Welcome to our exceedingly messy, beautiful life: "a big world is OUT THERE WAITING for us to live in every day. Outside, you will find, there is love all around you... It's a beautiful life & it's a beautiful world & it's a beautiful time... to be here!"

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Grampie is 65!

We celebrated Grampie's bday one day early (TAX DAY) at the office with what else but his favorite - El Pollo Loco!... and don't forget Jill's famous carrot cake (mmmmmmmmmm).

He had QUITE a turn out to celebrate him.
What a BLESSING he is to so many people!

WE LOVE YOU GRAMPIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




We will celebrated as a FAMILY the following Sunday at G&G's house.


Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter 2010

It was a full weekend celebrating the resurrection of our LORD with the family! We did our traditional Saturday morning egg hunt, baskets, and brunch at Grampie & Grammie's.
Gone are the days of little bright-eyed and bushy tailed kids squirming to stay in their rooms until 7:00AM because they are SO eager for candy and gifts... now, we head down after teens & young adults (and Dad!) have awoken from their slumber... so it was closer to 10:30.

Also a little untraditional, Dad had an appliance call with Lando prior do being able to come down (they couldn't turn it down, I mean, it WAS, after all a whirlpool dryer, not heating! - Sheesh!).

We did not do money eggs this year. (Lando was disappointed and thought that in honor of Jesus having risen, he deserved a "cash prize" - we all got a good laugh out of that one!). Drew and I DID however, do an interpretive dance (I'll have to secure a photo or two from Elle).

Hunting
Finding Jade & Elle's clever hiding spots!
Deevs wasn't fooled!
Miss M

Must be a remnant $1 egg from LAST year!
Instead of money eggs, we got everyone a pair of TOM'S Shoes for their baskets!

Trying on TOMS.

Father/Son bonding on the Sport Court
Late in the afternoon most of the kids took off. Drew had band practice back up in LA, Deevs & Miss M went to exchange their TOMS for different sizes & styles, and Lando went to play volleyball with friends.

Mom, Dad, Grammie, Grampie, Elle, and Jade stayed at G&G's and watched "Sherlock Holmes" which was certainly enjoyable!

EASTER SUNDAY

We arrived at Angel's stadium by 7:45AM to serve at the 30th Anniversary Saddleback service.


We were "Section Hosts". Lando & Jade did one section... they did a GREAT job welcoming, greeting, and engaging their guests! And seemed to have a fun time doing it!


Deevs and Dad had a section. They were at the FAR end, alone and their section was small and slow to fill up which was discouraging at first, but revved up right before the service started.We had LOTS of prizes to give away. This was not as fulfilling as it may seem. People were not grateful recipients, but kind of (dare I say it?) - Greedy. They wanted more and more and more. If I could advise the planning team for next year, it would be no gifts unless everyone gets the same gifts in their bag... it was chaos!

We still had a GREAT time serving as a family! I PRAY a lot of people came to Christ as a result of the efforts of this special day to share with them God's love for them and all Christ did for them on the cross!

As soon as service started, we were allowed to go back to our seats for the rest of the service.

After the service was over, the Jonas brothers sang 3 songs. We were NOT that far away, but they looked so TINY on that HUGE field!


After the service, we were tired & hungry, but happy!We were going to maybe go OUT to brunch, but we ended up coming home & BBQing, watching TV, resting...
and experiencing a LARGE earthquake! It was not that big here, but just a short way into Mexico, it was pretty large at 7.2... but I guess it was pretty deep which - they are saying - made it not FEEL as strong. It lasted a really long time... it felt like it just kept going & going. Wow! That was some unexpected excitement for the afternoon!

All in all, it was a lovely Easter weekend. We are SO grateful to be able to celebrate that our Savior ROSE and is Risen (indeed!) with each other. I couldn't IMAGINE a more pleasurable way to spend 2 days.
Thank you God for such ABUNDANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, April 2, 2010

New Closet in Process

Our Master Closet is finally beginning. I know it will be a long process since D is doing it while trying to run a business and do appliance repair calls, but it has BEGUN! Today Lando & Dad took out the big, old window and framed it in and are putting on the ___________ (I have no idea what it's called, but it is like chicken wire over black paper or something).

Sad to lose a big window (even though it was ancient and needed to be replaced) and all the sunlight that went with it, but we do not need a whole wall of our closet to be a huge window... we need shelves and drawers and hanging space.

outside views

from inside
macro view from inside

Great start, men!!!
Still a lot more to do:
* Dry wall over old window area
*Wire for electrical so both the new closet and new storage areas have lights & switches
* Divide the room in half with a new wall which will separate the new closet from the new walk in pantry/storage/laundry kind of area.
* Bust an opening (doorway) through our master bedroom wall into closet (frame it in?)
* Fix the gap in the flooring where there was previously wall.
* Design what closet space will look like
* Put in all the shelving, drawers and hanging bars for which we designed the scheme

And that is just the closet (and only what I know about it... I am probably over-simplifying it!)... then onto the storage/pantry area.

EXCITING!

Cyclist Deevs

Deevs sold a Lens on craigs list and using that and his (months early) bday money, purchased a used bike he found online.

Here he is getting ready to ride to church (7-8 miles, think?).




Lando has been super into bikes lately and now Deevs is too.
I don't have photos of Lando yet (I wish I had gotten some of him & his friend Jake working the whole weekend in the garage, fixing & painting!)

I am happy for their new hobby and interest but I am also worried... I get nervous when they are out riding that they will get hit by a car or crash and have a head injury. I am a stickler for helmets, but grown and nearly grown boys don't always listen to their mamas :(

Maybe I will spank them both soundly and put them to bed!

Miss M's Backyard Camp Out

Miss M had 2 friends sleep over and even though it is EARLY Spring and still pretty chilly, they begged and begged to sleep in the tent in the back yard.

When i picked them up from church and they asked, I told them "No"... it was too cold, it was a pain in the neck, wait until summer etc. etc. (all the while knowing Daddy had already set up the tent in the back and it was waiting for them). OH how they worked it and cajoled and wheedled, but I held strong.

When we got home, I told Miss M (a little sternly) that I needed to speak with her and to step out back. She followed me, seeming a bit ready to argue and then she saw the tent already all set up! The reaction was worth the torturous 15 minute drive home from church.

Was it cold? Yes! They said it was freezing in the middle of the night! (Sometimes Mother might actually know best :)

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Miss M Videos (MORE)

Miss M's newest video with Em, Chels, and JB. Enjoy their talent & creativity!

Jouey

Here is a great photo of Bijou taken by Miss M. Bijou is hard to photograph but she loves Miss M... and Miss M just has talent!