What a trip!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe that I am back already!!! I had such an amazing time in Sweden and The Netherlands. How fortunate I am to have been able to take such a journey.

So much happened in such a short period of time. It was so fun. Seeing Cami and Klas so happy and in love was so special. The wedding and the reception were the best wedding and the best party I have ever been to. And none of that is to my credit. Cami and Klas made such great choices. The music, the church, the venue for the party, the people involved were all part of the picturesque setting that have etched in my mind the most beautiful scenes!!!!! Having all 3 of my children together was so wonderful too. I was sad that Brooke's husband, Evan, could not be there. Maybe next year we can have all the children and their spouses together.

Pictures tell a better story- so here are a bunch......


Cami and I outside their apartment.


Klas had a performance in Stockholm at Skansen. It was a Tribute to Ray Charles!


Ian, Anayansi, and Brooke came in on the same day!


Jamie, Mikey, Mondo (Cami's U.S. friends) and Karin, Klas's sister, joined the rest of us for dinner.


Here we are checking out the building where Cami works!


Klas had another performance on a dinner boat- with one of his bands-Kustbandet.


Dan and Kathy came in from the US and joined us at a dinner for 15 at a great Indian Restaurant.


Cami and I at the dinner


I am ready for the wedding!


Ian walking his sister down the aisle.


Lighting the Unity Candle


Mr. and Mrs. Toresson!!!


The bridesmaids- Anna, Karin, Jamie, Brooke


Off to the reception!


The reception venue- Strandbaden


My 3 beautiful grown children at the reception.


Ian and Anayansi


Kathy and Dan came from Pleasanton for the wedding!!!


Cami's life long friends, Mondo and Mikey, came from California too.


Their first dance as Mr. and Mrs.


Cutting the cake!


The morning after- me with my family.


Cami and Klas getting ready to leave on their honeymoon to Greece!

So this is only a few of the hundreds of pictures we have! I will post my trip to Amsterdam in a day or two. I am still dealing with jet lag!!!! But I can't say enough about the amazing time we all had together. I am so thrilled for Cami and Klas. I miss them terribly already. But I couldn't be happier for them!

CWA District 9 Reaches Tentative Agreement with AT&T West

One anxiety down!!!!!!!!!! I got a text at 5:42 am today with the good news that the contract negotiations have been successful! It has to be voted on for ratification on Sept 1st. I am not worried- and at least now I know I can take my trip and not have to come home early!! Everyone at work was so happy today. It was nice that everyone was telling me how happy they were that I can go on vacation with no worries of the strike. The union members will get their raises but now have to pay for health care plans. I haven't had a raise in 3 years (and have always paid for my health care plan)--- the joys of management. But today I am not thinking of that. I am just thrilled to be able to go on my vacation for the full 2 weeks. Now, if I can just get over my claustrophobia.............

P.S. I won the office pool betting there would be no strike at all- I said they would negotiate without striking. Everyone else had picked a day they thought the strike would happen. WHAT DID I WIN??? Lunch!!! So when I get back from vacation- we will all go out to lunch and I don't have to pay! Yippee!!

McKenzie's birthday party and Countdown begins!!!!

It was so fun to watch McKenzie at her birthday party- soaking up the attention one minute and then shy the next. She had family and friends there to share with her all the excitement. I know she had fun with her friends and cousins. Usually she is there with me 100 %. But that day- she was so involved with the kids. She had been waiting for the day forever, and I don't think she was disappointed! She loved the pinata, the cake, the presents, playing dress up with Elyette, and playing basketball with her Uncle Sam. Brynn had fun with everyone too. She loves her new found freedom with walking so she had fun walking around to everyone. Fun party --- fun day!


The kids at the party!


Taking a swing at the soccer ball pinata!


Playing dress up with her cousin- she's wearing the tutu, wings and hairband her Aunt Maegan made her.

And the Countdown begins!!!!!! Next weekend is the beginning of the long anticipated trip to Sweden for Cami and Klas's wedding. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I have anxiety over getting all my work done before I go so I will be working longer hours this week. I have anxiety over the strike at work- we are still waiting for the Union to either strike or settle the contract negotiations. If they go out on strike while I am in Sweden I am expected to cut my trip short and be home 5 days earlier than planned. I have anxiety over packing and not forgetting anything yet keeping my suitcase under 50 lbs! I have anxiety over being cooped up in an airplane at 30,000 ft in the sky, flying over the ocean and having claustrophobia!!! Yet I am willing to endure the anxieties because I am going to a beautiful country to see my youngest child get married in a 500 year old church in the Swedish countryside to the man of her dreams! It is going to be one exciting adventure.


The happy couple!



The church where we will all be on August 22.

McKenzie is 4!!!!!!!

I can't believe that another year has gone by and McKenzie turned 4 today! She has been anticipating this day for a long time!!!!! She had a great day today- at church the Primary kids sang Happy Birthday to her. She told me she smiled back at everyone!! How cute. Her mom and dad gave her a new 16 inch two wheeler with training wheels. So she is feeling pretty big! She is so creative and animated. I have no doubt that what ever she sets her mind to as she grows older she will be successful. She is one intense kid! I love you Kenz......... thanks for all the joy you have brought to us!

WICKED

I think I am the last person I know to see Wicked. Brooke and I went in to San Francisco Friday night to see it. What a blast. I knew the music already (Brooke saw it last year in L.A. and had the CD). I think that made it more fun for me..... If by some chance there are a few of you out there that haven't seen it I can testify that it was well worth it!!!! Go see it! I am still singing "Popular" in my head!

A New Toy!

I have been so busy and too tired to post lately.... working a lot and when I am not working I am not home anyhow! I am shopping to get ready for my big trip to Sweden. I finally found what I am wearing for the wedding. THANK GOODNESS!!!!! And I bought a new purse! Needed one anyhow and the trip was a great excuse. My other exciting purchase is a new 16G iPOD Nano!!!! (yes, 16 Gigs!) I have been using Brooke's hand-me-down Shuffle for a loooooonnnnnnngggggg time. So I finally did it. I am so excited! I like to think I am pretty tech savvy-- and yet here I was listening to this little Shuffle that is about 3 or 4 years old. It only holds about 100 songs so I was alway changing things out on it. The thought of getting on the plane for that 16 hour trip without decent music was a depressing thought. So, needless to say, I will be busy downloading some new stuff from iTunes!! Any suggestions out there???? Let me know-- I like most music - except for hard rock and rap crap. I actually have about 900 songs on my computer- but the iPOD will hold a lot more than that. I even downloaded my first music video--- "We Are the World"!! I know- I'm a dork! But Lynn showed me on her iPOD that she had it and it was so fun to see all those people and hear that song again. So I downloaded it. I better get busy! So many songs.... so little time!

40th High School Reunion!!!!! Are you kidding?????

Where have the years gone??? High school was another lifetime ago-- yet I cherish those days!!! The people I went to CHS with know me like no one else can. Many I have stayed in touch with over the years. Others I haven't and this past weekend was so fun to catch up on the past years. Our reunion was such a blast. It was at the home of one of my classmates' husband's childhood home- does that make sense?? Anyhow- it is a beautiful big house- we were out on the tennis courts and back yard. There were caterers, a photo booth, a dessert room, a dance floor with a great DJ, and memorabilia all over the place! I had so much fun seeing people. To make it even more fun my sister, Susie, flew down from Seattle to go with me. She was Class of '71. I forgot to mention that there were also quite a few people there from Classes of '68, '67. '66, '70, and '71. What a great group it was!!!

Susie and I stayed with friends, Susie and Steve, in Mission Beach at their beautiful condo. It was right on the water with the view of the fireworks at Sea World. I am so fortunate to have such generous friends. The atmosphere at the beach is one that fills a void in my soul. Something about being by the water takes me to my "happy place"!

Friends are sooooo important. All of my friends are important to me for different reasons. The friends I was with this past weekend knew me as a kid, and a teenager. The bond is special because of that. I had a tough situation with my parents growing up so I really needed my friends. They were my refuge- my escape. Joanie and Carol's parents were surrogate parents to me. The only one still alive is Carol's mom, Nancy, and I was able to see her this weekend too. So the itinerary was Thursday night -- my 40 Year Reunion; Friday night was the All Class Reunion at the Golf Course Club House (that happens every year), Saturday morning was the 4th of July Parade (that is the best parade in all of California, possibly the whole country!), then Saturday night was Fireworks in San Diego (we weren't able to stay in Coronado for the fireworks there). In between all those activities we managed to go shopping, visit friends' houses, walk along the Bay and the Beach, and out to dinner with more friends. By the time I got home last night (I drove)I was totally exhausted!!! But well worth it. During the weekend I felt young again being with those people. Now I feel OLD because I am so tired!!! I need to get to bed to catch up on my sleep!!!


The Darnell Mansion- also known as the Pink House- where the Reunion was.


Susie Young (Class of '71) with my sister, Susie, and I.


Joanie, Ellen, and Susie ( there were FOUR Susies there this past weekend!!)


Catching up with Fay and Janis


One of the fun pictures from the photo booth!!


Hanging out in the dessert room!


Sisters at the All Class Reunion


The crowd at the parade


The Theobalds made it over to Coronado from San Diego to watch the parade, Barb also ran the 5K earlier!!



We didn't see much of the parade- too busy talking!


I had a wonderful visit with Nancy Crabill- 91 yrs old!