this is our life.

the fam

2011-04-04T07:50:00.001-07:00

sunday's are very busy days for us. it's jesse's only day off, and it's my 'work' day a church. so usually they come and go so fast we forget to enjoy our time together. for the past 6 or so months i have also had a sunday evening commitment leading quizzing (an in depth bible study for kids). now that quizzing is over, i feel like we have all the time in the world.
did you know sunday was the birthday of the original sundae? we just had to celebrate!
but first we went down to fisherman's bar and hiked around. we threw rocks and sticks in the water, climbed on logs, raced each other, it was a blast! then the kids devoured their much deserved sundaes.

i hope you enjoyed your sundae, i mean sunday.
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anthropology

2011-03-24T15:44:00.001-07:00

anthropology is my favorite favorite store. i go in there and feel at home. i want my house to look like that, i want my clothes to look like theirs, i want the floors, the bedding, the dish ware, the seating, the lighting, the candles, the body lotions/perfumes/shower gel/soaps, the jewelry and all the accessories. did i miss anything? if i did, that too! am i unreasonable? maybe a little. anyway, i finally bought a few items that make me happy. (with some help from my momma) these are my first ever anthro. purchases for myself. i love everything I got.

this sweater. really? i love. (forgive the weird look on my face. the harder I tried, the worse it got.)

change purse. holy cuteness.

egg tray. how did I survive before this purchase?
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cupcakes!

2011-03-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

i can't stop cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes.

i have a thing for cupcakes.

i was trying to think about why i love them so...

it is hard to put into words.

my friend liz texted me this on sunday:

"i'm so proud of you"

"for what, you weirdo?"

"for baking and decorating for your own personal creative outlet and fulfillment and the 'icing' is that it makes others happy too. :)"

i couldn't have said it better myself.

check out what i have been up to.

mandrine orange SPARK cream-sickle cupcakes w/ mandrin SPARK and orange zest cream cheese frosting. these were for my sister and her advocare business. she is having make 300 cupcakes in two weeks for an event, i am so excited!
chocolate cupcake w/ peanut butter cups chopped inside and a cream cheese peanut butter frosting with a peanut butter cup on top. these were for my friend peter's birthday.
chocolate chocolate chip cupcake w/ cream cheese frosting and topped with a chocolate chip. these were also for peter's birthday
chocolate cupcake w/ chopped heath bar pieces, filled with salted caramel with a butter cream frosting drizzled with caramel and topped with a heath bar. these were for a church meeting.
chocolate cupcake w/ andee's mints chopped inside and filled with mint chocolate ganache, topped with a whipped cream frosting and an andee's mint. i made these for my friend chelsea's kindergarten class and annabelle's class for st. patrick's day.

it's all in the pan

2011-03-04T15:21:00.001-08:00

can you tell the difference between these two cupcakes?

i was so excited when i found these mini cupcake pans at goodwill for $1.99. um...not so much anymore. they obviously bake horrible. i don't even know if they baked all the way through. ugh!

so my advice, buy the good stuff, it makes a huge difference.

they still turned out. chocolate heath cupcake filled with caramel with a buttercream salted caramel drizzled icing with a piece of heath bar on top. yum.
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play

2011-03-04T12:55:00.001-08:00

mcdonalds play place, the place to be on a cold, overcast, raining on and off day. the things that go on here...kids sweaty, crying, screaming, biting, laughing. parents ignoring, eating, talking, ignoring, yelling at kids, ignoring, come on people. but all that, it's worth it.
sweaty kids=happy kids=happy mom

(yes sawyer is wearing a sleeveless jersey and b-ball shorts and it's 39 degrees outside)
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bad rap

2011-02-24T20:01:00.001-08:00

meatloaf has a bad rap. at my house it is loved by all. every time i mention to my friends that i'm making meatloaf they cringe. i think it depends on how your mom made this mystery meat when you were growing up. i remember loving it back then. i wouldn't however, order it at a restaurant. i like to know what's in my food.
i make it with ground turkey, garlic, onions, ketchup, bbq sauce, an egg, some form of crackers and whatever else I decide to throw in. what could go wrong with that? i add grated carrots and broccoli sometimes to sneak those extra veggies in. It sound strange but it really is good. tonight i made some homemade french fries and sweet potato fries. delish! i dare you to try it again. you may realize meatloaf isn't bad after all.

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has this ever been you?

2011-02-23T10:34:00.001-08:00

i am in winco. my nose is dripping from my face (disgusting i know). what do i do? i run to the paper goods and rip open a box of kleenex. nice and classy. that's how i like it.

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thrift finds

2011-02-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

i love to shop for all sorts of things. i would do it as a job if i could. i especially love shopping for things i could actually have. i found these great finds this week. my ideas for these treasures are unending.this giant antique mirror weighs at least 50lbs, so hanging it will be interesting. i keep dreaming about painting it a lacquered black or even some crazy mustard yellow color or do i leave it this cool old gold...hmmm.

the globe is going in sawyer's room. he has wanted a 'real' globe for a while and this one is cool and unique looking.

the round shade in most likely going in annabelle's room. i'm going to get a light kit from ikea and hang it in there. speaking of annabelle's room, that is going to be my project for the week. pictures to come.

the green lamp is for me. my room. love it.

the white empty frame will be transformed. that is being finished this week too. lots to do.

and lastly the small gold mirror will be used hopefully in my room for a small collage of cool mirrors.

Recipe Club February

2011-02-11T07:47:00.001-08:00

this month in our recipe club the theme was valentine treats. these were my contribution. i love our group of ladies. we have about 12 regular ladies that attend, but this month we only had 6, it was still amazing. the beauty of these ladies inside and out is to be admired. they are all mom's, wives, and succeeding at their 'professions.' our gathering usually is from 7-9 last night it ended at 11pm. i left feeling refreshed and energized. and still encouraged to be better. thank you recipe ladies!

better.

2011-02-06T23:00:00.001-08:00

what does better mean?

betteradjective1 comparative of good and well .• of a more excellent or effective type or quality • more appropriate, advantageous, or well advised 2 [ predic. ] partly or fully recovered from illness or injury • fitter and healthier; less unwell adverbcomparative of well 1 .• more excellently or effectively • to a greater degree; more • more suitably, appropriately, or usefully
yes...yes...and yes. we have been talking as a church staff about just being 'better.' it is a simple word that can and should be laid across all aspects of my life. i am tired, worn out, over worked, and done. i don't have the choice of being done. that is not an option. i am a mom that wants to be better. i am a wife that needs to be better. i am a leader who lacks and has to be better. i must be a better friend. does this mean more time that i don't have? does this mean more energy? i have noticed that i have been busy doing a lot of nothing. i hate admitting that but it is true. my mind is busy, it never stops. while sitting spending time on fb, or watching housewives of wherever (can't believe i admitted that) my time is wasting away. that really isn't busy, is it? agh! i don't really like these wake up calls. i want to be more effective in my relationships, my ministry, my time with God. i want to move forward. i am still right now. and that isn't what God has called me to be or do. i was 'preaching' to my kiddos today about that, DRIVE is our series that we are in right now. i asked them 'what do you think that means, drive?' they came up with all sorts of motorized vehicles that could take from place to place, but that is not what we are talking about here. i explained to them that God has called us to action. to move. to propel forward. to put action steps to His words that He gave us so long ago. they are real, they are alive. jeff, our pastor always says, 'if something isn't growing it's dead.' now dead is a strong word and i really don't want to admit that so i will leave that there. but you know what i mean. so, better is where i'm at right now. i can do better. i can turn off the 'noise' so i can listen. i can be better. i can make that my mission for today. one day at a time. better.

momma's and daughter's recipe night

2010-05-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

brittany (my sister in law) and i each brought some of our friends together and started a recipe club. we meet once a month. there is an over-all theme (ie main dish, appetizer, crock pot, healthy) we bring a sample of that dish to our get together. we take turns hosting at our own homes, we laugh, we eat, we get inspired to make great new meals for our own families.

may was my turn to host. i thought it would be fun to invite our mothers. my mom and i love working together and this is what we were able to create. it was such a beautiful night, in a beautiful place, with beautiful amazing women!

2010-05-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

annabelle is an amazing girl. she snuck around after she lost her tooth made this secret note for the tooth fairy and cut out these hearts. talk about making it tough for that poor tooth fairy! 10 o'clock at night is not an easy time to find a silver dollar. good thing the tooth fairy had a brilliant idea...

annabelle was ecstatic with this note she received! phew! one more tooth down only about 20 more to go...

Barn House!!!

2010-05-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite places, ever! i love barn house. my mom and aunt laurie of worthy goods have created, yet again, a beautiful masterpiece. they came together with many other amazing vendors and of course it wouldn't be barn house without 'the boys' and had an opening like i have never seen. the people came out in droves.

since it was the saturday before mother's day, i thought it would be a perfect gift for my mom if i could work along side her at this incredible event. so thanks to jesse's mom, i was able to work kid free for 4 hours.

beautiful people

beautiful day

beautiful momma

(thanks mom, this was a gift for me too)

a quick trip

2010-04-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

a man who laughed and served.

jesse's grandpa passed away and we traveled up to kirkland to be at the service.

i am honored to have known this great man. he lived a long, happy, healthy life. he gave what he had, he served always, he loved unconditionally. he is an example for me of a life well lived. we love you grandpa atwood.

sawyer already has many questions when it comes to death (i don't know why) but when it came time for the graveside service he continued those tough questions. sawyer and i went down by the casket and i kneeled down and hugged him and he started crying. "i want grandpa to still be alive, mommy!" woah..."but sawyer, remember he is alive, he's in heaven" "but his body is in there!" "you are so right, buddy. but his soul, everything that made grandpa, grandpa is up in heaven." his face lit up and he wiped away his tears..."oh yeah! he is walking on streets of gold!!! and he see's golden doggies and...and..." that boy had joy oozing out of him by the end of our conversation.

we will miss grandpa atwood, we will not forget him, we will honor him by living our lives like he did. thank you grandpa atwood for being that great example to my husband, you are a huge part of making him the man he is. and thank you for that special moment i was able to have with my boy. we love you.

it's a 'bowling' party

2010-04-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

here's my stud bowler. (i have these pictures in the wrong order, this is where we ended up.)

all the kids had their awesome 'pose' after they had an amazing bowl, this is annabelle's.
look how cute this boy is. all is right in this boy's world. sawyer and 14 friends went to big al's after having cake, ice cream and presents at our backyard.
last year sawyer didn't blow out his candles, someone else helped him out. he was very concerned that this might happen again, but thankfully he was able to blow them all out himself! go sawyer go!

this is the party table minus the bowling cake. it was a 'candy bar'. each child got a bag with m&m's, a lollipop, laffy taffy stick, a ball, rip roller (i didn't know what this was either but it was blue, ha ha), and a scoop full of gum balls. the kids loved it.

at the end of the day i asked sawyer what his favorite part of the day was and he said, "everything!" perfect day.

2010-04-17T22:59:00.000-07:00

sawyer berkeley atwood is 4 today, sunday april 18th...

i love this boy.

he always goes #2 till his legs "go tinglely"

he asks tough questions about God, death, bad guys

he is really smart and he knows it

he loves his sister and he calls her "sister" (which cracks me up)

he would rather stay home then go somewhere

he loves wearing jammies

he would just wear his undies all day everyday if i let him

he wants to go potty outside instead of inside

he always wants to pray at dinner time

he has amazing manners (if i forget, he always reminds me too)

he says the funniest things ("mom, you are the BEST.........putter in time-out-er!")

he is caring and giving to others

he is an incredible scooter rider (and can ride a 2 wheel bike)

he started learning sign language and it fascinates him

he thinks he has the best daddy and he tells everyone that

he plays the wii way too much and he's way to good at it

he has an awesome imagination

he could play by himself for hours, "reading", playing cars, setting up his train set, or the wii :)

he is quiet

he loves to cuddle

he has the best grouchy face

he is the only one in the family who drinks milk

he randomly says "i love my family"

he will not walk in the rain or on the wet ground

he is so funny...on purpose!

he is 4 now and i will miss 3, 3 and a quarter and 3 and a half and 3 and three quarters, but now i have 4 and i will enjoy every minute of it!

i love this boy.

2010-04-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

spring has sprung here at the atwood house. we have 3 new baby chicks, with 3 "lovely" names steve martin, cookie, and penguin. we have an exciting birthday coming up in a couple days that i can't wait to share with you!

So Maybe I'll Start Posting Again...

2009-03-03T02:06:00.000-08:00

...if you're lucky! I have been busy! There has been so many things going on and I guess I'll just spare you the hairy details. I one day will share with you my 30th birthday party extravaganza! It was crazy and wild and one of the best days of my life. I will also share with you Annabelle's 5 year old birthday party, it was amazing and I still can't believe she's 5.

So I guess right now I just wanted to write to get my feet wet...again...and just start blogging.
Here it is, I'll try to be back. Pictures to come...

oops!

2008-12-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

these pictures somehow missed the last post... check out these gifts, isn't this cool?

this was the best wrap job of the night! look how hard riley's working, it love it!

i thought this gift says it all. it really brings tears to my eyes. to know what this gift means not only to the child that is receiving it but what it means to the child who gave it!

i really wish i could explain all the details of what took place this evening but it is impossible. i believe our kids gave the gift of presence to their families, they made a memory that will last forever!

thank you God for sending your one and only son so many years ago. let us remember why we celebrate. i pray that this year YOU will be the focus. may you bring families closer together, and closer to you this Christmas season. thank you for not only teaching/reminding these kids the real meaning of Christmas but for me as well. i love you, you are an awesome God!

In Jesus Name

Amen

Advent Conspiracy: Kidz Edition Celebration!

2008-12-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

this year instead of putting on a Christmas musical we got together with the kids every tuesday night and we potted ways to make this Christmas more about presence (people) instead of presents (things). it was absolutely amazing. we challenged the kids to give up one present, instead of having the normal 4 gifts under the tree, this year they would get 3, for example. they would use the money from that gift and buy a gift for someone who might not otherwise get a gift this Christmas. this could be their only gift. this was a sacrifice. we talked a lot about sacrifice and what a true sacrifice means. the kids got it! the stories we heard from parents and the things the kids shared was incredible. we wanted to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with our families. the kids wanted to give and gift of presence to their families. so last tuesday we did just that. the kids put on a party for their families. they decorated, they organized, they made invitations, they made place cards, they practice leading Christmas carols, they made a beautiful power point presentation using their pictures as kids read the Christmas story, they served their families throughout the night, they were the host and hostess. they also bought Christmas gifts and together as families they wrapped them. the kids did an amazing job! they were so proud, they were beaming. it was a night that i will never forget, i was so thankful to be apart of something so absolutely incredible.

the kids brought in their unwrapped toys. they were so proud so show us what they got for someone else!

they decorated cookies.

some kids led singing.

You are Invited!

2008-12-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

i want all of you to come to movie night, tomorrow friday the 12th at 7pm. free popcorn, candy, and drinks, bring something cozy to sleep on and in (sleeping bag/pillow and jammies). call me or email me for details. it will be a blast, and the kids might even have fun too!

San Diego, Perfection!

2008-12-09T21:44:00.001-08:00

when we touched down in san diego we got our car and came straight here! we loved the zoo, the way it is laid out is amazing. the animals are so close. it seams like you could reach out and touch them!

on our way to the hotel we stopped at the beach, jesse got a little excited when he saw a pelican and seals, "right there"

look at these little guys, aren't they so cute?

this was a pre-haircut and eyebrow picture, yuck! this girl could use a serious make over!

after the spa we went down to old town is was so cool. the lady who cut my hair recommended an authentic mexican restaurant, it was so so so delicious! muchas gracias!

in old town they had this nativity scene set up in the town square it was beautiful. time and time again we would see Christmas decorations and it just seemed completely strange. the weather made it seem like summer and yet Christmas decorations??? it just was very weird.

after the "haircut" in old town. i love this man!

jesse saw this coffin and what else did you think he would do??? it was so funny, a lady walked out of a nearby store and jesse popped up, she screamed! it was an accident, but there was almost a cleanup on aisle 2.

we went to the first light house on the west coast it was amazing, and it had the most incredible views.

jesse and i decided that we want to live here. we're packin up and moving to this light house! oh...we can't it's a monument, dang!

look at this beautiful day, can you beleive it's december? jesse is on top of the world!

we went to seaworld, the weather was perfect. can you tell who this is? it's jack hannah. when i realized who it was, i turned around and chased after him and tried to take his picture. i was a paparazzi! it was terrible. i can't believe i acted that way, poor famous people.

of course the shamu show was awesome. i was teary the entire time. i wished my kids could have seen this. they would have loved it, someday they will, that's a promise.

after seaworld, we got all dressed up for our fancy dinner. look at my hot hunk of a man! (it took us four times to get this picture, we were laughing so hard!)

the dinner and dessert was so good. i wish i could describe it to you in great detail, but it would just make you jealous and hungry, so i'll spare you...

my feet hurt and i was cold, so jesse (like the gentleman he is) let me barrow his jacket and i ran back to our room barefoot! we had such an amazing night, jesse was my prince and i was his princess. (thank you laurie and chelsea for the dress and shoes and ryan for the tie)

i told jesse on the plane to san diego that i wanted to find this statue. i can't believe we actually found it. it was kind of a fluke. jesse toured an aircraft carrier that was right next to it. cool huh?

this is my man! he is showing me his "how you doin' " face.

here's me trying to do it back but not so well... this was our farewell shuttle back to the couve! we are so glad to be home, we missed our kids desperately. i am so thankful however, to have had a wonderful time with my husband of almost TEN YEARS! i love you babe! thank you again to everyone who made this trip possible!

San Diego, Here We Come!!!

2008-12-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

this is the craziest thing ever! i don't even know what to say or how to say it. jesse and i are going on an amazing little getaway. we're flying to SAN DIEGO for four days! we are staying at the FOUR SEASONS! yeah, and i have money to spend at a SPA! i'm basically getting a head to toe makeover, choppin' the hair off, FINALLY!!! going to SEAWORLD! having a super ultra formal dinner. all of this is free to us! did you read that right? FREE! we are so blessed, beyond blessed. thank you gramma c! you are so generous, i am amazed. thank you for thinking of us this is a gift that leaves me speechless, we love you! thank you mom for taking care, kissing, loving on my babies while we're away, i trust you completely! thank you aunt laurie for the most beautiful dress i could ever imagine wearing, (and the undergarments and shoes to go with), thank you jeff and shelley for the tickets to sea world, what an incredible place to experience, and thank you for watching annabelle and sawyer on saturday for my mom, i know the kids will have a blast! and thank you GOD for putting these people in our lives who love and care for us so much, we feel so outrageously blessed, we're busting out the seams right now! you are an awesome GOD!

check out these pictures of where we are staying, i can't wait!

more pictures to come when we return...

Ms. Debbie!!!

2008-12-01T14:06:00.000-08:00

do you shop at 164th fred meyer? those of us who shop here frequently, know and can hear ms. debbie laughing clapping and playing with the kids. she works in the play place and she is amazing! everytime we go to fred meyer (which is way too often) my kids beg me to let them play at the place play. if i'm not in a hurry i'll take a look and see if ms. debbie is working. i only let them go in if she is there. she gives each child one on one attention, she gets on the floor, she comes up with new inventive games, she does a great job in there. i went to f.m. today, there was a waiting list to get into the play place but we waited, the kids were so excited. by the time the kids names were called to head in, my shopping was done. oh well, i thought, i'll just hang out and let them play for a while. they had a blast, and i sat at the cafe, quietly, calmly, peacefully, as i sipped a grande, non fat, chi tea latte it was the best. i could here the squeals and laughs of my kids as i sat and smiled. when i picked them up debbie told me that her last day is dec. 10! i don't know the details, but it is not her choice! i told her that i wanted to write a letter or talk to someone. she gave me the name of the store director, greg gauett. so i wrote him a letter and if she has enhanced your shopping experience in any way i would hope you would do the same. you may also post comment here, and i can pass off your comments to him as well.

Update

2008-11-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

thank you for your prayers for paul. he is home. please continue to pray for answers and that paul would be healed completely! pray for rachelle as she cares for him.

Pray...and then Pray Some More!

2008-11-26T00:57:00.001-08:00

this is my lifelong friend raChelle and her husband paul. (when i say lifelong, i mean we met when we were around 16 months old and have loved each other ever since!) today, well i guess technically yesterday was her 30th birthday! what a great time to celebrate! we had a night out planned for all of her closest girlfriends...

the plans got cancelled. paul is very sick. he is in ICU right now. lots of things transpired today, i will leave out the details. my point in telling all of you is he needs your prayers. today a miracle happened, to my understanding we could have lost him but GOD had another plan...there was a miracle 30 years ago in the birth of rachelle janae lundy and today another miracle! thank you GOD!

Dear Lord Jesus,

First I want to say thank you for saving Paul today! There is no other explanation other than YOU stepped in and rescued Paul. Thank you for giving us this huge miracle! There are no coincidences, only Divine appointments. Thank you for Paul's life. He is a wonderful, amazing, kind, talented man of God! I thank you for bringing RaChelle and Paul together! They are the most remarkable couple! We give Paul to you right now. Lord, only you know what is going on in his body! I pray that you would find a Dr. that will fight for him! Help them to find out exactly what is going on, give them answers. Help them to not give up until they find them. Lord, be with Paul, relax his mind. Give him rest. Be with RaChelle right now and give her a peace that only you can give! We love you and we trust you, we know that you are in control. Thank you again for the gift of Paul and RaChelle!

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

'Ode'

2008-11-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

so i'm sitting here with sleeping babies, jesse's helping my brother move back into town from bend and i've got some time...a little. what should i do??? post, that's it! but what? there are a lot of things going through my mind as i sit here. so here are the random, totally random, super totally random things.

i wish my blog could be cool, with lots of sweet finds and awesome decorating ideas, and delicious treats.
i love bakerella's goody's.
i love bliss's i heart monday list.
i love reading all of my great friends inspirational stories of their lives being played out in their blogs.
i love my aunt laurie, she is so amazing, it is so cool how we are closer than ever and it is all because of a great friend and someone who i look up to, natalie from sparrow! do you know that natalie? you are the reason for all this madness? not only am i closer to my aunt because of worthy goods, but my mom see's me differently now, we can work well together, my mom and i have a greater connection because you came into her life! i have seen my mom open up like never before and take risks! that is the most amazing part of this whole thing. because of you, natalie, my mom is has grown into an amazing, creative, outgoing, person (not that she wasn't these things before but now she is the enhanced 2.0 version). thank you for being my mom's friend. and i have met the coolest people in the world (you being one of them). i love the barnhouse boys, i love rebecca and all the other fabulous people from past sales. i know this is a mushy mess but natalie you are so special and i am so thankful for you, and i am excited to spend thanksgiving with you and your precious family! your imprint on this world is much bigger than you will ever know!
wow that turned out to be an 'ode to natalie'...but i feel it, it's true, so AMEN!

Papa G and Gramma Kristi Came to Visit

2008-11-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

yay! papa g and gramma kristi came this weekend, we love you guys, thanks for coming!

daddy and son, push papa g push!

Preschool and More...

2008-11-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

annabelle loves preschool! and i think she has the most amazing teachers, mrs. atwood and mrs. sims, ha ha. one week mrs. sims' (christie) is in charge then it's mrs. atwood's (my) turn. we have a blast and the girls are excited about learning, it is perfect for them and us. do you like their turkey hats?i had to write about this craziness! annabelle is not your normal child, she picked this to eat for lunch: oranges, tomatoes, hummus, sesame vegan crackers, and a cheese stick and she ate every bite. this is the same girl that really doesn't like sweets, she would rather have fruit than a cupcake or candy! what is this and how can she be my child??? i love her so much, i should take some of her great eating tips and put them into practice! what do your kids want to eat for lunch?

Auntie Holly Came to Visit!

2008-11-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

jesse's sister came to visit this weekend and we had a great time! holly brought her babies, simba, mckinley, and peekay. the kids had such a fun time taking care of the dogs.
holly took us out to the new olive garden, we had the best meal ever, sawyer slept right up until the food was served.

annabelle and daddy raked and raked and raked out back while auntie holly took pictures and let the dogs run around.

we took the dogs on walks in the rain, in the dark, and we took them to the dog park. mckinley rolled in dog poop twice eeewwww, we washed him at the dog wash...we love him anyway!

the kids love their doggie cousins, they can come back anytime!

annabelle loves holly so much they are inseparable. thank you for coming holly we love you and we can't wait for you to move here some day soon!

Neewollah...or...Halloween!

2008-11-07T22:39:00.000-08:00

i know this is a little late...but better late then never, right? we call halloween neewollah around here. our church has this totally incredible, super awesome, completely free event every year and it's called neewollah. so this year we did things just a little different...we went trick-or-treating before we went to the big par-tay (this was our first year). sawyer wasn't so excited, argh! but after we told him that he got candy, he was a little better...

"did you just say i get candy?"

isn't that the most beautiful ladybug you have ever seen? my bestest friend in the whole world cathy, made that amazing matching little emily costume, she is beyond talented!

it was the most perfect night, the weather was perfect and the kids had a blast! the kids took turns knocking or ringing doorbells they laughed a giggled and so did i. sawyer would say to everyone "i'm a pirate, argh!" and annabelle would say, "this is emily and she's a lady bug too!" they crack me up.

can you believe this lady? i had to take a picture. sawyer found his 'matey'. and look at the smiles on my girl, man, i love her! overall perfect, perfect, perfect, night and i can't wait to do it again next year!

Random-ness!

2008-10-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

couple things...how is it possible to love so much? i have been given this gift of loving my babies so much it is an incredible, supernatural thing that i can not even describe! we just got back from the park. we tried a new park today, it is right next to the police station, it's on the same property, i was a little nervous cause i thought that there could be weirdos there, but then there's police so it might balance out...bla, bla, bla...there was only one other mom and her son...anyway, it was a complete blast! i had so much fun with my kids. i was running around with sawyer he was chasing my shadow and trying to step on it, annabelle was climbing like a ninja, she was amazing. i couldn't believe the things she was willing to do, she was so brave, i was so proud of her. i just can't thank God enough for giving me the most perfect (to me) kids! i can't get over the fact that i was chosen to be their mommy. i can live in this small little house, (dirty right now but hey...) drive an older car, wear the same ol' clothes, but i am completely blessed, beyond my wildest imagination! i have the most goofy, hilarious, hard working, responsible, amazing husband and two of the most beautiful inside and out children and if that wasn't enough, i have friends that i know would do anything for me...thank you God for this gift called my life!

just a little update on the workout queen (that's me). since that post a while ago, where i couldn't finish the boot camp class??? well, i have been working my bootie off (literally) i've lost weight and i am so much stronger. last thursday i went to boot camp, i felt amazing. i was strong enough to not only complete the class but do well. i wasn't wussing out! afterward i was telling jesse about it, i almost started crying (so dorky I know) but i was proud of myself for changing my body. i've got more weight to lose and muscle to build but i'm on the right path. (i really want to be at my best by my 30th birthday january 11th) i can do it! i'm excited to see what else i can accomplish, if i decide to work hard and be disciplined!
my friend bonnie gave me this verse a while ago and it's on my fridge...
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."
2 Timothy 1:7

thanks bonnie, i love you!

We've Have Been Busy Papa G!

2008-10-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

i just spoke to my father-in-law and he said you must be pretty busy, cause he hasn't seen a new post in a while so...yes, we have been busy and even more busyness is more to come this week! but in the midst of it all we have managed to have fun and laugh and love, just check out these tongues!

this past sunday was the last of our AIM series for kidz life, it was awesome. i really love every second that God allows me to rock out with, laugh with, dance with, worship with, listen to, engage, pray with these awesome kids! i am so thankful and honored to do what God has called me to do, it's amazing. so since this was the last week of AIM we had to prepare, reorganize, and redecorate for our new series which is I AM (odd...AIM then I AM...) i really am so excited for tomorrow, the kids are going to love it! we didn't think we had the time and energy to pull off something this huge so soon after AIM. we decided to do I AM, we were going to keep it simple and easy. well, if you know shelley or me you know that is not possible. we started planning and executing 12:30pm tuesday and ended 12:30am. not only do we have every element to capture each child's attention but we have a new wall mural, new "make a wave" action cards, name tags, costumes, trivia, new songs (just picture this it was 11:30 at night denise weston was painting beautiful wall mural and shelley and i were picking out the songs that we would sing with this series, most people would probably look at the titles or at the most listen a few songs to sample, well that's not the case with shelley and i we were singing at the top of our lungs and doing the motions, jumping up and down, denise must have thought we were crazy, we're just passionate, that's my excuse anyway). this is an AIM picture, i'll post a picture of I AM soon.

right after our AIM finally we had a kidz life worker meeting, it had to be set up in minutes while workers gathered outside. we had a great meeting, just a regroup, another time to share why we do what we do. God has done so many amazing things in the last couple months it is exciting to be able to share that with our awesome kidz life workers. we couldn't do what we do without everyone doing their very important jobs! thank you, thank you!

we went to my moms this week and annabelle found a caterpillar. she sat outside in the cold fall weather holding her precious caterpillar watching the chickens. she could do this for hours. i made roasted red pepper soup and fresh homemade salsa with my mom, yummy! thanks mom, sorry i was kinda grouchy.

today, we went to the zoo, i know we go a lot, but we love it! we went with our best friends cathy and lloyd, and ashley and connor (jesse was at work, sorry daddy). we had a good time, the weather was perfect. they had a special halloween scavenger hunt all through out the zoo! great times.

so that's what we've been up to, actually just half of it, but i kinda bored myself so i'll spare you the details...HA!

"Mama Can You Tuwn the Wato on..."

2008-10-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

sawyer was done with breakfast this morning after he was done he put his dishes in the sink...then he asked "mama can you tuwn the wato on" he wanted to do the dishes. how funny, he amazes me everyday lately with the things he comes up with on his own. so i let him do the dishes and annabelle wanted to jump in and help also. after they were 'done', i told sawyer "thank you so much for helping mama do the dishes" and he said, "yu yu yu yu yu you welcome" i can't get enough of this boy!

The Worst News

2008-10-15T00:45:00.001-07:00

A Live Nation Concert
New Kids on the Block with Natasha Bedingfield - Cancelled Concert Tickets

so here's the scoop...in case you didn't know, i am one of the biggest nkotb fans out there (new kids on the block, just in case some of you may not know the best band that ever existed) anyway, so of course i have new kids tickets, it's their big come back show...well i found out today that it's cancelled! can you believe it? i don't even know what to do? my boy donnie walberg, joey-joe, danny d, jordan and jon how could you? i thought you were "back, huh, stronger than ever!" guess not, you old losers! :)

Happy Columbus Day to You...

2008-10-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

did you know that today is columbus day? i didn't think so...well, the only reason i know this is because the mailman slept in this morning and he was at the zoo with me. we love the zoo it is one of our most favorite places to go! it was a beautiful fall day.

lunch time

we all scream for ice cream

ssawyer definitely enjoyed his ice cream

"put your 'farmer' face on..."

what did you do on this columbus day? did anyone sail the ocean blue???

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service

2008-10-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

i thought it would be a great idea to go to craft warehouse really quick with my kids, boy was i wrong! i needed to cut out a few things using their die cuts (im making invitations for a kidz life event). after a short while, annabelle told me that she had to go potty, so then i told her just wait one second while i finished the few leaves that i was cutting out. then sawyer says he had to go potty (by-the-way he never tells me this) so we stop what we're doing and run to the bathroom, annabelle yells, as we're running "i smell sawyers poop!" and yep, she was right, he pooped, so much fun! so i clean him all up, big huge job, and i just put his pants back on with no undies. annabelle went potty, and we were on our little way. i thought let's just finish cutting out the little leaves, i just wanted to get it done, then sawyer says, "ut-oh, mommy." i know what that means. well, needless to say he wasn't done pooping! and this time he had no undies on. i scooped him up and yet again we went running to the bathroom with annabelle running behind me pushing the cart, it must have been a funny sight. anyway, i don't know what this boy ate cause it was like pitch, i could not wipe this boy for nothing! so i had to put him in the sink and use the hand soap the wash him up. how disgusting, sorry all you craft warehouse shoppers! fortunately i had an extra pair of undies with me, so all he wore out was his shirt, and underwear, no pants, no socks, no shoes! i didn't finish cutting out the leaves, maybe i'll wait until jesse gets home and go alone!

so this brings me to the question...what do you do with a boy that won't poop in the toilet (he just waits too long)? he's been potty training for maybe a month and a half but has only pooped in the toilet a few times. it's making me bonkers!

AIM

2008-10-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

you gotta check this out! this will take you to some short videos they are hilarious! this is just a small part of what we do on sundays. our kids our learning how to be world changers and shelley and i are willing to do just about anything to get that across to our kids! http://www.seekreallife.com/ministrys/kidz_life/kidz.html

Daddy's Day Off

2008-10-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

the fam.
jesse got the day off on monday, so we went to the pumpkin patch. our friends cathy, lloyd and their kids connor and ashley and gramma c came with us. we had so much fun! when it came time to pick out a pumpkin annabelle wanted to pick the biggest pumpkin that she could carry and sawyer just wanted to push over every pumpkin that he saw! we also had corn on the cob at lunch and annabelle said "i ate everything but the bone." ha! how funny.

Kaden is Coming!

2008-10-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

my cousin bree is having a precious boy named kaden and we are so excited to meet him. my mom and i put together a baby shower for bree and it was a blast from start to finish.

(right to left, my cousin kira (bree's sister), me, bree, my cousin chelsea, and kira's friend liz)

this, of course, is my mom and i taking a self-portrait, we had so much fun putting this shower together, while jesse and rick were on the hike, we had a slumber party at my mom's with me and the kids. my mom and i stayed up till after midnight figuring out all the details! this might not mean much to most of you, but if you know my mom this was an amazing feat. she goes to bed no later than 9pm every night. but now she knows if you stay up a little later, that's when all the creative juices start flowing. we had all these ideas, we moved her furniture all around, we made pom-poms (we had to put a stool on the counter, scary), we made a kaden banner with matching, burp clothes and a bib, it was so fun! thank you mom so much for doing this with me. i couldn't have done it without you!

a few kids were coming to the shower and we had to have a little spot for them to eat. isn't this so cute?

this looks like a cute little vinyet but its more than that...it was part of a game, i gave them 15 sec. to look at it then i covered it up and had them try and write down the 9 things that were on the ladder. it was fun. the little highchair that is in front had a little box on it, i had each person that came write a little note to kaden, hopes, dreams, prayers for him, something that she could save for him forever!

we had cupcakes for desert. i had asked my cousin what kind of treats she loved. at first she said that she likes whatever we make for her...then i said 'you have to tell me something. i want to make sure this is your party, with stuff you love.' finally with much prodding she told me rice krispies. what??? we can't have rice krispie treats at a shower! how funny! i think she was kinda kidding, but she said rice krispie treats so she was getting rice krispie treats! i just made one just for her in the shape of a cupcake with frosting and all. it was so funny and cute! she had no idea that it was a rice krispie treat it was great!

we made this banner, it was so fun and it turned out so cute! it become the inspiration for the whole party!

bree, i love you! it was an honor to throw this shower for you! you are so special to me and i am so excited to see kaden in your arms! you know i am always, always, always, unconditionally, here for you! (i will forever-be master txter, so don't even try to compete)

Love you!

They Did It!

2008-10-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

they all finished and made it home alive! we are so happy to have daddy home! the stories of the adventure are great! if you get a chance ask jesse about it! he said it was the most challenging thing he has ever done.

Yay! Daddy Survived!

2008-10-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

this is kinda a pre-posting cause he's really not home yet, but he just called me, and he survived the mountains and woods and animals and the other guys! yay! he still has a long drive ahead of him, but i am very excited to see my manly-man! i hope they have showered, shaved, teeth brushed, before they get home, is that a possibility? i can't even imagine 5 days without doing any of those things! sick-me-out-the-door! but i'll take him! i heard too, that they had a 12 hour drive with 16 men in a 15 passenger van! the way home has got to be much worse, all stinky and stuff! eeewww!

but i am happy and excited and i'm gonna clean my house and have something really yummy for him to eat!!! did i say yay! YAY!!!

We Miss Our Daddy!

2008-09-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

they miss their daddy and i miss my man! sawyer (who should be sleeping) is sitting next to me, he just looked at this picture and lit up!

"da da da dats daddy! why he not home from woak!"

he got tears in his eyes, I reminded him that he'll be home in a few days and he said with tears, "he not coming home???"

"yes, very soon honey don't be sad!"

annabelle has had a couple of daddy breakdowns!

jesse is on a five day hike with the guys from our church. they started at heavens gate and are descending into hell's canyon then taking a two hour jet boat ride out. his pack weighed 50lbs! i couldn't carry that thing 10 feet, let alone carry it for 5 days! what a man! he loves this kinda stuff, this is what makes him him!
jesse is so special to me. i keep saying he really is the perfect man for me! he is! everything about him completes me. it really is amazing that god created jesse to be my husband. i am so grateful and thankful and i'd like him back now! come home babe!

This is Embarrassing!

2008-09-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

that's it, i'm done! i am ready to change some things! i can't do this any longer! lately i have gone off the deep end with my eating! i'm not going to make any excuses any more. (i just started writing them all out and i had to delete them) i am embarrassed cause i don't want to share this part of my life. it's a little personal and i like to live in a world where i think no one notices that i'm chunkeroni but me. unfortunately that's not the case. so i'm ready! what a great way to keep myself accountable, right? i hope so! i KNOW so! last week i went to the gym and i went to this new class that they started, its a boot camp style class and it literally kicked my bootylious! i thought i was going to throw up! i'm so thankful i didn't. but i noticed something while i was in class...the instructors didn't come over and try to push me harder, they would pass right over me, and i know it was because they knew i was a chubby mess of jello! so here it goes, i'm done! i am a new person starting right now. i am on a mission, for myself and for my husband and my babies and those trainers who looked me over cause they thought i couldn't do it, so why bother! i'm gonna do it and i will track my progress on here...my goal is to lose 20lbs by november 22nd, why that date you ask? NKOTB, baby! ahhhhh yeah! boyee! "back huh, stronger than ever, you think we sever, never we're too clever!" ha ha! if you're not sure what i mean by that you are obviously not a true fan!

so peace out, i'm on a mission!

Let's Go to the Zoo!

2008-09-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

all pooped out after a great day at the zoo!

i needed some alone time with my kids today! i wanted them just to myself! so we packed up and headed to the zoo, one of our favorite places to go! it kinda started a little rocky cause when we got out of the car, i popped the trunk and no stroller! i left the stroller in jesse's car, which i never do and of course when i need it the most, it's not there! the kids and i had a little talk...they agreed to follow mommy's directions and we were in business! they were great! sawyer who will never hold my hand, held my hand almost the entire time and annabelle stayed with me and we made it the whole day without a stroller, who would have thought that could even be possible! i just love being able to enjoy them and be focused just on them and the funny, amazingly smart, things that they say and do. it was awesome! i think being without a stroller today and today only made it a better experience for all of us! we had a great trip and so much fun, but i am bringing the stroller with me next time, at the end i tried to carry both kids up the last hill to the car and it was crazy, their little legs were so tired, we even ended up riding in the cart that takes up handicapped and elderly, i guess the guy felt sorry for me.

Daddy and Mommy's Bed

2008-09-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

what is it about sleeping in daddy and mommy's bed? it's still bed time, it's still time to close your eyes and sleep...growing up i always wanted to sleep in my parents bed too, why is that? when my mom told me, for whatever reason, that i couldn't sleep with them, she would find me on countless nights/mornings sleeping in the hallway or right next to her bed without any pillows or blankets. i sure hope my babies don't resort to that...just look at them aren't they so precious!!!

Blueberry Muffins vs. Sprinkles

2008-09-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

annabelle, sawyer and I decided to make blueberry muffins! we gave sawyer his own bowl with his own ingredients while annabelle and i made the real thing. he loved it, he stirred and added his own touch, literally! he got out the sprinkles and that was the end of the muffin business. annabelle loved every minute of baking even the cleaning, she washed the dishes! the muffins were delicious!

What's Fall Without Soup?

2008-09-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

it it is officially fall! it already feels and smells different outside, i love it! so i decided to make some soup that i had at my moms house a few weeks ago. she said that she was eating at a Vietnamese restaurant when they served her this soup. she picked out all the different ingredients and made up this little recipe! who does this kinda stuff?!? (i wish i did) this is so easy, it only has 6 ingredients! i like to use a roasted chicken from the grocery store and chop it all up and left over rice from the night before, it simple and so delicious! my 4 and 2 year old loved it. i had to take a picture of my trader joe's bag. i got this fancy bag at this wonderful little show at barnhouse more about this later...

all you need is some:

cooked brown rice

2 containers of chicken stock

chopped chicken about two cups

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/2 a bunch of cilantro

and red pepper flakes to taste

friends are friends forever

2008-09-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

did you ever here that song, friends are friends forever? we performed that song in front of "night church" growing up so many times! how funny and scarey all at the same time! well, when i think about that time in my life i think of all the great friends and memories that i will have forever! conner and sawyer, annabelle and ashley will be friends for life (if i have anything to do with it). we love the norris family! this weekend we barged in and stayed with them in their cabin aka cabbage (thats what annabelle called it) up on mt. hood. we had lots of fun, we are so grateful to have such wonderful friends, lifelong friends!

the great tea party!

2008-09-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

we had on our little calendar today a fantastic tea party! we were so excited! we all had fabulous costumes, sawyer even had a construction worker outfit. annabelle picked out my beautiful get-up. it was my wedding dress slip with some crazy jewelry and gorgeous hat! unfortunately it was a tea party that didn't happen. my cell phone is not working, i found my wonderful friend jessica's # and left her a message from the church phone to tell her we were on our way! so i've been to her house twice and i thought i could found it, well...we drove for over an hour driving down every street in d-town couve and nothing! i couldn't find it, the kids were heart broken. i told them that we could still dress up and have a tea party in the park, but annabelle thought that that would be too embarrassing. so we had subway and played at ester short park. it started raining but we had fun anyway! as i am driving home i see shelley (one of my besties) driving in the opposite direction, when she saw me she turned around and met me back at my house. well to make a long story just a little bit longer, there was a man hunt going on, FOR US!!! people were out looking for us, my sister, jesse, pastor jeff, shelley, jessica, and even ben! we were only gone for an hour and a half! it's kinda funny! i'm glad that i have friends who care and love us so much that they are willing to go on a hunt after just a short time! I love all my peeps! Thanks for looking out for us!!!

so here goes...

2008-09-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

he did it! can you believe my big sawyer boy? he is sleeping in a big boy bed! not a very good picture but you get the point, HE'S SLEEPING!!! when it was time for bed we just did what we normally do, read a book, sang some songs, prayed together and kissed goodnight and that was it! he stayed in bed!!! it was the most amazing thing! when annabelle moved into her big girl bed she got up over a hundred times a night, jesse and i would take turns sitting at her door, every ten times we would switch...it took about a week and some lack of sleep to fix that little issue, ha! it really is amazing to me the difference between the two. i know we have boy/girl and 2 and 4 3/4. but even taking those into account we are the same parents, right? God really has created them unique and completely individuals, pretty cool!