Fishers 7

Bad Blogger

2010-01-15T22:59:00.000-08:00

I have been super busy. We are healhy, we have a nice home and we all like each other. I needed to take a full time position as a Personal Banker. Hopefully that means only 1 job for Ben soon.

Addison is big. Ana is in Young Women and loves it. Gabe is handsome. Leah is becoming a young lady and Nolan...well...he's so cute. <3

We are on Facebook, I post there most often, quick and easy. Sorry.

New Post

2009-09-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

We don't do much except,

go to school (3 of us)..

go to work 2 of us one 16hrs a day , the other 35 hours a week

do laundry

clean cars

try to clean house

dishes...never ending

try to see each other.

Sometimes Nolan and I ride the light rail for fun.

I also did a 2 day huge art show , Micheal Godard was the artist..I worked ALL Friday and Saturday.

That's about it...and I try some meal site for weekly menus with shopping list attached.

P.S. This picture has nothing to do with the post, it's recent and Nolan is saying "call me."

Sailing.........................

2009-07-08T22:12:00.001-07:00

Jim took us and 2 of the kids friends sailing on the lake. Really beautiful weather! Perfect little fluffy clouds.

The Dads.

Ana trying hard not to crash..

The big boys!

The Dog

2009-07-08T21:58:00.001-07:00

It's funny, I saw this and had to post the pic. Everyone LOVES this dog...they all touch her and hold her and want to sleep with her. It's cute.

Dillon's Beach Reunion

2009-07-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Grandma Karen and Aunt Janine arranged a fun filled trip to DB. Ana brought a friend, all the cousins were there..well a lot of them.We suffered hurricane winds, and chill but it was pretty fun.

Shouldn't every family have a guitar / harmonica player? We're fortunate Grampa Jim does, it really makes a camp fire! The fire was actually a bit scary and unpredictable in the wind.

More sand fun...

Happy Birthday Nolan !!!!!

2009-07-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

Nolan my baby boy..the youngest and so sweet. You are 4 now (feels like 5) You keep asking me because you want to go to school. You are a very silly boy most times. Definitely energetic! You can sing on pitch better than any child I know. Well if it's Star Wars or Indiana Jones themes.

You look like a big kid in this pic, being goofy of course. Don't grow up too fast. I'm enjoying every minute of your baby ness. You tell me I'm beautiful all the time.

For now I want you to know how much you are appreciated and loved.

Leah Graduated from Kindergarten!!

2009-07-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Leah graduated from Kindergarten in June.. I know, I just got all the images from Ben...She looked so grown up and pretty!! She got all S's all year and plusses.. which in Kinder speak is all A+'s! Way to go ....first grade soon!

Here she is with her diploma...

Art

2009-06-24T20:49:00.001-07:00

A couple family pics...

2009-06-05T11:15:00.001-07:00

I admire that my friend Raegan posts and she tells her life story ;) So I'm going to try to say more. Things are always hectic, life at 90 miles an hour. I am always exhausted, i could sleep all day everyday if I was allowed. I think there's a reason for it and I'm working on it... but it's still no fun. We like our dog, she's cute and pretty well behaved. I heard barking the other day, like scratchy lame barking .. I thought there was no way that Daisy could be barking so I looked and she was! Her favorite spot in the house is right next to me...she curls up next to my legs..odd considering I don't usually love dogs... well she is pretty cute..and Nolan is getting big.

Speaking of Nolan and getting big he asks me all the time if he is 4 or 5, I honestly couldn't remember for a minute then I thought wow, he's only turning 4? He seems a lot older than that..he talks ALL the time. He wants to be 5 because "he is going to go to school and love it". We will see. His birthday is the 24th, I can't wait because I got him something neat..
I think all the kids got straight A's again.. Leah got straight S's which in Kindergarten are A's. Ana was awarded priciple's list for all A's and District honor roll for all A's and B's , she had straight A's all 3 semesters. Addison also got all 90's and was invited to be a Beta club member for smarty pants. Yeah team! In the fall I will only have 1 child home all day...weird.
Time flies , years pass faster and faster....

Terrified of dogs...

2009-05-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

A trip back home

2009-05-12T21:16:00.001-07:00

I returned home for the first time in about 18 years. I enjoyed spending time with my nieces and nephew. I would love to see them a lot. We were able to do an " Extreme makeover " on their bedroom. Fun!

A little obligatory posing! This is Kat. JT and Alexendra are the other 2.

More of what Auburn , NY looks like. It all seemed strangely smaller than what I remembered. My friend Wendie let me stay at her home. She also has hyperthyroidism, like my sister. She had radiation treatment Monday. We were close friends in middle school and again in college. It was wonderful to see her and her daughter.

Nolan cuteness

2009-05-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

New Puppy pic..

2009-05-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

Her name is Daisy. She comes home Friday.

New Baby

2009-04-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

We have been considering a family dog for a few years. Until now we have researched for what kind would work for us , but really could not commit. Now, we have... here's our newest member, well she will be the end of May. We haven't decided on a name yet. The kids are arguing over who will help out with what..but Ben and I are committed even if the kids slack off..she's a Boston Terrier. Please comment with name ideas..so far Ben likes Ducky, I think I like Cocoa or Cinnamon....others are Ruby, Chili, Spicy, Gabby, and Valentine (we like that one too).

Funny Pictures of Me

2009-03-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

Funny pics of me in 7th or 8th grade. My booke report was on Duran Duran, I am john Taylor in the pic. The second pic I am in a striped sweater and some super hip dangly gold earrings. Excellent.

Truly amazing

2009-03-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

This is a link to an amazing blog. there are so many people in need in the world. This blog offers a glimpse. I found this link through a friend's blog. What a beautiful thing to do all you can to love and nuture others. The Journey . I hope they don't mind my link, but their story is so inspiring.

Great Kids..

2009-03-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Great article by Orson Scott Card. It's actually kinda funny, you have to read all the way to the end.

Charlotte Mason

2009-03-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Mason has a manner of teaching children so that all ages can learn at the same time. It's a gentle pleasant and intelligent way. I won't be following her method completely but some things I like. The kids and I are doing nature walks , we go out with our notebooks and collect leaves , flowers, note birds or animals sketch them, tape them in. Them we go home and look them all up and label them in common name, scientific name and anything we like about it. Today was our first go at it..It was super fun. We live near fields full of wildflowers , and vernal pools so they are fun to explore.

We have been entranced with the story of Pecos Bill every night this week, Gabe read the whole thing to us every night. I thought he would tire of it but he really wanted to keep going and loved showing off his many different character voices. We are listening to Paul Bunyan meets Pecos Bill next week.

Homeschooling

2009-03-09T16:14:00.001-07:00

After carefully considering everything and looking into stuff. We are going to try CAVA it is California Virtual Academy. I know many people who do home school and I think it would be beneficial to the kids and I would enjoy teaching and learning with the kids. I realize not always but most of the time. Exciting huh. We will start over the summer or fall.

Update..I found some other even more awesome programs. Sutter south is a Charter public homeschool lots of freedom for curriculum. They give you a certain amout for each student to use for their curriculum and classes like violin , sewing, karate etc. There's another called Visions in Education, same idea, a little more supervision, a little less money, a lot more "classes" available. They both sound really fun. I try to keep all informed of what we do and how it's going. I really lie some of the Charlotte Mason style of teaching combined with some Unit study. Pretty exciting.

Romantic Time

2009-02-23T19:36:00.000-08:00

Ben and I have been married almost 10 years and we finally spent two whole nights together without kids. We got a chance to go to Lawson's Landing for my 37th birthday. The first night was starry.. we slept like rocks at 7 am sun was shiny.. even though we had the chance to sleep in ..we just couldn't. We did drive all the north to Bodega bay.. into Petaluma for snackies.. then back to hike sand dunes. they are really big...bigger than a 2 story house. Cows are roaming free all over.. pretty cool.We sat at the top then kinda skiied down the dunes. The path back down actually had me walking through a cow pasture.. cow pies all over.. that part was gross. Then we drove up to Shell Beach to look at tide pools.. there we found a nasty sea slug like thing,
Ben calls it a brain. I think I could spend hours looking at anenomes and starfish. We drove back down all the way to Stinson Beach..then went back up to DB , ate at the Dillon's Beach cafe for dinner. We have decided in the future you have no reason to leave DB area except for tide pools, it's all right there. the sunset was beautiful as we ate in the Cafe sunroom..We ended our trip by walking the beach in the dark I'm kinda paranoid that the waves I can't see will get me.. I got over it..then we went back to the chateau. The storm rolled in shortly after.. Pretty awesome hearing a storm on the ocean..
Thanks to all who helped us spend time together..oddly we were bored without the kids. Now we remember why we had so many.

Addison JV Basketball pro

2009-02-20T07:48:00.001-08:00

I'll try to figure out how to post the pdf file picture but his team did great!

Addison’s picture was in the paper this week with the JV Basketball Team. They won

Region. I am sure you can tell but just in case – Addison is to the right of the boy holding the

trophy in front.

The final score was 50-48…..it was a GOOD game!

Great job Addison!

Binder , I love you!!!

2009-02-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember my labor of love control binder. Afttr all that work , and moving, it sat outdated and lonely. Things get to a boiling point of mess , appointments etc so I dusted it off, updated all my information and calenders.
I thought I would share some sites I found . The cool one with personalized photo calenders you can print is calendars quick I did pay the 9.00 but it's amazing, has menus, calenders etc.. then there's my other favorite momadgenda.com . Many excellent free printables there.. and they are pretty. You can buy a nice folder that they put together too. My favorite is the one I have pictures of here.

Grandmother

2009-02-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

I don't have much going on on my side of the family tree. There weren't many people at the start and those few people were not very close. In my immediate family there is Me , my Mom and Dad, Stepfather , sister, stepmother and her 2 kids. I really never saw my father, maybe 5 or 6 times while I was young.I lived with my mom sister and stepfather. I haven't seen my sister in 3 years or so, my mother in about 8. My Mother's mom passed in 2006. Her father in 1987. My Father's Mom passed in 1951, great news story there. My grandfather passed in 1956 or so. Neither was 40. I have heard so many things about my father's mother and her untimely passing. It has been so wonderful to dig into who she was. Someone has uploaded yearbooks to Ancestry.com She was very active in school clubs like Journalism and writing. She has the same smile that I thought was a goof up until now. She's perfect! I was in Journalism in high school, and when I entered college as a freshman it was to be a journalist. Fascinating.

Sonoma Coast

2009-01-27T11:09:00.001-08:00

We packed up Saturday morning and headed to the coast. We found a hotel, and headed west. We got there in time to buy some taffy and watch the sunset. The bedding was all down and white, 6 pillows. We played card games watched spongebob took exceptional showers ate pizza, then slept. Free continental breakfast was included for us all which was really muffins , croissants, juice , cocoa, oatmeal granola.. you get the idea. We ate at the restaurant from " The Birds". We drove up to about the end of Sonoma county on 1 , I think . We decided to check out each of the beaches on the way back down to Dillon's. The day started warm and not breezy. We headed to Dillon's around noon, we tried to find "the villa" but no luck. We then played in sand dunes and in the waves for a few hours. We would have flown kites but it began to rain hard. We headed back home, exhausted and satisfied. We always feel closer after trips, kids like each other more and we don't have to clean non stop. It was really nice.

9 Years

2009-01-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

Today marks our 9th year of marriage. Almost half of a great man's life so far has been spent in dedication to his family. He has never doubted what he shoud do or questioned if his own needs were being met. I hope I am sucessfully meeting them. I promise to do better for the next 9.

Thank you for:

Always wanting to be with me.
Sharing the church with me
wanting a family with me
working 15 hour days for 5 years and never complaining
wanting me to stay home with our children
supporting all my crazy whims
loving my nuttiness
being so good to our children
taking beautiful pictures of everything
always saying I'm beautiful even at times when I clearly am not.
buying us a home
laughing when i do dumb things

I owe you so much. Thank you for the flowers too

.

Whew!

2009-01-06T18:35:00.001-08:00

Well, We got a new job, same great pay.. not much different. well except it's a new job and we are happy. Ben starts tomorrow.

More Inspiration

2008-12-31T11:08:00.000-08:00

I listen to NPR I love it. So many random things on there. There was an interview with Dina Vierny, Model And Muse For Art's Masters. She is now 89. Full of wit and fire. Henri Matisse made drawings of her, with spare, pure lines. Aristide Maillol sculpted her in bronze. I listened intently to the little interview.

What struck me possibly just for the timing of the statement , not it's novelty was, "You must search for happiness in your life, don't get discouraged. Look ahead with hope." she said it in English, though she spoke mostly french. Lovely.

Maybe it's good timing for someone else as well, so I thought I'd share.

Wisdom people speak....

2008-12-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

I hear things that people say to me that are sometimes amazing. I should share these things.

The other day I needed to pick up a small camera for Ebay listings. I found a great one, at a super cheap price , just 30$. I arranged to meet the man to exchange. When I meet him he is apparently I believe Afghani. Very dignified, yet simple and commanding. The kind of person you feel you should be very respectful towards not out of fear but the feeling that they are to be respected. He looked so simple but fully clean. He shows me all of the cameras functions. He has put in new batteries for me. The man has saved his receipt , kept the plastic on the back of the camera.

I was so impressed, I remarked, "Wow, you take amazing care of your things!"

He says, " These are our investments, we should take care of them so one day they can be for someone else."

This statement in regards to everything in our lives the small to large is mostly lost on our country. He has a spotless older little truck too. White of course. ;)

Keepin it Private

2008-12-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

I am taking my dithering private..in case anyone ever wants to hire Ben and googles my anti -corporation blog. Please email me this week to be added to the "like to read" column. if you don't have my email leave a comment.. with your email I go in the closet let's say Jan 3rd k?

Fantasies

2008-12-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

I know what you're thinking , not too exciting but I dare reply , "OMGosh! I would wear each of these daily who could need more.". The bag, pants, skirt all of it . Every day ..no joke.

What's wrong with these pictures

2008-12-28T16:31:00.000-08:00

clue, that's not the couch those are on..

this gem needs no explaining. Duh all surfaces should ALWAYS have things on them. No?

Many probs well mostly teen ish girl on cell phone , being loud. dancing, and 10 to 1 those kids in the back are dirty.

My fav... I will preface this with the fact that my family thinks this is how you relax, and you must relax all the time. You unrelax just 1 day a week. Remember stuff must ALWAYS be handy to grab at any minute.. garbage, cups, food. You never know what you might need. I keep ruining it by bleaching things and putting things in the garbage can and dishwasher.

Updates

2008-12-27T22:39:00.000-08:00

I will post pictures from our wonderful Christmas Eve feast. Thanks so much to everyone . The food was wonderful Special thanks to Cheleyne & Hyrum for their rolls and ham & potatoes that were light and fluffy!!! Johnsons as always with the treats and some bread. there were great games, gingerbread houses all of it great.

Christmas morning our kids were up at 4. We made them wait till at least 5. I vaguely remember someone shining a really bright blue penlight in my eyes from about 1 inch away. We had planned out a Wii for the family and I had procured a deal with Santa some time back. All I have to say is Rock Band and wii sorts are so fun as a family. We jammed together rotating around... it's so fun and I hate games. Drums on Maps is my favorite!!!

Currently, that stomach virus is still hitting some of us.. Leah stayed at Mel's poor Hanna had it..Leah came home that night she had it.. 2 days later Ana had it.. gabe n nolan say they're next. I love large families. I have no voice again.. just a cold though, whew! I did stomach virus 2 weeks ago with Leah.

I take it back..Gabe just threw up
goodnight.

****Update****
almost hilarious by this point but Ana threw up again..the next night..sunday night.

and then I did on Tuesday, from coughing too much though...I had just enjoyed a good meal with Ben at Applebees. I was sad to see it go.

Things I Love

2008-12-21T22:55:00.000-08:00

30 things I love about my life!

I want good news!

Everyone is tagged to cut and fill out.

Addison

Ananda

Gabe

Leah

Nolan

Extended Family

My health

Ben's art

My old but so cozy couch, it's corduroy

my scarves ..the rainbow ones

my pink rainboots

My house

my kitchenaid mixer

the sound of wind outside

running , working out

books, all of them

my earrings from my dad's mom

My black leather handbag, I like to pet it

my dead CHI flatiron , it really did not damage hair

the ocean

nighttime in the summer

jazz..mmm almost all of it

Benev skincare
Nolan's laugh
spanish
my bedroom
my bed and linens
hot chocolate

Trips

Drip, Drip , Drip

2008-12-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

My laptop is broken..the lcd screen is totally busted. I'm going to go laugh now.We are selling our tv, nice big flat screen , not flat panel 32" TV 175$. In it's place we put Ben's beautiful fish tank.. The stand is black now, it looks so nice.

This time Last Year.....

2008-12-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

I like blogging, and see the reason for journaling. To see patterns..
In the past month we have

Lost a Job of 3 years
Had 2 tires go bald to the steel bands
Had a fender bender
Had our refrigerator die (tonight)
Lost all our cold food..(I'm hoping not all, it's all we have till next month)
Locked myself out of the van , with cell phone and keys inside

If you check back in my blog for dec//jan..not as bad but
we had

Tree fall on van
washer broke
Locked self out 2x one from each car.

see a pattern, insight is welcome. Whatever it is I want desperately to quit doing it.

though I had 2 new thoughts today
a) Even in the summer things were a little rough...we had loan problems.. eh..
b) Maybe I should just start only blogging the good stuff, then a year from now I would look back and see only good things happen to me.

Though, something tells me it's like this right before you become filthy stinkin rich...or something...I hope. Like trial by fire. Maybe.

Abolish the Federal Reserve bank

2008-12-20T00:28:00.000-08:00

Just a thought. Read this . Then This , a little history on The Fed.

Then look here
Needless to say I'm furious over tax dollars bailing out everyone but the folks on the bottom. On the bottom we are fighting for jobs, services . They want to tax us more , California was proposing another 13cents on a gallon of gas. 3% increase on the self employment tax. If this were China or France we would riot!

The Polar Express

2008-12-19T23:51:00.000-08:00

I was blessed with the fore sight to buy these tickets in October..it sells out you see, before November. Nolan watched this movie like 3 times a day for a while..we would all groan every time he asked for "train movie". We arrived early enough o watch a hobo guy play a gypsy instrument and make puppets dance with his feet. The first pic is when the train was pulling up. Big, black, puffing smoke..it was soooo loud.

Yes! Servers ran up and down doing a few flips and stuff , then the real servers gave us a cookie and cocoa. My favorite thing. They read the original story as staff held books up for children to see. We chugged slowly through downtown Sac. waving at cars cheerfully. We arrived at The North Pole, it seemed to take forever. We did not crash into a lake. Sadly.

Nolan took this so seriously. He was either excited, or shy and pensive. He really thought it was all real. He shook the bell over and over next to his ear. The conductor said to our kids.."Make sure you shake those all the way home, your parents can't hear them."

Right about here I got all teary. I must look like I'm going to get sick or something, I hate crying so I just let water drip.Nolan will be a big boy and this will have to wait for grandkids. Just when I get too misty..well, that's what big kids are for..

Ana turns 11....

2008-12-12T15:50:00.001-08:00

You were a gift from the second you were conceived. I have learned so much from you
You are always tender, and vibrant and loving..( ok maybe a touch crazy )

You bring joy an fun to everyone around you.

Frequently a leader, always sure of your choices and destiny. I have enjoyed our time together and look forward to the many many things to come.. We love you so much!
Mon & Dad & all you si bi lings..

Spirit

2008-12-11T23:29:00.001-08:00

It came a little late this year but yet again it has. Out of my self pity and sadness comes this quiet song that reminds me of the meaning and beauty of it all. Just when I'm ready to give in something, someone seems to say the right thing or there's a picture or a song. In that moment I realize the mastery behind the chaos and confusion. It came in the form of a home teacher this time. I admit sadly I have missed a couple weeks of church, Leah threw up, I had to pick Ana up from the airport.... so the spirit does drift away a bit. I have slowly unwound down to threads of tolerance and hope. He reminded us , not intentionally I don't think of things both financially and spiritually that really made a tremendous difference right at this time. His message was simple..straight from the paper handed out. We chatted about our pasts, he is new to the ward after all. Nothing new but as usual with the spirit it was heard in a new way..with better ears perhaps.

After he left I remembered reading about the massacres in the Congo, or the cholera outbreak. There was a woman who lost all she had in a mobile home fire in Southern Cali. There are people who fear for their lives, fear the loss of loved ones, who will not have a roof over their heads and have no family left. I have a home, I have food, our home is warm, I have beautiful intelligent healthy children who can go to a government provided school for free. I have some much..and complain so much. I am glad Christmas comes every year. Every year I am hit with this feeling of joy. The lights and music and maybe the combined spirit of everyone near, it is often at this time of year preciously overwhelming.

Corporate Responsibility!!!

2008-12-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

Chicago factory workers have the right idea. Our kids are paying that money to the banks .

"The bank had said in a statement that it wasn't responsible for Republic's financial obligations to its employees. "

CHICAGO (AP) — A sit-in by laid-off workers at a shuttered window factory in Chicago is becoming a cause celebre for those who want action to avert economic pain.

Politicians, community leaders and members of outside unions turned up Sunday at the Republic Windows and Doors company to support the 250 or so former workers occupying the plant.

Workers say they'll stay put until they're given severance and vacation pay.

Factory worker Melvin Maclin says the protesters expected to face arrest when they began the sit-in Friday. But he says spirits are high after all the backing they've received.

Supporters fill the lobby of the building, and workers take turns occupying the plant floor.

Ben was given no notice, called into a meeting and they let everyone in that meeting go. That was it.. have a nice Christmas , sorry we are having a hard time... how about "let's all take a paycut but keep everyone on..."

Did you Know I ......

2008-12-06T00:10:00.000-08:00

I saw this on Francesca's blog..and well here goes
You should all copy and paste the highlight the ones that YOU have done..

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (does Colorguard or Orchestra count?)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a Meteor Shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland ( Disneyworld?)
8. Climbed a Mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a Lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon not quite..but 5 k!!!
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (satisfaction is never really about $ is it)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma HAHA I Can't!!!
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (Ana has it now)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper -- a few times
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating ...does watching count????
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake it's disgusting.. for the most part
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

8 Things

2008-12-05T23:24:00.000-08:00

I love tags, so thanks Amber!!!

8 Favorite Books:
Twilight Series
The Host
Harry Potter Series
El milagro mas grande del mundo
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Orson Scott Card stuff
Your Forces and How to Use Them
Crime & Punishment
Cien Anos de Soledad

8 Things that Happened Yesterday:
Cried a lot.. no I mean really a lot, and I have no idea why really
Faxed a letter
Wished it wasn't foggy for days on end (sun came out today!)
Got a call to go to a tutoring interview..pretty exciting
Drove in the car a lot
watched the Office
Tried to find something Abu wanted me to find
Slept with Nolan

8 Things I'm looking Forward to:
Me finishing up school
Getting more muscles
Summer, or Spring at least
Hot Chocolate (always)
Getting a pair of UGGS , I'm not sure why.
planting grass
somehow buying a pool
Ben's business being successful (after I finish school)

8 Things on my wish list:
Uggs with the pocket on the side in dark brown.
Security
Happy Kids
Doing awesome shoots
the impossible to find sweater dress - I'll borrow this answer ..I've looked for over a year.
an awesome Twilight movie..made by the Harry Potter folks or something
a trip anywhere with Ben , for a week without children , though they are cute
to magically have my degree finished up?

8 Things I love about Winter:
that it's ALWAYS cloudy or foggy NOT!!!!!!
Hot chocolate
boots and sweaters and tights and jackets and scarves and gloves..and curly hair ( can't do that in summer it's too hot)
hot tubbing
trips to Miami
lighting the fireplace
homemade soup
food tastes better
having an excuse to stay in PJs all day and watch movies...borrowing again...though that actually makes me depressed when I do it.

people I tag:
Nicole
Lisa
Cheleyne
Melanie
Renee
Kendal
Angie
Karen good luck there, she'll never do it. or read this blog..lol

Unemployment news for the Nation

2008-12-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

Updated...12/5 make that 544,000. That's more like what I thought .. and counting everyone out of work ...all said it's closer to 14% I'll cite my sources if asked to.

More News..

Not to beleager the point, Business Week Story

I have been told this is still just the beginning. On a side note I called Countrywide ..just to see if maybe we can jump on the loan alteration bandwagon..the funny thing is when I called the loan lady said "trust me if you don't make any payments we are NOT coming to take that house.. we don't want any houses and it's better someone is in there than to have more empty homes. She also said your credit could take a hit but that will get better..everyone else is just walking away. "

I was amazed. I laughed . We want to keep our house though and right now that's not a problem.

2008-12-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

Ben has wanted to build his photography business for a few years. I have wanted to finish my degree & teach, but thought the timing was never right. We would have never left a great job to persue "dreams" willingly. I have been getting ready , have all my paperwork in . I start school the 18th. Ben has his cards printed up and so far 4 people have paid us to take their pictures. We have a website too www.Titan-Photo.com , opportunity disguised as stress. We feel good about it. Senora Fisher, I can't wait.

More pics

2008-11-29T08:57:00.001-08:00

These were so fun, She is a great model to work with.. and available..lol We torture her with picture taking regularly..I am really enjoying the hair/makeup stuff.. We do at least one shoot a day now. I have been taking little make up "classes" whenever I can get in. Mac class next... exciting.

Great gift ideas..

2008-11-24T00:13:00.000-08:00

Just in case you know...people were wondering what I really wanted.. this Christmas or my birthday or..well for any reason really here they are.. My new LOVE take your pic, I adore them both. You can even just leave them unwrapped, I could use some cozy love in a boot. I promise to NEVER take them off..please.

Pic o' the day....

2008-11-24T00:08:00.000-08:00

They like their bike. We do too :') It was a lot of fun shooting Jon & Lucy. Their too adorable kids were fun too. More pics to come.

Things to look at

2008-11-23T01:10:00.000-08:00

Many kudos to Mel, our "Silver " model is sick..so Leah and Mel filled in...

I did these Leah ones.. it's not Ben's fault if they look bad ..my light and auto focus etc..lol , I even did the photoshopping..

Guess where Were going at midnight???

2008-11-20T19:11:00.001-08:00

Ana n I have tickets for the midnight showing tonight... I can't wait!!!!

More Photo fun...are you Next????

2008-11-17T21:46:00.001-08:00

Mel is "Black" tomorrow, I can't wait. I did make up and hair, costuming shared..Ben alterations and lighting and photography.

My makeup & Hair work , Ben's pics..

2008-11-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

Ev & Ana were very patient and let us use them as test models. I like the shots. Ev had a million great , really perfect shots so more to come.

Peter Schiff , Read the last paragraph

2008-11-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

This article ..anyone check the crime in the paper lately? The robberies? This is for Mel. She will enjoy or well, maybe not like wow this is fun. Anyone wanna sell me their silver?

Pink Slip

2008-11-13T20:21:00.001-08:00

Apparently Skincare isn't America's top priority right now. Skinstore cut 20% of it's labor force.. we were included in that number. We wanted more time together. Contract jobs anyone? At least we are not alone.. I found this great site
We are now one of California's 8% and climbing unemployment number.. I don't feel so anxious and Ben has wanted to take a leap artistically for a while.

Looks like Fun , and not Political

2008-11-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

I
I AM … a mom to many children
I WANT…to be a better Mom
I HAVE … many , many things I'd like to do.
I KEEP …finding nice things , fabrics, plants etc that I like
I WISH I COULD … stay energetic all day long everyday
I HATE … the fact that money does not grow on a tree that only me and a few others own
I FEAR …what my children may have to deal with
I HEAR … voices..oh wait those are my kids
I DON’T THINK … I ever want to stop growing and changing
I REGRET … not having them put the wood floor or tile in when we bought the house
I LOVE … my family, nice fabrics, good leather , corduroy, big buttons, the gym, wall paper, fireplaces on chilly days, hot chocolate, jazz at Christmas, really fine chocolate (Baci), bernaise sauce. , Les Halles restaurant in NYC, Spain, I'll stop there...
I AM NOT …perfect or even close though I strive for it
I DANCE … whenever I hear a song I like
I SING …when I want to embarrass Ana
I NEVER … like to give up
I RARELY … wear pink
I CRY WHEN I WATCH … things people in the world suffer through , or when my kids perform. I cry when I watch Nolan grow up.
I AM NOT ALWAYS …calm, I would like to be
I HATE THAT …my carpet gets dirty
I’M CONFUSED ABOUT …why teachers make less than actors..it shows what our society values.
I NEED … self restraint
I SHOULD …eat better, be kinder to my family, be more attentive to them, cook great meals all the time, pay someone to clean my carpet
I HOPE ..when I am old Ben & I are able to travel, he can do art, I'll tinker with different passions and grand-great grand kids, and we have a pool.

Insurance

2008-11-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write down what I have been doing. If I write it down I can look back and go ok..or keep myself honest. I have been seriously training my body now for about 3 or 4 weeks. I started off with my usual running like a mile or 2 4 to 5 days a week. I had lost a bit of weight over the last year or so but have remained stuck at around 128- 130. I added a personal trainer to wednesdays fo an hour, she likes to make us hurt for a week or so. I lost 5 more pounds after 3 weeks. Now I have a schedule more like this
Mon elliptical 30-40 mins with intervals 3 sets of 20 various weight sets ( ie abs, machines etc.)
Tues. Chizzled (upper body) class high intensity weight rep class 1 hr.
weds. Train with Sharon
Thurs. Chizzled (lower body) (OUCH!!!) 1 hr. / Yogilates 1 hr at 7pm

Friday off or light run and ab work
Sat either 9am fusion class or same as monday
Sun off

I really like this because I am not in charge of what I'm doing.. it's not boring and it's really strenuous. I feel so good when I see results like arm muscles , or pecs..or Inner thigh muscles ( I didn't know I had those..)
I really hope I don't lay off or get bored ..though this is almost 2 years of building up my workouts It all started with running 1-2 miles 2 days a week.

My Update on The Family

2008-11-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks. Ana and I built an adobe house for her social studies project. It was actually fun. We have been weeding through and clearing out our posessions. It is hard as we have dumb attachments to many things. I do this best when I'm angry. :')

I made a calender for the bathroom , giving each kid a job in the bathroom daily. Not on weekends. Some success, mostly failure. We will keep at it. I think it helps some.

We went to a trunk or treat Fall festival at church. I went to a relief society crafty topics dinner thing. Fun. We made turkey things, I brought Ana with me.
I have realized I am addicted to Starbucks Signature hot chocolate, why can't I make this at home?

Ana and Gabe spent the night at Alex's and Emily's respectively for Halloween. Nolan n Leah went around the neighborhood and we had the James's over for tacos and treat handing out. We were going to watch a spooky movie but we all fell asleep.

I have been going to the gym daily and "treating" myself to a spa like hot tub and/or Sauna experience after I work out. It's quiet and smells good and is relaxing. I also have been doing a lot of strength training now.. when I don't do that I run and do weights on my own. The kids love going to the gym because they have a Wii in the kids lounge and Leah gets to makecrafts , Nolan plays on the big firetruck.

It began to rain Halloween day, somewhat soothing. The plants will be very happy. We turned on our gas firplace for the first time and I am going to put on our flannel/velvet bedding because it's so winter cozy.

I am thinking ahead to the holiday flurry of activity , cd making, turkey baking, etc. I am excited.

Ben has a photoshoot with a group he's in the 7th. Very "diesel" like with a little of a Dali photo thrown in. He really enjoys the planning and preparation. Half of the garage looks like a house. It's the set for the shoot.

That's it for now.

Tale of Two Roosevelts

2008-10-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this historical article.

Tale

Spooky

2008-10-25T00:40:00.000-07:00

More spooky news! Happy halloween , read all the way through.. higher dollar may sound good...but really wouldn't be.

Trick or treat!

Scary Halloween Stuff

2008-10-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

I have been picking up some stocks. Fun. While doing my research came across this little nugget

NUGGET

Read carefully the details at the bottom, read slowly make sure you savor those numbers. Mel...maybe you're not crazy.. ~ cough * cough~

Prop 8

2008-10-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

At first I was a hard sell,as I have many respected friends who are ....
then I found out the teachers union donated to defeat 8. I want neutrality in schools. Definition wise marriage should stay ideal man and woman. I worry about loss of religious freedom too.

My week ~ Dental and Chemical Peel

2008-10-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

I did this first, Tuesday, Asante Spa. They so a few light exfoliating swabs ..with glycolic acid, then they apply the TCA peel the first one burned a bit, the second pass burned a lot for like 3 minutes. Is it worth it? This peeled slightly like when you put glue on your hand an let it dry. I got a few compliments on my skin. I want a medical grade peel now. For real.

For the filling of 3 teeth (don't laugh, I have been to the dentist like 3 times my whole life.) Dr. Cope's office is the Golden Standard in Dental care and patient comfort. I never felt a thing. I was not asleep however, just out of it for half the procedure. (It took 2 hours) I was given a lot of numbing shots and some nitrous. I started humming along with the drill. My smile is not crooked now, not why I went in but certainly a huge plus. I'm ready to do more teeth now :')

Today & Tomorrow ~ Swimming anyone?

2008-10-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

It is sooo hot still.

Fri

85°F | 52°F

Fun....Stinson Beach

2008-10-13T14:18:00.001-07:00

Ana took these for us. I love it when pictures of me are overly bright. I like these a lot.

We thought it would be really cold so no swimsuits it started out warmish, so we let Nolan wear undies. He was freezing a half an hour later poor guy!

Gabe n Leah being sandpipers I think

What is this Beast? They dragged it around for a while. Ben liked popping the "sea pods".

What now??

2008-10-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

Stocks Plunge Again; Dow Under 8,600

The market is down 42% from it's high 1 year ago of about 14,000.

1932 graph compared to now.

Story of Stuff

2008-10-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

I read others blogs. Duh. I really like this clip. Story of Stuff

I buy most things used, My kids don't have crazy presents parties, we cut waaaay back for Christmas. only 1 gift a small one from mom n dad, but a huge feast and lots of family. Clothes are hard I love them ..but they come from Ebay , or GULP goodwill. I for some reason CAN NOT pay store prices for things , unless it's under 10$. I still feel guilty and want to try harder. I want to try the 100 things challenge with my family. Each of us can own 100 things each. thats just 700 things including clothes in our house. hmm

100 Things

Ben Fisher says:
then we wouldnt have tons of stuff not being used.. get tired of one of your things replace it
L.Fisher says:
we need savings and trips
L.Fisher says:
not stuff
Ben Fisher says:
excess of clothes
Ben Fisher says:
shoes
L.Fisher says:
then things can be "precious" too
Ben Fisher says:
lets make some lists.. then talk about it more.

Ben has agreed! Yeah!!!

Oct 9th - Coming Soon!

2008-09-26T22:08:00.001-07:00

7 years of Goob

You have always made us proud, sometimes scared. You are fearless , sweet, very smart. You want to be really good at everything. You are always a goof ball. We love you. Hopefully we will throw you an Indiana Jones party like you want.

BEn Art

2008-09-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

He's into photo groups all kinds of stuff. I like being the model..

My Life ~ why obsessions are healthy.

2008-09-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

My Daily Life from Laurie Fisher on Vimeo.

My day outline.. Rough sketch.. not including 2 loads of laundry, 1 load of dishes a day and other cleaning.

Mon
3:30 am go to work
8am Big kids to school
11am Leah to school
11:30 - 2pm clean or go to gym w/ Nolan ( I have been caught browsing model homes)
3pm take ana to soccer
go home make dinner
Ana done at 6pm
feed troops , homework , baths, is it bedtime?

Tues.
3:30 am work
8am Big kids to school
11am Leah to school
11:30 - 2pm clean or go to gym w/ Nolan
2:30 pick up kids
Home work, dinner, baths
what a relaxing day!

Weds.
6am Run start laundry get food etc ready
8am Big kids to school
11am Leah to school
11:30 - 2pm clean or go to gym w/ Nolan
2:30 pick up kids
3pm take ana to soccer
go home make dinner
Ana done at 6pm
feed troops , homework , baths

Thurs.
6am Run start laundry get food etc ready
8am Big kids to school
11am Leah to school
11:30 - 2pm clean or go to gym w/ Nolan
2:30 pick up kids
Home work, dinner, baths
what a relaxing day!

Fri.
6am Run start laundry get food etc ready
8am Big kids to school
11am Leah to school
11:30 - 2pm clean or go to gym w/ Nolan
2:30 pick up kids
6pm take all kids to soccer
go home make dinner did we eat already?
Soccer done at 7:15 ish
feed troops , homework , baths
Ben & I pass out
Sat.
House painting, yard work oops ana soccer game..
Sun
7am rush ready for church (church 9-12)
Don't bug us!!! More house stuff, or if we are lucky close all the blinds and sit on the couches.. in ugly clothes..we eat pizza.

"You don't know who's swimming naked until the tide goes out." ~Warren Buffett

2008-09-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Interesting data..
Why do these companies give money to senators??? I know I'm not a genius, any good reasons?
Read this Fannie & Freddie Mac contributions..

Here's an Article from Prospect.org I'm thinking I was dead on.. The conclusion my research apparently led me to brought them to this conclusion a year ago..

What's Behind The Subprime Disaster

Sorry, I talk to people for hours at work all about this stuff. So many have lost jobs, homes and retirements. I guess I'm a little obsessed ..for this week ;')

Next week who knows.

Beautiful Stuff I like..

2008-09-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

After the last post, I HAD to post this stuff. I realize I have china. I also realize I have a
" dinner" set of dishes and a " family" set of dishes. That said aren't these lovely...I want the little bowls and plates.. and the Tureen aagh I'm so naughty!!

And these.. in person the weight and edges are beautiful! (I like cream, all colors are gorgeous)

There are these cuties too.
I happen to have found AMAZING prices on some of these pieces.. as in .50 each for 8 of the dinnerware plates. and 10$ for 4 of the pumpkin plates..but there's the problem, I have to buy the rest. ;')

BAaah, baaa We are their Sheep.

2008-09-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have been reading and hearing . It's on everyone's minds. Friends have lost their retirement money in the market or company's 401k option. People losing jobs and homes. Well, it's all happened before, possibly not to this degree in a while. My thought is this is a delayed result from the "save " back in the late 70's , 80's . They delayed the inevitable. It's all media, tell us we are doing good, offer us cheap loans , convince us that a shack with 1200 square feet is worth 400,000$. Make us proud to buy said shack or said Hummer. Really, it gets like 10 miles to the gallon. All the battle weary old timers knew that none of that junk was really worth what it was being peddled for. Young stupid sheep (even you 50 - 60 year olds...) were convinced that you now made so much more than you parents ever did, you deserved all that_____. Insert commercial product. If you didn't have a 500$ bag (that's being modest) , or a 5,000$ diamond ring well, you were lower class no?
Enough of my rant...here's some stuff... fodder.....
Don't forget to give your kids cars for their birthday or Christmas.. they deserve it.
( I realize some sources may have bias or be slightly untrustworthy , but most of these facts are easily verified by multiple sources. So, look at the ideas.)

Savings and Loan Crisis of the 1980's ish.

1980's budget deficit recession etc read into this one , near the bottom about finances..

This is from my Myspace blog...last year ( when Myspace was still fun..)

In the movie "The Gods Grew Tired of Us, which I enjoyed, A young man from Sudan comments on Christmas here.

"He wonders out loud at the U.S. version of Christmas, with plastic trees and flashing lights. "Is Santa also in the Bible"?" he asks, a dedicated Christian owing to his conversion in the camp. For the Kakuma version of the holiday, he recalls, "People marched in the street, to prepare for Jesus Christ to be brought into our hearts." He turns on the Christmas tree lights, his face suggesting a mix of disbelief, bemusement, and disappointment."
I have known many South americans who also celebrate this very differently. In Biblian, Ecuador the village would gather and walk up to the 1 church high up a hill, they would walk several miles, families together singing.

Thus, in a culture marked so heavily by acquisition and consumption, we should hope to live simply and aspiring for attitude of "enough."

This year, Americans celebrating Christmas will fork over $795.86 each, up 5% from last year, according to BIGresearch, a Worthington, Ohio-based consumer research firm. And while growth is somewhat slower than it has been in years past--in 2005, the firm forecast an 8.1% increase--total spending will be a record $154 billion.

Ok, so I hope I haven't made myself look too foolish. When you start looking into the mess, Everyone's name comes up ...in Both or ALL the parties. I am concerned yet I think we will end up ok. Look at Europe..they've been through worse and they're still kicking, and most recently Japan. We must stop this bubble head mentality, buying everything sold to us. Remember when your parents house had ugly couches they bought new at like 300$ and they thought that was expensive. How about not having your own bicycle? Anyone else share bikes with their dumb siblings..lol Really you all had TV's in your rooms? O.K. My friend got to have a birthday party at McDonald's and I thought "Lucky..." (think Napoleon D there.) .

***Side note..or outline
~70's recession
~deregulation to stimulate economy
~S & L crisis
~more deregulation and rate cuts to save economy
~more deregulation and easy credit (to help lower income folks do well)
(Economy looks fantastic!!)
~current situation

I realize if we don't buy..the economy will grind to a halt. If we don't "bail out " these huge investment companies ( and AIG) Foreign investors won't but our bonds etc, they will pull what they have invested now and their countries too will be drug down with their losses. What a mess the next guy will have to clean up. Good Luck! 20 years of poor financial planning.
If you made it this far check out these fun economic flashbacks.. they show the last 40 years of gas prices nat'l debt etc.. houses at 17,000$ , gas at .31 /gal !

Busy busy bee

2008-09-20T00:05:00.000-07:00

I went crazy this week on the house. Owning does NOT save you money. There are so many more things you want to do. I want a mission style wood door with glass in it, a pool, the floors done, New handles on the doors, re do the bathrooms ie: new vanities ..cool mirrors..tiled walk in showers huge ones the size of a small closet., a new sectional, the rest of pottery barn barbara eigen dishes. (ask me that story , I'll happily tell) Enough stuff for a few years eh. That said I did collect a bunch of frames for the kids wall of fame...I am taking 5 pictures to blow up of the kids. I pianted my shutters and the door is next, I planted a TON of ground cover and ripped out some dumb flower thingys. I never realized how hard it is to know a ton about plants and where they should go to look good. We had a pool guy give us an estimate too. We will see if it can happen. Keep your fingers crossed, hey if we get it I do love to entertain with the right space. ;')

Advanced Mathmatics - Perfect Week

2008-09-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

Ana got moved up to advanced math. On her star tests she outperformed "proficient for grade level " on all levels of both Reading /Writing and Math. We may have mentioned she is in Competitive Soccer she plays Left Defender and she scored a goal on Saturday against a good team! What an amazing week for Ana!!!! She finally cleaned her room after 2 weeks of nagging. Way to go nani!!! We love you.

Crazy Weekend - or The Jellies!!

2008-09-11T09:11:00.001-07:00

We started the weekend with Ana's comp game # 1, which they won 7-1. We then left immediately for Tahoe where we swam like 3x it was kinda cool temperature wise but not too cool. Later that evening I went down to the knoll hot tub with Ana. It was nice to hear the wind howling as I sat in the hot water. I you closed your eyes you could imagine there was a raging blizzard. We barely slept we needed to leave at 4am for Reno. When we arrived in Reno some balloons were just taking off. In the first light of the morning they would "glow" as they lit the fire for take off. Sunlight quickly warmed everything up, and we got to see close to 100 balloons take off. We picked a spot high up on an outlook over the park. We didn't know then but discovered it was an awesome spot to be for watching the balloons. Several times they were floating all around us fairly close bobbing up and down like jellyfish. their closeness almost suffocating. It was an incredible experience. The kids loved it. When the first balloon came really close huffing at it re fired itsel Nolan was a little scared. He would cling to us.. by the end he would say , " it's not coming down." Almost still a question . The idea for the trip was to have all of us do some great photography. We had each of the kids use a camera, Ben & I used the canon D's. Ana used the old AE-1. I will add more of our hundreds of pictures later.

Tools of Obsession, don't look!!!

2008-09-01T21:28:00.001-07:00

I picked these up and well, don't try this at home.. all primate cousins can't stop applying and removing the strips..under magnification!!!

Husbands that are artists rock!!

2008-08-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

Ben has decided he enjoys re touching pictures now.. he used me as a model. 20 years from now no one will know that and I will have been gorgeous.. lol

Some unfinished house Pictures

2008-08-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

This is the entry to the playroom to the main living area. See the not done paint..

Of course we just started, the chairs we are painting, the floors will be saltillo tile ..but here is some of it

The girls are coordinating, oceany

Jaspers Hamburgers

2008-08-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

Fun family outing to a really good burger joint.

50's charm
We belong in a zoo!
Ana was trying to figure out the best teenager snobby face.

Fun to be had on Kiddie Rides

2008-08-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Nolan so cute.
Ana too big, this was a roller coaster simulator ride.
Little Nolan
Ana proudly funded this wildnes at the mall , with her own money. Thnks Ana!

Supermodel/ Funball returns

2008-08-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

We all anxiously await the return of our daughter and big sister Ananda!! It has been 6 Looong weeks. Hurry home Ana! We have missed you very much!

Thanksgiving Dare 2007

2008-08-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

Alex I think had th idea 5$ to swim in cold water.

Gabe did it first, scrawny and freezing, Justin Balog made the monetary offer.
5$ That's a lot of money.

My 3 Sons

2008-08-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

Well, 2 of them. I like this picture and it was in Picasa so. Good Looking Guys!! I love you!!!
Mom.

Mocha /kids Museum

2008-08-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

The children's art Museum is in Oakland. This trip was around July 31st. We had lots of fun splatting paint and making things.. Nolan played with the magnetic tubes. Great Trip!

Road to Home

2008-08-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is the house. We love it. Thanks so much to all who helped make it possible. Extended stay hotels.., Jim & Karen hotel, Balog Inn, Balogs lizard Lounge. It was a Long month.

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-09T00:19:00.000-07:00

Here we are ( Lisa F., Me, Nicole, Francesca) clutching our very own copies of Breaking Dawn. I was up till 3am , then read all morning till about noon (fell asleep mid read) and again till 2pm ish. Ended very neatly and I never saw this book coming. That's all I can say. The awesome Blood Drive was held coveniently across the street from the Vampire book release. Perfect photo op.

Francesca, I borrowed this pic, sorry about the J-walking..kinda, and I can't find my camera - computer cord.. when I do I will post the pic. :)

Too beautiful

2008-08-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

Leah, you are such a beautiful , thoughtful girl.
This was on my desktop somewhere and I thought, wow. That's too pretty not to put here.

2008-07-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home

This is where we live. We have been here since July 8th . We do not have that chair in the corner. We do have that snazzy coffee maker. Oh wait , I don't drink coffee. There is no toaster.
That TV looks slightly larger than the one here too. Though from the minute we wake up at 8 it's a rush out the door because we get bored in a room with that stuff. That little white block under the coffee pot, that's the fridge. the freezer is like a loaf of bread. I am ready to stat sitting in the Elk Grove Countrywide office with my children ALL DAY. I think they might rush things a bit more.

2008-07-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

One of the top 10 Best nights of my Life!!!

Backstory I have LOVED obsessively Sting and The police since I was about 8 years old. I saw them last night. Full moon , Soft breeze.. Sting's glorious voice and amazing music that did not quit!! I was in heaven!!!

There were about 12,000 people at this venue. It felt so intimate.
Everyone had their kids with them.. young folks "old" folks like me.. It rocked.

2008-07-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

Two reason why the 80's were not so great.. These are for Lisa, I said most people looked better with age..here's proof. Certain key inventions helped me out too, like flat irons. I'm glad i quit wearing my mom's clothes.

2008-07-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

2008-07-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Big kids

2008-07-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

4th of July 2008 from hysum on Vimeo.

Our 4th was great!! We missed Addi n Ana!! I am using Hyrum's video of our day... Great job Hyrum!!!

2008-07-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

In Case you are Wondering

We have been with G ma n G pa since June 23rd ish. The kids are enjoying it. We are all in 1 room for now. I mention these details so in 5 years when we lok back I will have it here. On July 8th we are moving to an extended stay place. It will be a studio untill our loan is done. Our activities consist of swimming at Cheleyne's, swimming at Mel's , swimming at the gym...and ..um... going to various parks for hours. We just really finished cleaning and storing. We are living out of our suitcases. Did I mention this was all scheduled perfectly..down to the day.... on my big white board. Cancellations, starts, stops..trucks. I had it all timed awesomely. Is that a word?

The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
gang aft a-gley.--Robert Burns ("To a Mouse")

I think that means something about plans..and their sometimes uselessness. Anyone with a large family can attest to that. Well my fortune cookie said something about grand adventures. Let's see where all this goes!

Oh and my cell phone is in North Carolina. Call us on Ben's cell please.

2008-06-25T20:31:00.001-07:00

Nolan's Third Birthday from hysum on Vimeo.

2008-06-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Pain
I had to post this, it must be unbelievably painful.

A man kissed the body of his two-year-old son, Akeel Faisal Ghazi, who was killed in the minibus bombing the Huriya district. The attack was the deadliest blast in the capital in more than three months. The hospital issued gloves to the people who were handling the bodies and remains of the victims.

Photo: Karim Kadim/Associated Press

2008-06-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

Beazer has an approved lender. It is Countrywide. They are no longer making homes loans easy.. We qualify they just have to go through 80 steps to approve the loan through the underwriter the final time. We already did it once... and CHDAP is involved, gov't agencies love timelines. So..here's the scoop. We were set to close the 20th. The loan will not be ready yet so we will be closing around the 7th of July. We are scheduled to leave this home lights off and all by the 23rd of June. We will have our stuff live at Cam & Nicole's garage. We ourselves..well being nomads sure sounds fun eh?

2008-06-15T23:02:00.000-07:00

I liked these

are we morphing???

2008-06-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

Brooks Golden Bear Award

Ana was awarded the Golden Bear award for receiving all A's , A+'s and one B+ her last term this year.. Excellent job Ana! We knew you could do it. Ana also was awarded for being "most courteous".

Picture later...

2008-06-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

2008-06-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

New Family Pictures...