I just wrote a nice entry and lost it before posting it. I hate to say but I'm too tired to write it again. I'll try tomorrow. But the main purpose was to see if all of you would be willing to fast for Ninha either Thursday or Friday. We want to fast for a miracle. Maybe if we put our faith together (and it's the will of the Lord) we can work a miracle in Ninha's life. She had such a good day today that it's hard not to get your hopes up and think that she could slowly recover. We'll see how tomorrow goes and please let us know about fasting.
Jocelyn

Looking through pictures with Ninha and came across this one of Gramma. I really liked it and wanted to share it.

I've been having a nice visit with Ninha, Andy and the kids. Andy has been able to work yesterday and today. Ninha has had two very good days but last evening was kind of hard. She didn't eat anything yesterday but has been making up for it today. I thought I'd attach a few pictures of lunch - leftover enchiladas.

We've been doing little videos - I only have my digital camera so I do little 2 minute clips. Like Mom said, the kids are very helpful and obedient. They really are really good kids.

I need to get back to the kids. Shawnna wants to play and they need some attention.

Jocelyn

HI ALL! Well, as Ed said, we made it home from LAX late Sunday night. I handed off the care-taking duties to Jocelyn. We were actually on the ground at Dulles Airport at the same time; she taxing into her gate, me waiting on the tarmack to lift off - was a good feeling, knowing that Andy, Ninha and the children are in good hands for the next few days! Just as we were getting ready to drive to the airport, the thunder roared, the lightening crashed and the skies opened up and the rain poured down in buckets. I love that kind of weather, made me think of years passed living in that area and experiencing the exciting, clashing, crashing weather changes only the rest of the states get to experience. I thought, gee, would be so wonderful if we could just bottle all that water and get to CA because we are in such a drought here. Of course, I enjoy that kind of weather when you can stay inside, bake cookies or snuggle up and watch TV - not to be driving in or having to fly!! Got to the airport and many flights had been re-routed and delayed. My original flight was scheduled to take off at 4:47pm - finally lifted off the ground at 8:10pm - so my nerves were a 'BIT FRAZZLED' to say the least, considerng flying in my absolutely 'least favorite' thing to do. What with having to give a good bye hug to Ninha, the kids and Andy and then, the added stress of the weather - I was a wreck!! Fortunately, I sat by a stewardess making a turn around back to LAX - she was such a 'hoot'. Always saying she would tell me when to really 'worry.' So, I was able to calm down and 'almost' enjoy the flight. Saw a good movie 'Premonition' with Sandra Bullock. I had wanted to see it, so was fun to watch something new, even though I wasn't too happy with the ending. One of those weird ones that wasn't very clear cut - I guess it let's you make it what you want!! On the other side of me, had a nice English lady who was traveling back to her home in Brisbane, Australia. Loved her accent and sense of humor. So, all in all, was a good flight home! Was so nice to be back to my home. If travel does any thing at all for me, it makes me appreciate my little 'cracker box' home and the wonderfu, beautiful area I live in. Yes, I know there are all kinds of other wonderful, beautiful areas to live and work but I'm just happy to be home, here!! I had a wonderful time with the kids - Shawnna is growing up so much, she is so smart and willing to help. She did the dishes for me every night. Little Drew is just a cutie pie, with his 'smooze me' and 'again, again'. He is smart too and speaks so good that he made Grandma TaTa's job helping them so much easier. They are both wonderful children, thanks to the great love and care and teaching that Ninha has given them in just these few years! I love them all!
Love you all - Till' next time!
Grandma TaTa

It is 1 am Monday morning and we have just returned from getting Cassy at LAX. She is home and tired and so are we. She has a lot to tell later.
Love DAD

HI ALL! This is a 'Ninha Update." I got here early Monday morning and the situation was 'GRAVE.' Monday and Tuesday did not fair very good either; in the wee hours of Tuesday, there was a moment I was sure we were losing her. The next day we had company, Andy's cousin's wife, Mary and her daughter, Liz came from Nanty-Glo, PA to visit with Ninha. They were a big help, comforting Ninha and playing with the kids. Also, had a Brasilian friend, Andre bring by some good Brasilian food, hoping to entice Ninha to eat. She did, but so often, it comes back up pretty quickly - yuk!! Thursday came a little brighter and she had a good day. Was able to take a bath and get cleaned up. She came upstairs and visited with the kids and watched TV. The RS President and Compassionate Service Leader came by in the evening and they had a great couple of hours 'girl chatting.' It was so wonderful to see her up, smiling and animated - My heart soared!! She had good morning today, but seemed to fade during the afternoon. It's been difficult to get her to eat or drink, so I'm sure she is dehydrated. A policeman came by around dinner time asking about a 911 call from this address. We hadn't called, but Andy said his wife was ill, so the Policeman came downstairs to check on her. Soon, we had the police, fire engine and ambulance at the house. Of course, scared the kids but the EMT's did an evalutation - she was pale, erratic heart beat with a sugar level of 67. They said if it had been at 65, she would have been taking a ride to the ER. Even through it all she kept her querky, sense of humor; was making jokes with the EMT guys, even through all the pain. After that event, I got to the store and picked up some Ensure, hoping it would help - give her some 'good stuff' to bring her energy level up! She got it down and so far, it's stayed down. I am praying for the best. We have had a difficult time getting pain medication for her, but finally was able to get some Vicadin and Liquid Morphine - she is in extreme, constant pain in her stomach and her bones too. She was very happy to speak to you all and to visit - she loves you all and talks about you all - makes me promise to let you all know how much she loves you!! She's sitting here on the couch, eating Oreo's with Andy - it's almost like a 'normal' picture, there are moments it doesn't seem like she so terminally ill! Please keep her in your prayers.
It's late now - got to get some sleep!
Love you all - Till' next time!
Cassy

Not to change the subject, only lighten the mood...

I took the kids downtown this afternoon to some summer activities they have going on this week. (This is only the second week Alienor is out of school. Summer vacation here is July 15-Sept 15) The main theme was the circus so most of the activities were to let the children try out circus-type things.

Guillaume and Alienor were pretty good on the tight rope.

Alienor was actually very good at walking on the ball. It's a hard ball that weighs about 5 lbs. or so. She could walk/roll on it forward and backward.

Can't forget face painting. Although considering how difficult it was to wash off, I think we'll skip it next time!

Not too circus-like, but great none the less - the kids loved the rockclimbing wall. There goes Margot in the red pants and Perceval right behind her.

There were other activities that didn't get photographed like the trampoline, all sorts of juggling, poi balls, etc. That was our afternoon in a nutshell. The kids had a great time and I enjoyed chatting with a sister from the ward - mothers with primary-aged children were invited to meet and have the children play but we were the only two that showed up. Oh, and a bonus - the weather held out and it didn't rain on us. We even had sunshine with only occasional clouds. It's been raining the whole month of July.

703 339 2070
I made sure they turned up the ringer for the next few days so they wouldn't miss our phone calls.

Jocy would you please list the land line to your dads home. Cassy is probably so busy she
forgot to call me last night and I can't get a response from Andy's cell. If you don't want to put it on the blog please send it to my email address aginnjr@sbcglobal.net.
Thank you
Uncle Ed

Ninha,

In case you get an opportunity to have someone read this to you...

...you have always been angelic and Christlike. You have been a wonderful example to us all, as you are compassionate, giving, loving and adorable. Your family loves you dearly and wants you to know that you are in our prayers and in our hearts. I can't put in to words how I feel right now. It is one of the most heart breaking moments in my life. You have always expressed love to the Ginn family and you have always allowed us to enjoy your upbeat and heavenly spirit. Your laugh is unforgettable and your genuine smile is irreplaceable. We love you dearly, we pray for you to be happy and trust in the Lord that He has a plan for you, your husband and your precious children. Thank you for being graceful and loving. The minimal time I have been able to spend with you has always been precious and enjoyable. Thank you for being such a beautiful example to us all, be strong and know that we all cherish you and your life.

I love you dearly and will always hold you dear in my heart.

-Jeffery Jon

cut and pasted from my journal to save time (and energy!)-

July 23, 2007 - I spoke with Ninha today at 6pm Luxembourg time (12 EST). I wanted to call to have the kids say hello to her and say we loved her. I was overcome by emotion because her voice was so weak. I said hello and I love you and that the kids wanted to say hello. The tears were just streaming down my face. I passed the phone from child to child and they each said hello and that they loved her. She sounded so weak that I didn’t want them to tire her out any more than that. When I took the phone back I told her that I wanted her to know that if there was anything I could do to help Andy raise Shawnna and Drew I would do it. She broke down too and said that she wanted her children raised in the church. I said I would do everything I could to help them be raised in the church. I asked her to bear me her testimony so I could pass it on to her children. She spent about 5 minutes sharing her testimony with me.

We love you Ninha!

Hi all,
This is just a note to let everyone know Marie and I got Cassy to the airport safely and ourselves back home safely. Please say a little prayer that Ninha will hold on till Cassy gets there and can give her hugs and kisses from all of us. Also, keep a prayer in your heart for Shawnna and Drew that this difficult transition in their life will be tempered by Heavely Fathers tender mercies. Also, pray for Andy as he has a whole new set of problems to deal with that he will be inspired to do the right things. We love you Andy and morn your impending loss.
Love to all.
Ed and Marie

HI ALL! You all know that Ninha has been bravely battling stomach cancer, well, she is losing the fight. Ed and Marie are taking me to the airport tonight for a redeye flight, so I can have a few more moments with Ninha, give her some more hugs and kisses and tell her how much I love her and will miss her!
Love you all! - Till Later
Cassy

Too bad there's not a way to put some sort of paper or fabric up to the wall and then iron it so the paint goes onto the paper or fabric. That's the mental image I have - like a reverse iron-on. At least you could get some see-through white paper (Mom has given me some that Dale was throwing out) and put it up and then trace it onto the paper. Of course you'd have to pay someone another $75 to do that! But it would really be cute to save.

Just wondering if Brett Shears would be the once-husband of Connie Shears and father of Sunshine Shears? I have a vague memory of Connie and of really liking her. Sunshine was really nice too. Never knew Brett though.

During the Christmas season of 1975 we weren't very busy so I started to paint the ribbon on the wall hoping to add a little something to the blah white wall. I was about half done when Brett Shears a member of our ward at that time stopped by the office. He had done a whole cartoon strip with this little fellow while studying art at UCLA. He offered to paint the little guy in the scenes you see here. It took him less than a day and I think I paid him $75. What a deal! I wish there was a way to save them and frame them but I tried to save one when we put a pass through box in and it just fell apart in my hands. So these pictures will have to do. My patients really loved the little guy and he got a lot of compliments over the years. Now we say goodbye little guy.

It is a little bit sad to see the end of this era. My original office in Laguna Niguel is closing permanently at the end of the month. Most of the items in the office were either thrown away or taken to the office in Mission Viejo. These pictures show the large pieces of equipment dismantled and waiting to be taken away for scrap metal. It was a very pleasant 34 plus years.
It provided our family with many good times. If you have a memory you would like to share I invite you to do so.
Love to all.
Dad

Hi Jocy,
Took the test. Failed
Im only 28% Californian and that was pshing a couple of the answers.
Thank for the challenge. But I think you have too much time on your
hands this summer.
ED

Hi All! Okay, Jocelyn, I took the quiz about 'How California Are You?' and I came up at 40 % - They say I'm NOT from California. Well, I guess that's right, I was born in Arizona, but have lived in CA a long, long time. I think the deal here is that I'm a POOR CA, not one of the wealthy, 'high mainteance' women of CA. What do you think? What about the rest of the CA guys chiming in!

Love you all - Till' next time!
Sassy Cassy

How California are you? Take the quiz!

http://www.blogthings.com/howcaliforniaareyouquiz/

Happy Sabbath
Jocelyn

Hi All! It's me again sharing some more pics of the 'Normand's Spring Fling' in CA. After the birthday bash there had to be some 'card playin' Didn't look like Drew was having too much fun - I guess he was 'off his game' but the rest of the 'players' had a great time - Lots of laughin going on! Lucky for us we had Shawnna there to take card of all the 'played cards.' She was a great big help!

Love you all - Till' next time,

Sassy Cassy

HI ALL! Well, I know it's been some time since Ninha and the kids were here in CA visiting, but had some more pics to post. We were all so lucky to be able to celebrate Ninha's 30th birthday while she was here over spring vacation. All the important players were in attendance, especially the 'Birthday Girl.' There was cake and ice cream and lots of 'visitin' going on! Was a good day!

Love you all - Till' next time,

Sassy Cassy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE CUTEST LITTLE LANDON EVER!!!

I wish I could be there to celebrate with you and give you lots

of hugs and kisses. Aunt Cindi misses you very much!

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS!

Hi All,
It was 7 weeks ago this night that they gave me a titanium ball for my hip. Went to physical therapy today and they spent 2 hours repeating the same stuff only less cause I still feel it when I do some of the stuff and my PT Ruth said until we get full weight bearing ok from the doctor we are going to stay at this level. She said I needed a cane that I could use on the left side. The old one of dads only worked on the right side. So, I went and bought a new cane that works both ways. Got home and there was a message from mu orthopedist he said that the head of ortho looked at my x-rays and said I was cleared for full weight bearing at least as much as I can stand the pain. So maybe next week my pt Ruth will get a little more aggressive. At least now I can retire Sparky - he was a pain anyway -


It is July the 13th in Utah so let me be the first to

WISH LANDON GINN
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Marie and I will call you tomorrow Landon and sing to you.
You may want to be unavailable for that choice experience -
otherwise HAVE A GREAT DAY

Love Grandpa Ginn

The Largest Fire in Utah History is burning between Scipio and Parowan. It has closed the freeway a few times and has killed a few. The only thing we have up here in Happy Valley is lots of smoke.

Check out how smokey Downtown SLC is here in the picture.

Firefighters won a small victory over a massive central Utah wildfire Monday, getting the 468 square miles blaze 10 percent contained thanks to low winds and increased resources.
Hundreds of firefighters have arrived to fight the Milford Flat Fire, buffering a crew of just 109 that had worked the lightning-sparked inferno since Friday.
"We'll take it," Color County Fire Information Officer Jean Bergerson said of the small containment.
A team of firefighters was expected monitor the fire overnight, she said.
Fire managers expect to add 10 additional crews to the effort to extinguish what is said to be the largest fire in Utah history. It's currently the nation's No. 2 priority wildfire.
So far the fire, burning about 120 miles south of Salt Lake City, has raced through 300,000 acres of extremely dry sagebrush, cheat grass and pinion juniper.
While fire crews worked, Mike Rutherford spent the day sifting through the remains of his Dog Valley Trading Post, an old log cabin where he sold American Indian crafts to travelers near historic Cove Fort. He had no insurance on his $50,000 inventory.
"All we could find were some handmade knives -- well, the blades anyway -- and some pottery," Rutherford, 59, said by phone from Kanosh. "Most of the things were pretty much dust. ... Have you got any openings?"
The fire, caused by lightning Friday, grew to more than 300,000 acres in Millard and Beaver counties, the largest in Utah history.
The protection of Interstate 15 was important. A plan to set a fire to eliminate vegetation that could serve as fuel was postponed because high winds subsided and crews made progress along the major north-south route, Marzec said.
"But just because it's calmed down, doesn't mean it's handled," Marzec said. "This is only a few hours breather. If we have wind or bad weather, we could be back to where we were."
The fire was most active along its northeast edge, where it was burning in rocky terrain. Low wind was expected to curb growth, but managers hadn't begun to talk about a target date for containment, she said.
A Type I fire team, an elite unit, took over management of a fire that was ranked No. 2 among national firefighting priorities, BLM regional officer Rowdy Muir told reporters.
There were 300 people fighting the fire, with 500 or more anticipated, along with two helicopters and three air tankers.
"We've got crews coming in left and right," Marzec said.
Meanwhile, mountains surrounding Salt Lake City were shrouded in a smoky haze, the result of wildfires across the region. It was a factor in the unhealthy air alert posted for Salt Lake, Davis, Weber and Utah counties.
"It's like California," Carie Reese, 28, said as she walked downtown. "It's perpetuating the problem."
The fire forced the evacuation of Cove Fort over the weekend. The fort was built in 1847 to offer protection and refreshment to pioneers traveling through the newly settled West.
"We didn't even have 30 seconds notice," said Marleen Hodges, who owns the Cove Fort Chevron with her husband. "We literally ran. We could feel the heat, and we were being pelted with charcoal and ash."
A California couple on a motorcycle died after they were hit from behind Friday.
At least six other fires were burning across Utah. The Black Rock Gulch fire on the Utah-Arizona border more than doubled in size to 13,700 acres, or 21 square miles.
The Neola North fire in northeastern Utah has burned 43,511 acres, or about 68 square miles, since June 29. It was 65 percent contained. Three died while trying to escape the flames.
"I think we're in for what could be a very dangerous season," Gov. Jon Huntsman said after a tour of the Milford Flat fire.This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1

I was just wondering how all of the Ginn family and friends are doing in fiery Utah. I hope no one has been affected but it seems that the fires are nowhere near being under control. Please keep us updated.
Jocelyn

I´m trying to organize my photos etc. and came across these. They were taken just before I left on my mission in 2000. I know they´re old, but I thought they were worth sharing. What great parents we have!!

I have finally burnt all three dvd's (150 Minutes) of the anniversary so mom and dad can keep a hard copy. But here you go...its now on the web.

Disc 1

Disc 2

Disc 3

Here is my friend Sparky after Cassy put the sparks to rest with a new pair of tennis booties
And then there is the Birthday picture with Cassy and a cake missing 63 candles. Marie didn't want to have to call the fire department!!! It was a nice day just about like any other day. A day older and and deeper in debt.

Jeff,

Your roomates crashed your new truck over a cliff and into the Missouri. River. They called me because you wouldn't answer your phone. Sorry dude. Heres a picture to prove it.

http://www.independenceroadtrip.org/trailer.html

The Declaration of Independence video. Well done with a very good introduction by Morgan Freeman. It's about 10 minutes long. Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July.
Jocelyn

Yes Jeff, Nice truck!
Here is the last of the memorial photos from me. My wound, Marie alone at the cake, Teddy bear from work, grand lodge. Thanks once again for everybodies effort in getting there and making it a special event even if I didn't make it Sorry!

Nice truck Jeff!

The new truck