Beauty For Ashes

More rings.  I just finished 5 more and they are the sweetest little things ever.  I can’t wait to get them to my friend!
Kayaking - we have enjoyed it as a family in the past and thought since our babes are getting a little older and we have all these terrific bodies of water we should float, paddle, swim and enjoy them.  We bought 2 kayakes and figured there is enough room each for an adult, kid and dog or picnik basket.  We are really looking forward to Sparks Lake this summer.
 
It’s soccer season and we are having so much fun!

Hope you all have a great weekend.

We all had cabin fever last night and even though it was snowing and cold, we decided to head out of the house.  Our usual destination when cabin fever strikes in the winter is Barnes and Noble.  It’s close, it has coffee, it has lots and lots of books…perfect!  We always hang out in the children’s section as we peruse through the billions of books.  C and M have favorites they like to read through so sitting at the little round table in the children’s section really is the best way for them to have access to everything they are interested in reading.  T and I pull up an adult chair and peruse through the stacks of magazines and books that we grabbed on our way to the childrens section. 

Last night was nice.  The kids enjoyed their time and I enjoyed bugging C.  We shared a bench and I just couldn’t keep my hands off him.  Even at 7, he is so darned cute!  As he read, I periodically reached over and poked a rib or tickled a chin.  He finally looked at me with a twinkle and a frown and said, “Mom, you are really bugging me, stop it”.  Which meant do it some more, please!  Or at least that is what I heard.  I tried to refrain but just couldn’t keep my hands off his cuteness.  With exasperation, he put his book down, turned to face me and gave me a big fat kiss right on the cheek and said, “please stop, I’m trying to read”.  I stopped but it was hard cause I really wanted another big, fat, sloppy kiss right on my cheek!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope your Thanksgiving is very special.

We have had a nice week.  M and C are out of school so they have been very thankful.  Unfortunately, C came down a nasty little virus and has a fever for the last day or so.  I thought maybe it was strep so I took him in and sure enough, it wasn’t…just a virus that is morphing.  He is on his 2-3 week cycle of illness now…frown.

Anyway, something we did learn about him and why he is eating like a hungry chicken rather than just a little bird is that he is growing.  I had him in to see the doc for the very same reason at the beginning of October and since that visit he has gained 2 1/2 pounds and grown 1/2 inch.  Wow!  No wonder his pants are climbing half way up his shins.  Now if I could just get some girth on him so his pants aren’t falling down all the time.

Also, I got my ring back from school and guess what…I got 100% on it.  I was so pleased and feel excited and full of inspiration.  Honestly, I was not expecting a terrific grade and was trying to figure out a redesign so I could bring that grade up because, you know, I am no annal retentive and OCD about getting an A in this class. 

My Dad and I were laughing yesterday because this is the first time that I have been in college that I have done well.  I am not a brilliant scholar much to the surpise of many (just kidding) and grades were always a huge issue in college.  I was always one step away from being booted from school because of my grades.  Thank goodness I married a brilliant man.  He has brilliance I have common sense(usually). 

Here is a picture of my first ring.  It is made of Sterling and Fine Silver, darkened with Liver of Sulfer and the high spots brought up to a high polish.  I was inspired by the sand dollars we get at the coast and that is what my design was derived from. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while.  So much going on in our house.  All of it good, I think.

Let’s see, where to start.  Last weekend we spent the weekend in Seaside helping my MIL put together a garage sale/arts and crafts bazaar for this weekend.  She has a number of artisans showing their things and I hope it will go spectacularly well for her.  I have to admit that I had my reservations but after helping here put together her displays, I was very impressed.   We talked with her on Friday night and she seemed very pleased with her results so far.  I am happy for her and for all intents and purposes, the time spent helping I think has further helped with healing in our relationship.  I think we are not quick to take one another for granted in who we are, very nice.

I am madly scrambling to get myself and my family ready for our respective trips this next weekend.  T and the kids are heading to Vegas to visit with family and attend the airplane show at Nellis Airforce Base.  It’s their 70th anniversary show and it should be pretty spectacular. 

NY is my destination.  I, with 4 other of my friends are heading to visit Summer in NJ but will be spending significant time in NY City.  I am excited and very nervous all at the same time.  NYC has never been on my list of must see places but, in doing all the research, I have changed my mind.  I.Can’t.Wait.  We leave on Wednesday for Portland and fly out on Thursday morning. 

I am now on to my second project in my metalcraft class.  It is due on Thursday, I won’t be here so I am scrambling a bit.  I am making a ring and the design is taken off of a sanddollar.  I am excited to see how it will turn out.  Pictures will come as soon as I finish it. 

Here are some pictures of my kids and a friend taken in Seaside, Oregon as well as some photos of my kids yesterday as they rode in a helicopter for the first time. 

Wow! The last couple of weeks have gone quickly.  This new schedule has been working out well.  I think I told you in my previous post about the craziness that would be my life this year.  I have to tell you it hasn’t been difficult at all, just busy.

M and C are doing great in school and out.  M is in gymnastics (I just remembered I need to go buy her a liatard(can’t spell that…sorry) before this afternoon, oops) and she loves it.  She is doing well with her homework and will be joining her teachers student marimba band in the mornings. 

C loves his teacher and all she does.  He comes home with stories about “camps” he has attended and science experiments he has been involved in.  He told me yesterday that he wants to be a scientist when he grows up.  He is also loving his maritial arts classes and is improving each time we go.  He has been invited to be in the black belt club so we will plan to do that in October I think.

I started college this week.  I am taking one class and couldn’t be more excited that I actually got in it from the waiting list.  It is a beginning metalcraft class and we will be doing small sculptures, jewelry and stuff like that.  I am just so excited!  I’ll tell you more as I get into it. 

In addition to my new college course, I have taken up water aerobics with one of my girlfriends.  We have been going for about a week and a half and I LOVE it!  It is hard work but my body is changing shape again which is really nice.  I must admit I am pretty tired but it is such a good kind of tired.  So now I walk the butte 3 days a week and play in the pool at least 3 days a week.  I think we are still trying to figure out our pool schedule. 

T and I are back into the routine of helping out with AWANAs this year at our church.  As always the first week is crazy but to be honest it wasn’t as crazy as I remembered in previous years.  The kids had a blast and because of all the work the kids will be doing, we, being T and I, challenged M and C to a friendly competition.  The goal is to see who can complete the most books for AWANA this year.  We haven’t figured out what the big prize should be yet but it has to be something really big because this competition isn’t going to be easy for anyone, especially the mommy whose brain is like a steal trap….that’s been rusted shut for a few years.

On a little different front, I posted a few weeks ago about my PMDD issue and the meds I was given to deal with that.  I am happy to report that I have not been very grumpy or angry.  It has been fantastic.  I have a bit more time to go with it but so far, my family is seeing a pretty dramatic difference in my attitude this month.  There is hope!

Lastly , my camera has been fixed and is en route back into my longing hands as we speak.  I have missed my beloved camera dearly and can’t wait to go shoot 10,000 pictures!  I am overjoyed…well actually, I’m just plain giddy!

Well for now.  Those are my updates.  I will post pictures soon.

As heard in our van on the 4th of July….

 T - So guys, why do we celebrate the 4th of July?

C - Because it’s a holiday

Me - Close but not quite…

M - I think it is Independance day or something

T - Well, this is the day that our forefather’s signed the Declaration of Independance declaring our nation free of England.  July 4th is when we became the United States.  We live in a really great country.

C - I want to live in Israel

Me - (T and I look at each other with big question marks in our eyes) Why do you want to live there?

C- because

Me - because why

C- Just because

Me - because why

C - Well, it’s filled with milk and honey

This coming from a boy whose two favorite things in all of the world are a tall glass of milk and a sandwich made of honey.

 

Happy Birthday my 9 year old.  You are amazing.   M is 9 and I am astounded at how big she has gotten. 

We went to PDX this weekend to celebrate.  It was a whirlwind trip with us picking her BFF up at 9:00 pm, getting to our hotel at 10:00pm on Friday.  Getting up early, going to breakfast and heading to the zoo. 

The kids, all of them, took the lead and ran us through what seemed like miles of exhibits, exploring every nook and cranny they could.  Everyone loved the sealion exhibit, took comfort in the Africa exhibit, particularly the part where the crocodiles lived (the rain outside made curious bedfellows of us, the exhibit was very warm) and we spent tons of time dodging big, heavy raindrops toward the early afternoon.  We got tired of the rain and decided to go the mall. 

Washington Square has changed so much since we lived in PDX.  Nothing about it was familiar.  We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with T’s aunt, M built a bear at Build A Bear, T and I drooled through William Sonoma and I got a huge bruise on my leg at Pottery Barn Kids from running into the corner of a lovely bed.  We were planning to stop off with Chuck E. Cheese but we were all so tired that we headed back to our room and watched a little Disney Channel instead.

 Yesterday, everyone woke T up with Father’s Day cards and we hit the ground running again.  After getting the van packed and getting breakfast we met BFF’s family so she could wish her Daddy a Happy Father’s Day before we began our trek over the mountain toward home. 

On the way home, we stopped at Starbuck’s in Lake Oswego to have coffe with my brother and sister-in-law and then went to Bullwinkles Family Fun Center.  After 2 1/2 hours, 3 go cart rides, 20 tokens each and what seemed like hours of figuring out what to redeem their tickets on, we loaded up, drove a block and went to Fry’s Electronics so T could go enjoy an adult electronic geeks paradise.  The kids and I got bored and T was getting irritated with our lack of enthusiasm so I took all but him to the car to wait. 

Once we were on the road again, we realized it was dinner time so we found a Baja Fresh in Salem, ordered ”to go” and headed over the mountain.  Now, you would think we would end our day by coming home, but no, I needed to go wish my Dad a Happy Father’s Day and my Grandpa just happened to be staying at their place to so we hung out for an hour.  Home and beds called to us at around 10:00 last night.  We walked in exhausted, smiling and so glad to be home.  It was a fantastic trip.

Today we need to drop M’s BFF off at her grandma’s house on the other side of town, finish cleaning our house, as well as a number of other projects and I have a surprise of two up my sleeve for my little birthday girl.  I hope I can squeeze it all in.  Should be fun trying.  We will top it all off with dinner, icecream cake and presents with two sets of grandparents at one of those two set’s house.  Did that make any sense at all?

Happy Birthday 9 year old, it was a whirl wind weekend.  I hope it’s been all you hoped for.  We love you and are so glad you made us parents and brother. 

 

My kids are taking TaeKwanDo and loving it.  It is a blast to see them and I thought I’d share a picture of my Karate Kids.  They are proud, as am I.

 

I love knowing how to put pictures on my blog!  It’s wonderful.

Have a terrific day!

Happy Birthday my beautiful boy!  Your 7 years old today.  I can’t believe how you have grown up.  You amaze me with your sense of humor, fun spirit and kindness.  You got out of bed this morning with a grin on your face and hair sticking straight up on you head as if you slept upside down. 

I was telling you last night what I was doing 7 years ago yesterday and you thought it was so funny.  I told you that 7 years ago yesterday, I was thinking to myself, “tomorrow, I get to meet my son face to face.  I wonder what he will be like.  I can’t wait to hold him.”

What was I doing today 7 years ago?  Well, I was in labor with a wonderful epidural and a terrific nurse.  When you came out the first thing I thought was, he is going to be a football player.  He’s huge. 

When I got to hold you for the first time I was amazed by you and as I got to know you I began to understand that you would be living up to your name.  You are a bull dog.  When you latch on to an idea, it’s yours for life.  You are so passionate and have such zeal for life and learning.  Your love of your family and especially your sister is interesting to watch because even though you bug the day lights out of your big sis, she is still your best friend of all time.

Your Dad and I have watched you learn to read like a narrator.  Learn to do math like a whiz kid and ask unanswerable questions.  You are methodical and meticulous.  I love how you get up every morning and mark the day off your three calendars.  You make sure I know what holiday is coming up or who’s birthday is going to happen.  What would I do without you dropping some little tidbit about the day into my mornings?  That day that you took my vacume cleaner head apart and fixed it was a day that I will never forget.  I realized how mechanically minded you are and how concrete your thoughts are.  Your Dad and I just looked at each other with stunned faces.  We were amazed that you did that but what really got us is when you explained to us why it didn’t work and how you fixed it with such clarity.

Your biggest desire is to be a super hero for God and Bud, you really are one.  I am so proud of you!  I love you, my sweet son.  Happy birthday!

 Love,

Mom

It’s a new year.  I am not going to talk about resolutions because I don’t like them.  Straight and to the point huh?  I have a few things I will be working on that have just migrated through to the new year.  Again, no resolutions just continued personal growth.

I was standing in the shower this morning thinking of all the things I’m loving right now and thought I’d make a list.  (In review of my blogs, it is becoming clear that I like to make lists…hmmm, I wonder what that means about me?)  So here are a few things I’m loving right now.

T~ He is not one of those people who is unwilling to make changes.  He is the sweetest, kindest man I know and more importantly, he has proven over the years that he loves me with his actions.  He is smart and interesting.  Finally, he loves God and is learning to live his life loving God in a more public way.

M~ My daughter is awesome.  She is learning so many new things that her 8 year old mind overflows.  She is competitive, always up for an adventure and fun to be around.  She is learning to look at people and see the beauty in each one individually.  We have been talking a lot about the importance of knowlege and wisdom in the context of know that sometimes it is better to remain silent than to let everyone know how smart you are.  Her smile lights up the world and her laugh makes my day.

C~That terrifc boy of mine is the sweetest thing.  He is chivalrous, kindhearted, tough and loving all at the same time.  I cannot get over the little man he has grown into.  I love watching him immitate his Daddy.  C is deliberate and thoughtful in most everyhting he does.  Rather than competitivness he is thrilled for all who win a competition even if he looses.  Super heros light his fire and he wants to be a super hero that follows God.  Cool huh?

Abbie Too~ Our dog has brought so much joy and companionship into my life.  She is a blast to have around.  Abbie is my walking buddy, errand running partner and constant companion as she follows me wherever I go, even if it’s from one end of my kitchen to the other.

My House~ I love our new flooring, and paint.  It feels so warm and homey.  Also, I love my sunroom in the winter.  I get to absorb the wonderful sun and stay semi-warm.  This room always a room in process but I feel inspired to create when I enter in, no matter what state of clutter and mess it is in.

Nikon D80- T gave me my dream camera for this Christmas and the next 5 Christmas’s.  I so wasn’t expecting to get this camera but I am having soooo. much. fun.  I have signed up for a digital camera course through our community ed program and I just can’t wait to make this camera get up and dance!

Being home~ I have turned into a regular homebody and love just being in my house. 

Paper~ Can I yell it from the mountain tops loud enough….I love paper craft.  I’m not even going to say more.

Sewing~ I have an on again off again relationship with my sewing machine but lately I have been having sudden bursts of inspirations and desire to create stuff with fabric. 

Friends~ Well, you all know that I love you!  I can’t imagine my life without you.  I feel close to you no matter where you are.  Some of you have moved across the country and the world.  Some are moving back from across the country~Kim.  I think of each of my friends every day.  They inspire me and rock my world.  I bet most of my friends didn’t know that I create much of my artwork based on ideas, personalities and inspirations from them.  The love of great friends is rainbow colored and multi-textured.

For now, those are the things I’m loving.  Hope your Friday is terrific!  Happy Weekend!

P.S.  Here are some new photos on my Flickr sight.