Goldilocks and the Three Bears

First of all, sorry to all of you who take the time to read my blog! I have been neglecting it of late...we have been way too busy! I realized recently that I never even finished posting our Alaska pictures...I'll get to that soon, I hope. But first, a couple pictures from this weekend. We had an early Christmas celebration at our house on Saturday. Both of our kids, all of Mike's family, and my nephews and nieces were there. It was a crazy, chaotic day -- but boy, was it fun!

Since we had everyone all together, we posed for a five generation photo:In the blue shirt we have Evelyn Doriguzzi (86), Albert Doriguzzi (78, Evelyn's nephew), Greg Doriguzzi and his son Ryan, Lisa Doriguzzi Young holding her son Jack, David Doriguzzi holding his son Rhys, Mike Doriguzzi in front with Faith Young and Brody Doriguzzi

Next, Mike and I posed with our kids and their families...and then our grandkids. Mike is holding Jack (2) and Faith (4) Young, and I am holding Brody (3) and Rhys (1) Doriguzzi.

Everyone joined in on several rounds of ROCK BAND, ...and then we opened what seemed like a million presents. The kids (and us!) had a great time.

Lastly, you'll see my favorite picture. Mike and I bought our grandsons matching pj's with grizzly bears on them. The little feet even had white claws on the toes! We couldn't resist snapping this shot of Goldilocks (Faith) and the Three Bears (left to right: Jack, Brody and Rhys) Brody and Rhys are grwoling for you in the picture!

Happy Birthday, Mom

Yesterday would have been my mother's 81st birthday. She passed away suddenly on July 10, 1999 after a short illness. She was 71 years old. We all miss you, Mom!

OUR STATE IS BURNING UP, AGAIN.

So Cal is ablaze once more. Several fires are now burning throughout the southland, and two of them have hit home for us. Mike's mom was evacuated from her Yorba Linda home this morning as the Yorba Linda/Corona fire crept close to her neighborhood. She packed up her cat and some belongings and headed west to Garden Grove to stay with Mike's aunt. I offered to have her come out here with us and help me paint and wallpaper -- but she went the other way. Fast! Actually, the real reason was because the freeway she has to take to get out here was closed in both directions. Upwards of 4,500 homes have been evacuated in the Yorba Linda fire. Here is a photo from earlier today: The Sylmar fire is near David's house. The photo below was taken from his sister-in-law's front yard. Thankfully, this one is staying further away from them than the fires last year did. Let's pray the fire continues away from them -- and that the firefighters can get them both out quickly!

Election Outcome

First off, let me say that I am borrowing some words from my daughter's friend, Caila. Some of this was on her blog -- and her thoughts represent mine exactly. She put the thoughts into words much more eloquently than I could have! Please read on...

Well, I am sure glad it is over. Although I disagree with most of Obama’s policy philosophies, and am gravely worried about his future Presidential actions concerning abortion, he is clearly the people’s choice, and living in a democracy/republic like ours means we win some and we lose some. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I have to say this one thing: America has voted an African-American man into the Presidency! Isn’t that good news? I didn’t really want it to be Obama, but it is and now we’ve got him for at least 4 years. Why not find the silver lining? I was particularly moved by a part in Obama’s speech where he described a 106 year old woman who voted for him. She’s lived through a century in this country, and oh! the things she’s seen. Did she know, when she was a young woman, that eventually the ban on females voting would be lifted? Did she know one day she would be alive to see the first black President of the United States? Could she have imagined she would vote for him by touching the screen on a computer? It really is something to look back over those years of history and see how far we’ve come in many respects. I am proud. So, now I guess we sit back and wait to see what Pres-Elect Obama has in store for us. I’m not sure I welcome what 'his' future holds, but God's kingdom come, and His will be done! I belong to His kingdom, come what may in my years on earth.

For this I am grateful: No matter who sits in the oval office,
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. God will still hear our prayers.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.

Thank God some things NEVER CHANGE!!!!

Our New Babies

We have added two new members to our family! As many of you know, we lost our dog Emma earlier this year. We have really missed having a pet, but were enjoying the ease with which we could leave the house! So while we were considering another dog, a cat seemed like a wiser choice, since they don't seem to mind being left alone as much as dogs do. We both work all day, so we decided to get TWO kitties, so they could keep each other company. We bought a 5 month old ragdoll kitten, and a 1 1/2 year old retired breeder -- also a ragdoll. They are beautiful cats, with sweet temperments. Ragdolls are typically a large breed, with males often tipping the scales at 20 pounds. They have a very soft rabbit like coat, and are very docile. Here are a couple pictures! Mischa, shown below, is the older, momma kitty. She had one litter, but had a very difficult time delivering, so she was spayed. The younger cat, yet unnamed, is a bundle of energy and often runs so fast he slips and slides on our wood floor. It is fun to watch them play.

Must be his Iowa roots!

Our grandson, Jack, suddenly LOVES sweet corn. Up until now, veggies have not been his first choice when it comes to food. All of sudden though, he seems to have taken a liking to this variety, anyway! I took this picture of him thoroughly enjoying an ear while he was here visiting last week. Looks like he has a bit of his grandma's Iowa blood in him, don't you think?

Happy Birthday, David!

Yesterday was our son David's 31st birthday! He has changed quite a bit since the day we brought him from the hospital, as you can see below. We are very proud of him, and thankful for the godly man he has grown to be. We are very blessed! Happy birthday, David!!

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Truth be told, I don't particularly like either one of the two probable presidential candidates. But in light of the conventions coming up, I thought I would put my two cents in regarding Barack Obama. I could not put my mark next to his name for several reasons, this being only one of them.

I value life. Senator Obama has said that, if elected president, the FIRST thing he would do is sign the so-called "Freedom of Choice Act" – a bill that would make partial-birth abortion legal again, require taxpayer funding of abortion and nullify virtually all federal and state limitations on abortion, such as parental notification laws.

He was also the only senator to speak against the "Born Alive Act" during floor debates, which guarantees the right to person-hood to any infant born alive. Even the liberal Barbara Boxer of California (100% NARAL rating) voted for this one!

Most importantly, it is very disturbing that he thinks the number one issue in this country, the FIRST to be addressed, is to make abortions easier and to make taxpayers foot the bill. I have a huge problem with that.

Of the two so-called "winnable" candidates, at least John McCain values life, and opposes abortion.

CHAIR LIFTS, LAKES AND COW BELLS

Yesterday afternoon was beautiful, so I decided I would go up into the mountains to Lake Oeschinen -- or Oeschinensee, which is it's name in German. On the way over to the trail head, I took a couple pictures of Kandersteg: I arrived at the beginning of the trail in just a few minutes, but then, I had to decide: a really long walk straight up the mountain, or a short ride up an old rickety chair lift. Needless to say, I chose the lesser of two evils (in my opinion, anyway), the rickety chair lift! It was pretty scary. I have ridden it before, but this time was particularly bad because the wind was blowing really hard, and the chairs were rocking around much more than I would have preferred. It was a bit disconcerting to see that even the locals don't appear to trust it anymore, there is a new one being built!I made it to the top alive, thank goodness, and started down the rest of the trail to the lake. As I turned the corner, I heard my favorite Swiss sound...cow bells! Hope you enjoy it, too!

Oeschinensee sits in a mountain cradle with the Doldenhorn, Rothorn, Oeschenin and Bluemlisalp peaks surrounding it. You can't see them from these pictures, but there are several waterfalls that come down from the peaks and empty into the lake. I was told that it gets its turquoise color from the glacial silt in the water. It was so pretty...I just had to stop and have an ice cream! :-) Any excuse will work.
You should come up here sometime! If you value your life though, walk up -- or wait until December of '08 when the new chair lift is finished. I highly recommend it.

CHOCOLATES, KNIGHTS, AND CHEESE

Mike and I had a nice weekend. We were driving through the Zwiesseman Valley and came upon this field of cows. You see that a lot in Switzerland, but this one was particularly pretty. The only thing you are missing is the ringing of the cowbells! We stopped the car and just sat by the side of the road for a while, listening. Saturday took us to the city of Broc, which is the home of the Cailler's Chocolate Factory. We didn't take any pictures inside, we were too busy eating FREE chocolate in the tasting room. They have samples in there of all the chocolates they produce, and you can stay in that room as long as you want. I needed to stop at the store on the way home to buy some bigger clothes. Just kidding, but it WAS pretty ridiculous! Neither one of us was hungry for lunch!MMMmmm...good!
From Broc we drove about 10 minutes to the city of Gruyeres. What a pretty place! Stoked with history, Gruyeres is a cobblestoned village that sits on top of hill. Gruyeres Castle is the centerpiece, and it really neat. Here is a picture of the "castle on the hill" from the east. The town of Gruyeres slopes down the hill behind the castle, out of view in this picture.Here it is from another angle:

Mike and I have been to Gruyeres a couple of times, and have always liked it. While we were there this time, there was a concert of sorts -- Alphorns! I must admit, I have heard better Alphorn playing since I have been in Switzerland. When we lived in Andermatt (2003), there was a guy that went way up on the mountainside and played his Alphorn. The sound was beautiful, and it just reverberating throughout the valley. However, since this performance is the only sound recording I have, you'll have to trust me that there ARE better Alphorn players about! Hope you enjoy it anyway. This was the tail end of the show. Sorry about the wierd blue tint to the video -- I had the setting on the camera screwed up:


Here is a picture of the village itself, with a couple stray tourists in it!Gruyeres Castle was built in the 13th century. In this picture, Mike is standing on the rampart that surrounds the castle. Doesn't he look like a knight? This knight has a floppy hat instead of shining armor.There are several pictures here of the inside of the castle. First of all, the kitchen -- which is massive. I am not sure though, I would want to cook in it! Then there is the fireplace, which is huge, I suppose, in order for it to heat the building. You'll notice that Mike fit nicely inside! The knight's hall was an impressive room, and I enjoyed seeing the actual (no kidding) "knight's graffiti" that is now protected behind the glass on the wall:

The sun was in a bad place for pictures of the garden, but here is one that shows part of the garden, and the east wall of the castle:Mike took this picture of me standing in the courtyard of the castle:Gruyeres also has a cheese factory, and we took a tour. They make Gruyeres cheese, of course! This picture shows the milk kettles, and the molds where the cheese is pressed.After it comes out of the mold, the cheese is left in a salt bath to draw out moisture and it begins the formation of the rind. From there, it is left on the wooden curing racks for a minimum of 3 months. Each round of Gruyeres cheese weighs 35 kilos -- or about 70 pounds.

There you have it, chocolate, knights, and cheese -- all in one day. How about that?

A Short Walk in Kandersteg

Ok...you're right, this first picture was not taken on our walk in Kandersteg, and I really should have included it in my last post. It is a photo I took from the plane as I left Paris...and I think it is pretty cool. It is the Arc de Triomphe, with 12 streets emanating like sun rays out around it. The Eiffel Tower is just out of the picture on the bottom. Couldn't get my camera out in time for that one!Here is a picture of the hotel Mike is staying in -- we have a small condo-like one bedroom chalet here. Mike and I took a walk through the forest on a waterfall search the other night, and we got some pretty pictures. There are several waterfalls across the valley from us, so we decided to pick one, and hike up to it. It was a really pretty walk through the woods, and luckily, there were not too many mosquitoes out that night. They usually love me, and I was not prepared! This little chalet is right in the middle of "town", and I think it is really cute. I love the flowers, the ivy, the shutters, the garden in front...the satellite dish on the side kind of takes away from the Heidi image -- but hey, it's 2008. The last photo for today is a picture looking west through the valley toward the Gemmi Pass.Isn't Kandersteg a pretty place? Tomorrow I'll post pictures from our weekend, but for now; I am going back to watching the Olympics in German. That's what ya get when the only channel you get in english is CNN and they didn't pay for broadcast rights!

Switzerland and Alaska

I arrived in Switzerland (after a very l-o-n-g day/night of flying) on Tuesday evening. Mike met me at the train station in Kandersteg, and since then -- I have been living the life of leisure. IT'S FABULOUS! At home, I have a hard time relaxing and doing things I want to do. Here, I have nothing else to do...so I blog, organize pictures on the computer, read, do some digital scrapbooking, watch movies, hike, and just plain old relax. LOVIN' IT. Anyway...I thought that tonight I would resume my blogging about our Alaska trip. I believe I promised I would do a ship tour, so let's start with that!

This great picture of our ship was taken in Alaska, although obviously not by us. I can highly recommend Princess Cruise Lines! We were comfortable, entertained, stuffed with delicious food, educated (naturalists on board), massaged, and pampered. Yeah, baby! Our cabin was very nice since it had a balcony that was a little larger than the standard rooms. It made a great place all of us to gather the days we were in Glacier Bay and College Fjord. Mike's dad and his brother both had cabins right near us, so it was really convenient for visiting. In fact, here are some of us enjoying our balcony before sail-away.The main atrium of the ship was filled with shops, lounges, and gathering places. It was really pretty!This ship had the best production shows of any ship we have been on. Of course we don't have a whole lot of experience, but it was the best of the 4 we have tried! My favorite show was one called "Piano Man", featuring music from the greats like Elton John, Billy Joel, and other, well, piano men. Wasn't the theater nice?The pools were great -- I think there were 4 or 5 of them. They didn't get as much use on this COLD trip as I have seen on warmer cruises, but there were still people in them. The hot tubs were much more popular. Mike and I went in one afternoon when it was raining! We didn't do much gambling because we can't stand losing money! In fact, I snapped a few shots of poor, sad Mike as he realized he was not going to make a million from the slots or the tables:

But then...there is hope! Mike finally finds a machine onboard that is GUARANTEED to give his money back! We enjoyed our dinners together, we had a wonderful table that looked on onto the water. In fact, we spotted whales from the window a couple of times. Here is a shot of all of us one night at dinner. The were two formal nights on board, and one night, we all took a family picture together. Mike's dad and his wife are in the front, and Mike and I, Greg and Debbie are in the back. Next stop...Glacier Bay and College Fjord!