Finck Family Reunion 2010

Another event that happened in June was the Finck Family reunion. This year I was in charge so we got a home on the beach in Venice Beach and we all had a great time.

We were on the beach everyday, of course.


Went for bike rides.


The men went surfing and boogie boarding.


Went shopping.


Ate very well.


Flexed muscles at Muscle Beach


The boys loved getting to meet and know their cousins.


The Finck Family is growing and grandma & grandpa are loving it.

Fun "Last" Activities

I have talked often about all the MBA activities that we all did together these last two years. Towards the end there became a lot of events that we kept calling "the last bash", "graduation party", or something along those lines. I am one that can never have enough parties to attend or plan but it was kind of funny how everything was "the last". Here are a couple examples (and this is just naming a few).

We had a family miniature golf night. It really turned into the men competing against one another and all the women standing back and helping the kids. We enjoyed pizza and ice cream after so it turned into a really fun night.

Then the Halladay’s hosted a BBQ/swim party. The wives were able to relax for about ten minutes before then men started doing canon balls that ended up with all the girls soaked and not such happy faces but it was to be expected, we all married kids at heart. My boys had a great time because of course they were in the pool with dad.

The night after graduation was my favorite activity of all. All the adults got together for a fun night of Jeopardy. The evening started off with the men all at the grill and then everyone enjoying a nice dinner outside. Then the games began. Doug put together and hosted the questions with three of the guys competing at once. The categories were all over the place from "name that bank" to "old school rap", to everyone’s favorite, "name that vampire". Congrats to Dave Larson for being the big winner of the night. After the game, Heather served us our own Ditty Reese Ice Cream Sandwiches. She made the cookies and ice cream herself and it was amazing. Then Karly out together a slide show of all our favorite memories, it was hard to fight back the tears.... we had some really great times. Then my favorite activity of the whole night was sitting around drinking our sparking cider while toasting all the guys and giving stories of our favorite memories. We promised to meet up every year for a reunion and I am holding everyone to that promise!!

Thanks for all the great memories; this was a great two years:)

The Boys Sealing

As mentioned before, June has been a very busy, exciting, and emotional month. In my mind the one event that tops the list was having both Benjamin and William sealed to us in the LA Temple. On June 16th our little family was sealed for all time and eternity, what an amazing experience and blessing. We had so many close friends and family there to share this moment with us. Thanks to those that made such an effort to be there. As I sit here and write about the sealing I still get emotional and tear up to think about all the things that prepared us for this moment. Of course I had a hand full of tissues and used all of them while in the temple. They ended up just handing me the tissue box. I love the temple and what it represents. I love my family for preparing me for this experience. I love my husband for having the patience and understanding to take this journey with me. I love these two boys so much and I have no doubt that this was the Lords plan for me all along. I wished that you could see how adorable the boys looked in their white tuxes but the pictures, thanks to Karly, turned out great.

So Proud Of My Man

As I had mentioned, June 11th was a big day in our home. After two years of hard work, lack of playing Halo, and many late nights.... The Douglas Leonard Hall graduated with his MBA from UCLA. These two years have gone by so fast and for the most part, we have enjoyed every minute. When Doug first told me that he was going to attend UCLA and we would be leaving NYC I did not hide my disappointment, I was not ready to leave the city. I should have known that Doug knew best because moving here has changed our lives. For all the smack I talked about California, it has really grown on me. The weather is amazing, we are five minutes from the beach, we have made amazing friends, we have gotten to see my family more often, and I have built a wonderful relationship with Doug's family.

We are all so proud of Doug for his accomplishments. He is such an amazing brilliant man and I can't forget to mention how smoking hot he is. He has been an incredible husband and such an excellent father to both boys. We have watched him work so hard and do his best from his group projects to finding a job.

The ceremony was very nice and the boys handled the three hours beautifully. Doug made fun of their outfits but everyone else could not get enough of them. Doug looked so confident walking up there to get his degree and you could tell that he was also relieved for all of it to be over but his thoughts were on what he was going to do next.

We had a perfect ending to a perfect day. Bruce and Katie took us out to dinner to congratulate Doug. I have to mention that we were also celebrating Doug's birthday from earlier that week. He turned 30 this month and is becoming quite the man!!

Our Little Angels Court Date

June 11th was a big day in our home; William’s adoption became final!! Katie came over early and all five of us headed downtown to family court. The boys were on their best behavior and full of excited. Of course William was so excited that he fell asleep in my arms and missed it when the judge signed the papers and it became official and of course I started to cry. The clerk gave the boys some teddy bears and Ben could hardly stand it.... he screamed out loud about his new friend and has continue talking to him ever sense. What a relief to have both boys adoption final, I love my little family so much.

The Unstoppable Force Of Jamal

Definition of Jamal:

When Doug and Best Bud Taylor Dix come together they become ONE. This hilarious, brilliant, and amazingly awesome ONE is named Jamal.

You have to ask them how and why this name came to be, I learned a long time ago not to question things when they become ONE. They live in their own worlds when they get together. I am not saying this is a bad thing, it is actually very entertaining. Taylor married the wonderful Stephanie and together they make quite a team as well (Doug was secretly jealous when Stephanie got to marry Taylor).

When Doug and I were dating he made it pretty clear that I had to get the Dix’s approval before he proposed to me. We went to visit them for Thanksgiving before we were married and I was more nervous about meeting them then I was Doug’s family. Well, the moment I met them I knew that I had no need to worry…they rocked!! They must have given Doug the thumbs up because Doug proposed the day we came home from visiting them.

They came to visit us twice while we were living in NYC, the second time with their little stud Warren. This kid really is “the man”; we fell in love with him the moment we met. We also went to visit them in Denver last year when the beautiful Camellia was born. Doug has already warned Taylor to keep her clear of our womanizer Benjamin. Stephanie and I already have our kids marrying each other in the far distant future.

Stephanie came out for Ben and Will’s baby shower and to celebrate the good news with us. It worked out perfect that she was a friend with another good friend of mine, Bonnie who helped plan the shower.

Just recently the whole Dix family came out to visit and there was no question that we would have a fantastic time. We enjoyed the beach, Disneyland, and Sea World together.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about friendships and under the definition of true friendships should be the names Stephanie and Taylor Dix.

We sure love you guys!!

Update

Like many of you, I'm in mourning the passing of Ronnie James Dio. As Scott Ian, rhythm guitarist from Anthrax, said, "Horns at half mast."
Tamara wanted me to hit some of the highlights from the last bit she hasn't covered. Several weeks ago we were in Utah for our court date to finalize Ben's adoption. We were comforted by how certain things hadn't changed-I-15 under construction, the liberal usage of pastel colored shirts, and a strong portion of the drivers acting like 14 year olds playing grand theft auto. The proceeding went well and everything was signed and official. My grandparents came down from Idaho to meet the boys and joined us in the chambers. We then partied in their room at the Little America until we had to leave. We spent time visiting family. Ben and Will got all the attention they could handle and then some. They spent most of the time asleep or with someone four inches from their face.
Ben has picked up a few tricks. He usually does one a week. While he had known that his pacifier was used to put him to sleep, it wasn't until Utah he figured out how to throw it. From his back on a bed he threw it across he room and we couldn't find it in the dark at 2 a.m. His newest thing is to stand up holding on to stuff. In between he figured out how to click his tongue (that was two-weeker).
Will came out of his shell a few weeks ago and now spends almost as much time during the day awake as asleep. One of our discoveries several weeks ago is why he "sleeps" so much. Not long after we feed him he'll get fussy and get excited when we put him down. We figured he was sleeping. Turns out he just lies there, kicks his legs, and looks around. He gets bothered when we come in to get him but he just hangs out by himself. Now he's open to some accompaniment, but pretty regularly he just wants to be left alone in his bed for a few hours. It could be worse.

We have a date coming up for Will's adoption finalization-June 11th. It'll be nice to have that behind us. Until then, you can find us here: