The Masser Story

Christmas Cheer!

2009-12-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the nail kit, Grand Carol! :)

Truly, the girls were super blessed (as were we) by ALL the thoughtfulness, love, and gifts they received this Christmas. We can't even count our many blessings! Thanks to all!

Thankful for Family

2009-12-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

As a family, day after Thanksgiving, we climbed Iron Mountain - 6 miles round trip.

We made Syd do some weight training too.....

Daddy brought his cooker from backpacking and cooked us real "astronaut food" at the top of the mountain! It was so good!

Fall Memories

2009-12-27T21:19:00.000-08:00

London had the pleasure of serving as a flower girl in her friends Hannah & Ricky's wedding, on Oct. 31st. It was the best "costume" ever!

The night after the wedding, we still got to dress up for the church festival! Here is Artemis! London was a flower fairy.

Here's London shoplifting a pumpkin. Just kidding. We went to Bates Nut Farm and got pumpkins.

Disney, take 2

2009-12-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

Peace out! Here's back to our first day at Disney (1/2 day). We rode Nemo ride first and then plotted our course for the next 3 days in the "happiest place on earth"

yes, i'm pretending to drive......yes, i want to be all grown up!

Disney! School!

2009-12-27T20:56:00.001-08:00

Here are the girls getting ready to walk out for their first day of 1st grade & 5th grade! Luckily, right before that happened......

We all went to Disney with Grandma for our birthdays! Ok, so this ride doesn't look so fun. But, truly, it was the only "bomb" ride. It was in California adventures and it's Mickey's Psycho Wheel (not sure about the name)........here's a tip.......do NOT choose the inner "spinney" wheels.........cause London is scared of nothing, and look at her in this pic. Another hint: when the attendent is REFILLING the barf bags in the ride car right before you climb in, run away screaming!

It's our "don't mess with Texas" family theme day........

2009 Revisited

2009-12-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

YAHOO! Marshall & his hiking buddies made it to the top of Half Dome!

What amazing beauty in the Sierras. Marshall got to hike the John Muir trail for 3 weeks this summer.

3 weeks of amazing views, ultimate survival, blisters, and bonding.

Also in July, the NC crowd came to visit! Here we are after we took the train to San Juan Capistrano and went to the mission there.

what a beautiful mission!

Looking back on 2009

2009-12-27T20:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks to incredible Uncle Joel and Aunt Marilyn, we have a new kitchen as of July!

When Auntie Marilyn wasn't cuddling with Sozie, or playing Barbies, she was partying it up with the kiddos and Claudia! Here we are at the zoo playing with Gorillas!

Whoops. Minor setback back in the lair of the Sabertooth Tiger.

New Elephant Odyssey is way cool!

Back in the Saddle

2009-08-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

The girls were invited to care for and ride Tucker, who belongs to a super nice lady in our church. We can't wait to do it again!

First, our friend showed the girls how to brush and clean Tucker; which was one way to introduce them and also teach them how to care for a horse.

Sydney was a natural and really enjoyed this day!

What a beautiful place to ride and enjoy the scenery!

Back at the stable, we also met a super nice barn cat that put our "tuxedo" cat to shame in the friendly department.

The Gold Diggers

2009-08-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

On our way to camping at William Heise park, we stopped outside of Julian, CA to do some gold digging. Syd has studied California history in 4th grade and was very interested in gold digging! Needless to say, after our experience here, none of us has quit our day jobs.......

Yeah, the lovely shiny gold covering the bottom of the pan makes it real hard to see if we actually got any REAL gold!

Oh, no worries.....all we found was Fool's Gold anyway. But we had a good time! :)

Hiking / Camping at William Heise County Park

2009-08-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

Beautiful views from 4,000 ft. You can still see the remains of burnt trees from the '03 fires, tho. :(

Hiking along with mom and dad! The girls love to look at the plants and things we come across. They are good little hikers.

Here we are taking a bit of a rest on another hike we took.

Great photo op!

Spring Break 09

2009-08-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

There was a great play park at the campground......here's Dad on the balance beam swervy thing!

Sliding down the firefighter's pole.

Are you crazy?

U guys are wearing me out! :)

Veggie Tales

2009-07-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

No, we haven't seen any baseball players walking out of these cornfields, but they were pretty anyway! It was a fun experiment. I had no idea that you "can't" just plant ONE row of corn......so I had to personally cross pollinate them so they'd produce. Very interesting!

Our zucchini went NUTS, as did our pumpkin plants. We have been eating a zillion zuchinnis.

this gorgeous grapevine was here when we moved in, dead-looking. Marshall built that awesome arbor for it, and now look! Just last week they all ripened and have almost all been eaten or given away (about 10 bunches)

This is our gorgeous African Lily - Agapanthus.

Hello again, Zucchini!

Welcome, Sozie!

2009-05-11T14:32:00.001-07:00

We found a doggie! I know, she looks like our old Kione, huh? It's so neat! Ever since our "allergy experience" sadness in January, we decided to go back to a tried and true Maltese. We had our old Kione for her whole life and were just fine. Thus, we began to look. We looked into breeders, puppies, and rescues. We really felt more and more drawn to rescue dogs. We got on Petfinder.com (highly recomended), where you can input what you're looking for and in what radius to your home. Then it alerts you everytime a new "match" is posted. FRIDAY, we were alerted! This was after we lost our chances on 2 others previously. Kinda depends on how fast you respond.

Marshall and I drove up to LA, where the rescue group was, and we checked her out. I thought Kione was staring me in the face! She was a sweet, loving personality from the beginning. After all the rest of the paperwork and things, we were able to bring her home to the girls! They are in doggie heaven! They are even -on their own- getting up extra early to walk her with me in the morning (I think that's harder on me.....hee hee)

Here's Sozie crashed out from a hard day of playing! We named her after the Greek word "Sozo," meaning "saved." She saved us from our doggie loneliness, and we got to save her too.

Whew! What a hard day. She's 2 years old, they estimate. She's had all her shots and was spayed last week. Doing great!

This is the cat's opinion of the new family member......

Mother's Day Love

2009-05-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

By the way, our lovely master shower was completed some time ago and is wonderful!

This is the amazing Grape Arbor Marshall built me for Mother's Day!

We inherited this great grape vine, and friend from church helped us prune it, and it is bearing fruit! I love to look out and see it!

2009-05-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

Sydney & London's Violin Recital ~ May 2009

Fly Away

2009-05-02T12:06:00.001-07:00

Here is Mama Frock this last Christmas. Mama passed away, after her battle with cancer, on Good Friday of this year ('09). What a bittersweet time this was. We were glad to know that Mama is now free of pain and discomfort, flying free with her Heavenly Father. But we are so so so sad to lose her here on earth. She made the journey in this land most beautiful and bright for everyone whose lives she touched. Sydney thought it was pretty special that Mama passed away on Good Friday, the day Jesus died. (she said this through her tears :(

In tribute to Mama, here are some pictures we've gathered from years past.

London / Mama love! (see how they color coordinated too!)

Here the girls are getting some Mama Frock cuddles. She ALWAYS made time for them.

Fly away, Mama Frock. We love you so much! Your spirit will always flutter close to our hearts. Knowing and loving you has made us ALL better people, more appreciative of life and creation around us. We are more aware of the beauty of life, the goodness in people, and the love of family. See you in the hereafter!

A few house updates!

2009-04-04T11:02:00.001-07:00

Here are a load of our strong friends hauling a HUGE Giant Bird of Paradise (that was free on Craig's list - if we volunteered to dig it out - which took 3 hours and lots of muscle) and setting it up in our back yard. We are creating a tropical look around the pool, with the help of our landscaping designer extraordinairre, Pete. :)

Here is "Big Bird," as we call him, in the daytime. Lookin' happy!

Here's one of the raised beds Marshall built -- tomatoes, beans, onions, cukes, squash, corn, all kinds of good things growing in 3 of these!

London harvesting a few early strawberries!

The pool fence in, and you can also see "Mr. Slurpy" our Kreepy Krawler that eats up all the pool yuck. It works great!

Support for Moms! Check out this interview done by Hearts at Home.

2009-03-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today I’d like to welcome author and speaker, Jill Savage. Jill’s recent book Real Moms…Real Jesus, just released, and I wanted to ask her about her real mom moments..

Jill, tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
Mark and I have been married 25 years and we have five children. Anne is 24 and married to our wonderful son-in-love, Matt. Evan is 21 and married to our beautiful daughter-in-love, Julie. Erica is 18 and a college student at Heartland Community College. Kolya is 15 and in the 8th grade. We adopted Kolya at the age of 9 from Russia---the God story about his adoption is included in the Real Moms…Real Jesus book. And Austin is 12 and in the 7th grade.

Tell us about your newest book Real Moms...Real Jesus?
Real Moms…Real Jesus is a book designed to help moms understand that when Jesus lived on this earth he was fully God, yet fully man. We don’t often think about the fact that he was a human being and he lived the full human experience: pain, hunger, fatigue, frustration, betrayal, disappointment. He experienced it all!

There’s one verse in the Bible about Jesus that simply says “large crowds followed him everywhere he went.” Well, isn’t that the life of a mom? Large crowds follow her to the bathroom. They follow her to the kitchen. To the grocery store. She’s in high demand! And when Jesus lived on this earth, He was in high demand, too.

Why did you want to write this book?
Most of us long for a friend who understands. Yes, we need girlfriends who understand what our life is like. But we also need to understand that we have a friend who understands in Jesus. Too many of us think of God as being distant and unable to relate to our daily struggles. But nothing could be further from the truth! He understands and he wants us to build our friendship with Him. He wants to not only be our Savior, but also our Friend.

What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?
I hope that readers will gain a new perspective about their relationship with Jesus. I also hope to weave God’s truth into the daily life of a mom.

What unique elements will the reader find in Real Moms…Real Jesus?
Each chapter looks at some character trait in Jesus’ life that can help us in our life as a mom. In between the chapters are interactive vignettes that provide brief, refreshing glimpses into our real, messy, busy lives.

There are also questions at the end of the chapter for further consideration and suggested Bible reading in the book of Matthew. If the reader chooses to pursue the suggested reading, she will have read the book of Matthew completely by the end of the book!

There is also a leader’s guide in the back of the book so it can be used in a group setting.

This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?
Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (www.hearts-at-home.org), a free bi-weekly electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!

Any closing thoughts?
I am very excited about this book! I believe that if a mom can strengthen her relationship with Jesus Christ, she will feel more equipped to be the mom she wants to be. I’m also offering an online book discussion on my blog beginning Tuesday, April 7. If you’d like to join us, you can subscribe to my blog at www.jillsavage.org.

I’d love to hear a reader’s thoughts after they read the book, too! You can connect to me through my blog at www.jillsavage.org.

Thanks, Jill, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your real mom, real Jesus moments with us.

You can purchase your own copy of Real Moms…Real Jesus by clicking here.

And be sure to check out Hearts at Home, their conferences for moms, and all their online resources here.

Mama Frock

2009-02-26T20:56:00.001-08:00

This is sweet Mama Frock, Carol's mom, Marshall's step-grandma who is battling colon cancer and some complications. Here she was at Christmas shortly after her first round of chemo. Please keep her in your prayers. She is a noble, dignified, caring, positive, wonderful, humble, dear dear dear woman, who is constantly putting others above herself. Thank the Lord for her inner strength, faith, and the loving friends and family who surround her. We love you, Mama!

Fabulous Finfrocks

2009-02-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's the traditional "GranRan holding London" picture. Somehow these two just gravitate together and pose for a picture! When will this little squirt get too heavy? :) We've got pics of this ever since she was a wee babe. It's so sweet! Notice GranRan sporting his super cool Caty do -- in support of cousin Caty's Chemo Camp Battles.

Finfrock Christmas begins at Aunt Nonnie's this year . . . and a fairly new tradition is added whereby all the kids (and that means big and little "kids" - yes that means us grownups too!) roast s'mores in the backyard after dinner.......mmmmmmmmmmmm

Here's London blazing her s'more! I can't tell if she's mesmerized by the s'more or the fire....

London on miniture violin and cousin Brett on the baby grand. It was a grand time!

Wake up, Little Tommy, Wake up!

2009-02-26T20:34:00.000-08:00

Yes, Uncle Tommy looks just a little bit tired.....I mean, we got GREAT deals on airfare this Christmas . . . . only the flight we chose put us arriving in Dallas at 2a.m. . . . .Gracious brother of mine happily drives to pick us up at that time! Luckily, his body clock was probably still a little messed up anyway due to the fact that he currently lives in POLAND for his job! He'd only been back in the states a short time on Christmas break.

Electronic buddies are at it again! Syd and Will are always teaming up on the Wii, the Leapster, or some other gadget that beeps and whirrs. Or, they are playing Polly Pockets, but that's another story....

Here's the "ever active / stay out of our way or get run over" crew in action . . . . Nate, armed with his light saber (you never know when Darth Maul might approach), and London with her handmade paper cell phone, are ready to speed off into the sunset! and yes, someone should pull them over and ask for ID and registration!

Don't worry, its just sisterly love making them arm wrestle. Every time we are at Uncle Tommy & Aunt Liz's, we like to drive the boys' car down to the park. It's a fun game of "taking turns!"

A peek into the future?

Oh, You Better Watch Out!

2009-02-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

Countdown till Christmas! London's class had a fun party where they made trees out of ice cream cones covered in frosting and candy.... can you say "sugar HI!?"

Caught Red handed! Alright, you caught us shaking, smelling, and otherwise inspecting our presents!

Lucky for us, we get to open some presents before we fly out to Texas! (no need to pack extra baggage than what we truly need just for the trip.)

Tia Carla and Tio Juan gave the girls beautiful dolls for Christmas.

Grandfather Visits!

2009-02-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Pt. Loma lighthouse........We took a trip to Cabrillo Monument and the Lighthouse while we enjoyed a visit from Grandfather!

Here's the Masser crew in front of the Lighthouse. Both the girls also took the test and passed to become Jr. Rangers of the state park while we were here.

We love you, Grandfather! And the view's not bad, either!

Looking over the harbor. It's just so breathtaking!

Aw, you old softie!

Tis the Season!

2009-02-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

Masserfam Christmas photo.....taken at staff Christmas party.....notice London's "bling" .... this gaudy / fake gold necklace Claudia thought she'd unload at the white elephant gift exchange.......and of course, London opened that gift and wanted to keep it! ha!

Peace out! Peace IN, with Jesus!

Sydney in her starring role in the Christmas play! Way to go, Holly!

Treating the "after play" headaches.....Syd had a stress headache, and Lon had a "I cried and pouted on stage during the whole performance" headache.........so we decided to try a natural remedy Mommy read about.........cool cloths on forehead......and

soaking your feet in warm water with mustard powder mixed in (I know, it looks gross). supposed to draw your blood to your feet and away from pounding in your head. it seemed to work!

Thankful for Friends

2009-02-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

we're so thankful for our friends Tom & Christi, and Tom's parents (Terry & Janie) who invite us to join them in Napa for Thanksgiving. Here Syd and Lon are helping Janie make some cookies! mmmmm.......Later, Grandma Chris teaches Syd a new game "Kings in the Corner" that she loves!

Yes, London and Ali are now rock stars!

Clay and Syd are content to listen to the "concert" on headphones / earbuds. Clay was fascinated with these, and he adores Syd.

Quick family shot before we head off to church!

Fun Fall

2009-02-16T11:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to fall '08 (journey back thru time!)....here Syd models our "cornucopia of thanks" that we get out in the fall.....and fill with slips of paper with things we're grateful for on it (pictures or words). then we read them at dinner each week

Here's Syd getting a Cowboys' star painted on at our Harvest Festival

Here are our Snow Princess and our Pirates of the Caribbean Elizabeth star!

Heavy Punkin! Lon's class went to Victoria's Pumpkin patch this year

there was even a bounce house! fun!!!

We have been blessed! Welcome to our mess!

2008-12-12T20:18:00.001-08:00

ok...major selling point! the house the Lord led us to has this great pool and hot tub! here in this part of the country you can swim from April to October, so it gets good use! Hot tub you can use year round. Now you REALLY want to visit, huh?

Ok, huge other selling point! This addition is fabulous! It's an enclosed sunroom off the dining room / kitchen (we've discovered that here you don't call them "Florida rooms." ha!). It is like 18' x 24'. We call it the "Ballroom" or the "Billiard Room". hee hee. It opens to the backyard where the pool is. Lots of fabulous light!

This is London's pink room "before." We called it the "fecal faux painting" job. It was covering up lots of holes in the wall; we had a lot of drywall patching to do here (our guy did great!).

Fabulous faux paint continues in old hall bath......needed lots of TLC

This was the girls' initial vote on the house. You should have smelled it. Like 20 wet dogs were locked up for weeks at a time.........

To the grindstone again....

2008-12-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

Process underway! LR has been scraped and textured....awaiting the lovely new paint job! (same color as old one .... Claudia loved it!) We were so blessed to have a painting contractor in our church who handled the job for us!

Here begins Sydney's stripe idea. Both girls got to totally pick their colors / themes. They were thrilled! Our little "green" Syd wants blue and green - all about nature. And conservation. Reuse! Reduce! Recycle!

Our youngest princess wants to be pretty in pink. We were literally blinded by the pink glow once the walls were done! Would you believe mom talked her out of picking RED!?

Sorry if you needed to use the restroom......it's kinda under construction! Hall bath needs new tub kit, and here we have removed old nasty comode, and Marshall is scraping the 3 layers of peel and stick floor off. Luckily there are extra lovely tiles in the garage we can put down here...

We put up all new fixtures, thanks the the wonderful help of our electrician friend from church! The inspector got a kick out of the interesting fixtures before we replaced them. One ceiling fan was held up in the attic by a crutch (literally) as its brace. And it had a sock stuffed in it to keep it steady. Well, that's safe! Here is a shot of our bedroom with the "accent wall" in the background.

The continued blessing!

2008-12-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

This is where you can rest your head when you come visit! Our guest room is up and running and we've already had one guest! We're ready for YOU!

Warm and cozy guest / hall bath. We were able to salvage the white cottage vanity from before. Otherwise, it's all new. New tile, new shower/bath, new toilet, new mirror, etc. It's beautiful! Thanks to my friend Brenda for the lovely paint color ideas!

Sydney wants to create a "rain forest" feel in her room....She's got the blue sky / waters, and the green stripe for vegetation. It's a fun work in progress! Since this pic, we've added lots of artificial greenery too. We're thinking maybe a mural someday too.

Little Miss London must have her pink room! It was quite overwhelming before the furniture helped cut the glow. She LOVES her room and her crazy high loft bed. Believe me, she's a born mountain climber, and she's right at home up there!

Our gorgeous living room! Claudia loved the cocoa wall color (its' edible! not!), and Marshall laid the amazing Brazilian Cherry floors. Woo woo!

Happy Birthday to All!

2008-09-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

While we were in Hawaii, it was both Uncle Tommy and Sydney's birthdays! So, we got a fabulous cake and proceeded to celebrate....

Here's Syd opening her gifts...

And London (well, hers was in only 12 days...)

And Nate......(well, we didn't get to see him for his back in April!)

And Will! (his was coming up in July)

More Hawaii...

2008-09-14T17:40:00.001-07:00

Nate and Uncle Tommy digging at Bellow's Beach

Grandma Fran watching the kids (big and little) at the playground

"Who says so?"

Walkin' in Wakiki

Daddy giving rides on the kayak each morning to the kiddos

Cousin Love!

2008-09-14T17:32:00.001-07:00

Nate liked playing with the girls' Groovy Girl dolls :)

Syd making a P,B, & J for her buddy Cousin Will.

Oh, Cousin Nate! You've made a friend for life! You let London play "Beauty Parlor" with you for hours and hours! And you look great!

Tho I'd check that operating license if I we're you....

Leapster was a huge hit with Will. He loved it so much, he got one for his birthday!

Claudia's Favorite Oahu Adventure

2008-09-14T17:24:00.001-07:00

Oh my! I used to CLIMB that tree! This is our visit to our old house on a military reservation. My day to go back in time! I loved that old tree. I had another smaller tree, closer to our house I climbed too, but it was no longer there. :(

This was our very backyard! It's changed a bit. When we lived there, 8 papaya trees lined the back fence. We didn't much like them, but the neighbors and the birds did! :)

Here's Dad posing in front of our old house. What memories! We lived in the bottom of an old crater, the neighborhood wound all around and we were in the last cul-de-sac. During Christmas-time, Santa would ride thru the whole neighborhood on a firetruck (if I remember correctly) and throw out candy to all us kids. Woo-hoo!

"Do you need to go to Tripler?" says Dad. That's our hospital! Hmmm....I think I'll go THERE next time we have a boo-boo. How much are tickets to Hawaii, anyway?

Turtles and Kids

2008-08-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

This is our friend Maui, who we got to feed with lettuce, at Sea Life Park. Yes, Sea Life Park is where they filmed "50 First Dates".

Hang loose in Hawaii!

Mr. Professional Model, posing for Aunt Claudia!

Here's "Miss Ham 2008"

He's so cute!!!

More of Sea Life Park

2008-08-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Sea Life Park on Oahu had really neat interactive experiences. Here, the kids got to pet a turtle. All the turtles had their names written on their backs. This one is Gizmo.

Father / daughter moment while the kids pet the turtles and starfish.

Another father / daughter moment! Looking out into the ocean.

Ok, that's cool! Sea Life Park boasts the only known "Wholphin" where a false killer whale has bred with a dolphin.

OOh! aaaah! Good shows!

Polynesian Cultural Center

2008-08-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

One of our last days of the Hawaii trip, we visited the Polynesian Cultural Center, which is so neat. They set it up like several islands of Polynesia, and you go around to each one and experience the culture through food, shows, hands on activities, etc.

Here is where they welcome us with shell leis

It's a bright, bright, bright, sun shiny day!

I think our favorite "island" was SAMOA, where this guy shimmied up a coconut tree! then they demonstrated how to open one up super fast, drain the liquid inside, and squeeze out the meat to make milk. They also showed us how to make fire!

Also, the information guy in SAMOA was very funny.

2008-08-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

The kids got to learn some hula dances at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

My first (and only) tattoo!

Cool tattoos in "Tahiti" at PCC.

Don't mess with me; I'm cool!

Yes, I'm capturing it all on film!

Syd's 9th Birthday

2008-08-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Sydney had her 9th birthday party a little early in June, so that her school friends could celebrate with her, and so that it wouldn't interfere with her trip to Hawaii! I mean, come on, we have priorities here! :) She celebrated by having a few friends join her at the Color Me Mine ceramic cafe, where you pick a piece of pottery to sit and paint.

Her theme choice was butterflies, so we made two butterfly cakes together and lit them up with butterfly candles (and, of course, used m and m's to color them).

You get to bring your own music that they play for you. Thanks, Hannah Montana for being our inspiration! The girls got busy dancing too! Behind Syd are all the color choices for the projects, painted on tiles so you can see them.

The party package included Syd's fabulous straw hair-do! Plus she was given a GONG that she range anytime she needed our wonderful party hostess / instructor.

This was a snapshot of Syd her last day of 3rd grade, where they also celebrated her birthday at the end of class. Here she is with her teacher.

Texas G'ma's visit in May

2008-08-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

Sittin' outside Syd's school watching her practice with her Heartlight Aerobics Dance team.

She's done! And she saved a big hug for G'ma!

Cooling off (and celebrating) with frozen yogurt! Golden Spoon always has a "buy one / get one free coupon" out there. Come to Santee and try it!

Chocolate lipstick is all the rage in France, don't you know?

2008-08-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

Look at Syd roll them dice! One of the kids' favorite things is to play games. Princess Monopoly is pretty fun; especially when you get to bump your opponents castle off the real estate. Sweet niblets!

Shrek Checkers is pretty cool too. Apparently Syd likes to try to change the rules in her favor on a regular basis. At least, when Mom and Dad aren't around to catch her!

Mom likes to get gardening tips from Texas Grandma. Here, we ventured out and purchased a new experiment - a Passion Flower. No, they are not plastic booms from the Walmart craft section. They are FOR REAL!

It's working! It's our experiment to grow Jacaranda trees! Texas G'ma showed mom how to pop open the seed pods and plant them. Cool! They are a little rare here lately after a harder than normal freeze here a few winters back.

Lon's field trip to the Zoo - May '08

2008-08-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

Texas Grandma got to come along this year. Here she is reading to London in her classroom while Mom attends the "parent meeting" before the big field trip. Basically, "don't let your kid get eaten by a rhino. " ha!

Skyfari ride, you rock! We're up stinkin high! Mom, why are you gripping the side so hard?

Outside the polar bear exhibit here are a couple of hams.

A new experience this time - after the zoo we rode the Balboa Park train ride. It choo-chooed us right underneath huge blooming Jacaranda Trees, full of fluffy purple blossoms. Our favorite! See London cuddle the flesh-eating tiger.

2008-08-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

Ikea store is so fun!

This trundle bed set up would work perfect in some of the homes we've been looking at!

IKEA day is really a "play day." Here Syd plays kitchen chef.

It's not just a hamper anymore!

Paintin' the Town

2008-08-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

A cold day in Coronado!

Never too cold for Ice Cream, however. We stopped at one of the cute diner places walking around Coronado Island and had crazy huge ice creams. Mom can live without ice cream, so she had the hot fudge cinnamon nachos and ate AROUND the ice cream. Mmmmm.......

Always up for an adventure!

Putt Putt on Memorial Day - had to go to Boomers!

Cuddle break with Texas Grandma!

Off to Paris! I mean, Perris

2008-08-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

Go Daddy! Getting ready to race in the Dam Sprint Triathlon in May '08. It was beautiful Perris, CA.

Yes, it does get cold out here for California girls.

Daddy is walking up from the beach after the swim; biking is next! His favorite!

There he goes. We are cheering!

congrats, dad! He won 3rd place in his age division!

Support for Caty

2008-08-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here's Syd (a while back) with our niece-warrior Caty Mayer. Keep praying for her!

Caty snugglin' baby London.

Log onto these websites to support Caty!
www.cheersforcaty.blogspot.com.

www.inspiredlooks.blogspot.com

Buy and wear a wristband to fight alongside her.
http://www.store-laf.org/wristbands.html

Our Personal Paradise

2008-08-01T22:10:00.001-07:00

Breath-taking view from our place. When we drive 20 min. and lay out on the beach, that is. Paradise-ific.

On to the Strawberry Patch (April '08)

2008-07-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hello. I will be your preschool tour guide to Victoria's Garden. It's a fun little gathering of strawberry patches, pony rides, and all my preschool friends!

They have a really cool bounce house and slide there.

This was my pony, named "Beth Girl, California Blonde."

We got to pick our own bucket of strawberries, wash them in a huge old fashioned sink, and then eat to our heart's content. THEN, we also got a full bucket to take home! Sweet niblets!

See! These homegrown ones are the sweetest; for sure!

Locks of Love

2008-07-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

The girls had been begging for MONTHS - ever since mom did Locks of Love; they wanted to do it too! Access locksoflove.com and see what you can do to help those who need wigs - cancer patients, etc.

Lon had 14 inches to spare! It was down to her hiney. It had never had a serious cut.

Look at my cookie - i mean, ice cream - monster! she's so excited! She had the minimum 10 inches to spare. She's looking forward to not having to brush as much. ;)

Here we go!

How sophisticated!

Please Pray

2008-07-19T16:48:00.001-07:00

This is our neice Caty Mayer, aged 13, (a few years ago) with her brother Colin

Calling all prayer warriors!
Our sweet and fun neice Caty has been diagnosed with Ewings Cancer recently. She has a tumor the size of a chicken egg located in her tailbone. She is about to embark on 40 weeks (9 months) of strong chemo treatment to battle it.
Monday July 21st she gets her "port" put in. Starting tuesday she has chemo. The routine will be, normally, that she'll go in on a Thursday, get started on chemo and then stay all weekend in the hospital. She'll get to go home after Sunday if she feels ok.
She's supposed to start high school this year, and will be having a unique experience going in like this. Bless her heart!
She and her family are great people of faith, and we look forward to God's faithfulness here!

You can get updates on her at this site:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/caitlinmayer

The Cotter's are here!

2008-07-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

Isn't baby Clay the cutest little guy?

It's bubble hunting time! Let's go!

Allison's pretty good at this. The girls kept busy for a good 20 minutes with this activity. And, most amazingly, London was so busy blowing bubbles, she was almost quiet. Woah!

Allison takes it into hyperdrive at the park...

Working on baby Clay's abacus skills. Chicks dig guys with skills.....nunchuck skills, abacus skills, it's all good!

Welcome Back, Cotter(s)! (Ap 08)

2008-07-10T23:05:00.001-07:00

London and Allison diggin in the sand.

Look Dad, it's Bio-Diesel!

Mine runs on veggie oil!

Sydney and Clay were so enamored with one another!

Good lookin' guys!

The hike up Stonewall

2008-07-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

Well, here's Marshall on our hike up Stonewall. It was fun family hike. Except London pooped out before we began, really, but our friends' teenaged daughter offered to keep her back at the trailer for us. What a blessing! The hike continues...

Sydney and Bailee in a hollowed out burned tree that looked like a wood-burning stove. There is still a lot of visible damage from the Cedar Fires in '03, and we see interesting shapes every time we camp or hike.

The view from the top!

Daddy at the top with Sydney, guarding her life, as mommy is huddled down at the bottom of the last staircase coming to grips with her fear of heights. That is, gripping the stair rail with all of her life. Look how FAR apart the rails are on this!!! How hard would it be, really, to add another bar of iron in the middle? Or maybe chain link? Come on!

Camping at Paso PIcacho

2008-07-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

Went camping over part of spring break with our friends. We stayed in the Cuyamacas at Paso Picacho.

Yes, you caught us. We DID use trailers for camping, not tents. So, it's not very purist of us. But man, you gotta try it!!!! Here London and Bailee are hiding nuts in the tree. Then we sit back and watch the squirrels, Stellar Jays, and woodpeckers compete for them. It was quite a show!

Great little hiding places for the peanuts.

Mystical Mr. Octopus. We have no idea what this is for. (comments?) We found it in the trailer we were borrowing, and we used it for a conversation piece, mainly, and also to hang up wet rags to dry. It might be a torture device of some kind from the middle ages; we're not sure.

Here is a crazy one-toothed hag tree from our big hike.....more to come....

Eager for Easter

2008-07-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh!!!! There goes the new Easter dress!

London and her little friend Bailee from church.

Oiy! The paparatzi is at it again!

Yes, you caught me red-handed! I got the eggs!

Aw. This wonderful family from church had a new litter of puppies - golden retrievers - that they brought to our service in the park. Here is Sydney falling in love with one!

Zoo with Friends

2008-07-09T21:54:00.001-07:00

Here are the girls with their friends - Taryn and Ryder - at the world famous San Diego Zoo. We had a good time. My friend Tammie and I got a great workout pushing the stroller up and down all those hills (some of the escalators were out of service that day.....)

Our little London got chosen as one of the volunteers in Dr Zoolittle's Show, where he had the kids eat BUGS. I still can't figure out - and I've seen the show several times - whether they are real bugs or not. Some kids eat them. London stopped smiling pretty quickly and sat down when she found out what she was up for.

Taryn and Syd making funny faces!

Man, that bus tour always puts me to sleep!

My FAVORITE site this time at the zoo was during Dr. Zoolittle's show, we spotted the X-Man Magneto, as a baby. I'm not sure how it all fits in the space / time continuum, but I'm sure it was him! Comments??

Hermoine Granger?

2008-07-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here is Sydney going to a "dress up" party where you got to dress up like whatever you wished. She picked a character from the Harry Potter series, of which she's read all 7 books twice now. Whew. I haven't even finished book 5 yet. Daddy has. They are my heroes!

Try the Tri

2008-07-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

Marshall and I spent a romantic weekend up in Irvine (Orange County) for Valentine's Day / Triathlon...... here are some highlights. Here are Marshall's awesome legs, with his number sharpee'd on. (it's a booger to get off later). This is during warm-up. This particular TRI, one lady warmed up, and participated, in a bikini. A bit distracting and unusual, to say the least (sorry, no pics). Perhaps it was her strategy......

Here's where we did the "jig" before the race. Just kidding. Just warm ups.

There he goes! Those bike shots are hard to get. They are FAST.

After the race, we headed to a beautiful state park to lay on the beach and enjoy nature, on the way home to San Diego.

It was called Crystal Cove Park. We explored the tidepools and hiked and laid around. Heaven!

2008-02-26T22:19:00.000-08:00

Hangin' with Grandpa Jim!

Kathy, Tommy, & Claudia

The famous "yearly" fireplace shot (oops, without the fireplace)

Yes? Can we help you?

What do you mean, officer? What's a "license?"

More Johnson Christmas

2008-02-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

Fun with Uncle Tommy and Wii

Hangin' with cousin Will

Sheryl Crow?

Cookin' it up with Grandma Fran

Man, you'd think they'd feed cousin Nate!

Eat your words, mama!

2008-02-26T21:59:00.001-08:00

Aw, look! London got the eating, poohing Baby Alive for Christmas! The same one that Mommy wasn't allowed to have as a child....

Mommy remembers wanting the dolly so badly. Imagine, a dolly that really eats, drinks, and poohs! Why wouldn't her parents let her? hmmmmm.....

Big sister gets in the action and helps feed....mmmmm....bananas?

And here we're mixing up some "peas" for the baby. We soon realize that the TWO diapers she comes with is not nearly enough and mommy caves and buys a jumbo pack of real newborn diapers (cheaper than dolly diapers) to help soak up future messes...

Such a good little mommy getting baby a clean diaper. How many towels did we soak through at this point? NOW, real "mommy" sees a lightbulb go on over her head and SEES why she wasn't allowed this baby when SHE was a child! ug!!

Countdown to Christmas!

2008-02-26T21:49:00.000-08:00

We've got the tree up!

Rollin' cookies with our friends Ms. Beth and Jessica!

(psst...you may not want the ones London iced....)

Family night gift exchange - lots of love!

"Just what I always wanted" is what London said when she opened EVERY gift! That's gratitude, for ya!

Things to be Thankful For

2008-02-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

London colors our Thanksgiving decorations

Yahoo! Texas Grandma Visits over T-giving!

Can't beat storytime with Grandma

Yes, we are in charge of Thanksgiving dinner...or at least the rolls

mmmm...can't wait to dig into that sweet potato casserole!

Visit to the Midway

2007-12-16T19:45:00.001-08:00

We rode the trolley to downtown, the beautiful Sante Fe Station.

A friend from church took us to tour the Midway aircraft carrier.

Of course, we spent time in the Brig. He did it; I'm innocent!

I got to ride as co-captain, or co-pilot or something, over the flight deck!

Sydney's star award

2007-12-16T19:35:00.001-08:00

Star Award. Yay!

Sydney was recognized for Scholarship (the "S" in STAR)

Oma's Pumpkin Patch

2007-12-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

This IS a real, operational dairy farm....so it's a little "stinky!"

waiting with my preschool buddies to start the tour

I was born to climb! I'm a monkey at heart!

Look at me go!

Sliding down Cottonseed Mountain!

Harvest Time is here again!

2007-12-16T19:15:00.001-08:00

Daddy's cutting out the pumpkin faces that the girls drew. This is London's "angry face" (the she modeled for us) pumpkin. It ended up winning the contest in her age group!

Partial "angry face" :)

Yes, you've guessed it. I'm a rock star!

Why, it's Pippi Longstocking!

Beautiful butterfly face from the Rio Seco Carnival.

Family Fun - August '07

2007-12-16T19:03:00.001-08:00

It's so nice to have zoo passes; we get to just go hang out at the zoo whenever we want!

Today we were thoroughly entertained by these monkeys. They were swinging and playing "pass the cute fuzzy baby monkey" forever!

Syd had to check out her "hangout!"

And just what are you looking at?

We made some fun cookie cutouts too! Our Aunt Linda had given us cookie kits this summer. We made palm trees and monkeys.

Make new friends, but keep the old

2007-12-16T18:56:00.001-08:00

Had a wonderful visit in August from our old friends - Rob, Sandy, Kala, Kelsey, and Kariah!

Rob and London coloring

London refusing to let her new found friends leave without her!

Sydney and Kariah had such a blast! They were Sea World buddies.

VBS & Summer Camp

2007-12-16T18:45:00.001-08:00

The kids enjoyed Avalanche Ranch VBS this year! Yahoo!

We got to sing fun western songs about God with our classmates.

The last night of VBS was also Sydney's first year at 2nd/3rd grade camp - the overnighter. She was a GREAT camper and had a marvelous time!

Gettin' to be Beach Bums

2007-12-16T18:37:00.001-08:00

Enjoying Myrtle Beach

Putt Putt with Mom and Dad

We found the best Ice Cream place too!

Syd and Will working on sand castles

Aunt Liz let us try that fabulous beach lemonade!

Summer Fun Continues

2007-12-16T18:27:00.001-08:00

A true North Carolina delicacy!

During our summer visit, we got lots of love. We had a big gathering one day of local family. Will and Nate were there for that too! It was fun to see everyone and to run around in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard. Our favorite part was trying to "sell" the free sodas to our unsuspecting visitors......

Visit to the Farm

2007-12-16T18:20:00.001-08:00

Playing on Aunt Peggy's piano

We got to visit Uncle Mac and Aunt Peggy's chicken houses and help sort the eggs. Dad lifted us up to see the chickens all cuddlin' together or working to lay eggs. We also got to say "hi" to all their cattle. It was a fun farm trip!

My long lost sis!

2007-12-16T17:34:00.001-08:00

I had always wanted a sister....

And I found out this year that I have one! Kathy is about 7 years older than I am and was adopted as a newborn. It has been quite a journey, but now we are all reunited!

Mom and I met up with Kathy this summer and had a fun girly shopping time together.

I am so thrilled to add this new chapter to my life.

From Sea to Shining Sea

2007-10-14T21:11:00.001-07:00

We flew all the way to North Carolina to see Grandpa Jim & Grandma Fran!

Wow! You can see the forest AND the trees! This was the beautiful scenery at Snow Camp, where we went to see a children's play, the Emperor's New Clothes.

We always get to do puzzles with Grandma & Grandpa.

Somebody doesn't want to leave her cousins..... too much fun at Myrtle Beach!!

During the "Emperor's New Clothes," the kids got to follow the Emperor in the parade around town! Everyone loves a parade!

Adventures at Camp!

2007-07-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

Here we are at Featherstone Christian Camp, where Dad is the Dean!

Look how strong I am!

Sister snuggles on a lazy camp morning. (Pretty soon the bell will ring and we'll do the salute to the flag and exercises!)

What a neat view from our Dean's cabin!

Here I am trying to get a shot of our cabin in the background. I dont' think my arms were long enough!

Happy Fourth!

2007-07-10T09:42:00.001-07:00

Putting the finishing touches on my birthday cupcakes. It's a Hello Kitty party! Lots of pink!

That morning I opened family gifts.

Here's my friend Daisie and my pull-string pinata!

Straws with umbrellas too! It was fun!

Here I am blowing out the candles! We had such a lovely party at the park down the street.

The Giggling Graduate!

2007-07-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here I am at my Graduation Performance. My crown keeps falling in my eyes!! But don't I look lovely?

We're waiting to get our names called for our "diploma". Next year I'm moving up to the 4 year old class!

This is our dance. It was called "The Attitude" about having the attitude of Christ. It had a great beat and you could really dance to it!

Afterwards, we had 3 bouncehouses to play in!

sister enjoyed them too!

Say Good-Bye to School

2007-07-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Emma, London, Makayla, & Syd at the park the last week of school.
Tuesday was Field Trip Day and we spent the whole day at Lindo Lake Park.

We found a billion ladybugs in the bushes and held some before letting them go.

Field Day on Thursday, where the kids all got to do fun activities, have fruit and popcicles, and just hang out with their friends!

The class presented Mrs. F with a gift certificate for a spa! She earned it!

There's Syd in the middle. She and Taylor (yellow shirt) both won GOLD medals for reading the most in their class during the Reading Olympics.

SuperStar for Jesus!

2007-07-09T23:14:00.000-07:00

We always knew she'd be a star somehow! She's always making faces and making everyone giggle.......

So, this was her day to shine! At her preschool, this was her day to be a "Superstar for Jesus!" It is a day where she gets to wear this sticker, be the line leader, and during circle time she gets to share extra things with the class.

Here she is sharing her favorite Barbie, named Shelbie.

Oh man! I get to dress Weather Bear today! This is something I have waited all year to do!

I also got to have the special pointer and help the class during circle time. We learned it was March 28th! (ignore the fact that Mom has the blog all out of order........on second thought, just be thankful she has it done and actually might know what day it is currently!)

Father's Day Fun

2007-07-09T23:06:00.001-07:00

Since we love suprises so much, and Daddy is hard to surprise, we worked hard this year! We got together with some other families, and we all kidnapped our daddies after church. We blindfolded them and led them to a "Destination Unknown." First, we drove them around all over in a suburban. Apparently, this made some of them carsick. Oops! At one point, the driver made them all get out and walk in circles on a dirt road, just to add to the confusion. Before this starts to sound like some sadistic torture, we'll move on.....

Here, Sydney is guiding Dad as we leave church. Our final destination is a swim party at somebody's house where we got huge steaks to grill for our guys.

Oops. Daddy still got stuck with inflation duty, even on his special day!

Thank you!

2007-07-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks for coming to my party and celebrating with me!

Oh, what a super fun part!

I love Littlest Pet Shop things!

On my actual birthDAY, Mom and Dad let me open the family gifts at breakfast time. American Girl Paper Dolls are way cool! (can you tell I'm not awake yet?)

I got to wear the honored birthday hat in class at school. My fabulous teacher, Mrs. Flieschman, treated me extra special and all my friends sang to me. Also, Mom and Dad came and had lunch with me at school today!

Birthday Pinata Head Fashions

2007-07-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sure you've heard of this strange tradition....(not really). After our party-goers disembodied the pinata & removed all the candy, they all decided to save a leg, or head, or whatever they could find of the horse. What was it for? Head wear, of course!

Ah yes, this hat came with a strap.

I think the girls were pretending to be unicorns!

They all wanted to take one home.

I think she got the winning piece!

2007-07-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

Getting the backyard set up for my Horse Themed party!

Oh, yeah. Homemade cake is my favorite! Mom and I worked on this one together. It's a lush green field upon which my horses are going to run.

Neigh!! Check out these yummy flowers! Ooh....and the grass is super sweet!

Busy, busy morning!

Finally my friends arrive ready for a rootin' tootin' time!

A Symphony of Success

2007-07-09T22:32:00.000-07:00

Sydney did a big report at school on Beethoven. That is who she chose as her "Famous Historical Person Who Made a Difference." Along with the written report, she had to choose some visuals to help enhance the report. She did an upright display board with pictures of Beethoven and his music. Then, she played "Ode to Joy" on the keyboard. Finally, she had invited our friend Jessica to come and play one of Beethoven's pieces on the violin. Jessica has been playing for over 10 years. It was so neat!

I can see!

2007-07-09T21:52:00.000-07:00

Sydney got glasses for seeing the board at school. Thanks to her wonderful, loving parents, she has inherited their nearsightedness. Ah, well. Doesn't she look great? She's so adorable!

A Family Collage

2007-07-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

Are we in Alice in Wonderland? Or an unusual restaurant in Nashville?

Wow! Look at all the stars here!

Aw.....someone to laugh at my goofy jokes!

What proud parents

With Max and Lucy

Out With the Animals!

2007-07-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

London's preschool went to the zoo! Mr. Otter was ready to interact with us!

Check it out, Gran Ran! Cool, huh?

Resting pose, Mr. Otter. "Queen of the world!"

Cinco de Mayo

2007-07-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

Sydney's class practiced for a many weeks on several songs and dances for the big Cinco de Mayo performance. All the kids dressed up and did a great job!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cabrillo National Monument

2007-05-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

What a view! This was on the drive up to Cabrillo Nat'l Monument.

GranCarol and Marshall enjoying the sights.

It's just gorgeous up here!

Sydney earned her Jr. Ranger badge by filling in info about what she saw all around the monument. We learned a lot!

Of course, London is at home talking on the "phone" - these actually rattled off information about the Lighthouse at Cabrillo.

The GranVisit - A Grand time!

2007-05-20T21:14:00.001-07:00

Yahoo! GranRan and GranCarol are here for their visit this April!

Lots of love to be shared.

Here we are at Grossmont Center - shopping and enjoying hte flowers.

Yes! You caught me! I just ate blue candy in Julian!

Carol, Sydney, & Mom explore a wonderful tea shop in Julian.

La Heading to La Jolla (La-Hoya)

2007-03-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

Cousin Will and Nate headed to fill up their buckets. It's sand castle time!

The unsuspecting victims of the next "bigger than Aunt Claudia expected" wave. We were just trying to fill our buckets! Luckily, Aunt Claudia was able to save all 3 kids and the camera too. Whew.

Aw! Cute cousin love!

Ok, so maybe March is still a little chilly at the beach....see the blue lips?

Look beyond the silly faces, and you'll see the sleepy seals at the Children's Cove, just down the road from La Jolla beach. It is such a great site! You can walk out on a huge long pier that wraps around the cove, getting a great view of the seals and at the same time feeling like you're standing in the middle of the ocean! At night you get splashed too!

On the flip side....

2007-03-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering how London stood sideways, I fixed that one pic for you!

A fishing we will go!

2007-03-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

oops. this is actually at the end of the field trip where London got eaten by a shark........
just kiddin.

Here's the super cool entrance to Birch Aquarium in San Diego. London's preschool took a field trip there. I am not sure how they get the whales to stand still so long, but it's cool to see how much bigger they are than our little squirt.

Can you find the Sea Dragon? It's so cool!

Had to put on a grumpy face for the nice field trip dad taking our pic. ha! Our little comedian.

I'm hoping that's not a gang symbol......Here is the little one in front of a way cool ginormouse aquarium tank. Another favorite thing we found here was they have this huge circular tank FULL of silver sardines swimming in circles. (say that 10 times fast)

On a Snow Hunt

2007-02-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

Took a family trip to Julian, CA, soon after snow hit there. The girls just had to see some snow this "winter"! Here they are in front of the old fashioned toy shop.
Like a kid in a candy store....

Now, if Mom would just turn her head for a minute....

Julian horse drawn carriage, seen on the way to the pie factory / shop!

2007-01-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

Feel the love! Here we are on our adventure to the Rainforest Cafe, or "Armageddon" as London calls it.......(she was scared to death - oops)

Lon, Caty, Syd, Colin, and uh.. . Stanley

I almost ATE Stanely!!!!!

Thanks for saving me from the moving animals! Wait, let me ask for the millionth time, "are they real?"

"VOLCANO! VOLCANO! VOLCANO"

2007-01-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

Don't let this photo get out to the public...

Hmmm....this looks so cool when Sister does it!

Gettin' some lovin from Gran Carol and Gran Ran!

Trying my princess earrings on Texas Grandma!

Syd barely left cousin Colin's side! They are good buddies!

2007-01-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

Excuse me while I scratch my back! I'm going to eat you now....

Who, me?

Some AMAZING pics we took at the fabulous San Diego zoo!!!!!!!!! Syd has already had a field trip there (plus family trips) and London's field trip is coming up!

We are Thankful

2006-12-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving, we were invited to Napa to spend time with our friend Tom's family. It was wonderful!! Here Sydney is feeding a goat at the petting zoo of Train Town in Sonoma.

Taking time to stop and smell the flowers outside Terry & Janie's house.

Here we are with our buddy Allison on Thanksgiving Day. Janie is a fabulous cook!

Earlier that week, London had a singing performance and luncheon at her preschool. She made this candleholder.

At Train Town, Marshall and Claudia got to ride a crazy kiddie roller coaster (cause the kids wouldn't!) Mind you, this is the ONLY time Claudia has had her arms up on any kind of a roller coaster. Marshall raises his every time! This time he kept touching the sides of the track! Yikes!

Please Pray

2006-09-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Please pray for our friend Brenna Logsdon. Many of you have already heard her story from us, but for those of you who haven't, here's a very brief tale. Brenna is a bright, sweet, heavenly 7 year old from Cleveland, Oklahoma, who is battling brain cancer right now. She's at St. Jude's in Memphis undergoing several rounds of chemo, after her 3 brain surgeries and her radiation. In the midst of all this, she has remained a smiling, joy-spreading sweetheart and is an inspiration to anyone she meets.
Nevertheless, this joy doesn't negate the pain that she experiences, or the sickness on a daily basis during treatments. Her father David ministers in Cleveland but is graciously given plenty of time to come be with her and her mother Bettina. Their other children Jalen and Bella could use prayer to, for God to help them through this trial with their dear sister.
Finally, please pray for the newest member of the family, little "Chipmunk," as he/she is called, the baby Bettina is carrying. Recently they learned through an ultrasound that there may be problems with the little one.
Thank you for your faith and prayers!

Here is a link to their website:
http://www.fcccleveland.com/brenna.htm

2006-09-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

The Mini PGA tour hit Myrtle this year....

Happy Birthday to YOU, Will! Sorry, our singing looks like it's bad or loud enough that Syd has to shut her own ears......Well, it's the thought that counts!

Syd cuddling with Uncle John!

Fun with cousins at the local Science Center

Hey, wait a minute.....what year did you graduate from medical school? Can I see that medical license of yours please? (aka - more fun at the hands-on Science Center)