Fasser Family Blog

We spent a great Labor Day weekend at the La Tierra Environmental Learning Center in Leavenworth Washington. Our neighbors Mary and Spruce got hitched and we spent a lifetime getting to know their friends and parents and celebrating the nuptials. Highlights include morning meditation and yoga in the Yurt, late nights around the fire, listening to Jeff playing the Ukelali and Nolan playing the guitar, the fabulous wedding ceremony, great food, yard games and fantastic conversations.

My photos are below, but here is a link to the photos from the official photographer:  http://www.juliatimmerphotography.com/maryandspruce/

Enjoy the photos!

We love Mazama. Love, love, love it. The different climate from Seattle, the friends we have there, the cabin, the space, the neighbors, the river, the store and the friends we have over. We made a lot of trips over there this summer and had a blast. Some of the fun activities (chronicled in the pictures below) included:

• Our first trip to the pool in Twisp
• The Mazama Mom’s Weekend with all of the kids
• A rafting/tubing trip from the cabin down to the Mazama Country Store
• Disco party in the garage, under the party lights (new boom box!)
• Michelle’s birthday dinner
• Scott and Jackson cutting down their first tree (first two trees that is)
• Lindsay and Scott doing our first overnight camp out Louis Lake (catching fish in the AM!)
• Our neighbors Spruce and Mary visiting the Methow Valley for the first time
• Another dinner and disco party
• Our annual trip with David, Nancy and Roman Harto to the Winthrop Rodeo
• Meeting Kim and Steve who just bought the North Cascades Basecamp – Wonderful people and a great spot for lodging in the Methow Valley – Mazama

Enjoy the photos!

Michelle and I spent a wonderful weekend with her dad’s side of the family down in Monterrey, CA for her cousin’s wedding. The weather was fantastic, the venue beautiful and the company was wonderful. We had a blast. Michelle and I were fortunate enough to be invited to the rehearsal dinner at a historic building/restaurant called Stokes. We sat next to Keet’s Mother’s Twin Brother Bill and his wife Susan and just had a blast. Lots of great food, wine and conversation about their life in Japan, traveling and kids.

The wedding on the following day was in the Memory Garden near the Portola Hotel which was an open atrium with four massive magnolia trees the provided cover and a hanging opportunity for the lights. The service was touching, Erica and Keet were amazing and we got to spend time with our favorite relatives from Santa Cruz including Erica’s Dad and Step-Mom (Ron & Jill Lindsay).

The day after, we had the chance to visit Keet’s parents house in Carmel Valley and thank them for a lovely weekend. The pictures below only tell a portion of the story of the weekend, but wanted to get them online to share.

We love Mazama for New Years! The day after Christmas we took down the tree, took the recycling to the transfer station, ran errands, packed and got ready to go to Mazama! Phil Dietz went to the cabin a couple of days ahead of our visit and tried to turn on the water and make sure everything was OK, but due to the really cold weather (below zero Fahrenheit) and lack of snow (no insulation on the ground) the water pump froze up. He dropped a heater in there, but once that unfroze we had a massive leak coming out from behind the water heater. The pipes under the bathtub ruptured. Luckily Phil’s plumber was available to check it out and he was able to get us cold water into the house (but not to the toilet). Lots of water heating, manual flushing and showers at friends houses ensued!

We had a blast anyhow as The Dennis clan came out to share New Years with us at a big Bon Fire at Phil and Stewarts house, cross country skiing (skate skiing for the kids, classic for the adults), snow shoeing, sledding, movies, food and hanging out. We spent time with our neighbors – Gordie & Sandy Northcutt and Jason & Cathy Ireland plus their two kids – and our Mazama posse – Don and Dana, Phil and Stewart.

Boy, the holiday season was a blur. The kids got out of school three days early due to two days of snow (the got out the first day because of the THREAT of snow – please), I went to Bellingham to get Barbara (my mom) because of the lousy road conditions in Seattle with all the snow and ice and we were lucky enough to have her for some extra days. Unfortunately, Carl (my dad) was unable to come up to share Christmas this year and we have yet (on Jan 7th) to connect with Michelle’s parents and brother yet because they couldn’t come up on Christmas day due to the weather. Anyhow, lots of fun time with the new puppy Lucy (black lab), her sister Carly (the blonde one) who we puppy sat while the Axtel’s were in Florida and a great trip to Mazama (next post). Enjoy the snaps!

We spent a great weekend with Ralph & Andrea Murray, John & Bronwyn Gerberding and Greg & Lisa Latimer at the Murray’s new cabin in Leavenworth. We didn’t have any snow yet at the end of November, but we had lots of kids, lots of food, lots of beverage and lots of fun! We loved the barn and the big play room for the kids upstairs. Check out the pics – Sweet!