Down Time

We've been pretty busy over the last few months, but things really kicked into high gear this week. There has been very little down time, and I think the boys are getting weary of hanging out with me in the basement. Tonight we just spent some time being silly before putting these rascals to bed. Lincoln has been trying to come up with alternate ways of riding the little Elmo plane. And Zeke wanted stories, but also wanted to steal my phone to take pictures, so the one below is one of his.

Shark vs. Penguin

Robb and I were both working during the downtown trick-or-treating window today, so Gabby braved it all by herself. Huge. Especially given the fact that she had one very hyper penguin, and one pretty grouchy shark. (To be fair, the shark hates hoods...) They collected quite a bit of loot and Lincoln eventually took a leisurely snooze in his stroller. Gabby is amazing.


Rachel's co-workers in her department at Baker Boyer Bank were all dressed as characters from Clue. (Rachel made this costume!)

Helpers

Lincoln. He just can't get enough of working with tools. The whole Time I was assembling the kitchenette cabinets, he was snatching the screwdrivers and trying to do a little work of his own. So I had to chuckle when I caught him "helping" daddy today. At one point he actually crawled in on top of daddy and they both had to be rescued.




And then there are these guys, Paul and Jesse. Who actually were an immense help. Thanks!

Digging Around

Progress! Today dad and Uncle Larry did a little digging on the new cabin site. It is going to be spectacular. It was pretty hard to drag Zeke away from all of that fresh dirt though...

Juicers

Okay, so we have been living the good life. Grandpa and Grandma volunteered to hang out with the boys in the mornings so we could sleep in. Whoa! Did you read that right? Yep, we got to SLEEP IN. I really can't think of anything better at this point. So we certainly took advantage of the offer. Thanks, you two!

This is what I found down in the kitchen when I finally rolled out of bed this morning. Linc was really intrigued by the grapefruit juicing.

Montana Fall

We finally got away for a few days, and our destination is Montana. Big surprise. Ezekiel is always pleased to be visiting "his" place in Montana. He thinks it is his third home. The weather is starting to turn cold, but it is so beautiful up here.


The boys love the smaller Sabbath School class. They really get to be involved.


The best part about the fall here is the Tamarack and Aspens turning bright gold.


Uncle Larry is always making crazy progress on his place!


Grandpa and Lincoln try a coordinating plaid look. At least Grandpa is wearing pants...

Map Man

Ezekiel has a thing for maps. If he can get a hold of your phone, you will often find him following a river on Google Maps or looking for airport symbols. And if we are in the car for more than five minutes, he starts asking for the maps. I guess it finally got boring enough though, as we looked back to see him fast asleep beneath the atlas.

Gabby Snaps

This little flirt. He didn't take long to snag Gabby's headband.

Grandchildren and Greats

I'm never a fan of pictures taken at funerals. But, here it is. A rare moment when this many Craik grandchildren and great-grandchildren are assembled does warrant a photo. What a legacy she left.

The life sketch that her children put together:
Edna Emma Jensen Craik of Vancouver, WA, passed away on Oct. 10, 2013 at 92. She was born Dec. 24, 1920, at home on 51st Avenue in Portland, OR to Bill and Cloe Jensen. She grew up on a farm in the forested hills near Woodland, WA, surrounded by two older brothers, Charlie and Buster, and
two younger brothers, Bill and Herbert. She was a tomboyish part of a hardworking farm family. Summers would find Cloe and the kids loading the laundry into the farm wagon and heading two miles down to Cedar Creek for a day of washing for Cloe and swimming for the kids. Grade school was two miles away, a daily trip Edna did on foot.

A courtship began between Edna and Everett Craik when she was fourteen. After graduating from Woodland High School, she worked at the courthouse in Vancouver, WA for a year. Edna married Everett on June 3, 1938, at the ripe old age of 18. She then turned to her main "career" of being a wife and mother. Edna and Everett went on have to six children. They moved from near White Salmon, WA to Woodland, WA, to Gresham, OR, then to Petersburg, AK, Walla Walla, WA, and Centennial, WY. After the children were grown, they moved to Trout Creek, MT and began building a home. The house burned to the ground before ever being finished. To lessen her disappointment, Everett took her to Cannon Beach, OR, where they purchased a home and lived for several years before returning to
Walla Walla.

Highly active in her church as pianist, treasurer, deaconess, and Sabbath School teacher, Edna participated with each local Seventh-day Adventist Church in each of towns where she lived.

Edna managed the books of Everett Craik Lumber Company most of her married life. In the early years, she worked from a desk in the bedroom, so she could be available to her children. Edna and Everett were also able to sponsor a number of international students to attend Walla Walla College. She was active in community projects. She enjoyed reading, working crossword puzzles and watching classic movies such as Pride and Prejudice, the BBC version. A published author, she enjoyed writing as well. She and Everett enjoyed traveling, including visiting relatives in Denmark, tracing Craik family history in Scotland and visiting their son in Brazil.

Edna and Everett had a wonderful marriage for 59 years before Everett's death in 1998.

Their six children provided 24 grandchildren, many of which lived with her during their college years. She got involved in the fun even to the extent of her spraying a crowded pool of college kids with cold water from a hose, laughing all the while. Not only did she house her own grandchildren, but she touched the lives of a few adopted grandchildren who still think of her as Grandma Edna to this day. Her grandchildren have over the years, extended her family with sixty great-grandchildren, giving Edna a chance to extend her love even further. Edna's hospitality not only provided a roof over heads, but also she cooked amazing food, with pies for which she was well known. On a given Sabbath, she might host twenty or more for dinner. She was a wonderful
hostess.

Edna was a devoted mother, generous and supportive of her children, Larry A. Craik of Trout Creek, MT, Patricia A. Fackenthall (John) of Walla Walla, Suzanne Kack (Don) of Thompson Falls, MT, James E. Craik (Lorraine) of Kotzebue, AK and Elizabeth Hardy (Peter) of White Salmon, WA. Also surviving are 23 grandchildren; 60 great-grandchildren; her sister-in-law, Iris Jensen; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Everett; four brothers, Charles, Buster, Bill and Herbert; her daughter, Margaret; and three infant grandchildren.

Family and friends may pay their respects from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Mountain View-Colonial
DeWitt, 1551 Dalles Military Road, Walla Walla, WA 99362. A funeral service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 19, 2013, at the Walla Walla University Church. The graveside service and interment will be 10:30 a.m., Sun., Oct. 20, 2013, at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to ADRA International through the funeral
home.

Gabby Snap

Ezekiel can be a pretty snuggly little fellow.

Inventive Eating

Ezekiel might be on to something good this time. He eats some pretty weird stuff, but this morning he dipped his peanut butter toast in a bowl of pomegranate seeds. He thought it was pretty funny, and was hamming it up for me.

Honey Box

Okay, so Robb tells me that this is actually called a "super" or a "medium" not a honey box. But pretty much it is just a shallow box that you put on the top of the hive to collect the extra honey. And he MADE this one. Yeah, I'm pretty impressed.

Edna Emma Jensen Craik

My heart is heavy when I think of the loss of my beloved grandmother today. She has played such a vibrant part in my life, that I know she will be sorely missed. I will miss her warmth, the scent of her warm, soft hands. I will long to hear her voice, I will miss her wisdom and understanding and sensible advice. I'll long to be assured by her quiet confidence in God, and I'll miss her impish smile. The one she often tried to hide behind a hand. I'll miss her hospitality and elegance and how she always encouraged me to be a lady. We will no longer eat ice cream together while watching Jeopardy (man, she always knew the answers too). No longer will I try to beat her to the newspaper crossword (and then later beg for her help in finishing up the tough parts). And who will help me poke holes in the bottoms of the See's candies to check for the gross ones?

No one can replace someone like her. But I'm better for having known and loved her. And I look forward to seeing her again, someday soon.

Gabby Snap

My budding little computer geniuses. Or something...

Grandpa Harold

Zeke is in a "tell me a story" phase right now, so he pretty much thought he struck gold when he realized that Grandpa Harold likes to tell good stories. I think the one he is telling in this picture involves a big scary bear that grandpa was throwing a stick at, because he thought it was a cow. Eek!

IKEA

We had quite the day at IKEA today. We were on a mission to pick up everything we need for the basement kitchenette. It took a long time, and several trips back and forth to the different pick-up location, but we eventually made it all happen. The boys were such troopers, but were ready to be done.


I love that Linc actually fell asleep with half of a cookie on his chest.

Gabby Snaps

Gabby is encouraging Lincoln's love of cats. And pencil sharpening?

Silliness

Mommy had a photo shoot early this morning, so the boys got to hang out with daddy. Here is Lincoln attacking Ezekiel with a very vicious black bear. I love watching them play together.