Black Sea Cruise #1 - Canals and Bikes!

There are many nice things about living in Portland but one of our favorites is PDX, the airport.  It is often rated as the top airport in America and we have no argument with that!  Getting to Europe, Africa and the Middle East is easy from Portland because there is a direct flight from PDX to Amsterdam.  It leaves in the early afternoon and arrives in Europe the next morning with plenty of time to catch a connecting flight.

Because we procrastinated getting our flights to Istanbul for our Black Sea Cruise we had to spend the entire day in Amsterdam.  Rough duty!  I knew that there was no way I was staying at the airport for 8 hours when that amazing city is just a short train ride away so we got off the plane, stored our carryon luggage, got a train ticket and we were off for a day of adventure.

Two words - bikes 

And canals!

Oh, and two more words - Nightwatch!

It truly is magnificent!  We walked from the train station to the Rijksmuseum and all the way back to the station.  A fun way to take a break, get some exercise, experience a beautiful city and enjoy some art masterpieces!  

Then it was it was off to Rome and Istanbul!  The real adventure begins!

Thanks to all our Veterans - Especially my Daddy!

My Daddy, Jake Gates Montgomery was in the US Navy during World War II, serving on several different ships in the Pacific.  He never ever talked about those days.  I know he was in several battles and that he was in the fleet that sailed into Tokyo Bay when the surrender papers were signed.  I thought about that when I was in Tokyo last year.  Other than that I know practically nothing about his military service prior to my birth.  I'm setting a goal to do some research this year and find out more about his service during the war.

But for this year I'm just sharing some fun photos I found of him in uniform!

 

This is standing in front of my Grandma's house on Center Street in Lonoke, Arkansas, my hometown.  I remember this house although it has since been torn down.  That is my Daddy in the middle with his mother, Maudie Clementine Sullivan Montgomery Finch and sister Sadie Montgonery Patty on his right.  On his left is are my two aunts Maudie Finch Moore and Mary Finch.  I think the little girl in the background is my cousin Joy Montgomery Cummings.

 

This one has the date of 1942 on the back.  He is on leave standing on Waikiki Beach.  Wow!  Wouldn't it have been amazing to have been in Hawaii when it was like this? High-rise hotels take up all that beach front area now!  Looking good Daddy!

 

I just love his happy expression in this one!

 

And here he is in London!  This is probably 1953 when he was in the fleet sent over to honor Queen Elizabeth's coronation.   Daddy was on his way back when I was born.  Moma says that he arrived at the hospital when I was a few days old.  It was in the middle of the night but I was wide awake to greet him!

 

Thanks to Daddy and all those who served to make us free and keep us free!

Great Aunts

When Tammy married Richard 6 years ago we added a whole big family of nieces and nephews and great nephews.  They are all darling kids both the grown up ones and the little ones.  In these last few years several new little ones have been added to the family.  Unfortunately we don't get to see them too often.  One of the fun things about my recent trip to Utah was getting to spend time with newest great-niece Annie Pearl!  She is only Tammy and Richard's second granddaughter in a gang of little grandsons and she is adorable!  Beautiful and personality plus! I just loved getting to know her a  bit!  All her Lewis Great-aunts did!

 Fascinated by the lights!

Grandma Tammy adores her!

 Great Aunt Katherine gets a snuggle!

Better not leave out her adoring Grandpa!

 And although it was fall in Provo....

 Tammy and Richard picked these tomatoes from their garden!  Amazing for November in Utah!

 Aren't families the BEST?

Last of a Generation

George's Aunt Barbara Lewis died last week.  She is the last of his parent's generation on his Dad's side.  Because George has been gone so much recently he wasn't able to go to Utah to attend the funeral so I went and I'm glad I did.  George's brother John couldn't go either so I got to spend a couple of days with my sisters-in-law Katherine, Tammy and Karen and spend time with many of the Lewis cousins.

Aunt Barbara was truly 'one of a kind'.  I think the motto for her life could be, "everyone in the world is a potential friend....and when someone becomes my friend they are my family."  Sunday 'Cousins' dinners have been a tradition at her home since George and I were at BYU in the 1970's!  Cousins were defined as 1st cousins, 2nd cousins....36th cousins and their roommates, potential marriage partners, someone you sat by in class....anyone and everyone was made welcome and fed by our gracious Aunt Barbara!  

Years ago we were at Aunt Barbara and Uncle Ben's home for a 4th of July celebration.  An unknown car pulled up in the driveway and Aunt Barbara called out a cheerful greeting to these people that she had never seen before in her life.  Actually they were lost and looking for another house.  Aunt Barbara gave them directions to the home they were seeking and then added, "But come on in.  We have plenty of food."  And she meant it!  They would have been welcomed and loved!  That is just how she was!

Tammy included this in her weekly family letter:

 My parent's generation were an amazing generation of people and it is sad to see them go. I miss their influence, values and common sense. 

My Aunt Barbara’s funeral was lovely. My cousin, Jim was putting together her life sketch on election day; so he sent out an “Exit Poll” to the extended family to gather memories and thoughts about Barbara. He did a great job incorporating all the comments into a picture of her that he and Linda shared. Aunt Barbara was a character, and had a fun way of expressing herself in a way that never offended. People she didn’t particularly like were “stinky”, or she would wish them well by saying, “bless their black little hearts”. And when someone had been teasing her in some way, she would say, “I love you too”. And she did. We always knew she loved us. My other cousins Lew, Greg and John all talked, and the common themes in her life were love, service, and joy – mixed in with memories of her great food. John talked about his 5 year old self asking his mom every day at lunch to “tell me a story”, and even though she couldn't talk in her last days, he wove in what he saw around her room and the stories of her life that it told. Beautiful funeral, beautiful people. I am grateful it gave us an excuse for me to hang out with my sisters. 

Thanks Tammy for expressing our feelings so well.

And for Cousin Julie in Rome - here are a few photos I took of the extended Lewis Clan.  We missed you Julie but were glad we got to visit with David and Kathy and Fred!  Fred is a very handsome young man!

 Richard and Tammy, Mary and her son Taylor, Lew and Grace, Linda, Greg and Kathy, Kathy, Karen, Katherine, Louise, me and BJ!

Tom and Sheryl and Ralph 

Greg and Karen and Tammy

 Lew and Karen and Tammy

 Elaine and Joyce

 Lew and Grace and grandson Walter, named for George's Dad

 All of Lew and Grace's family

So happy to have been a member of the extended Lewis family these last 39 years!  My life has been blessed by my  association with this talented, intelligent, unique, fun bunch!

Chocolate Cake

We just got back from a 2 week Black Sea Cruise.  Between the two of us we have about 5000 pictures!  I promise not to share them all!

One of the best parts (and also one of the worst parts) of a cruise is all the delicious food!  Yummy but I was afraid that I'd have to buy sweat pants to wear home!

Almost every single night George had chocolate cake for dessert.  The waiter would laugh when he handed George the dessert menu and tease, "You don't really need the menu do you?"  When we got home he said that his body was craving chocolate cake every night.

I refuse to bake a chocolate cake because then I would just eat it....but I did find this little alternative for Halloween!  It helped wean G off his nightly habit!!!

George's Birthday Gift

For George's birthday Johnny arranged for him to test drive a BMW I3, which is their new electric car.  George pronounced it a 'fun little car.'  Not too practical for us since we have no way to recharge it in this apartment complex and it can only go something like 80 miles before it needs a charge but it was really great to drive around for the day.  Electric cars are perfectly quiet and BMWs are so smooth to drive, plus this one had all the 'bells and whistles'.  George really enjoyed it!

I do like the bright orange color.  Perfect for these cloudy Oregon days!

Thanks Johnny for a very thoughtful birthday gift!

State Champs

Scott has been working hard for the last few months coaching a high school soccer team in Boise. And they won the Idaho State Championship!  1-0!!!  Way to go Coaches Scott and TJ and Timberline boys!   Also the team won the Academic State Championship with an average GPA of 3.73.  I think that is quite impressive!  Smart group of young men!

We are so glad that in September we made a quick weekend trip to Boise to see the team play.  I still find myself wondering when Scott is going to go in the game!  My eyes are immediately drawn to the tall blond kids!  Years of watching for my own tall blond soccer players is ingrained in my brain!

George and I were particularly pleased to read this in the Idaho Statesman:  

During its three game tournament run, Timberline’s great advantage was ball movement and superior possession in windy conditions.  Its talented and technical midfielders smoothly interconnected with strong, calm defenders and aggressive forwards. Every single player was a difference maker at various points during the tournament.

We like to think that Coach Scott had a hand in training the boys on 'ball movement and superior possession'.  He certainly learned that style of play during his 5 years of playing  in Spain. And he was definitely a talented and technical midfielder himself!!

Just wish we could have been there to celebrate with him!