Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Conference






While we were in Utah Bruce and I attended Conference. We invited Sam and Shawnee Crossley to go with us on Sunday afternoon.  Sunday morning we watched Conference with the Jacob family. While we were at the Conference Center we met up with Justin Permenter for a quick visit and later with Clark and Autumn Harris.

A few of my favorite quotes from the Conference. 

President Monson speaking to couples about missionary service,

"There are few times in your lives when you will enjoy the sweet spirit and satisfaction that come from giving full-time service together in the work of the Master"

"This is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good".

and speaking about Gratitude,

"There are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who teach. Our lives are blessed in countless ways."

"When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given"

and Elder Holland,

"In that spirit my message today is to say that we sustain you, that we return to you those same heartfelt prayers and that same expression of love. We all know there are special keys, covenants, and responsibilities given to the presiding officers of the Church, but we also know that the Church draws incomparable strength, a truly unique vitality, from the faith and devotion of every member of this Church, whoever you may be. In whatever country you live, however young or inadequate you feel, or however aged or limited you see yourself as being, I testify you are individually loved of God, you are central to the meaning of His work, and you are cherished and prayed for by the presiding officers of His Church. The personal value, the sacred splendor of every one of you, is the very reason there is a plan for salvation and exaltation. Contrary to the parlance of the day, this is about you. No, don’t turn and look at your neighbor. I am talking to you!

I have struggled to find an adequate way to tell you how loved of God you are and how grateful we on this stand are for you. I am trying to be voice for the very angels of heaven in thanking you for every good thing you have ever done, for every kind word you have ever said, for every sacrifice you have ever made in extending to someone—to anyone—the beauty and blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ."


and Sunday ended with an amazing talk by Elder Ballard.


It was titled "O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One"


"The battle over man’s God-given agency continues today. Satan and his minions have their lures all around us, hoping that we will falter and take his flies so he can reel us in with counterfeit means. He uses addiction to steal away agency. According to the dictionary, addiction of any kind means to surrender to something, thus relinquishing agency and becoming dependent on some life-destroying substance or behavior".





"Researchers tell us there is a mechanism in our brain called the pleasure center.2 When activated by certain drugs or behaviors, it overpowers the part of our brain that governs our willpower, judgment, logic, and morality. This leads the addict to abandon what he or she knows is right. And when that happens, the hook is set and Lucifer takes control."


"Satan knows how to exploit and ensnare us with artificial substances and behaviors of temporary pleasure. I have observed the impact when one struggles to win back control, to become free from destructive abuse and addiction, and to regain self-esteem and independence."


"Some of the most addictive drugs that, if abused, can hijack the brain and take away one’s agency include nicotine; opiates—heroin, morphine, and other painkillers; tranquilizers; cocaine; alcohol; marijuana; and methamphetamines."


I am so grateful to be a member of this Church and to be guided by modern day Prophets. I know that the words they share are indeed inspired. They are so pertinent to our day.


Missionary Reunion at the Jacob's

Dennis and Valerie Clark, Me, Ryan Burrup, and Nick Barnum

Max, Cami Godfry, Michelle and Brad Pearson, and Julia
Julia and Max are friends from Lugansk, Ukraine

Michelle, Me, and Valerie

Clark, Colby and Me

Maryann Jackson and her friend with me and the Pearsons
Livingston, Pearson, and Harris


Monday, September 6, 2010

Mini-Mission Reunion

The Crossley's, The Pearson's, and the Harris's

Sam and Shawnee Crossley
We are so grateful to the Jacob's who let Bruce and I stay with them in their home in Provo while we attended Education Week. One of the things I was really looking forward to when we were in Utah was seeing some of the wonderful people we met on our mission. We loved being in the Jacob's home and they were so kind and made us feel so welcome. We were so happy to run into President Anderson and his wife while we were on campus at Education Week. We love them so much and are so grateful to have served with such amazing people.

I had been trying to arrange a get together with some of the missionaries who lived in the Provo area and Sam Crossley suggested the RED MANGO for yogurt. So we got the word out on facebook and had a little mini-mision reunion. I just have to say, I love these young people. I really do. How blessed we were to have them in our lives while we were in Ukraine. They were like family to us. We will always have a very special place in our hearts for them.I could hardly wait for them to get out of the cars so that I could hug them again. I didn't think to take pictures until Greg Livingston and Justin Permenter had left. It was so good of them all to come out to see us. I did have phone calls or messages from several others who couldn't make it that night and hopefully we'll see them in October.
Brad and Michelle Pearson (and baby Will)
Clark and Autumn Harris

Thursday, September 2, 2010

UTAH TRIP

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some of the beautiful things we saw in Utah

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Salt Lake City

Last week my mom and I left Sacramento for Utah. We took this journey last year and enjoyed a few days at Temple Square, the Humanitarian Center, and the Church History Museum. My moms not a member of the Church but she loved it. So when Bruce and I were planning another trip to Education Week this year we decided that I would come a week early and bring my mom.  We left Sacramento on Friday and spent the night in Elko and arrived in Salt Lake on Saturday. We've had a great time visiting Temple Square again. We love to sit and watch the new brides and grooms having their picture taken in front of the Temple. It's such a joyous time for the families.

My mom loves to visit with the Sister Missionaries on Temple Square. We toured Brigham Young's home again. My mom loves to learn about the pioneers. We watched several movies about their journey to Salt Lake. This year we watched a movie on Joseph Smith that was incredible. My mom said she learned so much about him. We went to the "This Is The Place" park and learned more about the great Exodus to Salt Lake. Then we headed for St George Utah for a few days. We saw a play at the Tuachan one night that was fantastic. Then we headed for Zion Park.  So mom and I returned to Salt Lake Thurday and had another day of sight seeing then I put her on the plane Saturday morning. It was a busy busy week but I am so glad that I could share it with my mom.

The time we spent here has reminded me how blessed I am to have the knowledge of the Restoration on the Gospel in my life. It was amazing to watch the movie about Joseph Smith and to think about how the Chruch has grown in such a short time. The message of the restoration has traveled all over the world and even reached people in a little coal mining town of Ukraine. Our sweet Ukrainian adopted daughter Olga and her husband are in Kieve right now visiting the new Kieve Temple. Sister Fry our mission President's wife writes and says, that baptisms are up, they have 36 on date for baptisms and several families are traveling to Kieve to be sealed. How blessed we were to be able to travel to Ukraine and see the windows of Heaven open to pour blessings upon the people of Ukraine. This Church is true. I know that with all my heart. I am so blessed to be a member. I love my family. I am so grateful for all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me and my family.

In a few days we will reunite with some of the sweet young missionaries we shared our time in Ukraine with. I can hardly wait.

Monday, August 2, 2010

another sleepless night

This has been one of those nights when I found myself falling asleep on the couch rather early. I thought,
"oh good, I'm tired, I'll sleep well tonight". So I found my way into my quiet bedroom, pulled back the curtains, opened all the windows and crawled into my big bed. Ahhhhh! and then it began, the tossing, the turning, the thoughts racing through my mind. I tried clearing my mind, a little meditation, relaxing my body, but NOTHING WORKED! So now I'm here, tapping at the keys on my computer wishing I was snoozing in bed.

Friday, July 30, 2010

HOME MADE ICE CREAM

Sunday after church Papa Mark and the Bailey Family came over and we made HomeMade Ice Cream
Yummy!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

MY BLOG BOOK ARRIVED

I AM SO EXCITED MY BLOG BOOK ARRIVED
While we were on our mission I kept a blog in which I recorded my impressions and our experiences of serving a mission in Ukriane. I decided to have it printed into a book so that I could have a record of the mission. I absolutely love it!

Home Cooking

There's nothing like a HOME COOKED meal.
And I especially love it when someone else cooks it.
Last Saturday Bruce and I got up very early to go work in the Temple. When we got home he asked me "what should we have for dinner tonight?"

he suggested Tuna Casserole

which means I COOK

I suggested Pasty Pie

which means HE COOKS

I went upstairs to take a nap and when I woke up I found Bruce in the kitchen creating this

beautiful Pasty Pie

IT IS A FAMILY TRADITION HE LEARNED TO MAKE FROM HIS MOTHER,

A WONDERFUL MEAT AND POTATO PIE INSIDE THIS FANTASTIC PIE CRUST

NOW THAT'S MY IDEA OF A ROMANTIC DINNER FOR TWO

THANKS, BABE IT WAS AWESOME

Monday, July 19, 2010

Rascal Flatts

YES, I YELLED, AND SCREAMED, AND STUCK MY FINGERS IN MY MOUTH AND Whistled ALL NIGHT LONG. I DIDN'T EXACTLY DANCE IN THE AISLES BUT I DIDN'T SPEND MUCH TIME IN MY SEAT EITHER. KARRISSA AND I HAD SO MUCH FUN. I THINK WE BOTH FELT LIKE TEENAGERS AGAIN.

CHRIS YOUNG was the opening act. He was AWESOME, then came Kellie PICKLER. Karrissa watched Kellie on American Idol so she was excited to see her. I MADE KARRISSA GET UP AND GO RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE STAGE to take her picture AND Karrissa  KIND OF STOOD OUT A BIT WITH A BRIGHT YELLOW SHIRT ON AND HER WHITE HAIR AND KELLIE WALKED RIGHT OVER to the edge of the stage AND SMILED AND WAVED AT HER. She waved at my daughter. It was so fun. She came back to her seat just grinning from ear to ear.  Then came RASCAL FLATTS and we were right there in front of the stage. OH MY GOODNESS were we excited. THEY ARE SUCH GOOD ENTERTAINERS. THEY ALSO WALKED BACK AND FORTH ON THE STAGE AND WAVED AT THE AUDIENCE. WE HOLLERED AND WAVED AND WENT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE STAGE TO TAKE PICTURES. ONE GUY GOT REALLY MAD AND STARTED YELLING AT EVERYONE TO "BACK THE blank up"  There was security people nearby who only allowed the people with tickets in our section to go up to the stage but only to take pictures so we couldn't stay there long. They sang all the songs we listened to on the car ride up to Tahoe, and we sang along. Did I say, fun? It was amazingly fun. Can't wait to do it again.

Mormon.org

Wow, the new mormon.org went live today. Check it out. What an amazing way to learn about who we are and what we believe. While our backgrounds and experiences are diverse, we share a deep commitment to Jesus Christ, to each other, and their neighbors. Watch these stories of faith in the everyday lives of Mormons.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Rascal Flatts

I am so excited my daughter, Karrissa and I are driving up to Tahoe this week-end to see Rascal Flatts. We are going to Harvey's outdoor arena and have really good seats. I love, love, love them. I am so looking forward to the concert. I hope I don't embarrass my daughter too much with my singing along and dancing in the aisle.
(Did I mention it's outdoors?) maybe we really will see them singing "These Days" in the rain.  Can't wait.
I'm going out to buy a CD tomorrow so I can practice singing along. I feel like I'm 16 again. Well, maybe 20ish. Anyway, I'm excited. I haven't been this excited about a concert since I saw Willie Nelson. I know that really dates me doesn't it. Hey, at least I didn't say, Wayne Newton. No offense Wayne but I'm a Country Girl.

"These Days" - Rascal Flatts Official Music Video DON'T FORGET TO PUT MY MUSIC ON PAUSE




"These Days" - Rascal Flatts Official Music Video, posted with vodpod

Thursday, July 1, 2010

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

Monroe and I went shopping for a new dress the other day.





She is one little girl who can "work it"
The Grands are getting older now and yet they still run out the front door to greet us when we arrive. It's so sweet because they see us almost everyday but each time they greet us it's with open arms and BIG smiles on their faces. When it's time to say good-bye someone almost always ask if they can spend the night with us. It's so sweet. Bruce and I cherish this time when they are young and sweet and full of love for their family.

Last week I got out some old videos and we were watching a video of Nathan (our 25 year-old son)  when he was in Kindergarten and his class went to a Nursing Home for a visit. Nathan was so sweet. It was fun to hear his little boy voice as he cautiously walked around the room looking for someone to give his handmade card to. He smiled and said hello as he passed the old hunched over men and women looking for someone who would return his smile. He stopped to pick up something that had fallen at the feet of an old woman and gently handed it to her with a smile on his face. Soon Nathan and his little friends were gathered in a little circle munching on cookies and milk discussing the responses they had received as they handed their cards out. Nathan was happy. He giggled and smiled as his friends shared their experiences.

This past year our Grandson Wyatt started Kindergarten. He is going to the same school his mother and Nathan went to. I occasionally go and work in HIS classroom. As I sit and watch Wyatt in Circle time I reflect on the days that I joined my children in their classrooms and

 I am amazed at how quickly life passed. When your a young parent life can be difficult and sometimes mundane. You feel as if all you ever do is prepare meals, wash dishes, clean sticky hands, pick up toys, and do endless piles of laundry. The days blend into weeks, and weeks into months and it seems you are celebrating another birthday. Now we are Grandparents and our perspective has changed.

WE KNOW that this won't last forever.

The laundry, the dirty dishes, the bruised knees, the battles with homework, the bedtime nightmares, the endless piles of laundry.

WILL ONE DAY END

and all that will be left are the cherished memories of your

precious babies, the way they smelled in your arms,

how their little hands felt in yours,

how their giggles made you smile,

that sweet little smile that greeted you when you walked into

their room in the morning,

or the butterfly kisses at bedtime,

the squeals of laughter that filled the air when they played with daddy

ONE DAY YOU'LL COME HOME AND THE HOUSE WILL BE EMPTY

AND THE QUIET IS DEAFENING.

AND YOU KNOW THAT YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN

AND THE EMPTINESS SEEMS ENDLESS AND YOU CAN'T IMAGINE ANOTHER LIFE

WITHOUT THEM FILLING THE SPACE

AND THEN

ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND

LIFE HAS CHANGED

GOD BLESSES YOU WITH NEW LITTLE ONES TO ROCK TO SLEEP, AND TAKE FOR WALKS, AND LAUGH, AND RUN, AND PLAY WITH.

there are still dishes to wash, and laundry to do but this time it's different because

YOU KNOW

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Waiting For God

Sometimes it feels like we've been sitting a long time........................

Waiting,

for answers,

Waiting

for direction,

Waiting,

for things to turn out "our way"

and sometimes

we wonder

Is it time to move on?

How long must I wait??

the child in us says, "I'm sick of sitting here"

"I can't do this any longer"

and then,

God sends us a reminder that he knows,

HE KNOWS,

we're anxious,

HE KNOWS,

we're hurting,

HE KNOWS,

it's hard,

AND

HE KNOWS

US

he has promised us he will not forsake us

and it is during those moments that we find the

courage to go back to waiting.......

knowing and believing that he has a plan

in the midst of the pain and confusion there is a plan

Monday, June 14, 2010

FATHERS DAY 2010 in America

Happy Father's Day Bruce
Oh I know it's not really Father's Day yet but who knows what I'll be doing next week, and it's never too soon to tell someone you love and appreciate them.
I love you Bruce Robert

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

How do YOU keep the Sabbath Day Holy??


We had been home from church about an hour when I realized I didn't hear Bruce anymore. He had been on the computer but things had gotten really quiet in the house. This is where I found him. On the couch, with his arms crossed, resting, very peacefully, until he heard the click of the camera.
(I think teaching on Sunday's wears him out)


Today Bruce taught a lesson in the High Priest Group Meeting. He worked really hard on the lesson all week. He was a little nervous about teaching today because the lesson was about
The Life of Christ and there are many men in his class that are very knowledgeable about the Christ and his life and teachings. When he got in the car at the end of the lesson he said he felt like it went well. I was told by one of our friends that Bruce did very well today and that there was alot of class discussion. Bruce said, that was what made the lesson so interesting. Well I think that is one way to handle a classroom of knowledgeble men.


I'm so proud of him, he's a great teacher.

Monroe and Motherhood

Posted by PicasaWhat is it about little girls?
This little girl is so loving and nurturing.
She is five years old and already talking about being a mother.
The other day Bruce was telling her she is growing way too fast and she said,
"You know Papa, I'm gonna be a MOM!"
a few days later we were at the pool and I showed her this cute little floating device for babies
that had an umbrella type cover, she looked at me and said,
"Oh, Nana, when I'm a mom you HAVE to get me THAT "
We went to visit my friend Amanda and when we brought little Madi out Monroe couldn't keep
her eyes off of her. She was so sweet with Madi.
She is such a good big sister, she is always keeping her eye out for her siblings and helping
whenever she can. She's the first to undo her seatbelt and let the younger ones out of their
carseats.
She is such a little nurturer. She will sit and play with her babies for hours. It is so fun to listen
to her talk to her babies.
We love her so much.

Sunday, June 6, 2010


When we were on our mission I came across the amazing story of NieNie.



Stephanie Neilson is a young mother of four who lives in Utah. She is a blogger with a HUGE following. I wrote about her amazing spirit when she and her husband were involved in a plane crash and she suffered burns over 80 percent of her body.


I remember the first time I read her blog even before she had her plane crash how her amazing spirit spoke to me.



I remember how moved I was as I read about how she felt about her role as a wife and mother. She wrote about the everyday things young mothers experience. One of the first post I read was about how she had celebrated the first day of school with her children. She wrote about spending time at the family ranch, her devotion to her husband that she calls Mr. Nielson.

But what I remember most is how POSITIVE she was not only about her family but about her life.

One thing that really stood out was how she posted so many candid self portraits. She wasn't always perfectly made up with stylish matching outfits. She didn't always capture a perfect pose but what she captured was the beauty of her life. NIE NIE likes to wear colorful clothing, bright red lipstick, and pretty shoes. see here.

There were post that she took close up shots of her cute face covered in freckles, or her wonderful red lips. I remember sitting in my small little apartment in Ukraine and wondering "how does someone develop such a strong sense of self?"

Maybe we all have it but loose it along the way

When I watch my 5 year old granddaughter Monroe I see she has that magical sense of self

She likes to see herself in the mirror.

She smiles, twist and turns her little body to see all the beautiful angles

She likes to see what she looks like when she has new clothes on

She likes herself

I want to be more like Nie Nie and my little granddaughter


I want to look in the mirror and see the god given beauty I have been given
I want to see the light within
that reminds me of who I truly am
a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father
I have been blessed to be a wife and mother
I am oh so grateful for this wonderful blessing


I have often thought about Stephanie Nielsen this past year as she has learned to endure life in a new body. Each day she struggles to do the everyday things she loved doing for her family. Each small task is a challenge. She has to endure physical pain every day. She has had to endure painful operations, time away from her sweet family. She has had to move out of the home she had come to love in Arizona to be near her family in Utah. She longs to have another baby but is unable to at this time.

I have thought about the things we all endure in our lives. Each of us will have our own personal struggles but we have a choice how we will respond. We can choose each day if we want to be happy or to be sad and discouraged. The beauty we reflect on the outside is really a result of our reaction to the challenges we face. NIE NIE is teaching ME that beauty truly is not what is on the outside. Her spirit shines today as brightly as it shined before the plane accident.She is teaching the WORLD that the beauty we possess comes from a place within each of us.


If you want to read more about this amazing woman go here or watch the video below to see how she has transformed her life since the plane crash that changed her world

DON'T FORGET TO PUT THE BLOG MUSIC ON PAUSE TO LISTEN TO THE VIDEO

My New Life

Cash, Wyatt, Monroe, and Maverick


Our daughter Karrissa has been blessed with so much creativity she has such a gift to see things outside the box

She came up with this cute idea to advertise her husband Brad's Window Washing
Business.

She found these old picture frames at a garage sale, painted them and distressed them and then had Brad hang them from the trees at a local park. I love how the pictures turned out. I am so impressed that they ended up with such cute photos.
She even managed to bring an old chair she picked up at a garage sale for some individual photos
(posted in my side bar) and this cute lounge chair to capture a fun look with hats and bathing suits.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

MEMORIAL DAY 2010





TRADITIONS







Our family has been going to New Brighton Beach in Santa Cruz every Memorial Day week-end since 1986. We usually go for the week prior to Memorial Day. When the children were still living at home we camped at the campgrounds at New Brighton Beach. It was such a great memory builder. This vacation was always so fun for all of us because there were several other families we knew there as well. The children would play together at the beach all day (and I do mean all day). They would start asking us "when are we going to the beach?" the minute we woke up. We could hardly get the lunches packed fast enough. We would always pick a spot on the beach where about 15 families would meet and the kids would body surf or dig in the sand while we all just sat around and ate yummy snacks and caught up on what was going on in each others lives.
Our New Brighton vacation included many yearly traditions. We would always have a huge family campfire where someone would tell scary stories to the kids, we'd sing songs and roast marshmallows and eat s'mores. Once the kids went to bed all the adults would share hilarious memories about the times we'd all been together in the past. I liked to get up really early and walk on the beach so I could usually find one or two other mothers who would join me and take some of the children for an early morning treasure hunt at the beach.
There were traditions around the food as well. There was one family that always had a supply of suckers for the children. So in the mornings the children would go out exploring and visiting their friends at other campsites. They's end up with a little group of buddies just running from campsite to campsite and they'd always come back with a sucker from Brother Draper. We never knew who to expect at mealtime, it was hardly ever just our family. One of the children would always have someone with them when it was time to sit down for a meal. Bruce say's "you never really knew how much they'd eaten before they sat down at our table either". Brother Curry was famous for his Clam Chowder which he made for the whole group every year. There were tradional camp meals as well. Some families always had one night of Taco Salad, then there was the Hawaiian Haystacks. It was fun just to see what creative things people came up with to have for dinner. We had some traditional breakfast foods as well. I won't go into that now.
As I said our family was usually there for the whole week but others didn't make it to New Brighten until Wednesday or Thursday. Some of the ladies were so anxious to come we would even get to the campgrounds a few days before our husbands who usually had to work until later in the week. I was one of those ladies so I would set up our campsite myself with some help from Nate and Karrissa. Although this was trying because they were constantly wanting to know when we would be done so we could go to the beach. There were always a few men who had managed to come early as well and they would help me if I needed it. I got pretty good at setting up my tent and lighting campfires. Speaking of campfires. These same men, would make a run for firewood and would fill the back of a truck with firewood and we'd all buy bundles for our campfires from them. Thursday nights were the nights the men would go see some action packed Adventure movie. The first few years it was just a night for the guys to go alone then some women decided they wanted to go to the movies as well. So they'd pick a "chick flick" and go to the movies on Thursday night too. I preferred to stay back and sit by the campfire with the other moms and kids who had stayed behind. Then on Friday night we all went to the boardwalk. It was so fun all the adults would sit and eat funnel cakes, or corn dogs, while we waited for our kids on the rides. Friday night usually included a stop at Marianne's ice cream on the way home.
We have a collection of photographs capturing some of these memories of the fun times at New Brighton Beach but I don't think we or our children will ever forget the many wonderful years we spent there with great friends.
I know each year I return my mind floods with memories. I can't go by certain campsites without having flashes of the past. Campfires, walks on the beach, body surfing, the men having water fights with the huge water guns, wandering thru the campgrounds completely soaked looking like comandos with water guns resting on their shoulders. I don't think we will ever forget the year Karrissa hurt her foot at the beach and Jerry Harris carried her on his back all the way up the hill back to the campgrounds. There was the year Karrissa ended up with the flu and by the time we arrived at camp it was pouring and I had to set up the tent and quickly make a bed for my very sick daughter in the rain. I don't know if it was the same year but Bruce had to take Karrissa to Kaiser once she was so sick. Then there were the bad sun burns because little girls insisted on going home with a suntan. There was the year the rain wouldn't stop and we all ended up at Round Table for dinner with what looked like everyone else from the entire campground. I think that was the year we finally gave up on the promise of sunshine and we all packed up our soaking wet belongings and went home early. It seemed we could never leave without Nathan getting a bad case of poison oak.
I can't believe so much time has passed. Now our children are trying to carry on this tradition for their family. Karrissa and Brad went to New Brighton this year with their kids. It was fun for her to see that there were still some of the people she grew up with there with their children. Bruce and I stayed in a rental house in Capitola. Karrissa and Brad brought friends and family to share their campsite with and although I am sure it wasn't the same, it is time for them to begin building their own traditions.
I am still hoping to take the children for walks on the beach in the early morning hours, to eat ice cream from Marianne's and to sit by an open fire with a child on my lap every Memorial Day for a very long time.