April Showers DO bring May flowers!

May is starting out better. My Sister is recovering well physically but is still struggling with the mind and spirit. My father's surgery has been successful and he is recovering well. My Uncle has come home to recover and build up his strength and my family is still dealing with the sadness of the loss, pain and suffering of loved ones but have hope and faith of it easing each day.

I will be going to visit my Father soon and can hardly wait. Being so far away has been driving me crazy. I will be relieved to see him, my stepmother and two youngest sisters.

April--could have skipped it!

Nothing personal against April but I really could have skipped it this year. It was a month of crazy stress for me, of major ups and downs, and feeling like I barely breathed. The saying when it rains it pours, definitely sounds right in describing it. So, in that case, I hope the saying April showers bring May flowers will be true.


My father for the last 4 years has been battling an injury he had with his leg. He has now had so many surgeries I have lost count, it is somewhere at at least 6. He has had an infection in that same leg that comes and goes as it pleases, playing hide and seek within his bones. During this time he has also had problems with his liver and with every surgery it has depleted its capacity to function. He has needed a transplant for the last 2 years but because of the infection, he has not been eligible for one. He finally had to make a hard decision to either continue with several more surgeries to remove the infection, causing more damage to his liver, or amputate the leg for a better chance of getting rid of the infection all at once and a better chance to be placed on the transplant list. He decided to remove the leg.

In early April my youngest Sister, Gina was in a head on collision caused by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the freeway. By a miracle of God Gina survived but sadly her friend, the passenger had died. Gina is now recovering from several broken bones and a saddened spirit. Just when you think nothing more could happen, my uncle is in the hospital for three weeks and almost dies of pneumonia and another uncle does die after returning home from hernia surgery.

Needless to say, I have had a heightened sense of paranoia and worry of anything else happening and hope the dark cloud over my family disappears quickly and quietly and pray it won't affect anyone else.

Eureka!

Eureka here we come!

We have a friend that produces concerts here in town and he asked if we would like to run an errand for him. He needed someone to drive up to Eureka and pick up a Harley for Destiney on the Rock of Love reality show. Recently he brought the group Poison to town and Bret Michaels the lead singer will be returning solo next week. Bret Michaels has a reality show called Rock of Love on VH1, Destiny, one of the girls on the show, needed to have a bike she just inherited transported to LA. Our friend Dave has a produce transporting business and offered to help her out but needed it brought down from Eureka to Salinas. He asked Dennis if we would like to get out of town for the weekend, and we did. It's so beautiful up there, it was such a quick trip but we stopped at a few places along the way. Here are some pictures. Logan is the best traveler ever by the way!

My sweet and romantic Logan gave her a flower because she was sad about her Daddy.

Notice the moose "ears"

Easter at Roaring Camp

Every year we go to Roaring Camp, in the Santa Cruz mountains, for Easter, with family and friends. We have an egg hunt, eat and play and enjoy the day and each other.

Spring is here!

Spring is here!

Aaaachoo, sniffle, sniffle, cough.

For all the allergies that come with it we do love it and have been busy. Last week, I had so much fun. I spent Tues. morning with the kids in Logan's kinder class making easter bonnets. Then on Thurs. morning they had their Easter party. They went on a parade through the school with their beautiful bonnets on and had an Easter egg hunt. Afterwards they played games and won prizes. I'm so glad I could be there. Today we are just getting ready for our annual family picnic at Roaring Camp with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousins, a few friends will be coming with their kids also. Logan and I are making carrot cake cupcakes to take and of course coloring some eggs. We'll have an egg hunt there too and play some games. We wish you all a happy and wonderful Easter too!

Happy New Year!

Ok, a very belated happy new year. My apologies for going MIA. We have been busy, busy, busy with just plain old life. We had a very quiet but nice Christmas and New Years. Here are a few new pictures of some things we have done lately. Hope all is well with everyone and we send our love to all.

We took Logan bowling for the first time. I forgot how much fun it can be.

Logan set up this pose, always my little clown.

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On Martin Luther King Day, Logan and I had a Mommy and Son Day. I took him to Denny's for his favorite breakfast, Alien pancakes and headed to the Aquarium. I love our aquarium, it's the best! I guess it helps being right on the edge of a marine sactuary. The day started to be rainy but by the time we got to Monterey it was sooooo beautiful.

Look what I caught!

The wave room is always a favorite.

Being a barnicle is such fun, especially when you can reach out a grab your "food". (what a joy to scare people half to death)

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Logan just finished spirit week at school and had to dress up each day for a different theme.

This is the cutest nerd I have ever seen.

Crazy Day!Pick a decade: Mini Fonzie

It's Christmas Time!

Every year I think I'm going to slow down for this Christmas but it seems to just snowball ( no pun intended) with more and more activities, starting off on the first weekend of Dec. I finally got my tree up this weekend but haven't found the tub of ornaments yet, maybe this very last weekend before Christmas I finally will. Someday I will get organized, I say that every new year, as my resolution but I never stick with it. Logan is going haywire, I'll have to sign off for now.

Love to all,
Alicia