janiesa - unbelievable blessings

The Secret

2012-01-28T12:32:00.000-08:00

I have found the secret behind our awesome military! Cough drops!

Rebecca wrote to me and asked me to send cough drops. Ok, I can do that. I was at the post office mailing them off and the guy behind the counter looked at the address, then at me. He said, "Cough drops?"
Seriously? He was a Navy man and knew all about cough drops.

Who knew, cough drops were our secret weapon!

an expensive treat

2012-01-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

Rolo discovered a new trick. He can use his snout to open the pantry door. This is a bad trick as the pantry is full of things that upset his sensitive stomach. The pantry doors are of the cheap variety and when the boys are contemplating what they will consume next, they hang on them. This causes the doors to not fully close, therefore leaving enough room for a hungry snout.

It was date night and Brian and I were out for the evening but the boys were home. However, they were all upstairs playing their various gaming systems. We walked in the door to find a dog who was obviously feeling guilty about something. He notoriously takes things off the counter when we are gone. We have resorted to giving him treats when he is left alone and doesn't take anything. When we get home he is very excited to show you the kitchen and how he didn't remove anything from the countertops. He usually prances into the kitchen very pleased with himself and looking forward to his reward. There was no prancing that night.

I groaned, knowing I would find something. I was in shock as I looked at the cupboard door wide open and a trail of food starting in the kitchen and winding its way into the living room. I turned toward the dog and he looked at me and turned around and headed straight for the bathroom (the spot he has to go to when he is on a time-out for doing something naughty!).

I went back to the kitchen to survey the damage. First up, a Costco sized, 6 pound bag of gummy bears. Tyler had been bugging me for months to buy him gummy bears and I finally acquiesced and now the brand new bag was lying ripped open with about one quarter of the bears gone. Beyond that was an empty bag of Pirate Booty, an empty bag of chips, some Power Bars that were out of the box but not yet eaten. With his sensitive stomach I was sure there would be a vomiting spree. I wasn't looking forward to that!

We went to bed and he was fine. He woke me at 4am to go out to the bathroom but other than that he was completely himself. We all got ready for the day and left for school and work. It was a 9 hour work day for me and Brian had a schedule full of meetings. He had no intention of stopping by the house on his way from meeting to meeting but he felt compelled to go home. He walked in to find Rolo unable to walk and crying in pain. He called me and I got an appointment for him with the vet. My boss is a dog lover and told me to go home, I didn't even have to ask! Bless her!

While I was on my way home the boys got home from school. Wondering why Rolo didn't greet him at the door, Anthony found the sick puppy and dropped his backpack and went over to comfort Rolo. He never left Rolo's side. Since Rolo couldn't walk, we came up with a blanket contraption to haul him out to the car. That really didn't work out well so Brian carried our 100 pound dog out to the car himself. A very concerned Anthony went with me to the vet. He kept a hand on Rolo the entire time and talked to him trying to bring him comfort. Parker and Tyler were scared as well but knew they would be in the way so they opted to stay home. I am glad for that as it is hard to see someone you love in pain and not be able to help them.

When we got to the vet they had some people come out and get him from the car. He was sent back to get an xray. They found a mass in his stomach. The also found his back muscles were in spasm which was causing him too much pain to walk. They gave him some pain meds for that and it helped. We figured the mass was a giant ball of gummy bears so they induced vomiting. Thankfully, they took care of that. The doctor said it would take about an hour and that we should go home and they would call us when he was done. While we hated to leave him, we were glad we didn't have to watch him be sick. The doctor called and said he threw up a giant mass of gummy bears, just what we thought. They weren't digesting so it caused him a lot of pain. She said that after he threw up he got a nasty case of explosive diarrhea. Poor baby. She suggested he stay overnight or we would be cleaning up a lot of messes as it was very frequent. They could monitor him through the night and make sure he didn't get dehydrated. I felt better knowing someone who knew what they were doing would be watching over him.

I picked him up the next morning and he was back to his happy self. He couldn't wait to get out of the vet's office. He pulled me so hard on the way to the car that he almost pulled me into a wall. He got out of the car with such force that I dropped his leash. He made a bee line for the door and sat there and waited for me to open it for him. He was very happy to be home and he went straight for the cupboard again. What can I say, he's a Lab!

Don't judge

2012-01-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

I got a refresher course this week on a childhood lesson. Don't judge!

A few months back we had a cash customer at work who didn't have enough cash to cover his bill. Being a fairly regular and good customer we told them they could pay the balance the next time they came in. The balance remained unpaid for a few months and they didn't come in at all. My thoughts drifted toward the negative. "They must not want to pay their bill, etc..."

They came in a few weeks ago and finally paid the balance. He was in again this week and was asking me how difficult it would be to change his company's name. The company was in his wife's name and she had died 4 months ago. I instantly felt convicted of my negative thoughts. Here was a man, grieving the loss of his wife, and I had judged him.

You just never know someone's story. Thank you , Lord, for that reminder.

Things Tyler Says

2012-01-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

"I don't want to clip my nails. They are my only defensive weapon."

It's Hunger Games around the Burman house!

A penny for your thoughts

2011-12-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

When we told the boys that they had a sister, I wasn't entirely sure how they felt. They all said that they were good with it, and they act like it is a good thing, and when they are around Rebecca they treat her like she is a part of the family but my boys can be hard to read as they are not as open with their innermost feelings as I am.

This morning I opened my Christmas card from Tyler. Here is what it said:

I had tears in my eyes by the time I was done reading it. Tyler is an incredibly sweet boy. His heart is big and his words are kind. Those words were exactly what I needed . What a wonderful gift and his innermost feelings are a blessing. I am one lucky girl!

Congratulations

2011-12-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

Brian told this story in one of his sermons and I loved it so much I want to share it with you. It was Christmastime and the time came to do the annual Christmas play. The teacher decided to let the kids write and direct the whole thing. The night finally came for the performance. Parents filled all the seats.

All the usual characters were there. Angels, shepherds, wise men...etc. From behind the big bale of hay you hear Mary delivering the baby. (I can only imagine what kids think that sounds like!) A new character walks out from behind the hay. It is a doctor. He walks over to an anxiously awaiting Joseph and says "Congratulations! It's a....God!"

He came as a baby but He was so much more than that. I loved how the kids expressed that idea. I also think "congratulations" is a great description as well. You were lost, but congratulations, you have been found. You were sentenced to death, but congratulations, you have been saved! Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. Congratulations, He has come for you! A merry Christmas indeed!!

On the material side of today, I received a really cool gift from my husband, my father, and my in-laws. I now have a macro lens for my camera. I have been having fun trying to figure out how to use it. It is certainly different from my normal lens. Very cool though. Here is a sampling of what I have been doing today.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:16:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Eve! That means two things. One, Rock Harbor's Christmas Eve Candlelight service and two, the Burman family Christmas Eve traditions.
Rock Harbor's Christmas Eve service is one of my favorites. It is a short service and everyone is included. Kids and adults alike. I set up about 200 candles around the stage and as the service goes on the lights dim more and more until we are singing the last song, Silent Night, by candlelight only. The candles represent the Light of the World. By Jesus' birth He brings joy, peace, and hope to a dark world. Very moving.

Our Christmas Eve tradition is two-fold. We spend time reading Luke 2 as a family and we discuss the events and how they can apply to us today. Tonight we talked about the shepherds in the field and how the shepherds were usually the youngest son in a family. How awesome to be the first to be told that your Savior had arrived!

After we are done the boys get to open one present. Every year it is the same, Christmas pj's. My mom started this tradition back when my sister and I were little. I enjoyed it so much I started it when we had kids. Up until a few years ago it was great and really cute. As the boys have gotten older I have come to learn that boys aren't as excited about cute pj's like girls can be and also that boys don't wear pj's after a certain age. A few weeks ago Brian was teaching on traditions at church and he challenged us to look at our traditions and evaluate why we are doing them. Do they make sense for your family to be doing them or do we do them because we have been doing them for so long. My boys don't wear pj's so this tradition didn't have the impact on them that it did for me as a kid. So this year I changed it up a bit. We kept the tradition of the same one gift for each boy but got them something they would actually use. I got them electric throw blankets. It was a hit and something I think they will enjoy. That makes my heart happy.

Before we called it a night we took the annual kids in front of the tree with their gift displayed picture. I always love the final picture but what I love even more is the journey getting there!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Feels like Christmas

2011-12-22T22:34:00.000-08:00

The Baklava has been made and "Christmas Vacation" has been watched. It feels more like Christmas now!

I have been making or assisting in making Baklava since I was old enough to use a knife. This was before the time of food processors that grind up the nuts. (What a marvelous invention that was!) We would all have our cutting boards and knives and would spend hours chopping walnuts and pecans. Of course, I dreaded the chopping every year but now it just doesn't feel like Christmas without it. Good memories!

Serving

2011-12-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

This morning we had the opportunity to serve others in our community. A new church plant, Iglesia Esperanza, was having a shoe and toy drive. They are a Spanish speaking church but they needed help so we jumped on the opportunity. Not only was it an opportunity to serve but us church plants have to help each other out! We had to be at the school, where their church meets, at 8am. Today was the first day of Christmas vacation for the boys so they weren't exactly eager to get up early. Actually, one of them had a problem with it and the other two were ambivalent. Alright, you have forced it out of me, it was Parker. :)

We joined some others from our community group and we sorted the toys and shoes into boy and girl sections. Each child there would get a new toy and a new pair of shoes. By the time we left, Parker was glad he had come. Serving others seems to have that affect. Even when you go in with the wrong attitude God can work in your heart and bless not only the people you are serving, but you as well.

It was an incredible ministry for this community. They had 690 people come. Even more exciting was they had over 300 first time decision for Christ! Now that is what Christmas is about!! What a privilege to be a part of it.

Rebecca

2011-12-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

If you have read my previous blog entries you know that my daughter, Rebecca, is joining the military. She left for bootcamp on Sunday, December 11th. We wanted to see each other one more time before she left so she flew up to Portland for a visit.

It was a quick one, about 24 hours, and not anywhere near long enough! She wasn't feeling great so we made it a pretty low key time. After I picked her up from the airport we went and visited her "grandma." Grandma Joyce has been involved in Rebecca's life since she was brought home. She was and is a great encouragement in Rebecca's life so it was a privilege to meet her.

After that we went home and had pizza and watched a movie. Super 8. I was so happy that the boys got to hang out with Rebecca and get to know her. It was such a blessing to watch them accept her into the family so easily.

The next day we went and cut down our Christmas trees. We get 2 of them. One for the family and one for me. Decorating the tree is one of my favorite things about the Christmas season. We pull out all the ornaments and the kids decorate the tree. Every ornament has a story behind it. When we go anywhere we pick up an ornament to mark the trip. A lot of places don't have ornaments so we will get a key chain to use instead. As they decorate the tree we are reminded of the things we have done together or things that have happened throughout their lives. I got some ornaments for Rebecca. One of them was a cheesy "our first Christmas" since it is technically our first Christmas together. I wanted her to be part of this tradition I love so much. I wanted her to know that there is a place for her in this family.

Before I knew it, it was time to take her back to the airport. Sad! Before she left she gave us all Christmas gifts. She is so sweet! She got Anthony a movie about snowboarding by one of her favorite directors. She got me a travel mug that is an exact replica of a camera lens. It is even a Nikon!! Love it! For Brian she got him a Han Solo ice cube tray in the shape of him after he was frozen. For the twins she got them these awesome books about how to make weapons from stuff around the house. Example, you can make a bow and arrow out of a ruler and a pen. It is awesome and they LOVED it. Funny story about the books. The title of the books are "Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction." She was stopped at security in the airport and had to explain the books to the security guard and convince him she wasn't a terrorist!

It was hard to watch her leave. I love her so much and won't be able to talk to her while she is away at bootcamp for the next 3 months. I feel so blessed that we are moving forward as a family of 6.

Christmastime with my Love

2011-12-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

Frosty

2011-12-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

It has been a tad frosty lately. Makes for some good pictures though!

Where did all the manners go?

2011-12-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

My boys are learning a difficult lesson in manners. The lesson is this, just because you have manners doesn't mean they will be appreciated or reciprocated. This hard lesson has been learned most often at our local Starbucks. When a man gets to the door right before me and then holds it open for me, because his mamma raised him right, I always enter and then stand off to the side and offer to let them go in front of me, because they were there first. Just because they have manners doesn't mean they should have to go to the back of the line. Now, 100% of the time I do this the men decline and let me go ahead of them, but several have thanked me for the offer because so few ever do.

So, these are the situations my boys and husband are facing. Time and time again they hold the door open for women and then these women take a place in the line that really isn't theirs. In fact, Brian just had this happen. He opened the door and 6, yes 6, women walked in and didn't offer to give him his place in line. The Starbucks employee saw this and couldn't believe it. She says it happens all the time though. So, she skipped the 6 women and went directly to Brian and got his drink started first. (just one of the reasons I love our local Starbucks!)

So, I have a plea for women. Please reward men for their manners. By ignoring and not appreciating their manners you are discouraging them and you make it a punishment to be polite. My boys will continue to open doors because I feel it is an important way to show honor towards women, but it would be nice if we would appreciate it every so often.

A new job

2011-12-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

We knew when Brian stopped working at Safari Sam's in June that I was going to need to get a job to help make up for the lost income. We decided to wait until the fall so I could spend the summer with the boys. I started looking in the middle of August. I was looking for something close by and part time. With my fibromyalgia I knew full time would take too big of a toll on my body. I was looking for something clerical. What I didn't realize fully was everyone and their brother were looking for the same exact job.

It became obvious early on that this job search was going to be very difficult. I was at a huge disadvantage. I hadn't worked in the last 15 years as I stayed home with the boys. The last job I had was working in a medical office. The doctor I had worked for had gotten sick, no longer practiced medicine and moved out of state somewhere. So, there was nobody for a potential employer to talk to. It felt like I was walking uphill in the snow both ways.

Part time jobs were few and far between. I resigned myself to the fact I would have to work full time. Everyday I would spend time searching and sending out my resume. I wasn't even getting calls for interviews. There were just so many applicants with current job experience that I wasnt even a consideration. I continued to apply for anything and everything.

One day in October I came home to find a message on my phone for an interview. I was so happy I danced around the house! I went in for the interview the next day. I baked cookies that night to bring with me. I figured I wanted to stand out among the other applicants. I went in and thought I had a pretty good interview. I loved the office and felt very at home there. The interview was on a Friday and they called and offered me the job on Monday! It was a huge answer to prayer and just what I wanted. The job was close by, very flexible, and part time!

I started on October 21st. The day after I meet with Rebecca. It was a busy week! The place I work is called Grabhorn, Inc. it is a reclamation center. We take in recyclable products and use them to make new products. Companies bring in yard debris like leaves and brush which we then compost and sell back to landscape companies. We take in stumps and clean wood and make erosion prevention bags that construction companies and cities use. We also take concrete and grind it up to make different sized gravel. I really like what they do there and really love the people I work with. The office is super casual. I get to wear jeans and slippers at work. It is awesome! What a blessing!

Where have I been?

2011-12-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

So...it has been awhile since I have last blogged. Here is the problem. My computer has decided to stop working. Well, everything on it works except for the keyboard. As long as I don't have to type anything I am golden! I was hoping to outwit, outlast, and outplay the computer, but no such luck. So now I am using my iPhone which takes me longer to type on. Oh well! Christmas is coming!! Crossing my fingers! Although, if I had to choose between a new computer or another pair of Louboutins I would choose the shoes. Sorry people!

Lots has gone on in the last few months so I will fill you in as we go along.

Fall in pictures

2011-11-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

The most unexpected blessing

2011-10-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

From kindergarten to part way through my sophomore year of high school, I went to a private school in California. The school was small, so I knew most everyone. There were many that started in kindergarten with me so I essentially grew up with them.

My sophomore year everything changed. In fact, on that day, the entire course of my life changed. My mom was fired from the school. I honestly don’t remember the whys of it and I suppose it doesn’t really matter much. The bottom line was I knew it caused her pain to take me to school there everyday. I offered to go to another school and she accepted my offer.

I said goodbye to everyone, which was very difficult. I would miss them greatly. I prepared to go to public school. The public school’s sophomore class was as big as the entire student body at the private school. I was nervous about that but thrilled that I could wear jeans to school for the first time in my life. (It’s the little things!)

It’s easy to follow Christ when times are good. I accepted Jesus as my Savior at a young age and in my fairly sheltered life, up until then, my bad times were fights with friends or something else that now, as an adult, are what I would call trivial. I knew that God would take care of me at this new school. What I was too inexperienced to know was that God’s version of taking care of me varied quite differently from my version of caring for me.

In my mind, caring for me included surrounding me with friends and allowing me to enjoy the activities I enjoyed before the change of schools. Essentially, giving me the life I had before just at a different school. After all, I had changed schools for the betterment of someone else. I was trying hard not to be the selfish person my mom so often accused me of. I suppose I thought good intentions would earn me some points. If only…!

I ended the year with one friend. I had a difficult time adjusting and felt very alone and I was angry. I felt God had abandoned me. So, I decided I didn’t need His help. I thought the age old adage; if you want something done right you have to do it yourself!

The school I went to was closed by the district so I, again, got to go to a new school for my junior year. Yeah! I made the varsity cheerleading team and was now surrounded by new friends and now friends with their friends. I did not choose well. There was nothing wrong with them, mind you, they just didn’t share my Christian beliefs. If I wanted to go to the places that these new friends went to I would have to lie to my parents at times. Not a huge deal in my mind then. The thing is, my parents didn’t want me going to those places for a reason. I guess I was just too desperate to be accepted that I didn’t see that.

Then the unthinkable happened. I found out I didn’t live in a safety bubble. I was 16. I was raped. My entire world changed that day.

I told one of my “friends” about it and they told me I had probably deserved it, so I kept my mouth shut. I just wanted to forget about it and move on. But move on to what? I was still in with the wrong crowd without the prospect of getting out. I felt I was in a grave that I had dug myself into with no way of getting out. What was the point of getting out anyway? I felt tainted.

Here is the thing I have learned about God. When you are His child, he doesn’t forget about you. He never lets you go. He gave me an out. The date was January 9th. It was the most unexpected blessing. Granted, at the time it scared the crap out of me, and it was not immediately clear that it was a blessing. I was pregnant.

It was not obvious to me that this was something God would use for my good. It made me quite unpleasant and that attitude carried over into my relationship with my parents. I continued to keep my mouth shut about the rape. At their wits end, they sent me to a home for unwed mothers. At the same time, all my friends stopped being my friends. It was as if pregnancy was a virus they would catch. I was completely alone. It was the perfect time for God to speak to me and for me to ask His forgiveness. It was also the perfect time for me to fall completely in love with the baby I was now carrying.

It took awhile for me to mend my relationship with my parents so the few months I spent away from them was just me and this little girl whose very existence saved my life. I talked to her about everything. She is the only one who went through everything with me. She was an anchor in my life. She kept me going. She made me want to heal so I could continue my life. I finally opened up about the rape.

I went through a lot of counseling and I knew all the work that lay ahead of me. I knew of the pain, heartache, and grief I had to face over the things I had lost. My daughter gave me so much and I knew I had to give back to her. She needed the things I could not give her at the time. God blessed me with her and I knew I needed to do what was in her best interest. The thought of placing her with another family was heartbreaking, but it wasn’t about me.

She was born and I held her for the first and what I believed would be the last time. Her new parents came and took her home with them. My heart broke. I cried so hard and for so long the nurses had to sedate me. Because I had a c-section I had to stay in the hospital for a few days so that gave me some time to compose myself.

I started my senior year 2 weeks after she was born. I was at a new school, yet again. Super yeah! However, my arms ached for my baby. There were several days I would never even make it to school. I would be pulled over on the side of the road sobbing. Throughout this whole time, I had to keep reminding myself that she was in a better place. I had a lot of work and healing to do before I could be a mother to anyone.

I made it a few months at school until I got to the point that I wanted to scream. I was surrounded by talk of which person liked that person and what are you wearing and can you believe she said this or that. I just wanted to tell them that none of this was important. I was missing my daughter and frustrated that these seniors still had the opportunity to be kids for awhile. While they were doing math homework, I was wondering if this was the night I would die from a broken heart.

That was 19 years ago. My broken heart eventually healed around the piece that was missing...her. It would be a sad story if it ended there but God brought her back into my life. Shortly after her 18th birthday she contacted me.

She found this blog. Who knew a blog could be so useful! We started getting to know each other, sharing our likes and dislikes. We talked about the things going on in our lives. We talked about this blog and if I could share our story. It filled me with joy every time I got a message from her. There was some sadness though, knowing how much of her life I had missed, followed by joy, knowing I can be a part of her life now.

Rebecca and her wonderful friend embarked on an ambitious road trip. They covered 20 states and one of them was Oregon. On Thursday, I got to put my arms around her. The piece that was missing from my heart was returned! I didn’t want to let go. It was a moment that I had been thinking about for 19 years. It was so much better than anything I had ever imagined.

Rebecca is a beautiful young woman. She is smart, funny, well spoken, and has a sense of adventure. You can tell she has a gentle, loving spirit. She has so much to offer the world and I look forward to watching her life unfold and being a part of it.

She has made a most courageous and honorable decision. She will soon be serving this country as a U.S. Marine. She will be on the opposite side of the country and I will miss her even more but I respect and am in awe of her commitment to our country.

We spent hours talking. She got to meet her brothers. She got to meet Rolo. But the time came when she had to leave. It was hard to say goodbye but what an awesome day it was. It went by too fast but it was time that I treasured.

For years I was focused on what was taken from me; my virginity, my firstborn, my daughter, instead of what was given; redemption, reconciliation, forgiveness, and a beautiful daughter. She was the most unexpected blessing!

Fall is here

2011-10-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

Fall is here! The rain has started falling again. (Well, it really just took a 6 week break) The leaves are turning colors. Fall creates mixed emotions for me. I love the cooler weather and the beautiful colors but I don't like the signal that summer is fading. I love the time I get to spend in the summers with the boys and miss them during the school year. I also miss the longer nights. It makes me sad when it gets dark at 4:30pm.

I got some time this morning to go out and take some pictures around our house. The beauty of God's creation continues to amaze me.

Seeing double

2011-10-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

I was wondering when this would happen!

Tyler was in 2nd period P.E. when he had this conversation with one of the three P.E. teachers at the middle school. (not his)

Teacher: Are you taking two P.E. classes?
Tyler: No.
Teacher: Then why did I see you in first period P.E.?
Tyler: You didn't.
Teacher: -confused look-
Tyler: You saw my brother.

Oh, the trouble these two could cause!!!!

Ducks

2011-09-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

Brian and I were on a walk yesterday and came across the most unusual duck. I have never seen one with a stripe. He looks like an Adidas shoe!

Silver Falls

2011-09-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

This week I went out to Silver Falls State Park and tried to shoot some photos of waterfalls. The water level was low so I will have to go back when it is higher. I did have fun hiking around by myself. I didn't feel guilty about stopping constantly to take pictures!

Things Anthony Says

2011-09-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

A conversation with Anthony.

Anthony says something sarcastic to his brother.
Me: Be nice!
Him: I was complementing him.
Me: When it is said sarcastically it is not a compliment.

Anthony then, jokingly, says something untrue.
Me: Don't lie!
Him: It was a sarcastic lie.
Me: Sarcastic or not, it is still a lie.
Him: If a compliment is not a compliment when said sarcastically, then why isn't a lie not a lie when said sarcastically?

This boy is all kinds of trouble!

First Day of School

2011-09-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well, the first day of school was awhile ago and I am just now getting around to blogging about it! As most of you know, Anthony started high school and the twins started middle school. In Sherwood they do something that I think is helpful. Incoming 6th graders and incoming 9th graders start a day earlier than the rest of the grades. This gives them a day of "practice" before the masses converge on the school.

Anthony walks to the high school with friends. I was told I could not come and take pictures. I threatened to stalk him but he still said no. However he did pause long enough so I could get this one picture.

He was in good spirits when he came home from school. He said he likes high school because they treat them like adults compared to the middle school.

The twins were nervous. I was glad they had each other as the navigated new obstacles. Lockers were a source of worry, however.

We went to registration and they got their lockers then. The 6th grade lockers are stacked three high. I don't know who came up with that but it is insane. Parker's locker was on the top and the top of his head didn't even reach the bottom of his locker. He would have to fight for one of 3 stools so he could be tall enough to even open it. Tyler's locker was right under Parker's. That was a fight just waiting to happen. Lastly, Parker's locker number was 666. Leave it to the pastor's kid to get that locker! I went in the next day and got Parker's locker changed. He now had a bottom locker! The downside of this new locker was that Parker wouldn't get the opportunity to practice opening it before the first day of school.

I remember the start of every school year and the mass amount of shopping that we did for new clothes and shoes. Life is very different with boys! When I told Parker and Tyler we were going school clothes shopping Parker says this to me; "I have shirts and I have pants, what else do I possibly need?" It is so very different with boys! I did manage to buy them some more jeans and new shoes. This next picture illustrates the adversarial nature of the twins relationship. You may have to live in Oregon to get it. Ducks vs. Beavers.

Another big change this year is the twins are riding the bus home. When they got home they said their day went well. They said it was weird to have so many different teachers. Parker's new locker was occupied by another person but it eventually got straightened out. He did a good job with that situation!

So, another school year begins and I can't believe how fast they are growing up. Love them so much!

Preparedness

2011-09-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

The final two weeks of summer we have the kids go to bed earlier and get up early to help ease them into the upcoming school schedule. This last week they have been getting up at 7am. Last night, I told them since the next day was their last day of summer they could sleep in. Anthony nixed that idea. He said he was going to be preforming a "dry run" in the morning.

This morning he got up, showered, dressed, got breakfast and walked to the high school and made it before 8am, when school starts.

I love how he wants to be prepared. He is such a Petty! He makes the family name proud!!

Things Tyler Says

2011-09-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

Tyler hands me his soda.
"Mom, I think my soda will explode when I open it so... will you open it?"

Wherefore art thou, sun?

2011-08-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

Friday is Brian's day off so we loaded up the car and headed to Pacific City. The boys like Pacific City because it has a HUGE sand dune that they like to climb. Anthony timed himself from the spot we were at on the beach, to the top, and back down to us...9min 30seconds. He must have thighs of steel!

According to weatherchannel.com it was supposed to be 80 and sunny at the beach with the marine layer burning off around 10am. We got there and the marine layer was so happy to see us that he decided to stick around. He finally moved along around 4pm. No sunbathing for us! We did get windburned though!

Well, hello marine layer! At some point in the day, you couldn't even see the rock island anymore.

The sand dune!

We played lots of baseball. Brian showing Anthony how it is done!

Then switched to football.

Parker and Anthony in a huddle. Anthony explaining what the next play was. Parker is skeptical.

The joy of tackling your brother in a game of touch football!

Lost the flip flop but not the touchdown.

Looks like Tyler has a new backpack!

I love the determination on Parker's face!

Anthony's version of blocking.

Umm, I think that's holding!

Game face!

View from the top of the sand dune.

Rock the hawk!

Jumping off the smaller dunes.

Trying to slide down the dunes with a board and a laundry basket. Not very successful!

Take a hike

2011-08-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

The twins and I went on a hike today while Anthony went golfing. We drove out to the Columbia River Gorge. Beautiful! It was a 2 mile hike. Straight up. I read the 800 feet part but I was hoping they were just trying to discourage people in an overly dramatic fashion. The twins flew right up it. I on the other hand was a tad slower. In my defense, I was carrying the back pack. I have this compulsion to be prepared. This is where my pessimistic view of life comes in handy. What if one of us breaks a leg or falls down a hill and we have to stay in the woods overnight. (In my mind, it is a given that all the other people on the path ignore us and our broken legs!) So the backpack contained 6 bottles of water, Parker's Mountain Dew (maybe that was the key to all the energy), extra sweatshirts, a towel, my camera, tripod, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, wallet, keys, phone, sunscreen, granola bars, fruit snacks (to ward off the scurvy), Cheese-itz (for calcium to help heal the broken legs), energy bars, and chocolate cookies (because if you have broken legs and the people around you ignore you, you will need chocolate).

It was a beautiful hike and I got some great pictures. I wonder if people ever get tired of looking at all my pictures. I mean, really, how many flower pictures do you need to see! God has such an imagination though. It never ceases to inspire awe and I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the things He has created! So, here are more pictures for you to look at or not. Your choice!

Why me?

2011-08-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

"If I don't ask 'Why me?' after my victories, I cannnot ask 'Why me?' after my setbacks and disasters."
~Arthur Ashe

A long week

2011-08-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

Last week was a very long one for me. Sunday through Thursday Brian was down in California doing some GHC stuff. I never sleep well when he is gone. I have a recurring nightmare that dissipates when Brian is home. When he leaves, the fear returns, waking me throughout the night. I keep my Bible by my bed and read through some of my favorite Psalms praying that God will give me the strength to get through the night.
Monday through Wednesday the twins were at "Man Camp." It was Rock Harbor's middle school boys campout. We are not camping people. We don't own a tent. In fact, we only have one sleeping bag. I have never been a fan of paying to sleep in the dirt. Parker and Tyler weren't completely thrilled with the idea of going but I wanted them to experience it before they decided they didn't like it. I was nervous for them, so as we were packing I was going over basic camp things. Parker is not a fan of dirt or of being dirty so I was trying to prepare him for what he would experience. I made sure he knew where I packed the wipes and hand sanitizer. I also told them it would be cold at night and asked them what they should do if they got too cold. Parker responded with "snuggle." (He makes me laugh!!) I told him to try putting another sweatshirt on first.

That first night they were gone I woke up every hour. I would pray for them and Jon (the brave soul that he is), then would drift back to sleep. Same goes for the next night. I was exhausted by the time Wednesday came along. The twins came home and they had a good time. Prayers answered!

Thursday night Brian gets home! I missed him so much. I slept so very well that night!

Friday afternoon Brian and Anthony head up to Seattle to catch 2 Mariner baseball games. These 2 are the ones Anthony has been looking forward to all summer. They were playing the Boston Red Sox, Anthony's favorite team. Sleep was elusive that night. Tyler was having difficulty sleeping and dozed off around 1 am. At 2am I was awoken by the dog throwing up. Another long night!

Saturday nights baseball game started at 7:10pm so Brian and Anthony didn't get home until almost 2am. Sunday morning is a work day so Brian and I were up bright and early. That night was not nearly long enough!!

I found some time during the week to do something fun for me. I went out to a local farm and practiced taking pictures. Below are my efforts.

Things Parker Says

2011-08-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

Parker was eating lunch and was negotiating with Brian about how much he had to eat to get a popsicle. They went back and forth and finally came to an agreement. As Parker was walking out of the house with his popsicle he said, "Nice working with you, dad!"

Man, that kid makes me laugh!

Yosemite chapter in pictures

2011-07-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

Bridal Veil Falls

Yosemite Falls

Half Dome

Yosemite Falls

Uncle Brad and Parker

Anthony was happy to get reception on his phone while in Yosemite

Santa Cruz chapter in pictures

2011-07-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

We went to Raging Waters for Anthony's 14th birthday!

This is where Parker spent most of his day.

Dinner at Bennihana to celebrate.

Hanging out at Grandpa Marshall's house

I took all the flower pictures around the park my dad lives in.

The creek behind my dad's house.

We spent one night at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Everyone else on this ride was laughing or screaming. Anthony was bored.

Anthony's dinner

Tahoe chapter in pictures

2011-07-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

This is the rock mountain behind the house we were staying at.

Made it to the top!

Beautiful views!

Beach Day!

Parker sitting in the shade because he doesn't want to get tan.

Things Parker Says

2011-07-27T17:35:00.002-07:00

In the car with his grandmother.

Parker: What kind of music is that?
Grandma: The harp.
Parker: I hope I never get old enough to want to listen to the harp.

So what do you think of the music, Parker?!!! Don't hold back!

Vacation - Groveland Chapter

2011-07-27T17:35:00.001-07:00

We head up to my in-laws. They live on a lake called Pine Mountain Lake. We arrived Tuesday afternoon. We met up with Uncle Brad on the way up and Parker rode with him and talked his ear off about Transformers. As soon as we arrived, Parker, Tyler, and Uncle Brad set off to the storage areas. Uncle Brad thought he might have had some Transformers in a box somewhere. They didn’t have any luck finding them but they found a lot of other toys that they spent the rest of the day playing with. While all that was going on, Brian and Anthony went out sailing with Grandpa Bruce.

For dinner, we got some pizzas and ate on the boat out on the lake. It was a beautiful night.

Today, Wednesday, we went to the beach on the lake. The twins played in the water for most of the morning. The men are now off at the golf course for a round of frustration.

Tomorrow, Thursday, we are all going to Yosemite. I can’t wait to take my camera out there! I even hear there is water in the waterfalls!!

Friday, we head home. I am ready for home!! I miss my Rolo! I am not, however, looking forward to the 13 hour drive.

I will upload pics from vacation after I get home. Home! I love that word!!

Vacation - Santa Cruz Chapter

2011-07-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

4 more hours of driving done and we are in the Bay Area. I had forgotten just how many people are down there. Just a mass of cars and people everywhere! I started feeling very homesick.

We meet up with Brian’s sister (and her family) and brother for dinner. We also get to meet our niece, Kaira, for the first time. We have dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. They had given us a nutritional guide and we started keeping track of how many calories Anthony was consuming. He was up around 2000 before he had even ordered dinner. Ahh, to be a young bottomless pit!

We say goodbye to them and drive another hour up to my dad’s house in the Santa Cruz mountains. We finally get to bed around midnight.

Friday, Anthony’s 14th Birthday!!! I get up early and make him cinnamon rolls and bacon. The breakfast of champions! We then head out to Raging Waters for a day of fun in the sun at an outdoor water park. We had a blast! We stay until they close and then head over to meet my dad at Benihana for birthday dinner. It is delicious as always! Anthony got money for his birthday gifts and is planning on redoing his room with it.

Saturday was a lazy day. In the afternoon we went to see Transformers 3 in 3-D and then to dinner in downtown Santa Cruz.

Sunday was much of the same. The boys and I set out to play some tennis. We took my dad’s golf cart to the tennis courts but it died halfway there. The boys had fun pushing it the rest of the way. People were making fun of us as we passed them by but it was still fun. After all that, the tennis courts were full so my dad came out and rescued us. After that, I went out and took pictures of the park my dad lives in. It is beautiful. We had a bar-b-q. We went down to the creek. It was just an easy, restful day.

Monday, Brian and Anthony went golfing and then we went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Brian was bummed he couldn’t get any of the kids to go on the Giant Dipper roller coaster with him. I think the kids went mostly for the food. I know I did! Caramel apple chips? De.light.ful!!

Tuesday, we left bright and early. It is another 4 hour trip up to my in-laws house in Groveland, which is up by Yosemite. Noooo! Not the car again!!

Vacation - Lake Tahoe Cont.

2011-07-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived but so did new issues. I have fairly high quality of cleanliness standards. As we walked in to the house we were staying at, I realized those standards were at odds with what I was seeing. I pulled out a kitchen chair and sat there, while the boys brought our stuff in, wondering how I was going to get through the next 5 days. I had a minor meltdown. If I want to be authentic, I had a major meltdown!

Meltdown complete, I started cleaning. I felt better. I still never took my shoes off though!

Monday, we hung out at the beach. That is where Parker declared his dislike of tan people. I felt compelled to apologize to the people around us for the paleness of our skin. It was bad! I did laugh when the twins were wondering why the sand was so hot. That is what normal sand feels like! (For the most part, Oregon sand is cold.)

Tuesday, Brian and Anthony played golf at Northshore. The twins and I went on a long hike. We climbed up the rocks behind the house and found a beautiful view of the lake. We then wandered around the forest for awhile. Being the prepared hiker that I am, I put a butcher knife in the backpack in case we ran into bears. When Brian found out later he laughed, asking what I was planning on doing with said knife. Well, what would I have done without it? I figured it would buy enough time for the twins to safely get away! (Plus, I am not one to go down without a fight. “You looking at me, Bear? Why don’t you take a look at my super duper dull knife? I can’t even cut butter with it. I am just using it to confuse you and make you wonder if I am really worth the effort. Say hi to your mother for me!”)

Wednesday, we rented wave runners. Parker and Tyler didn’t want to do it. I forced them. I went out with Tyler first. He did fine and I finally convinced him to let us go a little faster. Parker stayed in idle most of the time! He was afraid he would fall off and drown. Or the wave runner would sink and he would drown. Or he would just plain drown. Once I convinced him that the wave runner would stay afloat, that his life jacket would keep him afloat if he fell off, and that I was sitting right behind him and wouldn’t let go of him, he applied some speed. They both ended up having a blast. Brian and Anthony had a great time as well.

Thursday we packed up and started the 4+ hour drive down to Santa Cruz.

Vacation - the Lake Tahoe chapter

2011-07-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

It has been a challenge to get here. Getting 5 people ready for a 2 week vacation takes planning and skill. Luckily, I am good at that kind of thing. I had my week planned out day by day with all the things I needed to get done. Monday I wake up with the flu. Tuesday I wake up with the flu. Wednesday I wake up with the flu. Thursday comes and I am finally feeling like I can get out of bed and am already 3 days behind.

I get a load of laundry in the washer only to find the washer is broken. Seriously?! Brian and Anthony had headed off to Seattle to see 2 Mariner baseball games. Brian takes care of these types of things. I was on my own. I was resigned to going to the laudromat when a friend calls and says Brian called him and could he come over to fix the washer for me. Yes, please! Thursday night and I have a washer again! What a blessing!

I worked until 2am and got up at 7am to get more work done before I took the twins to see Harry Potter. I had promised them months ago that I would take them opening day and I don’t break my promises no matter how behind I am.

That was a long movie! But fun!

Brian and Anthony get home Friday night around 1am (technically Saturday morning). I get up early so we are able to head down to California around 10am. We are only planning to drive to Redding, about 7 hours, and then stay at a hotel with a pool so the kids can have some fun. Brian goes out to check oil and other manly car things. He comes back to tell me the radiator is leaking. It needs to be replaced before we leave. Of course it does. The shop wants $900. Of course they do. The same generous people who fixed our washer came to our rescue once again. We found a radiator not far from us and our friend installed it. Less than $300. Another huge blessing.

We are finally on the road 3 hours later. Midway through the trip the check engine soon light goes on. Of course it does. We get to Redding and find the hotel and it isn’t anything like advertised. Of course it’s not. Where they got their pictures is a mystery to me! We are unloading our stuff and find the radiator is still leaking. Of course it is.

We find an Auto Zone. Diagnose the engine and radiator problems. Get it all worked out, hopefully with fingers crossed. We arrived in Tahoe, finally.

Things Parker Says

2011-07-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

“I don’t like California. Everyone here is too tan. I prefer pale.”

Then you were born in the right state, Parker!

Choices

2011-07-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

I am sitting on the couch with Parker and Tyler watching a Harry Potter marathon in preparation for viewing the very last movie that is coming out next week. It has been hours and the movies are running into each other but there was a line that jumped out at me and has been roaming around my brain since. It goes something like this:

Who you are is not determined by your abilities but by your choices.

Dumbledore was reassuring Harry that although Harry had some of Voldemort's abilities they didn't make him evil. He could choose to be different and do what is right instead.

Some people, definitely not me, have the ability to sing. What do they choose to do with that ability? Do they use it to glorify the Lord or to tear Him and others down. Those who are creative, do they use that creativity to glorify God or not. Photographers, teachers, mothers, fathers, politicians, students, I could go on...but you get the point. What do we chose to do? What do our choices say about us? What do they say about what is important in our lives.

I think as parents it is imperative that we make wise choices. Our kids are watching us. They are emulating us. They are learning from us. It can be confusing for them because we contradict ourselves sometimes. We tell them to value sexual purity but we live, unmarried, with our significant others. We want church and God to be important to our kids after they leave our homes yet we are gone every weekend during the summer or sport seasons. We teach them that God and church are something to do when there is nothing better or more important to do. We teach them that they can be Christians without having to go to church. While church is not a requirement for salvation it is an act of obedience. We want to teach our kids integrity yet we sneak food into the movie theaters. We teach them that the rules don't apply to us. How then do our children learn which rules are the important ones and which aren't? We become the measuring stick of what is right and wrong instead of using God's. Then when our children turn into adults they feel they get to choose what is right and wrong for them.

What an incredible responsibility we have as parents and it would be overwhelming without God at the center of our lives. Of course we mess up, but our kids can learn from us what they should do when they too mess up. They can learn to give and receive forgiveness.

Choices. They are sometimes easy and at times, they feel impossible. What do your choices say about you?

Not so BFF

2011-07-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

Being a pastor's wife is an unique lifestyle. I say lifestyle because it is. It isn't just my husband's job. It isn't just a place I volunteer an enormous amount of my time. It is our life. Day in and day out we live church. For the most part, I am ok with that. There is one aspect about it that I really hate though. Friendships.

People choose to attend or leave a church for many different reasons. The size, the music, the teaching, the youth group, the programs, the money, the location, where their friends go... I could go on and on. While it is hard to see people come and go it is something we are used to. Here is my experience. When the majority of people leave a church they cut off all contact with the pastor. I get included in that. If you run into them at a store they try to ignore you and if that isn't possible you can see them trying to get away from you as fast as possible. I assume they think we will make them feel guilty or lecture them. That couldn't be further from the truth. Brian and I want to see people come to Christ or grow in their relationship with Him. If that isn't at Rock Harbor we wish them nothing but the best and pray they find a place to grow.

It hurts. I have lost so many friendships. As the years have gone by it gets harder and harder for me to invest in friendships. It gets lonely.

Of course, there are people who have kept the friendships or relationships. I cannot thank them enough. It does my heart good. I thank God for keeping them in my life.

Napa

2011-06-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of June, Brian and I flew down to Napa, California for a day of meetings with GHC (Growing Healthy Churches). We partnered with GHC when we planted Rock Harbor. It was nice to get together with church planters from around the country. It is reassuring to talk with others who are going through the same journey.

We flew down a day early to give me time to recover from the medication that is required to get me on an airplane! We also used this trip as a celebration of our 16th anniversary. We enjoyed exploring Napa and Brian was very patient as I stopped every few feet to take pictures.

Mt. Shasta from 40,000 feet!

Crater Lake

Things Parker Says

2011-06-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

"Justin Bieber. Man or woman? Nobody knows but him... and probably his mom!"

What do you value?

2011-06-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

One of the responsibilities of doing hospitality at Rock Harbor is the welcome/information table. We have info on upcoming events, calendars, pens, bibles, resources, and our guest gifts. I always place the guest gifts front and center. Over the last month or so, when I come back into the room I find that they have been pushed to the back, behind all the stuff for established members. When you walk into the "sanctuary" (aka the gym) it is the first thing you will see, after our greeters. I think you can tell what a person/church values by what they choose to show you first.

In our family we value God. We have chosen to place that value at our front door, in the form of a stone of remembrance. Several years ago, after we had BBQ for dinner, the coals did not go out completely. In fact, several of them fell out onto our wood deck (we did not know this at the time). The place we had our Weber was the same place the previous owners had had theirs. It was stained with oil and grease. (What in the world did they BBQ?!) In the morning, as I was making breakfast, I smelled burning wood. I found our deck smoldering. Part had burned away during the night. I immediately started crying because I knew God had protected us. With the amount of oil and grease on the wood it should have gone up in flames. It was right next to the wall of the twins' room. Our room was on the other side of the house so we wouldn't have known something was wrong until it was too late. When God did something amazing for the Israelites He instructed them to place a stone of remembrance at that place so when people saw the stone they would ask what it was about and then the Israelites could tell what God had done. That day, the boys and I found the largest rock we could and the boys painted it. I painted the words "God protects us" on it and placed it at our front door. It remains there today and when people ask I get to tell them what God has done.

When you walk into our house you can see another thing we value. Our kids. There are pictures of them everywhere. In fact, there isn't a room that doesn't have a picture of them. It is hard to miss!

We display what we value. At Rock Harbor we value people. We value our guests. When they walk into the gym I want them to see that we have placed them front and center. They are important to us. I don't want them pushed to the back as an afterthought.

What do you display? What do you show the world that you value?

Things Parker and Tyler Say

2011-06-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

This morning Brian took away a computer game from Parker because of a bad attitude. Parker wasn't very happy about it because it is his favorite. Just now he had a good interaction with Anthony and I was complementing him on it and I told him I was proud of him. This was our conversation.

Parker - "Proud enough to let me play the computer game?"
Me - "That is between you and your father."
Parker - "Well, don't moms overrule dads?"
Me - (laughing) "No"
Parker - "Why not?"
Tyler - "Moms should overrule dads because they are in charge of the children."
Parker - "Yeah, moms made the kids so they should get the final say."

So much

2011-06-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

There has been so much that has gone on since I last blogged. The twins turned 11. Brian and I celebrated our 16th anniversary. We took a trip to Napa and I didn't die on the plane. Lots to catch up on and be thankful for!

The elevens have it

2011-06-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Parker and Tyler turned 11 on the 26th of May. Parker was bummed he had to go to school. It is fun to see them think you should be able to do whatever you want on your birthday! Real life comes soon enough.

Both of them decided that they would wait until they got home from school to open their presents. I found that unusual so they explained that they would be so excited to play with their gifts that school would go by very slowly and it would be torture. When they got home they opened and started playing with their new Legos. We then took them to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner and then to Toys R' Us for new bikes from the grandparents. They had a pretty good day.

We had their birthday party on that Sunday night. It was an adventure, to say the least. This year they decided to have their parties together. We had 10 boys over for a sleepover. We also took them to see Kung Fu Panda 2. That is where the adventure started! One of the boys somehow forgot that he had a large Fruit Punch drink in the cup holder and lifted the arm of the chair and spilled the drink on the people behind us. The large drink then slowly made its way all the way down to the bottom of the theater. We had to go row by row and let them know a river of punch was coming their way. Of course, the movie had started by then so the theater couldn't really do anything to clean it up without disrupting the entire theater. Good times! :)

Before the party started I ran down the schedule for the boys so they knew what to expect. I told them I had some games on hand in case we needed them. Parker was up in arms about this. He wanted to know what games. I informed him we would play the party classic Fruit Basket Upset. He moaned and complained that it would be horrible and he didn't want to ruin his party with such a horrible game. I asked if he had ever played it. He said no. I asked how he knew it would be horrible then if he had never played it. He said, "Mom, the word Upset is in the name. If it was a good game it would be Fruit Basket Happy!" I told him to just trust me. He said I would ruin his party. That's not trusting, Parker. We played Fruit Basket Upset for the better part of an hour and they had a blast. After the party, I asked how Parker liked the game. He said, "It was SO fun. Sorry I doubted you, mom." Awesome! Those are the moments I live for!

In addition to Fruit Basket Upset, we played the tried and true game of Spoons. Last, we played Hot Potato with a twist. When they got left holding the potato they had to come in the other room and put on a ridiculous piece of clothing. Living with all boys that really only left my stuff. A pink hat, a sweater dress, scarf...stuff like that. There was a lot of laughter during that game!

We had them get ready for bed at 10pm knowing it would take a long time for 10 of them to quiet down and go to sleep. 1am and they were finally out.

Things I learned that night. A large group of boys, in a small room, without open windows, can become rather smelly. It also confirmed that I love my boys and they have a pretty great group of friends.

I put together a look back at the twins over the years. 11 years have come and gone so quickly! Love you, Parker! Love you, Tyler!

Thank You to all the Teachers!

2011-06-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

This is our very last year at the elementary school. The twins will be graduating on the 16th into middle school. I wanted to do something special for all the teachers my kids have had over the years. I put together a dessert and invited them all to come over and enjoy. I also put together appreciation gifts for each of them. Each teacher has made an impact on my kids and has prepared them for the next step in life. We have been blessed with fantastic teachers and I know each of them have loved each boy. That means so much to me. I am excited that the boys are moving up but I will miss the teachers and the volunteering I was able to do at Middleton. Thank You!

Things Parker Says

2011-05-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

At breakfast

"Hey, Tyler, I came up with something new for Dora the Explorer. Dora, Dora, Dora, the annoyer!"

My new dishwasher

2011-05-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Rolo has a tendency to take things off the counter. He takes anything, he isn't picky. I wasn't feeling great over the weekend so the dishes kinda backed up in the sink. We left for church on Sunday and came home to this..

At least he cleaned them for me! Thanks, Rolo. I mean, bad dog!

Things Tyler Says

2011-05-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

We were in the car and Anthony and I were talking about something and I said "laughing like a hyena." From the back, Tyler says, "Mom, hyenas don't laugh...they kill." Noted.

10

2011-05-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

Rolo can give people 5. He also gives 10. I captured him mid 10 and Anthony and I found it very funny. It feels good to laugh during a time of struggle.

S'mores

2011-05-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had our first s'mores of the season! Yummy! We had the traditional s'mores but we also had our family favorite. White chocolate with caramel sauce.

Struggling

2011-05-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

I am really struggling right now. I was asked to create something. It used my creative skills and I was happy with the finished product. I was told the person didn't like any of it and they would redo it themselves. But, I was told not to take it personally. How do you do that? How do you take something personal and not take it personally? To make matters worse, they didn't even tell me they didn't like it. They told my husband, which makes it all the more humiliating. I wasn't given any feedback or the opportunity to make changes to give that person what they wanted. I was dismissed via my husband and I'm not supposed to take that personally. I am really struggling with how to do that.

Alone, this might have been a minor thing but we are coming off of celebrating Mother's Day. My mother has chosen not to be in my life for the last 11 years. I have been raising 3 kids without help or advice from my mom. The first few years were really hard and I grieved the loss of a mom. For the most part, I don't even really think about it, but this Mother's Day it hit me hard. I felt very worthless. I know that my value and what I am worth comes from the Lord, but what little girl doesn't want to be loved by her mother. There is that saying that goes, "a face only a mother could love." Well, what happens when even a mother doesn't love you? It hurts and you take it personally.

I am feeling pretty worthless today and I am struggling with that. I know that I am worth a Son but the tears continue to flow.

One More!

2011-05-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

The Fog

2011-05-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

This was my first time shooting in the fog. I enjoyed the different lighting it provided.

Things Parker Says

2011-05-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

We have chores for the boys. They get paid a set amount for each day they complete their chores. If they fail to do their chores they do not get paid for that day. The next day, a sibling may do that chore and collect the money the other sibling has lost. Parker is eager to collect money, so he is always first to jump on his brothers' missed chores.

Side note: Our dog, Rolo, has digestive issues.

Anthony missed one of his chores this week. Cleaning up after Rolo. Parker, eagerly, wanted to do this chore and collect Anthony's pay. Brian took him outside and showed him how to clean up the dog poop. It was a lovely day and we had the windows open. Soon I hear yelling coming loudly from the back yard. "This dog has problems!" "The dog has diarrhea!" "It's yellow!" "The horror!" "I'm going to throw up!" "What is wrong with this dog?" I am elbow deep in covering strawberries with chocolate so I yell, in between laughing, for someone to please go outside and stop Parker from yelling out the dog's digestive issues to the entire neighborhood!

One of the things I love about Parker is his ability to tell you what and how he is feeling and thinking. He is very authentic! He came in the house and said that Anthony should be paid more for that chore. He, in the past, has expressed outrage that Anthony gets paid more. Now he understands and appreciates Anthony's chores a little more! Awesome!!

Last Choir Concert

2011-05-08T00:08:00.001-07:00

Thursday was Tyler's last choir concert of his elementary career! He has a sweet voice and it has been fun to watch him grow in confidence this year.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-04-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I turned 36. It turned out to be a pretty good day! It started with each boy actually remembering it was my birthday. It is always nice to be remembered! After breakfast, I got to open my presents. Parker got me a beautiful stone necklace. Tyler gave me a lovely silver heart necklace. Anthony got me the Xbox game, Dance Central. Even better, he said he would play it with me! Then I got 3 pairs of shoes from my Dad and husband. Delightful! I dropped the boys off at school and then got busy. I had to do stuff for church and then go to work. I did manage to squeeze a pedicure into the day, after all, I had new shoes to wear. After school, Anthony and I played Dance Central until it was time to go to dinner. We went to Benihana. Very yummy!!! After we got home we played some more Dance Central and then had a yummy, white chocolate, raspberry, birthday cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. So good! I then stayed up until 2am working on a project for the boys' school. I was woken up by Tyler telling me it was 7am. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why he was telling me what time it was. Oh! It's a school day. Got it! Thanks boys for a great birthday!

Where was the Spring?

2011-03-28T13:03:00.001-07:00

Today is the last day of Spring Break for my boys. Looking back over the last week makes me wonder where the Spring was in Spring Break. It has rained 26 of the last 27 days and we have yet to hit 60 degrees in all of 2011. Yes, I have chosen to live in Oregon so I have no one to blame but myself, but COME ON!

Spring Break - Friday

2011-03-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Voodoo Donuts and OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). Voodoo is different than your normal donut shop. They have unusual donut combos. Anthony tried the maple-bacon bar, the Oreo cookie donut, and the Captain Crunch donut. Tyler also tried the maple-bacon bar and Parker had the Oreo cookie donut. Interesting! The Oreo cookie was the favorite. We then went to OMSI. They have an exhibit about ancient Egypt. The twins are really into Egypt so they were excited for that. We spent several hours there and then went to The Old Spaghetti Factory for a late lunch. That was a first for the boys and it was yummy! Spring break is coming to a close and I have enjoyed spending time with the boys. They make me laugh and they are growing up so fast. These days will be treasured memories.

The maple-bacon bar

The Oreo cookie donut

Parker didn't understand why they would paint the donut shop pink

Playing Connect Four with robotic arms

Building an arch

Doing brain teasers

Spring Break - Thursday

2011-03-26T12:16:00.001-07:00

Today we went to Sky High. They have huge trampolines that the boys had a blast on. They have one "court" for just jumping but they also have a foam pit you can bounce into. Anthony enjoyed that the most. He eventually mastered 4 flips before hitting the foam.

It was a hit. We will be back!

Spring Break - Wednesday

2011-03-24T00:45:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village in Salem. When we got there Anthony said he remembered it being a lot bigger the last time he was there on a field trip. Tyler reminded him he was a 1st grader at the time. Everything looked bigger! There is a large play structure the boys enjoyed. There are also three houses that have different exhibits in each them. We had a good time.
We then went to Elmer's for lunch followed by shopping at the Nike outlet. The twins each got a new pair of shoes. Then we hit the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for yummy caramel apples.

It was a delightful day!

Anthony using Tyler as a picture shield

Anthony using Parker as a picture shield

Parker thought he had to go under these bars instead of on top of them

Tyler showing Parker how it is done

In the mock submarine

Making geometric bubbles

Anthony refuses to go to the Japanese gardens with me. This is his compromise!

Tyler's new shoes

Parker's new shoes

Spring Break - Tuesday

2011-03-24T00:35:00.000-07:00

Today was movie day. The twins and I went and saw "Rango" in the morning. There should be some parental reward you get for taking your kids to see this movie. I didn't like it! At all! Parker thought it was ok. Tyler didn't like it either.

I took the twins home and picked up Anthony and Brian and we went and saw Battle Los Angeles. We all liked this one. It won't win an academy award or anything but it was entertaining. I am a sucker for military movies though.

We got home and had yummy steak for dinner. Mostly a good day!

Spring Break - Monday

2011-03-24T00:13:00.000-07:00

Spring Break! WooHoo! We had a quiet start to the week. Anthony went snowboarding with another family so the twins and I kept close to home. In the morning, I went to The Painted Plate with the women from our small group. That was a lot of fun. In the afternoon, the twins worked on things for their stores. The kids in the neighborhood have made stores out of cardboard boxes. They sell comics and trading cards that they have made. They line up their stores on the sidewalk and wait for people to stop by. They are a very creative bunch. Next, the twins each made a board game. Parker made a Halo one and Tyler made a Star Wars one. We enjoyed spending the evening playing these new games. Later that night, I picked up a very sore Anthony.

Spring Break is off to a great start!

Tyler's Store - Cool Stuff 4 less

Parker working on some comics.

Parker working on his Halo game.

Tyler working on his Star Wars game.

Report Cards

2011-03-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

Report cards were given out yesterday. The twins thought we should either pay for good grades or buy them something for good grades. Brian and I decided that we would go out and do something as a family instead. The twins were not happy with this decision. When we announced that we were going to go to a hockey game as the reward, their happiness was even less. They wanted to know how much the tickets were because they would rather just have the cash!

We stuck to our guns and forced them in the car. Anthony, on the other hand, was waiting outside for us! We went to see the Winterhawks play at the Rose Garden. It was a great game. We won 4-3. At one point during the game Tyler turned to me and asked if we could get season tickets! Both Parker and Tyler had a great time and have since been asking when we could go to another game. Anthony had a great time too, but he loves sports so there was never a question for him.

Thank you, Lord for making family time better than a new toy.

It is finished

2011-03-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia several years ago. One of the medications they put me on had the side affect of weight gain. And I gained. And gained. I finally had enough and stopped all medication. I felt horrible for a long time but me and my good friend, Advil, have been learning how to deal with the daily pain on our own. I still have really bad days but I have been able to handle the day to day pain more easily.

So, the next thing I had to deal with was the weight gain the medication put on. I am thrilled to say, that as of today, I have lost it all. I didn't do it with a program. I did it the old fashioned way. Eating healthier and exercise. 50 pounds gone!!! WooHoo!

Things Tyler Says

2011-03-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

Ok. New twin. Parker has great one liners while Tyler likes to talk and talk and talk. I was making up Tyler's bed tonight and he was standing on the footboard. He lost his balance and fell onto the bed.

"Good thing that wasn't an endless pit of despair. My despair would have been endless and I would have had to die of old age, unless I was already an old man when I fell in. Then I wouldn't have to wait so long to die. Unless I died of hunger first. I wonder how long that would take?"

Prayers for Japan

2011-03-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about and praying for the people of Japan. I can't imagine such widespread devastation. From what I have been reading one of the people's fears is the aftershocks. That I understand. I had the joy of experiencing the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in California.

There was a group of us walking out to our cars and we were suddenly thrown to the ground in the parking lot. The force held us down but I managed to lift my head and see the ground rolling. I remember thinking that the ground shouldn't be doing that. I think with most initial earthquakes by the time you have processed what is going on it is almost over. Then the aftershocks start. It's not like the first quake. You know this one is coming. What you don't know is when or how strong. I remember not wanting to go to sleep because I was afraid that the next aftershock was the one that was going to knock our house down. I had an overwhelming desire to sleep out on the lawn. I have read that many Japanese families are doing just that. How scary for them!

We were fortunate and had no damage to our home and everyone was safe. After a few days my life went back to normal but that isn't the case for a lot of them over there. Praying for comfort.

The things fear makes me do

2011-03-01T22:59:00.000-08:00

Anthony snowboards. Loves it and is good at it. He doesn't come from a wealthy family so he must do with hand-me-down snow pants. They are of the bib variety, or "trousers" as Parker calls them. Very un-snowboardy I hear. Anthony had expressed interest in getting actual snowboard pants. I found some at Target, on sale, and surprised Anthony with them. He was very happy. Awesomeness achieved by mom!

A couple of weeks ago a family from church invited Anthony to join their family in Sunriver. They were planning on snowboarding on Mt. Bachelor over the long weekend.

Before I get further into the story I should explain that I love to watch this show on the Animal Planet called "I Shouldn't Be Alive." It chronicles the survival of people in places and situations where they should not have survived. There are a lot of stories of people in the ocean or stuck on a mountain in winter.

With that said, I will continue on. Anthony was to leave on a Thursday. I became very sick on Monday. (That will be another post!) I spent a lot of time lying in bed thinking. That is not necessarily a good thing. I worry. I worry that he will be on a mountain so far away but know that the family he is going with is a safety conscious one. Wednesday night comes and "I Shouldn't Be Alive" is on and the men are stranded on Mt. Everest and are freezing to death. Again, I start thinking. What if Anthony gets lost on the mountain and the only thing keeping him warm and alive are a stupid pair of $12 Target snow pants! I imagine the phone call. "Your son survived but he lost his legs to frostbite because his incompetent mother sent him off with cheap Target pants!"

Thursday morning I gathered my money, drug myself out of bed and went down and bought him the warmest pair of snowboard pants I could find. My son will not freeze on my watch!

So, there it is. I bought a pair of pants out of fear! Warm and comfy fear! I blame my father.

Already...

2011-02-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

I just got an email that started "To the class of 2015, welcome to Sherwood High School..." How did this happen? How is my baby going into high school? I am so proud of the incredible young man he has become but I miss the boy who would cuddle up to me while we watched Scooby Doo. Time is going too fast! Too fast!

The beach

2011-02-26T14:19:00.000-08:00

Wow! I have been absent from blogging for a long time. Lots going on and I will share more about that later. This week Brian and I had the opportunity to get away for a few days. Uncle Brad came up to visit and he offered to stay with the boys while we went to our favorite place in the world. The beach! We prefer the warm kind of beach but we will take any one we can get. We went out to Lincoln City and stayed at our favorite hotel out there.

This trip was a first for us though. Oregon beaches are always cold but this time it snowed! It was crazy! We got to walk on the beach while snow swirled around us. It was like we were in a snow globe. It was so much fun! The weather would go from sunny, to cloudy, to snowing in a matter of minutes. The last day was clear but in the 20's. Crazy!

Our time away was very relaxing and provided a much needed break. For that I am extremely grateful!

From our balcony

Horrible picture but it is snowing on the beach!

Back to beautiful the next day!

Things Parker Says

2011-02-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

"When are you going to buy more popsicles? I miss the occasional lime popsicle."

Someone's been sleeping in my bed!

2011-02-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl Sunday

2011-02-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

Today is the Super Bowl. It is a bittersweet day for me. My Grandpa Roy died on Super Bowl Sunday. I can remember it like it was yesterday. My dad and I watched the game in silence, lost in our own thoughts and grief. I knew I had lost my grandfather but what I didn't know was that was also the day I lost my mother. She was never the same after that day. As some of you know, my mother and I are estranged and have been since that time.

The sweet is the joy I get watching Anthony enjoy all the festivities. ESPN has been on since yesterday. Today I am going to spend the day with Tyler doing some crafty stuff. To those who are watching the game, enjoy!

Chocolate Candy

2011-02-05T23:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight Brian, Tyler, and I made chocolate candy. It came in a kit and had four different colored chocolates and molds. It was easy to do and we had a lot of fun. Brian is bummed he can't eat the final product! Too bad!

What do dogs think about?

2011-02-05T22:43:00.001-08:00

Rolo looks so sad! Actually, he was irritated with me for taking his picture while he was trying to take a nap. He got up and moved to the other side of the bed. Add picture taking to the list of things Rolo doesn't care for. What does he think about though? I wonder if I would really want to know.

Week 3 homework

2011-02-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

This week was working on white balance again. Here is what I got.

I like this one because you have one duck with the green and yellow but the duck behind him, sort of hidden among the sticks, is black and orange.

King who?

2011-01-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

We played Apples to Apples this weekend. It is a really fun game and we had a great time playing it. Anthony almost spit his hot chocolate out a couple times trying not to laugh. One of the things we did laugh hard at was when Tyler got this card and said "King Henry Vill!"

Good thing the car is dirty!

2011-01-30T19:20:00.000-08:00

Parker and I like Twilight. He drew, in the dirt on my side mirrors, an Edward and a Bella. He thought I would like that. These are the things he does that make me smile!

Edward

Bella

Week 2 homework

2011-01-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

Week 2 homework was boring. It was really helpful but not that interesting to look at. We were to take a picture of an object and then change the ISO and see how the other 2 elements of exposure respond. We were also to take pictures of white and black paper and change the exposure. Since that is boring to look at here are some pictures I took while out on a nature walk with Tyler. We had a lot of fun exploring the woods by our house and can't wait for spring when everything will start to bloom!

January 27

2011-01-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

Sometimes God may prioritize performing a miracle on our hearts and minds over a miracle concerning our circumstances.

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines. Though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in You, my Lord. I will be joyful in God, my Savior.
For You, Lord, are my strength. You make my feet like the feet of a deer. You enable me to go on the heights (Hab. 3:17-19). How inconceivable but true that You can take me to heights far exceeding the depths I have known.
Father, continue to bring me along so that I can rejoice in my sufferings, because I know suffering produces perseverance (Rom 5:3).

From Praying God's Word Day by Day by Beth Moore

Bathroom Redu

2011-01-23T19:11:00.000-08:00

We moved into our house almost 5 years ago. We knew we wanted to paint and update the master bathroom so we went ahead and bought the light fixtures and faucets. They have been sitting under the bed for the last 5 years collecting dust. Everything about that bathroom was white. White floors, white cabinets, white tile, and white walls. I finally put an end to that this week. I painted and updated things. I really like the way it turned out, although Tyler says it looks like a girls bathroom now! And the problem with that is....? :)

Week 1 homework

2011-01-22T16:16:00.001-08:00

As you know, I am taking a photography class at Portland Community College. There is so much information to digest but it has been a lot of fun. Here are some of the pictures I took for my homework assignment. We were to play around with white balance.

Things Parker Says

2011-01-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

Parker hit Tyler for some reason. Tyler runs upstairs. I step in and tell Parker he cannot hit his brother and he needs to go apologize.

Parker on his way up the stairs to find Tyler: But I'm not sorry! I'm glad I did it!

A diagnosis

2011-01-13T23:42:00.000-08:00

I finally got a diagnosis for my hip problem. I have been having severe pain in my hip. It has been going on for 2 months and nothing has helped. It turns out I have hip flexor tendinitis. It will heal they say. I am going in to physical therapy once a week to have ultrasound treatments. Hopefully I will be back to running in 3 weeks and my weight loss goals can move forward! I am just thankful to know what is wrong and that it can be fixed. Thank you, Lord!

Back to school

2011-01-13T22:39:00.000-08:00

I went back to school tonight. My friend, Katy and I are taking a photography class at Portland Community College. Tonight we started learning to shoot without "training wheels." We took it off auto and switched over to manual. It is going to be fun!

When I returned home tonight my sweet husband had "going back to school" flowers for me. I love him! He spoils me!

Well hello, beautiful!

2011-01-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

They are here! (Side note: I texted Brian with those 3 words and he knew exactly what I was talking about. I love being married to my best friend!) My Christmas present came in the mail today! My beautiful, red soled, Christian Louboutin shoes!!!!!!!

They fit perfectly and are so comfortable. Thank you, Dad!!!!!! I will be wearing them to bed tonight. :)

Congratulations!

2011-01-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to my eldest son for earning Honor Roll last trimester with another 4.0! His friends played a joke on him during the ceremony. One of his friends was reading the names off as they came up for their certificates. They got everyone to cheer really loudly for the person before Anthony and the person after him. When they read his name everyone was silent. Anthony thought it was funny.

We are proud of how responsible you are with your schoolwork. We love ya, kid!

A thought...

2011-01-01T23:04:00.000-08:00

I have had this thought germinating in my mind the last few months. I heard it first from someone at church and it has stuck with me. It is a thought that I pray my boys will grab on to but I am unsure of how to teach it.

It goes a little something like this. We are a society that is constantly striving to get what we think we deserve and we fail to be thankful that we don't get what we deserve. I know this is the basic concept of mercy but it has been on my heart especially over this Christmas season.

I don't want my boys to grow up thinking the world owes them something. I don't want them to think they are entitled to have things just because others have it. I want them to approach material things with humility and gratitude. This is what I am praying for them as we start the new year. I also pray that I can be a good example for them.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T20:28:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you! Thank you for taking the time to read about the things our family is up to and the things God lays on my heart. I pray for you and wish God's blessings for you in this new year.

Happy 2011!

It is finished!

2010-12-27T00:21:00.001-08:00

Tyler finished the Death Star in 2 days! 2 days!!!!! He is so happy and proud of himself. I love his excitement!

Placing the final piece

Things Parker Says

2010-12-26T22:44:00.000-08:00

We were talking about stuffing. My grandfather liked cornbread stuffing and my grandmother liked to have regular bread stuffing. We were talking about how my grandfather usually won that argument. Parker wanted to know why that was unusual. We said that the women usually win those kind of arguments. He said, "What!? Women get to decide what we like?!"