WeDogs Barking

Anatomy AGAIN?!?!

2011-09-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Our Friday mornings you'll find us studying Art, Music, Science and Spanish with our friendly neighborhood Truthtracker Co-op.

And of course we break for Teatime.

This year we are tackling Apologia's Anatomy text with the help of one nurse, an EMT and other parents in the medical field.

Two years ago we introduced our kids to the human body with another co-op.

But I was the primary teacher then and my level of knowledge was perfect for my 2nd-Preschooler.

I'm excited to build upon the mental posts we set up then.

And the kids seem to agree.

So far we've studied our Skeletal System and Muscles.

The week they introduced the Skeletal System these babies made an appearance.

Whose feet are these?

We used pliers to pull on the tendons that stuck out from the chicken feet.

It was awesomely, gross to watch the pastey white toes bend and twitch.

When we brought a couple feet home to show Jarrod, all Natalia wanted to do was paint their toenails! Double ew!

But anything to get this group of 9-11 year olds to engage :)

We had take home paper bones with a marrow reveal foldout for the littler kids.

It was enlightening to me to start thinking of our bones as both blood producers AND fat store houses.

Marrow is a fantastic part of creation!

To demonstrate the inside of a bone our teacher brought in a HUGE cow femur, which the butcher was nice enough to saw in half so we could see the cross-section.

Mmmm, nothing like raw meat in the morning:

Did you see the difference in the spongy bone and the compact bone?

Our littlest class did.

Here's to another fantastic year learning about

'the crown of His creation.'

(That's YOU!)

Delta Discovery Voyage

2011-09-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

This homeschool thing takes a village I tell ya ;)

And one of my favorite partners-in-crime is a fantastic field trip coordinator.

Case in point, today's terrific FREE trip on the Delta.

Put on by the Marine Science Institute and sponsored by local agencies like the

Contra Costa Water District, Contra Costa Sanitation District, Delta Diablo Sanitation District,
Chemical Corporation.

Which may sound a bit scary, but it's all about keeping the junk out of our drinking water right?

So we gathered with another school at the local dock in town.

And did I mention how HOT it was today?

It was scorching outside...

and even hotter inside with ALL those kids!

....ugh and the life jackets!

It's like wearing a set of pillows in a sauna!

Luckily we weren't INSIDE the boat the whole time, and I promise we didn't

complain in FRONT of the kids ;)

We had four groups of 20 kids each and we rotated through stations on our 4 hour journey.

Which, at 12 knots doesn't take you very far down the river....

But the action was all on board.

They caught fish by pulling in a HUGE fishing net.

It's all about Ichthyology, ya know?

And to study a fish you need to touch a fish.

Thank goodness chaperons didn't have to take part!

Next, we dredged a bit for Benthic creatures.

which took a little more muscle.

But inside that great big claw....

...was a bunch of muck.

Which the kids smooshed around in...

gave themselves facials with...

(ewww) and too cute!

And generally had fun in with their friends.

But once we rinsed off the mud, little treasures awaited.

Though nothing crawly was found, the kids totally 'dug' the clams and learned about how most of them came from ports around the world when they dump their ballast water in local ports.

Foreign clams, who knew?

Now back to your habitat clammies!

At the third station we collected vials of water and looked for phytoplankton

or zooplankton.

It's amazing what you'll find in one.tiny.drop of water.

Under magnification, we could actually see this microscopic snail,

and witness his insides moving around.

Crazy, cool.

Our final station was Hydrology and I have to say it was super eye opening even for me!

For instance, I know I've rinsed a paint brush in the gutter instead of a sink before.

And how many batteries have I thrown away instead of taking them in for recycling.

Needless to say, I think Ian and I will be starting a Household Hazardous Waste bin.

Oh, and did you know that the Household Hazardous Waste facility in C.C. County has a Paint Can Giveaway program?

YAY! Totally worth checking out!

So for all we learned today I am TRULY grateful!

Another wonderful day checked off.

I truly recommend the Delta Discovery Voyage!

To Gualala, a-camping we will go

2011-09-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

Last year we found this beach across the street from our redwood river hideaway.

This year we couldn't wait to go back and stay for the entire day.

And it was a GORGEOUS day!

We packed the day with all things beachy...

Sand sculptures...she's a mermaid ;)

and I snapped this one as she was checking out her 'figure'

....this face is classic:

The beach is littered with driftwood and quite a few of these were already constructed onsite.

The girls used them as playhouses.

And the boys used the wood to make us a table.

Well, by boys I mean Abe.

He is quite the engineer. And he had big plans for that table later on.

Des showed her mad weaving skills and hooked us all up with seagrass bracelets.

They were awesome :)

The weather was perfect and we basically had the beach ALL to ourselves!

People would walk onto the beach and leave almost as quickly.

We kinda had a monopoly going.

The guys lugged shovels out onto the beach and dug hole after hole.

Some were reinforced as huts.

And others were used for our meals.

In fact we ate twice down at the beach.

But dinner was EPIC.

Abe had smoked pulled pork and Des chopped up sweet potatoes, squash and mushrooms.

Then it was placed into a sandy pit.

For two hours:

Meanwhile, we just hung out.

Climbing cliffs:

Exploring tidal caves...

And lots and lots of time in the water:

And oooomigoodness....did I mention how much our dog LOVES the ocean??

He was completely in his element.

He chased wave after wave and followed the kids everywhere they went.

We capped off the evening with classic smores.

I've loved reminiscing about this day.

It's been such a happy thought as I shake the sand from all our clothes.

The laundry has been a nightmare but the

memories are priceless.

We're already plotting our beach meals for next year.

Though the BBQ pulled pork will be hard to beat!

Gah isn't camping always about the food? ;)

What a gift to share it with amazing friends!

Family Wedding Fun!

2011-09-07T02:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the wedding of Felicia and Kyle.

One hot September day in 2011, these two crazy kids welcomed everyone to this beautiful location along the Sacramento River.

Owned by those dear to the bride, this gorgeous house was an absolutely perfect setting for this union.

Surrounded by family and friends they had one of THE most laid back, lovely affairs I've ever witnessed!

But let me back up a bit.

This is my cousin Felicia.

She's adorable.

And she adores our Talia.

So it was perfect that she asked Natalia to be their flower girl.

I'm sure you could guess how excited our little girl was.

In her mind this was 'her wedding' that we all got to witness.

Felicia and Kyle adorned her with earrings and pearls.

And she practiced her twirls.

It was all quite magical.

Felicia really was the most relaxed bride I've ever seen.

And that made even routine things like picture taking go smoothly.

So the family gathered for a casual BBQ and there were many reunions in store.

Cousins came from all over. North Carolina, Bakersfield, etc....

Here are the girls:

And the cousins met up with Uncles like my dad.

And Aunties like my mom.

Most of us keep in touch via Facebook, so it was a blast for my cousins to meet the subjects of all my posts and photos.

Soon it was show time and our little flower girl sprinkled the grass after the bridesmaids came up the aisle.

She was in her element.

She even stood there for the entire ceremony.

And the ceremony was beautiful.

The vows especially.

One of my favorite lines was "I am your biggest fan."

I think that is SO important in a marriage :)

We all fought back tears.

And as the bride and groom walked out to Prince's "Let's go Crazy,"

Natalia prepared for part two of her 'show.'

She handed out her extra roses to any one who would take them.

It was cute.
I also happened to capture her recap to her cousins.

She's showing off her earrings.

And asking them if they saw how she threw the flowers.

She was just thrilled with her little part in the event.

The whole occasion was a celebration of family.

I just wish we all lived closer.

For now we'll have to settle for holiday visits.

I won't soon forget the beauty of this union.

I've been 'a fan' of these two since I took their engagement photos.

And we were thrilled to be a part of their special day.

Witness the proud momma:

And Daddy's little girl.

I can't imagine the next time he will stand next to her in a white dress.

Congratulations to Kyle and Felicia.

May this journey continue to be magical and as easy going as your wedding day.

Golden Gate Bridge walk

2011-08-25T01:43:00.000-07:00

San Francisco has only one drawback, "Tis hard to leave"

Rudyard Kipling

Today we set off on a trek across one of the world's greatest tourist attractions.

And even though I've grown up only 45 minutes away, I had never done this before.

In fact, I was VERY apprehensive about escorting a half dozen families somewhere I had never been.

And I had been dreaming about freaking out about heights for the past 3 nights.

But it all worked out FINE.

We met on the Marin side to give us a 'goal' to walk toward.

The fog was thick as we set out.......even though it was 12:30pm.

But such is life in the city.

Our hope was that it would burn off by the time we made our way BACK across the bridge.

That way we could enjoy the views.

It worked for a little bit.

Either way, we were on a mission.

....we had 27 kids to keep track of.

...and this was no ordinary hike.

We would be sharing the road with bicyclists, tourists and of course MANY vehicles.

Well, not all of THAT was on the sidewalk.

But it sure was busy!

Merrick stuck by my side like glue.

He was a little concerned about the 3 mile round trip.

I couldn't blame him! After a 2 mile uphill trek on Monday we were all a bit sore from not having hiked all summer. But the only real complaint I had about this walk was the concrete.

Man that stuff will wear out your legs like nothing else.

Talk about unforgiving!

Of course anything done in good company can be easier.

And even the littlest ones in our group handled the trek with gusto!

Thank God for adventurous friends!

And we had a lot of them with us!

Even one of the daddies joined our crew.

It's definitely a trip we'll have to take again with Jarrod.

I'm just glad to know I could do it again without complaint :)

It's not something my mom EVER would have tried when I was a kid.

(especially the day after an earthquake!)

But what can I say? These kids have very DIFFERENT mommas:

In a great way of course!

Not that we stuck close to all of our kids ALL of the time.

I barely saw my oldest as he ran ahead with the older kids and another momma.

Man, when did 9 years old get so independent??

So after a windy walk we made it to the other side. And apparently ALL the fog is San Francisco was still lingering around the bridge.

You'd think all this wind would've blown it away!

On the other side we finished our lunch and checked out the sites.

There were fun things to see like this cross section of the huge swinging cables on this bridge.

Our friends were also full of snippets. For instance did you know that they expected atleast 35 people to die during the construction of this beauty? But only 11 lives were actually lost!

Whew.....thank goodness for safety nets!

We saw the infamous painting crew that never stops painting.

And Merrick and I wondered HOW many cars actually cross that bridge for $6 a pop.

Though I love that our trek was free, I'd have paid that to see this up close.

It really is beautiful.

Photobombers included:

So the day was full of great friends....

And fantastic views.

....and did I mention the friends?

We're so blessed to walk this homeschool journey with such fantastic people.

Check off our first field trip of the year.

Memories made, history visited, and shin splints are aching.

Good times!

Summer's End water play

2011-08-23T01:07:00.000-07:00

We've been back in school now for 3 weeks, but before it all ended we had our share of fun in the sun!

And I'm not talking water balloons and swimming pools here!

Check it out!

Our friend's live on an island with a dock in their backyard. Yet, aside from the diving board and water slide into the Delta there was a homemade, giant water slide...

I'd give it a steep factor of 8!

They loved it!

And then the girls got creative....

They had the grand idea to drag this tube up and down the hill to save their bums from the bumps:

I'd NEVER try it, because in the end they'd skid across the grass....but it

DID look like a blast =)

A week or so later we ended up in the middle of Gold country.

I actually can't remember the name of the town right now.

But it's adorable and quaint.

....and a great place for a group of kids.

The community park is beautiful.

It actually has a creek running through it.

So we loaded up some inner tubes and packed our lunch.

The water moved gently around the park and was shallow enough to keep all the kids safe.

Although Natalia wasn't quite brave enough to hop on a tube.

She played the part well.

This picture was taken moments before she fell off and was 'stranded' on the water fall

screaming her head off.

Oh, the drama!

We so have to go back again.

As soon as I can remember the name of the town ;)

And lastly we ended up at my aunt's annual horseshoe tournament.

That's where the kids played on this bad boy:

Ah, memories with their cousins....priceless!

And that's how our 'official' summer ended on a big WET note.

With girls it's not about the Birthday suit....

2011-07-13T01:25:00.000-07:00

Man I hit one of those milestones this weekend...with a VENGEANCE!

This was the first year I hadn't gone out of my way to solidify a huge plan....but my friends and family took care of that for me!

Friday started off with breakfast in bed cooked by my hubby and kids.

What a treat as my hubby usually leaves at 4am! He stayed home a bit longer to pamper me!

Next my mom took us out so I could pick up a new swimsuit...which was a major treat seeing as I normally wont spend money on something like that, at least not for myself!

Then we were off on a trip to our local 'beach' where my sister decided to make me carry around this beast:

I won't deny the title. It's true...every syllable of it ;)

Normally I can lounge around 'the beach' for hours and waste the day away.

But this day, I needed to make it to a 2pm hair appointment. Inspite of our short 3 hour window, I was able to catch up with girlfriends, get my tan on and play with my nephew in the water

...so it was worth every minute of it!

My hair turned out fierce....with a little fire engine red thrown in.

And when momma looks pretty she FEELS pretty :D

So next, I drove back to my mom's to pick up the kids.

There she blessed me with MORE gifts....this time for our new backyard. She knows me too well.

A bougainvillea to plant outside our side yard where we have a large window looking onto a fence.

As well as a new hose set up...since I had been watering my plants with a bucket. I'm resourceful, no?

My van was packed with happy kids and a happy momma...

I rested up, finally showered, and headed out to the city for dinner.

In the summer it's always amazing to leave 90 degree weather at home and head 45 minutes away....

To the low 70s. It really makes it hard to dress for a night out. Either you're sweating when you leave or you're freezing that night.

But I digress.......my girls had a great night planned.

Joan did a little Yelping and came up with this adventure:

And yes, the girls mocked me when I reacted to the thought of Burmese food!

As IF they had eaten it all that much!.....well, ok, Joan had, but I wasn't the ONLY rookie....

So if you have an inkling for a taste of heaven influenced by India, Thai and other Asian cuisine...then you MUST visit Burma Superstar!

And order the Mint Chicken....you won't be sorry:

Do call ahead....we didn't and we had an entertaining hour and a half or so to wait. I will say there was a fantastic gallery up the block and some great coffee shops to explore while we waited.

The dinner was perfect....full of giggles.

It's never a dull moment with these two. What a gift to share the night with them:

The next morning I had a leisurely time getting ready for a day out on the Delta with another fantastic crew of women:

We sunbathed and took a boat ride out to a waterfront restaurant.

We waited ever so patiently for our lunch which took almost an hour to be served.

But really...when you're in good company the time flies!

The water was a bit too choppy to do the tubing/kneeboarding we'd had in mind.

But our friend's boat dock turned out to be the perfect place to 'dive in' and lie around.

I'm so grateful for these girls who keep me honest and don't mind sharing their bday celebrations with me.

Next time I'll update you on the family side of my birthday....they had quite a few tricks up their sleeve on my special day.

But I'm still waiting for their gift to be delivered....and when it does, I'll finish up that post ;)

Until then I'm just thankful to be surrounded by beautiful girl power!

I mean, if I've learned anything in my *gasp* 35 years on this earth, it's that life can be filled with drama, or it can be filled with laughter. And in the world filled with news stories about kidnapping, sleepover deaths and burglaries, I'll take as much laughter as I can get.

For some reason I love me some birthdays. I'm mocked for my love of birthdays, but I really think it's so great to have a reason to celebrate the love and friendship in my life.

It's not about the presents, though I received a killer bracelet and a hose house this year. Sigh, I am complete!

But it's more about the excuse to share time with those I love.

Even though I only got to see a fraction of those whom I love.....I am grateful for the time and effort they put forth!

Amen, I feel blessed!

Life's Curveballs

2011-07-07T00:29:00.000-07:00

Sports are NOT my thing.

I am (quite obviously) not into any one sport...whether by participation OR by spectating.

But last year I decided to support my hubby's idea to fill up our year with Giant's games.

Wd didn't miss a single game living at Marmar andPapi's house!

The extra attention to one team really allowed me to learn the game. It didn't hurt that our lifelong

team actually won the World Series! But inspite of all the hype....I gained respect for what those teams were doing on the field.

I now know there are different jobs on a baseball team, and a strategy behind each hit and pitch.

Before then, I had never even heard of a relief pitcher, or an RBI!

I was pleasantly surprised to uncover the purpose of each position and the specialization of their training.

It made the game so much more enjoyable :)

As lame as I sound....I do have a point.

It's easy to live in platitudes.....to go through life with meaningless statements and trite remarks.

But when you delve deeper, and realize that life is purposeful.....down to the position I'm standing in today....then the beauty of the game is revealed.

Recently we were delivered some news that could well have freaked us out, or made us wonder WHY this would be happening. It was a curveball, if you will.

But from the beginning, there was so much peace. It felt like peace was our only choice.

That any other response would have been silly.

It was as if we had only one job, and the description of that job was to take in this piece of information

and effortlessly keep going. Don't juggle it, don't wonder how it will effect everything....just keep moving,

and trusting in our position.

Our job was to let someone else worry. Much like the players rely on their coach to have the master game plan in mind. And why wouldn't they rely on him? He has this bird's eye view of the game, and an intimate knowledge of his player's strengths and weaknesses. His decisions are based not only on the game that is being played immediately, but also on the next game, and the record of the team. He weighs all these factors with a desired end goal,......................Victory!

Now it doesn't always play out smooth and easy. Players have bad days. Mistakes are made on the field, and the plan may need to be reformulated. But the key is....the game does not ride on one player's shoulders. That weight would be too much.

This week I feel like we're really playing the game.

We are trusting in a plan that is outside of our own personal strategies.

We had something in mind.....kinda like wanting to hit a homerun, but instead the coach seems to need us to bunt. I'm just grateful I even know what coach we're dealing with.

Because really.....if you don't have respect and trust in your leader....how can you operate with a full heart?

Again, I don't want to throw out a bunch of rote phrases. But truly, trusting in God when I don't understand the endgame.....well, there just isn't any other choice for us.

We'd be a mess if we tried to figure out what was next.

I don't mind making plans....plans excite me in fact! But if we don't leave room for direction, and are not open to being lead.....then we're fighting a loosing battle.

Instead, our reality is that we ARE on a championship team.....whether spiritually or via SportsCenter.

The same rules apply....wait for direction and listen to the coach when He's training you how to react to those curveballs.

You just might end up blessing someone else by your simple response.

Boy Room Redo

2011-07-03T00:25:00.000-07:00

With our oldest's birthday approaching I wanted to do something fun and there are only so many possessions that seem exciting.....so we went for the surprise factor.

My sister and brother-in-law wanted to take the boys to an amusement park one Friday...and that gave me an idea....an extreme make-over! Well extreme in the time frame....not million dollar by any means!

Now decorating may not seem like a big thing to do for a boy.....but you have to know that we've been here 6 months and it was really bugging my oldest that his room wasn't put together.
In our last house the boys had a surf themed room and I just didn't want to put a bunch of holes in the wall to put up their old decor. So we had been trying to work out a plan they both agreed on.

And recently, we found this duvet cover at CB2. Ian loved it...he said it reminded him of a favorite game, Pictureka. I went to the CB2 store in Berkeley and checked it out in person to make sure there weren't any inappropriate pictures in there.....and it checked out.

So even though Merrick hasn't found his duvet/comforter yet....he had a hand in the color scheme.

So take a look at the before pics.

I didn't think to grab the camera until I had stripped the beds....so it looks especially sad.

Another factor in the color scheme was this chair.

We love it...It's kinda like Ian's reading corner.

So I looked into chair covers and thought about reupholstering it...but that was NOT going to happen on my one day redo budget. So I just went with it.

Here you can see why my son was so distressed. He would say things like..."Mom, I feel like our room is missing something." or "Can I just have a Giant's poster mom?"

So after 6 months of plain....here is what I came up with.

I figured grey was the best compliment for the black and white....and then I added a blue highlight wall.

I originally wanted to paint a black skyline on this wall...with a grey shadow.

But when Thursday finally rolled around I had been to a Math class with Ian, taken the kids to Berkeley to build in a salvage yard, delivered Talia to and from Cheer Camp, cooked dinner....then finally dropped them off at Marmar's for a sleepover by 7pm. When it was all said and done, I didn't get the room prepped and taped off until 10pm. Two coats later.....I was in NO mood to fill in those buildings.

Instead, I painted a grey SF skyline with a glow in the dark highlight....It is now Ian's favorite part of this room. Mission accomplished :)

The orange and grey highlights were requested originally by Merrick. That boy wanted color and I was happy to oblige. I also figured that the orange would allow for a bit of their team spirit to show through.

Don't tell them...but I would SO rather not have a completely sports themed room....so I gently steered them otherwise. Thankfully they are amazed by it all and there is plenty of room for another Giants poster or two ;)

Here are a couple of personal touches I threw in....

We already had these hat hangers...so I kept them to go behind the door.

Yeah, they're dog butts. Gotta represent when you're a Weinerdog. ;)

That bike wheel is another touch I didn't quite finish.

I ripped it off a bike that just lost it's chain, and I sprayed it up to add another orange highlight.

It will be mounted over their closet...either plain or I might turn it into a clock.

It's just a quirky thing either way.

Back to the beds....

I'm realizing that I don't have a good picture of Ian's bunk.

It's basically the duvet with orange and grey pillowcases.

Merrick sleeps on the bottom and it already had a black cover so I just added some color for now. Green to match the chair...and the pillowcases that match Ian's duvet.

The pillows in this room were another miracle of sorts.

Pillows are such an affordable and useful way to add color so I bought the two pillowcases that matched the duvet, a pair of orange, and a pair of grey at Walmart. And I found those other black and white slipcases as well as the green one at CB2. Altogether I had 9, count them NINE pillows to fill...and somehow between my house and my mom's we had exactly enough! I didn't buy a single extra pillow. Hallelujah!

I also had these two posters from Christmas that we had never opened. So I painted some frames I had on hand. Merrick's says, "Jesus...the Calm in the Chaos." So I put it above his bed.

Those posters were an adventure in and of themselves....Two of them were plexi and the other glass....and I managed to damage each of them in the decorating process.

My solution? I just spray mounted them to the cardboard backing and framed 'em up. Done.

My favorite one ended up So crooked....but I'm just going to pretend I MEANT to do that!

It is perfect for the doodled feel of the room.

It has a shaker and a bulb on it....and it says "Be These."

Love it!

Considering that I got this idea on Monday and executed it on Friday...I'm totally happy with the results.

I did have so much help...Friends hosting playdates while I picked out paint, Papi mounting curtains, my hubby making last minute runs to the store for painter's tape, and even a friend's projector to help me get my skyline sketch up on the wall.

Friday I 'woke up' after getting about 4 hours sleep, swapped the boys with my sister, and finished decorating the room with Marmar in between baby Josiah's naps. Then we attended Natalia's cheer performance, grabbed dinner and headed to the Drive-in. Would you believe that I fell asleep during Cars 2? Darn it!

But it was worth every second when we brought home the boys and told Ian one of his first birthday gifts was 'on' his bed.

I can't believe we pulled it off RIGHT in front of him!

Even Natalia managed to keep his duvet a secret...amazing :D

He'll have a couple of small things to open on Monday, but he was amazingly content with his bedspread, and his poster.

Sigh....that was fun!

Happy Birthday to our Favorite Ian....and bonus surprise for Merrick (who is eager to add more glow in the dark paint to that mural. Heaven help the control freak in me!)

Love those boys...

BFF Baby Shower

2011-06-27T01:09:00.000-07:00

Over two decades ago I met a pretty blonde and for some reason we hit it off. Back in Jr. High that meant sleepovers and parties, football games and comparing lists of boyfriends.

Flash foward through two weddings, three houses and any number of birthday parties between us, she's still one of my dearest friends.

So it was quite a thrill when she called me to tell me she was expecting her 5th little bundle of joy!

And if you can't tell by now...I'll do anything for a party!

Fortunately, I knew exactly who I was planning for:

And with a little boy in mind I bust out the toys and lions and tigers oh, MY!

I used many of the same tricks as I did for my sister's shower...but this time with a retro circus vibe.

There was the candy bar:

...with Snakes and Snails (gummy worms) and puppy dog tails (marshmallow twists)

and 1000 Grands in the College Fund jar.

Another highlight was the sock monkey filled with ....

blessings written by the shower guests.

And I even tried my hand at some silly silhouette's on the wall, um that one's supposed to be a tiger.

On the tables was a plethora of goodies.

A tub of peanuts propped up the party masks, which were a fun addition to the day.

And the party bags were filled with homemade carmel popcorn.

The cups were adorned with animal noses so that when you held them up,.....well I'd better just show you:

Originally, I had wanted to place giant peacock feathers in the centerpieces...but with budget constraints, I opted for peacock napkins.

And spent more on prizes:

Ang's mom always goes all out for parties. So I'll just say this affair was catered by SUE ;)

She literally makes over a dozen hordourves that are delicious!

We split dessert duty, where she went traditional:

And I went the cupcake route.

This was my first time filling the cakes.....

I made two types, Lemon with cheesecake filling and creamcheese frosting:

And chocolate, chocolate with strawberry jam inside:

I did loosen the reigns a bit and let Ang's daughters add the frosting.

And that's all I'll say about them ;) besides they were delicious.

I had a blast decorating for this shindig...and I'll post more about the actual shower next.

The Anniversary Getaway Part II: Sleepless in Seattle

2011-06-17T00:28:00.000-07:00

We love a good road trip and this one was no different. Even better, we didn't have to worry about 'kid' music or frequent potty stops since we were sans kids. But even in the middle of all the bliss....my mind wandered with expectations. Our agenda for Seattle was wide open, and I am a planner. I had messages out on FB for good eateries, and we were scouring the web for creative ideas.

Yet somewhere in the middle of that 2.5 hour car ride I started to brood.

So much so that the minute we stepped foot in Seattle.....

....our trip went downhill.

I've put off this post for over a week because it's difficult to publish our issues without throwing either one of us 'under the bus.' As in all relationships we both have our pet peeves. One of mine is wanting everything planned out, while his is wanting to 'go with the flow.'

You can bet that is a source for many 'discussions' in our world.

But why would this even come up during our weekend away?

Well, I'll be the first to admit that I have high expectations.

And when those internal goals aren't met, I tend to get a bit testy.

Worse yet.....I might just get mad and stew about it, and not even vocalize those thoughts.

(right about now you've got a LOT of empathy for my hubby huh?)

Part of my frustration was our hotel. Compared to our first night's stay in the heart of the city....this place was off the beaten path, near the congested University. It was a dank little room with few perks. A far cry from the Marriot. Now I'm starting to sound spoiled....but I'm just keeping it real here folks!

So we checked into this hotel, unloaded and I was left to figure out our dinner plans. All of that is fine....but bratty ol me is feeling less and less 'showered' with affection.

And after 11 years of marriage, during an anniversary getaway,

the last thing a girl wants to feel is neglected.

Enter the silent treatment.

Or something close to it. Which was unfortunate because we ended up dining on some delicious sushi fare at the poshy Wasabi in Seattle.

After the meal I wanted to go out and explore. He wanted to stay in.

In the end we went back to the hotel with an obvious chip on my shoulder.

At this point, I must add, he was more than willing to go on a drive or do whatever I wanted....but I was too busy fuming.

It was SUCH an unfortunate mood swing I was having! (to say the least)

I'm obviously omitting some of our major issues here. Both for the sake of our privacy and for the fact that some of them are just plain laughable! You know? Those things that, in hindsight, should never really have mattered! But I'm pointing out the 'easy' complaints to give you an outline.

So we stayed up all night....alternately talking and not talking.

Wasting away our precious time together.

But here is where I get philosophical.

If we wouldn't have had all that time talking....we wouldn't have brought up a lot of issues.

Sometimes it takes the heat of anger to say what you've been too polite to say.

So we let it all hang out. And we walked the whole..."our relationship is doomed" road.

And I wanted to share that because maybe we come across a little too 'peachy' at times.

We fight, and our fights can get ugly, but in the end we really do get stronger for it.

And to keep it real, I'll tell you we wasted most of the NEXT morning still duking it out.

So much so that I fully regret our time in that hotel room.

We finally checked out at noon and yet we still had a 4pm flight to catch.

We spent our final hours in Seattle down at Pike's Market which was crowded with Memorial Weekend tourists.

We met this filet-guy:

and watched them throw the fish:

But our happiest thought was when we looked up Molly Moon's for ice cream.

I would seriously fly back to Seattle just.for.a.scoop of their homemade Salted Caramel!

It took us over half an hour doing circles around city blocks...in all their one-way madness, but it was worth EVERY lick!

To summarize:

our whole mood in Seattle was somber. The crowd at the Market was overwhelming. Our lunch was overpriced. Our time was limited. And we both felt like fools.

Poor Seattle deserves a do-over.

But I guess the best part was recognizing that Jarrod and I are still in this together.

Even if we didn't sit next to each other on our flight home.

Even if every second of our weekend wasn't spent oggling each other with stars in our eyes.

It's good to know we haven't got it all figured out.

Even after 11 years we can fail together.

The two things I am sure of.....

Jarrod loves God more than anything.

He loves me.

And with those things in mind I don't have to dwell on the negative.

Here's to making more memories together!

My dear husband of 11 years.....you compliment me in all my human ways,

and in so doing.....you blow all of my expectations out of the water.

Thank you for putting up with me.

Tomorrow we wake up for our next adventure.

The anniversary getaway Part I

2011-06-10T00:45:00.000-07:00

My husband travels. A lot.

And last weekend we decided to take advantage of his frequent flyer miles.

Executing that getaway proved to be much more emotional than I had bargained for.

First off, in the weeks leading up to our vacation, we decided to write a Living Will. This was the first time both of us had been away...just the two of us and on a plane no less. We wanted to make sure everything was 'in order' in case there was a catastrophe.

Well if you know me, then you know I went all 'worst-case-scenario' and wrote "Read this if I'm Gone" letters to each of the kids. I KNOW, I'm a big ol ball of drama!

As you can imagine, those letters had me in tears all week.

I mean really.....what would YOU say to your loved ones if you knew you were no longer going to see them? It's a heavy task, not for the faint of heart!

So when I was finally sitting alone in the airport, having dropped off the kids, and ready to board a plane to meet Jarrod....I STILL couldn't shake the emotions.

I point all of this out, just to frame the bittersweet moments of our actual reunion.

It was glorious, and blissful, and just a tad melancholy all at once.

But I am smart enough to know that this was a good thing. ;) We needed time away.

And that perspective was a gift.

It was a reminder to treasure every second we DO have together, as well as ALL the time I have with our kids. (however exhausting/disorganized/mindnumbingly busy that time may be!)

I am a full, FULL time momma, and I needed to remember that I'm also a FULL time Lover.

(am I the only one singing Stevie Wonder right now? Bah, I digress!)

So back to Oregon...

My hubby of ELEVEN wedded years booked us a spot at the Portland City Grill. This hot spot is perched on the 30th floor of a building in the heart of the city. The view was amazing. And the staff indulged us at every turn. We had one of those Loooong, drawn out, 5 course meals.

They were expecting us, and they treated us like royalty!

And it's hard not to feel like we deserved this prize. The whole getaway felt a bit overdue! We had held off on taking a big trip in honor of our 10 year milestone. Last year, it was difficult to plan anything around the time of Merrick's surgery. And as soon as he learned to walk again; we started househunting.

(But that's a story I'm sure you followed minute by minute ;)

Truly, though, a decade together is nothing to sneeze at.

We're finally beginning to feel 'seasoned' at this relationship stuff.

But this weekend away would test that 'seasoning.'

Even fireworks over dinner, and fancy hotels can't sugarcoat relationship issues.

I'll get more into that in our next post....and for now I'll highlight our happiest leg of the trip.

After dinner we made our way to Portland's downtown Marriot.

The ambiance was gorgeous....and in the morning I found the view from our window SO charming:

All in all, it was fun to hang out with my sweetheart.

He makes me laugh like no other.

And he enjoys picking my brain to find the quirky for me...

You know...like they say....Two heads (or four or six?) are better than one:

For instance, he was very excited about finding this gem of a breakfast spot.

A walk up window where we ordered THE yummiest Waffle fare!

He's happier about his research than it looks here.....

He had this caramel banana concoction to look forward to:

I opted for a savory dish. Prepare yourself folks;

this beauty consisted of a crispy, sweet waffle topped with jalapenos, perfectly cooked bacon, guacamole, and cheese. It. was. UNIQUE. And quite perfect!

An absolute treat for my tummy.

And the fact that our food was served up on grandmas old eclectic china and eaten at a bistro table on a street corner in Portland......it was completely, beautifully memorable!

We spent the rest of our time, in Portland, at two Powell's Bookstores. One hundred and fifty dollars later, we owned the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy (his thrilling surprise for our kids) and had a half year's worth of hard-to-find books for school!

After lunch we jumped in the company Rent-a-car and headed up to Seattle. The two hour drive was peaceful until the end. But like I said, that will have to be outlined in another post.

Goodbye Portland, and hello conflict.

John Muir House Tour

2011-05-20T00:35:00.000-07:00

I know, I know! We JUST get back from Spring Break and off we go on a field trip!

Ah, that's the beauty of homeschooling!

We started off with a quick Youtube biography of John Muir. Check it out for yourself here.

I've always thought of this man as inspiring in the areas of conservation and exploration.

I did not know he was also a Scottish immigrant and creator inventor.

He traveled around like a tramp for a good deal of his life.

Going as far as Alaska to find glaciers, like this one which was eventually named after him:

But when he finally meet and married his wife, he decided to
settle down for 10 years to support his family.

In that one decade he made more than 4 times what most of us will see in our lifetime.

His trade? Fruit trees.

Aside from being a wise businessman, he was also an author. Eventually penning more than a dozen books.

But even as a published author, it was his passion for conserving nature that made him famous.

He started the Sierra Club and even had the privilege of camping
for a few days with President Theodore Roosevelt.

At home he lived humbly with his two daughters and his wife.

And he didn't live in this 10,000 sq ft mansion until the very end of his life.

It was originally his father-in-law's retirement home.

All the touches of elegance were most likely there from his in-laws.

Factoids aside, we thoroughly enjoyed our docent.

Seriously, we (mommas of the group) offered to pay him to tour other CA parks with our group!

He told engaging stories, but more than that he wasn't the least bit condescending to the kids.

And that is a quality I admire in an adult leader!

We ended the tour up in the attic ringing the bell in the tower.

And from a photographic standpoint the lighting was amazing!

After our tour we hung out near the Adobe house on site and had lunch.

I couldn't believe what a warm day it was....but the kids ran around this orchard like it was going out of style. The perfect ending to a fantastic field trip!

Just ask him....

no never mind he was too hot to answer respectfully ;)

Nothing we love more than learning alongside great friends.

Here is just a few of our crew:

And John Muir, we'll be back to hike your trails next time.

Spring Break: Six Flags on the Fly

2011-05-17T00:40:00.000-07:00

The day before I was due to go out of town we were invited to our friendly neighborhood amusement park. What a treat it was to hang out with this big guy Isaac.

(who happens to be celebrating a BIRTHDAY today! Woo hoo!)

There was another great momma who followed around the 'big' kids to the REAL roller coasters.

So I really only met up with the boys for lunch.

Meanwhile, Natalia and I rocked the kiddie rides....

Well she more than me.....

But she was in good company.

And me and my sad, sad vertigo were never in danger.

I'm so thankful for great friends that think of us for such fun excursions.

We'll follow you guys anywhere ;)

Thank you for wrapping up our Spring Break with whooping and hollaring!

Photoshoot: Mount Diablo

2011-05-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

After much anticipation....I conducted my first 'engagement' shoot in the meadows of Mount Diablo.

This is my beautiful cousin Felicia and her groom to be Kyle.

They entrusted me with a little photo time and drug me up the mountainside.....not kicking and screaming but oh so willingly!

Armed with two cameras....which cut down on my need to swap lenses constantly.

A milestone for me, but not a luxury I will soon get used to.

Instead, it was a necessity since Courtney (my Sony Alpha) has been on her last leg....

A broken external flash, a non-existent view screen and a corroded battery charger, to name a few issues.

The camera I borrowed from a friend was a Nikon.

Um, yes, can we say I SWOONED over that little baby?

The difference is not so much in the quality of the pics considering it's the same rookie using them!

The Nikon shutter is much faster, and SO much lighter.

But I digress.....don't you let me wallow in envy....

Courtney just needs a tune up and we'll be back in business before I know it!

Back to the shoot...

Beyond the loving glances and sweet embraces, the most vivid thing I remember about our time together was...

The BUGS!

Every time we moved among these weeds we'd stir up a plague!

No joke, buzzing our heads, flying into our mouths, etc.

It was quite entertaining....

That and the crazy lighting made the

whole thing a bit of an adventure.

And with these two, I bet that's indicative of the journey they are beginning.

I so enjoyed their playfulness,

as well as their affection.

I hope they won't mind me telling you that they first met in 8th grade.....

And yet, I can't help thinking that their love was appointed for such a time as this.

And not a moment sooner...

Thank you two for sharing the afternoon with me.

And Kyle....you were a heck of a good sport.

I bet you didn't think you could smile for 2 hours straight!

Just wait, you'll do it again at the wedding....

and September is so much sooner than we think!

Until then lovebirds,

Spring Break: Beach break

2011-05-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

Even though we had a break from 'school' for two weeks...our extracurricular activities didn't stop.

That and the rain put a bit of a damper on any long road trips.

So there was one day we packed up just after lunch and headed to Berkeley to check out the Adventure Playground. I've always wanted to take the kids there but apparently they are only open on weekends this month. Boo to that, but hoorah for the beach across the path.

We stayed to toss some rocks before heading home.

After fashioning a sand dune dam and throwing every rock and stick they could find......

we headed home for one of the boy's baseball games.

A little time in the sun with our toes in the waves makes for a fulfilling day.

Thankfully we didn't have to drive very far ;)

Spring Break: Boardwalk Beach Stop

2011-04-28T00:51:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't try to hit the boardwalk during Spring Break?

Well, since we were expecting rain, our group had decided to take the kids to play miniature golf on the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz.

Spending some time on the beach was another thought we semi-prepared for...but it seemed to be a long shot since it was drizzling while we drove there.

So we parked on the wharf and people watched while we waited for our food.

Oh and we were joined by some lazy sea lions lounging beneath our feet.

Then we took a vote....and the kids wanted to hit the sand!

At what age does it stop being comfortable to roll around in the sand like this?

Ah, who cares? It was a blast to watch them play.

The rain clouds were long gone, and only a bit of wind lingered.

But the overall temperature wasn't really cold until you sat there wet.

This crew is so easy going!

We stayed here for a couple hours, changed the kids and then most of the group headed off to walk the boardwalk.

But since the rides had closed, we went out for chinese food instead.

I love having no agenda...and just hanging out with great families.

It makes for great memory-making!

And as we rolled back into our driveway after 11pm in the evening.

We were still full of smiles.

It was a magical day!

Spring Break: Mystery Spot

2011-04-28T00:20:00.000-07:00

I love me some adventure....and I am certainly training up some great mini-me's.

So the day after Easter we jumped on board with our thrill seeking friends and drove off into the mountains to find the Mystery Spot.

What's that you ask?

Yeah, we weren't sure either....

We waited over an hour for our tour to start....

and in the meantime we hiked up a hill across the parking lot.

A hill with a narrow pathway full of mud and gorgeous greenery.

It was refreshing.....

...and spectacularly tiring.

Well, especially if you're wearing platforms ;)

The kids were happy to reach the top, and I was happy once we were back at the bottom.

As for Natalia, she thought she had visited a land of fairies....it was THAT lush.

So back to the mystery of The Spot.

It's a strange intersection of daring engineering and gravity.

Where things should have hung perpendicular to the floor,

they tilted off to the side.

Witness the door jamb Ian is holding onto....see how it stands at an angle to the right of his body.

Then there were the walls you could climb without holding on...

Several times the guide would pull out a billard ball and show us how it would 'roll' uphill.

Like it did on this board....it rolled to the left.

And the optical illusion of this row of women...who once they changed places.....no longer looked like they were in order of height.

But instead they appeared to be the same size.

It's tough to explain.

But I promise, it was a trip in person!

The kids were amazed...which made it all worth it :)

I, on the other hand, experienced SEVERE equilibrium issues for the next three days!

That is some serious visual trickery!

What a great time though....and it was only the beginning.

Next we headed to the boardwalk.....but that will have to wait for another post.

Photoshoot Bloopers

2011-04-21T23:33:00.000-07:00

For every shot that I love...I get one that makes me smile....and not necessarily for 'good' reasons.

So today, on Good Friday, I thought I'd share a few 'bloopers.'

May your weekend be filled with reflection and family, and beautiful memories!

Spring Break Photo Shoot

2011-04-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

On Monday we took a field trip to Klove radio station in Rocklin, CA. On our way home I bribed the kids with a trip to Old Town Sacramento.

I really wanted some decent shots of the three of them.

They really just wanted a treat.

So we fed a meter and off we went:

Anymore, their crazy personalities are tough to contain in ONE frame:

And don't even ask me what a REAL smile looks like.....they are all so rehearsed nowadays!

Though I'll give this little one credit.

She was also miserable with a runny nose. So I was just happy her hair wasn't completely bonkers by this time of day :)

She is Oh so willing to pose.

She's just too quick for my shutter.

So most of my shots are blurry.

Oh, for the day I get to upgrade.

Courtney (my camera), you've been faithful, but we're outgrowing

your abilities!

Merrick is a ball of smiles, so it's a treat to get something a little more pensive:

This one holds so much truth.

Shy, outgoing, nervous.

It's all there.

Some of my favorite shots were taken against this brick wall.

My three kids and a red wall...

woo hoo!

And this was the most relaxed I saw them ALL day ;)

It was beautiful really. The overcast skies, the goofy smiles.

One rubber band gun, a Ring Pop and a Hexbug later,

I'm thinking it was all worth it.

My favorite shots of the day;

(The love of brothers! )

And one of my favorite shots of our oldest:

Til next time Sac.....we'll be back.

Friendly Advice

2011-04-06T23:56:00.000-07:00

*I wrote this post so long ago....but the timing wasn't right to post it then.

But maybe today it's something you need to hear from God as well:

I've learned so much this week.

Or maybe I was just reminded.

That life is much simpler when you think like a child.

No second guessing.

No assumptions.

Just trust.

Several situations were given to me where I was biting my lip, waiting for the drama to unfold.

Times where I was praying for the strength before a confrontation.

Instances where I thought, this is it....I'm going to have to have one of 'those' talks with someone and need to defend my actions. The times I could NOT relax at a concert, on a road trip, at a function, because I thought I was being judged, or not living up to an expectation.

And after I fretted, and avoided the impending conversations or interactions, God blessed me with reassurance. Gentle pats on the back to say, "See, things are NOT always what they seem."

That phone call I avoided ended up with joyous news, NOT drama and guilt. The meeting I thought for SURE would end with one or both of us tearing up over misunderstandings....well, it didn't happen. Because it wasn't needed. That person never even worried about the situation I had second-guessed.

But the point is NOT the whos and the wheres of each situation.

It could be ANY situation.

God took this week and hugged me tightly.

Through a friend He even Commanded me, NOT to dwell on the guilt anymore.

It is not for me to carry the assumptions of others even one step further.

When I do, I miss out on the joy.

That reassurance that I get from loving and being loved by a miraculous God!

He has confirmed in my heart that I am loved and meant to love. That I am now surrounded by SO many genuine relationships that ooze honesty and forthrightness. Not assumptions and hidden anger. Just concern for each other, and the ability to build each other up even in the most difficult of circumstance.

And in that way, I was reminded today, of the simplicity of loving like a child.

For when my daughter saw this little girl without a friend......she held out her hand.

I don't think she worried about her best friend who was now walking 10 steps ahead of her. OR for the slide she would not be able to go down with this little girl. She was content in loving this little person who just happed to need somebody. No questions asked. Just loving her!

At that moment I was proud of her and her willingness to reach out.

There would be NO guilt for her to wrestle with...or misunderstandings for her to maneuver.

So this week;

I'm choosing hope and LOVE. And to let it go.

The shadow of the past will no longer cast itself over my healthy relationships.

I will NOT second guess EVERY. SINGLE. ACTION I make.

Amen?

A Day in the Life...

2011-04-04T00:28:00.000-07:00

....of a Tea Lady.

Every Friday our co-op enjoys tea together.

It's a feat to present a beautiful table and treats for 50-60 people.

As small as they may be.

High tea may normally be set with the finest bone china.

But I'd challenge you to find a more beautiful moment than three helpful toddlers loading up a cart of odds and end china.

These pieces have been lovingly collected for our group and

are crazily stored in one little cabinet on site.

Amazingly enough, it's usually the adults who end up breaking the random cup each week.

Not that anything could stop this production! One week I had volunteered to launder the tablecloths and napkins. Heading out the door the next week I realized they were still dirty and in their original bag.

Somehow we managed with available plastic table cloths,

paper napkins and a lot of grace!

The point of this tea time is instruction, not perfection!

Now onto our menu, which is the fluid side of this production.

Our food choices follow the guide of a savory, sweet, and fresh course.

Half the fun is watching what the three assigned families bring to share. Homemade scones, breakfast muffins, crudite, hummus, you name it, we've served it!

And when one forgets, (as all of us are prone to do atleast once!)

...it's a gift to see how we pull together and provide for the meal.

From a quick run down to Safeway, or a trip to the car for a full bag of pretzels.
There is always plenty of food for the kiddos to enjoy!

The Tea Lady arrives before any other teacher to ensure the tables and chairs are set up.

Then the tablecloths are smoothed out and the places set with a cup/saucer, a small plate, cloth napkin and a teaspoon. Colored photos are placed along each table for discussion during tea time. Each term we focus on one artist and we rotate through chosen pieces each week. The kids are taught to discuss the colors and content of each piece, as well as the mood/intentions of the artist.

Sometimes they even discuss how they might have changed a piece if they were its creator.

Sugar cubes are replenished, milk is poured into creamers, and colorful placecards are distributed.

Once the tables are set and the food is plated, a classical composition is piped into the room to complete the atmosphere. Then, before we serve the tea, and pray, we also have the children review etiquette.

If you would have asked me a year ago how my boys would do sitting down for tea,

I would have been speechless.

Now I know that they not only enjoy this time,

but they appreciate the effort that it takes to set the tea on their behalf.

Our Tea Lady is quite fantastic at what she does....

For after the quick teatime, there are tables to be cleared and a counter full of dishes to be hand washed.

It all amounts to a busy morning with dozens of caring mommas involved.

While the students return to their classes, a small troupe works to undo all that was set up only two hours before. But we all know that doing dishes ANYWHERE other than home, especially with friends is infinitely MORE enjoyable!

Soon the little cupboard will be full again and ready for the next week's hospitality.

And THAT my friend, is a day/or morning in the life of a 'Tea Lady.'

*This post dedicated to the one who makes it all happen. Stop blushing! You are loved <3

Sugar and Spice and Sour straws and Birthday Girls....

2011-04-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

For her birthday Natalia received many sweet presents.

We put off using one of them until this past Friday.

The weather was sunny and warm, and the occasion was perfect.

We had a celebration to attend....

For this sweet Girl, Miss Brielle.

Just days apart these two new friends turned 5.

At Natalia's Puppy Party, Brielle gave her a dress that matched her own.

And on Friday they wore their dresses out for a lunch date and a movie.

We rode together,

.....and dined together.

Though I think Natalia and I were too excited

about the movie treats to eat much at lunch!

Instead we thoroughly enjoyed their company,

including Brielle's little sister Ellycia and their mommy Ginamarie!

It was a busy lunch filled with Bagels, diaper bags,

ok, and a lot of pictures. Enough said :)

(PS- Natalia's scrunchy face is evolving into this silly face....

talk about cracking me up!)

After lunch we took a stroll down to the movie theater.

The entire city had turned up downtown for the premiere of Hop, or so it seemed.

Fun!

So we socialized a bit until Ellycia needed a change of scenery.

And we found a great spot to hang out by this fountain.

Photo-op!

And I found it fascinating that the girls reveled in their surroundings.

Even without tossing pennies, there is something magical about trickling water.

Can you feel the cold splash on your hands?

Close your eyes and listen for the sound.

Does it make you want to dance...

Or atleast spin around...?

Maybe it's just what happens when great friends gather in the sunshine.

Laughter is beautiful.

And birthdays are such joyous events!

Eventually, we found our way back to the theater.

But I really think we could have stayed outside all day.

God cover these two sweet friends as they grow and change, and learn from each other.

And may the magic of laughter and sunlight drench your heart today as well!

DIY: For Better or Worse Valances

2011-03-30T23:26:00.000-07:00

In the midst of finishing Natalia's valance I was also working on decorating our front windows.

Remember that box from my sister?

She had picked up this lush fabric on clearance at Joann's and never found an occasion to use it.

Once again, a beautiful freebie to work with!

I loved the contrast of the black, flocked flowers on a creamy background.

I decided my sad bare windows could this bold pattern.

They were suspiciously tall and blank, like WIDE-eyed exclamation points.

THOUGH, I can't show you just how bare because I didn't think ahead

to take a Before picture.

Just take my word for it.

Back to the fabric.
We (my sister and I) decided I'd have JUST enough

to cover the four windows in that room. So I stalled for a few days until she could come over and hold my hand. MAN, I was so scared to cut this beloved fabric!

But once we got going I got tunnel vision. And that's what I'm blaming for my novice mistake.

It wasn't until I cut the LAST piece of fabric that I realized the pattern should be running vertically.

Oops, I had mistaken those large tulips for Leaves.

But when your Interior Designer sister tells you no one will notice,
you just believe her.

So stop noticing ;)

As for my methods....I stuck to what I was familiar with. Only, this time I didn't even bother with the staple gun, I just I bust out my trusty glue gun.

I wrapped the fabric around the 2x4 and then tried to tuck and glue the sides.

However, there was an unfortunate pucker toward the middle.

(sorry no picture of that either)

Then my sister suggested I make the valance in three parts. Genius!

So I cut and glue-'hemmed' the front large piece of each valance
and created two smaller pieces for the sides. Here's a side view of the fabric covered wood.

Next, the backside.

You can see how each piece has 'seams'....all glued not sewn.

Oh yeah baby ;)

If I can do it, you can do it.

We measured the length and marked it with a pencil, then I just folded the fabric along that line as I ran a bead of glue in between.

The key was to measure and remeasure to make sure the hem stayed straight.

Aaaaand, even then you MAY goof. I know I did.

But the cool part about these valances is how high up they would be.

I'll also recommend you keep a matching Sharpie handy.

I used a black one to camouflage any visible glue.

Sssshhh, that's our little secret.

I highly doubt my work will be inspected.

Other than that, if I messed up I just pulled apart the two pieces of fabric and re-glued them.

All those glued seams perfected the stiff box shape I was looking for.

The end result holds up well.

By the way, I'm sure it's obvious that I cut corners anywhere I can.

Thus the one valance over the two windows.

I was afraid that if I split them up,
the chance of them being uneven or mismatched
would increase beyond my desire to even WANT to create.
And that's HUGE!

Thus, the unibrow.

I know, I know....the cords on my topiaries are ridonculously obvious.

Just lift your eyes up kids....don't look down.

I'll work on those later.

Until then...enjoy the view.

PS- this little bookshelf is a favorite of mine.

Our amazing Papi fashioned that bookshelf from a Pottery Barn ad I showed him.

The design is similar to this Martha Stewart one, only he backed ours with white bead board.

It's so simple and special, and perfect for our 'schoolroom.'

And that is all I have to share for today.

Stay tuned folks, there are plenty of spaces left to decorate around here!

And our next project involves this colorful fabric:

YAY!

A New Type of Opening Day in 2011

2011-03-27T00:33:00.000-07:00

Today started off bright an early in a high school gym surrounded by hundreds of uniform clad kids.

Their bright colors were accented with props and banners each being waved in the air as they circled the interior of our crowd.

Though the rain kept us inside, our spirits were high as this was the start to our Baseball season!

And what a season it has turned out to be.

Our first year being responsible for the organization of a team...which, with Jarrod being out of town almost every week, has proved to fall quite a bit in my court.

Not that I mind.....I do Major in the Bossiness Business....but I know NOTHING about actually making better players out of these little guys! Pay that no mind, we've been blessed with two other coaches that have MORE than pulled their weight.

But enough about us......all my joy lies in our little players.

Which Natalia and I decided to support with our fashion sense.

As I was saying.....This year has provided so many milestones already:

1) Ian moving up a division and being on a separate team from his brother

2) Jarrod managing a team as I already stated

3) Jarrod voted onto the Board for this League

4) Merrick walking

Oh yeah, that's no minor detail.

During today's parade, I remembered how last year we cajoled Merrick into participating. He was barely 3 months post-op, and mostly hobbling with the help of a walker.

He couldn't support his weight alone.

In fact, here is a blurb I wrote a month prior to Opening Day 2010:

Merrick shuffle/walked for most of today. I dared myself not to get over excited. But with each halting step he proved his bravery. Tomorrow we go back to Physical Therapy to check out his 'form.' It's no longer an IF he will walk again....it has progressed to a WHEN will he walk smoothly again, and how can I help him? From here improvements may be slow and laborious...Six more weeks the Dr. said, and of those two weeks need to be low stress...so no running.

So last year, as we approached that huge high school track he acted like we were going to torture him,

Check out his sad face:

Go ahead, be sad with him. I know I was. But we had to keep setting up goals for him to achieve!

For challenging him I will never apologize. I'll cry with him when it hurts. But I won't back down

(God balances us out though, Jarrod eventually pushed him part of the way around that track

since the walker had wheels on it ;)

As for this year,

It's a night and day difference.

He is ready to go. In fact, he is far more excited about playing than Ian is this year.

Which might be hard to believe:

Speaking of Ian, he missed out on today's festivities due to a sore throat.

He really tried to push through it this morning, even waking up and dressing in his uniform.

But then the thought of walking around in the parade exhausted him.

So I promised to take pictures of his team while he rested with Marmar.

Go River Bandits!

(Talia and I have black and white bandanas to match their theme. Eeeee, how I love themes!

It's that time of year again....

2011-03-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

...time for the animals to come out!

This year we have Cubs and Racoons...aka River Bandits.

We've been busy handing out uniforms, ordering banners, and coordinating snacks for the games that start next week.

Tonight was more of a dress rehearsal.

Thankfully we got ALL the pieces for their uniforms....you never know what kind of scramble you might have to do before Opening Day. But not THIS year!

Woo to the hoo!

They boys are stoked and if I go by my old stand by of rooting for my favorite uniforms, I'd have to say we a couple of winners here!

I couldn't get a closeup of Merrick....but man they both look SO cute...

er, sweet....um, slick?

Judge for yourself:

I can't wait for the first games.

Stay tuned.

Man, I love these boys!

Puppy Party

2011-03-21T00:22:00.000-07:00

Are you a dog lover?

I am converting.

But it's been a slow process.

Our girl, though....she was born one.

It's no surprise that she asked for a Puppy Party for her 5th birthday.

And you may know by now, we just need a theme, and we'll run with it.

So she invited 5 of her favorite people and we played Pass the Paw.

Each time the puppy song stopped, the winner earned a Monopoly dollar.

The girls were so excited about winning a dollar even though they had NO idea what they'd be buying!

And I have to give a special shout out to my boys....they were such great helpers.

I'm sure they'd tell you they are getting too old for this stuff. But they were right in there with the girls the entire way!

Next they moved to the Adoption center...where they were entertained and informed by Ranger Dad.

He shared with them a ton of cute puppy dog facts and then quizzed them about taking 'care' of their new puppies. Finally they girls were able to get their hands on their new furry little friend.

Thankfully everyone had a favorite and there weren't any conflicts between the new mommies.

Next the boys lead them on a scavenger hunt.

Growing up my mom would hide our presents and then we'd have to follow a series of clues to find them.

Well I thought I'd bring a little of that into the party. Also, I'll let you in on a little secret....I set every clue on the opposite floor of the house, so the kids expended some energy running up and down, up and down those stairs. Sshhhh, that's only for us grownups to know ;)

The hunt ended in the garage where the girls found their chow bowls:

(I feel the need to preface this gift by explaining that Natalia and some of her friends LOVE to 'play' puppies together. They trade off on being the dog or the Princess who owns the dog. And eating out of a dog bowl is like a dream come true....since it'd obviously be frowned upon in 'real' life ;)

So Natalia was thrilled that I bedazzled these Dollar Store chow bowls for the girls.

Ah, if only it could stay this easy in her teens!

Next we introduced the girls to our store.

Welcome to PetStart ;)

Here they could use their monopoly money to buy supplies for their puppies.

The Puppy Chow was a hit (who doesn't like Cocoa Puffs?)

There were also leashes, tags, collars, and crates for the girls to purchase.

My boys were more than happy to play store owner.

...SUCH good sports!

We spent some time placing jewels on the felt collars I had cut out....and the girls actually poured their Puppy Chow into their bowls for a snack.

Then Natalia brought out the Vet kit and examined the new adoptees.

Unfortunately, there must have been a bad case of kennel cough going around because ALL of them were given a sad diagnosis! But nothing a little love wouldn't fix.

Next our family arrived for dinner.

We served chocolate milk (Talia's favorite) and of course hot DOGS.

I gave myself a break on the cake making and bought ice cream cupcakes from Cold Stone.

Greatest idea ever... I STRONGLY recommend them!

They have a chocolate cupcake shell, a small piece of cake, a scoop of ice cream and then colored whipped cream on top, YUM!

Whew...are you puppied out yet?

Feel free to take a break, but the rest of this post is dedicated to the gift opening :D

We try to have the gift giver sit next to the birthday person while their gift is being opened.

I love this arrangement because I get to shoot moments like THIS much easier:

I also adore Ms. Abby's face here...pure excitement for Natalia to see the clothes she gave her. Ahem, Barbie AND big girl clothes <3

Brielle gave Natalia a dress that matches a dress she has so they can be twins....

man, girls are something else! So sweet!!

The pictures of the other girls didn't turn out, but she LOVED each of her presents and responded accordingly!

Next,

a moment of silence while I revel in my family. Oh, my loves:

Ah....thank you.

Now, "On with the show," as Natalia might say!

Her one great wish was for a Barbie this year.

My sister and I researched and agreed on God's Girlz as a great option.

She didn't mind,

You can see her reaction with her Uncle Ryry here:

All in all, it really was one of the easiest birthday parties we've done.

We started at 3pm and I took the last friend home just after 7:30pm.

And that was only because the girls were having so much fun.

Special thanks to Marmar who sponsored this event ;)

Without her I'd probably just fashion puppies out of old socks or something, ha.

And who knows if that would ellicit this response:

Our sweet girl is finally 5.....

And I'm not sure how we'll top this one, but for now, it will be one of the most memorable birthday parties for us all!

DIY: Sweet or Spooky Valance

2011-03-17T01:46:00.000-07:00

As evidenced by my FB glue gun rant....I've been acrafting as of late.

And not just any craft....I've been decorating our bare window frames.

My greatest cheerleader is my sister with her Interior Designer ways.

When we first moved in she sent me home with two HUGE boxes of fabric 'scraps.'

Needless to say I've been trying to figure out how many pillows and valances I could make ever since!

The challenge is that I don't sew....or atleast don't WANT to sew....thus the glue gun.

The other weapon in my arsenal is my trusty staple gun.

woo hoo!

And away we go......

Talia's room is taking on a Bohemian Chic theme.....filled with lots of patterns and tons of color.

So we brought out this fabric and it works great in her room.

First I stapled it around a 2x4 and my sweet hubby mounted it with L brackets to the wall.

Then I stalled for 2 weeks while I collected opinions on its final length.

Yea, I'm indecisive like that.

In the meantime, Natalia grew accustomed to the flat flap of fabric over her window.

Finally my sister came over and gave me the idea to add the ribbon to make a dog-eared something or other....(ha, feel free to correct me in the comments Trish!)

I must digress here to breathe fear into this story.

That same day Trish came over, I picked up The Neverending Story for the kids to watch.

It was one of my favorite movies growing up...and the kids were excited to watch it.

I was a little leery of that wolf-type creature, G'mork, scaring Natalia....but she is pretty good about letting me know if something is too intense for her. She didn't even look nervous, and raved about the movie for the rest of the day. That being said, she cried that night when it was time to go to bed.

We had tucked her in peacefully, but the minute she was left alone she came running out hysterical.

Enter, the evil valance.

I admit, it was overly poofy, and unhemmed, but SCARY?

Crooked maybe. The pink ribbon didn't match well.

But it shouldn't have been frightening to a child!

Martha Stewart maybe, but a 4 year old?

However,

she swore she saw the Rockbiter in her valance.

I shut off the lights and tried to see it her way.

I had to admit her nightlight cast an unfortunate set of shadows....

But I must say,.... if you haven't seen the movie..

The Rockbiter is a GOOD guy.

He's actually really endearing....and as sweet as a pile of rocks can be.

**sigh...

here I was worried about the length of the valance and instead I should have worried more about what my children were WATCHING while I was creating the valances!

Bad mommy of the year award goes to the creator of THIS:

So tonight I cut off half the fabric, glued myself a little hem and changed the ribbon on the valance.

The lighting is a little off since I did all of this WHILE she was asleep tonight....

Hopefully the scary billows are now gone.

Looking at the pictures I need to straighten the ribbon, but overall, I'm done here.

Her other window should come together quickly now that I know what I'm doing.

And to keep my sanity I'll have to ban The Neverending Story for another year or two.

Sorry buddy.

I'm going to sneak back in here to ask for your opinion....

Painting in here is a low priority since we haven't even touched the boy's room yet.

But I love to get my wheels spinning.

What color do you think for the walls?

Or a combination of two colors?

Thanks!

In a month's time....

2011-03-15T01:15:00.000-07:00

What a lazy blogger I have been. First I let my old blog just sit there because I can't figure out why my subscription for more pictures won't upgrade.....and then I go an neglect this blog week after week!

Well here, for your viewing pleasure, and for my validation, I present to you a photographic review of the past few weeks.

Starting at home:

I have many more projects open than my husband appreciates. Tomorrow I hope to finish this one....valances for our front room. Stay tuned for more details.

We celebrated the 'real' birthday of our youngest......and have been working hard on the party planning for her 5th birthday. Here she is, painting her Puppy Party invites, don't you love that fresh from the tub glow?

I made 100 or so of these scones the other day. They were chock full of dried apples, and stuffed with Blackberry jam, then brushed with a cinnamon butter glaze.

Nothing like dressing up a little Bisquick to feed the masses.

I helped host a Progressive Luncheon that had our new home filled with lovely ladies <3

Outside of our home:

Natalia has found a little kindred spirit....and man, if we lived closer these two would be attached at the hip!

I played Twister and failed miserably.

My boys have been such adventurers lately...and so noisy. I'm going to blame it on Spring Fever and be glad that Baseball season is here!

Oh, that's another busy thought...we're managing Merrick's baseball team, and have been busy running the kids to 3 practices a week, weather permitting.

I've been surrounded by newborn cuteness. So far it hasn't been catching.

I ate a cupcake that Smurfed out my tongue. And for some reason I felt posting that was necessary.....

As for my background...yes I painted that mess of a canvas, and the flag on my desk is cracking me up! Seriously, Nikki are you razzing our country? Never! God bless America!

On a more serious note:

We spent last month praying for my Nina. She was in the hospital for 3 weeks and bounced back from some major trauma, and this picture encompasses, much of the serenity in our last visit.

Amazing. Thank you Jesus that her time here is not yet finished. And that she met our sweet boy Josiah.

We also attended a surprisingly fantastic concert by Matthew West. But the emotional bonding was even more fascinating. Praise God that He inspires artists with such passion. Matthew West moved a lot of people that night.....and it was even better shared with the closest of friends:

Last but not least, we climbed a mountain to touch the snow.

Which deserves it's own post.
But suffice it to say that I shed tears that day.

Yes, the victory was sweet.....

And the memories priceless.

I'll try not to let this month's memories bottleneck into one post.

But consider yourself caught up for now.

Josiah my love

2011-02-20T23:50:00.000-08:00

I was never the babysitter in the family.

That was my sister's job.

Growing up there were plenty of jokes about how I would hold babies at arms length instead of cuddling them to my body. I think I was scared more than anything.

It takes vulnerability to coo to an infant.

And that's not always my 'thing'....ha ha.

But I have to say that having a brand new little nephew is quite heavenly.

I mean, you'd think that I'd be a bit immune to that baby smell, what with having our own brood of three, and our youngest about to turn 5!

But I can't think of anything better than our new little addition, Josiah Mason.

So needless to say, I jumped at the request to take his announcement pictures.

He was just 7 days old at the time.

And just a lil ball of squishy yum!

He has steely, grey eyes and magnificent curly hair.

And well, he's just so ....'pliable' for lack of a better word!

So my sister filled his tummy and lulled him to sleep.....and we had our way with him.

His daddy is a 49er fan....as is Papi....and of course our family...so we made sure to document his allegiances from the get-go.

See what I mean?

And well, some poses worked out better than others!

The cake platter was a no-go.

But he did let us strip him down for the nude shots.

I tried to remember everything I'd ever read about taking pictures of infants.

Keeping them warm and comfy is numero uno!

And he did great as long as I only snapped a few shots, and then I covered him back up for a minute.

But if it got too breezy.....well, he was NOT a happy camper:

All in all, it wasn't hard to capture the magic. He sleeps like a rock.

I even re-positioned his hands a few times.

Cutie-patootie!

Towards the end my kids couldn't help themselves...they needed to jump in on the fun.

Josiah was oblivious!

What is it about baby feet that makes them so delectable?

Here I played ring toss with my prego ring.

I just wanted a size reference for those toes.

We all know they will NOT stay this small and clean!

Ah yes, this has to be close to what it feels like to be a grandparent. It almost hurts how much I love this little guy. I can spoil him and take him places, and then send him home.

Awesome.

I'm just thrilled that my kids will grow up with a lil cousin.

They have cousins on Jarrod's side. But since Trish is my only sister.....well, it was all up to her ;)

I wish I could show you some more great shots, but I have to wait until the announcements come out.

I don't want to steal any thunder.

We all love to get a little snailmail right? It reminds us that we're human not just machines ;)

So I leave you with one parting shot.

I'm sure I'm biased, but MAN I am talking perfection with those feet!

And I'll end with this quote:
Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream.
Khalil Gibran

Oregon coast roadtrip- Part Two

2011-02-17T01:10:00.000-08:00

Like I said....it's never a dull moment when we're roadtripping.....

but man this trip lent itself to some gorgeous eye candy.

Witness winter dusk on the beach....

All that cloud cover provided ample opportunity for the aspiring photographer in me. I had a field day with the lighting! Sigh, so much to learn....and even MORE to one day photograph! But I digress....

The kids......Oh the kids were full of it to say the least.

After our early morning lighthouse tour, we had a mission to accomplish.

Jarrod needed me to drive to a town 30 minutes away and find their UPS store. Though it sounded easy enough....it took us 3 hours to find the place, coordinate with Jarrod on where he wanted it shipped, and stop for various bathroom/food breaks. Randomly enough....the UPS store was in the same parking lot of a HUGE Goodwill store. My curiosity paid off and we were rewarded with New With Tags jeans for each of the kids, and a Brand New Oster Blender, all for $20. Not a bad detour if you ask me!

Then it was time to pick up Jarrod from work.

Before we headed to dinner....we thought we would stop by a park to let them 'get out their wiggles.'

I had passed a fantastic city park during the day.....and Jarrod assured me he had seen one near the beach.

His idea of a 'park' turned out to be a couple benches on the beach.

Hilarious miscommunication there babe.

But we utilized that bench for all it was worth:

Though the weather had been gorgeous around....65 degrees all day long....the sun was now setting and it was brisk out there!

The kids were dying to get in the water, so we held them off with a little rock tossing ;)

Then, having dogged inmates AND hypothermia for one day,

it was finally time for dinner.

And what MUST you eat when you're staying beachside?

Seafood of course!

After lobster and some delish wine, it was time for the promised hotel swim at the indoor pool.

The kids exhausted themselves while we sat poolside playing Angry Birds.

IT was the perfect ending to a busy day!

The next morning we were up in time to catch the complimentary breakfast and then back on the road.

Eating, driving, driving, eating....are you seeing a pattern here?

Our goal was to head down the coast to a place called the Trees of Mystery.

On our way we randomly saw signs that pointed to another lighthouse.

What a gem of a stop it turned out to be!

The lighthouse was located on a peninsula.

During high tide the lighthouse location is more of an island....making all the rocky beach in between RIPE for tide pools!

You can see the waves creeping in on the left. At high tide this ramp UP to the lighthouse would be partially covered.

The tide pools were such a gift, as we had studied these little habitats earlier in the year.

These pools were chock full of crabs, both hermit and full sized crabs, starfish, and tiny fish.

It's so amazing for the kids to recount to their daddy what they had learned about each of these creatures.

Not to mention the hands on factor. Though, I love that our four year old was the bravest one.

Completely unafraid to hold the live creature.

Well, she might have been a LITTLE grossed out...but in the end she was bolder than EITHER of her brothers....and especially her mother!

We had a funny Circle of life moment as we walked away from this starfish.

We watched a seagull swoop down and grab something for a snack.

And I practically had to hold back the boys from chasing down the bird.

In the end, we spotted our little starfish friend and relocated it to deeper waters. He survived becoming lunch for one more day. Sorry Mr. Seagull, not on our watch!

Back to the Lighthouse.....smiles seemed hard to come by....

Oh wait....here are a couple:

It was strange walking around the grounds because this lighthouse is actually still occupied.

Though the inside is closed for tours until May, we could peek in and see all their belongings.

It seemed the family was just out running errands. It felt a bit obtrusive. Needless to say, we didn't stay for long. Though it was a beautiful stop!

We still had plenty of road to cover.

My amazing husband had the 9 hour drive to complete with us PLUS another 4 hours to finish before his head hit the pillow that night.

Unfortunately, we decided to cut across Oregon on the windiest road I've EVER been on which added atleast 3 more hours onto our drive.

Jarrod laughs that we are the WORST road trip companions as we force him to stop for potty breaks and we ALL tend to get motion sickness.

Well I say it's HIS fault for dragging us along!

But in the end, as long as we keep popping lemondrops and Dramamine.....

the memories are worth the effort.

I just think it's amazing that he wants to be with us SO much that he'd trade a peaceful, non-stop business trip, for a much interrupted escapade with us.

I can't say enough about what a terrific daddy he is.

Until next time Oregon Coast.

I'm sure we'll pass this way again. Just not across the 35 next time! Ick, I thought my stomach was doing back handsprings!

the End

So this is love....

2011-02-14T00:31:00.000-08:00

Hopefully I'm not the only one who plays tracks of old Disney songs in her head.

Because otherwise you're going to have to use your imagination here.

But if you're in the know, and you can replace the image of the waltzing, blonde Cinderella......

With the Jew and his Mexi-momma.....

then you can sing along
**I decided to help you out...just push play before you scroll down:

So this is love, Mmmmmm

So this is love
So this is what makes life divine

I'm all aglow, Mmmmmm

And now I know
The key to all heaven is mine

My heart has wings, Mmmmmm

And I can fly
I'll touch ev'ry star in the sky

So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of
Mmmmmm
Mmmmmm
So this is love

Ah....nothing like a good old fashioned sing-a-long on Valentines.

If only I had the proper tech skills to bust out the bouncing ball.

Maybe next year.

For now I leave you with a kiss....

PS- I know, my lips scare me here too.....

but he didn't run- so I guess we're ok.

Wildflower

2011-02-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

I interrupt our Oregon posts for a little Art Appreciation.

We're all down sick over here....yet, the energy levels are UP....just not for mom ;)

I'm at that sneezy miserable stage of a cold. Stuffy I can handle, drippy...not so much.

But this is not a post about illness, but rather what we do to keep busy while we're ill.

It feels cruel to expect a sicky lil one to concentrate on a new concept or fine tune their motor skills, so instead we play. Atleast that's what Talia was up for today.

She was dying to paint and had this canvas to finish up for her daddy.

And boy does she ever concentrate when she is painting!

As an aside....I was REALLY grateful for that sealing binge I went on before we moved in.

I was thinking that tile was hardy enough to paint on without laying a tarp down......but then the entire paint 'tray' fell and I thought I would die when I saw the acrylic seeping into the grout lines.

Obviously I didn't die.

And thankfully the sealant worked great!

It scrubbed right up :)

Crisis averted...now back to painting.

The main reason I wanted to share this art session was to highlight Talia's final piece.

Take a peek before I label it. What do you see?

She calls this one Wildflower.

At first glance it didn't look like much more than a finger painting, but I loved her definition:

"Mom, this is a wildflower. God calls them that because they are bad. They do all kinds of crazy things so He made them all twisty and crazy.

They are wild, that's why they are called Wildflowers.

I'd buy that.

Stuffy noses and all....I'm so thankful for home days that bring out our creativity :)

Oregon coast roadtrip- unplanned danger and such- Part I

2011-02-08T23:59:00.000-08:00

Lately Jarrod has been away on business a bit too much for our liking.

A week or two ago he was going to be gone for most of the week, so he convinced us to come with him on his first leg. It took a bit of tackling, but I eventually packed up our family of five and we were on the road the next morning.

We had some amazing scenery to oogle on our way up...witness the cloud cover over Shasta:

It was an easy 9 hour ride up the 5....and once we were settled in, we had a total of 48 hours before we had to be back in California....whirlwind huh?

But we made the most of it...and the weather was amazing.

The Oregonians were baffled at the 68 degrees in February. I'll take it I thought!

The kids and I got up for the complimentary breakfast Monday morning and we headed up the street to Face Rock, can you see it?

I actually think she's a little creepy.

Like she's trying to get up after being underwater. She definitely doesn't look happy.

Maybe it's the nose-picking....

Our latest unit study had us learning about Lighthouses.

PERFECT since there are quite a few still located on the Oregon coast.

Unfortunately, the lighthouse tours don't start until late Spring....bummer, but it was fun to stomp around the grounds.

We also found a great tidepool reveal. Yes, I'm THAT mom that lets her kids go out on slippery wet cliffs. Shhhhh, don't tell Marmar. ;)

A huge wave came up a few minutes later that left Talia and I squealing with fear!

Even better......as we were leaving to walk back to the van we had one MORE run in with danger. Or not, but it felt dangerous. You see as we were driving out onto the tip of this peninsula, we passed a large white van. You know, the commercial type that makes you think of worst case scenarios.

Well this was a special kind of van and I was glad we were leaving them in our dust.

Well, after our 20 minute tour of the lighthouse and surrounding area we were headed back to the van and I was confronted with a group of men in orange jumpsuits. Oh yeah, that was no ordinary van. It was filled with INMATES, atleast that's what was emblazoned across their chests. Awesome.

I tried to find a path around them, but they were parked RIGHT.NEXT.TO.OUR.VAN.

So I started praying and made eye contact with the man with the shotgun.

Well that's what I was hoping was in his hands.

I ushered the kids as far right as we could manage and tried to avoid the hellos of the inmates.

Yeah, friendly or not, you're wearing a jumpsuit, yo!

Needless to say we made it back to our van and hightailed it outta there!

Thank God our adventures for the morning were coming to a close.

And my babies were safe and sound.

I love how they were oblivious....witness two of their smiles:

Ian on the other hand is going through that GOOFY smile phase.....seriously I can't get a decent smile outta him to save my life!

Good thing he's cute and all, just wish my arms were long enough to tickle him AND push the shutter button at the same time!

More Oregonian fun to come....

New Year's Eve trip to the Zoo

2011-01-02T23:54:00.000-08:00

So much of this Christmas 'break' was spent preparing our house for a party or with all of us majorly sick, that we finally just threw caution to the wind and took a trip to the Oakland Zoo.

Thankfully our dear Dusich Clan did not find our snotty status as a drawback. So with tissues in hand, we headed out early Friday morning.

Our masterplan was two-fold.

Spend the day with family and friends.

Then leave the exhausted kids at home so we could Ring in the New Year like adults!

Our efforts were not wasted as you can see on the smiling faces of our brood.

A trip to the zoo with our membership is a normal sort of outing for the kids and I, but

it was certainly a treat to have dad tag along on our ventures.

And the animals were in rare form that day.

We witnessed quite a bit of playtime......the elephants even threw Christmas Trees at each other!

Man, and I thought OUR sibling rivalry was bad!

The Plaid Pink Tigress was a bit fiesty:

And the carniverous mammal exhibits were frightening:

And our favorite exhibit featured this little guy we dubbed the EuroPunk Rockstar:

Some years I dislike the week after Christmas that Jarrod is required to 'take off' from work.

It means less pay at a time of year that we could really use it, without the benefit of an actual 'vacation' for us to get away....

But this year we basked in the downtime.

We joked that we just bought our 'vacation home'....

So after a month of marathon moving/party planning/Christmas spending, etc.....we pretty much vegged and tried to make this new house our home.

But by New Year's Eve, this outing with daddy was exactly what the Dr. ordered.

A little get-away with friends:

(There is something striking in these two pics....of our 6 year olds followed by Shali's parents, and that's all I'll say about that ;)

The cold kept us bundled up, but not too miserable, unless you translate mommarazzi (that's me) attacks as torturous (Ian is SO over his mom taking endless pictures)

Talia found her favorite hands on exhibit in this pig pen.

What was God thinking when He gave me such an animal loving daughter?

I'd rather have a stuffed pig. Or a slice of bacon.

Or one of these toddlers.

Because I know he gives good facial massages:

Here's to more frequent posting on the blog in the New Year!

Cheers to wrapping up 2010 with dear friends:

May 2011 be filled with as many smiles!

Moving Day

2010-11-17T23:55:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm sore in places that don't make sense, and my toe is the color of a ripe plum, I feel compelled to document the beginning of the end of this journey.

For even on it's first day it was FULL!

Timing:

I find it ironic that we assumed our escrow would close on November 15th.

This was an unconfirmed assumption as our renter's signed a lease on April 13th and we had to wait for them to be in our old house for 6 months. That put our START of escrow at October 13th....with a 30 day close.

Blah, blah, real estate details.

As our timeline drew to a close we (er....I) pushed for a 15 day escrow hoping to close on November 5th.

As usual there were MORE than enough hiccups to get us to where we were this week....closing on November 16th. Amazing:

No matter how HARD I tried to 'make it happen' faster.....

Those keys did not get into my hands until the appointed time.

So yesterday, November 16, 2010-

The Weiners went home.

hee hee.

Prep:

Natalia and I picked up our keys, garage door openers and a little box from Tiffany & Co., from the nice salesperson. I was surprised by the pretty blue and white bundle, but I reminded myself that we DID make quite a big purchase here. So thank you very much Standard Pacific! That little candy dish may be the only thing I ever get from Tiffany's! Ha.

Then I spent the next 3 hours on my knees wiping Tile Sealer onto every eligible surface in our new home.

Let's just say that the little bottle I purchased was supposed to cover 1,000 square feet. And I wouldn't have complained a bit about the entire process....except that I backed into the corner of a wall and jammed the second toe on my left foot. Sprained or broken, I was not about to let it hamper this moving process!

So puffy and bruised we finished the job and settled back at my parents while those fumes aired out.

The deliveries begin:

Today we headed back to the house to welcome our belongings. With Jarrod still out of town for work it was just myself and one dear set of friends. Little did I know how hard the three of us were about to work.

Our first POD finally arrived at the very last minutes of their 3 hour delivery window. Apparently our new development is hard to find. We spent about an hour unloading the first quarter....maybe even half of that POD when our second POD showed up. It was about that time that we were told both PODS weren't going to fit in our driveway and that our city has an ordinance where they cannot be stored in the street.

The blessings abound:

Thankfully the driver gave us a little leeway and we kicked it in high gear. Can I tell you that we unloaded the rest of that POD in less than 20 minutes? I felt like we were being filmed for a reality show. It was totally a race against time to undo this 8ft square of boxes row after jam packed row! We didn't bring it into the house, but everything made it into the garage. And as long as I wasn't running things up and down the stairs......my little blue toe didn't throb as much! I am just so thankful to my dear friend Cheri who was there today and who convinced her hubby that this would be a good idea ;) I tear up thinking about how much they helped today. Amazing!

She even stuck around and unloaded my entire kitchen! Another friend, Barb showed up for the evening round and helped me sort through a few boxes and wrap my head around all the decor. On an earlier note, my mom took Merrick to his dentist appointment and then spent the rest of the day nursing my ailing daughter with chicken soup and vicks.

As you can see, I don't do anything alone. And what a gift that has been. Jarrod will be home tomorrow and I can't wait to see his face when he gets to the new house. Tomorrow we'll unpack more boxes. And I don't doubt that there will be more help to back me up! What gifts!

stay tuned.....and until them sit back and enjoy the view.....

The clock is ticking

2010-11-03T00:40:00.000-07:00

It's about that time. It's November after all.....and we're smack dab in the middle of escrow.

What an unnerving and wonderful place to be!

I've been so full of thoughts and unable to organize them enough to put them down here, but just know that the gratitude is flowing over here....BIG time.

Did I ever mention the 'discussion' that started off this journey back in March.....when Jarrod and I had a nice hash-it-all-out fight.....and we both realized we weren't fighting each other, we were actually fighting for the SAME thing......we were just sick and tired of sitting stagnant...waiting.

We weren't even sure what we were waiting for anymore. We just tend to take a LONG time making decisions! (Insert Barb's full agreement here) And sometimes that's due to fear, and other times is just a lack of us making the effort to get on the same page. Life has a funny way of getting REALLY busy. Then one day you wake up and realize you're just going through the motions rather than asking God, "What's up? Where are we headed?" So we finally did, and the rest is looking kinda history-like.

But the goal was never to buy a brand stinking new house. The goal was a change. And an effort to put our heart's desire out there. We hoped for a little more space in the kitchen. I longed for a schoolroom. But is any of that crucial for a faithful walk? Nah. But taking that step toward a goal and really relying on the Lord to provide each step along the way.....that was important. And call it happenstance, but He has provided. And how.

We can't wait to be settled. And to pray about our NEXT leap of faith.

But this week my ponderings are much more organizational.

I stand and look at this kitchen and for the life of me, I can't figure out where to put the dishes, or the plates, or the coffee station. Feel free to chime in here. Near the dishwasher I suppose....

But do I want the dishes down low enough for the kids to help me unload them?

This is where my brain is lacking.....the Martha Stewart functionality is lost on me.

I remember moving into our first home and with all the renovation we needed to make, this was the one wall I painted that stayed the same for the remainder of our time in that house.
These were my squares. It took us atleast 4 days to tape off and paint this one wall.
I absolutely loved it. It was serene and it also represented one of our first married couple projects together.

I can't even fathom painting in the new house. This time I'm more concerned with the functionality of the place. Where to hang laundry.....how to set up the kid's rooms, if I have enough bath mats for all that tile.
Oh, don't get me wrong. There will be paint, and LOTS of it!.......but I'm pacing myself. I'd like to get in there and watch where the light falls during the day. It all seems so non-urgent. Well that and the paint is all fresh and new. God knew what I could handle this time around. How little I could devote to the BIG projects. And how even though I asked for this much house.......I can picture Him smiling and saying, "Open up your arms wider dear one. You have NO idea what's in store for you."

What more could a girl ask for?
(oh that's right, I'm still asking for your help in the kitchen....thanks ;)

Don't look down....

2010-10-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna let you in on a little neurosis of mine...
well if you've been in a car with me for any length of time...then you already know what I'm talking about...especially if I was driving through a hilly stretch of road.
I have a fear of losing control.
ha ha.
No joke you say....
But this fear translates itself in SO many debilitating ways.
The one that has reared it's head in my life concerns my fear of speed and steep windy roads.

Going back to my childhood, I've never liked to go fast. From the time I tried my hand at anything on wheels (a bike, roller skates, etc) I DID NOT enjoy the feel of going too quickly....I only wanted to know how to slow down. Where is the brake? How do I snowplow? On skates I wore out the stopper in the front. I did NOT like to feel out of control. It's a safety mechanism in all of us, but mine seemed to be on hyperdrive!

The other day I was driving with a friend to a field trip that involved a HUGE hilly stretch. We laughed as my grip tightened on the wheel and I asked her to turn up the hair blowing on my face. I can't help that my palms get sweaty on that road. It's just automatic. And the entire time I try to talk myself down internally....."Get a grip"....."Loosen up"......."Shake it off"
Usually I can pray my way through it or concentrate on a song to make the time fly by....but this time everything seemed amplified as I was talking with my friend. Don't get me wrong, this is usually all in my head. On a bad day, if you were outside observing you might see me slow down and go all "Granny's driving" on you. But for the most part this is an internal monologue that I just happened to bring my friend into.

The greatest thing was that instead of humoring me, she decided to talk me through it, and we actually got down to the heart of the problem. She asked me, "What is it about these long curves that frightens you?"
"I just feel out of control, unless I slow down to like 40 miles an hour........I feel like the centrifugal force swings me out too far and I'm afraid of overcorrecting." (No joke, these are my thoughts)
And the best part was she completely understood.

Being an avid dirt bike rider she went on to explain how it's easy to feel out of control if you look at the road just in front of you. "You need to look way ahead of you, keeping your eyes focused on your destination. Your immediate path will remain in your peripheral, but you won't faulter on the little curves." I tried to shift my focus and, what do you know? It worked. She said, "It's the funniest thing. If I see a huge rock in the road when I'm on my bike, the worst thing I can do is concentrate on NOT hitting that rock. If I don't focus on the bump in the road then I automatically go around it. It's like your brain knows its there, and will compensate for that. But if you stare at it, then you're trying to figure out how to handle it. Our minds are much more powerful than we give them credit."

Since then I've had a MUCH easier time going down LONG stretches of hilly roads. It feels like I've overcome a HUGE mental roadblock. And the more I ruminated on this newfound skill, the more I've applied it to other parts of my life.

It's so easy to trip up on the rocks in the road if I keep staring at my feet. But if I extend my gaze upwards, I take my trust off my own understanding and things fall in line naturally. Does this mean I'll never trip and fall? Nah, but in the absence of my fears the road is much smoother. Taking fear out of the equation levels the playing field a bit.

I just have to let go and stop looking down.

What immediate situation do you need to stop concentrating on today?
Just look up. Stop worrying about HOW you'll get there, and focus on the end game. You will never have control over how the road bends, but you CAN control how you respond to the curves.

Just don't look down.

Don't Stop Believing....

2010-10-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

For those of you keeping track, it's October....
and if you're reading this then you may know how significant that is in the Weiner family.....

October 15th is official GO-time for our escrow!
I'm so grateful for your faithful prayers and love (hosting us over for dinner/lending us your house, etc)
I love that so many of you sent me excited messages once the calendar turned to October 1st !! Woo hoo! We're getting close, and I'm all about having a great cheer squad behind us...especially as we're in fan mode rooting for the SF Giants in the playoffs! But that's a WHOLE other post!!

That being said I have a confession (don't I always?)
My faith has been waivering.
Not in a bad way, but I just really haven't FELT like we're going to get this house.
Now I know that the Lord just wanted me to buck it up and get praying.
(I'm sure those weren't His exact words.... ;)
You see here I am trying to plan a baby shower for the day after Thanksgiving, and the ideal location of the shower is our new home...naturally. I don't expect to have it decorated or be anything more than living out of boxes in it by then....but I'd just like to be able to decorate for the shower and prep casually the week before...rather than be crunched transporting everything to another location the day of...
That being said I have been all Eeyore-ish about our house...and the likely hood of the deal falling through.
To the point that I've kept a steady search of current rentals nearby. If I've said it once, it bears repeating:
Oh ME of LITTLE FAITH!!!

That brings us to Sunday when our favorite person from the Sales office called to check in. She congratulated me on the great news...(?) To which I told her I knew nothing.
She went on to explain that our loan was approved last week....even though my favorite (ahem) financial guy hadn't yet informed us! So woo hoo and what the heck all ran through my mind at once.
But ultimately this was GREAT news! (Could this really be happening?)

Then today- Confirmation.
My God sign.
It's totally in Hands bigger than mine.

The loan processor finally sent an email to Jarrod filled with extra information that we'll need upon closing the deal.One of the 10 bullet points casually mentions that they want to see a certain sum of money in our bank 'reserves.' We're not talking hundreds but thousands of dollars that we just don't have, nor do we have access to....but Jarrod didn't stress, he just shook off all the questions and kept working until he got a call from me.

Here is where things get interesting.
The reason for my call came with his paycheck. I had opened the envelope to find two checks. I was thrown off by the second check and called to ask if he was expecting it. He laughed and asked how much it was for.....and wouldn't you know, the amount of the check covers 90% of what we need to have in reserves. He was expecting a quarterly bonus, but this one is over double what he received last quarter-we're talking over a month's salary....completely unexpected. But obviously not to God.

Apparently we're getting a new house folks.
And I better get on the ball and start believing it.

September Ends with Random thoughts

2010-10-01T00:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just think I need to post a couple thoughts...

be they coherent or not.

So here goes.

Random thought #1

I found this picture of a wallhanging we own. I miss it.

Missing it made me realize that our November is going to feel like Christmas....because I get to unwrap things I haven't seen in over 6 months!

Double Christmas Bonus!!

How exciting is THAT?!?!

Random thought #2

Tonight I cooked up over 4 dozen sausages to take camping on a trip we won't be staying overnight....I'm bummed....but the REASON we can't stay the night is this:

We have GIANTS tickets!!!

So we'll be headed off to watch the Giants who will have by then either clenched the Western Division OR

will be very close.

We bought these tickets back at the beginning of summer having NO idea what a great year the Giants would have.

It's all very exciting.

I think we'll need to pick up a SF Giants cheerleader this time ;)

Random Thought #3

While I was helping my sister shop for her baby registry it struck me that if I was a character in a

Disney cartoon, then I'd probably be shaped like this:

Ala, the wardrobe in Beauty in the Beast. Gotta love those curves baby ;)

But really, I think it's a fantastically funky dresser though I'd NEVER buy it full price.

Random Thought #4

I need to catch myself on camera a bit more often.

Not for the sake of narcissism....but because it might matter to someone one day.

That thought struck me during a convo with a friend.

As she is planning her mom's memorial, she realized that between nine siblings, they have less than a dozen pictures.

For Good or Bad mommas, we need to get in those shots.

We have a legacy we're leaving. The unseen influences are obviously most important.....but a written/visual record can be just an meaningful.

And I don't care how old you are when your momma passes, you're always going to feel like an orphan.

So let's leave lots of amazing memories to help our own babies through it.

Sometimes I think my kids could pick out my grouchy/stern face in a lineup MUCH easier than they could my happy face. Sigh**

And with that I wave goodbye to another month, and wake up another day closer to the rest of our lives.

Happy October ya'll!