Picture of the Day: Breakfast

Up there are the banana crumb muffins I brought to a prayer breakfast to share. I was blessed to reflect on prioritizing spending time getting to know God more. The cherry turnovers turned out great (My mom has alway been a fan of turnovers) and they were good use of the many cherries that I had that were not super sweet. In addition to all this, my mom obliged the boys request for pancakes and sausage! So, she taught them to make the pancakes. they got to do the mixing and flipping. thanks mom!

Pictures of the Day: Afternoon with Oma Esther

So, my mom and the boys had a special date at the mall - reading books at the bookstore, munching on breadsticks and enjoying fresh baked cookies. So appropriate since it was a hot day. My dad's mom, Oma, and I hung out in the kitchen. Oma sliced up the bread that Pete made in the breadmaker. We pitted cherries together for tomorrow's cherry turnovers. We also made banana crumb muffins (this recipe was passed on from my friend Susie and is now the kids' favorite).

Picture of the Day: Summer baptism

On Thursday, he boys and I were blessed with a same day decision (thanks for the suggestion, Jenn!) to run down to the beach for our church's summer baptisms. Here are the kids just before worship service began. I asked them to "smile" for the camera! Ha!

Such a fun, blessed time: bbq, wading the water, sand play, and fellowship with new and familiar faces.

Got your glow?

We are so blessed to have received annual passes from our friends and we put them to good use.
Last wednesday, we tried to catch the fireworks show and the kids slept through it after a long day at this amusement park. So, we tried again this evening and they were awake and enjoying the raucous of the night time show and the fireworks! Of course, my favorite was seeing our friend brake dancing (he was the one who first taught aidon to do so!)

My favorite musical instruments to watch in a performance are the drums. The choreograpphed drummers are at the 'top' of the stage.

July 4th Fireworks

July 4th was a day of sweet fellowship with family and friends morning, afternoon and night. We spent the late evening at our Home Fellowship's annual dessert potluck. Here we are just after watching the fireworks :)

July 4th Morning

The boys enjoyed going to Coronado's July 4th Parade. Here they are enroute: Posing in front of the American Flag along the parade route
Parade highlights:

The military bands, Live reenactments, Color Guard
Drummers, Classic cars with headlights that pop up/down

We enjoyed breakfast and lunch before and after the parade festivities with Lolo's friends at the Coronado lodge. Then headed back for more food where Lola prepared food, then off to the annual potluck at Poppy & Mamita's place.

Beach Day

Our first beach day this summer (of course after we were able to unpack our swim stuff since the move) was a great time! It was a welcome breath of fresh ocean air after the hubbub of the car getting towed unexpectedly ;}

It's Official!!

We are financially free to be better stewards of God's blessings!

Lord, You are Trustworthy. You answered our prayers as we trusted in Your plan for our lives (1 Chron 5:20). You are merciful. In you our souls takes refuge in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 57:1). You are Gracious, abounding in Love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6). You mold us in the character of Jesus. Thank You, Lord for delivering Pete and myself. Thank You Lord, for creating an open door, for us to be better stewards with what You have blessed us with. Thank You for Your mercy and Your grace.

Welcoming in the next chapter of our lives...

Here are the boys' and I. We are taking the "goodbye" pictures to the poway home.

The happy dance:
"Lord, You never let go through every high and every low"

These pictures were taken the day that the home actually closed escrow. It was supposed to close on monday June 15, pushed back by the lender another week, then pushed to Thursday June 25th, then to friday june 26th.

These final days were an exercise in letting go and letting God. We had found a place we'd like to live next, yet would not sign a lease until it was clear that the home's title would transfer to the next owners name. Praise the Lord that the place we hoped to live was "held" for us through the weekend, without a deposit.

finally monday june 29th came. At 11:30AM, the transaction coordinator let me know that the lender's funds were received. By about 3PM, the title transferred and the buyers' realtor dropped by to pick up the keys. We were able to fill 4 car loads to move the remaining stuff from the house, and be gone by 6:30pm. The next day at 9am, the storage units arrived to the next place we'd live and moving began! Thank the Lord, for His perfect plan and His timing.

A little work and a little play

On the Friday prior to the estimated closing date (June 15), we found out that the lender hadn't reviewed the completed paperwork they'd received, and we wouldn't be closing. The decision was made to move forward with storing our stuff, since the guess (based on the bank's status) was that escrow would close by Wednesday the 17th or so.
The youngest of our boys, really REALLY enjoyed watching the loading and unloading of the storage units. Our older son told the delivery technician, he wanted to do that when he grew up.

The storage units arrived around 10AM. Then we headed back for the All-school BBQ

last few times on the playground for Aidon and his pals

A picture with their teacher. I clearly did not have the kids' attention for a picture :)

No news...

is sometimes not the news I'd like to hear. yet that is the news. No news on the close of escrow is today's update. The escrow documents listed June 15 as the close date. This is an FHA loan, which often takes longer than our 30 day escrow, and has yet to close. Rather than nothing-ness, the past weeks since my last blog update, have been full of blessings and God's loving providence. There is much to be thankful for:

• dear friends treated Josh, Aidon and I to a legoland day with them, in celebration of Josh's birthday.
• it was a wonderful break from all the packing
  physical help with moving the heavy furniture
• those who prayed for peace to replace my anxiousness (about moving everything even though escrow wasn't closing).
• whence all was packed up and stowed away from home (maybe i should have kept the can opener!),
• friends & family sharing of abundance by providing meals.
• those who shared the comfort of their home at mealtime, provided a sweet fellowship and loving encouragement that lasts for days
• God's direction on the next place we may call home
• a chance to clean and prepare for the next homeowners at a leisurely pace
• a friend's side by side packing with me that tripled the number of boxes filled
• and more that is unwritten and unsaid, yet stamped on our hearts
• an opportunity to play newly imagined games in a home that is full of space, no toys, and lots of imaginative play. this one is "avoid the landmines":
  

Pete is not sleeping...

...with his Star Wars sleeping bag any longer. (Only his college roommates are likely interested, yet this is a big deal,right? not!). Pete had been sleeping with it since he was around 10 years old, through college, and early married life.
When we moved to the poway home, the sleeping bag found a new home in a comforter bag in the garage.
I was surprised that the sleeping bag did not make this last move with us. I tried to convince Pete that we can make a quilt out of it. Ah, but he was ready to let it go. I begged him to take a picture with it at least.

This little red lettered rectangle popped up today....

S O L D

Today is 17 days since the start of escrow. The day that all contingencies on the purchase agreement contract are removed....

josh disney bday

Aunt Sammie met us for Birthday Beignets in Downtown disney

he still talks about Astro blasters

watching the fireworks, cookie in hand, on mom's shoulders

heading back to disneyland, zooming on the Monorail

ready to head home

"posing" just before we ride Dumbo

Josh's expression as Dumbo lifts off

Horsie ride on the carousel

Catch up time on blog posts

Phew...i'm taking a break from preparing the home for appraisal tomorrow. The advice is that the property be "impeccable". well, that'd be easier if I hadn't have been boxing things up for the past 5 days. you know how things get more chaotic, as they are pulled apart to be organized...AAhhhh....
Here is the end result of the "staging". These photos are more for the kids to remember the first detached home they lived in. Aidon was 21 months old when we moved in and we lived here when Josh was born. Here's the entry & "arch" view of the dining area.

The kitchen. When house shopping, Pete's kitchen criteria was a smooth countertop (no grout) and a pull-out faucet for dishes.
Dining area & breakfast table. Many a family meal here.

the fireplace mantle with the kids infant pictures

family room

kids-eye view of their room when napping

the "playroom" staged with a bed

kids' bathroom

kids bedroom (that's the quilt we've had since aidon's nursery. )