It's SOCCER time!!

Tanner was so excited to be able to play for the Puyallup Soccer Club this year, instead of through the Rec Center. It's outdoor....which just seems more fitting for SOCCER! Last week they played a game in the rain....and he couldn't believe his eyes when he woke up to see it pouring down. I thought he was going to be upset...instead it was..."YAY...I get to play soccer in the rain.." He's had 2 games...7 more to go. This year his team ordered jackets, and he he wears it at every practice....and to warm up at the games!! We love this game!!!!!!!!

My new car!

Kevin surprised me last night and drove my new car home! I knew it was coming, I just didn't know when. We got a killer deal, the car had been in an accident,... hit in the front..,course it looks brand new after Kevin's expertise!!

It's an 07 KIA OPTIMA. It has power windows, seats, sunroof, heated seats, volume controls on the steering...cool sounding blinker (Shaylin will appreciate this...ha ha)

heated side mirrors, leather interior and I love it!! Nice thing is, that it has a clear title...most of the cars we get have a totalled title....we got lucky this time! I will have to keep it clean so it will look this nice...that was the good thing about a gold car, I could hide the dirt easier! The kids had to check out the trunk to see how big it was...really big! And the seats go down if you have to carry something long...hence the photo of Jaycee!

So I took a little drive today and went and got me a yummy buttercreme air freshner...and it's smellin' good now!! Bye-Bye Lexus! By the time we sell my lexus it will pay for this car...a nice trade from a 1996 to a 2007! And the best part...,it'll be paid for!!

Oh my goodness!!

Trina and I scored 13th row tickets...dead center on the floor an hour before the show to see Sara Evans and Josh Gracin in concert at the Puyallup Fair last night (9-11-08).........how can you turn down that kind of luck?!! WE DIDN'T!!! And so glad...it was a fabulous concert...one of the best I've seen at the Puyallup in a long time!!

Treen and I had to have a crusty pup and a pepsi to start off the evening! Josh is AMAZING!!!!!!! So entertaining and knows how to get a crowd excited for a show. He kept throwing all kinds of freebies into the audience...shirts, drum sticks...I had my hand on a shirt that was tossed, but a girl in the row before me got it...darn!! He has this new song he wrote about his wife that is the best song ever...not sure the name...Undeniable..or More than I deserve?Anyway,....It's a beautiful song!!

During his concert, he walked off stage while his band played for a bit, then all of a sudden he shows up in the grandstand...in this cool shirt and hat on backwards....and walks through the grandstand down on the floor to the stage....what a guy!!!

After his concert and before Sara came on, he signed autographs over where you can buy shirts. Trina and I contemplated waiting in a long line and missing Sara?! Hmmm...what to do, we went for it! There were people bunched everywhere, but I saw a break in the line near the front...so bold me, ...crowded in...actually I walked right up front. I guess it was to purchase shirts, but I just slid our tickets over and asked him to please sign them for us...and he gladly did. Just as I was about to get a photo with him this guy started freaking out about people butting in line...so I thought I'd had enough luck for one evening!!! ~wink...so we snapped a couple of shots of just him!

They gave away a purple mustang to one of the purple heart recipients in the millitary, and Josh just pulls out the keys and ho hummed a little, then threw the keys out to one of the 12 who had been on the stage as a recipient!! TOOOOO cool!! His wife started crying.....beautiful car...to a well deserved man!!

Sara was incredible as well...but we decided that Josh was funner to watch (couldn't be that he is gorgeous?!) Soon to be Father of 4 ...but we love both their songs...so that was only our opinion. She sang alot of my favorites...Coal Mine, Born to fly, I keep looking, Suds in the bucket, plus many more, and "I could not ask for more" as her last song. She's tiny and adorable...has to be to wear white pants on stage I'd say! Pretty cool that her two Sisters are her back up singers, and her brother plays the acustic guitar!! She has 7 siblings!

So much fun....I love these guys!!

Check out the video.

Our annual Salsa event

Trina's Dad is nice enough to get us tomatoes from Eastern Washington every year, and it has become an annual event for our Labor Day...to make SALSA! Bonnie (Trina's Mom), Trina and I get an early start and work all day over tomatoes! Though it doesn't seem all that bad, because we have great company!! Bonnie cut's the onions, since they don't get to her eyes like they do ours. Trina was on the ball this year and cut all the peppers the weekend before and had them in little baggies for us, so we got started quick! We had just gotten back from Alaska at 2:30 in the morning..so I didn't make it there so early!! We finished about 9:30 that night, and we succesfully canned 120 jars of salsa!! 40 each...definately more than last year! We learn every year, as we are still perfecting the recipe. We make changes all the time, and every year we think we have it figured out...then we get riper tomatoes..or vice versa...and it throws us off...still wonderful tasting salsa though! This years is the thickest we've done...but has a great kick to it!! Whew...it's always good to have that project finished!! I used to do alot more canning, but this year I just made about 35 pints of raspberry freezer jam and then the salsa...gotten lazy lately! Too many other things I love to do I guess!!~wink

Shaylin's big move to Utah

K...a little behind, but will eventually get all the events of Aug..and Early September blogged about!

Shaylin very spontaneously decided that she was going to move to Utah and live with Kaylee. So 3 days after making salsa..Shaylin and I made the long drive to Utah! Shaylin had her car all packed with all her belongings, and ready to go! We did pretty good on time. We left about 9 am and arrived at Kaylee's at about 11:15 pm. We were good to only stop for gas and get back on the go! We didn't get to bed till late of course...everynight I was there...but ...you can always sleep when you DIE right?! So much fun spending time with the girls!! It's so nice to have older kids, then come home to the younger days of childhood as well. I was telling Kevin that I am so glad that we had 2 kids together,......because I'm not ready to be KID free around here yet, since all the Dewey's are now officially moved out on their own! I tried REALLY hard not to cry when I left the girls....but those dang tears just come....I can't help it! I always miss having them around!! She was able to transfer with her job, so she had something to go to until she finds a better job...she is tired of retail and Mariposa! She would like to be able to start school in January. Kaylee is loving school! She is going to a Massage Therapy school...the best in the Nation...and really loves what she is doing!! She will graduate next summer!

I stayed 3 nights with them, then had them drive me 1/2 way to St. George to visit my friend Elaine who had just recently moved there. I wanted to see her house and visit the town! It had been so long since I'd been there. We made a pit stop on our way down to visit my Dad, and We kept missing the exit...we have NO sense of direction between the 3 of us!! Kaylee has a lead foot...and sad to say was doing 91 in a 75 and .....ya, she got a ticket. We had a nice police officer who only wrote her for 10 over, which made her ticket less....dang it...I was more upset than her!

St. George was beautiful as usual...nice blue skys and extremely HOT! I loved it! There's something about that red dirt that I love!!Now if you asked me years ago about the red dirt...and trying to get it out of the boys socks and clothes...I may have had a different response...but I DO miss it! The sand was SO HOT though...I could only sit for a brief moment...and had to put my feet on my shoes as not to burn them...nice hot St. George sun...mmmm! We only had the day though as I flew out of Vegas later the next evening! A very quick trip, but worth every minute of travel!! But I must say...I am ready to be home for a bit...we have NEVER had a summer when we were on the GO as much as this year...didn't miss a beat!!!

School started!

Jaycee

Tanner Man

Tanner & Miss Stangle

I somehow lost track of time...being on the go so much! Jaycee started 6th grade this year, and she is already looking forward to the last days of school activities. Mariner's Baseball game during school, 6th grade camp...and she says she still forgets that SHE is the 6th grader and that they (being last years 6th graders) aren't at the school anymore! She is so obedient to her teachers...she faithfully does her homework...even if it takes her all night!! Such dedication! Karshner is a little hometown school...with only 1 big long hall in the whole school. The 6th grade are in portables behind the school, and they get their lunch in the hall then bring it to their classrooms to eat at their desks. Jaycee says they only get 10 minutes to eat, and that's not enough time...too bad they have to rush!!

Tanner started the 2nd grade...and as of yesterday...he says I LOVE SCHOOL! When Dad asked him why, he says...because I have the awsomest (his word choice :) Teacher...and I have fun with my friends at recess! So were off to a good start!! It's great when they love what they have to do! How did my kids grow up so fast?

Our trip to Alaska

Julia

Zachary


Kisses for Grama


Grampa and Zachary


Ryan's Salmon he caught


Zach

Little monkey Julia






Us, Stopped at the glacier

Face painting at the fair


Ryan and Zachary


Ryan and I

Just some of the catch!

Fair Fun!

We had an amazing time!! We stayed with Ryan and Casey for 8 nights...it was great waking up to."Grama...you're awake" little Julia is SO sweet...and Zachary right behind her, doing everything she does! It took Kevin a couple days to answer to Grampa...but eventually he got it...ha ha!
Let's see if I can summerize all the activities!
~Anchorage market downtown..Julia says.."we can get little donuts at the carnival!" I think she thought we were going to the fair that day..wink~
~Guitar Hero and Rock Band..(Ryan & Caseys band name is Fantastik Dew-O...appropriate!) Game nights...sleeping quenns, liverpool rummy...and more food!!
~Geo Cashing- finding treasures with the GPS..hiking around..way fun!
~Cook Inlet on our way to the Wildlife Conservation Center...stopped and saw a WHOLE pod of Orcas and Baluga Whales.
~Fishing for Salmon in Glacier Creek...Ryan caught a silver!! Nice size too! Everyone caught fish...but Ryan was the only one who caught one we could keep...sure was fun walking thru an ice-cold creek, and throwing rocks with my grandson!
~Alaska State Fair....$2.00 Tuesday! They have the best food ever!! Porkey on a stick (pork chop) Deep fried cheese curds (mine and Jaycee's personal favorites!) Fried Zuchinni, BBQ turkey legs (Tanners Fav) and Denali Creme pufffs....a nice change from the Puyallup Fair food! The kids tried to stay on the BUCKING WHALE...ha ha, only in Alaska!
~Fishing Charter out of Homer Everyone caugh their limit of 2...good size halibut!
~Fish Fry with the halibut we caught, fresh and delicious!
~Brewed a batch of Root Beer! Kevin and Ryan bought some sassafras to brew an old fashined batch of rootbeer..it was a little week making that kind...but the experience was what mattered!
~Tour of the Air-Force Base and Ryan's building. They have a little ski-resort on base where they would like to teach Zachary to ski this winter...their last one there, since they will be re-staioned come May...it'll be 3 years there!
~Green Lake...hanging out on the dock and catching the tiny fish with our hands.
~Took a Glacier Cruise of the Kenai Fjords, out of Seward. This was a highlight...with the exception of rough waters...Ryan, Casey and Tanner all feeling a little woozy. I had a patch behind my ear because I knew that I wouldn't be able to make it otherwise! We saw the most incredible wildlife!! Mountain Goats, Killer Whales, Humpback whales, a bald eagle, sea lions, sea otters, puffins, and when we got to the Glaciers, the captain stopped the boat for about 30 minutes while we listened and watched the glacier break away and fall into the waters! TRULY an AMAZING experience! They sounded like the loudest thunder rolling through the mountains...breathtaking!!
~Zachary got 7 stitches the week we were there...ouch!
~Julia loved having Tanner and Jaycee sleep in her room, finding treasures with Jacyee and playing dress-up!
~Zachary loved to come to Grama when he got in trouble with his arms stretched out to me :)
~Brought home about 30 pounds of halibut and a little salmon!
~Ate at the best pizza place...Moose's Tooth Pizza...which just so happens to be where Zachary fell off the bench while we were waiting to be seated (over an hour!!), and hit his head on an IRON gate....not a good night for him or Mom or Dad, as they spent 3 hours in the Emergency Room..poor guy..I'm afraid he's going to be accident prone like his Dad..sorry guys..been there!

All in all...Ryan and Casey took such good care of us! Casey is an amazing cook and they really spoiled us while we were there! So glad we got to see just a tad bit of what Alaska is like in the summer, and while the kids were still stationed there as well~