Humm! somehow posted to "A Pride..." instead of forty centuries. Sigh, DAD

Wow! loved the picts! looking fwd to your finding whatever that place is (~:} I feel the same abt. wonderous things & places. Have to keep reminding myself they are wonderful. Thanks for letting us experience with you. Love ART

Roberto sent this a couple of days ago. Baby smiles are totally the best thing ever!

A Visit to the Ranch over Memorial Day Weekend

We were able to visit Charles and family over Memorial Day Weekend. It was a treat to get to watch a day of branding and see real cowboys and girls work. We had a great visit, hiking around the caves with Henry and Alice, eating yummy Rebecca food, and visiting. We didn't even have to work!! Hope we can all get together sometime this summer or fall--it would be fun to do another family reunion. We thought about Wallowa Lake or Anthony Lakes--any other ideas? You are always welcome here in Ellensburg! We will be staying in this big 'ol house for another year (our landlords just let us know they aren't selling it yet!).


Look at that horsemanship! Do I have a clue what I'm doing? NO!

Lyons in the caves! Watch out for bats! We even saw a badger!

Thought you might like to see a couple of Lilyanne photos. These were taken by Roberto who is a really good photographer. This baby is going to have a lot of photo albums, I'm sure.... These were all taken in the hospital the day after she was born. As you can see, she doesn't look much like me but she is a fusser so there is evidence that my DNA lives on in child number six as well.

I have enjoyed getting outside again now that I can actually bend down and walk up a hill with a wheelbarrow without thinking my heart is going to give out. I don't think I could even begin to do a seven mile hike with Andrew and Jen but touching my toes is a good first step for me!

Orcas Island

We headed to Orcas Island this past weekend. We almost didn't go because the weather was supposed to be so beautiful here in Ellensburg, but we ended up having almost perfect weather there as well. We were able to spend a night with a friend in Anacortes on Friday night and see Harold & Carol on the way back home. The time on the island was relaxing, with a mix of exploring, hiking, and eating well. We thought about trying to find a nice place to stay...and actually did, but instead of the $150/night B&B where Jen wanted to stay, we settled for a $19/night piece of dirt in a state park. This was Jen's compromise for going to a nice restaurant...halibut and scallops - most excellent! I also forced her to take a 7 mile hike to the top of Mt. Constitution the next day as well, but she thanked me in the end. Above is a view from the mountain looking south towards Seattle and Mt. Rainer. Below is the Olga Store, which Carol told us that Grandad Lyons owned from 1970-1974. On the ferry ride over we thought of the great memorial service we had for him...felt very fitting, especially after seeing how the store overlooked the sound.

This took a "stinking" amount of time and tried Erica's patience.. but she stuck with me and you get to see a picture of Erica and a close up of a bleeding heart.