Perfect for Dadds!!!

Cousins Come to Visit!

Marty's cousin Debora and her husband David came for a brief visit today! They brought their son Josh who is just a year older than Malachy....and their daughter Lauren who we met for the first time today.

We had a tea time with pumpkin bread made from pumpkins from our last year's garden and then everyone explored this year's garden.

It was a lovely visit with lovely people.

This is one of our favorite perks living off of a main thoroughfare in our state ......... Visits from wonderful folks!!

You all are always welcome!

David is playing with my dogs and checking out an IPod with Garrett and Josh.

Blessings,

Chari

Sister & Brother

We took a little walk around Hearts' Haven tonight after dinner with our guests. I turned around and saw this beautiful sight......

Blessings,

Chari

A September Sky over Oahu

My sister lives in Oahu. When she and her daughter came out if the store recently, this was their view.


Isn't it simply amazing!!! Awe.

(I have decided to upload most of my phone photos to my blog so I can have them in a permanent place as well as to remember the inspiration for taking the photo in the first place. I am trying to take advantage of all the perks of having this new iPhone. :). )

Blessings on this beautiful day!! Just a couple of days in the season of summer left! I am looking forward to beginning the fall season on a special way. I will explain later!!

Love, Chari

Happy SWEET Sixteen to Our Wee Lass!!!

Maddelyn Claire was born on 5-5-95.

She was born at home, at Our Hearts' Haven.  In fact, she was born in the room she now occupies.  My labor with her was my favorite.  I wish I had time to write the story....maybe I will tell it to her for her birthday. 

She was named for her grandmother, Marty's mother, Marilyn Claire.

There are so many things that I love about Maddelyn......the thing I love the most is that she will always get to be our little girl....and so easy to hug and hold. 

Not sure how the years have passed so quickly that our youngest girl is so old........

I have a few pictures to share....and while they were upright when I uploaded them.....I cannot get them to cooperate.  Ah, blogger........

So, if you could please enjoy, with just a turn of your head.......  :)

This is one of our favorite photo stories...and it is SO Maddelyn!

Picture One:




 

Picture Two:

Picture Three:

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Maddelyn broke her leg when she was 5 years old...uh, I mean...someone broke her leg.  Here she is with her best friend since birth:  Talullah.

Not sure how old she is here......but she sure is sweet!

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This is Maddelyn this year........the year she reaches 16 years of age. 

She is shown here with her other best friend, Catherine,

at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco.

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Happy & Blessed Birthday,

dear Maddelyn,

little girl of our hearts!

We love you!!!

Your family.........of Hearts' Haven

Mountain Lion, Cougar, Puma…..Oh, My!

Wow….I have really just freaked myself out. I knew this would happen…....and yet I did it anyway.


I read the book.

What was I thinking?????

It was a wonderful book. The author is a most excellent storyteller, as she called herself. I was spellbound from the start. She painted pictures in my mind…...pictures I did not need…....knew existed....….did not want…......but could not walk away from….....

I actually read the Afterward first, with curiosity. Then, the book became my constant companion for the next few days…..interrupting my 50 pages into Don Quixote.

And, my heart rate climbed, my breathing increased (both already a problem with this mild asthma)….my imagination worked overtime. I felt slight panic symptoms. Yikes.

I even had to call a friend to get this off of my mind…….the poor thing…...she lives in cougar country, too.

The title of this fascinating and frightening book?

STALKED BY A MOUNTAIN LION:

Fear, Fact, and the Uncertain Future of Cougars in America

by Jo Deurbrouck, 2007.

I live in cougar country. My backyard butts up against mountain ranges, including the Trinity Alps, that extend almost all the way to the Pacific Coast. We have spent numerous hours in the woods, meadows and mountains behind my house…..hiked the local locales….walked trails in the Sierra Nevadas…….I even lived in the Sierra Nevadas as a teen and young adult.

I knew they were there, those mountain lions. I knew sighting them was rare. I knew attack by a mountain lion was rare. I still know it is rare. But…..I cannot get those images the author painted for me out of my psyche. Not yet. It is so fresh. I feel like I was a witness, her stories were so raw.

I leave my house….....and I think there is a mountain lion watching……I arrive home, I feel watched. I am nervous to send the kids out to the chicken coop now.

Then, I start thinking about all of our visits to the meadow and woods behind our house……I am sure we were watched then. I am sure.

Then, I remember those four hours…..Maddelyn, Garrett and I spent in the wild, exploring, while Marty, Matthew & Terry hiked a local mountain to the peak….I am sure we must have been watched then. Even though I know, six years later, we are all safe, I still feel a little sick to my stomach.

Once, when I was in town….Matthew must have been babysitting……he saw a mountain lion in our yard. He tried to video tape it for us…but, well, he had some issues with holding the camera still……still, it did look like a mountain lion…the only animal that could have fit his description.

And, a couple of weeks later, he thought he saw a mountain lion tail go behind a bush on our property…..the dogs started barking like crazy at the same time at the same spot, for a very long time. The G-Family was visiting then and there were about eight little people playing on our giant swingset. We put ourselves on high alert, but we let the children play.

And, all of those things we are told to do, to be safe…….be loud, be big…..just do not seem to work, after reading these stories. Mountain lions are unpredictable. The scientists have not totally figured them out yet.

One thing that helps my imagination to stabilize is the fact that seems (to me) most of the attacks and killings seem to be where cities meet the wilderness……like Southern California. That is not the case here……and I have not ever heard of any attacks in this part of California.

I do know that there was one killed at the nearby California State park....because it sat next to a trail "watching" people. My friend's husband worked there.......he told me this story.

Something that really creeps me out in the book are the stories about cougar attacks (including a death) and sightings at Cuyamaca, in Southern California……especially severe in the 1990’s. I had no idea. My mother-in-law, before she became ill with ALS, worked in that area. In the 1990’s, her entire family of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and some great-nieces and nephews spent a day there, picnicking, in her memory. Once again, I wonder….were we watched? With all those kids? Creepy.

Mountain lions follow the deer….....the deer are plentiful here…....as the deer scat “burning” our lawn tells me. As my dented Honda tells me....the one that had been hit by a doe one dawn. Wonder if it was running from a cougar?? ;)

I must stay rational:

Millions of families go hiking every year without mishap.
~~~~To be honest, it is this statistic that has always given me comfort. But, now, it is not so much my worry about meeting a mountain lion…it is that if I DO come face to face with one…..I now know too much about the outcome of such a meeting. WAY TOO MUCH. I have never been brave like that…..only brave enough for childbirth and dentistry and traveling cross-country with six kids. That is where my courage reaches. I have no courage for cougars. None now, especially.

We will go into the woods as we always have…....we will. I think. I will just always be nervous from now on….and, I will carry a weapon. No, I won’t, not really…..I have no idea how to use one. I will update my pepper spray. I have been lax about carrying it and a whistle lately. No more.

A quote from the book: as one parent told the author,

“It is not the level of risk that is disturbing. It’s the nature of the risk.”

This is what sums it up for me.

Just some links I found........

Commonly Asked Questions About Mountain Lions

For example:

If I live in mountain lion habitat, how concerned should I be for my safety?
Statistically speaking, a person is one thousand times more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a mountain lion. That said, mountain lions are wild animals and, like any wildlife, can be dangerous. People who live in mountain lion habitat can take precautions to reduce their risk of encountering a mountain lion. By deer-proofing the landscape, homeowners can avoid attracting a lion’s main food source. Removing dense vegetation from around the home and installing outdoor lighting will make it difficult for mountain lions to approach unseen.

Are mountain lion attacks on humans common?
Mountain lion attacks on humans are rare. There have been only 16 verified mountain lion attacks on humans in California since 1890, six of them fatal. The last documented attack occurred in January, 2007, in Humboldt County.


List of Attacks on people in California
Interesting how the first documented case of a mountain lion attack and killing is in my own county....in 1890.

Oh, not at Prairie Creek State Park, too.......we go there often. And, the attack may have been right where we hiked those 6 miles with the kids. Stay calm :)

Mountain Lion Attacks On People in the U.S. and Canada

List of Mountain Lion Encounters With People in California

Mountain lion sightings, summer/fall 2009, in Northern California

Nice. Two sightings in Arcata..........where we sometimes play.

Quote: "And mountain lions are NOT LIKE BEARS, either….with mountain lions, there’s no drama, no encounter, no time to react. You don’t just run into a mountain lion on a trail and then he attacks you; mountain lions don’t invade your campsite trying to get in your cooler; mama lions don’t let their cubs get in your way; the lion doesn’t growl at you like a bear and stand up and clack its teeth.

Mountain lions don’t have bad tempers, they aren’t twice as big as you, and they don’t think they are the freakin’ kings of the woods; so they don’t go around looking for people to beat up, partly beause humans look kind of like bears, and lions are generally afraid of bears…so…

.....unlike an encounter with a bear, if you see a mountain lion, you can be pretty sure you’re not his intended target.Sure, it’s good to stand tall and make noise, reinforce the impression that you’re a human, not a deer. But he’s probably already figured that out, and, if he ever did have any idea of eating you, he’s lost his advantage, his modus operandi for large prey, his “knock you on your face” tactic; his hard-wired hunting instincts have already already whispered “move on”… that lion’s not coming for you."

Mountain Lions and California State Parks

Verified Mountain Lion Attacks on Humans in California(1890 through 2007)

Mountain Lion Sightings Rarely Spell Trouble

From this site:

More than half of California is considered mountain lion habitat; as a general rule, mountain lions live wherever deer are present. People are observed by lions far more frequently than lions are observed by people. Studies of radio-collared mountain lions show that lions tend to avoid people. Given the fact that there are well over 30 million people and thousands of mountain lions in California, encounters between people and lions are infrequent and attacks are extremely rare.

The DFG has issued the following recommendations for avoiding encounters with a mountain lion, as well as what to do if attacked by a mountain lion:

WHAT IF YOU LIVE IN LION COUNTRY?

DON'T FEED WILDLIFE: By feeding deer, raccoons or other wildlife in your yard, you may inadvertently attract mountain lions, which prey upon them.

DEER-PROOF LANDSCAPE: Avoid using plants that deer prefer to eat; if landscaping attracts deer, mountain lions may be close by. The California Department of Fish and Game has a brochure entitled “Gardening To Discourage Deer Damage” available at most DFG offices.

LANDSCAPE FOR SAFETY: Remove dense and/or low-lying vegetation that would provide good hiding places for mountain lions, especially around children's play areas; make it difficult for mountain lions to approach a yard unseen.

INSTALL OUTDOOR LIGHTING: Keep the house perimeter well lit at night – especially along walkways – to keep any approaching mountain lions visible.

KEEP PETS SECURE: Roaming pets are easy prey for hungry mountain lions. Either bring pets inside or keep them in a kennel with a secure top. Don't feed pets outside; this can attract raccoons and other mountain lion prey.

KEEP LIVESTOCK SECURE: Where practical, place livestock in enclosed sheds and barns at night, and be sure to secure all outbuildings.

KEEP CHILDREN SAFE: Keep a close watch on children whenever they play outdoors. Make sure children are inside before dusk and not outside before dawn. Talk with children about mountain lions and teach them what to do if they encounter one.

WHAT TO DO IF ENCOUNTERING A MOUNTAIN LION?

DO NOT HIKE ALONE: Go in groups, with adults supervising children.

KEEP CHILDREN CLOSE TO YOU: Observations of captured wild mountain lions reveal that the animals seem especially drawn to children. Keep children within your sight at all times.

DO NOT APPROACH A LION: Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.

DO NOT RUN FROM A LION: Running may stimulate a mountain lion's instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If there are small children there, pick them up if possible so they don't panic and run. Although it may be awkward, pick them up without bending over or turning away from the mountain lion.

DO NOT CROUCH DOWN OR BEND OVER: In Nepal, a researcher studying tigers and leopards watched the big cats kill cattle and domestic water buffalo while ignoring humans standing nearby. He surmised that a human standing up is just not the right shape for a cat's prey. On the other hand, a person squatting or bending over looks a lot like a four-legged prey animal. When in mountain lion country, avoid squatting, crouching or bending over, even when picking up children.

APPEAR LARGER: Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Again, pick up small children. Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice. The idea is to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.

FIGHT BACK IF ATTACKED: Many potential victims have fought back successfully with rocks, sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools and their bare hands. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal.


How to Survive a Mountain Lion Attack

Not sure if all of what they say holds up after reading the book above....but, here are some quotes:

Coss “found that people who stood still avoided injury only 26 percent of the time. Cougars may view your lack of fight as a sign of vulnerability. Of people who backed away, 39 percent survived unscathed. And of those who booked it, 50 percent escaped without a scratch. In cases where two or more individuals happened upon a mountain lion and booked it, the fastest runner among the two or more escaped without injury 100 percent of the time.”


“According to the California Department of Fish and Game, 14 mountain lion attacks on humans have occurred in California since 1890; nine since 1992. Six attacks have resulted in fatalities — two from rabies, which is common in the animals, especially during summer months. The last death before Reynolds’ (2004) was in 1994. Here’s what the CDFG suggests you do to survive the trails in a cougar habitat:

1. Don’t ride alone: Cougars are less likely to attack groups. Ride with a partner, and stay close togther. If attacked, you can help one another.

2. Stand tall. Cougars try to bite the head or neck, so try tor emain on your feet, don’t bend over or turn away. Make yourself look bigger. Raise your arms, move them slowly, and speak in a firm, loud voice. If you’re wearing a jacket, open it. maintain eye contact with the animal.

3. Raise hell. Yell, scream, act aggressive. Whatever you do, don’t be quiet. It unnerves the animal and is an audible call for help.

4. If attacked, jab the animal’s eyes. Use something sharp — sticks, rocks, a bike pump, or your bare hands.

5. Keep fighting. Kick and punch until you can’t anymore.. Mountain lions have poor endurance. He might think that this isn’t worth it, and decide to go back to deer and other weaklings that flee.

6. Don’t ride or jog after dusk: Sundown in the mountains is near feeding time for cougars.

7. If you do ride after dusk, affix two lights to the back of your helmet: : “They look like eyes to the lions,” says Dan Cain of Borrego Springs, CA, who rides up to 30 miles per week in the desert mountains south of Palm Springs and has run across the big cats on several occasions. Charged by a lion in 1998 on the Pacific Crest Trail, he stood his ground, screamed “like a rock star,” aimed his lights into the lion’s face, and sighed with relief as the cat backed off.”

Happy Birthday to Matthew!!!

Happy 19th Birthday, Matthew!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving, too!!

We miss you!!

You will find your birthday card below.......

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Matthew has had quite a busy year since his 18th birthday!

He had three leads in three plays.......built two sets......graduated from high school....visited beautiful places....skied & shovelled.....

....applied for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program........

.........went to Switzerland....and more!!!

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Here, is his year in pictures.....

AS YOU LOOK THROUGH>>>>PICK ONE FAVORITE PHOTO...

.......and tell us which one you like the best and why!

I got carried away.........there are a lot of pictures........

......and I could have used one, where I used two, or three.......or more :)

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Aw, well...it is my perogative..... :)

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(BLOGGER puts all of those wide spaces in the post......not me!!!)

GRRRRRRR!

Matthew & his two brothers, last November 2008

Garrett & Malachy

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Matthew had the lead in charter school fall play,

DON'T MENTION MY NAME

a few photos follow

this was actually just before his birthday last fall...

He also built the set.

Matthew with two co-stars.

Matthew, with his sister Sarah in the scarf....and Gavin and Kayla.

Did you know Matthew has an addiction?

Yes, we don't talk about it much.

He is addicted to babies......

....and,

he has this strange power over them.......

......getting them to sleep,

even if they were not sleepy.

Even if they just had a nap.

Above is Matthew with a new Benedict,

my little godson, son of John & Gloria, of San Francisco.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oops!!!

The 2 photos below are NOT from his last year, but from winter 20..

08........I told you I got carried away :)

Matthew had a great role in E/R, a play performed at the local junior college.

It was his first college role.

He was SO funny, playing a clean-cut kid who was tricked into taking an ecstasy tablet.

Can you tell?

&

~~~~~~~

Okay, now the rest is up-to-date!

Matthew's next role at the college was a lead part.

The play: INSPECTING CAROL

It was a play within a play........

a down-and-out community theater does A Christmas Carol for their winter show....

Matthew' part is hard to explain quickly....

....but within the play.....

...his six-foot-two character ends up playing Tiny Tim.....

...so, you can imagine the silliness.

See below....these photos, and the two above taken by Jason.

&

This was the FUNNIEST monologue........

.....and it is one of the biggest regrets in my life that I did not pirate a video of this!!!

And Tiny Tim says, "God bless us, everyone!"

That is Anne holding up the train! ;)

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On the chair lift.....

Don't you love that mountain in the background?

The usual crowd:

Sarah, Maddelyn, Gavin, Malachy, Matthew & Garrett

A father and his sons: Matthew, Marty, Malachy & Garrett

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And, then, we will really be missing Matthew every winter now,

for the rest of our lives......below is how he spends some of his winter

Garrett & Matthew in the backyard




Matthew on the roof, looking at the back of our house

(You should see how much snow we had in 2008!!)






Matthew cut out a little space on the roof for himself.







that's him again.....

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We went to visit their Great Grandma in Eureka, California on the Northern coast in March









These are the first photos with my new camera

Matthew is browsing in one of his favorite haunts....

...a used bookstore in Old Town Eureka........where he feeds his other addiction.

I have NO idea who he inherited that from???

Across the street from the bookstore.......all six kids.....you probably know them by now :)

You also probably know that Matthew is always the tall one......wonder if his brothers will ever catch up...they are doing some serious growing now!

Maddelyn loves Matthew!!

We are at "Sunset Beach" as we call it.......we have no idea what this place is really called. But I used to ask the kids when they were little if they wanted to go watch the sunset at the beach...and the gave it the name!

How cool a shot is this???

Matthew & Maddelyn.

On the bluff looking over the ocean.

How's THAT for a piece of driftwood!!

Six kids from Hearts' Haven

Matthew with two sisters.....Maddelyn & Anne

I love this!

Love the sky and ocean......stripes behind the vertical

Uncle Steve got us out of bed at 4:30am to watch thousands of geese take off.....we did, but it was much farther away than he imagined....it was still fun to be in the hush of the early morning, before others were about....and to see the sun rise......followed by donuts!

You will notice Sarah is missing fom the above picture....she refused to get up so early. :)

Thanks, Uncle Steve, for the inspiration!!

Now the sun is up.....the kids with Uncle Steve......their Great-uncle

This place was just south of Eureka, near a preserve where we love to visit.

Still on the northern California coast, we went to visit Fern Canyon.....

.....one of our favorite places in the whole world.

Matthew & his littlest brother, Malachy.

We had never been there in March before......before the State park folks have placed the footbridges.......thus we had to walk barefoot on rocks.....in freezing cold water....needless to say...I did not do much walking :)

Matthew and his littlest sister, Maddelyn, walking in the Redwoods above Fern Canyon

Love the shadows!

on a foot bridge in the Redwoods

3 boys : 3 girls

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The six again.....

....on the way home from Eureka,

on State Highway 299....this is the Trinity River

I like how Maddelyn is turned opposite the rest....it just changes the whole perspective!!

Up at midnight to celebrate Garrett's 12th birthday as soon as the clock turned.

Matthew sits with his stack of books found at the above bookstore....$1 each!!!

Matthew has been part of a cast of homeschooling/homeschooled kids making a WWII movie......this is before the shower.

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Matthew & Katie

In April, Matthew went down to Davis orientation for the Rotary Youth Exchange....

......and Katie came along, as a rebounder.....

..........one who had returned in the previous year from an exchange

Katie is my friend Sheila's daughter......we have known Katie since she was five years old.

The jacket she is wearing is typical of all the exchange students.

They wear it when they are to represent Rotary.

Notice all of the pins?

The students exchange pins when they meet and collect more on their travels.


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After a mass in April, we stopped for a visit at the Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.

Matthew & two sisters, yet again. Maddelyn & Anne.

Matthew is the tall one...Marty is driving the car....while everyone else walked.

This is the random picture here...of the three boys the day Malachy was born.....

October 20, 2001

Garrett is 4 1/2 years & Matthew is just about 11 years old

Matthew and his mountain

Taken April 2009

at my birthday picnic at the lake

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Matthew & his big sister, at her graduation with her AA from our local junior college.

May 2009

The close-up

And, the full shot.

We took some time in a crazy week,

to take a hike to McCloud Falls so AJ could see

some local falls before he returned to San Diego.

Matthew lounging on a rock just before Lower Falls

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Matthew had the lead in the charter school's spring play:

The Gazebo

It was so good!

He also built this set, too.

Here is a photo essay......

Matthew is writing the plans for the set....

.....the door is from Gloria's parents house,

as is most of the furniture on the set......

Kyle, Matthew's #1

Marty is in the background

In this case,

Matthew led Marty through his building process,

instead of the other way around....

The same three.........

The cast rehearsing on the almost finished set.......Matthew is to the left.

And, now for the play.......

Matthew & Sierra

aka Elliot & Nell

This was the press release photo

Check out that gazebo!!

Matthew created it out of one piece of cardboard, it is still in one piece!

Sarah created the hearts.

Matthew & Sierra in real 1950'2 clothing.

We were playing around.......

the photo developer and an old lady would not believed I had just taken this photo the day before......

Ah, there is Matthew with a baby in his arms, yet again......

......this time it is Liam, Sierra's youngest brother.

Elliot was a writer.......you may have seen this on Matthew's facebook profile lately......

Nell & Elliot

Kyle & Sierra, siblings, and Matthew

Sierra & Matthew, and Maddelyn as the housekeeper.

Near the end of the play........this was on the night of filming,

not an actual run of the play.....

.....it was close to 2am

We have here, Sierra, Kyle, Matthew, Max & Samuel (another brother of Sierra)

Max had to learn his part in just a couple of hours due to losing a member of the cast for the filming.........you can see Matthew & Kyle trying not to crack up...Max had quite the monologue...and he had to ad lib sometimes...and it was FUNNY!

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Gloria & Matthew & baby Bennie

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At the end of May 2009,

Matthew participated in our charter school's high school graduation.

It was so lovely! Everyone said so.

It was the best graduation I have ever been to!

Matthew had been with our educational facilitator since he was in first grade.

A brief photto essay follows, again.......

..........because I can not seem to limit myself to one...or two...or four photos........

Above, Matthew introduces the keynote speaker, whom he had chosen and invited:

one of his favorite college teachers.......and Anne's favorite college teacher:

Eve Thompson, who had just retired the week before. :((((

~~~~~~~~~~

A few students had volunteered.....

......or, in Matthew's case, been volunteered, to perform for graduation.

In typical Matthew fashion,

it was the night before graduation that he finally

decided to recite a favorite poem of his.

Some of you may remember he won county in Poetry Out Loud...

...this was his third poem for state.

He was able to fill this packed 500 seat auditorium with his voice.

Of course...our family is quite good at being loud, I mean projecting.

*************

The Glove and the Lions

By Leigh Hunt



King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport,
And one day as his lions fought, sat looking on the court;
The nobles filled the benches, and the ladies in their pride,
And 'mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he sighed:
And truly 'twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show,
Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.

*

Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;
They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws;
With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another;
Till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother;
The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the air;
Said Francis then, "Faith, gentlemen, we're better here than there."

*

De Lorge's love o'erheard the King, a beauteous lively dame
With smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seemed the same;
She thought, the Count my lover is brave as brave can be;
He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me;
King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine;
I'll drop my glove, to prove his love; great glory will be mine.

*

She dropped her glove, to prove his love, then looked at him and smiled;
He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild:
The leap was quick, return was quick, he has regained his place,
Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady's face.
"By God!" said Francis, "rightly done!" and he rose from where he sat:
"No love," quoth he, "but vanity, sets love a task like that."

********

Shelly, our educational facilitator, handing Matthew his diploma.

That is a photo of Matthew on the big screen behind them.

And, that really is the Statue of Liberty!

A crowd of well-wishers present at the graduation.

Looks like we have Maria and some of her kids: Sierra, Samuel, Kyle, Christopher

And Gavin & Max, and Matthew's siblings......

The graduate and his parents, Marty & Chari.

You can see he does not get his height from either of us. :)

The graduate & his five siblings.

The graduate & the little brother.

So sweet!

And lastly, the graduation dance, where Matthew & Sarah won the swing dance competition.

I know it is dark.....but I included it because it is when Matthew injured his knee.....a few minutes after this photo was snapped.......and he ended up on crutches for a month or so......

Taken by MaryJane.

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Matthew at our summer bon fire.

With Kyle, Will, Christopher, Malachy,

Sarah, Sierra and a bunch of others not in the photo.......

Matthew with baby Liam...again

Their cousin Michael from New Hampshire came for a visit.

Marty took them for a ride up the mountain.
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We spent ten days at Willa's house......

Matthew led a team of wigwam builders......

Aidan & Garrett look on.....

Sean & Matthew slept in the wigwam......and got rained on the second night :)

Matthew & his siblings and some of their best friends........

Matthew and his siblings in Old Town Sacramento

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Matthew at beautiful Dunsmuir City Park, for Catherine's 10th birthday party.

Which included swmming in the great big city pool!

Matthew & Catherine, the birthday gal!

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The 4th of July, as celebrated in our small town.

First, Matthew & his siblings during the Fun Walk.

Matthew, waiting for the parade and the Star-Spangled Banner singer......

with Evan & Miss Miranda, Sheila & Garrett

Oh, look! Matthew found a friend in Charlotte!!

Fireworks on the lake, like every year! And, the crowd gets bigger each year, too!

Is that Charlotte sitting in Matthew's lap??

Ha, ha.......see the crutches in the front of the photo?

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew stands with the local Rotary Club sponsoring him to Switzerland.

They are so happy!

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew & Max swim up to John & Bennie...

.....to play with the baby....how sweet is that?

Matthew & Max in the back row....of the college barbershop choir.

Matthew and his three sisters joined for the summer session.

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In July, Willa's family came up to see us for a week.......

This was the boy team in the boys vs girls

in a game I cannot remeber the name of....but kind of like charades.......

Sean, Liam, Matthew, Gavin & Malachy

I love these smiles.

Matthew & Sean........friends.

Relaxing........its all about to break loose.......

Willa's boys and mine...only Brendan was missing....

On bench, obviously impressed with the photo shoot are....

Aidan, Patrick & Malachy

Standing tall in the rear are Keiron, Garrett, Sean, Liam & Matthew

Moments before Willa was trying to leave for home......all of those boys began throwing something at each other.....I cannot seem to remember what.....it made it hard to get them into the car :)

Malachy-Liam-Matthew-Keiron-Sean

(Is Sean dancing?? Hey, Clare!! I think he might actually be dancing! ;) )

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My kids put on a dance party on our front lawn in the first week of August

It became known as "Matthew's going-away party"

Matthew & Sierra S.....his leading lady from THE GAZEBO

(See photos above)

Matthew & the "boys"

~Micah~Garrett~Matthew McW~Matthew~

~Daniel McW~Kyle~Gavin~

~Samuel~Malachy~

Matthew & Sierra B.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniel & Matthew McW with Matthew & Garrett

on Matthew's last full day at home

The night before we took Matthew away......there was champagne......and toasts.

Anne, Matthew, Maddelyn, Garrett & Marty

Matthew hugs Anne goodbye,

as we pull out of the driveway,

to take him to Switzerland,

via San Francisco

On his way out of own, Matthew stopped to say goodbye to

Louise, Evan, Miss Miranda & the wee princeling.....I was there when he was born :)

Matthew with Sheila (Katie's mom....see photo somewhere above),

the one who most inspired (tempted???)
him to apply for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program

This was taken just moments before Matthew left our hometown for the last time in 2009

Two nights before Matthew left for Switzerland, we stayed with Gloria & John

Here are my five youngest kids (out of six :) ) and Joan & Gloria and their five youngest kids, also out of six. :)

Chari~Catherine~Clementine~Maddelyn~Malachy~

~Charlotte-in-Matthew's arms~

Clairemarie~Sarah~Garrett~Gloria~

~Benedict (my little Godson)~John~

Another photo of Matthew holding Charlotte..........anyone else notice a theme here?

the night before he left for Switzerland.....I believe he tucked her in and promised her some Swiss chocolate. :)

Sarah, his creative and fashion-savy sister, placing his pins on his Rotary jacket, the night before he left for Switzerland, at Gloria's house.........up WAAAY too late for what time we need to arise.

We were quite clever with his pins......see the starfish? It is a real one!

Matthew, moments before he went through security, on his way to Switzerland.

He does not know I took this photo. I love it!

It was the last time Sarah & I saw him in person.....

....August 10th, our 24th wedding anniversary

San Francisco Airport

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And that my friends, was a walk down Memory Lane for Matthew's 19th year of life.......NOT a dull year!

Please leave note of birthday greetings for the boy........

We love you & miss you, Matthew!

Hope you enjoyed the journey!

Love,

your family,

waiting for you at Our Hearts Haven.

P.S. I could not get any photos of Matthew in Switzerland......please see Matthew's Facebook albums for those.

I will fix typos later...after I have had enough sleep!!