Happy Birthday Siena!

There's No Place Like Home!

A New Me!

Happy Birthday Jerome!

Happy Birthday Cecily!

Gig Harbor Visit

We had a wonderful visit in Gig Harbor. We only got to see Tyler and Zora for a day, but got to spend the rest of the days with Katie and sweet Sylvie Wren. It was all we hoped for and more. Soaked it all in, until next time...

9/11

When I first scheduled a trip to see the Fleetham fam in WA, I wasn't paying attention that we were flying home on 9/11. It certainly gave me pause for thought when I realized. So many emotions remembering the tragic events of 20 years ago. Praying for lives changed forever on so many levels. ASU had a nice memorial.

Happy Birthday Eliza!

Eliza wore her crown with delight today. She was so excited to be the birthday girl. Yesterday I picked her up from her class and she had a skip in her step. I told her I had 4 presents for her and she was four years old. So she immediately started telling me, "When I was 1 you gave me one present and when I was 2 you gave me two presents and when I was 3, you gave me three presents." Oh the beauty in the logic of a four year old. I seriously couldn't adore her more! XOXO to my precious granddaughter. Love you so much honey pie! 💛🍰🎉🎈🎇🌈🌞💜

My Mama

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful mama around! I am so grateful for her wisdom, her giving nature, her loyalty, her goodness, her love, and her childlike faith in our Lord. I learn from her still... every day! 💕🙏🌹🌞🍰

Thankful

Stomach in Knots...

I just have that feeling of anxiousness tonight. 1 am tired and should get to bed, but feeling like I won't be able to sleep anyway. Time for prayer to bring me peace. 🙏 Update- Ended up going to the hospital the next day and was admitted for a return of the abscess. 5 days in before surgery on the 29th and 5 days after surgery before finally getting to go home on July 3rd. Whew, quite the test of my patience and physical and mental strength.

Happy 64th Anniversary

I love this collage my dad made and just keep studying their hands, hairlines, chins, noses, smiles... everything. This is what true love is. We are blessed to call them ours! 

Father's Day 2021

When I think of my Dad, the first word that comes to mind is BLESSED. That is what he says when I call on the phone and ask how he is. But truly I AM THE ONE WHO IS BLESSED, to have him as my Daddy! Love you Daddy! 😀

VBS 2021

What an incredible week of praising Jesus! One of my favorite weeks of the year! 

Happy 29th Brett!

Hard to believe my youngest is 29 today! Brett Patrick was the only child where I knew "the sex" while I was pregnant. It was pretty cool to name him 5 months before he was born. I'm very grateful to be able to spend time with him while he is here in AZ. I know I get on his nerves plenty, but I think he likes me for the most part, lol. 😃 At least he always knows I have his back and am his biggest cheerleader! 🙋

                                        

Praying for you always, Brett! 🙏 May you find peace and joy throughout your life. 

Love you always! 💓

Mother's Day 2021

All I can say is IF I am half the mom (and grammy) my mom is... I will be incredible. Hee Hee. I have the best teacher in the world! Love you Mama! 💗

Home Sweet Home

WELL, spending 5 days in the hospital was not what I had in mind this week, but... I am happy to report I am now home and grateful for the wonderful care I received at Mercy Gilbert to get me through my perforated colon and abscess. Surgery next month. 

Pat's Virtual Run/Walk 2021

We had a lot of fun this year making our own 4.2 mile route through the neighborhood, through the tunnel, and all around Val Vista Lakes! The weather was fabulous so that made it extra enjoyable. Was so so proud of all the kiddos who showed their endurance! And of course the original three musketeers!

41 Years Together!

After spending a nice week in Flagstaff we drove through Sedona on the way home and got to visit Chapel of the Holy Cross, one of our Most favorite places. I am one lucky bride! 

Late Christmas and Vacation

We had a wonderful time with the family on Saturday, April 10th. A LONG OVERDUE Christmas event. 🎄 😂 Watching the adults talking and laughing and the children running and playing did everyone's heart good. It was well worth the wait! ☝

At night Jeff and I were all packed and ready to go on the red eye to PA where we had a wonderful visit with Katie, Tyler, and Sylvie. Katie does a great job keeping us updated on "the life of Sylvie", and so she was exactly how we expected, which was so very cool. I still have her sweet little voice asking for "hot, hot" running through my head. 💛 No time was lost "getting to know" each other and we enjoyed every aspect of our special visit. Although we saw the Fleethams at a distance in WA, it was crazy to think it had been 15 months since we held that precious Sylvie Wren AND also hugged our own baby girl. Also it was really awesome to see their new home and now to be able to picture them there. Do I wish they lived closer? Of course. 😉

After arriving home at midnight, Friday, April 16th, we took the next day to do laundry, spend wonderful time at church with the Andersons, and pop over to see the Kinnamans to watch the girls use their hoverboards and skooter. What a blessing! 🙌

The next morning we headed to Flagstaff for a week. Today we are on day three. Beautiful weather and wonderful time together the week of our 41st anniversary! 💘 Mom and Dad plan to come up tomorrow for a couple days so we are looking forward to that! 

Happy 33rd Katrina!

Today I got my toenails done and since it is Katrina's birthday, I chose yellow, her favorite color. It is a color I haven't tried before, which makes it all the more special, because all day long I would notice the color and memories would flood my mind of my sweet girl. 💛💛💛 It isn't easy living miles apart on special occasions, but this one was a little easier because we are going to visit in just a couple of days! I am SO SO excited to get to see the Fleethams and their new house, made into a HOME. Happy Happy Birthday to my lovely daughter, who is such an amazing, hands on, and devoted mom to her darling baby girl and a wonderful wife to her hubby. May this next year bring you much joy and happiness Kate. I love you with all my heart, my little pink flower! 🌸🌸🌸 May God Bless You Always! 🙏

Father Sergio/Easter

Recently I was in a conversation where there was lamenting of all the evil in the world and the state of our world. Yes, there is no denying that times are difficult, but when I read this quote in an Easter message from our wonderful Pastor at St. Anne, Father Sergio, I felt a peace. "Our brother Jesus teaches us the great lesson of trust in God. Evil and sin are not more powerful than grace and divine life. It is true that sometimes, many times, it seems that the enemies of the Cross of Christ dominate the battlefield, but this is a falsa perception: in reality, the battle has already been decided and it is God's side that will win the final victory." Amen to that! We celebrated a wonderful Easter yesterday. We went to a beautiful Easter mass at Christ the King, because it was in an outdoor setting. Large trees provided shade and it was a blessing to share that with the Andersons. Upon arriving home, we had a lovely zoom call with the Fleethams and caught up on their Easter day. In the evening we went to Rudy's with the Kinnamans and Mimi and Pops. We had the back room all to ourselves and enjoyed the food and the special visiting time. Felt like old times and was a perfect ending to a blessed day! 

Harkins

Today Jeff and I went to our first movie in over year. THE FATHER. It was very thought provoking. And the Popcorn 🍿 was EPIC, as was the Soda! 😀 By the way, it was us and one woman in the whole theater. 👍

Milestone

Today I hit a milestone. Jeff and I have both been on a program Naturally Slim through Medtronic since Oct. 29th (almost 5 months). It isn't a calorie or point counting system of losing weight. It is programming your mind to look at food differently. It is slow weight loss, but as of today I have lost 27.5 pounds. (which is 52.5 pounds from my highest) The milestone is that I hit the mark where I am no longer in the obese BMI range. I am just overweight. HAHA! I would like to lose 5 more pounds and then see how I feel. Mainly we wanted to get a kick start to be in a good range for when Jeff retires and we have to get health insurance that will require a physical. I have to say I have come to enjoy the feeling of being hungry. That full feeling after eating too much is NOT FUN! I have a lot more energy and am certainly more comfortable. 👍 

Pops' Great Adventure!

Today was AMAZING! Grounded No More Veteran Flight Lift treated Pops to a half hour airplane flight in a WWII plane, a Fairchild PT-26. Tony and his team could not have been sweeter. We has 38 of us in attendance with some watching the livestream. It was a very patriotic celebration for Pops and they even BBQ'd for us. It was just over and above what we expected. What a BLESSED Day!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XdQ3L556Y2CS2tmg7

Wendy

Dear Sweet Wendy should be celebrating 60 today with her family. I still find it shocking that she didn't survive her surgery to heal her gut issues. I'll never forget how hopeful she was. She had NO IDEA that she would lose her life. I miss her so much. We had such a strong bond, such a mutual deep love. I just adored her. She was SO fun! I loved the way she talked. I loved the way she said my name. I just loved her so much and miss her so much. Wish I could feel her hug again. Praying for her dear Steve and her children who loved her so much. I love you my precious cousin. 

Good News

Today was a day I was a bit worried about, but in the end it was a day I was grateful for. When you are in your 60's and you have something show up on your skin, of course your mind goes "there". This happened to Jeff a couple weeks ago. So we set an appt. at the dermatologist and then I think we both hid our concern so the other person wouldn't worry. Dr. Chen immediately said, "This isn't of concern. It's just a barnacle". BARNACLE? Okay, we'll take it! Whew! Wear sunscreen folks! 

A sweet moment

This week I picked up kids at OLMC and we had a bit of time before meeting up with Aaron. We decided to go to the cemetery to see the babies. This is something we do often and the kids are very comfortable there. I thought it was so sweet when Dominic said he wanted to leave his favorite Pokemon card for his brother Simon. And then he decided he wanted to leave one for Perpetua as well. I don't think there is room to leave a card for Vianney at St. Anne's. 😀 But I love that these kiddos embrace their siblings in heaven. 💙💗💗 

Lenten Friday Nights!

I am so happy we found a way to do our Lenten Friday Nights with Zoom! We just had our third week tonight in our 7 part series. The Search with Chris Stefanick. It is such a great set of videos. 

Happy 36th Melinda!

In another half hour it will be March 4th. I remember so well what we did the night before our first daughter was born. I was a bit nervous about being induced, and probably emotional as well. My sweet  Jeffrey suggested we go to Desert Samaritan Hospital (now Banner Desert) to visit the baby nursery and get excited about our precious little one arriving. It was such a thoughtful suggestion and it really made me sooo happy. It was crazy to peer in the window at the babies and know ours would be there the next day! Happy Birthday lovely daughter. You have brought such joy and happiness into our lives Melinda Sue! I am so very grateful that I get to be your mom. I am so proud of your devotion to being such a wonderful wife and mother. You bless everyone around you by your kind, generous and loving nature. I love you with all my heart, my precious little strawberry girl! 💙🍓💙 XOXO! God Bless You Always Darling Daughter! 🙏

Happy 89th Daddy

Happy 89th Birthday today to my very first Valentine! Me and My Daddy 55 years apart in the same spot at my parents house. He enjoyed a driveway party with the family, spaced out to accommodate. He kept reminding everyone that he was 2 weeks past his 2nd vaccine. You could say he was pretty excited to see his family again. 😃💓😍

Happy 38th Aaron!

This year for some reason I was especially thoughtful thinking about 38 years ago and becoming a mom. I always used to say Aaron was my guinea pig. From the get go, I always felt comfortable about being a mom. I felt like it all came pretty naturally. I felt like I had good instincts making decisions. That's not to say the transition was smooth by any means. Add in some sleep deprivation and a crying baby and the road gets bumpy pretty quickly. But all in all, I don't think I messed him up too much! I look at the person Aaron is and I am very proud and extremely grateful. He is a devoted and loving husband and father. He is also a devoted and loving son to us, his parents, but most importantly, to his Father in Heaven. The example Aaron sets for his family is so important, and again, I couldn't be prouder of the man he is. This year when I sent him his birthday text at 1:20 PM, I included the following... 

Happy Birthday my precious son and May God Bless You Always! 🙏

I love you so much, more than you will ever know! 💚🌈💚

Butterflies and the Park

Happy Birthday Nicaea!

Nicaea Grace! How is our oldest grandchild ten years old? Double Digits! Wow, a whole decade of amazing memories with the special girl who turned us into grandparents! 💕 We are so proud of you sweetheart. We will always be rooting for you and praying for you as you embrace this big beautiful world! XOXO from Grammy and Bapa! 😍🍰🎨🌈🌞

Week in Flagstaff

Happy Birthday Ambrose!

Happy First Birthday youngest grandbaby! You are a ray of sunshine in our lives Ambrose Xavier! 🌞 What a happy sweet baby you are! This has been a crazy year but with some extra blessings, like having our Sunday mornings to dote on you. Grammy and Bapa love you so much and can't get enough of you, our charming, handsome baby boy! 💙🎵🌈🎈😎

Happy Birthday Dominic!

Happy 6th birthday Dominic Ignatius! 👍 You are such a darling boy; always so full of energy and excitement and ready for your best day ever, every day! I hope you keep your positive attitude 😀 and great love of life forever buddy! You bring so much happiness to both me and Bapa! We love you so much, number one grandson! God Bless you! 🙏💙🎁🎈🎉

Happy Birthday Bapa!

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! 

Happy Birthday Dear Bapa! Happy Birthday to you! 

ONE MORE TIME!!!! 

Harvest Day

Today the kiddos came to Grammy and Bapa's backyard to pick some oranges! The Kinnamans had a morning harvest and the Andersons had an afternoon harvest. Seems like a sweet tasty batch this year. The tree was planted in 2005 I'm pretty sure, for our 25th anniversary. It produced the first THREE oranges in 2013 when we had THREE granddaughters. I'll have to check those dates for accuracy. There's lots more when the families are ready! 🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊

Pam + Jeff 1-14-1976

Aww, young love. 💘 I am a day late, but January 14th has always been a special day for me and the hubby. It was the day a nervous young sixteen year old girl called "a boy" (something you didn't do in those days) and asked him to the "girl ask guy" Sweetheart Prom which would be a month later on Valentines Day. The next day at school, we were "a thing". By our one month anniversary at the dance, we already expected we were in it for the long haul. It's crazy but it's true. 45 years later and so many memories made. Just feeling so blessed to have had the life I've had with this incredible "boyfriend"! 😍

Happy Birthday Marliese!

Our little sweetheart Marliese Rosemary is 6 years old! 💐 Yay! You are such a darling little lady. I love that you are my frilly girl, at least at the moment and I hope you enjoyed all the frilly things Grammy picked out for your birthday 🎁 our precious granddaughter. Grammy and Bapa adore you! AND we hope you have a spectacular year doll! XOXO! 💗🍰💛🌈💜

Palm Trees/License Plates

We spent a wonderful week in Palm Springs (well Cathedral City to be exact). Jeff worked and I... well didn't. 😄 It just felt good to get away and have a change of scenery. It got dark so early in CA and really messed with our heads so we usually went to bed earlier and got up earlier. Even this girl was up at 5:45 AM one day and usually by 6:30 AM the other mornings. We had the most amazing view from our patio and I was quite obsessed with the Palm Trees. I took a lot of pictures of them. 🌴 We enjoyed some wine at sunset too. We drove to Seal Beach one day to see the Lundblads and that was a wonderful time. Today we headed back to AZ and with about 2 hours to go, we decided we might be old enough to play the license plate game that Mimi and Pops play. We were pretty impressed to get 28 different states in that short amount of time. Now the trick is to see how quickly we get all 50 before the year is out. Do you think we will make it? 🚗

Happy Birthday Sylvie!

We celebrated a sweet little birthday girl turning ONE today, ZOOM style! 👑 It was really fun to see her enjoying her cupcake while watching "TV"... (everyone on the zoom). Thank goodness for the amazing technology that has sustained us this year and has allowed our family to feel connected and not miss out on these important milestones! We adore you darling little granddaughter and can't wait until we can be together again. Love you and God Bless you ALWAYS! XOXO from your Grammy and your Bapa! 💛🎂🎉🎈💛

Christmas 2020

It was a different Christmas, that's for sure. 🎄 It was spread out over more days which was very fun actually. We enjoyed Zoo Lights with a drive thru thanks to Affinity. We had our movie day at Harkins just our family. We had the 23rd with our family at the Kinnaman home where the kids decorated ornaments and played AND we enjoyed Someburros. Gotta have Mexican food. Tradition! We enjoyed Christmas Eve mass with the Andersons. 🙏 We sat on the far left side by the Nativity. At the beginning of mass, Father Sergio placed the baby Jesus in the manger and we had a beautiful view which was such a blessing for the kids to see so nice and close! 🎁 Gift giving was separate for the families at their homes or via Zoom for the Fleethams. Some gifts arrived late in the mail, but that was okay. I think this year has taught some patience as we all are learning to adjust and accept things that are out of our control. We sure missed being able to spend time with the extended family and having our out of towners be able to visit. 😞 We tried to make sure Mimi and Pops were connected with zoom calls and phone calls and people sending pictures to their new digital photo frame which they LOVE! 💛 Even though many folks have taken down their Christmas decorations, I am a firm believer in celebrating the 12 days of Christmas culminating with Epiphany which is today, January 6th. 👍 So, I am going to happily enjoy my Christmas tree proudly displayed in its decorated glory. Well, I guess I must, since we are out of town at a timeshare. But hey, I might just enjoy it for another week when we get home since I've missed out on a whole week! 😉 PS- This year St. Anne had Baby Jesus on banners for the doors of homes. People have purchased them across the US and some internationally as well.