Robert Carroll McCaleb, 1917- 2012

My grandpa passed away last night. He was 95. What a long time to live. But what a full life he had. His wonderful wife, my grandma, preceded him in death by ten years. I don't know how people "find" each other in heaven, but I believe they are together now. They with their son, my dad. And their daughter who died as a newborn. And everyone else they knew and loved who left this earth before them. I would love to have a real glimpse of what heavenly reunions are like. Think of all the great-great uncles and aunties you might get to meet. I hope they let you greet the people you actually know first. ;)

Here's a picture of my grandfather, aka Bob.



Wasn't he a handsome young fellow?

My uncle Gary posted this picture on Facebook and included these words:
"Seventy years later, this trooper went home to his Lord. Dad slipped away about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night; the weathered shell of what he once was released him to be who he truly is in Christ. More to say in due time, but no dad could have been a finer man or better mentor than this man who taught me duty, honor, God, and country through word spoken, deed done, and blood shed. Rest in Peace, dad."
Well said, Gary.


I didn't know him as well as I could have. My grandparents lived in Arizona, so I only got to see them maybe once a year. I always thought he was a cute old man with an unmistakably good heart. He was artistic. Serious and hard-working. Forever telling war stories. Devoted, generous, and strong.

Erin, Gavin, Megan and I will be at his graveside service in Arizona the end of next week. It may be the last time any of us has reason to go to Arizona. =( My whole life, all the visits there have been to see my dad and grandparents. And now they have all moved on to the other side.
I miss them.

Grandpa will be missed. The grandpa I knew as a child has been "gone" for the last several years. His memory had mostly deteriorated, and he could no longer carry on a coherent conversation. It probably didn't help that his hearing was next to none. It's sad not knowing when we'll get to see him again, but it's a comfort to know that he is now free from the physical and mental limitations that he had been experiencing. He must feel so energized and, for lack of a better word, alive.

Farewell, Grandpa McCaleb . . . 'til we meet again.

Artsy fartsy

So, my brother's wife is quite artistic. I'm always in awe of the things she creates.

She painted their living room wall to look like this...

It's all paint. No decals. I think it's adorable!


This is the opposite wall. I like the little birds. ("Put a bird on it!")


A few weeks ago, I went to a mother/daughter activity at the church with Cora and Jane. On the agenda was a gal demonstrating cake decorating techniques. It was a fun and informative evening. Everyone got to practice decorating their own cupcakes using wads of fondant the leaders had made and divvied out. Truthfully, I felt lost without any sprinkles. =)

I thought Jane's creation was so cute.

She used a fondant cutter to make the flower, then methodically formed and added all the dots.


She (and I) were pleased with her handiwork. And isn't she cute?

In semi-related news, Ryan's mom is now teaching summer art classes to the girls every Wednesday afternoon. I'm eager to see what they learn. Shirley is such a talented artist. She does beautiful work. Ryan got that gene from her, and now Jane seems to have picked it up from them. It's pretty fascinating how heredity works.
I'm not just basing Jane's artistic abilities on how this cupcake turned out. I've posted some of her drawings here before, and she's always busy drawing more. I will take some pics soon of her more recent masterpieces.

In totally unrelated news, I finally broke down and bought the big tub of mini cinnamon rolls at Costco the other day. Don't tell me you haven't noticed them. Each time I've been there they've called to me, but until this week I'd passed them by, talking myself out of taking them home to live in my belly.
If anyone knows me, they know I love little things. I don't get why people think bigger is necessarily better. Somehow the smaller it is, the better it tastes. The flavor is more concentrated. I've tasted a huge cinnamon roll before, and it was dry. There was too much roll for the cinnamon and icing. So, not only are mini things cuter, they are yummier. In my honest opinion.
Anyway, two days later all the soft cinnamony rolls are gone. The whole fam was crazy about them. Cora and Jane told me to get them again next time. Ryan told me I shouldn't (because he couldn't stop snacking on them). My voice of reason (if any reason remains) and my taste buds are currently debating the issue. Maybe Costco simply won't have them next time.

A Visit to Vegas!

Welp, the time finally came. =) And went. =(
But the third annual sisters' trip was a raring success. =)

We skipped town at 6:00am Sunday morning (June 3rd) and pulled into Vegas about 11 hours later. We made a few more pit stops than last year to accommodate antsy bladders, but still made decent time. It's remarkable how such a lengthy trip doesn't feel that way when in the right company. Plenty of good music, joking around, sharing snacks, and admiring pretty scenery makes for a lovely drive.

We stayed at the Monte Carlo. Megan was in charge of booking our stay, and she had somehow acquired a free night, so we ended up splitting the cost of just two nights at some kind of other discount she'd swung. It was a good deal!

We were on the 23rd floor. This is the view from our window. Look at those tiny palm trees.

There were huge nude statues of men and women hovering near the entrance of our resort. I thought about taking pictures of the stony works of art, but didn't want Erin and Megan to think I was a weirdo, so I refrained.

After we got checked in, we freshened up to go eat dinner and see the show we'd waited years to see: Beatles LOVE Cirque Du Soleil. I could just type LOVE, but I like to be thorough and, believe it or not, I have actually talked to people who haven't heard of the show. I need to remember that not everyone has had a lifelong infatuation with the Beatles.

We moseyed down The Strip toward the Mirage, where the show to end all shows is stationed. We decided to eat at Carnegie Delicatessen inside the Mirage. We noticed a lot of tongue on the menu... ewww... But most everything else sounded mouthwatering! Meg and Erin both got a BLT.

Holy bacon, lettuce and tomato! They looked even thicker in person. Erin had ordered it with the expectation of a nice, light meal. After we ordered, we couldn't help but notice mountainous pastrami sandwiches coming out of the kitchen (on trays carried by waitstaff). At that point we could only imagine how substantial their BLTs would be.

I got the Beefarama- no joke, that's what it said on the menu. I felt so ladylike as I ordered it. It was so yummy. Thin, tender layers of roast beef on a thick piece of bread, generously clothed with gravy. Also, the fries were really good. They look cold in this picture, but they were perfectly hot. I moaned quietly to myself throughout the meal. No joke. =)

Then it was time for the main event!

All the pretty colors...



I loved the ushers' outfits! This was taken after the show. Before the show they also wore tall furry black wigs to complete the look.

It was easily the most spectacular program I have ever experienced. The soul-piercing music, the phenomenal choreography, the creativity, the sensational costumes, the hair-raising stunts. WOW, WOW, WOW! As I sat awestruck, I quickly figured out why they named it Love. I LOVED every second of it! This event alone was worth the drive to Vegas. I'm glad I got to see it with my sisters, who share my lifelong affinity for the Beatles. I never ever get sick of their music.

Monday morning we got ready, ventured downstairs, and stopped on our way out to enjoy crepes at some fro-yo/crepe establishment inside the hotel. Picture apple filling mingled with crispy almonds and a drizzle of caramel and powdered sugar. Oh, yum.
We walked to the tram and rode it to the Luxor, where we experienced the Bodies exhibit and the Titanic exhibit. Both were well worth our time and money.

(This is the front of the Luxor hotel. Pretty impressive.)

The Bodies exhibit is a series of actual human cadavers; some were entire bodies posed upright, minus the skin, exposing all the organs and muscles and veins arteries and everything else. Some of the subjects were cut clean in half from head to toe. And of course there were also the individual organs and bones and parts labeled inside a series of glass display cases. The only reason I could stand seeing all of it is because none of it looked real. It amazes me that anyone is born fully functional. Bodies are so incredibly intricate. So much could go wrong during development, and throughout a lifetime. What magnificent, miraculous machines we are! I mean, really, how are any of us alive?!

The Titanic exhibit was eerie, informational, and very well done. Stocked with lots of actual artifacts, stories of doomed passengers, and appropriate emotion.

After the exhibits, I think we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening. On that night's docket was dinner and a production of Phantom of the Opera.

We met Megan's longtime friend Adrienne (who has lived in Vegas for several years) at an Italian eatery inside the Venetian. It was a fun little visit. And I don't only say that because Adrienne is particularly little. She's also really fun.

After food, we made a stop at IT'SUGAR. Candy stores are such dandy places.


This sign is blanketed with Jelly Bellies.

It sort of looks like they're partially digested.


The show was really cool! I'm glad we went. Even though the gal seated in front of us thought it was a fantastic idea to wear white booty shorts for the occasion... :-/

Here are a couple of noteworthy views inside the Venetian resort.

Look at the glorious ceiling art.


There's a little waterway in the middle of all the shops and restaurants for gondola rides. And the painted sky looks so believable. The people responsible for creating these magnificent structures are amazing! Having never been to Vegas before, I was astounded by the enormity of all the buildings.


Here's a different location of IT'SUGAR. Again with the Jelly Bellies.

Tuesday we decided to take advantage of the pool late morning before getting ready for our last day in town. It was just warm enough to merit getting wet. I'd say we went swimming, but we didn't technically swim. Between sunbathing, we walked a lap in the lazy river and then sat in the wave pool for a few minutes. It was nice. At one point, Megan "borrowed" Erin's camera and took a photo of our unsuspecting backs.

It may look like I'm wearing a diaper, but I'm not. Not this time.

After our spell of relaxation, we had a busy day in store. Whilst preparing for our trip, Erin came across the option of jumping off the top of the Stratosphere. Meggers is preggers, so she couldn't participate, so Erin asked if I would join her while Meg watched. Without even knowing the details, I agreed to do it. Sure, why not? I like fun and exciting rides. Also, I didn't want to disappoint Erin. After a brutal semester at BSU, she really felt like jumping off a building. She made the Dean's List, but it was a ton of work, and she was super wiped out. And wanted to jump off a building... =)

I didn't do the research that would have told me it was 108 floors up.


Here we are just after signing the waiver that listed death as a possibility. That was probably the hardest part for me. It also said something about not having a fear of heights. I started to think about how high it was and whether or not I'd feel afraid up there, all suited up and ready to jump at the count of three.

The blue platform is the point of no return. Of course Erin volunteered me to go first. Without even thinking, I said okay and stepped into the chamber. Downstairs, I had been dressed in a bright blue suit and harness. The guys upstairs tightened all the straps on me and made sure everything was going to be perfectly safe.

Here's the description I copied from the SkyJump website:
"SkyJump is a controlled free fall, similar to a vertical zip line. The launching pad is located on the 108th floor of Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas, 855 feet above the Las Vegas Strip. Jumpers are harnessed in and attached to a cable that is connected to a descender machine. Guide wires keep the skyjumper on course and on target. Just before reaching the rapidly approaching ground, the skyjumper is slowed down for a controlled and safe landing."





The view from up there.

This is me moments after the jump with the guy who unhooked me from the cable. The actual "fall" wasn't scary to me. Just the anticipation of it. It was so fun, but it was over too soon! I couldn't believe I had no real problem leaping off the edge of that platform way up in the sky.

Now nobody can call me a chicken.


A traditional Megan mugshot. Whenever your camera is left in her care, you can count on finding some pictures like this of her.


New York New York is awesome.

After Erin and I finished jumping, we went back to the top of the Stratosphere to marvel at the views. We got "free" passes to go up from the SkyJump place.

Then we went shopping at H&M. Then Erin and I went on the big roller coaster at NYNY. Megan was a good sport to hold our purses while we rode. After that, we went to a buffet inside the Paris hotel. It was tasty!

We got there not too long before closing time, and we were nearly the last ones to leave. It's probably just as well that we didn't have more time in there.


I borrowed this photo from Erin's collection. This was another restaurant inside the Paris. I love the quaint architecture everywhere.


The bridge inside the Paris.

Our last stop for the night was the Sugar Factory. Apparently they are open all the time. They had a larger than life ice cream cone. I wish I could have one in my house.

It turns out this is the only pose I know.



The icing on top of our fun day was the water show put on by the Fountains of Bellagio. We'd failed to see them in action each time we'd passed over the two days, so we sat down on the curb to wait for the final "performance" of the night. The song accompanying the dancing water that night was "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". Perfect. I don't know if they do a different song each time, but we kind of felt like this one was meant for us. =)

What a day, what a trip. Yay!

The morning of our departure from vacation, poor Moogan woke up with bad heartburn. She propped herself up on some pillows and immediately fell back to sleep. I may or may not have grabbed my camera and captured the situation on its memory card.

Payback time. This happened to me last year.

Soon it was time to hit the road to home. The fun wasn't over yet. We still had 11 hours of time together.

Here are two samples of scenery we passed on our drive.


I think it's safe to say we had a wonderful trip. It was too bad Megan had to be back for work and other commitments. We could have easily kept ourselves entertained in Vegas for a few extra days.

Taken at some point during our trip, thanks to Megan's lengthy arm.

I hope we'll get to go somewhere again next year!

Water balloons+trampoline=fun

One day last week, the kids were playing with water balloons in the backyard. I was filling them, and they were getting popped quicker than I could possibly keep up with. I think it was my idea to prolong the lives of all the little balloons by letting them jump on the trampoline with the kids for at least a few minutes.

Cora and Jane were coming up with rules for the game. I forget what they were.



Not sure what's happening here between Jane and Oliver, but it's nothing out of the ordinary.


Cora got a balloon to levitate. =) She makes it look so effortless.


Ready, go!




One by pathetic one, the balloons all met a grassy death. Well, I think a couple of them got stepped on by the kids first.

The above photos were taken earlier in the day, the following ones were taken later in the day because Jane and Oliver wanted to try again. Same day, different outfits. =)

I loved watching the balloons quiver and change shape as they bounced. It is mesmerizing. Some of them looked all flat.




There's another flat one!


The kids look like they don't even know there are a bunch of water balloons creeping up behind them.

Jane's hair looks so pretty. She had just washed it.

Here's a video of part of Oliver's balloon experience, with some trampoline tricks at the end. You can mute it if you don't want to hear my voice. =)




Try it, you'll like it!