Let's try this again...:=}

So here I am again...trying this blog thing again. I love going back and reading what we have shared already but this once a year thing just isn't gonna do it. LOL
It's amazing how time flies when you're not looking. So who do we start with? Hmmm, ok the kids. Ash and Dan are doing great. Ash is an RN working on an oncology floor in Whittier Ca, Danny is just awaiting his credential and looking for a teaching job. He's doing really good health wise as well. God has been so gracious and loving to him. We're still eagerly waiting to hear the word "remission" and "cancer-free".

Nick is working hard at Office Depot and about to start his last year at SRJC. He should graduate this spring with his AS in Administration of Justice and possibly move on to Sac State to finish his BS. As far as we know he is still moving forward to a career in law enforcement. He has a beautiful young lady in his life who brings a smile to his face just by mentioning her name.

Russ is still in school working on his BS in Theology and Christian Counseling. That keeps his nose in the books most of the time, that is when he's not working, pastoring, being an incredible husband and father or counseling others on the side. He's a BUSY guy!! I am totally in awe of his commitment to all he sets his mind to.

Me? Well, I finished my classes at Boston Reed getting my Medical Assisting certificate and am no working...yep, that right...working at Kaiser SR as a medical assistant. I work the evening clinic. I love my job and the people I am meeting everyday. What a joy it is to know that I can hopefully make a difference in someones life in just a few moments time. LOVE IT!

On a very sad note, Dad passed away May 15th very unexpectedly. He wasn't feeling well at the beginning of the week and by Friday he was unable to stand on his own he had become so week. He was admitted to the hospital Friday night, put in ICU Saturday afternoon and left us very early Sunday morning. He is missed so so much. It just isn't right to not have him here with us. Some days it's a jolt of a reminder that I can't call him or talk to him anymore. Other days I thank God that he is in heaven awaiting our arrival someday. Mom is doing pretty well adjusting to life without her love, her partner, her friend. Keeping busy as mom does. She has begun the task of redoing a couple of the rooms in the house and going through the mountains of "stuff" dad had collected over the years...oh my...and what a task that is. LOL We have found some pretty interesting things through all the sorting and looking. Dad was quite a man.

Well, I guess I have given you enough to chew on for this time around. I'm sure gonna try to keep you up to date a little better this time around. Who knows, maybe I can get Russ in on this blogging thing. He always has something to share. Until next time...

Never a Dull Moment!

Today started out as many others do...quiet, watching the news, a hot cup of tea and then teh phone rings..."Mom? So I'm ok....but" and the panic begins. It was Nick's voice on the othere end letting us know that he had been in an accident. Praise God he was uninjured but shaken up, a bit stiff (I'm certain that will be even better tomorrow). The older couple in teh other car was shaken as well and an ambulance was called just to make sure they were ok. Turns out that the teh driver of the other car had open heart surgery last week so the needed to have him evaluated. As far as we know all involved were uninjured, Thank you Jesus. Now...Nick's truck..that's a different story. I believe this will be "Hanks" last hurrah. Now we deal with all that is coming and just be happy that Nick is ok.
Ash and Dan are still at Stanford and awaiting th day they can go home...CT came back with good news. Not more fluid in his tummy and so the wound vac will go on tomorrow to try and get rid of all the infection in his wound. pathology came back with good news as well. When the next surgery is done and Dan is all healed up it could make dan CANCER FREE! Praise God! So now, we wait for him to recover from this surgery and get him through the next and then watch them go about living the lives of a young married couple.
I guess that about it for now. We are so thnakful for the family and friends that keep us all in their prayers.

I can't believe I started this almost 2 years ago and this is the 3rd blog!! I think this year I better get ALOT better at this. 2010 has started off with so much going on in our family.
Russ and I have accepted the Youth Pastor position at Lighthouse Foursquare Church about a year ago and we are loving it. The young people we get to hang out with are some remarkable people. I think we are just where we are suppose to be...loving on, guiding, teaching and having a ball with these kids...oops, youth!
Nick has started his 4th semester at SRJC and has decided to enter the EMT program & Academy. He took a 1st Responder class last semester and LOVED it and did great in it. After that it was full steam ahead and now he's on his way to being an EMT with prospects of becoming a paramedic in the future. Nick is as well dating a lovely young lady he has known since 1st grade. Katie is in her second year at Davis University working on her verterinary degree.
Ash & Dan are, as many of you have been reading, in the middle of another journey in Dan's fight with cancer. Dan is in Stanford Hospital recovering from a 15 hour surgery he had on the 8th of this month. I have never seen 2 such strong, faith-filled, remarkable people as these two. Ash is in her last Semester at Biola University finishing her nursing degree and Danny is looking forward to finishing his credential studies to become a HS math teacher...yep, A MATH TEACHER...do you remember your high school math teacher? I think Danny will make his class nothing like what we remember. Please keep them in your prayers as they wait patiently for God to finish up what he is doing in Danny's body and let life continue as normal. Visit their blog for more info on they're journey footballandsthoscopes.blogspot.com.
One other really fun thing that is going on right now is that Russ' dad just moved in with us. he stayed with us for a bit this summer/fall and has now sold his house in Paradise and moved into our home with us. Russ, Nick and I are thrilled to have him here...as are our dogs...they now have a constant playmate. god has been so good to us and we continue to look forward to what else he is gonna do in us, through us and for us. I promise to be better at keeping you all updated on the happenings here with the Cliffords....I really will...you'll see. :D

Love you all,
Terry

A new year

Happy 2009!! What a year 2008 was. It brought many changes and many blessings to our family. The year had begun with us in search of a church to hold Ashley and Dan's wedding...yep, by the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008 Ashley had a beautiful sparkly ring on her finger and a wonderful fiance at her side. The year had held many trials for these two but they stuck together kept God in the middle of their lives and watched as He saw them through this journey in their lives. Ash and Dan were so excited to be looking at churches and trying to decide just where God would have them exchange their vows to each other. We all walked into the perfect place one saturday afternoon~it happened to be the same church that Russ had grown up in and the one his eldest sister had been married in as well..."beautiful" was I think the word that we all shared as we looked at this house of God. Around this same time we would lose our Aunt Gladys, the matriarch of our family at the end of January. The Lord carried our family through this time knowing that there were happier times on the horizon.
By May we were celebrating with Nick. He would reach yet another wonderful goal that we thought we may never get to experience with him~he graduated from SRHS, what a blessing it was for our family to watch as he walked across Baily Field with 400 of his closest friends. We all sat and watched/listened as his name was called and he received his diploma.What a marvelous night that was! I think, no i know that all Bailey Field heard our family as we screamed, yelled, blew horns and laughed as we watched this wonderful young man cross into yet another journey in his life.
Then came the summer...OMGosh, and wedding plans were in full gear. During that same time we celebrated nick's 18th birthday, had a bridal shower and were saddened by the loss of our Aunt Polly. At the same time that we were happy and celebrating we lost a very sweet, loving woman to lung cancer...despite this incredible loss we indeed celebrated Ashley and Dan's wedding. Moved them back to La Mirada into a very cute apartment. Nick started college as well at the SRJC where he is beginning his journey into law enforcement.
As 2008 came close to ending we had lost our great dog Maggie and had to put our cat Miss Penny down and send her on to be with Maggie. So needless to say, 2008 brought the highest of highs and some pretty low, sad times as well. Even in the sad times we were always reminded of the how much god loves us and watches over us. Our family had been blessed abundantly with great news of Nick being taken off the Lung transplant list and of Dan's tumors shrinking to almost unseeable and the tumor on his pancreas maybe not even being living cancer anymore!! PRAISE GOD!! Thank you Jesus for as Ashley said "...leaning down and listening to our prayers.."!
I look forward to what 2009 will bring and know that whatever it is the Lord is charge and we couldn't be in better hands. May this new year be a blessing to us all and be full of more laughter, more love and more family!! We love you all...God Bless you.

An early Christmas at our house!

Christmas came a little early at our house this year~about a week early actually. Last Saturday we received a letter from Stanford (on the official letterhead no less) officially taking Nick off the transplant list. They were "...pleased to hear of him doing so well..." and found no reason to keep him on the list!! Praise God!
THEN...Dan had an appointment at Stanford on Monday/Tuesday this last week...he had a CT and PET scan to check on progress of his tumors on his liver and pancreas. Much to all of our suprise and answer to MANY prayers he recieved the news we had been waiting for...the tumors had shrunk on his liver (to very very small) and the tumor on his pancreas was so small that the doctor is not at all sure it's still a tumor!! She thinks it may just be scar tissue and/or a dying tumor!! I can't tell you how thrilled and excited and in awe I am. Everytime Dan and Ash shared with someone about this incredible news last night all I could do was grin from ear to ear, giggle and clap my hands every single time. :D How AMAZING is our God!! Thank you all for the countless prayers you have lifted up for BOTH of our young men...how did we get so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends??!!
May your Christmas be bright and your 2009 be extraordinary!! We love you!!