Wednesday, March 25, 2009
My excuse for not updating my Blog
Two words......TAX SEASON!!!!! Yes it is tax season and I have been working insane overtime. The closer we get to April 15th the more insane work is. So if I survive I will update once it is all over.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
So much for falling out of the trees
As many know I have been bitten by the genealogy bug. I have started a family tree at Ancestry.com, and have been doing research on other websites like FamilySearch.org, or Find A Grave.com. Ancestry has a thing where if somebody wants to contact you about your tree they can do it through the website. Ancestry will send the e-mail to you and you keep your privacy and can choose to ignore or answer them.
Back in June I got a strange e-mail that was written in German. I decided to take a look at it since it came from Ancestry. I was able to translate it with the help of the Internet, and a lady I work with. The person (Ursula) had seen my family tree and asked me if I have any information on Heinrich Kahlsdorf who is my great grandfather. I don't know much about him. I know he came to the U.S. from Germany in 18 something with his brother Hermann, and I suspect like many immigrants of the time when he set foot on American soil he was an American and many of the traditions of the old country were left behind.
We haven't been able to find much information on the Kahlsdorf side of the family. My mother has told my father many times that his family must have fallen out if the trees. We have looked and haven't been able to find anything. Even now it is very difficult and Kahlsdorf is not a common name. I did some research and found that many of the immigrants who came to the United States from Germany left from Hamburg or Bremen. Looking at a map of Germany it is most likely that my grandfather left from Bremen. Unfortunately almost all the records were burned during the bombings in World War II
When I e-mailed Ursula I told her I didn't have much information on Heinrich Kahlsdorf, but what I do have I will happily share. The next day I got a e-mail with an attachment from her. It was a pedigree chart, and it has my great grandfather and his brother on it and the family line goes back to 1759!!!
This is so freaking cool!!!! Finally a link. Not only has my great grandfather's family been found, I also have a cousin in Germany!! It is so amazing! I'm still in shock.
Now to find my great grandmother's line. Her maiden name is Meyers. Do you know how many Meyers there are running around?? YIKES!!!!
Back in June I got a strange e-mail that was written in German. I decided to take a look at it since it came from Ancestry. I was able to translate it with the help of the Internet, and a lady I work with. The person (Ursula) had seen my family tree and asked me if I have any information on Heinrich Kahlsdorf who is my great grandfather. I don't know much about him. I know he came to the U.S. from Germany in 18 something with his brother Hermann, and I suspect like many immigrants of the time when he set foot on American soil he was an American and many of the traditions of the old country were left behind.
We haven't been able to find much information on the Kahlsdorf side of the family. My mother has told my father many times that his family must have fallen out if the trees. We have looked and haven't been able to find anything. Even now it is very difficult and Kahlsdorf is not a common name. I did some research and found that many of the immigrants who came to the United States from Germany left from Hamburg or Bremen. Looking at a map of Germany it is most likely that my grandfather left from Bremen. Unfortunately almost all the records were burned during the bombings in World War II
When I e-mailed Ursula I told her I didn't have much information on Heinrich Kahlsdorf, but what I do have I will happily share. The next day I got a e-mail with an attachment from her. It was a pedigree chart, and it has my great grandfather and his brother on it and the family line goes back to 1759!!!
This is so freaking cool!!!! Finally a link. Not only has my great grandfather's family been found, I also have a cousin in Germany!! It is so amazing! I'm still in shock.
Now to find my great grandmother's line. Her maiden name is Meyers. Do you know how many Meyers there are running around?? YIKES!!!!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Christmas Eve
One of my family's traditions is to perform the Nativity Story on Christmas Eve. We pick our parts out of a hat, and then rush about the house putting together our costumes. A big part of the fun is to see who will come up with the most creative costume. One year when my sister Kati was a wise man she grabbed a huge lamp shade off one of the lamps, turned it upside down and used it for a crown. I still think that was the best costume. We laugh about it every Christmas.
My father would make his version of apple fritters, we would perform our play, sing Christmas Carols, and beg our parents to open a gift before going to bed.
Now that we have grown the traditions continues with the next generation. So of course I have to post the photos from the 2008 Nativity Play. Hope you all like them!!!!
Joseph, Mary, & the manger of presents
Our adorable shepherd & his sheep Horton
The three Wise Men
(more like wise guys!)
King Herod
(He is wearing his Grim Reaper cloak from Halloween)
One of the Wise Men was also the accompanist
Our cast photo - Yikes!!!
This picture could be the Christmas Card for 2009
My father would make his version of apple fritters, we would perform our play, sing Christmas Carols, and beg our parents to open a gift before going to bed.
Now that we have grown the traditions continues with the next generation. So of course I have to post the photos from the 2008 Nativity Play. Hope you all like them!!!!
The Narrator
The Angel Gabriel
Joseph, Mary, & the manger of presents
Our adorable shepherd & his sheep Horton
The three Wise Men
(more like wise guys!)
King Herod
(He is wearing his Grim Reaper cloak from Halloween)
One of the Wise Men was also the accompanist
Our cast photo - Yikes!!!
This picture could be the Christmas Card for 2009Sunday, January 11, 2009
Something one should know about one's spouse BEFORE one marries them:
Like the brand and model of their first car. Yes I know it is shallow but I may have had second thoughts about marrying Jeff IF I knew his first car was a PINTO!!! If that isn't bad enough it was an ORANGE PINTO!!!!!!!! AGGGGHHHHHH!!!!
However since he is so adorable standing next to his new Pinto my shallow side just sat down & kept it's mouth shut.
Marcia and I have been going through her old pictures and it has been like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I now have so many pictures of Jeff when he was little I may need to buy five or six photo albums for all his pictures. I would love to post more but for the sake & state of marital bliss I will refrain.
However since he is so adorable standing next to his new Pinto my shallow side just sat down & kept it's mouth shut.
Marcia and I have been going through her old pictures and it has been like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I now have so many pictures of Jeff when he was little I may need to buy five or six photo albums for all his pictures. I would love to post more but for the sake & state of marital bliss I will refrain.
I haven't been able to figure out if Jeff is giving his sister a ride or if Leslie is trying to get him to loan her the car.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Green Eggs & Ham
Every Wednesday Jeff has game night. Twice a month the guys gather at our house to play, and since I like to cook I usually make dinner for them.
With Christmas approaching I really wasn't in the mood to go crazy & wanted to make something simple. Jeff & I discussed it Tuesday night, and on Wednesday he called me at work and said how about having ham? Then he reminded me about the ton of eggs we had in the fridge that were getting close to their expiration date and we decided we'd make breakfast for dinner. I couldn't see his face but I knew what look he had on it when he said how about biscuts, ham and eggs......green eggs. WHAT??? Green eggs & ham?
So this past Wednesday I was about to scramble the eggs and was thinking about forgetting the green part because I wasn't 100% sold on it, but I looked over at the friends at the table, and thought "Yeah they all have a bizarre sense of humor (especially Adam) they probably would get a kick out of it" So the food coloring went into the mixture, and we had green eggs. Well the guys did think it was funny and ate the eggs, and Marcia laughed when she got home and saw them. I had to tell her the idea was her son's.
I chose not to look at the eggs while I ate them because it was so strange. They weren't too bad. At least the ham wasn't green. Sorry I didn't think to take a picture of it because Ghost Hunters was about to start and I didn't want to miss it.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Christmas Decorating
Okay it has been awhile since I last posted. Life has been insane. So I have finally found time to update.
This past Saturday was Christmas decorating. I went to the Ybanez home in the morning and then worked on our place in the afternoon. When I got home Jeff had started hanging the outdoor lights so the outside decorating went quickly. It is hard to believe it is only December 2nd and all the decorating is finished. Wee Hoo!!!! I am posting pics of our house, and will post the Ybanez pics later.
Lucy's contribution: Playing in the empty boxes
Who needs a fiddler on the roof when you have a Fagan on the roof?
California snowmen
California snowmen at night.
The end result
This past Saturday was Christmas decorating. I went to the Ybanez home in the morning and then worked on our place in the afternoon. When I got home Jeff had started hanging the outdoor lights so the outside decorating went quickly. It is hard to believe it is only December 2nd and all the decorating is finished. Wee Hoo!!!! I am posting pics of our house, and will post the Ybanez pics later.
I love the cat. This is one of my favorite decorations
Lucy's contribution: Playing in the empty boxes
Who needs a fiddler on the roof when you have a Fagan on the roof?
California snowmen
California snowmen at night.
The end result
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Naked Neighbor
Okay I have had a couple people ask me about the naked neighbor from a previous post, so here is the story:
We were living on West Harrison in the beautiful city of San Buenaventura California in a condo/town house complex. If you have ever been in one of those complexes you know how close the houses are to one another. In this particular housing tract the windows to the front of our house lined up with the front windows of the neighbors who were directly across from us.
It was toward the end of my senior year of high school. On a beautiful spring/summer morning I had woken up a little early, and had gone in to my mom's room to talk to her. Since it was such a beautiful morning mom had opened the curtains & window in her room, and the one in the hallway. We talked for a bit while she was getting ready for work. When I left her room to get ready for school I just happened to look out the hallway window and there was the neighbor with his curtains open standing in his bathroom shaving, totally naked. I think a horrified shriek came out of my mouth as I turned around and dashed back into my mom's room. She gave me this weird look, and when I was able to choke out what was wrong she immediately went to the hallway window to check it out. I think she started laughing, and said the neighbor had a nice looking backside. It was funny and weird to be standing at the hallway window with my mom who was gawking at the naked neighbor. I don't think he ever knew we saw him, but who really knows? I can tell you if gave us great amusement for a couple of weeks afterward. I think it is important to tell you that we only saw the back of the naked neighbor.
We were living on West Harrison in the beautiful city of San Buenaventura California in a condo/town house complex. If you have ever been in one of those complexes you know how close the houses are to one another. In this particular housing tract the windows to the front of our house lined up with the front windows of the neighbors who were directly across from us.
It was toward the end of my senior year of high school. On a beautiful spring/summer morning I had woken up a little early, and had gone in to my mom's room to talk to her. Since it was such a beautiful morning mom had opened the curtains & window in her room, and the one in the hallway. We talked for a bit while she was getting ready for work. When I left her room to get ready for school I just happened to look out the hallway window and there was the neighbor with his curtains open standing in his bathroom shaving, totally naked. I think a horrified shriek came out of my mouth as I turned around and dashed back into my mom's room. She gave me this weird look, and when I was able to choke out what was wrong she immediately went to the hallway window to check it out. I think she started laughing, and said the neighbor had a nice looking backside. It was funny and weird to be standing at the hallway window with my mom who was gawking at the naked neighbor. I don't think he ever knew we saw him, but who really knows? I can tell you if gave us great amusement for a couple of weeks afterward. I think it is important to tell you that we only saw the back of the naked neighbor.
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