We are back from a wonderful weekend on Shaw Island where we held our first Swil Kanim Foundation Board Retreat. We arrived around noon and the retreat started at about 2pm.
We were able to get a taste of Swil Kanim's Elements of Honor Workshop so that all board members would understand the process and what happens in the workshops.
We also learned about foundations and how they work and the theory behind it.
Later in the evening we all had the priviledge of attending a Shaw Island community potluck.
The potluck was actually a 'send off' party for a family that has been on the island for over 6 generations. The family was moving on to another chapter in their lives. It was beautiful to see the whole community gather to celebrate the family and the love that everyone has for them.
Swil Kanim played a beautiful piece for them along with Joe Bowen on flute and drum.
It was a wonderful thing to witness many community members as they came one by one to the microphone and thank the family for all they had done for Shaw Island.

We spent Sunday in full Board Meeting mode and it was so very productive and we were able to solve some issues and communicate the work needing to be done.
It was such a great productive weekend and we are excited about the future plans that are being set in motion. Some great fundraising events and concerts are in the works and I can't wait to share them.
The Swil Kanim Foundation has much work to do and much help and funding is needed but we see the great potential of what this foundation will do for the 'honor of all'.

A very eventful day. Swil Kanim headed out early this morning for Seattle with his cousin Candice. They attended the breakfast at The Westin with Vice President Joe Biden. After the breakfast they had some fun and went to the Lummi Blackhawks basketball game.
I spent the day rearranging the house and chasing Sofia around.
I was feeling a little overwhelmed with bills and never being able to catch up or get ahead of them. I looked out the window and was blessed to see a beautiful full rainbow reminding me of God's promises. I felt more at peace after that beautiful gift.
In the evening Swil Kanim and I relaxed and enjoyed the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. We were both in tears as we watched four ice sculpture totem poles immerge from the floor and representatives from the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-waututh and Lil'wat aboriginal host nations welcomed the crowd. After that was the biggest drum and drum circle I have ever seen involving aboriginal youth from across the country, Inuit, Metis and the First Nations of the Prairies, the North and the East. They drummed and danced as the athletes of the 82 nations filed in.
Swil Kanim was overwhelmed seeing all the Native representation. He had received a call from his daughter who had seen the ceremonies and she told him how proud she felt to be a Native American. He was so unbelievably happy to hear that from her.
What a great, beautiful, blessed day!

The Beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass,
speaks to me.

The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of the sky,
the rhythm of the sea,
speaks to me.

The strength of fire,
the taste of salmon,
the trail of the sun,
and the life that never goes away,
they speak to me.

And my heart soars.

Poem by Chief Dan George

We got back from Port Angeles after a great trip. Andre and Swil Kanim played for a sold-out crowd and were very well received.
We decided to stay the night after the concert and found a nearby KOA. We had our granddaughter Sofia(1-1/2yrs old) with us and she had fun being in the RV.
It was a long drive home for her and she didn't care for being in her car seat for so long.
We are all happy to be back home and now it is time to catch up on e-mails and other important business.
I am happy to report that I made the decision to cancel my MYSPACE and FACEBOOK accounts.
It was a very hard thing to do but I am finding that I have more time to get things done. My focus seemed to always be drawn to what was going on in the Facebook world. It seemed like the only solution for me was to just get rid of it. I can now get back to blogging about what Swil Kanim and I are doing in our travels, Swil Kanim's music and also the Swil Kanim Foundation.
There is a lot of work to be done and we are enjoying every bit of it. We are so very blessed in the gifts that God has given us and we are dedicated to honoring those gifts.
We are finding that God is taking care of our every need and we are so very grateful.

We are heading to Port Angeles today for a concert with Andre Feriante.
It's a good day to travel but a long drive. Our granddaughter, Sofia will be going with us so it should be an interesting drive.
We have heard that the concert is sold-out or close to sold-out which surprises me since the concert is during the superbowl! I guess I shouldn't be surprised since it is Andre and Swil Kanim. They tend to draw a crowd wherever they play.
I am looking forward to the day and looking forward to the concert.

The new website is up and running. www.swilkanimfoundation.org
The Swil Kanim Foundation is a non-profit organization established to help support Swil Kanim and his efforts to continue his work in schools, rehab centers, alternative schools and other organizations that dont have the resources to bring in positive influences, speakers and/or entertainers.
We are so blessed to have this foundation in place. Most of all we are grateful for the many people that made this possible.

August 10-14
We are attending the Youth Leadership Forum at The Evergreen State Colleg in Olympia, WA.
We have been asked to be a part of this great event every year for the past 3 years. It is one of our favorite events to be a part of. The staff and the students are the most beautiful people and we look forward to it every year. Swil Kanim always makes a great connection with the students and we both enjoy learning from everyone that attends.

June is here and I havent posted in ages. I think I have too much on my plate. It's hard to share thoughts and feelings, especially for someone who keeps everything bottled up inside.
So, I will try my best to get things 'out there'.
Swil Kanim has been keeping busy and once again gave outstanding performances at the Penn Cove Water Festival and Northwest FolkLife Festival.
The festivals are always a good kick off for the summer and it feels good to be out soaking in the warmth of the sun.
He has a few performances coming up but most are for conferences. He is collaborating with the Everett Symphony and they have some projects coming up and in the works. Barry Manilow donated 45 violins to the Everett School District. What this means is that the Everett School District will once again have an orchestra or strings program after 25 years without one.The gift also means that elementary students on the Tulalip Reservation will have a strings program for the first time ever.The launch of the Prelude Strings program is scheduled for September and is geared to fourth- and fifth-­graders at ­Tulalip Elementary School and ­Hawthorne Elementary School in Everett.
Swil Kanim will be working with Ron Friesen, assistant conductor with the Everett Symphony, in talking with the kids at Tulalip and Hawthorne Elementary about music programs.
What a great project!
Look for a possible concert at Everett Symphony with Swil Kanim being the featured performer.
I will keep you informed either here or on his website http://www.swilkanim.net/

Tuesday, March 24th

Swil Kanim was invited to perform and tell stories to the Pre-school kids at Eagleridge Elementary school in Ferndale.

The morning class was a great class of 4 year olds all with very active imaginations.

We spent the first hour just interacting with them and being a part of their normal routine.

They were the most adorable kids and the teachers all work so well with each and every child.

When it came to story time Swil Kanim told them the Tree Story and tried his best to hold their attention. He soon realized that he needed to make things simple and to the point. He played them Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and showed them that the melody was the same as the Alphabet Song. He then divided them into two groups and had one group sing Twinkle Twinkle and the other group sing The Alphabet at the same time. They had fun trying not to mess up.

After the morning class was over we took a break and then came back for the afternoon class which was mostly 5 year olds. It was another group of beautiful well behaved kids. We had such a wonderful time with them. Swil Kanim told this group the Tree Story and they seemed a little better able to grasp hold of the story and the songs. They sat quietly and listened attentively and then interacted really well with his humor and his questions.

After the kids went home we took a break and then Swil Kanim performed in the Cafeteria in the evening for the parents and kids of the school.

It was a long day but a very rewarding day. We both love days like that. We are doing what we both enjoy and meeting wonderful people along the way.

What a Blessing! We are so grateful for everyone who made it possible for Swil Kanim to come to the school. A big THANK YOU to Masa DeLara for the invitation and she deserves to be acknowledged for the wonderful job she is doing with the pre-schoolers. Thank you Masa for the work you do!

Saturday, March 21st at the Historic Admiral Theater in Seattle:
Three musicians and a painter. It was a great concept and a great night of entertainment at the Admiral Theater. Andre Feriante, Swil Kanim , Eric Fridrich and muralist Glenn Case took the stage and each one gave their artistic best.
The musicians played tag team on stage each giving the audience some of their best compositions while muralist Glenn Case created a beautiful work of art that represented the nights music.
It was a wonderful artform for both the ears and the eyes, with each song touching the heart.
The Admiral Theater will be hosting more of the events in what they have called The Listening Room Series.
Hopefully they will have these gentlemen back soon.

Well here it is February and it has been a while since I have blogged.
Swil Kanim performed with Andre Feriante February 13th along with some other tremendous talent. The list includes: Eric Fridrich; Jazz Pianist Overton Berry; Steve Thoreson; Cellist Paulo Cesar; and Steve Kim along with Pffft dance theater company.
It was a remarkable concert filled with the most amazing music and artistic expression.
Andre's playing is truly puts you in a trance. This concert is Andre's annual Valentines event held at The Benaroya Hall in Seattle which is a beautiful recital hall.
It was a wonderful night and it was so good to share it with so many of our friends. I was so very proud of Swil Kanim. He really shines on stage and he played his new piece called 'The Healing Touch'.....it was absolutely beautiful.
I will post a few pictures later on.
A great BIG THANK YOU to Suzann McLamb for volunteering to sell CD's and TREE Shirts for us! We appreciate her generousity!

We have had a wonderful week. We were able to take some time off and spend some time on Shaw Island with our friends Keith and Sue Jefferts. They have a wonderful home on the island and a cute guest house right on the beach. Chrisi and Sofia were able to come along with us.

We only stayed at the guest house for one day when the water froze up. Sue (The Master Manifester) moved us to another guest house which was Bill and Mimi Gates guest house.
They graciously let us use their home for the rest of our time on the island. We had such a wonderful time. We attended the annual Christmas Play put on by the kids from Shaw Island School, and we had some wonderful dinners at the Jefferts home. There was a lot of snow on the island and Chrisi's car got stuck at Sue and Keith's driveway so we had to get her some chains. It was good to spend time with Chrisi and Sofia in a beautiful setting with some wonderful people. We stayed for about 5 days and then headed back to the Seattle area.

We have been parked at a KOA campgound in Kent surrounded by the snow. We haven't been able to get out much so we have been getting cabin fever.

Swil Kanim did perform on Tuesday for the Muckleshoot's Christmas Party. It was a fun event with LOTS of food and lots of people.

I realized yesterday that I didn't get a Christmas Stocking for Sofia for her First Christmas and I was stressing out about it. My Mom made a stocking for Chrisi's First Christmas and I wanted to carry on the tradition. We weren't able to go anywhere so I resorted to items I had around the RV.

I started with a pair of Levi's jeans that I wore out and I cut the leg off. Then I cut the back pockets off. I had a few little felt stocking ornaments that I had hung in the RV and I sewed one onto the leg. I used felt from other items and made Sofia's name and also a patch in the pockets.

I didn't have to do much sewing, just sewing the pockets together and then to the leg.

It was a fun project and I am happy with the thought that Sofia will now have a stocking made out of jeans that her Grandma once wore...... I am a JEANIOUS!! haha!

We will spend Christmas day with Chrisi and have a wonderful Prime Rib dinner.

We weren't able to buy any gifts but that's not what it is all about. I am thankful for the gift of a daughter who made it through a very dark time. I am thankful for the gift of a healthy beautiful granddaughter. I am thankful for the gift of a wonderful loving husband. I am thankful for the many many friends and family that love us, take care of us and support us.

I can't ask for anything more!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

December is just flying by faster than I want it to. It is quite hard to get in the Christmas spirit when you live in a small motorhome. I tend to forget that it is even approaching. This is the time of year that I really get homesick for the home we 'left behind'. Today I am really missing our big rock fireplace. It is super cold and I miss the sounds and smells of a crackling fireplace.
It has been over 2 years since we sold everything and I think it may be catching up to me.
The motorhome seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Winter is the hardest time to live this kind of life. Being cooped up for long periods of time in a small box can get to a person after a while.
We will be heading to Duncan BC tomorrow for a performance and heading back the next day.
When we get back we will be heading to Shaw Island to see our friends Sue and Keith. Chrisi and Sofia will be coming along with us. I look forward to going to Shaw, I think the break will help my cabin fever. Winter has just begun and I already feel cooped up......man....it is going to be a LOOOOOONG winter!

Tonight we attended the Whatcom Family and Community Network Awards Dinner.
Swil Kanim was the recipient of the Community Building Award for outstanding contributions to increasing community caring, empowerment and connections that improve the lives of children, youth and families. Boy that is a mouthful!
It was a wonderful evening and dinner. We invited Leroy and Ann Carlson to come along with us and it was good to share the evening and dinner with them. There were many individuals and groups that were presented with awards for their contributions and commitments to community. Gene Tagaban was also a recipient for his work at community events linking people together through heart and spirit. Unfortunately he was out of town and unable to attend. Swil Kanim was asked to perform and close out the event. He blessed us all with his beautiful words and a beautiful new song. He spoke from the heart as he always does and I was touched by his words and his new song. I am so happy for the acknowledgement and accolades he is receiving these past few months. He is such a wonderful man with a beautiful spirit, a blessing to many and a heart of gold.
Congratulations and Many Blessings to you, my dear sweet Husband and friend!

Well, now that we are 'home' we have been busy catching up on things and visiting friends and family. We spent a few days with my daughter Chrisi and granddaughter Sofia. It was good to spend time with them and step into my new role as a Grandmother. Chrisi is doing a great job in her new role as a mother and I am so proud of her.
Swil Kanim had a couple of performances last week. One was for the Customs and Border Protection in Blaine, WA. He performed for some of the workers and we had a great time talking and connecting with them. We are hoping some of them will come to First Friday in Bellingham.
Also, he did two performances for the Lummi Nation School. The first was for Kindergarten thru 6th grade and then 7th thru 12th grade. He did a great job in holding the attention of the Kindergarteners and yet still reaching the 6th graders. That's a tough crowd to perform for but he always pull it off.
After those performances we were then done for the week and were able to enjoy Thanksgiving with our friends Rudy and Liz Chapin and their family. Chrisi, Svet and Sofia were able to join us and it was great to have them with us. Sofia was an angel the whole time and she got to enjoy the taste of some mashed potatoes! She didn't particularly care for them though!
After everyone left, Swil Kanim and I stayed and played a few rounds of Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Swil Kanim gave up after the first song......he's not much of a musician! HAHA
I gave it a try and found out I am not much of a drummer but a helluva guitarist.
It is always fun to hang out with the Chapins. They are a beautiful family that we are blessed to have in our lives.
I forgot to mention that we were able to attend a great production - THE WHIZ - in Mt Vernon at the Lincoln Theater. It was directed by our good friend Suzann McLamb and she did a tremendous job. We are so proud of her! The whole production was truly amazing and the cast was outstanding. I have to say it brought tears to my eyes!
We are currently in the Burlington area at a KOA campground after spending the day with the Bowens. We had a great time going bowling with them and then having an incredible steak dinner prepared by Lindsey.
We sure do have an incredible group of friends and family.
Today (Sunday) we are just taking it easy watching some football and catching up on e-mails, CD requests, Tree shirt requests, Website updates and all that fun stuff! I hope I can get caught up!

After 41 days on the road we are 'home'. We are now in Renton spending some time with our Granddaughter Sofia. When we first set out on our cross country trip Sofia was still in the hospital. It is so good to be able to hold her in her home setting.
Chrisi, Sofia and I spent Thursday shopping at Target while Swil Kanim enjoyed a relaxing day at the RV park. I think he was very glad to just sit and do nothing for a change.
I enjoyed just bonding with Sofia. Swil Kanim and I bought Sofia some cute little moccasins at the Film Awards and they fit Sofia perfectly. They were absolutely adorable on her little feet.
Also, the little booties that I crocheted while on the road were even cuter than I imagined on her.
Chrisi LOVED them and wants more in different colors.
We will be staying here until Sunday and then heading to Mt Vernon to attend THE WHIZ.
Our good friend Suzann is the director and also our friend Lindsey and her daughter Adia are part of the cast. We are excited to see this production which is getting very good reviews.
So, now that our trip has come to an end, we can't believe how fast it went. But, we are sure we will be heading back across the country soon. Our journey has just begun!

Day 39 and 40 - Monday and Tuesday

We are on our way back 'home' and just going through the motions of driving.

Monday we didn't get too far before we pulled over at a truck stop in the afternoon and wound up staying there all night instead of driving on. I managed to either catch a bug or eat some bad food so I was not feeling well. I slept all afternoon and all night and we woke up early this morning (Tuesday) and headed back on the road. We stopped in Medford OR to get our rig checked out. The check engine light has been flashing on and off so we got that check out and got an oil and lube job. Swil Kanim's allergies attacked him at about the same time that I was attacked by whatever bug I have. We are glad that the 'bugs' decided to get us AFTER all the performances.

A funny thing happened on Sunday that I thought I would share. We had lunch at a Chinese restaurant and talked about our whole trip and all the wonderful things that had happened. It seemed like wherever we went there was some significant event that happened. After lunch we opened our fortune cookies. Mine said: "Keep up the good work. You soon will be rewarded financially." I started laughing and asked Swil Kanim about his. His said: "You will be unusually succesful in an entertainment career."

We both looked at each other and just broke out in laughter. Swil Kanim said "Well, its all a part of this journey!" One Blessing after another, one confirmation after another!

We are now in Eugene OR at an RV park and we are trying to recover from our bugs so that we can be healthy when we go see our little granddaughter Sofia.

We can't wait!

The sunset photos are from our view at the RV park in Pacifica CA.

The RV was getting worked on today so we snapped a picture of it on the lift.

And the fortune cookie picture is blurry but I had to try to capture the moment!

Day 37 and 38 - Sat and Sun

Saturday was a great eventful day. We attended the reception luncheon for the filmmakers, actors, directors and performers. It was a great luncheon and we re-connected with people we hadn't seen since last year. A lot goes into the planning of the film festival and film awards and Michael Smith and his wife Cynthia and daughter Mytia go above and beyond in their work and efforts to put this event together. They have been doing this for over 30 years....God Bless their efforts!!

After the luncheon Swil Kanim and I left to get to the soundcheck. We were parked about a block from the restaurant and as we were leaving we saw a crowd of people with signs and police cars heading toward us on the street. We couldnt continue forward as they took over the whole street and they were coming straight at us. As they got closer we found that we were right in the middle of a protest on the ban on gay/same sex marriage. We couldnt do anything but sit right in the middle of it as they surrounded our RV. We gave them the 'thumbs up' signal which made them erupt in cheers. The 'parade' seemed to go on forever. Bailey was barking at them and they were all coming up to my window to pet him. Finally after what seemed like 30 minutes (but probably more like 5 minutes) the parade ended. We slowly drove around all the police cars and made our way out. WHEW!!

We then arrived at the Palace of Fine Arts for the soundcheck and got our merchandise table setup and got our CD burner setup to print out more CD's. Gene arrived just in time for the soundcheck. He brought a gift for us which was a beautiful wood flute. He said we needed to have one in our RV. I LOVE IT!

So Gene and Swil Kanim hadn't discussed what they were going to do for their performance so they found a dressing room and sat down to figure it out. I decided to not sit in on their creative process. I would rather be in the audience and not know what to expect. I am glad I made that decision!

The awards show started at about 6:30pm and Swil Kanim and Gene were scheduled to be the first performers. After introducing a few films and acknowledging supporters, Swil Kanim and Gene were introduced. Gene came out wearing his regalia and Swil Kanim in his usual attire.

They started their performance and the audience fell silent. Swil Kanim spoke of his struggles of 20 years ago and being an angry abusive man. I have posted the video I shot with my cell phone which captured the performance. We will be getting the better footage that was filmed by the Film Institute later but I will post what I have for now.

The response from their performance was amazing. During the intermission we had many people at our vendor table commenting and thanking Swil Kanim for his words and Gene's story.

I was standing in line to get a snack and Jerry Jacobsen from FOX Entertainment Diversity Development was standing in front of me and we started talking about Swil Kanim's performance. He loved the performance and was expecting Swil Kanim's usual humor and was pleasantly surprised to see the serious side of him. He had contacted me about three years ago about getting Swil Kanim to perform for his colleagues at FOX but scheduling got in the way.

He said he was very interested in making it happen and wanted me to send him some videos of Swil Kanim performing. It was good to re-connect with him and maybe we can get our schedules worked out this time.

The awards show went on into the night and ended at about 11pm. I saw some great performers and really loved CRYSTAL SHAWANDA and her song YOU CAN LET GO NOW.

She has a beautiful voice and that song is a real tear jerker! I believe she won best musical video for that same song.

After the awards were over we all decided not to attend the after party. We were all just too worn out. We took Gene along with Mike Pierce and his wife to their hotel and then headed back to our RV spot.

Today we are just going to take it easy, watch some football, take a walk on the beach and wind down. Gene got a round trip airline ticket so he wont be joining us on the trip back. We were a little dissappointed not to have him along....we have such a great time when he comes along.

Our cross country trip is coming to an end and we are just basking in the glow of all that occurred. We are so Blessed. Although home is where we park it, we are looking forward to getting back to Washington state. I am really missing my daughter and needing to hug that little grandbaby of mine.

Day 35 and 36 - Thurs and Fri

It has been a long two days. Thursday was the worst of the trip. Going through Wyoming was nail biting. The winds were blowing at up to 75 mph! Swil Kanim said that driving the RV through that wind was like trying to drive a styrofoam cup. We started out really early on Thursday (at 6:30am) in the hopes of getting a lot more miles in. About a half hour into the trip the winds were gusting unbelievably hard. We came upon a truck that had just been blown over by the wind. Another truck had stopped to help and we attempted to do the same but it was blowing way to hard. We kept trekking on and within another 5 minutes we came upon another truck that had blown over! It was unbelievable! We kept going at a pace of about 40mph and after about an hour and a half we made it to a truck stop and pulled over to rest our nerves and eat. We talked to some truckers and some said we should just keep going. As long as we go slow we should be okay. So we continued on at a turtles pace and blowing all over the road. It was quite a LOOOOOONG drive! We finally made it out of Wyoming and into Utah. It was still windy in Utah but not as extreme as Wyoming.

We got as far as we could and finally got too tired to continue so we found an RV spot and got some rest.

We headed out this morning with great weather and NO WIND! So we got to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Utah. I have to say that it has been one of my favorite states to drive through. I love the texture of the landscape. Nevada was not too spectacular scenery wise but we enjoyed the nice weather. After finally getting into California it seemed like it took forever to get through Sacramento. There was a lot of traffic and congestion everywhere. To me it felt like the longest part of trip was getting from Sacramento to San Francisco. Then we had to drive through San Francisco to get to the RV park and of course traffic was at a stand still.
I was so ready to get parked and just relax.

Tomorrow we will be picking up Gene at the airport and attending the reception for all the actors, producers, directors and performers. Then Swil Kanim and Gene will head to the sound check and then the awards show. It will be interesting to see what those two will come up with for their performance.

That's it for now.... my brain is tired!

Day 34 - Wednesday Nov 12th

Today was another good day of travel. We got a very late start from Odessa, Nebraska. We wanted to get a run of CD's made and also rinse out our tanks.

We finally left around noon and we stopped in North Platte, NE at a Flying J truck stop to fill up.

While we were filling up a couple stopped and asked Swil Kanim about the RV. They (Jeff and Tina Bullock) were traveling with a 5th wheel. They noticed the Tree Logo on the back window and asked if Swil Kanim was a musician. The gentleman happened to be a songwriter from Nashville and they have a home in Wyoming. Swil Kanim asked them if they would care to have lunch with us. They had already eaten but joined us anyway. It was a great conversation and we had a great time getting to know a little about them and their adventures. Jeff told us some great stories and Swil Kanim told them some of his stories. We all talked about meeting people in our travels and how there are no coincedences. That we all run into people for a reason.

I'm sure we will cross paths with them again. We exchanged contact info, gave each other hugs and said goodbye.

I am so thankful for the people we met on our paths. Thank you Jeff and Tina for the great conversation, it was so good to meet you!

After that stop we headed back on the road and ran into some strong winds in Wyoming.

We got horrible gas mileage from the head winds and after getting blown all over the road we decided to call it a day and stop in Laramie at a KOA campground. We didn't get as far as we planned but we also know that God has His own plan and its much grander than ours. So, we are thankful for the delays.

We got a call today from our friend Gene Tagaban and he is planning on flying out to San Francisco for the Awards show, if he can find a good flight. We invited him to stay with us in the RV to save money and then he will drive back with us to Bellingham. It will be good to have him aboard. Swil Kanim and him together make for a very interesting trip! They crack me up!

Frog-n-Raven back on the road again!

This should be interesting!

Day 33 - Tuesday Nov 11th

Happy Birthday Swil Kanim!!
Happy Anniversary Mr. Marshall!
Today was a good day of driving. We did run into a little rain but nothing too bad.
We traveled North out of Missouri and then up through a tiny portion of Iowa and then headed West through Nebraska. We thought we were going to go West through Kansas but wound up going farther North than we thought. I had hoped to go through Kansas and be able to go throught Hays and Colby. Hays is where my daughter Chrisi was born and Colby is where I went to High School. I guess there probably isn't much to see there anyway....especially if you're just driving through.
We ended up stopping in Odessa Nebraska. We found a small Motel/RV park just off the highway. It's kind of run down and looks like it's been here forever. The man at the desk was in his farmer overalls and was just as cute as can be and very welcoming. He reminded me of my Grandpa, just a good old down home man.
After we got settled in Swil Kanim received a phone call from our good friends Ann and Leroy.
They sang Swil Kanim the Birthday Song and then followed it with The Happy Anniversary song.
Then right after he got off the phone it rang again and it was our friends (more like family) Joe and Lindsey Bowen and their two little daughters Adia and Alexandra. They were all singing Happy Birthday to Swil Kanim. It was the cutest, funniest thing. Then, believe it or not, right when he got off the phone it rang again. This time it was his Mom and she had everyone in her house sing Happy Birthday to him. It was crazy!! It almost seemed like everyone got together and planned to call him one after another.
The best part of the day for him is that earlier in the day he received a text from Stephanie that said "Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary"
I think this was probably the best birthday he has had in a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time!!

We were planning on getting some CD's made tonight but I am looking over at Swil Kanim and he is out like a light. I think I will let him sleep.