A camping trip to Dove Springs

After finally recovering from an interesting weekend, to say the least, I am now ready to post about our latest camping adventure. We decided to try a new OHV (off highway vehicle) area to camp at this time, just so we can get a taste of the options we have, and pick a favorite place we can possibly return to in the future. This time we decided on Dove Springs OHV area.

When we rolled in on Friday, there were lots of spaces to choose from. We chose a nice open area surrounded by hill climbs. Well, by the late evening, about 50 other trailers decided to join us in that area, making it quite crowded and loud. And on top of that, our "neighbors" (whom don't really understand what "love thy neighbor" really means) decided to ride up until about 3am. We have never experienced this in any off-road area before. People are usually very nice and quit at sundown. Well these people rode all night! So suffice it to say, no sleep was had by Dave or I. The kids were fine! They spend their days digging in the sand, riding bikes, and riding in the dune buggy and on dirt bikes. And of course, snacking all day. Come Saturday night, Luke came down with the stomach flu (I'm sure you can imagine how pleasant this might be in a trailer), and I was under the weather with sun stroke and a mild form of the stomach flu as well. Combine that with another sleepless night, and we were ready to go home first thing Sunday morning. But despite that, we enjoyed fun, food, and fellowship together with the Harasicks and the Tubbs.

Drew is really enjoying his new XR 100, and Emma gave my 80 a try and fell in love. She was off with what we called the "Fab Four", which was Drew, Emma, and Lindsay and Stephanie Tubbs, at times for an hour at a time! She just loved it! And I am so proud of her gusto! Even my sister gave it a try, and found it enjoyable! I didn't do too much riding this time around, as I didn't feel too well, but I enjoyed watching the boys ride. Luke spent the entire weekend either on his dirt bike or in the dune buggy, nonstop! Austin played games and enjoyed climbing the large hill behind us. And Vance dug and dug and dug with Cody, and rode his new bike a bit, too.

The Tubbs ended up with some trailer issues due to a missing weld, I believe, on the tongue of the trailer. Fortunately, they made it home driving super slow. We are thankful for that! All in all, we had a good time, and next time, we know to pick a different spot. We did enjoy being entertained by all the "Stunt Junkies" at this place. It's just amazing that nobody got hurt. Well, happy trails to you, until we meet again!

Luke Turns 8!!!

Yesterday, March 26th, 2007 marked the 8th birthday of my middle son, Luke. I can hardly believe he is already 8! We celebrated by having his favorite Orange Chicken for dinner from Panda Express, along with an enormous cake with Lightning McQueen from the movie Cars on a race track, and of course his favorite mint chip ice cream. We were joined by Karen, Rich, Drew, Emma and my dad for dinner. It was a nice evening!

Over the last year, Luke has learned many new things and grown in many ways (not just up)! Some of the things he enjoyed over the last year were his first camping trips (especially to Yosemite and the hike all the way up to the top of the mist trail-Yeah, Luke!), dirt bike riding, riding bikes, playing in the AWANA Olympics last March, losing his two front teeth, swimming (including his first time off the high dive at the aquatic center), his first trip alone with Papa Steve to Las Vegas, and much more. He has grown in character as well, and is really turning into a sweet and wonderful boy. We have worked so hard with him, and are really beginning to see the fruit of our constant love and devotion in training him up to hopefully love and serve the Lord someday, and be a blessing to those around him.

So I will end this blog with some interesting specs on Luke at age 8:

height: 51 inches
weight: 62 lbs.
eyes: hazel
hair: buzzed and light brown
size: 8
shoe size: 5
favorite food: Orange chicken, mint chip ice cream
favorite movie: Pirates of the Caribbean II
favorite activity: basketball
favorite toy: models he built
best friend: his cousins
best impersonation: Napoleon Dynamite: "I'm not gonna use hers, you sicko!!!"
favorite verse: John 3:16
favorite teacher: Mom!!! (Mrs. Robbins came next)

Another Vance Update

A short update on Vance: We visited the orthopedic doctor last Thursday. They took off his cast, X-rayed, and determined that his leg is perfectly fine. He was instructed to resume full activity immediately! Too bad he got the stomach flu and got his fingers slammed in the car door in the same week!!! But he has completely recovered from it all and is back to normal! We are very thankful!

Here is a picture of Vance on his new bike. Let's just say he got an early birthday present. He was ready to move up to a bigger bike, and this just seemed the proper time! Take note of the full face helmet. I refuse to allow any more teeth to be knocked out. At some point, this kid will need a wife......

Speaking of Cousins.....

Now that the boys have a new cousin from Dave's side of the family, I thought it only fitting to introduce their cousins from my side. Before my kiddos were even thought of, Karen and Rich brought me two wonderful nephews and one fabulous niece.

Brady, the oldest, was born in 1989, and passed away in January of 2004 of brain cancer. But not before leaving his mark on my children's memories forever. He was a phenomenal kid, to say the least. He was intelligent, inquisitive, and clearly the oldest child. I only know what that means because I now have one of these kinds of kids-Austin. In many ways, Austin is very much like Brady both in character and personality. I remember the exuberance I experienced when my first nephew was born. It was so much joy and fun for me! I was only 17 when he was born, so my experience with children was only limited to what I knew from babysitting. I enjoyed watching him grow. In late 1999, when he was 10, the doctors discovered a tumor in his brain, leading to surgery and an onslaught of treatments. But during this time, although Brady declined physically, he grew spiritually. Through his illness, God led him to his knees and a complete understanding of his sinfulness before God, and his need for repentance and restoration. His growth during this time was not only amazing, but encouraging. He accepted his illness as a gift from God, and used it to glorify Him. He did not complain, have self-pity, or worry about his future. In fact, quite the contrary. Instead of focusing on himself, he focused on others, and would often do whatever he could to play with the boys and give them treats during his illness, even when he wasn't feeling well. So, while his loss is sad for all of us because we miss him tremendously, there is great joy in knowing he is in Heaven and we will see him again someday, because we share the same hope and eternal life which comes as a gift from God through faith in Christ. I have so many wonderful memories of Brady that will continue to live on in my heart. Here is one of the last pics I have of Brady just a few weeks before he passed away, sharing a laugh and a snack with Vance.



My second nephew, Drew, was born two years after Brady. Drew was a happy go lucky baby, toddler, young boy, and now young adult. He is so much fun to be around, and very easy to get along with. He is currently 15 1/2 years old, a Junior in High School (how did that happen?), and is driving. Unbelievable how time flies. I still remember him in diapers wearing the San Diego State shorts I bought him when I was in college. Drew is a total joker, all around funny guy, and has a great sense of humor. His mission in life is to constantly and completely annoy you. But there is another side of Drew, as well. This is the Drew that loves to serve others without complaint, is hard working, thankful, and respectful. He is dedicated to the things he loves. And I know he really loves my boys, although he loves to irritate them as well, just for fun. My boys absolutely adore Drew, and look forward to every chance they get to spend time with him, playing basketball, playing Halo , riding dirt bikes, and generally just hanging out with him. He is their role model. I hope they always share a special relationship with each other. Drew is a really a great kid. I am so encouraged by him. God is doing a mighty work in him, as he grows in a greater knowledge of Him. Here, Drew shares a tender moment with one of my friend, Luci's baby. Isn't that cute????




Two years after Drew came Emma, and up until yesterday, she was my one and only niece. She is such a precious gift to me. I have enjoyed every moment of watching her grow from a darling little cutie pie into a lovely young woman (and too fast, I might add). Emma will be 14 in June, and shares the same birthday as Austin. They are exactly 4 years apart. Emma has always been a joyful and fun girl. I have truly enjoyed being a part of her life. These days, time with Emma means I get my nails polished, makeup done, and we share a few Jennifer Jane laughs. Don't even ask. When Dave goes out of town for business, the boys and I go down to the Harasick Hotel , where I get the privilege of sharing a room with Emma, staying up until all hours of the night snacking, talking, watching Food TV, and laughing. How fun it is to have a niece! Emma is very unique and special to me in so many ways. I can't even begin to list them. One great thing about Emma is that she inherited Karen and my love for food. So cooking and eating can always be had when she is around. She is very smart, as well, and I know someday she will use all of her God-given talents and abilities to make a wonderful wife and mother. Mostly because I think she has had a great teacher (my sis)! Emma loves being with her friends, going to church, and trying new things (but she has to be convinced) She loves riding in our dune buggy, that's for sure. I am working on getting her on the XR 80! What more can I say except that it has been a blessing and privilege to have watched her grow all these years. I look forward to all that is in store for her in the future as well, as she grows into the woman God created her to be.

The boys have a new cousin!!!

Last night, Dave's younger brother, Tim and his wife, Raquel became parents for the first time! After a full day of labor and a grueling attempt at delivery, Raquel was given a C-section, and Sophia Lorrie DeShong was born at 10:45pm, weighing 7 lbs. 15 oz, and 19 1/2 inches long. This is the very first granddaughter for Dave's Mom, after having 4 sons and 3 grandsons. JOY! Austin mentioned last night while we were waiting at the hospital "Mom, this will be our first younger cousin!" That's right. Austin, Luke, and Vance are now the older cousin to someone! We went to visit the baby and happy parents this evening, and boy is she cute! The boys just doted upon her. It was so sweet to see a tender side of them. They inspected her feet, hair, fingers, and even her fingernails! They kept saying how cute she is. Raquel is doing well. Tim is too, I might add.

I remember our boys' births like it was yesterday! But it has been almost 10 years (MAN!!!!) since our first child was born. A lot has happened since then, and our boys are growing up and continue to be the most tremendous joy and blessing. So here's to new babies, new cousins, and a lifetime of days full of joy, blessing, laughs, tears, and also sadness, sorrow, and stress as we raise them. It is all worth it!

Psalm 127:3
Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Luke goes to Disneyland for his birthday!

On Thursday, my sweet and very thoughtful sister took Luke to Disneyland as his birthday gift this year! What a great gift! She "kidnapped" him after church on Wednesday night, and they spent the entire day livin' it up at the "Happiest Place on Earth". He was able to spend the day with some friends, as well, since they went with two other families.

Luke has an interesting quality about him that you wouldn't expect of such a physical, rough and tough boy such as himself. He is truly fearful when it comes to trying new things. He is very cautious and afraid of things he hasn't tried before. So this came into play when it came to going on new rides. But, usually if he is forced to try it, he comes off the ride laughing and wanting to go on it again immediately. So he just has to be convinced! My sister just encouraged him and told him that he would be missing out on a lot of fun things if he didn't try. And I'm sure he is glad he did! He had a lot of fun on all the new rides he had not been on before.

He also went to a Star Wars show, enjoyed some special treats such as "candy fur" (cotton candy-that's what he called it when he was younger), frozen lemonade, and chicken tenders, and received a very special light saber with sounds effects and all. He also got a pin to wear that said "Happy Birthday Luke", so every time he went on a ride, the employees wished him a happy birthday!

He said his favorite ride at California Adventure was Maliboomer. He also loved Space Mountain. All in all, lots of fun was had by all, and it was a birthday I'm sure he will always remember.

Update on Vance

We took Vance to the orthopedic yesterday, and they X-rayed and examined him. The orthopedic was not ready to take off his cast yet. She said that about two weeks need to pass from the initial time of the accident before they can have an accurate X-ray of what is really going on. Because of his growth plates, it is often hard to tell if there is a fracture. So, she believes if we were to take off the cast and there really is something wrong, that could be very damaging, and cause problems for the future. He will return next Thursday for one more X-ray. If nothing shows up, they will remove his cast!

We also visited the dentist earlier in the week. The dentist pulled one tooth that was knocked loose and was twisted in his mouth. Luckily it was a baby tooth! He examined his upper gum area where the permanent teeth are exposed. He hesistated to give me the bottom line, and I think that is because it is too early to tell. He told me children's mouths are very forgiving, and things can heal that wouldn't heal in an adult mouth. It is also a very huge benefit that his permanent teeth hadn't erupted yet. That would have caused many more issues. I was told that it will be about 6-12 months until we can really assess the extent of the damages. I think I came out of there realizing that it may be worse than I originally thought. I'm not sure, but there may be such things as gum grafts and root canals in our future. But that is OK. It is well with my soul. Armed with an eternal perspective, this is so small in the grand scheme of things. And I thank God for these opportunities. It is a time of growth for me. A time to return to simply trusting the Lord. It is a time of remembering that God is concerned with and takes a great interest in what is going on in my life. He does not leave me to deal with these things alone. The psalmist says:

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

Psalm 139:17-18

Another visit to the hospital

OK, before you panic, one of my boys did not have another accident. This evening I got a call from my sister, saying that my dad was in the hospital. His lower leg and ankle were severely swollen, and he became concerned enough to visit his doctor. The doctor immediately admitted him into the ER, with the concern that he may have a blood clot. So Karen, Emma, and I headed down to Glendale Memorial to be with my dad as they ran tests to find out the problem. I was scheduled to go out to dinner with a few ladies from my homeschool group before our monthly meeting, but God had another plan for me this evening!

As we were arriving, the CAT scan results came back that there were no blood clots! So they said everything was fine, and he could go home, elevate his leg, and try to stay out of the heat. So we visited with my dad for a while, and then went home! All is well. Thanks be to God for every good gift. My dad was very thankful for our visit!

A wonderful weekend away!

The weekend before last, Dave and I enjoyed a weekend full of blessings, as we took a weekend cruise. We liked the idea of an all-inclusive type vacation, because it takes the worries of "where are we going to eat" and "where are we going to visit" away, and frees you to just enjoy your vacation. Well, we had such a wonderful time. We did not lack in activities to do, and it was just the right balance between being active and relaxing. We are not big "just sit by the pool" people, we like to be active and try new things.

Well, our favorite activity by far on the ship was the rock climbing wall. So much so, that when we got home, we began searching the internet to find a place nearby that we could do it again. We visited the wall several times, and participated in different activities on it, such as free-climbing (up), and bouldering (around), as well as the speed climb competition (just for fun, not to win)! This ship also had ping-pong, basketball, a walking track, and many other forms of activity. We really enjoyed being out on the deck, walking around the perimeter of the ship and enjoying the immense beauty of the vast ocean. It's one of those things in life which I cannot completely fathom in my limited wisdom. It just fascinates me-it just seems to go on forever and ever. We really enjoyed grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting on chairs closest to the end of the ship and looking out.

We were impressed with the quality of the stateroom, food, amenities, shows, and service on board. Everything was perfect. Down to the details-even the towel animals that were left on our bed in the evening were perfect! We really enjoyed getting dressed up for the dinners. I felt like a princess most of the time, and Dave continually doted upon me. He is such a gentleman, and very chivalrous. He commented that he would like it if I would get dressed up more often to which I replied "and go....where??!! The living room??!!" I guess we'll have to work on that one.

It was just so nice to spend time talking without interruption or responsibilities, and just share time alone, enjoying each other. Dave and I are so compatible, and this weekend was so stress-free, because we just flowed from one thing to the next without argument over what we would do next.

Being Christians, we did feel at times like fish swimming upstream against a school going downstream. In other words, we just don't fit it with our culture at all. This is what John was saying when he penned this verse:

John 2:15-16

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

Living for God is much different than the world lives. The majority of people on the ship were there to just over-indulge themselves with liquor, food, etc. It was a frenzy of lust-crazy people, just following their desires. We found ourselves the minority on the ship because we choose to obey God over what the world tells us is good and will please us. What pleases us most is when we honor and glorify God instead of ourselves. Putting ourselves aside for the sake of what God asks us to do. This is loving submission to a Holy God.

But while there were things we just didn't want to participate in, we did find so many things to do. All the while, building up our marriage, refreshing us physically and emotionally, and just really connecting to one another on all levels. We would definitely do this type of vacation again. It was just so easy. We didn't have to think about anything. It was all done for us. I really feel like we need to get away, even if just for a weekend, ever couple of years. It is very worthwhile in so many ways. It takes us out of the normal bustle of life and gives us a chance to talk about how things are going, and what we can do to improve for the future. We came back ready to get back to what God has given us. The blessing of having a strong and healthy marriage, three children to raise up and enjoy for God's glory, and the mission of striving to be more like Christ each day. AMEN!!!!

A boy, a bike, and a.....CRASH!

Well, I promised that this blog would reveal real stuff in the life of a family full of boys, and here you have it, in its raw and unaltered form. WARNING: This blog may be graphic in nature. JUST KIDDING!

Before I began this blog, we had visited the emergency room twice with our boys. The first was with Vance when he was about 2, and he had fallen off Austin’s loft bed ladder, split his lip, and knocked out his two front teeth. The second time was last year when Luke fell off his dirt bike and cut open his chin (it was nasty, I must say). Well, the DeShong boys have done it again. The record for hospital visits is as follows:

Austin - ZERO
Luke- ONE
Vance - TWO

Vance is now in the lead following a brutal fight with the concrete Saturday on a family bike ride, consequently, on Dave’s birthday. He began a small downhill with the rest of us, and for reasons still inconclusive, “ate it at the bottom”, for lack of better terms. I was behind him, so when I got to the bottom of the hill (a hill that he has ridden down before a few times), I was shocked to find that he was literally gushing blood out of his mouth. At this point, we couldn’t even locate what was causing him to bleed. He was hysterical, to say the least, and the hysterics continued as we carried him, dripping blood everywhere, to the truck. We loaded the bikes up, drove home to drop off the boys and get Vance’s medical card, and all the while, Vance is still screaming in pain. By the time we were about 10 minutes into the drive down to Panorama City, he calmed down. I know he was in a lot of pain. Poor guy!

I put Vance in a wheelchair, as he wasn’t able to walk very well, and wheeled him into the hospital, where they saw him almost immediately. It took a while just to clean him up enough to evaluate where the problems were. The doctor discovered he had bitten through his top lip in two places (not through and through-GOOD ), his two top front permanent teeth that have yet to come in are now exposed due to the top layers of the gums being sheered off (I know, you just cringed with that one), and his chin was badly scraped up as well. His lips were both as fat as balloons. He looked so mangled! So they stitched up his lip, and Vance was a TROOPER. I have never seen him so compliant and calm. Especially since they had to give him one of those nasty numbing shots in the lip in about 5 places. When the doctor apologized for the long and painful shot and asked him if that had hurt, he replied and I quote “Not a bit.” It was at this moment that I wondered how I missed someone exchanging my child for another. Vance usually pitches a fit over the slightest injury. The only thing I can attribute his calm and patient spirit to is God. I had talked with Vance as we were waiting initially for the doctor to come in, and we were discussing how God was in control of everything, how nothing happens by accident, and how God was with us taking care of us. Not to mention, God had given me peace, clarity of mind, and an absence of panic or worry. This comes from a deep knowledge of who God is, that He is in control, and that nothing happens outside of His plan for our lives. So I guess this spilled over to Vance, so that he felt trusting in God, Mom, and in the doctors. I am so thankful and proud of my little boy’s composure.

OK, so that was the face. There’s more. Yes. Really.

The doctors finished stitching him up, and began to just thoroughly check over all the other parts of his body. She ordered X-rays for his jaw, to make sure that nothing was broken with such a hard hit to his face. When she checked his legs, she found his ankle to be bruised, scraped, and swollen, so she ordered X-rays for that as well. So, off to X-ray we went for about 30 minutes. Back to the doctor to read the results. Back to X-day for pictures of his lower leg, now. Conclusion: A walking cast and little tiny crunches. Yes, you read that right “crunches”. That is Vance’s word for “crutches” She wasn’t convinced that his leg was completely normal, although the X-rays showed no visible breaks. So the poor guy, armed with a fat lip, a walking cast, and crutches, is back home now, after 4 hours at the hospital, once again saying “You should see the other guy!”

He is in great spirits, back to himself, and taking it all in stride. He has even demonstrated to us how to "run" in his cast. GREAT!!! He is enjoying the spoils that came from a trip to the market for popsicles and pudding. And then my sister showed up yesterday afternoon and showered him with gifts like it was Christmas! She is so thoughtful, and knows just how to distract him!

It could have been much worse, and we are so grateful to God for his mercy. And the boys are still so young, we could have a lot of this ahead of us. When we were at the hospital, I saw the doctor who had stitched up Luke when we were there. He recognized me and remembered Luke. When you recognize the doctors in the emergency room, you really know you are a mother of boys. Another funny thing: When we were waiting to go back in to see the doctor and read the results of the X-ray, there was a couple in the waiting room, who, after looking at Vance, turned to me and asked “Bike or skateboard?”. They had boys, too.