Hallwood Forever

St. BaldRicks 2010

2010-03-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Wishes

2009-11-25T07:47:00.001-08:00

So, as most of you have noticed it's a lot easier to keep up with everyone on Facebook, thus the lack of postings here (I may let it fade into the abyss...) BUT I just wanted to take a second and wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope your day is filled with the joy of friends and family...and lots of food. I know ours will be.

Birthday Wishes from Nolan

2009-06-21T21:55:00.001-07:00

By far, this was my favorite birthday present this year!!

It's All About Me

2009-06-16T10:21:00.001-07:00

You have to laugh!

Can't even get ONE good picture!

2009-05-31T21:42:00.001-07:00

After trying and trying to get one good photo, I finally had to crop Eddie's head and paste it in to the best one.

Serena & the Girls

2009-05-08T09:15:00.001-07:00

Hansel Eats Anything

2009-04-13T20:27:00.001-07:00

2009-04-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T20:18:00.001-07:00

Dad & Mom

2009-03-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

Even I think this looks like me, standing next to Louie with a mustache. Grandma Marge is in the background.

Dad & Dean

2009-03-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

Dad and Dean Miller, his best friend from Jr. high/high school.

Rob's Birthday Concert

2009-03-29T21:15:00.001-07:00

For Rob's birthday he requested that we all go see Jason Aldean at Konocti Harbor. So we piled in the car and drove up to Clear Lake. Along the way we stopped at Granzellas for a yummy lunch and gelato.

The Birthday Boy!

Havin' a good time Rob?

We were so determined to get nachos after the concert!, and they were sooooo good!

My Last 5 Days in Pictures

2009-03-15T21:44:00.001-07:00

Dad, Mom, Me

2009-03-04T09:53:00.001-08:00

Psalms 38-43

2009-02-22T22:27:00.001-08:00

No notes this week, that just the upcoming passage.

We Got Your Money (click on the on pic)

2009-02-20T14:19:00.001-08:00

2009-02-14T18:13:00.000-08:00

A perfect example of their personalities. Ella's trying to figure out what happened to Emma's shoes, Emmma says "Those are my socks!"

" I will Confess", Psalm 32

2009-02-08T22:35:00.001-08:00

I was flying through the last few chapters of my scheduled reading and then I hit Chapter 32. I realized some things about myself, about my way of thinking. But let me first put this chapter into context.

Recap: This Psalm was written by David during the time of II Samuel 12, when David committed adultery with Bathsheba. She became pregnant, Nathan confronted David and after the baby was born it became ill. David confessed his sin before God (Ps 51), fasted and prayed and begged God for 7 days to spare the child. The child died. David got up, worshipped God and ate. Basically, went on with life. Later Solomon was born.

Here's my point: David confessed his sin, repented, accepted God's forgiveness and continued to live life praising God. He suffered the consequences of his sin (child died, war & strife in his household) but he also accepted God's forgiveness and the consequences that went along with that (Solomon succeeded as king and lived in peace). Look at what he says in verses 3-7:

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For night and day your hand was upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer."

Ever sinned and then felt that conviction that just won't leave you alone? David was King, God's chosen. That responsibility meant he was to live right, the National Example of morality and justice. But he messed up, big time. His first reaction was to pretend that it didn't happen. Ever done that? Me? No, no I didn't sin; it was all just a misunderstanding. But God's not fooled by it any more than you are and the weight of conviction starts pressing down on you.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin."

Here's where I had an "aha" moment. You see, growing up in church you learn all the right verses like, "For God so loved the world," and "If we confess our sins", but somewhere along the way many of us are re-taught with the Doctrine of Perfection. We were basically taught that you should grow so mature in Christ that you essentially no longer sin. Which is of course ridiculous, we all sin. So what do we do? We cover it up. We pretend it never happened. We try our best to forget it and hope that everyone else does too. But the weight of conviction presses down on us and we feel lousy. And then the enemy jumps on that and brings shame. But we keep up the charade because we think it would be even worse to admit that we fell below the mark of Perfection. Branded a failure, for life.

But see, David "got it". He understood that God wants us to come to Him in humility and confess our sins. Not so He can beat us up with them, but so that He can forgive us. So that He can take away that burden of guilt and shame which we are so determined to hold onto. And that then frees us to go on worshipping Him. David didn't say "Well, I guess that's it for me. I sinned big time, everyone knows it. God can't use me anymore." David was a "man after God's own heart" despite his failures. It was how David handled his failures that made the difference. He admitted them and accepted God's forgiveness and then joyfully, thankfully lived life praising God.

Lamentations 3:23 says, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning." I got to thinking about it... why are they new every morning??Because He knew we would need them every darn day! But that's the beauty of it, every day his mercy is there for us, to pick us up, dust us off and put us back on track again.

Moving on this week to Psalm 35-37. Hmmm, they must be long.

Nolan on SuperBowl Sunday

2009-02-04T23:01:00.001-08:00

Ella at Christmas

2009-02-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

I completely forgot about these clips from Christmas... I should download my SD card a little more often!

Alex's 50th Bday

2009-02-01T12:09:00.001-08:00

Me & my Sensei.

Taking an extra week. Ps. 28-34

2009-01-25T13:32:00.001-08:00

I'm really enjoying this weeks' and last weeks' study in Psalms so I'm taking an extra week to through it and really let it sink in. Here's what the study guide says to watch for while reading these chapters:

How permanent is the love of God? How long does His anger last? How sure can we be of this? And how long should we be thankful to God for what He has done for us?

Lord is My Shepherd; Psalm 23

2009-01-18T10:31:00.001-08:00

Having been raised under a pew and having read it, memorized it & heard about it practically all my life, Psalm 23 had become less scripture to me and more like a feel-good-poem you learn in English class. It's something people, even non-Christians, recite at funerals and during times of tragedy to bring comfort. And although I know its words to be true, in my mind I had reduced it to the also popular "Footprints in the Sand" or "God help me to accept the things I cannot change...".

So this week, I took some time to really pull Psalm 23 apart. I also looked at Phillip Keller's "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23" to help me understand the context of the Lord being a Shepherd and I being his sheep. I'll break it down by verse:

PSALM 23
v1: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Because God is the "shepherd" of my life, I will be provided for.
v2: He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters

Now, in Phillip Keller's study of sheep/shepherds, he points out some interesting things about sheep and the fact that it's impossible for sheep to lie down unless 4 things are true- 1) Sheep must be free from hunger. They cannot lie down as long as they feel a need for finding food. But God has us "lie down in green pastures", where there is plenty of food. 2) In order to lie down, sheep must be free from fear. They are helpless, timid animals with little means of self-defense. 3) Sheep cannot rest unless they are free from friction; tension with the other sheep keeps them on their feet to defend themselves. 4) Sheep cannot rest unless they are free from pests. They can become so aggravated by flies & other pests that they will actually kill themselves trying to get rid of them. But the Psalm says that we are able to lie down in green pastures because of of Shepherd's provision. Sigh of relief...

v3: He restores my soul. I like to imagine myself laying down in the green pastures, feeling safe, free from hunger & pests and feeling my soul being rejuvenated. Ladies, just like a spa day! You know when you're laying there on the chaise lounge, you've just had a massage or facial, and you just feel... renewed. That's what God does for our soul. Green Pastures=God's Soul Spa.
v3: He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. I learned something new this week about "righteousness". Sometimes in scripture it's referring to God's moral code. He leads me in the path of his moral code. Which is by itself a miracle because you don't have to watch the news too long to know we need some help in that department. But it can also refer to God's salvation. Which is our greatest need in this life. We need a Savior. And God provided Him. And what's more, because He is our Shepherd, He leads us on the path of that salvation.

v4: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; Who among us has not felt like we were camping in the Valley of the Shadow of Death? God never promised us freedom from trial & suffering that sin in this life brings. But He did promise to be with us and because of that we have nothing to fear, even death itself.
v4: your rod and staff, they comfort me. I love that part. Shepherds use a rod and staff to guide their sheep. If they get off track, they guide them back gently with the rod. I know at times I need a little nudge to get back in line! But another purpose of the rod/staff is for protection. Being a self-defense girl, I really appreciate this concept. God, as our Shepherd, protects us from things we can and cannot see. And if an enemy comes to devour us, whack!

v5: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil. God has a sense of humor, I think. When our enemies surround us, taunting us, trying to make us feel alone and neglected, God swoops in and spreads a feast out before us. God puts on a party, right there in from of our enemy. And He anoints us with oil, showing us favor; favor we don't deserve but because He is a good Shepherd, he takes care of us.
v5: my cup overflows. There is a two-fold benefit to God's provision. The first is obvious: I lack nothing, I have plenty. The second I think is more profound: I have not only enough for myself, I have enough to give away. And ultimately, isn't that what our lives should reflect? The overflow of God's goodness in our lives, pouring out and touching others.

v6: Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Where else would you want to be? For all eternity.

Next week I'm reading: Psalm 28-34

More and more busy

2009-01-09T17:30:00.001-08:00

I know I haven't posted much lately, especially with all the holiday craziness, but life just gets more and more busy. For all those who keep asking, here's an update on mi vida loca:

My knee is getting better, slowly but surely. I haven't started physical therapy yet, so I'm still limping around but anything is better than crutches! I'm looking forward to getting back to normal motion and getting back into the gym. Somewhere between the pain meds and New Years I got roped into helping plan a very big class reunion. It will be taking up a lot of my time between now and summer but we are hosting it in lovely Monterey so it should be lots of fun.

And this weekend I will be getting back on track with the study in Psalms, yea! After the surgery I couldn't really read or study anything and then the holidays were upon us and I was making trips down to Roseville & Sacramento everyday trying to get all of my shopping done, on crutches. Settling my mind to read my Bible just wasn't going to happen and I didn't want to rush through, just to get it done, that would soooo be missing the point. But all of that craziness is over and I'm really looking forward to getting back into the Word. I can't think of a better way to start off this New Year.

So Happy New Year everyone! I think it will be exciting!!

An Even Better Picture of Carey & Aaron

2009-01-07T22:52:00.001-08:00

I know I already posted a picture of myself & Aaron, but my makeup looks so good in this one!

A Few Christmas Pics

2008-12-25T22:05:00.001-08:00

Auntie Natalie & Ella, showing off their lipgloss.

Nolan keeps trying to tell us something, but we don't know what it is!

The Carol of the Christmas Pickle

2008-12-19T13:09:00.001-08:00

Arlington Wreath Project

2008-12-19T12:07:00.001-08:00

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell...

Eli, Amy, Nolan

2008-12-11T14:04:00.001-08:00

Cydney's Tree

2008-11-30T20:22:00.001-08:00

Cydney decorated the Christmas tree all my herself this year!

Here I Sit

2008-11-27T10:20:00.001-08:00

This is my spot on the couch. Sometimes I lay back, sometimes I sit up. I sit here all day and sleep here at night. With my leg on this pillow in this exact position. The kitty tries to join me whenever he can get away with it. I use exactly 4 pillows and 2 blankets. Everything I need is within arm's reach- water, laptop, pills, remotes, phones, crackers, bowl to barf in, thermometer, crutches.

This is where I've been...for 6 days. I'm starting to go nuts. (But doesn't my pedicure look good?)

Are you Alive?

2008-11-26T10:07:00.001-08:00

The short answer is: yes. Friday I had my knee surgery which went really well. It was the best surgery yet as far as the post-op goes, since they didn't have to give me anesthesia. Then I came home and it all went downhill.

The first 48 hours are always the hardest so I expected that but on day 3 I woke up vomiting and had a fever. We were a little worried that there might be an infection but it turns out everyone in my surgeon's office had the flu so they told me to wait 24 hours and it would most likely go away. Which it did. But on day 4, after the fever broke and I felt like pond scum, I decided to try to take a shower. Turns out that was a bad idea because I passed out while trying to get out of the shower. And since I was home alone, I had to figure out how to get myself out of that little predicament. It's amazing what you can WILL yourself to do in an emergency. Come to find out, Zach was home the whole time but he couldn't really help me... 1) because he didn't know what had happened , 2) I had locked the bathroom door, 3) because I would never have subjected my poor nephew to the humiliation of dragging his half-clothed-soaking-injured-aunt off the bathroom floor.

So, I'm battered & bruised & sleep deprived & in pain & nauseous & crabby & HATE having to depend on everyone for every little thing but yes, I'm still alive.

He Heard Me!; Psalms: 22-27

2008-11-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

My favorite verses in the Bible are Psalm 116:1-2. But I'll talk more about that in a few weeks. The reason I bring it up is because Psalm 18:3-6 are very similar and tell the same story. Chapter 18 is pretty long, so my study guide asks you to take a look at each paragraph and write a synopsis along side. If I connect them all together, the story goes something like this:

God is my Rock & Shield. I was almost dead but then from his throne room, God heard my voice. He came down from heaven in a crash of thunder and lightening. He rescued me from my enemies because I make him happy. I make him happy because I keep his Law before me and keep my hands clean. You reap what you sow. God's ways are perfect and He enables me with strength. With His strength, I chase after and destroy my enemies. I worship my Lord my Rock."

Isn't that a beautiful story? I seriously smiled the whole time I was reading this chapter. God is so good to us. I love this verse:

Psalm 18:6 "I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice, my cry came before him, into his ears.

Into his ears! Can you imagine that? The sound of my little voice drifts all the way up through the noise of this world to the throne room of God and straight into his ears. How could you not love a God who hears your voice? Go on, say something to Him... he's listening.

This next week is the famous 23rd Psalm. Enjoy it, I know I will.
This week I'm reading: Psalm 22-27
Keywords: King of Glory, covenant, love, hate, tabernacle, tent, house of the Lord
Application: What importance do any of these verses have for your life?

Psalms: 18-21

2008-11-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

It's been a little crazy lately, but I'm still on track with the reading, I hope you are too. This weekend I can hopefully share a little but for now, this is what I'm reading this week!

I'm reading: Psalm 18-21
Keywords: Redeemer
Application: What can you apply to your life? What verses spoke to your heart?

Grown-up Spaghetti O's

2008-11-04T13:32:00.001-08:00

I remember loving Spaghetti O's when I was a kid. Mostly because Mom never let us have them and Dad likes to eat them cold, so they were sort of a guilty pleasure that we had when Mom wasn't looking. Like Twinkies and Pop Rocks and a bunch of other things you try again as an adult and then say, "I don't remember them tasting like THAT!", I tried Spaghetti O's a couple years ago and I was sick all night.

Well, that's all changed now because I found this article and recipe and I can't wait to make this. Trader Joe's apparently carries the Anelletti (little circle pasta) so I'm going to get some turkey Italian sausage (less grease) and maybe feel a little like a kid again... without the stomach ache.

Bruce Lee or a Beatle?

2008-11-04T08:14:00.001-08:00

You decide!

Psalm 1-8; Psalm: 9-17

2008-11-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

First week in the Psalms and I'm already blown away, I just knew that would happen. What I've always loved about the Psalms is how the authors (David in particular) are so honest about where they are at. In Psalm 6:1-5 David calls out to God for mercy and begs God not to discipline him in anger. You don't get disciplined because you've done everything right. You get disciplined when you've done something wrong. But in his honest admission, David calls on the mercy of God. He claims the promise of God's unfailing love (Psalm 6:4), a love that loves us even when we've messed up. David declares with confidence that God has heard him (Psalm 6:9)and he awaits God's rescue. God's "unfailing love" (mercy, loving-kindness) is a reoccurring theme through the whole book, mark it every time you see it to remind yourself that it's important. God knew we would have a hard time remembering it so He said it lots!

Here's what the study guide says:

How about you? If people overheard you praying, would they know about your life, about what's going on? Would they learn about your daily needs, wants and fears as well as the reasons for your confidence? What would your prayer life reveal about your relationship to God? If you made a list of what you asked Him for, what you said to Him, would people know you worship God? The Word of God will do its work as you continue through the Psalms. It will lay bare things that need healing, but it will also give you encouragement and hope.

This week I'm reading Psalm 9-17
Keywords: salvation, blood, nations, Lord, righteous, wicked, upright, godly, rejoice, fool, Israel
Application: What message of hope do these Psalms give?

I was waiting for my Kiki before opening my eyes.

2008-10-30T13:23:00.001-07:00

Gabriel Domingo Carlos

2008-10-27T09:54:00.001-07:00

Yep, more nephews for me!!

Eli, Mia & Gabriel

Gabriel & Auntie Carey

Psalms: Intro & Ch. 1-8

2008-10-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

OK, here we go! I'll be starting at Psalms 1 and going straight through to 150, which sounds like a lot, but remember that many chapters are short. This study is supposed to take 24 weeks. I don't know if I'll be able to keep that pace, but I'll try. That means, each week (Sunday or thereabouts) I will be posting the chapters for the week. Some weeks I may share tidbits from the study guide, like today's Intro:

Man needs to pour out his heart to God, to come before Him and honestly present his concerns and feelings... Each Psalm is a unit of expression, composed during a moment of need or desire... remember, they are poems. Hebrew poetry does not contain rhyme and meter like much English poetry. (book)

This week I'm reading Psalms 1-8
WATCH FOR:
-Contrasts ("but" statements)
-Keywords (words that will be repeated throughout book): nations, Zion, Lord, sing, lovingkindness, iniquity (sin)
Application: What did you learn about God's character and ways in these Psalms?

By the end of each week I will try to share some of my own notes/thoughts from the study, look forward to reading yours!

More of MiaBella

2008-10-22T12:23:00.001-07:00

I don't want to "lift" the photos from Danielle's site, so go here and see her pics of MiaBella, so cute!

MiaBella Kiku Bryan

2008-10-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

Born today at 2:25pm, 8 lbs 14 oz.

Invitation, Walk through Psalms with me

2008-10-13T10:16:00.001-07:00

Years ago I got turned on to Kay Arthur's ministry Precept, all about studying the Bible. About 3 years ago I took a Precept leadership training course and have been doing their inductive studies on my own. I love their ministry because it's all about finding out for yourself what the Word says and how it applies to your own life. They don't tell you what to believe, they just show you how to discover it.

Anyway, my latest study (Hosea:A Love That Won't Let Me Go), will be coming to an end soon and I was thinking about which one to do next and they just came out with a new one on Psalms.

And I thought, "Who doesn't love Psalms?!", so I'm going to be getting the study guide and starting a new journey through Psalms, probably at the end of the month.

Since Psalms is so readable, so applicable, so encouraging, so honest, I thought I'd open it up to all my buddies (and sibling-buddies) to walk through the Psalms with me this next few months. You do not need to buy the book (but of course you can if you want), just follow along in your Bible. Inductive study can be pretty detailed, which is perfect for a nerd like me but doesn't always appeal to the masses.

Once a week or so I will let you know which chapters I'm on and use the leader's notes to provoke some thought/discussion. You can comment & dialogue with me, or just read along and enjoy the ride. If you get busy and miss a few days/weeks, no worries. I might too, especially with the holidays coming up. Don't make it your part-time job, just enjoy being in relationship, whatever that looks like for you.

I'm really excited about this study, I think it's going to be eye-opening for me but at the very least, it's an opportunity to Know Him and His love for us, which is really what it's all about anyway, right? I'll let you know when I am ready to get started!

More of Nolan

2008-10-03T13:45:00.001-07:00

Amy sent me some more pics of Nolan. You know if Alex would send me some pics of Aaron I would put them up.....

Buddies

2008-10-01T10:35:00.001-07:00

MiaBella's Shower

2008-09-29T21:10:00.001-07:00

Most of you know that Bree & I have been busy as bees planning LeiLani's baby shower. For months we have been researching, planning, ordering and cooking and finally yesterday the big day came.

For those of you who came, thank you so much for helping us celebrate the upcoming debut of Princess MiaBella. A lot of you had questions about where we got the plates, how did we make the grilled veggies, did Dan really make the jam and how did you find the energy/time to do it? Well, to be perfectly honest, I can't answer that last one other than to say we're both a little nuts and we love LeiLani to pieces. As for the rest...

The plates & napkins came from....drumroll please.... www.platesandnapkins.com ! No joke, that's what it's called.

Bree's amazing husband Dan did in fact make all the Bella Berry jam! You'll have to ask him for the recipe or better yet, just order some! The itty-bitty jars came from www.sunburstbottle.com , as did the labels. Bree & I used their dimensions and designed the label in-house. The turn around is fast with Sunburst Bottle, I think it took less than a week to get both the jars & labels. Dan also made the cupcake stand! But it's even better than that, he made it once but wasn't happy with it so he started all over again. Isn't he something?! Bree added her special decorating touches to it.

The invitations were designed by Bree & myself in-house. LeiLani had chosen a pink/black damask theme for the baby's room with a black hanging chandelier so naturally, we did our best to mimic that look. We mostly design wedding invitations, but we are available for other custom projects. You can inquire at www.weddingtulle.com or call Bree at the shop. Bree also put together all of the floral arrangements/vases using paper from Michael's & flowers from all over town.

As for the food, yes, Bree & I cooked all the food. We had some help the day before from Natalie & Laura (thanks for cleaning up behind me!) and Alex grilled all the veggies for me that morning before he left. Melissa & Martha helped with all the assembly the day of. I'll do my best to list the menu and where to find the recipe:

Honey-Cilantro Chicken Sandwiches- hybrid of recipes I adapted from Rachael Ray (chicken) & Barefoot Contessa (sauce).
Mini Caprese Sandwich- tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil & a drizzle of balsamic reduction on Italian style bread.
Orzo, Garbanzo Salad- recipe from Giada DeLaurentis.
Spicy Corn Salad- another hybrid, email me if you want it.
Grilled Veggies- picked the veggies we wanted then used this recipe from Giada DeLaurentis for the drizzle that went over them.
Cupcakes- White cake mix, box of instant pudding. Yep, that simple.

Nolan & Auntie Carey

2008-09-29T19:59:00.001-07:00

Aaron

2008-09-22T07:39:00.001-07:00

Here he is! September 16^th, 2008, 5:25 am, 7 pounds 3 ounces, 20 ½ inches long.

She Finally Made It!

2008-09-18T11:04:00.001-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Aaron Matthew Torres

2008-09-16T10:25:00.001-07:00

He's here! He decided to come early, this morning at 5:25am. That's all I know, no pics yet.

Spreading the Word

2008-09-14T08:22:00.001-07:00

For those that don't know, my Aunt & Uncle's nephew, Danny Mescher, was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gerihgs Disease) earlier this year. There are plans in the works for ways to cheer on and support the Meschers as they battle this disease. I'll let you know more as soon as I hear.

Rough Day at Work

2008-09-11T22:27:00.001-07:00

Did I ask for someone to make a pie? Did I plan to eat the pie? Did I need to eat the pie? I ate some pie, and it made me feel sooooo much better. (Don't tell my spin teacher!)

He likes to eat

2008-09-11T21:43:00.001-07:00

More of Nolan

2008-09-03T20:18:00.001-07:00

Ken Miller- A Chance To Give

2008-09-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

Many of you know Ken & Becky Miller and that Ken was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2006. Below is an update from their blog and more info on a chance to give back to 2 people who have blessed so many others:

Sunday, August 31, 2008
MOVING FORWARD .... one step at a time

I know it's been a while since we've added any news .... that's because, as I mentioned after our trip to Stanford, the goal of having the DBS surgery is TOTALLY dependant on $$$$$$$$$$$ --- lots of it.

The next step, prior to actual surgery, is for Ken to have a 2-day Neuro-psych evaluation @ Stanford. This typically runs about $2-3,000 ...... and if he passes (hahahahaha) he'll be ready for the DBS!!!

We were pretty sure, after our Stanford experience, that our health insurance was basically worthless. In the interim, we've made LOTS of phone calls, talking with lots of different people and prayed for direction. It has been amazing to us the out-pouring of support from everyone we've talked with. I think some of you are even more excited than we are to have Ken be able to get this surgery!

We've had suggestions that run the gamut ---- from Beckie getting a job with the 'State' , cause they have great insurance benefits .... (altho I'm pretty sure Arnold isn't doing any hiring right now!) ..... to getting a divorce (I'M NOT KIDDING!). I pretty much said, "Hey, after 36 years, we've got each other 'trained' ---- we'd have to be crazy to do that!";not to mention we kind of remember saying something about 'in sickness & in health' somewhere along the line. Soooooooo........... after many phone calls and discussions with people in the medical community that we believe God brought across our path, we will be meeting this week with someone who helps with planning for seniors and believe they will be able to give us good direction in the area of coverage for the surgery.

We still anticipate needing to self-pay for a large portion of charges and to that end our church has set up a 'fund' to help us with that. Ken has put together a business-card style handout, so that as we're talking with people about what's happening with us we can just hand them the card, mention the opportunity to donate and all the info they might need is right there close at hand. I've posted pics of the front & back for you to see ---- along with a direct link to our church. If any of you might be interested in having the files in order to print some of your own to hand out, just leave us a message.

When you go to http://www.churchofgladtidings.com/ home page - click on the contribute tab; enter your information, and under 'designation' click 'OTHER' and specify: Ken Miller

EASY!

All gifts are tax-deductible and 100% goes toward our medical expenses.

August Wordle

2008-09-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

I think these are fun!

Nolan is Here!

2008-08-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

Nolan Canaan Sandvos
August 21, 2008 at 1:21 pm
8 pounds, 3 ounces
19 3/4 inches long

More Fun at the Powell/Lee Cabin

2008-08-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Fun Day

2008-08-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

The 3 sisters went shopping and bought shoes.

They all grew up together; who knew someday they would all someday be sitting in a hot tub together.

LeiLani & I could not stop laughing at this picture!

The fun was just beginning

2008-08-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

The next day we did a little shopping and the Bryan clan came over for some fun.

2008-08-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

When we got home from the beach, Eddie & Chris made dinner. Caprese salad, Spicy Collard Greens, Grilled Corn & Fried Orange Roughy. And we discovered Margaritas in a Bucket!

Male Models

2008-08-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

The boys got up at 4am to go fishing and then they spent the rest of the afternoon doing this.

We're Back!

2008-08-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time in Tahoe!!! The weather was perfect and our cabin was gorgeous, just the right size. We ate lots, lounged, played games, sat in the hot tub, shopping... all of our favorite things.

This was our first night. Natalie & I cooked (Pesto Grilled Cornish Game Hens, Herbed Goat Cheese on baguette, Pan Roasted Potatoes & Cheescake with berry sauce). Later we played Foodie Fight and Eddie turned every question for Michael into a hot dog related question.

Tahoe, Here We Come!

2008-08-18T19:33:00.001-07:00

It's time for the annual pilgrimage to the greatest place on earth, TAHOE!. Eddie, Chris, Michael, Natalie & I rented a gorgeous house near Tahoe City for 4 glorious days. We decided to split up the 3 dinners: 1 dinner out, 1 night Mike-Nat-Carey, 1 night Chris-Eddie and I've got to tell you we've got a little bit of a Throwdown happening! The menus are subject to change plus we want it to be a surprise but I'll let you know when we come back how that went... but I made dessert already & it's KILLER.

So you won't hear from me for a few days but look for some great pics soon.

Wordle for July

2008-08-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Just a fun little way to see what we've been up to lately:

BBQ Review

2008-08-05T12:17:00.001-07:00

I could swear I see one of my brothers and maybe Josh Evans in that group...

John Mayer Concert '08

2008-07-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, Laura & Natalie (& Rob & Michael) bought John Mayer concert tickets! I'm not sure who was more excited, me or Nat, but WE HAD SO MUCH FUN! John Mayer is always a favorite on the radio, etc. but let me tell you, you haven't heard anything till you see him live. It was amazing.

Sing to me Johnny!

Carey, Laura, Natalie, Angie.

I wish I could describe how good he is... it's like he's from another planet.

Colbie Caillat & her hot guitarist.

Look Cyd!

Waiting in the hot sun.

Natalie is soooooo excited!

2008-07-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Laura & I were so excited when our friend from high school, Tanya (Burris) Harrison came home to Yuba/Sutter for a visit. We got to make dinner for her and her kids and visit and laugh about the old days... and the new days. We loved it!

Zach, Cydney, Claire, Will, Jesse

Bollywood dance on 'So you think you can dance'-KateeJoshua

2008-07-16T23:27:00.001-07:00

LeiLani has me hooked on So You Think You Can Dance this season (shocking, I know!). I don't care what anyone thinks... I loved this number!

Ahem- pong

2008-07-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

Hi gals!

2008-07-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

Do you see what I see?

2008-07-12T22:27:00.001-07:00

I would like to point out the weirdness of this photo: 1)It looks like I'm slamming back a Mike's, 2) Natalie has an Uncle Sam hat on, 3)Eddie is carrying around not one but 2 Heiniken's, 3)Eli is...being Eli, 4) although adorable, Amy is only weeks from giving us a new nephew and was probably having Braxton-Hicks at that very moment. The only one in this photo that is normal is Sam!

Cooling off

2008-07-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

Max

2008-07-12T22:21:00.000-07:00

I love that little face.

The BBQ Diva

2008-07-12T22:20:00.001-07:00

Michael & Max

2008-07-12T22:18:00.001-07:00

Yummy cupcakes!

Preggos

2008-07-12T22:16:00.001-07:00

Zach & Cyd

2008-07-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

Sierra

2008-07-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Laura & Nat working hard

2008-07-12T22:10:00.001-07:00

My Pork Butt

2008-07-12T22:08:00.001-07:00

I guarantee Laura & Natalie are cracking up.

The Water Slide

2008-07-12T21:59:00.001-07:00

4th of July!!

2008-07-12T21:03:00.001-07:00

I'm only going to post a few of the 200+ pictures that I took here, but I'll put them on an online gallery so everyone can see. It was a wild day!! (all of the photos are on snapfish and if you would like to see them, just post or send me a note & I'll email you an invite)

No News... but 4th is Coming Soon!

2008-06-30T15:10:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't had a lot to share lately, but I've been crazy busy working on invitations, going back to work, birthdays, etc. BUT, 4th of July is just around the corner and I'm sure I'll have lots of pics & fun to share. So happy 4th of July everyone!

Catching up

2008-06-11T12:20:00.001-07:00

I've Been Everywhere Man....

2008-06-11T07:57:00.001-07:00

I didn't realize how many states I had been to til I did this! Still a few I really want to see: Jackson Hole, Wyoming; New England; Vermont (very Vermonty!)

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

A Sampling of Mine

2008-06-10T11:10:00.001-07:00

Not to be outdone by Bree, here are a few of the one's I've been working on lately.

Bree's Kick'n My Butt

2008-06-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

I think she's ahead of me now on designs because I had to take my computer in for a tune up!

Another Bree Design

2008-05-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Another Adventure With Bree

2008-05-28T10:23:00.001-07:00

Bree has been pestering me for years to collaborate with her on a line of wedding invitations so finally this year we decided to go for it! We've been designing maniacs the last few weeks and I'll let you know when we're ready to launch at Weddingtulle.com. This one is one of Bree's designs, isn't it cute?!

Pips

2008-05-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

If you didn't see this on the American Idol Finale you HAVE to watch. Alex, LeiLani & I were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe and got headaches. We were OUT OF CONTROL! Watch Jack Black...

Back to the Real World

2008-05-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

No one was more shocked than I when the Dr. kept me off work for 6 whole months but the fantasy was bound to end and this week I went back to work. I had to set 2 alarms the first day because I couldn't remember how to set them! A little tired, but other than that I seem to be holding up. The good news is that I finally got a new ergonomicly designed desk that adjusts to my shortness. It looks like I'm piloting the Starship Enterprise!

Bad Vicar - That Mitchell and Webb Look

2008-05-17T17:09:00.001-07:00

OK, if you grew up in church you will laugh your pants off at this. It's from That Mitchell and Webb Look on BBC-America and they can be really funny and sometimes really rauchy... you know, British humor. WARNING: There's a little bit of cussing so if you offend easily, well, don't watch it and don't say I didn't warn you.

Baby Bellies!

2008-04-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

Bree & Carey

2008-04-23T19:38:00.001-07:00

In case you hadn't heard....

2008-04-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's a boy! Congrats Amy & Eli, can't wait to see his little face!!

Yep, Still Recovering

2008-04-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry there has been no news lately but I'm still recovering from my latest shoulder surgery so still not on the computer much. BUT...Amy's having her ultrasound this very minute so waiting to hear if we'll have a new niece or nephew!!

A Few More Wedding Pics

2008-02-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

Eddie & Chris think they are the two most unphotogenic people on the planet so I can only post a few more or they will kill me, but I know y'all want to see more so....

2008-02-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

2008-02-19T18:29:00.000-08:00