January 29th Home with Jewel

Jewel and Patricia were home all day today. Jewel had a slight cough and Patricia needed to start her financial aid/scholarship search online to help with Rutgers costs. Overwhelming task!!

A textbook that Dakota needed for a math class finally came today. We have been ordering textbooks online for the past couple of years as they are so much cheaper than the books at the college bookstore. This book was ordered from China but it was also only $70 as compared to $120 at the bookstore.

Daniel came home early today from Connecticut as he was visiting a client yesterday and today. It was great to have him home so early....no Stake meetings tonight for Daniel or Patricia.

trivia: The new England Patriots and the New York Giants are in the super bowl.

Another YW in the East Brunswick ward was accepted to BYU Idaho!

gratitude thought: grateful that I still have the energy to play with a little eight year old for several hours. Jewel pretended that she was a dog that could sing, talk and dance and wanted to be in my (I was the producer) Broadway show. We also acted out more POKEMON characters.

Birthday lunch Sun. January 27th & January 28th

OJewel, Dakota and Cami Turner

Birthday lunch & Yummy chocolate cake









Sunday started with choir practice for Dakota at 8:50 am followed by our regular church meetings. Patricia was supposed to visit another ward as part of her calling, but as our dear friends 'Enid and George Yourstone' wanted to give her a birthday lunch, she was excused by the Stake YW president.

The Turners (Starr, Jason, Cami and Graham) were also there. Patricia really enjoyed her lunch and the homemade delicious cake. The Yourstones and Turners live very close and enjoy getting together.

After lunch, Patricia had to drive to the Freehold ward for Youth Council meetings. She is using her Christmas gift from Daniel, the GPS, so she doesn't get lost driving to the ward buildings in NJ.

Daniel left Monday morning for Connecticut and will return Tuesday evening.

NEWS: Our dear Prophet Gordon B. Hinkley died January 27th 2008, He was 97 years old. Our family home evening will focus on the life of President Hinkley and the process of choosing a new Prophet.

gratitude thought: grateful for the life of Gordon B Hinkley and all he did. We enjoy many temples due to his focus of adding more around the world.

grateful for friends to share birthdays with as our dear families are so far away. If things go well with work for Daniel, it would be wonderful to visit them. ..grateful that we can hope......

1/26/08 NJ Board of Ed. 1 victory, 1 victory pending

Yahoo, this is a copy of the 30 college credit requirement for a HS diploma in NJ.












Patricia, with the help of Middlesex County College, petitioned the state of NJ to award Dakota a Highschool diploma. We were trying to waive the age minimum of 16. With 80 college credits including 30 in the areas the state required, the diploma was granted. Patricia received the phone call on Friday. This is the first time this has happened in NJ.

The Board of Education has agreed to compensate Patricia for her past transportation costs from September - January. At first denied, Patricia met with the Board of Ed in Highland Park and then called the Division of Transportation in Trenton, NJ. Turns out that there was some foul play going on and Jewel and other Highland Park students should have been getting their own schoolbus for the past three years. If Patricia had received her $420, she would have walked away happy. But instead, the Board of Ed. will fork out 30K for a bus instead of the $8,500 to the parents for travel compensation. The victory will be complete when the check arrives but for now, Patricia feels validated!!!

Friday evening, after roller skating Jewel had a sleepover with her friend Andrew. They watched POKEMON movies and played POKEMON characters

Saturday was a busy day for church activities. Dakota participated in the Klondike Derby race, their YM group came in 2nd place. Daniel had Priesthood training meetings all day and played the piano for the Spanish sessions. Although Dakota was in his Scout shirt, smelling like smoke, he stayed for the evening Priesthood session.

Daniel took our huge air conditioner out of the window today, to help keep in more heat. It is a huge beast to deal with!

Patricia made lentil soup for the dinner exchange group.

gratitude thought: grateful that Daniel had lots of time to spend with Jewel today, They took a library trip and played wii sports and other games on the wii. Jewel and mommy also spent the afternoon together while the boys were at church.

January 24th...to Andrea!

Cold day today in the 20's...

Jewel had a playdate with Aviel and Fagala (Russian twins in her school), Dakota is at the Regal movie theatre watching a Marathon film and Daniel is attending church meetings.

I am still learning how to blog and navigate the site, so I missed when a comment came in. So for Andrea....I did reply to your comment on January 9th. You will find it after your post. Sorry it took so long. If anyone else wants to comment, please feel free to do so. I am slowly getting the knack of this and am trying to get better. I'd love to hear from you. (Patricia)

Youth programs at church January 23rd 2008

Jewel with
the Activity Days
group (8-12)






Dakota with YM basketball

Wednesday nights are fun for the kids. Dakota has his youth program with other teens (12-18) every week and Jewel has her group every other week. They both are run by the church and help the kids develop friendships with other Latter Day Saint children while doing a variety of activities. They both love going!!

The girls read a book 'The Sisters Grimm' which Jewel enjoyed very much. The young men practiced basketball for the Stake basketball games held every winter.
Patricia drives the kids two Wednesdays and switches off with another lady who takes Dakota . Twice a month on Wednesdays she brings him home, while Patricia gets Jewel ready for bed.

Daniel is preparing for a one day trip on Monday to Connecticut for training. He has Stake High Council meetings tonight. Dakota wants to see the movie 'The Spirit of the Marathon' tonight. It is a one night showing.

Temp= 16 degrees 50% chance of snow.

trivia: Actor Heath Ledger dies in Manhattan from suspected pill overdose

gratitude: looking on the internet, I saw the housing market problems and the many foreclosures. I am grateful that we have our home and the kids have a place that is theirs. I pray that we will be able to continue to provide this for them.

Patricia's training: She is in week two of running/Pilates training. So far so good. The actual dieting will come in March when her metabolism has increased and she picks out which diet plan to follow. Slim Fast, Alli, Weight Watchers or just plain eating less???

Monday off and Tuesday back to school for Dakota

Jewel's POKEMON hobby


Graduating class of 2008










I find it so interesting that Jewel has the same passion and interest in POKEMON that Dakota had. Both kids found POKEMON fascinating at the ages of 6-8. Jewel watched a couple of POKEMON movies on her day off on Monday. She had mom acting out some of the characters too.

The kids cleaned their rooms as it was hard to walk inside without tripping over clothing, toys and books. (Yipee)

Family Home eveving consisted of scriptures (BOM) and an activity in strengthening the family. We played the game 'Fact or Crap'

Tuesday morning brings Dakota to his final semester at Middlesex County College. The three years he spent there have been such a great blessing for him. He has enjoyed learning and getting to know professors who have a passion for their topic. He will take Physics 2, Differential Equations (calculus 4) Political Science and will continue advanced piano. We are all nervous as we await the decision from Rutgers to see if he gets accepted. Patricia is trying to be calm as the years of finding appropiate educational levels has been a constant struggle. If Dakota isn't accepted, she will homeschool for a semester and try again in the spring!

Daniel has Stake Presidency meetings tonight and Thursday night. He just loves the meetings and the brethren. He continues to enjoy KPMG and the co workers. He seems to have all new things to learn and Patricia is so grateful that he is learning and challenged. Patricia's wish for 2010 is to one day be able to breathe again, knowing that all is well.

trivia: Chess whiz Bobby Fisher and actress Suzanne Plechet died.

gratitude thought: I so appreciate the fact that BOTH children have found appropiate education settings, hobbies and passions that keep them happy and stimulated. I know this seems like a silly thing in America, but nothing can describe the feeling when you have a child who wants to learn or learns somewhat differently and there is absolutely no place to go or nowhere to turn. It is a fantastic feeling to have found the right matches.

Weekend of January 19th-20th (Brrr)

There is nothing better than coming home to a warm home! The Northeast has been hit with frigid temps and winds. Typical for January, but still very cold when wearing church dress clothes.




Daniel and Dakota went to the Manhattan Temple with the East Brunswick youth on Saturday morning. They left at 7:00 am and returned home by 1:00 pm. Daniel and Patricia went to the funeral of a ward member Joe Chapino. He was a veteran of Vietnam who died of a brain tumor. The funeral was at 3:00 pm, very short but nicely done. He had a military burial.

Church was a regular day, with the family leaving early for choir practice (for Dakota) and then our 9:30 Sacrament meeting. Daniel had to return to church to play for a Spanish branch activity as they don't have a pianist. Patricia begins her 2008 year starting next Sunday, with visiting all the wards in the Stake for ward conferences.

trivia: tomorrow is the National Holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr birthday. I was 10 years old attending PS 192 in Harlem when I heard the news that he had been killed on April 4th 1969. I knew something awful had occured when fires were being set in the street as I was frightened taking the bus home. I remember the chills I felt when I saw on TV, the balcony where he was shot and his body.

gratitude: I am grateful to have been alive during the time of King's fight against racism in America. The speech in Washington D.C still gives me goose bumps everytime I hear it. I enjoy many privaleges today due to the civil rights movement. There is never a bus ride I take, that my eyes don't wander to the back of the bus....

Daniel returns from Texas

New ballet shoes for Jewel


little gifts from dad, hotsauce &
Lance Armstrong bracelet







Daniel arrived from Austin Texas last night. The brief snow turned to rain last night and Patricia picked him up from Newark International airport. We were home by 11:45 pm.

Jewel and Patricia had their parent/teacher/pupil conference today. Her school, 'Greater Charter Brunswick School' allows the children to sit in and to take part in choosing some projects they wish to work on. She will continue learning how to type on the keyboard and will pick a research project. She will also join two other kids in a literature pullout program to read some more challenging books. She will continue her pullout math. Conference went well.

Patricia coninues her training on the treadmill and was quite sore today. she also began working on her talk/lesson she needs to give during the LITES Devotional in February.

Dakota continues to practice the piano and run. His new semester starts next Tuesday! Patricia still can't believe he will actually graduate.

gratitiude thought: thankful that Daniel's flight arrived safely!

A regular day in January

A nice day today. Sunny but chilly. Nothing major happened. Patricia had her CRL and Revlon jobs this morning and began week 1 of Dakota's running program. She is in training for a spring 5K race, but her real objective is just to lose weight. Her legs hurts and she uses very different muscles than when dancing. It is sort of painful and boring, but it will help her stay healthy, so she will try the program for two months. She now runs for 60 seconds and walk for 90 seconds.... alternating for 20 minutes.

Daniel arrives form Texas tomorrow and has had a great time. In Texas he is eating Bison, Venison and Texas Bar-b-que. Lucky him!!

Dakota went home teaching with his Teacher's group at church and Jewel had ballet. She learned degages and sur le coupe d'pies. Fun for her.

Patricia has an appointment with the board of Education in Highland Park to try to figure out why they won't reimburse her for the fall of 2007. She was able to reach someone higher up in the department.

trivia: Diane Jones (Pat's sister) had her 47th birthday yesterday.

gratitude thought: Almost two weeks of driving without any car problems. yeah!! it feels great to have a reliable car when driving around so much. I'm grateful to not have had to worry about the car. (Pat)

Daniel is in Texas, while Patricia holds down the fort

Daniel left for Austin, Texas on Monday morning. He will spend three days there and will return on Thursday night. Jewel missed hom so much she cried when picked up from school. Daniel left his sweatshirt for her to sleep with and a picture of himself.

Jewel has half days in school as it is parent teacher conference week. Jewel's conference is on Friday. She was given a new homework packet of more advanced work to take home. I am so happy as she has new math and english problems to work on.

Patricia spent the day on the phone with the Board of Education and Jewel's school. As she has to drive Jewel and her schoolmates everyday, there is a reimbursement from the state of NJ to help offset the high price of gas. The district will not pay for a schoolbus for Highland Park kids. $400 has been refused to Patricia as her paperwork was incorrect. The school said is was their mistake but hopefully the Killpacks will not be out of a hard earned $400 and we fall through the cracks. Patricia's blood pressure probably sky rocketed on Monday and she finds this stressful.

One of Patricia's former Laurels, was picked up by Patricia and she spent some of the day with us. She was home from school as she had an afternoon doctor's appointment. She had an ear infection. Jitta graduates this year and has applied to BYU Idaho. She is a refugee from Sierra Leonne.

We had a wonderful Family Home Evening. We ate dinner in the family room and watched the Book of Mormon video and watched old family videos. One was the trip to Seaworl and the San Diego Zoo when Jewel was 18 months and Dakota was 7 and 1/2. They sure do grow fast. We missed Daniel....

Weekend of January 12th & 13th

East Brunswick Stake Presidency members
Brother Flores (2nd counselor) & Brother Killpack (ex.secretary)

Daniel and Miguel Flores have become really great friends
Dakota (6') with coach Martino (6'5")
East Brunswick YM basketball team











Saturday was a busy day. Dakota had a Stake basketball game. They played the best team in the Stake, Eatontown, played well but lost. Next time guys!!

Daniel and Patricia were invited to a members' home for a farewell dinner for an ex- member of the East Brunswick Stake Presidency. Brother Gruber was called as a counselor into the Manhattan Temple Presidency and the dinner was a great time to meet and talk with Brother & Sister Gruber and other members of the Princeton wards. Our East Brunswick Stake President, President Stokes and his wife also attended.

We were home by 9:00, as Jewel has had a very tough time with us being out of the home to attend church functions or socials in the evening.

Sunday after church (9:30 new time) we brought home a little eight year old to watch as his single mom had to go to work for a few hours. He had to wait at church until she came back and we found him sitting outside in the cold waiting for his mom. He was recently baptized and he is in Jewel's Primary class.

Dakota and Patricia had to return to church for a Youth Conference meeting (Patricia) and the Stake Standards Fireside.

Weatherman what happened???

How in the world could we have been so wrong??

There was a 90% chance of thunderstorms and heavy, heavy rain today. I had planned on keeping Jewel home from school and riding into the city with Daniel Friday morning. He was to go to work, we were to hang out at Kevin's house and at 8:00 pm, attend the State Theatre to see New York City Ballet perform Balanchine's famous ballet 'JEWELS'. Diane managed to get us four orchestra seats for free.

Daniel decided not to drive in to avoid the bad weather, so we stayed home and Jewel attended school. I need to learn how to drive into Midtown so we can attend future events. Another New Year's resolution for me.

So Dakota and I are home, learning about tons of trivia, doing some family history and watching the sunshine from our windows. :-( Jewel will do her regular Friday afternoon rollerskating. She is so good on skates and everything physical. She would be a dynamite little ice skater.

gratitude thought: Sitting in on one of Dakota's psychology classes, his professor said that unlike other animals, humans were capable of understanding the concept of HOPE. Animals existed only in the moment without thought of the future. I am grateful that I can hope and that I am not a bear.


Trivia: Sir Edmund Hillary died, he was the first man known to climb Everest, and had the famous 'Hillary's chimney' named after him. Dakota and I did a ton of research on Everest and Hillary during Dakota's homeschooling days when he was 5 years old. I remembered watching the IMAX movie at least five times with Dakota. Four times at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta and once in the Tennessee Aquarium Museum in Chatanooga. I finally bought the Everest movie but he had already moved on to his new obsession of TITANTIC.

Jewel loved Titanic studies too, but had a hard time with the sadness of so many deaths.

gratitutde thought #2: I am sooooo grateful that Dakota gets to learn in college..I am still recovering from the years of doing the Everest and Titantic studies with him. I think the obsession lasted two to three years.

Well I guess i will go shopping for dinner now that the sun is shining full blast. Turning out to be a beautiful Friday night!

Menu: Fish tacos

This is Big D here, with basketball photos!

On Wednesday, 9th January 2008, several events took place.
Among them was an 'collection' of gratuitous violences, irrational exuberances and exertionages, that street hoodlums refer to as 'basketball'.

Gory details to follow.


In this first example, our fine example specimen fends off a small, yet formidable enemy. These creatures have been known to resort to dirty, under-handed methods, known as 'fouls' in order to retrieve a leather-set spherical orb characterized by firm reboundatory motions and Tiggeresque stripes subdividing aforementioned object into eight panels. Once retrieved, these foul-necked beasts proceed to propel said 'ball' through a hoop mounted ten feet above ground level.

I am possessed by an uncontrollable urge to dismember them around of the pivot of their cervical vertebrae with a pedally operated humus redistribution device - I mean... I want to behead them with a shovel.



Moving on to Exhibit B:
This is the 'pack'. Generally subdivided into two partitions, known as 'offense' and 'defense' in common parlance. They play ball! What else is there to say?

Enjoying balmy days in January

The weather in NJ has been gorgeous for this time of year. Monday and Tuesday we had temperatures in the 60's and lots of sunshine.

Dakota has been able to train and run outdoors instead of on the treadmill and spring like weather always puts me in a better mood.

Daniel has received some assignments at work and his training is almost complete. Now he feels like he is really working and so far he is enjoying himself. I hope the constant change and different assignments will keep him engaged and his mind occupied.

Dakota is still home between semesters and spends his time playing around on the computer, running, playing piano, filling his mom's head with ALL kinds of trivia, and YM activities. Seminary has started for him. I feel bad he will need to miss a few days of Seminary next week as he really loves going. Daniel will be out of town, and 5:00 am is too early for Jewel as she has some evening activites that push her bedtime to 9:30. Her immune system is delicate and the early hours will result in her getting sick.

Jewel has her church Activity Days program which she loves. Also she will begin ballet again. She loves to dance around the house...maybe I should rent some old Perry Mason episodes and she can emulate an attorney =)

I don't have any small jobs this week and no driving Dakota to school. So it has been great being able to stay at home for more than one hour at a time. My car trip average is only around 5 a day right now. Pure heaven. Things will pick up a bit next week and then driving will be in full swing again.

Church activities: Family Home Evening, we did our annual personal scrap book page for the New Year. Each year we put a photo of ourselves and write something about our past year. A tradition started in 1996 and we love it.

Stake YW meeting and also ward leadership training meetings for Patrica from 11:00-2:30 on Tuesday. A Thursday evening Stake Presidency meeting is coming up for Daniel.

Tonight both Dakota and Jewel have their activities.

I'm slow getting my Holiday cards out this year and a package to Doris and Ken. It feels wierd being this behind...I guess I am still recovering from the intense application proecess to Rutgers. It is getting harder to recover from frying my brain and enegry and motivation are also slower to rebuild.

gratitude thought: grateful that a week has gone by without the basement flooding, the car is behaving and doesn't need repairs, food in the fridge and we are all healthy.

grateful for our callings in the Stake and the chance to learn from some fantatic and amazing people.

grateful for the most wonderful mother and mother in law, who have no idea how much they help me keep going when I'm completely overwhelmed. Their examples of surviving well are such an inspiration. If I do half of what they can, I will be satisfied.

very grateful for all the Christmas art work that surrounds our house..all done by Uncle Greg.

First church meeting in 2008

A very nice day today. Temperatures are climbing up into the 50's this week. A welcomed relief after a very bitter Thursday.

Church was at 9:30 am after a year of attending at 1:00 pm. Jewel did her very first fast today and did a great job. After church was over, she asked the ward YW president Sister Rockwell for a Jolly Rancher candy from inside the YW closet. So cute!!

Daniel and Dakota (now an official Teacher to do home teaching) went to home teach Michah and Roen this afternoon after lunch. It felt great having an entire afternoon at home relaxing. I spent some time gathering photos for our annual family scrapbook for Family Home Evening tomorrow. At the beginning of each New Year, we each do one page of our own personal history for the past year and stick in a book. We started this in 1997 and have so much fun looking back at ourselves over the years. The kids love it too.

Taking last night's Stake YW LITE prgram's menu...we had stuffed potaotes and apple pie for dinner. I just stuck them in the oven and Voila.

Youth Basketball begins! bounce, bounce bounce...dribble, dribble, score.

Today was the first day of the youth basketball season at church. GO EB. Both the YM and YW of East Brunswick lost today, but that's allright as the season is young. I am so happy Dakota wants to play even if he doesn't like the sport too well.

Daniel took Dakota and Jewel while I stayed home and did laundry, cleaned house, went shopping and tried to watch some of Alfred Hitchcock's gem 'The Birds' I sure hope I don't dream about pigeons. I haven't seen the movie in awhile and it was strange to watch it in color on a DVD. Hitchcock is known for his amazing shots in black and white. 'The Birds' was written by an author that I like very much. Daphene Du Maurier also wrote 'Rebecca' and Hitchcock directed this as well.

Daniel took out our basement toilet so hopefully we won't have anymore flooding. It was a big job ripping all that wood out, but I am glad he did this.

Dakota, Jewel and Daniel spent some time in our local Highland Park library. I spent the afternoon cooking for our Stake YW activity this afternoon. We have begun getting ready for camp 2008 and had leadership training.

My dear Mable, left for South Carolina after spending a month with us. It seems like there is never enough time with her. She makes a sunny day out of anything and has the best laugh in the world. She is one fantastic Bid Whist player. There are many who will be thrilled to have her back at home. We will miss her.

End of a short week! RUTGERS APPLICATION DONE!

One of the things I enjoy the most about the Holidays is that time seems to stand still..we get to stay home and enjoy our loved ones without all the interuptions of stuff getting in the way.

After being back in the swing of things after New Year's Day, I am surprised that the rest and relaxation of the past week is gone in just three brief days. I did so enjoy the time..

Dakota finished his essay for Rutgers and the application has been sent. YES! I hope there are no calls for additonal info. His essay was great. Now the next hurdle, if accepted, is finding pockets of money to help us fund his education.

Jewel seems settled back into school. Ms Johanna her teacher, has been ill and absent. Jewel resumed her Friday afternoon rollerskating with Andrew and Mr. Jan.

Dan finished his week at KPMG and will travel to Texas in two weeks. Things are off to a nice start for him. I took Jewel to school, helped Dakota with the online application to RU, went to Q-Research for a study (extra money), had my hair done. My hair (like most African American hair) is extremely fragile and dry. I go twice a month to a shop that does black hair pretty well.

I put a casserole in the oven, cleaned the house, went to pick up Daniel from the train station and then drove to pick Jewel up from her friend Andrew's house.

The basement is clean, and I bought this RID X stuff to put in the toilets to help prevent clogs. I sure hope that helps.

Gratitude thought: grateful for Saturday and the chance to sleep an extra hour, grateful for New Year's resolutions which I need to get busy on. One goal is to be at my pre pregnancy weight (age 34) before my 50th birthday in 13 months. I am really tired of being heavy and it makes my feet hurt and slows me down!

The weather outside is frightful! My basement is not delightful.

Thursday January 3rd 2008

Brrr...man is it cold outside. Windchill of 5 degrees today and it will continue to drop on Friday.

Jewel was up bright and early to start school again. Daniel was off to work for his 11:00 meeting. He is still doing some training and identifying his job assignments. Dakota and I delivered documents (to support his Rutgers application) to Nancy Pullen and Bill Russo. It turned out to be an interview and chat for half an hour. Dakota has to finalize his essay and hit the send button on the form. I also mailed the petition to the Board of Ed in Trenton to see if Dakota will be issued a high school diploma/GED.

Daniel has a Stake presidency meeting tonight, but is coming home early. Jewel called him as our pipes clogged and flooded out basement again. This is the third time in two weeks that this has happened and I am thinking strongly about moving to Piscataway.

Trivia for the day...2nd Friendship Baptist Church on 122nd and 7th avenue in Harlem burned down tonight. This was the church my parents were married in December 8th 1957. No one was inside.

I was listening to Jill Scott singing a Billy Holiday song 'Good Morning Heartache' and began thinking about the stories Alvin Ailey told me about Billy Holiday and his first time watching her perform. John Butler choreographed a piece called 'Portrait of Billie'. Funny thing as Martin Luther King's birthday approaches...I was thinking about the Fox Theatre in Atlanta GA when I was about to go onstage to perform Talley Beatty's 'The Stack Up'. I saw Coretta Scott King sitting with Alvin and I asked for her autograph. This was sometime in 1983 0r 1984. She looked just like all her photos. I wished I had saved the Playbill she signed. sigh! Her oldest daughter died this year. She was only in her 50's.

Today would have been Hester Blanding's (my grandama) 90th birthday. She was buried the same day that Dakota was born.

Gratitude thought: grateful for a husband who happens to be in town when the basement floods. I could have been here alone with the kids.

grateful that Daniel snaked the pipes and came home early to do so.

...... after bleaching, cleaning and taking out 8 bags of damaged items, I am very grateful that I can go to bed at 12:15 am.

grateful for scriptures to read to put an evening like this into perspective!

January 2nd..back to the old grind!

The holidays are now over =(


Busy, busy day. Daniel went back to work after our long Holiday break. He was so excited to begin this new year at KPMG.

No school yet for Jewel and Dakota. I had to pay half of Dakota's tuition of almost $700. Paying tuition right after Christmas really hurts. In addition I had to pick up a letter of recommenation from his Organic professor Dr. Conley. He wrote a great letter that will hopefully help us get Dakota into Rutgers.

I picked up our Volvo after having the brakes done and went to the DMV to have our inspection done. Yeah, we passed.

I did my regular Clinical Research job, to earn a few dollars in Piscataway.

Jewel passed on ballet today, I think she is really blue that the Holidays are over and is kind of weepy eyed. She is excited to start school tomorrow.

Dakota had YM...he had to cook a Missionary meal in only $4.oo to feed four. He picked spanish rice and beans with sausage.. only $4.oo bucks at Shoprite. Not bad!

We'll see how it went. Now I am off to blowdry Jewel's hair for half an hour and then will begin the task of the online application for Rutgers. Tomorrow, Dakota and I will walk in the other documents to Nancy Pullen who is an Assistant Director in the department of Admissions.

Gratitude thought: so grateful for a little house that is easy to heat and keeps the heat. It is freezing today and temps will continue to drop. Today was 30 degrees with wind chill of 20.

Out with the old, in with the new (Jan.1st) 2008 pt.2

Dakota's best time! Ward members Go Daniel!

My dear, wonderful mother..Mable.

After leaving Kevin's house in Brooklyn on New Year's Eve, we were all in bed by 11:20 pm.

Instead of our traditional bowling and buffet on New Year's, Dakota and Daniel ran in the Resolution 5K Race. Several ward members were there. The Glad family, Pablo Smith (first race), Mike Maldonado, Dori Patterson. Dakota ran his best race coming in just over 24 minutes. Daniel did great again with a a few minutes after Dakota. Jewel and I were cheerleaders. She wants to run the next race. Instead of a buffet, we ordered Chinese food and played Cranium with Mable and Kevin who drove into NJ for a couple of hours. Great way to bring in the year.

Gratitude thought: grateful for a New Year, one more year of life, to be human, to feel, to think, to love..and the chance to make new goals, correct mistakes, improve and soar!

current music fixations: John Legend and Jill Scott ( Jazz, Neo-soul)

Out with the old, in with the new. (Jan 1st 08) part 1

December 31st.....in Brooklyn at Kevin's house

Kevin and Jewel play fighting.

Dakota and his crazy uncle Kevin.

CHRISTMAS 2007 Part 2

Jovie and Mable playing Apples to Apples.

Christopher and Dakota

Poor Uncle Kevin had chills but hung in there.

Christmas menu

Turkey & Stuffing, Ham and potato salad, Mac and cheese, southern 'cow' peas, Pineapple and lime salsa and Pies.

Gratitute thought: I'm so very grateful for families!!

CHRISTMAS DAY 2007 part 1

MERRY CHRISTMAS

TO

MY DEAR FAMILY

Jewel was awake at 6:45 am, not bad at all. Dakota wanted running clothes

She asked for Pixel Chix, My Little Ponies, Wii play and Mario Galaxy.

Glam & Glitter and a camera.

Th e kids played most of the day with Daniel while Patricia cooked for relatives. Her mom (Mable) and brother (Kevin) along with her sister (Kathy) and their kids werre coming over.

Patricia had a bad headcole and Kevin was recovering from a bad flu with a high fever for the past week. Around 5:00, Kevin and Mable went to the ER and he was discharged. They finally made it out to NJ in time for dinner. Mable, Kevin and cousins Jovie (16) and Chris (18).