Hall of Fame

This was a fun weekend! Gabe came up Thursday for a weekend of festivities centered around his 1995 Baseball team being inducted into the high school's Hall of Fame.

Thursday night was the main ceremony. Seven of the players were able to make the trip. Besides Gabe, there was Mike, John, Eric, Alan, Troy, and Neal. Coach Clarke, who led the team that year, came up from up southern California with his wife and their 6 year old daughter, Hannah. Two of the assistant coaches were also there.




Friday, was the Homecoming pep rally...(juniors won the gym decorations), and THE parade down Central Avenue. The baseball team and two other inductees were the Grand Marshalls of the parade. They rode on a float and just talked for an hour and a half as the parade sauntered around town. Friday night was the homecoming game. The players were announced and presented with a jersey before the game. Phil's little sister, Angie, accepted his jersey for him since he couldn't be here. We lost the game, of course...we're definitely in a losing streak...well, I think we've been in a losing streak for quite a number of years!








This is looking at the field after the fireworks show.

Gabe and the rest of the players and coaches had a great time hanging out together. It would have only been better if the rest of the guys had been here: Samone, Matt, John P., Michael B., Chris, Tom, Marshall, Phil .... geez, I can't even remember them all.

Congratulations, Gabe! Lots of memories were stirred up!

Gabe and Biscuit

Ron and I went to Santa Rosa this weekend. I had interviews with students for this summer's Australia trip. Lynne came down to help interview...Jake wasn't able to make it. I'm SO excited that both of them are going with me as leaders! We also have a guy - Dustin - who teaches in Fairfield who'll be a leader. It ought to be a great itinerary!

Ron and I stayed at Gabe and Emily's. As you can see from these photos, Gabe is a little crazy about Biscuit. How can you not be...she's just too cute. Gabe also gave us a ride in his new car!

Happy Anniversary, Mom

This is my dad, mom, Aunt Terry, and Uncle Buddy. I believe this photo was taken right after they got married...I'll have to ask Mom for sure. Today would be my parents...57th wedding anniversary...maybe it would be the 58th?

Happy Anniversary, Mom!

**Well, I was correct that this photo was taken on their wedding day...but I wasn't correct on the number of years. This would have been their 56th anniversary, they married in 1950!

Dear Santa Claus...from Thalia

I asked Joshua for a Christmas list...well, here's Thalia's! This is a keeper! She definitely knows what she wants...I think she's going to be a fashion girl...sounds like she knows exactly how she wants her clothes to fit.
This is Thalia on her first day of 2nd grade. It was a little late in getting to her Mimi!

Medford Jazz Festival

What a great weekend Ron and I had! We journeyed to Medford, Oregon, to their Jazz Jubilee...aka, the Medford Jazz Festival. Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day...temperature in the mid 70's. We listened to our two favorite bands: The Titan Hot Seven and Cornet Chop Suey - plus there were others who we also enjoyed. It was so relaxing to be in warm weather, listening to great music, eating some delicious food, and just being together away from work and the phone.

Speaking of food...for dinner on Saturday we went to Porters. What a wonderful restaurant. We went there last year and made our reservation early for this year so we knew we would get a seat. Porters is an old restored train station...thus the name.

Camilla's School at St. Jude

I realized last week that I haven't written an update on Camilla in awhile. November 1st is a big day...it's the day she gets to come home. She's been in Tennessee recovering from her last bone marrow transplant, and now the required 100 days will be up. (Actually, Dr. Horowitz is allowing her to come home on day 99) In case you're wondering why she gets to come home on Day 99...it's so she doesn't miss the season premier of 'The OC'. Yep, you read that one correct. Dr. Horowitz relented to an 11 year olds desire for a TV program.

By the way...I can refer to Camilla today as being an 11 year old...but on October 26th...she turns the BIG 1 - 2...yep, that's 12 years old she will be! Uh oh...isn't that what is called 'pre-teen'? I wish she was going to be home for her big day, but since she can't, her Aunt Nada is going to go visit!

Tonight I was talking to Rema and she told me about this documentary that had been on about the teachers at St. Jude. Camilla is doing her school work from here at their school. Erin Brick is her teacher and Camilla just loves her. Working in the St. Jude school has been an area Camilla has resisted until this year. Once she accepted that this was the best, she found she really enjoys the school, and Erin in particular. THANK YOU, ERIN!!!

My daughter-in-laws

This is Erica..................................and Emily....our daughter-in-laws!

My two boys married two wonderful ladies...Joshua married Erica...and Gabrial married Emily. I especially think of them now since we are in the BIRTHDAY MONTHS...so many birthdays in September and October...mainly October. I really hadn't thought about blogging birthdays until I did Gabe's. ERICA'S was September 4th...and today, October 5th is EMILY'S!!! Happy Birthday to Emily!!

We love it when we can all be together - it doesn't happen very often since we're scattered around the state. Lindsey and Donnie live pretty close to Gabe and Emily...but Josh, Erica, and Thalia live all the way down in southern California. We're hoping to visit them for Thanksgiving.

Erica and Joshua................................and Emily and Gabe

Eskie's opinion of the gophers

I'm not sure what the deal is this year, but gophers have decided they like our area. We, on the other hand, hate the gophers. Ron is in a constant battle to get rid of them.

Eskie, defiant as he has become in his old age, finally gave his opinion of the gophers who are invading his territory. Eskie, being the gentle old man, doesn't attack...he - well, here's what he thinks...
By the way, Eskie is not JUST sitting there...he was taking care of business!

Happy Birthday to "The Boy"

28 years ago today, we were blessed with our second son...Gabrial! What a day it was too. He was big, no, he was huge...9 lbs. 9 1/2 oz. and he was 23 1/2 inches long. We lived about an hour and a half from the hospital and we weren't there very long before he was born. I felt great and we left not too long after so we could get back home to Joshua. I wanted both my baby boys together and I knew Joshua was anxious to see his new baby brother.


Joshua was very proud of his little brother. He ALWAYS wanted to hold him. Seeing as Joshua was only 2 1/2, the couch was about the only place I'd let him hold Gabe. Joshua would try to share his toys...all his tonka trucks especially, with Gabe.

Joshua was a guy who loved his naps...Gabe didn't like naps. He always wanted to be awake. Eventually, poor Joshua gave up his naps cause his baby brother was TOO LOUD and no one could sleep! What a happy family we were...and still are. It would only be another 2 1/2 years before these two boys would get their baby sister, Lindsey.

Happy Birthday to you, Gabe!

Now it's Australia!

This past week I had my first meeting with the parents and students who potentially will be going to Australia this summer. It will be an 18 day trip from Sydney to Darwin to Cairns. I have already started reading about the country and trying to learn about some of the places we'll visit. I realize the more I read that I don't know much at all. I know the Sydney Opera House...the Great Barrier Reef...but not a lot more. The organization is called People to People, the same organization I worked for this past summer when I took the group to the Mediterranean. I am SO excited, especially after hearing an overview of the trip at the meeting...I think it's time to set up another blog!