My Weekend

This weekend Craig and the kiddos headed down south to visit Ama and Papa and gave me one of the bests gifts ever: a whole weekend at home by myself. While my family was enjoying the sunshine, fishing, playing outside on the rope swing, picking wildflowers, swimming in the hot tub, and getting spoiled by Ama and Papa, I was hanging out here in a quiet house with tons of projects on my to-do list.

(Will and Papa, steering the boat)

(an early morning up fishing, makes for a tired boy on the ride home)
Here’s just some of what I accomplished while the fam was away:

I took two nice long walks
I slept in two mornings in a row
I completed 15 layouts in my scrapbooks
I watched two “girly” movies
I spent 4 hours shopping in stores I can’t take my kids to, like TJ Maxx and Spencers Alley
I bought two new cabinets for our playroom
I had my first-ever-in-my-entire-life pedicure. I don’t know why I waited this long. It was heaven!
I changed the sheets on two beds and washed and folded 4 loads of laundry
I cleaned my entire house, even vacuumed out under the couch cushions, and cleaned out all the bathroom drawers
I took out about 7 bags of trash
I went grocery shopping for the next couple weeks
I missed my family so much and was happy to see their smiley faces Sunday evening!

Thank you to my wonderful husband and in-laws! You guys are great. I am a much refreshed mommy!

Another funny

Lately Wyatt and I have been saying the 23 Psalm (after watching that little girl on Godtube---so cute!) and he's been learning some of it. He says the cutest thing though. The last verse where it says, "surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life..." Wyatt says, "surely goodness and love and mommy all the days of my life...." I can't bear to correct him because it is just so cute. And hey, if he wants goodness, love, and mommy all the days of his life, that's ok. Well, at least until he's 18 or so on the mommy thing :)

A Fun Little Meme

What I was doing ten years ago:

I was in my junior year of college and about to be married to my sweetie!

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. cheese and crackers
2. my homemade granola bars
3. a really juicy orange
4. apples or celery with peanut butter
5. chips and salsa or guac

Five jobs I have held:
1. hoeing weeds from onion fields- summers in jr. high
2. Nordstrom – I worked in BP cleaning out dressing rooms and putting the clothes back on the floor, and wrapping gifts in fragrances.
3. Oregon Cherry Growers (my dad’s office, I worked in accounts receivable and, tracking, and did LOTS of filing)
4. US Bank Teller-I worked there for 2 summers after Craig and I were married. My second day as a teller I was robbed! No I’m not kidding! But besides that it was a fun job. I loved playing with money all day.
5. State of Oregon Licensing Board for Clinical Social Workers- I started this job when Craig started student teaching and worked for almost 2 years before having Will, and staying home.

Five habits:
1. Exercising has become a habit. I hate getting up, but I feel so guilty when I don’t.
2. I drink coffee every day
3. I go to the library about once a week
4. I wash my face before going to bed. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have not done this.
5. I pray out loud in the van on the way to school. If I forget, my kids will remind me.

Five Places I have lived:
I have only lived in three, Dallas, Salem and Portland.

If you are reading this and haven’t already done it, I tag you. But only if you want to be tagged.

I googled myself, just for fun, and besides finding lots of other people with my name, I also found these (click on link below). They look pretty cute. To bad they are out of stock or else I might be tempted to order. I mean, a pair of jeans named after you is pretty cool :)

http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=9372&categoryId=685&pCategoryId=101Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_685

Friday Funny

You know about my love for Lysol household wipes.....

This morning I found these two in the kitchen. Anna looks up and says, "I want clean!" What could I say, the girl wants to clean!

So I took a picture :)

Wy-boy

It’s been 5 years since God blessed me with my Wyatt Samuel. As I neared the end of my pregnancy, my body swelled up as if I’d been stung by a giant bee, and Wyatt came two weeks early due to my development of toxemia. How relieved I was to have him out and healthy and hold him in my arms. For five years Craig and I have tried our best to teach, shape and guide him. Wyatt has challenged me and caused me to rely on the strength of my Father in heaven, which I count as a blessing. He has also caused me to smile and laugh with joy every day at the unique little boy he is, and the love he shows me. Here is a picture of our boy at age 1:

(Wasn't he the cutest thing??)

I heard this verse at a couple’s retreat Craig and I attended a couple months before Wyatt turned 2 years old. I have clung to it as a promise for Wyatt’s life.

Isaiah 51:11 The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Wyatt is full of energy, passion, and determination. My prayer is that he will use these God given qualities to give glory to God. That he will be passionate for the Lord, all the days of his life. Just a few weeks ago Wyatt and I had a conversation about asking Jesus into his heart. To my knowledge he has never done this in true seriousness. But that evening he repeated a prayer after me and I believe his heart was sincere. Maybe he will ask Jesus into his heart a few times more before it really sinks in. But I know in my heart that he belongs to the Lord.

Wyatt is curious, fearless, and takes things to a whole new level. He is spunky and quite the charmer and loves to laugh. He is musical, artistic, very good with words, and despite being strong-willed, he is oh so easy to LOVE! Wyatt’s name means “brave one” and while we didn’t name him Wyatt for the meaning, he has lived up to truly being our little “brave one”!

(5 years old today!!)

So Happy Birthday to my big 5 year old. You are a blessing to me and so many others!

from boys to men

Last night, after a very fulfilling dinner of Chicken Broccoli Calzone's (thanks, Alysun, my family loves these...see FOOD LOVE for the recipe) carrot sticks and cut up fruit, Will headed over to the fridge, pulled out a yogurt, and scarfed it down. A couple hours later both he and Wyatt were saying they were "starving" and could they please have a snack. I cut up an apple, threw out some carrot sticks, sliced up cheese and a few handfuls of pretzels for all three of them to share. A few minutes later the food had vanished...well all except one lone carrot hanging out on the paper plate.

As I was tucking Will into bed he said, "mom, can you wake me up early tomorrow?" I said, "yes, tomorrow you go with daddy so you'll have to get up a little earlier." And he replied, "well, I need to get up early cause I want to have time to eat a big breakfast.....I'm really hungry!"

So this morning this is what they ate:

Will- one toaster waffle, a homemade hot pocket (eggs, ham and cheese), and a bagel with cream cheese.

Wyatt- (my skimpy eater) 2 toaster waffles and a homemade hot pocket!

Families with older boys have been telling me this was bound to happen sooner or later. But my goodness! Will often eats two packets of oatmeal, plus some toast, a bagel, or yogurt for breakfast! I can see my trips to the grocery store becoming more frequent. These boys are becoming MEN!

The "Knight" Party

Wyatt is turning 5 next week, so we had a couple of his friends over for a party on Saturday. He chose a castle cake....and below is my best attempt. Don't laugh! He loved it and helped me decorate!

What weather!! We lucked out and were able to play games outside. Here's Wyatt and his buddies playing "slay the dragon". Basically throwing balls and seeing if they could hit Will aka the dragon.
Firing the cannon! Craig brought home these big sling-shots from work and let the kids fire bean bags across the yard. I love Wyatt's tongue!!
Pinning the fire on the dragon. Will, so graciously volunteered to be our resident dragon and the kids stuck pieces of orange tissue paper "fire" on him. Great fun for all!
And finally, the birthday boy making his wish!
Stay tuned for another birthday post this week! The celebration continues....

Tulips!

Wednesday the little kids and I drove out to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm. It was cloudy and very muddy, but thankfully I remembered the rubber boots. I rarely do these kind of spontaneous outings with them, and it was really fun. We weren't there long, but they had a fun time. I need to do things like this more often!

And it was also time, to cut and color the hair! I went from this.....
To this!
I am still getting used to the short cut. I don't think it's been quite this short since around the time Anna was born. But it was getting too stringy, now it feels a lot healthier, and I think I'm gonna like it! My sister colored it for me and did a great job. It had been almost 4 months since I'd had it colored....yikes!!!

A little overdue...

It just dawned on me today that I never blogged an update to the Romans 12 challenge I posted about at the beginning of March. We were pretty consistant about reading it out loud every night, but once we past Easter, we kinda forgot about it. So we didn't do it for the full month, but still, toward the end of our reading time the boys would say a lot of it along with us. Craig would even stop and let them finish sentences. And the best thing was they LOVED it. I anticipated them getting tired of it after a few days, but they so eagerly rose to the challenge. Several times on his way to bed Will would say, "don't forget the challenge, mom!"

I was reminded of all this when I watched this "godtube" video today. Have you ever noticed how kids pick up on something you may have only said a couple times? They are so quick to learn and memorize. This little darling inspired me to become more diligent about teaching my kids to memorize more scripture. Copy and paste this link to view. It will make you smile!

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9e7c4b40cf5a13cea6ca

John 3:16

Wyatt is always singing this little song that he learned at pre-school. You can tell I bribed him to do it for the camera cause at the end he asks, "NOW, can I watch Enchanted?"

Monday

This morning I went for a run. It felt good to get back into the routine of things and as I was running it started snowing. Just little flakes at first, and I wasn't really sure if I was just still groggy and seeing stars, but then they began to fall a little faster. It was beautiful. And surprisingly even though it was 28 degrees, it didn't feel that cold, out.

The kids didn't wake up til after 7 so I got my Bible reading in and picked this verse to journal:

1 Corinthians 16: 13&14
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men (or women) of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

I enjoyed a bowl of my new favorite oatmeal. Quakers Simple Harvest, vanilla, almond & honey. I have become quite the oatmeal lover. And it's delicious.

I got on the scale and was shocked to see I hadn't gained any weight over spring break. A small miracle since I didn't exercise and I ate like a pig.

After I got home from taking Will to school I began scrubbing the kitchen. I tackled the microwave, the sink, cabinets and floors. All while listening to Mercy's Me's Christmas CD. Yes, Wyatt and I enjoy listening to Christmas music year round and he picked this one out. It is a great CD, I highly recommend it. And, it was snowing this morning so I'm not that off!

I found a couple great blogs that I plan on linking on my sidebar. It you care the check them out they will be there soon.

I am almost finished reading The Shack. Have you heard of it? It has stretched my imagination, a lot, and helped me to realize some truths and misconceptions about my faith, and God's goodness. I am not quite finished, but I have really enjoyed it, so far.

All this randomness to say, it's been a great Monday!

I took this picture....

Because I never want to forget my two boys bringing out all their stuffed animals and playing “guys” together.

You two are the sweetest brothers and the best of friends. Before I had you, I always imagined I’d have girls. Sisters, was what I was most accustomed to growing up. Having two sisters and a younger brother, and Craig being the only boy in his family, neither of us experienced or witnessed the relationship between two brothers. But God had much more in store for me when he blessed me with you two boys. My life has been opened to the wonderful bond that brothers share. Despite your extreme differences you two get along so well. Sibling rivalry? Not so much, (at least not YET!) I’m sure part of it is because Will is so accommodating and patient, and Wyatt has always adored him. But there’s just something special about boys. The way they interact. They way they come to agreements. The way they work out their disagreements. Quick, easy, logical, rational. The way there is rarely any drama. And the way that, above all else, they are brothers, and they share a special bond.

And then…..enter little missy.

Enter the drama, the extreme emotion and world of babies and twirling in dresses. (I now know girls are actually born with the knowledge to twirl when you put a dress on them…I did not teach her that!). The world of someone getting into your make-up and proudly displaying the results just as you’re ready to walk out the door to church. The world of sensitivity, sweetness, attitude and defiance. The world of now, an almost 2 ½ year old little girl who is the baby of our family. I sometime wish we could have one more…a girl…..so that Anna could have a sister. But then my rational side (that would be Craig) reminds me I’d have 2X the drama….. and I begin to feel more and more confident that God knew exactly what he was doing when he mapped out our little family. It is the perfect one for me.

I’m truly thankful I get to experience both sons and a daughter. I pray they will all share a special bond, and be the best of friends.

The Sea

We just got back from a wonderful three days in Seaside. I love the ocean, and I always feel so relaxed and refreshed spending time by the sea. My dad was raised in Astoria, so I guess I can say it's in my blood! Our God is so great to create something so magnificent and mysterious for us to enjoy. It was stormy, and we even had SNOW, but we also had a nice sun break today and were able to take the kids down to play before heading home. We enjoyed our time with my parents, staying in a simply adorable beach cottage with them.

My dad, Craig and I tried to dig for clams both days and between the three of us we managed to dig 12. A far cry from the 15/day/person limit, but enough for a batch of my dad's famous clam chowder. And.....best of all, we had fun diggin' 'em!

My sweet Will, looking for shells
Cute Wy-boy showing off his find
Beautiful Anna, loving the sea air and freedom to run!

“God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.” ~William Cowper

He is RISEN!!

Saturday was beautiful so we decided to have the kids hunt for their Easter baskets early. Turns out, it was a great idea, since we never have any extra time on Sunday morning!
I managed to take a few shots of the kids before church, these pictures aren't good, but they were the best two.
Wyatt has been sick with a cold, and had a fever off and on. We made it to church but as soon as we got home I put him down for a nap and then Will and I headed into my sister's house. Wyatt took a three hour nap, and then he, Craig and Anna met up with us for a bit. Below is cousin McKenna helping Anna hunt for eggs!
It was quite the week, both Craig and I are on antibiodics for terrible sinus infections, and with Will's party, and all the Easter prep we did for worship, I feel like I didn't get the chance to really reflect and focus on Easter. It snuck up on me and now it is over. However, I know that Easter just isn't a "day" we celebrate. I have the chance each and every day to thank Jesus for loving me and calling me his own. And so, even when my ideals and expectations don't always come to fruition like I've planned out in my head, I know I can make a choice each and every day to focus on what Jesus has done for me.

Lord, you died for me and I will forever praise You!

Will's 7th Birthday

Seven years

Dear Will,

Seven years ago today we made our way to the hospital. A quick ultrasound confirmed that you indeed were still snug as a bug in your jack-knife position. As the doctor pulled you out, bunners first, via c-section around 10AM Daddy and I officially became parents. Being our first, you were our guinea pig in many ways, and I learned a lot. You were my greatest teacher and have filled my days with joy.

Now, 7 years later, you have grown up so much, I haven't really noticed, being your mom, and seeing you every day, but as I type out s-e-v-e-n, I am shocked at how that time flew by. Today you are very much a perfectionist and oh so determined (like your daddy). You love books and tend to get easily overwhelmed (like your mommy). You are very sensitive to other people's feelings and always try to make everyone feel good. You take your time at sharing your feelings. You take your time with everything. You are patient with your younger siblings and such a loving big brother. You still give me a hug and a kiss every morning and you love to indulge Anna in piggy back rides. You are Wyatt's greatest hero. You are your daddy's pride and joy when he's teaching you how to shoot a basket, bat a ball, or cast your fishing line. You are my greatest joy when we snuggle on the couch reading books together. You are my precious first born son. Today you are seven!

I love you so much!

Love,
Mommy

A few of my favorite things

The past few days Craig and I have both been sick, fighting colds. Today he stayed home from work, which was actually his first sick day that he has ever taken (beside when I had babies or when he had surgery) for he, himself being sick. I think he has over 400 hours of sick time accumulated so I convinced him he could give up 8. It was nice because while he rested in the AM, he was feeling a little better and I was able to lay down this afternoon for about 40 minutes and take a much needed nap. I have been living on ibuprofen, tea, and chicken noodle soup. But I think I am on the mend. I'm hoping my body and the weather cooperates and I'm able to get outside this week and work on my flower beds. I have sweet peas and onions that are ready to get in the ground! Today spring break started. Craig has conferences the rest of the week....which doesn't really mean anything for a PE teacher, and Will gets to be home with us for the next 12 days! I am very excited about that.

My friend Christi posted some of her favorite things on her blog and invited any readers to do the same. So here are a few I thought of:

1. Lysol Disinfecting Wipes: These are a must have for any mother with little ones. Here, let me justify it for you. I buy them in a three pack at Costco (Kirkland brand works well, too) and they often put out coupons for both brands. I put one in each of our bathrooms and the other in the kitchen. I am way more likely to do a quick wipe down of the bathrooms and kitchen with these handy wipes. My house stays cleaner and I'm ridding this place of germs. In the past few weeks we've been hit with the stomach flu and cold so I have taken a tub around my house and wiped down doorknobs, light switches, computer, phones, fridge and microwave handles....anything I can think of that accumulates germs. I am not naturally very good at this, but the wipes make it so much easier. I can clean the entire bathroom (with the exception of the inside of the toilet and shower) in just a few minutes, and with three boys and a potty training toddler they are well worth it! Plus you get the clean smell euphoria when you use them. Who doesn't love the smell of a clean house? Try them, I know you'll love them!

2. Licorice Spice herbal tea by Stash: Ok, so I know we may be few, but I can't be the ONLY black licorice fan out there? My sister Paige told me to try this tea, and after I finally remembered to buy a box it has become one of my favorites. It is caffeine free and tastes like a giant mug of melted good 'n plenty's. If you like those candies, you will LOVE this tea. My second favorite tea remains Celestial Seasoning's Candy Cane Lane ( I stock up at Christmastime!)

3. Red Robin's Bruschetta Chicken Burger: This is a fairly new item on their menu and I think I have ordered it about 4 times, so far! It is so delicious, I crave it often, and it seems to get better each time I order it. If you like pesto and garlic, try this. It's so good I even tried to re-create it at home for dinner one night....didn't turn out as good, but it was worth a try. It comes with garlic fries which are equally yummy.

That's all I can think of for now. Post your own list of "favorites"!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Love, Wyatt & Anna

Two things that made me smile today

my plants reaching for the sun....






.....Anna's curly piggy-tails!

farm life

On Sunday evening we were kinda feeling blah and at 5:00 we still had a couple hours of daylight left. We needed something to beat Sunday night depression (Craig's term :) but we were having trouble thinking of anything fun to do. Then Craig got the idea of calling up our friends the Morris' from church. They live on a farm and we thought it would be fun to go feed the ducks. They were all for it so we headed out to their place and had a great time. I really think my kids would be great farm kids--really what kids wouldn't?? What kid doesn't like to stomp around outside in rubber boots, feed ducks, throw rocks in the river and be outside enjoying the fresh air and open space. It was a great way to end our weekend and start off our week. We even got to take home peacock feathers as a souvenier!

Tooth Fairy...and my latest project!

Just 12 days shy of his 7th birthday Will has finally lost his 1st tooth! It had been real wiggly for a few weeks and when he woke up this morning he shouted "my tooth is gone!" Luckily it was still in his mouth, so he is readily awaiting his visit from the tooth fairy tonight!

He is growing up fast, and before too long he will have a mouthful of grown-up teeth, changing his look, and making him seem even bigger. Even though he was the second to last kid in his class to loose a tooth, I am secretly happy that he was able to stay my "baby tooth boy" a little longer than most. Now it's time to REALLY become diligent about keeping those pearly jewels clean and shiny!

Below are a couple pictures of what I have been working on these past few days. I made another rag quilt for a friend whose baby girl is due this month. I'm kind of addicted to making these. I really love the fabric and how it all turned out!

How do you know you're a redneck??

When you use your burn pile fire to roast marshmellows!!
Wyatt (aka monkey-boy) has graduated from crib climbing, closet climbing, counter, table, and tree climbing to door-way climbing.

He has developed many tricks and variations in his climbing skills. Watch the below video for a taste of one.

Living life to the fullest

Yesterday I received and email asking me to pray for a fellow MOPS mom, Annie. She had been admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and was given a less than 5% chance of living. I just found out this morning that last night she went home to be with her Savior. Annie leaves behind a husband and three children.

This morning I told Wyatt (who had been praying with me all day yesterday) that I had some sad news. Through tears I shared that Annie had died, and she had gone to heaven to be with Jesus. Wyatt said, "oh, so she has a new body now?" and I replied, "yes, she does". Then Wyatt said," well then, that's a good news, mom, don't be sad." And so, through the eyes of my 4 year old, despite my deep sadness for her family, and knowing just how much she will be missed, I can be happy that she indeed has a new body and is rejoicing in Heaven this very moment.

Annie got the chance to share her testimony with us MOPS moms earlier this year. She shared so much, but what I most remember is she inspired us to pray! She was never shy about sharing Jesus with anyone. She lived life to the fullest for Jesus. She did awesome puppet shows for the kids in AWANAS and had a passion for sharing God's love with children. My only regret is that I did not get to know her better. She was a bold woman of faith and I was so encouraged through her.

PLEASE.....join with me in praying, as Annie would have encouraged us to do, for her family in the weeks and months to come.

The Romans 12 Challenge

A number of years ago, I was told that if I read Romans 12 once a day for a month, it would change my life. Curious and also expectant about such a challenge, I then took it to my singles’ group at the time. It was 1993. Over 50 people from our group took the challenge and then gathered together at the end of the month to share their experiences from the Romans 12 Challenge. It was Easter.

Here’s just a sampling…two people gave their life to Christ; many said that they had never read the Bible before every day and couldn’t believe what an encouragement it was; another said that after going through a difficult situation at work, Romans 12 gave her a whole new perspective; and many, many others said that their expectancy in the Lord’s care and activity in their life increased and deepened. It was so cool to hear how the Lord worked in our lives.
Discouraged? Frustrated? Worried? Wanting to see the Lord at work in a specific way?Take the Romans 12 Challenge with me over this Easter Season (March 1-31) and see how the Lord manifests Himself in your life in a significant way. He will.

My mom-in-law sent me this forward and I agree with her in thinking this is a great way to spend these weeks before Easter. We are going to try and read through it aloud with our kids everyday. Who knows? By the end of the month we may have some of it memorized! Thought some of you might want to join with us!

Romans 12
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

simple random truths

It feels good for it to be sunny enough to wear sunglasses again. And he sure looks darn cute in them….

When your child’s preschool teacher asks you how your mother is doing since her house fire, you know it’s time to once again address the lying issue with your 4 year old.

When you yell “Anna where are you?” and hear a voice from the bathroom say “I poopy” it’s already too late and not gonna be pretty.

You know you’ve created a true girl when you find her painting her own toenails (and even though it ended up all over her foot you can thank God it was light colored polish and she didn’t spill it, then you can't resist snapping a picture.)
When your almost 7 year old is telling you facts about penguins, sea life and the solar system that you didn’t even know existed it will make you proud and sad at the same time realizing once again just how fast they grow.

A sunny week in February can completely change your outlook on life. You will drop everything to be outside, be inspired to put plants in your planter, start seeds indoors, sit back and for a few moments feel as if everything is right with the world.

Tomorrow's friday!!
Happy Weekend!

An ode to teachers

I got this "teacher" forward and while it made me chuckle, it also got me thinking about the teachers I know, the teachers I have had, and just how blessed I am. The public school system gets such a bad rap, sometimes I just feel the need to focus on the positive. In the past eight years Craig and I have been so blessed through the fellow teachers and staff that he works with. Each of our babies were showered with TONS of gifts and a week of meals delivered to our home. "Surprise" gifts have shown up countless times, and so many of the teachers he works with have become close friends, almost like family to us.



Each time I volunteer in Will's class or watch Craig manage energy-filled kids for their turn at PE I am amazed at the love I see poured out into these children's lives. I am so thankful that Craig and many other teachers get the opportunity to show Jesus' love to their students. When I walk into his school I feel safe and surrounded by people who care about me and my family. My parents recently went to the grandparent lunch and they too were amazed at the the whole atmosphere of the school. Their comment was, "wow, I didn't know there were public schools like that anymore."



Part of what makes this distict so special is that from 2nd grade though 12th grade there is weekly bible school. Each class get an hour a week of bible school taught by volunteers from various churches in a building right next to the school. It is optional, of course, but almost all kids attend. Everyone I tell this to finds it incredible. And so I thank God again for another blessing in our public schools.



God is present everywhere, if we just invite Him to be. I believe he walks the halls of that school, as I have prayed each morning for him to be with Will and Craig every moment of the day. I honestly feel His presence when I go there.



By no means do I dissaprove of any other type of schooling, or do I say public school is the only way to go. I am truly amazed by all teachers, whether you teach at a private school or you are a mother homeschooling her kiddos. I truly feel that if we seek God and listen to his Holy Spirit's direction we will each make the choice God desires for our kids. I know He had been present in our decision.



And so, on a lighter note I will leave you with the forward that got me thinking on all this. Hats off to teachers!!! Whatever kind you may be, everywhere and anywhere!!

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TEACHER? by Jeff Foxworthy

1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.
2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.

3. You walk into a store and hear the words "It's Ms/Mr. _________" and know you have been spotted.

4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.

5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.

6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and your planning period.

7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.

8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.

9. You want to slap the next person who says "Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off."

10. You believe chocolate is a food group.

11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.

12. Y ou believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."

13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.

14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.

15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.

16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.

17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!

18. You ask your friends if the left hand turn he just made was a "good choice or a bad choice."

19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils

20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer and finally,

21. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.

I'm trying out some new layouts. Links will return, soon!

I'm thankful today

I know I have blogged about this before, but Wyatt has a really sensitive tummy. He's been a real puker from day 1. This weekend while in GP, we went out to breakfast and he ate a bunch of fried food, bacon and downed two cups of strawberry milk. As we were finishing he didn't look so good and I knew what was coming so I rushed him outside where he puked and puked all over the restaurant flower beds.

The next morning we had another big breakfast and then we had promised the boys that we would take them to get a phosphate at the pharmacy so we headed there. Wyatt drank his down in about a minute and a half and again, didn't look so good. As we were crossing the street he puked again all over the curb. People were driving by with grossed out looks on their faces.

Now, TODAY (4 days later) I pick him up from school and find out they celebrated TWO birthday parties so he not only had a cupcake, but also 2 cookies and juice. We had plans to go out to lunch with a friend, so he then shoved chicken nuggets and fries down along with an orange soda. We let the kids play outside on the play equipment before heading home. Just as I'm opening the front door Wyatt pukes again over the tile entry way, and then finished it off in the yard. (He really isn't sick.....no fever at all and he's completely fine once he gets it up!) It just happens when he's had to much junk. It has really taught me a lesson to watch what he eats, though. His little tummy just can't take it all!

So, why am I so thankful?? I was just now imagining how much worse it could have been. He could have thrown up all over the restraunt, me, the play place a Burger King, the inside of the van........yuck!! Of the three I only had to clean up one and it was just on my tile entryway. So I feel really thankful!

Spring is getting closer (that is my second "thankful"). Yesterday we walked to the park and I let the kids play as long as possible, soaking in the sunshine and vitamin D. We came home and played in the yard a bit and I pulled out a bunch of dead things that I neglected to do this fall. I LOVE spring! I am so ready to go buy those seed packets. Yay, it's almost here!

Valentine artwork

We just got back from a 4 day Winter Vacation to beautiful southern Oregon! We visited Ama and Papa and had a great time. We had gorgeous weather, the kids played a lot outside, and Craig and I even got to go out for lunch and a movie while Ama babysat!

As I was cleaning up the house today I found a bunch of Wyatt's artwork. This and MANY others were all over my kitchen table, and overflowing out of the art basket, but I thought the one below was so cute. There is a really big heart and then these two "lovebirds" thinking loving thought towards each other. Anna scribbled on the back before I rescued it, so there are pen marks bleeding through. But it is pictures like this that really let me into my little Wy-boy's mind. He has so much love to give and so much creativity, energy and imagination to channel. I love all his little talents and I'm so excited to see how the Lord will use him. He signed it at the top Love Mr. Button....completely backwards. Right to left and a mirror imaging of the letters. Slightly freaky.....but I have talked to a couple teachers who assure me that it's normal 'til about 2-3rd grade, and my niece, Reilly, (a lefty too) did the same thing with whole stories when she was little.