The Pete'n'Bree Blogspot

In-between Life Chapters

2010-08-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

Morro Bay Getaway, Just Me, Pete and a beach town all to ourselves! We stayed in a beautiful hotel room that felt like a 5 star bungalow. The only down side was that most of the trip was spent in jeans and sweatshirts due to coastal fog. I learned not to start a vacation with too high expectations, mine were high for Hot weather. But aside from the weather Pete and I Had a Blast! We rode our bikes all over town, we ate some incredible fish and chips, we walked through the seaside shops and art galleries, and we witnessed sunsets at Morro Rock - Ah Bliss! And to top it off the hotel gave us free breakfast at a cute little diner every single morning. One morning I ordered a cinnamon roll and it came to me the size of a frisbee! I wish I could say that I ate it all but it was too big. The last day we drove 10 minutes out of morro bay to Cambira, and there was NO Fog in sight! We ran down to the beach and soaked in the sun for the rest of the day. Too bad we didn’t figure that out sooner : )

The Ammerman Family Camp Out! We packed up the cars and spent 4 days and 3 nights at New Melones Lake near Angels Camp. This was the first time the Ammermans had gone tent camping in over a decade! It couldn’t have been more fun! Our days looked like this: Morning coffee, fellowship and breakfast around a fire as the sun slowly rises and brings the heat. Around 11am the heat is too unbearable and we walk down the hill to the water, each carrying our own floaties. With no shade we bake in the sun and swim in the water untill about 2. Hiking up the hill we make sandwiches and quickly realize that we are too hot to be out of the water, so we hike down the hill and swim till around 4. Dinner has never tasted better as we indulge in grilled spicy fajitas with sautéed bell peppers, hand made juicy hamburgers and fire blackened hot dogs with grilled onions. This is our favorite time of day, feeling great after a shower and lounging by the fire as the cool breeze picks up and the temperature drops to perfection. We watch the sunset, roast marshmallows for smores and tell progressive stories about zombie dinosaurs and zombie underwear. The stars at night make you feel so small and God so infinite. We all Cheer as we see the Largest shooting star of our lifetimes! Back in the tent we gather around to play knush and yhatzee and then head to bed exhausted from the day and so excited to do it again tomorrow.

We've Moved! Pete'n'Bree have a NEW Website!

2010-04-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

We are excited to officially announce that we are launching our new website and blog! Please keep connected with us over at

www.petenbree.com

My wife is really getting the hang of boarding!!!

2010-02-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

This is from our trip to Kirkwood last week!

Bree’s Childhood wrapped up in a Video – Papua New Guinea

2010-01-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

This is an amazing short-film put together by some guys who went through a program call Interface with New Tribes Bible Institute. It’s a chance for young people who are going through school and training to go overseas as part as their education. They get to learn and understand what life as a missionary is like and what the needs are. This film is actually filmed in the very town/area that Bree grew up in! The highlands of Papua New Guinea, in a town called Goroka. In fact, as we were watching this film, Bree would suddenly yell; “OHHHH!!! I know her!” or “That is my school!” or even “That is our marketplace!!!” She was on her feet the entire time! Remember, this is truly home to her! She lived there for the majority of her life and has not been able so see her home in 5 years now! Please check it out and enjoy this REALLY well done film.

Random Video - Kenyan Sunrise!

2010-01-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

This is a quick little video of a sunrise at the compound that we lived in while in Kenya. I remember always being taken by the beauty of the sunrises there. Just one of those things that stays with you in your memories!

What is deliberatePeople?

2010-01-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

What is deliberatePeople? A movement encouraging people to deliberately pursue their relationship with God on a daily basis.

Well I found this great movement/resource idea through Phil Joel. He awesome guy who used to be in the band called the Newsboys. Check out this video below and then check out the site for more on DeliberatePeople!

what makes dP? from deliberatePeople. on Vimeo.

What is a MK?

2010-01-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

For some time now, Bree and I have have felt our life's calling is to minister to MK's overseas. Even now everything we are doing here in California and when we go to school at NTBI, we are preparing to go overseas to help in this effort. But what is a MK? to tell you the truth, there are not many resources out there... but that is part of what we want to help change. This is a great artical by Bret Taylor who helps run a orgaization called JARRS that focuses on ministry to MK's. Check it out! http://www.wysite.org/sites/mk_ministries/Homepage
MK's?
MK stands for Missionary Kid. Other titles associated with this group of individuals are TCKs (Third Culture Kids), Global Nomads, or Expatriate Kids.

MKs have unique needs and abilities that are often under-recognized and under-utilized. Because of the nature of their life circumstances, there are spiritual, emotional, educational and social needs that need special consideration and attention. Without alternatives, if their children are struggling, missionaries may feel forced to leave their ministries. As every parent can attest, the involvement of additional caring adults in the life of a child can make a big difference.

Our hope is to also educate individuals, churches and mission organizations of ways to improve their support for there precious "global nomads." The ministry goal we want to see through an MK ministry is increased missionary longevity and preparation of the next generation of harvesters.

CONSIDER THIS...
• It takes an average of 2-3 years for a new missionary to be prepared for the field. There is a tremendous financial and time investment to prepare new missionaries.
• One of the leading causes of missionaries terminating career ministry is due to the educational, emotional, or spiritual needs of their children (MKs) not being appropriately met.
• A healthy family structure is necessary for missionaries to most effectively serve at their ministry site.
• Currently 15% of MKs go into fulltime stateside ministry.
• Currently 17% of MKs go into career overseas missions.
• MKs are already in an environment where they can develop their spiritual gifts in an evangelistic ministry setting.

You Know You’re an MK when…

1. Your life story uses the phrase “Then we went to…” more than five times.
2. You have strong opinions about how to cook bugs.
3. You sort your friends by continents.
4. You’d rather never say hello than have to say good-bye.
5. You’ve spoken in dozens of churches, but aren’t a pastor.
6. You watch a movie set in a foreign country, and you know what the nationals are really saying into the camera.
7. You get upset when people don’t finish their food, and feel worse when they scrape it into the trash.
8. You don’t think that two hours is a long sermon.
9. Your high school memories include those days that school was canceled due to tear gas.
10. You instinctively start ripping up the newspaper when you run out of toilet paper.
11. Your friends nervously remind you to drive on the right side of the road.
12. You still hesitate before drinking water straight from the tap.
13. You carry Bibles in two languages to church.
Quotes from “You Know You’re an MK When…” by Andy and Deborah Kerr

Our Holiday through the lens!

2010-01-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

To start off the holidays, we drove down to San Diego to visit Bree’s family! We hung out on the beach, played disc golf on a golf course, and then drove to Apple Valley for the Trostrud Family Thanksgiving!

Then we got into the Christmas mood by heading over to the infamous Deacon Dave’s on our way to get a Christmas Tree.

We ended up celebrating three Christmas mornings!
Christmas #1: We flew down to San Diego to enjoy Christmas with the Bree’s family! It was the first time in 6 years that all the kids were together for Christmas because Mom and Dad are missionaries to Papua New Guinea. They are home on furlough for one year.
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Christmas #2: We had our first “at home” Christmas morning at our little home this year! It was wonderful. That afternoon, Pete’s mom and little brother came over and we all went to see the new Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Christmas #3: On December 27th we headed over to Pete’s folks for an Ammerman family Christmas morning! Christmas was late at the Ammerman household because Dad is a pilot and had to fly on Christmas day. After a great moringing we held the annual Gingerbread house competition!
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New years was great as Bree’s parents drove up from San Diego and we spent a few days together! We played lots of cards and checked out Avatar in 3D. We all watched the Times Square Ball drop with my Pete’s mom at their home!

We had VERY blessed holiday full of joy and fellowship!

Holiday Greetings from Pete’n’Bree!

2010-01-05T19:47:00.000-08:00

Here is our 2009 Holiday Newsletter!

Pete'n'Bree Newsletter

Fishin’ the Delta

2010-01-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

Pete has had the opportunity a couple times now to go and hang out with his good friend, “Stan-the-Man” on his fishing boat out on the delta! We pick up strippers while trolling the banks. Fun FUN times!

Random video - Cannon working on words!

2010-01-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

This is Cannon our nephew working on his Words! Oooo Ohhhhhhhh!!!

Random Video - Joshua Boys Sing it Up!

2009-12-22T21:45:00.001-08:00

Ok, I have to give you the context to this video. This is a video I shot while I was with a bunch of my Joshua buddies on our way back from a mission trip. During the program we couldn't listen to music, but the driver gave us a special song. This is what happened when a bunch of guys hear music for the first time in a quite a long time!

Top Ten - Pete's Ten Favorite Websites

2009-12-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

Top Ten - Pete's Top Ten Websites-

10. Google Wave

Online Collaborative Tool - Future of e-mail.

9. Dropbox.com

Online storage of your files that you can assess from any computer AND iPhone.

8. Hulu.com

Watch all of your TV Shows online for free.

7. iGoogle (Google Calendar/Docs/Reader)

Keeps your life organized and under control.

6. Evernote.com

A way to manage those little things in life through a “To-Do” Note system.

5. Kayak.com

One place to find good flight deals across the web.

4. Mint.com

One place to manage all of your financial budget, investments, and assets.

3. Facebook.com

Social Network that keeps you connected to everyone!

2. Pandora.com

A free radio station of songs that you create and actually like!

1. Twitter.com

Micro-Blogging at it's best!

Random Video - Nikko's Got Skills!

2009-12-15T20:26:00.000-08:00

This week, our video of the week is of our puppy of which we miss like crazy right now as we are in San Diego visiting family.

Our pup has skills!!! Check out his acrobat abilities!!!

Top Ten - Pete's Favorite NFL Teams

2009-12-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

Due to the facf that Football is fresh on Pete's mind AND because Fantasy Football playoffs start this weekend; we thought it would be fitting to have an NFL themed Top Ten List this week! Since Bree can't stand football... this list only pertains to Pete! (and MEN!)

Pete's Top Ten NFL Teams-
#10. Pittsburgh Steelers

#9. Oakland Raiders

#8. Dallas Cowboys

#7. Indianapolis Colts

#6. New Orleans Saints

#5. Tennessee Titans

#4. San Diego Chargers

#3. San Francisco 49ers

#2. New England Patriots

Pete's #1. New York Giants

SNOW IN LIVERMORE!!!

2009-12-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are not tired of the Bay Area snow hype from last Monday; here are a few more pictures accumulated from our camera and our facebook friends.
For those of you outside of California... I COMPLETLY understand that is absolutely NOT astonishing at all. However, for us Californians… (Specifically Bay Area folk) This is miraculous! This doesn’t happen but every 10 years or so if we’re LUCKY!

Random Video - Soccer Goal in Kenya

2009-12-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

This week, I found a video that I shot from a soccer match at Rohi Children's Home in Kenya when we hosted another school for a match. This video captures a typical celebration to a "standard" goal... (keep in mind that this was just a goal... not the end of the game or anything...) EVERYONE rushes onto the field screaming and runs in circles! Wish we did this in America!

Ocho Cinco ain't got nothing on these kids!!!

Top Ten -Pete's Top Ten Hats

2009-12-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

Anyone who sees me on a regular basis will laugh at this Top Ten because they know just how often I wear a hat! If you are one who actually wants to know why I really like to wear hats - it’s because I have VERY thin hair and once it grows beyond a certain length… I can’t gel it anymore. It just will not hold any more and it looks bad. So, my routine is to get a monthly haircut and gel my hair for about 2 weeks. After that… it’s hats everyday!

This is the Top Ten Hat choices:

10. Red "Wyldlife" hat

9. Black "Wyldlife" hat

8. Black Nike hat

7. Brown/Tan/Black Beanie hat

6. Grey Surf hat

5. Brown "87" hat

4. Black w/brown stripe Beanie hat

3. Red Aeropostal hat

2. Blue/White Cape Cod hat

1. Blue NF Giants hat

Nikko's first Babysitter

2009-12-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving, Bree and I went down to SoCal to visit family for a few days. Nikko had his first chance to be babysat. He stayed with my folks... but more importantly... Razzy! (Razzy is my parents dog) Here are a few pics of their adventures.

Zone Team-Building Day 09

2009-12-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

Our Children’s Ministry Team got to go on a surprise Team-Building trip! It was amazing! First we started off by going to Sweet n’ Savory for a great breakfast. Then we went to UmiGo Go-Cart Racing track for the main event! We had two heats of best-lap and I got 1^st in one and 2^nd in the other. IT WAS AMAZING!!! Those carts were insane! To top it off, we headed to Toll House Café to grab make-your-own Cookie/Ice Cream Sandwiches! Mine was Chocolate Chip Cookie, Triple Chocolate Cookie, and Cookie Dough Ice Cream! A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

Earthquakes vs. Columbus Crew / FC Barcelona vs. Chivas

2009-12-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

I was organizing some of our photos and I realized that I have not blogged about my chance to see Europe’s infamous FC Barcelona take on Mexico’s infamous Chivas! Jer’s (my little bro) and I went to this double-header in SF to see our hometown Earthquakes vs. MLS champs ’08, Columbus Crew followed by the BIG GAME - FC Barcelona vs. Chivas. We saw the likes of Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi, Joe Cannon, and Darren Huckerby.

Random Video - Sword Fight

2009-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

This is a new segment to our blog that we are starting. We were spending some time organizing our pictures and realized that we have a lot of great video in our archive! We thought you might enjoy them... So every Tuesday we will post a weekly video. The videos will be from Joshua, Africa,

Ecuador

, Cornerstone, family, our pets, and anything else from our past!

So, to start this off, we found this great video that Pete filmed while in the Joshua Wilderness Institute. We had this speaker from Texas who was majorly into sword fighting and he brought his trainer swords! So one night, we thought it would fun to hold a Joshua tournament... Well... it turned into a bash-the-other-person fest! So funny!!! This is Dallas and Cory going at it!

Top Ten - Childhood TV Shows

2009-11-21T14:03:00.000-08:00

Because it's raining and we are REALLY happy that snowboarding season is so near... we decided to make this week a DOUBLE Top Ten! Not only do you get Bree's personal Top ten, but you get Peter's too! Can you handle that in one week! Wow!

This week's Top Ten is "Childhood TV Shows"! We had a blast coming up with these lists as we remembered all the great shows of our yesterdays! Enjoy!!!

Bree's Top Ten

10. Loony Toons

9. Full House

8. Pinky and the Brain

7. Touched by an Angel

6. 7th Heaven

5. Dexter's Lab

4. Mash

3. Fresh Prince

2. Voyager

1. Home Improvement

Pete's Top Ten

10. Full House

9. Fresh Prince

8. Dr. Quinn

7. Doug

6. Power Rangers

5. Home Improvement

4. Rocko's Modern Life

3. Wild and Crazy Kids

2. Boy Meets World

1. Rescue 9-1-1

It was time... again

2009-11-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

It was time... second time around - (See why I say that HERE)

Nikko's Visit to the Cal Capitol

2009-11-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Since we wanted to run over to Sacramento to shop at Sierra Snowboard for Bree’s Birthday; we decided to bring Nikko with us!

After shopping, we decided to stop downtown and walk around the Capitol! They have a massive grove out front that has EVERY tree species that grows in California! They also have a Rose Garden that has every rose species in California. It was awesome!

Nikko was having a field day chasing squirrels!

Welcome to San Diego Tree's...

Pete heads to Oklahoma

2009-11-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

Well it was whirlwind of a trip! After a Brentwood Zone event that ended at 9pm; Pete shot over to the Pittsburgh BART station and headed for SFO. After a 12:35am flight out… he found himself in Houston, TX. (Of by the way... Pete can't sleep on planes!)

Good Morning Houston!

Then he jumped on one of the smallest planes he’s ever seen.

Oh, hello there ENGINE!

Once he hit the ground he saw this sign and new he had officially arrived in Oklahoma!

It was now 1pm and Pete was in a wedding at 3pm! So, he jumped in the car and headed out into the country.

Funny thing happened while taking this picture… it was a true backroad in the middle of nowhere and all of the sudden… sirens stared going off… You know... the ones you hear while watching “storm chasers” on the discovery channel!!! I looked at the other groomsman who was driving and he was not even phased!!! “Oh ya, I seen a good amount of them before.” Thank God, nothing turned happened.

After a beautiful wedding (no pics because Pete was too busy being IN the wedding!) Pete headed out to downtown Oklahoma to take in the sights and hang with Brandon’s (the groom) family.

Awesome Place!!!

Then the next morning, Pete jumped on a plane bound for Minneapolis/St. Paul. It was one of the coolest airports ever!

This was so cool! As people walk by, their shadow virtually knocks the flower arrangement around!

Yup! This pic REALLY makes me want to live here…

So this guy made my coffee. As we talked, I found out that he worked at the Big 5 in Antioch (less then a block from my home) and his folks STILL live in Discovery Bay! (where we lived for a year!)

Then Pete jumped on a San Fran bound plane. Once in SFO, he jumped on an hour and a half Bart ride home. Pete finally arrive back at home and headed for bed!

BW Zone PreSchool Island Stage

2009-11-20T13:38:00.000-08:00

This is pics of one of Bree's latest ventures with her art/photography. It's a puppet stage for the PreSchool island on the Zone Brentwood Campus! Lately, God has opened doors for her to try mediums and challenges that are outside of her normal comfort zone - she's been hitting them out of the park!!!

Make sure to check out her blog where she post pics of her current projects. http://breeelizabethphotography.blogspot.com/

Nooma can FLY!

2009-11-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

Our bird (Nooma) has decided he's no longer afraid of flying - been doing it ALL day! It's seriously been so cool to have a friendly bird fly around the casa.

Top Ten - Pete'n'Bree Top Ten TV Shows

2009-11-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

10. Lie to Me
This show is just crazy! It's a show about a guy who can tell if you’re telling the truth or lying purely just by observing your face/body gestures. It's pretty fascinating!

9. White Collar
This newcomer has been pretty darn entertaining! It's about two guys who try to work together to find the bad guys. Oh and by the way... one of them is a criminal and the other is an FBI agent...working together.

8. 60 Minutes
This show never really ceases to bring stories that just blow our minds. Just amazing stuff! We do however turn it off when Andy Rooney comes on at the end... He's basically a paid complainer...

7. FlashFoward
This show boasts a very interesting plot. Everyone on earth flashed forward in their lives for two minutes. Know they are left to search for the truth about the incident. Some hope it comes true... some fear it will.

6. House
It's weird that we like this show so much because it's basically about a self-centered doctor who does everything his insane way. However, a mix of hoping he comes around and amazing medical problem solving keeps us coming back for more.

5. 30 Rock
This show can just make you laugh so hard you fall down. The show is random, stupid; yet hilarious.

4. Extreme House Makeover
This show has been on a while and we have always loved it. However, it has recently become one of our truely favorite shows. It's our weekly dose of humility, tears, and hope! It's not perfect how they approach helping others(can be very materialistic), but it sure gets us thinking and puts our hearts in the right place.

3. Community
Ok... best NEW show of the year. This show takes cummunity college life and gives it a good twist of humor. So stinking funny!!!

2. Lost
So, we have to admit... we pushed this show off our radar when it was the nations sensation. We saw a random episode and didn't LOVE it. Well, after being pure pressured (no other way to describe it) into the show late in the game... we watched episode #1. It intrigued us and so we watched episode #2... Next thing you know we were hooked! Then obsessed! Folks we caught up (5 full seasons) in a matter of 3 months... Yes... 4-5 episodes EVERY NIGHT!!! (Thank you Hulu.com)

1. Office

This show just tops the list because it can't be beat. I know it's a "hate or love it" type show... but we LOVE! If you appreciate the humor they bring to the show... then you are more then set. Dear Michael Scott... WE LOVE YOU!!!

Pete’s Top 10 Eat-out Meals-

2009-11-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

So I randomly heard a song titled "I hate your Blog" by MC Frontalot while listening to pandora.com. The artist rambles on-and-on about how he hates this dudes blog... As the song finishes you are left with the realization that the guy actually LOVES that very blog! One of the things he "hated" was the dudes Top Ten list that he would blog about! Well...I thought that was a sweet idea and will now periotically shoot out "Top Ten" Blog Posts about Bree and I! You'll LOVE it!

Pete’s All Time Top 10 Eat-out Meals-

10. Parchment (my church’s café) - Orange Cranberry Scones

Dude… You don’t understand… Best scone on the planet! The perfect blend flavor to partner with the perfect crunchy-on-the-outside-and-chewy-on-the-inside snack! (Scones may technically only be a “snack”… but I make it a meal!

9. Olive Garden – Salad and Breadsticks

Olive Garden gift cards have always been my wife my favorite gift certificate because of we can share a small meal and enjoy their amazing all-you-can-eat salad and Breadsticks! We would just go there for the breadsticks! No other place comes close!

8. Outback Steakhouse – Awesome Blossom Onion

Combine the atmosphere of the outback and that AMAZING sauce… It’s truly “Awesome!”

7. Giordanos – Chicago Style Pizza Pie

Had a chance to check that amazing place out via Ryan Bicker who spent some college years in Chicago. He swore by it… and he was right! Forever changed!

6. Canton Village – General’s Beef

This meal may have gone from good-to-great due to its value and service… but it’s pretty top of the line on its own! This quaint little Chinese sit-down joint offers a massive meal for $5 (before 2pm) and has some of the best service around. Reminds you of the ol’ diners from NY, NY on from TV!

5. In’n’Out – Double-Double Animal style burger, no lettuce and tomato

This has to be the worst nutritious meals I can eat… even while they boast that they are one of the best fast food restaurants around. However, I destroy ANY nutrition with this to-die-for burger and perfect fries! Animal Style burger adds extra special sauce, grilled onions, mustard, and pickles! Now add a chocolate milkshake and you’re set!

4. Pizzeria - New York Style

Can’t really beat this thin-crust beauty! What makes it better is that most pizzerias nail it too! For the most part, you really aren’t limited to just one to two places; makes for a solid meal wherever you happen to be around the country!

3. Taquaria (MUST be a whole-in-the-wall place) - Carna Asada Burrito

Sometimes I almost feel like this might be my number one! Like the New York style pizza, you are not limited too much on where to get it! You can strike out on occasion on a so-so or bad burrito… but most the time you walk away rejoicing! Carne Asada with some salsa, refried beans, guac, cheese, sour cream, and lettuce is just an amazing combo. Now if you score and find a taquaria that has that “Salsa” that is just pickled jalapeños and carrots… Ohhhh baby!!! You just hit the jackpot!

2. Popeye’s – Spicy Chicken Strips

This has become a quick favorite as I have discovered a drive-thru Popeye’s within 30 seconds of my apartment! Perfection of spice vs. chicken PLUS convenience is a deadly combination! They put the spice coating on before they bread the chicken instead of the traditional methods of just adding spice to the breading. It makes a massive difference that I can’t help but love!

1. Chili’s – Boneless Buffalo Wings

I discovered this meal one time I went to Chili’s after an event in which I had already eaten quite a bit. Normally, I need a good meal, so I don’t even glace at the appetizers. However this day, I couldn’t handle more then a few bites of something. I have always love Buffalo flavor AND I didn’t want to get my fingers dirty… so it was a no brainer. Well, from that day on… It’s the only thing I get at Chili’s! I have even been known to get two orders of them. I have had cooks come from the kitchen to see who ordered that many Buffalo wings! I was even applauded, but I wouldn't know as I was too immersed in eating my meal sent to me from God Himself!

The Holiday Season is near!

2009-10-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

As we get closer to the Thanksgiving and Christmas Season, I can't help but get excited! However, I have a feeling that this year is going to be different... I have felt that way for many years now. I mean isn't this season supposed to be more then just presents under a tree... mounds of food on the table? The obvious answer is yes! Yet, can I say I have lived that out... Not so much. I, like so many, have been enslaved to our materialistic culture. It's time to change.

I am also very encouraged in that I feel this very concern is brewing in my church congregation as well! We will be launching the series call ReNew that will challenge all of us to "ReNew" our very lives to be in tune with the Heart of God! It is meant to start this Holiday Season but serve as a turning point in our lives to change us from the inside. I am excited yet uncomfortable to deal head-on with some of the issues and habits that have defined me over the past! It's time to take a hold of my walk and allow the Lord to transform my family and I!

Check out these awesome video's that will serve as some source of inspiration for you!

This is also a great Podcast Series on this! http://bit.ly/AJHpq

What would happen if all our Zone Volunteers Disappeared!

2009-10-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

This would happen!!!
This is a video that we shared with our beloved Zone Volunteer team during the Zone Volunteer Appreciation Dinners.

Few new family members to the fam!

2009-07-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

We added a few new family members to the fam!

About two months ago we brought home Nooma who is a beautiful baby blue Parakeet. It’s been so neat having the little guy around singing his songs on my shoulder. (no pun intended!)

Then this week, we eagerly awaited the arrival of our little Shih Tzu named Neko! He is the cutest thing in the whole world and just wants to play ALL DAY LONG! Our apartment complex has a restriction that every dog in the complex MUST be at least 1 year old. That was a difficult search - To find a little guy who was older then a puppy… but not too old… and a Shih Tzu that was in our small little budget… We had almost lost hope a few times. But, after many days with hours of searching… the Lord truly lead us to Neko in Okalahoma. After talking to the owner/breeder for a good hour and even finding out Neko was born on our Wedding Day. We realized that he was the right little guy for us! So, on June 30th, I drove to San Francisco International Airport and headed for the baggage services office in the baggage claim area and there he was, Mr. Neko, all ready to go home!

Fresh out of the plane! Welcome to Sunny California!!!

After a little bath and hair cut!

Coming out after his bath and haircut

Getting aquainted with his new home!

Found a new friend in my families Shih Tzu, Razzy!

Any Day Now!

2009-05-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

We are almost out of the woods of the life-without-internet-at-home. At&t has shipped us the Wireless router and the service will be ready to go! Soon we will be back to the wonderful world of Facebook, our Blogs, skype, our Budget interface, of course… Hulu.com!!! I might even put together an Animoto.com video of all the happenings of the entire Spring ’09 season that never had a chance to be blogged or facebook’ed about! Like, FYI… We now have a pet! Or like, we have a new car (well used car… Just “new” to us!)

So, you better believe we’re putting on our red shoes and saying, “There is no place like home (the internet), there’s not place like home.”

I love my job!

2009-05-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

It's things like this make make my job sweet! Check this little dude out!

click here

Spring Break in the Zone

2009-04-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break we took the week off in Quest. However, in it’s place we had two outreach events! We had Gross Game Night for the boys and Glam Night for the girls! Check out the videos below! With both events packed with fun and excitement along with meaningful devotions, these experiences were off the hook!

Big News!!!

2009-03-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

So we have so news in the Ammerman household to report! No we are not with child… (yet… LOL) we’re MOVING!!! Our lease is up where we were and we are ready for a place of our very own. Don’t get me wrong… we were very blessed where we were for the last year, but we’re ready to not “share a kitchen” so to speak.

Check it out!

Living room space

Full Kitchen and in apartment Laundry room

Our balcany

The View from our porch!

Our little Garage!

Community Pool

Community BBQ area.

The community also has a gym, clubroom, Business center, and JACUZZI!

Engine Fail

2009-03-10T13:43:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess everything has to come to an end at some point. Today we had to take the Saturn in for some alarming noises coming from the engine block. I received the call later that day that the engine is toast. It would cost 4 times the value of the vehicle to replace the engine. So, dear Saturn… today, we part… you have been good to us… thank you.

Bree @ Jr. High Camp

2009-02-25T22:26:00.000-08:00

Yup! This is my (bold) wife! I married an 80's exercise instructor!

Preteen Winter Camp '09!

2009-02-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick little recap video!

Zone Winter Camp 2009 from Ryan Bicker on Vimeo.

Amazing Story

2009-02-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

This is so amazing.

SURPRISE!!! Happy Birthday Bree!

2009-01-23T22:54:00.001-08:00

Pete surprised Bree with a trip for her 22nd Birthday! She thought we we're going to Tahoe but instead we headed to the airport! She had no clue what was going on until her uncles drove up to us at the Salt Lake City airport! It was perfect. We then enjoyed two days snowboarding with family in the b

Beyond the iPhone

2009-01-09T22:17:00.000-08:00

So, I am ready to replace my amazing iPhone with the next best thing! I thought they could never beat Apple's revolutionary gadget... but check out this new level of smartphones. http://www.pomegranatephone.com/

Ok, so it may not be technically "Real" yet... (in fact this site is just a marketing ploy to get you to understand that Nova Scotia is actually a real place) However, they have some amazing new ideas! You will not believe it what they came up with but their little videos help take it from a day-dream to “hey, that could really happen!” I have a feeling these things will be available sometime in the near future.

2009-01-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Holiday especially great this year! Bree and I were able to share our very first Christmas together and it was perfect! We started some traditions and merged some one's from our childhoods. It was very special and we already can't wait for next year.

As always, here is a video for you to catch a little glimpse of our jounrey through this special time of year!

Christmas time at Cornerstone

2008-12-23T23:53:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year again! Every December, the Cornerstone staff gets together for a Christmas party. This year we met in the main auditorium since the group has gotten too large for other places. We had such a great time. The food was excellent and Pastor Steve sang with Alvin and the Chipmunks. We also played a game. We competed in teams to see who could make the best Christmas-related photographs. Here are some impressions of that evening.

We have a Nephew!

2008-12-13T12:53:00.001-08:00

We finally had a chance to go and visit our newest family member! (Not Pete and more!) So we headed down to San Diego for a quick two day trip. His name is Cannon Ryan Trostrud, and he is the cutest thing on the planet!

We had the coolest flight over. Virgin America Airlines was amazing!

On the last day Bree and Cannon (sister-in-law) made AMAZING homemade chicken noodle soup! We’re talking homemade noodles! Did I say AMAZING yet?

Family Christmas Tree

2008-12-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of year! Here are some pictures from our family Christmas tree night.

The Fall Rewind

2008-12-02T00:04:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

It has been quite a while since our last “true” update. So, I thought I would sit down and take a shot at it. Well, as I started realizing that I needed to cover all of fall season! Yikes! It’s been a busy fall with lots of fun and excitement as the weather slowly turned from the 100+ degrees down to a brisk 50’s of the late November. (50’s is cold to me ok!!!)

The fall did not change much from the summer. Since June, Bree and I have been focused on each other. We took this year to really establish our marriage and get used to each other. Fall has also has been a busy time at work. Pete works as the Elementary Program Coordinator for both campuses at Cornerstone Fellowship and Bree as been loving working at a retail store that just so happens to be next door to Cornerstone. So, it’s been busy but a fantastic time with amazing experiences.

But to give you the best picture of what we been up to lately, I couldn’t think of anything better then a video! This video is essentially an overview of our Fall season. We carved pumpkins, held the annual CandyZone 08 (our churches Halloween alternative), took a short trip to Monterey, Pete was able to help out at the first Brentwood campus baptisms, headed down to Apple Valley for Thanksgiving, and decorated our living room for Christmas!!! Wow! I’m exhausted just from typing it all out! Well, enjoy the picture show!

It was time...

2008-11-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Before...

After...

Might have lost 10 years... Why God gave me the face of a 10 year old I may never know. However, when I am 40, I am going to look 20! (Until then... Arrrrgh!)

Bye Bye Pumpkin

2008-11-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

This is what my family does during the fall festivities!
Bye Bye Pumpkin

Day at the bay!!! Monterey Bay that is.

2008-10-28T22:56:00.001-07:00

After Church on Sunday, Bree and I sat watching Football and realized, we BOTH have Tomorrow off! We decided we should do something fun! So... We made quick plans and headed off to Monterey! Here is a little video from our amazing trip.

A loss of appetite

2008-10-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Bree and I were watching the food channel and we were loosing the battle of watching chocolate being made vs. not eating it!

So, Bree ran downstairs and grabbed the Milo that her parents brought home for us from Papua New Guinea! I was really excited! Chocolate milk! Yummmmm. But then.... she took a spoon and ATE MILO STRAIGHT!!!

The shivers ran though my bones! "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!!!" I could not believe it... Then she blamed the habit on her childhood! Then it was "Everyone did it when I growing up! Really?!?!? I must have missed that memo ...Weirdos... :)

...Almost as bad as my boss who eats his Toast with butter and chocolate sprinkles.... Oh the Dutch...

A view from the Top!

2008-10-14T20:18:00.001-07:00

Bree and I had a free day and after coming off of a rather busy few weeks we decided to take a road trip!

We walked out of our front door, looked at Mount Diablo, and said “let’s go to the top!” So we did! Here are a few pics from our journey.

A view from the Top!

We even had Lunch with a View!

…and a friend!

A1 Closet Refashioned

2008-10-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

In the Zone Children’s Ministry, we have restructured our entire ministry so we can become more intentional in the things that truly matter in the eternal sense. We have broken down our team to focus on Relations and Program. I fall under program (Elementary Program to be exact) and will work on developing our spiritual content of our program on both of our campuses. My focus is to look long and hard with open eyes at what is working and what is not. What matters and what is just fluff or habit. I feel God is at work in this move and is blazing a trail in effective ministry to Kids.

Spearheading the Elementary program also means I inherit lots and lots of task and materials. My first task has been to reorganize a walk-in closet and get it ready so I can keep things organized enough prepare our various Elementary programs.

A1 Closet Before

A1 (Let’s just say “in transition”)

A1 Closet After

Good ol' Charleston!

2008-10-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

Pete was able to join some of the Brentwood team last week and head to South Carolina for a Multi-Site Church conference. It was an amazing trip and as always it’s taking days for him to download all of his thoughts and notes and start the expedition from notes to application. Check out some snapshots from the trip!

As we took off from SFO I looked outside the window and had a view of my hometown of Livermore!

Then moments later I had a perfect view of our new home in Brentwood/Discovery Bay!

On our long flight over the Country, Delta (yes… unfortunately not Untied ) had a cool trivia game on the little TV’s. Check out what place I was in! (It didn’t last long…)

We were in the greater Charleston area pretty much the whole time, but it did not disappoint. The downtown looked like it had come right out of the 1800’s with just a fresh coat of paint.

We went to the shrimp Boatin’ area of town and enjoyed some waterside dinning.

The Conference went great and I came away very encouraged and ready to return to my Children’s team with some new energy.

This is what they served as one of the break time snacks! "Shrimp and Grits" Only in the South…........

The BW team Pooped on the way home…

To Twitter or Not to Twitter

2008-09-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

Soooooo Bree and I have this ongoing tiff about the relevance and worth of a networking tool called Twitter!

On one hand you have Pete who loves and adores twitter and would label himself a full fledged TWIT! Has great friends and co-workers in which he follows on Twitter. He has it hooked up to his phone and receives each tweet like a text message.

On the other you have Bree... She hates Twitter, can't stand Twitter, can't get along with Twitter... (She bites...)

If you have no clue what we are talking about... then you need to go to http://www.twitter.com/ and get hooked up with an account. (Says Peter!) Or at least give it a shot and see whose side you’re on! It grows on you. :)

P.S. - Pete's Twitter name is pammerman (Click Here to go to my Tweets)
P.S. 2.0 - Bree will not follow your Tweets.... (sorry)

Not only does she sell shirts... Now she make shirts!

2008-09-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Bree has recently found a new addiction in a site called RedBubble. It's a natural fit for her because it helps connect her creativity with the world of artistic media. Bree has used the site to take her art and graphic designs and make it available in many forms to the public. Check out her profile (Shown as a link on the left panel of this blog) and look into her shirts and purchasable art.

Check out a little selection of her work...

Hosting the Family!

2008-09-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we hosted my mother and brother for the first time at our Brentwood home! It was the perfect day because right around the corner from our home was a local ski show on the delta with wakeboard, barefoot, air chair, and sea doo shows! They even had a sky divers!

Ok, this lady is the world record holder for speed barefooting! She got over 100 mph in front of us.

Check out this Sky diver land in the Delta!

Got to love Football...

2008-09-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

Fantasy Football is officially under way! It's that time of year when Pete is busy keeping close tab on his NFL players that give him points! As this week (week 1) started today, Pete's heart dropped as TOM BRADY hit the ground hard in the very beginning of the game with a possible season ending injury! 11 throws in to the season... looks like that could be it for him! Pete was hopping Tom would carry his team the championships this year. Got to love football! Grrrrrrrrr

Lake Shasta Trip

2008-09-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Family time! We just returned from a great family trip to Lake Shasta to do a little boating. We had a blast wakeboarding, sea dooing, and enjoying the hot sun.

Check out Bree’s first day of boarding

One of the days was a little windy so we took a day trip to Burney Falls which is a place we went often camped when we were kids.

It was crazy fun as you can tell!

Our new Monday habit

2008-08-27T22:34:00.000-07:00

As some may know, Bree and I crave sports! Well we have finaly found something that we can both enjoy. We are now playing Volleyball on Mondays through the city. Bree has always LOVED Volleyball and she proved her Superiority out on the court. She was a stud (the female kind)! She was even the first server of the game and she started off by serving up a 10-0 run! Yes, she eats her wheaties!

Welcome Cannon Trostrud

2008-08-20T22:48:00.001-07:00

We welcome to our new nephew! Cannon Ryan Trostrud. 8 pounds 14 ounces. 20 and a half inches. Born at 1:04pm on 8/16/2008. Bree's brother and wife welcome their first. We love you Cannon!
-Uncle Pete and Aunt Bree

Diggin' in the video attic

2008-08-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some old video files and found this video of my families dog when it was a pup! She's the cutest thing little.

Camping in the Redwoods

2008-08-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

We joined some Cornerstone families and headed west! It was a breathtaking area in the heart of the redwood forest. Bree played with the VandenHeuvel's newest baby and I sucked down the coffee by the camp fire! What a trip. We also made it down to the beach near half moon bay and got our beach volleyball on!

Memories from the Campfire

Hartland '08

2008-08-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

This year Bree and I both headed to Hartland Christian Camp with 80 elementary kids! It was a great week of effective ministry... but let me to you, when you spend that much time, with that many kids… Let's just say that I just might grow gray hair before I lose it!

The boys and I got the Big one!

VBS 2008!

2008-07-20T17:55:00.001-07:00

We just finished up an intense VBS (Vacation Bible School) at Cornerstone. We transported just under 40 kids from Brentwood to Livermore each day all week long and we had a great time! VBS was a huge success with many kids (500) hearing about Jesus and who is really is! It was great.

Soccer Stud!

2008-07-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

One of Peter’s passions is soccer and he is now on a Men’s league team from the area! He plays some keeper and some offensive center mid.

There is no pictures of Pete playing mid because Bree was distracted by our Dog...

and the Gopher next to her...

It's Mr. and Mrs. Ammerman if you please!

2008-07-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

It’s been the craziest month of our lives! It has been packed full of exciting and fun times. Our wedding was nothing less then perfect and our honeymoon was more relaxing then I could have ever imagined. Thank you to all who came and made it truly special for us. We are all so thankful for all of you.

HONEYMOON!

Kauaii was the destination...

My life long dream (besides Bree) was to drive a Jeep... How about driving it for a week on an island!?!?

This was the view from our beautiful hotel room! It was amazing!!!

Me + Coffee = HAPPY!!!

We hiked NaPali Coast and wow is all I have to say! We found and picked guava and mango right from the jungle and had lunch!!! Very Resourceful don't you think?

We found this new toy in a hobbie shop and fell in love. It's a trainer Kiteboarding kite! It will pull you around on a mountainboard/surf board/snowboard... More fun to come with this one (hopefully no hospital visits).

It's things like this don't get forgotten.

Beckham!!!

2008-06-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

So for my b-day, a group of us headed over to Oakland to check out the San Jose Earthquacks and the LA Galaxy face off! Beckham was pretty much a stud!

Coming to you from BW

2008-06-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

With less then two weeks till the big day, I give you a quick tour of our new home.

Mission Complete!

2008-06-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

Our mission today was to track down and obtain a marriage license... today we sought, we endured, we conquered, and came away with our marriage license. All that is left is the ceremony! June 20th or bust!

Mine is the 5th cars...

2008-06-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

Three dorks at a Bart Station...

No car was obtained in the making of this film.

Memorial Day Ride

2008-05-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

So Memorial Day we went on a great bike ride through the wine country of Livermore! It was great, and as always, every great thing ends with a stop at Starbucks!

For lunch we stopped at a a creek and Mom T pulled out a snack from Papua New Guinea! It was called Beef Crackers, and Bree and her mom had a moment where they remembered the old commercial on TV there in PNG and they recreated it for your viewing pleasure.

It's Official

2008-05-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

Well, its official, I am in a new Job! It has been unbelievably perfect for me. I have been really enjoying it to say the least. I really feel I have been placed in a great position for my specific talents and strengths. I am in a nutshell a developer. By title I am the Children’s Ministry Coordinator – Brentwood Campus. My job is to manage the transfer process of Children’s Ministry in from the Livermore campus to the Brentwood campus. I get to be hands on with Kids, of course, but really my job is to disciple and nurture the Volunteers and staff that are truly the hands and feet of the ministry. I also have the unique job of evaluating the process of fulfilling the concept of the multi-site church. The idea of one Church in two (or multiple) locations. The challenge to transfer the DNA and Bone structure, yet allowing each campus to have the appearance and feel (Flesh so to speak) of its own. Making it tailor fit to its location, demographics, and congregation. So, for me this has been the gem of my job. I just love being a researcher and developer. Know in a worldly way this can easily be taken to an unhealthy place, so another element that I am personally finding is the importance of my personal closeness to Christ. I have felt the fleshy pull to take the ministry in a different directions or “my direction” without consulting with my Lord and praying over EVERYTHING I/we do! It can be tainted SO easily. So, I have been praying for my walk and dependence to the Lord for His guidance and directions. Please be praying for me in this. What is incredible and I know is a God sent, is the fact that in the last week the church leadership has found the Campus Director at large for Brentwood! And by design and not by coincidence at all, it just so happens to be my mentor! Dave Shields! He is the missionary from Africa that Bree and I lived with for two months. They have come home after 6 years and are now on staff at Cornerstone. He is now the director in Brentwood! It is amazing because he is the most prayerful man I have ever met. He lives his life completely dependant on the Lord. It will be a privilege to serve with him!

With the Full time job in Brentwood came a move! Bree and I found (after a long search) a perfect living situation! We are renting rooms out of a beautiful home in a gated community surrounded by picturesque lakes. So for now I am living in both places and Bree is in Livermore. After the wedding we will both be Full-time Brentwood residence. It is more then I could have ever imagined. I expected a 12 x 12 box apartment during this time, (heck, who knows that can still be in immediate future) But for now, we live in a very comfortable, roomy, home. This is the owner’s investment home and are seldom there, the rent is very good, and they are only asking for half the PG&E! They are paying water/TV/WiFi/garbage. Sounds too good to be true! I still can’t believe it, but I have been living there for a month now, and it has been awesome; Great people.

Razzy is on Benadryl... the doggy version...

2008-05-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

Poor puppy....

Bree's Mom is home!!!

2008-05-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

So, Bree and I are having a blast with Bree's mom now with us from Papua New Guinea for the wedding! She dove head first into wedding planning and we are SOOO happy that we have her expertise! She is the music editing pro!

Twitter?...

2008-05-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

So, my boss discovered yet another way that we can be techy geeks. He has got half the staff (including myself) on this new thing called twitter. It is designed to answer the question… What are you doing? I is web based but it is designed to link to you cell and arrive as a text. The idea is you invite your friends to subscribe to your “twitter” account, and so then you will send a text to one location and it is automatically sent out to your friends. (one the ones who want to receive them… not EVERYONE) So, the point… if there is one, is to just update your friends on what your up too. Saying things like… “Just saw the new Indiana Jones! Go SEE it!” or “just got a new bike! And I love it!” To random for you? Give it a try and you will be hooked! www.twitter.com and watch the video on top.

In the Windy City!

2008-05-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! So, I had the chance to go to Willow Creek Community church in Chicago a week ago for a Children’s Conference! It was quite the experience! I am still trying to download all of the amazing insights that we can use to improve our effectiveness to reaching Kids for Christ.

First off, when we landed in Chicago, we were walking through the airport and all the sudden, we ran into THE AMAZING RACE! All the teams were racing to get to San Pablo, Brazil, and we just happened to be standing by their gate! It was unforgettable.

Then we headed to Willow Creek Church, and WOW!!! That place was huge; 25,000 member congregation. It was just unbelievable to see something like that. But better then that, it was cool to see so many people fired up to serve kids that week, and 44 countries represented as well!

The big bad Cornerstone Childnen's team! For the record… 1# in laser tag!

They even have a lake stocked with fish!

Check out this video of the one and only legendary Glen Keane. He is one of Disney’s most prominent animators, and was responsible for characters such as Ariel (The Little Mermaid), The Beast (Beauty and the Beast), Aladdin (Aladdin), Tarzan (Tarzan), and many more! (Video)

Wedding Craze

2008-04-02T09:53:00.001-07:00

We can't believe how fast time is moving. Paula, our wedding photographer, wanted to take us around before the big day to take some practice poses and snap shots. As you can see she is very talented, to be able to take our goofing around and turn it into something so beautiful.

Art for the Holiday

2008-01-01T17:21:00.001-08:00

During this holiday season Bree decided to get her hands back into her art… To me it is the most exciting news around. She is most certainly gifted and it is just amazing to watch her. Her gift is so unique and amazing; I find myself so speechless as she unveils one after another. She has been praying about what God has in store for her gift and how she can use it to serve and Glorify God through it. I just know that it’s amazing and I just can’t wait to see what God is going to do.

We Love Christmas!!!

2007-12-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

Have I ever told you I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! This is always such an amazing time of the year FULL of fun times and memories… this year has been no exception. We have had a blast with all of the decorating and Christmas parties. Buying and wrapping gifts, and eating way too much food… I mean cookies. This year we went out as a family and picked the perfect Christmas tree, and the “perfect” tree just happened to be the biggest one too!

This year I was also able to decorate our Kids Church rooms at the church. It has been such a great experience creating the Christmas program for the kids which this year will lead into a Gospel teaching. We’re praying for a powerful weekend.

Dec. 25th!!! Christmas Morning!!!

Christmas in San Jose and a Concert to boot!

2007-12-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

I thought it was about time for Bree and I to go on a date and I decided to surprise her. So, San Jose here we come...

San Jose has a great Downtown Christmas-in-the-Park and so after a dinner, that was our first stop.

We rocked the rink and tested our skating legs.

Found an abandoned carnival and Bree pretty much made me sick on the Tea Cup...

Then as we were walking to the car to "head home", and we walked by a concert hall and Bree saw the sign... RELIANT K/SWITCHFOOT show! She pretty much lost it, so I pulled out of my pocket two tickets... She was just a little excited!

Reliant K even made it SNOW INSIDE the concert hall!

But to make it better, Bree and I we're talking about how cool it would be to meet switchfoot because Bree's aunt is very close with the lead singer and lead guitar in the band. We would have a conversational in! About 1 min after that conversation, a lady came up as asked us, "You wouldn't want to meet Switchfoot would you?" We pretty much died in front of her as she handed us the backstage passes!!!

Ya it was amazing! AND! They completely knew Bree's Aunt! She only mentor's Tim's (Lead guitar) wife! Just crazy! Then when we got home, we got online to contact Bree's mom in PNG, she told us all we had to do was tell them about Bree's parents! Bree's mom WORKED for Switchfoot in their early days, and Bree's dad helped John (Lead singer) put in his Jacuzzi!

What a fun time out!

CandyZone '07

2007-11-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

Each year Cornerstone holds a Halloween alternative called CandyZone. It’s a great event where around 4,000 kids and parents come and enjoy a fun, festival like party. This year was no exception. Check out Bree and I in our best “Hippy” gear with the rest of the Childrens staff.

The Proposal Story in Pictures

2007-08-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

The Surpise at Cornerstone

Traveling to Hume

The decorated girls Hotel

Wildwood Dinner Setup

The BBQ Reunion Setup

Wildwood Ropes Course Setup

The Boat Setup

Getting ready for Dinner

The Proposal Dinner!

The Proposal!

Our First Engagement Photos

We're ENGAGED

2007-08-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Yup, it happened on Sunday Aug. 12th, 2007 and we could not be happier. Check out the proposal story below. Pictures will be posted soon.

The Proposal Plan
It all started at Cornerstone our Church on that Saturday. We attending a Leadership conference that ended at 12 noon and when it was over we headed to my office where we were surprised by a group of our friends from Joshua. They told us that they wanted to do something special for our anniversary, and so they put together a trip for us. They explained that we are going to be treated to an “Anniversary to Remember” weekend. They handed Bree a clue and explain that we will be given clues all weekend and we are to go where they lead. The first clue was pretty obvious that it was Hume.
They took us outside and we noticed that my dad’s car was mysteriously at Cornerstone and it was already packed and ready to go and decorated with writing that says “Happy Anniversary Pete and Bree” etc. When we arrive at Hume, the message board said “Happy Anniversary Peter and Bree.” and drove right up to a hotel room and they told us that Bree will be staying here with her girlfriends. The room was completely decorated with framed pictures of Bree and I, flowers, food, and chocolate.
That night our clue led to a beautiful serene deck that overlooks a forest canyon where we had very romantic dinner. The deck was surrounded by tiki torches and candles and had just one small table setup for two. We were served 5 star quality spaghetti and salad. Then two of our friends whom are musical artists came out dresses in suits and played beautiful dinner music for us. We danced and talked and just could not believe how in love two could be. To end the dinner, the waiter delivered the next clue and chocolate covered strawberries. The next clue leads us to the snack shop up at Hume and when we arrived we were greeted with a table for two and milkshakes ready for us to enjoy. After a fun time in there we were told that we would be meeting at church the next day. So, Bree and the girls left and had a great night being girls and having fun.
The next morning we went to church and we were given our next clue. It led to a Hume family’s home where they had prepared a BBQ lunch for all of our Joshua friends and family at Hume to celebrate our anniversary. It was a reunion that we have been waiting a long time for and the fellowship could not have been sweeter. Next clue led to a ropes course where we had a blast working through challenge after challenge. Next we were lead to the boat dock on the lake. When we arrived at the dock we found a boat setup with our fishing poles and a picnic basket with some snacks and drinks. We went out and hung out on the lake for a few hours reminisce about our amazing year we had been blessed with. Bree loves fishing and so we also threw the poles in and enjoyed the beautiful weather. In the Basket we will found the next clue which told us to go back and get dressed up for dinner.
That night I went to the hotel to pick Bree up with a rose and let me tell you… You would not believe how good that woman looked. She was just stunning. So, we drove up to the gorgeous Joshua building and we were led up the hill to a plateau overlooking Joshua, the valley of Hume, the Seirra’s that fall in to Kings Canyon. They had a table setup on a dance floor and decorated in the most elegant romantic way. They served us a 5 star dinner of steak and potatos with salad and bread. It was incredible. For dessert they served us an amazing rich chocolate cake with chocolate sauce laced around the plate. After the dessert I asked Bree to exchange our anniversary gifts, but I wanted her to go first. She made me a shirt that said she had designed that said “I survived 1 year” and it was so awesome. When it was my turn I told her that first I wanted to read something from the Word that I felt God had given to me. I read Ephesians 5: 21 – 33 and told her that in the coming years that we need to never forget this and pursue that focus; second to pursuing God. Then she told me that she had just read those same words that same day. So overwhelmed by God’s love we deiced to pray. Bree opened and I closed. We prayed that God would help us to pursue these truths in our relationship and be held accountable. When we closed the prayer, Bree opened her eyes and I was on my knee with the ring. At first she was screaming with disbelief because she thought I would not be getting the ring until September. Then I said “Bree…” and she started crying and pretty much hyper ventilating, after what seemed to be a minutes of overwhelming emotion I was finally able to say, “Bree, I love you and I want to spend a lifetime with you. This box comes with a question… Bree will you marry me?” No sooner that I got the words out she jumped on me and screamed yes as long as she could! I could not of been happier. It was the happiest moment of my life! Then Sara (the photographer taking pictures this whole time) told us to walk over to the edge of the hill. When we got there we saw a crowd of people all cheering for us. Then they all ran up the hill and it was a hug and cry feast to remember.
Later that night Bree’s parents called from Papua New Guinea and Bree was able to share the exciting news! Then we all went back to the Hume family’s home and watched the Meteor shower that night in there Jacuzzi with all of our friends. God completed the evening because in our song that we had since we started dating the chorus says, “the stars would fall for you…” Well they sure did.

The Fray Concert

2007-07-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

So as a surprise date, I was able to get my hands on a pair of Fray concert tickets. The Fray is a band that is parallel to bands like Coldplay or Keane but in my opinion, BETTER! What a concert, and what a date!

Click the Video Box below to check out a video from the show!

Camping Season 07

2007-07-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

This summer we had two camps to go to. We both went with our Junior Higher's to Oakbridge, in San Diego, and then Pete went with his Elementary kids to Hartland camp which is near Hume Lake, the next week. Camp is such an amazing opportunity to point kids to Christ, and in such a rough and distracting world we live in, it can also serve as a sanctuary were they can meet Christ even for the first time. However, camp is and will always be a place guaranteed to be fun and for lack of better words... dirty!

Plus Don't forget Pillow WARS!!!

Drag Racin' in Style

2007-07-18T23:43:00.001-07:00

Check out This Video of us Drag racing at Malibu SpeedZone!

Congrats Ryan and Connie

2007-06-27T04:42:00.000-07:00

This last June we had the privilege to travel up to be apart of Ryan (Bree's brother) and Connie’s Wedding in Idaho. Idaho and the wedding for that matter was absolutely beautiful with its small town, old country feel. Bree was a bride’s maid and she was stunning beyond belief! What a fun trip that we will not soon forget…

While in Idaho Pete and Sean (Bree's younger brother) were able to exercise there right to be men and did many Macho manly things like, Shooting 22’s to their hearts extent, Fishing in the mountain streams, hunting with real blow guns and shooting anything that moves with blunt force (no pun intended), Shooting hoop, throwing/kicking the balls around, and BBQed 50 steaks for the rehearsal dinner! Aww the life…

SF with the Trostrud's

2007-06-27T04:34:00.000-07:00

While the Trostrud's were in the country this summer, they made a trip up to livermore to visit. So, naturally we made sure to get them to San Fran!

Can't beat that picture huh!?!?

He was quite literally reeling her in...

UNBELIEVABLE JUMP

China Town!!!

Pete's 21st!

2007-06-27T04:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, I just can't believe I have made it this far in life! Growing up through childhood seems to creep slower then a snail. But then the phenomenon that is aging starts. I can’t believe how fast life seems to pick up!

I had such a great birthday! Bree set up a sweet dinner at Fire and Ice with my fam and her family (home on furlough). It is a great restaurant where you pick your food and bring it to the cook to cook in front of you; not to mention I was able to order my first alcoholic beverage! Three cheers for Lava Flows!!! Then after dinner, Bree planned a surprise party at the house with all the friends! Poker, Games, Food, and Drinks. Can’t beat it!!!

What we do when we get Bored...

2007-06-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

Bree LOVES to play with my hair when there is nothing else to do...

Umm... Does someone have a fire extinguisher?

Our Trip to Ecuador!

2007-06-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

Ecuador Trip ‘07

First off, before we start this off, I want to take a second to thank you all. We want to thank you for your thoughts, and thank you for your prayers. Your prayers were truly felt. We could tell we were being prayed for daily because you could just sense God’s power surrounding us. Thank you for praying for safety, for effectiveness, and for health. I want to thank all of you who helped us financially! I want you to know that your funds were spent with honor and dignity. We would not have been able to do anything without your help. I want to thank all of you who gave donations. Please know that those clothes, toys, hygienic items, and jerseys were given to very deserving struggling families. They gave us thanks that we could never be able to imitate to you, so just know that they are forever thankful. But may I never forget to give the credit and honor to where it belongs. My God, thanks for allowing us to be apart of such amazing work in such an amazing land.

Ecuador 2007 – Passion for Christ Team

As I sit outside on a beautiful California day, I begin to realize... Man, I have it good. There will be no rain today to prepare for and the food for the day is prepackaged and ready to be thrown into the microwave to be enjoyed minutes later. The bathroom smells like roses, and I don't even have to watch me step. The shower is standing by with nice warm water that I can just jump into at anytime. My car is sitting out front ready for me to drive anywhere I want. Of course the gas gouges my paycheck just a bit, but surely the cars there, and it's mine. Yup, I have a good paying job that I can go to everyday. I get to serve Christ on a daily basis, but for some reason I never have a gun to my head. No, my country believes that you can believe in anything. It's not like those other countries that make it a life or death decision to follow Christ. I mean the media just might decide that its national bash on Christianity day, because yesterday was bash on Bush day, and the day before was Brittany Spears. I have a personal computer that I can talk to you on and there is a glistering pool out in the yard that you are welcome to jump in almost all year long.
Etc, etc, and etc... Ok, I could go on and on... But one thing remains on my mind. Why me? Why is my brother in Christ living in the Guasmos of Ecuador while I reside in my humble abode here? Why do we Go? Why do we give? Why do we care? Well, God commanded us too. It is a priority set on our lives, and it needs to be that way. But also, I care because it's a true privilege. My God created them, and He created me. Yet I have the resources and provisions to help my brother? How could I not?

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Ecuador was amazing and to tell you the truth, I don't even know where to start. So, I thought I would start off by giving you the day-to-day overviews so you can read about what we were able to do there.

(Febuary 28th)
Bree and I boarded a plane bound for LAX; Los Angeles International Airport. We arrive late that night and where able to met up with the first part of our team; Doug and Cati. From there, the four of us found out we couldn’t check in until 4am. So, with 12 bags in hand we made a big bed for all of us to take turns sleeping on! What a comical site that must have been.
(March 1st)
At about 7am the rest of our team had arrived (Ashley and Tommy) and we had our first team meeting. And from there, the journey began.
Later that night we arrived in Guayaquil and what a shock it was to be hit with HEAT and HUMIDITY. Reason for the shock was the fact that it was after midnight! It was going to take some getting used to, but we were excited for the nice warm change. Finally, after long hours of travel, we met up with Gabe (our host and friend) at the airport and we headed off to our hotel to get some rest for the week full of ministry.
(March 2nd)
Day two started off early in the morning. Did some devotions, had a nice little breakfast and loaded the van. We stopped at a local market to check out the “flee market” style marketplace. It had all the tropical fruits you could imagine and the smell of fish and hanging hog was enough to knock you off your feet. Then Gabe gave us the tour of his little miniappartment, and then off we went to Guasmo Sur. Like in every city around the world there is a wealthy area and a poor region. Our ministry began in the slums of Guayaquil in a neighborhood called Guasmo Sur. Our ministry that day was simply to run a VBS style program for the kids of a daycare and at a tiny little school. We playing some games, same some silly songs, danced some funky dances, and sharing some great bible stories. We also had a group of older kids and young adults who came in which we were able to reach them with the gospel and give them some support. Sadly, most kids that age who live in those areas find themselves involves with gangs, drugs, and prostitution. So, it was powerful to be able to talk and share with these kids. We even challenged them to a futbol (soccer) match in which we came close to winning… if that means anything.
(March 3rd)
There is a family of 7 who lives in Guasmo Sur named the Walter family. Gabe chose for us to help this family because he has been working with them for a while. They have five children. Enrique, who is 14 and is addicted to drugs. Then they have their oldest girl who is about 12-13 years old and she is being prostituted off so the family can have more funds. And lastly but not least, they have two little girls, about 7 and 5, and a little boy who is two. This family lives in a filthy cinderblock and brick shack with a rocky dirt floor that is just barely big enough to fit two mattresses and a dresser. On the exterior of the house they have a mosquito attracted puddle of waste and a small bathroom hole. The property was filthy and trashed, and had a lot of mosquito infested over-growth that was taking over the bathroom area. Our plan was to clean the house and property. To paint the inside of the house, build an outhouse for them to use, fill in the sewer hole with dirt, clear the over-growth, and finally to rebuild a guard fence that had fallen down. So, we split into teams and started the projects. After a good hour of work, we had had a team who started out just clearing the house, clearing the floor of the rocks, and had started to prep the walls to be painted. All of the sudden, they noticed that one of the walls had cracked down the middle and was about ready to cave in! We couldn’t believe it! All we wanted to do was help and now it was possible that we could have ruined their home! As a result, all work was at a standstill and everyone began trying to brainstorm how we were going to fix the problem. This was about when God brought HIS plan into the picture... Earlier, we had learned that our gas and a few other expenses were going to be much lower then we had budgeted for. Which left us with extra money, but God had a plan for that money. The solution turned out to be that our team was going to be able to completely fund for the Walter family to have a brand new house built for them. We connected with a Christian foundation in the area that is helping people with these house problems. It is a bamboo home that resembles a tree house, and is very popular in the area. It is a very quality home, and is nice and cool in the summertime compared to the brick oven they lived in. GOD provided this to happen and there will be teams from a local church there in Ecuador that will continue the work. Mr. Walters was in tears when we told him. I will never forget that day. After all was finished; bathroom was built and toilet clean, temporary shelter was built, property was cleaned up and cleared, fence was built, and a new house funded for and on the way. We gathered in a circle and laid hands on this amazing family and prayed for them. God was in control that day, and He turned a situation that went completely wrong into an unbelievable blessing. Praise God! Nothing takes Him by surprise; he had His intentions for this family all along.
(March 4th)
Early wake up call and a long road trip ahead! This was our first day of traveling and we were leaving the hot and humid costal region of Guayaquil and making the eight hour drive up through the jungle and into the cool highlands of Quito. The landscapes were so diverse and the contrasts were incredible and stunning. We started off in the low coastal region covered in bananas, made our way through the twists and turns of the lushes jungle, zigzagged our way up/through/over the great foggy Andes Mountains, and ended in the breathtaking highland valleys where Quito sits. What a drive!
(March 5th)
After morning devotions and Breakfast we all drove to the Youth World Headquarters, which is the ministry that serves as the “umbrella ministry” of Casa Gabriel. We visited with the staff and got a tour of the ministry and vision for the future. Then we all traveled to a park in the middle of the city where a lot of the street children usually congregate. After rounding then up we split up into teams and had a grande soccer tournament with all of the boys. The girls had a VERY blessed experience talking and sharing with the woman at the same time. After some great matches, we got all the kids together and walked to a nearby restaurant where we bought them all full lunches to enjoy and fellowship with. What a sight it was to see the contrast between the wealthy and the poverty stricken together in one spot. After the great meal we headed over to the park once again where we were able to pass out donated jerseys and share the gospel to these kids! What a truly awesome time it was! After the park we all drove to Casa Gabriel and finally got to see the house we had all hear so much about. It was so much bigger and more established then I had imagined! God is so good, and I look forward to hear what He has next for that ministry.
Following all of this great time, we were able to go and do a little touring of the city of Quito, which is the capital of Ecuador. So, we toured the president’s residence and main government centers. We also visited the huge Catholic Church; the Iglasia Basilica, and the Virgin Statue. The Catholic Church is the dominate faith system in the country, but it really gave us some great opportunities to speak into the lives of these people.
(March 6th)
Early in the morning we stared our journey to a village that Gabe had visited 3 year prior. He had remembered it being about a 2 hour drive... Well, that turned into 4 and a half hours! Bless his heart, but hey, we aren’t complaining. However, once we were in the middle of nowhere it became apparent the we were lost... Not just lost, but even stuck on one occasion! What an adventure. After, some time driving around in the mountains we found a small little village with a small school house. We decided that this would work and Gabe went in to ask if we could hang out with the kids. WOW!!! What a divine appointment that ended up being. We ended up washing the kids hair, cleaning there faces, and put lotion on there faces and arms. It was one of the most touching moments of my life. But what made it even crazier was we found out we were the first white people these kids had ever seen in there lives! What a feeling that was!
After that we were so touched that we just wanted to worship. So we just stopped in the middle of nowhere and ate lunch and fellowshipped with God in sweet worship. It will be one of those times or moments in your life that will be with you for your entire life.
After a good hour, we decided to get back on the road; after all we still have a 5 and half hour drive back to Quito. But before we could get out of the village, the Indians started knocking on our window. Come to find out, there was a riot at the village entrance and no one was being allowed in or out. So, we approached the scene which was covered in people, military, and smoke. Smoke from the burning tires. They had placed a rather large dump truck right in the middle of a bridge and had slashed the tires so no cars or buses could make there way in or out. So, we had to sit back and wait for the protest to run its course. We found out the blockade was of the village major’s orders after there had been a disagreement between village and government. So they decided to block the road because it served as a major thruway to other towns and regions. After small talk with the Indians and military/police, we were told that they would be able to open the road for us at 10pm that night… Well, it was 4pm and we had a 5 hour drive ahead of us! So… we prayed. Not just for us but for them… The reality is that we will get out of this, but they will be in turmoil for days, months, or ever years after this… It was quite the experience to watch unfold. However, after only an hour, the people waiting on the buses wanting to go through the village got very anxious and decided to take matters into their own hands! Soon many buses were empty and they all began to try and push the truck out of the way! The Indians saw this and took action to prevent such efforts. So you had two thinks happening. A giant dump truck rocking back and forth as the two groups push there sides. But you also had the other Indians throwing rocks and boulders in the road so that if and when they get past the blockade they would then be blocked by rocks. Well, through the high tension battle, the bus people (for lack of better words) won and were able to move the truck JUST enough to get by. Then, they decided to just go OVER the rocks and boulders! What a scene to see! Finally, we were able to make our way around the mess and get out of there. Praise God!
But that was not it for March 6th! Just hours after clearing that mess we could see a volcano ahead getting extra cloudy, so much so that it grabbed our attention. Then it became clear as the smoke became less like clouds and more like smoke, that we were about to witness an eruption! So, Cameras on hand we watched as billows of smoke and ash rose straight out of that towering volcano! Once again, not a site to forget!
After a LONG but exciting day we finally reach Quito and finally with heavy eyes and aching bodies we dined in a nice restaurant and headed straight to bed.
(March 7th)
After an early wake up call we all pack up our goods and loaded the van, and with a final bon voyage we left Quito. We decided to stop at Otavalo Market in the town of Otavalo and do our tourist shopping there. The market is a huge hub where the Indians bring all of their goods to sell. Blankets, hats, handcrafts, and toys were some of the many creations to look at and bargain for. What a beautiful wealth of color and handcrafting skill. After about an hour or two we loaded up for our long journey back to Guayaquil. 8 hours of zigzag through the Andes, winding through the jungle canyons, and then the coastal flats covered in Banana trees.
As we were closing in near to Guayaquil we took time as a team to pray for all who we saw and met. It was one of the most powerful prayer times I have ever been apart of, and the Holy Spirit moved in many ways.
(March 8th)
In the early afternoon we checked out and drove to the airport and said our final goodbyes. We had our final Team Time at the gate and talked about what we were going to take home from this trip. What are we going to do to remember all that God has done here. Then we boarded the plane, and back to the states we came.

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Personal Reflections
I know I could talk about this trip forever. It’s just a silly thing about me. For me EVERYTHING seems to be awesome. For some reason it seems that there is not much that doesn’t tip my scale of amazement. I remember while in school at Joshua, my roommates would always tease me about my small vocabulary when I got excited. But, I don’t see it as a bad thing. I truly get awed by God at work in even the small things, and I have a hard time finding words to express such a feeling. So, when I say that Ecuador was AMAZING… I mean it. My eyes were opened to see God at work in this country. There is a huge Catholic dominates in the country and you can see that anywhere you go; huge statues, pristine churches, and crosses on everything. But you ask one person about there faith and they simply just know it because it is all that they have known. They have never been challenged to crack open the Word. So, we brought that challenge. It was amazing to see them reading about Grace and Salvations NOT through works. They were floored! What a foundation and platform to bring the Word in with. Way to go God! I was also challenged to regain grip of my pursuit of the Word. I have been blessed with a bible all my life and I read it often. I get fed from a great congregation on the weekends, and I also try and get some time in during the weekdays. But I HAVE A BIBLE!!! I have closer to 10 between my office/room/bed stand. The bible is the WORD OF GOD! The words from the creator of all things! I like when I come close to grasping that thought because that is a powerful thing I have on my bookshelf. But I “try” and read it every once in a while for a refuel? Wow, talk about not being a good steward! I am praying about stepping up in this. I have been blessed with these bibles and there are many out there who don’t have one. Wow! Once again, what a thought.
This is one of the main things I took home from this trip and experience. God willing I will be back overseas bringing GODS Word to people who don’t have the ability to feast on His Word. So, it is my responsibility to KNOW His Word so that I can be a good steward of the resources that I have been blessed with.

Ecuador’s Economy
Ecuador is a breathtaking country with a major clash of environments. It contains the wondrous, Galapagos Islands, the Coastal region that is FULL of Bananas and coffee, the foggy region of the Andes Mountain range, the beautiful highlands with it’s mountain villages and snowcapped Volcanoes, and then there is the mysterious Amazon jungle region. You can see the appearance of the jungle region in the movie “End of the Spear.” (www.endofthespear.com) It is the movie about the missionaries who were reaching the Waodani tribe.
The Government is very weak due to unrest over the course of the last ten years. There have been 8 presidents in just the last ten years. Reason varies from corruption to government clashes with the Indians. In the past years, if the Indians (coming from Inca traditions and still makes up the majority of the country) get unhappy with a decision made by Government, and will all make their way in to Quito (the capital) and literary beat down the doors down and overthrow the president. Not a joke or play on words, I mean it… and it has happened to the last three presidents. And even currently there is HUGE unrest in the capital. The president is clashing with the congress and is pushing congressmen out of office. I don’t know enough to make judgment calls but I have heard through nationals that they like the president and believe he is making a big difference in fighting corruption. So, be praying for the government in Ecuador because I am foreseeing big news in the coming months.

Why Missions in Ecuador
Of course there is an obvious reason for missions in Ecuador. We are commanded by God to go into these lands and bring His name to these people. “All Authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matt 28: 18-20) Catholicism is the major stance of faith in the country, but it really gives Christ the foothold. Once you have them open the Word and read for themselves, God moves in big ways. There will always be rejection and persecution. We can read about that in Romans 8! Furthermore, there was and will be people who just will not hear God’s Word, and as I read in 1 John 4: 4-6 we can understand better why that’s happens too. However, God is using missionaries to reach many for Him there in that beautiful country, and we were blessed to be apart of that orchestra. Praise God.

Final Thought
Feeling called to lead this trip scared me because I didn’t know how to execute such a trip. However, God made it clear that His provisions would lead me all the way through, and sure enough… WOW! What a trip. I would like to close out this trip and chapter with a prayer.

Lord, Thank you for you. Thank you for living in us, and using such unwilling, unprepared, untrained, unworthy vessels to do Your work. Ecuador is such a beautiful place, with such beautiful people. Lord, please bless the people of that land. Provide for their needs. We can see their needs to be material things, because we are surrounded by so much excess, but you know Lord that they are more then content to have what they have. So, Lord please provide for their Walk with You. Stir in them a light that will be the salt of the country, THE WORLD! Lord, use the nationals to reach the nationals. There is nothing more important or powerful then that in evangelism. Brothers, reaching Brothers. I pray for the struggling government. Give the president Godly wisdom to lead the country and to weed out corruption that is spoiling so many lives. Lord, protect and provide for those affected by the resent volcano eruption. Lord, you know the needs and the weaknesses of that country. Please raise your might right hand to against evil in that region. We love you and thank you for all your doing, and thank you for using us to help advance your Kingdom. All praise to you.

Amen.

Thank you once again and may God Bless you.

InHisGrip,

Pete and Bree

2007-06-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

Pete'n'Bree blog starts NOW!!!