Remembering Past Thanksgivings

I realized today that in my lifetime, I've celebrated many Thanksgivings. I have decided to look back at some of the most memorable ones:

1970 (or so) - When I was a child, most of my Thanksgivings were spent at my mom's brother's house; Thanksgiving and Aunt Miriam, Uncle Norman, and cousins Loren and Cheri, went hand in hand. Aunt Miriam's favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. They invited so many people every year, including my dad's parents and my Uncle Bobby.

Anyway, when I was about 14 years old, Aunt Miriam heard about a new way of cooking the turkey. Everyone who attended suffered from food poisoning a day or so later!

1974 - My parents came from California to Colorado to spend Thanksgiving with me. A huge blizzard hit the state. My brother Billy was supposed to come from Denver with Ron Shaver, but had to cancel due to weather. My parents and I decided we would still celebrate. We opened the oven to remove the turkey, and realized my mom had not turned on the oven. My dad started looking at Thanksgiving restaurant ads. We ended finally cooking that turkey, but eating very late.

1977 - I was a senior at Colorado College then. I remember eating at the Bemis dining hall with my friends Frank Langben and Elaine Emmer. Later, Elaine and I were invited to someone's house for dinner, but we didn't want to pass us the dining hall afternoon meal! (This year, 2009, I've reconnected with Elaine! I am also overjoyed to be in touch with my friend Frank!)

1980 or 1981 - I won a grocery store certificate for $25 from Albertsons. Dan and I decided to use that money to make Thanksgiving in our home and to invite people to spend the day with us who did not have a place to go or families. I will never forget how great an experience that was.

1984 - We spent many wonderful Thanksgivings with my Grandma Fannie and my sister Lynnellen and my Uncle Bobby when we lived in Long Beach. My dad had a heart attack and recovered in 1984, so our entire family was on a health kick. I cooked everything from scratch, used no fat, took out the eggs yolks from the pies, and made health food stuffing. It was a delicious meal.

1986 - My sister Lynnellen was pregnant with her first child, Drew. We invited one of my dad's favorite medical students to spend Thanksgiving with us at my Grandma Fannie's house.

1989 - We lived in San Francisco then. I think the fun Thanksgiving at Lori Baron's flat in San Francisco took place that year. I took an amusing video from that Thanksgiving. Someday, I'll get that video up on YouTube. I especially remember when David Mishkin interviewed Terry Korotkin with a banana!

1991 - Dan and I had just arrived in Colorado. Billy's inlaws, the Sutherlands, invited us to their house in Denver. We spent several holidays at the Sutherlands during Billy's early days of marriage.

1998 - We went to Breckenridge, Colorado with my friend Larisa Gendernalik and her son, Alex. We rented a condo together. We ate dinner at a fancy buffet in Breckenridge. I wondered why I didn't feel like eating. The next morning, I took a pregnancy test and found out I was pregnant. Dan and I went cross country skiing and ice skating that day. Annabelle was born 8 months or so later! Joel and Rebekah's first skiing took place at Kinderhut in Breckenridge.

2005 - Dan had just come home from the hospital after being in a horrible accident that almost took him away from us. Just before Thanksgiving Day, he had been rushed back to the hospital. We thought he'd have to spend it there, but he got to come home. My parents came and we had a wonderful time together as a family. Dan's brother Mike was also there.

The next day, we took Dan to the YMCA so he could take a shower since his wheelchair wouldn't fit in our bathroom. Afterwards, we went to my friend Larisa Gendernalik's house for another Thanksgiving dinner since her family decided to celebrate together on Friday instead of Thursday. That was one of the last times we saw Larisa's daughter, Valerie. (Valerie was murdered during Memorial Day Weekend 2008.)

2007 - Since we had to leave for Junior Nationals only two days after Thanksgiving, we spent a quiet Thanksgiving together as a family. The kids even skated at Colorado College on Thanksgiving morning. The kids really enjoyed that Thanksgiving since they could be themselves. Each kid especially enjoyed the whipped cream!

2008 - My brother and his wife Amy invited us to our family's vacation home in Larkspur for a huge family Thanksgiving celebration. It was so very special. Everything was beautiful!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Haley Gans Memorial Fund

A memorial fund has been set up in memory of figure skater Haley Gans who died tragically in a skiing accident on November 20, 2009. Haley was only 14 years old.

Donations will go to a charity or cause that was close to Haley's heart. Checks should be made to "Haley Gans Memorial Fund" and sent to Bank of the Broadmoor, 155 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.

Something I Thought Was Good Went Bad

Years ago, my heart ached for a young woman who told me that she was struggling to leave a certain religious group.

What the young person told me bothered me so much, that I felt that there was a need for the people that left that religious group to meet together online.

Innocently, I created a Yahoo-type group that was meant for those who no longer worked for that particular religious organization.

I didn't know it at the time, but my innocent attempt to help was interpreted wrong. I had not meant to hurt anyone or do anything sinister. I really believed I had done a good thing.

I was told that creating such a Yahoo-type group had to be approved by the organization. I had no authority to do so. I was asked to take the Yahoo-type group down.

By the time I was told to take the group down, I discovered how fun it was to reunion with some of the people who had joined online. We were all enjoying talking to one another.

What I had done was a good thing, but somehow it had been interpreted as a bad thing.

Similarly, I tried to do something good this week, but found out today, that the good thing I thought I did bothered some people. I've been very sad all day about this, but am trying to move forward.

My Memories of Haley Gans

Today, November 20, 2009, while we were in Wichita at the 2010 Midwestern Figure Skating Championships, the Broadmoor Skating Club skaters were notified that a fellow training mate and club member died tragically in a skiing accident at 11:45 AM in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Just last weekend, Haley's mother, Pat, had written on Facebook that her family had hit the slopes. In her post, she described the joy the family had experienced on top of a mountain in Colorado.

On Monday, I told Pat that I saw her post and wished I could take my family skiing soon. She and I chatted about skiing and Pat had told me that the family had purchased season passes for Breckenridge. I replied that our family's ski trips would have to be put on hold until after Junior Nationals.

Haley Gans was only fourteen years old. She was a beautiful person that was loved by everyone she touched.

The first time I met Haley was on the ice during the summer of 2006 or 2007. I was teaching Annabelle or Rebekah or Joel on a freestyle. We happened to say hello to Haley at the the music machine. Haley commented how great a skater Annabelle was!

Later on, I learned that Haley was deaf, but lived the life of a hearing person since she had cochlear implants surgically implanted in her ears. A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.

Like my own children, Haley had always been homeschooled, and I also discovered that her mother Pat and I had similar homeschooling styles. We both knew what unschooling was and used that style of homeschooling some of the time.

Just last summer, for her 14th birthday, Haley had a huge birthday party at Water World in Denver. I was so impressed with the party. Haley invited many of the Broadmoor skaters that were close to her age. She seemed to be overjoyed that so many kids wanted to celebrate her birthday with her. Rebekah had a wonderful time. Pat mentioned that she hoped Rebekah and Haley would get to spend more time together since the two girls were so much alike.

This year in particular, I had the joy of seeing Haley skate every day with Larry Ibarra. She and Larry skated at the same time as Rebekah and Joel on the 9:00 AM Dance/Pairs Session at the Colorado Springs World Arena. Larry was teaching Haley everything about pair skating. Each day Haley got better and better. She jumped in the clockwise direction, but Larry did amazing things with her! They would do throws in Haley's jumping direction, but death spirals in Larry's. The lifts they did were incredible.

Larry recently had gone to Florida with Haley and her family for a pair try-out. Haley so much wanted to find a pair partner and compete.

Just before we left for Midwesterns, Rebekah wore a new waltz dress to the rink. Haley loved Rebekah's dress and told Rebekah how pretty she looked in it. Also, she and Pat wished us well. That was only a few days ago...

My entire family loved Haley. Everyone loved her. My family's thoughts tonight are for Pat and John Gans and Haley's siblings, Rebekah and Jake.

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From the Denver Post 11-20-09

Girl Dies After Ski Accident At Breckenridge

A 14-year-old Colorado girl has died after an accident on an intermediate trail at Breckenridge Ski Resort. Haley Rose Gans, from Colorado Springs, was skiing on the Spruce Trail, a blue intermediate trail, when she apparently skied into a tree.

The resort said ski patrol was summoned to the trail at 11:48 a.m. Friday.
Gans was taken to Breckenridge Ski Resort, where she was pronounced dead.

Witnesses said the teen was skiing very fast and into a tree. The cause and manner of death are pending investigation, but are related to blunt force trauma of the chest.

Gans was wearing a helmet.

Rebekah and Joel Schneider- Farris - 2010 Midwestern Intermediate Dance Pewter Medalists!

Rebekah and Joel competed in the 2010 Midwestern Figure Skating Championships which took place in Wichita, Kansas, from November 18 to November 21, 2009. They are the 2010 Midwestern Intermediate Dance Pewter Medalists and have qualified for the 2010 US Junior National Figure Skating Championships! Go Rebekah and Joel! We are so proud of you!

Photo of Calvary Chapel of Long Beach Reunion 1987

Dan and I met during the summer of 1978 at the little Calvary Chapel of Long Beach (California). In fact, most young people that attended Calvary of Long Beach were single, but found the person they married there.

That little fellowship sort of fell apart somewhere in the mid or early 1980s, but the group held a reunion in 1987.

Recently, on Facebook, some of the friends we knew there have reunioned online.

When I look back, I believe that the people who were part of the small Long Beach Calvary/Vineyard fellowship were the most loving people I've ever known. I'm glad to be back in touch with the few that have reunioned on Facebook!

This picture shows many of our young faces. The photo was taken at the 1987 reunion at Whaley Park in Long Beach. If you click on the photo below, it will enlarge. Enjoy!

Dan and I are easy to spot since we are wearing Zamboni t-shirts!

Rebekah and Joel's Fire and Ice Performance 11-13-09

Rebekah and Joel smiled after tonight's (11-13-09) Broadmoor Skating Club's Fire and Ice performance! Also, some members of the Broadmoor Skating Club were there to cheer for everyone who performed at tonight's Fire and Ice exhibtiion. They are so excited to be going to compete in Midwesterns next week!

Looking Back: Rebekah and Joel in December of 2007

Rebekah and Joel have grown so much in the past two years! This was an interview they took part in at the 2008 U.S. Junior National Figure Skating Championships that took place in Salt Lake City.

Rebekah and Joel's Waltz Costumes - 11/11/09

Here are two photos of Rebekah and Joel modeling their new waltz costumes!

Videos From Rebekah and Joel's Ice Dance Practice 11-10-09

Today, I took two videos of Rebekah and Joel. I filmed their American Waltz and their Fourteen Step. They did great! I'm so proud of them!

The Man That Killed Valerie Gendernalik Has Been Convicted

During Memorial Day Weekend 2008, my dear friend, Larisa Gendernalik, was notified that her beautiful 25 year old daughter, Valerie was shot to death by her boyfriend.

It's been seventeen months since that tragedy. Yesterday, Justin Moore was convicted of 2nd degree murder.

• Our Friend Valerie Gendernalik Is Dead


• Gendernalik Family keeps victim close - From Coloradoan.com
  
• Man convicted in girlfriend's shooting death - From Examiner.com
  
  

Rebekah and Joel's Facebook Fan Page

I just created a Fan Page for Rebekah and Joel on Facebook!

Rebekah and Joel Schneider-Farris - A Sister-Brother Ice Dance Team on Facebook

Halloween 2009

The kids went Trick or Treating with our friend Hannah Johnson and also Annabelle's friend, Isabella. Annabelle was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Rebekah was a witch, Joel was a very scary character, and Hannah was Little Red Riding Hood!