The new year is here and off to a positive start.  Mom and Dad you would be so proud of Mike, he has his life & famlly back. It has been along time coming but Mike will be ok now.  I am sure you somehow already know :-)   Stephanie and myself, & the boys, will be here to suppport him. 

Guess what? Mike is coming to visit me in San Diego very soon!  I cannot beleive it!  We are going to have so much fun and I can't wait to introduce him to Joe & my friends.  I will write more stories after his visit! 

It would have been Leslies birthday this week and our family is very sad.  We miss her terribly Mom but I know she is with you & Dad.  I know you you loved her too, and you have been reunited.  I know that she never wanted to leave us, or her boys, but she felt comfort knowing she would see you and Dad again.  I love and miss Leslie very much. 

I love you Mom and Dad.  I wish you were here ...

If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to Heaven And bring you home again. ~ Author Unknown




      


      

Mom and Dad, I had a special Christmas this year. Before Christmas I had a small family gathering at my new condo. We are a small group here in San Diego.  The condo looked so beautiful, smelled like fresh baked ham and chocolate chip cookies. Casey & Greg, Eileen & George, Mattie & Sandy and Joe, yes Joe.  My family finally met Mr. White. It was a nite I will cherish and remember for a long time.  We watched Michael Bublee's Christmas Special from Canada and ate way too much food!  You know Aunt Mattie loves chocolates and sweets, like you liked your cashews.  That brought back a story I had to share.  I remember one Christmas you must have got 4 tins of cashews as gifts. Everyone knew how much you loved those!  Dylan said, "Papa can I have some Cashews?"  You said "no".   He said, "but you have 4 containers of cashews Papa"  Your response was, "I know, and it is going to stay that way. Get your own"... omg.  Everyone laughed when I told that story, I will never forget it Dad.  I have many special moments I sharedwith you & mom at Christmas. Those memories help me get thru the sad, lonely times. I hope you know I think of you often, and miss you so much. Merry Christmas to you Mom & Dad.  Love always, Vicky 

Dad, I had to laugh, this weekend. 

Aunt Mattie reminded me about a funny story you two shared.  Aunt Mattie said before she would come to visit you in Maine, you would always tell her you were going to take her out for a lobster roll when she was there.  She would be very excited because she can never get enough Maine lobster.  She said the last day she was there, the day before she was getting ready to fly to San Diego, you would always say to her, "Too bad you have to leave so soon, tomorrow I was going to get you that lobster roll!"

Dad, dad, dad.....she laughs every time she tells me that about you.  You were pretty funny.  You made family & friends laugh all the time. Thanks for the memories :)

Actually I think this story was more about Dad.  Mom was the one horrified.  Mom and Dad were cool and my friends would always stop by my house before a prom or an event. Everyone loved Mom & Dad and mom made great appetizers!  I had about 8 couples over and we were just about ready to leave and dad was telling one of his MANY STORIES.  Little did he know he would now have one more to add to the list before the evening was over.  My friend Anita was sitting in the chair closet to Dad.  Now anyone who knows my Dad, knows he cracks himself up before he gets the joke out. So before the punch line came out Dad breaks out into a hysterical laugh and coughing frenzy.  All of a sudden, out comes Dads teeth, right into Anita's lap.  OMG she is speechless!  I am dying and Mom is so embarrassed.  Dad, who is crouched down and doubled over laughing, reaches over and picks up his teeth and pops them back in.  OMG - my friends were laughing hysterically for months at that night. Poor Mom, I thought she wanted to crawl under a rock....but she was used to Dad.  Always expect the unexpected with him!

I will never forgot my getting ready for my prom.  Darren Bonsant was my date, of course.  I had a beautiful Gunnysack (sp?) dress, very expensive with a country blue flair and matching shoes.  My hair was long and down to my waist  so washing and drying it took a while.  I needed it to be perfect so mom helped me.  I leaned over in the kitchen so she could wash & rinse it AGAIN. So after a second wash, we dried it. But it still did not have volume. It would just lay flat, I was horrified.  Mom said it looked beautiful, just go and have a good time.  After two attempts I gave up and said OK I had to face it and leave. Well, long story short, the Prom was a bust for another reason that I can't put on this page! Lots of drama back then, of course! lol 

The next day after Mom thought I was over the trauma of my Junior Prom being the most horrifying night of my life, she had something to confess to me. She said the reason I could not do anything with my hair was, are you ready? JUST BEFORE SHE WASHED MY LONG HAIR IN THE SINK, SHE HAD POURED REMAINING CHICKEN GREASE DOWN THE  DRAIN. OMG!  I had chicken grease in my hair all night! Twice! It was a wonder I did not have animals chasing after me.  Seriously Mom?  She was laughing so hard so could hardly tell me, and then both cracked up!  Perfect ending for my prom story, 1977 at its best! Sorry Mom, I let the cat out of the bag on this one :0)