Week 1 - Oregon City - January 1 - January 7, 2024

Another busy week - I think all of my weeks are busy....suddenly it is Sunday again.

MONDAY - Pamela and Sloane Gray came for a visit....Brendan didn't come because he is on an aircraft carrier somewhere in the Pacific.  Sloan is the same age as Holland - plus one of Sloan's other cousins came too.   Add Jane and Ruby and Holland and Copeland....there were a lot of excited kids.  Warren had made a cake for Sloane.

TUESDAY

I had Abby, Jude, Ruby, and Jane come over and, together, we made vision boards. Actually, we're going to do it at the Primary Activity on Wednesday, and I wanted to give Jude a "leg up" on the activity....just in case he doesn't want to do the activity

Here's mine

After doing the Vision Boards, we all went to Washing Square Shopping Center to walk around and eat at Cheesecake Factory.

The church has set up some Giving Machines...maybe first time in the Portland area....We bought three days of food for Ukrainian refugees

WEDNESDAY - We had an appliance guy come out and fix our dryer.  We knew  that the dryer was on borrowed time because there was terrible squeaking whenever it was running.  But first - - we needed to do some work on the area so that we can easily pull out a table that fits right next to the dryer.  For year - - I Mean Years - we have struggled with that table every time we want to change the water filter.  My plan - - - nail boards on the bottom =of the table's trestle legs so we can slide it back and forth easily rather than lifting the table up onto some balancing bricks....genius!

Final product!

Wednesday afternoon, Ruby came over to redeem her Christmas Activity - she had chosen to learn how to make scones.  She and I both had fun, and the scones were yummy too.

THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY - Warren and Whitney went to Las Vegas to participate in a preseason sixteen team women's gymnastic meet.   I think Oregon State came in second - maybe behind Milwaukee.  We took care of Holland and Copeland who were really good kids.  They went to bed easily, slept soundly the whole night, played nicely together and almost ate everything which was served to them .

Spent a lot of time this week staining and the applying three coats of polyurethane finish.  Still have a lot to do.

FRIDAY - the most important and exciting event this week was the birth of Malcolm and Haley's little boy - James Brendan Gray - 6 1/2 pounds and 20 inches.  A few weeks early due to mom's high blood pressure, but all in all, perfect and healthy.

Can't forget the cats this week

And.....Tyler turns 17.