Happy Birthday Baby #2

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Northridge earthquake. It happened exactly 15 years ago early in the morning. We were sleeping soundly all 3 of us in our own beds, Mike and I in ours and Eliza in hers and then the earth shook. I jumped up on the bed and ran across and jumped down, Earth still shaking; grabbed Eliza from her bed; Earth still shaking; stood in doorway for what seemed like hours and finally the earth settled. The only problem, when you are 2 1/2 weeks overdue carrying a 10 lb. 2 oz baby jumping and running are rough on you. The earth may have stopped moving but my body decided that 5 in the morning was a good time to start labor. Mike on the other hand tried desperately to convince me that maybe it was heartburn and all I really needed was more sleep; Nope. Not gonna happen; and this is why tomorrow, January 17th Miss Grace will be turning 15!  Strange. There are parts of that day that I can remember like they were hours ago and yet I can hear her and her friend discussing boys and fashions and bad hair from the loft. Where did the time go.  Let's see.....She's been to Utah and Hogle Zoo, Went camping in Malibu and took a life altering tumble (sorry kiddo, I still have guilt from that one), she took an airplane trip to Mexico for a winter vacation with family, even had a cool boat ride. She only ate beans and rice on that trip but at least I know now that it won't hurt. She moved 2000 miles away. Made friends with Libby, became a brownie, was diagnosed with a little health issue, learned that m & m's give you special powers and can enable you to stay very still in MRI machines, went to Junior high; learned to play the clarinet, made countless trips back and forth from Illinois to California; moved back to California; took her first plane trip without her parents; started high school; took a trip without family to go to Championships; learned that maybe traveling with family isn't soo bad after all; and the boys, soo many boys, Dylan, Austin, Nick, Cort, Scott.......the list goes on. Well, I guess maybe lots has happened. There seems to be fewer skulls these days. Yeah. Happy Birthday Baby.

Miss Liza has been accepted to BYU Idaho!!!

New Year's Post

Ok, here is the deal. I have sat at several computers over the course of the last week with every intention of posting one of those glorious and insightful New Year's Posts. Well, it's official. It ain't gonna happen here. I've started a few times. I have even gotten about 1/2 way through but I just can't seem to tie it up in a pretty package and post it. So, here's the problem. There are a few things going on that I can't seem to steer my focus from. There's Mike's dad being, well, it's not really ill. He is starting his second round of chemo and I worry about the girls watching him go through this and how they are handling it. Then, there's Catie. She is seeing a surgeon at the Children's Hospital this week because she has a problem with the soft tissue in her hip. Then, there's the whole work thing. I enjoy what I do, it's just the hours, well, they suck!! So, the New Year has great potential. I have printed out 246 pictures to work on scrapbooking.  I have vowed to get myself in better condition, scrapbook 3 pages a week, read the Relief Society lesson for Sunday even if I am in Primary and GET MY HOUSE CLEAN. So, please know that I appreciate all of you that peek in here and all of you that think about us. I just am a little overwhelmed and poignant words escape me today. But, later this week when I begin scrapbooking and talking about the love of a Crock pot and working moms. Then we will talk. ;) 

The After-Christmas Kunundrum...

Well, our Christmas has come and has gone. Tomorrow I return to work, while 1 kid is off to Magic Mountain, 1 to the mall and one is quickly becoming obsessed with the Wii. So, when do you take down Christmas. I mean there is a village in the family room, nativities all over the main floor of the house, various snowmen and dancing things all over and the tree, where to begin with the tree. It is pretty, lots of shiny ornaments, and the dogs have no interest in it, it is fake, it's not a fire hazard well, not until probably July when it becomes overcome with dust. So, here is what I was thinking. Take it down a portion at a time. So, I reviewed it with those I want help from. The result...Christmas may still be up next Thanksgiving. So, it's coming down one piece at a time. I am shooting for repacking something every night this week. Although I have to be honest I do have snowmen in the garage to sprinkle around for winter being that I am going through some serious cold and snow withdrawal. Mike got me a Willowtree Nativity for  Christmas last year and the Creche this year and since I didn't get to even take it out of the box last year because we were moving and I love where it is, it may be out a little longer. Well, it is cold here by the standards of those who wear shorts all year but really it's just chilly with the occasional opportunity to wear a light sweater. To those of you in the frozen cold please know there is at least one person out there who is truly jealous and would change places with you in a heartbeat. Happy New Year All. ;)

Merry Christmas!!

I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas. We spent Christmas eve with Mike's family, and there were quite a few people there this year I must say. We had dinner, visited and there were gifts all around. We do things a little different with his family because there are so many siblings, 8 most with spouses and kids, we do a rotation of who is giving to who. I think for the most part it does OK. Some are more generous than others and some have a very small memory. We stopped by, not really it is another county afterall, my parents house for a late snack of crab and beef wellington then off to home to open the customary Christmas eve gifts of new jammies, don't want pictures for posterity to reflect that one day last spring you touched up the paint in your pj's cuz you didn't think anyone would notice and now you are forever explaining that yellow spot.  Anyway, new jammies, egg nog or hot cocoa and the reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas. That was our Christmas eve, Oh, I did manage to put in 1/2 a days work also. Christmas was different for us since we were here in California and no longer in Illinois. I think it is clearly noticeable in the new jammies. And, yes, it is warm enough for them. We spent today with my family. There were gifts, snacks, dinner of prime rib and stuffed potatoes, cookies, candy, a nap and more visiting with family. Oh and I did work diligently at getting pictures of all who were there. So, this year the loot was intense and we will now spend the next week trying to find a place for the new waffle iron, cast iron roasting pan in RED!!, a new phone, clothes for all, and so much that I can no longer sit in the living room we just stroll past and appreciate the generosity of all who love us.  I truly hope you all were able to spend the day exactly the way you wanted. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

A VERY LONG WEEKEND...

OK, so this was an exceptionally long weekend for us. We had 2, yes, count them, 2 thanksgiving dinners, black Friday shopping, a movie, a trip to the airport, and best of all, some much needed catching up with family.

First I must say, the pic has nothing to do with anything I said in the post, but I can never find a time to use it and it cracks me up. Since I haven't downloaded my weekend yet, here is Mike and I at the L.A. County fair, wishin the corn field was real. OK, so the weekend started with a trip to the local Mexican restaurant with my m.i.l and one of Mike's sisters. So, I hadn't been to that particular restaurant in years, it was ok, but just that, ok. We did have a good visit. We worked out some of the plans for the weekend and discussed current medical plans for a sick family member. I love having teenagers that give us the opportunity to do things like that. Thursday we spent the early part of the day resting, OK so I slept until 10. It was fabulous. It was the best present I have received in a while. Mike made 2 pies for his parents house and a green bean casserole and then a green bean casserole for my parents house and rolls, just plain white rolls. But, he makes excellent bread. Anyway, the "lunch", or 2 pm feed, was at my parents house. We visited for a while. It was nice to be here for thanksgiving, after all, it has been 11 years since we were here for thanksgiving. We then traveled over to the in-laws for the "dinner" feed, about 5ish. We had more turkey and all the rest that goes with it. But it was funny because Mike proceeded to get the mayo from the fridge and decided this was sandwich time and made himself some turkey sandwiches on homemade rolls. We also had tons of family to see especially Steve and Jennifer who were here visiting from Reno. It was so much fun to see them and the kids had a blast.

I then managed to get roped into Black Friday shopping. I don't get up early, I hate getting up early that is why I keep the hours I do. Anyway, I shopped with mom and lil sis and they bought lots and I bought some and that is about all I can say about that since I know I have little visitors periodically. Anyway, the many cousins played the afternoon away and then again on Saturday but Saturday we found this really cute scrapbook store near Ontario Mills. I will be going back. They had these really cute kits for little books and I would like to get a different one made for each of the girls. We also saw BOLT. I liked it. It is cute and it has some funny parts and if you have ever had a hamster or something you put in one of those hard clear balls, you will get a good laugh out of the hamster. He RoCkEd!!

Anyway, today we closed our weekend with church this morning and the afternoon with my parents. Everyone does their thanksgiving leftovers different. Mike's mom, homemade turkey and noodles, My mom, turkey enchiladas. I will take either any day of the year. This year the enchiladas closed out our weekend. Thanks mom you rock! Anyway, I am working on my list of 100 things I am thankful for and with a very ill family member and spending time with so much family this week it has certainly helped me prioritize my list. I hope however you spent your weekend you enjoyed it and spent it surrounded by those most important to you, except Mike, he had to work and those guys aren't the ones most important to him, that title is reserved for me. ;)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

I've spent the last couple of days thinking about this post and have decided that, in following the advice of a blog I periodically peek at, simple is best. So, Happy Thanksgiving. I have a friend who is trying to make a list of 365 things she is grateful for, I have decided to follow her lead and try, well my list is nowhere near 365 but it is growing. Aside from the basics, family, friends, house, weather, I have added, the lowering of the price of gas, clean matching socks, the sounds of my girls ENJOYING each others company, the rain washing away the charred smell from the brush fires. This just to name a few. Whether you spend your day serving in a soup kitchen, watching sports, playing with your family or stratagizing tomorrows shopping trip. I truly hope you have a day filled with all you could hope for. Enjoy and love to all! ME;)