Beautiful T shines!

T and I played two pieces together for her recital last Thursday evening. She did awesome, even though I messed up a few notes. Sadly, I haven't been keeping up on my piano skills. I played competitively as a child and then quit at age 14 to pursue dance. Yes, I regret it a bit but meanwhile discovered a love of dancing. Anyway, I hope T can stick with it. She seems to really enjoy piano, and it's an additional plus that her teacher is her grandma!

We're moving back to Cali!

We will be moving back to CA the end of March. We're looking forward to being close to R once again. It's been too long!! In the next few weeks I'll send our new address via email or postage to everyone. Please come and visit us anytime. We would absolutely love it.

California trip

Putting that boy to work. Washing daddy's car on a sunny warm California winter day.
Snuggle time with grandma Ida.


No lie. The Crabcooker truly has the best seafood! And the best clam chowder. It's our family tradition to eat here whenever we're in town. R introduced me to this place when we were dating. So we definitely have history here.
Kids and I waiting to eat some delicious food at the Crabcooker in Newport Beach.
Daddy and kids on a windy day at the Newport pier.

Fun in the sun at Huntington Beach. I just get a little crazy when I visit the O.C. Sadly, I returned to Utah the same shade of pale as when I arrived. Oh well. What can ya do?

Friends Since Babies

The kids and I spent Saturday in Provo. What a fun time going down memory lane. We spent a few hours hanging with some old friends of ours, the Carrolls. T has been friends with Skye since they were babies. It's amazing to see how fast they have grown up! And so beautifully. A and T also had fun playing with Skye's other siblings, Ethan and Chloe. Ethan is A's age as well. Anyway, our families were pretty much inseparable during the early days of poor college student life. I pretty much lived over at the Carroll house while R worked full-time and went to school. (Not too difficult since they lived about five feet from our condo.) It was always a blast, and Kirsty and I had a lot of laughs. Thanks Kirsty!
After visiting the Carrolls, we picked up Aunt Kathryn, Joe's wife, and headed to BYU. So much of the campus has changed, but it was still fun to show the kids where mom and dad went to school. We then picked up Joseph at the family history library and headed to the Pizza Factory in Provo. Joe and Kathryn had never been there, so it was quite a treat for them. A very fun day. We just wished R had been with us. :( But we'll be seeing him this week in L.A. So look for more pictures to come!

My Grandmother Genevieve

My grandmother Genevieve Creswell passed away last night at 11:42 PM. She died very peacefully. My parents, Aunt Linda, cousin Heather, sister Emilie, and brother Joseph were present for the last hours of her life. It's a bittersweet time for us. Sweet because we know that our dear mother, sister, grandmother, and great grandmother is in a sweeter place. We know last night she was greeted by so many loved ones on the other side. We are happy that she is finally free from the physical, mental, and emotional pain she has endured for several years. Of course, we will miss her terribly. And that's the bitter part. My children got to know their great grandmother very well as we visited her often while she was in the care center. T and A liked to take her on walks, comb her hair, paint her fingernails, sing her songs, watch I Love Lucy, and give grandma lots of hugs and kisses. They were never shy to show their affection for her, and I know my grandma appreciated their love. Last Saturday, the day before her final stroke, the kids and I spent the afternoon watching I Love Lucy episodes with grandma. She was in such good spirits and at points laughed heartily with A during the shows. We gave her several hugs and kisses as we left for the day and promised to return Sunday to watch more Lucy. As we were walking away A ran back to give grandma one more hug. Then she raised her right hand and waved goodbye to us as she always had. This was the last time I saw her before her stroke the next morning. I'm so glad the kids and I were able to spend that time with her. My grandmother was an extraordinary woman, loved and respected by so many. I am honored to have her for a grandmother and love her with all my heart and soul.

T's FHE lesson

Rosa Parks

Martin Luther King, Jr.
T gave our Family Home Evening lesson tonight on Martin Luther King, Ruby Bridges, and Rosa Parks. Only fitting since today we celebrate Martin Luther King and his achievements. T prepared the lesson totally on her own. She typed up short bios (all from memory) of each "hero" of the civil rights movement and then asked me to print photos for each person. During the lesson we all took turns reading from her bios and then she showed the corresponding photos. She also had us draw a picture of our favorite hero and write why that person was meaningful to us. T has been fascinated by Martin Luther King, Ruby, and Rosa Parks since studying about them a couple years ago in school. She has several chapter books on each one and even has a book of American Heros. Right now she's reading a children's version of The Diary of Anne Frank; She's really been absorbed in the tragic history of that novel. We've had a lot of great discussions of Anne's story. T is definitely an avid reader like her mom and grandpa C. We love books with lots of history. If anyone wants to recommend any good historical books they've read lately, send them my way. I just finished "Train to Potveka." A story about a CIA spy in Russia. Very good and eye opening. Malcolm X is also a good one that I've read this past year. And I'm still working on a biography of John Adams. OK, and yes I've jumped on the Twilight series bandwagon as well. Guilty as charged. A little guilty "wholesome" pleasure never hurt anyone.:) It's all about balance, right? And for that matter, I also highly recommend the "Confessions of a Shopaholic" series. Very funny and light reading.

Skiing at Sundance

My little sis Emilie and I spent most of last Friday skiing at Sundance. It was was frigid cold, probably about 15 degrees, but the snow was awesome! We probably got in about 7 or 8 runs. While on the lift I pointed out to Em a cabin on the highest peak of the resort where my hubby R proposed. Over 10 years ago!! Yikes! Being at Sundance brought back so many memories of our young married life. Roman worked there for five years before he graduated from college. Our young family shared many wonderful experiences at Sundance, and of course the sweet hookups were awesome! I don't think we ever paid for anything when he worked there. So long to the perks of poverty student life! .... Moving on, Em and I had such a blast. We're going to try and come back in March when it's warmer. Later in the afternoon, we ate at the Foundry Grill. So yummy, just as I remember it.....My ski pictures won't transfer. I'm not sure why. I'll be working on it! Thanks for all your comments on the last post. It was good to hear from you all!