..it stopped my whining for a day...

I admit, I have a recurring complaint about this beautiful Southern California. Actually, I whine a lot about this----

...any time you choose to get away from it all and go somewhere "special" like a perfect beach, or a perfect campground, you must fight tooth and nail for a secluded spot to truly enjoy the atmosphere (and not the crazy people in their habitat).

If you get a tip on the radio or TV stating the promised Best Kept Secrets, you know that means your desired getaway is no longer desirable because 5 million people just got the same tip.My family and I were pleasantly surprised when we chose Friday to visit the snow since we were out of school and James took the day off. We drove 1 1/2 hours North to find snow. Mt. Pinos is at 8,800 feet. Long story short...the parking lot was nearly empty and we had the sledding hills to ourselves.
Very satisfying! Tempuratures were in the upper 40s, and despite the lack of snow gear for most of us, the sunny day was....awesome. Monica crashed badly into a tree. Jenna's toes got too cold--but what do you expect when you're wearing uninsulated rain boots?

I had to endure a mischievous 12-year-old trapped inside a 44-year-old body and become his moving target for the better part of the day.
I hope my girls remember this day as much as I will.

EDIT: James said, "Whats with the penguin?" Does anyone else need clarification regarding how close penguins congregate? Raise your hand...

Its my birthday...so I won't even lift a finger to blog...

...so I'll let my sister do the damage!

Go to her blog to check out some funny photos of us

Or more aptly titled..."It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!"

Happiness and Hot Chocolate

Enjoy Your Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate. When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: 'Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

And enjoy your hot chocolate in 2008!

Aww of the day...

So...my Blog Conscience has been screaming at me. Kari! I confess that my life is just a boring treadmill at the moment. I would cringe to have to share my happenings at the moment. Where is the fun? I need a better hobby than working at the elementary school.... :P. Anyhooo...you seemed to like my photos of "my baby James", so here I'll try to soften you with my own little photos. I see these photos and imagine a severely shy little girl. To add salt to the wound--about 10 years ago my mom admitted that I was so quiet and was carried everywhere that the neighbors would question whether I had "special needs" or not. Grrrr. My defense is that the neighborhood had lots of girls about 5 - 10 years older that did all of my speaking and transporting.

It also seems that once the pixie haircut was grown out, I always had those sponge rollers in my hair. It doesn't amaze me that I had ringlets all the time. I loved them! The only time I regretted ringlets was when Vickie Chappel would keep pulling them during Primary (church) and let them recoil with a loud, "BOING!" Sounds like something straight out of Ramona the Pest.


Susan, almost 3 yrs old (above, and kindergarten photo (below)

Best Christmas Ever

Sometimes Jenna just makes me GIGGLE!!


jenna_christmas.mpg

Hidden Treasures

While packing away Christmas, I finally decided to purge a space-wasting box labeled 'Hall Closet'. I knew this was from our last house--and junk was probably tossed inside, just waiting to spill out into the new home. Since I'm The Queen of Delayed Decisions (thanks for the title, Sweetie), I figured I'd tackle the box once and for all. I'm happy I did. Many "lost" photos were hiding inside. Here are a few I'll share for now. But stay tuned, because those Greens sure were shutterbugs!


<-- Baby James


What a handsome family!

This photo dates back to March '82. James (the youngest, far left) is a senior in High School. I feel obliged to Marian to remember there was always another son born to the family; however, little Thomas only survived about a week. Big brother Steven was about 2 years old at the time. Paul (James' dad) remembers little Steven giving gentle pats on the back to those who would pick him up at that sad time. Perhaps he knew all the big people needed a little reassurance? Sweet story. To this day, any birthday calendar given to Marian is quickly scanned for Tommy's birthday. I made the mistake only once! :)


Another photo from April '65. I honestly thought the leather tether with baby James was a leash for him. He quickly informed me it is a strap for the binoculars. He sheepishly admitted his father has since given them to us. James hates to admit he has his father's cast-offs. The rest of us call those things 'heirlooms'.

a belated video

Jenna loves soccer. But more than soccer, she loves mugging for the camera. That is why this video is so funny. This was the only goal she made all season. She would rather we all just get less serious about the goal making part.