Fun is Done:Summer 2011

Spirit West Coast-2011
We joined the Spillers for a fabulous and LOUD Friday at Spirit West Coast. Skillet, FireFly, Bob Smiley were a few of the head liners. Fun the California Sun and Fog.

Mount Hermon was a wonderful and relaxing week of Fellowship with some long lost friends. The Mendenhalls, Dubbers, and Sandovals joined us for more activity than we could handle. Ropes course, leap of faith, creek walks, volleyball, fooseball, frisbee football, mountain biking and hiking kept us very busy and wanting more dessert.






YOSEMITE, YIKES!! Parts of 6 families, Spiller, Dee, Henry, Close, Eschenbach, Doody braved the weather and forest to enjoy beautiful Yosemite. Of the 23 of us, only "The iron 9" made it to Half Dome. 17 miles in the rain was a huge accomplishment for us. Yosemite never seizes to amaze us with it's magnificent beauty.










We were able to catch up with the Close Clan at Mt Hermon. Seeing Jubilee's missing tooth and the Maddie and Angel getting so big is always a treat. We love spending time with Grammy Mandy, aka Marilyn. She loves to laugh and that always makes me (Samm) happy. Leah Dee and Sevelyn were able to join us too for a fun filled week.






JOEL SAMUEL CLOSE turned 19 and graduated from high school this summer. We are so proud of him and his success. He has started college at Hancock and is applying for the Fire Academy.
Our boys are young men and it sure makes us appreciate them even more. Time seems to be flying and even though I don't miss diapers and crying I do cherish those times. Being able to watch them become men is a blessing.

Springing into Fun!

Yosemite- Round Two!

So we are headed to beautiful Yosemite National Park with 4 other families from church for a challenge of a lifetime. For the past 4 months we have been hiking together to get in shape for the infamous Half Dome! It will be a 14 mile all day journey up steep granite stairs alongside a rushing waterfall and topped off with a vertical climb up cables to the peak of Half Dome. The planning and preparation has brought us all alot closer together, hopefully the journey doesn't drive us apart. :0)! The photo above was taken atop Alan's Peak in Montano De Oro State Park. It was an 11 mile, 5 hour prep hike. Good Job Guys!!!

Here is one of our newest members of our crew. Isaiah wanted to have laying hens so we ventured out and bought 1 dozen hens. He has been taking great care of them with their feed, water, and heat lamp. They almost have all their feathers now and soon they will be in the big girl coop down in the barn.

This Spring brought baseball again into the Close home. Isaac and Josiah played on the first Coastal Christian Baseball team in 9 years. Isaac was able to convince 10 boys to play baseball who had never played in their lives to join him and Josiah on the diamond. It was a learning year and such a joy to see the boys overcome their fears and become awesome team players. Isaac was awarded MVP and Josiah was honored with the Coach's Award. Joel was an assistant coach and Gary filled in as well. Way to go CCS! So proud of all you boys!!!

Joel got his first real job working at Vons grocery store. He is a great Courtesy Clerk and he makes everyone smile and keeps the place looking nice. He always looks so handsome going to work in his shirt and tie. He graduated from High School and has started Hancock College. Alot of firsts for Joel and we are very proud of him. We are celebrating his Graduation on his birthday in July.

Isaiah made the Condors Club Soccer Team. He played for 2 months and did wonderful. He did a header across the field that was an assist for a goal! He increased his speed and foot skills. The coaching was awesome and encouraging. But after a few months he realized he is not a "one sport" boy and wants to try Flag Football. His first passion is lacrosse. Georgia was his introduction to that great game but until it comes west of the Mississippi we will just have to enjoy it on TV.

We all survived an outage with Gary. He worked alot of overtime but still managed to make baseball games and some hikes. We have done some home improvements and were able to visit the Close Family in San Jose for Marilyn's 70th Birthday. It was great fun having all 12 of us together.

Sammie has found a job as an Administration Assistant for a software company. A volleyball buddy hired her to help out in his office. It is great hours and fun experience. She learns so much and feels like an adult. That is good since she is now in her 40's.

So God has been so good helping all of us get plugged in and adjusted to our lives again on the Central Coast. It never ceases to amaze us to see His blessings and His leading and the joy and adventure in following Him.

Until next time! Joy in the Journey!

January and February Fun

Civil War Ball February 2011
Isaac, Gary, Ty, Joel, Seth, Ron (Seth's Dad) and little Carson at the ball....


We joined our old dancing buddies, duded up in our fine garb and hit the hard wood floor for another night of dancing. Joel and Isaac always enjoy a night on their toes dancing with friends. We have yet to get our younger two to join us but that day will come whether they like it or not!



Sevilyn, Bitty, Leah, Bekah, Savannah and Sammie all dolled up....











Isaac, Gary, Sammie and Joel ready to get JIGGY!









Josiah and Mel had their birthdays this past February. Josiah turned 15 and is ready to start earning his driving permit. He is a fine young man who is a joy to be around. Mel, Zach's wife, just had her second son and is an amazing mom. Eli is ready for cake.





This is my favorite photo....It is Josiah's first day of school at Coastal Christian! The clouds were crying, Bobito was crying, Mom was crying, Josiah was crying.....it was a monumental day of new beginnings. Two months have rolled by since this first day of school and all the boys are doing well. Bobito and I miss them during the day but we are always glad to see them again every afternoon.
We pray you are finding His comfort in this wild winter wonderland. We have had some unique weather that keeps us guessing.
Until next blog....

Summer in January

Well, I am not sure if I should continue to post blogs now that our Georgia Adventure is over, so this may be our last entry.



January 2011 was a whirl wind of change. Isaac and Josiah started full time at Coastal Christina School. Ike is in 11th grade and Josiah is in 9th grade. They have GREAT life long friends that attend there so the social adjustment was easy. Academically is a bit more of challenge. Having several teachers and sitting in classes all day then coming home to do more school is quite a change from the homeschool life. It is a good challenge for them and they are doing well.



Joel has enrolled in 2 classes at Hancock College. He is doing excellent becoming a college boy. He works hard around the property for Poppa and has applications in various places for part time work. He continues to play roller hockey and is now competing at the MEN level.



Isaac joined the CCS basketball team. He and his friend Curtis are the only Juniors along with 5 Freshman. Needless to say their season has been a "building" year. They stay in good spirits and have fun. It is still a treat to watch the games and be with good friends.



Josiah's 9th grade school load has kept him quite busy. He still enjoys his video games and friends. The highlight for this month was that his goodest-best-buddy, Jesse, came for a visit, so they got to catch up. It is so great to have a good friend who "gets you" and can pick up right were you left off.



Isaiah is now a semi-school boy. He attends a charter school 2 days a week in Santa Maria. He is doing very well and is great at making friends and staying positive about the work load. He has joined a hockey team and is skating circles around his coaches.



Gary is too busy to describe. We miss our lazy days of Georgia. He is doing well but getting over this work load will be a blessing when it comes. Coming back to a new position and wanting to excel makes for some long hours.



I, Sammie, am trying to join the work force. With two boys in private school and one in college the funds are short. I have put in a few resumes and I am waiting to hear back. I know God will supply the perfect job for our family. I struggle wanting to be available to the boys and needing the work. Many women have walked this way before and I just need to learn the ropes.
God totally blessed me with the perfect Birthday week. It was 70 degrees and sunny. I needed that after a bitter cold winter start in Georgia.



Being home with our family has been a blessing. God continues to show us His Grace and Mercy in everyday events. Trusting Him in all we do is the adventure.

Thanks for following us on here. May God continue to Bless your lives as you Trust Him to show you His perfect Way.

December to Remember

This is the Close Clan in our yard, Joel, Isaac, Isaiah, Sammie, Bito, Gary, Josiah, Daphne, Jubilee, Dave, Angel, Marilyn, and Maddie. Being together to play games is always a fun time.

We hit the ground running when we landed in California December 17th. We had 3 days to get ready for our things from Georgia and 3 days to put everything away. In record time we worked tirelessly to host over 50 family and friends in 10 days. It was wonderful catching up with friends and family. Thank the Lord for keeping everyone safe and healthy while we were away.

These are my Wonderful Great Nephews Drake and Donovan enjoying Momma's Bubble Tub. It is crazy how similar they are to our boys when they were younger.

Jaci, Justin, Karen, Mike, Michelle, Michael, Terri, Zach, Mel, Lucca, Eli, Amber and Andy got to celebrate Christmas with us. We played the infamous dice game and fought over some nice weaponry. Left Right Center was a smash hit again. Along with all the sweets and endless laughter we all enjoyed our visit celebrating the Best Christmas gift of ALL, JESUS!

Great Tio Gary reads to Drake after a long active day! Having family around is priceless. Thanks for enduring the LA traffic and making the journey to be with us.

In the mist of the hub bub of activity we took a one day turn around trip to Orange County to celebrate Mommydear's 89th Birthday! Five generations gathered around Mommydear to show her our love and appreciation. We all agreed that we treasure her prayers and Blessings.

Before we departed Georgia we were able to celebrate with Alan and Lori Smith at the annual INPO Christmas party. They are treasured friends that will be sorely missed. Thanks again for loving and accepting us for the year and a half. You always have a place to lay your head in California.

November Farewells and Thanksgiving

November was a month of blessings and good-byes. Gary blessed us with our last family vacation in the Southeast. We ventured south to Florida and boarded a ship to the Bahamas. Here is a photo of Isaiah sliding down a 20 foot blowup slide on the Coco Cay Island. Josiah watches on. We spent 4 days on the ship eating, relaxing, eating, and playing. It was nice to have Thanksgiving together in such unique surroundings.

Joel and Isaac finished their Crown Knights Varsity Football season with a wonderful banquet. They made some great friends and had some Godly, sacrificial coaches who spoke truth into each of their lives. The season was about living "above the bar" on the football field and in life. Although the season ended 2 touchdowns too short to be called Champions, the boys will take away some treasured life lessons and go onto be Champions for Christ. Because of the teams classy play and attitudes on the football field, and their dedication to Godliness, the team was able to be a part of 20+ people coming to Christ during the after game huddles. We will miss all our Crown Knights friends.

Eastside Baptist Church has been a vital source of love and encouragement for our family. We will leave behind some awesome people who made our stay in Georgia so memorable and fulfilling. The boys are seen here with a group of their buddies at a Farewell to the Closes gathering. We could not have created a better group of peers for our boys. God is so awesome. Thank You Eastside Family.

Before our cruise we were able to explore Universal Orlando. We toured both parks and rode all the rides until we got sick. It was a lovely park with unique rides and brain banging roller coasters. The boys had a great time and Gary and I did our best to keep up. Roller Coasters get so much harder to ride the older you get. The boys got to top off the experience with a concert at the BLUE MAN GROUP. It was a unique and funny show with creative and ingenious musical flare.

This was our most memorable night in Georgia. Joel and Isaac played in the semi-finals to go to the Championship game. Grammy and Poppa were here to join in the thrill of victory. The defensive line held off the other team on the one yard line in the last seconds of the game to give the Knights the Victory. We stormed the field in jubilation. Such a treat to be a part of a once in a lifetime thrill.

As we wrap up our Georgia memories and pack our things for California we leave with full hearts. God directed all our steps on this adventure and we will be sad to leave it all behind. Had we said no to the adventure we would have never been able to experience so many wonderful things. The boys learned that change can be good and they are capable of making happiness wherever they go. It is an attitude of the heart. We are so proud of the boys for doing something hard and scary at first, and coming out with richer lives because they were willing to say, "Yes!". We thank God for the blessings of this adventure, His hand was with us every step of the way. God is Good, All the Time.

October Sky

Joel's friend, Leah Dee, came to visit this October and Joel was able to take her to King's Homecoming. They looked lovely and had a wonderful time. She used her week of vacation from Starbucks to spend it with us here in the South. We showed her all the highlights, QT, zip linin', Five Guys, Aquarium, CocaCola, Downtown, Chickfila, and the lovely weather. Her time her sure did fly by.

At the Georgia Aquarium Josiah, Gary and Isaiah got up close and personal with the penguins. They are so unique. We loved the beluga whales, the sea horses, the jellys, the manta rays and sharks. So wonderful to see God's creative touch.

Gary, Isaac, and Isaiah, along with the rest of us, including Leah, went north to South Carolina to ZIPLINE. We traversed 10 lines over the brilliant, orange, red, and golden leaves. A truly thrilling and beautiful treat.

Momma and Poppa, aka Sam and Dotty, also came to visit this month. They got to enjoy 3 weekends of FOOTBALL and LACROSSE. During the weeks in between, Momma helped do school with the boys and Poppa did some minor repairs around the house. But we all decided that having 10 acres is so much better for 8 people to spread out in. To get us out of the house we walked along the Chattahoochee River, climbed Kennesaw Mtn, went bowling, watched movies and walked the neighbor dogs. The weather went from scaling hot to tornado warnings and then freezing cold. I am sure they are ready to go back to California.

Isaiah and Josiah went to Discipleship Now at our church at Eastside. They enjoyed all the activities of riding a mechanical bull and jumping in bounce houses. They spent 2 nights with their Bible leaders who led them in Discipleship training and encouraged them in their walk with God. Afterwards, Isaiah told me, "Momma, I love our church, I am gonna miss it when we go home." It is a blessing to find God's love wherever you go. Thank you Eastside, Pastor Trey and all ya'all for making our boys feel so loved.