Ouch! Dang-it! What!!!

That about sums up my feelings. While hiking at a GEM family reunion with my dear Uncle Freddy, my summer plans were changed. I am now the owner of a pair of shinny silver crutches that I use to keep my cast from touching the floor. We did have a fun family reunion despite this being the highest number of real injures at one of our reunions.

The GEM (Gideon Earnst Marquardt) family gathered at Camp Myrtlewood, in Oregon, just west of Coos Bay. The weather was perfect, sunny days and some rain one night. The crowd wasn't big this year, mostly because we had to have it early in the summer to get the location and some still had kids in school, the economy didn't help either. There have been years our numbers were in the high 100's. This year was sponsored by Uncle Dres and family. We can always count on a relaxed, fun time with great food when they are in charge.

We played kickball, volleyball, softball, hiked, danced, roasted marshmallows, played cards and board games, talked about the good old days and of course had a talent show. Very few of us have any talent, but we pretend. It was great to get reacquainted and introduce the next generation to each other.

Kim came for one night and Kassey, her girls, Karly, Kloe and I were planning to be there for the whole time. After the first night Kassey realized no one would get any sleep without Will. Baysil wanted her daddy and she let us know about it for a while before falling asleep, but woke up at 6:30am with the same sad song. She was soooo fun during the day, that it was hard to believe she had a ruff night. She and Winnie were both fun trophies to have with us. Not wanting to have another sleepless night, Kassey caught the dad bus home while she could, but not before betting Karly she couldn't finish the remaining diet coke before the reunion ended. Karly won the bet and finished the coke, but I don't think she's had a coke since.

Karly and I enjoyed just relaxing and mostly visiting. We saw Kloe at mealtime and bedtime and a little bit in between. She was making great summer memories with cousins we hadn't seen in almost 10 years or more.

On day one the first two of the injuries happened while playing kickball, cousin Bruce dove into 1st base and fit cousin Pam (his sister) pretty hard, Ouch! pulled his hamstring Dang-it! and Pam crawled away with a compressed vertebrae, What!!

The next injury happen the morning of day three while Uncle Freddy and I  hiked up to Vista Point. He had already done it but was sure it wouldn't take as long with me since I am younger and in better health than Aunt Ruthie and Aunt Marietta, ohhoho. We got up to the top in good time despite the wet trail from the nights rain. Near the top as we were starting back down, I step on something small with my right foot that rolled and went down on my left foot that didn't move, Ouch! We heard a loud crack and realized it was my ankle. I then realized I still had a mile and quarter to hike back, Dang-it! With the help of Uncle Freddy's walking stick and his shoulder, I destroyed Freddy's hopes of finishing up in the shortest time. Karly packed us up and we drove home a day early with what I thought was a ankle joint that had partially dislocated and bad sprain. The next morning I found out it was a broken ankle, What!!?!

I am not thrilled about the fact that I am out of commission for most of the summer, but as of now I don't need surgery and I had a great time with my family at the reunion and we are having another reunion next year! Just a little silver lining.

Graduation Time

Our baby Kary is  all grown-up, sigh.

On June 4th Karly graduated from Kamiak High School. It's hard to believe she is all done with her high school years, I feel like she was just a kindergardener at Rocklin Elementary.

She had the challenge of finishing up high school at a new school and with new friends. She has handled the challenge with very little complaining and her dad and I have enjoyed this last year with her at home.

We had a fun time at her graduation, with both Kaira and Kassey's families.

Our neighbor told Kim they saw and hear us across the arena. It's hard to miss the Porterfield's at a graduation, we know how to express our enthusiasm.

Karly is off to BYU-Idaho in the fall and will be leaving poor Kloe to be the last of the tribe home alone with mom and dad. According to our older kids, this means the end of the world is soon at hand.

We will miss our Karly Angel, but are so proud of the smart and beautiful young woman she has grown up to be. Thankfully Kyle will be at school to fend off the young men who are also happy about the beautiful young woman she has grown up to be.

Having Problems

Something is going on with our blog and I am trying to make thinks right. I am pretty bad with computer, so we'll see what I can do. Hopefully it won't take too long, but really what else do I have to do.

Junie Pearl

I am a little late in posting this, but I figure what the heck. I love the pictures and I love to brag about my new grand-baby. Enjoy!

A week before her due date, Junie Pearl made her appearance. She came with all ten fingers and toes, weighing in at 6lb 13oz.  She is a sweet little darling and even though she was in the hospital a little longer than planned, because she and mom had a fever at birth, she is perfect. 

 She came with a nice head of brown hair, blue eyes and a calm personality. 

Uncle Kyle came down from BYU-Idaho to meet her and I came in by way of Las Vegas with grandma Bec. Bec is my dear friend and my grandkids are her grandkids. Kerin wanted to make sure Bec was coming and every time she would call to check plans I was reminded that she expected Bec to be with me for as long as she could. Junie Pearl is named after Kerin's dear friend Destiny Pearl, that died as a result of a car crash a few years back.  I love the name and I think it fits our new little bundle perfect.

 Junie came home from the hospital on my birthday. There is nothing like holding a new baby andI loved I present.

 Uncle Kyle was a sweetheart and stayed with us through the weekend. He even had the joy of hanging out with the old ladies! He is such a good guy and it was great to see him.  (p.s. he is still single ladies! what a catch!)

Within 5 days Junie was back to her birth weight and  was soon past it and hasn't stopped growing

I love these last pictures. I took them just before I left to come home. She really is a sweet angel. 

Prometheus

Through all of our comings and goings the last few months, Karly managed to find time for Prom. It's at moments like this I realize what a "girl" house we live in and feel a little sorry for my boys, but only a little.

For the first time in my life, a formal gown was purchased for prom. You read that right, we bought Karly's prom dress. It was a harsh reality and Karly and Kim were very patient with me as I had my multiple melt downs. Only I could have melt downs over not spending hours at the sewing machine, with expensive fabric, doing detailed sewing. With visits to see grandpa and new baby Junie, it was the best choice. I did get to make some adjustments to the dress, that can not be machine washed or dry cleaned, augh! Who buys that kind of dress?

Kassey came over and helped with make-up and hair, and her specialty, pictures. She didn't take any of these pictures, though; I still haven't loaded hers on to our computer.

Karly looked beautiful and was actually ready early, I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that we bought her dress. 

Her date was a little late because he couldn't find the house, happens all the time, so she and Kloe had a little wii bonding time.

 She went with a friend from school, Jake Dahlberg and they had a BLAST! Jake was voted class clown, so when the two of them get together Karly is her silly, goofy self and fun is had by all. They have all sorts of inside jokes that keep things hopping, note the candy cane on Jake flowers.

The friends all gathered at one house for pictures and our kids were the funnest and best looking. 

A party van and stretch hummer were their rides. I don't know how many kids were at the house, but when it was time to leave, they just kept come out of the house. Of corse Karly and Jake were the last to stop taking pictures, they're a couple of hams. They ate at Buca di Beppo's and almost filled the whole place, then on to prom at a yacht club down in Seattle on the Puget Sound. One of my favorite things about the night was cost of prom tickets, $15 a person, what a deal. It's nice to have a prom that the kids can actually pay for themselves. I don't even think tickets were that cheep back in my day.