#10-4 Super Bowl Sunday 2-7-10

Juliet guards part of the food for the Super Bowl

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Hanging out with great grandpa, Frank and Uncle Collin before the game.

Hi Mom, Hi Gramma, has the game started yet?

The Saints are ahead!! Wow, I’m getting really tired. Guess I’ll just take a nap, now that the game is over. Go ahead and eat everyone, I’ve had my dinner!

See ya in a few hours. Mmmm nap time.

Great grandma, Diane with Dad Allie, My uncles Graham and Collin with Grandma Laurie, Great gramma Dixie and Great grandpa Frank along with my great Aunt, Mary Ann and cousins were at my house for a wonderful Super Bowl Party—my first and the New Orleans, Saints first super bowl win. Wow, what a first week of my birth this has been.

I guess I’ll turn this blog over to Great Gramma, Dixie for now. I’m really tired and just can’t hold my head up. Nighty, nite.

Frank and I are going to have to say good-by to every one in Lancaster. Monday, I went over to Rachel’s to hold Eldon and help Rachel on her first day alone. Allie has been able to spend the first week at home with her and has been a big help.

Bye, bye, Eldon. Great grandma will see you in a few months.

We left Lancaster on Tuesday, Feb 9, before the fore casted storm was to hit late in the afternoon. About half way back to the desert, the engine light came on. We had just entered I-10 from the 215, so we pulled off in San Bernardino. I found a Cummins repair shop near us and we called Good Sam to tow our MH there. We were only 14 miles from Cal-Pacific Cummins, in Bloomington, CA.

The tow truck dropped our MH off at about 4:00 pm in the pouring rain, and even though we couldn’t get it inside a bay, they started working on it right away. They found the water pump was froze up and had to be replaced. This shop works until 11:30 pm, they had the pump in stock and started to replace the pump while we went to dinner. First we had to empty the closet, because to work on the engine, they have to work through the hole in the floor inside the closet. Frank, the mechanic, that replaced the pump ended up working upside down hanging half in and half out of the closet. He finished by about 9:30 pm and even kept the RV clean by laying down paper pads and towels. These folks were more than helpful, they were courteous, helpful and even let us plug in the RV and spend the night.

The most interesting thing we found when we cleaned out the closet and opened the hole to work on the engine, was the body of a cat that had died in the engine compartment. It had been in there for a long time! Frank, the mechanic, removed it for us.

We had to wait around on Wed. morning for the insurance company to finally give the OK to paying for the repairs. We left about 11:00 am, with sunny skies and nice driving weather.

We headed east on I-10 toward Indio, where we parked at the Elks Lodge. The Riverside Date Festival is starting on Friday, and the RV park behind the Elks is full. We got the next to the last space with water and electric. It is the best value in the desert with $20.00 a night parking with water and 30 amp electric. We will have to move the rig to dump, so have to be careful of our water usage.

The weather here is gorgeous. Sunny skies and cool nights. No wonder we like the desert!

#10-3 Eldon John Wayne Iveson comes home! 2-1-2010

We are ready for the homecoming. His first banner!

Allie and Rachel with Eldon. walk in their front door.

Great Grandpa Frank and Daddy, Allie holding him up by his welcome home banner.

He sleeps through all this commotion of homecoming

Great Grandma Dixie gets to hold him for the first time.

Uncle Graham holding Eldon. He calls him “The Duke.” Could it be because of his two middle names?

#10-2 Lancaster, CA – Jan 23 thru Jan 31, 2010

We left Indio, CA on Jan 23, 2010 after spending a week at the fairgrounds during a number of rain storms. As you can see by the pictures below, when it rained in the desert it snowed in the mountains. It was a picture perfect day to travel. Our great grand son is due tomorrow, so we are on our way to the AV Fairgrounds RV Park!

We took the long way to Lancaster, going through the Cajon Pass and part of Victorville. We did not want to take any chances of getting stuck going over hwy 138 at Snow Summit. Better to be safe, going approximately 40 miles out of the way, than to be stuck in a snow bank. There were just little patches of snow on the 215 through Cajon Pass, and the roads were clear. We made pretty good time and got set up at the fairgrounds by about 4:00 pm.

We met over at Laurie’s for dinner and played some WI on her “Christmas Present.” That is really fun. Even Rachel got into the skiing and a game of bowling. Maybe we will have a baby boy tomorrow?

Mother-to-be, Rachel on the WI, Father-to-be Allie watching with Great-Grandfather-to-be Frank. Go Rachel, go!

The only one truly relaxed is Gidget!

Jan 24, waiting, Jan 25, waiting, Jan 26—Ah, Frank’s birthday. We all meet at the Mexican Restaurant, Rachel is uncomfortable, but Eldon is taking his sweet time. Guess he won’t have to share his birthday with his Great grandpa.

Jan 27 thru Jan 29, STILL WAITING!

Jan 30, is Saturday and a beautiful day, so we all meet at the Apollo park for a picnic lunch. Rachel is complaining of back pain, so we walk her all around the lake. She is irritated with everyone, even her dog Muffin. Hey, that’s a good sign.

Sunday morning, 7:48 am we get a call from Grandma Laurie, Eldon has arrived!!!!!!!

Allie took Rachel to the hospital about midnight, She went into the labor room about 4 am. Grandma Laurie was there at midnight, but was sent home until Rachel went into labor. Laurie and Allie were Rachel’s coaches and they said she did really well. Eldon John Wayne Iveson weighed in at 8lbs 13 oz and was 20 1/2” long. We have all decided he has big feet! But he is perfect.

The hospital will only let three people in to see the baby, so great grandma had to peek in the window for her first glimpse of him.

Eldon with his Daddy, looking out the window at great Grandma Dixie.

Everyone is doing fine, but tired. No sleep on Saturday night—good thing it was not a work day! Good timing, Rachel!