Can you say cold?

This past rain storm was a cold one for our area of Southern California. The following morning we saw snow on the local mountains and ice in the wheel barrow and puddles. The kids were awoken and given the opportunity to play with the ice. Then we turned it into the daily science lesson through observation on ice formation and melting speed.

Thankful for family

This Thanksgiving was spent in San Diego with the grandparents. It was such a wonderful time. Me and the kids went down on Tuesday with Mom and spent the days prior cleaning, cooking, and running errands. Thanksgiving morning My Gentleman, Dad, Micah, Dars & kids, and Shannon arrived. The afternoon meal was delicious - Grandma makes a mean turkey. It was delightful.

Digging is done

November marked the completion of the footings and slab formations dug and readied for re-bar and concrete. We also had the fun task of replacing our sewer line. Lots of crushed pipe and a tree growing inside it was the discovered reason for slow drains. We had wondered why the pine trees in the front yard never looked mournful despite never watering them. They had found a water source that provided for them on a daily and very regular basis - complete with fertilization.

Now we wait for the rains to stop and the ground to dry so concrete can be poured.

The Battle for .....

The other day I went into the back yard and came across this....

Bionicles vs. My Little Pony

complete with a vortex and hidden traps.

God's Gracious Hand

God's hand has been so evident throughout this whole housing process.
A few weeks ago I went down to Santa Ana and found doors for way less that what Lowe's and the other home improvement companies charge. I even found our front door for $400 vs. the $2,500 that we were having to prepare ourselves to spend. While down in Santa Ana I drove past a Habitat for Humanity store and decided to stop. I found 3 cases of this concrete adhesive that we were going to have to purchase selling for $10 a tube (retail is $30). I decided to ask if they would give me a discount if I bought all 3 cases. They gave it to me for $5 a tube! $250 for the whole batch. So many have said 'Oh that is so lucky'. Random doesn't just happen...
On Tuesday My Gentleman was supposed to meet with our engineer at Building and Safety, but Aldo's secretary called to cancel. We figured that it would be another week delay in getting in. On Wednesday Aldo called and said that he could meet the same day at 3:30. He ran home, got the plans, and headed down to the meeting. The last two pages of the plans and Title 24 were done in a few minutes. When Aldo worked up the permit tax sheet he decided that the amount was way to high ($12,590). He took it back to his desk and reworked the sheet. He handed it to My Gentleman. The new amount was $3,290. Aldo had removed all of the school tax from the total. When Tom took it to the counter to pay the lady was surprised to see the amount. "Ooh, you are so lucky" was her comment. This was so NOT luck.

God bless Aldo Udua!

Our plans are now approved and the building can begin!

First Swim Meet

After a fun and enjoyable summer in swim lessons and water polo we decided that this school year the kids would be in a swim program through County Parks and Rec. As a part of the swim schedule they each get to participate in swim meets throughout the semester. The first meet was held in down town LA. They both were in the 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke. Mr. Cool got 3rd in his freestyle heat and the Lovely Daughter placed 1st in her breaststroke heat. Unfortunately, Lovely Daughter and the rest of the heat were disqualified because their kick was wrong. The coach has since been working on the strokes with the kids.

Outing with Friends

Before school started up again Lovely Daughter came to us and requested that we go on more field trips. "School was soooo boring last year. Nothing happened." (no, nothing exciting at all save our house burning) So, since school started we have made it a priority to be involved in more of the field trips when they fit into either our calendar, what we are learning, or both.

LA County Fair

Children's Hunger Fund
(we packed pretzels into smaller bags)

Hiking and Nature Center in Burbank

Leaving Beverly and going back to the Hills

The life of 'ease' is over. The insurance company believes we should be done with the house by now and have decided to stop paying for the apartment. Part of me is actually thankful to be leaving the posh place. The temporary living arangements with furniture and items that are not your own make for stressful times. If something spills - oh no! If something breaks - oh no! If something....was always at the forefront of any action that was made within our home. Granted, we didn't not take care of the things we owned but there is something to be said about not worrying when something did happen whether you would get your deposit back or have to pay extra for damage.

 

The two things that will be missed...the heated pool and the amazing view of the valley.

I do pray that we remain content with where the Lord has us and don't mimic the Israelites and wish to be back in Egypt.

It comes a tumbling down

One Saturday morning we had a wonderful crew of friends come help tear down, tear up, and pull off parts of the house. God's hand was evident throughout the whole day.

At 8 am the Backhoe was ready to begin working on tearing up the driveway and concrete slab that needed to be removed so the trucks can take it all to the dump.

8:30 ~ Backhoe gets two flat tires

9:00 ~ Call is made to postpone the trucks till noon.

9:30 ~ Truckers drive by for a visit and suggest that the job will take longer and to just give them a call when the whole project is pulled up and that way we aren't charged for them to just sit around and wait.

9:45 ~ Repair truck arrives and fixes both tires and only charges $100 vs the rental company charging us $250 per tire.

10:00 till the cows come home~ Fabulous friends help get the remaining demo work done.

H2O Polo

The kids have been able to participate in Water Polo this summer.  Lovely Daughter and Mr. Cool have been playing goalie and love it. Lovely Daughter's age group had enough children participating so they were able to play in several matches. They did rather well even though it was their first season. Don't you just love the little caps?!

Oh, the things you can FIND!

For the past 3 days we have been busy tearing off the drywall and removing what little insulation is found within. Surprisingly, the giant task hasn't been as daunting as first imagined. All that is left are the bathrooms and the ceilings. Then begins the fun task of rewiring the rooms that aren't being touched and placing insulations in every wall.
It has been entertaining to see all the stuff that was left behind by those who did the original build. To date we have found: a milk bottle, old newspaper, small matchbox car, old figurine toy of Thumper. The surprising finds have been a bird carcass, lizard skeleton, mummified rat, giant wasp's nest, and the final item discovered so far is the skeleton of a cat...head only (we're guessing that the rest of him is somewhere in the bathroom ceiling). Just goes to show that when you build the stucco should go on before the trim is applied to the outside of the house.

Fourth of July

Dinner at the Fickett's house to break in the new BBQ and Fireworks at the local park.

To help the loosing side feel better.

Fun with the Cousins

We had the opportunity to watch J. and B. for a few hours. It was crazy hat day.

Out and about

While Becky has been in town our weeks have been a flurry of activities. I think we get more done in the three weeks she is here that throughout the rest of the year. I love it! For the first several days we spent our time at Resolved having our brains stretched and our hearts convicted then encouraged. Sin was the topic and the approach that each of the pastors took was wonderful. As Piper stated "Have sentences for your life" here are the ones I gleaned from the conference:
~The Enemy is you.
~The goal of parenting is not to keep them pure and protected. It is to show them their sinful heart and a need for a savior. (I know. The conference was for college age, but this random sentence was a good reminder of what my parenting goal needs to be)
~What associates of Satan are found within my heart?
~Am I an expert in knowing my sin?
~I am what I am by the Grace of God.
~Only God's power makes godly pursuit possible.
~Do I see God's work in me? It is not always apparently spectacular but is always miraculous.
~Conviction of sin is evidence of God's work of grace in us.
~Live your life in such a way that your example can lead someone to the Lord 50 years later.
~The display of Christ's glory is our purpose.
~Do you preach the gospel to your soul?
~Troubled souls can't be trusted and circumstances lie to us.

The day after our return from Palm Springs we went to Disneyland. Quite fun and a wonderful culmination to our year passes. Boy was the parks packed with people. The only way we were able to ride the number that we did was through the wonderful single rider lines.

The gang went down to see the Hollywood stars and China town.
We did a group hike in Malibu Creek State park
Saw a movie
Swim lessons for the kids every day
The Flower Mart
Camarillo Outlets
Santa Barbara, etc...

And we still have 5 more days till Becky goes home. Oh, the fun!

You call this clean?

While going through all the dry cleaning that was delivered we discovered the blankets still smelled like smoke. I decided to rewash some of the blankets. I don't think dry cleaning is the best method for removing smoke residue from stuff. Each time I went to open the lid of the washer the senses were assailed with the flavor of charred mountain springs.

This was wash cycle #1 with double soap.

Needless to say - these went through the wash again.

Fun Times

The other day Tom brought home some candy lips for Chandler. She was quite impressed and they have quickly become a favorite

We took a family outing to Lowes to get an idea on kitchen layout. We gave the kids the camera to keep them occupied. This is one of the results...

Friends whom we will greatly miss when they leave for Chicago. We are excited to see how God will use them to further His kingdom. We love you guys! by the way...we were playing a game - hence the hats.

On Tuesday the clothing from the kid's rooms got delivered. We get our Dry cleaning from Culver City. Can you believe that every single dress up piece was cleaned and pressed. It is now all hanging in Chandler's closet.


I took the kids on an outing today. A photo shoot to get some nice shots of them. Why go to an overpriced studio where the people don't care and make lame faces to try and get you to smile rather than what you want to do: wince? when you can go local and do what you want. We did get some funny looks going hiking on a trail loaded with a garmet bag, extra pair of shoes, and a large camera bag.

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A Soapbox

I don't often get on the soapbox to 'rant' but today I am.

Why is it that people are so gullible as to believe every sappy email that comes down the pike? Then have the sappiness to forward the stupid thing on to everyone they know?

Today I received yet another email asking for prayer and money for some little kid with a terminal disease...and if I forward the email the provider will give the family money for each person it is sent to. Come on people! are you really that naive as to think that it works or that the companies handle their money in such a fashion? Why does it seem that the Christian world is so easily manipulated when the words God, love, cherish, help, and any sweet bible verse is added to an email? Sweet kittens and gay angels are not going to make you godlier nor do anything else but tug at the heart strings of guilt. Do you feel that you have 'done your good deed for the day' by forwarding it? Christ calls us to be wise - this behavior is not wisdom.

Paul warns the church that there would be wolves among the flock waiting to prey upon the unsuspecting and that we need to take heed. Granted, he is talking about false teachers. But this can also be remembered when it comes to other areas in our lives. Christians are to be WISE, to be CAREFUL, to be MINDFUL. Proverbs is full of these warnings, yet we ignore them and forget to be as shrewed as the serpent.

God is greater than the things that happen on this planet, yet we forget that and place him in a cute, cuddly box that is only pulled out when we feel the need or are desperate to have Him do what we want. We are His creation to do His bidding not the other way around.

OK, I'm done. I'll get down now.

Talking + Wine = Tables

On Saturday we took a family outing to find our perfect refrigerator and stove. After several stores and reading lots of reviews we still haven't decided. Argh! But, thankfully the Lord knows the perfect ones so it will indeed happen by the time we move back into the house. After we left the last appliance store we noticed a furniture store across the street that will be closing its doors. We decided to wander in - Polo and Leather in the store name automatically means I have to go in. While there, we found a piece that will work as the dining table. Later that evening we took my Dad back to get another opinion. After a two hour conversation with the store owner about everything from Argentinean politics to work ethic - interspersed with talk about the table and chairs, all while sipping a glass of wine, we bought 2 tables and 8 chairs. Yes, two tables: a small side table and the dining table.
The concept of establishing a relationship with the person you are purchasing from is not unheard of in the rest of the world. While we can and do purchase things quickly by choosing the item then slapping the money on the counter this method does leave a lot to be desired. The glimpse into the 'Old world' style of making a purchase was so much fun and has opened a door into a possible friendship that may continue beyond just Wednesday when the purchase will be complete and the tables are delivered.

The catch up

Our routine has been established and life is 'back to normal' though we are not going to be back in the house for some time. The Abatement is over and the bids are coming in for the construction that needs/wants to be done on the house. We are taking full advantage of the 'vacation spot' that we are residing at. The heated pool and gym room are visited frequently.
The camera was sent in for diagnostic test, etc and has since been returned to us 'fixed'. Thankfully the guarantee is for 2 years so if anything goes wrong in that time period it will be replaced. It appears to be fixed and I am thankful that it is back in our possession. Why does it seem that when you have the camera you don't use it as often as when you don't have it but find you NEED it?
Last weekend we went hiking down a trail that is quite near by. The kids enjoyed hearing the little frogs croaking, climbing hills and trees, and picking Lupine for me. Toward the end of the trail we came across a 'shrine' to a little mut complete with picture, planted flowers, and a solar powered light. We couldn't help but stop and of course take a picture.












The past few days have been filled with test prep and SAT's. Two days of 'bubble filling' and sitting still for long periods of time was taxing. We needed to get out! So, today we went hiking in Malibu with several friends. The kids (of course) had a ball in the frigid waters. Initally they were told to just roll up their pant legs, but after slipping on the rocks and falling in - it didn't matter. Harrison enjoyed jumping off the large rock. He even gave a few older boys instructions on how to go about doing the same. All the boys came home with tadpoles the size of golf balls. Five of them became personal pets. I would put them in the tank with the fish, but I think they may eat my fish.

The Camera

It is offical: The camera is Dying
We thought that the camera had survived the smoke and was working properly. Since many of the post fire shots had been during cloudy days we didn't consider the 'washy' look to be anything more than the days' atmosphere and lighting. But, with the major use it got over the weekend and a comparrison shot the evidence is clear.

Picture taken last summer:


Picture taken on Saturday:

Kid's Birthday Party

The kids had a great time at Scooter's Jungle with their friends. The kids were flying down the slide, chucking balls (and I mean chucking), and devouring candy like it was candy.

Pictures of Abatement

The pictures of the abatement process....

House Update #6

The A-Team has finished the lengthy 9 day job of pulling out, measuring, photoing, then cataloguing each item that came out of our home before placing it in trash bags or wrapping it in plastic and loading them on trucks. The back yard pile is gone - not even the rocks that were underneath the pile were left. What is left: blackened, scorched ground that slightly resembles the surface of the moon. Standing to the side of the area is the apple tree that has decided to blossom.
The next task for them - wiping down walls and scraping the ceilings. The next task for us - reading through 40 pages of listed items, figuring out the purchase date of each one, and the rough idea of what was paid for them. This weekend the content adjuster will sit down with us Friday-Monday to do just that.
The apartment that we are staying in has indeed been a surreal experience. A lot like being on vacation in your home town. The children, and their friends, have taken every opportunity to swim in the heated pool. Harrison and Chandler have enjoyed the carpet too. Since it isn't found in our house, they have devoted a daily block of time each day rolling across the living room floor and playing 'Blobs'. I figure the enthusiasm will begin to wane soon.
With hearts overflowing with gratitude, all of our needs have been met. Shannon even gave us 'art' to hang on our walls (architectural drawings from one of her college classes). They look quite neat, and fit well with the furniture that is being rented.
The forced purging of our home has given us much pause for thought about what is really necessary and what collected items we really aren't as attached to as previously thought. If you have items or projects that you really haven't touched in over 3 years and will 'some day get to' then chances are you aren't ever going to get to them and they should best be given away or sold. Which leads to another topic -
On Saturday a few ladies (Thank you Mom, Dinah, and Susan!) came over and helped re-scrapbook 2 full albums. It couldn't have been done nearly as quickly without them. What I did come to realize as we were going through the books: pictures being ruined or lost isn't nearly as tragic as one would expect. The wonderful ladies weren't attached or focused on the pictures, had no memories of them, and didn't care personally about them. Though they cared for me - it wasn't because of the pictures that they served our family thus. It was their love for our family that compelled them to glorify their God in this way. I realized that the pictures hadn't been looked at since I did the albums the first time around and had the fire not happened, probably wouldn't have looked at them for some time after. Though memories are fun to reminisce about our outlook isn't supposed to be on what has happened but rather on what is to come. Striving for the prize that lay ahead, not looking back like Lots wife. Though Lot's wife did so in disobedience and the passage has nothing to do about memories of the past, I have reflected that like her consequences of salthood, if my focus is on the past I can become fixed and be of no further good. If I look ahead and run the race set before me then my life will be glorifying and I can be a vessel ready for His use.

Life at the house

As of yesterday the Asbestos Abatement Team has almost completed cataloging and clearing out the rooms inside the house. The back yard still remains. For now, the workers must go through 3 different cleaning areas before they even get to the front door. I did find it amusing that the Christmas tree is still in the house though just about everything else has been removed - I always used to mock those who didn't take down their decorations before February - no more.

The front yard is filled with enclosed dumpsters that are covered in Asbestos warning labels and are chained and padlocked shut....they really don't want people scavenging, though the back yard has been gone through by some crazy loon. With all the rain it will be very interesting to see how the team intends to slog through each of the items that are needing to still be catalogued. On Monday, when the A-Team started, they were positive that they would be finished in two days - little did they know just how much can be in one room.

Update...again #4?

Today the abatement team began their work. The Lord allowed the permit to be pushed through in spite of the 14 day requirement. Pictures of ET & moon suits coming soon....
The adjusters gave us the cost estimates for the redo of the house. Our friendly contractor is going over their report to see if the estimations are lining up with reality. We should know more soon and hopefully have a better idea of a starting date for the construction. After today we will also have a better idea how long the abatement team will need to go through out the rooms they need to clean.

Pre-Princess Leia

A picture we found at the Natural History Museum. George Lucas must have gotten his inspiration from her.