A. Person (and Family)

A Visit to the Behling's

2011-08-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

San Diego & San Clemente

2011-04-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Ben was chosen to help with letting the pigeons out!

The butterfly exhibit at the Safari Park was beautiful!
Daphne and I went separate ways from the rest of the family for a little while, and she really wanted to go on this spinning ride. I was so happy to hear that she wouldn't mind riding it by herself, because there was no way I was getting on! I can thoroughly enjoy just about any big roller coaster, but these tea-cup type rides just make me sick!
The boys don't look too happy because they got SOAKED by the dolphins in the "Blue Horizons" show at SeaWorld. It wasn't a very warm day... Later in the afternoon we were all happy to sit a little farther back for the Shamu killer whale show.

Feeding fish to the very loud sea lions:

Ben was a bit disappointed by the lack of roller coasters, but I guess the Elmo ride was better than nothing! He is SO ready for Magic Mountain!

After San Diego we spent the weekend in San Clemente with our good friends the Cranney family. They used to live in Clovis but moved a few years ago. We sure have missed them and it was such a treat to spend time with them again!

Cameron Turns 8!!

2011-02-26T18:06:00.000-08:00

Cameron had such a special birthday this year! On the 12th of February he turned 8 and it just happened to work out that he could be baptized in Sacramento with his cousin Leah who also turned 8 that week. It was a real treat to have just family gathered for their baptism. Cameron was baptized by his Grandpa Fisher and confirmed by his Great-Grandpa Fisher. After the baptism we all celebrated Cameron and Leah's birthdays by having a little party in Folsom. Cameron had a blast and it was even more awesome because his best friend Reese came along with us!

Our 2010 Christmas Holiday

2011-01-06T14:07:00.001-08:00

For Christmas we flew to South Carolina to spend the holiday with the Person Clan in Charleston. Flying with 3 children went quite a bit more smoothly than expected, and FYI, getting through security takes longer if you have Play-Doh in your carry-on. Our bag full of carefully packed Christmas gifts had to be unloaded so that the Play-Doh could be run through the scanner by itself and swabbed for explosive material. But don't you feel safer because of that?

We had such a good time Tom and Jenn and Connor's house, (which looked so pretty with all the lights!) We toured some of the Charleston sights, ate sticky finger BBQ, and simply enjoyed each others company, and I even took a little bit of time to myself for photography.
Many many thanks to Bill and Molly for making the whole trip possible!

Of course we had to spend some time with Fisher relatives in Folsom before going home. We bowled, we geocached, we rollerskated...

2010 Review

2011-01-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

I've been terrible at updating the blog for the last few months. I am determined to be more productive this spring! But for now, here's my late Christmas letter:

OK, it’s that time again! A brief look back at 2010; another year gone by! This year began with a trip to San Francisco for our 12^th anniversary. Eric and I had a blast revisiting many of our favorite places for food, views, and dancing. Then a few weeks later Eric had a week-long conference there so I just had to tag along. I was able to freely wander the city with camera in hand, and shoot photos to my heart’s content. In June I was thrilled to be able to attend the CSU Summer Arts photography workshop again and thoroughly stretched my brain in completely new directions relating to photojournalism and book-making. The biggest change for me this year has been the fact that all 3 kids are in school full-time, and I have to admit that I enjoyed the fall quite a bit! I read books, watched movies, enjoyed lunches with Eric and/or friends, and even exercised! I love my kids more than I can say, but I do enjoy having more time to myself. Now, with the beginning of the new year, I am anxious to start being more productive and have quite a long list of things I would like to accomplish!

Eric is chugging along with teaching at Fresno State and is finally learning the art of office politics. Fortunately, he loves the teaching part enough to be able to tolerate the politics, and I am so impressed with all he does for his students. Somehow this year he ended up with a research group comprised entirely of girls. I’m not sure what to make of that! He is solidly building a reputation for being a fantastic teacher and a trustworthy advisor.

Ben turned 10 this year, and now has bigger feet than I do. He is growing like a weed, hates his braces, is doing well in 5^th grade, and loves to read fantasy books. He is now a blue/black belt in karate, and loves his advanced classes and weapons training. For his birthday we spent a day at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and he was on such a high from its pure awesomeness! He definitely inherited his dad’s scientific brain. He just finished the year with a great Lego Robotics competition. His team, with Eric as their coach, placed 12^th out of about 95 teams, not too shabby!

Cameron turned 7 this year and is in 2^nd grade. He is also now a blue/black belt in karate and getting stronger all the time. This has turned out to be a year of major growth physically and mentally. He has had to work hard on becoming more independent and having more confidence in his own abilities. School academics have been tough, but he’s making progress. He makes my heart melt because he just loves people and animals, especially babies and small furry animals. So we decided to get him a hamster for his birthday (despite my desire to NOT have furry critters in the house) and he named her “Beautiful”. In October Cameron managed to fracture his elbow while playing at school, and became the first member of the family to have a cast. Fortunately, it wasn’t a serious brake and he only had his super-cool-glow-in-the-dark cast for 3 weeks.

Daphne is now 6 and in 1^st grade. She is in love with anything sparkly, pink, cute or pretty. Oh, and I can’t leave out horses and ponies. She wishes and dreams about us having a bigger house on more land so that she could have her own REAL ponies. I’m afraid she will have to remain heartbroken! She has joined her brothers in Martial Arts this year and has no trouble at all keeping up with all those boys.

As a family we enjoyed a Fisher family reunion in the gorgeous redwoods of northern California, a relaxing stay at the Donner Lake cabin that included a pony camp for Daphne and Cameron, and horseback riding for me and Ben. This year we were thrilled to be able to share Thanksgiving with all the Fisher family in Folsom, and Christmas with the Person family at Tom, Jenn and Conner’s home in South Carolina.

All in all, it has been a very good year. We are all together and healthy, the way we should be!

1st Day of School

2010-08-24T10:35:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the 1st day of school and the first day of all 3 kids being in school full-time. So yes, it was a big day for everyone! The kids all love their teachers and classes, and reuniting with old friends. And what did I do all day? Not much! I decided to just take it easy and relax on my first day of being home alone for hours! I exercised, napped, watched one of my favorite shows, and had lunch with Eric. I have a huge list of things to do, but I couldn't resist spending the day doing whatever I wanted!

Vacation Part III: Donner

2010-08-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't done part II yet. Soon. After San Francisco and camping in the redwoods we stayed with Bill & Molly in their cabin at Donner Lake. We kayaked, conoed, searched for and discovered geo-caches, Daphne and Cameron attended a pony camp while Ben and I did a horseback ride, kids experienced the joy of a speed boat for the first time, and after 15 years I tried to water-ski (and failed miserably!). Eric, however, popped right up on his first try. I think my body is not as strong and lean as it used to be!

Vacation Part I: San Francisco

2010-08-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

For Ben's 10th birthday Bill & Molly treated us (+ cousin Alex) to San Francisco to experience the awesomeness known as the Exploratorium.

Ben was using this device to make my whole face disappear except for my mouth. This kind of stuff make my brain hurt!
The musical bench only plays music if 2 people sit on it, hold hands, and put their other hand on an armrest. The music stops if any of those connections are lost. Too cool.
The Shadow Box was a huge favorite. The experience is to dark to properly capture with a camera, but those of you who have been there know how cool it is!
The echo tube:
Then we spent the afternoon at the Children's Playground in Golden Gate Park.
Then to Ocean Beach.
I love San Francisco... What an amazing place!

The Boss

2010-07-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

I made this slide show for a project at the workshop I've been attending at Fresno State. Ben was a good sport! I spent hours and hours creating this 90 second piece. But it turned out pretty good!

My Dad in 1968

2010-06-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick view of my dad performing in an NCAA Gymnastics competition in 1968. He just found out last year that this video existed, and it's the first time I've seen him doing what I often heard about. Well, I do remember the occasional aerial or flip or splits while I was growing up. But I love seeing this performance!

Science in 1st Grade

2010-06-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

1st graders get so excited about cool science stuff! I enjoyed watching Eric volunteer in Cameron's class this morning to teach them about the different phases of matter and how they change. Here's a glimpse of how it went:

Mother's Day Family Photo

2010-05-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

Every Mother's Day I try to get a family photo. My expectations are generally quite low because I always just set up the tripod and no one is behind the camera. But this year wasn't as bad as usual. Kids were feeling considerably more cooperative (Mother's Day is the best day to ask for cooperation!), and I didn't have to spend too much time with PhotoShop!

San Francisco

2010-03-26T18:13:00.001-07:00

Yep, we had another trip to San Francisco. This time Eric had to be there for a conference so I spent a bunch of time on my own wandering the city and shooting TONS of photos. This first one is just about a block away from the Grant Plaza Hotel (where we stayed this time) in the heart of China Town.

My first time ever going to China Beach. What a magnificent view of the Golden Gate!

At long last we attended a REAL show with live people on stage and a live orchestra in the pit! Wicked was so much fun. What a clever story.

My college room-mate and good friend Charlene met us at Alamo Square Park. It was so great to catch up with her (after about 8 years)!

Specialty's is BY FAR one of my most favorite places in San Francisco. The BEST sandwiches made with fresh-in-store-baked bread, and their cookies are to-die-for! I highly recommend a visit. They are located in the financial district, and therefore only open Monday through Friday, so we were not able to go last time we came to the city on a weekend. This time we took full advantage and ate there at least 4 times.

I also toured the King Tut exhibit at the De Young Museum, paid the $5 for a cable car ride, explored the Hyde Street Pier, enjoyed the Japanese Tea Garden, shopped for kids clothes and new sandals for me, and wandered in no particular direction thoroughly enjoying the people-watching. I attended church on Sunday in the building where I used to go and was happy to see a familiar face. Cynthia Woo was our fantastic Gospel Essentials teacher during the time when Eric was investigating the church.

So check out my Photography blog soon to see the photos that I've been working on just for practice and for fun.

Future Chemist??

2010-02-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

On our way home from Sacramento Eric was grading a huge stack of exams and Ben was bored (apparently!) and wanted to try his best on this Fresno State Chemistry test. Eric said he earned 2 points for writing his name clearly at the top, and he got 5 points for #11. So hey, not bad huh? A total of 7 points out of 100. Ben was thrilled that he got more than 0%! Some of his answers just crack me up.

Cameron's 7th Birthday

2010-02-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

February 12th was Cameron's 7th birthday. I'm so happy to see him growing so healthy and strong after such a shaky beginning! All he wanted to do for his birthday was have a play date at the park with his two best buddies Christian and Reese. How's that for simple and inexpensive! His grandma and grandpa Person came for the week end, too.

For each birthday I always try to make some kind of special cake, and this year Cameron asked me to make him a foosball cake (after seeing a picture of one on the computer). It seemed simple enough, with very clear instructions, so here's how it turned out. By the way, the players are gummy bears, one of Cameron's all time favorite candies.

But the highlight of his birthday was his new little pet hamster. I always thought I would never have any pets in the house other than fish, but Cameron absolutely adores little furry things so I caved. Some friends of ours had just announced a week or two ago that they had 10 new baby hamsters they were trying to find homes for, and we thought that was the PERFECT gift for Cameron. We bought all the stuff for the hamster and had Cameron unwrap one thing at a time along a treasure hunt around the house until the last clue led him to the car. Eric and I took him over to our friend's house so that he could pick out his favorite one and give it a name (without Ben and Daphne pestering him!). He chose the only solid white hamster which happened to also be the smallest. After a few examinations it was decided that it most likely is a girl, and Cameron decided that her name would be "Beautiful".

Naturally, Daphne and Ben are now wondering when they will get to have one, too!

San Francisco

2010-01-18T15:02:00.001-08:00

13 years ago Eric asked me to dance in a big crowd of swing dancers jumpin' to the tunes of a couple of our favorite local bands playing at a place called Bimbo's 365 Club (not a strip joint, I assure you!) and the rest, as they say, is history. 12 years ago, exactly 1 year after we met, we were married. This weekend we took a long stroll down memory lane and remembered just how much we love San Francisco. Well, there are a few things we don't miss, like the fact that you have to turn right 3 times to make a left turn, and you have to circle blocks for quite a while to find a parking spot big enough for more than a motorcycle, and that oh-so-gross smell we refer to as "beurine" (you know, half beer-half urine) that overwhelms you when walking near certain less fortunate folks.

So we took full advantage of the opportunity to eat at some of our favorite places, and were quite sad to discover that some were no longer there, and "Specialties" (by far my favorite sandwich and cookie shop) which is located in the financial district and therefore closed on the weekends. We had noodles and sushi in Japantown, pastries and gelato in North Beach, breakfast in the fancy old victorian Queen Anne Hotel where we had a room, REAL burritos and nachos at "Casa Mexicana" in Noe Valley, and Chinese food at "Alice's". We would have loved to also go to "Pluto's" and "House of Nan King" and "Lucky Pot" and "Little Italy" and several others, but we just weren't there long enough!
In between our delicious meals we revisited some favorite places around the city. We walked along the cliffs at Fort Funston, through Golden Gate Park and the Conservatory of Flowers, from North Beach to Chinatown to Embarcadero and back to North Beach, all around Japantown, and Noe Valley (which is the neighborhood we lived in). And after all that walking literally up and down streets we decided to ignore our aching feet go dancing at Cafe Du Nord where one of our old favorite awesome jazz bands was playing.
Such an amazing city. I wish we could have stayed for a whole week instead of just a weekend, but alas, we do have responsibilities (and a limit to our cash flow!). Many thanks to my mom who stayed in Clovis with the kidlets while Eric and I had a blast in the city. It will be a very different trip next time when kids are with us! But I can't wait to show them so many of the amazing things that San Francisco has to offer.

Our room:

Outside the Queen Anne Hotel:

Outside Bimbo's 365: (unfortunately no favorite bands were playing)

Fort Funston:

The studio apartment (on Ellis at Van Ness) that I shared with a friend at the time Eric and I met:

Castro Srteet leading to the top of the hill where we lived just half a block to the left on 22nd Street. I waited here for the bus every day on my way home from college, or if I was impatient, and not too tired, I walked up:

North Beach at night:

P.S. I would have taken a ton more pictures but Eric was getting a little irritated by my wanting to bring the camera everywhere (especially when we were wandering the city after dark) so I exercised great self control and curbed my desire to photograph EVERYTHING! Next time...

Monterey

2009-12-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

A couple days before Christmas we decided to hit the road and visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The kids had never been there before and we knew they would absolutely love it. From the super cool touch pools to the sea otters, to the beautiful jellies, to the sharks, to the penguins, to the awesome new sea horse exhibit... Yes, we'll be going back there again before too long.
And no trip to Monterey is complete without a stop at the beach. Even if the wind is bitterly cold!

REAL Family Portrait...

2009-11-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

Taken by fellow local photographer Duane Lutz instead of my camera on a tripod with the timer set. Quite an improvement! Many thanks to Duane.

Boy, it sure is quite a different experience being on the other side of the camera. A lot more work goes into preparing, picking clothing, keeping kids fed, clean, and bruise and scratch free, getting everyone looking good, and making sure all are happy (despite kids having woken up at 5:30 that morning!).

3 Ninjas

2009-10-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

Daphne has joined her brothers and now seeks to earn a purple belt. Only about 3 more years to go!

Sequoia Kings Canyon

2009-10-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

Fresno may not be a jewel in California, but there are so many gorgeous places near by. We took a day trip to the Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park and did the tour through Crystal Cave. Awesome. Very cool. I highly recommend it. The kids did really well with the hike to the cave entrance and were quite intrigued by the water dripping and the sparkling formations through the dimly lantern-lit curving passageways.

Waterfalls on the way to the caves:

Here's the cave entrance:

The Hook

2009-09-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

Poor Ben. This little hook spoiled our fun Labor Day trip to the King's River east of Fresno. We weren't even fishing! 4 hours in the ER to get this thing out of Ben's leg...painlessly being the most important factor. I could have pulled it out the way the doctor did, but the wait was worth it for the shot to numb the area. And it was a good thing Ben didn't want to watch because, YIKES! I had no idea just how tough skin can be!

1st Day of School

2009-08-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

Summer came and went in the blink of an eye. Here we are at the beginning of a new school year, a big milestone for me this year since Daphne (my youngest) is now in kindergarten! I love the "first day" photos each year. So here they are, starting with Ben the 4th-grader:

Cameron the 1st-grader:

And Daphne in kindergarten. I can't believe it!

Photography Opportunities Galore!

2009-08-13T10:16:00.001-07:00

I will soon post a bunch of my favorite (non-family) photographs on my photography blog page. So stay tuned for landscapes and cool rocks and stuff...

A Few More Lassen Photos

2009-08-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

Portola

2009-08-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention this stop. We couldn't drive up hwy 89 without stopping at the Railroad Museum in Portola. Last time we came here we were able to operate two engines and drive them around the rail yard. This time we simply explored. And I played with my camera, wishing I had brought a tripod to get some cool HDR pics.

Vacation: Part II

2009-08-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

We camped at Summit Lake in the Lassen Volcanic National Park for 3 nights and it was stunning!! Lassen is much more than a pretty place in the mountains. The volcano aspect of it is incredible. It was so great to go camping now that our kids are old enough to hike (somewhat) and sleep through the night, and there are no more diapers or nursing. What a difference it makes!
Ben and I hiked to Echo Lake from our camp site, about 2 miles each way. I was very impressed with Ben's tough muscles. Eric and I talked to the kids about having tough muscles and the ability to keep going even when we're tired.
Ben completed all the requirements to earn his Junior Ranger patch, and was absolutely intrigued by the park rangers and all he learned about volcanoes. Guess who decided he wants to be a vulcanologist?

This is Summit Lake right near our campsite, at about 6 o'clock in the morning. I couldn't resist getting up super early to take advantage of that awesome fog and beautiful sunrise light.

Along the Bumpass Hell trail, a 4 mile hike which the kids handled beautifully (well, Eric held Daphne for a good portion of it while she napped. How's that for strong? Daphne is not so little anymore!) we were amazed by the sight of bubling mud and boiling ponds, and the sound (like what you hear at an airport) of huge shoots of steam billowing out of cracks in the earth, and the icky rotten egg smell of the sulfur and other minerals coming from deep underground. And I was thrilled with the brilliant colors of the rocks, and the cloudy white "water" in the streams. Fascinating.

Vacation: Part I

2009-08-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

First stop: Folsom. We had a great time with cousins, aunts & uncles, grandma & grandpa, and great-grandma & great grandpa.

Daphne was able to attend a dance class with cousins Charlotte and Hanna, my cousin Cameron's little girl Mia, and the class was taught by my sister Cheleyne. So girly.

I took advantage of my time in Folsom and took a bunch of pictures of the Sacramento Temple and practiced a lot of what I learned during the photography workshop I attended last month at Fresno State.
Kids did a lot of swimming...
Boys played on the computer quite a bit. It's amazing how much time gets sucked away while mesmerized by the magical screen...

There was also a Fisher Family Film Festival where we each submitted a home made video, and here's our contribution:

4th of July at Donner Lake

2009-07-05T23:15:00.000-07:00

At long last we finally took care of getting a family photo. It's been years. I have to say I had serious doubts about pulling this off without a pro photographer shooting us. But after a bit of Photoshop work here's what I came up with. It was great to spend the holiday in such a beautiful location. It was a long drive and a short stay, but we very much enjoyed it. And the fireworks were a beautiful sight! (I had fun playing with my camera during the show.) Many thanks to Bill and Molly for hosting and sharing their cabin with us, a handful of their friends, and a few through-hikers.

Daphne's Teeth

2009-06-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

Here's the scoop. Her teeth and gums did not become nasty and fall out. Her gums regained their nice pink color and X-rays today showed that her mouth is healing wonderfully and the fragments of bone and roots are being absorbed into their surroundings. Her baby teeth are still in a bad position but they are likely to fall out before too long. And her permanent teeth look like they will eventually come down right where they should, so this underbite will be short-lived. Yay!! The dentist and I are completely amazed by the resiliance of children and their miraculous ability to heal. Too cool.

Just Dance!!

2009-06-24T17:52:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday Daphne danced in her first dance recital, tapping to the sound of Elvis singin' "Hound Dog". She LOVED the whole experience! Getting to wear make up, getting to wear a sparkly costume, getting to dance on a big stage with an audience of more than 3 people watching, and now that it's over she is allowed to wear the costume any time she wants. (Well, almost any time!)

Dillon Beach

2009-06-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

The kids and I spent the week end at the ever-beautiful but oh-so-windy Dillon Beach (about an hour north of San Francisco) with lots and lots of Fisher relatives. The wind was totally relentless and made team tent building mandatory.Time by the blustery camp fire was short...
Nat and Renee created an elaborate treasure hunt complete with clever riddles, clues and a treasure for all the kids...

The wind made playing in the water unbearable, so many hours were spent in the dunes...
The sandblasting was a bit intense for those of us foolish enough to wear shorts...
I discovered that Ben's hair alone can hold what seemed like at least a 1/4 cup of sand...

And we couldn't head home without stopping at the "Elephant Rocks"...

With Dillon Beach off in the distance, I shot one last photo and thought of all the times we stopped there when I was growing up, and look forward to going again sometime when the wind will not be so insistent on showing its awesome power.

Daphne's Unfortunate Accident

2009-06-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

Have a look at these two front teeth... which, by the way, used to be right in line with the outer ones. (You can thank me for posting a photo that doesn't clearly show the severity of the situation.)

Status report is this: the two front baby teeth were not damaged, the two permanent teeth hidden above them were not damaged. However, the bone in between was fractured, pushing the baby teeth down and in causing an under bite (in addition to the serious pain!).

So, what activity do you think was responsible for this unfortunate event? Not hockey, karate, boxing, or fighting with big brothers. It happened at BALLET! Who would have thought that preschool ballet could be so dangerous. And the other girl involved in the collision barely had a bump on the head.

According to the dentist the damage was isolated to the area just above the two front teeth, and within a week or two the teeth will fall out, and hopefully eventually the bone fragments will work themselves out. (If they don't, she'll have to have it all surgically removed. Yikes!)

Daphne will have a wide gap until those permanent teeth come down. (For Ben that didn't happen until 2nd grade. I REALLY hope it wont take that long for her!) I'm trying really hard to not be completely grossed out at the thought of all the damaged gum tissue... never mind.

So sorry, Sweetheart. I wish I could rewind time...

Ben's First Pinewood Derby!!

2009-04-29T15:47:00.001-07:00

I have to admit that my expectations were quite low regarding how well Ben's car would compete with those that were made by father/son pairs who've been making these cars for years with older boys. Judging by the never ending volume of information/tips on the internet about how to engineer your car with incredible precision to be faster than a speeding bullet (some guys take this VERY seriously), I didn't think Ben would stand much of a chance. But we were all pleasantly surprised when he actually won a few races! In the video Ben's car is the one that starts on the blue track.

Finger Painting...

2009-04-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Every now and then...once in a blue moon... I give in to the begging of my kids. And then I feel bad that I don't let them do it more often because they absolutely beam from the joy of it.

Beau & Brittany

2009-04-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

I finally shot my first wedding! I thought I'd never do it because there would be too much pressure, too much work, and the fact that you can't redo anything. But Cheryl Stoker had faith in me and convinced me that I would do a great job (to this Eric replies "Duh, I told you so."). But it's done and I'm very happy with the results. So here's a sneak peak. I'll post more soon on my photography page. (click on the link to the right under "websites")

Camping at San Simeon

2009-04-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

This year for spring break we decided to go camping at San Simeon State Park on the coast (not too far north of Morro Bay). We found the perfect camp site with the perfect climbing tree right in the middle of it.
The first day was warm and sunny so we spent the afternoon at the beach.
The 2nd day proved to be quite wet and stormy, so we set out in search of geocache. Cameron was our primary navigator. He just can't get enough of the GPS. The scenery was beautiful, even with the rain. What a gorgeous place to explore! and we were very careful to avoid the abundance of poison oak!
After the long walk kids were tired and wet, and Daphne wasn't feeling well. So we took a drive down to San Louis Obispo for lunch while the rain came down like cats and dogs. When we returned to San Simeon the rain had stoped but the clouds were still dark and heavy and we thought it would be best to pack up and head home after one last visit to the beach and a quick dinner at the camp site. Plus Daphne had a fever by this time, so the thought of staying another night seemed down right foolish.
Awesome climbing rocks at the beach...loved those.

Let the Swim Season Begin!!

2009-03-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's not even April yet. But Daphne and Ben couldn't resist getting in the water. We've had the cover on for a few weeks so the top four inches or so was up to about 70 degrees. Not bad, huh? Well, just under that top layer it was about 55 degrees. Yikes! Way too cold for me. And Daphne and Ben didn't last very long at all.

Thank goodness for the warm sun and concrete!

Cameron had the good sense to stay out of the pool, but was absolutely delighted to rescue a toad that was trapped in the skimmer of the pool. Poor toad...Out of the frying pan and into the fire...

Brianna (AKA Queen of Spring)

2009-03-14T14:15:00.001-07:00

My good friend Kristi asked if I would photograph her daughter Brianna for her baptism day, so I jumped on the chance to do some more orchard/blossom shooting. Brianna had a blast and proclaimed herself to be the Queen of Spring! Here's one of my favorites. To see more pics go to my other blog...

Spring Photos on the Wall

2009-03-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

Every March since we moved to Clovis I have taken pictures of the kids on the Deauville wall at the entrance to our neighborhood. My goal is to keep doing this every year until they all move away! We'll see if I can pull it off... So here's today, followed by years past.

2008

2007

2006

Beautiful Blossoms!!

2009-03-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about Fresno is the abundance of gorgeous blossoming orchards! I couldn't resist the temptation to pull over and try to capture my the kids playing amongst the fruit trees.
Can you believe this canopy? Amazing!

Cameron Is Six!

2009-02-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

I asked Cameron what he would like to do for his birthday and he said he'd like to have a party at Color Me Mine (a place where you paint ceramics and they fire them for you), so he invited his two best buddies, Reese and Christian, to join us for painting, playing, pizza, and a caterpillar cake.

Day Trip to Monterey

2009-02-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Ben and I visited the ever-gorgeous Monterey Bay where we explored the beaches, the climbing trees, and of course, the tide pools. What a beautiful day. I decided to take Ben so that he could have a great reward for doing so well on his school work the last couple of weeks. He even told me that being in Monterey was way better than video games! I did good...

Yep, this is Ben touching his tongue to a really BIG sea anemone. I can't believe he was actually willing to do it! How brave and tough he is. Well, he was done with tide pools after that. His tongue was stinging the whole rest of the day. (But not bad enough that he couldn't enjoy some ice cream!)
As an added bonus, I was able to spend a little bit of time with my dear friend Cheryl, who was like a sister to me when my family lived in Washington. (She was in Monterey visiting her mom and sisters for the week end.) SO good to see her again. I can't believe it has been almost 4 years already!

Locks of Woe to Locks of Love

2009-02-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

That's right. My long hair (that I never cared much for) has been chopped off and donated to Locks of Love. I'm back to my old self! People keep saying things like "Oh my gosh! It must be such a shock to have it SO short!" My response just clarifies that this is normal for me. I have to keep reminding myself that we've only lived here for less than 4 years so people around here don't know the old me. I missed short hair for a LONG time, and I'm so happy to have all that useless hassle gone! I can dry my hair in 2 minutes instead of 15, and in the summer I won't have to bother with a hair dryer at all. Hooray!! (Eric may have shed a tear or two, but I think maybe he realized that having a sane and happy wife is more important than having a wife with long flowing hair...)

Daphne's First Dance Class

2009-02-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

After months of begging, we finally signed up Daphne (and friend/neighbor Kyah, who plays at our house every tuesday) for a combo Ballet & Tap class. Pretty pony-tails, beautiful music, leotards with twirly skirts, shiny click-clack tap shoes, and pretty pink ballet shoes... Need I say more?

11 Years and Counting

2009-01-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

On the 18th Eric and I celebrated our 11th anniversary by escaping to the Tenaya Lodge (near Yosemite). My mom stayed with the kids while we had a very peaceful and relaxing getaway in the mountains. Since we were not in a great hurry to get back home we decided to drive out to Bass Lake to have a beautiful walk and chill out by the water. As it turned out, there wasn't much water. But we enjoyed it anyway!

My Latest Super-Cool Photo Assignment

2009-01-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

The ABC TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was here in Fresno and I was asked to photograph LDS volunteers for the Church News, (well, for my visiting teacher who also happens to be the multi-stake Media Relations/Public Affairs specialist in the central valley who was putting together an article to cover this story), so I was given a VIP pass to go to the site and shoot photos. I'm amazed by the whole process of demolishing a house and building a beautiful new one within 7 days. Thousands of volunteers worked 24 hours a day, and tons of services (from the catering to feed everyone to massages to equipment and building materials) were donated by local companies. I also found out that ABC pays to redo the neighboring yards because they get trampled and trashed. The only celebrity I could meet was Ed Sanders who was working on building furniture, and he was so nice! What a fun experience. It was great to see so many people working together to give a very deserving family a priceless gift. I have to admit, though, that I would have been uncomfortable accepting so much because there are SO many families in need... Anyway, the show will air March 8th (I think), and I don't have any idea when the article will be published in the Church News. I'll keep you posted.

Sacramento Temple

2009-01-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

While in Folsom, Ben and I attended my parents church on Sunday morning and the building they meet at is the one that's right next to the new and oh-so-pretty Sacramento Temple. When we pulled into the parking lot Ben said "Mom, I've never been so close to a temple before!" (Not exactly true, but I guess it has been a while). So naturally I said that I should take some pictures, and he was excited to point out good photo spots and pose for me.

There's Nothing Like Sisters

2009-01-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about family gatherings during the holidays is getting to spend time with my sisters. I was so glad that Renee was able to be in California for New Years (and so we could see her baby belly!). Yup, the baby of the family is having a baby. Too cool, huh?
Sorry, Lisa! We didn't think to get this picture until after you left the baby shower. And Kendal, we missed you! This summer we'll get a photo with you, right? (No offense to Ben and Justin...We love you too.)

All Things Oboe...

2009-01-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

A long while ago I asked my college oboe teacher, Jim Matheson, if he happened to have a photo of his "workshop" where I used to go for lessons at his home (because I'm a bit of a scrapbooker and always in search of photos to put with journaling), and I'm thrilled that he finally delivered. This photo shows his workshop in the home he lives in now, not the one I had lessons in, but it looks and feels just about the same: bits and pieces everywhere, oboes, flutes, the occasional clarinet or saxaphone, instrument parts, cases, tools of all shapes and sizes, more reeds than I can count, knives and sharpening stones, glues, oils, spools of thread, and of course bamboo bits and shavings all over. My mind was simply flooded with memories of my oboe training and the hours I spent in his workshop playing music, widdling on reeds, or simply watching over his shoulder while he showed me how to keep my oboe in good shape by adjust screws, replacing pads and cleaning out tone holes.
Jim played principal oboe for the San Francisco Opera for more years than I've been alive and is now retired, but certainly still playing here and there. He taught me more than I can say, and I have such great memories of my years in college due in large part to him. He showed me (in a way that no etude book ever could) how a very mediocre musician could grow and learn to make music lyrical and beautiful. I will be forever grateful to him for his patience and encouragement.

Curly For A Day

2009-01-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

Why are curls so much fun when they don't naturally occur? I'm sure if Daphne's hair was naturally curly I'd be wishing it was straight. As soon as all the curlers were out, I thought of this painting and knew I had to get these two girls together. By the way, for those of you who are not Person family relatives, the girl in the painting is Daphne's grandma Molly. (SHE has naturally curly hair.)

Verdi and a Loop at Bedtime

2009-01-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

Every house (with young children) should have the combination of Verdi's Requiem playing as loudly as possible and a loop for the kids to run around. It works wonders for getting that last burst of energy spent, right before it's time to get kids tucked in for the night.

Daphne cracks me up...

2008-12-29T20:35:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Daphne really wanted something (I can't even remember what it was, a treat or something) and I responded by saying "I'll think about it." And she said right back "Think about 'YES', Mom, think about 'YES'!"

Christmas in Truckee (Part 2)

2008-12-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

Gift highlights: For Ben it was this AWESOME Bionicle!

For Daphne it was Cinderella and matching oh-so-pretty horse.
For Cameron it was this Roly Poly Playground, (by far the least expensive gift), and he couldn't wait to get back home to find roly polies to put in it. Too bad they don't live in the snow...
After presents were done we just HAD to take advantage of the 12 inches of fresh snow that piled up over night. Of course, that also meant that the driveway needed clearing. This is Eric taking care of business...

I even managed to pass my camera off to someone else a couple of times so that I could have some fun, too. (and to prove that I was actually there!)

Christmas in Truckee (Part 1)

2008-12-27T19:14:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to spend a chunk of the Christmas break up in Truckee with Grandpa and Grandma Person at Woodbridge. We were so excited to see so much snow!

And no visit with Grandpa is complete without some sort of home-improvement project. This time it was soldering pipes to fix a plumbing problem.

I'm so glad that the kids were willing to humor me and make faces into ornaments. So cute.

The last task for Christmas Eve: Cameron and Daphne insisted on sprinkling oatmeal out on the back porch for Rudolf and the other reindeer to eat when they stop by.

Thanksgiving Day in Folsom

2008-12-18T22:43:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was celebrated in Folsom, in the clubhouse of my parents' condo complex. It turned out to be just the right amount of space for our family of 5, my parents, Eric's parents, Justin, Balog's, and Ben & Laurie with 3 of their kids.

Then Balog's hosted the party for the sweet stuff. Pies inside, and s'mores outside. The little guys had so much fun roasting marshmallows, and fortunately no one went up in flames!

My niece Charlotte. I just had to include this photo.

Fairytale Town

2008-12-18T22:23:00.000-08:00

On the day after Thanksgiving we visited Fairytale Town in Sacramento. What a cool little park! And it just happened to be a "free admission" day. Can't beat that.
The Cheese Stands Alone...
Mother Goose slide...
The Crooked Mile... I remember this from when I was little. Although in my memory the wall was a LOT bigger.
Cameron as Cinderella's coachman...

Daphne Turns 4 Years Old!

2008-11-30T22:21:00.001-08:00

I can't believe she's 4 already! We spent Thanksgiving week in Folsom and Daphne's birthday was on Monday, so she had a little tea party with her cousins Charlotte and Hanna.

And her cousin Alex put on an awesome magic show!

Halloween

2008-11-13T09:18:00.001-08:00

Ben, Cameron and Daphne were able to go trick-or-treating a day early this year since we had plans to go to Yosemite on the day of Halloween. I arranged with a handful of friends and neighbors so that the kids could have the true trick-or-treating experience. Fortunately the Ninja, the Frog, and the Ladybug Angel were just as pleased as could be about getting candy and didn't seem to mind that they only got to go to about 5 or 6 houses.

Daphne decided to skip the angel dress and just be a ladybug for her Preschool Crazy Day party. (Can't call it Halloween, you know, someone might be offended)

Cameron at the Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here's Cameron the line leader... oh yeah!

Cameron's Lucky Day, A Toad's Rather Unlucky Day

2008-11-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

This morning was beautiful, and after taking Ben to the bus stop I didn't have any thing scheduled to do until it was time to take Cameron to the bus stop at 11:30. What a perfect day for catching up on a bit of yard work! While I was busy mowing and trimming and pulling weeds Cameron was playing with the hose and managed to flood the home of a big, fat, muddy toad. So out it comes, unaware of the consequence that would follow...

Yosemite in the Rain

2008-11-04T12:50:00.000-08:00

We had a very wet and stormy weekend in Yosemite! Many thanks to Bill and Molly for inviting us to join them. Despite the cold weather, the kids behaved beautifully. There was only one melt-down when Daphne refused to pee in a toilet that doesn't flush at the Glacier Point parking lot. I don't know what exactly was so terrifying about it, but what can you do? She thought it would be better to pee in her pants. Stubborn girl... Anyway, we all had fun wandering through the rain with our trusty umbrellas, taking in the incredibly stunning scenery (I wish I had more time to play with photography!), and spotting the occasional deer and coyotes. Fortunately we had a heated wooden cabin, but I have to admit that we were a bit nervous staying in Curry Village after the huge rock slide that destroyed much of that area just a couple of weeks ago. Most of Curry Village has been roped off and rumor has it that it will probably be shut down permanently. We were told that more rock falls were expected to occur any time. As you can imagine, I had a hard time sleeping as the thunder rumbled loudly throughout the night. Yikes!! Needless to say, we were not crushed by falling boulders and we are safe back at home.

Tomorrow I Vote!

2008-11-03T18:04:00.000-08:00

So tomorrow is voting day. Boy, it's about time. People are passionate and emotional, and I'm ready for things to chill for a while. I will be voting Yes on Proposition 8 to join the fight in restoring and protecting traditional marriage as God intended it to be. I'm a bit hurt and disappointed that I'm considered to be a homophobic intolerant judgmental discriminating gay-bashing hate-monger for considering marriage and the unique roles of men and women to be a sacred part of a much bigger divine plan set in motion by the very creator who gave us all the gift of life on this earth. I certainly trust His idea of how families should be structured for the greater good of men, women, children and society (BECAUSE he loves all of his children), way more than I trust the "wisdom" of the increasingly proud and self-serving world regarding what's right. And since I will be answering to Him when my journey in this mortal body is over (and not to anyone here on earth) I intend to be strong in my faith and look forward to the promised blessings of joy in heaven. I don't mean to imply that I am better than anyone or that I don't have faults, but this is one issue that is so crystal clear to me. God has not ever been ambiguous or vague about it. But no matter what happens with this vote, it's going to be an ongoing emotional struggle as boundaries, definitions, and behaviors are constantly being blurred, pushed and twisted in an effort to validate, and even praise, what is unacceptable in the eyes of God, and undermine and suppress so much that is good.

Prop 8 Rally at Fresno City Hall

2008-10-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

On Sunday there was a rally organized by the head of the Cornerstone Church in Fresno to bring together supporters of Prop 8 from many different churches and the community. Here are my photo picks from that event.

What's up with this?

2008-10-23T14:55:00.001-07:00

I photographed the "Yes on 8" campaign rally in downtown Fresno yesterday, and this morning I had the news on TV while the we were having breakfast when I heard them announce the story about the big Yes on 8 rally so I turned up the volume so I could hear the story and watched to find out if I was in any of the video clips chosen to air on the news. BUT not a single second of YES on 8 video was aired, and the only video they did show was of 5 or 6 people down the street who were holding No on 8 signs. And yes, the news camera crews were there for the entire rally. Very interesting...

For the Record...

2008-10-22T16:18:00.001-07:00

Just FYI, the views and opinions posted on this blog are entirely my own and are not always shared by my dear husband, whom I love with all my heart! What would marriage be like if we always agreed on everything? Unrealistic, I think!

Yes on Prop 8!

2008-10-22T15:51:00.001-07:00

More photos...evidence of support...

Daphne Downtown

2008-10-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

I took our car in for an oil/filter change on Friday and instead of just killing time in the Midas waiting area looking through junk magazines I decided to take Daphne outside and practice photography stuff. Fortunately she was in a good mood and was willing to let me shoot away while she played.

Yup, she learned how to make fish lips this week, so it was essential to capture this look.

Marriage Across the Country

2008-10-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

I came across this website regarding where each state stands when it comes to issues of marriage/civil unions/domestic partnerships and thought it was interesting.

http://www.domawatch.org/stateissues/index.html

The Divine Institution of Marriage

2008-10-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of links for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints articles stating our views on traditional marriage and same-gender attraction (in case you were wondering why we're supporting Proposition 8)

Divine institution of marriage

Same-gender attraction

Prop 8

2008-10-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

The "Yes on Prop 8" campaign is rolling along with seemingly great support in our area! I was asked by our church public relations person to shoot photos showing volunteers actively supporting Proposition 8, so I thought I'd share a couple of my favorites. (The Cucuk family above, Jill Poulsen and Cheryl Stoker below). More to come...

Camping at D.L. Bliss, Lake Tahoe

2008-10-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

(In an effort to make up for the fact that I've started this blog so late in the year, I want to do a little bit of catching up for 2008.)

At the end of July we were scheduled to go camping at Big Sur on the coast south of Monterey, but due to the huge wildfires the campground was closed and we had to come up with a plan B on short notice. Fortunately the D.L. Bliss campground at Lake Tahoe still had vacancies so we managed to have a beautiful camping trip in the Sierra Mountains instead. The weather was perfect, except for the smokey skies, and we enjoyed the gorgeous hike along the Rubicon Trail. Some day we'll have to go back when the kids are a bit bigger so that we can go farther. I can't help but feel a little disappointment when kids get tired and we have to turn back, even though we're surrounded by spectacular stunning views of the lake and Emerald Bay. We also enjoyed the lake, but it sure was strange to see the sky so smokey. Lake Tahoe and the sky above are usually so beautifully crystal clear. To make our camping trip complete we had a bear scamper through our camp site while we were eating dinner. I wish I had my camera ready!

Have you ever been to Tahoe and not seen the other side of the lake? Weird...

Too Much Toad Love

2008-10-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

Every day while the we are waiting for the school bus to come there are always a few kids who are drawn to the toads, and Cameron is always one of them. There is no shortage of toad friends, and they're easy to find (and catch!) because they live in the irrigation control access holes, so the poor things get handled by young kids every day before and after school. You'd think the toads would find a new home...

Daphne's Surgery

2008-10-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

For the last year Daphne has been seeing an Ear, Nose, & Throat specialist because her hearing wasn't as good as it should be, she always had fluid in her ears, her nose was always stuffed, and after a few tries with different medications her condition remained the same. So we decided it was time to really do something about it and this morning she had tubes put in her ears and her adenoids removed. All went well and she's doing great. Just a bit groggy tired.

Prop 8 "Protect Marriage"

2008-10-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not very good at articulating why I want every person living in California who is 18 or older to vote YES on Prop 8, but here's an article that explains very well the non-religious side of it. So check it out...(it's from the LA Times)

Protecting marriage to protect children

Marriage as a human institution is constantly evolving. But in all societies, marriage shapes the rights and obligations of parenthood.

By David Blankenhorn
September 19, 2008

I'm a liberal Democrat. And I do not favor same-sex marriage. Do those positions sound contradictory? To me, they fit together.

Many seem to believe that marriage is simply a private love relationship between two people. They accept this view, in part, because Americans have increasingly emphasized and come to value the intimate, emotional side of marriage, and in part because almost all opinion leaders today, from journalists to judges, strongly embrace this position. That's certainly the idea that underpinned the California Supreme Court's legalization of same-sex marriage.

But I spent a year studying the history and anthropology of marriage, and I've come to a different conclusion.

Marriage as a human institution is constantly evolving, and many of its features vary across groups and cultures. But there is one constant. In all societies, marriage shapes the rights and obligations of parenthood. Among us humans, the scholars report, marriage is not primarily a license to have sex. Nor is it primarily a license to receive benefits or social recognition. It is primarily a license to have children.

In this sense, marriage is a gift that society bestows on its next generation. Marriage (and only marriage) unites the three core dimensions of parenthood -- biological, social and legal -- into one pro-child form: the married couple. Marriage says to a child: The man and the woman whose sexual union made you will also be there to love and raise you. Marriage says to society as a whole: For every child born, there is a recognized mother and a father, accountable to the child and to each other.

These days, because of the gay marriage debate, one can be sent to bed without supper for saying such things. But until very recently, almost no one denied this core fact about marriage. Summing up the cross-cultural evidence, the anthropologist Helen Fisher in 1992 put it simply: "People wed primarily to reproduce." The philosopher and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell, certainly no friend of conventional sexual morality, was only repeating the obvious a few decades earlier when he concluded that "it is through children alone that sexual relations become important to society, and worthy to be taken cognizance of by a legal institution."

Marriage is society's most pro-child institution. In 2002 -- just moments before it became highly unfashionable to say so -- a team of researchers from Child Trends, a nonpartisan research center, reported that "family structure clearly matters for children, and the family structure that helps children the most is a family headed by two biological parents in a low-conflict marriage."

All our scholarly instruments seem to agree: For healthy development, what a child needs more than anything else is the mother and father who together made the child, who love the child and love each other.

For these reasons, children have the right, insofar as society can make it possible, to know and to be cared for by the two parents who brought them into this world. The foundational human rights document in the world today regarding children, the 1989 U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically guarantees children this right. The last time I checked, liberals like me were supposed to be in favor of internationally recognized human rights, particularly concerning children, who are typically society's most voiceless and vulnerable group. Or have I now said something I shouldn't?

Every child being raised by gay or lesbian couples will be denied his birthright to both parents who made him. Every single one. Moreover, losing that right will not be a consequence of something that at least most of us view as tragic, such as a marriage that didn't last, or an unexpected pregnancy where the father-to-be has no intention of sticking around. On the contrary, in the case of same-sex marriage and the children of those unions, it will be explained to everyone, including the children, that something wonderful has happened!

For me, what we are encouraged or permitted to say, or not say, to one another about what our society owes its children is crucially important in the debate over initiatives like California's Proposition 8, which would reinstate marriage's customary man-woman form. Do you think that every child deserves his mother and father, with adoption available for those children whose natural parents cannot care for them? Do you suspect that fathers and mothers are different from one another? Do you imagine that biological ties matter to children? How many parents per child is best? Do you think that "two" is a better answer than one, three, four or whatever? If you do, be careful. In making the case for same-sex marriage, more than a few grown-ups will be quite willing to question your integrity and goodwill. Children, of course, are rarely consulted.

The liberal philosopher Isaiah Berlin famously argued that, in many cases, the real conflict we face is not good versus bad but good versus good. Reducing homophobia is good. Protecting the birthright of the child is good. How should we reason together as a society when these two good things conflict?

Here is my reasoning. I reject homophobia and believe in the equal dignity of gay and lesbian love. Because I also believe with all my heart in the right of the child to the mother and father who made her, I believe that we as a society should seek to maintain and to strengthen the only human institution -- marriage -- that is specifically intended to safeguard that right and make it real for our children.

Legalized same-sex marriage almost certainly benefits those same-sex couples who choose to marry, as well as the children being raised in those homes. But changing the meaning of marriage to accommodate homosexual orientation further and perhaps definitively undermines for all of us the very thing -- the gift, the birthright -- that is marriage's most distinctive contribution to human society. That's a change that, in the final analysis, I cannot support.

David Blankenhorn is president of the New York-based Institute for American Values and the author of "The Future of Marriage."

First Day of School!!

2008-09-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

I love the first day of school! After a very busy summer the kids (and I) were ready for school to start. Ben started 3rd grade with the same teacher and most of the kids from last year. For 2nd grade he was in a combo 2nd/3rd grade class, so Mrs. Franz requested to have all of her 2nd graders return to her for 3rd, and Ben was so excited because he LOVED her last year. He even cried on the last day of school because he was going to miss her!

Cameron just couldn't wait to start kindergarten. He loves Mrs. Mayberry and has so much fun in his class. And what about getting to finally ride the bus? Too cool for words.

Daphne was so ready to start Preschool. All last year she tagged along while we took Cameron back and forth to preschool and she was always so disappointed that she couldn't stay and play. Well now it's her turn! She even goes to the same teacher (Mrs. Ryan) and class room that Cameron had. Three days a week from 9 to noon, she's loving it.

I was excited for them to start school and so were they, so were there any sad tears on the first day? Not a chance. I just couldn't connect with the other moms who were so emotional about sending their kids off...

Karate Kids

2008-09-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

In August we signed Ben and Cameron up for martial arts (sort of a blend of several types) at a place called American Academy of Martial Arts in Clovis. They were so excited to go to their first lesson until they were told that karate is a very serious thing and that they would have to always say "Sir" to black-belts or higher. (If they forget to say Sir they have to do push-ups...I love it!) Needless to say, there's a lot of focus on discipline, responsibility, respect, etc. But all of that is worth the trouble because they get to do things like double-punch-knife-attack and flying-side-kicks while shouting "HYAAH!" at the tops of their lungs. What boy wouldn't like that?

Better Late Than Never

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

     I've never been very diligent about writing in my journal, even though at least once a day I think to myself "I should write that down in my journal". So here I am, jumping into the modern world of blogging in hopes of increasing the number of times that I actually record thoughts, images, feelings, and events. Time passes by unbelievably fast and there's so much of life that I treasure and wish to remember and share in the future. I admit that I am not very eloquent or creative with writing (compared to so many of you who post such entertaining stuff!) I will most often just stick to the point, but maybe the point will be interesting enough on its own! We'll see...  Still, I would rather write too much and have the option of cutting things out, than regret not having written enough and wish I could remember more vividly all that seems to fade much to quickly.

I look forward to learning how to do this with ease, and hope that I'll be able to do a much better job of keeping a record of all things (or the most important things) related to me and my family.