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Look Who's 8!!

Birthdays are some of my favorite days and we had the joy of celebrating the twins 8th birthday on Saturday! I know, I know, I am only echoing what most Mom’s say when I ask…”I can hardly believe it, where has the time gone”???

The day started off very fun with breakfast in bed for both of the twins….and Daddy had surprised all of us and purchased Pop Tarts for the special occasion! We haven’t had Pop Tarts in the house for quite a while, we used to keep them around only as “after Sunday night church” treats but it has been a long time since we have done that. Needless to say, EVERYONE was quite happy over Daddy’s purchase! The day included Will getting to play Madden 10 and Mario Kart with Mitchell and Shelley checking many things off her “birthday to do” list! We had a delicious birthday dinner thanks to the delectable palates of the twins…..50/50 marinated sirloin steak, baked potatoes with all the toppings, lots of salad with Ranch dressing, Sierra Mist and Toy Story 3 and Princess cupcakes to finish! We also extended the celebration a bit to Superbowl Sunday when we had both Eschbach families out for some Superbowl fun…GO Pack GO!!! Since Dan’s birthday is today (Happy Birthday Dan!!) we got to sing to him also yesterday! It has been a fun weekend rejoicing in the lives of Will and Shelley and simply spoiling them on their special day!

Here is a peak at Shelley’s “to do birthday” list…. exactly as written…..we were able to accomplish numbers 1-12...I loved it!

1. Breakfast in bed
2. Make a crown
3. Dress up nicely
4. Curl your hair
5. Play a game
6. Paint nails
7. Go to jo-anne Fabrics
8. Sew peddiecoats
9. Have tea
10. Have dinner
11. Have dissert
12. Open presents
13. Play dolls
14. Do crafts
15. Make heart valintines
16. Make crown for Will
17. Paper chains
18. Paint with easle, outside if 60 degrees or inside if cold
19. Play house
20. Make big bed

Great Wolf Lodge

A couple weekends ago we had the joy of “opening” another Christmas present. This one was to the children, in fact it was the only Christmas present we gave to them this year… a night away at Great Wolf Lodge! It was very fun on Christmas morning to see their reaction when they opened the one present from Momma and Daddy…it held 5 pairs of goggles and a brochure for GWL! We had originally scheduled the time away for the morning after Christmas, but when we knew Gigi’s was close to going home to the Lord, we rescheduled our getaway.

We had never been to GWL, and we had a ball! Everything was truly on a grand scale and we enjoyed the entire experience!  We also had fun making a Dairy Queen blizzard run in PJ’s late at night. Actually we paid for it later as for some reason I am not sure where my brain was when we got JD his OWN mini blizzard at 10 o’clock at night! Even after all that swimming, bedtime was quite a chore after the mass sugar rush!!

We spent many fun hours laughing and swimming…I even braved the Canyon River Run a few times and the Howlin’ Tornado ONLY once!! I love the last two photos....they say it all for JD at the end.  He had done so good all day and had a great time but when we were leaving he started melting down!  Those were our "out the door" photos and as soon as they were taken, we quickly loaded up in the van.  Before we hit I-5, he was sawin' logs!!  Thanks to Mom for coming to take care of Papa for our getaway.  The timing for late January ended up to be such a blessing and gave our family some much needed and very sweet time away together.

Quote of the Day

"I can't wait to eat at a Mexican restaurant,
so I can use chopsticks and stuff!"

Shelley, age 7

Seventeen Years.....

and happily counting more! This past Saturday marked 17 years married for Chad and I!  On January 15, 1994 at the tender ages of 19 & 20 we vowed to love, honor and cherish each other till death doth part us. Seventeen years and five children later is a good start but truly just a drop in the bucket compared to the 64 years my grandparents spent together, but none the less a joy for us. We truly had no comprehension of the depths to the vows we were making that cold winter day in Alaska, but by the grace of God, He has intertwined our two individual lives with Himself and in Him we are one…. a three cord strand not easily broken.

We were very thankful for the opportunity to go away for one night! This only happened because of the many sweet people who took our responsibilities for a time so we could have this special night away. Mitchell offered to stay with Papa and so with sweet R’s help for the overnight, he took care of Papa for us….we love that boy and are so grateful for who he is and his kind heart. The younger four had an absolutely wonderful time with Kelsey and Aaron Tolsma for the night! We have heard all about what fun they had….the Library, Dairy Queen, Edaleen for ice cream, movies, dress up….the list goes on…thank you Kels and Aaron! Sweet Mrs. E came out when the children were brought home to spend some time with them and help Mitchell as he needed it. The kiddos so enjoyed their time with Mrs. E also…thank you Barb!

Earlier in the week we took some time to watch our wedding video with the children… what a hoot that was! We had a little shocker when we realized that Mitchell now, at 14 ½, and being 5’10’’ and 185 lbs. is the same height but weighs 40 lbs. more than Chad did when we got married!!! Not to mention his current shoe size …between a 12 and 13 totally dwarfs his Daddy….even now! We often lamented how over quick our service went, almost a drive thru wedding! This time while watching the video we timed it and after the processional and all the wedding party was up front, from the Pastor’s first words until he pronounced us man and wife was 6 min. and 40 seconds!!!! There was still a song and a couple small happenings after that but the total service time from the first lighting of the candles to the last person walking off the stage was something like 22 minutes….YIKES…how many things we would change about that day if we could! We love how different the weddings are now and how there is much more than just the “I DO’s”. Special vows and a charge by the pastor are just a couple of the sweet things we get to enjoy now. It is fun to look back and enjoy memory of the day but in reality it is not the “wedding day” that matters but the marriage itself. To God’s glory we are best friends who are so grateful to be married to one another!

Ecclesiastes 9:9

Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

Then and Now.....quite a difference!





Much Love and Many Thanks

We have been overwhelmed with the love and care of those near and far as my Gigi went home to be with the Lord. We have been abundantly fed in all areas….. physically, emotionally and spiritually. We have been so blessed by the words of love, sympathy and encouragement that came in the form of cards and letters and still come from near and far… almost daily. The flowers and gift baskets were amazing….so beautiful and so many. It has been so neat to have people contact us from my grandparent’s history….family, people from childhood, others who worked with them, went to church with them or simply old and dear friends. All of them deeply impacted by my grandparents lives and they want to express that to us and give their love to Papa. Yesterday Papa was able to talk to a friend from his childhood who is 91 and still living…. living even in the same area where they grew up together! We were also able to connect with the wife of another friend from childhood (the friend passed away years ago) but his wife still keeps in touch. These relationships have stood the test of time, remained in touch over all these decades and now we are privileged to experience just a taste of the depths of these friendships. What I love the most are the Italian last names...Ranieri, Carducci, Panici…oh how I wish I could have spent just a few minutes in one of those home in the 20’s, 30’s and 40's! Those were very difficult times I know, but from the fascinating stories we have heard over the years from Papa, how neat it must have been. I can only imaging the amazing meals that came from those Italian kitchen's!

We are still astounded at the outpouring of love and service from our family and friends and from our precious church family. The meals came like crazy… hot ones…freezer ones…extra ones, dear friends taking our youngest children for the day, others coming to just be with us as we sat with Gigi for her last days on earth, loving on Papa and other family members that were here…genuine love in word and deed. Many details of the memorial service… programs, guestbook, the fellowship and food afterwards, clean up….all of it diligently taken care of by our dear, sweet church family. Words cannot express how thankful we are to have Silver Beach Community Church be where God has planted us for these last 10 years. We are especially thankful for our Pastor(s) and Elders and their example of loving and serving others in many practical ways. We thought we had known and experienced love at the hands of the body before, but these last few weeks far surpassed anything we could have imagined. What an encouragement it has been to our family as we are reminded how important it is to minister to others in their time of need or sorrow. Our church family is a beautiful gift from the hand of the Lord.

We are tremendously blessed.  We know it, are grateful for it, and don’t take it for granted...thank you.  We look forward to the opportunities to love others as we have been loved. 

Romans 12:9-21

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Precious Memories

Anna Ilene Panici, beloved wife, loving mother, devoted grandmother and great-grandmother, our “Gigi” had her faith become sight as she entered the arms of her Savior on December 23, 2010. She came into this world on May 28, 1924 as the precious daughter of Earl Tison and Rachael Sweezey Tison in Jackson, Michigan.

She spent her childhood in Jackson until she joined the Navy as a WAVE during WWII and was stationed at Norfolk Naval Air Station in Virginia. She was assigned the duty of driving visiting dignitaries and had the distinct privilege of driving Admiral “Bull” Halsey. She would always tell you that the biggest highlight of her naval “career” was meeting the love of her life, Edmond, at Norfolk. After meeting in January 1946 and having only 2 dates, they were married on April 14, 1946. Their life together included living in a few different places but the bulk of the years were spent in Laverne, Ca; Anchorage, AK; and finally Bellingham and Lynden, WA. After retirement, they traveled many years in their 5th wheel and together experienced all 50 states in the Union. Ilene was an amazing cook and spent countless hours loving others through hospitality. They lived a devoted 64 years together until she went home to be with the Lord. Their marriage was a shining example to many. She is deeply missed, but our hearts rejoice and are comforted knowing she is with her Lord and Savior.

She was preceded in death by her brother Earl Tison and her step-brother Carl Huntoon. Ilene is survived by her husband Edmond, her two sons, Rick (Lura) Panici of Yerington, Nevada; Ken Panici of Kalama, Washington and her daughter Jo Anne (Mitch) Alden also of Kalama, Washington. She is also survived by her granddaughter Chessa (Chad) Honey of Lynden and their children Mitchell, Isabelle, William, Shelley and JD, who have taken loving care of their Gigi and Papa for the last 11 years. She is also survived by grandson’s Sam Panici of Okanawa, Japan; Nick Panici of Houston, Texas and Michael (Mackenzie) Panici and their children of Victorville, California.

In honor of Ilene, memorials may be given to Wycliffe Bible Translators  (http://www.wycliffe.org/),
the Lighthouse Mission or Whatcom Hospice. You may share your thoughts and memories of Ilene at www.GoodStewardFunerals.org. Arrangements are by Moles Good Steward Funerals- Lynden.



Absent

….from the body, my sweet Gigi is present with her Lord and Savior. At 5:30 this morning, surrounded by family, and hand in hand with the man she has faithfully loved for 64 years, my dear Gigi stepped into eternity. Her faith has become sight, she sorrows no more.

A Christmas Tea

Isabelle and Shelley were able to host a Christmas tea for a few of their sweet friends a couple weeks ago.  The girls and I had a precious time planning and preparing together for this special afternoon.  There was lots of tea drinking, sweet chatter and giggling ..... an event to remember!

I am thankful that even in the midst of difficult times we can purpose to create moments of joy ...this was one of those moments.