Busy as a man can be...he's our Bishop, Part 3

Today DTA is being released after serving as our Bishop for six years. Here he is with his counselors, Brother N and Brother B. I have personally witnessed the hours of prayer, study, worry, tears, contemplation and service that he has rendered. He has been especially involved with the Priests and will miss them the most. He has been a wonderful Bishop. His service has blessed our family immensely. So now we add even more change to our lives! No more children at home; no more seminary teaching; and now no more being the Bishop. We have chosen a new word to help us with our new life and it is the word "embrace". We are embracing these changes and looking forward to what is to come.

Day 5 -Pelican Harbor

Today was a beautiful day so we headed to the swimming pool. I didn't want to take my camera so I photographed Little D and Little O before we left. I haven't been to the pool in a long time. I don't really enjoy the pool...I don't know... the whole bathing suit thing and everything. I told the girls that I didn't really love the pool and they said, "We know, we know". Was there a scenario in New York that went something like this: "Girls, Grammy will take you to the pool but she has never really enjoyed it. So don't make her go in the water." I wonder...Well, anyway, we got there and the smell of chlorine and sunscreen and the kids splashing around and the sun actually brought back wonderful memories. I thought of all the times I had gone to the pool with Kage, Linz, My Boy and Coco. Ah, the fun we had when they were young! Before we left, I decided I would keep my cover-up on at all times but I changed my mind when I got there. I embraced the situation and strutted around the pool like I had the body of Miss America. It wasn't bad. I also thought about all the hours I spent at the Philadelphia Country Club pool when I was a girl and how fun that was for me. I always bought a package of Lays Potato Chips when exiting that pool. There was something about needing salty potato chips after spending the day in the pool and eating them in the back of the car wrapped in my wet towel. I tried to get my hands on some as we exited today! Ah, summer and the pool! It's the best!

The "dorm" room

Whenever the whole family visits our house, the bedrooms get so full that DTA and I set up two cots in our bedroom for Little D and Little O to sleep. This visit, there is no one home. I offered Little D and Little O any bedroom in the house! "Wouldn't you love to sleep in Coco's bed??" But no! They wanted to sleep in our room again on the cots! So here we have this big empty house with three empty bedrooms and all four of us plus the dog have slept in one room all week! Here is a photo of Little D and Little O asleep with DTA reading in the bed! Haven't we just had the best time??!!

Little O and Chloe

One of the highlights of the week for Little O has been having Chloe, our dog, sleeping at the end of Little O's bed. Little O loves dogs so much. This has been a real treat for both of them!

Day 4 - Let's Go to the Movies!

Today was rainy so we headed over to the Classic Cinema and saw "Kit, The American Girl". It was so good! I loved it so much I was crying when it ended. It is a great story about the Depression all from the eyes of 10 year old Kit. It took place in 1934. My mother was 10 in 1934, just like Kit, and I think this movie is a must for her to see. The popcorn was excellent (also a must ) and we had a wonderful time!

Day 3 - Evening

Tonight Little D and Little O wanted Papa to play the "bad guy" which he did so well that they decided to tie him to the tree! Feel any vindication, Margo???

Day 3 - Chuck E. Cheese

We had a great time today at Chuck E. Cheese! The girls loved the rides and games and were able to round up 210 points in tickets! Pretty great! Many people put Chuck E. Cheese down but I would like to give it a shout out today. There are things not to love about Chuck E. Cheese...like the food. But once you discover that you don't have to eat there, it is really quite a nice place. It is air conditioned. It is clean. It is safe for children. They code you when you walk in and they code you when you walk out. (Once Coco tried to go with friends and they wouldn't let them in because they were not with an adult! I loved that. They called their friend who was 18 who saved the day and got them in anyway. ) They have games and rides that satisfy all ages. The music is fun and the girls were grooving. We had fun and did a quick anti-bacterial check on our hands in the car when we were done so it's all good.

Day 2 - Libby Lu and Lunch!

Today we headed to the Oak Brook Center for Libby Lu and Lunch! Libby Lu is fabulous! Little D and Little O got their nails, hair and make up done. They also got to choose an accessory and both of them chose a dog with a carrier purse. ( look out, Paris Hilton!). Little D also chose a hat and Little O chose a fuchsia wiglet with long curly hair. The music was pumping and they were feeling it as the cute Libby Lu lady attended to their needs. They looked stunning as we walked the walkways of the Oak Brook Center and many a shopper took notice. We then lunched with Gma and Gpa Z, Little D's and Little O's great grandparents. We feasted on mac n' cheese ( wait, are we eating that at every meal?) , pineapple and grapes and of course Lemo-lade! As we walked out of the Oak Brook Center and to our car, I felt like the luckiest Grammy in the world! Oops....gotta go. Little O needs to go Big Giants!

Our Go Fish Winner!

Little D was our definite winner at the Go Fish competition! I love this photo of her and wanted to include it in our documentation.

Day 1 - Evening

Tonight we had a fabulous picnic at our local Riverwalk. We feasted on fried chicken, mac n' cheese, corn fritters and cole slaw. After dinner, we played a competitive game of "Go Fish", Little D winning twice! We hoped to ride the paddleboats but they were closed so we fed the ducks instead. We topped the evening off with ice cream at Oberweis on the way home. This was a great day!

Day 1 - Build a Bear Workshop

Today we went to Build a Bear Workshop and we had such a great time! Little D chose a funky pink and black cat and Little O, of course, chose an elephant. They had so much fun choosing their sounds (Little D - High School Musical; Little O- elephant sound), bathing their new pets, and choosing outfits. Before we arrived at the store, one wanted to name hers Gigi and the other wanted to name hers Fifi but by the time we left the store, they were both named Fifi!!!! Afterwords we ate lunch at McDonalds, rode a Merry Go Round and climbed a "something". As Little D so eloquently said, "It was so much fun today. I just want to cry!" Little O said, "Today was fabulous!!!"

They're here......

Let the Grammy and Papa and Little D and Little O party begin!!!!!

Happy Birthday, DTA!

Happy Birthday, DTA! You are such a great friend and I love spending time with you. You are a good husband and father. Thank you for the hours and hours you have listened to me and supported me. Thank you for loving popcorn and Iron Chef. Thanks for laughing at my jokes. Thank you for being a good example to our family and leading us in living good lives. I know good looks aren't everything, but it is so fun to have a husband that is cute! I was looking at our wedding photo yesterday thinking, I thought you were cute then, and I thought I really loved you then, but today I think you are even cuter and I love you so much more. I hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Happy Anniversary, DTA - 22 years!!!

Happy 22nd Anniversary, DTA! What an adventure we have had! And now we embark on a new one....the empty nest! This is significant for DTA and me. We began our marriage with two daughters... so we have never been alone... until now! So buckle your seat belt, DTA, because here we go! I love you!

What do you do when your friend just took her last child to college?

YOU TAKE HER TO THE MOVIES!!!! Today, my dear friend, JF, picked me up and treated me to popcorn and the movies! What a treat it was! She did the same thing the day after I got home from taking My Boy to the MTC. What a wonderful friend! We saw "Brideshead Revisited" and it was so great to escape to that English and Italian landscape. Thanks, JF, for a perfect afternoon outing!

Miracles in Moca

My Boy was transferred six weeks ago to a very difficult area...an area that has been closed to missionaries four times in four years because there was no success. He felt so overwhelmed at this transfer and said that he knew he needed to let the Lord lead him. In just six weeks, My Boy and his companion found these two wonderful men ( who did not know each other), taught them the gospel, and they were both baptized on Saturday. Miracles are happening in Moca.

"Mom, we are in the middle of nowhere" a girl from Chicago beginning her college adventure in the West

Those were the very words Coco said as she noted the scenery leading to her new life in college..."Mom, we are in the middle of nowhere. Where the heck are we?" So typical of a girl who has been born and bred in the Chicago land area. We had a great trip. She asked me politely to quit stating the number of miles until we arrived! She lives in a beautiful new dorm suite where My Boy lived and she has some great roommates. There are actually eight girls in the suite but this photo was taken with those who had already arrived. Here they are seated in their living area. These girls hail from L to R from Utah, Idaho, Illinois, Tennessee and Utah. They all have a great attitude and a spirit to make this living environment work. The girl on the left of Coco is Coco's roommate. She suggested that all the girls in the suite go to the mall and get a family portrait taken, frame it and place it over their sofa!
While we were there, Coco met her second cousin. These kids' grandmothers are sisters. Coco and ZA live in the same building and ZA lives right beneath Coco. What are the odds? I told Coco good bye as girls were coming into her room and inviting her to dinner. It was the perfect time to make my getaway. She was a brick when we said good bye and ready to move on to the next activity. I was so glad. Today as I was flying home I received a text from her that read, "I love you and I love college!" Music to my ears!

The good-byes begin

Last Spring, Coco, DTA and I went to the movie "Road Trip" for FHE. This is a movie about a dad and daughter who go on a road trip to look at colleges. In the last scene, the mom and dad are dropping the daughter off at college. So there we are in the movie theatre. It is this last scene. Coco is sitting there popping sno caps in her mouth, and she looks over at DTA and me and our heads are together and we are sobbing! It was hilarious! Well, these moments for us are now upon us and so far we are holding up pretty well. Here is Coco saying good bye to DTA.

Wow, I guess she is really serious about this....

The packing has begun! Coco is actually going through with this! This is the room we call the work room and Coco is using it as a holding tank for what needs to be packed. One suitcase at the foot of the bed is packed and is weighing in at 49 pounds. Let's hope Southwest Airlines' scales are comparable to ours. Look at her cute bedspread on the floor, at the foot of the bed. She must have 20 pairs of shoes in there ready to go. Each pair of shoes has a tank top rolled up and shoved inside. If you enlarge the photo, you will see what I mean. Innovative thinking! Good use of space! Coco is making progress and will be all packed and ready to leave on Monday.

Good bye BJ

Today I hosted a luncheon for my friend, BJM, who is moving to California. She has been my friend and neighbor for eight years. She lives right across the street from me and also attends my church. She is the epitome of charity. She does so much for other people. Her whole day is set on service. There have been many mornings when we have opened our front door to find homemade muffins, soup and a great book waiting on our porch. She has loved my children and taken a special interest in them. We have spent holidays together, shared family dinners, gone to the movies, gone shopping, gone out to lunch, and just talked in our front yards. I will really miss her.

Look At My Boy!

When My Boy receieved his mission call, I envisioned a picture in my mind just like this one. I knew he would love the children and I knew the children would love him. He has always loved his mission but yesterday in his letter he said, "I am really loving the mission now, well even more now. I am really starting to focus myself even more into the people I am teaching and helping. It's brought a lot of great lessons. I want every lesson from here on out to come straight from the heart."

Back to School Shopping!

There's nothing like a little back to school shopping to put a spring in your step and help a girl get excited for college. Coco found some cute clothes yesterday as well as a fabulous backpack. I think she will be the cutest co-ed on campus!

The "Last" FHE

Last night was Coco's "last" Family Home Evening. She requested Lou Malnati's Chicago style deep dish Pizza ...something she will not be able to find where she is going. Good times! Pizza and the Olympics! An outstanding "last" FHE.

The countdown begins....

One week from today, Coco leaves our home to begin a new adventure called college! I can't believe we are already to this point. Yesterday at church, I looked around at all the people who have empty nests and took careful observation of the mothers. They all seemed all right. They were breathing normally. Some even had a slight smile on their faces. "I can do this," I said to myself. But, oh my, it is hard. This is my baby! Over the weekend, I reflected on our other three children leaving for college. Not that I didn't bawl my eyes out when they all left, I surely did, but...Kage was just an hour from home. We could see each other every day if we wanted to do so. Linz was four hours away from home and knew no one where she was going, but even at her departure we had plans to see her: she was coming home for Homecoming, we were going there for Parents weekend, home for Thanksgiving and home for Christmas. That was doable. My Boy went far away but went with one of his best friends so I knew he had somebody he could count on. As I was reflecting this with DTA, he all of a sudden got up and went to the computer and the next thing I knew, we had plane tickets, hotel reservations and lunch reservations for Parent Weekend at Coco's school! Bless his heart! It's still going to be hard to tell her good bye. Our house is going to be very, very quiet. But at least I do have a plan to see in her just a couple of weeks. And hopefully, if someone looks over at me at church, they will see that I am still breathing normally and maybe I will even have a slight smile on my face.

Good friends out for lunch

Yesterday, my friend BJM took Coco, CS, and me out to lunch in honor of Coco leaving for college. We had fun, but the real story in this photo is the relationship of Coco and CS. This summer Coco's summer job has been to be CS' personal assistant. What started out as a professional relationship has turned into a lifelong friendship. Coco has taken care of all of CS' needs and driven her around town. They have also been to parties together, dinner and to the movies. Coco loves CS and CS loves Coco. There are going to be many tears shed next week as Coco has to say good bye to CS.

What tunes do you love on your Ipod?

I am running again and I couldn't take a step without my Ipod shuffle! I love it! It takes my mind off my knees and feet and distracts me with its wonderful tunes. A couple of years ago Big J, Kage, Little D and Little O gave me my shuffle for Christmas. The inscription on it says, "Groove, Grammy, Groove" and groove is what I do. My tunes range from the sultry Light My Fire (The Doors) to the purely innocent Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (Hermans Hermits). I cover the decades from Twist and Shout (Isley Brothers) and Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison) to Sweet Escape (Gwen Stefani) and Get the Party Started (Pink). The ones that I love the most are the ones that really pick up the tempo. I've noticed that when these favorites come on, I actually pick up my pace. Songs like: Freeway of Love (Aretha Franklin), You Should be Dancing (BeeGees), You Can't Stop the Beat (from Hairspray), Back in the USSR (The Beatles), Let's Get Loud (JLO), Mamma Mia, Incense and Peppermint (Strawberry Alarm Clock) and anything by Sly and the Family Stone. Two tunes remind me of My Boy so I love it when they come on: Hey Ya (Outkast) and I Don't Feel Like Dancing (Denis Fiori). I only allow a few slow tunes on my shuffles but these are two favorites that I love so much that I don't slow down: Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood) and Something To Talk About (Bonnie Raitt). Those girls can deliver a song! Two tunes that are really neither slow nor up tempo but I just love the lyrics are Jennifer Juniper ( Donovan) and Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind (Lovin' Spoonful). And when the pavement is really getting rough and I want to totally fantasize I imagine DTA singing to me: Only Wanna Be With You (Hootie and the Blowfish). So this is how I make it through my miles every day. These tunes really make the journey enjoyable. So what tunes do you love on your Ipods?

The Day Break Shelter

Every other month our ward serves dinner at a homeless shelter and last night it was the MiaMaids and Teachers turn to be in charge. Since I work with the MiaMaids now, our home was a collection place for donations from the ward. We served the people a wonderful pasta and meatballs meal with salad, bread, pop and brownies. What a wonderful opportunity for our youth and leaders to provide this service.

So I had a little photo shoot....

(Sorry this photo post is so lame...I couldn't seem to get it on any other way)

Last September, I was invited to New York City for a multi generation photo shoot with Kage, Little D and Little O. What an experience! It took me all day to get my modeling sea legs. Kage, Little D and Little O were such pros! Lest you think a model's life is easy, let me set you straight. We arrived at 7 AM and worked until 5 PM. We had five wardrobe changes and wore winter clothes in the hot sun. It was so fun to see Kage, Little D and Little O in their element. They were fabulous at working the camera. Our last scene of the day was a birthday party and since it was my actual birthday, I played the birthday girl. Little D, Kage, and Little O are standing over me. It seems I have reached the big time! Some of the photos I was in have acutally made it to the photographer's website. (Michael Brian Photography) What a fun day we had!

Those Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer, Part 5

Another thing I love about summer are the flowers on my front porch. I have three just like this one plus two hanging ones. They are so beautiful and have grown to be so big. I love to sit out there and look at them and they look so pretty from the street. Winters are so long where I live that I really enjoy and appreciate the flowers of summer.

I highly recommend...

I highly recommend...a study journal. Last May, I ended my amazing adventure of being an early morning seminary teacher. I was left with the quandry of how I was going to keep myself immersed in the scriptures. I remembered a lady in our ward bearing her testimony one day and valuing a study journal to accompany her scripture study. Actually she credited our Bishop, DTA, for counseling us to have a study journal. I decided to give it a try. NTG, Linz, and Little V (Littlest D wasn't born yet) gave me this journal for Mother's Day. It has a photo of My Boy on the cover. I chose it for my study journal. I absolutely love this exercise of scripture study. I am reading the Book of Mormon and each day I write the date and write the chapter I am reading on the page. I list the doctrine that is being taught in the chapter. I write down characteristics of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. I write down those things which are touching me on that particular day and why. It so much more effective then just reading or even reading and marking. I highly recommend it.