Mark's High School Garage Band: As December Leaves

I am pretty sure this is drama awards night for which Mark's band played.  I may be wrong about the occasion, but Mark appears to be having fun.  He played bass, Chris Chavez drums and Andrew Loc lead guitar.  They all three provided vocals.  First three pictures are the band, and last two of the awards.

Veterans in my family

My Son, Mark, Marine, served in Iraq

My dad, Navy served during WWII in Brazil and Africa

Great-great-great grandfather Ashton who served in the Infantry of the Army defending U.S. interest at the time against Native Americans 1856-1861.  He marched to California, and walked the entire state North to South.  He was discharged from Benecia in 1861. (sorry no picture)

Aunt Verna who did a a couple tours of duty.

Stevens Creek Ward: Snow Trip

I am not sure what year, but probably 2001 based on Caleb's appearance (age 6)

Caleb and Charity

Miranda on the end

Caleb and Brother Garn

RandieJane

Dave Danielson, Randie and Caleb in a chain

Mark

Caleb and Erin Hammond

Jeremy on the right

Jeremy and Brother Garn

Trevor Criddle, Brother Garn, Adam Roberts, Mark, Natalia, Stephanie Criddle, and ???

Natalia, Trevor, Sister Criddle, Mark, Syephanie, ???

Jeremy catches the Frisbee in front of Brother Garn

Caleb

Jean Juong and Natalia

Trevor, Brother Garn, Adam Roberts, ???, Jeremy Struk, Natalia, ???, Stephanie

Mark and Jeremy wrestling

Mark and

Miranda

Bishop Peterson, Sheri and Miranda

Caleb

Miranda

Caleb and Charity

Caleb

Mark's Career in the Theater: Once on This Island

Cupertino High School 2005.  Marks Senior year we was in the school musical portraying Daniel Beauxhomme (beautiful man) in the Cupertino High School Production of "Once on an Island."  He was cast opposite his girlfriend of the time, Milan who portray Ti Moune.  The island was two classes, those with money, and the peasant people. 
Ti Moune is a girl who is rescued from a tree after a storm.  The great rich "grand hommes" people often drive their vehicles quickly around the island, among them Daniel, who crashes in the rain.  He is nursed back to health by Ti Moune, who falls in love with him.  Daniel is take back to his own people, and nursed further back to health.  Ti Moune makes a deal with death, that he live, and her own life is death's.  Ti Moune travels across the island to be with her love, who commits to her in the song, Some Girls You Marry, and Some You Love." 

Some girls take hours to paint every perfect nail
Fragrant as flowers, all powdered and prim and pale
But you are as wild as that wind-blown tree
As dark and as deep as the midnight sea
While they're busy dressing, you lie here, warm and bold
Some girls you picture, some you hold

Some girls take courses at all the best schools in France
Riding their horses and learning their modern dance
They're clever and cultured and worldly wise
But you see the world through a child's wide eyes
Their dreams are grand ones, you want what's just in reach
Some girls you learn from, some you teach

You are not small talk or shiny cars
Or mirrors or French cologne
You are the river, the moon, the stars
You're no one else I've known

Some girls take pleasure in buying a fine trousseau
Counting each treasure and tying each tiny bow
They fold up their futures with perfumed hands
While you face the future with no demands
Some girls expect things others think nothing of
Some girls you marry, some you love
He is previously engaged, and has obligations, but things he can have a love and a wife.  However this does not work.  Death comes to retake his prize and says you must kill him or die.  She makes an attempt, but then is overcome with love and cannot kill him.  However in this she is discovered with a knife, and thrown out.  She waits ate the gates for Daniel, who finally comes with his new pride on their wedding day, and doesn't acknowledge her other than to throw coins to her as is the custom.  Overcome with grief, she is allowed to drown peacefully.  Her body washes ashore, and becomes a great tree.  The tree breaks the gate of the hotel palace.  The people are then able to mix together with love.  The show ends with Daniels son (played by Caleb) marrying a peasant girl.  The cycle of prejudice is broken.  

I am sure, Mark is the only person at the school that could have pulled off this role.  He had a steering wheel which he used to represent his big car, and skipped around the stage, until the water got him.  Somehow his younger brother, Caleb ended up in the play as well, although his was a nonspeaking part.  Mark was excellent.  His solos sent chills up your spine.  I still wish I had a recording. 

Aunt Carol, Kittens, Snakes, Charity and Poop

At Aunt Carol's memorial they mentioned her love for animals; especially snakes and cats.  We found this to be true in a sort of funny way.  After we moved to San Jose, it seems we had a dinner with the Haws family about yearly.  This usually took place around Easter.  We would run into them at stake conference and say like, "It's been too long since we spent time together" and then make plans for a visit.
The first time we went to Aunt Carol's and Uncle Von's they had baby kitties.  The kids adored them.  Aunt Carol warned them they weren't potty trained, but all the same the kids held them and cuddled them and help them until the inevitable  happened. We had children with cat poop and dirty clothes.  

Forrest, Aunt Carol, Mark, Uncle Von

Aaron and Forrest

Aaron, Gretchen's son, Aunt Carol, Jeremy, Uncle Von; No snake was going around my neck

Gretchen's baby, Natalia, Charity Caleb in background, Me, Gretchen's daughter

A couple years we went to Uncle Von's and Aunt Carol's, Aaron got out his snakes.  Maybe my memory is playing tricks with me, but I remember the big snake being very long.  Maybe it was after this year, because Caleb is pretty small here.  I remember I touched the snake but not much more.  The kids were sitting together with the big snake draped between several of them on their laps.   Snakes don't eat much, and consequently they don't poop much either.  However, this was one of the times it did.  Charity remembers that as the snake started to go, Caleb slid the part with stink coming out of it to her lap, and she didn't know what to do, so she got snake pooped on.  Snake poop is slimy and white.  There was not much we could do but put Charity's clothes in a trash bag.  The bag went into the trash can when we got home.  Sheri did not want to try to salvage them.

As December Leaves: Mark's High School Garage Band

Mark, as he went through high school was involved in a garage band playing what he called emorock music.  The cut a c.d. and had some pretty nice songs.  I tried to make it to al their concerts, and I think I may have accomplished that.  Sometimes they played very loudly, and that and working at Del Monte, my ear doctor has blamed for my tinnitus.  But it was worth it.  I enjoyed their music.  I only had a hard time when the did a concert at the Lamp Lighter in Campbell.  There was some kid who kept wanting to do smash dancing and didn't care who he ran into.

Mark played bass, Andrew Loc lead guitar and Chris Chavez drums.  Chris I think really wanted to be playig guitar as well.  One of the hardest things was finding a drummer.  For some time Andrew and Mark played together, calling themselves Subject to Change, but when they found a drummer they changed the name.  They usually sang lead vocals for the songs they wrote.  My favorite is Seaside Burns Tonight that Mark wrote.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx2iIhtKOKM&context=C4182454ADvjVQa1PpcFPV-v3VBttmWpU8avrD7yp5ZSu0a3qtNcA=

Their myspace site is still up and features several of their songs.  They cut one c.d. that Chris put together.  The songs on the myspace site are from the c.d.
http://www.myspace.com/asdecemberleaves
I am not sure if my space works anymore.  But here are a couple more youtube movies
One on addiction, and the other about my father.
I got to help carry stuff from time to time.  Jeremy was more involved with them.  He was putting together a picture album at one time.  The use to pla for school drama stuff where Mark was active.  Also talent shows, the Lamplighter, and where ever the could.  They were even on t.v. at one point playing during High School Sports Beat.  The same show Mark was on for a second getting an assist for the Cupertino soccer team.

Baby Pictures of our Kids; Comparison to Elliott and Skylar

Natalia

Mark

Mark

Jeremy

Charity

Miranda

Caleb

Baby Elliott

Baby Anthony

Elliott two weeks

These pictures Miranda scanned t the computer so we could compare Elliott to other baby pictures to see who he most looks like.  Everyone has to make their own judgement.  But he does have a chin similar to all the kids.  He has the Caleb, Mark Charity nose.  He has Caleb, Miranda hairline.  Mark had more hair.  Maybe you can see other similarities.

 Baby Skylar was born 12/21/12