Christmas Time in the Suite

For the first time ever in the suite, daddy actually got all of the Christmas decorations up the day he said he would. This is our second Christmas in the new house but last year I had so much of the house torn up that I think I just put up lights. This year we added to it and I think it looks great. I'm no Clark Griswold but I think our house looks the best in Casa Blanca. Decorating really helped put me in the spirit since I've been a little grumpy with my new job being a pain. Thanks to the neighbor we have a new inflatable Santa going down a slide with an archway that says "Happy Holidays". I really didn't want to use any Santa stuff in my decorations because I really want the girls to appreciate the real reason for Christmas which is the birth of our Savior but once the neighbor inflated it the girls loved it so I guess I can let it slide. We are going to go pick up Great Grandma in Arizona this weekend and Uncle Ken is flying in from Minnesota so it is going to be a great Christmas this year with most all of our family together. I won't be able to take much time off this year but we are planning our annual snow trip the Monday after Christmas so I hope it snows a lot on Christmas. I have a good feeling for the suite in 2017 and looking forward to a great year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Graham Cracker Suite.......Resurrection

It's been almost 2 years since my last post and I'll admit that I am ashamed. I can say that I have been busy and we've had a lot going on but that's just another reason why I should be capturing it all on the suite. First and foremost....Family update. Isella and I just passed the 15 year mark last June which in this day and age is a huge milestone. I am so blessed to be given such an amazing, kind and gorgeous woman. We have had our ups and downs through the years like most marriages but I will say that we have had a great couple of years and our relationship is stronger than ever. Sarah is doing great and continues to make me so proud being such a good Mom and a hard worker. She is working full time, going to school and keeping up with Bella. Andrew has been with Stater Bros. for a few years now and is going to school as well. He just bought his first new car and is still as handsome as ever. Michelle is in her junior year of high school and doing excellent. She has good grades and is having fun in choir. She auditioned for a state wide honor choir and even though she wasn't selected I am so proud of her courage. Sophia is in Jr high now and is struggling a little getting the hang of it but I am so proud of how hard she is working to keep caught up. Uncle Chris is helping her get organized and I know she will succeed. She is a teenager now and is getting so tall and never fails to put a smile on my face and a laugh in my heart. Mia just turned 11 and is the last of the girls to eat off of the kids menu. We finally broke down and got her a cell phone for her birthday and she was so happy. As always she is doing great in school and is the best little helper at home. Bella just turned 5 and is getting so big. Even though we don't see her as much since we moved she still drops whatever she is doing and yells "PAPA" and comes running whenever she sees me. I love being a grandpa almost as much as being a daddy.


So yes I mentioned that we moved. OC just got too expensive so we moved to Riverside. We found a cute little craftsmen fixer upper and made an offer. It's a modest 3 bdrm 2 bath but I am already wishing it was a 3 bath. I really underestimated how long it would take to fix up my fixer upper. I thought I would tear through it like Chip Gaines on TV but I guess I didn't factor in work or school or just pure exhaustion. I guess there is no time limit but I don't think that Isella is buying that plywood countertops are the new granite and are all the rage in magazines anymore. I'm kidding of course, Isella could care less what our house is made of as long as it is filled with God's love and our Family. We are definitely blessed to finally own our house and live the American dream.


Along with the new house Isella and I both found new jobs too. She is working at another retirement home down the street doing manicures and pedicures part time. She really likes it and the residents really love her. I couldn't take the 91 anymore so after 13 years at Park Plaza I decided to find something closer to home. I am the new Maintenance Manager at Manheim Auto Auction 10 minutes from our house. I definitely love the commute and the paycheck but it has been challenging getting to know a new industry after so long. I really miss all the residents and coworkers at Park Plaza and really miss my boss Bruce. I'm sure I will get the hang of it soon but there is a big difference between senior living and the auto auction industries.


Sorry no pictures this time since I still don't know how to use my new I phone but I promise I will take some for the suite.


Until next time 

How can I get mad at that?

So I admit that I have been a little anal about my truck since I got it painted but how can daddy get mad at this. The girls must have been playing out in the driveway because when I got in my truck in the morning I saw some graffiti in the dirt on my car. I'll admit I got mad at first until I read what it said. It's kind of hard to see in the picture but it says "I love you daddy" on the lid of my truck. So of course I let it slide only to go to my truck the very next morning and saw another tag that said "Me too". Now you girls know that I love you so much but from now on let's just say it OK. :) Love you

Let's Catch Up

It's been a while since I have blogged on the suite (Sorry Uncle Chris) but it's not for a lack of material to blog about. All of the Graham girls are doing great including baby Bella. Michelle is doing great in her last year of Jr high with a 3.5 GPA and showing off her beautiful voice in her school choir. Sophia is doing good in school as well and continues to crack me up any chance she gets. I like to think that she got her sense of humor from me but I'm thinking lately that I got mine from her. Mia continues to amaze us with her intelligence and her homework continues to make me look like an amazing idiot. Baby Bella is growing faster than I would like and is talking up a storm, though it doesn't make much sense to us she seems to get her point across fine. Hearing her call me Papa melts my heart every time. Here are a couple of pictures, one of a new shirt that I had to get for Bella and the other is from our last football game where our kids wore jerseys with names and numbers of war vets that graduated from Anaheim and my grandpa was one of the honorees.

Bite your Tongue

For Father's Day I was asked what I wanted to eat for dinner. I usually like to have something that I haven't had in a while or something not on the normal meal rotation so this year I was in the mood for Lengua. For those of you who don't speak spanish that is beef tongue. I know it sounds gross but lengua tacos are amazing and since the girls won't even try it I had plenty. This Fathers Day was the best one ever....until next year of course. We went to Church in the morning where they had a car show and a nacho bar for all the dads. Then we went home and all my girls got to work pampering me. I got to keep the remote in my hand and watch whatever I wanted while my girls made sure my glass was full and I was comfortable at all times. Just before dinner I got to open my gifts and cards. I got the most beautiful hand crafted cards from my girls and Sarah and Bella got me a card to Golfsmith. I also got a new chicken soup book named "Thanks Dad" and I am only on the second story and I have already cried twice. I know I am bias but Father's Day is truly the best day of the year.

This bumper sticker is not on my truck but it should be

The new hat I got with my gift card

At home before the Father Daughter Dance.

At the Dance. Look at the girls beautiful corsages. I brought home a bouquet of flowers for Michelle since she didn't get to go to the dance with us because she is in Jr High now. I really missed her but if she saw me dancing she would probably be happy she missed it.

Springtime in the Suite

Spring is here! This year is flying by so that means we must be having fun. Nothing really new to report from the suite, everything is going well. Michelle just had her birthday and is officially a teenager, Sophia is doing good in school and continues to crack me up with her sense of humor and Mia is getting so beautiful and smart that I would be getting suspicious if I didn't know her mom. :) Anyhow, her are a couple of pictures.

We found a baby bird in the alley that must have fell out of the nest and Mia had the great idea to read to the baby bird to make her feel better. The book was about a baby bird looking for its mother......sooo cute! But the bird died the next day. :(

Here are the girls at the Natural History Museum. Grandpa got us annual passes for Christmas.

This one is from our hike the other day. I had a hard time getting Michelle on the horse but I really wanted a picture.

Daddy on his bike, Believe it or not I used to ride on the back of this same bike when I was a baby. I found it in my dad's back yard and fixed it up.

Here is a mommy duck with 13 baby duckies following her. We saw this on our hike and it was so cute. Sophie said this is what we look like when we go for bike rides because the girls follow right behind me.

Two Thousand Thirteen

Wow, I can't believe January is almost over. I guess I lied in my last post when I said I would have plenty of time to blog since I am not coaching wrestling this year. Things have been pretty normal in the suite lately, nothing big to report but here are a couple of updates. The girls are all doing well in school and Mia is doing exceptionally well as she is being tested for the district GATE program because she is so dang smart. Michelle is finally in her school choir and I can't wait to see her perform. Sophia has turned into a reading machine and is finishing her second Wimpy kid book. Andrew just got promoted at work and continues to make me incredibly proud by what a great worker he has become. He has worked there over 3 years and I don't think he has ever called in sick or even been late once. He gets up at 4:30am every day and even goes to the gym almost every day. He's been dating a new girl who I think is afraid of me but seems very nice. Now if I could just get him to fix his Land Rover so I can park in my spot again and not out on the street he would be perfect. Sarah just moved into a new place and she is so happy to have a washer and dryer in their house. It is 2 stories so I'm sure Bella is having fun climbing the stairs like she does at Papa's house. Isella and I are both doing well also. She has been helping out in the salon at my work and she is loving working with our residents and bringing home a little fun money. I spent a few days in the hospital a couple weeks ago with a mystery infection that the doctors never figured out but I am feeling ok now and I lost a few pounds so I can't complain too much. Valentine's Day is coming up and with a wife and 3 beautiful daughters at home it has become one of my favorite holidays. This year I am going to make my famous spaghetti for dinner and then give all my girls a pedicure. Even though I don't use my cosmetology license professionally my training has really come in handy. It saves me money and scores me lots of points. Anyhow, here are a couple of new pictures.

Me, Isella and Andrew at a Christmas party


Family trip to the snow


We just put this picture up at the house. I can't believe it has been 9 years since this picture was taken. I also can't believe she talked me into wearing lavender.