Spring is here...

The end of basketball season...


"Husky's" Most Inspirational


"Highlander's" Best Sportsmanship


Fun at 'Family Jam'...

never too old for an Easter egg hunt

...shooting hoops.


Time to plant tomatoes...











...harvest the last of the mandarins,

...and wash windows.

Gran Fondo, "Little Italy", San Diego, Ca

Apparently in Italy, every Saturday around the country, there are 'Gran Fondo' bike races going on. This year "Little Italy", San Diego, CA started their first annual 'Gran Fondo' bike race. Guess who we were cheering for?


"Go Dad go!!!"



... 45 miles (60 kilometers) later!

You're the greatest!...

I have two great kids...
Yesterday, they scrubbed our kitchen floor, did all the laundry, shopped for dinner groceries and Ben (his idea) made us dinner! I'm not sick - just not supposed to lift heavy things yet. By the end of the day, I told them that I would treat them to a movie in the theatre - it hardly seems like an even payback - thanks guys - you're the greatest!

During...
After...

Favorite Pastimes...

Reunions with fellow missionary friends...


...a reunion with Shirley (standing far left) - from Germany. In our pre-marraige days, we all were part of a young adult group.


...tea with Esther (now in Kazakstan), Josie (now in Kiev), and Julie (now in Odessa). We were all once teammates in Kiev together.


...our special friends from Czech Republic - the Dagens



Basket- ball...
...playing for the Highland- ers


...playing for the Hawks


...watching and routing for the Lakers!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Вітаю з Новим Роком та Різдвом!

Click on this title and view our 'Christmas '08' photo album...

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints..." Ephesians 1:18

Preparing for the holidays...

at home...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

our hearts...
read one of these with me this Christmas...

Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable... God had come near! Max Lucado views the Savior who walked among us through a distinctly human lens. He speaks plainly to those of us who prefer to keep Jesus otherworldly, distant, and predictable: "Don't do it. For heaven's sake, don't. Let Him into the mire and muck of our world. For only if we let him in can he pull us out."

Yancey writes: If Jesus came to reveal God to us, then what do I learn about God from that first Christmas? The word associations that come to mind as I ponder that question take me by surprise. Humble, approachable, underdog, courageous - these hardly seem appropriate words to apply to deity. Yancey reveals the real Jesus beyond the stereotypes...

Heaven came near.... an unwanted good-bye

We had a very sad week. My dear sister, Aimee, unexpectedly passed away last week. Words cannot express our grief.



Memories of her even in this past year fill our minds:
- She met me at the airport w/ my other sister, Genevieve, when I flew back from Ukraine to be rediagonsed w/ cancer
- went with me to all those initial doctor appts.
- was the family hostess for the holidays of our northern family
- met Josh in Sacramento on his field trip
- flew down for Josh and Mark's birthdays
- came down to visit me w/ Genevieve
- gathered the birthday and Christmas lists from Ben and Josh and bought everything on the lists for them!
- came down w/ Gen and Mom to celebrate my birthday
- called on the exact date of our birthdays and sang "Happy Birthday" to us
- always kept in touch thru e-mails and phone calls
The list goes on. She leaves a big hole for many.

If you look at my last blog entry, she is the one who left a comment. Now she is in that place - Heaven - enjoying our Lord and Savior, for it was thru her that I became a Christian...
"...and thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thess 4:17
"...depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better." Phil 1:23