Apple Picking at Cedar Glen

Yesterday I spent a wonderful day up in the mountains near Lake Arrowhead. Megan invited me to go spend the day with her family and go apple picking. The day was beautiful and sunny and we had a great time picking many many apples. There were red, green and yellow ones. After our bags were brimming full we went back to the house. I think the last time I picked apples was when I was 8 years old... way back in the seventies!!! Later we drove to Big Bear and browsed around little curiosity and antique shops. It was a very fun and relaxing day. I'm so thankful for great friends! Check out all the beautiful pictures here: http://chiarapics.spaces.live.com/

Bocce Ball & Chick-fil-A for Lunch Today all of us bocce ball tournament participants got together for lunch thanks to the friendly folks at Chick-fil-A. Thank you Linda!

Miracles... big and small

On Saturday bright and early Grace, Jon and I hit the road to drive down to El Centro to see Timothy and Monica's new house. Yes, it has been a big and exciting miracle how despite all that is going on in the economy and housing market they were able to sell there house in Georgia, move to California and finally buy a new house. The Lord is good and we have seen his hand every step of the way. It was wonderful to see God's provision and faithfulness. After a great lunch together and helping them unpack the U-Haul truck it was time to head on over to Yuma, AZ. We enjoyed a yummy grilled dinner outdoors and enjoyed a fun evening together. Frank and a couple of Greg's friends joined us for the evening. It was very fun! Sunday after church and lunch we drove back to El Centro on our way home.

(For pics click here)

Monday evening after work a few of us drove over to St. Jude to see Abby, Michael and baby Kate. She is a tiny little miracle that is continuing to grow and get stronger every day. What a blessing and answer to prayer! We got to look at her through the glass window and see her get weighed, bathed and dressed.

You can see all baby Kate's pictures here

I watched a beautiful sunrise this morning... and thought about how with so many uncertainties and economic chaos it is good to be reminded that kingdoms come and go but the word of the Lord stands forever. He is our refuge and strength in times of trouble. This past week has been going by so quickly! In less than two weeks I'll be going to Italy on vacation...can't wait!! But in the mean time there is lots going on. Last weekend Grace joined me in what has become an October tradition for me...picking and juicing pomegranates. They were very big and extra juicy this year. We picked quite a few of them and got about 10 quarts of juice and still had some fruit left over. We all took turns at juicing. Even Jon joined us on Sunday afternoon! It's a messy job but the fruis tastes so good! I am making jelly from the juice and have already done about four batches and have a few more to go. This week we also had the bocce tournament finals which had a very exciting finish. You can see pictures of the tournament here. I feel very blessed to live and work where I do. Today the girls at work took me out to lunch for Bosses Day. I am thankful every day for each one of them and all they do!

Happy 40th Birthday Timothy!

You finally caught up to me =)

Love, your big sister

October has arrived with a flurry of activity. Little did I know that Thursday, just a few days after writing my last post, we would be welcoming baby Kate seven weeks early! We think we know how things are supposed to go but ultimately God is in control of all our lives. Abby and baby are doing well and we are all praying that everything will continue to progress well and they will all be able to go home soon. On Saturday, Grace, Jon, Adam and Asher all drove down to San Diego for the MCAS Miramar airshow. We met up there with Mom, Timothy and all the kids. What a fun filled day it was! This was the first time the kids had been to an air show. We were all wowed by the amazing civilian and military displays. This year we had front row seats right on the flight line. Everyone had their favorite part. Mine as always is the amazing Harrier. I was juggling my digital camera and my old trusty 35mm camera and of course took a bunch of pictures (click here) After the show we all drove back to LA to welcome Monica and her mom Margarita who were arriving from Colombia. We are all excited to have her here in the States for the first time. Sunday was a relax and recovery day, hanging out with the family, cooking and eating together and catching up with each other.

Welcome baby Kate!This Tuesday our office will be throwing a baby shower for Abby & Michael. I kept debating on what to get for the upcoming arrival of baby Kate. So I finally decided that I would make a diaper cake. Yes, I know, it sounds kind of funny but it not only looks pretty, it is also pretty practical. Here is a picture of how it turned out.

Goodbye Summer...Hello Autumn What better way to celebrate the last day of summer than by enjoying the beautiful weather at the beach! After church and lunch today, Grace and I packed up the boogie boards and headed out to Sunset Beach. It was a perfect day. The water wasn't too cold and the waves were just right. We both got to ride a couple of waves in which was lots of fun.I am going to miss the warm, sunny, summer days so much! We wrapped up the afternoon by planning details for our trip next month as we basked in the warm sun. Click here for some more pics =)

Biola Bocce Ball Tournament

A few weeks ago Michael (Admissions) and Abby (Registrar) came up with the fun idea to hold a bocce ball tournament during our lunch hour on Wednesdays. Well, quite a few people from departments all over campus signed up to play. I missed all the fun of our first meet but my team won! This past week we weren't so lucky...with most team members missing we had to play one of the top teams and lost. We'll see how this Wednesday turns out to be! Here we are pondering our next move! You can catch some of the fun here: http://biolabocce.spaces.live.com/

It seems like such a long time...

we said goodbye...

four years...
So many things have happened since then

lots of laughter... some tears...

I thought of you a lot today...

You would have been seventy three...

Happy Birthday Daddy