Sole Hope

Tustin, CA
June 23, 2012

Pieces of shoes soon to make a long journey!

Last weekend we had an awesome opportunity! We received an invite to come hang out with our old friend Natalie from CCO. We jumped at the chance, not just because we hadn't seen her in quite a while, but also because it was for a great cause that is near and dear to her heart.
We entered Natalie and Micah's backyard which had been completely transformed with Natalie's sweet and delicate decorating touch. Vintage fabrics abounded and the tables were decorated with sweet tea filled mason jars adorned with striped straws, handmade fabric garland hung from above, long work tables ensconsed in quilted cloths, tiny color coordinated cupcakes teetering on dishes, and a large table inundated with chic and amazing trinkets ready for raffle. The area in itself was delightful, but the decorations were not the best part. Brightly colored fabrics and scraps of old denim jeans long forgotten by their owners littered the tables. People hovered over their sissors and pinking shears, working at cutting out tiny patterns that would soon make the long journey from this idyllic backyard, across the ocean, to be put into the hands of Africans who will sew them together and make them into shoes.
Here we were introduced to an awesome young charity, Sole Hope. Sole Hope, concerned with the health and well-being of African children who are affected by jiggers, sand fleas, and general poor health conditions, works to not only create closed toe shoes, but to provide them to those in need. The beauty of the whole operation is not just found in the provision but in the idea of teaching a trade and giving independence to those who do not have access to such opportunity...teaching people "to fish" if you will. Sole Hope employs widows and those in need to assemble and sew shoes using donated cloth uppers and recycled material soles. The shoemakers are provided with machines and tools and paid a fair wage to assemble the shoes. The feet of the children are cleaned and given medical attention and they are given closed toe shoes to protect their feet.

The breeze wafting in under the canopy, the sweet decor, cold sweet tea, chatting with friends, and the feeling of doing something worthwhile all contributed to a wonderful afternoon! Natalie and Micah's shoe cutting party was a huge success, and a lot of fun. I was grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside Katie and visit with friends that we had not seen in a while. Katelyn enjoyed the project so much that she is planning on putting a shoe-cutting party together very soon.

Katie's job was to assemble all of the pieces into a pair, ready for transport.

Natalie, being a little too young to cut patterns, instead employed her "baby whispering" skills by helping with adorable Elsie. It was so nice to see little Elsie as we have not seen her since she was a baby!

Shoe pieces and sweet tea....good combo on a hot summer day!

 Meanwhile, Natalie had so many donations that she will be raffling the remainder HERE. Stop by and take a look at these gorgeous items, knowing that the proceeds are going to a great cause! Also, you can purchase Sole Hope products HERE. Be on the lookout for Katie's invite!

Last Day of School

June, 2012

The girls attend a public charter school that specifically accommodates homeschoolers. Thus they attend weekly classes and activities, and are at home the rest of the week. This year our history studies focused on the Middle Ages so for our last day of school it was only appropriate to put on our own Renaissance Fair! One of the teachers was able to bring in a re-enactment group to our campus, setting up stations for our students to rotate through, learning along the way.
The first part of the day involved class demonstrations. Watching intently, students and parents cheered on some of the classes who performed the skills they had learned this semester. The Writing, Ballet, Irish Dance, and Choir classes all gave beautiful performances!

Opening Ceremonies ;)

Ballet class performance-Nat is hiding in the far right rear

Irish Dance class demonstration

Irish Dance Class

After all of the demonstrations, the students were dismissed into groups. I had the privilege of being a group leader and escorted the girls and some of their friends around to each activity. Jeff joined us; we learned so much and had a blast watching all of the kids try on chain mail, make impressions, learn how to stamp coins, fight with a sword and pell, weave with silk and flax, and create illuminations. We also visited classrooms where all of the students displayed their work from throughout the year.  Following the festivities, we returned to the "banquet hall" to enjoy a Medieval Feast! The recipes, made by the moms, were from the Middle Ages so the kids could have a taste of the different flavors and foods of the times.

Last day of school meant the garden class needed to harvest all of their veggies. They made some of these huge radishes available to all of the families along with bunches and bunches of lettuce.

Roman style armor was on display for the kids.

Natalie tries a gauntlet

Katie tries on some chain mail. That is some heavy stuff!

Stamping coins

VAE VICTUS!!!!

Nat's project display from her Zoology class. The projects that the students displayed were quite impressive!

An ocean box from a student who studied "Swimming Creatures"

The Swiss Family Robinson classes created a large diorama of the island and its inhabitants. 

"New Switzerland"

This project was especially impressive. It is a report on the 1960's in scrapbook form. Photos don't do it justice.

Hand made miniature Greek dolls, popular in the Middle Ages.

Mrs. Kridler demonstrating the best form for warfare

Examples of silk to be weaved

The girls were learning the fine art of Illumination and viewing examples of silver leaf.

 Before we knew it the day was over and so was our school year! I can't believe how quickly it passed. This year was a big change for us as we moved from a school we had attended for several years into a new school and a new format (charter school). It was scary and I prayed that I was making the right choice for our family and my kids. It turned out to be a year of growth and learning for all of us and we have definitely found a home here.
This time of year is always bittersweet for a mom like me. While I am eager to put away our school books and kick up our heels for the summer, I am also nostalgic as I put away the phonics charts and addition flashcards. I know in my heart that I have no use for these items anymore. I look at the books we have read together over the course of a year and as I slide them away smoothly into the bookcase, the memories wash over me. I remember the time we have spent on the couch together laughing at the mistakes made by Anne of Green Gables, astonished at the antics of Catherine Called Birdy, sentimentally tearing up thinking of Little Ann and Old Dan, disgusted as yet another unlikely animal is discovered by the Swiss Family Robinson on the island of New Switzerland, giggling as we attempted to memorize together the best of Shel Silverstein at our weekly Tuesday Tea Parties, busting a gut watching our homeschool friends start a fire in the backyard to cook a Roman Meal. I marvel at all of the gains we have made and I am overwhelmed with gratitude as I know how blessed I am to be able to spend this cherished time with these two little people. We have truly created some amazing memories this year! As I pack it up and put it away, I know that summer lounging will soon be replaced by September anticipation and we will do it all over again. I can't wait!

Fun in the Sun

Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival
Temecula, CA

May was a quiet month filled with rest and relaxation so now that June is here, we are ready for some more adventures! This past weekend we packed up the trailer and hastened a short distance down the freeway to the rolling hills of Temecula Wine Country where the 29th Annual Balloon and Wine Festival was being held. It started in a dirt lot and has come a long way, now finding a home at the Lake Skinner Recreation area. Camp spaces here are hard to come by. The spaces open up in March and usually sell out within the hour so we felt fortunate to not only get one, but two! My cousin and his wife, and some old friends joined in on this adventure.
We started the weekend off with some wine tasting and my favorite part of the whole weekend....the balloon glow! The balloon pilots drag out their balloons and set them up around the perimeter of the wine garden. Just after twilight they count down a burn and we watch all of the balloons glow! They also coreograph the glowing balloons to popular music. We got some great pictures as the pilots filled the envelopes with cold air, and then fired up the burners, pushing them into the sky.

The rest of the weekend was filled with shopping at various vendors, wine and beer tasting, awesome music, and hanging out with friends and family at the campground. Our friends Tony and Crystal came to share the weekend with us bringing their twins Ashlynn and Paige. We had such a great time with them. The last time we saw them was back in March in NorCal at the Carrs. Campfires, failed apple crisp, wine and bacon for breakfast, and great concerts were just a few of the memories we made. Lifehouse played the Saturday venue at the main stage and we staked out our seats early to get good spots. It was a hot weekend but full of laughs and good memories. We are already lining up our strategy for obtaining more spots next year!

View more of our TVBWF pics

Ren Faire

Renaissance Fair
Irwindale, CA

Just as we wrapped up our Newport Dunes trip, the girls and I headed off for a day at the Renaissance Fair. A friend of mine set us up at the school days version which is considerably less bawdy and much more child friendly.
We lathered ourselves with sunscreen and drove out to Irwindale, apparently the new home of Ren Fair. I have not been to Ren Fair in many years, the last visit ending sadly. It was during my days as a college news reporter and I lamely showed up to report Ren Fair with a cute little sundress in 60 mph winds....need I elaborate?
Anyhow, I have emotionally recovered and for my kids' sake, decided to give the fair one more try. It turned out to be a great day! The fair is HUGE and there is no way we could have accomplished all of it in one day. However, we did our best! The kids reveled in all of the activities and actors. The characters were very convincing and we enjoyed watching them interact with each other and avoiding them when they turned on us and tried to involved us in their guises. ;) 
The girls jumped at the opportunity to take a ride on the giant swing and no young girl's Renaissance Fair experience is complete until you have swathed your head in a flower wreath.

We wound our way down the winding paths, learning about weaving, gambling, illuminating, spinning, iron working, and various other Medieval guilds. We eventually wound up at the jousting tournament and we became very involved in the festivities when I was chosen as the fair maiden bestowing the knight's colors on his joust. We watched as the knights battled it out, demonstrating their talents. Well, our knight in shining armor lost the match, but obliged us a picture with Nat and her friend, Amelia.

We learned so much about Medieval culture at the Renaissance Fair and we all had a great time!

The characters were teaching the kids how to gamble ;)

Natalie signing her name for this man, for what reason, I still do not know...

Learning to weave

Putting the dads in their place!

Katie trying her hand at archery

 

This huge man scooped Natalie right up! Thank goodness she was okay with that!

Davidson, Lewis, and Key clan

Annual Training

Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort
Newport Beach, CA

As a Reservist Jeff is required to serve two days a month and two weeks a year with the US Navy. He loves serving our country and I am a proud Navy wife. Like any job, there are a few perks. One being that when he serves, the whole family jumps on board!
The past several years, Jeff has served at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. The kids and I tag  along, and the whole family camps at Newport Dunes so we can be together while he serves. It is always a fun family time filled with friends, swimming, boating, BBQing, bike riding, kite flying, volleyball playing, and overall enjoyment of the surrounding beach area. Jeff's family lives very close by so we always get to have a few days of fun family time with them as well. Of course, our favorite part of each day is when he gets off work and can join in on our fun!
This time our first stop was Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. It was Bubblefest time and we spent the day blowing huge bubbles and watching Nolan shoot off water rockets. Afterwards, my brother-in-law, Noah, introduced us to a charming restaurant called the Beach Pit. This place was great! As the kids played on the play equipment in the twilight, the adults shared a glass of wine and some great conversation. I especially liked the t-shirt that hangs inside declaring, "My kids run wild while I drink wine at the Beach Pit." hahaha We also got to have breakfast out with Jeff's parents and take a look at their house, checking out all of their new renovations.
One of the best parts of our Newport Dunes trip is the time we get to spend hanging out with our friends. Some of them come out to visit and hang for the day, grabbing some beach or pool time with all of the kids. This year seemed quieter than most, I think because it is still spring and school is not yet out for the summer. However, one Friday the Brown family came out and joined us, bringing their own visiting family from Virginia. It was a great bunch and we had a blast picnicking on the beach, using the paddleboats in the bay, and splashing in the swimming pool. Later on in the week, my sister-in-love and brother visited. I was having a particularly bad day, homesick and grumpy, and thank goodness they came and cheered me up. Our camping neighbors  keyed us in to a great Japanese market in the area so Kim and I went on a little adventure. We told the boys that we were going to pick up dinner and decided that under no circumstances were we going to buy anything American! Shopping the aisles was really fun as we tried to guess the contents of various packages. Needless to say we ate some interesting food that night! It was adventurous and yummy to say the least, plus I laughed so hard my cheeks hurt!
Our last week at the Dunes we became friends with a family camping in the next camp space. They had three kids who were about the same ages as ours, plus their eldest son was named Max, so he got along quite well with our new puppy of the same name. ;) This family was particularly amiable and we spent a little time most days swimming or hanging out by the campfire. Being that they were from the Netherlands, we enjoyed introducing them to fun American foods like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and S'mores and in return the kids taught us a little Dutch....a completely unsuccessful endeavor on my part, but quite amusing to the kids. We hope to keep in touch with them as it would be a great idea for the kids to be penpals. I was especially impressed by how many languages the kids spoke and the quality of their English. Amazing! I am really going to make foreign language a priority for my kids next year!
There were plenty of rainy days on this trip, but the sunshine days made up for it. Plus, with rain comes wind and nothing is as fun as flying kites at the beach! All in all it was another fun year at the Dunes and Jeff has fulfilled his annual training for 2012.

The Brown and Davidson clans; the older girls enjoying lunch on the beach; kids in the pool with Jeff; Katie and Nat joking around at Roger's Gardens; Katie, Zee, and Natalie flying a kite; Max, Zee, and Natalie playing with the puppy; the kids on the paddleboat; Natalie picks up some groceries at the market; Chad and Jeff flying kites in the rain; Ellie and Nat on the beach; Katie and Max testing out the water

In Memory

Grandma Davidson
Long Beach, CA

Robert and Dorothy Davidson

May 17, 2012 would have been Grandma Davidson's 100th birthday. For the last several years our family has been awaiting the arrival of this landmark occasion with excitement and anticipation. I think all of us privately marked off the date on our calendars knowing there was going to be a great celebration!
Unfortunately, after grandma passed away in January, the approaching date took on a different tone. The family decided that this would be the ideal date to scatter her ashes at sea, reuniting her and grandpa.
Arriving just in the nick of time at Pier 22 in Long Beach, CA, Jeff and I hopped on a boat teeming with Grandma and Grandpa's closest family. There were mixed emotions as we pulled away. We knew that they are together in heaven and they lived such long and full lives; it was easy to celebrate these amazing people! However, we missed them so much. I did not have the opportunity to know Grandpa very well as he passed away in 1997; however, Grandma has been a part of my life for almost 20 years now!
After we motored out into the sea, the captain turned off the engine and allowed us some quiet moments to share stories and memories of the two. I cannot begin to describe to you the events that transpired. I wish I had the words for the beauty and respect that was conveyed by our family. Children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, everyone had some praise to sing. One of the things that stood out to me was when Rob (grandson) spoke about Grandpa and the way he used to shop at antique sales. He would walk up to something and gently stroke the top of it then tap it gently. To everyone around him, that meant that he had found a quality piece. It was lost on no one that he was a man that recognized quality....and that's how he ended up with Grandma. This was a quality woman. Many, many, many people shared memories of events and their time together, but mostly we shared how we felt when we were with her. She was not a complainer, and that is an understatement. She was the type of woman who worked with her husband at his various businesses during the day and came home to tend to three kids at night, cooking dinner, and never complaining. She was sweet to all she met and conversations with her were dominated by the events of our lives and opportunities and challenges we faced. She was genuinely interested in our lives and experiences. She lived by herself up until a few years ago, and every Sunday night was family time at her place. Grandkids and kids (and great-grandkids in tow!) would drive from different parts of Southern California to spend Sunday at Grandma's and she would take the whole family out to dinner. It didn't matter who showed up, out we would go! The beginning of every meal was spent praying and thanking the Lord for His blessings in our lives, but the end of the meal she would pipe up with "Thanks, Bob!" Always keeping Grandpa's memory alive for us.

Noah, Dad, Rob, and Alan

Aunt Linn aka Queen of the world. (She may kill me for this!) :)

We made tiny sachets of flowers to scatter around their wreath. It was a heartfelt memorial.

Dad praying over our family.

Joe speaking about Grandma and Grandpa

Lorraine reading an amazing letter that she wrote. It was touching and well written.

Rob sharing about how Grandpa "knew quality" when he saw it. We all joked that was how he ended up with such a wonderful woman as Grandma.

Preparing to scatter their ashes together

At rest, at sea

Lorraine and Kimberly

Joe and Virginia, possibly the most adorable couple I know!

A small memorial: grandma cooking and Grandpa in the hallway at home amongst his clocks.

After the memorial we visited Grandma and Grandpa's old house in Long Beach. I grabbed a picture of Jeff, Robby, and Julie standing in front of the house. I can recall Katelyn toddling up these steps in her rainboots and jacket.

They lived at the corner of Roosevelt and Olive and we spent some time on the street corner reminiscing. It was beautiful listening to my husband and his cousins tell stories about growing up here: Grandma sewing Julie's "knickers" after a  skinned knee on the skateboard, the boys swindling the neighbors with a Boy Scout story. They were lucky kids.

Cafe Bixby on the corner! The Davidson clan spent many a Sunday night here together. We would walk here from Grandma's house, have dinner together, and walk back with a take out box of pie. I clearly remember taking these walks with my first born new baby in my arms.

 To sum it up she was completely old school and full of all kinds of class. She was a big lady at 6' tall and earned the nickname "Tall Grandma" from my kids. But a woman that tall leaves a mighty big hole when she leaves and we will work hard to keep her legacy of family, integrity, and hard work alive. An understatement it may be, but it must be said: She is missed.