Memorial Day 2010

I can't believe it is already May 31st. I love Memorial Day. I love the opportunity to celebrate the men and women who gave their lives to protect the things we value most: home, family, freedom, and religion.

I called my dad today to thank him for what he did for our country.

I loved being raised in the military and am grateful for the incredible opportunities we had. Living in different countries, allowed us to experience cultural diversity and exposed us to a variety of people, places and ideas. I think these experiences made us more well rounded individuals. It also allowed us to see the beauty in the world and its people.

Easter

Easter was extra special this year because it coincided with a General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We also had some very special visitors. Michael, Meilani and Houston came down from Spokane and spent Easter with us this year. It was a glorious occasion. We had so much fun together! We went shopping, and for walks and had a fabulous adventure to Monterey where we visited the aquarium, had a wonderful lunch at the Fish Hopper on Cannery Row, and saw the beautiful scenery along the 17 mile drive to Pebble Beach and Carmel. It was a quick trip, but full of fun and wonderful memories.

This is Mike and Michael with Houston just before they left for the Priesthood session of conference. Houston stayed home with Lani and me and we as usual had a wonderful time together.

How I love my boys!

Spring has Sprung

Spring has definately arrived! It has been a wondefully wet year in San Ramon. The hills are green and the blossoms are out. These are the same trees I photographed for my Fall pictures. It's so much fun to see the seasons change right before my eyes!

Our trip was so much fun and we packed a lot in a short amount of time. We walked around the campus at Gonzaga University where Michael is attending graduate school, checked out the bookstore, drove by John Stockton's house (my personal favorite!), and went to the Mall to do a little Christmas shopping. In addition to those basic tourist activities, we spent lots of time hanging out with Houston, taking pictures, eating fabulous food, playing games, and we took a couple of beautiful walks.

Thursday morning we went to watch Michael play in the Turkey Bowl with members of his Elder's Quorum. I would just like to point out that this was not a typical San Ramon Ward Turkey Bowl...it was absolutely freezing! But we enjoyed almost every minute of it, especially since I spent my time pushing Houston around the track in his stroller. Overall, it was a perfect vacation and we thoroughly enjoyed being with our precious family.

November in San Ramon

I have always believed that we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. The idea of roses in December is a reality here and we also have some of the most beautiful displays of Fall Leaves that I have ever seen. The other day I was coming home from an appointment and I looked out the window and thought, "Wow, I need to come back and take a picture of this!" Then I remembered that I had my camera in the car so I pulled over and snapped a couple of pictures.

Answer to Prayers

I prayed that Houston wouldn't start walking till we arrived for Thanksgiving and lucky for me my prayers were answered. My first night there we practiced and within minutes of Michael arriving home Houston took his first steps. This is his second attempt. Pretty rockin, eh? We are so excited for him.



Although, by the time we left I was hoping that this whole growing up process would slow down just a bit. We bought him some 12 month jammies for Christmas and when we tried them on him, we could barely zip them up. I am not ready for him to start walking, running and getting ready for school. I want him to take his time growing up so we can enjoy every precious moment.

Christmas Morning on Thanksgiving Night

What a fabulous week! We went to Spokane to celebrate Thanksgiving/Christmas with our wonderful grandson, Houston and his adorable parents, Michael and Meilani. Since they have other plans for Christmas, we did our Christmas shopping on Wednesday then celebrated Christmas on Thursday night right after our Thanksgiving dinner. It was a special day of gratitude followed by the joy of watching Houston celebrate his first Christmas. Opening his first present... EVER!Houston completing his pre-flight checklist. Michael had a pretty good time opening his presents as well.After a long day in the kitchen, Lani got to open a present too.
The perfect ending to a perfect day. So, Merry Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good night! We love our little Houston Boy and can hardly wait for our next adventure.