2017

Another year come and gone. I can't remember if I did a Christmas letter in 2016 or not?
The 1st part of 2017 was spent at many Drs and hospital visits with Nana (Willa). It was so hard watching her struggle and suffer with many age related illnesses. She finally went to heaven in April to be with her husband Virgil, her parents, and brother. I still think about things I want to ask her every day. Her older sister Lois (101?) is still with us and I can email her and she might have the answers. She has great stories to tell. We lost our Great Uncle Glen this year, too. There is a Paden reunion up there without us. I can hear them all laughing......
We had a really snowy winter at the beginning of the year- hope it doesn't repeat itself again. While we were snowed in, we started packing/downsizing our home of 13 years on Sitka Ct. The goal was to be done by May 1st to get it on the market before school was out. We put it on Zillow and had it sold by June 20th. Pretty easy transaction. Plan # 2 was to move into an apartment while looking for a fixer-upper or build a new home. We have been in the apartment for 6 months and SO tired of it. PTL, we found a new house in Richland that was almost done and all it needed was our finishing touches. I was able to choose our flooring, tiles, countertops, carpet, lights, appliances, etc.
We will move into it before January 24, 2018.
We took Dirk to Cabo San Lucas in August to celebrate his college graduation. Then a few weeks later, I flew to Houston to be with my little brother Gregg as his wife Karen passed away. We had a Celebration of Life with all of their friends and my brother Glenn came from California, too.
We took a little weekend trip to the  Oregon coast in November with the Pinards. Went to Walla Walla Dec 1st weekend with the Sowers, & Morens.
The boys are doing great! Alex is still working on his home in North Richland. He has a new job that he LOVES as an apprentice jouneyman at Breshear Electric. They are constantly busy- even turning away business. Lots of new homes in the Tri-Cities! He's still doing his glass business on Facebook. Go to Garvie's Glass to order.
Dirk took the semester off from college to save for the next semester. He's still working at Dutch Brothers Coffee and House/Dog sitting in his spare time.
Paine is counting the days at Hanford until he retires this coming March 23. You will find him on the golf course perfecting his swing. He is still greeting at the front doors of C3 Church.
My parents have done a little remodeling on their home and are eagerly waiting for Gregg, Kyle and Nathan to get here in a few days. Sad that Megan couldn't come.
I'm entering my 10th year at Tapteil Winery as the Tasting Room Manager. Still LOVE my job and my bosses! We are all going on another river cruise next year in November- this time in the Bordeaux region of France.
I am still volunteering at the Juvenille Justice Center (year 8) every Sunday afternoon teaching jewelry classes and sometimes even art classes. This January I will be starting a C3 Crafters group, as well.
I think that's all the news! I hope to send everyone a Valentines card with a change of address in it in February. Email me if I don't have your current address. Ksyrah13@gmail.com
Love to you,
Gayle, Paine, Alex & Dirk

2015

March: Gayle & Dad go to CA to wedding and race track.

Gregory & Emily's wedding

Jack and Eric, bff's




June: Dirk graduates from Richland High School

Paine gets to be a Marshall at the US Open at Chambers Bay, WA

July: Camping and Crabbing in Sequim, WA




August: Alex & Amethyst

September: Dirk moves to Spokane apartment for college (and Mom goes to visit in November)

October: Annual Lake Chelan Weekend with friends

November: Trip of a lifetime to Barcelona, Spain. Then to France for 8 day cruise from Arles to Lyon. And last, to Paris. Happy Birthday and 25th Anniversary to us!
Barcelona:

Rhone River Cruise on AMA WATERWAYS

Larry & Jane Pearson, Tapteil Vineyards Cruise

Tapteil Wine Club

Paris

 

December: Christmas Party at the Carousel Of Dreams with Jack, Jimee, CAROL and Willa.

It's been quite the ride! See ya next year ya'all!

Happy New Year! 2014 Re-cap

Boy, the year flew by in a blink of an eye. 

Dirk bought his first car in the 1st part of the year. Another white Subaru in the family. Alex helped him find it on Craig's List, and it's been a great car. He takes it to the mountains to ski and has gone to Portland and Seattle for concerts. He and Alex work on it together- maintenence and making it cool.

February, we went to Walla Walla with 3 couples and stayed at the Green Gables Inn. Lots of good food, wine tasting and hanging at the inn listening to our guys play their guitars.

Kim & Rick Moren, Karen & Brett Sowers, and Melissa and Don Jander. Great friends!

March, Gayle went back to Kentucky to play with all her BFF's.. From left:

 Sue, Rosemary, Gayle, Dottie, and Sandy. We just pick up where we left of like it was yesterday.

Paine & Jeff at Bandon Dunes, Oregon

                                   
                                       Gayle, Stephanie, and Cara at Tapteil Winery.

A little glam for date night.....

After work boat cruise on the Columbia river with Larry & Jane from Tapteil and Rick & Kim Moren. Relaxing little dinner cruise......

                           
                                           
 Alex gets his first dog Maeby from the animal shelter. Isn't she cute? Second photo is after she's grown.........

 

Another boating evening with the Moren's. I think we went downriver to Clover Island to eat at Cedars restaurant.

Dirk went to Malibu Camp in Vancouver, BC with his Young Life group. He sure loves it there. They had to drive 6 or 8 hours, get on a ferry and then another boat to get there.

One of the many pool parties in the back yard with Brett and Karen Sowers.

Jack and his Edesel at Cool Desert Nights

Pontoon boating with new friends Karen and Russell Davis from Knoxville, TN

Gayle and Melissa went to Sequim to Plein Aire paint in the Lavender fields. Beautiful week over there.

Paden Family Reunion in Crooked River Ranch, Oregon in August.

Paine and Gayle go on a weeklong adventure in August. No reservations, just drive over to the west side of the state. 1st stop is lunch at the Suncadia Resort in CleElum. We played a little golf after, too.

We called our friends, Bob and Linda Johnson in Seedro Wooley to see what they were doing. They invited us to stay with them and do a little sightseeing/ hiking up in Bellingham.

 Later on, we went to Marysville to see Josh and Crystal Croshaw get married. Stayed at their hotel and joined them for breakfast in the morning with the whole family.

Met Bob & Linda at their church on Sunday and then hopped on the ferry to Anacortes. We went to Coupeville to an art fair, stopped in an old barn estate sale and then over to Port Townsend.

The next day, we drove up to the Olympic National Park to Hurricane Ridge. Did a little hike then back down to Sequim. There were many fires in Washington, so the views were not as clear as usual.

Went to Crescent Lake- very warm day.

Drove over to Forks, found a hotel, drove to LaPush for dinner. The next day, we drove down the coast along the Olympic National Forest. It finally cooled off here and even heard thunder and saw some lightning.

Drove to Lake Quinalt and through a fern grotto. Continued down the coast till we got to Westport. This is our home for the next 2 days. Had some yummy seafood, read books, and just relaxed.

Finally, it was time to head back so we stopped on the way home at Mount Ranier. A wonderful trip with my sweetie.

More pontoon party's on the Snake River with the Davis', Morens, Sowers. Had a little jetski action, too.

Here is Larry bringing in the tractor at Tapteil Vineyards. He is the happiest vineyard owner I know.

                   
                                       Mom & Dad's 59th Anniversary- I hope I got that right!

The 1st weekend in October we like to go to Lake Chelan. It has an event called Mohagany and Merlot. A vintage car and boat show along with vintage jet boat races and wine tasting at the local wineries. Here are the Morens and the Davis' at Fielding Hills Winery.

We met up with our old neighbors, Manuel and Michelle Navarro and daughter Gabi. The Reitz's were there as well as Bruce and June Gillespie. Here is an impromptu picnic on the lawn at Cardeas winery.

We went to church with them on Sunday morning and then headed back to the Tri-Cities. On the way, we stopped in North Wenatchee for bags of newly picked apples and then in East Wenatchee at the Highlander Golf Course. OMGoodness- the BEST food ever! And the view wasn't too shabby, either.

We finally got tired of having empty rooms in the front of the house. The realtors said we should stage it when we get ready to sell, so we went ahead and switched out the lights and bought new furniture (and these will go in the new house). It won't be for a few years, but we will be ready. Still painting rooms upstairs a little at a time. Quite a change from the Garvie Museum.

Here is Alex- he took out his engine to work on another part of his car. I'm glad he's learning how to do this!

Working his magic.......

Mom & Nana and I like to make jewelry once or twice a week at their house. We get to hear great stories from Grandma Willa. She plays solitaire sometimes, too. Aren't they cute?

Here is a vineyard view with 3 colors in the late Fall. Looks like the Mexican Flag.

Alex and his friend Ryan had a booth at the Badger Mountain Bazaar.

                       Christmas morning, the family came over for breakfast and we opened gifts. Notice Willa's new gloves from Alaska.

                                             
                                           Christmas Selfie! Merry Christmas everyone!!!

                                     Dirk is now 5'11 & 1/4" tall and still growing. Passed up his 22 year old brother!   We hope you all had a great year! See you in 2015!
Paine, Gayle, Alex, & Dirk.