kill the fatted calf! (which you know I would never do)

 In early August my oldest boy came back from spending 3 months in Laos! WAHOOO!

WELCOME HOME DANIEL!!! :)

A non-profit organization had hired him to do research for them.

I hate, hate, hated to see him go :( But it was a good job offer, so he needed to take it.

And as you can see from the computer on his lap and the boxes full of packages to the left of him, he did a LOT of online "retail therapy" while he was gone! Now that's my boy!

 It was fun for all of us to see him open everything - it was like Christmas actually!

But most of all it was just wonderful to see my boy, my precious boy, 

and to have all 3 boys together again. As you know, that's my all time favorite thing :)

It didn't take long for them to rip everything open and start playing new video games, heh!

One of the VERY FUN things we did after Daniel came back from Laos, was to go to 

the Baked Potato!

It's an AMAZING jazz dinner club down in Studio City (close to where we used to live when Daniel was a baby!). It's been there for a long time (since 1970) - just a teeny little place, but lots of famous people perform there. John, Davy, and Matty had been there several times and couldn't wait to take Daniel. This time Davy's girlfriend Taylor and I joined them and it was SO FUN!

And talk about the size of their baked potatoes! HOLY SPUDS!!!

~ Leland Sklaar ~

(no, not Billy Gibbons!)

Okay, you may think this is silly but I don't care. If you know anything about amazing musicians - or if you happen to look on at least half the albums you have - you'll see the name Leland Sklaar. One of the most sought after and highly regarded bass players, both in the studio and to tour with. We've seen him perform with some of the greats for over 30 years, and we've even spotted him in Studio City before - but never sat in a jazz club with him all evening! It was SO AWESOME! The Mouse even went over to shake his hand and introduce himself. He told him how much we all admired him. He was so nice to Matty, asking him questions and was genuinely interested in his answers. It was a really neat experience to see the Mouse go over and meet this great man :)

cuz he's the bomb

Rambutans - Daniel's favorite food in Laos

He says they're similar to large grapes

I say they look cool but a little freaky

Daniel eating rambutans in Vientiane, Laos

They resemble eyeballs. I miss him.

~

He loved my recording of Landslide. And then he wrote this. I love this guy :)

if God were solely just

how many of us would be lost?

if God were solely merciful

how many of us would remember Him?

but He being both, then we are both

often lost

with only glimpses of our memory

this too shall pass, it is said

but it does not pass now, not yet

often lost

waiting in eternities

which even too, will pass,

but not yet

is patience the same as hope?

perhaps with patience we endure His justice

and close our eyes in peace,

though often lost

and with hope we endure His mercy

and hold to fickle memories

of love