The Tune of Coffee

Progresssssss

2011-03-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Just an update to say I am making progress on my apron. I am making 2 (one for the littlest sis and one for me). I'm am using my apron as the guinea pig to see if I can make sense of it all. I have gathered the ruffle and started sewing the ties.... have to figure out how to attach them to the waist band. This is going to be interesting without a directions, but I think I am getting a handle on how it is possible to put it together. NOW that doesn't mean that it's the way the directions would have had me do it! I will be tackling a little more tomorrow.Crossing my fingers I don't screw it up!

file this in: Want to.....but will i?

2011-03-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Want to make this old school apron pattern i have had laying around with the fabric leftover from the bag my mom made for Beka. The problem is I have the pattern pieces but no instructions... seems like a no brainer but i know whenever i think that its harder than it looks! haha ...i will have to find some time when the family isn't in need so my a.d.d. brain can focus on it !

Summer Vacation

2009-11-05T22:48:00.000-08:00

Well, this is the backwards version of our summer which only makes sense since its fall and I am finally posting this. Just wanted to try out my new look my sister made on my blog.anyway we stopped at in n out on our way out of california after missing almost every exit for the place we finally found one to stop at and enjoy.
so if this was in the proper order you would know why these people(dan with his girls and brothers nevan and dillon and dan sr.) have that crazed look in their eyes.... it was one of the main reasons we went to california (besides to see all you other wonderful friends and family)......
now you know,,,it was the sugar rushin through their veins. We went to celebrate the Dan sr.'s birthday.
We packed up our mp3 players and headed down to california to enjoy some

time relaxin by the pool and enjoying the sunshine. Thanks to all our host families for the kindness and food, lots of food!!!

2009-11-05T22:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried this? Mary made it for me one day. Now I know it sounds weird but instead of a lemon or a lime in your water you put a cucumber. I have found that 1 slice is plenty and boyyyyy is it refreshing. It was one of my favorite things this summer to beat the heat.(also good for the digestion)

Tulip Festival

2009-06-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

These pics are a little late but I lost the CD they were on. We went to the Tulip Festival this year with some homeschool friends! It was amazingly beautiful! My friend Ellen took her kids and us on this fun field trip.

Great picture captured by Beka! She loves to get interesting photos!

Here are a couple of me and the girls. Sorry they are sidways but I was taking them off the disc and can't turn them cuz they arent in my photo program yet. So get your neck stretch on for a couple minutes. You'll feel so relaxed after!!! heehee *8)

BEAUTY!!!!!! Doesn't God make good things!!!!

supercross in seattle

2009-04-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

the girls showing their support of poulsbo,wa native ryan villopoto.... & HE WON!!yayyyyyy

waiting for our people on the steps

kelly and beka in seattle on the way to the supercross... we went with a great group of friends to the supercross to watch the motor cycle races. It was so fun and what a treat to see the guy we were cheering for win (his first big race i think).

ART SHOW

2009-03-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

This is us at the showing that the First Class Co-Op art class had. It was a lovely affair at the Farm Kitchen in Poulsbo. Each kid had thier artwork displayed so we walked around looking at all the fine art and snacking on the yummy snacks they had set out. It was a great evening. Thanks to Dad/Poppa for coming all the way out there to support the girls.

January 2009holding

2009-01-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

I am listening to the song that comes up on my blog and thinking about how it applies to my last post. That is what the Lord is trying to say. Hold on to what you have, to the moment at hand. My comfort zones are constantly being challenged so I will remember what is important. I will appreciate what I am experiencing in this moment and being thankful for who I am with. I think that this is what my word means to me this month. I need to hold on to what I have and hold on to memories I am in the process of making. I am going to be holding on tightly and enjoying(word from last year) these moments. I am grateful for this life I have and that I can take time out of my days to give and get a little extra time with those I love that I will not be able to see so much anymore. God has given me the life of my dreams.

Instead of crying,

2009-01-19T22:44:00.000-08:00

I am analyzing and over thinking this situation. Here I am sitting at my sister-in-laws house while she is in sunny Texas looking for a place to live and getting her hubby settled into his new job and hotel. I am reading about my friends that moved to Japan( on their blog) and wondering if my other just recently moved friends have made it to their new destination yet. While also wishing I could call my cross country friends who moved a couple years ago(way too late with the time difference). Do you see a pattern here? How could I have grown up in a military family(family is different, you get to see them for holidays or when they come back to visit) that moved around constantly and still not be used to people leaving? I think I finally after all those years let myself get close to people and that must be why it seems harder to say goodbye now than it used to. Who am I kidding it never was easy. I am thankful for the people we have met and become close to but I am still learning why they always seem to be the ones leaving. Does God have other plans , other people I am going to feel as close to? It seems impossible now, but, when now is later maybe I will not be so skeptical. I am thinking about the stinkiness, the sadness, the regret I feel and asking God to show me why He keeps taking my comfort zones away. Those people who have left really were comfort zones I think, places I could feel liked for myself and grow freely in that comfort so why does that have to disappear?

OH and by the way, the BUG guy came and D says the ants are doing the death walk! He found about 20 of them slowly wandering by the front window. I guess the problem has to get worse before it gets better.

Yeah for Bug Guys

2009-01-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

We have been having a lot of ants in the house recently. The number keeps increasing daily. A pest control guy came out and took a look. Apparently we have carpenter ants and they are getting active because of the weather change from cold to warmer(warmer than cold, not actually warm in my book). The one in this picture is an adult and is bi-hig, that is wide ruled paper in the picture by the way. I found him on my kitchen counter,standing on his hind legs, staring at me one day. So on Friday, while the girls and I are in Oregon watching my neices and nephews so their parents can go house hunting in TEXAS:( the BUG GUY will be here exterminating those nasty ants!!! yeah! Hopefully, I will come home to an ant free living enviroment! woo-hoo.!.

2009 WORD

2009-01-15T07:43:00.000-08:00

Sooo... My word for the year will be holding. Lots of things come to mind when I hear this word and I will be exploring those ideas here and in my journal. I think I like the -ing part most because it makes it more of an action word, something I need more of in my life.
Some things for example are :
holding on-what things do I need to hold on to and what do I NOT need to.
holding out- for the things I really want, not just those impulse items.
holding down the fort- ideas that inspire me to keep my house

2009-01-07T10:08:00.000-08:00

I really have no business being on here right now. Just needed my fix. Each time I look at my sissys blogs I want to post my own, they inspire me so much.
Well, here is the list I need to accomplish before I can come back and post what I want.
1.Take a bath cuz I already filled the tub and even though I have too much to get done and should skip it-I can't waste 45 gallons of water like that.
2. Clean up my house before people arrive
3. Balance checkbook
4.Wait for bug-guy to call or come by
5. Make hubby lunch
6. Pick apart a turkey
7.Decide on my "one little word" for the year (It's a close race between 2 or 3 of them)
8. Change my playlist-sorry about the christmas music
9.Create something(was hoping to scrap but may let my blog be the something)

Christmas present

2009-01-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a little video with the picture frame Glory made in class at off campus for Dan. It is magnetic and looks like the picture is floating. In this video it is sitting on the desk and you can see
a little bit that it can move.

Nutcracker

2009-01-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

nutcracker set, you may have to click on it and enlarge to see best.
gorgeous girls all dressed up and waiting for the ferry and our trip to seattle
walking to seattle center to hang out before the ballet(notice the sign waaayy above their heads)
fountain at seattle center, they played here before and after the ballet
the pile of stuff I found on the bench as I came up after they had run ahead down to the fountain

We were so excited to get to go to the Nutcracker this year! The girls and I had such a fun trip with my mom and Mariah. We walked a lot(we even have the blisters on our feet to prove it!)through Seattle, saw the gorgeous(loved the sets by maurice sendak,they were so colorful and whimsical) and even funny ballet, and had a great dinner at pf changs.

new years resolutions 2009

2009-01-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

express gratefulness out loud more
be less contentious
document more (journal,family and personal)
EXERCISE
organize
read bible everday
create something every day

our christmas day pics

2008-12-31T10:18:00.001-08:00

the master of ceremonies: the head chef: my dad the fritter maker extroardinaire.
Zach,Ryan,Beka And Glory playing in the snow at our house.

A bunch of cousins milling around at the singer family christmas brunch.

the adults milling around the food table.

our time at home before going to nana and papas. The girls were sweet ,they gave Dan some presents they came up with on their own. A ten dollar bill in his stocking and a cool floating spinning photo holder for his desk.

I don't have the pics from our wonderful Schultz christmas eve time. Will post them soon.

Do I believe in soul mates?

2008-12-31T08:36:00.000-08:00

A very good question was raised at Sheila Wray Gregoire's site, To Love Honor and Vacuum.

It is Wifey Wednesday there and she was talking about wether we have soul mates or not, and how we can love anyone(especially our husbands) if we give of ourselves.

Boy did she nail it on the head and cause me to redefine something I thought I believed in.

I have been in both positions. First,the selfish one who thought that prince charming was supposed to make me happy (in my first marraige) and was disillusioned and fell into the trap of the enemy when he didn't.

Second, I have also been the one who feels like she can say she has a prince charming because of how I choose to approach my marriage this time. It is not a fairytale marraige by no means. We have our issues. But the one thing I learned from my failed first marraige is that I have to choose to love my husband.

Choosing to love him means I have had to decide that what he does is not who he is. That nagging and expecting him to be any different is a setup for failure. I am not his mother trying to teach him. I am his wife, a special friend who should support, strive to understand and think of what he may have need of in the thing he is going through. I know that the choices I make to serve him and put his needs into a place ahead of my own cause me to grow in my love for him. They even cause my own character to grow which in turn spurs him on to grow and learn and love better also.

I am comparing the things I have been learning and thinking about and seeing in all the failed marriages (even within my own christian community) with this soulmate idea that I so lovingly hold onto.(and yes, even have thought about my husband ) I am going to have to possibly give up this romantic notion that there is just this one right person out there that we find for that perfect fit. While there are good common denominators we should look for, the way to that romanitic ideal relationship has nothing to do with it already being there and you entering into it as it does with you creating it around you and your spouse.

Maybe God had it right from the beginning, that is why he called us a help mate and not a soul mate. That our love and stability in marraige will be grown out of helping and meeting our mates needs, emotionally , physically, and spiritually to name a few.

So,from now on when asked if I believe in soulmates my answer will be different.

Our crazy adventure....

2008-12-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

forgot to post this:
last night sunday night... we being bored(previously documented below) decided to try and get to our sunday small group waaayyy out in the woods. On the way there we stopped twice to help people stuck in the snow on the side of the road. lucky D had the snow shovel in the back. we finally made it there through the snow and then we go to leave and it has snowed another 4-5 inches.(its already at least a foot out there mind you). We get stuck on one of the hills on the dirt road and instead of letting our friends pull us up we decide to give it another try. D backs way up to get a running start and just as he makes it to the top we hear a bang and a slap, out he jumps and sees our chain has broken off the tire. We flag down our friends who we are following out and they pull us the rest of the way up the hill and then go back to get another set of chains. meanwhile we make it all the rest of the way up the road and wait for them(before heading out to a main road) just to find out the chains wont fit. they follow us a ways down and we make it half way home when a tree falls across the road right in front of us. We get out to clear away some of the branches and then someone (from the lineup behind us)calls a friend who lives near there to bring a chainsaw. meanwhile a guy hooks up his truck with a chain to try and move the tree. the top half breaks off and they throw it off the road and clear it enough for one lane of traffic to get through. we finally make it home, all the way up newberry hill and then our little car cant make it up our driveway so there we ended up for the night, at least only a few steps from our front porch.phew! what a night!

Bored randomness

2008-12-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some random pics of what the Bell family does when stuck at the house for days on end. Build forts, try and find the longest icicles possible, B let me give her bangs the 80's treatment, and D made his ultimate MAN sandwich and had a little man-time alone with the food and the tube. A picture of D's daughter that I embellished with my white pens,think I'll scrapbook this one.
baking croutons and another go round of amish friendship bread, this time with cookies and cream pudding
G made this sign in the snow, it says..our last name and 2008

Help, I need bird seed!

2008-12-21T09:03:00.001-08:00

Dan and the girls found these little birdie tracks outside our door this morning. There were even some by our back door too. I love how they curl around the edge of the house. They were so cute I had to take a pic and then the cat went right out. He was wanting to go to the tree were they were but with a twitch of his tail he went under the deck to stand guard. I wonder how long he will last. Those little birdies must be hungry. I think as soon as I can get the cat in I will put out some bread crumbs.

Fridays Meme

2008-12-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

This is a journal prompt from a great homeschooling website called Heart of the matter.
Where do I find my Christmas joy?
It is many things all tied together. Like the garland on a tree. Each piece adding to the whole length. Things from my past memories, our family, just my parents and sisters together sharing gifts and laughs and the food my dad made.I didn't realize how special that was until recently. Now the times are filled with many different gatherings of people. All including different aspects of our family(the hubby's and mine) Times with Dan's family, my family ,the church family, friends that are like family. All these are so prevalent that they are mixing in my mind to form the joy I find in this Christmas season right now. The treats, the candlelight, the dinners, the music, the dancing in the kitchen, those impromptu moments that bring laughs and smiles from all. The traditions, the expectations and the time spent meeting them. The constant battle to keep Christ at the center of our Christmas at home. These are all things that I cherish and know I will look back on in the years to come as the way I found things that bring joy to this season of my life at Christmas.

snow,snow,snow

2008-12-18T10:11:00.000-08:00

It has been snowing here since 5am this morning! The school district has closed schools but we will be doing a few things before heading to a friends to go sledding!(hopefully) The girls measured 2 1/2" just now. Dan is trying to get home from work.

Angel or Star? read on to find out.....

2008-12-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the star won out. Not necessarily because it had more votes but kinda by default. We were headed out to put up a tree for someone and I had the idea to add to the decorations we were bringing. We quickly grabbed my angel, ribbon garland, and snowflakes as we dashed out. We now only have the star. After I spent a good half hour fixing it cuz the lights inside it had burnt out and Dans hands were too big to get in there I snapped it back together (barely) and put it up. I like the star, reminds me of the night the baby christ was born.(i dont know if it was a star or planet or what really but from the songs and stories when I was little I think of the star of bethlehem) I guess that is fitting as the nativity is under the tree.

Tree Top Poll

2008-12-17T09:38:00.001-08:00

We can't decide should we use the angel or the star this year?

DECORATED-the tree

2008-12-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

After having our tree for almost 2 weeks we finally got it decorated.

DECORATED- around the house

2008-12-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

in my head

2008-12-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

The other day someone made a comment about something my hubby did the other day. Nothing big, different or out of the ordinary for him. He probably didn't give it a second thought. Just had the idea and did it. But they saw it as an encouragement to someone else. It gave them an idea, a new approach to get through to someone they were having an uneasy time with. That got me thinking. ... that God uses us just as who we are. It gave me a new twist on the scriptures that talk about works. We don't have to think up ideas of things to do but just by being us and doing the everyday stuff that we would find normal or no big deal he can use us to help the person we do those things for and others who see us being us. So by just being the doing comes. Just by living in who we are at the moment the works happen. What a freedom and purpose there is in that. Isn't it good to know that our purpose may not be whole world changing but it is life changing.

studio calico

2008-12-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

loving the inspirationn at this blog/website. check it out by clicking on the widget to the right that is counting down. gotta go help the youngen' quit procrastinating and write her report before the principal gets home from work.

Studio Calico

2008-12-12T10:47:00.000-08:00

Studio Calico

TRADITIONS

2008-12-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

Read christmas short stories
Watch christmas movies
Listen to christmas music
Advent (picture door) book each night
Wise men travel thru the house and end up at manger on christmas
baby jesus is hidden until christmas day and shows up in the manger then
visit both families and go to christmas eve service
bake some things
christmas breakfast at nana and poppas
i make cinnamon rolls for christmas morning
wish for snow
go to see the nutcracker

GRRRR......

2008-12-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

Don't be fooled (notice the pizza dough in the bowl is a bit small for having risen for an hour)

pizza dough and amish friendship bread batter, was so excited to do some baking and make homemade pizza for dinner and yet though the pic up there looks good it did not turn out well. I

was soooo frustrated. The bread turned out mushy due to a misprint in the recipe I didn't catch and the pizza didn't rise (think the water I put the yeast in was too hot). I hope this isn't a forewarning of how my christmas cookie baking will go. Maybe it was the warmup. I decided to quit my job as cook and my hubby took me out to fritz fryhouse for our night we have to get out of the house(they use our house for a class for church). The sweet potato fries and good conversation calmed me down enough to reconsider my postion as cook. Thank goodness we get to wake up each day and get a do-over. Today things don't seem quite so bad. But it will be cold breakfast and lunch!
BUT... on another sort of baking note, I found out that my baby sister has as she put it another bun in the oven....!!!!!...yeahhh Congrats to her and her family!

Our winter days are filled with....PROJECTS

2008-12-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

Printed off pics of all the kids and got them framed and up on the wall

beka enjoying dads laptop,

girls working on a project for a names of God bible study we are doing this December,

Glory enjoying the pudding she made herself,

working on science assignments and experiments.

Two Nativities

2008-12-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

I had to get off the phone with a friend when I thought I heard WWII breaking out. The girls were fighting over who could play with the one nativity set we have out on the coffee table. One thought the other was moving the shepherds too quickly or too far at one time.(we have a tradition that the shepherds start out far away from the set and make it there on christmas day)so we busted out the paper and pen and made a list of possible solutions to the problem. After crossing out the irrational and unacceptable ones we came up with this one: We would get out the white ceramic set I got for my wedding and it would go on the coffee table(cuz mom didn't want it on the wood floor) and the colored resin one would get moved to the floor under the christmas tree. They would each lay claim to one and peace would reign in the house again!!! I guess there are worse things they could fight about.

Candle Dippers

2008-12-05T09:23:00.000-08:00

Here is what I caught my girls doing yesterday. They were at first dipping thier fingers in the big candle and I let that go cuz I remember that fun thing when I was young. You know the hot wax, the hardening, the soft skin after. Then they start dipping pens in it. Oh boy I think, hmm should I stop them? They are noticing the building up of the wax. I,trying to get a homeschool moment out of it relate it to the candle dipping we read about in a book recently.whew- that was a good one,I think. Meanwhile as I have my back turned and am cooking Dan comes out and says HEY what are you doing? I turn around to find the pens have broken/melted open and there is now ink in and on the candle. He, walking in at just this moment has missed the educational part of it and my finesse at turning it into a teaching moment!He only gets to see the mess and problem! -funny how that happens. We made them blow it out and told em we had to throw it away. I have had to stop them from messing with the new candle a few times since.( I did fill him in later on my side of the story) I think he thought I was nuts. Just another crazy homeschool moment I will cherish! 8)

The Cutting of a Tree

2008-12-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

The long awaited christmas tree has been cut down and is now in the dining room!! What a time we had getting that tree. It was a LABOR of love. Not the warm fuzzy kind of love either. The kind that keeps you from splitting and ruining your kids idea of a good christmas. The kind that helps you to let go of all the anger raging inside you and find it in yourself to forgive. The kind where you cut off your own selfish root and pray the fruit of perseverence will be produced in your kids. So this year the cutting down of the tree is a symbol of that for me. All season long I will purpose to think of that and remember it when I look at it.

THANKFUL 4....

2008-11-28T02:09:00.000-08:00

What am I thankful for? I will just post four things, hence my catchy title(those can be addicting, although I refuse to sit for too long thinking them up) so here goes.
1. Gods steadfastness, I was going to say his never changey ness but I am sure that is not a word although at 2am I may argue the point. anyway I think you get the idea. I am just really grateful for the fact that while things in my life may be a whirlwind or dry with no wind or things I can not fully understand are going on around me He is never changing and always constant.
2. great sisters (my real ones and my sisters in christ)
3. having friends around and my best friends , my hubby and girls
4. the internets ability to search and find things you thought would never turn up again like the recipe I threw away a few years ago and have been craving every year since on holidays just like this one. (don't underestimate the power of a tradition or of making something only once or twice a year, funny how we come to expect and depend on those special little moments, they can mean a lot)
Okay that is my meaningful list and now for my other list
4 more.....
1. mountain dew
2. coffee
3. chai tea
4. throw blankets

ON the Road to the REVOLVE tour

2008-11-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

On the road! Going to see revolve tour with a bunch of girls in a van,fun times man,fun times!

Rebekah enjoying one of the concerts or speakers (i think that is Chad E. telling all about what guys think about girls-ooo unlocking the male brain for the teenage girl) at the teen girls conference we went to the past weekend. A whole day of amazing music and teaching and skits. It was really fun for the girls and REALLY LOUD for the adults! So cool to sit in that stadium with sooo many girls and women worshipping our amazing creator who loves us each so much!!

Election Lap Books

2008-11-21T09:08:00.000-08:00

These are the lapbooks the girls made in the class they took about the Presidential Election Process. Each little book is filled with a written description of the different aspects of it. Every week for the last couple months they have been making and filling the little books with information and yesterday they glued them all down to make this fold out book. I think they liked it, the cutting and stuff kept them engaged when they weren't so enthused and were complaining about the info part. I know it sunk in more than they know as I heard them pretending to teach a class on this with their books in hand. I really like seeing them act out what is being put in. I heard a quote once about if you can teach something to someone else then you have truly learned it. I see that happening, when they don't even realize it.

CREATIVE LEARNING

2008-11-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

R and G putting together their lapbooks in their co-op class.

I just love this pic, my beautiful girl, and the colorful pens just love it.

busily working on her lapbook cover while experimenting with watercolor pencils.

The colors on the edge of this paint cup just scream creativity to me, they excite me, inspire me. pretty pretty...

Just thought I would post some pics I took this week. I have been drawing and playing with my crafty stuff so much more since being without a car during the day. I love having these extra minutes to do this.

A Week In The Life

2008-11-17T08:31:00.000-08:00

I just made a fresh pot of coffee, even though I have already had two cups(my limit). It's one of those days.
I thought it may help me wash the wonderful sink full of dirty dishes. (what qualifies it as wonderful you may ask? the fact that they are there because my hubby made dinner last night so I didn't have to)
Friday I volunteered at the CK scrapbook convention, that was so fun.
Saturday, Dan went to city church for a training session and the girls and I went to the womens luncheon at church. I did sound for them. whew that was new and challenging without dan there. It was beautiful and they had some yummy soup and cute crafts to make.
Yesterday we had our Financial Peace class (that is going really well,some awesome tips on investing and insurance that came at just the right time as we have to fill out that paperwork for Dans new job)at 830 am then church, which Dan shared a testimony about the way God used the time that he was unemployed. It was awesome! We then went to a 40th birthday for a friend. WOW! Everyone there shared with the birthday girl how they have been blessed by her or how God has used her in their lives. It was beautiful. We came home and I did the bills/budget while Dan cooked and we started a movie with the girls. I was so wiped out I went to bed at 830.
For the rest of the week I will be doing school with the girls. Today I have already checked email, washed and dried laundry, made hubbys lunch, woken the girls up twice, and eaten breakfast.Tonight we have our small group which I need to make some soup for.
On Tuesday ,Rebekah will get her cast off and both the girls have well-child checkups.
Wed. they will be at off campus and I will be scrapping with my sis and friends then they have missionettes in the evening.
Thurs. we will be at the co-op the girls attend for an art class and lapbooking election process class. Beka and Dan will have youth group that evening.
Friday I will be getting ready for B and I to go to the Revolve tour. A teen girls conference we are going to with her jr hi girls small group for 2 days.
Meanwhile I am trying to get some organizing done, a little at a time. Things seem to have exploded around here. I feeling claustrophobic at all the clutter everywhere
How does it all get so out of control so quickly? Take my advice, if you have a major event(like a broken body part in the family) dont let it get you out of your routines that are working. Getting back into them is sooo hard. I guess the 21 days to make a new habit works for bad as well as good!! I think I will learn from my organized sisters and go make a todo list.

A couple weeks of past things

2008-11-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

Grape juice made and waiting to be made.

new view from front porch

canned applesauce and pie filling( the girls were a big help peeling and chopping apples. I think I would have given up if not for their help. next time I will not pick soooo many!

Glory(a tourist), Mariah and Rebekah(kitty cats) at the harvest party.

Beka and Chloe(mariahs sister) aren't they cute? Rebekah decided at the last minute to make those cat ears out of cardstock and a headband. They turned out pretty cute!
These are a few pics from the last couple weeks. Canning, and the harvest party. Just wanted to update you all. Congrats to my sister Dani and her family who on Oct. 31st had a baby girl, Abigail Marie. She is just as sweet as all that candy the girls got from playing the games at our church's harvest party.

And last but not least, after much praying and waiting and obedience to the Lord. ...........

DAN GOT A JOB!!!!

He is working for a company that does estimating and construction management for the government. It is such a good match for him! He loves it and is excited that God provided the means for him to learn the things he wanted for the next phase of his career goals. The benefits it provides for our family are more than we could ask for and I am sooooo glad that he will get to take a real paid vacation!! He deserves it!!

!!!Let's Celebrate!!!

2008-11-06T06:42:00.000-08:00

Yippee Yahoo.... I found my cord to my camera that I have been missing for months! To celebrate I posted a pic of the view from our new front porch. We are living on our church property for a while. They have so kindly agreed to help us out by letting us stay here as we get out of debt!! What a blessing for them to be able to help out families in this way. We are so excited!! We are taking a class at the church called Financial Peace University. It is from Dave Ramsey and we are learning sooo much. It is the perfect timing for us while we are trying to do this. He is very motivating. Constantly opening our eyes to new ways to see things and giving us such good info on planning and investing. I would recommend this budget boot camp to anyone. It will challenge and stretch you but it is oh so worth it! I look forward to not being controlled by my credit companies anymore!!woohoo!

VIEW ON VOTING

2008-10-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

I have talked to some people lately that have given up on voting. This is how I used to feel. What is the point, my one vote doesn't matter. There are many articles and campaigns that tell us why one vote is important. The fact that in WA state where I live our latest Governor won by only 129 votes is a good arguement for that point and for my new attitude. I realized how my view has changed over the years. I now think of it as not just my one vote but that I am joining with others who share my opinions, convictions and beliefs. By joining with those others my one voice or vote gains in loudness and effectiveness. So I no longer think that one vote can't change anything but that it can be added to the larger vote that can sway an election, that can change policies, and that can support beliefs. And that majority can change the leadership of the country, who in turn will change the balance of opinions of our courts, which in turn will change the direction and tone of our laws, that will eventually effect me and my children and thier children to come. It is a privelege that many other men and women have lost their lives to make possible for me. A right that did not exist a mere 100 years ago for my kind. When I think of it in this way I feel I have no choice but to cast my vote. And I am proud and honored to do so.

The past few weeks

2008-10-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

This is the birthday cake I made the girls for their hawaiian luau party.

Steven visiting.
Mariah and Robert modeling for the camera. They enjoyed seeing each other after many years.
Rebekah during her jazzercise routine in the Whaling Days parade.
Glory holding the sign during the Jazzercise at the Whaling Days Parade.
So here I am after all this time of a broken camera and not being able to get signed in to my blog, doing a post for you all. I will probably be behind in photos for a while with having to put all pics on disc first before I can upload them. But your probably used to that behind thing from me huh? I didn't earn the nickname turtle when I was a kid for nothing!! But thank God he has room and purpose in this world for all his creatures!! Anyway, our summer was full of fun and getting to hang out with the kids. We had Mariah (Dan's daughter)come up for almost a month and even got to see Steven during that time. We all also enjoyed a visit from my longtime friend Erika!! We then started back in to a school routine with the girls. They are in a coop taking an art class and an election process class and are going to the off campus enrichment days. We also celebrated the girls birthday with a party for friends and our annual trip to the puyallup fair.AND THEN>>> Dan was put on laid off status at his job and will be sent back out in the field (no more estimating)when and if they have work. So he is unemployed and currently applying for jobs like crazy!! AND THEN>>> Beka broke her leg. She has a thigh high cast on for about 4-6 weeks and then will have a short one for a couple weeks. The surgery went well. NO pins needed!PTL! And even tigger(she brought him in to the surgery with her) got a cast. But life outside my house,I have to say, has kind of stopped for me(us) for a while. I have been taking care of e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g for her. It is kind of like having a toddler to care for again. WHEW forgot how tiring that is. Beka has many people that care about her. They have come to visit and helped us with meals!! We are thankful for the many blessings and the major things God has been teaching us through this time. He can use difficulty to teach you if you will only ask him what He wants you to learn.(more on those lessons at another time) A friend of mine took me to an apple orchard with her and we picked sooo many apples and even grapes. It was fun and beautiful. I am blessed with a LOT of fruit to put up for the winter months after doing the peaches and pears with Victoria earlier this summer. I have already made grape juice(boy those women back in the pioneer days must be respected,never a chance to be bored thats for sure but how neat to have something homemade and have free healthy food for my family and to know that it can be done,with out the grocery) I will be busy for the next few days with the rest of the fruit. UH rest what is that? just saying the word makes me start hallucinating. But I have to say I have slept very soundly lately. Well must go get on with my day. LOVE to you all!!

summer is almost over!!

2008-08-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

I am feeling this urgency to do some things I WANT to do while there is still a bit of summer left. Top of my list, take the kids to the water a few more times!!! The fountain, the pool, anything where I can either sit and watch them or join in their fun and frolic. Next, be able to just sit and relax a little more. I guess that is what winter is for around here though. I would love to get outside and take a walk. I did just get some canning done, had a busy day (10 hours to be exact) of peeling, cutting & boiling up some yummy peaches and pears and even salsa,with Victoria. When you write it out it just doesn't look as fun as it was. I love how easy and enjoyable a job like that can be when shared with friends. I really loved it when the girls helped us.
Well, Back to school is almost here and summer is almost gone, ENJOY the rest of it, don't let it get away from you!!

CANT WAIT

2008-06-29T23:26:00.001-07:00

Been Reading this series and can't wait to see the movie.!.

Cousins and more Cousins

2008-06-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

We are hanging out with cousins!! Hannah and Bethany are here for a week with the girls and are having fun doing all kinds of kid things together. And all my sisters are here visiting! Can you believe all at once two years in a row? Heather got a good pic of the whole lot of them(minus one,miss you colton)!

What I might Find in my Washing Machine

2008-06-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

This is just a sampling of the things I have found while doing laundry. I have a kid who is notorious for not emptying pockets. In the past the pile has been three times the size in the span of a week. I wanted to document that but the hubby threw it out before I could take a picture because it's garbage you know. Maybe to him, but to me it is part of my daily life. Something I have dread but something I have also come to terms with. I have been able to come to look at it as one of those passing childhood things I will someday miss. It has also become a lesson in teaching someone something they don't feel they need to learn. First you bring it to their attention and then you reprimand when it happens again, and then you discipline and they do the laundry themselves and clean out all the pockets of all the pants in the house when it happens again and again. If they want to learn the lesson they will, or maybe the natural consequences of the lipstick and gum on thier stuff (or the anger of the others who were affected by it) will help them to learn this. In our case none of these worked or so I thought. Maybe it was all these things put together with time, because it is getting better. It has been a while since I have had a pile on my machine. The pile in this picture reminded me of the past couple months and how maybe the absence of the pile is a good sign. A sign that there has been a little learning going on over the last couple years. Maybe it just takes a while to sink in. Maybe there is something that happened that I don't even know about that caused the learning to take place. Or, it could be that the past things we have done to teach her are actually sinking in and mean something. WOOOOHOOO-either way I am praising God for listening to my prayers and working in my kids own personal lives to cause them to grow in many different ways. If we strive in teaching them about him and his ways He will fill in the gaps and their knowledge will be complete.(This doesn't just apply to laundry by the way!!)

Change is in the Air

2008-06-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

Another season of life is coming. It has been a struggle for me on the bad days and a lot to keep me busy on the good days. It will be a good thing but I am noticing it is harder and harder to deal with change when I used to love it, to thrive on the excitement and newness of it all. I guess as we get older or maybe as we get satisfied with life we don't want things to be different. But I think God allows this change to keep us dependent on him. And boy have I been in need of him lately. Our good friends will be moving far far away. To a land across the sea. This after our other close friends moved across the country and then some of our family moved out of state. These are all people I would see or talk to once a day, sometimes more. This is going to be a great adjustment for me, my current habits will be changing. We are also moving. After being here for about 7 or 8 months we will be moving. We will have a new front porch to view the world from.
God is shaking things up. But not only things, ME!! I am not handling all this too well. I have been having a lot of talks with God about this inability to cope. I know there are times and seasons for things in our lives and I see them taking new forms in our lives. God has always provided and been there for me. This is what He reminded me of the other day. I need to have no doubt that He will be there for me as I am sad, frustrated and feeling sorry for myself. He is on my side. For me and NOT against me. So I will wait, wait to see what He has in store. Wait to hear what He wants me to do and learn from this time of upheaval and this season of change. Lead on Lord, I will follow. I will lean not on my own understanding.

FUNNY FACES

2008-06-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

The kids had fun making faces for me while waiting for everyone to get out of the locker rooms at swimming. Some were hilarious, so I had to share.

2 weeks of swim fun

2008-06-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

The girls got to do swimming lessons with off campus. This was the first time we have done the kind that are daily for 2 weeks straight. It was really good, they improved a lot in that short time. Can't wait to do it again!!They also loved hanging with their friends. We got to ride in the big bouncy zimmer van and listened to a couple books on cd as we traveled. (books:Ben and me and The City of Ember)

More crowning pics

2008-06-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

Mariah, Glory and Rebekah

Natalie, Glory and Hosanna

The princess and the proud

PRINCESS HAIRDO

2008-06-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

Here is Glory's Honor Star Crowning. The honor stars have worked so hard to earn this by reading the whole new testament, completing 3 years of stars (over 27 bible units), memorizing scripture, keeping a prayer journal, and writing an essay. What an awesome thing God has provided that Rebekah could crown her sister. He will use it for their relationship with God and each other to grow even more special.

2008-06-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

This is Rebekah and Mariah getting their awards for completing Friends club which is the group after Stars. I am so proud of them, they completed 2 years of work in one year and learned a lot about their relationship with God in a new way. Yes that is Rebekah in the black and white. She is becoming quite the beautiful young lady. Made me a little teary to see her looking so grown up. Her and Glory asked my friend Yvonne and her daughter Brooke to do their hair for the crowning. They were so excited to feel so special and pampered!!. Rebekah went for the straight look and Glory got an updo. They did a great job!! (next best thing to a salon visit)THANKS guys!

2008-06-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is the Japanese style play that the girls did in their off campus drama club. They performed it for all the other classes. It was soooo cute and funny. The kids did a great job. When I get video I will post their parts. Rebekah is in the purple(she was a theif with an allergy) and Glory is in the pink plaid(she was the Asst. Director and a stage hand) Note the fabric, look familiar? Those are the costumes I made for the play.

HAPPY HAPPY

2008-06-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

This has to be the cutest mug EVER!!!!! I have to say thanks to my nephew for giving it up! He generously gave it to me in trade for some snacks and sodas!!! I had my coffee in it and was just looking at it and it made me smile, thought I would share it with you all so you could enjoy the happy feelings it brings too!!

sewing!!

2008-06-05T10:16:00.001-07:00

Here is a part from my journal about making the costumes.

Boy, are these costumes gonna be crazy!! I didn't realize the time it would take to get them cut out. now that mom helped me get the pattern made(had to make our own from the sample the teacher gave me cuz the pattern was not right)I thought it would go faster. but the cutting out is taking the longest. I now have help!!! yea!! My friend Susan is going to help me sew. She is such a life saver. I was going to have other parents help but the timing isn't working out, so here we go!!!!

2008-06-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

oh the fabrics are for a play the girls are doing in their offcampus school drama club. I will be sewing some of the costumes. 12 to be exact.

We have been looking for dresses for the honor star crowning. here is bekas, she will be crowning a couple girls this year, including her sister. I will post the video from the crowning later.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

2008-06-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here are the girls in the play they did at the end of May, it was called the little mermaid. They practiced every night for 1 week with the missoula childrens theatre who were in town hosted by evergreen childrens theater and it was amazing to see how professional it all turned out to be. they learn so much from these workshops.

My speed or lack thereof...

2008-04-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

44 words

Speedtest

Dentist Adventure

2008-04-11T13:44:00.001-07:00

I am feeling so much better now that I got a root canal!!! I was in so much pain I could have ripped a door off and splintered it all over the floor!!! It was 5 days of such awfulness, I felt like I was in labor, the way it came in waves. I am so happy that it is finally over!!! Even with the 3 shots in the top of my mouth and a sore jaw from the tooth rest.

Scrappy Stuff

2008-03-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some layouts I did while on a relaxing fun weekend away with the girls!!

OFF TO THE DENTIST WOOHOO!!!!!

OH MAN I am a dork!

2008-03-30T12:19:00.001-07:00

I have not posted in so long because I couldn't remember my password. Then my sis says duh.... just request a new one. Okay so I thought about it but never got around to it. So as I sit here trying to ignore my extreme tooth ache and avoid ripping cupboard doors off and splintering them across the floor I decided to finally change my password and post something, anything!!!After I got the email and went to reset the password I remembered it like a flash of lightening!! Could the procrastinating have helped my memory???? That will give me something to think about for a while. Oh and I should post my 10 random facts about me that my sister tagged me with way back in Jan. so here goes.

10 RaNdoM FActS:

1. I analyze things too much and often have personal surveys going on in my head.

2. I love Dr Pepper and Chai Tea for the same reasons, they taste warm and cozy to me.

3. I eat my food in order of which one will taste worst when cold.

4. I put a glove on to pet my dog or use a blanket and only pet without one when I am heading into the shower. I love her but she stinks, and the hair uhhh!

5. I am REALLLYYY good at making a fire.

6. I love chocolate, not milk chocolate though or white. Is that discriminating?

7. I love sliding across the wood floor in slippery socks it makes me feel like a kid, maybe if I do it more often I will be happier!.

8. I like to eat a whole bowl of popcorn for a meal.

9. I love peonies and have tried planting them the last few places I live but they never seem to make it up or bloom before I move away.

10. I have always loved having a clean floor (I prefer it over a clean countertop which has caused issues in the past) but now I am obsessed with sweeping at least once a day.Must be the wood floor and doghair combo. I can't stop myself I have even been known to do it 3 times a day or more!

NO BULL!!!!!

2008-01-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

This is the site I saw when looking out my window the other day, the site that lead to an adventure. We went to check out why 3 animal control trucks were in the neighbors driveway as we thought that maybe they were getting a horse since there was a horse trailer attached to one. NOPE! There apparently was a bull that had been loose in the area for a couple of months and they had chased it up into our neighbors yard last night.(they have an electric fence surrounding the property) They brought up 4 guys and some fence rails from the fairgrounds to try and catch it. We were watching trying to see the bull and got up onto the porch which overlooks a field. They eventually got the bull (he wasn't really big at all)into

the pen they had made(after a half hour of standing in the rain and hail). It was funny to watch the bull try and get out, he kept pushing up the rails with his horns and then the rails touched the elec fence and the guys were getting shocked while holding it but they said it helped calm the bull down cuz it was shocking him too. Then the bull got out of the pen and at that point they made us leave our neighbors porch and property. As we walked up the driveway I looked back and saw that the bull was only within a yard or two of us! And me wearing a RED rain coat. I hurried the girls away quietly while praying for safety and we came inside to warm up and finish school.I went back out with the

camera to try and get a pic of the little guy but they already had him loaded up. What an adventure we had today!!

Cabin Fever or Creativity

2008-01-14T15:25:00.001-08:00

Well, I don't know which it is but the girls have been building things lately. Either way I guess it is good for them. Difficult to walk around for us as it is all strewn across the living room and kitchen. Dan told them they had to put it in their room. I thought it was cute and took pics late one night when I couldn't sleep. I love that they still play. With all this staying inside from being sick and the snow I have restarted a blanket I have been trying to make for a few years. I keep trying one pattern after another and not being satisfied so I rip it out and start over. But I am determined to use this yarn cuz I paid like 100 bucks for it all back before I got married. Soooo.... I have started another pattern and think this is a keeper. And maybe if I post it on here I can update the progress and I will feel accountable to someone.

Ramblings and a word

2008-01-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have finally picked a word for the year. It will be enjoy. I sure do need to be reminded of that. To take the time and enjoy the process of so many things, homeschooling, parenting, life, tithing just to name a few. to remember why I started doing these things in the first place will help. This word has already helped me in the moments when the girls are fighting or giving me a hard time about school, it has given me an inner quiet place to go and not let those moments get me as angry and just remember as my hubby always says, they won't be here/doing that some day.
SICKIES UPDATE:
To let you all know my sickies returned after new years. i am not sure they ever left but maybe went under cover for a while. Anyway, I finally went to the doctor. She said I had a major sinus infection and gave me a couple prescriptions. So, I get to tthe pharmacy and the lady says, and you said "you didn't have insurance right?" Thats right I respond. She then proceeds to tell me the generic version of what the doctor prescribed is 172.00 and the nose spray(to clear the passages) is 69.00. UH>>> I am sure I looked all dumbfounded. As I am thinking there is noway(I think I actually said that outloud) and God,you said go to the doctor, I believe I heard that, now what? Am I gonna just stay sick, can you die of a sinus infection? She interupted my thoughts with a "lets see if the pharmacist can get another comparable drug for you. come back in 10 min." Upon my return she said yes there was another antibiotic I could take and the generic of it was on their 4 dollar plan. WOOHOO--- there there it is proof that there is a God!!! 4 bucks compared to 172.00 how is this possible, they do the same thing, one just takes alittle longer. WHat a bundle those drug companies are making!! So needless to say I did get the meds (not the nose spray,just got some sudafed)and am beginning to feel human again. I can breath through my nose,which my sleep deprived due to snoring husband is glad for and my lungs are just a little congested. But I am on the mend. Can't wait to get back to full health and start excercising. ttfn

Christmas presents

2008-01-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the christmas presents we got this year. As you remember Dan got a computer a while ago. The girls got these american girl dolls from their nana and are enjoying them. I think I had the best gifts this year. My girls made me these aprons with my mom as a surprise. She said they did pretty much all the sewing themselves!! And Dan got me my first pair of diamond earrings. They are beautiful. I am so blessed!!

NO BRACE-FACE!!!!

2008-01-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post Glorys picture after she got her braces removed. She was supposed to have them on for about 9 months and ended up having them for just under 2 years. Needless to say we have been eating a lot of forbidden candy(aka-gummy bears, popcorn, starburst, gobstoppers, tootsie rolls and caramel). They said there should now be enough room for the new teeth to come in and I am praying they will come in straight.

Forgot

2007-12-31T16:23:00.001-08:00

Okay, First I came on to post about stuff and my word for the year. Then as I was making my way to my blog I started reading Ali Edwards blog and she had posted her word. Then I thought how fun it would be to read the comments and the 88 other peoples words for 2008 and to add mine to the bottom of the list. Ummm.... but by the time I got there I FORGOT it. Ohman, I am a dork. Maybe I better write it down when my brain finally unfreezes. Okay I even called my sister to see if I had already told her it and no luck. So anyway I will post more later. Got to go and get ready for our New Years Eve celebration with our friends. And make dinner. and pack the car with the chocolate fountain while I am thinking about it.

Our Afternoon

2007-12-27T18:21:00.001-08:00

We decided to go out and enjoy the 10" of snow we got today. It has been snowing nonstop since 4am this morning. Dan and the girls found some new hills to try out on the sled. And then they decided to run over the snowman we built the other day. poor guy!!! Thank God we are dry and have a roof over our heads in this crazy weather. We are having fun with all this snow!! Now off to bake some banana bread and play yatzhee with the family..... seeya

!! Merry Christmas !!

2007-12-22T18:42:00.000-08:00

Merry Sickmas!!!

I finally agreed to put up the fake tree the day after Glory was really sick and she gave me the puppy dog eyes and pleaded that: at least its a tree, even though it wasn't the real one that we had all looked forward to cutting down ourselves this year. The girls had fun decorating it, or should I say Beka putting it up by herself and decorating as Glory gave orders from her post on the sick couch.

Boy, I am beginning to wonder if christmas will really be sickmas this year. After the girls each having the flu(complete with puking) a week apart and the 3 or 4 days of recovery and me having a major cold/ sinus infection that just kicked my butt. I am starting to feel at least less like the evil grouch that has been invading my head and more like the girl who likes christmas. I even started my holiday baking. YES, I know it is only a couple days before christmas but hey, at least it will be fresh,huh?!

I am posting our tree picture here. Notice the tortilla rollup in the shot, my girls are nuts!!

I will prove it, I will post below the pics I got while trying to get a nice, lovely pose of my two beautiful girls. Hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas. (NOT a Merry Sickmas) We love you all and wish we could be with each of you.!.

Okay, the pics are at the top. Sorry, I thought I could put them in where I wanted them but they just showed up at the top there. Any way enjoy!!!

Kids Christmas Play

2007-12-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of videos of Rebekah's speaking parts in our children's christmas play at church. Sorry about the fuzziness. The lighting there is bad for my camera or maybe I have yet to figure out how to use it. Glory and Beka both got solos in the play and for the second year Rebekah was asked to have a speaking part. She has taken on the acting pretty well. She is very expressive and her voice carries nicely. I am sorry to say I didn't get both her solos on video. Glory decided at the last minute to combine her solo and her friends into a duet. They did a good job. Wait for it.... the singing comes at the end of this next video.

And here is the bit of video I got of the girls singing. Sadly, I missed most of it. Even though I remembered to charge the battery the night before I forgot to take the other pics off the camera and ran out of room to record their parts. How lame am I? Will I ever figure out this digital camera stuff, if it's not one thing it's another. If I can find someone who has the rest on video I will post it. Well, enjoy!! Love to all. Wish we were together.....

Here comes the rain....

2007-12-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

Here is the rain pics I said I would post. Someone said we got 13" of rain the day after the 14" of snow.

Our drive was a bit washed out and the road out here had some sinkholes too. CRAZY weather.

No TV

2007-12-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

Well, our move to this mountain has left us without TV. While we do still have our television we no longer get Direct TV as they could find no signal. And there isn't cable available yet, apparently it costs thousands of dollars (I'm talking double digit thousands) to get it pulled up here so we won't be doing that anytime soon. Any way we have made a great discovery. You can watch a lot of TV online. I am talking network shows!!!!wooo-hoooo! So while we were snowed in the hubby and I curled up and took in some TV. We got caught up/hooked on some shows. We had seen the previews for Journeyman and haven't had time to watch it until this weekend. BOY that is a great show. Good quality tv and exciting too!!. Don't see that too often anymore. That is another great thing about this online tv. You can watch a season from the beginning. I have put up a list of what we are currently into. Let me know what you think if you have seen these or check them out!!

SNOW

2007-12-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

Well, here are the latest pics of the snow. Notice the bench that was in the first snow post is now almost fully covered. I know it has snowed over 12" because places we have cleared that were previously at 10" are now measuring at least 4". WOW!! Hope you all are warm and dry. Love you, d and j

snowed in

2007-12-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

okay, so we are not making it to church,at about 9:00 am it was 9" and now at about 10:30 it is 10 and 1/2 inches. AND STILL SNOWING heavily. Our girls are with nana and poppa, and we are wishing they were here to enjoy being snowed in. D says be careful what you wish for, apparently he said wouldn't it be cool if we got snowed in yesterday and well, here we are.

Sunday Morning

2007-12-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

It didn't snow overnight. The snow is about 71/2" at 7:00 am and has started majorly snowing again!!!

2007-12-01T21:07:00.001-08:00

7"at 8:30

the latest

2007-12-01T18:23:00.000-08:00

6" at 6:30 pm and still snowing and the power just flickered....
GOODNIGHT girls, we love you!!!

How much snow?

2007-12-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, this one is for my girls, they are at Nana's for the weekend and the hoped for snow has finally come. Here is the official measurement as of about 3:00 pm, it is 2 1/2 " ( it was 4" at about 4:00) but it is still snowing so I will update when it finally stops.

Something about me

2007-11-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

I have made a discovery, I am the kind of girl that needs markers in my life. I realized this when my dh showed me the mark on our shower faucet that sets it back to off. This may seem silly but I have been frustrated with this new faucet. After finally figuring out the hot/cold locations it broke. Woo hoo I thought, time to get a new one, one I can easily understand. But no my increasingly handy hubby fixed it. He then showed me the arrow (wether it was there before or in the wrong spot I don't know) to know exactly when it is off and the subtle tips for regulating the temp. This morning I went to get out of the shower and looked for that arrow, that is when I realized I appreciate a good marking system. One that is not just a word or a verbal instruction but one to which I can refer every time. One that does not change. Not unlike the word of God. I can depend on the Bible to direct me, clarify, and the best part of all, it is always there. God's word is a marker for me.

First SNOW on the Mountain

2007-11-28T06:47:00.003-08:00

Well, Dan and I have officially gotten moved in. We left the lowlands of East Bremerton/Silverdale area and moved up to the mountain, Green Mountain that is in Bremerton(per the post office) but more like, Seabeck or Camp Union.I think we are actually closer to Belfair now though. We had our first snow on Monday. The girls were so excited, Dan and I on the other hand were nervous to drive in it,now that we live on the mountain. A few more hills than we used to have down in the valley. But we made it fine to our small group meeting. And were suprised to see less snow anywhere,compared to what we had. I guess that is part of the mountain experience. The temp. didn't rise much above the 30's on Tuesday so the girls went out to play in the snow. They found a sled under the back porch and had a good ol' time on the sled hill as it is now being called. It was weird not getting them all dressed for the snow like in days past. They are growing up, they even made their own hot cocoa when they came in. Maybe next time I will venture out to have some fun with them. It's been a while since I went sledding and built a snow man. I need to remember those things aren't just for kids........

pics

2007-11-28T06:47:00.001-08:00

2007-11-28T06:36:00.000-08:00

Also in these pics is the lovely Thanksgiving dinner prepared for us by Barbara Bell. What a wonderful dinner we had with them. We are so thankful for their hospitality. While in Cali, we were so excited to get to see Mariah. Thank God her mom let her come and stay with us for a while during this busy time of year!!! The girls (not only them but Dan and I too) were so glad to see their sister after so many years. They miss her much.
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Hello, Well we are back from our trip to california. It was great to see our friends and family!! Wish we could have stayed longer than a day with you all!! But we are thankful to have gotten to see you. Just a few pics of our trip. This was my first attempt at posting with pics so I will do more later. But one is of Rebekah holding the mistletoe she got from an oak tree in Etna,CA. Dan told the girls that when he was little he got some and sold it to people. My little entrepreneur is all ready to follow in her fathers footsteps. She sold her first couple of sprigs right away to Beths family members who hosted us at a bonfire and quad riding on Sat. The pic of Dan is him opening his new and long awaited computer. It was like christmas morning!! I am so thrilled for him to finally have it. He is going to enjoy it a ton!!
Posted by Jellybelly at 11:59 AM 0 comments
Monday, November 19, 2007

back in cali
Well, we are in California again. This time to visit friends and family for thanksgiving. We are enjoying our visitiwith the Dillmans and will continue on to see the family in Woodbridge on Wed. evening for our tofu turkey dinner. no really i dont know if we are having tofu but it should be fun to see dan and barbara and the boys. after that it is on to my sisters in etna. have to go now will write more soon. love you all and see you soon.
Posted by Jellybelly at 11:02 AM 0 comments
Friday, August 3, 2007

The First Post
Well, this is my first attempt at a blog for our family, but mostly for me. We have driven down to southern california to visit our friends (The Hinkles). While here I decided to start this blog so the girls and I could keep in touch with the Big Bean back home. Hope you all enjoy seeing some family pictures and posts FINALLY!!!!!
Posted by Jellybelly at 2:18 PM 0 comments
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Blog Archive
▼ 2007 (3)
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Hello, Well we are back from our trip to calif...
back in cali
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The First Post

:

The Tune of Coffee

Progresssssss

file this in: Want to.....but will i?

Summer Vacation

Tulip Festival

supercross in seattle

ART SHOW

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Instead of crying,

Yeah for Bug Guys

2009 WORD

Christmas present

Nutcracker

new years resolutions 2009

our christmas day pics

Do I believe in soul mates?

Our crazy adventure....

Bored randomness

Help, I need bird seed!

Fridays Meme

snow,snow,snow

Angel or Star? read on to find out.....

Tree Top Poll

DECORATED-the tree

DECORATED- around the house

in my head

studio calico

Studio Calico

****TRADITIONS****

GRRRR......

Our winter days are filled with....PROJECTS

Two Nativities

Candle Dippers

The Cutting of a Tree

THANKFUL 4....

ON the Road to the REVOLVE tour

Election Lap Books

CREATIVE LEARNING

A Week In The Life

A couple weeks of past things

!!!Let's Celebrate!!!

VIEW ON VOTING

The past few weeks

summer is almost over!!

CANT WAIT

Cousins and more Cousins

What I might Find in my Washing Machine

Change is in the Air

FUNNY FACES

2 weeks of swim fun

More crowning pics

HAPPY HAPPY

sewing!!

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

My speed or lack thereof...

Dentist Adventure

Scrappy Stuff

OH MAN I am a dork!

NO BULL!!!!!

Cabin Fever or Creativity

Ramblings and a word

Christmas presents

NO BRACE-FACE!!!!

Forgot

Our Afternoon

!! Merry Christmas !!

Kids Christmas Play

Here comes the rain....

No TV

SNOW

snowed in

Sunday Morning

the latest

How much snow?

Something about me

First SNOW on the Mountain

pics

January 2009holding

TRADITIONS