Jack in the Midway Carrier brig

Funani the Hippo

Lions

Birds of Paradise - they were everywhere

Troy in front of a very old prickly pear cactus

Tall Ship

The Group

Point Loma

9-30-06

2009-10-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

Another year under our belts. Yes indeedy, Troy and I just celebrated our three-year anniversary on Wednesday. He and I actually celebrated a day early because he was in school on the actual day. We went out to dinner and then to our lovely Costco for romance (insert laughter here). I will say, no matter what we were doing it was nice to have the time together. With his new schedule, time together is time well spent.

I hope everyone's week has been a good one. Tomorrow is FRIDAY!

Fall Weekend

2009-09-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend was spent doing outside chores before our weather turns this coming week. We are looking at highs in the 50s with rain. How depressing!

Steve & little Jack came over to help Troy move gravel to our garden. We are trying to clean up all of the space that isn't used, by leveling and laying gravel. They put down a couple of layers of newspaper, heavy-duty landscaping plastic, and then crushed gravel. It will keep the weeds and grass down, which will get SO OUT OF CONTROL if we don't do something. It is a lot of added work every spring and fall when we are trying to clean up the yard. It looks so very nice.

After that we went back to Steve & Nicole's house so that the boys could stain their front porch. I watched Jack while they spent four hours staining. It was quite the job, but it was very nice to get it done.

In the meantime, today is a sunny and beautiful day, with a crisp wind. It is my favorite fall weather. Troy and I are takikng a walk to get some fresh air. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!!

Sgt. Pepper's

2009-09-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

I love our Sgt. Pepper's dinner club. We always have great food, great chats and loads of laughs. Here are a few of the members rockin' out to Beatles Rock Band...and of course this song was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band! Troy was quite good at the Bass. Jack loved it so much he wanted to take a turn at playing the drums.

Puyallup Fair

2009-09-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Since when did our country fair become one big infomercial? It seems to have evolved from homespun to imported goods. The craft barn probably only had two booths with honest crafts. The rest was all imported goods. Dissapointing to say the least...at least the animals were cute and interesting. Everything else was not worth seeing. I think we may skip the fair next year.

Rain Rain Go Away Come Again Some Other Day

2009-09-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

I think our summer days are over folks. We are expecting a Labor Day weekend full of rain and 60 degree weather. Boo Hoo!

The mornings are getting darker and the sun is setting earlier...I am just not ready for it.

Isn't She beautiful?

2009-09-03T17:49:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Troy and I, with our friends Jerry & Jessi, went camping at Mt. Rainier National Park. Jerry and Jessi are hiking the second half of the Wonderland Trail...a mere 65 miles. YIKES! They hiked one half last summer and are back to complete it. We picked them up at Paradise where they dropped their car off because hat is where they will be finishing. The campground was just OK. Nothing like Alturas where you actually have space between camp spots. This campground was completely full and I felt like we were on top of each other. I've gotten spoiled camping in Idaho. :)

Here are some pictures of our beautiful Mt. Rainier (who is practically naked of snow).

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend!!!

Mt.Rainier

Again from the other side

Jessi coaxing a wild Gray Jay to land in her hand and eat blueberries

Us

Before 65 miles

Dean's List

2009-08-29T09:34:00.001-07:00

This week on Wendesday was the happiest day for me, other than my wedding day!!! I received a letter from my university stating that I made the Dean's List last quarter. They were going to be honoring my academic excellence!! Me? Laura? Laura Loftus? I am so happy because I worked so hard throghout this very long journey to get good grades and to continue raising the bar for myself that I feel the hard work is finally paying off. I told my boss and he made a copy of it for his file and for his boss' file! That is great considering I am preparing to apply for another position when it comes available. Oh joy, what a glorious day!!

Lake Las Vegas

2009-08-29T09:10:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I went to Lake Las Vegas with my friends David, Corey & Heather. David & Corey had just bought a condominium in the village at Lake Las Vegas, so as a fun weekend to celebrate their puchase and my finishing school, we packed up and flew down. It was only a two-hour flight and we were able to get decenlty priced tickets. Heather moved to Orange County, CA three months agao, so she flew over from California and the flights were timed so perfectly that we landed within minutes of each other and didn't have to wait around at the airport.

When we left Seattle it was drizzling and when we landed in Vegas I immediately changed into shorts bedcause it was 112!! I love the dry heat but this was intense. The first night we were there they had high desert winds blowing through and it felt so nice, even if it did feel like I had a hairdryer blowing on me 24/7. The next couple of days were much cooler with temperatures in the high 90s.

Lake Las Vegas is about 30 minutes or so East of the Las Vegas Strip so we didn't have to deal with the throngs of people, which is what we were trying to avoid. The village is so nice because you basically unpack and you have all of your restaurants, recreation and lounging within waling distance from where you are staying. We were able to get out and swim, walk, and enjoy sights like the Hoover Dam. We had a great time listening to music in the park and eating wonderful dinners. My favoite part, though, was lounging by the pool and riding on the waterslide. What a blast! I felt like a kid again. :) I can't wait to go back!!

Arrival

Heather, Me, Corey & David

Storm moving across the valley

Water line at Hoover Dam

Night view from the Condo

View of the village from Lake Las Vegas

Hoover Dam

Another Happy Couple

2009-08-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

August 16th was Kevin & Param's wedding. The ceremony was beautiful and their vows tugged at the heartstrings. This wedding venue was incredible. It was on the top floor (75) of the tallest building in Seattle, the Columbia Tower. Needless to say, we had to take two sets of elevators to get to the top and my ears were popping the entire way. It was a little scary at one point when I thought about how those who were in the Twin Towers during 9/11 may have felt. But, I quickly erased those thoughts from my mind and enjoyed the beutiful scenery. It was a clear day and the view was amazing. You basically have a panoramic view of the city and when it is sunny and clear you can see for miles.

What's funny is that we met Kevin and Param at Troy's cousins weddings. First Richelle's, then Dustin and then Drew's weddings. Kevin is one of Drew's best friends and is like a member of Drew's family, so everyone who has spent time with the Seattle Hanfts has likely met Kevin. Our friends, Kelly and Jen, we also met through Kevin and Param and we love them!

K & P are a beautiful couple and are blessed to have the family and friends they do in their lives. It was great to see everyone dancing and having a fun time. Congratulations Kevin & Param!

Kevin & Param

Kelly & Jen

Views of Seattle

Grandma Rockafield

2009-08-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

The matriarch of the Rockafield family turned 97 yesterday. We need to hold her close because although she is of sound mind, her body is tiring. We love you so much Grandma R.

The Rockafield Family (minus 9 who couldn't be there)

We ♥ Idaho

2009-08-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

The last week of July was the family camping trip in Idaho. I worked frantically to wrap up two of my classes before we left and the thought of going camping at one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, Alturas Lake, was my motivation and reward. What I love most about going to visit Troy's family is how much everyone genuinely loves to spend time together hanging out, talking, laughing, playing games and just having a great time.

The day we left for the lake Troy and I rode with Tyler, Tracy, Abby, Bo and caravanned with Tanner and Chelsey. It was nice to have the time with them because we don't get to see them very often. Bo was fine most of the way, a few snorts and heavy breaths on my neck but overall he is a good boy. Abby liked to share her Nillas with Uncle Troy and Aunt Laura so we got a long just fine. :) She is growing up so fast!

When we got to camp we unloaded and set up everything and settled in for a few days of good eating, hiking, swimming, games, walks, bike rides, camp fires, mosquitos, fishing, smores, dutch ovens, picnics, ladies hair washing, celebrating Ryann's birthday, bears in campgrounds, and so on...I love how fresh the air is, how close the stars seem, how uncrowded the campgrounds are and the family time together.

On the way home we had just left Alturas and had to stop at Smiley Creek Campground because it looked like Travis' trailer was going to go flying off the road. The boys had to re-distribute the weight and so the girls had milkshakes. YUM. I just had to. We drove across another pass outside of Sun Valley that had a scary road up the mountain. IT WAS STEEP!!! We stopped for lunch at Park Creek and then went on to Fall Creek, where I fell in (2x). After that, I was really ready to go home. I slept so good that night. The afternoon before we left Tyler let Troy and I ride 4-Wheelers at their house. It was so fun! I have never done it before and was screaming like a hyena...I'm sure the cows wondered what the crazy lady in their pasture was doing. We had a great time!

I had a hard time picking only a few pictures, so here are several. We can't wait to see everyone again at Christmas!

Pettit Lake

Fall Creek

Fall Creek

Stanley Lake

Falling in Fall Creek

Blake who LOVED the water at Alturas

Brothers with Dad at Fall Creek

Abby with Grandpa

Kaylee in Camp

Us at Stanley Lake

Alyssa & Tanner having fun

Happy baby Hunter

Lady Leisure Walkers Aftyn and Grandma

Brothers

Abby learning the pump early

Troy LOVED this picture of Abby...what a great face!

Hellos

Blake and Grant at Stanley Lake

2009 Red Carpet Tour

2009-08-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

The Red Carpet Tour with the Horseless Carriage Club this year was a lot of fun. Troy and I volunteered to assit with maps and tour routes around the Olympic Penninsula. We started out by ferrying across the Puget Sound from W. Seattle to Southworth. The day was beautiful and the water so calm. It looked like glass. The tour started Thursday afternoon with a short trip to the Undersea Warfare Museam in Keyport, WA. This was a "get-your-feet-wet" tour to kick off the weekend. The museaum had a lot of neat things to see and Troy had fun explaining what we were seeing...I captured a picture of him looking through the periscope.

The fun thing about the Red Carpet Tour is that not only do the local club members come, but their friends to the North (Canadians) come down to participate. It is a great reunion for friends who love their cars and love to drive them. There is much laughter, great food, and new sights to see.

The Ferry Dock

The Ride Over

Troy Periscoping

The next day started out a little rocky for Troy and I. Seeing as how were were leading people we needed our truck to start. It didn't. You can see that having too many mechanics under the hood can hinder anything from getting done. We had no choice but to leave it. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it turns out we needed to include a lot of specifics for the cars following us. But, to make a long story short, the day turned out well and we learned what we need to do next time we lead a tour. With encouragement and help from my parents and their wonderful friends, we made it!

Gene and Rosalee have a 1963 Wildcat Convertible, which is the car we rode in on Friday morning. Their traveling companion, Chester, enjoyed many a breaths of fresh air hanging over the side of the car. The tour took us to a beautiful state park in Seabeck, WA. The views were stunningly beautiful and again, the water was like glass. It is most impressive.

Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

Chester

Seabeck

Saturday went flawlessly because I made Troy drive the route Friday evening. Everyone loved the tour and we even made it to the ferry ontime for the "trip to Seattle" leg. Mom, Dad, Troy and I walked up to the Pike Place Market to look for a gift for my brother. My dad wanted to find the tiles that have mine and my brother's names on them. The upper level of the market is completely tiled. Each tile has someone's name engraved into them. We can always be a part of this historic place. The market was VERY crowded and has changed a lot since we were little. It seems to have lost a lot of its "artsy" feel and has turned into more of a tourist destination for the cruise ships that port in Seattle now. But, it is good revenue for the city and it is nice to share our special city with visitors. For lunch we went to Ivars on the Waterfront. Jill, we will go there when you and Dennis come to visit. The food was great! After, we went back to our hotel in Silverdale and enjoyed the Luau the hotel put on to celebrate Hawaii's 50th anniversary. It was a lot of fun!

Pike Place Market

Our Tiles

Maritime Seal on the Waterfront

Leaving the City on the Ferry

All in all it was a great weekend and we are looking forward to 2010!

Going Home

Balmy Summer Nights

2009-07-12T16:57:00.001-07:00

Troy and I met our friends Kelly and Jen at a local beach for picnic dinner on Saturday evening. It was the perfecting ending to what was a very stressful day. By the time we left the house that evening I had been sitting at my computer for 9 hours doing homework. I was mentally drained. It was very warm and with no central air the house felt humid and uncomfortable. I was more than ready for fresh air. Here are some pics from our evening filled with friends, great conversation, many laughs, yummy raspberries and even a few surprises on the water.

A Few Favorite Things

2009-07-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law requested that everyone post a few of their favorite things, here ya go Ryann:

I love the smell outside at night after a hot summer day.

I love the feeling when I turn in my last assignment of a quarter.

I love being snuggly with my husband and watching a movie when the weather outside is wintery.

I love cozy fires.

I love the feeling of laying my head on my pillow after a long day.

I love the taste of tomatoes, fresh from the vine.

I love eating blackberries from the bushes when I am on my walk.

I loved the smell of Cuy. He was warm and cuddly.

I love the smell of warm pine needles on the forest floor.

I love Kraft Mac-n-Cheese...or just cheese period. Oh, and butter too. :) Just ask Troy.

I love family and friends!

Point No Point

2009-07-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were blessed with the opportunity to use Nicole's uncle's cabin. It is on the Olympic Penninsula overlooking the Puget Sound. Needless to say the weather was perfect for an outing like this. The very same weekend we experienced some of the highest and lowest tides of the season and this makes for GREAT beach combing. I came home with more sea glass to add to the collection.

These pictures were taken about 10 minutes from the cain at a lovely beach called Point No Point. There is a beautiful little light house and lots of driftwood to make forts and stuff. Perfect for little kids (and big kids). Who wants to visit?? Hint Hint!!!

Unfortunately, Nicole and Jack were just recovering from a stomach flu, which they thought they were not contagious anymore...well that was not to be true. I woke up Sunday morning very sick and almost made it home without throwing up. Did I say almost? Yep. Troy woke up early Monday morning following suit, with a horrible stomache ache. I found out later that 5 out of 7 of us ended up getting sick. It was terrible!

Anywhoo, we are over it now and back to normal. School is getting horribly crazy but my chant for the next six-eight weeks is "finish line!", "finish line!".

We are missing you all and looking forward to our vacation to Idaho soon, and I mean WE CAN'T WAIT!!

My Apologies.

2009-06-21T18:22:00.001-07:00

I knew I hadn't posted in a long time, but really? April 4th? That is the last time I posted. So, I figured it was time to get back into the swing of things.

The last few months have been occupied with mainly school and work. Anyone sensing a trend here? However, the GREAT news is that this summer will be my last official quarter of classes. In the fall I have a one credit senior proposal and then I will be done. I am so excited and happy I could cry. It has been so long since I have not been in school I am sure I will be in shock.

Today was a fun day spent with great friends at the Mariner's Game. Hot dogs, red ropes, garlic fries and lemonade made the day even better. Happy Father's Day to all of you Fathers out there. Happy Fathers Day to my Dad and Dad-in-Law! We love you!

Here are some neat pictures of Safeco Field Stadium before and after they closed the retractable roof.

Portland, Oregon

2009-04-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

This last weekend Troy and I went down to Portland, Oregon to visit with his cousin Nicole and her husband John. It was a quick overnight trip filled with new experiences and lots of laughs. Portland is about 2.5 hours from Seattle, so our drive was pretty easy. We've taken the train in the past, but the weather was promising heavy rain so we didn't want to risk it.

Nicole and John own a great old 1920's vintage home in Portland and I of course fell in love with it. My love for old homes is probably due to the fact that I grew up in one. The coolest thing about their house was the theatre down in their basement...yes, I said theatre. They built a stadium seating platform to put the four rows of theatre seats they bought from a movie theatre that was going out of business. They even had the purple curtains on the wall to give a real theatre feel. They have a projector and screen so it was truly like being at the movies! Of course Troy wanted to rush right home and build one. Ingenious!!

We toured the city, ate at great restaurants and went to a Roller Derby! It was so cool. They both have friends who are part of Oregon area roller derbys, and this was the all star races. Of course they were against the Seattle team. Troy and I were sitting amongst the Oregonions, but were secretly rooting for the Rat City Roller Seattle team. It was a lot of fun. Thanks John and Nicole for a great visit!

Spring Break!

2009-03-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

We've finally finished with Winter quarter, and with that comes more than just a reprieve from long days of studying. The garden has woken up and is also celebrating a long Winter. Our Camelia bush is the first thing to bloom every spring. I love this time of year...

This will someday be a pussy willow tree in our backyard. I was given these amazing cuttings from a tree at my friend Debbie's house. They have grown roots in this vase and are ready to be planted in our backyard.

The Lion King

2009-02-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

Troy, my parents and I went to see The Lion King Musical on Saturday. It was everything we had heard it would be. The set designs, costumes, puppets, and colors were amazing. It was the perfect musical to take children. There were almost as many children in the audience as there were adults. We recommend it!

study, sleep, work, study, sleep, work

2009-02-09T17:18:00.000-08:00

Need I say more? I promise to be more diligent about posting once I get through my midterms. I found out today that I only have 30 more credits left and I am FINALLY a senior! :)

I hope everyone is doing well!

Jonathan Coulton

2009-01-25T19:02:00.000-08:00

Paul & Storm. Jonathan Coulton. Friday, January 23rd at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, WA. Great music, great friends and LOTS of laughs.

Zombie

Zombie Girls

10 Things I Love About Idaho

2009-01-19T20:18:00.000-08:00

1. Family
2. Trees covered in frost. White against the clear blue sky
3. Snow on hills off in the distance; white against the clear blue sky
4. Pinochle
5. Hot cocoa in the morning with Dennis, Jill & Troy
6. Watching my nieces and nephews grow into amazing beings
7. Lava Hot Springs
8. Tater Tots and Hot Cocoa after soaking at Lava
9. The stars. (We don't see them often in Seattle)
10. The king-size bed downstairs at Dennis & Jill's house

Nieces

2009-01-19T20:07:00.001-08:00

I love getting to know these little ones a bit more each time we visit family in Idaho. I only wish we lived closer. (I am sorry I don't have a picture of Alyssa from this trip. This summer for sure!)

Riley

Abby

Kaylee

Aftyn

Ruby Hanft

2009-01-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a surprise 90th birthday party in Blackfoot, Idaho for Troy's Granmother Ruby. Her entire family was there, minus only a few, to partake in the celebration. It was a great success!

CAKE!The Birthday Girl
Ruby & Oscar Hanft

This is a picture that was put on a Jones Soda bottle of Ruby and Richelle. Isn't it fabulous?!

School (insert BIG sigh)

2009-01-13T21:06:00.001-08:00

How many quarters left? Is it only the second week of the winter quarter? I am so ready to be done....

Get out your Bumpershoots!

2009-01-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

Rain rain go away, come again some other day. Life at work is hectic right now. We are only barely recovering from the snow and now are being faced with rain. We have 20 claim employees who've traveled from all over the country to take over the handling of catastrophe claims. We have 1.000 and counting. Working in homeowners insurance I have come to dread storms. Used to love em...now not so much...unless I'm on vacation or off claim assignment. :)

Troy and I both started school this week. Go us! PoliSci and Sociology for me, Electrical Engineering classes for Troy. It is nice to be in school at the same time. We can motivate and complain to each other.

Game Night Extravaganza!!

2009-01-04T16:21:00.001-08:00

Last night marked the kickoff of our monthly game-night extravaganza. Our friends Greg and Heather are HUGE board game fans...and I mean HUGE. Greg has collected boardgames from all over the world and owns approximately 400 games. So, seeing as how this is a common interest between the four of us, we have decided to get together once a month and play. We gather around 3pm and fuel up with food. Then let the games begin! Last night we played until midnight, and Troy would've kept going...however, I could not. We had such a great time. Next game night I will take a picture of Big Boss. Greg had this game custom made. It is absolutely beautiful. It is his all-time favorite, and isn't in production anymore, therefore it is worth a pretty penny. The game is completely made of aluminum. His friend milled the board and pieces, and engraved his initials into each building block of the game. The playing plates and figurines were made of anodized aluminum. We guess that he dedicated hundreds of hours to making it. I wish that Troy's family could be here to play with us...they would have loved it. (Especially Tyler B. and Tracy!!)

Jack Adams

2008-12-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't met Jack, here he is. Isn't he the most precious little guy? This is Steve & Cole's baby boy. We are having a great time watching him grow and look forward to the future years of fun with the Adams' family.

Christmas Day

2008-12-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

Troy and I had such a wonderful Christmas. We spent our morning building a cozy fire, making homemade waffles and bacon for breakfast and opening each other's gifts (including our favorite stocking stuffer candy). It was perfect. I made a traditional holiday spread in the Collins family. It is butter, cream cheese & orange juice and orange zest reduced. YUM!! That has made it on every piece of toast, waffle, cracker I can think of this season. After breakfast, we began the process of making Troy's Mom's yeast rolls and cinnamon rolls. It was a lot of fun, and it is a good thing we took scrupulous notes when we made them over Thanksgiving vacation in Idaho. There are specific steps that just can not be left out. Thank you Jill!! They turned out quite well, but they still aren't Jill's rolls.

We traveled over to my mom and dad's house for dinner and had a great time. Their house was decorated so beautifully. My grandmother and brother were there, which we weren't sure they would be able to be due to the snow, so that was nice. My mom made a fabulous dinner of ham, squash, and pasta. It was amazing. We opened our family gifts together and enjoyed the simplicity of the evening. Another Christmas over too quickly.

Working from home

2008-12-22T12:53:00.000-08:00

We have at least 12" of snow on our grill after a weekend snowstorm. Alas, I am reserving my right to take a snow day. I have a check-out laptop from work all set up and ready to go. This is my week for claim assignment so I don't anticipate being bored. I will attempt to drive in to the office tomorrow. Stay warm and safe!!

Cozy

2008-12-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do is be at home with Troy, holed up in our secure little house. We love a Friday night when we don't have anything else to do besides cook dinner, build a roaring fire and watch a movie. Our house is decorated for the holiday and adds an extra element of warmth. I only wish we could be home for Christmas every year.

Snow Falling on Cedars

2008-12-18T13:22:00.000-08:00

Seattle is now a winter wonderland. Here are pictures taken from our front and back porch. Isn't it beautiful?

Friends

2008-12-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

I love my friends. I especially love my friend Heather who introduced me to the Candy Cane Cake at the Icon Grill. It is scrumptious! We enjoyed a quiet evening dining over comfort food and engaging in great conversation. Merry Christmas Heather!

Whilst I was out, Troy was at home installing the newest addition to 208 Blakely Manor...here she is...our new microwave. Our old one pooped out. The fellas at Albert Lee were wonderful. I highly recommend them if anyone is ever in the market for appliances.

Christmas Cookies

2008-12-15T20:37:00.000-08:00

I have successfully finished baking my Christmas cookies, all in preparation for Smallgroup's gift/cookie exchange on Thursday. I have dough underneath my fingernails, have lost my dinner appetitite due to sampling all of the scrumptious batters, and have finally finished the daunting task of clean-up. All of the recipes I made were passed down to me from my mother. I love you Mom.