Fabulous Freeman Fun

ooops:)

2011-03-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

So I have been out of the blogging world until I decided I better get the computer hooked back up and get somethings you cant do with a smartphone done. Blogging is one of those things. I have to restart the computer for the massive updates that I have missed from being off line, but tonight, I will try my darnedest to post what we have been up to for the past two months!

Swimming

2011-02-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

Abra has had a new swimming break through...she can swim!! Here are some videos of the little swimmer in action. She usually does better "big arms" but she was intimidated by swimming the long way instead of the short way.

Camping the new improved way

2011-02-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

We took the camper out this busy, wet weekend up to Stubbs Stewart Park. It is only a 20 min drive and our phones still work up there..well Rich's did and mine did until Abra dropped it into Shias water bowl. I tell you that the trailer is much more comfortable then the tent!! Yeah, we sold out for comfort, who cares! We had all the kinks worked out by the end of our weekend and have a few ideas of how to make things better for the next trip and the "big trip". I even brought the boys up with me on Friday afternoon for a little fun in the rain. I was really hoping it would hold off long enough for us to play on the playground or go for a little hike, but we decided to try a weekend with the Carlsons when it warms up more consistently (and we can pry Amy and Rich from work!)

Abra and Chris roasting their hot dogs

Carl roasting his hot dog

Shia didn't like the gravel on her toy so she would shake it off if it landed on the ground

Camper

2011-02-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

It is official, Rich gets all the toys he wants:) This one actually has a purpose. For sabatical, it will make the trip easier and cheaper. Big fat road trip here we come. Here are the basics: 2011 Jayco jayflight. 19 ft with all the extras (nothing says camping like digital tv, airconditioning and stereo system) I should point out that the extras come anymore if you want them or not.

Here is our bed. It is right as you walk into the camper to the right at the very front end!

The view standing in front of the bed.

Standing in the dining area looking towards the front

2nd tooth

2011-01-26T20:27:00.000-08:00

I feel bad because I never actually posted a picture of Abra after losing her first tooth. Well, this weekend, she lost her second tooth and this time she didn't swallow it AND the Toothfairy wasn't skimpy with the cash! She got a whole dollar..verses a quarter for the first. That was the last time Daddy "talked" with the Toothfairy!

Early "anniversary" presents

2011-01-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

Rich and I will celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary next weekend. We made some purchases yesterday and to validate them, we said they are our present to eachother! We have a home gym now:) Our presents were fitness equipment so we would be able to love eachother longer!! We came home with great deals:

We got this weight machine from VanDerJagt for a steal and went to Play it Again Sports for the weight discs. Buying them used, we saved 1/2 of buying new. On this adventure, we discovered that there is in fact a Togos in the Portland Area. It is the ONLY one in Portland and there are only two currently in Oregon, but one is opening in Medford. Rich was SO EXCITED!! He even called his co-worker to inform him of the find! I guess they talk about foods they miss from Cali. Togos and Caspers are the top two!

We then debated on getting cardio equipment..Me: I want it but we should be saving. Rich: yeah but if I look hot, you need to also. Me: true and I would use it more then not. Rich: plus I would use it too.....This actually went on all afternoon, until Rich decided we would go to Dicks and look around. We saw this and it had the stride I liked, it was reasonably priced, and Rich said it was sturdy enough! So we got it!!! Dicks also has a 50% off their clearanced merchandise, so Abra and I picked up sandals for a few bucks each!! Eventful, and now it is time for my work out!

Front yard step one complete!!

2011-01-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

For starters, who remembers this picture?

Believe it or not, we had already strated getting rid of things in this picture. It actually doesn't look that bad when everything is in bloom. But check this out...

Well. here is to a new beginning! We have taken most everything out and started to put up the wall. The next step is to rototill again to get most of the roots out, build the wall and start moving the dirt around and getting some fill dirt to level things out a bit!! This spring, the hope is to have grass in the front yard!!! In addition to this, I will continue the "weeding" process on the sides of the house now! There are some NASTY things growing along that fence that needs to DIE!!

Welcome 2011!

2011-01-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a while since my last post. In fact, we have entered a new year:) The past few weeks have been filled with doing Christmas things like the church Christmas program where Abra was an angel with the other girls

Having the christmas party at school and loosing her first tooth (photo to be added later).

We got to see Santa SEVERAL timed this holiday season, but we especially liked when he was at the neighbors house the week before Christmas. Mrs. Claus even came down some days, but not the day we made it over.

We made a trip down to California to spend Christmas with Grandma Dorothy, Grandpa Jim, Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer, Ethan, Andrew and Collin. That was a lot of fun!!! We got lots of fun things and best of all, we got to spend Christmas with family!

The trip was cut a little short because of snow expected to shut the passes down, but that was good because we got home and everyone needed a few days recovery from the fun!

Now, we are back in the swing of things. Rich is working and trying to figure out away to squeeze fishing and hunting in his schedule. Abra is busy with preschool, dance class and we added swimming to her activities! I am busy cleaning up after them both and working on the yard!! ONE MORE WEEK and then the front yard will be clear of green vegetation!!!!! Then we can start working on making it look pretty and getting the side yards cleared and finally, THE BACK!!

Santa 2010

2010-12-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

we went to the mall today and saw santa. we usually get a picture, but the prices were uch more then last year and i knew we would have another chance at some point this holiday season. abra enjoyed visiting with the big guy and told him what she really wanted for christmas.

charlie brown thanksgiving

2010-11-27T07:06:00.000-08:00

we love to watch charlie brown videos associated with the holiday. i was talking with rich about having chicken since it was just us, and abra suggested we have a charlie brown thanksgiving...so we did for lunch. popcorn, pretzels, jellybeans and toast. i made her add some lunch meat to her toast. she loved our special lunch. rick joined us for dinner where we had ham, sweet potatoes, corn, apple pie and pumpkin pie. i think abra ate more than all of us. it was a nice, relaxing day that rich didnt have to go into work which has been rare lately.

santa advent calendar

2010-11-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

i saw a calendar on the pottery barn kids website and thought to myself, i can make the for much less then they are selling it for. twenty dollars later i have one santa and enoough leftovers to make more with the exception of of the list felt, that i need to get more of, but still far less then buying them. i think the next ones will look much better because i have made one and have an idea how to do it.

the wall

2010-11-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

we had another productive weekend. rich fixed the dryer, we played with abra, and we stated building the wall. my shelves are on hold again, but it will be nice to get the front yard finished. here is the vision, three blocks high all the way from the fence to the driveway. then we will fill with dirt to make the yard level/ gradual slope. on top will be grass with plants along the house and the fence. abra even wanted in on the fun.

halloween

2010-11-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Halloween fell on reformation sunday this year, so we had a busy day. abra and i went to church and had potluck afterwards, then we stopped and got a pumpkin because we hadn't done that yet, followed by a trip to walmart to pick up some groceries, finally home to carve the pumpkin and get ready to trick or treat.abra dressed up this year as barbie mariposa/butterfly fairy. when rich got home he took abra to the college and trick or treated around the dorms, then worked their way home.i got to stay home for the first time ever and pass out candy, do laundry, wash dishes, make dinner, you know, the things that you are grateful when everyone is out of the house so you can just get them done.overall, it was a huge success and abra has more than enough candy.

more trees gone

2010-11-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

rich felt ambitious and cut down the remaining trees we were thinking about replacing. he cut eight more tree clusters down. all that remains to be taken out is the juniper and the rotting cedar in the back. might take one of the cedars out that is next to the shop, but that will be later determined. for all you tree lovers, i am planning on planting two apple trees in the backyard and some other bushes and shrubs. we are spending our outside time ripping out the front yard so we can work on the curb appeal. slowly but surely, it will get done

new truck

2010-10-13T14:08:00.001-07:00

abra's 5th birthday

2010-10-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

it just dawned on me that i never posted birthday pictures from a month ago.

erin's visit

2010-09-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

my dearest college roommate visited this weekend. it was a short, but good weekend. saturday started with a quick lesson in pancake making, then we hit up hillsboro farmers market and scored tons of fruit ansd veggies plus a box of apples for five dollars. in the afternoon, we went wine tasting around forest grove then home for dinner and campfire.we spent sunday hanging around watching football and chatting until her conference. i cant wait to go visit phoenix, or when she moves to portland

side note

2010-09-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

I have many things to update from the past few weeks. some things are on the camera and some on the phone. the next few entries will not be in chronological order. enjoy nonetheless

Abra's helper

2010-09-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

i had to stop abra from playing to do her chores, i guess the novelty has worn off. chris wanted to help so he helped put her clothes away, make her bed and even brush her teeth. yes, chris is moving abras arm for her while she held the toothbrush in place.

Projects

2010-09-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't been super motivated to do much in the way of projects and crafts since returning home from Iowa. I have a LONG list of things to make and finally it has hit me, the urge to get somethings done! I made decorative soap for the bathroom last weekend with the Abra.

I saw a magnetic chore chart on a U create and really wanted to make one for Abra. The thing is, I was too cheap to by the $5 sheet of metal at the store when I knew that there could be a cheaper way! Well, after a week of searching, I thought it is going to hang on the refrigerator and that is magnetic, and I really don't want to mess with wood to make it pretty, so why not just use scrapbook paper and contact paper it to the refrigerator! 30 minutes later, project complete. If any of my dear local friends are interested in doing this or similar, I have PLENTY of gems left and tons of paper, so let me know:)

Snacktime fun!

2010-09-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Today, we had snack and art together!! I remember doing this as a kid, but we got the cookie cutters out, cut shapes out of bread and "painted" the bread using colored milk, and then into the toaster. The toaster, not the best choice, but it worked. I put homemade strawberry jam on their plate to dip the extra bread and their toast.

Children's museum with 3

2010-09-01T11:02:00.001-07:00

I am watching two BOYS (rowdy, energetic, literally climbing the walls boys) and they are done playing at my house. Understandable considering it is too cold for pool (which has a hole courtesy of Shia), and most of the toys are girlie. I reserved the Children's museum pass from the library and thought we would give it a go. It is perfect ZOO weather, so the museum shouldn't be too packed...WRONG!!! After two days of rain, at the end of summer, MANY other families felt the Children's museum would be a GREAT idea! None the less, other than occasionally misplacing a kid (he thought it would be funny to hide from me in every exhibit), mission was accomplished. Chris fell asleep in the car and not a peep or movement during quiet time from Abra and Carl. I don't know why I bother with the right side of the museum because my favorite (and the kids) is the water and the big multi-space grocery store/pet hospital/ship/building thing. That is great!!

Cabelas

2010-08-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, alittle behind, but better late then never right? Rich needed some supplies for his upcoming hunting trip, so we headed up to Washington to Cabela's! I wasn't too sure how Abra was going to handle the time in the store, but we kept pretty entertained!! It was a special "women and children in the outdoors" weekend, so she got to shoot with a real bow, and joined in the elk calling contest! It was great fun plus Rich's things were on sale, so we were able to sneak in a few decorative pieces for the Richard room on the CHEAP!!!

OMSI

2010-08-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

(aka Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) Today was day one of the free weekend pass so the Hyppsters and us took the drive into Portland. Once there, our hyped up children had a blast. We did too until we started to lose the kids because there were so many people!

There is this battle of nature vs. nurture that amazes me! Rich LOVES lizards-me not so much. They stink and are gross (not to mention that I am the only one who feels pets need to be cleaned up after considering no dog poop was picked while I was gone, or other things cleaned up!!) WE WILL NOT (probably in the VERY FAR FUTURE) BE GETTING A REPTILE!

I very well might be mistaken, but I think that this might have been the first time I have ever seen a real T-Rex skeleton! Wait, there might have been one in Chicago, but I don't really remember much about my 8th grade field trip and I didn't take the time to go while in school...bummer. Anyway, I think that I was more interested in it than anyone else in the group!

They had this fabulous green screen that went with a weather program. Abra REALLY enjoyed seeing herself on tv!!

They had some space things and this cut-out was super cute. Does NASA need a rockstar?

Yard work

2010-08-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

We are back and have the house somewhat clean. I still need to put the clothes away, but what is the hurry right:) Well, Friday was Rich's birthday and since he had to work, we went out last night and celebrated after nap time!

Today, however, was very labor intensive. Rich split logs to get them ready for firewood and even Abra helped! After all the hard work was done...POOL TIME!!!

I was minding my own business when a certain Juniper bush attacked me, so it had to go!!! Only one more left!

Floods

2010-07-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

For any of you who have heard, I get to experience the yearly flood on the river. This year was very eventful. The dam north of town broke, had record levels (24.5 ft flood stage is 14 ft) and the Dam south of town broke. Most places just have basement damage, but there are a few places that are probably rethinking building along a river! I have some pictures, but I am a little lazy to put them on the blog tonight. Maybe tomorrow. We are not stranded and there really wasn't anyone hurt, which is great, but Hardee's sure sounded good and now it is under water. Yes, Hardees and Carl's Jr are the same company, but Hardees does taste better in my opinion.

Field of dreams

2010-07-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

After many years of trying to make it to Dyersville to visit the field of dreams. Today, that was our mission!! We packed a lunch and had to eat it on the benches and watched a few random families do a pick-up game of baseball. It was great fun!!

After everyone left, we had the field to ourselves to hit a few balls

Practice running the bases.

Hid in the corn.

The fair

2010-07-15T13:53:00.001-07:00

Erin came over to the Fabulous Delaware County Fair. It was RIDICULOUSLY HOT AND HUMID. That is all I have to say about that! We walked around, but couldn't stand it, so we went and got real Chinese food. Then went back to the fair and rode a few rides, listened to a christian concert and then went home for a shower. After Abra was asleep, we headed to Beavers for a few drinks then to bed. We really aren't that exciting!

The welcoming party

2010-07-15T13:48:00.001-07:00

Here is the welcoming party off of the plane. Hayden REALLY likes Abra's roller luggage.

Kasey and Flora Espinoza

2010-07-15T13:17:00.001-07:00

We went to Mr. and Mrs Espinoza's wedding July 10th. It was in a park in Hillsboro that was beautiful!! The bride was "fashionably late" aka running about and hour behind, but we were able to get some great photo opps.

Here are the happy couple after their vows

The great cake shot

The first dance

So in love!!!

The garder

The skirt

2010-07-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Molly gave me a pair of Brandon's jeans that looked barely used, with the exception of not having knees anymore. She gave them to me to use as scrap material. I decided since they fit Abra, I would make a skirt for the fourth of July!

The Boat

2010-07-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Jim and Dorothy brought up their boat. Rich has been wanting a boat since moving up to Oregon. They had one that they probably wouldn't use much any more, so we have a boat!! It is a 1984 Seaswirl in pretty darn good condition. It needs some cosmetic love, but it has been well loved. We finally got it out on the water this weekend after a little work, a battery and some gas and it was great!!! Hagg Lake is so much more fun on the water! I can't wait to take it camping!!!

Abra spent most of her time in the cabin of the boat. She really liked the port-a-potty!! She was on it all the time!

Rich looks really hot driving the boat!! He thought I was being sarcastic, but I am super serious!

And there is the VanDerJagt!! Thats all I can say about that:)

What a week

2010-07-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

Tuesday we tackled the dirty pond scum. Wednesday, we had a lunch date with Lucas, a friend from preschool. It was a great time followed by a walk to the farmer's market with the neighbors.

Thursday we stopped by the Burke household and celebrated Hayden and Bayley's birthdays followed with a "peek-view" of the Hyppolite house and then onto the 53rd Ave park with the Yurong girls. We finished with a mini shopping trip to Target, dollar store and JoAnn's.

Friday, Tina and I thought it would be worse to tell the kids we weren't going to the zoo then to just go in the rain, so we did!! We stayed in the more covered locations and of course, as we were leaving, the rain finished for the day! Oh Well, still got to enjoy an almost empty zoo with great friends!!

The pond...

2010-06-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

So, today, I, being the most fabulous friend a person could ask for, went over to help my dearest Tina with her disgusting pond issue. The problem is, they have lived in their rental for 3 years, and have never really ran the pump, drained or really done anything with the pond in the backyard. Steven has thrown many of things into the pond, which haven't seen the light of day until today and lessoned learned...don't place a bird feeder next to the pond, there was about 5 pounds of birdseed in the pond! Why do anything know you ask? Well, the neighborhood has a really bad odor problem, the source being the pond. Tina poured bleach into the pond, and it just got foamy and gross. I told her she needs to get some buckets and scoop it out (mind you, I have been saying this for 2 years...while it was still somewhat clean). Well, finally I offered to help with the problem and so we put the baby down, fed the preschoolers and the pre-teen, grabbed a 20 gallon tub, a dollar store bucket and the largest whatever cup Tina had, and started dumping. We got about 1/2 way through and we started to run into rocks that were in the bottom for the fish that were at one time living there. There sure was a lot of leaves, slugs, and bird seed in there!!! 3 GARBAGE BAGS FULL of non-liquid debris!! After I accidentially sprayed Tina a few times while trying to get the stuff from behind the support rocks, seriously, who puts a bird feeder above a pond!!! We brought out the snow shovel and shoveled the rocks and all into the yard to dry out. Oh, did I mention both of us wore flip-flops, and for the last part, I put a flat rock in the bottom for me to stand on and of course I lost my balance and stepped in to the bottom. Luckily most was out, but still! About an hour and a half later, we were done and the flies are having a party...Tina and I smell like hog manure. I kid you not, her pond smells like pig sh*t!!! I had flash backs to visiting uncle Ronnie's farm as a child and how we smelled like pigs for DAYS after visiting! Well, after washing my hands 3 times at Tina's, came home and took a shower, rubbed my hands with Baking soda several times, washed them several times and STILL SMELLS LIKE MANURE!!! The sad thing is, this isn't the grossest thing I have ever cleaned in my life...all you who ever worked at summer camp with crappy septic systems or had to do PP's for Golke know EXACTLY where I come from!!! This is like the 5th grossest thing ever done!!! Well, when Tina puts the pictures up, I will transfer, otherwise, if you have tips, please pass them along!!

Baby Declan William Tucker

2010-06-22T20:19:00.001-07:00

My sister had her baby today!! Declan (deck-lynn) william arrived this afternoon with lots of dark hair and mom said chubby cheeks! He was 8 lbs 3 oz and 21.5 inches long. Time to start working on the quilt!!!

Spring 4) Visitors

2010-06-16T09:24:00.001-07:00

The first two weekends of June have been filled with visitors. First, Rich's Aunt and Uncle showed up in their "bus" I mean RV. THey ending up in Gobel, OR so they could fish for stergeon on the Columbia.

Jim and Dorothy came up the second weekend, and brought 5 tagalongs!

Matt and Jennifer brought all 3 of the boys with them!! Collin turned two weeks old while he was here!

Spring 3) Baby Collin

2010-06-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

Rich's brother and sister-in-law welcomed their 3rd boy into the world Saturday, May 29th. Collin James Freeman!

Spring 2) preschool

2010-06-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

Abra had her last day of preschool last Tuesday. They went to Teacher Emily's parents farm in the middle of Hillsboro. They got to collect eggs, feed chickens, cows and fish.

Followed by the 53rd Ave park for play and rootbeer floats!! We will be back to this park this summer with friends!!!!

Spring 1)

2010-06-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I got the Droid and I just haven't turned on the desktop. Not to mentions we haen't been doing too much. Here are the highlights:

1) Swimming: We enrolled Abra into swimming lessons for the spring and she has made strides!!! She is able to do what resembles a front crawl stroke and modified elementary backstroke without help for a few seconds!!! I order to pass this level, she needs to be able to go the width of the pool by herself. We are taking the summer off from formal lessons and we are going to work with her in the backyard and probably at the pool in Manchester!.

Watercolors

2010-05-05T09:42:00.001-07:00

Brendan Fraiser was on Martha a few weeks ago and they made kid craft stuff. Well, I happened to have misplaced Abra's new watercolor set and had this empty one lying around and decided to see how well it worked! It turned out well and wasn't too messy! I am still playing around with color combinations. These are NOT TRUE watercolors, they leave a powdery residue on the paper, but for kids, it works just great!!

Happy Birthday Gracie

2010-05-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Gracie's birthday party!! I got her present finished up today and I am kinda excited how it turned out!! There are a few things to improve upon next time around, but for not having a pattern of any kind, I think that I did a pretty good job!! Hopefully the little diva will like to cook:)

May Day fun

2010-05-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

I remember as a child, every May 1st we would make May Day baskets for our friends and leave them on their front porch. There was only one family that reciprocated this fun tradition, however, it was still fun!!! Usually we would full plastic cups with popcorn and gummy candy and leave it at the front door, ring the doorbell and run away!! It was suppose to be completely anonymous! Abra and I did the popcorn baskets last year, but since most of our friends are in Hillsboro, I decided that sucker flowers would be better! Last night we made the flowers and this morning made out deliveries!! Enjoy my friends!

back yard -April 2010

2010-04-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

The backyard is slightly more impressive. We have green grass, clean fence line and starting to level things out!!

Front yard

2010-04-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here are updated pictures of the front yard in bloom and minus a few hundred rocks.

Okay, not as impressive as when all the daffodils and tulips were in bloom, but I forgot to get out and take pcitures!

Spray paint

2010-04-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Like Tina, I have decided to have some fun with spray paint that resulted in myself having it all over! UNLIKE Tina, I painted outside and managed to only get my fingers (no smurf look for me!) I have random, cheap frames that I have picked up throughout the years that don't match and some are even scratched, so what is the best thing to do? SPRAY PAINT!! I painted them the colors of my throw pillows and I am still deciding if they will go up in the living room or the hallway! I need your imput!! Heck, who is up for "playdate at Paula's and we can figure out what to put into them as well!!! PLUS Salvation Army is having a 1/2 price sale this weekend, so I am thinking about heading over there for some larger frames. The little ones there are $1.99 and even 1/2 that is too much to pay for crappy frames...more like 50 cents would be the max I would pay!!

MORELS!!!

2010-04-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad sent a special package overnight to their favorite daughter:) (That's right Rachel!) I was so excited, I forgot to take pictures and now, they are in our tummies!! Yum

crafty fun

2010-04-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today has been a craftastic day:) I was tired of carring my purse on trips to get Abra or little errands, so I whipped this up from a tutorial on Noodlehead's website I used a zipper from a pair of pants that I am planning to cut-up into a messenger bag, and fabric scraps from other projects!
Then Abra and I attempted to organize and clean the playroom. I had seen "make your own storage cubes" and so I found a saved box and here we are! I plan to use paper and make it prettier, but they are custom to my cabinet!

no more pull-ups

2010-04-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

We (Rich) has decided that Abra is done with pull-ups at nighttime. I made a chart and if Abra doesn't have an accident during the night, she gets a sticker. After four stickers, she gets ice cream!!! So GOOD!!!

Gracie's birthday present

2010-04-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

This is part 1 of Gracie's birthday present. It was RIDICULOUSLY SIMPLE pattern to follow. I will post more information later, but here is the picture:

changing pad

2010-04-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

I made this changing pad for Rich's brother and sister in law. They had gotten rid of all there baby things, and now are expecting and who really likes to change their kid in the bathroom of a resturant or store? I know they ususlly go outside to change the diaper, but this then becomes a barrier between the seats in their new car and poop! I broke four needles sewing trying to sew the pillow, then I finally just did it by hand! I got the directions from the Pick-up some creativity website. For some reason, my blog won't let me place a link, but under "Projects I want to do" I have a link.

Adventures in Freezer cooking.

2010-04-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

I jave decided to try the once a month-ish cooking. Yesterday, I made SEVERAL banana pancakes, Ham and cheese pinwheels, cheeseburger pinwheels, Ham, cheese and broccoli "hot pockets", 2 batches of beef enchiladas, SEVERAL breakfast burritos. I think that is all that made, then I cut-up chicken, put it in a maranade and chopped veggies for stir-fry so all I have to do is get the bag out in the morning and cook at dinner time! Mini meatloaves and 2 pork roasts are "prepared but not cooked". Today, I have about 6 pounds of chicken waiting to be turning into meals, and some porkchops. I am not the most efficient at this yet, but we will see if helps with getting a better dinner on the table!

The new toys

2010-04-11T14:55:00.001-07:00

Here is Abra. Grandpa bought her a wheelbarrow to haul her plants around! She wanted a ride like in Daddy's. Grandpa told her "no, it is too small to give you a ride." So, Abra walked away and I will let the following pictures tell the tale!

She is hiding because she knew Grandpa was right!

Below is Rich's new lawn mower courtesy of Jim and Dorothy's generosity! Thank you again!!

Here is the future "lawn mower" in the family learning the ropes!

Swimming lessons

2010-04-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Abra LOVES swimming lessons! While Grandma and Grandpa were here, I figure we could get a few "good" pictures of the fun!

Cookies for Grandpa

2010-04-11T14:37:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Jim was coming to town, so we needed to make some cookies! I thought it would be fabulous to have Abra make them with some help from Mom! I had just seen a recipe in Martha Stewart magazine that I thought I would try out!

Step 1: Sift the flour

Step 2: cream the butter

Step 3: add the eggs one at a time

Step 4-7 (ish): add other ingredients

Step 8: add the vanilla

Step 9: clean-up the spilled vanilla

Step 10: mix in the four mixture

Don't forget the chocolate chips!

Scoop onto a cookie sheet

The cook has to have a taste test!

And enjoy!

Easter

2010-04-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Some family friends from the "old neighborhood" brought their broods over for brunch and egg hunt! I think that there were over 200 eggs in the backyard, but the kids had so much fun! Having all the plants and hills made for quite the challenge and for the past week, we have found 6 eggs that were "missed". Thanks to all those who came and hopefully it will be a tradition for years to come!

Roman numerals-done

2010-04-02T12:12:00.001-07:00

So, this doesn't look too bad for just using what was "laying around". They aren't straight and they aren't as fat as I would like, but they are cheap, living room wall art that helps my room seem less empty!

Family room done...for now

2010-04-01T13:23:00.001-07:00

Here are pictures to refresh your memories... To the letf, the family room when we moved in. To the right, the family room after all the peeling paint is off and below, the family room with a new coat of paint!! I used the same that is in the rest of the house and I already have pictures to hang on the wall in this room!! Only four more rooms to paint...playroom, laundry room, bathroom and spare bedroom. YIPPEE!!

egg-tastic fun

2010-04-01T13:16:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we went "into town" to Tina's house to dye easter eggs. With my latest Martha magazine in tow, it was fun, loud afternoon:)

Abra was very proud of that easter egg she is dying; well I got tired of the smell and threw out the boiled eggs and this morning she was very upset. Rich told her the Easter Bunny took that pretty egg and will replace it with a candy one on Easter. Well, she misunderstood and thought that the blown out eggs were what the Easter Bunny left behind, and she took a bite! When I explained that the Easter Bunny leaves candy eggs on Easter morning, she started to cry because she was so embarrassed!! Poor kid!!

Happy Birthday to me!!

2010-03-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

So, the ladies and I FINALLY found a weekend that the hubbies were home to watch the little ones so we could go out and have fun!! Pedicures and PF Chang's for Paula's birthday. Are we having a "p"theme?! So for Molly's "M" birthday...hmmm:) Here are some photos I stole from other blogs, because I forgot my camera next to the computer! I am waiting for Jenna's pictures and photos of our cute toes:)

2010-03-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Abra and Rich are working on the backyard. They work hard...

Then they play hard...

Then they are SUPER DIRTY

Psychedelic orange

2010-03-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

It is official...We have a completely ORANGE ROOM!!! My goal this week is to take this psychedelic orange and change it to a classic Gobi Desert color

Andrew's birthday present

2010-03-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

So I was wondering what to do for Rich's nephew's birthday. I thought about freezer stenciling t-shirts, but I don't have ANY materials for that. I thought about buying some clothes, but that is boring, then I thought about making something-a game!! Abra got an ABC game for her 3rd birthday that practices matching begining letter sounds with the corresponding letter. I didn't like it because it threw in blended sounds and that is too complicated for starting out. I decided to make a simple zoo one for Andrew. I have paper and wanted a project for my mod podge (basically fancy glue) and so I headed to Salvation Army and got a board game with pieces for $1 and mod podged over it what I wanted!!
The game board is two sided and the coins have actual pictures that I printed out! There is something funky going on with Blogger and my computer, so the pictures aren't arranged the best, but here is the final product!!

Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

2010-03-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

It is spring break and a friend's daughter Gets to spend it recovering from having her tonsils and adnoids removed, and tubes put in her ears. So it is a restfull week for her and her sister, so her mom asked if she could hang out one day this week and RUN AROUND!!! So headed to the zoo with some friends! All the animals were out and enjoying the sunshine and LOTS OF PEOPLE!! You would have thought that it was discount Tuesday!

Let's learn to play ball

2010-03-22T09:19:00.001-07:00

Okay, I am going to use the excuse "we haven't really had a yard" for not teaching Abra general ball skills. Since we have moved here, we practice kicking the rubber soccer ball and now, we have started practicing soft ball skills. She still has to wait another year or two before she can play tee-ball, but have been practicing and it has been fun!! After she got bored, Rich and I just tossed the ball around, I think that my dad's glove is near retirement, but it has gone through him, my mom, me and my brother!! It still works for what i need it for, but it would be super cool to be on a non-competetive league. Let's face it, I suck!

Pond

2010-03-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Rich and Abra decided that "Goldie the fish" needed some friends, so we went down to the pet store and got 35 fish for $5.

For a week following, Shia went swimming in the pond to play with her new friends. But Rich and Abra didn't feel that 32 fish (3 didn't make it) was enough, so on a trip to get more dog food, 36 more fish came home, 35 goldfish and 1 algea eater

Out of the mounths of kids...

2010-03-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Abra and I were at the park the other day and there were two sisters , 4 1/2 and 3, and they were all playing. All of a sudden, Abra blurts out " My mommy and daddy are working on a baby brother for me"! WHAT!?!?!?! I don't recall having this conversation per say with her, but she has much better ears then I am giving her credit for!

Firethorn bush

2010-03-07T14:38:00.000-08:00

I have a "to do" list of things that need to be done before the Easter egg hunt in the backyard with friends, so I tried to tackle the dreaded vine-like grass that Shia uses as a potty spot, however, it is so overgrown, it is nearly impossible to clean-up. Right next to this grass is a dreaded firethorn bush. This bush has little thorns that are very difficult to get out of your skin. While I was wacking away at the grass with the weedwacker (just to break-up the grass and vines) this stupid bush kept grabbing me!!! So I put the weed wacker down and got out the hedger and lopers and a few hours later-ALL GONE!!! Sadly, I was so mad that I accidentally sliced through the extension cord (luckily there are LOTS of safety features curtisy of other idots who have gotten the shock of their lives!!) and I wasn't hurt, just embaressed! So, there is still more grass to be wacked, but the bush is gone!!! One step closer to being ready for easter!!!

The before as a reminder

The after!!!! I think that I am done ripping out until after easter. I just need things cleaned up a bit

something skunky

2010-03-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

You know how there are neighborhood birds, or neighborhood cats, well, we have a neighborhood skunk!! Rich was up getting ready for work yesterday, he was letting Shia out to do her morning potty and general sniff around, when a big, fat skunk appeared from behind the tree!! Needless to say, Rich got Shia in before she became an outdoor dog-and yes, she would NOT be allowed into my house until the stench was gone!! By the time Rich got back with the bow-to not bring attention to himself-it was gone. This morning he got up at 6 to sit in the fort/hunting blind and waited to see if it would be around, but this morning, our neighbor smelt it in front of his house. The game is on!!!

Scrapbooking

2010-02-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad are going to have a party for their 30th wedding anniversary. My job: make scrapbook pages for people to look at. A few years ago, I made my mom a "Brag Book" with pictures of Abra. The last page was for Christmas 2005. I have a little catching up to do!! Here is what I have done so far after 2 days:

Sorry for the sideways pictures, blogger just doesn't want to work!!! But look at my baby!!! These were all done yesterday.

These were all done so far today. I have gotten to summer 2007-but there are a few more that I don't have inspiration for yet from when Mom and Dad came out Christmas 2006

Abra's skirt

2010-02-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

I FINALLY got around to making a skirt for Abra last night. It was really simple-but has some issues:( Not bad, for last minute. The fabric if from an old dress that never fit correctly and this pattern http://houseonhillroad.typepad.com/photos/twirly_skirt/index.html .typepad.com/photos/twirly_skirt/index.html It has some issues that are sewer's errors, but for a 4 year-old, it is beautiful!!

Megan's present

2010-02-20T10:19:00.001-08:00

I am fairly confident in saying that I can post Megan's bridal shower/wedding/birthday present with out ruining the suprise!! I saw the reversable halter top apron (http://tenthmusestudios.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/halter-apron-pattern/th musestudios.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/halter-apron-pattern/musestudios.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/halter-apron-pattern/ )and HAD to have it, so I ordered my first pattern!!! I FINALLY got it in the mail (really it had only been a week at the most) I went to JoAnn's and used my coupons and got enough fabric to make the apron and hopefully a few potholders. Then after Abra was tucked into bed, I sat on my living room floor( I am glad that I decided to move the carpet out) and started cutting. That was my least favorite part!!! I know it doesn't have to be EXACT, however the closer all the pieces are, the easier to put together. I sewed until 2:30 this morning and decided I should sleep. All that was left was to put the two "seperate aprons" together and sew. Morning came WAY too early, but I remembered my apron, and jumped out of bed and to the sewing room! I was finished by 10 this morning!! YIPPEE!!!I tried it on and it didn't look right on me, so I had my little giant model for the camera!! (I AM GOING TO LOOSE THE WEIGHT!!!)

Side two

On the little giant

NO MORE ROCKS...well...

2010-02-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

I am finished picking up the rocks that were along the sidewalk in the back!!! Well, not exactly, there is another couple of layers of SMALL rocks that we are just going to cover with dirt. If they work up to the surface, Abra will be older and she will pick them up!!! Also, there are a few spots that I can't get to because of the "firewood" pile. Sadly, we are going to have to add to that pile, the BIGGEST of our Cedar trees (the one we were hoping to build a tree house by/with, is rotten in the middle, so chances are it is going to come down. But, not to rain on my parade, I hand picked these rocks with some help from Abra and Dorothy, but mostly my own hands and carried the rocks in a Small garbage can-we NEED a wheelbarrow or wagon don't care which!!! And now, instead of a "rock garden" we have a HUGE rock pile!!!

This is the before. Look at the bottom...ROCKS!! There is more then what you can see, but you get the idea

Here is the after. You can see all the little rocks, but not for long:)

Like Shia's dog house she won't use!!! SERIOUSLY!!!

My BIG pile of rocks

Just for you Mom-DAFFODILS!!

Beautiful day!!

2010-02-16T11:27:00.000-08:00

Abra has had a fever for the past few days, so today she is going to stay home as a "recovery day". She was very devastated so we brought out the paints!! Plus side, it is GORGEOUS out so we can be outside to do it!!!

Roman numerals

2010-02-15T17:50:00.001-08:00

So, I am attempting to make the Roman numeral wall art. I have a piece of crap wood (is really thin) and drew the numerals this morning.I decided to make the numerals mean something instead of just VIII IX X, I did our birthdates! Rich got the power tools out and he taught me how to use them!! It was exciting!! We have cut out one set of numerals, however Rich wanted to "try" something and ended up breaking the X, so that will be our practice. Here is how the practice turned out:

Then, we went on a trip to the Home Depot, and got SUPER EXCITED because pine lumber is super cheap and with a little practice, I will be able to make my furniture...and furniture for my friends, just because it is fun!!! Maybe, I can find a way to make a couch for Tina that way she doesn't have to pay an arm and a leg :)

PLUS, we stopped into Salvation Army and I got 40 spools of thread (lots of different colors and some were not even used!) for $1.25!! I was so excited!!! Well, today has been productive and I it isn't done yet! I promised Rich brownies for valentine's and I have banana's that are ripe and about 10 sewing projects ready to going and not to mention, re-drawing today's practice numerals!!

2010-02-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

While I was cleaning the playroom last night, I remembered I wanted to make a bag for Abra's "Don;t Break the Ice" game. The box just isn't cutting it anymore and I am OBESSESSED with not losing game pieces!!! I am getting better at sewing!! I was able to complete the project in ONE night, my cuts were straighter and my lines were straighter!! I am getting better, but still have MUCH to improve upon!! I followed this tutorial from the Noodlehead blog and it turned out pretty well!! http://noodleheads.blogspot.com/2010/02/boys-drawstring-backpack-from-khaki.html My fat legs is enough to make two of these and If I really wanted to, probably three using the butt! Since I DON'T have the legs to show off "short shorts" I took the zipper off of the khakis and used it for the bag. I also took the buttons off and will use them for other projects!! I am trying to be more resourceful!

catch up

2010-02-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

Now that the rain has returned, so has my unmotivated mood! I have decided that will NOT be acceptable behavior and tonight have embarked on several projects: Bought Dorothy's christmas present, ordered pictures for Mom and Dad's scrapbook project, made a family tree http://www.marthastewart.com/article/hand-lettered-family-tree unfortunately, mine did NOT turn out as cute as Martha's. Of course, if I had unlimited resources at my disposal, I too could be as good. Abra and I painted the blanket crate pink and white. It is still a work in progress, but getting closer to being done. Oh, and tomorrow I am going to try and make the market skirt for Abra. She is VERY excited!!

BUSY day

2010-02-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

I started off my day trying to figure out where my 2007 tax form is or how to get a copy quickly without paying the government. Then off to the zoo!!It was chilly this morning, but the animals were out and ready to play!!!WE went with the old neighborhood friends (minus the school age kids)

Then a quick trip to Target..FINALLY!!! Then off to school for Abra and I decided to run into a cool knitting/crocheting shop and decided that once a week, I was going to go in and learn to knit!! I am super excited!!

Came home and played in the yard since it is suppose to start raining soon. I stopped to check online and saw this idea and VALETINE'S DAY PROBLEM SOLVED!! I am so excited because Abra can do it all-practicing those ever so important fine motor skills. http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-heartbreaker-valentines.html

And I just got a call from my father in law saying that he found a copy of our tax form!!! YIPPEE What a great day

PAINT

2010-02-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

I got some weird whim to paint this afternoon...so I did!! The paneling in the living room just was too much wood for me, and we didn't want to deal with taking it down until we replace the heating system, so I decided to paint it today. Don't ask me why, I just did!! AND I was crazy enough to do it with a paint brush instead of roller. (I didn't have anymore roller pads and didn't want to go to the store) I LOVE this color on the paneling-a VERY country cottage look, but I am not sure what I think about with my color yet!?!? (Don't tell Rich that!! He REALLY liked the wood paneling) I think that once I have more color and wall art it will all blend well! Okay ladies, it is time for you to come out again and see the changes/suggest what to do next!!!

Matching shirt

2010-02-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to make a shirt to match the market skirt I made.After viewing the pattern tutorial( http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-make-your-own-pattern.html) I was wondering if I could do the 90 min shirt for a girl. Then I got curious about making a crew neck shirt, so off to the Abra clothes bag that I still had and there was a t-shirt that I didn't really like but for some reason still had so apart it went!! I followed the same steps loosely with the neck line being the exception. I used the collar from the t-shirt I cut up that Rich NEVER WORE!! He is so funny sometimes!! Then I embroidered some flowers that match the purple in the skirt!! I think that it turned out very well...except the black marker by the arm pit and the stretched out neckline, but it is the thought that counts, right!! Hey, summer time is coming soon and Ava will be outside walking around and unless Tina runs around behind her with wet wipes...wait, she probably will, but this is one of those shirts she is allowed to get dirty!!

Ava's birthday gift

2010-02-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

So, I saw this skirt and LOVED it(http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-market-skirt.html)!!! I wanted to make one for Abra, but I just don't have enough fabric, so I decided to make one for Ava. It was a long, frustrating week, mainly because this is my first PATTERN that I have attempted and I had to play to make things work! It was a learning experience and I think that I now know more about my machine and am really excited to try a few other things out. Here are the pictures:

Up: pre-pockets on an abnormally large babydoll (9-12 month size)
Right: the finished product!!! Ava is just about to start walking so she in the chunk stage. I guestimate it is around 18 month size!!

Pancake

2010-02-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

Abra has a new little friend...it's name is pancake and it is a worm. THere are two other worm friends, Jewelry and Abadah

It is finished

2010-02-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

I went to my sewing machine yesterday to work on the market skirt (http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-market-skirt.html) but there was a quilt in the way and since I got my quilting foot from my mom for christmas, I have no reason to to procrastinate any longer!! I finished it today and it will stay in my stash until either someone I know has a baby girl (Matt and Jennifer) or I might give it to one of the little girls as a doll blanket. It is a little smaller then I hoped it would be, but still turned out REALLY well considering it is my first block quilt!!

Stupid mold

2010-01-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

Many of you I have already discussed my sadness with, but I have to blog about it too!! A few weeks ago, we were cleaning out the shed and noticed that some things have mold on them. Luckily, they were things that we aren't using, sadly they were baby things we were saving for a baby in the (hopefully) not so distant future!! I total we lost 3 carseats, a hiking backpack and Rich's beer making stuff (the suspected reason for all the mold! GRRRR!) I am hoping to salvage the highchair since the padding and tray are in the house. I just realized that I have started to use some of the things that I had saved for a new baby like the recieving blankets and other baby things. Maybe if I get rid of everything, that will be the trick:) Matt and Jennifer you better have a girl so I can get rid of the last baby girl things I have:)

UPDATE: Sadly, I don't think that I would be comfortable using the highchair. There is mold in places that I can not get to with bleach water which just makes me wonder if it is also where I can't see?!?!? So bummed, so bummed. Darn-it Tina, if you would have just used my highchair instead of Lindsay's none of this would have happened:)

Tooth pillows

2010-01-25T20:02:00.000-08:00

I was on Martha Stewart's website in December trying to find things to make for Christmas gifts for my nephews and other kids. I saw this and thought it was ADORABLE!! Tooth bears!!http://www.marthastewart.com/article/tooth-bear-with-cindy I made one for a friend's 5th birthday and they thought it was great!

For my nephew (who turns 5 in two weeks) and a friend's little boy who turns 5 on Wednesday, I didn't think they would be as thrilled with bears so I used a caboose from a quilt I made for my nephews a few years ago and a truck from the same scraps. I think that they turned out cute as well:) Sorry Tina, don't tell Steven:)

The yard

2010-01-25T16:42:00.000-08:00

We, and by we I mean Rich, have worked really hard on the back yard. It looks GREAT!! He even build a "fort" for Abra and her friends to play in when the weather dries up.

Is it spring?

2010-01-21T12:34:00.001-08:00

I just happened to be looking outside and see leaves on my lilac tree and bulbs have already started to grow?!?! PLUS I saw a double rainbow this week (I didn't have my camera and when I came back out it was gone:()! Is it true...can no coats really be right around the corner. My brain says no, but my heart says YES!!! What is traditional Oregon weather? I don't think that anyone knows, but I am going to start keeping a daily record of what the weather was like and then I will have something to go off of!

Children's museum

2010-01-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Steven, Abra and I ventured to the children's museum as something to do (other than stare at the rain!!)

Steven got to "drive" a ferry, and they took turns feeding Clifford.

Steven saw a tree and felt compelled to climb it; while Abra wanted to crawl through tubes!They played with the clay (Steven didn't care to have the clay on his hands) and then we ventured next door for a brief minute. (Art isn't these crazy cats favorite thing I guess)

BRING ON THE WATER!! It took all I had to try and get them out of the water!! I think this area would be more fun if I didn't have my hands full of rain gear!

Time to brush the teeth of the alligator. I wanted to take a picture of this lady walking around nursing her 2 year-old..totally exposed to EVERYONE. I am all for nursing, heck when your little one wants to eat, they want to eat, but walking around with your boobs hanging out at the Children's Museum isn't okay. SIT DOWN and have some discretion please.

They were being cute so I wanted to take a picture.

Future jobs: receptionist or nurse and ambulance driver. Steven could probably spent ALL DAY there. That is all that you need to entertain him..buttons that make noise and a steering wheel!

Christmas break recap

2010-01-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since writing..so here is a re-cap:

Abra and I Decorated our gingerbread train

Sang at church some Christmas songs for preschool

We had a snowball fight using the paper that had been colored (thinking that we wouldn't be able to have the "real deal" this year...)

Grandma Renee, Grandpa Ed and Great-Grandpa Tibbott flew in from Iowa for Christmas

Got to have a real snowball fight off of Hwy 6 in the coastal range

Got to see Cape Meares lighthouse

Came home to a WHOLE BUNCH of snow (after traveling 6 hours to go 50 miles!!)

Built a snowman in the backyard.

Famiy returned to Iowa New Year's Eve to more snow and colder temps then in Oregon, Bill and JT come over with the girls for a few hours to celebrate the end of 2009 and so far in 2010 I have been trying to establish a more active schedule so that all my housework gets done, I exercise and still don't have time to sit and be lazy. Happy New Year to you all!!!

BeBe Branch

2009-12-22T15:42:00.000-08:00

Be Be Branch is Abra's new best friend. She found Be Be in a pile on the ground in the backyard. She has a mommy, daddy and lots of brothers and sisters and the cedar tree is the front door where you knock to ask if Be Be can play! They played together all afternoon!! Abra even taught Be Be to ride the scooter. What great friends they are!! (and mommy's new mission is to find more human friends for Abra:))

Snowballs

2009-12-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you want to have a snowball fight, but have no snow? Take all the pictures that Abra has drawn, was them up and HURL THEM AT HER!!! We have been tossing pieces of paper at eachother and it was been great fun!!

Santa Rich WARNING: PICTURE INCLUDED

2009-12-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

Rich got his Christmas present a little early this year. He got to be one of Santa's Helpers a few years ago and LOVED IT!! This year, he really wanted to help the Big guy out, but didn't have the suit. Well, I bought the Official Santa Suit as his Christmas present and gave it to him early so that he can help Santa out this year with all the good girls and boys. He is so excited and you can now tell your children that Mr Rich is an employee of Santa's and does some field work in Oregon for him so they better be nice :)

Abra is LOVING the fact that her Daddy gets to help Santa!!

Preschool Picture

2009-12-15T15:50:00.001-08:00

Here is Abra's preschool picture. One word...Richard

CLEAN

2009-12-15T12:51:00.000-08:00

I just finished cleaning the walls and ceiling in the full bath. I didn't realize how yucky the walls were until I wiped them down and there was a considerable color difference between clean and unclean.

I wonder how long it will take for the nicotine to seep back through to the surface:)

Soap box on smoking

2009-12-14T13:47:00.000-08:00

So we have discovered that the previous owner was a smoker who smoked in the house. Whatever, that is your choice...HOWEVER, if you decide to sell, you are the person who should Kilz the whole house. Don't necessarily have to paint, so the new owner can choose colors, but come on!!! We have yucky yellow things on our bathroom walls and ceiling, the laundry room occasionally smells like stale smoke and my car was sitting in the garage for almost a week, when I drove it today, it REEKED!!! I still am extremely happy with my house, this is just something that is a new discovery that grosses me out

Still no rain/snow/freezing rain

2009-12-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

So, we were suppose to get some sort of precipitation today. I got up early to do some grocery shopping before the store got busy. The cloud cover made the temperatures not too bad, so we decided to do some yard work before the dreaded precipitation arrived. We worked on the pile of branches laying in the yard. I got them cut down so that we can fit more into the yard debris container. Towards the end, Rich and Abra helped. Rich lopped the BIG branches into smaller ones and Abra carried the smaller branched to me where I made them smaller and piled them behind a tree so that our yard finally looks nicer:)

Among the branches, we found one that looks like Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree, so we just HAD to keep it!!! Rich found some wood to make a stand, and I grabbed a red ball ornament off the Christmas tree, and it is now sitting on our front porch! Rich is allergic to the real trees, so we can't keep it inside

It is now 4:30, and still no precipitation...but that is okay because we got a ton finished!!

Unpacked

2009-12-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

So, I have been "unpacked" for a long time, but I can honestly say this now that I have taken the time to create a home for those things that you want to keep but don't really need or use that often. I usually just leave these things in a box unless I need them for something. (I have not been in one spot for more then a year and a half since I moved out of my parents house in 2000) Yes, I do still have things there that I need to bring here, but I figured I would drive to Iowa this summer and get them. It isn't like they don't have any room. Their house is HUGE, not to mention the oversized garage, the shed, the white garage, and the machine shed. really, where was all this space when all the kids were still living in the house:) I am really excited they have such an amazing house. It makes visiting much nicer. Off topic. Just a proud moment for me:)

Merry Christmas

2009-12-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

I have never bought much in terms of Christmas decorations because 1) we didn't have the storage space for alot of boxes/tubs 2) it has never been MY house. I didn't want to invest in things that wouldn't work with the space/decor of my future house that I knew one day we would own. Well, we now have our OWN HOUSE and all of my decorations fit into one room.

Of course it is the one room that we never sit in because there is no TV in there, and I am very strict about food and beverages on my new furniture. Well, here is what my room looks like:)

Saturday, Abra got to see Santa downtown Forest Grove. It was cute, the local businesses had crafts for the kids to do and that night was the light parade. Abra was on her preschool float and I walked next to it:) The only sad thing was I forgot my camera and my phone, so no pictures:(

FREEZING COLD

2009-12-10T11:01:00.000-08:00

IT IS FREEZING, literally. The pond in the backyard is frozen. I can even stand on it without breaking!! But, Abra is cuter, so she wins.

Thanksgiving in California

2009-12-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

The drive down was long, but good. Abra was in a good mood, Rich got into a good mood once we were out of the Portland area, and I got to drive the mountain passes (not my favorite part) We got there around 4 and Ethan and Andrew were there, surprised by the visitors. The rest of the evening was calm and we all went to bed early. Wednesday, we went over to Matt and Jennifer's so that Rich and Matt could play the Transformers game for the Wii. Notice Ethan's fingers, yes in deed, he is flicking a booger and Uncle Rich was very excited about this and encouraged this the WHOLE TRIP!!

On Thanksgiving Day, Jennifer thought that making a Gingerbread Train would be the PERFECT distraction until it was time to eat.

Howie was busy biting at Shia. They both were instigators and wore eachother out often.

Friday, Rich and I got to see the New Moon movie. I think that this was done much better then Twilight. I can't wait to get my books back from Rachel so that I can re-read the book:) We also got to meet up with Bill, Colleen and Connor Martchenke. Sadly, it was only a few minutes in a crowded Mall, but it was nice to see them and it makes me miss the random evenings we used to hang out. Saturday, we made the LONG drive home, for the first time, it was to OUR HOME!!! Sunday, was a nice day, so Rich cleaned gutters, I worked on ivy and cleaning up dog poop, and Abra kept herself busy!!

Late is better then never

2009-12-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

So, these pictures are two weeks old. They are from BEFORE our trip to California. If I remember correctly, it was SUPPOSE to be a nice day that had random rain showers. Like a good Oregonian, I worked through the rain. During the sun breaks of the day, Rich taught Abra to climb the tree in the back yard and Shia to climb the Juniper. Fun times:)