Our Year in Review

January started with my Dad's 85th Birthday and Nana's 95th.  We were so blessed to celebrate these birthdays with them.

February came with my young, beautiful Mother In Law, Esther, receiving a Silver Medal in the Palm Springs Seniors Track Invitational. She competed in 3 events and did very well.  It was a fun time in the sun and we were inspired by folks who can LITERALLY run laps around us. 

This gentleman above is 94 years young and about to Sprint the 100 Dash

 March came with my 31st birthday.  Jeff, Noah, Danny, and myself celebrated at the Redondo Beach Kite Festival. It was so much fun.  Redondo Beach holds this annual event on the second Sunday of March. This Festival is definitely on our To Do List for 2014.  

Easter was spent searching for eggs at Glendora's Yearly Easter Egg Hunt with cousin Leah.  We had our faces painted and met with the Easter Bunny.  Later that day, we met up with cousins Matthew and Dylan.  We decorated our eggs and had ANOTHER Egg Hunt.   

April we had a mini-vacation with Grandpa, Gaga, Uncle Jesse and Uncle Jared in Laguna Beach.  We spent two days looking out at the ocean, playing in the sand, and rediscovering the beauty of tide pools with Noah. 

May 
Noah started Tee-Ball with other three year olds.  The coaches were somehow able to teach a bunch of toddlers all the rules of Baseball with one practice.  Games began the following weekend.  It was quite amusing.  

June was hard.  My dad's cancer came back. Unfortunately, it went bad to worse when he had massive bleeding in his liver from the biopsy and then contracted a blood infection in the hospital.  To say we were angry, frustrated, and at a complete loss is putting it mildly.  Our family could only pray and trust God and His plan.  An inpatient Cancer Hospital is a place that should not exist. Sadness fills its halls.  

However, in those walls I met many family members who were holding onto hope and the need to share their stories.  I had the honor to be able to pray with them and for them. I truly believe God placed them in my life at that moment to keep me from despairing and going to "the dark side". 

Noah & the boys made this for Abui and was placed on the front of
his door. We wanted to make sure anyone who entered knew
who they were dealing with. 

I was in the hospital a lot. Thank God for my husband
and mother in law for being so supportive during
that time.

Although he needed his time to process everything that happen in June, my dad recovered and is using all his strength to beat cancer.  He is the toughest man that I know.

At 85, he still desires to keep his work ethic strong and only misses work on the Mondays that he receives Chemo. He still has MANY plans that he needs to accomplish.  He is the greatest example in my life of a trusted steward of Christ's blessings.  This month we received the great news that the chemo is working and one of his three tumors is gone and the other two have shrank over 40%!! (Thank you all for your continued prayers and support)   

July was Noah's Bug Party. He and his friends had such a great time learning about all sorts of bugs and got to PET them! Of course all the moms were having the ebbee jeebees, with all the spiders and roaches that were the size of our hands. The kids, to the surprise of many adults, did not flinch once.  They all wanted to touch each bug, even the ones who are afraid of "mosqas".

August ended our summer with two great experiences.  Jeff finished with all of his intern hours, 3000 of them!! He is now License eligible.  He has helped many of his clients and was even featured in the Clinic's Annual Report.  We are so proud of him. 

I also was baptized by my good friend Emi. She has played an important role in my walk with Christ.  To think, the first time we met was years before for our wedding.  She was our photographer.  Then I come to find she attends the Church I started to attend AND she held a small group at her home.  She welcomed me with open arms and has introduced me to some wonderful people.  

As fall came and went and now winter entered we stop and think of all that happened through out the year.  For me, my baptism was and will continue to be my focal point.  A remembrance of why we are here and what is truly important.