It has been a long week that went by very fast. Last Monday and Tuesday I rode down to Utah to attend Aunt Louisa's funeral with Doug, Margie and Vernina. We really enjoyed the trip down and back for the time we had to visit. Even though we live fairly close we don't get together as often as we should. We stayed with Dan and Connie Porter. They are as wonderful as ever and we enjoyed the time spent with them. The viewing and funeral was really special with the opportunity to see so many of the Porter family and to celebrate Aunt Louisa's life. The Porters are always great to visit with and always make you feel at home. I miss the reunions we used to have every couple of years we used to have with them. Hopefully it won't take another funeral to get together again.

This last weekend was David's graduation from High School. Grandpa and Grandpa Evans came up from Utah and Laura and Bobby came home from college. Saturday Carla and Merle and their children that are home came over along with the other quests and we grilled up some burgers and visited. Saturday evening Laura and Dawna worked on the salads and cookies for the after graduation party. I had smoked about 25lbs of pork butt earlier in the week. Sunday we went to church and then went ran down to the school for graduation. I didn't think that a graduation could be any shorter than Laura's but David's was shorter by 5 minutes only lasting for 35 minutes. After graduation David and I went to Iversons and then out to Morinaka's before going out to Mitchells and helping to set up for the party for Kevin Beck, Dillion Mitchell, and David. We started a 4 and didn't get done till about 7:30. We had a lot of fun and would like to thank all for coming. The only regret we have is that we couldn't go to all the parties. This group of boys I had when they were 12 and 13 year old scouts and I've always considered them my boys. I've found out that just about everyone that teaches or works with them feels the same way. David will work at M&W till late fall and then hopes to serve a church mission. We are glad he will be here for a few more months.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day to all Mothers both present and future. It seems like most blogs are about our children or grandchildren but, it wouldn't happen if not for their Mothers. I just like to thank my mother for all she has done for me throughout the years, Also thank my wife for the great mother she is to our children. Our kids are who they are because of the time and teachings that Dawna spent with them. I love our grandchildren and am thankful for my daughters and daughter in law who are so great in doing what they do.

Week in review, this has been a busy week, it seems as if May just got started and if is almost half over. The first of the week it still was very wet from all the rain we got last weekend. I did a little work in the garden and cleaned up the motorcycle. Thursday morning Dawna and I left at 7:30 am to drive to Newburg Or. to attend Nyssa's High School Choir performance at the state competition. It is just over a 6 hour drive to get there. We got there in time to see several choirs perform along with Nyssa. Nyssa had a great performance. They placed 5th. David said in the sight reading that they messed up. Nyssa was the Highest placed public school. All the rest of the schools that placed were private schools. On the way home we missed one of the interchanges in Portland and ended up circling on the the interstate in rush hour (?) traffic for about and hour and half. We were sure glad to get past Troutdale and out of the heavy traffic. We made it home about midnight. Was it worth 13 hours of driving for a 15 min performance? We thought it was. I would have some pictures but I forgot my camera.

Aunt Louisa, who was Dad's older Sister passed away on Friday. She was a really great person. I always thought it was a special treat when I got to visit Her and Uncle Ray. She had a great sense of humor and I will always remember Her laughter. I will ride down to Utah with Margie and Doug to go to the funeral this coming week. This next week will be busy with the trip and trying to get everything done for David's graduation. Our front sidewalk is no longer the moat but I don't think that I will get it poured by next weekend before we have company. It may be a temporary boardwalk for the next week or two. Such is life.

I decided to take some picture around the house to show some of the projects we are doing. David chipped out all the old sidewalk that had come apart. We got all the old concrete out and then it rained so now we have a moat. Hopefully it will dry out soon so we can form it. Next to the suburban is what little garden we have planted. Hot caps were a little expensive so I only bought 6. I have tomatoes under 4 of them and peppers under the other 2. The radishes and the peas are up and I have some cucumbers planted and some transplanted. The is a row of wave petunias by the lawn. In the one picture you can see the place out just due west of the house. hopefully we will have fence up here in a few months. We are enjoying the spring and seeing the flowers coming out and all the grass greening up. David has mowed the lawn twice and as soon as it dries out enough it needs mowed again.