We've had our toes in the Atlantic Ocean and our feet in the Pacific Ocean, seen 2 lighthouses, up to the top of a 630 foot arch, been to the graves of 4 great grandparents, to the airport to pick up a missionary, one of us grew 2 teeth and learned how to crawl, one of us graduated from college with a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, we've been to the funerals of 2 grandmothers, moved twice, seen the temple of "the competition," swam in a lake, walked through a mountain, met a new nephew, crossed the Mississippi River for the 4th time, said goodbye to some really great friends (who I have to call and say CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW BABY), toured a cheese factory, been to the home of Dunder Mifflin and been to the lookout of a volcano. So prepare yourself this could be a long one...
After the death of Klaron's grammy, the Cramer family met in Kittery, Maine for a memorial and grave site service. Most of the family flew from California and Texas and we drove the 12 hours.
Most people have heard of Scranton, Pennsylvania. We drove around a little bit but couldn't find the famous paper company.
This is an important picture because it is one of the maybe five times Teagan sat in his "mommy had to have it, so she paid full price for it" Bumbo.
York, Maine is home to the oh so yummo, Goldenrod Taffy Company. Let's just say we bought a 2 pound box and none of it made it back to Ohio.
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, at York, Maine. Not exactly the best day for a midday swim but we had to put our toes in.
Lobster dinner on Paul and Pat, Klaron got THE TWINS!!
Kathleen and Klaron anxiously waiting for their lobsters.
Klaron, Teagan and Paul Cramer after the lobster.
After Maine, Teagan and I flew to Gridley, California. The trip for was 2 reasons, 1. to look for a place to live in Sunnyvale and 2. to bring home a missionary returning from Monterrey, Mexico. About 30 days before James came home, Dakota made a chain to count down the days. He's holding the last link!!!
HERE HE COMES!!! We spent all day making signs, getting balloons and sombreros and waiting until 6:00pm to pick up James. My sign said, WELCOME TO AMERICA. When we saw James coming down the escalator we all screamed. Next to James is our cousin Blair who served in the same place and left the same day as James.
Dad, James, Mom and Gracie.
The return missionary, just the way he left.
Leaving the Sacramento Airport, which one is James?
We took the pontoon boat out to Lake Oroville. Our boat is about 20 years old, two toned blue, barley floating, but so fun. You can swim between the pontoons and there is a ladder that goes from the water to the roof so you can jump off the top and get back up. She's an eye sore, but we're humble people.
Our trip to Gridley was only supposed to be 2 weeks but I ended up extending it to 3. My grandma Verda Walton Jensen had been suffering from brain cancer for about 4 weeks, then was taken home June 1st.
Teagan and grandpa Craig at the cemetery.
Klaron was happy to have us back after being gone for 3 weeks. It was the longest he'd ever been away from Teagan. We got back to Columbus just in time for Klaron to graduate from The Ohio State University. June 14th...Klaron received his Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering.
Our future graduate. Just trying it on for size. CONGRATULATIONS KLARON!!! We are so proud of you.
The original plan was to drive across Nevada on I-50, known as the Loneliest Road in America instead of the well beaten I-80. But at the last minute we cut north to Denver and West to Sandy, Utah to see Kraig and Melissa Cramer. The next day we took the 80 across Nevada. We stopped in Metropolis, now a ghost town about 15 miles north of Wells. This is where my grandma Verda lived until she moved to Gridley as a young girl. The cemetery there is where my great-great grandparents John and Annie Hyde are buried. While at the cemetery, there was another family there who turned out to be cousins.
We finally made it to Sunnyvale and moved into temporary housing on June 26th. Klaron started his new job at Northrup Grumman on June 29th. One weekend we drove down to Santa Cruz. Again the water was too cold to swim but we had to put our toes in the Pacific.
Teagan's cute little feet prints in the sand.
At our temp housing we had a big king size bed and every morning Teagan would help me make it.
We bought season passes to Six Flags Marine World. July 17th, we went up to Six Flags. We went to the whale show but most of the time the whale was in time out because she didn't want to cooperate with her trainers.
We saw lots of fish and sharks. We had a fun day looking at all the animals but were ready to go home and take a nap.
After a month of being in temp housing, we moved into our permanent apartment on July 23rd. I didn't know you could fit so much stuff in such a small apartment. Here's Teagan helping me unpack our many boxes.
He is a good helper.
The next weekend, August 1st, we drive to Los Angeles to see the Cramers. Kent and Belinda and their family, Kliff and us went to Newport Beach on Saturday. When we got there, there was no parking ANYWHERE. So we ended up driving a few miles down until we could park. This ended up being a mile down from the good part of Newport Beach, but we still had fun in the waves and sand.
Klaron took a few hits against the sand.
We got home from Los Angeles on Sunday and Teagan and I left for Gridley two days later on Tuesday. I was going down to help Crystal with her kids and the new baby but first we stopped in Santa Rosa to see Dad and James at the Sonoma Fair. I met mom and Dakota in Vallejo, then we drove to Santa Rosa together. We spent the day at the fair looking at animals and eating corn dogs the size of our heads. We stayed the night with dad and James in their trailor and then headed for home the next morning. On the way home we stopped at the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. A KID IN A CANDY STORE, this is the ultimate candy store. We each bought a pound of jelly beans. yummo.
Teagan under mom's kitchen table.
We got back to Sunnyvale, but after 3 days we were on the go again. This time to Portland, Oregon. Kliff and Kevin Cramer drove their motorcycles up Wednesday night then we all drove up to Portland together on Thursday. We spent the weekend with Keith and Veronica.
Kevin kept having trouble with his head gear so Klaron suggested this to help keep the wind off his face.
WELCOME TO OREGON
Friday we took a tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, Oregon.
Then drove over to the coast to Cape Meares. The landscape here is so beautiful.
The lighthouse at Cape Meares and the Cramer boys.
We kept driving down the coast to Oceanside. I love the huge rocks in the water.
At the Visitors Center
It was really cold, so we had to bundle up Teagan. He seemed pretty toasty in there.
This is the view from the Visitors Center of where the lava flowed after Mount Saint Helen erupted.
After Maine, Teagan and I flew to Gridley, California. The trip for was 2 reasons, 1. to look for a place to live in Sunnyvale and 2. to bring home a missionary returning from Monterrey, Mexico. About 30 days before James came home, Dakota made a chain to count down the days. He's holding the last link!!!
HERE HE COMES!!! We spent all day making signs, getting balloons and sombreros and waiting until 6:00pm to pick up James. My sign said, WELCOME TO AMERICA. When we saw James coming down the escalator we all screamed. Next to James is our cousin Blair who served in the same place and left the same day as James.
Dad, James, Mom and Gracie.
The return missionary, just the way he left.
Leaving the Sacramento Airport, which one is James?
We took the pontoon boat out to Lake Oroville. Our boat is about 20 years old, two toned blue, barley floating, but so fun. You can swim between the pontoons and there is a ladder that goes from the water to the roof so you can jump off the top and get back up. She's an eye sore, but we're humble people.
This was Teagan's first time in the lake and he loved it.
Our trip to Gridley was only supposed to be 2 weeks but I ended up extending it to 3. My grandma Verda Walton Jensen had been suffering from brain cancer for about 4 weeks, then was taken home June 1st.
Grandma loved sunflowers and each person was given a single sunflower to put on her casket.
Teagan and grandpa Craig at the cemetery.
Klaron was happy to have us back after being gone for 3 weeks. It was the longest he'd ever been away from Teagan. We got back to Columbus just in time for Klaron to graduate from The Ohio State University. June 14th...Klaron received his Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering.
Our future graduate. Just trying it on for size. CONGRATULATIONS KLARON!!! We are so proud of you.
After graduation we didn't stay in Columbus long. The movers came the next day to pack up our apartment. We left for California on Wednesday, June 17th. We stopped in Cincinnati, Ohio at the cemetery where Klarons great grandparents Edward and Bertha Cramer are buried. After searching for about 1/2 hour for them we finally found them.
We stopped the first night in St. Louis, Missouri. The next morning we walked to the St. Louis Arch and got tickets to go to the top of this 630 foot high monument.
Night 2 we stopped in Topeka, Kansas. This is the temple of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ, now the Community of Christ in Independence, Missouri. As Klaron put it, on one side of the street is the LDS Visitors Center and on the other is "the competition."
The original plan was to drive across Nevada on I-50, known as the Loneliest Road in America instead of the well beaten I-80. But at the last minute we cut north to Denver and West to Sandy, Utah to see Kraig and Melissa Cramer. The next day we took the 80 across Nevada. We stopped in Metropolis, now a ghost town about 15 miles north of Wells. This is where my grandma Verda lived until she moved to Gridley as a young girl. The cemetery there is where my great-great grandparents John and Annie Hyde are buried. While at the cemetery, there was another family there who turned out to be cousins.
We stopped in Gridley on the way to Sunnyvale and stayed about 3 days. We took the pontoon boat out again. Here's Teagan modeling his new life jacket. That boy loves the water.
We finally made it to Sunnyvale and moved into temporary housing on June 26th. Klaron started his new job at Northrup Grumman on June 29th. One weekend we drove down to Santa Cruz. Again the water was too cold to swim but we had to put our toes in the Pacific.
Teagan's cute little feet prints in the sand.
At our temp housing we had a big king size bed and every morning Teagan would help me make it.
We bought season passes to Six Flags Marine World. July 17th, we went up to Six Flags. We went to the whale show but most of the time the whale was in time out because she didn't want to cooperate with her trainers.
We saw lots of fish and sharks. We had a fun day looking at all the animals but were ready to go home and take a nap.
After a month of being in temp housing, we moved into our permanent apartment on July 23rd. I didn't know you could fit so much stuff in such a small apartment. Here's Teagan helping me unpack our many boxes.
He is a good helper.
The Sunday after we moved in, I got a call from my brother Joey saying Crystal had her baby the night before at 11:37. Benjamin Allie Walton Dewsnup. So we drove up to Gridley for the day to see him and Crystal in the hospital.
The next weekend, August 1st, we drive to Los Angeles to see the Cramers. Kent and Belinda and their family, Kliff and us went to Newport Beach on Saturday. When we got there, there was no parking ANYWHERE. So we ended up driving a few miles down until we could park. This ended up being a mile down from the good part of Newport Beach, but we still had fun in the waves and sand.
Klaron took a few hits against the sand.
We got home from Los Angeles on Sunday and Teagan and I left for Gridley two days later on Tuesday. I was going down to help Crystal with her kids and the new baby but first we stopped in Santa Rosa to see Dad and James at the Sonoma Fair. I met mom and Dakota in Vallejo, then we drove to Santa Rosa together. We spent the day at the fair looking at animals and eating corn dogs the size of our heads. We stayed the night with dad and James in their trailor and then headed for home the next morning. On the way home we stopped at the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. A KID IN A CANDY STORE, this is the ultimate candy store. We each bought a pound of jelly beans. yummo.
Teagan under mom's kitchen table.
We got back to Sunnyvale, but after 3 days we were on the go again. This time to Portland, Oregon. Kliff and Kevin Cramer drove their motorcycles up Wednesday night then we all drove up to Portland together on Thursday. We spent the weekend with Keith and Veronica.
Kevin kept having trouble with his head gear so Klaron suggested this to help keep the wind off his face.
WELCOME TO OREGON
Friday we took a tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, Oregon.
Then drove over to the coast to Cape Meares. The landscape here is so beautiful.
The lighthouse at Cape Meares and the Cramer boys.
We kept driving down the coast to Oceanside. I love the huge rocks in the water.
We found a tunnel that goes through the mountain and comes out at a more private beach.
Teagan loved crawling around in the sand. Look at his cute tracks.
Saturday we drove up to Washington, STATE #46!!! to see Mount Saint Helens.
At the Visitors Center
It was really cold, so we had to bundle up Teagan. He seemed pretty toasty in there.
This is the view from the Visitors Center of where the lava flowed after Mount Saint Helen erupted.
When we got to the lookout point we hoped we would be able to see the crater, but it was so foggy we could barely see the mountain.
Sunday we took the MAX to downtown Portland. On the train we saw our share of crazies, why is it that some people you just can't help but stare at?
The International Rose Test Garden.
On the way home Monday, we stopped by the Portland Temple. I wasn't expecting to see such a beautiful temple. There is a reflection pond similar to Salt Lake, so beautiful.
And the Medford Temple. Wherever we drive we like to stop and see the temple, so far we've seen over 40 temples across the United States and Canada.
We're home now in Sunnyvale. No more plans to go anywhere, until September anyway. I asked Klaron what he wants to do this weekend and he said RELAX!!!