The Best Diet Ever

I have found the best diet ever! No kidding, you can loose an incredible amount of weight with just water! My friend did this diet and had incredible results. She was an attractive lady with womanly curves. After the diet, she still had her curves, but she was quite thin. I wouldn't recommend doing this diet more than once! Check out the before and after photos below (these photos are not digitally enhanced!)

Gifts and Talents

I'm always so thankful for the wonderful gifts the Lord has blessed our family with. I pray my children will be able to utilize their gifts in ways that will Glorify the Giver. We are still uncovering the hidden talents that lay with each of us, especially the kids. It's so fun to see them grow and learn, not to mention amazing when we discover a new talent.

Who would have thought a Christmas present would uncover one of these: clay and a book enabled Savanna and myself to make these cute little creatures!



Savanna made a fairy, a bear and a flower.


















I made the big elf and the tiny elf.









These are practice runs. When we get better, we will move into colored clay. I love sculpting these little guys! Their faces are all so unique, just as all of us! Savanna and I had fun together making these. Hopefully, we will make more together soon.

Nothing Happens Accidentally

Okay, here we are, going into the fourth week of Advent. Advent has sped by this year. It's kinda sad. I don't feel that I'm prepared to receive Our Lord this Christmas, but an interesting thing did happen though.

A few weeks ago, while having breakfast with some friends, we were talking about Advent and Christmas traditions that we did as families and in different cultures. One of my friends seated at the table is from the Philippines. He was telling us that where he comes from, they actually don't start decorating until nine days before Christmas. They make it kinda like a novena to start preparing for the nine days leading up to Christmas.

This year, we've been very busy; doing, stuff! Yeah, stuff...So busy, that we weren't able to go to the tree farm and cut down our tree. Sad, but true. The kids have been very patient, but at the same time anxious to get a tree. Low and behold, nine days before Christmas, my wonderful husband brings home a tree, a perfect tree. It is beautiful and I was so thankful that he did this small favor. Slowly the tree has been decorated here and there, but tonight, with the help a wonderful young lady, our tree was finished.

Now, before it was finished, Mike ran to the store to get sauerkraut for dinner. Instead of bringing home sauerkraut, he brought home new tree lights and tinsel. Hmmm, this could be dangerous! Well, I snickered and giggled and rolled my eyes when I realized what kind of lights he actually bought! Blue and white snowflakes!!!! The tinsel wasn't tinsel, it was a garland! I teased him about our throw back to the 70's, but our tree is indeed beautiful! Blue is my favorite color and it is the color for Our Lady!

Now that I look back on the past few days, I can see that I have slowly been preparing for Christmas. Maybe we will bake some cookies this week and continue to prepare our home. I'll take my time wrapping the presents and think about the gifts Jesus received. I'll say some extra prayers for my family and friends to prepare my heart to receive the most precious gift, the gift of Our Savior, Jesus.

It amazes me that God started the ball rolling just a few days ago, so I would be able to begin to prepare nine days before Christmas! Nothing happens accidentally, everything is gifted providentially. We just need to trust and obey and He will make it happen!

Check out our tree below. I think it will be in honor of Our Lady with all the blue lights. Her "yes" brought Mercy and Love himself, into this world! God Bless you all and Merry Christmas!

I Love to SKI!

Hoorayyy!! Ski season is upon us. So far we have been up twice and are ready to go tomorrow. In the photos below, a good friend of ours is home for Christmas. We had a great time skiing with him.

I must say, the kids are amazing! We missed last ski season, but they haven't missed a beat! It's like learning how to ride a bike. Charles launched himself off a huge jump! It had to be at least 8 ft! I only saw the aftermath of skis and poles all over the place. He was fine. He did tell me, he didn't realize how big the jump was until he was in the air! Silly boy! Tricks are for rabbits.


Savanna and a friend Dan.














The slopes take my breath away! It is fun to ski, but to be encompassed by God's beauty is just wonderous!

That's Charles skiing down. Savanna is above and to the right. She's kinda hard to see.











Charles ready for another run.
















Savanna taking a break.

Good Times in the Snow

Below I posted a picture the day it snowed. Here are a few more. The kids played for hours in the snow. When we finally headed over to our friends house to get warm by their wood stove, they continued to play in the snow for a few more hours. It was truly beautiful to see all that snow. I miss it!




Charles is a great big brother! The snow was too fresh to actually sled down the hill, so Charles pulled her.











































This snowman was originally built on the hood of Mike's truck. It kept sliding down, so Charles decided to turn him into a crash snowman. So, there the snowman lay, somewhat in pieces. To make it more real, he had dad run it over with his truck! Boys will be boys.















While Charles busied himself with his masterpiece snowman, Savanna was busy making an angel.

A Ton of BREAD!

Okay, I just had to show you how big the sourdough bread was! It took days for the kids to eat it all! But oh so good.

Grandma's Visit

It is always fun when family and friends visit from out of town. When Grandma and Ashley were here, we visited many places that we haven't seen for a while too.



One of the first places we went was Armstrong Redwoods in Guerneville. It's about a 4 hour drive from where we live but it is just beautiful there. Bodega Bay isn't too far from there so that was the next stop.











Here they are on Shell Beach in Bodega Bay. They (I say they because I was home with Savanna, who wasn't feeling well) got to roam the tide pools and see some cool animals. That was a long full day!










During the week we stayed close to home. Here we are at Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Folsom. The ladder (the watery steps to the right) was still open, but there weren't too many salmon left traveling up the ladder. We just missed the harvesting of the eggs too. It is a cool visitor center, especially during the late fall when the salmon are running.











Here we are in one of the many candy stores in Old Historic Sacramento. Ashley had never seen soooo much candy in one place! You are literally surrounded by candy in that store! The kids love it because they let you sample two to three pieces just for visiting!








The last thing we got to do before Grandma and Ashley left was to visit the De Young Musuem in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The King Tut exhibit was in town, and Grandma was dying to see it. We were too, since we studied Ancient Egypt last year. It was amazing to see all the artifacts and it is mind blowing to remember that all that stuff is thousands of years old! This picture is actually on the Wharf. The statue was there, so we took the pick.













After the museum, we trekked down Fishman's Wharf. I just love that place! Surprisingly, there weren't as many sea lions as usual, but we got to se a few of them. We purchased some fine sourdough bread (a teddy bear and a turtle, they were huge!) at Boudin's and finished the day with a wonderful meal at Alioto's.







Maybe next time we can do Monterey!

Thanksgiving 2009

Better late than never! We have a lot to be thankful for: God's grace and blessings, family, friends and good times. Here are a few pictures from our celebration. We gathered at Kato's and had a nice evening with plenty of food.





Papa and Tristan
















Bryan and me (can you believe he's now 23?)















Tristan at 14 and taller than me. I think I'm shrinking!



















Grandma Straight and cousin Ashley came to visit for the holidays. Being Ashley's first time in California, we made a few road trips while they were here.

Calvine and Hobbes

This is what happens when you let your kids read Calvin and Hobbes...need I say more?

Our Favorite Saints

As most of you know, we gave up on halloween and have chosen to celebrate All Saints Day. This year Charles chose to be St Sebastian and Savanna chose to be St Cecilia. Below is a short description of each saint. I'm thinking that these martyred saints died some horrific deaths! Charles can be seen with arrows sticking out of his chest. Savanna chose to wear the outfit of a martyr, white clothing (symbol of purity) with a red cape (symbol of their blood spilled for Christ). She did though, have the blood oozing out of her neck where the executioner couldn't do his job! I thought All Saints Day would take us away from the gross, bloody mess, boy was I wrong!

St Sebastian was a Roman soldier around 283. He made numerous converts during his life. When the Emporer discovered that Sebastian was a Christian, he was executed. He was shot with arrows and left to die. A Christian woman went to recover his body and she found he was still alive. She cared for him and he became well. Soon after, Sebastian confronted the Emperor, admonished him for his cruelty to Christians, and was beaten to death as directed by the Emperor. St Sebastian is the patron saint for archers, athletes, and soldiers, and is asked to intercede for protection against plagues.

St Cecilia was a Christian living in Rome around the mid third century. She had consecrated herself to God and lead a life of purity. When forced into a marriage, she converted her husband Valerian and his brother, Tibertius. Her husband allowed her to continue a life of purity. After the conversion of the two brothers, they took on the task of burying the martyrs that were being slain by the prefect of the city. When Valerian and Tibertius were discoverd as Christian, they were martyred. Cecilia continued to preach and teach and was eventually arrested. The executioner was to behead her. He struck three times and could not complete the beheading. He left here bleeding. She survived for three days and during that time, crowds came to collect her blood with towels and sponges while she preached and prayed with them. St Cecilia is the patron saint of music.

Memories of Yesterdays

Years ago when the kids were really little about 3 or 4, we use to go out to Wheatland to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm. For many years, we would have the kids stand at this same measuring stick and have their pictures taken. It was so long ago, I don't have digital photos to compare. I'm pretty sure they have grown though.



















It's been years since our last visit. Lots had changed on the pumpkin farm. This time we got to try out the corn maze. It was a first for me and the kids. It's a little daunting trying to find your way through. The maze was immense! We finally managed to get through the maze, but it did take a while.




















The kids are growing up right before my eyes! Hmm, what's Charles up to now?

I left off in October and have a lot of catching up. Much has taken place in the past few months! Stay tuned, I will be updating soon. God Bless you all. Hope you are all keeping warm!

Let it Snow

We woke up to a winter wonderland and no electricity! Fun, fun, fun! We are off to friends that have a wood stove and gass cooking range!
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Saying Goodbye...A Gift From God

Just yesterday, I went to say goodbye to an old friend. I've known this gentleman my entire life. I don't ever remember not knowing him. You see, our friend has been given two months to live. My two older brothers and I (along with my two younger children) went to visit our friend and his wife. We talked about old times and he told us stories about mutual friends. We laughed and enjoyed each other's company. The visit was very pleasant. It's been a long time since I last saw him, a very long time. When it was time to go, we gave hugs all around and said our goodbyes. It was all very nice indeed. But, today, something struck me. I have never had a chance to say goodbye to any one before, knowing full well that that would be the last time I would see them alive. Though we had such a wonderful time reminiscing what I remember most about yesterday is the look in his eyes when we said our final goodbye. It was truly beautiful, a look of love and surrender. Today, I realized what a special gift I was given. It's not everyday that we get to say goodbye like that.

In the past, conversations have led to the question, "What would you do if you knew you were going to die within 1 year or 6 months or whatever?" Many people respond by saying they would like to travel or do something out of character or whatever. After yesterday, my desire would be to have the opportunity to say goodbye to all those that I crossed paths with during my life time. A chance to reminisce, laugh and to tell new stories.

Thank you Lord for the gift of life, family and friendship. Blessed Mother, hold our dear friend in your hands and present him to your Son and wrap your mantle of comfort, peace and love around his surviving family. Amen.

Great Book to Read

The kids and I just finished a great book called "Fingal's Quest". The story goes along with the time period we are studying, the Middle Ages. If you have some time, read this novel. The story draws you into life in the Medieval times and a quest that we can all learn from!

Grover Hot Springs

Savanna and I got to take a little adventure on our own. We visited the Art Studio Tour in Markleeville CA. Markleeville is a tiny dot on the map just south of South Lake Tahoe on Hwy 89 close to the Nevada border.

It was really cool to see the local artists in their workshops and many times in their homes. There were painters, sculptors, metal workers, photographers and more.

After our tour, we took a short little walk to find a letterbox. Success! We collected their stamp and left ours.

To end our day, we soaked in the pool that is fed by a natural hot spring. Grover Hot Springs is a State Park in the hills just outside of Markleeville. Ahhhh, warm and relaxing! We had a great day together!

Medieval Learnings

This year we are studying the Medieval Period in history. I always thought that the Medieval Period was about knights and castles. Boy was I wrong! We began the school year around the year 300 AD and will end in the 1600's. There is a lot more to just knights and castles! We've learned about the fall of Rome, Muhammed and the Islamic Empire, Barbarians and the spread of Christianity. Neat stuff! The pictures below was an art project the kids did in a co-op class with their friends. They are called "illuminations". The monks in the monastaries would spend a lifetime copying manuscripts and decorating them with pictures and accents. The kids got to make their own illuminations with gold leaf and markers.

Intrests of a 12 Year Old Boy

Ever wonder what a 12 year old boy likes to do? Check this out!
(You may want to turn the sound off before beginning this video)

Local Get Away Fun

Living so close to the mountains gives us an advantage to outdoor adventure. This little lake is tucked away off Hwy 88 on the way to Hope Valley. It truly is a beautiful place to stop and take in the fresh air and a walk around the lake. We've gotta remember to bring the kayaks next time we head out that way!

In contrast to the beautiful lake above, you can also find oddities like this off the same highway! We actually drove through this grove dodging the stumps like a life size maze.

This little lake was quite the adventure to get to. We definitely got custom branch striping on the way in and out (don't hang your arm out the window on this ride!) This lake is to the left of the "Short Grove" pictured above. The lake is fed by snow melt and since we are in late summer/early fall, it is really, really low. We couldn't walk on the banks because of the super mushy mud, we decided to climb the rocks instead.

While we were off on our adventure taking in nature and appreciating God's amazing creation, Charles was off playing with his friends...

Heading Home From Santa Cruz

On our way home from Santa Cruz, we stopped at Old Mission San Juan Bautista It is one of the missions we missed last spring on our California Mission trip. We spent most of the morning there before the long trek home.


The Family


Mike and myself

The Last Hurrah!

As Summer began to wind down, we were invited to join a great family in Santa Cruz. We spent four beautiful days in the final warm rays of the sun. We played on the beach, cruised the Boardwalk and Pier and visted the The Mystery Spot . It is quite an unusual place. Check out these pictures:

Take a good look at this picture. The people were arranged by height from the shortest to the tallest. (Mike is the one in orange on the right)


Then the guide had the people switch places. She had them line up tallest to shortest, look what happened...






...they no longer look tallest to shortest, but very similar in size! The guy on the left in the white t-shirt next to Mike was 6 feet tall. Zak on the far right in the blue shirt is only 4 foot something. They look the same in height now.








Look at the rest of these goofy pictures:



Charles looks like his legs were short compared to the rest of his body. The picture doesn't show it well, but it looked like he was leaning over the edge of the table.

Here Charles walked up a wall without the use of his hands.

This place is a little bizarre. After you are in this cabin for a while you start to feel a little dizzy and a little out of sorts. It's fun to visit though.

Good Bye Ladies

The other day, we came home late to find 2 chickens missing. Izzy and Bubbles have been abducted or they've strolled away. Either way, they are gone. We are left with Penny, the attack chicken! There was no evidence of a struggle and the back gate was open, so there are many scenarios to what could have happen. Only Izzy, Bubbles and Penny know what happened and Penny isn't talking. So, we bid farewell to our friends and egg providers.

I Like Bananas, I know that Mangoes are Sweet!

If you love mangoes, or even just like them, you've got to try this recipe! It is delicious!

Mango Pudding

2 ripe mangoes
1 packet unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup hot water
1/3 cup white sugar
1 cup coconut milk

1. Scoop out the fruit, and add to blender or food processor. Give it a whirl until the mango is pureed. Leave in the blender.
   
2. Boil the water, remove from heat and sprinkle the gelatin into the water. Whisk well to remove lumps.
3. Add sugar to the water and gelatin and stir until dissolved.
4. Pour the water mixture into the mango in the blender and add the coconut milk. Mix well.
5. Pour into ramekins or cups or bowls and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
   
6. Serve chilled. For an extra treat, pour evaporated milk over pudding before serving.
   

Tea Time

Being sensitive to caffeine, I am always on the lookout for herb teas. I found a great blend that was a bit tart, but very yummy. I soon came to realize that buying tea in a pretty little package with individually wrapped bags was drowning my finances! I took a look at the ingredients and was astonished at how simple they were. I headed to the local health food store and bought all the herbs I needed for my tea blend. I felt like a mad scientist! I brewed each herb, sipped, tasted and asked for the kids opinions. We finally came up with a personal blend that we all like. It tastes great hot or cold and with or without honey. I made a batch about 1/2 a mason jar full and am enjoying it. If you get a chance, mix your own tea, it's fun and cost cutting! Here is the blend I made:



Hibiscus Medley

• 1 part rosehips
• 2 part chamomile
• 1/2 part cinnamon
• 1 1/2 part hibiscus

I measured the herbs whole, mixed them together, then ran the mix through a coffee grinder. I serve 1 teaspoon per 8 oz of water. I have a little strainer basket that I add the herbs to then I pour boiling water over the herbs to fill the cup. Let it steep for about 5 minutes. It turns a beautiful magenta color. Enjoy!

Faith

Just the other day, I went to a funeral. I didn't know the person that died, but I knew his wife. I was somewhat unattached to the whole situation, very unlike my grandmother's funeral earlier this year. As I sat in the pew, waiting for the ceremony to take place, I realized what a gift I had.

I have the gift of faith. A faith that won't ever let me down. Through my faith, I know the time spent here on earth is fleeting, but that there is something even better than I could ever imagine beyond this life. It is truly a comfort to know and believe that.

The gift of the Sacraments given by Christ, Himself feeds our faith. At the very end, my friend's husband went to confession, received Holy Communion and received the Anointing of the Sick. How beautiful is that! His beloved wife was so full of peace, knowing that her husband is in a much better place.

Without faith, we are lost and distraught. I thank you Lord for this precious gift.

Summer Highlights...

An afternoon at Muir Woods...















Crawdad Boil in Grass Valley...Yummm...Lots of family, good friends and great food!



















Lunch with Sr Marija Joseph of the Sisters of Life She was visiting from Connecticut.














Lazy days on the American River...














Kayaking on Lake Tahoe...














Boating on Folsom Lake with one of my God daughters...














More time at the River with a bunch of great ladies!













Reunited with another group of great ladies at Lake Siskyou...














Thank you Lord for a great summer filled with friends and fond memories! God Bless my family and friends.