September 20, 2010

Dear Children,

I will try and write just a quick update for the past week so I don’t get so behind again. It is hard to break away from a huge Christmas project I am trying to finish before I leave for Utah. I want to be able to clean up my mess so Katie doesn’t have to look at for over a week while I am away! The stark reality of it being October when I return is quite a jolt. Besides all the fun preparations for the holiday, wedding planning and the visits we have planned (and are trying to plan with Shawn and Aubrey!) in the next couple of months, this can be the busiest time for our card business since it has such a wonderful system for sending Christmas cards. We are both excited for the months ahead.

It wasn’t a very newsy week for us. We are both busy with our projects and we feel very blessed that the concrete jobs have picked up in the last couple of months. Our immediate goal is to be booked up through November and create awareness with all our previous clients that we are still going strong so we might get used during the winter. New construction used to carry us through the winter but that is a thing of the past for the time being in this area. We just have been so pleased to stay as busy as we have been. We hear it is supposed to be a very cold winter this year.

This week we were able to use some Groupon coupons that we have had for quite some time. For Mother’s day, Katie had given me a manicure-pedicure coupon and bought one for herself. This week we finally got our schedules together to make it happen. I haven’t had a manicure for years. I like having my nails painted; it will be a challenge to keep it looking nice.

On Saturday Dad and I went on a Portland Bike Tour. It was another Groupon purchase; it was Dad’s Father’s Day present. We had great fun. It was a two hour tour of the Portland waterfront; up and down both sides. I want to follow the same trail again soon, so I don’t forget all the turns that kept us on good biking roads. It would be something that would be fun to do on one of your visits here. We stopped in some spots and heard a little history of the areas.

Speaking of bikes, the past few weeks, Dad has been following the Vuelta a España, a three week bike race all over Spain. He has followed where they will be to be able to also watch for the countryside that we saw. The day I enjoyed most was watching them ride up a ski resort road that was steeper than Weir Road, unbelievable! There is a bike ride coming up in October that Dad would like to try and do. It is on the second weekend in October when we have the grandchildren. He could choose one of the shorter routes that go through the country roads around Hillsboro. I think it would be kind of fun for the grandchildren to be able to watch him go by in some of the areas.

We enjoyed our visit with Scott this week. He seemed understandably down saying he has hard a hard couple of weeks with Kyre’s divorce plans and some of her other decisions about the children. It was great to hear him talk about how his roommate is someone with whom he is most comfortable. He is someone he trusted when he went to OSP in the beginning. Steve is applying for vocational training that is available in Salem so that means he may be able to stay until his release date in 4 ½ years.

Well, not much news but just an update. We love you and pray for each one of you! Love Mom