101° Today

Honestly, can it get any HOTTER?

Walk at the Park

Our little outing to the park

He just couldn't resist climbing a tree - trying to be his young self once again.

Here he is victorious!

I seem to be getting a lot of pictures like this lately - does anyone else have this problem?

Weeeeeee!

Another failed attempt to get a picture together. He's just trying to figure out why I'm wallowing on him and taking pictures (poor guy)

Much Better

Happy Father's Day

Here are some old photos to celebrate our fathers. Thank you for all that you do for us!

My Dad way back when.

(I just found this picture a few days ago and love it)

David Sr. and David Jr. looking so cute together.

Best Buddies Prom

First a little bit about Jackie:
She is my 19 year old sister who is a “special needs” kid due to a cancerous brain tumor (medulloblastoma) she had at the age of four. The removal of the tumor along with treatments caused a variety of new challenges she has faced. I along with my whole family are so lucky to have this special girl. Jackie is my hero as she has tackled some of the ugliest challenges life can throw. She truly is a survivor and a very fun kid!

So, to celebrate Jackie I wanted to post some pictures from her 2008 Senior Prom. The event was designed to be casual or formal or 80’s style with family members invited.

Going out the door

Looking beautiful at the table

Going towards the limo with a couple of school friends

Her teacher was such a crack up the whole night. Here is is sending them off in the limo with the "best buddies" (a club of high school kids who help out) supervising of course. They would drive around for 15 minutes and then he would send out another group. David Bowie...rock on!
Jackie with one of the Best Buddies. They were so wonderful for spending their Friday evening with these very special kids.

Jackie with our mom

Everyone in the room got excited when these two got out on the dance floor. (Mrs. Syrus is one of Jackie's wonderful teachers who happens to live a block away from my mom with her wonderful family.)

Taking a break by the fountain

Ending the night with a picture Jackie with her teacher and his wife.

Jackie is a Senior but will have an extra two years at high school after the official graduation. Our family is so proud of her!

Johnathan's Birthday

Last weekend we had a follow up birthday celebration for this great guys birthday at the Crab Cooker. I had a final until 11pm on John's actual birthday so I wasn't able to make it to the first celebration.

We love fish but could not resist getting these crazy looking things

Which were super yummy!!

...but very disturbing to Jackie (standing behind me)

Raarh!

Spring Semester is Over!!!

It is the best feeling! Here is a little recap of Spring 2008.

First I was scheduled to take Advanced Drawing and showed up the first day only to find out they dropped the class. It was too late to petition a drawing /painting class so somehow I ended up taking woodworking.

My pencil box built & designed by myself.

Keep in mind I had never used any of these

Basically I love tools now and keep talking to David about buying some. Funny how these conversations sound familiar except I use to be the listener and David was the tool talker.

Next, was the History of Exhibitions and Museums class. This class was more than I expected as Karen Moss the teacher was also the Curator of Collections and Director of Public Programs at the Orange County Museum of Art. For CSULB it was one of my first experiences having a teacher who genuinely was interested in her students even going so far as to invite us to her loft for the final.

Mothers Day

I don't know what any of us would do without our mothers. I am so thankful for my mom, David's mom and our grandma's. I didn't get any photos from Sunday so I'm doing a photo tribute to some amazing women who make up who I or my husband is today. Thank you for all of the sacrifices you have made so that you could be a mother.

Mom you are beautiful! Thank you for always being there for us.

Beverly you are beautiful! Thank you for raising such a wonderful son!

Grandma Gray and Grandma Velma - both beautiful women! Thanks for being great mothers who raised wonderful sons and daughters.

Grandma Velma

Grandma Gray

Grandma Hawley and Grandma Baron we love you and miss you. You were both wonderful beautiful mothers.

Grandma Hawley

Grandma Baron

Update

Baby Blessing

Sundays are wonderful and today really seemed to celebrate how thankful we are for family. Today our niece Audrey was blessed at church. She was so beautiful in her white dress (I will have to snatch a photo from another blog, or even better click here for a link to Amy's blog). We enjoyed seeing so many wonderful friends & family of Kyle and Amy come out to celebrate. Jackie my sister was so excited to see Audrey be blessed that she stayed the night at our house so we would all make it to church on time. Here is a snapshot of us going out the door.


Here are some other pictures from the first part of this year.

David holding Audry (she was just a week old)

When it was my B-day I got so many wonderful things from everyone, but these flowers from Rachel were especially beautiful!

Celebrating my B-day at my moms! She made a very lovely pink angel food cake for me with raspberry's - yum

Very pretty cake Beverly made for me! So Yummy!
Celebrating David's Birthday a few weeks back.
From one of our trips to the mountains this year - so cold!

Amy & Kyle's Baby

Audrey

Our new niece Audrey Elise arrived January 26th. I can't even begin to explain what a special moment it was to see her for the first time. She is so beautiful, and we are excited to have her here and be her Uncle & Aunt. Amy & Kyle are our new heros as we watch how great they are with their new little baby, not to mention everything it took to get her here. I don't have to say they will be wonderful parent's, because they already are so much more than that.

Here are some pictures from that night.

Kyle talking to Audrey

Rachel Holding Audrey for the first time.

David Holding Audrey for the first time.

(They both have their beanies on!)

Kristi Holding Audrey for the first time.

Grandma's & Great Grandma holding Audrey

David got a video of me holding Audrey for the 1st time.

Sorry the lighting is so bad, but her little cry sounds so cute.