Journal Keeping

Ashley's brothers came to San Jose to join the Celebration

2011-05-31T19:10:00.000-07:00

Ashley wore her Delta Zeta sash to Commencement, along with pearls from Grandma CeCe. We sat in the chairs behind the platform and had great seats to be able to see Ashley during the ceremony. President Kassing honored 8 students who had passed away during this academic year which was very sobering. The commencement speaker was great - spoke from his heart about what he had learned over the years since he graduated. I enjoyed hearing the Alma Mater sung by the man who has been leading the Alma Mater at SJSU for the last 60 years - he's retiring this year. And it was meaningful to have President Kassing conferring the degrees as we have a personal relationship with him.

After Commencement in the Stadium

After Commencement there was time for hugs and congratulations and a few more tears. We are all so proud of Ashley.

Ashley and Jeff

Jason, Ashley and Shannon

David and Ashley

And it wouldn't have been a celebration without Ashley's favorite cake from Dick's Bakery. We had a BBQ with the family before Jason and Shannon took Dave and Jeff to the Airport. Then Ashley's friends began arriving for a BBQ and some fun times. What a great day.

Ashley's Big Day - Graduation from SJSU

2011-05-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

The College of Humanities and the Arts held their department graduation in Morris Dailey Auditorium on Thursday, May 26, at 3 p.m. Aunt Kathy and Adam came with us - and several of Ashley's friends also came to the ceremony including Matt and Sarah.

There were some very emotional moments as the reality sunk in -- Ashley is graduating from college.

All of the dreams of the last 17years, all of the worries and fears and feelings of being overwhelmed, all of the obstacles that stood in the way, all of the challenges -- all conquered. She felt deeply grateful for all of the people who helped her along the way. After she received her certificate she went to the podium and thanked us for helping her earn her degree, and spontaneously she lifted both her arms and said, "I did it." It was a great moment.

Ashely and Adam

Matt, Ashley and Sarah

Photo Shoot - Ashley's Graduation

2011-05-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

Ashley will be graduating from SJSU with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Liberal Studies. She wanted to include a photo in your graduation announcements - we went out back and took a few (200) shots.

Kevin was a big help - holding the diffuser screens and the white balance card for me.

Easter Sunday hike

2011-05-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

We decided to have a simple Easter Sunday since it was just going to be Ashley, Kevin and I. We wanted to grab sandwiches and head up to Castle Rock - but since the weather was unpredictable, we decided to hike in Quick Silver park. The views from the top are beautiful and the wildflowers were out.

My friends at FROST celebrated with me.

2011-03-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

Mary Kay made a fantastic chocolate cake with fresh raspberries and we celebrated. My birthday was filled with love. Pretty amazing.

Hiking to Pfeiffer Falls and Valley View

2011-03-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

Kevin was so great about letting me stop along the way and take pictures. The trees are huge -- easily 1,000-to 1500 years old. What a great time...even if some tourists wanted to stay with us, rest with us, hike with us -- and talk non-stop along the way. We stopped and shopped a little in Carmel before heading home. We decided to try a new restaurant for dinner and scored big time -- Rangoli's Indian Restaurant in San Jose was delicious. On Sunday, Ashley, Kevin and I tried Mint Leaf in Saratoga for lunch -- another delicious meal. I told Kevin I didn't want to make my birthday all about eating -- hmmm.

Saturday of my Birthday Weekend

2011-03-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

I loved taking pictures of the wild flowers --surprise, surprise. The iris's are in bloom.

I found this wild iris along the Big Sur coast.

This wild iris was along the trail to Pfeiffer Falls

Birthday Weekend

2011-03-09T19:37:00.000-08:00

My birthday celebration began early -- Kevin bought me a new MP3 player to use in the pool. Pretty cool. I had been hoping to go to Monterey for my birthday, but the weather report was nothing but rain. But when Friday came, it was beautiful -- so Kevin and I headed for the coast.

We spent Friday afternoon walking from Monterey Aquarium down to Passion Fish restaurant and back. We have a leisurely dinner. Beer battered kalamata olives, butternut squash soup, Mahi Mahi...very delicious. We walked back and poked around on Cannery Row. Listened to a musician at the Plaza for a while. A wonderful evening.

Saturday we got up and walked around the Hyatt's Golf Course (Del Monte) for several hours. We had breakfast at the Plaza -- a fabulous egg white omelet. There were ten otters hanging around out the window. Then we headed down to Big Sur.

Happy BDay Gramma LuLu.wmv

2011-03-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

A special birthday greeting...touched me deeply this morning.

Speaking at The Return in Bakersfield

2011-02-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

300 women got together at NEWIM's Bakersfield conference, The Return. I spoke on having a Heart that is Faithful to Love -- and Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T08:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas!

2010-12-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

Kaia loves the candy canes hanging high up on the Christmas tree.

Maggie loved being loved by all.

Lipstick! Oh how Kaia loves her lipstick and lip gloss and being a little girl.

Emmanuel and Bingwa join us for Christmas dinner

2010-12-28T08:31:00.001-08:00

Christmas is Emmanuel's birthday -- so we sang Happy Birthday and put a candle in our pumpkin pie.

Christmas Visit

2010-12-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

Waiting for our table at Taiwans. It's an old Glidden tradition to go out for a very nice Chinese dinner on Christmas eve. So after the service at Westgate, we headed to Willow Glen for dinner and had a Santa sighting while we waited for our table.

Jeff and Wendy, Shawn, Ashley and the kiddos join us for the week before Christmas

2010-12-28T08:25:00.000-08:00

Jeff and Wendy drove up from southern California to join us for Christmas. What a great time we had! And the excitement of the little ones waiting for Christmas -- playing with the Beanie Babies, and LeapFrog and baby dolls. We had many Ticket to Ride games and not a few Fudge Meltaways.

Kevin had the lights up and our new snowman for the children.

We went downtown to St. Joseph's for a Celtic Harp concert and a short walk with the Fairmont and Christmas in the Park.

Our Christmas Gift

2010-12-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

Once again, Kevin and I gave each other a little escape to the Sunnyside Lodge at Lake Tahoe for our Christmas gift. This year the weather was overcast and rainy -- but the sun did come out for a while.

We drove to the top of Mount Rose stopping to look at Lake Tahoe from the Northeast overlook.

From Mount Rose you can look down into the desert below and see Reno in the distance. It was gorgeous.

Carson City and Virginia City are visible as well.

Kevin down by the lake at sunset. We thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast buffet -- I want to order some of that "Fireberry Sauce" they put on their egg souffle. We poked around Truckee and had lunch at the Dragon Fly restaurant -- one of our all-time favorite restaurants. We bought some really great gadgets at the kitchen supply like a cookie dough scooper, hamburger patty maker, egg slicer and water bottle. A great little retreat for us.

Ashley's Senior Banquet

2010-12-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

Ashley has decided to "Go Alum." After 4 years in Delta Zeta, she has become a DZ Alum.

Brass Christmas Concert at Mt. Hermon

2010-12-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Marilyn and Aggie, Lucille and Lou, Kevin and I and John and Judy had dinner and then listened to the Tim Zimmerman brass band give an incredible concert. What a fantastic evening of great food, great fellowship and great music. We all thoroughly enjoyed it!

Sing Along Messiah at California Theater

2010-12-11T11:50:00.000-08:00

Judy invited a few of us to go to the California Theater for a Sing Along Messiah concert. It was truly spectacular -- a very moving experience. I think it is the beauty of the music and the Scriptures Handel selected that express the love of God and the hope we have in Jesus that was so meaning for me.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

Antonie and Bingwa joined us for Thanksgiving Dinner --

Celebrating Mom in the Desert

2010-11-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

Brian invited mom and I down to his house in Palm Desert so that we could celebrate mom's 85th birthday. We had beautiful weather so I got up at sunrise and went on a long walk around the golf course and took photos.

Mom

2010-11-19T13:13:00.000-08:00

Mom sitting on the deck at Brian's Palm Desert house.

Brian, Mom and Luann at Elvis Presley's Honeymoon Hideaway - Palm Springs. You'll notice that we are sitting in the exact spot that the photo of Elvis and Priscilla was taken -- back in 1962. It was amazing how "state of the art" luxury in the 60s is really nothing much 50 years later.

Mom sitting on one of the fun chairs at the Riveria Resort in Palm Springs.

We celebrated mom's 85th birthday at the Riveria -- pretty nice!

Brian, Mom and I at the Riveria -- they just spent $75 million renovating the resort. It's a really fun blend of Las Vegas, retro 50s, and modern architecture and furnishings. The food was fabulous.

Mom, Brian and I at Brians in July

Mom with Jordan and Alex and Ginny's mom.

Mom with Jeff, Micah and Kaia.

The sunset from mom's living room.

The farm house where mom grew up. Grandpa Ettore built the house and barn. Lynden Washington.

Weekend with the Budds

2010-11-17T07:50:00.000-08:00

I had a great weekend with Jeff and Wendy and the kids -- even had a chance to eat some take-out Thai food that was delicious and cheer for Micah (a La Mirada Mariner) at his t-ball game. Lots of fun. I love the way Kaia is very precise as she tries to say words. They are loving their new kittens, Watson and Crook.

Over 20 Women joined us for The Springs Retreat

2010-11-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

We had a great retreat at St. Anthony's in Three Rivers. The Team led the chapels on various aspects of the Love of God. It is amazing how the Lord meets our deepest needs as we get away from all of the stuff in our daily lives that keep us pretty distracted and spend some time focused on Him. I don't know why we resist opening ourselves to the love of God...but we certainly do.

Christina, Rachel and Lamia were in my small group. We really connected quickly and had a great time together.

The Springs Blog has more photos and information.

Halloween at the Library

2010-10-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Ashley's birthday

2010-10-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

Ashley wanted us to celebrate her birthday at a great little BBQ place in Morgan Hill. Actually she had thought about going to a seafood place, but she didn't think Kevin would be up for shelling his own shrimp at the table....we'll have to have a girls' night out there.

New Life Covenant Women's Mini- Retreat

2010-10-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

New Life Covenant women went up to Judy's cabin at Mission Springs for a mini-retreat.

We had time for just hanging out, and the best food (thank you, Judy and John!) and time for a little meditative early morning stretching and then some alone time with God. What a refreshing day.

Kauai -

2010-09-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

The sunrise is new every morning. I love having time to watch the sun come up over the ocean.

Flowers and Birds

2010-09-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

I love photographing flowers as we hike -- and this year we started getting to know the birds on Kauai. They are much more difficult to photograph so I don't have pictures of them. The songs they sing fill the air as we hiked. Every once in a while we'd spot a gecko. On this hike I spotted the first wild orchids we've seen on the island.

A little green gecko

Strawberry guava was ripe and very fragrant

Ginger bloom just beginning to open

Dinner at the Sheraton before a beautiful sunset

2010-09-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Kauai is just not the greatest spot for my hair -- next time I'm just going to get a baseball cap and wear it. We had dinner at the Sheraton -- this is the view from our table -- no windows!

After dinner we walked around the corner to this sunset -- on our way to the Theater. We didn't care for the production -- Trip Advisor folks led us astray for the very first time. Owell. The dinner and sunset were amazing.

Orchids and Water Lily blossoms

2010-09-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed taking an hour to photograph the Plantation's orchids and water lilies.

Walking to the End of the Trail

2010-09-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

We walked the beach to the end of the trail -- probably 3 miles or so. Fabulous! These little plovers are everywhere -- they actually fly from Hawaii to the Arctic non-stop to nest. How do they fly hundreds of miles without food or rest!

Sea turtles all along the way.

Sunrise and the Ocean

2010-09-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

We love the beauty of the sunrise and could just sit for hours watching the surf.

Pihea Trail down to the Swamp

2010-09-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty dry day at the Pihea Trail so we decided to head down into the Alakai Swamp -- the Swamp gets about 400 inches of rain a year so all of the vegetation is very unusual and a place I've wanted to see for a long time. We saw some of the unique forest birds along the way. This is also considered a rather strenuous hike because you climb up and down muddy hills, slosh through muddy trails and climb a bunch of stairs before getting to the boardwalk through the swamp. It was all worth it. We'd love to go back again.

Pausing as we climbed up the muddy hill to take a picture - Several places along the trail it's like climbing up (and on the way back -- climbing down) a wall. Up is easier.

But the vistas looking down 4000 feet to the ocean are spectacular!

The ferns along the way are pretty amazing -- Some are at least 6 feet tall.

Thankfully they built a board walk through the swamp - or we'd be up to our thighs in mud.

This is Mt. Wai'ale'ale -- one of the wettest spots on earth. It doesn't have a peak but it is usually covered in clouds. What a surprise when the clouds disappeared and we discovered it was flat on top. For years I imagined a peak. We were blessed with a very clear day.

Hiking Above Hannalei

2010-09-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I drove up to Hannalei, and hiked up one of the ridges to about 1500 ft. The hike was rated moderately strenuous -- so we felt pretty good about making it to the top.

Enjoying the Family

2010-08-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Good times!

2010-08-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

Family Camping at Hume Lake

2010-08-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

We made some memories!

S'mores every night. Maggie completely dirty under the table. Giggling in the tent over how to position the mattresses so we didn't have our feet near Ashley. Hiding Maggie from the park ranger, twice.

Shooting stars and seeing the Milky Way. Discovering the book, Twilight. Swimming together in the lake.

Bats coming out from under a rock and startling David who high tailed it to the van.

Jeff seeing a bear.

Tarantulas. Giant bull frogs. A mega cray fish. Seeing the rattlesnake cross the path we were walking on around Zumwalt Meadow. Catching frogs. Lion hunts with the grandchildren.

Wendy having Kaia turn on the remote car alarm at 7:30 a.m.

Jeff's blue thumb - feeling scared to death as he pass out alongside the road.

Early morning hot chocolate with marshmellows and fresh pressed coffee. Blueberry and banana pancakes. Grilled hamburgers and deliciously, spicy hot link hot dogs.

Blue gill and baby trout. Giant Sequoias. The mist hovering over Hume Lake at dawn.

Playing Duck, Duck, Duck, Goose with all of the grandchildren.

Kaia's big hug and giggles over Yankee Doodle Dandee song.

Shawn teaching the kiddos how to cast.

Retreving bobbers out of the trees and bushes.

Isaiah's first fish.

The joy of being called "Grandma Wu Wu" all week

Ellen learning to back float in her life jacket.

Floating on the lake with Ashley.

Kaia sleeping in Ashley's arms--my gift that I gave to Ashley.

Dave and Sarah telling us their campsite would be at capacity next year -- then driving away.

Good times. Great times. Maybe one of the most significant weeks of our lives.

Thanks so much for everyone fitting the week together into your busy lives. It was very cool to be together. We are so blessed to have such great kids, and kids-in-law, and grand kids. It was a blast.

Church Planters Wives mini-retreat

2010-07-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Christy and I invited the church planter wives from the Bay Area Covenant Churches to join us for a day together. We were so encouraged from having time together.

Hillcrest Get-Together 35 Years later

2010-07-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

Some of us from the Hillcrest group got together and Bill and Julie Mumley's for a little reunion.

Kevin had a chance to spend some time with Dave and Sarah

2010-07-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

Kathy's Visit

2010-07-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

Kathy came to visit over the Fourth of July -- She's just recovering from chemo and her hair is coming back.

My Work Group

2010-06-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

For the last several years, Tung, Janice, Candice, Lauren, Aggie and I have been together. Because of the State's economic downturn, 1 in 5 staff positions at the university library had to be eliminated. We are so sorry to lose Aggie, but grateful that she had the seniority to be able to be reassigned to another position on campus. We will miss her.

Lauren, Candice, Janice and Luann

Tung and Aggie.

Carmel - Point Lobos

2010-06-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

I met a friend and we spent the day at Point Lobos State Park, just south of Carmel. We both like taking pictures so we walked the coast and thoroughly enjoyed stopping to take pictures along the way. For some mysterious reason, the ocean was incredibly calm -- hardly a breeze. Even the Park Rangers commented on how unusual it was.

Celebrating our Anniversary in San Francisco

2010-06-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I spent the day in San Francisco, celebrating our anniversary. Dinner at the Cliff House was very nice!

Human Trafficking Fundraiser

2010-05-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

Several women from New Life hosted a fundraising banquet and silent auction to beneift New Day for Children. We had a sold-out crowd and raised over $10,000 to help the local victims of human trafficking.

I found the wildflowers!

2010-04-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

Driving home from Los Angeles (after an fabulous weekend with Jeff and Wendy, and hearing Jill Briscoe, and worshipping with Anne Barbour, and great conversations with Marty and Walt, and hugs from my NEWIM friends, and going to church at Redeemer, and having lunch with Charlotte), God painted the hills with wildflowers. The Tejon Pass was vibrant. Hills of yellow and other hills blue. It looked like God had painted the hills.

I stopped at Gorman to take a few pictures to bring the beauty home with me. Ahhh...how the Lord loves us.

The Springs Retreat

2010-04-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

What a great time we had at The Springs. The stories of what God did in our lives is amazing.
I loved this vine -- it reminds me of myself. If I'm not clinging to the vine, then I'm running around in circles.
Dear Friends -- LouAnn, Christy, Jamie, Cheryl and Karen
Jeannie and I were in the same small group. The tulips and wildflowers were beautiful. I don't think we've had more gorgeous weather. The sky was incredibly clear -- so we had a chance to see Saturn and her rings, and Sirius and the nebulae where stars are born. "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I" became my prayer.

Ashley's the Easter Bunny

2010-04-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

Our church hosted a huge Easter Egg hunt for several hundred folks -- Ashley dressed up as the Easter bunny. Her "Lil Sis" from Delta Zeta came to help her get around.

Monterrey Coastline

2010-03-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful walk along the coast. Then a delicious dinner at Lovers' Point before heading home.

In search of wildflowers

2010-03-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

With two rescheduled holidays just waiting to be used, Kevin and I drove to find the wildflowers. We ended up getting to the trail where all the poppies were supposed to be in gorgeous bloom -- just a little bit late. Poppies open and close in the sunlight. But we enjoyed the hike along the river and the wildflowers that we did find.

But I think for Kevin, his favorite part of the trail was this sign.

It's hilarious -- all broken and falling apart, yet claiming that this spot is where you'll find "...the finest handicrafts in the world." Wow! Kevin got quite a kick out of it. Actually, this is the spot where a man found $3M in gold about 150 years ago.

We spent the night in Yosemite and had a fabulous time. It's so beautiful.

Favorite Photos for Bio

2010-03-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Holidays

2009-12-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

Holidays always incredible taking Maggie for a walk --

Ashley and I made a Gingerbread House

2009-12-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

Ashley and I had a great time making our first Gingerbread House from scratch. It's amazing!

Sunrise over Lake Tahoe

2009-12-15T07:55:00.001-08:00

Unbelievable beauty this morning. Brennan Manning writes that the sunrise speaks to him of the the Lord's love. This morning, he must really love us.

From the top of High Camp, Squaw Peak

2009-12-14T16:44:00.001-08:00

We spent the day at Squaw Peak - the Home of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Took the cable car up to High Camp and enjoyed the views. At sunset, the mountains across the lake turned brilliant hot pink for just a few minutes. A wonderful close to a beautiful day.

The Beauty of Winter

2009-12-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

As we sat watching the sun come up, four flocks of Canadian geese flew over the lake - joining into one new formation. They reminded me of a huge marching band -- I think they were flying back in forth, warming up in the early rays of the sun. And then a bald eagle flew across the lake and right by our window. Beautiful.

Lake Tahoe - Sunrise

2009-12-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

We drove through quite a snow storm last night to get to Lake Tahoe...but this morning the clouds had moved on and the sunrise was incredible. We enjoyed a fire and a cup of coffee and watched.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-13T12:44:00.001-08:00

Delightful chaos ensued for 4 days while all of our family (except Jason) enjoyed the holiday at our house. We had a great time.

Walk to the Beach House

2009-10-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

We decided to take a long walk down the beach and the blues and greens were just spectacular. And then it happened....I had seen a picture of a beautiful water lily in a coffee table book of Kauai, and I talked Kevin into going into the Plantation Gardens to see if they still had water lilies. Not only did they have lily pad ponds, but they had hundreds of orchids, and heliconia, and an entire cactus garden that must have been 100 years old. It was then, that I fell in love with the flower of Kaua'i. Oh my goodness...and me with a new camera!

Snorkeling and finding Sea Turtles

2009-10-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

We love to walk along the coast, looking for sea turtles. They were everywhere, this year. Not hard to find at all. This is our favorite snorkeling beach. We walk over the hill from the condo and watch the sunset from here most evenings -- and almost always there are sea turtles right along the beach.

Pihea Lookout

2009-10-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

We decided on a whim to go to Pu'u'o Kila Lookout where you can see the NaPali Coast and Mt. Wai'ale'ale (5148'). I've always wanted to see the top of the mountain (which you can see from many places on the island), but it has always been covered in clouds. We've gone to Pu'u'o Kila Lookout several times before, and it's always been misty and cloudy. And quite naturally so, since it's just on the other side of Mt. Wai'ale'ale, the wettest spot on earth. With 440 inches of rain a year, it rains all of the time. But I wanted to go on a hike -- and I had brought my hiking boots for just a time as this.

When we got there, it was an absolutely gorgeous day. Not a cloud in the sky - the whole day. It was amazing. "A one in the million kind of day" according to the woman at the Ke'e Museum.

So we took her advice and decided to hike to Pihea Lookout...a moderately strenuous hike mind you -- which means that at some points you are climbing hand over hand up the "trail," holding onto the the roots and trying to find a place to put your foot. What fun! Seriously fun! I was glad that I'd been getting a little exercise climbing the stairs at work.

The only bummer was that my camera broke. So there we are on and absolutely gorgeous day with no camera...but my phone. So we decided to live in the "now" and just enjoy it. We'd have to record the memory in our minds. Until a nice couple from Spokane volunteered to take our photo and email it to us. So here we are at Pihea Lookout, standing in front of Mt. Wai'ale'ale -- where is the mountain you might ask? Yes, where is the mountain. The top is flat. Unbelievable. I'd been imagining Mt. Rainier -- and it's more like Table Mountain.

Kauai

2009-10-17T21:16:00.001-07:00

We had a great time in Hawaii. Every morning I loved watching the sunrise. It truly is new every morning. And almost every evening we watched the sunset. The weather was perfect. We kind of got into a routine of watching the sunrise, then having a little breakfast, taking a couple of hours to read and journal and pray on our own. Then we'd talk for a couple of hours about things that really mattered to us. We had time to talk about "us" and share deeply with one another. The we'd go for along walk along the beach, come home for dinner. It was fabulous!

Said Good-bye to Jeff and Wendy

2009-09-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

We went out for dinner last night to officially celebrate the time we've had here in San Jose with Jeff and Wendy. It's been such a blessing to have them sharing with us in the ministry in San Jose. New Life wouldn't be New Life if it weren't for their sacrifices over the years. I am very sad that this chapter in our lives is over. I know that the relationship will change as distance means we won't know their friends and what they're thinking about and we can't just pop in for a bit to see the kiddos. But instead of focusing on the hard parts of the changes that are coming, I can be extremely grateful for the years that we've had with them. What a blessing it has been.

Walking along the coast

2009-08-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect, the sunset gorgeous, the otters and pelicans plentiful -- what a great evening to be walking along the coast in Santa Cruz.

Prayer Retreat

2009-08-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

Kevin led us on a wonderful prayer retreat. We met at John and Judy's cabin at Mission Springs and thoroughly enjoyed the day with the Lord.

Hugging Cousins

2009-07-25T22:39:00.000-07:00

Fun times in Seattle and Portland

2009-07-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

An Afternoon n the City

2009-06-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Mireille, Romeo, Kevin and I enjoyed watching (and listening to) the California seals and pups at Pier 39. I don't think Mireille could quite believe it. She'd never seen anything like our seals.

San Francisco

2009-06-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

We took Mireille and Romeo to San Francisco to celebrate Romeo's new job and drivers license.

We had to check out the Pacific Ocean -- a gorgeous day and warm!

And a trip to Pier 39 -- tons of people and music!

After the Financial District and the Civic Center we headed across the Golden Gate. And enjoyed a fabulous view of the City,

And the Golden Gate bridge. Then had a sunset dinner in Sausilletto. A really wonderful day celebrating the goodness of God to all of us.

Talking about Journaling

2009-06-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

I was invited to share some of my thoughts on journaling on a Moody radio talk www.middayconnection.org show this week. If you're interested here's the link...my section is the last 15 minutes. Kinda funny to be at work, one minute writing the disaster recovery plan for the library and the next minute the phone rings and I have to shift gears and talk about journaling. I was hoping that my mind wouldn't go blank and I'd have nothing to say. At least that didn't happen.

Mireille is part of our family

2009-06-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

Luann and Ashley at The Springs retreat

Mireille is a young woman from Central African Republic who is living with us now.

Mireille and the Easter bunny at The Hunt our church sponsored at a neighboring park.

Kaia

2009-03-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

Loving our new little one!

2009-03-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

She's a cutie!

Newim Leadership Retreat

2009-03-24T23:26:00.000-07:00

Ginger enjoyed opening her parting gifts.
Below: Susie Kimes, founder of NEWIM, and Ginger, retiring president. We've served together for over 20 years. Hard to believe it's been that long.

June and Barbara -- a couple of the youngest looks grandmas in town.

June and Nancy -- this is one of my favorite pictures because you NEVER see June and Nancy so serious. These two are double trouble...and to have them looking so intently is a crack up!
Luann, Marty and Susan
Beautiful flowers from Shirley for Ginger.
Last weekend we met at Ginger's for a NEWIM Chapter Presidents meeting and then on Saturday for a leadership retreat. Ginger retired after serving as our president for 13 years. Jackie Rettberg is now our Executive Director. I've worked with Jackie for years and look forward to working with her as we transition NEWIM in the next couple of years from a volunteer organization to a more mature non-profit organization with paid staff. This will take a lot of work and development but I'm convinced that it's the right direction.

Kaia Pamela arrives

2009-03-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

What a great day! Jeff woke me up with an early morning phone call to say that Wendy was in labor. Then he called back about 45 minutes later saying they were on their way to the hospital. Ashley and I hustled down to the hospital--we got the privilege to take pictures in the delivery room. By the time we arrived, Wendy was already at 3. Kevin came over from Mission Springs so he could be with us too. Things were moving along much faster this time. Watching a new little enter the world is amazing!

A couple of weeks ago New Life women joined some of Wendy's other friends for wonderful baby shower. Her mom came up just to join the fun. We had a great time. Jeff and Wendy came over last Saturday -- and we had to get a photo of her belly.

Wendy's going through transition with a smile on her face. Wow!

Here's Kaia! 8 lbs 7 oz. What a cutie.

Kevin and I went to get Micah and bring him back to the hospital to see his new little sister. He was so excited.

What a wonderful day.

It's my birthday!

2009-03-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

I took the day off work yesterday to celebrate my birthday.

Kevin and I spent the day in San Francisco -- we had lunch in Sausileto over looking the bay -- they had some of the best fresh seafood. Then we went to Golden Gate park and went to their new Academy of Science museum -- it was great.

We drove down the hill to the ocean and walked the beach as the sun set -- the kite surfers were really fun to watch. We walked up to The Cliff restaurant (where we had breakfast on our honeymoon). Then went to Union Square, walked up to the top of Nob Hill, went into the Fairmont and walked up the stairs of Grace Cathedral and back down the hill. We poked around in the mall on Market, went into Macys, and had an Italian dinner and a raspberry dessert before we headed home. A really nice day. On Saturday, Jeff, Wendy and Micah came over. Micah made me an awesome flower basket like the one in a story he loves -- with yellow roses and pink camelias and blackberries. What a treat!

Girl Time

2009-02-19T22:26:00.000-08:00

I took a day off work to spend some time with Ginger. It was one of those magically warm, clear, southern California winter days. We walked the beach at Crystal Cove for a couple of hours, just talking. There's nothing like an afternoon with a close friend to restore my soul.

Melinda's visit

2009-01-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

Melinda came to visit over the long weekend.

We went over to visit Jeff, Wendy and Micah. When Micah got in his jammies, he wanted to play 'scary monster.' He was scary all right. We spent a beautiful day at the beach seeing some of my favorite places on earth. We saw grey whales spouting, otters, seals and sea lions, pelicans and lots of other birds. I couldn't believe how warm it was (72 degrees) for the middle of January.

Cypress Point, Carmel

A Beautiful Day at the Beach

2009-01-19T16:56:00.000-08:00

The Springs - Nov. at St. Anthony's

2008-11-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

Twenty-two women gathered at St. Anthony's last week for a wonderful spiritual retreat. I so love the women on our team and it's a wonderful privilege to be able to encourage the women who come.

We had a few wild turkeys who came to join us one afternoon. They were really fun to watch.

The focus of our chapels this time came from The Lord's Prayer. We also had an opportunity to reflect on our prayer lives, and what the Lord has taught us over the course of our lives about prayer. I shared some of the things I've learned about how to use a journal for prayer.

It was a very insightful time for me...I can see movements of the Spirit of God working in my inner life, and these times of solitude and prayer are so wonderful because we have time to focus on the Lord without a lot of interruptions and distractions.

Back to our usual routine

2008-10-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

I finally got through all of my email and am caught up at work! Finally.

We had a great time watching Micah on Monday night -- we had to take Maggie for a walk to the park. Micah decided to give Maggie his corn on the cob, which Maggie totally devoured. I had no idea she'd eat the cob, too.

On Thursday night we drove up to San Francisco for a debate on the topic, "Is God Good?" It was really a dialogue investigating the problem of evil and suffering in our world. I loved it. The debate was respectful and really helped me to understand the topic and the problems both sides have explaining evil and sparked lots of interesting conversation.

The reception beforehand had me fascinated. I was expecting an "older" crowd for some reason. The room was on the 15th floor of the Merchants building in the heart of the Financial District. It was totally wood panelled with beautiful old chandeliers and an ornate ceiling. And when we got there for the pre-event reception, the place was packed with twenty and thirty somethings, all holding a glass of wine and standing in groups of 3-5 people engaged in loud energetic conversation, talking, laughing, introducing people to each other. I met Jeff (an atheist starting his own Green business) who is recently married to a Christian and for the first time is open to exploring the faith. He was quite the connector -- and introduce me to people from the British embassy who work in international finance between the US and Britain. (Quite an interesting time to be working in finance.) And I met a prof at San Francisco State (a Christian) who is researching happiness. Did you know that research shows that money doesn't make people happy! And it is not true that poor people are happy...often they are not happy because they've been oppressed and have no path to improving their life. His research and work was fascinating. Kevin went and got us some seats and met some interesting people as well.

Afterwards, we decided to have dinner in the City before heading home. We had a really great evening....and now we have the problem of evil all sorted out (well sort of).

Go Spartans!

2008-10-12T16:13:00.001-07:00

Kevin and I went to Homecoming (San Jose State 30, Utah State 0). What a great game. We enjoyed sitting in the Provost's Box, talking with colleagues and cheering on the team. I couldn't believe some of the plays -- absolutely amazing. The band was great -- even the alumni band was good. I'm glad SJSU decided to fund a quality football program. Go Spartans!

Going to Lake Tahoe and the PSWC Pastor's Conference

2008-10-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

We had lunch with Mark Ballaart on the lake and then went for a little walk. The trees are changing color and are beautiful and there's just a hint of snow in the mountains. I can't help but think about the Donner Party...it's so beautiful and peaceful here this time of year, nearly 80 degrees during the day. Kevin decided to go buy milk early one morning and was surprised to find the ice all over the windshield. There's over a 50 degree temperature differential.

I really enjoyed connecting with the other men and women who are ministering in our conference. What a great group of friends. I'd love to get the women together from northern California and just spend a weekend together.

Hiking at Tahoe

2008-10-12T15:15:00.001-07:00

The pastor's conference was held at a conference center on the site of the 1960 Olympics at Squaw Peak. I grew up hearing about the great skiing at Squaw Peak, so it was really fun to be there and see the ski runs.

Kevin and I ran into Kevin and Linda Swanson from Sanctuary Covenant Church (Jeff Hale is the Chair of their Church Board) as we were heading off to hike up to Shirley Lake. We decided to go together. We had a great time getting to know them and Linda and I are really similar (she loves to write, she likes to paint, she wishes she could sing).
The trail started out through the pine woods and along a creek with a gentle grade. Then it started to get a lot steeper, and we were climbing over granite boulders and essentially climbing up the mountain.

After 2 hours and no lake in sight, we decided we better call it quits and head back for home. We stopped by the creek for lunch and had a really great time. We read a little about Shirley Lake and it's actually a lake that was formed when two granite plates collided. Needless to say we were looking for some caffeine before the evening meetings began.

Last night in Kauai

2008-10-12T15:10:00.001-07:00

We just had to go back to the Beach House and enjoy our last sunset. Since we didn't have reservations, we thought we'd just have to try to get a table in their bar (first come, first serve). We got a fabulous table and so enjoyed watching the surfers until the sun went down. What a great way to conclude our time in Kauai.

We left at 8:30 a.m. for the airport -- and got home at 10 p.m. and there was Venus in the West -- we couldn't get to sleep until after midnight (jet lag) ...oh, the joys of travel!

Geckos

2008-10-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

The lizards on Kauai look more like geckos to me -- they are about 6 inches long and are so cute (I love their "toes"). Kevin took this photo of a gecko on a wall - whenever we got home at night we'd see geckos hanging around.

As we were walking by several ginger plants, Kevin spotted a little green gecko licking water out of the petals of the ginger. In this photo, he's checking me out. (It's amazing how well he blends in with the green leaves.)

Then, he leaned into the flower's shadow to try to hide a bit. (I uploaded these photos in high resolution, so you could blow them up to see him better.) This is Hawaii's state flower, the yellow hibiscus (there isn't a gecko in this photo). Before 1988, the state flower was a red hibiscus--I'm not sure why they changed. Apparently hibiscus were thought to be endemic to Kauai until 1980 when a botantist discovered that it is really an African plant that escaped from cultivation decades ago (so the state flower isn't really from the state!). What I didn't know was that the blossom only lasts 1 day, and then it dies. No wonder I could never get my hibiscus hedge to be fully in bloom!

Waimea Canyon and a Centipede

2008-10-01T01:49:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful sunrise this morning (first picture). They truly are "new every morning." I keep thinking that the sunrise will become routine, but every morning it's more beautiful than the previous morning. I've been recalling Psalm 23 and the Lord's Prayer before I get out of bed in the morning, and then I get a cup of coffee and watch the sunrise. And then we read and write for a couple of hours. I've really been enjoying a couple of books by Dallas Willard and I've been reading the gospel of Mark and writing in my journal. And then Kevin and I talk for a couple of hours and then we decide to get going, and "start our day." I could get used to this routine!

Today we decided to go for a hike in Waimea Canyon. On the way to the car, the sun was lighting up the ginger so I had to take a picture. Ginger is one of my favorite flowers over here.

We stopped to look into the canyon and a couple also stopped to check it out. The man was standing right behind me -- and all of a sudden he starts kicking and jumping. So I turn around wondering what the heck is going on...and he's holding his feet about about ready to cry. He was wearing flip flops and was bit by a centipede. Sure enough, we checked under the rock and there was a 6 inch centipede. It was SO disgusting. Totally creeped Kevin and I out. UGLY! We got out our guide book and it said that he wouldn't die from the bite, but he would wish that he would. The only remedy the doctors give is to stay drunk for 3 days...apparently it hurts somewhere between a wasp bite and a gun shot wound and doesn't let up. The guy was really miserable. It was awful. So much for looking at the canyon. If you go to Google and type in "centipede kauai image" you'll find photos just like the one we saw. They are totally disgusting!

We drove to the end of the road --watched helicopters come into the valley (third photo) --4,000 feet above the Na Pali coast. It's go beautiful up there and the blue of the ocean melts into the blue of the sky.

Then we went for a little hike in the forest. Lots of green trees and a few birds -- no wild flowers though. I keep thinking that I'm going to find a wild spot that looks like a garden -- but we never do. It's funny. Plants grow really well with all of the sun and rain over here -- but I keep expecting to find orchids growing wild, and they really don't.

Our waiter tonight came over in 1978 to go surfing with his buddies, and he's been here ever since. Thirty years surfing and waiting tables. The pastor at church last Sunday came over here 30 years ago to surf and him and his buddies decided to stay. Thirty years surfing and doing ministry. There's something about Kauai ... once you come and enjoy its beauty, it's hard to go back to the rat race.

Dinner on the Beach and then...

2008-09-29T23:23:00.000-07:00

We walked down to Po'ipu Beach for dinner. We had a "picnic dinner" and enjoyed the sunset. As soon as we paid the bill, it started raining...and we had over a mile to walk home. But in Kaua'i it's a warm rain like in Arizona the heat is a dry heat...so it really doesn't feel like it's raining.

We were definitely soaked by the time we got home...we had a great time playing with the frogs out enjoying the rain and making a memory.

Monday on the South Shore

2008-09-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

We spent the day on the south shore, enjoying the ocean and just hanging out.

Rico

2008-09-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Monday morning we went to the "parrot talk" at the Hyatt and met Rico. He is so beautiful. Then we just sat on the beach and enjoyed watching the sea turtles and the waves.

Devotions at Sunrise

2008-09-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

I love the sunrises here -- could there be a more beautiful setting to enjoy the Lord?

The Beauty of the Grand Hyatt, Kauai

2008-09-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

The grounds of the Grand Hyatt, Kauai are so beautiful. We love going over there and having something to drink on their terrace. On Sunday we went to church at Kauai Christian Fellowship then had lunch at the restaurant on the golf course at the Hyatt. There were only 4 groups in the restaurant, including the couple we met at church and the pastor and his wife. Apparently, Yum Cha is the only restaurant on the southern shore that's air conditioned...so we lucked out!

Sunday evening we went for a walk and discovered the trail that leads to the beach. We walked it at sunset and again in the morning. It's a lovely walk.

Saturday-Walk to Maha'ulepu Beach

2008-09-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

We walked 4 miles down the coast to Mahaulepu Beach. First we walked up the lithified cliffs of Makawehi Point. The lithified cliffs are like cemented sand dunes -- the sand is basically petrified. The Hyatt built a gorgeous golf course on top of the cliffs where Tiger Woods has won the Grand Slam a bunch of times. Once beyond the golf course, you come to Gillin's Beach and Kawailoa Bay. This is the beach where King Kamehameha's invasion attempt from O'ahu in 1796 was thwarted. After walking 4 miles down the coast, we decided to walk the road back -- through the old sugar cane fields.

We couldn't wait to get into the pool when we got back--it never felt so good!

Sunset dinner at the Beach House

2008-09-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

We had an unbelievably fantastic dinner tonight at the Beach House. Our table was at the window – except there is no window…just a beautiful green lawn and the ocean and the sunset. The macadamia nut crusted mahimahi (their signature dish) I had was OK – I guess I’m not wild about Hawaiian fish. The banana foster, on the other hand, was absolutely scrumptious. And the sunset …oh my gosh…it was totally unbelievable. As it got dark, Venus set (you can see it on the last picture to the left of the tree) and then the stars came out, and the night scuba divers with their sea lights could be seen under the sea. A fabulous evening.

Snorkeling at Po'ipu Beach

2008-09-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday we enjoyed the morning reading and writing and talking as the sun rose up over the horizon.

Then we went snorkeling at Po’ipu Beach. We are such novices at putting on our gear and getting into the water…but so is everyone else. It’s great fun laughing at everyone else…and giving everyone else a good laugh as well. But the challenge of getting in the water was worth it.

We saw all kinds of fish. My favorite was a large angel fish. As we were getting ready to head to for shore, a sea turtle joined us! We were about 5 feet from each other and he just looked at me and swam on by. That was too cool!

We went for a swim in the pool – it’s amazing how nice the water in the pool feels when it’s a little hot and humid.

Sunrise from our front deck

2008-09-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

The sunrise is so beautiful. Because of the Hawaiian time zone, it's easy to be up by 6 a.m. and enjoy the sunrise and a cup of Kona coffee on our front patio. I'm noticing how watching the sunrise every morning and the sunset every evening is giving me a real sense of the unstoppable march of time. We only have so much time on earth and the constant movement of the sun is a very visual and present reminder.

Taro Fields in Hanalei

2008-09-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

We drove to Hanalei which is just north of the wettest location on earth. We had a beautifully sunny day and enjoyed seeing the taro fields. We drove to the end of the road. Look at how the philadendron plants grow up to the top of the telephone poles. We took off our shoes and walked the beach. Fabulous!

The Formal Gardens at Na 'Aina Kai

2008-09-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

The house at Na 'Aina Kai is rather "modest" considering the incredible front and backyards. The top photo is the view from their deck! Unbelievably gorgeous. The blue blossom on the jade vine is the most unusual flower color I have ever seen. Joyce Doddy has an amazing garden.

Carnavore Plants and the Beach

2008-09-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Na 'Aina Kai has cool carnavore plants (the first photo) and a beautiful beach.