A Little of Everything

I definitely had to document Nicole's graduation for everyone and now that I've shown her off, I can put together a potpourri of pictures to catch you up on alittle of what we've been up to.
(There are no pictures of Nicole in her formal gown because down here, they have a Senior Prom, which was over a month ago, and no formal dinner or dance with family members on the day of the Graduation ceremony. For Senior Prom, Nicole got ready at a friend's house, and the dinner with a group of friends was at the Country Club, and Nicole's date was late, and so there weren't any pictures, and so I don't have any to share. Makes me a little sad....)

For Mother's Day the family planned something in advance without me knowing and pulled it off quite nicely. We spent the day in Millcreek Canyon around a fire eating and relaxing. The day was beautiful and although I was on call for work, I didn't get called in.

Why is it that kids are attracted to water and fire?

...which is a nice transition to the next picture...

No, there was no fire...

But was I surprised when Dave called me at work and said
"We've been evacuated from the house".

(my initial thought, great what has happened with our house now...)

There was a gas leak in the neighborhood due to construction workers and 12 homes were evacuated for a couple of hours. No starting of cars allowed so Dave hung out with neighbors on the street, Nicole and Koshi hung out across the street because Koshi isn't socialized nicely with other dogs, and Chay took off to play with a friend whose home was not evacuated (Blade was at school).

Chay is proving to be my son in more and more ways.
I was making a dessert and Chay started helping and then took it over completely and did an excellent job, getting creative and doing his own thing. He was even taking requests from Nicole and Blade as to exactly what they wanted in theirs (cherries were involved).

Anything minature is cute in my opinion and mini desserts are not only good to eat but fun.
We layered brownies, caramel sauce, chocolate pudding, repeated it and topped with cool whip.
Chay made a cute face one. (I'll be honest, Chay was doing a nicer job than me).

The next night, I made mini keylime cheesecakes for a party thrown by one of the Ophthalmologists and they were a hit! Chay AND Blade helped me!

If the cheesecake was served in a regular pie shape it would have been just okay, and I'm sure it wouldn't have disappeared as quickly but, you put it in a tiny cup with a tiny spoon and BAM... a hit!
The Japanese in me shines through....Presentation, presentation, presentation! (Thanks Mom for being a great example!)

(I was so excited months ago because I was on the look out for these long handled mini spoons and as I was about to leave the place formerly known as "my favorite store" (because the deals are not what they use to be), I passed the party aisle and saw a stocker with a cart piled with boxes of new supplies and thought "I should check out what's going out". I think I may have actually smiled (with my eyes and everything) when I saw multiple bags of the exact spoons I was looking for! I took them all of course...4 or 5 bags. And it's events like this that keep me going back! I can quit any time I want to, I just don't want to right now but, it has been a couple of weeks now.)

The boys have been asking me to get a coconut for a while and I gave it.

Chay hammering holes in the "eyes".

Draining the water....

(I see London, I see France....)

The breaking of the coconut.

and the reveal.

(I think the anticipation was more exciting than the end result, it was too much work to make coconut milk...and the coconut water was blah...)

We FINALLY took Blade's training wheels off his bike. I wanted to do it awhile ago when I realized that due to Blade's activities on his bike, the training wheels were not positioned as they should be and Blade was compensating his position while riding to correct the alignment of his bike.

We were were prepared to hold on and run behind Blade as he learned to ride...
and were all SHOCKED when Nicole let go after Blade pedaled 2 times and he kept going and rode in a huge circle in the parking lot! I guess he was READY!
That was on Monday and he rode his bike on Tuesday and Wednesday. (He would have gone Thursday and Friday also but on Thursday the kids went to Seven Peaks Water Park and this evening we went to see The Karate Kid).

I HAD to post the next picture because...
...just look at Blade....
(it's like the final position in a Broadway musical)



It warms my heart that although my kids are so widely spaced in age, they're still willingly to do the same things together.


And when I say doing the same thing...I mean it.

Chay was riding his scooter and Blade just left his bike at the opposite end of the parking lot so Chay had to bring both back to us...I told you earlier that he was creative.

And Blade, he's growing up too quickly. I got home from work and Nicole told me that Blade took the camera to take pictures of a bird but, it was gone so...
...he took pictures of some girls...

"The Karate Kid",
that could have it's own entry. It's Nicole's new favorite movie. I enjoyed it and surprisingly, I really can't compare the two. They are the same movie but different, is that possible?. I cried in this movie...did I cry in the first one...probably.
Earlier in the week I discussed the movie with Doug ad his comments, along with Nicole's comment before Dave and I decided to see the movie the boys, made me put a priority on seeing the movie. I had no idea that Doug was such a Karate Kid fan, particularly a Mr. Miyagi fan. And I'm curious as to the parts that Jenelle noticed were in the remake because of the orginal. Doug and Jenelle, if you're out there, enlighten me.

Sayonara

Graduation!

She's a High School Graduate!

Nicole graduated from West High on June 9th with the ceremonies at the Huntsman Center on the University of Utah campus. It was a busy day there with multiple schools throughout the day.

Nicole graduated from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and received a medal for that accomplishment. The purple lei is from a Ward member who lives around the corner; that was such a nice surprise. And the candy leis are from friends.
(I was amazed by what you can make leis out of, I saw a guy with one made out of packages of Ramen noodles...and I mean entire unwrapped packages)

We're so proud of what Nicole has accomplished thus far and how well she has done it!

Nicole as she walked back to her seat after receiving her diploma! The first time walking to her seat as a High School graduate!

The Class of 2010

Nicole and her best friend Kajsa (as Chay and I like to say, Kajsa, Kajsa, Kajsa)
(it's pronouced "Ki-sa")

The two are a great pair! The same but different. Blue eyes...black eyes. Blonde hair...black hair. Pale skin...tanned skin.

My friend Cindy surprised Nicole with a wonder gift basket to start off the graduation celebrations. Blade was "almost" as excited as Nicole but, couldn't come close. Nicole talked about it for days! ( I have the best of friends! Okay, as Chay would say, "you only have 2 friends", BUT they are the best!)

After the ceremony, Nicole chose to eat at Kyoto's (a Japanese restaurant around the corner and down the street), the first time eating at Kyoto's as a High School graduate!
After the ceremony, Nicole in her excitement, started and ended every sentence with "this is the first time......as a High School graduate.

Nicole will be attending the University of Utah and will be living on campus. She found out who her roommate will be and so far it sounds like it will be a suitable match.

Nicole wanted to go out of State for University, the U of U wasn't even a consideration until I "made" her apply. I've worked at the U for 18.5 years and she can get half tuition, it deserved at least a consideration. Even though we live close to campus, Nicole living on campus is a perfect compromise...She gets to be on her own, and I still have her close, not somewhere by herself across the country.

As the saying goes, "this is the first day of the rest of your life".
The sky is the limit, and Nicole will go far!

Happy Mother's Day MOM

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to the BEST MOM,
the
PERFECT MOM for ME!



Mom, this post is for you and I want you to know that I love you and sincerely and wholeheartedly appreciate all the LOVE you've given me and all the SACRIFICES you have made for me throughout my life.



My joining our family was a surprise to you and my entry into this earthly life was earlier than you anticipated but you didn't let 4 kids under the age of 4 (and 3 under the age of 1) stop you from being a wonderful Mom!
I don't know how you did it...thank goodness you have GREAT kids!



I don't have the pictures right now to show it but, I love that you took the time to take a lot of pictures while we were growing up, documenting all the fun times we had and just our daily lives!

I loved it when we would watch slide shows over the years. Back then, putting together a slide show was a time commitment but you didn't seem to mind. Actually you didn't seem to mind at any time that being the Mom to Doug, Sheila, Sharon and me was a commitment in every way. You did EVERYTHING like you didn't mind doing it and didn't complain or raise your voice. (As a Mom now, I know that any one of those is an impossible feat for the average woman!)

I love that I always woke up to a birthday cake on February 16th.

I (now) love that you and Dad actually listened to Doug and named me after a cartoon and not a family member.

I love that you and Dad made sure that we always did things as a family whether it was to go out to eat after you got home from work or take a major vacation. Our annual skiing vacations were a pure joy and something I looked forward to. For ALL our vacations you got everything ready and we were prepared for ANYTHING! Thanks Mom for doing all that.
The truly amazing thing is that you learned to ski when you were older than what I am now...and I'm afraid to go skiing again after 20+ years.

There isn't anything that you can't do. If you didn't/don't know how to do something, you research it out, and learn to do it.

I still think back to how you planned meals and had everything ready so that when we (us kids) got home from school, we could put things on to cook for supper while you were finishing up at work. And you still have everything at the house so that meals can be put together at any time. I don't even know what I'm going to fix for supper tonight.

I will always be amazed that you did it ALL...worked outside the home, cooked meals from scratch, canned, made jam, pickled, sewed cute things, kept up the house, kept up with the laundry (I could have helped a lot more with the house and laundry), threw great parties, made creative things, provided psychological support, kept excellent finances and budgeted/invested well, raised 4 children and supported them in all ventures of their lives...and maintained a cheerful disposition throughout all of it, AND on 5 hours of sleep each night.

I love that you truly let me know that you were/are always there for me no matter what.

Your faith and commitment to our Heavenly Father is unfaltering and the perfect example to me of how I want to be.

I have been blessed to have you as my Mom and I can't verbalized enough how much I appreciate your influence in my life and all that you do for me.
But, if that wasn't enough,

After I "left the country", you continued to support me and made sure that you visited every 6 months.

1988


And after I got married and started a new stage in my life....

...you continued to do it all for my kids also!

1991

There for Nicole's blessing

1992

Showing Nicole that there's always something GOOD and everything you need, in Grandma's purse.

1993

Making a birthday cake for Nicole

1994

Taking a drive to Waterton Park and showing the grandkids how to skip rocks.

1996

Still getting down on the floor to play concentration memory games!

Hanging out at the Salt Lake airport (Church History tour?)

1997

There for Chay's blessing in June.

Completing the finishing touches to a crocheted blanket for Chay.

Our visit to you and seeing Lake Louise.

Visiting again in October.

Passing on your baking skills!
I still don't make pies, and if I do, they aren't anything like yours.

1998

With the grandkids
(at the time we thought it was ALL the grandkids, who knew it was the "increasing number of grandkids?)




1999

A wonderful Spring visit to us in SLC!

A visit to PB in the summer from us.

A detour to Auntie K's garden.

Checking out the construction of the Edmonton Temple.

And being the thoughtful Grandma you are, checking out how Candi was doing at her job at the Calgary Stampede even though it was raining/snowing in July. Not too many people there for the ice cold fresh squeezed lemonade...

Your October trip to SLC.

With a side trip to Mesquite.

Showing us that you can still jam. Now we know where Doug and some of the grandkids get their guitar playing skills!

Making it a priority to take time to read with Nicole and teaching her the importance of learning.

2000

Hanging out as a family at the PB park during the 2000 reunion.

2001

April's visit involved playing games and making the Japanese race proud as you demonstrated your chop stick skills!

You also demonstrated your skill at some other games at the rock show...

Our summer visit to PB and watching the parade. I wonder if this was the year that Nicole realized that more of the candy thrown during the parade was coming from behind?

Because you're such a wonderful woman, you have all this to show off.


Your October visit this year involved a trip to Temple Square and Chay watching the movie on the Savior's visit to the Americas and Chay leaving and saying "That was a good movie!"

And something the kids ALWAYS look forward to when you visit, eating out with Grandma and Grandpa!

Taking time to teach Nicole another one of your skills, knitting.


And due to my inability to find some pictures and my book with CDs for multiple years, there is a big gap here. But Mom, there was no gap in your visits and support.
Thanks for showing by example that family IS important and a priority!

2006
Visiting us at our "Lindon home" with minimal furnishings when we decided to stay there for awhile during the "remodel".

2007

Letting the kids help with the food again and always.

2008

Still taking the time to play games with the kids!

There are never enough hugs and kisses.

Nicole and Chay were at school and so Blade was able to spend more time with you and have pictures taken with you!
The "before" shot of Blade with his long hair.

And the "after" shot with the boy haircut.

2009
Summer at Grandma's

What we see when we're pulling out of the driveway reluctantly leaving to return to SLC.

It's time for me to complete this blog because I am realizing that I'm unintentionally deleting pictures that I had.

Mom, I enjoy our talks and keeping in touch.
And no matter how advanced technology gets, thanks for taking the time and making the effort to remember everyone's birthdays and major holidays and sending cards so that they arrive at the perfect time! That in itself is an act of dedication and love. I've told you this before and it still holds true, "when I grow up, I want to be like you, and even now I want to get as much done in a day as you do!"