It's Grrrr8 to be 8!!!

To celebrate Ethan's eighth birthday, Chris and I took him and Clark to GREAT America. Ethan was quite the dare devil, riding roller coasters like the Grizzly and the Demon. They both enjoyed Boomerang Bay and swimming in the Lagoon. Next time he plans on riding the Tasmanian Typhoon and the ship wreck. (He couldn't get Grandma to do those with him this time.)
Ethan and Grandma after a ride on Logger's Run.

Ethan's Favorite Rides

Ethan's favorite rides at Great America were the Grizzly that he rode with Grandpa, the Demon that he rode with Grandma and the Taxi Jam that he rode with Clark.

The Taxi Jam.

Tour of California

Chris was working from home on Wednesday, and things were pretty slow. He has followed bike races for several years now and is interested in the current Tour of California. So he walked out from his office with a smile on his face. "Let's go see the Tour!" We grabbed a couple of umbrellas just in case the rains came back, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. We hiked up Sierra Road in San Jose to a spot where we could see the riders coming up the hill. Soon the helicopters were hovering overhead and lead cars came through with their horns honking. Next came the cyclists. Chris was on the opposite side of the street taking pictures as fast as he could. This picture is of Levi Leipheimer. Later that night we watched the TV coverage of the race. They had the same picture of Levi from a different angle with Chris in the background taking this picture. Ah, Chris had his .5 seconds of fame!

Happy Mother's Day - To the Moms in my Life

First, my Mom. She showed me by example how to be the best Mom through every stage of motherhood. Her voice was pleasant, her smile consistent. Patience was her hallmark. I used to say I wanted to be like her when I grow up. Well, I'm grown up and in some ways I'm like her, and in other ways I'm still trying. Thanks Mom for all you taught me and for your unconditional love. Love you and miss you!!

Second, my mother-in-law. She continues to amaze me with her passion for life. Just last week when I was in Utah she joined the family for a "walk" along a creek that led to a water fall. She loves spending time with her family and sharing her love with them. She raised four terrific boys and a wonderful daughter. I am blessed to be married to one of those boys. Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you!

Daughters as Mothers

There is no greater joy for a mother than to watch her children and their spouses doing a fantistic job as parents. On this day I say "Thank You" to my daughters and daughter-in-laws for the wonderful job they are doing.

You Light Up My Life!

Chris and I have been debating, well not really debating, more like discussing the need to change the light fixture in our dining room. There was one vote for changing and one vote for leaving the 1970's very elegant, valuable crystal fixture. Yes, it was elegant, and valuable, and made of fine crystals. But . . . it was from the 70's! Guess you can tell what the writer of this blog was voting for. Since we are a democracy, I decided to get the vote of our children to break the tie. When polled, they each were very diplomatic, and wouldn't vote. However, I caught Alison in a weak moment. We talked on the phone while we looked at Overstock.com. I found the fixture I wanted and she agreed it was nice. I took the picture to Chris, asked him for his blessing, he consented, and we installed it yesterday. I wish we could capture in a picture how beautiful it makes the dining room. You'll just have to come visit to see. Oh, and my conversation with Alison resulted in changing her light fixture with a great find from ksl.com. Check out her blog.

P.S. Just for clarification, we did not change the crystal chandelier from Chris' mission. It is timeless and still hangs over the kitchen table.

Rise and Shout

Chris and I spent the day with Eric and Anna-Lena's family a couple of weeks ago. After a fun day at their home, we caravaned to Stockton to watch the BYU Men's volleyball team sweep UOP. Everyone was decked out in BYU gear. I think BYU fans out numbered UOP fans. GO COUGARS!