"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" 3 John 1:4

Boston, Massacuhetts

2011-10-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ahhh......21 hrs and a great crew in Boston makes for a fun time :) Very cold from the Nor-Easter that came through yesterday. High today was in the upper 30's .........brrrrrr!!

The outside of "Cheers" from the show that use to be on TV

Love that Chowder!!

This building is where the Boston Masacure took place

Graveside where Paul Revere and many other important people were burried

Paul Revere Cementary

Beautiful Church

View while walking through the walk-way from the airport to our hotel that is on the right. Boston skyline is to the left.

This is the view from my hotel room..........beautiful @ night too!

Love the costume :)

Fresh fruit & Veggies

Always, always love the Christmas store!!

Fun Crew...........we had a great time along with our captain and first officer.

The Hound of Baskerville

2011-10-28T00:53:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it's Cody's senior year and we are down to the final productions of his high school days. Drama has been a big part of his life since elementary school when he started in the summer drama program...........

Kate has always been a big support and Cody loved having her and Andrew at one of his showings

Great job Cody..........we look forward to your final production in the spring

2011-10-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

It's time for a beautiful wedding in an adorable church

Trying to sneak the bride into the church without being seen.............

was soooo much harder than we thought it would be ...............

but we managed.....................

through the back door :)

It's time for a wedding...........back outside to enter through the front door

Greetings in the foyer

The boys loved their suits and they looked so dashing :)

Landon, Keagan and Hailey greeting the guests

A little frantic trying to get the kids all down the isle in the right order .........the kids were calm........as u can tell the women were a bit frazzled :)

Hailey was the candle lighter............funny, every time Kate and I look at this picture we laugh because we have no idea how the fall foliage ended up on the alter..........it had nothing to do with the wedding :)

Job well done girls

Two flower girls and a ring bearer

Well done kids

Emily was quite entertaining throughout the service ...........she was either winking at Papa or waving to anyone who would wave back :)

Daddy's special moment

Who gives this bride away?

Beautiful church with a natural beauty all it's own

Daddy's kiss to his baby girl

The vows

Zeke was giving his dad full attention..........while Emily was winking @ Papa

Kate and Andrew wrote letters to each other and put them in a varnished box along with sparkling cider and two goblets, then locked it up............. only to be opened when they want to remember this special time in their lives and their wedding vows to each other and God.............Great idea guys!

The final prayer before...............

Announcing
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew March

Upon leaving Emily wanted to make sure Papa gave her the gum he promised while Claire and Zeke worried about picking up the flower petals after they made such a mess of the floor ..........

Priceless!

Ahhhhhhh the long awaited Ringing of the Bell to announce the marriage of Kate & Andrew

Papa and Emily taking a break after sending the bride and groom off for their honeymoon............Papa needed another baby girl to snuggle ..............his is now a beautiful wife married to a wonderful man.

Congratulations
Kate & Andrew

Now we can't wait for the photographers pictures............

Joining the Nieces and Nephews @ the Holbrooke

2011-10-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

After getting ready @ Grandma's and Grandpa's we met the nieces and nephews @ the Holbrooke Hotel where we were having the reception. It was a beautiful historical site and we couldn't resist the opportunity to meet the photographer for more pictures. Once again can't wait to see what the photographer took...........but for the time being here are some of our fun snapshots

Some down time before the ceremony begins

We were given the Bridal Suite for the night so it was a perfect place to relax before heading over to the church

Beautiful suite ...........we told Kate and Andrew that they could stay there for their wedding night but she didn't hesitate in insisting that "she wasn't going to stay anywhere her brothers would know where they were"..........hmmmmm, I don't think she trusted them :)

Hailey soaking it all in.

Beautiful picture of a beautiful bride :)

Always busy keeping the little ones occupied (and clean) :)

Mommy and son

Beautiful girls!!!!!!...........and quite the models too :)

Auntie and nieces

Sooooo much laughter..........

Cheeezzzzeee

Auntie Casey and Auntie Angela spent 3 1/2 hours fixing these girls hair.............the bathroom was full of hairspray and the girls LOVED every minute of it!!!! They loved being pampered like the big girls :)

These two cousins love each other to pieces.............sad they have to live so far apart!

Ahhhh, Sisters :)

Handsome Ring Bearer

Adorable Box Carrier

Love all of the laughter

Auntie Ashlie is a fantastic story teller.............(even though she was making it up as she went) she had their full attention!!

This room was so quaint, we couldn't resist some pictures in the bathroom

Katelynne's bouquet............very vintage looking and smelled wonderful with the Gardenia's

Believe it or not Auntie had them all dancing in the bathroom!! These little guys had a blast!

Ahhhhh, Auntie Kate and all of her nieces :)

Love that look :)

Add a fella to the mix and you have a real party!

Beautiful flower girl........looking a little tired. Poor thing ........you have to remember that some of these kids were on East Coast time zone.............they were still amazing!

Make Up, Giggles and Pictures.........

2011-10-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

Katelynne has wonderful memories of spending time with Grandma & Grandpa McClendon when they first moved to Grass Valley....... so when it was decided that Kate would be getting married in Neveda City, one of her first wishes was to be able to put her wedding dress on @ their house.

Beautiful Bride

One of my favorite pictures............
my mind quickly went back to when they were little girls

Grandma & Grandpa McClendon had the PERFECT home for pictures!

Kate had 2 veils..........a cathedral veil for her ceremony and then she changed into a short little 40's looking veil for her reception.

This was the bible my mom gave me for my wedding. I wrote a message to Sarah and she carried it in her wedding. Sarah wrote a message to Ashlie and she carried it in her wedding. Ashlie wrote a message to Katelynne and Kate carried it in her wedding. It will now be saved for the first granddaughter to get married.

Wonderful moments

Time to put on THE dress..............
just like when they were little........putting on dress up clothes :)

Sisters

I was amazed how much these girls looked alike :)

Lots of laughter and sweet moments

Kate's bouquet looked very 40ish

Kate's idea of flowers draped over a small clutch turned out to be so cute and practical

We had so much fun with the photographer's.
Sarah and Lacy did a fantastic job and were great to work with :)

2011-10-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Bride

Forever Friends!
Alexa, Katie and Kate have been best friends since elementary school.
They were Lady's in Waiting .............and a great support for Kate

Believe it or not but..........
Hailey is the next girl in line to get married in the family :) Whoa!!

Forever Friends

Beautiful girls

Jaime was in charge of all of our snapshots that we are now posting
THANK YOU Jaime..........we appreciate all of them!

Leaving Grandma's house

Hmmmmm, how do we get this girl and her dress in the car?

Thanks for remembering the boquet Hailey :)

Whew! We did it!

Ahhhh.........it's time for a wedding!!

Let the Wedding Day Begin.......

2011-10-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

Rise and shine beautiful bride

"I'm the Bride"............
Thank-you Alexa for the fun bridal attaire :)

Beautiful ring Katelynne............great job Andrew

Sistas arrive ...........WITH Starbucks for ALL!!

Momma brings the doughnuts!

Thanks for the lashes Gail...........you helped to make everyone beautiful!

Hailey is growing up........she arrived to help with all of the preprations

More eyelashes..........Kate your almost there :)

Flowers in the bridesmaids hair...........

2011-10-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

Time for the veil

2011-10-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

Ahhh..........she's starting to look like a bride

Hailey became the offical veil carrier

Full of smiles and oh so happy

2011-10-12T16:12:00.002-07:00

On our way to Grandma's house

Wedding Rehersal

2011-10-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

Sooooo not everyone took this rehearsal serious......... Zeke couldn't resist expressing himself

These are the pipes from the organ that will be played. It's from the early 1800's

Emily only thought she was leaving...........we really had to run through it ALL over again :)

Landon looks scared to death and Keagan looks totally bored

Nana was so proud to be ushered down the isle by Landon

Wow this groomsman looks like a Warta

These kiddo's took their job so seriously

Making sure Andrew understands his cue

Not sure what Kate's doing here?

The highlight of the whole wedding for these twosome............Ringing the bells to announce Kate and Andrews marriage..........I can only imagine now what it's going to sound like.......and look like :)

Ahhh.........Brings Tears

2011-10-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Wedding Pictures Soon To Come

2011-10-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I'm OCD or what but I have to do everything in order...........

Once the wedding was over and we got everyone back to the airports, trailers returned to their owners, and Kate and Andrew moved into their new home it was time for me to hit the air again and return to my job..............needless to say my blogging and pictures all got put aside until I could catch my breath and go through them. We haven't received the photographer's pictures back yet, (should be coming soon) but we do have some snap shots. I have to post them in order or it drives me crazy! Sooooooo these pictures were taken on Friday before the wedding.............I'll post a few of the wedding day, hopefully tomorrow. Hope that those of you that have been asking about them enjoy sharing some our memories with us. It was a week that went by way too fast............but the memories and pictures are what will carry us until we are all together again. Miss u all soooo much! Love, Mom

Friday- Our Family Photo's

2011-10-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

Today was the day we set aside to tackle the job of "Family Pictures". We realize that there are just too many of us to try to do this at Kate and Andrews wedding. So with 23 of us having to shower and be dressed by 9:00 am we can say that it was a mighty task! But one us women accomplished :) !!

Grandkids started the morning out in the playroom.............
they have had so much fun playing with cousins

So then comes the awesome job of getting everyone into cars and not leaving any of the grands behind! It got quite exciting for a while..........all scrambled to cars (not even sure how many cars we had) then we did head counts to make sure all grandkids were accounted for :) Like a mighty train off we went to an old barn our photographer had found.

Of course the kids were loving the adventure

Sarah our photographer attended the Gridley church when we all went there so it was fun catching upon with what was going on in her family's lives.

Cool looking barn..........we brought some of our own chairs and props.

Not sure what the poor farmer thought when we had to move out of the road for him :)

Ahhhh........Nana & Papa's prize! Love it! And this is just one of our snap shots.......can't wait to see the photographer's

They were dying to find out what was inside of the barn...........and of course you can convince the baby to do about anything and he can get away with it :)

Cheeeeeeeze..........this was way harder than it looks...........someone was either not happy, crying, looking the other way, picking their nose, making faces...............ahhhh finally got a picture!

Time for family photo's

A little stressful.........especially when u have a audience :)

Waiting for your turn.........can u imagine how hard it was to keep these kiddo's clean..........and happy!

Love it!

Aunts and Uncles everywhere.........the kids always found someone to cling to :)

Are we DONE yet???

More families............sandwich style :) Can't wait to see to real ones :)

Yes, they were couples before the children came..........was it that long ago?

The rewards of a job well done kids............back to Papa & Nana's for some more play time!
Great job everyone............THANK-YOU
Sarah Tamani our photographer for your BAG of patience!!

Just a Few

2011-09-12T00:34:00.000-07:00

Crazy busy for the next few days. Thought I would post just a few pictures with most of them to follow this weekend when I have more time. The pictures from the photographer do not arrive for 6-8 weeks. So glad Jaime followed close by for the day and did a beautiful job getting snapshots for us............

THANK YOU Jaime!!!

Our granddaughter Emily (Matt's daughter) spent the entire ceremony winking @ her Papa :)

Matt, Jaime, Mya & Emily..........all have arrived!

2011-09-09T00:38:00.000-07:00

Matt, Jaime, Mya and Emily arrived today!!! All of our children and grandchildren are home for 5 days! The house is crazy busy but we are all loving every moment of it!

Everyone brought their ironing to Sarah today............she ironed for 3 hrs.

Spaghetti is the perfect kid food................and it feeds a ARMY!

Bride and Groom...........enjoying niece and nephew time

Family pictures in the morning............soooooo everyone is taking baths and getting ready

Zeke and Mya loving on Auntie and soon to be Uncle

Bedtime story

The Pastors secretary is typing up notes for the wedding :)

Emily is just a " little tired"

Just a few more minutes of play time

Heading to the "fort" for bed ( that's what the kids call the trailers)

Goodnight sweet angles............see u in the morning :)

Personal Shower and Pampering

2011-09-09T00:35:00.000-07:00

Sarah & Ashlie weren't able to be here for the shower hosted by Casey & Angela in July, so they planned a small Personal Shower before being pampered with a pedicure and manicure.

Sarah was in charge of the food and it was wonderful

Ashlie was in charge of the decorations. Both were amazining :)

Lots of homemade crafts

We had so much fun with this game and Kate was a good sport!!

We all laughed like crazy

Ashlie loved watching her baby sister :)

Kate you look beautiful!

More fun games.......

We were all quite the artist

Thanks Stephanie for all of your help

Proud Momma!

Great Job Girls!!

Best of Friends

They all 3 looked like Martha Stewart

Nighties for every night

The guys helped line out the background music...........Thanks guys

Kate & Grandma McClendon

Sister's

More decorations

Too cute!

Time to pamper

Ahhhhh.................Thanks girls for a wonderful day!!!

Helping Nana

2011-09-08T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a stay @ home, clean up day. Zeke was so eager to help.

First the mirror in Nana's room

So Zeke was great @ helping to fluff the bed................

only one problem..........

he insisted on putting the throw pillow in the middle which meant he had to walk on the fluff :)

Zeke was very intrigued with the whole watering thing. Everytime we went out to move a sprinkler he would ask what it was. So I guess Ohio doesn't have springkers :)

Zeke loving to help Nana move sprinklers

Ashlie and Amy have been friends since preschool..........so fun to have her drop by :)

Sarah, should I tell them what's going on ...............or let them keep guessing ?

Nap time and a very tired little boy

Even the guys were a big help :)

Good job girls

Ashlie and her Poms

Nothing like a wedding to freshen up your marriage.

I walked by the window and couldn't resist shooting this picture :)

Huh Ho Zeke Daddy's jumping high!

Time for a Ring Bearer's tux fitting

Still thinking about this whole ring thing............

IN & OUT..........everyone's favorite :)

Getting Ready for A Day of Pampering

2011-09-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Ashlie are hosting a personal shower with family and close friends followed by some time for pampering, getting pedicures and manicures together. So today and tomorrow they are having fun preparing for the brunch on Thursday morning.

Shopping on Plumas St. was fun for these 2 out of towners. Things have really changed for the better and they loved seeing all of the changes.

Zeke helped Auntie Ashlie check off groceries on our check list. Great little helper!

Ashlie was in charge of decorations and Sarah food.

Ashlie brought a whole suitcase full of homemade decor!

Little Miss Martha Stewart :)

Busy, busy........can't wait to see how it looks when she's done

Close friends of Joe and Sarah's came by to take them out to dinner. We've also gotten to know this fun couple and enjoyed catching up with them when they all came back. Fun visiting with you Eric, Corina & Samatha Waterberry

OK, starting to look a little tired......jet lag starting to catch up.

Kate and Andrew even had some time to visit with all of us.

Zeke ended his night with Matchbox races with Auntie Kate and soon to be Uncle Andrew. Great job guys he loved it..........sorry you got beat so badly :)

Full Day of Last Minute Shopping

2011-09-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

Today was a day that us girls have been looking forward to for quite a few weeks...........lots of last minute details to finish before the big day on Saturday :)............final dress fittings & make-up makeover just to add a few to the endless shopping :)

Starbucks was our first stop!

Thanks Stephanie for the double shots that got the endless chatter started :)

Galleria, here we come

Pulling up some of our discount coupons

Gotta get those diamonds cleaned!

Yes!!!! See's candy was at the top of our list!

Now the serious stuff..........make-up!

OK, so we thought we wanted to look at Channel Make-up..........NOT, didn't like the saleswomen...........so let's move on. Women on a mission can sometimes be hard to please.......especially if your a bride and bridesmaids :)

Sarah isn't too sure about Ashlie's advice!

So how many shades of red are there?

Ahhhh, much better. Loved the girl @ Mac!! $$$$$

Great tips!

Katelynne........your going to make a BEAUTIFUL BRIDE!

OK, these two are getting way too tired!! Sitting on a Manichean display :)

Pucker up..........and show everyone those Ruby Red lips!!

Job well done ladies............mission accomplished!

Time for some R&R and dinner before heading to our lady for final alterations.

A very tired bride..........no, that's not her dress in the background :)

Sunday and Family Time

2011-09-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Oh how Loren and I forgot what our Sunday mornings us to be like getting ready for church :) A house full of people lined up for showers and mirrors. All in all we made it and had a few minutes to spare. Since Joe, Sarah, Zeke and Ashlie were here we wanted to visit the church we attended for over 25 yrs. It felt so good to worship again with friend that go back for so many years.

Sunday morning cinnamon rolls with Zeke and Auntie Ashlie

Aprons have always been a must on Sundays........not sure why but something I've always done and now it's so fun to see my girls do the same thing.

Family friends, Ron, Mary, Dallas and Shanase were able to join us for lunch

Father and daughter deep in conversation

Every gathering has a "kids" table

Cheeze

Desperate for shade

Cousins helping cousins

Smile for "Nana"

Always loving those Wii games :)

Can us see Landon's shiner? It's should be a beauty in the morning. Poor Tim, he's had the kids alone for the weekend while Casey was in Southern California running in a half Marathon. Don't think mom's going to be too happy about it since we have family pics on Friday and Landon is in the wedding on Saturday :(

Sidewalk Chalk

Trying to dip ice cream cones in hard chocolate...........wasn't too successful !

Hmmmmmmmmmm ice cream

Momma blowing bubbles for Zeke

Auntie Ashlie in the playroom with Claire Bear

Joe showing Keagon how to ride the Flying Turtle........it's been in the family for over 33 yrs.

Kelden cooling things down a bit

Cousins..........

can be the best of friends!

Sisters..............and the bridesmaids...........waiting to help the bride try on her dress for a trial run............hope they are more motivated on the wedding day :)

Love that pile of legs crossed over each other..........

3 tired cousins after a long day of play, watching TV.

What a way to end a perfect Sunday afternoon..............playing "hide & go seek" :)

Greetings @ The Airport

2011-09-04T00:17:00.000-07:00

Another fun filled day. Early rise and shine..........hair appointments, grocery shopping and food preparation for family BBQ tomorrow. After a busy day we all, and I mean ALL loaded into 2 vans and 1 Land-Rover to head to the airport to pick up Joe, Sarah and Zeke. After a 30 minute process of getting everyone loaded into cars ( Loren and I know all to well how easy it is to leave a child behind in such confusion............when Ashlie was 4 we left her @ church one time!) Soon we were on the road caravaning to the airport. So much fun .........love being together and hearing the excitement from the grandkids of getting to play with another cousin.

Ashlie preparing our favorite Pasta Salad

Tim brought over the 2nd trailer..........yes we have warned our neighbors :)

The grandkids loved the signs

It's time for wedding bells on the door.........

always fun when UPS delivers pkgs. for the bride and groom :)

Poor Loren......a Auto Body Technicians NIGHTMARE!!!! The last thing he wants to do is repair on his own cars.............looks like a fender bender waiting to happen though :)

Yes, we had a boys car and a girls car :)

And a Big peoples car :)

It was now time to wait..........

Things you do to keep the little ones busy while waiting........

.................and waiting

....................and waiting

So Keagan and Landon snuck off and when we found them they were heading up to the 2nd floor in a glass elevator..........silly boys, they should know better than to be so mischievous in something they were seen so well in :)

They thought it was the coolest

patiently waiting up stairs.........

then back down stairs.........

Ahhhhh, Brian and Kelden found them :)

A bit overwhelming for such a shy boy

Mom didn't get too far @ first.............

............. but soon Zeke warmed up

Even Kelden knew that luggage didn't belong like this!

Poor guy..........he even had to carry his own bags.

Yes, we held up a few cars to get this group across the street!

Always dinner @ In-n-Out when you live on the east coast and are visiting the west!!

Girl cousins!

Oh, so glad to be together!

Heading home, Auntie Ashlie shares pictures of Linus their adorable little dog.

Zeke loves his home away from home.

Fun times in Nana's play room

Ashlie's Home From Carolina

2011-09-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

I left yesterday morning @ 4:30 am for Raleigh, North Carolina. Matt & Ashlie picked me up @ the airport @ 6:30 pm. We had a wonderful dinner...........Ashlie and I talking a mile a minute :) (poor Matt). Went to bed @ 11:00 PM EST, awoke @ 3:00 am EST to head back to the airport. We were able to get the first flight out and arrived in Sacramento @ 10:45 AM!!!! Fun time taking Loren out to lunch before heading home. Home sweet home, for both of us :) Great evening of homemade pizza, then several of us jogged (including myself :) to Brian and Angela's before heading out for yogurt! Lots of fun and laughter once again in the wonderful place we all call HOME!

Ashlie was so excited..........we continued talking non stop all day!

I love traveling with my kids.......I'm so proud of them all :)

Ashlie was so glad to see her baby brother, but quite surprised to see he wasn't so little anymore.

Old times..........Friday night, home made pizza and lots of fun!

Kate & Andrews Journey is About to Begin

2011-08-31T01:50:00.001-07:00

Let the celebration begin.............
The freezer is full of cookies, Spaghetti Sauce and Chili.
Tim brought the first of 2 trailers over to sleep everyone.
I leave on Thursday for North Carolina to bring Ashlie back on Friday
Sarah, Joe & Zeke arrive on Saturday
Matt, Ashlie's husband arrives on Tuesday
Matt & his family arrive on Thursday
Family Picture Day on Friday
Rehearsal and Dinner also on Friday
AND SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH ..............
9-10-11
IS ALMOST HERE!!

The first of 2 trailers

I came in last week (after leaving a clean house) and look what I found!!! She looked like she had just swallowed the Canary, but really she had just tore into some of her wedding gifts that had been delivered!!

Time to move things into their apartment.

Clothes go in the car.

A tour of their new apartment

Ahhh, a lump in my throat..........my baby girl and baby boy!

Ohhhh, to have a upstairs apartment!

Looking good

At least one piece of furniture is put away

Soon to be married and soon to enjoy their new home :)

The Shower
Casey, Angela & Hailey hosted a shower for Katelynne. What a fun filled evening it was. Everyone worked so hard and it was so fun catching up with friends and family

Hailey did alot of the baking..........great job Hailey!

Mom & Kate

Kate and High School friends.............so glad they have all kept in touch :)

Close friend, Alexa Ernstam

Bride to Be

Katelyne and Katie have been best of friends since pre-school. We always called them "Katie-did and Strawberry Shortcake!

Such serious prayer over the food :)

Katelynne and Grandma McClendon

Ahhhh, a gift from Jaime

Bethany bringing presents to Auntie Kate

Fun and laughter..............moms and daughters..........we all go way back :) The girls wanted to pose in what they called "The Christmas Banquet Pose" Too funny!!

No comment!

Once again, thanks Casey, Angela & Hailey for all of your hard work and Thanks to everyone that was there for such a fun night!

Engagment Pictures

2011-08-31T01:18:00.000-07:00

Summer Memories

2011-08-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe another summer has come and gone. This one was no different than the rest. You start off thinking you have so much extra time, but that is only elusive! The end came all too quickly. But I'm always glad we have the pictures to go along with the memories :)

Casey gave Cody tickets to the Broadway production of Mary Poppins in Sacramento for his Christmas gift. I was so excited when Cody asked if I would like to go with him. Loren meet up with us for dinner before the show.

So cool to be able to do this just before Cody left for his Mission Trip. The production was amazing! Cody kept me in touch with what was going on behind the scene's. He's had many years of school drama, community theater and drama tech. He made it even more interesting.

And let the packing begin..........they pack clothing in gallon bags to keep them dry and clean. He said that proved to be a wise move many times.

Everything for the next 10 weeks would have to fit in that brown box.

He made it with room to spare

And so the good-byes started with Katelynne. Kate left the night before to fly down to Irvine, Ca. to help her fiance' move back for the summer.

Cody did everything himself...........we just watched :)

Time to say good-by for 10 weeks :( We left the boy and his box!

Next was the fun time we had with our grandson and granddaughter, Kelden and Hailey. Brian & Angela took a mini vacation for their anniversary and so we divided kids between us and Tim & Casey.

Kelden helping Papa

Whatcha doing Papa?

O.K. now it's MY turn.

Buddies.........hard to believe the kids were wearing coats in late June! We had a amazing summer this year.

Hailey was my helper..........

Always helping in the kitchen and she truly makes the BEST homemade Cinnamon Rolls!

There was even time for a game or two of Racko........Grandma's favorite!

Kelden and his Papa's truck

Keagan made the "All Star" Little League team this year...........so of course there were lots of play off games to watch!

His favorite thing to do is steel bases.........and he's quite good at it!

Batter up! Yeah, that's our grandson!!

Then there was the trip Nana took to New York to pick-up Jaime, Mya and Emily to bring them back to California for 2 weeks to spend with Jaime's family

The girls are ALWAYS ready to fly!!

Things to do on the plane

Then there's the layover in Chicago........
ALWAYS a favorite place to stop a buy
Popcorn @ "Nuts on Clark"

This time they even got to watch it being made.
When I come through here I never go home without their fantastic popcorn

Cheeeeeeze!

So fun when you fly with Grandma...........she can usually pull some strings! The girls loved going into the flight deck!

Hi-fi from the First Officer!

We couldn't figure out why the cat food was disappearing so quickly and the neighbors chickens were all being killed..............we found the culprit!

Loren & his Raccoon

Nothing like the neighbors Turkey's looking in your window

Extraordinary Desserts..........our favorite place in San Diego
It even taste better than it looks, if you can believe that!

A couple of times during the summer when I had a San Diego overnight Loren would catch up with me and we would have a fun get-a-away @ the company expense :)

Leaving for a bike ride in San Diego

A Tatum Bike ride around Coronado Island. Ya, we decided it would be easy to either get killed or get a divorce..........not recommended to do more than once!

Fun times in San Diego

Papa arranged for Zeke and Sarah to surprise Nana with a visit when Nana arrived in
Columbas, Ohio. They drove for 3 hrs. and I was so glad to see them!!

Keeping a 4 yr. old busy in a hotel

Dinner & Crayola's

Love these two

Nana loved his laughter

Zeke and his momma

Mt. Carmel

Cody at the Tomb of our Risen Savior

Cody and Louie Inks the founder of Reign Ministry's

Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount

A can of Coke in Israel

Sunrise @ Masada

Ahh the back packs!

Rome, The Colosseum

The Mission Trip of a LIFETIME!

It was so nice to be able to meet some of Cody's friends when he landed in Chicago

Heading to the train station @ O'Hara trying to make our way back to Midway Airport in Chicago..........this poor guy has had no sleep in 2 days.

We loved getting a personal tour of pictures from his trip

Off to school! Hard to believe it's Cody's last "First Day of School" @ FCS

Cody made pizza similar to the pizza he ate in Italy!! It was fantastic!

Lemonade for sale

Hurry girls, we have a customer

Official Lemonade Salesman (and women)

It's been a wonderful summer, full of fun times and great memories...............but nothing like Claire having her Uncle Cody back home!!

BE SURE TO CLICK ON OLDER POST TO SEE OUR CABIN PICTURES :)

Our Family Trip to the Cabin

2011-08-20T00:07:00.000-07:00

This year our annual trip to the cabin was a little shorter and only the California families were able to make it due to Katelynne's wedding in Sept. None the less it was a weekend full of fun, laughter and tons of memories

First and foremost.........u gotta get the doll beds and house set up for the kiddo's

Kelden's first year to really enjoy the swing that Uncle Tim made a few years ago.

Meal time

Heading out for what has become a annual hike (for those who dare go) to the top of Bald Mountain. A long tough hike, but so worth it once u get to the top.

Beautiful! Love this picture of Brian & Hailey

You feel like u can touch the sky!

Every year we find the Geo-cach and add something to it.

This year we actually had to walk through snow to get to the top.

Ok, Tim.......is it possible to get a serious picture?

Here we are.........u guessed it, Brian wanted a picture of me taking the picture :)

Yes, those that like to run even get to run

Sun bathing and watching kiddo's in the water

Kelden and his baby sitters :)

Row, row, row you boat Keagan and Landon

Gotta watch out for that sun

Getting ready for our nightly campfire

Cousins!!! They all LOVE this place and so do the parents!!! The cabin is a highlight for us all!!

Victorian Christmas in Neveda City

2010-12-28T00:23:00.001-08:00

Nothing like strolling the streets with the atmosphere of a Victorian Christmas. Every year Nevada City closes their downtown streets and allow for this old fashioned event. On Sunday after church we headed out...........hoping for some of the white stuff called snow to fall.........

Nothing like a decadent treat :)

Christmas was in the air........

Love the church in the background...........love spending time with the "love of my life"!

Daddy and his "baby" girl!

Sisters!

Fun time looking @ the crafts.............

and laughing at what some try to sell :)

So glad to be together again..........

Thanks for taking our picture Jake

Love this picture

Daddy and one of his girls

The "babies" of the family :)

Love of my life :)

No we didn't have snow...........just rain..........but we were still able to have "Roasted Chestnuts by the Open Fire".............so fun!

Friends

2010-12-26T23:46:00.000-08:00

Kate and Ashlie enjoyed getting together with friends that were home for the holidays

Katelynne, Nichole, Jessica, Katie, Alexa and Jessica

All but one of these girls have been together since kindergarten

Amy and Ashlie have been best friends along with Erika (not pictured) since kindergarten

Gifts From North Carolina

2010-12-26T23:35:00.000-08:00

We're always a little nervous when Ashlie & Matt try to fly home. They are able to fly free, standby due to the blessings of my job............sounds great, truly it is...........but during Christmas it can be very difficult to find room on the already very full airplanes! They made it in one day and we were so grateful..............5 legs, zigzagging through the country and up for 22 hrs..........our two very tired kids made it home :)...........we were so glad to see them!

Cody & Katelynne anxiously await for their plane to land.

Sisters!!

The babies of the family............can u tell how close they are?

Always, when we pick any of the kids up from the East Coast we MUST go to IN & OUT...........no matter how TIRED they are!

Sooooo glad to have them home :)

Katelynne and Andrew Gingerbread House

2010-12-26T23:32:00.000-08:00

Kate and Andrew enjoy making Gingerbread houses every year.

They make it into a competition, dividing the house in half.

It gets a little competitive................

and Kate gets a little aggressive......

but it always looks great in the end.

Cody's Christmas Banquet

2010-12-26T23:14:00.000-08:00

Cody's High School Christmas Banquet on the Delta Queen on the Sacramento River

Cody and Elizabeth have been good friends since kindergarten

Making Cookies @ Nana's House

2010-12-26T22:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas vacation and Nana had 2 weeks off..............so of course we had to get together and make gingerbread cookies while moms got a chance to do some last minute Christmas shopping and wrapping............

Everyone gets a turn

Making Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Claire ate as much as she decorated.........mmmmmmmmmm!

Everyone has a favorite :)

Claire's was the one with the most candy!

Ready set go.........OFF with their heads!

Yummmmm!

Bringing the men to life!

Even Uncle Cody got in the action :)

Cody's Production of "Scrooge"

2010-12-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

The last time the FCS players performed Scrooge Ashlie was the Angel of Christmas past. This time Cody was the nephew of Scrooge. Once again it was a fun production to watch

Cody and some of his classmates

Cody and Katelynne

Scrooge and his nephew (Cody)

New York City With Hailey and Cody

2010-11-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

When I first got my job as a flight attendant with Southwest Airlines I told Hailey that when she studied the United States in 5th grade she could pick a state for us to go visit.............of course her choice was New York City. Sooooo a long time in waiting but we finally got to take our trip. At the last minute we decided to ask Cody to come with us. After his trip to Ireland this past summer we knew that he would be a good navigator for us........and he was!

It was so exciting to be able to share with Hailey on her first plane ride. We left for the airport @ 4:30 am..........when your flying standby you learn to be there early!

We had a layover in Las Vegas...........loved seeing her face as we walked through the airport.

We finally arrived in Long Island, New York @ 6:00 pm

Nana & Hailey after a long days travel

Almost tooo tired to eat :).......but since we love food, we ate at the restaurant at the hotel we were staying in.

Yum, we were starving..........the nachos were the best!

A little TV before going to bed

Finishing dinner and watching TV.........when you get this tire EVERYTHING is funny!

They still have conductors on trains :) How cool is that? Both mornings we took the Long Island Railroad into New York City. It took about an hour & fifteen minutes.........great experience!

OK where do we go from here Cody?

Nothing like a New York Bagel first thing in the morning

After maneuvering our way through the crowds of people @ Penn Station we finally found our way to daylight!

Our first experience had to be the Empire State Building................

and boy was it cold at the top!...................

but the view was breath taking!

Nana & Hailey moment :)

What a view.........wish it would have not been so cloudy :( ..............

but Hailey could still get a feel of how high we were ;0 ...............

and how much higher the building still was above us :)

Then to Macy's! What a awesome experience.................these escalators are all wooden .........sooo cool........if they could have only talked, one could only imagine the history!

The whole 9th floor of Macy's was nothing but CHRISTMAS!

Sooo festive :)

Leaving Penn Station this is how the steps looked.........this was after the morning rush and there weren't so many people. When we were there in the morning you couldn't even see the steps.

You could always find Hailey with the birds and animals

Nothing like a Hot Dog from the vendors in New York City! Absolutely fantastic!!

Autumn in the city...........

Lunch on a park bench @ Battery Park

New York City as were heading to the Statue of Liberty

Now it was time for a Ferry ride :)

Breathtaking..............

and sobering :)

The view from Liberty Island

You could always find Hailey taking pictures

and Cody too :)

and more pictures :)

Loved spending the time with my son too :)

Photographers will do anything for a good picture :)

The ferry we rode is in the background

Arriving @ Liberty Island

Another view of New York City

As you could tell, the sun finally ran most of the clouds away........turned out to be a beautiful day!

Amazing shot of the underside of the Statue of Liberty

Nana & Hailey

Once in a while we would recruit someone to take our picture :)

Ground Zero

The Memeorial Wall @ the Brooklyn Fire Dept.

Very sobering

Day 2.........waiting for our train to go back into the city

Uncle Cody was always a Big help!

Time to catch what was called the Path to take us to New Jersey so we could find "The Cake Boss"

We found it!

Notice the sign on the corner............."Carlos Bakery"

Waiting in line in the freezing cold for @ least a hour!

Hoping it would be worth it!

Almost our turn to go inside :)

You got a number when you went in, that would allow you to purchase something

Sooooo many cool choices..............but no prices :$

Yummmm

We picked the one in the right bottom corner to take all the way back to California..........we soon called it our "million dollar cake"

Here's our number...........when we first got in the were on # 14............so yes, we had to wait a hour inside of the bakery!

But finally we made our purchase............

found a park bench around the corner.................

and savored the moment!

It WAS worth it :0)

Our shopping in Time Square............Hailey found the Sweatshirt she'd been looking for :)

Cody was always taking someones picture for them :)............

then we would ask them to take a picture of us :)

R & R in Times Square

Hailey wanted to visit the Hard Rock Cafe

The city was coming to life as the sun was going down

The Empire State Building turns red @ night

Finally we had to have some authentic Pizza from the true Italians before ending our trip............and it was soooo good :0

We had the time of our life.............yes, Hailey got to experience true Jet-Lag...........but she still didn't sleep on the plane ride home the next day...............she loved watching out the window and I loved watching her...............

Hailey, thanks for the memories that I will always cherish, and Cody, thanks for being such a fantastic tour guide and protector :)

Be Sure To Check Older Posts!

2010-08-15T20:07:00.001-07:00

Be sure to scroll down thru the older posts............I actually have 6 seprate entrys.........sorry, we took tons of pictures and this is how we journal everything! Hope you enjoy!

Cabin Memories

2010-08-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here we go............tons, & tons of pictures..........all full of so many special memories! What a very special time! Matt Warta had a job change just 2 weeks prior to our cabin vacation and was not able to make the adjustments to come to California with Jaime, Mya and Emily. The time was soooo bittersweet! We all loved seeing each other and catching up, but there was always an empty spot..........Matt we missed you so much. Several times throughout the stay, there was a void........ wishing he was there with us! The laughter just wasn't the same...........

Matt ALL missed you!!

Rub-a-dub-dub............4 girls in a tub :)

3 boys in a tub?.............not quite, Keagan opted out of that one!

Meal times were always fun..........

Kiddo's in bed upstairs.........time for games on the lowest level.........
hoping laughter will NOT wake them!

Lots of R&R

Always a story just before bed

P.J.'s and laughter............

Day and NIGHT........the swings were always being used :)

Papa is a great BBQ er!!

Prayer before a meal

Kelden found Uncle Cody's locks to be irresistible............I think Brian loved picking on his younger brother even more

Sometimes it's easier to carry 2 @ a time..........Uncle Tim filled in the gap for little Emily while her daddy was gone.

Lots of fishing!

Don't' you just love those beautiful wood floors!!

Hard to believe the water was still so high for August............not much of a shore line!

Kelden, are u feeling like the middle of a sandwich?

Mya helping Papa with the corn

Joe and Zeke ready to row

Claire sun bathing

Cousins are the best!

Hugs!

Ye Ha! Zeke's favorite!

Always a line wait for one of many swings.............never a dull moment for the adults, especially the dads!

Uncle Joe & Keagan skimming rocks

Sisters

Auntie Kate

Tim & Landon, going for some father/son time..........

Cousins will always make you laugh!

It's nice having older cousins.............great job Hailey!

Couples

Priceless memories............I have a picture just like this one except it was one of our first years at the cabin............Kate was sitting where Emily is and about the same age as Emily..........Ashlie was in her same spot..................just a tad bit younger!!

Sarah, your son's beating you!

Yee Ha! Only a father can throw a son this high!! You did a great job getting this picture of Joe & Zeke, Cody...........we have so many talented photographers in our family.............someone always has a camera.

Ahhhhh.............so peaceful!

Breakfast..........is it cool enough yet?

Some families like Disneyland.................ours thinks THE CABIN is the BEST!!!

Home away from Home!!

Warta Spatula Award Bake-Off

2010-08-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

This year for our annual family "Warta Spatula Award" we decided to have a Pizza Bake-Off! All Pizza's were made on the same night.............

All day long couples were sneaking around starting on what they thought would be THEIR award winning Pizza!

I like the way Cody chose to do the one made by Dad, Cody and myself..............walk through the grocery store...........throw in the basket anything that looks and sounds good!! Our Pizza was AMAZING!!

Caught by the camera!!

Is that BBQ sauce Jaime?

In the living room Andrew & Kate? Oh please.!!.........

Now the bedroom?...............I guess if your putting marshmallows on a PIZZA?........you would have to hide in the bedroom!!

Are we really making Pizza?

Ahhh..........it must be BBQ chicken going on the top!

Wa la! Sarah & Joe's Taco Pizza on the left..............
Matt & Ashlie's Chipotle Chicken on the right.

Cody, Mom & Dad's Southwest (Southwest.......get it :) Artichoke Pizza .............spare pizza on the right................

OK, I just realized that the "Dessert Pizza" pictures and Jaime's pizza pictures didn't get downloaded...............sorry guys, don't take it personal, but you know how difficult it would be to add them to this blog site this late in the game????? So if you really want to see them go to wartasacrossamerica.blogspot.com ..............Jaime posted great pictures!!

REALLY, IT WAS A MISTAKE!!

The Vote............all ages above 3 yrs voted................

Then their was the re-vote...........a tie by one vote!!!

The Winners!! Taco Pizza by Sarah & Joe..............
Winners receive a $50 Gift Card for dinner and their name on our family plaque..........oops we forgot to bring the plaque.........it will be shipped to Joe & Sarah with their name and date added to it and they MUST display it in their home until next year!!

At The Top Of The World

2010-08-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

What has become our annual hike to Bald Mountain...........this hike is well worth it when you get to the top..........but getting to the top is NOT easy............it takes about 1 1/2 hrs to get to there.

The group that was up to the challenge.........Jaime was taking the picture.

Away we go...........

Straight up!

Time to check out one of the 2 Geo Cashes along the way...........

off again................

Ahhhh, rest!

Our supply of water bottles are on her back!

Father/Son............and a breathtaking view!

Beautiful view, up high,..............but NOT there yet!

Yes, the Geo Cash at the top!! They found it again!

Cody found his OHana Hotel key that he left in the cash box last year, along with the journal everyone adds notes to!

Papa & Grandson

This is what the official Geo Cash Box looks like

Ahhh!

Dad & kids............Hailey, Brian & Keagan

Invading some one's fort

Couples

Rest for the weary............

The official picture!

Family Pictures at the Meadow

2010-08-15T05:20:00.000-07:00

Jaime has become quite the photographer............she hopes to start a business soon and by the looks of these pictures you can tell she isn't going to have any trouble keeping busy! Thanks Jaime for taking the time to photograph this Monster of a group!!

Jaime & Emily

Trying to get organized.............half the battle

ummmmmmmm, where do I stand? You have a Fireman, Pastor, Power Plant Operator, soon to be Dr., 2 college students, moms, nana & papa...........and not ONE person can figure this out!!

Ok, I'll just carry her.........does this work?

ahhhh!

Careful...........no spills allowed..........papa's hankie always comes in handy!

..................distractions

moments.............

yes, moments...........

do I really have to put my arm on her?

sweetness.........

Yes, family pictures get difficult when there is more than a few...........

Keagan, Keldon loved your hair!!

Are there butterflies?

Waiting..................is it time yet?

Yes, it was worth it! Great picture Matt & Ashlie

Andrew & Kate

Uncle Cody

Andrew & Kate

Jaime, Mya & Emily.................missing their husband and daddy!

Zeke with his mommy and daddy

Sisters...........my sweet daughters!

Wow, how did we grow to a family of 23?

Mom, Dad and the two babies still at home....................

The Gang............minus Matt...........bittersweet!

The adult kidds, minus Matt

Our kids ........minus Matt

Brothers..............my boys, ............minus Matt

Oh, how we missed you Matt!

Papa, Nana and all of the Grandest Babies!!

Brian, Angela, Hailey, Keagan, Bethan & Kelden

Brian & Angela

Joe & Sarah

Tim, Casey, Landon & Claire

Casey & Tim

Thanks everyone............I'll cherish these pictures for a long long time!! They will be flying with me all over the country...........you have no idea how many people will be seeing them :)

Cabin Goodbye's

2010-08-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

Always, always a sad day...........time to get up and start packing.................

The women start in the kitchen................

The cabin brings out the retro in us all :) A sight from the 50's

I walked in and found these sisters singing the Cinderella song.................I think they thought they were being treated like the step sisters...............does that make me the mean old "stepmother"?

Farewells.............heading to the top where they left their car...............soooo sad!

Thank you...................All!
As the adults were busy cleaning and packing...........we could hear the cousins outside playing............they were having so much fun ................

so this Nana snuck out with her camera :)

Zeke was busy adding feathers to the bird they made.............they said it was "A Wounded Bird!

Pretty original!! Great imaginations!! It was feathers in a Styrofoam cup!

Hiding from the dinosaurs...............the sound that triggered that thought......... was someone moving a chair on the deck...........made a growling sound!

This one puzzled me............they walked around holding onto a rope.............hmmmmmm what parent taught them that..........is that from grocery shopping?

If we lose one we lose them all!

The fort..........or TeePee!

One last swing!

Bethany is holding what they said was a baby Lion! They were taking care of it

Nana what are you doing there?

Finding this old pan is what started the whole make-believe playing............what a discovery!

These two had so much fun together...............

Kissing Cousins!

As always, the most fun these kiddo's had was the last day.........the last few hours..............so glad they have the memories of each other until we get together again!

Once again................THANK YOU McCLENDONS!

A 36 Hour Journey Home

2010-08-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

When I arrived in North Carolina to pick-up Matt & Ashlie they took me out to one of their favorite places to eat.

A very excited couple..........finished with finals, and ready to go home for a visit!

This little diner was adorable.............we were actually waiting on Matt to bring the car to us.........it was 90 degrees and pouring rain :(

Next stop............dessert! A new little shop they saw on TV and wanted to try! It was so cool.........we had Gapedo ice cream, absolutely delicious!

This shop reminded me of the "Cake Boss" show that Cody and I like to watch on TV

Everything on this cake is edible

They had cakes in display cases all around the store.

Our little Dessert Shop

Early in Raleigh/Durham.........still smiles!

Our 2 1/2 hour delay in Nashville..........

Ahhh, checking morning flights before our 2 1/2 nap and quick shower..........yes, we did have to 2 king size beds in the $500 a night hotel :)

The small things in life..........Ashlie was so excited when I called the front desk and had them bring a razor and toothpaste!

Yes, day 2 and still wearing the same clothes..............

This was the last and most DIFFICULT journey of them all. I knew it would be difficult getting Ashlie & Matt home from Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina but I really didn't think that we would spend almost 2 days running from gate to gate trying to catch a flight!! I decided @ 9:00 pm on Wednesday that I needed to leave on the 6:00 am flight the next morning to North Carolina to help get Matt & Ashlie home. As a Southwest Flight Attendant, if I fly with the person on the buddy pass it bumps them to the top of stand-by status..........so off I went to bring my last kiddo's home!

We were at the airport in Raleigh @ 6:00 am........all smiles :), thinking it would be tight, but we would most likely get on the 1st or 2nd flight out.........WRONG!! Waiting, waiting and waiting........starting to panic.........just short of screaming.............Matt helping with Ashlie and the random tears :(...........wondering which airport we should fly into, just to get out of this one for the night ..........sorry to say, but I started praying for a small accident on the highway (no injury's, just a delay so some people would miss their flight)..........oops, that's exactly what happened :(............at the last minute we were told to run fast and board the plane that was about to leave..........this was approx 7:00 pm..............so, excited and thinking we had it made...........WRONG!.............2 hr. ground delay due to mechanical in Nashville, finally arrived in San Diego @ 12:30 am!! One of the flight attendants on our plane said that she wouldn't need the hotel room the company provided for her, so she gave it to us!! (just what every son-in-law wants to do..........spend the night in a hotel with his MOTHER-IN-LAW :) the Captain made sure that the van driver allowed 2 non-employee's to ride the van...........we got 2 1/2 hours of sleep and a wonderful shower in a $500 a night hotel.............we were off again @ 6:00 am to catch our flight out of San Diego to Sacramento.............easy, WRONG!!.............once again, running from gate to gate, standing in line for hours..............one of the flights we were waiting for, we got bumped at the last minute.........Ashlie burst into tears, 1 of the 4 Captains and First Officers waiting to get a flight out actually went on the plane to make sure they couldn't fit us in............no luck, but all the guys were now rooting for the poor teary-eyed blonde girl (and her poor helpless husband) to get on the next flight out!!..........once again at the last minute a flight from San Diego to Oakland opened up and we ran like crazy!!...........sent a text to Loren to pick us up in Oakland!.............2hr. drive home, some more last minute things to throw into the car and the last family members were on there way to catch up with everyone else waiting at the cabin............yeah! Time for vacation!