01-31-09

I have so many great photos from Saturday.

But this one won out. It was taken on a stretch of beach that we found while we were geocaching. I love how Haystack Rock is just barely visible. And the beach is not visible even though it was right there!

We were seeking caches during our free time, but during our sessions we learned about sacrificially seeking the best interest of others.

“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.”
George Sand

01-30-09

We were retreating this weekend. Our annual church couples retreat in Cannon Beach.

It's always fun to see what the hospitality team has waiting for us in our rooms. They put signs on our door with our names and little goodies in the room. This year we had an Asian flair, with chocolate drizzled fortune cookies in take out boxes.

And that started the weekend of never having the chance to get even a bit hungry. For food, for biblical teaching, or for awesome fellowship.

“Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get. It's something you do. It's the way you love your partner every day.”- Barbara De Angelis

01-29-09

I haven't been actively looking, but I've been keeping my eyes open for some artwork to hang above my willow tree statues. I knew it would be a challenge to find something horizontal that fit my colors and desired mood for the room.

When I was invited to a party with an Uppercase Living consultant, I knew that I had found exactly what I was looking for. I could have designed anything I wanted, but Bruce and I narrowed down the catalog choices to this saying. I got to choose my size and color. It cost $37.

Installation was a bear, and a willow tree lost her head in the process, but I am thrilled with the end result.

"Bless us all, who gather here
Piggy: The loving family I hold dear
Kermit: No place on Earth, compares with home
And every path will bring me back from where I roam"

- From the muppets christmas carol, 1992

01-28-09

This is my all time favorite time waster. What I do when I just don't have the energy to do anything else.

It's a game on webkinz called Tile Towers. It has stacked animals and you have to find matches. If you are too slow, they give you hints. You keep clicking and clearing matches until they are all gone or until you are out of moves. Sometimes I rock at it, sometimes I can't find any matches. But I love to play it.

I even have names and personalities for the characters. The smaller duck is prim and proper, the dog with long ears is sad, the dog with the sunglasses is overwhelmed with his life. There are a ton of dogs - all yellow, white and brown, Chihuahua, poodle, helmet head... my favorites, because they stick out to me, are the tiger, the purple girl, the pink girl, and the frogs.

I think I need to relinquish this habit and get on with my life! But it is a fun distraction...

01-27-09

Guess who is sick again? Just in time to go to Grandma & Grandpa's house while we go to Cannon Beach? Yep, germ boy is striking again.

But his new clothes are working out great. We heard a story about some girls squealing "Alexander, you're wearing pants!" when he walked into the gym. Frightening, but funny.

“How strange yet fitting that the future of nature's greatest creature, man, depends upon an intimate cooperation with nature's least, the germ.”
Philip Tierno

01-26-09

My goal is to take two family photos each month this year, and the month is almost over, so here is take 2.

We got this "photo wall" when we moved to Aberdeen. Alexander was two weeks old and Anastasia was almost 2 years. Every year we've added a favorite photo or two, and now it is all full. And now the kids are 10 and 12 years. How did that happen?

Wish we had room for a second photo screen.

“It's a family photo, nothing more than that, and it gets up on the wall, and it's a gem, a little piece of art.”
Steve Berman

01-25-09

And home came the family today, in three different vehicles. Here is Anastasia climbing out of the middle school girl's mode of transport. What you don't see is the "white chocolate mocha" Starbucks cup.

A good time is had by all. Xander had fun with his pals and was not a problem other than spilling hot cocoa all over his wardrobe. Good thing, since he is technically a year too young to go to camp. Bruce had a good time counseling, keeping things running smoothly, and connecting with the kids. Anastasia started out her ski experience with tears, but caught on fast and fears of the ski lift were unfounded.

"Hey, Mom, I never had lunch." - Xander, at 3:30pm. Anastasia, on the other hand, had coffee and found donuts on sale for a quarter.

1-24-09

As Xander headed off to snow camp he said “Mom, I have no clothes. And I mean literally no pants!” And I about fell over when he said “and I’d like jeans this time.” Knowing I was pressing my luck, I asked about long sleeve shirts. “Yeah, I’d like some.”

Glory, Halleluiah!

For a boy who has refused to wear jeans for a few years and has been out of long sleeves of any kind since he was old enough to yank off his own clothes, I am thrilled. So my outing today was to get the boy some new clothes before he changes his mind.

At the first store I found one thing for him and 3 for me, but then I stopped going to the women’s section and it went better. Every store has deep discounts; I paid attention & didn’t pay more than $10 for anything. I found a pair of dress pants he’ll hate, but they were only $3. Humor your mother for those prices.

Most everybody needs clothes. They’re going to need clothing--jeans, T-shirts, socks, the whole thing.” - Carol Jones

1-23-09

Look what Beth made and sent me to embrace my word for the year!

So what would you do with 48 hours of total freedom? My family is off to youth snow camp, so that is me this weekend.

My original list:
Eat at the restaurants my family doesn’t like
Scrapbook up a storm
Get caught up on my yahoo groups and friends blogs
Go somewhere to shop (Olympia, Centralia, Vancouver)
Get caught up on my life


My adjusted list:
Rest
Eat at home, going out sounds like too much energy
Read a book
Recuperate
Watch a netflicks movie
Rest

See, I CAN relinquish! Relinquishing expectations. And oh so grateful that I have the option to lay low this weekend.

Just call me Bronchitis girl…

01-22-09

Not sure this is a keeper, but my family would only indulge me in two clicks tonight.

We are sitting in front of our bookcase of scrapbooks. But you can't see that. And I thought it would be fun (different?) to grab a photo of ourselves to hold.

Quirky. Like us, I guess.

"I was soooo cute!" - Xander, looking at his baby photo.

01-21-09

Wednesday night is church night. Friends keep asking me what class I'm going to and I say "I'm going to a quiet room and doing self study."

I'm taking another crack at a very difficult study on faith. Starting with reading Romans 4 every time I open the study guide.

"Many eternal factors are involved that we won't understand until we see Christ face-to-face. Until then we must not lack faith for the healing of many because we don't see the healing of all." - Beth Moore

1-20-09

I didn't have to go far to get this photo today.

I drove to Seaside for work, and as I rounded the bend to the logging office, I was completely surrounded by clear-cut operations. This area was devastated by the Dec 07 storm, and they are currently logging the downed timber so they can replant and start again. The sun wasn't cooperating with me, but there is equipment at the bottom of the hill, and a load staged at the top of the hill, if you look closely.

It's a mess, but it was neat to see and hear an active logging unit so close.

01-19-09

Sorry for the e-mail I haven't answered. The blogs I haven't visited. The people I haven't checked in on. The conversations I haven't had. The plans I haven't made.

But I keep reminding myself that I'm still sick. I still need to conserve my energy. And rest when I can.

“It's easier to put on slippers than to carpet the whole world.”
Al Franken

01-18-09

Another day of not enough energy to seek out a photo.

So this is the view out of the little window upstairs. The one in the hallway right outside our bedroom. I often peek out first thing in the morning to check the weather. This captures the pretty sunset. And the dense houses in our neighborhood. And the big majestic trees at the lake.

Seems fitting for a quiet Sunday at home.

“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.”
St. Basil

01-17-09

A - at home in the kitchen - made Top Ramen for lunch
N - not interested in cleaning her room
A - at a friends house last night for a birthday party
S - spends time doing her homework on the laptop
T - thinks Steve Martin is funny - we watched Housesitter tonight
A - always fighting with Mom over greasy hair
S - specailly likes teriyaki, her choice for dinner tonight
I - into TV, currently Little House on the Prairie reruns
A - Adjusts well to a quiet day with no plans

01-16-09

TGIF!

Friday nights in the wintertime often mean Family Movie Night and Sardines at church. We ordered the family feast from WinCo's pizza place, watched Snow Dogs on couches and pillows in the youth room, then let people hide in the dark church and added to them as we found them like sardines. Total attendees: 28.

Another weekend successfully launched.

And I'm finally feeling some pep back. But I'm going to lay low this weekend and get really rested up.

01-15-09

After not leaving the house for 3 1/2 days, I really overdid it today. I worked almost a full day at the office. I kept my standing hair appointment. Went to Anastasia's band concert. And we took her to Coldstone afterwards for doing such an awesome job.

Anastasia was the only sixth grader to do a solo. I recognized the little bit of "Bile them Cabbage Down" as the part she's been playing on her flute for all the relatives over the holidays. Anastasia thrives on the stage, it is so fun to watch.

And now I need to take some NyQuil and head to bed!

“The flute is an instrument that doesn't lend itself very readily to rock music. It's a gentle and sensitive instrument.”
Ian Anderson

01-14-09

Turns out that when you are sick is not the smartest time to get an artistic shower shot. Because your skin looks all splotchy and pasty and you don't really feel like posing. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to pull off the artistic shower shot, though; I'm too short & too far away from the shower head. But my hands look good, don't they?

Life is pretty boring when you're sick.

01-13-09

Bruce: "Need anything from the store?"
Michele: "More canned pears, please."
Bruce: "I bought three cans yesterday."

What do you eat when you're sick?

My family is teasing me about my comfort foods.

For the past two days, I have only eaten canned pear, peanut butter toast, and Kraft dinner. Plain mac and cheese, not with hot dogs and peas added like we normally do. It's all stuff that can slide down my throat easily... and stuff I ate a lot of as a kid, I guess.

01-12-09

We have a medicine basket instead of a medicine cabinet. We throw all our medicine in there - adult cold/flu, kid cold/flu, what Xander and I need to manage our allergies and asthma. It's a mess, but we can find stuff when we need it if everyone keeps with the plan. I often dump the contents of the basket and start pawing for what I need.

Right now I need a lot. But my favorite hero is Vick's Vapor Rub. Clears my lungs, makes my eyes water, and makes everyone say "what's that smell?!?" as if I should crawl into a hole and die.

“Medicine, the only profession that labors incessantly to destroy the reason for its existence”
James Bryce

01-11-09

Meet Johnny Right.

He is a recurring character in skits at youth group. He was created to be the scuzzy extreme for the annual sex and dating talk, but became a well-loved recurring youth group character. He gives the boys all the wrong advice on dating and girls and gives the girls a glimpse of the type of guy NOT to date. He's got the 70's groove on, all he's missing is the sideburns.

“The best things in life are silly”
Scott Adams

"You can't be wrong if you're Right".

Johnny Right

Top 10 reasons why you should date - according to Johnny Right

10) When you date one girl, other girls think you must be cool and they’ll want to date you too.

9) God gave different days different names. You should probably have a girl with a different name for every day of the week.

8) Everyone likes ticking their parents off. Dating gives you a chance to tick other kids’ parents off too.

7) One is the loneliest number. It's a good thing I'm a 10.

6) If you pretend to treat them nice girls will buy you presents.

5) The best kind of candy? Arm candy.

4) If your car runs out of gas you need someone to push the car.

3) It makes you look cool to your friends

2) Unless you’re me, dancing alone looks dumb

1) Girls look better when they’re on my arm

01-10-09

I dragged myself out of bed today, filled myself with medication, and headed to Vancouver with my girlfriend Pauline for a Christian Women's Conference. Here we are with author Karen Kingsbury. We also got to hear Robin Jones Gunn speak. Both are Christian fiction authors living in the Portland area.

Karen talked about remembering these things in the story of your life:
- Love the cast of characters in your life.
- Don't leave important things unsaid.
- Realize we have an antagonist in our story.
- The hero of our story, Jesus, will carry us through.

And now, heading back to bed...
“The man is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it.”
Bessie Stanley

01-09-08

Down for the count.

I felt it coming on last night, I had a restless night, and I changed my alarm to sleep a little longer instead of exercise. I really thought I'd be Ok once I got going, though.

No such luck. The longer the day went on, the worse my deep cough got, the more pronounced my chills got, and the more I looked forward getting home to crawl into bed.

“There are three wants which can never be satisfied: that of the rich, who wants something more; that of the sick, who wants something different; and that of the traveler, who says, "Anywhere but here”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

01-08-09

Evidently, Ali Edwards (one of my favorite scrapbooking "celebrities") and Beth (a Christian, scrapbooking, book reading, coffee loving, adventure seeking girlfriend after my heart) choose a word to focus on each year. I contemplated my word for a few days, and finally landed on RELINQUISH. Others I considered were rest, relax, and breathe, can you see a theme?

re·lin·quish
(r-lngkwsh)
1. To retire from; give up or abandon.
2. To put aside or desist from
3. To let go; surrender.
4. To cease holding physically; release

I think RELINQUISH fits with my mood, my 2009 goals, and my strong need for a change.

• I will put aside time to scrapbook more and relinquish the idea that it takes incredible energy to organize and create.
• I will cease to physically hold enough Christmas gifts and supplies to last me years. I will carve out time to finish projects, I will seek out joy, and I will make fruitcake this year!
• I will cease to hold these extra 15 pounds. Well, at least 10 of them! I will relinquish the patterns and influences that keep me form eating well and exercising.
• I will relinquish the need to do our finances my way and work with Bruce to put aside more money and desist from feeling deprived when I'm not spending excessively.
• I will abandon my mindset that I have to do everything, do it quickly, and do it perfectly at work. I will relinquish more to others, surrender my to do list, and stay away from the office more.
  

"People, even more than things, have to be restored, revived, reclaimed and redeemed."- Audrey Hepburn.

01-07-09

It's never a good sign when our region is mentioned during the weather report on CNN.

First we couldn't get around due to snow, now we can't get around due to flooding. Maybe locusts are next.

This is a frog that is in our basement. It's not much of a pet, but it does start squealing when it detects water. And this evening it started making a racket. So our basement is officially flooded for the second time since we've moved here. At least this time we are better prepared. Water is gurgling up through cracks in the floor. I probably won't be able to use the basement gym for awhile. Drat!

“Fire, water and government know nothing of mercy.” - Unknown

01-06-09

I glanced at Bruce coming up our stairwell tonight and decided it was a unique photo opportunity.

Bruce's week is not going as planned. Xander stayed home sick yesterday, the hot water went out yesterday, and was replaced today. Good thing he is high on flexibility and low on filling his day with goals and expectations. He just rolls with the punches and leaves things to the capable but overburdened "future Bruce".

“Do not put off till tomorrow what can be put off till day-after-tomorrow just as well”
Mark Twain

01-05-09

After a long break, I'm back at it. Exercise in the basement in the morning, eating healthy on weekdays, drinking at least 80 ounces of water a day, and hopefully doing wii fit in the evenings.

I posed a photo with my gorilla pod with each set this morning. I like the ones with my head cut off better than my morning scary face. Today was lower body- I did 60 each of calf raises, lunges, squats, and sit ups.

“I'm not overweight. I'm just nine inches too short.”
Shelly Winters

01-04-09

I had something different planned for today, but I ran for the camera when I noticed the kids were both wearing orange. I was waiting to shoot between coughing fits, but then I decided to keep it real.

And boy are we all sick of the coughing! It's non-stop and it is loud. We may all be sick soon from the coughing keeping us up at night.

I wanted to go see Marley and Me today. Then I remembered the cough. So we had a lazy day at home instead.

“Love and a cough cannot be hid.”
George Herbert quote

01-03-08

Can you name all the fairies in Tinker bell?

I have not yet seen the movie, so I was at a disadvantage. I can't seem to retain it, but I now know the characters:
Tinker Bell, whose talent is to tink, or make and fix things.
Fawn, whose talent is animals
Silvermist, whose talent is water
Iridessa, whose talent is light
Rosetta, whose talent is garden

Today we traveled back up to Auburn for my niece's Kayla 4th birthday. Uh, can you guess the theme?!?

01-02-09

I can't believe I forgot to list finances as one of my new years resolutions! This year I'd like to not only save more money, but to understand better where the money goes.

I guess I know where a lot of it goes. I know I'm waiting for several packages from a recent on-line spending spree, and those need to be curbed.

Today my new Metropolitan galoshes arrived. They sure smell like new rubber but aren't they cute?

“One must always have one's boots on and be ready to go.”
Michel de Montaigne

01-01-09

Do you make resolutions?

I am very goal oriented, and I'll take any excuse to make a list. So my resolutions this year are:

• Scrapbook more. And that is how I sent most of my holiday today!
  
  
• Do the Christmas projects I've been meaning to do for years (especially since Bruce noticed today how much of the basement is occupied by Christmas boxes full of things not touched!)
  
  
• Lose weight & get/stay fit. Yep, it's the same 10 pounds over and over again... Christmas cookies, fruitcake, Frangos, I banish you all... :)
  
  
• Take my vacation time and work less. I'm going to need some miracles, but I want and need a change!
  
  

Happy New Year!