Tag: family

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What’s up? Work and play.

The last few weeks have included mostly going to work which, considering the times, is a good thing. A couple of weekends ago, Jesse went to Magic Mountain with his youth group. While he was gone, Renee and I had a day out together. We went to breakfast and then went to see “How to Train Your Dragon” at the movies. I know it’s a kids movie, but we are still kids at heart and always enjoy watching cartoons. Afterward, we went to Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga. We went to Borders bookstore and wondered which novel Jesse would like, but couldn’t get him on his phone, so we left a message. We then went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner and it was busy with students from Etiwanda HS dressed up for prom. We enjoyed a nice meal together and then returned to Borders just as Jesse called us back. We picked up novels for each of us and returned back home. Later that night, Jesse called to be picked up after a full day. A windy, cold day on Sunday kept us inside and out of doing yardwork.

The work week went by and I enjoyed listening in on Live webinars from NAPP on the new features in Photoshop CS5. The weather was great this past weekend so I waged war on the weed kingdom invading our yard with my hula hoe and Renee at my side. We managed to get a large section of the front yard and cleared 10 feet away all around the house. Muscles and joints were a little sore afterward, but the yard looks a little better. I also worked with Jesse to get his speedometer issue resolved on his truck. A little 5w-30 oil on the cable and it is working great. Saturday night, I went into town to see my friend Martial and his band play some R&B style rock-n-roll. They played great. Yesterday, we went to church and came home in time to watch the Lakers get their first win of the playoffs. Renee and I went to the local theater and donated blood in exchange for free movie passes. This also kept me from having to do anymore work in the yard. That’s the latest from our world. Hope that you and your family are doing well and we look forward to hearing from each of you.

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Easter Weekend

Friday, I stopped at the library on the way home to pick up the latest Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi novel Backlash. It is a series set many years after the movies and follows Luke Skywalker and his son Ben as they battle a new Tribe of Sith. The weather was pretty windy so plans of washing the vehicles and working on Jesse’s truck were put on hold. Saturday morning, we did go see Clash of the Titans since Jesse was interested in it. Renee had seen the original over and over because her younger brother couldn’t get enough of it. It seemed a bit slow at times and the dialogue was plodding. They changed the story and it left me thinking the original one in all its cheesiness was a better movie. Great effects, but a badly written remake.

That evening, we met a high school classmate and his wife for dinner. It was really great to see him as I had been told he had passed away soon after we graduated. We discovered that his brother was the one that had passed. Somehow the names were confused and I was told he was dead. This certainly made for great “Resurrection” celebration. Sunday we attended church and afterward, Jesse had his annual hair dye applied. This time he decided against blue. He decided he wanted green hair. Renee and Jesse mixed some of the old blue dye with some new yellow dye and now he has bright green hair. He is either a giant fluorescent leprechaun, a pasty “Green Giant” or the largest Oompa-Loompa ever with need of some time in the tanning bed.

We also had quite a surprise when an earthquake hit Sunday afternoon. The wind was blowing so hard, I mistook it for the house shaking due to it. Jesse said “Earthquake” from his room and when I stood and headed there, I felt like I was going to fall down. It was like having a head rush that makes you lose your balance. It lasted what seemed like a minute. I checked the house and didn’t find any damage.

That was our weekend. Hope you and your family are doing well and had a great Easter/Resurrection celebration.

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March is coming to an end.

With the advent of Facebook and Twitter, I find myself doing less and less with our blog. Let me see if I can recap a little of what has taken place this month in our lives. I began the month feeling a little, well ok, a lot under the weather as I had a massively sore throat. Being the sharing kinda guy that I am, I passed it on to the rest of the family. I think we are finally feeling better now.

We received our tax return and FINALLY got a replacement recumbent stationary bike. It is a lot better model than the one that broke in November. The seat is a little easier to adjust too. I am back to riding 4-5 times a week at 10-11 miles in a little over a half-hour. I also attended some on-site training in Las Vegas, NV in support of the USFWS Desert Tortoise Recovery office.

The weather warmed up and we did a little work in the yard. Speaking of the yard, California Poppies have started to sprout and bloom. We also spotted a surprising 7 rabbits in the yard together at the same time. What a bunch of long-eared hooligans hanging out in the front yard like they own it! We also saw some tiny baby rabbits running around the backyard.

This past weekend, Renee and I went to the Mall of Victor Valley early Saturday morning and exchanged our old 150w floor lamps for more energy efficient 26w fluorescent floor lamps. I also worked a little on Jesse’s truck before settling on the coach to read and watching the NCAA tournament. That night, we played the game “Life” and for the 1st time ever Renee won and Jesse came in last. I’m not sure he will want to play it again soon. Sunday, we went to church and then over to watch Wrestlemania 26 with our good friends, the Haprovs. It was quite an event with Brett Hart returning after 13 years to take revenge on Mr. McMahon. The match of the night was the Undertaker beating HBK(Shawn Michaels) to end his career.

That’s about it from here. We hope that you and your family are well and that your year is going great. Blessings!

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When people leave your life…

Maybe you have had someone that passed away or someone walked out with no explanation. Someone you consider a friend stops returning your calls. In some cases, you are prepared due to an ongoing illness or maybe friction in your relationship. No matter what the reason be it known or unknown, you are left wondering what to do from that point on. You have an obvious choice to be bitter, angry or depressed, but that is not the best choice. Does getting angry at someone solve anything? In fact, it only hurts you as they go about their life without a second thought. Bitterness as well only hurts you. Along with depression, each of these things affect you and those who have chosen to remain in your life.

I choose to think of good things, of happy memories and experiences shared that cannot be taken away. I refuse to let them be tainted by current circumstances. Do I wish things were better? Of course, but I am not in control of them. When my father passed away without saying that final “I love you,” I remember all the times he said it over my lifetime. When my childhood friend refused to return calls, I remember the fun we had growing up and appreciate the memories. When my sibling decided he no longer wants to talk to me, I remember the fun and adventures that helped make me who I am. When I open my heart to someone and they close the door on their side, I refuse to slam mine in anger, bitterness or depression. I would rather show too much love than not enough. Lord, help me to love as you loved, expecting nothing in return.

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Our 20th Anniversary trip

Renee and I at the Golden Gate Bridge on our 20th Anniversary
Renee and I at the Golden Gate Bridge on our 20th Anniversary
Last week, we took a driving tour of the California coast for our 20th anniversary. Accompanying us for the trip was our son Jesse and my mother Betty. We left Apple Valley on Monday morning and headed for Cambria/San Simeon. We stopped in Bakersfield for lunch at Mimi’s Cafe and then continued to follow CA 58 all the way to it’s end in Santa Margarita. We hopped onto US 101 until CA 41 and got on Highway 1 along the coast in Morro Bay. We arrived in San Simeon, CA and checked into the Best Western just before sunset. We ordered some pizza from Woody’s in Cambria after enjoying the sunset along the shore.

The next morning, we loaded up and headed to Piedras Blancas Lighthouse which is managed by the BLM and was celebrating its 135th year of existence. The BLM was offering free tours of the grounds surrounding the lighthouse. The weather was magnificent and we enjoyed seeing the flowers, wildlife and historical buildings at Piedras Blancas. After this, we drove Highway 1 north. We stopped for lunch in Big Sur and enjoyed a beautiful view of the coast. We drove through Carmel and toured 17 Mile Drive. We continued up the coast crossing the Golden Gate Bridge at night to stay overnight in San Rafael.

The next morning, we doubled back to take photos of the Golden Gate Bridge before returning to Highway 1 and continuing our trip north along the California coast. We stopped for lunch in Fort Bragg, CA and rejoined US 101 in Leggett, CA. We found a hotel in Arcata, CA for the night. Renee and I got our own room and let Jesse and mom share a room for our anniversary. We took Jesse to dinner with us to 6 Rivers Brewery in McKinleyville since mom wanted to stay in the room. We enjoyed some local cuisine before returning to our room for the night while Jesse hit the hotel spa.

The next morning after loading up, we headed for Redwoods National Park farther up the coast. We toured the Lady Bird Johnson Memorial Grove and then stopped at Big Tree State Park. We continued up the coast until Crescent City, CA and then cut inland to Grants Pass, OR. We took Interstate 5 south until we stopped for dinner in Medford, OR at Red Lobster. It turned out that our waitress Denise had been born in Apple Valley. That night we drove as far as Redding, CA before stopping.

Jesse wanted to tour a cavern during our trip so he picked Black Chasm Cavern in Volcano, CA as our next destination. We arrived and had our own private tour of the cavern with our guide David. We had a great time and mom decided to rest in the car. Next we headed to Yosemite National Park in hopes of getting some great sunset photographs. As we entered the park from the north, the weather turned bad and it started to rain. Temperatures started to drop and then the fog set in. At times, we couldn’t see past the hood of the car. We kept driving and exited out the south side of the park without ever seeing the grand vistas Yosemite is known for. We made it to Fresno before stopping for the night.

The final day of our trip included a brief stop in Bakersfield, CA so mom could visit with an old co-worker and then we headed for home. In all, we spent 6 days on the road and traveled over 1,800 miles. We saw sunsets over the ocean, towering redwood trees and amazing underground formations. It was a great trip that we will all remember for years to come.

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Weekend Update

Friday night, Jesse drove us to dinner and then went to a movie night at his youth group while Renee and I went grocery shopping. Saturday was a wet and dreary day spent switching between coverage of the mudslides in LA and the blizzard in DC where my brother is working. When I went to check the mail during a break in the rain, the street was like driving on a freshly frosted cake. Our yard was a series of 1-2 inch puddles. That evening we watched a DVD before calling it a night.

Sunday began quietly with clear blue skies. After reading the paper and little of a Star Wars novel, I decided to check the fluids in Jesse’s truck and run it a little. I discovered that it was leaking antifreeze and we were off to Autozone to obtain a replacement for the leaking part. We were able to fix that without much trouble and then I resumed reading the novel until the Super Bowl began. I thought the ads this year were not so good, but was pleased that the Saints won. I didn’t like when Drew Brees left San Diego, but was glad to see him and the long-suffering Saints and city of New Orleans get their celebration. We finished the evening watching Undercover Boss which was ok, but won’t last long.

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January update….We are still here

So a new year has come and with it some new things and some of the same. Jesse is now the personal chauffeur for the Zeliff family as he has to get more practice driving. Anytime we go somewhere, he drives and is getting more confident with each trip. He still manages to scare either Renee and I, but he is getting better. We did nothing special for New Year’s Eve and celebrated at the house when the clock struck midnight. This involved drinking some sparkling grape juice and then off to bed. The next day we watched the Rose parade and then took all the Christmas decorations down and packed them away for the rest of the year.

This past weekend, I watched the NFL playoffs and once again saw my beloved Chargers crash and burn. Same result as every other time they have entered the playoffs. I am angry and bitter now about how it ended, but come the fall I will have renewed hope that they might finally secure a championship. It is strange how one can get so wrapped up in the efforts of grown men that you don’t know simply because they wear the jersey of your favorite team.

Thankfully, my faith rests in one who eternally won. He defeated death and hell and will reign for all eternity. And the cool part of that is He did so once and for all. My sports teams may fail and let me down, but the Creator of Heaven and Earth is always faithful and victorious. I hope everyone reading this is doing well and that you know His love for you is so great that He stretched out His arms and died for you.

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:7-8

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Last blog of 2009: Christmas at the Zeliffs

It’s Monday December 28th and another Christmas has passed. I enjoyed having 4 days off from work and spending time with the family. While I stayed home on the day of Christmas Eve, Renee and Jesse did some last minute gift shopping. I did a little cleaning up around the house and made some pumpkin cake. It’s like pumpkin pie without the crust. After they returned and finished their wrapping of presents, we set up the tripod for family portraits. They were great fun and if you are on Facebook you can see them if not be patient and I may get them up on the website…eventually. Following that, we went out for some fast food and to look at lights around Apple Valley. As the evening drew to a close, we gathered in the living room for our tradition of reading the birth narratives of Jesus from the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Jesse led off with Matthew and I picked up with Luke. Jesse then chose one gift to open and we turned in for the night.

Christmas morning came and I was the first one up. I read the paper and talked to mom in FL while waiting for Jesse and Renee to awaken. Once everyone was showered and awake, we enjoyed some homemade banana bread before Jesse passed out the stockings. After the stockings were done, Renee took over and began passing out presents. Halfway through opening presents, we were joined by my best friend Jim Ritch. He drove up from San Diego after duty on the USS Reagan the night before. Too sum up the presents this year: Jesse = guitar, music and books, Doug = golf stuff, candy and new Zelda DS game, Renee = Magic Bullet, kitchen stuff, and popcorn. We watched some NBA before enjoying a ham dinner. We then watched the Chargers demolish the Titans and secure the #2 seed for the playoffs.

The next morning, Jim went for a 16 mile run before showering and heading back toward SD. After he left, we went out to spend some gift money at Target, Best Buy, Tom’s Music, the mall, and finally the Super Target. On Sunday, we sat around the house doing nothing and eating leftovers/sweets. It was a relaxing weekend and glad it is another short week.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a great New Year. For those of you we haven’t spoken to in a while, we miss you and hope to hear from you soon. For those we got reacquainted with this year, glad to have back in our lives. For those that never left and are always there, thanks for being with us through 2009 and we look forward to the blessings ahead in 2010.

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The day she said “Yes.”

I was nervous and getting ready to leave Texas to visit my family in California for Christmas. It was our last day together before I flew out. We agreed to exchange gifts and I hoped she would like mine. I had my “Charlie Brown” tree set up and decorated. She came over to the apartment and I nervously handed her my gift. She opened it and I asked if she would marry me. We had dated since the summer and I wanted her to know I was not looking for anyone else. I wanted her to be my wife. She smiled and said “Yes” as I slipped the ring onto her finger. Twenty-one years ago today, I got engaged to the woman who is my soul mate. We married almost 14 months later and are still in love. Thanks Renee for making me so very happy. You are so good to me! I love you and am so very glad the Lord brought us together.

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Thanksgiving has past and Christmas is a few weeks off.

We enjoyed our Thanksgiving this year and were happy to have my mother, Betty, fly out and join us from Florida. After my father passed on in Septemebr, we were glad she wasn’t alone for the holiday. She only spent a few days with us as she went to Yuma the day after Thanksgiving to see my Aunt Loretta and Uncle Ed. She did return with several half gallons of Bluebell Ice Cream for which were very grateful. The day after Thanksgiving, we did venture out briefly to Best Buy to get mom a GPS unit and to snag a new phone for me. We returned home to set up the Christmas tree. Renee and Jesse finished decorating the tree while I hung the lights outside. Mom flew home yesterday and heard all about it from her 3-legged cat, Hoppy, for having been gone for two weeks. This weekend, I spent some time typing up the annual newsletter and getting the Christmas cards ready to mail out. I hope that each of you have a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas from the Zeliffs.