Category Archives: Family

Casa de la Playa

Katie and I are in Southern California enjoying family get-togethers. One of our favorite places to gather is at my sister Vera’s house in Huntington Beach. She and my BIL Nick are always willing and able to host and cook wonderful meals for our large family gatherings. We call their place “Casa de la Playa” because they live in Huntington Beach within walking distance to the Pacific Ocean.

We were there on Saturday for brunch, the beach, and then for dinner!

Besides Katie and I flying in, Miss Hope flew in with her parents from Texas. She loves Uncle Nick and she loves the beach! Vera made a delicious Chile Relleno casserole. Miss Hope was checking Katie and me out. After brunch and a nap we headed down the street to the beach.

Miss Hope loves the beach.

Hi Mommy! Look at me!

Daddy took the first shift with Hope in the water until her teeth started chattering and they came in to get warmed up.

Katie decided to brave the cold water.

Hope’s cousins took the next shift helping Miss Hope hop over the waves and avoid being toppled by them.

Time to pack everything up and head back to Casa de la Playa to shower before dinner.

Tim, Letty, Len and Kathy joined the rest of us for dinner. Nick barbecued ribs, tri-tip, chicken, mushrooms and zucchini and Vera made mashed potatoes, wild rice and salad. We were introduced to Pinkberry’s frozen yogurt for dessert. The salted caramel and the watermelon frozen yogurt was delicious! Thanks Nick and Vera for treating us so well and thank you Mandy for the frozen yogurt.

Thanks to my cousin Jim in Clovis we are calling our week of festivities the Bag-o-rama Jamboree!  More fun to come.

I have not watched T.V. since we flew into L.A. but I’ve seen some stories on line about the horrible massacre in Norway. My heart and prayers go out to people of  Norway and all the families there who have lost loved ones in such a senseless act of violence.

FFF ~ Summer?

 

Friday already and time to look back for a week and think about blessings in your life. Thank you Susanne for the reminder to think on good things.

 

1. I’ve had the chance to enjoy summer vicariously in seeing photos like these my niece in California shared. Our daughter Katie is visiting my family and enjoying summer where the sun is shining more consistently than our area. The pictures would be bigger if I was there but remember this is a vicarious little experience with the sun and beach and summer…

2. On the same vein…I’m thankful our daughter has been able to spend time with my mother and father while she’s been in California. The girls went to my mom’s for brunch yesterday and my parents were so happy to feed them and enjoy their company. They all spent Father’s Day together around a meal, too.

 

3. I am enjoying all the birds and their songs early in the morning. I was happy to see my little hummingbird friends return just outside the window where I sit at my computer…

 

4. SOUNDERS! Last night I was at the Seattle Sounders game against the New York Red Bulls. What a great game it was. We went up by 2 goals and N.Y. tied up the game with 2 goals and we finally won with two more goals by Roger Levesque. Did I lose you? The final score was Seattle 4 ~ N.Y. 2! A happy night at the stadium.

 

5. Last Friday night Dear and I picked up a couple of long time family friends of ours who happened to be in Seattle to embark on a cruise to Alaska. We went to one of our favorite restaurants and enjoyed a rare for this year sunny evening. These gals are my brother in laws sisters and we grew up in the same Russian community in the Los Angeles area. After they married, Laura and her husband settled in Canada and Ruth and her husband settled in Michigan. It was good to see them and enjoy a good meal together.

I think I can speak for the majority of us here in the Great Northwest and say that we are really looking forward to more nights like these around here….

 

What were the highlights of your week? Are you experiencing summer yet in your neck of the woods?

Tomorrow Dear and I are headed out on a little adventure. I enjoy planning these little day trips. Hope you have a good weekend…

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Locks of Love…

 

Today Katie and I sent her 12 inches of hair safely packaged and addressed to Locks of Love in Florida. While we were at the post office we also stocked up on special boxes to mail overseas along with customs forms. When the postal worker found out Katie is married to a Marine she handed her a miniature pocket flag prepared by the American Legion saying that they are proud of his service and they are praying for him and thanking him for defending our country and our freedom. When we notify them of his overseas address they will mail him and his unit these little flags with the messages to them. We were touched by this thoughtfulness.

I mowed the rest of our lawn today and I am pooped and sitting on the couch for the rest of the night. After watching the weather report for the next few days I’m glad to have had the chance to get the lawn mowed before we have several more days of rain.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods…

Photobucket replaced all my photos with these blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

The 4 Sisters…

…are all home again and resting their feet. We had a wonderful time and as soon as I get a chance to upload photos I’ll share more.

 

I’ve got quite a list of posts to check out in my Google Reader so I hope to get around and see what y’all have been up to while the sisters were walking about Victoria, B.C.

Blessings…

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Sisters!

 

My sisters and I are embarking on a weekend getaway to Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada. The four of us have never had a weekend away or an overnight for that matter and I’m hoping we have lots of laughing moments like this next photo shows.

 

Vera ~ Lana ~ Kathy ~ Ellen

Kathy is the oldest, Vera next, Ellen next and then Lana. We also have 4 brothers. Fred was born after Vera.  Tim was born 7 years after me and then Steve. Lana and Leonard (twins) were the last two born.

We had a sister Kathy who was the first born in our family that died when she was 2 in Persia. My parents decided to name their second daughter Kathy, too. The Kathy we know was also born in Persia.

Both of these photos were taken a good while ago. Vera is several sizes smaller and I’m a few sizes larger. I think Lana and Kathy are about the same. I told my Southern California sisters to leave their flip-flops at home and to bring lots of layers. I’m providing them with rain coats with a hood. Whatever the weather we will persevere and delight in what God has in store for us!

We leave early Friday morning on the Victoria Clipper for a 2-1/2 hour ride to Victoria. We have gardens, castles, walks, and having a proper tea planned. Next week after I catch my breath I will post about our adventures.

Before I get swept away I wanted to share my plate of Baby Back ribs from our dinner on Sunday. So delicious!

 

Maybe plates like this are why I’m a couple sizes larger. You won’t be hearing from me till next week. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Missing…

…my mom and pop.

 

This is a photo of them at the family Thanksgiving get together in California. We were in Washington. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my parents in person. I hope to be able to see them soon. Aren’t they the cutest!?

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Love is in the Air…

…and already stocked in some of the aisles in the local stores. I thought it was a good time to share about a fun party coming up just before Valentine’s Day.

 

Laurie is hosting this again this year. It’s a fun time to let the red, pink, and love flow freely. And speaking of love…

Here’s my sweet niece that I love dearly at Huntington Beach in California. I missed seeing her and the rest of my extended family this Christmas and New Year but at least I have photos to enjoy…

 

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Carpe Diem ~

Seize the Day…

 

We are taking all the time we can to enjoy each others company for the days we have together right now. Tomorrow we are going to have our Thanksgiving meal early, all together, with 7 more joining us. The turkey is thawing. The yams, potatoes, gravy, green beans are waiting to be prepared. My sister is bringing the rolls and wine. Dan’s long time friends who became our good friends are joining us. Dave and Beth are bringing the pies. Jamie and Sarly are bringing their sweet babe. We’re going to make a champagne punch I saw on Susan’s Between Naps on the Porch. Josh and Laura will mash the potatoes since I’m still having a tennis elbow issue. Dear will carve the turkey. Katie will write the names on the place cards. I’ll make myself a note to remember to take photos. Life is rich.

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Sunday was…

…as full as a bag of trick or treats!

Dear, Katie and I went to church and besides hearing a good sermon we were treated to a Violinist who was amazing. His name is Klinkenberg and he sometimes plays with the Celtic Women. He played a more classical piece and then at the closing of the service he fiddled a wonderful rendition of Jesus Loves Me. We bought his soon too be released CD called Fiddle-Levity! We had it on during lunch and really enjoyed it.

When we got home Josh and Laura had already arrived to enjoy a meal with us. I tried a recipe from The Pioneer Women Cooks ~ Tasty Kitchen blog called Sauerkraut and Pork that had been cooking away in the oven while we were at church. We all agreed it was very tasty!

Josh, Laura and I left Dear and Katie at home to handle the Trick or Treaters and we headed downtown to Qwest Field to see the Sounders play the L.A. Galaxy. Lots of the crowd dressed up for Halloween. These guys were one of our favorites!

Three Blind Refs! After the game we wondered it they were the refs that called our game.

Joshua’s red beard really made his leprechaun costume more authentic. :0)

It was a great night for a Sounders game and for Trick or Treaters with no rain drops falling on anyone’s heads. Too bad the Sounders didn’t win. That would have really capped off a wonderful day!

Today I headed out early for some physical therapy on my tennis elbow. It has been raining steadily and promises to keep raining all day and into the night. I’m glad to be home in my slippers enjoying the coziness of our gas insert fireplace…

I came across this verse in Ecclesiastes today and couldn’t help but chuckle and use it during this political season we find ourselves in! Out of context? Maybe, maybe not.

Ecclesiastes 10:2 (English Standard Version)

“A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right,
but a fool’s heart to the left.”

FFF ~ It’s all about Hope!

It’s time for Friday’s Fave Five. Please visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in or visit more favorites.

 

Our little Miss Hope wasn’t named that randomly but because she was the result of the hope my brother and my SIL had for her to be born. My brother didn’t have hope of being married a few years back and I’m sure the hope of having a child of his own was off his radar. BUT ~ our God is a God of hope and because of His great mercy and love gave Leonard and Mandy a gift from Him and they named her Hope! Leonard and Mandy married in their 40’s, a first marriage for both of them. They’ve been married for 4 years and little Miss Hope will be 3 in January. Last Thursday we flew to Dallas to have a visit with Leonard, Mandy and Hope. My favorites for this week are…

1. Seeing Miss Hope warm up to us over the course of our time there. At the beginning she only wanted to sit with mommy at the dinner table but soon she decided it would be fun to sit by Dear and me.

2. Watching Miss Hope and her lack of fear at gymnastics.

3. Having several good meals around the table with Leonard, Mandy and Hope.

4. Being able to have good conversations with Leonard and Mandy.

5. Every morning Dear was up first, then Hope, then the rest of us. Dear would be stationed on one of the couches in the family room with his back to the arm of the couch and legs stretched out on the couch reading. On the first morning Hope came out and saw Dear there and ran back to daddy and mommy’s room. By Sunday Hope decided when she got up that she would grab a book and sit on the couch opposite Dear with her back to the arm of the couch and legs stretched out on the couch and read. Too Cute!!

Hope to get around soon and see your favorites from this past week!!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.