August 30, 2012

Woke up at 5:30 am. Did course work until 7:00 am. Took the morning off as Sarah and the kids were leaving for Chico at noon when they picked up Jack from school. After Sarah and the kids left I ate lunch and then went to work. Worked from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Lots of thunder and rain after lunch. In the evening I did some more course work and called everyone in the LIFE group about next Wednesday. Watched some TV before taking a shower and going to bed at 10:00pm. Received a text from Sarah at 11:48 pm saying that she had made it to Chico.

Dinner- Mac and Cheese out of the box and corn on the cob with a diet pepsi on the side.

August 29, 2012

Woke up late at 6:00 am. Did some course work until 7:30 am. Got Jack out the door to school and then brought the camp's vehicle around so the summer staff kids from Vermont (Kyle & Paige Prouty and Sarah and Elisabeth Peck) could load up their stuff. Pulled out for the airport at 9:45 am and arrived shortly after 11:00 am. Dropped them off without incident. Sarah met Crystal McCaughey and Tarrah Pritchett (as well as all of their attendant children) at the playground in the morning. On the way home from the airport storm clouds were gathering and it sprinkled some on the way up the mountain. I stopped by the church to sign checks and ended up talking with Tim Westcott for a while. After dinner, we drove over to the church for AWANA registration night. This is the first time that all of our kids will be in AWANA. Saw the sign up sheet for our LIFE group. We'll have twenty people in our group to start the year, which is a little big, but it looks like it will be a really great group. Watched an episode of Flight of the Conchords season #2 before falling asleep on the couch sometime after 9:30 pm.

Dinner- Two baked potatoes and a glass of water.

August 28, 2012

Received a call from Janet Esparza at 3:18 am to advise me that her brother,John Almon, had fallen asleep in the Lord. Laid in bed for a while praying for the family and thanking God for the time He gave John under the sun. Grateful for John's salvation. Woke up at 5:30 am. Didn't do any course work as I had some other duties that required my attention. Worked from 8:00 am until 4:45 pm. After work I went over to Rey Reyes' house to help him move in a big bay window into a "clubhouse" that he is building for his girls in the backyard. Matt Pritchett and Jeremy Allen also came over and helped move it. Four guys made short work of the job. Rey gave me two zuchinnis out of his garden. Matt Pritchett drove back home with me from Rey's house as we had invited him and his family over for dinner. Had a great time hanging out with the Pritchetts. They stayed until about 11:30pm. Took a shower before bed. Went to bed at midnight.

Dinner- Pasta with chicken and mushrooms, french bread with bruschetta (sp?), olives, and a diet pepsi with ice cream for dessert (Mint Chocoloate Chip and Reeses Peanut Butter Cup).

August 27,2012

Woke up at 5:30 am. Did course work until 7:30 am and then got Jack dressed, fed and ready to depart for a day of kindergarten. Worked from 8:00 am until about 3:30 pm. Took off from work a little earlier than normal as there were some things I needed to do around the house. The McCaugheys came over for dinner around 5ish and stayed until 10ish. Watched another episode of Flight of the Conchords Season 2 and took a shower before going to bed at approximately 11:00 pm.

Dinner- Bacon fried rice, curly coleslaw, beef strips and a cupcake.

August 26, 2012

Sunday- Woke up at 5:30 am. Started Reggie McNeal's book, "Missional Renaissance." Went to church. Before church Annette Sebastian gave me a copy of Andrew Murray's "The State of the Church," which she recommended I read. After church we loaded up the family and drove up to Bruce and Patty Tait's house for a barbecue/party/water fight. We stayed for several hours and I got soaked and felt stuffed from eating so much. Sarah went home with the kids and I continued on to a sendoff party for Paul Kennen who is leaving for college at Simpson University on Tuesday. I took him a Camp Maranatha T-shirt as a gift. Came home to find that the staff girls had come over to watch a movie with the kids. Sarah and I watched an episode of Flight of the Conchords from season 2 before I went to bed at around 9:30 pm. Sarah went over to Katie Bayer's house after I went to bed.

Dinner- Although there was quite a spread at Paul's send off party I couldn't eat any of it as I was still stuffed from the Tait's barbecue so I opted for a late dinner at 7:00 pm which consisted of a big bowl of Raisin Bran.

August 25, 2012

Took the day off. Woke up at 7:30am. Fiddle-farted around the house throughout the morning while the kids watched cartoons. At 1:00 pm watched a pre-season football game between the Redskins and the Colts. Skins looked good, but pre-season has never been a particularly good measure of how the unit will respond during the regular season. During the thrid quarter Sarah took the kids over to the playground to get some energy out. I took a nap. In the evening Sarah and I headed over to a dinner party at Dennis Cavanaugh's house. The VT girls (Paige Prouty and Sarah & Elisabeth Peck) babysat the kids. Went to bed at 11:00pm.

Dinner- Pork Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Fried Vegetables with a virgin mojito and iced tea and Chocolate cake and peach pie for dessert.

August 24, 2012

Last day of Arcadia Band Camp. Woke up at 5:30 am. Did some course work before seeking out Arcadia's director at 7:15 am to see if he needed anything. Hung out at the the house to help get Jack ready for Kindergarten, then I headed out to work myself. I worked until 4:00 pm and then came home to help Sarah get the house cleaned up. We hosted the staff kids for dinner and a movie (Three Stooges Episdodes and Pee Wee's Big Adventure) at my house to celebrate the end of the summer season. I went to bed at 10:00 pm.

Dinner- Chili & baked potatoes, with all the fixins, a brownie,and a Coke Zero on the side.

August 23, 2012

Woke up at 5:00 am, and did two hours of course work. Finished writing an abstract paper on Will Mancini's book, Church Unique. Out the door at 7:15 am to start work for the day, but came back home around 8:00 am to take Jack to Kindergarten. After lunch Sarah took the kids over to the skate park. I got off work at 4:30 pm. After getting the kids in bed Sarah went over to the White's house for a "girl's night." Took a shower and then went to bed at 9:30 pm.

Dinner- White rice, Salad, Steamed Vegetables and a couple of rolls with a glass of unsweetened iced tea.

August 22, 2012

My day off. Got up at 5:00 am and did two hours of course work. Finished reading Church Unique by Will Mancini. Joe Esparza came by to collect his boys at approximately 7:00 am. Still have a runny nose. Clouds gathered until it began raining mid-morning. Sarah had gone over to the playground to meet Crystal McCaughey and her kids, but they took refuge under the band stand's roof. I called and asked if she needed me to come and get her but she said they were fine. With the house all to myself I paid bills, did some banking, and did some reading in the morning. The McCaughey's, including Brandon, came over and joined us for lunch. In the afternoon we took a ringneck snake, which was found here at Camp Maranatha up to the nature center. It is indigneous to the area, but is not commonly seen by people- beautiful olive green color with a reddish belly with a line of black dots along its abdomen, and a distinct reddish ring around its neck. The kids had named it Henry. The Nature Center created a terrarium so the snake could be put on display up there. We were thrilled that they wanted to keep it! They told the kids that they would call it Henry too (Unless it proves to be a girl and then they would call it Henrietta.). They also said the kids had special permission to come see him as often as they like. It was a win win situation. After dropping off the snake I took a nap and Sarah and the kids went over to the Fourroux's house for a while. For dinner, we had a staff party and barbecue at the playground in town. Hung out there for a while and then returned home to give the kids baths and get them to bed. Watched a little news before going to bed at 9:30pm.

Dinner- Two Hot Dogs, Sun Chips, Pasta Salad and a diet coke.

August 21, 2012

Woke up at 5:30 am. Did course work for about an hour and a half. Out the door to work at 7:00 am. Worked primarily in the office. Feeling better today- just a little bit of a runny nose but all other symptoms have gone away. Esparzas called Sarah in afternoon to advise that they had to attend to some family business that would require them to go down to San Diego overnight, and they asked if we could babysit their boys overnight. Sarah agreed. Sarah also covered Joe's shift in the kitchen for dinner. Took off from work an hour early at 3:30 pm. Wrote a short letter to Mom and Dad in the afternoon. Went to bed at 10:00 pm, but shortly thereafter, received a call from Arcadia Band Camp's director advising that there was a bad smell in cabin 20. I went down to investigate and ended up moving the campers from cabin 20 to cabin 9. Back in bed by 10:45 pm.

Dinner- Steamed Vegetables, curly coleslaw salad, and some veggie rolls with sweet and sour sauce.

August 20, 2012

Woke up at 5:30 am. Did school work for an hour and a half before the house came alive. Jack's first day of kindergarten. He wasn't nervous at all as many of his classmates are the same as pre-school, and the room he's in is right down the hall from his old pre-school room. We arranged for a couple of the staff girls (Paige Prouty and Sarah Peck) to be excused from the kitchen to babysit Bowden, Lucy and Miles so Sarah and I could both take Jack over for his first day. Dropped him off without incident. I'm still feeling a little sick but mostly just a runny nose, otherwise fine. Worked a full day. Started work at 7:00 am and left the office at approximately 4:30 pm. Spent a good chunk of the day cleaning up the camp's basketball/volleyball court which was still covered in mud/sand from last week's thunderstorm. The ditch in the State Park next door overflowed and flooded the court, which made a real mess. Jack reported that he enjoyed his first day of Kindergarten and that Ms. Adler was "really nice." Went to bed at 10:00pm.

Dinner- A big bowl of broccoli, a bread stick and some unsweetened iced tea.

Jack's official given name is "John," but we have always called him Jack. It is always confusing to Jack and to Sarah and I when we find him listed as John. Sometimes I'll get mail from the state addressed to John Tate and I only associate that name with my brother of the same name. It is a tad disorienting. Sarah and I are opposed to the practice of giving nicknames as a child's proper given name so we named him John, but in our minds he has only ever been Jack.

Jack with Ms. Adler- 1st day of Kindergarten.

August 19, 2012

Feeling better today though still a tad congested with a runny nose. Woke up at 6:30 am and was only able to get in a half hour of school work before other demands drew me away. Throughout the morning Nanny busied herself in the kitchen making spaghetti sauce. After church, Dennis Cavanaugh came over for a late lunch. It was fun catching up with him although I kept getting interrupted by the arriving campers. Worked for about an hour as Arcadia Band Camp arrived. Nanny left for home in the late afternoon, but before leaving she took the kids down to Strawberry Creek to play in the stream. With all of the rain we have been having it was flowing pretty well. After Dennis and Nanny left, the house felt pretty empty. I went to bed at 9:30 pm.

Dinner- Spaghetti with Nanny's homemade spaghtetti sauce, fried green beans, salad and glass of iced tea.

August 18, 2012

Still sick, but feeling some better- fever gone, more energy and coughing less. Coughs are more productive as well, but now I have some head congestion and a runny nose. Nanny arrived mid-morning and stayed the night. She plans on leaving tomorrow. She filled us in on her recent missions trip to France and the start of her school year. Everyone excited to see Nanny again. Worked throughout the day, mostly cleaning up after the various thunderstorms that have swept through, but also took care of soem office work and a dump run. Mud a couple inches thick on the pool deck and volleyball court which washed over the wall from the neighboring state park. Worked until five pm, and then went home for the day. Threatened rain in the afternoon but it failed to materialize. Nanny took everyone out to dinner. After dinner, Paige Prouty, Sarah Peck and Elisabeth Peck came over and hung out for a bit. Watched the third and final installment of Hatfields & McCoys before going to bed at 11:00 pm.

Dinner- Chinese Food (sizzling rice soup, shrimp fried rice, chicken chow-mein, Tangerine beef, and fried wontons) at the Hidden Village restaurant with a Diet Coke on the side.

August 17, 2012

Still sick today with the same symptoms- low fever, dry cough and little energy. Sarah set up the fantasy football league online in the morning and e-mailed invitations to join to a few people. Caught two mice in the mouse trap- one in the morning and a second one in the late evening. Haven't had any problems with mice in a long time. Worked until just before dinner time. Rained hard in the afternoon. Made a cup of tea and sat on the porch while it rained. After dinner we loaded up the kids in the van and drove over to the coffee shop for a round of steamers. Watched second installment of Hatfields & McCoys with Sarah before bed. Turned in at 11:00pm.

Dinner- Homemade chicken vegetable soup.

August 16, 2012

Not feeling good all day- low grade fever, dry cough and little energy. Texted back and forth with Mom about work going on at the lake house. Mailed a check from the lake account for two new screen doors on the front porch. Worked in the morning and early afternoon, but left work early so Sarah and I could take the kids down to the theater in Temecula to watch "Brave." On the way there we drove through heavy rain, but found lots of sunshine in Temecula- 106 degrees when we got out of the car. After the movie we ate at California Pizza Kitchen before turning the van toward home. In the evening, after the kids went to bed, Sarah and I watched episode #1 of the Hatfields and McCoys mini-series starring Bill Paxton and Kevin Costner. We decided to make a date out of watching installment #2 tomorrow night at 9pm. Went to bed at 11:00 pm.

Dinner- California Pizza Kitchen's Jumbalaya with an unsweetened iced tea on the side.