Our Trip West

Dick and I took a four-week tour from Minnesota to Utah going through South Dakota, and then back going through Montana and North Dakota.


We were in western Wyoming traveling on I-80 when I took this picture. Those are the Uintah Mountains in the background.


On the way back to Minnesota, we traveled through Northwestern Wyoming. As we were approaching Yellowstone National Park we traveled along side the Teton Mountains.


In Yellowstone National Park, we got high up in the Teton mountains where there was snow on the ground. It was early June and we were not ready for winter.


In Yellowstone, we stopped by to see Old Faithful Geyser.


Finally, we got back to Minnesota near our lake home. The sunset was so nice that I snapped this picture.

Rob and Justin Visit

Rob and Justin came to our Lake Home and spent the night with us. They left the next morning to pick up Kristin and Alyssa at the Minneapolis International Airport.


Rob and Justin sit in the kitchen.


Here is Dick with his son Rob and grandson Justin.


Justin has taught himself the guitar. He played and sang a couple of songs for us.


Thirty-three years ago, Dick put up a split rail fence on our Saint Cloud land. But over the years the wood rotted and so he is in the process of replacing the fence.


Dick realized that I was taking pictures of him and quickly looked up.

My siblings and I get together in the early Spring to "hangout" for part of a week. This year we met at the lake home of my youngest brother's home of his daughter Sharon. The home is on Spring Lake near Huntsville, Alabama. We were together from Monday to Friday.


Here are the five Espey siblings: George, Iva, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Benton.


My two sisters, Iva and Sarah.


My two brothers, Benton and George, discuss the bacon frying. George gives instructions while Benton has George sample some of his bacon.


Here is Sharon on my right and Dick on my left. The lake home belongs to Sharon. Sharon was with us for Monday evening only since she had to be at work for NASA in Huntsville.


George, his wife Chris, and Benton were on the way to the boat and wave runners (jet skies).


One evening, Benton, his wife Marilyn, and I used the hot tub. It was great!


We played board games throughout the week. Here we play Aggravation. The game belonged to my mother who loved the game.


We also traveled around the area. This is an old covered bridge. At times we weren't sure where we were. Thankfully we had a Garmin GPS.

Bev Visits Us in Saint Cloud

A short time ago my sister-in-law, Bev Wolfe, came to my house with her son, Dan, and his wife. Bev was on her way to visit with her sister Barbara in Saint Cloud. The three of them, along with my husband, Dick, had lunch together before they left to visit Barbara.

A Special Gift

The first 5 people to comment on this blog post will get something made by me. My choice. From me. This offer does have some restrictions & limitations:
1. I make no guarentees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you!
3. It'll be done this year (hopefully sooner than later.)
4. You will have no clue what it is going to be.
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch? You must repost this on your blog. The first 5 people to do this and tell me you did so, will get something made by me!
Ready...Set...Go!

Barb & Jack Renew Their Wedding Vows

On Friday, 13 February 2009, the Talahi Care Center hosted a Valentine Day wedding vow renewal event. Barb and Jack, along with five other couples, participated in the renewals.


Barb and Jack pose for their portrait before going to the ceremony.


After the wedding renewal ceremony, punch and cake was served. Here is the Jelinek couple waiting for the food.


Jack adjusts Barb's bouquet while they wait for the ceremony to begin.


Jack renews his wedding vows.


Barb also participates in renewing her wedding vows.


The happy couple, having renewed their wedding vows.


Dick attends the festivities but does not eat the cake!

Granddaughter Bitsy's Visit

Our Granddaughter, Bitsy, along with her mother, Laura, and Bitsy's friend, Emily, drove up from Omaha, Nebraska, to spend the New Year holiday with us. They spent two days at our lake home and then we went to our Saint Cloud home Friday morning. Bitsy wanted her Grandpa and Emily to see the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still" with her. On Saturday plans to travel to Minneapolis were canceled due to an approaching snow storm.


Bitsy watches Grandpa perform some "magic" with his laptop computer. Then Bitsy got her computer and the two were able to connect Bitsy's computer to the Internet via the newly installed wireless router.


Laura and Bitsy along with their two dogs watch the DVD movie Signs and then the movie The Village.


At the breakfast table the next morning, Emily watches Bitsy's dog, Hemingway, beg for some food.


Emily, Laura, Bitsy, and I pose for a picture just before we leave for the Saint Cloud home.


Here we all are in the kitchen of our Saint Cloud home playing a German card game of Elferraus.


Here is Emily, Bitsy, and Laura just before leaving on their road trip back to Omaha, Nebraska.

Holiday Season

Christmas time was filled with family, friends, and parties. This is my favorite time of the year.


Here I am at one of the Christmas parties standing in the entryway. Of course, Santa welcomes me.


In this picture I am standing by an upside-down Christmas tree.


This is such beautiful decorations. Yet, I look at the lighted candles and the surrounding evergreen branches and wonder how safe it is!


Another party, but one that my friend Dorie and I catered for Dorie's son-in-law.


Christmas morning arrives and we open our presents. Dick opens one addressed to "Dick & Liz" and gets this towel. Just what he's always wanted.


Later on Christmas day, my son Rick gives me a ride on his snowmobile around our lake.


Two of my grandchildren, Raisa and Brenden, were with us for Christmas.

Christmas Decorations at the Lake

Here are a few decorations that we've put up at the lake home.

Beginning of the Christmas Season

The 2008 Christmas season is here and I'm in the process of decorating the house.


The Christmas tree is up and decorated. Also, the windows have been outlined with lights.


Here is my center piece that I've placed on the dinning room table.


This is the decoration on the "coffee table" in the living room.


At the top of the staircase are the two gingerbread dolls that welcome visitors to our house.


Here are the decorations at the front of the house.


Part of the holidays for us is attending shows. Dick and I went, along with Don & Judy, to the Bobby Vee Christmas concert. Here is Bobby and I posing for a picture. Because we are in our mid-sixties, our eyes are not as good as they used to be. That is probably why this picture is a bit fuzzy.