Jack, Steve

Deb, Curtiss, Tim and Gretch

Curtiss giving the toast

Deb and Jack

Jack, Gretch, Amanda, Steven, Curtiss

Curtiss, Steven and Jonathan

This is before the wedding. Jack is taller than this. Sept 27, 2008

ARIZONA

Here we sit in SUNNY, HOT Arizona. It does cool down at night; but sure warms up during the day. At present we are at Catalina State Park, just north of Tucson. I had never been here before; so another first for me. Dennis had 4 services and a banquet type speech on Sat and Sunday. There are still a lot of people we know and it was good to see them. The current pastor was one of the vicars when were here. After Dennis had a nap we drove to Litl Abners. A steak house that cooks the steak on a open grill with mesquite wood. Nothings has changed. The decor is the same and the steaks still good. Litl Abners was originally a stagecoach stop and it was WAY out in the country.
It was the first place someone took us to when we visited here YEARS ago. Now the developments have moved near them; but it hasn't changed a thing.
We left Idaho with the motor home Wed the 17. We had a good trip here. I even won 14.50 on a nickel machine in Mesquite NV. We spent one night in Mesa and picked up the Black Honda and on to Tucson. Al Coxen, a neighbor in Mesa, had the car already to go. We did have to put new tires on the motor home. UGH! but we must be safe.
On Tuesday we will return to Mesa where we step up and wait for everyone to start arriving for Steven and Amanda "wedding"
Guess this is it for now.
Joan
PS I have found my cell phone charger so I can now used my cell phone.

From Cedar Rapids

This picture is from the first day of school on August 22. Wow, almost a month ago! How time flies! The t-shirts for Nate and Isabelle are in honor of the opening of their new elementary school..Echo Hill. It is named Echo Hill because it is near the location where Rockwell engineers bounced the first video image off the Echo Satellite. This was the first step toward television. It is a beautiful new school to our rapidly growing district.

We are busy but it is mostly kids' activities and work. No fancy vacations like Tad or Aunt Joan!

Josh is in 7th grade. He is on the football team (loves it), plays AAU basketball (which means he has a football game Tuesday nights and then hurries to a basketball game), is in the band and choir and just made jazz band in both percussion and piano. He someone manages straight As with this schedule and I don't know how he does it. Especially since social life is critical at this age.

Nate is playing soccer through a club he has been in the past 3 years. He was named a captain for this year. We've been to Omaha over Labor Day and we are on our way to Chicago for a tournament. Madison, WI coming next month. He is also still playing basketball through his club team out of Ames, IA. He had tryouts in August and made the top of the two teams they select. Just eight kids from across the state on each team. This is the team that won the USSSA National Championship in July and he REALLy likes the boys on the team. They have a lot of fun together despite the competitive environment. Nate is in 4th grade and doing great in school. He doesn't enjoy it as much as Josh but does well and has more friends around than I can count.

Isabelle LOVES kindergarten. I mean LOVES it. She can't wait to get up in the morning and is full of all stories when coming home. It is so much fun to listen to her explain her day. She is in two dance classes and does gymnastics and dances all the time. I mean all the time.

Mark and I are busy with work. The flood recovery continues in my world which means meetings and meetings and meetings while trying to figure out the federal government. Crazy world. Met Nancy Pelosi last week. Senator Mccain was in today with Sarah Palin. Daily circus.

We have a family blog now. www.HouseOfNorse.blogspot.com. Tad, I don't know how to add it to the links on the side by Jayne's. Jayne, you are my inspiration on this!

Hope everyone is well! Write often,,,I check every day. Love to read the updates.

TRAVELING

This afternoon as we were driving on I-15 heading south I wrote a note.
Unfortunately we passed by a dead spot and I lost the connection. Now we are parked at a Indian Cassino south of Idaho Falls Idaho so I will try it again.
We have so much "stuff" for the next three weeks and then many items for our winter stay.
I was thinking we have everything in the motor home but the kitchen sink; and actually we do have the kitchen sink with us.
Anyway we should get to Az on Friday.
Talk to you soon.
Joan

Sound busy

Golly Joan....you guys are REALLY busy. Glad you clarified which one was Dennis and which one the moose....Sorry Dennis!!!! You look like you are feeling much better....Will have to look for the book..sounds fun.
Anyone else as busy as the Lorenz's? Thats probably why no one has written on this wonderful blog.....
Later....Jan the third.....

Coeur d' Alene's newest resident

Mudge and Minnie by the library.

Last Saturday Mudge the Moose and Millie the Mouse arrived in CDA. Mudge and Millie are playing Hide and Seek and they hit the high spots in the downtown area of CDA. Starting at Tubbs Hill then on to the new Library. From here they go down Sherman Ave (CDA'S main street) to the Floating Boadwalk and to the City Park for a nap. They end up at Independence Point where the mouse falls out of Mudges antlers. The whole trip Mudge carried Millie on the tour. If you look closely you can see the white mouse in the antlers. The person standing next to Mudge and Millie is, of course, Dennis. Iwanted you to see how tall the modles are. The moose sure looks cuter than a real moose that we had walk thu the neighborhood this summer.

I don't know if your local libraries have the new book; but it was written by Susan Nipp, a local author. I think it is great idea and a way for people to take a walk with their children. I guess it is about a 2 mile walk.

We are leaving Idaho this Wednesday for Tucson where Dennis preaches for someting in Tucson. From there we go to Mesa where we will park the motor home and go to Steven and Amanda's wedding renewal. The next weekend we will be going to NYC with Tim and Deb for sightseeing for two days and then board a cruise for the New England Area. We will be gone from Idaho about a month; but we have our computer and cell phones with us.

Had my yearly check up with my cardologist today and everything is fine.

Happy Birthday to all the September Birthdays.

Birthdays....

O.K. I know I don't know all birthdays in September however, these are the ones I know OR can remember at the moment....Happy Birthday to Joan, Bob, Rosie, Patrick O'Neil, (Jayne's husband), Mark Mentzer,(Sara's husband)...anymore?
Help !!!!
Jan the third

Yo from No. Carolina

We're on vacation at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.

Leah and I learned to ride Segways and we toured the estate grounds on our funky new ride. The photo is a lagoon that was added to the property solely for the purpose of casting a reflection of the house on the water. You can see the Vanderbilt mansion behind us up on the hill. It's a beautiful place and we're experiencing great weather. We even got to experience paying $20 per person for breakfast yesterday. What a thrill! I didn't realize it tasted so good until we got the bill. But that's average in terms of prices at the Biltmore.

Anyhow, relaxing and plenty of time to blog about it. Stop and see the Biltmore if you're ever in the area.

Tad & Leah

Box Car Days #2

I'm having another lesson on posting pictures over the phone from Angie. This lesson is on how to post more than one picture. I just put this one in to show you what the kids slept in this year. This pop up is Mindy and Mikes. As I was taking the picture I asked CJ what the girls name was that was making eyes at him on the midway. Lauren is always the first one up but not in the camper. She was the last one up.

As you can see the grand kids are doing what they do best at the parade. CJ never let anyone hold his bag of candy. Even though he is not a fan of chocolate. Lauren has to be in the street ahead of the others as she is not as quick and gets Rosie to hold her bag. She also must sample every other piece of candy. Sam is very quick and uses both hands to pick up the candy as does E.

In most towns the parade will end with the horses bringing up the end. In Tracy it is the machine the puts the by products from the hog barns into the ground. They were not throwing any candy.

My next posting will be of pictures from the 18Th annual omelet party on the day before labor day. We only used 20 dz eggs

Box Car Days

Herewe are loaded and ready to go to the 81th annual Box Car Day parade in Tracy. No Cody is not old enough to drive but he takes a nice picture. CJ in the passenger seat is not happy as Cody got to ware grand pa's driving hat. E in the back seat want to get to the parade. Sisters Sam and Lauren just wanted to have pink hats and get to the parade. They have this thing to see who can collect the most candy. I get to sample a few pieces to be sure that it is safe to eat.

Girls Weekend

Cistus nursery on Sauvie Island

Greetings all! A photo from my weekend in Portland. I went down for a wedding and enjoyed a girly weekend with Janna. No kids! We had a such a great time. Leap over to our family blog if you want to see more.

Happy Monday, err..Tuesday all!

Thank you Angie

Thanks for helping your Dad, Angie. We love hearing from you and all of your family. Congrads Spud.....have you been running long?
Bob, the turkey idea sounds great! Are you going to do Mom's sweet pickles...

Happy Labor Day everyone. Al survived his 55th class reunion. Stayed with his nephew, Jack and his wife Denie. They are so much fun. Jack is on the home farm, Al's sister was married to Don whose great grandfather homesteaded this farm.
Have I got you totally confused?
There is always room for someone else to write on this blog..
Hugs to all,
Jan the 3rd

Tracy Labor Day

His is Angie's Spud crossing the finish line at the Tracy Box Car Days Road Race 10K at 56 minutes 49 seconds.

Lot of fun and family. I will post more pictures later after the family leaves.

Must go and bone the turkey for after the parade. We were going to do it on the grill stuffed with sauerkraut and basted with beer. It is not what you think. It is the best gravy that you have ever had.

Angie gave me the instructions on how to post pictures. Now I just need to remember how to do it

Bob