CA State Railway Museum

We made great use of this rainy day! Arielle and I had manicures.  I had gel polish put on 3 weeks ago and it lasted well. Arielle had it put on today and one has already come off. 

We picked out glasses for me. The lady said they were "bold," and said, "I wear glasses and I don't care. I'm 50 and it doesn't bother me."

Arielle swore she didn't hear it say all that. ::snort:: I hope I can get used to the progressive....

When we got home, we loaded into the van, for a family field trip.  Arielle drove us to Old Sacramento!  She did a great job. 

We bought a family membership at the CA State Railroad Museum...we'll begin saving money on our second trip. One trip through proved we'll need more trips to cover the riches in this location. 

Alex is happiest to sit and watch the crowds meander by.

I kept looking to show him something exciting and he would have found a new spot to perch. ::snort::

Stacia, on the other hand, enjoyed exploring the hands on exhibits.

Which one is scarier? 

One exhibit was a sleeping and dining car on hydraulics....it was fun. 

This set up was a bit alarming when you rounded the corner. In the trains heyday they served 300 dinners a day from this care. 

Dining in style 

We really enjoyed the postal car. We met Leo (we think that's his name), who actually worked in a postal car from 1962-1966.

The sign to the right is a crack up.

He was fascinating!  History always comes alive when you meet someone who is passionate about their topic.

 Michael asked Leo what a typical day looked like for him when he worked on a postal car. The stories flowed! He walked us through every part of the car.   He is an engaging story teller and filled in lots of fun details.....he even demonstrated throwing and catching the mail at the stops where the railway refused to stop. ::grin::  I'm not sure how often he works at the museum, but it would be worth it to find out. BTW -that is Michael's "thinking face," combined with the near-sighted squint.

This is a really nice museum. We are impressed and will be back. It was a great rainy day trip.

We were hungry as we left the museum, so we walked around Old Sac until we found spots to please each of us. Arielle and I settled for fried veggies, while the others found an Italian buffet.

Arielle drove us safely home, where we sat in the hot tub, did some laundry, made s'mores in the oven and overall - just chilled.
Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

What Is It?

It's my birthday balloon. My birthday was 24 January. It got loose. Michael said, "It will come down in a couple of days." It hasn't. 

We guessed when it would come down. I thought I was guessing LATE so the kids would win - I guessed 18 March.  It WAS flat against the ceiling....but it's starting to come down. We've all missed our dates except STACIA! 

Stacia guessed 31 March.

After wishing the thing would come down for a month, I'm now hoping it stays up a few more days so she can have the excitement of having guessed correctly. 

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

The WORM FARM!

A group of homeschoolers from Beale went to The Worm Farm in Durham, CA.  This is a fantastic field trip. Arielle and Nolan went with us. Arielle does NOT like worms, has never touched one, avoids them at all costs - but she got to drive. ::snort::

We arrived earlier than the group who lives on base. Rachel and kids were there already. The owner was nice to show us a few things and we enjoyed chatting.  I actually am surprised how fascinating he made worms.

This is about the time he told the kids you can eat worms. He was joking. 

I counted 31 of us. He gave a great talk inside about worms bodies, lives et al.  We learned there were some very worm wise kids in our midst.

Isn't that logo darling?








After our talk we headed out to the worm beds.

The kids had a good time handling worms - and searching for mating pairs, eggs, and cocoons (?).

 She's holding one....

And THERE - Arielle finally touches a worm! 

                                                       A mating pair of worms

Nathan had a handful....which he bedded down safely

This had all been fun - the kids were interacting and seemed to be enjoying themselves. We'd certainly learned new thing....but the best was yet to come. They had piles and piles of compost....he led us to a giant pile inside a barn....I wasn't sure the older kids would participate...Arielle was the oldest student on the trip...and she couldn't resist the lure of giant piles of worm poop!

 Love Stacia's face....she had a hard time getting over the idea...

ACK - get your hair out of it! 

Arielle and Seth went down several times together

I think all the walkers went down.

After thoroughly washing, the kids were all given juice and cookies.  

Some went home after this. It was drizzling and a picnic in the park was iffy! HOWEVER, the park was great and had a covered pavilion. 

The rain let up and we had a nice hour or so of playing. I have many more photos but don't want to post them without parent's permission so you get photos of Matt and Rachel's and ours.  

I was impressed at this parking job....notice the wheels...didn't even hit. 

This little one greeted me with "Gemma," but she won't often let me hold her. Ah well. 

I was enjoying Mom Talk and didn't really take many photos at the park! We stopped and picked up Papa Murphy's for dinner. I was freezing when we got home - and took advantage of the hot tub. Eventually, Stacia and then Michael joined us. It was a perfectly lazy afternoon - followed by pizza and episodes of, "I Love Lucy," "Star Trek" and "The Cosby Show. " 

AND we got two more weeks of our core curriculum done this week. One more week of doubling it and we can go back to a normal pace and still finish the last week of May. We're THAT good! ::snort:: 

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Testing....testing....

After thirty years, what I've personally believed, is finally official.  *I* am the responsible adult in this marriage.  This is confirmed by several medical forms signed by both Michael and me, which will be laminated, kept in my wallet and available upon request. I used my new status to insist he did not want DNR on his records. I almost walked out at that point as I tried to figure out how "camera work" could turn into "do not resuscitate." 

I don't want to confuse anyone - so let me say - about 2 1/2 years ago Michael had a unexplained pain. They diagnosed Acid Reflux and gave him meds. The pain continued. A new pain flared up and led to emergency surgery on a gangrenous gall bladder. After the surgery, Michael kept mentioning this pain was still there! They immediately thought it was related to surgery - which seemed to make sense...except,  it was the original pain he went in for before the acid reflux or the gall bladder. They've thought it was various things and even did a second surgery to fix it - but they fixed something other than the cause of the pain.  (Which we've been assured would have needed fixed eventually.) They've thought it was a pulled tendon, hernia, adhesion (that started before the surgery?), troubles with the large intestine and small intestine, ulcer and whatever. Basically, they don't know. 

Recently, he was offered another surgery to take a look see. He declined.  

He had a CT scan about a week ago. It came back showing thickening in the colon walls. They told him they'd do some more tests in May. They called Friday and  decided they wanted to do the tests today. We are now the proud owners of beautiful, 3-d, COLOR photos  no one in their right mind is going to want to look at.  The doc did some biopsies and we'll know more in a couple of weeks.  I would know more at this point,  except I tuned out the doctor when Michael sat up and began to converse with him about various parts of the intestine and such. I had no clue what they were talking about and didn't sense a need to know as Michael obviously understood what the doc was saying.  NOW, I discover Michael doesn't remember this conversation and maybe I shouldn't have tuned out. ::grin:: 

Thus goes my first day as the responsible adult in this marriage. ::snort::  I messed up the informational part of it - but by George - I got a photo!!!

In all seriousness, we're fine. God is on the throne. We're walking this out with peace. Michael's pain is increasing, he's not sleeping well,  and they can't seem to fit any symptoms/diagnosis with the pain. We'd appreciate prayers for either 1. healing manifested by a lack of pain or 2. a cause which can then be treated or at least known.

Michael insists a day is coming when he'll sign a form as the responsible adult and he promises to have that framed. I've avoided this by simply not going to the doctor since I turned 50. Thank you very much.  

If "someone" gripes about this photo, I can scan the other photos and include them instead. 

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Fun Times with Friends

Tonight was a nice ending to a very busy week.  There are few joys as sweet as relaxing with friends. The C family moved here in February. This is their first military assignment. Brenner is a chaplain. Their kids love our kids.  We've been looking for a chance to visit their new home and tonight was the opportunity. 

I KNEW the "golden" (dead) hills of CA would be beautiful when they "greened up." 

Cole was excited to have the kids visit HIS home. He's been to our home a couple of times and played with our toys. He was the perfect little host - showing the kids all his favorite things and willingly sharing.

One thing Cole wanted us to do was go down to the Pond. Stacia, Elise and Clara rode down....

The rest of us walked....you can see their home to the right of picture

Watching Stephanie with the girls at dinner and Brenner playing with them after dinner brought back memories of the season when ours were all young. 

Elise enjoys flying....

Clara needed a turn.... 

Pure joy

We enjoyed the bonus of meeting Stephanie's mother as well. This was a great transition into the weekend.....

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Remember....Lot's Wife

Three simple words which I have meditated, studied and journaled for three days.

This is a command, "Remember Lot's wife." Remember - be mindful of, keep in mind, recall -  and so I did and I will.

Background is found in Gen 19. Lot and his family are fleeing judgement and destruction in Sodom. They are COMMANDED  not to look back. Mrs. Lot can't help herself and glances back. She becomes a pillar of salt. Both Josephus and Irenaeus, a Jewish historian and a theologian, from back in the day, write about SEEING this pillar of salt in the area during their lives. There IS something called "Sodom Salt" which is said to be harder than most salts, mined in bricks as if from a rock quarry. There is also "Mount Sodom" which is a mountain of salt outside of the city of ancient Sodom.

So Mrs. Lot was fleeing from her known life, her possessions, her neighbors, possibly her extended family, if Lot had married a woman from Sodom, and is commanded not to look back. She does look back, and becomes a tower of salt. BTW Jewish tradition gives Mrs. Lot the name of Adith or Irith.

Luke is retelling Jesus' teaching on the coming judgment in chapter 17. He is telling readers to be alert. To be ready to flee when judgment comes. There is the sense  we are to remain unattached from material possessions - don't take the time to get the scrapbooks - just get out.

Remember Lot's wife.

O.K.

Sodom Salt Cave @ Mt Sodom - via Google images

WHY did she look back? I pondered. I came up with some ideas. I read what others had pondered.  Leaving a life behind is hard. She may have been curious. She may have been sickened by the sounds or sights of judgment. She may have been longingly looking back at her past possessions, experiences and relationships.  She obeyed - but grudgingly.  She obeyed, but gave that lingering final glance, "MUST I say goodbye?" This is not a picture of wholehearted obedience - and it cost her very life - which mattered more than anything she was leaving behind.

WHY does Jesus want us to remember this? WHY does it matter? These stories are written for examples for me (2 Cor10:6-12). I am commanded not to shrink back to destruction in Hebrews 10:38 - 39 - and Mrs. Lot did shrink back.

WHAT is he trying to show me? He wants wholehearted obedience - not grudging acceptance of His plans. Verse 33 gives another key.  Jesus says, "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."  If Mrs. Lot had surrendered her life - she may well have gotten it refined and returned. It's in the nature of our God to restore.

Is it wrong to remember the past? Is it wrong to look back? No....not if we cherish those memories while wholeheartedly following Jesus in THIS season. Am I looking for what He is doing NOW - or am I clinging to what He has done in the past?

I won't look back to the way things used to be or have always been done.

I won't look back at past betrayals and let them color future interactions.

I won't Look back at sins (mine and others), but will look forward with forgiveness.

I won't cling to past places, relationships and seasons.

I won't look back at past successes and try to recreate them in a new season.

I won't glance longingly at the "financial security" the world offers.

I won't drag my feet when He leads in a new direction....

I will look for Jesus and follow him here - in a new season and a new place.

I will surrender past hurts, successes and cherished memories to Jesus.

I will trust Jesus to refine and preserve that which is valuable.

I will set my will to obey joyfully and wholeheartedly.

I will trust the Shepherd's leading.

I will endure.

I follow.


What about you? What does the Holy Spirit speak to you when you obey the command to  remember Mrs. Lot?

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

ECO DRIVING!!!!

A friend noted today she wanted a chauffeur, a cook and a maid. I'm living the life! I was driven around today by a 16 yo with a driver's permit, we ate leftovers, and I had the younger ones do their chores! I love my life. ::snort:: 


Arielle has invented a new style of driving - a style I've not seen before - and, yes, she is our sixth to learn to drive. 

ECO-Driving!!!!

Arielle jumped out of bed and offered to drive us to PWOC today. This would be 30 min each way. She had a motive.

I was not prepared for the fact that all little gnats and spiders must be helped out of the van or killed before she will touch the wheel!

We started down the road and she was doing GREAT. Until....well..... You wouldn't want to hit a BIRD.

A BIRD? No amount of cajoling on my part would convince her  the bird will fly out of the way!

One would also not want to hit squirrels, rabbits or deer.... It was HILARIOUS.

She  made the gate guards day cheery! It SAYS to go 10 mph; I'm sure most don't. As we pulled up, I thanked them for being gracious and informed them it was her first time to drive through the obstacles....evidently they'd guessed! ::snort::

Arielle drove us around for errands and then asked me to drive into the gas station. She took us out and home.....

Why didn't *I* ever figure out this is the way to reach the top of the windshield if you are under 6'4"?

There was ONE moment (which she has told me I can share) on a really bad road...without a shoulder...where she got distracted by cows, birds and a curve and went off road....I was terrified and yet....pleasantly surprised to see she did NOT over-correct and got us going right back down the road. We were both laughing....

BTW - in case you are wondering - an ECO DRIVER brakes for TURKEYS! ::snort::


 Arielle drove us BACK to base tonight for Bible Study.  She's a great sport and the other kids were fairly cooperative. Stacia HAS taken to calling out speed limits and shoulder warnings for Arielle. ::grin::

Below is ONE of my most humorous memories of the day....wouldn't every girl want her first days of driving to be celebrated by a staff of chaplains?
 Evidently, Ch. S, saw I was about worn out being the driver in charge......He explained to Arielle the difference between turning and cutting a wheel when backing up. LOL

She actually did a great job parking - it took a bit of time -  and a village!

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...