The Webers all set to reproduce

Yes, to those who don't already know, we are with child. I slapped a "Baby On Board" sticker on Julie's tummy. The news has been out since early August, but as is my nature, I'm only now posting something about it on this blog.
Anyways, everything is going good so far. Julie's been pretty nauseous and has had the all-day "morning" sickness. Everyone tells us that that should end when she's about 14 weeks along, which is in a week or two, I think. The other night we had to stop along a country road because she had to throw up. It was very windy and I did my best to hold her hair back. We (especially Julie) are ready for that part to end! She has been very strong though, and is taking whatever that baby throws at her like a champ.
Other than the nausea, our mood has overall been very optimistic and every day the anticipation builds. 10 years ago, at age 26, I don't think I would've been mentally ready to be a good father. I was way more immature then than I am now... And I don't know that anyone is ever fully ready, you just try to do your best, I'm told.

Sequoia National Park

Back in February, while we were still in California, we took a Valentine/birthday (mine) trip to Sequoia National Park. It's about 5 hours north of Camarillo. This post is very late, but I wanted to put it on here anyway because it was such an awesome trip, and the pictures are cool too.

I forgot to mention that this was a surprise trip, planned by Julie. She knew that I wanted to see the Big Trees before we moved back home, but I didn't think we'd have time. The day before we were to go, she informed me that we were going somewhere for the weekend, but she wouldn't say where, and that I would need my winter boots and warm clothes. She then sent me on a mysterious trip to Napa Auto Parts to pick up something she bought, which remained a surprise until I picked it up. It ended up being snow chains for our tires. This sparked my curiosity - "Where are we going in California that we're gonna need boots and snow chains?"

Julie got a great deal on a room at the Wuksachi Lodge, which is right up in the mountains in the midst of the park. The elevation is 6500 ft., so there was a lot of snow, 7 ft. in fact, which is why they require snow tires. The road was only icy and snowy about 10% of the time, but you REALLY needed the chains that 10%! It was very winding and curvy and steep in several spots.

I don't use the term breathtaking lightly, but when we entered the area of the park where the Big Trees are, that word fit. Big trees here in Ohio are like twigs compared to Sequoias. You can't imagine that trees can get that big, but there they were. The biggest one is named General Sherman. They say that the width at the base of the tree is as wide as 3 lines on a freeway. Words don't it justice. Neither do pictures, really, but here are some anyway:

So, the trip was awesome. Oh, we also saw a coyote and a lynx...

more pics on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/camarillohillbillies/sets/72157603490668631/

The article my wife did not want me to see...

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2008/07/07/splurging-is-good-for-your-health/?mod=yhoofront

I've been right all these years! And I have the debt to prove it!

Sorry

I realize that my lack of updating seems to frustrate and bore some of you quite a bit. For that I'm sorry. I don't know why I forget to post all the exciting things that go on in our lives everyday. Thank you for reminding me every time you comment that I need to update more often, it really helps. I guess our life is TOO exciting - no time to sit at the computer for hours every night. So in this post I'll try to list some of the things that have been keeping us busy and I'm sure everyone will find them very fascinating:
-Today is Unlimited Trash Day, so I got up a little early and took out all our trash, including our old bed. Soon after that I walked the dogs.
-Last night Julie made a pot roast, and the Ayers' joined us for supper. Afterwards, craziness ensued - ice cream and Pictionary!
-Tuesday I went to Okolona Tavern and ate great chicken wings.
-We got a printer the other day. Get this - it also is a copier AND scanner! Crazy!
-On Sunday we went to my boss's daughter's wedding.
-Yesterday Loretta got her nails clipped. A couple of them bled, which was unfortunate, but exciting.
-The other day I did some more painting in the bathroom. Also hung some pictures on the wall.
-Today I came to work, which is something exciting I generally do, oh, every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday or so.
-Last Friday I mowed the lawn, which was awesome because it was starting to get REALLY long. And luckily it rained that night, so I got it done just in time! I'm always lucking out like that!
-Last week I fell asleep on the couch watching a movie... again! Julie laughed.

That's all I can think of right now. Tomorrow my plans are to make a sandwich for lunch. I'll post an update on how that turns out.
Stay tuned for more excitement....

Happy Anniversary to Us

Julie and I have been married 2 years today! Here's a line from a poem by my friend Lenny Miller that works very well for this occasion : "Life goes fast, so love me slow."

I love you Juju. Here's a toast to us!

To those who check this and wonder why there are so few posts, here's an update. Since we moved back here from CA, there has been so much going on. Niece's softball games, nephew's soccer games, visiting friends we haven't seen in awhile... And we've been going through my dad's stuff, figuring out what to do with everything, cleaning, AND buying his house. Yes, Julie and I have just bought our first house, and even though it's the one I grew up in, it has a new feel to it, and not just because we're doing a wee bit of remodeling. Now that it's OURS, it's taken on a new meaning to me. We're re-doing the bathroom, and putting in some new flooring throughout and repainting. It takes a lot of time to pick out all that stuff. It's serious! I'll post some before and after pics soon, hopefully in the next decade or so...

The other reason I don't update as often is because we don't have internet access at home yet. I'm writing this at work right now (don't tell my boss). We should have it soon though. Until then, peace.

David C. Weber 1939-2008

I'm finally getting around to my first post from our new home in Archbold. Things have been very busy since we left Camarillo, with the move and settling in and taking care of necessities and all that. And... for those who haven't heard, my father died while we were on our way home from CA to Ohio. He'd had a lot of health trouble for the last 8 or 9 years now (diabetes, kidney disease, heart trouble), and had been close to death quite a few times. In fact, he collapsed at my niece's basketball game last year and was actually dead for about a minute, but a nurse happened to be near him (amongst other people who helped) and she performed CPR and brought him back. So in a way, we'd been prepared for him to go anytime. The possibility is always in the back of your mind, when your father's health is so unstable. Whenever I would talk with him I'd say to myself, "Will this be the last time?"
Here's what happened: He had gone to dialysis that day, which he did three times a week, and the nurse found that his port, which was implanted in his left arm, was clogged. The port is where they hook up the machine to his vein to do the dialysis. This had happened a few times before and was a pretty much routine operation to fix. He would just go in the hospital and they would unclog the port. Well, this time they think one of the clots made it into his lungs or brain and he had a stroke. The weird thing is, he had told my sister who drove him to the hospital that if anything happened, he didn't want to be resuscitated or put on life support. And so he wasn't.

They did an autopsy, but we still haven't received the official results so the actual cause of death is still unknown.

Julie and I were in New Mexico when my sister Jackie called me crying and told me the news. She's a nurse herself and doesn't cry easy, so before she said what happened, I knew. Even though we'd been prepared for it, in a way, it's still shocking, and it made the rest of the trip home very surreal. The details of the drive from that point on are somewhat hazy for me. We still had 2 1/2 more days to drive at that point. I think I'm still a bit shocked. I just can't get used to my Dad being gone, despite all the "preparation" we've had. Death is simply an unnatural thing. It shouldn't happen. I don't believe God intended for it to be a fact of life. But to my Dad, it's no longer a mystery, and he's no longer miserable or in pain.
Whenever we get together with my sisters, I'll think for a split second that we need to call my dad and tell him to join us, just out of habit. But as it was after my Mom died, we'll gradually get used to it.

As his son, I've thought a lot about him and our relationship over the years, trying to figure him out. He could be grumpy and negative, and sometimes a little too opinionated, old fashioned and/or narrow minded. But I, and a select few other people, knew that he was also a very gentle and sentimental softy. A lot of people (his dialysis nurses, bank tellers, among others) told us at the funeral that Dad had been a little bit like a father or even grandfather figure to them. He was very honest, and you knew where he stood on things, sometimes more than you'd have liked to know. And I was thinking the other day that, for all his faults, I have never been ashamed of him. I know a lot of people that can't say that. He was always faithful to my mother, he was honest and trustworthy in his business dealings, and he remembered kindnesses. Some of the things we learned from him was the importance of being honorable and truthful to your family and other people. Like everyone, he had some hurt and maybe even regret in his life, but he didn't always process it in the most positive way. But we knew that he loved us and that we were the most important things in his life. He couldn't say that about his own father unfortunately.

Here are some pictures of my Dad that remind me of good times: http://www.flickr.com/photos/camarillohillbillies/sets/72157604148314696/

The final post from Camarillo

The end is nigh. It's Leavin' Eve, meaning it's the night before we leave to go back to Ohio. Where it's frigid.
Our feelings are bittersweet. The body really does get acclimated to warmer weather, and now 45 degrees is cold to me, whereas it used to be 10. Have I become a California softy? I'll soon find out.
We look forward to seeing family and friends and being around them again. But we'll miss being so near the oceans, mountains, elephant seals, Giant Sequoia Trees (I'll post some pictures of them when I get time), and of course, sea otters. The black squirrels of Archbold just can't compare. And mosquitoes are so rare here, they're not even a problem. We would leave our patio door open constantly and no bugs took advantage of it. Once in awhile you'd see a gnat.
Our time out here was short, but a lot happened. We had some struggles; like the initial housing situation, Julie's grandfather passing away, questions in our hearts and minds about the job of ministry. But we learned more than a few life lessons, I'd say, and some of them were heavy, so it sort of feels like we were here much longer than 6 months.
So, you can hear more about all that, if you want, when or if you see us in person sometime in the near future.
We plan to go through Joshua Tree National Park tomorrow and from there our next stop will be a motel in Winslow, Arizona, where we hope to stand on a corner and see a fine sight. Maybe it will be an Eagle. (let me know if you don't get all that)
Some of you we are leaving and you'll be missed. Some of you we will soon be very excited to see again... back in Ohio.

A sad story

Some of you may have heard on the national news about a shooting that happened on Feb 12 at a jr. high school that's only a few miles from here, in Oxnard. Here's a news story about it: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oxnard14feb14,0,7204301.story
The kid that was killed, Lawrence King, attended the jr. high youth group at our church, where he wanted to start singing with the worship band. He was also a foster child at a local home for troubled youth called Casa Pacifica, where many people from our church go to help out and try to mentor kids. It's sad enough that he was shot and killed, possibly because he was gay (nobody's sure what the real motive actually was yet) but the story of his life before this happened is sad also. And I'm absolutely dumbfounded as to how a 14 year old kid can think it's a good idea to shoot another kid in the back of the head in a classroom as 20-some other students look on. You have to feel bad for him too. He's 14. His concept of death and murder are probably so wacked out and unrealistic because of violent video games, movies, etc.
Here's another article about the story: http://venturacountystar.com/news/2008/feb/16/slain-teen-remembered-as-fun-quirky-at-rainbow/

Good or Bad Dental Timing?

Last week we decided that we better get our teeth cleaned while we're out here, because Julie's insurance through the church allows us to have it done for free. So Monday she went in for her cleaning. Well, she got her teeth cleaned, and she also found out she has to get a night guard to wear when she sleeps because she grinds her teeth. AND she needs to have all four of her wisdom teeth pulled. So we discussed what we were gonna do to pay for all this, because the insurance gives us a discount on dental work but we still have to pay some of it ourselves. The dentist said the wisdom teeth pulling can wait, so we're gonna wait on that. A cool thing happened though: after we talked about how we were gonna pay for the night guard, we checked our mail and saw that our montly Health Savings Account statement came. The amount that we have in that account is almost exactly what we need to pay for the night guard, the difference being a few cents. Hallelujah, there was much rejoicing.
But then I went in the next day for my cleaning. After looking at my x-rays for no more than 10 seconds, the dentist said, "You're not gonna like this, David." I narrowed my eyes at her and said in a low voice, "What." She told me I'm gonna need a root canal job done on one of my molars where I happen to already have a silver filling. I felt like someone that knows nothing about cars being told by a mechanic that I need headlight fluid. How do I know what's what on an x-ray? I haven't had any pain there so it's her educated word against mine. She said all of my other teeth are in great shape.
What the heck is goin' on? We just wanted our teeth cleaned, and now we have to pay hundreds of dollars, at least, to have these unforeseen problems fixed! Actually, Julie's night guard thing was not a surprise. A dentist told her a few years ago that she needs one. And if my tooth is in fact infected, it's probably good to have it fixed now, while it doesn't hurt.
So maybe it's all a case of divine timing? Because when we go back to Ohio, we probably aren't going to have dental insurance. And even though our insurance out here won't pay all of it, our cost is still much less than what we would've paid without it. A blessing in disguise? That's what I'm believing.

Morro Bay and San Simeon elephant seals

Last Saturday we took a drive up to San Simeon with the hopes of seeing some Elephant Seal births. We were able to witness two little "weaners" (as they're called) be born. It's a very unusual sight to behold. We were just standing there watching the seals do what they do on the beach, which is primarily sleep. Then Julie noticed a female making some weird movements, like she was breathing really deep and fast. She would frequently scream and bellow out these guttural noises, all the while flicking sand up on her back with her side flippers. I thought maybe she was constipated, but then we saw something slimey and whitish poking out from under her rear flippers. There it was, a newborn seal! There was much rejoicing and oohing and ahhing from the hundreds of people watching. The seals are a popular attraction this time of year, because of the birthing season. A lot of people also came because the news reported that a male had made his way off the beach and wandered across the highway! How he did that is a mystery; these creatures are not very agile or graceful on land. There is a cow pasture near one section of the beach and we noticed that a seal had made it into a drinking hole used by the cattle. It's a funny sight to see a seal laying in the water that a cow is drinking from.
On our way up there we stopped at a town called Morro Bay, which is a cool little beach town. One of its main attractions is the Morro Rock, and it's just that - a big chunk of rock along the beach. We got to see Julie's favorite animal - the otter. An old pelican was there too, as well as a headless sea gull, which mystified Loretta to no end.
Here are some pictures of the trip: http://www.flickr.com/photos/camarillohillbillies/sets/72157603739281368/

The bon voyage is nearly over

To those who haven't heard the news yet: Julie and I, and Loretta, are moving back home sometime at the end of February. Life is just too slow out here in Southern California. We miss the fast-paced celebrity culture of small-town Ohio.

Not really. It's a long story, sure to be misinterpreted by some. I only say that because it's already happened and it's frustrating but what can you do? The short version is this: Julie has come to the conclusion that fulltime ministry in a paid position at a church is not for her anymore. She hasn't lost her faith, nor does she feel she will have any less impact on the Kingdom because of this. Priorities have changed, goals have changed. Some people thrive in the environment of working at a church; other people, like Julie, find their passion gets zapped by it, whether it's because of the politics that go along with the job, or controlling egos, or the time away from family that it frequently demands. This decision is the result of about 3 years of an inner struggle, sometimes outward, trying to weed out what's from God and what is human selfishness and weakness. We both believe we knew the answer before we came out here for this job, but we weren't sure, so we gave fulltime ministry another try anyway. Trying to discern between what you think is a calling from God and what is self-motivated is sometimes extremely hard. Basically we feel that we at least need a break - Julie needs a break - to figure some things out and see what the Almighty has to say about it. At first we thought we made a mistake in moving, but some great things have happened. We've met some awesome people, and we've learned a lot about ourselves and our relationship as a couple. We leave feeling refreshed and optimistic, and our faith has actually been encouraged. It all works out in the end.

But that's not the only thing involved in our decision. My dad's health is also a concern. He's got diabetes, kidney disease, and heart trouble. And he lives alone with his faithful Pug, Buddy (aka The General), which isn't the safest thing, considering how the diabetes has affected his sight and motor skills. So it's hard to stay out here if Julie's job isn't what she wants. Her grandpa died a month after we moved, and it was hard for her to be so far away as he was declining fast. Luckily we flew home in time to see him just before he passed away, but the experience made us realize how important our families are to us.
So back to Ohio we go.

Friends and Friends of Friends

...is where it's headed, me thinks. My friend Shok passed on this interesting article to me. I found myself agreeing with much of what is written. It has to do with something we've been thinking a lot about the last few years but haven't been able to put to words quite so well: check out Friends
Let me know what you think.

Our gifts to each other

Here are some shots of what Julie and I got each other for Christmas. We had agreed not to spend a lot of money on each other this year. Julie got very creative and gave me "12 days of Christmas." Starting on Dec. 14 and ending on Christmas day, she gave me a witty little poem and a gift, which related to the famous Christmas song. Usually the gifts were some edible treat, like chocolate or dried pineapple rings ("5 golden rings!") But on two of the days I got dvd's of two of my favorite bands; U2 and Sigur Ros. In the photo are the gifts that I haven't eaten yet... Julie spent a little more money than I did. I decided to go the really cheap gift route, although it took quite a bit of time to make: I drew a picture of my two girls, Julie and Loretta. I'm still not finished, but I had to give her something to open.

Christmas Visit to Ohio Thwarted!

We had a depressing change of events occur this Christmas morning. Our flight to Ohio was cancelled due to a mechanical failure in the plane we were scheduled to take. And for some weird reason, SkyBus won't pay for a flight on another airline; all they'll do is refund our money. I'm no expert on airline customer service, but if I wanted to compete in the flying business, I might want to change that little policy if the fault was mine. It seems fishy to me that that's all they'll do, especially on Christmas Day, when it's ultra-important for people to get where they're going. So now I have to look at Julie's sad expression all day.

Anyway, on the bright side, even though we'd have rather gone home to see our family and friends, it's nice that we'll have that money back. We also saved by not having to rent a car for a week, and by not having to pay someone to watch Loretta.

Merry Christmas from CA

I know it's early, but we wanted to wish everyone we know a merry Christmas. Some of you we'll see back in Ohio when we visit next week; others won't be so lucky ;)
The time is getting near, the "most wonderful time of the year." Julie put up our tree and did all the decorating. A humble tree, yet it's full of the yuletide spirit. I sing "Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum," everyday when I walk by it.

Monterey Bay Trip

This past weekend Julie and I went up to Monterey to meet up with one of her friends from her days at Great Lakes Christian College. We took the scenic route, which goes along the coast for the majority of the trip, and it was spectacular. It's so cool for so long that you almost forget that not all roads are so scenic. The 5 hour trip took us through Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Cambria, San Simeon, Big Sur and Carmel, amongst other towns. A few miles north of San Simeon (which is where the famous Hearst Castle is located) is one of the more common spots for Elephant Seal viewing. This was our favorite part of the trip, seeing these comical and weird creatures. It was amazing how close we could get, and at first we thought they were just really smooth rocks. They look like huge sacks of blubber with eyes, mouths and fins. The main area had barriers, but further down the beach a person could almost touch them if they really wanted to. But we didn't, mostly because we didn't want to mess with their natural habitat, but also out fear. They look funny and somewhat harmless, but they're also huge and have quite formidable-looking teeth. You can't help but laugh when the huge male bulls rear their heads back and let out what sounds like a cross between a gigantic belch and a loud Harley-Davidson. Then they just plop down as if exhausted by the effort.
It was also very good to see Julie's friend, Jen, who drove down to Monterey from Sacramento to meet us. The two women had a good time catching up, and seemed to pick up where they left off about 5 years ago at school back in Michigan. We hope to visit her up where she lives very soon.
And I can't forget to mention a very important person involved in this trip: Tracy Uyematsu, the daughter of a lady Julie works with. Tracy watched Loretta while we were gone. I knew our pup was in good hands when she showed up wearing a stocking hat with cat ears. She also broke out some Japanese anime Christmas songs on her laptop, which was a mind-bending experience. I was thankful that at least Loretta wouldn't be bored...
Here are some photos of our trip: http://www.flickr.com/photos/camarillohillbillies/

Church experts, cont'd

Some people have been wanting to know more of what I'm talking about in reference to my last post. I realize it's kind of vague, but to write about church and all the weird politics and issues that go along with it is very difficult. And I surely don't claim to have it all figured out. It wasn't until the last 3 or 4 years that I even had a clue about what goes on at a church outside of a Sunday morning service. And I still feel like an outsider much of the time, even though my wife is a pastor and I've seen and heard what goes on in the running of a church.
I wanted to include actual quotes that we've heard, but to do that wouldn't have been very discreet, even if I'd have left out the names. I'm not out to hurt someone's feelings. Well, I can put one in... We mentioned in a recent conversation that we have a lot of friends that we know are Christians but don't attend a church regularly, for whatever reason. The person we were talking to said, "If they aren't going to church, maybe they're not really Christians." This is another thing I don't get: how some people seem to think they know, by someone's actions, if that person is saved or not. I believe you can sometimes have a good idea, or suspicion, but how can anyone know? It seems like that's something only God and the individual knows for sure.
Some have also commented on the Johnny Cash lyrics. One person said, "what's wrong with being heavenly minded?" To that I say nothing is wrong with being heavenly minded, but if all you do is think about when this life is over and spending eternity in heaven, but you do nothing on earth to make it a better place, then that's no earthly good. I feel the song was written for busy-bodies and know-it-alls who gripe and complain about everyone else, but they themselves are no better.
The main thing is, I'm just frustrated that the church seems to be a lot like the world, in that it too has it's share of people who are self-centered, greedy, attention-seeking, petty, overly critical and full of selfish ambition. I've always thought that "church people" would be some kind of different. I never expected perfection, just a noticeable difference.
To be fair, I've met a lot of awesome and godly people at church too. But they are the exception. Maybe that goes along with what Jesus said about the road being narrow, and many being called but few being chosen.
I don't know, maybe I'll figure it all out someday. Maybe it's not for me to worry about...

Church: Everyone's an expert

This post was gonna be about some thoughts we've had lately - really over the last two years or so. It has to do with people; "church" people specifically. To be honest - they drive me crazy. I don't mean all Christians, I just mean "church" people. There's a distinction. They can be some of the most hurtful, manipulative and critical people you'd never suspect would be at a church. I'd written about a page worth of thoughts, but as I re-read it, it seemed disjointed and too long. Too long for this blog anyway. Basically, and without getting personal, here's what it was - in the short time I've been married to a pastor, and been a volunteer at a couple churches, and been around "church" people, I've seen and heard a few things that just make me scratch my head. So consider this a form of venting.
And Johnny Cash said it better than I could have, and in fewer words... Check out the lyrics to this song - "No Earthly Good."

Come hear me good brothers come hear one and all
Don't brag about standing or you'll surely fall
You're shinin' your light yes and shine it you should
You're so heavenly minded you're no earthly good

Chorus:
No earthly good you are no earthly good
You're so heavenly minded you're no earthly good
You're shinin' your light yes and shine it you should
You're so heavenly minded you're no earthly good

Come here me good sisters, you're salt of the earth
If your salt isn't salted then what is it's worth
You could give someone a cool drink if you would
But you're so heavenly minded you're no earthly good

Chorus

If you're holdin' heaven then spread it around
There are hungry hands reaching up here from the ground
Move over and share the high ground where you stood
So heavenly minded and you're no earthly good

Chorus

No earthly good...

Ash Everywhere, Pool Ruined!

Check out our apt. complex pool and hot tub. Looks more like a pond, as a result of the winds and nearby fires. Julie is considering taking a swim now, if only for the exfoliating factor on her skin...