Adam's 40th Birthday Party

I can't believe we had a party for Adam :0) Anyone that knows Adam knows that Adam does not like parties. I relentlessly asked Adam if I could give him a party and finally December 8th he somewhat agreed. Now, I say somewhat agreed because he never actually said, "no." Seeing that I love putting together parties I took the lack of a solid answer and ran with it. I love the pressure of last minute details but 10 days to plan a party for over 100 people was a little hectic. I really did have fun planning and putting it all together though. Thank God for my mom who is always willing to cook up a storm for a party...she is awesome! And I couldn't have had better help than Alex and Caleb!!!!! I guess all these years of parties it must seem second nature. And all the other wonderful people who helped - I would name them but I would hate to miss one. You know who you are - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Thank you Jonathan for taking pictures. Considering we had a lot of sickness in our church we still had over 100 people at the party. A big party every 40 years shouldn't be too bad. THANK YOU BABE FOR LETTING US SPOIL YOU A LITTLE ;0) You deserved it!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

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7th Annual Christmas Cookie Swap

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College and Career NERD Party

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GREATEST HUBBY AND DADDY -

Happy 40th Birthday to my wonderful husband - Adam. He is all the following and more - incredible hubby, loving father, wonderful friend, hard-working, a man of integrity, honest, kind and compassionate, generous, reliable, and so much more! God has blessed us beyond measure -

Thank you for being everything to me :0) I love you Adam!!!!!

Peyton Joel Booker

Born Saturday, November 28th at 8:16 a.m. and weighed 7lbs and is 19 inches long. We will post tons of pictures later...

Happy 17th Birthday Alexandria

Happy 17th Birthday to our sweet little Alex - Where did the time go? I cannot believe that 17 years have come and gone so fast. It seems like yesterday (ok maybe not yesterday but definitely not 17 years ago) that God blessed us with a little 6 lb baby girl who was born almost 6 weeks early. I look back to that Friday evening in 1992 and vividly remember them whisking Alex away so quickly that I really didn't get a chance to see her. It wasn't until several hours later did I realize she had the umbilical cord wrapped so tight around her neck that they had immediately taken her to the NICU and feared the worst. When I finally did get to see and hold her it was then I realized what a miracle she was. She didn't get to come home for another eight days. As we met with her pediatrician, he informed us that due to all her complications she would be developmentally slow. Meaning she would walk late, talk late, and develop later than children her own age. PRAYER...we simply prayed God's perfect will for our new little baby. Well, we serve an incredible God...she took her first steps at 9 months, talked way too soon and hasn't stopped, and I must say quite intelligent. God is so faithful! Alexandria is true blue, a real Christian, and a beautiful person inside and out! GOD has blessed us and we are so thankful for the young lady she has become.

ALEX - mommy and daddy love you!

YOU MAKE US PROUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

P.S. Caleb loves you too =0)

The Melting Pot

Last night we went to The Melting Pot with our ladies group and had a blast! Our table #3 was too much fun!!!!! Especially Sis. Lori :0) I don't think I have laughed that hard in a while...my side was aching. Thank you Sarrah, Beverly and Belinda for putting it all together. Sarrah didn't even get to enjoy the chocolate since she was in labor with her precious bundle of joy - James Wyatt Dillon. He is too cute (Justine had her handy dandy cell phone ready with pictures). You guys did a great job!

3rd Week of School Gone!

I can't believe we are starting our fourth week of school tomorrow...where did the last three weeks go?????? God has truly blessed us with a great group of kids :0) I am sure the next several months will go even faster with all the activities we have planned as well as the church - the county fair, Music Fest, SoCal Summit, Men's Meeting. baby showers (several!), the Melting Pot, MIT Camp Out, Harvest Festival, LCA Thanksgiving Dinner, Thanksgiving, school pictures, Mom's Muffin Day, Dad's Donut day, WCC, Ladies Christmas Luncheon, birthdays galore (Alex, Daddy, Dave, Leaya, Emilee, Amanda, Tori, Debbie, Bro. Booker and a grip more), Christmas programs, our annual Cookie Swap, CREW Christmas Party, Youth Caroling, our annual DEL trip, and on and on and on. I love this time of year!!!!!! Fall has got to be my favorite season! I can't wait!!!!!!!

First Day of School...

is tomorrow! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!

P.E.A.K. 2009 - Day 5

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P.E.A.K. 2009- Day 4

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P.E.A.K. Day 4

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P.E.A.K. 2009 - Day 3

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P.E.A.K. - Day 1 and 2

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Entertaining Tips and Recipes

I am gathering information regarding entertaining for a class. I am looking for entertaining tips for small and/or large groups, holiday entertaining, easy holiday centerpieces, easy recipes, and holiday recipes. Any tips, ideas, or recipes??? Let me know...

PEAK 09

The kids are so excited...PEAK is right around the corner. Our youth group will be taking a road trip this year. We had planned on making the trip ourselves but with the new building project it just isn't happening :0( Oh well, maybe next year. I will miss seeing my fabulous friend, CHRISTIE! Pray that they have a safe trip, anointed services, a lot of fun, and get home in one piece.

College and Career San Diego Trip

Our College and Career class stayed the night over in San Diego after the Youth Connect services in Chula Vista. After a late night of church and visiting, it was so nice not to drive the two hours home. We absolutely love San Diego! We ate breakfast, took a walk to Seaport Village, some went to the Midway, some of us shopped, poor Adam had to wait in the cold with a fire-pit, and then we all met back up for lunch at Rockin Baja. This place is awesome. Afterwards, we all headed back to our house for a fire and smores. Thank you Jonathan and Jennifer for taking all the pictures!!!

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LCA FIREWORKS 2009

Fireworks season has come and gone...hallelujah! Every year I have mixed emotions about the fireworks booth. It is a great deal of work but a ton of fun as well. I had an awesome group of people this year that helped which always makes my job easier. It all went so well this year. Even with the economy the way it is and not to mention the city doubled the amount of fireworks booth, we still did well. Thank God!!!! We have so many regular customers that come year after year. For the last eight years I have been inviting a young man to church (he lives around the corner and has been coming by the booth since he was seven years old) and he finally came to church and said he loved it. Please keep Wilson in your prayers. After it's all said and done and the last item is removed from the booth there is a kind of sadness that comes over you. You basically live at the booth for seven days and then it's all over. I quickly got over the sad stage though :0) For I know that the 2010 fireworks season will come before I'm ready.

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Chula Vista Youth Connect

Our youth group attended the Chula Vista annual Youth Connect this year. As usual, Bro. Cody Marks did an incredible job...I must say he is one of our all time favorite preachers. We absolutely adore the Marks period...especially the kids! Baby Addy was absolutely GORGEOUS! I even convinced Kye to sit with me for a while...man, did I feel privileged. Caden received the Holy Ghost Thursday night...I didn't get to attend Thursday night's service but heard from everyone that attended that it was a life changing service. Friday night's preaching was phenomenal and the altar call was so anointed. It was so neat to see our young people being so blessed...God is so good.

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LCA Graduation 2009

I can't believe another school year has come and gone. This past school year went by way too fast! Overall, it was a great year and we are already planning for the upcoming school year. CAN YOU BELIEVE ALEXANDRIA IS OFFICIALLY A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR?!?!?!?!?!?! We had a beautiful Senior Banquet and and a fabulous graduation night. It is so nice when everyone goes as planned. Here are some pictures of the banquet and graduation night.

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Senior Carwash 2010

The graduating class of 2010 had their first fundraiser for the upcoming school year. Wow, I can't believe Alex is a senior! This year's senior class has grand plans for a senior trip...Washington, D.C. and New York City!

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Blog Neglect!

Yes, I have neglected my blog...I know, I know, I vowed to keep up with it on a regular basis. Yet, LIFE seemed to be moving too fast to slow down long enough to write. The Pierce household has been extremely busy for the last six weeks. There were end of the school year activities, senior banquet, graduation, graduation parties, end of the school year finance stuff, taxes, Kastlekon business, fast track classes, family visiting, Youth Connect in Chula Vista, College and Career bonfire, and on and on. I have one goal this week...update my blog on the last six weeks.

College and Career Group

Don't forget - College and Career Group is getting together tonight after service at the Haney's house. If you need directions or would like more information, please see me or Sherry Haney.

The Greatest Mom

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving

Thank you Jesus for such a wonderful mother to call my own. I am truly blessed!

Summer is almost here!

I can't believe we have four weeks of school left. Where did the school year go???? The last month of school is always the busiest and goes way too fast. I'm gearing up for re-enrollment meetings, Track and Field Day, teacher meetings, finals, the Senior Banquet, LCA Graduation, and all the daily stuff in between. As of June 1st, Alexandria is officially a high school senior...what? It is so hard to believe she will be entering her final year of high school. Caleb is entering his sophomore year...my babies are growing up. WOW!

Disneyland

The school had their annual Disneyland trip this past Thursday. The day was absolutely beautiful! Here are some pictures of the group I chaperoned.

Colton Police Department's Newest Chaplain

Congratulations to my fabulous hubby!!! Last night Adam was presented his official Colton Police Dept.'s chaplaincy badge. He has been in the process for several months and this was the last step in making it official. We went to the Colton City Council meeting last night and during the ceremonial part of the meeting Police Chief Bob Miller presented him with his badge and welcomed him to the Colton Police Department. I really like Chief Miller...he was personable and quite funny :0) It was extra special to have Willie Bermudez there with us and be part of this special evening. I really feel that God placed Adam right where He wanted him. Adam is so incredible when it comes to stressful situations. I know he will do an awesome job on behalf of God, our church and the Colton PD. I was sssssssssssoooooooooo proud of him!

Happy 13th Birthday Ian

I can't believe my nephew is 13 years old!!! He has got to be one of the sweetest and thoughtful young "men" I know. He is always so thankful, kind and courteous. I love when he comes over...he is so polite, he makes us laugh, is full of compliments and is quite intelligent! I am so proud to be Ian's auntie.

I LOVE YOU IAN!!!

THE HIDING PLACE

The College and Career class will be seeing the play - THE HIDING PLACE this weekend at Lifehouse Theater in Redlands. It is an awesome production about the life of Corrie ten Boom. She has long been honored by Christians as an exemplar of Christian faith in action. Arrested by the Nazis along with the rest of her family for hiding Jews in their Haarlem home during the Holocaust, she was imprisoned and eventually sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp along with her sister, Betsie, who died there just days before Corrie's own release on December 31, 1944. Inspired by Betsie's example of selfless love and forgiveness amid extreme cruelty and persecution, Corrie established a post-war home for other camp survivors trying to recover from the horrors they had escaped. She went on to travel widely as a missionary, preaching God's forgiveness and the need for reconciliation. Corrie's devout moral principles were tested when, by chance, she came face to face with one of her former tormentors in 1947. Her story is told in her 1971 autobiography, The Hiding Place. Here is an excerpt of that meeting:

I'm Still Learning to Forgive
It was in a church in Munich that I saw him, a balding heavy-set man in a gray overcoat, a brown felt hat clutched between his hands. People were filing out of the basement room where I had just spoken. It was 1947 and I had come from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives. ...

And that's when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you were!

Betsie and I had been arrested for concealing Jews in our home during the Nazi occupation of Holland; this man had been a guard at Ravensbruck concentration camp where we were sent. ...

"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard in there." No, he did not remember me.
"I had to do it — I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us." "But since that time," he went on, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein, ..." his hand came out, ... "will you forgive me?"

And I stood there — I whose sins had every day to be forgiven — and could not. Betsie had died in that place — could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?

It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.

For I had to do it — I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." ...

And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion — I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand, I can do that much. You supply the feeling."

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!"
For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely as I did then.

Copyright © 1972 by Guideposts, Carmel, New York 10512. All rights reserved. (www.guideposts.com)

San Diego :0)

I LOVE SAN DIEGO! I love the weather, the food, the shopping, the water, and just being there with my family. San Diego is one of our favorite places to go for a mini getaway. We will be headed to San Diego next weekend for a night or two. Our favorite place to stay is Hotel Del Coronado but that's not quite in the budget plan :0/ Oh well. Just to be able to get away will be a blast!!!! I can't wait...

6th and Final Day

The senior trip is officially over. Most of us had the chance to sleep in today while a few others went one last time to the White House. The annual Easter Egg Roll on the south lawn of the White House started nice and early this morning. The Easter Egg Roll has been a White House tradition since 1878. Mikhael, Justine, and Valerie even saw the entire Obama family. After they returned to the hotel, we all loaded up and headed to Reagan National Airport. We flew from Washington to Houston and then Houston to Ontario. We all arrived safely at 8:00 p.m. Thank God for a great trip and a safe return. Now to start planning for next year's trip...

I will finish posting pictures later :0)

Day 5

Happy Easter! We actually slept in today and didn't get up until about 7:30 a.m. We started our Sunday morning with prayer and devotion. As in years past, each senior was given a scripture and gave a brief devotion. There was a sweet spirit in our prayer and was a perfect start to our Easter morning. First thing this morning we headed to Arlington Cemetery. It was such a moving experience being in the most hallowed ground of the United States of America. We witnessed the changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. These soldiers were amazing! After going through the cemetery we headed over to the Iwo Jima Memorial. The memorial is dedicated to all personnel of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) who have died in the defense of their country since 1775. This is the large monument showing the brave soldiers raising the American flag. After eating lunch, we headed over to the White House once again for some souvenir shopping. Our evening ended at Union Station with our night tour of Washington D.C. We all boarded a very crowded bus and headed out to see the monuments of D.C. We stopped at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, World War II Memorial, and my favorite, Lincoln Memorial. It was a grand finale for a great senior trip. We will be leaving D.C. tomorrow and I can't wait to get home :0)

Day 4

I know you are going to have a hard time believing this but it's true...it was another loooonnnngggg day. These poor kids are going to take weeks to recover from all the early mornings, late nights, miles and miles of walking, and overload on the history lessons. They will manage I'm sure. We had a tour of Ford's Theater today where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and the Peterson Boarding House where he died. Both tours were quite interesting and learned several new facts about that fatal April day. We went to the Kennedy Center, revisited the Library of Congress, went to the Washington Zoo to see the fluffy pandas, saw the Pentagon, and ended our day in Bethesda, Maryland. And for those of you who actually read the previous post...we will be going to Alexandria tomorrow...

Day 3 of the Senior Trip

Had another looonnnngggg day...it is amazing what a person can see in a day. Today we went to the Washington Monument again, National Archives, and numerous Smithsonian Museums, Ford's Theater, Old Post Office, FBI Building, IRS Building (we didn't get a tour :0/ and several other stops along the way. I actually had awesome Texas BBQ today at CAPITAL Q BBQ in Chinatown. Good stuff!!!! Everyone is just a tad tired today and aching from all the walking. Tomorrow we will be hitting all the sites in Alexandria, Virginia. Keep us in your prayers...