6/20/13 FORMING FAMILIES - YARD SALE (FUNDRAISER)

Brandon and Becky are friends of ours who are waiting to bring one of their children home from Ethiopia and this weekend they're having a yard sale as an adoption fundraiser.  If you're a bargain lover, supporter of adoption, or simply someone who's looking for something to do this weekend, then please swing by their sale and see what treasures you can find.

WHO: Brandon, Becky, and you

WHAT: Fundraising yard sale

WHEN: 6/21 & 6/22, from 8:00-3:00 each day

WHERE: 2735 NW 153rd Ave, Beaverton, OR 97006 (just a smidge off the intersection of Hwy 26 and Cornell) 

WHY: We're called to look after orphans.  For some of us that means helping to cover the cost of others forming their families through adoption.  If you bring something home, then they can bring someone home.

Brandon and Becky will be doing another sale in the fall during a neighborhood yard sale event, so I'll let you know when that one rolls around.  If you have items to donate for their fall sale, then touch base with them about getting those items to their house.  If you don't know them, then let me know and I'll get you connected.

6/20/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that Tim is done with school.  

What's something that you're thankful for?

IT'S OFFICIAL

Tim is done with school!!!!

Now he keeps applying for jobs, we wait for his license to get processed, and all the things that we couldn't get done while I basically single-parented for the last several months will start getting taken care of.  Woohoo!!

MENU - SECOND HALF OF JUNE 2013

We tried three new recipes on the last menu, so let's start by talking about them.

* brunch egg bake - This was delicious!  A yummy breakfast casserole that doesn't have potatoes or bread. Not that I'm opposed to either of those things, but I just wanted an egg and ham casserole that didn't include them.
* Swiss mac and cheese with smoked sausage - This was good, but I suspect we're more likely to opt for the lazier version of just making rice cooker mac & cheese and tossing some sausage in it.
* lemon garlic tilapia - Easy, yummy, tastes more like basil than lemon or garlic.

And here's the menu we're eating from now.

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x3
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x8
* cranberry granola
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach and some cheese)/toast
* Rebecca's granola/yogurt & blueberries
* lemony sour cream muffins/strawberry spinach smoothies

DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x2 
* rosemary white bean sandwiches/strawberries
* do-it-all chicken/rice/tomato slices/carrot sticks
* shrimp with garlic lemon vinaigrette/peas and corn/rice
* Italian sausage with bowties/spring delight/cheddar and sour cream Lay's (Silas' birthday choice)
* quinoa broccoli soup
* spicy pesto chicken/rice/strawberry and pear green salad
* tomato, feta, and barley salad/carrot sticks/cucumber slices
* burgers (bbq)/fruit salad
* tropical salad with Hawaiian chicken (bbq) instead of bacon/toast
* church bbq
* crockpot ziti/Leslie's salad

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* nuts - pistachios & roasted almonds
* popcorn
* hummus for veggies
* orange creamsicle cookies (we never got around to these last time)
* ice cream

FATHER'S DAY - 2013

The little Ws with the leader of our pack.  Father's Day weekend was a perfect time for their season of school-induced dad deprivation to come to an end!

DEVON'S BIRTHDAY, PART TWO - 2013

Devs entered his last year of single digit living this year and his day was filled with some W-style birthday traditions.

The day started really bright and early with a doughnut date with Tim.  He indulged in a powdered sugar covered, lemon jelly filled concoction.  He tackled it head-on.

And he struck a pose.

Then he came home for a day that was pretty ordinary.  Until evening, that is.  We all sat down for the dinner of his choosing.  Sausage balls, which he often requests, fruit salad (strawberry, pineapple, kiwi, mandarins), cool ranch Doritos, and sour cream cheddar Ruffles were on the menu and it was delicious.

Silas had given Devon a scavenger hunt as a birthday gift, which was an awesome gift for the little W who most loves to hide or find things.  He had hopped on Mapquest earlier in the week to scope out various locations around town, written up eight different rhyming riddles for clues, then Tim helped him plant the clues, along with a variety of snacks, the previous day.  So the three oldest male Ws tackled the scavenger hunt when they were done eating - Tim chauffeured, Devon figured out clues and hunted for the hidden things, and Silas came along to watch his plan unfold.  Here he is with his first clue and snack. 

At a local park with a new clue wrapped around another snack.

By the time the guys returned from the scavenger hunt it was time for opening gifts from family and cards that came in the mail.  He flashed some cash.

Then he collapsed in exhaustion from the strenuous labor of unloading every single ribbon we've ever owned, all of which were used in a gift that Naomi packaged.  

Needing some nourishment from the hard job of opening gifts, he and I took off for our traditional ice cream date and he inhaled a cookie dough blizzard.  Actually, he ate a ridiculous amount of food at dinner and had to take part of his ice cream home to toss in the freezer for later.  

The day was wrapping up, but we had one more tradition left.  The birthday outfit.  He put it on and we had some fun taking pictures.

Hmmm ... evidently Blogger now warps vertical pictures to make them horizontal.  Awesome.  Oh well, at least you get the idea, even if Devs now looks really squatty.  

And on that note, with lots of laughter, the birthday boy hit the sack.  

DEVON'S BIRTHDAY - 2013