Shaun Decided and His Choice Is.......

PEPPERDINE LAW SCHOOL

The semester starts the middle of August.

He has his housing all arranged.  See that narrow strip of land right on the water just across from campus?  He is renting a studio apartment from some very nice people who have 3 apartments on their property with their home.  They are for law students.

GOOD LUCK, Shaun-ster!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

....to Josh and Meredith.

Happy 5 years already.

We love you and the beautiful life and family you are.

Edging Blankets

I've been edging blankets for Natalie's new baby coming the first week of August.  Two more crocheted ones to go and then some self-binding to do. 

Pilaster Lights

I've always loved these verdegi lights on our front pilasters.  They are at the 18 year mark and starting to show their age a bit.  Back in the day, they were the up-to-date lighting choice.  We don't have streetlights on our street.  We are on a single lined street and our front yard is the Cleveland National Forest, thus no lighting.  We depend on the pilaster lights when it's dark.  We have steps up from the sidwalk to the front door, etc. and for safety issues we need the light.

There are 3 bulbs in each light.  They are not standardized, which we didn't know at the time we landscaped.  Nowadays, most pilaster lights are wired for standard electical bulbs.  Ours have been flickering off and on for months now.  I go out and give a little twist in either direction to get them back on again.  That lasts for a day or so.  I knew they still had 'life' left and couldn't figure out what was going on.

I took a bulb out and there it was:  the bottom of the bulb had corroded and so wouldn't connect properly with the electical stem.  We needed new bulbs.

I went to Lowe's.  I asked two salespersons for help.  They took me to the bulb section and handed me 120V small candelabra bulbs.  I kept telling them they wouldn't work.  They didn't believe me.  I was so frustrated.  I finally went to the lighting/electrical department.  I found a nice guy who indulged me.  Both our eyes were bad and we couldn't read what was on the bulb I brought in.  I didn't know that on each bulb on the metal part, is engraved with what kind of bulb it is and all the information!

He took me to some other aisle and found a powdery substance and rubbed it on the metal part of the bulb.  There it was!  12V 25 watts.  Hallelujah!  After an HOUR, at least we knew what we needed.  Guess what?  Lowe's doesn't carry bulbs like that.  I was very frustrated at that point.  This nice salesman got out his cell phone and called all the smaller hardware stores and found those bulbs for me!  He felt so bad that a large store like Lowe's didn't carry what I needed.

I got in the car and drove to DeNault's and there they were.  Bingo.  Now I know where to go and they were only a dollar a piece compared to $6 a piece at a specialty lighting store.

Mystery solved and we have light.

Begonias

I have always loved begonias and impatiens.  All year long.  The colors are bright and subdued all at the same time depending on the lighting.

I've been doing spring cleaning and planting in the yards this week too.  Moving agapanthus around and planting and filling in with begonias.  There is quite a bit of blue lobelia that went to seed last year and is sprouting up all over.  The red, pink, and white begonias make a nice contrast and pretty eye appeal with it.  And then fertilizing.  Snail baiting.  I absolutely detest slugs and snails.  They eat my garden and my flowers.  The family shakes their heads and laughs at me, because the mornings after I bait I can't wait to go out and see how many have succumbed.

The weather has been perfect lately and will give the flowers get established.

At the same time I looked at all the hedges.  We have waxleaf privet and boxwood hedges.  Some of them were in need of a more severe trim.  They will look funny for a few weeks, but after that will be just right.  I also got all the ferns on the north side of the house hedged back.  Wow, were they out of control.

The yards are looking fresh and happy.

Next week, the vines on the house.....

Spring Cleaning and Stuff Like That

I have a list of things that need to be done around the house.  The list is always longer than the time or resources.  It is nice to cross things on that list off over time.  Then I just keep adding to it. Haha.

This week the pot rack was on the list.  It is one of those items that gets overlooked during daily living until all of a sudden you catch a glimpse of it one day and say to yourself,  "When did that get so bad?" and try to remember when the last time was you cleaned it.

Duff and Mike took it down.  I cleaned and polished all the copper pieces, baskets, and ceramic garlic.  Duff sprayed the rack outside with simple green and washed it up.

It looks so much better now.  I have always loved this pot rack.  It adds charm to the kitchen.

Mother's Day 2012

What a wonderful day.

I remember the days when I was a younger mother and Mother's Days were not so wonderful.  Haha!  You know.  The days where you need a break from everything and your expectations are rarely met.  For some reason all the kids are more difficult, there are still un-made beds and dirty dishes and no one behaves in church.  Then it's supposed to all be made right when they go up to sing the Mother I Love You song.  And then you stand to receive your chocolates or tomato plant or geranium that always dies.

I clearly recall the day when those expectations changed for me.  It was in Westminster.  In the south foyer on the couch next to the Bishop's office.  Shaun was a toddler.  Nothing had gone right that morning except for the breakfast in bed that Duff made and had the kids bring to me.  All I wanted to do was go back to sleep for a while, but needed to get up and rally the troops to get ready for church.

I was having a pity party walking the halls during sacrament meeting when it dawned on me that this was the very essence of motherhood.  It was what I had dreamt about, planned for, and wanted my whole life.  I didn't need to change Mother's Day.  Mother's Day needed to change me.  That lightbulb moment changed Mother's Day for me.   Now I have very few expectations and enjoy the day.

 We had such a delicious dinner.

Steak, baked potatoes, Mamo's mushroom gravy, and a huge platter of oven-roasted vegetables.  Mike made some shrimp appetizers.

Ainsley sat in the bouncer next to us.  She was a happy little gal.

 Just LOOK at those vegetables.

Carrots, asparagus, onions and mushrooms.

A little olive oil, salt and pepper, and some red pepper flakes--just a pinch--toss together and roast for 45 minutes on a baking sheet.

We girls went for a walk down to the Dove Lake and around the tennis courts with Ainsley and Gidget while the guys stayed home and did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.

 This was my choice for dessert. 

Devils Food cake, whipped cream and sliced strawberries.  It gave the perfect combination of each flavor and was suprisingly light and refreshing.  It was a big hit.  I saw it on the Mad Hungry show.

Ainsley had her bath and had quite a long conversation with Auntie Christine.

The cute bug oohed, aaahed, and cooed away.  Meredith fed her and she went to sleep.  Then we gathered around the table and played Dominoes.

I got some beautiful earrings from Christine and Duff, and some new rubbermaid containers for leftovers from Mike and  Adrianne and Josh and Mere.  Also an adorable book all about Ainsley that Mere made on Shutterfly.  I talked to my mom and Natalie too.  John called and left me a message on the answer machine:  "Hi, Gramma Cindy!  Happy   Mother's   Day.  I LOOOOOVE you!"  I'm never going to erase it.

What a GREAT day!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

It's a GIRL for Mike and Adrianne!
They found out this afternoon.  They brought home chinese food for dinner to celebrate, but wouldn't tell any of us what the baby was until dessert!  It was killing us to know and have to wait.

Adrianne bought little bakery boxes and made blue and pink question marks for the tops.  They had white cupcakes in them and we had to all open them at the same time to see what the frosting and filling was.  PINK was our clue!

So little baby girl Duffy is coming in September.  The doctor says she is healthy and strong and has big feet and long legs.

CONGRATULATIONS, Mike and Adrianne!

Visit to San Diego and USD

This week was another trip down to San Diego for one last walk around USD law school.

 Christine doesn't have a 3rd period, and since her school works on block schedule that means that two days a week she has a three hour break.  She comes home and hangs out, does some homework, naps, has lunch.  You know--teenage stuff.  She walked in the door as we were getting ready to go pick up Meredith and Ainsley and on a whim, Duff decided to call her out for the rest of the day and take her with us.  She didn't complain!

 We had lunch at Filippis Pizza Grotto on Garnet Street in Pacific Beach.

It is a quaint place.  The food was homemade and good.  Later on we decided it was pretty rich and if we eat there on another occasion we will order differently.  The portions are more than generous and we ended up taking a lot of it home.

 We had parked several blocks away, and took advantage of the walking to the restaurant for some fresh air and sight-seeing.  Garnet Street is a beach city haven.  Loaded with lots of unique shops bathed in sun and ocean aura.

We walked the south side on the way back to the car and stopped in at the Bus Stop Gelato shop.

It was the perfect refreshing ending for our lunch.

The campus has a really good feel.

One of the highlights was our walk through the Immaculata Cathedral.  It is right on the grounds in the middle of all the buildings.  It is GORGEOUS.  I felt a reverence inside it.  Inside on both sides are small rooms that you can go in to meditate and pray.  I decided that that would be a neat thing to have in your home.  A small room dedicated only for spiritual things.  Pretty flowers, a candle or two, always clean and tidy and quiet.  Never disturbed.  The architecture was beautiful.  I thought a lot about the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City.  It reminded me of people who love God and were built by those who do.  Our doctrines may be different, but our love of Heavenly Father makes us more similar than we might think.

It was a good day, and I don't envy Shaun having to make a decision.  Guess it's better to have to make it between two very good choices.

Anguish In Ammonihah

My friend, Erin, just had a baby, and Julia K. and I are teaching her Primary class for her while she is out with that cute new baby.

This week was my turn.

The lesson was about Alma and Amulek in prison.

I used an idea from www.teachldschildren.com to make scrolls like they might have had during those times to tell the local news.  The class took turns reading them as they stood on a small chair reporting the events. Then we read it from the scriptures and answered questions.

We had such a good time learning.  The children were amazing.  They are so SMART.  It is clear they are being taught at home. Warms my heart.  Then we did a matching game about standing for the right.

35 Years For Us

It's our Anniversary.

35 years.

We worked in the yard.

We went out to dinner at Tutto Fresco and enjoyed some great conversation.

We talked about what we thought were the highs and lows of the last 35 years.

And concluded that there was no better person to go through it all with than each other.

Love You!

Malibu and Pepperdine

We spent the day in Malibu today.

Shaun wanted to go tour the law school one more time and get the graduate housing binder to look up some housing options he had seen online.

It seemed like it took forever to get there this time, and we finally realized that we went the more direct but longer route.  It was the first time down the Malibu Canyon though, and that was beautiful.  Good thing I was driving, because it was definitely a windy ride with all the twists and turns.

We walked on the Malibu pier.  It was so beautiful.

 We were going to have lunch at the Ruby's, but it was closed. We were disappointed, because we were looking forward to a burger with a water view.

 We ended up at Duke's for lunch.

Never a bad choice at Duke's!

Our table was right on the water and we loved every second of it.

 Ainsley was a gem.

She travels well.  The restaurant brought a sling-type holder for the car seat and she just enjoyed the scenery with us.  I didn't know that eating establishments had those carriers.  I really liked it.  They keep the baby up off the floor and right there with the party.

 We saw a mother and baby whale swimming north.  They were so close it felt like you could reach out and touch them.  A little while later there was a pod of dolphins swimming past.

Lunch and our own living ocean documentary.  Can't beat that!

 I got the caught that morning herb crusted Ono, Meredith got the same only Mahi Mahi, and Shaun had the fish and chips.  Mere and I cut our fish in half and traded.  It was hard to decide which might have been better.  The Ono was so gentle and the Mahi was a bit sweet.  Both were excellent with rice and a salad.

 It is so incredibly beautiful there.

This will be a hard decision for Shaun.

We took the shorter drive home down PCH to the freeway and traffic wasn't too bad considering that it was 4:30 in the afternoon in L.A.