Meza Family

2010-07-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

I want to share this recipe I tried from a friend-she left out the Tequlia and it was delicious.

Lime Chicken Tequila Tailgate
Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri
Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 20 min Level:
Intermediate Serves:
4 servings Ingredients
2 ounces olive oil
1 cup julienned red onion
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1/2 cup roasted and julienned red bell pepper
1 roasted chicken, boned, skin discarded and shredded
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
5 ounces mozzarella, grated
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 ounces tequila
1/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes, for garnish
4 sourdough rolls, warmed
Directions
Layer 2 (15-inch) sheets of heavy aluminum foil together and fold 1/4-inch of the edges together to create 1 sheet. Repeat with another 2 pieces of foil, to create 2 double foiled sheets. Bend the edges of 1 of the sheets up 2 inches, to help keep the liquid in the foil.

On a double sheet of foil, layer (in this order), the oil, onions, jalapeno, red bell peppers, chicken, salt and pepper, garlic, cilantro, cheeses, lemon juice and tequila.

Put the second, double layered foil sheet on top of layered ingredients. Fold both double layered sheets of foil together in 1/4-inch folds, 4 times. When all the sides are folded together, make sure that the pouch is not leaking. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

To cook preheat the oven or grill to 250 degrees F. Remove the foil pouch from the refrigerator and put on the grill, being careful not to snag the foil pouch and tear it open. Grill for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove the pouch from the grill and slice the bag open. Garnish with the tomatoes, cilantro, and Parmesan and serve on warmed rolls.

2010 Father's Day Deep Dish Cookie Fundraiser for Girls Camp

2010-05-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

Taking orders at church starting this Sunday, June 6th & June 13th!
$8 each!
Chocolate Chip or White Chocolate Chip 9" deep dish cookie for Dad!

My BABY, Sydney!

2009-12-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

Today my youngest, Sydney Michelle turned 10 years old.
Sydney is such a sweet, energetic, imaginative little girl.
She has always shown people how much she loves them. In Kindergarten, she began givng a hug to her teacher and soon each child in the classroom was doing the same(I don't think that had ever happened in the 20+years she had been teaching).

She loves to try/play so many sports; she has a natural ability for them. She got a scooter when she was 3 & tore it up! When she turned 5 she got a Schwinn Stingray Bicycle & the traingin wheels were unnecessary. She played on a city basketball team in 2nd grade & loved it! She went with Hannah to the ice skating rink for an activity that Hannah was a part of and after 10 minutes Sydney(age 6 1/2) could ice skate alone!! She played soccer when she was in Kindergarten & has been asking to play again since then so she did this past fall. She was a great goalie-not scared one bit! She went to a volletball camp 2 nights a week for a few weeks and I forgot to tell the coach that she had NEVER played before-no need to explain she did just fine!

In school, her favorite "subject" is writing her own plays or stories. She has written stories since second grade & recently prepared her own argument regarding why she needs a cell phone to present at one of our family meetings. She has written at least 4 sequential parts to a puppet play for the puppet theater in her classroom this year!

Love you Syd :)

2009-12-03T15:09:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Better Late than Never...

2009-09-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

School HAS started!

Jacob, Hannah and Sydney started school on August 24th.

Jacob is a junior in High School this year taking classes such as...US History, AP Statistics, Spanish 3, AP Biology, Literature(can't remember which type) & Anatomy/Physiology. He starts school at 700am with a Zero period and gets out at 1:40 because he doesn't have a 6th period. He begins his day at 5:15am with Early Morning Seminary Class( a religion class comparable to catechism in the Catholic religion, I guess) It begins at 6:00am and ends at 6:45 with just enough time to slip into Zero period at the High School.

Hannah is a high and mighty 6th grader at the Elementary school! Last year here for her. She likes school(but don't tell anyone) and will turn 12 in March, just around the corner! She is continuing piano lessons and is undecided on dance club afterschool. We'll let you know!

Sydney is now in the 4th grade. She has an actual classroom this year, not a portable classroom. She is beginning soccer soon for the first time since 1st grade. She's dying to play again. She has also been lobbying for cello lessons at school. We are looking thoroughly into that!

We are excited and all crazy as everyone's schedules collide and reshape to begin the school year! We added a new member to our house, this is her 2nd week here- Thank you Gwen & Grant! Bailey is our new pug puppy, 4-4 1/2 months old. She is loved by all, some a little less than others(Hershey)! All will be well! Til next time...

My baby is 16 tomorrow!

2009-05-04T23:01:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to show off my "baby". I love you Jacob!

05/05/1993 @2:50am Jacob Andrew Meza arrived into this world and it hasn't been the same since...

At only one year old, already, I believe that both Grandma's were being manpulated.

Oh Yes a Blog Picture!

2009-04-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

For all of you who haven't seen us lately...we went to Salt Lake City during Spring break and this is our family at the LDS conference center across the street from the Salt Lake City Temple. It was a great meeting-glad we could go hear a prophet's voice.

Oh Valentines!

2009-02-14T17:09:00.001-08:00

Hannah and Sydney wanted to make their Valentine Cards this year and I admit that they cost more than buying them and writing our name on them but I like to do this because then I actually do a craft with my children. This year I looked at the Family Fun magazine and someone had sent in an idea for "rock candy". Hannah saw it and declared that this was the "one" we were going to do. I tried it for my Primary class at church and it was not too hard.

Take a look- everyone in Hannah and Sydney's class got an "ipod"!

Years previous, we have done a peek-a-boo heart with a picture of Hannah's face inside.

Also a Heart with a see through vinyl heart on top stitched around the edge and filled with a little candy(kind of like a pocket but you could see it all).
Also one year a heart folded down the middle with a tail taped on and whiskers so it looked like a mouse. We tucked a balloon inside instead of candy.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

To Blog or Not to Blog?

2009-01-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

After more than 30+ days, I have finally found a small window of opportunity to blog. It's New Year's Day 2009! Happy New Year Everyone!

Looking back on this past year I have to say that I am fully aware of many blessings that I and my family have recieved. Spiritually, Emotionally, Physically, Financially and most surely blessings given to us through friends and family.

I have a home that I can call mine and it gives me shelter and comfort.
I have two cars to get me to the places I need & my children need to go.
I have a wonderful husband who has a job to support our family and for whom I am truly thankful.
I have much extended FAMILY who loves me and my family and would do anything to help us(and has done everything).
I have friends who go above and beyond friendship sometimes, to help me with dinner(s), teach me new things, help me learn how to blog & Facebook(ha ha ha)! They share their children and friends with me too!
I have a job that I love and have fun at-what more could I want than to play with children and talk to a friend the whole morning?
I had the opportunity this year to meet an older woman at church and get to know her a bit and hopefully give her a little comfort and a smile along with my two daughters, neice and nephew and two other little friends. She passed away a few weeks ago but that memory will stay with me and those children forever.

Looking back is a good thing but moving forward shows our character, I think.

I hope that this New Year brings you what you need, for you and your family.
From the movie, "Meet the Robinsons" KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

Jacob's ASB Two Day Hiatus

2008-11-24T15:12:00.000-08:00

Jacob is the Sophomore class treasurer/secretary this year and they have a yearly trip called CADA(don't know what that exactly stands for). They hit Disneyland for a day then stay at the Disneyland Hotel for the night and then have classes that they go to for leadership training, etc. Jacob sent me a text/picture message this morning- Guess who he found at the new Disney Grand Hotel??? Sweet Niblets! Jacob said that he saw him , then said "Hey can I take a picture with you real quick?" He said "Sure" and it was done. Nice of him, I thought.

2008-11-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

THIS WAS TOO FUN TO DO! I think I might have even been to a couple more of the lower eastern states but I'd have to look at a road map to be sure.
Try your own!

visited 37 states (74%)

Sorry all- Here is the link to do your own or at least the address.

http://douweosinga.com/projects/visited?region=usa

Just because I haven't in over a month...

2008-11-19T21:38:00.000-08:00

So, you might wonder what we are up to OR if Halloween happened here at our house. You might think we vanished off the face of the earth...but NO! We are still here.

Since our/my last entry I have stood on street corners(with "YES on 8" signs), walked in the dark with strange and funny and cute looking children(Trick or treating), sang at church(primary program-had ya didn't I?) and kicked my husband out of the house(to his new job).

I have alot of things to be thankful for and alot of people I am thankful to know and have as friends and family.

I will try to be a better blogger because I love to share and because I really don't like going to a blog to check it each day and NOTHING is new! Sorry no pictures this time but maybe I'll add them later.
Love you all-Kristin

Tuesday Musings #20 (...late!)

2008-10-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

Something nobody knows about me is…

I have NEVER done a crossword puzzle completely!

Oh I have looked at some, but never ever have I tried really to do one either.

They have never interested me because I don't think I am smart enough.

To test this theory I tried one this past Sunday from one of the magazines I get(All You) and...NOPE, didn't happen.

I tried, really tried, even got out the dictionary, but couldn't get it and then had no desire to try any longer-

Oh Well, it wasn't exciting but if I told you something exciting then EVERYONE would know, N-O-W!

I found this quote as the title of an article in the LA Times from last year-

To provoke cross words, you can’t beat crosswords!

YES on Prop 8 in California!

2008-10-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

I just added a video to the top right of my blog.

It's very important to me.

Please watch this video; get the word out to friends/family to vote YES on Proposition 8

Protect the Family- Protect Marriage!

Tuesday Musings #19(still, very late)

2008-10-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Give us your favorite chocolate recipe(s) and tell us why you love it.

My favorite Chocolate recipe is called BTS(Better than Something) but I can't get a hold of it! When I find it I will surely share.

In the mean time, I love brownies with a choclate frosting that my mom used to make when we were little. I still don't get how she got us to wait til she made the frosting because I can't even wait and so I haven't ever made this frosting myself. They really are good though.

Here's the recipe for the frosting(make your own brownies though)-

CHOCOLATE SATIN FROSTING

1/4 cup butter(margarine)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbls milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

1 egg

2 envelopes/squares unsweetened choc (baking) OR 3 tsps cocoa to 1 Tbls oil= 1 square

Mix all together. (you have to melt the choc if using squares). This is light colored but just the right chocolate to go with the chocolate of the brownies.

Enjoy- maybe I will make this myself, now. EDIT- I Did make it and the pictures are above!

Pssst...

2008-09-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow! I just got a FREE dinner in a box,(well in a way I guess).

I still need 1 lb of chicken breast and 2 Tbs butter or margarine and 3/4 cup milk but...

I joined something online called "pssst". Its through General Mills and you answer questions, etc and sometimes they supposedly send you items to promote or try and then promote. I'll keep you posted on if we like it or not!

Also included were TEN(10) coupons for $1.25 off one dinner kit.

YES! You know how I love my coupons.

Meanwhile- I thought "maybe some of my friends would like free food also".

Here is the link to sign up- http://pssst.generalmills.com/

Tuesday Musings #18 (very late)

2008-09-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

What are a few things that you could not live without?

Tuesday Musings #17 (very, very late)

2008-09-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

Are you addicted to anything? And if so what??

I don't think I should answer this question because there are too many answers.

1. Scrabble(online)

2. Candy Corn

3. Reading(some books I just can't put down)

4. Children(I love to play)

5. Coupons

6. Shopping(with #5 above)

Thanks Jenn for asking! Now...is there rehab for any of these?

Fleece...Apparently it's for the DOG!

2008-09-27T00:18:00.000-07:00

Last night, Hannah heard Hershey making some different noises but couldn't find him and so I became interested and started looking too. He hasn't been resting on the couches too much lately, usually on the floor wherever we are sitting or cooking, etc.

Well, Hannah found him. Dressed!

This is a L.L. Bean Fleece half zip pullover and Hershey loves FLEECE. It is zipped up and when he moved it around to get it just where he wanted it, his head came throught the neck hole but his shoulders and everything else wouldn't fit. So, while we were looking for him, he rolled/flopped off the couch inside it to respond to our calling his name. The kids thought it was so funny that we had to get the camera and then take a video- Our first on our blog! It's kind of dark but the kids got a couple slices of pepperoni to entice Hershey to try to walk BECAUSE, I forgot to mention this...when we found him he wouldn't come to us he was just sitting in the middle of the living room waiting for someone to help him(which we did after we got this video).

P.S. No dog was hurt in the making of this film!

We have quite a few fleece blankets in our home and just the other night he jumped up on Sydney's bed, while she was sleeping(and everyone else) and rustled around to knock off Sydney comforter that is folded at the bottom of her bed. He then rooted around to open a smaller fleece baby blanket that was under the comforter so he could get it just right and curl up in it to spend the rest of a comfortable evening. The large comforter was on the floor right next to the bed, upside down!

We love our PUP!

First Day of School (Almost a month late)

2008-09-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is Hannah with her 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Barnett!

Sydney has two teachers(for the price of one)in 3rd grade!

This is Ms. Brisco.

This is Sydney with Mrs. Posse(pronounced Paa-say').

Mrs. Posse teaches language arts in the am & Ms. Brisco teaches math in the pm.

They split a contract to work this way.

BEWARE BELOW

this could be a shock!

On the last day of the first week of school, I let the girls wear their new t-shirts that Jacob got them from his high school.

YIKES!

What you should know is...all the kids from Hannah and Sydney's elementary are going to go to Poly High School which is a big rival for every other HS in Riverside, Arlington included!

What guts they have!!!

Tuesday Musings #16

2008-08-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

Olympics-
There are many different events at the Olympics.
You must create a new event that you would be the best at so that you could take home the GOLD.
What is your event?

Couponing

90 minutes of grocery shopping with the most savings from coupons.

The actual total spent does not matter. It is the amount saved from coupons in relation to the amount spent. For example; Total is 166.98 but amount spent is 70.31 which is a savings of 96.67! The person with the highest percent saved in the time alotted wins. BYOC(Bring your own coupons) I think there should be a standardized list of the items that have to be purchased to keep it even but it would all depend on whether you brought the right coupons with you.

That would mean that some people would have these big coupon boxes or cases or file cabinets which could slow you down or if they were organized well, maybe just put you over to win a GOLD instead of a silver or bronzeI could really excel at this.

I wanted to find some reciepts to show for this and scan them in but I realized the last few I threw away and then the very last one I sent in for a $10 rebate(ps. I only spent $42 and saved $127)

BRING ON THE GOLD !

If not Couponing then...

Who has the most cereal in their cupboards?

Possibly a second gold medal here for me?

Family Visits!

2008-08-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

This week & the past we had Trena(on & off because she still had two jobs in between) and Andrew and Jordan and Jazlynn.

They called Monday afternoon when they arrived and Hannah and Sydney were screaming to go to Grandma's house to see them!

So off we went to see if Jordan would warm up to us...he did eventually.

So then they next afternoon we went to Kembly's pool for a cool afternoon.

I don't know why but I don't have a picture at the pool of Trena or Andrew(or me either-ha ha).

After that we got to watch Jordan the next afternoon while Andrew, Trena and Jazlynn went to Disneyland. It was Jazlynn's first time!

Jordan was a little nervous when he came over because Uncle Michael (alias my 2nd Daddy) had been with Jordan all morning and wondered what was going on but with Hershey's help and the girls undying attention, he was fine! See:

After that it was all the way until this past Monday the 11th that we gathered for FHE at Balboa Beach on the north side of the pier towards Newport. For the family reading this, that would be the regualr spot! My pictures are not great but they are all I have because I forgot until it was getting dark.

The pictures above are of some of the group playing pickle on the beach. Paul and Brandy are standing next to the kids chairs. The Burbach's(Mom & Dad) and Tim and his wife, Nicole joined us for FHE and the bonfire with SMORE'S. It was so cute to see Haylee and Jordan sitting in the little chairs watching the pickle game. If there is someone you don't recognize, that is Andrea, Hannah's friend that lives across the street. Check out Trena-She is the one "playing" pickle. She's wearing the peach colored shirt and stayed right on the base(towel) most of the game! It was a blast.

We got to see Jordan today while Andrew took Jazlynn school shopping. Grandma and Grandpa brought him over for a visit a little while ago and we took more pictures but I haven't loaded those yet. Thanks for visiting. We miss all our family who are far away!

Tuesday Musings #15

2008-08-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well, the topic this past week(8/5/09) was GHOSTS!

I guess I don't think much about ghosts. All that came to mind was...(name that ghost >)

So, then I kept thinking and I remembered my favorite ghosts- This is a cartoon with Mickey, Donald & Goofy and they are ghost exterminators!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47jWsdlvWwU

I don't recall ever seeing a ghost but I'll keep you in the loop when I do!

Jacob's 8 days of CHAOS

2008-08-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

Jacob had his own 8 Crazy Days! On August 1st, he arrived at the home of our Scout Leader, Mike Biggs for a priest/teacher hike, one of 3 planned for 3 weekends this month. It was Friday and they left to hike Mt San Jacinto(via the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway). They left at 10:00am, camped overnight, hiked, returned at about 7:30 pm on Saturday night. Here is a link to those pictures-take a look at the very last one!

http://www.biggsfamily.net/share/SanJac/SanJac.htm

Sunday, August 3rd-went to to church!

August 4th, Monday at 10:00am arrived at the Metrolink station for his Arlington High School ASB retreat. Bascially to meet/mesh with all the student body leaders and train for helping with registration and to have fun together, & learn about the upcoming years responsibilities. This year, so far there are 5 members of the church on ASB plus the teacher/advisor is Mormon too. They may get 2 more when the freshman have their elections! Along the way, go to the beach(they stayed in San Clemente) and take a Dolphin excursion, eat and play and stay up all night messing around. Don't worry they were accompanied by 5 or 6 adult leaders. On the dolphin excursion they were lucky enough to see many common dolphins but also to see not ONE, but 2 HUMPBACK WHALES and...A BLUE WHALE. One of the humpback whales surfaced for 15-20 minutes! Crazy fun. So then they arrived back to Riverside on the Metrolink at 12:21pm on Thursday, August 7th.

Same day, 2 1/2 hours later; Thursday at 3:00pm arrive at Mike Biggs house again for the three day, two night hike up to San Gorgonio Peak. San Gorgonio is the highest mountain peak in Southern California at 11,499 feet! They took the Vivian Creek trail which is the shortest and steepest route to the summit. Well they camped Thursday night about 2.5 miles up and hiked Friday to the summit and back to the camp which was an 11 mile roundtrip. After resting and eating and setting up camp, it was still daylight and a BEAR came into camp. They scared it away once, then twice and continued to scare it away until Brother Biggs said "This is enough, we can't stay." By then it had gotten dark and they hiked the 2.5 miles down with the help of Jacob's headlamp and other flashlights and headed home, Friday night, August 8th, instead of Saturday after lunch! Here is a link to the pictures of the hike and the video of the bear!

http://www.biggsfamily.net/share/SanGor/SanGor.htm

Thanks for checking in on us!

Tuesday Musings #14

2008-08-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ok I have been slacking on this because I have found it hard. Not impossible but challenging, which means-I'll get to it! This space dedicated to the topic of...

Rewrite the following classic nursery rhyme as it applies to your life -

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

For example -

For want of a wipe the diaper was lost.
For want of a diaper the errand was lost.
For want of an errand the groceries were lost.

Etc., etc., etc.Your poem can be longer than the original, but try not to make it any shorter.

2008 California Dreamin' A Stadium Spectacular! 7/25 & 7/26

2008-07-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, here is Jacob actually dancing- His group is the first row starting from the left. He is directly behind the first couple at the left and he is facing our way. He is in mid step with his partner, Dara, who is in our ward and has been in Jacob's Primary and Sunday School classes for the past 8 years, I think.

This is like find Waldo but all the kids are dressed the same!

Can you see Jacob? Let's help you a bit. At the very top of the picture, to the right of center, there is a group of guys, a cluster in red shirts with tan pants and you can see their whole bodies, head to toe. Jacob is the one with his back to you and is in full stride ,arm at his side, with one little blond kid in front and one in back of him.

This is during the finale when the youth formed a giant flag on the field.

So it finally came and went, the

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

Dance Festival

This was a multi-stake dance festival. It included ages 12- 18 and each had their own dance. Jacob was (sarcastically) soooo excited to be able to participate. He will probably never admit that it was even a fraction of fun but I think there were some good times. They would practice within their own stakes each week and then for the last month or so they had regional practices at one of the high schools in the area and then a combined group practice and then a dress rehearsal full day practice(6:30 am to carpool there for 7:30 am arrival and returned at 11:30pm that evening), before performing 2 nights in a row during a 2 hour production. It was quite a site to see. There were approx. 3000 youth altogether. It was done to live music by choir, indivual or group plus an orchestra or band.

This is the only close up picture Mike was able to get of of Jacob. He's hard to catch especially with his eyes open!

Tuesday Musings #13 & still going!

2008-07-19T19:59:00.001-07:00

List five things that drive you crazy and make you want to go live in a cabin on a mountainside and never see another human being. Then, list five things that make you smile even on the rainiest of days.

DRIVE ME CRAZY

Mean People: no explanation needed.

“Parents”: who have children and treat them like pets OR teach them (by example) that they can do NO WRONG and everyone else is at fault!

Impatient Drivers: I am driving down a 4 lane street (2 lanes each way) and a car pulls out in front of me just as I get within 20 feet of them and I have to break quickly to avoid hitting them in the rear. As I look in my rear view window…not a car in sight for blocks!!!

Store employees: Who seem to have forgotten that I am spending my $$ at their place of employment…THE REASON THEY HAVE A JOB! BUT still cut in front of me to get somewhere fast and practically ignore me when I ask them a question or better yet say “I don’t work in this dept.” and then proceed about what they were “doing” in the first place before you interrupted them.

Grocery & Gas prices: If I lived on a mountain side then I could eat wild berries and grasses plus various small animals I would hunt (ha ha ha) & and not have to drive anywhere to get them either. (I don't have a current picture but...wouldn't you die for this again? notice the date I'd even go for the other one below! Click on it if you can't see the prices)

MAKE ME SMILE
Simple Children’s thinking/misunderstanding- “Kristin, why when you get all wet, you get soaped ?”(quote from a 3 ½ year old)

Air Conditioning

Playing in the rain- I don’t do this so much anymore but when I lived on the east coast it was a blast!

My children all asleep on my bed when I come home from a night out with Mike.
Any night when I say I’ve made dinner and I don’t hear “Ah, I don’t want that! Not that again or I don’t like that!”

Tuesday Musings #12

2008-07-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

Question:

Do you regret anything that you have done in your lifetime and if so what?

I was a nanny in NYC at the ripe OLD age of 18 and my family lived in Massachusetts but had recently relocated 2000+ miles away in Riverside, CA where I told my Mom I would never move to. I was going to live in MA. Fast forward a couple of months & the Mom of the family I worked for says, "We are going to Ireland this summer and you can come with us if you like for the 2+ weeks or you can have time off. You'll need to get a passport if you come but I can help you get it." My eighteen year old mind said " Whooo I can go see my family in CA!" (sarcastically-Because I wasn't ever going to live there or anything! ). If I went to California, then I wouldn't have to watch kids for 2 weeks. Sure, I wouldn't get paid but, whooo CARES???

SO, they go off to IRELAND & I go to see my family in Riverside.

Where I have lived for more than 1/2 my life now!

Ahh the narrowminded-ness of youth!

IRELAND

Been there? Well, I could have toured here(for free). I could have kissed the Blarney stone, too.

I could have seen the only inland salt water lake in all of Europe called Lough Hyne, located in Cork, Ireland. Also, free of cost!

Then I would have ordered this lobster for dinner from the English Market in Cork. Yes, for free!

After eating a type of sealife/seafood or marine animal I would have gone to see the city of Youghal, Cork which was the set of the 1954 film, Moby Dick. I might have seen this town with mediaeval walls or checked out the Clock gate completed in 1777 !!!

So, then to add to my cultural enhancement, I might have visited Saint Colman's Cathedral where I would have seen the architecture of Pugin and Ashlin and the largest Carillon in Ireland with 47 bells! Did I mention this would have been FREE?

So I think you can guess what I regret!

Tuesday Musings #11

2008-07-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

Well the question is...

Growing up what extra curricular activities did you get to try? Which activity was your favorite and which was your least favorite? If you didn't have an opportunity which do you wish you could of tried? Pictures Please! :)

I took violin lessons through my elementary school at 4th grade through to the 6th grade. It was on Mondays and there were alot of holidays so it eventually petered out and I stopped playing. I wish I had a picture though because the violins they gave to us in 4th grade were like two peices of board(like the brown clipboards with the metal clip) but they were shaped like a violin and played like one.

Next I took piano lessons and this must have been around the same time I was in the middle of violin lessons I think from 5th grade to 7th or 8th I can't remember but I wiggled my way out of that-wish I had NOT done that. No picture unless my Mom has one! Yikes

In 7th-9th grade I got to be part of a school television morning show and eventually was the director my senior year. It was alot of fun and that's what I thought I would do for college because I got to take another class in High school where we filmed, edited, etc. I just found out at college that it was most likely not a great career if you were going to have a fmily and kids!

So I played Basketball in High School. JV my first year and Varsity my junior and senior year. I really liked playing basketball. I scored 22 points in one game, it was in the paper but usually I just scored like 8 or 10 points a game. One of the funniest things I remember is that I was the oldest of 9 kids and sometimes my whole family would come to my games and the girls on my team called me "brady bunch" ( I think that was the biggest family they knew of at the time). The friends I had playing basketball were some the people I would like to hear about or from to see what theyare doing now because I have no idea but if we somehow ever got together again I know it would be...not the same but easy, know what I mean?

Popcorn!

2008-06-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

An oldie but a goodie! Sydney was 4 years old when I took these pictures and I never have done anything with them. Looks like now I know what to do! Enjoy...

I Looked out the window and what did I see?

Popcorn popping on the Apricot Tree.

Spring has brought me such a nice suprise!

Blossoms popping right before my eyes.

I can take an arm full and make a treat...

a popcorn ball that would smell so sweet.

It wasn't really so...

but it seemed to me...

Popcorn popping on the Apricot Tree!!

Tuesday Musings #10

2008-06-23T21:21:00.001-07:00

Do you collect anything? If so, what? If not then, why…or what would you collect if you had to start a collection? Pictures please!

I collect Mercer Mayer children’s books mainly, the Little Critter Series.

I got started when I had Jacob. Carrie, a friend of mine from Oregon ,(we met at BYU & have been friends for almost 19 years now) sent me a book- "Mi Abuela y Yo" roughly translated, “Grandma & Me”.

Being that Jacob was my first child and he was a boy, these books fit us well because Hannah came next. I think I have 5 books in Spanish, the rest in English. I love "ME TOO!"

I have 123 books in all and I’m not quite finished.

They fit all kinds of topics:

This may be my Favorite Favorite- Its Little Critter pretending to be a Sailor in his backyard.

I am not sure if you will be able to make this picture larger to read the print but it says:

I stand watch on the bridge. Then: Uh oh. A storm is coming up.

Each book has a tiny grasshopper, spider & a mouse that you can use to play "I spy" with.

IF you look at each cover above you can find them.

This is a link that tells a little about the author who is also an illustrator. You may have seen his illustrations in A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog; Frog Goes to Dinner ; The Great Brain Series.

http://www.littlecritter.com/about_mercer_mayer.html

Well, this is the first and possibly the only time I will be early in posting for Tuesday Musings!

I hope I've shared something worth your interest because I love to share what I love with others.

Hannah's 4th Grade School Year

2008-06-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I am late with posting things but I want more variety in my blog so who cares if I post things from a few weeks ago? Anyone? Anyone?

Hannah's challenge group at school did a skit called the "Pirates of Grammar Island". It was really cute as you can tell from their captions on their hats.

(Far left "We be in a jam" Hannah's "We be wrong" Far right "If 's a curse")

Hannah had a teacher who loved dance and taught them at least 10 different dances, then they were assigned a specific one or two or three to do for a preformance at school. This is fourth grade which she just finished a week or so ago. I took some pictures.

Also, Hannah was chosen by lottery to be in an afterschool play cast. She ended up being in the first act and the closing because she was the sound/stage coordinator. Here she is with one of her best and oldest friends from school who actually got chosen by lottery also. Their group was called The Patriot Players.

She had a good year with alot of friends and fun and she got to go to school with her cousins too!

Tuesday Musings #9

2008-06-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

“Imagine your life is now a book. In 100 words, write the blurb for it."

In Yikes! My Children are on Summer Break, K.L. Meza’s third book of the I’m the MOM Chronicles.

“Can I buy ice cream when the ice cream truck comes?” “Mom, can Paige and I go to the movies?” “Mom, can you take me to practice? “Are we doing anything Tuesday, dear, I have a meeting at 6:30?” “Mom, when are we going to the beach?” “Mom, I’m bored, can we go somewhere?” “How about we go to Utah to see Nelson and Cullan?” “When is Aunt Angie coming to visit?” “We get Jordan first, right Mom? “Mom, where is my bathing suit?” “Mom, did you wash my football shorts?”

Ahhhh, another relaxing summer in Riverside. Jacob is 15, Hannah, 10 going on 14 & Sydney 8 ½. What adventure awaits this summer? Will they return to La Quinta, head for Sea World or try Yosemite? As Kristin & her husband Mike regroup and plan another exciting summer for the family…which questions from the children will actually get answered???

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T18:00:00.001-07:00

Today is Father's Day. Sydney woke up and was so excited to give Daddy(Mike) his Father's Day present she made at school before they got out. On the way to church, Mike tells me that she made him some coupons. There were a couple that had "expired" already!

Take a good look at the "Yard Work" and "Clean the house". (Smarty Pants)

This is one of the funniest Father's Day gifts Mike has recieved.

Tuesday Musings #8

2008-06-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

Who was the last person you prank called? What did you say?

This is me NOT doing a prank call! I tried like most of you to remember the last one I did but I can't think of it I must have been in Junior high(now called middle school).

I do remember a few times when I was younger and they were the usual:

Me: "Is your refrigerator running?" Prank call victim: "yes" Me : "Well you better go catch it!"

Me: "Hi, Is Mary there?" PCV: " No there's no Mary here" Me:"OK thanks" (then I hang up and call again) Me: Hi, Is Mary there? PCV: "No, you have the wrong number" Me: "Oh Sorry" (then I call again) Me: "Hi, Is Mary there?" PCV: "No What number are you trying to call?" Me: "555-0000"(whatever # was closest to the one I was dialing) PCV: "Well this isn't that number" Me: "Ok, I guess I'll try again" (then I call one last time waiting about 2-3 minutes this time) Me: "Hi, This is Mary. Have there been any calls for me?" (wait for a response while dying laughing)

I do know that today I prank called Amy while at work and changing a dirty diaper inside the house while my cell phone was outside, supposedly on the table! I didn't know til Amy called and said she missed my call and I said "Oh I haven't called you today but maybe I called you for something yesterday". She said "well, it says you called 10 minutes ago". OH that explains why my cell phone battery cover was off on the table and the phone turned upside down! (one of the kids had prank called AMY! Ha ha ha

Response to my Tuesday Musings #2

2008-06-07T14:07:00.001-07:00

The letter below is the response to my Hot Dog Bun letter. I sent it to the wrong place but its ok, I will resend it! I got 2 coupons out of it so far ($1 off van de camp seafood item & .35 cents off a duncan hines product). We'll see what happens when it really gets to where its supposed to go! Have a great weekend-

2008-06-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Musings #7

2008-06-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

Topic, Please?

If you woke up tomorrow morning and were someone else, who would you hope to be?

There's the topic and here's some additional thoughts - it can be anyone, male or female, famous or not, dead or alive (but if you were to become them, you would not be dead) the only hard and fast rule is - you can't say you would stay yourself, because I am assuming we are all happy being who we are, so this is an question about who else we would want to be, not a time to assert how much we like where we are :)

All right Amy; Here goes-

Clint Black Lyrics for Put Yourslf in My Shoes

"...We have our differences

We're still the same

See what we want to see

But you take a second look

And maybe things wouldn't seem the same

If you could see what you mean to me

Chorus-

Put yourself in my shoes

Walk a mile for me

I'll put myself in your shoes

Maybe then we'd see

That if you put yourself in my shoes

You'd have some sympathy

And if I could only put myself in your shoes

I'd walk right back to me...

15 years and a few days ago, I was laying on a bed in a delivery room at Kaiser Hospital in Riverside. First child, my husband standing there with me while I am in pain, says to me "Do you know this song?" (It was country and my husband does NOT do country music -probably trying to divert my attention). So I listen for a minute to the television that was on and realize that it was Clint Black and he was singing the above written song! How ironic, don't you think? He then asked me the name of the song and when I responded I think he chuckled or maybe that was me!

So, in response to this question that Amy posed, I think I would have to say that I would like to be my husband. Not f-o-r-e-v-e-r, but for a day or so. I would love to be able to understand his thought process and feelings from his point of view. Can you imagine the help that would be to me, to us, to our family? Now, I am not saying that my husband is hard to understand or incomprehensible. It would just be great to KNOW where he is coming from, I mean for anyone, to have that knowledge of someone especially your husband would be just incredible.

Great question Amy-thank you! (My husband is the one on the right! he he he & the son I was delivering on the left- Grandpa in the middle)

2008-05-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Musings #6

Ladies, Welcome to blog boot camp! No more of this free verse. This week I want a sonnet! I'll take it easy on you in case your not in the habit of writing poetry, I'll let you pick the type of sonnet you write (I might suggest the Spenserian in honor of our founder). The theme of your sonnet should be potty training. Have fun! (as an alternative you can right a sonnet about one of the worst messes one or all of your children made.)

I have just recalled the day of whiteness.
My children were busy and so was I
The laundry washing, the dishes brightness
Just beginning the bathrooms with a sigh

What are the girls doing? I haven’t heard
A single sound, but I have been cleaning.
I’m finished with toilets, this is absurd
For surely they’re playing; that is the meaning.

Check on the girls- I hear a buzzer sound
The dryer? The washer? Quick do a change
Sydney is that you with powder around?
A spirit, a ghost, my you look so strange!

Surely this project you aren’t alone in
This art experiment… Hannah doth win!

2008-05-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hannah

They grow up so fast....

Sydney

Jacob

Tuesday Musings #5

What was/were your feelings or thoughts when you held your child/children for thefirst time?

I think the initial feeling was WHOA! My first was Jacob, 15 years ago but I still remember the relief of being finished with labor and also relief that he had all his fingers and toes. I remember just how beautiful he was even with his pasty skin. I know I cried. I think that when they placed him on my stomach is when I said to my husband “Just like in the movies…” not like TV or the theaters but the birthing videos you watch in Lamaze class. I know I thought “wow, this is the one who was kicking and moving my stomach around like crazy” Jacob was my biggest baby 7lbs 8 oz and my longest labor-2 hours and 50 minutes from when my water broke at home until I gave birth.
Hannah and Sydney were similar feelings, both beautiful reminders that I had special gifts on loan from a loving, Heavenly Father. Children are wonderful and scary and a blessing.

FINALLLY...

2008-05-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I am finally going to get to answer these questions I have asked.

I was born in Riverside, Ca at Riverside Community Hospital. We moved to Irving, Texas then Collinsville, Illinois and Springfield, Massachusetts. I have also lived in Manhattan/NYC (as a nanny) and Provo, Utah (BYU).
My earliest memory was when I was 3 years old. I was hit by a Police car while crossing the street to a friend’s house with my one and only ever in my life…kitten. I made it-the kitten didn’t! I remember 2 things; 1st riding in the police car to the hospital (I must have been unconscious at first) and then sitting on one of those metal counters in a hospital bathroom because I had to “go” in a cup. Funny, but I can see it in my head!
I had piano lessons for about 3 years when I was 9-11 years old. I wore on my Mom and probably was infectious because my sister and brother stopped taking lessons too. Did I mention I the oldest of nine kids? Sorry, really I am that I messed it up for everyone else. Oh and I played basketball JV & Varsity all 3 years of HS!
Ok, I need to ask permission before posting this but I am writing it out first then I will ask. I was 18, home from BYU for Christmas break & wasn’t going back because my grandparents were hit by a drunk driver and I might need to go live with my grandma in California to help her out. It was January and my sister had early morning seminary and my parents were in Ca with my grandparents. My sister was 16, I guess but only had a permit (if that I can’t remember). I just know that she couldn’t drive yet. I let her take the car to seminary in the am for at least 2 weeks and she would pick up two brothers each am and drop them back home afterward. We lived about 4-5 miles from the Seminary teacher’s house and did I mention that it was winter in Massachusetts? Yikes! What was I thinking? I am so glad now that nothing happened to her or either of the boys! OOO and allt he other people on the road!
My Mom has been THE example of patience and self sacrifice as well as an example of a follower of Christ. I have the patience, some of the self sacrifice and I try really hard to be a good example of a follower of Christ. I think she taught all of this through many things but the one I remember most is through her example of visiting the temple. I hope/wish to follow her in this example even though I have not been as diligent as I should. Thank you Mom! Love you-

AHHHHHHHHH!!!

2008-05-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

I just spent 20-30 minutes writing my response to my own questions for this:

Tuesday Musings # 4

Where did you grow up/live as you grew up up until the present? What is your earliest memory and how old were you? Did you play piano or musical instrument at all or sports in high school or were you the studious type? Is there anything that you did that you think your parents didn't know about(and remember they just might read this or your children could so be cautious).
In honor of Mother's Day...tell us something that you learned from your mother(step mother, grandmother) that you practice today and/or something that they did that you wish that you had started to do with your family or life. Remember wishes can come true!

I previewed it and then LOST THE WHOLE THING. I am bummed and too bummed to do it again right now-sorry AMY. I will try again tomorrow.

A DECIDELY DIFFERENT VIEW

2008-05-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

Josh, J.J. Jasen & Jacob 04/08

Even as kids reach adolescence, they need more than ever for us to watch over them.
Adolescence is not about letting go. It’s about hanging on during a very bumpy ride.

- Ron Taffe; Author

I found this today and it eclipsed my feelings in so many ways. Just Think about it!

Tuesday Musings #3

2008-05-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Idea: It has been said by many that there are specific and profound moments/decisions in your life that change you. They leave deep and indelible impressions and you are never the same again, whether for better or worse. Write about one of these moments in your life, how it changed you, and whether you consider yourself a better or worse person for it.

I am having real trouble with this one. I have made a lot of choices in my life just like everyone does, but I don't think there has been any one thing that really stands out. I have been thinking since Sunday night when I saw the advanced email for the topic. I even went to read Rebecca's and Emily's and see who else wrote but it didn't spark any lightning bolts here.

I thought about early morning seminary; I thought about elementary & high school & I continued to think about my family life growing up -brothers and sisters and sports and dating and being baptized and getting sealed to my husband for all eternity and my children being born, all 3 of their baptisms, jobs I have had like being a nanny, and even my appendicts operation(twice). I cannot find one distinct thing.

If there is anything specific I can't see it. I am happy with my life and maybe, just maybe, its just knowing that I am a Child of God AND letting that be my deciding weight in everything I do.

I would have to say that knowing that I am a Child of God has helped me throughout my life even if I wasn't making the right choices sometimes. It continually helps me to be a better person.

Tuesday Musings #2

2008-04-30T23:12:00.000-07:00

I guess I forgot that I should have explained last week that I have joined some fellow girlfriends(some I don't even know yet-but I am sure I will within the next few weeks) in a fun blogging activity. Last weeks was the job thingy and this weeks was really difficult for me. I don't think I am in creative mode & I don't know if I have one in this area but let's have a go at it!

Idea-Compose a crank letter (harmless, no threats of bodily harm) to a large company/public entity. Scan or copy-paste the letter into your blog.Mail off the letter. Post a response when and if you receive one!

Van de Kamp's Consumer Affairs
PO BOX 91000
Allentown, PA 18109

Dear Mr. "de Kamp",

I love Hot Dogs. I love them like Momma made; boiled for a few minutes and ripped from the pot wet and placed in the bun which then becomes soggy(ugh). I love the crustiness of the outside and soft juicy center when barbecued just right. I even love them in the microwave, inside a bun(makes the bun nice and chewy).

My all time favorite way to have a hot dog is split lengthwise and grilled in a frying pan with a small or large amount of butter. In order to fully complete a fried hot dog I need a really good hot dog bun. This is where Van de Kamp's comes in to the picture.

I purchase my hot dogs (or franks as they are sometimes called) in a package at almost any store. Each package contains 10 hot dogs no matter what I buy ie: Oscar Mayer, Ball Park, Farmer John, Jennie-O, Bar-S, etc.

My problem is that since approximately 30 years ago, I discontiued eating hot dogs straight out of the package-cold. I have grown up. NOW, I cannot seem to find the right amount of buns for my package of hot dogs.

I find 8 buns in a package or 16 buns in a package. This leaves me two buns short either way which leads to me purchasing 4 packages of hot dogs(40 dogs) and 5, 8-count packages of buns(40) at a time to get everythng nice and even and ,that my friend, is a little too many dogs in my fridge.

This problem is lop-sided and has been for years. Could you please help me and the rest of the hot dog eating world to put an end to this skewed purchasing and hence, storage problem?

Is it too much to ask for a 10-count package of buns? Or a 20 count package of buns? Is this a cost/return problem for your company or is this a conspiracy against the hot dog consumers of America? Are you sitting there in your high-backed ,black ,leather, office chairs on wheels, rolling around ,laughing your heads off because you sold us 2 less buns than we needed ?

My children ages 10 and 8 are quickly headed toward the eating of a hot dog on a bun, not naked out of the package! I will not stand for this injustice any longer. It will not continue on to the next generation. Please correct this concern immediately.

Thank you so much for your prompt attention to this negative matter(the negative being on your part and involving the 2 missing buns),

Waiting Patiently,

How many different jobs have I had and which one was my favorite?

2008-04-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

I read what the topic was supposed to be and thought about it all night. I kept remembering jobs I had that I had forgotten about. I guess I'll start at the beginning...I lived in Massachusetts growing up...

BABYSITTER-(frequently unpaid, at home, work)hee hee However, when I was 12, the $$$ came rolling in. I would have up to 3 jobs in one day. This paid for many things such as my girls camp, youth conference, new shoes, & boombox(yikes) Oh and CANDY which was my favorite to buy.
NEWSPAPER GIRL- I had and afternoon route that I would deliver after school, first on the 3 speed I got for Christmas but by the time I turned 13 I had purchased my own Royal blue and Light blue Huffy, 10 speed which I rode to school for the remainder of 8th and full 9th grade. Cha Ching!
SCHOOL LUNCH CASHIER- In 11th grade while still continuing to Babysit I worked at the school cafeteria during lunch which allowed me, I think $3 a hour(1 1/2 hours a day) 5 days a week for some extra cash- the paper route was out the door!
BUSGIRL/SALADGIRL- Theo's restaurant. This was fun but stinky too! My sister and I got jobs here together and we would work weekends(Fri & Sat) bussing tables(for which we split the waitresses graciously given basket of tips plus got minimum wage- who knows what? This was a Greek restaurant with Pizza/pasta also & Lobster. We ate so much heavy bread with garlic butter on it each night and downed it with Sprite from the soda fountain! If we were lucky, the cook would make us our own pizza to share while we cleaned up on Saturday nights. I never ate the the Lobster and I was scared of them because they kept them in the walk in fridge alive and if I was the salad maker that night I had to go in there often! Oh and the stinky was from the oil, garlic, peppercini's and feta cheese if you were the salad girl that night.
BYU CONCESSION STAND WORKER- I made it to Utah from Massachusetts. For Fall semester 1987 I worked in the food concessions at the Football stadium on the west side of the field. It was LOUD, I never got to see a game but it worked for what it was...a little cash for the extras away from home.
CANDY/NUT/SLUSH PUPPIE SELLER-Only those from the east coast will know that a Slush Puppy is NOT a ICEE. I came home from BYU because my grandparents were hit in a car accident and my parents needed to figure out everything with them(they were in Riverside, CA and we were in MA). I got a job at one of the fixtures in the mall selling CANDY and dried stuff and popcorn and Slush Puppies. This also became my diet for those next 8 weeks. Minimum wage at the time and all the popcorn, etc I could eat!
NANNY- no not NINNY! I needed a job to make money to go back to school and my grandparents had both passed away and my parents were in the process of moving back here to Riverside(I didn't really know that yetbut...) So someone in my ward knew someone in the Poughkeepsie Ward in New York that knew a Doctor(Spinal Surgeon) in NYC that needed a Nanny and so...I went to visit for a weekend and Feb 1 1988 I began work for Doctor Patrick F. O'Leary at his home at 1220 Park Ave #15B. He had 3 daughters ages 5, 3 and almost 1. I worked until January of 1989 when I headed WEST to Riverside, CA where my family had moved in my absence almost 9 months earlier. Oh! I was paid $150 cash a week for watching 3 girls from about 6pm til they went to bed and then walked the oldest to preschool in the am and I was free to do whatever after that. I usually went to work in the Doctor's office during the day where they would pay me $5/hour and buy lunch and would cut out at about 1pm to explore the city. Yes, I did visit the top of the WTC's. He was LDS and every other weekend we would got to his farm in upstate NY(Poughkeepsie) and I was able to meet the man who knew the guy in my ward that I heard about the job from in the first place!
RECEPTIONIST- It was my job in NYC at the Doctor's office that got me the job here in Riverside at Doctor Richard Bozner's Vision Lab downtown on Market St. I worked there from March of 1989 until January on 1991 when I decided it was time to head back to BYU. I think this was $6/hr.
RECEPTIONIST- April 1991(that didn't last long) I returned to Riverside to seek my previous job but it wasn't available any longer. They did however get me a job with an Opthalmalogist around the corner as a receptionist but I hated it because it was so small an office, not very busy and alot of older slow people. PLUS I would get paid and the secretary would tell me to run to the bank and Cash it quick because there might not be enough$$ to pay me if I waited!
RECEPTIONIST/OPTICAL DISPENSER- I went back to the Vision Lab and started to work there again as the receptionist but the Doctor wanted me to learn Optical Dispensing. I worked there until March 3rd, 1998 the exact day Hannah was born! Let's see so I guess that's the longest job I had, almost 10 years in total and I learned so much. I fit frames, bought frames, taught people how to wear contact lenses(hard and soft), ordered peoples glasses and contacts, etc. If I needed a job right away I would think about it again. I was making $11/hr when I quit. That was 10 years ago!
TOYS R US CASHIER- Mike and I thought I could earn a little extra money one year if I got a job at Toys R us for Christmas time. I think it was 2001. That job was crazy. I was always busy so it was great but I worked like a dog! A handful of mornings+ I got out after 2am and a few were 4am. I would start work at 5pm! It was also at this time...
DAYCARE INHOME- I began watching a little girl m-f from 9-4 for 100$ a week it was the same time I worked at Toys R Us for awhile. That didn't last long.
EBAY SELLER- Dropped the daycare and Toys R Us and sold on ebay lots of stuff- still do this is a continuing extra fun I have but not alot recently!
DAYCARE HELPER-Well back to the kids! I have all my own children in school full time and a friend says"Why don't you come work for me?" I said "Well, I don't know, not sure I can be a disciplinarian so well and I might just play with them too much" She says well, "talk to Mike and see what he thinks". Mike says "give it a go!" So I have been working at my friend Kelly's house Mondays- Fridays ,8:30am til 12:30pm, while my kids are at school and it been 1 1/2 years now. I have become much better at discipline but I still play with the kids all the time. I really like my part time job.

GOSH, is that enough already???? I can't wait to read all the others' entries!

Which way did he go?

2008-03-06T15:44:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

2008-01-27T13:12:00.000-08:00

So Last Friday the 18th Mike and I took the girls to Disneyland after school/work.
If you have see Monsters Inc- you can really appreciate this picture of.......
Not bad, huh. Hannah took it. I am still not with the program on this blog thing maybe next time the words will match the pictures!
So since Mike had his picture taken I had to too! We saw the Electrical Parade in California Adventure and rode Soarin' Over California, which is probably my favorite ride in that park. By far, my favorite in Disneyland is Buzz Lightyear! I have only made it to Level 4, which is a "scout" but Jacob has hit Level 5 and is trying for 6 next time, I'm sure.

Hannah and Sydney outside the Art Studio area(Cal Adventure). They are showing a huge assortment of Snow White Art that they just had donated or purchased from a collector and its really neat.

So, you are wondering...where is Jacob? Well he IS 14 and decided to stay home, go to a
movie with a friend(Jasen) and relax because he had a soccer tournament the next day in Santa Ana. Jacob plays goalie for the freshman team, as you can see in this picture. He is the one on the ground!
This is the first year that his high school has had a freshman team, although I would have called it a club because they had only 4 or 5 games and a couple of tournaments. Next year the high school is switching leagues because Arlington HS is a smaller HS(2000 students) compared with some of the other HS's in Riverside. All of the other HS's in the new league are supposed to have freshman teams.

2007-12-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to ALL!

2007-12-26T14:29:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to You 2007!

Well another year has flown by and our family has been busy. “With what?” you ask. How kind of you!

Michael- Still working at Corona Clipper however he is now part of the IT department and very excited to be learning new information. He is not the Scoutmaster any longer but helps with keeping the scouts progressing and is an Assistant Ward Financial Clerk at church. He has recently taken to photography, his newest hobby. He is really good, too. It is relaxing and fun (he loves to photograph the kids at all their activities). He has a Flickr.com account where he posts his pics. You can find it by entering our email address (meza352@charter.net) in the “find a member” area of flickr.

Kristin- I am still trying to be “my kids’ Mom”. I started “working” (I call it playing) at my friend Kelly’s house last Oct, just over a year ago, for a couple of hours each morning while my kids are at school. I really like it because (1) Kelly and I get along real well & (2) didn’t I say- I get to play with kids! Since she calls it work, she pays me to Play there! I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). I started having these aches in my fingers, wrists & knees everyday & finally got o see a rheumatologist who tested & said, “Yes, you have RA.” I was relieved because I thought that I was just getting old.

Jacob, 14-HS freshman, early morning seminary student, ASB Freshman Class Treasurer, freshman football player, freshman soccer goalie, and Honor student (Bio, Alg 2 and Lit). Need I say more? This boy is busier than Mike and I combined, ever were, in HS. He is adjusting and doing well. He has completed all scouting with the exception of His Eagle Scout service project, which has been approved and will hopefully be finished before his 15th birthday in May. He stands just maybe ¼” shorter than his father & we don’t think that will last too much longer. Braces were another adjustment this past year. Ahh…the joys of youth!

Hannah, 9 1/2-Hannah loves to learn. She is in the 4th grade this year & excelling in all subjects. One of her favorites is dance, which her 4th grade teacher finds the time to teach as part of PE. Hannah has learned meringue, foxtrot, waltz, rumba, swing, tango and who knows what else. She even dances with…b-o-y-s! She can’t wait ‘til next year when she can go to 5th & 6th grade dance club after school. Her school had a writing contest & she submitted a story. Her story was chosen from the 3rd grade entries to be made into a skit & then the school surprised the kids in an assembly by having a professional company come in & perform the skits. Boy was she surprised to see her story come to life! She is continuing with piano lessons and has played for our Ward Primary Program and our Ward Christmas Party. She has developed a fondness for L.P.S. (Littlest Pet Shop) figures that have little bobble-heads. She also loves Club Penguin online.

Sydney-Sydney just turned 8 years old on the 16th of Dec. She is in the 2nd grade (one of the oldest in her class). She is looking forward to being baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints(Mormons) in the next month. Sydney is a real lover of animals. She continues to ask for a horse each year. Sydney will play any sport that you teach her. She has played on a soccer team and a basketball team and now is waiting for golf lessons to start as well as soccer- again! Sydney was Student of the Month 2 times this past year. When I was pregnant with Sydney, Michael used to say, “I hope this one likes to snuggle”. Boy, did he get his wish! Sydney is always around to give you a hug or a kiss or both, when you need it.

We love living here in Riverside. We are close to Mike’s parents and my parents. All of his siblings live here, too. My siblings are dispersing throughout the US. I only have 3 brothers in CA with 2 of them here in Riverside. Since September of 2006 until Sept of 2007 we acquired 6 new nieces/nephews on my side of the family and 1 great niece on Mike’s side of the family.

We vacationed around home this year with a few short trips. San Diego/Sea World for a weekend at the Hyatt in the Bay. We could see the Sea World fireworks every night from our Hotel room. Since we were so clos,e we went to Ensenada & on the way back ate lobster! Our next trip was to Palm Springs so we could understand what 120 degrees feels like (don’t ask). We also have visited Anaheim, where we were able to get annual passes to Disneyland & have loved being able to become more familiar with Buzz Lightyear of Star Command & found out e that Hannah is the daredevil in the family because she will ride the California Screamin Roller coaster at Disney’s California Adventure by herself, multiple times, as well as the Tower of Terror!
We would love to hear from everyone. Our email address is above and our blog is mkmezafamily@blogspot.com, we are not good at it yet but its coming!

Our wishes are sent to you & your family for Peace and Hope of a new and better year to come, always.

Love, the Meza FamilyMichael, Kristin, Jacob, Hannah and Sydney

2007-11-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

OK, This is my first time trying this blog thing.

Yes, I know I am slow but just wait til the next time you see this page!

Mike played hooky with Hannah and Sydney a week or so ago, just before Halloween. They had alot of fun and even made it on the "Finding Nemo" ride for the first time with only a 45 minute wait as opposed to a 1 & 1/2 hour wait.

Oh I am so excited about blogging. I love to see everyone and keep up with the family now that we are spreading out in location across the US.

See you next time!