Take A Picture Tuesday--Snowy Winters

So....continuing with my new format....Tuesday is now Take A Picture Tuesday. I'll put some photos on my blog each Tuesday and talk a little about them. Some may be old, some may be new.

First, in honor of Inland Empire Girl's birthday tomorrow on January 9th, here is a picture of her and I during the big snow of 1968-1969. I saw one day on Huckleberries Online comparing this winter to that winter. I'm not sure this winter can compare quite yet. At least here in Kellogg. I was in kindergarten that year. See the picket fence in this picture. That was in the backyard. I remember the snow got so high that I could walk on the snow over the fence to the neighbors yard. Now, that was a lot of snow.

Inland Empire Girl and Silver Valley Girl make a snowman in their backyard in Kellogg during 1968-69 winter

Tonight, I took some pictures of the infamous backyard tri-color beech tree out in the snow. Here's some shots from our back deck.

Raymond Pert Alive And Well at Birthday Celebration

For many of you who like to read the blogs of myself, my sister Inland Empire Girl, and my brother Raymond Pert, may wonder what has been going on with Raymond Pert, since he hasn't posted on his blog since Dec. 19th.

The first family of blogging: Inland Empire Girl, Raymond Pert, Silver Valley Girl

Well, I am here to report RP is doing fine, and is alive and well. We just celebrated his 54th birthday tonight over at our mother's house here in Kellogg.

Here are the pictures to prove it:

Raymond Pert begins to open his birthday gifts.

The Woolum family: Inland Empire Girl, Raymond Pert, Grandma Mary, Silver Valley Girl

Grandma Mary

Here are PKR and Snug enjoying the party.

RP will soon get back online and resume his blog posting. He has had a bit going on this past week, which I will let him share with you soon.

Happy Birthday, Raymond Pert!!

Happy Birthday Beautiful Z2....Are You Really 13???

Thirteen years ago today I gave birth to our second daughter. It was at Mercy Medical Center in Nampa, Idaho. It was really hot that day, as I recall. I think there was some record breaking hot streak that summer in the Treasure Valley, where we had at least 45 days in a row over 90 degrees.

PKR was a very proud daddy. My how things have changed, though. Check out the mustache, slicked back hair, and those shorts. We no longer have any of those around here.

Baby Z2 makes four in our family. Proud big sister "The Princess" thinks it is pretty cool.

Inland Empire Girl admires her brand new neice Z2.

She was a very happy baby, and smiled the earliest of all three of our children.

Here is Z2 sticking her tongue out at Uncle Raymond Pert while visiting him at his house in Eugene, Oregon.


Here she is on her big day today. Isn't she a beautiful 13 year old?


It is pretty hard to blow out 13 candles all at once.

Here is Z2 thanking Grandma Mary for the wonderful birthday dinner, the homemade yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and the new Harry Potter book that is being delivered to our home soon.

Happy Birthday Z2. I am so proud of you and you are beautiful, both inside and out. The Lord has richly blessed me with such a daughter as you.

I LOVE YOU!!!

The Family That Blogs Together.....

I want you to know that this picture was not staged. When my brother Raymond Pert and my sister Inland Empire Girl came over the my house tonight, this is what happened. IEG was the first to plug in her laptop, then RP got his going. My very thoughtful daughter Kiki Aru brought mine in from my bedroom, and off we went.

Amazingly enough, RP got up at 3:30 a.m. and left Eugene at 4 a.m., but was still able to sit with us at the table for a while and do some blogging. We are kind of a computer family here tonight. The Princess is IMing her friends and playing some Monster Truck computer game. Kiki Aru is playing "The Sims" on the other computer, and PKR is in the living room, getting updates on the All Star Baseball game from tonight on his laptop.

It is fun having us all three together. RP and his dog Snug are here for the summer as our house guests, and IEG will be coming off and on throughout the summer to visit. IEG has been digging out old family photos that have given us many laughs, and I'm sure you'll see them popping up on her blog, like here.

Some people would shake their heads and wonder why in the world we would spend our time with such recreation.

But you would be amazed at how blogging has drawn us closer, helped us learn more about each other, more than we have ever known, and got us sharing family stories and getting them written down, so we have a written memory of our past. Even if we all don't remember it all the same.

We have learned each others strengths. We have learned each others weaknessess. We have discovered talents we didn't know each other had. We have read about struggles that we were unaware of in our sibling's lives.

And we communicate and have made contact with people we probably never would have know otherwise.

All because of this unique blogging community.

It's not wierd at all.

It is a fascinating and special connection to others in the world. Huckleberries Online has connected us to many wonderful bloggers. Sunday Scribblings as well. And each of us have found out own unique connections as well.

I am enjoying this blogging journey, and hope it continues for RP, IEG and myself for many years to come.

Guest Trees from Martin Creek

Today I am sharing some pictures of trees in my sister Inland Empire Girl's yard in Northeast Washington state.

Here is a weeping willow ( Oops! I mean a weeping birch. Thanks IEG!!) that greets you as you walk up to the front door.

What a beautiful maple that contrasts with all the green foilage surrounding it in the garden.

Can you see what is staring back at me in the middle of this tree? It is a baby racoon that was treed by my sister's English Springer Spaniel Annie. Find out more about this story here.