GOD-Sized Miracles!

Five years ago, our church began a major remodel & renovation program of our Worship Center. Phase 1 began with a repair of a leaky roof above the Foyer and the lobby was updated.  Phase 2 involved removing the wooden pews with orange velour cushions from the room and replacing the pews with upholstered "pew-chairs" that could be moved and configured for multi-purpose use. The entire sanctuary was "gutted", stage was expanded, new flooring and lighting installed, etc.  Before Phase 2 could proceed, however, we ran into a bump in the road.  My husband, the Lead Pastor, pledged that we would NOT borrow money to complete this project.  We would pray, and God would work on people's hearts to raise the funds needed.  We had reached a "crisis of belief" because permits were in place for starting the construction, but we were still short $25,000.  Then came Miracle #1---a family in our church came to Mark and said that they had received an inheritance and they wanted to make a gift to the building project, and "how much do you still need?" they asked.

When my husband told them 25K...they replied, "We'll bring a check to the church in the morning."

God used these people, who were sensitive to what God was telling them, to be a part of God's bigger plan!  The Sanctuary was completed ahead of schedule, and we had an amazing Easter Celebration in the spacious and modern Worship Center! Glory to God!

Fast forward to a few months ago.  The last phase of the remodel project involved renovation and expansion of the Foyer Restrooms.  As is often the case with construction projects, the early bids are much lower than actual costs when the date arrives for beginning the work.  So, a project that was initially projected to cost $90,000 was now estimated to cost about $38K more!  Here was another test of our faith.  My husband and I spent many mornings in prayer over this matter....did God want us to scale back to a bare-bones remodel? Were we to ask the congregation to extended their financial pledges for one more year?  Were we to get a loan to cover the shortfall?  After much prayer, the Remodel Committee stepped-out in faith.  They committed to trust God to bring in the needed resources---they didn't want to borrow money, nor did they want to ask the people for more gifts.  It was not even feasible to scale-back on the bathrooms---even a bare-bones remodel was going to be "over-budget." As we have been studying "Experiencing God" we have learned that we arrive at a "crisis of belief" where we have to step forward in faith and action.  "What you do reveals what you believe about God.  Your faith shows that you are believing God to do a God-sized miracle!"

Ok, so we did just that---prayed diligently for God to "show-up", but no one knew of this need except for the Committee and Staff---the greater church body was not aware of this need for funds to complete the project.  Mark & I live a frugal lifestyle (as our kids can attest to!), but Mark had felt that the Lord had challenged him to plant a seed and we took money from our savings to donate ten percent of the needed money toward this project.  I totally agreed with him---God has blessed us so much, it was a way to show our love to Him to give this money.

The very same Sunday morning that we decided to give, a man in the church came to tell Mark that he had received an inheritance recently and that God had spoken to he & his wife and that they needed to give it to the Remodeling Campaign.  They were unaware of the dire need, but they were sensitive to God's Spirit!  This very generous gift now put us at a deficit of $8400.  Now we were just watching to see what God was up to in the next few weeks :)

Last week a couple in our church family came to talk to Mark.  The wife had felt that God was telling her to give $10,000 to the Renovation project.  She shared this with her husband and they prayed together as a couple that God would clearly affirm that this was the right decision.  Now, I am told that this couple didn't just have piles of cash lying around.  This was going to be a sacrifice. But after much prayer, they were in agreement.  They brought in a check and now we even had a little bit of money left for some extra repairs that needed to be done on the roof!

This whole experience showed us that if God is calling you to do something, HE WILL PROVIDE! This could be funds for a mission trip, a need in the church, or any number of things.  This journey through our NEW THING REMODEL Campaign has been a true faith-builder!  We know that God is using this beautiful new Worship Center to draw people to Christ.  We have, in the last few months, seen God working as He has brought new families into the church & people are making commitments to Christ and following Him in baptism.  Also, God has been raising up new leaders in our church in the areas of Children's KidZone Ministry, Women's Ministry, and many other areas of service.  We rejoice in God's miraculous provision and wait expectantly for this next chapter in the history of 1st Baptist.  Praise be to God -- Jehovah Jireh, OUR PROVIDER!

"Tough Guy vs. Pain Baby"

My husband, Mark, has had a really bad cold for the past 9 days. Whenever I've talked to women about the "sick husband syndrome", about 95% complain that their big, tough husband becomes the world's biggest wimp when he's sick. He takes over the couch, the remote, and expects to be nursed back to health with lots of homemade chicken soup, Sprite, and cold medication. He also seeks out the sympathy of the entire family. There is alot of moaning and groaning from the couch...along with the coughing, hacking, and sniffling.

My husband, however, is NOTHING like the man I have described in the above paragraph.
I would totally play into that whole scene if he WERE a "pain baby"...I love nurturing and waiting on my man "hand-and-foot." Chalk it up to my Mexican heritage, but I love spoiling my husband. The problem with my man is that he was raised in a home where toughness and perserverance were supreme. In other words, you don't wimp out when you're sick. You "suck-it-up" and continue on with your work and other responsibilities. Sick days? What the heck is a "sick day"? Oh, and did I mention that my husband HATES to take any type of medication or even vitamins/herbal supplements. In the past, when he has taken any type of medication, he will SWEAR that it causes him to get blurred vision,light-headed, or any number of side effects. So, here I am watching him suffer and I can't even offer him a Sudaphed or Nyquil. The big breakthrough was him taking 1,000 mg. of Vitamin C. I cannot get him to slow down his work schedule, either. He went ahead and led his Deacons & Staff in a weekend leadership retreat in the mountains this past weekend. Then he left at 7:45 AM to start his Sunday....by the time we had 2 Worship Services, Drama Rehearsal and then Community Prayer Rally in the evening, it was 8:45 by the time we got home. "Do you want me to cancel Small Group tonight, Honey?" I asked. "No, I'm not wimping out." I don't feel that bad!


Mark comes by this toughness quite naturally. His parents are well into their 80's and lead very active lives. His mom gave birth to 7 children naturally, and she is proud of the fact that in her entire lifetime she's never taken more than a couple of aspirin. His Dad is a survivor of WWII AND cancer. Mark's early years were spent in a farmhouse on the South Dakota prairie where the snowdrifts would literally block the front door. These people are strong and resilient. No one was coddled...even if you were sick. Get over it...move on...don't complain about anything.

When I was growing up I saw my parents, especially my Dad, pop alot of pills. He had alot of health issues and dealt with chronic pain. I am not sure if that contributed to my low pain tolerance, but I will do everything in my power to PREVENT getting sick because I HATE being ill. Therefore, I will take vitamins and if I even get the slightest sense that I might be coming down with a cold, I will pop megadoses of Vitamin C and echinachea, get to bed early, etc. I am also germaphobic, so I will wash my hands frequently and when out in public will use antibacterial hand cleanser regularly. The first year I taught elementary school I caught every imaginable ailment that a 6 year old child could carry into the classroom. However, after that first year, I built up a resistance and have been extremely healthy every since.

So, my greatest struggle is to sit back and watch my husband suffer and not be proactive in FIGHTING off this cold. I just pray for a quick healing and pray that no one else in the family catches it. I will sign-off now-- I need to go and sanitize some more surfaces...

When Do You Stop Being A Mom?

There is a baby-boom going on at our church....several of the young women have recently announced their pregnancies, much to the joy of the congregation. It is interesting that as soon as they discover they are pregnant, they limit their caffeine intake, eat less junk, and are careful not to do heavy lifting. They begin the process of caring for their child while he is yet in the womb. Motherhood, and the accompanying "worry-wart" mentality, has BEGUN!

A friend of mine was sharing with me how she was concerned about her elementary-aged son because he was going to travel by bus to San Francisco on a museum field trip with his school. I remember those days well! I imagined the worst-case scenario:
another 7.9 magnitude earthquake would crumble the Bay Bridge just as my kid's school bus was crossing the shark-infested waters! Perhaps my son would get separated from his class and his teacher would not discover that he was missing until 3 hours later...after nightfall! I worried about him misplacing his sack lunch, about him losing his camera, etc, etc. When he did, in fact, return home safe and sound, about the only drama I heard about was a game the 7th grade boys played while in San Francisco: it was called "count the homeless people." Okay, not exactly the most socially-conscious group on the planet, but remember, they're junior high boys. My heart went out to my friend and I could truly empathize.

Fast forward to high school. Both my boys played sports and the first time I attended a football game and saw ambulances at each end of the field, my heart sank. I didn't have brothers, so this football thing was new territory for me.
At the first game, I couldn't even sit still in the bleachers....I paced around the stadium like a nervous cat. Well, with the good Lord's hand on my boys, we got through Pop Warner Football, Little League, Babe Ruth, 4 years of high school baseball, football, and track with NO serious injuries or ER visits. Thank you, Jesus! Oh, I forgot to mention that Ryan also played two years of junior college football, track, and at CalBaptist he played Intramural football, basketball, and soccer. No visits to Kaiser Hospital in the process :) I guess it is true that God only gives you what you can handle!

When our kids went to Southern California for their college studies, my new stressor became: "how on earth are they going to navigate those SoCal freeways?" And, for your information, people in L.A. drive about 20 miles OVER the speed limit. My children learned to drive in Manteca, California with one freeway running through it and relatively light traffic. Letting my little birds fly out of the nest and onto the 91 was a test of faith. Worst thing that happened was that Michelle's car broke down in central L.A.on a rainy night on the freeway while she was alone. I never knew why she was driving around at 10 PM at night near East L.A (the barrio I'm originally from :) Thankfully, Mark took the phone call, and with all the calmness and fortitude of a 911 Operator, he talked her through the problem and a few hours later the car was towed to a garage and she was safely back in her dorm. Never mind it cost $900 to replace a fuel pump...the important thing was my child's safety.

Then came the day when each of my children decided that living in the greatest country in the world was not enough---they needed to venture out into the Third World. My daughter traveled to Cote d Ivoire (Ivory Coast Africa) with a mission team when she was barely 15 years old. She would later become quite the world traveler, visiting South America and Asia as well. My oldest son became a Journeyman missionary for two years in the jungles of Suriname. Lastly, my "baby" served on a mission team in Brazil, and later would travel to China. At some point, you realize that, as a mom, you cannot stay awake all night worrying about your kids, nor can you forego nutrition for two weeks just because your stomach is "in knots." What you have to realize is that you are no longer in control. This is where the God factor comes into play. He is the only one who is powerful enough to orchestrate the circumstances to make sure your child is safe. Prayer is our most powerful tool to combat those feelings of anxiety and worry. There is nothing that will make you fall on your knees more than being a mom. Especially when they are old enough to make their own decisions and to book their own airline flights. When they are infants, there are another whole set of worries, but at least you know where your child is 24-7.

Motherhood at every stage is fertile ground for concern, worry, and anxiety. I once remarked to my husband, "I'll be glad when the kids get married....then they will be someone else's responsibility." But a quick look around at our society will tell you that when your child marries, you just added a new member to YOUR family!

So,when I ask women who are older and wiser than me: "So when do you stop worrying about your kids?" I get a reply from my 73 year old friend, "Oh, you never stop being a mom...in fact, I am going down to my daughter's home to stay with her while she recuperates from back surgery. I'll be gone about a month."

Since it doesn't look like I will stop worrying about my kids until they are safe in the arms of Jesus, I will, in the meantime, add a big stack of notebook paper to my prayer journal....because I haven't even had grandkids yet!

Pack Rats vs. Purgers

When I went to do my once-a-month shopping down the hill in Roseville last Friday, I noticed that people were hanging out in two sections of the store: Health & Diet OR Home Organizing. Everyone was either picking up cans of SlimFast, protein powder, and Special K Bars, or they were stocking up on storage tubs, plastic organizers, and closet shelves. It seems that the month of January makes us want to clean up our messes in our homes and shed some unwanted holiday pounds.

Those who know me very well, know that I am on a perpetual diet. It's not that I am trying to necessarily LOSE weight, it's just that I cannot stand the thought of buying a larger size of jeans. I also am trying to steer clear of diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, diverticulitis, and other maladies that are a part of my family health history.
So, I picked up a big can of Whey Protein (Cookies 'n' Cream Flavor) so I can have a protein shake for my afternoon snack. I also got a box of FiberPlus Bars...they really fill you up when accompanied by a couple of glasses of water.

I did not pick up any organizational tools at the SuperWalmart. However, that didn't stop me from doing some closet purging and cupboard-cleaning this past week. We have a substantial "basement" below our home. It has a dirt floor, but there are shelves for storage. It is a nice place to stash things like Christmas decorations and my daughter's prom dresses. However, everytime I go down there I get the urge to get the pickup truck and fill it with various junk items that my husband insists he "needs" or "I'm gonna fix that...don't throw it out." There are broken computer printers down there, along with cassette tapes from the 80's. My husband is a packrat. However, he is a "neatnik-packrat." He makes tidy piles of all his junk and his closet looks like a Nordstrom store....everything perfectly ordered. However, he also saves things such as junk mail, magazines, newspapers, church bulletins, etc. It makes him very nervous when I start going through his things to clean-up...his greatest fear is that I will throw out something important. A few years ago I went through our attic and closets and tossed out many of the items that were just taking up space. I gave away old computers, monitors, record players, vcr's, and other outdated electronics. He never noticed til we moved. He was not too happy with me, but there wasn't too much he could do at this point. I think he realizes how it is probably a good thing I "purged" our attic...otherwise he would have had to rent TWO Ryder moving trucks to move to Grass Valley. We downsized from a 5 bedroom 3 bath home to a bedroom, 2 bath single-level home. I love my house to be uncluttered and with an "open" feel. I keep my kitchen counters free from most items except for a coffee maker, and a few decorations. I also steer clear of too many knicknacks in our living area....just too much trouble when I dust. It is also a rebellion against my upbringing. My mom would purchase little souvenirs whenever they traveled and our tiny house would be wall-to-wall trinkets. There would be little silver spoons from different states, miniature cedar outhouses from Appalachia, and pottery from Mexico.

Some people shop when they are angry or depressed. If I get angry I start cleaning out drawers and throwing stuff away. It literally makes me feel so good to get rid of stuff. But please don't tell my husband. He's gonna kill me when he finds out I threw out his 7th grade algebra notebook.

Miracles: Alive and Well

Sunday afternoon my husband and I were enjoying some down-time watching some Tim Tebow football, when we got an urgent phone call from one of our church members. She was very upset and distraught because her husband, a deacon in our church, was in danger of dying. John, who is in his 80's, was not expected to live through the weekend. In fact, he must have sensed that the end was near because he called on all his children to come to the hospital. As they were gathered around him, sobbing, he, in essence, gave them a patriarchal blessing and told them each how much he loved them. Jay, his wife, really needed a minister to pray with her and the family. So I joined Mark as we jumped in the car and drove into Grass Valley and went to the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital ICU Waiting Area. When we arrived, Jay was crying and two of her daughters were consoling her and trying to calm her. Apparently John was experiencing some serious internal bleeding, and the doctors couldn't find it's source. So, they did an exploratory surgery with a camera on a probe so that they might find the source of the bleeding and stop it. We were there for several hours and had received no news. John has several medical conditions that make any invasive procedure a high risk. We were all preparing for the worst possible outcome. However, we all have great faith, and were reminded by Mark's sermon that very morning, that we need to go to God FIRST when we have health issues. So, we prayed for John and the family....for God's will to be done, for healing (if God willed), and for comfort for the loved ones. We prayed once, then later prayed again, and ultimately a third time because we had to leave. As we said the final "amen", the doctor poked his head into the room and said: "Whatever you're doing, it works---we found no more bleeding inside of John's body, and he is going to be fine." Needless to say, Jay was jubilant and praising God for his goodness. We were all amazed and had chills running up and down our spines! We had anticipated losing John, but God had other plans! We were all grateful that the Lord has given Jay her husband back, and hope that this miracle will be a testimony to others who have lost hope. It definitely renewed my faith. Recently I was reading an account in the gospel of Matthew (chapter 20, v.29-34) of two blind men who were shouting at Jesus as he walking by. The crowd told them to be quiet, but Jesus and stopped and asked them point-blank: "What do you want me to do for you?" They replied, "Lord, we want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them, touched their eyes and immediately they received their sight and followed him. The thing that stood out to me was the simple question Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus still asks us that question today. He cares about what is causing us anxiety and worry TODAY---in our lives. He WANTS to heal us, to meet our needs. We need to just tell Him what we want for Him to do. That is encouraging for me to know when all of life's stresses and problems seem overwhelming and there isn't anyone to turn to, except God.

Relax, It's Only Valentines Day!

Mark and I met 32 years ago this month, just a few days after Valentines Day. We were aboard a bus enroute to a student Mission Conference in San Francisco. He had just had his heart broken after a girl he thought was "the one" had broken-off the relationship. I had broken-up at New Year's with a boy I met at a Student Conference in New Mexico. I was "done" with men, so I was looking forward to a fun trip to Golden Gate Seminary for the conference. Somehow he ended up sitting next to me and we had a 17-hour bus ride to California from Utah to get acquainted. As they say, "the rest is history." We were engaged a few months later, and after a year-long engagement, were married in my home church in Idaho in 1980.

Through the years, Mark and I have celebrated various holidays with an exchange of cards, gifts, and perhaps a dinner out. We treasure the cards, especially, as we express our love and appreciation to one another through the words we write to each other. We are both very practical people--I would be totally excited about receiving a set of microwave dishes as a gift. I do not crave jewelry or expensive floral arrangements. However, Mark has purchased me some lovely pieces of jewelry for our anniversary and I treasure them dearly. He understands, however, that I am a simple and practical woman. This year, as Valentine's Day approached, I made my trip down to Roseville to shop and made my purchase of a gift for hubby. No expensive cologne or designer clothing...instead I marched into WalMart and purchased an insulated lunch box for my man. He was giddy with excitement when he opened it...his old lunch bag was ready to be "retired." Last weekend Mark asked if there was anything special that I wanted for Valentine's Day. I thought about it a moment and then told him that I really didn't need anything...let's just exchange cards. He made reservations at a lovely Italian restaurant in downtown Nevada City and we enjoyed a delicious meal together and a romantic stroll through the quaint streets of this foothill town. We had our card-and-gift exchange on Sunday afternoon. I was thrilled to receive a lovely card (a deluxe $ 4.99 one!) with a very sweet handwritten message to me that he had penned. He asked me, "Honey, I hope you don't mind that I didn't get you a gift...I hope the dinner out was enough." It was enough, and I realized that when your relationship has matured you can relax and not feel that you have to meet certain expectations. One doesn't have to try to outdo what your friend did for his wife (sent her a dozen red roses to her workplace). When you have celebrated thirty-something years of holidays and special occasions, you realize that "stuff" doesn't matter---what matters is that you get to spend some couple-time together enjoying each other and showing one another how much they mean to you. After all, it's only Valentine's Day....there are 364 other days a year to express to your mate how much you love them---without worrying about how much roses cost or how many calories are in that box of See's chocolates!

Dejavu...I've Been Here Before

This weekend we will move our baby girl (age 23) to a new state, a new home, and a new job. She will be sharing a house with another lady and working for the Associated Press as a Legislative Reporter, which means she will cover all the news related to the Nevada State Capital...which is in Carson City, not Reno or Las Vegas :) This will be a full-time job, but will only last 6 months--the duration of the Legislative session. She is very excited to get into the AP as a full-timer, even though she had a fabulous internship with the AP in LA and got to be in probably one of the busiest and most exciting news bureaus in the business...covering some high-profile stories (ie., Michael Jackson death, Jaycee Duggard kidnapping, etc.) This position will be a challenge but Michelle is very excited about it and she has been covering local government so she is no stranger to this venue.

I feel like I am dropping my little girl off at college once again! I will never forget loading-up the family minivan and attending Orientation at Biola University when she was a freshman. Mark cried all the way home after he waved his final goodbye to Missy as she scurried up the steps to her dorm. I worried about what she might have forgotten to pack...as if she were going to some Third World Country that didn't have Walmart or Target 2 blocks away!

This time as I get ready to help my daughter "launch" I struggle with the dilemma of: "Do I make all the preparations for her move myself, or do I let HER grow up and take care of the details? While I am still sorting through this, I have gone ahead and acted like a typical "Mexi-Mama"...I already discovered there are two Super Walmarts in Carson City, no Chase bank branches, but one sole Chase ATM in the community, and I have the name of a towing service that accepts State Farm Insurance. I have also collected two sets of bed sheets, pillows, a coffee maker, and a storage unit that she can take with her. I am also debating whether or not to send her a large jar of homemade salsa and a large bag of her favorite "On the Border" tortilla chips. Am I making it too easy for her to grow up? Will she really appreciate all that I do for her if she never has to struggle a little bit? I want to pack enough toiletries for her so that she never has to venture inside one of those WalMarts!

Yesterday afternoon, upon returning from my daily walk, I discovered that one of the tires on Michelle's car had a huge nail in it and was getting flatter by the minute. She was working a split-shift and would need the car for an evening meeting she was covering for the newspaper. So, I did what any super-mom would do. I had my fit, young 25 year-old son pump enough air into the tire so we could drive into town to get the flat fixed. All the while my little princess was working at home and letting her "personal assistants" take care of life's little annoyances. I am not saying she doesn't appreciate it...all three of my twentysomething kids verbally express to their parents how much they appreciate all that we do for them. I think that because I have been a stay-at-home mom for most of my parenting years, I have been more ready to "rescue" the kids and do alot of chores FOR them. In contrast, friends of mine who worked full-time jobs had to ask their teenagers and young adults to carry more of a load of responsibility. Of course, all three of my kids have lived away from home and at that point I truly "let go." I don't hover, stalk, fly to SoCal for the weekend....none of that. Once those birdies fly out of the nest, they are "out of sight, out of mind." I only smother when they are under my roof. They have proved that they CAN be responsible when they are "solo." They managed their finances responsibly, graduated with highest honors, excelled in their extracurricular activities, and stayed faithful to the Lord and to church while they were away. Maybe they are appeasing me and making me feel "needed". Not that I am sitting around with nothing to do. I have many meaningful activities that I am involved in, not to mention that I care for my elderly mom. I am blessed to be able to stay at home so that I can support my husband's pastoral ministry and be involved in so many church activities. I enjoy serving my family, so it is not that it is a "burden" to me, I just wonder if I am over the top?

I will bring this to a close so that I can go clean my daughter's bathroom. She left for work and now it is time for the "maid"to come in and clean. Does anyone know where I can get one of those paper strips for the toilet that say: "SANITIZED FOR YOUR PROTECTION?"

Back in the Day

One of the funnest conversations that Mark and I have with our kids is about what life was like when we were teenagers. Last night Ryan remarked how he couldn't even imagine life without cell phones. Watch out---now we are going to talk about how rough we had it "back in the day!" I lived in Idaho for 14 years growing up and things were quite primitive there. Especially after having lived in suburban Los Angeles up to that point. In Idaho, when we got telephone service we had a "party-line"...which meant you shared your phone line with some other people. 16 families to be exact! Our phone would ring, but it wouldn't necessarily be for "us"...each person has a unique ring, and then you would answer it. You could also listen to other people's conversations if you very stealthily lifted up the receiver while your neighbors were having a conversation. This is like gossip on STEROIDS! When I was in junior high, a favorite pasttime would be to eavesdrop on the older teenagers conversations. Sometimes they would suspect someone was listening in and they would yell "Get off the phone!" along with some spicy profanity thrown-in for good measure.

Another downside of archaic telephones of the 60's and 70's was the short cords the phones had. This meant your feet had to stay firmly planted no farther than 6 inches from where the phone was. What a joyous day it was when someone invented those 20-foot cords that allowed you to talk on the phone AND load the dishwasher!
Now your Dad couldn't yell at you for being a lazy slob who yakked on the phone all day! You were multi-tasking!

Mark described to my son what a rotary-dial phone was, and how you would put your fingers in the dial and you would have to patiently wait several seconds for the dial to circle around so you can poke your finger in the hole and dial the next number. It seems prehistoric to even talk about it!

Fast forward to 1988 and we rejoiced with the invention of the cordless telephone. Never mind that the thing was the size of Texas with an antenna that stretched for about 5 miles! This was amazingly free-ing! We could actually lay by the pool (if we HAD a pool) and talk to our friends! We could go out in the front yard and supervise our children riding their Big Wheels while still blabbing with our best friend from high school. We still chuckle when we watch old episodes of Seinfeld and Jerry pulls out his cordless phone that just seems ENORMOUS!

In 1996 our life would change forever. We purchased our first cell phone so that we would have a phone to take on our road trip through the Southwest. In case of car trouble, we were covered. I believe it was a Motorola that weighed about 16 lbs. and the company was Air Touch Cellular. I think the plan included 100 Peak-time minutes. We were one of "the first kids on our block" to get a cell phone, so imagine how popular we were in public places when someone didn't want to find a pay phone to make a call. Of course, we had to be very careful not to go over our "minutes". Because "back in the day" they charged you 45 cents if you went over your normal allotment. Hey, they still charge 45 cents per minute for overages! Some things never change.

I Have a New Teenager!

Mark and I survived raising 3 teenagers...and I think with each one we had to call our State Farm Agent for a claim regarding: 1) car vs. parked car, 2) car vs. garage door, 3) car vs. Ryan on a bicycle thereby resulting in damage to another person's vehicle when Ryan's body dented the gentleman's Honda as he rolled over the hood (and was totally unscathed.) But, as they have matured, and become better motorists, we haven't had any issues recently. This morning, however, I realized I am the mother of yet another "teenage driver." She is 83, and she is my Mom. She drives a 1985 Mercury Gran Marquis--which is the size of an oil tanker---and she has to use a little cushion so she can see over the steering wheel. Therefore, parking lots become a special challenge for my 4 foot 10 inch tall Mama. She called me to tell me that as she was parking in the Community Center where her church meets in Colfax, she scraped the side of the vehicle on a retaining wall. I would be in tears if this was MY Focus that had been scraped, because so far, it's in pretty good shape for a 2005 model. Mama's "Tuna Boat", however, has it's share of dings, dents, and broken body parts---and all of the little mishaps occurred when Mom had to try to park her monstrosity into a parking lot at the Care Home where Dad resided.
She didn't learn to drive until she was 30, and has always been a nervous wreck (excuse the pun) when driving. She has also had some encounters with the side of the garage. So, when she returns from her Mexico trip I will have to take the car in for body work. My Dad was always neurotic about his vehicle....kept it spotless and waxed...he was an excellent driver and didn't have any scratches on the car...all I can say is that I am glad there are "no tears in Heaven"...and I am interpreting that to mean that Daddy will be spared from seeing the cracked taillight and dented side panel on his precious blue sedan :)

Home from Paradise

We returned Monday from a 30th Wedding Anniversary trip to Hawaii! For our 25th, Mark took me to Maui for the 2nd time (first time was in 1986, when I was pregnant with Michelle...it was our "second honeymoon.) This time we weren't sure if we could afford a Hawaiian vacation...they can be very pricey, as many of you know. However, Mark got a great deal on Expedia (airfare, car rental and hotel) and we could do it within our budget. Maui and Kaui, on the other hand, were significantly more expensive. Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is a short 4 1/2 hour flight from SFO....we barely finished watching the inflight movie ("Diary of a Wimpy Kid") and we were getting ready to touch down! I was a bit apprehensive about our accommodations, however, at 'Uncle Billy's Kona Bay Resort." The name conjurs up images of an island redneck sipping Blue Hawaiians underneath a palm tree located near a broken-down pickup on blocks. It didn't help when I got on the hotels website and realized it was a two-and-a-half star rating. Then I made the mistake of reading the comments: "This place was run-down, dilapidated and the "continental breakfast" consisted of weak coffee and stale muffins." "The pool was dirty, the A/C was loud, and the "free parking" was actually $5 per day." And then to make matters worse, a friend of mine said she really didn't like Kona at all...."just alot of lava rock and no beaches." Now I was having "travelers remorse." Perhaps I should have postponed the trip for another 5 years while I saved up more cash so we could have a really nice vacation for our 35th.... Mark, the perpetual optimist, kept reassuring me that everything was going to be fine. And, if it wasn't, he agreed we'd upgrade the rental car and sleep in it.

Well, I am happy to say that everything about the trip was awesome! The flight was smooth, the weather was perfect, and even Uncle Billy's wasn't half-bad. Yes, it probably had it's "heyday" back during the Nixon Administration, and it was an older hotel. However, it was spotless and the staff was very, very hospitable. The freebie breakfast was very good...fresh papaya, blueberry muffins, pineapple juice, good Kona coffee....we couldn't complain! Our accommodations were located very near the beach and shopping area and restaurants. Everything was within walking distance. In the evenings we would walk to the "downtown" area for a nice dinner and walk around the shops. Unlike the NorCal beaches, the tropical tradewinds were pleasant, even after the sun went down. And speaking of sunsets, Kona is famous for spectacular ones. We were not disappointed.

A good friend (who lived on the island for several years) gave us an itinerary of some suggested sites, activities, and restaurants to visit. We were grateful for her wonderful advice, and she also gave us gift certificates for a fun snorkeling cruise! She told us about a little Hawaiian Shave Ice stand that she knew of....it was fantastic! Not at all like a snowcone! She recommended a fabulous restaurant called the Canoe House, located at the Mauna Lani Resort. Five-stars doesn't even begin to describe it....white linen table cloths with a view of the beach at sunset...attentive waiters and delicous cuisine that was remarkably "presented." It was truly a memory-maker :)

We had such a relaxing vacation that we dreaded getting back on the plane Sunday evening to head back to"reality." We slept 4 hours on the plane, but even with only that amount of sleep, we came back refreshed and rejuvenated. Mark has even begun to wear flip-flops around the house now...something he NEVER used to do. I am thinking of wearing a floral lei around my neck along with some puka shells so I can stay in the "Aloha" mood. Now I am counting down the days until our next "milestone" anniversary so we can return to Hawaii :)