Yesterday

We spent a quiet anniversary yesterday. Gerry went to church in the morning. He's been going to Trinity church which is about two blocks from us. Its Pentecostal and a rather large church. More on this later.

We were going to go to Outback to eat. Gerry has a $50 gift certificate, however he couldn't find it. We went to The Elephant Bar instead. They were very busy and so we had to wait for a bit. I had short ribs in a Char Sui BBQ sauce. It was very good and I ate them all. Gerry had Jambalaya We came home after eating to rest for a little bit.

We then went to a Singspiration that Trinity Church was having. As I mentioned, the church itself is huge. The sanctuary holds up to 2400 people. The attendance is around 800. As what happens with a lot of churches, they went through some changes. They lost their pastor and the numbers dwindled. Two years ago they called Glen Cole out of retirement to be their pastor. Glen Cole pastored Capital Christian another mega Pentecostal church that is located in Rancho Cordova off of Highway 50. When he retired, his son took over the leadership of Capital Christian. In the two years that he's been at Trinity, the church has made substantial growth. I have not been feeling well so have yet to attend worship services there with Gerry.

Along with a singspiration time, they had a brass band performing. They are from the Redding area and are very good. The music played and sung were the old hymns of the church. It was very good and glad we went. I was very tired by the time we got home. Gerry put a DVD on after we got home and after it was over, I went to bed.

So, no big celebrations for us. I guess it is a sign that we are getting older. :))

Happy 29th Anniversary

Today, November 1, 2009, at 2:22 pm in Sacramento, CA, Gerry and I have been married for 29 years. It was a dreary Saturday 29 years ago. I was surprised at the turnout for our wedding since Denise and I had not lived in Sacramento very long. Most of the guests were church family and friends of Gerry. A friend, Larry Bowler told Gerry after the ceremony that we were pronounced man and wife by Gerry's dad at 2:22 pm. Through the years I have been reminded of the precise time in numerous ways.

I remembered it was a very busy morning. All of Denise and my belongings were moved to Gerry's apartment that morning. Then I had to get things set up for the reception and in the church besides getting 5 girls dressed. Gerry had the responsibility of making sure 3 boys got dressed.

A friend, Rita, made our cake for us and got it set up. She was a big help in helping me to get what was necessary for the ceremony and reception.

We were married at Arden Church of the Nazarene, Gerry's dad performed the ceremony and our eight children were the wedding party. It was quite a task finding outfits for 7 of them. Our oldest son got his own suit. Gerry found a 3 piece cordoroy suit at Sears in a rust color and so Erik got a beige one. Our colors were peach, rust and ivory. I found a really nice peach colored gown at a bridal shop in Town and Country that needed very little alterations. The four youngest girls dresses were found at Sears. Surprisely enough we were able to find sizes to fit them all. They were ivory and our oldest daughter wore a long ivory colored gown. I think we found it at JC Penney's. Matching shoes was another story. I had to go to the Naturalizer store to get Denise's shoes. The other girls shoes were bought at Sears. The two boys wore khaki pants with a printed western style shirt.

The ages of the children were 19 years to 9 years.

It is hard to believe that 29 years have passed.

San Luis Obispo Trip

Sorry, I've been MIA. We had a great time in SLO. As I mentioned in my previous post, Gerry rode with the SLO bike club. They ended up in Avila Beach for coffee and then made their way back to SLO. After he got cleaned up, we went in search of lunch and a grocery store. We found a Japanese place and had a teriyaki chicken rice bowl. It was good, there just was a lot of it and I couldn't finish mine. We went to the Kitamura's Friday evening. Bob & Janice had catered some sandwiches from a local deli. Janice made a huge assorted fruit salad. She also got some pies from a local place, the pies are put together then have to be baked. She had apple and ollalieberry. The berry pie was excellent. Two of Bob's sisters were there also. Josh and Becca came over later. Becca's dad had a bad cold and her mom was tired so they didn't come over.

On Saturday morning after breakfast we drove down to Avila Beach. There was a walkathon going on so there was a lot of people down on the beach. We shopped in a few shops, I bought a Tshirt and then we stopped at the coffee shop where the SLO bike club goes to. Its called The Hula Hut and is right across from the beach. Very nice place.

Josh and Becca's reception was at 4 pm at the church where the Kitamura's attend. The church is on the south side of SLO, up on a hill. The rooftop can be seen from the freeway. The view around it is beautiful!! The reception was catered. There were appetizers first and then dinner was tri tip, bbq chicken, oven roasted potatoes, a mixture of vegetables that had been grilled, baked beans, green salad and then a sundae bar for dessert. There was punch, iced tea and water to drink.

We were introduced to Becca's parents and so enjoyed visiting with them, Francis and Brenda Pieprzyk. (Please don't ask me to pronounce their last name, I have no clue. I believe its Polish). In conversation with Brenda, she commented on the excellent job Stephen did performing the ceremony and how beautiful and gracious Denise is. I was happy with the compliments, I had been praying for my kids that whole day.

Sunday morning we all met back at the church, Mountainbrook Community, at 11 am for worship service. We enjoyed the service and noticed there is a beautiful view of the surrounding area from the sanctuary.

Later we met at the Apple Farm for lunch. The Apple Farm is right across the street from the La Cuesta where we were staying. It is quite a large complex which includes a hotel and a huge waterwheel. There's a gift shop down there along with one that is a part of the restaurant. I didn't think the food was as good as its been in the past.

After we ate, we all went over to Bob & Janice's. Most of Bob's family had gone home except for his sister and her husband that live in Portland. They were staying at the La Cuesta too. The family had met at the Apple Farm for breakfast. As we were finishing lunch, Bob's sister called and they came over.

Janice does several boutiques this time of year so after we got over to their house, she showed me some of the things she had made for the boutiques. She sews childrens clothing, knits; she also had some purses she made, aprons, kitchen towels. I love tote bags and she had one that I fell in love with. It is an autumn print. She wouldn't let me purchase it from her, insisted that I just take it. I love it and look forward to using it. I haven't taken a picture of it, I will and will have it on facebook.

Everyone started getting hungry so we ordered take out from Mo's BBQ which is downtown. Gerry and I shared a pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw. It was outstanding. After a fantastic evening, we all said our goodbyes. Bob's sister and her husband had an early flight Monday morning for Portland, Josh was going to take Becca's parents sightseeing on Monday and we were going to drive down to Solvang.

Solvang is about an hour or so south of SLO. We found a parking spot very close to the windmill and walked around. We stopped at the Solvang Bakery and got some goodies. There are tons of bakeries and restaurants in Solvang. We stopped at one restaurant and had some lunch - well, Gerry had pancakes. I just had an egg salad sandwich with cole slaw. On the way back, we drove down to Pismo Beach and walked out on the pier. It was pretty cold walking out there. It was amazing to watch the pigeons, pelicans and other birds. They are so use to having people around that they don't fly off when you approach them. I got pretty close to a pelican to take its picture. We then drove through Shell Beach and parked along the beach and just enjoyed. It is so pretty down there.

For dinner that night we found a little tacqueria and had a very nice inexpensive dinner, cheese enchiladas for me and chile rellano plate for Gerry.

Tuesday morning we were heading home, we decided to walk across the street to the Apple Farm for breakfast. I think it was after 9 before we got on the road. We drove up 101 for a change and before we got to Salinas, there was a truck with 2 trailers and a load of onions that toppled over on its side. Surprisely enough the traffic flowed without any stops. When we got to San Jose we took 680 over to 580 and I-5 home. Got home just before 4 pm.

Josh gave me a DVD of the wedding. It was being played throughout the reception so before we left, he gave it to me. He had told me previously that he had it for me. I am so thankful to have it.

I enjoyed getting to know Becca a little, she is a lovely girl. It seems a little strange to say I have a granddaughter-in-law. I got the impression they want to start their family soon. It will be nice to have a great grandchild. :))

Here's a link to see the pictures I took:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37617&id=1040101927&l=aacb1ba2f2

Enjoy!!

San Luis Obispo, California

Greetings from SLO! We are arrived here yesterday afternoon about 1:30 pm. We didn't leave North Highlands until 7:15 am and made several stops along the way. The temps were in the 60's and 70's, however we had the warm morning sun shining through the front of the van, so it was pretty warm while driving.

We are staying at the La Cuesta Hotel. It is right off of Highway 101, in fact there is a freeway on and off ramp right here so we hear all the freeway traffic. Although, with the slider closed, it was pretty quiet. We have a double queen room. The pictures you see on the internet of the rooms are really deceiving. The room is not as big as it appeared in pictures on the hotel's website. Its okay, I sat out on the balcony yesterday for a little bit.

Last night Josh and Becca came up to the hotel, picked us up and we met his parents down at Farmers Market in downtown SLO. They close 4 or 5 blocks for the market. There are all kinds of farmers selling their fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers, vendors selling all kinds of other stuff and then there are the food vendors. Josh's folks were standing in the line at McClintock's. They serve the best ribs and a whole lot of other stuff. The interaction between the people working the booth is quite entertaining. Gerry and I had a combo meal, with a pork rib, tri tip on a stick and a pork bundle which is the bottom part of the rib. It was all so good, Gerry got some beans. I brought some of my dinner back to the hotel. We sat out in front of a place that made and sold frozen fruit, which was like a slush. A girl came out with samples and so later Janice went in the store and bought some to bring back. I got a pint of the peach and ate some of it last night. It is so good, very refreshing. Bob & Janice had to leave early so Josh & Becca and us sat around for a little bit then made our way back up towards where the car was parked. It was very crowded by then. I stopped and got some really yummy grapes, don't remember the variety of them.

This morning Gerry is riding with the SLO Bike Club. Then tonight we are going over to the Kitamura's for dinner. Josh & Becca are driving down to Irvine to pick up Becca's parents that are flying in from Pennsylvania. They'll be back in time for dinner.

Well, I better go get myself ready and go downstairs for some breakfast.

Talk to you later! Have a great day!!

A Make-Over for Me

A year ago I decided to try and let my hair grow. It was quite short and had worn it like that for many years. At first everything went well and then it got to the point where I didn't know what to do with it. I started wearing it in a pony tail or pulled back with a big clip. I was getting quite a bit of gray and had a section on each side of my face that was quite gray. I absolutely hated it and was getting quite depressed about it.

So a couple of weeks ago I sent an email to the hairdresser that use to do my hair and asked if she had any available appointment close to the end of the month. She answered back and said she had an opening on the 22nd.

Then over the weekend I was chatting via FB with a friend of ours who is a hairdresser, Brent Steele. Brent's father pastored the Nazarene church here in Sacramento where Gerry and I met and were married in 1980. Brent and Denise are the same age and they became friends right away. Brent has been doing hair about 7 years or so. Anyway, I asked him if he was still doing hair and he said yes. We discussed a problem I've had with my hair where a section of hair on the right side of my head has not been growing out like the hair around it.

Well, I cancelled the other appointment I had and made an appointment to see Brent this afternoon. He suggested that he give me some low lights which would blend the gray hair into my natural color. He left some of the gray in. I am so happy with the way it turned out. My hair actually has some shine to it again, it looks healthier and brighter. He cut it and styled it into a very nice easy hair style. It's still a little long, the back rests at the base of my neck and the sides cover my ears.

Brent took pictures which I put on my FB. I will put a link here so you can go look.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35956&id=1040101927&l=55927d5d16


When I walked in the door, Gerry asked me where I'd been and I said getting a hair cut and then he says "and you colored it". He has always been totally against me doing anything to my hair. Its okay for his daughters to color, not me. I've always listened to him. However, I got to thinking, it wasn't about what he thought any longer. It was more about how I felt when I looked at myself in the mirror and I was not happy when I did. An hour or so ago I was at the kitchen sink and he came into the kitchen. He says "oh, there's still some gray there. I couldn't see it. I guess I will have to get used it because it is very different". So that will be the closest to any kind of "complement" I will get. That's okay, it doesn't matter.

ONIPAA 18th Annual Luau

Last night we went to the luau put on by the Ka Pa Hula Kalama Halau. It was their 18th Annual Luau. ONIPAA stands for "The Organization of Native Islanders of the Pacific, Its Alliances and Affairs.

We went to this particular halau's luau last year. This years theme was "A Tribute to Hapa Haole Hula". According to the program, "the popularity of Hapa Haole songs were first brought to the Hollywood screens during the 1930's, 1940's and continued to flourish after WWII. The art form of the "real Hula" went underground, hidden for over 50 years, leaving the hapa haole songs to flourish. Hapa-Haole means songs primarily in English with a smathering of Hawaiian words included."

They started their program with the Kahiko dances (the ancient dances of Hawaii) which are chanted by the Kumuhula (dance instructor) versus singing the words of the mele (song) while the dancers interpret the song through their dance. These are the dances that I enjoy. They then did the Auana (modern dances of Hawaii) which the Kumuhula sings the songs. Some of these songs were written back in the '30's and there was one song that was written in 1916.

It is always fun to watch the little keikis (the children) and the guys do an awesome job too.

A traditional Hawaiian meal is served consisting of Kalua pork, chicken long rice, lomi lomi salmon, ahi poke, poi, sweet potato and haupia (a pudding made from coconut milk) for dessert.

For the most part, it was very enjoyable, however we had some people sitting across from us that were drinking heavily. We were late getting there and someone was sitting in my seat. All of the seats are reserved. The tickets are printed on color paper according to the price range and the seat numbers are written on each ticket. These particular people did not look at their tickets for their seat numbers and just sat where they saw empty seats. It was 3 couples and a guy by himself. In fact the guy that was sitting in my seat had a ticket for a different section. He was pretty much wasted.

This might have been the last year the Halau will do a luau fundraiser. The Kumuhula mentioned that in the previous 24 hours they had 175 people call for tickets. Usually the hall where this is held is packed. It was about 3/4ths full this year and the vendors were inside the hall instead of outside in the lobby area. I noticed that a lot of the merchandise being displayed and for sale was from China. The luau is held at an Elks Lodge in the Greenhaven area of Sacramento. The economy certainly affected the turnout this year for the luau.

Josh & Becca's Wedding Day

This afternoon, in Grove City, PA, my grandson Joshua William marries his college sweetheart, Becca. My son-in-law, Stephen is marrying them. I so wish I could have been there. Unfortunately, that was not possible. I am looking forward to hearing all about it from Denise.

Stephen, Denise and Bekah left Enterprise, AL sometime Thursday afternoon and drove all night to Canton, OH where Stephen's parents live. Grove City is about an hour or so away from Canton. Stephen's folks will be at the wedding and I imagine Stephen's sister, Susan will go too.

This is a very special day because on a wintery day in January of 1987, after many hours of hard labor, Denise delivered Joshua by c-section. She and Stephen were seniors in high school. They had decided to relinquish Joshua for adoption and his adoptive parents were there at the hospital. Josh went home to San Luis Obispo and subsequently adopted.

We saw him in September of that year on the Sunday he was dedicated at SLO Nazarene. It was grandparents Sunday. This would be the last time Denise would see him. We saw him 2 other times, the last time when he was 3 years old. It was an open adoption so we all knew where each other was and from time to time would hear bits of news about him.

During the summer of 2005, Josh contacted Stephen via email and thus began a relationship with his birth parents and siblings. He chose to attend Grove City College in Pennsylvania and in October of 2006, the family gathered at Stephen's parents home in Canton, OH to meet Josh and spend some time with him. It was a great weekend, although I believe a bit overwhelming for Joshua.

He and Becca met, I believe, their sophmore year of college. She is from Pennsylvania. After they were engaged, Josh asked Stephen if he would marry them. Stephen said yes. He did pre-marital counseling with them via webcam.

God's hand has been in this whole situation from the beginning. Denise's pregnancy was so heart renching in so many different ways, however I truly believe God's love for us and our trust and belief in Him helped us to get through. Josh and Becca's wedding today, the fact that Stephen will be marrying his first born son and Denise is there to witness her first child be married is an awesome thing. God is so good!! I will be there in prayer.

Josh and Becca are moving to SLO after a honeymoon on Maui. His grandmother has a condo there. In October a reception is being held in SLO for friends and family who are not able to attend the wedding. We will be there to join in the celebration and meet my new granddaughter-in-law.

It will take some getting use to having two granddaughters with the same name. Rebecca (Becca) and Rebekah (Bekah), Denise's daughter. Thankfully they spell their names differently. :)

Congratulations to Josh and Becca! You are loved so very much.