VIRGINIA - OUR NEW HOME!

So sorry about the bad blogging, it has taken quite a while to settle in. It is my goal to blog at least once a week. We arrived here in Virgina at the beggining of December, things are so different and new. This has been such a stretching and fun journey. It is not about the destination it is about the journey. We are staying at the sterling glen apartments. They are nice apartments in a nice part of town. We are paying $899 a month for rent. It is 2 br 2 bath and 1,000 sq ft. It is always hard to go back to apartment living but we are only here until May.

Matt was pretty busy the first few months we were here but things are slowing down a bit, which means he is home more. YAY!

We had a few challenges but God has been using them to grow us closer to Himself. The company Matt works for is really slowing down and might not have a lot of work for him. Matt also is not enjoying being away so much so he actually applied for a/v director position open at a church out here called cornerstone chapel. They are affiliated with Calvary Chapel and have around 2,000 - 5,000 people. You can check the church out at www.cornerstonechapel.com . This would be a great opportunity for Matt and we are praying for the Lord's direction. He had a phone interview and the pastor asked him for his written testimony and references. Could this have been God's agenda all along? We will find out in a week or so if he gets it. Please, please please be praying for us. We love you and miss you all. I promise to blog soon.

My little man!

It has been a while since I have blogged about my little man. He is something else this little blessing of mine. He loves to talk.. He can sing his alphabet, count to 12 and tell you the square root of 25 (Matt taught him that). He gets into absolutely everything and likes to try to tell mommy "No". In which I respond with a spanking and tell him you do not tell mommy no. So now he says "So" little booger.

I love him SOO much and just can't get enough of him. He is turning out to be my little independent toddler who loves to explore and say "Hi" and "Morning" to everyone who passes by (he heared me say it on our walks in the morning). Anyways here's to motherhood, enjoy it while you can.

I do NOT support same sex marriage!

Hi Everyone,

It has come to my attention that the wording in my last post was wrong. I just want to make it clear that I do NOT support same sex marriage (you can check my voting record if you do not believe me). Obviously I believe in Jesus Christ and the Bible which clearly defines marriage and how God feels about gay sexual relations:

Genesis 19

Sodom’s Depravity

1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.” 3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” 6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.” 9 And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! 13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking. 15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” 16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he[a] said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” 18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! 19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.” 21 And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

You know what they say, history always repeats itself. We need to be praying for America!

VP debate 2008

So I just watched the VP debate and was very impressed with Sarah Palin. I like her. It seems like the media obviously does not, but she represents the Average American who is willing to go in and kick some booty. The more the media "dogs: on Sarah the more stirred up I get and want to defend her. I am actually contemplating putting a sign in my yard. I like that she supports same sex marriage and that she supports Israel, this is huge in my eyes. Can you imagine how much pressure she is under and how much she gets attacked, we need to pray for this election and that God would appoint the right person in authority.

On a side note, it really bothers me that Obama talks about how there needs to be respect and then refers to our president by name "George did this, George that". He is our president and deserves to be called President Bush I think it is time to listen to your own words Obama and have a little respect of our President of the United States. You quote about change and how you want to start all these programs, how is that going to be funded? There is NO WAY that everyone can get the same health care that they have in the white house, John Kerry said the same thing and it is impossible. Politicians will just tell you what you want to hear to get your vote, what we need to do is look at their records. Last but not least how American does the name Barrack Obama sound? Mccain has at least served in the military and is willing to fight and lay down his life for us. Why would it be different in the White House? Ohh man I could go on and on but I felt compelled to let it out. Have a Great night, I will try to keep up on the blogging.

The Scarlet Thread - Francine Rivers

I recently visited the new and improved Arlington Library off of Magnolia. Nathan was so excited he kept saying "book, Book" while taking out as many books as he possibly can. He didn't quite understand the idea of being quiet in the Library. I forgot that you can rent DVD's at the library for free (SCORE!) so I picked up 8 below and The Scarlet thread by Francine Rivers.

Quick history of my reading habit - I hate to read, other than the Bible. Don't do it for fun, will start and book and get disinterested and stop. When I was little I got punished for calling my sister a name and had to do book reports all summer long. Worst punishment imaginable.

Don't know what has changed but I LOVED this book. I read the whole book in less than a week, 450 pages. I could not put the book down, and stayed up late every night until my eyes burned to read it. I am excited about checking out another book, man how things change as we get older.

No Bull about it - Norco PRCA Rodeo

We went to our first Rodeo YEE-HAW! We were equipped with a hat and plaid shirt for Nathan, a gleaming massive bull buckle, and pair of wanna-be wrangler jeans. The highlight of the night, at least for Matt, was watching a clown blow up a BBQ 100 feet in the air. Nathan wasn't so thrilled with the massive explosion that made him cry, me jump, and Matt laugh. Needless to say it is always exciting watching some guy almost get trampled by a bull. Reminds me of a joke; What was the rednecks last words? ....... "Hey guys watch this." Definitely returning next year for more blood, sweat, and tears.

Jesus loves me this I know.. Take 1

My Little guy loves the Jesus Loves me this I know song. I tried to get him to sing it but he was a little distracted with the camera. You gotta love toddlers, what a crack up my kid is. I love him SO much!

Earthquake - Shaken things up

We had an earthquake today that was pretty big. The baby's toys went off and car alarms as well. I was showering at the time, makes for a fun story, Nathan slept through it ; he is a hard sleeper like his father. Apparently the earthquake was a 5.8 in Chino Hills. It has been a while since I have felt an earthquake like that, my hands were shaking a little after it was over. I am glad everyone is alright. Have a Rockin day!

HAPPY "27"th BIRTHDAY MATT!!

Matt's birthday was last Wednesday July 23rd. He turned 27, going on 40. We had a nice relaxing day followed by a over-indulgement of BBQ food, more than any one person should eat. Bring out the tums. We went to a place called Pinnacle Peak in Colton. It was an old rustic place that has a tie cutting ceremony for anyone who wears a tie. We went to our local thrift store to retire the most hideous ties on the face of the planet. Nathan got to join in on the festivities too; but was sad to see his tie go. It was fun , and the lady had a hard time cutting Matt's dad's tie because it blended too well with his shirt. Wishing Matt many many more birthdays to come.

HEROES ARE MADE, NOT BORN!

"Most heroes do not set out to be heroes. They simply set a goal for themselves, and commit time and energy to developing their God-given talents and abilities. By focusing on the goal, prioritizing their time, and pressing ahead through sheer determination, many realize the attainment of their goal and reach the pinnacle of their chosen field. Along the way someone recognizes their achievements and they become heroes to many."

One of my hero's is Joseph in the bible, I truly love the story and appreciate his faithfulness despite his circumstances. Who is your hero?

Bass Lake Trip!

So it took me a while to post anything sorry about that. We had a great time on our trip to Bass Lake. It was a long drive about 6 hours but it was well worth it. Matt and I did a lot of relaxing, floating, campfires and chasing our little guy everywhere. The water was super warm and we found a nice little cove where Nathan could run around in and out of the water. When we first got there Nathan ran right into the water and went under, I grabbed him up quickly of course and after that he only went in knee deep. I think he realized that he would go under again if he went in deeper. We met a lot of really nice people out there and I was able to fish a little. As you can see I caught little bass fish, we just threw him back into the lake he was a little guy.

Did you notice our Sea Ray boat? We took that out into the water every day with the oars (it is really hard to row that thing I kept going in circles, needless to say Matt was the row master). Nathan wouldn't nap during the day so we put a vest on him and took him out on the "Sea Ray", and he fell asleep every time. It must have been the movement of the waves in the water. At night it is a tradition to scream "ELMER" (about a bear that needs to find it's way home) so we did, and it was so cute Nathan heard us and started saying "ELME, ELME". I haven't been to Bass lake in years so it was nice be back, it was everything I remembered it to be, it was really neat to go there with my kid and family and continue that legacy.

Two week Update

Man alot has happened these last few weeks. Sorry I haven't had a chance to blog lately things have been busy. Ok Lets see, Matt got the job at UPS freight and his last day at Lowe's was last Thursday. I have not seen him this happy in years, praise God! Deep inside though Matt is a little worried about making enough $ to pay all the bills but we know God is faithful and He will provide. We were planning a vacation in August with my parents to Bass Lake (they have a boat) but UPS said Matt needs to cancel the plans and does not get a vacation for a year. Matt was supposed to start at UPS this Monday but they postponed orientation a week, so we are going on a last minute much needed family vacation to bass lake. Here are a few pics for you of the lake. I grew up going to Bass lake with my family every year. It is such a beautiful lake with a ton of stuff to do. We got last minute reservations and are planning to leave Monday night after my PC show. Bass Lake is where they filmed the movie "The Great Outdoors". We bought a huge blow up boat to oar around in and are just finishing packing etc.

Today was one of those days. At times in your marriage things may get hard, but when you step back and really look at things you realize that you are so blessed and that God is working in and through each circumstance in life. Today has been a crazy day but ultimately God is on the throne and I am completely dependent upon Him. You ever think about how God gave the Israelites manna. It was only good for one day then it went bad. They could not store it up, they needed to look to God every day to provide their needs, and God was faithful. What a great place to be, completely dependent on God for your every need. It is so easy to have it all that you easily forget or don't look to or call out to God for help. May we continue to Pray and seek God to give us this day our daily bread. May God continue to strip everything that is us away and make us more like Him. Yeah it hurts but the end result is a beautiful sight. So here is to the process :)

Summer Heat!

It has been extremely hot around here the last few days. The Summer has finally arrived.

Last night around 7:00pm it was still 100 degrees out. How insane is that? Nathan loves the water so we have spent a great deal of time in our wonderful plastic play pool. I usually wake up and feed Nathan around 8:ooam we go for a walk around 8:30 to 9:30ish then we play in the pool for an hour in the front yard. After we are done I feed Nathan a snack then off to nap time for Nathan and clean time for mommy.

Does anyone have any ideas of kid friendly ways to stay out of the heat without turning the air on? I am open to any and all suggestions. Heads up on the UPS job Matt called last Thursday and they told him to call on Tuesday. He is super torn about taking the position because the pay is less and it is a fixed schedule that is less flexible, which makes it hard to do the side business. Please continue to pray for either an open or shut door and the Lords will to be done. Our God is faithful and we will continue to trust Him as He is always so faithful to provide. Hope everyone has a GREAT day!

UPS Frieght??

Matt had an interview last Friday for UPS freight as a local truck driver in Fontana. The interview was 5 hours long. Matt did a lot of waiting, an interview and an hour and a half road test. He is supposed to call on Thursday to see if he gets the job. This job initially pays less than Lowes but he can make more long term, not to mention it is a great company to work for with better benefits. Please pray for the Lords direction as Matt would love a new opportunity and change in environment. He will work afternoons and get most weekends off. We will keep you posted, thank you for your prayers and support.

Our Camping Trip to Lake Perris

Sorry it's been so long since I have posted anything. We went on a camping trip to Lake Perris with our friends Grace and Robbie a few weeks ago. We had a great time, Nathan LOVED the water. He ran to the middle of the lake. I had to keep a close eye on him, he went under a few times and just came up laughing. I wish you could have seen him, he was so cute and so excited, it was his first time with water like this other than our Nacimiento trip. Definitely a water boy. We had lots of fun, and lots of somemores by the camp fire (yummy). It was only a weekend trip and Matt had to work but it was a much needed the time away.

Mom's Big boy - Check out this apron

I made this cute apron at my Mops group last week. They gave us all of the materials and we just got to paint it. I thought it would be cute to make it wtih Bob's big boy so that's what I did. It actually turned out better than I thought. Nathan looked so cute wearing it. Below is a cute clip of him helping mommy cook.

DISHWASHER in the HOUSE!!

Last weekend I finally got a dishwasher for our house. It has been 6 years in the making. PRAISE THE LORD! and thank you pampered chef for the extra cash. It is a Maytag Quiet Series 300 and we got it for $322 (normally $398) at Lowes with Matt's discount and a memorial day sale. We didn't have a dishwasher before so Matt had to take out our cabinets and put the dishwasher and a new cabinet in. My husband is such the handy man, he had it installed the night we bought it, thank you in-laws for the help too. Here is the process.