Be sure to check out Ashleigh & Ryan's individual pages! They created them and are updating them by themselves.
Sorry it's been so long
Life at the Bogart house has been crazy! Since we came home from our Sacramento/San Francisco vacation, it seems like every moment has been spoken for. Shortly after we returned home from vacation, we adopted a new puppy from the Orange County Animal Shelter. He is a black lab/german shephard mix (mostly - we know there is something else in there, but not sure what). His name is Figgy (like Chone (Figgy) Figgins, although he is twice as big as Chone is). The kids are having fun playing with him and training him. Tony has been taking him to dog obedience classes. Figgy will probably need several sessions of dog obedience. The instructor says that he has even less of an attention span than a lab - is that possible?
School has started and we are busy with that. Along with school comes dance and soccer and baseball. Ashleigh is taking tap, ballet, lyrical, and jazz this year. Ryan is taking a dance class, too. He is taking hip hop and loving it. Many of his friends have joined him at dance class. Ryan's soccer team this year is the Burgundy Bombers. They are 5-0 for the season. Ryan's baseball team is the East Fullerton Bullets. Their record is 2-3. It is always so much fun watching the boys play! They are all getting so good.
We hope that you are all doing well!
Sacramento
We are having a blast in the capital city! We have been in Sacramento since Sunday. Some of the sights we have seen have been Sutter's Fort - we even were there to witness the cannon being shot off! After Sutter's Fort, we needed to get out of the heat, so we headed to the California State Railroad Museum. That was very interesting. It is amazing how much the railroad did for our country! Today we went to the State Capitol Building and spent several hours touring that (once we got past the protestors and reporters). The Governator was there but in closed session - something about a budget??? - so we were unable to see him. We were able to go in both the assembly and senate galleries, but they were not is session - we were hoping to be able to see that, but no luck. We toured the outside of the Capitol Grounds to see all the Memorials including the Fire Fighters Memorial and Peace Officer's Memorial. We enjoyed lunch at a local favorite, The Sqeeze Inn - appropriately named because you have to 'squeeze in' to the restaurant and then 'squeeze in' to your jeans afterwards. It was delicious and a must when visiting the area. I must say that it really is the best burger. Tonight we are headed to watch the RiverCats play some baseball. The RiverCats are the AAA team for the Oakland A's. They will be playing the Salt Lake Bees, which is th AAA team for the Angels. We might get to see one of our many players on the DL rehabbing! Tomorrow we head to San Francisco!
Nikki
We had to say good-bye to our oldest child today, Nikki. She has been with us for 11 years. This last week she was very lethargic and moving very slowly. She was having a tough time breathing and just looked sad. We went to the vet on Wednesday and they gave her some fluids to make her more comfortable and we brought her home. She rebounded and was her old self the next morning. She was bringing the ball to Ryan to play and was even jumping. But, last night, she took a turn for the worse. This morning she wouldn't move and couldn't stand up, so we took her back to the vet and we had to put her down. It was a tough decision, but it was what was best for Nikki. We are all missing her terribly and will share stories when we are more up to it. Until then, in the words of Ryan, "Play ball with Grandpa, girl!"
We love you Nikki!
Dance Competition
Ashleigh had a dance competition this weekend. In the competition she performed two dances. The first dance is with her friend Alyssa - this is their second duet together. The girls won 1st place in their category and 1st place overall! They did great.
The second dance is Ashleigh's tap class. The group did a great job! We're not sure how they ranked because we had to leave, but they had fun!
Just found out that their tap class won 1st place in their category. The studio won Top Studio again this year! Congratulations to all the dancers!
July
Wow, the year is flying past! I can't believe we have celebrated America's birthday and are now celebrating Ryan's birthday. The last month we have been busy finishing up the school year and getting ready for Ryan's party, Ashleigh's dance recital/competitions, and Girl Scout Wednesdays.
I have organized and am running a Wednesday Day Camp for Ashleigh's Girl Scout troop to help them earn badges. We will be earning 15 badges over the summer time. The girls are learning about healthy food and activity choices, how to build healthy relationships with their friends and families, they are learning about pet care and will get to visit a veterinarian and pet grooming shop, they will learn how to do basic fluid checks on a car, and how to properly wash it - we will be having several different auto workers speaking to the girls and they will get to go to a car wash to help work. We are also going to be learning several different styles of dance, learning first aid with the help of a nurse and emt, the girls will be learning different math activities, puzzles, and swimming safety. We have learned about many different careers and were given an awesome tour of Fullerton's Police Station. The girls are having a blast and so am I!
Our 4th of July was amazing! We began the day by celebrating Tony's Uncle Fernando's 50th birthday! We went for breakfast with the whole family and had a great time! After that, we did some preparations for Ryan's birthday party and then went to downtown Fullerton to enjoy the festivities and fireworks. It was great laying right under the fireworks!
Today we had Ryan's birthday party with friends and family members. It was so much fun! We played a baseball game at the park - those boys couldn't get enough of it. As soon as I'd get them off the field to feed them or have cake or whatever, they would find there way right back to the field and play some more! We opened up the snack shack and had slushies and hot dogs, burgers, and much more! The kids had fun - and so did the adults! Everyone played! Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate Ryan's 9th birthday! He turned 9 - we played 9 innings of baseball with 9 players on each team - it was meant to be as Ryan said! Now, it's time to try to get some shut eye for the real birthday tomorrow! Disneyland, here we come!
We hope that you are all doing well! Love, The Bogart's
Our Newest Addition
We have a new addition to our family - a fun 1962 Falcon Stationwagon. The color is up for discretion - purple, burgundy, eggplant even, however, the kids have settled on purple, naming it "The Purple Beast". Tony found the car on craigslist.com and fell in love with it and it's been an adventure ever since.
The day he brought it home, the drive shaft fell out so he had to call a tow truck to bring him home. So, we have been fixing that on top of heater hoses, headlights, radiators, radios, windows that won't roll up, you name - we're doing it!
The kids are having a great time helping dad fix up the car! The Beast has become our new "cruising vehicle". We took it out last night and ran out of gas. Needless to say, the gas gauge does not work! At 1/4 tank, the car was bone dry. So, we ALL got out and pushed the car off the road and walked to the gas station to borrow a gas can and get some gas. The kids were hilarious, they couldn't believe that we ran out of gas "in the middle of nowhere" - five blocks from a gas station - the middle of nowhere alright - the corner of Cornell & Commonwealth!
We enjoyed a nice dinner and then Tony wanted to get it washed to "see where the leaks are". Well, we found them!!! The first major leak was in the read window that decided to stop working about an inch from the top! Fortunately, we had a towel and the kids climbed in the back to cover the opening with the towel while they were hitting the door to jar the window closed. While we were listening (and laughing) at the kids, Tony and I began to get drenched - there was water coming in every window! We laughed so hard we were crying! It was such a great time.
The Purple Beast is turning out to be a great addition to our family!
Cancun - Wedding Day
The last several days have gone by very quickly! On the 9th, Tony & Ashleigh went on a snorkeling trip while Ryan and I hung out and relaxed in the hammocks. They had fun snorkeling but it was very windy and the seas were very rough, so Ashleigh was not too impressed with the hole experience. When they returned, we played around at the pool and enjoyed dinner with Tony's family while Mike celebrated his birthday. We watched a great Mexican show where several different cultural dances were highlighted. The dances were representations of different states around Mexico.
On the 10th, we took the Around the Island Tour. That was a lot of fun. We went to the Dolphin Discovery center where people were able to swim with the dolphins (we weren't, but some people were). We also got to see manatees and sea lions. After that we went into "the lagoon area" or "fisherman's village". We saw many old, dilapidated boats. This area is where they will put all the boats during hurricanes as it serves as somewhat of a barrier for them. Although, we did see several boats that were thrown from one side to another during Hurricane Wilma. Next, we motored around to Playa Norte where we anchored down quite aways from the beach. It was still just 4 ft deep at this area. That is one of the biggest attractions about Playa Norte because it is very shallow for quite aways out from the beach area. Once we were done wih the tour, we hung out by the pool and got some swimming in before dinner.
Today was a low key day. We went to the downtown area to do some shopping, but it was so hot, we didn't last long. We came back to the resort for lunch and the kids swam in the pool before getting ready for the wedding. The wedding was beautiful! Mike and Amanda looked so happy - it was great! After they exchanged their vows and took pictures, we loaded up on the catamaran for a sunset sail. It was breathtaking! Ashleigh and Saige laid out on the front of the catamaran on the nets. They were screaming with delight the entire time, well, until they had their fill of saltwater and were drenched. Then, it was no bueno! When we got back to the shore, we got cleaned up, the girls changed, and we had a dinner reception with karaoke! It was so much fun!
What a wonderful trip and we are so happy that we could be there to celebrate this time with Mike & Amanda! However, we are VERY ready to go home!
Adios from Isla Mujeres!
Cancun Day 2
What a relaxing day! All we did was hang out pool side! It was great and we are all a little "pinker" for it! We played catch with the tennis ball in the pool for hours, it seems. We played a little volleyball in the pool and watched a water polo game. The kids enjoyed the swim-up bar. We were also able to enjoy riding on the paddle boats and kayaks. Although the day is not over, we are inside out of the sun relaxing and doing homework!!! We will be going down to dinner soon and enjoying a night of karaoke!
By the way, Ryan is doing great - all the swelling is gone and he has minimal bruising! WHEW!!!
Talk to you soon!
Cancun Day 1
Well, we arrived safe and sound in Cancun yesterday about 4:15 local time. It was a great flight - nice and smooth until we started to land. The flight was about 4 hours and 45 minutes. Once we landed, the real fun began - customs, shuttles, ferries, taxis, checking in - all in all, it took us almost as long from the time we landed to get into our hotel room as it did to fly from Los Angeles to Cancun. However, it was very nice - we quickly realized that we were on "island time" and what DID it matter - we were on vacation after all! Besides, every one here is very hospitable and it's nice to be waited on!
We are staying on the island of Isla Mujeres, just off the coast of Cancun. It's a small island about 7 km from point to point and about 1 km wide. Today we decided to head into the downtown area and rent a golf cart to tool around the island in. It was so much fun! We went to the "Tortugranja", or Turtle Sanctuary. There the help to incubate the sea turtle eggs so that the turtles will not be as endangered. The incubation process takes about 40-60 days and then the turtles are taken care of until they can be released. We saw turtles there that were as little as 5 months old to many decades. The kids really enjoyed that! Another attraction on Isla is the Mayan Temple ruins at Ponte Sur (South Point). The temple was built to honor the Goddess Ixchel, "Lady rainbow; God's mother; wife of Itzamna, the creator; madam of the sea; goddess of the moon; patroness of weaving; guardian of childbirth; and the art of medicine." While at the Temple, we were able to walk down closer to the water and see some water caves-pretty specatuclar. At that point, we were standing on the most eastern tip of Mexico. We were told that you can catch a pretty spectacular sunrise there. Maybe one day we'll be up early enough to catch it! We also visited a replica of an old lighthouse before heading to Playa Norte (the North Beach - which is the most northern point of the island). The beach was very nice (if you take away all the seaweed that had washed up). We were able to do some swimming in the Caribbean Sea. It was very windy there so there were more waves than usual today. While we were at the beach, two dogs came running up out of nowhere and splashed into the water all the way out to Ryan. He turns around and there's a strange dog in his face - the look was priceless! Ryan begins to head back to shore and the dogs are chasing and jumping after him - they think he wants to play! After we were done at the beach, we decided to turn in our golf cart and do some shopping before heading back to the resort.
Once back at the resort, the kids and I headed down to the pool. It was very quiet, there weren't a lot of people down there as it was VERY windy. We were enjoying ourselves when Ryan popped up out of the water with Ashleigh at his side and holding his head! I finally got Ryan to move his hand and saw the huge goose egg that was popping out of his head almost an inch! He was bleeding as well. The resort staff was amazing! They quickly got him some ice and got him all cleaned and bandaged. The concierge offered to call a doctor for us and has called our room several times asking how he is doing - I think he has taken a liking to Ryan - he calls him his "little buddy". Ryan enjoyed all the attention and was milking it a little, too! He is better and the swelling went down rather quickly. Nothing to worry about, he's back to himself and bothering his sister!
Tony's brother Mike and his family came in this evening just in time for dinner and to see the Fire Show - it was pretty amazing!
Unfortunately, I cannot post any pictures now because we forgot the cords to download any pictures! AARRGHH!!! I guess I will have to do it when we get home!
How time flies!
I can't believe how the last month has passed us by and we are already well into March. What have the Bogart's been up to? Well....baseball is upon us! East Fullerton Little League (the league Ryan plays in and Tony is Prez of the BOD) celebrated it's 53rd Opening Ceremonies on February 28. We spent most of the month of February getting ready for that - baseball practice, getting the team ready for the season, getting uniforms and jerseys and banners! Opening Day was so much fun and for the first time since I can remember it was sunny! Usually it is raining or is so misty it might as well be raining! It was beautiful! We enjoyed a pancake breakfast with the community, Tony's euphonium and tuba band played the National Anthem and Take Me Out to the Ballgame (with the kids singing along), the players paraded onto the field with their crisp white pants (some of them -already dirty before the season began - namely Ryan Bogart!) and beautiful banner! It was great to see the kids excited with all the hopes of the season!
Our team this year is the Yankees! I know what you all are thinking, but NO, we are not the New York Yankees - the parents have taken a vote and we are the NOT YET Yankees! We have had three games now and we have won 2 and tied 1. All good games, but yesterday's was the best yet. We were down 9-1 in the second inning and came back to win it in walk-off base stealing fashion 13-12 in the bottom of the 5th inning! It was awesome and took us all quite awhile to come down from the excitement. Ryan was awarded one of the game balls yesterday due to his assistance in a majoy play where he and the catcher were able to catch a guy stealing 3rd! It was a great play! You can check out the team stats - and Ryan's individual stats on the team page. http://eastfullerton.hardballsystems.com/page/show/73175-aa-efll-yankees
Ryan has ended his No Strike-Out Streak! His last strike-out was last year on March 3, 2008! His streak ended on a called strike - on a ball that bounced before it got to the plate! Of course Ryan went down looking, and couldn't believe the call! But, that's okay because he truly did strike out in yesterday's game.
We've also been very busy with Ashleigh. She has been selling Girl Scout Cookies - thank you to all of you who supported our troop with your purchases! She sold about 350 boxes of cookies - our living room looked like the bakery exploded on it! Almost all of the cookies have been delivered - we are mailing out the last boxes this week! Next up, we get to work all the booth sales! We are working next Sunday at Smart and Final from 2-4. Stop by if you are in need of more cookies! If you can't, let us know and we'll pick some up for you! Her troop has also been busily working on their Bronze Award! Right now they are working on Moxie Up The Team and getting ready for their camp out in two weeks!
Ashleigh has also been busy with dance. Yesterday she was able to participate in a dance workshop at Disneyland. She spent most of the day with Alyssa and Kaity - they all had a blast! She's so tired today - we're still trying to get details - more on that to come! She has started her duet with Alyssa and they are dancing to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by none other than Cyndi Lauper -who else? It is such a cute dance and is really coming along - video will be coming shortly.
Tony and Ashleigh are eagerly awaiting the Father-Daughter Beach Ball next week! Pictures and info to come on that!
I am almost done with my Lazy Man's Triathlon! I am 120 miles in with only 20 miles left to go! It has been so much fun! Dad, thanks for hanging in there with me! I am proud of you!
February is here!
Where did January go? I can't believe it - we were so busy it just flew by! Ryan's soccer team did not make it into the final round of the tournament - they were beat out by two points! They tried their best! Fortunately soccer is over, just in time for baseball to begin! Ryan's baseball team this season is the AA Rays. He is very excited to start playing and to get to know his new teammates. We begin practicing this week!
Ashleigh is doing well, staying busy with school and dance. She has no competitions coming up soon, but will be participating in a dance workshop at Disneyland. She is so excited about that!
Tony has been very busy with Little League business. It has kept his nights filled for the last month. I can't wait until the season starts so that we can have our Tony back!
As for me, nothing much ever changes. I have been busy with just the day-to-day grind.
All Star Soccer Tournament Day 2
What an exciting day this was! We returned to the soccer field about 7:30 this morning for the first game of the day. It was very misty and cloudy and cold. The boys went out and fought hard. They were down 1-3 at halftime and came back to tie the game up right before time. The second game wasn't until 11:30, so the kids had some down time to rest up and eat. We headed back to the field and came out with a 1-0 victory! With these four games (forfeit, loss, tie, win - as Ryan puts it, they played for the cycle (for you baseball fans)), we are in 3rd place in our pool and will not advance to the next round. There is some talk of playing the forfeited games due to inconsistent communication. So, we may still be playing next weekend, and depending on how we do with that game, we could advance to the semi-final round of the All Star Tournament.
It was so awesome to see the talent on the field today! Those kids are amazing!
All Star Soccer Tournament Day 1
Day 1 is officially over! What an interesting day. It rained off and on (as it has been for the last several days), but we still played soccer. Well, kind of...our first game was at 9:30 this morning, but the other team failed to show up, so we won by forfeit. The kids were psyched, but that's not the way you want to win in a tournament. The second game was very hard fought against a top-ranked JUSA team. We lost 3-1, but it was a good loss - there is so much talent on that team! The goal was scored by Reese with an assist by Ryan. Ry passed to Reese and then Reese booted it in! It was picture-perfect!
Well, we are on for another fun-filled day of soccer tomorrow! Wish us luck!
Kids Bedrooms
So, I finally found time to get into Ashleigh's room and help her clean out her closet. As you know, the kids wanted to switch bedrooms for Christmas, spearheaded by Ashleigh, of course. We got them moved in and painted before Christmas, but we hit that last rush and just threw everything into her closet. Well, now I can say we are finally done. It is funny how their furniture fit so much better in the new rooms. Ashleigh's paint colors just make it such a happy-feeling room. Ryan's decor didn't change much with the new location. Ryan is doing well in the new room, but the remarkable change is in Ashleigh. She goes to sleep right away now, and is so much happier. Had I known, this would've happened much sooner. You know what they say...hindsight is 20/20?
Big Bear
This weekend we took a trip to Big Bear to spend the weekend with Tony's family. It was so nice to be able to spend time together. We had fun playing games and staying up late, apparently we're quite the party crew and get WAY too loud, according to other guests. Who knew? On Saturday, we spent most of the day sledding. The kids (both young and old) had fun. Saturday night we had a nice ham dinner (Thank you, Grandpa!) and celebrated Ashleigh's birthday. Then we played Phase 10 and enjoyed watching Star Wars. Ashleigh and Saige began playing the game, but bailed out several hands in - they were actually doing well, but need to work on their poker face. We finished the game - about 3 1/2 hours later, and Roxann was deemed the Phase 10 champ, however Mike still holds the Phase 10 Trifecta Championship! We had a blast! Thank you Grandma for arranging everything!
Happy Birthday, Ashleigh!
I can't believe our little girl has turned 10! It's just so hard to believe that we are in double digits now! She is so excited about this birthday that she could hardly sleep. We are having dinner per her request of barbecue chicken and veggies! This weekend we will celebrate with Tony's family in Big Bear and then a birthday party with her friends in a week or so. Thank you for your love and support over the last ten years! We couldn't have made it without you!
Happy New Year!
Things have been super busy here! We have been enjoying a nice vacation from school. Christmas was very nice for us this year. It was very relaxing. We went to Tony's Uncle Fernando's house on Christmas Eve. It's always so nice to be able to see everyone and to catch up with them. On Christmas Day we had breakfast at our house. My mom was here visiting, and Tony's parents, grandparents, and his brother's family joined us. In the evening, we all went to see Marley and Me at the movie theaters. We were all pretty disappointed with it, as it really wasn't as much of a kid movie as the advertisements had suggested.
While mom was visiting with us, we went out to the Wedge in Newport Beach and spent a day in Julian enjoying some famous apple pie and a tour of an old gold mine.
New Year's Eve was very enjoyable. We went over to Tony's brother Mike's house and played games. We always have fun when we get together, it was nice that we could.
As our Christmas break draws to a close, we are finishing school projects for Ashleigh, grading the papers I have put off so well the last two weeks, and putting the finishing organizational touches on the kids bedrooms. I hope to have pictures posted of their rooms soon.
We hope that 2009 has greeted you with health and happiness. May you have a prosperous year!
December 14
What a nice, relaxing weekend. Tony and I were able to enjoy ourselves with a little time away from the kids this weekend! Thanks to Kaity & Kathy (btw- the world's BEST sitters!!!!) for watching the kids for us. Our trip came at just the right time since things are very hectic at work for both of us and, oddly enough, was a pretty rough week for us both at work. We enjoyed the Cabrillo National Monument at Point Loma Naval Base. It rained off and on, well, sprinkled really, but still it was beautiful there! Because of the rain, noone was around so we were able to enjoy the monument and tidepools all by ourselves. After that, we headed down to Seaport Village and Old Town. I think the best part about the trip is that we got to sleep in until 10:00!!!! Who can remember the last time that happened?
Once we got home, it was back to business. We got Ryan's room painted and we hope to have him moved in tomorrow. For Christmas, the kids asked to switch bedrooms as their gifts, so we are rapidly trying to get them painted and moved before my vacation begins so I can enjoy it!
Our weekend ended with a beautiful sunset (you can see in the La Jolla album pictures above)!!
Only 5 days of school left before vacation - not that anyone is counting, right?
Dec 6
What a crazy, busy day! We started out with Ryan's All-Star Games this morning. One at 9, with a 1-0 victory, and the other at 11, ending in a 1-1 tie. They were both great games and the talent that was on the field was amazing. These kids never give up! After both games we were asked if Ryan could play on the Traveling All-Star team. Sooooo. . . we will be playing soccer until baseball starts at the end of February!!! Good thing that we did not let Ryan sign up for basketball!
We then went to his team party for the Strikers, his regular season team. That was fun! The party was at Shakey's - boy was that a blast from the past!!!
We also stopped by the Fullerton Public Library to check out Ashleigh's artwork that is being displayed there. She did a great job!
After that, we went to pick out our Christmas tree! That was quite the task, as many of the trees were already picked over, but nevertheless, we found the Bogart Christmas tree! Now, we get to dig all the decorations out of the garage to decorate. Sadly, though, that will happen tomorrow - the kids are very upset with us for not getting on that now! However, we do need to get the Christmas cards together and mailed out!
All-Stars Here We Come!!!
Ryan is so excited! We received a call this evening informing us that Ryan was selected for the All-Star Exhibition next Saturday. This was his major goal all season long! He is even more excited that he will be playing with a lot of his friends from both baseball and soccer!
Grandpa Taylor is here!
We have been having a great time visiting with my dad this weekend. The kids have been getting spoiled every which way! They talked Grandpa into opening their Christmas presents already. Boy were they excited! They loved their loot and Ryan has already put together two of his Legos Star Wars sets. We spent the better part of today and yesterday doing that. We've also been to the batting cages, Downtown Disney, the Movieland Wax Museum (which closed in 2005 to our surprise), and just lots of hanging out.
Happy Thanksgiving!
What a beautiful day it was here! It rained off and on today, not a very heavy rain, just a relaxing, soft rain. We had 8 here for dinner today. Tony's parents, Jim & Eva, and Eva's brother and his wife, Fernando & Veronica. It was great catching up with family and just laughing and having a good time, although we did miss having everyone together.
Our family has so much to be thankful for this year! It has been a good year at the Bogart home. Ashleigh has not had any medical problems and has not been to the doctor for any of that in the last year. I have been doing better in the last year as well. Things are definitely looking up as my thyroid is getting back to normal - slowly, but surely. I finally have enough energy to be able to make a big dinner and am looking forward to getting back into boot camp again! Ryan has had a prosperous year (well as prosperous as you can get at 8, I suppose). He has been in good health and continues to love all his activities (although, he has decided he really enjoys cooking - who would've known?) Tony continues to be such a rock for our family! I know that I could not have made it through without him this last year! We are very fortunate to both have our jobs and to have a home. May God continue to bless us in the upcoming year!
We hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
City Cup is Done!
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After a long, hard fought game, the Strikers lost 1-0 to Danger Zone. The boys played hard and learned a lot this season! It's hard to lose in the semi-finals especially after getting so close to winning it all, but our team came from the very bottom of the pile, dead last place, and almost won it all! Regardless of today's game, our team still had a successful season and enjoyed playing soccer, which is the most important piece of it all! |
Fires
For all of our family in Oklahoma, we are okay. I know that the national news doesn't always paint the prettiest picture, but we are fine. We are not in any immediate danger from the fires, we are just under a very thick ceiling of smoke! All outdoor activities have been cancelled - so I am sure the children will be happy to know that we get to spend the day inside-cleaning!!!
Anyway, things are good here, and the firefighters are beginning to get the fires under control. The winds have died down (hurricane force winds were reported yesterday) and they are now able to set some back-fires.
Thanks for your prayers! Our prayers go out to those who have been evacuated and are directly being affected by the fires.