08-31-08

I try to get a family photo every month, and I realized that today is my last chance for September.

Here we are, in front of my raised bed with blooming nasturtiums and lettuce, posing with a tripod for the neighbors to gawk at us. I feel blessed that we got the shot before the weather switched to rain.

Happy last day of September!

08-30-08

“You better have some coffee or something, you’re going to be up awhile” – Anastasia, surveying my progress at 9pm.

But I did it! I made my self-imposed deadline of having the bingo cards for my preschool Sunday School class done by the time I go to bed today. I’m up late, but they are done!

I’ve been meaning to build these bingo cards with left over handouts from last year all summer, but time got away from me. If I had realized how much work it was going to be, I probably would not have started. Finding, punching, and gluing over 300 squares… I sure hope the kids enjoy playing bingo!

08-29-08

I enjoy baking, but the worst part for me is getting all the ingredients out. So tonight, when I took stock of which ingredients I have and which I'll need to run out for, I just pulled them out of the cupboard as I went. Now tomorrow morning I'll be ready and willing to get right to my baking projects.

On the agenda:
- Chocolate zucchini cake (hoping my family will ignore the zucchini part and go for the chocolate part)
- Banana bread (because I just don't eat them like I used to)
- Butterscotch pudding (just because Bruce keeps putting it in my inbox for some odd reason)

Whether this long weekend will be for projects, travels, or just resting, make it a good one!

“Life is a creative endeavor. It is active, not passive. We are the yeast that leavens our lives into rich, fully baked loaves.” - Julia Cameron

08-28-08

I will never think that going back to school before Labor Day is a sane proposition, but today was indeed the first day of school for Longview school district.

It's kind of fun having everyone up and about by the time I leave for work again.

The kids had a good day. Anastasia's biggest trauma at middle school was not being able to figure out how to open her locker, and Xander just rolled with the day. He has asked to be called Xander at school this year though. Maybe it will finally stick!

“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.”
Robert M. Hutchins

08-27-08

Life has been hectic since I left work today, so I thought I'd take a peaceful photo for today.

When I got home, it was a rush to get Xander to soccer practice, then Anastasia had middle school orientation at 6pm, then I had a church meeting at 6:30 that I had to leave early to pick Xander up from practice at 7pm. Unfortunately, I think this is just a glimpse of our fall with two kids in soccer and one in ballet and kids in two different church programs.

No matter how crazy the day gets, though, I try to start with with my quiet time. I started a prayer journal this year where I write down three prayers and one thing to be grateful for each day. I try to keep the prayers focused outside of my little world, it has been interesting to come up with things that indirectly impact me. And I started reading this huge archeological Bible this summer. It's been awhile since I've read the Bible cover to cover rather than skipping around. Lot's wife just turned into a pillar of salt this morning.

“In the laughing times we know we are luckyIn the quiet times we know that we are blessedAnd we will not be alone.”
Dar Williams

08-26-08

"I'm not eating that. I just want to be really clear about that." - Anastasia

"That sounds really good! When can we make it? Huh? What if I help you?" - Alexander

Xander and I made stuffed zucchini tonight for snack time. The squash are a wee bit small for stuffing, but the yellow one is from my garden, and I've been hungry for the stuffed zucchini Grama Bunnie made when I was growing up, so we went for it. The ingredients are sausage, corn, and cheese. Pretty yummy.

08-25-08

This was the evening sky that greeted me when I stepped out to water the garden this evening. Isn't it pretty? I can't look at this and not think of and thank God.

I feel like I've been juggling a bit lately with work and mom's visit and getting ready for the school year to start again, but I've seen some gorgeous sunrises and sunsets in my rushing to and fro. If only life was as calm as this picture!

08-24-08

Today at church someone saw my mom and asked if she was my sister. And when we were out putzing with the lettuce, our neighbor said "You guys are related, aren't you? I can see it in the eyes.". I'm not sure about the particulars, but I do know that we look alike. And our laughs are hauntingly similar too.

And we've had a great visit. She's headed home tomorrow, so a photo together seemed a fitting topic for today.

08-23-08

Well, attendance at the Louis Palau event is estimated at 75,000, but that didn't stop me from going back again today. Without Bruce, he was done with the crowds. We enjoyed seeing MercyMe and Hawk Nelson and hearing Louis Palau's message. And I'm proud of myself for navigating Lloyd's center, the Max, and a shuttle bus to get to waterfront park. Being lead navigator is not my strong suit.

But before all that, we headed to Aurora, a town of 950 people just south of Portland. We were headed to the colony museum to learn more about the German religious group that settled in Aurora in 1856. My mom, Anastasia and I have all read the first book in the Jane Kirkpatrick historical fiction trilogy on this settlement, so it was a very fun outing to see the area and museum. In the photo we three are sitting in front of Emma Geisy's home in Aurora.

A weekend for adventures...

08-22-08

TGIF, another weekend. They seem to come around so fast, but I won't complain!

I was in Vancouver again for work today, so Bruce met me down there and we headed to the Portland City Fest Luis Palau event. It was insanely crowded, it seemed like a safety hazard. This photo is a perfect spot we found outside the event fences that gave us some breathing room. Unfortunately the police chased us away from there as soon as Kutless came on stage... It was fun, but not sure we will head back tomorrow as originally planned.

Happy Friday!

08-21-08

Tonight was the last concert in the 2008 summer series. It was reggae music. Not nearly as crowded as prior weeks (as evidenced by the expanse of open grass behind Xander), probably due to the unpredictable weather this week. Each week the kids have gone to the Red Canoe Credit Union booth to get the free red and white beach balls. They provide endless entertainment.

We are countdown one week to back to school for the kids...

08-20-08

I'm not really a puzzle person, but we've been working on this puzzle for the past three or four days. We underestimated the difficulty, but we finally triumphed. It was a real group effort, we all worked on it for bits of time. I worked on the purple flowers and the grass.

“The problems of puzzles are very near the problems of life, our whole life is solving puzzles." - Erno Rubik

08-19-08

Happy birthday to Eva! She is officially a teenager today.

Neice and nephew, Eva and James, cousins... whatever we call them, they are hanging out with us for a few days while Grandma Vicki is in town. Eva is almost a year older than Anastasia and James is about 4 months older than Xander.

The don't like to tear themselves away from the Wii, but tonight we got some group photos. Photo shoots feel like herding cats, and it is impossible to get one where they all look good, but I thought this one at least portrayed fun.

"As a teenager you are at the last stage in your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you." ~Fran Lebowitz

08-18-08

Welcome to my home office.

I don't usually work at home, but today I had no choice. Lightening hit our transformer over the weekend, and my cubicle was in the dark this morning. I set up my laptop in a conference room that had power just about the time that they announced that the remaining power was having issues and it wasn't safe for us to work in the building.

So home I went.

Monday is normally my most productive day of the week, but not today. It took most of the day to take care of the few vital things that "had to get done". But I got to spend more time with Bruce during the day and that of course was awesome!

Sometimes when you make plans, God just laughs at them.

"If all our happiness is bound up entirely in our personal circumstances it is difficult not to demand of life more than it has to give." -Bertrand Russell

08-17-08

What's in your world that's wet?

Our final photo assignment is to capture something wet, since this is the time of year when water is more a part of our lives.

A big part of my summer (that is a new experience for me) has been watering my garden. Sometimes I do it in the morning before work, sometimes I do it in the evening after dinner, but almost every day I make a loop from the raised bed to the snapdragon to the geranium basket to the herb container to the zucchini with the hose. It was fun to watch the zucchini explode from little seedlings to a huge mound that is almost as big as the hydrangea bush. Harvest of lettuce has started, the squash is close behind...

08-16-08

What color makes you think of summer?

For me, it is the turquoise and blues of water, since so many of my summer photos have water.

Today the kids got to play in Grama Bunnie and Grampa Rod's pool, so I was able to play with color.

Happy summer!

08-16-08

Do you notice the summer sky?

I noticed it last night and this evening, but not normally. Did I notice it just because of this photo challenge? Am I normally not outside at 8pm? How often is the sky clear enough for a pink sky in the pacific northwest?

Bruce was sweet enough to drive me around tonight to chase down the sunset. We ended up at the cemetery. And we got some great shots. But this one is my favorite, with the clouds lit up and the silhouette of the tree.

“Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven.” - John Lubbock

08-14-08

What's your summer bag? What's it packed with?

I admire the gals with the cute summer purses and totes, I really do. But I just can't pull it off.

Our family is just way into function over form. So this represents our summer bag. A Safeway grocery sack packed with a picnic dinner. We are headed to the lake for another concert, Folk/Bluegrass this time.

And Anastasia was my model because she is just so darn cute! Now SHE could certainly pull off the adorable summer bag...

08-13-08

What’s on your front door?

This seemed like a ho-hum photo challenge topic. The workshop teacher has a lime green door with summer decorations hanging on it, how do I compete with that?

But, why not? On our door hangs a personalized knocker that our BIL Nathaniel gave Bruce as a wedding party gift when Nathaniel married Diana, so that is special. The door itself is a very shiny, wood grained, heavy-looking black. It’s a conversation piece; guests hover on our porch as they say their good-byes, and pretty soon we hear “hey, this door is different, did you put this in?” Nope, I would chose a greenish turquoise door if I could pick.

So, maybe it’s not as boring as it first seemed.

“We must open the doors of opportunity. But we must also equip our people to walk through those doors.” - Lyndon B. Johnson

08-12-08

What's your summer drink or sweet treat?

Year round, I crave and enjoy water. The colder the better.

Water facts:
Because most food contains a large amount of water, you obtain approximately 3 1/2 cups from what is eaten over the course of a day.
A reduction of 4-5% in body water will result in a decline of 20-30% in work performance.
By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1 percent of its total water amount.
75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
The average person in the United States uses anywhere from 80-100 gallons of water per day. Flushing the toilet actually takes up the largest amount of this water.
It takes 53 liters of water to produce one orange.
According to the World Health Organization, 80% of all diseases and sicknesses are water borne.

“Water is the only drink for a wise man.” - Henry David Thoreau

08-11-08

How do you play in summer?

Our church youth group has Aqua Attack each summer. Here is the dyno duo saying "bring it on". Heck, Xander is his own traveling party, he only needs his own gun to get soaked.

Bruce is worth 2998 points. He trusts no one. Last year even the nice neighbor lady betrayed him to help out some teens.

“Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.”
Henry Van Dyke

Now go play!

08-10-08

What's in your fruit basket?

Uh, we don't have one. When we do have fruit, it sits on top of the fridge. But we rarely have fruit. The kids don't eat it before it goes bad when we buy it for snacking. I'm the only one who LOVES fruit cooked in with my meat. I'm not sure Bruce has EVER eaten much fruit. I love fruit, but it is high in sugar and carbs, so it has been easy to cut out in my quest to hit my ideal body weight. I skip the fruit and go right for chocolate when I need to splurge!

But, I loved the idea of capturing the vibrant colors of fruit, so I headed to the store to get my challenge shot for today. Feast your eyes on the bounty of inviting color!

Vegetables are the food of the earth; fruit seems more the food of the heavens. ~Sepal Felicivant

08-09-08

What's in your garden?

I have a ton of fun things in my garden this summer, but today we were away from home for 13 hours, so no garden photos for me.

Our main event was an 80th birthday party for my grandparents. Their birthdays are a few months apart, but today was the day to celebrate with 50+ of their friends and relatives. It was a very nice party, a chance to chat with some people I have not seen for years.

I did make sure that there was some foliage in the shot at least... it's a stretch for sure!

Happy birthday Grama Bunnie and Grampa Rod! Love ya!

08-08-08

What's your summer accessory?

When I look around, I see people with fun summer "things" - flip flops showing off pedicures, darling sunglasses, living in shorts, etc.

I don't think I have objects or habits that become more prominent come out in the summer.

But I do usually go with a shorter haircut for summer. Whatever style I'm wearing, I pretty consistently go a notch shorter in the summer.

Today is day 1 of a workshop several of us blogging friends are tackling together called 10 Summer Photos To Take Right NOW! The goal is to find the everyday photo opportunities and capture what summer means to you. That's right up my alley!

Happy 08.08.08!

08-07-08

Tonight was another concert at the lake. They have been well attended this summer, the great weather helps.

Our friend Brian is telling us how he keeps his family in $2 BK meals and free Papa Murphy's breadsticks by actually responding to the surveys on the receipt. He's the man!

After a hectic day at work, if was nice to sit and relax, soak up some sunrays, and hear some Jimmy Buffet music performed by the Cheeseburgers. Summer is winding down, but it's not over yet.

“A life without love is like a year without summer.”
Swedish Proverb

08-06-08

Xander loves to shop, and his most favorite thing to shop for is shoes.

NOT!!!

I'll buy him clothes and school supplies without him being present to choose, but not shoes. He was getting "talked to" by Dad when I got home, so I told him "as long as your life already sucks, we're going shoe shopping after dinner."

I have a gift for being the fun parent.

Anastasia is a serious shoe shopper. She wants to know what shoes will go with what outfits and how to maximize her shoe quota. Xander just wants to know what he needs to do to get out of the store quickly. Oh, except no tie shoes, no brown shoes, and nothing that looks remotely dressy.

One step closer to being ready for back to school...

08-05-08

I don't take very good care of my face. Heck, I guess I don't really take very good care of anything except my nails.

But this week I have been trying. My face seemed to be unhappy after the humid heat of our trip, so I've been using my Mary Kay four step cleanser as directed instead of one step hurriedly applied in the shower.

“The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.”
Francis Bacon, Sr.

08-04-08

Maybe this week will be all about chores. Oh, that seems like too much work. Ba-dum-bump.

When we got home from our trip, Bruce explained that now that Anastasia is in middle school, her allowance will be going up significantly. And now that she is older, her chores are escalating. She is now in charge of dinner dishes. She would rather have fewer chores and less funds, but she didn't have that option.

Tonight was her first night. She wasn't exactly playing to the paparazzi.

A few things I noticed about this photo:
- I caught the water in motion pretty cool.
- Anastasia looks super skinny. Maybe even emaciated. She's been sick, but still...
- Why we have stump remover in the kitchen window I have no idea, but it's amusing considering that Bruce's nickname is Stump!

“Instead of viewing tasks that require activity as a chore or a bother, we should view it as an opportunity.”
Dr. Harvey Simon

08-03-08

Every Sunday I do chores to get ready for the week. I look at our calendar, plan out meals, and make a grocery shopping list for Bruce. I put all the clothes I've thrown on the floor away, pick out an outfit for each day of the coming week, and iron the clothes with wrinkles.

None of it is hard or time consuming, but it is a symbol of another Monday morning right around the corner. And this Monday I'll be jumping into two weeks of backlog. The price we pay to take time off...

I didn't find a relevant quote, but this one made me chuckle given that I took about 750 photos on our trip:
“Using a camera appeases the anxiety which the work-driven feel about not working when they are on vacation and supposed to be having fun. They have something to do that is like a friendly imitation of work: they can take pictures.”
- Susan Sontag

08-02-08

Happy first birthday, Samuel!

His birthday was really Thursday, but his party was today. This is Sam, my nephew, who lives in Auburn. Isn't he adorable? His party was baseball themed, and Grandma Fischer made the adult cake as the field and his cake as a ball and mitt. The weather cooperated, the birthday boy stayed awake for most of his party, and it was a nice relaxing time catching up with relatives.

"Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again" -Menachem Mendel Schneerson

08-01-08

What’s in your alley?

I took a photo of the big piles of laundry for a “back to reality” theme today, but changed my mind when I walked around the yard and found this riot of color out in our alley. Bruce planted wildflowers, and they were doing well when we left, but they have just exploded.

This is much more appropriate for a relaxing transition day.

For myself I hold no preferences among flowers, so long as they are wild, free, spontaneous. ~Edward Abbey