Let it snow!!! Or not...

So I am sure everyone in the world is aware of the "Arctic Blast 2008" storm we have going on here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We normally have a few bouts with this white stuff a year. And really this time around wouldn't be anything unusual... only the few times this year seem to be coming on back to back. Our first snow came Sunday. Tonight sometime it is supposed to start snowing again, and then yet another snow/ice storm is planned for this coming Sunday. It may be a white Christmas yet!

These aren't the best photos, but it does give you a wee idea of what our yard looks like. This was Sunday evening after the first snow.

Needless to say, the novelty of it all has worn off, and driving in this (well, I actually have only been riding) is enough to drive you nuts. With air travel in our future, I am hoping that the storms are not nearly as bad as it looks like they might be.

Your prayers are appreciated!

Visitors

We had multiple visitors in November, all of which were my family! Mom and Norm made a 36 hour stop on their way home from Mexico. Unfortunately, I was not with it enough to remember to take a photo, so we'll have to do that in a few days when we are there for our Christmas celebration.

A week later, my Dad opted for an overnight stop on his way "through" town. It was wonderful to visit with him for a few hours and enjoy a nice dinner together. This is the picture Jeff remembered that we should take, since Dad's visits occur almost as frequently as Haley's comet. ; )

My Bad Aunt came for a brief visit as well... but I know she'll be back as soon as the snow melts, so I have lots of opportunities for a photo with her!

Giving Thanks

As we all tend to do this year, I have been reflecting on the blessings in my life. There are so many things that I have to be Thankful for... My wonderful, amazing husband is number one on the list. He of course is the biggest blessing bestowed upon me in all my years. I am thankful for my wonderful family, old and not so new. I live in a warm, comfortable home. I have a car to drive. I have a job to go to. I have friends who care about me, and whom I care about. I have a wonderful church family, with elders who watch carefully over our flock.

But there are things I often take for granted...

I am thankful for the use of my legs, that I can walk among the beautiful leaves of fall to spend Thanksgiving with my family.
I am thankful for the use of my arms, to give and receive the long, warm embraces of the people I love.
I am thankful for the ability to see the joy and the love in the faces of those who surround me.
I am thankful for the ability to smell the delicious meal that is cooked in honor of all the blessings we celebrate.
I am thankful for the ability to speak my Thanks to those who are blessings to me.
I am thankful for the ability to hear the laughter of the children in my life whom I love.
I am thankful for my health, physical, mental and spiritual.

I am thankful that we live in a country where we can give Thanks to God, without fear of punishment or persecution.

If you are reading this... I am thankful for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome Audrey Lynn!

A lot of you that read this blog know about, or have even met, my wonderful friend Julie. (She was my Matron of Honor). Yesterday, she and Ethan welcomed their third daughter, Audrey Lynn, to their family. She came in at 7 lbs and 19 inches... and looks like such a sweet little girl!

If you want to see pictures, you can check out Julie's blog here:

www.whaleylife.com

I can't wait to go and meet my new friend Audrey... and of course, I can't wait to see her mama, daddy and sisters too!

It was very busy at work today...

A new favorite ~ Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew

As you know, winter is coming! And I thought I'd share a new favorite ONE POT meal... gotta love those! ; )

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew

Mix together in your crock pot:

1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn (drained) or frozen works too... just eyeball it.
2 cans diced tomatoes with chilies (or plain works if you are a wimp)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 small onion chopped
1 packet taco seasoning

Add two chicken breasts (I smoosh them down into the stew until they are covered)

Cook on High about 4 to 5 hours (an hour longer if chicken is frozen)
or Cook on Low around 8 hours

About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, remove chicken, shred it and put it back in.

Serves 10 moderate portions, 14 conservative portions.

Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream!

Mmmm... my tummy is growling.

Just in case you forgot what we looked like...

So, I know it's been a really long time since I've blogged. I have no excuse. Really, I've just been lazy. I don't have anything exciting to share... so I just thought I'd post this lovely picture of us at Sunriver. Aren't we cute? We had a great time again this year. We did lots of walking, a little biking, and tons of swimming at the heated indoor pool. It as actually very warm during the days... but the nights sure cooled off over there! We ate a lot, we played a lot, and we laughed a lot too. Thanks family, for such a fun week!

Here's our newest Sunriver Photo:

I'm already looking forward to next year!

Summer? What summer?

On the heals of our nieces and nephews heading back to school today, and some starting school today for the very first time (Yeah Mitchell!!!) we have spent some time reflecting on this oh so fast, very quick, can't believe it's over summer. Where did it go? Between working in the yard, hauling debris to the debris place, trips to Home Depot, a trip to Montana, having our house painted, going to the beach, having some fun and what seems like never ending house cleaning, the last few months have just zipped by. Is it seriously September? I don't buy it. Nope. I won't believe it. However, this past labor day weekend just always seems to bring a change in mind set. Summer is over. That may be leftover from my school days. But I've been out of school for a long, long time. So really it just this... We just had the LAST three day weekend until Thanksgiving!!! That is always such a long stretch. Do I really have to work five days a week until then?

NO!!! Want to know why? Because next weeks starts our annual Sunriver family trip. And I am oh so excited. We will be bike riding, walking, eating, sleeping, game playing, eating, talking, eating, napping, swimming, eating, reading, playing tennis, eating, laughing, loving and did I mention eating? I believe it will be my third trip, my second as an official family member, and I look forward to it more every year! Although, I know no one looks forward to it more than Lynn. He starts talking about next year before we've even finished this year! : ) Thanks Lynn, for sharing this wonderful vacation with us. It is as much a blessing to us as it is to you.

This photo is from the first year I went (2006). I know that because I was much skinnier then, and you can't see Addison... she's hiding in Jenny's tummy. ; ) Oh yeah, and there wasn't a ring on my left hand... although I hoped and prayed for one every night as Jeff and I went out for our evening walk. It worked out okay, I only had to wait three more months.

And one last thing... you have never, I mean never, seen so much food in one place at one time. We could get snowed in for several winters and still come out chubby on the other end! ; )

Here's to Sunriver... 7 days and counting!

New Friend!

Just so everyone knows how hard Jeff works at the office...

Meet our new friend.

(The "bubble" says Hello!)

: )

I love my husband. No one makes me laugh like he does!

A rare find

You may not have had the pleasure of meeting my friend Margaret, but that she is.... my friend. She has been my co-worker, desk-mate, back-up, confidant, crossword puzzle helper, coupon sharer, recipe suggester, fellow recycler, bargain hunter, advice giver and many, many more things I can't think of right now. But the bottom line is this... she is a gem. She is a rare find. One of those people that you just like, from the minute you meet her. She is kind, she is caring, she is accepting and she is genuine to the core. She has a good sense of humor and it takes a lot to make her mad. She is patient, she is a wonderful mother and a sensitive wife. She gives good hugs. And she has tolerated sitting little more than five feet away from me for the last couple years. We have shared many, many laughs. We have shared some sorrows. And lots, and lots of crossword puzzles.

We have a lot in common, and at the same time are fabulously different. I think we have made a great team! It breaks my heart that she is moving to North Carolina in October. She has been a source of encouragement and strength for me more than once, and I don't know what I am going to do without her! Thankfully we don't have to say goodbye yet, but that time will come soon. And I just want her to know what a great friend she is and how much she means to me. She is a blessing from God. Truly.

Meg... I am going to miss you. Hot Pocket!

I love me some country music!!

Yes... I know, who could possibly like music with songs like "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy"? But I DO!!! I love country music and I have recently rediscovered it. I had taken a hiatus from it because the station I was listening to had gotten a bit over the top for their morning show... I didn't like a lot of the discussions that were occurring. So I went over to The Fish. Now, I like contemporary Christian music too... a lot. But I can't handle Pete and Brenda anymore. They are too corny. So I moseyed (yes, moseyed) back to a different country station and have remembered why I love country music so much. I cannot, let me say it again, cannot, not sing and dance when country music is on. It makes me happy, it makes me want to dance, to swing my hiney and tap my toes. I daydream about being a professional line dancer. I'd wear cowgirl boots and a cowgirl hat.

So that's what is on my mind today folks. I've been listening to it all day at work, I sang to it all the way home last night. And I'm hooked again... Poor Jeff.

Before and After

I love before and after photos... there is something so satisfying about them. (It is assumed here that the after photos are better than the before). I think that is why I love the show "The Biggest Loser" so much, but that is for a different post.

So we've been working on our house. We've been digging, and pulling and painting, and weed whacking, and building and spreading and raking and spraying and so on and so on. We still have lots of plans and projects in the works, but finally, finally, we are ready to show you some of our progress!

So here is the house when we first bought it one year ago:

It looks pretty good... we liked it well enough I suppose... since we bought it! ; )

The color never really bothered me so much, although it always struck me as pretty drab. Nothing to write home about you know? And that bush... look at that mini jungle there, the one growing under the front window. It never occurred to me when we bought the house that it was a hideous beast, just waiting to be tamed. Or torn out. But alas, the projects commenced this spring and things have changed just a bit.

Here is our home today... just moments ago. Unfortunately, the sun decided to hide, so it has a different tint to it than the other, but I think the color comes in clear enough. We love the color, although we've both commented that the dark blue shutters and door don't stand out as much as we would've hoped. Black may have been a better choice. But those things are fairly easy to fix, should we change our minds later. Or should I change my mind later, as Jeff points out I am so apt to do. : )

See the other big change? The beast is gone!! And in its place, a dainty little raised flower bed. We've still got to finish the capstones, but over all you get the idea. It looks really nice against the dark trim work. And it really opens up the front of the house, don't you think? You can't see it well in this picture but we changed the side of the yard there too... to the left of the house:

That tree was back at the side of the house closer to that fence. We liked it, and thought it would look better where you could see it, as a focal point in the yard. we then scalloped the left edge of the lawn and added some greenery and some "hardscape" a.k.a. rocks and Walla! (Or viola for you more sophisticated folk) a better looking lawn than before. There are more plants to plant and things to do, but this will be the general look of things for years to come. At least if I have anything to say about it.

So that is what we've been up to for the last 75 Saturdays... working working working. Jeff is such a slave driver. He gets me out of bed at the crack of dawn and hands me a shovel... "Get to work Woman!" he shouts. And then he hands me my coffee, and I love him again. Ha!

Coming soon... the backyard.

Mom and Normie

So our trip to Great Falls was nice and relaxing... we did a lot of coffee drinking, TV/movie watching, and playing of cards. (I might add that it was exactly what we wanted to do!!!) We didn't take many pictures of that stuff... but we did take some photos of our outing to the Great Falls Heritage center...

I learned to plow.














And Jeff found himself a new friend...


















This was actually the kids room at the Charles M. Russell museum. We were all pretty punchy after spending the day reading a lot of fine print about a lot of old things, so Jeff and I decided to cut loose a bit. We rode some wild broncos... and I squeezed into some child sized chaps... sorry to say the photos of that didn't turn out. Ha! ; )








Overall, it was a wonderful trip. It was great to spend time with Mom and Norm in their home. It makes me miss them so much... but they are happy in Great Falls. And there is nothing I would trade for that.

Thanks for having us... we had a great time.

We love you!!!

Lump Gulch

Aaah, Lump Gulch. The place of my youth. We spent Memorial Day here, despite the cold and a little rain. I really wanted Jeff to see the place that I ran barefoot through the woods, where I fished in the creek, where I have tons and tons of happy childhood memories. Unfortunately, this photo doesn't capture all that is Lump Gulch, but it is a wonderful place, and I am certain that if we lived in Montana, we would spend time here. When I was young, we camped out of the back of our pickup. Joe and Carla (below) hauled up an old school bus, added a wood stove and some cots in the back, and that's where they slept, and where we were able to get in out of the weather. We spent a lot of 4th of July holidays here, panning for gold (okay, the adults did that) and just having a good time. There were always lots of people, and lots of fun.


Meet Joe and Carla. They own Lump Gulch and are my God Parents. They've known my Dad for over 50 years and have always treated me as their daughter. They have three boys who are a few years older than me, and who were happy to torment me as if I was their sister. Aaaah, how sweet! : ) They weren't here that day, so it wasn't quite the same. I am certain I have a memory of them arguing about whether to lose me in the forest or not. I guess they decided not to, as I am here to tell the tale. I was too cute back then to leave in the woods.

And here is a picture of us huddled around the campfire, although I guess you can't really see the campfire. Trust me, it was there! I can see Dad's being a ham again... always the life of the party!

It was a wonderful day. Thanks Jeff, for humoring me!

A Visit with Dad

Our first stop on our trip to The Big Sky country was to see my dad... Hi Dad! Like I mentioned months earlier on my last blog, we did a lot of work around his house... including finishing the baseboard trim. Somehow, all the photos of that are gone... hmmm. I must have deleted them. Anyway, here's some photos of our time there:

Jeff was working hard... Dad, not so much. : ) Just kidding, they both worked their tails off the whole weekend! It was fun to see them get to know each other and work together...

Here is a picture of Dad and I between two of his other favorite girls... I couldn't tell you make, model or years, but they are pretty important to him. Someday, he tells me, they are going to be beautiful restored to original vehicles. Unless he decides to make them hot rods... it changes from time to time!

On our way out of town on Monday, we took a few minutes to stop at the cemetery where my Grandma and Grampa Mortieau are buried... Grampa passed away a few years ago, Grandma was almost a year ago. I had never been to pay my respects... I was happy I got to be there with Dad. I can't imagine what it is like to lose your parents... I hate that thought.

On a cheerier note... we had a great time and can't wait to visit again. Love you Dad! : )

Hello Again

Hi there, to the one person who reads this blog... did you miss me? : ) We've been busy for the past several weeks. We travelled to Montana for a good visit with my Dad and with Mom and Norm... it wasn't long enough and was too long all at the same time. I don't know about you, but I sure love sleeping in my own bed! Plus, we are spoiled now with a king size bed, and anything smaller is just a wee bit cramped.

We spent several days helping Dad put in the baseboard trim in his house... finally ready to get some carpet! (Dad? Are you listening??? GO ORDER THE CARPET!!!! : ) Dad and Jeff got some good time together, time to get to know each other. It occurred to me while we were there, that short of two breakfasts and a lunch, they hadn't spent any real time talking. (Things were kinda hectic at the wedding). Having the baseboard project was a good thing for them to do together, although, they both worked their buns off. Thanks Jeff, for helping Dad. I know he appreciated it. I didn't do much other than cook meals and smash my finger with a hammer. Oh yeah, and I cleaned a little too. : )

On Memorial Day we had a family reunion picnic in the almost rain at Lump Gulch. Lump Gulch is the place where I grew up, running barefoot through the woods, fishing in the crick (creek) and sleeping in the back of our pick up. I have a lot of wonderful memories of our time at Lump Gulch... really, it defines my childhood. I was thankful that Jeff finally got to see it, although I'm sure it wasn't anything like he imagined! He got to meet our family friends Joe and Carla, who have known my dad for over 50 years. They love me like I was their own... especially since they had all boys. Mom and Norm came up too, and we had a great burger cookout and a real campfire. Even used the outhouse a couple times. Boy, I sure don't miss that!

We then spent the remainder of the week in Great Falls at Mom and Norm's house. For all of you who regularly ask about them, they truly love it there. They have a great house, which they have made a home and it is just perfect for them. The yard might be a wee bit too big, especially on days when Norm has to mow. They even have some little bunnies living under their shed... Norm likes to call them "Fuzzy Butts" because if the grass is just a little long, all you can see is their white fuzzy hineys bouncing along. : ) They've gotten very involved in the CofC there too... Norm even teaches classes on occasion. Much to my dismay, it was evident that they have built a life there and plan to stay. I'm not sure even Grandkids (no, not yet) will persuade them to come back. Anyway, we spent a lot of time visiting and relaxing, which is exactly what we wanted to do. We did spend an afternoon at the Charles M Russell Museum and at the Heritage Center there. If you are lucky, I might post the pictures of me trying to squeeze into child size chaps... Ha! When we weren't watching the really cheesy rendition of Andromeda Strain on TV at night, we played Hand and Foot (a great card game) or just visited. It was a good visit... I was glad we got so much time together.

But pretty soon it was Friday and it was time to head home. It took us 14 hours from Great Falls to Portland, but we did it all in one day and couldn't have been happier to see our own house. It really made me realize how much our house is our home... I love it there. I love it that I get to share it with Jeff. We are so abundantly blessed.

So now it's back to life as usual... and it is a good life!

My Papa

October 14, 1926 ~ May 15, 2008

This is My Papa and his wife Lorraine. He is my mother's father and he lives in Montana. Jeff and I stopped by when we took our road trip back there almost two years ago. For awhile after he met Jeff, Papa thought it was funny to ask me "If he's Jeff, does that make you Mutt?" After we got engaged and then married, Papa would ask "Did you get my approval first? He knows he has to pass snuff with me right? Not just anyone can marry my Missy." As his health has declined, so has his memory. But the funny thing is, he remembers 25 years ago like it was yesterday. He often tells the story of me as a five year old out on the putting green outside their condo in Butte (I think it was Butte) twirling the big flag in circles over and over again. He always tells me "You were just the cutest little #$&%." Meant lovingly of course. ; )

Well, he has fought emphysema for almost a decade now, and has been on oxygen for almost 8 years, which is well beyond the two years they gave him to live at the time. Mom called me just a bit ago and gave me the news that they've moved him to a hospice facility and he's not expected to live much more than a day or so. Now, my Papa is a fighter... an ornery old man (he'd tell ya so himself). So he may turn around... he may wait until I can come hug him around the neck one more time like I was planning to do in just about a week. But I don't think so... I think it is his time. This phone call certainly isn't unexpected... but it did take me by surprise. I haven't seen Papa much more than once a year for the last several years. For a long time we would talk once a week on the phone... I'd call him every Tuesday afternoon. I'm ashamed to say our phone calls haven't been that frequent in awhile. Even so, it'll be hard to lose him... My Papa. May God bless you Papa... I love you.

She's Published!!

So my Bad Aunt (in the middle), who has a way with words, has been working tirelessly for the last few years to write a book. Well, actually a couple books. She's written, and edited, and proofread, and rewritten until she's been blue in the face... but she has endeavored to persevere, and at last, she has been published! She wrote a great short story that was published in a series called Cup of Comfort. The Good Aunt and I were present for her second book signing at the Borders in Beaverton (the first was in Medford) and were so proud to watch her climb up on that step stool and read her wonderful handiwork. She didn't even cry! Good Job Kim... you more than deserve it. Keep on writing!

Food for thought...

There has been something on my mind for a week now and I kept thinking I would get to posting, but just haven't until now. I think I have been mulling this over. This post and its topic bring up a lot of things for me, only a few of which I will have space to cover. My hope is that you can follow my thoughts here...

I know very little about this story, only a few details shared with me by my mother last weekend. A few weeks ago, my 19 year old cousin was on his way home from work when he rear ended a family on the freeway. Apparently the flow of traffic changed fairly rapidly and he did not react in time to avoid the accident. He walked away from it with some bruises and some cuts, but was mostly uninjured. The tragedy is, that one of the young children in the other vehicle later died at the hospital. I believe she was three. I find it important to note that my cousin was not under the influence of any intoxicant, nor was he driving recklessly. The investigation concluded that he was not subject to criminal charges. This truly was an accident in all sense of the word... with a heart breaking ending.

My first thoughts are of my cousin... who is a good kid. I think of how this will affect is life. He'll carry this with him as long as he lives. It will affect decisions that he makes later in life. I am told that he his coping fairly well, his family is supporting him, his parents are encouraging him to talk to someone professionally, to express his feelings and work through all that goes with this type of situation. We do not know the rest of the story since we do not know what action, if any, the family will take. Your prayers are coveted for Ryan.

My second thoughts are of that family. My mind cannot fathom losing a child, especially in such a shocking and unexpected way. I cannot imagine the hole that is left, the anger, the confusion, the grief they must feel. Your prayers are coveted for this family.

And that leads me to the crux of this post. My thoughts began to wander back to Ryan. My prayers began to be that this family would have the strength to extend the grace to Ryan that I believe he deserves. After all, what would it accomplish to sue him or his family for all their worth? Would it bring back their child to put another family in the poor house? And that is when it hit me... could I do that? Would I do that? Could I extend that grace to someone had I been in their position? How self-righteous of me to expect something from someone I don't even know, that I am not sure I could do myself. We do not have children, but I have 5 nieces and nephews that I love fiercely. What if? (I can't even complete the sentence). Grief fills my heart just to think of it. I don't know that I have the strength that I pray this family has. And I was convicted by that thought.

I won't linger long on the feeling of fear that I felt, as it all sunk in. Someone lost a child they loved. They didn't know it was coming. They had no way to prepare for it. There are not words to describe how much I love Jeff. I cannot imagine not having him in my life and I truly, truly believe I would crumble if something were to ever happen to him. Now, should the Good Lord bless us with children, I can only imagine that feeling being amplified by thousands. It would be gut wrenching.

So ultimately, this babble is all about Faith and Forgiveness. I realized through all of this, that I have some work to do in both areas. I need to trust our Lord in Heaven with my life and the lives of those I love. And I need to forgive. No, nothing tragic has occurred in my life, but let's face it... how easy is it to be angered by the guy in front of you in traffic who goes so slow, you have to sit through the light twice? And what about the lady in front of you at the grocery store who has 55 items in the 10 items or less lane, and then decides to pay with exact cash so makes everyone wait another 5 minutes while she digs for those last few pennies in her bag? Or what about the remark that your spouse made that probably could have been said a little more sweetly, but wasn't? Or what about that co-worker? You know the one... she can't be bothered to pitch in and help others and goes way out of her way to do as little work as possible, but as soon as she's in a pinch wants you to drop everything and help her out? I think these are opportunities that God provides, so we can learn and demonstrate forgiveness. There is an author out there who said it best (and my brother in law reminded me of this when I was sharing this story with him): "Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's (mostly) all small stuff." (I added the mostly).

Please don't misunderstand, I in no way want to trivialize the loss that occurred a few weeks ago for this family. It often takes events like this to put things in perspective for us. My point is, the big things are going to come. We are going to be hurt, we are going to be angry about something we are totally justified in being hurt and angry about. Leave the grief, the sorrow and the anger for those moments, but when the time is right... don't forget the forgiveness. Until then, live each day to the fullest. Tell the people in your life how much you love them. And don't let the small stuff get you down.

Finally, this post would be remiss if I didn't mention one last thing. There was someone else who lost a child. The circumstances were a little different... He sent his Son to earth, and his Son was sacrificed on a cross for all of mankind. He forgave us, all of us, for sins we had not yet committed. Most of you (if not all) that read this blog are believers and know the story of Christ. If you do not... please let me share it with you. He is the ultimate in forgiveness. He will give it to you, you only have to ask. And He can help you forgive someone else. Knowing Christ does not mean that you will be immune to tragedies in life. It does mean that He will help you carry the burden.

Thanks for taking the time, thanks for listening. Please pray for Ryan and his family. Please pray for the other family.

A Special Day, Month, Life

For those of you who have known me awhile, you know that in past years I have celebrated my birthday "month" with lots of lunches, dinners and coffee outings with friends and family. I have always anticipated my birthday as a time to go out and have fun, eat whatever I wanted and do it all again the next day. I usually offered several reminders and told anyone who would listen that a very special day was coming that deserved to be celebrated and celebrated well. Well, that has changed as of the last few years as last year I was planning a wedding, this year I was celebrating a first anniversary, two things that are much more fun than any old birthday. Plus I'm over thirty now... who needs birthdays? ; )

I did get to have a fun family celebration on a fine Saturday afternoon with my favorite nieces and nephews... and their parents and grandparents : )... which led to this very fun picture that I wanted to share. (The oldest nephew is missing... I think he had to play soccer or basketball or baseball or chess or something that afternoon but that doesn't mean he doesn't love me and wasn't missing me very much wherever he was. And the youngest is missing too, but she was just probably just napping or eating or something). I just love these kids and so enjoyed their help opening my presents that day.

The moral of this story is that I value my family (old and new) and my friends who have made my years on this earth plum full of love, laughter and wonderful memories. Thanks to all who made my first birthday as a Hamm as special as the previous thirty one, especially Jeff. I look forward to many, many more (at least 59 if you've read any of the previous blogs).

I love you all! : )

Pictures

I promised some pictures of our anniversary trip and I finally got them downloaded. This was our actual anniversary dinner... we got the very nice waitress to take our photo since the "self portrait" style just would not have cut it (although I think we took a few of those too!) ; )

This is us on the beach in front of our hotel... it was a beautiful afternoon... oh yeah, it was the day we were leaving! We did have some some here and there, but we had our fair share of rain too. I did chop off a little of Jeff's head, but I am sure you'll forgive me.

This is the Flavel House in Astoria. We spent a whole day there just wandering around town and seeing the "sights". That included the Goonies House, some really good fish and chips, an AWESOME mocha, and a really cool old Theatre. This house was really neat though... built somewhere around 1885. It's almost 12,000 square feet and lots of neat rooms and old furniture. It even had indoor plumbing! Jeff and I even imagined what it would have been like had he been my gentleman caller during those days... I made a grand entrance down the big stair case to meet him in the formal entry. Okay, so maybe only I imagined, and he just humored me! ; )

And I know I'll get in trouble for posting this one, but I just had to... we stopped at the Peter Iredale wreck near Fort Stevens... it's an old sailing ship that was wrecked in 1906 and all that is left is the old iron hull that sticks out of the sand and gets beat by the waves. All I can say about this photo is... ask Jeff to do his Peter Iredale voice for you. I love it!

All in all it was a wonderful trip. We praised God that he blessed us with a fabulous first year of marriage. We give him the glory for bringing us together... we live, we laugh and we love. Thank you Father.

One Year!!!

So I am a few days late, but on Monday we celebrated our first wedding anniversary!!! The good news is we are still married, still in love and looking forward to at least another 59 years. I may have mentioned it before, but when I accepted Jeff's wedding proposal, it was on the condition that we would be married for at least 60 years. Yes, I know... you are doing the math in your head and wondering how on earth that would be possible at our age... BUT, God can do great things and I won't take anything less than 60 bliss filled years with the most wonderful man in the world. The Lord knows how long I waited to find him! ; ) We enjoyed a wonderful weekend at the beach, our most favorite place. I'll post some pictures soon.

Thanks to our friends and family who have prayed for us and supported us through all the fun phases of dating, engagement and now marriage. We love each and every one of you and pray God's blessings on you and your families.

Joshua 24:15

SUNSHINE!!!!

I had the "pleasure" of coming to work early this morning. And as much as I dislike sitting at my desk at an hour that I'd normally still be in bed, there was one bonus to being up early... seeing the sun rise. I praise our Father above for the glorious sunshine!!! I didn't realize how much I had missed seeing it until this morning. I am ready for sun, I am ready for warmth, I am ready for dry grass... I am ready for Spring. Sounds like we're going to have weather in the 70s for the next couple days... I am ready! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Work, Work, Work

This is how our house looked before. Of course, this was taken last summer when the grass was green and lush and the bushes were in full bloom. And before we started to do a little re-landscaping. (Is that a word?) Jeff has been planning, plotting and thinking about how to change around our yard since before we even moved in. Well few weekends ago, before rain, snow and illness, we spent the weekend in the yard starting on phase one. Tear out those ugly bushes in the front and relocate the tree that you currently cannot see on the side of the house... Here is how it turned out:

See how much better it looks? You can actually see the front of the house, you can see that we do have a front door and best of all... you can see that lovely tree that was once lost on the side of the house. Oh yeah, and can you see that little roof peeking over the fence there? That's our illegal (per the HOA rules) plastic shed. That was our Friday project... technically it is supposed to be a wood shed... but who wants to spend $3k on a shed?

So now we have to decide what phase two is going to look like... raising and leveling the front lawn with a retaining wall? Putting in a sprinkler system? Moving more bushes and trees? Tilling and re-seeding? We don't know yet... there are too many ideas on the table to choose from. How about for now we sit on our duffs and watch a movie? I like that idea! ; )

11 Months and counting

We have been married 11 months today. Jeff and I joke about how it seems like we've known each other forever, but are still amazed at how short a time it has really been. We actually started dating around now, two years ago. Man how the time has flown!!! (I first met his family by being a surprise guest at Mitchell's third birthday party. Mitchell just turned five... WOW!!!) We got engaged just 9 short (or long depending on who you ask!; ) months later and married 4 1/2 months after that.

What a blessing it has been! I'm sure I have told you all, but Jeff is an answer to many, many years of prayer, and not just because I finally found a husband, but because of the amazing man he is. I would not have dreamed up someone better. He loves The Lord, and that shows in all he does; in how he leads our family and how he loves me. It is definitive proof that God will bless you beyond measure, if you just trust in him and follow his lead. The good things are always worth waiting for. I am happier than I ever thought possible... my cup runneth over.

Anyway, Happy Anniversary Jeff. I look forward to at least 59 years and one month more! ; ) I love you!

Home

I love being home. Today, unfortunately, I am home sick. Nothing major, just a cold. But I feel crummy and have done little more than snuggle on the couch and watch BBC shows (my new favorite addiction). I did get a little laundry done. Anyhoo... I've been looking at pictures on our computer and thought I'd share a few. (I love pictures of Jeff... he's so photogenic). So here are a few of our travels. The first one is us at Crater Lake. We had planned on camping there until we realized it would probably dip below freezing at night and all we had was a tent and sleeping bags. No flashlights, nothing to make a fire with, or eat. That's us... always prepared!

The next one is of us in Mexico just a few short months after we got married. It was a whirlwind weekend to help celebrate my Bad Aunt's 5oth Birthday. We spent a few days in the sun (or the shade if we are really honest) and on the beach... a place we both love. It was very romantic! ; )

And here is one of Jeff and I with his Grandma Gilbertson in Lake Tahoe. We spent a few days there in September before we had to go back to work. It was a great road trip and it was good to meet the crew down there.

So that is some of what went on for us last year. Maybe now that I actually blog on occasion, I'll have a place to post this stuff as it happens!

Ciao!

Not much to say

So it has been a few weeks since I have posted and I guess mostly it's because I don't have much to share. At least not that is worthy of putting here. Things have been pretty steady at our house. We do laundry, we shop for groceries, Jeff vacuums the cars, we go for walks sometimes, we watch LOST and Survivor. And that is what we do. We don't skydive, we don't ride bulls, we don't travel to far away places or have crazy stories to tell. We are boring married people. Hey! When did that happen! ; )

P.S. I'd post photos of myself folding laundry, but I don't think they'd be nearly as cute as Elizabeth's!

Seriously?!!!

Can I just ask this... what is the deal with people who drive 1o miles under the speed limit? And regardless of where they are too... If it's a 55 mph limit, they drive 45. If it's a 25 mph limit, they drive 15. I truly would just like to understand that phenomenon. I mean, seriously? Do they get in the car and think to themselves "Hey, I am going to purposely irritate the unlucky person who gets stuck behind me. I think I am going to make it absolutely impossible for that person to get around me, which should really make them mad. Yep. I think that'll work for today."

My thoughts, at least the ones that I can publish here in good conscience: STAY HOME!!!! Get yourself a bike!!!! But STAY OUT OF MY WAY!!!

Whew!! I feel better. Thanks for listening...

I am His

1 John 3: 1-3

1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:7-8

7 very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

My thanks to my favorite person in the world who has taken to sending me bible verses every morning. I look forward to that few minutes in my day when I can stop and be reminded of the love and grace I receive daily... from my husband, and from my Lord and Savior. We need to be reminded whose we are... we are His... Christ's. He paid the ransom for us. He loved us beyond measure. And that includes you.

Inpiring

I have a confession. I love reality TV. Yes, I know, you argue is it really reality? Probably not, but my friend, there is some good stuff in there. The one I find inspiration from is The Biggest Loser. I love that show. Why you ask? Well, for one, if they can lose 50 to 100 lbs... then I should be able to lose 5 or 10 no problem, right? (The answer to that question is a whole other blog in and of itself). No, the reason I love watching this show is because it emphasizes the good people want to do in their lives, the changes people want to make for the better. I just watched a woman who as weighed over 200 lbs for who knows how long go below 200 lbs. The joy I find is in the look on her face. The joy, the accomplishment, the value found in oneself, all in one look. I love it. The emotion people feel when they see their families after 4 months.

So that's my random blog for the evening. There are a whole host of shows I like... The Amazing Race and Survivor amongst them. : ) Happy Viewing!

Sundays

As you may know, our family gets together most Sundays to enjoy a meal and some time together. I'm not sure exactly why, but this Sunday was special for me. I enjoyed a wonderful conversation with my mother and sister in law, watched our littlest niece crawl all over tarnation, snickered as my brother in law took a nap, and looked on as all the rest of the kids (big and little) had fun scooting down the stairs and playing trains. It was a joy to have them in our home. I love that our nephew doesn't want to leave and go home. All of these things warm my heart and I know they are gifts from above.

Thank you father, for blessing me with this wonderful family. It makes the ache of missing mine a little less.

Make me a servant

You know how people make the joke that you shouldn't pray for patience because God will not provide the patience, but he will provide the opportunity to demonstrate patience? I feel the same principal applies to service... to being a servant to our Lord and serving his people. Jeff and I have been praying about how we can be more involved in service at SW, how we can be more involved with our church family, how we can be better servants. And our Gracious Father has provided those opportunities... there are several to chose from. The thing that I have to confess is that where we might be able to serve, I am having a hard time doing it graciously... I am having a hard time serving with a thankful and glad heart. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of serving to begin with? And then I think back to Jesus, to the King of All Kings. He did the things that no one else wanted to do. And he did them without complaint. I wonder if he ever thought things like "I really don't want to deal with that guy, he annoys me." No. He shared a meal with people that no one else could (or would) tolerate. He touched the untouchable, he loved the unlovable. He washed the dirty, filthy feet of a man who would betray him. All without batting an eye.

In light of that, I am ashamed. I have been unwilling to do the simple, easy, fairly "dirt" free tasks he's asked of me. I have complained. I have whined. I have made excuses. I have justified myself. I have been wrong. Father, please heal my selfish heart. Please forgive me. Please make me more like you.