Kim's World

Day #11 "Makes You Happy"

2012-02-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

This is very, very hard! I cannot choose just one thing that makes me happy. First and foremost, knowing I am saved and I am a child of God, makes me very happy. Then the list goes on...my family, my friends, church, the word of God, babies, coffee, chocolate, flowers, animals, little sweet notes from my children, unexpected kisses and hugs from my children, the fact that my husband makes the bed for me every morning, oh man, I could go on and on. So I am just going to post a few pictures of only SOME of the things/people that make me happy.

I LOVE MY FAMILY! Being with them makes me the happiest!

Babies are wonderful, especially this cute little one!

Comedy act in motion! Love these boys!

*Sigh* My babies! My whole world!

LOVE this man!

Day #10 "Self-Portrait" and Bonus Biztown Field Trip!

2012-02-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

OK, so I seriously dislike self-portraits. I usually get a great double-chinned look or up-the-nose shot, which is not impressive at all! So, fortunately for you, I didn't do a self-portrait.

We had a field trip today (Myles and I) to a super duper, cool place called, "Biztown". The kids actually "run" the businesses, make money, write checks, conduct interviews, work together as a team and so many more things. It was awesome. I helped at BZTV, the T.V. station. I didn't choose my job, it was given to me. Really, the volunteers were only there to observe and offer support or redirection if needed. (Oh, I did help with the recording equipment). Otherwise, the kids did all the work. They had a business plan, had to create a loan amount and was supposed to create enough revenue in the day to repay the loan. Each child received two checks in the day, had a checkbook, had to make a deposit and a withdrawal. Every business had bills and had to send bills. It was very realistic!

Myles was the CEO of Northwest Sports and LOVED every minute of it. In fact, he was disappointed when the day was over. He was in charge of three employees, had to oversee all business transactions, covered employee breaks, and delivered and received payments from other businesses. His business, at the end of the day, repaid their loan and made a profit! Whoo Hoo!!! He also gave a speech at the opening town hall meeting, first thing in the morning. I was so proud of him, he worked very hard and had a great time. Here are some pictures from today:


My friend, Nicole and I (here's my unself-portrait)


Myles' morning business speech


Town Hall Meeting


Myles at work, getting things organized to sell


More of Biztown


Getting some direction


See BZTV? Yep, that's where I was most of the day

It was a really cool day! So glad we had the opportunity to go! The kids were having fun and learning at the same time. What a great combination!

Day #9 "Front Door"

2012-02-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

This is the front door of a church in Yuma, AZ that my great-grandma, Oma Ellis, started. This was one of the many works she began. It was amazing to be there where she once preached the gospel. What a legacy!

Day #8 "Sun"

2012-02-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

I live in Portland. It is beautiful. However, we get A LOT of rain this time of year. Well, actually, we get A LOT of rain, period. So I cannot post a picture of the sun today as it is raining. Here is a few pics of where I would like to be right now, where there is A LOT of sun: from first pic to last, Winslow, AZ; Winslow, AZ; Grand Canyon, AZ; Prescott, AZ; Grand Canyon, AZ; Las Vegas, NV.

Day #7 "Button"

2012-02-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

When I look at how fast my children grow...this is what I wish I could push:

Day #6 "Dinner"

2012-02-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

Monday. School night. Crock pot to the rescue. In there lies dinner :). Happy momma, happy family.

Day #5 "10 am"

2012-02-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

At 10 am, we were at Sherwood Sanctuary. I love this place!

Day #4 "A Stranger"

2012-02-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

I had to reach into my archives a little because I wasn't comfortable walking outside to take random pictures of strangers. A little awkward! So here is a picture of a man who lives in Coos Bay, Oregon. We see him nearly every time we are there, in the Walmart parking lot, I will add. Yes, he always wears a skirt. Yes, he enjoys the attention it brings.

Day #3 "Hands"

2012-02-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

Sweet little girl hands

February Photo Challenge

2012-02-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

Apparently, everyone on instagram is participating in a really cool "photo challenge". I don't have instagram unless I use my son's ipod. I don't think he and I would take the same pictures. So, I am going to do the photo challenge from my blog :). This works out nicely since I've not had much going on in my life except school. Here is the challenge:

For yesterday, since I am starting late, here is my view for Day #1:

Day #2 Words

Wanna join me in this challenge? You don't have to be a professional photographer, trust me!

The HEART of the matter

2012-01-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

Remember those good ole' days on the school playground? Everything was going great, you had friends, you laughed together, slid down the slide, swung on the swings, played tag, boy, life was grand! Then, you are hit with a rock or someone inadvertently "shoves" you. What?? Thought we were having fun? Thought everyone liked each other? It was then you had the realization that not everyone was going to be your friend. Very sad moment, indeed! No matter what you did, that person didn't like you. Often it was jealousy, or they were just plain mean and didn't care for anyone. But it hurt. At home, you would cry to your mom, wondering what it was you did wrong. Always searching for some way to redeem the friendship. The bruises on the outside came no where hurting as much as the ones on the inside.

Unfortunately, these relationships were not only on the school playground when you were eight years old. It continued to happen as you got older, someone here and someone there, would set their heart and mind against you. As you became an adult, you learned to mask the feelings with laughter or joking. But the pain remained, the turmoil in your heart did not subside.

I understand. I am that little girl on the playground. The one who tried to be everyone's friend. I never understood when someone didn't like me. I would go to great lengths to get them to like me. It was very taxing. And many times, it still didn't matter, they just didn't like me.

I wish I could tell you that as an adult I overcame those issues and have not had any feelings of rejection or confusion when it comes to friendships. That would be a lie. It still hurts when people dislike me. It hurts to be talked about (that's called gossip, if you didn't know). It hurts to be teased. It hurts when people are jealous of me for no apparent reason. They treat me with disdain and disrespect. Has anyone ever dealt with this? I am certain I am not alone. I could stop right here and go into the "whys" for their ill treatment. It would be a lengthy discussion. But the core reason, is their heart. They have heart issues they have yet to overcome. And in turn they take it out on me. Why, you ask? They see something in me they wish they could have too. They may not realize it but that is what is happening.

And guess what, they can have what I have. The answer is simple. It is Jesus Christ! A true relationship with Him will erase all those heart issues they have carried with them for so long. They will see you and I in a totally different light. Gone will be the feelings of jealousy or hate. Those feelings will be replaced by love, true agape love.

I want to be transparent enough that others can see Jesus in me. I pray they can look beyond my imperfections and know that I am only human. I am His servant. We are ALL His children. I pray they can work through their heart issues, and come to know Him. He is the peace that passes all understanding.

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:7

Character

2012-01-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

There are a few meanings behind the word CHARACTER. The dictionary defines character in this way:

Noun:

the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.
one such feature or trait; characteristic.
moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character.
qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity: It takes character to face up to a bully.
reputation: a stain on one's character.

Adjective:

(of a part or role) representing a personality type, especially by emphasizing distinctive traits, as language, mannerisms, physical makeup, etc
(of an actor or actress) acting or specializing in such roles.

We often refer to someone with integrity, as a person of character. You can hear people say, "They are of great character!" This is referring to "qualities of honesty, courage or the like; integrity." A person is often judged according to their character; whether they are trustworthy, of high moral behavior, and regarded with respect. One of my favorite quotes is "Character is what you are in the dark" ~Dwight L. Moody. Your character speaks even when no one is watching, when no one can see you.

Another description of character lies in your nature. The traits and features passed to you from your parents, grandparents, etc. These are characteristics you cannot avoid. You were born with them. Perhaps you were born with blue eyes and freckles, likely one of your parents have the same characteristics.

Character can also be described theatrically. As in "He played that character well" or "Wow, she really got into character in that part!" Some even say, when referring to someone funny or silly, as "He is such a character!" For example: this is how we often describe Myles:
Case in point?

In Matthew chapter 5, we can read what is referred to as the "beatitudes". Here Jesus eloquently describes character building skills that are of eternal value. When we apply these "beatitudes" to our lives, we receive promises. Here are verses 3 to 12:
³Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
⁵Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
⁶Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
⁷Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
⁸Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
⁹Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
¹⁰Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
¹²Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

What promises! These are the characters I want to portray in my life.

Back tracking...

2012-01-19T15:24:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, the kids and I took a little day trip to The Dalles (Oregon). Besides the awful rain and wind on our return trip, we had a great time. We went to see my niece and nephew, Faith and Caleb Tillmannshofer, bible quiz. It was awesome to see them. This was the first quiz of the season. Really, I was there to see my friends, Shhh..don't tell anyone.

In addition, my brother, Jeremy, stopped by The Dalles on his way home with his three little munchkins. It was definitely exciting but not enough time. I love those little ones and miss them dearly. They are like little rays of sunshine! It is always a delight to hear them say, "Aunt Kim" and give me a big hug. Jacob, who is almost 8, has the most infectious laugh ever! There are times I can just think about his little giggle and I begin to laugh. Then there's Judah, who is 4. This little guy is hilarious! He reminds me so much of my brother when my brother was young. When they came into the restaurant (Taco Bell, hardly a restaurant), we all noticed that he had this brownish red stain all over his clothes. Yep, he had had a bloody nose. Gross, I know, but unfortunately this problem runs in our family. Jeremy cleaned him as well as he could but it was obvious what happened. So Myles, who doesn't always notice the obvious, asked him what happened. His reply, "My got a bloody nose!" Myles: "Oh, how did that happen?" Judah: "My picked my nose!" LOL...at least he's truthful! That brings us to Kaleigh, or Lou Lou as we affectionately call her. Lou is 2 and every bit of a girl that you can imagine. She comes prancing in with her little purse, a coach no less! She is just adorable! I took a few pictures (with Myles' help), they weren't the best but here they are:

I so wish I had pictures of Faith and Caleb too...

Learning to let go...

2012-01-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

Yeah, you read it right! I am learning to let go. Let go of household chores, making dinner, kitchen cleanup, etc...and letting my kids pick up slack. This has been a HUGE step for me to take. But yet, I've noticed it has been WONDERFUL for my kids.

So let me back up and explain. In 2008, I decided to go back to school. Taking it one class at a time, I was determined to complete the requirements for my degree. Until this quarter, most of my classes have been online except two physical ed. classes. This quarter, however, I have an algebra and a biology class that I had to take on campus. Major shift in the dynamics of my household! Seeing that the end is near (I will graduate in spring), I felt this transition would be okay for my kids. Fortunately, my husband works from home for the most part. We can do this for a few months, I know we can!

As the week began, I planned meals for each night I would be gone. The first night I made it easy for them and did a roast in the crock pot. Wednesday night, well, that was a different story. They wanted homemade pizza. I set everything out and explained the process to Levi.** Myles was MIA until Levi said it was time to eat**. Elle and Ashley participated in the preparation and clean-up process. They did everything except some dishes in the sink. I am still finding flour here and there, like on my fridge:

Nice, huh?

But you know what? They are so proud of themselves! They proved they could be responsible and that boosted their confidence. Now they want to cook more. Also, they realized the time involved in cooking which resulted in a new found appreciation of me!

Here is a picture Levi sent to me of their pizza:

A little lopsided, but I did taste it and it was good. Levi said they used a little too much flour, you think?

I love the independence I see. I love the confidence. We have a few more skills to work on but I think we are on the right road. So thankful for my kiddos!

**Yes, I know, I've gotta work on Myles, he says he just wants to be a kid when he grows up, *sigh*...that's another post for another day!**

Negativity

2012-01-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

Negativity, is not always a bad thing. Negativity, can be good. It is all in the way you handle it. Here are a couple "Kim rules" for handling a negative comment, attitude or person in general:

For every negative person in your life, there are a least three to four positive people; cherish them.
If someone makes a negative comment you know is not true, disregard it. It is called a lie and we don't believe lies.
Peacefully remove yourself from a situation where negativity abounds.
When negative thoughts creep in (words that were spoken come back to haunt you), pour over God's word.
Then repeat as many times as you like: "God loves me"
Remind yourself that Christ died for you while you were still a sinner (well, we weren't even born yet), but He loved you enough to die for you.
Use the negativity to produce a positive outcome. Prove to that person you are strong through Christ. Show them by example that they too, can have strength to overcome!

Often, when someone decides to impose their negativity on me, it actually pushes me farther in the right direction. If someone implies that I cannot do something or because I have failed, I'll continue to fail, I will set out to see that it does not become reality. "...If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31)

Ever heard the saying, "A set back is really a set up in disguise"? What we perceive as negative can really be something positive God will use to do great things! Be encouraged in the Lord today!

Some People Dream...

2012-01-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes nothing comes to mind when I need to blog. Other times, I bubble over with ideas. As much as I wanted to save this post for another day, it will not let me! It is nagging me, pushing me and consuming me!

For the past few days, a song has been playing in my mind. Because I am lyrically challenged, I text my sweet, beautiful and extremely talented pastor's daughter, Megan to see if she had the words. Of course she did! She knew them off the top of her head as she sang this song in church a couple months ago. The song, "Some People Dream" by Jonathan Moore, is a song that makes you think. Dreaming is a good thing. We all have dreams. We need to dream. But how many of us are making those dreams a reality? This is not a "what you are doing wrong" kind of post. I am simply challenging you to think about your dreams and what you are doing to make them happen.

Not all our dreams turn to reality. Some dreams fizzle, others are smashed, yet some dreams sit there, in the back of our brains, trying to come forward to be released. On a side note here, if you have had a dream and this dream has fizzled or been smashed, that does not mean it is over. On the contrary, this dream may just need a new awakening, new hope or restoration. A dream cannot be fulfilled until there is action. So I ask again, what are you doing to make your dreams a reality? I have dreamed dreams, but I am not satisfied to continue only dreaming, I want to make them happen!

SOME PEOPLE DREAM

Some people dream, we make it happen

Knowing that rainbows are not all they seem

Eyes on the future, embracing each moment

And we'll make it happen when some people dream

Why wish on stars? Toss coins into fountains?

And live with regret over what could happen

The future is ours, we can move mountains

And we'll make it happen when some people...

... dream of flying,

Like eagles will take to the sky

Some people talk of flying, but we never ask why,

We just fly

Seizing the day, fearless, undaunted

Follow our hearts to places unseen

Do you realize all that we've wanted

And we'll make it happen when some people...

... dream of flying,

Like eagles will take to the sky

Some people talk of flying, naive inside

Well aren't we? never stop to ask why

We just fly ~ Jonathan Moore

Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living. ~ Anais Nin

If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams. ~ Les Brown

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours. ~ Henry David Thoreau

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

The Daily Grind

2012-01-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so not EVERY day goes as planned. Yesterday happened to be one of those days. The following is a run down:

6:00 am: Wake up, stumble to shower

6:20 am: Out of shower and feeling awake (sort of)

6:30 am: Wake up children (of course they are all so chipper)

6:35 am: Finally pry Ashley out of her bed and into the shower*

7:00 am: All have eaten and heading to brush teeth, comb hair, etc.

7:10 am: Read devotional (While Myles is falling asleep)

7:20 am: Try to start car, doesn't turn over, goes click, click, click

*Forgot to mention I was supposed to be at Levi's school at 7:30 to work in Student Store*

7:22 am: Call neighbor friend to see if she can take kids to school

7:25 am: Try car one more time, Levi notices the interior light was turned on. Thank you, Ronnie!

7:40 am: Get kids into friend's car and off to school with Elle pouting**

7:45 am: Another neighbor gives my car a jump and it decides to work. Whew!

8:00 am to 10:30 am: I am home doing random chores

10:40 am: Pick Ashley up from school, head to DMV

11:00 am: Waiting at DMV

11:30 am: Waiting at DMV....oh wow, they called my number!

11:35 am: DMV can't register my car until I have pink slip which is in transit from CA.

12:00 pm: Home and stayed there for the rest of the day!

* Some of you may wonder why Ashley has to shower in the morning. Well, natural curly hair, when slept on, ends up looking like dreadlocks.

** Elle was pouting because she didn't want anyone but me to take her to school.

In all, I had an awesome day, really!

Red Letter Days

2012-01-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

One of my very favorite things to do at the start of the year (or school year), is to fill in my calendar with all the significant dates. All the birthdays, anniversaries, special events, appointments, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, lessons, etc. This often takes me a day or so because inevitably, I get interrupted ~~a few~~, constantly. Then after I finally get it all filled in, I still end up filling in new things throughout the year. Or I ended up crossing things out. So by December, my calendar usually looks like a kindergartener's drawing board with lines, dots and scribbles going all directions. Oh but I love it, the planning, the anticipation and the daily grind of a schedule. Yes, it is all very motivating to me!

As I was writing in the calendar, I realized how many fun, exciting days are ahead. This made me think about what is referred to as Red-Letter Days. Red-letter days originated on the Medieval church calendars. They were written in red as a way to signify it was a day of importance, such as a holy day. Often times, festivities ensued as a way to celebrate such a day. Many of our calendars indicate holidays in red as well.

Now you are probably wondering why I have said all this. Well, as a Christian, we should have many red-letter days. In fact, everyday should be significant and worth celebrating. So this year, and years to come, I want to make everyday a red-letter day. That doesn't mean I have to party every day or do something extraordinary but I will celebrate Christ and His Spirit living within. This makes each day a red-letter day!

So, I ask, will you join me? What makes your day a red-letter day? For today, I am celebrating sunshine and no rain! Those of you who know anything about Portland, that's huge! We have some clouds but through those clouds I see blue skies and that makes me rejoice!

See the blue?

Taken this morning off my deck

Beginnings!

2012-01-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

Ah, the second day of the New Year! So fresh, so clean, like the first set of footprints in fresh fallen snow

yahoo pics

Like the first steps into the sand as the tide recedes

yahoo pics

Like the skin of a new born baby


Ashley's feet (6 years ago) :)

Like a new life in Christ

So serene, so beautiful is this time of beginnings. Cherish it, embrace it and go forth a new person.

WELCOME 2012!

2011-12-31T22:24:00.000-08:00

Oh how I love thee 2012! I have no idea what you will bring but I am up for the challenge. I am certain there will be many changes this year. I am okay with that, even the not-so-good changes. Why? Because I know WHO holds my hand. There is not an inkling of a doubt in my mind that whatever happens this year, God doesn't already know and have completely planned out. And I trust Him! He knows what I need better than me. What a blessed assurance!

I have such a peace about this coming year. In fact, just today I was listening (well, my girls were listening and I heard it) to a Francesca Battistelli song, and the words hit me. These were the words I heard:

I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
I’m losing control
Of my destiny
It feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go

This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace

The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone

As I listened, my mind swirled. Wow! This is a key ingredient to life as a successful Christian. Letting go of what I planned to do with my life and fully embracing what God planned for me. So this year, I'm letting go...of fear of the unknown, my insecurities, feelings of inadequacy and the constant turmoil of trying to justify things I say or do. I have no need to carrying these feelings because I am a child of God and my life is securely in His hands. He is my fortress, my strength, AND my judge. In addition, I am letting go of judgmental thoughts towards others (sorry if you thought I was perfect, I try, but honestly, some people worry me). And while I am letting go of these negative thoughts that control me, I am going to embrace LOVE! God's love conquers all and that is what I want dwelling in me. His love will purge all the negative feelings.

This past year, I reached out to those that I felt had aught against me. I have asked for forgiveness. It's over. I'm moving on. I'm letting go...Welcome 2012, the year of moving up higher to an even greater victory!

Christmas Day!

2011-12-29T21:39:00.000-08:00

As excited I was for Christmas to be here, I am equally excited that it is over. Sounds strange, huh? Well, honestly, I love the New Year, every year! I love a fresh start, clean slate and schedules!!! I thrive on schedules! I am very ready for my kids to return to school and get back into routine. So this will be the last reflecting post of Christmas and all it's happenings for the year. It will mostly include pictures with a short summary describing the picture. Sorry, but I am ready to move on. Christmas was wonderful but it's done! The first few pictures are from Christmas morning:

Myles reading the Christmas story...

Levi reading the Christmas story...

Elle and Ashley and their American girl dolls they have wanted forever!

Christmas evening we spent with my parents' pastor and his family, the Goodwins. Also there were the Whitleys, Smiths and Bro. Scott. It was quite fun. We ate, talked, ate a little more, laughed, ate a little more, played a game and probably ate a bit more. Here are a few pics:

The first picture is the Goodwin family and the second picture is my parents and the Whitleys. Oh and Ron Jon trying to get in the picture!

Bro. Scott and um, Elle.

Andrew with a couple monkeys!

And while the monkeys were off playing, the Goodwins babysat Molly and Emily. They did such a wonderful job! Thank you!

The day after Christmas, that evening rather, we went to see the lights at Shore Acres, which is located right on the ocean.The Smiths went with us and I finally got a picture of her looking at the camera. (Christmas was quite comical trying to take her picture).

For those of you wondering why we didn't send out Christmas pictures this year, well, take a good long look at this picture. Merry Christmas, this is your picture. Can you see what I went through trying to get a good pic of my kids this year? There's always one goofy kid in the crowd!

Not exactly sure what is going on here. Myles and Ash look scared and Elle is probably the one scaring them! Ha! And Ashley's bow is sliding down her head...oh a picture truly paints a thousand words!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all...Christmas is over! Yahoo!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

Alright so I'm going back a few days, but I was not home and was unable to blog. Well, I could have blogged but 1. I wasn't feeling well 2. There was so much going on 3. I was lazy, bam! that's it in a nutshell. Oh, but we had a wonderful time at my parents house! Thursday and Friday, we spent most of the time either shopping for Christmas (dinner and a few gifts) or preparing for Christmas (food, wrapping presents,etc.). My awesome Aunt Paula sent us a gift card for pizza, so Christmas eve was a no brainer! Can we give a shout out to Aunt Paula?? Whoo Hoo!!! She totally knows what we (we?, my mom really) goes through each year at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So Christmas eve morning, my sweet boys and their papa took a trip out to the bay to go crabbing. Due to the generosity of the Whitleys, who are friends of ours (my parents), my boys and my dad had an awesome day on the boat! Levi and Myles came home so excited, not only did they catch 16 crabs, they had the opportunity to drive the boat! Oh my oh my, did that ever make their day! Bro. Whitley aka Captain Whitley and my dad gave these two boys a day to remember! Here are a couple pictures from their trip:

Reunited....well, almost.

2011-12-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

These past few days, my beautiful children were absentee. Meaning, they were not with me. They have been down in Coos Bay, Oregon with my parents, and I will add, having the time of their life! Ronnie and I have had a wonderful time too! He took me for Thai food for the very first time and I am in love! Well, with him and the food :). It has been unusually quiet around here but I am ready for my rambunctious, energy-filled children to come home. And I am very ready to go to my parents!
In a few seconds here, I will post a few pictures from their beach escapade. I had to laugh when I saw the pictures because I can tell my girls dressed themselves. For that matter, so did my boys (but those of you with boys know that they can care-less what they wear!). They are still learning what goes together and what doesn't, and quite frankly I think it's great! There are far greater worries in my life than to fret over their clothing (or hairdos). I am not going to stop here and justify anything, you can think what you want (not that you think anything at all), but my kids are happy, well-taken care of, clean and enjoy life to the fullest. There are definitely times (i.e. church) for them to be perfectly dressed and have their hair in ship shape, but the beach is not one of those places. So please enjoy these crazy pictures!

I must tell you about this pic. Ashley was chosen for star student the day before Christmas break. So she gets to have Ms. Pig the entire Christmas break. This is Ashley and Ms. Pig at the beach.

It looks like there are trees etched into the sand

Beautiful!

Mary's Mother

2011-12-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

Year after year, I read the Christmas story. And every year I wonder the same thing, what was so unique and special about Mary, that she was chosen above every other girl? The bible tells us in Luke chapter 1 verse 28, “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”

Mary, was “highly favoured” and “blessed…among women.” Many scholars have concluded that Mary was also quite young, another astonishing thought considering what she was about to go through.

As a little girl, I would dream of what it would be like if an angel appeared in front of me with a message from God. My great-grandmother had several encounters with angels, so I grew up knowing that it was entirely possible. But alas, it never happened. As I became a young woman, and the whole Christmas story took on a new meaning when I realized what Mary actually went through, I had a new appreciation for her. Here she was, engaged to be married; young, innocent, naïve, and those are only a few of the words that come to mind. Imagine her surprise, when suddenly an angel appears and tells her she has been chosen to bring forth God’s son. Do you think this may have disrupted her plans a little? However, notice her response, and this is where I am going with this, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” Wow! The bible does not say much about her upbringing, but I want to imagine a little, want to join me?

Mary’s response to the angel speaks volumes to me about her parents, in particular, her mother. I want to go back a few years, to when Mary was a little girl. What did her mother do to prepare her for such a moment? Did she arrive there on her own? I highly doubt it. Mary’s purpose in life was to be a servant, not just a servant to a random master, but to THE MASTER. Somewhere between the toddler years, the potty –training, schooling, emotional roller coaster of the pre-teen and teenage years, Mary’s mother groomed her, taught her and cultivated in her the art of being a servant to the Most High. She devoted time and energy to create in her little girl not only a love but also a respect for God and His kingdom. Their bedtime prayers probably did not stop at “Now I lay me down to sleep”, in fact, they likely prayed morning, noon and night. Did Mary’s mother somehow know her daughter would be chosen for the highest honor ever given to a woman? No, she probably did not. But yet, day after day, she trained and groomed, spent countless hours teaching, many sleepless nights in prayer and hours upon hours working side by side with Mary, raising her up to be God’s anointed. And when that moment came, Mary received her anointing with dignity and grace, giving ALL glory to God.

Now, I know this is all hypothetical, but it made me stop and think about my own children. What am I doing to prepare them for their anointing? Will they know? Will they be able to respond like Mary, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word?” Would they be able to accept God’s will for their life over their own plans? Not only accept His will, but also do it with dignity and grace, knowing beyond any doubt His way is the best way. I know there will never be another Mary, but I do know that my four children can be a conduit for the Holy Ghost to this generation. They may never have fame or fortune, to which I am not concerned, but Lord let me teach them to be servants ever ready to do Your will.

**If you read this on another blog, it is because I posted it on both blogs**

Happy, 6 days before Christmas, Monday Morning!

2011-12-19T09:17:00.000-08:00

Wow! this weekend has been busy! Really, that's an understatement! It's been crazy-busy! I could back up to Friday, which was the kids' last day of school, and give you a run down of that day but I'll just say it was one very fun yet a tad bit stressful day. However, we made it through. Saturday, we spent the majority of the day at the church preparing for the Children's Musical, "It All Happened in the Country". Between dialing in parts, tightening up songs and decorating the church, we finally got out of there around 6 pm. My sweet, sweet parents came up to be a support and of course, see their grandkids perform. So came Sunday! Now, I will pause here to admit that I was a bundle of nerves! I'm not sure if I actually slept the night before or not. You see, as I stated before, this was the very first time I ever directed a musical. I do not know why I was so worried, because the kids blew us away! Seriously, they were incredible! I would love to post pictures but I wasn't able to take any as I was busy directing. But as soon as I get some pictures from others, I will post them. We did record it, and Bro. Murphy is working on the DVD of it. It'll be out soon. I cannot say it enough, OUR KIDS (every child in the musical) MADE ME PROUD!!!! They were AWESOME!!! And they give ALL GLORY to GOD!!!

So now, as I type this, my babies are getting ready to leave to go home with Grammy and Papa (aka the Grinch) for a few days. I am so excited for them and know they are in the best hands. They will have a blast and probably not want to come home. I am going to miss them terribly but I will stay busy to keep myself from going looney!

I am still working on the post about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Should be available tomorrow. Oh by the way, I maintained a 4.0 last quarter, only two more quarters to go!

Kicking into High Gear

2011-12-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

School is done...for the quarter! Phew! Christmas is upon us, and we are in the last few days of practice for the Children's Christmas Musical. As much as I am excited, I will be thankful when all is said and done! This is the very first time I have EVER done a musical. Or rather, directed a musical. I've been the parent of a child/ren in the performance, a support, costume coordinator and whatever other job that needed done. Thankfully, I have a great group of parents and fellow church members that have stepped up to make this happen. Honestly, I wanted to quit a few times, but I know the kids are relying on me. In addition, the support I have had made ALL the difference. That being said, the next few days will be harry-scary, what that means for you is, #1. I may not have a chance to blog (I will try to sneak in a week wrap-up post), #2. Pray for us, and #3. Really, really pray for us! Thanks, much obliged!
Here are a couple pics from the weekend.

Levi and Devante

Bro. Matt, Bro. Mike and Ronnie singing "Jingle Bells"

Myles, Devante and Sis. Nikki (she's in front of Bro. Mallory)singing.

***p.s. I am working on a post regarding Mary, yes, the mother of Jesus. Something stirring in my mind and I am going to put it in writing. Look for it sometime early next week.***

I blog, therefore I am...not!

2011-12-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

My apologies. It has been a little quiet on the set. Not that I do not have a b-zillion (Ashley's word) things I can blog about since my life seems to live on the spin cycle, but unfortunately I haven't had time to think. When I blog or write a blog rather, it takes time. Not always but most of the time. I don't like to throw words on paper randomly. A long time ago, I learned, like the words we say, the words we write cannot be erased. Especially, once published. For today, I will just highlight a few things that are happening. Once Christmas break begins, I will have a bit more time to focus and hopefully give you a proper post.

On Saturday (10th), Elle will partake in her very first violin recital. This will be in the form of a holiday musical performance involving all string instrument players from Voices of Performing Arts. She is a little nervous as she has only been playing a short time. But her teacher wants her to challenge herself. Thankfully, Elle also played the piano for a time and is familiar with the whole recital/performance arena. I am confident she will do fine. Here is her practicing at home:

Coming up next week, all four of my children will be in our Christmas muscial "It All Happened in the Country". We are very excited yet very nervous. Levi, along with Ivy Mallory, play the main characters. Myles does what he does best and will be performing a rap solo. Elle is one of the readers and Ashley will join three other little girls in the song "Away in a Manger".

Levi is still playing the drums and in fact, he'll again be taking lessons. This time with an emphasis on Jazz. We are very excited about this. He has been playing in church and doing very well. Myles just recently began bass lessons and is, well, let's just say he is doing. Not sure what all he is doing but, he'll get there. ha! Anyone who has children in any type of lesson knows they don't always want to practice. This would be true of Myles. We think he would be happy being a professional kid the rest of his life. He and Ashley are in Tae Kwon Do, as well, and will be moving to yellow belt (I think) next week. Speaking of Ashley, she wants to play the piano so Ronnie has been working with her a little. She'll likely be in lessons soon :).

As for me, well I am almost done with school for the quarter! Yay! My math final is Monday, then I'm done until January. The next two quarters, I'll be full-time again, AND....drum roll please.....it looks like I will graduate in the spring!!! Okay, okay, it's only my associates but hey, I did it! I can move on to the bachelor's program and not have to worry about all the prerequisite classes. I am not sure at this point where I will go for my BS, but I am looking. I am really leaning towards George Fox University, if I am accepted. So folks, if you think of me, say a prayer for me :). Thanks!

And pray that I make it through this musical! First time I have ever been in charge of a musical, where is Tishauna, Dawn and Melissa when I need them???

Hodge Podge Sorta Day!

2011-12-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

Right now I am supposed to be taking a quiz for my math class. Am I? Nope, I'm blogging! Reading, writing a little, navigating and pretty much, wasting time. I am almost done with school for the quarter. All I have left are my quiz and final for math. Everything for my speech class has been submitted. Really, I just need to focus. But I am so distracted by all the "fun" things. I want to go Christmas shopping, work on the children's musical (actually I need to), make fun little Christmas desserts, search Pinterest and take random pictures with my new camera. Wanna see a few?? Okay, here ya go...

Ashley Jean, playing the computer, she was so sweet to pause her game to take this picture :)

RonJon at church yesterday, isn't this so like him?

Mt. Hood captured on our way home from church yesterday. Not very clear, I know but I took it through the car window.

I was going through the kids' papers from school and came across Elle's acrostic poem for THANKSGIVING. Thought I'd share.

~Hugs~ Kim

Friends + Christmas + Cookies = Great Times

2011-12-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to Sis. Hads house to hang out and decorate cookies. Now, I need to back up a little to tell you about Sis. Hads. She is a wonderful lady with an enormous heart for people, especially little people. She runs a daycare/preschool business out of her home and it is not just a "job" but a passion. Not only does she run this business, she is extremely gifted in the interior decorating and event decorating department. AND...she's an incredible cook, baker and candle stick maker (well, not sure about the candles, but she probably could be). My kids ~~ask~~ BEG to go to her house, because it is ALWAYS fun! Last night was no exception! My kids play and I get to chat with a great friend, eat her yummy food and desserts, and search Pinterest. What more could a girl want? I just took a few pictures of the kids while they were decorating cookies and a couple of her adorable Christmas decor, just one of her several trees! Next year, I'm gonna have more trees, definitely!

Starting out, very excited!

Notice he's still working on the same cookie?

Detail-oriented! love it!

Twinkle Little Star and my little angel!

Ashley Jean being so meticulous

Um, the cookies Myles, work on the cookies, this isn't a photo session.

lol, my crazy boy!

Sis. Hads, Elle, Ashley and I ended up finishing the rest of the cookies. The boys lost interest after they made two and ate one.

My little decorator

Each cookie took her about 10 minutes. Her inner artist came out.

One of the many trees, I love it!

Oh yeah, candy store! My favorite!

A great, big THANK YOU to Sis. Hads for an awesome, memory-making, fun-filled night!

25 Days until Christmas!!

2011-12-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

I had to laugh at Ashley yesterday. She asks me everyday, "How many more days until Christmas?" (I am sure all you parents are getting the same question). Well, I told her since the day was almost over it was about 25 days until Christmas. She said, "Oh yay! 25 is my favorite number, I couldn't wait until there were 25 days left!" Huh? Lol! Okay, that was random. Then she said, "Now I can't wait until there are 3 days until Christmas, because 3 is my other favorite number!" Oh, if only life was so simple...my favorite number, if I had one, would be 8:30 pm (bedtime). lol.

Anyhow, I am so excited for Christmas this year. We will be spending Christmas with my parents, in their new home, making new memories, and that is super-de-duper exciting! My mom did not make Thanksgiving dinner this year, as she was in Arizona. So she said she was going to make a feast at Christmas AND she wanted to make it ALL! YES!!! That is so AWESOME! You know why? I'll let you in on a little secret, I do not enjoy cooking. Sorry if my perfect housewife image just went out the door, really hate to disappoint you all, but I don't. However, I love to bake, so I volunteered to make ALL the desserts. Now, wasn't that kind of me? I'll be posting the results, don't you worry!

Staying with my tradition, we decorated the day after Thanksgiving. Not a day before, not a day after. And I don't take it down until after New Years Day. So, last Friday, Ronnie and the boys went down to the garage and brought up my "Christmas" boxes. I got busy and the kids helped between playing the wii and the computer. As I was going through my decorations, I realized I did not like some of them. And I also realized, I did not have a tree. My mom has a tree, she offered it to me but she lives four hours away and I was not about to drive there to retrieve it. Off to Target I went, picked me up some new decorations and a tree. Now the tree is not very big (I'm holding out for after Christmas sales to get what I really want) but I like it. Here is the top of the tree:

And here is Miss Ashley Jean, later that night, asleep :)

I have a really big window in my kitchen. I love this window, and now I love it even more with my peppermint lights:

And of course, Christmas is not Christmas without the manger. This is Elle and Ashley's favorite decoration, the little stable plays "Away in the Manger". That is the song Ashley will be singing in our upcoming Children's Musical (that will be another post).

So what are some of your decorations? What about traditions? Do you decorate before or after Thanksgiving? Here is who is currently under our tree, but I believe he will get the boot as presents are wrapped and placed under the tree.

Yep, Thomas the Train

Happy December 1st, to you all! Let the spirit of Christmas sweep into your home, and enjoy the season!

A repost from a friend: What Will Matter...

2011-11-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

While cruising through blogsphere, I stopped at my friend Tena's blog to do some perusing. I enjoy surfing through my blog list, reading the blogs and connecting to other people's worlds. Tena's latest post was incredible and I was very surprised to discover she did not write it. Not sure who the original author is but I asked her if I could repost it, and being the awesome person she is, she said yes :).

What Will Matter…

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.

So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.

It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.

Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when your gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T12:07:00.000-08:00

We set aside a day each year to reflect on our blessings and be thankful to God for them. However, most of us are thankful year round. We take the time each day throughout the year to let those that are closest to us know that we care. Sometimes, life gets busy and we are not able to connect with one another but true friends and close family members know, without a doubt, they are loved. We show this not only by our words, but our actions. Words can often be empty and rehearsed. But if you truly love someone, they will know by the way you act.

Today, and everyday I am thankful for ALL who have played an important role in my life. There is not a need to make a list, you know who you are because I have showed you by my actions and you, by yours. I have no need to go about proving our friendship or relationship, I am confident in every relationship. I am truly blessed to have YOU ALL in my life. May God shine upon you this day and everyday!

Our family after girls' baptism. One moment I am very thankful for this year!

From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thank YOU!

2011-11-21T12:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I believe I have given you a good summary of many things I am thankful for. I did not name everything, for that would take a lifetime. However, the one thing (person) I did not mention was YOU, my readers! I am so very thankful for my readers, otherwise I would not have a blog. Without you, I am nada, nothing, zilch, zip...you get the idea, right? But you know what would make me very happy? Is if you, my readers would leave me a comment. I LOVE COMMENTS! I love to know who is reading and where you are from. You know, it is kind of like pen pals! Anybody ever had a pen pal? Oh I loved having pen pals! I had a sweet friend named Hiroko from Japan (who actually stayed a weekend with me). We remained pen pals for a long time. Then I had another pen pal from Mexico and one from Spain when I was taking Spanish in high school. It was lovely! So if you could do me the highest honor, even if you do not know me personally, leave me a comment and tell me how you like my blog. I can take corrective criticism, if you think I need to improve something. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you! ~hugs! Kim

God's Great Creation

2011-11-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder how God created the world? Every tree, every flower, the oceans, the animals, not to mention the intricacies of the human body? The Bible gives us the details, but what I like to imagine is Him looking out over the complete and utter vastness of nothingness and speaking it all into existence. I find it difficult to wrap my mind around the endless creativity and imagination of God. When He placed the heavenly bodies into existence, when He told the waters to separate, when he breathed life into a human soul, it is all so amazing. We know life as it is because we feel it, see it, touch it, smell it and taste it all around. But what if, we were there with God, and saw the emptiness? Would we have the ability to imagine a bird or a fish? How would we respond to God if he said to us, "I am thinking of creating a creature that walks on four legs, has fur, barks when they want to communicate and will love a human being till the end?" Would we think, "Oh yes, a dog!" Not likely.

The world we live in operates for one purpose, to keep us alive. The earth is perfect in every way, the air we breath contains the perfect mix as to not kill us, the amount of water as to not drown us and the perfect amount of land that we may dwell on. There are so many other ways that the earth provides the perfect environment for human life to exist, it is astounding. Louie Giglio creator of "How Great is Our God" and "Indescribable" projects, shows through creation the awesomeness of God and how perfectly He created our world. If you ever have the chance to see this documentary, it will open your eyes to God's amazing love for humankind.

Along with creating the perfect environment in which we can survive, God added remarkable beauty. Now, I have only been to a few places here in the United States, so many of you can describe the beauty seen around the world that I have only seen in pictures. However, I am going to post a few pictures of a few places I have been. Notice the differences in environments and terrains, God gave us variety knowing that we all would prefer unique settings. I am so thankful for God's wonderful creation, I marvel at the beauty and the perfectness of His work!

I believe this is Mt. Shasta

Mt. Shasta, again

The Grand Canyon

The view from my deck in the summer

Amazing Oregon summer sunset

Beautiful Lake Chelan (don't know who the people are)

Wenatchee Winter wonderland

Oregon Coast in the summer

And I do!

Life's Simple Pleasures

2011-11-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, before I left to pick Ashley up from school, I decided to bring her some hot cocoa. Being that it was foggy and quite cold outside, hot cocoa seemed like the perfect accompaniment. So, we get in the car and I tell her, "Ash, I made you some hot chocolate!" She smiles and says, "yumm...". After a few minutes of sipping her hot cocoa she says, "You know, I like hot chocolate but what I really want is coffee, do you have any?" What? I burst out laughing! She wants coffee? Oh boy, what have I created? Like mother like daughter, I suppose!

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I LOVE coffee. I just can't deny. However, I am a little picky. I probably wouldn't be so picky if it weren't for my dear friend, Javawn. Yes, I blame her. Her and her husband are the coffee experts and they ruined me, I can't just drink your average coffee anymore. It also doesn't help that I live in Portland, where you can get REAL coffee, everywhere. In fact, if you are ever in Portland (I think Seattle has them too), I admonish you to try Stumptown Coffee. Many coffee houses here in Portland also serve Stumptown Coffee.

Everyone has their weaknesses, coffee happens to be mine. It was quite funny when I lived in Wenatchee, my little nephews, Jacob and Judah knew of my addiction. One morning, while getting the kids ready for school, both of the boys came into the kitchen. Now these two are like clock work, they wake up (at least when I was there) with the chickens and want to eat right away. Since I was in the kitchen already, I gave them some breakfast. With their food, I gave them each a cup of apple juice. As I handed Jacob his, he said, "Mmm I love apple juice" and I replied, "It's good, huh?" He gave me a funny look and said, "You don't like apple juice, Aunt Kim." I said, "You're right, I really don't". Then Judah piped up and said, "No, you like copies (coffee)!" I laughed, even my three year old nephew knew me!

So today I am thankful for coffee! One of life's simple pleasures...now don't get me started on chocolate, we'd be here all day!

In the Spirit of Thankfulness

2011-11-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

Today seemed to blaze past in a flurry of excitement, as always on Sundays. Therefore, I did not have much time to give you a quality post, and I likely will not have time tomorrow as I am scheduled to work at both schools (elementary and middle). In addition, I have lovely schoolwork to do. However, I have something on my heart that I feel the need to unload.

While at Sherwood Sanctuary this morning, Pastor Mallory mentioned that next Sunday we will be having a "Thankful" service. He also mentioned this at New Wine Sanctuary this afternoon.This involves testifying about our thankfulness to God for what He has done over this last year. Now I can tell you all day long why I am thankful, but testifying? Oh man, I felt my pulse began to race, my palms immediately became sweaty, and I think I missed the rest of his announcement. I find it so much easier to write it down than to speak it out. I know, testifying is our way of giving glory to God. Yes, I have heard it my entire life so you would think I'd be okay with it. But I am not. Sorry, I cringe at the thought. But I will do it! First, you will be my guinea pigs, though. I will write my testimony out on my blog and that way, either I'll have it memorized and I won't freeze from fright or I will read it. Yep, simply, read it!

Or cry on my mommy's shoulder?

I will do my best to be brief, but I have so much to be thankful for that it is hard to put into a few paragraphs. Many of you know we left Sacramento in June of 2010 and moved to Wenatchee, Washington. As to not bore you with details, we basically needed to start over and build our lives again. My husband lost his job, we lost a house and we had felt like we were loosing hope. We have family in Washington and it seemed like a good place to rebuild. This lasted for seven months, and I do not regret moving there, though it was obvious that God wanted us elsewhere. Every door we tried seemed to close, my husband applied for more jobs than there are weeks in a year and the one job that supposedly "hired" him, seemed to vanish. Those seven months were some of the greatest and hardest times of my life. When you hear how a goldsmith keeps returning the gold to the fire to get a purer gold, well, I felt like that piece of metal. However, I know God had a plan in it all. We grew during this time in areas we did not realize we had room to grow. Not saying we had already arrived, but rather, God showed us that we had abilities we did not know we possessed. I am very thankful for that time.

In February of 2011, God opened a door. Out of all those applications and resumes Ronnie sent out, he finally had a response. Now this isn't your average, everyday response either. After speaking with the headhunter for the company, we discovered that this job was with Wells Fargo. That is who Ronnie worked for for nearly ten years while in Sacramento. He was hired after a brief phone interview, with a little help from his friends. (Many of his former colleagues still work for Wells and highly recommended him). And within a week, we were moving to Portland, Or. If ever I doubted God's will in our lives, it was not then. Doors began to open left and right. We began to look for a house and found one within four weeks. My children transitioned into their new schools and church. Since we have been here we have seen God not only bless us, but bless others around us. Brand new souls have been added to the church because God positioned us in the right place at the right time. I do not know where He will lead us from here, but I know that He has placed us here... for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).

Through all this I have learned that people will balk and say negative things, things like we are not in God's will or we are running from something, etc., but I choose to ignore their words, instead focusing on what God is telling me. He says, "Reach out to me child, hold my hand, though the way may be rough I will never let go". There is a song we sing in church that goes like this,

Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.

No matter where He leads me, I will follow. If I am to stay here, then here I will be. As my pastor says, we aren't his saints, we are God's. I am so thankful for the ministry, the vision and the family of God that we have been placed in. I know we are loved. I have found this to be a place of healing and growth. It is like home away from home. Pastor and Sister Mallory carry the same Spirit and vision as our Bishop and Pastor in Sacramento. It is all for the kingdom! So this year, among so many other things, I am thankful to New Wine Sanctuary for reaching their hands and hearts out to a family whose only desire is to please God.

Life is a journey we must all travel, it is Who you are traveling for that matters.

"I stand upon the word of God, the B.I.B.L.E."

2011-11-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

Anyone remember this childhood, Sunday school song? Oh I do! I still sing it! Today, and every day, I am so thankful for the Word of God. No matter how chaotic life becomes, I can go to the Word and know I will find my answer.

I was just sitting here reading in 2 Timothy and verse 2:15 (many of us have it memorized) stood out, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. And I realized that it fits right into my day. Today will be a marathon homework day, ugh! I have an algebra exam due next week that is worth a third of my grade and a speech evaluation due tomorrow that is worth a quarter of my grade. As much as I want to go out and have fun, I need to study and do the work. I must put forth my best because I am an example to others of Jesus Christ. In word, in deed, in everything I do, I must glorify my Father.

The Word of God is powerful! You can stand upon every word in this beautiful book! I am so thankful for God's Word!

(Yahoo pics)

Happy Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to honor all my family and friends who are veterans. You know who you are and I am so thankful for your service to our great country! I wish I had a picture to post of all of you. Here are just a couple I have:

Uncle Carlos and Myles

Grandpa Norm in front of the type of plane he flew. I don't know what kind, but if you ask my friend, Denise, she knows!

La Familia de Marquez

2011-11-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

More family...yes, we have a lot of family. Some blood relatives, some by marriage and just some who we like to add to the family because they make us look good. When I did the post on my extended family, I didn't include my husbands side, for a couple reasons: I was focused on my parents' families and it would have taken an entire page!

My kiddos are blessed with aunties and uncles that truly love them, and their Aunt Paula and Aunt Shell (Michelle) love them so much. They have an awesome uncle, Uncle Terraine, who loves them and they think is so cool. Their cousins in order of age: Michael, Terraine Jr., Hope, Teriyah and now Elijah, they just adore them. Unfortunately, we live so far away from them now so it isn't often we get to see them.

My kids also have their great-grandmother Esther (who they happened to talk to last night) who loves them and prays for them continually. Their grandparents, Ron and Debbie, who love them but because of life circumstances do not see them very often. They have cousins, who are really daddy's cousins, like Priscella , Anna and Chris, Aunt Norma (who was Levi's kindergarten teacher), Matthew, Leonard...boy I could go on! My kids have so many fond memories of this side of the family because everyone treated them with patience, respect and most of all tons of love. In essence, they were spoiled! But, hey, what is family for? I am so thankful for them and their love towards me and my children!

Here are a few pictures of the family, I wish I had more:

Aunt Paula, Elle and Ashley

My other child, Hope

Me, Michelle (with baby Elijah), Paula

Grandma Esther with all the crazy kids (except Hope and Elijah)

Ashley and Elijah, isn't he adorable?

The Good Ol' Days...or not?

2011-11-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

We have all read about the pioneers and their travels from the east to the west. All the hardships they faced, broken wagon wheels, horses that died, Indian raids, buffalo stampedes, no water, hot, dry deserts, long, cold winters, I could go on and on. I am so thankful they had the courage, stamina, and will to survive these conditions and pave the way for us.
However, I am also quite thankful I was not one of them! I am so very thankful for modern conveniences. It is fun to make food from scratch, sew clothes at my convenience (not because I have to), dress up on Old Fashioned Sunday and imagine what it would be like. Well, my friends, reality...it wasn't as romantic as Louis L'Amour portrays! Oh yes, I have read his books and honestly, I love them. But they're fiction! Yes, he weaves in true stories but really those people had a hard life. Is it any wonder the average lifespan was to about 45? I would have probably lasted until I was 5!
Today I am thankful for my car (yes! no wagons or horses), running water and great INDOOR plumbing, my washer and dryer, my dishwasher, my stove that I just turn a knob and wah-la, there's fire, my computer (how would I function?), and so many other wonderful modern conveniences!

We ride horses for fun! (not because we have to).

Laughter is the Best Medicine

2011-11-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

You've heard it time and again, laughter is good for the soul. Psychologists and therapists will agree, having a good laugh now and then is good for you! Fortunately, I laugh daily, for this I am very thankful.

I don't know about you, but I find many things humorous, even when they are not supposed to be. For example, when my kids are trying to tell me something and bless their little hearts, they are trying their best to be serious, I get tickled. I try very hard not to show it, but, man, they make me laugh. Myles enjoys it. He tries to humor us intentionally, and he is quite successful. Levi is my serious one but sometimes he is like his dad and says things that are so funny, then he won't laugh. This very morning, he did that. It was Ashley's turn to pray and she decided to pray for EVERYTHING! She was taking her own sweet time, then I heard Levi say, under his breath, "so this is what the bible means by telling us to pray without ceasing." I almost laughed aloud, then realized that would not be good. We're praying here, folks! And Elle, well, just her personality alone makes me laugh. I can tell you story after story about my nine year old who thinks she's 16! I LOVE it! I love to laugh with them, and yes, sometimes at them. When Ashley gets frustrated with Elle "gnoring" her and when she tells us she "is trying to wonder" instead of "I was wondering about that" and when she says "it doesn't care" for "it doesn't matter", I can't help but laugh.

Therefore, today I am thankful for ALL the opportunities I have to laugh, not only with my kids, but I seemed to provide myself with great opportunities to laugh as well. I learned a long time ago not to take myself seriously (after some bumps and bruises in my pride).

So try it today, laugh, laugh, laugh...of course when it's appropriate! Otherwise you may worry people. I saw a quote recently, it said, "Smile, it confuses people!" lol! Proverbs 15:13 says, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance...". If anything, it'll make people wonder and possibly ask why you are so happy. What an opportunity to tell them Who is the source of your joy!

Having kids is FREE entertainment!

His Strength is Perfect

2011-11-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

Thinking this morning about what I would post today, I realized I have been thankful for all my blessings. However, I am also thankful for the trials. For it is in those times that I grow. The hurts, pains, heartaches, rejection and loss, God uses these moments (sometimes it feels like years) to teach me lessons I would never learn if everything were always perfect.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Cor. 12:9

Through our weakness, He becomes stronger and in our trials, His power is revealed. So when we go through trials in this life, know that our Almighty Savior is glorified and we will overcome through His strength.

Last night I received an email from my aunt. She knows me well because she sent me a song that features a lady named Stephanie Nielson author of Nie Nie's Dialogues. I have followed this blog for some time and I find her story an inspiration. When I have days that I think I can't possibly make it, I remember her life and her will to survive. She is amazing. So back to the song, it is called "Beautiful Heartbreak" and the artist is Hilary Weeks. I do not know who she is, but her message in this song is definitely powerful.

Teachers and Education

2011-11-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

This morning, and every Monday morning, I work in Ashley's kindergarten class. In fact, I am at my kids' (yes, even Levi's) at least three times a week. After homeschooling for a while, I can't help but be in my kids' classrooms and involved in their learning. I learn so much about my kids this way. Who they play with, how they interact with others, and how they respond to the learning environment. Fortunately, all my kids have had awesome teachers. Each one placing something of importance into their ever-growing and ever-changing lives. My kids have a high regard and utmost respect for their teachers and every administrator or facilitator at their schools. Myself being a former preschool assistant, understand the need for a healthy, respectful relationship between the teacher and the student.

So, today, I am thankful for their teachers and the schools that they go to. We are so blessed. Even though this is public school, most every teacher and a huge percentage of the students believe in God and are actively involved in their church. I am also thankful that my children have the freedom to receive an education in such an environment.

Today, Ashley made a thankful turkey in class. She chose every word on the feathers, no one prompted her. I thought it was precious, here is a picture:

Pic #1 is Ashley with Mrs. Derry. Pic #2 is Myles and Elle on the first day. They don't care for this picture stuff, especially on the first day!

Delayed post, so sorry!

2011-11-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

I just got back from ladies retreat a couple hours ago. We had a wonderful time. I was so looking forward to coming back to go to church until I got a text from my husband that Elle was sick. Ugh! Love coming home to sickness.

But today I am thankful for my church, my church family and my ministry (the whole family). I LOVE going to church, I LOVE being with my church family, I LOVE doing whatever I can to enhance the kingdom. I really could go on and on, but since it is so late in the day, I will just say, I am so very thankful for the church family God has placed us in. They (all of them) are so awesome. But not only do I love them, they love me and everyone that steps foot in our church. They have enormous hearts and desire to serve God by showing His love. And that's what it's all about!

My Extended Family

2011-11-05T08:35:00.000-07:00

I have a wonderful family! Yes, I am proud. I have really cool relatives, at least I think so and that's all that matters! To give you a little history, my mom remarried when I was 15, so I'm not close to my biological father's family. In fact, I don't even really know them. However, that is not the case with my Dad's family. (My dad is really my step dad, but to me he is my real dad, so I don't refer to him as that). Anyhow, his family accepted my brother and I into the family as if we were born into it. They love us and consider us one of them. I love each of them so much and I am thankful they have big enough hearts with lots and lots of extra love for two little kids who needed a family.

Aunt Paula with my kiddos

Taking it back a few years.With Grandma and Grandpa on vacation.

Aunt Paula at her writing desk with the kiddos

AZ familia, oh wait, except for my bro Daniel.

Grandpa Norm :) (and RonJon)

In addition to my Dad's family, I am so thankful for my Mom's side. We were fortunate to grow up together and have so many wonderful memories to share. Here are a few more pics:

Clayton and Stacie

Uncle Les, Auntie Lou, Clayton, Stacie, Levi, Myles and Elle

Sorry, Stacie, I couldn't resist! I love this girl so much!

And of course, I love my brothers and my sister! I am so thankful for them and their families, well, Daniel, I'm thankful for Badu (his cat).

Uncle Daniel and Ashley Jean

Jeremy, me, Sarah and Daniel at my graduation

In a hat shop in Mendocino, Ca

Elle, Jacob, Myles, Marques, Ashley, Levi and Judah

The adults

Papa, Grammy, Levi, Myles, Elle, Jacob, Ashley, Judah and Kaleigh or as we call her, Lou Lou.

(in order of birth).

Finally, and I bet you thought I forgot! I am so, so, so, very thankful for my parents! In fact, I wouldn't be here without them :). I love them and I thank God everyday for them. They are awesome, they love God and they love their children, but I think they love their grandchildren more.

Mi Casa es Su Casa

2011-11-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

Seriously! If you need a place to stay, just call me. We've done it before and we'll do it again. My home is yours. You want to know why? Because I know what it is like to be without a home.
The last, say, um, five years, has been rather...interesting when it comes to my dwelling. We bought a home in 1999, sold it in 2004, and lived in an apartment with three young children and a baby on the way. In January of 2006, we bought another house on five acres which at some point was supposed to be our dream home. Reality check. Not all dreams come true. In 2010, we lost this home. During the time we lived there, my cousin Clayton lived with us until his sweet little wife, Sarah, ~~stole~~ um, I mean until he got married. (really, we love Sarah and are so happy for both of them). Other family members lived with us at various times, and really, those were great times. I cherish the memories.
After we lost the house, we lived, for a brief time in a friends house (we rented it from them, they didn't live there). This was a blessing as well. Then, it seemed, that the bottom fell out. We decided to reach out to family and for a time we made their home, our home.
So I said all this to say, I am thankful for my home! I am thankful to have a roof over my head and the money to pay for it. It isn't much, but it is mine. God is faithful and He has always provided.

Here is a picture of the kids playing at the park in our complex. We live in a townhome, so there are always a lot of people around. Oddly enough, there weren't this day.

My Family, My Heart

2011-11-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

Today, and always, I am so very thankful for my family. For today, I will focus on my immediate family, my husband and my children.
Twelve years ago, God gave me a son. We named him Levi Joel, he made me a mother. When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being mother. I chose names for my children. Those names did not make it but it was fun. Two years later, to the day, God gave me another son, who we named Myles Jonathan. He taught me the importance of prayer, I needed it with him.
I believe God has a sense of humor because sixteen months later (yes, less than a year and a half!) Elle Jenalee was born. My little girl! And three years later, when I thought we were done, Ashley Jean, my angel baby, completed our family.

I know I am blessed and there is not a day I do not thank God for my children. I am honored that the Lord chose me to raise these beautiful, precious souls to be soldiers of the cross, godly men and women, leaders in His kingdom, and faithful saints to the house of God. He has entrusted me and I will do my best to lead and guide them by His grace.
In addition to my children, I am so very thankful for their daddy, my husband Ronald John, or as I prefer, Ronnie. Without him I wouldn't have my children and my life would be ~~very~~ extremely boring! Ronnie is an awesome husband and an incredible daddy. Unfortunately, his upbringing did not provide him with a boost in the fatherhood/husbandhood department, so he, with the help of God, had to pave his own pathway. Knowing this makes me even more proud of him.

Ronnie and Ashley Jean

***And as a bonus, since my post took a little longer today, we have a surprise for you! Ashley Jean was chosen to be the star student today! She wanted me to let you all know and to post a picture of her with Miss Pig. Miss Pig gets to spend the night with the star student and tonight is our night. Any ideas of what we can do with Miss Pig? We are going to take her to the library. This will be a fun day! :)

The Art of Being Thankful

2011-11-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Ah November, how I love thee! You bring me my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving! To celebrate, each day this month (hopefully), I will bring you a post stating the things/people/places, etc., that I am thankful for. Yesterday, I stated I am thankful for ALL of my friends. There will be no specific order to my posts, just what pops into my head.

Fortunately, I have A LOT to be thankful for. However, for me, it is not only about the what but the why. The bible tells us that we should be, Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Eph. 5:20. Being thankful should be a way of life. This is the art of thankfulness: being thankful in good times and in, not so good times.
I am thankful in it all. You know why? Because I have God. My hope is in Him and I know He is holding my hand through times of peace and in times of trial. Therefore, the core of my thankfulness is Jesus Christ my Savior. For in him we live, and move, and have our being... Acts 17:28.

Thank you, Jesus, for being the center of my joy!

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"Make New Friends"

2011-11-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a little song I have heard several times, not in its entirety, but the beginning. Apparently, it is a Girl Scouts song. I searched for an author but did not find one.

Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
the other is gold.

A circle is round,
it has no end.
That's how long,
I will be your friend.

A fire burns bright,
it warms the heart.
We've been friends,
from the very start.

You have one hand,
I have the other.
Put them together,
We have each other.

Silver is precious,
Gold is too.
I am precious,
and so are you.

You help me,
and I'll help you
and together
we will see it through.

The sky is blue
The Earth is green
I can help
to keep it clean

Across the land
Across the sea
Friends forever
We will always be

Friendship has always been very important to me. From a little girl, I made friends with anyone. Literally. Once, when I was a toddler, my mom lost me in a store only to find me chatting away with a little old man, minutes later. I thrive on people and relationships, I need others to make my life complete. As Bishop Wilson is known to say, "No man is an island to himself." For me, that would mean insanity!
Over the last year and a half, we moved from California to Washington, from Washington to Oregon. I have no complaints as God has a purpose in it all. However, I will say, He provided friends along the way to make the journey so much easier. My "old" friends have not forgotten me, and my "new" friends welcome me. I couldn't ask for more. I know relationships can be complicated and there are times we need to move on, but God has been so faithful to me when it comes to friends.So thankful for my "gold" and "silver" treasures today!

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24.

Two Post Day!

2011-10-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

My previous post was a learning lesson for me, so this post is fun, because it's Friday!!! And Fridays are always fun! I love them!

There is this awesome song by Jamie Grace (who I think is beautiful and has cool red boots) featuring Toby Mac. In fact, I believe he helped her produce this song. Here it is:

Enjoy! You'll find yourself snapping your fingers and tapping your foot.....see I told you....there you go now....*snap* *snap* *tap**tap**tap*....oh yeah! Lord, I love the way you hold me.....whoa oh oh oh...

Love is...saying you're sorry

2011-10-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like an awesome mother. I'm taking life by the reigns and driving my wild horses. And I'm winning. Other times, well, I don't feel so awesome. I wonder where I've gone wrong. This very morning was one of those moments.

I love and enjoy every stage of development; the infant, the toddler, the child and now the pre-teen. However, I do not always know how to respond. Yes, I read my bible for direction, I pray, I seek godly counsel and yet, there are still moments where I feel like things are amiss. Now, I do not tell my kids this, I let them believe I've got it under control. But folks, I'll be transparent, I do not always have it "under control."

Like every morning in my house, we are up early. My kids have to be in class by 8 am. Well, this past week, one of my children had to be to school at 7:30 because they missed a test. Unfortunately, a few of the days they were too late, and one of the days the teacher had a meeting we didn't know about. So finally, this morning, we made it! Prior to getting to the school, however, an enormous argument took place. This *child* decided to argue with EVERYTHING I said. Whether it was true or not, they argued. If I said the sky was gray, they would argue that there was a patch of blue. SIGH! And being in an awful hurry to get out the door, I let their comments get the best of me. My response was not horrible but I could have been more kind and had a more thoughtful approach. This only catapulted the argument to the point where *child* was not going to get out of the car at school.

They did finally get out, but this whole scene made me feel worse. So, I went and parked the car, got the others to their classes and marched right up to this said child's class, hugged them and told them sorry. Thankfully, I have taught them well, because they responded with an apology. It was only *child* and teacher in the class but I wouldn't have cared if the class was full.

Now you are probably thinking, why in the world did you apologize? Because I am the adult and the example. I love my child and want to teach them how to say "I'm sorry" even when they are not the only one at fault. They will have a consequence but now they will see their inappropriate actions and behaviors through eyes of forgiveness instead of anger. The wall they built up in those moments of anger are down, and we can get to the heart of the matter. I will never be too old or stubborn to say "I'm sorry" because that is what love does.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

2011-10-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

"Just a little bit"...NO! A lot of it! That is what it takes, according to recent studies, for a marriage to be successful. So, are the researchers just figuring this out? Hmmm...I believe if they would read their BIBLE, they would have discovered this a LOOONNNGGG time ago!

No, I'm not on a rampage, and I have great respect for research. But I am currently working on a paper for my Speech/Communication class regarding "Divorce in America." And I tell ya, it's depressing! Honestly, divorce is not something I think about. I remember being told as a newlywed not to ever mention the "D" word. So, when working on this assignment it almost made me feel as if I was doing something wrong. Crazy, I know! But that was how I felt.

Divorce is not a new thing. In fact, it has been going on for years. However, what surprised me was the fact that researchers, therapists and counselors have decided that RESPECT is the most important factor in a marriage. Respect for your spouse will outlive the money woes and children concerns.

The reason this surprised me was not because it was a new idea, but rather a very old idea, given to us by God. Leviticus 19: 18 tells us to, "...love thy neighbor as thyself..." and in Matthew 7:12 we read, Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Your spouse is your neighbor!

Now, as for my kids, I have to reiterate to them that this scripture does not mean, if someone treats you terrible then that must be the way in which they wish to be treated. We must treat others the way we want them to treat us. With respect. As my mother would say, respect is earned. You give it, you receive it.

The Last Year of the Single Digits

2011-10-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Today is my Elle Belle's 9th birthday. Physically, she looks like a six year old, but don't let her smallness fool you, mentally, she's 16!

For those of us who know the "real" Elle, she is a joy! She is careful to preserve herself for those closest to her. However, if she loves you, she will love you for life!

Elle is an avid reader, loves to write and aspires to one day write a book. She loves music, has played the piano but is moving on to the violin. She has an appreciation for art and enjoys various forms of art, especially theatrics.

Elle and HER Papa!

We LOVE Elle!

2011

What is so special about this little princess is, she was born on our 6th wedding anniversary. Couldn't ask for a better gift! So there you have it! Today is also our anniversary :). (you can do the math, if you can't figure it out, ask your kids).

Tid Bits, Ramblings, Etc.

2011-10-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, we spent last weekend at my parents. On Sunday, we went to church with them and I got my baby fix. See, I love babies! I love to kiss them, cuddle with them, spoil them and then return them to their rightful owner. Having done my share of populating, I am very happy to borrow! Well, this last Sunday I had the privilege of holding Mr. Levi Bigelow, for quite some time. Not only is he simply adorable, sweet, smiles continually but he also shares his name with my oldest son. I think that is so cool! Here is a picture of the two Levis:

Sorry my phone doesn't take the greatest pics

Last night I decided to take my kids to the mall. I wanted to go to a few places and in return I told them they could choose a few stores.The boys' list included: Vans, Zumiez and H&M. I was good with that. Naturally, the girls wanted to go to Build-a-Bear. I managed. While there, promoting the new Snoopy friend, the kids were given dog ears. Myles, Elle and Ashley decided they would wear them for the remainder of the evening. This included: Macy's, H&M, Claire's, Target and Costco. Cute, you say? No, not really, but at least I wasn't wearing them. Here is Myles and Elle rocking the dog ears, I think you can see Ashley trying to get in the picture from the back seat:

Anyhow, moving along. I always tell myself to go to bed before I hit delirium. Do I listen? Nope! In this last week, here are a few things I have done when I was so tired I couldn't think.

Setting up my coffee for the next morning, I started it and went to bed. Next morning, I pushed the button and realized there was already coffee in the pot...from the previous night! Yuck!
I may or may not have brushed my teeth with someone else' toothbrush. Didn't stop to ask whose it was, just chucked it.
Instead of putting Myles' homework in his homework folder, I took it out. Ronnie so sweetly took it to him at school.
Forgot I volunteered at the kids' school, until Ashley reminded me. She's 6!
There's more I'm sure, I'm just too tired to think!

Have a nice weekend, everyone! Updates coming the beginning of the week. We're having a wedding this weekend!

Fir Point Farms

2011-10-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

Today was Ashley's first official field trip! Not only that, she rode the bus for the first time! Of course, I joined her, wishing later that I would have drove. However, I made the best of it and did not tell her that the bus was SO stuffy and stinky, that I was on the verge of loosing my breakfast.
We went to this great farm in a town called Aurora, named Fir Point Farms. In addition to pumpkins, they have apples, corn, live stock and wonderful places for the kids to play. They have this cool little building in which the kids can climb into and play in hazelnuts. And did you know that Noah's Ark landed in Aurora, Or.? Well, a miniature version a least.

We went through a corn maze, drank fresh apple cider (delish!), held chicks, petted a calf, a goat and tried to pet a sheep. We also got to see three of the cutest piglets ever! Made me want to go read Charlotte's Web!

Each child and parent chaperon picked a pumpkin to take home. Within about five minutes, Ashley found hers. A lover of ALL things tiny, here was her pick:

We watched the lady made cider (how they used to make it) with a cider press. She told us that it takes 820 apples to make one gallon of apple cider! Now that is a TON of apples!

Of course, I had to buy some for the others back home :). Unfortunately, when I went into the store, they had so many other yummy things like pumpkin and apple cider donuts! (Not together). I couldn't decide which would be better so I bought both.
The day would not be complete without a picture with mom:

I sure love spending time with my littlest turkey!

Home is Where Your Heart Is!

2011-10-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

Please forgive my unfaithfulness to my blog this past week. I have tried to be diligent in updating but this last week seemed to run away from me. Between my family, my school work, preparing for the Christmas musical and just simply life, we took a weekend trip to my parents.

The reason for this spontaneous adventure is due to the fact that they are moving from this dear, old house. I will not get emotional but I do want to say a few things regarding this house:

Yes, it is a restored barn! This little (3500 sq.ft) house, or rather "Grammy's Barnhouse", as Levi so sweetly termed it at 2 years old, has been the center of many, many family affairs for about 10 years. Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving, Christmas after Christmas, any holiday we family members could think of as an excuse to escape away to the barn in the woods! Some family members even lived there for a time. Not only family, but my parents' former Pastor, wife and family stayed there for a time. And oh what a time it was! The memories packed into this house are endless. But I will restrain myself because I said I would not get emotional!

As for my little family, it is a bittersweet occasion. We are happy that my parents are moving into a house that is complete (as in no construction or destruction needs to happen) and less stressful for them. This "barnhouse" has literally been in construction (and often destruction) mode ever since they moved in. It seemed like as soon as one wave of construction ended, another one began. The changes that were made were all so lovely but nothing ever got to the finished point. Not that this made a difference to any of us, we still gathered and partied till our little hearts were content.

My children are having the hardest time with this move, though. Levi was 2 years old and Myles was 8 months old when my parents moved into this house. So for them, it is the only house they really remember. It is also the house where they met their "Aunt Dani" (their Unki's wife) for the first time, held their little cousin Jacob for the first time, learned what it felt like for a dear pet to die, played outside and got ~~dirty~~ filthy, and just perfecting the art of being a kid!

As family and friends came through, the unfinished wall in the entry became a "signature wall." I must say that I wish I could take this wall with me. All the grandchildren have been measured on this wall, there are funny family jokes written on this wall, and each person that wrote on this wall had a part in creating the memories in this house.

So I will end on a good note! The new house will provide as much laughter, love and memories as the old house! Why, you ask? Because we still have family and friends to fill the new house. There are more Thanksgivings, Christmases, Fourth of July celebrations, weddings, babies born (not from me, Danielle-hint-hint), graduations, and, well, I could go on! This is not the end, only a new chapter in our family book.

Good-bye "Grammy's Barnhouse", we will always cherish you and the sweet, precious memories we have with you!

Sherwood Sanctuary

2011-10-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, October 9th, marked the first service for Sherwood Sanctuary. For over a year, Pastor and Sister Mallory and their family, have been doing a bible study with these precious people. Their home has reached capacity and God has opened a door for us to have service right here in Sherwood. Moving forward, one service at a time, adjusting to two services almost back-to-back on Sunday but yet, loving the results. We are so excited at what God is doing! Here are a few pictures I took from my phone, so the quality isn't the greatest :).

We had 7 brand new teenagers or tweenagers visit that morning! 14 people from the bible study. And then of course a few of us regulars from Newberg there to help. Isn't God awesome??

A Surprise for My Kiddos!

2011-10-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

Just for a few brief hours yesterday, we were blessed with my dear cousin, Stacie's presence! She and her mom were on their way south to my parents and stopped to share hugs and coffee. I did not tell my kids just in case they didn't get the chance to see them. So when Stacie showed up at their school with me to pick them up, the most beautiful scene followed. I am still kicking myself that I didn't grab my phone and record it!
Myles came out first and saw Stacie, came running with eyes opened wide and a huge smile on his face. Then came Elle, with a response that brought tears to all our eyes. She was walking and chatting with a friend. When she saw Stacie, she was a good 30 or 40 feet away, ran with all her might, eyes as wide as half dollars, saying, "Stacie, Stacie, Stacie!", flew into Stacie's arms and literally wrapped herself around Stacie as if to never let go! This display of love was so precious and I wish I could have captured it. Her excitement will forever be burned into my memory. Her love for Stacie and the relationship they have is incredible.
Thinking about Elle and Stacie takes me back a few years to when Stacie and I were younger. Stacie is 15 years younger than I. When she was born, I knew in my heart she was MY little girl. Okay, I did share her with her mom when I had to. But really, she and I had and still have a bond that goes very deep. She went everywhere with me! I often think now how amazing it was for her mom to trust me so much! When Stacie wouldn't let her mom do her hair, off she went to "Nimmy's" (her endearing term for Kimmy) to get her hair done. Anywhere I went, she wanted to go, the "doefy doe" (grocery store), shopping (while purposely getting lost so that her name could be announced over loud speaker), Dairy Queen (where I worked) and my house, where she practically lived. Those are all precious memories to me! I am so thankful for those times because they laid the foundation for our relationship that I cherish to this day!
When I see Stacie with my kids, I see the same love we share and I am so thankful that she is in their lives! We love you Stacie~Lynne Abigayle Wyatt Carlson Marquez!

Stacie and Elle Belle

Stacie and Elle (at about 4 weeks old)

Thanksgiving with my little girl

My little flower girl

Holding on and never letting go!

T.G.I.F.

2011-10-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

(Yahoo pics)

Yes!! It is Friday!! I love Fridays, not as much as I love Sundays, but I do love them! Fridays stand for FUN!!! Hmmm I think I have an acronym for this:

F = fun

R = relaxing

I = ice cream?

D = down time

A = awesome

Y = Yabba dabba do!

Totally corny! But it's all I could think of in five minutes! And I really don't know about the ice cream part but it sounds good. Thanks, Fred Flintstone, for letting me borrow your signature phrase!

So let me ask you, do you love Friday? If so, why?

The Power of a Spoken Word

2011-10-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21

Imagine my surprise when I got to the third chapter of my speech/communication textbook and this verse was the opening for the chapter. Very interesting! Then, at church last night Bro. Stan Gleason (who Bro. Mallory convinced to come back) used this same verse as part of his message. Okay, Lord, I think I am supposed to be getting something here!

We could read the first part of this verse, stop and have a full blown sermon. What comes out of your mouth can either create or destroy. We have that much power in a spoken word. Spoken words cannot be returned to their origin. In other terms, you can't put words back in your mouth once they leave. This is why it is so important to choose your words carefully.

However, the second part of the verse is just as important. You will reap the harvest of the words you speak. If you choose good words, you will reap good fruit. On the contrary, negative words will produce bad fruit.

As this verse was swirling in my head the better part of yesterday and into last night, I realized how essential it is for me to speak out what I have faith for God to do in my life and in the lives of my children. If I want my children to be great in the kingdom, I must speak greatness into them. Telling them they are powerful through Jesus Christ, they are a light to the world, they will do all things through Jesus Christ are just a few of the many things I can speak into them. As they grow and their faith develops, they will produce the good fruit of the seeds that were spoken into them.

As you go about your day speak words of life to yourself and others. Watch and be amazed at what will grow!

(Yahoo pics)

Weekend Warrior!

2011-10-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Truly, I did not know I could cram so much into one weekend! Can we say exhausted? Well, no matter, I'll recover (by the end of the week, no doubt). This weekend our church hosted a youth revival with Bro. Stan Gleason as the speaker. It was awesome and impacting. Bro. Stan spoke from his heart and God used him mightily to reach our youth as well as many others. Not only did we have amazing church, but we had *capital* fun! Unfortunately, I missed the Saturday evening service due to about 12 hours of algebra homework :(. However, my husband and the boys went so I lived vicariously through their recap of the service.
Yesterday's service was equally as awesome as the others. There is a family that has been attending for a while and going to the bible study at the Mallory's for quite some time. At the end of the service, I was sitting next to the mother, I reached over and put my arm around her. As we sat there, praying, I felt the presence of God come over her so strong. She prayed for a little while then turned to me and said so sweetly and innocently, "I've never talked like that before!" I wanted to laugh and rejoice all at the same time, but held back on the laughing part. Thank you, Jesus for another life in whom you have come to dwell!

*Reading "Little Women" has an affect on my vocabulary. I find myself wanting to use the terms immensely! Thank you for understanding.

Everyday wonders and beauty to behold!

2011-09-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

I live in the great Northwest! I truly love it here because it is green all the time. And being that green is my favorite color (i.e. color of money), it is a natural fit for me. In addition, the fact that there are mountains, makes it all the more blissful. Now, you can say, "well, it rains all the time!" And you are correct! But how do you think it stays green? The rain doesn't bother me for the most part. I will admit, March of this year was miserable because we only had one day without rain. But we have had beautiful weather for the last few months.
Everyday that it is clear, as I leave the kids' school to drive home, I see the most beautiful site. This is what I see:

Mt Hood. Now, I don't see it from this point of view because there are roads, this is a picture taken over in Hood River Valley (thank you, yahoo pics). Oh, but the majesty of this mountain is amazing! Looking at the mountain, as I drive home, makes me reflect on what a great and mighty God I serve and His wonders to behold! The beauty He has made for us to see is humbling yet inspiring! Today, I am thankful for the mountains, the trees, the flowers and the velvet green hills and even for the rain, Lord!

Real life bloopers!

2011-09-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, I live coherent and focused on my actions and conversations. Then I seem to have lapses of incoherency, where I live in a fog. Well Sunday afternoon presented me with one of these such moments. We went to lunch with my parents, Sis. Hads, Lane, Jasmine and Gustavo at a place called Busters BBQ. Everyone was fixing to leave and I went to use the restroom. Normally, I look for the little man and woman signs, which this fine establishment does not have. No, instead, you are either a COWBOY or a COWGIRL, which is written in the same EXACT handwriting. Thinking, which was my first mistake, that ladies come first (I thought Cowboys were gentlemen?) I went into the first door I came upon. As I walked through the restroom to the very last stall I noticed the urinals to my left. That was my second mistake! It didn't even dawn on me until I was in the stall beginning to lock the door that the woman's restroom doesn't have urinals. As fast as lightening, I was out that door and my mom approaching behind me (coming from the correct restroom) asked what I just did. I told her and we had a pretty good laugh. Thankfully, no one else was in the restroom at the time!

The Yo-Yo Grandparents!

2011-09-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

That is not what it sounds like at all!!! The term yo-yo is used for my wonderful parents who my pastor calls the yo-yos because the come back and forth between their house and ours about once every four weeks! Or we travel south to visit them.
With them living only four hours away, it has been a blessing for my kids (and me) to see them more often. And to our great pleasure they came last night and will stay until Sunday. We LOVE it!!! Grandparents are the most awesome people in the world, and we are so excited to be spending the weekend with them again!! It never gets old!

A Cure for a case of Forgetfulness!

2011-09-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

Since returning to school, we've had a few cases of forget-i-tis! At first, I chalked it up to "so many things happening at once" syndrome, but then when it happened more frequently, I knew we had to do something to cure it! I mentioned this issue on Twitter and a friend suggested making a list. Splendid idea! So I created one for morning and evening routine, put it on bright green paper and laminated it. After each item is completed, they are to initial or if they choose, they can do one big initial indicating the completion of all tasks. This morning I checked the list and this is what I discovered:

We got a good laugh out of this for it portrayed each of my kids' personalities! Levi initialed every item, my careful sheriff who is detailed oriented and meticulous. Elle wrote me a note letting me know she did everything, my journalist. Ashley wrote one big initial and characterized it with a face and hair, my playful child. And sweet Myles, who felt it wasn't necessary to even right his name (or initial) because he told me he did everything...why waste the time writing when you have more important things to do like sleeping on the couch while everyone is getting ready! Got to love my kids!

Observations

2011-09-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

This morning, I took careful consideration of my surroundings. As I began my day, I thought to myself, "what would you notice if you were more observant?" Typically, I plow through my day not taking much notice of simple things. So here are a few things I observed, not all are inspiring, in fact, well...just look for yourself:

Elle tries to be the first one ready every morning, this morning was no exception!
Ashley is not adjusting very well to waking up at 6:45 am
Levi is adjusting, thank the Lord!
Myles gets dressed, eats, brushes his teeth and goes back to sleep until devotion, every morning!
This morning I was in reverse gear and my kids were almost late for school.
It was very cold this morning yet people were still half dressed.
Target's bathroom smells like fruity pebbles.
I will have a hard time eating fruity pebbles from now on.
Target is entirely too close to my house!
Target is the gathering place for all moms with half day kindergarteners.
I mean, where else do you go for 2 1/2 hours?
I may or may not have been singing out loud while listening to my ipod at the gym.
I wondered how often I've done that.
I am bored and ready for school to start (my classes).
I wondered what life would be like without kids (for me, that would be very boring).
Considered what it would be like having another child.
Realized I was insane!
I intentionally smiled at everyone that made eye contact with me.
I was pleased with the results...100% smiles.
Day is not over, but I can say, I observed that I truly love life in all its simplicity!

As Promised...pictures!

2011-09-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here are a few pictures of my soup. My recipe is not really a traditional recipe so I will not be posting measurements and such. Rather, I will tell you what I put in it. I started with a broth, I prefer "Better than Bouillon"

After creating the broth, I sauteed the chicken with a little olive oil, garlic and onion.

Setting this aside, I add the beans, zucchini, corn and olives. I used kidney beans, pinto beans and a little bit of chili beans. Now if I were really Martha Stewart I would have cooked the beans all day, but because I'm not, I opened a can :).

Combining the beans, veggies and chicken into the broth (which I added a few spices), I let it cook for a little bit then I made a masa/water paste and added it to the soup.

While this was cooking, I made some rice (just white rice tonight, folks), then when it was done I put it in a bowl,

Poured a ladle full of the soup over the rice,

added some sour cream and pico de gallo. The soup was actually a tad thicker than the picture portrays. The only thing I forgot was the avocados!

The following is a picture my husband wanted me to take of his water and eaten apple. As I was taking pictures to put on my blog, he wanted to know why I was taking pictures. I said it was for my blog and he wondered why. I told him because I can! Well, then he too, wanted to be a part of what I was doing so he asked me to take this picture for you all! Enjoy!

Monday Randomness

2011-09-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

One thing I am not (or at least try not to be) is a complainer! I give optimism my best shot, sometimes falling a bit short, but usually make it. With Sundays being my favorite day of the week and Mondays my least favorite, I try to get full to the brim with joy on Sunday as I fall slip into Monday. 

However, today has been quite productive :). With a little time on my hands in the morning while Ashley is at kindergarten, I seemed to get a jump start on my day. I went to Target to pick up some household items, went to the gym (ymca), came home and planned my week of dinners! Wowzers! I can't believe I actually planned meals! Misha, you are rubbing off on me! 

Now this is not to say I don't plan, but cooking is my least favorite thing to do in a day. I prefer to bake so if my family could live off bread, desserts and anything else that doesn't require slaving over the stove, I would be one happy momma! 

What's on the menu tonight, you ask? Homemade Tortilla Soup! I am borrowing bits and pieces from a few different recipes including one from my dear friend, Javawn, while adding my own touch. I'll post pictures of my creation tonight so I feel like Martha Stewart. So I am off to the grocery store with my list for the week (I created that this morning too). Ahh..I am basking in the glory of a day well planned..for once!

Elle's Book to You!

2011-09-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, to me rather!
Walking home from school on Monday, Elle presented me with a little book she made. In it was this picture she drew (not sure if it's supposed to be me or not) and she wrote me a little note, this is what it said:

You are great and you are the best!

You are awesome!

And I miss you when I go to school

And I want to see you so much.

I love you!

Wow, you have no idea, Elle, what that does to this momma's heart! I love you to infinity and beyond, to the moon and back!

Chores and getting your kids excited about them!

2011-09-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

In my previous post I mentioned I have my kids do chores. While reading a blog I follow, Nie Nie Dialogues, I saw a nifty way to assign chores. She had a jar or some sort of container and in it she placed ping pong balls with various chores written on them. I thought, "wow, what a cool idea!" So, I set out to try it and folks, it works!
On each ball I wrote things that I would have my kids do (i.e. dust downstairs, garbage, etc.) and I also included some that said, "trade a chore with your sibling" or "Hug your brother/sister and say I love you". This made it more fun! Not that my kids need to be told to love one another but it breaks up the monotony of chores. They each choose four balls and set forth to complete the task. I find we get more accomplished if we have fun while working!

*For those of you unfamiliar with Nie Nie Dialogues, you would find it worthwhile to take a look. I do not know her personally but she survived a near fatal plane crash. She blogs about how she deals with life now. I find her very inspiring, especially when I am having a not so great day.

Through the mind of a child

2011-09-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

With the hustle and bustle of going back to school, summer winding down and the crisp smell of autumn in the air, the daily chores of my children have been re-birthed. (There is no real schedule in summer). Yes, they have chores and yes, I make them clean. Horrible? No! I refuse to visit their messy homes when they grow up and I shant hear the moaning of their spouses that they never were taught to keep house!
Therefore, on Tuesday of last week it begin! The first few days went without much complaint and we were getting along so well. Friday came, and well, that was altogether a different story. In the rush to get outdoors and play, they (not all) quickly did their chores. Before they were able to go outside, I made an assessment on the presumed completion of their task. Alas, things were not as they should be and it took a few more rounds to get them done correctly.
During this time, Ashley was twittering around, cleaning things at random but never really focusing on her assigned chores. I mentioned this to her and she just grinned at me stating, "I just love to clean." As happy as I am to hear this, I also noticed she was leaving items like her shoes, backpack, build-a-bears (and all their clothes), chalk, eraser, and various pieces of paper all over the front room. So I told her to please clean up her things and then she can help me with my chores if she likes. She quickly runs around picking up things here and there, then asks, "Is there anything else?" I said, "Look around carefully, do you see anything?" "No, she said, I don't see anyone else." "Anyone?" I asked, "You mean anything, unless you carry people around." She giggles and says, "No, but I carry Jesus in my heart!" Yes, Ashley, you do, and that is what is most important.

First Day of Kindergarten and it's her birthday!

2011-09-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Today, six years ago, we welcomed a precious little girl into our family. Ashley Jean is a joy! She is our angel baby. Not only is today her birthday, but she started kindergarten! She has waited a long time for this day! When we moved from California to Washington last year, Ashley's birthday came after the cut-off date to enter school. Therefore, she had to wait patiently, or rather impatiently, to go to school. So today is really HER day!!! We love you, Ashley Jean! You are a precious gift from God!

Back to School! A few quotes to make you smile :)

2011-09-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

"Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don't." - Lydia M. Child

"The important thing is never to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain

"Purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." - Malcolm Forbes

"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn." - William Shakespeare

"The teacher is one who makes two ideas grow where only one grew before." - Elbert Hubbard

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world" - Albert Einstein

"Education is wonderful - it helps you worry about things all over the world." - Joey Adams

Taking a break...

2011-09-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

Though not from my blog, but rather from Facebook. For a least the next month to month and a half, I will be focusing on life (family, church, school). In order to completely focus, I've decided to eliminate a few things I do everyday, one of them is Facebook. I enjoy staying in contact with all my friends but I find it easy to spend more time on Facebook and not enough time in other areas of my life that need attention. Honest enough for you? I will, however, be updating my blog and occasionally I'll be on Twitter. I'm fairly certain my presence on Facebook will not be life altering, but as the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind". So my dear friends, please feel free to comment here on my blog. I truly love hearing from you!

My Amazing God!

2011-08-31T00:10:00.000-07:00

My God is faithful! Tonight, a dear friend of mine and former neighbor, Jasmine, received the Holy Ghost. I am so excited to see the Power of God at work in her and fiance's lives. Down at the altar my little Ashley joined us in praying for Jasmine. It was so precious watching her talk to Jesus. Then, after a time, she buried her head and was praying. I leaned down and realized she was trembling and crying. I pulled her up gently and asked her if she wanted the Holy Ghost. She said yes, so I told her to raise her hands and within moments the Holy Ghost swept over her. Thank you, Jesus!

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth III John v.4

Elle and Ashley's Art Project

2011-08-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

We were inspired by an art project we saw on my friend, Misha's blog. So tonight we decided to create. The girls helped organize the crayons and place them on the canvas while I glued. Then we took to the deck, propped up the canvas and began to melt the crayons with the blow dryer. Elle was a little nervous, she was afraid the melted crayon was going to splash on her and burn. This, fortunately never happened :). Ashley on the other hand, was trying to get as close as she could so she could smell the crayons. She also wanted to see them drip. Levi popped by to help for a minute then was off. Here are a few pics of our project:

In all, this was quite fun and rewarding!

Knowledge is Power!

2011-08-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

And my avenue for gaining power is mostly through READING!! I LOVE to read! I will go on reading binges where I can read for hours. I call it a reading marathon and I'm the only contestant :). So of course, I come out the winner! Thankfully, my children have inherited this same passion (well one of them has latent passion, soon to be discovered I hope). We go to the library as often as we can, everyone except for Ashley has a library card. My rule: You read, you get a card, well, she doesn't read yet (not well enough anyhow). However, that rule is motivating her to focus on learning how to read. She knows as soon as she can read (alone) to me, she gets to sign up for her very own library card! Ahh the fortune! Until then she uses mine, just not the same, it doesn't have her name on it :).

With the passion for reading comes the desire to share. So may I recommend a few of my favorites? Currently, I am reading The Holy Bible, When Ye Fast (Joy Haney), Shades of Blue (Karen Kingsbury), and In Bonds of Love (Bishop Nathaniel J. Wilson). The Bible is a great book to start with (and end with too!) if you want to gain power (hehe..had to throw that in). The next book, When Ye Fast I found at my mom's house when I was down there, and while it is a small book (lengthwise), it is powerful! Now I was asked recently if I fast often, the answer, not often enough hence the reason I am reading this book! I do not sit around thinking, "Oh boy, when can I fast next?" I am human after all! This book will make you want to fast though! When I realized the combination power of prayer, fasting and the word, wow, talk about AMAZING! Next book on the list, Shades of Blue, is not my favorite but Karen Kingsbury is one of my favorite authors. Another Christian author I would recommend is Linda Chaikin. She writes christian historical fiction and I have read almost everything she authored. Now to the final book, which I have read a few times, but when I feel like I need to be reminded of the incredible love of my Master, I read In Bonds of Love by Bishop Wilson (who is, hands down, my favorite author). This book will change your life! Seriously!

Periodically, I'll post books I read and recommend. I may even post some that my husband recommends, as he too is a reading junkie! His recommendations are very different than mine but that might help you. One thing we like to do is read to our kids. He is reading bits and pieces of a book called, Outliers, The Story of Success to the kids right now. Some of it is a little above their heads, so he is selecting particular passages. So in addition to their own reading time, we take time to read together, and I can recommend several books that are fun, exciting, and life-changing to read together. You'll have them ready for bedtime faster, I can guarantee...because they'll want to hear the next chapter.

Just a thought...

2011-08-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

I remember when I would come home from church, after an amazing altar call, and would lay my head on my pillow knowing, assuredly my soul was saved. Thankfully, this is not just a memory but a reality.

Grow where you are planted!

2011-08-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote these words, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." Eccl. 3:1. If you have ever done any planting or gardening, you know that particular fruits, veggies and flowers grow at specific times of the year. Each of those also have preferences to where they are planted, the soil they are in and how much sun and water they need.
I often liken my life to a plant. Sounds funny, I know, but it keeps me from going insane with all the changes that take place. Born and raised in California, it was culture shock for me when we moved to Washington. At that point, I was now a transplant learning to adjust to new soil and environmental conditions. Thankfully, my Master Gardener, put people in my life to cultivate and prepare me for such transitions before my move and then after. I learned that there are seasons in my life where I will sprout, grow, grow, grow and then maintain. How and what I produce is affected not only by others placed in my life to water and feed me, but in how I receive the food and water. If I open my leaves to the fresh, clean water and accept the wisdom and counsel then I will become what my Master Gardener desires of me. However, if I crumble under the drastic changes, then I will shrivel up and wither away.
After the shock of the initial transplant began to wear away, then up went the roots and I was moved to a new pot! This time to Oregon, which is where I am still. As I said before, God, my Master Gardener, places people in our lives to keep our soil rich and fertile, and here is no exception.
Like Solomon said, we all go through seasons and God has a purpose for each season we go through, but how we respond to each transplant or transition is our responsibility. We cannot always control the things that happen but placing our trust in the hands of the Master Gardener, will assure a beautiful outcome. I intend to grow where I am planted (or transplanted) :)!

If Kindergarteners could teach us...

2011-07-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember this? I remember reading this several different times in my life but somehow not absorbing the truth to this "poem." For some of us, kindergarten seems a lifetime away, but I will never forget the things I learned in that classroom with miniature chairs and tables, roll out mats for nap time, a teacher who was next to perfect in my world, and the only concern was when recess was!

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I
learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school
mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things
I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life--learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing
and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and
stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The
roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but
we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the
Styrofoam cup--they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you
learned--the biggest word of all--LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love
and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult
terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or
your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world
it would be if we all--the whole world--had cookies and milk about three
o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or
if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where
they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are-- when you go out into the
world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

--Robert Fulghum

Vacation is over :(

2011-07-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

My mom, my kids and I just recently took a trip to Arizona to see family and friends. We left Oregon on June 15th, arrived in Reno, Nv. that night only to discover the reservations I made a month and a half prior, were not in their system! But all was well, they had an available room and I actually got it cheaper! We stayed the night, got up very early and drove to Phoenix, Az. I must say here, we were slightly naive when it came to knowing how long it would take to get to Phoenix. We made several stops along the way especially since my two girls seem to have the tiniest bladders in the ~~world~~ universe! Las Vegas was one of the stops, and we decided to go ahead and eat dinner there. We stayed on the outskirts of the town fearing a trek downtown to the strip would evoke a few questions from my kids. Alas, we finally made it to Phoenix about 10 pm (after 16 hours on the road, by the way I have four children). We spent the next six days with family and we had an awesome time. My kids keep asking when we will be going back, I just tell them in the winter!
After leaving Phoenix, and kissing my sweet Grandpa goodbye (hardest part of the trip), we drove to Prescott, Az. Oh I forgot to mention, while in Phoenix, we took a day trip to Yuma, Az. where we have family and my mom used to live. It was so nice to see family and I even got to see one of the churches my great-grandmother, Oma Ellis, pioneered! So back to Prescott, we spent the night there (also another place my great-grandma had a church) and left early the next morning for Winslow, Az. Along the way, we stopped at a place called Montezuma Castle, very cool! We arrived in Winslow around 2 or 3, to see and spend a few days with our dear friends the Boldings. And what a time we had! My kids did not want to leave! It was so nice to be with friends. While we were there we went to the Grand Canyon, the most amazing, breathtaking sight! Pictures do not do it justice! The day we went also happened to be Levi and Myles' 12th and 10th birthday. What an incredible place to spend your birthday, seeing the awesomeness of your Creator!
We left Winslow (and yes I did stand on the corner in Winslow, Az. though you'd only understand if you ever heard the Eagles song "Take it Easy") on Monday morning, headed to Bakersfield to see my totally awesome friend Shandi! We spent the night w/her and her adorable little girl Emilee. My kids adore Shandi because she spoils them, she went the next morning before they were awake and bought them doughnuts! After Bakersfield, we went to Sacramento. First we went to visit family (Aunt Shell, Aunt Paula, Grandma Esther, and cousins) then we went to our home church, The Rock Church. We were so excited to be there with our family and friends. Of course, service was awesome as usual, and preaching was incredible (I could listen to Pastor Young preach all day). Then to top off our trip we spent the next day with Auntie Lou (Aunt Sherry), Stacie, and little time w/ Uncle Les because he was working.(We love and miss our family).The boys went home with Clayton and Sarah, and were spoiled beyond measure! They had so much caffeine surging through their veins, they could hardly stand still! I also squeezed in a visit to my friend, Amy, who I grew up with and have been friends with since second grade. What a great time! We were sad to leave, but ready for our own beds. We arrived home that evening, June 30th, completely wore out but blissfully happy. I believe I even saw little smiles on the faces of my children as they dreamed of their eventful trip.

Sólo quiero una siesta!

2011-07-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

Just a little rest for the weary! Seems like I never get enough sleep! Alas, the life of a full-time mommy...*sigh*

After I was done cleaning downstairs, I headed upstairs to, well, clean. Unfortunately, I sat down on my bed (mistake numero uno!), picked up a cookbook I have been wanting to read and realized I was quite tired! My eyelids were getting heavy and my pillow was drawing closer to my head. At last, I dropped the cookbook to the floor and gave way to the sleepiness that was quickly overtaking me. As my eyes were closing, I glanced at the clock, 3:09..hmmm maybe I can sneak in 30 minutes?? I believe I was even dreaming...then I hear, "MOMMY!" in a ~~high~~ falsetto, sing-song voice! This of course, awakens me out of my slumber, I glance at the clock, 3:14!!! WHAT??? Only five minutes! Well, so much for a nap...

However, if I see this I am as quiet as a mouse....

Warning!! This post may offend someone!

2011-07-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

Before reading this post, please refer to Psalms 119:165. I must preface everything by saying that my kids are not perfect and I am aware of that. However, I am striving to train my children in the way they should go according to my bible. My children have their faults, but that is why I am the parent, to teach them and help them grow.

We mothers are funny creatures! We can look into the face of our snotty nosed, chocolate smeared crumbcruncher, our hearts melt and we desire to give them, not only half of our kingdom, but the whole thing! Often we think doting on them will be helpful, as "we didn't get this, that or the other, when we were children." Sadly, this creates the "give me" attitude and sets our children up for failure in the long run.

Reading in Galatians 5:22-23 regarding the fruits of the spirit, it says: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." If you look in the New International version, just to simplify the words, it says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Notice the two words forbearance and self-control? Many times we teach our children to be loving and kind yet we miss the other fruits of the Spirit that are just as important. Self-control and forbearance (which essentially is the same thing, restraining oneself).

It is in our nature, as a mother (I can only speak from a mother's perspective) to nurture and care for our children. Loving them with an unchanging love, making sure their every need is met, attending to their hurts and pains, soothing their broken hearts, but is giving them their every WANT, in their best interest? Yes, we want them to be happy, but to what degree? Superficial happiness? Or do we want them to mature into a healthy adult, who is not demanding, who understands life is not always fair and they are okay with that? In teaching our children to apply and emulate the fruits of the Spirit, not only will they lead more successful lives but they will be successful Christians.

Long live the Blog!!! (Yeah, right!)

2011-07-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

Ode to the blog:

Ode to the blog

Lost and forgotten

Not much is written

Ode to the blog

Tis time to restore myself to my blog
Are there even any readers?
Please forgive me for my unfaithfulness
I will try to mend my ways

Well, a lot has changed since my last post! In February, my husband got a job (miracle in itself) and we moved to Portland, Or. I have long loved Portland and never really imagined myself living here but now I am and I love it! I do miss my family and friends back in Sacramento, but now I am even closer, only a day's drive away! I am even closer to my family and friends here in Oregon and above me in Washington!

We attend the Mallory's church which is located in Newberg (we live in Sherwood, yes it looks like a forest). Levi likes to say it is a mini Rock Church. We love our church family and God is doing a great work. I am just happy to be a part of whatever God is doing!

In the days to come, I will strive to keep you updated with pictures and such from our crazy life :)

Shout out to a great website! The Thrift Shop!

2011-01-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

If you are thrifty minded, you must check out this website: The Thrift Shop. Thrifting has been a pastime of mine for years, and I have found so many incredible deals. However, if you like finding great deals but don't always know where to begin, check out this site, you'll be sure to get a great start!

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

2010-11-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

It is snowing here in Wenatchee, and this is the very first time in my life I have lived where it snows. It is beautiful but really cold. I'm sure I'll acclimate soon, and by that time it'll probably be gone. :( . Only thing is I can't see my mountains right now.

Happy Birthday Elle Belle, (oh, and Happy 14 years, Babe!)

2010-10-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

To my super fun, wonderful, sassy, none quite like her, adorable daughter, Elle. Have a splendiferous 8th birthday! I love you to the moon and back, infinity and beyond!!! And to my marvelous hubby of 14 years, (who without I wouldn't have the said 8 year old daughter or any other child of mine), Happy Anniversary! Te amo mucho xoxo!

Happy Birthday Ashley Jean the Jelly Bean Queen!

2010-09-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today, my precious Ashley Jean was born. What a blessing she is! Her happiness is contagious! Her smile is infectious! My little princess, I love you with all my heart!

Different State, Different Rules! UGH!!

2010-08-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

The first day of school is approaching rapidly, though not rapidly enough for me! We left California in July, but school was out the end of May. Washington is a little different, we start school in September here. This makes for a very llllooooonnnngggg summer! Great for kids, not so great for mom's who have exhausted their resources in the entertainment department.
September first, Levi, Myles, and Elle will go back to school! *whoo hoo, jumping up and down*. However, there is a definite glitch in the Washington State School system! (Do you hear me all you school district officials?) Their cut off date for kindergarten is August 31st. This would be fine except my sweet little almost 5 year old, who asked for a backpack to go to school on her FOURTH birthday, won't be 5 until 8 days after school begins! How do you tactfully tell your child, who is obviously ready for school, that she has to wait one more YEAR? So to all you School District Officials, that read my blog, though I am honored that you would take the time to do so, I think your cut off date is RIDICULOUS!!! Do you really want the kids to be half grown by the time they start school? Wow!
Thank you to all my faithful blog readers for letting get on my soap box and get this off my chest! I will get through this, I already have a plan (and no I'm not gonna cheat and change her birth date). But I will tell you, she will not know the difference, she will think this is what every kindergartener does!

Dishwashing soap vs. DishWASHER soap: The results

2010-08-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

My dutiful husband decided to do the dishes today! Bless his heart! However, the soap he decided to use was Dish Washing Soap not the Dishwasher soap normally intended for dishwashers. Here are some pictures, take my advice, continue to use dishwasher detergent!

Greetings from the Great Northwest!

2010-08-15T23:51:00.000-07:00

Since the last time I blogged, many things have happened. I will condense the last few months into a couple paragraphs. To answer the ultimate question of where I am, I am in Wenatchee, Wa. Where in the world is that you ask? Smack in the middle of Washington, two hours from Spokane and two hours from Seattle. (Look on a map if you don't believe me). Next question, Why are you there? The answer is simple: God. Oh, there other little reasons, but it would take a book to explain. Last, How long will you be there? The answer: God knows! Sorry, can't be any simpler than that.
My husband, through much prayer and ~~starvation~~ fasting, informed me on June 25th, that we would be moving to Wenatchee, Wa. the following weekend. So, with the wonderful help of friends and family, we packed our house, four children, and left on July 3rd, to a place my husband had not even been to. He arrived on July 4th, while I took about a week and a half and went to my parents with our kids. He got us settled and began working with my brother during that time, while I spent time with my parents, and quite honestly, tried to process what just happened. I am just beginning to believe I am here! The first couple weeks, I was in a fog. I lived in California my entire life, and I was at the best church in the world for the last almost fourteen years, so to leave was, for lack of a better word, difficult. But if you know anything about God, you know he loves you and will not ever forsake you. So, He, in all his wisdom, gave us a wonderful church here to be a part of and hopefully in turn be an asset to. My children are very happy, they love the church, they love the city, and they love being with family. My husband likes to call us "Rock Church saints at large."
My home will always be Sacramento, specifically The Rock Church, but I know he has a plan for us here, and I am excited to see what God is going to unfold in our lives. I am ready to see souls saved and our church filled! Isn't that what it is all about?
So now you know, where I am, why I'm here, but I really can't tell you how long. At least long enough to make a difference in this city I hope!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

2010-05-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

To all the wonderful mommies, have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day! (Did I get it right, Danielle?) lol! If you want to know what it means, according to Wikipedia it means, "The roots of the word have been definedas follows: super- "above", cali- "beauty", fragilistic- "delicate", expiali- "to atone", and docious- "educable", with the sum of these parts signifying roughly "Atoning for educability through delicate beauty." When you figure that out, will you clue me in? Thanks! Have an awesome day!

Wrapping up the week

2010-05-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

As this week slides to a close, I sit here thinking, "What did I accomplish?" Not much really. Here are a few highlights of the week:

 My kids had try outs for their up and coming musical "Father Knows Best"

 Open House was Thursday Night, so the whole family had to go out to see what Myles and Elle have accomplished this year in school, we even took a tour of the kindergarten class for Ashley, who by the way is more than ready to go to school.

Levi and Myles' baseball team is undefeated and they play their final game tomorrow. Yay! Levi and Myles!

I decided to start a business and I am completely overwhelmed with all that it entails! I'll keep you posted as to what it is and my new blog/website that Stacie is designing. 

There are probably a million other little things that took place but for now here are a few pics from the week...

pics 1&2: Ashley found a spot of sunlight and took a nap. pic 3: French Braids at last! pic 4: Elle & Ash cleaning kitchen. pic 5: Myles on the way to school, not always the happy camper!

Oh to be a kid!!!

2010-05-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

It is such a beautiful day but unfortunately the laundry, dishes, and in fact my entire house is screaming "Please clean me!" So I handed some bubbles and chalk to the girls, and sent them into the backyard. The boys are out front riding bikes, and most likely pestering our neighbors! I am tackling this house and listening to Francesca Battisteli, (oh the life!) wishing all the while I had a maid! I'd love to be outside, drinking sweet tea, and blowing bubbles. So I decided to sneak out there and see what fun they were having...shhh..don't tell anyone I was slacking! This is what I found: Elle blowing bubbles, really, really big bubbles, and they had traced each other with chalk. (crime scene? not sure?) but they were laughing and enjoying each other, *sigh* , I want to be a little kid again!!!

Beautiful, Beautiful

2010-04-28T09:52:00.001-07:00

I love this song! For all of us who have experienced the unending grace and mercy of Jesus, we are becoming beautiful through Him!

Francesca Battistelli - Beautiful [with lyrics]

2010-04-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Creation (a poem)

2010-04-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

I found this poem today, I thought it was a beautiful account of our Creator in the process of creating the world.
by James Weldon Johnson

And God stepped out on space, And he looked around and said: I'm lonely-- I'll make me a world. And far as the eye of God could see Darkness covered everything, Blacker than a hundred midnights Down in a cypress swamp. Then God smiled, And the light broke, And the darkness rolled up on one side, And the light stood shining on the other, And God said: That's good! Then God reached out and took the light in his hands, And God rolled the light around in his hands Until he made the sun; And he set that sun a-blazing in the heavens. And the light that was left from making the sun God gathered it up in a shining ball And flung it against the darkness, Spangling the night with the moon and stars. Then down between The darkness and the light He hurled the world; And God said: That's good! Then God himself stepped down-- And the sun was on his right hand, And the moon was on his left; The stars were clustered about his head, And the earth was under his feet. And God walked, and where he trod His footsteps hollowed the valleys out And bulged the mountains up. Then he stopped and looked and saw That the earth was hot and barren. So God stepped over to the edge of the world And he spat out the seven seas-- He batted his eyes, and the lightnings flashed-- He clapped his hands, and the thunders rolled-- And the waters above the earth came down, The cooling waters came down. Then the green grass sprouted, And the little red flowers blossomed, The pine tree pointed his finger to the sky, And the oak spread out his arms, The lakes cuddled down in the hollows of the ground, And the rivers ran down to the sea; And God smiled again, And the rainbow appeared, And curled itself around his shoulder. Then God raised his arm and he waved his hand Over the sea and over the land, And he said: Bring forth! Bring forth! And quicker than God could drop his hand, Fishes and fowls And beasts and birds Swam the rivers and the seas, Roamed the forests and the woods, And split the air with their wings. And God said: That's good! Then God walked around, And God looked around On all that he had made. He looked at his sun, And he looked at his moon, And he looked at his little stars; He looked on his world With all its living things, And God said: I'm lonely still. Then God sat down-- On the side of a hill where he could think; By a deep, wide river he sat down; With his head in his hands, God thought and thought, Till he thought: I'll make me a man! Up from the bed of the river God scooped the clay; And by the bank of the river He kneeled him down; And there the great God Almighty Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky, Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night, Who rounded the earth in the middle of his hand; This great God, Like a mammy bending over her baby, Kneeled down in the dust Toiling over a lump of clay Till he shaped it in is his own image; Then into it he blew the breath of life, And man became a living soul. Amen. Amen.

Interesting comment regarding Earth Day

2010-04-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today when I checked my email, I found a comment left for my blog, and this is how it read:

Very cute! (the skirt that is)

But why would we want to observe a day that was started by a killer? And furthermore is observed by tree huggers and mother earth worshippers?

I am "The Heretic"

and I approve this message.

When I clicked on the blog link, it was private, so I have no idea who this is. But instead of responding, I decided to see if there was some truth to what they said. This is what I found out about Earth Day: click here.
This will take you to another blog with some information, and if you click here it will take you to Wikipedia. No where did I read anything about it being "started by a killer" and if you find this information, will you please inform me? And as far as the statement that it "is observed by tree huggers and mother earth worshippers", what do you think?
My philosophy is that you clean up what you mess up, use only what you need, take care of what you have, and be courteous to others and the world you live in. I teach my children to throw their garbage away, and we recycle cans and bottles. I also use reusable bags when I shop. Does this make me a mother earth worshipper? I thought that was common sense. In anything you can go too far, but I don't consider myself a "tree hugger" for observing Earth Day. I do know that my bible tells me in Genesis, that the Creator lovingly, skillfully created this earth for us, and I feel it is my obligation or rather privilege to play my part in taking care of it. So share your thoughts, comments, feelings, or anything. I'd love to hear!

Earth Day!

2010-04-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day! If you hop on over to my dear friend, Javawn's blog, you will read one way in which to recycle or reuse what we already have here. I took her advice recently and made a skirt for Elle. I am still working on it, because I want to find something cute to add to it. But I found a pair of little girls jeans (at a thrift store) and some chiffon (I think) fabric (at the same thrift store) and put them together. So what do you think? Mind you, it isn't finished....

Good Morning, Aunt Paula!!!

2010-04-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

This post is done especially for my dear Aunt Paula, who by the way is one of my faithful readers. She called me on Friday, wondering why I haven't updated my blog. So of course, I had my ~~excuses~~ reasons, and since I love my aunt so much, I felt it was time to quit being lazy and post.

For some reason I am unable to upload my pictures to photobucket, rock you, etc. Not sure what is going on but I'm investigating. In the meantime, I will just post a few current pictures. We love you, Aunt Paula, and we are looking forward to the next time we see you! To all my other faithful readers, we love you too! :)

Yes, Ashley has a ton of candy in her mouth in this pic!