Welcome to the Alper Family Blog. Isn't technology great? I was so excited to find out about this, and thought what a great way to send out our Christmas newsletter this year. Something different.
It's been quite a good year in our household, and we are so thankful for everything we have!! We are even more thankful for our family and friends who give so much to us throughout each and every year.
We Wish You a Joyous Christmas and a
Healthy, Happy New Year to come!!
Yes, Tasha is still with us. She will be 16 years old
on January 15, 2008.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO THIS YEAR........
January always starts off with David's birthday celebration. He's half-way to "90" now!! Funny, I don't remember marrying an older man that's almost completely gray. Although, he's still extremely handsome, and is just as fun as when I met him. Thankfully, David is doing better. He still struggles with his back, sleep apnea and insomnia, but manages to keep a smile and gets through each day with no complaints. I admire him for all he does.
In David's spare time, he enjoys coaching Brandon's soccer team, the Mighty Tigers, an under-6, co-ed recreation team. They finished up their fourth season in first place, and will move up in the Spring to all-boys-under-8s. The kids just adore Coach David, and he adores them right back. He was even nominated Coach of the Spring 2007 season. David truly is a great coach, not-to-mention, a great daddy and hubby, as well! He's also been busy in the garage building a desk/shelves for Nicole's new "tween" room. It's gonna be beautiful when it's finished.
In February, a group of us girlfriends went to my cousins' cabin for a winter get-away weekend. We hit the first weekend of major snow in Pollock Pines, where we actually had to park at the top of the driveway and shovel out our cars/SUVs up on the road. In fact, one friend got stuck in a ditch (gray truck) and had to be towed out by a passing jeep with two young men. Oh, the luck! This is what we call "Californian's in the Snow"... we really didn't know what we were doing! Other than the cold fun we had outside, we had a blast cozied up inside, watching movies, gossiping and laughing, and were able to get out of Pollock Pines in one piece, before the main storm arrived.
We also celebrated my Yiayia's (grandmother) 96th birthday in February. She's doing extremely well for her age. She has a full-time caregiver, Wini, living with her now. I love Wini and she's doing a great job. However, Yiayia is a tough one to please, so she doesn't make it too easy on Wini. But, Wini manages to keep a smile and laugh things off. I'm thankful to still have Yiayia. I try to visit with the kids at least once a week, and try my best at managing the caregiver situation. It's not easy, but Wini has made it easy on me. Thanks Wini! And, with the help of my Dad and brother, everything seems to be covered!
March was our first trip of many this year. Nicole and I went to Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown, Virginia, with her sixth grade class. It's a trip the 5th grade teacher does every other year, and a trip that we've been looking forward to since Nicole was in first grade. We had an extremely busy schedule everyday for four days. Up early and to bed late, but the kids did great. We saw so much in just a short time. It's a trip Nicole & I will always remember.
April's biggest event was Nicole's 12th birthday. Instead of a party, we took her best friend, Jenna, and her mom, Jane, to Hollywood to visit the American Girl Place, which is a clothing store for the American Girl dolls and their owners. We're thankful Nicole still enjoys her doll, so we thought this would probably be the last year she'd have interest in going. We drove down, spent about five hours in the store.....the dolls got their hair done, we shopped, the girls had their portrait taken with their dolls. Then we ended the day with a dinner party in the cafe. It was the cutest thing. They even have chairs and miniature dishes for the dolls.
The next day, we drove down Rodeo Drive a few times, looking for celebrities, but didn't see anyone. Then, we drove up the hill to get as close as we could to the "Hollywood" sign. Before we got on the road to drive home, we stopped at the Santa Monica pier and rode a few rides. What a fun time with our girlfriends!!
In May, David and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary. We've been together for 21 years already. Thanks, Paula, for getting us together for our blind date on November 15, 1986. It's been love ever since!! Or could it be we're still blind-folded?
My Daddy celebrated his 74th birthday on May 5th. He's in great shape and is doing well. He still looks like he's in his 60's. He keeps his drums set-up in the living room and plays to the stereo when he needs a break. He keeps himself busy around the house, still doing projects like tearing down a wall, etc. Above all, I SO appreciate all that he does for mom. Thanks Daddy!
In June, the end of school year was emotional, as our little guy graduated from Preschool, and is now on to Kindergarten. Nicole had her last time on stage at St. Stephen's. After nine years of attending this wonderful school, she graduated from 6th grade, and is now going to our local public junior high school.
We took our first family vacation in June, 
to the Highlands Inn in Carmel. A few years ago, we invested in a vacation club, while at the Highlands Inn. We couldn't pass up the deal, and are so glad we didn't. This year, we were able to split our 7 nights into 10 nights, amongst three different places. The picture to the right is Brandon on the balcony of our place, looking out to Point Lobos with his binoculars. So breathtaking and peaceful!!
The picture to the left was taken on a private beach off the trail of Point Lobos. The kids always have a great time looking for sea critters amongst the rocks. We also saw alot of seals hangin' out!
We also made a weekend road trip down to El Cajon, California to visit David's step-mom, who was diagnosed with cancer in May. It was a wonderful visit with her and her family. She looked great, considering what she had been going through the past few months. Unfortunately, our visit was the last time we saw her, as she passed away a few weeks later. Very shocking, as Katherine was a healthy, strong, and most beautiful woman, inside and out, and we were planning on her being around for along time, but God had another plan for her, and now she is at peace, painfree. We will miss her very much.
The rest of David's family is doing well. His Mom still lives in Morgan Hill, so we get to see her periodically, and his sister, Kirsten, is working full-time and living on her own in Morgan Hill too. We do get to see Matthew (David's nephew) periodically too. He'll be 22 in January.
We celebrated my brother, Rick's, 50th birthday at the end of June, with about 30 friends and family at a local Mexican restaurant in downtown Sunnyvale. Imagine Rick at 50....hard to do, I know, because he can still act his shoe-size most of the time! :-) Nah! Seriously, Rick is a great guy, and does so much for our mom and dad. He's still doing his radio show, KKUP 91.5, (http://www.kkup.org/kkupsaturday.html), every Saturday morning, from 3:00 am to 6:00 am. I went down to the studio to watch him during their oldies marathon, and I was so impressed. He is such a natural, and is in his glory doing what he does. I'm so proud of him!!
July brought us Mom & Dad's 51st wedding anniversary, and, a four-night, family trip to our home vacation property at Incline Village, Lake Tahoe. Another great time spent there! We've been there only one other time so far, and it has confirmed that we made the right decision in buying into this vacation club. Now, we have to take a vacation every year!! And, Tahoe is just so beautiful! Here's a view from our private beach at the Hyatt Hotel.
We also experienced something very disturbing this month. We had a break-in in our home, and unfortunately, Nicole was in the house, sleeping, when it happened. Thank God she's okay! Here's the scoop, in March, Nicole had taken a babysitting course through the Red Cross, getting prepared to start helping me out with Brandon in the summer, while we're at work, and to also take on a few outside babysitting jobs. So, this particular day, I had taken Brandon to his summer camp, and left Nicole home alone to sleep in for a few hours, until I could pick her up at lunch time. Well, between the time I left, 9:00 am, and 10:00 am, someone had broken through the kitchen window, leaving a mess of glass and blood behind. Thankfully, she didn't hear the window break, but she did hear footsteps, thinking it was her Daddy coming back home from work. She didn't think twice about it, and just rolled over and went back to sleep, thankfully!! The kid who broke-in didn't take anything because apparently, he realized Nicole was in her room, and got freaked out and left through the back sliding glass door. Let me tell you, this incident really put our family on the wrong track. Even though Brandon wasn't home, he has been extremely affected by it all, not to mention, Nicole being scared as well. So much for babysitting! We spent a few weeks, 3-times a week, sometimes twice a day, in counseling to help us learn how to deal with all of our emotions, and up to this day, are still working through it. It would have been alot easier on us all, if no one was home when it happened. He could have taken anything we owned, and it wouldn't have mattered. I have to say, we are so proud of Nicole and how brave she was during it all. Her reward was getting her ears pierced. That made her feel happy, as she's been wanting them pierced for a long time now.
The good news in all of this is that the police were able to catch one of the two teenagers from the fingerprints that were taken from our kitchen sink. The kid is 16 years old, not from our area, doesn't go to school, has been in and out of foster homes since he was six, hangs out in gangs, and has no connection with his mother or father. He claimed all he wanted was money, and when he saw Nicole sleeping in her room, he and his girl-friend
(yes, a girl), left the house immediately. According to the kids' probation officer, he's been ordered to leave the bay area to southern California, to be in a place where he can change his life around. Then, once he gets through that, he will move to Oregon to live with his father. It's very disturbing to us knowing there's still another kid out there that may still be watching our house. Unfortunately, the boy who got caught will not confess who she is, in order to protect her. I thank God that
our baby girl is okay!!!
In August, we traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado, once again, using our vacation club. I didn't think it could get any better than Tahoe, but this place was gorgeous!! There was just as much to do in the summer, as in the winter. Our hotel was right on the main strip, so we walked around and shopped. Nicole loved that!! The ski resort is converted into summer fun. The kids and David rode the tobaggan, where they took the ski-lift all the way up the hill and came down on sleds in a concrete track. David and Brandon biffed pretty hard one time, and had to go the red tent for first aid. We even played a round of miniature golf. They had to close the park down temporarily because of a thunder-lightening storm, which apparently happens alot this time of year. The next day, we took our very first ever, river rafting trip on the Arkansas River. What a blast!!! It was very exhausting, especially that our guide put me and David in the front of the boat (biggest), and neither of us have ever rafted before. It was alot of work, and, needless to say, we slept well that night.
Our last day there, we took a two hour road trip to Glenwood, Colorado, where we experienced a glimpse of the past as we traveled into the pristine underground world of Glenwood Caverns and Historic Fairy Caves. We saw some of nature's most amazing scenery that was millions of years in the making, hidden away deep inside Iron Mountain. Pretty impressive to be underground and witness such beautiful caves. The kids really enjoyed it. 
And, being we were so close, we made a last minute decision to visit Glenwood Springs, a natural springs pool about 2 blocks long. The hot pool is naturally warm at about 104 degrees, and the main swimming pool is naturally warm at about 90 degrees.
The best part of the evening was watching the big black clouds come over us, the lightening in the mountains, than a huge hail storm while we were in the pool. The lifeguards suggested to get out of the pool during the thunder-lightening storm, but it's not mandatory. Basically, take it at your own risk. So, you can guess where the Alper's were....yes, that's right, in the pool, swimming amongst the hail, thunder and lightening, while everyone else got out. Brandon could only take so much, so he and I soon exited the pool and waited out the storm. Meanwhile, David and Nicole managed to get a few dives off the diving board. It was quite an experience. Overall, our trip to Breckenridge, Colorado was alot of fun, and we will certainly go back again.
August also brought the first day of school. This year is a milestone for both kids. Brandon started Kindergarten at St. Stephen's, and Nicole started her first year in public school, 7th grade at Bernal Intermediate School. It was pretty tough for me, dropping her off amongst 850 kids and watching her walk away. It's nothing like St. Stephen's which is so small, and we know everybody and everybody knows her. She's loving it, though, and is doing great! Straight A's so far
(sorry, a proud mom needs to brag). She's in the Advanced Band, playing clarinet, and will be trying out for the school soccer team in February. Her little group of friends are girls that she knew from her early years at St. Stephen's, so it's neat to have them all together again. They are all wonderful girls, with great families. Nicole also plays a mean game of soccer. She may the littlest on her team, but she is certainly tough on the field. At times, she defends girls that are twice her size.
Brandon is doing exceptionally well in Kindergarten too. St. Stephen's School is a perfect place for him, and it's great still being a part of what has been a part of us for so many years. Brandon excels at most things, and loves school. It's the first year that I can actually drop him off without him crying. That's a good thing! It has been so draining the past three years when I'd drop him off at school. He was very clingy, but not so much anymore. Brandon is an awesome soccer player too. He started Karate this fall, and is loving that as well. He will continue in January. He is also expressing interest in learning guitar and drums! Uncle Ricky promised to give Brandon his set of drums. Darn! I thought I got away from that!!!
We ended our summer with a few pool parties at our swim club. One was a Carvao family-friend reunion. These are friends that my parents hung out with in the 50's, and all their kids were a big part of my life. We're all raising our own families now, and some even have grandchildren. It was fun having everyone together again. The last one we did was 3 years ago, but before that, we only saw each other at weddings and funerals. This will be an annual tradition, hopefully. The other pool party was with the Alper family-friends, from all paths of our life. It's a great way to end the summer, and the kids have a blast all the way 'til midnight!
September was an adjusting month for us, getting back in to the school routine thing. We had a special event at St. Stephen's that continues to be very memorable each and every year, and that was Grandparents/Special Friends Day. 
We've been fortunate enough to have my parents and Brandon's Godparents come just about every year. This year my Dad, Poppy, and our dear friends, Joanna & Norman, came for Brandon. It felt weird without Nicole there, but she was certainly there in spirit.
Most of you know October is not my favorite month. First of all, it happens to be my birthday month, in which, this year, I realized I'm half-way to "90" too, just like David. How did that happen? I guess if I look in the mirror closely, I could see that, I too, am not the young girl he married either, and, if it wasn't for Ellen (my hairdresser), I would be just about all gray too! However, if we look even deeper than the surface, we will notice that both David and I have grown tremendously, not just in size, but in strength, and have survived many obstacles throughout our 19.5 years of marriage. We are so fortunate to have each other.
October is also our baby angels birthday, Natalie. This is always hard for me, especially. There is never a day that goes by that I don't think of her and what it would be like if she was here, even six years later. October just brings back all of those feelings. I SO wish she was here, enjoying the beautiful family life we have here together. We all remember her in the month of October through weekly masses at church, and a daily candle that burns at the dinner table. The support group I'm a member of, H.A.N.D. (Helping After Neonatal Death), hosts a Service of Remembrance every year in October, as October is infant loss month. We all attended the service back in 2002, when Natalie would have been one, and then we didn't go again until a dear friend, Margaret, lost her baby girl Katie in October of 2005. Margaret and I have gone together the past two years, and it is our time to grieve and support each other through our deepest feelings. I couldn't have gotten through my loss without my friends at H.A.N.D. It was a beautiful service, snuggled up in the Saratoga mountains. Our baby girl may not be here in the flesh, but her spirit certainly lives on in each of us.
My mother's birthday is in October too. She just celebrated her 71st birthday. My Mom....what can I say? I have such wonderful memories of my mother......loving, caring, warm, fun, loves music, loves to dance, loves to laugh.......she still has all of that inside of her, but unfortunately cannot express it. She has been suffering from Multiple Sclerosis for way too long now, going on 29 years. Everyday, I think of all she did for us growing up, especially now that I'm a mother myself, and even though she's not the same physical person she used to be, I am so thankful she is still here with us. She lights up when she sees her grandkids, and can still look at me in the eyes and say "I love you". Awh! I cry just thinking about it! My Dad and Rick are remarkable at taking care of mom. Our family friend, Zelda, gives mom the TLC she deserves too, when she comes over a few times a week and bathes her. I am so thankful they are healthy enough to do what they do in order to keep Mom at home. Thanks Dad, Rick & Zelda. I love you guys!!!
I ended my "not-so-favorite-month" with a wonderful trip to Mackinac Island, Michigan.
I know, where is that, you say? It's a tiny island on Lake Huron.
The reason I went, you ask? It's where my favorite movie of all time was filmed,
"Somewhere In Time", starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. The movie was made in 1979 and takes place at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
(http://www.grandhotel.com). When I saw the movie when it first came out, I told myself that someday I would go there. Then, about 10 years ago, I learned it was a dream of my cousins' as well, and since then, we've been wanting to do this together, so we decided to finally make a go of it. When we went to book the trip online, we noticed the hotel hosts a
"Somewhere In Time" weekend every October. Apparently, they've been doing it for 17 years. And we didn't know about it?
Well, it was the trip of a lifetime. There were about 200 guests for this particular event, and, I have never met so many nice people in one place. The passion these people feel for the movie is extraordinary, and it makes me wish that I could have been a part of it sooner. I loved the movie before I went, but I love it even
more now because of my experience at the hotel. First of all, the island is beautiful, and we had perfect weather, for the most part. There are no cars on the island, just horse and buggy, so that alone makes you feel like you've gone back in time. Only 500 people live on the island year-round.
Most of the guests at the hotel dress up in the 1912 era, in beautiful dresses and tuxedos. Colleen and I kept very conservative, as we weren't sure what to expect. So many woman (and men) go ALL out.
Here's an example of what some couples dressed up like:
The couple on the left are from Santa Monica, California, and she reminded us of Elise McKenna, the main character in the movie, played by Jane Seymour. Her clothes were purchased at vintage fairs.
The couple on the right is Roy & Virginia from Michigan. They were definitely the cutest couple, celebrating their 68th wedding anniversary. Their daughter had sent them to this event three years ago, and they loved it so much, that they wanted to come back. The only way they could do it was to earn the money, so they had a garage sale. So cute!!! Must of been some garage sale! I really felt like I had met them before. I will always remember them!
This picture was taken on our 3-hour walking tour of scenes from the movie. It was the only day we had rain, but it didn't stop us. The monument was dedicated to Jane Seymour a few years ago, and it's located at the place where Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour) met Richard Collier (Christopher Reeve) for the first time in the movie. Several behind-the-scene celebrities attended the event, and three who were actually in the movie. Jane Seymour was supposed to be there, but canceled the week before due to the death of her mother, Dancing With the Stars, and the So. California fires. She did call in at our Grand Finale party, and we were able to hear her talk live and answer alot of questions.
On our way back from the walking tour, we stopped in the hotel bar to have an afternoon cocktail, and while sitting at the bar, we got talking to people who happened to be in the band that played there in the evenings. They were from Ohio. Of course, we exchanged band stories, and I was then invited to come back that evening to sing a few with them. So, I did! And, the next night too, which was filled with college students celebrating Halloween. A great R&B band!! Colleen and I had so much fun hanging with them. Funny thing is the hotel goes to sleep at 11:00 pm, but being this bar is a few blocks from the actual hotel, the night is still young down there at 1:00 am. Thank goodness we found it, because we would have been to bed way too early otherwise!
The elegance of the hotel, the people, and the music, just stole my heart away, and I truly felt like I had been there before. What a beautiful place! My cousin and I truly had the time of our life! I can't wait to go back.
November brings us Brandon's birthday. He turned 6 this year, and we celebrated at a fun kids place called Nickel City. We also celebrated the end of fall soccer season. Nicole's team came in 2nd place, and Brandon's team finished up the season with 1st place. This is always fun, and a relief that we finally get a break on the weekends.
My dear friend, Betty, came up from San Diego in mid-November so we could attend our Sunnyvale High School Marching Band reunion. The first one we've had in 28 years. It was better than an actual class reunion, mainly because we spent so much time together in high school, traveling everywhere. It was great to see everyone!
Our Thanksgiving was spent at Mom and Dads. David did most of the cooking and it was all so delicious!! We were happy to have Joanna and Norman with us at the dinner table, our dear friends, and Brandon's Godparents.
We are truly enjoying our break from soccer in this month of December, but somehow seem to still be crazily busy getting ready for Christmas. I'm not sweatin' it though, because it all gets done, one way or another. Unfortunately, David was notified that he no longer has a job at Adobe. He's been there a little over 2 years. The good news is that he has people within helping him to find another job. He's also looking outside of Adobe. Thankfully, they gave him a good severance package, so he's not in a rush to find just anything. He can take his time to find the right position. This too shall pass!!! Just another obstacle to jump over.
I'm still working part-time at Live Oak Associates, Inc. (www.loainc.com), and still really enjoy it. Have been there almost 2 years already. It's the best commute I've ever had....only 5 minutes from home. I'm also still singing with my buddies in "The Danny Hansen Band" (www.dannyhansenband.com). I so love to perform and especially love being with my buddies who are like my brothers. Music is the path to my soul!!!
Ready for church, on Christmas Eve. Uncle Ricky
(my brother) always spends the night on Christmas Eve, so he can be rudely awakened by his niece and nephew on Christmas morning. He loves it, and we love having him here.
Christmas Day was nice and quiet. We had both sides of our family over, except my grandmother, who was too stubborn to leave her warm home. That's understandable at almost 97 years old.
Santa brought a flute
for Nicole and a scooter for Brandon. AND, he brought a karaoke for the entire family. Mommy loves it!!!
We continue to miss the people that have gone before us, especially during the holiday season, and we pray that our world comes to some kind of peace in the near future. We pray for all our soldiers and their families, and we are especially thankful for our own lives, our health, our family, our friends, and where we live. We are so blessed, and we pray your blessings continue through the New Year as well.
Thanks for tuning in!!
April 5th - Today, Nicole performed with the selected band members at Bernal in the California Musicians Educational Association (CMEA) Festival at Evergreen Valley High School. This was not a competition, but a performance that was judged and critiqued by professionals. The band sounded wonderful, thanks to their instructor, Randy Tyler, and came out with a top score of "S" (Superior) - a score the Bernal Intermediate band has only received three times in 35 years.
It was emotional for me watching Nicole sit in the second-chair (same chair I was always in back in the day), performing with "my" clarinet. It brought back so many wonderful memories, that I hope she will gain from doing this too. After the performance, the band was taken into a room where the judges met with them and told them where they need to improve....or not. Then, it was outside for a formal group picture.
After the party, five of her bestest friends spent the night. They had alot of fun, as I planned a Digital Scavenger Hunt at the mall. This is how it worked.....I divided the six girls in to two teams.
They picked their own team names: Chimichangas had Nicole, Jenna & Alex, and ATAALDC (stands for "Anything That Andrea And Lizzy Don't Choose") had Andrea, Lizzy & Haley. Each team was given a digital camera and they each had lists of things they had to do in ONE hour at the mall. They ALL had to be in the picture along with the item they had to find, so they had to interact with people as well. 
The girls came home and goofed around, finally getting to sleep at 1:30 am. I made them a nice breakfast the next morning......Nicole's actual birthday!
.
The fact that this is Nicole's dog means she needs to take care of her, so her first time ever being a pooper scooper.....
Tia Amelia's 90th Birthday
April 5th - Today, Nicole performed with the selected band members at Bernal in the California Musicians Educational Association (CMEA) Festival at Evergreen Valley High School. This was not a competition, but a performance that was judged and critiqued by professionals. The band sounded wonderful, thanks to their instructor, Randy Tyler, and came out with a top score of "S" (Superior) - a score the Bernal Intermediate band has only received three times in 35 years.
It was emotional for me watching Nicole sit in the second-chair (same chair I was always in back in the day), performing with "my" clarinet. It brought back so many wonderful memories, that I hope she will gain from doing this too. After the performance, the band was taken into a room where the judges met with them and told them where they need to improve....or not. Then, it was outside for a formal group picture.
After the party, five of her bestest friends spent the night. They had alot of fun, as I planned a Digital Scavenger Hunt at the mall. This is how it worked.....I divided the six girls in to two teams.
They picked their own team names: Chimichangas had Nicole, Jenna & Alex, and ATAALDC (stands for "Anything That Andrea And Lizzy Don't Choose") had Andrea, Lizzy & Haley. Each team was given a digital camera and they each had lists of things they had to do in ONE hour at the mall. They ALL had to be in the picture along with the item they had to find, so they had to interact with people as well. 
The girls came home and goofed around, finally getting to sleep at 1:30 am. I made them a nice breakfast the next morning......Nicole's actual birthday!
.
The fact that this is Nicole's dog means she needs to take care of her, so her first time ever being a pooper scooper.....
Tia Amelia's 90th Birthday
