STILL....THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME

After almost 3 weeks away, we are finally home. It felt so good to walk into my humble home. There are 5 of us in this sweet 3 bedroom, 2 bath, no den or Family room house. We spend much of our time here together. So having an opportunity to get away to a LARGE home on 1/2 acre (almost) of land was quite a treat for us!

I love the peace and quiet as I live near one of the Country's (and the World's) largest airports. I live in a large City with lot's of traffic noise, sirens and car horns. So the calm of Kernville was quite a shock to mine and my Family's systems for the first few days. LOL

I wrote last week about my older son's bordem. How he had such a hard time finding a way to just "be". THAT I have found is learned behavior for sure as I have had to learn that too.

My friend Jane suggested that I give Dante a camera and just let him go on an adventure with it! Jane, that was just the BEST advice. Thank you so much for that. He had fun shooting pictures all over Deb's property. I asked him to take pictures of God's creation. To try and see it through the eyes of God. Below are some of my favorites.

I LOVE this picture! it is the grapevines that grow just the most wonderful sweet grapes!

One of the many trees on the property.

This is one of Jake's personal favorites, the frog pond!

This morning our Pastor talked about being "content". Mmm, someone talked to me about that very thing this week?

Through the past almost 2 years that we have been going through all the changes I have shared with you in the past, being "content" has tapped me on the shoulder once or twice but I quickly ignored it! After all, who wants to be content on 3/4 less that what they lived on before? However, if I put all my hope in that same old basket of wants, I will never get away from the place I am in. I hope that makes sense?

Today's message topped off my week of thinking about do I want to be content in the first place? LOL Of course I do because I believe I am powerless to change many of what is happening in my life in the first place so why not open my eyes and heart to the idea that, this may be all there will ever be again, and if that is so, why not just be happy and content with what God has given me? This is not a bad thing, it is a spiritual thing. I have had a lot in my life and blessed beyond my dreams. To be content to me means to be at peace, to have acceptance and to know that I am right where I am suppose to be. I am getting there and it feels pretty good. After all, the most important things in life I realized, I already have. My husband, my children, my mom, my family and my friends. We all have great health and that alone IS great welath! As long as we can keep or kids eating and playing, they are happy too! LOL Sound good to me!

I am working on just being content. It feels right and it feels good.

Until next time........enjoy your self!

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Here are a few highlights of our trip!

Dante with the Kern River behind him.

Lunch on the Kern River!

It's a good day!

Daddy & Jake River rafting.

Tourist!

The beautiful River Kern.

Kunf Fu Jake!

WHAT TO DO...WHAT TO DO...

We are still here in beautiful Kernville. The weather is gorgeous and HOT! My husband Eddie is busy working on his "to do" list which is the main reason we are here. Jake is continuously looking for frogs in the "frog" pond (they are ceramic but he is hoping for a real one real soon) and Dante is just bored! Ugh the teen years. I am not ready. Don't think I ever will be but they are on my "door step" now and I have to get ready.

It use to be that I could entertain Dante pretty easily. Not now. He is a great kid tho and is always fun to be with. It is just keeping him entertained seems harder than before.

Whenever we come up here we are on the go. This time there is an agenda that much be met first. How do you convince a 12 1/2 year old that helping is a fun thing? LOL

We will go off to the lake and he will swim until he drops. Boys; keep them physically active and they are happy. It is just the way God made them.

Being up here always gets me thinking about living somewhere else. I see the beauty and want to have more of that in my own life. Living in a City that is crowded and now water rationing is killing off gardens, makes me feel like cement is not my friend. But where to go? The unemployment level is rising in California and Eddie has been on so many interviews and put out so many resumes that he is getting very discouraged. I pray about it all the time. But I get disappointed too sometimes. It is hard to understand why we are still in this situation because I see God as bigger that the recession, bigger than the issues in California and bigger than the issues in the U.S. It has me thinking about leaving California to hopefully find a healthy economy in another State where we can raise our kids and live simply.

Los Angeles is over rated and over charging to live here. Since my zip code is a Los Angeles zip code, we are charged for everything! Only my relationship with Christ seems to be improving because I must lean into Him to stay strong. Some days are easier than others, but it is always where I get peace.

I hope that you and your family are surviving the problems this economy is bringing on and that you do not loose hope because without hope we have nothing. Hope is the one thing I cannot live without. I live without a lot these days and I am just fine. So are my children. Maybe that is why Dante is so bored? Have we given him too much and now that we have cut back on so much he feels lost as to know what to do? Wow, if so that is sad. Back to prayer. Prayer is my answer to everything and the ONLY tool in my tool box that has ever constantly sustained me.

When I come to Kernville I feel at peace with everything. The mighty hand of God is everywhere. The trees, the river, the lake, the birds, the animals and all the amazing blooming flowers. Getting a break from the noise, the cement and the fears I have is a huge blessing.

I know that our Father has a great plan for us. He knows everything and sees everything. I also am coming to terms with the fact that if He wanted Eddie to have a job he would have one. Until then, both Eddie and I are doing whatever work comes our way and grateful to have it. My heart goes out to anyone going through this too. I know first hand a mother's concerns for caring for her family but God is good and His promises are real. And that we CAN count on!

"And we know that all things work together for the good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose". Romans 8:28 (KJV)

IT'S A GOOD DAY IN PARADISE!

It is finally time for our family vacation! Whew. Just in the nick of time too. EVERYONE is burned out and in need of real down time.

We have been here in one of our favorite places, Kernville, CA for 3 days. It has taken that long for me to feel just a little rested. Crazy huh? Life just gets so busy sometimes and we don't realize how burned out we are. We are not a crazy busy family because when I started homeschooling I was told that crazy busy is not healthy for our kids. I have found that to be a great truth.

Eddie & I have tried to curb Dante's need to be doing something every minute of every day. Instead, he is learning to take care not run constantly in his day-to-day life. But sometimes you just cannot help it.

We just completed a huge play Dante was in with many rehearsals and parent participation preceded by a convention that Eddie and I both are volunteers for. We love all of it but it just so happened that this was a 9 day period of non stop fun/work. Now that we are on vacation, I realized that today is the first day we are all relaxed. Even Dante finally is relaxing. Of course not so for Jake! When you are 4 you are ALWAYS very busy with things to do. Need to feed the birds, run around the backyard, go swimming every minute, play with toys, run around the backyard some more...well you get it.

The best part for me is being away from the constant need to be busy. I cannot rest at home because there is the house to be cleaned, laundry to be done, appointments to drive people to, kids, gardening, etc. But up here in Kernville, I can do all those things and still feel like I am resting? What is that about?

I love Debra and Jeff's house. It is big inside and out. There is always something to do or not. There is just beautiful birds, trees and other wild life. Of course there is the Kern River and the Lake!

I love being in God's handy work. Watching the beautiful grapevine's Jeff has growing. The bird's Debra feeds. Oh and I cannot forget the skunks and racoon's that stop by at night to just say hello.

So the bottom line is that today we have a beautiful day, in a beautiful place and a way to enjoy time together as a family. Thank you Father for this great gift and thank you Jeff and Debra. I'll keep you posted on all the fun.

It is a good day in paradise!

WILLY WONKA & DANTE

Dante and the play he has been working on since the end of April opened last night. Our church has a fantastic drama ministry called Haven Academy for the Arts. It is a non-profit organization designed to give kids from 5-18 a safe play to learn and enjoy all types of arts.

Dante has done a few plays over the past 3 years and really loves it. Who knew!

This production has been a blast for him. He plays the deaf Grandpa in the show and wears a grey wig. By the way, he looks just like my Mom. Hilarious!

All the kids in this production are between 12 & 20 years old. Except the Um Pa Loom Pa's of course. Who by the way are pretty great themselves.

One of the main focuses the director, Rebekah has is character development. I do not mean the ones they play but the ones they are. She works to build respect, trust, patience, kindness and relationships between the kids. it show too because they really care about each other. I think this is such an amazing idea considering what entertainment really is...competitive.

Since Dante is home schooled, it is an amazing gift to have an opportunity like this for him. The Academy has so much to offer. Since both my husband and I have been in entertainment most of our lives, we are not surprised by his interest. We have never pushed him, just drove him to try-outs. He has done all this on his own and we are both really proud of him. Dante has kept his commitments, showed up for everything and has tried to do a really good job.

Congratulations Rebekah and to the entire cast of WILLY WONKA for all your hard work and a show well done!

Dante as Grandpa George

Willy Wonka & the Um Pa Loom Pa's

IT'S ROUND-UP TIME & AMERICA'S BIRTHDAY

What a great time of year. I get to celebrate the freedom from alcohol and freedom as a citizen of this Country I love! I am passionate about both.

I have spent the last few days with friends and family at a yearly AA convention where I actually got sober. Most of these folks I only get to see once a year and others I see often. The great feeling is that we LOVE being together regardless. Freedom from bondage is surely a gift from God. I guess that is why I am so passionate about my sobriety and the blessing of being an American.

The Statue of Liberty re-opened today in New York. What a perfect day for that! I remember going about 20 years ago and just being moved beyond words at the sight of her. We live in the greatest country in the world. I try to do my part each day through prayer and example to keep this gift. I do not like the alternative for either one in my life.

I hope you all have an awesome 4th! Watch out for the seeds in the watermelon! LOL

God Bless you all and please dear Lord, God Bless this wonderful land!