Happy In Hanford

2011-08-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

My mom, Lois Lind, had a wonderful Memorial Service at Glad Tidings Church in Hanford, California. She entered Heaven's gates on July 24th and her memorials were on July 29th. In California the service started at 11:00 and in Littleton, Colorado the graveside service began at 2:00 where she was buried next to my dad, Karl.

(There are so many wonderful pictures, videos, and thoughts from both of these special events, but my computer is only loading 1 picture at a time, so I feel I am limiting this precious memory.)

This picture is her Pastor Rick McCollough. He really knew her and did a great job in relating what a wonderful woman of God my mom was. We decided to put on the table 2 pictures of her. One of her in her 20's and her most recent one from her church directory. There was her "Grandma Remembers" Book, an angel from her massive collection, one of her many awards for volunteer service... this one for working with the 3 and 4 year old Rainbow Group at the church, and a tray of her fruit cake which was shared after the service. The EB Butts family sent a beautiful bouquet on the left and the family flowers were on the right.

Our family thought it was fitting, because she was "not a big deal" type of person. She just loved and served God with all her heart!

This is Bee and her Mimi after the service. We both inherited Grandma Lois' curly hair and we call ourselves "The Curly Girlies."

Cory's wife Annie is pictured between her 2 grandmas. What wonderful women they are! This was a very special moment for Annie to have both of her grandma's with her at Grandma Lois' Memorial, because the all live so far apart.

Lyle loves his 2 grand-girls. Bee is on the left and is 2, and will be 3 on October 13th. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Ainsley turned 1 on July 6th, and now lives in Virginia Beach, VA. We miss being with both girls tremendously! This was such a special moment....

Bee is playing with her Uncle Nate. They have such a great time together!

Well here is our family minus 1. Nate's wife, Meg, was out of town working. Nate & Meg currently live in Anaheim, CA. Cory, Annie, and Bee live in Brooklyn, NY, and our adopted Navy family, Kate, Jesse, and Ainsley, just moved to Virginia Beach, VA. Hanford is a lonely place without this group, but we do keep in touch with Ichats, packages, and phone calls.

We needed one picture with "Grandma Lois." She was so special to each one of us. There are not enough words to express our love and appreciation of this wonderful lady. She was a friend magnet. She made lemonade out of most of her life. She made wonderful lemon pies that many people will miss around Hanford. She loved and prayed for each one of us and trusted God with all her heart.
As I reflect on the circumstances of her last days, I am in awe of how many miracles God provided for all of us. We are so grateful to know for certain that she is rejoicing in Heaven with her friends and loved ones in her new perfect body.

I still cry everyday when I reflect and miss her, but it is not for her.... it is for me. I miss her so much. She was a great mom, she ran the race, she finished the course, and I know she heard the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

I want to thank all those who knew and loved on my mom. I have such precious memories from her stories and friends who have shown her great love and kindness. Blessings to you all!

Sincerely in Christ's Love,

Marlene

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35th Anniversary

2011-06-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

35 years ago today, we said our marriage vows in front of about 150 people gathered together at Calvary Temple in Denver, Colorado. It was a very special day for us and our families.

You never know the future and all the things that will happen your journey together.

There have been some sad times with the passing of some of our family and friends and some illnesses. But, looking back, most of our life together has been better than worse. We have always felt the hand of God leading, guiding, and protecting us and our children. We have been blessed with 2 wonderful sons who continue to make us proud parents. 2 daughter-in-laws that have enriched the lives of our sons and have brought happiness to our family. And one granddaughter, Bee, who brings more joy than we could ever imagine.
We may not look as young, fit, and trim as we used to, but our love, joy, and faith has expanded with our bodies over the years. (Even though, we would like to have the bodies of our 20's... it just is not going to happen.)

I love this man... Faithful, Loyal, Thoughtful, Giving, Kind, Generous, Helpful, Great Cook, Fantastic Handyman, HouseKeeper, Baby Sitter, Electrician, Plumber, Artist, Care-giver, Christian, Husband, Father, Lover, and soooooo much more.
We are best friend and love to be together...
Who knows what our future paths may bring, but we enjoy each day we have together and know that God will take care of our future.
Feeling so Blessed on this June 12, 2011 to be together 35 years and continuing to walk in God's light and love.

Oh yes, loving the newly renovated backyard that Lyle has put so much time, labor, and love into being a peaceful place to relax and enjoy.

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Bee, Annie, and Cory Come to Hanford....

2011-06-05T22:04:00.001-07:00

After 1 hr of failed uploads, this is the only picture of my sweet Bee that loaded.

These are the rolls that Bee and Grandma Lois made together. The pictures are very sweet, but nothing loaded.....

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Successful Transfer of Bee Bees Originals

2011-05-09T00:23:00.000-07:00

Yea... I just figured out how to copy and transfer my Bags post to Bee Bees Originals Blog.

If you are interested in viewing my crafting blog, go to

www.beebeesoriginals.blogspot.com

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Fun time In LV - Love the Encore!

2011-03-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

Arriving on NASCAR Sunday... Surprised that the traffic was not bad... We had a Fantastic trip to LV for a 2 night stay at the Encore.... Twin tower to the Wynn. This is one of our views from our 14th floor room. It was the best hotel to date to stay in. Really a 1st class experience.
View from the entry. Long hall past the bathroom with 3 huge mirrors across from the double door lighted full service closet.
Right side is a wall mirror of the left side. This is the TV across from the bed but open to the living room and floor to ceiling window wall of a fabulous view.
This is the living area reflecting into the windows.
Looking back to the bedroom.
Full service amenities.
Our desk area.

Living room back to the bedroom.

Ipod deck....
Today we were going to see the Cosmopolitan Hotel for the 1st time, but decided it was too much of a walk for me on my walker...

So we rode the tram to the Bellagio to see the latest garden...

This is Jean Phillipe's Chocolate store.... In Easter mode...
Space bunnies and ship are all out of chocolate!

When we got to the garden... we were surprised! Stripped!!!!! Everything that was there in November was gone... Even the windows were removed from the Orchid greenhouse!

Workmen were trying to reposition one of the branches back onto the redecorated tree. They were having a terrible time getting the steel rods to fit back into place.
Here is another branch to be put up on the tree. We were wondering what the new look would be.... When we got to the hotel lobby, there were pictures of what would be coming...
A Ferris Wheel...
Carousel.
But, this was the sight today....
On the way home, Lyle pulled off the road just before Barstow to see the Calico Early Man Site... Note that is is not open on Tuesday....the day we decided to stop! Went up the dirt road to the gate... but could not see anything. I guess it will be a destination on another day... but not in the summer!

Desert landscape with trails.... Now who walks all over this place to make trails???? What are they doing?
Dirt road!
Lyle drove the entire way home! We had such a great time!

So Nice to get away for a little trip!

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Bee's Valentine Surprises...

2011-02-13T11:16:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and Bee's package is in the mail. In case it does not make it, she can anticipate what is coming her way from Mimi and Papa.

This flannel fabric was a gift from Taylor Bringard. I love love love it. It is perfect with the bees, flowers, and HEARTS! Soooooo Cute!

So I made PJ's ... or a light jacket for now with multi-color buttons. It has pockets that most PJ's don't have.
Next I made Bee a Bee Dress on a light pink turtle-neck.

She will need matching clips for her outfits. They are cut from the flannel and mounted on felt to make them stiff and hold up to wear.

I hope the package gets to her on time to wear her Valentine's Day surprises.

Love,

Mimi and Papa
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Honoring Quinton Bruce...

2011-02-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

Today was a special day to remember and honor a very special man... Quinton Bruce.

I always knew him as Uncle Quint, but just called him Quint.

One month short of becoming 92, Quint went to be with Jesus and be reunited with his wife, Florence, and other family in heaven. I am sure he is a very happy man today!
Quint was a quiet man with a great sense of humor. His delivery was usually subtle, but always sharp and a thinker. His mechanical and artistic skills on cars was amazing.

I remember the time he replaced my car's back right door because I failed to close it when backing out of the garage. He fixed it like new and wouldn't take anything for his time or talent. He was just like that. Helping others and being kind and thoughtful. We will miss this wonderful man!

Well, here are pictures of friends and family that came to the church today to share in his memory. Enjoy and copy and print anything that you want to keep.

Blessings and sweet memories to all Quint's friends and family.

Love,

Marlen
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Random Thoughts About Selling Off Part Of Our History.....

2011-01-07T16:45:00.000-08:00

Thirty-four years ago, right about this time, we began the process of buying our first house. It was a wreck, but it was our wreck. It's gone through many changes over the years. We lived in it exactly 10 years to the day. There have been many friends and people that would become friends live in it during it's life as a rental. I still can see my dad on the roof of the addition when he was almost exactly my age now, helping me put up the sheathing. I'll never forget the day of the Coalinga earthquake, grabbing Nathan out of his highchair and getting out side. When we were surprised by Cory's arrival, I built him a room carved out of the living room. I can see Marlene's dad Karl helping me dig out and drag a blue gum tree with a six inch trunk to the back yard and replant it, where it would grow to thirty feet with a 24 inch trunk. So many other times that shaped our marriage and life as a family. We tried to sell it when we moved but that's not what God had ordered. Overall it was a good experience keeping it as a rental.....but I'm older now and it was time to let the old girl go (not Marlene).

We got the check today....I'm disappointed that there were not six figures on it. You would not believe the people that start grabbing money from you, it's all legal, when you sell a house. I'm very frustrated with the process itself. Poor communication, lack of proper representation etc. I'll just say, I'm not impressed with Dave Ramsey's ELP. I feel a sense of loss, that a part of me is gone. In my head I tell myself it's for the best, but my heart says you've poured a big part of your life into that house. I left the keys in the house the other day and locked the door to walk away for good and for just a nanosecond I thought "what are you doing?". But I drove away and for awhile I will be avoiding going by because it's not mine anymore and I don't want to see it in that light. I said all along that if the house was going to sell, God would have to sell it. He did and I can rest in that.

Christmas Day Happenings 2010

2010-12-28T13:10:00.001-08:00

Christmas started with a call from New York from Annie, Bee, and Cory. Bee got to open her presents with us. She got the Hot Pink Bike she had asked Santa for. Here Annie is holding it up to the webcam to show us Bee's new walking bike. There are no peddles or training wheels. It is a bike where the kids walk it and learn to balance. It only weighs 6 lbs. Bee was very happy to open this present. She gets to ride around the house right now.... there's snow outside.At 10:00 we went to Jesse, Kate, and Ainsley's Christmas Brunch. Kate fixed a wonderful meal for Jesse's mom and dad, Lori and Mike, and our family.

Here is Lyle giving Ainsley a little love.
Ainsley got a new bib. Right now she needs bibs. She just cut her 1st tooth last week.
Time to open presents....

Nugget the cat was having a great time in the bumbo.
At 4:00 We were in Fresno at Sheryl and Danny's with Lyle's cousins. We always have fun with the cousins.
Avery (1) did her own thing.... you could find her reading books or clinging to mommy Sheryl.
This is our family call with David. Nancy was holding the phone and everyone was talking to David in San Francisco.

Danny got a helicopter for Christmas. He was entertaining us with flying it in the house. I must say, he was quite a good pilot!
Addison got a singing and dancing Mickey Mouse. Pretty fun to watch!
Sheryl... being funny!
Guys hanging out.
Sara, Geoff, and baby Caleb, Maddie in the purple. Danny missed dinner with the family, he was called to Visalia to see his grandpa in the hospital and support his mom.

This year we brought shiny sunglasses for everyone. Lyle got most everyone's pictures. There were no group pictures this year. Too tired, I guess.
Lois
Linda and Bob
Sheryl
Bob
Nancy
Leonard
Sara, Geoff with glasses on top of the heads.
Marlene
Danny
Addison and Maddie
So the real fun began for the kids and Nappy the dog, when Lyle laid down on the floor to tease and play with the dog and kids.
The kids went crazy throwing paper, jumping on Lyle, yelling... We were all laughing and encouraging the rough-housing... Joshua had the best time with that box and Lyle!

In the end, the kids raced and cleaned up all the paper. They did a great job! No damage to the house or people. Fun memories created!

When we were leaving, the rain was really coming down and Lorraine was just getting to the party. She handed us our gifts as we were climbing into the car. We missed not being able to catch up with her.

It was a great Christmastime. God has been so good to us. We feel really blessed.

Special thanks to Kate and Sheryl for all the preparation of the houses and food. You are great gals! Thanks for including us in your Holiday plans.

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Christmas Eve at The Bruces'

2010-12-24T19:56:00.001-08:00

Nate drove all the way to Hanford to be with us for Christmas Eve Dinner. He is a great son. Tomorrow morning he will get up very early to drive back to Anaheim to have Dinner with Meg's family. So we got to open presents tonight! Yea!

Festive B for Bruce and Bee....I love our tree this year. You can see the snowman through the window that we light up at night.

So Nate brought our latest Grand Pet.... Wren. She is almost 5 months old and is a ball of energy!
What a cute face and is as sweet and good natured as she looks.
She had to spend some time in the pen during dinner and package opening. Our dog Dottie was not a fan of being chased everywhere in her own house.
Nate and Grandma Lois waiting for the IChat to begin with Cory, Annie, and Bee in Brooklyn.

Lyle looking festive.

Bee got to open her "Grandma Lois" presents tonight before she had to go to bed.

Grandma Lois is showing Bee the seashell that Bee sent her for Christmas. Bee found it at the Coney Island beach, decorated it, and sent it all the way to California to Gma Lois.

Bee was looking cute in her new Christmas dress.

Grandma Lois got Nate some Australian Root Beer. He has wanted to try it. He likes tasting different brands of Root Beer.

Guess what Bee sent us..... We love our new Bee Shirts!

Grandma Lois got a new fancy sweatshirt. Wren got a new purple ski vest.... Nate will not walk the dog in this Diva vest.... lol

Cool shirts of a beautiful girl! Love you Bee!

Soooo even though these pictures are sideways.... I love them!

This is a poster size picture of Bee at our piano. It will be framed and hung over our piano. I love it!!!!!!!

Here are more Christmas treasures. Bee Art, Coach Purse, Shirt, Food treats, and felt pins... Love the thoughtfulness of these gifts. Thanks Cory, Annie, and Bee!

Here is our other Poster size picture our our little Princess. I think it is bigger than life... and so beautiful!

Just wanted to show a close up of under our tree. These are of Bee last year. God really blessed our family with this beautiful little girl. She is right there with all the other Christmas presents.

Merry Christmas Eve... everyone!

Love, The Bruces'

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At SVCC Christmas Program with The Reeds

2010-12-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

Tonight's Christmas Program was beautiful! Our South Valley Community Church has so much talent. We are so blessed to attend tonights Candlelight service.

My hairdresser, Sandee, and her sister Sharon, were our guests. We were really excited that they took the time to come to our church program.

We sat with our adopted family, The Reeds, Kate, Jesse, Ainsley, and their friend, Katie.
Baby Ainsley was so good before, during, and after the program. We really love this baby girl!

After the program we took advantage of the beautiful trees and lighting. Ainsley was mesmerized by the candles. Here are a few of the great pics Katie took of our family.

Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate Jesus with wonderful friends.

Remember the reason for the season and share His love.

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Merry Christmas!

2010-12-17T18:55:00.001-08:00

When we were in Las Vegas with the Dave and Debbie Fox, we went to Ethel M's Chocolate Factory. One of the features is the most beautiful cactus garden I have ever seen. Since we were there in November, it was decorated with Christmas lights and a Santa area.

So here we are wishing you Merry Christmas from the Santa throne!

Lyle was quite good at the Candy Cane Pole dance.Wow, that is a huge piece of candy!

Lyle pondering on the present.... Pun intended...
Merry Christmas from the Bruces'!

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Bee Bee Originals at Twiggs in Hanford

2010-11-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

Cory requested a blog about the things I have made and are being sold at Twiggs. He said the pictures would be worth a thousand words and I would not have to type that much. So here are most of the things. Missing are the 9 regular reversible dresses I started with in March. There are there too and selling.

Crayon rolls.

Infant Black and White soft toys. Have crunch sound and a bell inside.

Reverses to the brown flower fabric. This picture and the Christmas dresses were taken in the store.

First picture reverses to the 2nd picture for the rest of the toddler dresses.

Now I have it documented.

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Blessed Thanksgiving Day 2010

2010-11-25T18:20:00.001-08:00

What a fantastic Thanksgiving we had in 2010. Family and friends are so wonderful to share time, talk, and great food together.This year we had cousins Leonard and Nancy from Fresno, Kate, Jesse, and baby Ainsley Reed our friends from our Bible Study group, and my Mom, Lois. What a nice group.
Lyle fixed the Turkey, Dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Fruit & Cream salad, Pecan, and Apple pies and maybe more that I can't remember. Kate brought Green Bean Casserole, Pumpkin Pudding, and a Cheesy Potato dish. Nancy brought Sweet Potatoes with pecans, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, and Carrot Cake. Grandma Lois brought her famous Fruit Cake. Everything was Very Yummy!
Sorry, there are no food pictures! All pictures were taken after we were stuffed!
It is so fun to have a baby in the house! She was a perfect little dinner guest who just played and let the grownups enjoy their meal and conversations.

Relaxing after dinner! Jesse went out... poor guy was really tired. Must have been the 2 full plates of fantastic food! Ainsley was sleeping too!

What a nice day!

Note: Cory, Annie, and Bee had to stay home today because Bee was running a fever and has a terrible cough. Couldn't share it with her little pals.

Nate and Meg enjoyed Thanksgiving together at home because of Meg's work schedule. Nate had pizza and Meg had Honey Baked Ham.

Linda & Bob stayed home this year because Linda had knee replacement surgery last week.

It was a different Thanksgiving Day for us, but different is not always bad. It was a very Blessed day at our house!

Happy Thanksgiving to all and hoping everyone takes time to be thankful for all your blessings.

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Nate Brings us Christmas

2010-11-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

It is great when Nate comes to Hanford! He installed our new computer and brought us wonderful Christmas presents as well.

Yea! A ream of paper!!!!
Yea Yea! An ink jet cartridge!
Wow! A wireless printer! Just what we needed for our new computer! Nate is the best!

Always keeping us up on our computer needs! Thanks Nate and Meg for a fantastic surprise and wonderful early Christmas! Love you guys!

Happy Thanksgiving to all. We are very thankful!

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Morro Bay Trip with Nate and Grandma Lois

2010-11-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Nate took Grandma Lois and me to Morro Bay. It was a beautiful day!

We went to the Nature Museaum. It was interesting and a great place to view the bay and rock.

Nate entertained us with a puppet show.

Later we went to lunch at the Mandarin Buffet. Then drove out to the rock before heading home.
Unfortunately, on the way home, Nate got a speeding ticket that made his mom feel really bad.

But the rest was beautiful. We really love and appreciated Nate's time and patience with the 2 old ladies with our walkers. He is a great kid! Love ya Nate!

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Catching up on October...

2010-11-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Here's Lyle in Las Vegas talking to Lois in Hanford. Always need to check in.
Individual glass flowers on the ceiling at the Bellagio Hotel. Remarkable!

At the Bellagio there is an amazing Chocolate shop called Jean Philippe. It has the world's largest chocolate fountain. It is an amazing store. Enjoy the pictures of the wonderful works of art in chocolate!

Life size model in chocolate dress!Fountain and cakes...
Cakes!!!!

Hello Kitty cupcake and others...
All cakes!

I had to be photographed with the shoe cakes!!!

Here is Bee with pumpkins!
The next 3 pics are baby toys I have been making. They are being sold at 2 stores. Twiggs in Hanford and Life's Little Treasures in Fresno.
Black and whites crinkle and have a bell inside for sound.

Here is baby Ainsley the punk rocker for Halloween. She is 17 weeks now. We babysit her 3 days a week now.

Here's Kate with her little girl. Oh so cute!

Having a great time. Feeling better too!

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Fall Las Vegas Get-Away

2010-10-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

After being home-bound since June, it was time for a little get away to Las Vegas. Visiting the Bellagio Hotel was amazing.

Enjoy some of our sights.

Giant metal cattails.Huge and colorful pumpkins!
Metal tree fountain and waterfall.

The weaved trees weigh 3 tons!The scale and beauty of this atrium is amazing!

Orchids...

Now.... Didn't that give you a little more fall spirit and appreciation of God's natural beauty and man's ability to arrange in a pleasing manner?

More to come from the Bellagio.

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Our Rental is on the Market...

2010-09-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Our house at 1212 N. 11th Ave. in Hanford is on the market. It is in excellent condition....Move in ready. This 2 bedroom 1 bath with a huge 550 sq ft bonus room on the back has wonderful storage and comes complete with washer, dryer, and refrigerator. It is perfect for a starter home, small family, or a ready to go rental income property. We are asking 129,000. If you or your friends are looking for a great home, please contact Sell Smart Realty. The phone number is the last picture of this blog.

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Bee's 2nd Birthday Tea Party in Hanford

2010-09-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

We had a Tea Party for Bee's 2nd Birthday. With the help of family and friends, we had a fantastic time.

Lyle made Bee a 2 shaped healthy muffin birthday cake. She really got to eat it because it did not have any processed sugar in it. Use fruit for sweetness, cream cheese for icing, and bran cereal for the muffin base = cake for Bee.

Bee sees her cake for the first time. She liked it.Bee and Papa with her cake.
Bee was afraid to get too close to the candles. Annie helped her do her practice of blowing out the candles.
These are the happy Great Grandparents to Bee. They love her a lot!
This is Dave and Debbie Fox. Debbie made all the sweet mini-treats for the party. She worked 11 hours to make enough treats for 60 people. She is amazing and a wonderful friend to volunteer to do all the hard work! Thank you Debbie! Dave assisted in carrying in and helping set up. Thanks Dave!

Here's Lyle just waiting for the party to begin.Uncle Leonard came by himself to a 2 year old's party. What a wonderful guy! We love you Leonard!

The table was filled with wonderful tasty treats made by Debbie and Bee's Great Grandma Asta.

Family is always the early arrivers!
Bee had a pretend Tea Party with some of the children who came to the party. This is with Tessa. Annie made some tasty looking felt treats for her table. Pretending is so fun!
Viola Swamp got dressed for the party. She has a tea pot dish towel, tea set, and 3 pictures of Bee having Tea at the Plaza Hotel in NYC with Eloise. (A famous book)
Ethan joined the girls. Everyone had a great time watching the show.

Many friends started arriving at the party.Jason, Lindsey, Annie, Tom...
Tom, Asta, Lois, Barbara..
More Tea Fun...
Our Cousins Sheryl and her 1 year old daughter Avery. We really appreciated them coming from Fresno to join us at Bee's party. (Husband Danny and Addison were out with the fishes.)

Avery joined Bee and Tessa for pretending fun.In the family room, the children decorated denim bags to hold the things they got at the party.

Next, the kids made puppets. They could fix them the way they liked. Moms and helpers glued on the felt to the puppets.Denis Bray drove up from So Cal just for Bee's party. What a great guy!
Bee's God-father Joe Sousa rode up with Denis all the way from So. Cal. Bee loves these guys!

Sandee my favorite and the best hairdresser and manicurist is in the background. She had done my nails for nearly 20 years! I was so glad she got to come to Bee's party!

Addison's puppet.Jolie, Jeanine, Annie and Bee...
After the little kids finished with the puppets, the big kids wanted to make puppets too. What fun!
Sorry this is not turned....but well worth the puppet appreciation to look at Bee's Aunt Melissa and her friend's puppets.

Many people crowded around to watch Bee and Annie open the presents.Barbara volunteered to write and keep track of the gifts. She is such a sweetheart!
Great Grandma Asta got Bee an Ariel doll. She really looked at her.
Sheryl and Addison got front row on the floor for the openings. Aren't they cute!
Great Grandma Asta got Bee the necklaces and tiara. She is saying "Cheese" for this picture!

Melissa and Tessa got her those pink shoes....Bee insisted walking around in them. She loves the jewelry and shoes! (That's my girl!)

Cute Bee Dog card.Taylor and Kristian Bringard got bee some new Pink Boots. She loves them!
Lindsey got Bee this cute stuffed animal.
Addison and Bee are saying Goodbye to each other.
Bee got to blow out her candles 3 times for her party crowd. (Good thing we practiced before the party!)
Unfortunately, my camera battery ran out! I had the best shot of Sheryl, Danny, and the girls and it did not take! I recharged enough to get this last shot.

It was a fun party. We wrote down 48 names of people we knew were there. It was pretty crazy at times. People were on the patio, family room, dining room, living room, and sometimes upstairs. They were everywhere! But we had a fun time with beautiful, tasty food!

Thanks to all who helped us with Bee's party! I have wonderful friends! Thanks!

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2010-09-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

Friday, Bee, Cory, and Annie came to Hanford. Here is Bee playing with Cory and Nate's old toys. I am glad that I saved them.Saturday morning we got the party balloons. Bee had a great time driving them around the house on the walking trike. Dotty was her best friend following her everywhere.
Bee decided that all the babies needed to go swimming in the pool. We had a great time pretending together. I love how she is starting to phrase and put ideas and words together.

Fun Fun Fun!!!!!
This Mimi loves her Bee Bee!
Daddy and Bee on Saturday afternoon. Cute!
Tomorrow I will post her Birthday Party pictures. What a fun time that was today!!!!

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2010-09-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

It has been fun getting ready for Bee's Party on Sunday.

Being home-bound for several weeks gives you time to think, ponder, design, and create.

I loved painting this Party sign for the door.
Then, I needed to do something with my favorite pictures of Bee this year.

This little picture quilt was a lot easier for me to make than finishing a year of scrapbook pages. It is my 1st picture quilt. I love the subject!
Getting very anxious to see my NYC family!

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Lois Turns 85!

2010-08-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

(Still having trouble turning the blog pictures. They are turned in the saved files, but come up all horizontal when I post on the blog.)

Saturday, August 28th, my mom Lois Lind turned 85! As far as she knows, she has lived longer than anyone in her family. She is doing great and had a wonderful day. Her friends across the street brought her a beautiful copper wind chime. They hung it just outside her sliding glass doors to see and hear. Another friend from church, Aldine, took her to breakfast at Denny's and then a little shopping. And, she got so many birthday cards from friends, they almost covered her entire dining table! She is a loved lady!
For dinner, Lyle and I took her Chinese food. It was terrific and quite large potions so there is plenty of leftovers for another day!
Her cake says, "Lois 85th"

I made her a small wall quilt that has 1 Corinthians 13...the love chapter words on it. She wanted it placed where she could see it on a regular basis. So, it fit perfectly over her fireplace.
She got a new dress to wear to church. She looks beautiful in that turquoise color.
Cory, Annie, and Bee sent her a hand made glasses holder.
All in all, she had a great birthday. We pray many more blessings on this special lady! What a pleasure it is to call her "My Mom."

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August Happenings

2010-08-25T13:33:00.001-07:00

Could not get this picture to move down!

The last time I blogged, sitting in the chair too long, set off my sciatic nerve into non-stop pain. So today, I am laying on a heating pad on the couch and using the Mac for the 1st time to do a blog. Obviously, I am having trouble turning and moving some pictures.

Anyway, I have been keeping somewhat busy making bags, dolls and my 1st wall quilt.
This doll is for Ainsley Reed.

This doll is for Claire Bringard's 2nd birthday.

This wall quilt is for Hacienda Nursing Home for all the wonderful staff that cared and attended to Lyle's dad Clayton. It has all the thoughts of 1 Corinthians 13...the love chapter. We feel like these qualities were extended to our family and the people they work with each day.

On Monday, Aug. 16th Kate had her 25th birthday. Lyle made her a giant cookie.
On Wed. We had our Bible Study Group for a pot luck and celebration for Lisa and Kate's birthday. The food was fantastic and deserts were plentiful! This is Lisa she just turned 40. She is a sweetheart!
Here is Kate with the same cake.

Moving back in time. On Sat. Aug. 14th we traded our '04 White Maxima for an '07 Copper Orange Ford Edge. We were very pleased dealing with Carmax in Fresno.

Here is Lyle with the first picture of the new car.

We were not sure of the color, but we like it now. We LOVE driving it! More comfortable and higher seats give a great view of the road and countryside. We are still figuring out some of the bells and whistles. The navigation system will be nice when we get it down. It's a fun new toy.
Best of all this month, our Bible Study friends have adopted us as their baby's local grandparents. Kate, Jesse, and baby Ainsley are regulars at the Bruce home. (And we love it!)

Because Kate is continuing her college classes and gets a lot of homework, we have volunteered to take care of Ainsley when she needs time to catch up. Ainsley is the best baby to watch. She smiles and coos, focuses on our black and white pictures, and rarely fusses. She loves to have her pants changed and listen to our voices. She is a sweetie!
My mom, Grandma Lois, likes to come over when we are babysitting. She loves to hold babies! She's a professional baby rocker, working the MOPS crowd for years at the church!
Lyle and I would take her everyday if it were possible, but we have to share with her parents.

We miss her on the days she does not come over!
Because I have not been feeling well and pretty much house bound, Ainsley has been a wonderful distraction for me. There is nothing like a baby in the house. Neighbors and friends have come by and everyone loves to see a baby.

Ainsley turned 7 weeks yesterday. She is a beauty!
I love this picture of them both snoozing. I know Lyle was not completely out, because right after the picture when I thought he was sleeping, I watched his right hand patting her little behind.

Other than my pain and misery, dr's appointments, and couchtime, that is it for this month at our house.

Except, we were very happy to see our friends Jordan and Sarah while they were here on vacation from Spain. They enjoyed the backyard slip and slide with Jordan's cousins on one day last week. They are now headed back to Spain. Also, Alex, aka The German came to visit. It is always nice to catch up on his happenings.

If you read our blog and are in the area, we are people you can just drop in on. We'd love to see you. Come on by!

Lastly, Cory, Annie, and Bee are going to be here by Sept. 11th. We are having Bee's Tea Party Birthday at our house on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 12th from 2-5. If you did not get an invitation, but read our blog, you are invited.

Hope to see you there.

Marlene

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L V July 23-25 Dave Koz & CCC Part 1

2010-07-27T16:40:00.001-07:00

This trip we stayed in Henderson at Sunset Station. We had free tickets to see Dave Koz in a small venue. We also visited the mega , Central Christian Church. WOW... is what I have to say about both adventures!!! After a rocky start of food poisoning and severe leg cramps on Friday night, we almost turned around and went home. But after much prayer and rest, symptoms got better and we got to stay.

At 110 degrees, poolside was a relaxing and cool way to spend some of the morning and afternoon. The pool at Sunset Station was not crowded and the little children were polite and well attended.

We got lounges in the shadiest part of the pool area. It really was not overwhelmingly hot. Lyle needed to rest after the terrible night he attended and worried about me.

We did get a little sunburned. But it was a great way to spend the day.

Here we are later that night in our own private booth. (The other couple we were to share it with, did not show.) It was raised above everyone and I had plenty of room to stretch out my sore legs all during the concert.

The show started at 8:25 and went until almost 11:00 with a 20 minute intermission. It was a lot of show!!!!

I know it looks a great distance to the stage, but it was not! Other than being in the front 3 center rows, we had the best seats in the house.

The talent on the stage was amazing. Musically, there was a wide range of fast and slow, instrumentals and singing. Dave Koz, Jonathan Butler, and Sheila E were amazing together in harmony, musicality, and humor. Their backup band individually and collectively oozed with talent. What a fine show it was. In part 2 of this post, I have posted 2 short videos for a little taste of the music. Enjoy.

On Sunday, after a wonderful breakfast buffet at Sunset Station, we went to Central Christian Church. (You can go to their webside and get a little taste of the ministry and worship.) We LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, it! We could attend there on a regular basis. FUN!!!!!!

The people were warm and inviting. The guest center gave us a book for visiting. It is called "Stripped" by the CCC pastor. What a calling and vision to be a Las Vegas pastor. Believe me, God is alive and doing well in Las Vegas.

We arrived early and sat outside the sanctuary to watch the Jr. High and High School kids waiting for the 10:20 church to start. Kids are the same everywhere! There is a theater for the kids to meet in.

I peeked into the Pre K and Kindergarten room. I could only get half of the room from the door I was looking through.

Outside the nursary the walls were painted and had 3D art attached.

The church was huge. Seats 4000. They run 2 Saturday and 2 Sunday services and have 4 satalite churches in various parts of LV. The 2 huge HD screens, brought you close to the stage no matter where you were sitting.

I snapped these before church started. But, the place was pretty full when it started.

If you are ever in Vegas on a Sunday, we highly recommend this high energy fun church to visit. The talent on the stage was amazing and the sermon is memorable. (I will continually be aware of keeping my JOY no matter of the circumstance. It is God given and does not change as life happens. It is not the same a happiness. It is deep and is a gift from God to His family. I have it! Do you) Oh yes, the pastor was on vacation, but the huge screen dropped down and he was looking 10 feet tall on the stage as he gave the pre-made video message. It was fantastic!

Here we are at the Aria in the new City Center. (I was looking pretty tired.)

The rest of this blog is on the next page. Enjoy!

L V July 23-25 Dave Koz & CCC Part 2

2010-07-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

Due to upload problems, I had to start a new blog to get the pictures downloaded. It would upload some pictures and both videos, but not the rest of the pictures.

A taste of Dave Koz. What a great performer! The best show we ever attended. Dave, Jonathan, and Sheila with the band were a wonderful mix of amazing talent, showmanship, and energy! Jonathan gave a brief personal testimony of being a believer and follower of Jesus! Very cool!

A taste of Sheila E and Jonathan Butler.

Lyle by The Cupcakery at the Aria....Yummy! This is for Cory and Annie!

I love this sign.
Riding the Tram from The City Center to Bellagio. These 2 buildings are built at 5 degrees slope on each building. It looks like they are crashing together. They are on the Strip apartments.

People cooling down at the Monte Carlo pools. There is a running tube ride, a wave pool and 3 more swimming pools in this one area. This was taken from the tram station.

Outside the Aria hotel. Wonderful round fountain that has dancing waters and multi-color lighting for the spirts.

Again, another wonderful adventure not far from home at a place that is amazing to visit.

aaaaaaachoooo, choo.......

2010-07-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have seen this train since I was a kid but never had ridden on it. Thought it was time.

Number 10 is one of two trains still in use on this line. Pretty cool seeing them in the barn and then coming out. It snows here so they are put away for the winter. These engines were built around 1865 in Ohio. They were driven out to the Valley and disassembled in Madera. They were then brought into the mountains piece by piece and reassembled there. It's probably 5,000 feet elevation and there are a lot of mountains between here and the valley. Can you imagine how much work that is on something that is this heavy? This was the middle of nowhere, hardly any roads, no trucks etc. It uses 500 gallons of water each trip and I forget how much oil, but a lot.

It's really amazing to see this thing run. The drive train, crank, bearings, piston rods are all on the outside so you see everything working. Really cool. The pistons are huge. It pulls an amazing amount of weight.

The engineer invited me into the cab during a stop to get water. It's hot and there is a lot going on.

July 4th 2010 and Baby Reed

2010-07-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

This year Lyle and I went to the Hanford High Football field to view the fireworks. It was a fantastic show and a fun gathering of friends.This is Jesse and Kate. Their baby was due on the 4th of July. Does she look close to going into labor? NOOOOOO! Erika was joining Jesse and Kate. They were all new to the Hanford High Firework experience. Believe me, they liked it!Jeanine and Larry walked to the stadium and enjoyed the fireworks with us for another year.Lyle and Larry a little Looney! Must be the start of their names! Almost embarrassing! :)

One happy mama-to-be~ The show was wonderful! I am sharing 10 of my favorite firework pics (out of the 70 I took) for Cory and Annie. They said it was not a good year for Firework Shows in Brooklyn this year. They got nothing. It was too far to travel to Red Hook to see them and the Macy show was only on the West side this year.

So Cory and Annie....these are for you! Enjoy... a little late! Note, the color is washed out compared to the real deal, but they were beautiful!

This one was shot through a viewer-in-a-fan that was given to us as we entered the stadium. It really enhanced the lights.

So this brings us to today. Wednesday, July 7th. This is Ainsley Reed. Born July 6th at 6:23 pm. She weighed in at 8 pounds 3 ounces! Mom had about 3 hours of hard labor after inducing.

We have adopted this family and just had to go to the base hospital to hold this beautiful little girl. Oh yes, and see her parents.

Kate is such a proud mama. She did good!

In case you did not know, Lyle loves babies! He was such a good papa to our boys when they were babies. Well, he still is a good dad, But babytime is very special to him.

So Jesse is done sharing! He loves his little girl!

Kate is such a sweetheart sharing her new little bundle. She is so glad to have healthy little Ainsley.

Unwrapped and ready for Jesse to change her diaper. She is such a good baby. Not much crying to be out in this cold room.

It is fun watching the 2 guys taking care of this sweet little girl.

Ainsley latched on to Lyle's finger and was holding so tight, her little fingertips were turning white. After about 2 hours of baby holding, we went home. But the memories are forever.

Congratulations to Jesse and Kate on the birth of their perfect little girl, Ainsley.

Las Vegas Great Hotel - The M Resort

2010-06-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

On the very south end of Las Vegas is the new M Resort. We spent 1 night there. It is NICE! Beautifully build with closet, desk, refrig, and TV.

Fresh look...

Headboards had cushions, mirrors, and builtin lighting.

Our view was south. It was very dark at night!

Floor to ceiling windows had electric shades.....very cool!

Okay, the bathroom had a window into the bedroom.

Very light in the bathroom in the daytime. There was an electric shade that came down for privacy.

Vanity mirrors had lights builtin for great lighting. But there was a lighted magnifier makeup mirror as well.

Nice soaking tub! Beautiful striped glass doors for both the shower and the toilet areas.

Lyle in the bedroom, I'm in the bathroom...taking the picture!!!

Lyle said this was the BEST shower he had ever be in!

Perfect shower head for his showering pleasure.

There was a remote control on the vanity, but we could not see the TV. Finally, Lyle found it in the mirror. When it is off, you only see 2 little dots above it on the mirror. Very Cool!

Nice!

So if you are looking for a 4 star hotel experience, we recomment the M Resort in Las Vegas!

Las Vegas - Mt. Charleston Trip

2010-06-19T19:20:00.001-07:00

This Vegas adventure yielded a wonderful discovery. If you take the 95 north out of Las Vegas you will run into the Spring Mountains. It is only 19 miles out of NW Vegas. It took about 30 minutes to get to the ranger station. You start in pretty flat desert then move into higher cactus and some rolling hills.

You can see snow on the mountain and we hoped to find a little snow. But no such luck.

About 10 minutes in, the rock formations begin to get more interesting.

Then you start to see more green on the ground instead of just brown and cactus.

Wow....Pine trees! A real mountain feeling is starting to happen.

Each curve in the road (which is NOT real curvy!) yields an even better mountain experience.

In about 30 minutes you are at the ranger station at Kyle Canyon. This is a campground. There are tents, 5th wheels, and trailers in this park. When you step out of the car, the fresh pine smell and cool temperature fills you with that perfect mountain experience.

Of course, Smoky the Bear was there!

I'm holding an interesting brochure about the Spring Mountains, elevations, campsites, history, etc.

A friendly tourist snapped our picture.

The road goes on a little farther. We did not continue on to the other campsites. We did not find snow. But, we were sure we would not reach any snow according to the map.

Can you find Lyle?

Visitor Center and small store.

Shocked!

My Man!

Styling my NY short sleeve jacket. (Mother's Day gift from the kids)

Well, we have come to THE END!

Something we learned later from the weather report, it is about 30 degrees cooler at Mt. Charleston! So when those 110 degree days come, we know where to picnic! Just 30 minutes out of NW Vegas!

34th Anniversary Get-Away

2010-06-14T23:48:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, Lyle and I went on a little adventure. Lyle surprised me with a little get-away starting in Malibu. Lyle drove down to the Getty Villa. What a great place to visit.

From this entrance point you can see the ocean. It is a beautiful place to visit.

In the amphitheater they do ancient Roman dramatic productions. Lyle was waving so you could see him!

An authentic Roman Villa was recreated for Getty to show his art pieces from his travels.

Unbelievable detail was given to every surface wherever we went.

This is an outside hallway ceiling. The large pool which runs between the 2 long halls.

On the 2nd floor there are many authentic treasures.

A Roman mummy
So after we left, we thought we might make it to the Reagan Library before it closed. They have added Air Force 1 and the Oval Office that we had not seen before. We got there at a perfect time....about 4:00 when the crowds were leaving.

The Oval Office was reconstructed to exact measurements. Many of the things in the room were the real deal. The guides were very informative and answered any and all questions about the room.

The size of Air Force 1 within a building is staggering! The views were breath-taking. The tour through the plane was a blast from the past. Everything looked so dated compared to today's technology. We highly recommend this tour!

There are people who make exact replicas of historic buildings.
This one of the White House is amazing. This is from the front.

And on the backside, you could see the details of each inside room.

This display was representative of the building of the White House. The carved characters were very individual and expressive. You could spend a lot of time examining things in this room.

There were era displays. This one happens to be of Lincoln and what the room was like in his time. There were several others. I guess you will have to visit to see those for yourself.

One of the guides took our picture in front of the life-size bronze statue of President Reagan.
So we drove a couple of hours up the coast to Solvang. This is the Days Inn we stayed in. Not the greatest, but it did have a windmill in the front if you look closely. (I took this from the filling station while Lyle was getting gas.)

On Thursday, we went to many places. This is one of our stops at Pismo pier. It was windy and there were many white caps all day up the coast.

We stopped for lunch in downtown San Luis Obispo. We ate by the creek and shared 2 wonderful salads.

At Morro Bay, we stopped to say Hi to my friend Lu Chi Fa, author of "Double Luck, Memoirs of a Chinese Orphan." He was not there, but we were entertained by these seals. They were picking at each other in between snoozing on the rocks.

So after a long winding drive up Highway 1, we got to Monterey. These seagulls were like statues in the wind. All lined up and holding their own.

This shot is for Cory. Vinyl Revolution was one of his college day hang-outs. It is still there. And across the street is one of Cory's favorite Mediterranean places to eat. It is still there.

While driving around near the ocean, I spotted this deer in someone's driveway. I had to grab the camera fast to get the shot. She looked so out of place in this residential area.

We stayed at the Rosedale Inn in Pacific Grove. They advertise that they are 400 yards from the ocean. Lyle actually walked out there, but it was a lot of climbing. The inn was so much better than the previous night. We enjoyed the fireplace, Jacuzzi tub, kitchenette, and free wifi. It was really a good place to rest for us.

On Friday, we headed to Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Lyle loves this town, because his grandparents used to live here and he would spend summers hanging out in Santa Cruz.

Here is a Falafel Hut we had to take the picture for Cory. Maybe someday he will visit it. It is located across the street from the Boardwalk. Lyle is getting good at taking our picture. It was overcast until about 11:00 when the Boardwalk opened, then the sun popped right out and was a perfect day.

We rode the sky cars and took in the amazing views.

We enjoyed the displays and the lack of a crowd. It was a perfect time to be there!
We rode the carousel and Lyle got the ring in the clown's mouth. It made the buzzer go off and everyone applauded him.

About 2:30 we headed home. We had a great 3 day Anniversary Get-away adventure!

Mimi Marlene Goes to New York City

2010-06-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are at Pino's Pizza for my special Mother's Day lunch with Annie and Bee. (It is hard doing a self portrait well. Sorry Bee!) Pizza was yummy! We also went to a Park Slope bakery to share a dessert. Thanks Annie!

Here we are at Brooklyn's Botanical Gardens. It was beautiful, and on Tuesday's it is free!

Bee loves to play in the water and throw as many leaves as she can find into the flowing pond. We were there at least 10 minutes. That's a long time for a 19 month old!

Bee loves holding her own food. She loves to eat wherever we go. This is an egg burrito Annie has brought along for her.

Bee is styling in her sunglasses.

I love her curly hair! I told her many times she was my "Curly Girly."

Bee is standing her ground here. She did not want to follow her mommy. In just a few seconds, she goes down a path to her right. I had to chase her down and talk her back to our path. Funny!

The big diaper box came and it was her playbox all the time I was there. She got rides and spun around in it. It was her baby house, etc. She really enjoyed this box!
Annie found new baby diapers for free by one of the stoops. Bee is diapering all her babies with the 4 diapers her mom gave her. The rest will be going to her friend Hillary who was due on Memorial Day. (We did not hear from Hillary before I left on June 3rd... So, no baby yet, I guess. I did get to meet her mom who was in NYC from Bakersfield waiting for her grand baby to appear.)

Cory took me to Mother's Day dinner at "Song," a Thai place in Park Slope. My Chicken Pad Thai was the best I have ever eaten! The serving was huge, the place was hip and upbeat with candles on every table. The price was amazing for under $7, I got 2 meals out of my 1 serving!

On Wednesday morning, we walked to the end of the block, crossed the street, and we were at Prospect Park. It is an amazing place for people and animals to enjoy! This is a playground that has water features among the many playground facilities. Bee got on her water clothes and shoes and got to splash in the water. What fun!

Because it was going to be the hottest day of the year so far at 91 degrees, Annie, Bee, Bryna, Felix and I took the subway out to the NYC Aquarium at Cony Island. Here we are at the sea lion show. We did not stay for all the show..... it was too hot.

We moved inside to the air conditioned exhibits. We had a snack down party by a huge fish tank. It was fun letting the toddlers wander and hang out in the cool buildings. Each mom had plenty of snacks for all to share. There was some controversy over the blue berries. Felix did not want to share with Bee because they are his favorite. Bee loves them too. Bryna was a great referee for the toddlers! :)

Thursday morning we got ready to go to the Prospect Park Zoo. (You know, almost across the street from their apartment.) Bee put on her Farm Dress and all the necklaces I brought her from California.
Bee loves to feed the sheep. For a quarter, you can buy small pellets to give the animals. Bee gives them one by one. This is a patient sheep!Goats get fed too! There are many animals at this local park zoo, both wild and tame. It was a fun morning!

When we got home, Bee insisted on daddy putting on her ballerina shoes. These are house shoes she loves to wear. Later that evening, we went out for Mediterranean food. Bee got her own red bean salad, hummus, and fresh handmade pita bread

Annie's Pitza... Pitza, because it is on a freshly made pita bread with Pizza toppings.

Cory ordered this.... I don't remember what it was called. I had a pitza too, but I guess my picture did not download. Yummy!

Bee loves to play with her babies. She is a great mommy to them. She moves them from place to place all day long. She is getting necklaces for them. She usually lays down by them for a minute and then moves on to another place like the couch in the other room, the chairs, tent, or the box. These babies have a wonderful life with Bee as their momma!

Friday we went to the Brooklyn Children's Museum. We were a little early, so we played in the next door park for about 20 minutes until it opened at 10 am. Bee loves to swing, but mostly she loves to slide. I have some great videos of her sliding. This is a very fun museum for kids to play and imagine many things to do. Here Bee is making us Pizza. All the things are there for a full restaurant experience. She made it, baked it, rang it up on the register, got dishes for the table.

Here we are enjoying our pizza!

We went grocery shopping. She picked out many things, checked them out, conveyored them back into a return cart, and restocked the shelves. (This day, we had most of the areas to ourselves. Many kids were in the museum on field trips, but we easily avoided those areas.)

Here we are learning to write Chinese characters. There are a lot to learn!!!!

We went upstairs to the Japanese exhibit. We had a tea party and did many things the children in Japan do.

Magnet board with leaves to put up. She did them all!
After Bee's nap, we went into Manhattan. Here is Cory and Bee in the Magic School Bus display at Scholastic Book Store. Fun Fun Fun!!!

Bee loved holding this paper umbrella in "The Pearl." Oriental gifts, food, clothes, you name it, they probably have it in this Soho store. What a big girl walking down the Manhattan streets with her Mommy and Daddy.

So we went to an Indian restaurant called Hampton Chutney Co. Bee and I shared a Dosas with avocado, fresh tomatoes, arugula and jack cheese. The sandwich was wider than the tray on the diagonal!!! 2 meals for under $9 out of that huge sandwich!

After dinner, we went to Moma Design Store. We found this Bee backpack. It was a must have for my little Bee. She wore it all around the store while riding the wooden trike provided by one of the store employees. She was busy and the adults got to shop! Bee loves her bee!
On the way home we walked through the Friday night celebrations in Little Italy. Then on to Canal street for some bargaining shopping for scarves, tee shirts, and a purse. Cory took us to a wonderful Chinese bakery called Fay Da Bakery. Everything was very low priced. My chocolate torte was 95 cents and very yummy! Annie got a huge Red Bean sweet roll for 95 cents as well! We saved them for when we got home, because we were still full from dinner.

Saturday morning Bee and I played. Here she has even more of her babies! What a fun time we had!
In the morning we went to "The Best Flea Market in NYC" a quote from Martha Stewart! Then on to Target. For those of you who have not been to a 2 story target store, I took a picture how you get your basket up to the 2nd floor. The carts have their own escalator! (The down side cart escalator was not running, so Annie had to to take the cart down on the elevator!

After Bee's nap, Cory, Bee, and I went back to the park. This path was peaceful and very wood feeling. But if you look to your right about 15 feet through the plants and trees was the sidewalk, a street, and tall buildings on the other side. You would not know you were in a big city unless you were looking for it.

Back on the paved park path at Bee's pace.

Bee saw Daddy walking with his hands in his pockets, so she had to copy. It is amazing what they watch and try to imitate!

This is the toddler area. All the parents hover! Fun to watch!Sunday morning we walked to church. Bee is wearing the Bee dress I made her. She had to bring her matching doll and handbag in her clear backpack. She looks to cute!

She doesn't always like to hold hands!

After Cory and Annie's church we went home for Bee's nap and then on to Brooklyn Tabernacle where CeCe Winans was giving a free concert. We got in line. It moved about 8 feet and then a man came out and told us that the Church was full and had to go to an "overflow" facility around the corner and across the street. That room filled up too! I don't know how many were there, but there are 10,000 weekly attendees at this church! It was huge! CeCe was fabulous, but Bee could only take about 1 hour. So we left early and went back home to rest.

For dinner, we went to an Australian sandwich shop. The food was wonderful. This is the vegetarian sandwich.I had a chicken with curry sauce.

Annie brought Bee a burrito. She was having a tough day working on cutting a left side I-tooth. After dinner, we went to Louie G Ice Cream and Italian Ice Shop. All the flavors are fabulous! I want to open one on the West Coast. They are all East Coast located, because we contacted them on the internet and they got right back to us!

Walking home in Park Slope, we passed this fire station. It had to snap a picture of the firemen just sitting out in front talking to whoever walked by.

Memorial Day, we rested in the morning. We took Bee to the park in the afternoon. She had a great time! She spent about 10 minutes on this drawing. She was really into making the hair on her kitty picture. She pointed and said, "Yaya." her name for cats!

See the parents hovering! Cory said they live in an area where everyone is very serious about parenting!

Bee loves to hang on bars. I have a video where she hangs almost 30 seconds without anyone helping or holding her. She has great upper body strength!Of course, Daddy wasn't too far away! Oh, I might mention the scab on her forehead. She missed the last step infront of their apartment the day before I came. They are called toddlers for a reason!

Relaxing in the park.

Cory put together the dragon kite. It was really cool!Bee kept pointing to the kite and saying..."BeeBee's."

Cory wanted Bee to share the experience by holding the handle. I'm not sure she really got it, but it was a cute picture.

On Tuesday, Jennifer and baby Oscar invited us over for a breakfast treat. There were 6 babies and mom's there. 4 boys and Bee! She holds her own with the guys!Jennifer is in the Black top and Oscar is in the green shirt standing on one of his toys! Thanks to Jennifer for the nice time and inviting me!

2 houses away from Cory and Annie's house, a neighbor has planted a beautiful flower bed. He has his 3rd floor apartment up for sale right now if you are interested, it is listed for $750,000. Bee and I were just happy to pose by the garden.

Tuesday night, we went out for pizza. Here is Cory's choice. Bee got toppings from Annie's pizza and garlic bread knots.Here is my mushroom and red pepper pizza. Only $3 and filling!!!

Here's Annie's pizza. Pino's Pizza was a fun place.Right across the street from the pizza place is the school Bee will attend for Kindergarten. We took advantage of their playground while Cory ran to Louie G's for Italian Ice for our dessert.

Bee loves slides!She is just starting up this one.

She looks determined! And, she makes it to top!My last day to play with Bee was a fun time! She dressed in all her jewelry and we enjoyed the entire morning together while Cory and Annie went to the DMV to get New York driver's liscences. What a fun little girl! A real treasure! Anyone who knows her will tell you the same. This is not just grandma talk! A Blessing from God! I have to say Thanks!While Bee took her nap, Cory took me back to Manhattan for one last shopping spree. (5 jackets this time!) I love Daffy's and Jack's World. They are both by Macy's and Greeley Square. Good time! Oh ya, Annie gave Cory a haircut!From that corner, you get a look at the Empire State Building. Had to snap one.
We enjoyed some Korean Ice Cream on a stick then caught the subway back home.

Flew from JFK to Salt Lake City then on to Fresno. The mountains were beautiful in SLC!

Oh yes, I loved flying Delta! It was a much better experience than United from previous flights.

Well, back home in Hanford and missing my Bee! I loved all the hugs and kisses. She is a sweet little girl! Come see Mimi real soon Miss Bee! Curly Girly, Honey Bunny, Beetle Bug, Buzz-Buzz!

Your Mimi loves you soooooo much!

(Only 3 hrs. to post this!)

Remembering Karl......

2010-05-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

I spent the day with my father-in-law Karl. He's been gone for almost 5 years but I'm sure he was hanging around with me today. Let me tell you what I did....

This morning I went over and aerated the lawn at the house on 11th Ave, then I went to Fresno and watched the Fresno Grizzlies play an afternoon game. You got in free to the game if you parked in certain lots.

So what's this got to do with Karl? Years ago on a visit to Denver, Karl showed me this tool you use to put holes in your lawn so the water gets down deeper etc. I've seen him use it several times. I was fascinated and I knew I wanted that thing. Now Karl had just about one of any kind of tool you could ever want but that was the one I never forgot. When it came time to move them out here, I made sure the aerator was coming west. It's about 3 feet long with handle bars and a place for your foot, with one tube on each side of your foot that you push into the lawn repetatively and the plugs come out the top. While I am walking around the yard making plugs of dirt, I got to thinking of Karl.

Karl was also a big fan of the Triple A baseball teams in Denver. He went for years to see the Bears and Zephyrs play. This was before the Rockies came into existence. He would tell stories of the guys he knew at Mile High who would get him the "good" seats because he was a "Senior" and had a hard time walking. So naturally while I'm sitting there watching this Triple A baseball game, I thought of Karl. He would have been pleased with me. I think the only things that would have made the day better for him would have been a nap and a trip to the Kings Table Buffet. This day was for you Karl.

Celebrating Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-09T13:07:00.001-07:00

Lois Lind is a fantastic mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother! She lives love, caring, prayer, hope, help, faith, honesty, and friendship...just to name a few of her wonderful qualities. We celebrate you today!

She loves roses!

She is my mom and I love her with all my heart!

I love lilies! Thanks Nate and Meg! I love you very much!

I love Cory, Annie, and my little Bee. Today I celebrate the wonderful Gifts of God in my life. Lyle is my soul-mate and the best man I know. Without him, I would not be a mom. I would not have such wonderful children and a granddaughter. I am filled with awe and wonder at the fantastic gifts of life my Savior has given to me. I am a truly blessed woman.

Thanks to all!

Daughter, Wife, Mom, Mimi Marlene

Vegas in April

2010-05-06T19:55:00.001-07:00

April 14th we went to Vegas. It was our 1st time to stay at Green Valley Resort. They gave us an executive suite. It was 850 square feet. These pics were taken after we messed up everything, but you get the idea in size. We liked it!

Red Rock Resort is about 15-20 miles off strip. We really like it there. I always wanted to take a picture of the fountain. I just like it. It is a beautiful contemporary place to stay.

This is from the freeway in the North West of Vegas. This is where we are looking to get a place.
We love the mountain views.

The next house pictures are all from the house we like the best...so far... It is the "Wakefield" by Warmington at Northern Terrace Providence. It is in a gated community with The Club. Clubhouse, 3 swimming pools, workout facilities, etc.

Entry

Front bathroom

Office

Dining Room

Living/Family room

Living Room

Attached Kitchen to Living room More Kitchen

Living space

More Mountain views from NW Vegas.

View from freeway looking toward the strip from NW Vegas. It is about 20 miles away.

Cory, I thought you would like to see this decorating idea we saw in one of the model homes we visited.

I have many more pics but this is all I have time to share from this Vegas trip.

We did enjoy a wonderful Randy Travis concert and many other fun things that I did not take pictures of.

Hope you enjoyed a little bit of Vegas that you don't always get a chance to see if you just stay on The Strip.

Lyle's Cons from Nate & Meg

2010-04-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

Just before Lyle's birthday, THE package arrived!

Nate and Meg gave Lyle a gift card to design his own Converse Tennis Shoes.

After much thought, many hours of thinking and toying with the ideas, and finally deciding, the order was placed, shoes made, and now were delivered.

TA DA.......

Peacock Feathers with black details!

They are titled..."Cool Grandpa" in aqua stitching.

The wrapping said...
So there they are...

One of a kind, Lyle designed, Cool Grandpa Cons. Thanks to Nate and Meg for the really fun Christmas present!

P.S. Lyle wore them all over Las Vegas, and they are comfortable too!

I'm Diggin' Up Bones........

2010-04-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

The Silverton sent us tickets for Randy Travis on Friday night. Thought the show would be good but didn't know how good. He was great! What a show....all his hits from the past just like they were recorded, and there are a lot of them. His band is unreal, they are so good. The time flew by. There's a taste of the show attatched although the quality is not the greatest. Anyway, it was well worth the trip and I'd recommend seeing him. In fact he's going to be at the Palace this week and I wouldn 't mind going. We also met a really nice couple next to us and really hit it off. It was definately a Divine moment in time as they are in a really hard spot right now. I hope we can follow up and develop the friendship.

Rental Painting On Lyle's BEE-DAY

2010-04-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

Painting started at 8:00 in the morning. Going from White to "Blank" at 1212. The rental was in need of a new paint job!

Dave Fox came over and helped Marlene tape over the windows, steps, french doors.

About 3 hours later, Lyle was around the house.

Under the carport and all the eves got a fresh new look. It is sooooo much better!

Lyle is wearing the paint speckles. He said he took a face full one time.
Dave made a Starbucks and cleaning scrubber run for us.

With both Dave and Lyle cleaning, it took over 2 hours to clean the sprayer and hoses of the power sprayer.

Big job over by 2:00. It looks fresh and clean.

Touch up and trim work is next...but not today!

A big thank you to Dave for helping!

Happy Birthday Lyle!

Happy Easter 2010!

2010-04-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate a risin Christ!

After church photo. So glad Nate is in town to celebrate Easter with us!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Clayton's Home Going Celebration

2010-04-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated the home going to heaven of a wonderful man... Clayton Arnold Bruce.

He was a wonderful husband to Colleen for over 46 years and Darlene for over 12 years.

He was a great dad to Lyle for over 57 years and Coleen, Doug, and Martin over 12 years.

He was a fantastic grandfather to Nathan for over 30 years and Cory over 26 years and Darlene's grand-children as well.

He loved his Great-Granddaughter, Bee. He loved and enjoyed all of Darlene's great-grand-children as well.
He blessed his family!

Clayton knew and loved God! He was a faithful, kind, loving, generous, and honest man.

We are proud to call him dad.

Today, Pastor John Stafford spoke at his graveside service. He did a wonderful job.
John knew Clayton because he visited him regularly at the nursing home. Thanks John! God's Divine humor.... Clayton and Colleen purchased their burial plot 1 space away from Darlene and Ralph's burial plot many years before he decided to ask her to be his 2nd wife! Interestingly enough, Colleen and Ralph died about 5 months apart. So all their bodies are lying close together in the cemetery. But they are rejoicing in Heaven around God's throne.
God always has a plan!

Today we found out that Darlene's daughter Coleen will be buried just one row away.

God knew! He makes me smile!

We were surprised, amazed, and thankful for the many friends and family to came to the graveside memorial service today. There was a huge gathering!

Lyle is catching up with his cousin Bruce who traveled from San Jose for the service.
Thanks Bruce for taking your time and driving all the way to be with us!

Uncle Quint is the last surviving Bruce in Clayton's generation. Clayton and Quint built their houses next door to each other. They were always together. Susan, Lyle's cousin, made sure that Quint got to the service from Fresno. We love being with family! Thanks Susan & Quint!

We have such good friends who joined us today. We love Dave and Debbie Fox, Arlene Heinrich, Susan and Paul Bringard. You are faithful friends and surround us with your prayers and love!Thanks you guys for taking your time to be with us today!

Nate and Meg drove over this morning from their vacation at Morro Bay. We know that Nate loved his grandpa very much. He made it a priority to come and visit both sets of grand-parents on a regular basis. It means a lot to us that you both were there. Thanks Nate and Meg!

Darlene's family was such a wonderful part of Clayton's later life. He loved spending time with this family. They are a fun bunch and took him in and loved on him. We appreciate them so much! They brought a lot of life into Clayton's world! Thank you Hodsons' and Grabows'! There were many church friends and people who worked with Clayton at the Memorial.

Although I missed getting their pictures, we are grateful that they joined us. Thanks to all these friends and especially the kind loving ladies at Glad Tidings Church who provided and served a wonderful lunch for our family and friends. You are sooooo gracious, generous, and good to us!

Lyle with Don Jenkins. Myrna is in the background. More great friends!

My mom, Lois, is being hugged by Donna Yeary. These were great friends of Clayton and visited him regularly.

I need to take a moment and give my mom credit for the many days and hours she spent with Clayton in the nursing home. She was faithful to visit 5-7 days per week from the time Darlene died until the end. (Almost 2 years!) On Clayton's last day on earth, Lois did not go to church that day, she spent it with Clayton singing, praying, and reading the Bible. This is very special to Lyle and I. She really cared for Clayton and for people. (She has made so many friends at Hacienda, she has decided to continue going to the nursing home on a regular basis to love on those people who can't get out and go like she does.) She is a wonderful woman of God!

I need to mention Cory, Annie, and Bee for a moment. We know they really wanted to fly in from New York, but we told them not to come. God blessed them with purchasing a new apartment in Brooklyn and this is a critical time for them to be in NY to move into their new place. We know they love grandpa and hated missing this special service. (This blog is for you!)

I have been blessed with wonderful in-laws. Colleen and Clayton took me in from the very start. I was the daughter they never had. They loved on me and made me feel like part of their warm loving family. I learned from them and grew because of them. Their strong Christian values became the center of our home and family. I am grateful for the legacy they have left and I pray that my children and grandchildren will know, feel, and continue in Christ's love and purpose as shown by Clayton, Colleen, and Darlene Bruce.

Lovingly,

Marlene

Saturday in March

2010-03-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

Typical Saturday morning at the Bruce's. Catching up on friends and events. A video chat with Cory, Annie, and Bee. After this, Lyle will go to mow lawns at the rentals. He has already baked a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies for a friend in our Bible Study. (What a guy!)Dottie is being lazy on the top of the couch. She has been watching me take pictures of my new Bee Bees Originals bags to put up online.Here are some of the large denim beach bags I will be posting in my Etsy shop today.

I hope they sell! Go to www.beebeesoriginals.etsy.com to see my other original items. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

Pancake and Friends + LV Town Center Pics

2010-03-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

Yea! On Feb. 21st , Pancake, his girlfriend Ani, and the German came by for a visit. It was fun catching up with these great friends. It is always great to see how time is changing and growing the old high school kids into wonderful independent adults. We are really proud of these kids!These are promised pics from the new Las Vegas Town Center that is being built in the middle of the Las Vegas strip. It was our first visit to this place. We marveled at the architecture. It is amazing! It almost seems that there are no squared off walls in the place. It was a fun adventure.

These steps are lighted from behind. They are thinly slided rocks floating in the glass. The colors and shapes are amazing!

This curved wood was part of a restaurant. Beautiful woodworking!

The high end stores were everywhere. The displays were amazing. The pillars are melting ice into a pool. I am sure that in the summer, this will be a "hot spot" for cooling off.

This is inside the mall area. Unbelievable lines!
Outside from the strip, you get the angles of the buildings, sticking out in all directions!

Outside again! The glass and looking inside to see the structure....again...amazing!

The name of this mall is called Crystals.This was just a portion of a huge wall painting. Still under construction.

The mosaic is individual wood tiles! PATIENCE to put this together!

We were fascinated at the wracks! Did not go in...just admired from afar!

These are metal trees down the center of the mall hall. Very cool!

A closer look.The natural light was wonderful.

There was an abundance of are and amazing structures. I love this piece out of marble.

This is a gigantic curved wall of water. You can see some workmen walking at the top. This is not a public place. But it gives you some perspective of the size of this beautiful place. It also is very tranquil.

There are lights in this fountain that change the color. Also there are many water patterns this fountain performs! Fun to watch, but we got kicked out from standing by it and taking pictures. It is by the hotel valet drop off for the Aria Hotel.

Inside the Aria, there was a lot of eye candy. This was by a confection shop!

These buildings are leaning in many directions. It looks as if they may tip over. The yellow and gray is not open, but looks to be offices or apartments. Very modern and fun to look at.Well, there was so much more to see and do there. We will have to go back and gather more wonderful pics as buildings open and the center expands. It is the newest thing in Vegas that we know about.

LV Red Rock Resort and Wakefield House

2010-02-08T11:44:00.000-08:00

We always love to stay at Red Rock Resort! This time our view was not so great on the 4th floor, but this is our own little hall to go to our room. It even has its own doorbell!

Lyle wanted a shower picture, so now you know all!

This room is just our style!

Marble bathroom with deep soaker tub was fab!
So now it is time to see the new house of our dreams! It is in a new subdivision called Northern Terrace at Providence. It is way up northwest of the strip. Probably 20 miles from the strip. It is in the mountains and the views are amazing. This home is built by Warmington Residential. It is the Wakefield single story model plan 2.

This picture is in the back of the house in the family room and kitchen area.

Looking back to the front door. We love the long stone tile path to the back of the house.

The kitchen and dining area is nice. We would prefer to extend the cabinets and granite to the back wall behind the dining table. It is one of the options, just not shown in this model. Stainless appliances and granite are standard features.

There is a separate dining area with wonderful windows on the right side looking out to a courtyard. The hallway behind this area goes to the master bedroom which is behind the kitchen.

On the other side, there is a bedroom with a full bath. The master bath has a large shower with a seat plus a large oval tub. NICE!This is the view from the dining room to the inner courtyard. These windows fill the room with natural light.

This shot is the small hall that leads to the front bedroom and full bathroom. Although, not huge, these are good size bedrooms.

This is the entry view of the house. Again, I love the long hall to the back living spaces. I am looking in the office or optional 4th bedroom. The door behind me goes to the laundry room where there is the garage entance. The closest door on the left, is a closet. This is a nice office area! It has beautiful single panel frosted french doors to close it off.Here is the view from the office to the inner courtyard. You get a lot of light in the rooms because of this courtyard.Here is the outside entry. It has tape and new paint around the front door.Here is one side. It has a double car garage.Here is the other side. We know it looks very simple from the outside.

(There were painters still doing finishing touches on these new models. Some models did not have the glass on the showers.)Well, that is it.

Karin, our LV realitor even sent us a listing for one of the new Wakefield homes. Maybe this is the one God has for us. We will wait and see! Still praying for his guidance in this matter.

Annie, I thought you would enjoy these felt embellished pillows. These flowers are beautiful!

We will post another blog with the City Center pictures later. It was a very fun relaxing trip!

Love the New Sewing Machine!

2010-01-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

It was time to get a new sewing machine. The Wards Signature model from the 60's was on its way out! My friend, Susan, suggested a Bernina..like a Lexus machine. I was not sure, since I had been using a Kia machine for many years and am pretty tight with my money. When we got to the Bernina dealer in Visalia, Lyle spied the demo machine sale. It was under the $1,000 that we were expecting to see. I liked it right away, but had to go to JoAnn's to see the Singer model I had read about in the Consumer Report. It was only $390 on Amazon.com. Well, JoAnn's offered no demonstration. The lady handed me the manuel and went back to the register. She said she had sold about 15 of them for Christmas. Well, that sold me on the Bernina. Service and Help! I recommend Thimble Town in Visalia. Ask for Stu!

So here it is!

So..Sew...here are some of my new projects. Re purposing Thrift Store finds.

Green Suit Bag. Large, Roomy, and many fun pockets. Yoke top large bag. Fully lined in black. 1 pocket inside.

Medium size plaid purse. Fully lined with 1 pocket inside.I love that my new machine can handle the heavy fabrics I have been using.

FUN! FUN! FUN!

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-25T19:05:00.001-08:00

What a blessed Christmas today has been. I am starting with the New York section of our family. Cory, Annie, and Bee enjoyed Christmas in New York.

Bee got to hang out with the Santas in her neighborhood earlier this month. There were a lot to see, but she looked like the youngest one there.

Isn't she cute in her snowman dress!

Cory and Annie took Bee to Macy's in Manhattan to see their great Santa.
Let's just say, Bee was not impressed! But I love this picture!

Nate and Meg came to Hanford on Dec. 23rd. They visited Clayton at the nursing home.

They gave him a ride and visited the birds and cats that live there.

Later that evening after a wonderful dinner by Lyle, we opened presents. Nathan chose to adorn his head with a candle ring! Very festive!

Cory and Annie web-cammed from New York to enjoy the opening of our gifts. It was almost like being there...kinda! They sent Lyle and Nathan finger puppets. They are doing a little play for their entertainment!

Grandma Lois got to join in all the fun.
Lyle is opening his present from Nate and Meg. He gets to design his own Converse Tennis Shoes online! Great gift for him! He has already done a prototype but has not exhausted his creativity to send in an order yet. Fun!

Both Nate and Lyle got helicopters! Nate was right on it and by the morning, he was flying his around the house and outside. We need to get more batteries! 6 per plane.

Here's Cory and Annie at our Christmas in Hanford...even though they are in New York!
So on Christmas Day, we went to Lyle's cousin's home in Fresno. Bob and Linda are always such great hosts! Here is Danny and 9 month old Avery. Nancy and Lois are in the background.

Sara, Geoff, Lyle, and David were sitting together. We are glad that David made his way home from San Fransisco.

Sheryl and 3 year old Addison, with Linda and Bob behind.

Fun gifts were given!
Uncle Leonard read a Christmas book to Maddie and Addison. It was about a Christmas Fruitcake getting stolen. But turned out okay in the end, because Christmas is about Jesus, not Fruitcake!

We all had a great time! Great food and fun! Being together with family is PRICELESS!

Lyle and I had a great time at the party. This is our Christmas picture for 2009!

Thought you would enjoy a short video of a little fun! Give this group plastic guns with ping pong balls and watch the wars begin. Nothing says family "love" like a little gun fight! Note: no one was injured in this folly!

We hope you had a Very Merry Christmas and made wonderful memories of your own!

Remembering the Reason for the Season! JESUS...get to know Him!

Ladies and Genlemen....Fresh and Easy..........

2009-12-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

The new Fresh and Easy in Lemoore opened after Cory and Annie left so they wanted to see what it looked like. It's a pretty cool store. Prices aren't bad and they have some interesting stuff.

Sigred, Marley and Marlene just inside.

A humus sampler.

The prepared food section. There is some really good stuff here.

Oils and infusions etc.

Marley the big shopper.

The quinoa, brown rice section.

Self checkout

Santa Comes to Hacienda Nursing Home

2009-12-20T19:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday at 10:00 Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus came to Hacienda Nursing Home to pass out presents and give Christmas cheer to its residents. Note, this must be the real Santa, he jingled when he walked!

Clayton must have been a good boy this year. Mrs. Santa delivered his present!
Santa came to pose with Clayton and Mert (Clayton's next door neighbor).

Clayton got a nice green blanket and a green bear beany baby for company.

Mr. Lindsey had been good too. Santa came to give him a gift as well.

Carol Whiteside, a Hacienda resident loves to sing. Here she is singing, The First Noel.

It was a very nice event for all the Hacienda gang.

Merry Christmas to all!

Put It On Your To Do List.......

2009-12-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

How festive is she?? Mannheim Steamroller is an awesome experience live, especially in a theater setting.

I apologize for the picture quality. I was trying to do it without a flash to not cause a scene.There were six main musicians and eight in the orchestra. The sound system was nothing like I have heard before. It was so crisp and clear, you could easily pick out each instrument being played. The drum heads were mic'd so when the drummer moved from his left to right, it moved through the theater from our right to left. It was like you were in the middle of the music. The second half was very different. They showed a video on a see-through screen for much of it. It was a banquet in a castle in 1490 that took up the top 2/3's of the 50 by 30 screen and then MS was back lit in the bottom third playing renaisance Christmas music. Very entertaining. Their first encore was of course Silent Night, which is incredibly moving. The second encore was Angels We Have Heard On High which is very fast and really shows them off. Go see them whenever you can.

It Beats A Rock By A River..........

2009-12-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

They things are amazing. Everything is sensor driven. You have to really look to see if there is water in there, because they use so little. I feel soooo green.