REDFISH LAKE SUMMER 2008

More Redfish Lake pictures!

Red Fish Lake Summer 2008

Cousins getting a little sun at Redfish Lake.

(Bobie-McKinzi-Lauren)

Update 2008~

Man! It's been forever since I've last updated this blog.  Bobie and I moved back to Maryland in June 2006 and Scott joined us in December that same year.  We've been quite busy since then.   I think it's time to post some new stuff...but not tonight.  I had a very long day and am exhausted! See you tomorrow. Lil'leth

God's Blessing

Scott and Bobie...my inspiration and motivation.



I love you guys!

Bobie and the Brownies

Girl Scout cookies anyone? Bobie and the girls had a great time selling cookies and collecting
cookie donations for the troops deployed all over the world. The kids are internally motivated to send as many boxes as they can because they all personally know someone whose in harms way; it's not surprising because it's often their father, mother, or neighbor.

By the way, as an activity, the girls had chose a country that had girl scouting organizations. Her troop picked the Philippines. Instead of Brownies, they were called the Stars for a day. They learned to say hello in tagalog and served lumpia to visitors of their exhibit. In the third picture, Bobie is sporting the typical badges that Filipino children can earn. they discovered that although there were some cultural differences the main theme remained the same: self respect, respect for others, respect for animals, preparedness, and survival skills. It's great the Bobie is getting an opportunity to learn more about the Filipino heritage.

Roman Experience continues

The places we visited were: the Pantheon, the Colosseo, Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II, Arco di Dolabella, San Giovanni Laterno (my Mom's favorite), Piazza Boca della Verita, Campidoglio, Scala de Spagna (Spanish steps), Fontana de Trevi (aka Trevi Fountain).

There are certain areas within the center of Rome that do not allow private vehicles. Thus, the public transportation system is pretty available and reliable. It was exciting to be among the locals. To be a tourist is one thing, but to be a student of another culture is another. I prefer the latter.

More PIX from Rome

The Roman experience!

Pictures from Rome

We had a great time in Rome. While there, we visited some friends who lived near the city: Reyna, Rollie, Kay, and Chloe. They found us an economical place to stay. 30 euro per person/day. Can't beat that! It definitely did not have 5-star accomodations but it was clean and had a warm shower. The added bonus, there was Filipino store in the next building.

From top to bottom: Saint Peter's Basilica and Vatican Museum.

Family Visit

My Mom from Las Vegas, NV and my cousin Sally and my cousin-in-law Edith visited from California. In this picture, my Mom, Bobie and Ate Sally stand in front of the city of Agrigento. Typical of Sicily, rain clouds pass by immediately followed by bright sunshine! As a result; one or sometimes overlapping rainbows!

I really enjoyed their visit. More pictures to follow....

Caccamo Trip

Today, Bobie and I went to Caccamo. It is located on the West side of Sicily near Palermo. According to the tour book, the name, which is derived from 'caccabe' (horse-heads), is believed to have been from the Carthaginians who took refuge there after their defeat at Himera in 480 BC. The Arabs promoted its growth in the 9th C and the Normans built the castle which made it one of the major strategic centers in Sicily and now the main attraction for the city. This picture of Bobie is at the entrance of the Medieval "Castellena" (the Castle) . Bobie and I are so excited to take her 'Ola and Scott to the castle when they visit! We also plan to drive to Seggesta, Taoromina, Cefalu, and Sciacca and when they get here. We would love to take a trip to Venice and Rome but I don't think we'll have time.

Mommy's Visit

Mommy is coming to visit Bobie and me for two weeks in March! I cannot wait. I have so many places I want to take her. She will be accompanied by my cousin Sally. I haven't seen her in such a long time. We'll have plenty of time to catch up.

I hope Scott will be able to fly in for a week also. I miss him so much! If he doesn't, that would be 3 months of not seeing him. I cannot wait to move back to CONUS.

Goooooo....STEELERS!!!

I LOVE FOOTBALL SEASON!
Okay, often I'm a tad delayed in understanding exactly what's just happened during a game but I have to say it's exhilarating. Although a self-proclaimed Buffalo BILLS fan, I have to admit I'm beginning to like the STEELERS a lot. Is it because of my husband's loyalty to the Pittsburgh team? Maybe so. I love seeing him so excited about the game and the rollercoaster of emotions he goes through. His passion and love for the the team makes me smile :-). Seeing him so happy when the STEELERS win makes me happy!

As Vanderjagt (Colts) was about to kick the field goal I told him that he had better be twirling his "terrible towel" to encourage the STEELER's cosmic energy to blow the ball to the side of the up rights. Don't laugh, I'm oddly superstitious that way! He politely and lovingly said, "Okay, honey but... he's never missed a field goal!" I responded, "Come on, man! That's why you should be spinning that towel realllllllly hard." I know that he didn't because my honey is way tooooo macho for that, but I bet he was chewing on it and at the edge of his seat. I can't wait until we go to our first STEELERS game together. He'll see a side of me that he's never seen. Lets' just say that at the end of the game...my voice would be gone. I'm also excited because I know the kids would love it !

The SuperBowl will be at midnight overhere in Sicily. Bobie and I will be eating chicken wings with blue cheese, pizza and diet pepsi! Our traditional Super Bowl meal! This is such a big game for my Scottie, I wish I could watch the game with him. We can't so we do the best we can. We would normally talk on the phone while the game is on but I have about a one minute delay in TV feed. He would already know what's happened before I do but he does a great job not spoiling the game for me and delaying his comments until I see the play. I love you, honey!!

Okay...back to work!

Sanity vs Vanity

I had my braces placed almost two years ago (with extractions, mind you!). Why, because I was vain! My teeth weren't perfect but they weren't horribly unattractive. For some reason I convinced myself that I was in dire need of a hollywood smile. Ladies and gentlemen, beware of vanity that can overpower your logical sense which can result in intermittent loses of your sanity...and worse...an unexpected and undesired outcome post decision...REGRET! Yes, I am a victim of my own uncontrollable vanity. Don't get me wrong, I think there's a time and place and patient requiring true orthodontic treatment but if your teeth aren't too bad... don't do it and don't let anyone convince you to do it....it's YOUR TEETH! Confidence and self-esteem go deeper than your teeth. Don't work outside-in. Work from the inside, and eventually the outside will work itself out. Ensure that you get continuous care from one provider. Another thing, just because something is free doesn't mean you should take advantage of it because somehow, you'll end up paying for it at the end. Scott told me the story about his teeth and the horrible care/ treatment that he received. I guess we found something else in common. Today, I just want my teeth back the way they were but no use crying over spilt milk, right? For those thinking of getting any cosmetic alterations due to dissatisfaction in their outer selves....People, work from the inside!!! Va bene! Tutto posto.

Answers to Prayers...

It's time for orders! What does that mean? It means Bobie and I have five months left before we transfer to our next military assignment. Without going into detail about how the military works, it appears that the greatest chance for Scott and I to be together is to head back to the East Coast...specifically the Washington D.C. area. Our hope was to be near Austin, Lauren and Dallen. In fact, Scott and I had already agreed that I would accept orders to Oak Harbor, WA. However, even with that said, during fast Sunday, he and I wanted confirmation from the Lord on whether he was pleased with the decision we'd made. We're aware that God doesn't necessarily make the decisions for us, hence the agency, nevertheless, it's a good practice to bring these significant life decisions before the Lord.

As I was praying during sacrament, I specifically asked the Lord if he would have the Holy Spirit whisper or touch my heart regarding the decision we had made. The answer was a feeling and a thought. The feeling was comfort and the thought was, "Maria, where ever you may go, as long as you obey the Lord's commandments and strive to live righteously, your family will be blessed." Not a definitive, "You made the right decision!" response but I was comforted. I came home that Sunday and called Scott immediately. I told him what I felt and in fact said to him, "Honey, I know that the thought was not of my own but from the Lord. For, if it were my own, I would have definitely convinced myself to say, "Right on, girl...good decision. Close to the kids, my Mom in Vegas, and great place to buy a house, and...Good career decision to be the Head of Managed Care!!!"

The next day, we spoke to my detailer and Scott received an email from his specialty advisor. The news, "Nothing for you on the West Coast, LT Coon! (Scott)" Scott and I discussed our options and couldn't bear the thought of being apart for another three years. When one finds their eternal companion, the idea is to be together. Would being apart for another 3 years be a sacrifice we needed to make to prove our love, dedication, committment and devotion? Our answer was an unequivocal, NO! Then the answer to my prayer echoed in my mind, "Maria, where ever you may go, as long as you obey the Lord's commandments and strive to live righteously, your family will be blessed." Life happens and often we are placed in situations where we have very little control of things. However, not completely out of control. Someone once told me that when this occurs, what's important is to identify the things that one can control and take the bull by its horns. With this said, Scott and I decided that being together is what's important, for together we are better people and thus we can move mountains. The down side, we won't be close to the kids. Our control factor, we have committed to ensure that we will schedule regular visits to see Austin, Lauren and Dallen and constantly tell them how much we love them. Similar to the committment we had made if we were on the West Coast. We promised that we would do all we can for Bobie to see her Dad and brother on the East Coast. Costly? Maybe, but no doubt a worthwhile investment in either situation.

I admit, that in the beginning I wondered why the response to my prayer was so general. In fact, when the thought formulated in my mind, I smartly responded..."of course, I know that! Obedience equals blessings." I don't know how many people can relate to me when I say this but when it's truly time to exercise faith in something one claims is true, it's a test of conviction and the ability to demonstrate and exercise that conviction strengthens the soul with courage to achieve a goal and do what's right. "Obey the Lord's commandments and strive to live righteously, your family will be blessed." This I know is true. A general but specifically applicable truth.

The Boys on Christmas!

Although Austin got the Play Station 2 that he wanted, he had an equally enjoyable time playing with the toys Dallen got for Chirstmas. However, Dallen didn't mind. He loved playing with his Big Brother. Bobie and I miss them so much already.

Christmas 2006

We had the most amazing "early" Christmas this year! We had all four kids together and we went to Disneyland!!! The kids got along very well. Most of the arguments were "boys" against the "girls" versus one child against the other. For Bobie, an only child, and Lauren sandwiched between two brothers, the girls were very pleased about gaining a sister. They got American Girl dolls from Scott and me. Lauren named hers "Grace" and Bobie named hers "Alexandra." (Their middle names.) It was very nice to watch them interact...they were inseparable!

The New Year

Wow! 2006. On New Years day, my husband Scott and I looked back at 2005 and counted our blessings. Among them were several significant, life changing, and beautiful achievements. In chronological order: Scott got accepted to Naval Post Graduate School, I obtained my MBA, Bobie was baptized, Scott and I got married, and in December we found out that Scott was in-zone for Lieutenant Commander. Oh yes, I was also called to be the Relief Society President for my Branch. That was a very humbling experience! But if the Lord thinks I can do the job, I will do my best not to disappoint him. Talk about pressure! Boy, it's great to have an awesome Branch President, counselors, and branch members!!!

What a great year! Every accomplishment was in-line with our eternal goals. However, with all the blessings that came, the year also had its low points but as Bishop McMullen (McMullin?) stated in his talk at the Oct 05 General Conference:

"If our hearts are right before God, adversity will school us, help us overcome our carnal nature, and nurture the divine spark within us. Were it not for adversity, we would not know to "choose the better part. Adversity helps us see where we need to repent, to bring into subjection baser instincts, to embrace righteousness and enjoy "peace of conscience."

This year our family is looking forward to more positive changes. Bobie and I are up for orders and will be heading back to the states. I am very excited to hopefully be collocated with Scott. I say hopefully because with the US Navy, there are no guarantees. We are praying and fasting! Oops, gotta go. I'll write more later. Love you all and Happy New Year!

Life with Jesus Christ

Having accepted the gospel and its truthfulness only three years ago, I remembered how my life was without Jesus Christ.
- Although never really alone, I was always very lonely
- I was devoid of prayer
- Devoid of faith in anything or anyone
- I relied heavily on my own intelligence which often lead me to feeding and strengthening my insecurities, weaknesses, driving deep into hopelessness which then brought me in state of unhealthy pride and arrogance that would lead me to erect indestructible walls of self preservation and defense mechanisms that turned me into a very unpleasant human being, which caused me to hurt people that I loved and loved me. It was a vicious cycle.
- I couldn’t trust anyone.
- And scariest of all, I was devoid of love for myself thus it was difficult for me to love others.
- I lacked purpose and direction.

As I think of who I was then, I wonder how I ever survived without Jesus Christ in my life, how empty, how misguided, unprepared, unprotected, and unloving I had been. Today, with the Savior in my life, things are different. I can rattle off many adjectives to describe it, such as:

Peaceful, happy, sane, full of love, hope, understanding and desire to live righteously, faith, confidence, comfort and many, many more…

Although, all very true, I will not and cannot deny that the adversary is consistently hard at work to prove that man is the enemy of God and I have many moments weakness and feelings of self-pity and failure. But the difference is, I know now that I am not alone, that I am not perfect but that I can be through the Savior Jesus Christ, and that it is important to recognize that the broken heart and contrite spirit that accompany my mistakes is repentance, and that Jesus died and lives for me to return to my Heavenly Father and to some day be able to fulfill his plan for my benefit and his glory.

The difference is, with Jesus in my life, I am learning of my divine purpose and his plan for our salvation, learning the Lord’s expectations of me, know of eternal families and the power of the priesthood, and know that everything, blessings and trials, all are because of his love for me, his love for us. I know that always He keeps his promises; I just need to make sure that I keep my end of the bargain.

Am I happy? Let's just say that now...I know how to be.

The Signature Article on Girl Scouts

On November 19, 2005 Bobie's Troop, Brownie Troop # 29 Overseas, joined the the rest of the Overseas Girl Scout troops in Sigonella, Sicily, in a community service project. (Bobie is at the top left of the photo.) Everyone met at 0900 at the base chapel. We were broken up in 6 groups and assigned specific tasks within our clean-up zone. Our first task was to wash the chapel windows...streak free! Bobie was such a good washer and wiper. The parents in our group (including myself) did the top half of windows because they were hard to reach and the girls cleaned the bottom half. Okay readers, I guess Ihave to admit that I too ended up cleaning the bottom half since I was too short to reach the top half! We then cleaned the chapel courtyard and picked up any litter found in the surrounding parking lot in our zone. We picked up cigarettte butts! YUK!!! No worries, we all had gloves on. Annabelle, one of the Daisies in our group exclaimed, "Disgusting!!! I would never ever smoke cigarettes because it can kill you." Bobie then said, "Disgusting!!! People who smoke cigarettes are not very smart, are they Mom?" I responded, "That's not necessarily true, they may be smart people who made a bad choice to smoke." The best part of our clean-up project was when Bobie and I found $20.00 on the ground. Our group donated the money to the Sigonella Girl Scout Fund. Bobie and I were very glad to have participated in this day of community service. After the service project, Bobie and I talked about why we participated and why the Girl Scouts organized the community service. Although she couldn't deny how fun it was to squirt water, race to clean, and find $20, I was surprised at how in-depth her response was in that she was able to express her concept of the importance of "service." She expressed how it made her feel and how service brings forth blessings from God. For Bobie and I, the blessings come in the most wonderful forms: 1) STRENGTH in our relationship as mother and daughter, 2) APPRECIATION in what we have, 3) APPLICATION of our God given talents and most of all...it makes us feel nice and warm inside! In James 2:20 the Lord said, "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" Part of the "works" is service to our fellowman, to our community, to our family. How about serving someone today?

Dallen, Lauren, and Austin

From left to right is Dallen, Lauren, and Austin when they visited Scott in Monterey.
What beautiful kids they are! Bobie and I got to talk to them and say hello via the WebCam. We miss them and can't wait to see them on Christmas!