Huskies Football

The sixth grade Ventura Missionary School flag football team with their coach, Mike Ramos.


Get that flag, Wesley!






Wesley's sixth grade class had their first football game this evening. It is flag football. The good news is that he made it through the first game with no broken bones (unlike his experience last year in tackle football). The team did a great job, even though they did lose the first game 24-12.

We look forward to a good season of competition and fun with Wesley and his classmates (teammates).

....and his name is Sherman

We have never been a family with a pet. This was not because we do not love animals or think that they are cute. However, neither Gary nor I are too sentimental in this area, nor do we need any extra thing to take care of. Our kids have lately been begging for a pet, mostly a dog. Gary gets very sensitive to pet hair and smells, so that has been a big obstacle in ever acquiring a pet.

This past Sunday, we visited some friends, and I really liked the fish that sat in a vase as a centerpiece on their table. They told us how it was so easy and low maintenance. My ears perked up! So, it is possible to have a pet and have low maintenance (cost and work).

Today, Brooke and I set out to find our fish (he is a Betta fish). We also created a similar home to the one that our friends had used. While driving home, Brooke watched him in the backseat and constantly monitored his progress: "He is doing good." "He likes to dance to the music." "He is doing the wamba, wamba" (a dance move Brooke named and then imitated his fish dancing moves). As soon as we pulled into the house, Brooke said: "I am so glad that we now have a pet. Andrew and I had two snails and three worms in the backyard, but the worms died, and the snails ran away." I hope we have better luck with our fish.

Oh, by the way, our friends had named their fish Herman, so we called our new pet, Sherman!

Ventura County Fair

This just cracked us all up! He looks rather happy in that bucket :)


Andrew had the "win" on the second time down!


While we do often visit Six Flags Magic Mountain and enjoy those rides, there is just something classic about time at the county fair. We all spent the day yesterday at Ventura County Fair---visiting animals, observing booths, eating food, and riding fair rides. Enjoy the pictures, as we enjoyed our day!

Happy Birthday, Wesley

Last night on the way home, Wesley made the remark that now he is a "pre-teen" so...... The thought amazed me that my oldest child is now 11 years old. We spent his birthday with some friends from church at a friend's swimming pool. We all got much sun!

Wesley really wanted a new video game (as pictured), and Gary really wanted to get Wesley a new set of clubs. Wesley really enjoys playing golf with his dad. Gramma and Poppa bought the bag for him when they were here last week.




Home-made waffles for breakfast---with a birthday candle in it :)


Wesley also had a party last Friday with a couple of friends from school.

I am so thankful for an oldest child who is a good leader and a strong advocate for what is right. Of course, he has his moments, but all in all, I am very proud to be his mother :)

The stop-over before China

Mom and dad stopped over in the LA area for 5 days before they left on their 3-week trip to China. I considered "forcing" mom to use chopsticks at our house (as a good practice), but she thought she would enjoy her last use of the fork for awhile. We enjoyed the time with them, and will be praying for their trip and safe return to LAX in 3 weeks.

We had a visit to Build-a-bear workshops (not in our pj's).

The boys showed gramma and poppa their new skills at the skatepark.

Fun games!



We took them on a hike in Malibu.



Dad and I took on Wes and Drew in a nerf gun war. Andrew won this battle.

New summer activity

As I have stated before (and many others agree): I love summer! I live in Southern CA, where it is nice weather year round, but for some reason, it is still just more fun to play in the summer.

Yesterday, Wesley was going to go play a round of golf with Gary, so I wanted to play with the three kids in the morning. I "happened" to discover a skatepark in a nearby city, that I knew the boys would love. Of course, I had no idea what was involved in a skatepark, but I was not to be discouraged from doing some adventure seeking. We learned that the park was open to bikes only at certain times, which Wes and Drew much preferred. I paid for a one-day pass to see if they enjoyed it or not. The question at the end of the day was: "Can we get an annual pass and when can we come back?" I think they enjoyed it!

I love when I "happen" upon some good new adventures! Thankfully, it is located in a community recreation area with a nice park. Brooke enjoyed herself too---just without the need for a helmet :)




Last week, we went to a park that has a zip line. Wesley and Andrew have been on "real zip lines," so I warned them that this was a small one. I think I downplayed it enough that when they get there, it was more than they were expecting :) It was a cloudy day, but still fun to play.

The official start of our summer

Wesley and his best friend, Cody

Andrew and his best friend Sean

Andrew with his amazing teacher, Mrs. Wolfe

Brooke and her much loved teacher, Ms. Darby, and best friend Becky


It seems (to me) like they were just getting started in school, but the end of 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade is here. Wesley's teacher assured me that he was good and ready to get into junior high next year. I assured her that I was more nervous about myself getting ready for having a junior high student than I was concerned about him being unprepared.

The kids had 1/2 day of school, so we took off from there and spent the rest of the day at Six Flags Magic Mountain and water park (Hurricane Harbor). We listened to the end of the Laker Game on the radio on the way home. What a fun day!

Our gymnast in training

Brooke started a summer gymnastics program on Friday night. She was very excited, and so was I to watch her go! She is going to be in a cheerleading program this fall, and she loves "practicing."

She did a great job. She is somewhat a natural (unlike her mother) and her body just goes and flows.

I need to work on getting better pictures, but she did learn to do a cartwheel. Well, she got over, but we still have to work on getting the legs straight up. She also learned to do a handstand and land on her feet----that was the challenge!

I could never say "Thanks" enough!

Happy Mother's Day!! I thank God that he gave me the joy of being a mother. However, this post is not about me. It is about my mother. She has given me the great example of being a mom, and I just want to publicly thank her for that. My brother, Aaron, inspired me with his top ten list in honor of our mother. While there are many things about Aaron that inspire me (and many things that inspire me to NOT be), I just want to give a bit of credit to him as well :) Thanks for the good idea, Aaron!

My top ten list would be the following:


TOP TEN THINGS MY MOTHER DID TO BE MY HERO:

1. She bravely did the duties that must be completed with having a diabetic child: she gave me shots, she monitored my diet, and most bravely, she gave me sugar when I fought hard against it.

2. She humored me. I remember pretending to be different people as a child, and she always carried on different conversations with each of my "roles." (No, I was not schizophrenic, I was dramatic!)

3. While she so hates having her only daughter 2000 miles away, she doesn't nag me about it too much.

4. She gave me a passion for writing. I love her poems, and I know she must have thought my child-hood poems were stupid. However, she read them and actually hung them on the wall. She still has some hanging to this day.

5. She forced us to take family pictures. While this was with so much objection from all of the other four of us, she persisted. We now have some rather fond family portraits.

6. She was so creative. I don't remember all of her creations, but there are many! She was crafty at making gifts, and at making chicken :) I remember being told in one junior high class survey, that my best trait was my creativity. I felt proud to be a bit like my mother.

7. She now wears the role of grandmother like no other! She loved being a mother. Now, she still loves being my mother, but she really enjoys being a grandmother. How many grandmothers do you know who take walks with her kids, fly kites with them, ride bikes with them, read them endless stories, makes cookies with them, shoot them to the moon, sings with them, teaches them Bible truths, and gives them their baths? And, that is just the end of day #1!

8. She is #1 on my speed dial. Whenever I need wisdom. Whenever I want to cry to someone. Whenever I am most afraid. Whenever I need a good idea. She is my #1 person to call. Seriously, she beats out EVERYBODY!!

9. She gives me clothes. I know this seems like a sad reason to make a top ten list, but it really does make mine. I love clothes. I know this is petty, but I have a passion for clothing. Whenever I get extra money (which is rare), I want to buy clothes. People will ask me "what do you want for Christmas or birthday or.....?" and my first thought is, "I want some clothes." My mom always buys clothes for me. When I visit her house, she gives me her hand me downs, and I must rather proudly say, "She has some good hand me downs!" I am thankful that I am her same size. It has worked rather conveniently for me.

10. The last reason that my mother is my hero is that she has taught me some of the most important things about life. She was fervent in her love for God. I never questioned that. She performed some duties as a ritual, and yet she did it because she thought it was the "right" thing to do. I thank God that she can have discussions with her theological son and husband. She always remains steadfast yet she knows that she does not know it all. She is willing to learn, but she will not compromise. That is a great place to be.

So, that is my top ten list. It is not comprehensive. It could not be. I guess it is just a start. I pray that the example that my mother has always been for me is evident in my own life to my children as well. Happy Mother's Day!


I thank God for the many women in my life who are mothers. While I was blessed enough to have such a great one for a mother, there are so many others that I learn from daily. I thank God for moms! All of them!