We were so excited to get out...the weekend forecast was awesome...and I was out of work 1/2 hour early, Charlie was already at the house when I got home, Bill had the trailer hooked, tires checked, airbags filled, and ready to go. Way to go---thanks Kristin & Bill for working hard to get things ready this week. Thanks to Brady for smoking the awesome trout you sent home with Ryan!
We loaded dogs and piled in the truck...headed out of the driveway by 5:45--and were at camp at 6:05---you gotta love that! We set up, Charlie & Bill got the fire going, and we enjoyed bratwurst for supper. 
An hour or so after supper, the rain clouds rolled in. What a bummer! We did not pull out the awning because it was supposed to be nice all weekend. I guess that's what we get for living in Oregon, and being in the Cascade Mountains! We headed inside, played a few games of cribbage, and then headed to bed.
Saturday, we woke to partly cloudy skies. We started a fire, and put up the awning. We had showers on & off, but nothing major...at least not until we started off on a hike, and got poured on!! We headed back, dried off, some napped while others watched a movie....and when we woke, the sun was out! Charlie had already restarted the fire, since it had gone out, and we enjoyed chili in the dutch oven for supper...always love fire cooking. After dinner, we enjoyed a few hours of campfire, visiting, stories, and just relaxing. 
Nothing like a good fire. We headed in around 11, Charlie & Bill watched the end of the movie that they had started earlier, the kids headed to bed, and I hit the shower...ah...smokey hair!
Sunday we woke to beautiful sunshine. To tide us over until we got the fire started, I made a few donuts. Next time we will pack more fixin's for donuts! We decided to hang at camp, and do our devotion around the campfire. Each person took a turn reading a section from the chapter we would have read from at church this morning...and we had the commentary to study it deeper. It was a rich time, and Charlie rounded us out in prayer.
We enjoyed a great breakfast that Bill cooked over the fire...French Toast and bacon. 
After cleanup, we headed out once again to hike...but this time were rewarded with a sweet hike, great weather, and some good pictures!
We headed back to camp, relaxed a bit, and headed home. Enjoy the pictures!
Friday was a rush home from work, eat, and out the door again with Bill, Jen & Brady as we headed to the Marriage Conference at Calvary Chapel Corvallis. We arrived a few minutes late, but did not miss any of the speaker. We heard Ken Ortiz from Calvary Chapel Spokane, who does many marriage conferences. He was incredible. On Friday night he said "In wrapping up for this evening...." We all looked at our watches, and it was already 90 minutes since he'd started to speak...it felt like 15. He was engaging, funny, and best of all, downright honest.
We left the conference, and headed to Shari's for dessert. We walk in and run into Scott Hicks, who we had just met a few weeks before at Christwalks Award dinner for a contest that Kristin had entered. As it turned out, he knew both Robert & Charlie, and was doing the music there for the evening. He is James Taylor gone Christian! He writes all of his own stuff, and was just a great guy to listen to. He remembered us (at least he acted as if he did) and we told him we needed more CD's....if you stop by Shari's in Lebanon...and Scott is working...make sure to ask him for a CD. He's incredible!! Here's his YouTube page. My favorite is Daddy are you Watching, but I don't see it on Youtube yet! We need to collect the rest of his CD's as Robert says he has more than one!
We headed home, and headed to bed, as we head to be on the road at 7:30 to Corvallis for day two. We were not disappointed, and spent from 9:00-3:30 enjoying the conference, the day and the company. I came home refreshed, renewed, and WOW...what work it is to keep a good marriage going! I do know this...I loved this saying and will remember it always. "I'm at my best when I'm with you..." Awesome!
Ryan & Kristin were great to take care of the kids while we were gone.
We headed home, and spent the rest of the afternoon & evening hanging out. McKenzie (Kristin's friend from Washington and grand daughter to our neighbor) was down for a visit, and has been here all week. Her Aunt Adele, also our neighbor, bought McKenzie & Little Ryan (her brother) a pair of chicks--Some type with the word "Red" in it. 
They are cute little rust colored chicks. They kids have fun playing with them all Saturday afternoon.
We had awesome weather....what a beautiful weekend...Thank You Lord for the sunshine....it's always prettiest when the sun shines!
We enjoyed a good steak supper, a great evening on the porch (the weather & the view were perfect) 
and then a movie after the little kids went to bed...."Old Dogs". Such a funny, clean, family movie. We all headed to bed around 12, and crashed!
Sunday brought a nice sunny morning, and we headed off to church. Melissa and Brandon met us there, and we enjoyed a great service. We headed back home for lunch a nice visit with everyone before Lissa & Brandon headed out...which Jen & Brady took off shortly after...taking Ryan along with them for a few days break...and a chance to go fishing with Brady!
Just before everyone left...the phone rang....the neighbor. Mom would not let the kids take the chicks home...would Kristin like to keep them until they were big enough to pass on to a family with adult chickens? Kristin thought they would never ask. She spent the afternoon getting everything organized and together....(the neighbor had EVERYTHING she needed) and as she was playing with them on the porch Bill said "When I saw those chicks earlier this week....I just KNEW they were going to end up HERE!" He's a good daddy....
We will keep you posted. Here are the pics from a great weekend!! Enjoy!
Today was a sad day at the Richard's household. Probably more so for me, since I'm the real animal lover in the house.
Bailey came to us through a friend, who knew we were looking for a companion for Kahlua. Hey, almost free puppies--so, when Kristin was 3 weeks old, we headed out to look at puppies. Margaret, Bills Mom was out to visit and thought I was totally insane for even looking into getting another dog. But, we did, and she has been a great dog.
She had a soft heart, and always was wanting to care for whatever animals we had. When Ashley had kittens and abandoned them, Bailey would gently pick them up in her mouth, and carry them to her bed, to try to care for them. When a neighbors cat got hit on the road, and left a litter of kittens, Bailey sought out her kittens under a house, and brought one home, looking at us as if to say "Can I keep it". I wish I had a picture of that cat dangling from her mouth...it's whole head gently held in her big mouth, and the body hanging. We did let her keep the kitten, which Ashley ended up nursing, as she'd just been fixed, and little did we know, she had a litter in her, too soon to deliver. She had milk come in,and saved this little kitten. 
Bailey would share her bed with whatever animal we had...as she did with Ashley, and 'Her kitten" Sinatra.
Bailey has been so sad since Kahlua crossed over that rainbow bridge in Sept of 2001....she has never been the same since her caretaker went away...which is when I became her "mother"---when inside and she outside, she would follow from window to window, wanting to be near. A more faithful companion I never had.
This last year has been tough on Bailey, although she had trouble getting up & down steps, she would not sleep downstairs...it was next to where we were or nothing. She didn't seem to be in too much pain, but did move very slow, in which we've especially noticed this last 6 months.
It was a tough decision to do, but I've always been a firm believer in not keeping an animal for yourself, but to say goodbye when it is time. Even to the last minute...she was worried that I was crying....what a faithful girl. 
Bailey, the morning she left us...
It was very peaceful, she simply closed her eyes, and fell asleep. I am thankful to Dr Amy and the staff at Brownsville Animal Clinic, as they allowed me to be with her to the end...as well as let me sit as long as I wanted with her afterward. To them, I will always be grateful.
Ann Landers had this in her column many years ago...and I was reminded of it this morning when my cousin Sarah said she'd be praying for me.....while this never speaks of heaven...it's there with my Father that I know we will be again!
Thank You Bailey, for your wonderful spirit, your loving gentleness, for the way you always took care of our kids as they grew, and for worrying over me right up until your last breath. You will be missed. My desk chair is a lonely place right now without you laying right beside me.
THE RAINBOW BRIDGE
Ann Landers Version
There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth.
It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors.
Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge,
there is a land of meadows,
hills and valleys with lush green grass.
When a beloved pet dies,
the pet goes to this place.
There is always food and water and warm spring weather.
The old and frail animals are young again.
Those who are maimed are made whole again.
They play all day with each other.
There is only one thing missing.
They are not with their special person who loved them on earth.
So, each day they run and play until
the day comes
when one suddenly stops playing and looks up!
The nose twitches!
The ears are up!
The eyes are staring!
And this one suddenly runs from the group!
You have been seen,
and when you and your special friend meet,
you take him or her in your arms and embrace.
Your face is kissed again and again
and again,
and you look once more
into the eyes of your trusting pet.
Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together,
never again to be separated.
Today was a beautiful day. Bill & I got some things done this morning, Kristin arrived home at 11 from her sleep over, and Ryan's plans with his friend got canceled because his friend woke up with the stomach flu. I guess we were supposed to spend the weekend together!
It was such a beautiful afternoon, and Bill had lots of homework, and Kristin wanted to hang out with McKenzie who was visiting her Grandma (who happens to live next door to us), so Ryan, Charlie & I took off with camera's in hand to Cascadia State Park, which is about 15-20 minutes from here. We weren't sure if our destination would be the waterfalls, or the Petroglyphs.
We started down the river trail, and decided to head to the Indian Cave. The river was beautiful, the day was beautiful, and the wind was blowing a perfect breeze, the temperature at 70 was incredible for hiking, and we headed out. As we walked along the river, my mind continued to thank God for these blessings around us. This just didn't all appear, it's not all kept in harmony with the changing of the seasons, but by God's big plan....God's wonderful creation. My feelings of feeling so close to God were confirmed when Charlie said he was really enjoying walking through the woods, the beautiful greens, the spring flowers and the river, and he said that he couldn't help but think that this is what the Garden of Eden looked like. He quoted how God put Adam in the garden and said....all you have to do is sit in the cool of the day, name my animals, and enjoy my creation. Then sin entered the perfect world.
I can say, I felt no sin, only gratitude, only the blessings that God put around me for not only this afternoon, but every day when I wake up and do nothing more than roll over to face the window, and that view that I will never take for granted is there...ever changing, but ever beautiful. Thank You Lord for all you've done for me, for my family, for my friends. My your blessings shine through me always. May I be a living testimony to you.
Our afternoon of walking through the woods brought us upon a few caves. We shared the stories that Tony our Forest Service friend shared with us regarding the cougars...Charlie approached cautiously, when Ryan growled like a cougar....now, mind you, Charlie is a big guy..but can he jump!! We had a good laugh...thanks for laughing with us Charlie.
We arrived at the cave, and met another family there Geocaching. We shared what we knew about the cave, and enjoyed catching some sun, and taking in the pictures on the wall. We took the path along the river back, and played on the shore in a few spots, and enjoyed a great hike. We figure we did about 4 miles....and enjoyed taking it all in. Sorry that Bill & Kristin didn't join us...as it just didn't seem the same without my best friend....but there will be more times, and homework is important stuff! Enjoy the pictures!
An hour or so after supper, the rain clouds rolled in. What a bummer! We did not pull out the awning because it was supposed to be nice all weekend. I guess that's what we get for living in Oregon, and being in the Cascade Mountains! We headed inside, played a few games of cribbage, and then headed to bed.
Nothing like a good fire. We headed in around 11, Charlie & Bill watched the end of the movie that they had started earlier, the kids headed to bed, and I hit the shower...ah...smokey hair!
We enjoyed a great breakfast that Bill cooked over the fire...French Toast and bacon. 
After cleanup, we headed out once again to hike...but this time were rewarded with a sweet hike, great weather, and some good pictures!
