Visit With a Purpose

pinterest photo

We had some very specific reasons for making this trip to Utah.  Last month Jim wanted to go up to help Chris with some work but he was unable to make that trip due to lingering problems in his recovery from hip replacement surgery.  He was quite crestfallen about that as he loves helping our kids so much with their home projects.  So he devised a plan for accomplishing what Chris needed from home and we went up to deliver 18 cabinet doors that Jim made in his new work shop.  It was a bit of a challenge to say the least, but he did an excellent job and I am so proud of him.  The wall unit had 18 openings and each just slightly different in size by fractions of an inch.  Jim had our grandson measure the openings and recheck it.  Each opening was numbered and measured precisely.  Connor did an amazing job and he helped so much.

The shop is not done yet but projects are going on anyway!

Focus and precision is key!

He did all the painting at home and 
setting the hinges and added pulls.

When I went up to take the photos
Jim had both the big double doors wide open.
We had a visitor, one of two fawns born
recently.  They are about the size of a big dog now.
So tame and cute and their spots are nearly gone.

They spent the afternoon of the 3rd installing the doors.  Love how they turned out.  The cabinets add a lot of light and personality to the room.  Wonderful job, done from a distance.  And a successful three generation project for the guys.  Connor earned his wings on this one!  Great measuring, Con!  It is so great how these skills and talents get passed from father to son for generation after generation..  Jim's dad started it and it just keeps on giving and getting better.  

Chris had also needed Jim's help on a complete remodel of their downstairs bathroom.  He had it all gutted before he learned Jim could not come in June.  So he did this on his own.  He is an amazing guy.  He consulted with Dad and watched a lot of YouTube videos on how to do the tile.  Youtube is better than a compass for directions on anything you want to learn.

Love the tile and the colors and the glass half wall.

The floor and sink are cool too. 

 This will be the bathroom for the boys
 that all have bedrooms downstairs.

We girls went shopping while the guys finished this project up.  I bought some birthday presents from Jim to me.  The value of the birthday bucks went way up with a 40% off coupon and a semi-annual big sale!  Missy and Aynslee got some clothes too. We had a very nice dinner that Missy prepared.  It was light summer faire and it was great.  Lots of fruit, and veggies and French Dip sandwiches.  Everyone was getting excited for the 4th now that the projects were completed and the sun was setting in the west.

Everything had a deadline because we had plans to chill out on the 4th and because they are moving!  Their renters will arrive by week's end.  You'll never guess where they are going!  So I'll tell you.

England!

Chris got a Fulbright Scholarship and they are going on Sabbatical for OneYear!  Sabbatical~so no classroom teaching but the luxury of researching and writing a book, and some projects papers. BYU and The University in England each pay half of his salary.  Sweet deal for sure and we are so happy for them.

 Of course their kids are not too happy because they don't want to leave their home and friends, but they will be fine once they get used to it.  Such a great opportunity to do this sabbatical with a young family.  We will miss them but know how fast times flies.

 It is nice to travel with the purpose of serving our kids and especially since it gave us a chance to say good-bye for now and to wish them well.  And sending the grandkids off with hugs and kisses knowing they will have grown a lot while away was not a bad idea either. Thank heavens for the Internet and for the prospects of going over for a visit in 2015.  That's called traveling for a reason. Pleasure and a reunion.

A Mother's Gotta Do What A Mother's Gotta Do!

Jim and Christopher

So much alike in so many ways!

I have a lot of favorite guys but these two are on the tippy top of the pile.  They are so much alike and I love them with all of my heart.  This picture was taken this morning at the Oakland Airport.  Our son Chris was here attending a lot of meetings and giving a lecture at Stanford University on Wednesday.  He was able to stay with us last night for a very swift sleepover and dinner.  Jim's mom came over and we had a nice dinner by candlelight.  His request was clam sauce and linguini.  That is the Italian influence of his youth.  Melissa is not a fish lover so I usually try to make it for him when he is home.  It was such a nice evening, we just sat in the dining room and chatted and enjoyed his company so much.

You are probably thinking here...hmmm, this is sounding like a Facebook post.  Who cares what they ate for dinner, right?  Well, this isn't really about that at all.  It is about looking at our son and actually seeing the man he really is!

 This always takes me back a little because he left for college the same night he graduated from high school and he will be 39 in March.  Since he lives a few states away we don't get to see him very often and when we do, I am always surprised by his maturity and that he is all grown up.  It's mom thing I think. You know how it is, when someone moves away, you just still remember them as they were.  He is a man now, approaching middle age in fact, and certainly not that cute teenage guy that use to live with us anymore.

Chris is a very good man who has made extraordinary choices that have brought him great success and happiness.  His number one good choice is following the dictates of his own heart and choosing to love the Lord and serve him through serving others.  He tries very hard to follow His example. That is the foundation for all his other good choices.   Marrying a beautiful woman who also shares in our faith has been a very sturdy foundation for their lives together and in raising their family of three sons and one daughter.  God and family come first.

The last time Chris visited with his whole family!

 He made great choices in his education and coupled with his good character,  has consequently had a lot of success in his career.  Not just doing well, but loving what he chose is something that makes us as his parents very happy.  If you don't enjoy what you do...no amount of success can compensate for hating to get up in the morning, right?  He is a very hard worker and diligent in all he does.  He is also a very humble guy that would not tell you any of this.

So this post is really a mother, called to duty and doing a big Shout Out for their sweet son.  These were some of my thoughts as I watched him last night at dinner.  He is so poised, confident, and handsome and good and doing it right.  And I felt humbled, so blessed and grateful and happy and in awe of who he has become.  We were thrilled to have him home with us if only for a few short hours.

So in a way this was like a "brag on your kid" kind of Facebook post...but,  hey I limit myself to doing that about once every three years...this is your lucky day!

Here is a TED talk he gave two years ago to give you an idea of where his focus is in his career. Jim and I feel we are privileged to be his parents!  Having him here was the beginning of a very good 2014!

Exploring the Exploratorium

Wednesday was the Exploratorium Day for the kids.  The late night at the game the night before precluded getting an early start so they left here about 10:30 am and picked up Grandma Gloria, Jim's Mom. The first stop was Treasure Island!  We always love taking photos from here as you may know.

Owen, Connor Aynslee and Zach

By the time they arrived in San Francisco it was time for lunch so they planned a stop at our favorite Pizzeria.  Pasquale's on 8th and Irving.

Four generations of Pasquale's Pizza lovers!

They brought me a doggie box!
"This is for you, Gramma!  Ah, thanks Zachary!"

After lunch they made their way to the Exploratorium and stayed until everyone was done.  They got home just before 8:30 that night and I had chili waiting for them as a late dinner.  Not exactly a summer meal but I had to cook with what I had as they had both vans with them.  They didn't seem to mind at all.  So they were in the Exploratorium about 7 hours or so.

The Exploratorium is a very unique Hands-On Science Museum created 40 years ago by Frank Oppenheimer.  They just recently moved to a new location on the Emarcadero, in the City.   It is a very unique place and the short video below explains their mission and a little more about it.  This is a great learning experience for all ages.  It exemplifies what I always say when I teach genealogy. " If you want to learn you have to put your hands on it!"  http://bcove.me/q34x7nq2

 The Exploratorium use to be located here.

 

The Palace of Fine Arts 
in an adjoining building.

I use to love it here because if I decided I'd had enough I could go outside and enjoy this and the lake and big beautiful shade trees and read a book or something.  But the building was old and there was a hassle finding parking here.  So off they went to here:

It is inside Pier 15

Guess which venue I like better?  Yep, The Palace.  However, this venue is so much nicer inside. And from the back you can sit out and look at the Bay. So it is progress, right?  Here are a few shots from their website.

Obviously a good decision has been made

The kids really loved this day.  Owen could not stop talking about it that night.  He just thought it was such a fun place.  They had so much stamina through out the whole week!

Outside Sign on a windy day!

Aynslee on Man Vs Machine...Guess Who Wins?

The New Zachary-Doodle

Zach Building The Roman Arch~It Worked!

20 Questions Game with Mom and Dad

More Questions~Owen Testing His Big Brother, Connor
 while Zach looks on

Grampa and Aynslee sit in a chair 2x bigger
 than the chair to their left.  This is to check our
Perspective on scale.  Visually it is often off!

Optical Illusion

Connor and Owen having fun 

while Grandma Gloria looks on.

  Oh I am so glad she does not have a computer!  
I'd be in the dog house 
with my doggie box from Pasquale's!

Well, as I said the enthusiasm from Owen and all the other kids was pretty telling.  They loved their day at the Exploratorium~Mission Accomplished.  They dropped into their tent and were fast asleep pretty quickly.  As you may have figured out by now, we do whirlwind vacations...running all the time in our family.  So the next day...up at the crack of dawn for the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.  It is Next Up on the blog so come on back!

Coming Home From A Bad Place...

We hope you had a very meaningful and fun Independence Day Celebration.  We have pretty much been celebrating it for several months now.  So yesterday we just had  a pancake breakfast at church and then a quiet day here at home.  Here are some thoughts to share through a video.

http://youtu.be/KowUs5Zg8HE

This was pretty sobering knowing that we have been so blessed to have such a homecoming for Robert since last July 4th.  We did not get to see him until we were able to visit in May.  When hugging our Robert I had such similar feelings as this video evokes.  It was a beautiful moment in our lives to see him healthy and strong back home in a wonderful place.  We love you Robert and Laura, Spencer and Ross.  Thank you!

This is something like what those giant bear hugs
 and six very happy faces in one place felt like.
Eternal Gratitude!

On Being a Feeder...Southwest Salad

We came home last night from our trip.  Today as I was preparing dinner I was thinking about what Jennifer had said about Jim one day while we were with them and he was cooking breakfast for everyone.  She said, "Dad is a feeder...you know like a little Jewish mother!"  She had said it before, but this time it sunk in.  What she was saying is that Dad loves to cook and feed people.  He is a nurturer when it comes to food.  He shows his love by being a feeder.

I realized I use to be like that but somewhere along the line I lost it.  I feel badly about that.  I have always been a nurturer, but somehow I lost interest in doing it with food.  I want to try to recapture it because I find it a very admirable trait in a person.    Now don't get me wrong,  I do cook and I always have cooked.  Dinner was always sacred in our family and even when my life was at its most hectic we all ate dinner as a family every night and any other meal we possibly could.  And we don't dine out that often.

The problem these past few years I just haven't had my heart in it like I wish I had.  I get it done but it has become a chore.  So this is one of my goals in the next few months.  To get the love back.  To be more of a feeder to my husband who needs nurturing as much as we all do.

So this morning I woke up and decided to make this recipe I haven't made in a long time that is so yummy and a perfect summer healthy dish.  So I actually felt a little twinge of excitement at the thought.  I went shopping and got the ingredients as the cupboards are bare at the moment.  Shopping is on my to do list for tomorrow.  Anyway,  this new ambition to get the love back came then.  I am going to change my paradigm and learn to love it again!  This recipe is great for one or two as it lasts in the frig and doesn't get soggy.  It is actually better after the first day.  Yippe, I mean oh darn, I guess I will not be preparing dinner tomorrow night, we'll have yummy leftovers!

Southwest Black Bean Salad

   

Ingredients

3 cans of black beans.  Cook your own beans if you are so inclined.

2 cups of fresh or frozen corn

Chopped red peppers, red onion, tomatoes, and either jicama or celery.  Use your own amounts depending on how much you want to make.

Chop up some cilantro quite finely.  I used a couple of cups. 

Then I sauteed some garlic, we like a lot but your choice on that.  Mix all this together with salt and pepper.

Dressing

1/2 cup of red wine vinegar  (I used 3/4 cup on all these measurements but had a little too much)

1/2 olive oil

1/2 lime or lemon juice.  I used both and it was great.

1 tsp cumin
add a couple of tsps of sugar if you need it.

I used 3 dashes of Tabasco for a little kick or you can use a little cayenne pepper.  (Optional)

Mix well and pour over salad mixing well and let it stand and soak in awhile.

Before serving mix well again and serve with tortilla chips...I used Dorito chips and garnished with shredded cheddar cheese.   This is packed with healthy protein and lots of veggies for vitamins and fiber, and is very satisfying as well as tasty.  Especially if you go easy on the chips and garnish only with the cheese.

Google images

"Bon" Appetite 

My Maine Flash Back

When we left on our week long trip to the other five New England States we didn't have a lot of preconceived notions about Maine. About all we knew was that Maine is mostly wilderness area with nearly all of the settlements along the Eastern coast line. We knew there was something going on with mooses, meese, or whatever they are called, we knew the Lobster was king, and there are lots of lighthouses. (OK, I had to look it up...it is moose as in sheep and deer.)
We knew that the Senior George Bushes have a summer home in Kennebunkport, Portland is the largest city, and that if you want the best lobster in the state you should go to Barnacles Billy's in Ogunquit, according to a most reliable source...Lorelei Gilmore. Yes, I know you probably shouldn't rely on a TV series to get your referrals but, have you ever tried planning a trip to six states? You take it where you can get it at a certain point. Lorelei has never let me down, so what the heck!

That coupled with the amazing Visitors' Center that we found in Kittery, just over the border and pictured above, was all we needed. They had pamphlets on everything imaginable to do in Maine.

We took the back roads to Portland and along the way there were so many delightful shops. Jim said, "OK , anyone can "pull the chain on the bus" whenever they see something and would like to stop. Laura and I jumped on that one, much to the chagrin of the boys who HATE shopping. But look at the fun place they could hang out while they waiting the 15 minutes for us.

They kept looking for a Mc Donald's so they could
pull the chain for their favorite treat,
a soft serve ice cream cone.
Finally they found one!

This was the first of the lovely nurseries...
I had to pull the chain for a photo or two.

We absolutely fell in love with Ogunquit
and really enjoyed Perkin's Cove
where we were led by Lorelei
to find Billy's on the harbor there.
They have a spectacular little harbor
indeed, and a lot more!*

I love these boys,
they can always find something to
keep them interested and occupied.

They had a great time checking
out all the stuff with Grampa.
They loved seeing the draw bridge in action!

Across the harbor and draw bridge you
can see this~Lovely homes.*

The little village of shops in Perkin's Cove

Grampa, Grampa......

There is this legend that Grampa once held, our son, Christopher over the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge by his belt loop when he was a kid. Ross is hanging on for dear life after the way that fabricated story has been embellished over the years! There is a little too much glee on his Grampa's face, don't ya think?

Spencer's bird!

The guys had a great time at the beach on the other side of Perkins Cove which was basically just across the street. The above photo of the seagull was taken by Spencer. Love it, Spence!

Little boys and rocks equate to hours
of endless rock throwing.
This is something they do everywhere
they can find water and rocks. ??

I wonder how much the beaches of New England
will have receded by the time they move on??
I think a good portion of it in RI
is in their rock collection at home.
(Hopefully to be recycled at some point
for the next boys who come along!)

This was one beautiful afternoon
in one amazing place.
The Ocean was so blue!
There was a cliff walk around the cove.

Before we got to Portland for the night,
we wanted to stop at none other than...Barnacle Billy's!*
As I had mentioned, this is how we found
Perkin's Cove in the first place.
Serendipity!

Now back to the Gilmore's.

The above lovely couple is Luke and Lorelei. They were working on falling in love for seven years, surmounting obstacle after obstacle. Just when things were about to look very promising for them...the series ended its run, leaving a billion fans going...what the...? That crazy production company left the whole thing up to our imaginations. Go figure!

Well, I have decided, being an incurable romantic, that they eventually got married and honeymooned along the coast of Maine, stopping at Barnacle Billy's for lobster. After all she was the one recommending it, saying it was the best!

So very picturesque, isn't it?*

So when we get there we discover that on each side of this lovely lawn is a Barnacle Billy's. On the left of the grassy area is a very casual one, to the right is the white table cloth one. Same company, just different venues. So knowing Luke and Lorelei, who spent most of their seven years in Luke's Diner, we are pretty sure they picked the more casual one...so we did too!

This is the patio between the two and
the outside of the fancy one.*

So here is the down home side where we went.

No tablecloth, no plates, no glass....just lobster!

Of course you know I am not nearly as goofy as I sound, but it was fun to think of Luke and Lorelei while we traveled in New England. OK, maybe a little goofier than you thought or just very easily entertained...you choose! Anyway, the lobster was good but I have to admit I have a hard time getting past that carcass. I tried really hard not to let the phrase, "You are what you eat" pass through my mind.


I found this cute mosaic on flickr that had permission to share it, so I am. I have been waiting for Laura to send me the photos off her camera for this part of the trip but she has been so busy. So the photos with the * have been borrowed temporarily until ours arrive.

The mosaic is so fun and I got a kick out of the last one in the southeast corner...All the wires are above ground in New England due to freezing ground during the winter. They are a bit of an eyesore while trying to get decent photos.

So that is a wrap for this day. Thought I'd never get it done with a power outage today and then connectivity problems. However, when all that was happening I was with Jim at AT&T getting an iPhone. I didn't want to go there but the day of the dinosaur is over. I swore I wouldn't get one but in a moment of weakness, I caved. Honestly, the things we do to stay connected to our family. They cost us a bloomin' fortune, but they are worth it. If they like texting, well then, I'll commit.

So then, tomorrow Portland, Maine in all its splendor. Stay tuned for the most photographed lighthouse in the world. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful responses to the trip posts. I am so glad you are enjoying them.