Category Archives: Family

WFMW ~ Simple Lists & Rewards

This simple 6 x 8 notebook is my organizational wizard. I use this each week to organize myself and to get things accomplished. With a pencil I line out 7 boxes for the 7 days of the week starting with Monday. Each box has the date and day of the week. I put the set appts. in each box. Along the left side I list all the tasks I’d need to accomplish or would like to accomplish that week. I add more as I think of them during the week. In the upper right hand sidebar I list any birthdays that are in that month. Below that I keep a running list of anything I need to buy at the store. Nine times out of ten if I have something on this list it gets done. I take great joy in crossing off accomplished tasks or purchased items. I put fun things to do on these lists too. Below are some pictures of one of the fun things I always try to include on my to-do list.

This is Leticia our waitress at our favorite local Mexican restaurant near our home in Washington. Eating at her family restaurant was on my list this week and voila here we are!

The restaurant is called La Corona and we’ve been here often enough that they know what we like to order and we have more than casual conversations with Leticia about herself and her family.

Laura and Josh joined us for a late celebration of their anniversary.

Dear, Ellen b. and Katie stuffed already on our favorite salsa that they make here. Katie’s friend Heidi joined us too after the photo-op.

So not only do I schedule chores but I schedule some fun too. Bottom line what works for me is organization with my little binder and eating out at a Mexican Restaurant at least once a week!

To see what works for other people head on over to Rocks In My Dryer and join the frenzy fun!

Any photos missing from my posts are the result of Photobucket blacking out all my photos that I stored on their site since 2006.

Happy 6th Anniversary Josh and Laura ~ August 25, 2001

Our first-born son Josh and his lovely wife Laura are celebrating their 6th anniversary. We couldn’t have asked for a lovelier daughter in law. They make such a wonderful team. How we thank God for his goodness to them and to us in bringing them together. We love you two. Blessings on many more years growing together in the Lord!

Photo Credit: Jeremy Leffel Photography

Thankful Thursday ~

 

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of men!  Psalm 107:8

 

I am so thankful to God that Dear and I fly to Seattle on Friday and spend a couple weeks with our children. It will be so nice to see them face to face and give them all a big hug. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

For more Thankful Thursday participants or to participate go to Sting My Heart….

Thankful Thursday ~ I Chronicles 16:8-12

 

 

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, …”

One of the miracles that the Lord has done in my life is leading my Father and Mother out of Iran (Persia back then) to the U.S.A. This was before my Father was a believer but God’s hand was on him in a mighty way leading my Father to himself. My Mother was a believer when she married my Father. I am so thankful to God for His hand of mercy that gave my parents the desire to immigrate to the U.S. In 1963, fifteen years after immigrating to the states, my Father became a believer at the Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles. I am remembering and thanking God for His amazing grace in my Fathers life and the benefits of that grace to me…

Thank you Lord for all you’ve done. I will sing praises to you and rejoice. I will look to you for strength and seek your face always. I will remember the wonderful things you have done. Glory to your holy name. Amen.

To read more Thankful Thursday Posts or to participate head over to Sting My Heart…

We Aren’t Normal

My family is not normal. This is a good thing. Today I had brunch with my sister her 2 daughters and another sister’s daughter. We are friends. We are different from each other. We love each other. We like to get together and be together. We aren’t checking to see if we had our daily devotions today. We are loving on each other, caring for each other, accepting each other, praying for each other and waiting on God to do His sanctifying work in our lives. If we fall, we love each other and help each other get up. If we have an emotional melt down we wait for that to pass and see what God taught us through that. We don’t panic and wonder if we’ve lost our salvation. We’ve seen a lot in my family. There are plenty of people to watch after all. We trust God that He will bring us all through the ups and downs of our lives here on earth. What we do and need to do is to love each other dearly. Above all else, love each other dearly… That’s what I want to do. That’s what I want to encourage you to do.

I Peter 4:8  (ESV) ~

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

(NIV) ~

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

(NASB)

Above all keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins.

The Message ~

Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.

We’re not normal. We are certainly not perfect. But, we love each other and that covers a lot of kasha! (Russian for oatmeal, or messy issues….)

 

WFMW ~ Be Prepared!

If you homeschool anywhere in Southern California this is a book that you should add to your resources. This is a comprehensive guide (793 Pages) to any educational, recreational, fun place you’d want to experience. I went to a presentation that Susan gave to our transitions group. The company my husband works for hires a group to help transition new employees and their families into this new part of the world they find themselves employed in. Susan Peterson has done her research well and she homeschools her 3 sons and has been to most of the places she recommends in her book. Even if you don’t live in Southern California you can benefit from some tips from her. She says…

 Never Leave Home Without These Essentials

1. Snacks –always carry snacks and a water bottle. Listening to a child whine because he is hungry or thirsty can drive any parent over the edge.
2. Map –
3. Tissues and/or Wipes
4. Quarters (metered parking)
5. Toys/books/games
6. CD’s  (Music or Books on CD)
7. First Aid Kit – bandaids, ointment, adhesive tape, scissors, an ice pack, Benedryl, disposable gloves, a sewing kit, and and Tylenol for kids and adults.
8. Roadside emergency kit – jumper cables, flares, a flashlight, batteries, extra drinking water, tools, matches.
9. Jacket – pack a light jacket or sweater for unexpected change in weather or plans. Throw in a change of clothes for little ones just in case they get muddy or wet.
10. Blanket – For picnics or if someone gets cold or for other emergencies.
11. Fanny Pack
12. Sunscreen
13. Camera – ya don’t have to tell a blogger to remember their camera!
14. Grocery Bag: It holds trash, excuse me, I mean treasures, that kids collect…
15. Container (for motion sickness)
16. A Sense of Humor

So this is my Works For Me Wednesday tip for y’all. Head on over to Rocks in my Dryer and get more educated!

Ht: Fun Places to Go with Kids and Adults by Susan Peterson ~ Fun Places Publishing, California, copyright 2006 by Susan Peterson. www.funplaces.com

Weekend Wanderings…

The L. A. Farmers Market

 Farmers Market (no apostrophe!) was created in July 1934.

In July 1934 a contingent of farmers pulled their trucks onto an expanse of empty land at the property known as Gilmore Island at the corner of Third and Fairfax in Los Angeles. They displayed their produce on the tailgates of their vehicles, to their delight, customers quickly arrived and parked their cars on a hastily created dirt parking lot in spaces designated with chalk. They strolled among the trucks purchasing fruit, vegetables and flowers.

The atmosphere was casual, the open air commerce enticing, the goods fresh, and the result remarkable. Farmers Market became an instant institution.

We met our friends from Seattle at the Original Los Angeles Farmers Market for dinner and a stroll. Luke, (one of our former pastors in Seattle), Terri and their two daughters Sophie and Greta are in L.A. for some sight seeing that will include the ultimate first time visit to Disneyland for the girls on Monday and Tuesday!

A very upscale outdoor shopping center, The Grove, has been built right next to the Old Farmers Market. We ended our visit with an elevator ride to the 8th floor of the parking garage at “The Grove” to get an aerial view of this Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles and Hollywood. We were hoping to see the famous Hollywood sign but sad but true it was too “L.A. smoggy hazy” to see it clearly! We were able to see the Griffith Park Observatory.

 View from a trail in Griffith Park from the south, looking north.

On our way home after our visit we were driving through a couple multi-million dollar neighborhoods and were shocked to see this eyesore on one of the street corners. We were amazed and decided to turn back to take some digital shots of this monstrocity. My photos will not give this gaudy display of bad taste justice.

There were over 14 of these statues…

Yikes! This is a beautiful neighborhood of amazingly landscaped and manicured lawns. House after house displays beautiful architecture and upkeep. I can only imagine what the immediate neighbors think. We found out later that there was a lot of TV coverage over this property and a  lawsuit that the neighbors brought to try to get these statues removed. They lost their suit. The bright white wrought iron fence was added after some of the statues were defaced.

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My weekend ended with a 250 mile round-trip out to Nuevo, California for dinner and a church service that my nephews Levi and Caleb were leading worship for (Levi in the red, Caleb in the orange). A nice ending to a busy weekend. Blessings on your week ahead…

Photobucket has blacked out all my photos from their site that I used on my blog since 2007 and I’m working to update my thousands of posts.

Show & Tell ~ Russian Heritage

Both of my parents were born in Russia in the 1920’s. They escaped into Iran and then met each other, were married, and immigrated to the U.S. shortly after WWII. I have a collection of Russian lacquer items and other souvenirs my parents brought back from more recent trips to Russia. Some of the items I acquired here in the U.S.

 Samovars

The little silver finish one is a gift from my SIL Christina that she found at an antique mall.

Lacquer Boxes with Fairy Tale Scenes, the larger one on top was an anniversary gift from Dear.

Matroyshka Collection

Chai-kneeks

Wooden Spoons and Cups

Russian Barbie (Katie’s)

Winnie the Pooh in Russian

This was one of the dreaded school books we used. I had to go to Russian School on Saturdays. I thought this was the worst punishment in the world! Sometimes I’d hide when it was time to go and then when they found me I would stomp my feet and declare “I don’t want to go to Russian School.! I’m an American! “

This is the group of close friends and family that immigrated to the U.S. from Iran after WWII. They were close even though they were from different religious backgrounds, Russian Molokans, Russian Baptists and Russian Orthodox.

There are more Show and Tell Friday sites to see at There’s No Place Like Home.

My photos are being held hostage at the Photobucket site as of July 2017.

Thankful Thursday ~ Romans 12:15

 

Romans 12:15 (ESV)

 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

My family has been taught by the example of our parents to always be ready to go where you are needed. My mother and father are the first ones at the hospital when someone takes ill. They are the ones that go to the house to grieve with the family members after a loved one dies. They care for the elderly (and they are elderly themselves) when they have to go into a care facility. Over the last several weeks my father and mother have visited a dying member of their church in a care facility one to two times a day. This is a sole surviving spinster with no family at all to care for her. My father will make all her funeral arrangements and make sure there’s a nice service for her. *We just got the news that this dear believer died last night and my father and mother are on their way right now to the funeral home to make the arrangements for her burial. Please pray for strength and stamina for my parents. I can’t tell you the number of funeral arrangements they have walked friends and family through. Today I am so thankful for them, their example and my youngest brother and his wife who seem to be stepping into my parents shoes with this wonderful service to people. This extends to the hurting and the rejoicing. My brother will fly to weddings, funerals, and special celebrations way more than the average Joe. I am so thankful today for the example in the flesh of those who rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep!

For more Thankful Thursday Posts head over to Sting My Heart…

Julienne ~ Birthday Breakfast

My photos are being held hostage at the Photobucket site as of July 2017.

 Happy Birthday Melissa!

 I met my sister Kathy and her daughters, Michelle and Melissa, and my mom for breakfast this morning at Julienne. It is Melissa’s birthday and we love to have celebrations at this wonderful restaurant in San Marino, California.

Mom (Baba), Ellen b, Kathy, and Melissa the birthday girl

Michelle, Kathy and Melissa

The menu is amazing and the ambiance lovely. We don’t mind the drive to meet here. We kick back, forget our figures and eat wonderful things like,

Lemon Creme Brulee Scone

Blueberry Pancakes with Lemon Curd Sauce

Spinach Crusted Quiche Provencal with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes,

Parmesan Crusted Potato Cake with Poached Eggs, Guacamole and Pico de Gallo,

Open Face Omelette with Chicken Sausage, Gruyere, Tomatoes; Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Now we can watch our calories till we meet at Julienne again…say in September for Michelle’s Birthday! Lana G, we have to time this next celebration just right so you are in town!

Michelle, Baba, and Melissa…