Buena Swim Meet

This was the first long course meet of the season. (They swim in meters as opposed to yards)

Warming Up

It's cold in there!

Speech Meet

Chan and his pal Bryan.

The kids holding up their ribbons.

Avrielle getting ready for the big day.

The girls in 6th grade.

A few weeks ago the kids participated in their school's speech meet. Avrielle recited "The Most Beautiful Flower," and Chandler recited "The Night the Lions Lost Their Appetite." Avrielle won third place and Chan came in first. I was so proud of both of them for trying so hard. Getting up and talking in front of people isn't easy, so I am glad they get the opportunity to practice in events like these at their school.

Fun Around the House

Chandler tormenting our dog. By the way, Chandler got to meet Mark Sanchez from USC last Saturday at the boat show. He was so excited!
Trying out my neighbor's new exercise invention. I was hoping I could say I lost 5 lbs in 2 days, but I can't. They are supposed to work your core when you wear them. I think my core needs a lot more help than shoes can give it.

Happy Makes Us Happy

Flowers From My Sweetie

Happy Valentines Day! (Car sabotage)

David has been taking the train into work this week, so the kids and I got an idea. We decided to sneak into the train stain parking lot and decorate his car for Valentines Day. Mind you this was a very dangerous operation. There was an eighty year old, unarmed security guard patrolling the area waiting to pounce on any hoodlums. We got his spare set of keys and filled the car with balloons and stuffed animals. Then we stuck decals over all the windows. My favorite part was writing "Love Phrases" in red lipstick all over the windows!!!! We wrote Cutie pie, love machine, hot babe, sexy daddy etc..all over. The best part was that he had to get in it and drive in front of everyone. It was so much fun and we giggled the whole time in anticipation of him getting home.

sky city bounce with friends

25 Random Things From Facebook

This list is going around Facebook, but since it took so long to write, I thought I post it here for my Non Facebook Friends.

1. I am a major list maker. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is make a list of what I want to do during the day. I think I do this because I have a horrible memory. Sometimes I think I am getting dementia and I am only 37, or is it 36???

2. My high school boyfriend accidently cracked my head open with a golf club while we were on a date.

3. I always like to read a book before I see the movie, and I make my kids do the same thing. Maybe that is the teacher in me. At least I don’t make them compare and contrast the two.

4. I am a horrible speller, and it was so embarrassing trying to write words on the blackboard when I couldn’t spell. I think I was a good role model though because I would tell them that we are always learning, even me, and don’t be afraid to look things up in the dictionary. Thank goodness for spell check now!!

5. I have taken my 95 year old grandma grocery shopping almost every Sunday evening for the past 3 years.

6. When I was in junior high, I thought smoking grass was the same as smoking lawn grass, so I rolled some lawn grass up in a paper towel, lit it on fire, and tried to smoke it
.
7. On the same topic of smoking, my friend and I picked up used cigarette butts from the gutter and tried to smoke them because I was too afraid to get real ones. Gross!

8. I absolutely can’t sit in the inside of a restaurant booth. I have to be on the outside.
9. The thing I hate most about my body is my sweaty hands. I knew I was going to marry David when he held my hand and it didn’t bother him. By the way, he is the one who had to fingerprint me for my teaching credential, and I tried several times to get out of it. Unfortunately, Avrielle inherited sweaty hand too. Poor baby.

10. I used to be allergic to chocolate. Every time I ate some, I would sneeze continually for hours afterward.

11. I originally went to Cal State Northridge to be a Deaf Studies Major. It had one of the best programs in the nation at the time I went there. I took several years of ASL before my sweaty hands got in the way, and I had to change. I’m glad I wasn’t born deaf!

12. David and I met in the college department at Grace Community Church even though we both grew up in Jewish families.

13. I am very fortunate to have had Mattie for a friend for 30+ years. We grew up as next door neighbors and still talk almost every day. She has had the biggest influence on my life and I thank God for her constantly.

14. I came up with Avrielle’s name in a dream. When I was pregnant I was always thinking of baby names and somehow I woke up in the middle of the night and told David about it. I’m glad he liked it too.

15. I have cried more this last year than I ever have in my whole life.

16. I love trying new recipes but I never follow them exactly.

17. I got a “D” in my Junior High Sewing elective. It was supposed to be a kick back class.

18. My parents taught me how to snow ski when I was 5, and we went to Mammoth almost every month until I was 14.

19. Novocain wears off really quickly on me and several times I have felt the drill on my teeth. I hate going to the dentist!

20. My second and third toes cross over each other.

21. Parenting 2 children has been more challenging than teaching 34.

22. At my children’s swim meets, I get more nervous than they do. Major butterflies invade my tummy.

23. I should be cleaning my house right now instead of typing this. We are having company tonight. Yikes!

24. I don’t collect anything, but I have always wanted to and I love looking at other people’s collection of things. Does anyone have any good ideas?

25. I have really enjoyed reading the lists of friends that have done them before me. It takes time, but they are so fun to read. Thank-you.

2 updates

David had his doctor appt. at USC tonight, and the doctor said everything still looks good. She didn't feel any swollen glands, and his blood work was fine. He will have another PET scan sometime in March. The second update is that he didn't get the promotion he was hoping for this time around, but he did get a lot of positive feedback from his captain and lieutenant. He scored in the outstanding pool for the interview which means he was one of the top four candidates considered for the job. The two people that did get the job each had 10 to 15 more years seniority than he did. David studied so hard for the interview, and I am so proud of him. I know he feels good because he gave it his best shot even though the odds of getting the position were against him. So we are rejoicing in his health and in God's perfect timing for his place at work. Thanks for praying.

Mission Disaccomplished

I asked Chandler in the car on the way to school if he finally finished putting away all his clothes, and he answered," Mission Disaccomplished" I thought it was so funny. He is trying to use the correct prefixes, but sometimes the words he comes up with are so mixed up. He probably should have said Mission Impossible based on all the clothes I put in a pile in the center of his floor. ( He was supposed to hang them up, but somehow they ended up shoved in the back of this closet behind the stuffed animals.)
Avrielle did the same thing last week when she told me she is trying not to disclude any girls from school when they eat lunch together. I think she meant exclude, but it made me smile. English can be so difficult!!!

Grandparent's Day

Last night, I was having the kids start some of their school assignments for Monday. One of the things they had to do was write a paragraph about one of their grandparents to read at Grandparents Day on Wed. They both chose to write about Papa Bob. After they were done, we read them, checked them over, and then I sent them to brush their teeth and get tucked in for the night. About 20 minutes later, Chandler came out of his room with his eyes welled up with tears. He asked, "Mom will you pray for me?" At first I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Normally, when he gets out of bed, it is because he had a bad dream and is afraid, but he hadn't been asleep long enough. Then I noticed he was wearing the shark tooth necklace around his neck that my dad brought him from Hawaii a few years ago. I said, "You miss Papa don't you?" He crawled in my lap and tears just began to flow. I of course couldn't pray out loud because I would cry too, so I just held him. He told me that he wanted to call Papa today and tell him that he won the High Point award in swimming. I told him that there have been lots of times I wanted to call him too. It seems like these last few weeks have been hard again as we are reliving the "one year ago todays" It was this time last year that everything began, so when I think of Chan's birthday which is on Tues, I can't help but remember last year when we all were together. I hope Grandparent's Day won't be too emotional for them. I know they are thankful for the grandparents that they do have, but this day is just stirring up a lot of memories and the emotions are all still fresh.
On a side note.. On Wednesday at 1:00pm , David is taking an interview for a promotion at work. He was supposed to have a doctor appointment at USC that day, but we will reschedule it. He got a call out last night for a shooting, so he is functioning on very little sleep. I would love for him to get this spot. The chance doesn't come about very often, and there is a lot of competition. Please pray that he would be able to do his best, honor the Lord, and not worry about the lack of time he has to prepare. You can pray that if the Lord wills, he would get the spot too! He is studying like crazy already. Also, whoever does get the position we would trust God and know that he is sovereign over every event in our lives even if it doesn't turn out the way we would like. Thanks

Part 2

Dog Barf, Dog Barf, and more Dog barf. Yuck!

Anybody Want A Dog??????

Griffith Park Observatory Field Trip

Celebrating Chandler and Carissa's Birthdays

Two More Funny Things

Avrielle told us tonight that when she grows up she wants to be a nurse that delivers babies, but she doesn't want to be in the room. Maybe that's not the right career for her. What do you think?


In the same conversation, Chandler told me he wants me to have another baby so he can have an older brother. How does that happen????

What is Chicken Made of?

That is the question Avrielle asked us at dinner tonight. She is eleven by the way... David answered her in as straight a face as possible,......."Carrots." Boy do I have work to do.

Happy Birthday Nana Karen!

Dinner with Lance Roberts

Lance came over for dinner one night during his brief trip to the United States. The joke of the night was that he has never heard of what we had for dinner which was Carne Asada, even though his wife Sandy is Mexican. He was out here taking a short, but very extensive seminary class. We miss their family so much in the Czech Republic, but were glad to hear they may be coming to visit again for a longer time this summer.

It's been a while...

Over the Christmas break we visited the Natural History Museum.

Charissa and me.
Avrielle's new haircut.
Swimming the 100 backstroke at the New Years Meet in Ventura.
It's cold out here...I'm glad I don't have to swim!