That's the word Naomi calls before flipping off the couch. Gotta love the boredom busters kids come up with! Sorry it's a little blurry.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
PEP TALK
I read through a book of quotes and looked up some verses for myself today. I'm guessing there's something in the mix that will encourage someone else, so I'm posting some of the things that jumped out at me.
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
~ Sir Winston Churchill
Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
The roots grow deep when the wind is strong.
Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
~ Will Rogers
John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Sometimes the Lord calms the storm, sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms his child.
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
~ James Baldwin
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 24:3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established.
The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep.
~ E. Joseph Cossman
Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. ~ Walter Elliot
Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Without struggle there can be no progress.
~ Fredrick Douglas
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."
Keep your chin up. It helps you keep your mouth shut.
James 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Life by the mile is a trial. Life by the yard is hard. Life by the inch is a cinch.
James 1:5-6 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubt is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
It takes no more time to see the good side of life than it takes to see the bad.
~ Jimmy Buffett
I John 4:9 We love because he first loved us.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.
I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.
~ Mother Theresa
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
~ Sir Winston Churchill
Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
The roots grow deep when the wind is strong.
Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
~ Will Rogers
John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Sometimes the Lord calms the storm, sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms his child.
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
~ James Baldwin
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 24:3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established.
The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep.
~ E. Joseph Cossman
Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. ~ Walter Elliot
Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Without struggle there can be no progress.
~ Fredrick Douglas
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."
Keep your chin up. It helps you keep your mouth shut.
James 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Life by the mile is a trial. Life by the yard is hard. Life by the inch is a cinch.
James 1:5-6 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubt is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
It takes no more time to see the good side of life than it takes to see the bad.
~ Jimmy Buffett
I John 4:9 We love because he first loved us.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.
I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.
~ Mother Theresa
Monday, June 7, 2010
A NEW BIRTHDAY TRADITION
A couple weeks before we moved I was talking to my friend Angela, who was in the midst of "birthday week" with one of their kids. Not knowing what birthday week consisted of, I asked her to clue me in. It turns out that she always thought having a birthday celebration that only lasted a couple hours wasn't worth all the anticipation that built up through the year. So, when she started having kids she decided to celebrate all week long.
I loved the idea, so we're implementing it this year for our kids. In Angela's family the culmination of birthday week is the child's party, but that doesn't work for us because our boys share a party. So, we're celebrating birthday week during the week leading up to the child's actual birthday, though that still gives us two birthday weeks during June.
You don't have to break the bank to have fun or make a kid feel valued, so we're keeping our birthday weeks pretty frugal, limiting them to cheap and free things. Our goal is just to have some part of each day include something special for the child whose birthday is coming up, whether it's a family outing or activity, something we give the child, or a special privilege. We'll wrap up birthday week on their birthday night by serving a dinner they requested and opening gifts from immediate family.
Our first birthday week started today. I think it's going to be a fun addition to our birthday traditions!
I loved the idea, so we're implementing it this year for our kids. In Angela's family the culmination of birthday week is the child's party, but that doesn't work for us because our boys share a party. So, we're celebrating birthday week during the week leading up to the child's actual birthday, though that still gives us two birthday weeks during June.
You don't have to break the bank to have fun or make a kid feel valued, so we're keeping our birthday weeks pretty frugal, limiting them to cheap and free things. Our goal is just to have some part of each day include something special for the child whose birthday is coming up, whether it's a family outing or activity, something we give the child, or a special privilege. We'll wrap up birthday week on their birthday night by serving a dinner they requested and opening gifts from immediate family.
Our first birthday week started today. I think it's going to be a fun addition to our birthday traditions!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
OFF TO THE ZOO
Tim is virtually gone all weekend because of an officiating camp, coming home only to sleep. Silas is gone today from 8:00am til 8:00pm on a church outing. My friend Denise is in town for a family member's graduation. A mutual friend had a free morning. Today is the first warm and sunny Saturday in several months.
What did all those things add up to? A zoo trip with The Devs and Nomes-a licious that was also a meetup with friends.
We looked at animals. We ate food. We chatted. We got elephant ears. We ran into Erica, another mutual friend, who recognized Naomi, looked around for me (I was off purchasing deep fried, sugary treats), and ended up finding our whole crew. We ran into a couple from church (they're technically on vacation, so they'll remain nameless in order to make people believe they're actually out of town) who willingly took our group picture on three different cameras. We stayed an hour past naps. The offspring are napping late and I am blogging in a quiet home (tried napping, but it didn't work).
What did all those things add up to? A zoo trip with The Devs and Nomes-a licious that was also a meetup with friends.
We looked at animals. We ate food. We chatted. We got elephant ears. We ran into Erica, another mutual friend, who recognized Naomi, looked around for me (I was off purchasing deep fried, sugary treats), and ended up finding our whole crew. We ran into a couple from church (they're technically on vacation, so they'll remain nameless in order to make people believe they're actually out of town) who willingly took our group picture on three different cameras. We stayed an hour past naps. The offspring are napping late and I am blogging in a quiet home (tried napping, but it didn't work).
Denise, myself, and Heidi - simply because there has to be picture of the amigas
Three silly W faces - simply because that's the pose the little Ws are most fond of making
The mob - simply because a group picture is mandatory
From left to right - Denise & her crew (two offspring, two bonus kids), three Ws (the child behind a balloon is mind ... no surprise), Heidi & her crew (three offspring, two bonus kids), Erica & one offspring (stopped by long enough to hop in the picture with us, as we needed proof we saw her)
.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
READY. SET. BID!!!!
Cheri (she's the one I just hosted a baby shower for) and Bob, along with a team of helpers, have launched a fantastic online auction to raise the money they need to bring their daughter home from Ethiopia. They have passed court and will probably be traveling in late June. Due to some miraculous timing, they will not have to meet Ethiopia's new requirement for adoptive parents to travel twice. However, international adoptions are still very costly and you have a fun opportunity to help them out by bidding in their auction.
The auction runs from 6/3-6/13, but I got a sneak preview last night. Oh my word!! I was blown away by all the items and services that were donated. It's amazing!
First, I want to thank my readers, some who have never met Cheri, who donated to the auction. You know who you are and I appreciate your generosity. Second, I'm asking all my readers to go check out the auction. While some things, particularly services, will work best for people in or around the Portland metro area, there are a gazillion other things that would be great for people living anywhere.
Shop for yourself. Shop for Father's Day. Shop for summer weddings. Shop for baby showers. Shop for Christmas. Shop for birthday gifts. And if you really don't feel like shopping, then you can just donate directly through a link on the auction site.
Still not convinced it's worth your time? Well, how about if I tell you a few of the things up for bidding? There is a little overlap between categories, but check out this list.
* Six different bed & breakfast or hotel accommodations, one including whitewater rafting, some in historic locations, others at the coast.
* Ten activities, including horseback riding, rafting, indoor gym for kids, and dance classes.
* Ten items relating to art & photography, including photo shoots, custom paintings, and yard decor.
* Fifteen baby & kid things, including professional childcare services, handmade clothing items, nursery decor, and books.
* Eleven health and beauty services, including tanning, massages, haircuts, and facials.
* Four classes, including cooking and coffee roasting.
* One music option, but it's a big one - a handmade, custom, acoustic guitar.
* Fourteen food-related opportunities, including a four course meal for eight, free monthly pizza for a year, free monthly dessert for a year, and organic Ethiopian coffee.
* Twenty-two goods and services, including $100 at Oil Can Henry's, designer soaps, 6' x 9' area rug, and a child's easel.
* Two jewelry offerings, one with Czech glass beads and the other sterling silver.
Surely there is something on that list that intrigues you. Maybe something you were already planning on paying for, but could do through the auction and have all your money go toward giving a little girl a family. If not, then know that there are items I didn't list, so you better go check it out for yourself!! Then tell your friends about it, post info about it on your blog, link to it on Facebook, etc. Just spread the word!
The auction runs from 6/3-6/13, but I got a sneak preview last night. Oh my word!! I was blown away by all the items and services that were donated. It's amazing!
First, I want to thank my readers, some who have never met Cheri, who donated to the auction. You know who you are and I appreciate your generosity. Second, I'm asking all my readers to go check out the auction. While some things, particularly services, will work best for people in or around the Portland metro area, there are a gazillion other things that would be great for people living anywhere.
Shop for yourself. Shop for Father's Day. Shop for summer weddings. Shop for baby showers. Shop for Christmas. Shop for birthday gifts. And if you really don't feel like shopping, then you can just donate directly through a link on the auction site.
Still not convinced it's worth your time? Well, how about if I tell you a few of the things up for bidding? There is a little overlap between categories, but check out this list.
* Six different bed & breakfast or hotel accommodations, one including whitewater rafting, some in historic locations, others at the coast.
* Ten activities, including horseback riding, rafting, indoor gym for kids, and dance classes.
* Ten items relating to art & photography, including photo shoots, custom paintings, and yard decor.
* Fifteen baby & kid things, including professional childcare services, handmade clothing items, nursery decor, and books.
* Eleven health and beauty services, including tanning, massages, haircuts, and facials.
* Four classes, including cooking and coffee roasting.
* One music option, but it's a big one - a handmade, custom, acoustic guitar.
* Fourteen food-related opportunities, including a four course meal for eight, free monthly pizza for a year, free monthly dessert for a year, and organic Ethiopian coffee.
* Twenty-two goods and services, including $100 at Oil Can Henry's, designer soaps, 6' x 9' area rug, and a child's easel.
* Two jewelry offerings, one with Czech glass beads and the other sterling silver.
Surely there is something on that list that intrigues you. Maybe something you were already planning on paying for, but could do through the auction and have all your money go toward giving a little girl a family. If not, then know that there are items I didn't list, so you better go check it out for yourself!! Then tell your friends about it, post info about it on your blog, link to it on Facebook, etc. Just spread the word!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
MENU - FIRST HALF OF JUNE 2010
I can't believe it's June!! We've only got one new recipe in this menu, which is kinda odd, but we've done a lot of new ones lately. I always update old menus with links to new recipes that we liked, but you can just head straight over to FOR THE LOVE OF GRUB to see the most recent recipes we've tried.
I don't know what our problem was during the second half of May, but there were a few things we never got around to making. Life's been a little stressful in the W household, so we ended up doing leftovers more often than usual. And Tim offered to get Papa Murphy's one night. Good man, he is. All that to say, there will be a few things on the menu again this time around because we never had them last time.
BREAKFASTS
oatmeal
granola (crockpot)
baked oatmeal (prep night before)
breakfast pizza
cherry oatmeal muffins (double batch & freeze half)
apple buttermilk bran muffins (intended for a few batches, but will make all & freeze a bunch)
wheat germ whole wheat buttermilk pancakes
egg & potato scramble (Tim)
DINNERS
leftovers x2
tacos x3
Mexican casserole (eat half & freeze half)/cornbread (make two & freeze one)/salad
meatloaf/rice/frozen veggie
easy baked ham/fruit salad (Devon's birthday request)
rice cooker mac & cheese/salad
chicken casserole/salad
creamy white bean & chicken chili/tortilla chips
Italian sausage & bowties/Leslie's salad
teriyaki chicken salad/rice
pizza from somewhere (I get a night off cooking for my birthday, but it will be a different night than my birthday because I'm cooking for Devon, who I share a birthday with, on my actual birthday. Clear as mud?)
herb & cheese stuffed burgers/coleslaw/watermelon
DESSERTS
sugar cookies (sending a bunch with Tim, as his co-workers love them and he won't be working with that group next year)
apple cinnamon cake
snickerdoodles (Third time on the menu, but still haven't been made. Devon's birthday falls on a Sunday, so he wants to take some snickerdoodles to share with his classmates. Fine with me, as I made a couple hundred banana spice cookies for Silas to take to an event that fell on his birthday last year.)
I don't know what our problem was during the second half of May, but there were a few things we never got around to making. Life's been a little stressful in the W household, so we ended up doing leftovers more often than usual. And Tim offered to get Papa Murphy's one night. Good man, he is. All that to say, there will be a few things on the menu again this time around because we never had them last time.
BREAKFASTS
oatmeal
granola (crockpot)
baked oatmeal (prep night before)
breakfast pizza
cherry oatmeal muffins (double batch & freeze half)
apple buttermilk bran muffins (intended for a few batches, but will make all & freeze a bunch)
wheat germ whole wheat buttermilk pancakes
egg & potato scramble (Tim)
DINNERS
leftovers x2
tacos x3
Mexican casserole (eat half & freeze half)/cornbread (make two & freeze one)/salad
meatloaf/rice/frozen veggie
easy baked ham/fruit salad (Devon's birthday request)
rice cooker mac & cheese/salad
chicken casserole/salad
creamy white bean & chicken chili/tortilla chips
Italian sausage & bowties/Leslie's salad
teriyaki chicken salad/rice
pizza from somewhere (I get a night off cooking for my birthday, but it will be a different night than my birthday because I'm cooking for Devon, who I share a birthday with, on my actual birthday. Clear as mud?)
herb & cheese stuffed burgers/coleslaw/watermelon
DESSERTS
sugar cookies (sending a bunch with Tim, as his co-workers love them and he won't be working with that group next year)
apple cinnamon cake
snickerdoodles (Third time on the menu, but still haven't been made. Devon's birthday falls on a Sunday, so he wants to take some snickerdoodles to share with his classmates. Fine with me, as I made a couple hundred banana spice cookies for Silas to take to an event that fell on his birthday last year.)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
WE'VE BEEN HERE A MONTH
Moving day was exactly one month ago. Wow. I think I'll tell you what I like about our apartment, ask a couple questions for the locals, then give a couple Wilsonville-related updates.
Here are some things I like.
* While having one bathroom had never been a big deal, there have been a few times where having two has come in handy.
* My blue wall in the living room.
* The floor plan in the main area is much more conducive to interaction between people in the living room, kitchen, and dining area. In other words, I'm not banished to a separate room when I'm cooking meals.
* While having our washer and dryer in our kitchen was convenient (and way better than the coin-op machines in another building back in Ashland), it's nice to have them tucked out of sight in a closet.
* It's warm. In other words, we don't have to run the heater 24/7 just to keep the temps at 62. In fact, we've only turned the heat on once and often have our windows cracked when it's 60 degrees outside because it's so warm inside. I don't have to wear four layers of clothing and sleep in fleece sheets through June.
* While the 12-18 inch path around our bed in Beaverton was functional (we didn't have the biggest room), it's really, really, really nice to have a room that's big enough that I can stretch out on the floor.
* Though I could count on less than one hand the number of times we've used it, it's nice to have a dishwasher available.
* Fifty extra square feet.
* Comparable indoor storage as Beaverton, though it's shifted to different rooms.
* Window screens.
* Heater vents low, rather than on the very top of, the walls.
* 2+ miles to church, rather than 12+
* 30ish miles to work, rather than 45ish
I know those last two are more about our town than our apartment, but they're going on the list anyway.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. While I obviously miss our honkin' yard, plus the mowing, gardening, and playing that came with it, and don't necessarily get excited about hearing my neighbors pee, we're content in our apartment.
So, now I've got a couple questions.
We love our dentist in Beaverton, but don't want to drive all the way up there for cleanings. Our kids look forward to going to the dentist and have never been to a kid-oriented facility. We'd prefer a regular place we could all go to, rather than a pediatric place. We laugh at the fact there's a dentist on every corner here, but I'm curious who the locals like.
We also loved our pediatrician and need a new doc down here. Tim and I see the doctor about once every 10 years and the kids average out to less than once a year, so this isn't an urgent thing, but I would like to establish care with someone for those rare times we need it. We're fine with the whole family seeing the same doc or having a ped for the kids and someone different for us. Ideas?
And now for some updates on our phone and water issues.
Our water is fine. I don't know what the deal was, but one day it just ceased tasting like a swimming pool. Yeah!
Our phones are also fine. When we first moved here Tim had decided to switch our internet to Sprint. He also requested a signal booster from them once we realized we had virtually no service here. While we were waiting for the signal booster to arrive, he decided to stick with Comcast for our internet and canceled the Sprint internet.
Flash forward to a week ago. I asked him to contact Sprint with a last ditch effort to figure out a solution to our phone problem. We really didn't want to have to change providers!! Anyway, it turns out that when they cancelled our internet they also cancelled the signal booster. Of course, that happened before the booster ever arrived at our house, so it never worked and we just assumed we were doomed to bad service. The booster would turn on, but it wouldn't improve our service. So it was just a little misunderstanding on their end and they immediately corrected it. So we have phones that work!!!
And that's that. A little snippet of our life in Wilsonville.
Here are some things I like.
* While having one bathroom had never been a big deal, there have been a few times where having two has come in handy.
* My blue wall in the living room.
* The floor plan in the main area is much more conducive to interaction between people in the living room, kitchen, and dining area. In other words, I'm not banished to a separate room when I'm cooking meals.
* While having our washer and dryer in our kitchen was convenient (and way better than the coin-op machines in another building back in Ashland), it's nice to have them tucked out of sight in a closet.
* It's warm. In other words, we don't have to run the heater 24/7 just to keep the temps at 62. In fact, we've only turned the heat on once and often have our windows cracked when it's 60 degrees outside because it's so warm inside. I don't have to wear four layers of clothing and sleep in fleece sheets through June.
* While the 12-18 inch path around our bed in Beaverton was functional (we didn't have the biggest room), it's really, really, really nice to have a room that's big enough that I can stretch out on the floor.
* Though I could count on less than one hand the number of times we've used it, it's nice to have a dishwasher available.
* Fifty extra square feet.
* Comparable indoor storage as Beaverton, though it's shifted to different rooms.
* Window screens.
* Heater vents low, rather than on the very top of, the walls.
* 2+ miles to church, rather than 12+
* 30ish miles to work, rather than 45ish
I know those last two are more about our town than our apartment, but they're going on the list anyway.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. While I obviously miss our honkin' yard, plus the mowing, gardening, and playing that came with it, and don't necessarily get excited about hearing my neighbors pee, we're content in our apartment.
So, now I've got a couple questions.
We love our dentist in Beaverton, but don't want to drive all the way up there for cleanings. Our kids look forward to going to the dentist and have never been to a kid-oriented facility. We'd prefer a regular place we could all go to, rather than a pediatric place. We laugh at the fact there's a dentist on every corner here, but I'm curious who the locals like.
We also loved our pediatrician and need a new doc down here. Tim and I see the doctor about once every 10 years and the kids average out to less than once a year, so this isn't an urgent thing, but I would like to establish care with someone for those rare times we need it. We're fine with the whole family seeing the same doc or having a ped for the kids and someone different for us. Ideas?
And now for some updates on our phone and water issues.
Our water is fine. I don't know what the deal was, but one day it just ceased tasting like a swimming pool. Yeah!
Our phones are also fine. When we first moved here Tim had decided to switch our internet to Sprint. He also requested a signal booster from them once we realized we had virtually no service here. While we were waiting for the signal booster to arrive, he decided to stick with Comcast for our internet and canceled the Sprint internet.
Flash forward to a week ago. I asked him to contact Sprint with a last ditch effort to figure out a solution to our phone problem. We really didn't want to have to change providers!! Anyway, it turns out that when they cancelled our internet they also cancelled the signal booster. Of course, that happened before the booster ever arrived at our house, so it never worked and we just assumed we were doomed to bad service. The booster would turn on, but it wouldn't improve our service. So it was just a little misunderstanding on their end and they immediately corrected it. So we have phones that work!!!
And that's that. A little snippet of our life in Wilsonville.
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