24??

Can it really be? You're 24 today? Surely, you're both still 12! 12 times 2 equals 24, right?


I was only 22 when you were born!


And we know how old your mom claims to be...


Happy 24th birthday...


to two of the sweetest girls on the planet!


You've brought so much joy to my life!


Love you forever,
Aunt Kathy

Congratulations, Lauren!

Today is a very special "Proud Auntie" day! My niece, Lauren, is completing her final college class today! She has earned her Bachelor of Science in Child Development.


Finding pictures for this post was challenging....


Not because I don't have pictures of Lauren...


But because most of them also include Krysten!


Of course, I know that Krysten is her biggest fan and cheerleader!


Another of her fans...


And her proud Momma!



Lauren,
I can't wait to see what life has in store for you...


I can't imagine a more fitting career for you - your sweet, loving spirit will draw children to you...


I'm sure many will go home saying, "Miss Lauren is my favorite teacher!"


You're stepping into big shoes now, but I know you can do it!




Uncle Les and I love you VERY much! We're so proud of you!! YOU DID IT!!!!


I love you to the moon and back always!!
Aunt Kathy

No Place Like Home

Home is where one starts from.
- T. S. Eliot

I took a trip to Fresno over the weekend. I enjoyed every minute of it! Saturday night I had dinner with Dad, Barbara, Kim, Rodney, Krysten and Lauren. We laughed, talked over each other, got caught up, and just enjoyed being together. I was at home.

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.
- John Howard Payne

Sunday I walked into Truth Tabernacle. I love that place! It represents the first 27 years of my life. I sat with my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Ken. I saw more friends that I can name, especially because I know I'd forget someone! I saw some of the cutest babies - an itty bitty, beautiful girl who is six months old and a handsome, strapping boy who is 15 months. I listened to the choir sing and heard a long time friend preach. I was home.

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action.
- Mother Teresa

Monday night I picked Les up at LAX at midnight. He had been to Tennessee for a visit. He saw his parents, both siblings, one brother-in-law, two nieces and a nephew. He had been home but I was glad he was back home with me. Tonight we'll be in church at Victory Tabernacle in Burbank. I'll be at home.

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
- Maya Angelou

Can "Home" be more than one place? I think so. I hope you have more than one place that you call home. Places you can go and be who you are.

If Home is Where The Heart is ...
by John McLeod
If Home is where the heart is
Then may your Home be blessed
A shelter from the storms of Life
A place of rest,
And when each day is over
And toil put in its place
Your Home's dear warmth
Will bring its smile
To light the saddest face!

And someday, I'll plan to go Home forever!

Just Over in the Glory Land

I’ve a home prepared where the saints abide,
Just over in the glory land;
And I long to be by my Savior’s side,
Just over in the glory land.

Chorus:
Just over in the glory land,
I’ll join the happy angel band,
Just over in the glory land;
Just over in the glory land,
There with the mighty host I’ll stand,
Just over in the glory land.

I am on my way to those mansions fair,
Just over in the glory land;
There to sing God’s praise and His glory share,
Just over in the glory land.

What a joyful thought that my Lord I’ll see,
Just over in the glory land;
And with kindred saved, there forever be,
Just over in the glory land.

With the blood-washed throng I will shout and sing,
Just over in the glory land;
Glad hosannas to Christ, the Lord and King,
Just over in the glory land.

Happy Birthday Times Two!

Happy 23rd birthday to my wonderful nieces - Krysten and Lauren!


It's really too bad no one ever wanted to hold you when you were tiny...






Or as you got a little bigger...




You've brought lots of laughter and good times!



Some might say, "Twins? Double trouble!" I say, "Twins? Double Delight!"


I'm so proud to be Aunt Kathy!!

Love you to the moon and back and more!!!

Thanksgiving 2009

(Grandma with her newest great grandson)

We had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving. For the past 10 years or more, Dad's youngest sister, Suzie, has hosted the family at her house in Visalia. This year, 23 of Grandma Ruby's 25 descendants were in attendance! The only 2 missing were my cousin Cheryl, and my nephew Ryan. Grandma will be 90 in January and the youngest family member is Terry Dawson Childers who was born on November 3rd!

(Grandma with her kids and their spouses)

It's really a shame there wasn't much food...

Two sets of four generations:

(My cousin Melanie, her mom Suzie, Melanie's boys Michael and Terry, and Grandma)

(Grandma, Dad, Lauren, me, Krysten, Grandpa, Kim, and Rick)

I took lots of pictures, so I thought a slide show was in order today! Little Terry slept through all the paparazzi, but we didn't care, we kept snapping away!

Twins are Special

The FatCyclist recently wrote a post about a speech he was going to give at the LiveStrong Challenge event in Austin. This event was hosted by the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which funds cancer research and gives assistance to families battling cancer. Team Fat Cyclist raised over $750,000 this year (more than any other team) through the LiveStrong Challenge, so Fatty (Eldon Nelson) was asked to give a speech.

He wrote what he was planning to say here. There are some funny comparisons he makes to himself and Lance Armstrong, many would only make sense if you are a cyclist (or are married to one). He then moves on to the fact that for him and Lance, the fight against cancer is personal. Lance is a cancer survivor, and Eldon's wife, Susan, died of breast cancer this past summer.

There was one more similarity that surprised me a little. Lance and Eldon are both the fathers of twin girls who are all now 11 years old. That me made think of the twins in my life and how cancer has affected them. I just had to pull out some pictures, since I won't get to see them until Thanksgiving.

The years have flown, but some things haven't changed. You've always leaned on each other...


Chocolate will always be part of our lives...


Your talents are diverse and many...


You've even been little angels from time to time...


I'm pretty sure these are Grandma's chemo hats that she helped you decorate for "Crazy Hat Day"


You're too big for me to hold on my lap now...


But I'll always hold you in my heart!


Krysten and Lauren, I'm missing you today! Can't wait to see you Thanksgiving weekend. How about a good late-night talk? Love you to the moon and back! Aunt Kathy

A Visit Down Memory Lane

We spent our Labor Day weekend in Fresno this year and enjoyed visiting with Dad, Barbara, Krysten, and Lauren - although our time with the twins was way too brief! It has been nearly a year since Dad's back surgery, and though the progress is much slower than he likes, he is getting better.

Les and I were reminiscing that it was 20 years ago this weekend that he made his first trip to Fresno! We've come a long way, baby!!


Of course we were in Truth Tabernacle on Sunday. Three of their Sunday school buses pulled up just as we were arriving Sunday morning. From a single bus in 1960 there are now seventeen buses and eleven vans active every Sunday morning!

It was wonderful seeing my Truth Tabernacle family. There are too many friends to name - just know I love you all! Thank you to those who read my blog for telling me so. I got to meet SheGazelle's "Baby Huey" - he's absolutely adorable! I also got a hug from Sis. Irene Wilkinson - she's a favorite and I won't even try to hide that fact!

Saturday was a special day - we traveled to Visalia to visit Grandma Ruby and Grandpa Clarence (Dad's mom and stepdad). Grandma will be 90 in January and is becoming frailer all the time. She seemed almost fragile when I hugged her, which made me want to hold on to her a little longer. I'm sad to see her health failing, but so thankful that her mind is still sharp.

Grandpa Clarence had a Cochlear Implant put in in May. He had lost all hearing in his right ear, had very little hearing in his left ear, and can now hear again! It's an amazing device. He also showed me his tomato plants. There were about 4-5 feet high this year and they were disappointed in the crop!


When we left Visalia we took the long way home by going through the little town of Woodlake. This is the town that Dad grew up in. Avenue 332 to be exact!! Grandpa Edgar Fultz died in 1982 and Grandma moved to Visalia a couple years later, so I had not been out to the old home place in about 25 years.

Great-grandpa Fultz bought 40 acres of farmland in the late 1800s or early 1900s. For some reason one acre was sold. The remaining acreage was divided among the seven siblings - six received five acres each, and Uncle Everett, the oldest, received nine acres since he was the one who helped raise all the kids after Great-grandpa passed away.

The house pictured was built by my Grandpa Fultz in about 1953 or 1954 after the original structure burned to the ground. Their family of six lived in the garage until the house could be rebuilt. We spent many Saturdays playing in and around this home, being loved by our grandparents and catching lizards! The porch was a favorite spot of ours.



These are fruit trees that Grandpa planted. Dad couldn't remember what - they are either peaches, plums, or nectarines. This was a great place for Hide-n-Seek and riding bikes, Grandma's 3 wheeler and Grandpa's motorcycle. At the back of the property is a river - a great place to catch tadpoles!



These are Grandpa's olive trees. He was quite the grower and had a contract for many years with one of the olive canning companies. I am an olive lover to this day but none compare to ones that Grandpa would cure himself!


This house belonged to Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Opal. Kenneth was Grandpa's brother and Opal was Grandma's sister! I know these cousins loved growing up next to each other along with all the other Fultz cousins on Avenue 322.


For the first time that I remember, I saw pomegranate trees. Lots and lots of pomegranate trees! And for the raisin lovers out there - we saw lots of grapes on the ground being dried!

I guess I'm just a bit of a farm girl at heart because I love looking down a row of trees and seeing how straight they are. You can look any direction (even diagonally) and see a straight line if the farmer has done his work correctly!

It was a wonderful trip down memory lane and it reminded me to be thankful for such a loving family!