Milestones of Marriage

I think this week is going by too slowly. Surprisingly, my days haven't been filled to the brim with endless things to do. Correction: there is ALWAYS endless things to do! I suppose there's nothing pressing for me to do...so I've been sitting around...procrastinating. You know that feeling you get when life slows down a bit? Instead of doing the things that you've been meaning to do, you do nothing? Well, that's me this week. Synnove and Soren are out of school. Adam, though he was scheduled to take the entire week off, had to go to work yesterday and today. He will also be gone for most of tomorrow and the next day as well...doing things away from us. It all depresses me a bit.

My dear Adam...he's been so busy. Hunting, trapping, fixing, working, traveling, sleeping. *sigh*...I've been sitting here for the last 15 minutes thinking on what I want to say next. All I can come up with is this: Life is constant compromise. Adam is forever being pulled, and he does the best he can to balance the tugs.

Adam and I both reached 30 this year, and next month we will have been "together" for 11 years. We have established a rhythm...a cycle of give and take. It works for us. But, in the last year, our lives have changed dramatically. Maybe Adam doesn't feel it as much as I do, but it is undeniably different. Both of us have started new adventures. In the last year, Adam has started his own trapping business and has become a "rookie" Honda/Mitsubishi mechanic. And I have successfully established my business, and become the busy mom of a preschooler and kindergartner. As a result, dad, mom, husband, and wife duties have become exponentially more challenging. And, when posed with a choice of who comes first...the answer is always the same: the kids.

Weekends are full. They have been full since last March. We don't get a break. Adam and I tried to go on a date over the summer...lol! It never happened. Last Saturday we had a relatively plan-free day and sleeping in sounded divine. The kids got up at 7:00 and "snuggle time" was completely eliminated...let alone sleeping in. I know that there will come a day when I will miss the kids barging into our room screaming that one is chasing the other and that they need our help to save them. Today is not that day.

The last time Adam and I had some alone time together was the night before we picked up our "new" car in October. We arranged for the kids to stay at my parent's house because we had to get up early the next morning. I remember thinking it would be fun to go out that night, but we were both so pooped that we decided to pick up some groceries and spend the evening at home. We turned in early so that we could get up at 5AM to make the long drive to Salem. Fortunately, we made a fun day of it before rushing home to pick up the kids.

Heh...we take what we can get!

Marriage is a perfectly planned-out journey. If you do it the right way,after you get married, you spend all of your free time together and build a trust. You live together and learn that life can be blissful and challenging. Then, you have kids. You fall in love again and discover the balance between spouse and child. As your kids mature, the marriage should mature. You learn sacrifice, compromise, and the importance of communication. Your lives begin to separate and trials seem endless, but your marriage grows stronger because of the strong foundation you have established. You realize that your spouse is your constant and the love you have for them flourishes into a realm that no other person could fully understand. You grow old...you've found your soul mate...one of the greatest, if not the greatest, gifts you could ever receive.

Quite honestly, I love my life. I love my husband. I love my kids. And though I wish that Adam and I could spend more time together, I know that our relationship continues to grow. We get on each other's nerves, we wish things that aren't possible, we pursue, we pull away, and we doubt. But without those things, the moments of laughter, appreciation, love, and forgiveness wouldn't be as wonderful.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. I Corinthians 13:7

Only 9 Days Left!

I couldn't believe it when Thanksgiving came and went, and I only had two Christmas gifts purchased. I didn't have a plan either. I was at a loss as to what to get for everyone and I was starting to panic! Fortunately, I got the Christmas card ordered before Thanksgiving! Last year we didn't send one out, so I had to get one out this year. By the time I paid for all the postage, I was wishing I had skipped this year as well! I started looking for blocks of time where I could get out without the kids. The weekends were full, Adam was busy, and I was starting to brainstorm other options. My Mom was in a bit of a panic as well, as she often relies on me to help her figure out gifts. Somehow we found a block of time to run to Longview for a quick trip. But, before we left, I had to take the kids over to the local church to meet Santa. Synnove had been begging to go! It ended up being a bust because neither of the kids wanted to get within 6 feet of Santa...

In about a weeks time, I finished my Christmas shopping. Online shopping is great!! I could finally breathe a bit...but the house still wasn't decorated. Synnove was soooo excited to decorate, and asked me several times a day..."when are we going to get the decorations out!?", and my response was always.."not until we get our tree." Getting the tree was proving to be difficult. We were busy...constantly busy. And when we weren't busy, it was either dark or raining. We were looking forward to cutting our own tree out at the dairy, but I was beginning to wonder if we were going to have to pay an arm and a leg to the boy scouts down the road for one of theirs. BUT, the weather cleared one day after Synnove got out of school, and we raced to Brownsmead just in time to be home by dusk.

The kids took a bath before dinner (they were filthy and wet) and I made homemade pizza. When dinner was over, I turned on the Christmas music and the decorating began. The kids had such a great time. I think this is the first year that I felt the kids could handle decorating the tree on their own (less the lights and garland)...and they did. Adam helped, while I decorated elsewhere. It really was a fun, no-stress, Christmassy time!

Soren loved all the ornaments...and was constantly coming up to me saying "look at this one!"

Synnove was my grown-up helper girl...she's got this whole Christmas tree thing down pat.

That night I was exhausted, but determined to wrap a few gifts. I ended up wrapping every single one! I still had a few that hadn't come in the mail yet, but, for the most part, I was done! I went to bed well after midnight and was dragging the next day. The kids were surprised to see all the gifts under the tree the next morning and started checking the tags for their names. Synnove was pretty disappointed that there was only one gift with her name on it...ha ha.

We still haven't put any lights outside, and I haven't done any baking...but it feels good to be almost ready for Christmas!

Lucy Lately

We've had our Lucy-girl for a little over three months now (7 1/2 months old)...and, like all puppies, she's a ball of mischief. We've tried our best to stick to the no-hitting plan, and so far it's been alright. Although, there have been a couple of recent situations that warranted a good scolding. She's very lovable and sweet (in her own puppy way) and has adjusted well to her new home. After only a couple of weeks of having her, we decided to let her loose. After doing more research, we realized that she would stay in "her" territory as long as she knew her bounds. In the first couple of weeks we walked her every morning around the perimeter of the property with a leash so she would understand where she lived. Yes, she does her fair share of exploration to the neighbors. Two of our three neighbors don't have any animals, and I haven't heard any complaints yet. She has gotten into the neighbor's garbage a few times...but we have done our best to catch it and clean it up ourselves. Our other neighbor has no reason to complain if our dog ends up on her property...lol (see blog on that)!



As she has gotten older and into the "teenage years" she has discovered her bark. She rarely barks during the day...but she can be quite a nuisance at night. There is no doubt...she's barking at something, but she won't quit until the "threat" is gone. I say "threat" because I swear that sometimes she barks at falling leaves! Scolding her does no good, and we have become more creative in finding ways to contain her on such loud nights. The previous owners of our house already set up a fantastic kennel, but we have to put her in the garage when she barks. There is a sectioned off area in the garage that has a doggie door to the outer kennel, but there is no way to seal her inside...so we've been screwing plywood on the door. It's a temporary solution until Adam makes her a lockable doggie door (hopefully in the next week!) She's started to figure it out though...when we come outside to get her, she won't come to us, and trying to get her through the doggie door can be quite difficult. She fights it!

She really is true to her breed. She guards her territory, only comes to you on HER terms (she can be very difficult to catch!), loves her family, is highly intelligent, very independent, and is a good judge of character.

Here are a few Lucy antics we've come to love and hate:

• It took her about a month to stop chewing on the house every chance she got. Fortunately, the house is in need of a new paint job next summer! She has also destroyed the back-up lights on the truck, pulled wires and insulation off the heat pump, gotten in the truck (kids' fault) and chewed up the registrations for both the truck and the trailer, chewed up several bike helmets and two bike seats, and, of course, has done a number on the fencing in the kennel.

• She rarely comes to you if you call her, but when she does come to you, her excitement towards Adam and I comes in the form of a sort-of submission. She puts her head down and to the side for you to pet her. Once you pet her, she's a ball of excitement and she jumps on you. She's getting better at not jumping...but not good enough. Once she calms a bit, she's a joy to love. She gets down on her back and wants you to rub her belly...if you stop, she gently paws you till you do. She also loves to be hugged close and doesn't pull away.

• She loves garbage. I've cleaned up entire trashcans full at least 4 times.

• Lucy and Charlie are hilarious to watch! Lucy chases Charlie at every opportunity. She's not aggressive...but playful. Charlie mostly hates Lucy...but he has become a LOT more tolerant. Adam has even watched them touch noses...twice!

• She likes to steal Adam's tools and hide them...among other things. Our neighbor likes to burn all the stuff he wants to get rid of and often leaves it outside to pile up. Lucy has brought home many many interesting items to play with. She has also found the spine of an elk to chew on. It's currently sitting in the back yard along with the elk leg bones that Adam brought home from this years elk harvest. It's a regular smorgasbord for Lucy!

• Synnove and Soren are Lucy's "sheep." She paws and mouths them (herding instinct) and is waaay too playful. There are times when Lucy plays nice, but about 70% of the time, I've got to put her in the kennel if the kids are outside.

We didn't get much snow the week of Thanksgiving, but the kids loved playing in it anyway. I can't help but laugh at these pictures I caught of Lucy "loving on" the kids...

Synnove's face is priceless in this picture.

Soren has just gotten the thrill of sliding down the slide, and Lucy is right on his tail.

Again, Soren has just gone down the slide, and Lucy is making sure he gets up ok?? LOL! Soren...the live dog bone :)

A couple of minutes after that last picture, I had to put Lucy away...go figure.

The Miracle of "Caromal Colours"

A few of you may know that I've been talking about re-doing a table that I "inherited" a couple of years ago. This table has been in the family for quite some time. I don't know for sure, but I imagine it was purchased by my grandparents (my Dad's parents) sometime in the '60's. I should find out, but I imagine it was new? Later, my Dad inherited it and it was our family's dining room table until my parents built a new house in '96. I'm sure my Grandma loved it at one time, but the love died...and I don't think my mother ever loved it. She was happy to get a new table and the rickety "picnic table" was retired to the basement. It was occasionally used during Christmas...but that's about it. I think my mom tried to get rid of it...even tried to give it to me...but I didn't want it (at the time). It wasn't until we moved here that the table became more appealing to me. Our current house only has one dining area, and though I love my hand-me-down farm table and chairs (thanks Uncle Steve and Aunt Kathi), it isn't very big and only seats 6. The infamous picnic table has the ability to scrunch 8 kids and 2 adults (if chairs are added on the ends). NO, I don't plan on having 8 kids...it's just a visual. Plus, it's not akward and oversized, takes up little space, and leaves room for people to walk around it even though it's bigger than the other table. So, I agreed to take it off of Mom's hands.

Since then, I've spent many hours researching a solution to it's ugliness. From tole paint, stencils, and crackle paint, I was NOT finding anything I could get excited about. I wanted it to look authentically old...not look like a 1960's thrift-store find. I went so far as to purchase some crackle paint on MEGA sale (thank goodness), but was not happy with the results. I like crackle, but it doesn't make furniture look authentically old...it looks like the faux finish that it is. I was stuck. I wasn't going to proceed with the project if I wasn't going to be completely happy with the results.

Last June my parents took the kids and I fishing on the islands for Father's Day. To help relieve the boredom, Mom brought several magazines...one being Country Living. I love Country Living. Anyway, I found a tiny little ad on one of the pages for a faux finish technique called "Barnworn" from Caromal Colours. I was over-the-top excited, looked up the website on my phone, and was obsessed with finding out more about it for the next few weeks. In my research, I came upon Patty Henning's "Fabulous Finishes" blog. If you're into any kind of faux finishing, Patty is your gal! She's got lots of pictures and how-to's, and though I never contacted her, she's available for all your questions and concerns. She doesn't know it, but her website helped me a TON when it came to choosing my paint and attacking my project.

The purchase of the paint was going to be a tad spendy, so I spent lots of time deciding my colors. In fact, I ended up spending more than needed because I just couldn't decide! Btw, Patty's blog has a section where you can actually SEE and order sample finishes...it's great! Anyway, because of lack of time, I didn't get around to starting the project until a couple of weeks ago. Here it is...

I never understood why the table had two drop-leaves. They served little to no purpose. I showed my Grandma Barbara the table last Christmas and she said that she thought it was a "bench-table." It can be used as a picnic table (obviously), or the leaves can be dropped so that folks can sit the opposite way like a bench! Who knew?

I reluctantly did the entire project in the basement. It was freezing and rainy outside and I wanted to be where it was warm where the paint could dry properly. We didn't run the woodstove for a few days so that the paint wouldn't dry too fast. Below shows the benches painted with two coats of the "Putty" color Textured Basecoat. The paint is thick, like peanut butter and can be applied to ANY surface without prep! Plus, you're meant to smoosh it on or paint it smooth depending on the effect you want. Sloppy is better for a more worn finish.
After applying the first color, the next step is to apply a layer of "Chipping Creme." Chipping Creme allows the bond between the first color and the final color to be weak so that the final paint color can easily be chipped or sanded off to make the furniture look worn. Once that is dry, you paint on the final color of Textured Basecoat (I used Wisteria). AS SOON as that's dry you sand and distress it however you like. I used my mouse sander as well as various screwdrivers, toys and other tools to create dents and scrapes. Once you're done with that you can choose to apply the Toner (like a glaze) for added depth and antiquing. The next two pictures are a comparison of the benches...one toned, one not.

Once I was done with the toning, I was so, SO pleased! The table looked better than I imagined it would. Then, at Patty's suggestion, I used Minwax Wipe-On Poly in Satin to seal it. And oh. my. GOODNESS. I wish I would have discovered this product years ago! The wipe-on was so easy to apply! If you've ever painted on polyurethane, you know how stressful and complicated it can be.

The table was in it's place the next day. Even Adam was impressed...because he wasn't so sure mid-way through the project. Now that I have my wall and my table, I have some SERIOUS re-decorating to do. Maybe an area rug, new wall-hangings, and new drapes. But, that probably won't happen till after the holidays ;)

Wall O' Shame to Wall O' Fame

You've all seen it...or at least caught a glimpse of it in my pictures. [Check out #6 on my "hate list" HERE.] The wall of shame has been a half-torn-down eyesore for two long years. We were sure we were going to have to tear it down and start over because of all the wood glue and torn-up sheetrock. And, to be honest, I didn't have much faith in Steve when he said we should just mud over it. We never got around to attempting to fix the wall because it was in such a difficult spot...right in the stairway. We were going to need scaffolding to do anything...and Adam and I have never sheetrocked before. It was to our great surprise and appreciation that Adam's Mom and Steve offered to help us out. Steve actually works at a GP mill in Camas, WA and was coming to "our" GP mill (where Adam works) to do some union business for a couple of days in mid-October. So, what better time to come and help us out? He started in on a Thursday evening, worked Friday afternoon, and all day Saturday. I can't remember, but he might have put another layer on Sunday morning as well?? We were having some issues with the sheetrock paper bubbling with every layer of mud. But, as each layer was applied the wall looked better and better. Steve had actually done this before a few times and is quite experienced in sheetrock and home improvement in general. Still...I was skeptical.

Scraping the last of the wood off...

Applying the first of at least 5 thin layers of mud...

Because it was taking so many layers of mud to smooth out all the horrendous imperfections, we had to wait until the next weekend to sand and texture. Steve's son has a professional-type texture machine and they managed to fit it into Patty's car and bring it to our house. They sanded and textured within 2-3 hours that Saturday.

Trying to cover the ugly fan so that it wouldn't get texturized as well...

For half of the following week I primed and painted the wall. Because the wall is so high, I had to wait until Adam came home from work to do a lot of the painting and touch-up. The wall remained blank until last week when I asked my mom to come over and help me hang the pictures that have been in boxes since we moved out of our house in Cornelius. She and I work well together when it comes to moving and arranging furniture and hanging pictures. I'm sure I'll add to it as I find more things, but what I've got is a great start.

Sorry it's so dark, our ceiling fan is burnt out and we have no light in the entry. The bottom half will be wainscoting one day...but sheetrock will do for now until we can re-do the other entry walls (they have that ugly wood on them as well).

I didn't believe it could be done...but YOU DID IT STEVE!! Thank you soooo much for making my house much prettier!

Happy Belated Halloween!

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is less than a week away...and here I am, finally posting about our Halloween.

This year, Halloween threatened to be wet. It seemed to pour the entire week prior, but we had a nice break to go to the pumpkin patch with the preschool. Miss Kara told the kids to bring their costumes instead of wear them since she thought it would be mucky, but it didn't rain and the muck wasn't too bad. Like last year, we went to the Weaver Dairy.

Once back at school, all the kids dressed up in their costumes for a party. Soren was Spiderman this year, but he wouldn't wear his mask in public...unfortunate, because it really completes the costume. Oh well. I caught a shot of the kids praying before their snack. Like a good boy, Soren was one of the only ones (if not THE only one) closing his eyes...

Synnove also went to the pumpkin patch. I couldn't chaperone because I had Soren, so Synnove came home from school one day with tears in her eyes. She thought that because I couldn't go, she couldn't go. She didn't understand that field trips at school were different than field trips at preschool. Once she understood, she piped up a couple of days later and said, "Mom, I'm gonna have to give you a hug before I leave to go to school on Friday." I said, "how come??" She said, "Because I'm gonna go on the bus to go to the pumpkin patch!" How sweet that she thought that because she was leaving during school that she was going to need to give me a little extra love.

The kids stayed the night at my parent's house on Friday night so that Adam and I could leave very early in the morning to go look at a car to buy in Salem. That night the kids carved their pumpkins with Auntie Weesie. This year was actually the first year that they ever carved pumpkins. They've always painted them instead.

• On Saturday, we brought home our "new" car...an '04 Honda Pilot. LOVE it!!

The next day was Halloween. That night, we took the kids to my parent's house to get ready for trick-or-treating. We then went to all the grandma's and friend's houses and finished off in the old neighborhood. We did that last year...it's a good route for us :) Along the way, we ran into Tay, Brielle, and Faith...here's a picture of them all (including Auntie)...

100 Years Old!

From Sunday, October 24th:

On October 27th, 2010 my great-grandmother, Myrna Backe, turned 100! To celebrate, we threw a bash for her at her retirement home in Astoria. It's amazing, but she was living on her own clear up until 3 or 4 years ago! She's absolutely unbelievable! In the last year or so, her health has been going downhill, but she still has a lot of spunk. My grandma Barb (her daughter) has been spending every day with her and they are the best of friends. How wonderful is it that my 75-year-old grandmother still gets to hang out with her mom??

The party was great. There was a slide show, lots of food, and a giant cake (almost didn't make it!). Many of Great-Grandma's friends from the home came to celebrate as well as all of her family and a few friends.

Mother and Daughter; Myrna and Barb

A view of the crowded room

Myrna and her daughter and only grandsons Mike and Mark

Myrna and her Great-Grandchildren and spouses (not in order and missing Wendey)

Myrna and her Great-GREAT-Grandchildren! Getting them to all smile at once was a chore. There were several cameras to look at.

All of us that came who are related. The gentleman on the left with the red sweater is Uncle Leo (Myrna's youngest, and only living, sibling) and to the right of him in the back is Myrna's nephew (I think his name is Mike) and the woman towards the middle with the purple scarf is Myrna's niece (her name has escaped my memory).

Mushroom Picking

From Sunday, October 17th:

It was a beautiful fall day, and we skipped church...one of the reasons being that Synnove was sick with a fever the day before. So, instead of spending a lazy day at home, Adam decided he wanted to take the kids out hunting for chanterelles. Adam and the kids got started mushroom hunting when my Dad took them out last fall. Adam has always been interested in mushrooms, but never found the time to start a new hobby (imagine that). Adam and the kids went out with the kids a few weeks prior and found quite a few, so he wanted to try his luck again.

I had never been, and had a great time on our little treasure hunt. I snapped quite a few pictures and found quite a few species of mushrooms. They are all so interesting and different. Of course, we stuck to what we knew, and only picked the chanterelles. We could have picked for hours, but decided that two bucket-fulls was MORE than enough. Thank goodness they are tasty, because we were drowning in mushrooms for over a week!

Adam let each of the kids have a semi-dull knife to cut their plunder. More mushrooms will grow if you leave part of the stem...and they are easier to clean!

Adam cleaned mushrooms for a looooong time. Below is only 2/3 of a bucket-full and we had TWO buckets! Thankfully, we found lots of takers.

So Much to do, So Little Time...

Monday: Take Synnove to school, run to Astoria to work for Elise, juggle the kids from person to person, end up working most the day, get off, run to Les Schwab before it closes, get new tires, pick up the kids at Grandma's, run home in time for bath time.

Tuesday: Wake to Soren and his ever-aching tummy, take Synnove to school, run to Portland to take Soren to the dermatologist, go store hopping for this and that, make sure Adam picks up Synnove, get home by 7:00 to find Adam not well, put the kids to bed, fall asleep to the TV.

Wednesday: Take Synnove to school, run to town to make several deliveries, arrive home by 1:00, talk to Tracy about arrangements for Thursday's fundraiser at the school, feed starving chickens and thirsty bunnies, pick up Synnove, change clothes to clean leather upholstery, buff for two hours, change back into regular clothes to drive into town to meet Adam at the Credit Union, sign papers, go grocery shopping, meet mom and friends for dinner and a movie, get home at 10:30.

Today: Adam's car exhaust explodes (literally), yell at severely grumpy children, attempt to take kids to school but car is dead, (Adam took the truck because his car exploded) frantically call friends to pick up kids to take to school, call Aunt Alice to come jump my car, couldn't get car out of garage so had to put it on a charger, blew debris from latest wind off the driveway for a half hour, started making fliers for tonight's fundraiser, went out to successfully start the car, picked up Soren, chatted with parents and teacher for a while, came home to make lunch, finished fundraiser fliers, now off to mow the lawn before rain comes tomorrow. Pick up Synnove in an hour, change clothes, be at fundraiser all night.

Tomorrow: More of the same...add babysitting, and picking pounds and pounds of crab to the list.

My house is a mess, the laundry isn't done, dishes aren't washed, but I did find 10 minutes to write this blog! At least I can check one thing off my list...right??

My 30th Birthday Surprises

As most of you all know, I turned 30 last month...September 17th, to be exact. It was a pretty uneventful birthday filled with yummy chocolate cake, a heap of Facebook greetings, and a whopper of a migraine. I was feeling a bit better by evening, so Adam took the kids into town to pick up some take-out Fultano's Pizza (my request). The kids gave me a camera strap slipcover that I LOVE, and Adam said that his gift to me was on it's way via USPS. As usual, I had told him not to get me anything big, and I was perfectly happy to spend a quiet evening at home with my family. The next day was going to be busy, as I was helping out at Tonya and Chris's wedding! So, really, celebrating my birthday was not number one on my priority list.

Camera strap cover (an Etsy.com find)

Little did I know...Adam had a few surprises in store.

The next week I was looking forward to getting a phone call from my dear friend and former roommate Sarah. I hadn't talked to her in ages (at least a YEAR), and she had just gotten engaged and I wanted to hear all the details. She called. We talked. Then, the subject of getting together came up. For over a year now, my roommates and I have been trying to find a weekend to spend together, and it just hasn't happened. In August we were seriously considering September, and as September started coming to an end, I decided "enough is enough!" Sarah suggested the first weekend in October would be good and I told her I would ask Natalie. Mandy, our non-roommate friend wasn't going to be able to make it because another of our college friends was getting married.

That evening, I got a message from Nattie saying that she could make it. I was stoked!! I was texting both Sarah and Nat at the same time getting all the details worked out. I knew that Adam would be fine with it, but I finally asked..."hey honey, is it OK if I have some friends over for the first weekend in October?" Strangely, he responded..."what friends?" Long, sad story short, Adam had already asked them to come for that weekend for a birthday surprise! I was still VERY surprised and VERY touched that Adam would go to such lengths to make my birthday special. I couldn't believe I had unintentionally ruined it...I mean, really...I talk to Sarah once a year!!


The next weekend (September 25th-26th), we got in our car accident. We didn't go to church that Sunday because...well, we didn't feel up to it. Sunday evening my family showed up with pizza, salad, and cake. I thought they were there to cheer us up from the accident, but instead they were there because Adam had asked them to a few weeks prior. Because my birthday weekend was full of wedding and headache, he wanted to give me a surprise mini-party!

Adam was kinda bummed that my gift hadn't arrived in the mail yet. It actually got sent registered mail and was delivered to the post office. I picked it up the next week. Unfortunately, it was packaged in a bag sent from Great Britain and I could totally guess what it was. I was impressed he remembered the hint I gave him a few months prior! I couldn't wait to open it, as it was still going to be a surprise because I didn't know what design he picked. When he finally came home from work I ripped it open to find he'd picked one I loved! He bought me a Golla DSLR camera bag with a design only available overseas. I love it, love it, LOVE it! Super sturdy, durable, well-made, comfortable, and stylish. It's even got a zipper wallet compartment in the front so I can use it as my purse for travel! Plus, the inside is PINK!

Later that week we all got a bad cold. Mom had wanted to take me shopping for some new jeans for my birthday and we were having a hard time finding a day to do it. That Friday, though I was feeling miserable, was the only day that seemed to work. So, when Mom got off work, we packed up the kids and headed to Tanasbourne. We actually had a really nice time. Surprisingly enough, I found some pants that fit (among other things)! We ate at the Macaroni Grill and headed home late. Funny story...we got "accidentally" pulled over on the way home by the same cop that handled our car accident the weekend prior. I think he was a little embarrassed that he pulled over the wrong car. Still, the flashing blue and red was enough to get us worked up for the rest of the ride home.

The next day my roomies were coming! Adam had to go out of town to take care of some things, so the kids and I were left without a vehicle. We had the Montero, but because we forfeited Soren's car seat in the accident we couldn't take the kids (the boosters don't work in the Montero). Sarah and Nattie arrived around noon and the kids were in our faces for the rest of the day. They love guests and always want to be the center of attention...so, they were. I was bummed that Adam didn't come home earlier...and we didn't get to leave the house to have dinner till almost 7:00. Because it was late, the girls and I opted to not take the long drive into town, and instead have dinner at "The Logger." They found it quaint, to say the least...not to mention, it was homecoming night and all the kids were gussied up for a nice dinner at, none other than..."The Logger!" *sigh* The girls now want to make it a tradition...lol!

Me, Nattie, Sarah

We arrived back home to find an empty house. Part of the birthday surprise that I didn't know about was that Adam planned to take the kids and spend the night at my parents house. It was nice to stay up late and not have to worry about waking the kids with our laughter. We had a blast! Truly...it was just like old times.

In conclusion, my 30th birthday was flat-out awesome! Thanks to everyone, especially my sweetheart, for making this milestone a celebration to remember fondly.

Never In My Life...

...has my kitchen been this messy.

What you can't see are the crumbs, the exploding sink full of dishes, the empty silverware drawer (cause they are all in the dishwasher), dried-up yogurt, random bent nails and loose screws, and goodness knows what else. I walked in from taking Soren on his preschool pumpkin patch trip and just had to take a photo. It's sort of a glimpse of how our lives have been in the last month. Our house has been a construction zone, a guest house, a place to entertain, and a hospital for one of the sickest months on record. And, when I'm not doing laundry, cooking dinner, cleaning up vomit, scouring the Internet for our next vehicle, running my little business, taking kids back and forth to school, vacuuming joint compound dust, painting, selling stuff on Ebay, running to the post office, entertaining guests, making deliveries, throwing parties, attending meetings, and sleeping....I'm plopped on the couch for some much needed down time.

Forgive me for my 3-week hiatus...I hope to catch up soon :)

My Big Boy's Birthday

We've pretty much said goodbye to toddlerhood at the Brown house. Wow. Soren had an awesome 4th birthday. We ate burgers, visited with friends and family, ate some cake, and opened some gifts...typical birthday stuff. Soren wanted a Disney's Cars themed party...so that's what he got. He also received LOTS of Cars themed birthday gifts...including (but not limited to) jammies, coloring books, Moon Sand (that's a fun one for mom to clean up), various toys, and a Lightning McQueen shaped radio/CD player. He didn't say much, and was quite serious throughout the party. One thing that eked a smile on his face was the new addition to his rubber chicken collection. As many know, Soren has a strange love for rubber chickens, and chickens in general, that started a couple of years ago (click HERE , HERE, and HERE for a couple of past "chicken" blogs).

When squeezed the chicken whines.

He told me his remote control car was his favorite gift...

I just had to share this pic...such a mess :)

Today, on his actual birthday, he went to preschool. It was nice to return after missing an entire week last week from sickness and stitches (he's still coughing though). I was snack helper and we ate freshly baked cupcakes and strawberries. It's "B" week this week, and Miss Kara thought it was funny that Soren Brown was having his Birthday today. They read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" and made Brown Bears with the letter "B" glued on the tummy with Black Beans! At circle time Miss Kara presented Soren with a card signed by the class and a book to take home. Then, all the kids made him an imaginary cake...

A Rough Week for Soren

I think I've cried more times in the last week than I have in the last year. I've had many reminders this week of how blessed I am. That, mixed with varying unfortunate events, has put me close to my limit. When it rains, it pours...right? Well, for my little Soren boy last week, that little statement is quite true.

Last Saturday (the 25th), Adam wanted to surprise the kids with a trip to the Enchanted Forest in Salem. It was supposed to be a beautiful day, and when we left our home, the sun was already beaming. We didn't tell the kids where we were going, and Synnove just couldn't stop asking questions....she was excited! About 20 minutes into our 3 hour drive we got into a car accident. I'm going to save the details of that little event for a later blog. Unfortunately, Soren got the brunt of it and won himself an ambulance ride to Longview. He got the works...an IV, a CT, at least an hour of glass removal, and 11 stitches. I thank God for my husband, as he is usually the better "mom" in situations like these. He rode with him in the ambulance and kept him in good spirits throughout the afternoon while they poked and prodded.


Soren is such a brave little boy. The doctors were so impressed with his ability to stay calm and sit still throughout the entire procedure. As I've said before, Soren is sooo reasonable, flexible, and trusting. He was very quiet on the ride home, but perked up a bit when we arrived. And, despite the scary morning, he slept soundly through the night with his special bear from the hospital.

The next day Soren was doing well. We put him to bed...and with some snuggling, he fell asleep. I was worried about the kids having nightmares from the accident (Synnove was a bit affected), so my ears were sensitive to sounds coming from their rooms. At about 2:30 AM Soren woke with a tummy ache and ended up with the throw-ups all through the day until the next evening. And, in typical Soren fashion, he was a trooper...AND, always landed in the bucket :) Still, I was heartbroken for my boy and was on my knees throughout the day pleading with God to end the misery. From severe headache to severe tummy ache...what next??

Sick on the couch with his new buddy from the church ladies at the hospital...he named him "Lightning 'the' Queen"

It actually took him a couple of days to recover from his sickness. He was well on Tuesday, but still not 100%. He was very nervous to get his stitches out on Thursday. He doesn't say much these days...but I could see it on his face. I assured him all would be well, and it was. He sat completely still and only shed a single, silent tear when the doctor had to tug a bit on a scabbed up stitch.

That afternoon, the sun was out and it was actually warm enough for the kids to play in their swimsuits. It was just the remedy we all needed for a rough-week-pick-me-up! The kids played while I mowed the lawn and Adam mowed the field. Normalcy...it felt great.


The next few days were busy. I was doing a lot of running around, and we were all battling a bit of a cold...Synnove was the worst...lots of coughing. On Saturday, Synnove was sick with a touch of what Soren had. But, thankfully, it wasn't bad enough for her to want to lay on the couch. She didn't have much of an appetite, but that was about it.

In order to start his IV in the ambulance, the medic had to cut his shirt off...Soren was sad about that. I found an exact replacement on Ebay in a size larger...we got it in the mail on Saturday.

Yesterday, we celebrated Soren's birthday (he's turning 4 tomorrow!), and both kids were relatively healthy. Adam and I put the kids to bed and settled into watching SNL on the DVR. We had to keep hitting the pause button to make sure Soren was OK...as he was doing a lot of coughing...and then whining. I went down to get him to see what I could do to make him feel better. He wasn't well. He was having a hard time breathing and his coughing was making him gag. Then, as if that wasn't enough to end the horrid week, he was also crying in pain. Growing pains...severe growing pains. We stuffed him with medicine...cold medicine, Tylenol, and applied some Vick's vaporub. Then, while he sat in Adam's lap watching Oobi, I massaged his aching legs.

I'm praying for a better week this week!

First Day of School: Soren

My baby boy...


...is now in preschool. I'm so thankful for the little preschool we have out here. It's just plain wonderful. I love the people and I love the teacher. Fortunately, Soren gets to attend for 2 years! He's currently in the 3-4 year old class and goes to school Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was a bit surprised at his hesitation to go since he's been there so many times and knows Miss Kara well. At orientation, he was the only kid who wouldn't participate in circle! On the first day of school, he was so distraught at the thought of me leaving, that I decided to stay. Here's a few shots of the day...

The two boys that Soren is sitting next to are actually little brothers of students in Synnove's class!

Finding our eyes, ears, noses, and mouths...
Soren was pretty quiet all day. He wanted me to push him on the tire swing when we were out on the playground. He seemed annoyed when a little girl (Kendall) came to get a ride as well...

Then, when Abbie wanted a push as well, Soren was...well...his face says it all! LOL!

On Thursday I decided to leave him at school. I knew that he would be just fine after I left, but I was sad to go. Soren's face fell as I hugged and kissed him goodbye, and he even shed a small tear. As soon as I was gone, all was well and he went off to play. After I picked him up and brought him home, he was really proud to show me his apple project and recite the new poem he learned. So...for a guy that doesn't say much these days, I think he's happy to be a preschooler!

First Day of School: Synnove

5 short years ago...

Last week...

The school years are here and it's taking me a while to get into the swing of things. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was in elementary school...and here I am, all grown-up. I'm the one signing permission slips, volunteer sign-ups, and checks to the cafeteria lady....not my mom. For Synnove, this day has been coming for a long time. I don't think she really knew what to expect. How could she? She's never been there...then again, neither have I. Quite frankly, September 13th was my first day of school as well. AND, it was Synnove's teacher's first day of school! Mrs. Gantenbien is fresh out of college and just as timid as her students for her first day.

Teachers did home-visits the week before the kindergartners started school. Both Synnove and Mrs. Gantenbien were a bit shy when they first met.

I wasn't really expecting to get emotional, but as I walked towards the school and saw "Welcome Kindergarten" on the reader board, I felt a lump form in my throat. I walked a few steps further and saw the new principal...Mrs. Collier. Not only was Mrs. Collier my 4th grade teacher, she is also my parents' neighbor and long-time friend. It's always good to see a familiar face, and it was fun to reminisce with her about school. I wanted to get a picture of her and Synnove, but she tricked me and snapped this instead...

Once we made our way in, we found the bustle of school in full swing. Everyone else had already had a week of school, and the kindergartner's were standing around like lost sheep looking longingly at their proud camera-bearing parents. Synnove wasn't completely forlorn, as there were lots of friendly faces from last year's preschool.

The clock read 8:15, and the supervisor didn't waste any time lining all the kids up. Most of the classes went to their rooms to drop off their coats and backpacks. Synnove's class stayed and waited for everyone else to return to do their morning "sing-along!" I don't know which warms my heart more...the first day of kindergarten, or morning sing-along! Every morning the k-4th grades gather to sing songs, and, apparently, they've done it that way for years. Love it!

Sing-along

After sing-along I decided to leave. It was a bit surreal for me to leave Synnove at Elementary School for an entire day of learning. Yes...and entire day...8:15-2:15! This is the first year the school has done a full-day kindergarten. So far, I think it's going well. Synnove absolutely LOVES being a school-girl :)