By Dawn's Early Light

Celebrating America and More

Where has Dawn's Early Light been?  Why hasn't Bill Rice answered any email?  Why should I keep reading?

All very good questions.  First, let me start with an apology to those who used to regularly read the blog.  I am very sorry to have just stopped writing with no updates, no information, and not even looking at email since December 14, 2005. 

Since my last post, Catherine, Mom and Dad have been to London, Qatar, the California Coast, Seattle and various other cities.  I stopped blogging because I had realized that quality posting took a great amount of time (at least an hour for research and an hour for posting, not including the regular news-junkie reading all day long).  While I was not a great economics student in college, I did latch on to the concept of opportunity cost.  There are four driving forces in my life: God, family, friends and work.  Work took up more time towards the end of last year until recently, though I have traveled much on short trips. 

To sum up in pictures why I have been gone, here is a dear and special one, my lovely Catherine.  She is almost a year old, and in her 11 months has flown on 11 flights, 6 internationally, and is a first-rate traveler. 

This is Catherine enjoying her independence and smelling the flowers in our yard on a wonderful July 4th.

Here is my world-traveling Catherine en route to London in February.

Here is Catherine in London warmly dressed being held by Dad.

From cold London in February, off to Qatar, where we saw two very special friends of ours plus my best friend, who was deployed in Doha until April.  He is a Weapon System Operator in an F-15E Strike Eagle. 

Qatar was a fascinating trip and gave me a new insight into the Middle East, both the positive and negative, in comparing it to Western civilization.  Doha, the capital, is under massive reconstruction, made possible by Qatar's natural gas and oil wealth.

We also recently said goodbye to the last of my grandparents, Mildred Rice, who at 93 had lived a great and purposeful life.  Over 100 people said their goodbyes to a woman who lived in China, Japan and Taiwan and cared deeply about sharing God's love to the people she met.  Here is a photo before her passing, with Catherine.

But spending time with Catherine and Mom at the beach is one of our great loves.  Here is Catherine some months ago taking in dusk in San Clemente, California.

While these photos don't excuse my disappearance, hopefully they can convey the joy I have in being with my family and why working hard to create more special times and travels with them is so important to me.

I want to write again, but I know that I will not, for some time to come, be able to write daily.  Over the past several months I have wrestled with how I can blog about the foreign policy and political ideas I am passionate about and still give 100% to my family, friends and work.  The balance probably lies in less posting, but not putting my head in the sand and ignoring it completely.

There are many ideas that I want to explore further.  I live in a blessed country, with a terrific family, and every day I thank the Lord that I can live the American dream.  On this 4th of July, I want to especially thank those in the uniform defending the liberty that my family enjoys.

Stay tuned. 

Tiptoeing Back Into the Water

I owe my readers a big Big apology for my absence in writing without giving an explanation to my seemingly online disappearance. 

As you know, I am the proud father of a precious child, my dear Catherine.  I have enjoyed spending this time with her.  No event in my life has refocused my orientation and thinking like having a newborn that is fully dependent on her parents.  There is no greater joy than being able to share time and love with my family.  My wife and I feel extremely blessed with our daughter and have enjoyed our time together with her.  I find myself often in tears just thinking about her when I find myself stuck on Southern California freeways or just looking at her precious blue eyes.

Along with the joy and challenge of starting a family, my work life became extremely challenging.  I am a small business owner and seldom do I have the luxury of leaving the job behind.  Between my daughter, my wife and my work, something in life had to give so I could get through this period of my life in a healthy way.

I froze out my blogging, not even checking my email, turning away so many friendships that I had made online.  To those of you who were faithful readers or supporters of this blog and me and my family, I apologize.  I am not sure exactly how I will work blogging into my life, but I can say that I want to return to doing it regularly.

I am sitting currently at the GodBlogCon gathering at Biola University.  I have had an opportunity to meet many fine bloggers face to face and to renew ties with those from the SCBA.  This conference has renewed my desire to reconnect and blog again.

Hopefully soon I will have something of value to say again.  Thank you for your friendship and patience.

Kind regards,

Bill Rice - Dawn's Early Light

No Greater Joy

Last Monday, my world changed.  After some complications with the end of my wife's pregnancy, it was decided it was best to encourage the labor early.  At 8:48 pm, my dear, sweet Catherine Elizabeth was born!

While I have been looking forward to being a father for a long time, words cannot explain the joy I felt with God's precious gift to my wife and me.

While she was in the womb, I would tell her that "Daddy loves you!"  When she was first born and screaming while the nurses were cleaning her by my wife's bed with her eyes closed, I repeated the often said line.  She stopped crying, turned towards me and opened her eyes.  She grabbed onto my finger with all of her hand, and I was in heaven.  She is my daughter, and I love my precious girl.

I have never experienced this type of love.  I want to hold her forever and share with her how much I love her.  My wife and I are now home, and both mother and daughter are doing well. 

I look forward to getting to know this very special girl.

Thank you to my readers for your patience, and I look forward to posting again on the topics we all care passionately about.

An Englishwoman Worthy

I am traveling on business to Tahoe and Reno for a housing conference Sunday through Tuesday.  Watching the water flow down the Truckee River was impressive on the drive up from Sacramento today.  I am staying in a nice cabin outside of Tahoe that has no Internet access or television.  However I did find a faint Wi-Fi signal out here from a neighbor's house that I am posting from.  It is a great world.

As some readers to this blog will recall, my wife and I are expecting our first child, Catherine, at the end of July.  My mom and a friend of hers threw a shower for my wife on Saturday with friends and family in attendance, including my 92 year old grandmother on my dad's side of the family, who is a special lady.

When I stopped to pick up my wife she showed me some of the thoughtful gifts that we had been given for our precious Catherine (who kicks up a storm in my petite wife's belly, to my delight).  My wife handed me a bag with a small baby blanket tucked inside, hand knitted in soft pink, blue and white.  She broke down in tears and so did I.  The gift was from my other grandmother, my mom's mother, who left us to be with her Maker over 5 years ago.  In the short time my wife knew her, they had developed a special relationship. 

Even though my grandmother could not be there in person, her presence and love was felt in the kind act of preparing for her great-grandchild even past her life here on earth.  I thought that I would share something of my grandmother, who was born in Manchester, England and came to America with her parents.  Her family was of humble means, but she was always proud of the fact that they came to America without having to go through Ellis Island in a "cattle processional."  I wish I would have asked her more what she meant.  She taught me the love of a nice cup of tea, of enduring cancer and pain with class and dignity.  She was a strong Englishwoman who would not complain to others about anything she would suffer through. 

Two stories I will share that speak to her character.  She and her husband were very involved with a large Los Angeles church and would often have missionaries come and visit.  One day a missionary couple was without a good deal of extra clothes and my grandfather decided to "give" my grandmother's wardrobe away to this family.  Rather than complain (this is her version), she sat down and knitted a whole new wardrobe for herself.  The British stiff upper lip at play.

The second story in her later years, when she could no longer get around, but was able to continue to knit.  My grandmother, for over 7 years, knitted baby caps and scarves and blankets, over 400 at least, for Marine families who gave birth in local hospitals around Camp Pendleton in the 1990s.  She never met the families, but she would dutifully knit each one for the tiny newborns.

Here is to you, Grandmother.  You are missed and your gift is adored.  With much love, your grandson Bill and great-granddaughter Catherine.  You are certainly an Englishwoman worthy!

Puppy Nikon Photo Blogging

My wife and I have two English bulldogs that are a little over a year old named Clementine and Sydney.  I thought I would share with you several pictures of them.  All but the pool photo was taken with the Nikon D70.

Enjoy.

Community... Inside and Outside the Net (Part II)

Today my wife and I joined as members San Clemente Presbyterian Church.  We grew up in separate Presbyterian churches, met at Bel Air Presbyterian and were married there.  Last year we moved to San Clemente, but that is not why we chose SCPC.  We are blessed to have good leadership that is extremely caring and welcoming.  The members are growing in their faith and reaching out to others in the community and beyond.

Each new members class receives a kind reception that Pastor Tod and his wife host at their home.  All 35 members were invited over for dessert and a nice time to socialize.  The new members enjoyed their hospitality and their beautiful home along with several of the elders of the church.   Pastor Tod inspired me to start this blog.  His blog It Takes a Church is very thought provoking while giving a glimpse into what type of community we are building at SCPC.

We enjoyed getting to know several of the new members that were in our class.  It is nice to belong to a wonderful community of people, and SCPC truly is a "Community for the community."

The Sweetest News

My wife and I have been waiting for this day with great anticipation.  We invited our respective parents and my former missionary grandmother (92 years old) over to the house on a beautiful San Clemente day for lunch.  The purpose was to announce that the child my wife is carrying is a Girl and that we plan on naming her Catherine.

The house was decorated with boy and girl baby items with pink, blue and white balloons.  We gave each guest a gift: a book, puzzle or toy for the family member to play with Catherine with upon her arrival.  For each of our mothers, we had purchased a book a child could teethe on with pages to insert family photos.  We had for each family a nice collection of photos for them to share with Catherine.  The second photo was a picture of my wife and I in Catalina that had the family tree of both sides going back to the the Great Grandparents and showing Catherine as the child to be.

It was exciting to see their faces as they figured out that God is giving us a little angel.  We pray good health and God's care upon our little Catherine as she enters her 20th week of pregnancy.  I know my wife will be a terrific mother, and with Providence's grace, I hope to be a good father.

I am a proud and happy man today.  July 28th is the due date.  I look forward to seeing our Catherine and holding her close and telling her that she is very loved indeed.

Human Stupidity

We are back from vacation.  It was nice to get away from work and relax.  From the ship we were on I caught the images of people grieving over the loss of loved ones from the rains and mudslides in California. 

I also witnessed the stupidity of people driving over washed out roads, in front of camera crews with clearly marked "road closed" signs.  Sure enough, they were swept up in the currents and stalled.  How could someone risk their family.  I saw one older woman driver with what appeared to be her daughter and grandchild in the minivan.  When they tried to get away from the stuck minivan they were swept away and endangered the life of the rescuers that saved them.

The only gratification in watching the images was the humiliation of the ignorant driver when their pants were pulled around their ankles being hoisted into the helicopter on national television. 

Unfortunately, another story didn't result with the family being rescued and another such impatient driver lost her child who was washed away. 

Retreating to Palm Springs

Marriage may be one of the most important decision of a person's life.  It is one of the few relationships that we choose to carry us through a lifetime.  It is also the one we can often neglect to maintain if we are not careful.  Working harder on the job, focusing more on one's hobbies, spending time with friends can all be easier to do than investing in a marriage.  However, few things are as rewarding as a solid marriage.  My wife knows my flaws, she sees them up close and loves me with depth and feeling. 

My wife in I believe in putting regular effort into making our marriage stronger.  Before we moved to be near the ocean and family, we attended Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena.  We belonged to a large group of young (we liked to think of ourselves this way) married couples.  One of our annual retreats is to Smoke Tree Ranch in Palm Springs.  Our speaker is Dr. Dave Carder, who is a Pastor at a church in Fullerton.  By coincidence, we went to him for pre-marriage counseling.  He is exceptional at motivating and teaching clear communication sytles between people.  He has written several books as well.

We look forward to seeing our friends, building on our marriage and enjoying a beautiful weekend in Palm Springs. 

Joy Beyond Words!

I started the blog with the prior posting "Beginnings".  I had no idea how true that statement was for me.  I finished up posting, left my office for over an hour drive home to avoid traffic (My office HQ is over 70 miles from home). I had not been home since Wednesday morning.  We hired our first employee for the company and my business partner and I were working away until midnight the night before, so I decided to stay at a nearby hotel rather than drive home to drive back again before traffic with little sleep.

I was greeted by our very two loving, 8 month old English Bulldogs, Clementine and Sydney.  My loving wife was eager for us to finish dinner and go to the beach.  It was a clear beautiful night, with a partial moon reflecting over a calm Pacific Ocean.  She set up three candles and handed me a precious card.  I started to cry.  I have never felt the pure joy I felt tonight as I did when she told me we are having a Baby! Our first child.

We have been praying for over a year to start a family.  Our prayers have been answered.  We thanked the Lord for this miracle of life.  I am still in shock.  I am going to be a father.  I am so very excited and filled with a peace and joy that I cannot describe.

May God Bless our family and our child.  The quote below resonates even more to me tonight.  I am a very happy and blessed man.