The Post Party

Grateful for the Merry New Year!

2012-01-12T20:59:00.000-08:00

Holy Holiday Happenings that left me with no time to post!

Oh well. That's why I enjoy The Post Party.

It's all post... the party.

So if I pick up remotely where I left off, or just skip to the next holiday, that brings us to Thanksgiving of LAST YEAR. Those crazy Hawkins talked us into to signing up for the Oceanside Turkey Trot that they do every year.

I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

It was SO MUCH FUN!

If you must run, along the ocean isn't a bad idea.

Annabelle absolutely LOVED it.

The participants!

The Linden Turkeys.

Post Trotting, it was time to head to L.A. to spend Thanksgiving at the Jackson home.

Such a warm and lovely time breaking bread together and giving thanks.

The next day while many hit the malls, we decided the neighborhood park was a good idea.

Annie and I found a pile of leaves that was calling our names.

Buckley checking in.

The Jackson Boys played ball...

While the rest of the crew enjoyed the jungle gym.

A weekend play date.

We somehow managed some Autumn fun here in Southern California.

For us Lindens, going to get our tree always starts the Christmas season.

In front of our find.

aaaaand finished!

It's funny how traditions just seem to happen.

Not starting out planned but ending up that way, and looking forward to the comforting usual. One of ours that we have grown to love, is exchanging ornaments each year.

The 2010 ornaments.

Coincidentally, three out of four were beach specific.

We were blown away by a Christmas party hosted by Dr. Pickering ( Annie's pediatrician ) for special needs families at the Ronald McDonald House. So touching to see what goes on at this beautiful facility to make families as comfortable and accommodated as possible while their children are in the hospital across the street.

Free photos with Santa!

Braving the lines at the mall for some of these kids and their parents is just way too much.

So Santa comes to them!

Just wonderful.

Annabelle could feel the love in this place. She was so happy the whole evening.

Annie with Dr. Pickering.

The best!

Our Girl flipped over this modern fountain. She's always been fascinated with water in any form, but this water came with a MIRROR. Brilliant!

All the kids got to pick out toys from a room filled floor to ceiling. What a blessing.

Annie's choice ( Cookie! ) just happened to match the Christmas tree there.

We had such a lovely and festive time, that we decided to punctuate the evening with dinner at "our place" that is always so pretty, but especially at Christmastime. We try to go at least once that time of year.

Old Venice.

Last sip!

Annie likes it too.

Dreaming about our beautiful day.

The Children's Christmas musical at church is always fun.

I look forward to when Annie can participate. Maybe this year!

This is the Angel Gabriel playing his heart out for the New Born King.

What it's about.

She gave it four stars!

Later that evening, fun with Christmas lights!

Christmas at Sea World, in a SEA of Poinsettias.

Christmas Eve spent with our Kesslers.

Christmas Day!

Stockings...

and then to the tree!

Annie and Pops hand painted my new favorite mug.

And then Auntie Kritters came over!

And it got even merrier.

The Christmas Castle. Pure bliss for the Little Miss.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

We decided to ring in the new year with Annabelle's very first HAIRCUT.

We went to this fantastic kid's salon called " Pigtails & Crew Cuts" that Pops took her to for French braids while I was out of town on business. He had no idea what to do with her locks, and everyone thought it was adorable that he took her there.

The before...sniff...sniff...

The waiting room.

And the time has come!

Is this place awesome or what? The Hairdresser in the background with the blue hair, is the one who braided Annie's hair months earlier, and when she came back she greeted her with a "welcome back beautiful." It blessed me.

Ready, set,...GO!

More pretty braids.

Thank you for trimming my tangles Miss Tuesday!

Big Girl!

All fixed up for New Year's Eve...at HOME.

Pops made a delicious Beef Wellington for the occasion.

Which was enjoyed by all!

We've got our "it's really late and we're old" faces on.

Even though we ARE NOT.

Midnight!

Happy New Year!!

Kristy talked us into getting our home bodies out to the Wild Animal Park on New Year's Day. She was all worked up about the new bat exhibit.

Daddy & Little Bat.

Nutball Bats.

Annie's highlight of the day.

A fort that had the very cool "rain" water feature.

She could have stayed there all day.

A great start to 2012!

I will close this giant post with the next big change of the new year

New peepers!

This is Annie reading for the first time with her new glasses,

as we watched her discover a whole new world!

She's already rockin' this new year.

Let's join her!

Miss Bell

2011-11-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

The only crafting I had to do for this year's costume, to transform Annabelle into Tinkerbell, was shoes and wand. She had everything else ( including the sass! ) to make the perfect pixie. I justified buying the extremely cool light up wings while we were at Disneyland in June, by deciding Annie would be Tink this Halloween. I'm sure it's probably the last year I get to pick.

This was Halloween morning getting dropped off at preschool.

Miss Bell and her big scary Brothers & Friends that evening. She had decided against a nap that day, and then fell asleep in the car on the way to the Casa de Kess. She woke up when we got her out of the car ( after just about twenty minutes of sleep ) to lots of Halloween chaos, and sugar rushes, so the first part of the evening was not all smiles. This was before we learned she was also catching a cold.

The Kessler Spooks.

Hoping for some fairy dust.

The Dads, making a statement.

Sean & Kritters as "The Zombie Patrol."

"The Blanket Statement."

Classic Pops. Pretty funny.

As we often do, we brought our trusty Buckley Dog with us, and he was the highlight of the night. Bounding from house to house with the kids so happy and loving the buzz of the evening like it was all for him. He was cracking us all up.

Trick-or-Treatin' Dawg, going as "Bones."

The Linden Spectacle.

This costume one my vote for the night for most clever, simple, and beautiful! This woman just wore a dark outfit and held a sheer embellished umbrella and went as a jellyfish! Brilliant.

Pretty evening.

You can see Miss Bell's wings and wheels all lit up in this fuzzy photo.

At one of the houses, a man sat on his steps with all of his artwork.

These are the jac-o'-lanterns he carved himself without patterns. Pretty great!

Butterfly Kisses.

Maybe we did get a little fairy dust sprinkled on us,

because Tink did a little better and eventually enjoyed the action ( not that you can tell from the photos ) of her very first trick-or-treating experience.

And there were even a few houses that were ADA ( American Disability Act ) friendly, which was a pleasant surprise. We enjoyed another great time with dear friends.

Good night Halloween!

SEE you next year...

A Divine Appointment

2011-10-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

A couple of Saturdays ago, Annabelle was scheduled to surf with Wheels to Water ( W2W ). Well, I guess we didn't get the memo of cancellation, because they were not there. As it turned out, it was exactly as it should be.
Do you believe in divine appointments? When something so wonderful happens, that it is beyond coincidence? Well I certainly do. That Saturday was truly divine.

Four other participants showed up waiting to surf. So we made our own program. Matt and one other Dad, were the default surf instructors, and what a wonderful job they did!

I wish I had photos of our new friends surfing, but Annie was napping up for her surf sesh in the car while they were surfing, so unfortunately I didn't get those shots.

Pops took our little mermaid out by himself, and made it look like they'd done it a hundred times. They are both fish, and truly happiest in the water. This has always been.

The money shot.

And back out.

Annie caught five waves with Daddy that day. I have never been surfing, but my three year old, differently abled daughter has been three times now. I have been astounded at how people in this community are often so much more adventurous than so many of us in the typically able bodied community.

So happy.

And back out.

What's better than that?

Back out.

Pops said this group was pretty excited to see them out there...

ROCKIN' it.

My blissful fishies.

Safe with Daddy.

Just them.

This is our new friend William...

and you can see Matt and Annie off in the distance.

Time to come to shore...

...before Mommy flips out.

So proud!

These are two of our new friends William and Devin...

and this is "Mad Man Mark." What a joy to meet these guys and share the day with them. It was Mark's customized board ( with a seat ) that Annie used that day. Talk about an innovative inspiration. Thank you Mark!

Annabelle has her "take on the world ( or at least the sea! ) face" on.

Mark described her as "fearless." I think he may be right.

Post session chat.

Heading out.

Mark has everything rigged so that he can haul it all himself. I can't imagine carrying all this by myself. Unstoppable.
Annie with new friend Devin. There is a common ground that bonds us, and cuts through the pretenses. With Devin it was pretty much immediate.

I think I know you.

We look very forward to surfing with W2W, but I am convinced that we met these guys ( and new friend Beverly, who left before I had the camera out ) and missed the cancellation memo for a reason. We would not have shown up had we gotten the message, and what a day we had because we didn't! The nature of a divine appointment.

And here we have the after glow ( or post party ; ) of time spent in the ocean.

Surf Buddies.

Such love.

Maybe since I can surf, there's no reason I can't fly!

This is how she has been every time post surf sesh.

She spent at least a half an hour just laughing on the beach.

Nothing entertaining her but her own beautiful thoughts...

...and nothing could make me happier.

Once we left the beach, it was good and time for LUNCH. And how could we resist the place that was all DECKED OUT for Halloween? Another post party.

Am I a bad Mom? I'm sorry, this cracks me up.

Lunching with such friends...

can be dangerous!

You've got to watch out.

And the menu was shocking!

Good spooky fun.

Another blessed day.

On Sincerity

2011-10-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

The Linden family is definitely of the mind that the Bates Nut Farm is truly "the most sincere pumpkin patch" ( thank you Linus! ) in our neck of the woods. So with dear friends, we mustered up some Autumn spirit ( despite the heat and traffic) and enjoyed plenty of reasons to smile.

Pony rides!

Furry friends.

Ok, now who seriously does NOT want to hold a BUNNY? Really? So sad.

Not interested.

Buckley & Pops.

Wendy & Annie.

The Pumpkins.

The Patch!

Team Kess.

Me & My Pumpkin.

Ladies.

This photo really embodies our journey with Annabelle. Just standing back not knowing what to do with ourselves as she charges through life in her own unique way. I love it.

See? Lots-oh-smiles. So sincere!

Selection is serious business.

I'll take those two!

Annie with her "Big Brothers." So precious...right?

mmm hmm...

right.

Tom & Miss Emma.

I'd like this one please.

Daddy Kess with his family's selection.

Our Boy.

Buckley & Emma.

You guys ready to go?

Family.

What a patch of Pumpkins!

Sincerely.

Julian Jont

2011-10-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

We took a spontaneous little excursion to Julian a few days ago. It's where we go around here when we need a taste of Fall. The leaves weren't very colorful yet, but a "taste" we got.

We stumbled into ( ahem... ) some lovely uncharted territory ( for us anyhow ). Just a couple of miles from the main street of town turns into beautiful, quirky, and very low key orchards and vineyards. Fantastic!

The whole area was very cat and dog friendly. We were wishing we would've brought our Buckley, and intend to return with him.

This was the first of three wineries we stopped at. The Menghini Winery. It was my favorite.

Annabelle was intrigued.

This place was fun. The J. Jenkins Winery. Sort of a warehouse type setting. We made friends there with the other tasters, and very much enjoyed their Apple Port.

The Blue Door was very charming and well appointed.

The house mascot was a hit.

This place was right up my... orchard. The Raven Hill Orchard also serves as a funky, found objects, sculpture garden where you can pick your own fruit. Many fruits and nuts found there on the grounds. I wanted to be one of them.

I was very taken with this lady specifically.

I don't think this doggie was nearly as intimidated as this raven had hoped.

Highly enjoyable!

After all of the goodness on the outskirts of town, we decided to find a nice place to lunch in town...

and this was it.

It was full of Fall splendor...

and tasty treats.

Then we walked around town for a bit.

This little garden boutique called my name.

Make your own potpourri, handmade soaps...

and just...PRETTY!

This is a stop we always make when in Julian. The Cider Mill is full of jams, honey, candy, and well...cider.

Julian is famous for pie, so we decided not to resist.

Our time in town allowed us time to think about which bottle of wine to buy.

It was unanimous to go back to the Menghini Winery for the Cabernet that tasted like cherries.

The winner!

What a fun day.

Family Hoop-de-la!

2011-10-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

So last weekend was what I've been referring to as the WWW. The Wonderful Whirlwind Weekend. Within it was reunions, a retirement, a birthday, and an engagement! Sheesh! It was all amazing, but a bit of a blur, and left me wanting more. More time to be, and enjoy, and reflect, and get-to-know...together. We went up specifically for my Dad's retirement party, but several other celebrations cropped up. This dinner turned into a belated birthday time for my Sis.

What started out as much needed catching up, quickly turned into crazy laughter. I love that about my family.

Our dinner party merged into a tattoo party in Mom & Dad's kitchen.

Which merged into an ENGAGEMENT party. That's right. THIS guy, in the middle of all the nutty tattoo hub-bub, gets down on one knee, and proposed to MY Niece.
It figures that he felt inspired to do this during a tattoo fest. The dude has one or two...or five or ten himself. Signing up to join this goofy family, warrants one that represents love for someone on wheels.

Maybe it was the love in the air, but even Papa let us at him.

Joel bonding with Annabelle.

Annie & Uncle Wes.

Annie & Ava in their fluffy coats from Auntie Heather.

The three Granddaughters ( cousins! ).

Annie & C.C.

My Sister, Me, My Brother, and our Daughters

Cousins.

So it was time for my Dad to preach his last sermon as a Pastor. It was an emotional day full of so much beauty to celebrate.

This is what I grew up with seeing every Sunday. This day was surreal.

A retirement gift.

My parents are enjoying themselves in Hawaii right now. Their church sent them for two weeks to honor all their years of service. I am so thrilled for them! What a beautiful gift.

After church, we had a wonderful catered lunch together as a family.

And after lunch we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous Fall display at "Tracy's Produce" in my parents little town. This is a stop that I have to make every time I'm there.

What a nice spot for some engagement photos!

Of course the rest of us couldn't resist some family pics in the awesome pumpkin house.

So many Pumpkins!

Peek-a-boo Ava!

My Little Pumpkin.

That night was a beautiful reception at the church for my Dad. I cried all the way through it, and have no photos to share. The sanctuary transformed into a lovely dining room with music, and heartwarming testimonies from so many people talking about how Dad had touched their lives. It was truly an honor to be in that room. I was so proud of my parents.

The next day was a spontaneous dress shopping day for the girls. Crystal was too excited to try on some pretty bridal gowns, and the rest of us ladies did not argue.

Little Cousins Annabelle & Ava are going to be FLOWER GIRLS!

I am going to pass out.

Way to special.

Later on we ventured over to see the house my brother's little family is having built.

Annie & Ava had another play session. This one was actually a milestone. They chased each other around the big open house. It was the first time I'd seen Annabelle "run around" with another child. It brought me a tremendous amount of joy.

Here they are just sharing Annie's beloved ribbon stash. I will share video of the chase later.

My brother Jeremy working hard on his house.

We all shared one more meal together that night, and then it was time to fly out, early the next day.

The time up North was way too short, but so very cherished.

Summer into Fall

2011-09-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

So there has been a whole lotta livin' and not much time for postin' lately. Thus, another gargantuan post to cover the highlights of the past season into this one.

We received a scholarships from the SBA to attend the National Spina Bifida Conference that just happened to be in Anaheim in June this year. Pops attended all sorts of lectures, Annabelle wheeled into SB kids camp here and there, and we met so many wonderful people. We were generously given rewards points from friends to be able to stay at a hotel in the area, and Gram & Papa funded a play day at Disneyland. What an incredible opportunity and blessed time for our family!

We wondered if there was much point in taking a not even three year old to Disneyland, but Annie absolutely loved everything we did, and pretty much smiled ear to ear the whole time, so that was the point.

The must have Mickey Ears.

She loved The Tiki Room!

At THE Castle.

Small World.

Parade!

Rides! And let me tell you, Disneyland is ON THE BALL when it comes to accommodating the differently abled. It was fabulous!
Annie fell asleep in the line to have a picture taken with Minnie. So Minnie very adorably made a "sshhhh!" sign for the photo.

She got Disneyed!

What a magical day!

The conference was fantastic.

This is the kid's camp where living life without limits is highly encouraged.

We got to meet many people that we were already friends with in the SB community on line. It felt like we were old friends, and have gathered several times since with theses guys.

Common Ground.

Annabelle loves her friend Silas.

Sweet Hopper family.

Flirting with buddy Grey.

Linus & Sally- "Isn't he the cutest thing!"

The masses of SB families gathered.

Annabelle morphing into Tinkerbelle at Downtown Disney.

Tink watching SB-Ball!

The conference was held at The Disneyland Hotel, so there were many celeb sightings.

Happy Thoughts.

Lunch with buddy Jason.

Back at kid's camp, new friend and tennis star, Anthony Lara worked with Annabelle.

She LOVED it!

She took over this guy's job throwing tennis balls to the players.

Tuckered Tattooed Tink.

Showing off our tats.

Us Lindens.

The lasts hurrahs with wonderful friends.

So much BEAUTY.

Saying goodbye.

So blessed.

Our Girl turned three this Summer. Time is flying! And so are we...

Here we are on the beautiful sky ride at Sea World.

On Annie's 3rd birthday this year, just the THREE of us spent the day together. No big party, just big smiles.

At the Sesame Street movie.

( Sea World has a whole S.S. section )

Feeding the Sea Lions.

Birthday ice cream!

Big Three Year Old.

When you don't throw a party for your kid's birthday, people wonder why. So the next day our Kesslers came over for dinner so they could spoil Annie.

Pops baked this cute cake.

Gram & Papa funded this awesome art table that has a chalk board surface, and a role of butcher paper that is underneath and pulls through the top. She fits perfectly at it, in her wheelchair.

Thanks Mom & Dad!

Wheelin' with her Big Brothers

Summer evening picnic.

Cake Baker.

Us Girls.

Getting Spoiled.

Lovely.

Annabelle is truly a little mermaid. This kid is happiest in the water. It's really something. She loves baths, fountains, swimming, and has most recently discovered surfing in the BIG BLUE OCEAN. ( we'll get to that a bit later ). Such a water baby. This is at our hotel ( courtesy of Team Kess ) in Anaheim, where we attended the National Spina Bifida Conference.

Chillaxin'

This is at a friend's pool with our Kesslers.

With Wendy...

and Big Brothers.

At home in the kiddie pool. Lots of time spent here beating the heat of Lemon Grove!

Personal mister. Pretty funny.

You bring it Daddy!

Shapes

Applauding Summer 2011

Preschool!

It's so hard to believe that Annie is already in school.

We are thrilled with Miss Liza, her teacher.

She sends us lots of photos, videos, and updates on how our little one is doing. It has made this transition so much easier.

Annie attends Vista La Mesa Academy four days a week, three hours a day.

She seems to be enjoying it.

Little Surfer Girl!

So Annabelle has recently become a surfer, and it's so exciting! She end-capped her first week of preschool at the beach. Pops has already done a nice post on the matter, so I will defer this portion of my already giant post to his blog.

It's been a very eventful and extraordinary Summer, and we continue to look forward to all of the beautiful adventures ahead.

Happy Birthday to My Sweet Angel Pie!

2011-08-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Little Annie Lu Who is no longer two...

How can it be?

She has just turned THREE!!!

The Best of Both

2011-06-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

So blessed to call these two amazing Dad's mine.

My Dad, and My Love.

They just love...

and hold...

and kiss...

and hug...

and play...

and kiss some more...

and teach...

and read...

and gaze...

and comfort...

They beam when their children laugh, and hurt when they cry. They nurture, guide, protect, hope. They believe, cherish, embrace. They give and give and GIVE. They are the best.

Happy Father's Day to the both of you!

You are so loved.

Extended Hands...and Paws

2011-06-09T21:23:00.001-07:00

My heart is very full this evening. It was one like never before full of discovery, blessing, warmth, and many smiles. Months ago I drove past this beautiful mosaic, and as soon as I had a chance to stop, I scribbled on a post it note "16th & Island" to remind me to return with my camera.

Tonight on our way to check out another gathering we were curious about, I realized we were in the same neighborhood, and I happened to have my camera with me. Pops agreed to stop for me to take some photos. Then it occurred to me what this incredible work was embellishing.

God's Extended Hand Mission serves up two church services, followed by two meals a day to San Diego's homeless people.
I stood across the street to take this picture, and one of the people sitting on the street said "That's Steve! Smile Steve!" and he did. The man then said to me, "pretty cool mosaic huh? " and I told him that it took my breath away.

Click on any of these photos to get a better look at some beauty that is real and true. The first one is certainly worth a closer look.

I walked around the corner to capture the rest of the building with tears welling up in my eyes, and a smiling man came out with literally an "extended hand" to shake mine and introduce himself, and wondered if he could give me a quick tour of the place. I told him that my family was waiting for me in the car, but if he had any literature on it I would be grateful.

He found a brochure to give me, and at that time I got to meet the Pastor too. He was so warm and friendly that in those few moments in the very most inner city, I felt very much at home.

These folks are doing their job...their mission, and they could use any help that is available and offered. GodsExtendedHand.com is their website if you feel so led to give in any way.

I told the guys I met that I thought God was really using the artwork. That personally it had brought me over and profoundly touched me, and then the people did. They shared with me that the facility was going to be torn down before the mosaic was created, and that the piece took four years to make. Amazing.

By the time I returned to the car, Pops was worried. What I thought was only a few minutes, was enough time to cause concern. He was relieved to see the smile on my face as I apologized and shared my experience with him. I want to come back. Next time, to give instead of receive.

It was time to be off to our evening's planned plans.

"Yappy Hour"

Much to my surprise and delight, there was my friend Tamandra Michaels with her dog, Borias, right as we walked in to this wonderful roof top gathering.

Tami & Bo are an inspiration to me in the arts and Spina Bifida community. I met them through my job, and have been meaning for our families to meet up for a long time. Tonight was one that was clearly reserved for divine appointments, so it was perfect to see them there.

Tami is an incredibly talented painter and photographer, and you can check out her work at heartdogstudios.com

Some views from the Yappy Hour roof top.

You could even see the game if you were so inclined.

We had a ball!

Lots of love in San Diego tonight, and I believe none of it was coincidental.

Celebrating Freedom

2011-06-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Sharing such a beautiful day with my family and friends on Memorial Day overwhelmed me with gratitude to the service men and women of this country. Our favorite park seemed all the more radiant that day full of sunshine and the buzz of people observing the holiday.

This photo was taken by a woman who just walked up to us and asked if she could take our picture. I think the tiny wheel chair triggers an uncommon feeling in passers by, but it blessed me all the same.

This ride on the kiddie train led to this WONDERFUL nap.

So while Pops was a-reading, and The Little Pie was a-sleeping, I decided to take some pictures of Balboa Park's lovely water lilies.

Our spot. We picnicked, napped, and just enjoyed the day together.

My Boys.

After Annabelle woke from her nap, we headed over to the evening gathering at Casa de Kess.

Sharing stories, laughter, and breaking bread together at one of the warmest tables in town.

Unca Day blocks the stairs.

Our Adey Family.

Happy kids at play.

Annie and Dot.

What a fine, fine day of blessings.

Bright & Beautiful

2011-05-19T09:00:00.001-07:00

Thank you Team Kess!

Lucky Mom

2011-05-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

My Dear Husband printed out this letter by Misty Boyd, and enclosed it into my Mother's Day card. I asked him why he wanted me in tears on Mother's Day. These words really blessed me. Thank you Matt, and thank you Misty for sharing your heart.

Happy Mother’s Day (from a special needs perspective) - By Misty Boyd
The following is reprinted with permission from the blog of Misty Boyd, "Broken Body/Whole Spirit."

-----

If I could be a little girl again and know the things I know now, I would thank my mom a lot more for the sacrifices she made for me when I was growing up. So, for Mother’s Day, I’ve decided to use what I know now to thank her and all the other spina bifida moms I know for things I wasn’t aware of then.

Mom,

Thank you for giving me life when “they” said I’d be better off dead. Thank you for fighting on my behalf when I was too little and weak. Thank you for loving me even though you were scared. Thank you for becoming a nurse in our home long before you were ever a nurse at a hospital. I know that must have been intimidating. Thank you for learning what all those tubes were for, and where they went, and how they helped me. Thank you for countless doctor visits and E.R. visits, no matter what time I needed to go. Thank you for walking up and down the halls of the hospital with me while people gawked. Thank you for your paranoia about every little thing that didn’t seem right. I know sometimes you thought you looked nuts, but I’m sure it kept me alive more than once. Thank you for yelling at doctors when they said, “She’s fine,” when you knew me well enough to know I wasn’t. Thank you for the ugly stares you gave back to people when I was doing my best to learn to walk. Thank you for being patient when other kids my age were running circles around me. I needed more time. Thank you for remembering countless medications, and cath schedules, and putting my AFO’s on for me, and dressing me when it took me a little longer to learn. Thank you for yelling at me when I wouldn’t take care of myself as a teenager (not that it worked…I’m stubborn). Thank you for making me stubborn. I needed that attitude. I don’t know how I would have made it without my pain in the rear attitude. Thank you for pushing me to do everything you knew I could do, and I knew I couldn’t. Turns out, you’re pretty smart. Thank you for letting me do things you were scared of. I know I terrified you sometimes. I had to know if I could ride my bike down that hill at supersonic speed. I could. Fun! Thank you for making me know that I was worthy of love. I never let a boy tell me anything different. There were a lot of worms, but I dropped them all for something I knew I deserved. Thank you for cheering at my graduation. If my doctors had it their way, that day wouldn’t have come, but you believed. Thank you for spending countless hours planning that crazy wedding, yet another thing that wasn’t supposed to happen. And thank you for forks! LOL! Only my mother will get that one! Basically, thank you for stepping into an unfamiliar, scary world, that you didn’t sign up for. I appreciate it, and I think you did a great job! I turned out okay!

Love,

Your SB kid

SB moms…please know that your children feel this way, or at least they will when they look back on their lives and see all you’ve done for them. Take this letter as your own. I wrote it for all of you, from your babies who can’t tell you any of this yet. Happy Mother’s Day!

Sunday morning before church.

After church we headed out to the vineyards of Temecula with some friends for a picnic lunch and wine tasting.

What a wonderful time!

There was beauty everywhere you turned.

Bocce Boys.

Happy Girl.

Does it get any better than this?

A beautiful piece of artwork from Serena. Lucky me!

Another beautiful day...

and I am so grateful.

Forty One for the One

2011-05-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

Our little family had such a nice day on Pop's birthday.

We decided to spend a leisurely day at the zoo.

Lunch at the best table at "Albert's". Right by the waterfall.

Plenty of time for silliness...

and just taking in the beautiful.

Hearts into Spring

2011-04-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

Since I have not had the opportunity to post since January, this colossal post covers Valentine's Day through Easter, another road trip, a couple of birthdays, and just many reasons to celebrate. In this posting process when adding so much, I am reminded of how truly blessed I am. In this life, there are many struggles, but so much LOVE to get you through them. My heart is very full after going through these last through months of memories. My love and thanks to you all.

This was my Valentine's gift from Pops. He covered everything he could find in chocolate. Brilliant!

My Funny Valentine.

Auntie Kritters & Unca Day

Getting Riled

Oh my...

Daddy got his girl.

Kid's table

"Grown ups" table.

Delightful.

Our gracious hosts.

Our family.

Kevy, Deron, & Annie.

Look how strong I am!

Annabelle & I decided we didn't get enough of the North West in the Fall, so we hit the road for another adventure. And how! On the way up ( and back ) we rest at our Mercers. There's just something about a friendship that's been there for so long, you end up handing it down to your kids. It's a beautiful thing.

Finally at Gram & Papa's.

Now let's go to sleep.

Uncle Wes & CC have come for a visit to celebrate the dedication of cousin Ava Grace.

Crystal has just asked Gram is she has chocolate.

Chillin' with Wesley.

Our Ava's dedication service.

A whole lotta happy.

Cousins!

Papa dedicating Ava.

The after party!

Completely unplanned, all the kids wore red and black. Nutty! Ended up pretty cute.

Annie & Ava.

Me, my brother, and our girls...

in cozy polka dots.

Annie & CC

So sleepy.

Kristi and her Babe. Girl of the hour!

The Granddaughters Three.

Annie just shouted "YUCK!" I think she was done posing.

So sweet...

and SO beautiful.

Papa & C

Goodbye gathering.

Ava plays peek-a-boo with Gram.

Hand me downs!

A visit with our Fosters.

Annie & Kelsey.

Us Girls.

Washington Spring.

Annabelle thought it was pretty cool to shove herself under this chair at Gram & Papa's house.

At Rosita's in Green Lake.

Cuddling, playing peek-a-boo, and watching the game with Papa.

At the Children's Museum with Ava.

Drawing with light.

What a fun night!

Visits with Auntie Michelley.

What a treat to stay over at our friends the Fitch family for a couple of nights.

Emily all dressed up for a party.

What a family!

Papa's birthday.

Ava got a special cup, and Papa got a special gift.

Birthday pie? Ok then. Darn good!

Ava found a lady bug on the floor to play with.

A treat for me.

More Spring.

Fun at the Wallingford Center where I used to work in Seattle.

Auntie Michelley bought Miss Belle a cupcake, and we got to reconnect with old friends.

So very nice.

Kathleen, and then Robin.

A visit with our Mary Francis.

Always good.

Visit with the Conom family. Fun!

The Richland Clan. A good deal of our family lives in Eastern Washington. Always a gathering to join there.

Me and My Grandma Lu.

C's Great Grandma.

A Grandma Sandwich.

Gram & C

Their love is beyond measure. My folks.

Grandma Lucille with Annabelle Lucille.

They are perfect.

Another visit to our favorite farm.

Yes we have two big dogs at home, but I would take this one in a heartbeat.

Me & Josh the Dog.

Fishin' Fagers.

Sun lit library peeps.

Two Annabelles.

Such good kids.

Visit with Cousin Emily & her Josiah.

So nice!

Time to hit the road home.

Mercers on the way.

My good traveler.

Headed home.

April!

Delightfully, my birthday fell on a day where Corey was playing in a guitar concert at Sammy's Wood Fired Pizza. Friends were gathered anyhow. Might as well!

Annie & Riley.

My Wendy.

Us girls.

Fam.

Eyes on the prize.

Easter!

After church we loaded up the troops and headed to our Hawkins in Oceanside.

It was a wonderful day.

Happy Spring!

Sesame Street World

2011-01-21T15:31:00.000-08:00

One of the fun things about where we live ( especially with a munchkin ) is all of the different parks. If you bite the bullet and buy passes to them, you can go any old time and feel like it's free...ish. We have passes to the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, and Sea World. The other day we went to Sea World, which was my first time there since they've set up the big Sesame Street themed kids area. It's awesome! We are big Sesame Street / Muppets people in this household, and it's funny to me that you wouldn't have any idea that we were at SEA World from the photos I took that day. We spent most of the time enjoying Annie's Sesame Street buddies.

You can just barely make out the top of Annabelle's head on the ride with me here. Underneath, is a gigantic smile.

She was in heaven getting to hang out with Elmo & Zoe.

So fun to watch.

This is the after glow in line for the 3D movie, which we were wondering whether or not it would work out with Miss Two.

This happy beaming lingered all through the show, even with the 3D glasses on. We had a ball!

At the dolphin show ( but how would you know that? ) with Pops.

The post party crash...notice the drool.

This kid knows how to have a good time.

Juilliard, Here We Come!

2011-01-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

As I was looking back on the holiday season, I was so pleased at what a musical one it turned out to be. Many of our festivities involved Annabelle playing an instrument of one form or another. Some intentional and some spontaneous.

There is a show called "Dr. Zoolittle" at the zoo here, and they had a musical game involving Christmas stories where everyone was given instruments, and specific words would queue specific instruments. It was GREAT! Annie got jingle bells, and she LOVED them. It was a challenge to give them back after the program.

Christmas with these characters ended up in song as well. Miss Belle even went home with her own set of jingle bells as they had a set of them, with one they were happy to give away to Lil' Sis. What a happy surprise after learning about them at our trip to the zoo.

Annie & her Big Brothers.

There was one point in the evening where they decided to form a band. Corey's guitar string broke, so he opted out, but there was a joyful noise anyhow. Jordan even generously allowed Annabelle to steel away his drummin'.

And what a percussionist she was!!

The Band.

Is that an album cover or what?

This is the first tickling of the ivories on Christmas morning after Little Annie Lu Who opened her very first piano that Daddy promptly put together for her.

Pondering her next masterpiece.

A little assist from Daddy.

She has made our life...

such a beautiful song.

Here are some of Annie's songs to enjoy. Oh how it thrills my soul!

Divinity

2011-01-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

It's amazing to me how the brain works and what triggers specific memories that you didn't even realize you had. It seems to happen even more often at Christmas time. My Grandma Higgins used to make that pink, fluffy, divinity candy during the holidays. The Christmas tree doesn't show in this photo, but it was the moment that Annabelle gazed up at the tree that triggered that Christmas memory for me. Wearing this pink fluffy coat that Santa brought, she reminded me of Grandma's magical divinity that seemed to appear out of thin air on lovely little dishes. As kids we would eye those three tiered, ornate, white dishes with stacks of pink divinity, hoping to be allowed another piece, and probably sneaking some. How divine!

Starting it Off Right

2011-01-01T16:39:00.000-08:00

Now and then we like to load up the pups and have breakfast at Tower Two where they allow the dogs in the outdoor eating area. It's very close to Dog Beach, so if we're going to to Tower Two, then Dog Beach follows. We decided it would be a great way to start the new year.

Annabelle deciding what she would like to order...

so very grown up!

Kritters & me

Pops & Unca Day

The Fam.

The Dogs.

Sean & Sierra

Kristy & Nike

The Girls

Daddy & Annie

The New Year's Group.

And lastly, a video of the beach bliss.

Happy New Year!!!

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-15T09:13:00.001-08:00

This is where we get our family tree every year since we've lived in Lemon Grove. It's the tree lot at the Veteran's Thrift Store ( where I do quite a bit of my shopping ). It's become a fun tradition to take a family photo in front of the tree that chooses us.

The sun set while we were there this year and these pictures don't quite capture how pink with delight the sky was.

You can sort of tell from the reflection on Hannah ( our mini van "Hannah Montana" ...it's a Pontiac Montana ).
I love, love, LOVE the tree. I love what a gift it is each year, and how it continues to give. I love the outing of going to get it as a family. I love decorating it. I love the wonder it creates in our home.
Every year I am tempted to leave it like this. Just the lights. I love it like that. This year I did leave it like that for two days. It was nice.

But then I get excited to see and enjoy all of the ornaments from all the years of doing this. So I turn on the Christmas tunes, pour myself some nog, and get to it.

Usually after lighting the tree, I have to trim the top to fit the star. This is the very top of the tree from this year.

I found it significant.

This is one of my favorite childhood ornaments. It's a cheap little piece of plastic, and I love it.

Opening the boxes of ornaments each year is a big part of the gift. It costs nothing, and means so much. It's such a treat to rediscover them, and remember where they all came from.

So many of them I've had since I was little, even ones that I made or bought myself as a kid. Many have been made by kids in my life, or have been gifts from loved ones. Our little family gives each other an ornament each year, and I realized when I opened this box, that it represented ALL of these categories. Very old, brand new, handmade. I love it. It's such a gift. I get lost in the boxes of beautiful memories, and love finding a special place for each one.

Ah nostalgia.

And I love how it changes our home from outside.

It just sheds a little more light, right where we need it...

and blesses me.

Oh Christmas Tree.

I Believe

2010-12-09T03:19:00.000-08:00

It's 2:30 in the morning, and I had to get out of bed and look at the Christmas tree. This happens to me every year since I can remember as a kid. I'll get up in the middle of the night, gaze into the twinkling lights in the still and quiet when no one is up, and it will make me thoughtful about life. This time I woke up thinking about how we met Jesus on Tuesday. He had made a lifestyle choice to wear a big red suit and grow a beautiful white beard to bring joy to so many.

Annabelle's physical therapy unit was hosting a FREE SESSION with Santa & Mrs. Claus that we could not pass up. It was just, bring your own camera and take as many photos as you want. Not the typical pay a bunch of money for one questionable photo we've experienced the last two years. We were so excited to find out when we got there, that Santa & Mrs. Claus were the REAL DEAL. They were IT. They had made this choice to BE the Clauses! Annie did her obligatory, two year old, cry of torture on Santa's lap, and they even let us do another session where we were in it to hold her. They were nothing but smiles, and patience, and sweet comforting words. I looked around the room and saw kids faced with incredible challenges with huge smiles beaming across their faces, and he would hug them as they left and say "Merry Christmas, Santa loves you." It just meant so much more than that. I wondered if he knew. I wondered if he knew what an impact he was making on them... on me. I felt like maybe he did. I felt like the doubtful mother in Miracle on 34th Street being transformed into "a believer." It was truly a divine moment.

Oh, I believe in Santa. Absolutely.

Oh So Grateful

2010-12-07T22:51:00.000-08:00

This was our Thanksgiving. It was so lovely. Cousin Sara flew in from Oregon, and just a couple of friends joined our household for a quiet gathering. It hit the spot. I am so grateful for this beautiful life.