Beach day with the munchkins

Last week I was blessed to be able to take care of Jonathan and Ethan while they were off of school. It was so much fun to hang out with them so much! They are so enjoyable and I love every moment with them. On Tuesday we went to the beach to hang out with the Gamboa's and other friends.

We had a picnic lunch that Aunt Peggy packed for us.

Jonathan and I started digging a hole and it got so big that the Josh's decided to take over and it became a tunnel!

Jonathan and Ethan had fun playing with their new friend Zach

We broke through!

All the boys in the hole once we broke the tunnel down. We figured it wouldn't be safe to leave and have other kids trying to crawl through.

They were so tired when we finally got home!

Joshy and Jonathan crawling through the tunnel

Father's Day!

We had a really fun Father's Day BBQ at Grandma & Grandpa's house.

Dad reading the card I designed and all the kids signed!

 Grandfather =)

Our new friend Shilpa who had to go back to Australia that evening! =(

Singing Hymns as a family

This was a special treat - hearing Dad sing a song that he sang when he starred in a high school play. He's still got it!

Joshy's haircut

In going through old photos I found this series of videos from Dad cutting Joshy's hair. I enjoyed them so much and just thought it was so cute! These videos were taken in January 2006.

Some fun June!

This month has been quite busy! So I'll just touch on some highlights of what has happened.

I got to take care of Ethan while Jonathan had his 5 year old trip to Disneyland with Grandma!

We went bowling and this was the best candid of the night!

The kitty enjoyed some special family time...

We had a birthday party for Jonathan!

This crazy spider we saw in Amal & Sudha's backyard

We had some crazy times during demolition in our garage

Shilpa came and visited from Australia

Josh and I did some juicing with Dad on Saturday before Father's Day

My Wonderful Wife: My Joy

Joy is asleep right now and I wanted to slip this post in. Joy and I (Josh) have been married for little more than a year and... it has been a wonderful, awesome journey. I really have been outrageously blessed by having the honor and privilege of being married to her.

The Lord has blessed me tremendously, gifted me so much, and other synonyms that describe how much she means to me and how much I don't deserve His Promises.

She is an amazing lady, wonderful wife, faithful and kind and loving to me. She walks with the Lord and challenges me in my walk. She compliments my personality in so many ways. She's extremely hard working and giving of herself. She loves kids and is very nurturing and knowledgeable about how to be maternal to them. She's a devoted daughter, sister, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter. She's a skilled laborer and I am so happy to work by her side and be encouraged by her incredible work ethic.

Before I bore you with my enamored, lovestruck cooing, I just want to say that she's the best thing that ever happened to me and I look forward to the years ahead with glowing enthusiasm. Pray for us that God would bless our marriage and that we would keep him the center point of our marriage. Pray that we would always stay strong in our walk, keep family a priority, tend to our Godly duties, and bless those around us. Pray that he gives me wisdom in my search for a job, wisdom to accept or not accept job offers, and wisdom in leading my wife and future family in all spiritual and earth-bound ways. God is great!

Zechariah 3:7-9 Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.

Father's Day 2013

Today we celebrated probably one of the four most important days of the year. In no particular order two days celebrating parents, celebrating the birth of Christ, and and resurrection of Christ. After my walk with the Lord and His role in my life, the role of my parents has been the most important to me. They brought me into this world, taught me the most fundamental things I know, and on top of all that they love me so much and are some of the most fun people I know.

I'll be semi-brief because it's late and I can't iterate everything in a blog post that I want to say about my dad. But I wanted to post these lyrics I heard a couple days ago. They reminded me of my dad in many ways. I have seen him walk through many trials in his life. He is hands down the hardest working man I know and probably will ever know. He is the energizer bunny and my grandma can attest to the fact that he left the womb and never stopped going.

My dad has provided for his family in every way he could. He hasn't been perfect, but through much grace he has been incredible. There have been hard times, and I think times where Dad would admit, he felt lost. But this song reminds me of the fact that my dad never gave up. 6 kids, 28 years of marriage, homeschooling, running a business, being in ministry, and all the pressures and responsibilities those bring, and my dad never stopped doing his best.

MY DAD lead us with strong hands. He stood up when we couldn't. He DID NOT leave us hungry for love chasing dreams. He was willing to fight and prove to us and that we are the love of his life. The most important thing my dad did for us was to lead us to Christ. Every day for 25 years he has been leading us by his actions, words, and devotion to God and the church.

Dad I love you. My heart sometimes doesn't feel like it can hold the love I feel for you. Thank you for loving God, and Mom, and us. This song is for you, and the fight you have fought for us as a husband and father.

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames, I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling, but on the inside

Oh, I can hear her saying

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're independent, but on the inside

Oh, I can hear them saying

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh Father, show me the way
To lead them

Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love
Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me 'cause I can't do this alone

Some other fun things

Sam helped Dad rebuild the wall that was falling down and has been in bad shape for years!

We had fun calling then Nehemiah all day. =)

Grams using her magnifier to look at my 2012 yearbook

I got to hang out wit Kaden some

Me "helping" Josh play Ghost Recon

Jonathan and Ethan slept over because Jonathan was taking his 5 year old trip to Disneyland with Grama and then Ethan stayed with me for the day.

This picture is so realistic of how they wake up!

Ethan helping wash dishes. He was very excited.

My birthday

My birthday this year was very nice! It started by sleeping in, and then making chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast

My wonderful husband and father made a special dinner for me!

Phoebe & my grandparents also came over to make it a special night.

Grama made this delicious cake! It did look a lot better before apparently hot tortillas got put on top of it and melted the truffled. =( Nevertheless it tasted so yummy!

The only sad thing was that Mom was in Utah taking care of Grama Glenda after her knee surgery so I didn't get to be with Mom for my second birthday in a row! (Last year I was on my honeymoon.)