Happy Birthday Aisha!

Aisha means lively, woman, and life

Aisha is my niece, the daughter of my brother Duane and his wife Shana.   Her birthday was April 16, I did not forget... but was just busy with Spring Break.    Aisha is the 4th child, she broke the run of boys.  And lucky her, she also has a younger sister.

Christmas 2008

Quite a few years earlier.   You can see they liked having a princess to put pretty dresses on.

From our 4th of July, 2008,  at the El Capitan Beach south of Santa Barbara.

Chance, Easton, Aisha--- Cousins

Boogie boarding with her Dad.

This is right before the big wave came up and buried them.

By that time in the evening the waves were getting a bit rough.

Happy Birthday Aisha.   Hope you had a great one.  With a yummy cake and candles to make wishes.  Because all princesses need to be able to make wishes.  

 Love you,  Aunt Karalene

Happy Birthday Great Grandma!

Nona means Grandmother in Italian and 9th in Latin.

Which is interesting to note that she is Scott's Grandmother and has 9 children.

Today is her birthday and also her son's birthday, Stephen. 

 How very sweet indeed!

A few things to note about Grandma... she has never treated Scott any different then any of her other grandkids.  She has always made him feel that she cared about him.  She has done the same with our two boys.   Chance knows who she is, the Grandma that sends him a fresh $2.00 bill for his birthday every year. 

 She does not miss any of our birthdays. 

 A very special Grandma indeed.

Happy Birthday Grandma!  So loved being able to see you last month.  Thanks for always remembering us.   It means a lot.

Much love on your special day, Karalene

Happy Birthday Grandpa Stephen!

Stephen means Crown

The name is significant to Christians: according to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death and is regarded as the first Christian martyr. 

Chance giving Grandpa a crown!

Stephen is married to Scott's mom, Sara.   He had the hardest job of all, becoming a Stepdad. He managed fine and all seemed to have survived. 

  Stephen is quite handy around the house, but the rumors are that he is so busy it takes him awhile to get the 'Honey Do" list done.   Stephen is a school teacher at an inner city school.  He also has taken on establishing and running the musicals at his school.  Then throw in coaching some sports teams, church work, newspaper rolling for the kids paper route, and making his own sack lunch... and he is quite busy, I must say.   He also does dishes and puts away folded laundry left on the bed.   And makes very good mashed potatoes! 

Something that stands out in my mind about Stephen is a surfing experience from a visit a number of years ago.  We were living in Sunnyvale at the time and had rented a 12 passenger van to take an all day trip from Santa Cruz to San Francisco.  It was a long tiring trip and by the time we got to SF we were spent.   It does go without saying that many people find SF overwhelming for a number of reasons.   But during this trip I found out that Stephen spent some time in SF during his college years and really quite enjoyed it.   He saw the beauty of SF, which is definitely there for those who look for it.   We stopped under the Golden Gate Bridge for a spell and watched surfers catch waves.   It seems a bit unsafe to be surfing in that part of the bay, but I do remember Stephen saying that it looked fun.  "Looked Fun"... what an open-minded thing to say.   He could of said surfing looks dangerous; it is cold, the supports for the bridge are too close, the rocky shore does not look safe.  But instead, knowing that Scott was excited to show him the surfers, he said it looked fun and watched intently.  I know it made Scott feel good.   

To make another point about Stephen on those same lines... his ability to see the good, to enjoy the moment... brings us to his love of meeting and talking to strangers.  Oh does he love that.  It takes a special kind of person to do that.  I believe that he sees everyone as a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father and he treats them as such.   He is the one to go back and give a beggar a bit of money.  He has a hard time seeing another without.

This is Stephen shortly after Jordan was born.  He is wearing a face mask because he has a cold.

(Yes, that is me in front)

I like how he has a hand on Jordan's check-  I think he likes babies.

A week later... 

A month later he had his own newborn daughter, his first child.

Here he is holding Alyssa and Jordan on Easter of 1993

A visit to Wheeler Farm.  Me with Jordan,  Stephen with Alyssa.

Stephen and Sara added 2 more children to their family shortly there after.  

And last, but definitely not least,  Stephen is a kid at heart... he LOVES Disneyland.  He would go often if he could.

The family at Disneyland, Dec of 2007

Happy Birthday Stephen!  Hope you are having a great one.   Thanks for being so good to us and for loving my boys.  Sorry I spelled your name "Steven" on my wedding announcement... ouch that was bad!  You would of thunk the big guy would of caught that when I had him look it over.  Love you, Karalene

Once Upon a Time...

... In a far away land I learned to quilt.   I enjoyed quilting.  

The Christmas of '95 was spent away from home and we did not put up a Christmas Tree.  We were living temporarily in Detroit while Scott was doing training... it ended a few weeks before Christmas.  We then hit the road to visit family during the holidays.  I quilted this large advent calendar that year to take the place of the Christmas tree.  It is my own design.

Always signed and dated my quilts or in these cases... wall hangings.

The next year I made gifts from this pattern.   

This one is mine.

We moved from the midwest to California.  For a bit, I tried to quilt.  

We moved again and I just could not get it together, as much as I wanted to.   I really have no place to create that does not require immediate cleaning up.  To be a crafter of any sort you need a place that you can leave your stuff out.   All my quilting supplies are stored around the home.  Some in my closet, some in the attic, some in the office, some in the linen closet.  

Not conducive to creativity.  

I have resigned.

 I gave up.  

Yes, it makes me sad.  

It is a part of my soul that went missing.

Maybe that is why I like blogging so much- trying to fulfill my creative side.

Happy Birthday Marlo!

Marlo means... 

Well.... apparently it is any one's guess.   

My google search left me confused... the only remotely common word was Lake... but that would be an empty Lake.    The last google hit said it was "A newly invented name".   Way to avoid coming up with a definition... total cop-out I thought.

So let's move on... to how Marlo got her name.   

Named after none other then the 1970's movie star, Marlo Thomas... my Dad picked it.

Marlo is my sister.   I teased her lots and she did not like me.  Then one day I left home... and the teasing... at least from me... stopped.   Many years later she decided I was not so bad and accepted me as an okay sister.  Unfortunately she still remembers the pranks and teasing I dished out.  

Marlo is the fifth of 8 kids.  And needless to say, this is like one of the few baby pictures of her.    She should be glad that she is not sporting polyester like the rest of us...  ha, ha.  But I will tell you, I was very happy to finally have a sister!  It was getting pretty worrisome there for awhile.

After Marlo graduated from HS she came to live with us while she attended the old Utah Valley whatever it was back then.   I also secured her a job at the Good Ol' JB's.  It was so cool to share work stories.  She used her exceptional cooking skills and became the Bakery Chef.   Because of Marlo's placement in the family she was the designated Chef and her culinary skills were fine-tuned cooking for a family of 10 when she was 10 years old.   Anyone that knows Marlo, knows that she can whip up miracles from a can of beans and a few cups of flour.  I know she is thinking right now what she could make with that! 

So after HS, Marlo is living in Provo with us.  And by golly... it was so fun having her.   She helped me tremendously.  Scott was going to school, I was working, and she became Jordan's second mom.

And there were times he preferred her over me.   This is one of the those times.  He was coming down with an ear infection... we were at a wedding and he wanted her, would not come to me.  I took a picture of his betrayal... broke my heart that kid did.

Marlo went on a mission to South Africa.  This is her getting off the plane after being away for 18 months.   Can you see that Jordan missed her?

This is Marlo showing us all the South African wares and goods she crammed into her suitcase. 

She has spent time with Nielson's and Duane's Families.  We decide everyone needs an Aunt Marlo.   She did come back and live with me in California... that was really fun!  This is her birthday, 1999-- the hand in the picture-- Jared's, her future husband. 

She and Jared married in September of 1999 and Brianne arrives in June of 2000.   Brianne is 6 months younger then Chance.

Chance and Brianne, probably that last time they were in the same room together and got along.  Don't they look so sweet!

 Marlo has been very busy with her own family... she has 5 children, 1 girl and 4 boys.  Her husband is now Bishop Jared.   Life just gets busier for her.  

We miss Aunt Marlo, but are glad we could prepare her for her future.  Now she gets to have a babe in lap, one hanging off her leg, one holding to her waist and the last two... hopefully not fighting,  all while she cooks dinner, does laundry, and lifts anothers burden.  

I am thinking that Marlo should mean-- superMoM,  superSiS,  superFriend---  let just say

Marlo means Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Happy, Happy Birthday Marlo.  I admire ALL you do.  Please forgive me for all that teasing way back when.

Love you, Karalene

Warm Air + A Little Smog = Beautiful Sunset

It is back to being cold... yes, I had to put the flip-flops and capris away. 

 And my jacket is back on.

But on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday it was warm... very warm.  It felt like a nice long hot shower and it unthawed my cold bones. 

 It was nice.  

SF was breaking records... by about 10 degrees!  Imagine 92-95 degrees in the SF, so unheard off.  There were no ocean breezes pushing the pollution into the inner valley.  But the result is this beautiful sunset taken from my front yard on Wednesday evening.

Always a silver lining... in this case it is purple, orange, and yellow.

Just for the record, on Monday when I went to work at 11:30, the car's outside temperature gauge read 92, Friday at the same time it read 57.   The kids melted on Monday, they were in shock saying, "It is so hot!" and trying to cool themselves by putting water on their faces and hiding out in the air conditioned restroom.   Needless to say, they had a lot of fun playing on Friday, even though they were saying they like the heat better. 

 How soon they forget.

The Boy and his Dimple can Sight-Read

This is where Jordan and I went after school today.

 CMEA band festival

This festival is the culmination of weeks of hard work by each of the 4 concert bands.  Each group is performing 3 prepared pieces for a panel of 3 judges who will give each group a rating based on their performance. The bands compete against a standard of excellence, not other schools.  In addition, each band will be asked to sight-read a piece unseen and unrehearsed as a part of the overall rating at the festival. 

Waiting to go in for the sight-read... a really awesome experience to see.   In 5 minutes time the band instructor talks them through a previously unseen piece of music.   It is talking, no playing instruments.  After 5 minutes they play it through once and are judge on that performance.  I heard a sight-read judge once say that this is what makes good musicians... being able to go into a studio or whatever and pick up a sheet a music and play well right then and there without any prior practice.  It is their bread and butter, sight-reading.

Listening to instructions at the sight-read.

All done, we are going home.  Isn't it nice that he smiled?  I think he has finally got it... "Mom is going to post the picture so I better make it a nice one."

I like seeing the dimple.  It reminds of when he was born and all the nurses ogling over his cute Kirk Douglas chin...

Because I really like to be Humored!

Okay... there are times I just have to share with you blogs I read.

This one made my day.  Got to love boys!   Click here to go to The Pioneer Women, "Don't Mess with The Bull!"

Happy Birthday Monica!

Monica is an ancient name, possibly of North African or Phoenician origin, and its etymology is unknown. It has also been posited that it may have been derived from the Latin monere, meaning "to advise". Saint Augustine's mother was named Monica, and she was born in Numidia, North Africa, although she also was a citizen of Carthage, hence the possibility it may be of Phoenician origin. It has also been associated with the Greek word monos, meaning "alone".  Saint Monica's feast day is 27 August, and Monica is the patron saint of married women.

Source-  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_%28given_name%29

Monica is my sister-in-law, married to my brother Kirk.   I wrote about them on their Anniversary post here.   We just found out about 3 weeks ago that they are expecting their 5th child... the one that will sway their boy/girl ratio.  The kids are rooting for a sister.  

I just meet up with Monica last week when she was here visiting her sister up the road a bit.   I did not remember that Monica gets very, very sick the first 3 months.   She did say that thus far this pregnancy has been the best, but then right after she got off the phone with me it turned for the worst, by the next day she went to the hospital for an IV.  She felt well enough to still do our schedule Six Flags adventure the next day.   She did look great, amazing what medical interventions can do, but I am sure she was exhausted by the end of our very long day.

  Monica is a very gentle, kind hearted person.  She is always thinking of others.  On our Six Flags adventure she was concerned that Chance and I were not getting enough rides in... being that you are in a group and it takes longer to get around.  I did not mind a bit, I was just REALLY happy to spend my day with them.   But Monica was very, very thoughtful, as always.    

Their beautiful children... 2 girls and 2 boys.

So a while back one of my friends on her blog was talking about birds and how they keep frequenting her home... by getting inside.  It was an unusual case of bird harassment it seemed.  She has 4 pretty blond daughters that look just like their mother.  I told her that the birds must be there waiting for the house full of princesses to break into song.  At least that is how Disney did it.  Princesses = singing with birds.

Well this little experience with Monica reminds me of that.

She was on the Thomas the Tank engine ride with the little ones and while under a tree she felt something in her hair.  She reached up to feel... hence the smeared bird poo in her hair.   Icky... but even songbirds poo... and Monica is definitely a princess they would be attracted to.

Happy, Happy Birthday Monica.  Thank you so much for making my brother happy (and for putting up with him too!).  Thanks for being so good to my family (and for putting up with us also, despite our shortcomings)   Love you,  Karalene

And I found this song for you... however most of it is in Chinese but when he sings the English words he says "Thanks Monica"...  I just really hope that the rest of it makes it a nice song.  

A smash hit in 1984,  Monica 

He Called the Eagle Guy!

Conversation at Breakfast 

Jordan:  "I called the Eagle Guy"

Me:  In shock... speechless.

Hallelujah

 

The Eagle Project is beginning...

You spin me right round, baby, right round like a record, baby

On Friday, April 17, Chance and I went to Discovery Kingdom Six Flags and meet up with my sister-in-law, Monica (Kirk's wife), and the kids, and her sister, kids, and mother.

Because I wrote the cell number down wrong, this was us for about the first hour or so.... Chance alone on the ride.

We went to the Butterfly Garden... it was really neat, Chance liked it.

And then my cell phone rang!  Monica had Kirk call my parents and he got my cell number.  We are together at last.    Here Chance is on Monkey Business... again... but now he has someone to help him spin.   And they went really FAST.

Rachel (almost 12)  and Chance (9) ... Cameron was not feeling well, so Rachel was kind enough to pal up with Chance.

Do you see that sweet little face of Natalie's?  Do not let it fool you... this is right before she spun me around so fast that I was begging for her to stop.  She didn't, I had to grab hold of the wheel and then breathe slowly to keep from throwing-up.  Yep, that bad.  My age is apparently starting to show or is it just insane to go on rides like that?

More pictures... click on "View all Images" if it makes you sick to watch the moving slide show.

It was a fun time and Chance is excited to go back again... sadly it will be just us!

Putting the "outing" in Scouting.

Scott took the scouts on a 3 day hike-- on the Ohlone Wilderness Trail... Fremont to Del Valle, 

April 16-18

A 29 mile journey.

The trail head

These are the tired boys at end of the journey.   See the slide show for more pictures

And not too far from the end of the trail... Scott slipped on the very steep terrain and this is what he ended up with.   Ouch... icky huh?  It is a dislocated finger.   We spent the next 4-5 hours in the ER/ Urgent care.

Despite the injury, Scott said it was a great hike.  

My 2 cents... we had packs in the back of the truck, so outside the ER I transferred them to the cab.  They were very heavy... some of those kids are just little guys!  What a feat!

“The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.” --Isak Dinesen

The day called for a visit to Manresa Beach... near Santa Cruz.   It was about 62 degrees and at first it was a bit too windy and we cuddled in towels and blankets.  But soon the wind died down and we were laying in the sand... soaking in the sun.   I went with 2 friends and our kids.   I put on my I-pod and listen to tunes... since my birthday, that has become favorite beach activity.  Listening to music with the pounding of the waves and watching the beauty of the ocean... Awesome... because you can't read a book and watch kids at the same time.

Chance and friend, Owen.

 SANDwich

See what I mean...

 actually he did not like the Easter Ham that was in it.

Chance boogie boarding

 Chance riding the wave with friend, Holden.

Go Chance....

He loves the ocean... the sand, body surfing and boogie boarding.

He never wants to leave.

Awww... my tunes and the ocean!

  

We really did wear the sombreros!  We did do it for a gag and it was so fun!   

Sun... even though we had those big brims we got plenty of it... bounced right off the sand and gave us a good dose of color.   

We were there for about 4 hours... great fun, great laughs, and great food.   

“The waves of the sea

Help me get back to me.”

--Jill Davis