Spring Break pictures: Easter

The pictures resume.

I had several pictures of Easter, but so did Em, and then we exchanged pictures and now I don't remember which are mine and which are hers. And she posted some on the GOFR. So, I'll just post a few from that day. It was awesome. We shared a feast (that seemed relatively easy to prepare).

The happy couple. We were SO enjoying ourselves!

Cute sisters.

What Jackson actually looked like ALL of Easter Sunday (post-church, thank you).

A happy momma with her screaming baby.

You can see his head is read from yelling.

Finally, look at how TALL she is?

I don't even know what to DO with that.

Spring Break

It was lovely. The weather couldn't have been more perfect -- clear, wide blue skies every day. The one day that had suggested a chance of rain turned out just as amazing as the days before and those after. We had great company, too, in the form of great hosts. I had plenty of time to get my baby fix for the year (although with three new babies in our immediate family, I feel we'll have plenty more time this year for baby fixes). Jackson seemed to warm up to me pretty quickly and although he's a hefty 12 lbs., I loved holding him, too. He is such a sweet baby. The girls are a riot, as usual, but because of an unfortunate stomach bug that Katie got just before Easter, Kyle and I actually had significant alone-time with Maddie. I kept trying to remember life as a 7-year-old and I really can't. I'm always so impressed with her perception and sympathy and reasoning. I'm not sure I was that mentally developed at age seven.

Kyle and I got two great hikes in during our stay, both on the mountain just behind the Forman's home (the trail starts about 3 blocks away). The first trip, we climbed the first peak we could find. It was really difficult and we encountered a bee hive in a small cavern on the side of the mountain. Hundreds of bees. Luckily, we were a distance enough away to stay safe. It was mating season for some sort of nasty beetle with a red thorax and head. They were everywhere, but only at a certain elevation, which was interesting. The second trip we decided to do the entire WestWing Loop trail, which circled the mountain near ground level on the south side, and then climbed to several scenic overlooks. That hike lasted 2 and 1/2 hours, and it was very windy which helped cool us off.

Here is a list of other really fun things we did:

• Fire pit and roasting marshmallows on our first Sunday evening in town.
  
• Barnes & Noble / PetCo with the girls and Jackson.
• Movies with Em & Franz nearly every night after the kids were in bed.
• Kyle and I played tennis on two beautiful mornings at a nearby park -- our first tennis matches of the season!
  
• The Wildlife Zoo (just Kyle and Maddie and me).
• Convertible trip a la Franz with Maddie and Kyle and me through Sedona (which Kyle had never seen) and up to Flagstaff, where we had dinner at the beloved Casa Bonita Mexican restaurant.
• Easter church service and a wonderfully relaxing day, full with Easter egg hunting and a scrumtrulescent feast of ham, cheesy potatoes, broiled & herbed asparagus and green beans, delectable rolls, and two kinds of pie.

Maddie is always so creative and there were two very small, but fantastic things she did for us while we were there. Upon our arrival, as we unpacked in the guest room, I found a tiny vase of our great-grandmother's that had four beautiful, tiny flowers in it. The desert was aBLOOM because of the recent rain -- everywhere was green, purple, orange, red, yellow, white, and pink. The fuchsia bougainvilleas were full and crawling every wall you could see in the neighborhoods. So, Maddie had chosen a few of these flowers to welcome us. It was precious!

The second thing took place under my nose and I didn't even realize it until days later. After school on Monday, Maddie was very busy cutting and coloring and glittering. I didn't pay any attention to it, but the morning we left, she brought down two little egg-shaped pieces of paper that were bedazzled in various glittery designs, with messages on the inside, specific to the person she was giving each to. I'm constantly amazed at her thoughtfulness and creativity.

The vacation was so relaxing, despite the fast-paced life of the Formans. It was fantastic to get away from here, to rest, to play, to hike and have sunshine every waking moment, and to be with family. I'll have some pictures up here shortly; there just hasn't been time yet for laundry or picture-sorting!

Upon returning, I've noticed that everyone on campus is smiling, has some color in their cheeks, and seems to have reversed the bad attitudes from stress that accompanied the weeks prior to break. It's nice to have the hope of Spring and Summer, shortly thereafter!

January and the great start to 2010

It's hard to know where to begin. I keep thinking about posting and find myself unsure how to approach all that's happened in the last fifteen days.

Even now, I wonder: should I write a list? Narrative? All the details, only some? How much do you, oh readers, care about knowing?

I guess I'll start off with some good news. Saturday, after two full days of searching, Kyle found a car. We got a deal, which makes us feel better, and hope to be able to finish everything and pick it up by this weekend.

Why would Kyle need to buy a car, you might ask. Well, interesting question. Maybe because his car was totaled in a multiple car accident on a very dangerous highway that he travels extensively every week. Maybe it's because the road became pure ice out of nowhere and kept everyone from stopping. Yes, that's what happened.

No one was hurt in their particular, which was a miracle, and our insurance company has actually been fantastic and timely on everything from dealing with the salvage to getting us a rental car to the payout for the heap of trash formerly known as Aramis (think The Three Musketeers). That's a relief.

There are still some loose threads to tie up from the accident, which won't be fun and are potentially costly, but I'm choosing to not dwell on them now.

The morning after the accident, my car battery was dead. Just dead. The cold had finally gotten to poor Sophia.

In other news, January began as the Month of Glasses for Lana. Scary thought, approaching it, but it has turned out not all bad. I now live in a world with very blurry edges and always blurry words. It makes me feel pretty isolated, as I can't readily recognize faces approaching me from across the library or campus. I can't read for run, because letters appear doubled or shaded or wobbly at all times. I had anticipated bad headaches and am happy to announce that they have not shown their ugly faces. I've only had two headaches, and I think it was more related to my low blood sugar rather than to the distorted images my brain is receiving from my eyes.

Why is Lana wearing glasses, one might ask. Another very astute question.
I've mentioned before about my poor eyesight and my strong desire to have surgery that will enable me to be independent from glasses and contacts. Well, we have a consultation / eye exam to occur a week from Thursday that will let us know if 1) I am currently a candidate for the surgery; 2) I will ever be a candidate for the surgery; 3) I need to plop in my contacts and move on with life because this is, also, something that is not meant for me.

I'm hopeful for positive results, but at the same time, I'm not betting on it. There are so many criteria that must be met, and it's pretty difficult for me to imagine I align with them all. Plus, financially, I'm not sure we could swing it now, with the month of January being the most expensive car month we've ever had. I had looked forward to entering grad school in May with new eyes, without worrying about dry contacts and eyes. But, if the timing is off, perhaps I can look forward to the surgery another year, another school break.

And that's how 2010 began for us. Fast, scary, crazy, and unpleasant. But things are looking up, so we aren't terribly discouraged. But now you know why I haven't written since Dec. 29th, and why I've been at a loss for words.

Will post pictures of the car when we pick it up!

A Tribute

We lost a great man this week, my second cousin Mike Weller. And although the second cousin business might sound too distant for it to impact me, in this situation, that would be incorrect.

Growing up we spent a wonderful holiday evening every year with great Aunt Miriam and Uncle Dale and their kids, Cindy and Mike, who were my dad's age. We had the best farm food from scratch, the best rolls and jam (I ate SO much jam at Aunt Miriam's), and it was always warm and cozy and full of laughter.

Contrary to my typical aversion to men, I really attached to Mike at a young age. He was so gentle and funny. Everyone in that house told jokes and laughed constantly. The impression of joviality there will never leave me. I often tell people that my dad is the nicest, most generous man in the world. And if anyone could give him a run for his money on that title, I'm quite sure it was Mike. It's heart breaking to have lost him so early. Such a man is hard to come by.

When I think of Mike, I have this one specific memory from my childhood. It was one of those Christmas/Thanksgivings that we spent at his mother's, and I was probably 5 or 6 years old. I remember sitting on his lap and not wanting to get up. I was so comfortable; I felt so secure. It seemed to me that someone took a picture of us that particular night, and sure enough, a few days ago scrounging through many photo albums, I found it.

I'm holding my brand new gorilla, named Gretchen, and you can see how happy I am. You can also see, in the background, how much Emily loved being in pictures. It might have had something to do with her perm. I'm not positive. But this is Mike. And we will miss him so dearly. Beloved by his family, his friends, his church, his entire community. Known for his laugh, his music (he played the trombone for 50 years and was involved in many community bands), his Harley, and his love, he is quite unforgettable.

My hope, though, comes from the fact that I know he is finally home. He is with those who've gone before; he is with Jesus. And he is whole and will be awaiting our homecomings, as well. That is my comfort.

Week away

I have just spent the most delightful week away from home. It was jammed full of fun and different adventures for me.

• Blueberry picking with my sisters, mom, and nieces. Grand total of 50 lbs. Les and I nabbed 25 of those for our baking pleasure.
• Movie out w/ Kyle: Star Wars (awesome).
• Cook out at the farm with the nieces, sisters, mom and dad. Complete with watching the girls chase chickens for a very long time.
• A baby shower for my sister-in-law. Being a part of the production team for something like this at the Gottschalk house is always a treat. This year's main event: The 11-hour cake.
  
  
  
• A boat ride in extremely windy conditions, but fun nonetheless as the 2 littles got to swim in the lake with their life jackets and noodle-chairs.
• Finally today, a completely NEW experience: the Indianapolis Indians. Leslie, Kyle and I headed down this afternoon for a game. It was the most perfect baseball day -- puffy, billowing clouds and blue, blue sky. We sat in the sun, which was fun and drenching at the same time. My only sun from this past week came from today. It was pretty fun, despite the sad showing of the Indy Indians.
  
  
  Having WAY too much fun.
  

Now, I'm back to work for two weeks before my next vacation starts off with a bang: Margaret's wedding. :o) Very exciting. Then, the Upland Trio is off to the Carolinas. Oh, dear Sun, I can't wait to feel your southern rays and sandy beaches. As well as the Edwards', of course. Seeing them is always the best treat of my summer.

Who wouldn't love this sweet little face?

Nothing big, nothing fancy. But altogether wonderful.

This weekend was great. In light of last year's Valentine's event, and our current financial status, I knew it would be a fairly low-key celebration. But I knew we'd have a blast, and it would be utterly relaxing.

Friday night we watched X Men 2. We're going through film and TV series again, and it's super fun. Saturday was a very slow and lovely day. We slept in, made brunch, watched X Men 3, and took a nap. At which point we had 15 minutes to get ready to "go out" for the evening. I managed, somehow, to not look like I'd just awakened from a nap and off we went. Olive Garden was our destination of choice and after an hour plus wait, we got our table. Our server, Seth, was awesome; super friendly and very real, none of this fake I-Want-A-Good-Tip stuff.

Example:
Kyle said, "Tonight must be really good for you..." [meaning for tips]
Seth said, "Yeah, it's not bad, but I'd much rather be sleeping right now."
We agreed with him, and could not fault his honesty.

The food was delicious: Chicken and Gnocchi in Veronese sauce for Kyle and Four-Cheese Mezzaluna with Sausage for me. I didn't think I liked sausage, but Kyle convinced me I did. Plus, I knew if I didn't like it, we'd switch dishes and it'd be fine. We ended up loving both, and thus going halvsies. A true marriage, right? Sharing everything?

Afterward, we headed to a tiny venue for the Griffin House concert. I'd been looking forward to it for nearly a month since Liz mentioned he'd be in town. Upon arriving, we discovered five of my Bible study friends and a few other friends from school. It was hilarious and awesome. Well-timed, since the week prior the Bible Study girls had begun to doubt if I'd really gotten married. None of them had met Kyle. Now I have proof he's real--and for those who weren't present at the concert, the ones there can attest to his existence.

Sunday brought a whole different kind of fun. We woke up early to drive home for a true Gottschalk party, with Leslie and Calli recently arrived from the West. Brian, Raendra, and Clayton were around as well as Emily and Evan. And although mom was not well enough to join us for church, lunch, or an afternoon of games, we did manage to have dinner and a game or two with her later. So much food. Wow. It was like Thanksgiving and Christmas all over again. Before getting home, we even squeezed in some time to be with Kyle's parents and discuss Lost. Which was awesome.

Thus, our first official Valentine's day was full of things we love: great food, music, friends, and family. Nothing could have been better!

Christmas Bash

First, we hit up the Wilson Bash on Christmas Eve, amidst flooding water that turned to ice before we left the party. Christmas Day held more fun with the Wilsons, and then two pretty relaxing days by ourselves. Sunday brought the Gottschalk Family Christmas (much like the Griswold Family Christmas, I think). And when the Gottschalks plan a party, you know it's gonna be a real doosey. Evan brought over a duffel full of board and card games and some new ones for his Wii. Rock Band was a hit with the guys of the house and here are a few pics to prove it.

The following configuration is what Em & I deemed the greatest Rock Band: Kyle on vocals, Ev on guitar, and Franz on the drums. However, everybody tried out each instrument and had a fabulous time. Maddie could not stop staring at everyone while they performed. Eventually, she began singing along with the likes of Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer". It was awesome.



I do have (ahem) some video of great performances, should anyone be interested in short clips of the greatest band.
:o)

True to form, the nieces were also extremely entertaining. Precious and Precocious, both.

Maddie created innumerable works of art, some of which she cut out with precision using big people scissors. It was astounding and incredible. She's very much into creating cartoonish animals with large faces/noses, like the Littlest Pet Shop crew.

She also drew a detailed picture of disco dance party of my friends and I, only I wasn't dancing "because she didn't much feel like it" (according to the artist). This treasure is going up in my office as soon as I get back! The disco theme came from the ElfYourself videos floating around the Internet.

Little Katie is always entertaining with her antics. Very upset by a blister on her heal, it didn't really stop her from body slamming Evan or climbing around on furniture, telling the story of her new book Pinkalicious! or other crazy goings on. She's very cuddly at times, and still manages to be the most ornery little tyke I know.

It was a Polly Pocket Christmas for the girls, each receiving three different sets, and they had a BLAST setting it all up last night.

I was sad to leave last night, not really knowing when I'll see the Littles and Emily & Franz again. I usually take a trip out in the spring or summer, but am not sure it's possible this year. However, this Christmas was so special with both families able to celebrate with everyone. I feel like that situation may become increasingly rare as the years go by, so I'm thankful for what we got this First Christmas as marrieds. It was so much fun and yet relaxing at the same time.

T-day 2008

Some years I've found it difficult to think about things I'm thankful for during the holidays. I know that sounds horribly evil and pessimistic, but living in a decade of pure darkness tends to create patterns of thinking, patterns of emotions, that can be extremely hard to dismiss.

I looked at the calendar yesterday and discovered that Thanksgiving Day, which is one week from this very day, falls on November 27th. That date, of course, just happens to be my two month wedding anniversary. Kyle and I couldn't believe it's already been two months, despite the fact that we also feel like we've been married forever. What was my life before he was in it? Shouldn't I be able to remember a year ago? Because that's the point at which he wasn't present in my life.

Here is a small list of things that have brought a tremendous amount of joy to my life this year:

• Finding the love of my life
• The endless support (financial and emotional) from both of our families in the crazy-short-engagement / huge-wedding-planning process
• A honeymoon unlike any other I've ever heard of; one that will make a significant contribution to the book I plan to write
• My nieces (numbering 4, now), who honored us by being fantastic flower girls and insta-friends with each other
• My sisters throwing me a fun party and flying home (each bringing various things for me for the wedding) to be a part of our major celebration
• My friendship with Sara, which has grown into one of the closest and deepest I have known, and our vacation in SC
• Being sure on various levels that I walk with a God greater than any tragic or joyous occasion that I have known, or could know; seeing his light, his hand, his guidance, and feeling his approval on choices I have made this year that will impact my life forever
• Living in a community of believers and working with such incredible people in a job I love (despite the monotony of this week)

I have never known such goodness as I know now. Yes, things go wrong (the faucet sucks and the water heater broke and leaked briney fluid all over the carpet). Life can be irritating and boring, like grading 450 copies of the same freshmen assignment that no one cares about.

But how can any of that weigh against the joy I feel every day when I live in the closest version of God's love that is humanly possible to experience? I tell you, it can't hold a candle to the goodness that surrounds me.

So, this Thanksgiving, I toast to a good year. To love and life as I have never known. To the unending irritations and frustrations that are bound to come out of being married. But to family. To friends who have become my family. To those I love, wherever you are. This is to you.

Additions

I started out life with two sisters and a brother.

I never really considered what it would be like to add to the ranks of my siblings. Never realized that marriages would bring people in.

When Franz joined the family, I couldn't have been more thrilled to have another brother. And then Emily Jane found Evan and it seemed like she'd been a part of our family forever. Somewhere in there, we adopted a family from North Carolina and for once I had a little sister.

I decided that in my wedding I want my sisters to stand up with me, and when I counted them, I realized I have five, because I'm gaining another one from Kyle's family. Amy has always been someone that I admired and appreciated on numerous levels. I'm ecstatic to be able to call her sister here very shortly. No one matters more to me than these girls. I'm honored to have them support me on such a monumental day for me.

I can't neglect to mention, however, that I'm also gaining two brothers. Unbelievable!
Yay!

Good things

As my time winds down at work for the year (academic year, that is), I've been extremely busy with major projects and meetings and, most recently, library field trips. Two were scheduled this week - one 14-hour day that was a tour of Northern Indiana academic libraries, and one all-day meeting in Indy. Next week, my boss and I have another all day meeting that relates to the 14-hour day tour.

In addition to that, I spent the entirety of last week working on a project for freshmen that will be implemented in the Fall. I had to learn two new pieces of software that deal with sound and video recording and editing, things I know nothing about. But it was fun to learn new equipment and to see the end products. Yesterday, I found out they'd accidentally reset the computer on which I did all of my work and they lost it all. I had saved a couple of unfinished products elsewhere, so have to rebuild from them. Ultimately frustrating!

Despite all that drama, I've been very blessed recently to get to spend lots of time with people I love. Memorial Day weekend probably couldn't have been better or more relaxing. Movies, food, tons of old and new people, multiple naps a day...it was awesome. It ended with a cookout at Sara's with her duplex-neighbors, who Leslie would love to go on adventures with. They tell the best stories. Last night was movie night with a new friend in Upland, someone who could very well make the rest of my time here bearable.

Game night is tomorrow at Leslie D's, and I can't wait to break out dominoes, perhaps Settlers, and Scattergories. Later this weekend I get to see my family.

See what I mean about good things? My cup overflows.

Too long, and when I say too long, I mean nearly three weeks

I had no idea it'd been so long since I posted. But I see the date stamp on the motorcycle post was Apr. 06.

Since then, Sara W. and I attempted to find red shoes to go with my bridesmaid dress for Elaine's wedding (a completely unsuccessful trip), I have traveled for nearly 24 hours (it seems), and I've spent the equivalent of 2 whole days on a beach in Mexico with some of my favorite people.

We left Saturday circa 8am and arrived in Mexico around 6pm, I think. Our return trip began at 5:30 in the morning, leaving the Forman residence, and ended at 6:30pm, at which point Kyle's bag was lost and we found ourselves in complete sleep-deprived delirium.

Trying to get the girls to be serious at the same time is a losing battle. How sweet is Katie's face here, though? She really warmed up to me this time around, which was awesome. Lots of snuggle-time for me.

Favorite activity on Sunday was the task of burying Kyle. The girls did a phenomenal job, with minimal effort by the adults.

Following that, of course, was their idea of being buried themselves. Franz and Kyle managed to have them completely covered (minus Katie's little arms) in a matter of minutes. Here they are trying to extract themselves from the sand particles.

Franz seemed very relaxed and enjoyed pool time and some football tossing. People watching was, of course, another great activity, especially when the young men on the first floor by the pool lined up a few cases of beer on their
patio table and put the empty cardboard boxes on their heads for good measure--around 11 in the morning. I think it was their last full day at the beach.

Maddie, warming up after some serious hot tub
(also known as tepid tub) and pool time.

New things, New leaves

I slept poorly for over a month round about the Thanksgiving-New Year's time frame. Unable to identify the reasons for lying awake for hours each night, I could only suffer through, finding myself irritable, exhausted, and addicted to caffeine.

For the last week, I've slept pretty well, and I attribute this newfound brilliant sleep the fact that I've been reading before bed. Not reading just anything, mind you, but Ian McEwan's Atonement. The phenomenal mental images conjured by his skill as a writer have transported me into a world of dramatic, dysfunctional family relationships in a place far-removed from my own life. Though I often find it hard to stop reading in order to get my required eight hours of sleep, once I close my eyes, I dream the night away in a peaceful slumber.

Thus, I believe I've turned over a new leaf, a new sleeping leaf, as it were.

That isn't, however, the only leaf I've turned in recent weeks. According to my sister, I'm a much different person than she has known and remembers. Granted, she's been away for a long time, but I cannot deny that my love of the outdoors and my ability to try new things has vastly expanded since I returned from my semester abroad in 2003, even more so since I attended grad school and started living away from all that was familiar.

Sometimes I am amazed at this person masquerading in my mind, in my body. And yet, it is me. I am more comfortable now than I was as a kid, adolescent, teenager, or young adult. I think I'm finally becoming me, which is immensely refreshing.

Two significant examples will be documented with photos in subsequent posts, but I will name them here:

• In December, I climbed a mountain.
• This past weekend, I went skiing.

I was renewed both times, physically through the initial exertion and following few days of pain, and spiritually by experiencing the infinite praise of Nature, the communing of forces beyond human control in silence. Sitting atop the mountain, staring over the patches of trees and at the skyline of Charlotte, Something spoke to my soul. I found my center again, which I felt I'd lost, or been in the process of losing for some time. Riding the ski lift to the top of the easiest hills, the muted sounds--wind whistling through fir trees, voices from the slopes, the swish and scrape of skis and snowboards through powdered snow--created a peaceful soundtrack for the day, the hour, the very minute. I could have sat up there, suspended (without the skis dangling from my 10 lb. boots), for hours.

All this is to say, I am a new creation. Thank God for that. Thus far my 25th year has been my best, my favorite. I'm have a feeling it will only continue to get better.

How do I find them?

Sometimes I wonder if strange people don't run into me, as if I have developed some sort of a homing device for weirdos. Liz inherited the radar for jerks, but what if I have one for strangies.

About a year and a half ago, I sat behind this boy in church and was distracted for the duration of the service by his kissy, momma's boy self. It was profoundly disturbing, as I still remember the scene quite vividly: the white laciness of his mother's cardigan, his fingers rubbing her shoulder, the way she tried to shrink ever-so-slightly away from him.

Today in chapel, I sat behind a high school student who was visiting with her parents. What struck me first about these three was their participation in the chapel singing. Usually, prospectives who sit at the back of the chapel are somewhat withdrawn from the overall atmosphere of the service, watching the students and faculty around them trying to gauge their interest with the level of involvement of everyone else.

The daughter, the prospective student, was swaying and clapping, and both of her parents were praising the Lord with their hands in the air. Why is this striking when I've been around Christian circles like this my whole life? Personally, I'm never comfortable enough to join whole-heartedly into any sort of praise and worship scene as a first-timer. A visit to a new church or similar place will rarely find me a strong participant.

When we were seated for the sermon-esque part of the service, the husband put his arm around his wife. It was then, with his hand directly in front of my face, that I realized the mother's and daughter's shoulders were overlapping, despite the fact that they were in two seats separated by an awkwardly placed arm rest. I shifted in my seat a smidge so I could see what was going on, and that's when I realized that a family very dissimilar to my own was sitting in front of me.

The mom had her arm intertwined with her daughter's and her hand rested on the girl's crossed leg. They smiled at each other and whispered back and forth, and I kept thinking -- at 18 my mom was definitely not allowed to touch me. In fact, at 8 I asked my dad to stop holding my hand because it was embarrassing as he walked me to class every day. He refused. Until I was out of the 5th grade, he said. It was tradition. Since I had no choice, I acquiesced, despite my embarrassment and annoyance.

So touching my upper leg? No. NO.
Apparently, the family had recently studied 1 & 2 Chronicles and the really, really minor prophets, because that's what the sermon was about, and they kept exchanging knowing glances and whispers and laughing (at the appropriate Old Testament joke parts).

After one extended whispered dialog between the mom and girl, they shifted and interlaced their fingers. Now, they were holding hands. With interlaced fingers.

Horrified, I tried desperately to refocus on the story of Ahab and Jehoshaphat, Hanni and his son Jehu. But I kept coming back to the image.

Not this: www.fotosearch.com/FSP468/457015/

But this: www.caribbean-media.info

Perhaps I have these random, revolting encounters with strangies because, in reality, I have too many sensitivities. But, in the same way that I am positive it isn't healthy for an 11-year-old boy to be making love to his mother's arm, I know that holding hands with your mother as an 18-year-old girl is best not displayed in a public place.

*images found using Google Images

Our whole family

We staged this one and, surprisingly, it turned out well.

Officially, The Gottschalks.

And, of course, the Grandparents and Grandchildren.

Despite all of the fun we were having, Leslie was sick for two long weeks. So sick, in fact, that she tried very hard to go to a doctor, not something she's prone to do. Ever.

When I tried, on New Year's Eve to get a picture with her...this was all she could give me.
And, truth be told, I felt very sick the entire evening myself.

The next day, this is what I looked like: stayed in my pajamas all day, didn't redo my hair from the previous day or anything.
Because I posted this picture, you cannot get mad at me for posting the above delightful photo of you :o)

Never thought I'd ever see or hear

Coming from the mouths of my sister, my brother, and my mother:

"Big booty, big booty, big booty...hey, big booty."

Standing in a circle in the kitchen...keeping beat by alternately clapping and slapping their legs.

Please...help us now. No alcohol has been consumed this evening either.

Hard to believe, but true.

By that time, I'll be 90 years old...

Tomorrow, my grandparents celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary. They've lived through a world war, a cold war, and a war on terrorism. They survived raising five children, watching 21 grandchildren grow up and get married, and welcoming 21 great-grandchildren into their ever-expanding family.

Their children planned a celebration for them yesterday which involved the presence of 60 people; only seven were absent. We have a huge family.

As grandma pointed out, it's quite a feat that we're all here. Grandpa was one order away from the invasion of Japan which could have cost him his life. Thus preventing the establishment of this family. We're all respectful and respectable people. Friendly and kind, thoughtful and loving. Even more amazing is that we gather for reunions and parties about fives times a year.

In thinking about us en masse and individually last night, I realized how uncommon it is to have a group of 67 people who love each other and who are committed to Christ and living according to his example. Many of us have traveled the U.S. extensively, and some of us have been overseas several times. While we can never know the true impact that each of us has had in the various places we've traveled, we can know that from the love of two young people in the 1940s, people who didn't even know each other very well, the world has been touched, perhaps has been changed. By two people who shared values and made the choice to be vulnerable, to take a risk (as every relationship is), and to love.

Their commitment to each other and to raising an educated, Godly family is inspiring. I calculated, and if I were to get married this year (giving me 22 days to seal the deal), I'd be 90 before reaching my 65th anniversary. They are 87, healthy, and clear-minded. They are supportive and interested in each child, grandchild, and great-grandchild.

Despite the fact that I prefer small gatherings to large ones, yesterday was a special time of hearing stories about the beginnings of a relationship that impacted (and created) us all, about a war which changed a young man forever, and about the hardships of raising a family in the Depression and educating them (debt-free) in an era where many did not get that opportunity. It blessed me to be there, to watch the varied personalities interacting, the children playing, the cousins trading stories.

I love this family; as much as I don't show it, I truly do.
Thanks, Prent and Doris, for making us each feel special, for having the capacity to love a gigantic family with Christ's love, for being an example of what commitment truly is: sacrifice and prayer.

Paradise getaway

My family had the most untraditional Thanksgiving ever. Split in half, we all ended up in Mexico, but in two coastal cities more than 20 hours apart from each other. Needless to say, we didn't all see each other, but managed to have a blast in our respective paradises: Mom & Dad, Ev & Emily in Puerto Vallarta; Emily & fam, Leslie, & myself in Puerto Penasco (also known as Rocky Point).

I don't know how to pick a few pictures out of the whole trip to show you how beautiful and perfect it was, but I'll try. And I'll add in a few adorable pics of the nieces for good measure.

The girls and their favorite Aunt Leslie

Katie's unbeatable smile.

Sisters, sisters...

Maddie & me

Our lovely hosts, Emily and Franz

Further visual representation of the perfection of Rocky Point

And let's not forget the view from the condo