Happy Birthday Andrew!!

Happy Birthday Andrew. We love you and hope you had a fantastic birthday!

With Sarah and Brittany at a summer outing

Andrew and his boy cousins at a family reunion

Andrew with Sarah, Billie and Courtney

Handsome Dude, Andrew at Graduation

Ball game

Having a great time with Dad

24th of July

OH! How cute they are...Val and Jon

A fun shot with Jon and Gramp and their big eyes!

Jon and Grandpa!

Val, Don, Nicole and Jon gave us an unexpected and fun visit on the 24th so we invited them to join us at the 4th barbecue and had so much fun and a delicious meal at the Liberty Pavilian

Jon and I shared some very yummy cotton candy!

Nicole 's cotton candy - she's lovin it too!

......and Val shared some with Jon too!

Happy Birthday Amanda!

From Little baby Amanda to....

This lovely young woman!
We wish our darling daughter, Amanda a wonderful new year! She is a gifted young woman and a great mother and wife to her family! We are so happy to live so near and love her dearly!!

Pageant of the Masters

This is a huge picture advertising the Pageant outside the entrance to the theater - This years theme is Eat, Drink and be Merry. Every year there is a different theme and different art works. The finale is always the Last Supper which is just marvelous! My descriptions don't do the production justice.

A picture showing some of the costumes and make up on the actors

I love cups so Malcolm bought me a cup with a copy of one of the paintings on it.

Mike and Annette who invited us and got tickets months in advance to attend. Also took us to dinner. Thanks to them for a wonderful adventure at the Pageant!

Malcolm and Patsy inside the art display area

Some of the unusual and interesting art

Malcolm and I spent the morning at the beach with beautiful skies and wonderful temperatures

A great shot of my Honey having some lemonade at Ruby's at the end of the pier
Malcolm and I drove to Laguna Beach to See the Pageant of the Masters - an amazing production which features great works of art and has real people made up, designed, painted, etc to replicate the real piece of art. A backdrop is used and special lighting. Also a very interesting and humorous narrator tells the story and history of the art piece. It is so incredible and interesting to see. We could not take pictures inside, but we also viewed work of some artist from the area in paintings, pottery, jewelry and other forms. We spent hours just viewing all the very funny, beautiful and crazy ideas that gifted people put together.

Paige's Sleep-over

We made a tooth fairy pillow for Paige's loose 2 front teeth

Popcorn and a new video

Paige's favorite night shirt is my pink T-shirt pinned back to fit her

Our pies and cookies

We had what Paige calls a "sleep over" yesterday and today with our little Paige. She felt it was her turn to have some special attention. We did it all...popcorn, movies, rootbeer floats, stories read, etc. We even made pie and cookies which she helped with and today went to the store and did some shopping We picked veggies from the garden and she has mastered popping the ends off green beans. Our last project was to make a tooth fairy pillow for her front teeth which are really loose. We had so much fun!!

4th Celebration

Mal and Todd got two ladders to set off the fireworks so they would be up higher

Our neighbor, Todd did the fireworks lighting

Some of the fireworks!

Every year a few of our neighborhood get together and set off some fireworks. This year our neighbors, Roxanne, Todd and Sean got some spectacular fireworks and we spent about half an hour watching some colorful sprays of color and sound. We are blessed with just great families on our street and enjoying getting together for these special events! We are grateful.

This poem is a reminder of all we have....

If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston
and New York to L.A.,
There's pride in every American heart
and it's time we stand and say

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A!

~ Midi: "God Bless The USA ~

Each day I live, I am grateful for living in this wonderful free land, despite all the challenges we are faced with. We have opportunities that most do not have and can worship as we wish and dream to become anything we desire if we work and pray for success. What a blessing to live in America!!