tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72956170396503949962024-03-12T18:58:47.906-04:00BerginManiaBerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-8749442399855234082011-10-25T13:00:00.000-04:002011-10-25T13:00:56.311-04:00Happy Birthday Leah!Just recording the moment. I love Leah. She's so perfect in her personality. What I mean by this is that she just operates day-to-day true to herself. I love that about her. She is six years old today. My how time flies! I remember when this little thing was brand new to the world. <br />
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Leah LOVES all things relating to fashion. She is a diva in the true sense of the word. She'll need a job before she's 10 to pay for all the clothes she's going to want. And don't get me started on the shoes. <br />
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I love that Leah loves to wear dresses and skirts. <br />
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Leah sings all the time. It's quite cute.<br />
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Leah is determined to keep up with her older brothers and sisters. She does quite a good job of it too.<br />
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Leah's learning to read and do math. <br />
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Leah's excited to have her own room (sharing with Lili) in the new house. She picked lavender for the wall color.<br />
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Leah is a very social child. She can't hardly wait for her party on Saturday. <br />
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Leah is thoughtful and considerate of others. She's wonderful with her little sister. <br />
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I'm so grateful for Leah. I'm grateful for her patience with me and how she makes our family perfect. I'm so grateful saw fit to send her to us.<br />
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Happy Birthday Leah!BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-82952803684530215912011-09-08T23:34:00.002-04:002011-09-08T23:34:33.610-04:00Dinner CalendarI'm kinda under construction right now. I'm trying to figure out a way to imbed a calendar into my blog to record what I made for dinner. I'm not a very good menu planner, so I thought I'd do it backwards. You can click on the menu item for a full description or name. Other than it being extremely rudimentary, tell me what you think about it.BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-9794741780368579042011-08-30T23:05:00.000-04:002011-08-30T23:05:07.314-04:00Last WeekBecause I'm not going to write this in my journal because I'm lazy, I'll record it here.<br />
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Last week was a doozy!<br />
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Tuesday - Earthquake--epicenter about 20 miles from my parents in Virginia. We felt it up here in NJ. Crazy!<br />
Wednesday - explained "where babies come from" to Lucy. She thought I was kidding. :) So funny.<br />
Thursday - worked at the new house for hours, pulled staples in the girls' new room for hours. First I heard that Hurricane Irene was going to threaten our area. Emergency Stake Welfare Meeting that night to discuss needs for member who would have to evacuate the coastal area. Stressful!<br />
Friday--Prep prep prep for the impending hurricane. Stressful!<br />
Saturday - more prep for the hurricane. The rain started around 11am. We were about as prepared as we could be. Some holes in the preps but mostly it was pretty buttoned up. <br />
Sunday - no church, hurricane moves up the coast and leaves us with a lot of wind but a beautiful sunny day.<br />
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No wonder I'm so tired. Glad it's over. Glad we all survived. God is good.BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-52632316922082522392011-05-31T14:01:00.000-04:002011-05-31T14:01:23.347-04:00Lessons I'm Pondering and Learning Part III wrote the first part of my "lessons" about a week ago and have just been kind of sitting on them and pondering.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>I had a little smidge of a breakthrough in my quest to understand God's dealings with me/us. </div><div><br />
</div><div>As I was praying/pondering last night, I was reminded of Jesus's words from the cross when he said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)<br />
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I think this is some sort of clue. Jesus was specifically talking about the Roman soldiers that were performing the crucifixion. They were not Jewish or Christian; they actually worshipped the Roman gods we learn about in school. <br />
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I think Jesus was actually speaking about us all. I have a wonderful teenage daughter who is on the cusp of graduating high school. She's been offered a couple of options for a job (she's chosen not to pursue a formal education) and is having difficulty deciding on what to do. It's so interesting to be in my shoes and actually see clearly the path she should take that would be the easiest for her in the long term. She's flirting with the easy road but will most likely choose the road that will ultimately be harder. Alas, that is her choice and consequence, whether good or bad.<br />
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But, I'm brought back to Christ's plea to the father to forgive, because they don't know what they're doing. It's the "they don't know what they're doing" part that is causing me to linger and ponder. My daughter doesn't know what she's doing. She's doing her best, seeking out counsel and trying to figure it out logically. I have no doubt she'll work hard at whatever choice she makes.<br />
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I think the same goes for me. I often disappoint or anger another. MOST of the time I do it out of shear ignorance or with great intentions. I do admit I sometimes do things on purpose. :) But, really, I'm often shocked to hear how a person perceived my actions or intentions. I didn't know what I was doing. :) I thought I was doing the best I could. But, this causes disappointment and anger in others. Some are quick to forgive, others-not so much. <br />
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I need to adjust my perceptions and remember the words of Jesus when someone offends me. Regardless of their intentions. MOST of the time they'll think they were doing the best they could. Sometimes it'll be intentional. Either way--"they know not what they do." <br />
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I could ramble a bit more, but I think I'll stop for a moment. </div>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-27750199231487022152011-05-31T08:17:00.000-04:002011-05-31T08:17:09.932-04:00Lessons I'm Pondering and LearningI'm going through a growth spurt. I've been learning all sorts of lessons about myself and how God interacts with me....us, really.<br />
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I don't know a lot yet. I'm still in a pondering phase. What have I been pondering? Godly emotions. Huh?<br />
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Recently I found myself VERY disappointed in a situation. That sent me to ponder. How does Heavenly Father deal with His disappointment in me (us)? Then I thought, does God get disappointed in us? Because that doesn't seem to be a very godly reaction. Disappointment seems to be a selfish reaction. As I wrote in my journal about my experience I realized that I was interjecting my "contribution" to the scenario, looking for appreciation and acknowledgement of a job well-done. I got none of that. But, I was never asking for it or outwardly looking for it. But, I learned that deep inside my sweet little spirit was the selfish desire to see the good fruit of my works. Yep. We call that pride.<br />
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So, once I figured that out....I was ok with the "awakening" if you will. I immediately set out to repent. Not a bad thing.<br />
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The harder part was the acknowledgement to myself that I had wasted some time not taking better care of myself and accomplishing my own goals. I'm NOT by any means saying that I regret a single minute of my efforts, I had just gotten side-tracked and lost myself.<br />
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I've never been one to take good care of myself. That's too selfish. That's the bad habit I'm trying to change. I've been raising up a brand new baby for the last year so that definitely took up a lot of my time as well. But, I find myself resorting to the same behaviors that kinda got me stuck in a rut. ie....turning to the heavenly chocolate chip cookie vs. my Heavenly Father. <br />
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My pondering continues on how to react or not react to disappointment or anger like my Father in Heaven. I'm sure that His all-encompassing love and omniscience helps a lot. A true understatement.<br />
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To be continued....BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-11760119306750996542011-05-05T23:52:00.000-04:002011-05-05T23:52:25.519-04:00It's Official!Liliana's been walking around the house for a while now, but mostly holding onto furniture with timid steps in between.<br />
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I'm going to declare Cinco De Mayo 2001 as Lili's official walking day. That's about all she did all day. Just walk around. <br />
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I can't believe my baby is a year old now. Last year this time I had just gotten home from the hospital with this little sweetie pie. I love her! Couldn't imagine my life without the joy this child has brought into my life. I'm sure glad God knows better than I do. What a relief. :)BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-63374631544227419122011-05-02T14:00:00.000-04:002011-05-02T14:00:51.090-04:00Leah and Bad WordsJust a quick note about little Leah. She makes me laugh. She's obviously becoming more aware of her surroundings because she can pick out a bad word when there isn't one. It's cute but can be a little frustrating.<br />
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Sam was out working on our new shed last weekend when Leah came racing in the house. She asked me with all seriousness if "damage" was a bad word. So cute. She heart "dam" and assumed the entire word must be bad.<br />
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That'll be a sweet memory for me. Especially when she tries to use a few of those words in her years to come. :)BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-1332305383763952552011-01-25T10:15:00.000-05:002011-01-25T10:15:20.586-05:00Family NightOur family night last night was so fun. Over dinner we found out that Jessie had a midterm test in religion this week. She said the test covered everything from the Old Testament through Paul. I was asking her some questions and was convinced that she needed some extra practice. I pulled some Bible trivia questions off the internet and we had a boys vs. girls competition. In the end, the girls one by one point. That's a good thing.<br />
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I thought I'd post some of the more creative answers of the night. <br />
<br />
Whose birthday is at Christmas time?<br />
Robbie's answer: "Who is Jesus?" (We're not on Jeopardy)<br />
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What holiday remembers Jesus' crucifixion?<br />
Jessie's answer: "Black Friday" Hmmmm.....?<br />
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Name three of the plagues God sent to the Egyptian people to convince the Pharoah to let the Hebrew slaves go.<br />
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Jessie's answer: "Black Plague"<br />
Sam's answer: "Fiery Darts"<br />
Jen's answer: "Meteors"<br />
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What means of execution did the Romans use to kill Jesus?<br />
Robbie's answer: "Crown of Shame"<br />
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Notice that all of the answers came from the father and the three oldest children. Needless to say, we laughed an awful lot. It was some good family time that now has some funny memories attached. Perfect!<br />
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I love my family!BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-52988896843571583602011-01-23T20:09:00.000-05:002011-01-23T20:09:24.473-05:00The Day Will Bring Some Lovely Thing<div class="storycontent" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(32, 80, 160); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 5px;"><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;">I love this poem. The kids and I have memorized the first stanza. We're working on the rest of it. For two weeks now, I have been writing in my journal about the lovely things of my day. Something that caught me "unaware". Sometimes I only have one thing to write, sometimes two or three.</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;">For instance: finding Lili standing up in her crib talking to herself after a nap, myriads of birds in the backyard after a snowstorm, tossing out peanuts to the bluejays and watching them dive to get them and fly them back to a high branch to eat, giggling with a lady at the craft store because we were both singing a BeeGee's song playing over the speakers. </div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;">Just cute and fun things like that. Sometimes my lovely thing is a little more poignant, like: receiving an answer to my prayers or hearing Joey read and retain.</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;">I encourage you to try and do the same. It's kind of a twist on things you're grateful for, I think that's an important one too, but I'm liking the review of my day to remember "some lovely thing."</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Day Will Bring Some Lovely Thing</b> ~<br />
by Grace Noll Crowell</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;">The day will bring some lovely thing,<br />
I say it over each new dawn,<br />
Some gay, adventurous thing to hold<br />
Against my heart when it is gone,<br />
And so I rise and go to meet<br />
The day with wings upon my feet.</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;">I come upon it unaware,<br />
Some sudden beauty without name,<br />
A snatch of song, a breath of pine,<br />
A poem lit with golden flame-<br />
High tangled bird notes keenly thinned<br />
Like flying color on the wind.</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;">No day has ever failed me, quite<br />
Before the grayest day is done,<br />
I come upon some misty bloom,<br />
Or a late line of crimson sun.<br />
Each night I pause, remembering,<br />
Some gay, adventurous, lovely thing.</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 100%/175% 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div><br />
</div></div>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-22743739659633625132011-01-17T15:31:00.000-05:002011-01-17T15:31:52.946-05:00More on LilianaI'm counting today as her official sit-up-from-lying-on-her-stomach day. January 17, 2011 She's 8 1/2 months old.<br />
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I may count today has her official crawling day as well. She goes about 3-4 little crawls at a time. <br />
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Today is also her official pull-herself-up-on-the-furniture day. Just to the standing point. She can't actually crawl up onto the furniture. <br />
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She's just growing by leaps and bounds. I'm sorry to see my little baby changing to rapidly. I'm happy for her but sad for me. What a selfish mom I am.BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-64047303652558607512010-12-25T17:59:00.002-05:002010-12-26T23:50:38.969-05:00Christmas with George WashingtonAfter we unwrapped our gifts and ate a little breakfast, we got dressed and rode up to Washington's Crossing, PA to watch the re-enactment of George Washington's heroic crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Day in 1776.<br />
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Unlike the original crossing, we were dressed in warm clothing, there wasn't a nor-easter blowing through with wind, snow and sleet and it was about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. For some reason, however, my mind was caught up in the fact that these men were so poorly dressed that many didn't have shoes, but wrapped their feet in cloth if they could. They stood on the bank of the Delaware in the horrid storm, waiting for there turn to climb in a boat to be rowed across with chunks of ice crashing all around them. All this was done in the dead of night, in fact, the last man wasn't over until about 4 o'clock in the morning the day after Christmas. I cried as I watched the first boat launch and battle the current of the Delaware. <br />
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The good news is that not one American man was killed in the Battle at Trenton that morning after they marched another nine miles. A few were injured but none died. That is just amazing to me. These poor men. What they did to allow me to eventually live in such a great country. To wake up with my children on this lovely Christmas morning and celebrate the birth of our Savior. I will never be able to adequately express my gratitude and devotion to these men. Never. They are my heroes.<br />
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I am fascinated by this moment in history. Maybe because it's so easy for me to visualize. Maybe because we've been studying so much about the Revolution that it's finally registering with me. I don't know why. I'm just grateful.BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-40106485419309166062010-11-11T14:13:00.006-05:002010-11-11T15:50:24.338-05:00Spur of the MomentYesterday I decided to take the kids into Philly to experience the downtown area rich with history. I have a true desire to instill within my children a sense of patriotism. We've been studying the Revolutionary War period of American History for the last year or so. It's been exciting to me to feel like going on field trips again. During the pregnancy last year, I'll I did was mope around the house and feel miserable. I didn't know if I would ever return to being motivated to go anywhere ever again. Ahhhh....live has returned to normal. And I got a sweet little baby to going with the deal.<div><br /></div><div>Ok...so yesterday we went into Philly. I didn't know that there was a Junior Ranger program associated with Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. It's a free program run through the Parks Dept. Just go to the desk in the building across from the Liberty Bell. They'll give you the booklet on the program and send you on your way. Once the activities in the booklet are completed, go back to the Ranger desk, they'll check the booklet and then swear in the children to be a Junior Ranger. The kids all get a badge and everyone is happy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our Ranger guide through Independence Hall was awful. He was a quirky little man and did not have a voice that carried very well. He knew a lot of information but the spirit of the history did not particularly manifest itself through him. He seemed more interested in the trivial bits than the stories behind the bits. What I did like was that the kids seemed interested as they worked on the questions in their junior ranger booklets. Even Joey was asking the Ranger guide questions on his own. I was proud of him.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think that they were genuinely interested in the set up of the room in Independence Hall. They saw the "Rising Sun" chair in which George Washington and other leaders sat. It was fun to remind them of scenes from the movie "National Treasure" where they used these great buildings to solve the mysteries. </div><div><br /></div><div>At the Liberty Bell, they learned who Pass and Stow were. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was a lovely day, weather-wise. I'm glad we went. I enjoyed it myself. I had gone once before when Sam and I were first engaged. Then a second time with my parents, but Lucy was just newly potty-trained and had to go to the bathroom. There are no public restrooms on the Square so I missed the tour with my family. So, this was my first time back in 14 years. Hmmm...we need to go more often. </div><div><br /></div><div>My favorite part this time: the ink well that was used when signing the famous documents. Somehow I could feel the spirit of the history by looking at that ink well and imagining who used it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Whenever I visit these places, I have such a desire to read and learn more. I just need a few extra hours in the day to do all that I want. :)</div>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-48447657474626462352010-11-11T14:11:00.004-05:002010-11-11T14:13:34.822-05:00New BlogI started a new blog. It's a work in progress. I'm doing an experiment on gratitude. <div><br /></div><div>You can check it out at <a href="http://gratitudeproject.blogspot.com">gratitudeproject.blogspot.com</a></div><div><br /></div>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-83972126136823390702010-11-07T21:37:00.001-05:002010-11-07T21:38:38.148-05:00Another MilestoneNovember 5th was Lili's official "sit up" day. She really seems to have the sit up under control. Still needs a little work, but practice makes perfect.BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-79686149012999116132010-11-04T11:00:00.001-04:002010-11-04T11:02:13.938-04:00Two Things1. Liliana officially rolled over from front to back today. 11/4/10 I went in to get her from her crib and found her on her back. She seemed a little stunned that she was laying on her back. Kinda funny.<div><br /></div><div>2. This is for me to know where to find it when I need it.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; ">Holiday Mail For Heroes is back for a fourth year! The American Red Cross will collect holiday cards from regular citizens all across the country and distribute them to service members, veterans, and their families. Many active service members must spend the holidays apart from their family. Give back this holiday season by sending a card to thank those who have given a great deal to their country.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; "><br />Send cards to the address below, <br /><br />Holiday Mail for Heroes<br />PO Box 5456<br />Capitol Heights, MD<br />20791-5456<br /><br />All cards must be postmarked no later than Friday, December 10th. Cards postmarked after this date will unfortunately be returned to the sender. This deadline ensures enough time to sort and distribute cards before the holidays.</span>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-9744139010830430912010-10-04T17:08:00.001-04:002010-10-04T17:09:42.869-04:00Lili RolledJust a quick note to myself to remember that Liliana rolled over from back to front on October 2, 2010.BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-16642320943720499352010-09-28T19:42:00.004-04:002010-09-28T20:55:25.052-04:00An Experiment with Dinner<div>I get my best ideas in the shower. HA!<div><br /></div><div>Today I had the idea to give the kids a set amount of money each and they have to put together dinner. Everyone got $2, except Robbie who got $3 because he had the main course. So for just about $10. This was our dinner.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtX35l3Y7z6hpBRzaIXTwq2o6sWJCJfzhNFa30Zj0UxAUqucFnZv2C8qO4cLutG-iXS5IIFv8P2W8KCgaQb9BLJVtn5P-xxSrAKujrZgDXvHVoCCQb4IRp53fH-6TXGu8dTzF90X6DBA/s1600/IMG_6959.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtX35l3Y7z6hpBRzaIXTwq2o6sWJCJfzhNFa30Zj0UxAUqucFnZv2C8qO4cLutG-iXS5IIFv8P2W8KCgaQb9BLJVtn5P-xxSrAKujrZgDXvHVoCCQb4IRp53fH-6TXGu8dTzF90X6DBA/s320/IMG_6959.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522115181075702754" /></a><br />Robbie--main course--made chicken noodle soup. He used way too many noodles so it turned into a type of chicken n dumplings (flat dumplings). He did have to pay extra for a jar of my home canned chicken. He went over his allotment by $1.50. It was a tasty little dish. Not bad at all.<div><br /></div><div>Lucy--salad--Macaroni Salad. Hmmmm....I tried to talk her into a green garden salad, but she said that was boring. Well. We definitely had enough pasta in this meal to make an Italian proud. It was ok. She didn't really have the spices very good, but it was her first time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joey--side dishes--can of creamed corn and orange jello. Well, we didn't get home in time to make the Jello. Scratch. The can of creamed corn was opened by Joey using the super complicated Pampered Chef can opener and poured into a saucepan. Robbie supervised the heating of the creamed corn. The creamed corn was served AFTER the soup and macaroni salad AND chocolate pudding.</div><div><br /></div><div>Leah--dessert--instant chocolate pudding. I actually thought this was a good choice for Leah. Two large boxes of Jello pudding were $2 exactly. There was a bit of a tiff when making the pudding. But, it all came together in the end.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's what I'll do differently next time we do this.</div><div><br /></div><div>#1--only one person will be in charge of the dinner</div><div>#2--I'll give a ceiling of $10 for the whole of dinner, including salad and dessert.</div><div>#3--I'll make sure to supervise the creation of the dinner and help time it so that it's not being eaten piecemeal.</div><div><br /></div><div>What did I learn? </div><div><br /></div><div> I'm awesome! Everyone woman/mother that I know that can put a full meal on the table for under $10 is awesome! It's truly not an easy job to do all of that, make it taste good and have everyone leave the table satisfied.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a great experience. I'm glad for the idea. It'll help with the training of the children as they grow up and start facing the fact that they have to provide food for themselves and eventually their children.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-63770026065819072892010-07-08T19:44:00.003-04:002010-07-08T19:51:57.229-04:00HormonesDang hormones! I'm 10 weeks postpartum and still the emotions flare up at inopportune moments. When really is an opportune moment for an emotional breakdown? <div><br /></div><div>So, to solve the problem, Sam will be stopping by the Bonefish restaurant to bring me home a macadamia nut brownie. I'll take it tonight. Actually, I can't remember a time when I refused it.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm eating out of depression tonight. Not like full blown depression, just some sadness. I had a rough weekend emotionally. I'll feel better. Nothing that a brownie and ice cream can't cure...at least temporarily...until I go to bed. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's kinda funny actually...really I'm postpartum AND pre-menapausal. No wonder I'm not right. </div><div><br /></div><div>The heat doesn't help much either. Sam put an AC unit in my bedroom window to help keep the house cool. I'll tell you what...the baby LOVES it in there. She slept 12.5 hours last night. I wrapped her up tight and even put a little hat on her head. She slept so soundly. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ok...that's all the rambling. Just thought I'd vent a minute. I'm alright. </div>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-16988161657783424962010-06-27T16:01:00.002-04:002010-06-27T16:31:41.787-04:00Sabbath Breaking...So, we broke the Sabbath in a big way today. At least in my opinion.<div><br /></div><div>First, just let me say, that I'm not a "perfect" Sabbath Keeper, but I do try to limit our Sabbaths to attending church and staying at home as a family. I'm sure there's much more we can do and improve on. I'm going to be thankful that we do what we do for now.</div><div><br /></div><div>Moving on....because of the last 9-10 months being either pregnant or having a baby with via c-section, I missed something very important. Lucy, Joey and Leah have been taking dance classes since last September. Right from the beginning I went to the calendar to see the dates/days of the final recital. EVERY time I looked at the June 2010 calendar, I saw that the dates fell on a Friday and Saturday for which I was very thankful. I did look at the calendar more than one time.</div><div><br /></div><div>About three weeks ago, the tickets for the recitals (4 different shows) went on sale and when I went to buy the tickets I noticed that one of the days was a Sunday. I was stunned. Beyond stunned really, I started crying because I was so upset. It was all my fault.</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess I tend to be a bit judgmental when it comes to keeping the Sabbath Day holy. I will probably offend any reading this, but it's my blog. It's my opinion that keeping the Sabbath holy is not that difficult. Let me say this...had I not been completely brain damaged this last year, I would've noticed the recital dates being on a Sunday. I would've immediately gone to the owners of the dance facility and told them of my concern. If they would have not been able to schedule my kids for the Saturday show, I would've calmly and respectively informed them that my kids would not be performing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Why didn't I do that this time? Am I a hypocrite...yeh, I'm sure I am. The main reason was because of Joey. He was the only boy in his dance class and they had choreographed the dance around him to some extent. I talked to the owner and the dance instructor to see if Joey could be missed and both agreed that he couldn't. So, we decided to let him dance. I don't know if I was right or not.</div><div><br /></div><div>My parents always kept the Sabbath holy. Maybe that's why it's easier for me. I guess, too, this is an area that I don't fear. I don't care if people get mad at me or my family for not attending something scheduled for a Sunday. Robbie had a couple of make-up ball games on Sunday last year. He didn't go. The kids don't attend parties scheduled for the Sabbath. I got invited to attend a baby shower on a Sunday here a few months ago. I really wanted to go. I knew that it wouldn't be a "bad" thing, but when I really weighed it out in my mind, I knew I couldn't go because I needed to be an example to my kids.</div><div><br /></div><div>We did go to the recital today. We went yesterday for Lucy as well. Even though the music and dancing were basically the same, I felt a distinct difference in today's show from yesterday. I was really uncomfortable. The music seemed more offensive as did the dancing. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we got in the car to drive to the singles' branch (the singles branch meeting in the Sewell building so we were able to attend church today), I told the kids that I wanted them to compare the difference in how they felt in the recital vs. church. Both Robbie and Lucy, when asked, were able to tell me that they felt the spirit at church. I was happy to hear that. </div><div><br /></div><div>My dad did something similar for me and my brother just before our missions. My dad and Robert flew up in dad's plane to NY where I was a nanny. On our way home, dad stopped in Atlantic City and took us into a casino. Why? He wanted us to remember how we felt there vs. how we felt when we went into the temple in a couple of days. I won't ever forget that experience. I'm grateful that my dad thought to have Robert and I experience the stark differences between the loud darkness of the casino and the quiet brightness of the temple.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope my kids may feel similarly about our breaking the Sabbath today. I hope they can remember the differences of the loud darkness of the dance recital and the quiet brightness of the Sacrament Meeting. It's an interesting comparison really.</div>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-84396629160460708992010-06-24T08:08:00.005-04:002010-06-24T08:29:46.843-04:00Making Changes<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I refer you to my post on </span></span><a href="http://berginmania.blogspot.com/2008/05/my-uniform.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Uniform</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. One of my favorite authors is Merilee Boyack. I've read all her books and believe we are kindred spirits on different sides of the country. She's written books on parenting and marriage and just overall having fun in life. Her sense of humor is delightful and speaks to my soul. I admire her greatly.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I recently emailed her to tell her how much I appreciate her. I tried to be funny in my email by telling her a little about myself and I wrote about my uniform. She responded quickly and told me that I needed to get out of my elastic pants and white tshirts and into something much more flattering. Although </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> thought I was being funny, I was a bit surprised to find a call to fashion repentance in her return email. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is what she wrote:</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Aha!!!! So do you remember what I wrote about t-shirts and elastic-waist pants?!?? :)</span></span></div><div style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Time to go SHOPPING!!!! Those items must be BANISHED. And yes, I know all about scraping vomit off of my shirts. It's about who YOU are and treating yourself with respect. (Not to mention being attractive to hubby.)</span></div><div style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Remember my mother's rule?? He works with babes all day, make sure he comes home to one! :)</span></div><div style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Sorry - I'm just WAY militant on that subject as you know. . . And yes, I know it takes effort."</span></div><div style="font-family: Chalkboard; font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So, I've been pondering her words. I'm determined to have a little more respect in my appearance. I'm trying not to use the excuse that the baby wears me out...even though she does. Or that my other six children wear me out...even though they do. I'd like to be a better example of this to my own children. </span></span></div><div style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I am going to get my hair done today. I'd been putting it off for way too long. I have this guilt thing that goes on. Can't leave the baby. She's eight weeks old. She takes a bottle. Even though she's a big mama's girl, she will survive without me for a few hours.</span></span></div><div style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My other thought was that if I'm going to wear elastic-waisted pants, I have to exercise. My effort in self-discipline will be that I have to exercise to wear the pants. AND!!!! NO SWEETS when wearing the pants. Does this sound totally weird? They're just so comfortable and they fit my body. I have such a funky body and I have NO fashion skills. I don't know what looks good on my body so I just go with what feels good. That's not always the right answer. </span></span></div><div style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I've lost an additional 20 lbs since having the baby so some of my clothes are too big...I'm freecycling those. I need to buy some newer ones but I'm just buying what I've always worn. So, I guess I need to do some research to figure out what's better for my super cool shape.</span></span></div><div style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ok, I need some sleep. Been up since 5:30 this morning with the baby. </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Chalkboard; font-size: medium; "><br /></div>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-54625819893741592992010-06-06T19:22:00.002-04:002010-06-06T19:25:09.229-04:00Grandma and Lili<div style="text-align: center;">I just love this photo of my mom with Lili. Mom wasn't able to be with me when Leah was born because she and dad were serving a mission. So, I'm glad I could have another little girl for my mom to love on. This is just such a sweet picture. I'm grateful for such a good mom. She's been a great example to me.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49yXVxoBRJfHJrTRqZxfuxwYugWbUEFrwahDtP-ideMDcUf5akEdwD2o6zVl8Y1SMl1eboYvgRlQ0EbsG5Lnl9umuCgGWeZGBnWObjIOwsctjVb7uXdIZtyWAIgDn3VILeo1U6ZB4UlM/s1600/IMG_6059.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49yXVxoBRJfHJrTRqZxfuxwYugWbUEFrwahDtP-ideMDcUf5akEdwD2o6zVl8Y1SMl1eboYvgRlQ0EbsG5Lnl9umuCgGWeZGBnWObjIOwsctjVb7uXdIZtyWAIgDn3VILeo1U6ZB4UlM/s400/IMG_6059.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479805324609598994" /></a>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-61941863014717866122010-06-06T18:50:00.003-04:002010-06-06T18:58:09.099-04:00Lili's Blessing Day<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today little Lili was blessed at church. As you can see the whole family was able to attend. Both mine and Sam's parents came and Jen and Jessie were allowed to come as well. It was a lovely day. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sam gave a beautiful blessing to Lili. She was such a good girl all day. It was so hot in the church and so many people were holding and touching her. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">She looked so beautiful in the blessing gown as well. All my children have worn it, except Robbie. My mom made an heirloom dress when Lucy was born. All of the children's names and birth dates are embroidered on the bottom of the petticoat of the dress. </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfITW_jgX-QTFbLUNrc0wahJAwNrMwCldTEhPYLCGTXCf4sUVIUu0Lo9qQUGRWI0ZoNAusOF7DwEyZfQ21F-KK4awMMUdC-LwmQy4WWvz0wyvrROYrWRjsTH0VyivrDoASw_dQuP3IOU/s1600/IMG_6065.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfITW_jgX-QTFbLUNrc0wahJAwNrMwCldTEhPYLCGTXCf4sUVIUu0Lo9qQUGRWI0ZoNAusOF7DwEyZfQ21F-KK4awMMUdC-LwmQy4WWvz0wyvrROYrWRjsTH0VyivrDoASw_dQuP3IOU/s400/IMG_6065.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479797568784351570" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Me and mom after Lili had been dressed in the gown.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafLeYo8eHPTqNAkUBrCcnpuPzaEL5yH4YZUFRpSO7Oe3zE-l7xAOKnJOBf9-BCit5wVO7VDOXwEFXq339MktGJdRWcUxJpk0HK_c4mVgcrbI3KGgLnJVbSLFV_H0axikMpqmfmg-Px1I/s1600/IMG_6057.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafLeYo8eHPTqNAkUBrCcnpuPzaEL5yH4YZUFRpSO7Oe3zE-l7xAOKnJOBf9-BCit5wVO7VDOXwEFXq339MktGJdRWcUxJpk0HK_c4mVgcrbI3KGgLnJVbSLFV_H0axikMpqmfmg-Px1I/s400/IMG_6057.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479797565639797730" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Sweet little Lili.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzB-OIS2OOkMllx3IVyQC5WaxOjNPsikCje_Jp7iRbHskRtGprbDpSz8IllUZ27dyC_Ufv8bYAhMfeVOfAaHXzhyphenhyphenC1wL9ELGL0AaZ9gVwVNZmaowvz0CzIkl-2zRfKhLFlh5-Y9bmXD0/s1600/IMG_6049.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzB-OIS2OOkMllx3IVyQC5WaxOjNPsikCje_Jp7iRbHskRtGprbDpSz8IllUZ27dyC_Ufv8bYAhMfeVOfAaHXzhyphenhyphenC1wL9ELGL0AaZ9gVwVNZmaowvz0CzIkl-2zRfKhLFlh5-Y9bmXD0/s400/IMG_6049.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479797556991586194" /></a>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-60293399923529656752010-06-04T14:02:00.003-04:002010-06-04T19:43:36.322-04:00Things To Remember About Liliana1. She cried real tears while still in the hospital. Most of my babies didn't have tears until about a month or so old.<div>2. I'll never forget that she weighed 9 lbs 13 oz. She was my biggest baby by far. Joey was the next at 8lbs 11oz. So Lili had him beat by over a pound.</div><div>3. She either has/had a birthmark or bruise over on her left eyelid. When she was first born, it looked as if she was bruised. It was really dark purple. As she's gotten older, it has faded into a dark pink. Plus, she has a very deep dark purple vein right over it. </div><div>4. It took well over a week for her umbilical cord to fall off. </div><div>5. She smiled at 5 days old. You may not believe it, but I was there and I was the recipient of the smile. We were snuggled in the bed. I had just nursed her and was just holding her and talking to her. She looked me right in the eyes and I could see she wanted to smile, then she did. It didn't last long but it was just for me. I'll never forget it.</div><div>6. She likes to have her butt patted to calm down or to fall asleep.</div><div>7. When she passes gas, you'd think it was an adult in the room. She doesn't do badly with burps either.</div><div>8. She loves to nap on the couch. Doesn't really like the bassinet at all. In fact, we've pretty much abandoned it.</div><div>9. So far, she not a fan of the car seat.</div><div>10. She holds her big toe up just like Sam does.</div><div>11. She had the most hair of any of my kids. Quite the headful.</div><div>12. She's five weeks old now and for the last three nights has slept through the night. I hope I didn't just jinx it.</div><div>13. She likes to have her hair washed. She still isn't quite sure if she likes a bath, but she definitely like having her hair done. Diva in the making perhaps.</div><div>14. She has blond, bushy eyebrows. They remind me of my Grandpa Lusk's bushy eyebrows. Lili's are cute though.</div><div>15. I love the way she sighs/coos when she's nursing or taking a bottle and when she's sleeping on my shoulder. I'll miss that sweet sound.</div>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-26297539569626470362010-06-04T12:15:00.003-04:002010-06-04T12:21:35.306-04:00Do You Think They Like Her?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_uh_dZSQEjOW4MwoFWgkVq2DwhmwopmcmYkjpNH74cBWnDBbDCmBElRMi2ZM6Zk2PFokYS32IBcpMMRsVkF4VvtO2k8LssHp70D-eFTHW6ZnRpNn9ZsdyPU-J-pYcXE4knHekkxTFIs/s1600/IMG_5821.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_uh_dZSQEjOW4MwoFWgkVq2DwhmwopmcmYkjpNH74cBWnDBbDCmBElRMi2ZM6Zk2PFokYS32IBcpMMRsVkF4VvtO2k8LssHp70D-eFTHW6ZnRpNn9ZsdyPU-J-pYcXE4knHekkxTFIs/s400/IMG_5821.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478953659646098690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bxACNWeAK_glJ7QN-YtHgDgPqMBLraTQcx5bhNQ7xtp2WRzF7dz9dqRkdynT5QSoFGuXDRtgFKM90nGeWy1qqrrLN51gskYbEhV1R1pzFeN9XDt1XE7rz7Dc-6NgS06o-2N58eTouH8/s1600/IMG_5966.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bxACNWeAK_glJ7QN-YtHgDgPqMBLraTQcx5bhNQ7xtp2WRzF7dz9dqRkdynT5QSoFGuXDRtgFKM90nGeWy1qqrrLN51gskYbEhV1R1pzFeN9XDt1XE7rz7Dc-6NgS06o-2N58eTouH8/s400/IMG_5966.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478953650711048306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nTuz1Ene9h0QkiBRA1mJHjQp3KeIbY-ZEEnMapcHziSij8NNg1pHqLe-fxrtBFLuH6ymmzHopDqzAyP0i3DbhM2XiTnU5CB5TMyXv95gYYEThsCMxdmawGn3EBFX3kogs55dEghoF9s/s1600/IMG_5989.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nTuz1Ene9h0QkiBRA1mJHjQp3KeIbY-ZEEnMapcHziSij8NNg1pHqLe-fxrtBFLuH6ymmzHopDqzAyP0i3DbhM2XiTnU5CB5TMyXv95gYYEThsCMxdmawGn3EBFX3kogs55dEghoF9s/s400/IMG_5989.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478953637920806050" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFWONf6Eyn_GHiT7gycFJOYCEchcRgMKRmRB5V46_GiTqIZZNzJNlbfuu3K-1uc35RWpdysFS4M8oTTjNRB2yGVeOO7j93Z1orRhyphenhyphenSJQUmjneH_v2oYKg8en88asGGoZSJAXtSBsxouo/s1600/IMG_5981.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFWONf6Eyn_GHiT7gycFJOYCEchcRgMKRmRB5V46_GiTqIZZNzJNlbfuu3K-1uc35RWpdysFS4M8oTTjNRB2yGVeOO7j93Z1orRhyphenhyphenSJQUmjneH_v2oYKg8en88asGGoZSJAXtSBsxouo/s400/IMG_5981.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478953637569160402" /></a>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295617039650394996.post-4866026974398097222010-06-04T12:02:00.003-04:002010-06-04T12:12:39.538-04:00Happy Birthday Diane!<div style="text-align: center;">Yesterday was Diane's birthday. June 3rd. She would've been 55.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I hadn't gone to her graveside service back in November. </div><div style="text-align: center;">So, this was our first trip to the cemetery. It was so hot. 90+ degrees. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Her grave isn't marked yet so it was a bit of a treasure hunt, if you will, to finally find it. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Robbie looks pretty miserable and hot. I don't really blame him.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUVRoQBBXwwwEjjYq3_vLQk1Eh8qFbKrcMAuVNxrMwi4ICgDbBGNy4zz3DjW_SBlTBWzaubcuDu822Lwjv4_ItkPUgouKxnHkAAReOE6RPRcyNz5WvdTyZxRi8R6qJcXtvCVh2NmykuM/s1600/IMG_5999.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUVRoQBBXwwwEjjYq3_vLQk1Eh8qFbKrcMAuVNxrMwi4ICgDbBGNy4zz3DjW_SBlTBWzaubcuDu822Lwjv4_ItkPUgouKxnHkAAReOE6RPRcyNz5WvdTyZxRi8R6qJcXtvCVh2NmykuM/s400/IMG_5999.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478950076601248258" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">You can see the new grass growing over her grave. That was how we ultimately found her. </div><div style="text-align: center;">We had a general idea as to where it was but definitely had to go hunting.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3baz6p-Mnbc5p8CI16YwTJ13pEkCrxwORbpKDcyTHXKqj-SpqVgaCJN9DNic3frKMMrBSX65OqmNlVMupCKzXwBu9OwZI3HkKvsxUXbRN6KMDAkGxaxW3nqOJNaph65GqEB4cG80C78/s1600/IMG_5996.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3baz6p-Mnbc5p8CI16YwTJ13pEkCrxwORbpKDcyTHXKqj-SpqVgaCJN9DNic3frKMMrBSX65OqmNlVMupCKzXwBu9OwZI3HkKvsxUXbRN6KMDAkGxaxW3nqOJNaph65GqEB4cG80C78/s400/IMG_5996.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478949911710581186" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">One of the things that I'm sure she's loving is that her birthday is so close to Memorial Day. </div><div style="text-align: center;">In fact, she is buried between two veterans, so her grave is flanked by flags. </div><div style="text-align: center;"> She was a GREAT patriot.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrw4xpqJ4PouUTGPe81DhS1FLLECGgw9XxgAp-RrfcXIPYvbhbjRij6J-YdzjhEEpR6okCFgdeVYjAgF_iA5wKJFBflImZgX5HIxvQ9_oUG5Q0bDs1N4sehqb9749VVswVkAEkhGdjdU/s1600/IMG_5995.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrw4xpqJ4PouUTGPe81DhS1FLLECGgw9XxgAp-RrfcXIPYvbhbjRij6J-YdzjhEEpR6okCFgdeVYjAgF_iA5wKJFBflImZgX5HIxvQ9_oUG5Q0bDs1N4sehqb9749VVswVkAEkhGdjdU/s400/IMG_5995.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478949908869161938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52Jk-LEYfKzWAuR44hB6lNDZW63hcZBaH-dqj2ASZ6kPDR5s_4ASZ6zhFMzN0bsE94_Y8za2CwbnF4IHdvFRNYyqT4Eve9AVmEBXt3FdJI6hjD2DA9T6NEqUJy34bAlOOA1mmD0QKNGc/s1600/IMG_6001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52Jk-LEYfKzWAuR44hB6lNDZW63hcZBaH-dqj2ASZ6kPDR5s_4ASZ6zhFMzN0bsE94_Y8za2CwbnF4IHdvFRNYyqT4Eve9AVmEBXt3FdJI6hjD2DA9T6NEqUJy34bAlOOA1mmD0QKNGc/s400/IMG_6001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478949900948118130" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTKdyILJhDaaG1vejjaUs7ojukhb5a0Mkv0w4D1FI7yCKJXy1KsDh5aKJoL5dtioBA7bkA-zVbIKeHmJSPzN5FFiBE035zx-QRq5VzA8e6qfkq6Q-561mzBf6wJtmkV3W4gP1YEt95eA/s1600/IMG_6000.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTKdyILJhDaaG1vejjaUs7ojukhb5a0Mkv0w4D1FI7yCKJXy1KsDh5aKJoL5dtioBA7bkA-zVbIKeHmJSPzN5FFiBE035zx-QRq5VzA8e6qfkq6Q-561mzBf6wJtmkV3W4gP1YEt95eA/s400/IMG_6000.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478949884340185330" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">My photos didn't upload in order, but you get the gist. </div>BerginManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845483813710097717noreply@blogger.com0