Sun, Sand & Water

Last Sunday, we had a relaxing afternoon at Laguna Beach. The ocean is always a good place to go when one needs to just unwind after a busy week...

M&B had joined us for the day. This was their first visit to Laguna Beach.

Sam-dog loved being at the beach and never tired of fetching the ball!

While walking along the beach, Bec & I saw these beautiful murals painted on the remnants of some old cement walls. We thought of Jared...

The happy, expectant parents...

...and the gorgeous sunset.

The perfect ending to a day.

A Fun Date

On Friday evening, we went out on a date. After a very busy week that centered around everyone and everything else, we just needed a few hours with only each other!

First we went to a wonderful movie, "Fireproof. " We would highly recommend this movie to everyone! Since we attended the afternoon matinee, we still had several hours of the evening left. After dinner at a nearby restaurant, we drove to Brea.

Throughout the summer months, this beautiful city hosts a Music Festival on Friday and Saturday evenings. Several blocks are cordonned off, and a stage and chairs are set up in the street. Different musicians are invited to perform and many vendors provide food and other services for the crowd that comes. The open-air concert that we attended that evening was a jazz concert.
We joined many other people and sat on the steps of the movie theater that was just across the street from the stage. My husband happens to love jazz, so this was one of the best ways for him to relax after a hectic week! We loved sitting outside on that pleasant evening, and being able to stroll up and down the streets as we enjoyed the sound of the band. We decided to post a video so that you could share in our evening...

We also decided that a treat was in order...so we enjoyed some delicious ColdStone ice cream!

It was the perfect ending to a perfect date!

Lasting Friendships

We are so blessed with friends from all over the world! Not only are we forming new relationships now, but we are also blessed to renew old friendships. Having worked for many years overseas, and having endured similar trials and difficulties, we learned to treasure our friends there in a precious way. Last week we had a visit from some very precious friends...

We have known Jim and Karen for many years. Although we served with two different mission organizations, we were knit together in one spirit under the Lord that we loved and served. These dear people have just retired after serving as overseas missionaries for the past thirty years. We thank God for the many lives that were changed because of their willingness to sacrifice for His kingdom.

These two Jims have actually known each other since childhood. Since both of them had missionary parents, they grew up as TCK's (third culture kids) and became friends when they attended missionary boarding school as children. Later on, they both returned to the land where they were raised, and worked as adults, often working together as they served in the same role in their respective mission organizations.

No evening like this would have been complete without inviting more missionary friends! We were happy that Steve and Doreen and Chuck could also join us for the evening. Jim and Karen had lots of pictures to share with us...

...and lots of stories to share! We talked and laughed about our many shared experiences. Jim also told us about their most recent visit to an area that was located less than 100 miles from where we used to live. They showed us pictures and told us stories about the recent (to all of us anyway!!!) discovery of dinosaur tracks! Our evening visit went by all too fast, but we know that there will be more to come. Thank God for friends!

grandparents day,etc.

Last Sunday was Grandparents Day, and this was our first time to celebrate the event with this precious little guy! He has certainly changed our life this past year, and we praise God for him!

We are so thankful that his parents were willing to come and visit for the day. We appreciate every time we are together.

Happy Grandparents Day! M&B also came to spend the day. And they got some "parent-practicing"...

We are excited for this second grandchild to be born in a few months!

This week we said good-by to a dear friend. Elaine is moving to another state to be closer to several family members. We will miss her so much but know that God has prepared the way for a new and exciting future. God's blessings, Elaine!
This morning we were privileged to be part of an honored group from our church. We were invited to a "Senior Appreciation Luncheon" hosted by our women's ministry leaders.
Not only were we waited on by our lovely hostesses, we were also served a delicious Italian meal. There were about twenty people in attendance and the fellowship was so sweet! We are so thankful for the many new friends that God has brought into our lives in the past two years.

that sweet little face

Yesterday afternoon, J&K dropped by for a visit. We were so happy to see them and also delighted to spend time with Jayden, our precious grandson!

He's growing up so fast! He now has his two bottom teeth and he is constantly drooling and chewing on things...

He sits so well now and loves to play. There's that ready smile!

He loves to be outside in the stroller.

All set for bed in his brand new PJs!

That million dollar smile that we treasure so much!

Grateful

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me,

bless His holy name." (Psalm 103:1)

There are so many times in life that we feel very blessed. This past week we have sensed once again the blessing of the Lord--in several different ways. Let me explain...

On Tuesday evening, Marilyn joined ten other ladies from our church for an evening of fun! We went to a unique restaurant close by called The Melting Pot. The meal was actually a four-course dinner that was fondue! (except for the salads, of course) The first course was a cheese fondue with dippers that included various breads, veggies, and green apple slices. This was followed by our own choice of a salad. Because the food took some time to prepare, and our servers were not at all rushed, we ended up with over two hours of time when we could just visit and share with each other.

Following the salads, we were given a choice of several kinds of oil sauces to fondue our main course. We sat at two different tables, and we had three burners on the tables, hence we chose three different oils. Our main course consisted of meat: shrimp, salmon, pork, chicken, beef; and vegetables: potatoes, squash, mushrooms, and carrots. We were also given four different kinds of sauces to dip our fondue morsels in. It was very tasty!

And the best part was last...Chocolate fondue!

Some of us thought that next time we might just skip the first courses and go straight for the chocolate! (We had three different kinds of chocolate fondue, and they were all delicious!)We had such a fun evening and enjoyed each other immensely! God has blessed us with many new friends, and we are grateful.On Friday evening, we helped our niece Kari pack up her belongings from her apartment of the past three months. We have so enjoyed having her close by again. Before we moved here, we lived in the same town and attended the same church, so we saw each other often.

We are excited for her to be moving back closer to her parents and sister. But we will miss her! For our last meal together, we dined at Polly's Bakery Cafe. (We wanted her California experience to be complete in every way!) To finish off our meal, we ordered fresh peach pie. It was made with the juiciest, sweetest peaches that I've ever tasted! We are so grateful for the months that we've had with Kari. And we are so grateful for the Godly spirit our Kari has! Blessings on you, Kari, as you travel and as you begin another new job; we'll miss you!
On Saturday morning, we traveled with some friends to Santa Barbara to attend a memorial service for a dear friend. The day was a bit hazy, so the views of the countryside were not as good as they could have been. With the ocean on one side, the other side of the road was mostly vegetable and fruit farms. This is one of many huge fields of strawberries that we drove past.
This greenhouse, further down the road, was home to tomato plants. We also saw many huge organic farms in that area.

The ocean and the beautiful beaches on the other side of the road.

When we arrived at the church, we were able to visit with several family members before and after the memorial service for Edie (her son, Dan is on the right). Although the family is grieving the loss of wife, mother, and aunt, this certainly was a service of celebration of a life well-lived. Edie loved music; she and her husband served as musicians in all the churches they helped to establish. This woman lived victoriously in the grace of God, even as her mind was failing due to the gripping disease of Alzheimer's.

We were pleasantly surprised to see our good friends Addie and Lu (we worked together for many years in Africa) at the service. We had forgotten that Edie was Addie's aunt. They had a very special relationship with Marty and Edie so sacrificed time and money to attend this service. Over the years, we have watched Lu and Addie's children grow up and raise their families. We are grateful for the friendships that we have enjoyed over the miles and the years.

Marty will certainly miss his wife of over 60 years, but he is looking forward to the time when they will be re-united at the feet of Jesus, to worship the Lord who redeems and restores.

Once again we are grateful for the celebration of a life that was saved by God's grace and founded on God's Word. We are grateful that Marty (and we, also) can rest in the confidence, hope, and joy that our future with Christ is for eternity. The best is yet to come!