Lovely Spring!

Easter Sunday in the garden at church

Jerry gave Mina 2 baskets of Helen's knitting supplies which Mina
will use this summer to teach the MOPS Moms how to knit.

The day after Easter, Kirk & I drove down to Coronado
Island for a few days away.

The Coronado Island Bridge
Kirk is talking to Heather about the wedding photographer she
chose with the San Diego skyline in the background.

We got dressed up and went out to dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant on the bay.
This is the view from our room before we left.

Then we went to the Lamb's Players Theatre to see "The Rivalry." I would highly recommend seeing it when it comes to your local theater. It is the dramatization of the debates between Stephen Douglas & Abe Lincoln.

The next day we went on a tour of the Gem Institute of America in Carlsbad.
Here is an amazing display of handmade jewelry, all in platinum!

This chess set weighs in at 12 pounds of GOLD! (@$1,600 an oz!)

There were many displays of all different types of gems. I learned a lot!

The huge Swaroski crystal rotates and refracts the sunlight.

This year, we skipped the tour and parked out car above the Field of
Flowers & ate a picnic lunch.

We had a wonderful 3 days!!

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Heather & Jeff's Engagement Photos

Heather's bridesmaid, Amber Nunez, is a professional photographer,
who offered to take their engagement photos as a wedding gift!

The 3 of them used the old artsy buildings in downtown Fullerton for backdrops.

Jeff had Heather's ring made by our jeweler, Larry Schuber. It's beautiful!

Our wonderful daughter!

It was pouring rain the entire morning, so many of the shots included the big black umbrella. This is one of their favorite one.

Some Pre-Wedding Activities

I love this picture of Kirk seeing Heather in her wedding gown for the first time! Of course, I have more pictures, but I don't want Jeff to see her in her dress before the wedding.

KeriAnn Weber, Jeff's mom, Karen Himes, & I went to David's Bridal to help Heather choose her gown. Keri was a huge help, getting Heather's hair just right with a veil. She will be the Maid-of Honor in the wedding.

Here are Kirk, Heather, Jeff & the Best Man, Jeff Livings, tasting gelato. Since Heather & Jeff met in Italy, the wedding will have an Italian theme. They will be serving 2 flavors of gelato instead of a wedding cake Will it be: Chocolate, strawberries & cream, raspberry with chocoalate slivers or vanilla? Yum!

Here I am outside painting 22 paper pots to look like Roman urns.
They will holding the grapes on the tables.

Heather is spraying 22 baskets black to hold
the sliced baguettes and cheese for the reception.

Dad's Cochlear Implant "Hook-up" Appointment

On Tuesday, 3/2 I drove Mom & Dad to the House Ear Institute for his cochlear implant "hook-up" appt. It was interesting being on the "watching" end instead of the "new hearer" end. Here are a few photos.

Here, Dad is hooked up to the computer. He is signaling with his hand as he hears the tones in the sound processor. Doctor Mills programmed the processor for about an hour before Daddy could actually hear voices, etc.

Dad & Mom holding hands-so sweet!
She & I both starting crying when he answered the doctor's questions correctly.

Dad & Mom learning how to use the remote control.
(His model is newer than mine!)

Doctor Dawna Mills is the audiologist who painstakingly programs the processor at each of 4 appts. By the end, he will have 4 custom-built programs just for his needs.

Like father, like daughter. Dawna is so great to work with!

Mom & Dad had not yet looked at the EAR, so they posed by it just like I did.

We ate our picnic lunch on the 5th floor patio overlooking LA and the Hollywood sign. The hospital at the right is where we both had our surgeries.

Here you can see the processor hanging on his ear.
The round part is a magnet that is "talking" to the magnet inside his head!
Amazing technology!

Valentine Weekend

After all the rain we've had, our flowers are all mixed up!

But, we sure are enjoying these "daffy down dillies."

Here Grandpa Stevens is seeing Heather's engagement ring for the first time. Heather got red roses, a card & a California Bride's magazine from Jeff today.
This morning they went to both churches to announce their engagement.

I went to Mina Taylor's on Friday night and had a fun time decorating
cookies with a few other ladies from church.
You can see part of my Valentine mug collection from Kirk in the tray on the table.

Heather & Jeff are Engaged!!

The gondolier took this photos of them. :-) Their ride included French bread, salami & cheese, chocolates and sparkling cider.

Tonight Jeff Himes proposed to Heather on a Venetian Gondola in Newport Beach-how romantic!
She said "yes!" and he gave her a beautiful ring that our jeweler, Larry Schuber made for her.
As soon as I get them off her camera, I will post a few pics from the gondola. :-)
We are thrilled!

Our Vacation to Sedona, AZ. Radisson Poco Diablo Resort

On Dec. 27, we took off for a vacation in Arizona. The first day we drove to Prescott and enjoyed our stay there. The next day we took the scenic drive through Jerome to Sedona. It is one of the "America's 120 Most Scenic Drives" from the Reader's Digest book with the same name. I am trying to slowly work our way through the book. Here Kirk is standing at the Tuzigoot Monument where Native Americans lived in the 1200's.

Sedona is famous for its beautiful Red Rocks, which surround the city.

We had a spacious room at the Radisson Poco Diablo Resort.
It has a view of the golf course with the red rocks in the distance.

Welcome to Sedona!

One day we drove up to Flagstaff and stopped at the Cracker Barrel Country Store.
The Oak Creek Canyon Vista area was a fun place to throw a few snowballs.

Sedona is the New-Age center of the US because of the "vortexes" that are there.
There are palm readers, auro photographers, UFO tours, etc. all over town!

We went off-roading twice, meeting the Pink Jeeps coming and; going. We were in our warm 4-wheel drive Road Runner at 70 degreees, while the jeeps were open in the 34 degrees snowy weather. Brrrrr!

Kirk bought a turquoise-inlaid pocket knife at the western shop in Sedona.

The last night we were there it snowed. The snow outlined the layers in the red rock, to make a beautiful photo opportunity.
We drove back through Oak Creek on our way out of town. It was beautiful!

Here we are at Slide Rock. (This is where Heidi said that they bring the kids on their way to California. They stop here to play in the creek and slide on the natural water slide -in the summer). We arrived home in the early evening on New Year's Eve. What a wonderful trip!!!

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