M & M and Co.

Inside and Out!

2012-02-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

This was a big week at the house!

So much stuff changed and so many people were there coming and going.

At one point we had Kevin and his crew, Justin the plumber, Jeff the electrician, the guy from Noland doors, Jeff our cabinet man and a crew roofing.

Plus Mark and Owen working on the back deck.

That's a busy day at our place!

Here's what we have though:

All the plumbing is done but on Monday Justin will come back and test all the lines. Then he won't be back until it's time to install everything.

The platform for the tub in the master bedroom has been built:

The lights and wiring have been started:

The fireplace area has been walled in and it's ready to go:

The frames have been built for the pocket doors leading to Mark's den:

The boys now have a bathtub:

Mark worked faithfully on his project all week.

(Do I even need to tell you that he loved every minute of it?

I thought not!)

The roof is completely done now and the majority of the siding.

Here's the back view:

The boy's side:

And the front:

Lots of changes in just one short week and lots of decisions that had to be made (Where do you want the lights in the hallway? What kind of lighting are you wanting to read by? Do you want a TV in the kitchen - um yeah! - and if you do what side of the kitchen would you like it on?)

I love making the decisions but a lot of them are about things that I have honestly never even thought about. I often just ask the electrician/plumber/roofer/builder/excavator/cabinet maker what their opinion is and what the benefits of one option over the other is and then go from there.

I can't wait to see what next week brings!

Mustache Outtakes

2012-02-07T21:47:00.000-08:00

You know what I love that I never knew I loved?

Mustaches on my children.

Who knew?

I love how 1.99 worth of materials, some scissors, and a camera pointed in their direction provided hours of entertainment for the boys.

(Plus hours of entertainment for their future wives some day! I can't wait!)

Owen first: This is what I get when I ask him to make cowboy faces.

Caleb's cowboy faces:

Then the silliness spread...

Maybe next time I'll post the ones of me wearing the fake mustache...

Super Bowl Sinfullness

2012-02-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

Sinfullness.

Full of sin + some -ness.

That describes how I feel after inhaling Super Bowl food.

I love the Super Bowl.

The anticipation of the two teams, the level of play, the player stories,

and of course - the commercials (although some are a little risky I must say for my boys to be watching).

But what I love most, hands down, is the food.

What does that say about me I wonder...

Normally, we are at some kind of Super Bowl party and have skads of things to choose from.

This year, since we have been so busy, we decided to just chill at home so I could enjoy the game as well as get some chores done (the dust bunnies were starting to growl and the laundry was breeding like, well, bunnies).

I decided to go ahead and make some of my favorite fast Super Bowl foods.

Taco Dip (using my friend Kylee's recipe - loved it since college!).

Chocolate Fruit Dip.

Sweet and Sour Meat-a-balls.

Tequila and Lime Chicken Wings.

Bacon-Wrapped Lil Smokies (with brown sugar on top - YUM!)

Plus some good old-fashioned Cheese and Bacon dip.

And last but not least, my favorite kind of fast and easy pie.

Gotta love the Super Bowl!

(and the food ...and the commercials...oh yeah - and the game too!)

Photography Class

2012-02-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

I have always loved and admired great photographers. The ones that can capture a moment so precisely that you feel you are right there with them. Or the ones that make you stop and look and then come back and look some more.

I love the sweet babies and the laughing siblings.

I love the close-ups as well as the wide-angle.

I love the serious moments and the silly ones.

After Caleb was born, Mark and I invested in a very nice 35mm Canon. We bought a few lenses and played around with it some but not much.

When the new digital cameras came out, we purchased a little point and shoot and we liked the results but I knew something was missing.

Finally, a few years ago, Mark sold his motorcycle and purchased a gun and I purchased a camera. Albeit it was a used Canon Rebel xti body but I did buy a few new lenses to go with it. I loved it right away but I have never been able to make it work "magic".

Everyone once in a while I could take a good picture but I was still very frustrated by my lack of knowing exactly what the camera could do.

Books weren't helping me, I certainly wasn't helping myself, so I decided this was the year. No more excuses - it was time, past time in fact, to take some classes.

It has been tricky. I have class Tuesday nights from 6-8 and Mark works every other one of those so half the time I take the boys with me. They play with i-touches or watch a movie on my laptop and they have also been models for us to shoot at times.

I have found that while some things are very easy for me to understand, like what the f-stop does, and how a faster shutter speed works and the purpose of different settings for the white balance, I am still working hard at getting all those things to work together.

It's like learning a new language I tell you!

While I am working at it, our instructor has us do different assignments throughout the week to practice skills.

We have practiced shooting at night:

We have practiced using the f-stop to create depth of field:

We have practiced staying in one place and just adjusting the dial on your shutter speed by one increment each shot in order to see how the light changes:

We have also practiced composing shots under different themes. This last week's theme was Time. You could take pictures of anything you could think of under that title. Most of my class took pictures of clocks (the suggestion in the homework paper) and some of those turned out pretty nice. Two people took pictures of the sky - one at daybreak, the other at sunset. I was going to do something with the date and the boys but I hadn't fully worked it out in my head. Then I drove past the cemetery in town and thought aha!

One other thing that we have worked on is not automatically deleting photos that we think didn't turn out perfect. This is a hard one for me because I am striving for perfect - perfectly crisp, perfectly clear, perfectly interesting.

But I do like this one of Caleb.

The lightening was very low, right at dusk, and the lens I was shooting with doesn't open very wide so not enough light was reaching my sensor.

The result was grainy, a little blurry, and not really interesting but for some reason I like it.

I really do.

Our next photo assignment is to choose a color and be prepared to share 20 photos focusing on that color. We have two weeks for this one since our instructor took a vacation to Aspen. I was going to go with red or orange since they are my favorite colors but then I changed my mind. I think I am going to shoot my least favorite color instead.

White.

We'll see how it goes!

Friday counts as Wednesday right?

2012-02-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

After much persistent encouragement (nagging) from my husband, I have finally found time to blog about the house again. In my defense...well, I won't bore you with the details... but I have been a busy, little woman.

I'm so glad it's Friday I could cry.

So, about the house. It's as awesome as ever! The roof is done being sheeted and the roofers start on Monday. We have finalized things with the plumber, the cabinet man, and the flooring man. (So many choices to make!) We meet with the electrician on Monday and they are starting to side the outside of the house next week as well.

Mark can't stand to not be down there on his days off, so he has finally managed to worm his way into a project.

He's beyond thrilled.

Mark is going to be putting in our back deck. Now this is just our baby back deck and we have plans to make a much larger one (with a pergola and outdoor brick fireplace) but this one will do for now!

I took the first pictures on Wednesday and then Mark called me at work and told me I had to come to the property as soon as I could.

They were putting in all the windows!

It made a huge difference.

We went with tan frames versus white or black.

Our builder and his crew were glad to have a place out of the cold wind to enjoy their lunch!

The windows in our bedroom are airport glass in order to keep out even more sound so that Mark can sleep better when he is working graveyard. We also had some frosted glass for the bathroom which will be right over the bathtub.

Here is a photo of our awesome builder - Kevin.

He and his crew of workers are the best. Kevin is a true craftsman. He takes his time, doesn't cut corners, and builds with the owner in mind. He offers us great ideas and thinks of so many things that we would never in a million years think of.

Since we have started, I have loved every single day of this whole process!

January Photo Challenge!

2012-01-31T21:45:00.000-08:00

January Photo Challenge

In the interest of trying to take more interesting photos, I asked my good friend Sarah is she would like to do a photo challenge with me. I told her we could take turns coming up with 5 different things to photograph and then we would have to blog about them at the end of each month. She loved the idea and quickly came up with 5 categories for us to shoot in! Please check out her photos as well here!

The Categories are...

Someone you work with:

This is a photo of an assistant at our school. Her name is Leigh and when Caleb was in kindergarten he tormented her repeatedly. She is so sweet and doesn't hold it against me at all! I love her sense of humor and her kindness most of all!

Shoes:

This is where Owen's boots love to be the most. In fact, the dirtier the place, the better. He even used his own money to buy some "spurs" for them at the dollar store. He thinks they help him run faster. I told him they're a must for all boys who are part cheetah like he is.

Something Blue:

I was at the cemetery taking pictures for my photography class assignment when I noticed this bright blue bear standing out among the gravestones. It made me sad to think of someone losing a child and I started thinking that I would like it to be my picture of something blue. It fits the category perfectly.

Something Historical:

This is the original Pilot Rock School House. It is now out of town a couple of miles and located in a field. I love looking at it each time we drive past it (usually only when we are out looking for animals to hunt). I have been looking for more information about it but I haven't had much luck yet (or I haven't been looking hard enough!).

Mustaches:

I have spent I won't tell you how much time on pinterest and I finally found something that I wanted (and could actually do!) on there. I saw a picture of a little boy with a mustache for his Valentine's Day cards and I wanted to copy that idea. So the boys and I headed out for quick shots in the backyard and we will be using them in our Valentine's.

This was so much fun! Now it's my turn to pick the categories!

Are you ready Sarah?!

Here they are:

1. Something ending in -ing

2. A road sign

3. Numbers

4. Something dangerous

5. Something striped

Movies I Have to Watch When Mark is Not Around

2012-01-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

Now that I have enjoyed the freedom of 3 snow days in a row, I must confess that I am starting to go a wee bit stir crazy.

The first day was great. I did all the usual snow day things - snuggled back under the covers for some extra shut eye, hung out in my pajamas until 11:00, watched a movie, read some of my Tim Tebow book, tried a new recipe, got caught up on my blog reading. All in all very unproductive and very perfect.

The next day when I got the call saying there was no school I was a little more surprised. Two snow days?! The possibilities stretched before me. I felt like I needed to get a little more accomplished so I cleaned the bathroom, balanced my checkbook, swept every room in the house, washed the window shades, made the boys do some reading and math, reorganized my pantry and each cabinet in my kitchen.

All by noon.

After that I started to hunt for things to do. I played games with the kids, read some more in my book, surfed the Internet for way too long, made some telephone calls to my friends to find out what they were doing to stay entertained. Most of them were pulling their hair out too.

Then I decided to organize my movies.

As I organized I quickly realized that there were a lot that I hadn't seen in a while.

I started to ponder why and then it hit me.

I have a bunch of movies that Mark can't stand.

Now Mark loves a good movie and is even willing to watch (and enjoy) the occasional chick flick.

That being said I believe that Mark doesn't like several of my movies for 3 main reasons.

Reason #1 - They are too mushy for him.

Take Titanic. We actually went to the movie theater to see this and while he enjoyed that one time, he has yet to ever watch it with me again.

He says it will damage his brain if he does...

Dirty Dancing falls into this category. Too long, too slow, too mushy.

Reason #2 - I have made him watch the movie with me too many times.

Lord of the Rings is one of my all time favorite movies - all 3 of them.

Mark and I went to the movies to watch all of them. He even stayed up after a graveyard shift to take me and even though he fell asleep in a couple parts, he did act very grateful to me for waking him up each and every time.

Fast forward a couple of years. My parents gave me the trilogy for Christmas and I made Mark sit down and watch it with me. He started to complain a little bit about Frodo being a wussy and that Sam was the real hero. The following year he decided that enough was enough and I can't even tempt him anymore.

Reality Bites fall into this category.

Reason #3 - His taste simply isn't as good as mine.

Mark loves fighting, shooting, blood, guts, heroes, death, and more fighting.

Think 300.

Mark is all for a lot less talk and a lot more action in his movies.

Now don't get me wrong. I love some of those movies as well. My second favorite movie in the world is Braveheart and Last of the Mohicans is up there as well.

But he also likes movies like Alpha Dog (stupid) and I Am Legend (I wanted to walk out of the theater and I still have nightmares).

Since today was a snow day as well, guess what I did. I watched me some movies.

First Dirty Dancing - love that movie!

Then Titanic - cry every time!

It took me all day to watch those two because I had to make sure the boys were occupied (they had several epic battles in their room involving dinosaurs, action figures, legos, and a snake Owen won at the fair) and fed.

When Mark comes home tonight I'm going to ask him if he would like to watch a movie. I can't wait to see his face when I offer up Pride and Prejudice.

(That movie falls under Reason #1)

Weekly Wednesday Update #5

2012-01-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

I love snow days!

They are such an unexpected day of joy!

Suddenly you have no plans, no worries about driving or no thoughts on how to keep your sanity during 4 inside recesses (I'm counting before school), and on Wednesdays - no 7:00 am PLC!

That alone is worth its weight in gold. Let me tell you.

But it wasn't a snow day for everyone. My poor Owen had kindergarten still out in Pilot Rock so it was just Mark, Caleb and I who got to have fun.

We went down to the property and checked out the bonus room. We now have stairs going up to it and a partial roof over the top of it.

This weather promises to slow down our builder a little bit but things have been going so fast, I don't think it will matter. This week we are getting in our windows and working on finishing the roof and walls.

Now, it's time for me to go challenge some boys at Mario World. They are having way too much fun in there without me!

Call me Crazy!

2012-01-15T16:25:00.000-08:00

This summer my best friend Dawn fell in love.

Keep in mind she has been married many years (to a pastor) and has 3 children.

Those weren't the things she fell in love with. I left for Europe for 3 weeks and when I got home she was on the phone telling me I HAD to come over as soon as I possible could because she wanted to share her new found love with me.

I asked for details and she wouldn't give me any over the phone.

Not a one.

That girl can be tough when she needs to be.

I eventually showed up at her place and she made me sit down, close my eyes, and hold out my hands.

She then placed a very, very heavy thing in my lap.

It was her new couponing book.

Seriously.

That's exactly what I said to her,

"Seriously! This is what I had to come over and see? This is what you are crazy-obsessed with right now?"

"Yes" was her reply and then for the next 28 and a half minutes she talked non-stop about how she couponed, why she couponed, and how much money she saved by couponing.

She had me at money saved.

I am a lover of a good deal.

A bargain.

A "steal".

I am all about saving money where and when I can.

Within a week, I had my own notebook set up and ready to go.

Within the next week, I embarked on my first price-matching, coupon-wielding grocery trip.

It involved Wal-Mart, which is one of my least favorite stores, but that was ok.

Wal-Mart is now my friend. We have come to terms, Wal-Mart and I.

Here's how I roll:

Step 1: On Sundays I buy The Oregonian which has ad inserts. I then cut them out and file them in my coupon binder.

(I apologize now for the quality of pictures.)

I then cut out any other coupons I see in the regular paper we subscribe to (The East Oregonian) like this one for 10.00 off a purchase of 75.00 dollars or more.

The next thing I do is go through the colored ads that come out each week from individual stores. I just look through Safeway, Albertsons, and Fiesta Foods. As I look through, I write down any items that I need to buy and what sale price they are at.

Then I go through my coupon binder and pull any coupons that match those items.

Then I'm ready to go shopping!

I do most of my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart now when I am wanting to price match and coupon because they are currently the only store in town who will accept other store's coupons as well as price match to any store within a 30 mile radius of Pendleton.

Here's a breakdown of my last trip. I included what the original price was, what I paid for it, and how much I saved per item. You can just scroll down to total savings if you want to!

Item Original Price Price I Paid Total Saved

Quaker Instant Oatmeal 2.50 1.67 .83

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars 2.68 1.30 1.38

Eggos 2.53 2.00 .53

Pillsbury Grand Biscuits 1.77 .75 1.02

Milk 3.19 1.50 1.69

Go-Gurts 2.50 1.62 .88

Pop-Tarts 2.25 1.49 .76

Nature Valley Granola Bars 2.98 1.42 1.56

Honey Nut Cheerios 3.00 2.00 1.00

Capri Suns 2.48 1.79 .69

Salad Mix 2.48 2.00 .48

Doritos 2.58 1.46 1.12

Tillamook Cheese Baby Loaf 9.78 5.49 4.29

Razors (women's) 5.78 2.89 2.89

Razors (men's) 6.34 3.17 3.17

Totals 52.84 30.55 22.29

Now of course, these totals reflect if I only purchased one of each of those items, which I didn't. On those with the best deals (milk, baby cheese loaves) I purchased more than one. I also wanted to make sure that my total grocery bill exceeded 75.00 so that I could take advantage of Safeway's 10.00 off coupon.

This being said, here are the totals for all of the groceries that I purchased that day:

Original Price Price I Paid Total Saved

144.44 74.42 70.13

See why I became a believer?

Now couponing is not for everyone nor is for "all the time" grocery shopping. At least not for me.

I love being organized so that part is easy for me, but if you're not organized - trust me- couponing is not going to work well for you.

Also, I only go couponing every other week. Dawn (and other die-hards) go a couple of times a week. I love it but not as much as her.

On my off weeks, I purchase the things I need for meals, mainly dinners, and those special things that I need for certain recipes. I try to stock up on key ingredients during my couponing times but there are still fresh produce things that never go on sale that I still need to pick up.

All in all, I love the fact that I am saving money that I can then spend on other things - like say a new house - or how about a new car sometime in my future? I think that while this isn't for everyone, it is certainly worth a try. Start small and be prepared! Have fun - ask some friends to coupon with you and even go to the grocery store with you the first couple of times!

Also, check out thekrazycouponlady.com

She is simply awesome! And she has videos and everything to help people like me (aka - overwhelmed easily!) get started!

One last thing. If you go the Wal-Mart route like I have be sure not to end up in the next video series by this musician. I'm just saying...

Weekly Wednesday Update #4

2012-01-11T17:01:00.000-08:00

Gadzooks!

E-Gadds!

Holey Moley!

I can't believe all the changes the house has undergone this last week. Truly amazing. It would have taken Mark and I at least 82 and a half days to get that much done. Maybe a day or two less but not by much. Trust me.

Last Wednesday we had one big wall and two baby walls.

On Thursday, the boys and I stopped by again, just in time for Caleb and Owen to "help" lift the last wall into place.

It was great!

When I drove down to the house today, I could see it start to take shape even from the road. The roof is going up and all the interior walls are framed as well.

Here's the view from the back:

And the view from the North side facing the garage:

Here's a fun maze on the inside.

The roof inside the family room:

That is one tall roof...but a very pretty sky today!

Mark and I have walked around and around the house discussing each room. I have already arranged and rearranged all the furniture (and figured out where I want my Christmas tree to go next year!).

It is too much fun!

I am seeing our dream come to life!

Owen(ator) in 2012

2012-01-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

Owen, Owen Owen.

Where do I even begin with this little boy?

He is sweetness personified.

Since he could first walk, Owen has always been the one who would go play and then come running back to me for a "fill-up" on love. He had to have a hug, snuggle, or kiss all the time.

As he got older, those fill-ups were less frequent but still a much needed part of Owen's day. He still blows kisses to me every morning when he goes to school, tells me he loves me more than I love him, and gives me kisses when I am least expecting them.

He is sweet.

He is funny.

He is kind hearted to a fault always wanting to pray for people in his class at school.

He loves the Lord.

He also love pickles. A lot.

He's a pesky little brother whose favorite color is camouflage (just like Caleb).

His favorite toy is his new backhoe (which isn't working Grandma!) and his monster truck.

Owen loves to eat pears and could watch the movie(s) Narnia all day, week, year long if I would let him.

His favorite food is macaroni and cheese

and he wants to wear his sweatshirt that he bought in Disneyland every single day. It makes him happy.

Owen would prefer to eat birthday cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner and he sincerely believes it's a food group - the best one!

His favorite animal is a jaguar and he thinks he is part one because he is "nocturnal" and has great eyesight. I'm not too sure about either of those but I'm not going to be the one to burst his bubble.

He loves to sing his own made up songs (often at a very loud volume!) and he also wants to learn how to play the drums.

I foresee a lot of sports in his future.

Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving because "you get to get with your famiwee."

He also has a few speech issues...l's, r's, th's.

I love all of them... I mean wuv all of them.

He still sleeps with his baby blanket but he's "not a baby Caleb! I just doesn't want to hurt "foofy's feewings!"

He is fierce when defending things he loves.

He loves his big brother. To the moon and back.

When he grows up he wants to be...

an army man with Caleb so he can

"fight for our nation."

His words, not mine.

Then he told me if he lives through the war he wants to be a policeman like Daddy.

When I asked him why he doesn't want to be a teacher like Mommy, he told me that it's because "teachers don't do anything hard."

I have failed teachers everywhere. Apparently I make it look so easy, Owen just doesn't get it...

I wish! It's time to educate that little man of mine and show him just how hard teaching can be!

Weekly (or bi-monthly since I often forget what day of the week it is) Wednesday Update #3

2012-01-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

Guess what?

We have walls!

Or I should say, We have 1 large wall and 2 baby walls!

The very first wall of the house went up today and Mark just "happened" to be there to help. (Truth is, it was his day off and he couldn't stand the thought of not being down there so he dressed in his working clothes "just in case" they needed his help.)

Caleb and I arrived shortly after school was out and Caleb had to go explore his "room" right away. He has decided that he wants to go with an all camouflage room with tanks on one side and army men on the other. Hmm... I think I would have preferred Star Wars but we'll see what I can come up with.

Mark and I walked all around the house today talking about landscaping ideas, the back deck, the garden, the orchard, and then more landscaping ideas and we threw in some fire pit ideas just for kicks. It's always fun to dream (since they're free and all).

Our concrete was also poured in the garage today and when we were visiting with our builder, Kevin, he said that I should come by tomorrow for some more pictures because ALL the walls would be up by then.

I think I might just have to make the trip down there.

While Mark and I were out there dreaming, our Realtors, Gary and Patty (who helped us buy the property and sell our old house) stopped by to check out the progress of things. Throughout the time of working with them, we have become good friends and I can't help but feel we were led by God to work with them. We met them through yard saleing (of course!) on the same day that we finally decided to look into this property some more. As we were at their yard sale, Mark noticed that they had a spotting scope for sale and he hemmed and hawed over it for a long time. I tried to tell him that with yard sales there is no mercy for those that procrastinate but he decided to not buy it. An hour or so later he changed his mind and we went back to their house only to discover that the spotting scope had been sold (for the record - I did not say "I told you so" until much later in time, like the next day). Anyway, as we got to visiting with these people, we discovered that they owned their own reality business and had built their own home. We talked for quite a while and when we left, Mark and I couldn't help but comment to each other on how nice they were. Later that week Mark asked me what I thought of the idea of him asking Gary and Patty to come down and do a walk through of our house. He wanted to hear their opinion of what would need to be done to our house in order to sell it and also how much they thought we could list it for. To make a long story short, they came down and our relationship has only grown from there. They have been a invaluable help to us through every step of the way and they are still continuing to help us with building ideas.

They are truly great people!

Caleb - Who is this kid?

2012-01-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

The other morning as Caleb and I were walking into school together, he turned to me and asked,

"Mom, are you ready to be a grandma..."

and then he paused while counting out loud,

"I'm 7 now and if I add 10 then I would be 17 and then 4 more years I would be 21 ...so... 10 + 4 is 14".

Then he turned to me again and said,

"In 14 years".

I smiled at him, this funny kid of mine, and said,

"Yes, if you met a girl who was good enough for you. One who was pretty and kind like Giselle in Enchanted. One who would be able to handle the fact that you are, and always will be, my firstborn child. If you met a girl like that then you could get married and then finish college and then

you could supply me with some grandchildren."

Just kidding. What really happened was I smiled at this funny kid of mine and said,

"Sure."

But that's a far less exciting way to end the story.

I want to talk about this child of mine. He is getting taller by the day and a little gangly-looking since he's so skinny. Before I know it, he's going to be taller than me. He is smart and an excellent reader. Over the break he lost another tooth, right in the front, and is now looking a little silly with all the gaps in his mouth. He loves, loves, loves Star Wars and is very imaginative no matter what he is playing. He is sensitive and kind and concerned with being healthy. He is so many things but what I love the most is that he is himself.

His favorite color is camouflage and his favorite toy to play with is his new Star Wars 4-legged walker. His favorite fruit is pears and his favorite TV show is ...you guessed it...Star Wars the Clone Wars cartoon.

When he gets to choose our lunch he always chooses grilled cheese sandwiches with granola bars. He is obsessed with playing Cars Monopoly right now and he and Owen play for hours over and over.

He is wanting a goldfish and he loves to tell jokes.

His best friend? When I asked him, he thought about it for a couple of seconds and then said "Owen".

His favorite cereal is Lucky Charms and he loves soccer above all other sports. Every once in a great while I will let him buy a drink from the store and he always chooses root

beer.

Christmas is his hands-down his favorite holiday and when it's his birthday and he gets to choose the menu, the last two years he has chosen the same thing - corn dogs with my strawberry/pretzel jello salad.

When he grows up he wants to go into the National Guard until Owen has graduated and then the two of them will become police officers and work with their Dad.

I tried to sell the highlights of teaching to him but since I don't get to carry a gun or arrest anyone, he wasn't buying it.

Plus he said Dad has a cool duty belt.

I agreed that the belt was pretty cool.

Then I told him that his teeth better grow in soon or he won't be able to find a girl to marry him. One who was pretty and kind like Giselle in Enchanted. One who would be able to handle the fact that he is, and always will be, my firstborn child. One that he could marry, finish college with and then

together, supply me with some grandchildren.

Just kidding. What I really said was that teachers are tougher than they look and they are smarter than police officers too.

Who gets summers off?

65 Years...

2011-12-31T14:24:00.000-08:00

14 years ago Mark and I had been dating for exactly 1 month when he asked me if I had plans for New Year's Eve -(of course I didn't because I had assumed I would be spending it with him - duh!). He asked me if I would like to celebrate his grandparent's anniversary with he and the rest of his family. It was his grandparent's 51st anniversary that year and in the previous years, the whole family would get together and dance, eat, and play games. It sounded like a lot of fun to me so of course I said yes. (I was still gaga over Mark at that point and I think if he had suggested we go mud wrestling I would have said "yes" but that's besides the point!)

That first New Year's Eve with Mark's family was wonderful. His grandparents practically sparkled with love for each other and their family. I met so many of Mark's relatives and I loved each and every one of them. (That's the real reason why I married Mark - his family is simply awesome!)

Since that first New Year's Eve we have celebrated with grandpa and grandma some of the time and some of the time we have gone and done other things, but this year is a big year for grandpa and grandma. It's their 65th anniversary and we will be celebrating in a big way tonight.

The party will be out in Pilot Rock with lots of friends, family, food, and festivities! Grandpa and Grandma don't know everything that is planned and I can't wait to enjoy the surprise with them!

One of the surprises involves some different picture things and somehow I have ended up as the "official" family photographer! Luckily I don't mind one little bit. I loaded up my camera yesterday and we went over to the house and took some pictures. The weather wasn't cooperating but I did get a couple that I liked.

Mark's grandpa, Marvin, is such a handsome devil. He always has a twinkle in his eye as he teases you. But beware - he is a card shark and can "shoot the moon" every time his team is losing in pinochle!

Mark's grandma, Darlene, is the sweetest person I know and a true example of a "Godly woman". She has the most patient and giving spirit. Each person who knows her can't help but admire and love her. I know I do!

As I look at these pictures again I am still in awe of how strong their marriage is. 65 years... sheesh! That seems like close to forever to me! So many of Mark's and I's friends have struggled or even divorced after only a few years. It breaks my heart each and every time. I wish they could hear the stories of people who have made it work, who really took their vows seriously - for better and for worse - people like Mark's grandparents.

They've made 65 years look good - not always easy - but always filled with grace and love for each other.

My wish for all my friends and family is that their marriages will be filled with the same things. Let this new year be a time to renew things in their relationships. Things like romance, thoughtfulness, kindness. My goal is to do the same. To put Mark first, ahead of me and my own selfish desires. To pray for him and encourage him in every way I can. To lift him up and praise him for all that he does for me and the boys. To let him know every single day how much I love him and respect him for being the man that he is.

Maybe someday, on our 65th wedding anniversary, our grandchildren will be looking at us as the example to live up to and the standard to judge their marriages by!

Happy New Year's Eve and Hello 2012!

Weekly Wednesday Update #2

2011-12-21T20:28:00.000-08:00

Please ignore the wrinkled, 83 year-old looking, hand. I have been trying to take a picture of the house from the same spot each time so that I will be able to easily compare the before and after shots but today the sun was not cooperating at all and I was in a hurry.

I always seem to be in a hurry these days!

But no longer! I am officially on vacation now!

Whoot! Whoot!

So anyway, back to the house.

This week was a busy one down at the property.

We had the floor joists all put in and next week comes the floor.

Our friend Bob came out and moved rock into the garage so now it is ready for concrete next week. He also back-filled dirt against our foundation which gives the place a sloped look now. While he was out there he also worked on the road and dug a huge hole for us to bury a tree into.

Here's a better view from the back of the house.

This week was slated for some plumbing work to be done also. Their stands the main sewer line (or poop pipe in layman's terms).

I love how things change each time we go out there! Mark and I walked around on top of some of the "floor" trying to picture how it will look. It seems small to me but that's ok. Maybe it will magically be bigger once the walls are in.

Maybe my house payments will be magically smaller too once I get the first bill.

A coupon-clipping, Dave Ramsey-following, girl can only hope!

A Christmas Story

2011-12-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

This Sunday was the day of our church's Christmas program. All of the kids are included in some aspect of the program and they work super hard at memorizing their lines.

They are taught the whole story of the events surrounding Christ's birth.

They are taught the many different characters that played a part in the Christmas story.

During the rehearsals they are focused and intent, paying attention to the director, and not goofing off.

The day of the actual program? Chaos reigns. Children are putting on their costumes backwards and inside out, running around with wings on their backs and glitter flying everywhere, yelling at the top of their lungs "Where am I supposed to stand? What am I supposed to say?

What are we doing here?"

It was fun let me tell you.

Here is my own little man giving me his best "smile."

Luckily I got a better picture of him while he was laughing at himself. I really don't know how he was chosen to play one of the wise men. Maybe it's because he looks nice in a crown and his grandma is the casting director.

This guy was super pumped about his part. He played a priest named Zechariah who is an old man. He is visited by the angel Gabriel who tells him he will be having a child with his wife Elizabeth. Since his character was an old man, I put cornstarch in his hair to make it look gray.

For about 5 minutes I was THEE coolest mom in the world.

Then I had him put on his hat (turban?) and I lost some of my coolness.

Right before we headed upstairs Mom prayed with the kids after reading to them a verse from Joshua about being brave and not having any fear. It was a great verse but two seconds after praying I heard one kid say,

"I still think I'm going to throw up."

I could speak on and on about all the wonderfulness that is my mother-in-law, but I think I can sum it up by saying that she took this program on without flinching and could truthfully tell people "This is going to be so much fun!".

(I wouldn't/couldn't have done it for all the tea in China.)

The stage was all set.

Caleb was in the opening act and he was so ready. He had been practicing his lines for weeks - in the car on the way to school, before bed while I was tucking him in, while playing Uno with Owen...

that boy was ready.

During the story we had Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.

Shepperd's.

Angels.

And then it was time for the wise men.

Owen had one line and one line only but you would have thought with the way he puffed out his chest in pride that his line was the most vital and important to the whole story.

"We have followed the story and we will bring worship to him."

Immediately after delivering it, he looked at me and beamed.

Maybe he did have the most important line...

Throughout the story, songs were interspersed and the whole congregation would sing along.

Not to sound too corny but it was beautiful - truly.

At the very end of the play, the wise men come before baby Jesus and bow down in worship.

Owen took a large step (for him) and caught the edge of his toe on the stage and biffed it. Right in front of everyone. He looked back at me and I motioned to him to just kneel down like the other wise men and thankfully enough he understood my rapid hand movements and gestures.

Later he asked me if anyone noticed and I told him

"Nope, the whole thing from beginning to end was perfectly perfect."

And it was.

Weekly Wednesday Update

2011-12-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

I've decided, or I should say, Mark has decided that each Wednesday I will be posting updates of our house. I tend to be so sporadic with my postings that it's probably a good thing that Mark has become bossy about this, otherwise who knows when I would remember to post updated pictures of our building process!

Since last week when the construction started we have seen lots of stuff happen as well as the outside temperatures get really, really chilly.

Last week the footings and stem walls were put in and this week concrete was poured in between the stem walls. The walls are all covered in super thick tarps today so that the concrete can stay "warm" and finish curing. My understanding (and take that with a grain of salt!) is that the next step is to put down a sill plate (?) and then TGI's. Then once those are down, they will put the flooring over the top of.

I could be wrong! Either way, the house is going to sit a lot higher than I originally thought, which is cool. In fact, our builder thinks we might be able to see the creek from inside the house which I didn't think was possible unless the creek was running really high that day.

Owen wanted to help me take the picture so he is inside the house showing you where the garage is going to be.

This is a lot of fun now that we have really started to build!

My 1st (un)official photo shoot!

2011-12-12T18:57:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to be busy!

Life has been wonderful here at our little homestead.

We are not doing our "normal" Christmas things (advent wreath, a fun-family activity each night, baked goodies, etc.) because all of our stuff is in storage.

Not only is it in storage, it is buried at the very back at the bottom of our storage unit.

Doesn't matter here at the Golter house though because we have decided to just make this Christmas season together a little different.

We have a 2 foot tree instead of a 12. I let the boys decorate it however they wanted so they whipped out their markers and crayons and quickly made every kind of ornament you could think of.

We have scenes depicting snow forts with snowball fights occurring between snowmen.

We have Santa's elves.

We have Santa himself.

They were occupied for hours busily creating! It was great because the Broncos were playing and I was busy watching! (Just for the record I have been a huge Tebow fan since his college days!)

I don't think the boys even noticed that our tree was tiny.

We are focused on blessing others and thinking less of how to bless ourselves. (Our house is finally being built! What more could we ask for?)

In the spirit of giving, when my friend called me up and asked if I would come and do there family pictures I instantly said yes. Well, first she said she wanted to pay me, and after laughing for quite some time, I told her that I would love to take her pictures but that I wouldn't accept any money.

Taking these pictures was so much fun! And everyone listened to me like I was the boss or something!

"Ok, now I want you to stand over here and picture me in my underwear..."

I got great smiles every time!

I was able to practice some of the new techniques I am learning in my photography class and I learned a lot about trying to shoot pictures of other people that weren't just candids.

Not the least of which was that babies produce a lot of

fluids. I'm talking the spit up and pee variety along with the regular drool and poopy stuff.

It was quite the crack up!

Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot:

I can't wait until I can do some more!

(Also, I can't wait until I can save up some money for Photoshop! Then even more possibilities exist!)

Construction has Commenced!

2011-12-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

Finally.

FINE - AL- LY!

After months of tweaking building plans, getting bids, re-getting bids, going to store after store to price things, submitting plans, getting things inspected, etc. etc.

We are finally starting to build!

I am so excited I can hardly contain myself!

I am working on a Jedi Caleb post, a post about Mark and I's new running goals, and a post about ... couponing! I'm sure you can hardly wait! Stay tuned though, because I will also be posting soon about my photography classes, technology cadres, trainings for a race in March, couponing and my new book club!

My New Favorite

2011-11-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving has to be one of my most favorite ever.

Ever.

Every minute of it was perfect.

Well almost.

The trip down to the beach was a little lacking in the fun department. It could be blamed on the dog vomiting in the car. Or the bumper to bumper traffic. Or the non-stop poring rain. Or the fact that I, once again in the role of the "Navigator" got us lost. Or that my deodorant quit working right when I really needed it to. But needless to say, once we reached our destination, all that other stuff was forgotten!

This year we traveled to Manzanita with some friends of ours, The Summerfields - Bob, Julie and their 4 children, and we rented a beach house together. Let me tell you all the things I loved about this trip.

I loved...Football on the beach. Owen pretended to be Tim Tebow.

(And so did Mark).

I loved... Mark posing for me so I could practice using my camera on the beach. What a good husband I have!

I loved ... watching our dog have the time of her life and act like she was a puppy again.

I loved ... The weather on Friday and Saturday. No wind. On the Oregon coast you know that is rare! We were quick to take advantage of it and the kids got busy right away digging in the sand.

The kids would dig and dig and then wait with anticipation for the waves to come so they could see how their castle fortifications would hold up.

I loved ... Seeing how much fun they were having. It made my heart sing it's own happy song.

I loved ... How men will be men. Bob and Mark braved the cold weather and got wet. They kept their sweatshirts on mind you, but they did hang out in the surf for a looooong time solving the world's problems.

Sierra was the only girl brave enough to join them. I used my camera as an excuse!

I loved ...hanging out with people who we have so much in common with. We had the best conversations over food, games, movies, and just hanging out.

The two of them have a love for each other and their children that is awesome to see.

I loved ... How effortless everything was. A truly relaxing vacation can be hard to come by but I found it this week and while it was hard to leave, it was truly a Thanksgiving to be thankful for!

Turbulence = Turbulent Tummies

2011-11-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

Carry-ons? Check.

Disneyland tickets? Check.

Barf bags? No barf bags! Well that's not a big deal.

I would be remembering those thoughts bitterly just a few short hours later. I would also be wearing and smelling them too.

Last Spring Break, Christmas was no longer the coolest day of the year in the eyes of my children. It was the day they got to fly on a magical airplane to take us to the happiest place on Earth. I could hear them talking about our trip before they went to bed and I could hear them whispering about it again at the buttcrack of dawn the next day. Mom and Dad G. drove us to the airport and the whole way there the boys kept talking about the airplane and who got to sit by the window.

As for myself, I was already feeling queasy. I hate flying. It's the whole taking off and landing part. And also the part in the middle where I am suspended several miles above Earth. Maybe it's also the part where if something goes wrong - I have a snowball's chance in hell of fixing it. And yes, the turbulence just confirms my belief that people were not meant to fly and it's a miracle every single time I am in a plane and don't die.

All that being said, I was excited by the excitement of the boys. How could I not be?
Once we boarded and settled in I was happy. To be honest the entire first flight was pleasant. We landed in Utah with no problems and all we had left was a short flight over some mountains and then we would land in sunny California.

Again, we boarded, Caleb and Owen sitting with me on one side and then Mark across the aisle from us. It was Caleb's turn for the window seat and he was thrilled to death. I was just anxious to be done with the plane rides and get to our destination so our real vacation could begin.

Take off was smooth and time quickly passed. The boys were playing with some i-touches I had borrowed from a friend, Mark was chatting with the people in the seats next to him and I was content reading Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. Then the first bumps started. No big deal. I was calm, cool, collected - bumps don't bother this woman. That's the image I was trying very hard to project. Then the bumps escalated and our plane pitched a wee bit. Hmmm... As the bumps increased the volume of sweat in my armpits did also. I put away my book and began to grip my handrests in the hope that by my holding tight to them it would somehow miraculously force the plane to stop doing what it was doing. (Logic is not included in the telling of this story). Conversations were beginning to stop and the fasten seatbelts signs came on, when the pilot came over the loudspeaker telling us that we were passing through a storm system and we would be experiencing some turbulence. I had thought that's what we were experiencing but nope, that was small stuff compared to what was coming.

The bumps increased and at one point the plane dropped so suddenly that the overhead compartments in the back opened, things came flying out, and my coat that was in my lap, flew up and hit the ceiling. In between my steady praying I decided I needed to check on the status of my children and be ready to give them the "This Is Normal and We Are Perfectly Safe" speech. I opened one eye and peeked over at them. This is what they were doing in the midst of the worst turbulence I have ever experienced:

Both of them have their hands in the air just like you do on a roller coaster ride. They are laughing with wild abandon and at one point Owen says "This is the best ride ever!".
Needless to say they were not concerned.

Finally, the worst part of it was over. Conversations began to resume throughout the airplane. I begin to unclench my hands from the armrests truly believing it was partly my valiant efforts that kept us in the air. The pilot made another announcement saying that the we were waiting our turn to land at John Wayne International but that it wouldn 't be much longer. So began the circling...

It all started with the child who was sitting behind Mark. His parents were behind me and I heard the boy whisper to his Dad, "Daddy... I don't feel good". The Dad told him to hang on; that we were almost done.

The poor kid couldn't hang on. He threw up all over the place. Mostly on the floor but some on the seats, some on his Dad and some on himself. I covered my nose and tried to think happy thoughts when I happened to glance at my children to see how they handling the vomit. Caleb looked at me and I instantly noticed he was white. Very white. I asked him if he was doing ok and he silently shook his head. Now Caleb is my "well child". The one who is never sick and has only thrown up maybe 3 times in his life and that number might be an exaggeration. I started to look for a barf bag and that's when I remembered not being concerned about it earlier. I finally found one in the seat in front of Caleb and just as I brought it up to his little face, he vomited. The poor peanut tried to get it all into the microscopic size hole of the bag while I held onto the bottom of it and rubbed his back. I tucked Owen into my armpit figuring it had to smell better than the fresh puke that was barreling out of his brother's mouth. As the bag filled up with hot liquid (that I ccould feel as well as smell) I suddenly realized that motherhood has given me superpowers! I could overcome the smell of vomit! I had some on me, was holding some in my hand, and I didn't feel the slightest big queasy! Just as Caleb's vomit was getting close to cresting the top of the bag he leaned back and said he was finished. I motioned to a stewardess and handed the whole stinking mess off.

We were preparing to land by this point and all I could think of was that I was so grateful to be getting off the plane. I looked over at Mark to share my thoughts and saw that he was also holding a barf bag and looking green so I didn't want to break his concentration. I figured he was holding it back by sheer force of will. This is the guy that vomited our entire deep sea fishing trip and who cannot even look at a Tilt-A-Whirl without gagging.

Just as I started to look away, I saw out of the corner of my eye the person in front of Mark vomit. Seriously. Right into her lap. The smell in the cabin of that airplane was becoming a little much - even for me with my newly discovered superpowers. I was also starting to realize the limit of said superpowers. They only applied to the vomit of my own offspring. Other people's puke was still disgusting. And the smell of it was making me want to puke in sympathy.

We were finally done, the fasten seatbelts sign was off and I unbuckled Owen and moved him towards Mark so that I could help Caleb clean up with some napkins and spit. Just as I finished, I heard Owen say "Mommy" and I turn in time to see Mark put the barf bag in front of Owen. Owen then vomited for the next 5 minutes while I could only watch in disbelief.

Finally. Finally. We were allowed to leave the plane and I was already swearing to myself that I would never fly again when I noticed that there were towels and bags all over the seats and aisles everwhere. We had sat towards the end of the plane and after passing several towels, I finally spot one that has leftovers on it. Puke! The people of this plane had been vomiting everywhere! We had to step over it and go around it all the way to the front.

You know how when you are leaving the plane, the pilots and stewardesses are smiling and thanking you for flying with them? Not this time. Our flight crew all wore shell-shocked faces and couldn't form a coherent sentence much less muster up some thanks for having us fly with them.

I don't know who had to clean up that plane, but I think they earned a bonus and a half that day. Once we were safely in the airport the boys finally broke their silence.

Caleb: "Mommy, I am never, ever, ever flying in an airplane again."
Owen: "I want Grandma and Grandpa to drive down and pick us up when it's time to go home."

I was all for Owen's idea but Mark vetoed it and said by the end of our time in Disneyland we would have forgotten all about our plane ride that was bathed in throw-up. Whatever - trust me. The memory was emblazened in my mind and it would rear it's ugly and smelly head again later in the summer when it was time for me to fly to Europe.

But that's another story for another time. Happy flying everyone!

Flashbacks

2011-11-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

Since almost a year has passed since I was blogging I am going to make you suffer through lots (and lots!) of past footage. I am going to do this for a couple of reasons.

Reason #1 - I don't scrapbook anymore and I need to do something to preserve memories of my children's youth.

Reason #2 - We had so much fun doing some of these things that I can't stand to keep it to myself!

Be prepared for lots of pictures of ...

DISNEYLAND!

Last winter, Mark and I decided to take the boys on a trip to Disneyland. We had been thinking about the idea for a while and debating whether or not the boys were too young, whether or not Owen was too short and whether or not we should be doing such a thing while in the process of selling our house. In the end, we decided what the heck and we went for it. We purchased our trip in December for the upcoming Spring Break and we were ready to go.

So March rolled around and we still hadn't told the boys we were going. I decided to do a scavenger hunt the day before we left to clue them in. Mom and Dad G were part of the fun and I managed to catch a few minutes of it on video.

Be warned! My amateur video efforts here are more reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project than any noteworthy effort of filming. But I did get some great moments and I also captured Caleb's efforts at reading. FYI - the word he miscues on is Mickey and he says McKay instead. Totally changed the whole meaning of the clue. His reading teacher (me) should have been working with him!

THERE SHOULD BE A VIDEO HERE BUT MY COMPUTER IS NOT COOPERATING SO I WILL TRY AGAIN IN THE MORNING! STAY TUNED! INSTEAD PLEASE BE THRILLED TO PIECES WITH THIS PICTURE...

This is Owen's super sneeky spy look. Don't ask.Tomorrow (or possibly the day after or even possibly sometime this weekend...) I will post about the airplane ride that gave me my first gray hair, cured me of my phobia of handling vomit in a bag, taught me that there are worst things on an airplane than turbulance, and convinced me that flying really is for the birds - not people!

I don't really get it either. I just know it about breaks my camera every time he does it, which is at least 349 times a day.

Be prepared and have a barf bag handy!

What's New - Post #1

2011-11-11T13:45:00.000-08:00

It has already been almost a year since we have sold our house, bought 6.25 acres, moved in with Mom and Dad out in Pilot Rock and started the adventure of building our own home.

This is our new home:

"Hmmm..." your probably saying to yourself. "Um, Miriah... where is the house?"

Well, let me tell you my friends, the house is still in our heads at this point, but believe it or not we are getting closer to someday living in this fictional house of ours. As of today we have finished the utilities, have the gravel driveway done and are now ready to pour concrete. Mark has told me it could be this week or it could be the week after. In building a new house terms that means the same thing as:

It will happen when it happens.

I have learned to put little faith in time lines.

Working on the property has been a ton of fun though and since we have moved out of Mom and Dad's into a rental here in town, we have had lots of time to spend on the place. Now that things are finally moving along, we have made sure the boys are right in the thick of things.

Whether it's digging the trench for some utilities...

Or just digging...

Or marking the lines of the house for the excavator...

Or being the excavator...

the boys have had a ball!

Officially Official

2011-01-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

Let me sum up the past few weeks for you:

We packed.

We moved to Mark's parents house (Drive through Pilot Rock, turn left at the Y junction and drive until all your radio stations stop working and any rainfall turns into snow).

We cleaned.

We unpacked.

We sold.

We bought.

Are you with me now?

It has been a busy, busy time but I am feeling great now. We are all moved in and settled into our temporary home. It's so great here though, I don't know if I'm going to want to move out!

The first night here I came home from work and dinner was ready and all my laundry was done.

How cool is that?!

I could really get used to this.

It's like having my very own wife!

A big chapter of our life has just ended and we are ready to take the plunge into another one. As of today Mark and I sold our home and bought 6 and a quarter acres. We have no debt what-so-ever and we plan to stockpile for a little while so that we only have to take out a 15 year mortgage when it is time to start building. We meet with our builder next week to go through the house that we have picked out and to get ready for our next plans of action.

Here are a few pictures of the property.

This is from our future driveway. We own all the way to the bottom of the hill. The creek that was in our old backyard is alongside the southern and western part of our new property as well.

We had some visitors while we were walking around. You would think these were our personal deer with the way Mark went on and on about them. Feed plots, planting trees for them, hay in the winter...

The view from my future kitchen window. Can you picture the big red barn on your right with our horses grazing peacefully in the green pasture? Do you see our orchard towards the left? Do you see all the possibilities?

This is where the creek is alongside the southern part of our property.

We have big plans - Mark and I. Orchards, chickens, horses, a huge pumpkin patch for great big fall get-togethers, a garden, a couple of cows, maybe a pig. Lots of dreams and lots of hard work but all the possibilities are endless! I get giddy just thinking about it all and I'm sure I've bored several people to tears talking to them about it but I can't help it. I'm bursting at the seams!

I will try to keep this as updated as I can but the internet connection out here is a wee bit slooooooooow. I log on, go use the restroom, come back and it is still connecting. But I will post all the big news - don't worry! And before you know it, you will be invited to come see the Golter farm for yourself!

Guess what today is!

2011-01-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

Moving Day!

This year...

2011-01-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

With a new year starting it is normal to sit down and reflect on the previous years happenings. Reflecting is something that I don't often get to do. I am always too busy looking ahead.

Planning for the next day. Making sure to have the boys' lunches, clothes and backpacks ready for school. Making sure my lesson plans are done and everything is ready to go before my twenty-four 1st and 2nd graders come running in the door. Making sure that I have what I need ready for dinner that night.

Planning for the next week. Do I have a babysitter lined up for Bunco on Thursday? Did I turn in the daycare schedule for Owen? Am I ready for the next building committee meeting on Sunday after church?

Planning for the next month. Finding the Valentine's that I bought last year after Valentine's Day for 75% off. Looking ahead and trying to budget how much cash I need for groceries, gas, and other things.

Planning, planning, planning. I do a lot of it and I like to do it. But there comes a time when I need to stop planning and just sit and reflect on what has gone on before. Live in the moment and stop thinking of what is going to happen next.

Otherwise this happens. My sweet, happy, drooling little baby turns into a 5 year old.

Not that I don't like the 5 year old but I do really miss having a drooling baby around.

Overall 2010 was a good year for our family. A year where Mark and I made a lot of big decisions. We decided not to put Owen in kindergarten even though he turned 5 in July. His mom is still upset (I think) but we had our reasons.

I decided to switch schools and teach at McKay so that I could see Caleb every day. I love walking with him to school and talking to him about the things that happen in his day. I love knowing exactly what and who he is talking about. All his special things I get to participate in and even though it was very hard to leave my old school and students, it was definitely worth it.

With Dad's accident over the summer, Mark and I rededicated ourselves to making sure that our family knows every day how much we love and treasure them. Mark includes the boys in all his hobbies from hunting to gardening and he makes sure they know how much he loves them. My goal was to not worry so much about the house being clean and the laundry being done. I wanted to go for more bike rides and play in the mud and just be available to do what they boys want to do for a change. I often make them march to the beat of my drum and I would like to think that I have relaxed a bit more and given them a voice also.

Putting our house on the market was a huge decision for us. We like our house, we are happy in our house. It's where we brought our babies home, it's where we turned into the "do-it-yourselfers" and became Home Depot's best customers. But that little thought of "what if" danced around in our heads long enough to make us take the plunge and go after our dream of having a little bit of property of our own. A place where the boys can ride 4-wheelers and horses. Collect eggs from our own chickens and run and yell and hoop and holler and not disturb anyone but our cows.

The boys are in love with the idea of it. Caleb has drawn our garden containing some ledis, prpll ledis, appl's, cerits, cabig, ptedos and even some breb.

He even decided to help Mark and I out by planning our barn and pasture as well as the corn maze that he wants to have. He was even thoughtful enough to include two tractors - one with a mower attachment- for us to use in the field.

I am excited at what the Lord has in store for us this year - 2011 - and I only hope that I am up to the task. I hope that I continue to treasure these two little boys that I call mine as well as appreciate my husband the way he deserves to be appreciated. I hope that I will place other's needs before my own and remember that I am only a steward of what the Lord gives me and not the owner. I hope for a lot of things but mostly I hope to appreciate all that I have and not take anything for granted.

That is my hope for you as well!

Welcome 2011 and all the surprises you have to bring!

My very own Christmas (break) traditions

2010-12-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

Every year after the excitement and festivities of Christmas has passed, I have a few last things of my own that I always do before school starts again.

I always clean my house from top to bottom while I am putting away all the Christmas decorations. I like to start the new year off with a clean house.

I always take out our card table and work on a 1000 piece puzzle. I never seem to have time or room to do this any other time of the year.

But the thing that I do every year after Christmas, the thing that I love the absolute most - so much in fact that you could say it was my favorite, or even better yet - my precious - is to watch all 3 Lord of the Ring movies.

Now this might not seem like a challenge for most people but it is certainly a challenge for me. I feel like Frodo trying to make it to Mordor with only the aid of his best buddy - Sam. I have to schedule a time where the kids are either a) gone from the house or b) fast asleep. I don't aprove of them watching these movies yet. It could be because of the fact that some (ok, most) of the orcs scare me. It could also be because I was allowed to watch the movie Gremlins when I was only 7 years old and had nightmares afterwards into my teenage years. Even now I never, ever, let my arm dangle off the side of my bed just in case. But don't tell anyone that. I don't want to give up my tough guy image just yet.

I also have to schedule a time when Mark is a) gone from the house or b) working. There was once a time when Mark liked these movies. Unfortunately that time has passed. It passed about 5 years ago after the 10th showing of the movies. Frodo drives him absolutely bonkers because Mark thinks he's a wuss and that Sam is the real hero and so now Mark likes to talk throughout the entire movie. This has almost led to a divorce for us. (Just kidding!) But for the sake of our marriage I do try to watch them while he is nowhere around.

The third challenge I face is my own schedule. I have to make sure that all my other things are done before I can sit down and relax to enjoy the movies. Because when I finally sit down to relax and enjoy - I relax and enjoy. To prepare I will go put on my favorite comfy pajama bottoms, with comfy slipper socks so my toes don't get cold. I will have on hand a bowl of just-popped-movie-theatre-style popcorn. I will make sure that within reach I have all the remotes I need as well as a blanket to cover my eyes with when the movie gets too scary. I mean too exciting. And then I will press play.

Aaahhh. Relax and enjoy people. Relax and enjoy.

Christmas Eve Traditions

2010-12-26T20:23:00.000-08:00

Lots of soup to eat. Plenty of songs to sing. Several stories to share. Games to be played. Family to hang out with.

This is our Christmas Eve traditions.

As people start to arrive the games begin.

Even though there wasn't any snow left on the ground, it didn't stop us from having a snowball fight.

Before too long colored balls were being launched through the air every which way and there was no mercy shown by anyone. If you were on the grass, you were a target to be pummeled. If you had a camera in your hand, you were a target to be pummeled. Those kids were vicious!

The big kids joined in too!

It was every man for himself and you had to watch your back because the balls were coming from every direction.

Often everyone was moving around so fast I couldn't get a semi-clear shot to save my life.

After the snowball fight the munchkins went on a scavenger hunt and the adults headed in to get prepared for dinner.

Molly Kay was doing her best Rachel Ray and making some yummy squash soup for all of us to enjoy.

Aunt Linda and Uncle Glenn had their doubts as to whether or not the squash soup was suitable for consumption.

I think it passed the test!

Sweet grandma Darlene kept walking around giving everyone hugs and smiles.

Grandpa (or Poppa G as we call him) was still a little tired from his surgeries a couple weeks ago. He had part of a lung removed as well as a pacemaker put in and we were all so excited that he was feeling well enough to hang out with us.

Mom passed out small presents to each of the kids that had numbers on the bottoms of them. Starting with the number one, each child opened a gift. Each gift contained a symbol representing some part of the Christmas story and Harley would read verses from the Bible that went with it. Mom is so clever! The kids loved this and didn't want the story to end.

This Christmas we all felt especially blessed to have Dad with us. His accident only made us all appreciate and love him more than ever. He is doing great and he kept saying how blessed he was by all of us.

After the Christmas story we turned off the lights and sang songs.

Josh's guitar playing adds a lot to our plain old voices.

As the songs finished, all but the immediate family left and then it was time to get down to business. The business of game playing that is. We don't watch movies or simply sit around and talk. We are all excited to play the latest games. We played some Hill-Billy rummy and then switched it up with a few other games as well.

This is a heated game of go fish.

Before bedtime for the kiddos we break out the advent wreath.

Mom lit a candle and reviewed lessons about Jesus that the kids have learned. Then it was time for some more songs.

After the children go off to bed, the adults start to stuff stockings. It can be quite an adventure to do this while everyone is doing the same thing. Then we stay up way too late playing more games and then attempt to get some sleep before Christmas morning arrives (which is around 6:00 for the kids). All in all, it was 100% perfect!

Tamales - Mark's favorite vegetable!

2010-12-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

Getting to know your significant other's family is always an interesting experience, right?

Mark and I started dating right after Thanksgiving 13 years ago and the first night I met his parents was when Mark invited me over to do the advent wreath with them on a Sunday night. I think it was 3 days after our first official date. I of course started to sweat bullets not only at the prospect of meeting his family for the first time but because I was supposed to know what an advent wreath was. Needless to say, nowhere in my Catholic upbringing did we cover this.

Mark picked me up and drove me way out into the country to his parent's house. His mom met us at the door and gave me a huge hug after we were introduced. I liked her immeidately. Then I had to meet Mark's dad - instantly liked that guy too! Next up were Bill, Mark's brother and Molly - Bill's girlfriend at the time (now his wife). After visiting for a few minutes everyone started to sit down on the floor in a circle around a wreath that had candles placed in it. A bit awkwardly I followed suit - when in Rome, right?

Mark's dad led the discussion about what each candle had stood for in the previous lessons. I still remember. They were studying the four gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and how each one depicted Jesus in their writing. In one He was a prophet, another he was our Savior, and that night's lesson was how Jesus was a man like us. I soaked it up and thought this was the coolest tradition ever. I wasn't even a Christian at the time - that came later after Mark told me I was going to Hell. (A romantic moment if there ever was one.)

Anyway, after the lesson, Mark's family started to break out in songs. Christmas songs. I whispered them as I sang because I didn't want my singing voice to be a deal breaker for Mark and I, plus I hoped to be invited back for next week's lesson. As our night ended and Mark drove me home, I asked him if I had done ok. He said everyone had loved me and not to worry - they all knew it was my first time doing this. "How could everyone know? I acted like I knew exactly what I was doing!" Mark replied "your sweaty hands gave you away when we all prayed after the lesson". Darn it anyway.

I invited Mark over to my house shortly after that and we played a game of Scategories with my mom, my dad and my grandma. My family had just finished making our annual Christmas tamales and I had mentioned to Mark that he could try some later that day. As we were playing Mark rolled the letter T and everyone quickly filled out their categories with words that began with that letter. When the timer went off, we all started to go through our lists one at a time to see what everyone had written down and to record points. We got to the word vegetable and debated whether or not my mom's answer of tomato counted (no it did not) and then it was Mark's turn to share his answer. "Tamales!" he shouted out triumphantly, proud as all get out. No one else had written that down, of course. My grandma and parents just looked at him to see if he was kidding, then they looked at me. I started laughing and through my hiccups I explained to Mark exactly what a tamale was. My family still teases him to this day about tamales being a vegetable.

Well, that was a long way to get to today's post - tamales! Yesterday was the day my family got together to make tamales and I took a few pictures just to make sure that none of you think it's a vegetable either. My family has made tamales every year since before I was born. It's a lot of work (mainly for my grandma) but it's a lot of fun too. All the women of the family and sometimes the men (Mark and my Dad mainly) sit around my grandma's tiny table in her tiny dining room and talk, laugh and tease while we make tamales.

Grandma will have spent the morning slaving away in the kitchen preparing the masa, the meat and the corn husks which are called hojas (OH - has). This takes a long time and it is the reason grandma doesn't usually have to prepare any tamales. She just gets to sit and hold any babies that are available or play with the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

On the table you will find lots of containers with these ingredients in them.

Everyone gets a plate, cutting board or something to create their tamales on. Then we get paper towels (tamales are messy) and start by getting some hojas and wiping the water off them. They have been soaked so that they are soft and ready to cook. You dry them off and you sometimes have to put two hojas together to create a big enough surface for your masa.

Once your hojas are prepared you use a spatula or spoon to spread the masa onto them. My first one I did backwards - Oops! You are supposed to spread the masa towards the large end and leave the pointy end masa free because that is the side that folds up.

Make sure the masa isn't too thin and make sure it isn't too thick and then you are ready for the meat. This has always been a bone of contention in my family. My grandma runs around yelling "You are putting in too much meat!" while the rest of us try to secretly put in more.

Once the meat is in, then you can add an olive if you want. I know some families add different things like pineapples or mushrooms but my family adds an olive.

All you have to do after that is fold up the pointy end and wrap it up like a burrito. Then my grandma cooks them in a steamer for just about forever or at least it seems like forever before they are done. We fill container after container of tamales and it can sometimes take two days to cook them all. It takes us hours just to assemble them all.

This year we had quite the distraction. What's better than one sweet new baby in the family?

Two!

These are my cousin Aubrey's sweet little twin babies and I think tamale making took a little longer this year because all the women of the family just wanted to hold them and play with them.

This is Camyron and she is already quite the diva. A mommy's girl completely she just liked to look around and take in all the noise.

This little man is Carson and I don't know if it's because I have two little boys or what but I have decided I am partial to baby boys. They are always happy and smiley and so darn cute. I talked with Carson and held him and fed him and even let him spit up all over me. He had that breathless way of cooing at you that just about had me in tears. I took a picture of him with my camera phone and sent Mark a message asking if I could have one for Christmas and he just laughed at me in reply. Isn't he cute? (The baby of course, not Mark. Well he's cute too but you know what I mean!)

Here he is before the camera goes off:

And here he is after! That flash will get you everytime!

Sigh. I LOVE babies!

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

This is the day blogging will resume!

I love December and the whole month of getting ready for Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year! It is very busy of course, as I am sure it is for everyone, but a lot of the "busy-ness" at our house is of our own design. Three years ago we started doing an advent calendar and countdown to Christmas with the boys. This is something that Mark grew up doing and I love it! Each day the boys pull out a paper from our calendar and we do whatever activity is says.

Each week we have one day of the advent wreath where we do a lesson about Jesus and all the other days we do something different.

One day we had breakfast with Santa (along with all the other police department families) and he had a special present for each child.

Before the children could have their present, Santa made them hang a candy cane from their finger. If the candy cane fell, it was a signal to Santa that the child had been naughty, but if the candy cane hung there then they had been nice.

One day the boys and I spent it doing fun Christmas activies around town. We went to the Convention Center and played games, listened to music, watched a performance of The Nutcracker and created Christmas art projects. Then we went downtown and watched the Carriage Parade. These are a few of our favorites from this year:

One night we watched Caleb in his Christmas concert (Caleb and Owen from the audience and me from behind the scenes as I was also working that night by helping with the students during the program).

Here are some of the other things that we do:

1. Celebrate Pappa's birthday (it falls on December 1st)

2. Cut down our tree

3. Look at lights

4. Go Christmas shopping for each other

5. Act out the Nativity Scene

6. Advent wreath (4 times so we start the Sunday after Thanksgiving)

7. Make Christmas cards

8. Make ornaments

9. Decorate the tree

10. Go sledding

11. Make Christmas cookies and candy

12. Deliver goodies to Friends (Each of the boys gets a plate and they choose who they want to deliver it to - Caleb chose his good friend Andy and Owen chose to deliver his to the Police Department.)

13. Make a snowman

14. Do a Christmas puzzle

15. Watch a Christmas movie

16. Play flashlight tag (this is a huge favorite of the boys)

17. Hvae breakfast with Santa

18. Sing songs

19. Create a twinkie train (our version of a gingerbread house but more edible)

20. Decorate the house

21. Play a family game

22. Make hot chocolate and watch the Polar Express in our pajamas

23. Go Christmas shopping for needy families

24. Celebrate Christmas Eve with the whole family (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents)

We don't get a chance to do all of these things each year and there are days where we did two things at once because we were too busy on another day to get something done, but the main thing is that we try to keep the focus on family and Christ's birth. Jesus is the reason for this holiday season and we hope that each of you are having a wonderful week and we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Air Museum

2010-11-29T20:17:00.000-08:00

The boys and I were reminiscing about the warm days of summer today and Caleb brought up our trip to the beach. It was his favorite part of the summer and when I asked him what things he liked best about the beach, one thing he mentioned was the "place with all the planes" - the Air Museum.

I had never been to the museum myself and I honestly didn't think I would enjoy it that much. I figured I would sacrifice some of my time to do boy stuff and that way, my boys couldn't complain too much when we went and did some girl stuff - shopping. Little did I know just how cool the Air Museum was.

First of all, it's huge. Even from a distance.

Secondly, there are real airplanes everywhere - even on the entrance sign. The boys took one look at this and started whooping in the back seat. They also threw in a few machine gun sounds.

I walked into the gift shop and fell in love with all the hanging airplanes. They were just ... cool.

Can't you just picture a little boy's room with all these airplanes hanging from the ceiling?

Couldn't you just picture my bedroom with all these airplanes hanging from the celing?

No? Mark couldn't either when I suggested the idea.

Once you pay to actually go into the museum there are a ton of airplanes to look at but there are a lot of other things as well. Several artifacts from the first planes flown, as well as a written description so that people like me would understand exactly what I was looking at.

The boys couldn't get enough of the planes and they wanted to look (and touch) every single one of them.

Then of course, they pretended to be flying every single one of them.

I kept staring up at the ceiling. The rafters are wood and they are amazingingly beautiful. I took picture after picture and still couldn't capture the sheer awesomeness of them. First of all, they are vast - you look up (and up and up) and all you can see is the same repeating pattern over and over. In some places you can see where birds nest and the sheer size of the place dwarfs everything in it. You just have to check it out for yourself sometime to see what I'm talking about.

There is a special little room that contains hundreds of photographs. They show the structures being built step by step. It was truly amazing how that was accomplished. There were two structures originally and they have pictures that show the fire that destoyed the other bunker.

There are pictures of all different people - pilots, nurses, generals, engineers and even dogs. Under each picture there are words that help tell the story of what exactly was going on at the time.

The whole place is very friendly and happy. Each of the planes has their own personality and spunk.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Boomer

"Pleased to meet yuh ma'm"

Sidney

"Oh! I didn't see you standing there!"

Gumby

"Ya'll have a great day now!"

See what I mean? Very nice and friendly.

Then there were a few that were meant to intimidate the enemy like this one. (Owen's favorite)

This one showed how many combat missions it had been on. Every camel equaled 1 mission. This was Mark's favorite. It was tough, he said.

The Air Museum ended up creating great memories for all of us. Check it out sometime if you haven't already!

A different kind of list

2010-11-27T22:14:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is always a time to reflect on the things in our life that we are most thankful for. Friends, family, the gift of salvation, jobs, and good health are always at the top of most peoples lists and while people will sometimes throw out more interesting things than others, I couldn't stop my mind from wandering this year while everyone was sharing the things they were thankful for.

I was in interesting and intelligent company but all the answers were the same - friends, family, the gift of salvation, jobs, and good health. After hearing that repeated 13 times in a row I was dying for someone to blurt out Tevo! or Great Sex! just to mix things up a little bit. Don't get me wrong - I am very, very thankful for the friends, family, etc. etc. etc. but I know I thank the Lord for those things every day and I really make an effort to not take them for granted. Therefore, on Thanksgiving, I shared things that I was "un-thankful" for because I told everyone that list was much shorter.

Here is my list of things I am "un-thankful" for:

1. My dog's dry winter skin - I love my dog. I do. But I swear if she wakes me up one more night chewing, licking, or scratching at her skin I will sell her to the naughty kid who lives down the street. I will always be having the most spectacular dreams where Bradley Cooper is giving me a full-body massage when suddenly he has to stop to scratch his skin. Then I will hear him licking it and just when my dream is morphing into a nightmare I wake up and realize it's Kye scratching and licking and chewing her skin. It sounds like this - CHEW,chew, CHEW, chew, CHEW, snarfle, snarfle, CHEW, chew, snarfle, snarfle (the snarfle sounds are because she has a hard time breathing while she chews), Lick, lick, Slurp, Slurp, Slurp, Slurp. It will be quiet for a few minutes and then the process will start all over again. To make matters worse, since it is completely dark I can't see what she is licking and chewing and my mind goes crazy with the thought of her doing that business any near her ... um, business. Call me silly, but I go a tiny-bit insano-in-my-braino when I am woken up to that. Kye is no longer welcome to sleep in the bedroom by me - I have kicked her out into the hallway and even though she sulks and pouts, I have not relented and let her back in.

P.S. Before you think me cruel, know that I (ok, Mark) has purchased all kinds of stuff to treat her skin and no, it is not helping one little bit.

2. My Mexican Middle - Two summers ago, my family and I ventured down to Arizona for a family reunion with all my mom's side of the family - my Mexican half. We drank tequila shots, danced to Mexican music, laughed at the gringos (Mark) and had a great 'ol time. (Just kidding on all of that but the dancing, drinking and having a great time part). During our stay there I noticed a few things about me and my female relatives. We all had the same body. No joke. There are no tall, thin women in my familia. They are all shorter, generous in the bosom, flat in the butt and round in the middle. It was the middle part I focused on. I have always wanted a flat, tiny little tummy but alas I have learned it is not in the cards for me. I guess you can't fight genetics - at least that's what I'm telling myself now that I have gained 3 pounds since Thursday.

Well, that's it. Not too long of a list but I'm not really a complainer. I could say that I am unthankful for the fact that all my college friends now live far away from me when I would rather them live right here in Pendleton (next door in fact!) but I think that they are living the best kind of lives right where they are at. I could be unthankful for the fact that winter is here but I do really enjoy seeing my kids get excited about the snow and there are always those 2-hour late starts that I love. There aren't too many things for me to be unthankful for really because the Lord takes care of me each and every day. I am blessed to have tons of friends, the best family ever, the gift of salvation, a job I love, and good enough health to still be able to do a somersault in the front room. What more could I possibly ask for?

We've got mail!

2010-11-20T20:25:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we had a family dinner here at our house that had several surprise guests. The boys got to play with their cousins Catherine and Elizabeth who they haven't seen in a looooong time and Aunt Andi and Uncle Josh stopped by too (those two even stayed the night with us - it was awesome!). There were grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We all had a whopping great time eating soup and playing games and just simply visiting.

I love family dinners!

Do you know how many pictures I took of this awesome event?

Not a one.

I'm pathetic I know.

But, I did make sure to take out my camera a few days later when the boys came running to tell me that they had received letters in the mail from their Aunt Andi.

Owen had his out and open before you could say "orange you glad to see me" and he was thrilled. He kept saying "Look mama!" Mark read the letter to him and I snapped a picture of my monkey-bottom boy looking like a monkey. Literally.

Caleb was up next and he wasn't one to miss a beat. He plunked himself down on the couch lickety split and he started reading the letter to us.

Yup, you read that right. He's a reading machine now and loving everything about it.

My heart is happy.

The letters were perfect. Short, funny, and of course, sweet.

Thank you Aunt Andi!

Be looking for you return letters in the mail soon!

Wrestling

2010-11-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

When Mark and I married I knew that he had been a wrestler in his past. I didn't hold it against him or anything. I figured we could move past the fact that he used to wear a tight slicky suit that showed off certain parts of a man's anatomy while he sweated and rolled around on a mat that was infested with disgusting things like ringworm and staff with another guy. We would just never talk about it. Or think about it.

I am a forgiving kind of person after all.

Well, all was going fine and dandy until 2 weeks ago when Caleb brought home a paper from school talking about wrestling. Mark was very excited and practically hopping up and down ready to sign the boys up on the spot. I on the other hand, had a few reservations.

"What if they have to wrestle girls?"

"Caleb is NOT going to like to wrestle. In fact, he will probably cry."

"My babies will have to wear tight slicky suits that show off their privates (they are called privates for a reason -so they can remain that way!) while rolling around on a mat infested with disgusting stuff like ringworm and staff with other boys."

"I have a dislike of anything that begins with "wrest" and ends with "-ling."

Mark listened to all my objections and then said we should just give it a try for 4 practices and then, if they didn't like it, we never had to pursue it again. I agreed to the 4 practices since that sounded fair. (Plus you don't have to pay until practice #5. If it's free - it's me!)

I missed the first practice but I showed up eager and excited to see how things were going at the 2nd one. With my camera in hand I was amazed at how many kids were there. I lost count at 42 (they kept moving around on me) but they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. At first, it was a lot of do this, do that, contort your body like this, twist it like that. It all seemed foreign to me - I mean, I was still wrestling (Ha!) with the fact that people would do this sport on purpose.

Then while I was watching, I observed this:
One of my boys rolling around on the disease infested mat.

I blinked and then I saw:
Owen wrestling with a girl.

(I am all about girl power. Don't get me wrong. However, girls wrestling? Against boys? It goes against nature in my book.)

The next second I observed Caleb doing this.

All I needed at that moment was a ringworm to jump off the mat at me and a microphone to shout "I told you so!" into it. Then things would have been just as I pictured them.

As I turned to Mark to share my thoughts of how quitting wrestling would make our boys stronger and smarter men, Mark said "Keep looking."

So I did. And this time I saw, Caleb quickly wiping away his tears and giving us a thumbs up to show he was ok, Owen learning a thing or two from a girl (one of my former students as a matter of fact), and best of all, both of them getting back in there and trying again. Also, I didn't see one single ringworm on any of the heads, arms, legs or other exposed body parts on the kids next to me.
When I looked through my pictures the next day I noticed something I had missed when I was taking the picture - Owen cheering his brother on. I had been so focused on finding the bad things in wrestling that I totally missed the good ones. Mainly, the boys were having fun - together. Learning new things. Working together. Making new friends.

I haven't completely changed my tune yet about wrestling but I am going to go ahead and be a little more open-minded about it. But only a little bit. And if any ringworm thinks to come home with either of them I will NOT be happy.

Nor will I show any mercy!

Ringworms beware!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

I didn't take very many pictures this year but I think these two will give you a glimpse into our night of fun anyway!

What a night!

Smiles and Soccer

2010-10-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

I just started writing this and I am already laughing at myself.

My title: Smiles and Soccer.

It has a lot of different meanings for me.

1. The Sweet/Innocent Version - "It's so cute to see my children playing soccer. It just makes me smile."

2. The Guilty Version - "I need to write this blog tonight because my friends Kylee and Sarah are depending on me to make them smile with this blog and I have so many soccer pictures that I can surely think of something funny to say about them."

3. The RealVersion (aka The Truth) - I am smiling on the inside and the outside now that soccer season is officially over!

Can I get an Amen?

I haven't really been enjoying life to the fullest lately. It has been a lot of work this and work that and clean the house for some people who want to see it but don't want to buy it (this is just a little frustration leaking out after 13 or so showings - I'll reign it in now). Throw in some sick children who live to vomit on you (Owen) and you don't always have a party going on. There have been a lot of bright moments but I just haven't had the time to capture them the way I normally do. I have actually blogged several times - they've just all been in my head. I know that doesn't really help you but boy I've posted some great ones! (just kidding - they were pretty lousy and no one even commented :)

Can you tell I'm tired now? (cough, cough)

Ok. Down to business.

This post.

Soccer season is officially over and as a now "Vastly-Experienced" coach, I must give my professional opinion on these two little chiddlers of mine.

Let's start with Owen.

9 times out of 10 the shortest player on the field, Owen always played hard. For about 10 seconds. And then he would be winded and begging me for a water break. Then he would see the ball coming towards him and he would get excited and pump his short little legs as fast as they could go in pursuit of the ball. Then the action would slow down and he would remember he was tired and resume begging me for a water break.

After soccer was over, Mark and I were visiting with Owen and this was our conversation:

Me - "Owen, did you enjoy playing soccer this year?"

Owen - "Yeah, I wuved it!"

Me - "Next year will be even better! You'll be taller and faster!"

Owen - (with a serious face and a duh mom! attitude) "I'm already fast! I'm fast wike a cheetah!"

He told me.

My cheetah boy.

Look! My two boys playing on the same team. I wonder if this will happen ever again?

(Note - you can see in the picture where Caleb's socks end. FYI - Owen's almost went up to his underwear.)

Now, let's talk about this one.

Coming into the season as a veteran, I noticed a lot of maturity in Caleb. He no longer spent the majority of his time waving to the crowd and making sure his many "fans" were watching him. Instead he focused a bit more on the game itself. He actually chased the ball, and even kicked it a few times, and wait for it - he even managed to score a goal. I think it might have been for the other team but that's ok - it's improvement!

When I asked Caleb about his favorite part of the soccer season do you want to know his answer?

"Well, I liked talking to the girls mom."

Girls! You had better not be talking to those creatures! They will get you into trouble! You focus on the ball and your grades and not getting into trouble at school!

What I said out loud was, "What else did you like about soccer Caleb?"

His reply this time was "Well, everything mom."

Phew. As long as it wasn't just the girls.

Even though I am glad that soccer is done, I am also smiling because it is cute to see my kids play soccer. And I did write this post for Kylee and Sarah with the hopes it would bring a smile to their pretty faces plus I did kind of have tons of soccer pictures that I did want to go through and find something funny to say about. So all those different versions of me mentioned earlier do all reflect the same thing I guess. Me! And that's the truth!

My cheetah says good bye to soccer season and hello to wrestling!

(against mama's wishes!)

Snippets

2010-09-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

*I have successfully survived teaching a first/second grade blend for 3 weeks now!

*Each of the boys have scored at least one soccer goal in a game.

*Since I have been coaching I have not managed to take a single picture of said games.

*I was coerced into helping put on a fake rock wall onto Mom and Dad G’s ginormous fireplace. In the process I have seen a dead snake inches away from me, been stalked by a praying mantis, presented with a dead deer leg, and become best friends with a cement mixer.

*And no, we are still not finished.

*I have managed to read one book this month:

I have scheduled in time towards the middle of October to attempt to read the next one in the series. We'll see.

*During Round-Up I saw my husband one day. If I wasn’t out in Pilot Rock working on the biggest fireplace in Eastern Oregon, I was at the Convention Center working Happy Canyon from 7:30pm to around 2:00 am. I had the glorified job of being a “chip seller”. This means that all the people at the convention center who wanted to drink alcohol had to buy “chips” from me or my fellow “chip sellers”. I did this for 4 nights in a row and if I never have another drunk man hit on me for the rest of my life, it will be too soon. I was told that on Friday night I sold almost 10,000 dollars worth of drink chips. Thirsty anyone?! (Mark was a little busy himself dealing with the results of me selling all those beer chips!)

*I did not attend the rodeo once but instead went with the sister-of-my-heart Dawn and got the best pedicures ever. They were her treat and every time I look at the beautiful flowers they painted on my big toes I smile.

*I have not been able to sit down here and the computer and do anything besides check the weather and do school related stuff until today. Woohoo! It feels great but I can tell my computer muscles are going to be a little sore. My neck is already starting to crink and my carpal tunnels are begging me to go and eat a cinamon roll that I bought at Farmer's Market last night so... I am thinking I had better listen before they decide to give out on me!

* Happy Fall!

My Boys

2010-08-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

(Little Blog of Mine, I have missed you.)

The only time I have picked up my camera in the last few crazy weeks was the day that we were kicked out of the house by the carpet cleaners. We went into the backyard and it was too hot to play soccer so I decided I wanted to try and capture some of my favorite expressions of the boys.

We have had 7 showings of the house with one offer that didn't work out.

While my classroom is unpacked at my new school and ready to go, I'm not sure I am.

I was asked last week to teach a 1st and 2nd grade blend and my thoughts haven't stopped spinning since.

I was bullied (a little bit) into co-coaching Caleb and Owen's soccer team.

Today after being at work for 9 hours for my 9th day in a row, I came home, folded and put away 2 loads of laundry, paid 3 bills on-line, talked on the phone to my grandma, filled out Caleb's million and 3 pieces of paperwork for school, worked on Owen's daycare calendar (fitting it around Mark's schedule = hard work!), took the boys for a bike ride to celebrate "Fun Friday", visited with Mark for 5 minutes, made waffles with strawberries and whip cream for dinner, cleaned up after dinner, read through the yard sales in the paper that I don't get to go to tomorrow, talked on the phone with my grandma again, and now I'm going to go work on lesson plans, cut out some things I have laminated, pick out my clothes to wear tomorrow because Mark gets off work at 4:00 this morning and I don't want to wake him up when I get up, straighten up the living room, lock all the doors and windows and then go to bed.

Life is busy and full and exciting and scary right now but you know what?

These two little boys keep me grounded every day and remind me that family comes first.

Whether it's Owen telling me we need to stop our bike ride because

"his underwear is crammed up his butt",

Or Caleb jumping out from behind every door, table, chair, and closet, scaring me half to death just to tell me to

"freeze and put my hands in the air".

I love these boys of mine and nothing, not selling our house or moving in with Mark's parents or building a new house or teaching in a new school or teaching a blended classroom or anything else is going to change that.

P.S. Colleen - This one was just for you! :)

Chasing a Dream

2010-08-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

Today we added something new to our yard.

It wasn't anything big or fancy but I think you might like it.

Well, what do you think? Are you thinking we are crazy? Because there are moments when I think we are. But then I think of what we are going to do with the sale of this house and I am so excited and eager to get started! We are going to chase a dream of ours. The dream of owning land out of town where we can have some horses, some cows, some chickens, an orchard, a big garden, a place for the boys to ride 4-wheelers or dirt bikes. A place to call our own. One that we build.

We have made an offer on 6.22 acres located a little ways out of town. It will still have the creek that we love on it. It will still be close the McKay school, where I now work and the boys go to school. It will still be everything we have now but so very much more.

It will mean saying good-bye to our beautiful house that has so many memories in it and that won't be easy for me. I have stamped every inch of this house with "us" that I can't imagine new people coming in here and changing everything to make it their own. This is where we brought home our babies and watched them learn to crawl and walk and ride bikes. This is where we have had countless BBQ's, family get togethers, baby showers, birthday parties and card nights. I think of Halloween and I picture myself walking this neighborhood with the boys and then answering my front door for the hundred or so kids that come by. I know right where my Christmas tree is going to go and right where I hang the stockings. I have plans for next spring and what flowers I am going to plant. But all that will be changing if our home sells.

But new memories will be made.

So it will be good-bye kitchen (the only inside house picture that turned out today).

Good-bye fire pit. I have loved you very much but we will give you a newer, bigger, and better place to light up.

Porch swing - you are coming with me sister! I couldn't give you up!

I will miss our raspberries and strawberries but we will plant more.

The Play Structure. This one was a debate. To take or to leave. Mark was voting leave so I had to trump his vote with sentimental value (my grandma bought it for the boys) and possible long term usage (the boys still play on it!). We finally agreed that it can be a negotiating point.

There are so many things to miss.

Sitting in the shade under out tree and having picnic lunches.

The creek and all it's sounds.

(I wouldn't go outside the fence though because I was wearing flip flops and I had heard rumor of a snake or two in the area.)

The big covered porch.

Our neighbor Ron who the boys insist on calling Mr. Rodgers (because of the show Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood).

Lots of changes coming up filled with so much potential!

We have a showing tonight and two tomorrow.

When I was younger (and dumber) Mark and I used to go cliff-jumping out at Warehouse beach in Hermiston. I did it to impress Mark and he did it to impress me and while we were both impressed at the time, I 'm glad we are way past that stage in the game! Anyway, I remember it being my turn and walking out to the edge of the cliff. I would feel the wind pushing against me, the small rocks under my feet and the stares of my friends on my back as they watched to see how I jumped off the cliff. Everyone had their own style. Some would run and jump, yelling and screaming the whole way day. Some would dive off as graceful as a bird. Some would even jump off backwards. None of those approaches worked for me. I would always have to calmly walk, not run, and when I got within about 10 feet of the edge I would stop, look back and make sure Mark was watching me. Then I would run the last 3 steps and jump with all my might out into nothing. While in the air I would never look down but instead I would look out across the river and think "This is freaking idiotic! What am I doing! My mother is going to kill me! I hope there are no snakes or fish that want to nibble my toes in the water!" About then I would hit the water and it was always a shock. One it was cold. And two, it hurt! Then with a quick swim I would make it to the trail leading back up the cliff. Mark would always be waiting for me. He would have a huge grin on his face and he'd say things like a 19 year old boy would say "That was awesome! You didn't even hesitate! You were fearless!"

He always made every jump worth it.

I have that same feeling now. The one where I am in the air falling into nothing. I have walked calmly up to this point with my eyes wide open but it's always when you are in the air that you begin to have doubts. Some of the same thoughts are in my head now as they were then. "This is feaking idiotic! What am I doing!" but I am hoping for the big reward at the end. It won't be Mark's big smile and praise since he is right beside me now. Instead I am hoping for the two of us landing, swimming to the path, and climbing up together towards our dream.

Babes at the Beach!

2010-08-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

I could go on and on about how I am soooo busy because I am doing little things like moving classrooms, moving grades, moving schools and maybe even moving homes.

But who wants to hear all that boring drivel?

Besides I have more (and more) beach pictures that just have to be put on this blog because heaven knows I do not have time to scrapbook them anymore, so this is the only album that my children will ever see of their childhood. I bet they will appreciate all the time and effort I am going through in order to preserve their precious memories for them. And if they don't I will beat them.

This is going to be a smorgasbord of pictures with no captures. My boss (aka My Husband) has allotted me a 15 minute break before I have to get back to packing, so please feel free to add your own creative words to each picture!

Without further ado... here is "Babes at the Beach!"

(I bet with a title like that my boys will look back at this blog post at least!)

Reunion 2010 - The People

2010-07-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

Every vacation is special in it's own way.

Here are some of the people who helped make our vacation extra special this year!

Grandma Lawrence: Without her, this family would not be possible!

Jeff and Erin: I am still keeping my fingers crossed that you will get hired in Hermiston!

Aunt Sherry and Aunt Melody: I took about 10 pictures trying to get one where they weren't being too silly!

Christy and Hailey: I think that sweater is waaaay better than any old Gap hoodie!

Uncle David: My fellow photographer extraordinaire.

Marcus: I actually caught him relaxing!

The Kids: Brian, Hailey, Sean, Caleb, Maggie, Andrew, Luke, Owen, Zachary, Seth, Olivia and JD.

Try saying that 3 times fast!

It took us 10 minutes to get them in order from oldest to youngest and then about 10 seconds for them to get tired of sitting there!

Jennifer: Thanks for helping me test the lighting!

Chris and Jeff: I wonder what those two were chuckling about...

Erin and Kristy: How cute are they?

Uncle Steve: We are so glad you could make it!

Jesse: Your backwards hat wearing has influenced my children more than you will ever know!

Down at the bonfire!

Here we all are!

(except for Chris who had to go back to work earlier that day).

Reunion 2010 - The Place

2010-07-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Beach, I miss you already!

But now that we are no longer together, I get to tell some of our adventures together from this past week and that makes me happy too.

Every two years, Mark's family has a reunion. It is always at the beach and it is always loads of fun.

This year we went to a new place for us and it's name was Netart's Bay.

It was perfect for our large group and my children are still upset that we actually left and came home.

The telling of our happenings is going to take several days so I'm just going to show you our home away from home today.

You'll have tour guide Miriah to help you out!

Tour Guide Miriah: Hello everyone! I am so excited you could stop by today! Isn't the weather gorgeous?! What? You don't like 64 degrees and wind? Well, trust me honey, it'll grow on you!

Anyway, come on and have a looks-see at Cabin #5. What it doesn't have in space, it will more than make up for in character!"

"Here we are! Just look at that deck. I know from personal experience that it has great wind protection and makes an ideal spot for lounging in and getting sunburns! You won't even notice that while you are reading your book, your body is slowly turning red!"

"While lounging you can just glance up from time to time to see what your pirate children are doing on the ship in front of you. Oh, you might also enjoy the view of the water - it's quite nice!"

"Step right in! I hope your favorite color is blue because we've got lots of it in Cabin #5! Sit up on these here bar stools and you'll feel like ordering ice cream!"

"This little kitchen is full of charm. We have everything you could possibly need!

A LOUD bell to call everyone in to dinner with (my ears are still ringing!).

A sailboat cookie jar and a woman who is ready to go to the beach with you in case you need a friend.

She's cool like that. There are lots of dishes for you to dirty as well as a set of knives that make a great conversational piece in case some family comes over and you run out of things to say. Not that that happens, but it's not a bad idea to be prepared!"

"If you turn to the left you will see your living room. Your children will sleep on the pull-out sofa just fine and I can even show them how to turn on cartoons in the morning so that you can sleep in! Talk about a win-win situation!"

"Now let's mosey back to the bedroom. I'm told that taco soup is sometimes served in here!"

"Moving on... Hmmm....Let's check out the bathroom. While it's not that big it does have such a cute design on the toilet seat that it makes me instantly think that I'm on the beach. Waves are crashing, children are playing, seagulls are flapping their wings and farting. Whoops! Maybe that's not the seagulls! Moving on, Moving on."

"That's all for today folks! Tomorrow I will be the Tour Guide as we check out the people at Netart's Bay as well as some of the activities they like to do! Here's a sneak peek: