Not Just Another Jones

Spirit Week 2012 -- Dress Up Days

2012-02-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

Spirit Week is an annual event at Redding Christian High School. It is a week of competition between the classes that includes crazy games , spirit change competition, float construction, and dress up days. Here's a recap of Lyle's dress up days from last week:

Monday -- Dress as something that starts with the first letter of your name
So, for Lyle it was an "L" so Leprauchan:

Tuesday -- Elderly Day

Wednesday -- Group Day
The seniors dressed like Star Wars characters:

Thursday -- Lumberjack Day

Friday -- The usual, Purple, Black and White (Spirit Day)

Shakin' It Up

2012-02-13T10:41:00.000-08:00

Got a call from Hilary at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, and she had experienced her first earthquake. Here's the story:

5.6 quake strikes north state

A magnitude-5.6 earthquake struck northeast of Eureka and was felt in Redding at 1:07 p.m. today. Initial data from the USGS puts it at a depth of 20.4 miles and inland between Eureka and Crescent City. No damage or injuries had initially been reported in Eureka, according to the Eureka Times Standard.

“(At first) it felt like the wind,” said Social Sciences Department office assistant Elmer Rodriguez, a psychology major at Humboldt State University in Arcata. “(Then) it felt like we were bouncing up and down, like a free fall.” The earthquake lasted about 15 seconds, Rodriguez said. He and other university staff, faculty and students took shelter. “I was in the doorway,” Rodriguez said. “Everyone was under their desk.”

A Night At The Oscars

2012-01-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night, Lyle attended his school's dance. The evening included a delicious buffet dinner (which included steak, which pleased Lyle VERY much), ballroom and swing dancing, hanging out with friends, and lots of laughter and fun. They had an "after party" at Brennen's and stayed out until 1:00 a.m. :0)

Lyle invited Paige to go with him. She doesn't go to his school, but Lyle and her have been friends for a long time and she knows a lot of the other kids in the senior class.

I took these pictures before he left. I admit I am prejudice, but my son is one handsome guy! :0)

Side note: I must admit, as he drove away, I felt a little sad knowing this would be the last dance he would attend at Redding Christian High School. Graduation is coming WAY too fast!

Because I am a scrapbooking/blogging moma, I MADE him take the camera with him and ask Paige's parents to take a couple of pictures:

A Rainy, Cold Sunday Afternoon

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

This, I tell you friends, is the life!!
Photo courtesy of Lyle Jones Photography

A Safe Place

2012-01-18T11:25:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more frustrating than knowing you have something and not being able to find it when you need it. I do this all the time. I put something in a “safe place”. Then, when I want it, I can’t remember where that "safe place" is. :0)

I searched and searched today for a piece of paper I vividly remember putting in a “safe place” a few weeks ago because it was sooooo important. I’ve stopped looking, realizing that my paper is indeed VERY, VERY safe since I can’t even find it. The good news is that I found Lyle’s debit card that I put in a “safe place” a few months ago and hadn’t been able to find.

Does anyone out there relate to this? If I’m this bad at age 52, what will I be like at 72? Sometimes I think my brain leaves me home and goes out to lunch:

Double Bummer

2012-01-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

One Flat Tire = BummerTwo Flat Tires = Double Bummer

While Lyle was in school on Thursday (between 7:00 and 11:30 a.m.) someone punctured two of his tires (and we found a nail in the third one). When we took the tires to Les Schwab, they found not one but two puncture holes in each of the tires. I find it difficult to understand why people vandalize/destroy other people's property.

Fly to Jesus

2012-01-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Through waterfall tears (which is why I couldn't find a better picture than that one taken at my 50th birthday), I write this blog post. I said my goodbyes today to one of the dearest people in my life, Ken Kinnier. Soon we'll walk together on that road of grief, surrounding each other, lifting Mrs. Kinnier and her family up, celebrating his life. So much pain, so many tears, so many memories.

Before I left his room, I sang part of a song:

And with your final heartbeat,
You’ll kiss the world goodbye,
And go in peace and laugh on glory’s side.
So fly to Jesus.
Fly to Jesus.
Fly to Jesus and live.

Yes, he’s headed home to Jesus soon. No more Huntington’s Disease. A blessed reunion with family and friends who have went before. His finish line is in sight, a well paced race ran with determination and endurance. And there is no doubt in my mind and anyone else who knows Ken Kinnier, that he will hear Jesus say, “Well done!” So, Mr. Kinnier, fly to Jesus and live!

Perfect Does Not = Wonderful

2012-01-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS QUOTE:

I have spent my whole life, it seems, trying to be perfect. The perfect daughter, perfect mother, perfect friend, perfect wife - not to mention keeping a perfect house. I was raised to always do my best, with the understanding that my best was perfect, therefore anything less meant I hadn’t done a proper job. Of course, no one demanded perfect in my household but me. Still, I have a hard time letting it go. I can’t help it. I think it is my job, somehow, to make the world orderly and clean.

I don’t want to believe in perfect anymore. I think it is a good time to shed the shell of perfection and grow a newer, more flexible one to carry me through the second half of my life.

The Best Present Ever

2011-12-22T17:01:00.001-08:00

People say that "the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach." From my experience, it is the best way to any person's heart. The gift of food is awesome! It doesn't cause clutter and one size fits all! It is a gift of service and allows the cook in the house to give a gift to the rest of the family - a good meal!

I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy having dinner prepared for them by someone else, especially during this busy, busy time of the year! And that's just what we got as a Christmas present from Mike and Marci Martin - homemade spaghetti sauce and noodles. It was delish!! Thank you Martin Family!

In Memoriam

2011-12-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

June 23, 1933 - December 1, 1997
My Daddy was kind, compassionate, caring, friendly, helpful, loyal, easy-going, faithful, hard working, funny, handsome, brave, dedicated...and the list could go on and on. One of the things he did best was loving people unconditionally! Yes, he was so many things to so many people, but to me he was just my Daddy, and I was his little girl (even after I was grown).

Time does heal, but the hole left in my heart 14 years ago is just as big today! I miss you, Daddy!

12-Step Program

2011-11-21T10:20:00.000-08:00

I admit I am addicted to Junior Mints Peppermint Crunch. I also admit that I just finished my 9th box, and it is not even Thanksgiving. Oh my goodness!!!

Last night I commented that I might need to enter a 12-Step Program, and my husband quickly replied: "Yes, stay 12 steps away from the cupboard!" :0)

The Lunch Ladies

2011-11-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

Don't know how many of you have read this before, but I LOVE it!! Wanted to share it with you all. Here's to a good laugh today!

A group of 15-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet for lunch. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Dairy Queen next to the Ocean View restaurant because they had only $6.00 among them and Jimmy Johnson, the cute boy in Social Studies, lived on that street.

10 years later, the group of 25-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet for lunch. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the beer was cheap, the restaurant offered free snacks, the band was good, there was no cover and there were lots of cute guys.

10 years later, the group of 35-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet for lunch. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the cosmos were good, it was right near the gym and, if they went late enough, there wouldn't be too many whiny little kids.

10 years later, the group of 45-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet for lunch. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the martinis were big and the waiters had tight pants and nice buns.

10 years later, the group of 55-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet for lunch. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the prices were reasonable, the wine list was good, the restaurant had windows that opened (in case of a hot flashes), and fish is good for cholesterol.

10 years later, the group of 65-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet for lunch. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the lighting was good and the restaurant had an early bird special.

10 years later, the group of 75-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet for lunch. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the food was not too spicy and the restaurant was handicapped-accessible.

10 years later, the group of 85-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet for lunch. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they had never been there before.

Boys Will Be Boys

2011-11-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

Boys will be boys...and men will be boys, too!! There must be some advantages to working at a construction company with all men, but I haven't discovered any yet! :0)

Arrived at work on Thursday afternoon after running a lot of errands, and I immediately headed for the kitchen to get a water bottle. But, I saw something better...

When I opened the lid, this is what I saw. Of course, they got the "reaction" they wanted and thought it was sooooooooooo funny!

"Why did they have a dead rattlesnake on ice in an ice chest?" That was my question too. Well DUH - because they were going to take it home and cook it!!

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

2011-10-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

October 15th was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. I debated whether to share this post or not, but decided tonight to hit the “publish post” button.

I can remember that day in 1989 like it was yesterday. I took a pregnancy test that morning, and it was positive! After 4½ years of marriage, Bob and I were going to have a baby! We were sooooo excited, but waited a few weeks (until after my first doctor’s appointment) to tell our family and friends. And then…it happened.

I was at work and had just finished eating my lunch. I stopped to use the bathroom before heading back to my desk, and that’s when I saw the bright red blood. I went home to rest but ended up in the emergency room later that evening. Oh how I wished July 26, 1989 had never happened. That morning I had awoken pregnant, wondering whether the baby was a boy or a girl. Later that night, I had lost that baby through a miscarriage.

As Christians, Bob and I believe that life begins at conception. Our unborn child was not just a fetus or a “piece of tissue”. In Jeremiah 1:5 God says, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb…” This was our baby, and we were devastated and broken-hearted. I cried and cried. I went through a few weeks of “self blame”. If only I had done something differently or not done something I wouldn’t have miscarried.

Miscarriage is death. It brings with it all the agonizing grief that comes with losing a loved one. But there are no funerals. No memorials. You don’t get sympathy cards and bereavement time. Life goes on.

Miscarriage is a taboo subject; it makes people uncomfortable. People didn’t know what to say, and sometimes they say things that undermined my grief: “You can always get pregnant again,” “These things happen for the best,” or “You were only 9 weeks along.” Others just avoided us or avoided the subject. I think society, in general, is callous about pregnancy loss. But if nobody ever tells people how much it hurts, how are they to know that miscarriage is such a big deal?

Going back to work that next week was hard. I sat in my office chair, stunned, grieving, and facing a pile of work. I wondered how the world could go on when I had just lost my baby. My mind wondered things like: Would it have been a girl or a boy? Would our baby have looked more like me or Bob? What would we have named him/her? Will I be able to get pregnant again? Will I have another miscarriage?

Although some people thought it was strange, Bob and I chose to do something to honor our baby – our first child and our parents' grandchild. Since it was going to be mounted on Bob's dad's headstone and be next to Bob's mom's, we chose for it to say "And Our Beloved Grandchild.":

Thank you, blog readers, for letting me share this story with you. As most of you know, I went on to get pregnant in November of that year and had a beautiful, healthy baby in August of 1990 (and another one in April of 1994). Still, Bob and I have never forgotten our “first” baby and look forward to meeting him/her in Heaven someday.

Who Knew?

2011-10-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

According to yahoo news, "October 5th comes roughly nine months after New Year's Eve, so it is probably no coincidence that it is the nation's most common birthday..." Can you belive that? If you don't believe it (like I didn't), you can watch a video about it at this website:

http://news.yahoo.com/who-knew/most-common-birthday-26813075.html

I know this is probably toooooo much information, but I guess my parents were busy celebrating New Year's Eve on January 1959! :0)

P.S. Thank you to my dear brother for sending this information to his little sister!

Wise Words

2011-09-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

Maybe it will surprise some of you that I am a fourth generation and 35 year member of the Grange. Yesterday, while reading my California State Grange Newsletter, I came across these words written by Barbara Geiger, who is the California State Grange Chaplain:

"There comes a time in your life when you walk away from all the drama and people who creative it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is part of life, getting back up is living."

Wise words!!

Ethan's New Girlfriend

2011-09-24T16:18:00.001-07:00

Got an e-mail from Ethan this morning with a picture of his ~~new girlfriend~~ girlfriend's new look! :0)

First Day of Autumn

2011-09-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

REALLY? SERIOUSLY? It's the first day of Autumn! Someone needs to buy Mother Nature a calendar that says, "Autumn Begins" on the little September 23rd square. Kim, you are excused (if you want) from commenting on this blog post because I know you LOVE the hot weather!! :0)

In spite of the weather, I am going to change my blog background to something fun for fall!

Rock Around The Clock

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

When I was looking for something on my computer the other day, I found this video of Romona Black and I dancing along to the 50's music on my juke box! Thought you might enjoy a "laugh for today".

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas...

2011-09-20T09:00:00.001-07:00

I’m dreaming of a White Christmas…already!! Each fall, Redding Christian School has an All-School Musical at the Cascade Theater in Redding. RCS students 3rd – 12th grade can audition for the musical. This year, they are doing White Christmas, a musical based on the 1954 film. There are 50+ kids in the production. The dates are October 28th at 7:00 p.m. and October 29th at 11:00 a.m. They will also be doing a matinee on Friday morning for area schools.

Lyle is playing the part of Phil (Danny Kaye in the movie). He is very excited to have a lead role. He has many, many lines to memorize and songs and intense dances to learn. Lyle and several of the other cast members are even learning to tap dance. Practices are four days a week for three hours a day, but Lyle is loving every minute of it!! Here’s a picture taken at practice the other day:

This will be Lyle’s last RCS All-School Musical. :0( They started doing these musicals in 2005 (when Lyle was in sixth grade), and he has performed in all of them:

• Schoolhouse Rock Live!
• Anne of Green Gables
• Alice in Wonderland
• Music Man
• Beauty and the Beast
• Oliver

If you live in the Redding area, please try to come. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

A Night on the Town

2011-09-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

Last night, Blaine and Colleen Hudson (our boss and his wife) took us out for a night on the town!! The Hudsons took us to dinner at Outback and then to a concert at the Cascade Theater. It was Randy Linder - A Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was awesome, and we enjoyed ourselves sooo much.

I commented on the "older" crowd, and Bob reminded me that Proud Mary came out in 1969 (42 years ago). My favorites - Proud Mary, Midnight Special, Heard It Through the Grapevine, Looking Out My Back Door, Up Around The Bend, On The Corner, and Susie Q.

Randy Linder even had the same hairstyle as John Fogerty:

photos courtsey of www.randylinder.com

Wrong Worship

2011-09-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

OUCH!! A little convicting (especially "I Surrender Some")!!

Keep Her!

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

After we had moved Hilary’s belongings into the dorm, organized some things, had lunch and toured the campus, we made a trip into Eureka to pick up some last-minute things at Target. Then we took Ethan and Hilary to dinner. That’s when it began to hit me…I am actually leaving my daughter 3.5 hours from home. This isn’t a sleepover…I am leaving her at college. I was very quiet at dinner simply because I didn’t trust myself to talk without crying. When we dropped them back off at the school, I must admit I shed a few tears. I quickly volunteered to drive for awhile (you know you can’t cry very hard and see to drive at the same time) . As we were leaving the campus, we drove past her dorm building. I looked up at the window and thought to myself, “She’s in there…embarking on her future.” Thoughts swirled around and around in my head as I drove.

Our children come to us for such a short time. Eighteen years. Maybe twenty-one. Sometimes they become “boomerang children” and come back to live with us again for awhile. But they’re not meant to stay. They are always leaving.

I must admit that it’s not easy to let them go. You can read the books or attend the classes, but it doesn’t make it any easier. From the very first moment I met my daughter in that delivery room 21 years ago, I have wanted to keep her safe. Keep her warm. Keep her happy. Keep her healthy. Keep her! It is hard to accept the fact that I don’t get to keep her!

She’s not mine, though. Hilary was created by God to change the world. That is the sweet and beautiful truth. He has plans for her. He calls her by name. He has engraved her name on the palms of His hands. He knows the number of hairs on her head. He treasures Hilary. He loves her. He keeps her.

And because I know He keeps her, I can let her go.

Humboldt State University - Part III (The Campus)

2011-09-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

So, blog readers, want to go on a little tour of Humboldt State University campus? HSU stands for Humboldt State University and also stands for hills, stairs, and umbrellas. They told us that Humboldt has more stairs on their campus than students -- 15,000 stairs (and only 7,500 students). :0) Anywhere you go on the campus, it is either uphill or downhill. After walking uphill, we encountered these stairs. I was EXHAUSTED after our tour!! You should be glad you are going on this "blog tour" instead.

This is the Student Center/Cafeteria, known as the jolly giants common or the "J" for short. The Cafeteria is 1/2 mile one way from Hilary's dorm. I, personally, would build up quite an appetite just walking to the "J".

When you drive up to HSU, it doesn't look like the typical college campus. My first question was, "Where are all the classrooms?" Well, they are nestled and hidden in the trees:

Here's the Library:

How would you like to have an 8:00 a.m. class in this building? The stairs going up to this building are something. (This building was built in 1921.)

This is the Campus Bookstore and courtyard area. Last Wednesday they had a Club Fair in the courtyard area. You could go and check out all the campus clubs.

They have beautiful walking trails at one end of the campus. Nice trails and benches along the way.

Okay, for the sports' fans, here's a picture of the arena where the HSU basketball games are played:

The football field (go HSU Lumberjacks!!)...

The indoor pool...

They have a Student Recreation Center that the students can use for free anytime they want. There was 3 rooms filled with all kinds of machines.

They even have this rock climbing wall...

Well, thank you for joining me on this tour. It is a beautiful campus!

Humboldt State University - Part II (The Dorms)

2011-09-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

WARNING: PICTURE OVERLOAD!!

In the center of this picture is the gate where you enter the courtyard of Hilary's dorm building. She must use her card AND a password to enter the gate.

This is the Marketplace for her dorm building. You can go through the store and come to another gate to get into her courtyard.

The Marketplace is beautiful inside and huge. I only took pictures of parts of it. The kids can use their "J' points (their meal card) to buy things in the store.

In addition to being a grocery store, it has a deli area where you can buy slices of pizza, chicken, etc. It also has 2 different kinds of soup, a beautiful fruit bar with three kinds of yogurt and on the other side of the fruit bar (below) is a great salad bar.

They also have a coffee shop and sell pastries.

Upstairs, above the Marketplace, is the Great Hall for her dorm building. It is a beautiful room with a fireplace. The next night after she moved in they were going to have a movie night in this room. They also have other activities in here just for the people in her dorm.

Hilary lives in what they call a suite (much like an apartment). There are six people in her suite. Tim and Hilary both have a single room. Nate and Everett and Katie and Briel each share a double room. When you walk in the door, you are in the common area. The dining room...

The living room...

and the kitchen...

Hilary and Tim's rooms and their bathroom is off the kitchen. The two double rooms and the other bathroom is down the hall from the dining room. Here's looking from the kitchen down into Hilary's room.

Each dorm building has a nice courtyard area with benches, trees, and bike racks. It is really nice.

Here's a couple of pictures of Hilary's room:

We only met three of Hilary's roommates, but they were soooo nice. Offered to help us carry things up and then invited us to go into Arcata with them for lunch. We went to one of the HSU kids' favorite hang outs:

Check back for HSU - Part III (The Campus)

Humboldt State University -- Part I (mostly in pictures)

2011-09-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

The weekend before Hilary left for college, we had an August birthday/family get-together with the Haley Family. My cousin, Bernadean, fixed this fun "college basket" for Hilary. It had popcorn, Top Ramen, cookies and (a necessity if you are going to Humboldt State University)...HIPPIE CHIPS!! :0)

Hilary's cousin, Ashley, gave her "the most important items needed" when you are moving away from home for the first time...a package of toilet paper and a plunger:

The night before Hilary left, she chose to go to one of her most favorite places to eat:

The guys in there were sad to see her leave for college since she has been such a loyal customer. But, no worries, there's always Thanksgiving and Christmas break.

A goodbye picture with Lyle because he was not going with us...

We got up at 4:00 a.m. to pack the van. Yes, we had to rent a van because we could not get everything in our car.

A quick picture in front of the house before we got on the road at 6:00 a.m. We stopped in Weaverville for breakfast and continue on to Arcata.

We had mostly everything packed in boxes, and we were sooooo glad we did. Then my very, very smart husband thought about bringing his hand truck/dolly!! It was a ways from the unloading area to the dorm room.

Since this post is so long and I have so many pictures, I thought I would break it up into several posts. Check back for HSU - Part II.

Class of 2012

2011-09-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, on August 18th (I know I'm ALWAYS behind on my blog!) Lyle started his senior year at Redding Christian High School. WOW! I can't believe my "baby" is a senior. Friday he brought home an order form for graduation announcements and class rings. This year is just going to fly by!!!

Dear Lyle:

Three years ago you entered high school as a freshman. Low man on the totem pole! You were striving to do well, find your identity, meet new people. It was great to finally be in high school.

Two years ago you were a sophomore…no longer the lowly freshman. It was time to start talking about college, thinking it was still so far away.

One year ago you became an upper classman and began to realize that time really does fly. You got your license, realized who your true friends were, and cherished the times you spent with them.

Now you enter this school year as a senior. You get to go “off campus” for lunch and leave school early every day. Everything you do will be your last…your last All-School Musical, your last homecoming, etc. You get to start applying to college, far and near.

There will be times this year when you will be excited about starting over, sad about what you will leave behind, and anxious to move on. Slow down and take the time to appreciate every moment of your senior year - you only get to do it once! Take every opportunity you get to do anything that you have ever wanted to do. Spend as much time with friends as possible. Someone once said, “High school friends held us strong when things were shaky, in good times and bad, in laughter and tears, through boyfriends/girlfriends, bad grades, family problems…our friends showed us that life was worth enjoying.” And last, but certainly not least, make your life count for Jesus!

Here’s to you, Lyle, and the Class of 2012!

Love,
Mom

Meltdown #1

2011-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Every time I walk past this pile in the living room, it is a sad reminder that my daughter lives for college on Tuesday! I've already had one "meltdown". :0(

Special Moments

2011-08-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

determination

through the hundreds of ordinary days

when you feel like giving up.

it pays to be true.

it pays to hang on.

it pays to serve Jesus,

and he'll surprise you with special moments.

anne kiemel

Sometimes he uses people to help surprise us with those special moments. My friend and fellow blogger, Kim, surprised and encouraged me by treating me to a pedicure on Saturday. She said I had been on her mind lately, and I have no doubt that Jesus is the one who placed me there! Thank you sooooo much, Kim!

Happy Birthday, Hilary

2011-08-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

First Birthday

Twenty-First Birthday

What can I say? I look at you and wonder where the years have gone? Just yesterday, I was planning your first birthday party, and today you are turning 21. You have grown and matured into a beautiful young woman. You are a precious gift from God that keeps on giving and giving.

May your birthday bring deep happiness to you! May you have peace, love, faith, a sense of humor, and an optimistic attitude. May you appreciate and notice all of your blessings and find joy in all of the wonderful little things life offers.

I wish that I could give you everything you could ever want, and guarantee you health, safety, and joy. But all that I can promise you is my love -- unconditional, complete, and forever. Happy Birthday to my little girl (yes, you will ALWAYS be my little girl).

The Three Bears and Wedding #3

2011-08-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

The three bears attended three weddings in the Summer of 2011. While discussing the weddings in their den one night, Baby Bear said, "The first wedding was TOO wet. The second wedding was TOO hot. But the third wedding was just right."

Yes, last Saturday night I attended Tiffany Kessel and Tom McCollum's wedding -- Wedding #3 of the Summer of 2011 (see two posts below). The wedding was changed to inside that day because of the heat, and it was so nice and cool in the building.

There was one bittersweet moment...

Sadly, Tiffany's Dad has been in the hospital off and on for the last few weeks, and Mike was in ICU the day of his daughter's wedding. Tyler and Jacob (Tiffany's brothers) walked her down the aisle and represented their Dad. It was sweet but sad. I don't think there was a dry eye in the whole place.

In spite of the circumstances, the wedding went on, and we celebrated! The decorations were lovely, the ceremony was sweet, the food and cake was delicious! And...it was sooooooooo much fun. They had an MC that incorporated so many fun things into the reception and dance. Can't remember when I've had so much fun at a wedding before.

Wedding #2 -- Same, But Different

2011-08-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

The first wedding we attended this summer (see post below), we were wet from the rain! Well, at wedding #2, we were wet from SWEAT!! I know, gross detail!! But, seriously, who gets married at 1:30 in the afternoon in Redding, CA in July at Shasta Dam??? Of course, that would be Rich Schneck!!

Rich and Marsha went to Shasta High School together, and they reconnected at a reunion. Long story short, they started communicating, Marsha moved back to Redding from Alaska, and Rich finally bought a ring and proposed!

We have known Rich for about 30 years. Bob and Rich served on the Deacon Board together for years at North Valley Baptist Church. I worked at NVBC/NVCS with Rich for years. The Schnecks babysat Hilary for me for many months while I worked two days a week, and Rich has taught both of my kids in school. Needless to say, we LOVE Rich.

What a fun wedding! We were able to visit with people we had not seen for years, catch up with former North Valley Christian School kids, enjoy Pat Karch's singing and keyboard playing (which I miss), and witness the love and happiness of Rich and Marsha.

Unfortunately, my husband and children DO NOT share my love for weddings!!! So, most of the time I am "going solo", but this was one wedding we attended together as a family, and I LOVED that!

Here's a picture of Mr. Schneck with the kids who will be seniors this year at Redding Christian High School where Rich teaches:

And the last picture...it literally melted my heart to see Rich so happy! This was a cool picture that Lyle took with Hannah Williamson making a heart shape with her hands. LOVED IT!!!

I LOVE weddings!!!!

2011-08-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

I must admit, I LOVE, LOVE weddings and have since I was a little girl. During my lifetime, I have had the privilege of being a bridesmaid/maid of honor in 13 weddings ; and, of course, finally a bride!!

Weddings are a celebration, pure and simple. It’s two people coming together, two families coming together, two lives coming together! There is no bittersweet in a wedding, only joy, laughter, and love. What’s better than that? Weddings are an opportunity to see two people profess their love to one another in a public setting. What anticipation there is waiting to see the dress, the decorations, the flowers, and the cake. I love EVERY little detail!

After being kind of out of the "wedding scene" for a few years, I am entering a new phase in my life -- my friends' children are now getting married. MORE WEDDINGS!! HURRAY!!

On June 4th, we attended Garrett Diehl's wedding at the Grover Ranch in Anderson. I met Garrett's mom, Carmen, when I was in 8th grade, and we have been good friends ever since. (I was in Jim and Carmen's wedding.)

I'm sure we will talk about this wedding for years to come because it was unlike any wedding I had ever been to before -- it was outside and pouring down rain!! Thank you very much, Mother Nature! :0( But, you would have never known by the bride and groom. They took the weather in stride and had a blast!!! I am sure they will "weather the storms of life" with that same upbeat attitude!

Carmen made this gluten-free wedding cake for her new daughter-in-law, Jen. The rest of us enjoyed cupcakes! And, yes, I ate three cupcakes from the cupcake tower (shhhhhhh, there were still plenty left over and they were yummy!).

Have you ever tried to eat dinner AND hold an umbrella at the same time? I'm here to tell you, it can be done!

Tomorrow...wedding #2 of the summer of 2011!

I {HEART} New York

2011-08-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

These two are off to New York...

Ethan's brother, Levi, is apartment sitting for a friend in New York City for a month. So, he invited the whole Hammett family and Hilary to come visit and see the sites!! Monday, Hilary packed her suitcase and left to join Ethan, his parents, and his sister to fly to New York. They will be gone 10 days. Sometime during the trip, they will go to Washington D.C. for 3 days.

I must admit I was somewhat jealous, but VERY, VERY excited for her to have this opportunity!

Class of 2011 - Hilary's Graduation

2011-07-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

This is the first of many “catch up” posts. Since I have my blog printed up in book form each year, I want to document certain things even if I’m late posting about them.

Hilary and Ethan graduated with honors from Shasta College on May 27th. It was such a wonderful evening! My Mom graciously treated us (yes, all 15) to dinner at Cattlemen’s before graduation. What a great time of fellowship we had around the table – Grandma, Uncle Wes, Bob, me, Hilary, Lyle, Ethan, Ted, John and Peggy (Ethan’s parents), Hannah (Ethan’s sister) Aaron and Christy (Ethan’s brother and girlfriend), and Larry and Melissa (good friends/neighbors of Ethan’s family). After the ceremony, everyone came to our house for cheesecake and fellowship.

The graduation was LONG but nice! It was soooo cold. I had a new outfit to wear, but ended up wearing winter clothes. Hilary had on her big winter coat under her graduation gown. Hilary graduated with three AA degrees – Engineering, Mathematics, and Quantitative Reasoning (don’t ask me what that means).

Gramz, Hilary, and Uncle Wes

Our Family

Hilary and Ethan with Ethan's parents

Hilary, I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you. I've been given the opportunity to watch you grow form an incredibly cute little baby into a beautiful young woman. You have achieved so much in such a short time that it’s hard for me to keep track of it all. Only yesterday you were just a short chubby-cheeked little girl and now you have graduated from Shasta College and will be heading to Humboldt State University. Though it may seem to you that it’s taken forever to reach this point, it has happened all too quickly for me. I’ll admit here that it saddens me to see you start the rest of your life, however it cannot compare to how happy and proud I am that you are so well prepared and dedicated to your dreams. Never lose sight of those dreams and never compromise anything to reach them. No matter what has happened in the past or what will happen in the future, always know that I love you and will always be here for you. You have made us so proud, and I know that you will continue to do so during your time at Humboldt. Congratulations Hilary!

And, just for fun, here's a picture of me graduating from Shasta College in June of 1979. (Notice the long gunny sack dress.)

A Small Glimpse Into My Heart

2011-06-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

Finally this evening I have a few free moments AND a turn on the computer (which doesn’t happen very often). I have so much “catch up” posts to do -- Hilary’s graduation, a wedding, Haley Family Reunion, etc. But, the last few weeks have been especially busy and difficult. I have spent myself on other people, and I am suddenly feeling the emptiness of pouring out. Life has left me feeling weary!

My Mom was “under the weather” for two weeks and then ended up in the hospital for five days and Copper Ridge Care Facility for a week. Needless to say, it has been an exhausting and emotional few weeks.

Our 4th of July camping trip that I had looked sooooo forward is off. I have not been able to spend the quality time I dreamed about with my daughter this summer before she leaves for college. And, I must admit, I am feeling disappointed and discouraged right now. Yes, life hands us lemons sometimes! I know, my woes are petty compared to what some of you are dealing with. I admit they are petty and small, but they are mine.

I don’t want to waste time feeling depressed over what I can’t do this summer. I need to find delight in the small pleasures that are mine this summer.

Well, so much for a “catch up” post. Instead, just a small glimpse into my heart!

Good Friends Sometimes Come In Threes

2011-06-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

I am EXTREMELY blessed to have many wonderful friends in my life, and I enjoy spending time with each one of them. Recently, I realized that some of my good friends come in "threes".

I used to work with Audrey, Kim, and Patty at North Valley Baptist Church. We had some really fun times and great memories of those years of working together. Life is sooo busy, and we don't get together as often as I would like. We still get together for our birthdays, and we always have a great time and typically "close the restaurant". Good thing restaurants don't charge rent by the hour on their booths. We would be broke! Also, you wouldn't want to be sitting anywhere near us because we laugh sooooo loud and sooooo hard (and later we can't even remember what we laughed so hard about).

Here's 3 more precious friends that I used to work with at NVBC - Mary Ann, Sheila, and Dixie. I literally watched their children grow up and love each one of them and their kids. We try to get together every other month to "catch up" on each other's lives. Last month we got together at Mary Ann's house, and she fixed us her famous Chinese Chicken Salad that she made so often for our luncheons when we worked together. We have shed many tears and celebrated many milestones together over the years.

What can I say about these wonderful ladies - Becky, Karla, and Kim. I have known Kim and Karla for many years, and God brought Becky into my life about 9 years ago and she's became my best buddy! We meet once a month (and take turns picking the restaurant). We never leave lunch without getting our calendars out and planning the next time to meet. It's neat because we take turns sharing about what's going on in our lives and our kids' lives. I know I can count on these ladies to pray for me, and I pray for them also.

And, last but not least, I meet with Carmen, Debbie, and Linda the first Friday of each month for breakfast at Marie Callender's. You can't bet their $4.99 breakfast! :0) We spend time catching up on all the news. This month, Carmen told us all about her son's wedding, and Linda shared her news about becoming a grandma again (her daughter, Shannon, is having a baby in December).

A big thank you to Audrey, Kim S., Patty, Sheila, Mary Ann, Dixie, Becky, Karla, Kim F., Debbie, Carmen, and Linda for their friendship! I love you all sooooooo much!

Thank you, also, to all my other friends who live near and far that are not mentioned in this post! Each of you are so special to me and have touched my life in a different way! God bless you all!

Shasta College Awards Night

2011-06-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Yes, I've got a lot of "catching up" to do on my blog! There have been some technical difficulties with my blog, and I have had such a frustrating time trying to figure them out. Sorry!

On May 20th, we attended an Awards Night at Shasta College. Even though Hilary applied for about 25+ scholarships, she only got 2. (That sentence made me laugh because I thought of how my Daddy would have said, "Well, it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!) Hilary received a Shasta College Math Achievement Scholarship for $300 and a $250 scholarship from the Shasta Builders' Exchange. Even though it seems so small when Humboldt State University costs approximately $22,000 a year, every little bit helps!

A family picture taken at the Awards Night. Which one do you like better - A or B? I prefer A but my husband and kids prefer B.

Family Picture A

Family Picture B

Sacramento/Cousins' Fun

2011-06-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we took Lyle to Chico to meet up with Bob's cousin, Natalie. Natalie had to come to her brother Leonard's to pick up a BBQ, so it was the perfect time to "kidnap" Lyle for his annual week in Sacramento. He's having lots of fun hanging out with Micah (same age as Lyle) and Caleb (2 years younger). Also imagine he's playing some Lego's with Josiah and Webkins with little Esther. Everyone LOVES Lyle at Natalie's house! Last year, they sometimes fought over who got to do something with him. Always nice for an "ego boost"! :0

Lyle, Bob, Natalie, Caleb, Leonard
Esther, Spencer and Ethan (Leonard's sons)

The Royal Life

2011-06-05T18:09:00.001-07:00

When you are royalty, you can demand someone hold your head up while you sleep...

What a life! :0)

What's The Deal?

2011-06-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Winter just won't let go!!

31 More Days

2011-05-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

I love God, my husband, my children, my Moma and Randy Travis (not necessarily in that order - just kidding). In 31 days, I will be sitting at the Cascade Theatre, listening to Randy sing his heart out. I CAN'T WAIT!!

Some people say Randy sounds like he is singing through his nose. Well, if that's true, I just wish I could sing that good through MY nose.

Those who have been reading my blog for some time will remember that I got this for my 50th birthday:

I assume, since he gave me an autographed picture for my 50th birthday, that we are close! So, I'm hopeing he will want to meet up with me after the show to get a picture together. :0)

Powderpuff Football Game

2011-05-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Powderpuff Football Games are an annual tradition at Redding Christian High School. Each May, the seniors/sophomores girls play against the juniors/freshmen. And, the boys serve as the cheerleaders for the game and do a dance routine during half time. This year, Lyle's team was the Vicious Villians. Although it is a lot of fun to participate, the main reason to be a part of Powderpuff is to get a cool t-shirt you can wear:

Here's Lyle looking "vicious":

Our girls were all excited and ready to play:

Here's the cheerleaders, leading the crowd in a cheer:

Unfortunately, the guys didn't get to do their routine during half time because the sound system would not work, and our team lost. But, it was a fun evening watching the girls and guys making high school memories; visiting with other parents in the stands; and, of course, getting a cool t-shirt!

Praise and Prayer Request

2011-05-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Praise:

After being on a transplant list for only 5 days, my dear friend Sylvia got the call that they had lungs for her! Sylvia has a very rare lung disease that has progressively gotten worse, and her only hope was a double lung transplant. I am soooo thankful for people who are organ donors. I am also mindful that there is a family somewhere that has lost a loved one, and my heart goes out to them.

Prayer Request:

Please pray for Sylvia! She has a long, long recovery ahead of her. Pray for her husband, Sam. He needs encouragement and strength and freedom from feeling overwhelmed by it all!

Is Food A Love Language?

2011-05-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Can I just say how much I love food? I love my husband, but I must admit that I am involved in a food affair that has been going on for many, many years. It’s that Haley blood! Their motto is, “If all else fails, EAT!” When you’re happy, EAT! Smother your sadness with a helping of gravy over a pile of mashed potatoes! When you’re stressed, EAT! Carbohydrates cure! Instead of worrying, just EAT! We have most of our family get-togethers at my Aunt Monda’s house. At her house, when you are full enough to unbutton your pants, she starts offering you dessert! :0)

(Is this not the cutest dish ever?)

Food speaks love to me!! Gary Smalley says there are five love languages, but he forgot about the most imporant one -- FOOD! I can’t tell you how loved I felt when my dear friend, Karla Haddleton, showed up recently with her delicious seven-layer dip that I absolutely LOVE! (and, of course, some chips). And, it was in the cutest dish you have ever seen (which made it taste even better!). Thank you, Karla, for speaking LOVE to me!!

Life In The Fox Lane

2011-05-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

In April, Lyle attended the College Preview at George Fox University. A special thanks to the Williamson's and Polly's for driving the kids. Here's a picture we took before they left:

George Fox University is located in Newburg, Oregon (23 miles south of Portland). During the preview, they were able to tour the campus, go to a Chapel service, attend classes, spend the night in a residence hall, go to an informational seminar, hang out with current students to experience a bit of campus life, and attend other activities.

George Fox has a fantastic Theatre Department, and Lyle would like to minor in Theatre! While he was there, he got to see a drama play, The Taming of the Shrew and tour the department after the play.

Here's Garrett, Hannah, Cassie, and Lyle wearing their George Fox T-Shirts and standing by the famous clock tower located on the campus:

Lyle came home very excited about joining "life in the Fox lane" after high school, but of course $$$$ is the deciding factor. Every day, I claim Jeremiah 29:11 for Lyle: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future."

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day! We celebrated with my Mom on Friday night since she was going to be out-of-town. On Sunday, we went to church and then to Red Lobster afterwards. I absolutely LOVE to go there but the price makes it a "special occasion only" kind of place. Ethan joined us since his Mom was also out-of-town.

Here's me with my kids (yes, I lovingly refer to Ethan as my "third child"). I am so thankful for my children! I love them sooooooo much!

We relaxed in the afternoon and then in the early evening, we took a walk at the Lema Ranch. What a beautiful place with all the ponds and willow trees:

A special thank you to my family for making this Mother's Day a very special day for me!! I will cherish the memory of that day for years to come.

May Day (a little late!)

2011-05-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Once again, I have neglected my blog. I don't know what's been up with me lately - I've lacked motivation and inspiration. Now I must play catch up. So here's my first of several "catch up" posts (in random order).

Imagine my surprise and excitement last Sunday afternoon when the doorbell rang, and I went to the door to find no on there and this:

I was sooooo excited!! I love May Day! Of course, my family had to "burst my bubble" by reminding me this little May Day surprise was probably intended for Lyle. But, since he was not home from Mexico yet, I pretended it was solely for me!

May Day was a HUGE deal at Pacheco Elementary School (where I attended from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade). In the afternoon, we had what they called a May Day Pole Dance. Each grade had their own pole. There was always lots of bright colored crepe paper ribbons, and they played fun music while we weaved in and out. Here's a picture I found on the internet of children doing a May pole:

I would count down the days until May Day and looked forward to it for a few weeks. I had my "school" dresses and "church" dresses. Well, on May Day, my moma would let me wear one of my church dresses to school (that was a BIG deal). She always curled my hair in pink sponge rollers the night before (which was also a BIG deal since I had hair down to my waist). When we got in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, some of the students (especially the boys) complained that we had to participate. I never said anything out loud, but I was secretly soooooooo glad they made us participate. Oh what fun memories!!!

Thank you, Hannah and Hannah, for the May Day surprise and helping bring up happy memories in my mind! I love you two!! You are such beautiful girls -- both outside and inside!!

Friday's Here...But Sunday's A Comin'!

2011-04-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

I love this video!! Please take a few minutes on this Good Friday to listen to it!

Life is filled with good days and beautiful moments, but there is also much pain, sadness, and disappointment. Sometimes we feel sad or overwhelmed with everything going on in the world and in our lives. Even though we know Jesus died and will be victorious in the end (and for all eternity), sometimes the days, weeks, months can feel hard. Let's face it - life doesn't always turn out like you planned!

Let's remember, when we are stuck in the Fridays of life, that Sunday's a comin'! One day there will be no more sin, sorrow, sickness. Oh what a glorious day that will be!!!

Happy Birthday, Lyle!

2011-04-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

Happy 17th Birthday to my favorite son - Lyle! Where have the years gone? (I know, I'm ALWAYS saying that). This seems like only yesterday:

Hilary looks so happy in this picture, but soon afterwards she had a major "melt down" when she found out we didn't use her name choice for a baby boy - Harry!! :0)

Lyle, thanks for being a great son! You are funny, talented, loyal, social, a faithful friend, encouraging, a great son, and will always be my baby. Hope you have a fantastic day and a great year!

And, in closing, just a random picture that was toooooo cute:

Adventure Club

2011-04-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

Both of my kids have had the opportunity to be a part of the Adventure Club at Redding Christian High School. This is a fantastic club that was started by Mr. and Mrs. Henry, and they do all kinds of great activities -- rock climbing, rappelling, mountain climbing, skiing, camping, snow shoe trips, kayaking, canoeing, and lots of hiking. Every summer, they go on a week-long backpacking trip.

Recently, Lyle had the opportunity to go snowboarding at Mt. Shasta Ski Park with Adventure Club. They went during the week (because it was cheaper), so missing school for a day was added fun! :0) It was a small group that day, but they had a BLAST!! Wanted to share these great pictures:

Jarred, Jordan, David, Hannah, Mrs. Henry, and Lyle

What can I say about this next picture?

Marriage

2011-04-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

A well-worn marriage is as comfortable as an old pair of hiking boots. New ones might look better, but they’d give you blisters.

A Love/Hate Relationship

2011-04-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

You love me and you hate me – how can that be?

The other night when I saw you enter the door at Starbucks, I nudged Peppermint Mocha and said, “Move aside; you’ve had her all winter. It’s spring, and I am now her choice of drink.” You didn’t disappoint me when you ordered – “A grande black sweetened ice tea”. I was beside myself with the excitement of a renewed relationship. You thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship with your friend Becky as you slowly sipped my delicious, sweet taste. You reminded yourself how refreshing I am. You even talked about how much you love me during the course of the various conversations. I was feeling soooo loved.

Then at 1:37 a.m. (when you had never been asleep yet) you “changed your tune”. I contained too much caffeine and sugar, and I was keeping you awake. I was the reason you got up five times in the night to use the bathroom. You vowed several times to never drink me again at night. I was devastated! How could the love turn to hatred so quickly.

I tried to reason with you. Peppermint Mocha is just as bad, but I guess you used to drink that in the mornings with Becky. You assured me you would not drink that at night either! Apparently this Becky lady got a job which put an end to your morning meetings at Starbucks. So, she is the cause of the downfall of our Spring/Summer relationship!

You probably don’t want to come in by yourself some morning, but why not take a trip through the drive-through? We could take a ride together in the car and try to make our relationship work. You love me too much to let it go!

2011-04-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! I hope all is well in everyone’s life. Maybe some of you have realized I haven’t blogged in a couple of weeks, or maybe you haven’t! Either way, I’m back! For several reasons, I felt the need to take a blog break – from writing AND from reading others’ blogs. I debated whether to share my reasons for taking a break or not, but decided to “put it all out there”:

• Blogging is a funny thing. You write because you like to/want to/need to. But sometimes I feel like I have nothing worth blogging about.

• The connections I have made through blogging are real. I enjoy reading about other people’s lives and sharing in births and deaths, job searches, struggles and happiness with children and parents. It’s strange, but it really does feel like a community here. Someone once said blogging was “a virtual neighborhood where we do more than just wave at each other across the street.” I do love reading blogs, but sometimes I get overwhelmed with all the sickness and sadness out there – children with cancer, loss of loved ones, etc. and need to step away.

• Sometimes while reading blogs, I find myself becoming discontent. I want to go on a trip. I want to redo my bedroom. I want to have that kind of relationship with my children/husband/friend. I get caught up in “comparing” myself to others (and that subject is enough for a whole post sometime soon). I get caught up in the “poor me” scenario. Well, shame on me!!!! I have a lot to be thankful for!

• Last, but not least, I have been convicted because I don’t have any problem finding time to write on my blog or read others’ blogs, but I seem to have a problem finding time to spend with the Lord. What would it look like if I devoted as much time and effort to my relationship with the Lord as I do my blog? (OUCH!!!)

Thank You For Praying!

2011-03-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

A special thank you to all my blog friends for your thoughts and prayers for Ashley. On Thursday she had surgery to put in a pacemaker and a defibrillator. Her short term memory is slowly coming back, which is a huge answer to prayer. She is on a lot of medicine (which will take awhile to get all regulated) and very, very weak. She has a long recovery ahead of her, but we are sooooo thankful she is alive! Thank you, again, for your prayers.

I know I already shared a picture of Hilary and Ashley, but in closing, just had to share another one...

Cute little cousins

Update on Ashley

2011-03-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to update y'all on Ashley. She is still going through a lot of tests to determine what the best treatment is for her. At this point, she will probably have surgery in a few days to have a pacemaker and defibulator (spelling?) put in. They want to give her heart a few more days to "recover" from all it's been through before they operate.

The discouraging thing is that she has no short term memory. She can remember things from a long time ago, but everytime she wakes up she asks the same questions: Where am I? What am I doing in the hospital? What happened? Who found me?, etc. Over and over and over again all day long. So discouraging for her family!! Pray that her short term memory comes back!!!

Love all my blog friends and how the blog community cares for each other!!! SO COOL!!!

Prayer Requests

2011-03-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

I cannot stop thinking about the massive earthquake and devastating tsunami that followed in Japan. Watching the news is overwhelming! These kind of tragedies leave me without words. Several times throughout today I have stopped and prayed for the people of Japan. My heart is broken for the people there, and my prayers are with them.

My heart is also broken for my cousin Bernadean and her husband, Chad. Tonight we learned that their sweet Ashley (Hilary's age) is in Mercy Hospital in critical condition. Yesterday, as she was taking her garbage to the dumpster at her apartment complex, she collapsed. The neighbor happened to see her, called 911 and got help. She had no pulse and was not breathing. Someone performed CPR until the paramedics arrived. They had to use the paddles twice to start her heart beating again. I am sooooooo thankful she was not in her apartment (she lives alone) when she collapsed. It appears she had a very serious heart attack. Chad and Bernadean will be meeting with the heart surgeon tomorrow morning. If you think about it, would you please pray for our Ashley girl? Thank you!!!

When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there. Matthew 18:20 (The Message)

RCHS Winter Banquet

2011-03-09T09:01:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday night was Redding Christian High School's Winter Banquet (aka Winter Dance) at the Red Lion. Lyle decided to go "solo" this year. I must tell you that he was NOT happy that I insisted on taking his picture before he left. Oh well!! Doesn't look like he minded people taking his picture at the Banquet. :0)

It's sort of a tradition that after the Banquet, the Juniors and Seniors have an "After Banquet Party". The Warren's graciously opened their home for the Juniors. They played games and danced some more. After listening to all the talk, I've come to the conclusion that the Banquet was great, but the "After Party" was even greater!!!

P.S. My son thinks Converse tennis shoes go with EVERYTHING!! What happened to dress shoes? I can envision him at the wedding altar someday with a tux and converse! :0)

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

2011-03-07T16:07:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's a BIG week! Dress rehearsals today and tomorrow, and then it's opening night!

There is SOOOOO MUCH work that is done before the actual performances. It takes a lot of people to make something like this happen. Lyle and I have spent the last three Saturdays at Mrs. Orr's house. Most of us worked on paper macheing the trees that Mrs. Orr built:

My job was being a "dipper". Sat on the ground for 5-6 hours and dipped paper in the "goop", removed the excess, and handed it to our paper mache crew:

The men built various things:

A couple of the ladies worked on finding costumes:

Many of the young people painted sets:

Then, on this last Saturday, we met to load everything on trailers and transport it to the school. It was a big job loading AND unloading:

Then began the task of putting it all together! It will eventually look like a huge tree fort!

I must say it has been a lot of hard, hard work BUT has also been a lot of fun working with the other parents, chatting while we worked, and laughing a lot!

Can't wait for opening night on Wednesday!!!

Enterprise Starship Variety Show

2011-02-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

WOW is all I can say!! I have never seen the Enterprise High School Starship perform before, and I was amazed at their talent and energy. They put on a FANTASTIC show on Friday night. Of course, the highlight was seeing Preston rock out on the drums!! :0)

What a great evening -- dinner at In-n-Out, an entertaining show, time spent with friends, and a "date" with my favorite son, my friend Becky and her boys!!

Thanks Becky, Garrett, Yutaro, and Lyle for a fun-filled evening!

Congratulations, Hilary and Ethan!

2011-02-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

On behalf of Shasta College, I would like to congratulate those who met the requirements to be placed on the Dean's List.

To qualify for the Dean's List, students must complete a minimum of twelve hours of credit courses and earn a G.P.A. of 3.5 or higher each semester. Each of these students has demonstrated inspiring commitment and academic perseverance. We applaud these scholars on achieving this impressive distinction.

Dr. Kevin O'Rorke
Dean, Enrollment Services

Congratulations, Hilary and Ethan, on making the Spring 2010 Dean's List!! You two rock!!!

Feelin' the Love

2011-02-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is my most favoritest (is that a word?) holiday!! Maybe it's because my favorite color is red, and my second favorite color is pink. Maybe it's because I love romance. Maybe it's because I love mushy cards. Maybe it's because I love flowers. Maybe it's a combination of all these things.

My dear friend, Carmen, showed up at my door on Valentine's Day with some "goodies" for me. I was sooooooo excited, and I was really feelin' the love!

A red (of course) dishtowel all wrapped up in a pretty bow.

A Valentine plate she had glued a candlestick to (clever, huh?)

And some homemade red velvet cupcakes
with cream cheese frosting!!

They were delish!!!!

Thank you, Carmen!

The Big Snow of 2011

2011-02-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

After reading your blogs and seeing pictures of the snow storms in the south and back east, I just had to show everyone what a Redding, California "snow storm" (if you could even call it a storm) looks like. The headline at Redding.com today reads, "North state endures heaviest snowfall in 8 years".

So, here's the pictures of our "snow storm":

I worked all day Thursday, and much to my disappointment, it did not snow one little tiny flake in Anderson. I love to watch the snow coming down. But, it was a beautiful sight to come home to last night after work.

It amazes me that snow can make an "ugly" side yard full of car parts beautiful. Loved this picture:

It reminded me that the Lord can take the "ugliness" in my life and make it beautiful!

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18

There's A Sucker Born Every Minute

2011-02-13T20:25:00.001-08:00

P.T. Barnum once said, "There's a sucker born every minute." Well, he must have not been referring to these suckers; they take two nights. :0)

When my kids were young, I made chocolate suckers for every occasion and holiday. They LOVED them (and still do). But, I haven't been asked to make suckers for many years. Lyle is a Teacher's Assistant for 5th grade, so he asked if I could make 60 suckers (there are two 5th grade classes) for Valentine's Day. No problem! Then it was, "While we're at it, could we just make another 28 for my class?" No problem! Well, one thing lead to another, and I ended up making 110 chocolate suckers.

It has been also been soooo many years since one of my kids have came home with a pouch filled with Valentine's. Those sweet 5th graders filled his pouch with cards and lots of candy. How nice to be loved!!!

Will You Be My Valentine?

2011-02-08T18:39:00.001-08:00

Is there anything much better than getting a package in the mail?

Especially when it contains this:

Filled with See's Candies:

And a sweet note asking you to be their valentine. You bet I'll be your Valentine, and I can guarantee anyone would be your Valentine if they received this in the mail. Oh, I am soooo LOVED by my big brother!!!

Thank you, Wesley!!!

Free Concerts

2011-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes while I'm cooking or after dinner while I'm cleaning up the kitchen, I get a free concert. The pianist even takes requests! I sooooo enjoy hearing Ethan play the piano. I wonder if Mom Jones is smiling from Heaven, happy to finally have someone playing her piano again! :0)

Strange (But Delicious) Recipe

2011-02-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

Place a chuck roast in the crock pot on low. Sprinkle one packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing Mix over the roast. Sprinkle one packet of McCormick Au Jus Gravy Mix (or you can just use McCormick Brown Gravy Mix) over the roast. Place a stick of butter on top of the roast. Put 4 or 5 pepperoncini peppers on top on the roast. (These are the kind of peppers that you see at a salad bar.) Cook for at least 8 hours. DO NOT ADD WATER!!

This is sooooooooooo good!! I made this last week, and my family just LOVED it!! I know it is strange, but it is soooooo delicious! Try it, you'll like it! :0)

A Happy Ending To A Long Story

2011-01-30T09:45:00.001-08:00

A couple of years ago, some dear friends of mine decided to begin to look into the adoption process because they could not have children of their own. Walking this road with them was an "eye-opener" for me. Adoption is a respectable decision, although not an easy one. The adoption process, while full of hope, will test the patience, values, and relationships between couples that go through it. While the ultimate goal in adoption is to provide a home for a child who does not have one, it can be a long road full of disapointment and heartache. But, hopefully in the end, it will be a story of love and coming home.

Recently, I was honored to share in my friends' "happy ending" when I was invited to the courthouse to witness their signing of the final adoption documents for a precious brother and sister that God brought into their lives. I did count it an honor to be included in their special day. As I sat there, though, I realized it was also a responsibility. Audrey used this quote on their adoption announcement: A long and challenging journey has come to an end; a new one is just beginning. It IS just the beginning, and it's my job now to pray for this family, love on them, support them, and offer advice when needed.

Signing the papers

The happy family

Congratulations, David and Audrey! Thanks for letting me part of the journey AND the happy ending!

RCHS Spirit Week

2011-01-28T09:40:00.001-08:00

Monday: Wacky Day

Tuesday: Inanimate Object Day

(Bob made this Lego block when Hilary was in 7th Grade)

(Almost too small for Lyle, but it worked!)

Lyle won for the Junior Class!

Wednesday: Group Day
(The Junior Class was Super Mario)

Lyle was suppose to look like this little guy. Spent Sunday afternoon covering a beach ball with duck tape and then deflated it a little. Didn't turn out too bad!

Thursday: Fairy Tale Day
(Lyle, Hannah, & Jeff were the 3 Blind Mice)

Friday: Spirit Day

There are some things I will miss when my kids are out of school, and there are some things I will not miss. Spirit week is one of them!!! Only one more year to go!!! :0)

Handyman Hubby

2011-01-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

Three weeks ago, our 17-year old furnace quit working. It was a long, COLD weekend in our home. Between our fireplace and a heater our neighbors loaned us, we were able to “camp out” in the family room and keep somewhat warm.

On Sunday, Bob did some “investigating” and thought he discovered what the problem was. After a trip to J.W. Woods on Monday morning to purchase the part, he was able to fix it. Can you imagine what the repair bill would have been?

I am SOOOOO fortunate to have a handyman hubby. Bob is definitely a “Jack of all trades”. He can do some electrical work, fix any plumbing job, possesses carpentry skills, does repairs to our vehicles (when the repairs don’t involve complicated computer systems), is able to figure out the problem and fix our computer most of the time, can do concrete work, and performs other household repairs on a regular basis! Besides all these things, he can cook, help edit an English paper, and draw incredibly well. I think I hit the jackpot!!

I love my handyman hubby!

A Special Visitor

2011-01-25T08:27:00.000-08:00

This last weekend, our dear friend Gina came for a visit! Last time she was in Redding was when Hilary was two, so it's been way tooooooo long! Gina is one of the sweetest people you will ever met - a beautiful person both inside and out!

On Saturday we walked from the Sears parking lot to the Sundial Bridge. While we were walking and enjoying the 70 degree weather, Gina got a text from her sister Julie letting her know it was a whopping 5 degrees back home (Gina is from Michigan). Boy did she enjoy our weather!!!!

I took this picture along the back side of the trail. Couldn't believe it turned out so nice with my little camera:

Everyone who comes to Redding is so impressed with "our" bridge!! Where did we take visitors before we had the Sundial Bridge?

I saw these cool mosiac turtles by the trail. I absolutely LOVED them!

Sunday, everyone went to Burney Falls. I opted to stay home with Lyle, who was working on a major amount of homework and getting some costumes ready for Spirit Week, so I don't have any pictures to show you! :0(

Other weekend events included visiting, playing cards, eating, visiting some more, playing cards, and eating, eating, eating! We would just finish one meal and be talking about what we were going to eat for the next meal! :0)

Can't wait for Gina's next visit! Don't wait 18 years again, please!!!!!!

Who Doesn't Love Merle Haggard?

2011-01-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

Friday night, Moma took Bob and I to Merle Haggard's concert at the Cascade Theatre. My Aunt Monda took my cousin Pam and her husband, Eddie (the one with the hat over his face; he's highly allergic to having his picture taken). We had a blast! Who doesn't love Merle Haggard, and he's a "local boy" besides! :0)

It was a benefit concert for the Shasta College Culinary Department (which Merle's youngest daughter is a part of). Merle's son, Noel, opened the show for his Dad. Then we had a 10-15 minute break, and Merle took the stage. He sang soooooo many of my favorites - Silver Wings; Mama Tried; Sing Me Back Home; Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; and, of course, closed the show with I'm Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee. I can't believe Merle Haggard recorded his first single in 1964, and he is still SO popular today - 47 years later.

Halfway through the concert, Bob leaned over to me and said, "This is QUITE a rowdy crowd for a bunch of old people." I had to agree!! Most of the crowd were older people, and they stomped their feet, "hooped and hollered", and constantly shouted, "We love Merle!" between songs. They crowd went crazy when Merle would change the words of a song to "Palo Cedro" instead of the city in the song.

Thanks, Moma, for a great "evening out on the town"!

P.S. Just a bit of "non-essential information": My husband, Bob, did a service call at Merle Haggard's house in Palo Cedro when he worked for Enterprise Plumbing. Merle was not there, but his wife was and their son was a newborn baby. That "baby" is now 17 years old and plays in his father's band!

My Friend

2011-01-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

Because I have a brother,

I will always have a friend!

There can be no situation in life

in which the conversation

of my dear brother

will not administer some comfort to me.
Mary Montague

My Girl

2011-01-11T21:11:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed some "mother/daughter" time with Hilary yesterday. We had a delicious lunch at Yak's, hit two stores, and then she rode to Palo Cedro with me to get Lyle from school. Hilary has been gone much of her winter break, and I have missed her! Thanks, Hilary, for hanging out for a few hours with your Mom. It did my heart good! :0)

I love you girl!

No Camping For Me!

2011-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Satan, people, circumstances, or life in general can sometimes lead me to Discouragement Camp. When I find myself there, I can choose to stay or leave.

Today I will not pay a "day use fee"...

Nor will I pitch my tent in Discouragement Camp...

NOPE, no camping for me today!! With God's help, I'll walk through that campground and LEAVE!

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Philippians 4:8-9 (The Message)

Could We Please Have A Little Less Judging?

2011-01-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

Warning: Venting Ahead!

You’re more than welcome to skip this post because I’m writing this for me more than anything. I just need to type this out and process my feelings.

I am so sick and tired of people judging me and criticizing me! I usually find that most of the time when people are critical of me, they don’t know the whole story behind a certain action or process. This is what I say to you, “Walk a mile in my shoes; life my exact live for one month and then criticize me all you want”.

How come other people know exactly what I should and should not be doing and feel “lead of the Lord” to share it with me? Wouldn’t it be easier if God just told ME what I should/should not do and skipped the “middle man”?

Another thing, it amazes me that people who have never had children know so much about parenting.

I’ve been thinking about it, and I’ve come to the conclusion that people who constantly throw negativity at others are extremely unhappy with themselves. Anyone who is happy with their life wouldn’t feel the need to pick apart someone else’s life and dreams. It’s hard for me to believe (but I think it is true) that some people are so miserable that their only release is to cause someone else discomfort.

A "Snow Day" (sort of)

2011-01-04T11:14:00.001-08:00

For years and years, both of my kids have wished for a "big" snow that would close school for the day. The only time this has happened was in 1995 when Hilary was in Kindergarten. Last night we received a phone call around 7:30 p.m. from Mrs. Higgins, the third grade teacher at Redding Christian School, calling her list of families. She gave us the great news -- NO SCHOOL TODAY!!!! Not because of snow, but because of a broken water main. Whatever the reason, it was such GOOD NEWS!!!!

So, what do you do when you suddenly find out you don't have to go to school tomorrow? Plan something fun! The Juniors decided to meet at Denny's this morning at 9:00 a.m. for breakfast, WEARING THEIR PAJAMAS!! Sorry about the quality of the pictures; they were taken with a phone and e-mailed to me.

P.S. For breakfast, Lyle ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and cheesecake! What's with that? He is OBSESSED with grilled cheese sandwiches!!

Fun In The City

2011-01-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

The kids had a FANTASTICLY (is that a word?) FUN time with Uncle Wes in San Francisco. They went home with him the day after Christmas and spent the week. When I heard about all the things they did, I wondered when they slept (maybe they didn't). Sorry for the LONG post, but there were so many fun pictures.

Every morning, it was up and out the door to the donut shop. What a life!

Then down to the Bart Station to go into the city. This is what you do while you wait for Bart and/or the Bus:

Just some highlights of their time there. In addition to seeing two movies (True Grit and Burlesque), watching DVD's, and eating out every meal (I would LOVE that!)...

They toured San Francisco City Hall. Check out this Christmas tree.

This tree is covered with thousands and thousands of origami cranes each with a message that people wrote:

The kids were treated by Uncle Wes to a Broadway Musical at the beautiful Orpheum Theatre. They saw Shrek the Musical. It was all they could talk about! I think it was the highlight of the week.

What's a trip to S.F. without eating at Mel's Diner?

And you always have to go to Union Square and check out all the stores...

Just threw this picture in because it is cute!

On Wednesday, they wrote Bart to Milpitas to the Great Mall. This indoor mall has 172 stores and 34 restaurants. A lot of the stores are outlet stores.

Oh yes, Cinnabon cinammon rolls...

Another fun place to eat, Hot Pot. You pick out your food like a buffet, but then take it back to the table and cook it yourself at your table:

Every year, my brother loves to introduce the kids to something ~~weird~~ new to eat. This year's choice -- Taiwainese ice cream...

Lyle really found some bargains at the Half Price Bookstore in Berkeley. As you can see, they were having another 20% off everything in the store:

Thank you, Uncle Wes, for a very fun week! What wonderful memories Hilary and Lyle will have of time spent with you and all the fun things you did!

P.S. Thank you for taking pictures for my blog, Uncle Wes!

Kiss 2010 Good-Bye!

2010-12-31T16:31:00.000-08:00

I'm soooo glad to "kiss" 2010 good-bye!!! I can't say I am sorry to see it end! It takes a prized third place in the three worst years of my life. 2007 gets first place and 1997 gets second place! Yet, I must say that the hard times made me a better person. I am stronger, have more faith, and have learned so many things about myself and my God.

With no expectations, I’m looking forward to growing and learning and becoming closer to what the Lord wants me to become in 2011. My word for this next year that I have chosen is "thankfulness". I plan to focus on what I have instead of what I don’t. And be grateful.

Happy New Year to my family, friends, and blogging community! Let's pray 2011 will be a great year!

A Boy and His Toys

2010-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Bob LOVES getting money for his birthday and Christmas (which are 7 days apart). He always begins planning, in early December, what he will spend his money on.

Well, this year he decided to spend it on Jeep parts!! I KNOW what every woman reading this blog is thinking, "Oh, how exciting. NOT!!" He ordered some parts on line and then went this morning to buy a winch. Isn't it pretty? :0)

Here he is showing me where the winch is going to be placed on the front bumper:

And here's a picture of his "toy" and "pride and joy". He LOVES this thing (even though it hasn't ran for several months).

Sometimes I just shake my head and say, "A Boy and his toys!"

Home Alone!!

2010-12-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, Bob and I are "home alone"!! When my brother, Wes, left on Sunday morning, he took Hilary and Lyle with him again this year. You should have heard all their "plans" for the week -- a week in San Francisco! I have to say, I was somewhat jealous! :0) As my Grandma Haley would have said, "They had a list of things to do a mile long!" Can't wait to hear about all their fun each evening when they call Mom to "report" the day's happenings!

Christmas Fun!

2010-12-27T13:59:00.001-08:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas! When I was young, we celebrated on Christmas Eve. Bob, on the other hand, always celebrated Christmas morning. So, we do both! We open the presents from my Mom and brother on Christmas Eve and then open our other presents on Christmas morning.

Moma and Wes came over for "junk food" (as my kids call it) for Christmas Eve. We stuffed ourselves on finger foods and appetizers and sweets, sweets, and more sweets. I was SOOOOO proud of my brother for staying on his diet with not even one little bite. He had bananas and oranges for his dessert! (He's lost 60+ pounds!)

On Christmas morning, we had our traditional breakfast of cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, and sausage. We opened presents and enjoyed a turkey dinner with all the trimmings that evening.

I know this is a lot of pictures (and in random order), but I couldn't help myself:

I love having a fireplace, but especially at Christmas!

Santa (also known as Papa and Gramz) always brings the kid pj's!

Moma unwrapping some of her presents

The table set for Christmas morning breakfast

Santa brought Kitty a stocking filled with a toy and treats!
(Just goes to show you can get something EVEN if you've been bad!)

Kitty playing with his toy mouse!

Table set for Christmas Day Dinner

We had such a great time together. We ate, ate, and ate some more. We spent the evening playing pinochle and just hanging out!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to my family, friends, and blogging community. Blogging is such fun, and I do feel like I "know" each of you. I pray you and your families have a wonderful Christmas and that you know the joy that comes from the God I love who sent His only son to be born and live a human life so He could then die for our sins so we could have life ABUNDANT with Him forever! He is the greatest gift ever given!!!

I wanted to share a video with you. Please take a moment to watch it; it will bless your heart!!! As many of you know, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law are missionaries in Alaska. This video was made in the village of Quinhagak, Alaska where Larry and Dora Strunk are teachers. It will give you a small glimpse into "life" in an Alaskan village. You'll see the school, the church, the post office, the small store, the mail plane, etc. Most of all, you'll meet some of the people in the little village of Quinhagak. ENJOY!

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

One of our Christmas traditions (which we have done since my kids were very little) is to make Gingerbread Houses. We cheat and buy the pre-baked ones that you just assemble. Well, this year I found some at Costco that are already assembled and ready for you to decorate!! LOVE THEM!!

It's funny how my children's personalities come out in their gingerbread houses. Lyle is my straight-laced, by the book, follow the rules kind of guy.

Hilary, on the other hand, never found a story or event that her imagination couldn't make more exciting. Then, add Ethan to the mix...

Can't say I ever saw a gingerbread house quite like this one:

It had a fort on the roof that belonged to the cinammon Santas:

The catapult in the front yard also "belonged" to the cinammon Santas. It really works and shots gumdrops:

Then there was an ice fort that "belonged" to the snowmen. They had a machine gun that shot (of course) snowballs:

We also celebrated a small Christmas with Ethan before he went to his parent's house:

Usually when I make something crafty, I'm never happy with the end result. I'm a perfectionist, and the project doesn't turn out like I envisioned in my mind. But...I made Ethan a stocking to fill with lots of little presents, and I LOVED how it turned out. Thank you to my dear Grandma Hencratt for teaching me how to do embroidery and hand sewing!

Christmas Vacation

2010-12-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I am on "Christmas Vacation". I have not had a two-week Christmas Vacation since 1976. I started working right after high school graduation in June of 1977. Even when I went to Shasta College for two years, I would work full-time during Christmas Vacation.

Well, our boss decided to close the office for two weeks this year, so Bob and I are both on vacation. HURRAY!!!! (I will miss the paycheck, but money isn't everything, right?)

This morning, I did two of my favorite things that I rarely get to do:

1. Sleep until I wake up

2. Drink my coffee and read a book in my PJ's.

The thing I won't miss at all -- packing lunches everyday!!!

Happy Birthday, Bob!

2010-12-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

Well, my "born too close to Christmas" husband celebrated his birthday this past weekend. He and the kids and Ethan went to see the movie, "Tron", in the afternoon. Then Gramz took us all to Cattlemen's for a delicious steak dinner. After dinner, we played cards, opened presents, and had a delicious pie that Gramz made. (Have I ever mentioned that my Mom is the absolute best pie maker in the world?? Well, she is!! Look at the pictures below.)

On Sunday afternoon, Bob and I, Ethan, and the kids went to see the new Disney movie, "Tangled" in 3D. It was really cute!! It's definitely a "must see"!

(Note: Pie photos courtesy of Lyle Jones Photography)

"Fun"draisers

2010-12-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Let me just say, the Junior Class at Redding Christian High School really know how to put the "FUN" in "fun"draisers!!! This year, they sold Christmas trees to raise money for their senior trip. What a pleasure (and I do mean pleasure) to help out with the fundraiser. These kids work hard, are very responsible, polite and kind to each other and the customers, and go the extra mile every time. It was freezing cold that day, but you didn't hear any complaining! Class of 2012 -- YOU ROCK!!!!!

Christmas Parties

2010-12-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, the high school youth department at Redding Neighborhood Church had a Christmas Fest:

Dinner, Door prizes, and Dancing was the right combination for TONS OF FUN!! He had sooooo much fun! I must say that Lyle must have been one of the most handsome guys there:

And...what do you wear with a semi-formal outfit? CONVERSE TENNIS SHOES, OF COURSE!!! (At least they match the tie!)

On Sunday, Hilary and I went to our Annual Christmas Tea at Miss Denise's house. We look forward to this special time each year. We always have the most yummy goodies to eat and lots of visiting and laughing (those women in the Little family really know how to laugh!)

Here's a picture of me with two of my dearest friends, Donna Nicholas and Faith Nicholas McCarthy. Faith is the one who introduced me to blogging. Let me just say how much I love these two women!!!! Thank you, God, for putting us in the same corner of this big world!!

Another Acceptance Letter?

2010-12-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, another acceptance letter to Humboldt State University. Ethan came over the other day with his newly received acceptance letter!! Congratulations, Ethan!!

Yes, in eight and a half months :0( these two will be headed off:

And, I will miss BOTH of them terribly!!!!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

2010-12-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

So many of you have the tradition of going to the mountains to cut your Christmas tree, so you'll probably laugh at our tradition (for 26 years now). We save our aluminum cans and plastic bottles all year long, cash them in, and go buy a Christmas tree at a lot. When the kids were little, we would go to McDonald's afterwards with our leftover money.

What a wonderful day we had on the 5th (I know, I'm behind). Ethan joined us for church, we went out to eat at Lumberjack's (yummy breakfast), and then went to get a Christmas tree. We always go to Simonis' tree lot on Churn Creek. Here's the tree we picked out:

We then spent the afternoon and early evening listening to Christmas music and decorating the tree. Here's the end result:

Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Concert

2010-12-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

The Oak Ridge Boys on currently on their 23rd annual Christmas tour - and they did a show in Redding on Tuesday night. My Mom treated Bob and I and my Aunt Monda to a "night out on the town". AND, BOY DID WE HAVE FUN!!! We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Olive Garden and a fantastic Christmas concert.

The foyer of the Redding Convention Center was decorated soooo beautiful:

The Oak Ridge Boys have aged some, but man can they still sing:

The first 40 minutes, the Oak Ridge Boys sang some of their old and new songs. They entered the stage one at a time (in the dark), singing their new song, "The Boys Are Back". After a 20-minute intermission, they came back on stage and did the Christmas concert. It was so GREAT!! I especially loved how they shared about this being a "Christmas" tour, not a Holiday tour! They went on to share about celebrating Christmas because it is the birth of a baby who went on to become the Savior of the world. What a great testimony they were, showing the world you can mix the fun Christmas songs with the songs about Jesus!

It snowed during some songs:

And Santa even showed up from the North Pole to bring some Christmas cheer to Redding folks:

Thank you, Moma, for a wonderful evening!

Adopt-A-Family

2010-12-06T13:10:00.001-08:00

The Adopt-A-Family Program

Very generous people at my brother's work

Some great "Black Friday" deals

(at an ungodly hour in the morning)

LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF SHOPPING

for the best price

One very nice Christmas

for a single mother and her three children

My brother's work always "adopts" a family each Christmas, and he is in charge of the project. This year, the employees donated $770. My brother comes to Redding the day after Thanksgiving, and I help him with the shopping! Since he doesn't get here until the afternoon, Lyle and I get up VERY early to hit some of the "Black Friday" deals. I consider it a personal challenge to try to get the most for the money the employees have generously given! In addition to all the presents above (which will be wrapped by the people at my brother's work), we got a Safeway and Target gift card!

I thoroughly enjoy helping with this project each year! It is so rewarding and fun to know that someone will have a wonderful Christmas with presents from both their "most needed" list and some from their "most wanted" list!

Thankful for a Great Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

Once again, we spent Thanksgiving with our dear friends, the Kinniers. We always have such great food, wonderful fellowship, yummy desserts, and fun traditions.

When it's time to eat at the Kinnier's house, Mrs. Kinnier ALWAYS rings a bell to let people know to come to the table. This Thanksgiving, she let Anne, Hilary, and Lyle all pick a bell and ring them together. (This is a really big deal and honor!!)

Another tradition at the Kinnier's, is when we come to the table, we stand behind our chairs. Mrs. Kinnier says a few words (which makes me cry everytime), she prays, and then we sing the Doxology.

Here's my dear friend, Kaylynn:

Last, but not least, the tradition I LOVE!! After the meal, the young people clean up while they rest of us visit at the table. Nothing I like seeing more than a man washing dishes and two girls drying and putting away. From the sound of the laughter coming from the kitchen, I think they had a lot of fun, though! I poked my head in the kitchen and took a picture of them:

Thank you, Kinnier Family, for including us in your family Thanksgiving!

Mixed Emotions

2010-11-23T12:56:00.001-08:00

Young people spend a great deal of time searching the Web, pouring over books, catalogs, and brochures, visiting campuses, taking SAT tests, gathering recommendations, working on an application and keeping up your grades - all in the name of "going to college". Then they wait for months for that envelope that will arrive in the mail and begin to set their course for the future.

Well, Hilary received that envelope in the mail - her acceptance to Humboldt State University!

I am excited for her, and CONGRATULATIONS are definitely in order!! B-U-T...(yes a capital B, U, and T), I had such mixed emotions. Letting go is challenging! It has to be done, and I will be able to get through it. I have no choice but to get through it. I know it wouldn't be fair to keep her home and not allow her to go to college just because I worry. She has worked hard for this and deserves this opportunity.

So, we'll enjoy this next 9 months and cross that bridge when it comes! :0) Congratulations, Hilary!

Fun?

2010-11-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

I just got back from visiting my kids! They are at Movies 14 waiting for the 12:01 a.m. showing of the new Harry Potter Movie. They said this is "fun"! What part of this is "fun"?

Waiting for 4 hours for a movie to start?
Sitting on the cold cement on the curb?
Sitting outside for 4 hours when the current temperature is 49 degrees?
Watching all the strange people dressed up in costumes?
Getting home at 2:30 a.m. and having to get up and go to school?

I guess I'm OLD because this just doesn't sound like "fun" to me! :0)

A New Driver

2010-11-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, we have a new driver in our family! Congratulations to Lyle on passing his "behind-the wheel" driving test yesterday!! Now a trip to the insurance company to hear the "bad news" about the cost of insuring a young, male driver! :0(

Visitors

2010-11-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

Every morning for the last few weeks when we come out to leave for school and work, we find these visitors on our sidwalk and/or lawn:

If I had a gun and didn't live in the city limits, I would be ready for Thanksgiving! :0)

On The Road Again...

2010-11-04T21:48:00.001-07:00

Somedays it seems like all I do is drive, drive, drive (and did I mention I HATE to drive!)...

Today's Driving Schedule

Drive from Redding to Palo Cedro to take Lyle to school
Drive from Palo Cedro to Anderson to go to work
Drive from Anderson to Palo Cedro to pick Lyle up from school
Drive from Palo Cedro to Redding to take Lyle home
Drive from Redding to Anderson to go back to work
Drive from Anderson to Redding to come home from work
Drive to the store
Drive from Redding to Palo Cedro to take my Mom her laundry I did for her
Drive from Palo Cedro to Redding

With all those miles, I could have been halfway to somewhere fun :0)

Time To Give Thanks

2010-11-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

WOW, it's November 1st! Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I have been thinking a lot about "giving thanks". So often I find myself griping and complaining when I have SO much to be thankful for. So often I dwell on the things I don't have instead of being grateful for the things I do have.

I have a roof over my head. I have enough food to not only sustain my health, but to expand my waistline, hips and thighs. I am in relatively good health. I have two children that if I think about them deeply enough I truly believe my heart would explode. I have a husband who has been faithful to me for over 26 years and who I trust whole-heartedly. I have a mother who loves me. I have a brother that makes my life interesting and fun. I have true friends. And I even have a cute cat! And that’s only a small list of the things I’m thankful for!

"Oh, that men would give thanks

to the LORD for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works

to the children of men!

For He satisfies the longing soul,

And fills the hungry soul with goodness."

Psalm 107:8-9

A "Good Read"

2010-10-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Becky, loaned me this book, The Noticer, by Andy Andrews. It's a "good read"!!! The New York Times reports, "Based on a remarkable true story, The Noticer beautifully blends fiction, allegory, and inspiration. It provides simple, yet powerful distinctions about love, relationships, value and integrity and will inspire readers to take that first step towards a major life change."

I wanted to share a quote on wisdom from the book. It's profound!

"One way to define wisdom is the ability to see, into the future, the consequences of your choices in the present. You see, with a degree of intelligence and a hint of wisdom, most people can tell the difference between good and bad. However, it takes a truly WISE person to discern that oh-so-thin line between good and best."