Monday, December 3, 2012

dittmer update


I loved Tricia's Hawaii pics. We are so excited to go to Hawaii in one week! This month has been a difficult one for us. At least one of us was sick almost every day in November. The sickness coupled with the days getting shorter and colder has made for a difficult transition into winter. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I usually love planning it all out, looking for recipes, and making all the things. This year, my rolls didn't rise, nobody ate my green salad, my pumpkin pie crust was burnt and weird. Tony's turkey was pretty good, but not as good as last year. It was just one of those years. Needless to say, I am so looking forward to family, sunshine, and the ocean. We need it.

Hope you enjoy this picture of Tony's mustache and the kids on one of the only Sundays we were all well enough to make it to Church.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Hawaii was wonderful

                                   Adam took our family photos
                                                BIG HUGS!
                                          HANG LOOSE..........
                                                   Paradise!
                                                       YEAH!
           Meriam teaching Dave that yes, boys DO wear flowers in Hawaii
                   Finally..... Lexi is happy to be taller than someone!
                                 Last known survivor at Pearl harbor
                         Our main food while in Hawaii..... shaved ice!
                                  Gwen and Tricia chilling together....
                        Becca and Tricia at the PCC with lots of TLC!
                             Courtney took Tricia to a REAL LUAU!

Hawaii was wonderful!

More hawaii........

               Yummy Chicken enchilada dinner at Paul and Collen's
                                        Hanging with the locals!
                  When in Rome.... or... Hawaii........MMMMMM good!
                           BYU Hawaii.... great memories for Tricia
                                                Pam and Tricia
                                    Three flies up ocean style!
                                          Thanksgiving at Pam's
                                             The Spring boys
                             Spencer Orme and girlfriend Chelsea
                                               Tricia and Colleen
                                        Adam and fiancee Deanna
                         Baptisms for the dead at the beautiful temple
                              Hanauma Bay snorkling... way cool!
                            Polynesian Cultural Center..... all savages!

Happy Belated Birthday Charlie (November 16th)




Thursday, November 15, 2012

Baby Eliza






















Pam and I were lucky enough to visit (aka rush to California in the middle of the night) Santa Cruz last week. I've decided that cooking and cleaning and watching kids is super duper awesome when you have lots of friends around. I'm once again reminded that communal living is the best way to live. I made way too much granola, set the fire alarm off several times, forgot my cell phone charger, suffered through a few hours of buffering Downton Abbey, learned the best way to eat ice cream (mixed with whole milk yogurt and granola), experienced the Bargain Barn, went on an hour and a half "they live somewhere around here" jog, read not very much of Christian's dissertation, and even slipped in a dinner with Shelley and Steve. It was a great week. We were sad to go. Jake was glad I came home.

Da is underplaying what bad shape she was in, and when Pam and I walked into her hospital room two Saturdays ago, I realized that. Apparently the fact that she was texting me all through her ordeal made me somehow believe that she was kind of ok despite the fact that she had two blood transfusions and shifting slightly in bed was crazy painful and was on very heavy duty meds. This woman is pretty tough AND she was still the best conversationalist with us and everyone who came over.

Christian didn't make an appearance in my pictures, but he's pretty great, as you all know. He can get the kids bathed and ready for bed in no time flat, and if he's around, the kids won't have anything to do with the rest of us.

Why do we want to have babies again?

Oh yeah. There's this:















































(perfect, miracle baby, who Christian dubs cuter than any other babies-- loving her baby train)

And this:














































(Maria, whose face is a thousand words)

And this:














































(Enzo making the best baby train and toys for Eliza


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

happy Happy Birthday Karen!
I sure love you!!

Happy Birthday to the sweetest aunty alive!!!

Happy Birthday, sweet Auntie Karen!


I love Karen and am so grateful to have her as my aunt/second mom! She is always so kind and has always been there for me, as well as for everyone! Everyone loves her and thinks that she is the sweetest person alive! Thank you for being you, Karen. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and remember how dear you are to us! We are so blessed to have you in our lives! Thank you for all that you do! We love you! 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Eliza Santos Palmer



Photo taken at the hospital when she left the NICU and I was able to finally hold her. 


Eliza Santos Palmer 11/1/12 8lbs 20 inches

Thank you so much for praying and fasting for our baby. We felt loved. You probably already heard her birth story but here it is again if you want to read it. We are so excited she is here and so excited she is home. She is the sweetest little thing, and of course an exact copy of her siblings only darker hair and really dark eyes. We are in love.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Eliza and Auntie Mariko

Today at the N.I.C.U.
photo by Pammy

Hallelujah!

 
November 1, 2012
We welcome little Eliza:
peacefully resting in Grammy Pammy's capable arms
after a rough start.  
photo copied from facebook
 

Monday, October 29, 2012

A Poem by Mimi

Synthesis


When red and blue and green come in
From the outer rim of the color wheel,
And from them violet, orange, gold
Become, then cease, and all is still;
And the whirl of the wheel has died away,
And harmony has culminated,
The synthesis is perfect light
Its facets known yet sublimated.
When body and spirit with fervent faith
Are fired, cooled, then fired again;
Genesis, life, awareness, death,
The whole awhirl, the fire aflame;
When all the dross is floated off,
And ballast tossed for purest flight,
Then shards of joy will coalesce,
Pouring forth celestial light.
 
 
 
 
 
 
( I just came across this poem and thought it was so beautiful and worth sharing.)

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Tricia!

Happy Birthday, Tricia!  I am glad you came to live with us in the winter of 1968 at just about 4 months old!  You have such inborn confidence and love for people.  I love being your sister/aunt and consider you a great friend and support.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Lime Popsicles

Eating lime Popsicles reminds me of aunty Karen and summertime in Sacramento!

Sunday, October 7, 2012




I looove Isaac's school picture.  He's so serious in it with his furrowed brow.

Monday, September 24, 2012

tony and the boys


Here is Tony with Bo at two months and with Kai at seven months. It's kind of fun to see the similarities and differences. 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Thanksgiving

Is anyone visiting Sacramento for Thanksgiving?...Trying to decide if we should buy tickets to fly up...