Lunch

had lunch today with Jason, Jo, Timothy and Mia, it was a total blast.  These kids are really amazing and can hold a perfect conversation, eat nicely and are just great to be with, good job Jason and Jo.

Tomorrow the family will start to enjoy their time after Daddy Jason is finally finished with the three grueling days of the State Bar.  I pray that God will bless them on their enjoyable time together as they visit special places

My afternoon was spent in unbelievable traffic, it took about 3 hours to get home from downtown San Jose and then I had to quickly do research and head to Elk Grove for a rush, wow I've been in the car a lot today and so thankful for good AC and a nice ride.

Not sure if church is going to happen tomorrow or not, have not heard anything from my girls so don't know their plans.

At the end of this week I'm very thankful for very good special friends who keep my life enjoyable, for a very precious family who keep things interesting and for great clients and friends.  I've managed to lose my best client and I'm praying that God can help me with that one.  Summit Funding is a great organization and I hope to work for them again soon.  Right now a new company HVCC Appraisal ordering is keeping me pretty busy and I'm thankful for their orders.

Sending love to all, enjoy the Sabbath, God's special gift to busy people.  Please love that one you are with, today.

Tim

Jason finishes the Bar

It was a relieved but weary son who called this afternoon after completing the final day of the California State Bar Exam.  Jason is just very glad to be done with it and now waits for the November letter to arrive.

My day was spent praying for Jason, seeing 4 properties, experiencing some serious heat outside and enjoying lunch at Burger King, a vegeburger and this evening after a 7 pm appointment a senior citizen portion of whole wheat pasta at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

Now I'm sleepy and so ready to rest.

Love to all and heartfelt thanks for your prayers in behalf of Jason the last three days.

Tim

Jason makes it through day 2 of the Bar

Another day down for Jason, he reports that the material is very tough to deal with and he is just hanging onto hope that he is doing well enough.  He is certainly taking this very serious and giving it his best.  I know he appreciates all the prayers from you and his many friends, family and well wishers.

I know he is certainly on my mind.

I received a call this evening from the company that is creating Nan's memorial.  He reports that they have located the basic granite and it ends up being a couple inches larger than we intended at no increased price, that is great and I was so happy.  One piece of the granite is not going to arrive for 30 days but at least the whole process is now started and on its way to production.  I think Nan would like what it is being done.  I know it will make visiting her graveside much more pleasant than trying to locate her location without a marker.

Today has been busy, saw two properties today, one in Concord this morning and then the second in Tracy this afternoon in the 100 degree heat, a very nice home offered by the Klem company, they always do a good job it seems.

Now its bed time once again, so thankful for the basics, a home, food, work and a world of good friends, great family and excellent clients.  And  a God who cares with a love that no human has ever touched or even come close to.  I see His advice and counsel every day and I know you do too.

Please pray for Jason, tomorrow is his last day and he needs to do well tomorrow so the outcome in November is positive and he and his precious family can begin to live again.

Love to all and thanks for caring

Tim

The State Bar

Good evening,
I know one family that would appreciate your prayers this evening or tomorrow.  Jason faced his first day out of three days in Santa Clara Convention Center today as he began to take the State Bar examination which will allow him to operate as a lawyer in the state once he gets word in November if he passed the exam or not.

This morning as I thought back over our family history it became very clear I needed to spend time at Nan's graveside, how proud and anxious she would have been today over Jason and this challenge.  So I went there and just spent time attempting to relate to the great love Nan had for her children and grand children.  Nothing was more important to Nan than her family and she was always there when Nikki or Jason needed her.  How she loved to search for things that the grandchildren might want or need, how she loved in her final months just to see the family and spend time with the people she cared about most in the entire world. 

As I was there at her graveside I just decided today was the day.  I drove back home and did a bit of research, the wonderful young woman at the cemetery has been so helpful, I finally decided on a firm in Antioch, Martin Memorials and called and then drove there to meet with Mr. Martin.  Together we made decisions about the white granite, the photo we would prepare, the wording we would use and the style of the slab and upright piece of granite.  There will be a vase drilled into the granite with a stainless steel sleeve and words that I think really capture Nan.

A woman of class, of faith, of devotion, of energy, of substance.

Across the top it will say simply wife, mother and grandmother.  It will have the same photo as was on the front of the funeral brochure.  I hope Karen Cress still has the photo somewhere as we need the jpeg of that photo.

So all in all I feel good about the work I did today and the event of Jason's taking the Bar started the process.  The cost is significant and I can handle it right now due to the volume of work that God has blessed me with this spring.

Hopefully this memorial will be a fitting tribute to a woman who created this family with her devotion and love to her people always.

Sending love to all tonight,

Tim

Sunday completed

Hi Family and Friends,
Last night I finished up a course that I have to have done so I can apply for a license renewal. I went to bed a midnight, the next thing I knew it was 9 am this morning.  I've not slept that long for a very long time, wow it felt good.
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Then I walked my 3 miles and at breakfast / lunch about noon.  Worked this afternoon doing appraisals and office stuff and now I'm ready to crash again, earlier tonight.

In the morning I'll apply on line for my license renewal once I get the certificate from Allied Schools and then pray for a quick turn around on the license.

I'm so thankful for great friends, for life and for opportunities to enjoy living in America, this country is in a mess but its still better than most other places.

So tonight I'm sending love to all

Tim

Good evening

Dear Family and Friends,
Can I tell you about my great kids?  Nikki has taken on a new challenge at a local health club and is eating some very healthy food, exercising until she nearly drops and has dropped 10 pounds already in the first few days, wow, I'm so proud of her.

Jason is continuing to study 12 hours a day in preparation for taking the State Bar next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  He and Jo moved to San Jose a few years ago leaving behind their precious MBA home with its view of the Monterey Bay and the calm beauty of the MBA campus, he left behind a teaching position and enrolled in Golden Gate Law School which is located on Market Street in downtown San Francisco.  So for three years Jo has taught at the local Adventist church in Milpitas while Jason commutes to the city to attend law school.  A few weeks ago he graduated at Davies Hall in San Francisco.  Now in a few days he will face the hardest test in his life.  If anyone was ever ready and faithful about learning the laws and material it is Jason.

So both of my precious kids are facing very serious challenges right now in their lives and I could not be more proud of them both, amazing kids and their mom would be so very proud of them for what they are doing.

Today I've faced a very challenging set of appraisal problems.  The worst was an appraisal that ended up with Chase and has long funded.  Yet they are continuing to seek more data and explanations.  Today was the last day or the loan would be returned to the broker, a very serious challenge.  God was good and helped me overcome my total fear of trying once more to solve the questions they kept bringing up.  At the very last minute a sales lady called back from the tract office where the home was purchased 2 years ago and had exactly the data that helped a great deal with the appraisal.  I just pray that the appraisers at Chase see it the same way.  Ellen was praying for my morning and we stayed in touch with a text now and then, it was a real lift to my spirits.

I am thankful for a safe week, I've driven thousands of miles seeing properties in as diverse places as Dixon, Vacaville, Rio Vista, Tracy, Stockton, Lathrop.  After awhile these properties tend to run together in ones mind, only careful notes keep everything straight.

Sending my love to all,  I see your prayers for wisdom always,

Tim

Helping out

Dear Family and Friends
So this day has been interesting.  I'm trying to walk my 3 miles every morning and I've added a little to it now to make the walk end in the park, a nice touch.

This morning even though I was early was warm but it felt good to be back out there.  About 2 years ago I was in the battle of my life dumping weight fairly fast.  After I got down to about 175 I backed off and started to be more normal again, not good as over the last year I've let it slip back up some, certainly not to where it had been but still up instead of down.

What I want is to be 165 and right now I'm 194 so I have a ways to go.  Things I've done today, had a lot more water than coffee, at lunch at Diggers I had a wrap instead of two huge whole wheat buns around my garden burger and cottage cheese too.  My drink was Arnold Palmer, a combo of ice tea and lemonade which I find to be really nice.  So no buns and lettuce instead, just a little thing but last time it was a lot of little things that lost the weight, for months I walked 3 miles every day no matter what, rain or shine but then when the business go busy again I let the miles slip away and ended up only walking the 3 miles one day last week, for me that does not work well, I need more exercise as I sit so much for my work both in the car seat and in the office chair too.

This evening I had an ear of corn with spray on butter and a few pinto beans, some avocado and tomato on a slice of wheat bread.

Yes I would love to dump my gut before Ellen comes home and yet I do believe still that she will come home but she made it very clear today that whether I have a tummy or not does not matter to her and that takes some pressure off, makes me want to lose the tummy even more but for me and my health.

So today I've seen three properties, one is written and delivered and that was for a friend so it feels good.  Met the nicest young black couple today and was impressed with their 15 year old son, who is already 6'1" now and is very very tall.  Super nice kid.

so that is about it, long day, great friends, great food and so thankful to God for His love and guidance, protection and care.

Sending love to all

Tim
ps  had the girls tonight as their mom was out and their dad had a late night at work, they are so interesting to observe, they are so bright that you only have to mention something once and they get it, they read books so fast one can't keep up with them, just great to have 4 of the nicest kids ever as my grand children.

Working my way through a lonely Sunday

After getting to be with family yesterday at Kallie's award ceremony it seems very strange to be alone today, not really that much fun.

I've talked to friends and that always helps so much but just being alone in this big house gets old at times.

Church was great yesterday and Olive Garden soup and salad was nice too.

Today I've seen a property located about 3 blocks away, got paid and the money is already making its way to the account via square reader, a device that plugs into my phone and captures the credit card information, pretty amazing.

The house is an original, older than mine and shows its age but has a great setting on the lake.  I came home and wrote up the appraisal and its already on its way to the client.  Felt good to do that for a change.

Life is good, just different than what I expected I guess.

Love you all

tim

Good Sabbath

Good evening friends and family

So up at 8, walked three miles, had oatmeal banana and strawberries, went to church and listened to our pastor tackle a touch subject.  In my 10 years I would not have touched his subject but then I think times were a bit different.  I felt he did fine, not sure of the best answers to some of life's touch questions but I am very confident that God knows, loves and cares.  I've felt God's help in such powerful ways over the last few months and in spite of my failures I do confidently trust God's help and protection.

I enjoy attending the Tracy church very much.  I happen to think some of the worlds most precious people are there, people I have know most of my adult life and who I have great respect for, not because they are perfect but because they are God's children and care about our church family.

I have been blessed with some very special people in my life, Dolly, George and Yvonne, Dick and Becky, Bob, Kim, Angel, Bob and Sue, Sylvia and her precious mom, Wes and Nanette, Pat, Judy and many others including the new pastor.

My life has been a challenge since losing Nan almost 8 years ago.  She was a solid good woman who was a great human being, loved to shop, was wild about her little ones and cared about the Tracy church very much.  Why she had to go I have no idea and I don't even try any more to figure it out.

I do know that a person can love someone very much and still find a new loving relationship with someone new and I'm exploring that daily.  I ask for your prayers that God will lead in a powerful and loving way giving me the guidance I need always.

Tonight I send my love to all those who might find time to read these words,

Love

Tim

Big day

Going to bed late tonight but with so much accomplished! Grateful to our Heavenly Father for His protection while I drove to Antioch, then Suisun City, then Martinez and then back to Discovery Bay

had a chance to take Kallie to swim class this morning, she is doing great.

What a great day really, hard work, in the sun and not all of it was easy but still this evening with Jessy's help I have several reports out in the last few hours, feel so blessed.

Sending love to all

Tim

Great talks with Art who is traveling back from an extended trip in their new motorhome, my brother who is continuing to recover from his knee replacement and other dear ones to me that I love to talk to every day.

Great 4th

On Friday afternoon I decided I would do something totally different.  I loaded up the motorhome and drove 300 miles to my brother and sister in law's home in Weed, CA.  I had an incredible time visiting the family, enjoying the beauty of the area and what excellent food we had.  A game of Mexican Train lasted in the wee hours on Sat. night and it was so fun with the family all teasing each other as the game progressed.

at 4:30 on Sunday afternoon I loaded up and left to come home, having almost no traffic and driving 60 I averaged just over 10 mpg for the 600 mile trip, God gave me a super time and a safe time with no getting sleepy, just drank water and kept it going.  Stopped once each way and this morning I cleaned up the motorhome so its ready for the next time.

Very thankful to a caring God for His leading and protection.  How good God is to us all, He just cares and loves us so much.  How fortunate we are to be His children.

Sending love to all,

Family and friends make the world go round, just lost a class mate who showed so much courage and faith in her battle and it has been wonderful to see class mate give her support as she dealt with the final months and then days.  I'm proud of those people I went to high school with, a great bunch of people.