Giacomo Pilj

Haley, Grace, Giacomo, taken on October 1, 2010

This afternoon our Sunday was shattered by the news of a family tragedy.  Parley's sister Shawn's youngest child, a son, Giacomo drowned.  We came together as family to pray for a miracle for this little boy but sadly he has been sent home to be with our Father in Heaven.  Giacomo from his short life here with us has taught us so very many beautiful truths.  He loved life, enjoyed playing with his older brothers and sisters, and the love he had for each of his family members was quickly realized in his smile.  He will be missed, we love you Giacomo.  We hope and pray especially for his family, may the peace of the comforter be with you always and may your testimony of the plan of happiness remind you of the covenant that binds each of our families together for eternity, we love you.

Kennelly Family Photo Session

Parley started a job at the Mental Health Department for the County of Riverside last week.  He shares a cubicle with another employee and was told by the other employees(six men including him) to bring in photos of his family to decorate the currently baren walls.  Today being the only day he doesn't work we got together to take family photos.  I brought a tripod and remote so my children and I were able to take the pictures.  We used a nearby water conservation park in Cherry Valley again as our backdrop.  This stop motion video is of all the photos we took.

Clubhouse Door

We have a room under our stairs, affectionately known as the "Clubhouse" for our children.  My husband  created the clubhouse a few years ago and included recessed lights and a tv that can get cable if we want.    We never got around to putting a door to it till today, I had this idea to use double swing hinges, so the bi-fold door I bought and cut a couple years ago could be pushed open from the outside and inside.  I thought that my idea was pretty spiffy, sort of thought of it because my aunt and uncle in Provo have a door that does that in their kitchen, or at least they used too.  Anyway, I got my husband to istall the door with the spiffy hinges, of course I need to paint the door, details, details, it will get done eventually.  I'm excited, I was thinking about the flat inside of the door could be painted with homemade chalkboard paint or I could ut up a plexi-glass for a white board, who knows, so many ideas.  My children are completely enamored by the door and of course think we should let them color it with markers.  Just as a side note, the door is hung on the right because the TV is on the wall inside on the left and I could see my children swinging the door just right and smacking the TV.

Becky's Funeral

As a family we went to the Banning LDS Chapel for Becky's funeral this morning at ten.  I had my strawberry jello salad in tow and tissues to use just in case.  My mom met us in the chapel and we began practicing my solo, "In the Garden" made famous by Elvis Presley(Becky's favorite musician)  I had never sung the song, and singing for my dear friend's funeral was daunting to say the least.  I prayed I wouldn't cry during the song, I wanted to make it through all three verses as Becky had requested of me.  As long as I made it through the song crying before and after was totally fair game.  Before singing I psyched myself and promised myself I wouldn't look at the family, that would just not help my goal of not crying during the song.  I got up to the pulpet started singing, and didn't look till the very end, I made it through and cried as soon as I sat down.  Thank you for answered prayers.  After the funeral we drove to the gravesite viewing, the four daughters passed out balloons and markers, we were asked to write memories on the balloons, then all together we released our memories heavenward to reach Becky.  It was beautiful, I wish I had a camera handy.  After the gravesite viewing we headed over to a luncheon at the church, after eating and sharing stories with family and friends we left for home.  Becky's mother in law Mary asked me to sing "In the Garden" at her funeral, the woman really is amazing probably wont have to sing for her funeral for many years to come.

My sister, my friend Rebecca Foster

Rebecca & Landy Foster taken on January 9, 2012

Tonight I had a most incredible evening, I spent hours celebrating my niece and nephews birthday with family and friends and just enjoyed the company. When I arrived home I found my answering machine blinking, three new messages to listen to, what followed was a complete change of my evening, the first message was my Relief Society President asking me to call her back, an innocent call nothing to cause any sort of feelings, the second message will forever be imprinted on my mind as the call that I had been waiting for for a year or more, a call not unexpected but still emotional, our High Priest Group Leader called my husband to tell him that Becky had passed away and please call him to discuss service for the family, this was the call that brought reality back to the front of my life, I cried, I wasn't ready, she couldn't leave me now I had learned so much from these past years of receiving service from her in my attempt to serve her as her Visiting Teacher. I remembered that the time to act was now, I had promised her I would sing for her funeral and now I needed to be ready to make good on that promise, it was the very least I could do, and the most that I could do to help me through this whole reality. I've been thinking about this fellow sister, she has fulfilled her mission in this life, and as her very last Visiting Teacher I can only hope and pray that I accomplished some small amount of service in the calling to serve her. She had been the one to assign me to be her Visiting Teacher, it was a unique experience to start, I was a young mother unaccustomed to the responsibility I faced and she loved children and felt I would be a Visiting Teacher whom she would see on a regular basis. I'm not sure what I expected from my new assignment but what followed was an enduring experience of love and friendship, she was their for me when I didn't think the next day could be any worse because life had become so dismal, she was a listening ear when I needed to speak freely about the pain I tried so hard to contain and deprive the world of. We had come to a relationship, where I felt like part of her family, this wasn't anything new for her, she treated so many people this way, but her ability to help you feel like you were special and truly loved by her was amazing. I wanted to do whatever she said, I wanted to listen to her stories about her daughter's to hear the pain and joy she felt about them and their families. I made sure I was ready for long phone conversations, or lengthy visits because I knew she would have so much to share, and I would be able to glean so much from our conversations. I look back on those years of struggle and deep pain and realize she was with me, she was helping me to stand and walk tall through it and she never left me, other friends tired of the pain I shared so meagerly but she stayed. She taught me that at the moment we became linked through the bond of Visiting Teaching I would be forever changed because she knew, in spite of her own desire, that I would need her and would rely upon her strength. I hope and pray that as I have completed my assignment with her that I might one day have an equally beneficial relationship with another sister. I love you Rebecca Foster, thank you for assigning me to be your Visiting Teacher, and for being my friend for the last eleven years. I hope and pray that your body has found rest, and your blessed with a spirit free of all the Earthly pain you were called to endure.

Honoka Say's Goodbye

The goodbye posters. 

The food, it was yummy too.

Table decorations, so cool, origami.

My boys.

Danya, our fearless leader.

Our hosts/MCs.

Japanese sword fighting.

The students and posters explaining Japanese characters, Honoka is behind the yellow poster. 

Honoka writing Isabella's name in Japanese

Honoka writing our names in Japanese

Our family for a week, with Honoka.

Our fearless leaders, Danya, Roxana, and I'm not sure about the third woman.

All the students and their escort.

Honoka and Isabella strike a pose.

My funny family pose for me. 

More silliness.

The notes they wrote.

Honoka helping Eagan write and draw.

Honoka's sign says love.

Tonight we had a chance to meet at the Community Center in Tournament Hills where Honoka was receiving English lessons. The students prepared a party for all the hosting families as a thank you and goodbye.  The stents explained the customs of Japan, including how to eat noodles, and sword fighting, and they went around and wrote our names in Japanese.  Each student designed cards and wrote short notes to read out loud to each of the families.  We also were able to try Miso soup and Soba noodles prepared by the students.  It was very good experience.  When we got home we had an impromptu photo booth rehearsal, so Honoka, Isabella, and Parley used my props and posed for photos before we went to sleep.  It was fun to see Honoka pose and also she wrote I love you on a white board to hold for the photos.  We have enjoyed our week with Honoka, we hope she is safe with her family, and somemday maybe we can see her again.  We enjoyed our very brief exchange hosting experience, and Parley already volunteered our family to do it again.  We love you Honoka and miss you.

Christmas Day, Hooray

Isabella got books, yeah.

Haley opened one of the boys accidently.

Honoka received Harry Potter from us.

Eagan and Daddy kiss.

The gifts under the tree.

Opening gifts.

Honoka receives a doll I made for her

Super excited about Disney Universe

Daddy hands out stockings.

Honoka look in her stocking, with Isabella

Eagan using the gift from Honoka, he loves this party favor.

Our candy cane coal.

Honoka makes origami dinosaurs for Donovan

Donovan with Daddy's gift from Honoka, a fan 

Daddy, our gift, calling family

Origami dinosaurs, thank you Honoka

My K'Nex airplane swing, thank you Taylor family.

Playdough fun, Eagan and Honoka

Yummy treats from Tonya, Haley, and Alexis

Our yummy treats

Waiting for dinner, Donovan on Rebecca' lap with Honoka

Bread pudding for dessert.

Girls playing UNO.

Daddy and Eagan

Eagan and Rebecca

Still playing UNO.

Haley and Donovan playing with Groovy girls dolls

The girls together: Rebecca, Kara, Haley, Haley, Alexis, Isabella, and Honoka

Group hug

This morning Parley told our children they had to get ready for church before they could unwrap gifts, wow they got ready without a fight and really fast.  While I was almost done getting ready Parley told me our children had finished geting ready, had organized the gift according to recipients and were sitting on the couch waiting for me.  I came downstairs, got my camera, and the frenzy began, everyone started un wrapping gifts all at once. We received a lot of gifts from anonymous givers as well as friends.  We are so grateful for the generosity of others, they made our Christmas amazing.  I'm not sure how Honoka felt about her gifts, but Parley said he enjoyed them.  Then my children handed me a gift, from Parley, I was surprised.  I opened it and found the camera lens I told him I wanted to get with the income I earned from the wedding I photographed.  Thank you Parley for hearing what I said and for surprising me with such a generous gift.  My children recieved roller skates, which they were extremely happy about.  When Parley opened our family gift, "Disney Universe" they screamed with glee.  They were done un wrapping at 7:30 a.m. so then we went and looked at what was in the stockings, we all received coal, Chocolate covered candy cane coal.  After stockings we ate Panetonne and chocolate covered donuts.  Breakfast was over so we headed to church.  We got to sing a lot, our children sang with the Primary, "Stars Were Gleaming" and "Silent Night."  I sang with our ward choir.  We also were inspired by a talk given by Matt Croad a bout Christmas.  After church we went home, Allison Taylor came with us, since her parents and brother were sick.  All the children played.  I put together the K'Nex our friends the Taylor's gave us.  Honoka showed Donovan how to fold the Origami Dinousaurs that she gave him.  Eagan enjoyed the blow favor, and then everyone played with Haley's play dough pretend cake making kit.  When the rolls I was making were done cooking we left for Parley's sister's house for dinner.  Kandi(Parley's sister) made a table full of food including ham, prime rib, bacon Brussels sprouts, toasted marshmellow topped sweet potatoes, Aunt Mary's Salad, yukon mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.  Tonya and her girls were their as always, they made and gave us pumpkin muffins ans apricot thumb cookies.  Honoka sat by our two nieces and two other teenage girls(Rebecca, Kara, Haley, and Alexis), she had a lot of fun, they ate and used her translater and Kandi's cell phone with Google Translate to talk to each other.  They had a lot of fun.  After dinner we had bread pudding with brandy sauce, candied walnuts, truffles, and homemade peppermint bark.  Honoka tried the truffles and loved them.  The girls all played UNO and were laughing .  I got some cute photos of the girls hanging out.   After that we watched silly YouTube videos on Kandi's iPad.  After everything was said, eaten, and done I got the girls together for a photo.  Haley didn't want to be their, that why she looks the way she does.  We had a wonderful Christmas day today.