A trip to the Garden Center

JT and Auntie Mel took a trip to the garden center to pick up some fruits and veggie starter plants to grow in the backyard. They bought, strawberries, tomatoes and sweet red peppers. The highlight of the trip however, seemed to be the giant turtle yard ornaments that JT just had to have his picture taken on. There were about 9 of them, and he took a picture on each one...I'll spare you all the pics and just post a cute one!

Easter Cookies

Auntie Mel is semi-famous for her yummy sugar cookies, and so for Easter she made lots and lots of cookies, which means we ate lots and lots of cookies! YUM YUM!

Awork in progress...

Adding the details

Lots and lots of frosting...

waiting for them to dry...

The finished product!!

Some fun with Auntie Mel

One sunny Saturday morning in Feb., JT and Auntie Mel decided to have a playdate @ Chuck E. Cheese!

There was hanging out with Mr. Cheese himself...

 There was the traditional eating of the cardboard-esque pizza....and look at all those tickets he won!

Time for hanging out with good buddy, BARNEY!

                                  

Of course, there was also time for Auntie Mel to silently freak out when JT was almost stuck up in that winding tube-like contraption...but thankfully after 10 looong minutes, JT emerged all happy and smiling. When asked what he was doing up there, he replied," I was driving the race car at the end, I could hear you yelling for me, but I just thought you were saying hi"! Kids, you gotta love 'em!

Happy Birthday Melissa!

We want to wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to Melissa!

May this year bring you much happiness!!

We love you!

Auntie Mel goes to Utah!

The 1st week of August, Auntie Mel took a nice vacation to Utah to see the King family! There were lots of outings and tons of fun, here are some of the highlights from the trip!

(Click on the photo collages to enlarge for a better view)

The kids had lots of fun climbing the swing area and making silly faces for Auntie Mel's camera!

We had a camp out in the canyon, complete with smores, and a rancid watermelon that Ben found in the stream. Auntie Mel also saved Garrett's life as he was trying to climb down a very steep hill-- then she slid all the way down the hill on her booty--luckily we don't have a picture of that oh-so-glamorous moment!!

Kelly and Melissa took a trip into Salt Lake City to tour Temple Square and to have a nice sisterly lunch without the kids. The sky was gloomy and the thunder and lightning just added to the beauty of it all!

We ventured to the local mini golf course for some great fun! Auntie Mel is not known for her putt-putt skills!!

On Friday, we went to Garrett's last swim lesson of the summer! He has improved so much, and even swam without help from one side to the other! He was so proud, he was rewarded with a very cool sword that makes all kinds of music!

We also went to This is the Place Heritage Park, in SLC. An old Deseret Village, a restored and recreated living community memorializing Utah's pioneer past. It was so neat to see how life was back then. They even have all the old-timey candies too! We panned for gold, saw a kid get a shave from the barber who was also the dentist ,rode the train around the lake, petted lots of animals, rode some ponies, and had a few naughty lambs try to eat the backpack our lunch was in!

Melissa and Kelly in SLC

Auntie Mel with the King kids, Ben, Cass, Garrett and baby Sam.

We can't forget Tyler the sweet fat kitty! He spent his days sleeping and getting attention from Auntie Mel.
I tried to get a pic of Gracie, Tyler's mom, but she was too camera shy!

There was also bowling at Fat Cats, the yummiest ice cream @ the Creamery, shopping at DI , where I scored some awesome deals, jam-making, bread-making, recipe copying, craft time, Karaoke with Cass and her BFF Adi, movie watching,Wii bowling tournaments,  yard-saling, a trip to Lehi Mills, where I found a copy of my fave cookbook, American Girl doll playing, lots of gum-chewing, and bubble popping by baby Sam, and a delicious Sunday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Kings home...and so much more!!

All in all it was a fantastic trip! I had so much fun and I can't wait for you guys to come in September!

Christmas at the Huckeba's

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

A Special Day for Auntie Mel!

 

Feel Better Mommy!!

Today JT helped Auntie Mel make some breakfast for his mommy. Both Sarah and Scott have come done with some kind of cold and aren't feeling so well. So, JT, who decided that it would be a great idea to wake up at 4am came and hung out in Auntie Mel's room. Around 6:30 am or so he pronounced, "sun's up Auntie Mel, get up", so it was time to begin the day! He wanted to be super-helpful so he made his mommy a get-well card, picked some flowers from the neighbors yard, helped pour orange juice, and make hot tea for his mommy and got her some vitamins and meds. He then wanted to take a picture with the tray he made for her. He walked into the room and yelled, " surprise mommy", it was the sweetest thing. He is going to be such a big help today!!

A Year....

My dear sweet Mom,How can it be that you have been gone a whole year?!!? How can it be that the world has continued without you?!??! It feels like everything should have stopped when your heart stopped. But it didn't. The world carries on as if nothing happened, when, in fact, it lost the most precious, sweet, kind, loving, beautiful person!!!! But I've struggled to carry on. I am so broken living without you! It hurts so intensely not to see you, hug you, talk to you, laugh with you, sing with you, and spend time with you. Every part of me aches in longing for you and finds it excruciating to live with only shadows of the mom you were. Every morning I wake up hoping that this was all somehow just a bad nightmare and that I'll enter the kitchen and find you cooking, or talking to the baby or watching one of your favorite shows. But it's been a year now. This nightmare is my reality.Yet, this reality is not for eternity. I have tremendous hope. I picture you on the shores of heaven laughing, running, dancing, jumping, singing, and doing all the things that angels do as you wait for all of us down here to join you. How glorious it will be to have unhindered relationship with you in the presence of our Lord. I yearn for our reunion...and I want this hope to shape the rest of my time here on earth. Mom, if loving you means living with this gaping wound of loss for the rest of my life, I would enthusiastically choose it again and again; no amount of pain can compare to the gift of being your daughter! Every moment I had with you is worth far more than any heartache. You are an incredible gift!!!! I feel so honored and blessed to call you mom. Thank you for teaching me so much with your life! I miss you tremendously my sweet Mom, but I will live expectantly with the hope God has given that I might honor both Him and you with my days.

Every ounce of my love,

Missa

Vanished

A poem written to honor the upcoming 1st anniversary

of the homegoing of my sweet mom:

My sweet, sweet mom,

A year ago you breathed your last.

Ever still I miss your smile

And long for moments past.

Plunged into depths of sorrow

When you vanished from this place,

I've endured each new tomorrow

Without the beauty of your face.

My every breath is marked with pain

Like thorns crammed in my chest,

And happiness I cannot feign

Since you've been laid to rest.

With quiet desperation

I take on each new day.

Scarred by separation

From my mom who could not stay.

I wonder how I will survive

A lifetime with this ache,

But thankful that you live and thrive;

True life, death could not take.

My precious mom, you disappeared.

12 months have vanished too

My heart is deeply, deeply seared

And now begins year two.

But someday, all these hurts will clear

I'll embrace your frame anew.

This painful life will disappear,

Your face again in view.

FRAYED

I would describe myself as an emotional wreck the last couple weeks. I feel as though this gnawing sorrow is causing me to fray, like a rope that is falling apart, my grief has worn me thin. My edges are ragged and any little thing can cause my emotions to give way.My soul is threadbare. After a day of being frazzled and tattered from lament, feeling as though I have been unable to keep it together recently, I found a stack of cards with verses given to me by some friends from church. I decided to peruse the stack. This was the first card I read:






The previous verse in that Colossians passage describes how ALL things were created by Him, through Him, and for Him-everything! Therefore, the Lord holds it all together; even my life, my soul, and my world are upheld by Him.This does not mean I won't be in emotional turmoil. This does not mean I won't be worn thin by my loss. This does not mean that I will never feel like I am falling apart. But it is a promise that God will sustain me and hold all things together, even when I am significantly frayed.

Reflections

Various people at my friends church were asked to write reflections about a specific name given to Jesus and to read them at their Christmas Eve service. I decided to try and do that myself, I chose to reflect on the name given to Him...The Amen! I thought that I would post it here.

The Amen

What child is this? He is called "The Amen". Amen is a word that often rolls off our tongues as the punctuation to our prayers. It is used to enthusiastically express agreement, and it speaks to that which is approved, right, and true. But most of all, it is perfectly epitomized in the character of our Lord. Revelation 3 says that this babe, Jesus Christ, is "The Amen". He is the personification of all that is true.

Jesus is the ultimate punctuation, the exclamation point leading to redemption for this imperfect world. He is the climax and the final Word to all of God's promises. He is the fulfillment of God's oath to us, His beloved children.

But what does this mean to my broken heart? What does this mean to my body that yearns to hug my beautiful mom again? What does this mean to a soul scarred by the evil in this world? What does this mean to a mind plagued with experiences of suffering? What does this child, "The Amen," mean for you and me?

In brokenness, He is all that is whole. When our strength fails, His power is perfect. When surrounded by evil, He is all that is good. Plagued with suffering, He is our assurance of hope.

I do not understand His ways, and even feel wounded by them. I cannot comprehend His plans, and often find them to be painful. I am baffled by some of His decisions, and even long for them to be different...

but there is one clear exception...

His decision, as the Bright Morning Star, to humble Himself by coming to earth and living as the very Word of God among us. He allowed Himself, a spotless Lamb, to be shamefully slaughtered for our sake. And in His conquering of death, He has given us access to the Kingdom, to genuine Hope, the Hope to which I cling. Therefore, this little child Jesus is the realization of all God's promises to us. "The Amen"!

Jesus is all that is sure. He is our only certainty in this shifting, unstable, fractured world. He is the source of everything true. He is firm and faithful, worthy of our loyalty and trust. Thus, He has aptly conferred the title of "Amen" upon Himself; the "Yes", the "So Be It", and the "Truly, Truly" of all God has done and will do.

I am challenged to consider, as each "amen" concludes my conversations of prayer, that I am actually invoking the very name of the One to whom I pray -- the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. I am affirming His role as the faithful and true witness and giving glory to Him who is, in fact, God incarnate.

Hallelujah! This child has come! Amen to the "Amen"!

A ranch and some fires!!!

This year our church has decided that instead of our youth girls going to summer camp with all the other churches in our area, that we are going to go to a private camp on our own. We're hoping that this will give our girls and us leaders more time to bond and build relationships with our girls. Oftentimes when we go to girls youth camp there are so many other churches and girls there that we don't really get the chance to connect with our own girls, because they are so busy and scattered. We are hoping that going to this camp will give us more one-on-one time together! So on November 15th Pastor Denise (our Children's Pastor), Bonnie (our Missionette's coordinator),Miss Eddy, and myself headed out to Calicinto Ranch in San Jacinto, Ca. Calicinto Ranch is a private, Christian camp that caters to groups of all size. They have horses, and hiking trails, and all kinds of country themed activities. It is so beautiful out there and it only took us an hour and a half to get there. We all loved it and decided right then and there that this is the camp that we want to take our girls to. So, be praying for us as we get ready for our camp in July of 2009, it's $200 a girl, and we will be doing fundraisers to help the girls raise the money to pay for camp!

(below) the cabins, and a view of the cross @ the top of the mountain

The cute little general store!!

P.S. if you are interested in taking a group to Calicinto Ranch, or you just want to know more about this great place check out....www.calicintoranch.com

P.S. This is also the day that ALL the big wildfires started, we were almost in the path of 3 different ones, we barely made it off the freeways before they started shutting them down, the sky was heavy with smoke and ash, and we send our prayers and best wishes out to all those affected by the fires. We know many people in and around the areas that are on fire, and our hearts go out to them and to the brave firefighters and other disaster personnel.

Here are some photos from our local area showing just how close and how bad the fires are!

It's Election Day!!! (By Melissa)

So today is election day, and that's a big deal in this house! We will all be voting, and JT will wear proudly his I voted sticker!! I will be making a nice dinner and then I will be watching the news channels carefully for the next 24-36 hours...this is my Super Bowl, and I love it!!!

I won't bore you with a history of politics, or try to go over all the propositions with you one last time, I mean come on, you should know what you're doing by now...call me if you don't, but anyways, I will remind you to VOTE!!! I don't know how many people I reminded to register this year, and how many times I debated the merits of all the props, or how many commercials I sat through , but this is election day people, there's history to be made!! It doesn't matter to me who you are voting for, that's a whole different discussion, I am just wanting to make sure that you do vote, period, the end!!!

I know I talk a lot about the privilege to vote but it's true, and ladies, we really ought to be out there voting, since it was only a short while ago that we were not able to vote in this country.

So, on the election day, when many things will be decided I want to encourage you to go and be a part of history, not just America's history, but your own personal history, start getting involved, and make a difference...change the world, even if it's just your own little piece of the world, do something, stand for something, believe in something...let the change begin now, and let it begin with you!!

SLEEPOVER!! (by Melissa)

Some of you know that I teach a class at my church for high school girls, it's called Girls Only, and I love it! The class takes place on Wednesday night. The best part of this class is that it's youth group, but only for girls, hence the name of the class...regular high-school youth group meets on Tuesday nights, and it's co-ed. I love this class and it gives me a chance to get to know the girls one-on-one and to bond, and have a lot of fun, as well as be there to help them thru the high-school years which can be daunting at times. Anyhow, the Girls Only class is a part of a larger group called, Missionettes, a program for girls K-12, at our church. Well, this past Friday and Saturday all the Missionettes programs in the U.S. held sleepovers in their various districts. We belong to the CA Foothill Division and our sleepover was held @ Covina Assembly of God.

It was so great to see all these girls come together to have fun and to share in fellowship with one another. We had 66 girls in grades 3-12 participate. The theme was, Race of a Lifetime, we had a wonderful speaker Rhonda Van Beber come and speak about the educational outreach program the she's a part of in South Central L.A., and the girls all brought books and gift cards for her to get books for the outreach program. We played lots of games and ate some yummy pizza and made crafts. We had the cutest fashion show and just hung out and acted silly...it was great. I am posting a few pics from the sleepover, most of the time my camera was in my purse, so I don't have a ton of pics, but it was super fun. I forgot just how much energy you have at this age, and most of the adults were pretty wiped out the next day...I was okay, I am younger than some of the adults that were there, but they tell me that as I get older I will take longer to re-coop from this knd of thing! All in all it was a great time, and the girls were great fun..can't wait until the next one!!

(below) the girls lay out the sleeping bags
Miss Bonnie, Ivana and Janea rest on the air mattress!




(below) Hoku, Janea and Ivana play foosball.
Kealani and Diana play basketball.



(below) the room we slept and played in.
Miss Bonnie and Miss Eddy hang out before bedtime!!

Republican Nat'l Convention

So, the convention was supposed to start on Monday, but Hurricane Gustav put the kibosh on that, so the real stuff at the convention started today. I am watching the convention to get a better sense of what the Republicans have to offer, as opposed to the Dems. Some exciting news on the Republican front, Sen. Mc Cain, announced on Friday that his running mate would be, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. I always think it's great to have a female on the ticket, and lets not forget that the Dems have had a woman on their ticket...anyone remember Geraldine Ferraro??

In any case, Gov. Palin seems to be what the Republicans really needed to energize their base.

Not many folks knew that much about Sarah Palin, and I'll admit, the most I knew about her was that she had 5 kids, the youngest of which was diagnosed in-utero with down syndrome, and that she and her husband had opted not to terminate the pregnancy--all info courtesy of celebrity baby blog....in any case that's about all I knew of her. We are now learning a lot more, and some of the info is not all that flattering, but I 'd like to say this...how many of us could stand to have a microscope put on our lives, to have everything analyzed, every conversation parsed...none of us would withstand that fire either, so I say, let's wait to pass judgement. This week we learned that her 17 year old daughter, is 5 months pregnant, and not married....okay, not the greatest situation to be in, but that's life, people don't always make the wisest choices, least of all teenagers! But, how about we focus on the fact that the daughter is keeping her child, taking responsibility, and also marrying ths father. What about the fact that, her family is rallying around her and offering unconditional love and support...I think that's great! And let's also remember this, the daughter is NOT running for V.P., her mom is...let's leave the children out of it, leave them some semblance of privacy, and the ability to not have to be scrutinized...they have their whole lives to deal with that!

Okay, so back to the convention....we saw the always eloquent First Lady, Laura Bush, speak tonight, and introduce her hubby, The Pres. of the United States, George W. Bush.

We saw the always delightful Mrs. Cindy Mc Cain in the audience, and we saw great speeches by both Sen. Joe Lieberman--Dem/Independent from Connecticut, and Fred Thompson, who also ran for President this election season, and formerly of Law and Order fame.

Also, tonight had a moving tribute to one of the most beloved Presidents of our time, Ronald Reagan...very touching!

So, whether you are dem, or repub, keep watching the conventions, it's so great to see all the people, young and old alike so determined, invested, and passionate about their candidates and their ideas! I'll be watching in the days to come, to learn more about those on the opposing ticket and to keep my mind open to all points of view...happy watching!

***Still to come this week: speeches by both Palin and Mc Cain!!***

Today in History! (by Melissa)

Since yesterday's post had such a political ring to it, we just wanted to make everyone aware of the historical significance of today's date...it was 88 years ago today that the 19th amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote! So, if you are a woman in this country, you owe part of your ability to go into the voting booth and vote for your chosen candidate to all the women, and men who fought so long ago, so that we enjoy this privilege today! So, if you've never voted or you just aren't interested in politics or in exercising your right to vote, just remember...there was a time in this country, where you as a woman, were deemed not good enough, or smart enough, or even worthy enough to vote...and if that doesn't inspire you to make your voice heard and to keep helping women fight the good fight for equal rights and freedoms, not only here in America, but across this entire world, then I don't know what else it would take!

Dem. Nat'l Convention (by Melissa)

So in case you haven't heard, today is the beginning of the Democratic Nat'l Convention, being held in Denver, Colorado. Now, I'm not here to tell you how to vote, or even to tell you why I'm voting the way I am, I am merely wanting to take this opportunity to remind us all about the wonderful freedom that we have in America--that we can have a say in our laws and policies, that we can choose who stands up for us, that we can go and have our voices heard, and that we can hopefully make a difference with the choices that we make today, choices that will enrich the lives of others to come--what a gift!!

Now, some of you know, that I am a Democrat, and I come from a split house...1/2 Dem, 1/2 Rep., but that aside, I want to encourage you to watch not only the DNC but also the Rep. Nat'l Convention, coming up in a little over a week, from Minneapolis. Watching the conventions is a great way to see politics from the inside, to get to know the candidates, their families, and more importantly what they stand for! For us, it's a chance to talk about the issues and to take a stand, and get involved. As a Democrat, I am watching this convention to get a better sense of where my party hopes to go in the future, and what they have to offer for the future. But if you are a Republican, I urge you to watch not only the RNC, but also this one too, if only to re-enforce your stance on the issues, but hopefully, to encourage you to become involved in the political process as well!


I will be watching both conventions, we all will in this house, it sparks lively conversations, and it makes you think about what you want for the future! It also challenges what you believe, and makes you ask the hard questions!

When I stop and think about what this election means for the future...I am amazed at the how this country has prospered. To think that just 10 years after Grandma Sadie's birth in 1910, women in this country were finally granted the right to vote under the 19th amendment in 1920....to just 1 year after JT was born (2007) we saw the 1st real viable woman candidate for President...what a country, and what's more, we've also seen the 1st African American candidate for President too...it boggles the mind! I am so thankful that JT is growing up in a time when the limits of what we know as normal, are being pushed, to know that a former POW (John McCain) could overcome his tragic past, and step up and strive for the highest office in the land....to know that a poor black child(Barack Obama), could one day run for President....and to know that a girl(Hillary Clinton) who studied hard and didn't listen to those who said you can't do this or that because you're just a girl, could become the 1st REAL viable, female contender for President...I am grateful for that!!


In this house we talk about the issues, this is a house where we debate the propositions, where we actually read the entire content of a proposition word-for-word, where we don't always agree with one another, but we respect each others choices, and we are open to seeing the others' points of view. We try to show JT even now at this early age that getting involved in the process is important. He has gone to vote with us since he was just a few months old, and the poll workers just love him!!! They give him a sticker that says, "I voted", and they are excited to see us as a family, make a point, even now, to show him the process! He will grow up in a home where we debate the merits of a law, where we research our candidates and where we volunteer our time to causes that we hold dear, and where we pray for our country!!


I hope that this election season inspires you to get involved, whether you work at the polls, or walk precincts, or donate to a campaign or just get up and vote...maybe for the 1st time...this is your right, this is our gift, and this is our legacy, we should cherish it!


I look forward to this weeks convention, to hearing from the leaders of my chosen party, and I look forward to the Repub. convention, to seeing the passion that they have for the representatives of their party! We may as dems, or repubs, have many differences between us, but we have more that unites us--get involved , take a stand ---change the world, even if it's only in your house --every choice, every decision matters--it's up to us to lead the way to a better tomorrow!


HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DNC: Tonight we had an emotional tribute to Sen. Ted Kennedy, followed by a moving speech from Ted, himself--what an incredible public servant!




We also saw an informative piece on Michelle Obama, and her family, followed by a great speech by Michelle, about Barack, their family, and why she believes in him, we also saw their two precious daughters, Malia, and Sasha!


TUESDAY:We are eagerly awaiting the speech by Hillary Clinton, sure to be a crowd-pleaser!


WEDNESDAY: A great speech to come from Fmr. Pres. Clinton.


THURSDAY: BIG DAY!!! Speeches by both Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden, and Presidential candidate, Barack Obama!

NEWS ON THE REPUBLICAN FRONT:

***FRIDAY: Look for an announcement from the McCain campaign in regards to his pick for V.P.!!

**For more info on the conventions, and the election in general check out: http://www.cnnpolitics.com/ , or for some great blogging about all things political check out: http://www.politico.com/ , also to see the conventions without interruptions, and without all the commentators tune into CSPAN, or CSPAN2.