Great Grandpa Gil is 87!

This weekend we celberated Great Gpa Gil's 87th B'day.The celebration brought a visit from Uncle Abe and Aunt Renee as well! The kids were so excited to see everyone they were counting the days. This great man is so loving and fun with the kids and such a great encourager to them. Grandma Verna is a doll as well. They hold a special place in my heart, too, as I haven't had any of my own grandparents around for quite sometime now. They are always so willing to share stories of the past with the kids and to teach them all they can about their life experiences. They are so wonderfully generous with their thoughtful little gifts and money that gets slipped into their hands from time to time. Though most of all we just love seeing their smiles and hearing their laughs! Someday we won't have them around anymore and when that day comes we will be sad, but we are blessed for now and thrilled to celebrate this 87th birthday. Grandpa is in great health and comes from a family of long lives, so we pray he's around for many more years. God knows what is in store for him and us and we take it one year at a time. He said as he told us goodbye that he hopes he is around for Rae Rae's 16th year- so do we!


The wonderful birthday brought a special Aunt and Uncle as well. Aunt Renee and Uncle Abe(and if you didn't know Tirzah is named for Grandma Verna and Aunt Renee- her name is Tirzah Renee Verna). Each day the kids asked," Is this the day we see Aunt Renee and Uncle Abe?" They live in The Bay Area so we don't see them as often as we would like, but it makes their trips so special. We treasure the time we spend with them. They are both so great at really focusing on the kids when they come, too; asking about their activities, talking and playing. They each played catch with Andy and watched Rae Rae's DVD of a current show of hers. Tirzah got her fair share of attention as well. They are so fun and the kids were sent off with the typical "last tag" game that Aunt Renee has passed down through the years!

Uncle Evan also came, which is always fun! He got the really good pictures, so when he sends them I'll post again. I'll be sure to post Aunt Renee's monkey face! :)

So a very Happy birthday to Grandpa and an official cyber space,"last tag," for Aunt Renee!

Gotta Go Back, Back, Back to School...

School has begun... I am still in shock at the early start this year. Why is it schools seem to start earlier and earlier each year? As previously blogged we have enrolled the kids into Escondido's Classical Academy this year. A new experience to let someone else be in control of the lesson plans. I have had to do a lot less thinking and planning and a lot more adjusting and reconfiguring our scheduling. Today is day 2 and we still have some kinks to figure out, but we'll get there. I am just so proud of our kiddos. Andy is still a grade ahead of most kids his age- he just began the 5th grade. Our little Rae Rae met with the education specialist and she placed her in 2nd grade language arts- that's writing, reading and grammar and she is just in first grade and 5 yrs old!!! I guess my homeschooling job has gone well so far.
The pictures of the kids are our traditional shot.It was very difficult to get Tiny to smile and open eyes at the same time as you can tell. Each first day we pose in front of the flag- thankful for our freedom to learn and the priviledge to do so at home!

Girl Time!

Diva Rae...One of her family nicknames...She sure knows how to be the center of attention! We had a spa day while Daddy and Andy were gone. We went shopping and she picked out her favorite nail color- pink with glitter-foot scrub, nail decals and more. As I gave her a pedicure she sat in my robe sipping hot chocolate from her great great grandmother's china.
As she sat there and I took the picture I realized once again how blessed I am. See I didn't want girls. I had always dreamed of having a house full of boys. I was raised with three older brothers and thought for sure I'd have no clue what do with a girl. Besides that would take the focus off me as the girl wouldn't it? Ofcourse that is how I thought when I was young. The day the doctor told me I was having a girl I was so overjoyed and excited. I realized God knew what he was doing because deep down I craved that little girl. I looked foward to days like the one pictured, playing dress up and tea party, singing songs and playing paper dolls as my mom did with me.
Not only did I have one but God was so gracious he gave me 2! In the beginning everyone kept classifying Tirzah as the dare devil or the tomboy one I'd have since her redheaded attitude gave her a bit tougher side I guess. NOT A CHANCE though- this one is just as girly! She prefers the shoes and purses to the crowns and princess dresses though. She wants everything pink as well. Each day we strive to find a pink outfit for her to wear so she'll be happy. Whoever said redhead's shouldn't wear pink didn't know what they were talking about because she's a doll in pink!
So God has given me this amazing opportunity to have those girl relationships I didn't have. I never had a sister to play with. I grew up in the suburbs so thankfully I had 2 girlfriends that lived right next to me, but still not in my house. Now I get that- 2 little girls to bring out my own little princess. I can have all the tea parties I want and no one would think I am crazy- I just have two special guests to set up tea for... Want to come? Just let me know, we have tons of princess crowns and boa's you can borrow!

Moonlit prayers part 2

Please be sure to scroll the page and read Part 1 first...
Tonight I remembered right away pre bedtime to go pray by the moon. It was even more amazing tonight- as if God was thanking me for remembering Him. Tonight both girls were with me not just Rae Rae. Precious little Tirzah was ready to go into the house until I said we had to pray for Daddy and Andy. To which she turned toward us and reached for our hands to hold. As I prayed her sweet little self had her head bowed and eyes closed as she murmurmed," Daddy, Andy" over and over til I said amen! I tried to get her picture but once we were done praying she was running in the house. So sweet she is and so excited for tomorrow- Daddy and Andy's return.

Moonlit Prayers

What a beautiful moon it was tonight, and such a blessing. God is HUGE and He alone created this moon for me to pray by tonight with RebeccaRae.
Our boys left on Thursday for an all boy camping trip. Andy was so excited as he was finally old enough to trek on out with the men- he didn't even care that he was the only "kid" going. I put that in quotes because aren't all men kids when it comes to camping...especially when they take along, not only fishing gear but motorcycles and offroad jeeps? Chad too was excited to spend such great quality time with Andy,and to further pass on the legacy of the love for camping and outdoors- not just for the sake of fun but to relate the greatness of God in His amazing creation. We girls get that too from time to time, but this was for the boys.
The day they left Rae Rae kept telling me not to forget to go see the moon that night and pray. Daddy had told her that he too would look up at the moon each night he was away, and pray for us back at home. So, out we went last night and the beauty was amazing(I wish I had a picture from then). The large moon only partly covered by a few small clouds, Rae Rae gasped as she stepped onto our porch. As I held her in my arms we thanked God for being so wonderful, for His moon and for the knowledge that Daddy and Andy would too be praying under the same moon that night. She was comforted by the fact that at that moment the world got smaller and Daddy and brother felt closer(I too felt comfort).
Tonight we almost forgot our moonlit prayer. We stayed up late scrapbooking together and then proceeded to my bed for a slumber party. Here comes the shock- I am thanking God for my dog(of which I generally can't stand). Mary(the dog) barked like mad as I had forgotten to let her out pre bed time. I stepped on the porch to let her do her business and there was the moon. A reminder not only of God's greatness but that I was to pray with my daughter under it that night. Thanks to God for Mary tonight( I probably won't say that again!) I ran to get Rae Rae before she fell asleep and she was happy to follow me once again to our prayer spot.
The picture isn't as pretty tonight through the camera lens,as the camera can't do God justice at all. The clear sky and big, seemingly, full moon were astounding! Our boys once again felt close as we prayed for their safety and sweet dreams.
We love you so much Andy and Daddy- come home safe and soon...

LEGOLAND

Well we did it! We finally went to Legoland! We are Disneyland fans so always spent the money on tickets there rather than locally at Legoland. Thanks to a raffle drawing we won free passes and off we went.
The kids were so excited as the older two visited the park last year with their grandparents. Tirzah was excited by all the colors and fun looking things as soon as we walked in.
The very first ride was one with a possibility of getting wet, but they didn't care so Daddy took them as Tirzah and I watched. She wanted so badly to be on the ride in the "wa wa." She proceeded to crack up laughing each time they came around the circle by us and were getting splashed!
The day started out wonderful and continued with more fun. Daddy and Andy dared to ride this crazy ride that twisted and turned them all over. Meanwhile Tirzah cried as she wasn't big enough to ride the very tame horsey ride around the castle area. RR begged to find the fairy brook ride and we all tried Granny's apple fries( Mommy and Daddy loved them, kids not so much...though T and RR did love the cream).
The best part of the whole trip we all agreed was the mini land USA- that was AMAZING! The kids all wanted to keep walking around and looking for more details. RR found 3 wedding scenes, Tirzah loved the "copter" on top of a skyscraper in NYC and Andy searched for Elvis in Vegas for RR.(incase you didn't know the Elvis gene skips a generation as my mom LOVED him and I can do with out but somehow my kids LOVE him!
Tirzah was able to ride an airplane ride early in the day and then towards the end we finally found some more adventures for her. She loved driving the safari jeep- ok so she was 1/4 inch to short to ride but they let her on anyhow.
Overall we had fun, but noticed a few things. There is no spark there- no life no noise! As we walked around we couldn't help but compare it with Disneyland as we have spent so many days there in our lifetime. We commented how there was very rarely any music or performers around- things that make Disneyland so alive. Even the employs(with the exception of 2 ride attendants and our waiter) were very depressing people, they were neither nice nor happy to be at their job. The whole land is very much marketed for 6-11yr olds which is a very small age group. I just can't see any kids older really liking it and the younger ones only have a couple rides they are allowed on. So thank you Broadway Theater Arts Academy for the trip but as far as Legoland I don't think we will be spending our own money to visit again anytime soon. Off to the happiest place in the world we will go...DISNEYLAND!

The Backpack

"That's the backpack I have always wanted," Andy exclaimed as we walked into Costco. "It's brown plaid-it's perfect!" To which Dad said,"Throw it in the cart." And so it began- the tears welled up in my eyes and I got all choked up over a backpack. Ok not just a backpack...
See I rememeber each August the thrill of a new school year approaching. My friends and I riding our bikes to the school office each day awaiting the posting of the classes so we could see if we got our favorite teacher, the trip to the store to pick out folders, lunch boxes, pencils, and crayons(oh how I love the smell of a new box of crayons). Then there was the search for that backpack- the perfect one- one that defined me. Would it be pink, or purple or have a rainbow? Each year it was a new search and each year a thrilling event that meant school was on its way! OK- as you can tell I was one of those kids who counted the days until summer's end instead of the ones who counted the days to summer's beginning. Andy is on the brink of a new adventure this year and he too counts the days til the end of the summer,for this year he starts "real" school.
We have always homeschooled Andy but now it is time to for the next step. He will be enrolled in a charter school this year and begins on August 18th. He will be home all week except Thursdays. That big day has him so excited. One day a week to see what "real" school is all about. He'll be taking elective courses on that day; writing, music, P.E.,art and math.
He has never needed a backpack before, but now it became a necessity. So, that day in Costco a new adventure began. I not only choked up at the memories of my hunt for a new backpack, but more at the moment. You know that moment most mom's go through as their baby steps out the door for his first day of kindergarten. Andy will be entering the 5th grade, but in my mind he is taking a huge step of independence. He will step out of my car each Thursday morning into a world unknown to him thus far. I will have lost something with him, but I will gain so much more. My son will show his light to the world, and I will trust God to go with him each Thursday as he embarks on this new adventure.

PLAY BALL

Today is August 2nd and by all accounts, we are starting the dog-days of summer. Well, that's what the big leaguers call it. In my house it's more like the bored-days of summer. Baseball season was over in June and the Fall Ball season doesn't start again until September. Those of you who may not know us too well should understand that in our house full of girls, Andy and I put baseball right up there below God and Family in the pecking order of things that are important. Andy has quickly become motivated to not only be the best baseball player in the world but also historian and statistician. He is constantly studying books, baseball cards and anything he can watch on baseball. For instance...Did you know that Mickey Mantle's number when he played high school basketball was 14? I would have had no clue or interest in that until the other day when Andy proudly gave me that little bit of trivia. Why would that be important to him? 14 is his number, the same number he has worn for a few years other than all-star teams. I guess #14 has become pretty important to him and he will search any famous player that shares his love for baseball and of course, the number 14.

REWIND........It's February and draft day. I'm coaching again so Andy knows he will be on my team...at least he's pretty sure he will be picked by me and the other coaches who have worked together for a few seasons! So we finally have a team put together and there are several kids returning to the team from last year. That's always easy as a coach because you know what to expect from them and their parents. I remember telling Andy who was on the team and he was getting more excited for the season to start but there was one thing he was dying to know...what was the team name? Now please realize that this was February and for the last five months Andy had never gotten over the fact that the Rockies had beaten the Padres in a one game playoff to see who would go to the post-season. Before the draft I asked Andy what team he wanted to be and he said, "anything but the Rockies". Yep, you guessed it, we were officially members of The Rockies. Remember there is no crying in baseball, son.

The season started off well but it was evident that about half the kids were really determined to play hard and do their best while the other half were probably there to goof off or maybe their parents wanted some free babysitting. I guess that's the way it goes at times. The day the uniforms came in I was pleased to find that there was a #14 but I didn't tell Andy that. We usually line the kids up from shortest to tallest and hand them out starting with #1. For some reason we had an extra jersey as there were only 13 kids on the team. Andy was happy to get his number and while I try not to be partial as a coach, this was one time when I was thrilled to help my son out.

After trying the kids out we had pretty much determined which players would play at which positions. Andy was to be the starting shortstop on the days he was not pitching. Speaking of pitching, Little League had revised their rules on pitching this year and we would have to hold to a very strict pitch count for the players. I am all for this rule to protect the kids but it does bring challenges to coaching especially when you only have two or three kids that are solid pitchers.

As the season went on we began to have more and more fun as the kids got to know each other and their coaches better. Andy was quickly becoming one of the best pitchers in the division and he recorded his first "No Hitter" on May 8th. This was quite an accomplishment and the game ball is now sitting on his trophy case along with the rest of his baseball treasures.

I guess being a coach of your own son presents many challenges if you let it. I've been blessed to have a son who is not the center of attention but quietly goes out and does his very best. The other players really look up to Andy and he had a few moments during the season when he let his feelings towards his teammates really be known. At one point he asked if he could talk to the players and after talking to the other coaches we decided it would be a good idea. I was so proud of Andy watching him out there on the field conductiong his own private meeting. It was amazing to see the response of the team and for me to watch my son turn into this very strong leader was truly an answer to prayer. Andy has never been a very aggressive kid, choosing to usually watch and listen and not blaze his own trail in most things. Don't get me wrong, he's no a follower but until this year he's never been a true leader. That all changed this year in baseball. He didn't demand respect from his team, he earned it by his play on the field and his attitude in the dugout. If someone needed encouragement, Andy was always there. If someone was screwing around and disrupting the team, Andy would call them on it. In doing so, he had become the leader of the team and the one that each of the players could trust and count on. What a blessing to see my son do so much without having the pressure put on him to do it. This came from his complete desire to be the best baseball player he could be.

We didn't finish the season in first place but I am so proud of many of the boys. I saw most of them raise their ability to play the game to a new level and more importantly, I watched many of them develop their sense of sportsmanship and trust in each other. They had fun, gave it their best and that is far more important than how many runs we scored.

It was often said by many people this year that Andy showed an unbelievable ability to control himself while pitching. He didn't have the velocity that a few of the other players in the league had but he could throw strikes almost every pitch. He wouldn't let one bad pitch affect the next. He wouldn't let a runner on base rattle him. He had quickly learned that as a pitcher, you didn't have the luxury of overthinking or beating yourself up for a mistake. He played with composure and a very even keel...not getting too up or too down. Sure, there were times when he would get into a jam out there but I knew he was relying on not only his ability to stay calm but his faith that God was with him always. He knew and understood that God was with him when he won and when he lost, too. One of the greatest things about the whole season was my ability to go out on the field while Andy was playing. Prior to each game the two of us would take a knee right on the pitcher's mound and pray together. Andy had come to trust that God would be there with him during each and every game. He didn't pray to win or strike everyone out, he prayed that he'd be safe, have fun and do his very best. God truly did bless Andy this year in giving him the confidence he needed to play very well, keep him protected throughout the season and to have the time of his life.

I am so proud of the season Andy had and the lessons we both learned. I was blessed to spend so much time with my son doing something we both love and right before my eyes, he had developed into the strong leader I had always prayed he would be.

The last game of the season was the all-star game and Andy had another wonderful baseball experience. He started at 3rd base and made one of the best plays of the season and he was also the winning pitcher in the game. He has that game ball, too.

Great season #14.....you have something special and I hope and pray you never lose your passion for this game. It's bound to break your heart more times than not, but the journey is well worth it

Until next season...

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Hidden Treasure

Friday started off like a normal day...I left for work and said goodbye to Jodi and Tirzah. Tirzah had to follow me out and get her fair share of hugs and kisses and show a little of the normal "Dad is leaving and I'm not happy" attitude. Andy and Rae Rae were still asleep but Tirzah was sure to give them their kisses from Dad once they woke. Work was not very eventful like most days but I knew I had to leave early because we had an appointment in town. Like usual, I rushed home, changed and we were off. As I walked out of the bank Jodi said she had forgot a document at home that we needed at our appointment so we drove the quick mile back to the house and she went inside to get it. She thought she knew where it was but she wasn't sure. After looking through two or three boxes where she thought it was, we left without finding it. Now remember this is Jodi we're talking about..and leaving the house with boxes on our bed and on the floor of our bedroom probably never left her mind the whole time we were away. We made it to our appointment on time with no problems other than I have to take the document we later found in next week. We spent a nice evening as a family running around doing the usual....I had to get new boots, we checked out the new BEVMO, went out to dinner and stopped at the grocery store.

When we got home is was getting late so we put the kids to bed and headed to our room to find the boxes right where we left them.....out of their place. At first glance you would think these boxes were holding a bunch of junk. They were very disorganized with a lot of papers and cards and things like that. As I walked back into the room after leaving for a minute I saw Jodi sitting down reading and I wasn't sure what it was. I realized that these boxes, all three of them, held almost every single note, card and letter I had ever written to Jodi. Wow! She had saved all of this stuff over the last 17 years and I was amazed that someone would care so much to keep it all. Sure, there were special things that I could see holding on to but every little note seemed to be there. She had also kept dried flowers, old bouquets and photographs. There were also tickets stubs to all the trips to Disneyland, baseball and hockey games, plays, movies, etc. This set us both into a great adventure that seemed to cover our entire life together. She found her diary from when we first met and throughout our first year together and we read most of it together. It was great to relive some of those special memories after all these years. She had even kept a little ripped Peirce of mail that she used to write down my phone number the very first time!

When I woke up Friday morning I never imagined that it would end the way it did. I have the best wife in the whole world. We sat for hours together just reading and talking and looking back at all of our years together. I realized that I don't write letters or notes the way I used to....at least not with the internet and text messaging. It's easier to send an email or a quick message and while those can be saved and read again, it just isn't the same to have something hand written and stashed away somewhere. Someday when we are long gone, our kids will look through this stuff and wonder why we wrote things down at all.

Thank you Jodi Rae for taking the time to preserve all of these great memories. I look forward to adding many more peices to those treasure boxes. You're the best!

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