My Rants and Raves

Moving Day...again

2007-10-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

... no, I'm not moving me... I'm moving my blog to wordpress thanks to Jasen and Amanda.

What can I say I like the way it looks and I'm big on appearances....not really.

It is http://myrantsandraves.wordpress.com

See ya' there.

It's official...

2007-09-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

... I am now a desert resident once again.

Yesterday I came back to the desert from being at camp for a week and a half and it was weird thinking I won't be going back for work there in a couple of days. If I go back from now on it will be to visit my parents or the Skippers.... that's strange.

It was a good week though. We took down all the stuff in the tent that we put up for the season, so it really seemed like we were 'officially' wrapping up summer and my time there.
My girls came up on Thursday and we had dinner with the Skippers at their house... it was great. They really love our kids. I'm truly excited about how our relationship will flourish with them now that we will be hanging with them more as friends than as employer/employees. They are awesome people.... the whole family.... we love them.
We went to church this morning and , man!...it just solidified the whole decision of being here. It is hard to explain, but it is good!
I'm looking forward to starting work and getting on with this change in our lives and becoming more established here.

I'm also immensely looking forward to riding out at Glamis this season which is right around the corner.

Good times ahead.

I Fell In To A Burning Ring Of Fire.....

2007-09-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well, today was interesting.

Yesterday, there was a fire burning between us and Big Bear and seems to be moving slowly..... until today.

We had a weekend guest group up at camp that I was hosting and I informed them at lunch there was a slight possibility that we may have to be evacuated so be prepared, but we would let them as soon as we do. No sooner do I say that when the sheriff pulls up about twenty minutes later and tells us to get the people out.

Small blessing in disguise... most of our stuff was already moved, with the exception of the quads and some furniture. So the staff and I got together the valuables and headed out. So far, I think Running Springs is not evacuated so Dan and Becky are fine, but if you want the lastest info go to www.rimoftheworld.net. It is updated pretty frequently.

That was my day.

Now I'm at home.

My other home.

In the desert... where nothing burns, just melts.

Family and Friends....

2007-09-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

So it has been a little tough to post consistently because of the back and forth I've been going through (though I wasn't too consistent before either), but I have had a good week with my girls.

Hannah started kindergarten last week and is doing very well and Leah is also doing very good with preschool/daycare. She has started to talk alot more now, I think because of the frequent interaction with kids her age. Tonight after her bath she was alittle chatterbox naming all the items in the Baby Einstein video that they still love to watch. They constantly make me smile as I watch them play and interact with world around them.

Last night was the second week in a row that Rachel and I got to attend the home bible study that we are a part of. It has been good to get know the other couples in the group. We all get along really well. Of course, it helps that we knew two of the six couples before hand.

Rachel is still trying to adjust ot her job at Eisenhower Hospital, where they do things differently than Loma Linda. It doesn't help that Loma Linda is one of the top hospitals in the nation and she had to leave because of her husband:p It's getting better,,,,,, I think.

Please pray for camp and all that Dan and Becky are going through.... it's more than you know. Theyn need it. It makes me feel guilty..... which sucks.

I head back up tomorrow to host the weekend group that is coming in tomorrow night.....so back to Pondo and cooler weather.

Waiting...

2007-09-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sorry.... I'm still waiting for photos from my river trip. Alot of back and forth from the desert to the mountains makes errands like that harder to do. It was a blast though. We had alot of fun and the other guys who went with Dave and I got used to our humor after a couple of days. :p

Also, for Jason's info, I reserved my Halo 3 today.....have you? You know we got to get on when it comes out! Also let me know your gamertag if you have one yet.
Sorry, everyone else, it's a great way to unwind and also improve hand-eye.... and Jason knows, much to Amanda's dismay.

Noise....and water

2007-08-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Well, after two long, loud weeks of the guest group being here, I get to leave tonight and meet up with my homey and fly to Sacramento to brave the rapids of the American river for two days.

Okay, that's not us yet, but it will be. Dave and I went on this same trip last year and had a blast. We raft down the middle fork of the American river for a whole day, camp along the river and then do some more the following day..... and man, that water is CCOOOOOOOLLLLDDDD!!
This year we are bringing along to other guys from our bible study group in the desert. We hope to make this a guys tradition for us every year and the 'grandaddy' destination is the Grand Canyon.

Yawn......ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

2007-08-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Man, I am tired. It seems like the weekend flew by and I hardly got to spend time with my family. Did alot of 'honey-do' type stuff around the new house this weekend to make it seem more like home. You know, the usual hanging pictures, shelves and art.
I didn't have my camera with me to take pics or video like the Ashdowns but will on my next trip down.

Gotta go.

I don't have to go to the bathroom... just got to go.... and fix some sprinklers on the field.

Talk to you later.

Look forward to it.

Well, I think I'm going to start up again....

2007-08-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

I've been reinspired to post again by Jolinda, Amanda, and Jasen.

Really who wouldn't be inspired by those people.

So I guess this my official announcement to coming back to the blogging world. Right now I'm sticking with Blogger, but I may try Wordpress, we'll see... I'll let you all know if I change. Hopefully I'll be able to post on a more regular basis. I'll also try and updarte my page look and my friends list.

If you didn't already know, my family and I are moving away from Pondo after 9 1/2 years back to the desert for a change in our lives. I'll post about that in more detail soon.

Thanks for the welcome back to posting for those who would have me, and those who don't........

Tough.

Blogger is dead...

2007-02-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

... I think blogging is dead in my life. I never post anymore and am deluding myself in thinking I will post in the future. Everyone seems to be on Myspace or Facebook now... which definitely isn't the same. I enjoyed reading everyones posts.
Anyway this is my last post for My Rants and Raves. Sorry it's lame. I'm getting busy again with Winter Camps and summer prep so I'm pretty sure that I would never post.

See ya.

-Aaron

Addicted...

2006-10-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm hooked on 24. I'm at the end of the third season trying to catch up thanks to Netflix.

What else can I say... Jack is THE man!

Agree.... Disagree?

Sweet!

2006-09-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

So I'm sorry I haven't posted pictures of the house yet... our momentum has slowed a little bit and we still have to finish the kitchen (big task), but when it is done I promise to post some.

Well, the new Mac is pretty SWEET!! Along with having the ipods too, of course. I'm posting from it right now, as a matter of fact. I've been downloading all of our CD music library onto it this last week... man, that takes along time!

Here is a photo of the LeBrun fam on the first night we had the iMac using the cool iChat camera that is built into the screen

Hannah loves it when Daddy takes pictures with her.

I'm Back and I've Crossed Over...

2006-09-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

...no I'm not gay or Communist or even a Democrat (ouch!), I've crossed over to Way of the Macintosh. Yep, that's right I'm going to be the proud (hopefully) owner of an iMac. I went ahead and made the plunge last week along with buying two ipods (one for Rachel and one for me). It just seemed better for us to get the iMac over the MacBook even though the MacBooks look way cool!
We have been doing a total interior home remodel or makeover (pics to come later) and have been needing to update and get a new computer for awhile so we did. We must be the last people on earth to get an ipod... better late then never, right!?

So, yes I'm back in the blogging world and hopefully I'll post more than I did in the spring so that Jasen isn't the only one anymore.

Peace.

On A Break...

2006-06-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

...so this here has been one of the most hectic of my whole life, hence the no new posts.

Summer is upon us and camp is a week and a half away. I hired my last staff member yesterday. And I'm tired. Mentally and physically.

So as not to dissappoint you even further, not that anybody reads this anymore anyway... I'm taking an official break from my blog until fall.

I may occasionally post, we'll see.

Windows of Paradise...

2006-05-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

So I promised some pictures from our trip to Maui... so here they are.
Okay so this isn't Hawaii...

This was how our house looked the day before we left for Maui.

2006-05-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

...and here is the green lush island of Maui. Notice there is no snow in this picture! Thank God!

2006-05-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

Rachel, Cameo, Micah and I in all of our 'whiteness' early in the week.

2006-05-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

This was a cool church made out of lava rock in 1832 that they still have services in every Sunday.

2006-05-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

This is a neat flower shot with a wedding chapel in the background right on the beach.

2006-05-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

The inside peak of the wedding chapel with sunlight flooding through. I liked the symmetry of the wood in this picture.

2006-05-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

A waterfall pouring out of the lush rainforest that the road to Hana goes through.... it was a very beautiful drive.

2006-05-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

My brother Micah wading in a serene pool along the road to Hana.

2006-05-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

Micah swimming in the serene pool. Notice the old bridge of the narrow road above.

2006-05-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

Rachel, Hannah and I in front of a beautiful waterfall on the road to Hana. Leah was asleep in the car.

2006-05-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

This picture is one of my favorites of Hannah's hand and foot on the black sand beach in Hana. Hannah and Hana. Funny!

2006-05-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

I love the contrast in this shot. This little plant was only about two inches tall, right on the beach.

2006-05-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Picture taken at sand level on the black sand beach at Hana looking toward the rain forest.

2006-05-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful waterfall.

2006-05-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

Us hiking through the lava flow to a great snorkeling spot known only as 'Fishbowl'.

2006-05-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

Again, the contrasts in colors were amazing... too bad my camera couldn't fully capture the vividness.

Paradise...

2006-04-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

... I just got back from Maui early this morning, and man, was it beautiful!! I took alot of pictures so I'll post some on here soon.
The whole family went including my parents and my girls loved it! Leah is darker than all of us and she had the strongest sunblock on... she looks like a little local hawaiin.
We were gone for ten days and the weather was awesome... shorts and flipflops the whole time.

It was alittle bit of a 'mind trip' because yesterday morning before we left I was walking in the ocean (which was about 80 degrees) and in less than 10 hours I pull up to my front yard covered in 2 feet of snow!
Anyway, I'm going to Glamis with my buddy Dave to do some 'end of the season' dune riding with the guys this weekend and then spending Easter with my girls and his fam at their house.

Got to get my last 'fix of fun and relaxation' before it gets chaotic in May in preparation for summer.

Absence Make The Heart Grow Fonder...

2006-03-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

...I'm sorry that I've been gone for so long,... it isn't because I haven't been interested in putting my thoughts and experiences to the keyboard, it is trying to find the minutes in the day to do it.

Right now I'm in the middle of our last winter camp (Hooray!!), so I'll do a longer post next week.

I miss everyone and I'll be glad when Spring will finally be here.

In His Presence...

2006-02-26T15:31:00.000-08:00

... she is finally 'home'.

She is finally without pain.

She is finally at peace and no longer has stress.... or sorrow.... or loneliness or any other thing associated with this earth.

I think I'm finally relieved.

And maybe envious.

Aunt Rachel and Leah, March 2005

No Title

2006-02-11T20:11:00.000-08:00

... so I don't post much anymore, and that bums me out a little bit.... as you read below there is things weighing on my mind personally, we are in the middle of winter camps (which are going great, but still no snow...weird), and the staff recruiting 'beast' (task) is on my back. In short, it is hard for me to gather 'energy' to post anymore, even though I know in the back of my mind it is a good mental release and I do enjoy it after I get the 'ball' rolling and start typing.

My aunt is still with us... she has 'good' days (if you want to call it that), and she definitely has bad days, but she is still here just waiting for God's perfect timing.

On a different note, I'm responding to Nikki's post about movie favorites. Now if you know me I have a cabinet full of my movie favorites, but I'll only list some as this list could be a long one. And these aren't in order.

1) The Lord of the Rings trilogy (it is all one big movie to me). Peter Jackson did an awesome job and if you watch any of the behind-the-scenes stuff you can tell that these people enjoy what they do and the people they work with.
2) Band of Brothers, best WWII movie/series ever!
3) Office Space nuff' said.
4) Braveheart still and always will be a classic fav. Watch this after your married and put yourself in his situation... it might make you feel even more passionate about this film.
5) Gladiator (same as above) and Russell Crowe rocks
6) Spinal Tap great mockumentary, still my favorite, and the commentary is just as good as the movie
7) The Godfather trilogy, what can I say, it's about the mafia and it's roots.... and it has Pacino in it.
8) Heat, great L.A. heist story that has you going for the bad guys and I like Michael Mann's films (Collateral, Last of the Mohicans, The Insider)
9) Traffic and most everything else that Soderbergh does (Ocean's Eleven, Erin Brokavich, The Limey, Out of Sight)
10) everything Ghost in the Shell, it's anime (japanimation), it's a little weird, but I like it and I think the animation from the first movie (1995) to the series on Japanese television right now, is amazing.

Well, that's just the tip of my colossal movie iceberg... maybe I'll do more lists in the future... like favorite directors or best cinematography or best animation or movie scores. The possibilities for categories is endless for me.

That is......

if you want to know.

Peace people!

'Aunt' Rachel...

2006-01-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

...I've been dreading to post about my aunt, but knew that I would have to sooner or later.

Pretty much anyone who has been to Pondo the last several summers(with the exception of this last one) knows who my aunt is and know her as 'Aunt' Rachel, so as not to confuse her with my wife who is also a Rachel LeBrun. Last April, Aunt Rachel was having some health issues, but assumed they would probably go away, until she felt so bad that she had to be helicoptered to Loma Linda Medical Center. They found she had cancer in her uterus and had to do a total histerectomy to eliminate the cancer. They were pretty confident they got it all.

At the beginning of this month she was having problems again, went to the hospital, and hasn't left since.

She is inoperable and the cancer has spread throughout her whole abdomen and vital organs. She is... terminal, I guess, is the right medical word for it.

How long?

It could be months.... it could weeks... or it could even be days. No one knows or can predict the time, even approximately. They just know that she has a very aggressive form of cancer and her organs could start shutting down at anytime.

I can't really describe how I feel.... and right now I'm not going to try to. We are trying to get her effects and estate in order the way she wants it before she goes.

I have four aunts... but,

she is the only one that I ever loved and had a relationship with.

Please pray that it's quick and without pain.

Curse You, Jasen!...

2006-01-19T13:31:00.000-08:00

...make me post when I don't want to... genius!

I've been 'tagged' by Jasen, by the way, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about.

Let's see.... my five guilty pleasures:

1.) my recent guilty pleasure is my quad and riding Glamis
2.)movies, movies, movies and more movies ( I just can't find the time to watch them all)
3.)Metallica (call me old school if you want to, I've liked them for a long time)
4.)Of course, video games, I'm such a dork (Again , hard to find the time)
5.)This may sound dumb, but working with my hands, and what I mean by that is building and creating things (especially with wood). I guess if you know me, you know what I'm talking about.

There are more, I'm sure, but being 'tagged' you list five... so now I TAG.....

......Wess Howell!!

Come on Wess, give up the goods and spill the beans! You've been....

TAGGED!!

Man, does time fly by?!

2006-01-05T16:18:00.001-08:00

...It seems lately that with every post I'm apologizing for not posting anything.... I know, I know, I'm lame.
Did every one have a good holiday season? Did anybody get something they really wanted? Did anybody get something they really didn't want?

Hannah and Leah got a TON of toys... I think Toys'R'Us is now located in Running Springs at Pondo in the LeBrun house. We had a great day.
I got Rachel all new bed stuff(comforter, sheets, new down pillows from IKEA, of course) and also all new Bathroom stuff(towels, shower curtain, rod and rings, all new fixtures from Bed, Bath, & Beyond) all in this cool subtle brown asian motif, which is what our bedroom will eventually 'themed'. We have been needing this type of stuff for a long time.

As for me, well, ... sit back and I'll tell you all about it.

To begin with, I didn't tell Rachel that I wanted anything, so I was curious about what she was going to get me. Now a week before Rachel and I had done some major clothes shopping for ourselves ( which also was a long time needed) so I figured her getting me clothes was probably out... which is good (secret: I don't particularly like getting clothes as gifts).
She tells me about a week before Christmas that I can't check the p.o. box because one of my gifts is coming in the mail and she doesn't want me to 'see' it. Now the little kid in me starts to come out and now I'm REALLY curious to now what it is.
Could it be an ipod?.. an XBOX 360?.. another movie collectible? I'm stumped.
Christmas day comes and there is two good sized boxes under the tree. Their shapes tell me nothing.

I open them up!....

and...

It is a Starbucks Barista stainless 8 cup thermal coffee maker and a Starbucks Barista coffee burr grinder. These are nice and if any of you know they aren't that cheap. Sweet! I'm an avid coffee lover so these are great gifts.
Then I think to myself, wait a minute, you don't order these by mail, you buy these at the store! My wife informs me that my 'other' gift did not come (p.o. box) for Christmas so I would get it next week. That's okay, I can wait.... I think.
Next week rolls around, and I starting to get anxious... maybe a little too anxious.
Rachel had to work on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and then we were going to Glamis with our best friends the Garcias to the New Year weekend riding quads (which became a newfound love) and eating dirt. So Wednesday was the only day I would be able to get that package, because Rachel had the car the other days while at work (alot of unnecessary details, I know).
Well she didn't make it to the post office that day! I try to egg her on to tell me what it is so I'm not in suspense for another week... she doesn't budge.

So Thursday night we pack up and head to LaQuinta to meet up with our friends at their house. We pull up and get out of the car, walk up the driveway and as we do so the garage door opens.
As it open it reveals a brand new Polaris Predator 500 L.E. with a red bow on it and a handwritten message saying:"Merry Christmas Aaron, From Your Family"!!!

I look at everyone in stunned disbelief and they are all grinng at me. I was had! By my wife! I started thinking back and began to realize all the 'lies' she had been telling me to pull this off. She didn't tell anybody she was doing it either! Not my parents! Not the Skippers! Not even Davina! That was pure genius!
She is the master. I told you I was married to a ninja.

I not sure I can ever top that!
Anyway there is even more to the story, but I won't bore you any further.... If you made it this far, Congratulations here is the picture of our hoildays.

See ya.

Yep that's me and my new'baby

2006-01-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

My love (I'm talking about my wife)

2006-01-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

Dave, Aubrey and Daniel (our godson)

2006-01-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

Rachel and Aubrey looking better than Dave and I. *Notice the dust in the air showing up in the camera flash* Makes for alot of dirty boogers! :D

2006-01-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

Dave and I trying to look intimidating.

2006-01-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

Hannah and her best bud, Victoria, doing a tandem test drive.

2006-01-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

Hannah trying on Daddy's quad for size.

2006-01-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

Our lovely expensive tree!

2006-01-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

Rachel, Leah and 'Unibomber' Aunt Davina on Christmas morning

2006-01-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

Leah with 'Uncle' Dan and 'Aunt' Becky on Christmas night.

2006-01-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

Hannah and her new dollhouse mansion

What a Month!

2005-11-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

November has been a pretty busy month for me!

First there was Hannah's big birthday bash(I'll post pics later), then Spirit & Truth (which was awesome), we've been doing an office 'remodel' and I had no desk or computer for a while (which is part of the reason of no posting), an 'all' staff Thanksgiving dinner the Friday before Thanksgiving (see Nikki's post for more details and pics), my bro and his wife came down for that weekend to hang out, Thanksgiving day (which Rachel had to work) didn't do a whole lot, and then this last weekend in Palm Springs with our best friends, Dave and Aubrey and their family.

That's my November in a nutshell, with some minor details left out, of course.
Oh, and Leah's B-day is tomorrow..... wow, a year already!

Well, December is next with all of it's holiday frenzy and prep for winter and summer are getting into full swing. As always I start to 'feel' behind around this time of year with those preparations!

Awesome!!

2005-11-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

The U2 concert was awesome!! I don't really know how else to describe it... and I know that sounds generic.

We didn't get to 'meet' Bono and The Edge this time because we arrived later than we wanted to but this show was amazing and, in a way, totally different than when we saw them in April.
They seemed more relaxed and less structured, which was a good thing... it wasn't bad at all, it made them more personal and in touch with the audience.

All I can say is that it simply was amazing.

For some cool pictures and a little more info check out Wakeling's post.

Fanatic...

2005-10-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

...I know, I know, I'm a fanatic. A U2 fanatic that is.

If any of you are U2 fans out there and you did or didn't get to see the show you need to keep the middle of November in mind. Like the Elevation tour they are releasing a two disc DVD set of the Vertigo show shot in Chicago. It looks to be, yet again, amazing and a must have for any U2 fan!
You can get the full scoop at U2.com.

And on Tuesday (Nov. 1st) Rachel and I will be seeing the amazing show again along with Davina and Scott. It will be awesome and who knows maybe I'll actually have pics of us meeting Bono this time.
I'll keep my fingers crossed. :D

Balance

2005-10-21T14:07:00.000-07:00

So last week I had a rough life... I 'had' to spend six days on Lake Mead in a houseboat reading, taking naps, snorkeling, hiking, etc... Man, that was tough!
The first half of the week was spent with thirty other awesome guys involved in youth ministry just getting to know each other, share common problems and triumphs associated with ministry, family and life. It was real good for me and I definitely learned a few things about myself as I always do.
The 'retreat' never really has an agenda or schedule, but some underlying 'theme' seems to always be the topic for discussion. This trip came at the perfect time, because it seems this last year I've been struggling with some new things I haven't had to necessarily deal with before.

And that is BALANCE.

I'm finding it hard to know the limits of how much time to spend doing my ministry and how much time to spend with my family. It is a little different than maybe someone in church ministry because I LIVE where I work and do ministry... so I find it harder to say "No" especially when I thoroughly enjoy what I do at camp (program camps). I love spending time with campers, youth pastors and youth workers, staff, the band, and the speakers... I love that interaction, because in the back of mind I know I need to 'soak' up as much as I can because come the middle of August everyone goes their separate ways until, hopefully, the next year.
But in a way my family time 'suffers' for that.
Am I being selfish?
I've recognized that Rachel and I have grown a little apart over the last 7-8 months (don't worry it's nothing drastic, and we do talk about it), part of it is having small children in the house and the other part, I think, is not having the communication that we should on a regular basis.
For anybody who has been married for awhile you know how easy it to fall into certain patterns and become complacent in your marriage and not 'work' as hard to please your spouse like you did when you were both in the 'honeymoon' phase.
I don't want to be years down the road and one day my marriage implodes, we have nothing in common except our children, and wonder where it all went wrong!
This was the question I put out there to everyone on the trip..."How do I find the BALANCE between my family life, my ministry AND time for myself, (all which I thouroughly enjoy devoting time to), and still be an excellant husband and father while also being an effective leader in my ministry."
During those three days I was able to glean knowledge from some awesome men whom I respect greatly and they gave some great advice on what I should and shouldn't do based on their experiences which I think will benefit me greatly.
It will definitely take a little bit of work and adjustment, but the end results for my family's sake and mine will be greatly worth it.
If you guys have any thoughts or advice, by all means please contribute.

The second half of the week was spent with the evergrowing Pondo staff on a 'super yacht' houseboat having a blast and also getting to know each better in semi-tight quarters. Check out Nikki's blog for pics and details.

Buccaneers On A Roll...

2005-10-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

...Four wins and no losses. Can I get an "amen"?
Thank you, Jasen.

The Dark Lord Has Arrived...

2005-10-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

... to my Lord of the Rings collection that is.

I ordered 'him' in March 2004 and I finally recieved it last week. The detail is amazing and 'he' stands close to two feet tall! I'm not sure where I'll put him for the time being, but check out the pics below and see why I'm a movie collectibles nutcase.

Who knows... maybe someday the sale of it will put my kids through college!

The one ring... in my kitchen! :D

The Dark Lord pouring all his malice and hate into the one ring.

Sauron and Gollum... the two 'bookends' to the fate of the ring.

The detail is amazing...

If haven't read it yet make to sure read my post below and check out the pictures about our vacation. ;)

Oh, and I'm sorry that I haven't posted in awhile or commented on anyones blog, everything seems to be breaking on me all at once. My computer moniter went 'kaput'... all though I didn't find that out until a week later and my cell phone died on the same day. So if you call me and leave a voicemail please leave your number because I lost the, literally, hundreds of numbers I had in my phone... and I'm sorry that I don't have all of yours memorized. Thanks!

Our Vacation...

2005-10-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Leah looking cool and subconsciously 'flipping off' daddy!

Daddy explaining the finer points of sandcastle construction at Laguna Beach.

My women

At the Long Beach aquarium.

Look at those cheeks.

This picture turned out so cool.

Hannah and the giant crab having a 'conversation'.

What's next Hannah?

Hannah's other mode of transportation.

Hannah and Leah at "the happiest place on earth"!

Need I say more? Look at those smiles.

Hannah gave her pacifiers to Mickey Mouse so we are one step closer to her being a 'big girl'. They had an awesome time and it was really cool to witness our kids experiencing something that you could tell just totally blew them away.

Back at home the girls are reliving the moments courtesy of Dad's video camera skills.

Busy, busy, busy....

2005-09-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

...Sorry, these last two weeks which seem like have been a long time (but very good) have been pretty crazy... in a good way.

And I'm reading three books at once!

I'll post hopefully in the next couple of days and also have some pics, so be looking for them it because I'm sure it will be long or I'll have several posts back to back as I have several things I want to tell you all about.

Preview: Hannah at Disneyland.... priceless!

Me Won, U2!!

2005-09-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

... Well it looks like I'm going to get to see them again!

Here is how it played out.

So I didn't buy the tickets that night when I was tempted at the time of my post, but I told a little 'white' lie to 'test the waters' with my wife!

I went home (because I was at the office when I posted) and told Rachel "So what would you say if I bought tickets for U2?". Response: "NO WAY YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" "I'm not" was my untruthful response.
"How much?" I tell her.
She about passes out. Then I tell her that amount is also for her sister Davina to go too, as part of a wedding gift from us.
She actually agrees with me and thinks that that would be agreat idea.
After a couple of minutes she then says to me, "I'm actually getting really excited about going again!
BINGO!! Yahtzee!! That's the response I'm looking for!
So I tell that I hadn't bought them yet, but didn't know how she would react. She then yells at me "Well you better get your butt back on that computer and buy me some tickets to a U2 show that you got me all worked up for!"

I love her!

Anyway, long story short, we are going Nov. 1st and we also bought tickets for Davina and her soon to be husband, Scott, as a wedding gift. I'm so stoked to be going again and we will be sitting closer to the stage.
If any of you remember the last time we went in April and I posted about meeting Bono and the Edge, you can be sure we are taking the Cyber-shot and parking our butts where we saw them last in hopes to capture a moment I can put on my blog!

Well, we got through the month of August a little tired, but doing good. This week we've been getting ready for Jasen and Amanda's wedding and it has been going well despite the little 'curve balls' they've been get tossed their way. It is going to be an awesome looking wedding and reception and one I'm proud to be a part of.

On the homefront, Leah has been sick this last week and a half and just has not been herself (poor thing) which means alot less sleep for mommy and daddy.

Anyway, I better go since this is already pretty long and I'll be seeing some of you on Saturday....

Until then, peace.

Vertigo Revisited?

2005-09-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

...So I'm seriously considering buying tickets to the Nov. U2 concert to see them again and in the process pay an exorbant amount of money to go.

Should I do it? My wife doesn't know... but I want to surprise her and I'm also thinking of getting a ticket for Davina, Rachel's sister.

It's a gift I know she will like... they will both like. I'm torn between surprising my wife but possibly incurring the wrath of my 'ninja spouse' that she will eventually get over because, hey it's Bono or tell her my intentions and her possibly shooting down the idea.

What do you think I should do?

I'll sleep on it. Even though it is very tempting to do an impulse buy!

See what tomorrow brings!

Pump Up The Volume...

2005-08-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

... anybody remember that movie? That tells you how old I am. :)

That seems to be the theme for this week's guest group that Nikki and I have posted about. They have been here since Sunday and it seems that this week has dragged by with their same daily routine... yelling, screaming and wailing... take a break to eat, more yelling screaming and wailing... eat, yell, scream and wail... all day long. I am not exaggerating. From 7:00 in the morning to 10 or 11 at night!

In fact, they are even doing it right now.
Different culture, I guess.

Next week will be kind of weird with no noise around here.

Maybe too quiet?

I'm Baaaaacckk!! ;-D

2005-08-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

Man, it has been a long time since I've posted last.... I apologize. Alot of my fellow 'bloggerites' out there probably gave up on checking if I had any new posts months ago. I don't blame you!

It has been a crazy, good, eventful and all around awesome summer! If you have read any of the other pondo blogs out there you can get a small glimpse of the type of summer this was for all of us.... so I won't regurgitate the whole summer for you.

I was pleasantly surprised by alot of the staff this year and I definitely was blessed by them more than I expected. Program staff was awesome! And that has been rare to say for program as a whole over the last several years. Every one of them served without complaint (major complaint) and I didn't have to worry if things were getting done... which is a HUGE burden off my shoulders! Thank you, crew.... I will have you back any time!

There are certain moments and people that really made the summer for me. Nathan and his hilarious dance, Cody from day one being my resident ninja and all around awesome counselor, Brittany (Anderson) and her everlasting smile, Stacy taking on the 'impossible' and playing Halo with da' boys(I'm glad God placed you here this summer), Nikki and I trying to 'one up' each other on Mon. nights, Jeff singing Dancing Generation and the context of his shower times, the 'facedown video' on Tues. nights which always seem to drive a stake through my sinful heart, Chris and his incessant team spirit, Lee winning the Ultimate Cheer every week except the last, and so many more that I won't write about it all.

I just wanted so say that I'm back after a long absence and it probably was good that I didn't post during the summer because they probably wouldn't have made much sense anyway.

I'll write more tomorrow...

...about the crazy guest group that is here right now

... and how LOUD they are!

Yes, it's is another Hispanic group!

See ya'.

...Too Tired

2005-07-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

...to post.

This week is our 'break' week that I still am working. I'll find some time to update in the next couple of days.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA!!!

2005-07-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

... Yesterday was Amanda's birthday and Jasen arranged a 'surprise' birthday bash for her in the chalet last night. I think Amanda has had about six 'surprise' birthday parties in the chalet since she has been working here! ;D

Amanda, do you remember when 'Walton' sang to you on stage that one summer? Awkward! It was Ryan wasn't it?

Anyway, Amanda, I care for you and am glad that you are doing well and even though things this summer aren't the way we originally planned I'm glad we still get to experience it together. It's kind of like last year, but reversed. Now I don't have you on stage with me as opposed to last year where I wasn't with you up there. But I know that this summer is nowhere near bad or terrible. Nikki is doing great! She is just a little more competitive than you, so some times I have to keep her in check (j/k Nikki!).

Your b-day gift is coming, I promise!

Again Happy 30th Birthday, Amanda! Just kidding people she's only @#$. I let her tell you if she feels like it but she is much younger than an 'old man' like me! :)

Love you sister.

2005-07-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

How can my day not brighten looking at this smiling face? Thank you Becky for the snapshot.

The Ringing of the Bell...

2005-06-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

....Well, I just heard the bell ringing, signifying the start of our second week with our first meal....lunch! I'm soooo hungry right now, but I must post because I keep putting it off with ALL that time I have on my hands right now. (That's sarcasm coming through)
Anyway, the bell always will remind me of camp( we have a new one this year... thanks Wes). I remember last year watching Heather try ring it and it was a show unto itself!

Camp is off to a great start this summer and I'm looking forward to a great experience with campers, staff and the band. Troy's teaching was awesome and worship with those junior highers was amazing! The band got a compliment on one of the evals last Friday that said "worship greatly improved from last year and I didn't even think that improvement was needed based on last year's performance."

Staff has been GREAT this summer... it really feels like a team from every department and everyone has been doing their 'jobs' well and with awesome attitudes. I'm really enjoying our Program staff also... there has been a few adjustments made but I know that God is working all things.

I'll try not to make it so long before I post again (yea, right) but time for me is scarce. And to be honest I'm pretty tired (par for the course). Keep us all in your prayers if you remember... I'd be grateful. ;D

Seven Days from Now...

2005-06-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

...The summer season begins for Pondo!

And, yes, the Lord has blessed me with all the staff that I needed! Thank you, Lord, soooo much! I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but so far, this staff has been really good. All around, every department has great staff! Again, thank you, Lord!

Sorry that this is so short.... I'm lucky to have been able to type this much actually!

Thank God for You...

2005-05-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

....Because you all have stepped up to help me and Pondo out!

I'm not out of the woods yet, but I think my two counseling positions and my last program position might be filled! I still need to have some conversations with the 'potentials' but it looks real promising. Thank you!

I'm still down a video guy, though. Keepin' my fingers crossed. Trying not to worry.

Meanwhile the tent is being put right now, but is behind schedule. It was supposed to be done by Friday so that I could start this weekend with setup, but... oh well!

I have to leave in 45 min to go pick up our 'first to arrive' staff members for the summer. Lifeguard training is this next week... remember that, Heather? At least you didn't drown. ;D

I Don't Want To Admit It...

2005-05-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

...But I'm starting to get desperate!

I still need two counselor guys! It seems like every time I make a possible good contact they don't call me back or they don't return the application or they need to make more money or some 'better' opportunity' comes their way. And I just now found no more than two minutes ago that Ed CAN'T do video this summer.

What is the deal?

And I'm hiring three less guy counselors than last year! I can't imagine being five guys down right now.

Why is it that girls (in general) seem more willing to serve than guys? This has been a common problem every year, but not this bad. Are there more responsibilities placed on guys than on girls or are modern day males to picky and don't want to 'work' and serve? I've also seen my share of 'momma's boys' out there too!

I'm not trying to bash the male gender, as (the last time I checked) I am one,... but I'm starting to get discouraged.

Please keep us in mind if there is ANY capable guys out there you know of and/0r someone who knows how to do video shooting and editing, as I've been telling others I talk to about this, please keep me and pondo in prayer about this situation and also for this summer. I would greatly appreciate that spiritual support.

I guess this is a little bit of a Rant.

We Have Arrived.....Finally!

2005-05-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

...Pondo is now on the map! The World Wide Web map, that is.

Our camp website launched on Tuesday afternoon after many 'years' of saying "It's on the way", we can now say that it is reality... and it looks pretty good!

Check it out and let me know what you think.

pondo.org or
ponderosapines.com or
ponderosapines.org

Broke!

2005-05-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

...That is what I'm going to be when I invest in the next wave of video consoles.

My previous post yesterday (down there\/), talked about the next Xbox, today just released news from E3 was about the PS3 and man is it a whopper! Plain and simple.... I'm going to be broke... broke of money and broke of time.
Ohh the suffering! Check out all th specs for the PS3 here.

That is if this even interests you.

Low and Behold!!!....

2005-05-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

.....The video game world is about to change again! And it looks awesome! Something that will definitely have to be a part of 'Aaronland' (that entertainment theme park which is my living room). Sony is going to have to definitely step it up if they want to be a part of the 'ball game'.

Check out all the specs here at XBOX. It is mind blowing goodness!

So I spent over $150 of my hard earned money yesterday to complete the transformation of my 'Aaronland' living room. And it all fit in a pretty small bag.

'What did you spend it on?' you might ask. Well being the audiophile that I am when it comes to movies and sound, I bought all Monster Speaker Cable Connectors (gold plated I might add) for the 'system' so that no bare wire touches a speaker terminal... which is a 'no-no'.
So now it is all clean and crisp and no one would probably know the difference between the old sound and the new... but I do and since I'm the one wasting... I mean, spending my money on it, I guess that's all that matters. ;)

Sorry...

2005-05-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

... that I haven't posted in awhile.

Just a disclaimer for future posts... there probably will be bigger time gaps than previous ones due to getting down to the 'wire' of summer. But I still luv' ya'. :)

I had a great weekend with Amanda and Jasen last weekend... nice and relaxing... for me and for them. So much so that they graced us with their presence for an extra night! I think Jasen enjoyed playing Halo on the 'Big 50'... he just kept saying things like 'it's freakin' huge' and 'this is awesome'. How was it going back to your T.V., J? ;) Hey, Jasen, by the way, I noticed that my ranking on Halo (all of them) got knocked back to 1! Do you have any clue why? I mean I know I suck and all, but it took me a long time to get where I was.

And that you left the clan! Is it because of the whole time difference?

Anyway, it snowed again last night! When, Lord, will it ever end? There was a movie a long time ago about surfing called The Endless Summer, well this season has to be known as The Endless Winter!

Bring It On...

2005-04-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

... Not as in the movie, but as in summer camp. ;)

Dan and I had an awesome meeting today about this upcoming summer with Troy, Keith, and Jasen and it was very exciting for me to be able to be a part of the brainstorming of ideas again.
To hear these guys talk and the passion they have for this material, it helped me start to visualize this summer and get more momentum for the tasks upcoming.

All I can say right now is that it will be another "aamaaazzing" summer... right, J?

Too tired to post more...sorry! :(

In the Blink of an Eye....

2005-04-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

...It seems that 10 years went by! Today is our 10 year anniversary and I wonder... where did the time go and why so fast.

Don't get me wrong it has been great... awesome, in fact, and an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. My wife is my love, my soul and my everything. I'm looking forward to eighty more... if we live that long.

Sometimes, I think of eternity and heaven and what that would be like with the possibility of not 'knowing' Rachel as my spouse, but as a fellow worshipper of Christ. I'll be honest... it saddens me sometimes. I know that there is some speculation over this subject, but regardless my human little pea-brain is not grasping the full enormity of being in God's presence and how our earthly relationships won't matter to us like they do now. I believe there will still be 'fellowship' in heaven, just on a different level.

Anyway I would like to read your thoughts on the topic... in the meantime laugh at the picture below! :o)

I know, I know.... I actually have hair. And Rachel has bangs, don't forget that part! Trust me people, that's cider (wink,wink ). So bring on the heckling... I know it is inevitable. But it still is one of the happiest days of my life along with the births of my daughters!

C-ya!

Documentary Week

2005-04-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

Also last week was documentary week for me on my Netflix rentals and they were some good ones. Check out the links to the side > and also check out my brothers website if you are interested in art. >

Crazy Week

2005-04-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

So it has been awhile since my last post...

Well, lets see.... last weekend ( the weekend before this last one) my family and I went down to Glamis with our best friends and their new toy hauler(rv trailer that can also haul motorcylcles inside). It was pretty windy all weekend but we had a great time.

Rachel worked Monday and Tuesday so I played Mr. Mom and watched the girls because my parents(babysitters) were also on vacation.

Tuesday after Rachel got home from work we left late at night and went to spend a couple of days in a condo down in Anaheim that my parents arranged for us.

Wednesday we went to the Long Beach Aquarium so Hannah (who is obsessed with animals) could see the underwater wildlife. She was amazed and is still talking about it.

Thursday we hung out by the pool and then went to Downtown Disney, which was pretty crazy for a Thursday night. Hannah got to go tho the "Jungle" which is her term for the Rainforest Cafe, to see the animals ( again, obsessed). But we don't eat there because she gets freaked out when the animals 'move and look at her'. So she is content to look from a distance.

Friday we packed and headed to the desert, once again, (because we had such a good time the week before) but not before we stopped by to see my Aunt Rachel.
My Aunt got some type of severe infection or absess in her stomach and she had to be flown to Loma Linda from Big Bear in a helicopter last Thursday. She is doing much better now, but is still in the hospital, so please keep her in prayer if you can.
Anyway, we went to Glamis again and rode the dunes with their quads and this time it wasn't windy... just hot. I guess everything can't be perfect. It was good spending time with Dave and Aubrey and their family. I miss those guys.

And Monday morning we came home!

That was my last week in a nutshell... not that you cared, but that is where I've been! :-)

UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!!

2005-04-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

... or as Jasen would say.. "Aaamaazzing!"

We saw U2 last night and the show was awesome. It was a blend of the 'Pop' tour and the 'Elevation' tour as far as the visuals and lighting went and the whole place was amped. There, of course, was not one person sitting down in the arena and to hear that many people sing in one voice was impressive and inspiring.

What started off this grand experience was being in the right place at the right time... a fluke, if you will. So Rachel and I are buying our insanely exspensive U2 swag a couple of hours before the doors open near the outside corner of the Staples Center when I glance over and see a group of 30 or so people huddled around some barricades as if they are trying to see something. I tell Rachel to go check it out as I finish paying for the U2 'gold'.

It's freakin' Bono!

And then The Edge walks over too!

I run back to the car (we parked close for $20... I think between merch and parking I got raped) to get one of our ever present U2 cds and run back to give it to Rachel to get autographed. We were literally... 2 feet from both of them! And we got The Edge's 'john hancock'. Couldn't get Bono's because they said they had to go do soundcheck... but it was still pretty exhilarating. The cool thing about the whole deal was that no one was freaking out or shouting their names, so in a way it didn't really attract alot of attention. It seemed like a more 'intimate' experience than being smashed in between people in the hopes to catch a glimpse of them.
It made the seats we had (remember, not my first pick) more enjoyable knowing that before these icons of rock and roll sang to thousands that night.... they talked to us.

The Planets Have Aligned...

2005-04-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

...and all is good in 'Aaronland'.

Tuesday night I was doing a little gaming, as I usually do late at night, when all of sudden my t.v. kind of... well, for lack of a better term, ... died. Well, for those of you who know me and my family, life kind of centered around that 'Box of Satan'. :) Between my movies and video games, and the kids and their 'learning' programs, it got alot of use (I know we're a 'terrible' example). So I tell my wife this, and she says we'll go to Best Buy tomorrow and 'see' what they have, ...since we are going to be down the mountain anyway, right?

I check online the next day before we go and see that Best Buy has their televisions on sale and also with 2 years interest free financing...and 10 free dvds... and rewards points accumalated from the total of your purchase (which translates into free gift cards{$125 worth!}).
I then informed my wife that something rare has happened... the planets have aligned and this is the only chance we will have to get this great of a deal. To my surprise, she actually agreed with me!

We get to 'The Store' and start shoppin'.....
....Three hours later we left. With alot of 'stuff'! WE CAME, WE SAW, WE BOUGHT, WE KICKED BEST BUY'S BUTT!!
Now, my system before was definitely nothing to complain about as some of you know... see below

if you can see them, those are bubble on the carpet from Hannah.

... and next we have..tadah!!

Do you see them? The planets, I mean, ... they're aligned, right? Good, I thought I was the only one to see it.

And my wife was the one pushing for the new speaks(right and left of 'big' t.v.) because the older ones 'don't look like they belong'!! I love my wife! Only she would want to buy a piece of electronic equipment because it 'looks' better than what we have. But, hey, I'm not one to argue with Rachel ( because she secretly knows kung-fu) especially if she is coaxing me to get home theater equipment... it is usally the other way around.

Anyway, all joking aside, God has blessed me this week with 'stuff' I definitely don't deserve and I thought I'd share my excitement with you all. Hopefully I'll be able to share some of the "media goodness of 'Aaronland'"with you all someday, until then ...............

One More Week!!!...

2005-03-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

...Until I get to see the best concert of this year! U2 at the Staples Center next Tuesday! I wish I could bring my digital camera so I could post some awesome pics, but oh well. I'm getting more and more excited...of course to see U2 ,but also to spend some time with Rachel. Plus this last week I saw U2 on MTV's Jammed 'secret ' concert and VH1's Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame induction of U2. They were both awesome, so I'm gettin' psyched.

Anyway, enough about that, did everyone have a good Easter? I was 'playing' Mr. Mom this weekend because Rach had to work Sat. and Sun. It was tiring but good to spend time with my girls. We went to church on Sunday with my parents, Aunt Rachel and Ms. Nikki Howell and then went to the Redlands park after grabbing fast food. Man, the park was packed! I don't think I've ever seen that much people there, but we still had a great afternoon together... thanks Nikki! :D

Always Unexpected...

2005-03-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

So I get an email last week that a close friend of our family (the LeBrun family as a whole) had a heart attack last Thursday on his way back 'home'. His 'home' is in Tepic, Mexico (about 1,000 miles below the border) and his name is Kurt Melberg. You see, Kurt and his family, have been missionairies to Mexico for as long as I can remember bringing the gospel and planting churches among the mountain indian tribes for many years. It was always kind of strange to see this family that all had blond hair, speaking english with a hispanic accent. Anyway, we always hung out with them when they were on furlow visiting churches in the states trying to raise support for thier ministry down south.
Like I said earlier, Kurt and his wife were on their way back home from a trip to the states when he had sudden chest pain. They pulled over in the next town, which only had a 'doctor' and no hospital, who surmised that he quite possibly had a heart attack and will nedd to try and get to the Tepic hospital 4 hours away. He made it and they determined that he, in fact, did have a heart attack gave him some meds and prescribed bed rest.

I just found out that he died today.

This man was a couple of years younger than my dad! I don't really know how to feel right now other than a sense of shock. I feel for his family (wife,three sons and a daughter) but as I'm grieved, the thought (almost comforting, actually) popped into my head, "Aaron, don't be sad because he is no longer here... he is now with Me, where he is in My glory and presence."

Thoughts of my future and my parents and the arrangements that need to be made, have been going through my head over the last couple of years and it is tough thinking of your mortality or your parents mortality or your wife's mortality. Talking about wills and trusts and making sure your kids are provided for in the event you leave this earth before you 'plan' to, are not fun conversations and I despise them, but I know they are necessary if I want my family to be prepared.

I'm sorry for the this morbid, depressing post...but these are the thoughts rambling through my skull at the moment and I need an outlet.

Please keep the Melberg family in prayer or if you can't remember the name..just think about 'those missionairies to Mexico'.

2005-03-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

Dan, Becky and the girls at little place we like to call P.F. Changs!

2005-03-18T12:52:00.000-08:00

Her own canvas
Hannah was left 'unsupervised' for a 'couple' of minutes when she decided to take it upon herself to .... decorate herself.
Now, I don't know if she was trying to put on 'makeup' like mommy (Rachel does not go quite this crazy though) or if she was trying to be artistic, or if this was her way of saying she wanted tattoos like daddy. It was on her eyelids, her feet, arms, and ears...and was pretty hilarious so I had to take pictures. Luckily we foresaw scenarios similar to this and bought washable markers so it came right off in the tub.

Good Times and Talks...

2005-03-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

So it has been awhile since I've done a 'lengthy' post and I'm sorry...especially to all of you out there trying to call me and always getting my voicemail! It has been a little bit crazy here with and camps, summer around the corner, and still not enough guy summer staff for what I need this upcoming season. If you think of it, please pray for us in that regard... that the Lord will bring me some quality guys who are passionate about youth and work well (a rare thing to find) and that I will have the faith and patience to wait on God for these staff members we need.
Nikki came up yesterday to clean some of the cabins and she took a 'short' break to see how I was doing in the office. Four hours later we decided to probably get on with the 'rest' of our day. Sorry, Nikki, that I kept you from doing what you needed to do, but it was great to have that conversation with you!

DONE!!!!!

2005-03-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

Winter Camps are done and the snow is melting quickly. Springtime is around the corner and summer is around the 'bend'.

Can I get an 'Amen'?

One More to Go...

2005-03-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

Seven winter camps down, one more to go! It has been amazing that we have had snow for each and every weekend, which has been unheard of as long as I have been here.
I'm going boarding (snow) tomorrow at Valley with Dan and Becky....they are skiers. We went twice last week and it got real foggy both times, but it was still a blast.
I am ready for springtime though... and summer and the beach and the chaos of camp.
Are there any summer traditions or vacations you guys have done that stick out in your mind as memorable for one reason or another?
On for me was when my family and I went to Morro Bay up the coast... it is a beautiful place that you all should visit if you ar in the San Luis Obispo area. But anyway, we were camping at a campground called Montana de Oro and my dad wanted to do some ocean fishing off of one the natural rock formations on the coastline near the campground. We got to our spot in the morning when I guess the tide was low and started fishing. We didn't catch any fish.... but we did catch two fairly large crabs (surprise, surprise!). We decided to head back to the campsite to show off our prize, when we realized we couldn't get off the rock formation because the tide came in and turned the rock formation into an island! We couldn't swim off for fear of getting smashed against the rock by the waves.... so we sat there and waited... and waited... and waited until late afternoon when it finally went back down and we were able to 'escape'.

Let me tell you... crab never tasted so good!

Tell me your adventure.

@

2005-02-28T11:54:00.001-08:00

These are some pics from several week ago when we went to the desert for Valentines Day. Sorry that I'm not current with my pic posts like the 'Ash' man, but enjoy none the less.

Hannah and best bud, Victoria

Asian cheeks

A Year Older And I Think I Feel It...

2005-02-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

So my birthday was yesterday, and it is either another year of age that I feel at this moment or the stress my body has endured over this last month. I'm going with the last month! How old are you, some of you may ask... that's for me to know and for you to guess. No, I'm just kidding, I'm now 31. I'm not just thirty, I'm now in the thirties. But you know what they say now... that forty is the new thirty, so I guess that makes me "twenty". Confused yet?

Anyway, the Oscars were also yesterday, so we had people over to watch the Oscars and to celebrate my birthday and Davina's birthday (my sister-in-law's b-day is today). I received some awesome gifts from everyone. Nikki gave me Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind(great movie), Davina and Scott(her fiance) gave me Dawn of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead...the first being scary and the second being downright hilarious, a Barnes & Noble giftcard from my in-laws, Russ an Lisa gave me Lucado's Faith Builders cards for my desk with a neat holder, The Bourne Supremacy and I, Robot from Rachel (in case you hadn't noticed I like movies), and my parents gave me a DVR with TiVo. TiVo here I come. No more commercials, baby! It was a great birthday, but I just felt like I had no energy.

Also, a prayer request. My cousin's wife, Kelly Hall ( from Nashville), has had some pretty serious headaches over the last several weeks... so they went to get her checked out and found through an MRI that she had hemorraging on/in her brain! Which could lead to brain anarism. She is about my age. I'm not yet sure of the course of action they have to take but please think of her when talking to the 'man upstairs'. I'll try and keep you updated.

I'm going to post some pictures now in a different post so see you up above this post! =)

Howell Picture Goodness

2005-02-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

This a picture Nikki took a couple of weeks ago during winter camp in the fog. Believe me, this scanned post doesn't do the real picture justice, but I still thought I should share it with you guys.

Those Howells are talented, I tell you what. :)

TO check out roughly how much snow we got, go to Nikki's blog page and see what I mean. It finally stopped yesterday afternoon! Nothing at this point is more defeating than to get the snow all cleaned up (which takes all day on the tractor and in the plow truck) only to have to do it all over again as if you never did anything in the first place.
Hopefully we'll have bright sunny weather for this weekend's winter camp.

....still snowing...

2005-02-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

... the backhoe and snow shovel are not my friends...

Rain, Rain, Go Away..Don't Come Back Another Day!

2005-02-18T18:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it seems that we now can't have a winter camp without some form of wet weather. Today, again, it has rained, snowed, hailed, slushed and fogged. Make up your mind, weather. And Becky just informed me that supposedly it will last until Tuesday!
So this will be another late start for winter camp #5 because of the crawl of traffic and weather that all of the churches have to wade through to get here.

Did everyone have a good Valentines Day? My fam and I went to the desert to be with our friends Sun. and Mon. We spent our Valentines Day with the kids. Real romantic, huh? It was still good though because I got to spend time with the girls which has been in short supply lately with all of the recruiting trips.
I'll post some pics from last weekend when winter camp #5 is over.

Just sitting here in the office waiting for campers......

waiting.....

and then they get here and it's GO, GO, GO, GO ..... then Sunday hits and another one down.

My Last Two Weeks... In Pictures

2005-02-06T21:46:00.000-08:00

So these are pictures from my last two weeks. Hope you enjoy!

First, I went to Joshua Wilderness Institute at Hume Lake and got to see my buddy Darin (see pic below). Daniel Skipper went with me to keep me company plus he had two friends he graduated with in the Joshua program. We were on the road longer than we were at Hume but it was a good trip.

Jan. 24th

Next I went to Cal Baptist on Thursday the 27th and got to see Nikki, Kyle, Heather Gibson, Adrian, Stephanie and some possible future summer staff. Sorry I didn't take pictures of this day, guys.

We then had our second winter camp the next day which was rainy, slushy, snowy, and icy all in the same night. Saturday of our wintercamp you all heard the great news of what happened between J and Amanda at my house and I'm sure saw the pictures of the ring. Then Sunday after winter camp Nikki, Amanda, and Jasen hung out with my fam before Amanda and I headed to BBC the next morning. See below:

J and Amanda loungin'

Hannah and Leah after nap

The future 'Ashdizzles' and 'Pooty'. (winter camp joke)

Nikki take care of 'Cheeks' LeBrun

The next morning (still dark) Amanda and I left Pondo after having to pull the car out of the ice patch it was parked in with my 4runner. We flew into Springfield that afternoon at about 3:00p.m. Oh, lovely, gray Springfield. Got to hang out with Wess most of the week which a was treat for me and got to see alot of former Pondo staff. Most it seems aren't coming back or are still deciding. If you guys know any of these people push them in the 'right' direction for me, will ya'. It was a good but tiring trip and I miss my family immensely as I'm sure Amanda also missed Jasen.

John

Brittany

Daniel

Erin.

Amanda or Zoolander?

Wess and I

We came back Thursday the 3rd (also Ben's birthday for those of you who didn't know) and then did the winter camp thing all over again the next day. We had Steve Solomon this weekend and he is always awesome. His boys are sooo cool especially hearing his oldest, Zach(6), do Napoleon Dynamite impersonations.
We (the fam and I) went to the Skippers today to watch the Super Bowl with them, the Kovars and Nikki. I'm glad at least it was a close game even though I wnated the Eagles to win.

Tomorrow I leave at 7 am to head to Biola for two days for more recruiting (it never ends) to try and find some people dedicated to doing ministry well. Please if you think of it, keep me in prayer for guidance and wisdom.
I'm also looking forward to hanging with my homeboy, Ben.

So hope you enjoyed the pics... maybe more will be here next week...who knows. Until that time... peace

..and I miss you guys!

Moment In Pondo History...

2005-01-30T22:21:00.000-08:00

...And it happened during winter camp at my house! Read Jasen and Amanda's blogs to learn more info about that moment. I'm very happy for them both and "welcome to the 'family', J".
We (Amanda and I) are off to BBC tomorrow at the butt crack of dawn to do our annual Pondo Pines summer camp recruiting trip. Pray that God will guide us as we interview potential summer staff. It is kind of stressful.
When I get back I'll post some pictures of our recruiting trips (Darin and Joshua, BBC former staff) and from this weekend(Jasen, Amanda, Nikki and my Fam). I'm sure you guys don't really care, but I'll post them anyway! :)

Some Privilege

2005-01-25T11:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, here is my RANT, Ticketmaster sucks!! I'm a U2 fanclub member (paid for privilege) and it took me nearly two hours to get two tickets to their L.A. show because Ticketmaster's incapable website and server! Talk about frustrating, when I kept submitting my ticket request and seeing the same message over and over again..'Internal server error please try again later'. What!!?! I did this for two freakin' hours until I finally get through and get two tickets (that are in the rafters, I might add), go through the whole purchase process, click submit or checkout or whatever it was, and then it says it lost my order!!

None of you have ever seen me truly pissed off and be glad you haven't. I was about ready to throw my computer moniter through the bedroom window. Not only did this happen once, but three times!!! Finally with my wife's attempts to calm me down, I got through and was able to make a ticket purchase with a confirmation. So, good luck to the rest of you guys out there who want tickets. Bottom line Ticketmaster is arcaic and sucks when it comes to big venues. This happened to us last time with the Elevation tour and we weren't able to get tickets for any of the shows because of their system! I thought I'd be able to remedy that by joining the fanclub, now having DSL and be able to buy presale, but it is still a royal pain in the you-know-what.

Anyway, I guess my RAVE is that I WILL be going to the April 5th show at the Staples center to see the greatest band in the world with my wife, who is an even bigger fan than me! And we will have an awesome time despite not getting the seats we had hoped for. Just to hear their music live will be reward in itself. I hope to see some of your faces there as well!
But if your buying tickets either wait in line or have some other reliable source because my luck with Ticketmaster has been very poor!

Thanks for reading my Rant and Rave.

First Winter Camp Come And Gone...

2005-01-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Well, we're done with the 1st one and it went very well! Great response to worship with Everday Collision and to Jerry Huson's teaching. Everything was on schedule (can't figure that one out) and there were no injuries. Got to see some familiar faces I haven't seen in along time. Alyssa(sorry about your day, girl), Sara Slavich, Josh Coffey, Darin McWatters and his fam, Jerry Huson, my brotha's Ben and Ashdizzle, and of course my great winter staff... Amanda, Nikki, Mandy, Bobby, & A.K.
Now it's off to fight traffic and head to Hume for more recruiting. I'll probably be on the road longer than I'll actually be at Hume.... but it will be worth it if I find some good summer staff. And plus I hope to see E-roc, Cliff, Johnny, and spend maybe alittle more time with Darin. We'll see.

Stress Reliever... Big Time!

2005-01-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

I know that some of the more 'sophisticated' people out there think that video games is a waste of time and energy, but what if that energy is draining you? Like stress and anxiety? Halo 2 has been a great realease of this 'bad karma' :) for me over the last couple of days (am I right, jda?).
So on a lighter note from my last posts.... here is a little Master Chief art for all the Halo 2 homies out there...and if you aren't on Xbox Live yet, get there soon! And if you want to play with 'moi, ask for my gamertag. Peace to all of you... except those in the Halo universe.

. What's up innesfree and bensjammin21? Sorry, I 'm not that good, yet. I need a little more time. Just riding the coattails of you guys! ;)

What Was, No Longer Is...

2005-01-12T17:45:00.001-08:00

..The same. Meaning that the camp's topography has changed due to our 'lovely' recent weather. The 'creek' that ran by the volleyball courts and firepit is now two rivers. One flowing down the road to the lower cabins and one flowing throught the lower volleyball court. The bridge that used to cross that pre-existing creek is now washed down to the concrete roadway by the lower cabins. The road going up the ridge by the basketball courts has been almost obliterated by the force of water flowing over it. The whole bottom floor of the infirmiry flooded and Cabin 1 had, count 'em, 8 inches of water in it!
Everything is in the drying process now and thank God we now have sunshine...but until the snow melts we really won't know the extent of how much the landscape has changed.
I'm the most tired I think I've ever been, physically and emotionally. And I have camp in less than 2 weeks!
But , you know what, despite my worrying and stress and all the stuff I can't change... bottom line, God is in control. And he always is and will be. Remember that, J.

So sorry to those of you, if I haven't returned phone calls or emails, I've just been too exhausted. But I still love ya'.

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder...

2005-01-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry, that I've been away for awhile... I've had two days off since Christmas and that is including today!

Most of it is due impart to the weather we have been getting up here! So far we've probably got 2 ft. of snow on the ground with more on the way. I'm getting sick of snow real fast! I'm soooo tired. Moving snow is alot of work and we are starting to run out of places to put it.

Here are some pics from today... the sun is out finally!

Winter Wonderland Infirmiry

Lodge from across the field

Zipline

Looking through icicle to zipline

Melting in motion...just not fast enough.

Please pray that we don't get too much more... I need to get behind my desk and get organized for winter camps and summer recruiting . It's hard too do that when you're having to keep the camp accessible to the outside world. Don't get me wrong, snow is good, we need it... but as they say, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing...in this case, way too much. Plus I do want to be able to enjoy my days off and not worry if my roof is going to collapse under the weight of snow if I dont get up there and shovel it.
Anyway, I guess this is a little bit of a rant.

Hope everyone had a good holiday time!

Ben and Wes, I will call you guys back, I promise! I'm just not sure when! ;) Love you guys.

2004-12-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everybody! Leah's 1st Christmas. Picture taken with Mommy's new digital camera... Amanda, do you recognize the outfit?

Official U2 Fan Club Member...$40 later!

2004-12-23T11:17:00.000-08:00

Yep, you're reading a post from an official U2 fan club member! After paying $40 at U2.com... but I get to buy concert tickets presale before the public, get a cool U2 membership card, exclusive web music videos and interviews, and 25% off at the U2 store! Did I get ripped? Oh well, as long as I can get concert tickets for Rachel and I. We missed the Elevation tour because we couldn't get seats together and were seriously bummed. Not this time! You know it will be the best show to see this year! At least in my opinion.

I forgot about another Christmas time tradition that Rachel and I always do... every year sometime during the holidays we watch Christmas Vacation and Die Hard. Some families watch It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle On 34th Street or A Christmas Story, we watch hoilday violence and comedy. Every year. It's great!

What do you guys watch?

Christmas... traditions & memories

2004-12-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

So, how many people out there know what I'm talking about?

Some of my earliest childhood memories are of Christmas. Like the memory of the local fire dept. driving a fire engine with Santa on the back down each and every street so that every kid got to tell Santa his Christmas wishes (or wants). Or that wondrous smell of a Christmas tree in my house after having an artificial tree for several years. How many of us associate Christmas with that tree smell? I know I do!

I had a teacher in high school who grew up in New England and said that the smell of oranges always reminded him of the holidays. Huh? He told me that then getting fresh citrus on the east coast was expensive and rare and that at Christmas time as a special gift, they would each get an orange. Now I know I take oranges for granted!

Remember as a kid on Christmas Eve having that nervousness of Santa coming...and 'what is he going to bring me'...'have I been naughty or nice?'. I know some of you are saying, ' I still feel that way'. :) Good!

Traditions...
...with my family, we would get up in the morning, get dressed, and have breakfast...yes, all before opening our gifts! That can be torture for a kid! Anyway I survived. Next we read out of the bible, the real 'Christ'mas story, we would pray and then open presents. What can I say my dad's a preacher. As much as it seemed to 'pain' me as an impatient kid, it is now a 'tradition' Rachel and I do in our house as well.
For a couple of years my dad had the 'brilliant' idea of getting our tree on Christmas Eve! Yes, I said Christmas Eve! Talk about last minute decorating...I think he did it so that he could say that he only spent $5 for a tree, because tree lots were getting rid of their inventory. Or it was the miniscule pastor's salary that he received. Anyway, that 'tradition', needless to say didn't last.
Another tradition we do now is draw names for gift giving within our family(us, my parents, Aunt Rachel, my brother...) and makes gift giving a little more personal and definitely is easier on the wallet. I find it unsettling that a lot of people go in to debt over Christmas.

Comment and tell me what are some memories or traditions you guys have or had. I 'd love to read them as I'm sure others would too.
And to all of you who are in school... you've made it! Finals are over and Christmas break is here!! Be proud of yourselves and enjoy your families.

Peace.

And goodwill toward all people. :0}

Ponderosa People...LISTEN UP!!

2004-12-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

Out of curiosity today, I Googled my name. And even though I had interesting matches (apparently I'm also a musician) it took me to some of your blog sites as well as mine. Not surprising, right? Well, I realized that in our positions as Christians and involved in ministry (camps, churches, missions, etc..), if I was a camper or church member or someone curious to know more about us, they might question our faith based on some of the language exhibited in our blogs.

I know this might oust me from this 'little' community..., but I feel I have to speak up, especially in my position here at camp. Who knows when some 'charmed' junior higher (or board member in my case) will go looking to find more info about their camp favorite and finds our thoughts. I'm not saying I'm the 'favorite'. :)

Before it seems that I'm pointing fingers... let me say that I'm also guilty of this. For whatever reason we think that this is private. It doesn't take a whole lot to find this cache of our names. Some may think that because your blogs are listed under an alias or acronym that you're anonymous to the casual observer...how many of us have buddy link lists with all of our names down the side. All it takes is for one of us to mention another by name in our posts and it turns up in a search. Let's face it, this is the internet, not our private diaries. Ask Jasen about this type of situation. Which stinks because I loved his blog!

So what does this mean? Go covert? Invent a secret code language to address each other by? Why? So we can keep talking like sailors? NO! If people want to see what's the latest in my life, that's fine... I'm just going to post as an 'open book'. I won't care who opens that book.

I went through my old posts and either cleaned up the language or deleted the post all together which was not hard to do. I encourage some of you to do the same...because the questioning moment from someone will come. I've already had some myself. One was from...you guessed it....Dan Skipper! I didn't have an explanation for him. We don't talk like this at camp or in our churches or in front of strangers, why here?

I was reminded of my daily reading on Dec. 7th in Ephesians 5 where Paul says, "Follow God's example in everything you do because you are his dear children......Obscene stories,foolish talk, and coarse language-these are not for you. ... For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it!"

Please comment or call me! Please know that my post is out of concern and especially love for you guys. I hope it makes sense... and if doesn't , well ...... call me, I want to talk.

Catching The Red Eye...by tired daddy-o

2004-12-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

Well, she's here, if you didn't already know. The C-section was moved to the 30th of Nov., a week after the original date. Leah was born on Tuesday the 30th at 12:58 pm. She was 8 pounds, 6 ounces and 20 inches long. Considerably smaller than Hannah was but still a good size baby. It was good that Rachel had the section done. Hannah is doing well with the adjustment, we think. I think it took a little getting used to for her that Rachel couldn't give her all her attention... but I've been giving her plenty to make up for it. Here they are from this morning... sorry the picture quality is bad.

Sleep is a little rare here this past week for me and even more so for Rachel.. trying to keep up with the feeding schedule of a newborn, but God is good and we are blessed. She looks just like Hannah did at that age.

I've come to the conclusion that I need to clone myself. I would be an excellant candidate...there would plenty of me to go around between Rachel, Hannah, Leah , my two cats(who are always meowing for attention lately), camp, friends, yada yada yada...

On a side note, if you have been on some distant moon and still haven't picked up the new U2 cd yet, get off your keister! I got mine at 11am on the release date and it hasn't left my cd player yet. I think it is awesome, especially track #3 "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own". The whole album is perfection in my opinion, but I also love U2... so I might be a little biased.

Did everyone have a good Thanksgiving? My went really well. I got to see some family that I haven't seen in many years and got reacquainted.

Hope all is well with everyone. I miss you all alot!

2004-12-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Hello, world!! My name is Leah Noelle LeBrun and I've been making sure that my mommy and daddy get as little sleep as possible. (Actually, that's not totally true, she's a very good baby.) My daddy says he's sorry for the lack of posts, but he's been a little busy with me , mommy and my sister, Hannah. He'll write soon.