I can't make my mind up about a title, so right now, all is under-construction :)

Naturalization Ceremony: A Must-See for Every American

With all of the buzz about Arizona's new illegal immigration law and all other illegal immigration issues running amuck these days, it is refreshing to see people from other countries with the desire to become Americans, do it through the legal process set up for LEGAL IMMIGRATION.

With the exception of the Native Americans (whom anthropologists would say immigrated from areas such as Asia and Russia at one point in time), and those born here in America, all are immigrants to this soil. My family came over as immigrants from Germany and England. I know that there are many people around the world that would LOVE to come to this country. But the reality is that this country cannot support everyone who would like to be here, especially if a large populace does not do its part to support their fellow countrymen by being responsible in voting, paying taxes, working, looking out for each other's safety, obeying laws, etc. So, I have no problem, as do most Americans, with people from other countries becoming new American citizens if done through the proper legal channels. It is the breaking of and disregard for the laws set in place, the attitude of entitlements, the thumbing of the nose of others who did do pay the price and did the work to become a legal citizen, and the lack of realization that a single person's actions DOES have an effect on a community and country, especially when those actions are multiplied into the thousands and millions, that causes me and others to become alarmed and upset over illegal immigration.

Additionally, it is so sad to see the many who are born here take for granted all the blessings they have here in this country. To hear their complaints over the smallest, or even, biggest of things causes my ears to hurt. I wish I had the money to take all American-born citizens to countries around the world and let them see first hand that although not perfect, how great of a country we have to call our own.

But, really, if one keeps in mind history and ultimately a Christian world view, none of this comes as a surprise. None of the sour attitudes, greed, selfishness, entitlements, etc. should be surprising knowing the state of man is a sinful nature. God has certainly blessed this country, but He can also take away those blessings if His name is not honored, and it looks like that very situation is happening right now.

And as a Christian, I know that my true home and citizenship is with my Lord....as a new creation in Christ, I am no longer of this world. As I temporarily pass through this world, I am grateful to be a temporary citizen to the country of the United States of America and will uphold it and pray for it as long as I'm alive and as long as it does not cause me to go against my Lord.

So, knowing this is my temporary home and that all that is taking place is under the sovereign control of God, even the planting of leadership, I have a sense of calmness and peace regardless of how this country turns out. We Christians read in Revelation and know the end of this world, thus we must know and realize that there will be great change around the world and most of it not in a positive way. So, when I see some of this negative change that reverberates around the world, I actually get excited knowing that we are a day closer to our Lord's return. It is also a prod to me to do a better job in sharing the Gospel and knowing the Word of God!

What leads me to all of this is a precious ceremony that I was able to attend last week. New and dear friends that have been attending our church invited our church's ladies Bible study group to attend the Naturalization Ceremony for the wife, Jessica. She is originally from Panama, and has been a permanent resident for several years. They decided it was time for her to apply for citizenship. Thus, she went through the process and here in Tucson, AZ, became a new American citizen on Friday, May 14, 2010!

It was such a neat ceremony to attend. There were about 52 persons from 23 countries who went through this process. At one point in the ceremony, the floor was opened for new citizens or their family to share about this experience....most were shy, with only Jessica and a husband getting up to speak. I video taped Jessica's speech but didn't get the gentleman's as I don't know him to get his permission....I wish I had anyway! He and his wife were from Nigeria and he became a citizen back in 2004. He was led to become a citizen because of the persecution....arrests and jail time...that he experienced only because he was a newspaper editor! He said he grew tired of traveling to other countries only to be stopped at security and have himself and entire baggage pulled to the side to be questioned and searched only because he was a Nigerian. Of course, we only have his side of the story, but I tend to believe him. He said the first trip he took after he became an American citizen, which was to the UK, the security just let him pass on through saying, "Welcome to the UK"....he couldn't believe the difference in treatment just because he was now an American! He went on to urge the new citizens to take on the responsibilities of being new Americans like voting and volunteering, etc., but also to talk with their family and friends in their former countries to educate them on how wonderful America is despite what negative things or rumors they heard. He closed by saying "America Rocks!". Again, I wished I could have taped it as it was better said than I typed. But, the meaning is the same here....we must appreciate what we have here and take care of it!

I hope I can post all of the video...not sure if there is a video limit...because they will help show the specialness of this ceremony. I had tears in my eyes the entire ceremony, and was so happy for Jessica and her family for this special accomplishment of hers.

A few of us ladies (and two husbands) from the church were able to attend, but there were many more there in prayer and spirit in support of Jessica.

Congratulations Jessica!

Can never have too many Jahns!

Back in late March, we hosted 16 Jahns here in Tucson! No, not all were able to stay at our house, only Jesse's parents did so. But, we did hang out as a Jahn blob of 18 for a week and toured various parts of Tucson and surrounding area. We missed out on visiting with some key Jahns, like Jesse's sister, his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew (only nephew on the Jahn side for us), but the rest were able to come which included again, Jesse's parents, his uncle and aunt, his dad's cousin and wife and their grandkids, and the two sets of cousins and their families. Oh, I guess we also missed out on Jesse's aunt (his dad's sister) and husband and their children and grandchildren attending, but they have trouble traveling these days.

We visited the Sonoran Desert Museum, Kartchner Caverns, Gates Pass, Pinnacle Peak restaurant and Gold Dust Town (on Tanque Verde), A-10 bombing and gun range, Pima Air and Space Museum, Boneyard Tour, El Charro's (downtown location), Oregano's, their hotel pool, our home, and toured Jesse's squadron and base.

Anyway, we had a blast and here are photos of the Jahn Gang taking on Tucson!

The Jahn guys

Uncle Pete taking it easy on the Pima Air Space grounds tour...Mike pointing and laughing

Cousins: Mike, Jeff, and Pete (Jeff is Jesse's dad; Pete and Jeff are brothers) Cousins posing in front of Jesse's FAIP jet, the 'Tweet', T-37 Wonderful dinner at El Charro's

Tyler, Brandon, and their dad, Jeremy, hiking in the hills

Taylor

At the gun range!

Uncle Pete and Aunt Bets

Jeff, me, Jesse, and Rhonda (Jesse's

parents)

Jeff's cousin, Mike and his wife , Teri, and their grandkids

Jesse's cousins, (top) Jeremy and his wife, Michelle, and their boys; (bottom) Chris and Lisa and their kids

Having fun at the Sonoran Desert Museum

Technological Tears

Just trying to be savvy with my title.

Really, it is just referring to the weird and awkward sadness I felt yesterday when I literally chucked my broken cellphone into the store's recycle bin. The sadness continued when my phone number I have been associated with for the past four years was instantly deleted and I was assigned a new one.

I'm not a techie. Sure, I can hold my own on the latest technology, but certainly don't drool or anticipate the latest in any sort of wire-brain piece of plastic.

So, it was rather weird and even almost sad that I was experiencing sadness over these two situations.

I know it boils down to 2-3 things: 1.) my memory is horrid and now I must forget something familiar and learn to memorize something new; 2.) the phone and the number are now a thing of the past, never to be retrieved; 3.) they belonged to the last four years of my identity; and 4.) I always feel sorry for anything that gets broken....childish, I know.

But, soon after the sadness rolls in an eagerness of newness in my hands. The new cellphone is more sophisticated, so it will be frustration in learning the ropes, but ultimately, it's nice to have something new. And the phone number shouldn't be too hard to remember, I hope.

I was also amazed at how many applications and abilities all the phones had in the store....impressive, yet not when I start to think how people must fill their lives with empty connections to others, to be in constant gossip, to avoid actual conversations, to feel they must be in the latest know for various reasons, to feel that they must always be able to be reached.

I just wished that out of all of that technology, they would make phone buttons and touch screen 'keyboards' large enough for the size of the average and clumsy human fingertip.

I'm just glad I have a phone now....thank you Lord for your blessings!

Meet The Boys, George and Mac

After two months of getting through the loss of precious Sugar Cube, Jesse and I felt we were ready to get another cat, or if I could persuade, two cats. So, for my birthday (Feb 7th), Jesse asked me to guess what I thought my present from him was going to be....now, this is typically dangerous waters as it is usually something I wouldn't have considered and/or not what I suggested in previous hints or outright proclamations.

Well, I decided to take the bait again and guessed..... a cat? BINGO! After 7 years of marriage, we finally were on the same page!!!

We were both excited, me primarily that I was getting a cat/kitten (or potentially 2), and he was excited that what he thought of was something I'd actually want (I too, was also excited about this union of mind).

So, on a Saturday, we traveled over to the Pima Animal Control Center...after paroosing Craig's list and other cat adoption websites, I thought it easier to find our newest member(s) of our family by personally showing up to PACC and saving a cat's life.

We both wanted a kitten, but I also wanted to have 2 to be buddies, and to rescue an older cat. Thus, I managed to persuade Jesse into looking for two cats.

Ok, so walking into these shelters just rips my heart out. They funnel you through the first large dog room where dog after dejected dog lies on the floor, begs at their gate door, or barks for your attention. I just knew we'd be walking out with 30 dogs...and we hadn't even hit the cat room which is in the back of the center after you pass by two more dog rooms.

Finally we reached the cat room, and yes, I was ready to adopt them all. No, I'm not a cat-hoarder, but they were all so pitiful lonely and scared that my heart broke again. As I walked around each cage, I tried to give them a warm smile and not appear to favor one over the other. Just like the dogs, there were some that laid there with no hope, others reaching out through the cage, and others meowing and twirling to get attention. Oh my. Well, right away we saw that there was only one kitten and his name was "Skittles"...ding...he was one of the winners! Too cute and again, reaching through the cage for attention. Skittles' history was that he was a stray and brought in to the shelter.

So, now we're down to the next one. Our second choice, a fuzzy, red cat about 1-2 years, was already adopted...poop. We both love red tabbies and had hoped to get one. So, the search continued. I happened upon a small Siamese female that was twirling like a ballerina to get my attention. Oh, she was so cute! I was also looking at two other cats, both males and both over 2 years old. But, as I was watching the white ballerina twirl and reach for me, just above her I saw 'Fatso'. "Fatso" had the saddest eyes and the most pitiful quiet meow. He had adorable chipmunk cheeks and his coloring was exactly like "Skittles"..brown tabby. He was about 2 years old and calculating from the sign on the cage, appeared to have been there at the shelter since early December...almost 2 months... We also learned he was given to the PACC from a previous owner, so that was my guess as to why he seemed so sad.

I asked Jesse to come over and check out 'Fatso' and he immediately liked him, too. Now was the next step, which was to take the two cats to the 'get-to-know-you room' and see how they responded to each other. Right away, 'Skittles' wanted to play with 'Fatso', and although 'Fatso' didn't want to play, he didn't outright reject 'Skittles'. After a few moments, 'Fatso' took a slight interest and we all saw hope. And voila! The 'Boys', as they have affectionally been named by us, were on the track to adoption. A shot here, an ID injection there, and a mountain of paperwork to fill....yes, it's the government (and people actually expect it to run successful health care, ehhmmm)...plus a nice chuck of change...yikes....and the two were ours!

Now, time for a name change! Immediately, 'Fatso' looked like a Gus or a George to me...for a while I called him Gus, but finally settled on "George". Definitely had to get rid of those names! Skittles? He became "Mac"...again, much thought and finally decided on a double namesake to one of our favorite theologians/bible teachers, Dr. John MacArthur, as well as our favorite kind of computer...a MAC.....thus, "Skittles' became "Mac"......George and Mac, a perfect pair!

Well, when one adopts through the shelter, part of the harang is that the animal is spayed or neutered. So, after we got the cats out of their cages, let them play, and signed away our lives, they were put back into their cages to wait till Monday for the surgeries...I'm sure they were bummed to go back...what a nasty trick. But, come Monday, both Jesse and I were excited about picking up The Boys and didn't mind the drive completely across town.

After getting them home, I noticed something about George's neuter site that didn't seem right. I noticed that he was aggressively grooming 'the site' and noticed that the 'problem' was worse the next day. So, the first vet call was made. I couldn't get the cats in for their initial check-up until Wednesday. But, once there, the vet noticed the same thing I saw and we both felt we should take him back to the shelter for a recheck with their docs. I did; dropped him off on Friday morning and picked up later that afternoon. What I thought was a half-baked neuter was actually an aggressive grooming which started the day after his surgery while he was still in their care....long story. Anyway, because he needed to heal and he was an aggressive groomer, we had to put on 'The Cone of Shame'...an E-collar. The original collar was a nice, ocean blue fabric one that allowed some freedom, but sadly, would eventually allow him to lick the healing site. So, this moved his week of healing into an 11-day healing regiment in a standard, hard E-collar. Poor guy. But he was a great sport, and even managed to run all over the house, playing and wrestling with Mac...of course, Mac was trying to take advantage of The Collar.

Now, adopting from a shelter is always a crap-shoot....don't know what you're going to get, really. Our big concerns were that both cats would get along AND both would tolerate children. Well, we have certainly been blessed as George is THE MOST PATIENT cat I've owned....we took them both up to Vegas with us to visit my brother and his family about 2 weeks after we adopted them. This was the true test! The kitten, Mac, ran and hid most of the time, which I figured he would do, but George, good 'ol George, just hung around where everyone was and let the kids pet, pull, and play with him...it was great!!! I think it is a combination of his personality and his gratefulness to be adopted that kept (and keeps) him so patient and sweet. But, they both survived, and since have been interjected among other adults and children visiting our home.

They have been such a delight so far as they play all day between naps. I've eventually introduced them to the backyard, which they love, and found the 'trouble spots' where they can escape and fixed those. But as they both don't like being by themselves and without the other, they tend to stick close to the house, and at times, coming to the back door to 'ask' me to come outside with them. They even follow each other to the 'toilet--litterbox', including when I go ....just like kids! I just love them! So, the following are some general photos...I've got video I can probably add at some point to show their spirit.

Finally, an update...

A conversation at a baby shower today (shout out to Andrea Fallin!) made me remember that I'm WAY overdue for a blog! So, maybe this weekend I can catch up for the months of January and February and bring up to date to now mid-March....not that there is anything overwhelming to share...

One recent idea of a blog that came to mind was about my experience in stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new. Back in the fall of '09, I received a course catalog in the

mail from the Sonora Desert Museum which was hosting ART classes through the Art Institute of Tucson. I've always wanted to make artwork to decorate our house....sure Pottery Barn, Pier I, Home Goods have some lovely pieces, but it is all 'cookie-cutter' and I want to make

something special. In my mind's eye I've come up with really neat pieces of work, and I've also

run across various pieces I'd love to copy that I've seen in magazines, a restaurant here or a coffee place there....but, I know that once the idea leaves my mind and transfers to my hands, it would probably become a wreck and certainly nothing like originally envisioned.

So, I thought, "I'll take an art class and see if this is something I could pull off!". And since Christmas was about a month and a half away, I thought this would be a great gift for someone, anyone, in my family to give me...the registration fee for an art class! Thus, the 'wish list' went

out and on it was 'money for art class'....I got it in, in a way, not directly, but there was some money at Christmas so the class was paid.

I wanted to learn how to use watercolors....still do....but in order to take that class through this Art Institute school, you must take 2 prerequisite classes with them. I forget the second one, but the first one is Pencil I....learning how to draw with pencils, special artsy, graphite pencils.

Ok, still something I've never learned to do and I guess since it is the 'gateway class', this will

let me know early enough if I should plow ahead after this class to reach the watercolor.

The bonus to this class is the drive to and fro the Desert Museum, at least once I get on Gates Pass Road..not through town..it is so breathtaking to drive through the park, with my favorite

part driving over Gates Pass...a very steep hill that breaks out with a vista view for miles. The other part of the bonus is the walk to and fro class...walking to class through the museum park at 8:30 a.m. is so relaxing, hearing the hummingbirds carrying on their morning business in the hummingbird house along with other delightful morning festivities in the park!

So, the class. I am the youngest in the class with probably 90% being retired persons. And about 90% of the class has some experience in art, like, art major, worked in engineering, drawing for 20+ years, etc......so why are they in the class? Anyway, me and one other 'science

geek' are taking this class and we are the least experienced, but she has one thing on me and that is the time to do the homework as she is part of the 90% retired population.

I enjoy our teacher, Susan Fisher, and I appreciate her teaching style. She is very encouraging,

even for the two of us novices. Primarily this class is to teach basic skills in pencil drawing that we can take away and practice on our own. Again, there's that time thing...don't have much of it

to sit around and draw. I guess I have to get over the guilt of trying to learn a new skill :)

The only aspect of the class I don't really like is that we have to display our art homework...yikes. Yes, we've had to do it twice (it is a 5-class course) and the first time we had to present, well let's just say I did my homework at the last minute, well the day before, but I was definitely pushed for time and managed to multi-task by watching a new tv show I found on netflix that I think is a little gem called "Monarch on the Glenn"...a little Scottish diddy that is quite fun to watch.....so I guess the distraction of tv viewing also took away from the quality of my drawing.

Thus, upon presentation of our art, I felt like I could have done better by presenting a drawing of a stick figure man holding a hat and cane. Actually, my drawings weren't too bad, but still, compared to the other students with YEARS of art experience, my work was that of a

kindergartner.....Ms. Fisher was kind and found something to compliment.....incentive to draw

better next time!

Maybe I'll take photos of what I've done so far....we'll see.......but despite this

humbling experience, I'm still proud of myself for trying something new. So, look out watercolors, here I come....maybe

practicing concentric circles using a cup

1. blind draw and 2. free draw of seed pod

using rocks to practice box/square shading to improve skills in shading items that a

re boxlike in nature; practice drawing parallel lines to improve skills in drawing trees, stems, twigs, etc.

practice shading with two basic shapes (wooden sphere and square)

This is practice tracing and then shading in areas we think should be

blackened

This is my first presentation where we were to draw 3 'simple' objects to scale and true

size using a small rock as our measurement tool...I was off a bit :/ and these three objects turned out to not be so simple.... small, ceramic Korean duck, tea cup, and a shell

this is my second presentation of two objects, one black and one white, that we shade ...I used a black and white computer mouse and a white eraser.