Lulu captures pictures of Heaven

Taken from our front porch by Lulu one magical evening...

In loving memory of My Aunt Becky Perkins who is dancing on the clouds & on the beach I am sure... and HC Newman who was freed from the demons he fought on earth & is probably talking non-stop above us...won't it be AMAZING when the clouds un-fold for those of us here on earth? I can only imagine....

Brutus. Puppy Extraordinaire!

So, Lulu got a "surprise" puppy. She'd just finished reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" and thus almost named him Scout...

But since he was the LARGEST yellow lab in the litter....she decided Scout seemed like such an "average size dog" name...so he was crowned Brutus

EEEWWWW! Did you see what he DID?!?!?

The crate is mine....

& I am sure all the toys are MINE, MINE, MINE!!!

Puppies are good therapy, believe it! Stevi said, why doesn't anyone want to take my picture with the new puppy...so, I did.

Misc. Wallowa Lake pics

Opa & Anthony check out dinner er a deer....

Lulu getting ready for her turn @ minature golf...

Stevi @ camp....she sure was a trooper. We're reminded daily how very blessed we all are!

The Group of us @ Mad Mary's in Joseph, OR. Front left clockwise around table:

Stevani, Eric, Mike Roush, Josie Roush, DenaRae Carlock, Thomas, Connor, Andrew, Kaleb, DesiRae "Lulu", Claudia Perkins, Bill, Megan, Anthony "L'il Bit"

Oregon Zoo June 2008

Ok the picture is blurry, but priceless...

Isn't she pretty?

Um, we're so DONE with pictures already!

Wallowa Lake Joseph, OR...this is our "Traditional" picture taking place...they looked like they've been hogtied...PRICELESS!

Opa and his boy

Harely do-rag on OPA just outta site...

Anthony even running the truck overhaul...Opa doesn't look like he minds though, does he?

4th of July Hood River, OR

Meemaw and her boy (note the Harley do-rag!)

My how time flies....

So, where'd three (3) months go? I'm a year older...Lulu is in her last year before High School, we have a puppy, let's see...all kinds of fun stuff...I'll try to get some pics up...oh hey, seen "W."? I bawled like a baby...haven't cried like that since, ok...LOTR II. Yeah, that was bad...this was almost as bad...anyway, happy FALL Y'ALL...

Advent Conspiracy...

Seriously, click the button on top and watch the video...I challenge you to a save-off this year!

A couple of camping pics....

First Hair cut

They gave him a sucker to keep him quiet

Stevi update 28 July (one month in....)

So...the nice doctor today (as opposed to the super yucky/no glove wearin'/no hand washin' /no paperwork for DMV doctor last week) says:

* Fractures are all still present, but healing in a predicted fashion
* No stairs for at least 6 weeks (keep in mind her apartment is on the 2nd floor, so she'll be bunking with us!)
* Full year is a reasonable guess to full recovery
* Weakness in hands should be addressed by pt. He actually gave pt orders today! Yea God for going before us! We've been so frustrated with the level of "big city" care...
* Involuntary jerking/flailing is probably due to meds

Most importantly he treated her like a valuable HUMAN being...

Miss Lulu ready for the Parade...

Lu rode her bike in the parade with friends from Convenant Christian....I think she's decided WATCHING is more fun than riding ;o) She's so pretty, isn't she? Boy her allergies have been bad this year...

Wearin' my do rag, Praisin' the Lord

Anthony....4th of July wearin' his "Harley Kid" 'do rag, eatin' blueberries & tellin' us about seein' "Miss Blodwyn" the nursery attendant at church where he "praised the Lord". He's yummy. I will have much DIRTIER (literally) pictures of camp which we all survived. Fresh air and sunshine do us all a world of good, don't they? Thank you all for your prayers.

Where to begin....

Saturday 28 June 1:45 p.m. I receive that phone call you hope you don't receive...they THINK they have my daughter in ICU @ Emanuel Hospital in Portland, OR She arrived there about 2 AM and was either:
1. Beaten and left for dead
2. Thrown or jumped out of a car at freeway speed
3. A victim of hit & run again at freeway speed.

She was found somewhere where I-84 & I-5 meet. Naked. On the side of the road. Dumped. Left for Dead. BUT...my God has a bigger purpose for her...she is marked for that purpose I truly believe. Today Eric called from the hospital (I am at work) to say she may be released. In the past 10 days we have survived:
50 staples in her head
2 plates & 5 screws in her jaw
unbelievable road rash
spine broken in 2 places
pelvis broken in 7 places
lacerated liver
weird internal bleeding

She will be OK She will learn to eat/chew with her new choppers. She will learn to walk with her new gait...She will LIVE.

For now I leave you with this: if you or someone you love is a victim of domestic violence, there is help and hope. Tell Someone. BE the someone who will listen. It really could be your child...
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I LOVE a parade

Ok, at our parades they THROW candy...yes it's dangerous kids run into the street blah, blah, blah...L'il Bit can spot a lollipop at 100 paces...now if I could just get him to chase down a Snickers for me...

When Stevi was little she always wanted to be the "Princess of the Rodeo" when she grew up... I found it fascinating that this gal's cowgirl shirt was kind of like Pucci meets cowgirl....

My Sister's dog Rudy also apparently enjoys a parade....

Me, L'il BIt & Lulu waiting for the parade to begin...

Take me out to the ballgame....

Oh we do so love a good baseball game! Anthony loves to cheer for Tommy and Andy...from bottom to top he is on Great Grammy Claudia's lap and then with Opa

MMMhmmm

My Youngest and most expensive child, Harley Perkins-Roush...can you say MID LIFE CRISIS? ;o)

Oh Sista Where Art Thou?

Yeah Yeah I'm here ;o) We are swamped in Lions' Follies rehearsals...and our camera broke...k I'll be back soon...I promise...the baby (15 mos old now) whistles. It's the funniest thing. I've been told I whistle a lot...maybe he gets it from me? It's the suck in kind of whistle, but he definitely does it while he is "working"

Little Man

I just love this picture. I'm allowed.

16" of snow and counting....

Pictures from my front porch looking West and East

Who are you? Harry Potter?

We have this cupboard which does not have a divider in the bottom...Anthony LOVES to get his "b", a musical/light toy and play...only hitch is, he laughs and laughs when he closes the door...so you know he is "hiding". What a hoot.

A little boy turns 1

From bottom to top:

Mama helping Anthony open his walker toy

Mama and Great-great Grams debating how he's gonna eat his cake

The left hand of the matriarch (great great Grams) feeding Anthony.

Anthony after he did it himself.

Mama, Son & Auntie after he'd been cleaned up.

Five (5) Generations! How blessed are we?!?

I have always hated having my picture taken...but I look at these pictures and know I am amazingly blessed....this was taken Thanksgiving 2007 at my house...we hosted 16...

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a TEENAGER ~ YIKES!!!

So, Lulu turned 13 on Thursday 20 December. We had planned a trip to the Portland Art Museum (they have a Van Gogh!) & I had even hired a docent for the experience. Then we were going to look around at Finnegan's Toys...but alas...weather prevailed so we did downtown HR again. We finished off at Starbuck's and the girls were so fun to be around! They wrote pretend fortunes and we laughed a lot reading them out loud!