Hi all,
We will be going down to Del Mar this weekend for Labor Day with Ron ans Shan and I think Cassy will be down sometime. Will post some pictures next week. Would love to see some pictures of Nathan's kids and an update on Ninha's condition and whats going on with Marion and Grace and Cassy and Nancy????/ So many wants and so little information!!!!!! PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN
Love Dad

Thanks Bobby for the pictures. Stacia looks so grown-up, especially with her haircut short like that. Landon looks like he´s going to be a fabulous baseball palyer!!! And Milena is just too cute! I can´t believe how much the plants have grown at your house, just in the past few months!!! Good for you.

Love you all.
keep smiling

Happy Anniversary Nathan and Brandi
hope you enjoyed P. F. Chang

Great photos Bobby! Thanks for taking the time to post them.
Mom will love them tomorrow when she sees them.
Looks like you have a green thumb-WOW those flowers are amazing!

Stacia Marie Ginn--- First Day of kindergarten - Fall 07

These plants are only supposed to get 2 feet tall. I still need to put the cap on the wall. I just thought Mom would want to see the backyard.

Summer Fun

with the Ginn Family

Sounds like all is going well Jeff. When you get a chance we´d love to see a picture of the girl...did you even tell us her name?!?!

Bobby, I know it´s only Tuesday, but we´d also like a picture of Stacia´s first day of Kindergarten!!!

Love you all.
keep smiling.

Soccer is crazy...For the first time in ten years of coaching, i feel burnt out. Things are going well...i just find myself with no time to myself. The church calling has not been a pain, but it sure is one more thing to worry about. It is nice to have some responsiblity in that regard.

The IWCC girls are very impressive, they beat Simpson College 5-1 on Saturday (simpson in in Indianola, Iowa. Very close to Oskaloosa). Simpson is an NCAA Division 3 school. The girls played one of the prettiest games of soccer I believe I have ever sidelined. The men are a full season project...the trick to them will be having to get them to peak at the proper time. We will see how that goes.

Club soccer is brutal...and just seems to be a bit of a burden right now.

One good thing, a player that Bobby used to coacha at William Penn, went on a mission, returned to play for me at IWCC and now plays for Grandview college in des moines set me up with a friend of his. She was the captain of the womens Grandview team last year and is from Council Bluffs. We have been hanging out the last few weeks. She grew up with my roommate and went to a Catholic school but is not very churchy. The good news is, she is fun, she respects my beliefs and the look on her face when I tolde her i was a 30 year old virgin was priceless! She could not believe it. Anyway, she is fun and has brought a twist of something else in to my life. Her parents seem to like me and have even cooked a home cooked meal for me already. DON'T worry, I am actually playing the game with her a little...and i am not "running after her" (so back of cindi). We have fun, we laugh tons and it is just nice to have a chick to hang with again...one that is fun and i dont feel like i have to worry about marriage or a serious relationship...we are just having fun and seeing where it takes us. Dating non-mormon girls scare the poop out of me though..they are just so different.

I thought I would share and let you all know that all is well...minus the strained left calv muscle and the hot and humid weather.

Love you all!

Hello Family and Friends,
Thought I'd share pics of Monterey Bay. The beach was gorgeous, the aquiarium was way neat with the jelly fish pic, and sea kayaking was my favorite, then climbing on the rocks at Lover's Point was fun.
The last pic is of Tyler's first night here in the orem appartment.
I hope all of you are doing well.
Love,
Heather, Travis, and Tyler
P.S. There are 11 pictures with this email

Be careful what you call your spouse. Remember he/she is the direct result of your personal choice. So negative or derogatory remarks about ones spouse are a poor reflection on your judgment. Any way, I think the hairball and David are both very cute and need a lot of attention. Would love to see a picture of the witch holding the hairball!
love DAD

Sir Dimwhit and the Hairball.

This last weekend Lou and John Cash visited us on the way to a funeral. It was a relative of John's that got gassed in the gulf war in the early 90's developed cancer. They got it into remission for several years but it returned and they couldn't stop it this time. He was in his forties-such a waste. The funeral was at five pm on Sunday. A rather unusual time? They arrived Saturday morning. It was so nice to hear Marie so excited to have someone to talk to. We had a nice visit went to the Marine institute in Dana Point and the sat and watched the waves roll in and felt the mist and the sun for an hour or so. Lou remembered going to the original Phils store and buying ding-dongs. So we made a trek over there and bought ding-dongs and ice cream bars and sat there and ate them. I remembered the time a big black man with a gun held me up while I was working at Phils. I didn't start shaking until the guy left. By the way I gave him all the money and even the change I had.
We ate at a Mexican restaurant named Agustines over in the old Vermuleans area. Cassy met us there. The food was good and reasonable so we will probably go back. As usual we ended up at home playing Idiot. It was a fun time. We all laughed and laughed, Lou and Cassy and Marie were just hysterical john and I tried to keep some semblence of decorum as you can see by the look on John's face in the picture.
Sunday morning John and Marie made pancakes and eggs and we had Maries yummie plum jam (she just made with shan a week ago) on toast. After Breakfast lou and John were on their way to Escondido for the funeral and we went to church.

Joc,

Girls camp is awesome to organize, especially with help. It just happens to be a lot of work if you want it done right.... but that´s pretty much true with anything. One thing I do have to STRESS is that you talk to you YW Pres. about the importance of the Youth Leaders (16-18 yrs.). They were an amazing help to me and I have to admit that they are the ones that enjoyed it the most, even though they had to work hard.

Love you all. Have a happy day.

OK, once I start, you can't shut me up. In the group picture that I posted before, I noticed that 5 of the 7 Cuche kids were there. The Cuches are our good friends -Emmanuel grew up with Patrice and his wife Maria is Irish. I think I posted a picture of us before. Anyway, Emmanuel (jr.) is the boy in the white zip down windbreaker on the right. He's about 14 and a concert pianist, plus a really nice kid. Next to him is his sister Shannon 12. The twin girls are Tara and Stefanie 7. Guillaume is in love with BOTH of them and just kissed BOTH of them when we were at their house just before camp. We had to explain it was not ok to be kissing sisters, AT THE SAME TIME!! Plus he's too young. I'm sure glad they are our friends and we can joke about it! Next to the twins is Brian 9, the boy resting his head on another boy's head. They younger kids came with their dad to pick up the two older kids.

Here's a picture from last monday night at the Cuche's. We had FHE together since we were there visiting and laughed about the fact that between our two families (7+4) we have more kids than most of the primaries in our stake. Emma is the baby on Shannon's lap and Molly (Perceval's hearthrob) is sitting on the couch with Guillaume and one of the twins. It's nice to have 'family' friends, where everyone likes each other and gets along and all the kids play together well.

I was talking to my mom while writing the last post so wasn't paying attention. The middle picture is about half the entire group. In total we had almost 50 youth, half girls, half boys. It was the third year they've had camp and next year will be divided, boys camp and girls camp. Things in our stake seem to go well if someone is called and motivated to do it (like girls camp) but once they are released, it stops there. There were about 10 years that they didn't have camp and our current stake YW president started it up again. This year we had the best turn out yet.
I think it would be interesting to organize a girls camp - but maybe Cindi would say otherwise!!

I've been gone this last week to girls camp - really it was a boys/girls camp. It was different than I imagined but a good experience none the less. I basically just hung out and helped in the kitchen (not my fault, just the way it was organized - or wasn't!) Two of my girls are in the top picture - Joana (middle) and Christine (right). I made a few friends myself which was nice. Christine Dubaux and Isabelle LeBrun. We laughed a lot which is good for those stomach muscles.

I've been gone for over two of the last four weeks so this next week is devoted to my own family. I promised the kids we would set up the tent in the back yard and camp out for a couple days. We'll see if Patrice joins us - I don't know if he'll be up to sleeping on the ground!! He can help the kids make bows and arrows out of hazelnut tree branches. We'll have a bonfire and hot dogs and marshmallows. Our back yard is pretty big and the back half if pretty 'wild' so it really will be like camping out in the woods.

Have a good week. I'll keep you posted on our week.

I've been busy and haven't had a chance to post these pictures from my visit to Virginia.

These are our goodbyes as I left Virginia to head home on the evening of Monday, 8 August.

Big hugs!

Poor Drew actually cried when I left - he was upset to be left behind!

I like this photo of Andy and I at the airport.

We had a good visit and I hope to see them again, sooner rather than later.

Cindi,

You need someone to publish it...thats better than Harry Potter (to me anyway). If you would have written that occourance any other way...I doubt I would have enjoyed it as much.

Love you all!

"The Dimwhit, the Witch and the Hairball"
Based on a true story
by Cindi

Once upon a time a beautiful women (a friend from church) with two children and a rabbit needed a favor, and lucky for her there was someone more than willing to help...his name, Sir Dimwhit! (David) She asked Sir Dimwhit if he would take care of her lovely rabbit "Beetlejuice" (that´s his real name) for two weeks while she went out exploring the world (went of vacation). Sir Dimwhit, excited beyond all mesure because the wicked Witch of Cali (me) won´t let him have a pet of his own (at least not until we have a big house, with a big yard and kids to pick up the ...). The wicked Witch told Sir Dimwhit that he could take care of Beetlejuice as long as he understood that she would have NOTHING to do with the lovely creature...he accepted.
So for the first week Sir Dimwhit took care of everything, the feeding, the watering, the playing and the scooping of the poop! But to the wicked Witches surprise Sir Dimwhit had planned a journey into the forest in order to better his "dimwhittedness" (he went to a friends house for the weekend to work on his final project). So the wicked Witch was FORCED to care for the hairy monster. The Witch had taken care of the feeding and the watering (by the way, the spoiled little hairball will only drink BOTTLED water!) but by NO means was she going to take part in the playing and the scooping!!!
On the second day the home of the little beast was giving off a less than pleasant fragrance (his cage was atracting flies!). Bound and determined to take NO part in the scooping process the Witch decided to take the hairball and his home outside to the patio where she didn´t mind the flies attacking. That worked wonders and she was so pleased. But as night came the wicked Witch started hearing an evil little voice in her head saying, "You can´t leave the lonely creature outside for the night. What if it gets a cold or DIES?!?!!?". The Witches first reaction was, "GREAT, then I could just chuck it in the trash and be done with it!" Then she heard the evil voice again and she found her heart mealting. Just before she was going to get her beauty sleep (much needed might I add) she went out to get the little devil to bring it into the castle. Beetlejuice began to get restless (he started hopping from one side of the cage to the other) and just as she stepped in the castle BOOM!!!!!! Down goes the bottom half of the cage, the rabbit and all the fun little rolly things with it (the food, the grass, the wood things and yes the little balls o´poop!!!!!)! Lucky for Sir Dimwhit he was in a land far far away because had he been in the castle the wicked Witch would have cast a mighty evil spell on him (I would have beat him two or three times, took the car keys and gone to stay at my mother-in-laws while he stayed with the rabbit and all it´s little smelly things)!!!!!
The wicked Witch who was used to roaming around the castle without her black pointy boots would now have to put her boots on at all times, even in the middle of the night when she needed to go to the little witches room (I hate wearing house shoes, but now "just in case" I have to!).
After many attempts to get Beetlejuice to go home on his own she finally had to grab his little furry neck and throw him in! (Cough, couch...oh, excuse me, hairball in the throat!)
Finally with the monster safely in his home and most of the little rolly things back in their place...the wicked Witch is imaging what curse she is going to put on Sir Dimwhit when he returns from his long journey! (It´s going to be a good one, let me tell ya!)

Well, my little friends at this point in time we don´t know if the "furrytail" will have a happy ending. All we know is that the wicked Witch went to take a shower to get rid of the hairy, smelly feeling she had and went to bed to try to forget about the monster she was sharing her castle with.

TUNE IN NEXT TIME TO SEE IF THERE WILL BE A HAPPY ENDING FOR
"THE DIMWHIT, THE WITCH AND THE HAIRBALL"

It looks like everyone is very busy this week. I was, it was the first week back to work full time. Cancelled all my appointments and just worked. With two techs and two front office people each with a computer we can really book the days full. Thursday we did 34 patients. That is a lot of bodies through one officce!! Lu and John are coming today for a couple of days so that will be a nice change from the boring routine. Will try to get a couple of pictures to put on the blog.
Sure would like to get some pictures of our grand-kids we miss seeing them. Hope all is well with everybody and when you get time put a little something on the blog for us all to share. Here is a picture Julie sent us.

The name game for Bobby's 3rd girl; Christine (as in Lilly), Shannon (as in Boxx), Heather (as in Mitts), Mia (as in Hamm)...but really...Riley would be my suggestion. Riley Ruth Ginn.

Well IWCC soccer is 4 days deep. We produced a very demanding preseason workout and have made 8 boys throw up and no girls throw up...sadly, the boys are doing the exact same thing the girls are. needless to say, we have very athletic and serious female soccer players. The women's team makes last years team (the national runner up team) look slow and shallow. The depth on this team is amazing. The girls are fast and furious (pardon the cliche). The men on the other hand are not as skilled as last years squad, but the work ethic is better, the coach ability is impressive and the collar has gone from white to blue. Over all the two teams have a very promising year ahead of them if the last four days are an indication of their ability, both teams have a chance to make it to the national tournament...it will be EXTREMELY disappointing if the girls do not make it to nationals again this fall.

The women get theri first test tomorrow agains NCAA Division II powerhouse University of South Dakota, while the boys got stormed out this evening and will have their first match on Friday.

Sorry, dad I have no news of getting a girl pregnant, so I can't say that I will take Landon out of his monopolizing ownership of the boyhood.

As Sunday school president, I got to pretty much tell the branch president who to call for whatever in the entire ward...a lot of prayer went in to it. A lot of sccer players have a lot of callings.

Ninha, our prayers are with you.

Hi,

Talked to Cassy last night Friday the 10th and she informed that Ninah finally went to the hospital. They will be doing several test including cat scans blood tests etc. I hope they can help her at least be comfortable. Will keep you informed as we know more.
Oh! Bobby said he wanted more suggestions for the coming attraction. especially now that we know it is going to be a girl. I said Virginia that got an immediate veto but Ruth mom's middle name was a maybe for a middle name. I will srart going through the geneology stuff and look for names. Mom and Shan made plum jam today. It sure is good warm yummmmmmmmy.

Talking to Cindi she suggests: Audrey as in Hepburn - favorite spanish name Conception since you guys have such an easy time haveing babies ( from the imaculate Conception ) : moms says Katherine, Christina and Daniel.....and Cindi
dad Morine, Norine, Bertha, Barbara Diane Ann Anabeth Olga Ida Sherry Tonic (Gin and tonic at school)

Hi All!! More good news about new baby, Grace Marion Norton. I had a call this morning from Marion from her hospital bed, to let me know, she and baby Grace are doing great! Found out that Gracie is 20-inches long, another statistic to add to the list. All the children and Dad were there visiting. Of course, Abby and Spencer were great about sitting still and keeping things together, but John, well he was another story-no sitting still for him!! He had to be up and about and all over but I'm sure everyone is very excited about the new addition to the 'Norton Gang.' I talked a moment yesterday with Abby, and I could really hear the excitment in her voice to know she has a 'little sister,' that she gets to be a 'big sister' and at last she is not out numbered by the 'boys'!!! Of course, Marion sounded a little tired but was glad to have the company today, she said it was a little 'boring' just lazing around the hospital and would much prefer to be 'home' - Wednesday can't come soon enough for Marion and Gracie!!

Love you all - Till next time!
Aunt Cassy
(I just love being an Aunt again!!)

Hi All!! My addition to the arrival of Grace Norton is that her middle name is Marion, in honor of her mother Marion and her great-grandmother Marion and she weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces. Didn't get how long she is, will have to get that later. Bryan said she is a beautiful baby (of course, every parent thinks their baby is beautiful) and why wouldn't she be with the beautiful and handsome parents she has!! That she has some dark hair, not as much as the other kids but enough so she isn't 'bald' and that she already is showing she has her own individual personality because she was 'hollering up a storm' to let everyone know she had arrived. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NORTON FAMILY ON THEIR SWEET, NEW ARRIVAL - GRACE MARION NORTON!!

Love from Aunt Cassy (again - yeah!!)

Congrats Marion and welcome Grace.
While we are talking baby's.......
Gina is prego once again. Heavenly Father had to sneak this little girl into our life... in which we are excited!
2 months ago Gina had a regular checkup and talked to her Doc about tying her tubes or snipping me. We planned to do it soon. So we got a new prescription for full strength BC (she had been nursing and on half strength up until this point) The doc said to start taking them after her next period. Well that never came so she took a home preg test.

It came up positive.


We thought we were around 11 weeks

We went to the doc last week (8/3) and he measured her belly and said...your due date is Dec 16th. Wow, we thought we were going to be due in feb. Then we convinced him to let us do an ultrasound because we really didn't know for sure. So we got the ultra sound and it said according to "averages" that we were 23.5 weeks along and due Nov 29th. Well thats average. None of our kids have been close to average.

So we could have a baby any time..... well hopefully not. We have really stressed to the doctor this time to help us prevent an early birth. We are tired of the NICU.
He said he will help us try to go full term. We'll see.


It's another girl and then we are done. It's up to Jeff and Cindi to have more boys, otherwise Landon is the lone ranger. Unless Nate and Brandi decide to brave the Boy scene(Brandi doesn't understand boys so she has done everything possible to have girls...dates, times temps, ect) too bad for Nathan that he hasn't had a boy, but keep tryn' bro!


We are excited and are curious how her life will lead her. She is a trooper this far and has already given us enough surprises to last a lifetime. (There were really no signs that G was preg- she's lucky that she doesn't get sick)

We have no names so we want to encourage every one's input...

Let the Name Game Begin.....................


Sorry it's not a boy dad...maybe we will name her Edwanda though! Or may be she will have one more surprise and come out a boy... but don't get your hopes up.

Hi all,
Brian Norton called about 7 pm PST and informed us that Grace Norton made her entrance into this world at about 3:30 pm EST. Marion and baby are doing well. We didn't get a length or weight so we will leave that for someone else to post.

They induced labor about 11:30 AM so she had four hours of labor. Brian said that at 3 pm she was only dilated to 6 cm so he left to get a snack and when he came back a few minuets later the nurse hurried him into the room saying she is having the baby! Fortunately, he made it back in time to see Grace enter the world. Congratulations to Marion and Grace for their safe experience.
Love Ed and Marie

Our cousin Dave, his wife Mary and their children (L to R) Liz (Elizabeth 18) Ashley (19) and David (17). We had a nice visit. We took one of my father's 15 passenger vans to drive there so we could spread out and Ninha could lay down if needed. Saturday night all 11 of us piled in the van and went to dinner at Murphy's II for their famous hot wings. It's a tradition - every time Andy and family go to visit them they all go out for hot wings. We got home late and have spent today recuperating from our roadtrip.

Hope you all had a nice sabbath.

We went up to PA and spent Friday night to Saturday night with our cousin Dave and family. His oldest daughter Ashley loves the kids and decided she wanted to put rollers in Drew's hair. Drew did well and put up with it. Poor Ninha survived the torture of her baby! We liked the curly hair but Ninha didn't particularly care for it. I thought he looked a little like a blonde buckwheat. ADORABLE!

As I posted last week, we have a branch now in Council Bluffs. I was the first person to be given a calling and the first one ever sustained. I am the Sunday School President. Sort of crazy.

Love you all.

Hi All! So, here are some more pics of Ninha and the kids during their 'Spring Fling' to CA. The one BIG, FUN attraction we went to was 'SEAWORLD' so that we could see 'SHAMU' up close and personal. Here are a few pics of that fun day! Sorry they aren't in better order, but I'm sure you get the idea!!

Love you All - Till' next time!

Cassy