Our friend, Sean, is moving from Roseville to Indianapolis over Thanksgiving week. We wanted to treat him to a going-away Thanksgiving dinner, so I made a full turkey dinner a week early!
Shortly before dinner, 'A' lost his third tooth! We were glad that he did not have to watch how he ate!
Menu
Dilled Deviled Eggs
Spinach Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette
Roast Turkey with Sage Garlic Butter
Turkey Gravy
Pancetta and Apple Stuffing
Marjoram Mashed Potatoes
Coconut Cardamom Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans with Lemon Bread Crumbs
Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Ginger
Dinner Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
After dinner, we all wrote out things we were grateful for on paper rings and created a paper chain that will help remind us to be thankful for all God's blessings.
Michelle and I took that boys to Sacramento for the day. We surprised them by parking before getting downtown, and took the light rail in!
As we were looking for the entrance to the light rail, we ran into a rafter of wild turkeys. There were about 30 of them!
All aboard...
We decided to walk along midtown and explore. The boys liked looking at the outdoor art around the convention center...
This one is tited, 'Walking the Dogs'
There are actually two of these fountains...
Unique hedge surrounding the Hyatt...
Lunch break at The Bread Store. Awesome sammies!!
After our Sutter Fort visit, we walked along a street that had some beautiful older homes...
My 'sistah from anothah muthah', Michelle, visited us from Washington state for four days. We had a great time doing alot and doing nothing.
The boys found humor in the fact that the three of them were coincidentally wearing brown cordouroy...
Michelle brought the boys, 'excavation kits'. 'A's was fossils, and 'R's was fools gold...Pyrite....
The project got a bit dusty, so we took it outside...
I have mentioned before that after Bible Study, we stay at church and picnic, socialize, and play in the courtyard. We decided that the kids could dress in costume this week, and the boys really got into their roles as defenders of the universe! ("A" was Luke Skywalker and "R" was Obi Wan Kenobi)
Encountering Darth Vader...
A battle ensues...
Chasing down a storm trooper...
Photo op with a different Darth, (the boys friend, C)
Let me introduce you to our awesome friends, the Savells. Eric and Crystal were literally the very first people we befriended upon our move to Roseville. Sure, we had some online friends who became friends in real life shortly thereafter, but Eric and Crystal were the first strangers who became friends.
It happened the evening we arrived in Roseville. After driving about 15 hours with a big UHaul, and dealing with a flat tire on the van, we were to late to take possession on our apartment and needed to find alternate accomodations for the night. We went to Starbucks so David could plug into the WiFi and find a hotel. I stayed outside with the boys so they could run the sidewalk a little, after being cooped up in the van all day. David and I were beyond exhausted and varied in shades of gray.
Crystal and Eric were sitting outside with their two dogs. They smiled and started conversation. I told them that we had just moved to Roseville. Crystal saw my cross and asked if we had found a church yet. I told them that we moved to Roseville specifically to check out Bayside. They both got big grins on their faces and said they went to Bayside and were active in the Middle School ministry. They invited us to join them for service the next week and we did.
I told Crsytal that God had tapped them to be our "Welcoming Commitee." God is so good.
We all just clicked and have built a delightful friendship from there. Crystal attends Body and Soul classes with me, and we run together. David and Eric meet many Saturday mornings to connect. Crystal also watches our cat when we are traveling. They have been to our place for dinner and worship, and we have been to theirs.
This last Saturday, Eric and Crystal invited us to attend service with them, then go to their house for dinner. They also invited their friends, Tammy and Lee. It was such a fun night. Tammy had just done worship at our church and was full of adrenaline and the Spirit. Her excitement was contagious. She has also recently joined Body and Soul as well, and I am enjoying getting to know her.
Eric and Crystal...
Tammy and Lee...
David and the boys, sitting on the most comfy chair EVER! We are getting one of these when we get our house.
Tammy's husband, Lee, bought her the biggest marshmallows as a congratulations for her singing that night. (Bayside services have about 2500(?) people per service...) You should have seen the boys eyes when they saw the marshmallows!
Good buddies and sisters in Christ...
'A' helping Crystal with dinner...
Eric and da boys...
The marshmallows sparked conversation of the possibility of s'mores. So...
...burning the marshmallows. That's right. That's how it's done!
Sugar shock in 5...4....3...2....1...
When we lived in North Bend, I was used to seeing body parts of birds, mice, shrews, and voles laying on the kitchen floor or doorstep. Now, in Roseville, Chelan has become pretty adept and catching lizards. I think the success rate of me saving them in time is about 50%. A few weeks ago, I joked with my friends in Bible Study that I would need therapy if Chelan (our cat) ever brought in a snake.
Well, my nightmare came true...
David, my hero, played Jeff Corwin and took the snake outside with a pair of my salad tongs...
The poor little guy did have a few puncture wounds, but I am sure he will be OK. I am pleased to say that I think I handled myself better than I thought I would have. I only shattered one of David's eardrums...:)
I just returned from a delightful evening with Bible Study/Homeschool friends. Lori graciously opened her home for the Mexican-themed potluck and Tina managed logistics. We have some very talented chefs in our group! YUMMY!!
Such a fun night. I love you all!
Heather, Katie, Ginger, Tina, Kelly, Leslie
Colleen and Megan
Carrie, Brenda, Nancy, Julie, Nanacy, Marisa
Heather, Katie, Jodi, Betsy, Lori
The whole gang...special thanks to Lori's mom for taking the picture.
WOO HOO! WHAT A BLAST! I got to spend a full weekend with some of my favorite girlies in one of my favorite cities...
Thursday... I flew into PDX and picked up a rental car. Drove to my long held friend of 20 years, Lola, and picked her up. We drove to SE Hawthorne, a fabulously funky neighborhood. Lunch at a delicious Vietnamese restaurant and tons of catching up...
Lovely Lola...
We spent all day exploring the stores along this boulevard. We had an early dinner at Costello's Travel Caffe, (I love this place), then went to a movie and saw "Love Happens". We ended the evening with my giving Lola a lesson on Facebook and she showed me the rough cut of an incredible documentary that her company (Dawson Media Group) is creating about a California Native American tribe that is petitioning for recognition by the US government. It is a stunning piece of work, and although it is being created for a private audience, I really hope that it will be available to the public audience. It is such an important part of history, especially California's.
Friday... Bidding a fond farewell and big hug to my LoMalo, I drove back to PDX and waited for my WA state/North Bend buddies, Carol and Kirsten, to arrive.
After they picked me up, we headed to McMenamin's Edgefield in Troutdale, OR, just 15 minutes outside of Portland. David and I had stayed here many times years ago. The place was already sold out a couple months before the trip, but they had a hostel room that we ended up staying in. It was fine, but oddly enough, the other women staying in the hostel were already asleep when we came in and then were still asleep when we got up in the mornings, so we had to almost always stay quiet in the room. We have already booked for next year and will have our own room with a private bath.
We dropped off our luggage and headed for Multnomah Falls. The weather could not have been any more perfect. Sunshine, with an Autumn nip in the air...
Roll on, Columbia...
Carol and Kirsten. Love ya!
A gorgeous, meandering, country drive tooks us through quite a few other waterfalls before reaching majestic Multnomah Falls, the second tallest year-round waterfall in the nation, (620 feet! I think Yosemite Falls is the tallest, but I am not certain.)
Me and Carol in front of the falls...
Group pic on the bridge that separates the upper from the lower falls...
We returned to the Edgefield and went to their spa, where Kirst and I were treated to 30 minute massages, and Carol got a pedicure. As a retired Licensed Massage Practitioner, I admit I am a bit picky when it comes to massage. I have to say I had the best massage I have had in a VERY long time! So, if you are ever in Portland, and are staying at the Edgefield, and decide to get a massage, ask for Amanda.
A pub dinner at Edgefield's Power Station Pub...a tour of the grounds...then on with the swimsuits and a soak in the soaking pool. A beautiful star-filled night, warm pool, and great conversation equaled 3 hours in the pool!!
The pool during the day...
A little artistic embellishment that saturates the property... Saturday... Beeline for Portland's Saturday Market, a huge gathering of Portland's fine artisans. I think we hit pretty much every booth, and each of us walked away with some unique items.
We spent the afternoon, shopping the boutiques on NW 23rd Ave. (AKA "trendy-third.") . The fact that the weather held out for us is nothing short of a miracle.
Killer dinner at the "best deli in the world", according to me, Elephant's Deli, then back to the Edgefield. We went to their winery for some tasting, then took some snacks on to one of the side porches that have rocking chairs and adirondacks. Security had to kick us off because the porches closed, so we moved to this lovely groves of tree laced with white lights, with picnic tables. We continued our conversation there until it got too cold to stay outside. We decided to move into the "Little Red Shed", a tiny bar on the property. There we enjoyed our decadent chocolate desserts we had purchased at the Deli and stayed their until we were kicked out due to closing. After that, Carol left for bed, and kirsten and I found a sitting room off the Black Rabbit restaurant and talked until 1:30am. (Remember, we could not go to our room and talk because we were in the hostel.)
Sunday... A decent breakfast at Edgefield's Black Rabbit restaurant and we headed 30 minutes south to the outlet mall in Woodburn. Most important, we headed to the CAbi outlet! (angels singing in the background...)
Carol and Kirsten dropped me off at the airport, and although it was hard saying goodbye, I don't know if I could have survived another day :) We got the most out of this weekend! Looking forward to next year!
It all began as a typical Wednesday afternoon. The boys and I were in the living room, homeschooling, and David was on the phone, working in the bedroom office. Suddenly, our electricity went out.! David called to me and pointed out of the window to a large plume of smoke. It looked like one of the businesses nearby was on fire. We decided to walk and see if we could find it. The smoke was so large; we were certain it was close.
We started walking...and walking...and walking...the smoke continued to loom large, but we never seemed to get any closer. We watched about four planes and a couple of helicopters bring large amounts of water to pour over the fire. Finally, we realized that the fire was on the other side of the freeway, and we needed to cut our losses and head back. So, we decided to cut into a neighborhood for a residential stroll on the way back.
'R' found this huge dragonfly (cranefly?). This is his hand for perspective...
Taking a break in the shade...
Another break at a park...
Final break at 'Top This Yogurt'...
We were able to track down this news story: Police Chase Leads to Fire
I decided to map our journey on mapmyrun.com. Turns out we "only" walked a total of three miles, but it seemed much longer. It was a fun break to a mundane day.
Martial arts began again. This is a ministry at our church. The boys are so excited! They are in the first class, for beginners. Some of the fathers take the class with their children. It's neat.
Every week, the instructor gives the kids a virtue to study, along with a memory verse. This week, the virtue was "Alert", and this exercise helped them focus on being alert...
Our friend, Tim, was in the area for a conference and was able to visit us for an afternoon. David served as his assistant for the weekend and they had a great time together. Here are David and Tim by our pool...
The boys decided to create a club in their room. Only the two of them were allowed. We honored this for a couple of hours and chuckled over the signs they made...
This is not a great shot, but our cat brought in this adorable grasshopper. As I rescued the poor thing, I really believe he was appreciative. He kind of gave my finger a little hug before I placed him outside...
We are not a household of plants. I am not a fan of fake plants and real ones get chewed up by our cat. So, we live plant free.
However, when we put our house on the market in Washington, we bought some plastic plants to stage the place a bit. One was a plastic fern.
David brought these plastic plants down to California when he moved all of our items out after selling. I had planned on sending them to the Goodwill.
But, upon entering the bedroom, here is what I found...
David calls it our 'love fern' (if you have ever seen the move 'How to lose a Guy in 10 Days', you will know what he's referencing.)
PROS: It's plastic, so we can't kill it
CONS: It's FAKE (how's that for a symbol of our love? :) HA!)
Anyway, I thought this was hilarious and now our 'love fern' resides on my nightstand. Even if it is plastic...
Me and my babies...
We spent one day driving around the west end of the island from Napili to Wailuku. Along the way is a very remote, tiny town (Kahakuloa) that has a woman (Lorraine) who sells shaved ice, banana bread, and cream pies, etc. from her home. When we take this trek, we will always stop by to visit with her. This time, a Japanese tour guide was there with a family. He was showing them card tricks and the boys joined them...
Yummy banana cream pie...
David giving a ukelele lesson to the boys...
Heading up to Haleakala, it gets a little chilly. Putting up the windows...
The summit of Haleakala at 10,000 feet. In the far distance, from here you can see the big island of Hawaii...
Heading on a trail toward the Haleakala Observatory...
Uncle Paul took this shot... ALOHA!
Here are a few shots of my favorite fella and beloved hubby for almost 15 years!
At the pool of our timeshare. Life is good!
Sunset at the Hula Grill...
David picked up a ukelele this time. We had been talking about it for a few years and we all enjoyed learning about them before buying the right one. This is a picture of David receiving an impromptu lesson from a ukelele master. We ended up buying his CD and enjoyed listening it to it while tooling around in our convertible Jeep...
We had such fun with the boys this year. They are very comfortable in the water now, and we spent many hours snorkeling, bodysurfing, swimming, and just hanging around.
Our precious ones...
Feeding the koi...
Turning 'A' into a merman...
Goofballs...
Hula Grill...
This is one of the many plumeria trees in front of our lanai at the place we stay in Napili. The boy learned how to climb the tree and make us a little nervous as they pushed the envelope climbing higher...higher...higher...
On top of Haleakala...
Coming down from Haleakala, we were all famished and stopped at a sweet little market in Kula. Snacks and treats in their protea garden and we were happy campers... Our Nature Boy It has been such a joy getting to know the unique traits and interests of 'A' and 'R'. They are both so different and it's wonderful to witness.
'R' engages his senses to a degree that I envy. He is the first to notice color, flavor, scent, texture and brings them to my attention. He loves all things of nature and often asks that I take pictures of his little collections (taking a picture is our agreement over taking all the items home).
The beginning shell collection...
We all got a little too much sun one day and our little guy crashed on the couch...
The pod of a Signature Tree...
'R' and Albalucia created a little "corral" to hold 'R's shell collection. It was made out of seed pods from the kiawe tree...
Hula boy...
'R' with Breadfruit...
We were blessed to spend one of our two weeks with Fabio and Esperanza (AKA Dado and Dada), staying at the same property, two doors away! They brought two couples with them, visiting from Colombia. FUN was the operative word!
Good times snorkeling...
Dado and Dada...
Amigos de Colombia...Alejandro, Isabel, Roberto, Albalucia
We had a feast one night. Tons of food...
David and Fabio grilling the meat...
Dada and the spread...
What do Colombians do when they get together? They SALSA!!!
Isabel stood on a ottoman to dance with David :)
Lovely Miss Shannon, Uncle Paul's beloved...
The group sans moi (someone had to take the picture...)
The group with me (Isabel took the shot)
One night, after dinner with John and Ann, we were all walking at Whaler's Village, and outdoor shopping mall. They had a hula show and we noticed a familiar figure on the stage...
Every time we visit Maui, we also get to visit Shannon's family. They are such wonderful people, and we are blessed to have them as friends. Carol always goes above and beyond, making an incredible dinner, and opening her home with loving 'hookipa' (hospitality.)
The boys adore Nick. We will miss this Army-bound young man...
The sistahs...(Shannon and 'A'...)
The mamas...me and Carol
The papas....David and Cowboy
The lovely couple, Uncle Paul and Shannon...
On our last full day on Maui, we spent the late afternoon with Paul and Shannon. Paul took us to the beach where he practices on an outrigger canoe team. This is their boat...
We did not intend to visit Maui this year. With the move, it just did not seem feasible. BUT, when we heard that our Noth Bend friends (John and Ann), our Roseville friends (Antone and Cynthia), and our family (Fabio and Esperanza), were all coincidentally going to be there at the same time, how could we say no?!
John and Ann have a timeshare the same place we have one, so we were able to spend time together for dinners, walks, pool, beach, and church!
John and Ann at Leilani's...
...and Hula Grill...
...the guys taking a break from our post dinner walk at the Westin hotel...
Our California friends, Antone and Cynthia, stayed in Kihei. We met up with Antone for church and lunch on a Sunday...
...then, on our second to last night, they came to our place in Napili for dinner, and they taught us a fabulous card game called '3-13'. David won! Beginner's luck...
Visiting our tidepool...
Cynthia climbed the tree with the boys. She rocks!
The biggest treats we were unable to catch on film. These are the unbelievable variety of fish we saw while snorkeling, and the sea turtles. Best snorkeling was an Kaanapali Beach by Westing KOR North, and sea turtles at Napili Bay. We actually had a turtle swim right along our feet!
This bird lives in the koi pond at the Westin Kaanapali Villas North. every year, we enjoy watching him track and catch small fish...
The koi... The geckos...
This little fella jumped off of a tree to what we thought was the ground. I later discovered while removing my barette, that he was on my head! He them jumped onto my chest and I was able to take him back outside (after screaming, of course...)...
I still can't believe 'A' found this one. This gecko is about the size of a child's finger. Can you see it on the black strip?
Little crabs were all over this little beach in Kihei. The had holes dug in the sand and would pop out of them if you were quiet.
I took a ton of pictures for our trip to Maui. Many are not making it on the blog, but many are. I decided to group them in themes; otherwise, this would be the longest post in the history of this blog.
This first post will focus on the beauty of Maui. We visited in the summer for the first time. Typically, we go in the winter. It was a joy to discover flowers in bloom that do not occur in January. so, sit back, turn on some Hawaiian tunes, open the window, and breathe in ALOHA...
Leaving HNL to Maui...
My favorite flower...the plumeria...
The view from our room at the Westin Kaanapali Villas North...
Da Palms...
This is from the "Shower Tree". In all the years I have been going to Maui, I have never seen this tree in bloom. I love it!!
Variety of lovely flowers...
Beautiful foliage on the road around Kahakuloa...
The gorgeous sunsets...
Views heading up Haleakala...
Overlooking Wailuku and Kahului...
You can see the island Kahoolawe and Molokini crater ...
Haleakala summit. 10,023 feet!!!
The summit has an observatory that is closed to the public. OK, so it's not so pretty, but it's still kind of cool.
The Haleakala crater...
The silversword. This plant only grows on Haleakala. It's lifespan is 50 years and will bloom only once. After it blooms, it dies.
Kihei...
DH had set up some music recording equipment for himself, but we heard 'A' playing around with it. I was able to catch some on film before he realized I was there. This is an 'A' original. He loves to make up songs. I am glad we caught this because the songs are never the same.
Our cat caught this fabulous lizard and proceeded to scare it to death :( I am OK with the lizards, but am mentally preparing myself for when he brings home a snake...
The boys and I had a terrific time at a pool party, hosted by one of the wonderful women in my Bible study. The kids had a blast and would move to that backyard, given the opportunity. Thank you to Stacy V. for such a terrific afternoon!
Stacy H. and 'T'...
Water Wars! Girl's side...
Boy's side...
Check out 'A's dive...
A daily summer routine has emerged for us and many other families in our apartment complex. Every day around 4pm, we congregate around the pool. the kids swim, and play, the parents dunk, and chat. We all visit until the sun goes down.
Occasionally, the festivities extend into the evening. Snacks and beverages are brought out, and everyone has a good time. Here are some pictures from one such evening...
Sun starting to set. The kids playing in the sprinklers... ('A', with friends 'J' and 'E')
'J' is so flexible. Roseville's Gumby!
Little Miss 'E'...
J/R/A/E
Big brother, B!
B's siblings, K and E...
Pals having a great time!
Talking to Liann on the phone one night, I got some awesome news...she and our mutual friend, Lacey, were flying down to spend the weekend with us! David said he wanted to take the boys camping for the weekend, leaving the apartment for us!! A girls weekend was born!
My friends flew in early Friday morning. I picked them up at the airport and beelined for Napa valley. Our first stop was Rubicon Estates. This winery, owned by Francis Ford Coppola, is a joy to walk through and see the collection of "magic lanterns", the predecessor of the movie camera. This is the fountain out front...
After walking the grounds of the Rubicon Estates, we went to the Oakville Grocery and picked up the perfect Napa picnic. The grocery has a lovely, quaint garden with picnic tables and we sat under a tree, enjoying the view of the neighboring vineyard.
After lunch, we drove to Sterling Vineyards...
Sterling Vineyards has a tram that takes you to the top of a hill. The views are incredible!
The tour of the winery and tasting is on the top of the hill...
The view from the tram heading back down...
Our final stop was the marvelous Domaine Carneros. We enjoyed their tour and spending the rest of the late afternoon on their beautiful terrace with stunning views...
After a good night sleep, (Lacey is the stepmom of two teens and mom of 21 month quadruplets...sleep is good!!!), we walked to Peet's for coffee, then our awesome grocery store, Nugget Market, for breakfast.
The Bed-Heads!
After breakfast, we hit poolside with magazines and books. Uninterrupted reading = heaven!
While poolside, a conversation began. It went a little something like this...
Lacey: (observing a man with a tattoo or two...) "It seems like there are more people here with tattoos than in Washington."
Leigh: "You are right. I think there are, too."
Liann: "Ya know...I've kinda been thinking about maybe getting a tattoo."
(Leigh and Lacey's eyes bug wide open, and grins hit our faces...)
Leigh and Lacey (together): "Let's do it!!"
So, after calling a few places, and calling our hubbies to make sure they were OK with it, we went to get "inked"! We walked in telling them we hoped to be out of there by six, so we could go to church.
Our artist, Brian, gave himself his first tattoo at the age of 10! VIDEO OF LIANN!!
VIDEO OF LACEY!!
People have asked if it hurt. ABSOLUTELY!! We found out after the fact that the ankle/foot area is one of the most painful places to tattoo. (I still would have chosen the same location and would not have deviated from the plan, but it really did hurt.)
Because I was the last to go, I had watched my friends, and while trying not to be anxious, I was getting light-headed and started praying that I would not pass out, or have a heart attack, or anything. :)
When that tattoo started, I started singing the chorus to David Crowder's "O Praise Him", eyes shut ,and loud! (You never know what you are going to do when faced with intense pain. God is good!)
O pra-ise Him!
O pra-ise Him!
He is Ho-ly!
He is Ho-ly!
Oh, La la la la la la...
"Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
He is Ho-ly!
He is Ho-ly!"
(Repeat multiple times...) It really helped!
The design was both a spontanous and pre-meditated plan. We all decided we wanted something the same or similar. I said that if I were to get anything, it would be the plumeria flower. So, we initially decided that I would get the plumeria, Lacey would get the hibiscus, and Liann would get the orchid. We went online and started looking at examples of flower tattoos. We ran across a design that had five plumerias with a delicate vine throughout. We all knew this was the design we all wanted, with three flowers, one for each of us.
Each flower is the same flower, yet is a different version of the flower to represent our individuality, with Christ as the vine, supporting and anchoring our friendship. Liann's is the black and whiter version, mine has my sorority letters tattoed below, (something I did in college...)
We made it to an incredible, INCREDIBLE, church service. We had a guest speaker visiting. I had heard him once before and knew we were in for a special night. Our church has the video of the service if you want to see it. TOTALLY WORTH IT, whether you are are believer or not!
After service, we went out to dinner. Lacey knew that I had never had a lobster dinner, so we tracked down my first lobster! Yep, I'm hooked!!
No Roseville visit is complete witout a stop at Nuyo, the fabulous frozen yogurt bar...
We ended the amazing day by watching a not-so-entertaining movie (Smother).
Sunday morning, we hit the mall and shopped. We learned that Liann had never had an artichoke before, so we created a delicious lunch, including artichoke. Open wide!!
On the way to the airport, we stopped at Mia Bella Gelato. Dare I say that gelato is now my favorite frozen dessert?
We certainly set the bar high for our girl's weekend. I wonder what we will come up with next time?
My sister of the heart and longest time friend (40-something years) made us her stopover on her road trip to her mom in Palm Springs. She and her two kids spent a night with us on the way down. I made a big breakfast, then David took the boys and Michelle's son (age 13?) to the skatepark. We let "Princess Buttercup" (age 15/16?) sleep in and Michelle and I walked through a nice outdoor mall nearby. When we returned, the kids were playing in the pool.
Michelle continued on her road trip and a few days later we left for our trip to WA.
Fast forward three weeks...we return from WA/ID, and Michelle drives back up and she and daughter spent two nights with us (her son flew home earlier).
Here we are shopping. This is the door to the dressing room at 'Pink'...
A visit to Old Sacramento (some day, I will venture out and explore 'new Sacramento'...). There was a woman with a cart, showing the kids toys that children played with in the pioneer days...
The gang poses in fron of the 'Delta King', a steamboat hotel/restaurant that the boys insist on visiting every time we go to old Sacramento...
A visit to the schoolhouse museum. Uh oh, look who's sitting on the boy's side. A rap on the knuckles for you!
Gorgeous wall of flowers. Morning glories?
Michelle and me...
Michelle and 'C'...
Cool restaurant called, the 'Brick House'. Beautiful, old brick building with an incredible pianist playing in the bar, at lunch time!
So wonderful to spend time with those you love, ya know?! Looking forward to more times...
One of our neighbors if quickly becoming great friends with the boys. Besides spending almost every day together at the pool, they have had a few playdates at each other's home. I caught one such moment on film!
Playing super heroes...
Making homemade lemonade...
When 'J's mom came to pick him up, we discovered that we had both planned on getting our boys' hair cut. The boys wanted to get their hair cut together, so we extended the festivities at 'Great Cuts!'
The freshly shorn children...
If it's not the pool, it's Legos. This is something that was important to 'R' that I take a picture of, but I can't remember what it's supposed to be...
OK, so we did not make it to the annual "Kick the Can" party, but we were able to spend one terrific night with great friends in Cle Elum!
Getting ready for a river run...
Ah, the river. the place where memories are made. Here, the kids have come up with a variety of river life...
'A' and a snake.
'M' and a crawdad...cool!
These fabulous kidlin's volunteered to help make our costumes for my family's 4th of July celebration! Thanks 'A', 'M', and 'J'! You did and amazing job. You should be proud!!
'A' and his brilliant Lego invention...
River Time = Therapy
JayMan and 'A'...
My DH David and Kirsten...
Jay and David...
Me and Carol...
Another therapy session...
Mike and David...
QT boys!
Hitting the rapids...
Mike and Carol...
'R', with some sort of larvae...ugh...
One of the river access trails was through a delightful meadow full of daisies...and cowpies...
David took this shot of me. I like how it turned out.
Ala one of the boys...
April made us a delicious breakfast (including the MOPS egg casserole...Yay!). It was a wonderful morning and went by too quickly. I love you, April! Thank you for everything.
This was such a delightful afternoon. The WA weather continued to bless us with warm, sunny weather, and we were able to spend some quality family time with my cousin Terry and fam.
Terry's family on his Dad's side owns some property on a quiet lake, called Beaver Lake. On this property, they have around eight cabins, and a boathouse. It has been a place of family traditions since the 1950's. I had not been there since I was a kid and it was great to see that very little had changed.
Here are the boys sitting in Grandpa Howisey's cabin...
My husband, David, and our precious 2nd cousin, 'G'. Isn't she adorable?
I love lily pads...
Mama Anne and baby 'G'
The boys get ready for a boat ride...
Cousin Terry takes the boys for a float across the lake...
This video does not do it justice, but little'H' was hilarious! He kept doing faceplant-bellyflops in the water and coming back for more. I think the life vest absorbed all the pain. Anyway, this video is not where close to enjoying the real thing, but it's entertaining nonetheless...
I picked up my nieces, P and KK, and went to visit my friend, Sundy. We walked to our neighborhood river and lake and enjoyed a picture perfect day!
'A' and Sundy's son, 'T'.
My precious KK and 'R'. KK just got her hair cut. I LOVE IT!
My lovely niece 'P'. Stop growing up, girl!
Sundy and Me :)
The kids were not dressed to get wet. That did not stop them.
Friend and super-sitter, Jessie, joined us for a while. It was fun catching up with her! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I know you saw that coming...
More good times with more good buddies... Megan and I are doing a long distance Bible study together, and we were able to spend some quality time sharing what we have learned, how we are growing, and how we are challenged in regards to this study. The boys all love playing together.
Then, YAY!, Jen G. and Jen D. came with their kids and it was a party!! It was so wonderful connecting and spending time together. I love you and miss you all!
'A', 'O', and 'R'...
Isn't this the most precious smile? You are adorable, lil' miss 'G'!
Treasures of my heart: Jen G., Megan, Jen D.
'G' and 'O'...
On this visit, I got to spend time with my buddy, Heidi. She was hosting a Stamp Camp, so I made a bunch of cards while the boys played together. ('A' and 'R' were so happy to play with 'C' and 'R' again!)
My masterpieces...
Then, we watched 'Top Chef' together. This was something we did before I moved, and is such a special memory for me.
Another highlight was a girls night out! We went and saw 'The Proposal' and had dinner at Red Robin after. I love you all and had such a fun night!
L TO R: Lisa, Me, Heidi, Christine, Lacey
This road trip was full of good times with friends and family. Our first visit was to my friend, Linda's, house. It was an unexpected stop to pick up something and visit for a few minutes. We were planning on getting together for dinner later in the week, so I did not take any pictures. Unfortunately, her kids came down with a cold and we had to cancel :(. I am glad I got to see you and your beautiful new place, Linda, and look forward to seeing you in our neck of the woods this winter! The kids had a great time catching up with C1 and C2.
The next day, we went to see my Dad and stepmom. They had just realized a long held dream of owning their own boat. We were able to spend some time with them while the boat was still moored on Lake Union.
My Dad/Grandpa Gary, Stepmom/Grandma Julee, and Auntie DeeDee...
The interior...
My aunt and uncle also have a boat and stopped by for a visit as well. It was wonderful to see them after such a long time. I love you! Grandma and Grandpa enjoying their new life...
The 'Thorpedo', soon to be named "Our Adventure"...
A beautiful day in Seattle. Something to be appreciated. Can you see the Space Needle in the background?
A view of Lake Union...
There was a sweet fountain were the boat was moored. A large rubber ducky was floating in it...
We ended our day with a stop at Duke's Chowder House. This was a place that DH and I used to enjoy going to before kids. It was nice introduucing our boys to their wonderful chowders.
Our church, Bayside, hosts a huge vacation Bible school called 'Breakaway'. This year, they transformed the grounds to look like an old western pioneer town, including a field full of inflatable bouncy toys (a highlight for 'A'). 'R' felt a little shortchanged because he was in a younger class that stayed inside for most of the time. Oh well, next year, buddy.
The facade at the entrance...
Here is the courtyard with tents that were the older kids classrooms...
The entrance to the sanctuary was turned into a "mine shaft"... The foyer before the sanctuary...
Breakaway had the kids collect a sock full of coins to help kids in Nigeria and Cambodia. The morning and evening sessions raised a total of $19,000!
I got an email from my friend, Heather, "...the plums are falling off the trees. Come and picks some."
She did not have to ask us twice...
Heather and her family live on three lovely acres of horse pasture, mature fruit trees, and garden in Newcastle, CA. 'A' and 'R' boys had a great time playing with her boys, and I enjoyed spending time with Heather, and playing frisbee with her entertaining dog, 'Jack'. This dog actually runs down stairs with just his two front legs! I tried to get video of it, but it did not turn out well.
Heather helps 'A' climb the ladder...
Heather's terrific boys...
Enjoying the 'Fruits" of their labor...
After picking plums, and eating our fair share, I took the boys to Folsom Lake, within five minutes from Heather's home. (the south end of this lake is about 20 minutes from our home.) We met up again later at a park playdate with the rest of the homeschool moms.
Thanks for the great day, Heather! (This is a view of part of Heather's yard...)
I love this. This week, we read a story, titled, "Dolphin Adventure". It's true story about a man who liked to Scuba dive recreationally. One time, while diving, a family of three dolphins (Dad, Mom, and Baby) swam up to him. The baby had a large fishing hook in his fin, with fishing line embedded. The parents trusted him to try to help the baby. It's a great story and one the boys were completely immersed in.
A day later, 'A' presented me this underwater scene he drew. He took his time explaining what every single item was. It's pretty neat...
We enjoy watching the extreme skateboard competitions on TV. 'A' and 'R' are both really into riding their Razor scooters, and 'A' has aspirations of some day riding a skateboard like the big kids.
One night while watching one of the competitions, 'A' noticed something. Our conversation went like this:
A: (realizing that competitors will often drink something after their performance; not realizing that it is probably product placement...) "Mom and Dad, see how the guys always drink something after they are on their skateboard? I want to drink what they are drinking."
Us: "The beverage contains quite a bit of caffeine. When you are 17, you can decide whether you want to drink something like that or not."
A: "Look, that guy has the same sticker on his helmet as on the drink. My helmet has 'Mongoose' on it, so I want a Mongoose drink...I want Mongoose juice."
Us: "Ummm, OK, well, what is in Mongoose juice?"
A: "Let's see...(thinking)...grape juice, orange juice, apple juice, pear juice, and mango juice. That's 'Mongoose juice."
That sounds so good, we decided to break in our new juicer and went to the store and bought a bunch of fresh fruit to juice.
It was delicious!
'R' wanted to get in on the action too, and make "Blue Juice". His recipe includes: Blueberries, Apples, Oranges, Lemon, and Strawberries. OK, so it did not turn out blue, but it still tasted great!
The boy were playing on the lawn. It was classic. Minding their own business, playing their usual games, when WHAM!, the sprinklers started up! Both boys screamed and ran off the lawn, but immediately realized, HEY!SPRINKLERS!! , ran and got their goggles and proceeded to play until we called them in...
We were just about ready for bed when I kept seeing what I thought was someome taking flash photos outside. It dawned on me that it might be lightning and went outside to check it out. What we witnessed is something that we will always remember.
Here is just a snippet of the light show. We learned later that these type of storms never happen here. It was a topic for much discussion for days after...
I pried it from Chelan's mouth and the lizard ran under the dishwasher. Great....
But, a few days later, he made a run for it. Chelan caught it again, but this time we were able to get it outside to freedom...
I am pleased to announce that I ran not one, but TWO 5K's in one weekend! The first was on a Friday in Roseville. I ran with Sema. It was her first run ever. We have been running together for the past month and I assuumed that I would have to scale back for her. Boy, was I wrong! She beat me by 3 minutes!!
The second run was at the state capitol in Sacramento o Sunday. It was the largest all women's run ever in the history of Sacramento.
I am currently doing the Beth Moore study, "Living Beyond Yourself". I needed to watch the video online before meeting with my friend te next day. I put the boys in the bath and planned on watching it while it was semi-quiet.
Well, as is typical, 'A' got out of the tub much sooner than planned. I assumed he would want to play on his own, but he asked if he could join me in the study. I said 'yes' and he said he wanted to write notes like I was, so I gave him some paper and a pen.
He soon realized that he could not keep up with the writing part, so he asked if he could draw a picture instead. I loved what he ended up drawing...
(By the way, the $3.00 that is around him was a bet he won. We were out to dinner and he wanted to play the "who can stay silent the longest" game. But, he could not stop laughing, so I bet him $3.00 that he could not be silent for one minute. Well, it was rough, but he did it )
This is a picture of Beth Moore, acting all excited. Below her are the women in the audience laughing with her...
'R' joined us shortly thereafter and they both spent the rest of my study time drawing.
Let me know if you have trouble understanding what they say! I asked the boys what they wanted to do and they said "Star Wars!". They came up with the script and plot. :)
Our church had "The World's Biggest Garage Sale". They had it on half of their huge parking lot, and then had the addresses of homes (over 100!) participating, if they wanted to keep the sale at their house. All proceeds go to about 20 non-profit organizations in our county focusing on the low income and homeless. They hope to raise $100,000. Numbers are not in yet, but we are hearing that is was very successful.
Some of the women from my Body and Soul exercise class hosted a post-workout birthday celebration for me and one other woman. Sandi, a woman in the class, provided a delicious and delightful breakfast (yougurt, granola, fruit salad, scones, and brownies) set up in the church cafe. It was special and made me feel loved!
Literally. We drove back up to Washington to finish getting our house ready to be put on the market. I can't believe it's finally done!! We worked hard for about 11 days, touching up paint, painting the trim, laying carpet, bark, and gravel, cleaning and staging. Major thanks to my brother (Devin), mom, Fabio and Esperanza, Antee Sara, Austin, and Tanya, for their hard work and effort in getting this huge project finished. We had a home inspector go through our house and made a long list of things to do. My brother knocked out the majority of that list. The boys did a great job helping, then keeping themselves occupied when necessary.
The Results:
Fresh gravel on our driveway, as well as on the strip in front of our house:
Fresh bark throughout our front and back yards:
Putting together the queen bed used for staging in the master bedroom:
Enjoying the fruits of their labor:
My niece, KK, has a good little dog walking business in our neighborhood. She took the boys on a couple of walks with her. They were so proud that they could walk the big dogs!
The living room. Fresh paint (used to be a chocolate brown), fresh trim, new lighting, clean and polished floors...
The bathroom. I had updated the bathroom about a year ago as a suprise for David, but Devin recently added new tile floor, and new hardware for the tub.
The master bedroom. New carpet, fresh paint and trim...
The family room (entry room?). Fresh paint and trim, cleaned and polished floors...
View when walking in the door...
The kitchen. Fresh paint, new stovetop, new vegetable sink, new hardware for regular sink, polished cupboards...a peek-a-boo view of the utility room with fresh paint, and tile, and a new light...
The dining room. Paint, new chandelier, trim, polished floors...
We hope to have it on the market this week!
'A' found this little fella in his bedroom. This picture is taken while he is under our bug magnifier. After studying it and reading about it, we let him go. We found out it is a house centipede...
Here is a huge grasshopper that landed on a plant in front of our door....
My new friends/Bible Study women/homeschool moms had a sushi night! Kelly did an awesome job of sharing with us her sushi skills. Rhonda was so kind to open her beautiful home for this, especially since she is not a fan of seafood!!
Kelly, slicing some incredible ahi...(thank you for that, Tara!)
Tara, making an incredible spicy tuna roll. I could have eaten just those all night...
My own version, with imitation crab, avocado, cucumber, and radish sprouts (pre roll). My Taco Time burrito -rolling college days paid off here. I was able to make some decent sushi rolls! Almost everyone...(L to R) Jeanette, Tara, Tina, Kelly, Jodi, Lori, Rhonda, Me
Jodi, Betsy, and Lori. Betsy and Lori are co-leaders for Bayside's Homeschool Network. Check out that beauty of a sushi roll!
Kelly, Leslie, and Jodi :)
Tina, showcasing shrimp...yum!
Heather and Jodi. Heather is the leader of our Bible Study. Jodi likes things spicy. She puts me to shame! Lori, Tina, and Kelly
I love visiting Old Sacramento. It is such a fun place to explore, plus, it has my new favorite clothing store, Moxy Threads , (the store with the constant 50% off sale to suck in the newbies like me!). I think we have been here three times since we moved. These pictures were taken right before we had to take Ama to the airport. It is only about 10 minutes from the airport, so it was a good spot to spend a little time.
My mom joined us for Easter weekend. What's a girl to do with her mama? Go shopping of course! We did that and explored new neighborhoods. The weather was great and we all had a special time together.
Ama brought new sheet sets taht matched the Batman and Superman pillowcases the boys had. They were sooooo excited!!
We took Ama up to Auburn to explore more.
This is Auburn's historic courthouse. It is now offices and a museum. Can you see the boys at the top??^^
Auburn has a farmers market two days of the week and we were fortunate enough to get to walk through it. My mom would probably kill me for posting this picture, but I love it. She is a little hunched over hugging the kids, she's not really like that :)
We has brunch at a terrific little restaurant called Awful Annie's. They has a special menu for Easter weekend and my mom and I enjoyed crab cakes benedict with avocado and tomato. YUMMY!!
I love this picture! We were shopping at the outlet mall in Folsom, and 'R' stops by this foliage and asked to have a picture taken in the "jungle".
My KD Sister/North Bend Friend/Tennis Partner, Carrie, came down with her kids to find some sun. Her husband comes to this area frequently on business, and joined him. While he worked, they visited with us, then joined family later in the week.
Carrie met us at Bayside at was able to meet a few of my new friends. I gave them a tour of the church grounds...
We went to our favorite frozen yogurt shop, Nuyo...
Then, the kids hit the pool/hot tub for the rest of the afternoon...
'N', cannonballing in without testing the UNHEATED water...
Enjoying the hot tub...
The next day, we toured Old Sacramento. I forgot to replace my camera battery, so no pictures. We explored a cool steam paddleboat, called the "Delta King". It was converted to a hotel and restaurant. They have a wine school there, and also host muder mystery weekends. We toured an old School Museum, and the docent was so sweet. She had the kids write on slates with chalk and read from an old McDuffy's reader. A couple of pieces of salt water taffy at 'Candy Heaven' topped off a perfecct afternoon.
The church we are attending has a Thursday Women's Bible Study. I joined it half way through, and the small group that I am in is comprised of 80% homeschool moms. After the study, the homeschool moms and kids stay for a picnic lunch and playtime. The church's courtyard has tables and chairs, a cafe, and a playground, which makes it amenable for decent social time for both moms and kids.
The boys (and some girls) love to play with Nerf guns, and light sabers. One of the boys loaned 'A' a play rifle, and 'A' was in heaven, since we don't have guns of any kind at home.
Here are some of the kids playing...
Here is our future CHP, valiantly protecting his world...
And 'R', protecting the universe...
We drove through Historic Roseville, which is very charming. Unfortunately, most of the buildings are up for lease, so there is little reason (that I am aware of) to visit the area. Nearby, there is a lovely neighborhood with bungalows that surrounds a terriic park. We spent a morning there.
We are enjoying exploring our new area. We found a nice strip mall called 'The Fountains' near our place. There are fountains all around the mall, inlcuding a large central one that is choreographed to music, and an area where kids can play in the water.
My favorite clothing store, Anthropologie, is here, and I am excited because some day I might fit into their clothes! :)
It was R's birthday on Wednesday. The big 5!!! We went out to lunch to a new place called The Utopia Grill. It was sandwiches and homemade potato chips for us.
After lunch, we went to the Maidu Park, close to the church we are attending, about 15 minutes from our place. This is a huge park with a community center, library, Maidu Indian interpretice center, batting cages, ball fields, and open trails. They also have a playground that was created to look like an old Western town. It was also created with a foam ground that allows wheelchairs. The boys really liked this park.
After the park, we enjoyed frozen yogurt at our favorite yougrut place, NuYo...
For dinner, we met up with our new friend Sema, and her three kids at Chuck E. Cheese. "B" "E" 'R', 'E', and 'K'
the computer drawing of me and 'R'
This is the picture that 'E' drew of 'R', 'A', and 'E', playing Wii.
It was a fantastic day, made special by new friends, the thoughtfulness of loved ones sending presents, and neat places to explore.
The boys await the start of our journey in the big UHaul.... David looks forward to getting on the road before the snow starts... The tire I blew out neard Corning, CA. Good thing they had a Les Schwab!! The lovely view on the side of the road where I blew out the tire... My hero! The golf cart that gave us a tour of our complex. The boys loved this! Moving in... The view from our door... The view from our patio... The boys spend a few seconds in the unheated pool, then it's time to go back in the hot tub... David's office....
Jordan was in town while on a two week leave from his tour in Iraq. Jordan is our boys favorite "rough houser". His body can still take their pummeling!
-While driving through a new neighborhod, we discovered a frozen yogurt shop Nuyo. It's a self serve with toppings bar, and SO GOOD! I am up for moving to this neighborhood just to have better access to this place. http://www.nuyofrozenyogurt.com/
-Event though we are surrounded by retail, there are nice neighborhoods to walk through, with small parks for the kids to play in. The trees are in bloom right now and many of them don't smell so great.
-There is alot of protected wetlands as well. We have a wetland right behind our complex and see a large variety of birds, plus pheasant and turkey.
-We have a precious dove that coos by our window throughout the day. It's my music.
-I have made one friend at our complex so far. She is a SAHM of three kids, the oldest being 7. He is mild special needs. She and her husband are from Turkey and I love hearing her speak. They have been in America for 9 years. We had a playdate at their place yesterday and was introduced to turkish coffee. Oh yeah!! She is Muslim, but not a "fanatic clown", as she has dubbed the Muslim fanatic. I look forward to getting to know her better and have encouraged her to visit Bayside's MOPS group.
-The church we have been attending is Bayside. http://www.baysideonline.com. They have the Body and Soul ministry that is a Christian exercise class. It is the hardest and best class I have EVER attended. I completed my first week (3x this week) and feel stronger already. If you are interested in body and soul, go to http://www.bodyandsoul.org/
-The church also has a cafe, that is run by volunteers. They have music Thursday nights, and it is a great place to visit before or after services or classes. http://baysidecafeonline.com
-We have an In -N- Out Burger place within walking distance. What a fine example of what a fast food restaurant should strive to be. I had never had one before our trip here. http://www.in-n-out.com/
-I am trying to get used to how they recycle here. You just throw everything into the garbage and the disposal company has people who separate it for you. I keep feeling like I am doing something wrong. There are recycling centers that will pay you for glass, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans, so I am going to set up a system for the boys so they can learn to recycle and make a little money too.
-It is a little cool in the morning and evening, but the boys are wearing shorts and short sleeve through the day. Some kids played in the pool yesterday. I got up to 80, I think.
We are spending much of our days unpacking and getting organized. We have been scouting furniture stores for items for the apartment. This place is Shopping heaven, USA, and everything is practically at your fingertips, (except for IKEA. We had to travel a WHOLE 20 minutes to get there :)).
We attended church on Saturday evening for the first time. This church has two services Satruday night and three on Sunday day. The service we attended had about 400 people, much bigger than what I am used to, but it was great. We met up with our new friends at the cafe that is on the church campus prior to the service and they introduced us to some other people after service. The boys went into their own classes for the first time. The teacher said 'A' kept to himself most of the time, but 'A' said he enjoyed it and looks forward to going back. 'R' loved being in his class and said he made lot of friends.
The service message was about when Jesus washed his disciples feet. This was during the time when their feet would get really dirty from walking, and a servant would wash your feet upon entering a home. Everyone lounged during meals, so it was important to have clean feet when your feet are in someone elses face!
Washing someone's feet was considered a lowly job, and in this passage, the servant was not around to wash. The disciples were complaining and none of them would stoop so low as to wash each other. They were all just going to eat without washing their feet. But, Jesus began washing their feet. They did not want him to, but he insisted.
The key truth centered on that there should be no job or service too low for us if it helps someone else. It's a good reminder for us in this age of 'entitlement'.
We have had the most picture perfect weather, except for a mild rain yesterday. We need a jacket in the morning and evening, but that's it. I know it's going to get super hot, but right now, it's perfect.
The dining options are incredible. Before I got my kitchen set up, we had a slew of places to choose from. It really runs the gamut. So far, we have found a great Greek cafe, a healthy fast food place, and AWESOME THAI!! Still need to find a movie theater...
The local Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma both host free classes on decorating and cooking. Yesterday, I took a class through Pottery Barn on hosting a Spring Brunch. I came away with some menu ideas and learned how to fold a napkin "buffet" style.
I still need to unpack our homeschool items. I need to find a better shelving solution for it. We are going to get back into the homeschool swing of things today.
The new church we are attending has an exercise class on MWF 9-10:30. It is a part of an international ministry called 'Body and Soul'. You can see the format at bodyandsoul.org. I am going for the first time today.
I also joined Weight Watchers Saturday. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. :)
It was David's birthday on the 13th, and I bought him something he'd been asking for a long time. A lava lamp! They really are pretty cool...
I am beginning Bible Study this Thursday. I chose this group because it has childcare for homeschool kids. The focus is on the book of Genesis, with emphasis on Joseph, and being unjustly persecuted. I am not sure of the name of the book but it is by Kay Arthur.
We have a WinCo across the street from our complex. My friend Sundy travels from North Bend to Kent to shop this store. The prices are incredibly low and they have a fabulous bulk foods section. I did a big run and have begun to restock my freezer. So far, I have made 6 entrees of sweet and sour meatballs, 3 entrees of garlic studded pork loin, and today I will make a big batch of molasses rum chicken. These recipes all come from the "Fix, Freeze, and Feast" cookbook. I am also doing a chili and a soup from the "Fix it and Forget it Lightly" Crockpot cookbook.
Lastly, I am re-implementing "Motivated Mom" cleaning routine today. Gotta get back into routine.
My love to all my NB friends. I miss you and look forward to visiting in April.
Copy this note, ask your kid the questions, and write them down exactly how they respond.
1. What is something mom always says to you?
A: I love you
R: I love you
2. What makes mom happy?
A: When I cheer you up
R: When we clean our rooms and are nice
3. What makes mom sad?
A: when I am mean to my brother
R: When I do something bad
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
A: Jokes I make up. I make up really funny jokes..
R: When we do something funny, or when something funny happens in a movie.
5. What was your mom like as a child?
A: That's hard, I don't know.
R: That's hard
6. How old is your mom?
A: I don't know. I do know Daddy's 44
R: I don't know.
7. How tall is your mom?
A: I will count you from foot to head.....34 inches
R: Hmmm,
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
A: Spend time with your sons
R: Hang out with us
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
A: Do your computer or rest
R: I don't know
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
A: For a Batman play. You could be Batgirl.
R: I don't know
11. What is your mom really good at?
A: Helping me draw
R: Baking
12. What is your mom not very good at?
A: That's really easy. You are not good at ice skating, are you?
R: I don't know
13. What does your mom do for her job?
A: You sell tickets for Ticketman
R: Teaching us to be good and stuff
14. What is your mom's favorite food?
A: Nachos. You love those.
R: I never asked.
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
A: If you practiced hockey or won a football game, I'd be proud of you.
R: Like, when we do not see you for a long time and when you do something good and cool
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
A: Charlie Brown
R: Snoopy
17. What do you and your mom do together?
A: We play on the bed together. You do scissor kicks.
R: Make food like we did today
18. How are you and your mom the same?
A: We have the same colored eyes
R: We both have curly hair
19. How are you and your mom different?
A: I am very much younger and have darker hair. You are bigger, lighter hair, and shorter eyelashes
R: You have brown eyes and I do not and you are older and look differenter than me.
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
A:You always say I love you.
R: You sometimes say 'I Love You', and how do you know that I love You? Because I say it to you too.
21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
A: When we went to the Pacific Science Center and you went into that nose, and it sneezed you out!
R: Furniture Store
I love you and am so glad we got to spend an afternoon together before the move. That baked cheesecake was incredible!
I have not been in it yet, but we have a Jo-Ann fabrics within walking distance to our apartment. Cool, huh?! There is also a Guitar Center within walking distance. David is very happy :)
I hope all is well wiht you. Hugs to Pete and the girls...
Well, we are here! It's been an amazing journey so far.
We had originally planned on leaving at 2AM on Monday, but we were concerned that the roads would be too icy, so we left at 8PM Sunday night. We hit snow in Tacoma, but it did not affect the driving too much, and made it to Eugene at 2AM. (David drove a 26 foot van, so it was slow going. He did an incredible job!)
We checked into a Comfort Suites and crashed for 4.5 hours and hit the road again.
Grant's Pass and the Siskiyou's were just fine, except that the Siskiyou's had been heavily sanded with a red gravel. My car was a brick color by the time we got through it.
I blew out a tire near Corning. David changed it to the spare and I was able to get to a Les Schwab in Corning. David and the boys kept going to try to make the deadline for us to get our apartment. This last leg of the trip was all highway 99, along gorgous countryside.
We did not reach check in in time, and went to a Starbucks in Roseville to log on and find a place to stay for the night. We were all very tired and looked worse for wear. There was a friendly couple sitting at the tables outside with their two dogs. I stayed outside with the boys so they could run and stretch their legs. I had mentioned to them that we just drove in from Washington and were moving to Roseville. The woman complimented me on my sweater, then noticed my cross, and asked if I was a Christian. She asked if we had a church in Roseville. When I said that we were planning on attending Bayside, they both lit up and said that they serve in the Jr. High ministry. We talked about Bayside and why they chose to go there, and why we were attracted to it.
I told them that God tapped them to be our "Welcoming Committee". We have exchanged numbers and plan to meet up before service on Sunday. They were exactly what we needed at that time.
We spent our first night in Roseville in another Comfort Suites and ate our first meal at Olive Garden, YUM!
Yesterday morning (Tuesday), we got into our apartment. David not only did good, he did REALLY GOOD! I will get pictures up soon, but this place is incredible! We had two movers help us move our stuff in. They were so professional and polite. David struck up a nice conversation with one of them, and he ended up asking David to invite him and his wife to church with us once we are settled. Pretty cool!
Got cable and internet connected and although our place looks like a hurricane victim, the kitchen is in place (for the most part), and we should be able to finish everything today.
The kids were amazing through the trip. They spent most of the time in the UHaul with David. I spent most of the time listening to conference seminar tapes, and the local Christian radio. (I love KLOVE!!) Chelan was not happy, and was quite vocal at times, but he persevered.
Well, this is it. the next time you hear from me, we will be living in California. I will be offline for a couple of weeks to ger everthing organized, then Riverbend Prep will be back full swing!
I asked the boys if they wanted to do something for Grandma Julee, since she is not feeling well. Here is what they decided to do:
For a made up song, it's not bad, but please don's ask me what it means! And, if the tune sounds familiar, but you can't quite pinpoint it? We've been watching alot of the old Scooby Doo cartoons lately...
Here's 'R' doing what he does best...being silly!! Big brother had to get in on the action...
Hope you are back on your feet soon, Grandma! We love you!!
I made some paper snowflakes and had set the little cut pieces aside. 'R' took the pieces and created a little"village" and played with them for a long time.
Located in the Sacramento area, 'Riverbend Prep' provides a Christ-centered homeschool for two boys, 'A' is 1B6 and 'R' is 2B5. I define myself as a Sonlight mom with Charlotte Mason tendencies... :)
MON
Menu Plan Monday
Body and Soul Class
Boys Martial Arts
TUE
Update Finances
7 Things Project
WED
Body and Soul Class
THU
Bible Study
Letter Day
FRI
Body and Soul Class
SAT
Church
SUN
Sabbath
Small Group
Current Curriculum
• Bible: Egermeier's Bible Story Book
• History/Geography: Sonlight Core C Books
• Memory Verse: Sing The Word From A To Z
• Math: Singapore Earlybird
• Character: A Child's Book of Character Building
• Art: Artistic Pursuits
• Art Appreciation: Come Look With Me
• Spanish: El Espanol Facil
• Phonics: Explode the Code
• Science: Sonlight
• Handwriting: A Reason For Handwriting
Personal Bookshelf
Beth Moore Bible Study: Living Beyond Yourself
For the Boys
• Sonlight Read Aloud List
"Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us."
Thomas Paine
Heather, Katie, Ginger, Tina, Kelly, Leslie
Colleen and Megan 
Carrie, Brenda, Nancy, Julie, Nanacy, Marisa
Heather, Katie, Jodi, Betsy, Lori
The whole gang...special thanks to Lori's mom for taking the picture.
Grandma and Grandpa enjoying their new life...
The foyer before the sanctuary...
)
This is a picture of Beth Moore, acting all excited. Below her are the women in the audience laughing with her...
Almost everyone...(L to R) Jeanette, Tara, Tina, Kelly, Jodi, Lori, Rhonda, Me 
Lori, Tina, and Kelly
Can you see the boys at the top??^^
My mom would probably kill me for posting this picture, but I love it. She is a little hunched over hugging the kids, she's not really like that :)
"B"
"E"
'R', 'E', and 'K'
the computer drawing of me and 'R'
This is the picture that 'E' drew of 'R', 'A', and 'E', playing Wii.
The boys await the start of our journey in the big UHaul....
David looks forward to getting on the road before the snow starts...
The tire I blew out neard Corning, CA. Good thing they had a Les Schwab!!
The lovely view on the side of the road where I blew out the tire...
My hero!
The golf cart that gave us a tour of our complex. The boys loved this!
Moving in...
The view from our door...
The view from our patio...
The boys spend a few seconds in the unheated pool, then it's time to go back in the hot tub...
David's office....
