BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!

I'm FINALLY getting back to my blog, after NOT writing anything for almost 4 months! I have spent as much time as possible with my new grand-daughters, Hailey Dawn McFadden & Brooke Emma McFadden. They were born on Tuesday ~ August 18, 2009 @ Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, CA. Hailey was born @ 1:30 p.m. and weighed 4 lbs. 9 oz. & Brooke was born @ 1:32 p.m. and weighed 5 lbs. 2 oz. They spent about 1 hour in the N.I.C.U. (new-born intensive care unit) and then after getting fed, weighed, measured, & all cleaned up, they got to go into Jens' room & everyone got to visit with them & hold them and take TONS of pictures of them. To say that it was an AMAZING experience is putting it MILDLY!! I felt so much joy and love for them, the 1st time seeing them and holding them, and it has continued to grow more every day ~ I absolutely ADORE them and cherish every minute I am with them, and I enjoy every little thing that they do...I could sit & hold them and do NOTHING else...all day & night!! They are such a JOY in my life & I can't imagine life without them, even though they're only 3 1/2 months old, it feels like I've known them & loved them forever!! I'm so grateful that our Heavenly Father has allowed these 2 PRECIOUS girls to be born into our family!! Jen and Shaun are AMAZING parents ~ they are a WONDERFUL mommy & daddy for Hailey and Brooke...what a SWEET family!! I have tons of pictures on my facebook page, so please look at that for their CUTE photos. I LOVE BEING A GRANDMA!!

TODAY'S THE DAY...I'LL BE A GRANDMA!!

I haven't blogged in a few months, but wanted to say just a few words today, as it is the 1st time in my life I'll be able to say I'M A GRANDMA!! Jen & Shaun will be going to Los Robles Hospital, in Thousand Oaks today at 11 a.m. and Jen will get ready for her C-section, which is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. From what I hear, the C-section only takes a few minutes, so by approx. 1:30 p.m. HAILEY and BROOKE should be here!! Lis, Adam, Allen & Candace are meeting @ our home this morning, so we can all drive up to the hospital to wait for the babies to arrive - we are VERY excited to see them, hold them & love them!! Our thoughts & prayers are with Jen, Shaun, and the doctor/s & nurses who will deliver the babies - we are REALLY looking forward to having HAILEY and BROOKE in our family - we feel blessed!!

OUR 29TH ANNIVERSARY

Today, April 26th, 2009 is mine and Evertons' 29th anniversary! We were 20-something when we got married, and have had 4 kids, several different jobs, and lived in 4 different homes in the last 29 years. We've also had 3 of our 4 kids get married, and have welcomed 2 son-in-laws and 1 daughter-in-law into our family circle. And we are going to be grandparents (to twins!!) for our first time, in just a few months. Life is good, and we have truly been blessed over the years, as we have lived, loved, and laughed our way through many difficult, challenging, and very rewarding experiences. I am so thankful to be a wife and a mother! "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!" I have MANY moments that have taken my breath away, and look forward to MANY more!!

CONFERENCE WEEKEND

This has been such a WONDERFUL weekend! It was our semi-annual church conference yesterday and today and I've had the opportunity to hear all 4 sessions of conference and to enjoy the BEAUTIFUL music and hear uplifting, inspiring, and motivitating talks given by our church leaders. We are so blessed to live in a time where we can just sit in the comfort of our home and watch & listen to conference on our computer... I feel like I want to become a better person by being more kind and patient with all those that I come in contact with, and I want to be more like our Savior, Jesus Christ, and be more loving and accepting of others. We also had the opportunity to sustain the newest Apostle, Elder Anderson, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and to hear him speak this morning. I testify that he, along with the other 11 Apostles, and the 3 members of the First Presidency are truly Prophets, Seers, and Revelators. I know they receive revelation from our Heavenly Father and that they are a "Special Witness" of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who stands at the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know these things are true, because the Holy Ghost has testified of these things to me, through His Spirit. I know that Jesus Christ atoned for our sins, and that through repentance and forgiveness, we can become like Him, and return to live with our Heavenly parents and our loved ones, forever. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that we can draw closer to our Heavenly Father by following its' teachings, than by reading any other book. I also know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that he translated the golden plates, through inspiration, to become the Book of Mormon. I feel very blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and to have listened to conference this weekend!

IT'S A GIRL!! IT'S A GIRL!!

I had the most amazing day today! I got to meet our daughter Jen and her husband Shaun at their OB/GYN's office, so Jen could have her 17 week appointment & ultrasound. After waiting for more than an hour (the doctor was delivering a baby), then Jen & Shaun were FINALLY called in, and after they met privately with the doctor, Shaun invited me to their room, where Jen was all ready to have the ultrasound. After looking at the babies profiles, and measuring their heads & length and checking out their body parts...The doctor said that he is 98% sure that "Baby A" is..... A GIRL!!!, and 90% sure that "Baby B" is....A GIRL also!! It was AMAZING how much detail there was...nothing like the one's I had more than 20 years ago, when I was pregnant with my youngest 2 children!! "Baby A" was sucking her left thumb and looked like she was giving a "high 5" with her right hand. "Baby B" looked like she was sleeping and didn't look at the camera, but her profile was awesome! Once again I feel like crying, laughing, and celebrating all at once - the babies' heart beats looked very good, and they're just the right size...so we'll have to see what the future brings, and if the doctor changes his mind about the sex of 1 or both of the babies. For now, they're healthy and growing and that's the best news we received!!

WHAT'S NEW?!!

It has taken me awhile to blog, and I've got lots to tell! The first and most important thing is that besides the fact that we're going to be grandparents for our first time - Jen came over on Valentine's day & showed us her ultrasound DVD and she's expecting TWINS!! She also gave us a beautiful frame with the 2 babies individual photos and a photo of them together. The frame says: "A family just isn't complete WITHOUT grandparents". I was completely shocked, delighted, overwhelmed, laughing & crying at the same time, when I watched the ultrasound and realized there were 2 babies - what a blessing & miracle!! Jen & Shaun have known all along that they were having twins, but were advised by the fertility doctor that until the 10 week mark, one of the babies may "drop away" or get "reabsorbed" (a strange phenomenom!) so they decided to wait & tell us until after that time - we are soooo happy & excited about this good news and are so thankful for the sacrifices Jen & Shaun have made and for their willingness to go through so much, as far as tests, procedures, fertility treatments, and time and money, so they can have children - and we give praise to Heavenly Father for these sweet babies that will be a part of our family in just a few months...we have truly been blessed!! Another thing that's happened over the past couple of weeks is that I've been exercising more regularly and eating less chocolate (SHOCK!!), and have lost 2 lbs. so far - I'm trying to learn from watching "America's Biggest Loser" and hoping to continue eating better, exercising more, and feeling better...and losing weight!

STAYING HOME - SICK!!

Today I had to stay home from work because I couldn't stop coughing & my head was pounding and I am EXHAUSTED, despite taking a good cough medicine, headache medicine, and getting plenty of sleep last night - FRUSTRATING!! I know because I work in a doctors' office, that I come in contact with a LOT of germs & illnesses every day, but I rarely get sick because I'm constantly washing my hands with soap & water, exercising regularly, trying to eat right, and getting enough sleep - but this time that wasn't enough & I got the "bug". I will say that the doctor that I work for has NEVER called in sick since he's been a doctor (over 16 years), but he did call in sick this past Monday and Tuesday - so I guess it's going around, and it's my turn to have it. I'm trying to take it easy today, drinking lots of water & just not doing too much...we'll see if I'm better by tomorrow - which I hope I am, because it's our annual Cub Scout Blue 'N Gold banquet tomorrow night & I want to be there with all my 8 year-old cub scouts and their families to enjoy a delicious dinner, fun games, and to watch them receive their awards. Wish me luck!

MIKE AND SARA FREITAS

Saturday, February 7th, 2009 - Mike & Sara were married @ the Wedgewood Wedding & Banquet Center in Ventura. It was a rainy day & the marriage was inside, and was performed by Sara's Papa ~ (grandpa). It was a beautiful ceremony and there were so many friends and family members there ~ and what a FUN reception!! Even grandma and grandpa Vargas were out on the floor - fast dancing!! I was happy that my daughter Jen, son-in-law Shaun, daughter Lis, son-in-law Adam, son Allen & friend Candace, mom, dad, sister Cindy, brother Greg, sister-in-law Christine, nephews Chris, Ty, and Erik were all there from my side of the family and Evertons' sister, Eliana, brother-in-law Lou, nephew Brian, nephew Adriano, great-neice Tabitha, Roberta & Laura were all there too. The dinner was fantastic, music was fabulous, and the flowers and tables were gorgeous! I think the best part of the evening was getting to dance a special mother-son dance with Mike, and when mine & Evertons' entire family were all out dancing together on the dance floor, with Mike and Sara. I have NEVER seen my parents fast-dance, and it was sooo much fun being all-together & celebrating Mike & Saras' wedding!! Welcome to the Freitas family, Sara!!

CHANGES ARE GOOD!!

I have been thinking about all the changes that have gone on in the past few weeks. First change: Lis and Adam got married and now live in my in-laws old house. Second change: Jennifer and Shaun are expecting their 1st child in September and Everton & I will be grandparents for the first time! Third change: Mike and Sara are getting married this Saturday, Feb. 7th, and we will be in-laws for the 3rd time in our lives. All these changes are good - and I am happy about what's happening in our lives right now. I know that sometimes change can be unexpected, and even unwanted, but I think these changes are all wonderful and we are just going through many different experiences right now, and we're learning to adapt and hopefully grow while we change. Without changes in our lives, I think we wouldn't be able to learn or to grow, and we would be bored (or boring!) I am thankful for the opportunities that have come our way so far this year, to grow and expand our horizons...these are changes for the better!

SISTER BECK & HANGIN' OUT WITH MY MOM

This afternoon was our multi-stake women's conference. Sister Julie Beck, Relief Society general president was our speaker. I had the priviledge of hearing her speak at BYU women's conference last spring and was really looking forward to hearing her again! My mom & her visiting teacher drove out together from Canoga Park and got to the stake center early to save seats. I went by myself because Jen had a birthday party to go to and Lis had to work. I was glad to be able to sit with my mom and to have great seats - it was VERY crowded and hard to find a parking spot, but I knew it would be worth it and I was right! Sister Beck shared her testimony and then invited 3-4 sisters to ask a question. She was able to answer all the questions, using scriptures and quotes from prophets and by sharing experiences from her own life - she is an amazing, funny, and spiritual woman and I'm so thankful that I was able to be there today! There was a women's choir and violinist that sang and played beautiful music and the meeting was much-enjoyed by all in attendance! After the conference we went to Soup Plantation for a delicious dinner - what a wonderful afternoon and evening!

CELEBRATION!

Last night we had fun celebrating our son, Mikes', 26th birthday! We all met at Mimi's Cafe in Ventura and enjoyed a delicious meal together. Everton and I felt blessed to be able to be with all of our children and their spouses (or loves). What a wonderful evening, laughing and eating...we had a great time together! After dinner we came back to our house (everyone except for Mike and Sara) and we ate dessert & played the game Apples to Apples. Shaun had never played the game before, and ended up winning - "beginner's luck" we all said~ we stayed up late, just visiting and laughing until everyone went home - it was a great night!

GRANDMA FREITAS!!!!!!!!

Last night Everton and I were having dinner @ Adriano's home (he's our nephew), and we were visiting with Edson & Maria (Everton's brother & sis.-in-law) who are visiting from Idaho. My cell phone rang, & by the time I got to it, I had 2 missed calls from my daughter, Jen. I said "Wow! Jen called twice, I hope there's not an emergency or anything!", so I tried to call her back, but couldn't talk to her directly, I had to leave a message on her voice mail. I sat back down to eat some more dinner, then my cell phone rang again, & I ran to get it (I had forgotten to bring it to the dinner table with me), and when I answered, it was Jen & Shaun. They said "Hi mom, it's Jen and Shaun, can we talk to Grandma Freitas?" I said "Grandma Freitas?? She didn't come down here with Maria & Edson, she's still in Idaho." Then they asked again "can we talk to GRANDMA Freitas?", and I suddenly realized... I said "DO YOU MEAN ME???!!!" And then I burst into tears & started laughing & crying all at once!! I said "Are you pregnant??!!" , and they both confirmed that YES, Jennifer is approximately 7 weeks pregnant & they had an ultrasound yesterday to confirm it. They said they had known since January 1st, but didn't want to say anything until they had the ultrasound done. They wanted to tell us in person, but after the ultrasound, they decided to call everybody...and they had to wait for a day that Shaun was off from work, to get the ultrasound & to let everybody know the FANTASTIC news!! This is an answer to prayer - Jen & Shaun have been going through some infertility problems, and have been having infertility treatments for about 2 years - so this is a miracle that they're expecting & I am ECSTATIC that I'll be GRANDMA FREITAS in about 7 months!!!! After wiping my tears, and letting them know how HAPPY I am - they asked to talk to GRANDPA FREITAS (Everton) and I said "I can't wait to let everybody know!!" and then I said, "but I'll let you guys tell everyone, I'll keep my mouth shut!", then after they talked to Everton, they told him to tell me it was o.k. to blog about it today - so here I am!!! I have a quote that sums up my feelings very well: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!" I feel soooo blessed and soooo happy right now!!

A REVIEW OF THE WEDDING WEEKEND

We have had a good week, recovering from the wedding day and giving away LOTS of left-overs: Wood Ranch chicken, mashed potatoes, & rolls; veggies, fruits, flowers, and wedding cake...I think we're FINALLY down to one more layer of cake, some mashed potatoes, some veggies, and a few more flowers - we definitely had more than enough, but at least we didn't run out @ the reception!! The family lunch @ Soup Plantation was lots of fun, and we all got to sit together, which was nice! There were about 20 - 25 people there!! We enjoyed spending time together & enjoying each others' company, before heading over to the reception. The reception was very well-attended, over 125 people came & seemed to enjoy the atmosphere, & the fabulous music provided by our son, Mike - it was so cool that all of Lis' siblings participated in the wedding day: Jennifer bought all the flowers and made the arrangements, bouquets, corsages, and boutinneres; Mike was our D.J.; and Allen was one of the groomsmen. We couldn't have decorated with out all the WONDERFUL items that Evertons' sister, Eliana, loaned to us!! Except for the lights (we bought 3,600 white Christmas lights) and table decor, she & her husband, Lou, provided EVERYTHING else!! We are so thankful to them, for their generosity in loaning us everything & helping us set up and take down all of it!! I am also very much appreciative to my visiting teachers, Kathy Berks & Kathy Flannagan who took on the responsibility of setting up & serving all the food and drinks, and assigning many "helpers" that also kept things going smoothly all night!! I am thankful to Shae Law, who volunteered to pick up the wedding cake and deliver it to the church - what a scary & fun trip, I'm sure!! The evening was so fun and several people commented on the beautiful decor, and the relaxing atmosphere - it didn't feel like we were in Camarillo any more!! Our photographer, Ari Lewis, was absolutely incredible & had already taken several hundred photos @ the temple, before the reception started!! When Adam tossed the garter, our son Allen caught it & when Lis tossed the bouquet, Allens' friend Candace caught it - fun, fun!! We lined up in 2 lines and let Adam & Lis run through while we showered them with flower petals and then they left for their honeymoon hotel - "somewhere in Camarillo". All of Lis and Adams' family and some friends stayed after the reception to help take down & put away everything - it was amazing that what took 2 days and 2 nights to put up, all came down within an hour and a half!! On Sunday, Lis called to say they were home from the hotel, and asked if they could come over to start moving her things to their home. They also took LOTS of left-overs, and got to eat with Adams' family, and open some gifts & cards, before Adams' family had to head back home to Utah. We all went over to Lis and Adams' (Everton and I, Jen, Mike, Sara, Allen and Candace) & watched them open the rest of their gifts, and then we all came over to our house, so Lis and Adam could leave for their honeymoon hotel in Long Beach, before leaving on their cruise Monday morning - it was a wonderful couple of days!! It was hard getting up on Monday morning & going back to work!!

ELISABETH & ADAM WEST - "TEAM ETERNITY"

Where do I begin?! January 10, 2009 was an AWESOME day! Jennifer and I spent the night before the wedding ('til 2 a.m.!!) making the bouquets, corsages, boutinneres, and arrangements and they turned out absolutely BEAUTIFUL, if I do say so myself! I only made 2 arrangements, and Jen made everything else - she's so talented & I'm so grateful for her willingness to share her time, love, & talent! After getting about 4 hours sleep, the day began with Lis getting her hair GORGEOUSLY curled, by Anelieze Castrejon - she did such a WONDERFUL job on Lis' hair...all curly & shiny...then we all got dressed and headed down to the temple. Jen, Lis, Everton and I all drove down together & Lis and Jen did their makeup in the car. We arrived at the temple in plenty of time and then we got dressed in our white clothes & helped Lis get dressed in her wedding dress & temple clothes. Then it was time to go upstairs to the sealing room. The room filled with so many friends and relatives...what a beautiful sight, all dressed in white! Lis and Adam came in and sat down and then the sealing began. I believe no "coincidences" happen...but this was, I believe, a miracle...Bishop Lamb was assigned to seal Lis and Adam for time and eternity - now the "miracle" is that he has known Carmen & Flavio Freitas (Lis' grandparents & Evertons' parents) ever since their family moved from Brazil to the United States, in 1966. He was their Bishop in Canoga Park when they first arrived in America and his family and Evertons' family grew up together & spent many happy times together. Bishop Lamb did NOT choose to do the sealing, he was assigned & when he got his list that morning, he recognized the Freitas name, and had the opportunity to talk with Lis and Adam, in the Celestial room, before he sealed them...what a choice & precious experience for all of us!! The sealing only took a few minutes, but the marriage will last forever, if Lis and Adam choose to make it "Team Eternity", as Bishop Lamb calls it...after the sealing and congratulating the newly wed couple, it was time to go downstairs & change into our clothes, help Lis get ready, and then we went outside, to the back of the temple to wait for Lis and Adam West to come out. There were so many family and friends out there waiting, and I felt like we were in heaven!! Finally, the temple worker came out and announced " I am happy to introduce for the first time Elisabeth and Adam West"!! We all started cheering and clapping and of course, taking TONS of photos!! Our awesome photographer, Ari Lewis, got hundreds of photos @ the temple and several of us also got lots of pictures - it was such an inspiring, fun day!! I want to thank each and every one of you who were in the temple with us, and who waited outside the temple for us...you made it such a WONDERFUL day!!

NEW YEAR - HAPPY 2009!

It's Friday, January 2nd, 2009 - wow! It feels strange to say 2009 already, but at the same time, I'm ready for a new year! We had a great 2008 - lots of memories: being "empty-nesters" for the 1st time...Al & Lis moved out on their own, and Everton and I had to get used to being all by ourselves...it was an interesting adjustment & VERY quiet!! We welcomed Lis back home in May, and have had her living with us since then...didn't take long to getting used to having her here, and we've enjoyed her company! Jen and Shaun bought a home & moved to Simi Valley in July - we're happy for them being able to move into their own home! Mike and Sara went on a vacation to Mexico & got engaged while they were down there - they'll be getting married on Feb. 7th, 2009 and we're sooo happy for them!! Lis and Adam got engaged at the end of July and will be getting married on January 10th (in 8 more days) ~ and they'll be living in Evertons' parents home, just a couple blocks away...we're happy & excited for them, too! ! Al got a new job and has been living with friends and enjoys his "freedom"...and Everton & I will have to adjust to being "empty-nesters" again next week, after Lis and Adam are married...Everton has been cleaning up our downstairs office, so we can use it as a bedroom for when people come to visit, so that'll be nice! We're looking forward to Lis & Adams' wedding day and to Mike & Saras' wedding day - and we also look forward to the new year - we are grateful for your love & friendship!!

CHRISTMAS EVE' AT OUR HOME!!

We had a blast @ our home for Christmas Eve'!! My mom, dad, nephew Chris, Jen, Shaun, Mike, Sara, Lis, Adam, Allen, & Candace were all here - & we ate a DELICIOUS dinner, followed by some FUN games - thanks to Lis for doing the "Christmas trivia" game again - it still stumped us all (even though we had the same questions & answers as last Christmas!!). We also played our fun white elephant game...and we all ended up with something unique & fun! We each brought an ornament & got to take one home with us - and we opened WONDERFUL gifts & ate lots and lots of delicious goodies & desserts - thanks to Sara and mom for making the yummies!! We also played some fun games that Everton bought @ the 99 cent store, so we could win batteries, to put in our remote-control cars for the 2nd annual car races - everyone had fun!! We all enjoyed sitting and visiting until the "wee hours" - it was after 1 a.m. before everyone went home; guess we were having too much fun to look at the clock or notice how late it had gotten...I wish we had more opportunities to spend such quality time together - "It's the most wonderful time of the year"!!

TEMPLES AND ETERNAL FAMILIES

I want to express my feelings regarding our L.D.S. temples. Yesterday I had the AWESOME experience of going to the L.A. temple with Lis, Adam, my mom, Jen, Shaun, & our friend, Kyle. Lis & Adam received their endowment & I was privilidged to be an escort for Lis. The temple is such a quiet, peaceful, happy place to be! I feel closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the temple, and I feel more love for my family and friends, and I love how wonderful and calm I feel in the temple, away from "worldly cares" and it's a place of beauty & serenity. I'm so glad that our Father in Heaven allows us to make sacred covenants in the temple, and that couples and families can be together throughout all eternity - I couldn't ask for anything more than to know that I can be with my family forever!! I love them with all my heart and hope to be able to spend "forever" with them...I know that our Heavenly Father loves us, and wants us to return to live with Him again, and that through the temples, we can receive all the blessings He has in store for each of His children. I am so grateful to be able to attend the temple and to feel true love & joy when I am there!

THANKSGIVING DAY - I LOVE BEING WITH MY FAMILY!

We had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving day yesterday and spent the day making our turkey, playing video games (thanks to Al, who brought over his XBox 360 & several games - including Guitar Hero); and enjoying each others' company. My parents & nephew, Chris, came over from Canoga Park & brought MANY delicious foods & juices & sparkling sodas with them - & Allen, Lis, Adam & Everton and I all had a fabulous feast!! It was fun watching the "young adults" playing Guitar Hero & rocking out with 2 guitars & a drum set...boy, do they have rhythym!! We sat & visited and had such a nice day & evening together, we didn't want it to end! I am thankful for my family, friends, and the bountiful feast we had & will continue to have for a few days to come...life is good!

IT'S ALMOST THANKSGIVING!!

I'm very happy with the new background on my blog and I'm pretty excited that I figured out how to add it, all by myself!! This has been a great week...I've either gotten to talk to, or see each of our kids - which has been wonderful! On Thurs., Mike dropped by, on his new (well, it's an '86) motorcycle & when he knocked on the door, I said "that sounds like Mikeys' knock"! When I answered the door, he was standing on the porch - what a pleasant surprise for us! Everton said "did you know Mike was coming over?" I said "nope, I just recognized his knock!" We had fun visiting! Allen came over Friday night & we had dinner together & then Lis came home from working @ the mall and she visited for a bit...until she went VERY early to bed...she & Jen had gone to see "Twilight" on Thurs. night at midnight & didn't get home 'til after 2 a.m. Friday morning, so she needed some sleep! I talked to Jen Sat. morning and she loved the movie, so I guess I'll have to start reading the books (I haven't started yet, 'cause I'm afraid I'll get "hooked" & stay up too late reading!!), so I can go see the movie!
Lis and Adams' wedding invitations came in this week & they are sooo cute! I can't wait to mail them out!! We are having fun buying things for the reception: plates, utensils, napkins, "goodie bags" & goodies to put inside the bags - I also ordered dresses for both the wedding days (Lis and Adams' & also for Mike and Saras')...and we looked at wedding cake designs yesterday, for Lis and Adams' reception - things are coming together well & there's just 7 more weeks 'til Lis and Adam get married and they'll get to go to the temple on Dec. 18th to receive their endowment, which is another awesome date to look forward to! Well, I hope you'll have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and I am thankful for my loving family and friends, for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, for my job, for my home and all the abundance in my life, and most importantly, for my Savior, Jesus Christ

SUMMER AND PROPOSITION 8

It has been WAY too long since my last post...the summer got away from me!! We had a wonderful vacation for 2 weeks, visiting Evertons' family up in Idaho, @ the beginning of July - it was HOT, HOT, HOT - but we enjoyed ourselves! Just Everton & I went...it felt kind of weird vacationing without any of our kids, but we still had fun!
We got an email from our son, Mike, when he & his girlfriend, Sara, had gone to Cancun, Mexico for a vacation & while they were there, Mike proposed!! They'll be getting married on Feb. 7th, 2009! We're VERY happy for them! Then in August, our daughter Lis & her boyfriend got engaged (during the "grand finale" fireworks @ the Ventura County Fair)...it was awesome! They'll be getting married on Jan. 10th, 2009 ---so 2 kids are getting married!! We've had fun making all the plans for the weddings! Everton & I are still working full time---he's still working in Chatsworth & hates the drive, but is glad to still be employed! I'm working full time @ Dr. Pluche' office, here in Camarillo, I've been there almost 5 years & am the office manager, head receptionist, medical assistant when our other medical assistant isn't there, & I do referrals when our referral lady isn't there - I pretty much am a "one-woman" show! I really enjoy my work & am still learning new things each week - being in an office where we see patients of all ages is always interesting & challenging! I still work with the Cub Scouts @ church - I'm a den co-leader for the Wolves den, & we have approx. 15 eight-year old boys - every week is fun & exciting!! I also still volunteer @ the Los Angeles temple on the 1st & 5th Saturday of each month - things have been pretty crazy down there lately, with all the Prop. 8 opposers & rioting going on - I'm thankful that the temple has been protected by police and "unseen angels" as well...and hope the opposition stops soon! Well...nothing else new to report - I hope to keep this updated more frequently than once every few months! Everton & I kept busy the months or so before the elections, helping with the YES on Prop. 8 coalition...I took 2 different nights to make over 200 phone calls, letting people know about Prop. 8 & asking them to vote YES...most of the people were nice & some got VERY angry, but I'm glad I did it! We also stood out on a few street corners, waving our "YES on 8" banners & smiling and waving at drivers passing by...that was VERY interesting, as NO on 8 people stood right alongside us & yelled out their oppositions & things got pretty scary @ times, but I never felt physically threatened, thank goodness! I'm just glad I got to stand up (literally) for what I believe in...that marriage is ordained of God and should be between ONE man and ONE woman!!