The "Graff" side of the extended family doesn't know each other very well so Jeannette thought it would be a good idea for everyone to be on Facebook. That way, the cousins could all read about what is going on in each other's lives. So, last night I joined the Facebook crowd. Now I have a blog site, an online journal, and Facebook. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I just can't keep up with it all. So then I got the brilliant idea of directing everyone to one site...this one.

So, 'hi' to all the nieces and nephews on Jim's side of the family. Mine too, if they happed to add me as a 'friend' on Facebook. I will try to keep things somewhat up-to-date on this site, but no promises. I am on a computer all day at work. I'm not so sure I want to spend any more time on it when I get home. But, for what it is worth today, we are all fine and happy.

Jim gave a big presentation in California today and he said it didn't go as well as he would have liked. I'm sure it went better than he thinks; he just didn't have a lot of problems to talk about because his new market is doing so well.

I am in the middle of planning our biggest tradeshow of the year which is coming up the day after Thanksgiving. I will be in Chicago the end of November - first of December. So, the Christmas tree is going up before Thanksgiving this year, even though I am opposed to people doing that normally.

And tomorrow is Halloween. I am in charge of the company party / luncheon / costume contest. It should be pretty fun. I'm going as a cross between Peg from Married With Children and Flow from the old Alice sitcom. (Basically a Bimbo with really bad taste in clothes!) I'll post a picture tomorrow IF I get around to posting anything tomorrow.

And... one more thing. Aaron and Kelly are coming to stay for the weekend! Hooray! I love it! I can't wait to see them.

I'm not sure what is happening to me lately but I want to be anywhere but at work. For some strange reason I feel like life is speeding up and I have a lot I want to get done before I "check out". Being at work all day is stopping me from "living life."

Now, realistically I know that isn't true. Work is a part of life, but lately it is just plain boring. Actually, as far as jobs go, I have a pretty good one. And, I have enjoyed it up until lately. Planning events and tradeshows, designing tradeshow booth graphics, putting on employee functions, meetings and parties is usually pretty fun, but...not lately!

I want to enjoy the beautiful Fall. I want to be outside before the cold and snow comes. I want to spend time with Jim. I want to visit all my children and play with my grandchildren. I want to redecorate my house. I want to finish scrapbooks and journals. I want to sew. I want to quilt. I want to read. I want to write a book. I want to take yoga. I want to workout. I want to have friends over for lunch. I want to clean out closets. I want to take naps. I do NOT want to go to work!

Life is short. Life is good. I want to LIVE!

It's been awhile....

I don't know that I am cut out for this blogging thing. It is only for my family to see, but still, I can't seem to keep up with it. I would like to because I think it is a good way to keep up on what is going on in everyone's lives, but still....I can't seem to keep up with it. It is just one more thing that weighs on my mind and makes me feel guilty. Guilty? Why guilty? Because everyone else on the planet seems to be able to blog and chat and surf and text and IM and, etc. etc. etc. I feel out of the loop. I feel like a looser because there are just not enough hours in the day for me to do all that I have to do, and be up on all that stuff too. Again...I can't seem to keep up with it. Do I need to say it one more time? I CAN'T SEEM TO KEEP UP WITH IT!!!!!
And that is my blog for today.

Sometimes Life is Just Plain Hard...

Sometimes life is just plain hard! Things you thought were going to be great turn out to be a hassle, or worse! Things you thought were going to bring you joy, bring disappointment and heartache. But, I do understand the purpose behind all of that. If life was good all the time, we would not recognize it as "good". It would just be "life." We wouldn't learn anything. Unfortunately, it is through the bad experiences in life that we learn to appreciate the good. It is through the trials in life that we come to appreciate the mundane, and the day to day. Normal is good!

On Father's Day when Kami announced to Steve and her Dad, (I already knew) that she was expecting number two, we were all excited and thought that good news would bring us even more joy when he/she was born. After spending a few days with us in Utah, I drove Kami and Malia home. I hung out for a day and drove back the next morning after spending a couple of hours with Aaron and Kelly. Kami was all excited about her ultrasound the following week. While at the doctor's office with Steve and Malia, they were told there was no heart beat. I was so sad....and sad for Kami.
After waiting a week to deliver, with no luck, they finally did a D and C. Life is hard!!

Jim went with the Priests to Lake Powell. He always has a good time whenever he spends time with young adults! I reminded him he is not 35 anymore as he left the house that morning at 4:30 AM.

Sure enough while trying to "prove something" on a waterski, he biffed it and wiped out pretty hard. Hard enogh to send him to the ememgency room when he got home. I was still in Idaho or I would have been with him and made them do a more thorough exam. The simple version of the story is, he broke a couple of ribs and is badly bruised. The longer version is, it has been almost two weeks and he is still in terrible pain. He hasn't had a good nights sleep since then and he isn't quite sure what to do. However, they did do a CT scan while he was in the emergency room and it was discovered he has spots on his liver. Never a good thing.

That along with the fact that he is having terrible pain in his left arm at night, leads me to believe that his cholestrol medication is doing more harm than good! He was told to get it checked out by a specialist right away.

So, he has a doctor's appointment with Dr. Karnam Monday afternoon. This time I will be there to get all the details that Jim allows them to miss because he does not ask a lot of questions. I pray it is nothing terribly serious; maybe his liver was bruised in the waterskiing wipeout!?! But, nevertheless...life is hard!

But, life is good too. We are all going to Hawaii together at the end of this month and I am looking forward to a wonderful time! I love my kids and my grandbabies so much. That is the good part of life; love and relationships! In that department I am truly blessed!

Going Back Again....

Fourteen years ago we left Oceanside California and it broke Jim's heart. He loved it there. He loved surfing the harbor, one of his very favorite places on earth. He has returned several times since then, but only for short visits. Then his company transferred him to Southern California again.

We made the decision not to sell our house in Alpine and move. With all the foreclosures around, we knew we would take a huge loss, but we needed to do something, so Jim decided to commute, three days a week.

We knew we needed some place for him to stay while he was there. Orange County is way too expensive. Hmmmmm, Northern San Diego County might work. Well what do you know! That is where Oceanside is!

So after a lot of searching we took advantage of the foreclosure market (we recognize it is at someone elses loss) and bought a small condo in Oceanside. We spent all last week getting it ready to move in. Note: People who are forced to leave a house do not leave it very clean!

After a few disasters like the washing machine flooding over, the gas line leaking, a plugged toilet and sink, it was finally OK. I say OK because there is still a lot to do.

I wish we could have furnished it with brand new furniture but most of it came from our house; stuff we really don't like anymore. But, someday I hope we will be able to fix it the way we would like. In the meantime, take a look at Jim's new digs...

Father's Day Gift

It's Father's Day. It started with breakfast in bed for the wonderful father of my children. A heart healthy breakfast of oatmeal with brown sugar and pecans, raspberries and blueberries, and an English muffin with strawberry jam,(No butter!)and orange juice.

I did good when I chose him to be the father of my children. I'm sure they appreciate it because they all love him so much.

We took a walk around the pond, which was very peaceful then got ready and went to church. It has been a very nice Sunday.

It was also a very special father's day as Kami revealed in her card to her dad, that she was going to make him a grandpa again! He (and I) couldn't be happier! We are so excited. And, today was also the day she told Steve he was going to be a Daddy again. Little Malia gave him the news when she posed for pictures holding signs that said, "Surprise! and I'm going to be a big sister!" The pictures were included in his and grandpa's cards. So cute!

Life doesn't get any better than having a husband you love, children who make you proud and being a grandparent! I am so blessed.

Dancing, Birthday, Haircut, and more Dancing!!

I just returned from a work related trip to Seattle last week, took two days to catch up, do laundry and check in at the office before I headed off to Idaho! It has been too long since I have seen my grandbaby, Malia and this was the perfect weekend to visit. You see, it was Kami's dance studio recital, which means it was Malia's dance recital, and grandma Nena couldn't miss that now, could she. Malia was fabulous and as far as I'm concerned, she stole the show. She was adorable in her red, white, and blue sailor outfit, complete with sailor hat, dancing to "On the Good Ship Lollipop." I helped backstage with all the little dancers and again, it was another rousing success for 'Tip Tap Toes Dance.'

The next day, May 22nd, was Kami's 22nd birthday. We all went to lunch with Aunt Nene (Angie) and I got to babysit that evening while Steve took Kami to the Melting Pot for dinner, then to Circ de Sole. (Is that how you spell it?) They had an awesome time and I am so glad.

Yesterday Kami and I spent seven, yes seven, hours at Angie's salon while she colored, and another gal, Jackie, cut my hair. I have not had my hair this short in a very long time, but it feels good to get a good haircut. I hope Jim likes it, but since he doesn't like me with short hair, I doubt he will.

Tonight, Malia and I met Angie and Brent at the Boise Burn game so we could see Kami dance with the 'Hotshots'. Of course she was fabulous, and without being prejudiced, she is by far, the best dancer on the team. We had a wonderful time watching the game and the dancers while Malia polished off a whole bag of popcorn, a pack of fruit snacks, a bunch of grapes and a sippy cup of milk. On the way home, grandma couldn't resist driving through Dairy Queen to get a Turtle Cluster Blizzard for herself and an icecream cone for Malia. (Who then required a bath when we got home!)

Tomorrow morning I drive back to Utah. I am excited to see Jim because I have seen so little of him the last few weeks, and to spend a quiet Memorial Day with him on Monday. We plan to visit my parents graves early in the morning, then go out to breakfast, so we can talk and catch up.

Life is good, I can't complain, but I am excited to get back into a routine again and get going to the gym, too. But, that is another story for another day.