The Daily Doings of the Davis'

Critters, Heaven cost $1, Tater Capers, Birthday Dreams

2011-10-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

Couple weeks ago the kids had their Tuesday outdoor school with Daddy..and they came home with two of these beauties. Fire-bellied newts. So we set up a 10-gallon aquarium and made them nice and cozy. The kids enjoyed researching the new critters and feeding them worms caught in the garden. So far they remain nameless..

Yesterday we went off to the Green Bridge Pumpkin Patch... it was awesome! All pumpkins are $1 - and on our budget that translated into PUMPKIN HEAVEN! The kiddos always like to get giant pumpkins.. and at this place it was no problemo. See the pumpkins in the cart? Ya those bad boys came home with us. Jonathan was the one who picked a tiny pumpkin because that's just how he rolls. We skipped the hay rides and other activities because you had to pay.. but no one was complaining.

Alissa got in trouble for this - she looks to old. Okokok I didn't really get her in trouble but sheez that girl needs to slow down.

And my little ham. What else can I say? Love that boy.

And here my friends is the reason we can have giant insanely heavy pumpkins..Meet "the muscle". I couldn't budge those things.

After the pumpkin patch we headed to grandma's house to harvest her potatoes! The kids thought that was just the greatest thing ever.

Showing off the loot! Alissa looks a little ragged.. it was a long day! Hahaha... We took these guys inside as well as an assortment of other goodies from grandmas garden. Jonathan scrubbed everything clean and Alissa made garlic mashed potatoes. They were fantastic!

On a completely unrelated but insanely cool topic.. it is finalized - We are going to Disney World in February with the in laws. Disney WORLD! Even cooler? First day there is my birthday. And all this for a girl (me) who has never been very far from the west coast. Excited? Serious understatement. Can I just hibernate until February? ? ?

Oh..and in case you were wondering... Home school? Ya it's the best decision I ever made. More on that another time.

Field trips, flags, co-ops, scouts, muffins.. ETC ETC ETC

2011-09-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Our first "official" home school field trip was to Oregon Gardens for HOME SCHOOL DAY!

First thing we did was ride the tour bus and see the whole garden.

Forgot a coat for Miss Cuteness here.. so bought an adult sweater (kid dress) and she was good to go. Yay for gift shops!

We went to the field of flags (this was a week before the gardens but I'm too lazy to switch them around hehe). Very powerful.. opened up some deep and interesting conversations with the kids about 9/11 and terrorism..military and flags.. lots and lots. Very special time.

First home school co-op get together was fun! Art project was fun fun! All about symmetry.
Girl scouts has begun! Brownies that is. It's going to be an adventure this year!!

And of course my first ever college football game. It. Was. Awesome. Beth and I had a blast. And it helps that the Ducks won.. won being a slight understatement.

SOOO much more has happened.. been so busy trying to find a rhythm with home school and life. Wondering how I ever managed to drop the kids off at school somewhere and miss all that time together. I really enjoy them.. enjoy teaching them and watching them learn. Today Alissa made applesauce muffins. She followed the recipe exactly. And for the first time I just stood back and watched. I kept my mouth shut when she put too little of this or too much of that.. I praised her efforts.. I walked her through how to safely put them in the oven and set her timer.. and then I marveled at the look of accomplishment and pride on her face when it was all done. She did it. All by herself. And I was there to see it. Feeling so thankful right now that we are on this road. Together. I love my kids so much.

Until next time.

Oregon State Fair 2011

2011-09-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

Oregon State Fair 2011

Tents and diapers.

2011-08-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

This is Alissa and Jonathan attempting a "sleep-over" in a tent they created in Jonathan's room. I know.. I said attempting. They actually made it quite awhile before I had to break up the party to have them get into their "real" beds. They had a blast.. giggling and playing in their tent.
Now.. on to my poor wiener. This is Pancake. And yes, she IS wearing a diaper. Apparently we are a tab late getting her spayed. It's on the agenda!!! In the good news department it was a great learning opportunity for Alissa.. we had a LONG talk about what this means for Pancake..and one day for her. Yay for life lessons! Thanks Pancake.

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

2011-08-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

What a day. My baby is five years old. Started the day with Alissa complaining about a sore throat - immediately my radar went up because her grandma has had strep! YIKES! To the doctor we go.. and the results: NEGATIVE! Thank GOODNESS! Alissa was very worried about missing out on the days fun. After the doctor appointment we picked up Jon from his grandma's house. I asked Jon what he would like for his birthday lunch... ANYTHING... and he chose Burger King (big surprise haha) and a frozen coke. I should back up a bit.. for breakfast I told him he could have aaaaanyhting he wanted and he picked..drum roll please...garlic toast. HAHA.. okie dokie. So garlic toast and chai started the day. He also wanted time to play "foresthunter" game. Cutie pie. Okok..back to lunch. After burgers I asked what he would like to do for fun..aaaanything.. and he picked Pietro's Pizza to play games. We played a round of mini-golf followed by a ton of other games. Favorites: Roller Coaster simulator, and their new gun game where you shoot stuff and things happen. Wow.. super descriptive I know. Similar to the one at Enchanted Forest but this one you get randomly squirted in the face with water..fun times. When we went to the ticket counter to get our prizes (junk) there was a very nice (creepy) guy who gave the kids all sorts of extra stuff. He even rigged a game for the kids to spit out a ton of extra tokens. How very sweet (scary) he was. And then, plastic prizes (crap) in hand..we headed home. Jonathan wanted a little more game time and then a "CUDDLE PUDDLE!" with mommy on my bed. Lots of airplane rides, tickle games, and otherwise silly fun. Alissa wasn't feeling so hot still so spent most of this time on Jumpstart.
Around 5:45 we headed to Padingtons for "Daddy Pizza" with the grandparents. Jonathan got to open presents and chow down on his favorite pizza. All in all a wonderful day. Other then a doctor visit for Alissa of course.
So Jonathan.. my boy. How can I ever express how much I love and adore and thoroughly enjoy that kid? He is spontaneous, mischievous, fun and sweet as can be.
Speaking of sweet just have to add a fast story. While at the doctors Ali got a throat swap and the lab tech offered her a sticker.. she dug through the sticker box until she found a super hero sticker and stated she wanted that one for her little brother because it was his birthday. The nice lady then said that was very sweet of her and she could go ahead and grab a sticker for herself too..to which Alissa replied, "No thanks." What a kid... ok back to Jon..
My little man... I will forever cherish his cuddles and love..his giggles and his efforts at getting away with just about anything. He is a giving, loving, amazing person. I am so proud of all that he is and he is only just five. I can't wait to see what kind of man he turns out to be. Love and adore everything about him. Happy birthday Jonathan my little man who loves to shop and battle the bad guys as Catawack Boy!! Hehe.. Five. Unreal.

I chickened out, creative genius, giant bone, and all nighters.

2011-08-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

So I was going to make a blog post surrounding a video I took of myself playing guitar to show my progress. I had every intention of posting the video. No really.. I did. But then I chickened out. I might try again.. but until then I wanted to share my little mummies -

Gotta love two kids and a roll of toilet paper. Creative genius in action.
On a totally different note Alissa bought Pancake this bone yesterday... and today gave it to her. And poor Zena just kept giving me the eye.. the "But..but..I'm older and pitiful and you love me and *I* didn't get a bone" look.

So... I went out to the freezer and pulled out this monster.

Her puppy eyes just lit up.. and I'm sure her tongue is frozen to the bone at this very moment. But she is a happy old dog.

On a final note got to hang with my mom for an all nighter last night/this morning because we took grandma to the ER and ended up transferred to Portland. What a cluster. Not really sure yet what it was but I know grandma is on her way home now. Yikesoroni. I thought when I woke up that I actually didn't feel to bad for being up until 5am.. now I feel it. Every minute of it. I'm going to go take a nap.

Until next time...

Goodnight.

Don't put that on the blog! Insanity! BLOOD!

2011-07-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Sitting at the table eating dinner and I look up to see Alissa doing this... looking a bit more serious and focused (I grabbed the camera to document so in this shot it's more posed). Anyhow.. back to the point. What do you think she was doing? That's the million dollar question. This little girl wearing the "I Believe in Magic" shirt, eating a "daddy burrito" and looking out the window. (By the way I told her I was taking a picture to document this momentous occasion and she yelled, "MOM! Don't put that on the blog! hehe). Before I tell you.. here is the guy on the other side of the table -

What he is doing is a bit more obvious. Can you guess? Okay okay.. that's too obvious. Jon is just being a boy.
Today we went to Costco. On a Saturday. I think that has to be the definition of insanity. Apparently half of Salem and all of our neighboring towns are insane. They were all there with us. We went with Grandma Adams and had lunch of Costco pizza and hot dogs - YAY! Then back to her house for some R&R and my new favorite show - "Chopped". Loved the heck out of it. At some point during the show Jonathan was on my lap and I notice his hand is red.. hmm..then one glance at his face and holy cow we had a bloody nose. Cleaned him up and life was good. Alissa was busy decorating a giant box in the living room and turning it into a house.
You want to know what Alissa was doing? I didn't forget.. just got side tracked. Anyone guess by now? I doubt it. You see Alissa was looking out the window like that and... *drum roll* controlling the trees with her fingers. Yep. Making the branched move back and forth just like her finger. Magic. Beautiful. I am glad to have this blog at my fingertips again.. because I never..ever..want to forget moments like these.

And while you have the camera out Mom..take a picture of this!!

Mom! Mom! Over here! Take a picture of this!

Success, waiting games, knocking on wood, community support, and midnight lovin'..

2011-07-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Not much exciting to report.. but I'm afraid if I leave this idle too long I will fall back into old habits and my poor little blog with get neglected again. Since my last entry, I finished editing the wedding photos and delivered them. The family was happy - SUCCESS!

Matt has narrowed down his Harley choice to one or two bikes now it's just the waiting and searching game. .waiting he doesn't like, searching not so bad. The fun part of the process is test riding all these fun bikes. I am so happy that he will be able to ride again.

As for me, I'm on round three of antibiotics as of today - ARGH. Didn't help that I have a cold on top of all this other crud, but I think I'm on the mend. *KNOCK ON WOOD* Ya I know I said that before.

Went to Walmart today with the kidlets to get their "back to school" supplies.. which basically meant looking at a couple different school lists and giggling.. then picking whatever the heck we wanted. There was a lady who asked me if Jon was starting school this year, and when I told her yes and it was home school she was very encouraging. And another lady apparently overheard because she walked by, grabbed my arm, and said "Good for you" with the most kind look. Getting so much support and understanding from the community is really neat. Everyone knows how bad schools are getting. I asked Jonathan while we were out, "So, we gonna pack your lunch for school?" He said, "Yes! On wait no we can make what we want can't we we will be HOME!" hahaha.. I love those moments. We will be home.

And this one is for Alissa so some day she can look back and remember.. how every night her cat Kisses came into the house to sneak under the covers with her. This is not an uncommon sight in the middle of the night here.

Empty cameras, early mornings, and Harley's.

2011-07-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

Matt took the kidlets out fishing this Sunday in the Detroit area.. I stayed home to get some R&R. I sent him with the little point and shoot camera to document their adventures for me.. and when he came home I was all excited to upload them. And much to my surprise this is what I saw -

Yep...that was ALL I saw. Two pictures. LOL! Okay.. I should give him a bit of credit, at least he remembered he had a camera. Note Jonathan's outfit.. guess who likes to dress himself? Hehe.. they had a ton of fun and came home with 7 fish. We ate them all.

This week has been pretty laid back. The kidlets have had VBS (Vacation Bible School) from 9-12 every morning. Alissa is NOT happy about that by the way... "But MOOOOOOM I wanna sleep in." Ya, well.. we can do that when school starts. Sleep in?? When school starts?? Oh man life is good.

As for me.. I am on the mend slowly but surely. Been busy editing photos from the wedding and...and...and.. ya not much else. I am looking forward to returning to the land of the living.

Oh! I do have big news before I close. Upon much soul searching and prayer we have decided to start shopping for a motorcycle for Matt. We want to start an Oregon chapter of BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse). And you can't start that without a bike.. Matt will have to suffer through his first Harley..poor guy I know. I am excited to start that journey.. Most of the praying is that we find the right bike that we can afford. If it is meant to be we have faith it will happen.

Until next time..

Jugglers, parades, and infections - OH MY!

2011-07-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday I brought the kidlets to the library to see a juggling show. Little did know it would be hil-ar-i-ous. The guy was a crack up and an amazing juggler. The kids loved the show.. and more then once Alissa looked at me and asked what was so funny. I love when they can mix adult humor in that goes way over the kiddos heads.

In other news.. yesterday was Alissa's long awaited parade. As in - she has been planning this for about 6 months. So we dug the o' wagon out of the garage and the kids decorated it. Alissa also insisted that we throw candy.. so Matt went out and bought a bag full for them. We headed out to Bush Park bright and early and met up with Ali and Jon's preschool group. Creative Discovery - Best. School. Ever.

The parade was a success.. both kids had a blast. Mom was stinkin tired. Which brings us to my third topic..

I have been fighting a yucky infection that started with a hair folicle. I am sparing the details here but I will say it is no fun. Trying to entertain the kidlets while feeling like poo is not so great. I took them to the theater to see Rio (awesome movie, too cute) and had them running around in the indoor park on Thursday all in an attempt to entertain with minimal mommy effort... I'm just not up to it yet. Went back to the doc yesterday where they piled on more antibiotic and other things.. Is this just part of getting older? All of a sudden a simple thing that my 20 year old body would laugh at and kick its butt.. but my 30 year old self just rolls over and cries. HAHaha.. Anyhow.. today Papa is coming over to entertain so I can hibernate. And on we march in this parade called life.

I give you: "Blog With Video and Picture"

2011-07-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

I give you: "Bear Falling From Tree"

I give you: "Bear Behind Glass"

I give you: "Boy Who Tells Goat Who's Boss"

I give you: "Girl Who Whispers To Goats"

I give you: "Sister Protecting Brother From Sharptooth"

I give you: "Girl With Dino Wing Span"

I give you: "Jerks Walking Into Picture"

I give you: "Picture Without Jerks"

I give you: "Boy Who Conquers Lions"

I give you: "Girl With No Fear"

I give you: "What Happens When Girl Has No Fear"

The end.

Fireworks, shrinky dinks, and fostering fears...Moo.

2011-07-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July was nice. The kids went with Grandma and Grandpa to Enchanted Forest for the day. Matt and I watched "The Walking Dead". It was an interesting series because although it was about the zombie apocalypse...it was the first zombie show I have seen where they showed some humanity. Remembering the zombies were people once and sort of gave some of the zombies back story. Different perspective. And if you haven't seen it I am by no means telling you it is all fluff..nononono.. plenty of gore and ick..but there are time outs from that here and there. Ok, off my zombie rant.. after we watched the series the kids arrived home (good timing haha) and we headed over to the other Grandparents house. We were assigned to bring deviled eggs and Asian slaw.. they had spare ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, homemade tater salad, chips, baked beans, cantaloupe, watermelon, etc etc... getting the picture? We could have fed the entire neighborhood. It was great as always. Papa came over to enjoy dinner with us and it was nice to have him there. After dinner we had two separate buckets of fireworks - day time and night time.

Alissa was totally thrilled that this year her daddy deemed her old enough to hold the punk and light some fireworks.

Here she is running for her life after lighting a firework. HAhahaha

Bethany had a blast as always. We are really blessed to have Beth in our lives.. such a sweet soul.

Jonathan was happy because he got to hang with his buddy Andrew. Andrew is only a couple weeks older than Jon and lives right next to Grandma Davis. We got home at around 10:30 and everyone was pooped. It was a great 4th!

In other news.. yesterday was our Grand Vines opening for our bovine themed photos. Matt and I got to show up for a little while and say hi but had our foster parenting class so had to leave fairly soon.

My talented mother made these cool shrinky dink name tags. If you have never played with shrinky dinks..do it. And here is Matt with Elvis and Priscilla.. The Little Red House was in a different location.. didn't fit with these two fun loving cows. The Little Red House is actually a very disturbing picture.. to me anyhow. But it made the statement it was meant to make.

I might write about The Little Red House and post it another time..

After the Grand Vines we went to our fostering class #2. At one point during the class Matt looked at me with concern and stated, "Not sure you are cut out for this." And what an accurate statement THAT was. I had an idea this would be hard.. but boy was I underestimating it. I will get through these classes. I have to. I already have learned enough where I feel I will be a better parent.. more able to meet and recognize the needs of my own kids. The part that is killing me is I want so badly to help these poor kids and hearing the things that people..no parents..do to their own kids is making me sick. Like physically ill.. the part that makes it the worse is I feel so powerless. I would in a heartbeat adopt them all.. take them in.. love them. And all they want is their parents love and attention. I better stop here or I could go on and on and on. I am afraid for humanity, lets just leave it there. And am I cut out for this? I am seriously questioning that now. But I will hang in there until the end and see where this takes me.

I think that's it for now. Oh! I also changed the comments settings so you can leave a comment even if you don't have an account. So if you have something to say, well.. go ahead. Make my day. (Hear the Clint? Ya, I was impressed too)

Until next time...

The joys of inducing vomit 101. Read at your own risk..

2011-07-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

"PUKE PORKY PUUUUUUKE!!!" .. ok so maybe that's not what this kid was saying, but it is pretty darn close to what I was saying about an hour ago. So I made it through two babies and seven years of having children without ever needing to induce vomiting. Pretty good track record isn't it? And how you might ask did this track record get broken??? I am pleased to announce it was not my children. Came home from church today and instantly noticed something just wasn't quite right about our Dachshund Pancake.. she was flippin HUGE. As in, bloated.. massive.. what the hay?? I look over and see that her buddy and partner in crime did something I don't believe she has EVER done in her 9 years.. she knocked over the trash can. And lucky me.. we had chicken last night. You see where this is going don't you? There was also an assortment of who-knows-what in that trash can and frankly I had no idea what Pancake did or did not eat. So, trusting my gut I go to my medicine cabinet.. dig WAY in the back.. and found my "POISON EMERGENCY KIT" that I bought when Alissa was born. Ya.. that was 7 years ago. I checked and it says it expired in 2005. Well heck.. 6 years expired.. whats the worse thing? Ipecac doesn't work? It's just the dog lets give it a try. So I go online where it tells me to administer 1 tsp per 10 pounds of body weigh. That means 1 tsp for our little Pancake. So Matt holds her and I use a baby medicine dropper to squirt it down her throat....and then we wait. And wait.. and wait. It appears Ipecac does indeed expire because although she snorted a few times..no vomit. Next I hit up the ol' internet where it tells my to put 1/2 teaspoon salt on the back of her tongue. I went and grabbed the salt, and poured out 1/4 teaspoon. I mean lets get real here that's a LOT of salt! I would puke. So again Matt holds her, I dump the salt on the back of her tongue. And we watch. And wait...and wait...aaaaand.. no vomit. REALLY?! Ok.. time for the big guns. Last option (per my handy resource) is hydrogen peroxide. If this doesn't work we are sunk. So I grab the bottle, measure out the 1 teaspoon instructed.. Matt holds her down.. I squirt it down her throat..aaaaand... INSTANT success!!! VOMIT!!! I do the happy vomit dance (ok not really) while we watch her hark up stupid amounts of bread and..yep..chicken. A whole pile of chicken bones. Now in hind sight that may not have been the best thing having chicken bones come back up as we risked the whole sharp object coming up the esophagus.. but under the circumstances I'm glad we did and all that isn't going to make it's way through her intestines. Did we do the right thing? Jeez I hope so.. Was it a cluster? Yes you bet. But Pancake looks much better, and can now run properly. She was so fat, I kid you not, that she would run and then roll over because her short little legs couldn't hold up her girth.
Moral of the story = Big dogs helping little dogs into trash cans is bad. Syrup of Ipecac does expire. Salt doesn't do squat. And hydrogen peroxide is the most useful substance on the planet. Oh, and chicken bones should go into the trash outside right away. I have learned a lot this afternoon. Thanks Pancake.

Congratulations Alissa!!

2011-07-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Alissa received the following letter today:

She has been absolutely beside herself with excitement. Can't wait to see her up on stage! Am I a wee bit proud? You betcha. Way to go Alissa!

Until next time...

We are goin' to the fair!!!! WOOHOOOOOOO

A post in which I balance precariously on my soap box...

2011-07-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

I was just reading a friends posting about her new tattoo and it really got me thinking. I wonder why we are always so worried about what others think about us? How much power do we give the opinion of our peers when it comes to the decisions we make in our own lives? It should be that we make our decisions based on our own values and belief systems and we should be PROUD if these decisions are made for the right reasons. But it's not that simple is it? We are constantly calculating what we do and say for the benefit of how we appear to other people.. instead of just being TRUE to ourselves. On the flip side of that coin, do you often find yourself judging others? What a vicious cycle.
This morning I hung my photographs at Grand Vines downtown. I watched my friends and fellow photographers as they did likewise and was so proud of each and every one of them. They are putting their creations in front of strangers knowing that every person will be judging what they see. Good, bad, or ugly. Those photos now hang there as an open invitation for admiration, critique, or indifference. And all those who put their work on the wall know this. And they did it anyway. I applaud that, especially because I know it is more difficult for some then others.
If only we could hang our decisions, our thoughts, our opinions, our lives..all of that.. if we could hang all of that up for others to see.. with the same acceptance that it will not always be admired.. sometimes critiqued.. mostly go unnoticed. And who really cares? If it is something you feel to be the right thing, hang it up for all to see. Be proud of who you are, what you have done and what you believe in. And allow others that same courtesy. It's the right thing to do.
Oh.. and come to Grand Vines first Wednesday, July 6th some time between 5-8 (shameless plug hahahaha).

Moo.
Ya, until next time..

What the HECK am I thinking?????

2011-07-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

I mean really... I must be off my rocker. An idea has been bouncing around in my head for years.. every now and then it whispers to me. Every time it whispers I laugh it off and run for the hills. Not this time. How could I just yesterday give a friend the advice - "if it scares you it NEEDS to be done for this is how we grow"..and then ignore my own words? I am standing at the door of the airplane, altitude has been reached, this is MY time.. solo.. no one strapped to my back to push me out. I have to make this step. Only this step isn't one that will take me down to free fall to the earth, this step will take me back in time. To places I have long tried to forget but that still whisper to me. To my past.
I am going to write a book. Oh my.. just typing those words makes my chest tight with fear. You see, I love books. I treasure books. I idolize those who can write books. I have said countless times that I count NEVER in a million years create such an amazing thing.. as a book. Short stories? Sure. A book? Forget it. So here I go.. I think in reality I have been writing this book in my head for some time. Oh and if you have been a part of my life don't worry. You won't see your name in the story.. or mine for that matter. Will I even try and publish? Not ready to think about that. But there is a story in my head that needs to be written. And God willing it may some day earn the distinct honor of becoming a real honest-to-gosh book.
This really does scare the heck out of me.. so here I go.. I'll try not to pull the cord too early.

Until next time...

I have some writing to do.

The great blog debate.

2011-06-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

OK maybe it's not so great.. but it's on my mind so I'm going to pour it out into this cute little "Compose" box. I am thinking about where I want to go with this blog,. If I am going to bring it back from the dead.. do I want it to continue as it has always been.. or bring it back a wee bit different. Shall I continue to use it to document our lives with words and photographs. Or do I want to go deeper than that? Deeper meaning expose some of the things that dance around in my head.. my thoughts, opinions, dreams, disappointments. I know if I dive deeper I run the risk of judgement and I'm not sure if I want to go there or not. If it stays superficial.. simply a journal of our lives it is a bit more safe. But then why did I pick that quote to be up front and center on my blog years ago? I have stopped myself more than once from writing things on here.. I mean it IS a public blog. But...but...but.. not real sure yet.

Until next time..

Funerals, VW Bugs, and Taw Taw inspiration.

2011-06-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

Matt lost a good friend last Sunday. Her funeral is today. Cancer is so terrible... He is going to be heading to Tillamook for her funeral to pay his last respects. I didn't know her personally, but from what I heard she was an incredible friend, co-worker, mother (of 7 I believe), and grandmother. She was also a believer and is now safe in His arms.

On a completely separate topic.. Matt wants to buy a VW Bug. I think he would look hilarious driving one of those things. Not a new one, an old and tired one. I love how I can never quite figure him out.. always full of surprises. VW Bug? Hahahaha.. his first choice is a Thing, but apparently you have to pay a lot of money for one of those ugly cars.

So a couple months ago I got a wild hair in a creativity/photography group I am a part of.. unofficially "The Taw Taw's". And I decided that dang it.. I wanna learn to play the guitar. I happen to be blessed with a step-dad who is an amazing guitar player and he said he was willing to show me the ropes. Since then I have been practicing every day until my fingers hurt and my hand shakes..and all that work has paid off! My favorite that I can play now - Blind Melon's No Rain. I can also play "You are my sunshine", "This old man", and "What's Up" -4non Blonde's. It is so relaxing and fun. I am kicking myself for not learning a long long time ago. I want to be able to play camp fire songs for the girl scouts when we go out next year. So I am in the process of learning those now.

I have officially, with this post, posted more in a few days then last year all together. WOOHOO! Going to try and keep it up.

Piano and home run hitters..

2011-06-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Alissa had her piano lesson at GG's house. She is new to the piano but catching on quickly. In fact, she gave me a lesson yesterday. What I absolutely love and adore (other than her fabulous teacher) is that even with piano Alissa's unique personality shines. Last week after her lesson her teacher wanted to have a chat. She tells me Alissa is picking up the technical aspects very quickly.. but wants to spend half the lesson creating her own music. She asked me if I felt this was okay or if I wanted her progressing more quickly with the technical stuff. Are you kidding me?! I discover she is actually creating her own music.. and her teacher is writing it all down for her. We are talking words and all. I am so in love with the kid. I told the teacher I was thrilled with her being creative and having fun with the piano and to nurture that during lessons. Luckily her teacher is young and flexible and open to Alissa's creativeness because it can be difficult to keep her focused.

Jonathan is showing some real potential to be quite the slugger! Papa has been giving him regular coaching and this little man and his hand-eye coordinating is just the coolest thing to watch. He has recently learned about running the bases.. we had our first family baseball game in the backyard last night and it was sooo much fun. Of course Matt accidentally hit a grand slam and had to go knock on the neighbors door to retrieve Jonathan's beloved batman ball. Other than THAT is was fun. Jonathan has hit a few on the roof.. and his favorite is when he hits them and they whack Papa. Next year he will be in a league and I think he is going to love it. I can't wait to watch him play sports.

What will home school be like?

2011-06-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

Interviews with the kidlets..

Alissa first, "Um really fun and a chance to stay with your family. To learn more than schools can teach you. Staying on track and not getting distracted and less noise to bother you."

Jonathan..same question. "I don't know. Playing.. going outside.. playing with Ali. Playing with the dogs. Learning to read, have a snack.. having fireworks. Having a teacher (and he hugs my arm tight, just have to add that awww)... having a play thing. Playing."

There you have it.

Interview over.

What happened ?

2011-06-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

I was just reading through some old posts from 2008 and I LOVE them. Why have I not been writing?? Shame on me. Anyway.. lets just see if I can bring this back to life. No laughing, I know I have tried before without success. First off let me introduce you to Pancake:

Pancake was born on December 23rd, 2010.. and I happened to be the doggy mid-wife that night and was there to see her born. We have never had (nor considered) a small dog.. but there was something magical about being there for the delivery.. and they were so darn cute. And Matt thought me completely insane. But being the sweet adorable husband he is, he agreed we needed a new puppy. At the time we had Zena and Triton as well. We were worried that this dog would be so small she would get squished like a..ya.. Pancake. Thus the name. As fate would have it, before Pancake was old enough to come home Triton showed some aggressive behavior to towards Jonathan, and that's the one thing I will never tolerate in a dog. So he is now living back with his breeder and her family and doing wonderfully. That was the hardest, most miserable thing EVER.. but I think God knew we would be put in that position and gently guided me to Pancake to soothe my heart. Triton was my boy.. and he will always be missed. Pancake is a riot.. the kids love her and they play constantly.

Zena is still around and going strong, she is the best dog we will probably ever have.. she is so old now, and her allergies still bother her. Don't know how much longer we have with the old girl but we will enjoy every minute.

In other news.. we bought a camper trailer! Went on our first camp out to Walten Lake and Prineville Reservoir. Had a BLAST! Camper was a steal, and it's the perfect size for our family. We pull it with the trusty ol' minivan. That minivan will be paid off in a year!!! YAYAYAYAY.

This is the only pic I could find of the trailer set up.. kiddos are pulling fluff off of cattails here.
Alissa and the fish we caught at Walten Lake.. she picket the location.. showed her a map and a few options. She chose a great one!

Jonathan and his FIRST FISH! He was the proudest boy EVER.. I think he asked 50 times, "Are you so proud of me?" Cutest thing. And we was all puffed up with pride as he watched Alissa devour his prize catch. Not only did he CATCH a first.. his sister ate it and it's her favorite thing. And Jonathan happens to love and adore his big sis.

We brought both doggies on the trip and hey did great. No problems at all. It was relaxing and fun.. and the fact that we didn't have to stay in a tent = super big bonus.

In even more news.. I have been gearing up for next school year. Alissa's wonderful little school has been affected by cuts like all the others and we won't be returning next year. What does that leave?? Home school. That's right. I'm doing it. At first I was a bit scared.. this is so far outside what I thought I would ever do. But now I have a real sense of peace with our families decision. My kids come first, before having kids we knew that once they were here we would sacrifice anything for them. We have struggled financially with one income, Matt has had to give up having fun toys.. but we do it without complaint because we have succeeded in raising our our children. And now, I get to be their teacher. We had planned on me working part time when they were both in school and bringing in some much needed income, but again.. they come first. I am dinking around with a few ideas to bring in income.. we shall see. Right now we are in the process of rearranging our little house to accommodate school and just getting organized. I am organizationally challenged. Always have been.

More news? Yep. We start classes in July to become foster parents. This is something I have had in my heart to do for years and years.. but Matt was not on the same page.. in fact, he was in a different book altogether. But now we are both ready to start this journey. I have always wanted to help children.. do something. It is no big secret that I am extremely Pro-Life and value kids more than anything else. And it's almost like one of those, you walk the walk you should talk the talk type things. I want to make a difference, even if it is for a very short time.. I want every child to feel valued and loved. Our society values life less and less.. and children less and less. I see sad, angry, lost kids everywhere I go. When did we become so selfish as parents? Where is the guidance that kids so desperately seek? Anyhow.. I'll stop there. Back to the fostering thing.. we are only taking one child age 2 and under. Can't risk our own kids safety with older children.. and we have a tiny house and no room for more than one. But hey.. at least it is something. And I look forward to not only helping a child feel safe and loved, but having my children experience that sort of giving spirit.

Wow... more stuff - Thanks to our wonderful neighbors.. we have finally found a church that Matt and I both love. Matt has always been very picky about which church we attend and the consequence has been a lot of church hopping trying to find a church family. Well, we both agree we think we finally found a place we can look forward to going every week and contributing. The church does a ton of community outreach. I really wanted a church where our kids could experience giving outside of themselves. The first week we were there we learned of a fund raising effort where all of the funds went to a pregnancy crisis center to buy ultrasound equipment to save lives. THIS is my kind of place. Talk the talk..walk the walk. Love it.

I think this is the last thing..hehe.. Alissa just went from a Daisy girl scout.. to a Brownie. She has officially made it further than I did. I should ask my mom why I never went to Brownies.. maybe I wasn't interested? Anyhow.. she is super excited. We have the best girl scout leader EVER which makes it all the more enjoyable. Matt is going to be co-leading a cub scout troop with our girl scout leader's hubby when Jonathan is ready. They have a young man Jon's age too. Matt is excited to get involved with scouts again! It is such a blessing having a husband who is so willing to be involved with his kids lives. Love that man.

Oh boy I thought of something else! First Wednesday ( July 6th) at the Grand Vines I will have 3 photographs on display! This will be my third gallery showing. So cool to see stuff up on the wall with your name on it. Speaking of photography - shooting a wedding on July 9th! Business is good there, just trying to not take on too much and keep my focus with my family.

You know what? Feels good to get all this stuff down in my blog. I was just looking at archives and realized I had 1 post in 2010. ONE?!?! Sheez.

Until next time...

Our Family Picture..

2010-11-29T16:49:00.001-08:00

Thanks to a good friend and amazing photographer - Twyla, check her out at twylarohde.com

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010-11-25T10:11:00.000-08:00

First...I'll ask Alissa.. "What are you thankful for?" Alissa said, "Cats. Pegasus unicorns. Unicorns hehe. And YOU. And my ABC's. And school, and home. And everything else. I love you. Thank you."

ok..same question for Jonathan.. "I'm thankful for my dinosaurs and thankful for my spidermans. I'm thankful for my badguys and my ships and all the other toys. And I love you and Alissa and I love dad, too."

There you have it. As for me? I'm thankful for my amazing, creative children.. my loving and supportive husband, our home and our ability to be together every day. I am thankful for photography and God's gifts to me so that I might make it a lucrative thing for our family. I am thankful for new friends and all the joy they have brought to my life.

This has been an interesting year for extended family. Some relationships have been strengthened which is a blessing. There have been disappointments with others exhibiting lack of character and morals who we sadly had to stop associating with to protect our children. Funny how life works and where roads take us.

Overall, this Thanksgiving brings so much joy. We are surrounded by people we love and who love us in return. Family, friends, neighbors.. What a year!

Looking forward to family pictures with an amazing photographer friend on November 28th. Will post them here! =)

Happy Turkey Day.

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

Has it really been almost a year? Wow. How about some quick updates:

Alissa has lost 4 teeth total..

We call this her jack-o-lantern smile. She is also doing amazing in first grade - reading chapter books and by far light years ahead of her class. She is creative in ways that amaze me every day. She is a 6 year old writer, poet, artist, singer, creator or robots, bug hunter extraordinaire. A child who's head is in the clouds imagining worlds and figuring out what adventure to go on next - and I LOVE IT. Alissa created her own halloween costume - a ballerina with wings.

Jonathan is an energetic, eager to learn 4 year old. He is full of spunk and has a tender heart. He likes things just so.. is very independent. He is very opinionated. Jonathan always makes me smile with his randomness.. driving home from grandma Adam's silly pumpkin party last night Jonathan out of the blue says quietly and with so much sincerity, "Your beautiful momma". My sweet charmer. He still likes pink, and I love that about him. He has a dinosaur and a ninja costume for halloween because he simply liked them both. His passion right now is for dinosaurs, not those cartoon silly ones.. but the real scary looking ones. He still sneaks into bed with us every night.. and I wouldn't miss those cuddles for anything.. too soon he will decide he is too big for all that cuddle stuff.

Matt is amazing.. he is such an awesome dad taking the kids on their pumpkin patch field trips, making pumpkin pie with Ali, BEING there.. making special memories with the kids. He is a husband any wife would be proud to brag about, slaying dragons to provide for his family. We has recently whipped himself into shape and looks amazing, he is soon trying for the SWAT team.. which he will excel at like everything else. I am very proud of him.

Myself - I am a photographer. Really.. wow. I somehow slipped from a picture taking person to a true photographer. I have clients, I make money. I have fun! Who would have thought? On Wednesday a picture will be entered into a gallery to be juried and possibly displayed for sale. I am excited!! I did Jonathan's school pictures this year for his whole school.. what a rewarding adventure.

I have so much more to write.. but for now I need to go make a scary breakfast for the kids.

Happy Halloween.

Today...

2009-12-25T12:26:00.000-08:00

Today I woke up to a little man snuggled close by my side...

Today I watched my daughter walk sleepily from her room to mine.. crawl into bed.. I asked her if Santa came and I watched her face light up and her dash from the room.

Today I heard a squeal of joy and heard little feet running back to my room and heard a little voice say "He came! He came!"

Today I climbed out of bed and told my sweet children they could pick one present to open from Santa.

Today I feel sad because I don't have my incredible husband here to see the look on their faces.. to share the magic.. to see the way Ali's eyes danced when she saw the crumbs left on her note from Santa and the empty wrapper from the Oreo cookie sticks Santa ate.

Today I watch Jon to climb onto his too-big bike from Santa and struggle to reach the peddles.. and I smile.

Today I watch Alissa open her bug making oven and giggle with laughter.. and I grin.. for my daughter is so unique and wonderful.

Today we load into the car to give the gift of music to the nursing home where great-grandpa died.. and to teach the children the real meaning of Christmas.

Today we drive to Burger King and order a cheeseburger for Ali with no pickle and no mustard and a hamburger for Jon no pickle and frozen cokes all around.

Today I gaze at our Christmas tree that sits in our too small house where the couch normally is.. because there was no where else to put it.

Today I thank God for our too-small house that is overflowing with love.

Today we look forward to Daddy getting off work so we can have dinner at Grandma Davis house and open presents together as a family tonight.

Today my heart swells with love for my children and family.

Today is Christmas.

The Adventures of.... CATAWACK!

2009-09-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, a long long time ago.. There was a little girl named Alissa. Alissa loved all things creepy and vowed to some day be a bug scientist. Alissa was a dreamer... always thinking up new ways to play and new adventures to embark on. But Alissa wasn't content to just be Alissa.. you see, in her mind she was capable of so much more. So on that day long long ago (about a month ago, but who's counting) Alissa had an "AH-HA!" moment when she created her very own superhero identity... that's right.. that's the day that CATAWACK was born. Catawack runs as fast as lightning, and she can jump over big rivers (this is a quote from Alissa standing beside me).

STORY CONTINUED IN QUOTES FROM ALISSA WHO HAS DECIDED TO DICTATE:

"There's 101 and one cats (for the record there was 72 forever, guess this is growing). And she can break metal. And she's strong enough to break some wood. She's as fast as lighting and faster than lighting. She's fatser than anybody else. If anybody is in a race she'll always win.

ME: Tell me a story about Catawack and one of her adventures.

ALISSA: "Ok, but it's a long story. Ok. Catawack and her 72 cats were walking along and a skeleton bad guy saw them and he chased after them and a cat was biting on his buns. And then Catawack jumped over the lake and her 72 cats did and that skeleton stopped because he was trying to get the cat off his buns and he got a poky vine and he tried to whack the cat but the cat jumped off and he whacked himself on the buns with the pokey vine. And then the cat jumped over the lake with Catawack. And then there was just 1 bad guy that was bigger than them and the cats all jumped over the lake and the bad guy jumped over the lake and then ran out of oil. Mhm. Ready for the next story - It's Catawack on a safari and a great big monster and also all the cats bit his buns and then a cat was..some cats were nibbling on his feet and he said "AHHHHHH" and then he got a great great great big pokey pokey vine and he tried to whack the cats and he whacked his buns and then the cats on his feet jumped off of his feet and he whacked his feet. And then everything was saved.

The end."

"Ok Catawack was walking and her 72 cats. And also there was this GREAT big bad guy and some cats were in his hair and he didn't notice and so one bit him and he whacked his head with a pokey vine and pokey himself 101 times. And then everything was saved again. And then another bad guy showed up and then Catawack's cats bit him all over himself and he wacked himself with a lot of vines and then everything was saved."

TRASH MAN

2009-08-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Every week Jonathan listens intently for his favorite person - the TRASH MAN! If you ask Jonathan when the trash man comes he will quickly respond, "The trash man comes on Friiiiiday's." In fact if you ask him when Grandma Davis' trash man comes he responds, "Gramma Davis' trash man comes on Tursday's". Jonathan recently turned 3 years old and wanted a "Trash man and Digger Party"... and that is exactly what he got. So today, I brought out the camera to capture his weekly meeting with the Trash man and got a gem. Jonathan likes to show his trash man his newest trash trucks, and this week was no exception. This week the trash man stopped and told Jonathan that when he started working for the trash company 13 years ago the truck Jonathan was holding was the exact one he drove! In the end he thanked me for letting Jonathan say hi to him every week...said it made his day. I can't explain exactly why that was so touching to me.. but here I see one of the simple beauties of life - a three year old little boy who eagerly awaits seeing "his" trash man round the corner so he can smile and wave... and a grown man, a trash man, who eagerly awaits rounding that same corner to smile and wave at "his" special three year old boy. Just magical.

Leaf bugs and spiders..

2009-08-05T00:44:00.000-07:00

I vowed to revive this thing. Shame on me. I shall revive it yet. See the problem is Facebook is evil. I find myself putting pics up on their and neglecting this poor blog.

So updates -

Matt first.. he is doing great. Excelling at the jail. There is much talk of promotion in his immediate future. This is good and bad. The bad is that he is FINALLY on day shift and a promotion would mean rotating shift about every 3 months I think. So graveyard AGAIN. Sigh. We will see where that goes.

Myself.. lovin life! Really getting into photography. Did my first maternity photo shoot end of June and it was a BLAST! Ended up making a leather bound book for the family. Going to go on a photo excursion August 14th for 3 days and two nights in Bend. The kiddos get to stay with Matt's mom. They are thrilled to say the least. Three days spoiled rotten? Sweeeeeeet. :)

Alissa.. big as ever! Alissa finally found her appetite. The girl can EAT! Making up for the last 5 years of self starvation I suppose. Yesterday Alissa got new pets.. leaf bugs. Four to be exact. They are the coolest things ever. Get to be up to 6 inches long and they sort of have personality..for a bug anyway. She is one happy kid with new creepy crawlies.. and I am a happy mommy because they are very low maintenance. Alissa is eager to start kindergarten at Rosedale Elementary (YAYAYAYA) September 9th... and I'm of course caught somewhere between excited and terrified. Alissa can read simple words and phrases.. knows all her letters and numbers to 100... she tends to learn things better if I don't push the issue so I try and let her ask the questions instead of forcing things on her. She is the most creative and imaginative kid I have ever met. Amazing.

Jonathan.. Mr. Bigshot as GG calls him. Jonathan is talking better than most 4 year olds. Very clear speech and an unreal vocabulary. He is still signing often and loves that too. He will be three years old Monday (IS THAT POSSIBLE?!?) and Sunday we are going to have a "Digger and Trashman" birthday party. Jonathan loves pink. Anything pink. I have to write this down or some day he may not believe me hehe. In toddler time class he fought with a little girl for the pink shakers. The boy is seriously obsessed with pink. It's cute. He knows his ABC's and know some letter sounds already. He can count to 20 and ride a tricycle. Last month Jonathan got his own room all to himself. We moved the computer out to the living room and got rid of the guest bed and VWALLA.. a bedroom. Soon to be transformed into a digger room.

Zena.. Getting very old. Seven years old and with her chronic allergies she is slowing down fast. Still a happy wonderful amazing dog.

Triton.. 16 months old and 160 pounds of snoring, farting, drooling, otherwise just foul and disgusting dog. And a big dork to top it off. Still trying to figure out why I like him so much. :)

Kisses.. Still scared of the dogs.. still sweet and adorable.

Sea Monkeys... still there. Still alive. Not sure how. Survived since Christmas so far.

Leaf bugs.. Just too cool. I'll take pics soon.

Giant spider.. can't forget Alissa's pet spider. It is my job to feed him every night. Joy.

Think that covers the whole family.

Until next time.

Boca..or Bokeh..or..Blog!!

2009-06-11T09:17:00.001-07:00

I just realized something funny... I HAVE A BLOG!! haha.. ok seriously.. Facebook is evil. Thats the only place I put pics and updates.. until now!! :) I vow to re-discover my poor abused blog.

Starting with a story --

Ok, I lied.. some background first.. So I recently discovered a love of photography. I mean, I can't get enough of it!! I am learning all I can and having a blast. Recently my obsession has been to get BOCA! Or bokeh... not sure how that is spelled but seen it both ways. Boca is just a blurred background. Ok.. now on the the story..

So yesterday the kids and I were playing outside and I was armed with my camera and some new knowledge from my mom. I started snapping away. Now keep in mind I never once (on this day) mentioned I was looking for boca.. just taking pics of the kids is all. Well, I was sitting there flipping through my pics I had taken and found my money shot - I proceeded to exclaim "YES!!!!!" and then Jonathan looks at me.. grins real big.. and says proudly "Momma got some BOCA!!" .. I looked at him.. mouth agape.. and said.. "Yes, Jonny..momma got some boca!!" And he gave me a high five. Talk about a kid who pays attention!!! Sheesh.. I SWEAR the word boca did not leave my lips yesterday.. it was hilarious.

After that Jonathan watched me take photos and every time I got a good one and exclaimed happily he insisted on screaming "BOCA" and giving me a high five. It was fun.

Then put the camera away, made some lunch.. and we ate a picnic lunch on a blanket in the front yard. Fun times.

In other news, we have decided to wait to sell our house and are refinancing instead. We went in yesterday to sign papers. I am super nervous about the economy and the direction it is going so getting all of our ducks in a row now.

I'm sure I have a million more things to write about..hmmm.. oh yes Alissa got into Rosedale Elementary - the best (and smallest) school in town! I am so very excited for her.

Ok I'm off, I will try to remember that I have a blog now.. really.

Matt the pilot.

2009-04-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

So we finally got to go on our plane trip. We were told it was going to be a "scenic flight over Salem" what we were not told was that one of US would fly the plane! Imagine our surprise when the owner of the Cessna looked at us and popped the question, "So, who's flying today?"..umm...is that a trick question?? So of course I pointed at Matt and he pointed at me, but we both know who the future pilot in the family is and it is CERTAINLY not me. So, I won the pointing contest and Matt sat down for his half hour pre-flight lesson. After the lesson we went out to the plane for a pre-flight check (a very thorough one at that, I wasn't complaining).

During the check there was lots of waving on my part to the kiddos who were there a ways away behind a fence with GG, Grandma Davis, and Bethany. We got situated in the plane.. belted in, headsets on, engine started... I'm stuck in the backseat..and THEN she informs me that Matt will be handling take off all by himself...umm..

Yep..that was my reaction. But no worries, he did a fantastic job getting us off the ground. It was a bit bumpy and his turns were a bit rough.. but overall I was very proud of my pilot hubby. Here was the view out my window --

Not too bad eh? Directly after the flight I snapped this picture of Matt with his "I just flew a plane how cool is that" permagrin. Priceless.

Safely aground and with engine off the kids got to come check out the plane. Alissa was a natural.

Course this picture is a bit funny.. when Jonathan sees it he keeps asking what Ali has in her nose. Hehe.

So in summary it was a terrific flight.. we flew northeast over Silverton and then finally Silver Falls state park.. which was great except from above all you see is trees. Just beautiful either way.

The pebble.

2009-04-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

There is a window in your heart through which you can see God. Once upon a time that window was clear. Your view of God was crisp. You could see God as vividly as you could see a gentle valley or hillside. The glass was clean, the pane unbroken.

You knew God. You knew how he worked. You knew what he wanted you to do. No surprises. Nothing unexpected. You knew God had a will, and you continually discovered what it was.

Then suddenly, the window cracked. A pebble broke the window. A pebble of pain.

Perhaps the stone struck when you were a child and a parent left home - forever. Maybe the rock hit in adolescence when your heart was broken. Maybe you made it into adulthood before the window cracked. But then the pebble came.

Was it a phone call? "We have your daughter at the station. You'd better come down."

Was it a letter on the kitchen table? "I've left. Don't try to reach me. Don't try to call me. It's over. I just don't love you anymore."

Was it a diagnosis from the doctor? "I'm afraid our news is not very good."

Was it a telegram? "We regret to inform you that your son is missing in action."

Whatever the pebbles form, the result was the same - a shattered window. The pebble missiled into the pane and shattered it. The crash echoed down the halls of your heart. Cracks shot out from the point of impact, creating a spider web of fragmented pieces.

And suddenly God was not so easy to see. The view that had been so crisp had changed. You turned to see God, and his figure was distorted. It was hard to see him through the pain. It was hard to see him through the fragments of hurt.

You were puzzled. God wouldn't allow something like this to happen, would he? Tragedy and travesty weren't on the agenda of the One you had seen, were they? Had you been fooled? Had you been blind?

The moment the pebble struck, the glass became a reference point for you. From then on, there was life before the pain and life after the pain. Before your pain, the view was clear; God seemed so near. After your pain, well, he was harder to see. He seemed a bit distant...harder to perceive. Your pain distorted the view - not eclipsed it, but distorted it.

Maybe these words don't describe your situation. There are some people who never have to redefine or refocus their view of God. Most of us do.

Most of us know what it means to feel disappointed by God.

Most of us have a way of completing this sentence: "If God is God, then..." Call it an agenda, a divine job description. Each of us has an unspoken, yet definitive, expectation of what God should do. "If God is God, then..."

* There will be no financial collapse in my family
* My children will never be buried before me.
* People will treat me fairly
* This church will never divide
* My prayer will be answered

There are not articulated criteria. They are not written down or notarized. But they are real. They define the expectations we have of God. And when pain comes into our world - when the careening pebble splinters the window of our hearts - these expectations go unmet and doubts may begin to surface.We look for God, but can't find him. Fragmented glass hinders our vision. He is enlarged through this piece and reduced through that one. Lines jigsaw their way across his face. Large sections of shattered glass opaque the view.And now you aren't quite sure what you see.
~ Max Lucado

What will that pebble be for my kids? And how long can I shield them from it? I find myself on my knees begging the God that I know through my own fragmented glass.. the God that I love and trust.. begging the wisdom, courage, and strength to block those pebbles for as long as I can.

ZOO

2009-03-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

So my fabulous sister in law called my this morning to invite us to the zoo!! What a treat!! The kids had sooo much fun seeing all the animals and hanging out.. and I slacked a bit on pictures. Here was a highlight from out trip -- feeding the birds!!

The kids had a blast with the birds climbing all over them to drink nectar from their cups. Toooo fun.

Overall it was COLD.. it was windy.. it was WET.. but it was ooohhh so fun!!

Shake your booty...

2009-03-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

Scooter time!

2009-02-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

A quick video of Matt and Alissa trying out Bethany's new scooter she got for her birthday. :) Jonathan got a ride too.. but hopped off after .2 seconds. Oh well. Alissa had a blast!!!!!

A day at the Dentist.

2009-02-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

Alissa goes to see Dr. Dow.. Getting her fluoride treatment. Does she seem traumatized or what?? Hehe.. can you tell the dentist is one of her favorite places to go?? She got a pirate balloon and a princess toothbrush out of the deal too.. could life be any better?

Just so you don't think I'm too lucky with this whole thing for those mom's out there with kids who hate the dentist - Jonathan's turn was after Alissa. I would post a picture.. but I was too busy holding his arms as he screamed and clenched his jaw and tried to wriggle away from the dentist. Ya. Enough said I suppose.

Bethany's Birthday

2009-02-23T21:52:00.000-08:00

For Bethany's birthday we went out to eat at Applebee's. The food was yummy and the kids had fun. Bethany of course was in heaven. She made friends with the waitress and enjoyed opening all of her gifts.

I had to post this picture - the look on Grandma's face is priceless.

During dinner Jonathan discovered that Caesar salad is his new favorite. He scarfed down pretty much all of Bethany's salad. What an awesome aunt he has!!
Happy 24th Beth!!!

Hello Sunshine.

2009-02-23T21:47:00.000-08:00

Can you guess what's happening in the above picture? Probably not. This is me taking a picture while riding Alissa's bike with her on the back. Umm...ya.. this bike --> Alissa said "Mommy!! You look like a clown!!" Thanks baby! Now don't hold back! Hehe. We had a day full of sunshine last week and took full advantage. The kids had a blast.

Why does Jonathan look so happy in this picture? Notice a bit of mischief written on his face? Ya, that would be because when I took this picture he was running at me full speed.. why you ask??? To give me a hug?? Ooohh no.. to whack my with the blue Frisbee. Ahh my sweet two year old boy.

Now I lay me down to sleep..

2009-02-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

So I post a lot of the above cute siblings sleeping together posts.. and it occurred to me that some might imagine they do not have their own beds. Hehe.. well let me explain. What you see above is what I find most mornings because the kiddos always sneak into my bed some time in the AM for some cuddle time. One on each side of me. When I get up.. they tend to roll towards where I was and BINGO we have siblings sleeping side by side and cute pictures for my blog. Just to prove they do sleep in their own beds every now and again :) I took these pictures the other night. Jonathan manages to be "cool" even when asleep. Cuddle my stuffed ball? Never!

And Alissa always buries herself under her horses and what you can't see is her pink doggy and her kitty that she is hugging tight.

I love my kids. More than words could express. And I love to watch them sleep.. so peaceful. The closest thing anyone will ever see to angels on earth.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

I am behind..again.. so I am going to do a few separate posts. First off - Valentine's Day!! This year was an extra special Valentine's Day for Matt and I because we won a contest!! YIPPEE! It was on a radio station and my assignment was this: Write an email explaining why you think you and your Valentine deserve this prize package. And I wrote the following: "Hello! I am a twenty-eight year old mother of two. I have been married to Matt, the love of my life, for six years. Matt and I are true high school sweethearts. Not many couples can put their prom and honeymoon pictures side by side (see attached). Valentine's Day has always been a very special day for us to celebrate our love and friendship. The last few years have been hard on our family financially because it had been my dream and life's ambition to be my kids mom and stay home to raise them. Matt has worked long and hard hours to make this happen for our family. Matt is in law enforcement. His job is very trying on him physically and emotionally but he does it every day to provide for our family without complaint. Because of the nature of law enforcement and the grueling hours involved, Matt has missed a lot of holidays with the family including our special day - Valentine's Day. He makes me feel like the luckiest woman alive and I am so proud of all he does for me and his kids. I was supposed to write about why I believed we deserved this wonderful Valentine's Day gift, but truly I am writing this for him. He is my hero and my heart. His sacrifices for family and his community are endless and this prize would be such a welcome relief for my Valentine. Thank you so much. " - The day before Valentine's Day I told Matt to turn on the radio and we needed to hear something because I entered a contest - it was the first I had mentioned it to him. Well, much to our surprise it was announced that we WON!! :) When I called and talked to the DJ he said that they received a TON of entries and a lot of them were heart-wrenching stories (tragedy, loss of kidneys, death, etc etc) and they decided to pick our story for a couple of reasons - first off they were impressed that I attached the pictures of honeymoon/prom and second because it was so "real" and just a cute story. COOL! Oh, guess you are wondering what we won?? Hehe.. We won dinner for two at the Willamette Valley Grill, a his and hers massage, and a plane ride over the city!! We still haven't cashed in on our prizes because.. surprise surprise Matt had to work.. but are SO excited! We are scheduled to fly on March 1st - I will take pics and post! :)

Library Sleepover!

2009-02-01T11:03:00.001-08:00

So Friday night we arrived at the library at 6:30 and were told we could sleep wherever we wanted so we hurried to the children's section upstairs and found a spot - this isle was all ours!! It was Alissa, Jonathan, myself, Kendra, Porter, and the Sinks family -- too cool! They had crafts set up all over the library for kids to do - most to do with airplanes/flight. First thing was first though, Alissa and I rushed to get our faces painted! Ali insisted we match. Jonathan refused any paint on his face..no way man! After crafts and fun we headed to the big auditorium where a professional story teller awaited us. We had a BLAST! Jonathan (my budding photographer) walked around snapping random pictures of people it was hilarious. Here is the picture he took of me and Bethany. After the story teller and a snack of pretzels and juice provided by the library we headed to set up camp and pick out some library books for the night. Oh, forgot.. after the stories there was a raffle, and all of the kids got to pick a prize - we got a couple books and two tickets to the Oregon aquarium. After getting our pj's on, brushing our teeth, and settling in the lights were turned out in the library. We brought out our flashlights and read stories together - For Ali it was a kids monster story hehe and for Jon Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss. Jonathan fought sleep with all his might but eventually surrendered to exhaustion. That's when I hid under the blanket with a flashlight and got a few precious quiet moments alone with my book and my flashlight. There was a wake up call over the intercom at 7am and lights when on at 7:05. I woke up the kids at 7:30 and we packed up and headed downstairs for juice, coffee, and muffins. It was a fantastic adventure and we plan on returning every year. If I didn't mention it before - the whole sleepover was a reward for the kids keeping the TV off for a week. So great! We were able to make wonderful memories and hang out with friends. Life is good.

Updates for update's sake.

2009-01-29T14:55:00.001-08:00

As I sit here I realize I haven't written an update post in far too long. Lets start with me :) I am still working weekends, but have cut it back to 4 hours on Saturday's only. I also watch a two year old boy still from Tuesday - Thursday and that has been working out pretty well. I am officially on my low carb diet...again. One of these days I will get the weight off and actually keep it off.. here's hopin'. I was recently introduced into the world of FaceBook - neat sight!!Our house hunting continues.. we see about 2-3 houses a week.. just haven't found the right one yet. I take Triton to dog obedience classes every Wednesday night and it's pretty fun having the class clown. I Am also obsessing over schools at the moment for Alissa. I envy my home schooling momma friends and WISH I could be organized enough to do it myself.. just not happening. My second choice is a private school, but that's out because its way too expensive. Third choice - charter school.. that's a whole post in itself.. lets just say the only charter school I really love is for middle school aged kids. This leaves public school and I found one I really like but we will be moving soon to who knows where which compounds the issue of where in the world she will go to kindergarten. Enough of that complicated mess. Here soon I will be turning 29 and I find myself THRILLED that I won't be 30.. one more year. Yikes. Not much more with me.. same old same old I suppose.
As for Matt, he is getting back in the groove of things at work and doing very well. He works 12 hour shifts right now from 6pm to 6am. It's brutal and it sucks. On his days off he is always tired because his body is used to sleeping during the day. I hate it hate it HATE it that he is working graveyard but its the nature of the job and I have to learn to live with it. Right now he is working hard on his days off to get the house prepped for sale.. I am so blessed to have married a handyman.
On to Alissa. Alissa is doing fantastic in school. She loves her teacher and gets along well with her classmates and I enjoy my Friday's in her classroom. She is obsessed with pirates at the moment which I find hilarious. She has always marched to the beat of her own drummer. She is also doing well in ballet with one exception - she can't skip. Seriously, I have tried to teach her, her grandma has tried, her teacher has tried but she is just not getting it. So I talked with her most awesome ballet teacher who promises me that in one 15 minute private lesson Alissa will be skipping along with the best of them.. so we are scheduling said lesson now. Alissa has started harping on me to get her back in swim lessons so I am going to sign her up for another round here soon.. she LOVES the water. Alissa also loves to pray and I MUST get this on video sometime.. there is nothing more beautiful than a child's prayer.. often they include talk of angels and chocolate sometimes in the same sentence lol. On a different note - we have not turned on the TV since the 23rd i honor of national turn of your TV week! Although I don't normally participate in this, we had quite the incentive! Our local library had the kids sign a pledge to not watch TV from the 25 - 30 and they get rewarded with a sleepover at the library!! How cool!? So Friday night I am taking Jonathan, Alissa, and their Aunt Bethany to the library for a sleep over complete with crafts, other activities, and a profession storyteller before bed! Wowzers it should be fun. Oh! And they will feed us breakfast, too.. I shall post lots of pictures!
Now Jonathan. My little man who is just too big. Jonathan is into pretty much whatever Alissa likes..which mean pirates at the moment (better than Barbie, right?). He LOVES his toddler time class with mommy on Monday's. Jonathan's little personality is so great.. he likes to clean up and have things orderly (have no idea where that came from) When we clean up all our toys and can see the floor (LOL) he will stand in the middle of the room with his arms outstretched and proclaim with a smile "AAALLL CLEAN". He likes to wave at random people in the grocery store.. or anywhere else for that matter. He is also displaying some strong leadership skills. When his little friends come over he picks out the games, directs the activities.. just very cute to see those skills at such an early age. Jonathan is very sensitive to others feelings and when someone gets hurt he is very concerned.. "You ok mommy? You ok, Jonjon kiss it".. Such a sweetie. Jonathan skips his naps more and more frequently and I am resigning myself to the fact that here soon he simply won't need them anymore. Oh, and it is pretty funny.. say I am wearing a low cut shirt - Jonathan will point, smile and proclaim "MAMA MILK!" lol.. I hope when he is a teenager he doesn't still refer to them as mama milk, that could be embarrassing :)
Thats all for now..

5 Years Old - PIRATE BIRTHDAY!! Arrr

2009-01-27T23:06:00.001-08:00

Well me hartey's Alissa's 5th birthday party was a cannon blast! Here is The Dread Pirate Mommy getting in character before the little pirates arrived. And Grandma Adams hard at work turning her back deck into a pirate ship!! Alissa was in pirate heaven!

The party got started with a game of pin the treasure on the map -- arrr and the winners got to select a prize from the pirate treasure chest. Next we headed outside where there were hidden 5 gold coins.. the kids went on a hunt and whoever found a coin traded it in for a prize! Then we went inside and played a game of musical islands - -you see the islands pictured below. These are the islands from Pirates of the Caribbean online game -- authentic pirate matey! After our musical island game it was time for pizza and a pirate ship cake! Then out to the pirate ship to take a wack at the world's strongest pinata with a boat oar. It took every child, plus one adult and we still couldn't crack the thing. No worries!! The Dread Pirate Mommy tore it apart with her bare hands!! ARRRRR!!After the undestructable pinata it was time for BURIED TREASURE!! That's right.. if you wanted a goodie bag from THIS party you had to grab a shovel and start to dig. Of course I was given much grief because the kids had to really dig to get to their loot hehe.. but it made it more special in the end! The fact that all the kids were covered head to toe in mud...well, whats a pirate party without a few dirty pirates? With our treasure found it was time to come inside and open presents. To avoid this becoming chaotic we made it into a game. We played "spin the looking glass" .. yes the looking glass HAPPENED to be a bottle..which caused a few snickers amongst the adults.. but Alissa LOVED the game as she sat in the middle of the circle while everyone held their gift for her, spun the..ahem..looking glass and whoever it pointed to she got to open their present. It worked wonders to keep everyone seated and under control.

Ahh but that was not the end of our pirate games. After presents were opened and the kids were sufficiently exhausted everyone was asked to pick out one balloon. They were then told that inside three of the balloons was a slip of paper with an X on it. And..you guessed it.. the kiddos who found the paper with the X got a prize! (We were big on prizes hehe). The kids had a greattime popping balloons and claiming their loot. That a fun party!! We said our goodbyes.. YO HO HO and The Dread Pirate Mommy and Grandma grabbed a bottle of rum! Ok ok..merlot..slight technicality there... and with rum/merlot in hand promptly collapsed into a tired heap on the couch.

Party hats - $5

Cake - $20

Happy 5 year old pirate - Priceless.

Siblings..

2009-01-19T20:59:00.000-08:00

Not much to say tonight..just wanted to share these pics.

They say it all.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T14:26:00.000-08:00

Wow.. 2009. I figured a new year warranted a new layout!! I almost didn't write this, because I have no photos to add. Yikes!! Talk about slacking.
For New Years Eve the kiddos spend the night at Grandma Adams' house as they have every year. The tradition is this: If Matt works that night I stay at grandma's with the kids..but if he is off we hang out together. This year Matt was off work so we brought in the new year with rum and coke and some less than desirable champagne. Just a word of caution: The more expensive champagne is not necessarily the better tasting. Stick with the $5 bottle. Or maybe that is terrible advise and I have poor taste. That's for you to decide.
Alissa is back to school this week and we start with life as usual again.. I watch a 2 year old boy from Tuesday - Thursday every week, Ali is in school and ballet, Jonathan has Toddler Time classes Monday and now Triton has obedience classes Wednesday nights.
As for Matt, he recently had to make a tough decision. He decided that working enforcement for the county was just not the right fit for him. He did not come to this decision lightly and it was tough on all of us... but I am so proud of him to do what is right for family first and for himself and his career second. Being back in institutions he will have a lot more flexibility to be with us and not miss so many important events in the kids lives. They have already given him the nod to be Range Master which is a HUGE accomplishment for him!! He will be doing weapons training for the county. What an opportunity! Matt is an unbelievably good marksman and the county recognized this, I am so excited for him!
And an update on the dream house - unfortunately it shall remain just that, a dream. It was just too much for a one income family such as ours. However we continue to view other houses and I am in the process of getting our current house ready to put on the market. Exciting times!

CHRISTMAS 2008

2008-12-28T00:09:00.000-08:00

Woke up Christmas morning and both Matt and Jonathan had terrible colds.. can you tell?? But that didn't stop Jon from being excited to open up his gifts from Santa. He asked for ball-balls this year (big surprise) and was thrilled that he got them! Alissa asked for Scooby Doo Haunted House game... I wish you could have seen the look on Santa's face. He said, "Really? That's what you want? That's ALL you want??" To which Alissa replied, "YES!" Hehe.. love my girl. So, here it is! Jonathan enjoyed holding every single present high in the air to show it off. And my patriotic little girl got the self waving flag that plays patriotic songs that she wanted. Every morning we play the Start Spangled Banner and she puts her hand on her heart all serious until the song ends. You go girl! Jonathan found his two favorite things in his stocking - Tic tacs and ball-balls! :)

And I got an extra special gift from Santa this year -- My own LAPTOP!!! Words cannot express how excited I was!!! I must have been a real good girl this year!

It was a fantastic Christmas morning.

We ended the day at Grandma Davis' house with the best Christmas dinner EVER! And of course yet again I did not have my camera. Oops. Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Eve!

2008-12-27T23:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve morning we headed to Grandma Adams' house for yummy breakfast burritos and of course..presents!!!

The kids sat on the floor and opened their presents together. It was very cute and they were all on cloud nine.

Alissa even played us some Christmas tunes.
It was a wonderful morning! Full of laughter and family..nothing better.

Then we went home for Jon's nap and when he woke up the kids got to open their presents from mom, dad, and GG! Jonathan's favorite present was the bubble wrap (surprise surprise) followed by a very cute dump truck from GG! Mostly he was content to sit and pop the bubble wrap.

Alissa's favorite was her very own "My Pet Monster" that mommy found for her new in box on ebay!! Mommy had one as a kid..and since Alissa LOVES monsters, well it was the perfect gift!!

I had to get one for Jon too..so he got the original 1986 (the one I had located on the left) and Alissa got the 1991 version (it talks!) Where would I be without Ebay???
After we opened presents it was off the Grandma Davis house for..you guessed it..MORE PRESENTS! Unfortunately I left daddy in charge of taking pictures.. sooo.. this was all I could scrounge up. I will have to get more pictures from someone elses camera!! Although, Grandpa does look thrilled to get his new hat. Hehe.

Adventures in Freezing Rain

2008-12-27T23:30:00.000-08:00

Note the ice coated basketball hoop and branches... It was a great adventure for the kidlets. Their snowman had a two inch coating of ice on him. Pretty cool stuff. :)

The Nutcracker Ballet

2008-12-27T23:13:00.001-08:00

Alissa was so excited on performance day! Her first time on stage!! Mommy got to put big girl makeup on her and everything!! Here is mommy putting on the foundation - Then the finished product!! One girl ready for the stage!
Here is Alissa backstage all dressed in her costume and ready to hit the stage.
And a picture with all of the baby soldiers! :)

The performance was wonderful and the kids all did great. Alissa was a champ because it was a LONG day. We showed up at the theatre at 1pm for dress rehearsal and didn't leave there until 9pm after the show. I was so proud of my little Alissa. She was so confident and remembered all of her moves. She was beaming at the end of the show when she got flowers from family...she was a real star.

Mr. Winter

2008-12-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

Wow has it been fun this last couple weeks. We have had snow, freezing rain, sleet.. everything in between. The kids have been in heaven!
Triton is getting huge and is just a big dorky sweetheart.

And on these winter days what could be better than cuddling up in a basket with your sibling? Nothing I can think of.

Alissa had her Nutcracker ballet performance Saturday, it was great! I'll post on that after I upload the photos. Until then...playing catch up with the blog! :)

Adventures in Tie Dye

2008-12-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post... I took all the kids stained t-shirts and we had a tie dye party. Too much fun! The kids did a great job and the shirts all turned out fabulous.

A Spiderman Christmas?

2008-12-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

That's what we almost had...
See it all began with a harmless school field trip to a cute little tree farm. The owner of the tree farm invites the preschoolers to come to his farm and pick out a tree for their school. He also allows parents to pick and tree on his lot no matter the size for $10. What a deal!! Every year we get a Noble, but this year with money being tight we couldn't pass up such a great offer. So we bundled the kids and headed out for the field trip. Alissa was so very excited to pick our family tree. She immediately latched on the the tree you see her standing by in the picture below.
Lucky for us it wasn't huge or we were heading for a Griswold Christmas. It was the perfect size and cute as can be...we found our tree!!! The nice tree farmer cut it down for us and Matt strapped it on the van. Mission accomplished!! Until we got it home.. that's when the fun began.
So Matt trimmed up the tree and got it in its stand and we put it in a place of honor in our living room. I went out to the garage and got our ornament box and the lights and we all gathered round the tree for the best part - decorations!
This is when I stared lovingly at the tree and noticed something was amiss. As in.. the tree was moving. Weird. I got a little closer and saw a pretty good size black spider had crawled to the edge of a branch. MATT! I called.. SPIDER!! In comes daddy my spider mooshing hero to save the day. But wait, come back! Another one!! It all goes downhill from here. You see.. after he mooshed the first 3, the rest of them came out of hiding. As soon as I lost count I told Matt to put the tree outside...QUICK. And he did.
Ok...time to regroup.. Alissa is in a bit of a panic -- MY TREE MY TREE! Why is it outside? I try to explain that there were a few spiders and we didn't want them getting all over the house so we put it outside. At this point what does any good mom do?? I hit the internet! I needed some serious advice... how do you rid a Christmas tree of spiders? Now let me explain something.. these spiders were not all of the same species.. we had big ones, little ones, red ones, black ones, tiny baby ones..getting the picture? Yep..it was a Spiderman Christmas tree.
So the net.. not at all useful. Basically the only advice was to use a vacuum if you found a spider or two..well, we did NOT have a spider or two...we had an infestation. But again, I'm a good mommy so I lug the tree back inside and plop it on the kitchen floor. No spiders in sight...but I have learned from this experience that the spiders do not crawl out to the edge of the branches until they warm up a bit. Lovely. About 15 minutes later out come my spidy friends and I start suckin them up. After a few, I decide this is just too creepy and put the tree back outside. It is getting late and getting cold, I know it will be well under freezing that night so I have a brilliant (haha) idea..I hose down the tree and let it freeze! That'll teach those spiders who's boss!!
The next morning I shake the now melted water off the tree and drag it inside. 15 minutes later...no spiders. I feel triumphant for the next 5 minutes until the little buggers start to creep out again. Ok..plan A and B didn't work. Time for plan C - the tree went back into the backyard, I bundled up the kids.. and headed for a different tree farm. Problem solved.
And that my dear friends and family.. is the story of how we almost had a Spiderman Christmas. There is a moral here - Always check your tree for spiders before putting on your decorations.. you just never know when you too might have a Spiderman Christmas.
The End.

Fieldtrips and dreams..

2008-11-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

This is Alissa and Jon with their buddies.. went on a field trip to Roth's with Alissa's class. It was a hoot! Alissa and Jon got to make and decorate their own cupcakes and pizza. They got to tour the giant refrigerator and discuss apples. It was a great time.

On the dreams...
Matt and I found the perfect house. It is HUGE and beautiful... two story 3000 squ ft with a play room and office and three bedroom. The owner is desperate and going into foreclosure so lowered the price 75k!! But alas, with everything going as it is going with the economy I doubt we are going to be able to get a loan. It is really kind of depressing to have this unbelievable deal and a house I could finally be comfortable in and proud of at our fingertips but the ever important money issue stands in our way. The family across the street is even friends of ours! It would be just perfect, next to a park.. I am 90% sure we will not get the loan, but it is so hard not to dream the what-ifs you know? So we will try, and try not to be too bummed if we don't get to move in. Did I mention there is even a 50's front porch? With the little fence.. it is SCREAMING for a rocking chair and lots of lazy evenings chatting with neighbors sipping lemonade. Sigh..

GG's House and the pumpkin patch.

2008-11-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

Forgive me, but these pictures are all from October :) I need to catch up!! First off, Alissa went on her first school field trip to Bauman Farm for the pumpkin patch. She loved feeding and petting all the animals, watching them made apple cider, picking a pumpkin a gourd and an Indian corn, and riding the hay wagon. A good friend asked me to watch her two kids that day so it was a bit of a handful - luckily Matt was off work and came with us! We have also been spending a lot of time at GG's house. She is getting ready to disappear for the winter to sunny Arizona. This lovely picture was taken by Alissa - my budding photographer.

We spend a lot of time at the park enjoying the last few sunny days before the clouds roll in. Alissa likes to put bread on the end of a stick and go fishing for minnows! Jonathan just likes to throw rocks in the water.

Much much more to come! I need to catch up! But for now the kiddos are awake and hungry..priorities!

Happy (late) Halloween!

2008-11-06T23:57:00.000-08:00

From a couple of pirates and their dog. Yes, I am still alive. I will update this very soon. I am WAY behind and it will be a long post. Tonight I need some sleep!!

Jonathan's first day of school.

2008-10-01T23:33:00.000-07:00

Third post of the night!! WOOHOO I'm on a roll! Hehe..

So Monday Jonathan started Toddler Time class.. it's a mommy & me class where we are together the whole time and it is semi-structured but lots and lots of fun. Jon was so excited to finally get to go to school and carry his own backpack!!

The class is in the same building as Ali's preschool so we are literally right across the hall every Monday morning. Oh! And the best part -- it is free!! They waived all fees for Jonathan because I am also the ASL interpreter in class for a deaf momma.. it's my first paid interpreting job!! The class is 9am to 11am and fun fun fun.. the kids get a chance to be creative and interact. Jonathan fit right in.
Ok, I have more to post about but I am pooped. I will try and get on here more often.. if I can pry myself away from that darn game.. Aarrrrr

Graduation Celebration!! Post #2

2008-10-01T23:23:00.000-07:00

So after graduation Matt and I headed to Keizer to take care of some serious family business.............. and the next day we headed to the coast. We stayed in a condo in Newport and it was GREAT! I had never stayed in a condo before and found it to be.. well, just lots of fun. Our first surprise upon arrival was a basketball hoop upstairs! Jonathan was beside himself. Here he is again on the deck.. just being Jon.
Alissa was thrilled because one of the bedrooms had a toy kitchen with play food and all kinds of goodies to play with. She roped GG into playing house. Of course Alissa plays house differently then a lot of 4 year olds.. GG had to be the police officer and save the baby (the horse) and.. well... I lost track at that point.
Jonathan also tried his hand at air hockey upstairs.
Overall we just relaxed and had fun hanging out.

The Graduation

2008-10-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

So much to update so little time. Sorry I have taking a small blogging vacation. Truth be told it is all the fault of an online game.. a game so seriously addictive that I won't even tell you what it is for fear that you will be sucked in as well. It all began with a commercial, some pirates, and a little girl named Alissa. But I digress.. so much has happened I will try and get it all in here but will separate posts just because.

So first I must write about Matt's graduation from DPSST. It was a very very long 16 weeks but he survived. When we arrived I parked three miles away (ok, not really but it sure felt like it) and was preparing to walk by myself with two kids in tow (not fun when they both get tired of walking) when we ran into Justin and Lisa! Yeah! Justin was kind enough to carry Alissa the remaining two miles to the ceremony. I should mention that Alissa is totally and completely enamored with Justin. Thinks he is just the coolest thing since home-made playdoh. So to say the least she was thrilled when she got to sit with him before the graduation ceremony started.

Matt happily excepted his certificate...
And Alissa got to hang with him after the ceremony.
Of course he was up-staged by a frog she found outside.. sorry Daddy.
Here is the whole family that showed up for the big "G".
It was a wonderful ceremony and a huge relief as we are one step further in this year long journey to get Matt on the road.

AC GILBERT House.

2008-09-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

So Tuesday I took the kiddos to AC Gilbert house museum for play and story time. When we first arrived Jonathan enjoyed being a big boy pushing a shopping cart.. speaking of big boy it has been one week since I have nursed him. That's right..it's official.. I finally let go. That made it a grand total of 5 years and 2 months STRAIGHT of either being pregnant or nursing babies.. I finally have my body back and now I miss it. Sigh.. thus is life. If you say to Jon, "Are you a big boy now?" he responds with a high pitched voice, "No more momma milk, I big boy now". Too too cute. Ok.. back to AC Gilbert.. Alissa enjoyed painting with water in the China room...
And of course a tea party!
At 11 o'clock we headed to the story room where we heard "The Little Red Hen" and the kiddos made a rock mouse, a clucking cup hen, and a finger puppet piggy after the story.
We went home and the boys took a nap. After nap I had three kids in a tiny plastic kiddy pool!! It was too funny. It has been in the 90's so we are enjoying it while we can before fall creeps up on us and it gets chilly. Here's the three kiddos drying off after the pool. The little guy on the right is Porter who I babysit Tuesday through Thursday.
It was a fun day.. but very exhausting.

Ballet!! Day 1

2008-09-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

Alissa started ballet today!! She was sooo excited to be a "real" ballerina! The class started with some stretching..
And then on to some bar exercises.. Ahh fun with scarves... so graceful, and the music was Disney princess songs which of course made it golden in Ali's book.
Nothing like having an old friend in class either -- this is Alissa and her best buddy Sasha.
All in all it was a terrific first class. The only problem was it was an OVEN in the building!! Yikes.. we were all sweating like crazy, but couldn't open the window because of a bee problem!! Anyways, I am happy Alissa is in ballet, she seems to really enjoy it and I can't wait to see her on stage in December!

First day of school..

2008-09-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

Alissa went to school Wednesday and it went off without a hitch. I was so very proud of her.

A new journey begins - goodbye summer!

2008-08-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Boy oh boy some changes are in the air. Alissa starts preschool on the 3rd and is very excited. I started babysitting a 2 year old little boy yesterday and will have him all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. So far so good with that!
Alissa starts ballet the second week of September and Jonathan starts Toddler Time classes the last week of September. So to say the least we will go from a care free summer to lots of things to do! :) I am looking forward to it..

Toes.

2008-08-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

New Doo For School!!

2008-08-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

So how do you instantly watch your daughter look two years older?? Cut her hair!!

Alissa has been begging me for a week to cut her hair short.. so we did.
And this weekend we had girls night out and Alissa and I went to Applebee's then out for a pedicure! :) Ali got her finger and toe nails painted and had a blast!
We later went to the store and bought matching flip flops to show off our pretty toes. Ali picked this reddish orangish color (not my first choice!! LOL) and it turned out not too bad :) It was great taking some time out and just being with my daughter. She is such a neat kid - -so much imagination and so easy going. The guys hung out at home and played basketball with Jon's new hoop.

I am FREAKED OUT!!

2008-08-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

Okay people.. truly.. ever heard of a HOBO spider?? I think I have in the past but never gave them much thought.. I always worried about the brown recluse. HA! There are no brown recluse spiders in Oregon despite what people may tell you but there ARE their equivalent: HOBO SPIDERS! What prompted this post?? Well.. a week ago we found this great big ugly spider by our front door and Matt said to take a picture of it for identification.. so I did. And forgot about it.. until today when I was skimming through pictures and came across this:

He was the size of a small biscuit.. seriously huge.. I know its a HE thanks to the joys of the Internet.. I also know way too much about this spider who could be lurking in my HOUSE and coming out at night. I am generally not panicked by spiders.. until now. I am heading out to by some traps. I have the serious heebeejeebees right now. EW EW EW EW EWWWWW....

Silver Falls

2008-08-18T22:05:00.001-07:00

We spent the day with friends at Silver Falls. We had a picnic, went for a long hike and enjoyed the beautiful weather and views.

Alissa LOVES bridges. No matter how big or small this kid could live on a bridge. Notice I said ON not UNDER.. just checking.
Taking a break..
Our first sighting of the South Falls...very cool.
After hiking we had dinner at the lodge and then played on the playground until everyone was ready to collapse.
It was a lot of fun!! And phooey on the weather man -- rain and thunder storms?? Nah! Not a drop! WOOHOO

Birthday parties and paramedics.

2008-08-13T08:40:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning I headed to Grandma Davis' house to set up Jon's party while Matt took Alissa to yet another birthday party. I set up Jon's basketball pool and filled it with balls and he had fun shooting hoops while I set up. Here is the final set up before the guests arrived:
And Jeanne did an unbelievable job on the cakes!! WOW! The baseball is a sugar free pie.
So the party got off to a great start - we had about 40 guests and had hamburgers, hot dogs, and a bunch of sides. Everyone to got eating and visiting and things were going great. Pinata time!! The kids all got a whack at the ball pinata and on the final blow it fell to the ground and the little ones raced to grab as much candy. That's when things took a turn for the worst. A little 2 year old girl fell backwards and started having a seizure. At first everyone thought she was choking as she was limp and started to turn blue - but her jaw was tightly clenched and after about a minute she started to cry and come out of it. It was one of the scariest things ever. The paramedics arrived within five minutes and they took her away in an ambulance. Found out later she had a fever and really not sure yet what triggered the episode because she had never had problems before. So after that issue we returned to the party and it was time for cake. Jonathan happily blew out his candle.
Alissa got a "helper present" and we were all surprised at how much she enjoyed playing the harmonica. Luckily it came with a music book so I can teach her how to really play. Should be fun!
All in all it was a fantastic party and we all had a lot of fun. :) :)

Jonathan VERSION 2.0

2008-08-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with a mixture of pride and sadness.

Pride in my son for being such an incredible little person. He is full of energy and love of life, loves sports.. OK, is obsessed with sports. We went mini golfing for the first time Friday and they had clubs his size.. thought he would be more interested in swinging the club like a bat, but he took to golf right away. Is there no sport my little man can't do? I don't think so. The Beijing Olympics started Friday and I wonder if some day Jonathan won't be there. He has the best hand-eye coordination than I have ever seen in one so small. I am also proud when I watch him tackle life obstacles with such self-assurance and "me do it". He has determination and strength beyond his years. I am so proud of all that he has become in two very short years.

As I wrote this I am also a little sad. My baby.. well, he isn't a baby now. I was determined to nurse him for two years, and now we have arrived and I am faced with letting go of this special time and closeness.. and I'm not quite ready yet. I am sad that the day is closer when he will need me less and less. It almost doesn't seem fair that my kids have grown so fast. Jonathan is my last child.. and I just wanted to stretch these baby years a little bit longer, but alas.. the harder you hold on to time the faster it slips through your fingers.

So Jonathan is two years old today. Terrible two's? I don't think so. I will cherish this next year and all of the tantrums and power struggles knowing that when I write Jonathan 3.0 I will never again get the old version back. Knowing that all too soon his "Lu u mama" will turn into, "Love you mom" and his sweet little baby voice will someday be a deep man's voice.

I love you Jonathan.. you are my little man and I hope you never get too old to cuddle in close with mommy. I am so proud of the little boy you are, and the man I know you will someday become. Happy birthday baby.

This morning:

Groundhog Day and ballet...

2008-08-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot going on.. last Wednesday we headed to the fairgrounds and submitted a few photos for the contest -- that's always fun. I will post my submissions later, they are on my mom's computer because she has the fancy photo shop :)
Lately I have been seeing more and more that my children really enjoy one another. It's true how people say you enjoy every age.. I just wish I could be in Groundhog Day the movie sometimes and relive some days with my children over and over and over.. for that matter I could fix my attitude in a few of those days also. But alas, here we are stuck in the now so I will try my hardest to enjoy every second of every day that my kids are young and care free.. and then when they are older and struggling with life's curve balls.. and yet again when they are all grown up and raising families of there own. Is that really possible? Could my little ones really get that old? What a wonderful and scary thought. It is such a huge responsibility to instill in them the life lessons they will need to make good choices. I can tell you that every day I watch them grow and learn and I am so very proud of both of them.
There is some Alissa news.. she had been signed up for ballet! She is very excited and can't wait to dance. There will be three big performances - the Nutcracker Ballet is two of them at Chemeketa Community College in December and then in July she will be in Fantasia. I can't wait to see her on stage!! That will bring back so many fond memories. I am seriously considering starting up a children's theater here is Salem because there is nothing offered for younger kids (I think the youngest allowed in 3rd grade) and I know Alissa would benefit so much from it. I already have a costume lady!! Hehe.. So anyways.. life is good. And my little ones are now playing together and side by side. And as always I open my eyes and wonder where all the time has gone.

The awful HAG!

2008-07-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

I love Mo's. I truly have a deep affection for that place.. even though it is always crowded and noisy and utterly chaotic.. it's just part of the beach experience you just can't miss.
After we feasted at Mo's on clam chowder and other misc. yummy things (ok, truth is I don't like clam chowder or anything else that comes from the sea, I had chicken. Laugh all you want.. but I enjoyed my chicken..hmph) we went outside to the pier with our left over french fries and other odds and ends and had a seagull feeding fiasco. Oh so much fun! They were very brave and ate right from our hands.. of course a couple times they tried to make off with my finger, but it was worth the pain for some good photos.. I think. After Mo's and seagulls we headed to Depoe Bay for some shopping -- ahh yes folks.. salt water taffy and carmel corn to die for.. throw in an old sea hag and life is complete.
After shopping we played on the beach were a very cooooold Alissa shows off her "Little Mermaid seaweed castle".. I was impressed.
Last but not least a short video of Alissa chasing the gulls.. think she was enjoying herself??? I agree.

Aunt Susan left the next day :( She will be missed.. hopefully we can entice her to return soon. The beach will be waiting. I'm sure the beaches in Maryland don't hold a candle to our lovely Oregon beaches.. at least that is in my never to be humble option.

Weddings and vomit.

2008-07-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

Finally a moment to write!! It has been a busy week. Poor Jonathan has never been so sick.. he did not eat for 5 days and with the vomiting and diarrhea he lost a ton of weight :( My poor baby is so skinny. Just today he finally started eating a little. Nothing but high calorie foods for him for awhile.. Alissa got sick too, but not the puky kind thank God.. she had a high fever (which she gets anytime she is sick) and a stuffy nose. I woke up this morning with a sore throat, which I am NOT complaining about! I am so glad I am not bowing over the toilet. Anyways.. enough of sicko stuff. I have much to catch up on!!

Matt's Aunt Susan came to town last Tuesday from Maryland and will be with us until this Friday. Luckily we were able to spend Tuesday and Wednesday with her before this bug hit. I'm extra grateful we didn't get her sick.. I would have felt terrible!!! Her first night in she requested Hamburger Pie so I whipped it up and brought it to the in-laws house. It was fun hanging out and catching up with her. Alissa thinks Aunt Susan is the greatest -- when we drove away that first night she looked at me and said, "I'm really going to miss Aunt Susan when she leaves Mom".. awww.. Wednesday we got together for tacos and chat and decided Thursday would be a great day for the zoo!! The kids and I were very excited.. and Wednesday night as we were getting ready for bed Jonathan started the puke fest. Oh boy, plan B. So Alissa got to go with her Grandma Davis, Aunt Susan and Bethany to the zoo and she had a blast! They were gone all day and most of the evening. Alissa wanted to sleep over with Aunt Susan and we were more than happy to let her so she didn't get Jon's "sick germs". Friday Jon seemed a little better so we went to the in laws for Matt's famous home-made enchiladas.. yummm..

On to my Saturday adventure! Matt agreed to hang with the kiddos all day so I could go to my third cousin's wedding.. Kate. I left in the morning with my mom and grandma and we drove 3 hours to Washington and had such a great time. The wedding was simple and beautiful. I love small weddings! It reminded me of my own wedding, only less traditional. My mom was the wedding photographer and I got to be the assistant! She brought two fancy cameras and we went to town taking pics. It was great having a purpose and soooo much fun. The drive home was full of adventure (cherry seed spitting, Bridgette mishaps, innocent banter.. and the like).. It was great spending time with my elders :) Hehe.. We even stopped at Alf's in Mcminnville on the way home and got to see the monkey in a diaper and eat yummy sweet potato fries.
To end my adventure I got home at 10 and was told Jonathan was doing ok but seemed tired..great! I picked him up and headed to bed.. laid him down and he promptly puked all over me.. and so it began again.

That brings me to the present.. I am a bit stuffy and my throat hurts a little.. Alissa is stuffy but otherwise normal.. Jon is slowly returning to normal.. and we are supposed to go to the coast tomorrow.. I hope. We will see how everyone is feeling by then. Fingers crossed.

I have been seriously neglecting my poor camera. I need to get some pictures up but have nothing new to share. This is random but Triton is HUGE!! I tried to lift him onto my lap this morning and almost couldn't do it.. I'm sure he is over 60lbs but have no way of weighing him at home because I can't pick him up!! LOL.. Oh.. and he blows bubbles in his water bowl down, how weird is that??? He sticks his whole snout in his dish and blows... WTH?? Love it..

:)

Still alive..barely.

2008-07-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

So the last few day I have had a sick baby boy and it has been a bit of a puke fest around here. I have a lot to update, just need the time and energy. I'll try and get back in the next couple days!! :)

Yard Sale's and Zoo Trips

2008-07-08T14:13:00.001-07:00

I really need to catch up! ! Last Saturday Matt and I had our first yard sale! Got rid of a bunch of big stuff and I now have a garage again!! WOO-HOO!
Yesterday Matt returned to academy after a much needed week off and I woke up with absolutely nothing to do. So I looked at Alissa and she at me and I said, "Hey, how about we go to the zoo?" To this she replied, "YESSSS!!" Hmm.. that was easy. So we loaded up the van with snacks and the double stroller and we headed to see the animals.
The kids had a blast!! And I really enjoyed them discovering new things and having fun together.

The funny thing was I think they enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit more than the real animals. Figures I suppose. This picture of them with T-Rex was great, if I had been taking a video you would have seen that right after this shot the T-Rex roared and it was LOUD and both kids panicked just a wee bit.. but no tears!! Hehe... it was great fun.
Here is the official group shot.. we were sitting waiting for a show where we saw a parrot do some paintings. The kids loved that.
Alissa was thrilled that we found the "Tic-Tocking Alligator". Who would have thought he was hiding in the zoo's rain forest??
To finish off the trip the kids each picked out an "Ice-Scream" from the dinosaur exhibit and then we headed home.
We left for the zoo at 11am and left the zoo at 4:00 -- didn't get home till 5:30 fighting traffic the whole way. All in all we had a lot of fun together.. just me and the kids.

In other news.. the kids are eagerly awaiting the birth of their cousin this Friday (or sooner maybe??) Alissa says with absolute certainty that it is a girl. I am curious if she is right!! :) We will see!!!

One of those moments..

2008-07-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

Jonathan is asleep and Alissa was out finishing lunch so I came in to read some blogs.. I was reading Life With My Special K's when Alissa walked in and saw the picture of Kennedy in her halo. Alissa looked very concerned and asked me what was wrong with the little girl -- I told her she was very very sick and doctors were making her better. She asked what she could do to help her and I told her she could pray. This chokes me up even writing about.. she asked if we could pray together for the little girl and we bowed our heads and folded our hands and my sweet baby girl prayed the following, "Jesus can you please please help make that little girl all better...please... amen." She said this with such conviction I'm just sure God heard her. I've never before heard such a simple, innocent, heartfelt prayer. I believe there is nothing more powerful than a child's prayer. Wow.

Camping!!!

2008-07-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

We arrived at our campsite Sunday evening right in the middle of a thunder storm. I was born and lived most of my life in Arizona where we had some unbelievable thunder storms during the monsoons.. since moving to Oregon zippo. Lots of rain -- no thunder storms. So this was like Disneyland for me!! That first night I stayed awake most of the night listening to the skies rumble.. what could be better?? Here is our tent that first night -- notice it is wet?? Luckily it held up for us -- this was a new tent and we bought a Swiss Gear (like the Swiss army knife) because we are on a tight budget -- I loved it!! Lots of pockets and hangers on the inside and HUGE!! 17X13 foot.

Alissa wasted no time getting comfortable.
This was "the shot" of the trip. I think Alissa looks gorgeous.
This is Monday after Jonathan took a dirt bath.. it was HOT outside so we let him roam around in just a diaper for a bit.. notice the dirty buns?
We were lucky and found some abandoned firewood at an empty campsite. Jonathan guarded it well.
Both dogs were exhausted from the trip and all the walking. Monday morning we all headed out to get some fish. Alissa pulled in the first one all by herself!! It was so great to see the look on her face. And don't knock those little kids poles, Scooby did just fine for Alissa! Notice they are sitting on a log out over the water?? That made me a little nervous, but Matt is a good catch and luckily Alissa sat still. OK I have a confession.. this picture is not of the first fish.. it is the second. I was a bad mommy and forgot the camera on our first trip -- and by the time I got the camera out.....this was all that was left of fish #1. It was great because Matt was gutting the fish on the table and had his head cut off when Jonathan wandered over and took a peek. And what does a little almost 2 year old boy say at this grizzly sight?? "Fish broken Daddy". We all had a good laugh out of that one. Yep Jon, it sure was broken wasn't it?? Alissa ate her first fish all by herself -- all of it. The second fish was the same story.
Papa (my dad her grandpa) came along with us for the camp out and the poor guy was having no luck catching any fish. And Alissa just wasn't in the mood to share :) Luckily our last day camping (Tuesday) Papa and Daddy went to Detroit Dam early in the morning while we slept in and he caught two fish!!

Alissa wanted fish for breakfast so she ate one of them and Papa enjoyed the other. Nothing like pancakes, bacon, and.. well.. fish in the morning. Tuesday afternoon we packed up camp and headed to Detroit lake where the dogs and kids took a bath in the lake and we had a picnic and fed the ducks. It was a beautiful day and we had a blast... and I had my camera packed up deep in the van. Shame on me. We headed home and everyone hit the showers. And then we sighed a big happy sigh and snuggled into bed. Life is good.

Ahh summer..finally

2008-06-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Alissa finally got to play in her pool.. and such a large pool it is LOL.. she keeps asking where her "BIG" pool went.. umm.. the dump. Giant plastic inflatable pools just don't last more than one summer. And this hard plastic one was the biggest I could fit in the van :) She had fun anyway while her brother took a nap. Her favorite thing is to splash Zena.. it's Zena's favorite thing too. Triton acted like he wanted nothing to do with the pool.. until we went inside. Then I hear splashing and playing and caught him on video -- I'll post that to his blog later.
We went to AC Gilbert house this morning and had a blast -- came home and put Jon down for a nap.. then made some yummy chocolate chip cookies -- tried the "raw" sugar and didn't turn out too bad.. then we played in the pool. Picked up Bethany for a trip to Wal-Mart and spent some time at her house with water grenades before heading back home to make Alissa's requested dinner - spaghetti! She wolfed down a ton of it and was off to bed. And now here I am trying to get back up to date with this thing :) Nothing new really.. Jonathan talks more every day. Alissa was a bit defiant today and tested mommy.. okay a LOT defiant..sigh.. some days I wonder if I will retain my sanity. I did. Barely. She is so much like her daddy it is scary at times. Luckily I love them both. Anyhow.. I'm off to watch Jumper (s?). Fun days!!

First Haircut!!

2008-06-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

BEFORE:

We went to The Red Door Salon and Lisa (my hair stylist) cut his hair. Here he is upon first arrival..
And then he decided haircuts were for the birds..
So I scooped him up and he sat in my lap facing me for the rest of the cut. He was a happy camper (of course the blue sucker helped a bit).

AFTER:

My boy looks so much older now.. and so very handsome. In my never to be humble opinion ;)

About the motivated post...

2008-06-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

It has been brought to my attention that there was some confusion as to where my link was in the post -- it was the word MOTIVATED.. or just click here: http://www.icechamber.com/videos/mgcomeback1.html
This chic is my new hero, seriously.

A camping we will go..

2008-06-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Not much new around here.. I work every weekend for four hours each day, not too bad!! Just found out Matt gets a much needed break from work and academy and gets vacation the first part of July, so we are planning a family vacation/camp out. It should be fun with two kids and two dogs!! :) Jonathan has a new trick -- he likes to climb into his highchair all by himself hehe.. speaking of climbing.. he climbs EVERYTHING. Drives me bonkers, but it has to be by himself too, no hand holding. Such a boy.. I'm used to my Ali who still insists we hold hands :) Kind of pitiful but that's all I have for updates.. no swimming now, no school.. we are free birds. Kind of nice. We all slept till 9 today, just because we could. All is well in the Davis household. Oh, here is a picture of Jon when I told him, "Say cheese" :

OMG.. I'm going to work out tomorrow.

2008-06-07T00:14:00.001-07:00

I am MOTIVATED <-- Want to be motivated?? Check her out. WOW. She is like ROCKY, for mom's.

Life after puppy..

2008-06-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

Oh boy has it been busy. Triton weighed in an 22# when I brought him home last week.. today he was 30#, I weighed him three times because I couldn't believe it. Holy cow he is growing fast!! The kids adore him and he is a little character. I have been having fun taking his picture and posting them all over his blog :) Matt is doing well in academy, not his favorite thing but he will get through it. 15 more weeks to go!! :) I am scheduled to work every weekend the next few months, I love my job!
Jonathan discovered a deep love of giant strawberries yesterday.. since then he has consumed more than I care to think about -- glad he isn't allergic!! Hehe.. Really nothing else to report.. I'll try to take a couple pictures of the kids for the blog, poor Triton has been my subject this week :) I'll check back soon...

Last day of preschool...

2008-05-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

I have been seriously neglecting this blog!! Yikes. It has been busy with Triton home now, you can check his blog for more on that. It's a good thing I started a separate one or you would be bombarded with pictures of him here!! :)

Today was Alissa's last day of school and we had a BBQ. It was lots of fun and I will miss that school, but Creative Discoveries will be a much better fit. Found out that Jonathan will be in the Toddler Time class with me on Monday's while Ali is across the hall in preschool. So that means every Monday I will be across the hall from her in school and then 3-4 days a month in the classroom with her. I love that it is so parent involved!! Can't wait!! Oh, the best part is that the Toddler Time class is normally $100 per session (10 weeks I think) but they are waiving Jon's tuition because I am going to interpret for a deaf family that will be in class with us. That will be perfect because I can practice my ASL and Jon gets free class -- what could be better?!

Matt started academy Monday and it is going to be a long 16 weeks for him. He gets there at 6am and hasn't been getting home until 8. Very busy guy.

I started my weekend job with Nutro -- that has been a ton of fun. I get to meet new people and pets and spend 4 hours in the grown up world while the kiddos hang with Matt or grandma. Very nice indeed.

Think that is all for now. :)

Triton is coming!!

2008-05-23T17:13:00.001-07:00

Oh so much to blog about and so so little time. We have been busy preparing for Triton's homecoming -- this dog is going to eat better then we are ;) He will be getting vitamin c, sea meal, flax oil, and yucca supplements. It helps that I started my job with Nutro and got a ton of free dog and cat food!! :) I will just be working on the weekends for 4 hours at a time. I am excited to make some money and the kids are excited to spend some quality time with daddy and/or grandma. So far I have had my basic training and I just need to do my shadowing and then I am on my own! What a fun job, I get to meet pets and talk with owners about nutrition. Fun fun.

In other news, Matt and I bought a car yesterday and ditched the truck *FINALLY*!! We now have a 2001 Honda Civic and LOVE IT! Awesome gas mileage and overall great car.. sure beats the 81' Honda Civic.. hahaha..

If you want to see a recent picture of Triton check out his blog -- tomorrow I should have new pictures from HOME!! YIPPEE!!

I'll check back in soon.

In the meantime.. sibling love..

Visitors...CONTINUED

2008-05-19T23:00:00.001-07:00

Ok, so where was I?? Oh yes..the park.. The next day it was on to Enchanted Forest where the kids had a BLAST (And so did I, so much so I didn't get very many pictures..) Here they are in the witches mouth:
Matt took care of the shooting, Alissa dictated what was to be shot :)
The girls rode all the rides together.
Our little frogs..
Here is the group huddled around the train set.

Our next outing was THE BEACH! :) This is what the ride up looked like.. On the way to the beach we stopped at the pony rides -- the kids were thrilled!!!

Here is Alissa riding "Sunny" her favorite -- And Hailey rode "Blizzard" --

And we were all pleasantly surprised to learn they had a horse for big kids.. meet "Raven":

After the horses we continued on to the beach and our first stop was lunch at Crawdaddy's where I tried Alligator on a stick (seriously) and we had a great time. Here is Hailey eating a lemon -

And Mommy talked Jon into a sample also -- After lunch we headed to the beach at Mo's so the kids could play in the sand and get wet.. and they got wet and had a blast doing it.. After the beach we headed back to GG's where we pitched a princess tent in the living room for the girls to have their first ever sleep over.. there were lots of giggles and not much sleeping, worth every minute! Here they are in their tent watching Little Mermaid... The next outing was the carousel.. and as luck would have it -- Billy bob Clinton decided it would be a good time to show up with his daughter Chelsea to talk about his scary wife -- umm, no thanks. We decided to leave pretty quick, it was a frightening crowd of zombies to say the least.

After the carousel fiasco we headed to Jeanne's house for PIZZA! (Padington's of course!) While waiting for the pizza Laura played some piano for us :)

After lunch the boys fell asleep at Jeanne's and she was nice enough to watch all four kids for us so we could go wine tasting. We ended up going to Willamette Vineyards and it was AWESOME!! The wine server (Richard not Robert..hehe) was the best! Not only did he comp our wine tasting, it turned out he was a pediatrician in the military too, what a strange coincidence!! After tasting some wine we got some yummy Gouda cheese, chocolates, and a bottle of Riesling and sat out on the patio to relax and enjoy the view -- here was our spread: As we left I captured Laura getting a picture of the winery ;) When we returned we found all the kids happy and healthy.. and Jeanne wasn't frazzled at all -- can you tell by the look on her face? Nah.. no problem. LOLAnd now I reach the end of a very fun, but way too short week. And to sum things up --

Plane tickets to Oregon.. $XXXX (I don't want to know)

A trip to Enchanted Forest $XXXX (You don't want to know)

New friendships... Priceless.

We will sure miss you guys. XOXO

Visitors..

2008-05-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy last week. Matt's cousin Heath and his wife Laura and two kids Hailey and Drew came to visit. It has been so much fun hanging out together and getting to know them in person finally :). They will be leaving this Tuesday and it is going to be so hard to see them go. Alissa is struggling to under stand why "her" Hailey can't stay here and play with her "always". This is the first girl friend Alissa has ever had who will play worms with her -- what could be better?? :) As for me, I have found a great friend in Laura and I am going to really miss being able to hang out with her. It is a rare and beautiful thing when you find someone you "click" with right away and I am so glad to know her.. just hard that we live so far apart. Hopefully her family will someday live closer (even if only for a few years).. until then I look forward to our next visit! Matt was disappointed that he couldn't spend more time with them, but he enjoyed the days we were able to get together.
I absolutely love Hailey and Drew -- what awesome kids!! We had a ton of fun playing, cooking, and seeing the sights of Salem :) On to some photos!!

This is the first day that the kids got to play together -- this is GG's back yard where the kids played for hours with dirt.. making mud pies and who knows what else :)

Meanwhile, the adults played a few rounds of Hillbilly Golf.. Heath and Laura (who swore they had never played before) whooped us miserably, but we took it well.. beginners luck..pfft ;)
GG's patio was a very popular place.
The next day we took the kids to AC Gilbert house where they had a blast going from house to house, room to room, and playing outside.
Heath and Hailey got creative with a houla-hoop while Laura and I snapped pictures :)
The boys thought the ball pit/giant stomach was the best.. both were reluctant to leave.

Alissa adopted Laura as her very own slide buddy and had a blast going down the giant slide.
And then we have the picture of the day -- the kids put on a play for us in the castle.. Alissa was the princess, Hailey was the prince, Drew the dragon, and Jon.. well, Jon was Jon :) The next afternoon the girls all got dressed up and headed to a tea party. We arrived at the tea house at 2:55 to a CLOSED sign.. GASP.. I ran to the door to find out they close at 3pm and I begged and pleaded to be allowed in.. the ladies were kind enough to accomidate our late group and it was wonderful!!

Hailey wanted me to put a fresh flower in her hair from one of the plates, and this is one of my favorite pictures of her from the trip. Such a beautiful girl.. and to all those Oregonians -- jealous of that tan?!?! I sure was.

This picture chokes me up a bit.. I'm a bit of a softy :) No commentary needed:

After our tea party we went to the park in Dallas -- lovely park. Alissa had a ladybug on her shoulder in this picture.
Here is a great shot of Ali and GG.. she sure loves her GG! Here is another favorite of mine.. I have quite a few :) Boys versus girls on the teeter-totter, guess who won?!
Blogger is having heart failure at the moment so.. "TO BE CONTINUED...."

Law enforcement week...

2008-05-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

* More than 14,250 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty in the 20th Century.

* The deadliest decade ever for law enforcement was the 1970's, when an average of 222 officers made the ultimate sacrifice each year, including a record 271 officers killed in 1974.

* The average age of the officers killed last century was 38 and the average length of service was about eight years.

* Shootings accounted for about half of all police fatalities during the past century.

* Approximately 500 officers were killed in multiple police death incidents.

* With 50 police deaths, September 11, 2001 was the deadliest day in law enforcement history.

I am the Officer
I have been where you fear to be,
I have seen what you fear to see,
I have done what you fear to do,
All these thing s I have done for you.
I am the person you lean upon
The one you cast your scorn upon
The one you bring your troubles to
All these people I have been for you.
The one you ask to stand apart
The one you think should have no heart
The one you all the officer in blue,
But I'm just a person, just like you.
And through the years I have come to see,
That I am not always what you ask of me
So take this badge...take this gun...
Will you take it..? Will anyone?
And when you watch a person die
And hear a battered baby cry
Then do you think that you could be
All these things you ask of me?

**(In honor of Deputy Fredinburg.. On watch from Heaven)**

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What is being a Mommy?

2008-05-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

Being a Mommy means being silly together..
It means having fun and smiling, even when Mommy makes you put stuff on your face.. It means watching siblings get to know and love one another... It means watching them grow even when you might not be quite ready for it...
It means watching first steps... and praying they don't fall down.

It means getting wet..

It means preparing many meals for chubby cheeks angels...
Being a mom means fostering teamwork...It means extra cuddles when they are sick.. It means waking up early Christmas morning and grabbing the video camera because you don't want to miss a single moment, a single smile, you want to treasure this forever because they grow so fast... It means loving someone more than you could ever imagine possible. And wondering how it is that you are ever going to let them go..

Elmo!!

2008-05-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

We went to a Sesame Street Live yesterday and had a blast!! :) It was a pretty late show (Started at 7 ended about 8:45) but luckily our kiddos usually don't go to bed until 9 (ok ok or 10) anyhow. Here is a quick video "free sample" as Ali would call it, to give you an idea of the show. It was very well done.

When we walked by the overpriced souvenir table Jonathan started going bonkers.. he saw a ball. Sigh.. he really wanted this ball. It's equivalent to any lady walking by a jewelry store and seeing a beautiful diamond ring, seriously he loves them that much. Speaking of diamonds, I'm wondering if they hid a diamond in the middle of this cute little plush ball.. if not they should have for the price we paid for it. During intermission a man walked into the coliseum with a HUGE bunch of Elmo head helium balloons and Alissa promptly went crazy "Mommy I want a balloon!!" Hmm.. ok, I think.. how much could they possibly charge for a balloon? I take Alissa and we wait in line for the Elmo head. We start to get closer to the balloons and I clutch a five dollar bill in my hand figuring, surely they can't charge more then THAT, right? HA! A lady walked by and I politely asked her how much she paid for her lovely balloon.. $8!!!! What!? When my heart resumed it's normal rhythm I got down on m knees and had a little talk with Alissa hoping she would "See the light". I said something to the effect of, "Alissa, we can get you this balloon that you really want.. but it will only last a short time and then it will no longer float and it will be all gone. Or.. we can go out to the souvenir table and you can pick something that will last FOREVER!! (Ouuus and aawws inserted here)." Thank goodness my daughter has some what of a grasp on forever and she took the bait. We happily skipped off to the souvenir table to see what they had. Alissa looks at the goodies and says, "Mommy I want that stuffed Elmo!!" *Cough* You mean the stuffed Elmo I could buy at WalMart for $5 that they want $25 for?!?! AAHH!! .. but wait .. they have a cool spinning Elmo that lights up for a mere $15.. this is MUCH more neat because it SPINS!! Right?! Right?! Luckily she agreed. I apologize I always ramble a bit while waiting for these videos to load. :)

In other news.. why am I sitting here blogging instead of picking up my long awaited puppy?? Sigh.. see Triton's blog for an explanation.

Check out this blog --

2008-05-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

"This Girl's Pilgrimage" is having a Mother's Day giveaway on her blog! She is giving away two beautiful pairs of earrings. All you have to do it share a fond memory of your mom to be entered. :) Fun fun.

Quick update..

2008-05-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

I just dropped off Alissa at preschool and I am going back to meet with her at 10:30 for "Mommy Day"! I was told Alissa might have made me a surprise :) I thought I would take this time while Matt is playing basketball with Jon in the backyard to update this thing.. hehe..
So Alissa's first and second swim class were AWESOME! They are practicing holding their breath under water, swimming by themselves holding a body board both on their back and front, their "big kid" arm strokes.. and much more! Talk about kicking it up a notch, she is doing great and loves her new "boy" teacher. He is really great with the kids and you can tell they adore him (he is probably in his late teens, although I am a terrible judge of age I just know he is much younger than I am). There are five kids in the class so he has his hands full.
Jonathan is just talking up a storm now.. understands everything.. and is really just a little boy now, where did my baby go?? He has crossed the line on obsession with basketball and I am wondering how I will possibly be able to wait until his birthday to get him his own basketball hoop.. hmm.. we will see.
Saturday we are picking up our new family member so I have been busy puppy-proofing the house. Luckily we will have an X-Pen so he will be confined when we are not home and can't eat the walls like some OTHER dog I know.. a-hem. Live and learn.
Alissa is getting VERY anxious to play with Hailey!! We went to GG's yesterday and got some shopping done to prepare for company and I can't tell you how many times Alissa said, "Mommy, when will that girl Hailey be here? She's four right? Is she coming now? When when when?" Something to that effect. She filled up a little toy box with her favorite toys for Hailey and her to play with and brought it to GG's house. Too cute.

Triton's blog --

2008-05-05T14:52:00.001-07:00

http://lifecycleofamastiff.blogspot.com/

Today is the day..

2008-05-05T14:31:00.001-07:00

Alissa starts big girl swim class! :) Pretty exciting. She tells everyone she will be swimming with big kids today. Alissa also asks everyday now, "When is Hailey coming mommy? She is 4 right?" Something to that effect, she LOVES new friends and can't wait till her cousin comes to visit - -she thinks it is even more cool that Hailey has a little brother like she does. Too fun.

As far as Jon goes, I swore cold season was over.. guess I was wrong. He has a nasty cough and runny nose.. at least he should be all better by the time we have visitors.

Saturday we pick up Triton.. in fact right now I am going to create a Triton blog, I will let you know the link when I have it up and running. There have been some interesting developments with him, but I will post it there.

By the way, a small miracle has been occuring recently -- SUN! :) Hope it sticks around.

She's a fish!

2008-05-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Alissa graduated this week from her swimming class. I thought she would repeat the little kids class.. umm.. teacher says to bump her to level 2. Now, this all sounds great.. but I'm not sure I am ready for this. She would be swimming with kids 5-6 years old and REALLY swimming. Sigh.. I must let go and not baby her.. so I signed her up. Starting Mat 5th she is in the big leagues. :) Here she is in her last class:
I have some video but no time to wait for it to upload tonight.
On the puppy thing.. the saga continues.. Triton is showing signs of being shy in new circumstances and the breeder is asking us to remain open minded and possibly get the fawn boy..sigh.. What next?? We shall see.

Triton..again 5 weeks

2008-04-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

Someone suggested I show Triton with someone to get an idea of how big he is. Here he is with the breeder's daughter.. I think she is 6 or 7? Not sure..

Triton -- 5 weeks

2008-04-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here is our boy.. we go to pick him up May 10th!! I am sooo excited!! :) :) :) :)

Guess that recipe...

2008-04-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hey this could be a new game show!! Hehe.. NO CHEATING and scrolling to the end!! How long does it take you to figure out what Alissa made yesterday ;) Here goes... we'll start with the ingredients..

First we add 1 cup of flour..
Then add 1/2 cup of salt..
Next comes 2 teaspoons cream of tartar..
The oh so fun addition of food coloring into 1 cup of water.
Pour the water with food coloring into the mix...Stir all ingredients together.. You should have guessed it by now ;) Add 1 tablespoon oil, I should say vegetable oil would work just great but we ran out so good old olive oil does the trick. :) Now you stir continuously over medium heat until...
A nice blue (or whatever color you might have chosen) ball forms in the pan.
Take it out and knead it a few times and we have.. you guessed it!! Home made PLAY DOH! :)

Store in an air tight plastic container for lots and lots of fun. By the way.. if this stuff gets on your carpet it is no fun at all. I still have pink spots here and there from our last batch. Oh well, I hate me carpet anyway -- pergo here we come!! :) :)

Last night was also "Movie Night" at our house. About once a month everyone (including the cat, excluding the big stinky dog) climbs into bed in our room, eats popcorn, watches a movie and we have a sleep over. Here is a quick shot of the kids ready for the movie!! :)

Alissa really looks forward to her movie night!! Fun times.

Mmmm chocolate cake..

2008-04-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

Alissa insisted that we make a chocolate cake today.. so I thought what the heck. Here is the recipe we used:

Chocolate Oil Cake
2 1/4 Cups flour

1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C cocoa
3/4 t. salt

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 C oil

1 1/2 t. vinegar

1 1/2 C. water

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In separate bowl combine wet. Mix wet into dry until well blended. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan, or 2-8" round pans, and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. (til toothpick comes out clean) Cool and frost as desired.

And for the frosting we tripled this recipe (we like lots of frosting hehe):

Chocolate Butter Frosting

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 square unsweetened chocolate melted over boiling water, or 1/4 cup cocoa

Cream butter and sugar well, add the flavoring and liquid until mixture is smooth.

Here is the end result.. of course, I don't know what it tastes like yet because Alissa won't let me try it until Daddy gets home because it is HIS cake. (She doesn't need to know he doesn't like cake..haha..I'm sure he will eat some for her sake).

Putting frosting on the first layer...

. Both layers are frosted!! Wow.. :)
Alissa put gingerbread man sprinkles and insisted it needed marshmallows!
The finished product!
When I threatened to try a piece before Daddy gets home..
My kitchen is a disaster.. I contemplated taking a picture of the aftermath but it just looks like a cocoa explosion.. we had a bit of a problem with the first frosting recipe we tried and inhaled a bit of cocoa. A-hem.. anyhow.. the second turned out nicely!! Electric mixers and 4 year old don't always agree. We had fun and I can't wait to try it! Mmmmmmmmm

Updates..

2008-04-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

It has been much too long since I have done an actual update. Here goes nothing.. Alissa is still my sweet sensitive lovely little girl. She is doing ok in school although we have been battling bully issues. There is a girl named Sarah in class with a very strong personality and for some reason Alissa has been trying real hard to be friends with her.. problem is this little girl is mean. Alissa had been coming home crying saying Sarah was mean and no one would play with her so I decided to go to school with her the next day and observe. My oh my what a surprise I got there. I witnessed Alissa walk up to Sarah to play and Sarah turn her back.. what does my sweet girl say? "I love you Sarah".. the response? "I DON'T LIKE YOU". Umm.. wow. The interesting thing is I told the teacher why I was in class that day and obviously my presence made a difference because she immediately took the little girl aside and reprimanded her and explained that saying mean things was not ok. I'm pretty sure this wasn't happening before because she also had Sarah apologize to Alissa. Sigh.. you should not have to deal with people like this at 4 years old but I suppose thus is life. I was tempted to pull her out of school right then, but I didn't.. instead we talked about it and I coached Alissa that people like Sarah are just trying to get control and it is important for her not to let her "win". I told her next time Sarah says I don't like you or is mean to her she is to say "I am not going to play with you until you can be nice to me" and walk away. We rehearsed this over and over and over.. Alissa would have this huge grin and say, "that gives ME the power mommy." Yes it does my love. She was so excited to go to school and try this out!! LOL.. I had to remind her ONLY if Sarah was mean!! Sure enough.. two school days later I popped into class unannounced and saw Alissa and Sarah sitting together PLAYING!! And now after school Alissa always tells me first thing "Sarah was so nice to me today mommy!!" YOU GO GIRL!! What a lesson to learn at this young age. I am so proud of her. This week in school she is bringing Zena to class Tuesday and then Thursday is show and tell day so she is bringing in a VERY special show and tell -- DADDY! :) Daddy in uniform with goodie bags no less. How priceless is that? She is so proud of her daddy.
Now.. on to Jonathan. I'm not sure when it happened.. these things seem to sneak up on you when they are so young.. but Jonathan is signing and talking in sentences now. Two or three word sentences, nothing too fancy yet but he is sure stringing words together nicely. And one more thing.. it took Alissa FOREVER to get the coordination to catch a ball.. Jonathan can already catch balls consistently when thrown to him. The smallest he can catch are softball size. It's amazing the coordination he has. He will definitely be a sports player. His favorite thing to see when we go on walks is a basketball hoop.. and I kid you not he can say basketball hoop -- the whole thing. That's a mouthful for a little guy! :) His other favorite thing is to empty the dishwasher with mommy. He is such a good little helper. I think I may have mentioned this before, but whenever we give him something (be it drink food or toy) he always says, "Ali too" this has expanded into trips -- Let's go to Wal-Mart!! "Ali too!" "Ali too!". He love love loves his sister!! They are always hugging and playing together now. I am so glad to have two kiddos and watch the love they share.. I know I know when they get older the love will be harder to see, but right now I am just enjoying this. Kissy kissy!! Hahaha
Matt is kicking butt and taking names at work. He is speeding through Phase 1 and is already driving the car every day and handling calls on his own. I am just so proud of him. He is going to be the best cop on the streets and many lives are going to be positively impacted because of him.

As for myself.. I just got off the phone with a wonderful law office that offered me a part time job that I would have really enjoyed. I turned it down. After much soul searching I know that as much as we need the money right now while Matt is unable to work o/t my kids need their mommy. I did not have kids so I could leave them in others care. But I will tell you it was a very difficult thing to turn down. There will be lots of opportunities when they are in school for me to work.. I just have to be patient. And we just have to live on a budget that would terrify most people ;) Ahh but it's only temporary.. and ramen noodles really aren't THAT bad when you add an egg. Hehe.. I am still looking to babysit or find a job on the weekends. We will see what comes along.

Triton -- 4 weeks

2008-04-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

Can you believe how fast this little man is growing? How about the size of those feet?! :) This was the puppies first time outside. Can't wait to get him home!

More tulip pictures..

2008-04-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

I was going through my pictures and just had to add a few more :) Papa came with us.. this is an old fashioned steam tractor. They had them powered up and were driving them around. Jon thought they were great! :)
There were 40 acres of tulips and daffodils.. this multi-colored field was one of my favorites.
It was hard to leave.. this is one of my favorite events of the year.. we might just have to go again because they extended it until April 27th.. Laura - you are going to miss it by just a couple weeks! :( Darn.. maybe next year? Hint hint..
We also visited the Baskett Slough wildlife preserve this weekend and I will share pics of that later. I only took about 50 there, I was slacking.

Tip-toe through the tulips...

2008-04-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

So we went to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival today in Woodburn. It was so much fun!! The kids LOVED all the flowers!! :)

Here is Alissa being a ham:
Jonathan saying, "Do the flowers never end?!" Ok, not really... but sure looks like it ;)

One of Alissa's favorite things there.. she got to hold a bird!! Even with his sharp claws she thought it was awesome and didn't want to give him back! :)
Just random cuteness...

Alissa wanted pictures with her doggie. Zena enjoyed all of the attention she got from people.
Smells pretty good..
By the time we left the pony rides were closed, but a nice young lady let me take the kids in to pet the horses. Saved me $5 and Alissa was happy as can be just to pet him! :)

All in all it was a fabulous day. Alissa fell asleep in the car on the way home (at 7:00) which she NEVER does.. and she is sleeping still! Wore her out good. It was hard picking just a few pictures from the 172 I took, but we all must make sacrifices sometimes.