NO EXPECTATIONS / NO DISAPPOINTMENTS...

I've been thinking about that statement ever since my friend, Carol, mentioned it in an email recently.

If you think about it this really makes a whole lot of sense.

Next week we'll be going to Utah for Taylor Bingham's wedding. He is our second grandson to be married and has been the single twin until now.

I have really been looking forward to this time, the excitement of a temple wedding, and also because we'll be seeing several of our "out of state" grandkids at the same time.

Now since I am one to have preconcieved ideas about things, it would be very easy for me to dream up plans that simply won't occur.

Along with seeing Taylor, Katie, Riley, Megan, Landon, Collin and Draper we are also looking forward with pleasure to seeing our granddaughter, Megan Taylor, too.

SO, it's just that having NO EXPECTATIONS seems like a really sensible way to go.

Since last September the only one of these grandkids we have seen is Landon - and that was sheer heaven for me ...

Still I'm sticking to my latest motto - all the way! - and it's about time I did, don't you think?!! xoxoxo

I have been reading Daughter of Iraq MAYADA by Jean Sasson...

This is a book for our times.

As we prepare for another presidential election at the end of this year, it might behoove each of us to get a better understanding about this war we have waged in Iraq.

Mayada addresses things with which we can not possibly relate. To begin to understand the life of an Iraqi woman - of any class - is to realize we don't comprehend a thing about her/their culture whatsoever.

It is a book well worth reading . . . if you have the stomach for the reality of one woman's survival under Saddam Hussein.

Lovely Americans - we are so completely blessed!!

The Stake meeting at MVHS was HOT...

I do mean the temperature was sizzling . . . I don't think the air was working very well.

We had Elder Child ( a seventy) & Elder(?) Tingey presiding over the change of presidency and both men are very personable.

Our new Stake president is from the Warnick's ward out in Coto de Caza - anyone surprised? - and his name is Sterling Brennan. He will be a good stake prez.

Jim Carter and Peter Vidmar are the counselors - Peter being a former 3x Olympic Gold medalist for gymnastics some number of years ago. Peter is currently the bishop of his ward...

The outgoing president and his counselors were very solemn as this release came because our current President (Woffinden) was called to serve a role as legal counselor in Brazil for 3 years.

Look for him to be a seventy sometime in the future...perhaps 3 years.

Have a great week!

We are getting a new Stake President tomorrow!

We have known all of our stake presidents' since our very early days in the church.

This time I can't predict who will be the Lord's pick.

There are so many worthy people in our area. In fact our Newport Beach temple is the busiest small temple in the church.

We are truly fortunate to become so close to those we work with on our shift, in this lovely temple, and to be known by the temple presidency as individual workers.

How I do love weekends, our service in the temple, plus the Sabbath day for worship.

What brings greater joy than this?

A temple sealing is always wonderful...

This morning I met Duncan at the Newport Beach LDS Temple and we attended the sealing of Laura Elizabeth Robertson, age 4, to her parents, Tania & Kent.

All five of Laura's siblings were in attendance.

Laura probably won't remember this day, but her 4 brothers and older sister will! It was a memorable experience and while Laura was quite timid about all of the attention she was receiving - she looked like an absolute angel.

Once again it was confirmed to me how fortunate we are, as a people, to have the sealing ordinances upon the earth. I recollected the time that 4 of our children were sealed to us. Later a 5th, Gregory, was sealed to us, upon reaching the age of twenty-one.

I can see those two days in my mind's eye, as if they happened yesterday. How thankful I am to know these children have the gift of exaltation . . . depending upon the wishes and desires of their hearts.

I sure do value the temple ordinances with all of my heart!

NOTHING ages you more quickly than your kids ~ unless it's your grandkids...

Today when I was VT with my friend, Faye, she remarked that her oldest granddaughter is thirty. Having twin grandsons, the ripe old age of 23, I suddenly realized I am old enough to be a GRANDMOTHER to many of the members of our ward family.

I instantly remembered that one son has already celebrated his 48th birthday this year ~ taking over that coveted age I have imagined myself being for about 18 years!!

But just to keep this in perspective our dear old friend, Phil Remington - 20 years Duncan/poppy's senior - is still working a fulltime job and building tables, cabinets, and gardening in his free time.

What I realize from all of this is that we are only as old as we feel!! HOWEVER... looking old is no longer an option anymore.

A wedding invitation at last...

I know it was finals time at BYU, but still I feel better to have something in writing re: Taylor & Katie's marriage. I've told everyone they DO have a wedding date, but I like having it backed up by facts.

The fact is we are going and are looking forward to 'reunions' of sorts with everyone in Utah. Katie is a really sweet gal and I'm hopeful some of our family members will have an opportunity to meet her.

WHO those family members might be remains an unknown for the moment.

Also coming up is CA family afternoon, Sunday May 4th, at Grammy's & Poppy's in celebration of the May birthdays. Poppy's is Cinco de Mayo so I think we'll give it a Mexican theme.

Bakers' will be celebrating in Georgia - or on the way back!! Have fun at your own reunion of sorts!!

OKAY, Greg, you want letters ~ I'll give you a few...

A is for ATTITUDE
B is for BORING
C is for CUTTING
D is for DOROTHY
E is for EXCELLENT
F is for FAILING
G is for GREGORY

Need I go on? ...

Xclamation
Y do you ask?
Z for the middle of Heather's last name.

Now I'm finished playing these games...
Tell me what are your favorite names?

I'm waiting for the letters we are supposed to be doing this month...

A you're adorable
B you're so beautiful
C your the center of my life...

Or is it the alphabet song?

A love letter; a "dear John"
or even a business letter.

No one has yet explained.

I hope this is a stellar week!

TONIGHT IS THE FULL MOON!

Full moons are very significant to Sydney and Jason. They went on a cruise and snuck out to see the full moon. They have been looking at a lot of full moons since they began dating 3 years ago.

All day long Sydney has been worrying about Heather, whom she is sure has been acting up because of that full moon. Could be, but we've not heard anything - yet.

Taylor and Katie are getting married, all the family IS invited, but so far no invitations have been sent. The date is Saturday, May 10th ... in Bountiful, Utah!

The Sunday before we will be having a May birthday celebration at our house. Dinner about 3pm. Birthdays include Duncan/Poppy, Oliver & Andrea - anyone else I've forgotten?

G & K - we sure wish you and the cherry blossom gang could be here for this one!!

All for tonight...

Another night at the temple . . .

I really do love Saturdays because we work in the temple late afternoon and we mostly hang out at home getting ready.

Today Duncan/dad decided we should go out for breakfast and we managed to get to Bagels n' Brew about noon!!!

That was our meal for the day because we can't eat later and stay awake for the 6 hours we need to be alert.

Tonight we were able to chat with Hoa and Richard Lattitier - Theresa's parents - who were leaving as we were coming on duty. It's always such a treat to see them and feel their very special spirit!

Church comes early in the day so I am ready to turn off and turn in...

Have a wonderful Sabbath day - it will be a real day of rest for us!

Isabelle is TWO!! Happy Birthday, IZZY!!!

I am probably not making it for Isabelle's birthday . . . it seems to becoming a habit with me!!

I, like Theresa have the card in my purse . . . now why didn't I put it in a postbox you may ask?

I have no idea . . . I've been mailing it all week.

Thank goodness she isn't quite aware of how tardy her grandparents can be about birthdays; we'll try to call tomorrow when the three of us are together!

I'm looking forward to photos from her dad and I sure do wish her mom was blogging like she did in March!!

Much love to the littlest "C.B.s" and her family!! XO Grammy

It's almost Friday again!!!

Now what on earth happened to this past week?!

I hope it was something earth shaking at least.

Sydney awoke at 4:30am yesterday morning and asked her dad if he survived the earthquake, okay?

Seems she read in the OC Register that SHE should be prepared for a 7.0 earthquake - sometime in the next 36 years - and she managed to convince herself it would be yesterday morning and her dad would be part of it.

I told her if she is going to be predicting earthquakes for the next 36 years, birthdays will have to go!!

No earthquake talk today, thank heaven.

AND ... you thought you had things to worry about, eh?

Our Enrichment Night Activity was interesting...

It was entitled "Getting the Bugs OUT of your marriage!!"

I took copious notes . . .

Not for myself, of course, but for those newlyweds still entertaining the idea of living happily every after, just like Cinderella - or was that Snow White?!

I also learned that from a man's perspective I've got a long, long way to go!!

And here I thought I was to the "enduring to the end" part of my life...

At least I've got the "put on your make up so HE doesn't have to see you in your dirty PJ's (after a hard day around the house)" part down pretty well.

(THEY didn't address the "coming home from work and putting on that same blue shirt HE's been wearing daily for years" part of the discussion, however...)

It's the hugging and kissing part that has me slightly boggled - particularly after HE says "you're something else, all right," several times in a row.

Nonetheless I do look forward to HIS homecoming every single day ~ and I always will.

WE must be doing "something" right, after all.

Happy Birthday, Nicole!!

Today is my niece, Nicole's birthday. Nicole is now 26!!

In 4 more days it will be Isabelle's 2nd birthday - good grief!!

Will any one get a card on time, this year?

May brings Dad's "Cinco de Maya" birthday,

followed by Oliver's 7th - on the 7th

AND ... Andrea's on the 12th.

OH, and don't forget; Taylor & Katie's sealing on May 10th in the Bountiful Temple!

Happy Days ~ to one and ALL!!

Today was "fast & testimony" Sunday for us...

As our bishop stood before us today he said they'd "had a plumbing problem the past few months and the leaks seemed to continue still" . . .

Of course he was referring to the loss of their 4 year old son - on the 1st day of 2008 - and the countless tears they have shed over the past few months.

This caused me to reflect about how lucky our family really is. We have certainly had our share of challenges, but many goals have been accomplished, too.

Jason was baptized earlier this month - much to Sydney's joy.

Our Meg appears happy - and, as always, beautiful - and her family seems to be enjoying her visits home so very much.

Gregory,II will be leaving home for college in the fall and Collin almost has one year of college underhis belt; at the ripe old age of eighteen!

Ben was accepted to Campbell Hall, thus guaranteeing that his family will stay in LA for the next year, at least!

Webb was reunited with Ryan, his 19 year old son and Seth, Denise and family had a barbecue at his home in Kihei, Maui this weekend.

Taylor is marrying in the month of May - I hope we ALL are invited soon!

Megan (& Riley) suffered an early miscarriage this month...

Craig and Debbie have Craig's mom living with them in Oregon

AND ~ another month is half way over - before it has seemed to begin!

I am learning what it means to "endure to the end." My patience may be sorely tested, but only because I am finding it increasingly difficult to MULTI-TASK as I have always done in the past.

The mind is slowing; pray it doesn't quit on me all together.

Have a nice week... xo

The midnight hour . . .

In about two minutes it's the midnight hour.

That means I have 7 hours to sleep before I must get up and off to church.

One day pretty much runs into another around here. There is always something going on.

The temple was pretty slow tonight, but always brings me a whole lot of pleasure.

Have a wonderful Sabbath day, ya'll.

A day late, like everything else ~ Happy 18th birthday, COLLIN!!

We did call Collin and the answer machine came back on at the end of our serenade! (Maybe the song never recorded, but we sure hope it did!)

Some folks - like Aleks - never get their birthday song from us at all.

Can you tell the old minds are breaking down just a bit?!!

Every year I say I will be "on time" or early for each birthday.

So happy birthday to all coming up in May - ahead of time!!

That is Dad/poppy, Oliver, Andrea and Grandma Brown, too...

Nicole is the only April birthday still to come.

Happy birthday everyone!!!

Webb is off to Maui today!

It almost seems like a dream ~ having Webb here for 3 whole days!

Tuesday night he had a great reunion with his son, Ryan. Webb was overjoyed with all the emotions one might feel having reconnected with a son he has not seen in many years...

Yesterday he went back for more and this morning he is having breakfast with Ryan once again.

What began as a chance layover in CA - to see the folks - has become a good father & son reunion which will only grow with time.

He'll be missed here in southern Orange County, but he has found another part of his soul in Brea, for sure.

Have a wonderful journey home to Cindy, now, Webster . . . XO Mom

WELCOME BACK, WEBB!!

While working in GA may not be the most perfect place in the world, Webb sure was enjoying working with such fine exotic wood from Brazil.

The wood did not like him, however, and he ended up a big swollen, itchy, blotchy mess! Why he has sacs under the sacs under his eyes!!

His skin is cracked and peeling all over his face - not unlike a person with bad burns and scars on his face.

An allergic reaction sent him on his way, long before his job was finished!

That reaction forced him to start home early and with a layover in LA, he was able to fit in a few days with his folks in Orange County!

Seeing him is so wonderful - Denise, Seth and the kids came by to visit with him and also to play some WII.

They will be having a barbecue with Webb & Cindy next weekend in Maui!! Lucky them!

Nice surprises like this I could use more often!!

CONFERENCE WEEKEND and the gang was here...

We've had an enjoyable weekend and somehow managed to see quite a bit of General Conference as well! This is amazing in itself since Andrea, Chris and the kids have been here this weekend and therefore so have Denise, Seth and their kids!

Denise, Seth and the kids found themselves without tickets to Hawaii with the shutdown of ATA. Fortunately Denise's parents came to the rescue and they will be off to Maui on Tuesday!

I always LOVE any opportunity I have to spend with the CA grandkids and this weekend was no exception! The latest thrill of the week is SKATEBOARDING and I have some pictures to prove it.

So while family members spent two days enjoying the parks in Aliso Viejo and Foothill Ranch I was able to spend that time watching conference! There was such a sweet spirit on Saturday AM ... as the 16th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was sustained.

The messages from the speakers were right on target, which was no surprise. I look forward to reading on the internet, those talks I unfortunately missed.

Having family around that are not active members of our church certainly limited our discussions about speakers we really felt hit our marks - but we will utilize FHE for that.

Sydney watched all of today and 2 hours yesterday! Hurray for her!!!

Coming tomorrow . . . Webb's visit to his CA family!! xo

IT'S HERE..."sky rockets"... Happy 47th Birthday, GREG!!!

It's really hard to believe . . . you have dispaced me from my 'almost' favorite age! My first choice was 42, but then I had to age a little bit and so 47 was very comfortable ~ and - for a long, long time!

We are throwing a birthday party for you tonight at Fuddrucker's... I'm sorry you can't be there!!

Maybe Theresa, Kevin and the kids will remember our weekly, Friday night at Fuddruckers, since they are footloose and fancy free this week!

Enjoy your artichokes sometime this weekend ... if you ever find the time!!

It's your day - thoroughly enjoy it, no matter what you do!! XO Mom

FRIDAY, the fourth, is coming!!!

Did you ever think ARTICHOKES ... dripping in butter, each leaf, succulent, and the heart filled with amazing taste that has been enhanced with garlic?!

The bigger the ARTICHOKE, the more you have to enjoy!!!

I think this might be an ARTCHOKE weekend, coming up!

I don't know why exactly, except tomorrow is the FOUTH - of April - and YOU know what that means!!

ARTICHOKES, ARTICHOKES, ARTICHOKES!!

I missed April 1st . . . HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARGARET!

Yesterday morning Sydney awakened me extra early telling me she thought there was someone in the house downstairs. I looked at the clock and told her "It's probably your dad!"

But no, he'd already left for work. So I tiptoed over to our bedroom door and closed and locked it - only to remember it was April 1st!!!

The day didn't progress any better. I had a smoothie Duncan made and left in the fridge and a couple of hours later my stomach started to curdle . . . that which was within at least, and so so it went all night.

You don't suppose Duncan packed that smoothie with an extra wallop of sour milk, in celebration of the day? Actually I'm quite sure it was just a 24 hour flu.

I hope everyone else's month began better...