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.