Long Time No Hear

Hello to everyone. Sorry for being so distant lately but its been busy times for us. Rocky has been working lots of overtime and Linda has been busy with our church Storehouse and also with scanning lots of photos into our hard drives trying to preserve the photos before they get to old and faded.

Just to catch everyone up on whats going on around our household:



Kitchen remodeling ideas are in the works with lots of different scenarios being talked about and also lots of sketches being put on paper. We have discussed everything from a complete remodel to just a bit of TLC to get the old appliances up to date. We figure that it will take some time to get these plans finalized and into the actual construction phase.



Linda has been busy painting the bathroom in our bedroom and it really does look great. Kevin has also painted his bedroom and it also looks quite good. He has rearranged his furniture and came up with a way to have a bit more floor space.



Linda and I just got back from a two day ride to San Diego with David and Irene, Marcie and Melanie and Louie and his girlfriend Catch. Along the way we enjoyed lunch in the town of Julian and also stopped at the Pachanga Indian Casino on the way back home. It was a wonderful ride even with the couple of butt rests along the way we got to enjoy spending time with our friends and family. The weather was great with cool wind and no traffic for the entire ride. Back roads were great to ride through with every curve showing more beautiful California scenery.



Kevin has been itching to get out of the house and maybe moving into an apartment with his friends so he will now be looking real hard to find a job that pays enough to support himself. He is still trying to find his focus and will be checking out everything until he finds his calling.



Again we are sorry for being so out of touch lately but it has been pretty busy here at our house.



We promise to try and be more diligent about keeping everyone up to date. Thanks for being patient with us and congrats to Melissa also for her wonderful news.



Keep us in your thoughts and we will do the same at our end.

VACATION

Linda and I will be leaving for vacation on June 16 and spending the week on the Island of Maui. Unfortunately Kevin, because of his job, will be staying at home while we are gone. He will have the additional duties of keeping the dog fed and the lawns watered while we are gone.

Maui is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the sunshine and blue waters that surround the island. Snorkeling is fantastic and so are the many beaches. We look forward to spending time with some friends we have there and also to having some time just enjoying each other.

Although we will miss our traveling companions Irene and David, I'm sure they will be in our thoughts while we are taking in all the sights of the island.

So, Aloha to everyone. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Mahalo

Additional Pictures of the Mercy Response team

As I promised, here are some additional pictures of Linda and the gang from The Vinyard lending a helping hand in New Orleans. Lots of work but well worth the effort!

Linda and the Vineyard Crew in New Orleans

Linda and the rest of the crew from Vinyard recently traveled to New Orleans to take part in the clean up effort that is going on out there. It was a week of hard work but also a week of building relationships and memories that will last a lifetime. Linda came home with a full heart and appreciation of what we all take for granted. As you can see by these few photos, there was a tremendous amout of work to be done and together they completed the gutting of five homes to get them ready for the owners to begin rebuilding.

After over 20 months since hurricane Katrina, there is still a lot of work to be done out there. But like Linda says,"One home at a time". They are planning on going out there again in the coming months to complete a few more homes. I'm so proud of her and the work that her and the gang did out there. Together they brought some needed assistance to a few families that were lost in the storm.

Thank you Linda and the crew for showing us all that people still care enough to work hard for their fellow man. I plan on posting more photos in the weeks to come, so stay tuned for updates.

KEVIN'S HAPPINESS

As we mentioned in our last posting, Kevin has been trying to break into the automotive Industry. Well we are happy to inform everyone that he has landed a job working as a mechanic for a local shop close to home. He seems to be enjoying it and hasnt missed a day of work since he started. He usually comes home full of oil but also has a big smile on his face. We make him change his clothes in the garage before he comes into the house. Currently he is working 6 days a week until he becomes familiar with everything in the shop, then he will be down to 5 days a week. Its great that he can use the education that he went to school for.

He plans on saving up enough for a down payment on his first motorcycle. So we would like to welcome Kevin into the working world, and we wish him the best.

LINDA'S JOURNEY

I dont know if you are all aware of whats going on this month at our house. Linda and a bunch of other people will be traveling to New Orleans to help in the rebuilding effort that is going on there. She will be gone for a while as they travel to the Ninth Ward to lend a hand to some of the people that call this city their home. Her and the church group she is traveling with will be doing some demolition on some of the homes ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. They will be getting these homes ready for rebuilding by demolishing and removing all of the destroyed walls and most of the interiors of the homes so the homeowners can go in and start their rebuilding efforts. So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Family Stuff

For those of you that are interested, here are a few lines about whats going on in our family.

Just three of us left at home now. Two of our kids have moved on and started their own lives in other states.

Kevin, who is currently still at home is finding his way through life and we believe he will be something special when he finds his calling. He is a whiz when it comes to anything mechanical and is trying to persue a career in Auto Mechanics. He enjoys loud music and hanging with his friends. Kind of reminds me of myself when I was his age.

Tina and her family are enjoying life in Ohio and she has been working towards a nursing career. With her attitude and enthusiasm we are sure she will make a great nurse. Both her and Brent are adjusting to their new home and making sure that it is a warm and peaceful place for the boys to enjoy.

Nathan and April have been living in Arizona for a while now and making new friends as they continue to build their careers and making their house into a home. Nathan has been enjoying his creative side by producing paintings for the house and also has been comissioned to paint some creations for various people. April is still workring hard for Countrywide and always seems to be at the top of the workforce when it comes to producing. She has never ending energy and is always willing to help anyone that asks her for advice.

Linda is still enjoying her geneology and is currently scanning all of our pictures in order to preserve our family memories. She seems to always be on the go and taking care of our home. She has filled our house with so many creative things that when anyone visits they usually spend a few minutes just looking around at all of her handywork.

As for me, I just try and keep the sunny side up on my bike and enjoy watching football during the season. I am looking forward to around 7 more years of working and then plan on retiring to enjoy a different life style. Maybe enjoy rest and relaxaton without the everyday pressures.

So as you can see, everything seems to be going well for us. We will keep you posted on any new and interesting things that change in our lives.

Friends

True friends have a way of staying in our lives and shaping every corner of it. Special friends dont always have to be together. It is the feeling of closeness when apart that is true friendship.

I want to thank all of you that have walked into our lives and molded us into the people we are today. From co-workers to childhood friends, there have been many that have lent a shoulder when we needed it and made us laugh when we were struggling. So many have given us joy and happiness. Special friends are the ones that stick with us through thick and thin and guide us through our difficulties.

I have been lucky enough to be married to my most special friend. Anyone that can stand by me for over 22 years is very special. I just hope that you all are able to find that special person to enjoy your life with. Take the time to enjoy life and to enjoy it with a friend by your side. It makes life a little easier and makes the hard times a little less of a struggle.

"People wont care how much you know, until they know how much you care".