Christmas Kids 2012

We were blessed to have our Texas grandchildren here at Christmas this year. (You will understand why Jack is upside down if you have ever tried to photograph children.)

Christmas 2000

This is how I picture Christmas in heaven. I have always loved this picture and have it in a frame with my decorations every Christmas. It is especially precious this year. Wishing all my readers a joyful and peaceful Christmas.

Joel

In loving memory of our grandson Joel Coleman: May 1, 1992 -December 7, 2012. I promise to do my best to continue your legacy of ministering through friendship and  enjoying life. See you soon. Love, Granny

Whidbey Island

 When we got to Seattle, it was before noon their time so we drove up I 5 to Anacortes and Washington Park to see the Straight of Juan de Fuca across from Victoria, Canada. it was raining all day, but we got some grey pictures. November is the month they get the most rain. (It is still raining.)

 We drove around the park on this road and stopped every time we saw a view of the ocean.

This is the last and best picture I got. It was raining really hard and it was getting dark.  (yes, I took this with my little $100 camera that I bought to use while my FinePix is in the shop)

When we got to our place, it was really dark, so it was a surprise when we got up the next morning and went out on the porch and saw the town of Coupeville. It gets dark at 4:30 there.

The wharf it the most photographed, but the town is full of old buildings.

We were still on Texas time so we walked to town before breakfast. (We actually never got off  Texas time.) We went around back of the stores and found the beach.

After breakfast, we found the city park and got back on the beach.

Coupeville is a pretty little town with lots of shopping for tourists and smells great since the "Knead and Feed" was baking cinnamon rolls.

The Park

I don't know why we are so silly,

but we think it is funny to take pictures of each other taking pictures of each other.

At the bottom of the city park, we found the museum. It was small but very nice and the volunteer gave us a private tour and he was very knowledgeable and interesting.

They call this a blockhouse. There are 3 of them in the area and they were used by the settlers during Indian attacks. There are holes in the upstairs to put your rifle through.

There are several state parks on the Island.

It was amazing to find ocean everywhere we went. Our cottage had an ocean view, also. I have been corrected by a citizen of the northwest. This is not the ocean, but Puget Sound. When you're from West Texas, it looks like an ocean!

From the top of the hill

More ocean!

Sunset

There is some agriculture on the island, also.

They put signs beside the fields to tell you what they are growing.

They have some kind of deal where property owners are paid some kind of compensation and they agree not to put anything up that would make the area less scenic.

Basil had to work on the seminar this morning, so I went to town by myself. I had coffee and one of those cinnamon rolls at the Knead and Feed and did some shopping. When I came out of the shops at the wharf, Mt. Baker had come out. It does not rain in Coupeville and the center part of the island as much as the rest of the area because it is in the "rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains".

So, I brought Basil down to see her.

Then we went to the northern part of the island to Deception Pass State Park. This bridge was built in the 1930's and joins Whidbey Island to Fildago Island. They call it Deception because the first person who explored this area did not see the pass.

The day after the seminar we had planned to go to Snoqualmie Falls south of Seattle. It was raining, of course. We took some pictures then drove to Seattle and went to the movies.