Celebrating Izabella Rose

Izabella Rose, born 3 years ago today. I don't have a lot of time honey, because we're leaving in just a minute or 5 to come to your birthday party!! 3. I remember a year ago today. I broke my leg the before and was in the hospital, unable to get a hold of you on your 2nd Birthday. When at last I did.. I told you Gran broke her leg.. My little two year old GASPED oh did you CWY?????

You are such a treasure; your snaggles, and kisses and "I love you so much too Gwan" help make up the basis for my days, and the joys of my life. 

You love your cousin "Conor" so much AND your Doctow Becker!!! You can't decide sometimes whether Doctor Beckor or Dr. PHIL is your favorite Doctor. 

Your dramatizations of Snow White eating the poison apple, and falling to the floor, eyes wide open and crossed and tongue well over your chin are something you have to see to believe.

YOU, My brown eyed beauty! Will go places in the world. I wish for you to stay happy and hopeful, and spirited AND stay your daddy's BIGGEST worry.. (I'm pretty sure you and Conner will have an AWESOME 21st Birthday bash..

I love you Baby Girl.. SO MUSH!!!

Glimpses of Heaven

Is this a glimpse of the Power of Heaven?

 

Katie drove me home from CA Monday which gave me the opportunity to lay back with my feet somewhat elevated in the relative comfort of my neck pillow. It also gave me WAY too much "musing" time. The sky was beautiful Monday, and as we got closer to home, we could see the dust storm, moving toward our home in Buckeye. The power was something else. 

Anyway, during the 4plus hour drive home, I thought about heaven, and wondered what it was all about. This morning, I read on a dear blogger friend's blog, what she thought may have happened in heaven several years ago. And so this morning, I am reminded of my "Monday Musings"..

I decided on the drive home that it is upon the shoulders of the people I love in my life, my family and my friends, my children and my grandchildren, I stand and get glimpses of heaven. The joy I feel when surrounded by family at gatherings or an impromptu lunch at CPK, or a phone call with my sisters, an e-mail with pictures from my niece Suzanne in Germany, a surprise e-mail from Aly, or hearing Emilee or Brody say hi to me on the phone; seeing nephews and nieces phone #s on caller ID, hearing a great song I love or an old song from my youth. (gotta love i- tunes). When I hear or

 see Izzy and  Conner giggling and playing, I KNOW that's got to be a glimpse of heaven.

Music, I think, is an especially wonderful gift from heaven. Years ago I taught a Sacrament Preparation Class at the Catholic Parish I attended. I use to tell the children, that the best way to  invite the Holy Spirit to join us was by singing the hymms loudly and with joy.. I digress...

My thoughts of what heaven might be like have morphed a great deal since I was a child; slowly over the years I have developed a different view.

Or are these the glimpses of Heaven

Talking about saving Ants with Daddy/Uncle Robbie

Family photo of part of the next generation

 Making Memories with Mommy

Oh the shrieks and giggles!

Is that sunlight or heaven shining on sisters? I couldn't tell

Because I still believe in Judgement, I get a little nervous about what God may have to say about this statement or that behavior or how I hurt this person, or ignored that person.. I didn't like reviews at work either quite frankly. But over all I'm KIND OF looking forward to finding out what it's all about up there, or over there.. Yikes! Not down there I hope!

And I believe that God gives us Glimpses in this world what the next world will be like. 

Gosh, I think God talks to us in pictures sometimes. This is an un-edited photo that pretty much confirmed this to me..... Either that... or we all better be nice to this one!

I think we only need to look at his handy work to get a pretty good idea it's going to be pretty cool.

If you've made it all the way down through this longwinded blog.... THANKS for taking the time to read my blog today!

Sandra and second chances

Sandra, 

Now there's a name. We associate names with people we know by that name. My niece, Sandra, was named for her Aunt, who I know and love as Sandie. I lost many years with Sandra, but she never gave up on her Aunt Betty, and welcomed me back as though I'd never left her fold. I can no longer look forward to rocking in my chair in my old age with no regrets of this life. (A Chair my sister Kathie taught me about). One of the regrets in my life is not just the time I missed with Miss Sandra, but that when she REALLY needed an Aunt Betty, I was not there for her. I treasure her so much and look at her as one of my special gifts in this life...

ANYway, Here is what is conjured up in my mind with the name, Sandra.

Sandra as a bouncing red head... another red headed treasure.

Taken in 1971

Feeding the Ducks. You could always find that red head in photos

Soccer Player extraordinaire!

Sandra is an incredible Mommy, here with Jake. Sandra, Like her name sake, dropped everything, and threw the baby on the plane, and came down when "family" needed her. This picture was taken in the hospital waiting room, when Lyndsey's Sophie was in critical care a week after she was born.

Sandra & Ricky, "greeting each other" in April 2008

Sandra, You are a blessing to all around you. You really are, in a Mr Clean White Tornado kind of way. You are beautiful, joyful, and when I think of the name Sandra, I smile and think of my OTHER red headed Treasure!

Love you Honey, 

HAPPY 29th BIRTHDAY!!!!

Hello from CA

Having a great time in CA doing NOTHING. Today we're meeting Rob & Carla at a local park (Ronald Regan Park no less) to take photos of the kids. Looking forward to it.. Still get amazed everytime we have to turn the A.C. off on the trip here.. It's GREAT.

I'm homesick this trip, missing that old man at home.

Have a good weekend!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today

The Dark Knight

Had such a great day. Paul and I met Ricky this morning, to see The Dark Knight, aka Batman. I really like this new series of Batman. Fortunately, the theater was pretty much empty, since I couldn't keep my mouth shut.. .. Watch out! NO NO NO! What's going to happen now RICK!!! (Rick's already seen it).. Ready to leave when things looked bad for Batman! 

Best of all is realizing how much I love our life these days.. Being able to meet our son for a movie in the middle of the day would NEVER have happened in the old days of 12-13 hour days in CA or even last year when Paul worked long hours at Rawhide.

I miss our family in southern CA, but these days can travel to CA more often.. or better yet, I can hitch a ride. Katie's driving down this weekend and GRAN is hitching a ride!

Have a marvelous weekend everyone. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

NOT THIS MIAMI !!!

For the last few years, I've had a "plan" to go to Disneyworld, then take 95 South through Miami to Key West, then back up on 95 to Maine. For years, I didn't have the time off, although Paul did. Now I have all the time in the world, and Paul doesn't. We also no longer have the motor home or the money for such a trip. However, Paul thought he'd satisfy my desire to see South Beach in Miami yesterday.. NOTWe set out headed East on the 10, Paul never did tell me his ultimate plan, but that came to light in the Tonto Basin, north of Globe, when he pulled out his hiking pack, extra water and walking Stick.. He planned on hiking up to the cliff dwellings.

This is a picture Paul took, the trail was too steep and the heat too much for me to even attempt. I waited at the visitor center while Paul started his hike.. Hoping he'd remember the Ranger's warning.. Africanized Bees were in the dwellings!!!

Meanwhile, I watched a very informative movie about the Salado.. The people who settled this place until 1400. 

So here's Paul. A fellow hiker took it in the dwellings. Hot tired and HE SAID out of shape.. He came away with the realization he better start getting back into condition for his Grand Canyon Hike in November!

I came home yesterday with renewed memories of Gold Canyon, where we lived for two years; our first home in AZ... About 75 miles east of where we live now. We bought the house before it was built and spent many weekends driving to Gold Canyon to view the progress. AZ was our big adventure and Gold Canyon was the background for so many memories to come. Lyndsey and Victor's Wedding, the Birth of Conner & Izabella and other memories.

We built the spa and pool so we could sit in the spa with a view of the Superstition Mountains. It turned into a "kiddy" pool for the girls.. Poor Rex, he'd just been shaved! No look for a Collie!

Family Gathering in 8-03.. Saying Goodbye to Ricky, who was leaving for College.

Family Gathering for Paul's Retirement Party, 10/03. 

We had many happy times in that house in Gold Canyon AND a killer view from our bedroom. Gold Canyon is beautiful, but after living all of my life in the Suburbs, I didn't like living so far from the nearest store.  We also had a horrible Home Owners Association, in Peralta Trails and Paul was once told he could only hang one Flag on Veterans Day, NOT the Missing in Action/ POW Flag.. That didn't go over well. In fact, we soon became proud owners of a VERY tall flag pole, put in the backyard and always displayed two flags on every holiday to follow.

After I had the heart attack, it just seemed too far from the kids. In 2005, we sold that house and moved 75 miles closer to our old home in CA. Living 35 miles West of Phoenix, instead of 40 miles East, makes weekend trips much easier and more frequent.  AND I really love the West Side of the Phoenix Valley.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

Not much is New

Not much is new. Paul's weekend this week is today and tomorrow. This morning we may "drive east".. Basically, this week, we can afford a tank of gas. :)  Gosh, it's like being newlyweds again!.. BROKE. I'm hoping to catch a ride with Katie this weekend down to CA.This weekend we went to our neighbors' celebration of their little girl's 1st Birthday. I had the camera with me. We had a wonderful time; such a nice big family with cousins, uncles grand parents and a lot of babies! I was in heaven. Since I didn't know any of the the people there, I don't feel comfortable posting pictures of them or their children on line. So, I'll post one of Sabby as we were ready to head over to the Party.

Have a good day everyone and thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

My Week

I do love making slide show videos. It was a SnapShot week for sure and I played with editing. Watching this show, I came away with some insight into my couple of days in Southern CA. 

First (He never hit the dog) Conner protected his Izzy from the Pug with a broom; Secondly, Rob is a great husband to his awesome wife, Thirdly Izzy doesn't listen to her daddy very well. And Most importantly? I have an excellent family.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

And Yet, We need to Water Our Lawn This Morning

We were surrounded last night Dark Clouds got darker; Lightening was striking and Thunder was constant. The Wind was blowing and we had a tree blow over. The Pool had waves. 

I came in, Shut down the computer (just in case) and prepared for wild rainstorms. Avondale got a lot of rain; Good year (right next door to Buckeye) got rain. Phoenix had flooding.

More Wind, Blowing Dust and more lightening, more thunder.. and NO RAIN. Just a big mess.

AND we had to water our dying lawn.... Yet Again

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

Dog Days of Summer

Sabby loves Lucy the Wonder Pug. Last weekend we had visitors the two legged and four legged types. Both these guys are cute.. I think anyway. 

Have a terrific weekend and thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

Home again, Again

A Great couple of days! Monday Madi & I took Sabby to school before we went to the doctor and took off for CA. I like this picture; because Madi is comforting Sabby who decided, after all, that first grade may not be all that Great.

We made it to Southern CA, Conner, Madi & I.... :) Conner and Madi slept a good part of the way. We went straight to Lyndsey's where Makayla and Izabella waited to play with their cousins. Conner and Izzy, play non stop. I really think they'll party together as adults! Hope so.

Tuesday, Izzy got stuck in a box and called for Gwan to HELP HER.. Yeah Yeah I should have helped her and NOT run for the camera.
Later, we went to Rob and Carla's where Izabella, Conner & Makayla & Madi played some more.. Seeing those two in that fire truck was so awesome! It's got a motor so they drive around the yard side by side.. Izzy ran the thing into the wall a little later. 
What's even better????? Rob got Carla the camera!!!! I knew it was in the works but couldn't write about it since Carla reads my blog. We hoped it'd be HERE in AZ for the weekend but instead it was delivered Monday. I LOVE these memories. Carla was VERY happy. It was so exciting.. The Nikon D80

For ALL the deets, you can read Carla's blog.. (God's blessings my page has a link)

I'm really so proud of the person Rob is. He's a lucky guy; and so is his family.

This morning, I planned on going  along with Makayla and company to her first day of second grade. Well, due to some re-structuring in the district, Makayla will go to a new school... But NOT today since Mommy and Daddy had to go re-register her.. So, we walked down the hill and Gran took some pictures of Makayla and her Mommy, Daddy & Sisters. 

Long drive home.. I'm off to my nap!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

Great Weekend

 Great Weekend here in Buckeye. Madi and Conner stayed with us and I'll take them home tomorrow. Makayla starts school on Wednesday so Paul and I were going down anyway.

So far so good.. We had one moment earlier with Conner pleading with me to call Mommy & Daddy then refusing to talk to them... Now he's fine and while Aunt Katie is giving him his bath, I've snuck away to post my blog.

We didn't do much this weekend; just a relaxing day by the pool yesterday. Uncle Rob and Aunt Kathie came too. It reminded me of all our Saturdays in Murrieta. 

I'll be gone a few days.

Hope you all had a great weekend and that you have a good day today.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

P.S. I'm pretty sure the GIRLS won the Volley Ball Game

Priceless

Tickets to First Pre-game of Season... Free (son's boss has season tickets)

Pretzels and Beer, $40.00

Joining My Son and Husband for a football game (In an Air Conditioned Stadium)

PRICELESS!!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.