Celebrating Dave

We were able to go to dinner at Pizza Factory for dinner to celebrate "Dr. Dave's birthday! Afterwards we went back to our house to have Oreo Ice Cream dessert and sing to him.

I love the opportunities to take pictures of the family in action.
Jack loves the camera.

All the kids love Dave! And he is so great with them.

Irresistible!

Girl time.

I love seeing my girls with each others kids, it is great fun.

Happy Birthday Dave!

Clara's first

Kerry and I have been lucky enough to be to the first birthday of each of our grandchildren and so we made plans to be to Clara's as well. We flew to Kansas on the Friday before her birthday to be with them. We haven't been around Clara as much as the others including Nora because last year was wild and crazy for us. As a result she doesn't know us at all, and was very shy while we were there.

She got into opening her gifts as long as we watched and didn't make a big deal about it.
Grandma Pat thought of Nora as well and sent this stuffed "Lady" so she didn't feel left out.
The Gordon's sent this cute little dress to her.
She seemed to love the animal farm that we gave her, so did Nora thank goodness they pretty well together!
Daddy knows how to make her smile and laugh.
The morning of her birthday she woke up with quite a fever and didn't feel well at all. Cydney canceled her party because she didn't want to expose the kids invited to something. She spent quite awhile just snuggling with her mommy.
Nora is a natural born entertainer! She is a beauty as well. She acts more like a four year old than a 2 1/2 year old.
The mall close to them has a carousel in it so we went and let the girls go for a ride, this was Clara's first ride. As we did some shopping Clara let me carry her through the store for awhile and I was grateful she warmed me up that much anyway, small steps...
Cyd is busy putting projects together for Nora to keep her learning and loving learning, she is quite a perfectionist about her projects.
It was fun to be with them even if it was a quick trip there and back.

Anniversary Tradition

We arrived home from Honolulu on the 17th, several days after our anniversary these were on the table waiting for me when I got home. I keep telling him that he shouldn't keep doing this since we are traveling and the cost of the flowers is crazy but he just doesn't listen. They are beautiful. He caught me smelling them in the afternoon and when I looked at him he had a big grin on his face.

Hawaiian Delights

I have posted so much about Hawaii and specific dates I thought this time that I would just show pictures of the trip in favorite mode.

While we were there the moon reached a full moon status and it was beautiful to walk in and enjoy from our lanai.
Because of the winter months the waves on the North Shore are pretty spectacular. They had been much higher than this during the week but even this Saturday they were not letting swimmers in the water and only experienced surfers could go in. The life guards were riding wave runners up and down the coastline watching people and they were a lot of fun to watch go through the high surf.
The high surf has really been hard on my favorite beach the sand was mostly gone. And we didn't even see a turtle during the time that we watched.
Look at the spray coming off of those waves.
This is Sharks Cove were Kerry likes to dive and snorkel but the waves were so intense there was no way either could be done on this day.
On our whale watch we saw a few at quite a distance, this picture is taken through Kerry's more powerful scope, he actually saw more than I did just watching. We decided that we really lucked out on our first two visits to Lanai Lookout and saw the whale shows that we did.
I thought this was an awesome picture of the Lookout.
Another beautiful sunset-time with Kerry

Another beautiful trip to Paradise. It had felt like home but now more of a vacation spot again.

80 Years Young

Pat Stevenson "Grandma Pat"

This poem was written for her by her friends in the WOW group (Widows of the Wasatch)

Pat Ooh Pat, how did you get where you're at?

Eighty years young

You inspire us all

Happy birthday's been sung

So let's have a ball!

We have a list....eighty items in all

It's the "we love Pat list"

We think you're a doll.

It's a list of your talents

There are too many to count

So we stopped at eighty

Your birthday amount!

I have talents one through ten

So I guess that I'll begin

1.  Jacks sweetheart

2.  Wonderful mom

3.  Grandma of 9

4.  Great Grandma of 10

5. You're a great example.

6. Slope loving skier

7.  Credit card Diva

8.  Hard work believer

9.  Premiere primary teacher

10.  If a friend has a problem...you can reach her.

Now I get to give 11-20

The accolades are piling up...you certainly have plenty

11.  Creative

12.  Gardening genius

13.  Seamstress superior

12.  Decorator Interior

13.  Great friend

14.  Sign maker extraordinaire

15.  Very sophisticated with your short, white hair

16.  Queen of short

17.  Mormon Momma, a queen to be

18.  Pottery painter

19.  Own home lodger

20.  Definitely a mushroom dodger

(numbered as in the paper I received!)

Twenty one through thirty.  It's my turn...yay!

I hope these next ten will make your day.

21.  Cross country Grandma

22.  Sewing super woman

23.  Shopping Diva

24.  Church "Beliva"

25.  Inspirational

26.  Terrific talents

27.  On the sloped you keep your balance

28.  Super mom

29.  Rock mover

30.  Party groover!

Oh boy, I get thirty-one to forty to share

I hope this lets you know how much we care!

31.  Wonderful wife

32.  Cake maker

33.  Loyal

34.  Vacation taker

35.  Chocolate hater

36.  Ageless

37.  Luminous

38.  Personality plus

39.  Traveled to Tunisia

40.  Worries about old timers amnesia

I have forty-one to fifty

Have you figured out we think you're nifty?

41.  Generous

42.  Kind

43.  Tree planter

44.  Balloon wearer

45.  Non swearer

46.  Head honcho of Stevenson clan

47.  twenty three long years without her man!

48.  Basket ball impresario...not

49.  Sixty years since you tied the knot

50.  Attitude of gratitude you've got!

Fifty one to sixty...this is getting long

We're sure glad to the WOW's you belong

51.  Radical Republican

52.  Racy lady

53.  Heavenly human

54.  Great shopper

55.  Never been a name dropper

56.  Woman of substance

57.  Woman of wisdom

58.  Woman of charity

59.  Woman who can do anything

60.  Who solves problems with clarity

Sixty one through seventy that's what's coming next

Would you prefer I send these by text?

61.  Flowering tree lover

62.  Handled well the loss of her brother

63.  Can tackle any task and do it well.

64.  You know sinning will lead you to....

65.  Eighty going on fifty

66. Still learning to be thrifty

67.  Two sisters who love you

68.  Helped care for your mother

69.  We think you're terrific

70.  There is no other!

Seventy one to eighty that's terrific

Let's hope your talent list is very specific!

71.  Fixes anything inside or out

72.  Maybe plumbing isn't your thing

73.  But you can put up drywall and

install a swing.

74.  Terril's mom

75.  Shauna's mom

76.  Then there's Kerry, Joel, and Drew

77.  they love their mom

78.  We do too

79.  Our lives are better because of you

80.  You're a class act...and that is true!

Pat oh Pat, how did you get where you're at

The answer for us is quite clear.

You developed your talents and with dignity shared them

That's why we honor you here!

 Her WOW friends have done a very good job describing her we all love her very much.

Romantic Dinner on the Beach

Kerry asked people for suggestions from people he works with for a really nice place to celebrate our anniversary. First we started by going to see a movie, Sherlock Holmes, and then caught a bus back to the hotel and then to this restaurant for dinner. The name of the restaurant is Hau Tree Lanai. It is literally underneath a Hau Tree on a lanai that has been groomed to cover the seating area. We were there early enough that we got a really nice table with a great view, even though we had to duck under limbs to get there.

We were right along the beach with a great view for the sunset.

Another beautiful Hawaiian sunset

The food was really wonderful even though it was quite pricey.

The Hau Tree is really close to the base of Diamond Head and this is the view looking back to the city. Even though it isn't a very clear picture it gives perspective to where we were.

From here we walked back to our hotel along the waterfront and walked slowly hand in hand in the light of the full moon. It was a beautiful evening.

33 Years

34 years ago I met the shyest guy I had ever met in my life! I cooked for his apartment for a few months during my sophomore year at BYU and getting him to talk to me was one of my challenges. I didn't cook for them for very long because I was spending to much time doing that and as a result not studying enough. However, as a result of this challenge Kerry and I became friends. How grateful I am for that friendship and how it has progressed over the years, of course there is more than a friendship now but the friendship remains. And now we celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary, wow!

I love this man!

I love being with this man.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

My Old Friend

I was walking down the Ala Wai canal today in Honolulu I put my ipod shuffle on and started to feel the rhythm of the music. It's funny in the seventies I liked the group Chicago a little but as I walk I find that their music is great for pacing me. I have tried other music and talks but the hits of Chicago seems to motivate me the most. It was a bright and sunny day and as I fell into a rhythm of walking I found that I had met an old friend, the music was good, the trade winds were wonderfully pushing and pulling me a long and there "I" was, feeling good, feeling strong, feeling happy. I missed that friend over the last few months. It felt good!

Hawaii Five O

When I found out that Hawaii Five O was going to be remade I wasn't sure that I was happy about it, I do like the show though. Since we are spending so much time in Honolulu I have been wondering if we would ever see them shooting somewhere on the island. Today after I met Kerry for lunch we were heading up to his office on Bishop Square and directly across the street the "silver camero" was parked with cones all around it.

Then we saw the crew and all of the equipment lined up and down the street. They were inside filming in the UPS store. We watched for awhile and then went in his building and watched from above. People were standing everywhere it was kind of fun.

Because it was during the busiest time on a downtown street we wondered if it would be hard. The crew were really great to work with people when they were ready for "Danno" to come running out on his phone to his car they simply stopped people between takes.

After three takes they were done. Scott Caan stopped and took a few pictures with people along the way to the van where he climbed in and they drove off. Super smooth and it seemed super friendly unlike another report I have read about the filming and it's crew. I went up to Kerry's office for a minute and when I came back down the vans with the "stars" and the camero were gone and most of the equipment had been loaded up on a truck. It was still fun to watch for just a few minutes, I am always looking for familiar places on the show, now I will look for this scene.

New Year:

I have so much to be thankful for, 2011 was quite a year for our family. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone this year. I am finding it hard to believe that the little ones will start turning one soon. I am grateful that we were able to be together with family in various ways and numbers throughout the year.

Not everything always goes smoothly but I have found that we take care of one another when it doesn't go as planned. It is comforting to me that I hear the girls back one another up and prepare to do anything they can for one another. When they were young I wondered if that would be the case at times. As they have married I have wondered because bringing in-laws into the picture can complicate things as well. The girls who live close have begun doing a "girls night" with me occasionally, it has been fun and I think is helping to keep the lines of communication open. We just hope that when Ken is done with school that they are closer and that Cydney can be a part of girls night as well.

I am amazed by the women my girls have become. They have a great deal in common and they have amazing talents that are their very own. They are such great examples to me. I have often said that they were sent to teach me rather than the other way around they each have strengths and testimonies that leave me in awe.
I have an amazing, wonderful, husband. He has gone through an awful lot this year with his surgeries. I hope that he is through the worst of his pain and can do the things he enjoys the most. Having him home full time is a new experience again and now he will travel a lot as he is over the restrictions. I know I over protected him from lifting and so forth and I am sure that I drove him crazy. I have never known anyone who is as smart as this man is, I turn to him for answers all of the time. I just wish I could share his love and enthusiasm for diving but I am glad it makes him so happy.
One of my new years resolutions for last year was to serve others better. I think I did ok. One of the things that I should have also resolved to do was to serve myself a little better. I have slowly gained a little of the weight that I lost, not much but enough to get me discouraged. I am still wearing two sizes smaller than I was three years ago and should be happy...not being able to walk with my hip and knee has been a thorn in my side and my emotions . I have found myself being more critical of myself and others as a result of the discouragement. I also find that I feel I can never help or make anyone happy, that nothing I do is good enough and that I am always disappointing others. Frankly the aging process stinks and looking in the mirror to see the deep circles under my eyes makes me feel I am at least a hundred years old.

While I know it is a noble goal to serve others I have to remember that I need to take care of myself as well. The word worry is a word that I grew to hate as I was a young woman and a young mother. I know I spent time "wringing" my hands last year and I will step away from that. While I truly mourn that my family is raised and gone a lot of the time I can only do so much to help them and can't put pressures on myself to protect them from pain or sorrow, it isn't my place any longer. While I remain concerned and I still love them dearly I have to step aside.

Kerry has been traveling for over the last twelve years of our marriage, it has been a trial but he is employed and for the most part he loves his job. We have been together more as I have traveled with him lately but there are still times when it is hard having him gone so much. I just have to make the best of the time that he is gone, be productive, take care of myself and complain less. I also have to quit making myself feel so guilty that I don't enjoy the diving and hobbies that he has come to love so much, it just isn't going to happen.

2012

I hate new years resolutions but I am going to make some anyway but they are really just goals I should be working on anyway.

1. Get back to walking-despite the knee and hip pain.

2. Take off the 10 lbs and more. get rid of the soda AGAIN!

3. Be ok with me-DON'T let anyone make me feel less of a person than I am. My feelings are important no matter how much I tend to keep them inside.

4. Beef up the spiritual side. Be better at the things I know I should.

(i.e. visiting teaching, temple attendance, attitude in general of where I live and worship.)

5. Be less judgemental or critical. (On the plane here there were several little crying children my first response was to hope they weren't anywhere near me, they weren't very close. As I found myself trying to empathize with the mothers who were trying to keep them quiet and not disturb the old farts who were complaining I felt myself soften towards them and the crying, now I just need to soften to the old farts! I really have tried to see more of the positive as I have been on the bus or in public situations and it has been good.)

6. COMPLAIN LESS I am afraid that I complain way too much about not feeling well, my head, hip, or knee, or ears.....I will try harder to not the pain let be known, no one likes a complainer.

I guess I see a theme here I just want to be a more positive person this year, I have to so much to be positive about, husband, children, grandchildren are only a beginning. I have life and I need to appreciate it and love it more than I already do. If I appreciate things more I won't be hurt as easily because I won't be thinking of myself.

Happy New Year.