William Everywhere!

This is a P.S. to my Father's Day Blog. I forgot one more William in our family (sorry Jenny and Adam). The seventh William in our family is none other than sweet Bryce William Davis. I guess I'm just getting old...or not. Please accept my apologies. We love you Brycee!

"All the President's Czars"

Let me just give you this caveat...my blog is not a political blog, nor will it ever be, but, and I mean a big BUT, I just have to say something, then I'll be quiet (at least politically speaking on this blog). I just saw on a segment on Fox News about President Obama's new concept of Czars. I have come to the realization that the reason he has appoointed so many (10+), is because he cannot (actually does not) know how to run the country. He needs the help of more than just his Cabinet. He is going crazy appointing his cronies to positions of power that will result in the destruction of our way of life in the United States. I have only one thing to say: WAKE UP AMERICA!

Father's Day 2009

I'd like to dedicate this Father's Day blog to my father, William H. Ranta, and my husband, William R. Endsley. I think it's kind of neat that both my father and my husband are Williams. That name is pretty popular in my family. My brother's name is William (Bill), my grandson is Will, Erin's husband, Jesse's father, was Bill, too, (and her brother-in-law). Whew, that's a lot of Bill's. I guess that just means it's a cool name. My dad passed away in 1989. He was born in Brainard, Minn.; the first child in his family to be born in the US. His family was from Finland, and dad had the bluest eyes and a great head of blond hair. Gee, I find that just writing about him makes me tear up. He was a great dad, with human frailties like most of us. The thing I remember the most about my dad was his love for his family, and how he grew the most beautiful roses and amazing tomatoes. His roses were his pride and glory. When I look at roses today, they remind me of my dad. What a beautiful thing to have to remember your dad by. I know he's up there, just waiting for my mom, whose trying her hardest to hang on and get well (previous blog). I love you mom and dad! To Bill, my husband, I hope you had a great Father's Day. You are my sweetheart. Since the day I met you, I have felt safe, and I know that you will always watch out for me. You're a great father, and I feel very priviledged to have you in my life for now and forever. I love you. Well now, that was truly a sentimental blog. I guess you need one of them every once in a while. I meant every word!

Goodbye Adam and Tyler

It's been a fun week with a lot of the Endsley side of the family here in St. George. Adam is leaving today for Phoenix, and Tyler and Summer and kids will be heading back to Orofino, ID. tomorrow morning. I wanted to get a picture of Bill with his "boys" before everyone headed out, and you really needed to be there to understand the humor in this photo. When they stand for a picture, they're always trying to see who is the tallest (not Bill, just the boys), as if being the tallest meant they were the most beautiful, etc. Who knows why they do it, they just do it!

Golf, golf, and more golf

With the upcoming U.S. Open (golf, Tiger Woods, etc.), the guys got together yesterday morning to do the "Endsley men" annual golf tournament (sort of annual, but actually whenever they can all get together). I was going to go out and take pictures of them at their second late afternoon game, but it was cancelled. After their morning game, they sort of quibbled about who won, but I think it was who was able to actually finish. I'm sort of thinking that Tyler won, but there is a missing scorecard, so who really knows? :-)

Mariah

This is a public apology to Mariah... Mo, I'm sorry if I offended you with the kitty comment/blog. I was just having fun, and I wouldn't do anything to make you feel bad. You are an amazing young woman, and it was said only in fun. Love you...Nancy

Grandma Ranta

This is a picture of Grandma Ranta (my mom), and I wanted to let all who read this blog to keep her in your prayers. She fell yesterday in her home, and broke her hip. She is scheduled for surgery today (June 16), so I'll keep you posted. I was just in Portland (refer to past blog), and had a wonderful visit with her. She's still as feisty as ever, but her physical limitations limit her from traveling, which she dearly loves. For those of you that don't know, she is 92 years old, and is a killer bingo player. She plays bingo Wednesday and Saturday nights, often coming home with a whopping $10+! We were able to visit the fitness romm many times, where mom would sit on the stationary bike and read her book. I, on the treadmill, would do all I could to keep up with her workouts! She is at Sunnyside Hospital in Clackamas, OR, and hopefully will be able to recover from her fall, surgery and rehab. She often speaks of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and the only thing she has trouble with, is remembering everyone's name, and who they're all conected to. Say a prayer for her, please.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY X 5 !

This picture of Bill and Tyler speaks for itself! This picture of Kevin is just minutes before he started to slide off the chair. He was just hanging there between the chair and table, being held up by just his armpits. The look on his face was priceless (ask Kevin), I was closest, and for a fleeting moment I wanted to get it on film (my camera was in my hand), but my mothering instincts kicked in and I ran for him. Of course he wanted his mommy, and didn't pay any attention to his rescuer (me). All in all, he was unhurt, and I'm grateful I was as close to him as I was.

Hey Summer, I love your footless blue tights. They really help out when you forget to pull your dress down! Well today is going to be quite the birthday party. I only wish everyone could be here (Erin, Mandy, Ben, Becca, Jenny, etc), but I'll try to get some amazing pictures, and of course give you an in-depth accounting of what goes on. Side note: I just realized that carrots ALWAYS give me the hiccups! Can't figure that one out. Well, we ate, opened gifts (not me), ate, cried (Kevin and Maggie), and finally played the ever-famous "family game." Not too sure which game it will be, since I'm writing this as they are trying to decide, but it will probably boil down to either Balderdash, Balderdash, or Balderdash, whichever one Logan can cheat at and not be caught...ha, ha. * We did play Balderdash (couples), and it looks like Adam and Ashley won (or at least that's what Adam says). Here's a side note: A kitten came over for a visit from our neighbor's house, and Mariah went snaky. She was the first to pick it up, and you know Mariah, she's kind of a "need to know girl" and she needed to know all about the kitten. She loves felines; she and Jeremy have one named Leo. As she picked up the kitten, she immediately turned it over and pronounced it a female, since she didn't see any ______. It sort of surprised me, not that she could identify the sex of the animal, but that she used such graphic terminology!

Adam and Ashley make up 2.5 of the birthdays! (Ashley's pregnant) Vicki (birthday girl) and Logan (game player extraordinaire!) The birthday party was quite hectic, but fun. We had 10 adults and 4 little ones, so that made for the usual chaos. Like I said earlier, we miss the rest of the clan, and maybe one day we will all get together and do a major family reunion. Logistics is a bit of a problem, but if we plan far enough in advance, I know it will work. Bill and I love you all!!! Maggie just couldn't get enough of the corn on the cob!

Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning

I've been back home a couple of days now, and I have found myself knee-deep, trying to clean the house...at least attempting to get rid of that ever present layer of dirt. You would not believe the back yard. Don't laugh, especially those of you who know our back yard. I mean the way, way back yard, beyond our back chain link fence. The city (or county, or Navy Seals) came in and took out the tamarisks and just about everything else that was standing. They left the remains, and believe me it looks like a war zone. Someone told me they remove those bushes because they take a lot of water. This is the desert! Let them take the water...there is none! Oh yeah I forgot, the huge, rolling Virgin River back there. I'll take a picture of the mess tomorrow and put it in this post. Yuck, it is so ugly. OK family, you can stop laughing, I know the real back yard is ugly, too.

So Glad to be Back!

I still haven't unpacked, and I feel like I have been gone for centuries, but the sleep I had on my own bed (Bill's, too) was just like heaven. I slept like a rock. Here's a few pictures that sort of sums up our trip. Noah got to throw the first pitch out at the Portland Beavers' baseball game the other night. I couldn't get a very good picture of him through the chain link fence, so you'll just have to settle for a goofy smile. The other pictures sort of speak for themselves.

Goodbye Oregon

Well, Ben will be here in a couple of hours to take me to the airport for my flight back to St. George. I have to fly through Reno (which I hate because of the bumpy ride!), but my sweetheart Billy will be in Vegas to get me around 6:30. I'm giving everyone who reads this blog all of this info in case they want to throw me a welcome home party...ha ha.

My last pictures here in the great Pacific Northwest are of my tin can of a car (the red one), and grandma Ranta's mode of transportation when she goes to play bingo or race up the street to Safeway to shop. To tell you the truth, there's not a heck of a lot of difference between the two, since grandma's is red, too, probably goes just as fast as my Chevy tin can, and if hit by either one, not much damage would be done (to the other vehicle).

See everyone in Utah!

Oregon strawberries are ripe!

I have been here a week and a half, and finally, the day before I leave, the strawberries are finally ripe! They taste sooo good. I was so excited when I brought them to my mom, I had to take a picture of them and put them on our blog! She just looked at me, and must have been thinking, blog, who's a blog??? Technology is just not something my mother chooses to involve herself with.

Church and Marine Drive

After church today, I drove back to my mother's place via Marine Drive. Here's a few shots of the massive Columbia River, and a car that I thought Ashley and Adam should have bought instead of their blue Toyota. How do you like it Adam?

Bill should remember riding his bike along Marine Drive, too.

Note to Adam: I tried to ask the guy what he wanted for his car (at a stop sign, kinda like your dad), but he sneared at me and left me in his dust!

My old (not necessarily in age) teacher friends from George Middle School in Portland

Here we are (Carol on the left, Anita on the right) at Clackamas Town Center, helping Carol upgrade her Verizon cell phone. Apparently, this is an event that takes place every two years with Carol and Anita. Carol (elementary school Principal) needs assistance understanding even the most rudimentary details of her new cell phone (like, how do I hang up, or what are these different colored keys for?) It was a fun afternoon, and my two brilliant friends and I had a wonderful lunch at "Claim Jumper" and many walks down memory lane. Anita is a reading teacher/specialist, Carol's the prinicpal, and to think we all taught together at George Middle School. Those were the days!

Difference between girls and boys

I think I've discovered the difference between girls and boys (baseball players, at least). Girls love to sit and gab, and wear pink batter's hats, whereas, boys like to test their skills (in balancing bats)...all this while they're waiting their turn at bat. That's Noah doing the balancing act, and Ashley sitting and talking (and not paying attention to the game!)

Mariah's answer

I'm heading home on Tuesday. See all of you, then!

Too Big

Uh, let me see...in response to Ashley/Adam's comment on my IKEA blog, I would have to say that the dressers, armoires, and bookcases are just a start. Yeah, way too big. Maybe "Spoon Me" will allow my "Yo Cream" punch card. What do you think? I have a question about my blog...how do you add the column on the right that shows you your "Friends and Family" and when someone has responded to your blog? The only way I know is by the "comments" number at the end of each blog. I think all of you guys have that feature. Help!

Our trip to Orofino and Portland led us to one of my favorite happy places. Yep, IKEA is the place! Bill has gone back to St. George, and I went to IKEA yesterday (without Bill!). I want you to know, Bill, that I didn't buy a single thing! Nada, zippo, nuttin'...oh, wait, I did buy something...it was a very expensive CINNAMON ROLL ($1), and boy was it good. I do feel pretty proud of myself (the not buying anything except a cinnamon roll part). There was another reason I didn't purchase anything, though. That overhead baggage compartment just ain't large enough to put what I would have bought. So in the end, reason won out, and I ate my cinnamon roll and patted myself on the shoulder.

Fairly close to IKEA was a frozen yogurt place called, "Yo-Cream", and let me tell you it was magnificent. It was tart, had fresh fruit, and the best part was it was mostly self-serve. They charge you by the ounce! Oh, heavenly! I even got a punch card for when Bill and I return next summer :-)

Orofino, and Portland baseball!

Here's Bill and I at Orofino, (can't remember the name of the lake, dam, etc., but it was gorgeous! We went for a hike down an old railroad track and walked and walked forever to find a waterfall. Will found a snake, or at least he thought there was one, so Tyler jumped right on it (not the snake).

Here's a picture of Noah, playing T-Ball. Boy he's got quite an arm. I'm going to watch him throw out the "first pitch" at a Beaver's baseball game on Monday. He earned this honor by raising the most $ in his team's fundraiser (actually, Becca did most of the raising).

Portland weather!

The weather here in Portland (late May, first week of June), has been absolutely gorgeous, which is a bit unusual (right, Bill?) It's Rose Festival week and it is usually a bit rainy, but not this year. I'm at Grandma Ranta's just relaxing. I think I'm getting a bit lazy, since I don't have a car (yet), and I've just been sitting around reading, eating, and visiting with my mother. There's a fitness room with some workout equipment, and grandma and I have been taking advantage of it. I've been hitting the tredmill for the past few days, and last night (in the middle of the night) woke up with major charlie horses in both of my shins. Wow, was that sore; it took me a few minutes to massage out the cramps. I'm trying to attach some pictures of our trip from this computer, so when I get it all figured out, I'll try to show you some of the fun things we've have been up to with Summer, Tyler and the kids in Orofino, and a picture or two of Noah's Little League game last Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed!