The Leibrary

Palmdale Church

2011-08-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

Wow.... has it been nearly 2 years since I last posted ? What a testament to how fast time goes. A lot has happened in the 2 years since the last post. Now the decision comes in how many posts I want to make out of all the news I have to share. Actually, maybe I don't have that much to share. Actually, maybe ? Are those words allowed in the same sentence ? August 7, 2011, was our last service in San Bernardino. Six years have passed since coming to California from Arizona, and 3 years since moving to Palmdale. During those 3 years, we have made the journey down the hill every Sunday, to worship, pastor, preach, sing and pray. Many memories have been made and will always be cherished. However, God has given clear direction for our family to begin holding full time services at the Palmdale church. With Gods help, we will endeavor to start a work here ! Thank God, he has set the Tim, Jackie, and Krissi phillips in place to help us. We are excited, anxious, and a host of other emotions. This will mark the first time in my ministry, that I have not worked along side Gareth. It will be a challenge, but Gods rewards always outweigh the challenge. Pray for us

Thanksgiving pictures

2009-12-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry i tried to post pictures on the last and it wouldn't work. so here we go again.

Thanksgiving Memories

2009-12-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

We went to some friends this year for Thanksgiving!We had a great time with our friends!Tim,Jackie,Krissi,Miranda,Heather,And our Family. There is nothing like good times with Good Friends!!We sat around the campfire in the backyard..We our truly Blessed to a great Church Family.When we can't be with our Family,we are glad for great friends!! God has truly Blessed us!! The Lord let me just focus on HIS BLESSINGS THIS YEAR!!!Sometimes we get so caught in the rush of the HOLIDAY that we forget what it is all truly about.I went in the store the day before THanksgiving and was really upset by what i heard the cashier say he was telling everyone HAPPY TURKEY DAY.. That really upset because i felt that is a way for people to throw God out of the picture..By not saying THANKSGIVING..Because when we say THANKSGIVING that goes back to GOD..Well hope you enjoy the pictures!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Just pictures

2009-11-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Devils Punchbowl

2009-11-24T14:22:00.001-08:00

We went to Devils punchbowl with some friends it was a beautiful day!!Hope you enjoy the pictures!!!I'm new at this blog thing..Help me??? LOL

Go fly a kite....

2009-11-12T11:56:00.001-08:00

Palmdale is known to be windy. So with trying to find some fun things to do without spending a lot of money, we decided to fly a kite. What better way to take advantage of the wind. Donna even voluntered to be a runner for us. I think I would rather watch her run, than fly the kite. It is much more entertaining. Our efforts were rewarded, not without some crash and burns, but, that was part of the fun.

Cell phone Karma

2009-08-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

My King

2009-05-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this will inspire you like it did us !!

Eliots story

2009-04-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

Not many times do we get emotional watching a simple video. But realizing the blessing in having wonderful, and heatlhy kids, this clip was very moving. I hope you would take the time to watch. Grab some tissues

Camp Flag Flies Again !!

2009-04-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

We took a little time to replace the rigging to our camp flag. I don't remember the last time it flew. I can see this flag has seen some better days, and really needs to be retired in place of a new one. Yet it was not at all ashamed to fly again. I climbed the 20 foot height to reach the pulley in a little bit of wind. Whew. Little scary. But here is a nice poem that I thought was appropiate.

I raised a flag today
A flag with fifty stars
I raised a flag today
A flag with thirteen bars.

I raised a flag today
To honor those who died
I raised a flag today
And almost could have cried.

The flag snapped briskly in the wind
It unfurled in the sky
Its glory rose above my fears
Its freedom was not denied.

The symbol of our country
The banner of our pride
The flag of these United States
Flew boldly at my side.

I raised a flag today
But the flag, it lifted me.
I raised a flag today
For all the world to see.

I raised a flag today
And upon seeing it, I knew:
Above the dusty, ashen gray would rise
The red, the white, and the blue.

HAIL OH GREAT MAKER OF SPIVEYS

2009-03-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

If I owe any thanks to anyone on this earth, I would say my favorite Father-in-Law would have to be at the top. The one partly responsible for introducing the the world to Donna, then most importantly, me ! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD !! Dad embodies the most desirable characteristics of any man. A few notables. He is the chick magnet. There is a holiday in honor of him. People flock to ride his bus. Presidents confer with him. Cities are made because of him. Books about him are best sellers. Sleep knows no limits with him, anytime, anywhere. We love our Dad, Dad-in-law, and Grandpa !! You are most supreme with all of us !! HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!!! (Some notables have not been confirmed)

Like, yeahh, Dude...

2009-03-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

Crusty Demons of Dirt

2009-03-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

Check us out. We had some friends come up for the weekend and they brought along their quads. Trae and I got to cover some ground around our house. We had a blast. Not a whole lot to say, other than we want some of our own !! Feel free to contribute to our new "buy the Leibs a Quad " Fund. It is better to give than to receive. Send donations to our address. One thing about Palmdale, is that it sure is the prime place to have such toys ! Check out Gareth ! Would love to know what you think of his picture !

Devils Punchbowl ..

2009-02-08T18:16:00.000-08:00

There is a place we found about 20 minutes from our house that is absolutely wonderful. Its a great place to hike and see nature. We took a hike awhile back, and thought we would show you the little oasis we found. Actually, it was Tim and Jackie that let us in on it. They are very much the explorers. One of their hobbies is just driving around and finding these scenic places. On this particular hike, we found a rattle snake on our path, lizards, birds, and ravenous polar bears. Ok, no polar bears, but, snakes for sure ! Cascading waterfalls, natural gardens, and spectacular views. On the lines of a miniature Yosemite ! When you come visit, lets go !

Dirt bike craze

2009-02-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

A jaunt through the back street of Riverside let us find a playground for dirt bikes. Very cool. Unfortunatly, our camera died before we got the really cool pictures. Even Donna Liked it !! GASP
btw... for all you blog update critics. Yes, we still blog, and will have a few more that follow. And thank you in advance for all the thoughtful and kind comments !! LOL Dont leave without commenting... Its nice to know that you visited and encourages us to do more !

Im Dreaming of a white... desert ?

2008-12-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

Not very often we get a treat like this. Last week it snowed, and we actually got snowed in. I missed work on Monday. First time in my life I called in for a snow day ! It is truly beautiful. It is the topic of everyones conversation. We simply dont get snow to this degree. We are at 2500 ft and got over 8 inches. It has lasted a week in the lower areas, but still is deep in the mountains. Have you ever seen a Joshua Tree with snow ?? We had snow ball fights, sledding action, and snowman building time !! Wow. Sounds funny out in Palmdale eh ? We will definetly post some other pictures !!

Boys will be Boys

2008-11-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

Play with fire, get burned. Well, I had a little upclose and personal experience with a flash fire. Long story. But, we had to try to re-enact the one that burned up my face. Yes, you heard it right, burned up my face. Let the puns begin. Let it be known, tumble weeds are ferocious. They burn hot, and burn quick. After my buddies got a good laugh at my stupidity, we all went out and acted stupid together :) Gareth, Me, Raymond, and Efrain were trying to get a boom and a mushroom cloud with some help with gasoline, tumble weed and caffeine. Its dark for a moment, but keep watching. After several attempts, we got bored and went back inside. Un hurt this time ! a

Reading, Riting, Rithmatic

2008-11-07T05:55:00.000-08:00

Oh Boy. Well. We joined the ranks of public schools. This was not an easy thing. My wife has homeschooled for the last 8 years. But, after some turn of events and circumstances beyond our control, we enrolled them last week. We prayed much and sought God's will on it. Without too much detail, let it be known that is was difficult, however, we felt like it was the right thing and God has given us peace about it. The Kids have been doing well but it is a big change for them. We are pleased that is a small school, so that helps. If you think about us, pray for the kids. They must make decisions every day, and fight off the influences that can harden a tender heart. Kids have it tough these days. As a youth leader, I have several kids from the inner city schools, and believe me, they face a lot of things. Alyssa will graduate 8th grade while Marissa is in 6th. Trae is in the 3rd grade, but may be moved to fourth since he seems to be way ahead of everyone. So, all in all, keep us in your prayers !!

Boo !!

2008-11-04T18:36:00.000-08:00

We usually dont do a lot for halloween, but no matter what, you gotta do a pumpkin ! Besides, hard to go trick or treating when you have no neighbors !! Well, we decided to do a pirate warning. Pretty cool. Basically, it was Trae and I. The girls were texting or talking on the phone, or whatever. Donna, wasnt feeling too well, so we didnt even get to bake the seeds. We did take a stroll around the mall later in the evening and saw some neat costumes. But overall, non eventful. Trae and I were pretty proud of our pirate pumpkin, so we thought we would share !!

Phoenix trip 2008

2008-10-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Donna and the kids took a 3 day trip back to Phoenix, AZ !! We are truly Californians now. Donna couldn't believe how hot it still was. Are you kidding !?!? We use to take leisure walks at 2:00pm when it was 112 Degrees and remark how nice it was. We never blinked at taking oven mitts with us so we could grab the steering wheel. Wow, how times change. Or, how we have changed. lol. They were witnesses to the fact that Donnas Dad does in fact fall asleep in the barber chair. Alyssa made them trim his Eyebrows. Then Marissa had the ultimate phx city bus experience, by not noticing a pool of pee on the seat in the back of the bus. EWWWW !! She sat in it !! Gross !! Very nice to be able to spend time with lil bro Daniel and his family !! They visited my Mom and family, and saw a home made video of Alyssa when she was 15 months old. She remarked how young Donna looked. Ha, she was... 20 years old. They enjoyed a revival service at the BMC with my Uncle Mark and heard Joe Bishop preach. They had a lot of fun... without dad. hmmphh.

Fare Thee Well....

2008-09-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

I have heard it said, all good things come to an end. Well, this is definetly an end to something good. Booby and Rachel Jones took a pastorate in Texas, and Tuesday, we had to say our good byes. Not easy. After three years of being together, working together in San Bernardino, trying to see a church go forward, it all came to an abrupt end. We can not express how much we will miss them. We have watched ashlynn grow to a cute chattering toddler and hate to think of the things we will miss. When we all moved to California, we had just nine people in church. One of their last services, we had 63 for Sunday Morning, and 44 for Sunday Night. We will miss the bar-b-q's , jamba juice nights, starbucks nights, fellowship nights, hunting vermin in palmdale, music lessons, dead people, scary funeral homes, and funny stories. Hopefully, we will have opportunity down the road for some more good times. God Bless

Friends, Family and Good Times

2008-09-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

During our camp ( Yeah, I know, we are a little behind), we had our neices and nephew come out to spend some time together. A lot of late nights, a lot of dishes, and a lot of memories. The kids had a great time. After camp, unfortonatly, my brothers kids went back home. A few days later we took a trip to Sea World and enjoyed that along with the the wonderful San Diego weather. Danny Mayfield, Joanna Jones, Alyssa (1) Alyssa (2) and Marissa got to become good friends and look forward to the next get together.

Our New Residence

2008-08-03T21:39:00.001-07:00

We have taken on the position of "Care Taker" for the Palmdale, Ca, Campground. It is quite a downsize from where we were. Actually about half. We have had to put several things away as we dont have room !! Thats not really a bad thing though. When we were asked about taking this post, we very much felt that it would not be for us. As you can see, we are out in the middle of NOWHERE !! Its not a place we felt was very attractive either. But as we prayed, God really talked to our hearts. Both together and seperatly. I dont have time to tell everything, but we are content in knowing that this is where God has put us for the time being. The house is a mobile home the church purchased after the fire burned down the previous home. We have enjoyed it more than we first thought we would. Very nice, and very comfortable. As you can see, we have plenty of room for visitors, so feel free to come visit !!

Wereeeee Baaaaackk

2008-07-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

Wow,

Where does the time go. Pfff. Yes, to all of our adoring fans, contrary to popular belief, we are still on the map !! And not only that, but we have come back with pictures, stories, and non stop action events that we are crazy to tell !
First of all, we have moved, as you all probably know by now. We always have heard of aliens and UFO's in the high desert, and have come to find out for ourselves. Some crazy things have happened but we are careful attribute them to the paranormal. So, nothing so far, but more on that later. However, I havent seen Donna for sometime now. Hmmm. Well, im sure she is fine.
Stay in touch !!

Disclaimer..

All photos and stories are true. Nothing has been changed or altered. Names may or may not be real to protect identities.

Lions, Tigers, and Bears....oh my

2008-04-19T22:37:00.001-07:00

Donna's Parents came out and spent 4 days with us. I was able to take Friday off work, and we took a trip to the San Diego Zoo. It was the first time we had ever been, and we werent disappointed. The kids loved it. And, what can you say about San Diego Weather....very awesome...perfect !! We would like to go again soon, so if you want to go, call us and make plans !

A little Nostalgia

2008-04-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

We found a bag of film the other day that has approx 20 rolls of film that we never developed. Yesterday, we developed 2 of them. So here is a few pictures that takes us back a few years.

14 years of maritial ...uh...bliss ??

2008-04-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

Yup, we had an anniversary this year, as we do everyear since Valentines day of 1994 I surprised Donna, again, as is her preference. Of course, the romantic beast that I am, I made a lasting impression. We did, a whole day of shopping, which Donna loved, and I endured. Small note to all you penny pinchers out there... We had $350.00 worth of clothes, but due to my patience and keen sense of a deal, we only paid $44.00. A small savings of $306.00. Who doesn't like to shop like that? We took one night and splurged at Mortons Steakhouse. (editors note... If you have the choice,Go to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse). Gotta love the steak. An overcast day at the ocean found us eating lunch on a pier in Newport Beach. A little cold, but, hey, its the ocean. We had a very nice, and resonable room at a resort in San Diego, which was walking distance to the mall, and centered to most everything. We had a blast, even shopping, and look forward to next year. Is it strange we missed our kids ?? Oh well, what can you say, we're parents.

Out in the Yukon...

2008-03-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

Long time since our last update, which could mean several things. We are not doing anything worthy of our blog, we're too busy, or we are just too lazy. The latter being the most probable. We got bored on a weekend afternoon, so we decided to go find some new trails up in the mountains. We ended up going miles off the beaten path and made a few new ones. The hole you see was on an old service road we found, which collapsed when we drove over it. It was costly as it busted all my foglights, and the bottom of my bumper. Almost got stuck, which would have been interesting, but was able to get out with the help of the "4WD". Ahh, very refreshing up there, away from the city.

Concerto Bach, Mozart,

2008-02-24T06:55:00.000-08:00

This was Alyssa's & Marissa's first big piano recital. It was very awesome, and im proud to say both of my girls did great ! They are both advanced enough now, we are through with twinkle twinkle little star, and the such. They both played some wonderful pieces. The last picture is all of the students together. Next time, maybe we can do a video !

PULL !!!

2008-02-17T07:54:00.000-08:00

Being in the west, we thought we would carry on the traditions of gunslinging ! Saturday presented a day to go out and shoot some rounds and kill a few pigeons. ("CLAY" pigeons to be precise.....There were no animals, fowl, or otherwise hurt in the production of these pictures.) It was Alyssa's first time shooting a 12 gauge, and Trae's first time in shooting a 40 cal hand gun. A good time was had by all ! We even shoot up a "bullet proof" piece of glass. It was very impressive. Even a hollow point 40 cal at close range did not penetrate it. !! Very cool !!

Somebody say Ski ??

2008-02-09T22:35:00.000-08:00

Well, we are a little behind here. So, heres a few pictures of a few weeks back that Alyssa and I took the day to go skiing. We had a blast. Alyssa took her first black diamond run this trip. She's brave :P Soon, we will have the rest of the kids out there :)

Nearing Completion

2008-01-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

For those that were interested in the latest project on the church, here are some updated pictures of the railing and stairs. Good Work Ron !!

Deck The Halls !!...err.... Parsonage

2007-12-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes projects just happen...as this one kinda did. Tim and I were talking about a deck one night, and without much discussion, remarked...."Lets do it ! "
We called up Ron Requina, and started out early in the morning. Between Gareth, myself, Tim and Ron, we spent 14 hours building this thing we thought would take maybe 9 if we had complications. Well, we at least got the deck up. Next will be the railings and finishing touches. But we love it !!

Jingle Bells...Jingle Bells ♫ ♫

2007-12-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

We have been so ready for the snow this year. It came late, but at last it came. We have been in a drought for awhile, so, the little we get, we try to take advantage of. We recently had a storm that brought some snow, so we took a few hours, bundled up, and went sledding !! We had a great time, and really saw the snow come down as we headed home. Donna even braved the cold and did some sledding too !!! Trae and I were the first to try the death hill, as we called it. Trees and rocks in the way, but the slope was too tempting....YEEHAAAWWWWWWW....what a blast !!!

Park Day

2007-11-24T16:59:00.000-08:00

During the week, Donna and the kids have a park day. This is where a group of homeschoolers get together and mingle talk and play. The girls have made several friends, and they love to hang out and talk about boys. (I assume) Trae has several friends that love to play on the playground and play "guns". Donna meanwhile, talks to all the other mothers about what works or doesnt. A nice chance to get out and enjoy the weather and friends

Music Time !!

2007-11-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

We have always felt that music was important and have tried to pursue music lessons for the kids on a consistent basis. Just recently we changed piano Teacheers. The new teacher lives in a lovely home, and is very sweet. The kids do well with her and have been doing better. Trae gets to have a good time while the girls are being taught. He plays with their family dog and all the games Bonnie (the teacher) keeps out. They just had their first recital last week and that went great. Alyssa and Marissa did their piece without any mistakes !! Now they are getting ready for their christmas recital !

Under Construction

2007-09-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Most everyone has seen our church since we have gotten here. We have finally finished the outside of the church building. Although there is still some cleaning up to do, and a lot of landscaping to tackle, you can at least appreciate the change.
We thought the addition of the cross to the front of the church actually helped it look like a church! I didnt have many before pictures, but trust me, its quite the transformation. Next up, is the sign !

V.B.S. @ San Berdo

2007-09-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

We held our VBS in August, and it was a success. We had a TON of fun and the kids thought is was awesome. These pics show just a few scenes of Pilgrims Progress, which was our theme. We averaged around 40 kids a night, and had probably 80 different faces altogether. We had a good amount of teens and even a few adults, of whom did participate in our object lessons. Gareth was Christian, and was front and center every night. Bobby played Evangelist, and Hopeful, one of Christians good friends, which you see pictured in armor. Christian fought several battles to get to the Celestial City, including the Dreadful, Giant of Dispair, and Satan himself, also pictured. I played, Satan, The Giant of Despair, Mr. Goodwill, and on of the crowd favorites, Ignorance. (no comments please :p ). Regina, played an angel and The Lady of Palace beautiful, who gave christian his armor. She also played a big role with the sound effects, along with Bobby and Myself. Sonya, was our narrator, who in fact, MEMORIZED ALL of her lines. Miranda was our light producer and Alyssa was our Photographer. Donna was also an angel, who threw Ignorance out of the celestial city. And EVERYBODY had to help with crafts, games, object lessons, supervision, etc.... Hows that for the credit role. All that to say this... IT was so much fun !!! We have more fun pics and may post them if there is enough interest !!

Back with much demand

2007-08-31T23:48:00.000-07:00

Not only are we back by demand,(Sorry for the delay ANGIE) but our Family came back out again to see us. Daniel and Amparro came with the kids for a few days of fun and relaxation. Time goes by so fast, but we did get a chance to run up to the mountains and play on the slide. Not to mention, that it is about 20 degrees cooler. By the way, we are cooking out here in Cali. Whew, 110 ??? What is this ??? Anyway, you phoenicians are not alone. Daniels kids are getting so big. Makes you realize how fast time flies.

Ocean Front Property

2007-07-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Well, you know, one of the big advantages of living here in California, is we have the ocean just minutes away ! The weather called for a quick trip down to the beach, so we packed a few things met some friends and took a few hours to enjoy the 69 degree water. Sounds cold, but was great... Nobody had chattering teeth or blue lips, rather, just a great time. Then we drove down to Long Beach and caught a glimpse of The Queen Mary. (The boat that is.) Boats and sunsets always make a good mix.

Camp Meetin' Rush

2007-07-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

Wow...almost been a month since our last post. Well, we got through camp meeting time. First we drove 1500 miles one way to our beloved Texas Camp. We drive strait through, so were all wiped out by the time we get back. We left on Wed. morning, and then left Texas on Mon. morning. 24 smooth hours of driving. Then, it's our local California Camp time. Donna got to play cook this year, and I got to drive back and forth to work. A lot of driving, and with gas at 3.35 a gal, it gets to be a killer. Man, the detail I could go into. With camps come memories, and we have a few, to say the least.

Summer is upon us...

2007-06-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

Well, the temp is getting triple digit around here in So CAl. So, the Leib family went and purchased a swimming pool !! What fun ! Small enough to be affordable, and big enough to enjoy. We would recommend it to anyone. However, the kids have changed to about 4 shades darker.

A visual gift..

2007-05-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

The kids and I created this for my wife for her Birthday which was May 3 ! Actually, we gave it to her early. She said she didnt mind if we posted it. We think it's cute !!

Revial 07

2007-04-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

Our Church is now in revival with Sis. Dottie Love. We started today with wonderful services both AM, and PM. So now comes the weeks. Not sure how long it will run, but probably upwards to 2-4 weeks. So life as we know it will cease. I get off work so late, that I will have no time for much else. Not that that is a bad thing. We do need revival. Looking forward to some good services :) If you think of us in your prayer time, we would appreciate you pray for a good revival for us ! (Notice the nice accents our ladies have added to try to help a "dull" platform !!)

13 years Together

2007-03-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ahh, yes, 13 wonderful years. Been quick, that's for sure. For our 13th anniversary, I surprised Donna by taking her to San Diego, unbeknownst to her, (until we arrived, of course) stayed two nights at a resort, and splurged at Ruth's Chris Steak House. The restaurant was right on the ocean, so, I made reservations at 5:30pm, and reserved a window seat. The sunset was beautiful, and so was the steak !! (For those couples looking for a romantic evening, and a good steak, you gotta go.) It was pricey, but considering the circumstances... I treated Donna to some time relaxing at the spa there at the resort, (ladies only), and then spent some good time shopping with no plans to keep. Just spent some time together ! The weather was great, so we walked along the beach in La Jolla, and had lunch at a Deli right close by after doing a little sight seeing in downtown. Very nice !!

Timber !!!!

2007-01-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

We have been doing some work around our little church here in San Berdo. Tim Phillips and I worked at chopping two of the trees down to get ready for some new landscaping. Pretty fun to watch those come crashing down.

Midway, Seaport Village

2007-01-28T08:53:00.000-08:00

A little retrospect here. This is a little trip we took down to San Diego when David and Jamie were here. We Spent some time in Sea Port Village. Nice little shopping area. Down the boardwalk a way, the Midway Aircraft Carrier was there. We were there to late to actually tour it, but it was put on our to-do-list. Alyssa would rather go shopping with her Mom, than to walk around on "a big boat". Fine. Marissa, Trae and I will have a lot of fun. Thats the benefits of having more than 1 kid.

Ouch...ewwww

2007-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

This may be somewhat gross, but thought it might be cool for some. Monday, I caught my finger in a machine while at work, and mangled it up pretty bad. Regina came straight over from helping paint Sonya's house (note the clothes) to help change the dressing for me after I got home from work, so we took the opportunity to take some pictures. It's more painful than it looks. I could have easily lost it all together, but God saw fit to just give me an owie.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

2007-01-13T17:02:00.000-08:00

A first in Twenty-plus years. There I was on a Friday morning, doing the usual routine before leaving for work, waiting for the coffee to finish, and frantically looking for the keys I set down the night before. This particular morning, Alyssa had gotten up to help me, as she so often does. You know, searching for my shoes, grabbing my sweater, finding my wallet, and starting the coffee. ( I am a high maintainance dad ! ) But I enjoy the help as it allows me to sit or wait a loiter a little while longer. It was time to go, and as I opened the door, WOW. Alyssa was standing there and asked surprised, "Is it snowing ?" It was. It was actually snowing. My car was layered with fresh snow. I woke Marissa and Trae up to see the phenomenom, even if it was 5:20 in the morning. Later, the kids had a snow ball fight in our back yard. It lasted awhile since it was so cold. The kids, (They have been raised in sunshine), went out and had a snowball fight in their flip flops, and pajamas. Of course, we had to take pictures. It hasn't snowed here in twenty some years, as some have told us, and never this much. Ahhhh, Southern Cal, you gotta love it.

Paintball Fun

2007-01-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

While David was here, we wanted to go out and shoot him up with paintballs. So a group of us went out and shot at each other like a bunch of insane teenagers. All of us had our fair share of paintball ringworm.

Well, the weather outside is delightful...

2006-12-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

No white christmas this year...maybe next. We envy those who get snow, for about 30 secs, then we frolic outside in the sunshine, as we play with all the new chritmas toys. Actually, a 30 minute drive north into the mountains give us more snow then we need. I like it that way. Christmas this year was great. We spent it in AZ with our families. David, Jaime and Cayden flew out to join us. It was quick, as we left on friday, and came back on Wed. Morning. Now we await the new year at home.
Saturday, we took a trip with all the kids, (Ours, Daniels, and David's) along with Grandma and Grandpa, to the Castles and Coasters and let the kids ride a few coasters. Grandma and Grandpa even played minature golf for the first time. David and Jaime spent time over at Daniel and Amparro's house, while we hung out between my Mom's house and Donna's parents. Sunday, we visited my Uncle Mark at the Bible Missionary Church, and then had dinner at his house. It's been awhile since we've done that. Monday was christmas, as we spent it between families, but it turned out great as we had a great time. My Mom fixed a wonderful dinner for everyone, and made an old time favorite of mine. Deviled Eggs !!! Got to be the best in the world !! It's hard to say goodbye to everyone, but new adventures await us back in the Golden State !!

Gobble, Gobble

2006-12-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

The Holidays sure do go by fast. This was a good Thanksgiving. Since we didn't get to go last year, we were really looking forward to seeing everyone. HI MOM ! It wont be long until we get ready to go back for another visit. Christmas !! We were able to spend time with all the family, and even got to see a few friends. While we were at my Mom's house, I had to show my little brothers how to play "Halo 2". They didn't like how I spanked them and made them look like losers ! HA HA HA Friday, we attended the camp meeting at Gospel Center and were able to see some good friends their also. Saturday night, Dad took all of us, (my family, and Daniels family) out to Old Country Buffet for dinner, What a Dad, and Grandpa ! and then afterwards, spent a short time at Daniels House. Sunday, we visited my Uncle Mark, and joined them for service. But time goes by so stinking fast. We no sooner got there, and had to pack to go back home seemingly...

Home School Day at Magic Mountain

2006-11-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, Its been awhile, but finally were back. We have been in revival for 2 weeks and so havent had a lot of time. Anyway, check us out here. Our family and Good friends, Chris and Clinton fitch were able to go on a field trip. Once a year, Magic mountain closes the park down and opens it up for Home Schoolers. What a time. Alyssa really loves it, and Trae took his first ride on one of the "big" Roller Coasters; Goliath. Marissa is slowly building her courage up, and rode a few big coasters too. We even got Donna to go on Superman; a 100 mph roller coaster that shoots straight into the air. (see photo). She almost cried, but survived. Any way, what a time we had. Some how though, it seemed we walked up hill all day. Wow...

Horse'n around

2006-10-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

A partially free weekend. The kids and I took advantage of the 70 degree weather and went horse back riding with Sonya. We have a little bit of everything here in Southern Cal. We had a lot of fun. It's been awhile since I rode a horse, but Sonya brought me quickly up to speed. The trails are great, at one point going through a place they call "Sherwood Forest". Beautiful vistas, unbelievable sunsets, and quite meadows. But oh, that saddle thing will take some getting used to. More on these trips later !

Call me Ishmael

2006-10-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Marissa and I were able to go deep sea fishing last weekend. This was Marissa's "Dad" trip. I practice taking the kids out 1-1 on some kind of adventure that they would enjoy and Marissa this time wanted to go fishing. So we had a blast. We went with a few friends and had a great time. After Marissa downed her energy drink she was ready to go after only 3 hours sleep. What a trip ! Marissa caught a great fish and wrestled with it for some time. We got it to the side of the boat and were waiting for one of the deckhands to grab it with a hook. The guy next to us cast his line and got tangled with ours and somehow broke our line while he was trying to get it undone. Bummer... it was a great fish. about the size of the one you see her holding, which the one, and only one I caught. Better luck next time. We had great action but couldnt quite get them all the way in.

Daniel & Family

2006-09-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

Daniel and Amparro had the opportunity to visit us awile back. Talk about growing families ! While they were here, Daniel was able to give Joseph a mandatory Southern Cal Training course. Aim & Shoot. We sure miss you guys, hope you can come back soon.

Honey, where are the kids ??

2006-09-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

Our Kids are growing so fast. It's always a shocker to see kids if you havent seen them for awhile. Here's a few pics of our just the kids. Alyssa just turned 12, as Marissa turned 10. Trae turned 6 in April. We have a lot of fun together. Although we sometimes miss the "baby" days, our activities have become a lot more fun now that they can appreciate it. No more strollers, diaper bags, playpens, bottles, walkers, or car seats. We just load and go !! Trae and Marissa share my enthusiasm for "cool" cars and we are always on the lookout for the occasional Ferrari. They can sometimes pick out cars faster than I can. Alyssa is more of the thrill seeker type. We have had a blast at Magic Mountain riding the meanest, fastest, and biggest roller coasters we can find. They close it down for homeschoolers once a year, and we get a pretty good discount, and there is no crowd or long lines.

Our Dwelling Place

2006-09-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

God has so wonderfully blessed us with a lovely home, big enough to have our church over for Sunday dinners, and just minutes away from our church. A nice neighborhood with 24 hour security, and great neighbors. One of our fears of moving to California was the fact that we could possibly live in a pretty bad neighborhood. The parts that we toured in the beginning were not very conducive to raising children. San Bernardino is after all, one of the top, if not #1, murder capitals of the nation. Well, we were willing though if God was in it. All those fears were relieved when the door was opened for us to live here. How many neighborhoods do you know that have their own security patrol? We never dreamed that we would have such a blessing ! We live at the base of some beautiful foothills which will sometimes get snow in the winter.

Friends....

2006-09-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

Part of what makes California so great is our friends, which has made it easier to leave the familiar territory of Arizona, and our families, which we miss terribly.

Catching up

2006-09-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot that has happened in the last year, so most of the pictures you see here may be somewhat old, but can at least get you up to date, and give you an idea what takes up our time, both work and pleasure. This is when I was able to take some time and help my Uncle Mark install the new cabinets in the parsonnage of our church. It was quite a job, and Uncle Mark did a FANTASTIC Job !!

Yosemite

2006-09-20T21:55:00.000-07:00

We took a trip t o Paradise California and visited one of our churches and held a "singspiration" for them. On our way back, we had to take time to visit Yosemite National Park. If you ever get a chance, you need to go !!