Photo Shoot with the Monkeys

This week was conference week so I have fallen behind in some things (mainly laundry, dishes, sweeping, and of course - blogging). 

During spring break, my children were at my beck and call for not one, not two, but three different photography sessions. They really only cooperated for one and I have shared some of these pictures on Facebook but not here. So in case you missed the big reveal..here you go!

Now, while it would seem like I prefer to take pictures of Caleb since there are so many more of him than Owen, please know that I took and equal amount. Owen just is harder to get a decent shot of since he wants to look everywhere but the camera. He's just like his father in this regard! 

Easter 2012

I was daydreaming the other day about the time of my life that was B.C.

Before Children.

I was remembering fondly how Mark and I used to celebrate Easter by making a special picnic, complete with ham and deviled eggs, and then go for a drive up into the hills somewhere. We would find a beautiful spot to spread a blanket and then eat and talk and lazily dream about life. 

Fast forward to today. A.C. 

After Children.

Just like with my post-pregnancy body - things will never be the same. 

Easter for our family is first and foremost about the rising of our Saviour - Jesus Christ.

While we attend church every Sunday, Easter Sunday is always special. 

After the service, the family gathers for an Easter meal which is always fabulous and then, my favorite part, we hide the Easter eggs. 

Now, I have something to confess. 

I have never, ever colored Easter eggs with my children. It's not that I am adverse to the idea. It's just never worked into my schedule (or Mark's for that matter). 

My children are still completely ignorant of this typical Easter event because luckily, none of their cousins partake in this annual ritual either - Phew!

That being said, we all still stuff the plastic eggs full of goodies and then, because we live in Eastern Oregon where the weather is usually bad for Easter, we hide the eggs in the sanctuary of the church. Sounds bad I know, but we asked the Pastor (who is practically my brother really) and he said it was ok.

This year, since the sun shone, we decided to change it up a bit and actually hide the eggs outside. Crazy, right?

Also, since the girls did all the food work, the boys got the job of hiding the eggs. In typical boy fashion, they each tried to outdo the other in clever ways and places to hide them. I laughed just watching their silly antics - seriously. I know Dawn, Johanna and I usually put in half the effort those boys did. 

Then it was time to line the kids up (we had a few neighborhood kids catch a whiff of candy so they ran home and snatched up their candy bags as well). 

We always torture the kids by making them wait and wait and giving them false countdowns until we actually say Go! (it's more fun that way). 

Once they started, I just sat back and watched. Mark was working so I had to make sure I got some pictures so he could share in some of the fun (albeit second hand). 

Once every last egg had been found (and there were some hard ones!), the kids quickly got to work on the important job -taking the candy out of the eggs and then trading. This part lasted longer than the actual hunt. 

The eggs that had toys in them were worth a lot of candy so they were very excited when they got something good to trade.

After everything was cleaned up and the kids were winding down from sugar highs, we decided to pump them back up with some baby chick fever. 

Dawn is getting set up to do chickens this year and so they have 7 little chicks at their house that were just begging to be played with. The kids were quick to oblige!

Caleb with his Auntie Hannah. 

There were two little black ones in the bunch. 

All these little babies got Owen excited about us having chickens one day (hopefully next spring!). He kept oohing and aahing over them. I think the feeling was mutual. They loved to climb into his lap and make a cozy spot. Plus, not a single one pooped on him! That's definitely a sign of love!

Who doesn't love baby chickens I ask you?

Even ones that get placed on the back of your neck?

Cooking with Caleb

Each month I let the boys take turns choosing things that they would like to cook with me. 

I do this for a couple of reasons.

1. It's a way to spend time with them doing something I like to do also (as compared to when I have to go fishing - boring - or worm hunting - gross - or play Big Battle Tanks/Army Rangers/Spies - not my thing but I'll play anyway). 

2. I want to teach them to read instructions and be able to follow a recipe.(It's a 3rd grade standard after all!). 

3. I'm of the firm opinion that even though my boys are boys, they need to know how to cook!

So each month, I tell the boys to go through the cookbooks (they always choose desserts - they are their father's sons after all!) and they each mark two with pieces of paper that look good to them. I let them choose two because I get veto power and get to make the final decision. (I've found this is a great rule!)

Owen received this cookbook for Christmas and it is the boys' favorite! The pictures are awesome and I love the simple, easy to read directions. Plus, the recipes are pretty good!

Here's Caleb's choice: Gimme S'more (please!)

I have Caleb read all the way through the recipe and then we get all the ingredients out and ready to use. 

I will do some of the work, but I let them do most of it and even though it's sometimes a little messy (especially with Owen!) it's always fun!

And the best part?

Seeing how proud they are of their creations! 

(That and eating it of course!)

March Book Reviews

Each year I make resolutions to try new things. I have always loved setting down goals and then planning out how to accomplish them step by step. Some goals this year were big but I would say on average, most were fairly small. 

One of these small goals was to keep better track of the books that I have read throughout the year. I will often recall stories that I have read over the years and I will think to myself

"I should read that book again" 

but then I have the dilemma of trying to recall the author and title of the book. I can always remember the characters and plot but I read so many books that titles start to jumble together. Hence the need for this goal!

One of my other small (but surprisingly hard!) goals was to blog at least 2 - 3 times a week. 

You would think this would be fairly attainable, right? 

Take a few pictures and then write about them. 

How hard can it be? 

I'm sure for some, not hard at all!

Me writing frequently = hard work. 

I don't journal. I don't love writing. But I do enjoy blogging. The main reason being that it helps me keep track of what is going on in our little world (and since I don't scrapbook like I used to, it gives me a place to put my pictures also!). 

So, to make a long story short, I decided this week to combine two of my goals and use this blog to keep track of the books I'm reading as well as counting it towards one of my posts of the week! Sheesh! What a great idea right? I'm sure no one else has ever thought of this!

So that being said, here are the books I have read over the month of March along with a few from February. I would love to hear your opinion if you have read some of these also! 

A Song of Fire and Ice 

Now, I normally hate (and I mean hate!) reading a series before all the books are finished but I still find myself doing this on occasion. I stumbled across these books on a trip to the Tri-Cities last month and I decided to buy the first one and see what I thought. I loved it and I was immediately hooked. I quickly read the second one and I loved it too. The third one is where things started to happen that I wasn't in love with but I kept reading, hoping things would get better. The fourth one I read because I had to in order to read the fifth one but I wasn't crazy about it. The fifth one started to get better again but after reading the ending I'm not so sure. There are a bloody lot of characters, which isn't a bad thing, but the problem is, as more and more things keep happening to the characters it is looking to me like there is no end in sight. At least not a happy one. And while I am a realist and I know that not all of my books can end happily, I am also going to be seriously disappointed if things don't start getting marginally better for some of these main characters. I mean - come on, there lives have sucked for 5 straight books now! All in all, though, I have to admit that even with the slow parts and the parts I would never read again, this is a heck of a book series and I would give it an overall 8 out of 10. (Book 1 would be a 10 out of 10 but book 4 only a 6 out of 10, so to average things out it scored an 8). 

                                              

Every once in a while I will read a Nicholas Sparks novel. I really loved The Notebook since it was a love story unlike most, but a couple of his books were so predictable I could have read them in my sleep. Sometimes though, when I am wanting just a quick, easy romance I will pick up one of these. This book I enjoyed for those very reasons. It was quick, it had romance, and I ended up liking the main guy a lot. He was a strong, silent type and you end up liking what he has to say about things and how he says them. Could you see the ending coming a mile away?

Yes. 

Was it still ok?

Yes. 

Will I ever read it again?

Probably not, but maybe (if I get really bored and can't get to the public library and my kindle is broke). 

Final score: 5 out of 10

P.S. I probably won't watch the movie either but that's just me! This is probably your favorite book and I'm insulting you right and left - Sorry!

The same weekend that I read The Lucky One, I started to read Delirium. I loved it instantly. I liked how it was set in a world where the cure for the disease of "love" has been found and now everyone undergoes a surgery at age 18 to make sure they won't catch it. I instantly fell for the main boy - Alex - and enjoyed every minute of how he and the main character fell in love (of course!). The ending is tragic but it leads you into the second book well. I would give this one a 8 out of 10.

Of course I had to read book 2 the minute book 1 was over! Literally, I think I had it ordered on my kindle before the first book had a chance to cool off from my hot little hands! While this book wasn't as good as the first one, I still liked it and I really liked the surprise ending (which of course leaves you dying to read book 3 which isn't out yet! Have I told you that I HATE reading book series that aren't done yet! You would think that I would look into these things before I pick up the first book to read it!)

I would only give book two a 6 out of 10.

Once I had read these two books by Lauren Oliver, I got curious and looked into her first book that she wrote titled before i fall. It's about a girl who has it all in high school - she's popular, pretty, dating a popular boy, etc. But then she dies. The catch is she wakes up the next day and gets to live the day all over again. How does she react? What does she change? This happens 7 times (I think) where she gets to relive the same day over and it gets really, really interesting. I loved how this was different from anything I had ever read and I will definitely read it again - someday! I gave it a 8 out of 10. 

The next book was one that has been making the rounds of my book club and it's a fantasy that is set in Portland (Yeah Davolts!) and the writer's are from there as well. They have a great website and seem like really cool and fun people and it makes me feel bad that I have to criticize their book a wee bit. First of all - I love fantasy books. But in order for a book to be a great fantasy, you have to have great characters to pull you through the story because all of the imagination in the world isn't going to matter if you don't care what happens to the characters. It was kind of like that for this book. You never get a real sense of the two main characters. You get a small picture of them but not enough to make you think about them while you are away from the book or even to wonder too much what is going to happen next. It was way too easy to put this book down and do something else, which in my opinion is a death knell for a book. I have to sadly give this book a 4 out of 10. (Great imaginations though and good luck with Book 2 sweet authors!)

Happy reading my friends!

(let me know of any great books you have read also so I can add them to my list of must-reads!)

March Photo Challenge!

I can't believe that we are saying good-bye to March already!

But I am thrilled with the thought of warmer weather coming our way soon. 

I love the heat! Sandals, shorts, pony tails and hanging out at the pool.

Walking barefoot, eating watermelon and planning BBQ's.  

I am like a lizard - I can just sit in the sun and soak it all up. 

I'm smiling just thinking about summer!

But first things first - Spring!

It was Sarah's turn to choose the categories this month and she chose some hard ones (at least hard for me!)

Category #1 - A Spring Flower

How about a spring flower in Eastern Oregon? Got to love the late snow that we had this year!

Category #2 - Something Priceless

I was torn between this photo of Owen and one of Caleb cooking with me but this one ended up being the winner. I love the look in his eyes - priceless! I somehow captured his little spirit of fun and spunk. 

Category #3 - Someone Lucky

This one was a no-brainer! My Grandma is the luckiest person in the whole world - no joke! She wins at Bingo just about every time she plays and on the first cruise that we went on together, Grandma won so much money in the casino that I came home with $1,000. She won so much she felt guilty and then had to share with me. (We had previously agreed to split whatever we won with each other but I just wasn't lucky enough to contribute to the earnings!)

Category #4 - Something Filthy

After painting for hours on end with a sprayer, pretty soon you are coated with paint everywhere! I wished I could have got a better picture that showed the color of Mark's skin more - he became Irish Cream - the same color as the walls! 

Category #5 - A Picture with a Long Exposure

While I was digging through our storage unit the other day searching for some shorts for the boys, I stumbled across some sparklers that I had bought for the 4th of July. I went ahead and pulled them out and took some pictures with Mark and the boys playing with them. Mark didn't believe me when I said that he could draw stuff and I could capture it - silly boy! He should know by now that I am always right!

Can you tell what he drew in this picture?

April's Photos

1. Clouds

2. Something yellow

3. Something tempting

4. Something that starts with the letter B

5. Hands

Good luck Sarah and I can't wait to see your pictures!

Feeding the Birds and a Little Circus Thrown In!

Today I tortured myself for 3 hours straight. 

In order to get my taxes done I had to go to the public library in Hermiston where my accountant was volunteering her time. I had to wait and wait and wait and finally once I got to see her, I then had to wait and wait some more in order to have a second person review it. I asked if I could option out of the second reviewing and was told no. 

Dang it anyway!

After my bottom stopped tingling from all the sitting I did, I gathered up the boys and Grandma and we headed out to Hat Rock State Park.

I have so many fond memories of this park and even some pictures of me feeding the ducks when I was the boy's age. Our bread store in town will sell old bread - 6 loaves for 1 dollar. 

I picked some up the other day hoping we would have time for this today.

It was a wee bit windy and sprinkling off and on while we were there but the boys had a blast (and so did Grandma) so it was worth it!

Grandma had her own little following up on the bank.

The boys preferred to throw it in the water and then watch the birds fight over it. 

Once our 6 loaves were gone, we loaded up in the wagon and flew back to Pendleton. This week the boys have been going to The Children's Museum to participate in their Spring Break Circus. They have had magician's come teach them tricks, learned how to make pinatas (Caleb calls them "pinchachas) , decorated ice cream cones, and created their own circus costumes and acts. Today was the performance.

Here is Owen the Lion. He is fierce, fast, and if you rub his tummy, he purrs.

Owen was in an act that featured a lion tamer and a fellow big cat - a tiger. The lion tamer used her whip to persuade the two animals to perform tricks like jumping through flaming hoops.

Sometimes the animals didn't do what they were told to so the lion tamer would have to use her whip.

That always got them back into line. 

The lion tamer also taught the lion how to stand on chairs and rear up while roaring. Pretty amazing I have to tell ya.

The next act was The Strong Man! I have always liked strong men!

He came out and quickly hopped onto a chair where he proceeded to wow us with his feats of strength. All of his tricks were done with a 1,000 pound barbell and weights. The audience oohed and aahed.

When the children were done with their performances, they were told to get one of their family members to participate in the next part of the circus. Since Mark was in uniform (what an excuse I tell you!) I was the first made to volunteer. The parent in charge told me to put on an overcoat and then led me to a chair which had special paper underneath it. I was then informed that the boys would ask me a series of questions and if I got any wrong, I would get a pie in the face. 

What!?

Owen grilled me first.

"Mom, what color is your car?"  (Phew!) "Blue!"

"Mommmy, how old am I?"     (another easy one!) "6!"

Caleb's turn.

"Mom, what are my five favorite colors?"   "What! 5? Hmm... Camouflage. Black. umm....Red....Blue...."

"That's pretty good mom. Now, how high was the tallest tight rope ever?" (He asked me this question with the biggest smirk on his face - as if I wouldn't know the answer!)

"100 feet" - I totally know my circus facts.

They both start howling with laughter. 

"What!? I was wrong? Impossible!" (apparently I don't know all my circus facts).

They threw the whip cream pie together but my sweet Caleb made sure it only hit me in the stomach. Owen was totally aiming for my face but luckily Caleb overpowered him. 

Some parents weren't quite as lucky as me.

It was yet another awesome Spring Break day!