Slideshow

Here's a link to a slideshow to just a few pictures of Jason. Yes, they have finally arrived!

http://family.webshots.com/slideshow/570639723GTwiVn

You may have to copy and paste it to a new window. Otherwise, if you scroll all the way to the bottom you can view the slideshow as well.

No More Sickies!

After two weeks of pukes, coughs, and so on; having visited the doctor 5 times, and the ER once for a chest x-ray, we can finally say there are no more sickies in our house! Yay! We had a rough patch there for a while. Elena's flu developed into pneumonia, and she dropped several pounds, reaching Aaron's weight. Not good! But we ended up with the right kind if antibiotics that finally nipped it in the bud. Take off, eh! Aaron never got as bad as she was, and never lost his appetite. (Not surprising, as he's known lovingly by all as "the Moose". He's a solid kid.)

Here we are at the doctor's office one last time- just to make sure we're all better, and for Aaron's 18 month check-up as well. One fell swoop. They were playing with the table together and it was so cute, and I was trying to get it on film, but whevener I get out the camera, they immediately are drawn to it. Hams. Maybe I need to learn to be more discreet...I thought it was cute enough to share, anyway. And all can see that the kids are alive and well!

The Last Image

Here is a short video I took of the three kids playing the morning we left Reno on New Years' Day. The cousins of course were oblivious to the fact that they were about to be separated. Little did we know, even more significantly, that I would be catching my brother on video for the last time. It's only ever so brief, when Elena notices Jason and calles his name and I pan over to the right.

I wish I would have kept the camera on him longer.

Aaron just cracks me up with his drama. He's always been this way. I don't know why! It's just how he came out of the box, so to speak.

The kiddos are having a jolly good time running in circles and playing along to morbid nursery rhymes. But they sure have fun together!

That morning our flight left around noonish, and Jason got up to hug us all good-bye, even though he had been up late with friends the night before, celebrating the new year. I will forever be grateful that he did, because I will treasure that last hug.

Miss you, Jason!

p.s. We finally upgraded our internet! Now I can put on all thepics and videos my heart desires!

p.p.s. Still waiting on the pictures!

Noreasters and Hats

Yep, this last monday we got 8 inches and it blew a nasty cold wind in your face if you ventured outside within the following 24 hours. They call that a "Nasty Nor-Easter" in this part of the country, because the storm came up from the carolinas and headed "Nor-east". I was so overzealous in having my kids experience the snow that they both caught a nasty virus. Good job, Mommy. The past two days I must have changed pukey bed linens 5 times. It's getting quite tiresome to say the least. The snow sure was beautiful, though. (From inside.) That having been said, I am itching for Spring weather. We all have a bit of cabin fever, and I am so ready to get started on my garden. If only I could figure out a way to keep the vermine out. Pesky groundhogs!


Here's just a random snapshot of my two little dirty yet adorable hooligans. Aaron really does look up to his big sister.

Now, to the hats category. I was working on the computer one night and I glanced over at Jim who was randomly wearing this on his head. It's one of the kiddy chairs. It caught me so off guard that of course it made me laugh and I had to take a picture. (Sorry, Jim.)




Also, I've been trying to give Spring subliminal messages by getting out some of the spring clothes for the kids. Elena loved this little hat and refused to take it off for a while.




As part of the very beginning stages of our potty training efforts, we have started to teach Elena about underwear. In the past she's just been wearing it over her diaper, but I found her putting a pair on over her jammies and I thought it was quite hilarious.





Take note of this old couch in the background because it's all gone now! Next time you'll see our brand new aesthetically pleasing couch that will match our room theme, unlike this ratty old couch. But, it has had a good run. Couch, here's to you!


A special thanks to freecycle.org for providing us a way to pass it on to another family who needed it.

Family Tragedy

I have been putting off this post for some time for several reasons. Firstly, because I want to have the right words to express the range of emotions I have gone through lately, and secondly, because I have been waiting for some pictures to be sent to me from some of the events that I would like to post about.

Many of you who read this blog already know what happened in my family exactly 30 days ago on January 6th. (A heartfelt "thank you" to all who have expressed your love and condolences for my family.) My baby brother Jason Bergam passed away due to accidental causes, and my mom found him in his room the next day on January 7th. Only a day before he was to turn 24 years young. I am not even going to get into any details, out of respect for my family and especially for Jason. Besides, they don't even matter. All we know is he didn't suffer. That's enough for me.

I loved my brother so very much and this hit me so hard. I will make a post later on about his life and personality once I receive some of his life pictures. I am waiting on a CD to be sent from home. I wanted at this point to share just a little bit of the funeral and family gatherings that came as a result of this tragedy.

It was held on January 14th at the Robb Drive chapel in Reno, NV- right across from the high school that I and all my siblings had attended. The same building where I grew up going to seminary every morning, where I later on had my own wedding reception, and where we had all just attended a ward Christmas party (and the entire ward was sick with the flu the following week). Who would have thought that just a few weeks later...

My brother Dan, who is a graphic genius, edited and airbrushed hundreds of photos for our display at the service. Including this one we had blown up to a 16x20. It was also the one used for his obituary and program. What a handsome guy! (I recall pointing that out about him as well in my last post...)



This particular photo was taken just over Christmas with all of us together. Dan was able to take my arm I had around Jason digitally. Simply amazing. Technology these days. I put all the finished photos together into two collages so people could see his life. Here's a bit of what the displays looked like.



We also had some digital frames with slideshows of him growing up- from baby to high school graduate. Mostly the school pics.



The service was indescribable. It was so full of comfort, hope, and people! It is a smaller chapel, but still there must have been several hundred people there come to show their support. We have a large extended family, so the reserved family section was pretty big. It was amazing how many cousins travelled hundreds, even thousands of miles to be there. I had family drive from Texas, Utah, Arizona, California. And others who flew from Alaska, Virginia and even Guam! The support displayed was so unbelievable. You could just feel the love in the room as people in the family had a chance to share memories of him, and many shared their witness of the reality of Jesus Christ's Atonement. It was a service filled with hope and confirmation that ours is a fragile existence, but we have the perspective that it doesn't end here. Death is not the end. We got so many comments from all sorts of people that it was the best funeral they had ever been to. Of course it helps that there were many musical numbers performed (music was Jason's life), including my Dad's. I don't know how he was able to do that.

Afterwards we went to the cemetary for the final service and dedication of the grave. (My parents bought a plot right next to his.) A lot of people came there too, as we had another short service where his friends and family friends were given the opportunity to say something as well. I have a few pictures from that event.



Some of the handsome pall-bearers. They were all cousins and family. We had ten in all.



This is the entire group from behind. I was able to videotape what went on there, which I am grateful for. This is only a portion of the people who attended the actual funeral service. A few of his friends spoke here. They loved him so much. We laughed a lot too because Jason was such a goofball. He was mostly known for his big old smile, but most especially for his hair. In fact, that was a nickname- "Hair". He was always experimenting. Lately it had been short and straight, but at our wedding it was long, poofy and curly. He was blessed with some great hair. Maybe I'll do a collage of that sometime. I was honored to have been the one to make sure his hair was done just right for the viewing.



The back of the group, closer up. It was such a warm and gorgeous day for mid-january. We hardly needed a jacket!



Here's my Dad speaking again in, as is usual, deep and profound words. It seemed to me that he was often doing the comforting when it should have been the opposite. But that's his kind and generous nature. A very selfless man to whom I look up to and admire for his strength and wisdom. He sang "O Sole Mio" as they were lowering his casket so we all wouldn't have to listen to the sound of the cranks in silence. He mostly did it for my mom.



Elena got another chance to wear her Christmas dress (since she was sick on Christmas). She ran amuck whilst the ceremony ensued. She kept sitting at random gravesites and inspecting trinkets left, smelling all the flowers- real and fake. She had fun doing that with her cousin Jackson. Some kind family members kept track of them while I taped. We stuck around until they put the sod down and put the gravemarker in. This was the final result:





I was so glad to have been able to be there for ten days and be with family to mourn together and to help each other heal. That time with family will forever be priceless to me. As family and dear friends left one by one, we all felt a great sense of urgency to keep in touch better and to be more a part of one anothers' lives. There were many comments on how unfortunate it is to have events like these to get the family together. So, many plans were made.

I will post more about my brother soon, with many many photos. He is an awesome person that I want to share with everyone. I feel like everyone should know him! So stay tuned...

Christmas in Reno

Phew!

We somehow survived the cross-country flight from Baltimore to Reno. We had two stops along the way, but first I have to say that I am never doing a 7am flight EVER again. The airport shuttle van picked us up just before 5 am, and the kids were NOT too happy to be woken up. Anyway, it all seems so long ago now. I remember we waited an hour on the tarmac to be de-iced before we even left BWI. It was no big deal though, since we were to have a 3 hour layover in Kansas City. So, that wait was a little less. But not much less. We had to wait there as well to be de-iced. All the flights were full as well- no elbow room at all. As Jim likes to call it "butt-cheek to butt-cheek". The worst part is the KC airport is so pudunk that you have to go through security just to get to your next gate. Jim hated that! Imagine having to go through that twice in one day with two wriggly toddlers. Then we stopped in Phoenix too, but we didn't have to get off, thank goodness. We finally made it to Reno after 8 pm. (11 pm our time) The kids were way too excited to go to sleep.

It was so worth it, though. We had a great two weeks in Reno.

I think the influenza virus has morphed into a bigger monster than anyone's immune system in the world has been up against. Everyone I know was sick over Christmas. We all got it in Reno. In fact, the entire ward had it right after the ward party. A lovely one-day flu. From what I hear, people across the country had to deal with stuff. A one-day epidemic! Luckily, we all took turns being sick so we could take turns taking care of each other. But nobody was sick on Christmas! What a blessing!

Christmas eve we had our traditional program, where everyone shares something, be it a story a song or whatever. Here's my dad playing the guitar. Even the little bitty ones joined in when Grandpa played twinkle, twinkle- which could be construed as a Christmas song! My bro Jason is on the left. You can't tell from the picture, but ladies- he's a hottie! (Only if you're available, of course.)



Elena wanted to sit in her carseat in its travel bag for our program. Funny kid. Probably really comfy, though...



Here are the three cousins on Christmas Eve. From left to Right is Aaron (15months), Elena (29 months) and Jackson (28 months at the time). Looking a mite sleepy, aren't we?


And here's the beautiful 16-foot high Christmas Tree. It produced many mystified oohs and aahs from the kids.

Aaron and Daddy.

This was our table setting on Christmas Eve. Sorry it's so blurry. It was so fun to have all my siblings present (there are 4 of us). And my sister's little family too. Harold and cousin Jackson. We're still waiting for my two bros to find significant others.

We woke up nice and late at 9 am on Christmas day. Yippee! We are relishing the Christmases when we can sleep in, for we know that won't last much longer! Here are a few of us opening gifts Christmas day. Doesn't Aaron look like that baby from the Labrynth? "You remind me of the babe..."


Elena got a baby doll whose eyes close when she's laying down. She thought it was so cool. She ran off to the stairs once it was open to examine it all alone where nobody could bother her.


Then she pretended to sleep too. So cute!


So much cool new stuff!
We also awoke Christmas Day to a foot or so of snow. At the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains this is not uncommon, however it has been quite some time since there has been a white Christmas. So, Jim wanted some exercise later on when all the unwrapping was done. Even though nobody had to go anywhere he wanted to shovel the snow off the driveway. Elena wanted to go out too. She LOVED the snow!



She loved grabbing handfuls of it and throwing it in the air to make it snow again. Aaron, on the other hand, HATED it.



'Nuff said.



Here's my attempt at a magical windowpane photo with the snow sticking to it. Until I have a camera that costs a million dollars, that's the best I can do. By the time we left on New Years' Day all the snow was pretty much gone and the temperature was in the high 50's. I quite enjoyed that, even thought the snow was nice.

This was pretty long so thanks for sticking with me!

To be continued....

Merry Christmas 2008!

To all of our family and friends, wherever and whoever you are....Merry Christmas 2008! This message will reach many from a variety of states and far-flung nations. We love you. We are grateful for your presence in our lives and wish the Lord's brightest blessings upon you.

The two tiniest Feagin's, known to the world as Aaron and Elena are growing and progressing well. They sure keep us busy and we are amazed at their growth. Elena (2 1/2 years) has a remarkable vocabulary, and while an introspective child is also quite active. Aaron (14 months) remains our chubby little hambone and can be found stumbling around the Feagin residence. He is a sensitive little ball of emotion and is a very expressive tike.

Known to the world as the "Mormons for Obama bumper sticker guy", James is still the Senior Writer for Huggins & Scott Auctions in Silver Spring, Maryland. I currently serve in the Elder's Quorum presidency of the Columbia Second Ward, a calling that I find challenging and rewarding. I am in good health and happy as always. My interests are always changing and I love being able to speak about a variety of topics to different people.

Brooke is doing superbly. She is the backbone of the Feagin family and is an inspiration to her family, especially her children. Mrs. Feagin currently works in Medical Billing for Central Maryland Rehabilitation Center in Columbia, Maryland. She excels at her calling as a Sunday School Teacher in the Columbia Second Ward and her greatest challenge.....she puts up with me :)

We are down to Spooky the Cat. Her comrade Smokey, turned up missing in early April and hasn't been heard from since. Despite a frantic search by James, the morbidly obese Smokey is no more.

Aside from an eventful weekend trip to Williamsburg and our annual jaunt to Reno, we stayed pretty close to home. We are grateful for all of the blessings we have been given and for our friends. Keep in touch and here is to a memorable 2009!

Love,

James, Brooke, Elena, Aaron and Spooky

Microwave Fudge

The yummiest, easiest treat ever! Make it for yourself, or your neighbors or- Heck, it's so easy! Make it for both of you. All you need is:

1/2 C Cocoa powder
1/2 C margarine or butter (1 stick)
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
1/4 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C chopped nuts

Mix the cocoa powder and powdered sugar in microwave pan. Slice margarine on top. Pour on milk but do not mix. Cover and cook for 2 minutes at full power. Add vanilla and nuts; stir to mix well. Pour into greased 8x8x2-inch pan. Chill 1 hour. Cut into squares. Makes 64 pieces.

Enjoy!

Sinter Klaasje

My father served his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Holland, and as a result my brothers and sister and I were raised with a little bit of the Dutch tradition of celebrating Christmas on December 6th. He taught us that Sinter Klaas arrives on an ancient boat and travels from door to door on his magnificent white steed, leaving goodies for all in their wooden shoes (Klompen). (In Holland he arrives from Spain and makes land at Amsterdam.) Each year we always would put treats, as did the Dutch children, like carrots, apples, celery and such for St. Nicholas' horse to eat, and hope that he would in turn give us treats back! We would all sing the song "Sinter Klaasje bona bona bona" (as you have to perform for him in order to receive a gift), and then go to sleep. The next morning we would find such treats in our shoes: traditional ribbon candy, pistachios, and clementines. (Sometimes even hershey kisses!) And then each person got a toy. Oh, boy!




Well, this year I busted out our wooden shoes. We each have a pair that actually fit us- even Aaron! They were all hand-me-downs as people's feet grew and/or bought themselves new ones with cooler painted designs. Here they are in their Klompen! Aaron didn't like to walk in his- not very comfy for little learning feet, so he took them off just as soon as they were on.





And here is what Sinter Klaas brought us!



Elena got a Hello Kitty DVD- she's a HUGE fan right now. Aaron got a farm animal toy, which you can push buttons and hear the animal sound. Oh, boy! Jim got a new Black & Decker drill. (How did Saint Nick know our old one stopped working!?) And I got a new counter-top mixer. Kinda like a Kitchen-Aid. Yippee! Oh, yeah and some really yummy treats too! He left us one of my favorite holiday treats- Stroopwafel! They are somewhat like big round wafers with caramel in between, and if you microwave them for a few seconds the inside gets all melty and gooey and SO GOOD! Especially with a mug of hot chocolate. (I despise calling it "hot cocoa". Pet peeve. Hate, HATE that word!)

Anyway, nowadays, they still celebrate over in Holland. It's a huge deal for them. They close down everything, all the shops, everything. It's kind of like Christmas and Halloween combined. Sinter Klaas wears the cardinal robes as he is a saint from Spain, and he is accompanied by Zwarte Pite (Black Pete, from Morocco). He's the enforcer, shaking a stick of switches to keep the boys and girls in line.



So kids go to the parade all dressed up as one of them, or just paint their faces.



They then have to perform for Sinter Klaasje in order to receive a gift. (This aspect was similar to what I experienced on my mission in Germany.)



Then everybody parties! Every large city has a parade with Sinter Klaas. Maybe someday we'll go over there and experience a true European Christmas. I believe I do have some Dutch heritage, so that would be cool.

Quick Trivia question:

New York City was originally called what?

.

.

.

.

.

Give up?

New Amsterdam!

Back in the day, they used to celebrate Sinter Klaas European style there.

Pretty cool, no?

I have some pretty cool traditional recipes I will post later, like Ollibollen and Lefsa!

Gooi wat in mijn laarsje, Dank U Sinter Klaasje!

(By the way, adding the -je to the end of Sinter Klaas adds an air of affection to it.)

Santa Baby

I was brave and took the kids to the mall by myself the other day to see Santa Claus. Turns out it was a smart idea! There was absolutely no wait, which alleviated me having to entertain them while waiting in line- like last time. Last year it was Elena's tonsils who revealed themselves (waaaaaa), this year she couldn't have loved Santa more! She looked up at him like he was her very own Grandpa...

It was Aaron's turn to share his tonsils with the world. I had to pry his poor little fingies off my shirt and then hide around the corner. The nice lady elves thought that was pretty cute though- a classic sad baby with Santa shot. It was all surprisingly low stress since we didn't have to wait in any line and Santa and his helpers were so nice. There were even two sisters in line behind us who must have been in their 50's. They came to sit on Santa's lap too! I heard them say as we were moving away to Santa that they were naughty this year. Ha! See, you're never too old to sit on Santa's lap...

Today we celebrated the dutch Christmas- Sinter Klaasje visited our house and put some goodies in our wooden shoes. I'll talk some more about that later, once I've downloaded the pictures...