Double R Productions



presents



KISSES FROM CHO CHO



sagas and stories of one family fancying the views while climbing the mountains of life



(or at least trying to fancy those views and climb those mountains)



Thursday, May 26, 2011

ABOVE and BEYOND

Between the last week of May and the middle of June, we celebrate some pretty important days.  Both my Dad (aka Papa) and Senior's Dad (aka Grandpa or Pops as Giada has been calling him lately) celebrate their birthday days and then we wrap up the festivities with both of them as well as Senior with Father's Day!  So this time of year gives me a lot of time to ponder on how blessed I am to have such great men in my life and the lives of my family.  Since the parties begin with Papa and his birthday, I thought I'd write a post in his honor...thus the title ABOVE and BEYOND is in honor of Papa!  

Very, very late Christmas Day 2008


This picture says it all:  Not to many men post 50 would be willing to hop in the hot tub, late at night, in the freezing cold, to hang out with their grandkids and kids.  I mean really who does that?  Notice that my kiddos own mom and dad aren't there...but this Papa is.  In fact, it was probably his idea!  This Papa is not only fun and exciting to hang out with but goes ABOVE and BEYOND in just about everything he does.  From generously helping others (family and those who aren't family) to his various business ventures and career, from talking to his children about their stresses and successes to serving the Lord and others in all sorts of capacities, from playing hard (yep, even still playing hard...let the church basketball thing go a few years back but still likes to mix it up with sons and grandkids...did two marathons not so long ago one of them being the famous Boston) and cheering with enthusiasm (all sorts of sports...grandkids to professionals, dance recitals, good movies (westerns are his favorite) even American Idol rumor has it), from reading the best books (how many guys can you find who have read Victor Hugo's Les Miserables cover to cover?) to finding the best pieces of property, from dispensing wisdom gained over the years to reminiscing about crazy times past THIS GUY ALWAYS GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND.  Really, he doesn't do things half way. He inspires us.  All the time.  Dad and Papa, we love you!  If we could only bottle your enthusiasm and willingness to share we would be millionaires!  But since we can't bottle it, we will just continue to revel in it and enjoy being part of your life and you part of ours!  Happy Birthday!  XXOO 
P.S. Dad, now I am crying just thinking of you as I finish up this post and the next thing on my list today is cleaning the toilets...Warning to everyone but my Dad...the rest of this sentence is an inside joke so don't even try to understand or interpret it because it isn't what you think... so I guess I will continue to cry as I clean the toilets 'cause you know even the toilets will remind me of you and how you always go ABOVE and BEYOND.  

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

One Of My Favorite Things...

I am a pretty simple person...At least I like to think so!  And one of my very favorite treasures is a special necklace my sisters (just so you know, when I say sisters that includes my sister-in-laws, lets just get that clear) gave me for my birthday last year.  It is a necklace with a story to tell...

It starts way back in the mid-nineties.  I was a new mommy with a cutie named Bernina.  Suddenly, "LucyAnn" Necklaces were all the rage.  It was way before Etsy and let's just say you had to drive to the mall, park inside the parking garage, load the kiddo in the stroller, and walk all the way into the store.  I know that is an event that doesn't happen as much anymore (on a side note, Queen Bubs wasn't even sure what a "mall" was the other day).  Anyways back to the Lucy Ann Necklaces  Yep, some of you might remember them...
They hung on a long chain and seemed to be the gift to get and give to every mother and grandmother along the Wasatch Front.  I had one and loved it and wore it a lot!  Until the dreadful day that Bernina, Senior and I were enjoying the Rocky Mountain Revue (its a NBA thing) and suddenly LucyAnn fell from my neck in down through the cracks between the bleachers never to be found again...I was sad but life must go on and it did...

Fast forward to the day before Mother's Day 2009.  For the previous couple of years, I had been hinting that I'd enjoy a piece of jewelery that was simple enough to wear most every day but that could be my signature piece that I would wear for the rest of my life and my kids could fight over it after I was gone.  Nothing expensive mind you but something with meaning.  Well, the Saturday before Mother's Day seemed like most until the evening rolled around and I heard Senior conferencing with the kiddos.  They brought me into the family room and said,

"Dad wants to give you your Mother's Day present early."

"Sure,"  I said.  "You mean you guys don't want to wait."

"Actually, they are right.  I can't wait. I've never been so excited to give you a present!  Let's do it!" Rob confessed.

So out came a little box and inside was something like this:
  Except it there were two charms, both with the initial "R".  One of the kids pipes up, "We wanted to get one for each kid but there are too many of us so Dad decided to get one for you and for him since you are married and in love!"  I love my necklace and wore it nearly everyday for over a year until it disappeared...okay, I'll admit, I lost it.  Grabbed as I was running out the door and then couldn't find it that evening.  Sad day.  Very sad day.  Very sad sad day.  Really.

Enter great sisters...called around my birthday last year and said, "You know your favorite necklace...well, for your birthday we are replacing it.  You can decide if you want to tell Senior you found it or that it is a new one"  Well, I decided that perhaps, in case my original suddenly shows up one day maybe I would get something a little different.  So cute sisters went to work and this is what was delivered on my birthday:
I wear it almost all the time as a reminder of my best friend!  

And speaking of cute things like necklaces and other fun things, those above-mentioned sisters are pretty creative as well as thoughtful.  In fact check out their etsy shops:




You will be glad you stopped by!  

 

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

My New Prayer List

So, when it comes to spiritual understandings, I think we all have our strengths and weaknesses...for me there is one concept that is a little difficult to reconcile in my mind.  I won't delve into all my crazy thought processes as I've attempted to completely grasp this subject over the years but let's just say that understanding prayer and all of its ins and outs is something that I have grappled with over the years.  I am not saying that my faith in prayer is not strong or that I don't believe it is a key component of this mortal journey, I am just saying that the whole concept of how we pray and what we pray for sometimes gets a little jumbled in my mind when I throw in the whole aligning our will with God's will idea.  Do I pray to counsel the Lord as to what would be best for me? or Do I pray and ask Him for strength to accept whatever He sends my way?  Or is it a little of both? I have to admit that I really love the definition of prayer in the Bible Dictionary (as a side note, the Bible Dictionary is one my favorite parts of the scriptures and in my humble opinion way underutilized).  The Bible Dictionary tells me that:

 "Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings." 

Pretty powerful stuff.  And this little nugget is the thing I always cling to when I start those "prayer issues" start creeping up in my mind.  But the way to go about it all seems to get a little confusing at times in my mortal mind.  Until today.  Thanks to a really great post on a blog, I stumbled upon some pretty incredible words by President Eyring. I made a little "Prayer List" to stick in my bedroom and then thought the list is definitely share worthy.  If you click on each item it will link you to the place it came from...
My Prayer List 
Courtesy of President Henry B. Eyring

Pretty wise words from a pretty inspired man...can't wait to try it all out!


Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday Feature: From The Archives

Last year Senior's cute sis Auntie Alison and I started scanning Senior's parents slides to convert to DVD.  After a lot of hours worth of work we decided that it would be more time effective and actually not that expensive to hire Costco to finish it up...however, I still have a bunch of the photos on my hard drive which is pretty fun.  New feature for Monday will highlight one of those pictures from the archives...
Senior and his little brother Fig.  Based on the note taped to Fig's shirt it is most likely Father's Day 1977.  Looking pretty snazzy for church!  BTW:  Note reads, "I will help my Dad by eating my food well and obeying."  Good advice for just about any five year old.  Note the detailing on the belts...classic 1970s!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Stories From the Tree

So, if you had not heard Chocho tends to get a little into history.  She likes all kinds of history but one of her favorites is family history.  So it is understandable the excitement she felt when she got an email about a new endeavor her Aunt Julie was undertaking...you will just have to check it out for yourself:
I am sure Aunt Julie would love your comments!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

A Little Slice

Youth Activities with our church definitely play a role in our lives each week...thought I'd give you "A LITTLE SLICE" as to what they have consisted of lately:
Six mile hike with the YW
Ping-pong, pizza and planning with the Priests
The making of lasagnas with the Activity Day girls for a recognition dinner with parents coming up soon
A rappelling prep activity to get ready to head out on the rocks with the YW
A Futsol (indoor soccer) tourney with the YW and YM
First aid training night with the YW
Cleaning assignment at the church granary with the YM and their dads
HAVE TO SAY IT GETS A LITTLE BUSY BUT WE STILL HAVE FUN!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Out of the Mouth of Babes

As we were walking down the street in the middle of a cold and windy rain storm (we had an umbrella, I just hadn't realized how cold it was until after we left)to pick up Junior's from a friend's house, Queen Bubs exclaims "This must be a super-lion today!"  Took me a second...then I got it.  Once March rolls around, preschools everywhere teach the ancient truth:  "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb!"  Trouble around here (and just about everywhere) the lion doesn't seem to want to leave...hopefully those April showers finish up so we can get the May flowers planted (another little truth I gleaned from Joy School in 1977)!

Monday, May 9, 2011

April 2011 Top Ten...Remember, there is no meaning to the order...

1.A. Guess who is the new seventh grade vice president at the Junior High? Yep our very own Giada!  Have to say her portfolio she had to put together rocked (it might even get its very own post) and she walked out of her interview with the current SBO officers and told her momma, "I think I nailed it!" And guess what?  She did.  Way to go Giada!









1B.  Easter...It was a special time to reflect on the Resurrection of our Savior  and we also enjoyed Grandma and Grandpa's traditional egg hunt.
1.C.  Yep, we really did wake up at 1:55 AM watched whole thing!  Nana and Auntie  Natalie joined us at Nana's house for the festivities.  Senior and Junior enjoyed having the house to themselves!
1.D.  Chocho and Bernina enjoyed a Bobbi Brown makeover at Nordies with Auntie Natalie, courtesy of Auntie Missa!



2.  Ninth Grade is almost over...Bernina was honored at the Eagle Evening of Excellence!  Also a chance to grab some photos of some of her cute friends.  
3.  Matching Easter outfits!  Some years it happens, some years it doesn't...Some years I get a photo of it, some years I don't.  This year they both happened!





4. Traditional Egg Roll with the Hansen's...we seem to make just about everything competitive...even Easter!  

5. Celebrated Queen Bubs 5th birthday in style with a Barbie cake!  Her birthday date was with Mom and Dad at good ole Chuck-A-Rama!


6.  Celebrated Bernina's 15th birthday! For her birthday date she headed to see The King's Speech and then dinner at Ruth's Diner (which happens to be the restaurant that Chocho's parents and Senior's parents first met soon after the "proposal" way back when).
7.  Queen Bubs was a mouse in her preschool play...what a cute mouse!
8. Sunday morning pretend primary with Sister Slick.  They made the shield representing the Armor of God. 



9. Lec/Dem CDT at an elementary school in Daybreak. Again, they danced their hearts out!









10. Spring.Break.St.George.We.Love.It.Seriously!