Can you believe it?

I was looking at old movies and pictures. Check me out! I was VERY fashionable. Clearly, it was because of my Mom!

And then, there were times where I wonder - what was she thinking!

I am hooked on this artist!

I have yet to figure out how to buy this online, and download it to my iPod, but for those of you who have that skill set add "The Good Stuff" by Schuyler Fisk. It is a great album (do they still call it that?) and it is perfect for when you want to sit back and just relax. There are some upbeat songs, but it is more low key.

Enjoy!

A Video Tribute

One of the things Regina's Dad, Alex, enjoyed was to capture the important and interesting events in his family's life in home movies. Fortunately, all of the 8mm films he shot were converted to DVD a few years ago and each of his kids now has a copy. Over the last few days, I have been reviewing all of that footage (whew!) and put together a 4-minute video of clips I pulled from Alex and Betty's home movies. Enjoy!

The Summer of 2009

I am sure many people will look back this summer and say "wow, what a summer!" Usually, people say it reflecting upon a summer full of family, friends, travel or excitement. Well, I guess I can say that, too, but unfortunately, it also had a tremendous amount of sadness and frustration over the death of my Dad and the massive stroke my Mom had just five weeks before his death.

My family consumed most of my summer, but it was the kindness and caring of my friends and colleagues at work that made it all bearable. I am still heart broken over my Mom's stroke and I struggle with how we will care for her. Will she walk again? Will she get to live at home? Will I get to have a conversation with her like before? I could go on and on, but I know I now need to find a way to move forward.

I recently had a conversation with a friend about life, love and happiness. It is a complicate mix to achieve, for sure, and to complicate matters our definitions of each of those three change as our life experiences, personal and professional desires, and obstacles change. If I have learned anything this summer, it is that life can change in an instant. I now think that the secret to life, love and happiness is to live in the moment - live life now. Save nothing. Have no regrets.

Thank you everyone for the support and prayers. It means more than you know.

Saying Goodbye to Alex

It was a sunny, warm summer morning in Waynesboro, VA when Alex's family and friends gathered to say goodbye. The funeral mass was beautiful. We picked up Betty from the hospital so she could attend the service. Afterward, the family gathered at Betty's home for lunch, compliments of Jim's sister-in-law. Betty loved being back in her house, even if it were only for a few hours. When we drove her back to the hospital, she did not want to get out of the car to return to her room.

Before family members began leaving to go home, they posed for some pictures. I'm still working on the big picture of everyone, but this picture of Betty and her four kids is ready to post, although I do want to photoshop out the pictures on the wall behind them. I wish I had noticed that before we took all the pictures! Oh well, live and learn, I suppose.

In Memory Of My Dad

For the first time in my life, I'll celebrate Father's Day without my Dad. The man who taught me how to play basketball, camp and ride a bike passed away on July 21st at the age of 83. We say goodbye on Monday.

It has been said that the loss of a parent is one of life's most traumatic events. I now know the devastating truth of that statement. I've been told that, in time, the hurt will fade, only to be replaced by positive memories. Already, I can feel that happening as I look back at past pictures in remembrance.

I love you, Dad.

Sad News

Regina's Dad, Alex died today at about 7:10pm, EST. He was 83 years old and was in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease. He was taken care of at home by Regina's Mom, Betty, until her stroke about six weeks ago. At that time, he was moved into a nursing home where he remained until his death today.

The doctor at the nursing home had alerted Edy (Regina's sister) of his condition early enough that she was able to arrange for a priest to give Alex the Anointing of the Sick and a prayer for the dying, before he died. Edy said his breathing was labored and his eyes were empty. Edy and her daughters Paige and Katelyn laid their hands on Alex and prayed for him as the Father annointed him with oils. A few hours after that, he was gone. He will be missed.

Alex Chepalis - Pictured here 3 years ago
when he and Betty visited us in Seattle.

Happy Fourth of July!

Getting Excited About Vacation

It is hard to believe that it is now July. We had planned a vacation to Alaska (cruise) several months ago and we leave next Saturday! This will be our third cruise to Alaska but we really love it up there and cruising is a fun way to relax, see the sights and have a great family vacation. Katie, our 5 year old, loves all the kids activities and this will be her fourth cruise and second to Alaska.

We just booked a few excursions -- family friendly ones -- and are excited to finally get to do the train ride in Skagway. We waited too late last cruise to book it. So, we are riding the railway in Skagway, panning for gold in Juneau and cruising with eagles in Price Rupert, BC Canada. I love eagles and Katie's school has an eagle as its mascot so it should be fun. One day I want to do the more challenging activities like the zip lines but Katie is still too small!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Time to Go Home

Our last day in Waynesboro (Virginia) was Saturday, June 27. We stopped by the hospital to visit Betty and say good bye. It was upsetting to leave her, but we were there for two weeks and it was time to return home. It's during times like this when I wish we didn't live so far away. Below is a picture of Regina and her Mom.

We also stopped by the nursing home to say good bye to Alex, Regina's Dad. He has Alzheimer's disease and isn't able to hold a conversation anymore. So, we brought things to do with him - a few 24-piece puzzles and a toy. These things are good for keeping his hands and mind busy. The kids enjoyed playing too, so it was a good way to get Grandpa to interact with his grandkids at a time in his life when his social skills are deterioriating.



Later in the afternoon, about 4pm or so, we drove up to Northern Virginia and checked into the Marriott by Dulles Airport. We did this because our flight home the next day was at 7am. Fortunately, we were able to have dinner with my brother's wife, Peggy and their two kids, Justin (12) and Josh (9). We met them at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Anita's in Chantilly. Here is a picture of Katie with her cousins, Justin and Josh.



And finally, here is a 7-minute video of some footage I shot during our impromptu visit. Hope you enjoy it!

Luray Caverns - June 20, 2009

On Saturday, June 20, Regina and I decided to take all the kids to Luray Caverns located in the northern Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. It's no longer a guided tour, but rather, each visitor gets headphones to listen to an audio tour. There is an adult version of the tour and a children's version. Regina, Katie (5) and Matthew (6) were totally entertained by the kids audio tour and they zipped through it a bit more quickly than Katelyn (10), Paige (12) and I did. We three girls had our cameras and needed some extra time to take photographs. When I get home, I'll take a look at the video footage I got and if it's any good, I'll post a short movie of us taking the tour. Here are a few of the pictures I got, though:

PreK Car Wash

For these last couple of weeks at school, Katie's PreK class has gotten to do some pretty fun activities. Today they got to paint and then wash their teachers' cars!

Photos by Regina!

Yogurt Hair and Marshmallow Nose

Katie woke up this morning and knew exactly what she wanted for breakfast. She didn't want cereal or even a yummy english muffin with peanut butter and honey. She wanted a pancake with a face on it. If you've ever been to IHop, you probably know what she's talking about. So, here's what we came up with:

We used a strawberry yogurt tube squeezed, squiggled and topped with sprinkles to make the hair. The eyes and mouth are made out of fresh, cut strawberries. And Katie's special request was to use a pink mini-marshmallow as the nose.

More Fun in the Sun

Today we took Katie to a park in Beaverton to play in the water. Fun times!

Music: Lost in This Moment by Big and Rich

Tater Tots and Tank Tops

I grabbed my camera - actually Katie's camera, which used to be Regina's - on the way out to take Katie to school because I wanted to take a few shots of her in front of the rhododendrons outside our apartment which are in full bloom. She said to me, "Is that why you gave me this tater tot? So you could take a picture?" I said, "What? You have a tater tot? What tater tot?" She got irritated with me because I didn't immediately understand what she was talking about and as we began to climb the stairs outside, she said with an attitude, "Yes, Mom! This one! Right here! You gave it to me this morning to wear!" I noticed she was tugging on her shirt. I resisted the urge to laugh out loud (she HATES that!) and I said, "Oh, you mean TANK TOP! The shirt you are wearing is called a tank top, not tater tot." She said, "Oh, that's right. Tank top."

The whole time we were taking the pictures, she was worried about the bees buzzing around the flowers. She had a hard time relaxing. Even though not a single one tried to sting her.

Finally, looking at the camera,
but still nervous about the bees!

The End of a Long Weekend

We decided to drive up to Seattle late Thursday night to avoid traffic on Friday afternoon. We got in late and by the time we got there, unpacked and got Katie to bed it was 11:00. We followed soon afterward. On Friday, Katie had a great time with old neighborhood friends while I worked. We ended the day by having dinner with friends and a walk around the neighborhood.

Music: Sunshine by Schuyler Fisk

Saturday was a day of play and relaxation for all. Katie spent the day with her Seattle sitter at the pool while we enjoyed a lunch out and a movie topped off with running a few errands. Katie spent the whole day outside and ended the day playing again outside with the neighborhood kids. While we are all out, someone came through the house so luckily it looked nice.

Sunday was a day of work! Suzie worked inside and I worked outside on the mulch and plants. Before we knew it, it was the end of the day. Everything looked so good we decided to drive down to Portland that night instead of on Monday thereby missing all the traffic. We left Seattle around 6:30 pm Sunday night and had a great drive back.

With all the travel, play, and work, all three of us woke up feeling sluggish. After lunch, Katie wanted to go to the mall to get new toys. We headed to the mall, and everyone walked away with something. Kate got a cash register from Disney, Suzie got a jewelry box from Nordstrom's and I got a dress shirt from Nordstrom's. Still feeling lack luster but not wanting to go home since it was so nice outside, we headed to the Starbucks near our apartment and enjoyed a drink outside while Katie played with her new toy. There is a Columbia outlet store there so we decided to walk through it and ended up buying two outdoor chairs. There are so many water parks here that we thought it would be good to have a place to sit while Katie played in the water or at the playground.

After playing grocery store with Katie's new cash register for over an hour, everyone is now getting ready for the upcoming week. I paid bills while Suzie kept Katie busy. Now we are all watch SpongeBob (just don't get the attraction but kids love it and ours is no different). Bath time is next up before bed. It was a fun weekend, but now I need a day off to rest!

Sunny and Hot Weekend!

Yep, that's right. Those of us in the Portland area enjoyed lots of sunshine and warm temps this weekend. What a treat it was. Regina and I took Katie to the Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland this afternoon. Katie rode her scooter along the waterfront path while we walked. It was crowded, of course, so Katie got a crash course in dodging walkers, runners and bicyclists. I'm happy to say she had no collisions, although there were a couple of close calls.

At the park is a very popular water feature where people, mostly kids, got soaked and cooled off. Here are some photos of Katie enjoying the water.

Giraffes and Tie Dye

Katie's class is currently learning all about Africa this month. Each child is asked to give a presentation to the class about one of the animals who lives in Africa. Katie's animal is the giraffe and today was her turn to present to the class everything she has learned about the giraffe. Well, in our house, an assignment like this results in a lot of work for me and minimal participation on Katie's part because she can think of a million other things she'd rather be doing! That's okay though. I enjoy putting together presentation materials. I pulled together a few interesting facts about the giraffe, downloaded some pictures of giraffes for Katie to color, along with some regular photos I found on the internet and I made a book all about giraffes for Katie to share with her class. She and I read it a couple of times last night and we were done. Last time she had to present information to her class, I think we practiced too much and she lost interest in it. I didn't want to do that again. I was tempted to go over it again this morning before school, but resisted the urge.

Shortly after we arrived at Katie's school this morning, it was her turn to present. I went with her and the two of us sat in front of the class in the teacher's comfy, overstuffed chair. I held the book so everyone could see and guided Katie through the material. We played off each other to get all the information out. Katie did much better than she did last time. She wasn't as shy, she spoke loudly and clearly, and she was excited to talk about the giraffe. And at the end, she did a good job answering questions from her classmates. I am so proud of her!

Later in the morning, Katie's class got to tie dye t-shirts. I decided to hang around for that because I was curious to see how it is done. Here are some pictures of the activity:

Happy Mother's Day Moms!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Left to Right - Mom, Jim, Regina & Sue in front. No Edy yet!


Left to Right - Dad, Dad's Mom, Dad's Dad, Mom & in front Sue, Regina and Jim (Mom's lap) at the Memorial Street house in the dining room. No Edy yet!

Mom and baby Regina

Mother's Day Brunch

Katie's Pre-K class celebrated Mother's Day today by inviting all the Moms to a brunch in their classroom today. Unfortunately, I was still feeling the pain of a migraine that just wouldn't go away, but even so, I was able to appreciate the festivities. I went to Urgent Care immediately afterward, though.

The kids and their teachers put together a little program where they read stories they made up and sang songs for us. They also had each child draw a picture of their Mom (or Moms, as in our case) and describe, in their own words, a little bit about their Mom. The teacher laminated the picture and the written description of the Mom, on colored construction paper and presented it to each Mom. But first, the teacher read each one out loud and showed us the drawing to see if we could first guess which Mom it was. So, we all sat there, squirming a little bit, nervous about what our child might have decided to share about us. Some of the things the kids keyed in on were quite humorous. Turns out we have a few beer-drinking Moms in our group! We also have a Mom who takes naps every afternoon (she denied this allegation, though). Kids are funny. And, they do pay attention to what we do! Fortunately, Katie didn't share any embarassing details with everyone aobut us. Here's what she said:

"My Mommy has flat curly hair, and my other Mommy has curly hair. My Mommy likes to watch the Biggest Loser show, but definitely does not like to watch Sponge Bob! My Mom likes to work the most but also plays Candyland and Chutes & Ladders with me. My Mommies like to drink diet coke soda and water."

And here are a few pictures:

Class of 2022

Last night Suzie and I attended parent orientation for Katie's new school - Catlin Gable. When we lived in Seattle, we knew that many people sent their kids to private school in part due to the income level (lots of Microsoft Millionaires) and condition of the public schools. We got recommendations and toured one school and fell in love with the idea that our only child could go to a private school. It was amazing and not like any school I ever attended.

When we relocated to Portland, I did a search and (of course) found the most expensive one in Portland. I had to like it, right? After touring it and others, I REALLY liked it. We were lucky enough to get in to Catlin Gable. It goes from pre-K all the way through High School so if we can continue to afford it and she enjoys it, Katie can be a "lifer" at the school.

Last night, it just reaffirmed our decision. It is a community, not a school. We had a host family to welcome us (they have a daughter that attended the pre-k program) and we met all the other parents. They encourage the "family" environment and as such there are family events, lots of kids play dates throughout the summer at their amazing playground, and ways for us to be active. It was overwhelming, amazing and humbling all at once. It feels like the best gift I/we could ever give Katie. I want her to be able to graduate from here and she is only in Kindergarten!

It was weird to hear a welcome to the class of 2022. I guess I am ready to put down roots.

Puppy Names

Last night Katie was telling us (again) that if we got a puppy (we're not), she would want to name it Juliana. She seems to have picked this name out of the blue. It's a nice name, but isn't it a couple of syllables too long for a dog? So I said, "Okay, if we name her Juliana, then what would we call her? Jules, Julie or maybe Ana?" And Katie quickly replied, "Well, how about we call her Rachel?" After a moment of pause, Regina and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Even though Katie hates it when we get a good laugh at her expense. Sure, let's name her Juliana but call her Rachel!

Wow, A Sunny Day!

We decided today to get out of the house early just in case the weather decided not to cooperate. Before lunch, we made our way to Tryon Creek State Park, which is only about 3 or 4 miles from our apartment. They have some really great trails and we ended up doing about a 2-mile loop.

Our next stop was Subway for lunch and then Katie really wanted to spend some time on the playground at the George Rogers Park in Lake Oswego. We spent a couple of hours there.

Next stop was DQ for ice cream and then we just drove around, exploring the area a bit.

And finally, on the way home, we stopped at Toys R Us where Regina bought Katie a mini trampoline, just her size. It'll only hold up to 100lbs, so Regina and I can't step foot on it! It's a great way for Katie to work out all that unlimited energy she's got. She loves it.

This is the picture from the Toys R Us web site...
So, that's not Katie.

Rainy, Sunny Day Wrapped Up With a Bow!

We decided to take Katie to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch today, which she loved. It's not about the food, there. It's about the activities. She's particularly fond of the Skee Ball, among other games there.

Next, we headed for the mall to get a couple of things we needed. While we were there, the power went out. It's weird to be in a public place when it blacks out. Fortunately, the lights came back on before anyone had time to freak out. We didn't even realize that it was stormy outside because it was partly sunny when we went inside.

Driving home, we noticed the traffic lights closest to our apartment were out and there was evidence that heavy winds had blown through, causing us to expect our power to be out at home. But, no. We had power, fortunately. The worst of the storm was over and it ended with the rainbow you see above. Katie was pretty pleased with that.