A Family Christmas

Jer got what he wanted...

I got what I wanted...

we made a mess...

and Wednesday got to be as much of a Grinch as she wanted.

Then we went to Jeremiah's sister's house...

and things got a little crazy.

Hilary and Brandon open gifts.

Happy baby!

Tree Madness

We decided to go to The Home Depot to get our Christmas tree this year. Last year we went to a little tree lot (and spent way to much for it).

I don't know if you can tell but... this is half of the line. It was an hour wait to pay for the tree.

The selection was great and the price was amazing, but the customer service was really bad.

Here is the end result. I love how the star is leaning!

Picnic Lunch Tuesday

Today Jer and I met for a picnic lunch at the park above the beach in Santa Monica. It was a beautiful day, and a very nice lunch.

The Mist

Jer and I just got back from the movies. We saw "The Mist". It's the new Stephen King movie that "forces us to ask ourselves what we would do in an extraordinary situation" blah, blah, blah. I was mad for most of the movie because, as usual, Christians are portrayed as crazy- yelling about how "we have angered God by going to the moon, splitting His atoms, abortion, and stem cells"! They are not the same sort of thing! Going to the moon is not the same as abortion.
Anyway, its not the point of the film, and for the most part it is a good monster thriller. I bet the book is really good. Stephen King is pretty cynical (I really don't get it because he gets paid lots of money to tell stories) but I'm sure its a fun read.
So... I think I'd better push publish or this rant will never end, sorry, and thank you.

It Went Well

It looked good, it tasted good, and everyone had a nice time.


And now I have some cleaning to do. Fortunately I will have lots of help. Thanks Mom!

Thanksgiving Prep

This year Jer and I are hosting Thanksgiving at our new apartment. I started my prep yesterday by making a pie (like the one in the picture) and freezing it for Thursday. It's my first time freezing a pie so I'm not sure how well it will work.

Today I will make a pomegranate syrup (for the roast I will make tomorrow) then a pumpkin pie. Later today I'm gonna' brine the turkey. Tomorrow shouldn't be too busy because I will do most of the hard stuff today.

On Friday Jeremiah and I bought our first set of dinnerware. I love them! Till now we had been using the standard hand-me-down mismatched plates that most couples start with. Now we have the nicest set, and enough that everyone can have their own plate on Thanksgiving!

It's Almost Time

I am sooo excited about this, and I have been spending allot of time here. It is catty TV at its best.

Happy Again

Jeremiah is home and all is well. Yay!!!

Sad

Jeremiah is away till Sunday. This is not the first time we have been apart for more than a few hours, but for some reason I'm missing him more than I did the last few times he was away. I am sad, and I'm not looking forward to going to bed. I don't think I'll sleep well tonight.

Excuses

Our camera broke.
I've been busy working.
Our Internet connection doesn't always work.

Okay, now that's out of the way.
I will post a picture of my new haircut when I have a picture.

I Have a Great Job

I get to hang out with this baby a couple of times a week. How fun is that!!! We play peek-a-boo, and sing cute songs.

I am so blessed in sooo many ways. Thanks for all your prayers. You all got me through the worst year of my life. Now I am enjoying some of the greatest happiness I have ever known.

By the way, our new home number is (424)208-3459.

My Brother Kyle

This is our brother Kyle.

He works at Disneyland.

He gets to drive a boat...

...and shoot a gun

He has some very unusual co-workers.

Some of them are very good dancers.

We like to visit him. He is funny and cool and that is why we like Kyle.

The End

Loving Life

Our commute has been shortened from 4 hours to 30 minutes! It would only take 20 minutes, but we like to take the scenic route.

Happy Days

I'm so excited! Our computer is fixed and we have the Internet again! So I can now post the good news...


WE MOVED!!!!

Our new appt. is on the edge of Santa Monica, Brentwood and Los Angeles. I love it! We are walking distance from everything we like or need (except church :( ) . If anyone would like our new address leave a comment .

ignore the picture. It's just fun.

All The News Thats Fit To Print

Okay, so we are not interesting people. We have not been doing much except driving, working, driving again, and sleeping. I did have my wisdom teeth extracted a week ago (and now I am even less wise than I had been), and we have been looking for an apartment. That's it though, nothing cool.

Father Michael

It took a bit for the sense of loss to set in. Initially, right after we had heard of his passing, I think we both felt a strange sense of relief. He is able to attend the mass again, able to see everyone, feel everything earthly and otherwise without having to use a worn and old body as a conduit.

And then there were pictures at his funeral. His extraordinary life before St. Michaels and after. He conducted mass in its frame, travelled the world, educated himself to a degree few have. He was a young man and full of ambition and wonder.

In a way it's hard to relate to a stately and virtuous life lived. We certainly remember our father in Christ, a man who knew Truth. Can't quite imagine what it took to get there, and the struggles required to do it (always kept close to the vest) are now far away. What is left is a pedastal, inviting and daunting. What is left is a legacy of guidance that touched many lives and a proud congregation. To be a part of it is to be a part of that legacy, but it makes the work of allowing God into our hearts no easier. We will miss his reminder, yet remain hopeful because of it.

Father Michael affected both of our lives deeply. My wife had known him for most of her life, and he was a cliff that broke open ocean storms. I was fortunate enough to meet and talk with him and hear his sermons, and he too affected me greatly. One homile in particular will always stay with and guide me, and I paraphrase (forgive me if I am getting it wrong): "God does not see us from on high, such as we look down and see ants, although compared to Him we are. If you want to know his perspective when he looks upon us, you only need to stand at Calvary and look at another. You only need to see people in a crowd, like those Christ saw as he made his into Jerusalem. The difference is that he loves each and every one. The real question is: how do we see him?"

--Jeremiah

Go Angels!

Wow, how exciting! My wife and I have had this blog for nearly twenty years and I'm finally getting around to posting something, and that something is this: Go Angels!



Now, I know what all you Devil Ray fans are thinking: Why the Angels? Aren't we simply hopping on the band wagon with the rest of Los Angeles? And shouldn't they be the Orange County Angels instead of the Los Angeles Angels of what's its name?



1: You aren't going to find a more exciting and frustrating team. Win six in a row with total domination, and then loose seven out of the next ten while scoring a grand total of 3 1/2 runs. A single run is huge on one day, meaningless the next. Pitching, defense, hitting, and pacing-- one will see a combination on most every night. Plus, they're always the good guys.


2: No, we're not. We've been watching the Angels long enough to have a mental encyclopedia of Rex Hudlerisms. The secret is that while he runs on a loop, he accentuates everything like he's saying it for the first time. The man is just good at what he does.


3: Yes and no. The problem is that if they had Orange County in their name then they'd have to have Orange Uniforms and Rally Valencias (and Cutie Clemintines--inside joke). It would be a mess. At least the name "Angels" goes with Los Angeles (they were originally a Pacific League team--first in LA). When one hears the "Dodgers" they will immediatley think of Trolleys and New York (of course).


So that's it. Now you know where we stand on Baseball.

Wedding Photos

I have just finished uploading our wedding photos to Snapfish. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be, but it took allot longer. So just in time for our first anniversary (June 3), here they are...

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=155610453/a=54480990_54480990/t_=54480990

Also, Kristi Silva?!!! I'm so happy to hear from you. How are you and Matt?

Passwords can be tricky

Sorry its been so long since our last post, we have had some difficulty with our password and couldn't log on.

Here is a nice picture of us. See how happy we are now! life has been much better. I'll post about why later.

Lent is Not Fun

This year for Lent I decided to give up coffee. It has been a lot harder than I thought it would be. I didn't realize how very dependant on the gorgeous brown nectar of the gods I have been. For the past few days I have forgotten words, fallen asleep at inopportune times (e.g. in the shower and on the phone), burned myself while cooking (more than I usually do) and spent lots of time standing in rooms trying to remember why I had gone to them in the first place. I'm not liking it. The good news is I have been sleeping really well, and there are only 36 days of Lent to go. 36 DAYS!!!

Please, pray for me.

French Toast Thursday

I love my husband! This morning he informed me that he would be making breakfast. This is what he prepared...



He makes everything bad somehow seem not so bad.

My New Favorite Blog

If you look at this blog for more than a second you will see why. This is one of the best things that can be found there, it is the...


Kitchen grater shrine!



The caption reads; "Two things that should never even be used in the same sentence - "Kitchen Grater" and "Madonna."

A Source of Fun and Frustration

I have been teaching myself to crochet for 3 months. I have made a couple of blankets and a hat so I was feeling pretty good about my progress until... I purchased a pattern book with a pattern for a beautiful hat and scarf set. I can't figure the darn thing out! The first part of the scarf is easy enough but at the end of the row there are some strange instructions that I just can't understand. I tried writing the instructions out long hand, but that didn't work. So I'm stuck. GURRR. Oh well, I will keep working on the blanket I started to rebuild my confidence. Hopefully I will be up to taking another look at the scarf pattern when I'm done.

Miss Scarlett

Our niece.

Our 4 Month Odyssey

It's been a crazy few months. Some of the things we have done are...

moved 3 times,
had at least 4 jobs each,
nursed my mother through cancer treatment,
Jer quit smoking,
each had a fever of over 100 degrees - twice,
learned how to make meals without the use of an oven or stove,
spent countless hours in various hospitals for both my mom and dad,
celebrated 6 months of being married,
joined the alter guild,
and become aunt and uncle to a beautiful little girl.

Fun huh. We have been tired and I have not in the posting sort of mood, sorry. I will be a good girl from now on.