Danielle Carlene

Another blessing came into our lives 7 years ago today. Our 2nd Granddaughter and #4 Grandchild was born in Hammond Indiana! I was able to be there...and boy was it cold! This poor Grandma with California blood..nearly froze to death when I took Michael out for a quick..and I do mean QUICK walk one afternoon. I don't know if I've ever been in that kind of cold before or since!
Danielle survived it though, at least until June when she moved to sunny California. We were so happy when they moved just around the corner from us, then less that a year later moved into our house! We had so many fun fun times while she lived with us in Wrightwood.
Danielle has a very infectious laugh...we enjoyed that a lot. She is a great helper, and loves to have fun pretending and playing all the time.
Our lives are better, our hearts more full since she joined our little family. I know she will enjoy everything about her birthday today..that is just the way she is, I wish we were there with you, but we surely send our love.
We are ver so thankful that Heavenly Father sent you to our family. We love you little one!
Here are somd fun random pics of this little shingin star: When she visited this past December she was fianlly big enough for the bumper cars...and LOVED them!

They raise bunnies in Washington...here she is with a baby bunny!

Cute little thing, isn't she?

She and aunt Tanya had lots of good times together..this was watching fireworks one 4th of July.

This is one of my favorite pictures...this is her Mommy's dress from when she was a little girl...sweet isn't it?

Future American Idol????

A mutual admiration society?

I think this was her 1st birthday at Chuck Cheese.

She is just a cutie! We enjoy her. We miss her and Danielle, know that Grandpa and Grandma J love you VERY VERY much! Happy Birthday!

A great weekend!

We had a wonderful weekend this weekend. These pictures are backwards, but you'll get the idea.

We spent Friday at Disneyland with Taylor. We have a tradition of taking the grandkids to Disneyland when they turn 4, but since Taylor has had a pass since she was 2, that wasn't too special. We decided to spice it up and we would take her one day by herself and get an autograph book and get as many characters to sign as we could. Well, she turned 4 in November! With blocked dates on our passes, and my work schedule we just couldn't seem to get it to happen!

I looked ahead at the calendar, and realized I had Friday the 13th off, AND we weren't blocked so we scheduled this trip more than a month ago!

Who would have thought it would be a rainy day???

We still had a blast, and accomplished what we set out to do, getting several autographs.

We ate breakfast in a cafe on Main Street and were visited by the Chef, we saw the newly refurbished Its a Small World, visited Pixie Hollow and the Princess place, and visited both Mickey and Minnie's houses. We rode Buzz Lightyear 2 times and Taylor really wanted to go on Star Tours!!




Tinkerbell is pretty cute and very friendly!

You can't see the cute Mickey belgiun waffles that Taylor had...we want one of those waffle-makers!

So, better late than never, but as usual...always a fun day at Disneyland!

The night before I went to San Diego to visit with my 1st friends and co-workers from when we lived there. Linda Gerhold was visiting from New York, and she and Karen Ballew and I met for dinner. We met at the place where Westwood School held it's end of the year luncheon the year I left, and I had cried the entire time there! Oh the memories we shared while we sat for 3 hours and laughed and caught up on each other's lives. These ladies really took me in when I started working as a Yard Duty as soon as we moved there. I played Bunco with them, served on PTA and we shared in each others happy as sad times as well. I treasure these friends, and hope that so many years will not pass before we can visit again.

The weekend just got better as Tyler, Tanya and the kids came up on Saturday to play in the snow. We had a great time with them sledding, building snowmen, making snow angels and making and throwing snowballs. You'll have to watch Tayna's blog for pictures as I didn't take any..too busy having fun!http://jorgensonclan.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html

Then my Valentine took me out to dinner...what a guy! I think I'll keep him!

Today is a special day!

10 years ago today our lives were changed forever. Makayla was born. Quinn & Amy were living in Pocatello Idaho then, and when we got the call, saying it was time for the baby, we got in the car and drove like crazy to get to the hospital. As we arrived the snow began falling, Amy was getting near to delivery. We waited out in the hall and I paced back and forth from the doorway to the nurse's station where a moniter showed Amy's activity! That was so hard!! My little girl was working so hard to bring a baby into this world.
As it got close, Jerry & I stood outside the door, and heard Makayla's first cries. They were mixed with mine and Amy's but they were beautiful!
10 years later, as I think back on all the joy this little girl has brought into our life and the additional grandbabies we have had since, I realize that February 9, 1999 truly was a day that changed our lives for the better!
Here are some random pictures of our little angel..certainly in no specific order.
This was in Nebraska, when unknowlingly Makayla and I dressed in coordinating outfits for church.

When we visited, I got to hear Makayla practice her recital song. She is so talented!

Makayla lost a tooth on a visit to our house.

She and Grandpa can be so silly!

I love this picture of Makayla when she was so little. Her happy personality is already shining through.

She frosted cookies here one day...what fun!

This is a four-generation picture taken at Tyler & Tanya's reception. I am so blessed.

Makayla, you are a great joy in the life of your Grandpa and Grandma J. We are so proud of all the good things you do. We know Heavenly Father knew your spirit and sent you to be the first child in your family as well as our first grandchild...you are a great example to those who have and will come after you.

Have a wonderful birthday Makayla Marie...we wish we were with you.

The twins are 2!

Today these cuties turned 2 years old! Who can believe such sweethearts could grow so fast? It has been so wonderful to live close to them and share in so many milestones of their first 2 years. Happy birthday Andy & Ashlyn! Grandpa and Grandma J really love you!

Last year they celebrated in style, and it has been a really fun year. They traveled to Nebraska, they've been camping, to the beach and the mountains, played in the snow, started talking, and they just grow and grow!
Then they were new. Such a joy to be at their Blessing, to share in their first steps, a trip to Hawaii, lots of road trips, opportunities to babysit and the laughter and love to share. That 1st year went by so fast!

Fun at the Holidays

Here is a brief pictoral of our wonderful holidays this year. We had a great vacation, although we didn't get to see all of our family, we were able to see a good portion, and 5 of our 9 grandchildren.

Tyler and Tanya invited us to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with them. It is such fun to be with the little ones for that morning.





Ashlyn and Andy enjoyed the train table Grandpa J built.

Taylor really enjoyed opening presents. Everyone was so happy and fun!

Saturday the 27th we had my whole extended family here to our house. We took a family picture, nearly 40 people with only 1 family and 2 additional people missing. My house was PACKED, but it was great to all be together.

Jerry & I took 3 of the Grandkids to Tom's Farm one day. Who would have thought they wouldn't have the rides going during the holiday week? Thank heavens for the coin-operated tractor, they all had fun with that!

We went to a park near Tyler & Tanya's house afterwards. The kids ran and ran and Taylor swang and swang!She was getting quite creative and brave!

On New Year's Eve we took Michael & Danielle to see a movie and then to John's Incredible Pizza for dinner. All they wanted to do was the bumper cars!

The season was wonderful, surrounded by those we love.

Who could ask for anything more?

Happy New Year everyone!

Winter Wonderland

Add a little cherry syrup and we could have a snowcone picnic!
This morning you couldn't see any of the cars!

When winter hit this season here in Wrightwood, it really hit hard! It started Monday the 15th, but I was able to get to work OK. 3 of the teachers at Cottonwood who travel up the Cajon Pass, sat in their cars for 5 hours!

Tuesday was OK too, but Wednesday morning I was awakened at 5 AM with a call saying that Hesperia schools were closed due to snow. When I looked outside, there was no snow falling here in Wrightwood.

Well, within a half an hour it came down hard and NEVER QUIT all day!

Jerry took these pictures at about 11 AM, and today the skies are beautiful blue and the snow is nearly 4 1/2 feet high.

Lucky for me Hesperia schools were cancelled once again, this time due to icey conditions.

I did get my house decorated for Christmas, (finally) and that is so wonerful!

Until we Meet again...

This has been an eventful week. We spent 5 wonderful days in Nebraska with Amy and her family, (post to follow)then home for Thanksgiving.

Last year we spent Thanksgiving in Hawaii with Tyler, Tanya and her family and I felt we needed to be home this year for my Mom.Backing up just a bit; Jerry's parents moved to Los Altos with Jerry's sister almost 5 years ago. Jerry's Mother's health was declining and she needed more care than Dad could give her.

Mom passed away April of 2006. Dad , although 91 years of age, was still strong and doing well. He wanted to move back to Redlands, but we all recognized that he couldn't do that. Slowly over the next several months, his health began to suffer. He had been carrying a low-grade leukemia in his body for years and the Drs said he would probably die of old age before that ever got him. This past year has been a physical struggle for Dad. The cancer spread and he was often in a great deal of pain.

On Thanksgiving Day, Dad left this mortal existence and joined Mom with our Father in Heaven. I am grateful that he is no longer in pain. He was a strength to us all. His memories will live forever with us.

Some of my personal memories:

# The first time I met him, he brought in a bag of pennies and we sat and rolled them. He said 'Someday these will be worth something.'. Years later he gave checkbook boxes filled will rolled pennies to my kids..I know they treasured them

# When my Dad died in 1982, Dad J was there at the service, and he came up to me with tears in his eyes and gave me one of his quick hugs with the pat on the back. I realized there and then that I still had a father on this earth.

# We moved to Yucaipa after the folks' retired. One day Dad called on the phone to see if Tyler was awake, he wanted to come and watch him play.

#While in Yucaipa one day I looked outside and there he was, planting rosebuses in our front yard. The man had a amazing green thumb.

#Speaking of that, he had amazing gardens. He grew vegetables that were delicious and large. His fruit off of his small trees were huge! Oh how we missed the avocados when that tree was overgrown!

#I loved the twinkle in his eye when he was amused. Like the time Tyler bought him an alligator made from green egg-shell foam at the school's santa shop. Tyler was so proud and Dad was so touched. He kept that on his bed for a very long time.

#Dad taught my husband to work, and to work well. Jerry grew up on a small chicken ranch, and for a time, he was the only employee. (the girls and brother were long gone!) Dad taught him how to repair anything and how to take pride in a job well done. It wasn't always easy, those life-lessons, but I am grateful that he taught them to my husband.

#One more...while Mom was in declining health, he was so tender with her. This was a side we didn't see much in the previous 30 years, but it was so beautiful to watch. Her care was all he thought about. Someone HAD to stay with her at the hospital at all times, never was she to wake and be with strangers. He held her hand, he teared up when she was hurting. And watching that lip quiver at her service, did me in.Dad was a man of few words, sometimes gruff, very generous and I love him and will miss him.

Thank you Dad for taking me into your family and always making me feel welcome and loved.

Until we meet again....