Christmas Wigilia

Wigilia [reading the first few paragraphs that emphasis the Wigilia ceremony]



"Learn to turn to each person as the most sacred
person on Earth, to each moment as the most
sacred moment that has ever been given to us. This
moment may never happen again, because no two
moments are every alike. Are we perhaps awake a bit
more, perhaps breathing together with God?"

~ Reshad Felid


"Blessed are we who can laugh
at ourselves
for we shall never cease
to be amused"

- from "A Grateful Heart" edited by M.J. Ryan
given by Mia & Bill {Christmas 1998}



"Lord make me an instrument of Your peace.
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where this is doubt, faith;
where there is darkness, light;
and where this is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love,
For it is giving that we receive,
it is pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to
eternal life."

- St Francis of Assisi

Warming up with Soup

When there's chill in the air the troops ask for soup - warm-your-core-up-soup. And to me, the best way to enjoy soup is under the warm glow of lights - the warm-up-your-skin kind of lights.
The soup du jour, Brussels sprouts and sausage soup.1 lb. brussels sprouts
1/2 lb. andouille sausage - I used some kind of chicken sausage found at Trader Joe's.
1 tsp. olive oil
3 large red potatoes
2 bay leaves - Dan walked to a tree down the street :)
1 tsp. caraway seeds
4 cups chicken broth

1. Trim ends off brussels sprouts, remove any damaged external leaves, and cut in half lengthwise.
Set aside
2. Cut sausage into 1/4 in. thick slices. Put olive oil and sausage in a medium pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is well browned, about 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into roughly 1/2 in pieces.
4. When sausage is browned, add bay leaves and caraway seeds to the pot. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add potatoes, broth, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add brussels sprouts. Partially cover pot and reduce heat to low or medium-low to maintain a steady simmer. Cook soup until potatoes and brussels sprouts are tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove bay leaves and serve soup hot.

With garlic bread and the 4 of us around the table - summing up our week and preparing for the week before us - we enjoyed our warm-your-soul-soup.

Rainy days on Mondays...

No break for soccer players - especially when your school field is an artificial turf.

These photos don't express the joy but I can see it - she's smiling, that Breana...in fact, that all were!

{Breana in the middle wearing all black}
Me? I sought refuge in my vanagon. The vanagon is sweet heaven in the rain - the rain pitter patters on the roof and the space in the middle of the vanagon allows for dumpage of wet clothes without fear of leaving a permanent sopping mess on the floor.

For this hour and a half I had my phone at the ready in case sick-Kaitlin needed anything at home, I had my iTouch playing Anna JiEun Lee's Violin performance of Sarasate's Gigeunerweisen Op.20, No.1 at Carnegie Hall (she was 12) and my most current read "The Horse Whisperer" by Nicolas Evans.

I was absorbed with this book, it certainly is a love story. The love story that gripped me the most was the one that affected Grace & her horse, Pilgrim. Their story was of a trust that was broken, the pain felt to understand it and the process that it took to bring the trust back.

Certain passages stayed with me:

"I guess that's all forever is...just one long trail of nows. And I guess all you can do is try and live one now at a time without getting too worked up about the last now or the next now."

"There were such moments, he knew, when the world chose thus to reveal itself not, as it might seem, to mock out plight or our irrelevance but simply to affirm, for us and for all life, the very act of being."

And finally,

"Sometimes what seems like surrender isn't surrender at all. It's about what's going on in our hearts. About seeing clearly the way life is and accepting it and being true to it, whatever the pain, because the pain of not being true to it is far, far greater."

Back to the present - exactly, a Present

When a gift is lovingly placed on your lap, you say "Thank you"...then know that you are going to spend a slice of your life at the barn...then eventually 'her life'.
Breana & Serenade
with her Trainer, Patti


I have no words to explain how thrilled this little girl is nor how beautiful she is riding on a horse. And we are speechless when it comes to this beautiful gift...

Thank

you

Drew

<3

Drew in Mongolia - 2008

Summer in Lassen - Part 2 of 3

I'm hoping Dan can make time to post about his hiking trip up to Prospect Peak. What I can tell you is he left early in the morning and came back in the afternoon.
I had the morning to myself - the campground was quiet, the girls were sleeping and the air was chilly so I bundled up and spent some time reading, "The Book Thief." When the campers around us started to stir I woke up the girls and we slowly moved our way about until Dan returned.

Key, we slowly moved our way about...

Summer in Lassen Part 1 of 3

We made time for Lassen - we made time for us four. This trip was literally sandwiched between a rock and a hard place and we fudged & erased time to make it happen. It, this time together, had to happen.
I know our time together as a family is slipping away - morphing into another version of 'togetherness' - it's inevitable, the girls are getting older.
Fortunately we understand that stolen moments are necessary.

Our first campsite in Lassen National Park, Kaitlin & I decided to retreat from the sun and relax in the shade. We played cards, we read books and we napped. I believe we spent a huge chunk of our day in that manner.

We weren't in solitude - we had to share this beautiful spot with other campers - but if you squint your eyes just so, they disappear.
Kaitlin was bothered by the heat, I was intrigued with this incredible camera!
Dan & Breana spent their day on the raft, in the water, part on the raft and part in the water. They explored & drifted around the Lake. It was a blissful existence.

We acquired this raft on our last trip to Lassen. It's a perfect vessel for us & poliwhirl - it can be deflated & folded neatly into a box and it can be blown up to fit 2-3 of us. Every night while at this campsite, Dan & Breana would go out for moonlight excursions. Every night after cards, of course, or round robin game night w/ scrabble, golo & solitaire a la iTouch.

We came to one of our favorite places so that we could stretch out our days and spend them with ease & with as much simplicity as we could.

After one day of unwinding, it was easy to adapt to...

Dan's People

ALL of us?

Don't tell my Seahawk - lovin' family!

Fourth of July remembered in September

This seemed like a lifetime ago since I'm just posting it now. It doesn't mean the memories have faded though - far from it. As you may recall, while Independence Day wasn't my favorite holiday growing up, it has now become a holiday that I wrap my family & I up with small town tradition and enjoy it to the fullest.We started the day biking in a caravan to the square. It's a bike ride I sometimes don't look forward to, a bike ride that I sometimes have to force myself to get through but a bike ride that was full of glee this time around. Our caravan was so huge that we were able to casually break into different groups; some powered through the ride focused with strong determination, some kept at an even pace and chit chatted their way to our destination while others strolled and absorbed the creek, the dry hills and the rows & rows of grape vines. Different attitudes but the same purpose - getting to the Independence Day Parade!
Then we staked our claim - took up space in the square, soaked up the sun, took in the sights & sounds and became one with the lawn. It was heavenly & exhausting intermingled and separate all at the same time.
How many times do you get to do nothing and everything simultaneously because you want to and not because you have too?!!!

I personally find bliss in occasions where I can contribute to conversations but in the same breath become void in thought and just be there - it's being comfortable with who I am amongst who I'm with...family provide me with that.

I enjoy knowing my daughters have that, too.

Our California summers were full of sights of helicopters overheard with water buckets. It was disturbing that this day wasn't of the exception...but it was our reality this summer.

And what's a family gathering without a friendly-competitive game of soccer :}
The "B's" celebrate a goal!
Then the culmination of an entire day's event ends dramatically with bright lights and booming significance. It's a blend of sounds mimicing destruction while displaying grand beauty.

The most satisfying part is having our secret parking spot where we can slip into right before the show starts and slip out right before the hordes of pedestrians! No, I would never reveal such a secret - but I will share one thing...Independence Day in Sonoma is a must!

More nights like this, please.

It was again one of those nights where all it would have taken was a nod and both of us would have been in PJs laying around the house.

That simple.

Fortunately it works the other way, too.
With a nod we were at Fr. Cyprian's Concert at Church.

"Leave the past in ashes and turn to God ~ return to God in tears and fasting"

"May all become compassionate and wise."

And just like that, we're rejuvenated.

Mini- Jamboree

It's like home - it's such a part of our lives that when we get back on the field it's almost comforting. Exhilarating, indeed. Full of anticipation & hope, of course. Fulfilling, absolutely!

Breana was unable to participate due to broken/sprained toes but supported her Team on the sidelines aside Coach Dan and was full of ideas of what the Team can work on. See, it's in her blood - she inherited it from her Dad.
Kaitlin scored an awesome goal with her left foot - of course quite enjoyable for me to watch. Kaitlin likes the contact between her foot and the ball. Her ability to control the ball is inate for her - she has this graceful strength about her.
We are going to spend the Fall season with an incredible group of girls - there is passion in not only their sport but in absorbing fun and sharing laughter...it's going to be a great season!

Stay tuned...

Creating memories

Summer so far has been non-committal and yet so fulfilling and satisfying.This time spent together has been so meaningful to me. I smile now at the stories my kids will have to reminisce over - and hopefully chuckle and sigh.

A dear childhood friend & I just went down memory lane - over 25 years ago that "lane" was - when time was nonsensical and tomorrow was a far-away land. Our families use to rent a house for a week in the winter. Don't get me started I'm liable to wake the house up with loud spurted laughter!

Oh wait, it's just Dan & Jack, Kylie & Brayton's dog...you see the girls are camping with their cousins for a week - yup, creating memoires :)

Just the kind of thing...

This is what happened when I asked them to recycle the big box in the garage...

Good to the last drop

Life has been full.

We became technologically resourceful and didn't really miss a computer at home or a camera on my person 24/7. Our eyes became our photo-keepers and the memories stored away. Until a gift was so graciously given to me {thank you, sweet & giving, Greg!} and my genius Dad dedicated time & energy on my computer...and my world shifted!

You see, I don't truly trust my memory. It's as if they've been locked away and the key vanished from sight - or dissolved...Kaitlin & Breana sometimes share with me a memory that is so clear & vivid to them like it was yesterday - well, considering they're age, it was yesterday! - and I sit there blank-faced and stunned..."Did that really happen?" or "Did I honestly promise that?!!!!"

So here, thanks to Greg, I can capture the moments and here, thanks to my Dad, I can chroniclize them - store them - post them...cherish them.

You've missed me, you say?

Well trust that this Family has been busy...and, honey, the best has yet to come!

Life keeps on rolling!

As soon as our computer is up & running again I'll catch you up on what we have been up to! I have to admit though, without a computer I have grown content with checking email once a day...it's been refreshing.

However, I do so want to keep the family & friends who pop in once awhile up-to-date with what we have been up to. Believe me, we're enjoying our daily life - we survived winter and are enjoying the clear signs of Spring! Our down days are almost over as I notice the calendar starting to fill up again but that's all good in our book.

In a few short days we'll have a teen in our family...but I'm jumping ahead of myself!

We soon will get back into the posting rythmn again...maybe after Spring Break!

An evening away

Instead of driving up to the snow, we drove down the coast and spent the evening at Pajaro Dunes. Dan has fond memories of this place growing up. He spent many weekends and one glorious summer down here when he was younger. Fortunately an evening here fell on our laps - unfortunately Kaitlin was feverish and spent most of her time laying down. We did manage a game of Bologna [upon Breana's request] and "Probe" [combination of hang-man and wheel-of-fortune].