a very merry christmas to all...

Kevin gave me 12 of these plates tonight-the ultimate nostalgic touch.

I almost feel guilty saying that this has really been a wonderful year. It has been such a nostalgic time, and I have loved it. Turning 50 and being married for 25 has been awesome. Bring it,and lets do it again !! It is the people and places along the way that have made it so dang special. A big thank-you to those "good" people and yeah, you know who you are. Since it is christmas ( and I don't have a particular treat for the advent box..wait, Harrison will not consider this a" treat" !) I want to do a shout-out for my sweet family. DEVIN the ideal oldest child. How perfect it is that she married someone who is also the oldest of 6 children. We don't worry about these two , they have it more together than Kevin and I. Devin is the most incredible mom ( and I am not fishing for compliments here ) but where in the heck did she learn this stuff?! I am so exhausted that I can't even remember if I had that much energy when I was the mother of one ( i am guessing not.) She does it all,and is beautiful and patient. PORTER is our stalwart, hard-working son. We all look to him as"the example". A lovely red-headed addition to the family. He gets a ton of bonus points for putting up with us,especially on trips ( he comes from a very mild-mannered family.) PRESTON is just darling..and pictures speak louder than words ( see pictures following.) He always runs into our house bringing pure joy and energy!! Take a bow KELLY..she graduated from the BYU this past week. She gives new meaning to the phrase "wonder woman". I tell her to slow down, learn how to say "no"..but this motherly advice has never gone anywhere. Still the important thing here is that she is amazing. Funny without even knowing it. Sweet as the springtime she was born in. Kelly always brings FUN with her. BO is adorable. Again pictures would speak louder than words but I am not allowed to post the Real good ones ! Bo is the family clown..he always makes us laugh, even though some of his jokes are dumber than dumb. Bo is "over the moon" in love with Kelly and that is very sweet. He will do anything for anybody. He is very thoughtful and lovable. Bo likes to change his looks. He started the year like a skinhead (quite scary ) and ended the year resembling the abominable snowman ( a heavier version of Sawyer on "lost".) We love our bo-bo. DALLIN has had a challenging but good year. He wants to make the Right decisions for the Right reasons. He just takes longer than most in sorting it out..but thats ok. Saying good-bye to him as he entered the mission was The hardest thing I have ever done. There went my daily best-bud and it felt like a death in the family..in slow-motion. We are so proud of him because he tried so hard. His heart is in the right place. Dallin is a beautiful person and like Bob Dylan, He is going to go places !! This may sound bad, but I am happy to have him home with me again. KERRIANN has talent. Kerriann is strong-willed. Kerriann is Independent. kerriann has courage up the wazu. Kerriann is 16 and don't mess with her !! She "gets" me-and I like that. I can't imagine what my life would be like without her. I love her chinese eyes and her infectious laugh. We need to find her a "Seth Cohen" ..and we Will !! She has such a good soul..but honestly, don't cross her. DENVER mein liebchen. This boy knocks my socks off. A rare mix of kindness, uber-intelligence, diligence and goodness. Denver couldn't possibly be mean to anyone. He has surpassed Kevin in being the "golden boy". Bonus points for having the driest sense of humor of the gang. You just want to eat this boy up !! HARRISON..Harr-bear. The cherubic youngest child.He will always be the darling. All he has to do is show-up..and BAM,he is the cutest one around. I love that he still cuddles up to me and makes me feel like a mommy. I had him when I was 40 ,that certainly wasn't in the game-plan 25 years ago but probably the best decision we ever made. Poor guy got older-than-dirt parents, but no one could love him more than we do ! KEVIN is in all of the above. We give him a hard time about being so OCD, but honestly we wouldn't change a thing.The life he has given to all of us is incredible. Danke big guy.. you are the Best!! Thank-you everyone...2009 was Great.

Preston and uncle Harr pretending to be exhausted after running around Stanford campus

great to get the cousins all together

along the drive to woodside..can you blame me for missing trees ?!

what an absolutely beautiful city !!

summer in our utah backyard

Devin and Kerriann have always wanted to be synchronized swimmers..they are Good!

Daddy and Junior...wowsers

I want one of these in my backyard !!

2009 in Pictures

"cliff"diving in Kauai ( on our level that is )

the 50th birthday was a good one

Kelly green on the 17th

Harrison loves the ocean

cutest towels I got on Balboa Island and had each girls name put on it

the helicopter tour of Kauai was Amazing !!

most people go to the beach in Hawaii, Kevin looks at properties..which is ok if he ends up buying one !

I Love the chickens and roosters that wander all over the island of Kauai..when we flew in and they were strutting around the airport it brought tears to my eyes..like I was home.

Preston and Porter loving the hotel pool in Kauai

waterfall relief at the end of a hike

same hike..before the dip !

Preston with his great grandma Glena in Paonia memorial week-end

Porter and Harrison got matching swimsuits for the San Diego trip..how darling are they ?!

one of my favorite pics of Kevin..we are down in Huntington Beach and this is how he conducts his work calls for the day !!

a rare moment and picture of just the two of us

Sea World in San Diego feels awesome in March

this is the "backyard" of our san diego rental..unbelievable..we stayed "home" quite a bit

the Wortons are so darling !!

this family loves the beach and Preston is no exception

oh, how I LOVE this spot on the earth..Bali Hai

Dalboy sporting Preston's baby swimhat

Oakland temple 25 years later - the anniversary year

Sather Gate,about 30 years later,still looks great

100's of sea lions ( this was only a small portion ) in San Francisco

Awesome Dallas Cowboys stadium where we witnessed BYU beat Oaklahoma

Chicago White Sox vs the Cubs down at spring training, we made a wish come true for Bo

Preston dressed up in a sombrero and some old person's reading glasses

Kerriann truly gets into our costco runs !!

3 ninjas..Kelly apparently couldn't get off the ground ! goofing around at my elem.school in Woodside

Back at the BYU/Oklahoma game..blue shirts were outnumbered about 1,000-1

It drives you crazy trying to stay warm at the Provo stadium

Another wish-come-true for Bo , being in the cowboys new stadium.so he ran around and collected used cups to take home to use in his "media" room.I believe he washed them well.

Books

Tamra Back asked on her incredibly popular facebook site, for her readers to make a list of the top 15 books that influenced their life. I must first comment that I don't do well on facebook, the blog is much more my style. Facebook is too brief..one liners are not my style. Apparently I am a rambler. Don't even ask me what I think of "twittering"..just odd. But the book question really got me thinking. Or rather,trying to think. Seems I not only have a hard time remembering the name of a book or it's author, let alone what books I have really,really loved. Hmmmm, both pathetic and sad. If you can help out this brain-deficient woman and remember any books that you know of that I thought were great - will you tell me and I will reread them!!

This is what I came up with.
1. "The Thornbirds" I remember it as the first saga that I could not put down. Father Ralph was an original hottie.
2."The World According to Garp" Red Flags all over the place ..but despite his love of swear words ,John Irving is one creative writer and I laugh and stand in awe of all his books that I have read.
3. "Seedfolks" a sweet little book that is So right on the mark!
4. "Esperanza Rising" wow and clever.
5. "Life and Death in Shanghai" no, I am not copying Tamra, we both read it for book club and claimed it a favorite.
6. " 1776" amazing - you go George!!
7. " Life of Pi" one of those in the,what-the-heck category that I love. Bonus points for being in Pondicherry,India.
8. "Under the Tuscan Sun" the book NOT the movie ( what a butchering of a beautiful,descriptive story ) I will move to Italy any day.
9. "The Secret Life of Bees"- Healing. Makes me want to run out and rub warm, honey all over wooden statues..it is That good.
10. "My Life in France" my latest favorite. Julia ,you nailed it. That book took me to France in 1950. A book I forced myself to read slower so that it would last longer. What a character, a hoot..and I love that she hails from Pasadena!!

I am not going to end this post..I am just going to add more as they come to me. Or, if like I requested , anyone can think of something I loved, please tell me.

The Chameleon

Do other people play the,"what would it be like to live in ______." game? It is rather addicting,and I have been playing it for Years!! It becomes even more intense and more frequently played when you are married to a rabid fan of the game. It can become an expensive hobby when you actually start traveling to places to check them out.But it is a Great boredom buster, and I like to think keeps one young and flexible. The thing is, I have come to realize after years of searching for this elusive golden ring, the joy truly is in the journey. It is not like I hate where I live and have to escape. I could tick off a list of things I love about Utah (albeit a short list..) but it is just the "wouldn't it be cool to live in ______" that keeps me wondering! Way back when we got into this we actually Did move to various places..and it was tons of fun, seriously! Our situation is such that we Can do that,and that knowledge alone keeps one looking.Kevin calls me "antsy"" ( among other things )but come on, it is just really addictive. Plus you get to analyze who you are. My tastes change like a chameleon.. and I realize that is ok too.When I am in Oregon I love the craftsman homes. Japanese homes even look uber cool there, and I don't like that style anywhere else ( except Japan of course.) I can picture us living in California in a ranch house surrounded by oak trees or a sleek modern number with an endless view of the ocean. Wouldn't it be neat to live in Austin Texas and wear jean skirts and cowboy boots, and shop at the flagship whole foods-that we biked to !! Oh, I better not begin to "dress" the chameleon ( an entirely separate entry!)..and stick to the homes.Our austin home would sit on a little rolling knoll and also be surrounded by oak trees. But I am not a tree-snob..equally I can see us in a very open,veranda style casa with a bunch of palm trees swaying in the Hawaiian breeze. Then I can start blending areas and languages..not everyone would have a "casa" in Hawaii,but I could.Kevin doesn't believe me but I could even do a barn-like house in Maine (notice the only snow area..perhaps it should be just a summer home.)For lack of space I am not going to explore the international chameleon-it would be HUGE. Lately we have been toying with the Arizona idea.Maybe it is too hot, the water issue bothers me..the desert moi?!!! Then I go down there and fall in love with the designs down there. The crepe myrtle and palo verde trees are darling...and those saguaro cacti..well, they are enough of a reason to move alone!! I adore those exposed beams and free-standing adobe fireplaces and verandas with slow moving fans and a gorgeous pool that is the center of it all. I am ready for a pool of our own. Daddy, I want a pool!! With salt cleaners instead of chlorine. And the ability to GLIDE through water when I want.Wow, it sounds so fickle to the craftsman house in Oregon. But, that is my point..I like it all,perhaps I even want it all..so I continue to play the game..Kevin is playing it too.

balm of Berkeley

Last year Courtney married Joel out in No Cal. This year Megan married Matt. We decided to all go this time. About 20 hours before we were to leave Dallin came home from the MTC. Emotionally pale and shaking, we bundled him up in our family weave and took him along. I questioned the sanity of this idea ( we offered to just stay home with him ) but it turned out to be incredibly healing. Such a Good visit. His color,appetite,and smile all came back. We all exhaled.It felt wonderful to be together, to be in California. For all of the states faults ( San Andreas being #1...oh, that one is for you Bobo!) there is equally a tangible magic. I loved it, we all did. The weather...PERFECT. The scent of drying eucalyptus leaves made me want to cry..good tears. I had a wonderful time showing everyone Woodside, but I also knew that nothing was going to be able to outdo last year's experience of walking through the Laning house. Another blessing,another "moment"..this time across the bay. After a truly great trip and wedding with the extended family Kevin ended the itinerary with a day a Berkeley. He wasn't that into it himself, in fact he was on business calls on his cell phone the whole time we walked around campus. But he knew how Much it would mean to me and that was very sweet of him. As we pulled off the freeway exit,drove past the Claremont hotel and entered the campus I was truly fighting back tears. And again, good tears, for this is a rare place. It started to rain, "and I was all" oh,come on...could it get any more perfect?!!! In the past(nearly) 30 years I have stopped twice,Very briefly..this time was real. Obviously not long enough,but I was there this time. There were some new buildings,but So much was the same.I am going to go way out on a limb here and truly get in touch with my bezerkeley roots..but I LOVED seeing all my old favorite trees-and they were still just the same ( yes, all those word choices were intentional.) And, yes Porter, I did refrain from hugging them. Sproul Hall was deliciously kooky and one group were dancing to "Ji-ho"-which was a lovely tie in between the past and present. We had our farewell meal at Fentons in Oakland. And on such an ideal day as this,those darn little crab sandwhiches tasted just as fabuluos as they always did. The rain continued to pour down..I honestly couldn't have scripted it any better. PS..I am going back ...and I Will have a thousand hours to spend and walk every inch of my memory,shop at their amazing card stores until I drop with exhaustion,and take a million pictures of the campanille. This may be a bit too bohemian...but I think she was happy to see me back as well.

oink..oink..tagged by the dreaded swine flu. honestly, it isn't that bad. famous last words..now I will be felled by a complication and end up, well, you know..dead. eh, it has been a good reason to law around and do nothing ( like I need an excuse!) no,the rest has been great for me. I needed it.

KUDOS to MOI....I didn't scream,"No,don't go!!" at the MTC

A Knife in the heart

(our happy place..Hanalei)

A few days before Dallin was born I had a very,very vivid dream. It was so clear that I had to wonder if it wasn't real. It had a long,hard pregnancy with an exhausting move at the end. I dreamed kevin and I were in a hospital room with our brand new baby in our arms. Suddenly my grandmother ( Minnie Dahl ) and her husband Hugh were in the room with us. I had never met my grandfather as he had died back when my own mother was a child. But I knew it was him. We had planned on giving the name Hugh to Dallin as a middle name. They were now holding Dallin and making over him. I looked at kevin as if to say, isn't this great....but Kevin was white as a sheet and very scared. He couldn't see them and he realized that I was dying and slipping across the veil. He was shaking me and screaming to have me come back now. It was if I was going in and out of consciousness. It wasn't the best delivery but I didn't die. The feeling of that dream comes back now. Although Kevin isn't reaching out to me this time... this time he is crumpled on the floor crying himself and he doesn't hear me. This time I am going in and out of consciousness again, but I really am awake..and I really am feeling the pain. Too melodramatic?!! I think not...have you ever sent a son away on a mission?! Last night we had the extended Ordo clan over for dinner and to say good-bye to Dal. Koki was sitting next to us. Sean was coming home from serving two years in Washington within the next 12 hours, and we are sending Dallin out in practically the same time frame. Oue emotions were polar..kevin said this morning ,I wish I was Koki right now. There is always a coming and going in sacrifice. This one is a whopper. It is so overwhelmingly selfish of me..but I can't stop it.

power in my hands

do you need an operators license for an electric hedge trimmer ? Rather a cool item as I have been limping along for years with my hand-held-sorely-in-need-of-a-sharpen trimmer. This baby hummmms. Last years lilac bushes were shorn down to the nubbins ( what with the graduation challenge and all.) But I am in a better place this summer. So despite the power I yield in my hands I think the garden is going to be ok. Maybe I should stop thinking about Edward Scissorhands though. I tell you this..it is the ultimate OCD toy !!!!

months

July Johnson. What a Great name. Stalwart character in one of my favorite novels ( do you know what it is?) May, June and August Boatwright...but no July? Because July Johnson is a manly name, and you can't go naming s great boy names. Ok, yes, Devin is a boy's name..but just a "good" name not a Great name for a boy.So we could use it for a ,and we did and it fits her perfectly. But back to the months. What was I thinking during all thoses birthing years ?!! Months mean so much to me. When I read "The Secret Lives of Bees" and hung on to every single word..and the sisters names were just The perfect touch. Why on earth didn't I use months for names?! Ok, wait, stop..I Did want to use "August" for Denver..maybe even call him "Augie-Doggie" like we did to August Klein back in Woodside. Kevin wouldn't go for it. Geez, I just shouldn't have asked him. Kerriann has been a doll about this and offered to take on the middle name of May since she has always had a bee in her bonnet about not receiving a middle name . She is such a good daughter, so accomodating. Still..if I could have one more baby, and it was a boy and the month just happened to be in the middle of summer..I would name him July Johnson..definitely.

HAPPY BITRHDAY MOM!

50 reasons why i love my mom :
1. she is the funniest person I know
2. she loves my cats
3. she talks to me about everything
4. she listens to me
5. she laughs with me
6. she loves to listen to the music I listen to
7. she is becoming a techie!
8. She reads
9. She loves to travel ( I don’t mind going with you ☺)
10. She makes delicious food
11. She is GREEN
12. She watches the OC with me and gets into it !
13. She is friends with my friends
14. She has a wicked serve in tennis
15. That she drives with me ☺
16. She makes boring days fun
17. She makes me lunches
18. She writes letters to everyone
19. She is VERY patient with the boys
20. Her voice
21. That she was my teacher
22. That she gets me
23. She is always thinking of others
24. She loves the gospel
25. That she loves bollywood
26. She tries new things all the time
27. She loves to dance around the house
28. She always trys to pick the cute guys on the team whenever we are at a sporting event ( which is often)
29. That she does yoga
30. That she blogs
31. She keeps her friends close
32. That she gets nervous when the boys are up to bat
33. She always wants a new adventure
34. She wants me to be who I want to be
35. She wants to be an nurse ( you would be a good one )
36. She is so crafty
37. She loves little things
38. She is the best grandma
39. That she wants dad to love his job
40. she leaves me funny messages on my phone
41. she is always there for me
42. that she gets scared easily ☺ very funny
43. she plays word jhong
44. she keeps her word
45. she always asks for a hand rub
46. she has so many talents
47. I love her on sleeping pills ☺
48. That she loves her childhood
49. That she is the best mom I could ever want
50. That she is and will always be my very best friend
I love you to death mom , thanks for all the memories ;) Love , k-ann

may 1959-2009..fifty years give or take

Fifty Things that I definitely Know that I Like and Dislike

1. I don't like driving on the freeway..ever
2. can't stand the name "David"
3. the red-eye flight from Hawaii
4. cheap,plastic toys
5. not having good eyesight
6. the smell of wet dogs
7. guilt
8. air conditioners
9. going to the dentist
10. having to wear socks..they make me hot
11. waking up to a dirty kitchen
12. making appointments of any kind
13. when people freak out over the #13
14. cleaning up barf
15. touching raw meat , cooking it and the smells -gross
16. watching sports on t.v
17. when winter goes on forever..springs last 2 days..then it is 100 degrees
18. I to see the waste weddings and parties generate and no one is recycling
19. meetings that last too long ( i.e when an hour is spent on deciding which tablecloth to use)
20. snakes, and I don't care If they are God's creatures
21. a book or movie that was a complete waste of time
22. prejudice
23. injustice
24. greed
25. did I mention ..raw meat?!

1. ok..things I really like..apparently setting up the computer should be one!! Kerriann..
2. a good rain shower
3. bookstores and having the time to really look
4. cranking music way up loud
5. shelling..and finding an Excellent beach
6. fireflies..real or battery-operated
7. searching for the best flan
8. previews at a movie theater
9. running into deer on my walks
10. my children's birthdays
11. bees-especially the fuzzy, mutant ones
12. streams
13. people-like the Hendersons-who think the #13 is lucky
14. having the windows open (this can include winter if I am in Newport Beach)
15. lilacs in full bloom
16. shades of blue
17. driving the mini FAST on backroads..Oregon was ideal for this
18. I like hibernating in the winter..and I am not going to apologize for that anymore
19. my i-pod and seeing what other people have on their playlists
20. having lunch with my friends ,most definitely includes daughters
21. Tahoe,Sundance,New York,the road to Hanalei
22. black oak trees on Sandhill Road
23. living in Woodside..in Berkeley..Provo in the early 80's..in Reno..it has all been an adventure!!
24. I still love the scent of Oscar de la Renta the best
25. the life I was given..and can I have fifty more good ones please

Here is a shout-out for Chelsie Clarke's 17th birthday. What does it say about me that my very favorite person in the ward ( after my darling fam of ocurse!) is a 17 year old girl?! It says that I am darn lucky!!! Because to know her is to love her. I would only include this heinous picture of myself because Chels ( yes, I am allowed to call her that...she only lets a select few do so ) enjoys it. It was taken at girls camp where the theme was Chinese pink penguins - ergo, the SanPan hat. This picture was taken moments before the vicious
canoe attack that left me in the leech infested Tibble
Fork Resovior fighting for my own survival -but I was able to keep the themed hat on throughout the disaster. Girls's Camp is a hoot, but I am strongly veering off course here.It is truly serendipitous to find such a dear friend that is not even remotely close to ones age. Chelsie is this gorgeous tall,blonde,tennis type of gal ( alas ,no chest..sad ) who SHOULD be full of herself..rightfully so. But she isn't!! Chelsie is awesome. Her humor is unparalleled to any. A funny,funny gal ! She is "going places" that one and she better be bringing me along!!
Happy,Happy Birthday Chelsie. I love you! Bobalin