Our New Place

Care packages...

2012-01-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

This week we have been encouraged by some wonderful packages! Our neighbors back in Washington sent us a package full of yummy snacks and food items...what a great gift!~
We also were outfitted for the semester with a bunch of books from Letha! Wow...that is a lot of reading (and two books are not shown here!)

Thank you for the encouragement of thinking of us and the excitement of finding a package at our door!

New year, new helicopter, new nose...

2012-01-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012 everyone! To ring in the new year, Doug and I have been enjoying some relaxing days between work and fun. We have a few weeks left before school starts back again and we are loving the break!

This new year we both planned surprises for each other (this was not planned, we both just planned and happened to be at the same time).

Doug's surprise from me was a fun new helicopter to play with...and he has been having lots of fun flying it around the apartment...

Doug surprised me with a trip to get my nose pierced! This was a surprise because I had been wanting to get it done for a while now but didn't think he wanted me to do it.

Getting it pierced...

I made it!

And one last picture for those of you who want a better 'view' of the piercing.

Phew...so far this year has been eventful and fun! What new things have you done this year!??

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Christmas eve yesterday, we went to walma.rt to walk around and watch the crazy frenzy of last minute shopping. We were going to go to the mall but didn't want to drive that far...so we went to the Olive Garden and enjoyed some good Christmas Eve food.

We are happy that we have some yummy leftovers so we are having Italian for Christmas today! YUM!

We opened our gifts to each other...

Doug got a gift certificate to go to the movies...:)
And he gave me boots!
Christmas boots...
Merry Christmas to everyone!

Gifts that last...

2011-12-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been thinking about some fun gifts that family and friends have given us that we continue to enjoy. These are just a few that come to mind...(there are LOTS more that I could list)

*a gift card from Star.bucks, Letha gave me a bag of clothes last week and when I got home and sorted them out I found a card with a gift card to s.tarbucks...trying to stretch this baby out but have been loving some peppermint mocha 'on her'.

*a couch from strangers, someone called someone who called someone, who had our number...and we got a call asking if we wanted a couch...sure is nice having furniture!

*great big cloth (grocery) bags from India, Kara sent me a couple of these over the last few years and I love them. I use them for so many things and so far they have not started to rip or anything! Plus, they are pretty.

*our t.v., on one of our trips up to Vancouver, BC to visit Mom and Dad we headed home with a van completely full of stuff. One of the items Dad so craftfully packed into the van was his t.v. We still use it and are loving it still!

*my kitchen aid, some years back my parents gave me a kitchen aid mixer for Christmas...and oh how it has been loved! It still has it's place on my kitchen counter and I use it each time I bake.

*picture albums, Letha has bought us a few picture albums over the last few years, they are so fun to make and then look at once they are delivered. We keep them in our living room and enjoy showing new friends our pictures from the last few years.

*Coffee!, I have a little bit of Kenyan coffee left that Dad brought back from Kenya this year...man has it been a treat. I also have just a little bit of my Portuguese Espresso that Mom brought back...I am making that stuff last!

*Cranberry scented candle, Marlo gave it to me on our last visit and we keep it burning a few hours each day...we love it!

***A small framed crossword that my Mom gave me back when I was in high school. It says, "I have called you by name, you are mine!" Isaiah 43:1 I have always kept it in a place that I will see it often and somehow in all of our packing, I either left it behind in storage or have not found where I had packed it yet. Either way, I don't have it here and I have missed it.

This is one of those gifts that always reminded me of a greater gift, one that we all have access to yet some still refuse to accept. The gift of salvation is above all, the greatest gift I have ever been given and the small gifts that friends and family give always remind me in a tiny way of the sacrifice it took in order for me to be given the gift of salvation. Christmas is a time that everyone is giving gifts and getting gifts, I am especially grateful for the ultimate gift that the first Christmas brought us- Jesus!

Christmas town addition 2011...

2011-12-18T19:23:00.000-08:00

On the way back from Virginia, we decided to take our time and stop at a couple of malls to walk around and look for our Christmas building for this year. (Go here to see our Christmas tradition) This year we were looking for a mechanic's shop since we have spent many days (and dollars) this past year on our vehicles! We were excited to find this lovely 'garage' and 'detail shop'. We thought it was neat that it is also a certified Craftsman tool dealer...we love craftsman tools in our house.

A nice addition to our village...
Another exciting thing is that when we got home, we had a package from Mom and Dad! Yeah for an early Christmas day package!

Here is Doug trying out the flying monkey sling shot...
Very entertaining!
There were lots of fun goodies in the box that we are enjoying...(although the candy is going fast!)
Oh, while we were shopping we also found this Charlie Brown Christmas tree that we had been looking for...
And, in our package was our 2011 ornament for our tree...

Going...

2011-12-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

This week we enjoying getting to go on another trip to Virginia to see Letha before she left. We had a good time visiting her and seeing friends! We were so glad to be able to attend a service to celebrate with her the completion of a long process to get to where she is going! It was also a good remind for us because it gave us a renewed focus to continue and complete our schooling so that one day we might be going too!

Letha and I before the service:

Doug's photo-bomb!
And of course...pictures in front of 'the world'
After the service they had a big reception with tons of good food!
We enjoying eating and visiting...
Later that evening we got to see Letha's friends some more at a pizza party...

The end of a good day!

Food and friends...

2011-12-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

These last few weeks have been a bit of a crazy blur for us as we have been finishing some semester-long projects and studying for exams. It hasn't just been serious though, we have made some time for fun. One evening, Doug and I decided to walk around in Wake Forest and got some yummy treats along the way.

Here is Doug with his favorite Lemon Squares from the Lemon Tree downtown:

I am a sucker for candy stores (pun intended). So, I dragged Doug into Sweeties, our candy store in Wake Forest. They had made peppermint flavored cotton candy...yum!
Then back at home, we enjoyed a calm evening by the 'fire'.
We had a fun surprise from family, a package full of goodies (steaks, burgers, etc)...so we have enjoyed eating some amazing meals on them!
Another friend had given us a brownie mix, so when I needed to do some stress relieving baking...I enjoyed making this pan of brownies (people sure know how to give us good gifts!)
All the food we got along with the brownies gave us the opportunity to invite some friends over for dinner. Doug was in charge of the burgers...
We had so much fun eating and talking with friends...
We especially enjoyed having our apartment full of squeals and joy from these two little ones...

Nothing like some free meat and chocolate to bring people together! Thanks to those who provided good food for all of us! It was all enjoyed very much!

Christmas time!

2011-12-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

We have had fun this year decorating for Christmas. Last year we weren't at home for Christmas so we didn't get a tree but we enjoyed going and picking one out with Letha. The year before that we did get a tree and had fun decorating. This year we picked out our tree among the other pre-lit plastic beauties...here is Doug getting it out of the Jeep.

Putting up decorations...p.s. having a pre-lit tree is amazing, makes the whole tree decorating process so easy!
Doug likes garland...
Looking for 'holes'... I was a little sad not to have all of my ornaments from through the years to put on the tree. When we moved out here, somehow my shoebox full of our ornaments was left behind. This year we just have two new ornaments, one from Portugal that Hannah found last year and one that Letha got Doug (Cowboy's).
Doug trying to straighten out the star...
Our Christmas town. One of our Christmas traditions is to get a new Christmas house for our 'town' that reflects some memory from that year. Our first year together we got a chapel and clock tower that represented our wedding. Our second year together we moved to our house on a tree farm so we got a tree farm scene. Our third year for some reason was not documented anywhere that I can find (although I distinctly remember blogging about it). Our third year, we had enjoyed experiencing having chickens and hatching a baby chick so we found a farmhouse to add to our little town. We have not found this year's addition yet but we have a couple of ideas of what we are looking for...when we find 'the one', I will post again with pictures of it.

Here is our Christmas town displayed under our tree (sorry the tree farm is kind of dark).
Our tree...(not sure why but it proved to be very difficult to get a good picture of it!)
What are some of your Christmas traditions?

Weekend fun...

2011-11-25T09:00:00.001-08:00

This past weekend, we took off on a mini road trip to visit Letha and friends(of whom I never got any pictures of)!

Entering Virginia!!

We felt it was necessary for Doug to get his first picture with the world while we were giving him a tour of ILC.
Letha had some fun surprises for us while we were there, the first thing we did was go for a yummy desert...
Before the sugar high...
Excited about the sugar high...
Yum!
Evidence of the sugar high....(we went next door to FiveBelow and had fun choosing our Christmas stocking stuffer stuff fun from Letha)

At the mall, we were checking out all the cool stuff at Build.a.bear and Doug was entranced with the stuffing machine...
On Monday while Letha was in class, we went to Richmond to tour the Capitol and some other fun old building. Here is a statue of George Washington, apparently the only statue that he ever posed for.
Outside the capitol...see Doug?

Across the street is this other cool looking building, so we went on in and checked it out too...

Our favorite gas station...mainly because the name is fun to say, there isn't much inside.
We had such a fun time visiting and getting a break from school. Now we are enjoying a weekend of relaxing before school starts back on Monday. We are ready for this semester to be finished and just have a few weeks left to get all of our last assignments done and tests completed!

Post #500

2011-11-23T22:30:00.000-08:00

Just have to post a special blog post today...it is my 500th post!!!! I feel like this is some sort of milestone in my bloggosphere so to honor this very special post (and to get into the Thanksgiving spirit) I am listing some things I am thankful for (I know, really original) these are not in any particular order.

~Transportation. We were especially thankful for this over this past weekend as we drove up to Virginia to see Letha and visit friends. (next post will have more pictures...)

~ Warm water. I love being clean and the fact that I can stand under a nice hot shower or sit in a hot bath is something that I daily am thankful for.

~Skype. Being able to keep in contact with friends and family and even get to talk to them face to face...so thankful.

~Healthy bodies. Doug and I have both been able to be in class and get to work every day since we have moved here. We are thankful that we have been healthy enough to do these things and enjoy them.

~My bed. We spent a few weeks on an air mattress so each night I am thankful to climb into my very cozy bed.

~Free clothes. When we got home from our trip this weekend, we found in our living room, five trash bags full of clothes. I was able to find some new pants and dresses that I have been

needing, I am thankful for free clothes that fit!

~Clean laundry. We do not have a washer and dryer but we have friends who let us use their's when we need to, I am thankful to have all my clothes clean and put away tonight.

~Music. Doug and I enjoy many different styles and genres of music, I am thankful that we have the ability to listen and enjoy music. And I am thankful that I am starting to hear Christmas music on the radio!

~A place to stay. We are always thankful when we can get rent paid at the beginning of each month and have a nice apartment to live in. We were especially thankful this weekend that we could stay with friends while we were visiting Letha in Virginia. Not only did they let us stay with them, they fed us, took us to church, prayed for us and encouraged us while we were there...and even sent us home with some yummy gifts!

~Jobs we enjoy. Doug is thankful that he has a job where he is not only able but is encouraged to study and do homework assignments while he is at work. I am thankful to have a 'job' where I can enjoy children and be a source of comfort and support during a difficult time in their lives.

~Electricity. This is one of my favorite things, I am thankful for the many items I use that need electricity. The computer I am typing this on, the fridge that keeps my food fresh, the hot water heater, the lights, the heater...this list could get very long!

~My Bible. I am reminded how I need to appreciate the fact that I have a Bible and how many in the world to not have the privilege of owning or even having access to one. I especially love my Bible with many of my favorite scripture verses underlined and special bookmarks throughout it's pages. I am thankful for the constant source of encouragement, wisdom and conviction it provides.

~Scent. I am thankful for the ability to smell. I am often told that I have a very strong sense of smell and can smell things that others can't. Today I spent a great deal of time with a nine year old girl as she meticulously chose a small bottle of hand sanitizer. She smelled each and every scent and had me smell each one too...by the end I felt like they all smelled the same! When we walked out of that store I noticed the smell of coffee and cookies baking...I am thankful for my sense of smell.

~Sleep. I need lots of it, my body demands it. As I head to bed now, I am thankful that I can close my eyes and sleep.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I wrote it, you read it.

2011-11-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

Lately we have been given lots of lessons. Fun lessons, hard lessons, lessons meant to teach others that in turn teach us and visa versa. Lessons are not usually easy to learn, especially when you are like me...stubborn and most of the time not very open to learning whatever said lesson is being taught.

Last weekend we had the opportunity to serve at Secret Church here at a local church, on one of their boards they had take home papers and on one of the breaks I grabbed one titled "How To Pray For Your Husband"...feeling as though I needed to step up a bit in that category and, well, who doesn't need a little extra prayer support?
Anyhoo...I have been focusing on each of the daily verses listed and little prayer topics focused on helping him be a better man in a variety of different ways. While it is nice to have a pointed topic to pray specifically for, it can also be a little convicting too. Each day I have enjoyed not only praying these things for Doug but taking a look at my own heart condition on each topic that is covered. Elementary right? Ya, I know, just not something that I have done on a consistent daily basis in this way for a while .

Today is Doug's Monday and for this day, the prayer is that he might learn to take captive and not be conformed to the world's thinking and that he would learn to not depend on his circumstances for happiness but on God alone. I read that and was like, "uh, I am happy to pray this for him but there had better also be someone out there praying this for me too!" Because, I think I need it!

Now, I know that I am not living in a great deal of stress or very difficult circumstances however my heart likes to lie to me (they say it is supposed to be pretty deceitful, so it's not like I haven't been warned). It tells me that we could have it better than this, that we (gasp) deserve better, what? Did the word 'deserve' just come out of my brain onto my blog post!? That is SO not my normal way of thinking but it has started creeping in there and I have no idea why.

Now I wouldn't have come right out and thought to myself that I was having to combat being conformed to the world's thinking either but that one is sneaking in there too! I have found myself feeling like I need to defend our decision to come here, to go to school, to struggle each month to make bills and still eat, mainly, to obey. Many who I at one time gained a great deal of support from are the ones who question our decisions and doubt our sincerity in why we are here.

Then I am reminded- Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12:2 ESV)

Oh, and that part about learning not to depend on our circumstances for happiness but on God alone? Sure, I'll cover that too.

We may not be dinning as 'fine' as we used to or enjoying some of the same comforts that we had before this move but for what we do have, we are so very grateful.

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
(Habakkuk 3:17-19 ESV)

A Cafe' and he's on his way...

2011-11-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

Doug didn't get a ton of sleep today so before he left for his night shift, I made him some beautiful cups of cafe...Thank you Portugal, you make our lives better.

(You can see that they didn't last long enough for me to get a picture of the cups full...but the evidence is just as magnificent as the real thing.)

a lack of news...

2011-11-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel the need to update my blog, even when there isn't much to update on. Now happens to be one of those times, so here is what I've got!
Doug has been working hard each night from midnight till 8am...Here I made him practice to become the next poster boy for the company:

In other news:
*I am chasing a few leads on job opportunities but so far nothing substantial has worked out.
*We have been looking at classes for next semester and trying to decide which ones to take/hoping to get into the ones we want. We had some help with Doug's tuition for this semester but for next semester we are working on some options to help get some of his classes completed.
*Rent is due...apparently they want us to pay this every month.
*We miss our pets...I got out the camera to post the picture of Doug in his uniform and found a series of photos like this one:

Thanks for the rhino dad...Doug keeps it there by the fish because he feels that the fish is lonely...let me not fail to mention, this bowl is the fish's second house since moving in with us because Doug felt that he wasn't 'happy' in the last one...no comment

Something to sit on...

2011-10-26T14:10:00.001-07:00

We have living room furniture! Someone was getting rid of their furniture to make room for new stuff..soooo, Doug went and picked these up today.
Our couch...
They even gave us a chair that sort of matches!

Our living room...we are feeling all grown up now with some real furniture to sit on!

A (free) night on the town...

2011-10-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

Last night Doug and I went down town Raleigh to see what Raleigh has to offer...for a couple of broke college students! First off, because of his new job, one of his buddies let us park at 'his' building so we didn't have to pay for parking :).
Then, we were walking around and saw there was a performing arts center so decided to take a look around. We were walking around looking at posters and all the fancy stuff when a man asked us if we wanted tickets to the show! It was starting in just a few minutes and he was just going to throw them out anyway...so we took them! Here we are right as the show is starting, we got to see Eveta...quite the musical! Now I still have "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" stuck in my head, but it was fun!

After getting our fill of music for the evening, we walked around some more and looked at all the huge fancy buildings around. Here is Doug, up the stairs at one of the First Baptist Churches...

Another one of the First Baptist Churches of Raleigh...cool old building though!

One of the big impressing buildings in downtown Raleigh...

The museums were all closed but we had fun walking around outside in the courtyard anyway! Here we are having some fun with the statues...

Another cool thing we enjoyed were these pillars in the middle of town that light up in different colors...we were impressed.

Doug...the trouble maker:

See picture below to understand the context of this photo...

Fun from home...

2011-10-20T15:30:00.001-07:00

Dad got to visit a few of our favorite places in Kenya this past month. He brought back some fun pictures and sent us some great gifts! As I write this I am enjoying a lovely cup of Kenyan coffee! (not pictured is a beautiful necklace, it doesn't come out in any pictures very well so you all will just have to wait and see it in person) Also the scarf in the top left side of the box there is not shown very well here, it is very pretty and I would take another picture of it to post on here for you to see it better but it is in our bedroom where Doug is trying to get some sleep before his shift tonight.

Doug had specifically asked for a rhino and really likes the one Dad picked out! (this is NOT where we normally keep the carved beast)

Thanks Dad!

Something to do...

2011-10-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

So, lately, in the evenings, I have been a bit bored. Doug got his job at the security company and for his shift this week he has been leaving at around 2 in the afternoon and getting home about midnight. It is great he is working, I am just not used to being stuck at home by myself for such long periods of time! It has been fine really and I have enjoyed neighbors and all that but during all these hours, I have gotten an increased urge to bake. This usually is not an issue but being without any baking ingredients or a vehicle to go get them with (or the money to pay for them!) I have been left with my desire unfulfilled.

Until tonight! I was on facebook and saw that an old friend posted a simple recipe for peanut butter cookies, 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 egg. "I have all those things!" I exclaimed to my computer! So I made cookies...now my apartment smells like freshly baked peanut butter cookies and Doug will be home within the hour..things are looking up!

She said that she put chocolate chips in them and I agree that anything is better with a little bit of chocolate, so I used the ball bake method and squished kisses into them after they were baked...Yummo!

Barney Fife...

2011-10-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

So, Doug got his official training to be a security guard this week. He starts on site tonight and I thought I would share some of the pictures I forced him to let me take! I think uniforms are fun, so here are some shots for you to enjoy!

Doug didn't love this picture but he reminds me of a Ken doll how he is standing. I get a kick out of it so I figured you all should be able to as well!

city driving...

2011-10-11T06:57:00.001-07:00

So, this morning Doug and I began our newest new experience...driving in the city, in rush hour traffic. Why they call it 'rush hour' I don't know because it is more like 'slow hour'-which made our 45 minute drive into an hour and a half drive. It really wasn't that bad but it is his first day of work and he really didn't want to be late (understandable) and it was raining which made the bad drivers worse drivers.

We got him to work on time (actually a little early thanks to us leaving the house WAY earlier then we thought we needed to). I dropped him off at his new place of work and am now spending the couple of hours at McD's having some down time before I need to go to work. Apparently, even in the city, dedicated coffee drinkers get no respect. So, here I am, at a fast food restaurant...soaking in the calories by osmosis. Well, and through my hazelnut iced McCafe.

This city driving thing is not fun. We were so spoiled by out little Longview town where if you had to wait five minutes at a light you felt like some kind of injustice had occurred. Also, before I didn't have to get on any kind of interstate to get to where I was going. This morning we went on 440 then after I dropped Doug off, I drove 40 to 540 and am just a few miles from where I need to be now. Yuck.

Just something else that we are having to get used to, this city life is not for the weak at heart! If I had my way, we would stuff ourselves into our little Wake Forest town and leave sometime after we graduate, but alas we found jobs in Raleigh.

Pray for the Jeep, she's tired.

Midterm study tools...

2011-10-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

I have two midterm exams coming up. I realize my study tools are becoming a systematic way for me to settle in and focus. Here I have the computer, notes, text book, pen, and candy corn...think I am set!

A fallday...

2011-10-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine had a birthday over the weekend, so a friend of her's invited me to her birthday party this evening. It was a lovely time of the three of us enjoying coffee and caramel covered apples in the upstairs of our local coffee shop...now THAT's what I call a great party!

Instead of reading Epictetus...

2011-10-01T12:57:00.001-07:00

It's Fall Break!!! While many fellow students have gone home and are enjoying a sense of temporary freedom from school, I am grateful for a week to catch up on my studies. So, I am at my desk and as usual, am finding lots of things to do to get settled and have a good concentration on my work.

I (finally) put up the curtains in the office, I needed to in order to study...the sun was in my eyes.

I swept and mopped the floors, this was necessary too...it was bugging me.

I cleaned both of the bathrooms, which is always a prerequisite to any type of difficult learning process.

I cleaned the kitchen...because I went in there to refill my water bottle and it was messy.

I checked the mail...because, you never know!

And now I am blogging, this is important in order for me to clear my mind and settle into what I need to read.

And people call me a procrastinator...

At any rate, I wanted to blog to share our adventure from yesterday. We wanted to celebrate, having taken our first big test since starting school again. We both passed by the way, Doug got an A and I got a B...missed it by ONE point! So, we drove to the mall and in our frugal attempt to miss the greatest amount of traffic, we were pleased to find a little Mediterranean store and restaurant. We were admiring their menu of shawarmas and falafels when we realized they had super great prices! So, we decided to share a beef and lamb shawarma....YUM! Got to love dinner for two for under eight bucks! And it was Ah Mazing! (plus they gave us drinks and baklava because they were so nice!)

Counting blessings...

2011-09-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

I had started this post the other day and it seems appropriate to finish it and post it.

Sometimes I need reminders of the things that I have been given, reminders that I have them and reminders that I could be without them. If that makes sense to anyone else, then wonderful! I need reminders to choose a good attitude about whatever situation I am in. It doesn't come naturally for me, does it for you?

We can get discouraged about our situation, no jobs yet, plenty of bills waiting to be paid. But then we remember the past and all the times that we have been in similar situations and we know that it will be taken care of.

We get discouraged when the water bill comes in, and then remember that many people have to struggle for clean water. Ours comes right out of the faucet every day, clean and constant.

We get discouraged when we find our friends and loved ones in heartbreaking situations. Marriages are shaky, children are sick. But we know that God is faithful to carry out his plan in each of their lives. That he doesn't give us more than we can handle and he gives us everything we need in every situation.

We get discouraged when we go to unfamiliar churches and we don't know anyone, or any of the songs or inside jokes. But we are encouraged by His Word, by gathering with believers that we would otherwise have no reason to meet, by hearing proclamations of his truth and truth about Christ.

We get discouraged when we look at the clock and it is three in the morning, we can't sleep. Then we are encouraged by the fact that we can use this time to communicate with loves ones in other time zones. We can study and we have the ability to do so.

We get discourage when we try to find an honest mechanic in a new town, then are encouraged that we have a vehicle to drive and it gets us from place to place.

In the end, we are encouraged by these things that challenge us, we believe that God is teaching us and growing us for situations far more difficult than this.

Philippian 4:11-13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Monday night fooseball...

2011-09-26T18:50:00.001-07:00

Tonight we are watching football, Cowboys are playing so we found a place to watch- college style. Doug found a group of guys who were heading out to a 'community center' in town to watch the game...by the way our 'student center' closes at ten..WHAT? I thought we were in college! Anyhow, we are here, not so much a community center, more of an apartment complex with a nice lobby that is all locked for the night but they know someone who lives in the complex...I told you it was college style.

PLUS, there is free wifi.

So, I am here thinking that I should update with a great informative post but the last post continues to be mostly what we are still up to. Not that we aren't accomplishing anything, it's just talking about it isn't all that exciting! For example:

This week:

~we turned in draft one of a term paper we are working on
~we went to classes (I just got out of my night class)
~I stood up in front of class and gave a speech
~we started panicking about mid-terms
~we went ahead and started studying for our mid-terms
~we ate lots of noodles and cereal (and tacos, there was a great deal at the store)
~we watched A Christmas Carol...computer animated version...not that good
~I did laundry...kind of a half day extravaganza since we use the laundry mat still
~we checked the mail (about five times a day, waiting a couple of text books still)
~we chatted with friends (thanks Fac.e.book) and family (thanks sk.ype)
~blogged

Good times! What's up with you guys?

What we are up to...

2011-09-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

That's about it.

Happy Birthday to Doug...

2011-09-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Doug's birthday was yesterday! We enjoyed a relaxing day and started it off with Doug's choice...buffet lunch

After that, we enjoyed some relaxing, a bit of company with neighbors and then some exploring around town. Then we decided to try out a place we have been wanting to try...

We were NOT disappointed

Doug also enjoyed some of the wildlife around the restaurant...

And, today...I gave him his last birthday gift from me, a beta fish.
Lately, I could tell that Doug's general quality of life was on a downhill slope for his lack of any sort of pet to take care of. So I felt it was necessary.

It is hard to get a picture of this little guy but here he is...and a shot of the living room and the kitchen in the glare:)

I miss my dogs...

2011-09-18T21:55:00.001-07:00

Now before someone goes and gets offended by this post...read me out, I would like to explain my case.
We really miss our dogs! Sad as it may seem to some of you, leaving our dogs behind was the hardest thing for us to do in this move to NC. We enjoyed our home, had some special friends and said goodbye to family that we love. But our home was just a house...and some beautiful acreage that we miss. Our friends are still our friends, while we miss being able to call them and 'hang out' whenever we wanted to, and we miss that face to face interaction...we appreciate phone calls and chats that enable us to continue those friendships. The same goes for family. People, you can keep in contact with...dogs, not so much.
Our dogs were a conversation that came up a number of times in our decision process. We knew that God was telling us it was time to move, we knew that would mean giving up some things that were precious to us, we tried our hardest to rationalize bringing them with us...and then we gave them up.
Now, before you get all judgy on me (judgy is a new seminary word I learned :)...all of us have those things don't we? Things/possessions/people/houses/vehicles/money/whatever. It is different for different people but we all have things in our lives that mean the world to us but may not mean anything to others. This is one of the big reasons why we knew we had to let the dogs go, they meant the world to us. Or rather, they meant more than the world to us. They were beginning to take priority over the lost, who are the world.

They weren't the only things btw, there was our selfishness, our 'need' to be comfortable, our amazing ability as humans to settle for less. God has so much in store for us and that is what He reminds us of when we begin to doubt and worry and wonder if we made the right choices in leaving them behind and coming here.

What are the things in your life that are taking priority over the lost?

We have a bed...

2011-09-13T15:46:00.001-07:00

So, we finally got a bed. We went today and picked it up, we had found it on craigslist and talked to the guy selling it today. He was so 'nice' he even had it all taken apart and ready to go when we showed up...once we got home we realized why he had been so thoughtful. It is very unstable and 'wobbles' back and forth if you put any pressure on it...so we are (and by 'we', I mean 'Doug') are going to just have to get a little creative and figure out a way to keep it standing upright.
But, we do have a bed!

In other news! I had a job interview today, well I kept going by to meet the owner until I finally caught him there today. He offered me the job and I will start training next week! ***UPDATED: this job turned out to be a pretty sketchy place and situation was not good so I decided to decline the position.

Furniture is nice...

2011-09-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

You don't realize how incredibly convenient is until you don't have any. Doug got up Saturday and went to a garage sale and found us a few needed items...
As you can see in the picture, we still don't have a couch or a bed but we have two side tables in our living room! (notice how neat my table is:)

He also got me a little dresser...it is SO nice to have drawers to organize some of my clothes outside of a suitcase!

And something that has already proven VERY useful..a desk! We have also found that every table is higher than our camping chairs sit, so we are glad that we chose to bring lots of extra blankets and pillows that act as 'booster' seats for us! I just realized that this is not shown in the picture...our pillows travel depending on where we are sitting! Also, notice the bookshelf? I found that at the dumpster yesterday too...this is a totally acceptable practice, as it is understood that people can leave their used items for others to take from a certain place right next to our dumpsters.

I drove...

2011-09-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

So, it has been a while since I drove. I know, kind of random. But Doug drove the ENTIRE way here from Washington. Mainly because I was afraid to drive with a trailer hitched to the back of the jeep and because the jeep kept overheating. Then once we were halfway there it seemed appropriate to challenge Doug to drive the entire way...sort of an accomplishment I say.

At any rate, since we got here there hasn't been much of an occasion for me to drive because we have been going everywhere together and just have one mode of transportation. Yesterday, however, this changed. Doug decided to go study at the library right after class and I was feeling the need for a grocery run.
So, after class I took the jeep over to the closest grocery store...which was too expensive, so I drove to wal-mart to continue our patronage there.

Funny thing about driving in a new town is not just about finding your way around, it is learning a whole new set of road rules. People drive different here! I thought it was just me but after talking to a few other 'out of staters' I realized that, really, people drive different here!
How, you ask?

They drive fast...I can't keep up, I went ten miles over the speed limit and still was getting passed. (don't worry I didn't keep going that fast, I just wanted to see about how fast everyone else was going)

They ride your bumper...it isn't rude here I guess, or if it is no one cares if they are being rude while in their car. I pulled over to let people pass and they didn't...um, if you don't want to pass me, then back off!

They don't stop at crosswalks...figured this out on the first day and continue this realization every time I go to cross the road at a crosswalk. Pedestrians better be on the look out because no one is stopping. Coming from a fairly pedestrian conscious area..this was a big shock to me.

They talk and text while driving...now I realize that this still happened in Washington after the stricter laws were passed about no texting and driving but it is blatant here. Is it not against the law here?

And as a side note: the other day we drove by a cop sitting at a red light, EATING A BOWL OF SOUP!

So, besides pulling in my side mirrors and resorting to a more Indian style of driving I have found that it is simply a mental game before I leave my house and hop in the car.

Car insurance paid: check
Seat belts firmly in place: check
Salvation secure: check

and off we go...

Time for a post...

2011-09-08T22:22:00.001-07:00

So, I haven't posted in a few days. Mainly because I feel that there is a huge drop in our news posting needs. Seems like I went from something new to post each day to suddenly thinking I should post but not sure what to write about!
We are in school...anyone who has endeavored to complete their higher education would understand and have no need for me to write anything further. I will though, you know for the rest of you readers. :)

For anyone interested, our days now consist of:

~Reading (lots of reading) and then rereading what we already read to try to figure out what it means.

~Eating noodles...cup o' noodles are .24 cents each..what a deal! (we also found out that great value chili is actually a great value after all...yummo!)

~Some play time...we have enjoyed the racquetball courts at the school and remember the rules as we go along.

~Going to class of course...although this seems minimal compared to the amount of studying we do to prepare for class, we are in class a total of 6 hours (Doug) and 9 hours (Heidi)

~Trying to find jobs-I have one prospect who is talking with me about keeping her baby part time (she just went into labor last night, so it may be a month or so before that starts for me) Doug is determined to get a job on campus at facilities management and I think he might just succeed. This too is a matter of timing as the main 'hiring guy' is out for the week.

More later I am sure..as we have updates, we will be sure to post them!

Needs...

2011-09-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. Psalm 147:7-11

A few people have called/emailed about specific needs that we have now that we are here at school. We are overwhelmed with details and bills and just things that we need but we are even more overwhelmed by God's faithfulness and are filled with joy in watching His people act in obedience and give sacrificially to help us on this journey! To make this easier for everyone, I thought I would just send out one post to let everyone know some ways they could help us!

A bed: this is on the top of the list because we are finding that without good rest, it is harder to get the things we need done well. We will meet with a man who has a warehouse of marked down brand new beds, this will be a box spring and mattress for $130...NOTE: we went to meet the guy and what he was selling was not a mattress and box spring so still no bed!

A desk: there is just something about studying on the floor that doesn't feel right...we saw a desk and chair on sale at walmart for $60

Books: I found almost all of our books for this semester online at greatly reduced prices bringing our book total for this semester to $174

Tuition: This is a biggie! We are set up on a payment plan for Doug's tuition which comes to $498 a month September-December.

Electricity: Because we are in student housing here at the seminary, we are set up with electricity for the first five business days. On Tuesday (tomorrow) we will need to set up the electricity in our name, this will require a $300 deposit.

Rent: We are in student housing, so our rent is a bit lower than it would have been living off campus. Each month we pay $595, (no, this does not include electricity, water or any meals)

General needs: If you don't have a need to know specifically where your money is going, we have needs such as groceries, phone bills, car/renters insurance, etc that we do not have the funds to pay for right now. For one month this comes to about $600.

Thank you for your willingness to help us out, we are working on some job search leads that we hope will work out very soon. (labor day weekend is not a great time to start out in a new place!) Your prayers and support mean so much to us and encourage us more than you know.

Doug and Heidi
1105 Thornrose Way
Wake Forest, NC
27587

Wonder works fun...

2011-09-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

So, for a good part of the afternoon while we were in Pigeon Forge, we went to Wonderworks. This place is set up to be a really cool hands-on museum for kids (and adults). The story is that it is supposed to be this mansion that blew up into the air and came back down but landed upsidedown! So when you walk in, everything is upsidedown...very cool!

Once inside, you walk through a hallway that feels and looks like you are being turned upsidedown called the anti-gravity chamber...so that you can enjoy the exhibits right side up...past the hallway was all kinds of simulators. We felt what it was like to be in a 6.8 earthquake, a hurricane wind and a bunch of other stuff. Here is Doug in some sort of game simulator thing...

Farther in, there were huge screens all around that were green screens but showed you among some thing that was going on, in this picture Doug is dodging the fish!

There is a whole area about space travel, we became astronauts!

Here is Doug trying to learn how to land a space craft...

There were lots of things that we got to do and see there! We had so much fun and will enjoy getting to go back there some day. Here is Doug trying out laying on a bed of nails!

post one of two of Pigeon Forge...

2011-09-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

What fun we had in Pigeon Forge! So much fun that we have to split this one up into two posts...
First off, Doug's favorite...riding go-carts. I was surprised that he wanted to do this, what with all the drive anything in the middle of the road trip we were on...but it was the first thing on his list!

Next was a heated game of putt-putt golf...by heated, I mean, it was really hot that day and the best thing about the course was all of the wonderfully shaded areas!

Doug even made friends with this gorilla...

We stopped in an area that is all set up like a Christmas town...it was so nice to walk around in the air conditioning!

Both nights we were there, we enjoyed cooling off and relaxing in their pool and hot tub...

We did spend a good part of the afternoon at Wonderworks which I will put in the next post but just as a preview of the building...

some things to report...

2011-09-02T20:28:00.001-07:00

So the last few days have been fun and exhausting! I will update on our trip through Pigeon Forge and then into NC but first we wanted to get everyone up to speed on what we are doing.
Today has been eventful! We drove into Wake Forest last night (Thursday) in time to walk around and see a bit of the town and the campus before dark. This morning, we went to campus to make sure admissions had received all the paperwork they needed for us to start school in the spring. While we were there we were accepted (woohoo!) and informed that it wasn't too late to start classes for this semester. So, we worked out our class schedules and started school!
Here is Doug on the way to his first class!

Another thing we made time for today was an introduction to Chick-fil-a...it was Doug's first time there! YUM!

While we were on campus today figuring out paperwork business, we also met with the housing director who showed us an apartment that was still available through the school. We were able to get everything set up and signed so that we could move in today! Yeah for no more pulling a U-haul trailer behind us everywhere we go!
Here are a couple of shots we just took...we will try to get some better ones in the day time:
Our messy bedroom

A view from the front door down the hallway

The kitchen

Our first dinner in our new home!

Some repairs, some progress, some FUN!

2011-08-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Today, after replacing a part in the jeep, we drove into Tennessee! That is one state away from our final destination this trip!

We made it to East Tennessee, Pigeon Forge is a great town with tons of fun things to do...so on our way we made reservations to stay a night in The Smokies.

I did not tell Doug what kind of town we would be staying in, so when we got here...he was very excited. See below: Doug's happy face.

Once we checked in and got cooled off in the pool, we caught the trolley and saw some more of the town.

Doug had looked at some coupon books and found an amazing buffet not far from where we are staying...it was really SO much food...again, see Doug's happy face:

I am sure we will have lots more pictures after we see some more of the town tomorrow...keep checking in for updates!

Snapshots...

2011-08-29T18:32:00.001-07:00

Enjoy some snapshots from this weekend and from our journey today:

While in Missouri we watched a lightning and thunder storm pass by the house at sunset:

We passed through a great big storm and the sky was beautiful on the other side of it!

We made it to Illinois...this was not planned, the old bridge is closed so we went a little out of the way and spent about fifteen minutes in Illinois.

A big,yet shockingly narrow, scary bridge over the Ohio River...

And into Kentucky!

A weekend in Missouri...

2011-08-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend we enjoyed relaxing at Doug’s Dad and stepmom’s house in Missouri. It was nice to be off the road for a couple of days and get some laundry done too. Before we got there, we stopped at a zoo in Kansas. We enjoyed seeing the animals and stretching our legs a bit…
Can you find Doug in here swimming with the fishes?

My favorite bird in the rain forest part:

And proof that we did make it to Missouri...

We hope to update on today a little later...

Another fun day...

2011-08-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

This morning we left hoping to make it into and through most of Kansas, however a quick stop just about out of Colorado we found out that we would be spending the better part of the day waiting for the jeep to get fixed. We did get the jeep to a mechanic in Colby, Kansas and while we were waiting for him to fix it up we explored the town a bit.
We were happy to find out that there was a brand new water park just a few blocks away so we enjoyed some time in the water!
Doug on the fast slide:

My favorite part of the place was the lazy river...I floated around and round for quite a while!

Once we were able to pull ourselves out of the amazingly wonderful water, we were back on the road!

Tonight we are staying in Salida, Kansas and will update more as we go along!

Day # five...Mechanic # four...

2011-08-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

Apparently we are going to visit a mechanic in as many towns as we can along the way this trip...here we are at mechanic number four...

Anyone looking to purchase a 2001 Grand Cherokee Jeep? It has a ton of brand new parts...

Day four...

2011-08-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

Today we said goodbye to Wyoming, after enjoying some beautiful countryside:

We also made a stop in Buford, population 1:

It is exciting for me that we are back in Sonic country!

We also did a lot of this today...waiting for the jeep to cool down since it overheats going over most hills.

We did make it into Colorado...

We drove later in the day today so enjoyed a wonderful sunset...

Tomorrow we will be making our way into Kansas...more updates to come!

Airplanes, Freeze Dried Ice Cream and Wyoming...

2011-08-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Today has been fun! We enjoyed a nice day of traveling today, we made it 370 miles with a fun stop on the way!
Here are some pictures from the Hill Aerospace Museum!

Doug, ready to be ejected!

Can you see me?

We even got some yummy, although a little strange, astronaut ice cream!

Astronaut Ice Cream

And, we made it to Wyoming!

It is fun to see all the different types of terrain as we travel across the country...today was beautiful!

Twin Falls...

2011-08-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

Last night we stayed in Twin Falls, Idaho...we enjoyed a bike ride near the canyon in the evening but since it was dark, we didn't get to experience the full view. So, this morning we went out to see the sites before we headed back on the road.
I am looking a little nervous here because I was nervous...it was really far down!

This statue right at the view point is of "The Twins"...I thought it was very pretty.

An impressive bridge...

An impressive view...

After enjoying Twin Falls, Idaho we moved on and made our way into Utah...

day two on the road...

2011-08-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

We made it into Idaho today, here is the proof:

Shout out to the Kilde's for our Next Exit book, it is the best traveling tool ever! We check it every few miles to see what is coming up and where we would like to get to each night. What a wonderful gift! Thank you!

We were excited to stop at Cracker Barrel today...all the food was good but I was especially pleased with the REAL sweet tea!

l
And it's not a true visit to Cracker Barrel without sitting a bit on the rocking chairs on the porch!

This is why we decide to not camp tonight...

And just a taste of our view for most of today...

Things are going well and we hope to get some more miles behind us tomorrow...more then!

Car in the shop? Go swimming..

2011-08-22T11:40:00.001-07:00

So today we have been waiting for our jeep to get fixed by a mechanic here in Baker City. We figured that since we were stuck here for a while, we would have some fun...
Here we are at Sumpter Junction...

And enjoying the sun and pool!!

And we are on our way! Check in with us later and we will let everyone know where were are stopping for the night!

On our way...

2011-08-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today we started out on our journey to North Carolina. We started out in Longview and made it to Baker City, Oregon where we are staying the night tonight. Along the way we enjoyed some beautiful countryside and wonderfully warm weather!

We even documented our pass through the 45th Parallel halfway between the equator and the north pole...

Here is also some documentation of one of our many stops along the way to let the jeep cool down...we are having some overheating issues that we hope to see fixed easily and quickly (and cheaply) in the morning!

And some cows that seemed excited to see us...

We have been having fun on the road and remain hopeful that our technical problems with the jeep will be repaired without too many problems in the morning!

Moving and packing and changing and such...

2011-08-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

I haven’t blogged in a while, I have a computer now so I am just going to jump right in…
As we begin this move and look forward to starting a new phase of life we are also completing a chapter in our lives. Saying goodbye isn’t always easy and although there are many who we will be missing and a home that we love that we are leaving (as well as three special dogs that we are way too attached to!) this goodbye is somewhat fun and joyful for us. We are excited to get to where we are going, to find out what new challenges we will face and begin school with a goal that marks what we have been looking towards for a couple of years now.
I have never made a move like this as a married person, we have moved across town and gone on trips far far away but we have yet to have had the opportunity to learn what it is like to move the both of us across the country. We don’t deal with change the same. I will be the first to admit that although it is a lot of work and everything, it is still fun for me. Moving brings about so many new opportunities, new friends, new cities…I love it! As excited as Doug is to go back to school, the vast amount of change happening in our lives is a bit overwhelming for him. He is adjusting but it is definitely a learning experience! As for me, the main challenge is the fact that moving is different when you are packing for two. Many of the things he thinks are necessary items I don’t think worthy of the space they will take up as I am sure there are things I am taking that he doesn’t think we need…

Things to do before we leave in ten days:

Sell the truck…this is a biggie and will pay for a big part of our trip. To get to where we are going, we need to sell that truck!

Sell a number of other small items…we are having a sale on Field Street Friday 12th and Saturday 13th to try to accomplish this task!

Finish packing…this is mostly just last minute stuff as we are only taking stuff we use all the time.

Give the dogs to their new owners…but I am not thinking about that until I have to.

to college and beyond..

2011-05-26T17:33:00.001-07:00

Never say never, we are headed back to college! Long story and after a long day at the computer I am so not prepared to sit and write the details BUT we will be making a big move very soon!
We are excited and finding it pretty fun to sell our stuff (big furniture and things like that) in order to pay for our move to North Carolina. We will be going to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary for us to both get our degrees and hopefully get some seminary in there too!
Look for updates whenever we can find a generous computer owner to lend us a few minutes on their laptop! (another thing we need for school!)
For now we know that we will be moving at the end of August to get there and get settled, hopefully find jobs and get some money in the bank for tuition/fees/books/etc by the time school starts in January.
Pray for us as we make this transition, some of our friends 'get it' many of them don't, so that is kind of a challenge. Pray for us as we do what we can to make and save of the money we need to make the big move across the country.

coffee shop talk...

2011-04-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

SO, this post is less about the title...more about just getting a new post up on my blog because I feel like the blogging craze in our family is sort of fizzled and I want updates from everyone else while at the same time neglecting my blog....so totally bad grammar in that last sentence and all, I am settling in for a post.
Last week was our opening week at the Electric Bean. While this is exciting and the work is fun for the most part...it is a lot of work! I put in 70 hours last week just in time behind the bar...as in, I am not counting the hours of ordering supplies, picking up supplies and scheduling everyone for their hours for the week and for next week. (side note: it is surprising how difficult it is to nail down a schedule in a culture so set on schedules!) So, needless to say, I am pretty tired but I believe in the purpose of the place so I know it is worth it. The day to day of running a coffee shop is just as fun as I always thought it would be, even the things that go wrong are sort of fun because it is interesting to see how our volunteers react to things (or freek out...depending on their personality) The slow times are fun too, that's when we really get to know each other...and there is just something about sitting down and having coffee together that makes people share more than they normally would...so that is always fun and informative.
Biggest challenge would probably be the tiredness...which I am hoping and praying will start to subside a bit. If you have met me you know that I don't really get along with any of the AM hours so being here at 5:30 every morning sort of hurts me physically. But I am mentally and physically starting to adjust(I found that out this morning when I woke up at 4:30, still dark out and the world was frozen around me...and it felt 'normal').
So, as I get ready to sign off for now...I am going to have the rest of my coffee...and make a few for whoever comes in!
~H

Coffee, coffee, coffee...

2011-04-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Electric Bean is open today! We are very excited as this is the cumulation of LOTS of work from lots of people and what feels like a long time! For those of you who are in town, we are open all week from 6am-9pm and even later on Friday and Saturday nights. Come see and taste!

We are back...

2010-12-22T14:23:00.000-08:00

Actually, we have been back for a while just not back into the internet world! To be honest, I don't know how much we are "back", we enjoyed our time in India and Portugal so much that we are having a hard time settling back into our lives here in the states. It has been fun to share about our time there with our church's youth group and childrens group and are looking forward to speaking to the services on Saturday night and Sunday morning (Jan 1-2). It's such an exciting thing to be able to share to a group of people about the work God is doing around the world and give them an idea of how they can be involved. We realized through conversations with many in our church that they might be willing to serve/give/go/pray...they just don't know how to get started. It is encouraging to see their excitement to get involved and willingness to be obedient as they begin to listen and trust God's plan for them...and it's fun to have others along for the ride as we do the same thing!

Lots going on...

2010-09-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hi there bloggity readers,
I do have a few different post to put on here with Doug's birthday party and a retreat that he went on last weekend. However, my camera battery needs to be charged and I still have to upload pictures. So, you will have to wait with great anticipation for those posts to come up later...possibly in November!
For now, we will be updating our other blog until we get back from out trip to India and Portugal!
So follow us there for now...until then...
Doug and Heidi

Our place...

2010-09-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

Of all the places we could be living right now...we sure do love our home. Doug and I continue to enjoy living where we do...making improvements on the house has been a challenge but a good one. Our latest project was the kitchen counters and window. Thanks to some rotting and mice issues, we are enjoying some new cabinets and counters in our kitchen...

Since the weather has been nice, it has been good to enjoy walking out with the dogs around our house...they do love trail blazing while I like to keep to the well marked areas.

One of our favorite things is to barbecue and thanks to all our space, we have been able to enjoy having friends and family out again this year...

We love visitors so come on out any time!

A day at the beach...

2010-08-05T11:58:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Doug and I enjoyed a much needed little break at the beach. I forgot my camera, so phone pictures will have to do. We picked up David in Astoria so Doug enjoyed surfing with him while Isaiah and I played in the sand and shallow waves.
Silly boys excited about getting in the waves...

Isaiah thought he might like to go too...

but like running from the waves a lot more...

and digging in the sand...

After a day of beach fun, we walked around Long Beach a little. There were some clowns making balloon hats for the kids. Isaiah asked for a bat and got this...pretty cool!

I added this picture because you can see a little better how the 'bat' swings in front of him as he walks.

After that, this was the ride he chose...pretty exciting, he loved it!

and thanks to the balloon he had something to do almost the entire way home...

One last picture (sorry it is kind of fuzzy) with the guys out in the water

Puppies...

2010-07-08T11:44:00.001-07:00

In October of last year Jasmine had her puppies...occasionally I hear from the puppies owners about how the dogs are doing. I have a couple new pictures...fun to see how they looked before and how they look now. (Mom, I know you think the dapples are ugly)
Oscar (the lone male)

Bean (she lives on a ranch)

Our Rickashey:

Fun little dogs! Everyone should have a doxie!

Time is money...

2010-06-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

First of all...love the new templates that blogger is making available! And so easy to change! Fun times! Also, we have some updates coming on our multiplication blog so check it out too!
Secondly, a sort of update to bring our blog to a little bit more of a current state. The biggest thing going on right now is that we are planning on going on a trip for the month of October this year. We will be in India for half the month and then Portugal for the rest of it. We are super excited and are doing everything we can to ensure the tickets actually get bought so we can go on this ever anticipated trip. By 'everything we can' I mean, working extra as we can, raising money in every creative way we can think of and for the most part, praying that God will perform a modern day miracle and provide what we need for the trip!
The first month of fundraising we brought in almost $700, since then it has trickled down to $300 in May and then so far this month we have brought in $200 more...that is a total of $1,200. Pretty good right? Yah, it is accept for the fact that we need it to multiply by four in order to go. Well, ok not by four exactly but almost, we need another $2,800 to come in by the end of next month.
Think it can be done?? Any great fundraising ideas? Leave a comment if you do please!

99 things about me...

2010-05-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

99 Things About Me (Everything that I have accomplished is in bold)

1. Started your own blog – Yes! You got me there.
2. Slept under the stars - a few times...
3. Played in a band - ha
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower - fun.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to DisneyWorld...does Disney LAND count?
8. Climbed a mountain -sort of...I made it MOSt of the way up Kili!
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo - maybe shouldn't have
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris...well the airport anyway
13. Watched a lightning storm -
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - isn't all art from scratch?.
15. Adopted a child...someday!
16. Had food poisoning - More than once, I'm pretty sure!
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - trying to!
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train...not sure if it was overnight...or if I slept though
21. Had a pillow fight- Is there someone who hasn't?
22. Hitch-hiked - .
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - Ummmm, YES!
24. Built a snow fort- not really as fun as it looks
25. Held a lamb - Baby animals are so cute.
26. Gone skinny dipping- and in the grosses body of water ever!
27. Run a Marathon - Uhhhh, NO!
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice-
29. Seen a total eclipse-
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - Yes, many times.
31. Hit a home run..if Wii counts...
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors- couldn't that be anywhere?
35. Seen an Amish community- Does being in an Amish house count, and eating their cheese and drinking their milk?
36. Taught yourself a new language- yah right
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - money doesn't satisfy
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person -
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David -
41. Sung karaoke- again...probably shouldn't have
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa- believe it or not...
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight- with flashlights.
46. Been transported in an ambulance -
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain- living in Washington State...duh
53. Played in the mud- Again, is there someone who hasn't?
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business - .
58. Taken a martial arts class- loved it
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen-
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies -
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason -
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma- they still won't let me
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check-
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy- More than I care to admit.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone -
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book -
81. Visited the Vatican-
82. Bought a brand new car - new to me...
83. Walked in Jerusalem -
84. Had your picture in the newspaper-
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve-
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox - .
89. Saved someone’s life-
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous-
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby - No, but I am trying to.
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit - Depends on how you define "involved".
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Happy Anniversary to us!!!

2010-05-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Doug and I had fun celebrating our 2nd anniversary yesterday! We also planned ahead and last weekend stayed in Seaside for a night and then enjoyed surfing! Yesterday, when I ran to the store, Doug hussled and moved our entire bedroom into the bigger room upstairs. I have been wanting to do this for a while so it was a fun surprise for when I got home...and a great anniversary present!

We enjoyed one of our favorite meals, shake-n-bake pork and then a game of poker! (which I won)

(it is taking forever to upload more pictures so go check out the rest on facebook!)

13 of 27...

2010-04-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

That's right, I am posting a new list...it's only been like two months. This list is from this weekend. Doug and I went to a marriage conference in Toledo and on Sunday went water skiing...
What I learned this weekend:
1. Marriage is pretty straight forward, if you keep your focus on the right thing
2. the right thing is Christ
3. it is good to be reminded that our marriage is ment to display Christ's love for the church and lead people to Him by how they see us love each other
4. I really don't like country music
5. the speaker used country music for EVERY music/video/multimedia emphasis he did
6. on the last day he used a clip from Cinderella Man and won me over
7. Water skiing is really difficult...
8. Doug got the hang of it

9. I didn't

10. just for emphasis

11. we had a blast though...I loved riding around in the boat anyway
12. sometimes church people are the worst business people...they made us pay way more than they had told us it would be at the start of the day
13. it was worth it though
14. Toledo has a beautiful park

15. we are looking forward to spending an afternoon there sometime...anyone want to join?
16. First Baptist Toledo has a great idea for their nursery/toddler rooms...I'd love to use it someday; it is all set up like it is a garden, so cute!
17. Driving an hour to get to church is not something that we will ever choose to do on a regular basis
18. eating out in a small town like Toledo reminded me of living in Kenya...we had to wait for forever both times...the second time we got sandwiches so it would be quicker..it still took forever!
19. it's not a good idea to drink a bunch of coffee before you go to a conference...you miss a lot
20. it was really nice to go to an event at church and not have to worry about who was supposed to be in the nursery
21. or clean up after the meals
22. or restock toilet paper when it ran out
23. I look forward to going to future conferences like these with Doug...we had fun
24. next time it should be at a beach or something
25. 27 lists is way to many
26. next year I am just posting about what I did on my birthday
27. thanks for the encouragement though
the end

list 12 of 27

2010-03-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

We are on are way to the beach, so for this list we are listing signs we see
1. Rocks
2. Slides
3. Westport
4. Wauna (shout out to k'lnn)
5. Gnat Creek Fish Hatchery
6. Eagle Sanctuary
7. John Day River
8. Columbia River Maritime Museum
9. Welcome to Astoria
10. Espresso
11. Home Bakery
12. Antiques
13. River Viewing Tower
14. Watch your head!
15. Astoria Bridge...we don't have to go over it (grin)
16. Lewis and Clark National Park
17. Fresh Seafood
18. Seaside (with an arrow telling us where to go)
19. Draw Bridge
20. Warrenton
21. Fort Stevens State Park
22. U.S.C.G. Air Station
23. Elk
24. Tsunami Hazard Zone
25. Skipanon River
26. Seaside 8 (miles)
27. Edgewater Inn (we're here!)

And another funny one "kids for sale". (Goats)
15.

11 of 27...

2010-03-08T21:55:00.000-08:00

I have had the pleasure of planning a women's retreat for our church, it is coming up at the end of April and the theme is worship. So...I have been busy planning what songs we will be using. List 11 of 27, my favorite worship songs...
1. In Christ Alone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLy8ksqGf9w
2. I see the Lord...by Matthew Ward (if anyone can find a link, let me know!)
3. A new Hallelujah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_c0cALUFH0
4. Breathe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oad8ov10AjY
5. How deep the Father's love for us http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV2zMZ-nZ7k
6. Ancient Words http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouTgX9hcwk4
7. It is well with my soul http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6yDFn3OAFo
8. Jesus is the answer for the world today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ifuvuRsv60
9. Shine Jesus Shine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3iB30gCqAc
10. Blessed by your name http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du0il6d-DAk
11. Bring me to the cross http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jrEFZk9_mM
12. Find us Faithful http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi-Mn5tRHvM

Help me finish the list with your favorites!

List 10 of 27...

2010-03-01T22:19:00.000-08:00

List 10 of 27 is an idea from Letha's lists: roomates! (and I am using all my roomates maiden names...it is how I rememeber them!)
1. Doug
2. Letha
3. Tabitha Howard
4. Aleda Klassen
5. Mariam Smith
6. Magana Nguguna
7. Rebecca Hodel
8. Cristen Russell
9. Talisi Mwai
10. Audrey Sorenson
11. Liz Cowles
12. Julie Propst
13. Stefi Brazzeal
14. Sarah Hubbard
15. Courtney Rudisill
16. Andrea Ferguson
17. Erin Hetzel
18. Sherryl Schrock
19. Amanda Larsen
20. Jello Tubei
21. Sarah Belcher
and, ya, I am counting my pets
22. Princess
23. Hope
24. Jasmine
25. Dallas
26. Rickashey
27. Sampson

Heidiology

2010-02-27T18:27:00.000-08:00

Ok so not really a list...but is counting as my #9 because I am pretty sure there are even more than 27 things about me here:

Rules: YOU! Yes, you, reading this. You're tagged. Now that you know more about me than you ever wanted to know, play the game, it's fun! Let others know a little more about yourself, repost this as your name followed by "ology."

FOODOLOGY:
What is your salad dressing of choice? Ranch
What is your favorite sit-down restuarant? Ganesh
What is your favorite fast food restaurant? TacoBell or McDonalds
What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? pizza/sloppy joes
What are your pizza toppings of choice? ham and pineapple.
How many televisions are in your house? Two.
What color cell phone do you have? black and purple (one side is interchangable!).

BIOLOGY:
Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right.
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? Some teeth.
What is the last heavy item you lifted? a shovel full of dirt.
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? I don't remember....j/k, once, I walked too close to the swings at Brackenhurst and got clobbered. Another time I remember was being chased by Ben Perkins and running into a solid metal pole in the playground at..._________ Help me on the name of the restaurant, I can't remember!
Have you ever fainted? Nope.

randomology:
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? No.
If you could change your name, what would you change it to? would have been Emily as through my childhood, but couldn't change my name now.
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? A few.
Last person you talked to? Doug.

FAVORITOLOGY:
Season? Summer.
Holiday? Christmas.
Day of the week? Friday
Month? can't say that I have a favorite month however, this last one has been great
Color? Red.
Drink? Diet coke

CURRENTOLOGY:
Missing someone? Bustrums, DeLaughters, Grandpa.
What are you listening to? The TV...Evan Almighty is on.
What are you watching? TV and my computer screen.
Worrying about? Children's church curriculum.
What's the last movie you saw? Nothing Like the Holidays...(waiste of time)
Do you smile often? I try to.
If you could change your eye color what would it be? nope, I like my eye color
What's on your wish list for your birthday? trip to Portugal, India,...???
Can you do a chin-up? No. No thank you.
Does the future make you more nervous or excited? Both.
Have you been in a car wreck? Yes.
Have you caused a car wreck? no
Do you have an accent? No, I don't think.
Last time you cried? I don't know
Plans tonight? Nothing.
Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? Yes.
Name three things you bought yesterday? A coffee (with a gift 'coin' Doug gave me for my birthday), milk tea (closest thing to actual chai), gas for the car.
Have you met someone who changed your life? Yes, a few of them.
For the better or worse? Some better, some worse.
How did you bring in the New Year? walking in the kitchen after getting home from spending the evening with family
Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? Sure.
What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't sing in the shower.
Have you held hands with someone today? Yep.
Who was the last person you took a picture of? Doug
Are most of the friends in your life new or old? Both.
Do you like pulpy orange juice? Yes.
Last time you ate peanut butter and jelly? For dinner about 20 minutes ago.
What were you doing at 12 a.m. last night? Getting in bed.
What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? stupid cat!

8 of 27...

2010-02-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

List number 8 of 27...after a great birthday today: here are some things I enjoyed today!
1. waking up to pancakes for breakfast

2. getting a 'party in bag' from Gracie...filled with candy and with two birthday balloons
3. getting birthday surprises from Doug, a gift card for a manicure and pedicure
4. coin tokens to my favorite coffee place from Doug (fun way to get gift cards)

5. getting my new phone in the mail
6. having fun figuring out all the cool stuff on my phone
7. reading Letha's list about me...good one Letha, I should have thought of that for your birthday!
8. talking to Dad and Mom on the phone
9. all the many emails and facebook messages
10. birthday cards
11. going to walk downtown before dinner with Doug
12. finding a ring that matches Doug's wedding ring (sorry no pictures yet)
13. the excitement of waiting for the ring to be sized and looking forward to getting it!!
14. dinner at the new Indian restaurant in town...so good!

15. having masala chai after dinner
16. eating red vines all during work because it came in my party bag
17. getting a yummy coffee drink on my way to work
18. stopping at the next coffee place for an extra shot of espresso because the yummy coffee drink was too sweet...they gave me the shot for free!!
19. wearing some of the clothes Mom and Dad got me for my birthday a while back
20. knowing ahead of time not to eat the nasty Indian dessert they gave us after dinner
21. thinking it's been a few years since I have seen a bunch of balls of 'pastry' in nasty sugary liquid...but again, being glad I have seen and tried it before!
22. messing with my friend who was sure that I would be turning at least 29 or 30 today...ha!
23. having a good hair day with little to no effort this morning AND despite all the rain!
24. having friends that could go and enjoy a good Indian food meal with us!
25. looking through pictures from this last year for my new picture book Letha is getting for my birthday
26. coming home to a bunch of animals who were excited to see me...yet again
27. turning 27!

7 of 27

2010-02-22T19:51:00.000-08:00

In honor of my last day as a 26 year old, this is a list of all the things I did for the first time this year:
1. Celebrated a one year anniversary with my husband

2. ate a chocolate covered twinkie...yummers
3. enjoyed swimming in 60 degree weather...the pool was heated
4. won a contest on a radio show and a gift certificate for Applebees...free food!
5. breeded and 'birthed' four puppies...thanks to Jasmine's willingness to 'cooperate'
6. got a puppy for Christmas and named her Rickashay (because of what Grandpa always called Jasmine)

7. celebrated Christmas in Canada
8. made bread in my bread machine
9. planted a garden
10. decorated trees outside as Christmas trees
11. got a Wii fit plus
12. figured out how to connect to the internet on my wii
13. got a free piano off of craigslist
14. stayed and played at the Great Wolf Lodge...so fun!
15. rode the 'howlin tornado' water slide!!!

16. became the Children's ministry leader at our church
17. took a paid position at our church
18. planned and directed VBS
19. bought a covered litter box for our cat
20. filled that litter box with kitty litter while the cat was sitting in it...he loves that litter box and refused to get out
21. took all the cabinet doors off my kitchen cabinets
22. found out that it will be better to replace them with plywood then to redo them
23. watched the movie Blindside (loved it, if you haven't you should go see it)
24. beat all of Doug's buddies at poker
25. was officially uninvited to poker night
26. got gifts from Portugal
27. ate a free cheesecake shooter at Applebees for my birthday...

6 of 27

2010-02-20T13:32:00.001-08:00

List 6 of 27, what I like and don't like about trying to grow stuff:
1. a like, seeing the sprouts come up
2. a like, being hopeful that they might grow into something pretty/use full
3. a like, eating veges that I 'grew'
4. a dislike, finding the dogs chewing on bulbs I planted...
5. a dislike, forgetting to bring my hanging plants in and finding them frozen in the morning
6. a like, working out in the dirt when the sun is out
7. a dislike, finding the dogs digging in my freshly planted garden
8. a like, pretty flowers with bright colors
9. a dislike, bees who want to hang out with me while I'm gardening
10. a dislike, the fact that those bees might hurt me and could potentially send my husband to the hospital
11. a like, really good dirt in our yard...we don't have to buy top soil
12. a dislike, huge stumps in the garden that I can't dig up
13. a like, 'self watering' pots...sort of
14. a dislike, the way the self watering pots overflow onto my kitchen sink
15. a like, the fact that the best place for my garden because of the sun is also right where the outside water source is...making watering very easy
16. a like, the fact that I live in the northwest and as much as the rain can be a pain...it makes it okay that I constantly forget to water my plants.
17. a dislike, I am afraid to grow pumpkins because our dogs think they are so yummy
18. a like, the Internet tells me just about everything I need to know about planting stuff where I live
19. a like, I planted marigolds a couple of weeks ago...I remember hating marigolds in Kenya, it seemed like they were a weed.
20. a dislike, hoeing (the grass roots are deeper than you would think)
21. a like, working with my hands to create something
21. a dislike, the dirt that gets under my nails even if I wear gloves
22. a dislike, not being sure if 'winter' is going to be over or not
23. a like, green trees all around, even in the winter
24. a like, having a hobby that is useful
25. a like, the fact that planting a garden is just a hobby for me
26. a like, little fence pieces that seem to discourage the dogs from digging in my garden
27. a like, tomatoes...

5 of 27

2010-02-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

List 5 of 27 is what I love the most about Fridays/and this Friday in particular:
1. an excuse to pick up pizza for dinner (Friday just seems like a good day to do that)
2. Bible study after work
3. the idea that it will be fine if I stay up late because I can sleep in tomorrow
4. the fact that I will probably be in bed by eleven because I am old
5. nice weather today...although I have to say, I saw a girl out in her yard sunbathing...it is so not warm enough to do that
6. being outside with the dogs
7. 'mapping' out where my garden is going to be, any suggestions on what I should start to grow?
8. my pomegranate green tea I had at Bible study...yumm!
9. an easy work day, on Fridays I pretty much use the day to pay bills and plan for Children's programs at the church, today I spent most of the day planning church stuff with a friend
10. looking forward to Saturday
11. the start of the weekend
12. usually if Doug and I go out for dinner, it is on Friday evenings
13. relaxin at the house all evening...most of the time on Fridays!
14. picking up Doug's check and putting it in the bank (this one is usually nice, but this week not so much since Doug worked for a part of a day this week before his eye injury.)
15. watching The Soup
16. watching other shows that I didn't get to during the week
17. looking through Craigslist for no reason in particular, because I can
18. being glad that I like my job so much that I don't wish for Friday all week long
19. walking down Commerce and looking in the thrift shops there while I wait for time for Bible study
20. making mental lists of things I want to get done over the weekend and knowing that I most likely will not do any of them
21. paying bills, it's nice when we can
22. going through mail that I stack up during the week
23. wishing I were turning 23 so my list could end here
24. thinking about how every year I seem to loose a little bit of my creativity making these list even more of a challenge
25. watering my plants that have been waiting all week, because I forget about them
26. being glad that my plants seem to grow despite my lack of green thumbness
27. finishing something I started so I can post list 5 of 27...that's a lot of lists!

Doug's eye...

2010-02-17T20:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Doug had a nail gun misshap...and lived to tell about it!:) Today we took him to the eye doctor and got some meds...here he is much improved! (sorry blogger isn't uploading it right..I will post on facebook!)

List 4 of 27

2010-02-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

I am feeling a little uninspired so here is list 4 of 27...
Gracie's favorite things...
1. Friends, Gabby and Gecka
2. Jasmine and Rickashay
3. Kitty
4. blue
5. macaroni and cheese
6. taco bell
7. pants
8. dancing
9. bringing friends to church
10. skating
11. paddaling in the swimming pool
12. holding my breath
13. jumping at school
14. fingers
15. Barbie as Rapunzel
16. playing at taco bell
17. getting movies at the library
18. lala
19. piacalo
20. playing at the park when my friends come over
21. the name Poccahontis and Wanda
22. singing to God
23. praying and reading books about Jesus
24. singing lovely
25. having nice dreams (but bad dreams can happen to me too)
26. a lamp
27. dresses
and one more thing, skirts

List 3 of 27

2010-02-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

27 TV Shows I will admit to having watched and enjoyed:
1. Gilmore Girls
2. House
3. American Idol
4. America's Funniest Home Videos
5. Shark Tank
6. Community
7. The Office
8. Friends
9. Cougar Town
10. Survivor
11. Dirty Jobs
12. Cake Boss
13. L.A. Ink
14. The Soup
15. Cash Cab
16. Burn Notice
17. Extreem Makeover Home Edition
18. Doogie Howser M.D.
19. Full House
20. Christie
21. Cops
22. Home Improvement
23. Dr. Quin Medicine Woman
24. Family Ties
25. The Cosby Show
26. Quantum Leap
27. Felicity

List 2 of 27...

2010-02-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

Some things I like/know about Super Bowl Sunday:

1. It doesn't matter as much as most people (around here) think it does
2. I got a good deal on pizza because it is game day
3. friends are coming over to watch the game
4. I will be upstairs with the kids having more fun than the game watchers
5. we might even go on a nature walk, or watch Mama Mia
6. Football season has been over for a while in this house (since Dallas lost)
7. we have lots of food to eat
8. I don't understand the rules of the game, I might enjoy it more if I did
9. A couple of the commercials were pretty funny
10. I really don't care about football
11. I mean, REALLY don't care about football
12. I eat too much when I am trying to be entertained by something that isn't entertaining to me
13. our friends brought even more food to eat than we had ready
14. I ate, half a pizza, some chicken wings, chips and a few other things...before half time
15. The Who sang at half time
16. We fastforwarded half time
17. I spent the third quarter decorating cupcakes with a four year old :)
18. E.trade commercials are my favorite
19. I don't have much to say about the superbowl
20. I appreciate any reason to have friends over
21. I especially appreciate DRV on our tv
22. I found out the saints were playing at the very end of the game
23. I don't remember if they won or lost
24. making this list has made me think about football longer than any other time in my life
25. football on tv makes me want to take a nap
26. when I have company I don't like to nap
27. so I went to bed(and right to sleep) at 9pm

27 lists of 27 things...

2010-02-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

Letha inspired idea of 27 lists of 27 things: I'm not all that creative recently, so I am getting a head start at my 27th year by beginning my 27 lists a couple of weeks before I actually turn 27! (yes, Letha, I am using all your lists until I can think of some other idea to list that I like)
List 1 of 27:
Things I am thankful for from this week:
1. my husband
2. my pets, I know...my dogs probably mean too much to me but I just love those guys!
3. my job...it's still fun
4. cake
5. tax refunds...yah, we already go that
6. sunshine
7. great parents
8. beaches
9. my new vacuum
10. pretty rocks that Grandpa polished
11. my new back porch step
12. pretty picture frames (and the pictures in them)
13. a new off brand Ipod, hey, it plays stuff
14. ne.tflix
15. new clothes from Kara
16. dinner with friends (okay family but Katelyn and David count as friends too)
17. kids showing up for church
18. Ta.rget
19. discounts for recycling
20. shake-n-bake
21. an internet connection(not a super slow one)
22. fuzzy socks
23. my comfy bed
24. Two-punch Tuesdays at my favorite coffee place
25. being really bad at math and thinking I was turning 25 this year...
26. card games
27. candy hearts everywhere!

Wii're back...

2010-01-26T22:16:00.000-08:00

Our wii remotes came in the mail today...we have been missing them, nuf said. (sorry it is sideways...anyone know how to rotate a video?)

Grandpa

2010-01-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

My Grandpa went to be with Jesus early in the morning of December 27th. The picture above was taken of me with Grandma and Grandpa at a family gathering December 19th. I feel very fortunate to have this wonderful day as my last memory of Grandpa this side of Heaven.
This post has been long in coming as the new year was full of family and special time to remember Grandpa. We all shared tears and laughter as we joyfully remembered together what a special guy Grandpa was to all of us.
We are so sad that he is gone and miss him terribly but hold on to the expectation that we will see him someday at the best family reunion ever!

Cherry Bon Bons...

2009-12-21T22:07:00.000-08:00

On Saturday a bunch of our family got together so Friday afternoon I went over to Grandma G's house to do some baking. I wanted to see how she makes her cherry bon bons, so we made those first.

Anyone who wants to make them, here is the recipe and directions:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar (although we did not sift it)
1 Tbsp Vanilla
food coloring
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt

maraschino cherries
(you could choose some different fillers but I would use a different icing or topping if I used any nuts or chocolate)

Mix all together until it becomes moldable...should be a little sticky. I used flour on my hands for each one so it would smooth out the bon bons. Use your floured hand to get out about a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Push your thumb into the center of the ball and place a cherry inside then mold the dough around the cherry so it is in the center of the ball. Place on cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
Let them cool and then dip each in bon bon icing and place on a flat surface.

Bon Bon Icing:

Mix one cup powered sugar
2 1/2 tsp milk...or cherry juice...just mix in until it is a nice 'dippable' texture
food coloring

2009-12-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

Doug and I have a tradition that at Christmas we get a new item for our Christmas village. Each year, it is supposed to have something to do with something that happened that year. This year, we moved to our new house on an old tree farm. So, when we found this, we decided it was perfect for our 2009 addition:

Here is the town all put together...

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

2009-12-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

We are definatly in the Christmas spirit around here! We have a pot of apple cider hot in the kitchen, peppermint mocha coffee creamer in the fridge and presents under the tree!
Doug and I decided to get our tree last week...here we are with the pick of the year!

Here Doug is getting the tree out of the van...

Decorating the tree...

Beautiful!

On Saturday we attended a Christmas dessert theatre...it was fun to see some old friends and enjoy a Christmas concert and yummy dessert!

We sat with Pam and Lawson Starnes...the best landlords/neighbors ever!

After the concert, we went with Lonny and Alana to Longview's downtown Christmas parade...it was COLD, but fun!

Lonny and Alana

After the parade a few friends came out to our house for a 'post-parade party'...no pictures of that! But when everyone was heading outside to leave, it started SNOWing!

Playing with Dallas...he LOVES the snow!

Doug got up early Sunday morning and took some pictures in the snow...I love this one with the sun rising...

Dallas, rolling around in the snow...

Here are just a couple of pictures that I like...
Selah with the puppies...and sitting up for the first time by herself!

The puppies warming up after a bath...

Our new piano in our new room...

Our Christmas town on top of the piano...finally the wallpaper looks like it was on purpose!

Thanksgiving mountain fun...

2009-11-30T15:09:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving we met Katelyn and David and set out to the mountain to find snow. The mountain is all gated up so we drove around for a while on logging roads and finally got out and walked until we found this nice snowy hill...

We all sledded and took turns snowboarding until we were too tired to keep walking up the hill, here is Doug snowboarding like a pro...

Then we sat around drinking luke warm coffee and eating yummy WINCO sandwiches:

On the way back home the guys decided it would be fun to risk their lives for a picture under Scenic View Bridge...here it is:

New room, new floor...

2009-11-26T00:30:00.000-08:00

Doug finished the kitchen floor a while back...and just a couple of weeks ago decided it was time to complete the bonus room floor as well!
Here is the room before:

During...

Partially done...

Tada!...

It has made the bonus room SO nice! Now it has my sewing machine all set up in it and soon (Friday) we will have a piano in there too...very exciting!

Wedding Rehash...

2009-11-17T18:32:00.000-08:00

I saw this on this blog...thought it was fun, and who doesn't like to talk about their wedding day??? Enjoy...

1. Where/how did you meet: We met at church. I was new in town and visiting my Aunt and Uncle's church, Doug and I ended up in the same Sunday school class...four months later, we were married.

2. 2. How long have you known each other: almost two years

3. 3. How long after you met did you start dating: dating? so overrated.

4. 4. How long did you date before you were engaged: lets say a month or two....

5. 5. How long was your engagement: About two days...

6. 6. How long have you been married: A year and a half. On Wednesday.

7. 7. What is your anniversary: May 18th

8. 8. How many people came to your wedding reception: around 125-150

9. 9. What kind of cake did you serve: A really good vanilla, marshmallow fondant frosting, with fruit fillings...SO yummy. It was the BEST cake ever! Also, we had a lemon filled beach decorated cake for the 'grooms cake'...fun.

10. Where was your wedding: We got married at a little villa on the Columbia River. The reception was held at First Baptist Longview about two months after the wedding.

11. What did you serve for your meal: Cake, mints, peanuts...

12. How many people were there in your bridal party: no party, just us (and the witnesses)

13. Are you still friends with them all: my imaginary party? sure, they're the best!

14. Did you or your spouse cry during the ceremony: No tears, all smiles.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day: Picking out our rings...we went and picked them out right after we got married...it was SO fun and special.

16. Any funny moments: That evening, we went to church and had a friend announce to the congregation that we had gotten married...it was the best watching everyone respond...

17. Any big disasters: Well, there was one that was diverted...we couldn't get ahold of mom and dad ALL day, they finally called that night...we were so nervous that they were going to find out from someone else!

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon: We went out to the beach...Seaside, Long Beach, Ocean Park...all those great places.

19. How long were you gone: 4 days

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change: Probably my dress, would go a little fancier...not much just a little.

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on: I sleep on the left side of the bed. He sleeps on the right...unless we are at a hotel or something, then he sleeps closest to the door.

22. What size is your bed: Queen

23. Greatest strength as a couple: It's the joy we take in being with each other. We love spending time together.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple: Well, he's a "be-er" and I am a "do-er". He likes to just hang out and relax....whereas I love to travel and meet new people. It's been a challenge. (ditto)

25. Who literally pays the bills: I do, he makes it, I spend it.

26. What is your song: Broken Road by Rascal Flatts
27. What did you dance your first dance to: umm, dancing didn't really happen so much...not the romantic, everyone watching type dance...dancing in general happens often.
28. Describe your wedding dress: green and brown...knee length...
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding: we didn't have any at our wedding but at the reception we had gerbera daisies and roses...

30. Are your wedding bands engraved? no

Go here for our blog post for pictures from our wedding day...
And here for reception pictures...

Fun with animals...

2009-11-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

We have lots of fun with our pets! Here are some fun pictures from lately...also, the puppies have opened their eyes! There are a couple of pictures of them at the end...
Dallas and me...he is learning to give hugs.

Sampson terrorizing Jasmine...

Mug Shots...

Puppies...

Halloween...

2009-10-31T23:14:00.001-07:00

This evening was fun for us! We enjoyed Halloween night with friends and candy! Because we live out of town, ALL of the candy was for us...
Enjoy some pictures!
Candy!

CANDY!!

Cutie in the candy...

Caramel dip and Apples...yum!

Doug and Dallas (Dallas dressed up as white trash)

Lonnie and Alana (our Halloween party guests)

Movie time with the 'family'...

I like this picture...(Dallas is trying to figure out what the camera is)

After we all had our sugar fix...

Lonnie snuggled up for a nap with the cat and a puppy...

the end...

What did you do for Halloween????

Passport...

2009-10-28T20:39:00.001-07:00

We are now free to move about the world...

More puppy pictures...

2009-10-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

A few of you have wondered about the size of the puppies...they are tiny. Here are a few pictures that show how small they are. (I did measure them today and they are all right at 6 inches long)

Dallas checking out one of the puppies...

He still isn't sure what to think...

The youngest girl...

The only boy...

Puppies!!!

2009-10-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

Jasmine had her puppies today...and what a day it has been! Enjoy some pictures!
Puppy number one...a little girl!

And number two...a boy!

The two oldest having their first meal...

Snuggle time...

Saddly the third born didn't make it...Jasmine didn't want me to take it for a while though. Here she is giving him some snuggle time.

Puppy number four came very quickly! Here she is warming up with her brother and sister:

Momma Jasmine and her babies...

Surprise!!!
I posted this about the puppies earlier and then, after taking Jasmine out for a potty break and some fresh air, I settled her in with her puppies and out slid this little girl!

Thanksgiving in October...

2009-10-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Trip to the pumpkin patch...

2009-10-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Just for fun...

2009-10-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have done these before and think they are fun...so enjoy, and if you have a blog...copy and paste and spread the joy!

1. Do you like blue cheese? No, yuck.

2. Have you ever been drunk? uh, I don't remember:)

3. Do you own a gun? No.

4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite? grape

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Yes, I always have.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I eat them too much, they are pretty much a staple in our house.

7. Favorite Christmas movie? The Grinch.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? coffee

9. Can you do push ups? I can, but usually don't

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding band.

11. Favorite hobby? Reading, writing...

12. Do you have A.D.D.? O.C.D? Nope!

13. What's your favorite shoe? flip flops

14. Favorite place you have travelled to? can't narrow it down

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, Diet Coke and iced tea

17. Current worry? hmmm, I should be planning the women's retreat (that is this weekend) right now instead of blogging...

18. Current hate right now? Hate is such a strong word....

20. How did you bring in the New Year? We drove up to Canada to spend it with Mom, Dad, Letha and a bunch of other friends.

22. Name three things you own that are near you: a book, a notebook, a computer (I am not at home, otherwise I would have a much more interesting list)

23. Do you own slippers? Yep, don't use them much though.

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? grey

25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets? I have never tried...I prefer cotton.

26. Can you whistle? sort of, not very well though since I had braces in high school

27. Favorite color? red.

28. Would you be a pirate? just the nice kind.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Usually I don't sing, it's really better for everyone that way.

30. Favorite Girl's Name? Renee' (yes, I realize that is MY middle name, but it is nice)

31. Favorite boy's name? not sure...maybe Joel???

32. What's in your pocket right now? nothing

33. Last thing that made you laugh? 30 Rock

34. Best bed sheets as a child? Trolls...I had the comforter too:)

35. Worst injury you've ever had as a child? Probably running into the counter at a pizza parlor and having to get stitches in my forehead.

36. Do you love where you live? It's a love/hate relationship.

38. Who is your loudest friend? That would be my husband.

39. How many dogs do you have? three to ten...Jasmine is going to pop any day now

40. Does someone have a crush on you? I hope my husband does.

41. What is your favorite book? Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

42. What is your favorite candy? snickers...so good, I just ignore the peanuts and suffer later

43. Favorite Sports Team? I have to say Dallas Cowboys so that my husband won't leave me.

44. What song do you want played at your funeral? I don't care, I'll be dead.

45. What is your least favorite animal? crocodiles or alligators

Office fans...

2009-09-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

Turn up the volume all ye office fans..

House painting extravaganza...

2009-09-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Birthday Doug...

2009-09-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

Doug's Birthday was this Sunday...but we started the birthday fun on Friday when he got done with work. First of all, we went downtown for some big greasy hamburgers at Lynn's. After that, we enjoyed some of our usual thrift shopping...one of the stores the owner has this bird and it really likes Doug...

After that, we walked through Bob's....Doug found an interesting toy that entertained us for a while...

"Hello, my name is Doug, I'm 39 years old, and I'm special..."

I can't believe we didn't take any pictures on Saturday! We went to the movies and to dinner at Parker's Steak house...yum!

Sunday was church...here is a picture of Doug playing with one of our favorite kids, Isaiah...

Sunday night, after church, a bunch of us went out to celebrate with Dairy Queen...everyone, (clockwise) Gracie Fields, Doug and Laura Fields, Grandma E, Carol and Gene Anglin, Grampa E, Doug!

Singing happy birthday...

Blowing out the candles...we got the relighting kind:)

Two exciting days...

2009-09-12T20:27:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Fun day...

2009-09-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

I noticed after I posted this that it says..."all boy"...sorry Selah, I liked how it looks anyway! Also...scroll down for the post before this one...it's new too.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

What's been going on...

2009-09-11T14:43:00.001-07:00

Hi there faithful readers...

We've been busy, in the best sense of the word. Between family visiting, work, church events and learning a new business...which you should definitely go HERE to check out. Soooo, blogging has taken a back seat as it often does. Sorry, ok lets move on.

Wesley and Isaiah are here still having a wonderful time...at the moment, we are having 'quiet time' (smile). Isaiah is upstairs and has been still long enough that I am sure he is snoozing by now. Wesley has an empire built in the other room with legos, army men and star wars characters. It's nice for the rooms of our house to be filled with kids and their imaginations. Doug doesn't mind the toys either...

It truly is amazing all the things you can do around here for free or for a dollar. Today the boys both got cotton candy outside of wal-mart...we all still have blue tongues. Yesterday we got ice cream...and forgot to ask for kid sized cones...oops, luckily everything around was washable. The day before that, we took a trip to the dollar store...ohmywhatfun! There is just something great about taking a kid to a toy section of a store and saying choose whatever you want! Last night the boys were all watching "I was bitten" on tv....I hate the show because it is gross but they were all enthralled...

On another note, we took in another dog. Atlas is Dallas' brother who needed a new home...they seem to be enjoying each other!

turn up the volume...

2009-09-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjbpwlqp5Qw

finally...

2009-09-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Soooo, today we picked up the passport pictures, took everything to the post office...and the passport should be here in 4 weeks!
So everyone justrelaxalready, Doug has applied for his passport.
We will soon be eligible for world travel. We will be able to leave our free country...for the minimal fee of $75 plus the $25 processing fee.:)
Enjoy the news...we'll take pictures when it gets here, we'll have a party, you're all invited.

Oh Facebook...

2009-08-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

Although I enjoy the fun of pictures and knowing what a number of people are doing at all times, this is why I don't fit in on Facebook....

Overly Fertile Mom: More potty news...Amy went #2 in the pot!!! What a relief from peeing on the floor to a nice present in the pot...yeah Amy!

Friend #1: That's great. . .we are excited for you!

Friend #2: nice one Amy! there is nothing worse than poop in underpants. maybe poop in underpants while out at the park 1/2 mile from the van!

Friend #3: WOW Amy!!! Way to go girl!

Overly Fertile Mom: tell me about it...the kids are scared to poo in the toilet...Taylor had trouble with peeing in the pot more-so than the poo...but Amy, I've been working with her for a while now and every time she needed to poo, she went and hid...behind the couch, under the table...augh, we are still in the let her run around half naked phase cause she only notices she's gotta go when she has nothing to catch it...

Friend #4: It's good to hear she is going where she is supposed to now!!!

Friend #5: YEAH AMY!!!! I am so excited for you!

Why do I lose touch with my friends once they have babies? Really? Do you need to ask that question? And I'm not knocking the potty training...it's important to know not to poop your pants. I'm a bit of a perfectionist about that actually. Also, I'm not knocking being excited about your children's accomplishments.But. Dear Overly Fertile Mom who used to be my friend in high school....you have just been hidden. Because...really?
I hereby solemnly swear that if the raisins make it, I will never post on Facebook about their poop or pee for all the world to read about, though I will quietly smile with pride when they float their first potty logs. I promise.

DeLaughters...

2009-08-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

We have had so much going on I haven't had a chance to post about Kara, David, Wesley, Isaiah and Selah coming through town. We were so excited to see them all, especially Selah since we hadn't met her yet! Here are some pictures we got while they were here visiting!

Selah sleeping away on the couch:

Doug and I took the boys on a walk out into the woods, they had fun running and playing with the dogs and throwing things out of our path and into the water! I think here the boys are trying to balance on a log that goes out over the water:

When we got back the two little Indian boys were SO HOT in our steaming Northwest summer heat...so we pulled out the sprinkler and they froze in the freezing cold well water!

Uncle Doug and Selah...

Selah and Auntie Heidi...
We look forward to many more fun times while they are stateside! I do have a few more pictures to post but I am getting a little impatient with the computer, so enjoy these for now!!!

The final leg of our journey...

2009-08-04T17:00:00.001-07:00

After visiting in Kentucky, we drove through Illinois and back into Missouri!

Boy was I pleased when it was my turn to drive and we headed straight into St. Louis...Doug did a good job taking pictures though:
That evening we got to Hannibal and got to visit with John, Sue and Joel...and see some of the town, it is fun and has cool old buildings. Here is a statue of Mark Twain and Huck Finn...not sure if those are spelled right!

We took some pictures in a pretty little garden in the middle of town, here we are with Joel...

And later that evening at the ball game...Joel really dressed out for the game!!! (j/k, that's not really him)
We had a really good time...
Doug and Uncle John...
After church, we went out to a yummy Mexican place and enjoyed time with family before we had to drive south again...
Doug enjoyed the hats...
Back at Doug's dad's house, he was able to finish up with one of the projects they had started...here they are building some stairs and trying to kill each other...
After it was done, it seems they made up... It was such a wonderful trip, we are looking forward to next year when we will have more time to visit with everyone!

piercings...

2009-07-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

So...my sister got a nose ring...and I think that is really cool, I have always wanted one but never did. I have never been shy on getting piercings, had my ears pierced a number of times...like 9 times...two of those were re-dos...got my belly button pierced...a painful but satisfying time since they were SO not allowed at school but who was going to find out right! But the nose, always held back for some reason...not sure why I always waited on that. Now I am married and my husband doesn't think that they are all that cool...I think I missed out on my chance to get one. I'm jealous...have fun with your decorated nose Letha, my nose pails in comparison.