Family Photo's July 25th

Last summer, we celebrated Monty's parents 60th wedding anniversary, was a great opportunity to have a family portrait taken. Hard to believe our family is so big and just started with Monty & I!

Kelli's Family: Lance, Kelli, Boaz & Jacoby & Uriah. (in Kelli's belly)

Brian's Family: Brian, Bonnie, Bahn & Brooklynn

Heidi's family: Alan, Scarlet, Heidi & Alex:

Mel & Fay Klaus (married 60 years)!

The Grandkids ~ are they cute or what?

Grandkids are GREAT!
We have 7 of them, 2 girls and 5 boys, Kelli's 3rd baby was due in mid September, however on Aug. 7th, Kelli took a fun ride in an Ambulance with full lights and whistles, to OHSU in Portland, for an emergeny C-Section. She had Pre-Eclampsa, was very scary. Little Uriah was born 7 weeks early, weighed in at 4 lb, 3 oz. He stayed in the hospital for about 1 month. We are all so thankful that all turned out well. Uriah is now 14 months old, and is perfect. 


The top two photos are of Uriah, (being hugged by cousin Brooky) and also at OHSU in the NICU. 


It is so much fun to see our grown kids, be paid back for all their mischief ! I get such a kick out of watchng our 3 kids 'squirm and worry' as they watch the Grandkids, and wonder what they will say and do next!

This is Alex, our Oldest Grand-child, he is 12. (Alex is the one in the middle) 
Alex is very 'cautious' like his mother, it is very funny to see her trying to get Alex to be just a little more adventurous, just like we had to struggle to get her to try anything new.






Below is the 2nd to the youngest Grandchild
'Bahn Klaus', is 3, and a wild boy! We call him 'The Dude'.
He is quite a little guy, loves to be outdoors and playing in the dirt! He love's going from one
dirt pile to the other. 























Scarlet Anne Nelson is 7 years old! Scarlet also loves the dirt and to be outside, (being held by mom Heidi),
In this picture Scarlet had just be laying in the dirt and digging, when Uncle Brian noticed a 'Black Widow' spider climbing on hers leg. That's all we need is to have Scarlet bitten by a Black Widow! Very scary, but turned out fine!












To the left is a 'toothless Scarlet.

Below is Boaz Simonds, just turned 6 and is Kelli's middle boy, is the comedian of the family.
Boaz is the 'Chief', he got a Paula Dean CookBook for his birthday! He also like frogs and being dirty! Boaz is the funny man in the family, always coming up with surprise us.



















Jacoby Simonds, 8 years , is going to be our 'sport's man', he loves to play baseball, swim, skate, ride bikes, and Go Fast& Win like his Papa Monty. He is also a Candle Maker, as you see in the photo below. (Kelli's oldest son)

This is Brooklynn Klaus (Brian's oldest) she is 10 and she is my little helper!
It is so funny to see Brooky helping us, sweeping, cleaning and generally taking care of us. Brian and Bonnie say Brooky is not that interested in keeping her room clean or helping around the house, Brian is being paid back, big Time! Brooklynn does very well is school, and loves everything.

The 'Klausmann'

This is what happens when you leave Monty unattended in the shop too long!

Monty's uncle Bob owned a Cushmann way back when, and Monty always admired that old photo and wished he had the time to restore one.

Well, Monty decided fabricating a 'Klausmann' from the floor up would be a fun winter project.

He started by finding an old headlight on eBay and then built the scooter from there. He designed and fabricated everything, the handle bars, the seat, the trunk, rivets, even the paint job is his, everything.

Next he took it in to the DMV and got it titled and licenced. The 'Maiden Voyage' was a success, I followed him on my Vespa around the block!

To me it looks like a 'Converse Tennis shoe'! You should see the looks as he drives it down the highway!

The other photo is the 1928 Harley Davidson, (made by Monty). This is pretty much what the first Motorcycles looked like.

The Newest Addition:  2009 Suzuki Bergman 650.  Monty's wanted a ride as nice as mine! 

Playing Airport!

Update: After 21 years, with Horizon Air, my position was eliminated. What a shock! But have been enjoying every minute of my 'freedom'. I was very ready to give up my early mornings, and dealing with Fog, Flight delays, Angry passengers. I am now staying home, enjoying our chickens! Sewing alot, and Monty and I are doing lots of motorcycle riding!  I was able to retire, so kept my flight benefits! 
Am going back to work soon however, will be Managing two new News/Gifts shops opening soon in the RDM Airport.  (Can't leave the airport I guess)! 

Central Oregon offers the most beautiful sunrises in the country, which helps to make the early hours worth it!

If only I had kept a Daily Journal of all the funny, odd, stressful things I have encountered dealing with the 'flying public' for the past 19 years! I could publish it and be rich right now!

Working for an airline was not only entertaining, but it had great perks! Our family has enjoyed many adventures thanks to my travel benefits.

We have visited so many neat places, such as Cabo San Lucas (yearly since 1989), *wow what changes have taken place there, DisneyLand, DisneyWorld, SeaWorld, Scotland, England, India, Canada, Hawaii, Amsterdam, the Florida Keys, lots of nice warm destinations during our cold Central Oregon winters, we visited Washington DC right after the Sept 11, 2001, we viewed the incredible damage to the Pentagon up close and personal which was amazing.

I have many photo albums filled with memories and pictures of family and friends in many places.

My parents and brothers live in Alaska and if I did not work for the airlines, it would have been too expensive to see them very often.

Our kids have many good memories of visiting their Grandparents and cousins in Alaska while growing up.

Skooter Gangs / Life on the edge

Here's my newest ride: 05 Yamaha Majesty 400. I love it,

Monty and I have had some cool road trips over the past 2 years. Is a very neat hobby.

Do you remember the Clint Eastwood movie 'Every Which Way But Loose?' There was a bumbling motorcycle gang called 'The Black Widows', thats the gang I need to join!

My 77 year old mother is worried, she keeps asking me to park it for the winter!

This GrandMother is not one to take chances, I start out on the Vespa, then 'upgraded' to the Majesty. We just sold the Vespa and bought Monty a Suzuki Bergman 650, I will add photos' soon.

I studied my little Motorcycle Handbook and took the test the next day (passed it with 100%) wow you say? That's not too shocking, as Reading happens to be my sport of choice!

I practiced on our race track, (read about the Race-Track on this blog) they set up a course for me. Brian had just taken his motorcycle endorsement test so he knew how the course should go, (he passed his drive test with a 100%).....I just wanted to pass!

I was so worried, I practiced, practiced, practiced. At first I thought going around those little cones would be impossible!'

I even tipped over trying to go around them. *I broke the windshield off my scooter when I tipped over, Monty had put it on that same day). Excuse me, a real biker would say 'layed over' not tipped over!

Then 2 weeks later, I had my driving apt. in Prineville at the DMV. Guess what? 100% The tester must have felt sorry for me!

I also took the Team Oregon Intermediate Training, which was very good for me.

!

The 70's

Once upon a time, two teenagers fell in love!
We had tons of fun in High School; Monty & I would hang out with Jock Brown or Brian Barney, just doing the things teenagers do; I tagged along as they rode bulls & broncs, raced cars, took Karate Lessons at Central Oregon Community College, 'Drug the Gut' in Monty's El Camino, Brian's purple Jeep or Jock's Ranchero, we just generally had fun!

We all had our favorite music; Monty would plug in 'The Moody Blues' or 'Donavan' on his 8-track tape player, (In Search of a Dream, or Mellow Yellow!) I loved Credence Clearwater Revival or Three Dog Night, Jock could be heard singing 'Blind Millon Chitlon' and of course everyone still loved the Beattles!

Just being kids in the 70's was a great time.

Not everything was peachey in the 70's however; Gas rationing complicated our lives as we could only fill up the tank on odd or even days (depending on the last digit of our license plates!). Vietnam drug on as each night we watched the headlines, no different than we do these days watching the Iraq War; all the High School boys hoped their number would not come up in the Draft, the Gold Standard was dropped in 1971 (that's why we are in this economic mess today, thank-you very much),

We had the 'Watergate' tapes which finally led to the resignation of Pres. Richard Nixon and then we watched his pardon by Gerald Ford.

Some other items caught our attention back then: The 2nd Tower of the World Trade Center was completed and we also put the first 'Manned Space Station' in orbit; a guy named Evil Knievel TRIED to jump the Snake River on his motorcycle, a girl named Patty Hurst was kidnapped, a fun new placed opened called 'Disney World', and a new running shoe was introduced with the strange name of 'Nike'; Led Zeppelin had the #1 song of 1971, it was 'Stairway to Heaven' , ( I personally hated it though, too much organ music for me!) the #2 song was 'Imagine' by John Lennon.

The Flower Children were taking LSD at the intersection of 'Haite & Ashbury' in San Francisco, Charles Manson was in the headlines as was Billie Jean King, DB Cooper and Bobbie Fischer.

But back in Prineville, we were living the 'Wonder Years'. Life was mainly good.

After High School, we married an added Heidi, Kelli and Brian, we had many interesting years full of fun and growing pains; (T-ball, Baseball, swimming, 4-H sheep, Mat-Club, piano lessons, band, football, dating, golf, water skiing in the ditch, pet raccoons and the family dog 'Woody'); soon the kids grew up and they added to our family of 5.

Heidi (and Alan) gave us Alex and Scarlet,

Kelli (and Lance) gave us Jacoby and Boaz & Uriah,

Brian (and Bonnie) gave us Brooklynn and Bahn AKA 'The Dude'.

When we all get together, the house if quite noisy and wild times always happen. From Papa scaring the kids with the Bear Mask, to Go-Karting on the track.

At the track we have kids and grand-kids, Pocket Bikes, Pink Barbie Jeeps, bicycles, and roller blades!

Yes, it gets interesting around here! Add Lola and Kipper (wiener dog cousins) chasing the grand-kids and you never know what will happen next.

The Brian Klaus Family

Brian, the baby of our family is now 31 years old! wow, that happened fast!

Brian is a great Daddy and has provided us with 2 very Grand-kids; Brooklynn (age 10) and Bahn; aka 'The Dude'; as we called him is 3 years old, as Monty says, 'The Dude Abides'.

Brian & Bonnie live in Bend so we get to see them often. Bonnie has been with Costco for a long time! (not sure how many years now, but she about runs the place!).

Bonnie is wonderful, patient and sweet; she always has a smile on her face as she endures our families 'disfunctions'!

Brian drives a Truck for JR Faulkner and loves it.

Brian loves to fish, (any kind of fishing will do). *His goal for this coming year is to learn to like to EAT fish!

Brooky is quite a girl, she is Brian's 'Minnie Me', (which is a scary thought, as Brian had no fear and was always into something that could get him hurt or in danger)!

Brooky is the same way, 2 summers' ago, she broken arm on a trampoline (which really upset her, as she did not get to swim all summer)!

She is usually bruised and scraped and moving at full speed ahead at all times, she does not have time for walking or looking where she is going!

With that said, Brooky is also a great student in the 4th Grade and a very good reader, her teachers have tested her and she is in the 126 % aisle for reading (were not sure what that means, but is sure sounds smart to us!).

Bahn is a very curious, very busy little guy. The 'Dude' can open any door, answer any phone, open any can, jar or bottle of pills; will pull the sharpest item in the drawer and take off running before we even notice he has left the room! He has learned to open the front door and head out for adventure, yes, the Dude sure keeps everyone on their toes, to see what he is in to next!

Bonnie had high hopes that at least one of her kids would be 'calm and easy' to raise, but so far, they are just like their Daddy! We think she should get extra compensation for that!

The Simonds Family

What can I say about Kelli? She was our middle child and after reading Dr. Spock we knew the dangers of 'The Middle Child' Syndrom, you know, from not giving the middle child a sense of accomplishment?

We worked hard to avoid that and it seems we accomplished our goal!

There is nothing that Kelli can't do, (or thinks she can't do)! She is a bundle of 'Can Do'.

Kelli and her family (Husband ~ Lance, Jacoby~age 6, and Boaz ~age 4) moved to Yamhill, OR this past year, when Lance became the pastor of Landmark Missionary Baptist Church.

Kelli is now a stay at home mom ( I am not sure she is at home much as she is always on the go!)

Kelli and Lance Home School the boys; Jacoby is in 1st grade and Boaz is in Kindergarten, they have them in T-ball, Church, Sunday School, Soap Box Derby's, Frog Jumping Contests, every year they take a week and float the John Day River; as you see the whole family is always in motion!

Kelli 'can's' fruits and vegetables, bakes bread, writes devotionals, leads Women's Groups, organizes VBS, so many things I can't even put it all on paper, Kelli seems to have time for everything and everyone!
Jacoby is a 'little Kelli', and Boaz is a 'little Lance'! Both in looks and actions, it is very funny for us to watch these little guys, as they are always jumping, running, falling, bouncing!

They can always come up with the funniest things to say.

Example, Last Year: Boaz is in the back seat as Kelli is driving down Hwy.97, Boaz says, "Mom, I've got a booger on my finger", Kelli responds with, "Well, I can't stop and help you now, you will just have to wait". ......

Things get quiet in the back seat, then Boaz tells her, "Mom, its all right, I put it back"!

See what I'm talking about?

Little Uriah, has quite the personality also, he expects the boys to intertain him at all times, (and they do). He is very cute and funny, will be walking very soon.

The Nelson Family

Heidi, our oldest daughter (sorry Heidi), Husband~ Alan, kids Alex (age 12) and Scarlet (age 7), live in Bend.

The Nelson family is the most amazing family (I am not just saying that because I love them)!

They are amazing because of what they have been through and the way they have come out the other side.

When Scarlet was 18 months she became critically ill and because of the illness, she suffered a series of strokes. (Due to HUS, look it up)

The strokes caused Scarlet to loose ALL motor skills, everything: she could no longer nurse or suck a bottle so a feeding tube was needed for 2 1/2 years: she could not use her arms, legs, hands, could not even hold her head up. Scarlet spent 49 days in Legacy Emanuel Children's' Hospital in Portland. The last 4 years have been a constant rehabilitation, with 24/7 care needed for Scarlet and that's what has made the Nelson's so amazing.

They never gave up and still have not, Scarlet is thriving and getting more use of her limbs every day; (see her pictures), this family took a tragedy and made it a blessing (made it their life).

Alan is now very involved with the United Way Campaign, Heidi is a 24/7 nurse, therapist, and companion for Scarlet. Alex has had to take the back seat to Scarlet's health needs, but has remained a normal (although anoying) brother and friend to Scarlet.

Scarlet is the most wonderful little girl, she is gaining her abilities back slowly but surely as time goes by.

The family has been to many locations for therapy ( Look up Conductive Education, Budapest, Hungry, Petta) They are world travelers by now, Alex can say he has seen alot of the USA and Canada over the past 3 years!

Scarlet has a huge personality, a great sense of humor and loves life, she attends a main stream Grade School and is in 2nd grade, she is in advanced Reading and Spelling; she has an attendant to help her with her motor skills, she even rides a bus that is able to accommodate her wheelchair to school every day!
Alex is a typical boy, loves to play games, play with friends, is an avid reader. Alex is alot like his mother, does not want to takes chances, is skeptical of trying anything new (might not be prudent!). Alex is always reminding me of his status as the 'First Grandchild', he wants me to know he is #1! .....no jealousy there, right?

Now that Scarlet is in 2nd grade, Heidi has taken a Part time, job and is enjoying getting out of the house some.

While growning up, Heidi was the 'Matron' of the family; making sure Brian and Kelli were behaving (they were usually into something they should not have been), making her 'To Do' lists daily. (she still does that one!)

All 3 of our kids are still close and they are all great Aunties and Uncles to the cousins!

We are very blessed!