Reyes Gibbs Blog

A proud Mama!!

I am very proud of ALL my children.   Kevin is feeding the sharks at the San Francisco Bay Aquarium and loving it.  Lauren is teaching 9th graders and earning her masters degree in Education from UCLA and started her own enterprise making hipapillows (I'll have the link later)  Beadle is managing working between Los Angeles and San Francisco and is having fun working for UbiSoft.   Deanne has her masters in Public Adminstration from the University of Pacific and raising a beautiful daughter.   Ron is having a great time in law school and we can't wait to celebrate his graduation.   Robin is going to school and working and raising three wonderful girls and having to arrange her schedules etc with my oldest son, Bruce.  Bruce is a New Church Development pastor of Mission Bay Community Church and was just recently endorsed as a candidate for the position of Moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA.

The Rev. Greg Roth nominated Bruce for Moderator  on the floor of the San Francisco Presbytery with wonderful words about Bruce and his abilities and what a good moderator he would make for the PCUSA.   Friends ask, "What's a moderator?"  A proud mother describes the position, like "President"  "Bishop"  or "Pope"  But really, the position of Moderator is one that requires traveling and meeting people to share with them the good news of the church (or maybe not good news sometimes!)  He will be the "talking head" of the church for two years.   When he walks in a room, the Presbyterian ritual is that we all stand up and clap.     Boy after the two years of his serving, I hope he doesn't expect us to continue that ritual.  I may be getting ahead of myself.  I know there will be other candidates for Moderator but I'm a little bias!!

All kidding aside.  I am very proud of Bruce.  He is articulate, compassionate, and has a great vision for the future of the church.   He also loves Jesus!!!   He will be be a wonderful Moderator.   The family is geared up to do what they need to do to campaign and to get out the votes.  Bruce has started travelingl the country.   If you want to contribute to his expenses, please send a check to the San Francisco Presbytery at 2024 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704-1513, mark your check "Bruce Reyes-Chow Moderator Expenses" 

So for this moment in time, Bruce has the spotlilght!!! But with all my children, they shine constantly!!!! and whenever I look their way, I am very proud to be their mama!!!

My Maui Butterfly

While we were in Maui, there was a Holloween celebration in the town of Lahaina.  It is a well known event on the Island and thousands of people show up.  There is also a parade for the little ones.   We didn't put our Maui Butterfly in the parade.  But we had a lot of folks as if they could take her picture.   Kevin thought we should have charged per picture we would have left the night with a lot of money.    Here are more pictures of our special Maui Butterfly. 

      

It's Just Wrong!

My son introduced me to "Facebook" and I am very impressed how connected folks are and how folks can stay in contact with each other.  I haven't quite mastered the "wall" or the intricacies of the providing information like "I'm sleeping now!"  but soon very soon.   The other day, my niece, who I have not spoken to for a while became a "friend."  Her picture shows her quite grownup.    I shared with my daughter about her cousin being on  Facebook friends, and her response, "Mom, It's just wrong!  You are not supposed to be doing facebook!"  I haven't figure out the wrong part yet but I think its about age and generation.   Obviously, this isn't the first time I've been wrong and wont' be my last.   I think I'll go check my Facebook page now.  Blessings!

Playing in the Maui Moonlight

I spent a wonderful week in Maui as nanny to my granddaughter Ava.   I have lots of memories of the week but the most significant was the first morning with Ava.  Maui is three hours ahead of California.   So 4AM was 7AM in Ava's Body clock.   Ava woke up about 4:30AM (Maui time). Since there were four adults in a studio condo, keeping Ava quiet was a challenge.     In the dark we chased shadows the moon made in the room and we crawled around in the light of the moon.   At 5AM we went out for a moonlight stroll on the beach, I packed her in her Bjorn (baby carrier) and I talked to her about how amazing God is to create such a beautiful moon for us to walk with in the morning.   For a 10-month old she kept her side of the conversation going with inspiring coos and ahs.   We said prayers thanking God for Mommies and Daddies, Cousins, Lolo (grandpa) aunties and uncles--we had a prayer walk.   At 6AM we went into the resort lobby and Ava crawled to her heart's content by 7 we were tired and went back to the room to find that all the other adults were up.    I'll hope to never forget the feeling of calm, peace, joy and hope in carrying around a 10 month old in the moonlight.  Thanks be to God!

The Piano Duet

Be prepared for the piano duet concert!   Lolo and Ava  composing!

Twenty-Five Years!!!

August 28, 1982 was the day Joel and I were married.   We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with a party given by our children, with Deanne as the supreme event planner.  The event was in Sacramento.  The city where Joel and I met, married, and had our children.   It was a grand day with friends and family. Evelyn and Analise danced for the group.  Lauren put together a slide show of Joel and I from then and now. Folks had to complete a quiz about Joel and I.   One of teh questions.  What would Sarah and Joel do if they won the Lotto?  Joel wrote the answer:  Divorce because we wouldn't be able to agree on what to do.  He is so right, not the Divorce but we have managed to stay together with the blessing of God and the ability to disagree and still live with each other.  We probably would agree on some things about the Lotto money, but if we had a million dollars how bad could the argument be?   I am blessed by the presences of the love, caring and respect I receive from Joel.  He has infinite patience with me!  We are blessed with a wonderful family and friends.  Thanks be to God.   Here are some pictures from that day:

                                                     

The Wedding Part IV - Daddy & Daughter

These pictures say it all!!!  Joel and Lauren have a very special bond. 
It was a great day!!!!

The Doves are Back!

The weeks before Lauren's wedding, a pair of doves made a nest in rafters of our porch.  Everytime we left the house we could see the dove sitting on the nest and sometimes her partner was keeping her company.  Every day we watched and then we saw two little chicks and they grew so that Mom had to sit outside of the nest.   The day after the wedding, the chicks flew away and so did their parents.  I thought how interesting that they left the day after the wedding, was it a sign that Lauren had grown up and flew out of the nest?  They were interesting to watch.  Everytime we opened the door they sat perfectly still as if we couldn't see them if they were still.   I was sad to see them go.

But yesteday, I saw a momma dove sitting on the nest that was left behind with her partner sitting right next to her.  They came back! Of course, I can't be sure that it was the same birds. Do doves have identifying marks?   Do you think doves have an agreement about used nests?   I wonder if their coming back means anything.   I know Lauren and Beadle aren't coming back soon.   Kevin hasn't left yet.  Bruce and Robin just stayed a few days.   Maybe it just means that our porch will always be home for them.   Who knows?  But can't wait to see the chicks!

When they leave the nest...

Empty nesters, that's what Joel and I will never be because I keep bringing the kids back home or at least my granddaughters. Ava just spent a few nights with us.  Abby and Annie have spent the week with us.   Bruce, Robin and all the girls stayed with us a few  more nights until their new place was ready.   It was great to have them all in the house with kevin and his friend Erin.  I am blessed to have children that I really want to be with and,  most of the time, they want to be with me.

I had a Norman Rockwell moment the other night.  Erin was working a crossword puzzle and it was difficult.  Evelyn, my 11 year old eldest granddaughter, believed she could help.  Then Bruce came up with a word that had puzzling clues and before you knew it we were gathered around the table giving suggestions and laughing at the same time.   Even the little ones, Abby and Annie, thought they could be of help. So there we were all eight of us trying to figure out a crossword puzzle and I don't like to do crosswords.  But I love being with my family and  observing these kind events.  It is  a reminder that I am blessed.   

So now we don't have the additional five bodies in our house and it seems a bit quiet!! Wait!!! They left their pet rats!!!!

Don't die for a week!

Yesterday, my grandaughter Annie, age 4, was yellling for help in the bathroom.   I went in to find out that she needed toilet paper.  So I helped her and as I was helping her, she looked up at me and said, "Lola, don't die in a week!"   I asked why she thought that I should die in a week.  I am a superstitious kind of person so I thought she had some inkling of my future.   Then she said, "No, don't die in a week, die when I' m a grown up."  I sad, "OK, I'll die when you're a grown up."  At the age of four, that's a long time.  Then she said, "No, Don't die until I'm as old as you!"   I said, "deal!"  Which means that according to Annie's calculatons I should be living until I'm 112 years old.  I hope not!!