Joy in the Journey

2009-11-17T22:27:00.001-08:00

God still answers prayer

In His time He'll work a miracle

He will NEVER fail

Satan has lost the battle

When to the Lord we humbly bow

GOD STILL ANSWERS PRAYER!!!

I do!

2009-11-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege of organizing a Mexican Food potluck, aka a FIESTA, for my team at work for today.

So a guy at work told me, after eating my food, "Wow girl... I don't know why you don't have men running after you all the time." My response, "I DO, I just run faster than they do!" Haha, he had to laugh!!! :)

Dickinson Family visit... so much fun!!

2009-11-03T20:39:00.000-08:00

Seeing Heather, Phil, Kimberly, Sarah, Noah and little Elijah was soooo much fun!!

It was also so nice to see Michael and Beth and spend some time with the Gospel Center Church family. How good it is to have so many friends!

Me with my 'other' nieces and nephews. I'm sorta' like the adopted Auntie for everyone!! :) I like it! More to spoil!!

The picture below was sooo funny. Isaiah was soooo super excited to get his picture taken that he was running everyone out of the frame and then yelled, "I'm GONNA' GET MY PICTURE TAKEN!!" It was so hilarious!! We couldn't stop laughing because he was soooo serious when he said it.

Hmmmm...

This is where Michael stole Bro. Phil's piece of chicken, when he had his back turned, and replaced it with a chicken bone. Haha!! They are definitely brothers!!

Dear friends! It's even more precious now that we both speak the same 2 languages. :)

Making a new little friend!! Elijah and I found we adored each other from the first moment we met, until the moment our visit ended! :( We were both very sad.

No hugs and NO kisses!! :) Sarah!!

(Inside joke!)

Auntie Janet brought all of the kids some 'harvest' suckers to help them sleep that night.

Hehe! They were a hit!

This is where Heather screamed at the top of her lungs with a raspy voice, "We are SSOOOO good looking!" Haha, this prompted Brother Phil to gag... and say, "oh brother!" Haha, good times!!

Silly!!

Look at poor li'l Elijah's face.. he really wants that sucker and the girls are just cheesin,' not to mention Michael.

Rest assured, in the end, Elijah DID get his sucker. Haha!

Unfortunately, all of the Dickinson family got very ill when they were in AZ so... this allowed me to spend a bit more time with them. A couple days before they left I played chauffeur for Heather and the kids as we ran last minute errands, eating yummy lunches and delicious ice cream. :) As you can tell by my 'lip' I hadn't been feeling too well that week either. Haha, Kimberly kept wanting me to act like she punched me in the lip. Hmm?!? =)

On our way back to the house that day Noah was looking at the mountains with dreamy eyes and said in the sweetest voice,

"Mommy, I wanna' climb a mountain."

Awe!! Heather wasn't feeling a hundred percent so I asked him,

"You wanna' climb a mountain?"

He replied, "Yes!" in the sweetest, pleading voice.

How could I resist?!?! I told him,

"Well, if you wanna' climb a mountain then we better climb a mountain!"

I then said, "Would you like to climb a mountain with me?"

I of course looked at Heather with the same pleading eyes as to say, 'Awe, is it ok to offer and will you say, uh, 'yes?' She nodded.

I told Noah, "well, I'll make you a deal... if you wanna' climb a mountain, I'll climb a mountain with you tomorrow morning but you have to get up really early. Can you do that?"

He was elated!! His face lit up the Arizona sky. Haha, which is hard to do!! :)

So the next morning he was to be up no later than 6:15ish.

They were so excited and I was so exhausted... haha!! :)

I am a sucker when it comes to kids.

Here we are early morning before our hike!

Hiking Dreamy Draw

King on the Mountain!!

Allowing Sarah to jump off a cliff... haha, not really! Just angling the photo so it looks like it. :)

We had so much fun!!!

The kids did awesome... all that walking in Colombia has sure made them good hikers.

What a great shot of the hiking group!

Sarah was officially Jake's guardian, though Jake kept a good eye out for coyotes, chipmunks, squirrels and other creatures that appeared a threat. He did great with Sarah.. he altered his pace, selected his path carefully according to her ability and was extremely patient with her. It was so neat to watch him be her guard.

We made it!

Kimberly and Sarah had driven my car when they lived in Phoenix but Noah and Elijah had not gotten their first driving lesson yet... well, there's no time like the present.

They loved it. I actually drove down the street with Noah, he had a blast!

As you can see, Elijah had a terrible time saying 'goodbye' to me! :( Poor baby!

I was so excited that the Dickinson's got to spend some time at my sister's house after they left Arizona. What dear friends we have in the family of God!

Jeremiah

2009-10-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you... (Jer. 29:11-14)

Yeah, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you. (Jer. 31:3)

Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not. (Jer. 33:3)

How wonderful are the promises of God!!!

Just recently, one of my coworkers and I were discussing the mercy of God. We are both outdoor people that love to be surrounded by God's handiwork. When you spend your time outside, among God's creation, you begin to realize how small you really are. The scripture teaches that if God's people fail to praise Him the rocks will cry out... and how true it is. All of nature sings in symphony a glorious melody of praise to its Creator. So why can't I? God help me to speak of His wonderful mercies and amazing grace.

"What is man, that you (God) are mindful of him?"

Tribute to a Friend!!

2009-10-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's already been a year - What a great time we've had!!

Jake was a rescue from the Humane Society that was going to be put down if he was not adopted.

A friend gave me a wonderful lifelong gift in Jake.

This year has been amazing, sharing it with my little friend. We have had nothing but good times.

Learning 'wait' and how to not run out of the house when the door is open... hmmm, that may be like putting a large slice of chocolate cake in some people's faces... haha... HARD TO DO!! For some anyway! :)

Learning to Sit up Straight! Now he does it all the time and he stays up forever.

For those of you who may wonder, yes he has been a good doggy sitter. He still has his puppy and he does not mistreat him he carries him and snuggles with him but does not tear him apart.

I was doing yoga in the morning and as soon as I stepped off the mat, Jake took over and started doing his own doggy yoga. I laughed so hard it was hilarious!! He still stretches with me in the mornings.. no prompting needed. :)

This was his first time 'Packin'.... he did great!!

Spending time with his friend Alyssa.

King on the mountain!

Hiking so many different trails... longest hike recorded just under 10 miles at one time.

Finding shade under a 'uh' tree?! Hmmm, gotta' do what you gotta' do!

There's nothing like having the wind in your hair at 90 miles an uh... I mean, 55 miles. Hehe! Sorta' like humans wrestling with the wind while driving.... good times!

He's a great travel companion... better than a cup of coffee. Awe, well maybe he needs one, but I was doing fine. :)

Helping mom with her homework... I think he got the hang of it. Look at the book, highlight a few lines and then take a nap. Haha!! :)

He loves the mornings!

Bein' cute makes you tired.... awe, Jake that is! Hehe! :)

Friendship at it's finest!!

So much to do, so little time

2009-10-19T09:48:00.001-07:00

Do you ever wonder how life sometimes goes from 0-90? Haha, well, so much has happened since my last post, but unfortunately I don't have time to blog about it. Huh? :) See you sooner than later... I'll be back in a few.

Tomorrow's the GIB, I mean BIG DAY, wish me well! :)

Ciao!

Good Friends, Good Food, Good Times!

2009-10-05T20:57:00.001-07:00

The Sunday after my dive I had a boatload of people over to my humble little shack for dinner. Hmm, what was I thinking? Not only did I feel like I'd had a USB plugged into me which had transferred all of my energy to somewhere else but my place is too small to have that many people. In total there were 11 of us. It was cozy and we made it through and had a delightful time.

On the Menu:

Fresh Peach Iced Tea

(Fresh only because it had real peaches from that morning and a slice in each glass)

A Cool Cucumber Mint Refresher

(Mmm, you'll see in a minute)

Appetizers:

Fresh Guacamole & Chips

Fresh Salsa

Entrée :

Caldo de Rez

(Otherwise known as Beef Soup, but not like you're thinking... mmm)

Dessert:

Buñuelos

(Sort of like Churros but flaky and flat like a tortilla with cinnamon & sugar)

Yum, sounds good... hmm, maybe I'll go make one right now. Haha!

Pastor Steve, his wife Brenda, Johnny and Cherita (i.e. Cher)

I think Johnny and Steve were on their 3rd bowl by this point. Haha!

Roseanna! What a great smile. Mmmm!!

So either she really likes the food or she's really excited she doesn't have to cook. :)

I finally got her to share the guac... hehe!

Chris & Sandy

I had to bring my patio furniture in to have a few extra spots.

So this is now my official indoor/outdoor patio. Nice! :)

Ethan finally came to me, bribed by promises of sharing my drink with him.

Natalie loves Jake and as you can tell he loves them.

Well, maybe he loves that Ethan is his size and there's sweet stuff on his face.

Muaw!!

Ok, so this is the Cucumber Mint Refresher... as you can see, it was a hit!!

I got a play-by-play of Ethan licking the edge of the glass, rotating, licking, rotating, licking. Haha, Johnny eventually told him he couldn't have any more of his drink, though it did justify Johnny asking for bottomless refills. Haha!

I made enough soup to feed an army, literally. So I loaded up the trough and took it to churh for our Sunday-night-after-service-get-together. The funny thing is, everyone in the church got a taste of it... hmmm... can someone say, portion control?!?! Yikes, I had enough left over to take to some friends and some for lunch as well. Haha! Well, when you only eat it once a year its worth it.

I take dinner requests but the resounding answer for the food choice is always 'MEXICAN.' Hmmm? Is there something I should know!?!

Mmmm... maybe next time you can come!

2009-10-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

I feel as if though I've been given the world and I don't quite know what to do with it.

Yay

2009-10-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

The weather's getting cooler, the leaves are changing, well if you have trees that is (hehe).
The brass, chimes, winds, strings and the unsurpassed sounds of Manheim Steamroller are resounding in my place.

Christmas is coming!!

FREE FALLING!

2009-09-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Sky Dive AZ
Eloy, Arizona

When I was younger I used to babysit a few girls from our church. One night we were looking at their family albums and I noticed a whole section full of Skydiving pictures and I asked them who had jumped. They said their parents. That night I asked Mr. and Mrs. Cromwell if they had jumped together and they told me, 'yes.' They were High School sweethearts and had both gotten certified and had jumped multiple times. The photos pictured groups in several different formations; needless-to-say, I was inspired. I told them I wanted to skydive sometime and Mr. Cromwell told me I should, he said it was amazing. I told him I would. He passed away a few years later and to this day I have always remembered I told him, 'I would.'

So, today was 'the day' to make good on my promise. He was always one of my greatest fans when I was a child. He encouraged me to record a tape of me singing and he promised he'd buy it. Haha. Some people never really know how much they inspire you.

Over a month ago, I walked into work and started talking about going skydiving. A few of the guys overheard me and asked me to let them know 'when' so they could go. Well, I didn't figure it would really come together - but here we were.

(John, Kristen's B-friend, Kristen, myself and Bill, pictured below is Ray)
I'm sure you can tell by the look on Bill's face that he was a little nervous.

Before this day, I had spent time in prayer about my crazy adventure and asked the Lord to help apply this to my spiritual life. You see, trust is not always an easy thing for many people, mainly me. Letting go and allowing someone else (God/others) to take total control is not something we, as humans, are often willing to do. So, I asked the Lord to help me trust the way I knew I had to when I jumped from that plane. I did not know the person I was jumping with nor did I know his experience, except that he was certified, and this only because I was told so. I didn't know anything about the pilot or who had packed the parachute, all I knew was that I was jumping out of a 'PERFECTLY GOOD AIRPLANE' into nothing but air and expecting a parachute to do its part when prompted to and then allowing a few thin strings to function in like manner. If this is not trust then I don't know what is.

I told the Lord I wanted to know what it felt like to 'let go' with no reservations, completely depending on something other than myself to guide me.
(Below: photographer and fellow skydiver beginning footage of my first dive. I will probably not have a future in show biz as I can't seem to keep my eyes open for even the first shot. And what's up with the hands on my hips... seems to be the only poise I know lately. haha.)

We climbed to 13,000 Ft. for the jump. Interestingly, I was not nervous the whole time. I just kept saying, "I guess it hasn't hit me yet." When we were in the plane, Kristen said, "Well, if it hasn't hit you by now, when will it?" Hmmm...

How's about NOW!!!
Standing at the edge of a plane with an open door 2 1/2 miles up in the sky... now certainly woulda' been a good time to 'hit me.' I saw my co-worker disappear before my eyes into an unforgiving abyss, then ... IT HIT ME!

Wow, I guess there's no going back now. =)
It seemed so surreal, the world seemed like a painting... nothing seemed real.

Now, it seemed real.

The photo below is probably my favorite of all of the photos because of the angle of the plane and how the image portrays a real sense of how we were falling.

The wind was hitting our faces at about 120 miles per hour.
It was really hard to breathe, this was really the only time I felt nervous... for less than half a minute. I was then able to get my breathing pattern and it was all fine from there.

As we were free falling he did several fast spins to the right and then to the left. So not only were we falling at 120 miles an hour we were also spinning part of the way down.

Smiling with 120 mile an hour winds in your face while gravity is summoning you down is no easy task.

What an exhilarating feeling.
Free falling!!
Totally free of any distractions.

When the chute deployed in the lower picture we had already fallen over 10,000+ ft. in approximately 55 seconds. This is approx. 200ft. per second.
Here you can see a hand on the lower right corner, this is my photographer/videographer who also jumped to catch the whole thing. This was somewhat surreal as well. In some of the other pics where I was looking up and smiling I was looking straight at him. He was pretty close to us, so seeing someone else flying that close also added to the experience.

When the chute deployed we shot back up into the air. In the video it looks like it jerks you up, but it was pretty smooth. This was also a great part of the experience.

Flying under the canopy after it had deployed was the most amazing thing ever.
Everything was so quiet and serene. There was nothing to distract you. We began to talk as if though we were sitting on a front porch, in a rocking chair and drinking lemonade... not a care in the world. Before we left I asked him if we would circle around so I could enjoy the views. Haha, well, he did, he tilted the parachute and spun, quickly one direction and then the other. He then spotted a hawk and asked me if I had a weak stomach. Hmm! So he loosened the chute for a short free-fall and then he again began to circle right and then left, then right, then left again. He said he wanted to catch the hawk. After a few of those great manuevers we were looking parallel at the hawk. Dustin, the instructor said, "Look at you girl, you're flying with the birds." Wow, what a fantastic experience.

It was as this point I asked him if the cameraman was still taping this and he said that he, "uh, is not supposed to do that kinda' stuff." Haha... good times!!

The landing was great!!

We survived and look at those smiles to prove it.
Well, except for Bill, he later admitted he was scared to death, uh... no pun intended. :)

Been there! Done that!
GOT THE T-Shirt!!
Hmm... 13000, uh... ???
Guess the T-shirt guy didn't like his job too much.
Error!
Haha, it's 13000 FEET.

:0)

My photographer did a great job. Wow, what a job... bet he doesn't mind going to work everyday. :)

Kristen and John pretending like they were still flying.

Hmmm?!?!

Feel free to visit the link to see the video of my jump. I've unfortunately been unable to upload my personal copy which includes some pre-flight prep/jump clips. Enjoy until I am able to upload the other.

http://funairvideos.com/ShowVideo.aspx?vid=QQs1MzXdmhA

This video is Kristen and I discussing the 'Most intense moment,' of our jump while at lunch.

I was so exhausted at the end of the day, I went home and took a nap. :)

When I awakened I was reminded of Ezekiel 47:3-5
(The vision of the holy waters)
3. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
4. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
5. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

When things seem to overwhelm us, do we draw back, do I? I want to live like this! I want to plunge myself into God's will without reservations, trusting that when God is in control ALL IS WELL!

Before the dive, someone asked me if I was nervous, I said, "no." They then said, "How come, you don't know who this guy is, you don't know if the parachute was packed right or if it's even going to open." (I think they were trying to encourage me, uh - not!)
I then replied, "You're right, I don't know! But I know they're professionals at what they do, so I guess I trust that they do their job well, so I have nothing to worry about."

After I jumped there was NO GOING BACK. I was in the hands of God, literally. I let go and from that moment on there was no turning back. I want to trust God this way. He is a professional at what He does, He made it, so He knows it. He made me and knows better what I need; despite the sense that I may be overwhelmed by the trials. I realized if I allow God's will, His Spirit, His Holiness to overwhelm me... I am in good hands. He will carry me, draw and take me to where is best for me and the experience will ALWAYS be a more amazing experience than any I could have ever had on my own.

2009-09-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, what an amazing honor.

I am so blessed and thankful for this opportunity.

Unfortunately, I can't give too many details yet but please feel free to email or call to find out more. :)

Thanks for your prayers!

It's not over yet.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, SOMEONE BLUE!

2009-09-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

You may recall seeing this photo in a previous post. This is my luxury liner... a 1999 Honda Accord EXL Coupe. It is fully equipped with all the niceties including a sunroof and spoiler, as you can see. There are a lot of great thing about having an OLDer car, some of which include: NO CAR PAYMENTS, affordable insurance, good gas mileage, NO CAR PAYMENTS oh and did I say, NO CAR PAYMENTS. Ok, so as you can see there is ONE main advantage of having an older car. The only problem with it is that you may find yourself having to complete repairs on it and slowly replace old parts with new parts. Let me explain. I awakened this morning before my alarm and decided today would be a nice day for a hike. I washed off my patio, watered my plants, fed the pooch and headed out the door. The mornings, err shall I say EARLY mornings are getting cooler (note I did not say cool, yet). As I walked to my car, I saw Kathy outside with Sally, I told her I'd be happy to take her hiking with us so after a few minutes of tussling and romping, Jake and Sally were ready to load up for their excursion. I clicked my 'clicker' to unlock my door and reached for the handle to get in and 'wallah' nothing happened. Hmmm? I locked it again and clicked again and still nothing happened. Hmmm! Kathy went in through the passenger side door and pulled on the driver's side handle to open it but STILL nothing happened. Grrr... so now what! The dogs were loaded in, Sally was driving and Jake was in the back seat waiting for her to start the car. I had gotten in the car and gotten as far as the passenger's seat. Hmmm, this was not working out so well. Wearing a skirt, crawling over a center console in a coupe and trying to maintain a level of respect from onlookers is not a good combination. :) Now is a good time to remind myself that I DO NOT HAVE A CAR PAYMENT! Haha!!

Why is it that when one thing goes out, everything seems to follow suit? It's like one sends a memo to the rest of your belongings and then it all goes downhill from there. My computer has been acting up, the brakes in my car along with some other minor and major repairs are also screaming for attention. So what is a girl to do?! I guess I'll have to borrow a car from someone for a day and start adding some NEW to my OLD to keep me from getting BLUE. :) At least I've got my health, oh and NO CAR PAYMENT! =) Hehe!

One last question remains. Do I crawl in from the passengers side or 'Duke's of Hazard' it in through the driver's side window? Ha! ;-)

The Race

2009-09-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

Growing up things were often challenging and when things got rough at home I would always leave the house to go for a run. I was often propelled by frustration or confusion. Despite the source, I remember running as fast as I could for as long as I could, which usually wasn't too far. I didn't realize it, but this was the only way I had ever learned to 'deal' with things.

When I was in Jr. High one of my P.E. teachers noticed me running and recommended I join track. I was never a distance runner and to this day cannot run very far. I didn't realize I was any good at running at all, I just knew it always made everything better... or maybe I was just too tired to notice anything wrong. I remember training and I still recall the coach giving us pointers and teaching us strategies. "Don't turn around, don't look to the right or left of you to see who's there and NEVER look behind you." All of these things would make you lose your concentration and seconds off of your time. All bad things! "We run to WIN!" I also remember that no matter how short your race, you should not give it your all until you get to the very last of the race and then that's when you give it all you have. This conserved energy and could win you the race. I ran the 200 meter, not a long race but a race none-the-less. I was a sprint-runner.

As I was meditating and praying today, I was reminded of those races. It seems like a lifetime ago, but the principals haven't changed. We are in a race and we're almost at the end. I believe things are wrapping up, God is preparing His people for a place far greater than we've ever known, His coming is closer than it's ever been.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:27)

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. (Psalms 91:1,15)

He has made a way for us to make it to the end of the race - a winner.

... others may deny the Lord and live in sin,

but the race that I have entered I must win,

through those pearly gates I mean to enter in,

I have settled the question forever.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. (IITimothy 4:7)

MORE THAN ANYTHING... WE'VE GOT TO MAKE IT!!

Heaven WHATEVER the cost. Will I see you there?

Let's make plans to meet... beside the river.

2009-09-18T10:49:00.001-07:00

Here goes something!

Hands together, pray and wait!

I should know something within 2 weeks.

All things...

2009-09-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

All things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

It has always been known by my friends and family that "GOOD DEALS" always come my way. Hmmm! For this reason I often find myself as other's personal shopper for specific or particular items. I have an unbeatable track record. Haha! Like this is really something to be proud of, huh?! :) Well, recently there have been a few girls that have been coming to our church that did not before. I spoke to one of the girls, which is a Jr. in High School and she said she really wanted to get some clothes for church. I couldn't get away from this thought so I went out to some of my 'reliable' shoppes and found some great buys. Interestingly enough, at both stores, the cashiers asked me if I had a coupon and I said, 'No!' So they both reached under the counter and pulled out 2 coupons and then handed me one and told me to put it in my purse for the next time and then proceeded to apply another coupon on today's purchase. IMAGINE THAT... TWO DIFFERENT STORES, TWO DIFFERENT CASHIERS, TWO DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND THE SAME RESPONSE!! I was so excited! Haha, doesn't take much for me to get excited. :)

At the second store, the cashier asked if I'd watched a 'political journalistic' show. Before I could answer the lady behind me said, "Everything is getting so bad, isn't it?" To this I could not help but respond. I said, "I believe in the Second coming of Christ and I don't think it'll be very long until His return." She looked at me with wide eyes and said, "Something's gonna' happen isn't it? Things are changing so fast." I agreed and said, "Yes. The decline and changes are happening so quickly that something has to happen." Christ's return!

I walked out of the last store and started heading to another one, but felt I had gotten enough so I turned around and headed home instead. Romans 8:28 came to mind and I thought, surely God had worked these good things out for myself and for the girls. It is precious to know that our FATHER is looking out for us - NO MATTER our need!!

Wow, what if I'd not gone today? What if I'd stayed home? Maybe I could have said more or maybe less, but I'm certain that God can lead open hearts regardless.

Have you trusted Him today?

Cherished memories, then and now (Part 5 - the Finale)

2009-09-17T00:34:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Labor Day weekend:

Attending the Fallon Bible Missionary Church on Rice Road has and always will be a highlight of my trips 'back home.'

This Sunday was a very special day! My brother Christopher and my sister Christine dedicated little Aurelius and Sofia Denice, their first-born babies. They pledged to teach and guide their children to love God and to follow Him to gain heaven - WHATEVER the cost!

(Memory Lane)

As I approach the church so many treasured memories flood my mind, and tears well up every time I see this beloved little white steepled church. For it is in this place where I came to know God and the precious gift of His Son Jesus. Even now, as I write this, it is hard to remember without tears... my heart swells with gratitude for this little church and the few faithful people it has always had in it's congregation. You see, it was here where one man believed there was 'hope' for a strong-willed little Spanish girl, it was here he got a promise that God would be a very special part of her life. I am glad to report that today God is the most important part of my life... and all because of the sacrifice of one man who was willing to obey God's call to the desert.

As I sit on the familiar pews; my mind is summoned to ministry, reminded of the great commission and called to evaluate my life and its purpose. I mentally answer the same questions they asked when I was young. How many people did you witness to this week? How many people did you invite to church? Who memorized their scripture? Who's the friend you brought today? Did you bring your Bible? Sword Drill; I wonder who will win? Does anyone want to help with the songs? Who would like to go calling?
Hmmm, maybe it's time I asked myself those questions again - take inventory. There will never be any other place in this life, however beautiful or serene, which will ever mean more to me than this little country church. (Someday soon, I will add a picture, maybe you'll fall in love with it too.)

After the dedication we spent the afternoon taking pictures.
It's sorta' becoming a tradition. I so enjoy photography, though there is still so much to learn.

*Sofia Denice Brown*

Princesses get tired too! :)

Princess Hands!

***

Princess Feet!!

****

*Aurelius Roque Rene Renteria*

Ok, that's enough!

That flash is killing me! :)

Precious little feet!

****

Precious Memories!

Treasured Moments!!

Don't ask what they were laughing about. Hmm, two guys in the group... well, I'm sure you can figure it out. Ha!

Happy Mommies!!

A few random pics:

(These are both of their feet. Little Sofie's is on the top and

my buddy Aurelius' is the other. Awe, so cute!)

Sleeping Beauty!

Proud Abuelito & Abuelita.

One of my favorite pics. Uh, I obviously didn't take it.

My 12 year old nephew Rueben did with only a li'l coaching.

He has an amazing eye. :) Good job bud! :)

Bosom friends!

Can't forget Rueben!

Family, what a wonderful word!

I missed them before I ever left early the following morning.

This was, by far, the BEST Labor Day weekend I've ever had!

Porcupine Creek, North Dome and a Song (Part 4)

2009-09-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon, a week ago, found us at Porcupine Creek preparing to hike the North Dome Trail. We unloaded all the food items and stored them in the bear safe bins and off we went. The hike was 4.4 miles each way, though I did not tell my dad that, otherwise I figured he would not have agreed to go. I'm just glad he missed this sign on his way down. Hehe!

The hike began at an 8,100 foot elevation with a steep descent for the first .7 miles on an old paved road but quickly turned into a natural trail.

(Lookin' good!)

The trail leveled off not far into the hike as it took us deeper into the Yosemite forest full of pines and firs as well as dead fall all around .

(Hmmm? Maybe he should pick on one his own size.)

We passed a few seasonal creeks, one of which was Porcupine Creek and a few other creeks struggling to stay alive through the season.

(Look at the size of those roots!)

One of the first things I thought when I started this hike was the old adage that says, "What goes up, must come down." The trail was full of inclines and descents. It is rated a moderate to difficult hike... all I know, is that it felt pretty good on the ol' legs. :) As the trail continued Rueben and my dad made it a point to locate some good walking sticks. My dad even went as far as chiseling and shaving it down to his size. He's extremely innovative. Well, maybe! The stick looks tall enough, but the width seems a little off. Haha!

Our legs were telling us that we were getting closer to our destination while a few people also confirmed we were almost there. We had stopped to rest, mostly because my mom and dad needed it. Dad asked some fellow hikers how much longer we had. He said, "Well, you're almost there. I think it's just about another mile-in-a-half to two miles to North Dome." My dad's response was a very surprised and dramatic, "WHAT? You're kidding me?" He then turned over to me and said, "How long is this hike?" Gulp!! "Uh, it's not that long dad," I said reassuringly. Haha, we really were almost there. Well, with as much as we'd hiked, we really were almost there. :)

We climbed another steep section and began to walk on a very narrow ledge. I was in the front and was leading the way through the steeper sections of the hike. All of a sudden, I heard branches breaking to my left on the steep mountain above me. I was a little alarmed and since we'd already been told that bear tracks had been spotted my mind immediately thought, "Uh-oh!" I turned to look up but no sooner than I did, I heard a big thud no more than 2 feet in front of me - on the path. I immediately drew back and saw a flash of something dart in front of me in a mad frenzy to the mountain below us, remember we were already walking a ledge. I turned to my right to confirm what had just happened and this is what I saw.

A doe had almost stepped on my foot at full speed. Yikes, this could really have been bad. There would have been no other way to go but down... in a whirlwind. Wow, but she sure was beautiful.

What was so amazing was that after her ninety mile an hour run, she just stopped. She gazed off into the distance, would turn to us, look at us and then walk from tree to tree, almost like she was looking for something. I was so excited to get such great pics of her. She was so perfect. We stood there for what seemed like forever just watching her and waiting to see her next move. All of a sudden, reality hit me. Hmmm, why was she running so fast? Oh no, if there really were bear tracks, could it have been that a bear was chasing her and she felt refuge further down the mountain. If that was the case, I realized the bear was likely not far behind. Gulp!! Hmmm, I didn't say anything to my parents because they would have FREAKED! I kept my mouth shut and started praying that God would keep us safe. Besides, we had packed some food items to eat at our destination and I was certain a bear could smell them if he really tried.

I no sooner finished my thought when all of a sudden another racket from the mountain to my left occurred. I didn't see anything and all of a sudden something "large" jumped higher than I was a foot away and down to the mountain below us. In the exact same path as the doe. Crikey! It was going so fast my mind couldn't register what it was, until I looked over and I noticed the doe welcoming her little fawn. Awe, wow!! What a precious reunion. My dad said, "Oh, look at the little Bambi." I unfortunately did not get a picture of this little one because as soon as mama saw him they were off as quickly as they came.

We climbed the steepest part of the trail and based on other hikers, I knew we really were almost there. My parents and Rueben sat down for a spell and then said they could not make it. I told them I understood but that I was not turning back without going to North Dome. I told them to wait for me and that I would take a ton of pictures so they could see it too. My mom was even more determined to make it at that point. We all re-hydrated and continued on the trail. The path began to level off and I decided my muscles had had plenty of time to stretch, I told everyone I'd meet them at the top and took off on a nice jog. I reached the top of the mountain and walked to the edge and was so unbelievably inspired by what I saw. I did not want to continue the trail alone as I wanted to share it's splendor with everyone else, upon first gaze. Everyone finally made it up, so we took a picture... we really were almost there.

(On a ridge above North Dome)

My mom later told me that when I took off running, Rueben had said,

"Man, look at my Tia! She's like a dear!" Haha!!

We finally made it to North Dome! We were at 7,540 feet... huh?

We had actually lost elevation. Hmmm, not sure how that happened but it was still amazing.

The views were so unbelievable I could hardly utter a word. My mom loves nature and she loves God more than anything in this life. When she saw the views, she continued to walk, almost as if she were in a trance. My dad hollered at her to stop, but she kept walking just looking straight ahead and marveling at the wonder of God's creation.

As she walked she quietly said,

"How can anyone deny that there's a God!"

I could not resist taking these pictures of her. It was almost as if she were in another world, completely free of any distractions. She truly looked drawn by the majesty of her Lord.

I walked up to her and I said, "Doesn't this make you want to sing, 'Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder thy power throughout the universe displayed.'" She joined me in singing this song in praise to the Almighty atop one of His majestic mountains. She sang loudly, "Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee, HOW GREAT THOU ART, HOW GREAT THOU ART..." This is my mom's favorite song and it was a perfect song for that moment.

I then began singing the song "Majesty."

"Unto Jesus be ALL GLORY, HONOR and PRAISE!!!"

We captured the most amazing views of Half-Dome and Clouds Rest, which is often dwarfed in the shadows of it's neighbor. Half-Dome can only be seen this close by hiking the North Dome trail. Like my mom said, "It was hard, but it was worth it."

Earlier that day we had been mesmerized by multiple rock climbers and delayed our hike by more than an hour. This meant we would not be able to spend as much time atop North Dome as we would have liked. We spent almost an hour gazing at the beauty surrounding us but felt pressured to begin our journey down the mountain for fear it would darken before we returned. The hike to North Dome took a little over 2 hours so I wanted to be sure we allotted enough daylight to exit. I did however call my sister-in-law to let her know where we were and the route we were taking off the mountain in the event something went wrong.

I had desperately wanted to see a bear, though not too close, of course. So I offered anyone who spotted one for me to photograph a $50 bill. Hmm!?!? All of a sudden every last snapping tree branch or shadow became a possible bear siting. Haha! Rueben and my dad really took this challenge seriously.

On the way back, Rueben had walked along side me and said, "Tia, I'm gonna' walk next to you the whole way back, Ok?!" I said, "OK!" He then said, "I'm gonna' try ok!" After a short while I didn't notice him next to me anymore and all of a sudden her ran up to me and said, "Hey Tia?!" Uh, I'm supposed to be walking next to you." Then I said, "Well, why aren't you then?" He just laughed and said, "Because I can't! You walk too fast." Haha!! I just laughed and told him he was funny. I slowed way down and let both my dad and Rueben go ahead of me! This will be something I'll never live down. My dad is already telling everyone that he 'BEAT' me to the car and that I couldn't keep up with him. Hmmm, really??

Well....

I have evidence otherwise!! :)

He had to stop for a few breaks, and might I add, I never once sat down the whole hike! Though I do have to admit, he did make it to the car first. Only because I was taking some of the following pictures... oh and because I almost had to carry my mom the last quarter mile. Haha! She did awesome! I was impressed with all of them!

(How does life grow on a rock?)

(Lonely wildflowers)

(A tree deteriorating from the inside.)

(A pine growing on the carcass of a fallen pine.
We can learn so many lessons from God's creation if we'll stop long enough to take notice)

I guess if you want to see something bad enough, you can see it;

sometimes in the most unexpected places. Looks like I finally got to see my bear.

This was just moments before the trails end.

Everyone was unbelievably exhausted and hungry to boot. I was so proud of everyone I offered to buy dinner for them in Lee Vining on our way home. My dad agreed to drive the 13 miles to Lee Vining but was too sore to continue the additional 3 hours to the house. So guess who got stuck driving? Yep... me! Haha! It was worth it!! :)

Here we are at Nicely's in Lee Vining eating a well deserved meal.

We were all so exhausted from our almost 9 mile hike.

WHAT AN AMAZING TRIP!!!

The weekend isn't over yet.

Sunday proved to be an eventful day as well.

9-11-01

2009-09-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 09-11-01, I was talking to Cherita and she asked me if I'd heard. I lived at Tatum/Bell and wasworking on my Bachelors. I was off work that day and quickly gathered my things and went to the student center at Paradise Valley hours before classes began. I watched the attacks repeatedly on large screen. I was in a trance, along with others, unable to move, staring at the same images over and over again.

"United we stand, Divided we fall"... many would say. Churches were filled, endless prayers were uttered, people were changed. Let us NOT ONLY remember, but God help us to live the way we lived the days after the attacks. Feeling that at any moment our lives could be taken. Tomorrow is not certain, help us to "seek God, while He may be found."

Hope is NOT in a nation,

but in its CREATOR!

God bless all of our military and those who fight to protect our nation.

Rock Climbing (Part 3)

2009-09-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

I awakened at 4:45AM. Saturday morning - no alarm required. Rueben and I had slept in the tent and mom and dad had slept in the back of the Navigator. The temperature had dropped through the night to a delicious 31 degrees. MMMmmmm, I LOVE COLD WEATHER!! My mummy bag was true to it's word... I was extremely warm and even had to unzip it in the night as it was getting a little 'too' warm. I stirred Rueben so he could sleep in my bag and then I was off.

I wanted to watch the sun rise. These are some of the views everyone missed that morning. I only wish I would have gotten one of the full moon casting it's light like diamond reflections on the lake. It was breathtaking! The morning was a delicious 43 degrees! Brr! :)

Things began to stir around the campsite and that was when I got a good view of our tent, or what was supposed to be a tent.

Uh, not so much!

We quickly packed all of our stuff and prepared for the days journey.

My dad noticed rock climbers on one of the domes on the way to Porcupine Creek. He quickly pulled over and we watched the two climbers scramble their way higher and higher up the dome. Can you see them?
You may want to enlarge the above image to spot them.

There they are!

It was then we noticed climbers on the dome on the other side of the road as well. They were all free-climbing which means they were only using their hands and feet. Nothing more, nothing less.

How many climbers are in the above picture? Comment to see if you and other readers agree.

It appears one of the climbers in this picture might be injured.

Please confirm with a comment. I did not notice this until I looked at the pictures at home.

Still not sure if they are or not though. Let me know.

Isn't it amazing?!?!

I could not get over the courage of these climbers. This dome was only about a car's width from the road. If anyone fell, if the fall didn't kill 'em, surely the traffic on the two lane road would.

We crossed the street and saw an older man changing his shoes. I asked him if he planned on climbing also but he said he didn't climb that dome anymore. He said he used to be a guide for those climbs when he was younger. I asked him if climbers really only used their hands and feet and he said, "Oh yes, it's not difficult, you do it like this." He then went over to the mountain and began to climb a short piece of it. It didn't look terribly difficult.

Rock climbing has always intrigued me. However these domes seemed awfully intimidating.

I thought I'd try my hand at it, but only went a short way because my dad was there and had not brought his roll of life-size bubble wrap with which to catch me if I fell. I wasn't necessarily dressed for it either. I did however enjoy the section I did... though, I'm not sure I'd ever attempt that steep of a climb. Though repelling from that height does sound intriguing. Definately something I would try.

You may recall a sunset picture at Olmsted Point in my previous entry. Well, this is a daytime view. If you look far in the distance (almost in the middle of the picture) you will see Half-Dome. The hike we were taking would end up on the exact opposite side of the Dome; directly across from it. This is just to give you a visual of where we were going.

Our final destination was the highlight of our trip.

Come along on the next entry to see what we saw & experience what we experienced.

Camping in Yosemite National Park (Part 2)

2009-09-10T00:24:00.000-07:00

Where were we?
Awe, yes... Lee Vining, California a sleepy town only 13 miles away from our anticipated destination - Yosemite National Park. The last time I camped in Yosemite was over 10 years ago, needless to say I was extremely excited to be there.

As we climbed Tioga Road's winding two lane path, which has few guard rails, I was greeted by the image captured in what you now see as my 'blog photo.'

Wow! These were all taken from the car window while we were driving so they may not, quite yet, be ready for National Geographics.

Knowing unrestricted camping in Yosemite is no longer allowed, we kept our eyes open at several campsites, even prior to the entrance of the Park. We found an amazing location and hoped it would still be available later that evening.

My mom agreed - Tioga Lake was the perfect camping spot.

There were several people already at the campsite, and one particular family was already having dinner. They had several large canopy tents prepared with picnic tables and multiple camping stoves serving a feast. My dad could smell the steaks they were making and he got so hungry, he thought we'd be ready to cook up our own steaks when we returned from our drive. Awe, I'll return to this topic in a bit. :-/

I was aware that a recent wind had redirected a controlled burn and had burned much of Yosemite's forest at an alarming rate. The last I knew it had been over 50% contained, so I did not see it as a problem. The night before we left, I verified the roads into Yosemite were still open. Confirmed! As we slowly approached the National Park entrance we heard the Ranger tell the car in front of us that the road was only open 30 miles into the park. Huh? This would not allow us to go any further than White Wolf, which basically meant we would have to stay in the Tuolumne Meadows area. My heart was immediately crushed. This would mean we would not be able to access Yosemite Valley or any of the amazing waterfalls Yosemite is known for. My dad pulled over on the other side of the entrance to 'decide' what we wanted to do. Well, knowing we couldn't spare 7 hours to drive around the park to get to the other entrance, we decided we should make the best of it. And boy was I glad we did!

One of the first things we saw after entering the Park was Lembert Dome at 9,450 ft.

It is a granite dome which can be hiked or climbed.

The minute we pulled into the parking lot beside Lembert Dome, I told my parents I'd be right back. I started heading towards the dome and my dad said, "Are you crazy, you are not going to climb that are you?" I quickly respoded, "Yes!" and turned and went on my way. He didn't have any way to stop me because he was heading just as fast, except the other direction to the restrooms. Haha!! By the time he came out, I was already a quarter of the way up and had stopped several times to coax my mom and nephew to come with me.

This gives you an idea of my gradual ascent. Wow, the views were getting better.

Ok, now we're getting somewhere. It looks like they're gonna' come along afterall.

Great!

OK, well, maybe not. See the little dots, center bottom to the left of the pic, yep, that's my family.
Haha!

My mom and nephew finally made it almost half way up, so I walked down to where they were and laid down and took in the great weather and the spectacular views.

My dad remained at the base of the Dome encouraging us and yelling such words as:

"Are you crazy?

Do you WANT to die?

You're going to kill yourself!

Ok, enough, stop acting so tough and get down from there.

It's going to start raining and your going to slip and fall and kill yourself and then there'll be no way to save you.

Uh-Oh, did you see that lightning, hurry up come down from there.

You're crazy... ok, now I know you wanna' die!"

Well, with this kind of encouragement who would attempt to defy anything?! Haha! :)

We spent some time at a lower altitude on the dome, to appease someone whom I will not name here. haha!

My mom and dad.

The brave group subtract 1. Hehe!

We continued our drive through Tuolumne Meadows passing several lakes, pastures, creeks and peaks. The following are pictures of some of the highlights. Sheesh, I don't think I'll be able to tell as much about each one, otherwise we'll be here all night! :)

We saw over 40 'Buck' Mule Deer.

We could not tear my dad away from this pasture, he was wishing it were deer season and that we were not in the middle of a National Park.

Spectacular views surrounded us, no matter where we went.

My adventurous mom and nephew Rueben.

We briefly stopped at Tenaya Lake to wash my shoes off.

What a gorgeous lake. The sun was beginning to set and the temperature had dropped to a delicious 45 degrees. I don't know how cold the water was, but for some reason, it did not seem that cold to me.

We then stopped at Olmsted Point to get an evening view of Half Dome from a distance.

This was also where my dad and I practiced our night shots. Practice to be continued! Hehe!

By this point we had all started getting queues from our belly's that we were hungreeee!

My dad said, "Why don't you hand me a sub sandwich or should we wait to cook the steaks?"
Uh, hmmm, this was the time to pretend like I was asleep and that I didn't here him, right?! Yikes!!
My mom said, "Well, actually we don't have steaks."
My dad said, "Ok, well then give me a sandwich."
She replied with, "Well, we don't have sandwiches either."
She was desperately trying not to laugh, and I on the other hand was wondering if now woulda' been a good time to crawl under the seat.
Frustrated my dad said, "Well then, what are we going to eat?"
I sheepishly said, "Well, we have jerky, granola bars, apples, oranges, crackers, string cheese, some chex mix and some Gatorade, oh or water."
He said, "WHAT?!?! This is what we're going to eat? No, no... I just smelled all that food those people were cooking and I'm not going to eat any of it? Are you kidding me?!"
Well, the sad part was that, NO, we were not kidding him. Haha!!
Then my mom said, "This is Janet's trip and she said we didn't need all that kind of food." Hmmm, thanks mom!!
My dad again emphatically said, "WHAT!?!?"
I then attempted to provide him a profound explanation of 'why' we did not have such delicacies. First, I explained Food was Fuel and that it's for ENERGY not for ENTERTAINMENT. He was NOT buying it.
He said, "No way, if I woulda' known this I woulda' never come."
I then told him that WE are not MADE FOR FOOD but that FOOD IS MADE FOR US!! Haha!! It was not working.
On our way back to the campsite I decided to stop at the local 'mart,' you know those overpriced, tourist stores that could fit in your back pocket, but make a fortune anyway so it doesn't matter what size they are. Well, I guess it was my fault that I'd forgotten that my dad was MADE FOR FOOD, so I had to buy some REAL food. Haha!! The laugh was worth the 45 bucks we (my mom and I) had to spend to have a mediocre meal.

Yikes, this leads me to my next topic.

When we got back to camp most everyone was already turning in, except for that party family and they weren't planning on it either. So my dad hooked up a generator... seriously... no joke, here's this loud semi sounding machine contaminating the peace and quite of the beautiful Sierras. I was so embarrassed. I began to quickly unpack the tent and try to set everything up so my dad could shut the stupid thing off. The site keeper came over to our area and just stood their and looked at us. Of course, I was the only one brave enough to go talk to him. His silhoutte was all I could see because the lights my dad had set up were like stage lights preparing for an ampitheatre performance. He just said, "Are you planning on turning that off sometime?" Ugh! Gulp! I just said, "Yes Sir! We will shut it off as quickly as we can, let us just put the tent up and get the fire going." He somberly walked away without saying another word.

Which leads me to my next, VERY IMPORTANT, point.

We don't know how to put up a tent!!
Well, at least I don't anyway, I've never had to do it on my own and have always traveled with others that have set them up. (REI here I come, tent lessons, just say when!)
Besides, the tent wasn't even ours, it was my brothers, so none of us had even seen it before until this light show. Grrr!! So I told my dad to just shut the generator off and that we could figure out how to set it up by the fire light. He said he knew how and that it wasn't hard, well about 4 people and an hour later we sorta' got it up. I mean it somewhat resembled a tent-looking structure. I didn't care at that point and determined I could sleep under the stars.

My dad finally turned the generator off and APPLAUSE and HOORAYs errupted from multiple tents at the campsite. Ok, now I was really embarrassed! It was so funny!

I call this making memories!!

Several years ago, the park began to require all visitors to the park to store their food items in secure scent free, metal compartments provided. In effort to minimize bear encounters. I guess you can google a bear pealing a car like a banana to reach a loaf of Wonder Bread. Hmmm, hope that guy thought it was worth it.We put our food away in the BEAR SAFE storage facility and sat by the fire for a few minutes.
(It's said the smoke of a fire follows the beauty in a person... this explains my mom
covering her face. She's beautiful!)

This was the end of our Friday night!
I can guarantee you'll wanna' check back for Saturday's adventures.

THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!!

Babies, Bodie, Mono, and More (Part 1)

2009-09-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

A GOOD TRIP is GREAT
but
A GREAT TRIP is BETTER!!!

Thursday morning found me rushing to the airport, forgetting my pillow and anticipating my arrival into the Reno/Lake Tahoe International Airport. I was elated to finally get my weekend started. After a short flight (1 hr. & 45 min.'s to be exact) I arrived in Reno and was picked up by my sister-in-law. I picked up some last minute gifts for my new niece and nephew and then proceeded 'home.' Like I really needed any last minute anything, I had already packed an extra suitcase full of baby gifts I'd purchased; though I was able to sneak some of my camping gear in there as well, so I was definitely justified. Ha! Guess that's an auntie's job. Spoil, spoil, spoil!! =)

I arrived in Fallon and immediately made the necessary phone calls to get 'mommies & daddy's' (ie. my bro and sis) to my parents house with their new bundles of joy. I got to meet my little buddy Aurelius first.

Wow, I had never seen such a perfect little man. He was so precious.
Here are some pics of our first half hour together.

There's a definite connection. =) hehe!

So, maybe we were both a little tired.

ZZZzzzzzzz

I then met my little Princess Sofia and wouldn't you know --
she was perfect too!!

We're gonna' get along just fine! =)Hmmm... they must have good genes. Haha!!

OK, so don't try this at home. It's harder than it looks. :)

Not to give a literal play-by-play, but I wouldn't do justice to this day if I did not add a picture of that night's dinner. Definitely a highlight of going 'back home.'

Yummy!!!
My mom is the BEST cook in the world. She is a professional cook and baker.
Not a bad gig when you're her kid!! Haha!!

The night began to slowly slip away as we busily packed and loaded the car for our early morning drive to Yosemite National park. Ok, so you have to understand when I say 'early'... it is a much different definition then I'm used to. Haha... everyone says, 'RENTERIA TIME,' hmm.. not sure that's a good thing. I was awake before the dawn, showering & makin' my list and checking it twice for our trip. By the time we loaded up it was already after 9AM. Grrr.. oh well, it was my vacation so I thought I'd just go with the flow. We stopped to get some groceries for the trip and then we were off. {My dad, mom, my nephew Rueben (12) and I.}

The drive felt somewhat surreal as I had not been on that road for many years. Another highlight of 'home' is hearing my dad tell stories about when he was younger. He is one of the best storytellers I've ever met. You feel like one of the characters in his story and experience both their triumph and defeat. Haha!

Planning for a trip is always important but diverting from those plans is also fun... a good balance is GOOD! As we drove through the California desert we passed a road that said 'Bodie... A Town Frozen in Time." My mom said, "I've always wanted to go there" and my dad said, "Yeah, we've passed this road for over 30 years and we've never stopped and we've always wanted to go there." So I said, "Well, lets go then!" My dad confirmed that I really meant it, as he knew how excited I was to get to Yosemite and knowing we were only planning on spending a little over a day there anyway... this could really cut into my plans. Oh well, you only live once. So he did a U-turn and went back to the entrance. It was a little freaky actually, we were on this long windy dirt road which seemed to take us nowhere.
Rueben, who might I add is so afraid of the dark he sleeps on the couch in the living room adjacent to my parents bedroom, because his room is too far away, was a little nervous. He said, "It's a GHOST TOWN?" I answered, 'Yes!' I then told him about a movie I'd heard about where people went to a ghost town and would fall into mines and winds would kick up dust and cause people to lose their way and families would get seperated and then they'd never get out. As you can well guess, his eyes were getting wide and not with anticipation and then he finally said, "Well, maybe we shouldn't go then." Haha!! I'm so mean! :) Well, sometimes you have to create your own entertainment... even if it's at someone elses expense. Yikes! (He reads this blog so I want him to enjoy it too.)
We finally arrived to Bodie about a half an hour later. We parked and Rueben said, "Abuelita, Tia, you better hide your stuff... unless you want a ghost to jack it." I thought it was so funny!! I couldn't stop laughing. {Oh, Abuelita means Grandma in the most endearing way and Tia means Aunt.}

The Mill
The town of Bodie, previously spelled Bodey, was named after William S. Bodey a miner who discovered gold nearby in 1859. A mill was erected in 1861 causing the town to grow and flourish to an estimated population of 10,000 by 1880. It was a booming town with miners, robbers, gunfighters, store owners and families.
At its peak the town had 65 saloons, gambling halls and opium dens. Often miners found temporary relief from their labors at the local saloons and other facilities in the red light district. It was said that the mixture of gold and alcohol caused many deaths, presumably one man was killed every day in Bodie.
Yikes! I was sure glad we waited to visit.
The Methodist Church

My mom said, "It makes you wonder how many people have sat and listened to God's Word in this church, huh?" She trailed off by, saying... "and all their big fancy dresses." Rueben asked what she meant by that so I demonstrated with a curtsy and a twirl in front of the church while pretending to hold my flowing dress in place. And he then said, "Oh, so that's why they made that door so big!" Haha, I then said, "Why?" He said, "So all those women could fit." Kids are hilarious!!

Most of the buildings did not allow us to enter so photographs could only be taken through windows. So, here are a few more to give you an idea of what a great place this was to visit. We really needed much more time, but two-in-a-half hours was all I was willing to spare.

On our way out of Bodie, we took the wrong road... haha... in keeping with the laid back mood, we did not turn around and followed the road. Hmm, I inwardly hoped it was the right direction. I began to disperse some snacks to keep us energized for our next adventure. The road we took was gorgeous. We did not realize it but we were actually taking a back road to the same town we were originally heading towards. As we almost reached Lee Vining, the final town before Yosemite, I asked my parents what the name of the lake was that we were passing. They said Mono Lake.
I'd been on this road before, except this time the lake seemed to draw my attention, so... in keeping with the theme, I asked my dad to turn around so I could get out to see the lake. The weather was extremely overcast and it looked like a storm was brewing. Not a good time to be near water, so I told him I'd hurry. My dad said, "Well, at this rate, we're never gonna' get there." I laughed and said, "Oh, we'll get there but when we do, you may wish we wouldn't have because you're gonna' be exhausted from hiking so enjoy it while you can." Haha!
I immediately smelled a musty smell, not like a lake at all, rather, like the ocean. I could smell the salt in the air and my parents explained that this was a salt water lake. It used to provide the community a flourishing shrimp business, but it had been some time since the shrimp had disappeared. My mom and I got out of the car and walked to the beach. My dad yelled out the window and said, 'Can't you just look at it from here?' I looked back, shook my head and ran towards the beach. I only had my small camera with me and decided to run back to get my larger camera and my dad asked me why I needed that. I just kept saying, "Wow, that's so weird, unbelievable really, huh... it's just so strange," and then started to walk away. He then said, "OK, wait for me." Haha... it worked!! Of course Rueben was not going to stay in the car alone so he too jaunted alongside us to the beach.

But this beach was like no other you'd ever seen... seriously! It was amazing in a DIFFERENT way. What was so different you ask? Well, first of all, when my mom and I had gone to the shore I felt something on my legs. I looked down and there were a billion little black things flying around. I looked behind me, to the side of me, and straight ahead and I realized there was something desperately wrong. I stepped back a few steps and noticed nothing unusual, nothing in the air - everything was 'normal.' I saw a man with a beautiful camera and a lens to match and asked him while covering my mouth with my shirt what that was. He proceeded to say..."They're Alkali or Brine Flies." Ugh! There were billions of them - no exaggeration. The first thing I thought of was a plague. Looking back I wish I woulda' taken a picture of them while they were flying, but what was so strange was that they would all fly around in a frenzy, you couldn't even see your feet because of how dense they were and then they'd all of a sudden stop flying, and everything looked normal. To give you an idea of how many there were... look at the picture above. The black line on the shoreline ... yeah, well those are all flies. (If you double-click the pics you can enlarge them to get a better view.)
They also lined the rocks and much of the beach. I guess they're pretty 'nice.' YUCK!
I was really proud of myself, as I am not a big BUG person, and even stood there while they were flying. Not one squeel. :)
This lake is said to be 650,000 years old and thought maybe to be 1-3 million years old. Hmm, I'll let you figure that one out. This lake has quite a history, I would spend more time talking about what I learned but in the interest of time, I'll allow you to look it up. So if you're interested in Ecology, Geology or Chemistry or if you're just a NERD looking for something to research, go to http://www.monolake.org/visit/ that oughta' keep you busy. Ha!

Well, we were only 13 miles from Yosemite and about 1 mile from Lee Vining, California, so why rush it. Right?!?! Uh-huh!! Well, since Lee Vining was one of the first places my parents lived when they came to the U.S. I decided to ask them where they used to live. Being that the town is all of a quarter mile long (roughly) it was not hard to find. This was the entrance of their two bedroom apartment. They laughed and said this was such a great place to live. Lee Vining is up in the mountains and is always COLD. It felt great! They reminisced and told me of a time they awakened to find snow covering most of the entrance. My dad had to crawl out of the window to shovel the snow so they could get out the door. I love memories and anything that stimulates them. So, I decided to treat everyone to an ice cream cone from the local ice cream stand.My mom said she remembered eating ice cream and hamburgers here 35+ years ago. This establishment has been there over 70 years.

Well, we're almost there folks. Unfortunately I'm a little blogged out, so if you'll forgive me, I'll add the Yosemite piece later. Sorry for the suspense... who am I kidding... No, I'm not! :) I hope you've enjoyed the road trip so far... and remember, it's only been 24 hours since I've been home... and the fun has ONLY just begun! =)

Blogging

2009-09-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

I am feeling like a procrastinating college student waiting until the eleventh hour to complete, er begin, a term paper. Not sure why. I will blog about my trip but am having a difficult time getting motivated to do it. Is it because I'm tired, or maybe because I'm too rested, uh, I'm sure it's not the latter... or maybe because I packed so many different activities into a few days and need to sift through 1000 pictures to figure out which ones I want to share. Now that sounds more like it (as well as being tired). :-/

Check back! I guarantee you'll WANT TO share in this adventure.

Happy Trails!

2009-09-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

Some people ask me if

I'm ever serious

AND
other people ask me if
I'm ever NOT serious!

Haha!! LIFE! =)

* My mom always said I would grow a watermelon tree in my belly if I kept eating as much watermelon as I did.
Hmmmm... moms are so smart! *

Soapbox and a lighter note

2009-09-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

A guy at work yesterday asked me if I had seen such and such a movie and I told him, 'no' and that I do not have a television. He then mentioned something about my being Amish. This is how the conversation went.
Me-"Amish? Ok! So, what exactly makes me Amish?"
Him- "Well you wear skirts all the time."
"OK?!?! So, again, what makes me Amish?
"Well, it's that you wear the same thing all the time."
"Uh, well you do to. You wear shorts and a T-shirt every day... so what does that make you?"
His profound response, "Normal!"
I just looked at him and said, "And what exactly is normal?"
He could not answer me, he just chuckled.
It bugs me when people make these types of comments and do not justify their premise, especially when they're talking about what someone believes.

So, I was a little perturbed when I went home but thought nothing really more of it. I decided I would be a bit more to myself and less social today.

This morning I came in and did not say much and when this guy came in and asked how I was. I asked him if he planned on being nice today. He apologized and said he was not trying to be mean. The he proceeded with this statement. "Don't get me wrong, I like your style, you dress nice, really. It's that I'd just really like to see you in a pair of jeans some day." THIS, coming from a guy who told me (a few months ago) that I oughta' start wearing make-up and tight revealing clothes BECAUSE GUYS LIKE IT! Oh and lastly the same guy which told me (a few day ago) that I oughta' act DUMB because guys like that. (Might I add in the next breath he asked me a question about a process in which I knew the answer and he did not... I told him "I am sorry I can't help you, (while bobbing my head left and right) because I'm acting dumb right now."

Sometimes I am extremely 'nice' to people and I often find myself getting into trouble because of it... especially with guys. I guess nice now translates to immediate flirting which is ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE!! This of course is not the case in this situation, nor do I think he thinks that, but when a girl, like myself is as conservative as I am, this IS NOT a 'compliment,' it is a degrading insult. Most girls seek this type of reaction. I DO NOT!! I am comfortable with the person I am and do not NEED clothes to solidify it. I do not seek approval or acceptance by what I wear or do.

I told him he could forget about that because that would NEVER happen. This brings me to my next frustration!

I really wanted to say, well, "I'd really like to see you in pantyhose and a skirt, why not add a slip and some extra frills underneath while your at it... oh and don't forget the wire just for kicks, to insure everything's in it's perfect place for visual aesthetics." Hmmm.. oh wait, that wouldn't be NORMAL FOR A GUY TO WEAR. Funny isn't it?!?!

It's important to say I graduated with a Bachelor's in Sociology.
Ok, so society has it's place and trust me I loved the study of it as much as one could... but we are such a STUPID people sometimes. I have never understood why it's 'OK' for women to wear sleeveless tops as business wear but not men, why it's 'expected' that women wear 'fitted' clothes while guys pants are hanging past their bacon. HELLO? Have you ever noticed when you're out how the women are well put together, pressed, matching and polished and guys are usually in a dingy T with cargo pants torn at the bottoms and oil stained; not to mention the mustard from their hot dog lunch is still lingering on their shirt. Guys, we too enjoy nice scenery... thus the reason we hike in nature on a daily basis. :) Haha!!

I mean come on folks. People think we're weird!!! Christians are not the NORM they say!!!

Bahumbug!!

Well, from the 'normal' examples I've seen... who would want to be!

Haha... so there, I feel better! :)

No actually, I felt better before but I really wanted to tell about this - it's just important to me.

So, if you have an opinion about this, please leave a comment, I'd be interested in what you have to say.

***ON A LIGHTER NOTE!!***

I decided to stay late at work tonight to help out since I'm going to be out of the office for a few days. I noticed one of my co-workers, Robin, walking past my desk repeatedly. Well, I knew something musta' been wrong because she was supposed to have been gone by then. I guess her car was not starting and a guy that went out to look at it said, "Uh, sorry Robin.. good luck." Huh? This guy just left Robin outside in the dark and didn't even OFFER to help. He turned the key and the car didn't start so his job was over. Hello?

Haha... LOL!! =)

We are definately a product of your circumstances.

Hmmm, well, I've never met something I wasn't willing to try, OK, well maybe a few things, but I went out with her and decided it was her battery. It was already after 9PM and she was waiting for a tow truck. I got some tools out, and decided to disconnect the battery and try to find a place to buy a new one. We had so much fun, laughing while we were standing in the drizzling rain trying to disconnect a battery in the dark.

Oh, I also decided, Chevy builds cars so only THEY can work on them. They had all these weird plastic things sticking out from everywhere so you could not get your hand in any spot to unscrew bolts and they had bolts in places you couldn't even reach. So feeling a challenge before me, I decided the battery was coming out even if it was in pieces. Haha!!! I finally got it out!! And yes, in one piece. My hands looked so masculine with oil and gunk all over them it made me laugh when I thought of that 'stupid jeans comment' from earlier. Grrr!!!

After 'searching' for a place to buy a battery we got back to our work parking lot. Of course, everyone was gone by then. So we went to work on the battery. BINGO!! The car started!! Yippee... I'm not my daddy's girl for nothing! Hehe!! :)

An office full of guys and look whose workin' on the car... the girls! Give me my skirt and hand me a wrench while you're at it!!

It was super important for her to get this car started because she lives over 30 miles away and would not have had transportation otherwise and you can't hardly miss a day at work without getting super behind. She was so grateful she repaid me with wipers for my car. Haha... well, I needed some, so after arguing with her that 'she was not going to pay for them'... she paid for them. Haha!

The funny thing is... I couldn't change the stupid things. Haha.. that battery was a pain in the keeeester and those lame little wipers were not budging for anything.

I thought it was hilarious!!!

I started my 45 minute drive home at a little after 10PM with the same
ol' wipers on my car.

Good times!! :)

Dentist

2009-09-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

How bad is this?

I called my Dentist to reschedule my Cleaning, which was tomorrow... while I was eating a piece of Lindt Toffee Chocolate!
Haha!! HILARIOUS!
(It's a phase, it'll pass)

I'm gonna' be in big trouble with him when I get back - YIKES!!

It'll be worth it! :)

Naps are a WONDERFUL THING!

2009-08-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Ok! So, if kids knew how they'd long for one of their dreaded naps when they're older, they probably wouldn't put up as much of a fuss. =) Oh sweet rest!!

I'm sure Jake feels awfully neglected sometimes because I'm gone from home a lot. Whenever I am home I try to spend as much time playing with him as possible, not to mention taking moonlight strolls, blazing morning hikes and naps. Haha! He loves to be close to me when he knows I'm getting ready to leave, and he finds 'any' way to do it.

As you can tell by the picture -- ANYTHING he has to do to get close. Haha!!
I love Sunday naps!
He doubles over as a super-soft 'pillow.' He'd be a good one to take camping.
At least you would not have to use a stone. =)

He's such a good boy. I am so extremely BLESSED to have him. I am not a 'solitary' person for the most part, though I do like 'alone time,' just not ALWAYS. Jake makes for great companionship.

Aren't you hot?

2009-08-28T23:20:00.001-07:00

I went to the car wash yesterday to.. uh... wash my car?! =)
I rolled down my window and the first thing the guy said was, "AREN'T YOU HOT??"
I was kinda' confused, it took me a second to register and then I said, "What?"
He said, "I asked you if you were hot."
Hmmmm... well, I was seriously trying to figure out what he meant... could mean a few things right?
Well, I said, 'What do you mean?'
I mean hello folks, I live in PHOENIX, ARIZONA...
not sure if you've heard but this place is like purgatory for many people and a good tactic to convince people to change their ways before passing on.
I mean come on - the weather is consistently 110+ degrees...
hello??
Am I hot?
Uh, YES!
I'm stinkin' HOT!!
Isn't everyone in Phoenix??

So all this was whirling in my head in less than 5 seconds and then he said,
'I mean, your clothes, I mean you're wearing so much of it.'
HUH?
So first I had to wonder, who asks someone that?
I mean, I don't go around asking total strangers why they do things.
Hmm... though, now that I think about it,
the responses might be pretty interesting.
Hmmm?
Haha!!

So you have to understand, I was sitting in my car with the A/C on full blast and he was standing outside asking me if 'I' was hot.
:-/

I was wearing a thin 3/4 length sleeve t-shirt with a little cap sleeve T over it... both were relatively thin and cool in their own right.
Both were probably the weight of a guys polo shirt.
I then quickly replied,
"Well, aren't you hot?"
He said, "Uh, well, not really, I mean.. but you're wearing 2 shirts."
This is were I kinda' chuckled and said,
"YOU ARE TOO!"
He looked down and to his dismay said,
'Uh, yeah, well... I guess I am, huh?!"

(Insert: epiphany)

Phoenix all of a sudden got brighter and the temp went up a few degrees.

He then said, "Well, that's not the same, I mean mine is short sleeve."
The funny thing is that my top was a couple inches below my elbow.
He was wearing a heavy weight Polo with the standard 'white-guy-T' under it.
Haha! =)
It was so funny.
I was talking to my mom on the phone when I pulled up for the wash, so she heard the whole exchange.
She said I shoulda' told him,
'Why yes I am... thanks for noticing!"
She cracked me up!! She's funny!
(She's a shy person so this, of course, adds to the humor.)

This is what I was wearing.
Ok, well, a little less face and a lot more clothes, I guess. Hehe! 8-)

Do you ever have those crazy little details in life that just crack you up and if it happened at any other time it probably wouldn't be funny? Hmmm.... this is probably one of those, I guess you had to be there moments. Oh well, it's my blog and this is all I have to write. haha! :)

2009-08-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

God is more interested in our character
than our accomplishments.

Oh, forgot 1 thing...

2009-08-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

In High School I had the amazing honor of watching
Michael Crawford's
last performance as the original Phantom in
'Phantom of the Opera.'

Wow!! This performance was unbelievable! It was in Los Angeles and we sat in the center, only 3 rows back from the stage. The Phantom swept right over our heads in his entrance on the Chandelier and the flames from the stage were so close we felt the heat. Yikes!

What a memory, what an amazing trip, what an amazing performance. =)

25 Random Things About me

2009-08-26T23:14:00.000-07:00

1. I went to 2 years of head start school, at age 3, before starting Kindergarten
2. I saved all of my money to buy my first planner at age 11 (Haha... musta' been pretty important.)
3. I sang the 'Vivaldi Gloria' in Latin at New York City's Carnegie Hall with my High School Choir
4. I love to travel, stateside and beyond. I have driven cross country multiple times.
There's so much to see here in the U. S.
**I would love to repel and rock climb some time, see the Northern lights, go to Canada and Alaska! ( I hope to do all of these things someday).
5. I love adventure and trying new things. (I am going skydiving soon and have flown in a helicopter, been on a bungee swing, ridden on motorcycles & ... =))
6. I write and have had some works published.
7. I love giving to people, doing things for others to make their lives easier and make them feel special. :)
5. I am a communicator and love public speaking and teaching.
6. I LOVE kids and treasure families and the wholesome love, friendships and memories they create. (I would someday love to have one of my own.)
7. I love lullabies!! :) I guess there's a kid in all of us. =) Haha.. silly, I know.
(Sometimes being grown-up is too complicated. )
8. I love good hugs. =) Bear hugs are the best!!!
9. I LOVE the outdoors better than anywhere else!!! BEST place in the world! I love mountains, waterfalls, rippling streams, the ocean, rushing waves, fall leaves or calm meadows.
10. I enjoy the newness of mornings. I love awakening the sun from it's nighttime slumber. ;)
11. I love the company of a friend sharing a common interest.
12. I Love learning!! I research just about anything.. haha, crazy I know. :)
13. I don't like to be in control, hmmm, contrary to popular opinion, I'm sure. =) I will always hand the keys to someone else whenever I get a chance (well, that's if I trust 'em.. haha). I will take control 'IF I HAVE TO,' but I DO NOT prefer it... and I'm not super comfortable with being the Boss. :(
14. There's something about Summer Nights!! They always take me back to my carefree younger years. :) Good times!
15. I love flying!! I love to fly in planes, and just recently got a chance to fly one myself. Very Cool! :)
16. I like driving and road trips. I don't mind driving to a destination alone but would prefer to travel with someone else or meet up with others.
17. I am loyal to a fault!!! I often believe in someone long past their own/others hope for them.
18. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do. Cooking for others is definitely on the top of my favorites list.
19. I enjoy photography. I began this hobby when I was 11 yrs. old. I would like to increase my knowledge in this area.
20. I am not a good pretender. I am transparent... no guessing. :-/Yikes. Hmm.
20a.Oh and there is one thing I ABHOR more than anything in this world -- LIES!!
20b. I cherish and respect HONESTY and TRUTH!!
21. I have taught Spanish since I was in High School. Teaching is one of my favorite passions.
22. I might be a li'l ADD... not my energy just my mind... as pointed out by one of my dear friends. Haha!!! I often feel like there's so much more for me to learn, to do or to try =)
23. I HATE COCKROACHES and even have to look away while I type 'THAT WORD' otherwise I get all weirded out! Grrr... YUCK!! I think they may have been God's only mistake. GROSS!!
(I almost fell off a 2-story balcony one time someone pretended to throw one at me... my sister saved my life. Coulda' been bad.) Bet he woulda' felt bad! haha!! :)
24. I love sunsets, listening to lightning, crickets/night sounds and rain (love the smell of rain and getting drenched as it falls - no umbrella). Yippee!!!
25. I LOVE WEATHER... Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer (if it's not too hot)... I prefer cold weather.. love the fun clothes too. :) SNOW IS MY FAVORITE!!! Teeeheee!! :)
25a. I love to laugh!! =0)

*** BEST OF ALL***
I LOVE FLIPPING THE PILLOW OVER TO GET TO THE COLD SIDE!!
;-)

There are some silly number mistakes on this post... I know... just not worried about ' it enough to remove 'em. Haha!! :) Sorry OCD folks, hope you don't go CrAzY with it. =)

2009-08-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am officially addicted to Lindt Chocolates.

Hmmm... for someone that has never boasted of a chocolate addiction, I sure have eaten too many lately to dispute it now. 8-/ Yikes!!!

Hmm... who could I blame, who could I blame?? =)

Lily, Danny's wife is the culprit!! Hehe! :)

She gave me a delicious Swiss chocolate filled with scrumptious whole hazlenuts... mmmm... and then introduced me to other flavors, but luckily DID NOT allow me to take them home with me. Phew!!

No worries, I was able to research (Haha) and locate a World Market in my area and quickly made my way in search of Swiss chocolate.

Grrrr... this is NOT GOOD!!!

To my dismay, yeah right, I did not only find Swiss chocolates but also Spanish and German ones. Ok, this is REALLY NOT GOOD!!! The crazy thing is, I come from a family that doesn't like chocolate... and until now, I did not either.

No, I DO NOT EITHER!

I DO NOT LIKE CHOCOLATE!

MIND-OVER-MATTER, MIND-OVER-MATTER!!!

Hmmm, it's NOT WORKING!

WHO AM I KIDDING!!!

(Insert: another delicious square of my toffee choco....grrrr! ;)

Help!!! I have already tried the Hazlenut exported chocolate (a lil different than the one Lily gave me, no worries it was still delish), Toffee Chocolate and I'll admit there are a few other flavors in my freezer to be savored on my next attack! UH-OH!!!! Well, I guess I should be ok, considering my worst addiction has always been FRUIT. It's important to say here that I've not abandoned this addiction. I'm extremely loyal!! YIKES?!? :-s

I figure after a lifetime of C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E deprivation, I am barely catching up with most of my counterparts.

Haha.. you know who you are!!!

Wink, Wink! ;)

Nothing Compares

2009-08-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

There's something amazing about PRAYER!!

It's not only a time of communion with our Heavenly Father but a sacred place where one finds strength, refuge, enlightenment and new surrender.

I often find myself lost in thoughts as I drive, walk, hike... pondering the reality of this life. So many often ask, "What's this life about, and what are we here for?" There are so many questions, so many thoughts, so many longings which mankind cannot understand.

There are answers!!
There is hope, purpose and a REASON for this life.

I recently came across this quote.
"Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer." (Anonymous)

I can't explain what my heart felt when I first read this... except maybe a sense of sadness. Oh, how can I explain it, how can others begin to comprehend something they've not experienced? Prayer is a means to the throne of The Almighty God, The Creator of the Universe and a place where lowly man can bring his petitions before a sovereign and merciful God. Where he can be heard, but not only heard, listened to. Prayer changes things, it's been said, but so many have yet to experience it.

Oh what an honor, what a privilege to pray!

When I look back on my life... I realize one truth remains.

The best person I ever was without God,
is not even close to the least I've ever been with God.

I am, by far, a much better person, certainly not in my own right, but through Him.

It's important for us to know...

God did not send His Son to make,
"Bad people Good."
God did not send His Son to make,
"Good people Better."
He came that we through Him might have LIFE,
more abundantly on this earth and
eternally with Him forevermore.

My brother once told me, "Well, you are a little extreme, you know... there has to be a middle somewhere from what you believe to what it 'should' be." My immediate response even caught me off guard. I asked him if it was extreme that Christ had suffered the way He did, if it was extreme that He was brutalized, mocked and murdered the way that He was. You see, extreme is just 'OK' when you're saving the whales, the forest, the owl or the planet but not when we talk about saving our SOULS! The Scriptures talk of a day when mankind will 'worship creation more than the Creator,' it seems that time has come.

My heart feels a quickening, an urgency and a desperation for others to know Him. I remember a pastor of mine once said,

" if you're looking for a thrill, adventure, romance, mystery and excitement... serve God!"

How true it is!! And only then will you know the meaning of:

The Wonderful Cross
The Precious Blood
Eternal Life

Only God can make Light prevail where darkness seems the Conqueror.

Only God!

I Peter 5:7

2009-08-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's not in trying but in trusting
It's not in running but in resting
It's not in wondering but in praying
That we find the ...
Strength of the LORD.
(L.H.)

2009-08-19T23:44:00.000-07:00

The next best thing to being
'mommy' is being -
Auntie!

I LOVE his smile!!

(Aurelius and Sofia at 3 days old)

She's so precious!!! :)

Hmmm.... anyone know where I can get one of these?
Hehe - love 'em!!

Auntie... yet... AGAIN!!

2009-08-17T09:37:00.001-07:00

Sofia Denice Brown

Born at 9:15 A.M.

Monday, August 17, 2009

7 lbs. 6 oz., 20 in. long

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Congratulations Nick and Christine Brown!

What a miraculous little treasure you've been blessed with.

Thanks for blessing me with another little niece to spoil. =)

Auntie Again!! =)

2009-08-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

Aurelius Roque René Renteria
Born at 2:19 A.M.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
6lbs 15oz, 19in. long

Happy Birthday Baby!!

Congratulations Christopher and Keri Renteria!!

Thank you for blessing me with another nephew to love!!

*My brother added the name Roque to his name in memory of my grandfather who passed away 3 years ago, since he was born on my grandfather's birthday. God gave us something back to bless this same day. God is so good!*

2009-08-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

God gives the best to them that leave the choice to Him.

2009-08-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Would you drive over 2 hours to meet someone you've never met,
spend a few hours with them and drive back home?

Well, I did!!

9 years ago...

(Intent: to meet a friend of a friend's family)

That's when I met Danny. Who would have known that was the beginning of a very special friendship.

Danny has been one of my closest and most treasured friends over the past 9 years. He has been like a brother to me and has enriched my life a hundred-fold.

Over 6 years ago Danny began studying abroad in his beloved China and it was there he met a very special young lady - Lily. Well, after many failed attempts to 'meet,' I was finally going to get the chance, and today was the BIG DAY!!

I had initially planned on hiking in Sedona Thursday morning with Jake, but quickly aborted those plans. I reminded myself - YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION!! I then planned on continuing my trip up the mountain to Flagstaff, where I planned to spend the evening with Danny and Lily. I did not want to meet Lily for the first time after almost 6 years of 'trying' when I was all sweaty from hiking. :-/ I'm sure they were glad too. Ha!

Flagstaff is at the base of the San Francisco Peaks,
which you see in the distance.

The drive up the mountain was amazing - as always. The delicious scent of rain and pinetrees was inviting and made me want to pull over and do a rain dance. Haha, not to make it rain but to rejoice because it was raining. =)

I love weather and so anytime I get to be in it, I am like a kid in a candy store. A little over 2 hours later, I arrived in Flag. The following are all good reasons why I LOVE FLAG!!

Flagstaff was established in 1882, it has a population of approximately 60,000 people, it sits at the base of the San Francisco peaks in the largest contiguous Ponderosa Pine forest in the continental United States and boasts of it's 7,000 foot elevation. So...

"CATCH YOUR BREATH!"
(This is the city motto.)

(Old Maine Building at NAU)

I walked the NAU campus with Jake, which is also Danny's place of employment, and enjoyed the beautiful mountain backdrops, fragrant pine scents and the pure fresh mountain air. While Jake was enjoying his new surroundings, mainly 'grass.' Hehe! He LOVED it.

Danny 'scooted' (literally) to the NAU Bookstore to say 'hello' to me and then went back to work.

I confirmed plans to meet Lily at the local Starbuck's, so off I went. There she was, she was as pretty as her pictures. I felt a special connection to her from the beginning... well, I am eternally entrusting my dear friend to her. =) We had a nice time talking and then Danny showed up.

They were married this last February in Switzerland and I was unfortunately unable to make it.

It is hilarious because already they have assumed their roles as husband and wife. She controls him and he knows it but allows it with the understanding that he get the reins whenever he really wants them. Haha - ok, not really, but it's funny anyway as displayed in the video above.

**********************************************

Our expressions in the following pictures
clearly show what a great time we had.

Jake looking VERY SERIOUS on the NAU campus, he musta' thought classes were in session. Sssshhh!
The only problem with self-portraits is that
you have to have arms long enough to take them. :)

My car looking quite comfy in Flagstaff! Hmmmm?!?!
Seems we all like it. Hehe.

The best way to decide where to go for dinner.

Josephine's
My first time having fried green tomatoes - yummy!
Below: Best Mac-N-Cheese in the world, it has King Shrimp in it.
Wait, King-shrimp... that's funny. Haha!!

Josephine's Restaurant had high recommendation from Lily
and since us girls have to stick together,

that's what I picked. Haha!
It was AMAZING!! Good pick Lily! =)

Lily excited about their wedding gift.

Danny 'super' excited about the 'ribbon' on the bag...
when I told him it was supposed to double over as lingerie.
Haha... look at his face!! =) Silly guy!! :)

(The bride and groom's gift: a super-soft throw for those

cold Flagstaff days when snuggling's all there is to do. Hehe!)

Lily loves good food!!
She ought to, her parent's own a restaurant in Switzerland.

Danny loves saving money! Haha! Danny making sure we're staying 'in the budget.'
Uh, maybe next time. Wink, wink! =)
Janet just loves friends, uh, and food!

We split the tab which kept Danny in the budget after all.
He even offered to buy dessert later that night. Woah! =)

We then went to the park to play frisbee and run with, or shall I say after Jake. Danny tried teaching Jake how to catch the frisbee...
unfortunately there was one casualty in this attempt.
THE FRISBEE!! Oops.. haha! ;)
Lily teaching me how to poise.
Hehe! Silliness!
This is a Japanese thing... hmm...
forgot to ask what it means. Hope it's not bad.. haha!
Me being silly! Trying to poise like Lily. Hehe!!
Awe, me and my other great friend.

After the park it was time for Danny to make 'GOOD' on his offer for dessert.
Hmmm... and after a little convincing that
he 'really did want dessert' we were off into the sunset.
To Coldstone Creamery for the best ice cream in Arizona! Yummy! Ice cream is good no matter what the weather... maybe even better in the winter. :)

Hmm.. I think Danny may have just remembered that he was paying. Yikes! Haha... oh wait, maybe not, because he forgot his wallet. An all too common occurance over the past 9 years. Wait a minute... I think I'm catchin' on. BRAT! =)
After our deliciuos ice cream, we finished off the evening at their place. I had 'authentic' tea from Southern China as well as some delicious Swiss Chocolates flown in from Switzerland just a few weeks before.

CONCLUSION:

Lily is 2 enthusiastic thumbs up

So...

Would you drive over 2 hours to meet someone you've never met,
spend a few hours with them and drive back home?

Well, I did!!

Yesterday!!

(Sittin' on their new couch.. haha,
otherwise known as pillows if your from Western civilization.)

And...

I am so excited to see what comes of this
new special friendship.

Looks like it should be good.

Finally!

2009-08-12T22:26:00.001-07:00

So excited about tomorrow.

I have been waiting for this day for over 5 years!!

Planning & Preparation

2009-08-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am trying to plan the hikes I want to take while in Yosemite and one of the first things I ran into in my search for great trails was this...

There have been more than 20 deaths on Half Dome itself,
and if you count the trail leading up to Half Dome,
the number leaps to more than 60.

Yikes, check out this link... it's unbelievable.
http://www.yosemitehikes.com/yosemite-valley
/half-dome/cables-tips.htm

UNBELIEVABLE!!
(click on each pic below to get a closer view)

In case you want to take it easy, they've created 2 trails for your hiking pleasure.
You decide!
Would you like the...
long version or ...

the short version. Gulp! :-/

Hmmm... this is debatable.
Wowzers!!! I am so super impressed by the people that do this.
They have my utmost respect!!

I remember seeing people scale this mountain when I was younger but they didn't have cables for common-folk, like myself, to enjoy this trail. Amazing! I can't wait to see it all in person.
I may try to venture on the beginning of one of these trails but, I'm pretty sure, I'll not be making the full ascent.. or at least not planning on it. Hmmm?!?! ;-)

Haha, if you notice no posts on my blog for a few months, then you'll know I may have attempted it and am probably just healing from having my limbs reattached or that I'm still learning how to dial the phone with my noise while in a full body cast. :) YIKES!

There are over 800 hiking miles in Yosemite, it makes you kinda' wonder what draws people to these SPECIFIC 14.2 miles. What is it in 'us' that makes us sometimes want to push the limits and go to the extreme? I don't know really, but the funny thing is, I'm one of those crazy people. I guess it's because the majority won't. THAT makes it MORE appealing!!

There's something about saying you've done it. Kinda' like skydiving or wrangling will crocodiles. Some of us have more curiosity than we have brains... haha. I'll admit there's something about trying things a lot of other people won't try. I guess I'm impressed by the 'discipline & dedication' required to accomplish these tasks and the drive to live to tell about it.

Strange, I know! :) Haha!!

I love that we're ALL SO DIFFERENT!!

"For who maketh thee to differ from another?..." (I Cor. 4:7)

It's a good thing!! :)

Morning Glory

2009-08-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

Mornings are by far my most favorite part of the day. Don't get me wrong, I love evenings and beautiful sunsets as well as the delicious summer nights (mainly in cold country), but there is something about the newness of the morning. The last several months I have worked a late schedule, which I do not prefer, and though I often am not able to go to bed as early as I'd like, I've still made it a point to awaken early.
This morning Jake and I went on a hike of our own and I was glad we did. The weather was inviting, definitely much cooler than it's been [fall is coming, you can smell it in the air :)]. It was great! It was good 'think' and meditation time.

When you're out in nature it seems a mind is freer to 'think, ponder and wonder' about things often overwhelmed by normal day-to-day routines. Heading up the mountain I decided to take a path which was 'CLOSED.' Hmm... well, I sometimes like to push the boundaries, uh... just curiosity is all. :-/ It seemed the sign must have been misplaced because the hike was beautiful. It went along the 'Tapatio Cliffs' paralleling a road across from the Pointe Hilton Resort. It was beautiful! Uh, well... after a while I got to a section of the trail that was not far from the edge of the cliff and then I remembered this was the trail Kathy and I had taken before (except we came from the opposite direction). We came to a fork, just before the hike by the ledge and I allowed Jake to lead the way, he chose the high road. Whoo... this was a better choice, a lot higher and just above the lower cliff, it was steep, but not next to the ledge. A better choice none-the-less. One wrong step and you might be tonight's dinner special at your local 'Road Kill Café' though. (I wish this picture did the trail justice, trust me, in three dimension, it's much more intimidating. If you don't believe me, come on out.) :)

Like many others, Jake like's to live life on the edge. Any time we walk on a sidewalk or path he will walk on the curb or on the ledge if I'll let him. Uh, not a good thing sometimes, especially when a cliff is a few inches away. :-/ But sometimes I will let him look over. In this picture he had just caught sight of a lizard, one of his favorite things to chase. He likes the rush! Haha. He will settle for a rabbit though if there's one in sight. Needless-to-say, Jake locks his eyes on his prize and no matter where it leads him, he's going to follow the critter. As noted in one of my entries before, this is not always a good idea and has gotten Jake into some prickly places (mainly cactus).

It made me think of us as humans and how we are so often distracted from our path and how our attention and focus may veer from our prize/goal to a temporary 'want.' Probably not a good idea. So I thought... head North, that's a sure direction that never changes.

Another day I'll blog, in detail, as to why I am so intrigued by the COMPASS, NORTH and our JOURNEY.

What a Trade

2009-08-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

There was a time when I was not extremely comfortable among the church; and classrooms, workplaces and coworkers were much more accepted in my life. But today, things are different. Praise God!!

There is no other place in this world where I am more comfortable than in the presence of God's people, God's Holy place and among the Spirit of the Almighty; wherever it might be. There is no greater joy in my life than knowing a life has been transformed by HIS SOVEREIGN GRACE AND ALMIGHTY POWER! Oh what a change grace has wrought.

Sunday's used to be a welcomed day of rest, but now it's no longer just a day of rest, rather a day for spiritual renewal and fellowship with friends. There is no other day in the week which I love more than Sunday.

(How I adore God's special little treasures.
God help me to be a good example by which they will not stumble.)

God has been working in our church in a most wonderful way; despite the enemies fierce attacks, we are holding on to His promises and believing in faith for souls. Recently a young man from our Indian work in Mesa was saved, along with many others, but today 'Chico' got up to testify. He spoke of the way God had sought him, followed after him in love and wooed him to come to Him. You see, Chico was a gang member and had been involved in drugs and alcohol among countless other things, but God, in His love and mercy stretched out His loving hand to him. Oh what joy to see the tears roll down Chico's face as he testifies and asks, "Why, why would God love me, why would he want me? I cannot understand it, but oh the peace I have. I'm not going back - NEVER!" Chico's wife Leticia is currently incarcerated, she was saved prior to, but desperately needs our prayers as she will be facing a court hearing on Friday. Please pray for her. God knows all the details.

My heart resounds the words of this beautiful song...

I've been given something that does not contain a price
This jewel has been a precious one,
It's rays have touched my life
It's a heritage of holiness and to it I will hold on
Lest I lose this precious vision, that Generations have passed on

I don't wanna' lose the vision,
I don't wanna' take for granted
The heritage of holiness that has been passed on
I don't wanna' lose the fire
I don't wanna' lose the glory and
I LONG FOR HIS OUTPOURING all across the land

If this plan of salvation would have required a price, I am afraid I would not have been able to afford it. Rather, Christ paid my price with His precious life and I was offered this treasure for the mere worth of my sinful life, and oh... what a change. I have gotten the best part of the trade. A life ruined and wasted, for a life rich in mercy, forgiven and new. Oh what a wonderful story of love... the story of Christ, my Lord is truly THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD!!! But more than just a story, it's my reality. I'm living proof.. it works!
Glory be to God!!

Children are a Treasure From the Lord

2009-08-09T21:32:00.001-07:00

Special moments.

(Kids in a church make all the difference)

The other day Natalie said, "Janet, it's OK if you're picture's not in my baby album, I won't forget you, I promise because I really like you. You're my special friend."
Awe!! Kids are the BEST!!

I was reminded today of how much I long for young people to be in our church. It's been a little while since we've had a youth ministry in our church and I am praying that somehow God would change my work schedule to accommodate this desire. We are surrounded by families in our community and lots of kids/young people... my heart is hungry to see them in church. Please pray with me.

Postponed

2009-08-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like the Payette River will have plenty of time to reload and prepare for a Spring raft. I have postponed my white-water rafting trip for various reasons and have decided to replace it with an excursion to two of my most favorite childhood haunts.

Yosemite National Park

I have not been to Yosemite for many years but I've been aching to go, so... what a better time then NOW!

Yosemite has over 800 miles of hiking trails with at least 9 major waterfalls. There will be plenty to see, experience and photograph.

I will then culminate my trip with a visit to the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains,
also known as 'back home,' and visit the beautiful waterfalls of...
Lake Tahoe.
Happy Trails!

Monday, Monday

2009-08-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

After taking some time off from hiking, this morning was inviting - so off we went. North Mountain is not far from my place so we decided to stretch our legs on this mountain for a change. For those of you who do not live in Phoenix, I'm sure all of my pictures of the various mountains look similar or maybe even the same. For those of you who do live in Phoenix... uh, the pics probably also look the same... Haha! Well, these are all different mountains, really! The terrain in Phoenix is not extremely diverse, so you take what you can get and you GET WHAT YOU CAN TAKE (easy-difficult). When you switch up the trails and add some variation they're not too bad. If you want a challenge, there's always a mountain to accommodate your request. As we quickly found out! Stay tuned!

Today's first challenge was Jake's new endeavor. Sally, his girl, had a backpack to carry their water, but being the gentleman that he is, he immediately stepped up and offered to lighten her load and carry it for her.

Uh, well, after we got the pack on Jake and he took the first step, he wished he woulda' kept his snout shut... he was wobbling all over the place trying to balance his load. It was so funny to watch. Jake is an adventure enthusiast at heart and his energy level could challenge anyone I know, so I figured the extra weight might provide him a different challenge and maybe exhaust him a little quicker. Uh, also stay tuned!
So we made it to the top of one of the mountains with little effort, it was not too steep. Jake was much more comfortable with the pack by then. We followed a ledge to an adjacent mountain and one I'd never been on before. Now this was going to be tough. The trail wound upwards, straight up with sharp switchbacks leading to the top. On the way up I noticed a Mom & Dad with their two small daughters over 1/3 of the way up, wowzers... that's a tough hike for little legs. I was extremely impressed with parents that would include their children on their hiking trips (that would totally be me). I walked next to them for a little while and talked to the girls, which couldn't have been older than 6. I then noticed a baggy of 'cheerios' their dad was carrying, I chuckled and they to told me in a very sophisticated manner that the cheerios, WERE NOT FOR THEM. That was their reward if they made it to the top... they were going to feed the squirrels. Awe... simple motivation. This made my day.
We finally made it to the top! Wow, it hurt sooooo good! At the top there's a fence that surrounds a group of transformers. I noticed all the hikers would touch the fence and then turn around and head back down the mountain. I then realized, there's an unwritten rule in an unwritten hiker's manual kept in some unknown place that says you have to touch the fence otherwise you didn't really make it to the top. Haha! So what was I to do?? I touched the fence!
By this time Jake was feeling extremely proud of himself. He KNEW he'd done a good job all the way to the top of the mountain. Besides, everyone was oohing and aweing about how cute he was and blah, blah, blah.... :) So Kathy decided to take yet another trail, except this was not really a trail, it appeared to have been long, long ago, but it was no longer. Hmmm, it seems the road less traveled had a reason for being so.

(Kathy trying to point out the path we just came from.
Most of it's not visible because of the hill in the forefront.
This pic does not do it justice.)

As we began our descent down the mountainside, yes the mountain side... Jake caught a glimpse of a squirrel. Yikes, well, the mountain was EXTREMELY steep and since we were not on a trail there was no telling where we were going except STRAIGHT DOWN! I pulled Jake's leash back in hopes he'd get the command, and luckily he did, otherwise my sliding, would have been rolling in a matter of seconds. I finally had to let go of him because he almost dragged me off the mountain, and though I wanted down, I did not want to go in a whirlwind.

We finally made it down the mountain and I realized how much I appreciated that GIRL'S SCOUT retreat. You know, the one where they teach you to climb down on the sides of your feet so, you are litteraly sideways instead of facing forward. Yep, that's how we made it down - slippin' and slindin' the whole way on the sides of our feet.

Good times!

By the time I got off the mountain, I was warmed up. I decided to go for a run! Jake and I ran open sprint and boy did it feel GOOD!!! The sun was waking up slowly this morning, so it was nice to take advantage of the day before it got too hot.

We skipped our regular bagel run and went to my place for Protein Smoothies instead, a much better alternative.

I then rewarded myself for a job well done!
I went to work!! Not-so-much!!

For those of you that know me, you know there's little in this life that I enjoy more than the simple pleasure of - FRUIT! So today, I stopped and got an assortment for my palette's pleasure. I picked up some fresh: Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Pineapples, Bananas, Oranges, Peaches, Cantoloupes & Watermelons.
YUMMY!! (Haha, this reminds me of someone doubting that I could 'never' eat
'ALL THAT FRUIT' before it went bad... oh, YEAH?!?!)
=)

I then finished off the night with one of my most favorite domestic activities.

COOKING!!
I had been craving Tortilla Soup, so I decided to make some. It was Delicious!!

(I'm not usually a big fan of soup when it's hot outside... but A/C does wonders.)

Well, that's all for me, the rest of the week should be pretty filling.
Haha! =)

Windmill Valley

2009-08-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

On the way to California camp this past June, I passed an area which I like to call "Windmill Valley." I'm sure it has a proper name, but I'm not sure what it is. I have seen this many times in the past but I am still impressed by the magnificence of these windmills. I have always wondered how a windmill works, so I researched it. (pics from cell phone while driving, remember camera MIA in ID)

A windmill harnesses wind power to create electricity, but this is solely dependent on the weather and location of the windmill.

(click on the link if you can't read the words)

http://greenimpulse.hit.bg/images/WINDMACHINE1.gif

"Windmills work because they slow down the speed of the wind. The wind flows over the airfoil shaped blades causing lift, like the effect on airplane wings, causing them to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce electricity." So this is what I found out. The wind is a renewable energy source from which POWER/Electricity can be derived. I think it's so interesting how God has given mankind the mind to understand such complexities and then the innovation to realize it through inventions.
So, if windmills are positioned in the right location, they are connected to a source to capture the energy which is created, then this energy can be translated thus providing power & electricity. Hmmm... it seems we should be like a windmill.

You see, there is POWER in the valley, in the desert, in the winds of life... but we have to be connected to the source. I love the way God reveals himself to us daily. I have continually been reminded that there is strength, power, grace and how every need is supplied (whatever it may be) through God himself if we will stay in the place where we are connected to him. He is the ultimate source of POWER! A windmill can be in the right place but if the line is not connected to the source to capture that power, the system is useless.

(excerpts from Isaiah 40)
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of he earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in the scales, and the hills in a balance?
Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him?
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the paths of judgement, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?

To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will you compare unto Him?

Have you not known? have you not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

It is HE that sitteth upon the circle of the earth... that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.

To whom will you liken me or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

"... who walketh upon the wings of the WIND." (Psalms 104:3b)

The answer to ALL of our questions are in HIM alone. We have need of none other! What a privilege and HONOR it is to be connected to the ALMIGHTY in whom is ALL POWER!! He is WORTHY to be trusted.

Wow! What a day!!

2009-07-30T23:46:00.000-07:00

*A Memorable Morning*

The day began with a flight on a Cessna 172.
We flew over 3 mountain ranges and 3 lakes.

(Prepare for Take off)
I was so excited, everything was funny!

Jake actually let me take off... it was a little scary at first.
He then took control and hovered over the ground for a bit on a soft take off.
It was really cool!

(Ok, so self portraits in a plane, with turbulence,
are not easy to take. )

(Rockin' Left to Right)

( I was flying the plane on my own, over a lake, help!)

Jake said, "ok, just try to keep it straight. I thought he was joking and then I
noticed he'd let go of the controls and he really meant,
KEEP IT STRAIGHT.
I was having a hard time seeing over the tall dash, you know for the lines to fly within, haha...
I then realized it's not at all like a car, duh! You are really depending on the wind and the choke to keep you steady.

When Jake took the pic above, he said,
"I'm gonna' take it sorta' slanted because
that's how you fly the plane, ok?!"
Haha.. very funny!
It's harder than you think!

(Cheesin')

Oh, I almost forgot, when we turned to go back to the airport... I was the only one stepping on the peddle to turn the plane, while I was also trying to keep it straight.
I was so excited!!
Haha, well, I got us turned back the right direction... but the whole 'STRAIGHT' idea, well, that was another thing... oops! :)

On our way back it was 65 Degrees outside - it felt great when I opened the window. I was joking that I was flying the plane with one hand. I realized then
I really was, because Jake had let go. Yikes!! :)

(The descent)

(THE LANDING!!)

TIME REALLY DOES FLY WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN!!
The flight felt so much shorter than it was. =(

(Back on solid ground)

We had so much fun!!

************************************************

*An Afternoon to Remember*

I had made plans to spend some time with Cherita today since the airport I was at was on her side of town. So, here's how it went. She ran some 'fun' errands. Blah... so Natalie and I stayed in the car and made the best of it.

(Thinking)

(Bright ideas!!) (Secrets.. hmmm!)

Goofy faces are sooo much fun! Especially when you can get a PRINCESS to do them with.

She's so my little buddy! :)
She once said, "Janet, we are such GOOD FRIENDS aren't we?!
I love you so much!"
Now that's good stuff!!

This was followed by Cher finding a new innovative way to enjoy a curly fry.
Ah... great segway to our next adventure... well, maybe not.

What fun we had playing, sliding and pretending we were mermaids in the water. Haha, I told Cher that Natalie should write children's books, she has an unbelievable imagination.
What a great way to spend a day off!

Should sleep well tonight!!

FuNnY

2009-07-29T04:34:00.000-07:00

Due to the current financial restraints,
the light at the end of the tunnel will be turned
off.

Yikes! :-/

Yippee.... Let's GO!!

2009-07-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my thoughts in this picture were...
"I'd much rather be IN the river than next to it."
I then told my sister, I am SOOO coming back to raft this river!

So, here we go!!!

Vacation Scheduled - Check
Flight Booked - Check
Elevated Excitement Level - Check
Hurry up and WAIT - Grrr... CHECK!

So, my sis and sis-n-law are getting ready to have their babies so I thought I'd not be able to make this trip. As it works out, they are both probably going to have them early, maybe even within the next couple days. So, since I'm going to miss the births overall (which is the whole reason my sis wanted me there), I decided to wait until later in the year to visit my new little munchkins. We are having a boy and a girl, oh, I mean, uh, they are having them.. haha!

Anyway, so the white water rafting trip in Idaho is ON!! Yippeee!!!
My friend Ali is so super excited to know we are going.
My nephew Nathan may also go... soo VERY cool!

I may also try to visit some other friends from High School while I'm in Boise.
Haha, it'll be kinda' weird seeing them again, but great. :)

Pictures to come!! So, hurry up and WAIT!
Haha =)

Doggy Yoga... too cute!

2009-07-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

I was doing my morning exercises and someone felt left out.

Guess who?

Haha, so he got on the mat and started doing a few
tricks of his own.

It was hilarious!

(no speedos for him.. haha)

(He also does Downward Dog, but he was getting a little shy)

The funny thing is, he actually holds some of the sitting positions for a long time.

He's so much fun...great if you don't have kids to entertain you.
Hehe! =)

Time for a smoothie... yum!

Happy Stretching!! 8-)

My Brand New Home!!

2009-07-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL DAY!!!

Sunday's are my most favorite day of the week! When you're traveling through this weary land sometimes you need a sanctuary a place of retreat, where you can rest and lay down your burdens. A place where others are sojourning the same road, bearing one anothers burdens, traversing to the same city and encouraging each other to press on.

I received a call early yesterday morning from Susie, she called to tell me "John's gone home." John Preston was a man I met over 10 years ago when he was holding a revival here in Phoenix. He was a tall, slender man with a booming voice... a 'gentle giant' many would say. He was one thing for certain and that was a 'PRAYER WARRIOR!' He had the biggest heart for souls, all he wanted was to enlarge the Kingdom and then go to his 'Brand New Home.' In fact that was his favorite song.

"Wait'll you see, my brand new home,
wait'll you see it's beauty fair,
nothing down here can compare,
wait'll you see my brand new home...
I'm gonna' occupy for FREE," then he'd always insert
"Jesus Christ" here and then finish it off with a certainty
"WAIT'LL YOU SEE MY BRAAAAND NEEEEW HOME!"

When the Spirit of God would come in the sanctuary, around the table or wherever he might be, John's eyes would fill with tears and a far off look would consume his face... almost as if he were looking at a world beyond the one we know and longing would fill his countenance. He impressed in me a strong desire for that BRAND NEW HOME. John went home yesterday morning around 8:30A.M., and my selfish heart is only saddened by the loss of his mortal presence in our midst, but my hope and determination is renewed.

I also realized today, Heaven isn't going to be a strange place to John (oh how I wonder what he's doing now in that city), it won't be a strange place because he always held a piece of heaven in his heart - living here as he'll live there. In fact, one revival there was an altar service and the presence of God was there in such a real way... one of the children came towards the altar and John picked her up. Someone in the church thought it was so precious that they took a photo of him holding her and when it was developed their was an amazing image of an angel with a haze surrounding John and Natalie. (I will post the image in this section when I get a copy of it so check back.) You see -- this is what he lived for!!! He lived to die!! Only to live again!! What a wonder and a hope we possess!! Amen!!

I had just prayed for John this week, as I knew he was very ill, and God allowed me to see his entrance and the rejoicing there would be in heaven when he arrived. In my mind I could see Christ's arms outstretched to him, saying 'well done, my child, enter in.' John then telling Christ how he remembered the day he breathed breath into his life, the time when he formed him... and then Christ asking him about his life on earth... straining to remember John said he remembered some, but John continually asking if it was just a moment, not too long... just a little while, when I was there on earth, right? Christ confirming, yes, it was just for a moment.

I testified to this today and God came, Praise His Name. God's presence filled the sanctuary today, through tears in testimonies, songs of Praise and the reality of the hope that we possess through the blood. Several testified 2 or 3 times throughout the service, Hallelujah's and Amen's resounded as others encouraged them on. You see, the last several months, it seems not a week has gone by without someone 'going home.' God is calling His children home and yet, for the last few months, God has saved more than 10 souls in our AZ/CA churches alone. God is trying, he's pleading, he's longing... time is wrapping up and many things in this life are mere distractions when compared to eternity.

The last few weeks have been extremely trying for me, but the service today, the reality of the God we serve, His sovereignty and strength have challenged me to trust Him more.

More than anything WE'VE GOT TO MAKE IT!!! We've GOT TO KNOW our name's inscribed in the lamb's great book of life... MORE THAN ANYTHING!!! My desire is renewed!! It won't be very long... just a moment longer and then we'll all be home!! God help us to keep our eyes on eternity, heaven and a new life eternal!
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Some pictures from today... enjoying time with friends and fellow travelers on this journey! :)

(Angie)
Sunday afternoon dinner at Susie's is a highlight on Sundays...
good food & good fellowship.

(Juliana Arnold-Jones and Angie in the background.)
Everyone pitching in

Cooking Spanish Rice at Susie's is always fun.
We always have a knock-down-drag-out
about letting me take some of the left over rice home with me.
Her answer is usually an adamant, NO!
Haha.. I got some today! She's so selfish, she wants it
all to herself. She says, "if you want more, make more - that's mine!"
She's usually the MOST giving person in the world...
I guess we all have our moments.

(Beautiful Shania)

Susie is one of my dearest friends in Phoenix - she calls me 'little sister,'

though she really is old enough to be my mom, but I try not to remind her of that. =)
Also proof that I wear more than baseball caps and hiking boots... haha!! 8-)

(Cher being silly)
(Bryan Jones & Ethan)
(Clinton & Ethan)

I am so glad I'm a part of the family of God!

Random

2009-07-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like having a smoothie in the morning!!
They are a fresh, healthy and satisfying way to start the day.
It's almost like starting your day with a dessert... now that can't be bad. =)A few different views so you can enjoy it as much as I did. Yummy!

All dogs need a friend... I mean besides their best human friend... they need one of their kind, you know, someone to relate to, someone that understands them... someone like Jake's new friend.

One that he can take care of! Haha!! 8-)

FYI, he has successfully removed one of the puppies eyes.
He's such a good sitter! Crazy Dog!!

So many memories...

2009-07-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

My morning has been spent going through my office. My office consists of a closet packed with my hobbies, equipment and all of my past. Yikes, scary! Well, anyway... I have been going through everything in my house trying to 'simplify' my life. It's funny how doing this always takes longer than you think.... haha, mostly because you have to stop and look at those old pictures, read all the newspaper clippings from High School, wonder "what ever happened to them," question 'how' you coulda' EVER wore that and just reminiscing - you know how it goes. So, I ran across some 'letters of recommendations' from my High School teachers, old photos from our choir's Carnegie Hall trip and sooo much more. [I wish my scanner were working, I'd add some pics... I'll have to do it some other time.] Wow, what memories!

A Special Celebration

2009-07-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Happy Birthday Susie

*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Sus had a great time... it was a 5 course meal beginning with
fresh, warm Rosemary Bread and ending with a handsome older man singing to Susie
a very Special Happy Birthday in Italian, followed by a delicious Berry Tiramisu)

Romano's Macaroni Grille

You have to hear this guy sing to Susie, it was
Beautiful!

(Haha... I'm retarded sometimes, even in expensive restaurants...
laughing's most important)

(Susie's B-day Gladiola)

(Amazing!!)

Great time had by ALL!!
(Even though it was just the 2 of us. Hehe)

To wash or not to wash?? That is the QuEstIOn

2009-07-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

The Average Rainfall in Phoenix is approximately 8 inches a year. We are 'truly' in the desert.
Well, Monsoon has officially started... and with it so have the rains, winds and lightning (which I eagerly invite, normally).

It's important to tell you that I washed my car on Saturday... it then rained Saturday night. Grrr! So, I went back to the car wash and redeemed my 'Rain check' and had it washed again on Monday. Haha... on my way home, it rained again! ReAlLy?? Hmmm... Oh yes, it's also important for me to tell you that I paid $25 for my wash and light detail and then I gave the nice men a $10 tip; mostly because I felt so bad that they were working so hard in 110+ degree weather.

Hmmm... to wash or not to wash, that is the question?!

(Before the rain)

So here are my calculations:

Basic wash $10 x 365 days per year - 52 Sundays =
$3,130 per year

So, I figure, if it rains everytime I get my car washed, I can make it rain everyday of the week, minus Sundays for only $3,130 per year. Hmmm... now that might be worth it!! haha!!

*Disclaimer: I LOVE washing/detailing my own car... I hate that I don't have a yard :(

DELICIOUS!!

2009-07-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

There's no better way to wake up to a 'day off' than a good hearty breakfast!!
On the menu today:
~ Open face Panini on Rosemary Sourdough bread~

DELICIOUS!!

Ingredients:

Whatever's in the fridge! Haha!!

Flights, camps & rafts ... OH MY!!

2009-07-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

So, I just found out that one of my co-workers is a FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR!!
Now, this is pertinent information and something I should have been privy too way before this.

Jacob, who also loves to harass me, has offered to take me up on a
Discovery Flight

YIPEEE!!! I can't wait!!

When you ask? Maybe as soon as next week.
Wowzers!!!! I can't wait!! Did I say that already?!?! =)

I LOVE FLYING!!!

I have flown a couple times with friends in small engine planes but I've never had the chance to sit in the front with the controls at my fingertips.
Ugh! Yikes... hmmm.
Well, anyway, Jake (not my dog, my co-worker) will be there the whole time.

Wish me the best!!!

I'll be sure to take lots of pics. and maybe a few video clips. =)

(Get this, I told my mom what I was planning on doing and she said
she was jealous... this only after she said I was "CRAZY!")
________________________________________________________

*****Tentative Schedule*****

July - Discovery Flight
August-Sept. - Payette River
Rafting
September - Sky Diving
Church campout (sometime)
October - Havasupai Trail Hike
Grand Canyon
(4)WATERFALLS,Camping

WANNA' COME???

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
LET'S GO!!!

2009-07-15T09:21:00.001-07:00

The Kingdom of God

O WORLD invisible, we view thee,
O world intangible, we touch thee,
O world unknowable, we know thee,
Inapprehensible, we clutch thee!
Does the fish soar to find the ocean,
The eagle plunge to find the air--
That we ask of the stars in motion
If they have rumor of thee there?
Not where the wheeling systems darken,
And our benumbed conceiving soars!--
The drift of pinions, would we hearken,
Beats at our own clay-shuttered doors.
The angels keep their ancient places--
Turn but a stone and start a wing!
'Tis ye, 'tis your estrangèd faces,
That miss the many-splendored thing.
But (when so sad thou canst not sadder)
Cry--and upon thy so sore loss
Shall shine the traffic of Jacob's ladder
Pitched betwixt Heaven and Charing Cross.
Yea, in the night, my Soul, my daughter,
Cry--clinging to Heaven by the hems;
And lo, Christ walking on the water,
Not of Genesareth, but Thames!: (Francis Thompson)

Please leave a comment on your opinion or thoughts of this priceless piece of literature.