Christmas day at the Mandells

Christmas was kind of a bust this year. Nothing seemed to flow. Jared had to be at work so we hurried to open gifts and have breakfast before he left.
Katrina left for her dad's house and Melinda and I started to prepare for the group coming for dinner. I forgot that I could not use the oven next door, as I usually do, to cook all my side dishes (they removed it and the replacement is not here yet) so dinner ran late. The tables did look nice.

The one neat thing is that I had Melinda saying, "What can I do next?" That was so great! It was so fun cooking with her and having help to wrap the White Elephant gifts at the last minute. I don't know what i would have done without her. She made the dips and arranged the Brie and Stilton cheese trays with nuts and crackers. She helped Granny make her deviled eggs. I was great!

We also forgot to read the story of Christ's birth, I'm not naming any names, but Jacob was in charge of that..LOL. We did not sing any carols and I just felt discombooberated!
We did sing karaoke though and that was a hoot! Man, can Katrina sing! She has a beautiful voice! Aunt Dana, Granny, Katrina and I sang, When A Man Loves A Woman and the men came in from the front room to see who sounded so great. I don't have to tell you, it was not any of us old broads!

However, Granny did a pretty good job belting out her song!

The white elephant game went as usual, everyone was amused by the gift they received.




Kyle, Roz and Aiden


To finish my rambling.....It was not our normal Christmas and I wanted it to be special since it was Melinda's first one with us. Oh, well when all was said and done it was not a bad day, just not the day I planned. There is always next year. And really in the grand scheme of things, we did praise God, with Jared during the prayer, for the birth of his son and that is what Christmas is suppose to be about! NOT, Me!

Christmas Eve at the Hodson's

Passing out presents to the kids.

Spencer likes his Bionicales.

Kyle likes his beenie Granny made him.

Erin is back in town....

Erin is back. She left for Australia, to attend school over a year ago. Most recently, after graduating, she traveled through Paris, Germany and Italy, to name a few countries, then on to Thailand. I lived vicariously through her reading her very entertaining and descriptive blog!

Granny, Rob, Jared, Katrina and I met her for breakfast in Newport and spent some time over coffee catching up. She looks wonderful! I love the natural color of her hair, which I have never seen in the 5 years I have known her. It seems like yesterday that she was serving coffee at Uptown Espresso in SLO. She is one of the friends from Jake's SLO years that is a keeper. It was great to see her!

Fire, Fire, and More Fires...

What an exciting weekend. Fires in Brea Canyon, Yorba Linda and Chino Hills and coming together and putting many friends and family in harms way. Amy, Todd and the kids, had to evacuate their home. Our friends Jeff and Kathryn had to leave get out too. We as well as Diana, were packed and ready to leave. Mom was screaming up the stairs to that she is going to water down the shake roof next door, because they should be doing it and are not...LOL Shortly after they were up on the roof and she felt better.

Jake and Melinda were here Friday night and went home Saturday morning. Only to return when the fires started to get too close for comfort Saturday afternoon. The freeways were closed and they had to come in the back way of of Fullerton Road. It took them 3 hours to drive 12 miles.

Jake took pic of the sky over the house just across the street. This was Saturday morning before it got really bad.


We were packed and ready to go at a moments notice. Everybody north of Lambert & St. College had been evacuated. We are at the corner of Lambert & St. College.


Jake, Melinda, Jared, Katrina, Rob, mom and I all had what we would grab last minute if we needed to go. It is weird to have the boys here just waiting. It reminded me of the big earthquake in the early 90's. We were all in the family room, eating and watching movies and taking turns to go out front to check the progress of things with the neighbors who are all packed hanging out in the street, waiting for the excitement to begin. It was very hot and we had to turn off the air because it seemed to be pulling the smoke into the house through the fireplace. Other than that it felt like a family night at the Mandell's.

I know it sounds odd but we really had a good time. We laughed a lot, ate a lot and took turns watching the progress of the fire outside.

Praise God all is good with us. I have to say now having the time to survey all the personal belongings sitting in the front room, that it made me smile. It is interesting to see what is important to each of my family members. Mom's corner has 2 huge bags of clothes and jewelry, one large bag with photo albums and all our pictures. Robert had a bag of clothes and a large bag of drugs, prescription of course and 3 bikes from his collection ready to throw into the back of Katrina's truck. Mine had a computer, safe with documents, clothes and my purse. Jared has, two very large skate boards, box containing all the info and money for his homeless ministry, his old record collection, DVD collection of One tree Hill and a small bag that Katrina packed of clothes for him. Jacob, not having much left here, had his childhood bedspread quilt I made him and his surfboard. Interesting that your life can be reduced to just a few items that are really important. We discussed the fact that the only thing we all could not live with out is each other.

I've never seen so many fire personnel in one place. I sure did feel safe! God Bless the Firefighters that risked their lives for all of us.

Please join me in supporting, Autism Speaks.

Did you know that every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism? Our family has loved ones that are affected by Autism.

I am walking in the fight against autism at Walk Now for Autism, on Nov. 16th, at Angels Stadium. Joining tens of thousands of other people united by a single cause and dedicated to raising money to find a cure for autism. The money raised at Walk Now for Autism supports Autism Speaks mission to finding the causes, effective treatments and a cure for autism through funding essential biomedical research. One in every 150 children is diagnosed with autism. Autism Speaks directs 75¢ out of every dollar raised to autism research, awareness and outreach.

My personal fundraising goal is $ 150.00 Please help me reach my goal by making a donation of any size. You can make a donation online using the link below:

http://www.walknowforautism.org/oc/personal/cathymandell.

You can also use the donation form located on my page to mail a check; please make checks payable to Autism Speaks and mail to:
Autism Speaks/Walk Now for Autism
5455 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 2250
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Autism Speaks 501 (C)(3) Tax Id #: 20-2329938

Thank you for your support and for taking an important step in the fight against autism.

God Bless, Cathy

"Wicked"

We went with Diana and Gary to see the musical, Wicked, on Saturday night and it was fantastic! The music, the staging, the actors...all unbelievably great! We went to the Saddle Ranch to eat before and to Canters to eat again after, around midnight. I would not mind seeing it again. I would love to take mom. I think she would really enjoy going.

My baby brother is "50"

Rod & the Rabbi

I'm not sure how my siblings and I are now over 50, when our mom is only 42!

Dana, Mary and families had a party for Rod's and Tim's 50th birthdays. Tim and Rod have been friends since we were all kids. The old picture boards they had displayed were priceless.

The Thompson women out did themselves as usual, the food was fabulous! Tim and Mary's daughter, Natalie, is a pastry chef, so I don't even have to tell you how great the cakes tasted, not to mention how beautiful they looked. Rod's favorite, scallops wrapped in bacon were out of this world good, done to perfection!

Melinda, Jake & Dana

Yummy birthday cakes

Fabulous Food!

Show me the money...

CO (-) made over $1,000 YEAH!!!!!! The Luau was a success. Rob and I dropped by to hear the Coco B's play and met Katrina's dad and step mom. What nice people! The food was good and the Pina Colada was great, even without the Rum.

Thanks to all who helped out! A good time was had by all!

Now CO(-) has the money to feed the homeless for another 6 month.

CO(-) BBQ LUAU FUNDRAISER

If you have young adults (18 to 20 somethings) in your life, share this blog with them. There is a fundraiser BBQ LUAU for CO(-) Project. I have talked about them before. They are a group of kids from EV Free Church in Fullerton that run a homeless ministry. There will be lots of food, 2 live bands (one band is the COCo B's, see my link) and loads of fun! A $10 donation at the door covers food, drinks and music! What a deal!

See details below............


CO(-) BBQ LUAU!!!
Have fun, enjoy live music, and support a great cause!

Time and Place Date:
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Time: 1:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: The Thomas House
Street: 1035 La Mesa Drive
City/Town: Fullerton, CA


For all of you who joined us for 80's Prom last year at the Mandell's, you know CO(-) can throw a party! Come join us this year as we get to enjoy the end of the summer sun with a Luau!! Live bands will be performing, bbq will be provided, and some other cool surprises that you will just have to come and see for yourself (you might want to bring some extra cash for that)! Tickets will be a donation of $10 and will include food & music. Donations will be taken at the event as well. 100% of proceeds will go to CO(-) ministries. Thank you all for your support!!

(PS. THERE WILL BE NO ALCOHOL, THANKS!)

BRING YOUR SWIMSUITS FOR SOME SWIMMING TOO :) ...if it's hot enough.

For those of you who don't know CO(-) is a homeless ministry who goes out to Long Beach every Tuesday and Thursday night to give food and share in fellowship with the homeless under the 7th street bridge. Recently we have started a Bible study with them on Thursday nights, but our main objective is to show them God's love and for them to want to know more about why we are the way we are. Fundraisers like this one are what enable us to continue to do what we are doing. We cook a meal every Tuesday (cost between $30-50) and get pizza every Thursday (cost around $50). We also have people who drive which as you know takes a lot of gas money. All this adds up-but with faithful providers like you, we are able to keep this ministry going and do what God has called us to do. If you can't make it to the event, but would like to donate anyway, contact :

Jared Mandell
375 Pomelo Ave
Brea, CA 92821

Keep us in your prayers. We will soon have our Non-Profit status! Thanks again for all your support!!

A Family Weekend in Santa Cruz

Robert, Jared, Katrina, Jake, Melinda and I rented a beach house near Santa Cruz for the weekend. We went to attend David's and Sally's Wedding.

The kids arrived Friday night and joined us at the family get together at the Mandell houses in Santa Cruz. Good food and lots of fun was had by all. It has been a long time since all the Mandells have been in one place together.





Saturday, I got up and made a breakfast. Omelets, cinnamon rolls with orange icing, melon, strawberries, coffee and juice. Pretty great, if I do say so myself...LOL
The wedding was at 2 o'clock in a park in Santa Cruz. It was a warm sunny day and the bride and groom were beautiful. Simon and Lorna catered the reception, so I don't have to tell you, the food was great! People danced, the cousins sat around talking and laughing. It was wonderful.

Later that night, Robert and I went back to the family houses to have more fun and eat again. You know those Mandell's, food, food and then more good food! Melinda and Jake were tired so they went back to our house and took a walk on the beach. We dropped Jared and Katrina at Bad Ass Coffee, so Katrina could do her homework.

At about 10 PM Jared called to say they both were not feeling well, so we went to pick them up. We thought it might be that they had been drinking coffee on empty stomachs, they had not eaten since 3 o'clock. We parked and walked to a Pizza place on Pacific. The downtown area was so cool. They had a telescope set up on the corner that we looked a Jupiter through. We walked around, looked in some of the shops and just had fun. They have a two story used book store called Logos. Very Cool!
Sunday we were up at 8. I fixed some quick scrambled eggs and bagels and then we hit the road. Our first stop was the cool little Tie Dye Shop, Katrina and I had been eying all weekend, for some shopping.
Then on to the birth place and National Museum, for the writer, John Steinbeck, in Salinas. Very cool house! Even cooler Museum! Melinda and Rob stayed in the car while the rest of us jogged down the street several blocks to see the house. Then Melinda and Jake went on ahead so they could get home at a decent hour. We went into the museum and took our time. We could have spent an entire day in there. The displays are all interactive and with only 1 1/2 hours, we did not have a chance to touch, read or see everything. We need to go back!

Next we stopped in SLO to see Toby for an early dinner at "Firestone". Then of course, to "Bali" for frozen yogurt. It was good to hang with Toby for a few hours.

Jared drove from SLO on, with Katrina up front and Rob and I napping in the back. We occasionally would bug them with, "Are we there yet? I gotta go potty! Tell him to stop saying poopy! I think I'm going to throw up!"

Great Pick of "Mom and Dad" giving us the, "Don't make me pull this car over!" look.
Then on to home. We arrived at about 11 PM.
What a great weekend!

I finally meet Parker!

Parker is my niece Jill's little boy. So that makes me his Great Auntie. I have not been a good Auntie though, because he is 5 months old and this is the first time I have seen him in person. He was born during all the wedding hoopala and we have not had a chance to get up north to Carmichael where they live.


He is adorable! And such a good baby.

David and Sally get Married.

David and Sally were married in Santa Cruz this weekend. All the Mandells attended. It was such fun. Every single cousin was there and Uncle Mike flew in from New York.

A great time was had by all!

Pictures to come........

God has a plan...

Well, the decision was made, after careful consideration and much prayer, that Jared would start Biola in the Spring. It was a huge disappointment, especially since he attended classes for the first week and loved them. However, it was what we felt God was trying to tell us was the right thing to do. His professor told him he would still have a spot open, in the program, for him in Spring. Only having 10 days notice to get our ducks in a row, so to speak, financially was not working out. Many thing pointed to God wanting him to wait until Spring. This will give Jared a chance to work full-time for 4 months and save some money so he will not have to work during his first semester. It will also give me a chance to find a job to help with tuition.

Is that Biola calling?

It is only 13 days until school begins..........Jared, after waiting all summer to hear, received a call today that he has been excepted into a program at Biola. We all cried. He has prayed and prayed about this and has trusted God will take care of everything, that his will will be done!

Pray for us as we work out all the details, including money, that God will open the doors to classes and financial aid.

God is Good!

Granny's a fighter...

Mom went in for a heart cath and came out with two heart cath procedures and a femoral artery aneurysm repaired. I know, big surprise! She is home now and on the mend. Please keep her in your prayers for a complete healing of her heart!

Rob (my brother) and Uncle Ken flew out and were a big help with the whole hospital ordeal. Too much to blog about. Ask one of us if you have not heard the story already. It is mind boggling! It is a miracle she is alive to tell about it!

Yes, once again, God is Good!

Leonard Knight - Salvation Mountain

A while back Jared and I had a conversation concerning a man he read about in a book, Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer. It is a bestselling non-fiction book accounting the adventures of Christopher McCandless. In his travels he came across, Salvation Mountain and it's so to speak, architect Leonard Knight. Thought the story was interesting but did not really look into it any further.

Then recently when looking at the pictures on a friends website, I saw pictures of this amazing place, Salvation Mountain, and I read the following about this interesting man:

Arriving in the Imperial Valley in the late 70’s, Leonard felt lead to share a message of a higher power; the idea that God is love. Quick to point out that he did not build (really a hill with a decorated adobe facade) for attention he maintains an increasingly ambitious project to complete the mountain.

The spry 72-year old is facing the inevitable question all Dreamers ponder -- "Who will remember me after I am gone?" He's been at it for over 20 years, and has much more to build at Salvation Mountain. But he senses some urgency -- that time may be running out. He does his work in the early morning, and then spends much of the rest of the day entertaining people who stop by. Can he find the time to "finish" it -- and will it survive his eventual passing?

He asks visitors to help in a letter-writing campaign to preserve the Mountain. "A lawyer told me the only way to preserve this thing in a hundred years is to have Congress protect it nationally. I'm on squatted land where I shouldn't be, anybody with money can take it down, anything can happen. How can I possibly protect it so your great grandkids can see it 80 years from now?" He shows a plaque from the Folk Art Society of America, proclaiming Salvation Mountain is, "worthy of preservation."

"I gotta get this thing known all over the place." Spread the word.

Leonard says he currently has more paint than he knows what to do with. I suggest providing a small cash donation instead, so, as he puts it, "he has something a little better to eat than paint."

Check it out........Leonard Knight, his story is fascinating:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Knight or http://www.salvationmountain.us/

Aaron & Les are back so the gang is celebrating and guess where...LOL What a great bunch of kids! Always a party at the Mandell's!

Now that is a Yarmulka!

Is that a nice Jewish man or is that a Viking?

Liz will not be happy to see how Robert is using her silver. We were transporting Liz's silver back home and Robert could not resist. The flowers were so beautiful on the tables at the wedding. It was so kind of Liz to loan the kids all her silver! She is the best!

We did enjoy the flowers for several days after the wedding. They were beautiful!

Aaron and Les are almost across the US!

It has been so fun reading their blog each day! I have been vicariously living through them as they journey across the country. The pictures they post, the stories they tell and the videos, are fantastic! Wow, what an adventure! They are two days from New York and dipping their tires in the Atlantic Ocean. How cool is that!!! These two young men have made some incredible memories that they will hold in their hearts for eternity. I can't wait to hear about it all first hand! Say a prayer for an incredible end to their journey and safe return home!

The Big Day

The Happy Couple




Big Poppa could not be more proud of his boys!




My Beautiful New Daughter



Jacob and Melinda are married! What an incredible day! As soon as I can I will post some pics of the whole event.

Rehearsal Dinner

The four F's, Family, Friends, Food and Fun! What more could you want for a successful rehearsal dinner! The Mandells met the rest of the Miller clan and a good time was had by all. The Kitchen is a great place in Pasadena for Italian cuisine. The food was fabulous! Only 2 days until the big event. Wow, time has flown by so quickly. Soon I will not be the only Mrs. Mandell in our family. Wow, that is mind blowing!

Keith, taking pics, with a Sweet-n-Low paper over the lense.......so crafty...LOL