Growing up

It was 17 years ago I held this baby in my arms, praying always for his health, character, relationship with God, future, and here is one of those moments when we release control and come right along side helping him grow into a man. Mark completed his driving course and took the written test at DMV and had his first behind the wheel lesson yesterday. The instructor said he did excellent. The boys and I then drove down to Orange County for the day and I had to stop at Target about 5 miles from my parents house. When I came out I handed Mark Jr the keys and said drive us home. (to my parents). Ryan and Josh were a little wary but you gotta drive to learn so off we went. He did OK, I never felt the urge to open the car door and dive out for safety.

We got to my parents and I took him again just the 2 of us to starbucks for coffee, (he needed the practice of course) :-)

Well already he is showing improvement, he listens well, and makes the corrections needed.

So here are the pictures of him coming back from behind the wheel training. After your first lesson your permit becomes legal.

Plea for a fallen soldier

OK first I need to explain what happened in our home recently to cause a plea to ring out for a fallen soldier. Our boys have taken up air soft, they earn money and save up to get the coolest guns money can buy (with a limit of course) and then they go out to the fields and shoot at each other. Sounds like fun right, well they have been storing their guns and ammo (air soft bb's) in their room. The other day Josh was on his bed reading when Ryan decided to point an air soft gun at him. Josh relayed to Ryan that he was enclosed in a non penetratable bubble. Well apparently that's the wrong thing to say to Ryan so as Josh got up and Ryan held his aim Ryan asked Josh as he was leaving if he was still in the bubble, Josh proceeded to push Ryan down as Ryan shot the air soft gun. To Ryan's surprise he hit Josh in the hand causing quite a wound. Well bad choices call for punishment so Ryan lost the privilege of playing with his friends in their next air soft battle. (use the gun unwisely, lose the gun) needless to say all guns and ammo have been moved to the garage. In the meantime our dear friends had quite a conversation over dinner regarding their friend Ryan and his actions and consequences. They gathered around their computer to send out a desperate plea for their fallen soldier. But most importantly they had some very true and important things to say about ME :)
This is a copy of the email I received.......

To the Most Exalted Mrs. Stover;

We bring forth great honor and praise to the most gracious of mothers and a plea for our fallen brother in arms (presently without arms). It was with great sorrow and pain that we learned of the unfortunate affliction of our brother in arms who momentarily lost his mental faculties in a time of extreme duress. Knowing the kindly nature of your wonderful being we now present our case to the oh most gracious one for the release of our incarcerated brother Private Lower Class Ryan Stover.

• A man can only be pushed so far before he breaks under the wave of temptation (see Genesis in the Bible). As with the Great Adam (whose blood he shares) he too has his limits.
• As we learned through the book of Joshua that man must not back down to the unrelenting temptation of the giants (IE. THE BUBBLE) or we run the risk of being shamed before our God.
• We believe our brother actions stem back through his genealogy to the Great Adam and was an act of survival rather than malice.
• As you to share the bloodline of Adam we have trust in your forgiving nature oh most kindest of all mothers on this great and blessed earth that you shall not overburden the yoke of our pour and down trodden brother.

For these and countless other reasons unworthy of your gracious contemplation we rest upon the security of your most gracious, tenderhearted, quick to forgive and greatest of all loving beings that our brother would be released from captivity to partake in the battle at hand on this soon to be day in September in the year of your Ladyship 2008.

Most respectfully submitted,

Brothers in Arms Lamos

Family Camping with friends

We went vacationing for 7 days with 20 friends. We had a great time!
Buck Rock

click on a picture, they will open a larger image.

Blongo Ball---the moms beat the dads

They are looking too dry, don't ya think?? Pam and I took care of that!




Eating ice cream????
Our Cabin






Umbrella's .99--Pool charge $4.00--Chairs $10.00--Fishing license $19.00--ice cream for 5 $20.00--paintball $80.00--gas $200.00--Vacationing at the Lake with your friends PRICELESS!!!

UTAH FAMILY CAME TO VISIT

Our favorite Utah family came to visit, the boys are best of friends....they played paintball, airsoft and playstation. It was great having them come stay with us for a few days! They are still here in Orange County so we are off for more fun with them this week.
We also got to have Brian stay with us and their other cousin Zach came so we had a house full of 8 BOYS!!!