Many things have happened to us since the last Maystar. I went to Hawaii with Tina, Derek and Marissa. Lynn had bought my ticket last year when she thought she would be working there, and I was to watch the girls while she worked. Then, at the last minute, the job was cancelled.

We stayed with Melanie and Ken , who live on the windward side of Oahu. They are renting a 3 bedroom house with a view of the ocean from their living room (and a view of a neighbor's junky yard in the back). Prices there are outrageous, especially for housing. Melanie says the norm is for 3 or 4 generations to live together in a house.

We went to many beautiful beaches, but our favorite was a small, quiet beach which wind surfers frequent. We also swam one where the water was so clear that you could see the fish swimming around your feet. (Hanama? Bay) The Polynesian Cultural Center, run by BYU was the highlight of the trip. There were singers and dancers from all the Polynesian Islands -- the Marquesas, Tahiti, Hawaii and so on. They demonstrated the old crafts and legends. The kids, even baby Marissa, had a terrific time learning the hula.

The most beautiful sight there, by far, was our grandchildren. Heaven has become very mellow and Beckah says the cutest things. (At one party, there were 2 beautiful little Hawaiian twins. Beckah stared and stared and then concluded, "I know...you're really the same girl, but with different clothes."

They had a great time with cousin, Derek , who was Heaven's protector.

The highlight of March, was the birth of Taryn to Forrest and Anita Stieber.

Most of the grandchildren had spring break at a different time this year. Randy and David came together . They had fun playing cards and computer games, staying up to watch movies and walking Pebbles.

May is always the busiest time of the year here. It is shrimp season in Brinnon. Walt and the guys at the shop have to work late every night making shrimp pots. The women bake pies and manage booths for the Shrimp Fest.

In June, McKay's Shrimp Gear changed hands. The person who worked for Walt is now his boss. He is a nice person and very efficient. I am doing the books and secretarial work for the shop, and at present that takes a lot of time. I am using programs on Quicken on Superworks and will switch to Quick Books (an easy program for small businesses) when we get the new monitor that Bret and or Byron found for us.

June was Cousins' Day for our family at Point Defiance park. It was great fun. We ate well, played games and talked a lot. Some of the moms (and grandma) took the little ones through Never Never Land.

June is also the month that Anita Stieber began college again to get her degree. She also works as a nurse at Harrison Hospital and has a new baby and a toddler to care for. Forrest helps a lot with the childcare.

Forrest and the Peninsula Dance Company traveled to Austria for performances this summer. He will be attending college also, with massage therapy his major. He has not decided whether to go into medical massage or sports massage at this juncture.

During the summer, Michelle (Cook) worked at a bakery. Amy took landscaping classes and was one of the few who was given a business card by her teacher and told she could have a job anytime.

July 14th, Charles Jacobs arrived. He is the son of Tina and Chuck Jacobs. (July 14th is also his uncle Shawn's birthday.)

Walt, David and Randy went sturgeon fishing in Oregon and all caught fish at least 42 inches long. It was really good, too--well-flavored and boneless.

David and Kitty were here for June and July, and Haven for part of that time.

Leesa gave Walt a special birthday present. She took him out to a Mariner's Game in Seattle. He said the people were almost more interesting than the game.

Steven R. Covey was most likely not there because he was escorting Oprah Winfrey and her fiance to the Tabernacle Choir broadcast. (Belva, Bob, Bianca and her friend were at the Tabernacle at that time.)

While Grandpa and Kitty were away, I hoped to have a vacation at home. We had told all the church members that we would be gone on vacation and that they would have to attend church in Chimacum. However, they VOTED to have church HERE. So instead of my being able to just sit around and relax and put the phone on answering machine, I had to clean house! I was really miffed. (Afterward, the women all said that they wanted to go to Chimacum, but were outvoted.) Their rationale for having church here was this: the meetings are always held here at our home, except on fast sundays and inactive or new members wouldn't be aware of the change. This, of course, is logical, but it still cut short my vacation.. I took 2 days away--Saturday and Sunday, one day at Leesa's and one day at a motel in Edmonds. I had a great time at the motel, slept the first part of the day and watched old movies and then walked around Edmonds after all the stores were closed, and people gone home.

The Seventh Day Adventist Church has agreed to rent us their building to hold church in, and I can hardly wait! We lost a large family, though and may have to wait until we have more people for the Stake to okay it.

Valerie and Jim take turns cleaning their church, also. (They alternate with other couples.) We were debating who had the hardest job. They have an entire big building to clean...wax the floors, vacuum, wash all the windows, wax the pews, clean all the bathrooms, etc., so I guess she wins. But, I bet she never has to worry that someone might reach under a couch cushion and pull out a pair of dirty shorts!

Valerie and Jim were on a trip and made an unexpected stop at Soap Lake for the night. They found a big, imposing old hotel . They worried a little about the price, but were too tired to care. The rooms were beautiful, the linens soft and comfortable. The bathrooms featured large marble tubs and mineral baths. They went down to a delicious, full breakfast. They expected a price of over $100 and were very pleasantly surprised that it was $55.00!

August: Gardens and canning. Markay is fortunate, their ward is able to glean the fields at Yakima, and so she and the children have picked apples and potatoes. Leesa grew a tomato plant in her back yard that was so huge it took over the garden. It had lots of tomatoes on it , and was doing fine until an icy rain hit and made big brown patches on some of them.

Charlene went with her Uncle Shawn and his girlfriend, Kaylene, to a concert at the Gorge at George. Kaylene is very pretty. She looks like Marisa Tomei. Charlene frequently babysits Shawn's daughter, Alyssa, on weekends, when Grandma Valerie doesn't have her. Alyssa is a sweet little girl and would love to live with Grandma and Grandpa Jim. Shawn is working at a construction company, doing electrical jobs.

Lynn went to work for a company in Seattle (She and husband, Bill, are marine electricians.) He already works in Seattle. They also bought a computer with CD rom and modem. It has great programs.

September, the children are back at school (except Haven, who will be home schooling herself) and Markay will be returning next week. Markay also bought an IBM computer with CD rom. Alice will be in band brass section. She previously played violin.

Kitty's likes Quilcene High School. It is a small school, only 30 Ninth Graders. Her classes include Vocational Cooking. They cook the school lunches. In another class, the students help with the pre-school children and get credits in College level psychology.

Charlene and David are now attending Meadowdale High School. Charlene, of course, is in the band. David will be able to join later. She loves her classes, especially Criminal Justice. (She wants to be a forensic pathologist.)

Leesa is already involved in Meadowdale Band and Choir Boosters. The group really jumped at her idea of raising money for their trip at the end of the year by working at the Key Arena and she has called her contacts to arrange it.

Melanie is attending the University of Hawaii. Her major is abnormal psychology.

Valerie's son, Brandon, is living with his dad, Brian and going to school there.