Late July 2014

July 12 - August 1, 2014

One of our family's favorite restaurants is IHOP.  Who doesn't like a good breakfast for dinner??  After we paid the check, we walked into the breezeway that leads to the parking lot and found our children looking very intently at some apartment magazines.  They were completely serious.  It kind of cracked me up!

We have the missionaries over for dinner once a month.  The kids love asking them questions.  Branson always wants to sit next to them.  Annika usually has a crush on at least one of them.   

There was no room at the table for another body, so Annika agreed to sit in the Bumbo.  She's not an infant, but she still fits!  She's such a little pixie.

  Natalya loves that her daddy took a little nap on her shoulder.  :)

July 24th, 2015

My daddy's birthday is July 25th, 1934.  He turned 80 this year!  We celebrated on the 24th because of a little birthday surprise we concocted.  I asked all the siblings to contribute to a get-away for my parents for his birthday.  They agreed and I gathered enough money to put them up in the Culver City Hotel with a little extra for dining.  My dad used to mop the hallway floors of the Culver City Hotel when he was a kid.  He went to high school at Alexander Hamilton High.  He set up pins at the local bowling alley.  It was certainly a trip down memory lane!  I asked some of my family members to meet dad and mom for lunch at a local restaurant.  They were able to visit his old home - the one his dad built.  It was a touching experience and I wish I could have been there!  (I can't travel while I'm pregnant.  Boo-hoo.)  Since I couldn't be there, we had a little family party for him instead...

  

I made his favorite - German Chocolate Cake with coconut frosting.

The most special gift I could give my dad was a tribute to him via letters from loved ones.  With my mom's help, we were able to locate email addresses of friends and family from all over.  I asked them for a letter to my dad with a memory or experience they would like to share along with a photograph.  The result was astounding.  I received letters from people around the globe all praising my dad for countless reasons.  He inspired some to be better, he was an impressive scout leader and airplane instructor, he helped testimonies of Jesus Christ to grow, he was an involved parent, and he taught most of the pacific coast to water ski.  He is one extraordinary man!  Our hats off to you, Dad!

We made it to August!  The kids spent a couple weeks in swimming lessons.  Erin has been their instructor for years - and Annika was finally old enough to join her siblings and cousins!  The LOVE to swim.