Beattyites PLEASE post your Christmas needs and wants!

Hi friends.

I know we all have been away from this blog, which makes me a bit sad. We all are so into our OWN thing lately but we should try to reconnect here at least sometimes! Anyways, this time it's inevitable, because we need an interface/web-place where we can all see each other's Christmas lists! So PLEASE....leave a comment with your wishes! Include big stuff, little stuff, pricey or cheap.....I know none of us has much money this Christmas, but this list will inspire ideas!

Amy and Matt please include the kids!

My two cents.....the teacher and most-kind Jesus is the reason for the season. He was the tiny baby that came from the sweetest love of all. If you aren't a believer, at least remember at this time of year how lovely it would be if the world had unconditional love, and maybe think of something kind you could do that's out of the ordinary. I like the Winter Solstice celebrations too, but I really mostly love how Christmas inspires people to be kind to each other. Even if in parking lots in the shopping madness not everyone heeds the call.....:) In the end, according to Jewel, only kindness matters. It's the true meaning.

Thanks all

Adrie

Down to the Lodge

Can you remember where and when this was. Take a look at Matt's pics on Flickr for the full (so beautiful) view of the scene. So memorable

Flickrtime

Hey dudes mikie again.

Just wanted to let you know I've been putting my pictures of late on Flickr, so if you have any desire to scope some of my ventures have a looksee. Can't wait to see y'all next week!

Mikie

Hey guysos

Just wanted to let you know that Beattyland is back up!

http://beattyland.blogspot.com

Little 3 week old Joey

Well here is the little tyke after about 3 weeks from momma's womb. Ain't he the cutest. Don't ya just love his little voice/cry that you barely hear when his little body is uncovered. The video could be better (the captured video was better and so was the sound sync before loading on You Tube) and the sound is out of sync but I'm working on that. The important thing is the little lovin-spoonful JOEY. Now he's is a big ole stout of a man, but we still love him just like back then.

Don't ever grow up, but he did--sigh!!

Like Mikie has said before, there isn't much activity on our Beatty blog, so I figured I'd add to it more ofter. Here is Joey at 1.6 yrs old talking up a storm, well so we thought. He did get help from an active/talkative family. His mom has to take him away for a car ride for a nap(little audio sync problems, but nothing could be cuter).

Mikie singing alma mater

Here is Mikie at 5 yrs old singing the Carriage School alma mater. What a squirt.

Addie in bed

Here Addie is just laying around checking out a camping book, looking forward to our upcoming campout at Ice House. Woops, got Mikie in at the end

Matt's 8th grade graduation and friends

Matt has received his graduation certificate and a savings bond (lucky) Joey shakes his hand. Heather and Kim congratulate Matt and some of his classmates are included in the final few video seconds. Matt has always been up there in humility!

Joey's Kindergarden Christmas party 1992

This video features Joey's class doing the 'chicken dance'--Joey has a cute little partner that maybe only he remembers the name. Anyway cute kids, esp. Joseph

the buffalo bus

thebuffalobus.blogspot.com

check it out...joey and emily's new blog for their own musical projects together.

matt, could you link it to the sidebar of our beatty blog please?

thanks and i love you all!

somewhere sandy beach maybe

This picture kills me. There better be an afterlife where my families can be together, dang it.

I heart the Beatty's.

That is all

There's a whole lot more where this came from.

Summer Blog - you asked for it Adie

Make SURE to read Adie's blog before you look at these, since this is a response to hers!! It's the one before mine :)

OH NO! We can't let the Beatty Blog die.

Dearest darlings.

Feelings of nostalgia have overcome me on this beautiful, warm, sweet July night. I can't say how strange and sad it feels to not have gone on the hike with you all. And currently, with Dad and Matt and Amy and the kids at Yosemite, I feel far away. Of course I am not, I am here, in the region of the Beattys...and just saw Mom and Heather in the last hour. But I feel faintly wistful of something....perhaps it is that yearly something we have made so much of for so many annuals now....this year it didn't really happen the way we have made it happen before. I know little sections of us did, and as far as the hike goes you brave folks ALL DID except me, but for so many years EVERY LAST ONE of us has gone up to Twin Lakes, or Rock Creek, or Mono Pass, or Fallen Leaf Lake, or Havasu, or Glacier.......and needless to say, I terribly miss the freedom and drama and fun-ness of a true wilderness adventure for days on end with the Beatty gang. We can't let the tradition fade guys. NEXT YEAR LET'S DO SOMETHING BIG FOR SUMMER.


Let's all pick the dates at Christmas and we will tell our jobs "look you dumb work. Either I get to camp with my family for these specific dates this summer or you have ONE LESS EMPLOYEE." Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it. And let's make it caravan-style again. Wild and horribly timed with hour long stops at gas stations and pull-overs to wait for the so and so car. Let's go to Wyoming! Or Havasu again! Or Four Corners! I don't know.....but somewhere GRAND. And let's Beattify the road along the way, complete with laugh attacks, horrendous group photo sessions, diddly-daddling, grouch shenanigans, the whole bit. It's that stuff itself that is the stuff of greatness in our family. And I want some of it again, soon.

And also, I really miss Mikie. I miss his loud announcements and his fierce ideas and his absolutely insane driving that leaves me gripping the edge of my seat (MIKIE DO NOT TAKE THAT IN A BAD WAY!!!!) I miss his undying and infamous love of the Beatty's altogether , his tales of river raft guiding, his wistful dreams and absolutely determined dissatisfactions, I miss his girl problems or lack of them maybe at the moment, I miss his singing loudly in public down ocean piers, I miss his lack of fear, his instantaneous temper, his pure infatuation and love with certain sceneries and moments, his extreme opinions, his danged HEARTY smile. I really MISS MIKIE. I get pieces of everyone else lately....fractions of Joey, fifths of Heather, shards of Matt and Amy, edges of Mom and Dad.....but where there was once a full-beating heart and an ocean of emotion and wonderment there is now a big void.....MIKIE, when can you come home for a long time? Or even a weekend or two more? I didn't get to see you! I didn't mean to not answer your call on the 4th of July...I was beside myself with worry for my cat-kid. I wish I would have seen the fireworks with you, but instead I saw a fox.



CAN WE PLEASE make sure that for our next summer adventure we are all in contact about the plans continuously, each of us verifying with all five siblings and their significants (or not) that we are all in touch with the knowledge about dates and places. I might even have to verify it to my new tiny baby! JUST KIDDING!

And OH HEY, as a last ditch effort to SAVE THE BEATTY BLOG can we all maybe post some photos, totally random ones, from past summer trips that are from 2003-08? On the blog, not flickr? We have so many Havasu and Glacier ones up for grabs on blogs and on Flickr...but I for one would love to see some oldies but goodies and it might be a nice way to re-ignite Big Beatty excitement. I know we all have our branching-out Beatty blogs, but this big one is really quite important. This is the stump on the family tree, this is the trunk and bark for all our heritage to know. I for one have been quite bad at writing any blog in the first place, much less keeping up the whole fam damily one but I AM GOING TO TRY to post more bits and pieces. Anyways, my late night thoughts. How dearly I love you all. Mom, that includes you (because you are always sort of left out of these summer adventure entries)....and oh hey, when are YOU gonna go on the family HIKE/ August-camping mania trip ??? :) Seems it might be SOON I hope, what with you canoeing and all as of late!



And we're off.

Camping

Hey guys - First read dad's amazing post below

and then check out my question:

There's been some news that family camping trip is going to now take place on the 4th of July weekend. Unfortunately that means that myself (and Adrienne?) cannot make it.. so is this finalized and in stone? Should I plan that?

Let's discuss. Those sequoias have been waiting hundreds of years for us and I don't really wanna miss this

Beautiful--Spring has sprung

Addie planted the tomato plants right off my back porch and also a pepper plant and an oregano plant and until just the last few days they have been stymied somewhat, but seem to be taking off now. So I have been noticing many other wild and not so wild plants enjoying the limited sunshine, but are also now doing well. Adrienne also somehow started (last year I think)some orange/red poppies out at the front of my place along with the already yellow poppies that came up. She also planted a little artichoke plant last year and it is flourishing over in the Depello property. Anyway these are pictures of some of those plants and I tossed in a picture of Eddy sleeping as I load stuff on top of him as he carries on with his nap (I tease him relentlessly). Oh and I picked up a decent Kelty backpack yesterday on sale. I guess I just was loving the beauty of spring (never have paid much attention in the past) and all of the miracle of life all around (even Edd---in the last few days he has brought in 2 baby snakes, 2 lizards, and a bat--only the bat didn't survive; the rest I snuck away from him and put back outside).

Poppies and Iriss are beautiful (poppies close up tightly at night and then open up when the sun shines)

Addie planted this artichoke plant at the Depello's last year
(6" high then) 8 artichokes
on this one now

I'll wake up one morning with hops taking over

Hops working up back window

Eddy sleeping anyhow

Hops vines starting to cover the window

And My new Kelty backpac

Birthday gal with pink feather and all.

The kids are having so much fun RIGHT NOW!!! Bella came home from school and asked when she is going to have a real party? I said - I don't know? She came up with a brilliant plan. WE should have the party today, with the slip and slide and invite everyone I know!!!!! I said, OK. Go across the street and get Briannie. So EVERYONE is here. I have heard Bella say- this is the best party ever.

Little miss is a little afraid of all the fun to be had

Oey has made his claim on the little spiderman pool at the end

Jumping over how cool it is

Getting brave

Jarom has been the leader of course. Our hose doesn't fit the slip in slide so jarom has been master of the flow. Likes to surprise them - high water, low water, oey does not like this. It has been good though. They have had to use team work to have fun and hold the hose in for each other.

This is for Adie. Jarom has been over the moon for his little plants. He was so worried about them the whole time we were gone. Who's going to water them? The very first thing he does when he gets home from school is go straight to his plants. He is so in love with them. It's really cute.

Thanks again for the awesome gifts. I can tell this is what we are going to be doing all summer. I can hear them now. They have made up several games already. Jumping off tables to slip and slide. Rolling a huge ball down the slip and slide- like bowling. Jarom has got grand prizes for the winners. A nice glimpse of my summer to come. One week and counting!