San Francisco

 We took a weekend away and went to San Francisco with Geri and Kirk.  Our plan, to see The Lion King and the Disney Family Museum and to relax!
The Lion King was playing at the Orpheum Theater on Market street in San Francisco.  It is a big, old, beautiful, and enchanting theater.  Its biggest drawback, no leg room!!  That was a small price to pay for the fun of watching this play.  The costuming was pretty amazing, the singing was great and some of the acting was pretty funny.  We enjoyed ourselves even though we got wet in a downpour on our one block walk to the theater!
That was Saturday night.  During the day on Saturday, we went to the Disney Family Museum, dedicated to Walt Disney and his amazing life.  I learned about his talent, his business acumen, his dedicated drive, but most of all, I learned about his love and loyalty to his family, his friends, and his employees.  It was truly inspiring to walk through this museum and read all about him and see his life in pictures and stories.  I highly recommend this museum to anyone visiting in the San Francisco area.
We also enjoyed spending some time with Kari at her new apartment on Friday night.  I taught her how to make chicken parmesan and we ate a yummy dinner.  On Saturday, we picked her up and went to dinner, then she took us to the Bart station.  At midnight, she came back to Bart and picked us up after our evening at the play.  What a wonderful daughter!
We had a relaxing, fun weekend and I look forward to many more years of traveling with my hubby and our great friends.

 

THE JOY OF DISNEYLAND!!

A quick one day trip to the new California Adventure Cars Land elicited this joyous expressison on Joshua's face!  Doesn't it just make you want to go and enjoy the magic of childhood in the Happiest Place on Earth?  I had so much fun with Melissa, Bob, Joshua, Kent, Ray, and Hannah as we explored the new rides, ejoyed some of the older rides and ate some great food.  The weather was perfect, just warm enough to remind us it is summer but cool enough to enjoy all of our activities.  We even got to ride some rides with Drew, Ivy, and Arthur who also were spending a couple of days at Disneyland.  Joshua is always asking for his friends, Ivy and Arthur.  I am so glad that the next generation of this great family are becoming good friends.

Grandma Camp

This year for Grandma Camp, we planned activities around books I read to the boys.  Our favorite was "If You Give A Moose a Muffin".  We read the book, learned a moose song, made a moose with our footprints, and baked muffins to enjoy for a snack.  Both Joshua and Kent wanted to stir the batter and pour it into the muffin tins.  They did a really good job.

We also read a book called "Who Pooped in the Park?" that I borrowed from a friend after our trip to Yellowstone.  Joshua thought it was especially funny to talk about 'poop'.  He is a true boy!!  We went the the Chico Nature Center with Aunt Melanie and Aunt Amanda and saw lots of animals and their 'poop'.  Then we came home and put together a puzzle of animals.

   I love spending time with these beautiful boys and look forward to many years of Grandma Camp!

"Sleeping" at Grandma's

Wedding Day!!

February 18th, 2012...Melanie Rae Nelson and Russell Mason Askey are sealed for time and all eternity in the Sacramento, CA Temple.  Many of our family members and many friends were able to join us for this sacred and wonderful occasion.  We thank each of them and we know that those who were not able to come were with us in spirit.  Melanie looked radiant!  Her grandpa, Marvin Nelson, was able to seal the couple.  This was the 9th sealing he was able to officiate for his grandchildren.  It is a wonderful experience to be in the temple with those we love. 
Following the sealing and pictures at the temple, we all headed back to Chico for the PARTY/reception.  We always have a good time dancing, visiting, and eating and this was no exception.  As he did with Melissa, Ray recorded himself singing the song that he and Melanie danced to.  It was amazing and there was not a bit of noise as everyone looked on and listened to the traditional daddy/daughter dance.  I think there were many wet eyes when it was over, including mine. 

First Comes Love...

Melanie was home from her mission all of a couple weeks when she began dating Russell Askey.  The first time Russell came to our home...they were not dating yet...I knew something was in the air, a kind of electricity.  Melanie might not have known it at the time, but I knew just where this relationship was headed.  After a very short dating life, it turned out I was right.  They will be married February 18, 2012 in the Sacramento Temple.  Russ is a great guy who makes Melanie very happy and that in turn makes me very happy.

Lyle turns 23

Blowin' out the candles on his birthday cake!

What's this?  A Slinky!!

Oh, oh, oh...

It's a goldfish for our goldfish bowl.

Here is a very special gift.  Brooke compiled all of Lyle's letters and many of his pictures from his mission and made them into a book for him.  What a wonderful way to capture those special mission memories.  I am glad I saved all his emails, letters and pictures so that he could have this great keepsake.

A Month of Gratitude: The Musings of my Grateful Heart

1.  I am grateful for wonderful parents who brought me into this world, raised me with love and discipline; taught me about right and wrong; and support me still with the memories of their love for me.
2.  What is a good husband? MINE - The man who loves me, helps me, honors his priesthood and me and so much more...
3. Oh the fruit of my loins, those beautiful children I gave birth to - Melissa, strong of spirit, smart, and loving; Amanda, gentle, kind, and a lesson in patience; Kari, sensitive, athletic, and the best hugger in the world; Melanie, independent, playful, "I love you the most, I win!!"(an inside thing); Lyle, my boy, my one and only boy, loyal, loving, and a tease :), and Hannah, last but not least, caring, sweet, tender, where would I be without each of you...
4.  In-law children; Bob, you were the first, were you good enough for our beautiful daughter?  A million times over, YES!!  You are a wonderful husband and father and because you make our daughter happy, you make me happy.  Brooke, oh so quiet when first we met, the mere mention of your name lights up my son's face and now your laughter lights up our lives.  I am thankful for the beautiful woman, inside and out, that you are.  You will always be my favorite daughter-in-law!  And now a new son-in-law, Russell.  Who would have thought that Melanie coming home sick from her mission would lead to marriage so quickly and with someone as fine as you.  I am grateful for all of you and our increased family!
5.  Grandchildren!!  I have always loved, loved, loved being a mom!  People would gush over their grandchildren and I would think that was nice, but nothing could be better than being a mom...something could-grandkids...Josh and Kent keep me young and excited for life!
6.  Good friends...some I have known all my life and some for just a few years but all add dimension, happiness, wisdom, and joy to my life.
7.  Extended family...I know some marry into families that aren't so great but I have been blessed to marry into a supportive, loving family.  I know someone always has my back..I love you all!
8.  The gospel of Jesus Christ and a knowledge and testimony that I have a Savior all of which are an important part of who I am.
9.  I'm thankful for a soft bed, warm blanket, and a good night's sleep.  It always makes the next day easier to live.
10.  I'm grateful to have the ability to care for and have compassion for the aged, my life has been blessed indeed because of the opportunities I have had to give such care.
11.  I'm thankful for modern medicine.
12.  I'm grateful for a car so I can go to see all those I love whenever I can.  It makes me really glad that I didn't live in the days of wagons where distance made it difficult to be with the ones you love.
13.  I love, love, love rocky road ice cream...it can make difficult times sweeter.
14.  My pets...and the unconditional love they give.
15.  I am so glad I can read...reading can transport me to any place, any time.  It can teach me, comfort me, encourage me...
16.  I am thankful for my husband's job! 
17.  I am grateful for the new floor in my house and for the help of our children in getting it put in.  It makes me feel good to walk in the door and know that our ability to work together makes all things possible.
18.  I am thankful for my second set of parents - Ray's mom and dad who treat me like their own.
19.  I am thankful that we get to spend Christmas all together at a cabin this year.
20.  I have been blessed to take some wonderful vacations...I love a good time.
21.  Family reunions....if you've been to one of ours, you know why it is a blessing in my life and one I am truly grateful for.
22.  Connecting with friends over Facebook.  Not long before my dad passed, I connected with a friend from high school.  His encouragement, support and love saw me through a very difficult time.  Thanks, Bert!
23.  I am thankful there are people who want to do pedicures and manicures...and I love pedicures!
24.  I am thankful for Hannah's willingness to cook dinner!!
25.  Money...lets face it, money makes so many things easier and I am thankful we have enough for our needs with a little left over for our wants.
26.  Temples and forever families...I want to be with my own family and the Lord has shown me how.
27.  A clean house...always one of the best gifts from my children and husband.  A clean house helps me have a clear mind.
28.  Breakfast in bed, cold bacon and all, on Mother's day morning.
29.  Kari's funny dances and songs...they always bring a smile and make me glad she is mine.
30.  I am thankful for my home and for the gatherings we have here, the warmth we share, the games we play, the laughter that flows easily and even for the troubles we sometimes have, because as we come together, our love is increased, our joy overflows, and all things are possible...because we are FAMILY.

More This and That...Canning, Cupcakes, Conference, and Cuties!!

CANNING:  Pears, pears and more pears.  For three years now I have been purchasing cases of fresh pears that arrive sometime in August.  The first year I bought 2 cases, they came just when my mother passed away and were almost too ripe to do anything with by the time I actually had time to can them.  I did get about 12 quarts done that first year and my dad loved them!!!  He took several home with him and shared them with his friends.  The next year, I ordered two cases again....then my dad passed away.  The pears went bad and I tossed them.  I didn't have the heart to work on canning anything.  I really missed my parents (still do).  This year I thought, not two cases because it seemed unlucky, so I only got one case...Lulu passed away.  I've taken care of her for 7 years.  I miss her everyday.  I got the pears canned but I can't help but wonder if I will always associate fresh pears with death.  It is an odd coincidence that I have lost someone I love every year at pear canning season.  Do I dare buy any next year?  I think I will.  You see, canning them reminds me not of my loved ones deaths, but of their lives and how much joy they brought to mine, and for a little while, while I am working hard to preserve something good, I can remember them and preserve that memory in my heart.

CUPCAKES:  Hannah is our master baker and boy, can she make some tasty treats.  In September there was a general broadcast for the women of the church and the Young Women were asked to bake cupcakes for the dinner we had prior to the broadcast.  Hannah took up the challenge with her friend Lindsay and together they made these scrumptious spice cupcakes with a yummy cream cheese frosting.  Some of the cupcakes were adorned with homemade ginger snaps. If Fall had a flavor, this would be it!!                   

CONFERENCE:  This year for October's general conference we were invited to the Brown's, Lyle's in-laws, to watch it on their big screen T.V.  The whole family showed up including Melissa, Bob, Joshua, and Kent.  In this picture you can see Kari is entertaining Kent and Amanda is doing conference bingo with Joshua.  Conference is always a time for me to have my 'lamp' filled.  The talks, and the spirit, and the testimonies shared, build me up and help me hold to the rod.  My own faith and testimony is strengthened.  I am always glad to be with my family and when we are together feasting on the word it is even better.

CUTIES:  Oh, how I love these cuties!!  I was sitting in my chair playing with my phone when both boys climbed up on their mom.  I couldn't resist the chance to snap a picture of them.  Josh is just like his mom when she was little and there was a camera around, ready with a big smile or a cute grin, but Kent reminds me of Hannah.  The harder we would try to get her to smile, the bigger her frown got.  Kent may not smile for the camera, but he melts my heart anyway.

This and That

I have always been less than perfect when it comes to writing in a journal and it would seem that keeping my blog updated is also a challenge.  I guess the challenge is that, while I enjoy my life, it really isn't too thrilling or noteworthy.  Recently I was talking to Hannah about Individual Worth and how some of the things we do can lead us to value our individual worth a bit more.  I don't seem to apply that principle to myself very well and thus, the lack of noteworthy material to enhance my blog, but I am shortchanging myself.  I lead a quiet life, but I try to do the right things, help people, love my family.  Are these not all noteworthy endeavors?  I think so, but then I don't want to brag...hmm?  I think I better up my game and write about even the small things in my life because I believe someday, my posterity may find it interesting that ggggggggreat grandma was a nice person.

So, to begin I am going to share some pictures and thoughts from the past several months.  My last post, previous to the Pumpkin Patch, was about Melanie leaving on her mission.  Now, just 7 months later, she is home because of an illness she contracted in the Philippines.  To say I am happy to see her is an understatement...I am overjoyed but I am also a little sad.  I don't want her to be sick and I know she really wanted to stay and serve where she had been called.  Here are some pictures of her homecoming.

Right after Melanie came home, Ray and I went to a concert in Lodi, California.  We went to hear Cecilio and Kapono.  They are a soft rock/folk music duo from Hawaii.  I first heard them when I was a senior in high school some 30 years ago.  They are just as good now as they were then.  I am lucky Ray likes their music as much as I do and we have gone to see them several times.  On this trip, we got to see some of the countryside near Lodi.  I had no idea that there were so many wineries around there.  Here is a picture of Ray near one of the grape vines and a picture of us at the concert.  We had a great time!!

 

Here is a clip from the concert.  Cecilio and Kapono are kind of hard to see but you can get a taste of their music.

Pumpkin Patch

I have to say, having grandkids is pure bliss!! I always loved, loved, loved being a mom and I didn't think it could get any better and then I was blessed with grandkids. One of the joys is being able to share in their fun and adventures. Monday we(Amanda and I) went to the pumpkin patch with Melissa, Bob, Joshua and Kent. Joshua absolutely loved the animatronic chickens who would sing and tell very corny chicken jokes. I captured a bit of Josh and Amanda dancing to one of the songs while Kent is waving at the chickens.

Melanie enters the Missionary Training Center

Before we actually drove into the MTC with Melanie, we went and took some pictures in front of the gates and also a little video footage. Once you drive in, there is no time for pictures. I don't think we were parked for more than 2 minutes...just enough time to unload her, her luggage, and to get a big hug, then we were off and so was she!

By the wall where the sign used to be.



With a grin as big as this, how could one not be happy to be alive!? Joshua brings so much joy and fun to our lives and we are excitedly waiting for his baby brother to join our family. Being a grandma is a wonderful blessing...easier than being a mom and every bit as rewarding!

Elder Nelson is home!!!

Our wonderful son finally made it home on Saturday after a 1a.m. call on Friday telling us he would be delayed. We were so excited for him to get home, that after his call, I couldn't go back to sleep and the whole day was kind of a bummer but then Saturday came and the excitement level climbed again. Our family and many of our good friends joined us at the Sacramento airport to welcome home our missionary. That first glimpse of him was so exciting...I could hardly contain myself as he descended the stairs. I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and hold on tight. He was a good sport and let me hug him as long as I wanted:) Now the world is waiting for him to make another mark on it. He will begin by finishing classes at Butte and finding a job

Christmas

Christmas was great!! Melissa, Bob, Joshua and my dad were all here to share in the joy of the season. The highlight of Christmas day was when we all got to talk to Elder Lyle Nelson! He sounded wonderful and we are looking forward to the day when he will back with us. Josh was so much fun to watch open his presents. He also wanted to help everyone else open theirs and of course we all let him. As has been the tradition in our family for years, stockings were the first to be opened and then on to the pile of goodies Santa left for everyone. After presents, we ate breakfast and then just hung out enjoying each other.

Joshua and grandma trying to get a picture.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving...what a great time of the year to spend a little extra time reflecting on our many blessings. This year was both wonderful and bittersweet. The wonderful part was of course being with family and the bittersweet part was that not all of the family was there. Melissa prepared her first Thanksgiving dinner and had a houseful to share it with...what a proud moment for me as a mom seeing my beautiful daughter grown into a wonderful woman, wife, and mother as she welcomed all to her home this Thanksgiving day. It was a bit sad for me to not have my own mother there but I know her spirit was nearby and she shared this proud moment with me. I know there will be more Thanksgiving meals in the future where not all my children will able to attend as there have been some in the past where they were elsewhere, but I will always carry them with me in my heart. I am thankful for the blessing of the gospel and for the awesome adults my children are becoming.

Lake Tahoe 2009

Who knew that 29+ years could go by like the snap of a finger?! Sure some days seem to last forever and some years are harder than others, but when you take some time to look back and reflect on where you were and where you are now, it seems as if no time has passed at all. For 29 years I have been married to the love of my life and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. We have endured some trials and through them all he is there for me and I hope I am there for him. We have also had so many joys in our lives not the least of these being our 6 children. Now we also have an awesome son-in-law and an adorable grandson. So many blessings! For the last several years, we have tried to get away once or twice a year and just reconnect. This year we went to Lake Tahoe and spent 2 relaxing days enjoying the view, a concert, a leisurely drive around the lake, and each other. I hope we have at least 29 more years together!

Preparedness Adventure Concluded

Sooooo, are we prepared? For most emergencies we did pretty well but I did discover that I want better food in my 72 hour kits. They just didn't really cut it when it came right down to it. Of course, we could survive on them but since I am a 'stress' eater, I want to actually enjoy my emergency food in times of stress. I also found that I needed more water than I had. In my defense, I thought I had more water stored, but my family has been nipping from my stash for ball games, hikes, and such. Silly family, I guess they would have to go without in a real emergency, eh? It was a real eye opener to go through these 'emergencies' and now I have a list of things to help us better prepare. I would reccommend a drill to all families. Then there would be fewer surprises in the event of a real emergency.

Preparedness Adventure

We are about to find out if we are really prepared for an emergency. I signed us up for a 7 day preparedness test through a website called www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net. I am excited and nervous to see how prepared (or not) we are. I have lots of food storage and recipes to use, some water stored, and I know where most of our important papers are. What else is there? I guess I will find out next week...

Ft. Bragg Camping Trip 2009

We went to Ft. Bragg with the Atkin family, and the Doughman family. Melissa, Bob, Joshua, and Kari joined us for the last three days we were there. We watched fireworks over the ocean on the 3rd of July. Unfortunately the fog rolled in and all we saw were flashes of light on the fog. There was a radio simulcast, however, that was pretty funny. At one point the announcer even said "Well, it sounds like a good show!" We laughed and laughed about that one. We didn't have hot showers most of the week but we made it through. This may be our last trip to McKerricher to camp because our state is threatening to shut down many of the state parks. We have made many memories with our friends and family and we will treasure them forever.

The Whole Gang

Sunbathing???

Papa & Joshua