Candie arrived home on Wednesday morning for a 3 week visit. It's always so fun to have her home and the kids are really happy to have her around again. We began planning our vacation earlier in the year and were delighted when Candie said she'd join us. Yesterday she spent the day with her childhood friend (and our former neighbor) Mary, Mary's husband and brand-new baby boy, Ashton. Today she's accompanying Nikki and Ray to the softball tournament in Escondido. David and I will join them tomorrow morning. If Thomas were home, life would be almost perfect!
I'm reminded again of how fast time goes by these days. Nikki's All Star season is almost over and before we know it we'll be getting ready for school again. It's become abundantly clear that if I blink, I might miss something important. What's important to me is the memories the children will have of these days together. Candie and Rick sometimes talk about fun things we did when they were young and I hope it'll be the same for Nikki and David. I'm sure when Thomas comes home from Iraq we'll be able to make more good memories with him.
Please continue to pray for, and support, our troops and their families. Have a great weekend.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
The Wedding - Part 1
Editor's Note: This was originally published on my MySpace blog on May 7, 2006
My daughter Candie is officially Mrs. Thomas O. Wedding now. It happened two weeks ago in Hawaii in what was probably the simplest, sweetest and most meaningful wedding I've been to in a very long time. She looked beautiful in her white cotton sundress and lei made out of yellow plumerias. She had a single flower in her hair (carefully placed on the left side to signify that she is married as dictated by Hawaiian custom). Thomas was equally handsome in his dark slacks, white dress shirt and the traditional lei worn by men which is open at the bottom.
The day I and my "entourage" arrived in Hawaii, we were met at the airport gate by Candie and Thomas with leis and hugs and kisses. My sister also met us and we piled in the rented mini van for the drive to the hotel. We checked in, changed into swimming suits and shorts and set out to see Candie's apartment, then headed to the North Shore. Candie was calm but I knew reality hadn't quite set in yet so I braced myself for what would surely come later. After hanging around the North Shore we went back to the hotel, cleaned up and went out for dinner. Thomas' parents were with us all day and we had a wonderful time. Around midnight, Candie and Thomas separated; her into my room and him into the room with my sons. They would not be allowed to see each other until the wedding the next day.
I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed laying on my bed and seeing my two girls asleep in their bed. It was the last night Candie would be my little girl and I was so thankful that I was there to enjoy it. Early in the morning, Candie's phone rang and it was Clarissa. She went into the bathroom to take the call and it made me happy to know that they were able to share a few moments before the wedding.
In the morning, we all showered and Nicole and I went to the dining room for breakfast while Candie rested in the room. She had a headache and was tired from trying to sleep with Nicole! Soon we were getting ready, putting on make up, curling hair and putting on our wedding clothes. My sister and niece came into the room for a while and Tina and Candie spent a little "cousin" time. I gave Candie her "something blue", a beaded ankle bracelet made out of blue beads, my mom gave her her "something old", one of her handkerchiefs from years ago, and Tina gave her "something borrowed", a diamond tennis bracelet. About this time, Rick came to the room to talk to his little sister. Soon after that it was time to go! We managed to get Candie downstairs and into the car without Thomas seeing her. Rick stood by the garage with his cell phone so he could call Thomas to come out of their room when Candie was safely out of sight. We drove to the beach and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. While we waited, some of the friends gathered and we all waited together. Finally, we called Rick and found out that Thomas, his parents, Rick and David were lost!
TO BE CONTINUED. . .
My daughter Candie is officially Mrs. Thomas O. Wedding now. It happened two weeks ago in Hawaii in what was probably the simplest, sweetest and most meaningful wedding I've been to in a very long time. She looked beautiful in her white cotton sundress and lei made out of yellow plumerias. She had a single flower in her hair (carefully placed on the left side to signify that she is married as dictated by Hawaiian custom). Thomas was equally handsome in his dark slacks, white dress shirt and the traditional lei worn by men which is open at the bottom.
The day I and my "entourage" arrived in Hawaii, we were met at the airport gate by Candie and Thomas with leis and hugs and kisses. My sister also met us and we piled in the rented mini van for the drive to the hotel. We checked in, changed into swimming suits and shorts and set out to see Candie's apartment, then headed to the North Shore. Candie was calm but I knew reality hadn't quite set in yet so I braced myself for what would surely come later. After hanging around the North Shore we went back to the hotel, cleaned up and went out for dinner. Thomas' parents were with us all day and we had a wonderful time. Around midnight, Candie and Thomas separated; her into my room and him into the room with my sons. They would not be allowed to see each other until the wedding the next day.
I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed laying on my bed and seeing my two girls asleep in their bed. It was the last night Candie would be my little girl and I was so thankful that I was there to enjoy it. Early in the morning, Candie's phone rang and it was Clarissa. She went into the bathroom to take the call and it made me happy to know that they were able to share a few moments before the wedding.
In the morning, we all showered and Nicole and I went to the dining room for breakfast while Candie rested in the room. She had a headache and was tired from trying to sleep with Nicole! Soon we were getting ready, putting on make up, curling hair and putting on our wedding clothes. My sister and niece came into the room for a while and Tina and Candie spent a little "cousin" time. I gave Candie her "something blue", a beaded ankle bracelet made out of blue beads, my mom gave her her "something old", one of her handkerchiefs from years ago, and Tina gave her "something borrowed", a diamond tennis bracelet. About this time, Rick came to the room to talk to his little sister. Soon after that it was time to go! We managed to get Candie downstairs and into the car without Thomas seeing her. Rick stood by the garage with his cell phone so he could call Thomas to come out of their room when Candie was safely out of sight. We drove to the beach and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. While we waited, some of the friends gathered and we all waited together. Finally, we called Rick and found out that Thomas, his parents, Rick and David were lost!
TO BE CONTINUED. . .
The Wedding - Happily Ever After
Editor's Note: This was originally published on my MySpace blog May 8, 2006
Once we discovered that Thomas and the rest of the family was lost, my sister Vicky came to the rescue and guided them to the park where we were all waiting. There were a few of us gathered by then and the minister was beginning to look nervous despite his efforts to appear calm. Finally, we saw the car approaching and Thomas arrived, so we all headed over to a shady area. Candie and Thomas took their places a little way down the beach and Candie's friend proceeded to sing an incredibly beautiful song in her equally beautiful voice.
As I stood watching my baby girl stroll up the beach , my mind began racing from the moment she was born, to her first dance recital, her first at-bat, her first boy-girl dance in junior high, her prom and finally the moment she told me she would be marrying Thomas shortly after she announced she was moving to Hawaii to be with him. The minister asked for the witnesses to step forward and Nicole moved up to stand next to her sister. My heart swelled with happiness, pride and a little sadness that neither their father, or step-father, was there to witness this precious and fleeting moment. It was then that the Reverend asked who would do the first reading and Candie said, "My mother will read it." I was handed a paper and began to read the passage from the bible. The tears flowed from my eyes and when I was done, Candie and Thomas spoke their vows and Dora took her place and read her passage. Suddenly, Candie became Mrs. Thomas Oliver Wedding! As I stood there letting it sink in I realized that I had not lost a daughter, I'd gained a son.
The lack of bother and fuss over this wedding made me realize that it wasn't the "wedding" that was important to my daughter, it was the marriage she'd entered into with this wonderful young man. Instead of choosing to focus on a showy event, they had chosen to start off in a meaningful ceremony with their loved ones in attendance. What a beautiful moment that was! As long as I live I will treasure that day and be grateful that I was there to witness it.
God bless you and your marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wedding~I love you always!
Once we discovered that Thomas and the rest of the family was lost, my sister Vicky came to the rescue and guided them to the park where we were all waiting. There were a few of us gathered by then and the minister was beginning to look nervous despite his efforts to appear calm. Finally, we saw the car approaching and Thomas arrived, so we all headed over to a shady area. Candie and Thomas took their places a little way down the beach and Candie's friend proceeded to sing an incredibly beautiful song in her equally beautiful voice.
As I stood watching my baby girl stroll up the beach , my mind began racing from the moment she was born, to her first dance recital, her first at-bat, her first boy-girl dance in junior high, her prom and finally the moment she told me she would be marrying Thomas shortly after she announced she was moving to Hawaii to be with him. The minister asked for the witnesses to step forward and Nicole moved up to stand next to her sister. My heart swelled with happiness, pride and a little sadness that neither their father, or step-father, was there to witness this precious and fleeting moment. It was then that the Reverend asked who would do the first reading and Candie said, "My mother will read it." I was handed a paper and began to read the passage from the bible. The tears flowed from my eyes and when I was done, Candie and Thomas spoke their vows and Dora took her place and read her passage. Suddenly, Candie became Mrs. Thomas Oliver Wedding! As I stood there letting it sink in I realized that I had not lost a daughter, I'd gained a son.
The lack of bother and fuss over this wedding made me realize that it wasn't the "wedding" that was important to my daughter, it was the marriage she'd entered into with this wonderful young man. Instead of choosing to focus on a showy event, they had chosen to start off in a meaningful ceremony with their loved ones in attendance. What a beautiful moment that was! As long as I live I will treasure that day and be grateful that I was there to witness it.
God bless you and your marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wedding~I love you always!
Dancing In the Dining Room
Editor's Note: This was originally published on my MySpace blog on June 23, 2006
Wednesday night I came home from work tired and stressed. I had stopped on my way home to pick up a few things, came home and ate dinner, then headed out to shop some more after. When I finally sat down at the computer to check my e-mails, etc., I logged into MySpace. If you've visited my page on MySpace you know that "At Last" by Etta James begins playing when the page opens up. I had the sound turned up so I could hear and was lost in my own thoughts when my husband walked out of the kitchen, took my hand and asked me to dance! I think I laughed and stood up so we could dance.
The kids were in the other room, watching a movie, but came out and peeked at us. They started laughing, and teased us a little but not in a malicious or nasty way. Mostly they stood watching with smiles on their faces. Ray and I danced in our dining room and it was one of the most loving, romantic moments I've ever experienced. When I think about it, it almost seems wrong that something as simple as a dance, in the dining room, to music from the computer with kids watching could be so meaningful, but it was. Simple moments, simple pleasures are ours for the taking. We just have to learn to recognize them. For my children, I think the knowledge that they are part of a solid relationship will give them a good foundation for their own relationships in the future.
I've never felt so important, valued or loved as I do right now. I thank God for helping me through rough times and bringing Ray to me and my family.
Wednesday night I came home from work tired and stressed. I had stopped on my way home to pick up a few things, came home and ate dinner, then headed out to shop some more after. When I finally sat down at the computer to check my e-mails, etc., I logged into MySpace. If you've visited my page on MySpace you know that "At Last" by Etta James begins playing when the page opens up. I had the sound turned up so I could hear and was lost in my own thoughts when my husband walked out of the kitchen, took my hand and asked me to dance! I think I laughed and stood up so we could dance.
The kids were in the other room, watching a movie, but came out and peeked at us. They started laughing, and teased us a little but not in a malicious or nasty way. Mostly they stood watching with smiles on their faces. Ray and I danced in our dining room and it was one of the most loving, romantic moments I've ever experienced. When I think about it, it almost seems wrong that something as simple as a dance, in the dining room, to music from the computer with kids watching could be so meaningful, but it was. Simple moments, simple pleasures are ours for the taking. We just have to learn to recognize them. For my children, I think the knowledge that they are part of a solid relationship will give them a good foundation for their own relationships in the future.
I've never felt so important, valued or loved as I do right now. I thank God for helping me through rough times and bringing Ray to me and my family.
Birthday Celebrations & Friends
Editor's Note: This was originally published on my MySpace blog on October 27, 2006
This is my birthday weekend. My birthday is October 29, 19-- (and, no, it won't do you a bit of good to ask me to fill in those blanks!) This has been a good week for me. I realized that I'm surrounded by friends who love me and care about me and I'm so blessed!
On Wednesday, everyone in the department where I work took me to lunch to celebrate my birthday. You can't possibly imagine the trouble it was to accomplish this. Our city has a policy that says all departments must stay open all day. As a result, my fellow employees had to get special permission from the Assistant City Manager to close the department so we could go. It was such a nice lunch and I was very happy to spend time with the lovely people I spend the majority of my life with.
On Thursday, my girlfriends gathered to celebrate my birthday. I have the most wonderful friends. . .and they were all there yesterday. Marie has been my friend since childhood. One of the things she did after my husband died was to introduce me to her friends. They have all taken me into their hearts and I love and appreciate all of them more than I could ever begin to say. Every one of them are wonderful, amazing, independent and successful in their own way. Each has their own lifestory to tell and everyone of them is a testament to the strength of women. Being part of their circle has been a blessing. Someday I will write about each of them individually but for now I will only ask the Lord to keep them close to His heart and give my thanks to Him for bringing them into my life.
Marie, Erin, Rita, Chris, Debbie and Betty, God bless you and I love you all! As always, Lord, please bring our troops safely home and keep watch over their families.
This is my birthday weekend. My birthday is October 29, 19-- (and, no, it won't do you a bit of good to ask me to fill in those blanks!) This has been a good week for me. I realized that I'm surrounded by friends who love me and care about me and I'm so blessed!
On Wednesday, everyone in the department where I work took me to lunch to celebrate my birthday. You can't possibly imagine the trouble it was to accomplish this. Our city has a policy that says all departments must stay open all day. As a result, my fellow employees had to get special permission from the Assistant City Manager to close the department so we could go. It was such a nice lunch and I was very happy to spend time with the lovely people I spend the majority of my life with.
On Thursday, my girlfriends gathered to celebrate my birthday. I have the most wonderful friends. . .and they were all there yesterday. Marie has been my friend since childhood. One of the things she did after my husband died was to introduce me to her friends. They have all taken me into their hearts and I love and appreciate all of them more than I could ever begin to say. Every one of them are wonderful, amazing, independent and successful in their own way. Each has their own lifestory to tell and everyone of them is a testament to the strength of women. Being part of their circle has been a blessing. Someday I will write about each of them individually but for now I will only ask the Lord to keep them close to His heart and give my thanks to Him for bringing them into my life.
Marie, Erin, Rita, Chris, Debbie and Betty, God bless you and I love you all! As always, Lord, please bring our troops safely home and keep watch over their families.
Candie & Clarissa
Editors Note: This was originally posted on my MySpace blog on March 22, 2007.
22 Mar 2007
Candie & Clarissa
Candie is due home a week from tomorrow (YAY!!!) Having her home again will be wonderful. Thinking about her being at home with us again made me think of what it was like before when she and Clarissa were living at home.
Clarissa moved in with us and became part of our family. She moved into Candie's room which was the first time Candie had to share a room with another person. I remember her moving her bed in and the girls arranging things so that there would be enough room. Over the years there were several changes made to the room, the greatest being when they decided to paint the walls a bright lime green color! I think they painted all night. It looked really cute because they only painted two walls. The decor of the room became Hawaiian. They removed the closet doors and hung a shower curtain with palm trees on it to add to the ambiance.
There were several other adventures over the Candie/Clarissa years: the two girls helping out by cooking dinner when I had back surgery, washing their cars in the front yard, Margarita nights, coming home as I was getting up for work and pretending they'd just gotten up, Bulldog Gym and walking the dogs.
It was Clarissa who brought my sweet Finch into my life. She had a job at a vet's office and she brought home a pit bull puppy who'd been abandoned because he was sick. The vet treated him and intended to turn him into a guard/blood dog. We couldn't stand the thought of that so we kept him. It became a nightly routine for the girls to take Max and Finch for a walk, then load them in one of their cars for a ride to the drive-through Starbucks.
There were also camping trips. The last one we went on as a family was in August 2005. We went to Lake Casitas and they joined us, but had their own camping spot. We spent the majority of the first night waiting for Melissa to arrive but she kept calling because she was lost. After she'd arrived, we all went to bed only to awaken to the news that Candie and Clarissa had left their snacks in a bag in the back of the truck and some raccoons had eaten their food.
Perhaps my best memory is when the two girls and Ray planned a birthday party for me when I turned 50. I was sent to my room for the entire day and they cleaned, decorated and made snacks for the party while Ray cooked. It was probably one of the best birthdays of my life because they put so much of themselves into that celebration. The memory of their love still brings tears to my eyes and I will never forget the happiness they brought me.
I hope Clarissa and Candie will always remember and cherish the time they spent in my house. I know I will.
Please pray for our troops all over the world. God bless everyone, especially Candie and Clarissa.
22 Mar 2007
Candie & Clarissa
Candie is due home a week from tomorrow (YAY!!!) Having her home again will be wonderful. Thinking about her being at home with us again made me think of what it was like before when she and Clarissa were living at home.
Clarissa moved in with us and became part of our family. She moved into Candie's room which was the first time Candie had to share a room with another person. I remember her moving her bed in and the girls arranging things so that there would be enough room. Over the years there were several changes made to the room, the greatest being when they decided to paint the walls a bright lime green color! I think they painted all night. It looked really cute because they only painted two walls. The decor of the room became Hawaiian. They removed the closet doors and hung a shower curtain with palm trees on it to add to the ambiance.
There were several other adventures over the Candie/Clarissa years: the two girls helping out by cooking dinner when I had back surgery, washing their cars in the front yard, Margarita nights, coming home as I was getting up for work and pretending they'd just gotten up, Bulldog Gym and walking the dogs.
It was Clarissa who brought my sweet Finch into my life. She had a job at a vet's office and she brought home a pit bull puppy who'd been abandoned because he was sick. The vet treated him and intended to turn him into a guard/blood dog. We couldn't stand the thought of that so we kept him. It became a nightly routine for the girls to take Max and Finch for a walk, then load them in one of their cars for a ride to the drive-through Starbucks.
There were also camping trips. The last one we went on as a family was in August 2005. We went to Lake Casitas and they joined us, but had their own camping spot. We spent the majority of the first night waiting for Melissa to arrive but she kept calling because she was lost. After she'd arrived, we all went to bed only to awaken to the news that Candie and Clarissa had left their snacks in a bag in the back of the truck and some raccoons had eaten their food.
Perhaps my best memory is when the two girls and Ray planned a birthday party for me when I turned 50. I was sent to my room for the entire day and they cleaned, decorated and made snacks for the party while Ray cooked. It was probably one of the best birthdays of my life because they put so much of themselves into that celebration. The memory of their love still brings tears to my eyes and I will never forget the happiness they brought me.
I hope Clarissa and Candie will always remember and cherish the time they spent in my house. I know I will.
Please pray for our troops all over the world. God bless everyone, especially Candie and Clarissa.
Friday, June 22, 2007
A New Adventure
This is my new adventure. I've been blogging on MySpace for a while now and was asked a while ago to be a contributor on the LA Times Pressman's blog. I've put up a few posts but am never sure that what I have to say is interesting enough to all those pressmen.
On MySpace I seem to have lots of views every time I post a new blog so I guess some people must enjoy reading it. This blog will probably follow along the same lines. I write a lot about my life, experiences and whatever else pops into my head. If you're reading this, I hope you enjoy this blog and I look forward to your comments.
Thanks for your time! Please pray for our troops.
On MySpace I seem to have lots of views every time I post a new blog so I guess some people must enjoy reading it. This blog will probably follow along the same lines. I write a lot about my life, experiences and whatever else pops into my head. If you're reading this, I hope you enjoy this blog and I look forward to your comments.
Thanks for your time! Please pray for our troops.
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