Part 1 of our trip from Fallbrook, CA to our new home in Kellogg, ID

The Journey Begins....

Part 2 of our trip from Fallbrook, CA to our new home in Kellogg, ID

On the Road Again

Meet Pozie, our new family member!

Pozie is a 2 1/2 year old pug who was rescued from

Shelter Dogs To Dream Dogs

Isn't she a cutie?

...of course we still have Alpha's brother, P'agape. 

 

Pozie is already settling in to life at Casa Capra!

Goodbye, Alpha. We'll miss you!

We are sad to say we had to say goodbye to Alpha Wednesday night.

Alpha was the first born of a litter of 8 from his mother, Chewy.

When he first popped out and I saw that one black eye I said, "That's a keeper!"

For 13 years, Alpha (I also called him Ralphy) enriched our lives!

He is and will be missed.

Here I am playing a little tune for him...

Is the glass half empty or half full?

I received an email from a family member which prompted me to take a closer look at my current situation…

What came to mind was the “half glass” scenario; is the glass half empty or half full? Candace and I have had a rough time for the last 5 or 6 years; medical issues, the job market, our financial situation and a bunch of other miscellaneous etcetera. For this scenario let’s say the glass represents God’s Blessings. The pessimist believes the glass is half empty while the optimist believes it is half full… but I, as a believer in Jesus Christ, believe we are half way to another FULL glass of Blessings.

You see, we don’t have many material things anymore or much money to get more, but we have God and we have each other. We have a God that loves us with Agape Love, a love which is unconditional. It doesn’t matter to Him what we have or don’t have, He loves us anyway, always has and always will! And because of that love He will take care of us.

God also gave me a beautiful bride, a wonderful wife who also loves me. She, along with Jesus, help to keep my world from spinning out of control!

With God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, the Holy Spirit and the bride God gave to me, we have everything we need!! Everything else is simply added blessings.

So… I guess my final answer to the “half glass” question would be: “Our glass is always full and constantly overflowing.”

A Love Poem from my Bride

My beautiful bride wrote me a poem:

You are my best friend in the whole wide world,
every time I think about you, my toes get all curled;

As long as there's the two of us,
we'll never have to worry or fuss;

You have such charisma and so much charm,
I love to going down the street with you, walking arm and arm;

You work so hard and do so much,
you'd think there'd be a holiday for a man with such a loving touch;

But since there's no loving touch holiday,
just to let you know, I thought I'd write you a note,
just KUZ IT IS SO.......

Ain't that cool?! As an old TV commercial said, "My wife... I think I'll keep her."

Christmas at the trailer park

Surgery done/back at home!

The surgery went very well (both surgeons very happy); only one lymph node was removed. At this point no chemo or radiation treatments will be needed. A few followup visits to the plastic surgeon will be needed to complete the reconstruction.

She is now home and while still in quite a bit of pain she is doing really well; I have a wonderful bride who has a strong faith in Jesus Christ and is a real trooper!!

I was able to sneak our two dogs (Alpha & P'agape) into her hospital room ;-)

Thank you all for your prayers and support!!!

Surgery Date Set!

Bilateral mastectomy is set for September 8th. Surgery starts at 9am, Candace will be there at 7am. We don't know how long she will be in the hospital, but sure they will want her out soon, maybe leaving 9th or 10th, but no one has said yet.

The reconstruction will begin right after removal. The plastic surgeon will put an expander in each side (kind of like an empty implant with a valve on it), and every two weeks Candace will go into his office and he will fill it a little bit each time to help the area stretch and be prepared for an implant. That goes on for about 1 1/2 to 2 months every two weeks.

Then from the surgery date, about 5 to 8 months later, Candace will have to go in for another surgery to put in actual implants. Then there will be tattooing and other things done, but bottom line is Candace will be completely flat when she is done with the surgery.

Update on Candace

Once again, thank you for your prayers & support!! Here is the latest:

Since Candace had the MRI with contrast, Michele Carpenter (her surgeon) found other lumps, so it was then that we made the final decision that the best way for Candace (us) to go would be having the bilateral Mastectomy with radiation and reconstruction (praise God it is covered by insurance!!). Ultimately the choice is Candace’s on what type procedure to do (she could have decided to do nothing if she wanted), so after researching, talking with other survivors and the doctor, and a lot of other factors, we together came up with the final decision, and are happy with it. Fortunately these days they have their acts a little bit more together, and although it will be a 5 to 5 ½ hour surgery, basically the surgeon will do the removal part and the reconstruction will be done right then by the plastic surgeon (a few follow-ups down the line). So after seeing the plastic surgeon on Thursday, the 20th, the two doctors get their schedulers together and find the surgery date, and that will be that. We am figuring at least a month off, but we will see.

Until we have more news, thanks & God bless,
Frank & Candace

Bike Ride to Church

Going to a new church, "God With Us Church" at the school
across the street from the RV Park, just a short bicycle ride away!

Goodbye, Chewy

It's a sad time in the Long household;
on May 6 we had to say goodbye to
our 17-year-old Lhasa Apso, Chewy.

About 11 years ago we breed Chewy,
who was a pure breed and all black,
with an all white pure breed Maltese named Buddy.
The result was a litter of 8 puppies!!

Here is the last "professional" shot of Chewy with 4 of her children;
Alpha, Dizzy, P'Agape & Omega.

Chewy is survived by 6 of her puppies;
Alpha, Dizzy, Kobie, P'Agape, Petey and Omega.

We will miss you, Chewy!!

...the Adventure continues...

...so, you're wondering what's been happening
since the last post of June 27th, 2008?

Stuff.

OK, you've been updated!

Alright, I guess you want some details...

Candace healed up nicely after she was rear-ended
and was able to get back to work after about a month.
I got a Job through a temp agency that lasted about 6 months
and then was let go in January.
Candace is now working for a small company in San Juan Capistrano
called Wine Doggy Bag.

Where the CEO is...

I'm also there trying my hand at sales;
while I'm not a salesman, the product is an easy one to sell.
In the meantime I'm sending out those resumes
at a rotten time to be sending out resumes.

We are still in the 5th wheel
at the the RV Park and still very comfortable.

Like a large part of the rest of the nation
we are struggling to pay our bills so
any & all prayers are greatly appreciated!!

As always, we are trusting in God to carry us through:
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25-33

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, [will He] not much more [clothe] you, O you of little faith?

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Amen!!!

Good News/Bad News

So, once again it is time to update you on
The Adventures of Frank & Candace.

Got good news & bad news…

GOOD NEWS: In mid-May we sold our 24-foot RV

and bought a 2002 32 foot 5th-wheeler with two pop outs.

It’s like moving from a shoe box to a refrigerator box!
There is actually a bedroom!! So we’re pretty happy ‘bout that.

...and then there's...

BAD NEWS: Last Friday (6/20) I was fired from my job; it’s really a blessing because I was not happy there, but now I’m looking again in a very slow market. To add to that, on Monday (6/24) Candace was on her way to her new job (starting 2nd week) when she was reared ended. At this point she is OK, but very sore (the car is OK, too), but her doctor told her no work for 3 weeks. We trust in God, that He will see us through this as He has proven so many times before. So, once again we ask for your prayers.

Our Moment of Fame

During the fire evacuation Candace & I
were interviewed by the local CBS news...

See it here: CBS Interview

...sorry, no autographs, please!

Latest Update

Well, it's been a while since I've posted any news here... let's see if I can sum it up in just a few words:

Candace and Both started our new jobs in October (on the same day) and both of us have been blessed with great jobs.

The house has still not sold, been once again we trust in God that He will provide what we need (not what we want).

The rains came and really stirred things up in the canyons again. A "mandatory" evacuation was called when the first storm came. Although Black Star was not included we were worried that since we share the same road we might not be able to get back into the canyon if we left. The Friday of the storm we both stayed home from work and sleep, ate ice cream and watched TV. It was nice to just not do anything for a day!!

Right now Candace and I are still involved with the donut ministry, the worship team and rehearsing with the Christmas Eve service choir. Candace (soprano) & Frank (bass) will be doing a quartet with two other choir members!

So, God is good, life is good!!!

If we don't "see" anyone before the Christmas... Merry Christmas!!

...and remember...

JESUS IS THE REASON
FOR THE SEASON!

The story so far, final update(?)

First let me say THANK YOU! to all of you who were/are praying for us!! If you pray, then you know the power of it, if you don't pray let it be known THAT PRAYER CHANGES THINGS.

Now for the (probably) last update...

Saturday at 4:00 pm the mandatory evacuation was lifted, however, Candace & I didn't hear of it until about 5:30 so we decided to wait until after church Sunday to move the RV back in. Everything is hooked up and it feels good to be "home"!!

It's spooky driving thru the burned areas, to see how much was burned and to remember how quickly. Orange County Sheriffs are constantly patrolling the area which at any other time may feel like Big Brother watching over us, now feels like a big brother or sister protecting us. There are signs everywhere welcoming residents back and thanking the Firefighters (who are STILL working!) for saving the homes. The parking lot last night at Albertson's, the home of Camp Silverado (where many residents waited out the evacuaction), was empty of RVs, tents, pop ups, etc.; the only evidence something was there is a large dumpster. Stories continue about the graciousness of non-canyon people helping during this time. One of our neighbors here at the RV park was allowed to stay at an RV park in Orange for free! I'm sure over the next few weeks I'll hear more of these testaments of the good face of humanity.

If there is one thing I've learned from all of this (other than trusting fully in God) is to not hold things too tightly, to be ready to let go of any worldly items at a moments notice for our reward does not come here from this Earth but from God.

Again, thank you all for keeping us in your prayers and thoughts however, we still appreciate those prayers!!

Both my wife & I start our second week of our new jobs and so far we both are very happy. God is good!!!

The winds on the Saturday before the fire

Camp Silverado

Our evacuation home in Orange Park Acres

The Story So Far, Continued...

Monday night, October 22, we were evacuated from the RV park in Black Star Canyon where we are currently living in our RV. Many of you know of all the fires burning in California, we live in the area where the Santiago Canyon Fire is.

A little back history first: My wife & I have had some financial woes; a few months ago my wife fell down our stairs and while not causing any injury it did keep her from working. We were already having problems keeping up with the mortgage payments so now it was time to put our Silverado Canyon house up for sale before foreclosure proceedings could start. The day after we signed the papers with our Realtor I was laid off from my job of almost 11 years. These events were actually answers to prayer. We had been praying about what to do about the house, the next morning my wife falls down the stairs. God was definitely saying, “Get out of the house.” I had been praying what to do about my job (it is part of the building industry and not doing well) and God said, “No worries, you're outta there!”

We own our 24 foot Class C Motor home and decided to move into it, along with our 5 dogs, at a local RV park here in the Silverado area and move all of our belongings into storage. As we were doing this both of us were sending out resumes and going to interviews in search of jobs.

Fast forward again to Monday, October 22; I had been watching the fire at the mouth of Silverado Canyon and trying to decide if we should evacuate or not. I went back to the RV to thinking I'd check back in an hour to see how the fire was doing. Minutes after returning my wife got a phone call with a job offer and she accepted! About a hour hour after that the authorities came through the RV park telling us to get out. We left my car, our Seadoos and a few other items and moved the RV and my wife's car to the parking lot of our church to spend the night. The next morning (Tuesday) we got a knock on the RV door to find our Pastor and one of the Elders. The Elder has an estate in Orange Park Acres (a horse community in Orange) where he once owned an RV and has a pad with water & electric hookups. He and his wife invited us to stay there until the evacuation is lifted! Once we got the RV moved and setup I noticed a message on my cell phone; it was an offer of a job for me which I quickly accepted!!

God has continued to provide through all of this, not only provide but to bless us!! Even the midst of all this fire and evacuation God has blessed us with jobs and a place to stay.

God is good, God is gracious, God is real!!

Although we may not be back into the canyons we both will start our jobs on Monday and will praise God the whole way.

Remember; God loves you, He has a plan for you and He wants to be intimately involved in your life!

Praise God!!!

The Sun as seen from Orange Thursday morning

Almost Done

Almost have everything out of the house and into storage (or the RV)...

Candace & I are still sending out resumes and going on interviews; no offers yet...

...however the the Peace of God is still upon us so we are freaking out!!

God Bless,
Frank & Candace

Job Search Begins!

...well, both Candace & I have started sending out resumes...

Candace completed her Pain Management Therapy and feels ready to start looking for some work.
I've had one interview (no news yet) and another on Tuesday (25th).
We know that God will provide so we are not at all stressed about it;
God has given us His peace!!

And some REALLY IMPORTANT NEWS:
The ANGELS are the American West League Champions!!

GO ANGELS!!!

Home Sweet Home

Well, we moved the RV today (Saturday);
here is the sign

NOTE: The Ranch and Black Star RV Park are the same place

The sign and the beginning of the road...

The entrance to the RV Park...

Home Sweet Home!

...we found out today that there are phone lines (no DSL)
so we'll be getting a phone number shortly!

Toodles for now!

Kids at Retreat Video

Back in August we went to our churches Family Retreat at Calvary Chapel's Twin Peaks conference center; a wonderful time was had by all, especially the kids.

Here is a 3 minute video I put together...

...packing continues

...I hope this still lools OK after the earthquake we had on Sunday! [NOTE: everything was OK]

Candace is continuing her therapy and I will start looking for work in earnest in a couple of weeks.
We will move the RV next Saturday (8th) and start setting up our new home and complete the closing of our old one.

Candace & I are still at peace with our current situation;
we continue to trust in the Word of God...

In Matthew 6:33-34 Jesus Himself tells us
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about its own things.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

With God on our side
how can we lose?!

God is good!

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 16:9
A man's heart plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.

Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.

God is good and He provides for those who trust in Him; Candace and I are leaning on this promise and so we have peace in what we are going through.

We continue to be involved in the church ministries...

...the donut ministry (probably the most important ministry, second to the pastor, of course).
Logo look familiar? Yes, I appropriated the design and changed it a wee bit; "Koinonia" is Greek for "fellowship" and was the name of our pastor's Jesus band in the early 70's.

We have also started serving on the worship team...

...this was taken Monday night after practice so that's why you don't see us (no, we weren't raptured)!

Yes, God is good!

House For Sale

Well, the house is now up for sale (if interested please contact Mary Schreiber at 714-693-6886 [direct] 714-323-9181 [cell] mary@maryscreiber.com or visit her website Mary Schreiber.

We are currently in the process of packing up and moving our home into self-storage.

Candace continues her pain management therapy. I'm concentrating on packing/moving so I have not looked for work yet. The timing of being laid-off is perfect (gee, think God had anything to do with it?) for it gives me plenty of time to complete the task.

We will move the RV to "The Ranch" on Saturday, September 8th; as you can see on the map below we will still be in the Siverado Canyon area.

I used to get free Angels tickets from the office which is a bummer cuz Candace & I love going to the games. Well, Candace said the heck with that and got tickets for three games; the first one is tonight. We may be out of jobs, but not out of life!!

That's it for now, check back later for more of
"The Adventures of Frank & Candace"...