Oregon Trip

On May 25th LaRue and I packed up the car to drive to Provo. We had arranged for Liz and Gary to take us to the airport the next day and leave our Alero with them. We got our car all packed and ready to go. But when we got in to leave it wouldn't start! I got the neighbor to come over and help me give it a jump. Still wouldn't start.
We ended having to have Gary and Liz drive out to Vernal, pick us up and haul us to Provo.

The next day we had no trouble getting to the airport. One nice thing about LaRue using a cane to walk - airport personnel got her a wheelchair and pushed her to wherever we needed to go. We also got to board the plane first.

The flight to Portland was about 20 minutes late, but Laurie's friend, Rachel, who was picking us up, was also delayed in traffic due to an accident. So the timing actually worked out well.

From the airport it's about a 30-40 minute trip to Andy and Laurie's house in Hillsboro.

Here are some flowers in front of Andy's house:



One day while Andy was working, LaRue, Laurie, Asher and I went shopping. When we stopped for lunch a big train hauling logs and wood went through the intersection.



Asher loves trains and watched as every train car rolled by:



The area behind the housing development where they live is a protected wetland area:



LaRue and I by some flowers:



More flowers by their house:








Asher and me out by the car:



One evening we drove to the Portland Temple:





Me, Asher and LaRue at a fountain on the Temple grounds:



Laurie, Andy and Asher at the fountain:



Andy and I playing a game of Zombie Dice:



This is a quilt Laurie was hand stitching for the baby when he's born:



We fixed and fired up the grill one evening. Asher loves to pick and toss grass:



Laurie working on the quilt:



Andy at the grill:



That evening we also watched a Michael Jackson concert on dvd. Asher was not only watching with us, he had to get up and dance:







Andy cuts the grass:




There is a really nice park just outside their housing complex. We all went over there one afternoon:





At the park there is this guy - a huge Indian head:







While taking car of Asher I learned a lot about Thomas the Tank Engine. Asher loves to play with the toy trains:





If you look closely you can see the raccoon just behind the cement wall:



Now it's time for Rowan Klaus Bailey! Here's the scale reading when he was born:



Laurie and Rowan:





Rowan gets a newborn birthday cake:




Asher helps blow out the candle:



Asher gives Rowan a present:



A little quilt:



And a rattle:



Grandma and Grandpa with Rowan:





Andy and Rowan:



A kiss from Asher:



We got these flowers for Laurie while she was in the hospital:



Getting ready to come home:





Eyes open:



We spent a lot of time playing on the floor with Asher, his trains and cars:





Laurie's friend Rachel:



On Friday June 10 we flew back to Utah. Liz and Gary picked us up and the airport and we met up with Robin and family at the Chuck-A-Rama restaurant in Salt Lake:



After spending the night in Provo, LaRue, Gary, Liz and I drove down to Manti to deal with a storage unit we have there. As you can tell from the padlock, we hadn't been there in quite some time:







Finally, Liz and Gary one last time at their house in Provo before the big move to Missouri:



Oh.....about the Alero. Robin, Emily and the kids came to Vernal over the Memorial Day weekend. They planned to stay for most of that next week. Robin said he would look at the car. He said it started right up for him everytime. So, he wasn't able to diagnose the problem.
I think it's the starter and/or solenoid. I suspect the solenoid is getting old and sticky. So I'm just going to have to drive it and see what happens. Fortunately, with Robin and his family headed back to California for another couple of months he loaned me his truck.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip to Oregon.