Oh Dad...

I just had the best dream.

I was sitting in a padded chair in the corner of a room wearing this funny flapper dress costume and a pink-orange jacket.You, Mom and Michelle were there and we were all talking. Mom left the room and I was thinking about movies I had rented that I wanted to watch. I started to sing, "Why do birds suddenly appear, every time, you are near?" You joined in with me, "Just like me, they want to be, close to you." You stood up and started to dance with Michelle and suddenly the room was our kitchen, right in front of the railing to go downstairs. You and I sang the whole song together. Each verse lasting forever as you and Michelle danced on the cracked linoleum of the kitchen floor. I could hear your smooth dark voice so clearly, like you really were right there singing to me, like so many times...
I kept thinking, "I've GOT to go get my video camera! When I thought he was gone the thing I regretted the most was not having a recording or a video of him singing. I don't want to make that mistake again."
Toward the end of the song, I stopped singing and Michelle joined in with you. You were still dancing. At the end you were standing behind her, helping her do silly actions, until she took over. She stepped forward and belted out, "Just like meeeeee" (arm movements and spinning) "They want to beeeeeee" (Stop. Arm actions Dum, Dum, Dum, dmmmm!) "Close to yoooooOoooouuuu!!!" (Arms in the air for a final pose)
You were grinning, we were both applauding wildly. I yelled, "Bravo! Take it on the road!"
I thought, "If they do it again for a video, I hope it will be just as cute the second time." I got up to get the camera and that's when I woke up, grinning from ear to ear with my heart so full of love. Your voice still lingering where I could almost hear it, and the image of you looking so proudly at Michelle, loving every second of this little moment in time.
Laying there with my eyes open I slowly realized, you really are gone. I can't go get a video and I'll never be able to see, or hear, a replay of our duet and Michelle's finale.

But I could write it down.

So here I am. And there you are, your voice still ringing in my ears and images of you fresh in my my mind. My eyes and cheeks wet and my heart so full.
I miss you so much. ♥

Last day of summer, First day of school

For the last day of summer, Michelle really wanted to do something fun. I was all shopped out (not to mention out of money) and all the Jr. High pools were closed to get ready for the first day of school.
Not wanting to go anywhere too crowded or too far from home, I decided to call my friend Susan and see if we could come to her house to swim. Of course she said yes, so we called some friends and headed over.

Brandon, being the good big brother he is, didn't want to let any of the kids down the big slide.
Luckily there were enough kids to overthrow his totalitarian dictatorship.

The rope swing is always fun, if you can get a turn.

The teens

Sydney and Brandon

The kids who still know how to have fun. :)

Trenton, Kapono, Cody, Michelle, Noelani and Bailey

Thanks for a fun last day of summer Susan!


Now for the big day!

After painted nails, neckline hair trims, showers and straightening hair. Father's blessings, laying out clothes and going to bed early.

The day has finally arrived.

LAST first day of elementary for one, first day of HIGH SCHOOL for the other!

For Brandon this year

it was all about the cool jeans.

For Michelle, as always,

the focus was on accessories.

Michelle and Maddy. All dolled up and ready to take on 6th grade.

They even got a new ride...

...wth A/C and everything! :)

Yes, I know...

I know I skipped past the first 7 months of the year. Maybe now that the kids are in school, and I'm feeling a little better, I'll try to fill in some of the blanks.

:)

Oh yeah, my blog...

I had a dream I updated it last night.

Maybe it's a sign...

Thanks Michelley!!

My cutie Michelle changed my blog for me! She even added music and picked out songs she thought I would like.

Thanks Michelley, you're the best. ♥

Making Peace Before I Get There

I know, I know, it's been forever.
Well, we're going to visit the Passeys tomorrow and since Krista's the one that forced me to have this blog [:)], I figured I'd better try to update it before we get there. That way I won't have to experience her wrath and we can just get to the having fun part.

The next few posts are updates on what went on around here since my last post back in Nov.
"Hello!" to new friends that have found me. Sorry I've been such a slacker, I'll try to do better. :)

(November- check, December- check, Christmas- working on it, January- thinking about it)

December in a Flurry

We kicked off December with our annual trip to see the National Rodeo Finals in Vegas with our friends. Every year I get stressed as we smush it into an already too busy December and swear that it's our last year. Then we get there and have so much fun that I can't wait until next year.

Here we are on the strip, sticking our heads out the sunroof stopped at a red light.

With our friends, Douger and Terina Eaves, inside the arena.
Outside the arena, before the event, they had a mechanical bull in the parking lot. Of course Douger and I were the only ones brave enought to ride. ;)

In September, Michelle started a musical singing group that she just loves. We got home from Vegas just in time to see her first recital.Here she is with her teacher Miss Jenee.

We went with some friends to a charity dinner at the Christmas Idea House. They decorate an enormus house with a bazzilion decorations that are all for sale.

Conveniently, Rick left his wallet in the car.
I got to go with Michelle's class on their field trip to a flight center.

Here we are in a helicopter simulator. It was really cool. All of the controls actually did the functions they do in a real helicopter.

Here's Michelle in the airplane simulator.

After two years and two months Rick finally got his braces off!!

The crazy thing is, no one noticed! He went to work the next day and finally had to tell everyone (at 3:00) that he got them off. Our friend Katherine Cook (the one in the red at the charity dinner) is the only person who ever noticed and asked him about it. Yes, yes, I know they were clear but still...

Before

After
Man, he's hot!! :)



Our Birthday Girl

Michelle turned 11 on the 17th. :(

At her party, she wanted doughnuts instead of a cake. You can read more about her party on her blog. :)

In the morning she opened presents (which I obviously didn't get any good pictures of), and that night, she and I went to a cooking class at Shar's and learned how to make lots of yummy Christmas cookies.

My friend Lisa put this bow in her hair and she wore it all night. :)

Christmas with the Hansens

Every year we go to Utah for Christmas, so Rick's family always has a party before we leave.

Here are all the cousins, waiting to open presents (except for Rick's older brother's 6 kids. Their family didn't come).

After presents we had a talent show this year.

Brandon and Michelle did their infamous "Cecilia" routine

Brandon played a couple of songs for us on Jenny's new piano.

We decided to take a picture with all of the girls wearing the headbands Rick's mom had given us for Christmas. The problem was, there wasn't one for Rick's mom.

So we made one for her.

John's wife Tasha, Randy's wife Danae

Rick's sister Jenny, his mom Chris and me.

This is us being "sexy"

When we shouted out "Charlie's Angels," Rick's mom didn't know what we meant.

She figured it out but then shot herself in the head with her "gun."

Hahahahahaha! We were all laughing hysterically :)

By the end of the night, all the kids were pooped.

We all missed Rick's youngest brother Jake who is on a mission. Hopefully next Christmas we'll be in Chile picking him up and seeing the beautiful places he talks about in his letters.