A Visit for Lily Olive

I can't imagine a more fun trip with my 3 sisters. Tara flew to Salt Lake where she joined Telese's flight to meet me in Phoenix where we were all on the same flight to Houston Hobby Airport. Too much fun, definitely not enough laughing! Here's Tara doing a softer catalog look, LaTigra or is that the Blue Steel??

Talane would say, "who wants to burp her?" "who wants to change her pants?" . . . . I don't think any of us could answer quickly enough! Ooooooh she is soooo adorable, we spoiled her like crazy!


One must teach Lily the family songs early . . .Tara started with the BYU Cougar fight song, it was a stirring rendition and ended with Lily and Tara raising there hands to. . ."raise your colors high in the blue for the Cougars of B. . .Y. . .U!!! Rah. . .rah. . .rah, rah rah, goooooo Cougars:) Thanks for the belly-laugh Tara.



Bath Time

Missing my friends in Texas!!

I was really homesick for people in Texas the other day so I wanted a spot for you all here. I miss our conversations, I miss the humidity (never thought I would say that), I miss the nice people there that would give you the shirt off their back. I miss my friends at Texas Children's, your mentoring and your kindness.

There it is, all 4 blocks of Texas Children's Hospital. I came to interview for the intern position in February 2007 competing against other student across the United States. They would only select one student for the intern, luckily it was me. I learned so much and had so much fun!!

Our most excellent front desk staff, Melinda and Nora. . .you rOcK!! Hard to find good help these days and you were always there keeping things moving and taking care of us and the patients.

Oh the party office, how I miss it. Those stupid conversations we would have thanks to Dr. Holland; I miss the cajun word of the day, sometimes I want to get in my pirogue and paddle back down your way and do a little 2nd lining, have a beignet and anything else would just be lagniappe. I could use a good piece of King Cake.

My cochlear implant buddies Claudia and Ross and why don't I have a photo of Jody? Maybe because she was always running around like crazy trying to keep things moving! I miss our surgery days and team meeting.

Here is a nice view of . . .no mountains. . .very flat in Houston and Texas generally except for Austin, there are a few rolling hills there PLUS the largest urban bat colony in the United States, very cool!

Hey Karene, miss you and the young women in the Memorial Park ward. So glad I got to see Sadie, Lauren, Julia and Abba while I was visiting recently.

I miss our temple trips Jane!!!

Serena, Dave and Maggie Gibson at the Houston Astros Game with my Mom!

Kathy and Gretel

Happy Valentine's Day

The lover's holiday will be spent in Houston this year with Lily Olive and her proud parents, Talane and Derek. Tara and Telese will be accompanying me as well. Can't wait to see you all. Especially the little lady, Lily.

Sexy Pants for the New Year

Thanks to Tammy and Jerry I was able to wear some "sexy pants" to our sledding outing for the new year. They looked awesome with my black coat and Carolyn's gardening tennis shoes. I obviously have been living next to the equator because I have no warm anything!

Nice Hat Jerry!

Frosty!!!!

The Holidays came and went so quickly, how is it that Valentine's Day is almost here and my last note was from Thanksgiving. Warp speed I guess. Christmas in Idaho was very white and blue. That cold blue sky and the quiet snow. . . .Don't miss it at all, but it was nice to have a white Christmas anyway, hug my family and smooch all the nieces and nephews.




Thanks Sage for sharing your bed while I was home for the Holidays, your the best!


Gotta love the sistas!

Giving Thanks

Jimmy and Laney came into town for Thanksgiving and we had a splendid time. We didn't even cook a turkey, instead we had orange roughy with mango sauce, couscous and green beans, it was delicious. We caught a movie, Australia, with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, well done. We also went to the Lafayette Resevoir, it was lovely.

I'm grateful for a good electrician that help me put up my chandelier so we could see our food when my parents were here for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Here is my new desk. I thought I might paint it but I really like the color of the wood with the rest of my furniture. So it stays the same color for the time being. Glad I have a place for my computer.

Talane and Derek's Landlord, Tim from Texas, came into town for some training and we went to dinner one night over in San Francisco at the Sliding Door. It was nice to see a familiar Texas face. Thanks Tim for a great dinner and conversation. . . .and traveling back a few items for T&D, your the best.

Taking Care of Business!

I purchased a new bookshelf this week so I could clear out 8 more boxes, now I'm down to 3.

The Haar's, I love you guys, thanks for taking such good care of me!

A Peak at San Francisco!

Yesterday I had a hearing aid conference to attend and so I spent all day and almost the whole night in San Francisco. It was so beautiful driving through the hills, down thru Berkeley and then over the Bay Bridge to Fisherman's Warf. David and Andrew Majit and Jodi Sasaki did a great job on the presentation and treated us to lunch and dinner. The food was just as I remembered it when I traveled to SF for business in my other life. . . DeliCIous!!

The Bay Bridge was so incredible and we could see the city, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

My friend Donny who lives in Santa Rosa. Here we are walking (stopping for a photo) on our way along the Pier to Ana Mandara for dinner.


This last photo is for Talane and Kathy Larrabee, because we got so excited about cupcakes for Lily's baby shower. There was this little shop called Kara's Cupcakes, ooooh it was so cute.

It was a delightful day in San Francisco. Had to keep pinching myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Ohhhhh, the PrEssuRe!!

So there have been some rumors that my blog wasn't that cute. . .1st from a friend, Erynn, that didn't even have a blog. I know, it's unbelievable. Then when my sister, Talane, told me she had given my blog address to someone else and apologized for the color, no way. So fine here is my new cutest pattern. I love it, who cares what the rest of you think.

Friends and Family Discounts

Not quite sure what would happen for me during a move if I didn't have my sister Tara there to pack and travel with me. This time she got out of the packing and unpacking but I was so glad she was driving with me across America and finding me an apartment in California. Erynn Nina, what a sweet welcome package you gave me upon arrival in Fresno. The experts say that good friends and family = healthy living, and it's true. Thanks for helping me stay decompressed!!

Home sweet Home

Here is a photo of the outside of the condominiums where I live. This is the courtyard just outside my door. The sun sets just beyond the not-so-visible-mountain in the distance.

Boxes are starting to disappear and real cooking and living are beginning to happen.

it's my baby, don't mean maybe! What baby?

There she is. My fingers start to sweat. Everytime I walk pass, I say, "My name is Tosha Strickland and I shall play. . . . " Ha, Thanks mom and dad for such a great childhood memory, learning how to play the piano. Sorry for the rest of you that had to hear me practice at 6:00 am in the morning, eeevvvery morning!