About My BlogPage Picture

This is a picture I took the day before Mother's Day this year, 2009. We usually celebrate Sunday holidays on the Saturday before since Sundays are already so busy for us.  We cooked up my favorite meal, Turkey Dinner, and ate on my most favorite dishes ever, Royal Doulton "Old Country Roses". I have loved this pattern since I was a little girl. My mom turned me onto it, and she loves it too. Years ago, my mom gave me a teacup and saucer.

Then, for Christmas 2004, Paul gave me 4 place settings. It is probably one of the most special gifts I've ever been given by him. It was our first Christmas in The Dalles. 6 months prior we had just moved to The Dalles from our Springfield appointment of 4 years. Easy, no. Especially factoring in that I moved here pregnant and gave birth on December 14, the worst possible time in Salvation Army world. (We have very busy and demanding Christmas seasons). But you know what? Everything worked out great! I learned to better rely on the Lord and looking back, I know that if I could make it through those first 6 months, and keep my head and smile on straight, by the grace of God, I can make it through anything.

I had been looking through my pics to put on my header, and liked this one because I just love table settings. I love "Old Country Roses" and I love sharing meals, laughter, God's Word, and guidance and even some bickering and corrections at the dinner table. I'm still thinking of staging a picture so I can do a better job at showing off my dishes and make the table look pretty and decadent. So I don't know, real life vs. picture perfect.

I would also like to keep adding to my "Old Country Roses". Since I only have 4 place settings, we usually will use the salad/bread plates for the little kids, but eventually it would be nice to let them use the dinner plate. And in my wildest fantasy, it would be so neat to have plenty to be able to use with company too. I mean, what am I gonna do when the kids all marry and bring their families over. I think I'll need about 5o place settings!! I would also like a tea and coffee setting. To sum it up... I want it all!! Ha! Ha!.

Mt. Hood Trip

We went to Mt. Hood last Thursday evening/night. The boys were at camp still, so it was just us girls and Daddy. We have a great view of Mt. Hood from our living room window. It is fun to watch the snow build up and melt throughout the year. The sunrises and sunsets are amazing.


The Mountain kept getting bigger and bigger.

This is how we roll. You'll notice Hannah in the backseat. She has been banned from the front seat next to Mary. I'll leave the why up to your imagaination...

Paul and I had fun taking goofy pictures.

One memorable thing was that we saw a leg lying alongside the road. That's it just a big old deer leg. We were laughing pretty hard.

We had a light dinner at the Timberline Lodge. We love that place and have even stayed there during off-season for Officer's Councils. Ann and Hannah shared a PBandJ sandwich, carrots and grapes.

Mary chewed on a carrot stick. (But darn it!! I just erased her picture!)

We met a couple of ladies from Florida and chatted with them for a while. One of them was an executive in the resturaunt business in one of the Fortune 500 companies. We just love meeting new people... and I love talking food! They got a kick out of the girls and took our picture.

We hiked up a paved trail to the snow. I carried Mary and Paul did the hard work of pushing the girls in the stroller, straight up hill.

I call this one "flip-flops in the snow"

It was 107 degrees when we left The Dalles. Mt. Hood was hot too, but when we got up to the snow, it was cold!

Only Paul can throw a snowball and take a picture at the same time.

Please help....

Please help... How do I "unfollow" a blog?? One of mine has profanity, I quit!

Took kids to camp Monday. Paul's van got waaaaay to squirrely and he had to pulllover once. My van was packed with girls, including a 13 year old in the front seat with me who chatted at me for 2 hours STRAIGHT. That was hard to get through! On the way home, Paul got so far up ahead of me, that I got mad (we were already both grumpy, tired and HOT) so I pulled over at a fish hatcherey and the girls and I got out to play for almost and hour. That was fun and cooled me off! In the past I might've laid into him. But over the years, I've learned that he is mostly innocent, and I'm the one that can make issue (I'm a girl! ha!ha!). When we finally got home, as always, he came right out of the house to help me unload the girls. Madness gone.. I love that man!

Tuesay, our friend Linda, took Ann and Hannah out for an afternoon of fun. They had a blast going to Petco, McDonalds, the Animal farm in Dallesport, swimming, out for icecream. They came home wiped out.
Since I had only one child (Mary) I got to have a rare treat... lunch with a friend! Yay! Joyce and I met at the Petite Provence. A little French cafe on 2nd St. I love that place. After that I headed to the grocery store, dropped off groceries at home and went to the Corps for a few hours.

Yesterday for Home League, we took another field trip to Stonehenge (the one in Maryhill, WA) and Maryhill Museum. It was a great time, as always! I just loooove our ladies. We have so much fun together. Then Ann and I had Dentist appointments. Thankfully, Paul came with me so he could watch Mary and Hannah while I was getting my teeth cleaned. I really like going to the Dentist, I got to lay down for almost an hour in the middle of the day. Aaaah relaxation! Good check-up for me and for Ann I'll qoute the Dentist "Ann is a vision of dental loveliness".

Heading to the Corps this afternoon. I need to get ready for Church at the Park on Sunday. I have a lot of stuff to pack up. I also need to finish my sermon/devotion and the program. We're planning a surprise trip to Mount Hood for the girls tonight.

Did I mention it is just way weird to have the boys gone again??? I miss them, but it is nice though not to have a "Mom, can I....?" or "Mom, I'm hungry" every 5 minutes.

It has been really, really hot here. It reminds me of our days in our first appointment in Bullhead City, AZ. It was regularly 115 + for months at a time. We used to set up misters in the backyard and everything. We did get used to it and after we moved to Oregon I was always cold for the first year.
Times like these I am so grateful for air-conditioning. We have some people in the church who don't have air conditioning, so last week Paul went around to their houses and delivered fans.

Mary just exploded on my lap, better go clean us both up.

Today Was Quite A Day!

You ever just have one of those days??? I vote it should never be on a Sunday!

It started out typical, but when Sunday School was supposed to start with my leading Assembly, it all started going downhill. Not in a bad way... just in a totally unexpected way with some things that needed to be dealt with right away. I won't go into detail, but my, oh my, are we in a fallen world with broken-hearted people.

I can go into detail about my own family though ;)
Hannah was a HANDFUL at church this morning. I was mortified! (I was on my own because Paul I were taking turns dealing with the other situation.) I don't know what got into her! Posessed? Maybe. Two years old? FOR SURE! Elijah helped, trying to take her out of church, but she beat him up and made a run for it. I'm standing at the pulpit, leading the Call to Worship, and here comes this maniac screaming 2 year old charging down the middle aisle, straight for me. All eyes were on her and then, my reinforcements charged after her and the 3 ladies swiped her off her feet and out the door. Amen!
It blindsighted me and I apologized profusely, finished up and took the next opportunity, Offering, to go check in with her. By then she was pleased as punch and when I talked with her about it she kept saying her version of "sorry" and "mommy happy?". Uuuh, NO!

We went for a late lunch at Denny's. It was nearly 2pm before we got there. Church got out late, we had people to take home, etc. Everybody was starving, even Mary, so I had to order what I call a "one-handed" dish and not my favorite Ciabatta Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich (that takes two hands). Ooooh the sacrifices us mommies make :) I know that God gives us children to remind us that we are not the center of the world. Although, I confess, that sometimes I act like I am.

David and Ann went with me to the Nursing Home for Church. I filled up Mary and left her with Paul. We were visiting today at one of our, shall I say... "rougher" nursing homes. We usually know what to expect, but like I said, today was just one of those days!! One of the older men kept running over Ann with his wheelchair and I had to keep stopping the service so I could wheel him back across the room, only for him to eventually wheel his way right back up to Ann. He would end up inches from her face because she was standing beside me and he was sitting in his wheelchair. She was tough about it though, and I told her I was proud of the way she handled it. David and I concluded that he was just trying to see and hear us better.
And then, during my sermon, a lady came in, walked across the room, pulled down her pants and started to full-on pee in the corner. Now, over the years, I've had people do all sorts of things during my sermons- sleep, talk, clip thier nails, yawn, knit, textmessage, you name it... but this was definately a first for me. Once again, I had to stop, go (well, almost RUN) out to the nurses station and let them know. Then I continued. Later, I told David how proud I was of him and how he handled himself like a gentlemen. Ann was great about it too. In the car I was explaining how people get old and so do their brains and stuff like that just happens and Ann said "Yeah, I know Mom. It's like Buster peeing in the house because he's old. We love him anyway and help him." Out of the mouths of babes! What do they need me for anyway?!

God is sooo good. I may have set out to conquer the day, but instead, He conquered me. I'm thankful to Him for giving me a day out of the ordinary, not great, not terrible, but different.

Our 2 Campers

The boys are back. Yay! It's funny having 2 kids go to camp because they argue over who gets to tell what story! They both had and awesome time. David always come back more self-sufficient, Elijah has this time too. I sense a lot more confidence in both of them and they are so full of kindness for their sisters because they missed them. I'm glad for that. I think we have a great camp, and I am always so impressed with the way it's run. It takes a lot of hard, consistent work to keep a camp safe for all the children involved. There are so many pre-cautions to take and a lot of careful planning goes into it. Hooray for Camp Kuratli Staff!! Thank you so much for inspiring our kids to live out their faith because of the real way you present yours!

The church kids all did great and makes The Dalles Corps so proud! They were all so full of stories which they shouted over each other on the 2 hour drive home. We just love them to bunches and get excited when we are able to witness their faith take root.

Between church and nursing homes tomorrow, I need to wash up their clothes and stick them right back in their suitcases for another 5 days of camp. We're leaving Monday and will take the other church kids too.

I'm not looking forward to another week without my boys, but will make the best of it with plenty of girl time (poor Paul). I know that one day, our kids will start leaving for good, hopefully by then I'll be ready for it! (Maybe that's what the teenage years are for..ha!ha!)

My Kids Should've Been Asian

Is it legal to blog twice in one day????

I have some spare time, an early bedtime for the girls because we're up at the crack of dawn to go pick up our church kids from camp. I know they will be brimming with stories to tell us! So anyways, I thought I'd write about rice because the boys will be home tommorow and I want to make them one of their favorite meals.

My kids LOVE rice. They might as well be Asian. Left to themselves, I think they'd eat it breakfast, lunch and dinner. For years all I've cooked is Lundberg Organic Brown Rice. That's what I like and most importantly- that's what CostCo sells, so that's what the kids are used to. 12 pounds for about $13. We go through about 3-4 bags a year. I cook it at least once a week, just season it differently depending on what I'm serving it with. I also use it in casseroles, mexican dishes, etc. We hardly ever do noodles/pasta, maybe once every 5-6 weeks (if that). Rice is definately the staple in our home. I will cook up a ton once a week, eat it for dinner that night and then use it for other stuff the rest of the week. Like Mommy's Fried Rice, which the kids love to eat and we named it Mommy's because when we go to a resturaunt and order fried rice, they're like... "this doesn't taste as good as mommy's". (And boy does that make me feel good!!)

Here's how I cook it:

Ingredients (These are all estimates, tweak it to how you want it and how much you want)
4 Cups of already cooked Brown Rice. (It works better if it's already nice and cold)
1/4 Cup Peanut Oil (use any, but I don't recommend Olive for this)
1 1/2 Cups of frozen Carrot/Pea mix, thawed
1 1/2 Cups of already cooked Meat (whatever you have on hand, pork, chicken, beef)
7 Eggs, beaten (my kids like lots of egg in it)
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

Directions:
Heat up large skillet and oil until nice and hot.
Fry up the Brown Rice until heated through
Mix in Carrot/Pea and Meat
Cook through.
Add Soy Sauce, mix up.
Push everything to one side
On the empty side, add eggs and scramble until set
Mix into rice

Serve with a smile