CA Fires

Hello to all...well this blog is coming from a bit of a somber note, but I figured I would portray the scene of the Southern California fires from a bit of a first hand account. Instead of hitting you with the bad news first, I would like to start with the bright side of the situation. The San Diego government, fire departments, police departments and residents have responded to the fires in an extremely heart warming and encouraging way. There have been many homes lost and people displaced, yet as it all unfolds, everyone has done their part to chip in and offer support in areas where they have been able. It has been encouraging to see the community come together as oppose to destruct in the time of crisis.

I would also like to mention that my immediate family and all of my friends that I have been able to keep account of have remained safe throughout the last couple of days. As most of you know who have seen the news however, many of our neighbors have not been so lucky. I'm not sure the most recent count, but many homes have been lost and unfortunately we are not in the clear as of yet. Due to the very dry weather conditions along with the Santa Ana Winds many of these situations pose potential dangers that are unpredictable. There are still some major fires burning that are threatening homes and the lives of our courageous citizens, firefighters and other local officials.

In times like this it easy to question why such things happen, but I would like to send along some Biblical encouragement for us all to keep things in perspective and perhaps find some comfort.

James 1:2-5 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

2 Cor 1:3-5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

I have also included a couple of pictures from our neighborhood taken very early Monday morning prior to our neighborhood being evacuated. I am by no means a storm or disaster chaser, these are simply a couple of shots I took literally from our front yard and these do not even signify the worst of scenarios that the people of San Diego and LA have experienced in the last couple days.

I would ask you all to keep our those in the City of San Diego as well as Los Angeles and all other areas effected by these fires in your thoughts and prayers.

The Most Colorful Season

I would have to say that the fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Although it is a sign that the summer has ended and winter is upon us (and I use the term "winter" loosely as a resident of Southern California), I just love to see so evidently that the seasons are changing. I have always loved to watch, and have been amazed by the fact that leaves that were once a very pretty green turn to some of the most vibrant colors all at the same time. One of my favorite things to do at this time of year is to go for a drive or take a hike through a forested area and just take in the beauty.

I have not gotten the chance to do this yet this year, but here is a photo from my time in Nashville. Chad and I were hiking through the woods and I got a shot of this tree.

Fun Game!

OK, just humor me...the name of the game IS...name that state capitol.

GO!

Family Trip to Lake Havasu, AZ

As promised, here are a few more photos from our trip to Arizona with the Hager family. It was extra special for my parents because for the first time what used to be our family of four is now a family of six. I have been married to my wonderful husband Chad for about 16 months now, and my sister, Laurie and her husband Adam were married in April of this year. The times that we get to spend with my family and my husband's family are very special as we don't live in the same city or even the same state as either of them. As we grow older it is is nice to come to know our parents and siblings on a different level.

On that note, the trip was so very special to us all. Here are some photos of our time there.

Here is a shot of the house that we rented for the week...this is the way to go on a vacation like this one. You get a private pool and spa, a bbq for some down home grillin', plenty of room for privacy but a big space to hang out as a family.

I was able to sneek a shot of Adam and Laurie having a moment while the sun was going down.

A shot of our family of six!

Just look at the respect that each Son-In-Law has for their new Mom and Dad...gotta love it!

This is a shot from our day on the boat. The landscape in this part of Arizona is either fairly desolate (it is the desert!), or made up of these beautiful red rocks.

Can somebody please tell me how these kids are walking on water?!?! I want to do that!

Oatman, AZ

Well I'm officially a very bad blogger...I have neglected to post in quite some time, but am now back in action! We just returned from a much needed relaxing trip with my wonderful family in Lake Havasu, AZ. We spent some good quality time relaxing, playing games, spending a day on the boat and just hanging out and laughing. It was wonderful, and I will include more extensive photos in the next couple posts.

For now however, I would like to share with you a little day trip that we took to the sprawling town of Oatman, AZ. It was quite an experience. First you must drive a very long way through the desert before arriving in a small mining town, perhaps most well known for their pet burros that wander the streets. It was extremely amusing. To make matters even better, we found that the people of Oatman know all of these little burros by name and can tell you their life stories...I suppose that is the best gossip they get around there:)

Anyway, I snapped quite a few photos of the town, but here are a few that I am especially fond of.

Third Coast Sports Presents Faith Nights

This past weekend Chad and I traveled up to Los Angeles to attend a Dodgers game. Although we both love baseball, that day baseball was a secondary reason for taking us out to the ballgame. It has been quite apparent over the past few years, that there is more than just the game itself making fans flock Minor League and Major League stadiums across the country. A new trend in sports promotions that involves pre and post game Christian concerts are giving a wide variety of people reason to attend a baseball game this summer.

A very good friend of ours, Brent High, founded Third Coast Sports in conjuction with Third Coast Artist Agency, both based in Nashville, TN. They have found a way to combine two of America's favorite events, baseball games and concerts into one amazing event. I encourage you to visit their website to find out more about their beliefs, values and visions for the future.

I have had the opportunity to work closely with the Faith Night events in the past, and personally believe that it is an amazing opportunity for Christian churches to use as an outreach event for the entire community.

Sunday was a great time for Chad and I to catch up with some friends, and to support Third Coast Sports in their efforts to bring these outreach events to a city near you. For a full schedule or the remaining 2007 events click here.

Here are a few photos I took of the band that took the stage on Sunday, Hawk Nelson. To see additional photos from past events taken by the staff at Third Coast Sports click here.

Tupiov

Don't even try to Google it because as I found out this weekend at a dinner party hosted by my sister and brother-in-law that this is in fact a made up word. They enjoy taking the run of the mill dinner party and switching it up a bit. The basic gist of this occasion is that they provided a very nice set up including three tables for two (there were three couples), yummy appetizers and drinks, and a sit down 8 course dinner.

When we sat down at our respective tables, were asked to fill out a sheet complete with 8 courses, only the catchy part is that the 8 courses were all in a made up language just as the name of the dinner party, Tupiov. We were each to fill out our own sheet, without "borrowing" any answers from any of our neighbors. Once our answers were turned in, my sister Laurie, the Executive Chef for the night, and my brother-in-law Adam, the matrade for the night, began to bring out the courses in the order we selected them. The 8 courses were as followed: knife, fork, spoon, bread, salad, main dish, desert, and of course the mint and toothpick.

Now if you have an imagination, you can see how it may be if you were served the main course first, without any silverware! Thankfully, nobody did that exactly, but my first two choices were the knife and the main dish....so you guessed it, I ate my pasta and chicken with a knife....it just gave me a good excuse to slurp my noodles.

Here is a picture of the my main course, and my trusty butter knife! It was a fun night with some family, and hats off to the hosts who threw a wonderful party.

Construction Progress

Well, there has been quite a bit of progress from the concrete and stacked wood that I posted previously. We have driven by quite a few times in the past few weeks to check the progress but have only been able to stop and look when the workers have gone home for the day...from the looks of it they are working long hours over there to complete the home prior the the year 2008...that is their goal, but you never can predict with construction.

Here are a few photos updating the construction....it is starting to actually look like a house!


Our garage door will be the one on the left in the picture. We will only have to share walls with one neighbor which will be nice.

This is a view of the side which will be a grassy area and lead to our front door.

Front door leading to first floor w/ one bedroom and one bathroom.

This is a view of the fourplex that our unit is a part of. Our home is the one farthest from us on the end.

Staris connecting the first and second floors!

The is the very beginning of the third floor which will consist of two bedrooms and two full bathrooms.

Just a picture of Chad that I shot as he was looking out from the second floor.