Happy Day! Cerra is here :)

Just over 3 years ago Dillon and Cerra met. Two very interesting people who became very interested in each other. Dillon and Cerra will tell you that they have found their soul mates in each other.

What happiness encircled our family when, on August 21st, 2004, Dillon and Cerra were married, (to each other of course).

Cerra is a kind and loving person. She extends her loving nature freely and is devoted not just to Dillon but to our family as well. Some of us have gotten to know Cerra better than others but we all agree that we are glad she came into Dillon's live and is now a part of ours.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CERRA :) We are so glad you were born. We love and cherish you as a welcome addition to our family.

Ahh...ALASKA ... ( but watch out ! )

Sasha and a girl friend had taken the dogs for a hike yesterday. After a nice hike they headed back to the Jeep. When they got with in about 100 feet of the vehicle they noticed something about the same distance away on the other side. There, in all its glory, stood a great, brown, grizzly bear.

Even from that distance the bear loomed above the roof of the jeep. Fear swept over the girls' which instantly turned to terror as they realized they were helpless. "Can we get to the jeep before that bear?" . . . "Can we keep the dogs from trying to chase that bear?" . . . "Will the jeep out run that bear?" . . . and so on, thoughts flooded their minds.

As the two girls looked at each other terror turned into panic. Simultaneously they began to scream and run for the jeep.
The two big dogs jumped right in the back and Sasha safely locked them in. However, Sasha's little chiuaua, Henry, was another story.






As Sasha desperately tried to catch her beloved pet, he dodged her attempts and stayed just out of her reach. Panic mounting, Sasha envisioned the bear closing in on them. She had the terrible realization that, if she couldn't catch Henry, she was going to have to leave him to the mercies of that bear. She knew she could not endanger the lives of her friend, herself and the other dogs. Just at that awful moment when she was about to give up she was able to grab him. With her heart in her throat Sasha threw herself and Henry into the jeep. With her girlfriend and the other dogs secured in the car, Sasha now put the petal to the metal. The girls were speechless. They knew they wouldn't be out of danger until they were out of the bear's reach. Grizzly bears can rip right through the roof of a car like a sharp can opener on a tin can. Hearts pounding, trying to catch their breath, the girls rounded the corner only to find another big brown mass looming on the side of the road. This was too much! Fearing the worst they again began screaming in terror.
Relief and hysterical, nervous laughter followed as they realized that it was not another dreaded grizzly bear but a musk ox, accompanied around the bend by his whole herd. They watched as the musk oxen ambled in the direction of the grizzly and wondered what was going to happen next. However, they did NOT wait around to find out.

(The pictures used in this story were not pictures of the actual event. They were taken on my trip to Alaska and were used for illustration only. Enjoy!)

UTAH, a GREAT place to visit!

I have been back from my trip to Utah for 2 weeks now and I am still going to bed with a smile on my face each night, remembering how nice it was to see the ones I love. Even though I didn't stay very long every day was filled with memorable experiences. I had alot of fun but the best part was just seeing the people I love and being able to tell them face to face that I love them.

I spent most of the day Saturday with Nolan, (Nolan and I are pictured to the left). He showed me around some of his favorite haunts in Salt Lake and we visited about hopes, dreams and everyday life. I got to see JD, John and David at Nolan's place. What a bunch of good looking boys! They all gave me hugs and kisses saying hello and goodbye. It is strange seeing them grow up. Oh well, back to my story.
Nolan showed me some of his art work. He has some really nice sketches. He also works with odd shaped pieces of wood he finds in the mountains. He whittles the pieces down to the point they become firm and smooth, all the while maintaining their natural shape. Some of these pieces are exquisite!

I met up with Alan and Ani on Saturday afternoon at a horse exhibition. Horse stuff is ALWAYS fun for me. Alan and Ani had been there all day. The exhibit was featuring Perelli horse training techniques. These are "horse whispering" techniques which are far superior to traditional forms of training. It was a grand exhibition.

(Ani and Alan pictured above at the Wolf Creek Condo). Alan, Ani and I then went to Mike and Rachael's home and regrouped before going up to Wolf Creek. There I got to see Rachael and the kids.
Nolan and his girlfriend Heather also came to Rachael's. (Nolan and Heather pictured to the right) We all had a nice visit, though somewhat short. Rachael went with Ani to do some shopping for the weekend. Ani really loaded her car down with goodies! Ani is always a generous and gracious hostess. As Alan, Ani and I were getting ready to leave to go to the condos, Alan took me and showed me his trailer hitch. He had been hauling his trailer from home, to the horse exhibition, then to Rachael's place and had not noticed one significant detail until now. The lever that locks down the trailer hitch to the ball was never engaged. The only thing holding that trailer to the truck was the safety chains as the trailer hitch bounced freely on the ball. That is the kind of thing that gives one a feeling of a pit in their stomach! Alan corrected the problem, we thanked our guardian angels and headed for Wolf Creek.

Sunday was church, more horse exhibition and, in the evening, John's birthday party up at the condo.

Nate, Mary and their kids made the trip up to Wolf Creek. (Mary and Melea pictured to the left)






Brad, Carol and their kids came up and actually got to stay a couple days. (Christopher and Brad pictured to the right)




Rachael and her kids came up but Mike didn't make it. Mike was in Moab where he teaches survival skills a couple of times a year. I missed seeing him.

JD, Rachael's brother and John came up to Wolf Creek as well.











(JD pictured above, to the left and Rachael's Brother and John to the right) Nolan and Heather were there too. We had a great feast (as usual) complete with birthday cake and ice cream for desert. What a nice time I had catching up with everyone.

Monday Alan and I went back down to his place. (Alan A. pictured to the right) He has it fixed up soooo... nice. Alan really knows how to make the most of space and materials. He has built a terrific chicken coop off the out building he uses as a horse shelter and hay storage. The other half of this building is set up with a cement floor and Alan has made a nice workshop out of the space. Next to this building is Alan's garden. GREAT corn by the way! Alan and I spent a couple of hours going horseback riding. Alan has a lovely little mare - very smart! Ani has a pretty Arabian mare - very sweet and obedient. I had a BLAST.

When we got back to the condo that night we spent some time with Carol and her family. I guess the kids kept their dad and mom pretty busy swimming in the pool, in the lake, and playing in the mud.











(Carol and Christopher pictured above to the left and Christopher and Michelle to the right)
Liz came up with Ani that evening but I didn't see her as I had already gone to buckaroo land.

Tuesday morning, after a yummy breakfast, I got to visit with Liz a little while. She is a lovely girl. Rachael and her kids joined us and we went to Liberty and saw the plaque honoring our ancestors, the Campbells and the Freemans. It was my Grandmother Ericksen's Grandpa John Freeman who gave Liberty its name. I don't think Alan believed me but I have it on good authority that the reason Grandpa Freeman called the town Liberty was because the cows were allowed to roam at liberty :) We had snacks and let all the kids play in the town park while some of us visited and others joined in the play with the kids. It was so much fun! Then back to the condos where a picnic lunch was put together. Nolan joined our party and we all went up to the top of Powder Mountain (well, almost the top). The view of the valley below was breathtaking. That is one thing about Utah. I don't think you can beat the scenery. We had a quick lunch then, alas, it was time for me to return home.

Nolan took me back to the Salt Lake airport. He is so precious! He parked his car and walked with me as far as he could to carry my bags and make sure I got to the right place in time for my flight. As we were visiting he told me of an experience he had with the family of one of his patients who had died. He said that as he sat and watched the estranged family sitting around their dead father, weeping, he decided that he did not want the only time he saw his family to be in a time of crises. How right he is.
I hope more of us will be able to join the reunion next year. I LOVE YOU ALL my dear family and friends.

A Day Worth Remembering

It was an unusually peaceful day. I felt good when I woke up which, at nearly 9 1/2 months of being pregnant, was unusual in and of itself. As I lay in bed, just enjoying the morning, a familiar feeling came over me. A contraction rippled through my belly. I had had contractions off and on for a few weeks but this one was different. I knew I was going to have a baby. Not a few weeks from now, not tomorrow, TODAY!

September 10th, 1977 at 3:01 p.m. a precious little girl came into the world. She was greeted by a loving family and a caring midwife in our home in Topanga Canyon, California. She was 27 1/2 inches long and weighed 8 lbs. She was beautiful, bright and alert. This precious little one was given the name Sasha, which means "helper of mankind".

To this day Sasha has always lived up to her name. Her professional life has given her the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people she serves but she has always had the ability to bring a light into the lives of those around her. We used to say that Sasha had a sign tatooed on her forehead that said "tell me your life story". Complete strangers would strike up conversations with her and start telling her their troubles. Sasha would always listen compassionately and give some word of encouragement or support. Sasha loves her family and those she considers friends. As for me, my life is better having Sasha be a part of it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SASHA! I am so glad you were born my daughter.