You're Invited!

Come one, come all to the 2008 Patio of Fire! This Saturday, July 5th at the Paysonna Amphitheatre (AKA the Ringer's Backyard) at 8:00pm. This years show features everybody's favorite garage band, Meels on Wheels, and includes a fly over, t-shirt launcher, raffle drawing with prize give-aways, and a totally legal fireworks show. Contact Brian or me if you need directions. See you there!

Craigs @ Opee and Opa's 50th Anniversary

I still do not have this figured out and my hassel quotient has about had it, but here is the picture of the whole family at Opee and Opa's 50th Wedding anniversary. They were married in October of 1935, so this must have been in 1985. We went to Shreveport and went to the anniversary celebration that was held in the Sheraton ball room - they really put on the dogs. There were lots of flowers created by my cousin Tom Craig, lots of food, and most importantly for Opee and Opa, lots and lots of their friends and relatives, some who came a long ways to be with them. I told you last Sunday this was a big deal for Opee since their wedding had been kept secret when they married in 1935 to preserve Opee's job since it was in the middle of the Depression and Opee was the only wage earner with a job in her family. Opee's father, had a stroke two months after they married and he died without learning of his only daughter's marriage. Opee told me she stayed at his bed side while he lingered in the hospital so she could share the secret with him, but he died without ever regaining consciousness. But something more cheerful - Happy Birthday Austin and Angela. You are about two and a half here. Austin, do you see how stern and intimidating you were? You used to use your scowling powers to get your way in the nursery at Church. Angela, we used to pull your hair up to make you look taller so we could get you into the rides at Disneyland. Here, you seem to be bored by it all (and probably were since you guys hardly knew anyone there). I looked at the picture and said to Mom I was the only one who hadn't changed, but really all of us look remarkably like we did 22 and a half years ago. We have just aged a little, and in my case, I've added a few more pounds. Austin and Angela, we are glad you decided to come and join this Celestial family - it would not be nearly as celestial nor as interesting and fun without you. We love you and wish you every happiness on this your birthday! Have a great one - love Mom and Dad

Happy Birthday Austin and Angela!

Were you aware that for about the first three years of your lives we referred to you as the babies? I don't know why I remember that, but it's ingrained in my mind that you were our two babies long after you were actual babies, and now our babies are turning 25! What does that mean? That the rest of us are getting really old! Where would we be without our dear Austin and Angela, our family wouldn't be complete, that's for sure. Hope you're having a great day in your corner of the universe and can't wait to see you at the reunion! These cakes will have to tide you over until I can make yummier ones in person. Love and best Birthday wishes to you both!

A robot cake for Austin who is, after all, a whole fifteen minutes older than Angela!

And some jewel cakes for our very own J.Ewell Angela! Happy Birthday Ang!

The sun is shinning!

Well it's mid-June and I think summer is finally here. I'm not sure what happened to Spring, but maybe we'll see her next year....here's hoping! We had a nice visit in Bend Oregon a couple weeks ago with some friends of ours, although we never did get a group photo. Walker + Truman had fun playing with two little girls their age, Lily + Stella. I don't think I saw anyone fight the whole weekend. I think the kids really enjoyed one another's company. And Ben of course had the time of his life playing around outside. We went for a nice walk along the Deschutes River and even explored a "Lava Tube" It's this natural deep dark tunnel that goes for about a mile. It was really quite interesting

We've been working and expanding our garden. It looks like we may have another mole to catch. I told Walker the story of when I caught one a couple years ago and since then I've found him outside shoving the hose in any hole he can find. He's pretty determined but no mole yet.

Yesterday we came home from Church to find almost all of our corn plucked out and laying on the ground just withering in the sun. Who would have done this I asked? Not the crows, not the moles, not the neighborhood kids....but a BUNNY? Who know something so cute and fluffy could be so malicious! And to think they did it on the Sabbath, inexcusable! I guess they don't like corn but that doesn't mean they need to ruin it for the rest of us. Looks like I'll be needing a "live" trap.


After a good fishing test run in the local stockpiled lake (W caught 16 trout!), Walker got to go bobber fishing with Todd for Salmon. Todd is known for his salmon fishing skills. When other people are coming up empty handed Todd's still pulling them in. Well, not this year. The Salmon numbers have been significantly low this year and I think he was finally so bored he decided to talk Walker along. And wouldn't you know it they caught one! Todd said he didn't see anyone else catch any the whole day. Walker couldn't believe how big this one was. And the spring salmon are some of the best you'll ever eat. They have extra fat and that means extra omega 3 fatty acids. (SIDE NOTE: How is something that contains the words mega, fatty + acid so good for you....hmmmm....a real mystery) Anyways, some of the best salmon I've ever had!
And, last but not least, a little purse I made recently. I have way too much beautiful fabric to let it just sit in my closet. Does anyone want to buy a cute hand bag? You can even buy a matching baby sling to go with it!

We haven't figured this out yet

It should be obvious to all of you that Mom and I haven't figured this out yet, but, we did get some pictures scanned into the computer successfully and posted them on the blog. Now, the explanation. The first picture is Becky eating crawfish in Louisiana. I am not remembering when she went, I think the summer between her Jr. and Sr. year in HS. Opee was doing strange things and we decided that Becky might be able to help her. I think Becky stayed a month or six weeks and Opee had a grand time. Becky learned some of the ways of the south and got to know her grandmother better. The next picture is of our family together with Grandma and Grandpa Redd taken in Raymond in front of the school where Grandma taught music. The next one down is my parents at their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Opee and Opa had to get married secretely in 1935 so that Opee did not loose her job as a school teacher - it was the middle of the depression and if a female single school teacher got married she was dismissed. Boy, they would have trouble with that policy these days! Anyway, since they did not get to have a wedding celebration when they got married, Opee always felt cheated out of the big wedding she would like to have had as a young person so when they had their 50th anniversary, Opee had her big wedding celebration. She really "put on the dogs" as they say in the south (Opa gripped a little because it cost so much but he really enjoyed it. We went and they had lots and lots of their friends and relatives come - it was a big deal in a hotel ball room. The next one is a formal portrait of your Redd grandparents proably pretty much like most of you remember them - I'm guessing that it was taken in the mid to late 80's. The next one is a picture that was taken of my parents in Kuwait. This is in the living room of our home there (it was a very nice home that Opee had decorated) and the occassion is Opa's retirement from the Kuwait Oil Company after 16 years in Kuwait. It would have been made in about 1966. The next one is your Mom - isn't she beautiful - still is, but we were both commenting earlier today that it is nice to look forward to the ressurrection when will both be at our prime. The next black and white is Cadet Captain Craig of the Missouri Military Academy. This was my Senior Year Picture. I was there all four years of High School and was the commander of the Band Company my senior year. I had a saber and a very smart looking uniform - not quite my prime, but almost. The next one that is not a very good picture but is one that was taken in West Texas at my Aunt Muriel's. Your Mom and I were in route to Houston where Opee and Opa lived at the time for Christmas vaccation. I was a Sr. in Law School at the U and your mom was doing graduate work at BYU (actually, just taking fun classes that she enjoyed, while she continued to pursue me after I was released from the Army - I was more than a little slow so it is really a good thing that she continued the pursuit). I had asked your Mom to marry me about ten days earlier and she had said yes. We got officially engaged while in Houston - that is where I gave her a ring. Can you imagine me a lonely old bachelor if she had not nabbed me, and none of you would have been Craigs - wow! Think how different life might have been for the six of you if you had been assigned to another family - aren't we all really glad she was persistent! Becky, we hope that this does it for your Primary show and tell, but if you need something more or need these sent in some other fashion, let us know. As most all of you know, I have a new calling at the MTC - it is full time and then some. I spent about 50 hours there this last week, but I really enjoyed being helpful to Elders and Sisters resolving their problems. Maybe I can learn to be a little more brief in my interviews - but knowing me, that is not likely. Love, Dad

still continuing

Family Pictures

Continuing

I think we're all fans of PBS...

That's what happens when you grow up without cable I guess. I watched two documentaries on PBS tonight. One called "The Moon" which was mildly hilarious, though I'm not totally sure it was trying to be, and one called "Sidewalk Astronomer" about THE John Dobson (who reminds me a lot of Professor Wornstrom from Futurama, coincidence?). I recommend both. Please check your local listings for more show times.

Happy Birthday Dallas!

Happy Birthday Dallas! I hear you're a soccer star, so I thought you might like this soccer birthday cake. I hope you have a great day!

For Sale By Owner

So you want to buy my house? It's for sale. It's upgraded, and it's been happily lived in for the last almost four years by us. Anyway I know you are all happy where you are, but if you change your mind we're offering it at a great price. Thanks to mom and dad, aka the "energizer bunnies," they keep going, and going... most of the work got done last week. I still have a few projects to finish up, and a brochure to make, but we're well on our way to getting it sold. Thought I'd put up a few pictures of the new kitchen since everyone has been asking about it. What do you think?