Discovery Canyon

Every summer for the past six years, my children have attended Vacation Bible Camp (VBC). It is one of the highlights of our summer vacation. This year, VBC took place August 3-7 in our church social hall. And, boy, what a week it was! VBC was even more special this year because Mary was old enough to join her brother & sister -- and she couldn't be happier. In fact, Danielle volunteered to be the youth leader for Mary's group. Together, the two girls delighted in some extra bonding time. The theme for this year’s VBC was “Discovery Canyon,” which was made possible by a core group of uber-dedicated people who spent countless hours preparing for this event. Over a two-month period, this group of people worked tirelessly behind the scenes. They hammered, sawed, pounded, trimmed, painted, lifted, visualized, deliberated, designed, and decorated. Until finally, they succeeded in transforming our non-descript, box-shaped, church social hall into a colorful and intricate desert canyon. There were mountains and gullies, sand valleys and boulders, local flora and fauna, roads and blue skies that met at the horizon. Each day of the week, the campers were introduced to unforgettable and extraordinary characters right out of Discovery Canyon. These harbingers of truth came with important lessons to share. On Day 1, Liz the Lizard summoned the children to REJOICE as Miriam did in Exodus 15:19-21 after she and Israelites crossed the Red Sea. On Day 2, Max the Mantis reminded the children that when we PRAY as Hannah did in 1Samuel 1:9-27, God promises to hear our prayers and answer them. With a flutter of wings, Olivia Owl swooped in on Day 3 and heartened the children to ASK Jesus for help just as the disciples did, in Matthew 8:23-27, when they sailed through the stormy sea. Day 4 brought about Felix the Fox who incited the children to TELL about Jesus’ miracles by singing the praises of Psalm 105:2. Finally, on Day 5, Blossom the Burro strode in and spurred the children to SEEK God like the crippled man in Luke 5:17-26 who had to be lowered through a hole in the roof in order to seek Jesus.

For five days, the children became denizens of Discovery Canyon. They sang, danced, rejoiced, played exciting games, and made beautiful crafts together. And I had the pleasure of serving snacks to all 60 of our campers. The songs we learned have such catchy tunes and are fun to dance to. It gladdens my heart to see that, weeks later, my children still enjoy Discovery Canyon songs. The moment we hear the songs being played, we just start singing and dancing. We can't help but be moved by the spirit!

VBC culminated in a final performance by the children during Sunday mass. Here is a video of the VBC campers (yellow shirts) and youth leaders (green shirts) singing their praises. The children were a bit nervous, but I think they did rather well. Which is more than I can say for this videographer (Yours truly)!

The Dynamic Duo!!

Joseph and Forrest are cousins by birth; but they are best friends by choice. Joseph and Forrest love spending time together. From the time they could walk, these cousins have been inseparable. Where one is, you are sure to find the other.

They go together like:

peas & carrots

salt & pepper

ketchup & mustard

fish & chips

bacon & eggs

bread & butter

chips & salsa

pork & beans

macaroni & cheese

cookies & milk

strawberries & chocolate

And, I would be remiss not to mention...

lumpia & sweet/sour sauce

puto & kutsinta

suman & tsokolate

sago & gulaman

...and finally,

halo & halo

Happy Red, White & Blue Day!!!!

Wishing you a firecrackin' and SAFE 4th of July!!!

Love,
Dan, Michelle, Danielle, Joseph, and Mary

Congratulations to the Awesome Threesome!

Congratulations to our dearest daughter Danielle on her graduation from middle school! The event was marked with bittersweet emotion that swelled and quelled with the tune of Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, more commonly known as the Graduation March. Its orchestral notes tugged at our emotions causing them to rise and fall with each phrase. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes while cheers of joy came forth when Danielle was awarded a special medal for earning a 4.0 GPA all six semesters of middle school. Wasn't it only yesterday that I agonized over Danielle's first day of kindergarten? Eight years later and there we were, standing ever-so-proudly as our daughter made her way across the stage on the last day of middle school.

Danielle's cousin, Joshua, also graduated from middle school-- with honors! More impressive is the fact that Joshua, whose native language is english, did so in a spanish-immersion program. Today, Josh is completely fluent in spanish -- a skill that will surely prove advantageous in the future. His list of accomplishments includes three U.S. National titles in karate, and a burgeoning talent in photography and design. We are equally as proud of Joshua and feel extremely confident that even greater things are in store.

Last, but every bit as noteworthy, our dearest Joseph was given the "Friendliest Student" award during the third grade promotion ceremony. Imagine our joy upon learning that Joseph was presented this award. He may be small in stature, but his heart is grand. He's nine years old, but he is mature beyond his years.

Danielle was right to name him Joseph -- "after St. Joseph!"

As one chapter comes to a close, another begins filled with hope and promise. Inevitably, they will encounter numerous difficulties and challenges as they forge ahead into the future. They will be faced with situations that require certain sacrifice. Through it all, I hope and pray that they will remain steadfast in faith and their beliefs, never compromising their values, and always following their moral compass.

Lastly, I wish to share with them a definition of success that Oprah bequeathed to the graduating class of 2009 at Duke University:

"One of the best ways to enhance your own life is to enhance somebody else's and to stand proudly in your own shoes while you help others stand in theirs. How can I help somebody else move to higher ground? That is success."

Welcome ZWH!

May 25 started out like any other. We woke up, showered, dressed, and went about our day, completely unaware that my youngest sister, Grace, went into labor at 1:00 a.m. that morning. Then we got "The Call" announcing that Grace had just delivered her firstborn!

Zachary Warner Huber came into the world on 5/25/09 at 7:00 a.m., a 6 lb 7 oz Masterpiece. Baby Zachary, in the eyes of this aunt, is no less than perfect. A sweet child sent from above. With an angelic face and a full head of hair, he is sure to melt your heart. He is the 11th grandchild in the family, making my parents 11 times as proud.

Upon hearing the good news, Danielle exclaimed, "Oh my God!" as her eyes grew wide. You could almost see her skin crawl with excitement. Joseph, who is typically reserved, let out a jubilant scream. "Y-E-A-H!" he yelled while pumping his fist in the air. "ALRIGHT! IT'S A MIRACLE!" he added with equal vivacity. He had been hoping for another boy cousin. Mary, on the other hand, took a departure from her sunny disposition and sadly admitted, "I wanted it to be a girl." But it wasn't long before she, too, was caught up in the excitement.

My initial reaction was one of relief and praise to God. Relief that her labor lasted only 6 hours, 10 hours less than my labor 13 years ago. Relief that the painful ordeal has come to pass. Praise that she and the baby are safe and sound. Praise for the miracle of life! I felt motionless, incredulous that this day had finally come. Incredulous that my sister, the youngest of 7, the "baby" of the family, is now a mother. My mind flashed to a particular memory when Grace was just a little girl of 8. It was a lazy summer day and she asked if I would play Barbie dolls with her. At 13, I certainly felt "too old" to play with dolls; but I agreed, realizing that she was feeling bored and somewhat lonely at not having a playmate. Fast forward thirty years later and that same quiet, unassuming little girl has since grown up and blossomed into motherhood.

From the moment her baby is conceived, a woman begins the transformation into motherhood. She undergoes physiological, emotional, and (much to her husband's chagrin) hormonal, changes. Other lifestyle changes soon follow. Instead of a trendy tote bag, a cute diaper bag becomes her favorite accessory. And like American Express, she won't leave home without it. Whereas she once traveled to many lands in search of the perfect spot, her newest vacation destination will be Lala Land. Her worst enemy, sleep deprivation. In motherhood, the abstracts of life are redefined. Time is measured in increments of feeding time, nap time, bath time, and bed time. Success is determined by her ability to rise to the challenges of parenting. Faith, hope, and love, once intangibles, are now embodied in this tiny human being. Beauty is everything having to do with her baby. And joy is knowing that every fiber of her being is inextricably woven into this precious little bundle.

Welcome to The Club, Grace!

Welcome to The Family, ZWH!