July 11th Happy Birthday Dad!

You can find my Dad doing the funniest things sometimes. A few months ago when my parents visited us, my Dad went m.i.a. Lo and behold I found him out in my car with the hatch back up sitting inside eating mini chocolate donuts. The kids were helping a friend out changing her tire. Dad thought he would supervise from a dry location while they were all out working in the rain. Too funny! Dad's really do the darndest things sometimes more than kids. Dad, This blog is for you! I love you bigger than the sky! May you have a great day! Eat as much as you want and take as many naps as you want! It's your day, kick up your feet and relax! Love daughter #1.... Shelley

Chase is off to Fiji 7/8 thru 7/22

Here Chase goes again! Off to do what he feels God has called him to do. Share Jesus with the Fijian people. He is looking forward to seeing Talla Talla Bill (Talla=Pastor). I am excited to hear what God does thru the team while they are there! Last year Chase was so moved by a young man who led worship in the village. He led worship with no instrument. At the end of the trip Chase felt like God was telling him to give him his guitar. The young worship leader was so thankful, he cried and kept telling Chase thank you. Soon after Chase returned home from Fiji, one day I found him crying in the church foyer. I came up to him to ask if everthing was okay. He just shook his head yes! His youth pastor Kyle Bethke followed the leading of the Lord and gave Chase his guitar. Isn't that awesome? God has a way of always providing. When Chase originally gave his guitar away he had no idea God would provide him another one so soon. I love this faithwalk we are on. Sometimes things just don't make sense when we hear the voice of the Lord. We can sometimes come up with so many excuses of why we should or should not do something. That's where we just need to obey and trust. God's word says 1 Samuel 15:22 To obey is better than sacrafice. That scripture makes me think of the late Keith Green's song. What an awesome God we serve!

Celebrate America!

Recently our church held a "Celebrate America" event at one of our local parks here in Rocklin. It was awesome to see so many come out to particpate in an event that brings us all together in unity. There was a crowd of over 5,000 people. Sometimes in our busyness of life we tend to forget what our freedom cost. We daily need to remember to as God to continue to bless America! In the picture to the right are my sons Chase and Landon. I am so proud of them!

I am going to miss our neighbors...

The older I get the more I realize how much life is made up of seasons. Some seasons longer than others and some seasons not long enough. Especially when it comes to my neighbors the Bloomquist Family. Our season of living next door to each other has not been long enough. We were blessed to become neighbors in March of 2008 when we all moved on to a street named Stageline Circle. It was friends at first sight! We fell in love with their kids Annika and Max. (Of course we fell in love with Bridgette and AJ too.) They soon added a new arrival of a puppy named "Lola." Annika and Max sure know how to play, play, play. Outdoors and indoors those kids know how to play the healthy old fashioned way. I can't tell you how many hours they would spend last summer just looking for bugs any kind of bugs. They along with other neighbor kids put on the most creative talent shows. They would line up the chairs in the drive way, pass out home-made invitations on our door steps and perform for all of us on the warm summer nights. Some highlights and memories of the things we have enjoyed doing together: Sushi; going to the movies; pedicures; meeting at the pool; celebrating special events in each other's lives i.e. Annika's First Communion; Max losing a tooth; Chase's graduation; unplanned gathering of our lawn chairs out in the middle of the circle; yard sales etc. The Bloomquist family will be missed more than they know. They have touched so many here on Stageline Circle. I am so glad they are not going too far. They are just going from Northern California to Southern California. I look forward to visiting them there and celebrating many more memories. For now I am just planning on saying "See you later." Good bye is not in my vocabulary when it comes to my friends. May God Bless the Bloomquist family with great friends in their new neighbor-hood.

"Happy Father's Day" Dad....

My Dad... He became my Dad on February 7th, 1970 when I was four years old. He stepped in and filled a role that allowed me to never feel like I was a "step daughter." Soon after my mom and dad were married along came my sister "Laura" about nine months later. Dad has always called us #1 and #2. When I call him on the phone he says, "Is this number 1 or number 2?" When I was little Dad was a truck driver. He drove for many long hours each day. Anytime he would call Mom and say he was at a stop near by Mom would pack Sis and I up in the car, pajamas and all so we could go surprise him and bring him coffee and a snack. I remember wanting a puppy for my 13th birthday. A frequent restaurant we would go to was Don Jose's. (still go there) Right next door was a pet store. After dinner one night we wandered over to see all of the puppies. Of course I along with my sister fell in love with a fluffy black and white mutt. Dad's heart melted and he agreed to pay the $40.00 for her! Sis and I were ectastic. We named our little new addition to the family "Agape" which meant God is love. Dad has been a trooper visiting Larry and I and the boys in all the many various places we have lived. At one point there were two occassions where Dad and Mom allowed us to stay with them in-between housing locations. Of which one included us moving in with our dog and all nine of her puppies. Now that's what I call unconditional love. There are so many times Dad just stops and twists his mustache at all the pickles I can seem to get into. I always know when Dad is in deep thought when I call him on the phone and tell him what our plans are and there is a long silence. And I say, "Dad are you still there?" Having a Dad that is slow to speak has been very good for me. He has loved me unconditionally for forty of my forty four years. I am so blessed that he is my "Dad." Thanks Dad for everything! Love, Daughter #1

Two fun days in Monterey, CA

It's always good to get away! For two days no agenda! No where we had to be! We enjoyed being together has a family! The boys'definitly know how to have fun!

Graduation Day arrived...June 4, 2009

What a great day! We had so much fun celebrating Chase's graduation. What a joy! We are truly blessed! It's official Chase is now an alumni of Whitney High!