Bryan's Family Comes to Town Day 8

December 5, 2009 Saturday

We all met in the morning at Nancy and Gary's house where Derek Pierson would be taking our family pictures. Words cannot describe the experience, so the pictures will have to! grin.
Nancy and Gary were great, they had hot cocoa, let us change in their house and take over their yard. . .

That afternoon after pictures, it was decided that Darren would go home back to Nebraska with Lauren and Laurel and Carmel; so we all split up again, as some had to go help him pack, and we were all heading out on the road to the Tri-cities to go to special meeting. We didn't get in to Richland to our hotel until around 11pm. The only thing that made it worth it to travel so late in the day was when we stopped in Ellensberg, we ate dinner at the pizza hut, and there was a Nebraska football game on the TV. So we had a great time watching the game.

Our family picture
Keep in mind that Mircea is starting to get a cold, she has a black eye, a huge scratch on her forehead and a bruise on her cheek. She was totally beat up for family pics.

A closeup -- formal family picture

The Appleman Clan:
L-R
Dewey (Cameron), Steve, Candy, Bryan, Porsche, Mircea, Casper, Darren, Laurel, Loren, Karena, Christine, Craig, Clark, Kip, Esther (Polly), Brad, Carmel



L-R
Dewey, Candy, Steve, Karena, Christine, Kip, Craig, Clark, Laurel, Loren, Darren, Porsche, Bryan (holding Casper), Mircea, Esther, Brad, Carmel

Dewey and everyone else

A quick Clothing change into Casual Clothes. . . .

Casual Family Picture

Casual Family picture

The whole group again

Leaping into the air.

(I didn't post the picture of the family doing the wave, but that was done as well.)

A bunch of pictures were taken of everyone running around and doing weird things.
This is one of them.

A dog pile at the end.
(Kip is near the bottom again, and getting squished.
Bryan IS on the bottom, and he just had surgery the day before.)

We all then headed inside for more hot coco and then back to Candy and Steve's house for lunch and to pack up to head to Tri-Cities for Special Meeting.

The following pictures are us at Pizza Hut

Candy is being a backseat Driver while Dude drives

Casper grins while Bryan keeps his eyes on the game!

Casper letting his belly hang out

The pizza is good!--not as good as the pizza hut in Ainsworth, but still good.

Darren has some Taco Pizza

Cea picking off the topping

So, are we watching Dude? or are we watching the game?

Everyone hanging out

Back into the vehicles. Grumpy is stuck in the back

Hooray we are at the hotel! Cea immediately goes to sleep!

Bryan's Family Comes to Town Day 7

December 4, 2009 Friday

Today started with another Bible study, and then a quick walk to the park. Then Bryan, Casper, and I left to come back home as Bryan had surgery that afternoon. Dewey left to see friends. Others left to visit other places, etc. It was a free day--feel free to do what you want. We just all had to keep in mind that tomorrow morning, Saturday, would be family picture day.

Bible study Dewey led some of the hymns

Casper scooting to the park

Mircea, Bryan, Casper, and Porsche and their backside

Now our Front side (It was a bit cold out)

heading down the trail

Craig


Little Dude is great at walking--pretty fast also!

The kids and Bryan on some mini railroad tracks

Here comes Casper

Cea sliding down a skateboard ramp

Bryan's Family Comes to Town Day 6

December 3, 2009 Thursday

Today was the day to celebrate Grumpy and Daka's 35th Anniversary.
This was the day we all would hang out around the house ALL DAY with each other. We started the day with a Bible study. Then music and eating galore! There were games, lots of visiting, lots of crazy antics, Daka brought out the quilts her mother made and had each "family" select one for themselves in a secret ballot.
That evening, Brad and Esther joined us and we had a wonderful dinner of roast beef (from Nebraska), scalloped potatoes, and lots of other yummies. After dinner Candy and Steve each gave us a gift--very sweet of them! AND then they gave Grumpy and Daka the photo Albums they had put together. One photo album was of relatives that had sent pages they had put together of memories with Loren and Laurel. The other album was of friends of the family who had sent in pages. They were so awesome. And of course Laurel cried! :)
It was a wonderful day! It is not often that everyone gets to just hang out.

Just waking up! Cea snuggles with her Dad.

A tower of Appleman's
bottom up--Bryan, Dewey, Kip, Karena

Getting breakfast ready, as well as the roasts for dinner.

Uncle Dewey spends some time with his favorite girls!

Casper and Kip

Cea gets a better view on top of Uncle Dewey

Looks like Casper wants his Aunt Christine

Of course this wouldn't be an Appleman day without some "good-natured" wrestling.

Dog pile!!!! AGAIN!!
um, why is Uncle Darren on the top??
Most of you can't tell, but Kip is on the bottom; you can barely see his feet stick out.

Morning Bible Study and sing

It was quite special to be able to read a Bible study all together.




The following picture and video come with a pre-story. . .
While trying to make plans for this week, there were several e-mails. At one point Dewey sent one out to let everyone know he agreed--However, he wrote, "I can curr".
Bryan immediately informed everyone that to "curr" meant to hoot like an owl, and that he was looking forward to hearing Dewey curr. Of course that meant everyone was looking forward to Dewey curring, and there was a discussion about whether their should be a talent show. The following is a bit of the talent show. (Please keep in mind that I just the word "talent" loosely.)

"I can curr"


Sure enough, he could curr

Casper is delighted with Grumpy's talent

Here he goes again

Dewey and Carmel try to out handstand each other
Dewey of course didn't have the handicap of worrying about his panties showing.
He said he wasn't wearing panties


On to the arm wrestling. . .

Steven versus Dewey

Bryan versus Dewey

We laughed at these boys. All snuggled up on the couch. Looks like they need a "Snuggie"

2 friends playing a duet
Clark and Mircea

Craig versus Dewey

More piano playing

They are so cute!

It was quite a show

Darren versus Dewey

I wish I could say Candy beat Dewey, but she didn't-
but I have decided to say it was a close thing! grin!
I believe there was a face off between Loren and Dewey, but I didn't get a picture.

Clark and Mircea

Carmel and Casper

Quilt 1--Craig

Quilt 2 --Went home with Daka

Quilt 3--Candy

Quilt 4--Carmel

Quilt 5 --Bryan

Quilt 6--Darren

Quilt 7 --Brad

Those holding up the quilts got carried away.

Quilt 8 - went back home with Daka
(Grandma Eleanor died before she could hand quilt it, so it is quilted by machine)

Quilt 9--Dewey

Boy hang out time in Candy' and Steve's room

Darren and Dewey haven't had much time together since Dewey moved away.

Daka and an accordion

Looking up Accordion playing on the Internet

Lots of music: Bryan-Acoustic bass, Porsche--Viola, Christine--Cello, Daka--Accordion
I didn't post the video of the music because it is best left up to one's imagination

Daka moves to the piano

We open the piano up to see the keys move

Steve grilling a ton of hot dogs and hamburgers

Cea playing with cars

Dewey, Kip and Bryan playing the guitars

Darren joins in on the cell0

A hug for Grumpy

Opening gifts at dinner time

A cute outfit for Cea

Daka and Grumpy open their gift and see the albums

Looking at Mircea's page

Looking at Casper's page

Their anniversary cake

The happy couple who made all this possible :)

Everyone gathered around to view the albums with Grumpy and Daka

Craig wearing one of Cea's headbands.
(Once he took it off, he had a dent in his hair the rest of the night)

Casper receiving a zerbert from Aunt Carmel

Dishes--there were a lot of them!

Cea posing in her new flipflops from Daka

Casper wanted in the picture too

Carmel starts learning electric guitar on her own

Casper playing with another gift from Daka and Grumpy right before he goes to bed