The Happiest Days

What the heck?

2011-04-01T00:53:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today...don't laugh...it happens every once in awhile! What the heck? No, really! That's what I was thinking. I was thinking what the heck, am I a good wife, a good mom, a good friend, a good daughter? What the heck, how come I'm not more creative, organized, fancy, or proactive? What the heck is that on the sleeve of my shirt?!? These are the things I ponder when I'm alone at work. I should never be left alone with my thoughts.
So I decided to get my you-know-what together tonight. I reorganized a closet on Monday and everything that didn't fit back in is all over my table. (did I mention it's now Thursday?) Not conducive for family dinners. So I (almost) cleaned that up. I need a few books to give a little lift to a lamp in my living room so I made one out of an old phone book, a paper bag and some fancy duct tape my pal Denise gave me for Christmas. By the way, I told her about my adventure and she said, "Who the heck are you!!" That's a good comment right? I thought so. I painted a dollar store picture frame and it looks awesome...now I just need to put something in it. But baby steps right?
I must say, I feel pretty awesome right now. Productive, creative and just plain awesome! It's kind of a nice change from the "what the heck" feelings I've been having lately. Tomorrow I'm going to make dinner for my poor graveyard working husband, help my sister paint her house and make some cupcakes for the gals at work. That should be a good second step towards a "what the heck" free life!
Enjoy a few pics of my super awesome day! Pay no attention to the horrible lighting, it's like 1am. Not much natural light. :-)

That picture frame was a really lovely turquoise and gold.

I don't know why I painted it.

I think I'll put a little bit of sheet music in that frame.

Yeah...that's right...I made that.

All that's left is a tiny bit of sorting.

Or maybe a big bit of sorting.

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.

Albert Camus

Aren't we just the cutest of autumn flowers?! I've been taking this very same picture of Terry and the kids for the last 8 years. This is the first time I've been in the picture!!!

I'm so glad that Brandon and Jenny aren't too old to love this tradition as much as we do. I wasn't sure if Brandon would want to come with us this year but when I asked him he said, "I don't wanna miss the pumpkin patch!" I love that!!

Ohhhh yeah...and I love this guy.

so are the days of our lives...

2010-06-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

Always gotta keep busy or the voices start telling me to do wild things.

Steve Brown

Two months since my last blog post...

I can't decide if I've been lazy or uninspired. Neither sounds particularly encouraging so I'm going to go another direction and just say busy!

The end of the school year is quickly approaching and we're hip deep in graduation "stuff". Brandon's last day of school is just one day away and then our baby will be a "grown-up"...sorta. It's been a slippery slope to say the least but he's working so hard to finish strong. We're proud and scared and happy and sad all at once and let me tell you all that emotion is exhausting!

Jenny's been working her little tail feathers off as well to finish her sophomore year. She's leaving her current post in ASB and has been appointed ASB "Spirit Commissioner" for next fall. This is a job perfectly suited for our vivacious, happy-go-lucky little social butterfly! She's also made the cheer squad for next fall so we're anticipating a very busy summer of camps, fundraisers and practices.
Terry and I are just trying to keep up! Like ships passing in the night we occasionally find a moment or two to spend together. I am so blessed to be married to someone I love spending time with especially as we see our empty nest on the horizon. Two years away I know but the time is moving much too quickly these days.

I've decided to post a little montage of our last few months and let our pictures say a thousand words!

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

The story of Easter is the story of God's wonderful window
of divine surprise. ~Carl Knudsen

We had Easter Dinner at our house again this year and it was wonderful! I love my family so much and it's such a joy to have them here in our home. God's truly blessed us by giving us a home to share with our family.

Amigos till the end...

2010-02-27T20:49:00.000-08:00

"Conversation is food for the soul”
Mexican Proverb

When I am with my friends, my soul is well fed!

January in a nutshell

2010-01-31T18:39:00.000-08:00

“It is the memory that enables a person to gather roses in January”

I suppose for some people January is a dreary and depressing month but, to those of us born in the very first month of the year it's a lovely time of beginnings. Our January started out fabulously when the kids came home from their visit to Arizona on New Years Day. They were gone for a full week and we really missed them. We had big plans to spend our New Years Eve together but too full flights and bad weather got in the way. Sooooo we saved all the goodies for the 1st! Pizza rolls, mini corn dogs, and taquitos washed down with a few bottles of sparkling cider. Ahhh the good life!

And then, wouldn't you know it, another birthday!!! I spent the most amazing weekend celebrating my 37th. My kids treated me to a fabulous dinner and a delicious carrot cake; I took a class at my favorite scrapbook store, arts&scraps, with my mom; went out to dinner with my three VERY bestest friends and spent a lovely day with my whole family. My wonderful mom still lets us choose whatever we want for dinner. She made the most amazing meal of fried chicken and mashed potatoes (my all time fav!!!) It's very, very good to be me!

The rest of the month passed in a blur of work, family time, busy teenage kids and swim meets. Ohhhh wait...did I mention that Brandon was on the swim team at Fort Vancouver High School this year?! Well he was and he was AMAZING!!! That boy swims like a fish. He competed in the 50 meter free, the 100 meter back stroke, and the 100 meter free. He swam at the district championships and it was his very first year to compete! We are soooo proud of him!!

And that's our January in a nutshell.

Friends

2010-01-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown

These are my girls...my peeps...my entourage. They've been there for me through the best and worst that life has thrown me. They are my family and I love them!!!

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

2009-12-25T20:47:00.000-08:00

"Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance - each beautiful, unique and too soon gone."

We didn't have a white Christmas this year but the memories are still as precious and fleeting as snowflakes. The gifts where opened and the food was eaten but the joy of being surrounded by family will linger in our hearts.

We are well and truly blessed.

Happy 18th

2009-12-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

Someday I'll fly
Someday I'll soar

Someday I'll be something much more

Cause I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for

From the moment I heard this song I knew it was about Brandon. His spirit and his personality have always been so much bigger than the sweet little body it was crammed into.

"Watch me! Watch me!" That refrain echoes through his childhood.

"Watch me jump off this swing!"

"Watch me ollie this curb!"

"Watch me jump this ramp on my bike!"

"Mom! Watch me!"

Although overwhelming at the time, they are now one of the sweetest pieces of my memory. He's 18 today and I continue to watch him. I watch him grow and develop and mature every day. I watch him making big decissions and wrestle with life choices. I watch him laugh and struggle and I still watch him play.

My prayer for him is that he will choose wisdom over wealth, love over fear, and that he will know I will always be here to watch him.

2009-12-21T19:56:00.000-08:00

"A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand"

Jenny and I made a huge assortment of fabulous cookies for Christmas this year! We made peppermint yum yums, smore thumbprints, chocolate peppermint drops, snickerdoodles, and peanut butter cookies. Some were gifts, some were shared on Christmas Eve and some...ok many...went straight into our tummies!

I love being able to cook with Jenny. It's one of the most precious times of the holidays. She's an amazing cooker-girl!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

We are well and truly blessed.What's Thanksgiving without a nap? We missed them this year.

We give thanks for unknown blessings already on the way~

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see. ~Linus van Pelt--It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

The weather man said, "Tomorrow will be the last dry day for at least a week."

The Radio DJ said, "It's supposed to start raining tomorrow and it will probably not stop until May because that's how we do fall in the Pacific Northwest!"
Terry and I said, "Quick! Let's get to the pumpkin patch before we have to dig our pumpkins out of the mud!!!"

So that is what we did! We rounded up our youngsters and headed to our favorite patch out on Sauvie Island. Talk of our favorite memories and a brief "discussion" about who would be partnered with whom in the corn maze took up much of the trip. We arrived to find that we had been doing it wrong all these years! The best day to go to the Pumpkin Patch is not on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The BEST day to go is a sunny Monday evening!!! No crowds and no mud. Both a bonus in our book. We did the maze first-boys vs. girls this year and I am proud to say that Jenny and I were victorious! We arrived on Victory Bridge well ahead of the boys. Girl Power!

We hitched a ride on the last wagon to the patch and went in search of the "perfect pumpkin". Sticking to the rule, you can only get a pumpkin that you can carry, we each found our victims, err pumpkins. The pumpkins have gone through a strange procession over the years from smallish when the kids were young to ginormous when they were in middle school back to smallish now that some of the shine of digging out pumpkin guts has gone.

Back on the wagon and out to the car. The only bummer about the Monday evening trip is that they don't sell Elephant Ears on week night. Depending on who you ask, this is almost a deal breaker!

But despite the lack of fried dough we had an amazing time. Just like always.

2009-09-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. - George Eliot

This is my absolute favorite season of the year!!! I love the nip in the air and the leaves and the pumpkins and chilly nights spent watching high school football!

We have an extra special reason for all those football games this year because Jenny is a JV Cheerleader. We've loved watching her and she's having so much fun! She's also involved in ASB for the sophomore class so she's been burning the candle at both ends for several weeks. Her 15th birthday is coming up on the 19th and in her world the whole month is just for her! Guess that's what happens when you're the princess :-)

Brandon has begun his Senior year. It's all a little overwhelming to all of us I think. He's got a pretty light schedule and is really enjoying the school year so far. He's talking about going into the Coast Guard after graduation and we're pensive but supportive. Eventually he wants to be a High School History teacher. He has so much potential and we're so excited at what the future holds for him!

Thankful

2009-09-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get. ~Frank A. Clark

Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes it's not easy to be thankful. Sometimes it seems like there isn't much to be thankful for. We've had a few of those days in the past month as I deal with the loss of my job. We've had a lot of questions as we look forward to the Christmas holidays, Brandon's 18th birthday and having two kids in high school one job short of our usual income. But you know what? God is so good to us. We're blessed enough to be living in a real life example of a loaves and fishes miracle! We don't know what we're going to do. I don't know what kind of job I'll find or when I'll find it. The beautiful thing is that we don't have to know! We just have to trust that our God knows and he's big enough and he loves us enough to take care of our smallest needs. He even blesses us with some of our wants when we least expect it. Terry is a heroic and amazing man. He's taken on a second job to supplement our income while I'm searching. I am so proud to be married to him. So proud of the example he is setting for Brandon about what it looks like to be a father, husband and provider and so proud of the model he's displaying for Jenny about how a man takes care of his wife and family.

We have each other. We have our health. We have our family. What more could we ask for?

We are thankful.

Weddings

2009-09-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

Newlyweds become oldyweds, and oldyweds are the reasons that families work. ~Author Unknown

All these weddings have made me nostalgic! In just a few weeks Terry and I will celebrate our 7th Anniversary! It's remarkable how quickly the time has flown by. Sometimes I can't even remember my life without him. We call this always. We feel like we've always been together. We're so lucky because we just fit. Not everything is easy but everything is right. Every problem can be solved, every hurt can be healed and every single laugh is cherished. The bumpy road we traveled to find each other has only made our love more precious. We hope and pray that Adam & Sarah and George & Janna will be as blessed in their new marriages as we have been in ours.

Our Little Cheerleader

2009-09-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

"All women are created equal...then a few become cheerleaders!"

Rockaway

2009-08-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

“Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.”

A week at the beach. No worries, no work, just our feet in the sand. Life is good!!

Brandy found us a great house to rent in Rockaway Beach, OR. I think this might have been our first full family vacation (the only one missing was our sweet baby brother, but he sent his fiance to represent!) and I think we were all a little apprehensive about how we'd do all together for a whole week. I'm so thrilled to report that we had the absolute best time ever!

Grandpa Jerry played wii

Jenny and Jack were marine biologists

Charlie Knuckles kept us all laughing

Garry got his oysters

Jenny got tired of Colton's you-know-what

Terry snored the kids right out of the basement

The food, the food oh my goodness the food

Grandpa tipped over in the chair on the beach

The ocean tried to eat Jenny and Colton

The wind blew and blew but it couldn't blow us off the beach

Brandon and Colton find out just how cagey Grandpa is

Jenny tried...to skim board...she tried

Nights of family games

The kite man...go Elmo

How many movies can two teenage boys watch

“When you look at your life the greatest happinesses are family happinesses”

The 4th of July!!!

2009-07-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

You have to love a nation that celebrates its Independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~Erma Bombeck

My absolute favorite holiday is the 4th of July! I know that might sound strange but I like it more than Christmas, Thanksgiving and my birthday all rolled into one. It's the absolute best of everything that makes my family great. The food is amazing and there is always more than enough. All the family comes. Everyone! And even some friends and neighbors sneak in but we're an exclusive bunch...invitation only! The stories get bigger each year and there is always laughter. Lots and lots of laughter. It's the only day of the year where we can indulge our inner pyro! We blow stuff up all day long.

And we honor our family's long tradition of military service. We are so proud of those who have sacrificed and fought for our freedom.
Aunt Barb and Uncle Ben have been opening up their home to us for nearly 20 years and I am so grateful that they continue to allow us to blow holes in their yard!!! They are the best!! And did I mention that we have fireworks? LOTS AND LOTS OF FIREWORKS!! ENORMOUSLY HUGE AND AWESOME FIREWORKS!! Well, we do!
Beat that neighbor!

Life's a beach...

2009-06-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Don't grow up too quickly, lest you forget how much
you love the beach.

I had two days off!!! We decided to take advantage of one of those days and head to the Oregon Coast. It was beautiful, windy, sunny and a teensy bit chilly but who cares when you're at the beach!!! We had the best time and loved being able to take Colton, Jack and McKenna with us.

Father's Day

2009-06-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's words when he talks to his children, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself. ~John Gregory Brown

My dad is a great dad and a great Grandpa!!!

Almost Summer

2009-05-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

Sunny Day.

Slip and Slide.

Need I say more?

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie HarmonI know it sounds chiche but my mom really is the best mom in the history of the world. She has the amazing ability to make each of her kids feel as if they are her absolute favorite. I'm convinced that I'm her most favorite but I'm pretty sure my sister and brother feel the same way! She loves us with the most unselfish and sacrificial love. Now that I'm a mom, I understand the sacrifices that she must have made for us. I understand all the things that she went without to make sure we had everything we needed and most of the things we wanted. She didn't work when we were little and I now understand what a blessing that was for us. She was always there for us....what am I saying...she IS always there for us!! Not a day goes by that I don't wonder at least once, "what would my mom do in this situation?" She's my role model, my measuring stick. I want to be a mom like her. I hope I make my kids feel half as special as she makes me feel everyday. Our relationship has evolved over the years and I'm happy to say that I love her more everyday. She is my mom and my friend and I am blessed.

And I am blessed because nearly 7 years ago God gave me the incredible privilege of becoming a mom to the two most amazing children in the big wide world! They are my absolute joy! The trials and challenges are outweighed a million times over by the love and laughter they fill my life with. I LOVE THEM!!!

Mom's Birthday

2009-05-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday favorite mother!

Happy Birthday to you!

Bowling!

2009-04-26T00:03:00.000-07:00

Even if you don't knock a lot of pins down, be sure to strike a pretty pose! ~ author unknown

We just had the most amazingly fun evening!!! Who knew that bowling could bring a family together?! My Sister-In-Law, Marcelle, organized a super fun evening at Park Lanes in Hillsboro. We just love being together with family and it was so much fun watching everyone laugh and bowl! Jenny and I agree that we probably need a little more practice with the wii but even though we sorta, kinda suck we still had a great time!

Easter

2009-04-11T23:16:00.000-07:00

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time. ~Martin Luther

I just hosted my first holiday dinner! A little stressful I'll admit but not enough to outweigh the joy of it. I love, love, love using this house that God has blessed us with to bless my family. There was a time in our lives that Terry and I couldn't imagine owning our own home. But our God is faithful and in His perfect time he blessed us. Now we have just the right amount of room to do something as amazing as today! We had my parents, Brandy and Garry and the kids, and my brother and Sarah here for Easter Dinner today. As always, there was plenty of food but the best part is the time spent together, playing games and just talking. I love my family so much and today was just great!

Spring Scrap!

2009-04-05T19:10:00.001-07:00

Scrapbooking isn't about scraps of paper and photos. Scrapbooking is about scraps of life - yours and those special to you. ~Rebecca Sower

Sometimes we wonder...is our family a group of scrappers or a group of collectors? This spring break we proved we are truly Scrappers!!! So many of my family works for the Camas School District that school breaks provide the perfect time to gather all kinds of pictures, papers, ideas and kits together for days of scrappin fun! Those lucky enough to have the week off got much accomplished over several days together! Some of the rest of us...namely me...had to work! However, Sunday was all mine! I came bearing Starbucks and all my necessities. I spent 10 hours in the company of my favorite people; Mom, Brandy, Aunt Barb (who's double car garage has become the ultimate scrappers paradise!), Aunt Eileen, Cousin Karen, Second Cousin Shauna and Sister-In Law-sorta-kinda Denise!

What a blessing to have such a close and special family.

Some examples of our amazing creativity!!!

Track

2009-03-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

"Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings

on the way down"

That kid can jump! Brandon had his first track meet today and man can he jump! I had to work but I made it in time to see him do the triple jump. Before I got there he did the long jump, the high jump and the javelin. I was amazed at how effortless he made it look. His longest triple jump was 33.4 feet! A natural athlete for sure...we're so proud of him!!!

Happy Birthday

2009-03-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child.-- Barbara Alpert

Today is my sister's 33rd birthday! We spent the afternoon at my parents house eating and laughing as we shared our favorite memories and went through old family photos. Brandy and I shared so much growing up including a bedroom! And although we are so very different, we are bound by a common love for each other. No one I know has more get up and go than Brandy! Constant motion and boundless energy make her who she is. She is a devoted friend, tireless advocate for her family, amazingly creative and loving mother, and the planner that keeps our family coming together. She plans trips, organizes meals, calls us, feeds us and loves my kids like no one else could! I can't imagine my life without her and I'm so blessed to call her sister and friend.

Happy Birthday my one-of-a-kind Sister!

Did I mention that for her birthday dinner my sister wanted a dessert sampler from Larsons Bakery?

Tennis

2009-03-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

The serve was invented so that the net could play.

~Bill Cosby

Jenny had her very first tennis match on Thursday! She was the cutest little tennis player on the courts of Evergreen High School and she did amazing for her first time out! We are sooooo proud!!! Way to go Jenny!

Cake with Gramma

2009-03-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting. ~Author Unknown

We had the best weekend! Friday night my mom and dad came over for dinner. Much to Jenny's delight my mom brought a special family recipe that had been passed down from my grandma many years ago for a one pan, better than you've ever tasted chocolate cake and no fail 7 minute icing! This is the yummy marshmallowy fluffy white frosting from my childhood! There was much anticipation. After dinner Jenny and Gramma moved into the kitchen and made magic! It was so precious to watch my mom and my daughter cooking a recipe from my grandmother in my very own kitchen. I could not have been more blessed! When all was said and done the cake was an absolute masterpiece! These are the priceless memories that make our lives so rich.

Jenny

2009-03-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

A daughter is a treasure - and a cause of sleeplessness.-- Ben Sirach

Jenny went to Tolo last night! I love how excited she gets before each dance. She went with her two "besties" Emily and Sheila. I'm not sure what the theme was but the outfit was festive!! The girls came here after to spend the night and a good time was had by all!!!

My mom is so cool

2009-02-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people,

promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

I had the best time this week watching my mom teach a cooking class! She is the most amazing person in the whole world and I love her so much. It is such a privilege to be able to not only call her mom but to also call her friend. I am blessed!

Valentines Day

2009-02-23T20:23:00.000-08:00

Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life,

love gives us a fairytale!

I borrowed a tradition from my dear friend SueKeeney after Terry and I got married. On Valentines Day (or as close to that day as possible) I serve the fanciest, specialist, most awesome dinner in the whole wide world to my husband and kids. Everyone gets a present and we use our snazziest dishes...cloth napkins and all! After all Valentines day is about love right? And who do I love more in the world than Terry, Brandon and Jenny?! It's become a really special and much anticipated event in our home. This year is no exception. I absolutely love doing this for my family. Valentines Day has become one of my favorite holidays!

Super Bowl

2009-02-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl!!!

We had the best time getting together for Super Bowl Sunday at my mom and dad's house. There was of course wayyyyyy toooooo muchhhhhh food but we managed to polish most of it off!

Oh, and did I mention that my parents bought the biggest TV in the history of the world? It was a huge (and I mean HUGE) surprise to all of us when we showed up. So fun to watch the game when the players were almost life size!

Ahhhhh January!

2009-01-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.-- Abraham Lincoln

January has been eventful so far. I began my new job, celebrated my birthday, sent Brandon up to Mt. Hood for his first try at snowboarding, Jenny got a new haircut, Terry finished a book :-) and my mom and dad and I are celebrating our 34Th anniversary today! And we're only halfway through the month!

This new year promises to be full and amazing! We can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the coming weeks and months! Stay tuned....

Christmas

2008-12-25T21:40:00.000-08:00

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

So blessed are we!! The gifts under the many trees we visited yesterday didn't compare to the family we shared our time with. Words can't describe how loved we feel so I thought I would just share some of our favorite moments.

At the Milhollin Home

At the Darco Home

There has been only one Christmas - the rest are anniversaries. ~W.J. Cameron

Winter's A Blast

2008-12-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

“When it snows,

you have two choices:

shovel or make snow angels”

We have decided to make snow angels!!

The "Arctic Blast" as predicted by Northwest NewsChannel 8 has arrived at our little house in the 'Couve! We woke to about 1/2 an inch and tonight at 8pm we have about 8 inches!! It snowed all day and the kids couldn't be happier. We're so thankful and so blessed to be cozy warm in our home with our Christmas tree and a kitchen full of yummy treats. God has been and continues to be so good and faithful to us. We are BLESSED!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

2008-12-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?

It came without ribbons. It came without tags.

It came without packages, boxes or bags.

And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
Dr. Seuss

Well it's coming, ready or not! Christmas is right around the corner! We have been so blessed this year that it's hard for any of us here in our cozy casienda to feel Grinch-y at all. We can't wait to celebrate our first Christmas in our new house!! We've got our tree up and our stockings up and (for the first time ever!!!) our outside lights up!! This season is filling us all, yes...even me...with a deep joy and excitement.

We've already had a chance to spend precious time together. On the infamous "Black Friday", after my mom and I fought the crowds for 1/2 price socks at Fred Meyer, we had my family over for some pre-Christmas festivities. Lots of good food, good conversation and a little "Fred Claus" made for a wonderful evening. It was such a happy time to have my whole family in my home!!! We're looking forward to more family traditions like Gingerbread houses (thanks to the Amazing Aunt Brandy), baking cookies for our friends and neighbors and Christmas Eve from North Portland to Camas!

The kids have been busy too. Jenny went to her first ever High School dance on December 6th. It was a Sadie Hawkins dance with a safari theme. She went with her best friends Emily and Sheila then they came back to our house for "girls night!" I am amazed at how quickly they grow up. She didn't even look like my little girl...she's so beautiful, inside and out.

Brandon, unfortunately didn't make the basketball team at Fort so, always the positive one, he has decided he wants to try baseball. Now there is a decision I can get behind!! I'm looking forward to Spring and lots of ball games. We'll be celebrating his 17th (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?) birthday in just a few weeks. I am a little overwhelmed by that fact! Seems like just yesterday he was hiding GI Joes in my Christmas tree!

I was handed a bit of a challenge this past month. Apparently, even nannies aren't immune to the slow economy. My current nanny family is having to scale me back to part time so I've had to venture out and find another part time job to fill in my missing hours. God is Good!!! After scanning a 4 page list of part time jobs I came upon the Smith Family (honestly...Smith!). They need the exact number of hours that I have to offer and they seem wonderfully nice on top of it. I'm excited to start working with them and their sweet little guy, Rowan in January. I'll be working two days in the Pearl District of Northwest Portland and two days here in Vancouver with a split day on Mondays. Wish me luck!

Hopefully this finds you all well and Joyful. We'll talk soon!

It's November already

2008-11-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! I can't believe we're halfway through November already. Where does all the time go. Here in Darcoland things are going along without much drama...just like we like it.

The kids are enjoying school and staying busy. Brandon has basketball try outs next week so we're keeping our fingers crossed for him. Jennifer is helping with the class council and working hard on socializing and texting! We were able to have all the "aunties" over last month to celebrate Jenny's 14th birthday! It was a great afternoon full of cake and cupcakes and candy...all Jenny's favorites! We're looking forward to Brandon's 17th next month.

Terry has just taken over the night crew at his store. We are, as always, looking for silver linings in this Safeway story. The good news is that he will be writing the schedule so we can at least have some predictability from week to week. It will still be graveyard but we're hoping for two consecutive days off with one of them being Saturday so we can go to church as a family on Sundays.

I'm enjoying my nanny job with the Lamey's. The kids are at really great ages right now (9, 7, and 4) and we're having so much fun together. Most of all I am LOVING my part time job at Arts and Scraps!! It's been both a humbling and exciting few months as I navigate my way through my very first foray into retail sales. A little bit of friendliness can cover up a multitude of ignorance! Everyone has been very patient with me as I figure out how everything works and I've thoroughly enjoyed becoming part of the Arts family.

We've also really been enjoying our house this fall season. It was the first time since Terry and I have been married that we had trick or treaters! Such fun!!

We are looking forward to spending turkey day at Terry's mom and dad's house in a few weeks. We will have the kids with us this year and that makes the day extra special.

So here's to a Happy November and remember:

It's not so much what's on the table that matters, as what's on the chairs.