Salem Church

When I visited my grandparents this summer I went with my Grandfather to the church they go to every Sunday. The church has some amazing history and always draws me in to the past. I'm not one of those people who watches the History Channel a whole bunch, but historical events have always been something that peak my interest - even when I was little.

Salem Church has been standing since the middle of the 1800's. The church closed for a few years in the middle of the 20th century, but reopened in the 1950's. My grandparents were among the 30 original members when it reopened. The church that was the main sanctuary back then is now the chapel which is only used for special occasions such as weddings.

I love the chapel, I think it is beautiful, but my favorite part of the church is the cemetery. I know, it is kinda weird, but cemeteries hold so much history and so many memories. They don't bury anybody in the cemetery anymore, but there are still tombstones from the 18th and 19th centuries. A lot of the people buried there were buried during or after the Civil War.

The brass GAR stars are for men who were honorably released from the Union Army during the Civil War. They are next to about a third of the graves in the Salem Church grave yard. 

Note: While I was there I was debating whether or not it was appropriate to take pictures of the graveyard. I even Googled the subject before heading to the church with my grandfather. A lot of people felt as though as long as you stay far enough away from those people who are there to pay their respects as well as being respectful yourself, it is okay. 

the treasure house

This past weekend my littlest sister move out to Pennsylvania where she just started her freshman year of college. Lucky for me, my dad decided to pay for a plane ticket so I could come out an help with the move. Well... help out with the move and visit the grandparents for a few days.

My grandmother didn't like my grandfather one bit when she first met him. He was a "smart aleck" according to Grandma (still is, she says). Eventually, he convinced her to go out on a date and six weeks later, they got married. It's been 61 years this fall since they said their vows. A regular old love story, I guess. They didn't have too much money (they lived in the garage until my dad was 7), but they made it work. After the garage, they moved into the house that my grandpa built, the house they still live in today.

They've been accumulating stuff in that house for the past 50 years. I swear, Grandma and Grandpa never throw away anything. One one hand, the cellar and the garage (with the original wallpaper that differentiated between the separate "rooms" of the garage) are over packed with stuff and it is a little overwhelming. On the other hand, if you just scratch a little past the surface, you never know what you might find.

I love that little house, in that little town in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania. For some reason, it feels like home. The smell is familiar, the rooms are familiar. Hell, I even too my first steps at their coffee table.

Whenever we go visit we go through the closets, the cellar, boxes, and all the possible nooks and crannies. Somehow, we always manage to find new treasures.

Like my dad and aunt's old typewriters (I brought my dad's back to California with me):

Or my Aunt Judy's old sewing patterns from the 70's:

Or old photo frames that can be made into DIY mirrors or white boards or magnet boards (which I will be doing later)

(I bought the mirror in the back at a consignment store the day before I went to PA. Then, by coincidence, my sister found the other two in the cellar. I was so excited.)

Grandma keeps telling me all I'm finding is junk. I think that some of it is pretty cool. It's a piece of my history, and as a general rule I find history pretty hard to let go of. 

Grandpa has some other stuff that I wasn't able to bring home with me because it wouldn't fit in my suitcase without getting broken. There are a few old cameras that he is saving for me that I want to get fixed and find film for. There are old pictures that will take forever go to through, but that are impossible to get rid of.

I love my grandparent's 50 year old house that was built by my own grandfather from the ground up. I love the random stuff I find tucked away in closets that I find to be magical, but nobody else would understand. I love the cards with simple notes that are tucked away in boxes that bring me to tears because my dad wrote it to my aunt so many years before. I love the memories the house brings back. 

I love that little town in Nowhere-burg, Pennsylvania. It feels like home.

Daddy

This post is dedicated to the most amazing father in the world: mine!!

I know, I know, everybody says that their dad is the most amazing dad in the world, and maybe they are right, but mine is perfect for me. I couldn't ask for a better fit of a father. I couldn't ask for someone to be more supportive, loving, and amazing than my dad.

No matter what I do, how thoroughly I screw up (which doesn't happen so much now, but believe me, it happened A LOT in high school), or how frustrating I can be, my dad never ceases to amaze me with his love and support.

Yeah, my dad is kind of a nerd, but I love him for all those nerdy things he does. I love that he tells corny jokes. I love that he cries during sappy movies (including Toy Story and The Lion King). I love that every single time there is an earthquake, he e-mails me a link to a website that will tell me the magnitude, depth, and exact location of said earthquake (he's a civil engineer, cut him some slack). I love that I can call him if I'm having a bad day and he will tell me how beautiful and wonderful I am (even if it may not always be true). I love that he treats my step sisters like his own kids, even though they have their own dad. I love curling up on the couch next to him to watch whatever is on TV in that moment in time (last night it was ESPN Sports Center). I could go on and on and on, but I think you get the picture.

I'm definitely Daddy's little girl.

Daddy teaching me how to use his manual 35 mm SLR when I was younger. Daddy and I now have matching cameras. Thanks for introducing me to photography.

Daddy and I in Switzerland this past fall.

A not so great picture of me, but this is me and Daddy at the fútbol game he brought me and my sisters to (Madrid vs Zurich). I can't find a picture of my dad and all of us girls. We will have to take one the next time we are all home.

Yes, I still call my dad "Daddy." I probably always will. My mom still calls her dad "Daddy" even though he passed away when I was two.

And speaking of grandparents, thank you to Grandpa (dad's father) and Grandee (mom's father) for supporting me as much as you possibly can.

Me and Grandee who died when I was 2. I bet, if he was still around, I'd get along with him great. He is the man who gave me my first piece of chocolate when I  was  a month or so old. Grandee was thrilled with himself. I wish I'd gotten to know him better as I got older. (Excuse the picture in the upper left corner, I couldn't find the original so this one is scanned from a scrap book I made in high school.)

One of my favorite pictures ever of me and Grandpa. This is in his backyard in Pennsylvania. Grandpa is so cool, he is quiet but whenever he does speak, it is worth listening to. He still wears those old trucker hats. Grandpa, Daddy and I all have the same smile.

summer?

I finished my finals a week ago yesterday, but it STILL doesn't feel like it's summer. Last week was so stressful what with finals, moving out of the house and into the storage unit, and moving other stuff home. Now I am in the throws of purging all the crap that has accumulated in my closet, unpacking clothes, unpacking boxes, organizing, etc. It's exhausting.

This past weekend, however, was pretty good. I got to see a lot of members of my family. It was really nice!

Friday night was Liana's high school graduation. It was a really nice ceremony, not too hot, and I was able to relax for a little tiny bit. I ran into a few people from high school whose siblings were also graduating. Kinda weird. Unfortunately I didn't get very many good pictures, but here are a few that I did get:

She had this HUGE smile on her face the ENTIRE night.

Sisters

Probably the first "family" picture we've taken since my parents got divorced when I was 7 or 8. Kinda weird to see them in the same picture haha

There's that smile again. I know it looks cheesy, but she was seriously THAT happy!!

Now she is on a Disney cruise in the Bahamas with one of her best friends. I'm sure she's having a blast.

Sunday we went to my cousin's college graduation. She majored in psychology at Stanford. Count on Stanford to do something ridiculous during graduation. They had this thing called the "wacky walk" when they entered the football stadium and everybody was dressed up in crazy outfits. The speaker at the large graduation was Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the EU. She was a wonderful speaker. I was amazed. Later there was a little lunch and watched the psychology graduation where they announced each student. It was kind of emotional because that part of my family has been through a lot within the past few months. We are all so proud of my cousin, Allison.

Wacky Walk

Allison, the first cousin to graduate college!!

My mom, Aunt Lilly, Allison, Aunt Toni

Savannah and Allison, they are sisters and they both graduated this year. Savannah from high school (she is going to Stanford next year) and Allison from college. Unfortunately I couldn't go to Savannah's grad because Liana graduated the same night.

Me, my oldest cousin and my youngest cousin. (Allison and Cassie) Not a great picture, but I still love it.

Okay, back to getting organized. Don't you hate how, in order to get REALLY organized, you have to get super unorganized first? I have stuff all over my room! It's crazy.

Have a wonderful day.

Och Tamale Gazolly Gazump

I am so glad that this past weekend was a three day weekend! It meant that I got to have the best parts of my world. I got to see my entire step mom's side of the family, watch my big sister graduate college, and have a relaxing (and productive time) packing boxes to move out of our house with Christine.

Friday I spent all day in the car just so I could get to my big sister's baccalaureate ceremony at the University of Redlands. When we got to the chapel, the entire family was there! It was great. Caitlin sang two songs during the ceremony. One of them was the Redlands Och Tamale (if you don't know what it is, look it up, it's funny).

Unfortunately I didn't get to take very good pictures during the baccalaureate, but I got some good ones at the actual graduation ceremony.

Caitlin's friend Ayesha

My big sister!!!

Caitlin and Devery

The four sisters :) 

Uncle Roy, Caitlin's step mom Laura, her dad Dave, Auntie Sharon, Caitlin, my dad, Cindy, Kelley, me, Liana!!! (the family - minus the grandparents, Julie, Aunt Kathe, Carol, and Uncle Bobby)

Me and my big sister (not a great picture, whatever)

After graduation we headed over to Devery's house and we had some FANTASTIC food that Ayesha's mom and extended family made for us. The egg rolls were fantastic, the chicken curry to die for, even the rice was better than I could have even dreamt to make it. I wish I had thought to steal all of it in big tupperware containers so I could still be eating it this week. 

There were four girls and their families at the house. Everybody talked, drank (water... there was alcohol but everybody was way too hot to even consider it), and had a good time.

The food... my mouth is watering!

The four graduates: Ayesha, Caitlin, Kate, and Devery

Sisters again!

Me, Daddy, and Doogie (Howser)!! (wow, I wish I photographed better)

The entire weekend was full of wonderful friends and family. I love spending time with them and I'm looking forward to this summer when I get to see them more often.

I came home on Sunday and got to hang out with Christine. We packed boxes, got ready to go out, went out for ten min, came home, and somehow still managed to stay up until 2 a.m. doing who knows what. We are starting to move into the storage unit TOMORROW!! I'm so excited. On Monday we packed some more, and even managed to make ribs, corn, and cheesy potatoes for dinner!! Happy Memorial Day :)

Okay, bed time now. I'm exhausted and I have a headache. Plus, I should be reading 200 more pages of  White Noise for my humanities final instead of sitting here writing this blog and watching Gilmore Girls.

I can't wait for finals to be over so I can go home and "relax." 

Get ready for another graduation blog in a couple weeks... that's when Liana graduates from high school!!!

I'm so proud of my big sister... CONGRATULATIONS CAITLIN!!! I love you.

 

P.S. My dress was from Anthropologie and sooooooo not me, but I loved it! Even though Anthropologie is kinda out of my price range, I might have to start shopping there more often. They have cute clothing and they also have super cute house decorating stuff and gorgeous vintage books. I must go there more often... maybe Christine and I can spend some time there this summer while we are hanging out at home.

sisters

Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters!!

My big sister sings that all the time.

Anyway, this is why I love my sisters (okay, not EVERY reason I love my sisters, but two reasons):

and this text message from my sister Kelley:

Me: I'm gonna go get food now but I love you and miss you. Good luck on your mid terms

Kelley: shanks! love you too! peace playa

it made me giggle

what love sounds like

This past weekend I got to drive down to Redlands to hang out with my family and see my big sister, Caitlin, sing in her senior recital. On Friday it took me SIX HOURS to get down there (normally it's only four and a half), but it was so nice once I made it

Saturday was full of preparation for Caitlin's recital. We went to the party supply store, BevMo, Khols, and Caitlin gave me and Liana a tour of Redlands (don't ask me how she had time for that). I spent the entire day hanging out with Liana, and I got to also spend time with my other sisters and family members.

That night was Caitlin's recital. Let me tell you, Caitlin sounded absolutely AMAZING and she looked beautiful too! I couldn't take pictures during the performance because it is too distracting, but take my word for it, she looked stunning and so classy standing up there singing beautiful songs next to that grand piano. When she started singing I got tears in my eyes.

So many people from our family came down to Southern California to see her perform. It was wonderful! Our whole family (sisters, parents and step parents), Aunt Kathe, Carol, Auntie Sharon, Uncle Bobbie, and our cousin Anthony all came to see her perform. We have such an amazing and supportive family, I couldn't ask for anything more. It was so fun to go to dinner with them all and hear what is new in everybody's lives.

Saturday night Kelley, Anthony, and I headed over to Caitlin's apartment for wine and good laughs. We had so much fun! Her friends are so funny and we had so much fun talking about the most random stuff like the awkward arm conversation: little spoon vs big spoon and what you do with the extra arm that has nowhere to go.

Anyway, I'm so glad that I had a wonderful weekend down at Redlands. I can't wait to go back and visit everybody down there for graduation. They are all so fantastic. Here are some pictures (seven to be exact) of my trip down there..

Classic sister pose...

Caitlin's roses ... beautiful, just like her voice

Joseph, Miranda, Brenda and Caitlin. Brenda used to take care of Caitlin and Kelley (plus me and Liana sometimes) when they were little. Last time I saw these kids, Miranda was two!!

Me and my beautiful sisters!! I love them so much.

The entire family. And as nice as Dave and Laura are, they are my step sister's other family and it was kinda awkward that I ended up standing next to them in the family picture... just sayin.

Alright, these ones aren't from Caitlin's recital, but I thought they were adorable and I just got them on my computer when I downloaded my pictures from this past weekend. This is my niece Madison Joy. She is a little over a year old and the cutest thing ever.

Maddie taking a nap on our way to lunch.

She looooves blowing kisses!! And we all loooove receiving them <3

I am so proud of my big sister and everything she has accomplished with her voice and in life and love her so much.