Farmland

A few weekends ago Clark, Clint, Anna and I all went to Farmland for a lovely visit.  The weather was wonderful for our visit.

Clint feeding the Ostrich

Korean Pizza

The yellow stuff isn't cheese, but sweet potato

Strawberry Picking Korea Style

This last week Clark and I went strawberry picking with a group of Army wives at one of the local strawberry farms.  One big difference is that South Koreans grow their strawberries in green houses instead of in open fields.  Not sure why, but maybe its so when everyone is beaten down by winter we get strawberries to brighten our spirits. 

Chasing the girls

Yummy strawberry

Along with strawberries being grown in green houses, they are grown on trellaces  which make picking the strawberries so much more enjoyable.  

Alicia and Arya

Strawberries wouldn't grow without these guys. 

After picking strawberries we got to feed the bunnies, goats, and Elk the leaves from the strawberry plants. 

Clark thought this was awesome and would grab hand fulls. 

One of the Elk, there were 7 in stalls.  Not really sure why. 

Goats

Ocatillo Wells

As per tradition, we usually go riding the quads/dirtbikes when ever we come back to CA to visit family.

This year we went with an extremely large group of people, probably 40 or so.  We went over Presidents Day weekend not only because it allowed a lot of people to have a 3 day weekend, but it was a memorial service for our friends' brother Chris Metro. I didn't have the opportunity to meet Chris, but the memorial service that was put on was a special day that I was blessed to take part in.

Tim and Wendy next to the memorial.
This poem was read:

The Dash

by Linda Ellis copyright 1996

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone,
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,but he said what mattered most of allwas the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and realand always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before. 

If we treat each other with respectand more often wear a smile,remembering that this special dashmight only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?

Copyright Linda EllisALL RIGHTS RESERVED

On a lighter note, here are some of the pictures I was able to take of us.

Hi Papi

Hanging with Dad

He can be so sweet...

I see that evil look little boy

...and such a punk. (Throwing sand on his dad)

Howdie

Archie

Tim

Big John

Shela

Little John Jack

Clark was making "motorcycle" sounds

This picture cracks me up!  It was my chipmunk faze of the trip.

Having too much fun to sleep.

Flying kits

Do you see the flag in the background?  Yep, it was that windy.

Running after the kite that got away.

Mom, I think I might blow away!

Clark dug this hole. 

Clark missed sand so much!  Korea doesn't have very much for kids to play in.   A lot of the Korean playgrounds have these rubber tiles around the playground equipment.  So while at the desert, Clark would scoop the dirt into a pile in front of him, hug the sand and then lay his head on it. 

As Jack would say: "Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee!!!"

Flying kits on the second day.  The wind was much nicer to fly in.