01-31-10

We met one of our goals for couples retreat weekend, which was to eat at the Thai restaurant three times. Friday dinner, Saturday lunch, and Sunday lunch.

We invited various couples over the weekend (new and old friends), but the Phad Thai and Evil Jungle Monkey Rice were always the same... delicious. And leaving me drinking a lot of water!

01-30-10

Ah, the pacific northwest beaches.

Fog, cold, big surf, and slippery mud to run through before the auto timer clicks the photo.

Bruce and I had fun walking and geocaching together during our retreat free time, even if the weather was not as cooperative as it could be.

01-29-10

Have Red Vines, will travel.

We are off to Cannon Beach for Couples Retreat. Took the day off, pulled the kids out of school early to deposit them north, hoping we aren't forgetting to bring anything important. So fun watching Bruce's scattered prep and pack routine. Our registration committee role is done, but now we have Bruce's tech role, and I have Valentines Dinner tickets to sell.

Last year we forgot the Red Vines and had some disappointed fans!

Happy weekend!

01-28-10

Back to school today.

Did her homework.

Set the table for dinner.

Ate lots of chicken and moved the beans around on her plate.

Played Guitar Hero.

Cleaned her room.

Skipped ballet class.

Family walk at dusk.

Jumped the farthest off the playground swingset.

Watched a lot of TV.

Packed for weekend at grandma & grandpa's.

Sent to bed early.

A day in the life.

01-27-10

You know it's bad when he is facing away from the TV.

Tonight is the first Wednesday night church that the Fischer's have missed in a LONG time. And both kids missed school.

We're down for the count. But praying we can bounce back for our busy weekend plans.

01-26-10

Today is day 10 of feeling like crud.

My head has all over pressure. It's not debilitating, but it is constant. If I move wrong it feels like my brain might just explode.

Deciding I am tired of being sick and resuming my normal activities is good in theory, but we'll see if I can sustain it.

At least I sound better than the kids!

"Sickness comes on horseback, but goes away on foot." - Dutch proverb

01-25-10

My day:

- Wake up early. I should, since I fell asleep at 8:10pm!

- At work, blow through today's to do list and start working on tomorrow's.

- Leave office at 3:45pm for allergy shot and ballet shuffle.

- Meet Bruce at LV Housing Authority annual dinner meeting; enjoy a small plate of scrumptious "girlie food" as Bruce calls it.

- Arrive home to kids camped out on the couch; wonder why my e-mail box is so empty and what I really need to do before falling into bed early again.

01-24-10

Normally Monday and Thursday are official grocery shopping days in the Fischer household. Although Bruce can often be spotted running in for a few items on any given day. He usually goes to Fred Meyer, but Safeway and Winco get in the rotation for ease or economy.

We needed more Kleenex and tomorrow isn't a normal Monday, so Bruce decided to go tonight instead. It was a short list, just 4 bags of groceries and milk. Only two meals at home this week, life overfloweth. And breakfast, lunch, and snack supplies.

But he forgot the Kleenex, so guessing he'll be back again tomorrow after all...

01-23-10

With both kids at snow camp, Bruce and I had a whole day to ourselves.

And so started the "what do you want to do today?" back and forth. Lots of ideas were batted around, and we landed on a laid back but not totally boring day:

- Lake walk early (thinking the weather would get worse, not better)

- Lunch and geocaching in Castle Rock

- Afternoon of reading

- Trying out a new-to-us restaurant for dinner

- Starbucks dessert, while texting Anastasia about her day of skiing

Geocaching was urban caches, and was fun. Many hides were by GeoMimi55, the granny cacher who recently got attention for the bomb squad visiting her most recent cache hide. They are fun and unique. This one was a fake "Muggles" lost dog poster on a busy intersection with the logbook in a bison tube behind the poster.

Kidless in Longview...

01-22-10

Big weekend for Anastasia.

Tonight was the Winter Ball at school. Curling hair, dressing up, getting to wear make-up without sneaking, chatting with girlfriends, dancing with boys, pulsing music. And from there rushing to join her brother and friends at youth group snow camp at Mt Hood.

Quiet weekend for mom. Bring it on!

01-21-10

Breakfast in bed is nice, but dinner in bed is divine.

When I got home this evening, I made a beeline for the bed. First, I'm still recovering from my cold and feel perpetually depleted. Second, the house was very noisy with Xander having three friends over to play. Even Bruce was hiding from the noise upstairs. Third, my book is really really good and I want to find out what happens.

So, bean soup in bed it was... then a Starbucks date later. Bliss!

01-20-10

Do you remember being 13?

When everything was a really big deal? When you could have the highest high and the lowest low in the same day? When it's hard to see the bigger picture? When you feel like nobody gets it, especially not your parents?

Would you go back and do it again if you could? Differently, or the same?

Two days to winter ball and snow camp...

01-19-10

I hate that I have to get up super early a few times a month for work.

But I like when the weather is warm enough that I don't need to worry about snow and ice.

And I love starting my trip in the pitch black and driving into daylight.

Especially when the sky is as glorious as it was this morning.

Today's travels: Longview, WA to Rainier, WA to Cosmopolis, WA, to Longview, WA. 4.5 hours drive time. Depart house at 6:30am, arrive home at 5pm.

01-18-10

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Michele went to work.

"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Xander read a history book.

"Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Anastasia helped out in the nursery at teen MOPS.

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Bruce engaged Xander in a tickle fight.

"We must use time creatively." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

01-17-10

Some days it takes so much energy to just get through the day.

- Those first few minutes of being awake when your eyes aren't dilated right and you can't yet tell how you feel.

- Standing up in church during worship music.

- Smiling while 15 kids bang tambourines in Sunday School class.

-Waking up from a nap and needing to get moving, but wanting to close my eyes again.

Actually felt pretty good when our company was over; Sunday school students Pier and Piper and their parents came over for lunch today after months of trying to coordinate a date.

Gathering strength for the coming week...

01-16-10

Grampa got a new digital camera for Christmas, so he was quite the shutterbug today. I, on the other hand, wasn't feeling well enough to document much of the day.

So here's Bruce teaching the boys Texans Hold'em.

We played games, unwrapped belated Christmas gifts, ate ourselves silly twice, and discussed the merits (or not) of Tears of Endearment. The cousins got along great and hiding golf balls around the condo seems to be as fun as tweens as it was as toddlers.

01-15-10

Do you have an appetite when you're sick?

I don't eat as much, but I do still eat. I just feel worse if I don't.

I missed a half day of work today. I could have pushed through, but I figured my productivity is so low anyway, and a book, bed, and box of tissue just sounded so inviting.

And it still does.

Photo: Sausage Potato Medley. Good? Yes. Great? No. We decided tonight it is not a keeper. But I won't mind eating the leftovers, and the calorie count is good. Especially if you eat around the sausage. Xander wants all the sausage and I want hardly any...

01-14-10

Tonight is haircut night. Another mother-son bonding activity where we hardly talk at all.

Our only budget category that is consistent is Personal Care - Haircuts. $40 per month, like clockwork.

"Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually you find a hair stylist you like." ~Author Unknown

01-13-10

Working on our 2009 digital family album, I realized that we didn't take a ton of family shots. I couldn't find anything I liked for the album cover.

So this year I'll try to get more photos of the four of us. Hopefully some candids, but we are familiar with the tripod "say cheese" variety too.

I noticed that we were all looked relatively nice and were wearing green and brown, so we had an impromptu "say cheese" session before heading to church.

01-12-10

This is the view out of our lunch room. What I see when I eat my banana at 8:45, my lunch at 11:45, and my carrots at 1:45.

I realized soemthing a few months ago and now it amuses me every day.

Do you notice anything?

We all have drab colored vehicles!

I LOVE my gray car; I was insistent on having gray, travelled way out of the way to get it gray, and wouldn't have it any other way.

But my next car will probably be blue, red, or green.

01-11-10

GUEST BLOGGER: Bruce

I walked past Michele's scrapbook room tonight and this is what I saw. Her just sitting there. I tried to convince her it was time for a nap but she has her dang "to do list" she insists on getting through. She only had 3 items left and one was doing this blog so hopefully she can get the other two done soon and be off to bed for some well-earned relaxation.

"God help me. I'm so tired. I need my sleep. I make no bones about it. I need eight hours a day, and at least ten at night. . . .” - Bill Hicks

01-10-10

What helps Bruce and I stay on track with eating healthier is allowing ourselves the occasional "free day" to blow it. And boy do I have a belly ache on this free day!

It's hazelnut season at Burgerville, so that was on my list for a meal this weekend. Turns out it is also portobello season, and I am starting to like mushrooms more, so I tried and enjoyed the Roasted Portobello Focaccia sandwich with my shake.

Yum!

Photo was taken with Bruce's cell phone. I had my camera in my pocket, but this is pretty handy too.

01-09-09

Today:

- Restless night, sleep in.

- Big outing to Taco Bell for lunch to check out the drive thru diet.

- Zig zag all over town looking for snow pants for Anastasia for snow camp in two weeks.

- Grab a few geocaches on the outskirts of town.

- Dinner and a game of Life.

With reading, excercising, computer time, and setting up new file folders in between.

This photo shows one of the biggest geocache containers I've ever seen. The irony? The container was almost empty.

01-08-10

Happy happy Friday!

We dropped Xander off for a sleepover, hit Starbucks again, and now it's free-movies-from-the-library time.

Looking forward to a quiet weekend with a little bit of shopping, friends over, a chocolate hazelnut shake, and more plundering on Island Paradise. I may even tackle the family file cabinet. Step 1: weed out papers we will never ever need. Instruction manual for a cast iron sink, anyone?!?

May you find happiness and mini sparkle donuts...

01-07-10

I had a few hours today where I was typing so frantically that my ergonomics software went crazy, but in general today was pretty laid back.

I woke up early and got out of bed early enough to excercise a little longer and have breathing room in my morning routine. We were treated to the most gorgeous sunrise as I defrosted the car.

Work went by fast. After dinner I had time to go on a coffee date, tackle my Sunday School prep, and have time to spare. And a weekend with no concrete plans stretches ahead.

Bliss.

01-06-10

Somewhere I read that seven things on your daily to do list is a realistic goal.

Most days I feel like I'm trying (and sometimes succeeding) in getting seven things an hour done.

So here's my evening list, considering that Wednesday means two hours at church:

- Workout

- Track calories

- Harvest on Island Paradise & FarmTown. Yes, my life is that pathetic.

- E-mail mom

- Find blog topic and upload

- Mix up more cocoa to take to work

- Make mid week grocery list. Which involves clipping coupons, checking specials, reviewing meal list, and making sure I have supplies for Sunday School

Hopefully tomorrow's list will be more fruitful, but part of the list is to be less list oriented, so maybe it really is all about Island Praise!

01-05-10

I've been reading my Archaeological Study Bible for ages, at at the rate I am going, it will be ages more. I'm in a tough part of the Old Testament, but I keep pushing on.

I am always working on reading a Bible; I like the different versions and emphasis'. I prefer life application, so this walk through history is stretching me. If only I could retain a small portion of what I read.

This verse stood out to me today:

"Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria,

you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy

and say to your husbands, "Bring us some drinks!" - Amos 4:1

The archaeological Bible points out that the cows of Bashan were well fed and considered the best breed, and are a symbol for Israel's wealthy, pampered, self-indulgent women who maintained their lifestyle by exploiting the poor and being demanding. Women spent much of their time at home and were likely bored and prone to excessive drinking, a common vice in antiquity.

Interesting? I think so...

01-04-10

It's the end of a quarter, time to chronicle my reads before listing the books on bookins.

Book club reads: Women of the Silk & Unfinished Gift

Reads to finish before sending off as Christmas gifts: Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict & Kingdom Come (final Left Behind)

Fun audio books: The O'Reilly Factor for Kids: A Survival Guide for America's Families, Year of Biblical Living

Books that twist Biblical stories: The Handmaid and the Carpenter: A Novel & In the Shadow of the Ark

Read to keep in touch with Xander's reading preferences: City of Bones

My favorites: The Savage Garden, The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs, The Delaney Christmas Carol, Christmas Train, & Keeping Faith

Only 14 books this quarter, and most of them audio books. There are so many books I want to pick up next, hence my resolution to read more. I keep thinking I should read some non-fiction, and maybe I will, but probably not...

01-03-10

Look who's five! While Bruce can sometimes act 5, I'm talking about our niece Kayla.

We headed up to Auburn today for a 1pm My Little Pony party. Which involved rushing, since church isn't wrapped up until 11:15. But we made it in time for A and X to participate in the pin the Pin the Rainbow on the Little Pony and musical chair games.

And now tomorrow is back to our normal routine after a few weeks of R&R. Maybe I'll get back in the habit of adding quotes to the blog entries. Or, maybe not.

01-02-10

'Tis the season for new years resolutions.

My focus word for 2009 was Relinquish, and it served me well. I've decided that my 2010 focus word will be Shape.

shape (shāp) verb
to give definite shape to; make
to arrange, fashion, express, or devise
to adapt or adjust to
to direct or conduct

New Years resolutions:
-Shape family filing cabinet and magazine clippings into usable format
-Make more time for reading and relaxing
-Adapt to new high deductible health care plan - actively reduce medical costs
-Keep up with 2009 accomplishments, resist taking on so much in 2010
-Direct more family & exploring time - go on at least 12 day trips & climb Mt St Helens

01-01-10

Except for eating and exercising, I spent the day in bed reading. Ahhh... pure bliss. Didn't get dressed until it was time to go out to dinner with friends. I almost took a nap (after staying up past 1am and getting up at normal time), but I am very bad at napping.

The kids were wiped out from their youth lock in, so it was a perfect day to lay low.

Still working on packaging my new years resolutions, but one is to read more. Hopefully I can make a dent in my unread book collection this year. I got through almost an entire book today; that's a good start!

"Read the best books first,or you may not have a chance to read them at all." ~ Henry David Thoreau