We're going on a vacation!

Dave and I are going on a little weekend getaway next week! To celebrate Dave's Birthday, Valentines' Day, and our upcoming anniversary in May, we are going on a Royal Caribbean three-night cruise to Ensenada. We don't take vacations at all, besides camping, so this will be SUCH a treat for us! And we are so grateful to my sister and her family for having our boys for the weekend-Karen insists that it is fun, not work....hmmm....three wild boys for the weekend, I don't know who will be having more fun! She is planning some very fun things for them to do, and even let each of my boys select their own personal menu options while they are there! What a blessing to know they will be in the most capable of hands. I know we won't worry one bit while we are gone. I am just excited and thankful for the opportunity to nurture and refresh our marriage with some time alone.

Dave and I never had a honeymoon, and the longest vacation we have ever taken together is two nights in Pismo a few years back, so we are so very excited and thankful to be able to have this special treat. The picture above is our actual cruise ship, the Monarch of the Seas. I picked "her" because of its signature rock-climbing wall, and the Jade Sushi Restaurant. It should be a lot of fun. I am particularly looking forward to seeing my husband in a suit, which is an extreme rarity for him. The last time I saw him dressed up beyond a dress shirt and slacks was at our wedding-and that was almost 12 years ago! I think I will feel like Cinderella at the ball!!! I will post again when we get back!

Long time, no post

Well, I haven't posted in a while, so it was time! And I have a free minute as the boys are outside helping Daddy mow the grass and loading unwanted bricks into the back of his truck. It is so cute to watch them load up their wheelbarrows so diligently, as if on a VERY important mission!

Well, this past weekend we went to Gorman on our first trip dirt bike riding with my new (well, used) 'lil Honda XR 80. At last, we can all go out exploring together! With Dave as our leader, we all followed him up some trails, around curves, up and down hills (that I would have NEVER chosen to go down on my own), and through some sand. It was so fun. Well, the sand wasn't fun! We were like little ducklings following their mother.

And here is a little piece of advice: ALWAYS listen to your husband. Shortly after we bought my bike, we went to the local motorcycle gear store to get an extra helmet and some new boots for Luke (poor guy had been squeezing his little toes into boots two sizes too small!) Dave told me that I should get a pair for myself. My sweet husband, whose duty and joy it is to make sure even my feet and ankles are protected. Well, being the frugal (OK, cheap) person that I am, I told him I didn't really need them right now. Well, don't you think that the first thing I hurt when I fell off my bike was my ankle? DUH!!!! And I also found myself with bruises up and down my legs from the minor spills I took. Am I just too old for all of this??? I think not. With the breeze in my face and a pink helmet gracing my head, I took to the dirt and just soaked it all in...the mountains, the breeze. It reminds me of the great hymn, "How Great Thou Art". I always seem to have this tune in my mind when we are out riding. Here are the words:

"O Lord my God!
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander;
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze;

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great thou art, how great Thou art!

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin"

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great thou art, how great Thou art!

Now, while I may not be able to hear the birds singing over the sounds of all the motorcycle engines around me, I can take in the breaktaking sights that God has made. What a world He created for us to enjoy! So even if it means bruises for a couple of days, it is well worth it! Time spent with my husband and children having fun-I wouldn't trade it for anything! We are so blessed!

Clubbers of the Month!!

Two of our boys received very special awards last night at our AWANA Club. For those not familiar with the program, AWANA is a nationwide church youth group, designed to teach kids the Bible through memorization, lessons, and a fun game time. Austin is in a club called Truth and Training, which is for 3rd-6th graders. Luke and Vance are in Sparks, which is for Kindergarten-2nd Grade. Dave and I serve as leaders in this club each Wednesday night. Each month they give out Awards on each color team for each grade level, based on achievement, behavior, attititude, and attendance. So each month there are about 5 kids chosen for this award from each grade. It is called Clubber of the Month, and they receive a ribbon that they get to wear each week for the month. They also get to assist in the flag salutes and club song.

Well, it was a successful night for the DeShong family, as both Luke and Vance were selected by their leaders to receive the award! It was so fun for us! Both boys were very surprised to receive the award, especially on the same night!

We are really proud of our little clubbers!!!!

Yet another Milestone....

Today we are mourning the loss (NOT!!!!) of a good and faithful friend. This friend has been in our family for 9 1/2 years, and we are finally saying goodbye. This friend has protected and comforted the boys. We say goodbye to the dreaded carseat!!!! We have had at least one carseat (at one point we even had three all at once), since Austin was born, and Vance is now FREEEEEEEE!!! He met the weight requirement to graduate to the regular carseat, so he gets to ride in the "big boy seat" now with the others. He is very excited about his new-found freedom to sit wherever he chooses in the van!

This is just yet another milestone to remind me that the boys are getting big, growing up, and moving on to bigger and better things. It is fun, yet sometimes melancholy to say goodbye to all the "baby" items. But now we are beginning to really enjoy spending time with our boys, developing a relationship with each unique child that God has gifted us with.

So, see you later, carseat! We won't miss you!!!!

Everyone should own a cat!

Here is a little lesson in life....own a cat! I was raised in a cat-filled home, as was Dave, and we always had a cat while we were growing up. I have had hamsters, rabbits, birds, fish, dogs, and even turtles, but cats are by far the best pets that exist. They clean themselves, require very little care, and pretty much keep to themselves. They don't need to be walked, covered up, bathed, or groomed. Just give them a bowl of crunchy nuggets, some water (a flushed toilet will do), and a litter box. Scoop daily, and voila! If you haven't ever owned one, give it a try. I even convinced my sister's husband that he would love having a cat, and guess what...now he does!

We currently have three cats. The first one is Scooter, a short-furred black and gray marbled cat, with very sharp claws! We got Scooter as a kitten for Luke on his 4th birthday. Luke loves that cat, and will pick him up whenever he sees him. Strangely, Scooter actually likes Luke, too. He's one of the only things Luke is actually gentle with. Funny! Scooter is a very reserved, yet lovable cat. Not the first one to jump up on your lap for affection, he usually keeps himself hidden. Not for the sake of fear, he is just more anti-social. But he will let you know that it's time to be picked up and loved on. He prefers being held over your shoulder like a little baby, and walked around. As soon as you sit with him, he takes off.

Murphy is another one of our feline friends. We actually inherited two cats that belonged to my parents when my Mom passed away. My Mom was a most avid cat lover, and my dad is really just a kitten lover. In fact, when they went to pick out a kitten at the pound, they actually ended up taking home two (my Dad seemed to bond with Murphy, and my Mom with another one, Callie, who is our third cat). So now we have both of them! Murphy is one of the best cats I have ever had. He is the one that will jump up onto your lap, no matter what you're doing, and plop himself down. He will stay for hours and purr if you keep petting him. He is very large (around 16-18 lbs I would say), and fluffy gray and white. He is a character, and resembles the personality of a sweet little old man. I adore it when he just rubs his head up against you! He is a big softie.

Callie is the third cat, a calico, who is quite quirky. She was very skittish when we first got her (she actually hid behind the Christmas tree and under the bed for about 3 days). She finally came out, and has turned into a wonderfully affectionate and spunky cat. She is thriving in our environment, because we are home all day, and she gets all kind of attention, negative as well as positive! At my parents' house, they were gone at work most of the day. She continues to be more bold and friendly by the day. She has a very interesting quality about her-she plays fetch. When she's in the mood to play, she will drop her favorite toy at your feet, usually a furry toy mouse or rubber band, and meow with a squeaky little voice. When you throw it, she will retrieve it and bring it back in her mouth and drop it at your feet again. She will usually do this for quite a while until we wear her out! It's so cute to watch her. She has the softest bunny fur and beautiful calico black, orange, and white markings. She ALWAYS sleeps on our bed at night. She finds a spot, curls up, and plops herself down in one quick motion. And she's still there when we wake up!

All of our cats bring such joy to our family (for the most part). When the house is quiet in the morning before the boys wake up, and Dave is gone to work, it is sweet to have a companion laying on my lap as I read and pray. Or when I'm sitting at my desk, and a cat jumps up into my chair with me-it's so sweet! God made animals for us to enjoy. And our motto is "as soon as that joy stops, they're out"!!!

Grandma Lorrie, A Very Special Lady

The first time I met Dave's mom, Lorrie, I thought to myself, "she could be his sister"!!!! When Dave and I met at age 19, she was only 38! That's only 4 years older than I am now!!! WEIRD!

Lorrie was born Lorrie Sue Morrison in 1954. She has 4 brothers and 3 sisters, most of which I have met at least once. Some live out of state, and some locally. Her mother, Shirley, Dave's only surviving grandparent, lives in Bakersfield. I don't know all the details of Lorrie's childhood, but I know they moved around a lot. They settled right here in Saugus at one point during her teenage years. In fact, they lived just down the street from where Dave's dad, Edward lived. This happens to be right around the corner from where we live now. Of course, Santa Clarita sure has changed a lot since they lived here! So Dave's parents met in high school, and ended up getting married shortly after they finished. Dave was born shortly after, followed by two more sons, Dewey (age 31), and Timothy (age 27). Dave also has a half brother, Benjy, who is now 19.

Lorrie is now married to Dan, who ironically, also raised three sons. And I have three sons. Lorrie's joke has always been "even my cats are boys"! However, Dave's brother, Tim, just found out that he and his wife, Raquel are expecting a baby girl in March! So Lorrie finally gets to buy some girl stuff. I'm sure she will spoil her rotten. And with something other than jeans, T-shirts, Star Wars stuff, and Hot Wheels! Lots of pink!

Some things you should know about Lorrie are that she loves cats and animals of all kinds, she knows how to sew, makes and decorates beautiful birthday cakes, likes Harrison Ford (or at least used to), loves to throw personal birthday parties for my kids each year, knows EXACTLY what boys like and want, is very thoughtful, remembers every single detail and memory of the past, and never forgets an important date.

Lorrie is a very sweet mom to both Dave and I, and an excellent Grandma Lorrie to the boys. She really makes an effort to maintain a good relationship with her family. Whenever the boys go for a visit, she always takes them to McDonalds, and often has ice cream for them, too. She sends them home with special goodies and treats as well. They love going to her house, because she loves them and makes them feel loved and special. She will often send them sweet letters in the mail just for fun, sometimes with a dollar in them, or something interesting to read or look at. If she goes on a trip, she send them each a postcard! This just shows that she is always thinking of them. I am so thankful that God has blessed us with her! She is unique and special is so many ways.

A boy, a bike, and a skid mark- A lesson from a 5 year old

Yesterday, Dave was outside cleaning up his garage after work. I say his garage, because it is simply that. It does not belong to the cars, nor do any of my storage items dare defile it. Nary a Christmas box, box of momentos, not even my washing machine. It is home to the plethora of tools, machinery, chemicals, paints, and any other improvement related items that Dave uses to further his creativity. You see, Dave, as I explained before, is very mechanical, very handy, and very self-sufficient. Those tools, machines, hardware, etc. have been used to make money for our family, to make useful items for our family, and to generally take care of the upkeep of our vehicles and home. So you see, the van stays in the driveway. Which works out just fine. And the dune buggy, three dirt bikes, bicycles, and Dave's other motorcycle live in there with all the tools.

So back to my story. The reason why this all came to mind was because, generally, if Dave is in the garage doing something, the boys tend to wander outside to ride bikes, skateboards, put ladders up to our huge fruitless mulberry, etc. Well, Vance was riding his bike on a sunny 78 degree winter afternoon in California (in shorts and a t-shirt I might add). I happened to be in the garage talking to Dave when I observed that Vance's sole form of entertainment for about a half an hour was riding his bike from two houses down up to our driveway, and then slamming on the brakes to make tire marks on the sidewalk. It was comical. He would stop, examine his current skid mark, and then go at it again, I'm assuming with the intent of increasing the size and/or intensity of his skid marks. This here is a boy for you. I just marvelled in the simplicity of it all, and it makes me smile just thinking about how simple life is for the boys right now. It gave me an opportunity to set aside the complications of life for just a moment and enjoy it throught their eyes. They don't realize how easy they have it right now.

Dave and I are firm believers in the simple, quiet life. We don't need the distractions, extra activities, "things", and experiences that this life has to offer. We don't ever want to run around like chickens with their heads cut off, going here, going there, and then finally plopping down at the end of the day from sheer exhaustion. We can actually take the time to savor being with each other, being with our kids, and serving others. We are so blessed that Dave has a job, that we have the privilege of owning a wonderful, clean, safe home to live in, that our children are healthy and happy, and that we have a church to go to, filled with amazing people that love us and encourage us daily. And, God views us as friends, and has granted to us a salvation from sin that we don't deserve. He chose us to be reconciled to him and be granted eternal life. Why did he choose us over anyone else? We did nothing to merit his favor nor can we earn anything from Him. It is because He is a gracious and merciful God. Everything we receive from him is undeserved. What more could we possibly need? I think we all need to remember that our lives can be simple, but most people just choose to make them complicated. May I encourage you if you are one of those people, to eliminate what you can, to allow the more important things in life to shine through-God, family, friends.


Moses' words to the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 10:12-13
"What does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
and to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?"

The Joy of Having a Father

I have to say, I continue to be Daddy's little girl. I will forever be his "Munchkin". My Dad is very special to me for many reasons. I can remember so many fun things we did together, just me and Dad.

When I was a little girl, I loved it when my Dad would swim with me. It was such a treat when he got in the pool, because he would give me "Shamu rides". I'm sure he remembers that fondly!

Dad would often take me away on vacations alone. He took me to Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and Washington D.C. We had so much fun eating lobster, shopping, and sight-seeing. My Dad always encouraged me to try new foods and activities. I am also thankful that he instilled in me a love for other cultures, as well as an interest in the historical things in our own country. He always told me to try things once, and if you don't like it, you don't have to do it again. But if you don't try, you might be missing something wonderful. I find myself encouraging my own children in the same way. Had I not tried things such as Grandma's chopped liver, all kinds of sushi, and many other delicacies, I would not have known how wonderful they are! I am also more adventurous thanks to him.

My Dad was always a "hip" Dad while I was growing up. My friends thought it was cool that he listened to everything from classical music to New Age "Deep Breakfast," and "Guns N Roses". He just loved the guitarist, Slash (or Flash, as he called him). Dad took me to classical music performances, Phantom of the Opera, baseball, and basketball games. On one occasion at a Lakers Game, Whoopi Goldberg, who was standing in line in front of me told me that I had a special dad who really loved me (she said that because we were in the very expensive and elite section of the Forum!) It was my Dad who actually helped me to understand that baseball players actually get paid for what they do! As a kid, I just thought they did it for fun!

My Dad taught me how to do lots of things, like ride a bike, drive radio controlled cars, clean and take apart crabs to eat, and much more. While my Dad did work a lot while I was growing up, he made a sincere effort to make sure he always spent time with me. And when we did, it was quality time.

Today, my Dad is still very thoughtful, loving, and generous. He makes a conscious effort to maintain a relationship with me and my children. He does a good job of spoiling the kids in my Mom's absence. He has taken two of my children on special trips to Las Vegas, where he took them everywhere fun, such as to Circus Circus Amusement Park, to see magic shows, to the M&M store, and out to eat at many wonderful places. Luke was in heaven when he got to eat chocolate waffles with whipped cream and hot chocolate to go with! Austin's love for magic tricks was amplified after visiting the Mac King kids magic show. And Austin couldn't have had it any better when he got to shoot off his own fireworks while he was there! He just generally loves being with them and enjoys making them happy. I am so thankful that my kids have a grandfather who loves them and cares about them.

I am so thankful for my Dad and the unique character that he has. It is a joy and privilege to have him in my life, and I thank God for him.

Memories of My Mom

Mom with Luke at Disneyland

I have to start off by saying I miss my Mom tremendously. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her. It has been just over a year since she passed away. Sometimes I still think it is all just a dream. Speaking of dreams, I have dreams of Mom regularly. The good thing is, I have nothing but good memories of my Mom.

Just this week I was talking with a friend who has a very strained and difficult relationship with her mother. It is a constant battle, struggle, and heartache for my friend, who only desires that she could just have a relationship with her difficult mother. I said to myself - "Self" (Karen will get that joke), I find it better to have a mother who has passed away whom I can honestly say I had a great relationship with, than to live with a contentious and difficult mother. The Lord is gracious. He gave me the blessing of having my mother for almost 33 years. Better is 33 years with a wonderful mother than 60 with a difficult one.

My Mom was a very unique and wonderful woman. I learned many things from her, like sacrifice, joy, contentment, and commitment. I admire that she was a committed wife, mother, and keeper of the home. I am thankful that during my very rebellious and lost teenage years, she was faithful to wait on me. I am encouraged by her demonstration of contentment when my Mom and Dad had financial struggles. I am blessed by her love for her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Mom was very dedicated to the things she loved. This was demonstrated by her love for her family, her job, and her friends. She had lifelong friends that she stayed in contact with from childhood. My Dad was her high school sweetheart. She worked at Glendale Memorial hospital for many years. She was not unpredictable or flighty. She committed to all that was important to her wholeheartedly, and for a lifetime. She was spunky and energetic, fun-loving, and thoughtful. She remembered all important events, such as birthdays and holidays, and always made me and my family feel special all the time. She was also helpful and a servant. Whenever our family would gather for a meal, Mom could always be found in the kitchen doing dishes (until one of us finally kicked her out). She came to my home for an entire week, everytime I gave birth, and would stay all day helping out with the new baby, meals, cleaning, and laundry. She would make dinner and bring groceries. She brought me diapers every time I saw her. She just loved helping people, and giving to them. That was my Mom. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, and spoiled them rotten. She took each of my children to Disneyland at age 5, and often babysat, even for an entire weekend. She bought them goodies and treats that they loved.

Days are sometimes hard without her. I miss talking to her like I did usually daily or every other day. I miss filling her in on the details of my life and calling her to tell her when one of the kids was sick or lost a tooth. I am sad when I do not get a phone call from her on my birthday. But I do trust that God is sovereign over every detail over life, and he knows what is best for me. Romans 8:28 says that "We know that God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." So what the world says is a horrible bad thing is really for my good in God's economy. I rest in that thought.

I have wonderful childhood memories of a mother who loved me with all of her heart. I couldn't ask for anything more. The last words she told me were that she loved me. I will always know that those words are true.