Happy Father's Day Dad! (and birthday)

Born in an obscure village (Spokane), the son of immigrants (OK, not quite), suffering through the Great Depression (true) there arose such a clamor.
What was a simple looking adorable boy child, rose to the occasion by conquering pigeons, newspaper routes, bone disease, and even a boys choir. My dad, Eugene William Vanderhoff, born 6/22/1928, seized each moment of his life to better himself. He was and is to this day driven, to be the best that he can be.

Rumor has it that he used to suck his thumb. In fact, you know how people say "Oh don't worry about it Mavis! No one has ever gotten married while still sucking their thumb!"?
But that's OK with me. Some people cannot be forced to grow up too quickly.
He married Shirley Chandler and had five ADORABLE children. Their first house was actually a sort of chicken coup, and my dad made sure that my mom could stay home and raise those little darlings. He was a great provider for his family: financially, mentally, and politically (yes, that is important!)

OK all joking aside, my dad worked very hard his entire life - and to this day, still is a worker bee. After becoming a fantastic salesman, my dad finally purchased Chamberlin Distributing Company in Wenatchee and successfully made the business profitable for many many years.


One thing I appreciate most about my dad is that he raised us to not ever take advantage of having money - in fact, I thought we were poor. I think it is his fault I love thrift stores. When we wanted money for movies or other things, he always had us do work for it. I remember so many times shining his shoes...I would much rather do that than pull weeds! I even ironed his fabric hankies!

When I lived in Hawaii for 7 years, they used to come once a year. We had good times. Some famous artist painted a picture of US! We tried not to let people know about it, on account that we might be hunted by the Paparazzi.
He had a place up in Brown's Bay Canada for salmon fishing. We would go up each year, and one year he allowed my mom and I to trash his place by making our own paper, catch little fishies and try Japanese paint printing...well, it kinda looked like it. This one is for my mom and her five little fishes.

His daughters are all famous, but we hide it real well.
and the secret was safe until someone spotted this painting of me!!!
He likes to dress like his sons and son in laws - and got these shirts for a Fathers Day get together:


We had many vacations at Lake Chelan.

We went to Vocalpoint shows, and on Halloween he insisted that we all dress up:
He let Jordan have his part in the opera....
He cares for the sick from afar
All kidding aside,(again) my mom had a stroke. My dad will have it no other way than for him to be her primary caregiver. He is truly truly my hero. I respect and admire him so much for being so selfless just to bless my mom. Dad -HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO YOU! I love you so much!
Sincerely,
Your Favorite Daughter named JoAnn

Went to a Garden Party

This would have been an 18th birthday and high school graduation party. I decided to go ahead and have a party anyway.

We had one daughter run away and tell us she wants nothing to do with us, my mom had a serious stroke, changing her life forever, my brother had TWO open heart surgeries in one month, our back patio was poured wrong and had to be jackhammered and redone - leaving us with no backyard for a full summer!

We can rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Tonight we rejoiced in life and the beautiful things.

A ladies only party!

I love these women~

I am blessed beyond measure...


My precious daughter Julianne, age 12, encouraged me one day with these verses:
Rev.3: 7 & 8 "The words of the holy one, the true one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but a little power and yet you have kept my Word and have not denied my name", and said "SEE? You still have some power and you have not denied His name!"

I asked Julianne what she would say about this past year, and I am completely humbled by her sweet, kind, and faithful heart. She wrote this "speech" and the poem at the end:

Today we acknowledge the beautiful unending grace of God, and though we ought to acknowledge God’s grace everyday and time we see and think of our surroundings, we recognize it sometimes more than others. I accept that I am imperfect; I know that we all are not without fault, and that really makes the grace of God even more beautiful, even more majestic, and even more meaningful.

Now to realize God’s grace and to thankfully acknowledge it is two different things. Anyone can see God’s grace but a Christian must thankfully acknowledge it. To thankfully acknowledge God’s grace is to realize that the grace that we receive from God is sacrificial, and that He sent His Son to be our salvation.

To thankfully acknowledge God’s grace is to recognize that the grace of God is one that no person can ever give – that no one is capable of giving any grace with such power and meaning than that of which we receive from God, and to be endlessly grateful for it.

An amazing grace God gave us was life and some if not most of us abuse it when it gets tough, when things don’t go our way, we sin and rebel. But show me the book, chapter, and verse where God said “here is a perfect life! Here is a life of pleasure”. He did not ever say such. He said “in me you will find life” – He did not say a faultless life. No, He did not say “here is a trouble less life” – He said “here in me is life”.

Without my God’s grace what would I be?
The answer is nothing, nothing you see.
His grace is so amazing, it shines so bright
Brighter than any stars, glistening night light
Through good and through bad my God will be here
He’ll be my salvation, my glorious fear.

No Tolentino party is complete without the vultures coming out of the woodwork and descending on the food table - where do all these males come from anyway???

Summer, Family, Love

The wheelchair is a handy invention - up and down the steps from the park to my backyard.


Gramma and Papa made the trip from Wenatchee to Kirkland to see their three daughters
13 of their 20 grandchildren and 15 of their 20 great grandchildren! Julianne tries her best to get a choir going

I could post a zillion pictures to capture our day!