'Dzoe'

celebrating Jesus's birth...

2009-12-31T09:15:00.000-08:00

because he gave He gave His life for us...

we celebrate new life in Him.

praising Jesus for this year:

in prayer,

in fellowship,

in fun (for those of you wondering, this is St. Basil's Cathedral in candy),

through song ("Go tell it on the mountain!")

through creation,

and the enjoyment of creation!,

in hidden places for quiet times,

and joyously for all to see,

we worship you Jesus,

thank you for our family,

but most of all, thank you for YOU and YOUR love!

And on the more composed side...

2009-12-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since we all had a photo together, but here we are as a family for Thanksgiving: The Hoffmans. What a blessing!

we thank the Lord for laughter...

2009-12-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a very fun Thanksgiving with lots of laughs!

Evan told us about a game called "push." This entailed two people standing with their feet planted and only their hands can touch. You try to push the other person off balance using only hands.

This literally provided hours of entertainment...

...and laughs!

It was so great to have all of the family together in one house for an extended time! We look forward to many more years like it!

russia...

2009-06-05T23:08:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to share that for our one year anniversary, we would like to remember our marriage by service. God has called us to lay down our lives for Him and also for each other. After our first year of marriage, we are excited as to what the Lord has already worked within us and through us. Lord willing, we are excited that this is only a beautiful beginning to what the He has for us. Because of the love Jesus poured out for us, we desire earnestly to pour out His love onto those around us.

Therefore, on this note, July 2nd, we will have a great opportunity to spend seventeen days in Russia ministering to Russian children at a Christian Camp. The pictures are from when Sandra served there in 2007. Above is the river that the camp sits near. From July 2 through July 18, a small team of three will be in Russia helping Mark Piester of Far Reaching Ministries, who will be leading our team. Our team will help assist the local church in Rybinsk (located 180 miles north of Moscow) with their ministry to children at their annual summer camp.

This summer camp will minister to 90 children between the ages of 7-14. Children come from many different family backgrounds; some have attended Sunday school, and some are fortunate to be brought up in Christian homes. Most are invited by friends and grandparents and come from broken homes and/or have alcoholic parents. One thing that they all have in common is that their families cannot afford to send their children to camp. The cost to send a child to camp is $90.00. If you would be interested in providing a scholarship please contact us for additional information. Below are some of the kids from the camp that Sandra got to know when she was there a couple years ago.

Above all please keep us in prayer. Pray that God will give us a willing heart to follow Him in all that He has called us to do. Also pray that out of our life, God will receive all the glory. Thanks for taking part in what God is doing in our life.

update on God's plans...

2009-06-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I know everyone says they want to blog more, but this time I mean it! The last few months have seen a change of residence, foreign travel plans, and more scheduled events than we thought possible.

Sometimes the Lord has to take away something good before we will look and be blessed with something better. Although we loved our little house in Los Osos, being forced to move allowed us to find the blessing of things we didn't really realize were lacking. We found a cozy house within walking distance of church, which yields relaxed weekends and great fellowship with our friends who live in the neighborhood. We get to stroll around Morro Bay for almost-daily walks, sauntering through the quiet streets and to the peaceful beaches by the Rock. We also have a yard - and this time it even has grass!

We have also been preparing for our trip to Russia - filling out applications, writing prayer letters, and shopping for odds and ends. It is amazing that the trip is almost here - I guess you can never feel fully prepared. I know the Lord has prepared this trip for us as we get to serve together - as He has called us, so He will also equip and provide.

...no not the macerena...

2009-02-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right, an OCARINA! Our friend Tom asked me to play violin for a competition he is entering on YouTube. It is a competition for the instrument that he recently acquired called the Ocarina. There are two pieces on his entry and I am playing the violin in the second one. Although it is not my best performance ever, it is fun. We actually recorded this one in my living room/kitchen while I was sick! The piano was recorded earlier and therefore wasn't there for me to tune to, so my E-string is slightly off! But, nonetheless we had lots of fun and the results are posted in YouTube on the below link.
Raglan Road and The Blue Sky of Ljubljana

...and we're back!

2009-02-22T18:04:00.000-08:00

After a 2 month break from sharing our lives with all of you, we have returned (along with my fixed computer!) While I am rejoicing in having my little computer space back, I figured better fill everyone in on the missing time :). Here is a quick synopsis.

A Hike up Bishop's peak in the cold air...it froze my lungs! :)

The Yearly Gingerbread House (/ice scating rink) building party, hosted by Joe and Kristen. This was a commemorative experience for Josh and I since last year's party marked one of the first hints of interest that we had in each other.

Christmas with the Hoffman Family.

A date to San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker! What a treat! (Found out later that you weren't supposed to take pictures in the Opera House! oops!)

Little Lewis' first Christmas ever! He was very festive!

So now, we are in the midst of February! It is cold and... finally raining here in the central coast... we thought it would never come this winter! And then "it" showed us... by SNOWING in Atascadero! It also has been hailing here in Los Osos quite a bit. Most everyone around here has gotten very sick because of the weather's indeciciveness. However, we won't let it stop us! Sick or not, here we come!

Doug and Shannon...Murphy!

2008-12-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

As the sun cascaded upon him, Doug sang to Shannon, the song that the Lord gave him for the woman he would marry. This time, instead of asking her to marry him, he affirmed his love in front of all of us at his very own wedding.

Josh and I had a wonderful time at Doug and Shannon's wedding. It was decorated beautifully in the form of traditional Christmas, complete with lights and greenery with bright red vests under every tuxedo. One of those fancy tuxedos was worn by my handsome husband as you see below! He made the best best man ever!

Another treat was to be able to see our friends that now live in Israel, John-Michael and Abra. They were here visiting and had the pleasure of attending this wonderful event as well!

You can't forget the altar picture... I just love how the greenery frames the picture with scattered holly berries. It couldn't have been more festive!

I had to include this picture too! It is our friend Judy Cole, who took Shannon into her home for the month or two that she was back in the States from Azerbaijan. Judy pretty much looks like one of those Zoolander models in this picture!! :) Style!

We are blessed to have been able to attend this wedding. It was a treat to see such a couple who is united in God, be joined together.

Elf Yourself...

2008-12-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

Since this is the ongoing fad right now... We would like to share with you what someone made for us :) Enjoy!
Us as Elves...click here!!

The Arctic North...

2008-12-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

As I have learned to lovingly call it, the Arctic North (i.e. Sacramento) was home for Thanksgiving. Actually, the below picture is of Los Gatos, on our way back. It was a beautiful night to stop and have Pizza My Heart and Dolce Spazio (a local gelato shop). Still chilly, we parked a couple blocks away and bundled up for our short walk to dinner and dessert. The town was lit up for Christmas and it was quite romantic.

While in the arctic, we saw many adorable kids that I am proud to say I am now related to! The below are my sister-in-law and cousin-in-law's kids. Luke (left) is my nephew and to be honest, I have no idea what that makes Nola (right) in relation to me. Does anyone know? Is she my second cousin or my cousin once removed? Who knows!

There the two are again only this time they are joined by the other cute little ones in the family. Rockwell (bottom right) is Nola's brother and Micah is my other sister-in-law's child. Pretty much the cutest kids EVER!

It was our first time meeting Micah and we couldn't stop holding him. He is SO cute! Also, he is a very well behaved child. Mostly, he slept and made cute noises (all the time).

And of course, there was turkey! That is Josh's dad by the barbeque, making it delicious in every way!

Here I am holding Micah. (I told you I couldn't resist!) Isn't he just the best?!

One of the more wonderful things about the Arctic north is that they actually have trees. Yes, T-R-E-E-S. They DO exist! I, for one, LOVE them! In fact, I would go so far as to say that I DESPERATELY miss them. (You can tell how passionate I am by all the capital letters!)

Here is cute Luke again with his dad, Tom on the swing in the park. This park was an attempt to get some of the wiggles out before sitting inside all day to eat food on Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, some kids had gone ice blocking down the grass (and the slide) so it was super muddy! We ended up at a different park.

All in all, it was a very fun trip, reminding us of all of the amazing people we have surrounding us for family. We are truly blessed!

Josh turned ---- ...

2008-11-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

For Josh's birthday, we took a sort of pre-vacation getaway. After an evening at Thai food with friends, and the subsequent morning helping Josh and Laurie move, I took Josh for his surprise. I had reserved an evening in a suite at the Cambria Pines Lodge. We even had a deck that overlooked the beautiful pines towering for miles before the sea.

There was a pool and hot tub that was a fabulous after dinner retreat.

And in the morning, we took a walk on Moonstone beach in the fog. God has created this planet as such a masterpiece. His creation continually testifies to us of the love that He has for us. What an amazing God that would sculpt such beautiful landscape for us to enjoy. It was absolutely beautiful; the perfect break from all of the pre-holiday rush to get everything done!

When we got home, we had Tom and Chloe over for some dinner in order to have them meet Lewis (the cat). They will do a wonderful job caring for him during Thanksgiving...and I am sure that Tom will be itching thoroughly afterward (what a sacrifice!). At this point, I finally remembered to give Josh his cake that I had bought him on Friday! It was a chocolate truffle cake from the Cakery in San Luis Obispo. What a treat!

a fuzzy addition to the bursons...

2008-11-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

...you guessed it... This is no rabbit paw; it is the paw of the Burson's very first pet! A kitten that we call "Lewis."

The proud new cat owners affectionately named their cat after one of their favorite authors: C.S. Lewis. It is yet another experience to add to the list of adventures we get to share! Little Lewis is a darling little kitten... see how innocent and sweet.
That is...until he gets this devious look in his eye!

Then you know he is going to go for the plant or perhaps chase his tail. Or, one of our favorites, climb up the door jam. (I wish I had a picture of that one) Another devious game he likes to play takes place when I take a shower. He likes to come and stand in the bathroom and meow and then attempt to climb up our glass shower door via Josh's towel. Since when do cats beg to get in the water?

One not so devious, but quite endearing maneuver that Lewis loves is when I work at home, he likes to get as close to me as possible. You can't get much closer than this...

This picture is of Josh napping on the guest bedroom bed while I was sending in my timesheets for work. Lewis decided to join him.

All in all, we have lots of fun. Lewis was completely trained for not only the litter box, but a scratching post when we got him, so we have had no accidents. Hooray! He is pretty much the cutest cat we've ever had! Hope you get to meet him soon!

Family Wedding #4 for the year...

2008-10-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

Amongst the beach aspiring flowers, we settled in the Scotts Valley Community center for Uncle Dave's wedding. Dressing for the occasion, my cousin, Sean, classically glanced at the camera. It was one of the very few pictures that the kids let me take! He could easily be a young member of the rat pack, I think!

There they are... the newly-wedded couple. I think that Liz is happy! She is Greek and really enjoys a good Greek Wedding!

I have no idea who this little boy is, but he had one of the cutest little faces. The jarring scar on his forehead took some 15 stiches!

My mom, enjoyed the ceremony, the candles, the fall leaves, the crisp air... and the Peet's coffee that we brought her mid-reception!

I wanted to get some outdoor pictures of the couple, but they were not quite as enthusiastic as myself. The tree turned out to be so fascinating. I love how it towers above their heads with two commanding branches that unite at the bottom.

My husband is so strong... strong enough to break even the most durable of fake metal silverware!

Wow, a serpant around the bride and groom!

This is my cousin Cole (Sean's younger brother). He clearly has a gift.

We think this will be the last in the series of family wedding posts for the year. Let me tell you about this tree... Climbing up was fun. Jumping down, in heeled shoes... not quite as free-spirited! However, I did manage to land without a broken bone. Hooray!

If I were to like cake...

2008-10-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

I would like this one...
A cheesecake is something I have learned to like. This one, from Upper Crust, went so far as to congratulate Tom on his oldness (sorry Tom - you know I am joking)! Truly, it was an art form... AND it came accompanied by roughly 11 or so spoons.

At this point, Tom is thrilled. Italian food. Good friends. Brian looking confused...

One must never forget to give a canned good as a birthday present. With the economic crisis, you can never be to careful, plus, its easy to chew on when you are old! Don't worry... Kristen made sure to cross out the "young" in "young peas" and correct its misprint.

Speaking of old... oh wait a minute... I mean YOUNG... We found ourselves playing a classic YOUNG person's game of scrabble one of these weeknights. It was probably the best game of scrabble ever played. Josh was the winner by TWO points! The score was 249 to 251!!!

The remaining letters of course!!! Where else would you put them?

Yet another family wedding...

2008-09-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

It seems as if us Hoffmans (or formerly Hoffmans) have been saving up all or our marriages for this year. This time it was my cousin, Erik (completing the third marriage in the year). His lovely bride is Olga. Taking place at the Monday club in San Luis Obispo, Josh and I attended this rather casual but meaningful wedding. My cousin and his bride have been dating for "5 years". I say this in quotes because I wasn't counting the 4 years before that they started dating that one or both of them liked eachother. I will never forget my cousin's first comment to me about Olga. It was his freshman year in college at Cal Poly, where him and Olga lived in the dorms together, 1999. I had come to stay in his dorm room during Thanksgiving with him and noticed that there were a few stuffed animals beside his bed. "Erik, wow, stuffed animals!" I teased. "Oh..." he said fake non-chalently, "those...I am babysitting those for a friend." As I didn't try to hold in my laughter, I asked which friend. And that was when I first heard Olga's name. It was also the day that I figured that they would probably get married one day. And look at this...9 years later and they have rings!

Isn't she beautiful?

...And he handsome?

I couldn't resist putting in yet one more picture of us... We are newlyweds... What do you expect?!!

Their first dance. I love the look in Olga's eyes.

The kids at the wedding were very endearing. The above photo is one of Olga's family members and the below is of my little cousin Alex, who refused to give me any face forward pictures. I was glad for this one. What beats an action shot. She looks like she could be off chasing some sort of bad guy. Go Alex!!! You can catch him!

What would a wedding be without a pinata? My cousin Reed really knew how to swing his pinata stick.

The next morning, all of us went to breakfast at the Madonna Inn. Gee, can you tell by the pink chairs and the rediculous goblets on the table?!! My dad really was having a good time. He looks stoic in this picture. I like it.

Last but certainly not least (in price at least...) is my grapefruit. No, this was no ordinary grapefruit. The Madonna Inn successfully charged me $3.75 for this HALF grapefruit. I wanted a whole grapefruit, but who pays $7.50 for one grapefruit that you could buy for $.50 at the store. So, of course, it deserved documentation. I want to at least give it publicity so that I can make the price worth it. Enjoy it.

Now we all know the effects of country music...

2008-08-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

It was a delightful evening as we two normal people traveled to the not-so-distant Pismo Beach. As we drove over the rolling hills east of the ocean, we had absolutely no inkling of what Dean and Jessica's wedding would reveal.

It all began with the kids. Hannah, an unsuspected culprit was surely confused as her eating habits began to resemble that of an innocent cat savoring the last morsel of cream upon the floor. Thankfully she chose the preferred human method of disposable bamboo plate and chocolate.

Although, it seemed as the situation had escalated as I observed Chante trying to aid her vision by using a nearby glass of pink lemonade...wrong kind of glasses...

I knew it was trouble when Joe and Kristen got involved. No longer were the bamboo plates used as eating recepticles, but as party hats.

This creation was implemented via a Russian Tea Cookie/Mexican Wedding cake. These exquisitely sweet pastries, I learned are functional for the makings of clown make-up. Oh my! Celeste has moved from playdough to food!

Just when I thought I would capture a romantic moment with the Fulwylers, once again, the moment captured me. I was fooled once again by the nature of the evening.

Nothing could quite parallel that of this individual who I think is Landon. However, I am not convinced that this same face belongs to the gentle-spirited children's ministry servant.

As much as this man did officiate the wedding beautifully, he is a country music lover. I think I am beginning to understand the transformation here. With all of the country music playing out here in the hills, people are beginning to forget where reality is.

I knew it was trouble when they roped my very own husband into a CONGO LINE!!! This could be only the work of, dare I say it, Country Music...no...country music.

The bride and groom were involved from the very start, with every Shania Twain and line dancing groove delineated for the evening. It even drove them to the same lapse of reality, smearing cake in every which direction.

We were just thankful that we remained here with you, in the world where country is but a hallucination, a vision, a wonder...not a reality. Luckily it didn't affect us much, as we tried to shelter our ears strategically.

Overflow...

2008-08-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

Out of the joy that Jesus fills our hearts with, we sang.

Two became one... even our instruments!

Oak, not of the poison variety...

2008-08-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

After work one evening, Josh and I decided to take a trip to Los Osos Oaks (which is right across the street from our house). God has created a certain amazing majesty in these trees.

Josh aptly noted that it seems as if every picture that we take in the dusk ends up looking the same. Regardless, I enjoyed this one!

I also mentioned that I would post a link for our Picasa web album for our honeymoon. You can click on this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/joshburson

Return from Kauai, Honeymoon beginning...

2008-07-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

After our adventures in Kauai, we have been unpacking our new home in Los Osos. God has blessed us with enough similarities to keep us laughing and we still have plenty to discover! We look forward to getting more settled and are anxious to see where the Lord takes us next, now that we are married.

Here are some of our favorite pictures from our Kauai adventures:

We enjoyed one of the most amazing sunsets in Princeville.

Our plan was to go on adventures and not worry about getting our feet dirty...

So, after discovering beaches with swings, we had to adventure into the jungle.

We discovered that vines (as Indiana continues to suggest) truly do work for swinging...

This sea adventure included snorkeling, dolphins, and the Na Pali coast. The best part really, was the fact that you can see the guy's hand taking our picture on Josh's shirt!

Adventures with God's creation surrounding us were a perfect opportunity to relax in the richness of the glory that He doesn't cease to immerse us with...Kauai and Los Osos.