Casey/Jenna's Penthouse in San Francisco (2/13/09)

PANORAMIC VIEWS OF SAN FRANCISCO!!!!

Casey and Jenna invited me to their penthouse in San Francisco. Casey was working nearby for Ernst & Young. Jenna, Weston and I had a great day in the city while Casey worked. I took so many awesome pictures from their penthouse rooftop that it was hard to decide which ones to post. Here are the top views of San Francisco from the penthouse rooftop!


I love how the clouds hang low over the city. It did rain on and off all day. Since I'm from Portland, I'm used to the rain and love it.


The last time I was in San Francisco was 7 1/2 yrs ago and it was my last day of work in the financial district. I couldn't tell which building it was but I worked on the 13th floor!


The next time I come to San Francisco, I'm sure I won't have the penthouse view but I will have these pictures to remember it by!

Thanks Jenna and Casey! It was fabulous!!!!!

The Miracle of Christmas 2008...........................

Thanks to Charity, I have a craft room that I absolutely love and enjoy working in. Charity helped me decide what to use for organization, put it together, get organized, clean the room, etc. Doesn't it look great! It was a lot of work and I promised to keep it clean! I'm sure it will be the first place Charity checks when she comes to visit!

Thanks Charity - you did awesome!!! I really appreciate ALL your help. And, I love my new room!

Just a couple of candid shots...... 12/08

So cute!

What a happy little girl with her little people - Mr & Mrs Claus!

So innocent............

Our Christmas in Vancouver (2008)

We had a fun Christmas morning at my house. Misty, Nate, Brielle, Charity, and Adalei were here. Charity brought so many gifts. It was just like Santa had come! Misty and I took pictures. Little Brielle was so happy with her new Christmas bear and was smiling for her picture. There's nothing like Christmas to make us all happy.
Adalei's Grandma Waldram has gotten Adalei and Brielle a lot of little people. I got the girls the nativity set with little people. Adalei quickly merged all her sets together and was having fun playing with them by the Christmas tree. This was on Christmas eve.
This picture gives you a glimpse of all the gifts before we starting opening them. It took us a long time!
I got Adalei her own digital camera with a web cam. I was so excited to find it at Kohl's for $20. You can't see the pictures like a regular digital camera unless you put them on the computer so it's not as fun as I thought it would be. I was so excited for her to see it. Then disappointed that it didn't end up as good as I had expected.
Deciding which gift to open next........................
Brielle really got into opening her presents. Adalei helped Brielle on her first birthday to open gifts but Brielle didn't need any help for Christmas. She was having so much fun opening gifts that she just looked for the next gift to open after she finished opening each gift.
I found this cute little box in Holden, Missouri at a craft fair for Charity. I was so pleased that she liked it.
A cute new dress for Adalei from her Aunt Charity - Great job Aunt Charity!
A really cute shirt and so appropriate for Adalei since she loves to read and re-read her books.
Nate was excited to receive this DVD from Misty.
Misty was so happy to receive professional pictures of Brielle from Jason. These pictures now hang in their family room right beside the prior picture of Adalei at about the same age which was also taken by Jason.
Little Adalei is so happy with her cute new rain coat from her Aunt Charity! Aunt Charity finds the best clothes!
Nate wanted a 3/4 measuring cup. It sounded like a simple request. What a job that was to find it without having to buy an expensive set! Finally I found one at Ross! What a relief! Now Nate is so happy that making cookies will be much easier.
Charity was really excited to receive a panini pan for Christmas. I hope she enjoys using it also. I'd love to have her make a sandwich for me the next time I visit.
Misty worked so hard making Christmas gifts that took hours and hours. This is a scrapbook with the pictures and journal entries of Adalei's first year! What a wonderful gift! Adalei just loves her special book!

It was a great Christmas for me also. I didn't get in any of the pictures but I was treated quite generously by my children. I received too many gifts to list here on the blog. Some of the gifts include the following: a flat screen computer monitor (J and Ashley), trackball (J and Ashley), Mama Mia DVD - my favorite! (Jenna and Casey), book - What to Eat and What Not to Eat (Jenna and Casey), Gap sweat pants (J and Ashley), fat Italian cook clock - this is so cute! (Nate and Misty), food storage (Misty and Nate), family and individual pictures of them (Nate and Misty), birthstone ring (Charity), Harry & David tray of goodies - wow! (Charity), lots of clothes (Charity), cute Mickey Mouse bracelet (Charity), snowflake spatula (Charity) and fleece PJ bottoms (Charity). This was the best Christmas ever! I felt so loved! How very blessed I am!

Sleep Study Experience - 2/20/09

This was my second sleep study. The preparation was the same for both. I'm not sure this picture gives the set up justice. It takes an hour to get the wires all connected. There are 32 different connections on my head to record my brain waves. There are heart monitors similar to an EKG. My ankles also had connections to monitor my leg movements. You can see the band under my arms and there was also a band around my waist. These wires are all plugged into a box where the waves are monitored and recorded. I should have held up my finger for this picture to show you the device on my index finger to monitor the oxygen levels in my blood. I think there are 64 different connections. I found it all very interesting.

I slept in a room in a doctor's office. The room was similar to a motel room with a TV, etc. I found the beds a little too firm and didn't sleep as well as I did at home. Plus, the wires feel heavy so you wake up when you start to turn over and it's hard to get comfortable. There is an infrared camera in the room that records you sleeping on a video, sounds are recorded also (snoring, talking in sleep, etc.). The technicians watch you constantly from beginning to the end of the sleep study - 10 pm to 6:30 am.

After my first sleep study, the doctor showed me the results of the test. I never went into stage 4 sleep and only went into stage 3 sleep barely and just a little. Most of my sleep was in stage 1 and 2. Stage 4 sleep is the deep sleep so no wonder I am constantly fatigued. The results showed that I have mild sleep apnea and mild restless leg syndrome.

For the second sleep study, I was on medication for the restless legs and also used a CPAP machine for the sleep apnea. (CPAP is a continuous positive airway pressure machine.) I thought it would be difficult to sleep with the CPAP mask over my nose but it wasn't. I slept much better than during the first sleep study. In fact, when I woke up yesterday morning, I felt a little bit rested which doesn't happen for me. I have had insomnia and sleep problems for approximately 13 years now. I have my next doctor visit on March 6th to find out the results of the sleep study and whether I will be prescribed a CPAP machine for nightly use.

(In case you are wondering why my hair is not very flattering in this picture, in preparation for the sleep study, you wash your hair but cannot put conditioner or any other hair products on your hair. So now you know what my hair looks like totally natural!)

Actors for the Nativity Story - 2008 (Camas, Washington)

Nate and Misty started an annual tradition to act out the nativity story. I was surprised at how fun it was. Nate gave us our assignments and then told us to go find props for our parts. Adalei was Mary so she got her doll for baby Jesus and the shawl for dress up.
Adalei was so happy to be Mary in the nativity story.

I just couldn't decide which picture of Mary was best so I'll let you decide that for me!

Guess what Brielle was? You're right! She was one of the sheep at the manager that night!

My pictures are out of order but this is Adalei crying after the mean innkeeper wouldn't let her stay in the inn that night with baby Jesus. We felt bad that Adalei cried and then Misty said that's probably exactly how Mary felt that night.
It really helped the story come to life for all of us.

After our acting was over, Adalei still wanted to be dressed up like Mary and carry around her baby Jesus. She still often calls this particular doll "baby Jesus." The blanket around this doll was made in Jerusalem. Nate bought it when he spent the semester in Jerusalem through BYU.

On the left is the "mean" inn keeper that told Mary and Joseph "no room in the inn."
Nate was Joseph; Adalei was Mary; the pink horse is the donkey; and
Charity was excellent as the inn keeper!

This is a picture of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem.
The little sheep got in the way..... or maybe just wanted a little attention...

This is such a great picture. Misty was the shepherd with her staff and the cute little lamb as they traveled to see the baby Jesus in the manager! The shepherd had to do quite a bit of guidance to keep the sheep on the right path.

I think this is a great tradition and was lots more fun that I thought it would be.
I was the wise man bringing 3 gifts for baby Jesus........

Home for the Holidays! (12/17/08)

Charity was the only one that came home for the Christmas holiday! We were so excited to have her home. In case you are wondering what she did while she was home, this first picture gives you a clue. Charity works so hard and so many hours and keeps really busy. She was exhausted and had a cold. She got lots of much needed rest to get better and kept me company while we were snowed in for the week.

The first night she was here, Nate and Adalei surprised her at the door with beautiful flowers. Charity was here for 10 days and the flowers still looked great for about another week after she left. I enjoyed them every day and thought of her after she was gone. (Nate sure knows where to find fresh flowers!) Isn't Adalei's smile just adorable? You can tell how excited she was to see her Aunt Charity. We are so glad Charity came home for Christmas as it wouldn't have been the same without her!

Adalei's First Dance Class Recital (12/08)

Adalei attended her first dance class this fall. It was about 9 weeks with one 30 minute class each Saturday. I went as often as I could to watch her dance. She was the youngest in the class and so cute to watch. She really had a great time. These pictures were taken at the end of the class at a dance recital with a gym full of proud parents and lots of siblings.

Adalei received a certificate for finishing the class and I just had to bring her a cute little container with fresh flowers and a card to congratulate her for her performance. I'm so glad I was invited to attend the special event.

The other pictures were taken during the dance recital when they were dancing with stuffed bears to the song, "Teddy Bear! Teddy Bear! Turn around! Teddy Bear! Teddy Bear! Touch the Ground!" You have probably heard this cute little song.

The dance recital was in a dark gymnasium and it took me awhile to prepare my camera for taking pictures so this is all I got! Isn't she cute with her little ponytail?

Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day 2008

There's no one more determined than Nate when it comes to running! It was an extremely cold and very windy day on Thanksgiving in Camas. Nate was up and ready to go to the race by 6 am. He was not going to let the weather keep him from running the race. He took Adalei and pushed her in the stroller while he ran. He would have come in first place in the race but he stopped to take care of Adalei when she cried. She had a great time with her dad. He even carried her the last leg of the race. He had to be tired but he doesn't look like it in these pictures.

After the race, so many people came and congratulated Nate on his race and for being a #1 dad and giving up the lead position for Adalei. I think it was a 3 mile race. They started the race at 7 am when it was still dark. By the time the race was over, I was able to take these pictures.

It was so cold that I didn't even watch the race like I wanted to. I stayed in the car and tried to keep warm. Adalei was quite cold after the race but she didn't complain at all. I think running the Turkey Trot is becoming an annual tradition for Nate. Congratulations Nate! You did great!

Brielle's First Birthday - November 2008

Happy first birthday to Brielle! This is Brielle's birthday picture. Misty had all of us write a note to Brielle about what we like about her. I wrote that I love her little hugs. She is great at hugs and gives lots of them. I know where to go when I want a hug!
Misty made a delicious birthday cake for Brielle. We had cupcakes and she had her cute little cake. Brielle especially loves the purple hippo on the right of the cake. She carries him around a lot. These animals are from the Noah's Ark set that she got for Christmas from her grandma Waldram. When I saw that cake, I was just like Adalei and could hardly wait to have some. It was a delicious oatmeal cake.
Brielle was clapping her hands and smiling while we sang happy birthday to her. Misty helped her blow out the candle. Then she opened her presents.
Brielle was really happy with her little piggy bank! It doesn't take much to make her happy.
Brielle was getting the hang of opening her presents. Adalei was such a helpful sister without needing to be asked. I think Adalei was having as much fun as Brielle.
Just a cute picture of the happy family - Nate, Misty, Brielle and Adalei.
Brielle - the princess for the day! She was enjoying all the attention.
I gave Brielle a stuffed hippo and a zoo book about a hippo. It seemed like a good gift because she loved to carry around the other little hippo. I am a very happy grandmother! This is my 2nd granddaughter. I'm so happy she lives nearby.
I just had to include this picture with her cute little face! I'm not sure how to interpret her nonverbal communication but you can see from the cake that she was eating it and enjoying it very much.
One hand wasn't enough - she had to have both hands getting cake at the same time! She loved that cake! You'll notice that she didn't play with any of the toys. She definitely was focused on eating her yummy birthday cake.
I was amazed at how clean she stayed with her eating. She wasn't messy at all.
This was the picture of her first bite! Happy, happy birthday to Brielle! I'm so happy I was able to attend and celebrate her first birthday with her!

Thanksgiving in Missouri with No Cooking! Yeah!!!

I spent Thanksgiving 2008 in Holden, Missouri (50 miles southeast of Kansas City, Missouri). My mother bribed me to come by promising she would do all the cooking for my visit! I couldn't pass up that offer.............

This is a picture above of my mom and (step)dad going to church in the snow..... It was icy cold!
Here they are again after debating the best way to build a fire... I'm not sure who won that debate. In the end, there was no convincing of the other. I think I heard same discussion multiple times during the few days I was there!
Clarence Crawford, my grandfather and my mother's father, is sitting in the middle. He will celebrate his 94th birthday next month!
This picture was taken in Odessa, Missouri at the church building. This is my dad's favorite picture. He was the Bishop when the building was remodeled 3 years ago so he choose this picture and others that hang in the building.
Beautiful snow on the 34 acre farm in Holden.... This is the view from my parent's back porch.

Now you aren't going to believe this but it is true that this is downtown Holden! The grain elevators are in the background. They store wheat, corn, and soybeans that are grown in the local area. This is a little country town in the heartland of America. People are very friendly and make you feel welcome. I wanted to take more pictures in the other directions from city center but my mom and I had too much fun at the local craft fair. Actually, I had a really hard time deciding what to buy since I was low on cash and most vendor were not set up to accept credit cards. It was dark by the time we ended our shopping spree so no more pictures until next time. We did have a great time.
While I was in Holden, I introduced my family to the coconut cream pie shakes at Sonic. We all loved them! I'm sure you are impressed that this little town of Holden has a Sonic! They even had their Sonic before we got ours here in Vancouver, Washington. (Subway is the only other fast food chain restaurant in town.) On the right, in front of my father, is my step-brother Alan. He is the life of the party and entertained us greatly while I was there.
My mother is standing in front of their house. She was disappointed that I didn't get her cat in the picture also. Poor Tiger sleeps in a box on the porch. The box has a rug flap so he can go in and out of the box himself. My mom says he keeps warm.
This is the largest of three ponds on the 34 acre farm. This pond is full of catfish. Ponds are man-made and are used to give animals water and also to grow catfish and bass. There are ponds all over the area on the farms. The water level is 8 feet deep in this pond. My mom says that you can make a pond on top of a hill in this area because the water level is so high. This was early morning the day I left.
This is proof that my mother did the cooking! She was making homemade noodles for turkey noodle soup in this picture. Prior to this she made her first, and one of my favorites, pecan pie. It was absolutely delicious! I could have eaten it all myself. I brought her a ceramic pie pan with the pecan pie recipe stained in the bottom. I'm hoping she'll make another pie the next time I come to visit whether it is Thanksgiving or not!

What a fabulous, relaxing holiday visit! I loved it. We watched Hallmark Christmas movies, talked, and ate yummy food. The good news was that I didn't gain any weight during my visit! It must be that healthy cooking! It had been five years since I had seen my grandfather so I'm grateful I was able to see him also! (He just moved to Missouri last summer. Before this move, he had always lived in Pennsylvania. He still misses Pennsylvania but my parents are taking excellent care of him.)