Happy 90th Bithday to an incredible man - A legacy of success

I am SO late posting this.  I took pictures with the idea of doing a post to honor him, but then life got busy/crappy and the pics have just sat on my computer.

Splenda Daddy's uncle (dad's brother) is an amazing individual.  Uncle Earl has been an educator for his entire professional life.  Starting as a teacher, and then into administration as a principal.  He just recently celebrated his 90th birthday.  His family threw a nice open house for friends and family to come and honor him.

I don't know Earl as much as I would like to, and I plan on studying his biography when I can get it in my hands, but I learned a whole lot more about him during the event.

His two sons are the most upstanding, outstanding and talented guys around. 

Bill, is a kindred spirit in that he spends his time running and competing.  I can't even remember how many marathons he has under his belt, and multiple Ironman events.  He's an athletic stud and my race hero.  He is also a talented wood worker who does cabinetry and other pieces of art.  In fact, he just delivered some race plaques to WRC for their New Years run.  His ability is amazing. 

Ed is a bit more famous in the public eye.  He is the same Ed Catmull who founded Pixar.  What I admire most about him, is his humility and kindness.  He is the most down to earth fella ever.  And by the way he runs his business and treats his employees, I think many more CEO's could take lessons and keep highly productive businesses with happy staff.  From the time that Toy Story came out, my kids have loved to watch the credits and find the Catmull name.  He's such a talented creator.

I remember Uncle Earl's first wife very vaguely, having met her early in my marriage to Splenda and more recently his second wife, but I also learned that Earl is a magnificent wood worker himself.  Bill taught him the trade and he has found a lot of fulfillment in that hobby

He is also a Marine.  He is a World Word II veteran.  Considering that there are not many of those around still, I find that remarkable.

Splenda and I spent a half hour or so at the open house, looking over the displays and talking to Earl and his family.  I was astonished at how many of his former students and those who were teachers for him, came out to see him.  And at 90 years old, he REMEMBERED them!  I loved listening to people approach him, congratulate him, and then reminisce their common memories. 

I left there thinking about what would happen if I turned 90.  What would be written or talked about regarding my children?  I'm proud to say, that they are each successful men with beautiful wives and beginning legacy's of children.  Would people remember me and have common memories to laugh about?  Would the get together require an entire cultural hall to accommodate all the well wishers?  Would I be able to remember ALL the people who came to see me?  Would I still be walking around, even if I had to have some cane assistance?

So many things to think about.  I know some of these questions people ask themselves when thinking about their own funeral, but the difference I found is that Earl's friends and family chose to honor him NOW, while he was still here to enjoy it and to be grateful for all the wonderful associations he has been blessed to have throughout his many years.

My deep thoughts takeaway?
1.  If I am gonna live a long time, I better be doing something worthwhile to myself and to others.  I better be doing something that makes a difference in people's lives.
2.  If I don't live a long time, I still better be doing those things.
3.  Make relationships meaningful so that I will remember all those who would bother to take the time to come see me.
4.  Make sure I keep all my own teeth so I can easily enjoy all the yummy food that shows up at these kinds of events.

mCat's Family Annual Christmas Card - 2011 version

Because I don't send out Christmas cards or letters, well, I used to when I was young and it all seemed romantic to me, and I had time, and I cared, the blog is going to serve as our Family Christmas Card and yearly update.

I know what you're thinking and I totally agree.  Lame.  Lazy.  And very scrooge-ish.

I'm okay with all of those adjectives right now, really.

All throughout blog land, and even in my very own mailbox, everyone has these beautiful professional pictures done and I can't even get my entire family in one spot.  Well, we did at Tuffy's wedding, but I was thinking wedding and not Christmas cards, on account I don't send them.  And since it will be 2012 before I get them all in the same room again, I had to improvise.

Behold - our beautiful Family 2011 Christmas picture!

back row - Splenda, mCat, Jordan, Jack, Corbin, Karalee, Chloee

front row - Luke, Tuffy, Montana and Jace

Aren't we a good looking bunch?!  And LOOK at our tree!  Gosh, you will be hard pressed to find anything else out there even comparable.  Really.  Isn't the touch of camo on Corb pretty cool?  And the pink skirts on all of us girls matching just so?  And we even got the all the dogs to sit still and smile.  A Christmas Miracle!!

Okay, if you can just peel your eyes away from the stunning photo, I will now commence with our family update for the year 2011

We began it all with a very rocky start by losing Jillian on Christmas eve.  2011 was going to be tough.  January was spent with Corb finished up his USMC training.  Luke enrolled in school in Orem.  Tuffy and Montana kept dating and working and finishing school. 

Jordan got fat

Jack got crazy.

Spring came,  Corbin finished up his combat training in CA, his specialty training back east and was getting ready to get established back in Camp Pendelton.

Karalee became a huge part of our lives.

Luke still doing school and working and dating

Tuffy and Montana still dating and working

Jordan got fatter

Jack got crazier

Summer showed up for a minute.

Corbin and Karalee got married on the beach in California.

Luke was working, schooling and dating.

Tuffy and Montana were working, dating and planning a wedding.

Jordan kept getting fat

Jack kept getting crazy

Fall struck too early.

   Corb working in the armory as a small arms tech stationed at Camp Pendleton. 

Karalee doing school part time and jewelry on the side. 

Luke still schooling, working, dating.

Tuffy and Montana got married and moved into a cute little apartment not from from here.

Jordan still packin on the ellbees

Jack still whirling around in his own craziness

Now it's winter and the end of the year fast approaching.

Corb's fam is doing fantastic in SoCal.  USMC is good to them.  They are good for the USMC.  Win-Win relationship

Luke is still working, schooling and dating.  I think he likes the dating part the most.

Tuffy and Montana got a new puppy and both working and loving the newlywed life.

Jordan is helplessly tubby.

Jack is hopelessly nuts

and Jace the new puppy is adorably cute.

And Chloee?  Well she spent the year being the cute, adorable, litte punkin that she is.  She justs get cuter every day!

 

So what have Splenda and mCat been doing all year?

*blink*   *blink*

*blank stare*

Surviving. 

We are just along for the ride with our kids.  For us, that's what our world is all about.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

PS - if you are interested in the amazing pictorial art above, send me an email and I could prolly make one happen for you family.  Unless you have a bazillion kids and then most likely not.

PSS - if you need one for your fridge to hang up with all the other cute ones you get, just click the print button and make sure you have paper in your printer.

PSSS - This won't be the last post on Christmas so don't get your socks spinning yet, just needed to get the cards out you know!

Wordless Wednesday - almost

Karalee walked into the kitchen to this........

 Clearly there is a little girl who adores her daddy~

Festival of Trees - 2011

Last year I spent a good deal of time explaining it all here and since feelings are especially tender this year, for a couple of reasons, I'm just gonna share it all in pictures and minor commentary.

First off is decorating day.  It's the day where anyone who is placing a tree, wreath, or other item brings their things and sets it all up.  Everything has to pass inspection (ornaments glued or wired on, lights working, appropriate stand and pole, etc)  So in addition to decorators, there are several volunteers there working to make sure it all gets done just perfectly.



Decoration day.  I didn't get many pictures since I was back and forth finding extension cords, fluffing wreaths and basically anything I could do to help Debbi

This scene of people, boxes, random odds and ends will be transformed into something beautiful by the end of the day

I had to snap a picture of this painting.  I think it's my favorite ever.  On the brass plate there at the bottom are the words "I do believe"

A lot of people were trying to figure out how they could get a bid in on this one!

This was one of the highlights.  Just as I got there, a news crew from a local station was doing a story for the evening news, so I had to wait until they all left before I could get a decent shot.  It was quite the masterpiece!

The next day is the bidding night, and it's invitation only.  Most of the items get sold that night.  Sometimes the buyers will allow their names to show who purchased it, or they can remain anonymous and simply are listed as "Friends of Festival"

In past years when I have had the opportunity to work these nights, it's either been in the gift shop, or small fry house.  This year, Splenda and I had the best assignment of all.  Spend the evening at Debbi's house so that Rob wasn't left alone.  Her grown sons needed to be home with their young families and she needed to be at Festival, so it was Splenda and I's privilege to go hang out with Rob.  The first night, he felt like he needed to stay up and chat, which we loved doing, but it tired him out.  We promised to make sure he went to bed the rest of the week.

On Friday, I had an extra ticket so I dragged Treasure with me and we went during the day with the intent of taking our time and enjoying each tree.

This cute spider tree in the small trees section.  I thought of Chloee and how much she would like this one!

The tree was made out of books with the topper a reading lamp

Patriotic honoring all the armed forces

It was titled

"On Hallowed Ground"

This jumped out to me.  Maybe because it's how I am feeling right about now

all things dog

No question that this was one of my most favorites.  All USMC.  Everything about the tree, I loved.  The dogtags, the ornaments, the colors......it was stunning to me

This one was made completely of tires.  Totally cool

Another unique piece.  It was a puzzle, but in the missing pieces sections were scenes from Jesus' birth.  Very well done

This is a kids dream true - I reminded me of Super Skyler

A piece had been added to the Peanuts themed tree - a real Charlie Brown tree.  Love it

Another military one about the Challenge coin.  I love knowing that Corb carries his own challenge coin with him.  A hard earned coin indeed.

This was another favorite.  Based on "A Christmas Story"  See the leg lamps, the bunny jammies and slippers, ornament made of bars of soap and famous sayings from the movie

The tree topper is a little boy with his tongue stuck to the pole.  You can also see the Red Ryder BB gun

Love me the leg lamp!

Okay, so I see this sign and KNOW that I have to get a picture of Treasure next to it

And I sincerely apologize to the people that I totally stepped right in front of while they were trying to take their own picture and then instead of moving aside since they were there first, I just went ahead and snapped my shot.  I think Treasure wanted to run far, far away from me.  I really wasn't being rude, I just figured since I was already there, I'd just hurry and finish up.  Yeah, I suffer in the manners department.

A tree made entirely of vintage barbies!  A little girls dream!

This is another favorite of mine. My cousin and her husband are firefighters with the UFA.  In honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, they did this tree dedicated to those firefighters who lost their lives on that date.  Behind the bookshelf that contains actual pictures from ground zero, is a flag displaying each firefighters name.  NYFD were contacted when they started and donated much of what is pictured here.  It was another tearjerker.

Then it was time for the Gingerbread houses

The Up house

A beehive.  There were actually four of them this year.  Each one amazing

This is stunning.  The theme is Madagscar.  Treasure noted it was decorated by a Women's shelter.  I am very impressed.  They also decorated and submitted this awesome White House one

The barn made me think of Chloee.  She has a barn set that she likes to play with over Skype.  Makes it kind of interesting : )

The camping one was so unique

Who doesn't love a beach theme?

Tangled

This one was just cool.  Look how they used little bite sized shredded wheat pieces.  People so are talented

We spent time in the gift shop, ate a scone, sipped our diet coke and Treasure bought her hubby some fudge.  What a great afternoon just enjoying it all.  And best part? 

 Wait for it..........

there wasn't ONE TWILIGHT THEMED TREE!!!!!!

A good day indeed.

Saturday night is clean up night.  Trees have to be bagged and loaded onto trucks.  Shops have to be taken down and cleaned up.  Forklifts are buzzing around picking up pallets of things and loading them onto trucks.

Our cute neighbor boy rounded up some volunteers as his Eagle Scout project and of course Splenda and I would have been there anyway to do whatever Deb told us to do.

Fun for me, was that a lot of our youth were there, including one of my bestie YW!

Me and 'nae

No these were NOT our helper kids.  While it was pretty funny, it was terrible waste of shrink wrap

Brockie driving the forklift

The Peanuts tree all bagged and dismantled

What was once a bustling shop, is quickly taken down and loaded onto pallets

No one drives a forklift like our Deb!

A funny thing.  As part of prep work for Festival, some kids in our neighborhood started a "Candy Crusade" gathering any leftover Halloween candy or otherwise unwanted candy to be used in the Kids Korner and Small Fry shop.  As 'nae and I were sweeping up, we ran across a piece of taffy that had been at Tuffy and 'Tana's wedding but was extra and donated.  Small little co-winky-dink don'tcha think?

We finally left at about 1am, even though others were still there working hard long into the early hours of Sunday morning.  I have to say, this year was a success.  Sure, I haven't heard the actual dollar numbers of what was raised, but for our experience, it was another year of not just fun, but of service and lessons in humility.

Looking forward to Festival 2012!

 

Wedding Fun.....Bridal Shower numero dos

I am a blessed girl with a lot of friends.   And GOOD friends.  No doubt about it! 
So in addition to the family bridal shower, some of my bestie besties threw a friend/ward shower.  And the beauty is, since Tuffy and 'Tana have grown up together in the same neighborhood/ward - the guest list was easy!

Food, women and presents - does it get any better??

l-r  sister Alexis, Mom Dana, 'Tana, and friend Donna

add in on the left cousin Savannah

me and one of my former YW - Anita  (Braydee in the background)  Where the hell did those extra chins of mine come from?  That's it - no eating for the next week!

ooh la la!  Remember, these are church friends.  Us Mormons know how to partay!

'Tana wanted to know if the frosting was supposed to be for the cake

Opening her future MIL's first gift

Wha???  I think she SHOULD be wearing this on her wedding night.  Sheesh!

opening the second gift from her future MIL

Okay, we all know this is what she WILL be wearing....GAH!!  Brain bleach please!!

So many friends came out to show support

Freaking LOVED this card - again, us Mormon girls.......bow chika wow wow!!

Thanks to our good friends for all the hard work to make this shower so much fun and so beautiful

l-r  Me, Lisa, 'Tana, Jeri, Deb's, Whitney and Kristin

Not pictured is Debbie whose home she graciously opened up to us.  Details on why she is missing is coming in another post.......  Love you Debbie

And another HUGE shout out and thanks to everyone who came, laughed, ate, giggled, and hopefully did not leave offended!!

6 more sleeps and we have a married couple on our hands!!!