Girls vs. Sand Dune...

Here's the video I tried to post earlier. Notice the smiles they had on their faces the whole way down, even after "the shove!" Jaelyn had to have eaten some sand....

Vacation Pt. Deux....

For the second half of our Oregon getaway, we headed to the Oregon Coast. On the way we stopped by our old stomping grounds, OSU, to show the kids the campus. It had been nearly 20 years since I had been there, so some of the campus had changed much, yet some stood still in time.


We met up with Mike's twin brother Pat and his family in Waldport, Oregon. We rented a beach house that was the perfect setting for us. The front door view was of the Alsea Bay Bridge and blue sky, while the back view was all beach, overcast skies, and the beautiful Pacific Ocean! In between was sand, and I mean lots of sand! We had snow shovels so that the sand could be moved off of the driveway, and there was literally a sand dune right next to the house. As the kids ran, jumped, and boarded their way down it, I was sure one of them was going to come straight through the window! I have tried several times to post video I have of this, but for some reason it is not working. I will try and post it later as its own entry.

Our days were spent kite flying, rock hunting, exploring tide pools, playing in the sand, wild adventures that made moms nervous, and just plain chillin'. Oh yeah, maybe some swimming in skivvies and a little shopping too! Nights were spent around the campfire, and staying up late watching movies (the teenage boys, that is).

The Oregon Aquarium was entertaining for all ages. The sea otters and the shark tunnel were favorites.

We finished off the week by visiting old friends (I say that lightly) from our Navy days, the Whitehursts. Another family from our Navy days also happened to be in the area at the time, so we had a wonderful evening together eating great BBQ, reminiscing of days gone by, and catching up with family life. Was a great way to wrap up the week!

If you noticed that Kellen is missing from the coast pictures you are very observant! Following the tour of OSU he headed out on his first road trip to Sacramento to see one of his good friends. I am happy to say he has made it home safely, and although he was missed by us, he had a good trip of his own. Of course, he forgot to take any pictures!

The Wedding...

Remember the engagement I wrote about a few months back? Well the big day was finally here, and it was memorable! Tiff and Nate got married under a tent on his Grandma's property, surrounded by farmland. Thank goodness for the breeze, as it was in the 90's that day! The bride was gorgeous, and a good time was had by all. Other highlights were: Grandpa Inks, at 91, dancing with Jaelyn, Kaia getting into quite the tug-of-war over the bouquet (and not crying when she lost), the girls spending the evening taking turns playing photographer (took quite a few of the photos below), and the entire Crebbin Crew cutting it up on the dance floor!

Can You Help Diana....

Diana is a 16 year old orphan who shares the diagnosis of Type I Diabetes with me, so I have an extra soft spot for her. Diana lives in an orphanage in Kazakhstan where they don't have the finances/know-how to help her get things under control. She is now too old to be adopted, but has an opportunity to return to the United States (she got some care in Texas awhile back, but the doctor then said she needed more help) to get care. The medical expenses and a host family have been arranged through the Antares Foundation, but help is needed with her travel expenses, which will be around $5,000. You can go to The Crab Chronicles to see a picture of this beautiful girl, as well as find out how to contribute and possibly win a Russian Nesting Doll for your efforts. Thanks for considering how you can help this young lady live a healthy, full life!

Chaoyang Video...

Here is the video we just made of this year's time at Chaoyang. I actually can take some claim to making it this year (or blame), as Mike showed me how to do some of it myself. The song Follow You is by Leeland, and Brandon Heath, whose song we used on the 2008 video, sings on the track too. Enjoy!

Grandma Great, a GREAT Grandma...

One of my recent posts was titled Still Processing, and one of the things that has been on my mind is my Grandma's death while I was in China. Where I have been very emotional in leaving and remembering the kids in China, and Yung Yung's mom, I have not cried about my grandma at all. It' not that it hasn't affected me, but my recent tears have been sad ones, knowing the kids are still without families. My grandma lived a completely different experience....she was raised in a wonderful family herself, married to my grandpa for over 50 years (can't remember exactly how many before he passed in 1995), and was a wonderful mother, loving grandma and great-grandma. I can only remember happy thoughts when I think of her, and knowing she is living life fully now with her heavenly father, I shed no tears. That may change when I attend her memorial tomorrow, but for now I smile.

One of my favorite memories of Grandma is taking her to the Mariner game for her 90th birthday! She was the biggest M's fan I knew, watching or listening to every game. She and I would regularly discuss individual players and stats regularly, and she knew more than I did! She had never been to a major league baseball game before, so my niece Tiffany escorted her up on the train, where we all (my parents, brother Jeff and his family, and all mine) met up, and she had a wheel chair escort to her seat. A birthday greeting was on the reader board, and she received a Mariner hat and ball. She was like a little kid in a candy shop! To top it off, the game went into extra innings, and unlike the games of late, they won!

Grandma's father was one of eleven children, and the descendants gather annually for a family reunion in Coulee City, WA. Grandma was raised there on a wheat ranch (but she was born in Mold, a town that is no longer in existence), and I enjoyed the tales of her childhood when at the reunion. Grandma was the eldest living cousin, and below is a picture of the cousins at the last reunion she attended, in May of 2005.

The photo below was taken this past Christmas, and I love it! It was taken with all the great-grandkids, whom are all wearing hats that Grandma knitted. Notice the Mariner blanket on her lap....we gave that to her a few years ago for her birthday, and she always commented how much she liked it. It was one of the few things that stayed with her to the end in the nursing home.


Grandma, we will miss you, but thanks for a wonderful example of living a loving and Godly life!

Jaelyn's Tooth...

I might've missed Jaelyn's first tooth, but I promised her I would get a picture of it when I got home. Well it just so happens that today Jaelyn pulled her second tooth out, so I got a shot of Jaelyn's smile with an extra big gap on the bottom! Dad pulled the first one, so she was so proud of herself pulling this one. She didn't tell us what she was doing in the bathroom; such a brave little girl!