"Dirty Jobs", and Red Sunsets

I'm going to go watch "Dirty Jobs", Vance proclaims.

Thinking he was speaking of the TV show, Dave is confused to find him pulling up a folding chair next to his truck that he is repairing. "What are you doing?"

"I'm watching Dirty Jobs!"

I guess Dave with grease up his arms working on his truck qualifies as a "Dirty Job!"

Another day, one of the boys pointed out a beautiful red and pink sky as we were driving in the car and the sun was setting. Luke asked, "How does it get that color", to which Vance immediately responds, "It's the sun reflecting off the clouds!" DUH.......!! The youngest educating the rest.

Thanks for entertaining us so much, Vance. You are such a funny boy! By the way, do you dig his new buzz cut? We cut off his "cuh-rols"! Indeed they will grow back.

You know you're getting old when.....

You know you're getting old when....Your sister calls to tell you your oldest nephew just passed the driver's test! Yes, that's right, Drew, who turns 16 years old today, just passed the driver's test with flying colors. I guess that means that I am ___ years old! Not telling!!! Just old!

I remember when Drew was just two, sporting his SDSU T-shirt and diaper cover. He was so cute!!! Now he is all grown up, and I honestly don't know where the time has gone. I have enjoyed every minute watching him grow up. He is my boys' hero, without a doubt. He loves playing with them, teasing them, and entertaining them. I am truly grateful to God for the young man he has become. He is truly an amazing person, thoughtful, helpful, giving, and serving. I am sad, in a way, to see him grow up, because before you know it, he'll be married and having children of his own. But at least Karen has grandchildren to look forward to some day!

Congratulations, Drew, on a very excellent passing score on your test! We love you!

There's really great camping trips....and then there was this one!

Anxious to try out the new Toy Hauler we just purchased a few weeks ago, we decided to take a last minute weekend trip up to Lake Isabella with our friends, the Berggrens, who also recently purchased their first trailer. We wanted to give it a trial run before our long weekend to Big Bear coming up in a few weeks. We were all packed up and ready to go! We were excited! We loaded up, hitched up, and hit the road. Well, we came to a not-so-screeching halt when Dave realized his brakes were just not working properly. Something was not right. So we turned back for home. After some phone calls and investigation, Dave decided to change the brakes and calipers. So, four hours later, we were back on the road. Then began the very "uncomfortable" 3 hour drive up to the lake. It was about 105 outside, with no air conditioning in the truck. Dave had taken the truck to have the freon recharged a while back, but it kept leaking back out, which proved there are other problems, which up to this moment, have not been repaired yet. Then add climbing several hills pulling a large trailer, and you get a truck that's overheating (along with a family of 5!) It literally felt like someone had a blowdryer on my body! It's been a long day!!! We're hot, we're hungry, we're tired! We can't wait to get there!

I figured we would find relief from the heat once we got there, but to my surprise, it was not cooling down, even after the sunset. It was very hot and humid, especially inside the trailer. We ran the air conditioning in the trailer until quiet hours began at 10pm, and then we had to shut off our generator, so no more air ): It was miserably hot inside the trailer, and no better outside, which amounted to most of our family being up most of the night!

The next morning brought new hopes of a better day. We packed up our lunch and swim gear, and headed up the lake to the Kern River. Ahhh.....lovely! The lake was refreshing and so much fun. Dave bought a raft,Scott bought a tube, and we took turns going down the river (it was like mini-rapids!) It was so much fun, and so very cool! We had a lovely lunch and continued to play in the river. Then it all went downhill from there. Kassie began vomiting, and this began what we soon would find out would be a nasty and highly contagious flu which we would all end up with by the next day. Within 3 hours of Kassie coming down with it, Claire, Paige, and Scott would all have it. And it was NASTY! And in a trailer, to boot! We originally had plans to leave and go home Saturday night, because we didn't want to deal with the heat any longer, but decided it to be wise to stay overnight with our friends, in case they needed anything. Scott was in no position to drive home. We got permission from the camp host to run our generators the second night, so the air conditioning in the trailer made a huge difference in our comfort level the second night. We hitched up and left by 9am Sunday morning. A couple of hours later, the Berggrens were able to get on the road, with Kelly having to drive home. (She would later come down with the flu the minute they got home! God knew she needed to take care of her sick family!)

At last, we were safely back home, after a much cooler and relaxing drive home, and glad to be there! God was so gracious, and still sovereign over every detail. A few hours after our arrival home, Luke began vomiting, followed by Vance, and then Dave. My stomach was not right, and I have been nauseous since Sunday, but no vomiting. Austin never had a symptom at all. He must have "Super-Immune-System"! All in all, it turned out to be an interesting weekend, to say the least. One of the weekends where you look back and say, "Had I known, I just would have stayed home!" But it was a good exercise in patience, thankfulness, and joy in the midst of dealing with things that are hard and uncomfortable. We have been given so much by a gracious God. We can't complain!

First One to Double Digits

Monday the 25th marked my oldest son's entry into the world of double digits-Austin turned a whopping 10 years old. I just can't believe it has been ten years since I entered the world of motherhood. He was my first child, the one who began it all for me, and I honestly don't know where the time has gone. It seems like yesterday that I was holding his tiny little body and sparse head of blonde hair in my arms. Oh, how he has grown in so many ways!

Austin's Requested Birthday Menu:

Breakfast: Bacon, hash browns, and eggs

Lunch: Spaghettios...YUCKY!!!

Dinner : Steak, mashed potatoes, salad with blue cheese dressing, homemade biscuits

Cake: Mint chip ice cream cake with a fudge/oreo layer and whipped cream frosting.

Our day was pretty uneventful, since it was a weekday. The gifts we ordered him online did not come, and still have not come (Walmart is on my hit list right now). So poor Austin has still not opened his presents. But I did take him over to the store to pick out something he had his eye on for a while (just so he would have something exciting happen on his B-day)! It was a plug in Wheel of Fortune game that you play on the TV. He just loves that game. He is very interested in all kinds of game shows.

Austin is such a unique and wonderful son, and we have been so blessed to watch him grow over the last ten years. TEN YEARS. I still can't figure out how that happened!!! I love you Buddy, Freaky Pete, my special froggy lover! You are a blessing and joy to me (and your Dad).

My little fishies.....

Well, now that it's summer, the season has begun for shriveled up fingers and toes, sunburns, and bleached blonde hair in my family! My boys are all water babies, and love to swim tremendously. I was a little fish as a young girl, and they have all inherited my love of the water. Tuesday, we went to Zuma beach, and they enjoyed swimming and boogie boarding for several hours. Nevermind lunch, just "can I go in the water now??" Gosh, just give me a minute to get the sunscreen on!

Yesterday, we visited the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center, which we visit several times each summer. It is a great place. They have a large waterslide, large shallow beach entry swim area with water guns and waterfalls, and then an Olympic sized pool with two regular diving boards and a high dive.

Last summer, Vance was the last of the boys to learn to swim. Phew! Now that they are all water safe, the pool is a lot less stressful for me. At the Aquatic Center, if you are under 13, you have to take a "swim test" (swim one entire length of the pool without stopping-25 yards) if you want to use the diving boards. This year, Vance was given the first opportunity to do this. So the story goes like this....

I walked with Vance over to the swim test area, where he waited in line for about 15 minutes. While he was waiting, I told him he could use the lane closest to the wall, because I had seen the previous lifeguard allow the kids to use this one. Well, Vance started swimming, and the life guard told him he needed to use the next lane over (I am assuming so they will not be given the opportunity to grab the wall). Well, Vance was very upset over this, crying and going on how he could not get under the rope to go into the other lane. I explained to him that all he had to do was lift it up and go under it. But, nope, he was convinced he COULD NOT do it. And so he walked away disappointed, crying, and utterly hopeless. I could not convince him to try again. After all, it was just too hard. End of story. He is funny that way.

About an hour later, it was time to check up on how the boys were doing, so I walked around and spotted, Austin, then spotted Luke, but no Vance. I could not find him anywhere. Karen and I were looking around together, and she looked over to where the kids were in line for the swim test, and she said to me "Is that Vance in line for the swim test?" Lo and behold, it was him. He was going to try again, without even telling me. So I pretended to not see him, watched him swim underneath the rope and across the entire length of the pool without a problem. He came running up to me, proudly displaying his green wristband (the symbol of his huge accomplishment). Is that not the funniest thing? It had to be on his own time, with his own personal motivation, and without the pressure of me watching him. The kid cracks me up. So Vance spent the remainder of his afternoon jumping off both the low and high dives, over, and over, and over again, until there was just no more jump in his step. I was so proud of my little fuzzy. Ah, the simple pleasures in life. It is my joy to watch them grow and learn something new each day.

A joyful moment....

This morning I enjoyed a sweet and joyful moment with one of my children. It was worthy of mention just so that I can remember why I am training these children and to look back and see how much fruit we have reaped in the process. Some days I wonder if my boys have heard or comprehended a word we have taught them over the last years. Some days when I find their pajamas on the floor, I wonder if they will ever catch on...after all I've only been teaching them to pick up their clothes since they were old enough to walk! But I have learned to not look to the results, but just to be faithful to keep training them the way God has asked me to in His Word.

Well, back to the story. This morning, we had a little bit of two kinds of cereal left that needed to be finished off. It really was just enough for the four of us to have breakfast. Of course, there was 3 servings of the kind they didn't want, and one serving of the kind they did. Austin was the last to the table, and Luke and Vance had already been served, so I asked Austin if the other kind was good for him. Austin paused a minute (which really meant, "No I really don't want that kind"). Before I could even wink an eye, Luke was handing his full bowl of cereal to Austin with a huge smile on his face. I think tears came to my eyes. He had actually sacrificed what he wanted for his brother, and he did it on his own and with a joyful heart. Precisely the way God calls us to sacrifice and think of others as more important than ourselves.

Philippians 2:2-4 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

I was so proud of my son this morning. It is these little things that give you hope that in the future, all the hard work, training, and love will someday pay off. All I desire is that someday he will really and truly understand Christ's love and sacrifice on his behalf, and see his need for the Savior's forgiveness and turn in repentance towards him. That is all I want for all of my boys. Academic success, having their own family, being able to live a full life...these are just icing on the cake in comparison to that. The eternal state of their soul is what really counts, for the soul lives forever.

John 10:18 Jesus said "No one has taken it (my life) away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."

John 14:6 Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life;
Nobody comes to the Father but through me."

John 15:12-14 "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
You are My friends if you do what I command you."

It's a Beef Jerky Kinda Day....

My husband's culinary appetite doesn't quite need the quenching that I need. He is a simple eater. Meat and potatoes, nothing with "cream of anything soup" in it, and some good "man snacks", and he is quite happy. Dave does like to eat and we enjoy eating a variety of foods together, but he won't go out of his way for a good bagel, for instance (I won't mention who demanded we walk 7-8 blocks from our hotel in NYC to get one...) Is that too much to ask??

Anyways, I say all this because Dave does like BEEF JERKY! His mom used to make it for him (yes, homemade) regularly while he was growing up. In fact the first time I went to his house when we first met, he had a stash in a ziploc in his dresser. After we got married, I know he longed for that homemade beef jerky again. So I searched and searched for recipes, and talked to my mother-in-law, whose painstaking process including laying out each individual piece onto the oven racks, and cooking it on low for hours on end. Laying it out isn't as painstaking as washing the oven racks, I might add.

I was going to go for it, after all, my husband was (and still is) worth it! Even if it took me all day, I was going to make some of my own beef jerky. Well, I think the first batch turned out well, and put me on a course of searching for the ultimate beef jerky recipe. I have since tried out probably half a dozen recipes, and I am still trying to nail it down. Sometimes it comes out too salty, sometimes not salty enough, too spicy, not spicy enough.....Never has it not gotten scarfed down within the first few hours of it's completion, however.

I have since upgraded a couple of years ago to a food dehydrator. Something that makes jerky making a lot easier, I must say. It has about 8 circular "shelves" to place the meat on, and it's much more manageable to wash. I have not made jerky in a long while, as I have been lazy and just bought it. But there is really nothing like the taste of that homemade jerky like you get at a roadside stand (for the price of gold). So today is a jerky making day! I decided to make a batch for Dave for Fathers' Day. He is worthy of every effort. It takes a long time to cut the meat, marinate, and then cook. But in the end you have a big beautiful batch of unbelievable jerky. Happy Father's Day to Dave, and to all the Fathers in my life!

So here's how you do it, for you adventurous at heart:

Start with your meat. I have previously used london broil, and beef brisket. Today I used an eye of round roast. It's all good. Partially freeze your meat to make it easier to slice. Slice it along the grain into 1/8 inch-1/4 inch slices (whatever you like).

There are many ways to marinate your meat. I have used soy and worchestershire based sauces with added spices, as well as bottled teriyaki sauce. You really can't go wrong. Find a recipe with ingredients you like, and go for it! There are two schools of thought for marinating. One is to marinate it overnight. The other is just to briefly marinate (10 minutes or so). It really depends on if you prefer that saturated flavor, or a more natural meat flavor.

Now, if you don't have a food dehydrator, just use your oven. First you will want to lay out some foil on the bottom of the oven to catch drippings from the marinade. Then, lay out the meat in a single layer onto your oven racks. You will want to cook it at the lowest oven temperature, and leave the door cracked open just a tad. After an hour of cooking, flip your meat. From here on out, just check your meat ever hour, pulling out pieces that are done cooking. To test for doneness, bend the meat slightly. It should bend a bit, but not break. It should look dry, as well. Don't worry, it will continue to dry out after it is removed from the oven as well. The process can take anywhere from 3-4 hours for the smaller and thinner pieces, up to 8-10 hours, possibly even longer. Just try to be patient. You will be rewarded at the end with your very own delicious beef jerky. Give it try, it's well worth the wait!

A camping trip to remember....

This was our second annual camping trip to Yosemite. It is by far, THE best place to camp! It is well worth the 2 + hours I spent on the phone and internet in January trying to secure a campsite. We went with 5 other families this year (Brooks, Harasicks, Hoyers, Berggrens, Tubbs), which gave us a group total of 28 kids and 12 parents. All of our sites were centrally located to one another, which was nice, and allowed us to enjoy many things together as a group. We kicked off our first day's events with a bike/hike to Yosemite Falls. Since the water levels were much lower than last year, we were able to hike in places that were literally underwater last year. We enjoyed climbing up the rocks to Lower Yosemite Falls. The views were breathtaking. We also swam in the Merced River, Mirror Lake, and hiked the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls. This is always my favorite activity, since you can view beautiful rapids, trees, and wildlife on the way up to the falls, not to mention get some great leg burn after climbing 200 + steps carved out of rock to get there. Is is quite an accomplishment and feels exhilirating when you reach the top! In addition, we took a drive up to Glacier Point, where you can look down thousands of feet into the Valley floor, and get a bird's eye view of Half Dome and all the falls.

Every evening was spent eating dinner together as a group, and of course, roasting marshmallows for s'mores. The kids love being with all their friends, riding bikes, playing games, and getting dirty! Sunday morning, Rich taught all the kids a Bible lesson, complete with coloring and cookies, along with a couple of songs of worship to God led by Courtney Brooks and Lindsay Tubbs. What a perfect place to worship the Creator!

Yosemite is such an awe-inspiring place. With the granite mountains the size of, well, mountains, the animals, the birds, the trees, the waterfalls, the fresh air....You get the picture. It is a place of serenity and beauty unimaginable. It is a small foretaste of heaven for me. I could have stayed another week to see it all. Thanks be to God for His gift of beauty for us to enjoy! Until next year's trip....

More thoughts on New York....

Yosemite's

Half Dome

NYC's

Chrysler Building

This morning as I was having my morning Bible study, thoughts of my time in New York were still on my mind. You know, after you come home from a new experience, your mind continues to ponder it all...well at least that's what happens to me! I was trying to tie together all my thoughts regarding why New York has left such an impact on me. I came home just completely awed by it all. Well, I am amazed by simple things, so you can imagine my thoughts after just seeing the Statue of Liberty, etc. I figured out that the most amazing thing about New York was its history and architecture. Dave pointed out that when most of the buildings in New York were built, they didn't have computer drafting, or even welding! Everything was done by hand. Which makes the simple fact that the Empire State Building was erected in just 15 short months an amazing feat of man. So here is where my mind wandered. The city is filled with amazing feats of man. So I said to myself, "self"...if I am so amazed at what man can create, how much MORE SO should I be amazed at what God has made? As our family prepares to leave tomorrow for a long weekend in Yosemite, I am preparing myself for just that. Yosemite lies is stark contrast with New York in that it is a place completely created by God. When did man ever create a mountain? Or the seas? Or an amazing waterfall? Or the birds, squirrels, or even man himself? Yosemite is the perfect place to be in awe over what God has done. It is a place where I can worship God simply because of what I can visibly see. But faith is worshipping God based on what I cannot see. My faith is based on the son of God being sent to earth to die in place of sinful men. But I have never seen Jesus, so where is my proof? My proof is in the creation. Romans 1: 18-20 says:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Nobody has the excuse of unbelief because we have proof through what God has made! We see it each day when we go outside! So as we leave for our trip, I am preparing for 5 days filled with wonder over what God has done. It far surpasses anything that man can ever create with his own hands. And to top it all, God made it all in 6 days. Beat that!

A Week in The Big Apple

We just returned last Friday from a week spent in New York City. Dave was there on business installing (shhh.......) some effects for the new Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum in Times Square. Well, he was there watching other people work. The construction site was not ready for him, and so he babysat and made sure his wiring/plumbing/etc. was being properly installed so another Technifex employee, who is going out this week, can finish the job. So, if you could call it work, yes, he worked from about 7am-3pm. He also inspected the site at FAO Schwarz, where they are installing the most darling little miniature Barbie Model Runway, complete with Barbies that come down the catwalk, do a little turn and then go back behind the stage, just like the real models! By the way, that FAO toy store is REMARKABLE, to say the least.

So let me begin by saying this was a TOTAL VACATION for the both of us. Nevermind the few measly little hours Dave had to spend at work. All expenses paid, except my own airfare made this a once in a lifetime opportunity for us. Our hotel was beautiful, and not to mention they put us up in a suite that was about 500 square feet! And I did not lift a finger the entire week. It was so strange for me. No cooking. No cleaning. Nobody else to care for. No laundry. No pets. No responsibilities. And plenty of things to see and do...That's my idea of a "real" vacation! Oh, I did pick up my dirty clothes off of the floor. Does that count as work? This is the longest time I have ever been away from the boys, and it was very hard. I missed them tremedendously. But they were off at Auntie K's house having a blast. And Karen got a reminder of how little boys live on a regular basis! Click here to read her blog about their time together!

So, we began our trip by spending the whole day on Sunday (his one full day off) touring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Unbelievable!! It really is nostalgic to see her in person. To see her stand there in the New York Harbor, and to know what she stands there for. It truly is an icon of our freedom here in this country. Ellis Island was personal for me. My grandfather came into this country there. His name was in the computer database of immigrants who entered there. We also toured most of lower Manhattan that morning, seeing Ground Zero (the former World Trade Center Sight), some amazing cathedral churches, the Stock Exchange, Federal Building where Washington was inaugurated and that at one point housed congress and served as the Capitol, Wall Street and the famous "Bull", etc. etc. Standing at the World Trade Center sight was quite eerie and sobering. To think of the large cloud of debris and the images I remember seeing on TV of people running down the streets of the city were suddenly so real and personal. There is just a sense of nostalgia in the city no matter where you go.

The rest of the days were devoted to traveling around the various other parts of the city, seeing Central Park, the Natural History Museum (seen recently in "Night at the Museum"), the Empire State Building (we went to the top on our Anniversary!), the famous Chrysler Building, riding the Subway, viewing the Brooklyn Bridge from the South Street Seaport, riding the Staten Island Ferry, Grand Central Station, shopping, eating, seeing Times Square, and much more. We really enjoyed the unique energy that is present in the city. Everyone is getting somewhere and fast (except if you are in a car, then you're going nowhere fast). It is such a different lifestyle than we are used to, and I could not and would not ever live there. But it is somewhere I would highly recommend visiting. The city is full of rich history and amazing feats of architecture. Every building is a work of art. Your neck will be sore from looking up (hey, that explains why my neck has been hurting...I just figured that out!) And your feet will be sore from walking. The subway was a fantastic way to get around, and cheap! And we found the city to be extremely safe. Police presence was everywhere and everything is very clean. I felt comfortable walking around by myself even carrying a purse, and I observed many other young women doing the same. All in all, is was such a blessing to be able to see this wonderful place in person. I would certainly love to return someday. And I sure will miss the NY pizza and bagels!