San Diego Trip Day 3

Our third day was our last day in San Diego. A cloudy sky greeted us that morning as it did the day before. We checked out of our hotel and headed up to La Jolla.

Jackson really enjoyed the view we had from the room, even though it was just of a bus station parking lot and a couple of tall buildings. He loved being up high!Jackson always enjoys the ocean, no matter how cold it is! It was freezing---or at least a Southern's Californian's version of freezing!The Family in La JollaA picture I wish I had time to paint...We ate at a restaurant called The Cottage. It was absolutely amazing. I had eggs, apple sausage, an English muffin, and potatoes, all of which were delicious...especially the apple sausage. Troy had the same with Applewood smoked bacon, which was mouth-watering-good! They also have fresh squeezed orange juice there. It was a very nice touch! Troy and I tried a sample of their homemade granola, and I must say that it quite possibly may be the best granola I have ever tasted. Seriously. It was that good. I definately recommend this place! It was a wonderful end to our trip to San Diego!

San Diego Trip Day 2 (Finaly!)

Sorry, folks...I took a little longer than I said I was going to!

Day two of our San Diego trip was a very cloudy and very, very cold one. We went to the San Diego Zoo that day. Jackson and I had never been to this zoo, so we both were very excited. We saw a lot of animals and we all thoroughly enjoyed it! After the zoo, we went to a Mexican restaurant called El Indio. The chips and guacamole were delicious, as well as all the other food...mmmm!

So, here are a "few" photos from the day...The family with the camels...watch out! They spit.One of my favorite animals...the koala! The baby was so adorable!
This is our little monkey eating a banana (one of his favorite things, he so affectionately calls, "num-nums")....
The Silver Back Gorilla. Massive.Jackson with the monkies.Happy Jackson with the monkies! He refined his monkey sound on this trip to the zoo!
The family with an arangatang family...the mother was holding the little baby's hand while they were sleeping....how cute is that?!?Jackson crashed after the monkies!
The hippo happened to turn around right when I took this picture!Me with the panda. What? You can't see it?Here is another view! They are so precious!Us with the elephants.Troy and Jackson with the giraffes...Jackson really liked them.
So, there it is, our trip to the zoo! Check back soon for Day 3 of our trip...and don't worry...that is the last day!

San Diego Trip Day 1

A few weeks ago, Troy, Jackson, and I took a trip down to San Diego to get away for a few days. I am just getting to post some pictures now! We stayed in a newly-remodled hotel called The Sofia. It was a really nice hotel right in the heart of Downtown San Diego. The rooms were very small, but there was a lot of creative storage space, so that helped. The only downside to this hotel is that it is right next to the bus station. This means that there are homeless folk hanging around. I usually don't mind that too much, especially because it is pretty much "the norm" in a city, but certain homeless folk decided it was okay to use the poles of the bus station as their regular restroom. Needless to say, we avoided that side of the street.

As soon as we arrived, Jackson discovered his favorite part of the hotel room...the shower. He was constantly running in the bathroom, grabbing toilet paper and "wiping up" any water that was left behind in the shower, or, as shown above, making silly faces through the glass.After settling in the hotel, we went out to experience San Diego's night life in the Gas Lamp District. We ate at a delicious Mexican food restaurant called Fred's Mexian Cafe. The food was very tasty and fresh!Check back tomorrow for another day in San Diego!

My new camera...

...takes awesome photos!

Jackson is going to be a....

So, after much thought on how and when to tell folks this news, Troy and I decided to just tell people. We know that there is a chance of miscarriage. We don't take that lightly at all. This is why we are telling people. In the event of a miscarriage, we would want people to know that we were pregnant in the first place so we don't have to keep two secrets from them or explain the pregnancy and the miscarriage to them. We want people to know so they can join us in prayer for this little one in my womb. We very much value the prayer, concern, and comfort of God's people. (We also respect those who take the position of not telling people due to concerns of a miscarriage.)

So, on a lighter note, WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO! :)

Cousins!

Cousins: Luke, Jackson, and Nolan make silly faces in a mirror at Chick-fil-a.

In the last month, Jackson has had the opportunity to hang out with his cousins quite a bit. He now will try to be one of the "big boys" when they are around! He can't contain his excitement when he sees his cousin Nolan. Nolan gets pretty excited as well. It really is hilarious. Just recently, Troy and I realized that Jackson and Nolan are the same age difference as Troy and Mark were. I hope they can be friends, too! I suppose they have a good start!

At the Cross

On Saturday morning, our whole family and many, many others trekked up to the cross on Mt. Rubidoux in memory of Mark. It was a good time of remembrance, prayer, and worship...we sang "Blessed be the Name of the Lord," and "How Great is Our God," which were very appropriate songs.

Making the hike up to the cross.

People gather at the cross to remember Mark.Troy shares some words about his cousin's testimony.

Let it be said of us....

As of about 5:30 last night, Mark went to be with the Lord, as his family and close friends stood around him. It is never easy to watch someone pass away before your very eyes. However, the fact that Mark knew Christ as his Lord and Savior put a bit of sweetness into the bitterness of sorrow that we feel. We know that he is with his Lord, and he is rejoicing in His presence. But, still, there is the grieving...grieving for Angie's loss of a husband, for Nolan's loss of his daddy, for Jim and Barb's loss of a son, for Matt, Mandy, and Amy's loss of a brother, for our loss of a cousin and a friend....the list of Mark's roles here on this earth go on and on. I know that God has a plan, and for whatever reason, He called Mark home to be with Him. I cling to that. I know Angie is clinging to that. I pray that others will cling to that. The huge amount of prayer that the family received from Christians all around the world was astonishing. Christ was definitely glorified through this all. Mark would have been thrilled about that. I thank the Lord for the Godly example Mark was. I only pray that my testimony here on this earth would reflect the same qualities. I pray that the presence of Christ would be evident in my life as it was in Mark's. There is a song that I posted in a comment on Mark's blog and that I will post here because the lyrics are what I desire of my life and what Mark showed in his.

"Let It Be Said of Us

Let it be said of us that the Lord was our passion,
That with gladness we bore ev’ry cross we were given,
That we fought the good fight, that we finished the course,
Knowing within us the pow’r of the risen Lord.

Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
By mercy made holy,
By the Spirit made strong
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
‘Til the likeness of Jesus
Be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song.

Let it be said of us: We were marked by forgiveness,
We were known by our love and delighted in meekness,
We were ruled by His peace, heeding unity’s call,
Joined as one body that Christ would be seen by all.

Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
By mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
‘Til the likeness of Jesus
Be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song."

I feel immense sorrow right now for the loss of Mark. But, I am so very thankful for the sweetness there is in the hope of Christ, and through this all, that still remains. Through this tragic event (humanly speaking), our great God is still on the throne. Christ still died for sinners. He still rose from the tomb. He still is in glory with God the Father. Mark is now with Christ experiencing that glory that is beyond our earthly comprehension. Those truths still remain true. Praise God for that!

PLEASE PRAY

We woke up to a call with some very horrible news this morning. The bleed in Mark's brain has increased in size and the doctor said it was catastrophic. Angie will be having to make the decision to take him off the ventilator. Please pray for comfort for Angie and Nolan at this time, and visit the blog http://www.prayforthelamberths.com for more details and updates. Thanks for all you prayers.

Another Friend for Jackson

Jackson has welcomed a new stuffed animal into his tight circle of friends. Previously, he remained loyal only to his doggy. Now, he carries around both his doggy and his monkey (Curious George). He affectionately calls both of them his "ah-ba-ba." He sleeps with both of them every night. What a loyal friend Jackson has become! :)

A Setback for Mark

Mark didn't go into surgery as planned today. The doctor discovered in the CAT Scan that he has rebleed (a place that was injured before is bleeding again). PLEASE keep praying for Mark, Angie, and Nolan. I don't know what God has in store for Mark, but it is comforting to know that God knows. Please pray for comfort for Angie. There has been so many ups and downs! http://www.prayforthelamberths.com

Great News!

I am sure that most of you read that Mark moved his hands yesterday in response to pain!!!! We are so excited and encouraged. The Lord has been so merciful! You can read more about it at http://www.prayforthelamberths.com

Christmas

I am finally getting around to posting about our Christmas! On Christmas day, we woke up to a cold, wet morning. I really enjoyed the cold, wet holiday because I can't remember the last time we had one here! In the morning, we (Troy, Jackson and I), opened gifts as a family. Troy got me a new camera, which I am totally excited about! The camera is pink, too! After opening gifts at our house, we went over to Troy's parent's house and had lunch with the family. We also opened presents there. Terry and Jan were in from Missouri, so that made it extra fun (they are also fun to hang out with!). The lunch was delicious! After lunch, we headed to the hospital to hang out with the family there.Troy opening the Seinfeld Scene It game I got for him. Jackson and I looking at one of the gifts Troy and I got him...touch and feel flashcards. He is really enjoying learning from them and can already say several of the words!Troy wanted to surprise me with some Christmas pictures of Jackson with my new camera.......somehow Troy forgot to put shoes on Jackson!!!

David and Robyn got Jackson New Balance shoes that matched Troy's....so cute!Jackson discovered coloring on Christmas day.
That discovery led to eating crayons. Green was his preference.The Spread. (And Jan.)Jackson fell asleep while eating. The poor boy was so tired from opening all the gifts!
All I can say was that my stomach was VERY full when I took this picture. I think everyone else's was too!Jackson and Troy at the hospital. Jackson loves going to the hospital. He gets to play with Nolan (who he has really enjoys), and he loves to run the halls (which we rarely let him do.) Christmas day, the waiting room was so crowded, we let Jackson have a shot at running down the hall.
So, he ran...
...and ran......and ran! Good thing I can catch up to him, at least for now!