Great dinner

Grammy planned a great Christmas eve dinner and we all enjoyed and are very thankful. Very nice!

Christmas trip

It was a cold wintery day on Christmas so we, Grammy, Becky and Jolene took a drive down the coast. This is Swami's in Encinitas where we stopped to view the ocean and then head down to La Jolla for a picnic. We enjoyed the visit with Santi also as he was out of town that day. Next day we headed to Anza for some snow and beautiful clean air.

happy guyz

New "Cars" logo sleeping bags and we are happy. The boys drug them all over the house and were in them sooooo much. Vickie had the right idea. they will get a lot of use out of these and a lot of fun. They are so cute!

Grammy and the two little guys in front of the tree that get got put up. It looks great. We had so much fun on our trip and the weather was fine.

This was at Swami's in Encinitas. November 13, we had minus tide and the reef was exposed with fish and other little creatures trapped and waiting for the ocean to come back in. The little dots in the water and about 20 surfers enjoying the 75 degree water. Low tides are amazing!

Grammy next to a huge jet. Check out the missles under the wings. This jet was actually used in missions over Vietnam. Top speed of 575 mph. It could be at 175 mph in 3 seconds. Smokin'....

This is a picture from the control tower on the Midway aircraft carrier. The flight deck is loaded with jets. San Diego skyline is in the background.

Grammy is in there, it is just dark. We visited the Midway aircraft carrier-wow that is one awesome ship. Huge and filled with jets, helicopters and big guns. About two blocks long and goes one mile on 260 gallons of fuel. Really worth seeing. It is Veteran's Day and about 100 servicemen were sworn in as American citizens on the flight deck. Congrats to them and THANK YOU to all who serve!

I am putting firewood in our little wood stove as we get ready for the cooler weather and maybe some snow.

Famous artwork

It was a little chilly up in Anza this weekend and Grammy is hard at work grading papers in the shadow of a beautiful mural depicting the view of Idyllwild from our front yard in Anza. Thanks to Rachelle. We went up to relax and do a few chores but the weather is starting to chill but nice.

Dinner in an Irish pub in SF. Great decor and lots of good food. The place is packed with pix of Ireland and lots of hospitality.

This is our trip to visit Rebecca and a side trip to the redwoods at Samuel Taylor State Park. The tree are amazing! Cool Mustang for our rental and lots of fun stuff all weekend. We saw a play "Beach Blanket Babylon", very colorful and fun and hit an Irish pub for dinner. Great weekend, Thanks Becky!

great looking family

You guys are following me! And I like it! You all are in my back window taking part in all the adventures, what a good looking bunch!

beach for Matthew

Hey Matthew-right after I saw you and you said you wanted a picture of the beach. So I rode my bike down to the beach and got a picture of the beach just for you and Raeden. It was very nice to talk to you guys. You are just great on the computer and Grammy and I just can't wait to see you. We love you!

This is on a gondola in Venice, Italy. We loved Venice. Just cruising along thinking about the big pile of Italian food that we would have for dinner and what other amazing adventures would be waiting......And trying to look cool..not sure about that????

not always old

It might seem strange but we were not always old. This is Grammy before she was grammy and before she was Mom. In 1975 we were hanging out at a castle in Heidleberg,  Germany note the Rhine River in the background. Just amazing places and wonderful people.

big motor

Hey Matthew, this is what the motor in my school bus looks like. It is BIG!!!! If you get Mom or Dad to show you these numbers they go like this....it has 205 horespower. You can look at each number by itself 2 0 5. The bus was made in 1 9 9 6. It has gone 117,364 miles. It is Friday so I have on my Chargers shirt. I hope you are having fun and I miss you. Love Papa

Teenagers 40 years removed, these cars are amazing! The little blue doll in the front is under a sign that says "doll, and custom surfboard-$75,000, comes with free 1948 woodie" We are really thinking " our two little grandsons would dig these cars" So we send a picture and our love. Grammy and Papa

The annual Wavecrest woodie show in Encinitas. What a beautiful day! See the beach in the background. Over 200 woodies from all over and Vickie is ready to catch some waves and go cruzin' with this classic '48. Check out the mechanic dummy on the floor. The sun, surf, Beach Boys in the background and it is So. Cal at its finest.

big bus

Hi, this is mostly to show Matthew and Raeden a picture of the bus I drive, which was taken on Matthew's birthday. Matthew, you can see the bus has letters and numbers on it. That is why it is important to learn them. I drive bus 64. It is over 40 feet long. It carries 84 students-that is a lot. I have 57 kids on my route. 50 of the kids are real well behaved and 7 are a little crazy but I like them also. As you can see the bus has lots of lights which are for safety. Safety is always very important. Anyway that is my job. Next week will be a picture of Grammy's job.

Matthew turns four this week-Happy Birthday! Here is a poem I wrote for you and Raeden. Two little boys-I have two little grandsons, Matthew and Rae, they live in Wisconsin, sort of far away. Matthew, now 4 and Rae just 2, they grow up so fast, what can I do? We had so much fun when we saw them this summer to pack up and leave was really a bummer! We chat on the phone and they jabber away, I love them so much, what else can I say? I had no idea this grandparent role would have so many joys, but maybe it is because you have not met these two little boys. PAPA

This is a picture of my parent's old house located in Oceanside. tThe only reason I took the picture is to show the beautiful flowers that are at least 6 or 7 feet tall. The colors and variety are amazing. The mailbox is still the one put there and painted by Grandpa. Cheers!

We visited the world famous Peterson Automotive Museum today on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles. So many amazing vehicles and great condition. The red caddy Vickie is in front of is just waiting for Elvis to come back from a donut run. A perfect '59 Cadillac. The next picture is for Matthew and a display of 1000 hot wheel in a giant loop. They have a exhibit of 4000 hot wheels. Just amazing to see so many cars, campers, trailers, and motorcycles. We had planned to go to Griffith Park but as the title suggests, we are old folks now and so we got our cold drinks and headed home to the ocean breeze and a comfortable chair. that will be another adventure. We love you guys-Becky, Jonathan, Rachelle, Matthew and Raeden, And another big birthday hug for our big 2 year old Rae!

This is Cardiff-by the Sea, just a beautiful So. Cal. beach town. Note the surfer in the background. We just took the morning and drove down the coast. Cheers!

I started out with the idea of a nice little ride but wanted a change of scenery. So I threw the magical bike in my truck and drove to the very start of Leucadia. Parked at the beach by Grandview and started to ride south. Stopped at Swami's for a picture. One of the most scenic spots on the planet. Rode down to Solona Beach for the next pic, which shows Swami's way in the distance in the background. I am too old for this! Kept heading south for a really nice ride through Del Mar. Their beach and park is sooooo nice. Stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and choclate chip cookie (a buck and a half for a cookie-nuts! but good). Then a slow but nice ride back. I am too tired to type anymore but love to all of you guys! PAPA

To the left of the picture is the water coming over the falls at Niagara. It forms like a fog from so much water. I was right at the edge! It is truly one of the most incredible sight on the planet. We took the "Maid of the Mist" and got right up next to the falls and got soaked. I loved it! We saw the fireworks over the falls at night also, quite a sight. We went on a hike later in the day about a mile from the falls alongside class 6 rapids. It was crazy! Just an amazing adventure.

This is Vickie going through the Lake Erie canal locks. The locks take the boat up 25 feet twice-very cool. It is an amazing ride down the tree lined canal that was very important in the early development of our nation. Driving through upstate New York was just beautiful. Small towns with older well-kept homes that hold so much history and class. We then went to an orchard that was part of the underground railroad to assist slaves in gaining their freedom. It is a working orchard but still has the tunnels under the barn that were used to hide slaves seeking freedom. Just amazing!

We have been on vacation with our buddies John and Mary for the last five days. We flew to Niagara Falls to see for our first time. It is amazing! So much water and so much power. We stayed on the Canadian side about 2 miles from the falls so we drove around everyday. took a drive up to Lake Ontario about 30 minutes north, huge and so clean looking. Visited Fort Erie to the south. It is a fort across the river from Buffalo that has an amazing history with battles and early settlers. We took "the Maid of the Mist" boat ride up to the falls and got soaked but enjoyed being at the base of the water so close to the falls. Had a few thunder showers in Niagara and one in Chicago as we changed planes that kept us on the runway for and extra two hours. Got home in the wee hours to a flooded garage, which was partially saved by the neighbors turning off the water. today is clean up the mess then I will post pix......Gary

This is my trip to San Francisco to see Becky. We are in her yard with all her plants and a little ray of sunshine. That's Becky! We spent the morning delivering food to shut-in folks through a Salvation Army program. Lots of walking but the people are happy to see you and they are thankful for the hot meals. We then took a bus to the east edge of Golden Gate Park and rented bikes and rode the length of the park to the Pacific Ocean. It was sort of cold and overcast at the shore and the pic show that. The ride back was mostly uphill but very pretty as we passed lakes, pine tress and lots of green areas. Then over to our pal Santi's house for some corned beef, potatoes and cabbage with chocolate cake for dessert. I am tired!!!!

Check this out-tomatoes! It may be a small pic but we are stoked. These are even more special since last year Matthew helped me plant tomatoes right in this place. Matthew-your green thumb lives on. Raeden you were still in a carrier when we planted but you were watching! There are about 20 on these 2 plants and they were so good tonight with our grilled steaks, rice and veggies.

Summer is here!

Just a little update. Vickie is done teaching but has a little cleaning to do in her room so that she can be done for the summer. She is having fun with our new Macbook laptop, It does so many things that we need to learn. Our big goal is to get our beautiful grandkids and family pix sort of organized. Good luck! I am done bus driving for the summer and am sort of sad to end this chapter. I had great but energetic students with lots of personality. We have lots of home projects to catch up on so that will be a big job. A visit to Becky in San Francisco is planned. Also have a visit to our Wisconsin family the second week in July will be great and then to Niagara Fall with John and Mary at the end of the month. It looks almost too busy but we find time to just chill and rest-old people need rest-HA!

Sitting in the dirt up in Anza with the flowers! One of my favorite tee shirts with a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. Our daughter Becky lives in that beautiful city and we love going to see her and her friends, always a good time! Over ten years ago my son Jonathan and I rode across the bridge on the way down the coast highway. We took seven days but it was amazing! Vickie was our support staff as she set up camp and kept us alive with great meals.

Grammy and wildflowers in Anza, Ca. Our little piece of dirt is covered with purple and yellow flowers. Vickie enjoys them soooo much. They are everywhere and have been for months.

A perfect day! The beach, sun, Grammy, Matthew and Raeden playing in the sand. We old folks go home dirty and tired and think WOW!!! We are blessed.

this is the big yellow bus that I drive. it is a cool part time job after 36 years in the grocery biz with Safeway and Vons. the students are junior high with high energy but great kids. One of the high lights of my bus driving was the day last year that my oldest grandson, Matthew, came to visit the bus yard. little guys love busses and he had a great time, including lunch.

we have had so many roses this year...just a sample with Grammy

We are Gary and Vickie and this is a way to share news and events with our friends and family that are spread around the country. Also a way to show pictures to our beautiful grandsons located in Wisconsin. We will try to keep this current and fun......