Squires Fam

Sassafras today!

2011-03-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

Crawling & a Haircut

2011-03-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

I blinked and it's March! Sweet Pea is crawling and growing. Her hair is growing so fast I felt the need to trim her little bangs.

Our attempt at a family photo....

Baby Leggings

2010-09-24T14:48:00.001-07:00

We are having terrific weather here. Cool in the mornings and evenings, and warm in the afternoons. Delightful. I find, however, that it is difficult to dress a baby in layers. Sweaters are a nice idea, but really they just don't work. Jumpers with footsies are really cute (and good for winter time!) but harder to get on and off and a little too hot now for my little one in her swaddle. Onesies are my outfit of choice for their ease and diaper accessibility. My problem? I think baby pants look weird. Enter my solution: baby leggings.

I looked around for leggings at my favorite online store and was rather surprised at the prices. $12 for pants without the bottoms? Not a fan. Then I found My Little Legs! They have leggings for half the price I found from others and they run discounts the more you purchase. I was only going to buy two, but they suckered me into buying four with their discount (it worked!). Plus, free shipping. A golden opportunity.

These leggings have been awesome. Baby gets warm quickly so it is super convenient to just take off her leggings instead of change her whole outfit. When I take her for a run in the mornings, I usually put these on her at first, but as she warms up in the sun I can take them off without hardly having to stop.

Another bonus point for mylittlelegs.com: fast shipping. I ordered them on a Saturday night and received them in the mail on Tuesday. That's two shipping days people. So fast, so free, so great.

I happen to think she looks adorable with them on. Plus, they seem like they will fit her for a long time.

Here she is ready for a run in her leggings with mommy.

The only bummer is that they added some more leggings on their site that are adorable after I bought the four I did. Wouldn't one of these make a great costume for my Sweet Pea?

Ten weeks ago she was in my belly.

2010-09-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned time is going by quickly? When Sweet Pea was about 3 weeks old, I remember asking my friend who had a 9 week old at the time, "How do you make it to 9 weeks??" Each day, while loving our little babe, was crawling by and I couldn't see how 9 weeks would ever be here. She's 10 weeks old today! And all smiles.

Isn't she cute?

This was the day (when she was about 8 weeks old) when I realized that she is starting to fit into her THREE month old clothing. This little footsie outfit looked so big but then it fit! Crazy.

She likes hanging out in our bed in the early mornings before Daddy goes to work.

Thanks Great Grandma for her beautiful quilt, little hat, and book!

I'm so thankful for a bunch of these purple outfits from her second cousins (once removed), K & K. I think she looks fabulous in purple.

I'm also thankful for these two things. Well okay, three. I'm thankful she has feet. But I'm also thankful for these socks she got from her cousin. They're awesome and she has them in practically every color! Also, leggings. Leggings are awesome, particularly these*. I only bought a few, but I wish I could have them all (plus they added some more after I bought mine!) It's been cool in the mornings and evenings, but gets warm in the afternoons, so I can just take them off! Great for Sweet Pea, who seems to get warm rather quickly.

Since being two months old:

She was finally able to meet her Great Aunt Julie & Uncle Dave, with whom she shares a birthday, and of course her first cousins (once removed). I wish I would have remembered to take pictures of them!

She laughs now! It's the best feeling ever to be able to get a laugh from her.

She had her first round of immunizations- hard to watch! I'm thankful for this book- at least I could feel informed about what she was getting and why it was important.

She is tolerating her carseat more, and sleeping more during the day! Yay! She slept 9 hours without eating for the first time a few nights ago! I of course checked on her multiple times because it was so weird. She has since gone back to waking up for her 4am feeding, but maybe a full night sleep is right around the corner? If not, it's definitely tolerable getting up just once at 4.

My world is now immersed in laundry- we're onto cloth diapers now! So far so good. I'm glad for our outdoor clothesline.

Little sweet pea is not so little any more, relatively speaking. She's in the 78th percentile for weight and 66th for height. It's true what they say- she is growing up so fast!

*These leggings deserve a whole post. Stay tuned.

7 weeks!

2010-09-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

Our sweet pea is 7 weeks old! Time seemed to hold still during those first few weeks, but since then it has made up for lost and is going by much faster. We are loving getting to know her, watching her grow and learn, and are becoming quite the efficient diaper changers.

Mainly, this post is for us to remember and look back on her accomplishments.

At seven weeks:

*She's smiling a LOT more, as evidenced by the above photo. Her favorite place to smile is on the changing table- I guess a clean diaper would do that to me, too.

*She is a great night sleeper and a horrible day sleeper. We will take it. She can sleep from 5 to 6 hours at night, but during the day it's tough to get her to stay asleep for 45 minutes. Sometimes my (Carrie's) whole day is spent trying to get her to fall asleep!

*She is finding her voice and making a lot of new sounds!

*She's more likely to wriggle her way out of her swaddle nowadays (Greg calls her Houdini) which just means we have to be more careful to wrap her tight. In efforts to help her sleep longer, we've purchased a Miracle Blanket - a miracle indeed and well worth the $$. She looks like a little baby burrito:

*Getting out of the house with her is still a bit challenging at this point, mainly due to intimidation (what do I do if she has a crying fit in the middle of the store?!) and also because she is supposed to take naps after being up for no more than 2 hours! We've managed to make it to church on Sundays and to a mom's group on Wednesdays. This may seem silly to seasoned moms (especially moms of multiples) but, hey, it's where I am.

*She is clearly recognizing our voices and it sure makes us feel good when we say something from across the room and she breaks out into a huge smile.

*She doesn't really like to be in the car seat so we have to plan trips according to when we think she'll be the happiest. We recently took a long trip north and I rode in the back almost the whole time while offering my finger for her to suck (she doesn't keep a pacifier but we're still trying!).

*She loves her swing except when it's time to sleep.

*We love love love this little babe!

Sacrifices

2010-08-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

There will be plenty and I will readily admit I don't know the first thing about how much or what kinds of sacrifices we'll make for the kiddos (assuming there will be more...?). However, the one I'm sad about today is dairy. It looks as if sweet pea has a mild case of reflux, so I'm eliminating dairy, spicy foods, chocolate, and a whole host of other things from my diet. I just miss cheese and butter. And lattes. But look at this little face. It's worth it for her and for her (read: our) sleep!

How our “all natural” birth plan changed into a cesarean birth story

2010-07-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

We are loving our little sweet pea! (I know “sweet pea” isn’t the most original nickname, but it just seems to fit her.) It does, however, feel like ages ago when she was born (which was really just two weeks ago). For any interested, here’s how she made her debut….

I was a week overdue when we had the chat with our doctor. He was a bit concerned about her position- head down, but not progressing downward like most babies at 41 weeks. There was no clear reason why and he thought the best thing to do would be induce. I remember being so nervous the night before- as if we were flying somewhere (I really don’t like the anticipation of traveling) or as if I was going to speak in public or something. We couldn’t induce at the hospital where we had planed on having her, so I had to quickly adjust my visual to a different hospital I had never been to except on the day previous (hint: not the first adjustment of expectations in this story). When we arrived, I thought the doctor would put me on pitocin right away, but to my relief he said we should start by first breaking my water. The hope was that my body would then go into labor naturally. That hope didn’t pan out, but we spent the next day and a half walking around the third floor of the hospital over and over and over and over again trying to help things along. Friday afternoon came with little change (some contractions, but not much to speak of) and we were ready for something else. So I went on pitocin. And labor came. With strength. I clearly remember wanting to punch anyone who had ever suggested labor without pain medication. The hard thing is that I can’t compare or ever know if that’s what real, natural labor felt like or if it really was worse because of “the pit” (the anesthesiologist called it that and I thought it was fitting). As labor got stronger, I recessed deeper into a strange internal trance. Only focusing on breathing and my happy place, I was less and less aware of my surroundings. Very strange. I do remember at some point though that there were a lot of nurses and commotion going on inside my room. Our doctor appeared and explained to Greg (as I breathed and moaned- never thought I’d be a moaner) that baby’s heart rate had dropped below the acceptable rate for a time and, while it had regained its original rate, this was a sign things were not going as we would hope. We quickly decided that it was not worth putting our little babe through risky stress for a natural birth, so the prep for a c-section began. From there things happened very quickly. The anesthesiologist (who I loved and made me feel so safe) came in to ask me a few questions and I was wheeled down the hall to the surgery room. I can’t describe how wonderful it felt to have the spinal block put in and all my pain magically changed into warm and jello-y legs. Wonderful. Also wonderful was my doctor, who has continued to impress us with his professional yet kind demeanor. Also wonderful was the hospital, where I thought only the mean, anti-breastfeeding and anti-natural nurses worked (wrong). When baby was first delivered and set on a table near me to be cleaned, I couldn't understand how much peace I felt and love and joy all at once. I always thought c-sections were so horrible because baby can’t be with mom right away, but when I was in recovery all I could think about was how I had just had a baby and how amazing that was (all the while trying really, really hard to move my toes so that I could go up and meet baby). No sadness, just a profound peace knowing Greg was with her.

I got to see more of and hold baby about 2 ½ hours after she was born. She was perfect, of course, and seemed to nurse well right away. All in all, I’m not too disappointed with how things turned out. Recovery has been slow, but recovery can be slow with a natural birth too, yeah? Anyway, that’s how it happened.

Here's some documentation- no delivery pictures here (but Greg got some cool ones- so strange to see her being excavated from my belly!).

Me, in pain. Oxygen for baby, hat for surgery.

Greg, excited to meet his girl.

Ready for surgery! Not sure how I mustered up a smile....

Baby meeting mom for the first time.

She came out hungry! Dad's finger had to suffice until she went to mom. Also, she was in the NICU because she had swallowed so much meconium. A reason why this hospital was a better situation- the other hospital has no NICU.

First bath ever!
Baby and mom reunited.

Our Newest Addition

2010-07-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

She's finally here! Born Friday, July 16 at 7:39 pm. 8lbs, 5 oz and 21.5 inches at birth.

Grace

2010-07-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

With my recent gift of free time, I’ve spent a lot of time reading. Last weekend I was getting so tired of reading about babies, nursing, and labor that I was basically desperate for anything different. My first choice would have been a novel but every novel I had seemed uninteresting and the local library was closed until Tuesday. Then I found an older book I had read years before on grace. Specifically, Yancey’s book, What’s So Amazing About Grace? I remember reading it on a train to Beijing and while I’m sure I didn’t finish it on that train ride, I remember being challenged and encouraged by the stories and perspective presented in the book.

Once again, I feel that my basic understanding of grace has been challenged. I can’t wrap my mind around a just and righteous God who also extends such lengths of mercy and grace. Yancey talks about the “atrocious mathematics” of the gospel- how unfair it could seem to us that God extends grace to those who don’t even ask for it (i.e. Saul/Paul on his way to Damascus). “Grace is free only because the giver himself has borne the cost.” I am the recipient of such extensive grace, even when I hide behind my own perception of "goodness." Then comes the realization that God asks—rather, demands—us to show that same grace towards others.

I was particularly moved by this quote from Kierkegaard:

When it is a question of a sinner He doest not merely stand still, open his arms and say, “Come hither”; no, He stands there and waits, as the father of the lost son waited, rather He does not stand and wait, He goes forth to seek, as the shepherd sought the lost sheep, as the woman sought the lost coin. He goes—yet no, He has gone, but infinitely farther than any shepherd or any woman, He went, in sooth, the infinitely long way from being God to becoming man, and that way He went in search of sinners.

Logically, Yancey also talks about forgiveness. He shares story after story of horrible criminals that then come face to face with those whom they have hurt, or families broken by trivial arguments, or countries harboring decades of bitterness towards others. Some of these stories lead to forgiveness and healing, others lead to a bitter and depressing end of no reconciliation and often a spiral of retaliation. Yancey shares this quote from Lewis Smedes, “The first and often the only person to be healed by forgiveness is the person who does the forgiveness…. When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner we set free was us.”

I haven’t finished this second reading of the book yet and while I know nothing I’ve written here is specifically profound, as a whole this book has shown profound truths that I don’t easily recognize in the way I live out my life. “Grace does not depend on what we have done for God but rather what God has done for us.”

Lemon Oat Scones

2010-07-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've had this urge to make lemon scones ever since I discovered the best lemon currant scones at our most favorite local café. I couldn't find a recipe that I was really jazzed about, so I tweaked this one a bit and am pretty pleased at the results. No pictures, but here's the recipe should anyone have a similar craving.

Lemon Oat Scones

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup oats

4 tbs sugar

1 tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbs butter

2 tbs lemon juice

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 tsp lemon zest

3/4 cup dried cranberries or currants

Glaze: a bit of buttermilk and lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl or food processor. Cut in butter and lemon juice until evenly mixed and slightly crumbly. Whisk together the eggs and buttermilk in a small bowl; add 1 tsp lemon zest with the egg mixture to flour mixture, and mix gently just until well blended and forming a dough. Fold in the cranberries or currants.

On a floured surface, kneed briefly and shape into a ball, then flatten slightly. Cut round into six or eight wedges; place on prepared baking sheet or baking stone. Mix some buttermilk with lemon juice and brush each wedge, then top with a sprinkle of sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven until tops are golden brown, about 12-16 minutes.

Notes: I used a food processor to mix up the flour/oats + butter mixture. I used old fashioned oats, but if mixing by hand you may want to try quick oats since they won't get chopped up like mine in the food processor.

False Alarm

2010-07-10T15:00:00.001-07:00

My doctor is on call this weekend, so I've definitely gotten my hopes up that baby should come today or tomorrow. I know, I know. The doc doesn't even get there until the very end, gotcha. But I like my doctor. And I would like it if he was there for the delivery, even though I expect I won't really care in the moment.

Yesterday we had a false alarm. For various reasons that I won't elaborate on here, I thought that there was a chance my water broke. One of those reasons is because I started feeling contractions shortly thereafter. They continued for a few hours, and while difficult to determine when one started and ended, they were more painful that I had experienced in days previous and I thought surely that it was the beginning! Hopes = UP.

Wrong. Everything just stopped. I went to bed thinking, hoping that I would have to wake Greg up in just a few short hours because they had started again and were back with vengeance. Alas, this was not the case. Just a few uneventful trips to the bathroom.

After a very early morning walk, food, and more out and about trips to try and get things going again, I called my gracious on-call doctor. I'm pretty sure there's no way he could have told me not to worry when I explained that my water MIGHT have broken even though I had doubts, so he advised we go to the hospital to get things checked out.

We did and no need to worry- water still intact and I'm hardly dilated. So more walks around the block and more things to bake are in the agenda today and likely tomorrow. I'm glad we went though- I was starting to worry about the whole water breaking thing. This is a not so flattering picture of me on the monitors at the hospital. Hearing baby's heartbeat was a nice reassurance that she's fine and hearing her hiccups made us laugh.

And now I smell like the hospital because I used their soap to wash my hands.

Baby beard in full force. How's it look?

2010-07-03T19:52:00.001-07:00

On being 38 weeks pregnant + sick

2010-06-23T15:57:00.001-07:00

Nothing like a baby to get the ole blog going again, eh? Well, baby isn't here yet but soon to be! Let me say that I would not advise getting the flu when 36 weeks pregnant and then having a lingering cough. It's hard enough to breathe with a uterus the size of a watermelon (tmi?) so add coughing to the mix and you get one miserable mama.

Stay tuned for baby to make her arrival!

SLO Christmas Parade

2009-12-05T09:18:00.001-08:00

Something about our small town parade I just love. I'm sure it has to do with having good company and of course a hot drink in a red cup!

Good company like these girls (plus Shelly!):

Royal Roscoe joined us for the fun too.

And then there were our red cups. Yum.

Lots of firetrucks this year, and we couldn't help but think our nephew Jacob would love this.

And the SLO trolley....

A good parade. I am already looking forward to next year's!

New Hobby

2009-09-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

I was going to title this blog post something like "Our recent comings and goings" when I realized we haven't come and gone at all. It's more like we have a new hobby: yard work. And it's hard work! I've mainly watched from the sidelines as Greg (with help from my brother Kurt) have undertaken work of mass proportions.

We had these massive, obtrusive, water sucking oleanders. Good for the freeways, not for my yard. The first attempt to escort them from the premises involved a heavy duty chain, 4-wheel drive, and one recruitment.

It was unsuccessful. They wouldn't budge, threatening to stay here forever with their poisonous selves. Call for reinforcements!

Bobcat to the rescue, part necessity, part fun.

Hot.

Finally, my contribution. Don't you think this will look like a nice boxwood hedge in a few years?

Next up: the fence. Starting with the posts.

He got up at 6am to do this, ladies and gentlemen! What dedication! What determination!

My handsome man. Making this place our home sweet home!

Chipotle @ San Jose!

2009-08-23T17:55:00.001-07:00

Chipotle twice in one week!?! It must be vacation. We're on the road from the San Jose Airport and should be home shortly. It's been a great vacation. Really encouraging to be with great friends, and to let God show us more of Himself and His plan for us, His kids, as we've stepped away from the day to day life we live. True spiritual rest comes in the quiet.

Dave & Katie's Wedding Day: Toledo, OH

2009-08-21T14:02:00.001-07:00

Dave's been waiting for 08.21.09 for a long time! He even changed his Ohio plates to 082109. He and Katie both are just stoked to get married today. And it's a
beautiful sunny afternoon in Toledo!

Seattle Day 4

2009-08-18T15:39:00.001-07:00

We're heading out from Whidbey and we're on our way
to Toledo tomorrow. We had an amazing time at Jack & Diane's place.
It's an amazing oasis in the forest - like a retreat center.
Definitely relaxing and refreshing.

Seattle Day 3 - Deception Pass

2009-08-17T17:20:00.001-07:00

North tip of Whidbey Island -
Deception Pass. Amazing.

Seattle Day 3 - Whidbey Island

2009-08-17T12:31:00.001-07:00

We took the ferry to Whidbey
Island to Jack & Diane's place. It's an amazing place out here. We're
walking around 'downtown' Langley, and it's a lot like Cambria. And we
tried their coffee shop's iced vanilla latte, which we do in every
town. I give this one a 7/10.

Seattle Day 2 - Uptown Coffee

2009-08-16T09:32:00.001-07:00

We found the original Uptown in
Queen Anne. The other Uptown in SLO is one of our frequent morning
spots. Tastes just as good!

Seattle Day 1

2009-08-15T20:34:00.001-07:00

At the Mariners-Yankees game. It's a beautiful
night in Seattle!

Concerts in the Park

2009-07-24T18:53:00.001-07:00

So far, north county is turing out to be great! This week our good friends Nolan and Rebecca joined us for a picnic dinner at Concerts in the Park in Templeton. It was a perfect cool summer night!

Basil hummus from Trader Joes!

Trader Joes used to have these cookies and I've missed them so! A good find at Costco....

They're coming....

2009-07-24T18:50:00.001-07:00

No More Landlords

2009-07-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

Everyone takes their landlord for granted, I'm pretty sure. Greg mowed the lawn today, and although he seemed to enjoy it, I'm wondering how long household tasks will be "fun" and not burdensome....

I wanted a trash can under the sink like when I was growing up at home. Simple request, right? Turns out these things can be darn tricky to mount on the door. Good thing I took this picture at the beginning. Greg seemed to handle it alright but by the end I was so frustrated I resorted to blogging!

Before and After

2009-07-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

We thought it might be fun to show some before and after pictures of our new place! The before pictures are from the MLS listing that we first saw of the house.... It's pretty funny how different one place can look!

We love this place! And living in Atascadero isn't all that bad either!

Moving Day

2009-07-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

We moved! Moving is only fun if you like the place you're moving to because the actual act of moving is such a pain! We were blessed by all the help we had moving- something like 5 trucks and 10 people so it seemed to go pretty fast.

Some of the guys helping lift the piano into a trailer.

Greg and the guys putting the final things into the trailer. I forgot to take pictures until the very end (because I was working so hard of course) so the guys did WAY MORE than this picture depicts....

Autumn, Emily, and Jessica were a huge help too- helping me finish cleaning and Emily even sacrificed the back of her car for my dirty gardening stuff! Thanks, Em!

The kitchen at the new place had some cleaning out to be done.... This was my task on Friday as the guys put in flooring (see below).

Kurt gives an encouraging word as Greg and my dad finish putting in the last piece of the flooring! Greg's dad was there too lending a hand and many years of fix-it experience!

They worked until past dark finalizing everything.... we were all pretty tired the next day but it was worth it- I love this floor!! Thanks guys for all your help and hard work.

Fun Already!

2009-06-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

It's the first day of vacation and we're having fun already! This morning we headed off to the Monterey Children's Museum....

What a cute family.

Jacob and Abby had fun with Uncle Greg in their firefighting gear.

I thought this was the coolest part- a lifesize bubble!

By the end Uncle Greg had had enough....

So we stopped at Chipotle for lunch.

After lunch Jacob wanted to visit the "wolf" (wharf). We saw a lot of fish and birds.... Look at my handsome man.

And this funny sight.Ummm I can't wait for dinner and neither could Jacob. He wanted the yummy orange fish!

Abby really wanted out of that backpack.

I love my man.

And our family.
Can't wait to see you soon Jason and Kacee!

My day in a nutshell.

2009-05-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

And it feels so good.

Posted by Carrie

Wildflower!

2009-05-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! Thanks so much to those who sponsored us for our Wildflower triathlon- we had a good time! Greg wowed me by running 7:38 minute miles and I... well, I came in at my consistent 10:30. Whatever gets the job done, right? Here are some pictures... (thanks Lindsay & Sada for the great shots!).

It was a great day for weather- on the warm, slightly humid side but clouds came in right before our run to hold off the direct heat. Seriously, I think Jesus heard my prayer because we ran in the middle of the day and it was getting really hot with the sun blazing.

Greg and I before the race. I was nervous before arriving at Wildflower but once we were there I was getting pretty excited about it. Super glad I have my nerdy running hat.

My relay team: Team Hygiene (from water, sanitation, and hygiene... get it? Lifewater theme here). When I crossed the finish line the announcer said "... and here comes Team Hygiene.... Hygiene, uh? How's your hygiene now?" Silly announcer.

Here's Greg running out of the transition area to begin his crazy fast 10K sprint.
And only a short 47 minutes and 19 seconds later he crosses the finish line. I like the way Sada put it- Greg is too fast for his shirt!

All in all, the race went well. At about mile 4, I decided that I don't much like races. I just like to go out on my own and run. It was nice for people to cheer but really I just don't want to be noticed. Having a race helped me train, so I have to think of another motivating factor that will still get me running. First things first though- we're running Miracle Miles at the end of the month so I can't slack off too much! Why do I get myself into these things?

April Update: Easter in Bakersfield, Shaver Lake with Unite

2009-05-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

April's been a busy month. Carrie said today that "I'm just getting over February flying by!". Crazy times.

So here are a few pictures from this past month:

For Easter, we were in Bakersfield. We had another round of 'round the world Ping Pong.

Another weekend later, we surprised Mom and Dad for their 30th Anniversary with a little surprise party. They were shocked.

And last weekend, we went up to Shaver Lake with our Unite group. Highlight for me was card-tossing into a bowl. Five guys in a circle can always create a competition with minimal resources. Some of us were > 75% in some rounds!

Our friends Jen & Joe brought their dogs Roscoe & Bella, which we have adopted as our pseudo-pets. We like these guys...

Carrie got this nice shot from the outside looking in.

And lastly: TapTap Revenge 2 is one of our latest iPhone finds. Just think: Guitar Hero meets DDR... with your fingers. Notice the faceoff position this game requires. Carrie and I often bump heads when she challenges me. She's only beat me once. ;-)

Matt: I want the high score.

Nice Day for a Run

2009-04-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

Went for a run in the coolness of the morning today and it felt fabulous. The last few weeks have been discouraging with sickness and busyness- there just aren't enough daylight hours sometimes. My health especially has been kind of sketchy of late but today I felt no ills. I was running pretty slowly though....

Anyway, Wildflower is next weekend! Both Greg and I lamented this week that this race wasn't a few weeks ago when we both felt better prepared. Our acts are officially in gear now though. If you haven't had a chance to sponsor us for Wildflower, do it here now! We are so close to reaching our goal of $1,000 raised for Lifewater.

This weekend we're headed to Shaver Lake with our small group. We're really looking forward to it, even though the weather doesn't look as warm and sunny as last weekend. Maybe we'll have some pictures to post when we return....

Soccer Tournament in SLO & Camera Testing

2009-04-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

We've had a ton of fun things going on lately... too much fun time, not enough blog time. So though it's been a while, here are a couple from the past few months:

Carrie's getting pretty good with the camera we got last year. She was taking some pictures at a soccer tournament I played in, and she got this one... I was pretty impressed! Ball in focus, right in the middle of 3 dudes (looking kind of awkard, actually). Nice work!

We spent some time in Shell Beach a few weeks ago. It was a pretty cold spring morning, but worth the trip. This one little bird was ridiculously courageous. He let me get so close to him without budging. So I just kept clickin' and he kept posing. I think he was on to my schemes, though. Once I got my last shot, he flew off and I came about 6 inches from getting pooped on.

Two Wheelin in Cayucos

2009-04-03T22:36:00.000-07:00

We took the 2 wheel out last weekend. Carrie didn't want to drive - she figured she'd minimize her risk of losing me (and keep me from doing something crazy on 2 wheels) by riding on the same bike as me. She was right. Kept it nice and slow 'round the turns. At least I didn't do what I did last time.

We had a good time, we'll be back on the bikes again! Thanks mom and dad for letting us use 'em.

Sick

2009-03-04T19:11:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I've been sick. Like, in bed all day sleeping, not going to work, not doing anything, feel like crap sick. And let me tell ya, I'm not a fan. Nothing productive happens. Not like a fake sick day when you kinda feel bad so you stay home and end up cleaning (actually, I've never done that but I imagine some people do). No, these kinds of sick days are pointless. But the most annoying thing is that you know it's pointless. Like today, when I was laying in bed feeling yucky all over and I started feeling depressed because I hadn't done anything productive in the last 48 hours. Not even made the bed because I was still in it.

Luckily, I think I'm on the up and up. I even took a shower and made the bed... and then took a nap on said made bed. I haven't been out of the house in two days but tonight Greg is speaking at an event so out I go (the real reason for the shower). Let's just hope I don't encounter any set backs! I got work to catch up on tomorrow!

A Lesson in Parenting

2009-02-17T21:27:00.001-08:00

Well, not really. We babysat a lamb. A little lamb, only about a week old. It's a long story, but basically this little Cal Poly lamb was one of a few in a litter so the mother rejected it (too many to handle apparently). So Matt and Sada (our friends, Matt teaches at Cal Poly) who help out with the lambs took this one home for the weekend. They wanted to go out to dinner tonight so we watched Penny.

She liked to prance all around the house and then she suddenly plopped herself down in front of Greg and curled up at his feet!

How could you not want to snuggle with this cute little lamb?

Wildflower and Lifewater

2009-02-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

Greg and I have taken up running. Not sure how that happened for me, but it's okay because it's a good thing. Actually, it probably has to do with my workplace, since athletic events turn out to be a good place to raise money!

Come May 3, Greg and I are participating in the Wildflower Triathlon. We're part of a relay team (separate teams) and are each participating in the running portion of the triathlon- a 10k. This is also great because a few weeks later we'll be climbing Half Dome, so we'll be in tip top shape!

We're running in Wildflower to help raise funds and awareness for Lifewater International (my a fore mentioned workplace) and the need for safe water, adequate sanitation, and effective hygiene in our world today. This is how you can help (warning: action item): sponsor us!

Go to http://www.firstgiving.com/gregandcarriesquires and there you will find a really easy way to sponsor us for Wildflower. Absolutely all of your donation goes directly to Lifewater. We're trying to raise $1000 so we need a lot of you to help! Did I mention it's a fully tax deductible donation?

Also, we need a different donation page picture. Any ideas?

Rainy Saturday Reflections

2009-01-24T16:52:00.001-08:00

What better to do on a rainy Saturday than laundry, make salsa, and drink tea? I could skip the laundry but the tea so far is great! That's how boring we are today. I did manage to go to lunch with a dear friend at The Natural Cafe and it was so good- both the food and the company.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how blessed we are. I want to cherish every moment of living here- even if we always do- because we love it here. I want to be okay with not having kids yet and cherish the Saturdays I have alone with Greg. I want to be okay with the car I drive and not wish I had my truck back! I want to enjoy our little place and not always be thinking of a house to live in someday. There is so much warmth in contentment. We are so blessed- to live in this place, to enjoy going to work each day, to come home to each other. The Lord is good. And the thing is, he will always be good, even if we don't have a nice place to live, or good jobs or jobs at all, or even each other to come home to. The Lord is good to all, he has compassion on all that he has made.

So since I've been thinking about these things and about how blessed we are right now, I am starting to be afraid of messing it up. Like making a decision that changes something and then never being able to go back to what was. It's a nice reminder that the Lord is good, he's constant, and that even when we have seasons of hardships, he will be there with us to guide us along. I know because I've had these seasons. Seasons of frustrations and pain, of disappointment and discontent. He was there then, he's here now, and he'll be here in the future. It's simple, maybe trite to some, but it's true and I'm clinging to it.

Crafternoon

2009-01-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

Last weekend our friend Ruth had a crafternoon for all of us ladies from the Bible study. I'm now working on my very first knit scarf! I didn't take too many pictures since I was busy learning to knit, but we had a great time! I can't wait for the next one....

Ruth showing Shelly and I the ropes.

Jen working on her sewing project We have all sorts of crafy things on crafternoon.

Small Things Challenge

2009-01-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

Intel is doing a "Small Things Challenge" campaign, where they donate 5 cents to Kiva for each person that clicks a couple times on this website. Go do it yourself.

70 degrees on New Years Day?!

2009-01-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed the day off Thursday - we headed out to Shell beach and thought we'd need to bundle up for a cold winter day... but not on New Years Day! It was 70 degrees in Shell Beach. And awesome. We've been testing out our fisheye adapter, so here's one shot from the day:

Happy 2009!

Our Christmas Tree

2008-12-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

We love having a real Christmas tree, but it came down today. Christmas is over and the new year is soon! Here are some random fun facts about our Christmas tree:

1. We bought ours at The Home Depot. Not ideal, but the price is right.
2. It only smells good for the first week. Then, kinda stale.
3. We feel nice when we wake up in the morning and walk into the living room to see our tree all lit up.
4. It also makes us feel good when it's gone. We appreciate even the slightest extra room.
5. Our tree is decorated in white lights with red, white and silver ornaments. Simple is the way we like it.
6. Its final resting place is our green waste trash can (this year's pic to come).

Farewell, O Christmas Tree. It's been real.

Not white, but still good (and cold!)

2008-12-29T16:17:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful Christmas has passed. We had such a good time seeing family. After visiting Bako we headed up north to see the Squires family. Our highlight continues to be spending time with our nephew and niece but of course we loved seeing everyone!

Christmas Eve 2008

2008-12-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

Tour de California is in full swing. We're having a great time seeing family and enjoying some vacation time. Here are a few pictures from Christmas Eve with the Chesney/Gloeckler families on Christmas Eve...

Spent the morning blowing away leaves piled up from the fall.

Gloecklers

We did a white elephant gift exchange for the first time as a family. Let's just say - we'll have some good white elephant gift options next go 'round.

Never a dull moment with monkeys around

Annual Chesney family picture

Gingerbread Fun

2008-12-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

Last night we gathered with some friends to make a gingerbread house! Jenny made a yummy chili and cornbread dinner and then we ate way too much candy and frosting in the gingerbread house creation. Thanks to Nolan for taking these sweet pictures!

A Lighthearted Spin On More Bad News

2008-11-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

It's pretty sad and dreary to read any news headlines these days. Recession, unemployment, foreclosures, failing businesses - each downfall leading to more of the same. So, in an effort to do our part and stimulate a struggling economy, we ventured to the soon-to-be-out-of-business Mervyns. Both of us grew up shopping at Mervyns, so we shared a brief moment of sadness as we walked in the door. Then, we were greeted by some ironic and contradictory signage that had to be shared! ''We're going out of business next month, but we're hiring too! ... Any takers? Anyone?''

More Roommate Fun

2008-11-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

I'm still reminiscing about last weekend, so I thought I'd post more pictures. Every weekend I remember how much I love living in SLO.

We had to show Scott Big Sky for breakfast. YUM.

I love this man.

Although differently, I love this girl too.

Don't you want to live here too?

It's always fun...

2008-11-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

when the roommates come to visit. We're having a wonderful weekend. The roommates (minus Jenni unfortunately) are here in SLO to visit for the weekend. Its been awesome.... The weather has been cool and rainy, but it hasn't spoiled our fun one bit. We've hit all the fun spots today - Bishops, Frank's, Linneas, Cal Poly Football. And we celebrated mine & Emily's birthdays at Madonna Inn - a big slice of cake for sure. :-) hope your weekend is grand as well.

Uganda Musings

2008-10-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

Never fear, my husband's short lived bachelor days are over! I'm back from the land of mosquitoes, red dirt, and monkeys. All in all, it was a fantastic trip. I had almost forgotten what jet lag was like and then it was so kind to remind me. Suffering through, but I think I’ll make it.

We were able to see so much in such a short time! First there was the soccer tournament. It was so fun to see the culmination of something that had been in the works for so long. Essentially, each community who had a team in the tournament needed to implement key sanitation and hygiene elements in their community. It was fun to hear stories about guys in their 20s who became advocates for latrines for every household! Awesome. We were also able to see some water projects and visit some areas where projects will begin shortly. My favorite part was when we visited a community that sang for us with thumb pianos and big drums about how thankful they were for sanitation and hygiene education. Someone said to me later, “They have tasted the goodness of sanitation and hygiene.” How true it is.

Here are just a couple pictures.

These kids go to a school in a community called Otongo. Our partner repaired this pump which had been broken for five years!

Meet Beatrice. She lives in a community called Adw (ah do). The hand pump that her community relied on broke a few months ago, so she is forced to use this polluted spring for her water. Can you imagine? I was told the pump broke from lack of maintenance, which comes from a lack of funds. Apparently, the people in this community have prioritized food and shelter over water. I can hardly imagine making a choice like that. They have recently returned from an IDP camp due to insurgency in the area. I was told they've only been back for about a year.
The countryside is beautiful and the people are so kind and welcoming. I am so thankful that I got to go!

Why I love my wife

2008-10-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Here I am, on day #13 as a bachelor. As duly noted by my lovely wife in the last post, Carrie has spent the last 2 weeks in Uganda! She's currently in-the-air on her way back, and needless to say - I'm very excited to see her. She's had a great trip and has seen some awesome things. Stay tuned for updates on the blog here in the next week or two...

So, we've been married for two+ great years, and this time apart eerily reminds us both of our long-distance days while dating in a foreign country. Phone calls on Skype, several text messages back and forth throughout the day (yes, we've been internationally-texting to and from Uganda!) - it has certainly brought a refreshing reminder of how blessed I am to have such a wonderful wife.

After 13 days of bachelor-reflection, I've realized how different my life would be if I was not married to Carrie:

1. I would find a way to fill every minute of my day. (she helps me rest)
2. I would just be way too busy, and then crash and burn after weeks of endless "stuff".
3. I would work more and work later. (she brings me home.)
4. I would be missing out on some of the most joyful times of my life. (she makes me smile)
5. I would eat poorly. (confessions: frozen pizzas, taco bell, etc.)
6. I think I'd be a little more serious about life. (she helps me make things light-hearted.)
7. I would not have a person in my home that encourages and challenges me in just the right ways at just the right times.

There are several more I'm sure. I'm so blessed to have a beautiful wife that has changed my life for the better. Can't wait to see her tomorrow and have her back.

Leaving on a jet plane....

2008-09-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

I leave for Uganda on Tuesday! Crazy how fast that snuck up. I have mixed emotions today- I am sad about leaving Greg and feeling silly for feeling sad (and emotional, I'll admit it). I am excited to see another part of the world, taste another type of food, and love another type of people. Today, though, it's overshadowed by the stress of packing and sadness of leaving (for two whole weeks!). Oh man. It's SUCH a good thing we don't have any kids or this would be impossible!

Visiting good friends

2008-09-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

We've been busy lately, but it's been a good busy. This past weekend we were able to connect with some friends we haven't seen in a while and it was so refreshing (although I am blogging now basically to have something to do so I don't fall asleep, we're refreshed in other ways). We were on stint with Josh & Beth and Duv a few years ago so the weekend brought with it a lot of Chinese (language and food) and fun times. We even got to meet Duv's girl Katie who was really fun to get to know. All in all, a good weekend.

We all played a fun and CLOSE game of mini golf. Top moments include hole-in-ones for me and B.Roo and an amazing unexpected birdie to tie the Duvs up by Katie.

The girls. I was soooo tired from my red-eye and you can totally tell from this picture but I thought I'd put it up anyway.

The dudes all wore plaid shorts on Friday. Goofs.

Now I'm it!

2008-08-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

There are so many things about which to post! Our Yosemite trip, our favorite nephew and niece we can NOT get enough of, our 2nd anniversary... the list goes on. BUT I've been tagged by my sis (in law, but still one of only two sisters I've ever had) and so here goes...

Four jobs I've had:
1. Maintenance worker at the Cal Poly Horticulture unit (fell through a greenhouse doing this!)
2. Assistant manager at a real apple farm with real apples
3. Salesperson at the worst souvenir shop on the Jersey shore
4. Poinsettia grower

Four movies I’ve seen more than once:
1. Sound of Music
2. An Affair to Remember
3. Patriot Games
4. Bourne Etc. (I’ve seen all of them at least 3 or 4 times…)

Four TV shows I watch (this was hard since we have no tv… so some are relics):
1. The Office (duh)
2. Arrested Development (even though it is no longer… sniff)
3. 24
4. West Wing (Edutainment)

Four places I’ve been:
1. China
2. Dracula’s Castle in Transilvania, Romania (true story!)
3. Yosemite ;)
4. Texas (I know, can you believe it??) That’s for you, J-dub

Four People who email me regularly:
1. Greg (it’s true!)
2. Emily, Amy, Jenni (they count as one)
3. My Dad
4. Bible study people

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Grilled veggies with Greg’s special seasoning (you know how I like em- with grill marks!)
2. Woodstock’s Pizza (how tragic, how true)
3. Trader Joe’s brownies
4. Pumpkin and ricotta cheese filled tortellini at Buona Tavola

Four things I’m looking forward to in the next year:
1. Making my first quilt
2. Traveling to Uganda for the first time (first time to Africa, really)
3. Running my first 10K
4. Getting to know my brothers and sisters in-law more (and I'm not just saying that! We had such a fun with with you all and I can't wait for more times like that)

Sorry it took me a while, Meg, but it was fun! Now I tag EMILY because this seems like something she wouldn’t want to do but in the end would have fun doing it. Now you have to, Em!

Best Dentist in San Luis Obispo

2008-08-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but for me it's nice to have a good dentist that you enjoy visiting. Some people have been known to have bad experiences, but don't be misled, those fears and anxieties go away when you see a great dentist like Dr. Leroux. We really like our dentist. He's a great guy with a great staff. Every time we go in, we're greeted as if we were visiting an old friend's house. They always ask us questions about what's happening in life, and they seem to genuinely care. I'll admit, it's a little tough to be excited to go to the dentist to get my gums poked on, but it's much more bearable when you have some nice people to look forward to.

So, you may already have a dentist in San Luis Obispo, but if you're in the hunt for one, we highly recommend Dr. Leroux at Palm Dental Care. He'll take care of you.

Chinese Olympics & Fried Rice

2008-08-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

This might be one of the best Friday nights we've had in a while. I'm convinced that the harder you work during the week, the more refreshing are your restful weekends. I've always been a work hard - play hard kind of guy, so lately it's been just that.

To celebrate the kickoff of this well-deserved weekend, we combined some Day 1 Chinese Olympics with some homemade fried rice. Both Carrie and I couldn't get the thought of some kind of Chinese food away from our growling stomachs for some reason (I'm convinced that visits to American Chinese restaurants will have a nice peak this summer as Americans watch the Olympic games in China, but we'll see). Speaking of the Olympics, did you know that MSNBC is offering live and on-demand coverage of all of the Olympic events, including badminton, fencing, and even JUDO?? We've been enjoying some soccer tonight.... Though Japan had at least 4-5 close goal attempts, the US pulled away with a 1-0 victory in its first match.

the wok finally got a little action...

Saturdays are generally stupendous.

2008-08-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

Saturdays are officially my favorite day of the week. Not only do I usually get to spend every waking moment with my honey, but we get to do all sorts of fun things. Today, we woke up in our truck (we went "camping" last night), took in the fresh air and breathtaking view of the city from above on our mountain, helped Kurt move (see picture below), and then when we were dripping with sweat and almost overheating, ran into the ocean to cool down. It's great living by the beach.

August 1 = Apples

2008-08-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's finally here... apple season. Gopher Glen opens today, and this is my afternoon activity:

Lifewater Update & Carrie's New Job

2008-07-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that about a month ago I (Carrie) started a new job at Lifewater International. It's a Christian development organization that focuses on water development, with sanitation and hygiene education. In short, I love it. I'm in the Development & Communications department and I help with all the incoming grants and reporting and stuff. I've said this to many of you, but it's like my dream job I never knew I wanted. I'm still learning a lot and am still being trained, but don't feel as overwhelmed as I did at first. As with any job, there is a lot to learn right away just about the organization in general, not to mention my specific job.

It's also pretty amazing what Lifewater does. We work in primarily in Africa, Asia, and South America with partner organizations to help train them in well drilling, pump repair, hygiene, and sanitation education. Did you know that out of 6 billion people on this earth, 1.1 BILLION don't have access to safe water, and 2.4 BILLION don't have access to a sanitary latrine? The former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said: “We shall not finally defeat AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, or any of the other infectious diseases that plague the developing world until we have also won the battle for safe drinking water, sanitation, and basic health care.”

It's intense stuff and the more I am learning about our world's water crisis, the more I am glad to be working for who I work for. It's an amazing thing to hear about communities whose women used to spend hours of their days walking and carrying water (most often contaminated) for their families, and who now only have to go to the pump in the center of their community for water that is safe and clean. It's also an amazing and shocking thing to hear how many communities and women for which it is still reality to walk many miles each day to reach a water source. The following is a story about two women whose lives have drastically changed. Learn how you can help- click on the picture below and read what real people face every day.

My favorite picture of all time is this little boy- I love to look at his little face and know he has access to safe water in his community!

Nolan & Rebecca Henderson's Wedding

2008-07-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

Friends' weddings are great. My dorm-buddy from 7 years ago got married in SLO this past weekend. They had an awesome wedding with great weather and a fun mix of friends and family. Seems like forever ago that Nolan & Rebecca got engaged (and I'm sure they concur), so we're stoked that they're finally married! Here are some pics from the day...

One goof, the other norm.

The other goof, the other norm. If you don't know these guys, it's a pretty accurate assessment of their similarities. Both goofs.

Nolan, gettin' his moves on... Zoolander style.

The ceremony at Grace Church.

Weddings are great for reunions of sorts, so naturally, a picture of some college friends.

Tim Keller at Google

2008-06-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Author and Minister at Redeemer Presbyterian Church Tim Keller wrote a book titled The Reason for God. I haven't read the book yet, but I've heard some of Keller's sermons and have been challenged and encouraged by his words and perspective. He was invited to speak at the Google headquarters and gave a fabulous but brief talk on some of the main points of his book. Here's the video- I was really glad that I took some time to listen to what he has to say....

The Future of The Office

2008-06-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

Good news! I just read this today and rejoiced with joy! This ensures the future of our beloved show for at least a few more seasons. If you don't already watch The Office, you'd do well to start now!

Spears in Burbank and Disneyland

2008-06-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

We took a road trip to Burbank this past weekend. We love our friends - the Spears - so much that we had to travel down and see them. Jeremy works at Disney in the Animation Studios, and Lisa is an architect. They're loads of fun. Since Jeremy works at Disney, he has super secret VIP passes that even get people like us in the park for free! So we had a blast. Rode thunder mountain 4 times. And I mastered the Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, which was definitely my highlight.

Ridiculous Record Breaking Temperatures

2008-06-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

I'm hot. I was welcomed home from work today with a 90-degree indoor temperature. It was a little toasty today ... 104° in San Luis Obispo today according to Google. Let's hope this doesn't happen again soon.

See it for yourself... I tell no lie!

Sunset Drive In and some Beach Bocce Ball

2008-06-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

We've been eager to welcome the summer this year, though "summer" doesn't mean much change anymore (as it did years ago), other than warmer days and more evening sunlight. We have aspirations for summer camping trips to Big Sur and Santa Barbara, fishing trips to Kings Canyon, and time with family and friends when not on the jobs.

To kickoff the summer, here are some of our most recent activities ...

A trip to the Sunset Drive In - San Luis Obispo's finest movie joint. We saw Indiana Jones, and were pleased with Harrison Ford's performance. We didn't stay for the second feature cause we were falling asleep!

I personally love hearing about the drive in's daytime "Super Sunday Swapmeet", where the aristocrats of society gather to trade goods. I've never been, but I've heard it's loads of fun.

We played some bocce ball at Cayucos beach with the family this weekend. Victories and teams were appropriately balanced. We ended the day with giant juicy burgers from Sylvesters.

Bargain Shoppers...?

2008-06-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday. I don't usually work on Sundays but it's also the 1st, which means payroll ended yesterday. Which also means I had to go into the frog to run payroll and do a few other things.

In an attempt to be like our friend Jen, Greg (while I was working at the Frog) went to Vons to get a few things and to attempt to buy enough stuff to get free movie tickets. Currently, Safeway/Vons is running a deal where if you buy $40 in select products, you can get vouchers for two free movie tickets.

We're not experienced coupon shoppers like Jen, but we figured since we didn't need any actual coupons, maybe we could come out on top. Maybe. (Barring the fact that Vons is ridiculously over priced, in our humble opinion.)

So Greg hunted around for the "select items" while adding up the total in his head, making sure he got to $40 but not too much over. So basically we now have things that we don't really need but could eventually eat. I.E.
Vodka Pasta sauce (yum, but we just bought 3 regular pasta sauces at Costco on Saturday)
Cookies for Bible Study (I would have had to buy something for that anyway)
10 yogurts (our normal work snack food)
Fruit Popsicles (we have fudgsicles in the freezer)
Tuna (again, some in the cupboard that we've had a while...)
Bean dip (?)
Licorice (good movie snack to go with our tickets, plus Greg loves the stuff)
Crispix (reminds me of my dear grandmother)

And a few other things. Greg was pretty sure he'd gotten $40 worth, but the cashier couldn't tell him until she had processed the purchase. As it turns out, he was a bit short! She didn't want to return all our stuff besides the 2 things we did need, so she told him to talk to the manager. It must have been one of those days for the manager, because he didn't want to deal with it and just gave Greg the movie vouchers.

So basically, we got 2 $20 movie tickets and some random stuff to eat. We probably didn't come out on top but at least we tried. I say we should take some of this stuff back but that wouldn't be very honest. Besides, taking stuff back to the grocery store is weird and sometimes embarrassing. One time I took back sugar and the lady gave me a strange look... but that's another story for another day. Also, we had tuna melts for lunch.

Mother's Day in SLO

2008-05-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

We had quite the eventful Mother's Day in San Luis Obispo. We invited all of Carrie's family (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) to join us at the park in SLO to celebrate the moms. My (Greg's) mom came down as well. We had a great time, and as the pictures show, the highlight was the all-too-competitve whiffle ball game, which ended in quite the thrill.

Uncle Dave, showing his bloody lip following the bottom of the ninth, tie-game, 2-out slide at home.... As he raced home to score the winning run, I tagged him out with a diving tag. He ended up with a bloody lip from the dive, and we ironically ended in a tie! I told you it was pretty darn competitive. Great times had by all. (I hope.)

Brother Kurt, looking Brandon-Webb-like in all his DBacks gear.

Uncle George at the plate...

Ethan, trying to fight off wicked curves from his big cousin (Kurt)

Bishop's Peak

2008-04-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

We love Bishop's Peak! Here are some pictures from the top on a particularly clear day....

Unite Service Day at Alpha Academy

2008-04-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Our small group got together this Saturday to volunteer at the Alpha Academy in SLO, a program that exists to "mentor young adults seeking direction in acquiring the spiritual, emotional, and physical skills necessary to lead successful, responsible, lives." We spent a few hours digging holes and planting a bunch of trees around the grounds. We had a blast! Doing things like this on a Saturday is one of the best ways to spend some weekend time. Plus, it was a good chance for our group to get some time serving together. We meet weekly for Bible study, and sometimes hang out for dinner and other activities, but we don't often do service projects together that can impact the community like this. Some pictures below:

The Alpha Academy is doing some cool stuff, and they're figuring out ways to run a service organization through profitable enterprise. They run a pet resort at the same location and often sell used cars to generate revenue. Its located on Buckley Road, just down the street from Shopatron, where I work.

Greg Squires - Dominican Republic Trip Part 5

2008-04-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

What follows is a summary of some final thoughts on microfinance after going to the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago. It is the last of our part 5 series on our trip...

Overview
One of the main reasons microfinance organizations exist is because capital is not accessible to the world's poor. Banking systems and lending institutions that are common in the developed world are not common in the developing world. Most credit that is available to people carries ridiculous interest rates. The 5/6 rule is one way this plays out - a loan shark gives $5 to someone in the morning, and requires re-payment of $6 by night. Though it doesn't sound ridiculous at first, this works out to 6000% effective annual interest.

3 Key pieces to a MFI
1. Systems/technologies - software to run the program, loan packages, operating procedures
2. People - finding the right people can be a limiting factor for a Christian MFI, if a requirement for employment is a fruitful walk with Jesus. Other 'Christian' MFIs have compromised this by hiring non-Christians to do the work, placing physical needs as a higher priority than the spiritual. This isn't necessarily wrong, but if you are trying to reach people with the Gospel, you have to have people in place who will communicate it. Employing believers is the way to do so. The success of a Christian MFI is very dependent upon the loan advisors' fruitful walk with Jesus. If they are living out their faith and growing in the Lord, there will be spiritual impact of the program. Otherwise, there is only physical transformation.
3. Capital - a large portfolio of funds to be used to give loans

MFI Organizational setup
loan recipient - receives the loan
loan officer/advisor - meets with 45 loan recipients in a bi-monthly bank meeting, conducts training on health, business management, familial issues, etc.... collects repayments from clients, makes sure that the loan is being spent on developing the business and not on frivolous things, can share the Gospel in context of these relationships, this position often filled by a local.
loan supervisor - sometimes a local, sometimes a foreigner, oversees the loan advisers.
branch manager - oversees the branch
country director - leads the country's banking systems and multiple branches.

Microloans
Loan recipients typically receive $50-$500 for spending on their small business. This is typically paid back in 4-6 months. After performing well on their first loan, clients often take a second or third loan. Interest rates on these loans are given at market rate --1-4 percent per month, or 15-40 percent annual interest rate, which is much better than they could get otherwise. The interest is used to run the program, just as a bank would use it to pay its employees and fund the operation.

MFI Repayment Rates
We've often heard that microfinance repayment rates are upwards of 95-99 percent. This number is a group repayment rate. This means that as clients receive loans and cannot pay them back for some reason, the group pays that money back, which is called "social collateral". This high repayment rate is not an individual repayment rate, which is an important distinction to make.

Local Learning
One thing I realized while on this trip is that local entrepreneurs know their business best. The best person to ask about how to sell wheelbarrows in a small rural town of a third world country is the guy who has been doing it for a living for 20 years! He's the expert. He has to think about marketing his products, hiring sales people, hiring laborers to help build the wheelbarrows, etc. I had sort of an "A-ha" moment when I realized that entrepreneurs like these guys face the same business management issues that we do in our businesses. Many of the principles are the same; they are just in a different culture and economy. Also, before receiving a loan, a client goes through 5 sessions to learn about how to run a small business... (simple accounting principles and price calculations, hiring/managing employees, work ethic, etc.)

Dominican Republic Trip Part 4

2008-04-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

This next story is probably my (Carrie’s) favorite. We met a woman named Milan who received her first loan several years ago. Her business was sewing clothing. Through the loan process and her relationship with her loan officer, she became a believer. The way she describes her friendship with her loan officer (another woman) we could tell how much love and care she had for her. Before she was a believer, she would spend much of her savings on gambling. Once she accepted the Lord, she wanted to do something more significant with that money. She realized that sewing, while she was good at it, was not her passion, but that she longed to give the children living on her street and in her neighborhood an education. So, Milan started a school in her own house. She was committed to not only teach them, but feed them (as most come from very poor families without much money for food) and also clothe them (since she is skilled at sewing). Well, her school grew until today where it has completely taken over her house and is at full capacity at around 250 students. Each student pays a fee to attend the school, but since most are from very poor families, many children’s tuitions are subsidized by donations from Esparanza and others. At the end of 2007 she had been able to purchase a piece of vacant property two doors down from the school, and a two-story school building that is much bigger than her former house is just being completed so she can accept more children. See below for a picture of the neighborhood. The school will be the nicest building around.

When we walked into the school we were greeted with many smiling faces and “hola” as we made our way to the back. I was amazed at how many children had fit into such a small room (no fire codes, apparently!). You should definitely check out this video we found done by the folks at Hope. It’s really neat as you get to hear Milan’s heart as well. You can see all the kids squished into the rooms too.

The school she talks about building is the school I mentioned and the building we were able to see almost completed. So cool! And the guy that speaks at the end is Daniel, who was so hospitable to our group- he was our “tour guide” who drove us around and who took Greg, Erik, and I on Saturday around Santo Domingo (the capital) before our flight home.

Milan school video:

<< Read DR Trip Part 3

Dominican Republic Trip Part 3

2008-04-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

Most of the people and businesses we were going to see were not in the same community. So, we did a lot of driving and it was great to see the countryside and some small towns and get a glimpse of life in the DR. Sugar cane production was everywhere and we drove by several baseball fields with games going on. Baseball is huge in the DR. Every little boy’s dream is to play in the major leagues in the States.

Admittedly, part of the fun was the conversations we had in the van while driving to our destinations. To give you an idea, here’s a brief list of every one on the trip’s job: 2 HOPE employees (microfinance experts extraordinaire! That’s for you, Chris), 2 Dominican Esperanza employees, a software engineer, a marketing director, an entrepreneur/YWAM guy, an equities investor, a student, and us. So we had discussions ranging from microfinance (since obviously we had that interest in common) to business development, personal lives/loves, cattle farming (we saw a lot of cattle in the DR and one guy had a ranch in TX), meat cuts (a lot of us like meat), etcetera. It was fun learning about each person and coming away from the trip learning from and really blessed by each and every one. Ah, the body of Christ.

Another entrepreneur/loan recipient was a man by the name of Jose. We knew when we had arrived because there were red wheelbarrows lining the street. He makes the best wheelbarrows around. Self proclaimed, but totally confident to stand behind his quality product! He was awesome. He showed us his work space and the tools he had been able to purchase with his loan. Capital is very hard to come by in third world countries, so when entrepreneurs like Jose can get access to funds to develop his business, the results are amazing. He also has been able to hire a few employees to help him build.

We asked if he waited for wheelbarrow orders to come in or if he sold them “retail” (so to speak) and he said he just continually makes them and they continually sell- orders or bulk or individual sales. He is a father of two little girls, and is in the process of building an upstairs for his family to live in (they currently live in a small room with dirt floors). When we asked him how the loan had impacted him, he of course told us all about his business and how he had been able to expand. But he also explained a bit of how the Lord has changed his life- he and his wife had been separated and he was learning how to make his marriage more of a priority in his life.

<< See DR Trip Part 2

>> See DR Trip Part 4

DR Trip Part 2

2008-04-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

To read part one, scroll down or click here.

The first entrepreneur we were able to visit with and see her business was a woman from the bank meeting (see previous post). She and her husband have 3 small children, and from what we could tell her husband commuted to work a distance away from their community. Her business was that of a food stand of sorts. A mini-market filled with snack items, drinks, and cooking goods. This woman’s face came alive when she told us about her business- what she does, how she gets the supplies, what it has meant to her family. As we were talking with her she pointed out the concrete house in construction next to her mini-market. With her savings from her business, she and her husband are able to build a better house for their family.

<< See DR Trip Part 1
>> See DR Trip Part 3

Trip to the Dominican Republic, Part 1

2008-04-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

We have recently returned from the

Dominican Republic

! “What?” you say. “I didn’t know you were going there?!” Yep, we did. It was a very short trip- we left Wednesday night and returned Sunday morning. So for a whole 48 hours we were in the country! The following is the beginning of a 5 part series of our trip: the why, how and what we did.

Since college, we’ve both been interested in something called business as mission. If you don’t know what that is, you should do a bit of research on your own by following the links in this sentence. A main thought behind business as mission is pursuing profitable business that directly meets needs of the world's poor. Specifically within business as mission, we have been intrigued by microfinance - simply put, granting small loans to 3rd world entrepreneurs to jumpstart their business. Lacking collateral to receive typical loans, microfinance uses “group capital” - a way for people who don’t typically have anything in value to offer collateral for a loan, so a group of 5 or so will vouch to pay for each other should one not be able to make a payment. And the thing is- it’s working! Most microfinance organizations have a group repayment rate of 97-99%. For us, this means little unless the good news of Jesus Christ as a hope for this temporal life is also being shared through the microfinance program. When we heard about the opportunity to go with Hope International and check out what this looks like in practice we couldn’t say no.

We took a redeye from LAX to Miami Wednesday night. Redeyes are no fun. This picture is of us nearing the end of our last flight. When we arrived in Santo Domingo Thursday afternoon we were pretty wiped out but excited to be there. We met with some awesome people from Hope who showed us around for the weekend as well as some unforgettable new friends who also joined us on the trip.

On Friday we accomplished most of the trip’s objectives. One of the first things we did was to join a bank meeting. This bank was made up of 9 groups of five, lead by one loan officer. At the meeting, each client gave his or her payment for that week (they meet bi-weekly). When someone is absent or cannot make their payment, the group is required to come up with that person’s share. This doesn’t mean that they are more than willing to do this, and in fact we saw first hand that this can bring frustration from the group members (which is another reason why it helped to understand that the groups are formed by choice of each group member). Also at these bank meetings they have educational workshops where the loan officer shares some sort of education on disease, spirituality, business training, etc. This picture shows one of the loan officers giving a workshop.

We were able to ask a few of the clients about their business. This is one man sharing about how his loan has helped him in his butchery business. This was one passionate 80 year old butcher!

After this, we were able to visit several clients and their businesses. It was so neat to see microfinance in action. “Stay tuned” for part 2 of our DR trip! But in the meantime, check out this video of a loan officer with Hope in the DR….

>> See DR Trip Part 2

Google search trends for corned beef and cabbage

2008-03-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

In my world of Online Marketing, I'm constantly finding interesting facts about search trends on Google. This little belated St Patrick's day treat comes from my own curiosity... (kind of random, I know) when are searches for corned beef and cabbage the highest? My assumptions were correct! Of course it's every March 17th. See below.
Corned beef:

Cabbage:

My lovely wife cooked some corned beef and cabbage on Monday, and it was delightful. Thanks honey.

Try Google Trends for yourself, and find a trend of your own.

This is MY desk.

2008-03-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

This is where I work

2008-03-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

This is where I work. At first, I was fearful at all times of the possibility of something falling and ending my life. This fear still exists but in limited fashion. We borrowed a friend's fisheye lens and I thought this was an excellent depiction of my life at work.

Greg, on the other hand, works at a very pristine, very professional office that looks something like Office Space inside. I just got a shot of the outside (daunting, isn't it?) but sometime soon he'll get a shot of his cubical. It is ridiculously more neat and orderly than my desk. In fact, it's hardly worth comparing.

I'd like to go on record, though, and say that my desk's chaos has nothing to do with my lack of orderliness. If it could be neat and tidy, it would be. There just isn't another place to put a darn thing. Even my purse constantly moves from the desk to the floor to the shelf next to the red onions. Maybe this is why I leave with a headache everyday...

Shaver Lake Sled Dog Races and some Snow Play

2008-03-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

Wireless internet in the cabin at the snow.... so, we've got to take advantage of this blogging opportunity ;-)

We went to see some sled dog races today near Shaver Lake. These people are certainly a "microculture" of society, one which we are mostly unfamiliar. Mostly hobbyists, who enjoy raising and racing their Huskies across the snow, these sled dog racers are pretty interesting to watch.

As the dogs line up to begin their race, they yip and growl like they're about to attack somebody.... they're super excited to get racin'. They don't have quite the same eagerness as they cross the finish line, that's for sure.

Definitely enjoyed some tubing as well. Notice the interlocking of the double tube. Snow sport ingenuity at its finest.

"Type Organism" - image maker for your entertainment

2008-02-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

You ever heard of Stumble Upon? Well, I "stumbled" on this fun little waste of time site that will morph your mug into text! So, when you have a minute to spare/waste, take a look.

New look and feel

2008-02-23T17:57:00.000-08:00

We decided today that the blog needed some sprucing up... not major changes, but enough to give it a fresh look. Much input and credit to my lovely wife, who should be responsible for all things related to design - she's got an eye for this sort of thing!

What do you think? Any suggestions for further improvement?

An update on my sprained ankle - not much improvement over 3.5 weeks. Missing the weekly basketball games still. Biking and jogging are helping to restore strength. Hope to be back to normal in a month or so.

Other than that, we're enjoying a nice relaxing weekend. Hope you are as well. Now, off to dinner!

Talley Vineyards - and a warm Feburary weekend

2008-02-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of blogging pictures (which is what we've been prone to of late), here's a few from the weekend. I won't dare begin this blog post with "Well, it's been awhile...", cause that's what we all struggling bloggers say. New content is a tough thing to come by! So, to all my fellow bloggers out there: stay strong, don't give up, and even if it's just a few thoughts from the day, POST it! It's better than nothing. ;-)

My dad came to visit for the weekend. We enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather, visited a few wineries (Talley Vineyards pictured), and took a few pics.

Talley Vineyards has an amazing view. Cilantro fields surrounded by green-ing mountains, just a few miles from Lopez Lake. Talley is well worth a visit.

Sunset at the Beach

2008-02-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

It was a crystal clear day here in SLO, so we went to the beach to watch the sunset. It was cold but so amazing- the colors were bright and vibrant and we were glad to have the camera....

In other news, Greg sprained his ankle playing basketball last week. He's actually let me take care of him a little bit, too- mainly just to bring him ice. He's slowly healing and thinks he wants to play basketball this week, but I have my doubts. Also, I found a 1940s dime the other day while doing my managerial task of counting money. Pretty cool. I hear it might be worth upwards of three dollars!

Tomorrow is the primaries and Emily is out of the country. Hope you sent in an absentee ballot....

Beijing Olympics 2008

2008-01-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

China is set to host the 2008 Olympics this summer, and everyone is watching. It was pretty interesting to be in China a couple years back and see the emerging of the propaganda. It's quite the hype both inside and out of China, as the world's emerging super-power has its chance to display its prowess or not.

Well, who knows if this Olympics will really make or break China and the future of the globe. It may not be that big of a deal. I personally believe both the US and China can coexist as strong world players beyond 2020. There will be growing pains for China and aging pains for us comfortable Americans, but I don't foresee any drastic changes.

Enough on that rant... don't know where that came from. The point of this post was to pass along a tidbit of Olympics news. From Bill Gates address at the CES Show last week, over 3000 hours of on-demand coverage of this summer's Olympics will be available on msnbc.com and other Microsoft/NBC online affiliates. That's great news. Watch what you want, when you want it. Just how we Americans like it.

That's all for now.

New Year's in Napa & Mom's 50th Birthday

2008-01-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

We had a sweet hookup of a house in Napa for New Years, so all the brothers and wives got together for Mom's birthday on New Year's Eve. We had a great time. The pictures tell the story...

Christmas Week ... in Pictures

2007-12-27T20:05:00.000-08:00

"Tour de California" was the song of our Christmas this year. SLO to Stockton to Rocklin to Bakersfield, back to SLO in four days... Some pictures from the weekend (ps - we took 968 pictures, so choosing 8 wasn't easy!)

Click pictures to enlarge...

Mom and family at Brad & Megan's house in Orangevale

All the Gloecklers & Chesneys in Bakersfield

Carrie and our beautiful niece Abigail.

Greg and our beautiful niece Abigail.

Nephew Jacob playing with his Christmas present. Dog licking face.

Here ya go Kurt. We said we'd get you some blog time. Payments can be made out to your lovely sister, Carrie M Squires.

Grandpa's craaaazy dog, Corky. Seriously, the most spaz dog you've ever met.

Christmas is over. Once again, the location for our retired Christmas tree is the big green can. Trimmed down to its nakedness, with a little ball left at the top to preserve an ounce of dignity.

Weekend in Pictures

2007-12-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

Leading off, a closeup of our Christmas tree..

Greg's favorite - some great colors in the Gloeckler backyard in Bakersfield on Saturday morning.

Also in the backyard at the Gloeckler ranch, some home-grown Zebra finches in the aviary. They wouldn't let me get toooo close. We also picked up a couple stray chocolate labs on our run Saturday morning. Wish I could have kept 'em. ;-(

And, back in SLO on Sunday afternoon ...

More landscape shots as the storm rolls in...

and, a sunset masterpiece by Carrie...

Shop Online or Shop In-Store (Continued)

2007-12-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

When I arrived home today this is what I found. I'm pretty sure it's obvious we prefer online shopping.

Also, I'd like to know what the deal is about putting parcels underneath mats. To deter theft? I'm pretty sure that won't help much. If I was a thief, today would have been a great day to visit our doorstep. Maybe to keep it from getting dusty? (I'm pulling out all the reasons I can think of) More likely to get dirty underneath the mat on the ground. If anyone has any ideas, please fill me in. I'm at a loss.

San Luis Obispo, our love

2007-12-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

We love San Luis Obispo. That shouldn't be a surprise. I looked up San Luis Obispo on Wikipedia today, and laughed out loud when I saw the weather averages. It's almost a joke. Take a look for yourself. It gets cold here, I swear! And sometimes it's even hot! Remember that day this year when it was a hundred and three????

Online Shopping, or Shopping In-Store?

2007-12-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

It is the biggest shopping time of the year, so a little dialog about our consumer habits couldn't hurt anyone as we set out to find dozens of gifts, some for us and some for others. Speaking of gifts for us, we've been looking around for a higher-end camera of late, and we've noticed some interesting things about our shopping strategy. Let me explain...

Buy online or buy in store? Shop online, then buy in store? Shop in store, then buy online. You all know what I'm referring to... You walk into a store, looking for some sort of product that you think will be found at that store. You find the item, look at the price, then think, "I bet I could find one of these online for quite a bit cheaper." Then you think, "Well, I would have to pay for shipping... maybe I could find free shipping. It is the holidays, after all." So, you go home, you type in the item number, and BAM! There it is for 20% less than in store, and free shipping! You feel a little bit guilty for "using" the real-live store to touch and feel and browse, but you quickly get over it... Buy now!

On the other hand, sometimes you're shopping online, and you find something you're looking for, weed out what the items you don't want, and then you're about to checkout... "$20 shipping and handling??!!? Who's going to be handling this thing to make it worth $20 to them? Could you please just ship the item and not handle it, and charge me the $5 it actually costs you to ship it? Thank you." And then you think, "Maybe I could find this thing at Target, and not pay the shipping (or the man-handling), and it would save me a little bit.Drive to the store, buy, save.

I know you've experienced these same thoughts. How should online shopping and shopping in-store compliment each other? Is it ethically upstanding to go to, say, a Best Buy, and touch, feel, browse, and ask the really nice techy guy (who drives a GEEK SQUAD VW Bug around town) all kinds of questions about this high-tech device, and THEN is it okay to go home and buy the thing online for a 20% savings? Did I just use their in-store services and not compensate them accordingly? Is that model sustainable?

I know for a fact that shopping in-store will never replace online shopping. There will always be a need for consumers to touch, feel, and browse, and it's a great feeling to have it NOW, and not wait for the UPS guy to bring you your stuff. The overhead costs for big, shiny stores will remain high, and prices in-store will not be able to adequately compete with online discount stores.

For me, it all depends on what I'm buying. I would much rather save a trip to Target (which costs me at least $8 in gas, mind you) and buy some things online which are less expensive and entirely convenient. Point, click, ship! But, for other items that are higher dollar items, and which require more research and time, I'll continue to use my blended strategy - browsing and shopping, both online and in-store.

What are your thoughts?

The Office Update / Writer's Strike Sadness / What to do on Thursday nights now?

2007-11-17T08:08:00.000-08:00

Our love for The Office only grows week by week. Steve Carell lives out his most natural acting role ever; we're convinced he doesn't even have to try to "act" to be Michael Scott. We enjoy seeing the Pam-Jim relationship blossom, and after this week, some conflict is arising between the ditsy/annoying Kelly and Pam over their respective boyfriends' ping pong abilities. (Speaking of ping pong, I'm going to put in a request to get a ping pong table in the lunch room at my workplace. That would sure be nice!)

NOW, however, there will be no new episodes until the show's writers end their strike. There's debate over how much revenue the writer's should receive from online content, like ads on nbc.com for streaming online shows, webisodes and deleted scenes. And I don't blame them! They should be paid for their work, but I'm sure there are two sides to the story, only one of which the public has heard.

SO, we may not have plans on Thursday nights at 9:00, the one day a week that we actually watch tv. So maybe we'll find something else to do in the meantime.

Pictures of the Day Cont.

2007-11-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the day that I've taken recently. Most of them are of work since that's where I spend most of my time.

Our winter squash. Doesn't it look so lovely?

On Saturdays Greg works with me! Cheese, wheat thins, and apples- standard lunch. Greg was an added bonus in this picture.

At work the other day Andrew was goofing off and somehow managed to stack apples on top of each other (it was a slow day). I thought it was worthy of a picture.

I usually do laundry on my days off like any normal person. Except last week our washer was broken, so I went to the laundromat. Again like any normal person I wanted to maximize time, so I decided to read and journal there. I'm pretty sure that's never been done before. I bought a latte in an attempt to disguise the atmosphere a bit. Didn't work too well but the ipod helped a bunch.

Greg's been playing baseball with a few guys from church on Monday nights. Their track record isn't too good but it's been fun. This week was the last week and I'm kinda glad because it's been real cold. I'll miss seeing Sara, Mandi and Becca every week though.... This is Greg up to bat.

Most Ridiculous Holiday Ever

2007-10-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that Halloween* is the most ridiculous holiday ever, we at least took advantage of a few small American traditions as an excuse for a party with our Bible study group. We dressed up (somewhat) and carved pumpkins. I got the most gigantic pumpkin ever at work (not sure how much it weighed but it took two of us to carry) and we actually had a fun time carving it. I bought a nifty (and 50% off) battery powered carving knife too (yes it was that cool). Greg dressed as Michael Scott, complete with World's Best Boss mug, and I was Jan- it was awesome. Our favorite costume of the night was probably Tim's cleverly attached sign to his shirt that read: "nudist on strike."

Notice the HUGE pumpkin....

Our pumpkin, Pierre (the name came from the fact that his "hat" sort of looked like a beret, then we decided it looked more like a crown but the name stuck).

*Halloween is actually a horrible celebration in some parts of the world. I am referring to the general American celebrations involving small children "trick or treat"ing around nice neighborhoods or college students/girls wearing skimpy clothing for a night on the town.

10.27.07

2007-10-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

In honor of my friend Emily, I've decided to try taking a picture a day. Just for fun. And besides the bulkiness of carrying my camera all over the place, it has been fun! Here's a picture I took the other day (on Emily's birthday, as luck would have it) at the apple farm. We had been going through boxes and boxes of fuji apples trying to find some decent sizes (they were all really small). It was a delightful mess.

Also, that same day I ran into an old neighbor of ours. He came into the apple farm and looked exactly as I had remembered him. Thinking he'd be much older looking by now, I timidly asked him who he was, and it was a fun reunion. He was the fun, grandfatherly neighbor my brother and I grew up around. He gave me my first motorcycle ride- much to mom's trepidation. I love small world moments.

Shane and Shane - Pages Album

2007-10-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

We've been long-time listeners (7 years) of Shane and Shane, two ridiculously good guitarists/vocalists that write more unique and heartfelt lyrics than the majority of Christian artists. And, they finally made their way to California this week, so we drove for a few hours on Tuesday to see them play in person.

What I love most about these guys is that they're just normal dudes who happen to have some musical talent, and who drive around the country playing songs to encourage the body. Their hearts are clearly genuine, with an honest desire to bless people with great music.

If you haven't heard it yet, the Pages album is (in my opinion) the best Shane and Shane album to date. Packed with unique, thought-provoking lyrics that will both challenge and encourage your soul, these two Shane's voices blend together better than chocolate milk! (thanks to Carrie for the clever visual.) Seriously though, these guys can rock the house. You can check out snippets of songs on their website: www.shaneandshane.com

Life at Gopher Glen

2007-10-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Gopher Glen is a great place and I love working there! Since I work on Saturdays, I somehow talked Greg into working with me! Right now we have over 17 varieties of apples... it's crazy. Here are some photos Greg and I took after work one day...(don't worry, we weren't on the clock...).

Greg with the biggest apple we have- Mohawk! These things are massive.

My favorite apple, Spitzenburg. Thomas Jefferson's favorite also....

John Piper - coming to San Luis Obispo

2007-10-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

Since I've written a handful of blog posts on John Piper, his books, and other things that he has taught me, I figured another one wouldn't hurt. I'm writing mainly out of excitement that he'll be coming to San Luis Obispo early next year! Yep, mark your calendars for March 28-29th... he'll be doing a Desiring God Conference in SLO, and rumor has it that it will be in the PAC.

Also, for those of you who are Nor-Cal folk, you may want to see J-Pizzle up in Sacramento this next weekend! More info here

So Greg, what exactly do you do for work?

2007-10-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

For the past few months, my job situation has been sort of up in the air. But, starting this Monday, I have a new job in SLO, and one that I hope to be doing for a while. I'll be doing Online Marketing for a software company in SLO. They've been in SLO for 8 years and there are 35 employees in the SLO office. They design and sell e-commerce software, deploying online stores for manufacturers. I will work with many of the 400+ existing clients, driving more traffic to their online stores, aiming to increase their sales. For more info on the company, check out a short writeup here.

So what about Silk Road Business Group? What about working with your brother? Well, it seems that it was not the right time for me to join Silk Road Business Group, since funding has not yet been acquired. In the meantime, I have been working with my brother on a new website project, and that has been a good experience, but needed to come to an end soon. So, I checked out this job, and things have moved really quickly!

I'm really excited for the new job. I'll be doing a lot of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and developing marketing programs for our clients to increase web traffic for them and ultimately increasing sales for everyone.

Hope all is well on this Sunday afternoon. Watching the 49ers has been sort of a bummer lately... oh, and I pick the BoSox over the DBacks in 6 for the World Series by the way. Anyone agree?

Our Beloved Aunt Denise

2007-10-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

DENISE MONZEL CHESNEY OCT. 1964 - SEPT. 2007 Denise Chesney passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer at Emanuel Hospital in Turlock, with family at her side. She was born Denise Duncan in Coalinga, CA to Linda and Norman Duncan and moved to Bakersfield when she was five. Denise excelled in a number of sports at West High School. She graduated from Azusa Pacific University in 1986 and was inducted into the APU Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2001. After graduation she worked at the North Bakersfield Parks and Recreation District.

On May 30, 1987, she married Don Chesney and they settled in Turlock shortly thereafter where they have raised their two children together. She worked at CSU Stanislaus from 1988 to 1992 as Activities Coordinator for the Student Union. She resigned upon the birth of her first child to become a full-time mother. Denise substitute taught at Dutcher Middle School where she was loved by students and teachers alike. She was also the assistant Girl's Varsity Basketball coach at Pitman High. Denise loved to travel and enjoyed the outdoors with her family. Her joyful spirit, her concern for others, and her zeal for life were a blessing to all who knew her.

Denise is survived by her loving husband of 20 years, Don Chesney and her children who adore her, Douglas and Danielle; her mother and stepfather Linda and Ron Sinclair, her sister Norma Sheppard and her brother Michael Duncan; all of Bakersfield. She was preceded in death by her father, Norman Duncan. Denise is cherished by the entire Chesney family, also of Bakersfield.

Heaven without Christ?

2007-09-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

When you think of Heaven, what do you picture? What are you looking forward to? Another amazing book by Piper, "God is the Gospel", has pointed out something in me, and is something worthy to be shared.

"The critical question for our generation—and for every generation — is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?"

I've been thinking lately about the abundant pleasures that exist in our world, which can be so luring and enticing when there's nothing better to choose in place of them. Nothing is better than choosing Christ.

Piper's point in this book is that GOD is the treasure of the Gospel. The reason that the Gospel is good news at all is because GOD is the source of it all, and that Christ is exalted above all other things: He's better than pleasure, beauty, comfort, leisure, health, or friendship. He created these things, so He must have authority over them!!

I think it is easy to take the blessings of the Gospel - new life, peace, hope, joy, etc (all great things!) - and forget about WHO they came from, and WHY we ever got to experience these blessings in the first place - that Christ made a way for salvation to break through our rock-solid hearts. When asked, "Could you be satisfied in Heaven, if Christ were not there?", does it make you stop and think for a second? The pointed question - if Heaven would be the same with Christ - unveils how we really feel about the blessings of the Gospel, and where they are in importance for us. I pray that my desire to be with Christ (in His presence, sitting with Him, reigning with Him, worshiping Him) grows more and more as the Day approaches. I also pray that the word "Gospel" points me to Christ and Him being lifted up, and less about me and the blessings we receive.

Today: Peet's

2007-09-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

We've already made mention we love Peet's Coffee and Tea. So much so, in fact, we made it a point to grab a latte on the first day of the opening in SLO! Here's a few pictures to document it. We know we're a little crazy or silly (read: wierd) but we're okay with that. It was a darn good latte. Note: the pastries made by SLO Baked. Yummmm.

Which Water Wins?

2007-08-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

I (Carrie) have unabashedly become a water snob. I like to drink good water, but I have to admit, I was beginning to think it might be all in my head. Ever since my dearest Kit introduced me to Smart Water, I've been hooked. But it comes at a price. So I wanted to make sure it mattered- that I wasn't being tricked, therefore the Water Contest (I've been planning this for weeks, just ask Ashleigh).

6 contestants. Smart Water, Aquafina, Dasani, Arrowhead, our Brita (recently changed filter), and tap water. Greg and I each preformed the experiment on each other, pouring the waters into 6 identical glasses and asking preference (in order from favorite to least) and then a challenge to guess which water is which.

The results were surprising, helpful, and affirming. Greg and I both prefer Smart Water first, then Dasani (interesting since they are both enriched with "minerals/electrolytes"). We also both noted that Aquafina was a disappointing least favorite (we're pondering malfeasance. could this bottle of Aquafina been corrupted? we've always seemed to like it before...). Greg actually prefers Brita over Arrowhead. I thought Aquafina (again- questionable. another test may be necessary), Brita, and tap water were not worth drinking in comparison to Smart, Dasani and even Arrowhead.

Now I can rest easy. Nevertheless, we'll still continue to drink our Brita water and faithfully replace the filter. Cold water is usually good, no mater how bad it is. And I also will continue buying bottles of Smart Water to hydrate myself at work. However, we'll buy Dasani if Smart Water is unavailable (or not on sale. the stuff is expensive regular price) and we'll definitely think twice about Arrowhead. Hmm... what about Crystal Geyser?