Saturday, June 28, 2008

Welcome Rowan Asher!!!

I am so excited for my friend A, her DH J, and DD L. They welcomed a beautiful boy into the world on Saturday. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

A wordy update

Blogger is acting weird with pictures and I do not feel like dealing with it so you get a wordy update. Grammatical errors and all since as Joe puts it I write conversationally. LOL.

Big news is we are getting chickens! I am so excited. Joe not so much but he is excited that the kids are. We asked the landlord even though our lease says no pets and he said yes. He asked us to check with the neighbors first and they were fine with it. We are thinking 8 chickens. No roosters inside city limits though. To cut costs I found 2 dog houses on Craigslist, one for free and the other only $10. Our wonderful, lovely friend L and her husband E picked them up for us with her dads truck. THANK YOU!!! Now to figure out how to attach them together and build the run.

Michael has gotten hives again. Marah also had some hives last week. They did not have them at the same time so unrelated incidences. We are thinking about allergy testing for both of them. Marah because of her ears and Michael because well he is just so darn sensitive to everything. I don't know though since they are both so young. I just don't want to put them through that.

Madeline is doing well. She chose her classes at HCA next year. World Crafts again and Messy Science. In science they are doing plant hydroponics. How cool is that! Both kids will take PE through HCA at the YMCA. They will get swim lessons the first hour and gym/group sports the second hour.

Marah is very two still. She scared the childcare workers at church last week. She actually let me leave her and well was fine for all of two minutes. She them backed herself into a corner screaming and tried to hit anyone who came near her. Needless to say she will be staying with us for a while longer. I am also looking for a babysitter for Bible study as two weeks ago she picked up a chair and smashed some little kid over the head with it. Sigh... Joe and I have been talking and someone suggested that maybe she just gets overwhelmed in groups. Thinking about it she is most aggressive when we are out with large groups of kids/people. So for a while (this to shall pass right?) we will try and keep her out of those situations unless there will be someone who can keep and eye on her closely.

Nomy is getting so big. She is laughing, smiling, and trying to roll over. Madeline has taken to her and is constantly asking to pick her up. Several times I catch her taking her into her room so they can "play". LOL.

Work is good for Joe. He is super busy, as always. I on the other hand have started to hate his phone. I want to flush it down the toilet or throw it off a bridge. Not sure which would be more fun. There are lots of bridges in Portland I am sure one of them would do sufficient damage. He really does have a great job though. He is blessed to be one of the few people in this world that is actually doing what he enjoys. For that I am grateful. He is planning to take some time off in July so he can help out at the church's summer camp and also to go hiking with Brian on Mount St. Helens.

I am doing well. I have been feeling really well and have so much more energy than I did a few months ago. The laundry is still Mount Klemz on a daily basis and Joe has threatened to go buy more underwear. :) I did my first custom order for Sewing Alley recently. Someone I know in PDX gave a friend my contact info and I made her two eye spy bags. It was so fun so sew again after such a long break. I really over extended myself in December. I had so much sewing to do that I was really not enjoying it as much. But my machine is out now and I am trying to get more time to sew. I am reading a great book called Pushed. Its about birth (of course) and I am really enjoying it.

L and E thanks again!

B and M update your blog! Maddy is begging to read more. Can't wait to see you!

Saturday, June 7, 2008

A Poem by Peggy Omara

I read this on someone's blog the other day. Had to share.

There Will Be Time
There is time still
for sitting in cafes
in Paris
sipping wine.
Time still
for going to meet
the guru.
There is time still.
Now I am caring for eternity.
Carrying bodies soft with sleep
to beds of flowered
quilts and pillows.
Answering cries deep out of
nighttime fears.
Buckling shoes.
Opening doors.
Pretending.
My soul now is dwelling in
the house of tomorrow.
Tomorrow there will be time
for long leisurely conversations,
for poems to write,
and dances to perform.
Time still.
So I surrender now
to them and this,
knowing it is they
who will teach me
how to do it all.

Peggy O'Mara

Friday, June 6, 2008

MDC Vancouver Spring Picnic

June 1st we went to the MDC Vancouver Spring Picnic. We all had a blast. It was chilly but luckily did not rain. We hope to plan another one for August.

Building a fire.


Michael


Sweet girl


The playground


Madeline


Our picnic shelter


Blowing bubbles


Madeline liked these flowers.


Playing in the river.




J holding baby Nomy.




Digging in the sand


Rock throwing


Walking on all the trails




J and A


M and some of the kids by the fire.


BBQing


Mmmm yummy.


Darn it won't all fit.


Nomy


Tree climbing


Wall climbing


R, H, and Joe on the playground.

Nomy's FIRST Laugh

And I caught it on video!!!

Umm Okay

What we saw when we woke up this morning.


What is it?


Apparently something had a problem with our pool noodles.


An investigation!


A suspect!


We went out to explore this morning to see if we could figure out who/what had done it. Some of the ideas were:
The cat
A opossum
A large Daddy squeezed the stuffing out of his kids
A bear jumped on our roof and into the backyard
A woodpecker
A snake

We have ruled out 3, 4, 5, and 6. Number 1 is unlikely. The bite marks are too big and he gets a bit freaked out when in the area of the noodles. There were no footprints. The only other clue is a smell in the area. The kids have decided it was a opossum because it smells just like it did when we trapped one a few months ago. Protect your pool noodles!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Star Wars, Blue Dye, and Salt

Not so many pictures to catch up on but I do need to some of Nomy up here soon.

Michael is obsessed with Star Wars. He has seen part of it and most of the battle scenes. He also loves his Star Wars Legos. Not a day goes by that they don't have a battle.










Salt water painting. The water evaporates and leaves the colored salt behind.




Marah eating paint.


Marah's picture.




Madeline took these pictures while I dyed Michael's mohawk. He requested green but they did not have any so he picked blue.






Madeline is becoming quite the baker. She made this bread the other day while I was mowing the lawn. She came out to ask one question and by the time I was done the bread was rising. It was the best bread I have ever had! She loves to go through the cookbook looking for new recipes to try.