We had a few more days back at Coranns before heading back to New Hampshire. On Monday noon, Jim and Nancy, took us to meet Jill & Toriana at Applebees for lunch. Jill's folks and Mel and I were friends before we had children. Then Jill was in Richmond at college and was in mtg w/us. We enjoyed having her in our home. Then Jill and our daughter, Johanna, shared an apartment for awhile before Jill left Richmond. It was neat to see Jill and her little girl, Toriana. Jim and Nancy and Mel and I did a little shopping and then got back up with Corann and went on up north of Arlington to meet Don, David and Nicole Ross for supper at Olive Garden. We were sad that Carol was in Florida the entire time we were in WA...so didn't get to see her. The last 2 days we saw all the West Coast Breeding nieces and their children again before leaving the state. On Tuesday night, Corann and Mel and I met Jim and Nancy at the Chinese restaurant to eat supper and then later Mel went back home w/Jim and the ladies went up to Kathy's at Milltown for the Ladies' Handwork night... Up REAL early the next morning to get our airplane back to the east coast. We had a wonderful time out in WA...and thanks to Corann and Jim and Nancy for taking us around and for all who took us out to eat, had us for meals and nights...was a Great time.

Ashlynn


Corann



Jim & Nancy


Corann




Mel & Rudonna


Nancy & Jim



Becky & Trent



Nicole & David




Nicole, David & Don
Jill & Toriana


Mel, Toriana, Jill, Rudonna...


Ashlyn..video singing books of NT

Ellensburg, WA Part of our Fall Trip (Rudonna again)

Leona came over to Coranns on a Tuesday to pick up Mel and I to go back over to the ranch for almost a week. Tom (Mel's brother) & Leona live and work on her brother...Henry's ranch. We went to Muriel & Judy's gospel mtg...and met a few folks we had not met and saw a few that we had met before. Ann Black came for lunch one day. Leona and I went to Yakima one evening to shop. It sure was good to see Frank and to see how happy he seems to be on the ranch there with Tom & Leona. One reason for this trip to WA this past fall.... I felt it would be good for Mel (...and me) to see Frank in his new setting. Especially Mel, since he had put so much of his heart and energy into helping/caring for Frank for almost 36 years. Of course, the rest of our family was involved and we all miss having Frank near us, but it's wonderful to see him as happy as he is...as at first he resisted the change. We can tell he loves being there with Tom and Leona...(and the new dog..smile)...and all the rest of the folks there.

Mel & I stayed in the "party house". A bldg that is rather large, long w/kitchen, bathroom and a bed. It has a lot of tables that they use for different potlucks, events, etc. It's right behind where the Baker's live...about 1/2 mile up the road fr Tom & Leona. The Bakers were thoughtful of our every need....as, of course, were Tom & Leona...and Henry & Nita.

Jim and Nancy came on Friday and Leroy came over to join us for supper on Friday night. It had been eight years since we had seen him. Tom & Leona's daughter, Corlyn, also came Friday eve from Spokane and their other daughter, Julie, came Saturday morning early from Seattle. On Saturday there was a cow drive to get all the cows from the pastures to the corral so the vet could check and see if each one was preg. It was really a neat day. Afterwards, all the folks that live on the ranch and all the others that came to work that day had a wonderful meal that the ranch ladies fixed. That evening Henry & Nita came over for a visit....which was sure fun! Sunday to Ann B's house for meeting and back to Tom & Leona's for lunch. Their son, Jared, and his wife, Joy, and 3 adorable boys...TJ, Logan and Jack came for lunch. It was great to get to meet the rest of Jared's family. Then in the afternoon we went back to Coranns with Jim & Nancy.

Here's some pictures from the Ellensburg part of our trip:

Tom & Leona




Mel & Frank




Frank

4 siblings....Tom, Mel, Frank & Nancy


Jared & Joy


Tom, Leona & grandsons

Jack


TJ


Logan


Jared, Joy and boys






Julie...Tom & Leona's daughter





Love this picture of Tom that Julie took....


and this one, too!


Henry & Nita's son




Vet



Looking down towards Tom & Leona's house..




Saddle shop


Jim checking out his camera


Leona doing one of her favorite things...quilting!


Corlyn (in front of a painting she did)..


5 siblings...Mel, Leroy, Nancy, Tom & Frank..by age ... w/2 missing (Ron & Corann) between Leroy & Nancy and 2 missing (Jim & Terry) between Nancy & Tom. Dale (passed away in 1995 would have been just after Leroy.


The view from the party house where we stayed the nights.


And here's a couple of videos from the cattle drive:

We had a long day travelling, changing planes in Dallas. Mel's sister, Corann, picked us up at the airport and we went back to her house and that was our home base for the next week. She had Mel's other sister, Nancy, and her husband, Jim over for breakfast. Also, their daughter, Randee...and Will and Ashlynn. Fun to be with all of them. It was our 43rd anniversary and Corann took us out to eat before heading to gospel meeting that evening. On Thursday night, Nancy had Corann, Mel & I for supper along with Don...our friend from back east from years ago. She also had invited Ray & Bertha. We felt like we knew them because we have mutual friends in Virginia, LA & W VA...also know some of Bertha's folks in TX. On Friday, Jim took us to south of Olympia to meet Linda B for lunch and a good visit. The same place we met when we were there 2 years ago! That evening Mel went home w/Jim and I went to Mel's nieces where they and Nancy and Corann were scrapbooking. On Saturday, Corann took us to Arlington's little cafe, The Local Scoop, for a nice lunch. The evening we went north of Arlington to some of the folks that run a bed and breakfast. The lady of the home was having a surprise bday party for her husband. ...a beautiful view from their home. Sunday at noon we met another niece, Becky, and her husband, Trent, for lunch at Applebees...back to Corann's for a little down time before heading to gospel mtg. Then Jim & Nancy took us to have supper and a nice visit w/Steve & Laurie, Dianna & Breenan (sp?)... We knew Laurie in Richmond at the end of the eighties. We also had some other stops & visits while staying w/Corann... we went with her to the mall 2 Monday mornings in a row to the mall where some of the older crew meet for coffee. It was fun to be with some that we knew before and meet some new folks. We also stopped in to see Scott & RoCinda's new home addition and had a nice visit w/Jim's mom. On Monday night, Corann and I fixed supper for Jim, Nancy, and their 3 daughters & families that live in the nearby area.





Scott, RoCinda, Matthew, Jonathan & Daniel


Dave, RoCherra, Michael, Ryan & Garrett


Will, Randee & Ashlynn


Beautiful flowers at RoCinda's


Coffee at the mall




Steve, Laurie & children



Scrapbooking


Scrapbooking At RoCherras


Rudonna, Linda B, Mel & Jim


Ray, Bertha, Rudonna, Mel & Don


Mel & Rudonna... day of 43rd wedding anniv.


Randee & Corann... a wonderful breakfast that Corann fixed...and dear Randee did the clean-up!
Nancy, Jim & Will



Ashlynn.... at breakfast at Coranns.



This is Rudonna here..... It's been a long time since I posted...and I didn't post after Mel & I took our long trip in the fall....so will try to back track here and post a few pictures, etc. We left on September 24 & drove to Richmond and spent the night w/Jack & Mary after going to Paul & Laura's shop for gospel mtg. The next afternoon Mary took Mel and I to the airport and we flew to Boston where Brent picked us up. We went up for Paxton's 5th birthday and stayed from Thursday to Tuesday. It's so hard to believe he is such a big boy now..... also, Shaelyn had grown a lot since we had seen her in June. Lucille & Yasmin came for supper and the night just before we left New Hampshire (flying fr Boston to Seattle). It wasn't quite as hard to leave the children since we knew we would be coming back for a week after our weeks in Washington.


Shaelyn


Paxton At his 5th Birthday party.


Grandpa getting some sweet sugar from Shaelyn