Bloggers? I think not...

I was hoping my parents would use this lovely blog that I set-up for them, but alas they have not caught the blogging bug. I will work on them....

~Pam

BBQ with Mike

Mike treated the Waltons, Garricks and "AndyMan" to his usual wonderful BBQ feast which never fails to please the crowd. He fixed ribs in his new Weber smoker (also called "the bullet") and salmon on cedar planks. He also delighted our tastebuds with BBQ chicken thighs and beef which was cooked perfectly, with grilled zucchini on the side. He is always so generous and good-natured when he BBQ's for the family. He has written a BBQ cookbook to share his secrets.

Lunch at Ruby's

No dolphins or sharks! One of the reasons we all love to go to Ruby's is to see the "large" sea mammals swimming just beyond the pier. Today we had no such luck, but we did have a great meal. Ruby's is just another of the traditions we have each time the Walton grandkids come to HB. We love to see the vista of the shoreline as we stroll along the pier and are excited to see the surfers and the beach volleyball players. We stopped at the HB Store on the pier and bought matching HB tee-shirts for our trip to Washington D.C.

Swimming with the Fish

Summer vacation is finally here ~ and my big treat is having my grandchildren here with me for a week. Luckily they love the beach as much as I do, but we all hate the sun. So we have been spending our "evenings" at the beach. Storm conditions in the South Pacific have brought gently rolling waves that are not intimidating to Jonah. However the 14 in. fish swimming right near the shore line nipping at his feet are. Although we have lived here for over 33 years, this is the first time we have actually interacted with "classes" of normal-sized fish while playing in very shallow water. We called them "classes" of fish and not "schools" of fish because Scott remarked that the schools were further out in the water, and the ones near us belonged to just a small class out on a field trip.

Tahoe's Haircut

Our daughter Pam decided that their extremely hairy dog needed a haircut today. It is just too hot to be a little furball right now. So they took her to the groomer. She hates to go and gets very stressed out. Usually she ends up straining her back out of stress which they suspect happens when she is trapped in the kennel area. Pam begged the groomer to not put her in the "box" very long and picked Tahoe up within 5 minutes of her haircut finishing. Tahoe is quiet and still while being groomed at least. We'll see if she needs valium tonight to cope (and I'm not kidding.... she has a doggie prescription for it!).

Two Peas in a Pod - Scott & Dave

These two handsome fellas are Scott and Dave. They have several things in common.

1) They both love to talk a lot! They are super smart and have all sorts of thoughts and all those thoughts tend to constantly come out of their mouths. They can talk faster than most people can even think. Yes, they both have been called a "human radio" by friends and family.

2) They both love to say "It's not fair!" Anyone who knows them needs no explanation.

3) Scott and Dave are both the 2nd of three boys in their families. Total middle children.

4) Dave & Scott both have big brothers that love to torture and tease them, and little brothers that are mellow.

5) Dave & Scott both are expert whiners. Luckily Dave stopped this behavior a while ago and Scott is working on it. I have a zero tolerance policy for whining for poor Scott. I often tell Scott that my patience for whining was all used up during my childhood while I had to be patient with Dave who used to follow me around whining all the time. We'll have to ask Jenni if Dave ever whines as an adult.

6) They are both really creative and artistic. They also think outside the box and have extremely creative thought processes.

7) They are competitive as can be. They win often and love the taste of victory.8) They both have really broad shoulders, big rib cages and strong chests. They are built like water polo stars. They are both also very handsome.

Posted by Pam

Garrick Family Credit Union

Kevin & Bonnie have the coolest thing in their home (see above). It says "Garrick Family Credit Union" on the top. They list "Deposits" on one side - things such as sharing, reading scriptures, complimenting others, washing your hands after you sneeze, etc. On the other side they list "Withdrawals" - things like bragging, rolling eyes, whining, littering, choking, etc. Then at the bottom of the document it says "Presidents Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Garrick will verify all transactions. All account balances should remain in the positive. Accounts in the negative will have penalty fees as well as bad credit. Accounts in the positive will have good credit and earn interest." I thought it was so cool that I had to take a picture of it and try to recreate it with my family. ~Pam

Ryan, Tahoe & Aunt Pam's Tea Party

On December 28, 2007, the Waltons were lucky enough to spend the night with Bonnie & Kevin's family on their way to HB. Ryan is the only grand-daughter and the only Garrick niece so we all enjoy her girlishness. She got out her special tea party set and invited Aunt Pam and our favorite dog Tahoe to a private tea party. No boys were allowed. We also invited several stuffed animals to join us. A fabulous time was had by all (well, maybe not Tahoe because she got in trouble for being clumsy with the teacups).

Meanwhile, the boys were happy to play "Star Wars" on the PS2 with Kevin. Another thing we love to do at Kevin & Bonnie's is to play SingStar. We are all really close with our scores so it is fun to battle each other out to see who can sing the best on certain songs. Of course Pam usually wins (okay, maybe not, but I am the one posting this so no one can argue with me!). The kids favorite SingStar song to sing is "Had a Bad Day" and they sing their little hearts out! These cousins love to see each other as much as possible and they all get along so well. We are enjoying their shared childhood.

Donuts with Don

Here is one of the only pictures we have of Don eating a donut. I think he has eaten junk food around 4-5 times in his life. He's a healthy eater for sure! He buckled under pressure from his grandson Scotty who begged him to eat a donut, at least once!

Tetons

This is a picture we took at the Grand Tetons. Possibly one of Janet's favorite places to visit. She really loves the great outdoors!

Going on a Bear Hunt

Janet, Pam, Zach, Scott & Jonah went to Yellowstone last summer and had a blast! Here is a picture of one of the bears that Janet tried to chase down. We always look for wildlife as we drive and hike around the national park. Normally we just like to take pictures. However, Pam & the boys are concerned that "Nana" tries to chase down the dangerous bears. We used to try to stop her but we have decided that perhaps she thinks there are worse ways to die than from catching a bear in a national park. Trust me that the rest of us all stay in the car!!

Start Blogging Mom & Dad

Okay Mom & Dad, I was nice enough to set up this cute blog for you and you are not even posting! I will be forced to make up fake posts for you if you don't start blogging soon.

Welcome to the World of Blogging

We want to thank our daughter, Pam, for introducing us to the world of blogging. We look forward to keeping you all updated on our interesting lives.....