A few tips for the New Year of 2006!

As this year comes to a close, we reflect on the good and difficult times behind us, and we look forward with hope and anticipation for the new year ahead... below are a few tips to help make your new year safer and smarter!
(see www.safetycenter.navy.mil)

1. Always be courteous... offer to pay others' tolls when possible. 

Hughes Waitt: January 31, 1921-November 29, 2005

We'll miss you, Grandpa...

I could never write anything eloquent enough to describe my grandfather Waitt, but here is a few thoughts to pass along;

-we talked for the last time on Saturday, the 26th... Grandpa told me that he'd been doing his Christmas baking since the weather was too inclimate to go outside and putter around in his gardens. He always loved beauty.

-Grandpa valued our family above anything else in his life, with exception to his Lord. The last thing he told me was, "Hillary, take care of your family..."

-Grandpa and Grandma were tighter than any couple I've ever known. They were married almost 63 years. They lived for each other and their love shone for each other even when my grandfather would wonder off just before dinner, "Just like his mother", Grandma would say...

-Grandpa became a Christian at the age of 21 during his time in the Canadian military during WWII. Later that year, he married my grandma. The first three years of their marriage they bounced from base to base across Canada and Alaska. Eventually, the war ended and they settled in Vancouver where he worked and attended university while my grandma was at home with my dad. In the late 1950's, they moved to Ottawa for a government job but returned to Victoria after 5 years away from the ocean they loved. Grandpa and Grandma built up their home on Parker Avenue, they built Point Roberts cottage, and eventually, my dad's home (before he married my mom) in Cobble Hill. He always loved gardening and listening to his short-wave radio, and apple pie with a piece of chesse on top.

-Grandpa made sure us girls (yes, all four) had piano lessons and Chad had art lessons. He loved to hear us plunk out a song or two when he and Grandma came to visit- a little hard on the ears, I'm sure

-Grandpa loved Dan and he looked forward with such expectation and excitement for our little bundle of joy. He laughed and teased that "he'd love the baby even if he/she will be half American!"

Thank-you, God, for our Christian heritage and the promise that we'll all be together someday. What hope we have!

Smart kitty- sun and relaxation... we have a lot in common. (The cat is our neighbor's)

Week #29- only 11 more weeks to go!

Our friends, Ted and Michelle. It was Ted's 30th birthday so Michelle decided to throw him a surprise "1980's" party. Believe it or not, Michelle got her lovely jumpsuit for only $1.29- talked down from $4 since there was a slight tear behind the knee. What a bargin;-) (The bottle Ted is holding is empty and only for effect). Dan couldn't go since he had to work until 10pm but I did take home a package of Pop-Rocks to him. Michelle had "The Breakfast Club" playing on the TV in the background for those good memories... a good time had by all!

My outfit for the night: pegged jeans, slouch socks, arm bracelets, blue eye shadow, and an off-set pony tail. 

Our friends Mike and Julie... Julie's dress was her junior-high prom dress- although a little tight, it still fit! Her parents still had it in a closet at their home. To top off the outfit, she is also wearing black and bright blue tap shoes. (Mike came as his self). 

Staying connected

Hello,
We just wanted to write something new on our page since we don't have any new pictures to post:-) With thanksgiving, all is well here. Dan is doing fine in his new job and loves the short drive to work. Since we are closer to the hills, he has to watch out for deer in the mornings that tend to wander the 280 freeway- not the smartest deer, I suppose. His schedule has worked out okay so far... we spent Tuesday in SF at the deYoung museum. It was a 'free' day since it was just remoldeled. We didn't know that it was free but at least a few thousand people did know and we met them all at the front door! The fog rolled in early (1:30pm) that day, so we left early since we didn't have our coats.

Yesterday, I went 'shopping' at the local goodwill and bought a bag full of baby items for only $10. The clothes are next-to-brand-new and I'll check back in another month or two. We love Craigslist and check it regularily to get some good deals on baby items. Most people here only have one child, or two at most, due to the cost of living and busy lifestyles, so a lot of the stuff posted is almost brand-new. Yeah! I figure if we save on the small items, we can justify spending more on the 'big' items.

Dan's parents are coming for a few days before Christmas. We are excited to be establishing our own traditions for the first time. The last few Christmases we've been in L.A. or in Victoria/ Cobble Hill. Dan has to work Christmas day but has the 27/28th off. We can't believe we've been living here for a year already. After spending 4 months in a hotel suite and 6 months in a unlikeable house, I think we've finally settled into a 'home' we like.

Well, that's all for now,
Luv,
Dan and Hillary

Week #23! (Sorry, I couldn't deactivate the flash.) Beanie kicks a lot and now Dan can feel the 'bumping' as well:-)

October 14th weekend, Phil (one of Dan's groomsmen) and Katie, his lovely wife, came for a visit from Chicago. They will be moving back to England in December and it was great to see them before they left. We spent Saturday in Monteray and it was warm although slightly windy.

Phil, pondering life...

Monteray Beach, October 14th weekend

Andrea and our beloved Grandpa Waitt. My grandparents are aging but their spirits remain sharp as ever.

Thanksgiving 2005 in Victoria. We celebrated on Saturday and my brother came over from Vancouver. The four of us are continuing our old ritual of picking apart the Sears Christmas catalogue to see the latest and greatest gizmos!

Our small but efficient kitchen. In the back is the washer and dryer.

The dining room area- plus cardboard from the futon packaging

The patio looking east- we love the morning sun:-)

Good morning;
We'll post some new pictures tonight after Dan shows me (once again) how to connect the camera to the computer. The last thing I want to do is wreck the camera! We are doing well here, living life one day at a time:-) The baby is growing healthy and is about 10 inches in length. Last week, we also found out that my aunt Annette (my mom's sister) is pregnant after a couple miscarriages. She is 41yrs old and her baby is due one month after ours. We are so excited! The baby will be my cousin- my grandmother will have a first great-grandchild and a new grandchild in the same month! Interesting how generations overlap.

Our friends, Katie and Phil Anderson, are visiting this weekend from Chicago. We'll post a picture of them next week. They were married in England last summer. They are moving back to England in December.

Have a blessed day!

February 2005 on Alcatraz

Dr. Dobson "selectively" broadcasts in Canada

Last night, Dan and I were listening to Focus on the Family, and Dr. J. Dobson had two guests on his show speaking about the current legislations in the U.S. courts (Sept. 19/05). I encourage you to listen online if possible on Family.org, or to click on the following links.

CitizenLink - Features - Hate Crimes Language Passes the Househttp://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037939.cfm

CitizenLink - Features - Pledge Ruled Unconstitutional -- Againhttp://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037926.cfm

Dr. Dobson said he is no longer allowed to broadcast programs in Canada that deal with homosexuality, since he would be sued/penalized under Canada's "Hate Crime" legislation. Wow. I had no idea this was true. At this time, there are several pastors in Canada that are dealing with legal repercussions due to speaking out against the homosexual community. As you now know, gay marriage is legal in Canada and the decision was based on the hate crime legislation.

Dobson warned that there is current legislation being passed in the U.S. courts that follows Canada's actions. The "Hate Crime" initiative is covered under a 'racist' lid but is intended to prohibit the speaking out against the gay community. The evening news is not going to warn Americans of these legal battles so we need to be proactive and keep informed ourselves and write/call our senators and statemen. Family.org has online newsletters that you can receive to be kept abreast of the laws/legal fights, and ways you can support the fights.

***To those in California, Family.org has a link to Schwarzenegger's e-mail address/phone/fax so that you can let him know you want him to veto the current gay marriage bill. You can use the following link: CitizenLink - Extras - Urge Schwarzenegger to Veto Gay-Marriage Bill
http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0037876.cfm ***

I'm not sure how much this blog will help, but at least I hope it makes us all more aware and willing to stand up for what we believe in before it is too late. Abortion is legal and it probably will always be but we still have a chance to stand against 'gay marriage'.

Canadian National Post article

I know neither the American nor the Canadian judicial system is flawless but there is something to be said about the American system... can you imagine only having one man's decision to appoint a judge for life? With a weakling like Paul Martin in power there is no hope for Canadian government. He didn't even stand up against gay marriage.

***
(Friday, Sept. 16/o5) "For weeks now, every word that Judge Roberts ever wrote, every memo, judgment and legal opinion was dissected by pundits and lobby groups. And now the unflappable judge is facing cross-examination by legislators on a range of issues that run the gamut from Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Papers to abortion, the death penalty, civil rights, the right to die and whether Congress could vote to end the war in Iraq, given the President's constitutional role as commander in chief.

As a Canadian, one can only watch this drama unfold in wonderment, frustration and the stark embarrassment of how we appoint our Supreme Court justices north of the border. In place of all this scrutiny, we ultimately get our judges at the sole discretion of Paul Martin -- the same prime minister who continues to flout his anti-cronyism commitment by appointing friends and associates to our flabby, pointless Senate -- with virtually no input or meaningful consultation."

"Illegal Children"

***Although this passage is lengthy, please take the time to read it. It is copied from 'Time.com' online issue Sept. 12/05. The more detailed version is on Time's website. Should the United States support the upcoming Olympics in China? Should we continually increase our trade practices with them? Or are we just as bad, killing 1000 unborn babies every day in the United States?***

The men with the poison-filled syringe arrived two days before Li Juan's due date. They pinned her down on a bed in a local clinic, she says, and drove the needle into her abdomen until it entered the 9-month-old fetus. "At first, I could feel my child kicking a lot," says the 23-year-old. "Then, after a while, I couldn't feel her moving anymore." Ten hours later, Li delivered the girl she had intended to name Shuang (Bright). The baby was dead. To be absolutely sure, says Li, the officials--from the Linyi region, where she lives, in China's eastern Shandong province--dunked the infant's body for several minutes in a bucket of water beside the bed. All she could think about on that day last spring, recalls Li, was how she would hire a gang of thugs to take revenge on the people who killed her baby because the birth, they said, would have violated China's family-planning scheme.

Since 1980, when China began fully carrying out what is commonly known as the one-child policy, officials in the provinces have often resorted to draconian measures--forced sterilizations and late-term abortions among them--to prevent the country's population of 1.3 billion from expanding into a Malthusian nightmare...

The Communist Party bureaucracy, however, doesn't seem to have caught up with the new law. Despite laxer regulation, the career advancement of local leaders, especially in rural areas, still often depends on keeping birthrates low. "One set of bad population figures can stop an official from getting promoted," says Tu Bisheng, a Beijing legal activist who has helped document abuses related to the one-child policy.

At a provincial meeting last year, Linyi officials were castigated for having the highest rate of extra births in all of Shandong, according to lawyers familiar with the situation. The dressing-down galvanized what appears to be one of the most brutal mass sterilization and abortion campaigns in years. Starting in March, family-planning officials in Linyi's nine counties and three districts trawled villages, looking to force women pregnant with illegal children to abort, and to sterilize those who already had the maximum allotment of children under the local family-planning policy. According to that regulation, which exists in a similar form in most rural areas, women with a son are not allowed to bear more children, whereas mothers whose first child is handicapped or a girl are allowed to have a second baby.

Many women refused to undergo the procedures. Others hid, often in family members' homes. The crackdown intensified. Relatives of women who resisted sterilization or abortion were detained and forced to pay for "study sessions" in which they had to admit their "wrong thinking," says Teng Biao, an instructor at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, who visited Linyi last month to investigate the coercive campaign. In the Linyi county of Yinan alone, at least 7,000 people were forced to undergo sterilization between March and July, according to lawyers who spoke with local family-planning officials. Several villagers, the lawyers allege, were beaten to death while under detention for trying to help family members avoid sterilization.

Officials in Linyi deny that anything improper has happened. "All these things are either exaggerated, distorted or not based on facts," says an official surnamed Yao (he wouldn't give his full name) at the Linyi municipal family-planning commission...

Our friends, Kate and Jake Wadsley, with baby daughter Dana (6 months old). They were stationed in San Diego when we were there (Jake was also on the Helena). They are now stationed in Italy and have fully taken advantage of the location! Great Christian couple. 

My friend April (from San Diego) and I flew to NYC on Sat, August 27th for a week. We rented a cabin on Lake Mohican, 120 miles upstate of the city and used it as a 'home-base' for the next 7 days.

Lake Mohican: a community of summer cabins and retired families

God's beauty...

We drove from our cabin to Niagra Falls (7 hrs! but worth the trip with such a great friend) on Tuesday. It rained due to the residual moisture of Katrina but it didn't dampen our spirits. From left to right, American Falls, Bridal Falls (USA), and Horseshoe Falls (CANADA).

After visiting the Falls, we drove north 10 miles to Fort Niagra. It was originally built by the French in the late 1700's but won by the British. The fort was lost to the Americans in the late 1800's. The fort the stratigic in that it guarded the entrance to the Niagra river from Lake Ontario.

The Niagra river flowing into Lake Ontario

New York City- a dream come true for both of us

The weather was perfect on this day

Ellis Island: where over 1.5 million people entered the United States over a period of 75 years. The building was restored in the early 80's as a historically significant place. This room processed 5000 people/day at the height of immigration (the early 1900's).

Old Lady Liberty

Our hotel was two blocks from Central Park! It was an amazing place with miles of foot trails. So many people were cycling, running/jogging, blading, or walking dogs.

Friends at the 'Friends' fountain (ie. TV show scene)

Another scene of Central Park- we loved the park

Times Square- people, people, and more people

Meeting Hurricane Katrina Victims

Last night (Saturday, Sept. 3), my friend April and I were in the Denver airport returning from our trip to NYC/state (pics to come). It was late and the terminal was quiet with exception to the plane which had recently arrived. Most passengers had disembarked when a group of 12-14 people came by and stood near us. Their clothes were clean but mismatched and their 'accent' was so thick it hardly resembled the English language. Yes, these were the lucky ones, the survivors, of Katrina. The teen boys had sunburnt shoulders and one woman clung to her husband for comfort. The airline service representative led the group since none had even been on a plane before and most looked confused. Another man from an unknown goodwill agency assisted him.

It wasn't the language and clothes so much that attracted our attention... it was the attitutudes of the citizens. One attitude was hardened, the other was grateful. Two women complained that they had lost their TV and radio to the storm... another couple just clung to each other, glad that their spouse was still alive. Some of the people seemed to be almost offended at the offered help, the rest of the people just accepted it with open hands. Everyone held tightly their 1L bottles of water.

I just wanted to share with you what April and I saw... there may be stories of looting and shooting and confusion but amongst the stories that make the headlines, there are stories of welcomed relief and gratitude and hope for the future.

Picture of a baby at 18-weeks (we are at 16 weeks now)... how can women abort?

Woman Offended by Doc's Obesity Advice

Okay, just when you'd thought you'd heard every piece of craziness... what will happen next? Will a smoker file a complaint when his doctor tells him he will die of lung cancer/stroke/a heart attack?


Woman Offended by Doc's Obesity Advice: "Woman Offended by Doc's Obesity Advice
The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 24, 2005; 7:07 PM
ROCHESTER, N.H. -- As doctors warn more patients that they should lose weight, the advice has backfired on one doctor with a woman filing a complaint with the state saying he was hurtful, not helpful.
Dr. Terry Bennett says he tells obese patients their weight is bad for their health and their love lives, but the lecture drove one patient to complain to the state.

'I told a fat woman she was obese,' Bennett says. 'I tried to get her attention. I told her, 'You need to get on a program, join a group of like-minded people and peel off the weight that is going to kill you.' '

He says he wrote a letter of apology to the woman when he found out she was offended."

Friends Rich & Nicole, Trevor & Christina, Alicia & Scott- all friends from San Diego, they are now stationed in Pensacola, FL.. Both Christina and Al are due in November with their #3 babies. 

Our dear friends, Scott (holding Jenna 18 mo) and Alicia (holding EJ- 2 yr 6 mo). Why do all our closest friends live over 1000 miles away??? 

Dan and Hillary

Good morning, friends and family;
Just a quick post to ask for prayer for my Waitt grandparents. My grandma was just diagnosed with shingles (a very painful disease that results from dormat-turned-active virus cells from chicken pox). She is in constant pain as a result. My grandfather is very limited in his strength level as well as he does not want the anyeursm in his belly to erupt. Brittany will soon be back living with them which will help a lot. Their days are limited to their home now and any cards and letters are always welcomed.
Luv,
Hillary and Dan

So much for the good 'ol days 

Aside for the evolution, it is funny! 

This picture says 1000 words- exactly how I feel after work. (The picture was taken from CampTejas.org website)

Please remember to keep praying for our military! Every man out there is a son, husband, or father.

A little California humour.