The Beautiful Lake Tahoe!

LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:9, NIV)

Today's blog post is a continuation of our April roadtrip!

From Carson City to Tahoe, we experienced...more...snow...in April, I was shocked!

A lot of snow...in April. Did I mention I was shocked...as well as grossly underdressed!

My girls screamed, "What do you do when you are find yourself in a snowstorm?! Have a snowball fight, what else?!" So...we did!

Well...they did, while I hid out in the van...with the heat on high...dressed in layers.

In Tahoe, we stayed at the magnificent Marriott's Timber Lodge, located in the "Heavenly Ski Resort" area. Walking into the reception area we were immediately greeted by a roaring fireplace. Off to the right of the reception area was the next best thing to said roaring fireplace...the Cub House...for kids! Complete with crafts, toys, birds, fish, and a climbing wall! 

Our suite included a washer/dryer and yes, another roaring fireplace as well as an oversized jacuzzi tub. Our Marriott stay was very enjoyable. The grounds were beautiful and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The Heavenly Ski Resort area is full of fun shops, tasty coffee houses and restaurants. When we left Hawaii for this trip, we knew three things. When we were leaving, where we were spending the first night, and when we were flying home. We quickly discovered we had not allotted enough time for Tahoe and our next destination. We also discovered will definitely be spending more time in Tahoe!

If you find yourself in Tahoe, do not miss out on the Emerald Bay. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth! Why use words when pictures tell it all!

Lord God, it is no wonder to me why the Psalmist sang, "LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth"! When I sit and take in the sights, sounds, and smells of your creation, I too sing, "LORD, our Lord, how Majestic is Your name in all the earth"!


Tomorrow: Yosemite...and I don't mean Sam!

On the Road Again!

I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises! My body rests in safety. (Psalm 16:8-9, NLT)


We recently took a road trip and blogged about it in a previous blogpost. We will finish up our traveling blogpost this week.

Along our journey we were blessed with a personal tour of Romain Electric who happens to be one of our companies suppliers. You may find our company information at www.starterman.com.

Out of everything in the factory, 

Mikea was most impressed with the employee refrigerator!

During our whole trip, it seems Gracie was most impressed with our lodging accommodations!

Mikea decided she wasn't impressed with the clams!

Next up along our route was the Jedediah Smith National Park.

The trees are amazing, huge enough for us to play inside!

Come on in!

We comfortably fit inside one of the trees with plenty room left over 

for twenty or so of our closest friends!

Now THIS is a major tree!

Yes, it's true. And yes, we drove the mini van through this tree!

After playing in the trees, we ate lunch at the Speedy Taco Truck and Mikea enjoyed her first Jarrito!

Part of our fun was enjoying the local food!

We stopped by a roadside stand to buy some fresh strawberries. Mikea asked the owner if she could pick her own because she had never picked fresh strawberries before and she was thrilled when the owner gladly invited her out to his field!

We grabbed a quick shot of these beautiful elk along our way!

And these pretty wildflowers.

 

Last minute, we decided to go to Reno. We were met with a snowstorm at Donner's Pass so Mikea bundled up in the event we got snowed in at the pass! 

Thankfully, we didn't get snowed in at Donner's Pass so the next day we enjoyed building a gecko house at the Children's Discovery Center. We go to every Children's Discovery Centers that we find. A couple of our favorites are the one in Honolulu, Vegas, and Reno. 

The Reno location had many fun exhibits. Our favorite one being, "The Work Shop".

The climbing exhibit came in a very close 2nd!

Next, a little "cowboy" time in Virginia City.

Virginia was a really fun "old town" with old candy stores, "main street" type shops, and cowboy reenactments. Unfortunately, we were two days early to see the cowboys "shoot em up"!

 

Virginia City is full of remnants from the "rush". A very fun place to visit. 

Virginia City also has snow at the end of April so dress warm. 

Insider information: Five layers is not enough layers for this island girl!

Tomorrow we are off to Tahoe!

Lord God, thank You-thank You for this amazing opportunity to travel and see more of Your beautiful creation! Thank You for always being with us! You are always right beside us! It is no wonder our hearts are filled with joy, our mouths shout Your praise, and our bodies rest in safety! I pray for every reader right now, in the name of Jesus, Lord stir up in them Your heart's desire for them. Order their steps in such a way that each and every one of them live the life that Jesus provided for them! I thank You for always being with them filling their hearts with joy and their mouths with Your praise! May each and every one of us always be fully aware of your goodness, mercy and love!

National BK Day

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows). (John 10:10, Amp)

Please take note of the very words of Jesus when He said, "have and enjoy", "have it in abundance", and "to the full, till it overflows".  

Earlier this year, my pastor told me, "Go out and do something different. Go out and do something you have never done before." I quite literally took him at his instruction. Since that time, I've done a lot of things I had never done before. 

Just to name a few, I:

• started making handmade greeting cards (a huge challenge for me on many levels)
• joined a gym, (my muscles have literally been sore every day since January first)
• started running (my body screams at me to stop, but I ignore it's pleas)
• drove the Oregon Coast...in April (yes...the cold, wet, windy Oregon Coast requiring up to five layers of clothing)

My pastor's advice was really great advice and I have declared this to be my, "Year of Being and Doing Different"! I have committed to be better in every area of my life on January 1, 2015 than I was on January 1, 2014.  I am keeping a list of all the things I'm doing different. I am looking forward to seeing my list on New Years Day. 

Several weeks ago, my oldest daughter asked me to go sky diving with her. I thought, “Been there-done that-I’m good.” Sky diving wasn't something I could put on my "Year of Being and Doing Different" list.

But then she told me why she was going sky diving. She said, ”I am jumping in honor of Mr. Brian Kelley's life and declare it National BK Day”… Can you say, "SOLD"! At that point, I was all in! Yep, I would not miss this for the world!

Today, we celebrate Brian’s life. A true family man, completely full of honor. A great big thank you, Brian, for coming into our family and treating Rachy like the princess she is and for setting the example that changed all our lives forever. Thank you for showing us to live every single day, to walk in life in excessive abundance, and to never waste a moment we’ve been given!

Rachy, this one is for you Baby Doll! 

All for you and your amazing children! 

In celebration of, “National BK Day”!


Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray everyone who reads this be given a fuller revelation of your Son's words when He said, "have and enjoy", "have it in abundance", and "to the full, till it overflows"! Thank You for life! Each life is so precious to You! So precious that You sent Your Son Jesus in order for us to have life, enjoy life, have life in abundance, and have life to the full, till it overflows! Lord God, thank You for Brian. He was a blessing to everyone who came into contact with him. Thank You for blessing our family with Brian. When You sent him to us, You sent Your best of Your very best. And when You see him dancing on the streets of gold, can you please give him a huge hug and tell him we miss him?


Attention All Key Tov Blog Readers: 
What about you? What can you do different today that will steer you in the direction of living life as Jesus intended? What can you do today that will lead you on the path of different? The full life till it overflows! We would love for you to let us know what is on your list of, "Year of Being and Doing Different"! 

Strong's Concordance

perissos: abundant

Original Word: περισσός, ή, όν
Part of Speech: Adjective; Adverb
Transliteration: perissos
Phonetic Spelling: (per-is-sos')
Short Definition: abundant, greater, vehemently, advantage
Definition: more, greater, excessive, abundant, exceedingly, vehemently; noun: preeminence, advantage.

Thank you www.biblehub.com

Our Oregon Trail

O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. (Psalm 40:5, NLT)

Key Tov Blog was on the road again! 

Our adventure started when we flew from Hawaii to Portland. 

My girls earned their wings before the flight, 

mahalo Alaska Airlines! 

We flew on Easter Sunday and Mikea won the egg hunt on the Alamo bus! 

One of our friends who lives in Oregon, David Johnson, planned our route. A great big shout out and mucho mahalos for his help! At the end of this post, you will find his suggestions which differs slightly from our route because we just couldn’t squeeze everything in. And during our trip one of our primary goals was no agenda. 

We landed in Portland and quickly found Oregon people to be so nice, friendly, and helpful. A very special thank you to the motorcycle gang dressed with skull scarves on their faces revving up their Harley Davidsons to get our attention to let us know we were driving down the wrong way into oncoming traffic off 205 South. We appreciate you!

Right after our encounter with the motorcycle gang, we met up with friends for a late dinner. It was so great to spend time with them! They recently moved from Hawaii to Washington so it was nice to be able to have dinner with them and catch up. 

Gracie was very impressed with the Embassy Suites near the Portland Airport. 

The next day, we went to lunch at McGrath's Fish House and just let me say, the halibut fish and chips are excellent. The portions are quite huge so in hindsight we should've split meals. The people of Oregon really know how to feed their guests!

Washington State was not on our agenda for this trip but we found ourselves turned around and as we crossed the state line Mikea yelled, "Yes! I asked God to work it out for me to go to Washington during this trip and look, He did!"

Once we were back across the state line, Mike was very happy to stop by the Tillamook Country Smoker and our girls were extremely impressed as well!  

Our next stop was a tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory where I ate squeaking curds and habanero cheese. The squeaking curds was a first and last event for me while I grew especially attached to the habanero cheese. I cooled my mouth off with the best serving of strawberry ice cream I’ve ever had. 

Not only does the Tillamook Cheese Factory know how to do cheese, 

they also have the market cornered on strawberry ice cream and excellent customer service! And yes, the servings are almost as big as Mikea's hat!

We spent the night at the Inn at Spanish Head in Lincoln City. 

We experienced great food, amazing service, and as you can see a spectacular view.  

We made a quick stop off at Depoe Bay and walked along the sea wall. We saw blow holes at the rocky point on the north end of the bay and the surf was giving us quite a show with forty foot splashes.  Our friend told us to watch out for sprays and he wasn’t kidding! I was sprayed several times. We were told gray whales are often seen from this bay; however, we didn’t spot any during our trip. We did see a lot of seals resting out on the rocks. 

And our girls hung out with some locals 

while I stayed in the car, 

too much Alfred Hitchcock as a child.

After Depoe Bay, 

we drove the beautiful Otter Crest Loop and made a quick stop at Cape Foul Weather. 

And yes, you guessed it…the weather was quite foul! 

The wind was way too cold for this island girl! As you can tell from this picture, we were severely underdressed for this trip. We did buy windbreakers and it helped; however, our next trip to the Oregon Coast will include waterproof footwear!

The Yaquina Head Natural Outstanding Area is a beautiful place to see the lighthouse and spend some quality time with the tide pools. We were disappointed to learn we had missed low tide by a couple hours; however, the wind and rain was so cold we would’ve been able to spend much time at the tide pools. 

Seal Stop Alert!

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse (not to be confused with the Yaquina Head Natural Outstanding Area) is a great tour to learn about lighthouse living. 

Our girls were amazed at the 

old beds, piano, and kitchen utensils. 

Next, we walked the boardwalk at Newport on the Nye Beach Historic Bay-front where we were entertained by the local sea lions. 

We had lunch at Georgie's Seaside Grill where I was treated to the best grilled chicken salad in Oregon as well as beautiful view and excellent service!

We spent the night at Coos bay at The Mill. The Mill is right next door to a sawmill so during our stay and our walks on the boardwalk, we were able to experience the amazing cedar smell in the cool, crisp air! We were hungry for a good steak and crab so we headed over to the Hilltop Steak House. It was a perfect meal to end a perfect day!

I was blessed to take a picture of the most hardcore surfer I've ever seen. Now this is wanting to surf! 

Lastly before leaving Oregon and crossing the California state line, we saw the king of sea lions as is evidenced by his pose in this picture. Meet Mr. Fabulous, at least in his eyes!

As any Oregonian can tell by reading this blogpost, we did some backtracking and did very little planning for this trip. Driving the Oregon Coast was an amazing experience with its wide open spaces, fun hiking trails, rich history, wonderful food, friendly people, and beautiful scenery! The more we travel, the more we become fully aware of all the ways the LORD our God, has performed many wonders for us! His plans for us are too numerous to list! He has no equal! If we tried to recite all His wonderful deeds, we would surely never come to the end of them! Thank You King Jesus!

Driving from PDX South:

1. Lincoln City: (Wildflower Cafe has good lunches, several nice beaches with tidepools, a nice outlet mall.)

2. Pirate Cove (Just before Depoe Bay)

3. Depoe Bay: (The sea wall in town is fun to just sit and watch the ocean. There are two blow holes there as well. Also, ask a local how to get down to the rocky point on the north end of the bay. It's amazing to just sit and watch the waves. two currents collide forming HUGE waves about 30-40 feet from you! Just watch out for the splashes!)

4. Otter Crest Loop: Beautiful drive right along the coast. It brings you down to a few nice viewpoints. One of my favorite spots on the coast. 

5. Devil's Punch Bowl (view the bowl from the top, but drive a few blocks north and you can get down to a small beach and actually into the bowl at low tide. Easily my favorite beach to explore. a few small sea caves to explore, etc.)

6. Yaquina Head Natural Outstanding Area: (Yaquina Head Lighthouse, clapping beach, tide pools, etc. 

7. Newport: (Nye Beach is lovely to walk around. Chowder Bowl is located here. The Historic Bayfront is very fun to walk through. Sea lions all over, good coffee shops, fun homemade taffy, etc. Tourist spot but fun. The Aquarium and Hatfield's Marine Science Center are right each other. Well worth the visit, but if only time for one, do the Aquarium. Much better.)

God's Fault

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. (2 Timothy 3:16, NLT)

Last Saturday, my friend made a Facebook post. 

"1 Timothy 2:4 says that God desires EVERYBODY be saved. Does God desire something that is against His will? Of course not! IS everybody saved? Unfortunately, and by their own free choice, NO. Then EVERYTHING that happens is NOT God's will, and God's will is NOT always done.#DontBlameGod"

I've been wanting to say this for days but haven't been able to word it this nicely. Thanks LaBreeska Wiseman Patton. Very well put :)

What is God's will for our lives? ALWAYS GOOD 

What is the devil's will for lives? ALWAYS BAD

(John 10:10)

When good manifests in our lives, it's God!

When bad manifests in our lives, it's the devil. 

(John 10:10)

• God doesn't kill our loved ones.
• God doesn't make us sick or diseased.
• God doesn't starve children. 
• God doesn't rob us financially.

(John 10:10)

God loves us so much He sent His own Son to die on the cross for us. God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all. He will GRACIOUSLY give us ALL things. (John 3:16, Romans 8:32)

Since all the above is true,  and is proven by scripture, it simply doesn't make "a lick of sense" for anyone to blame God when something goes wrong. (2 Timothy 3:16, Isaiah 5:20)

It's because of God that we:

• are more than conquerors! (Romans 8:37)
• can do all things! (Philippians 4:13)
• can make the impossible possible! (Mark 9:23)

Father God, I thank You for teaching us about Your wonderful goodness! Thank You for never lying to us! Thank You for your faithfulness! I pray for every reader right now in the name of Jesus and I ask for them to have the discernment and wisdom to refuse to call evil good and good evil! I pray they each see Your wonderful goodness Lord and never be confused about Your good and perfect plan for their lives! Thank You for Your Word Lord God, thank You for loving us so much You correct us, train us, and teach us to do what is right! We give You all the honor, glory, and praise!


1 Timothy 4:4
Numbers 23:19
1 Corinthians 1:9
Isaiah 5:20
Jeremiah 29:11
2 Timothy 3:16