Adventures of the West Coast Kind

Hi. It's been a while.

2010-02-20T21:18:00.000-08:00

So my new year's resolution went from:

Blog everyday.

Scratch that.

Blog weekly.

Scratch that.

Photo a day.

No way.

Ditch the blog.

And I stuck with "ditch the blog" for a looooong while.

As every blogging mommy knows, blogging can become obligatory. Which means blogging burn-out. And when you have to moderate 51 comments a day from some lady in China, it gets time consuming too. Uploading pictures is insane. Half of the time, my camera cord has been tied around some poor stuffed animal's neck, and it's being dragged around on it's USB-leash. Coming up with things to write is easy ... remembering them for the time it takes to experience the idea to the time it takes to walk to the computer to record it is hard. Because usually it involves something like "Remember cute Elaina saying ... Oh no, out of yogurt. Nuts .. dryer buzzed. Gotta keep the laundry going. No sweetie, I can't find your brown belt. And yes I love that tie. Ok, fine, I'll actually look at it before I say that next time. Elaina, where did you get those scissors?"

So you see ... squeezing in time to put on deodorant and brush fuzzy teeth is a bit higher on the priority scale than baby blogging. My soul is wanting to write, create, and learn ... and not about the merits of sugar free apple juice and velcro shoes. Not that those things are exciting ... in their place :)

So ... all this to say ... Farewell for now, baby blog.

I have instead resolved to prioritize a bit differently ...

I will be snail mailing the grammies and aunties real actual developed pictures of the child. I promise. And regularly.

I want to write about grown-up things ... And so I've begun a grown-up blog at:

http://ComePlayHouseWithMe.blogspot.com

... feel free to stop by and drool with me ... because you're never too old to play house :)

So farewell friends! I will still be popping into your blog worlds to get my weekly fix of your fun lives. Thanks for so much insight, guidance, and laughs through your wonderful comments.

Photos ...

2010-02-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

It's "dress-up" week at school this week ...

Today was 50's day, and I just couldn't get enough of my little go-go star :)

Here's a link to photos from this last week or two uploaded from my phone's camera ... which I cannot for the life of me figure out how to link to the blog.

So here's the link to the facebook album :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=140432&id=507432648&l=0bda7b1524

Malls have come a looooong way :)

2010-01-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

Bye bye, Dippin' (high-fructose-corn-nastiness) Dots!

Hello, Orange Leaf Fro-Yo!

http://www.orangeleafyogurt.com/

E and I had a date @ Washington Square mall this week with one sweet memorable stop ...

Self-serve low- and no-fat frozen yogurt with yummy fresh toppings like ... kiwi, mango, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, coconut, and raspberries.

You pump it. You top it. You weigh it. And for 39 cents an ounce, you savor it!

Not Neutral

2009-12-30T10:31:00.000-08:00

Over this last month, I've been playing around with the idea of "big girling" E's room downstairs. I've had this Rachel Ashwell shabby chic blue roses thing going in it for the last two years, and it looked sooooo cute in her old painted bedroom. But now we have lovely suburbian taupe walls throughout, and the pale color palette against it looks so blah.

I'm keeping the whole ensemble in hopes of using it again when we get a house and can paint and decorate the walls ... but until then, I wanted to play around with something a little more ... colorful. (very very very very very difficult a task for this color-phobe to do).

My first idea was to do a pink, blue and green princessy room. I saw this cute wall decal that said "My King is coming for me, and until then I am content to be His princess" ... I found this cinderella toile comforter at Pottery Barn Kids on clearance for $32, and a quick etsy search revealed lots of cute accessories. I collaged all the pictures together, and just about gagged at the overload of pastels. A whole roomful of bubblegum pink? Pink was sooooo 0-3 months. So I ditched the Pastel Plan, and moved onto bolder things ... And the best part is, the Ebay sale/profit (currently selling for $80+) of the PBK duvet will cover the whole color-overhaul costs!

That's when I spotted this comforter/sham set at JCP for $30-some bucks. A little Marimekko-ish, but definitely the splash of fun color I was looking for. AND with the added bonus of being able to throw in some renegade bohemian touches! Like a gypsy chandelier, amy butler pillows, and blowing up some art from my fave Esty artist, Sarah Jane Studios. Elaina got a little blabla backpack for Christmas that I'm hanging on the wall, and I'm having her watercolor some art for a project to match.

So I'll be busy with a can of spray paint giving new life to a roomful of white.

But ... moving away from all things Design*Sponge inspired, and first things first :) The dishes are screaming at me for a good long hot bubble bath, and I have to pack us for New Years ... AJ and I are singing and ringing in 2010 in Portland along with other Phil Wickham fan friends :) After the concert, we hope to get in some good midnight sledding before a warm-up in our room's hot tub! Yes, both nannies are home from college, and we are enjoying a dating frenzy while they're here :) Happy last few moments of 2009!

Understanding Christmas

2009-12-26T20:30:00.000-08:00

What happens when a 3-year-old knows knows ***almost everything***, and just needs her parents to fill in the gaps? The intellectual circus that was understanding Christmas this year!

Elaina: "Is Jesus coming to His birthday party?"

Parental Unit: "Of course."

Elaina: "Will He be driving His car?"

Parental Unit: "Not until He turns 16."

Parental Unit: "Look Elaina, that man is supposed to be Saint Nicholas, a generous old man who people like to remember."

Elaina: "Actually, that's Santa, Mom. Most people just call him Santa, but it's ok. You can call him Saint Nicholas if you want."

Parental Unit: "Well, Santa is supposed to be like Saint Nicholas who was an old grandpa and died a while ago. So he's not really real, because people just like to remember how generous he was."

Elaina: "Mom. I saw him at the mall. I think he's real."

Parental Unit to Parental Unit: "Hey honey, do you think we should let Elaina open her (spelled out) S-T-O-C-K-I-N-G on Christmas Eve?"

Elaina: "All I know is, the sooner, the better!"

Elaina: "Mom, I can't believe we made this whole cake and Jesus didn't eat any of it."

AJ: "That's because the cake in heaven is much better than ours."

Oh, she's kept us on our toes alright.

The other day we were out on errands and wandering the Christmas aisles when she said, "Mom, don't you think it's sad that Jesus had to be born in a barn?" I responded how it was sad, and telling - of men's ignorance, and our Savior's humility. And as we turned the corner in our cart, I realized that of the 8 sections of aisles dedicated to "Christmas", there was one lone endcap filled with anything relating to Christ's birth. An end cap. The very essence of Christmas ... a meager offering on an end cap. And I, too, was reminded how sad and telling this was. Good News, Great News, inhabiting the most unassuming of places. How deep the Father's love for us ...

The last few days have been utterly relaxing. We spent Christmas Day fireside at home. Later, we caught up with dozens of other friends from Church at a little celebratory dinner/games night out. Elaina was caught red-handed there with a GIANT hunk of peppermint back that she had slathered with a half-inch of butter on top. (like father, like daughter). Really? Milk chocolate plus white chocolate plus candy needs butter?! Oh yes.

Christmas Eve we slumber party under the tree in sleeping bags. This year, we snuck back in for a good night of sleep on our mattress, but Elaina got to fall asleep under the twinkly lights. When she woke to find presents under the tree, she exclaimed, "Holy Mackerel!!!" at the top of her lungs, and then, in her complete amazement and thrill, proceeded to pee, yes, pee, on the floor. She then shrieked, "Oh no! I have to pee!" as she left a trail of her "excitement" on the tree skirt and even a few of her presents. It was her first accident ever. We got a good laugh out of it :)

She also got to watch Frosty the Snowman for the first time this year. She was horrified. When Frosty melted and Karen began crying, Elaina had a complete meltdown on Frosty's behalf, and we had to turn it off she was so crushed and upset.

While we didn't have a repeat of last year's "Lipstick on the Nativity Figures" incident, we did wake up to find that all of the angels and shepherds were lounging in bright purple doll-sized beach chairs, in the shade of the nativity. Just chillin.'

Hope you and yours got to enjoy a good dose of "just chillin'" too ... Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year!

She works a wedge just as well as Victoria Beckham, don't you think?! :)

2009-12-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

Bitty got a haircut :(

2009-12-13T18:17:00.001-08:00

her loose lovely curls fell to the floor, and she sat beaming in the chair, looking and feeling all "growed" up.

it was time. the baby curlicues were making the rest of her hair a tangled mess, and i'd postponed this "first" for a long time.

of course, i saved (every) sweet strand of curls. :)

the next night she had her school program and i got to watch my little short-haired, bright-eyed angel take out joseph with her large glittery tinsel-covered angel wings as she inevitably couldn't hold still on stage. my little twirling angel.

i spent 3 blissful hours photo editing today and finally getting our christmas cards designed and ordered. i have taken everyone's holiday pictures BUT ours, so it was nice to finally get that off my plate ...

here's a few candlelit photos we took last night ...

i WILL be blogging more next year. i get so behind on pictures when i don't!

1, 2, buckle my shoe

2009-12-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

How completely adorable is this "Sweetwater Vintage Numbers" dress?!

Since I lack sewing skills (understatement), I am content to admire the work of other crafty, inspired seamstresses ... and this is one of them. Have I mentioned that this fabric makes me swoon?! And the lining is dictionary definitions? Ah, to be robed in knowledge :)

You can buy this sweet little frock here:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34842186

Or, better yet, you can WIN IT here!

http://monkeys-on-the-bed.blogspot.com/2009/12/fab-friday-giveaway-big-top-vintage.html

15 Minutes of Fame Re-Post

2009-11-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when your blog gets picked up by Yahoo :) Since I have since learned how to make the poultry pelvic exam process go much smoother, I thought I'd repost this since we'll be back in the midwest all week ... and it's a tryptopan kind of day for lazy blogging too :)

Monday, November 05, 2007

Thankful for Thanksgiving ... I Think

there are not words to describe what i just endured.

i was making a "practice" turkey today ... sort of a test drive run since i've never made one before. that way thanksgiving day won't be ... well ... disappointing for all in an overcooked kind of way :)

anyway, i have never dealt with a raw turkey before. i did not know that they are like a little pandora's box of treasures inside. i just figured it was a raw bird that you pop in a pan and roast. voila.

oh no. there's preparation. MAJOR preparation. amy, you would outright barf. i had to pray through this little culinary exercise in domesticity just to not up-chuck while doing it. you see, there is a neck that must be fetched. step one: untangle the legs from the plastic scrunchie thingie. step two: go on a neck hunt. WHAT?

the neck is the most disgusting thing i have ever seen in my life. this particular neck was still partially frozen, so i pulled out what can only be described as a stiff fleshy crowbar dripping with innerds juice. i wanted to die.

then, more steps!!! retrieve the bag of parts. gizzards, hearts, and all those other squeamishly raw "delicacies". i searched and searched and searched for this said bag. no where to be found. is it possible that the packaging people forgot to endow this bird with a bag of parts? oh, wouldn't that be wonderful! i continued searching to no avail. I even began to poke through the fat and meat on the bird to see if perhaps it was embedded under it's skin. that's when i discovered the second hole.

with the accuracy of an ob delivering a placenta, i stuck my hand up and out comes an ... EW. i'm not even going to describe it for you. then, my hands are dripping wet and trying to hold these turkey remains while attempting to get the cupboard open to put them in the trash and not drip turkey guts anywhere. finally, i called for elaina, who was delighted to be able to open a cupboard for me that she is not normally allowed anywhere near.

Now, isn't this just foul? errrr .... fowl?

8 clorox wipes and half a bottle of antibacterial soap later, i had the turkey situation under control. until i realized that i overestimated the size of my pan. let's just say the turkey has some love handles that float over the edges of the pan. i hope this doesn't pose a problem (fire) while cooking. i also don't recall what the packaging said to do about the little plastic scruncie doo-dads, so i hope that those don't melt while cooking. i was too revolted by the whole experience to even bother stuffing it. and i'm looking into seeing if Boston Market delivers this far west on Thanksgiving because I just can't put myself through this again.

To all those Thanksgiving survivors, heroes have endured this trauma year after year just to give us some white meat worth eating, THANK YOU. better check on those love handles now ...

5:23 PM - 95 views - 130 eprops - 70 comments - email it

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Lessons in Domestic Bliss and other Family Fun

I've been sort of scared to blog again. The whole turkey blog thing was kind of overwhelming. Over 5000 readings and 70-some comments later, I'm now realizing what a tender (pardon the pun) issue turkey can be to people! In short answer to the comments as I don't have time to address each one:

1- there will be no turkey sequel. sorry. no books either. yes, i know how to capitalize.

2- no, it didn't turn out.

3. no, i don't want to visit the netherlands.

4- yes, i realize that there is more to thanksgiving than turkey. it's about shopping too. KIDDING!

5- i'm sorry someone somewhere killed that turkey. i assure you it doesn't have a soul though.

6- guess what! I miraculously escaped having to cook another beastly bird ... our friends in Eugene are including us in their family celebration.

7- thanks for all the "bag of parts recipes". you should know that parasites are very real things.

A Little 2009 Thanksgiving Update -

or Tutorial Tuesday if you will :)

I caught this idea on a morewaystowastetime blog, and thought that some selective roasting, with the use of tin foil placed in strategic places, might make for a juicy little holiday turkey :) No SPF necessary.

Thrills and Chills aka if I knew how to make up and down arrows, I would.

2009-09-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

This week in history, it thrills me that:

1. Tea Parties! Everywhere!

2. The new gymboree holiday line! Silvery blue utter elegance ... finally! Coming soon ...

3. It's an Etsy-Christmas, which means supporting artisans, small biz, AND getting to window shop for everyone on our gift list!

4. Notre Dame football season. Flags up, gear on, representin' on the west coast.

5. Cooler mornings, boardwalk runs, foggy quiet times.

This week's things that give me the chills:

1. CNN. Anderson Cooper. CNN.

2. Allergies. Yuck.

3. Elaina getting in trouble for climbing the chain link fence at preschool. The little escapee!

4. Garage sale season ending. Boo.

5. Having to drive to Portland to get my Mac fixed because Elaina put a sticker into the dvd drive which it sucked right in.

Other random news:

1. I'm a failure of a blogger - I have high intentions, and great ideas, but no follow through. Maybe with some extra time on my hands I can finally get around to getting regular again.

2. No housey until April. They want 30% down, which is ... um... a lot of money we don't have. I am so thankful for the storage units though. Our plans are final, so we're ready to go as soon as we hand over the wad o' cash next spring. In the meantime, I've got the 1920's stove in the middle of my kitchen giving it a good detail, and I'm having a BALL de-cluttering the apartment since we now have storage space. You know how the decorating rule is "when you think the room looks perfect, remove one thing from each surface"? Well, I kind of did that times nine. Going for the minimalist of minimalists looks.

3. Elaina prying for more info about things we just can't answer. I keep assuring her that all of our question marks will be answered with an exclamation point by God when we get to heaven, but she is so intent on figuring it all it NOW. Like ... how will we get to heaven? Our answer? Jesus will escort us. Her solution: He could take us for a ride on a rainbow all the way to heaven, or we could sail on a cloud, or I could ride my donkey. But there's too much traffic in the road, and I'm afraid my poor donkey would get hurt by cars on the way there." I just love her little ticking brain!!!

4. A wonderful wonderful answer to prayer - our wonderful nanny Kelsey is away at college, and her mom (my trainer) has been sooooo open and asking about faith in Christ lately due to a hard circumstance she's going through. I have prayed for this since last spring, and now to have her approach me and ask for prayer, vent, cry, and grieve together, confide how she feels peace when she listens to Christian songs, and how she feels and an even stranger peace when she's been prayed for ... it's so exciting to see! I know this Lord removed this person who was a spiritual blockade in her life for a reason --- and I can't wait to see how He fills that void with Himself. I was getting so discouraged that I didn't have any intentional time loving the lost anywhere in my life ... and all the while, right in front of me, God was letting me be a part of this woman's life three times a week! Which proves to me once more that guilt and feelings of "I should be ..." are not of Him. Oh to "get" that once and for all!

5. We might get a mattress. I know this sounds silly, but let me explain. Our current mattress is a piece-of-craigslist-crap that was mauled by cats and has nice sized holes to show for it. It's old, totally unsupportive, and we've tried to make it work with mattress toppers for quite some time. Granted, it is a BIG step up from the air/camping mattress we moved here with :) But we've been trying to patiently wait for the new house to get a "real" mattress. Preferably King size. Preferably just like Elaina's uber-comfortable Beautyrest. Flash forward to Sept 29th of this month, and the big furniture/mattress/appliance store here that went under is being liquidated. We're thinking it might be a good time to spring for it since it's gonna be a while longer before house becomes home.

That's all the rambling I have in my for now. :) Pictures to come.

Emotional!

2009-09-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

Elaina is experimenting with feelings and trying to describe hers lately.

She sort of picks up on what we say,

and somehow weaves it into her own situation when she thinks it fits.

The problem is ... it usually doesn't.

Like, when trying to describe how excited she was upon getting a box

from her Grammy and Pappy in the mail:

"I was just so embarrassed!!!"

Or, when she's tired or underslept:

"I'm just so ... konked. I might konk out."

Or when she gets caught red-handed doing something naughty ...

"But ... I'm ... just ... so ... pathetic!"

Or my favorite ...

If I interrupt her play with a request to do something (put on shoes, come to the table, etc...):

"But I'm just so ... intent!"

She is wowing me every day with big words I didn't even know she knew.

This morning when we were out, a lady referred to the horse on her sweater and innocently asked her (in a baby voice too, no less)

"Are you going to be a cowgirl when you grown up?"

"No, I'm just going to be an equestrian."

I'm not sure who was more shocked - me or the lady :)

Indian Beach

2009-09-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

Nature Showing Off

2009-09-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

Tidepool Adventures

2009-09-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

the girls riding their "rhinocerous"

Let's Go Fly a Kite

2009-09-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

Downey and his Nemo Kite

AJ and his Pooh kite. Funny, no pics of kids with kites. lol...

Cannon Beach Kids

2009-09-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

Brooke and Conlin Downey - doin' the hula :)

Baby Cate Schellhammer

Cannon Beach Hillsdale Reunion

2009-09-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

Mermaid Hair!

The night before Kelsey left for college

More 3 year old theology

2009-09-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

Elaina: "John 20:17 ... You are my sunshine. My. Only. Sunshine." (if it's positive, it MUST be from the Bible!)

Elaina: (during her own morning quiet time with the big picture Bible) "Mom! There's a white guy in my Bible! Can you believe that?!"

Elaina: (interpreting the results of a recent negative pregnancy test) "Mom, let me read it for you. It says ... If you don't have a brain, you won't have a baby. So you should take you memory pills."

Ok, this wraps up my 5-minute pause from going through weeks of mail, packages, and suitcases full of laundry :) I spent part of it forgetting the mess that surrounds and coloring w/ the wee one. It was wonderful! I truly believe a good coloring session a day would be more effective than aspirin for heart attacks. Total. Mindless. Stress-Reducing. Childish. Fun!

"The Electric Maid for Modern Mothers"

2009-08-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Count me in!!!

This last week has been a happy whirlwind of endless activity - a visit from friends where we tried to stay up late like we were in our teens, and ended up reality checking and finding that our bodies are indeed in their 20's and 30's. Such fun ... photos to follow of our coast-hopping dear friends visit.

Right after that we packed up and drove to Yamhill county for family camp with our church - no cell coverage - nothing but babbling brooks, extreme adventure courses, and lotsa outdoor worship. Slept on the floor, ate a sloppy joe, swam in a water hole ... definitely summer camp!

Back home again, we had to switch cars and rent a pickup to fetch some house supplies - an exterior door, bathroom vanity, and my New Best Friend. (see photo above). 1920's electric stove in gorgeous condition! All original nickel hexagonal knobs - wood oven handle - porcelain plug. It's dreamy. Very very dreamy. And it was on Craigslist in Vancouver for $145! It's sitting in the middle of my kitchen as we speak being polished up.

Back to Portland again to return the truck, and spend a hot day in PDX with Sonja ... sippin' Sangrias, toting the wee ones to gourmet pizza affairs and playgrounds, stealing a moment in Anthropologie, and wondering how we can convince the girls to be anthropologists when they grow up ... you know, women how invest heavily in Anthro stocks and inventory on behalf of their mothers. How proud we would be! lol....

We have a one day turnaround (today) where I'm unpacking and repacking for the 2nd annual Hillsdale west coast reunion. This time, our friends Allie and Joel and baby Cate are flying in all the way from Hotlanta to join us for a weekend in Cannon Beach, along with the Downey and Weeks families from the Portland area. Can't wait to fall asleep to the surf, watch the kids run through the dune grass, and have the usual seafood dinner bash. Anna, Queen Planner of these trips, found the most beautiful beachfront house for everyone ...

http://www.oregonbeachvacations.com/rental/imgview.html ID=339&UN=Landers&IT=R

It will be crazy in Cannon Beach with the annual (Mt) Hood to Coast relay, ending in Cannon Beach this weekend, but a nice dose of sun and friends will more than make up for tourist overpopulation :)

That's all for now - desperately trying to catch up with bills, phone calls, emails, and .... LAUNDRY!!!!

Things Martha Stewart will be doing this month that I will NOT.

2009-08-13T15:48:00.001-07:00

My monthly guiltiest pleasure occurs when Martha Stewart Living hits my mailbox. I subscribe for one reason only: to snicker at the calendars she posts in the front of each magazine, detailing her plans for the month. I literally get belly laughs out of this - often snorting coffee - or waking my daughter from a nap laughing so hard. Here are a few of my faves from her hard-working life: AS IF!

Aug 1 - Swim in the ocean
Aug 8 - Open windows for cross-ventilation
Aug 7 - Call fishmonger for today's catch
Aug 9 - Harvest artichokes
Aug 12 - Harvest Walla Walla onions and pickle them for gifts
Aug 16 - Boat trip to Machias Seal Island to see puffins, with picnic lunch
Aug 17 - Check birdbath, and refill if needed
Aug 19 - Yoga with James (who is James?), Place straw under pumpkins
Aug 21 - Rotate lampshades to prevent uneven fading. ROLF
Aug 24 - Make appointment with dermatologist for an end-of-summer skin check
Aug 27 - Aerate lawn

And just in case you're curious, and to make you feel like a ROYAL SLACKER, here's what she will be doing in September:

Sept 1 - Morning walk with dogs; bring camera (this is the only time she has this event on her calendar all month - does that mean her dogs only get walked on the 1st of the month? hmmmm.... Maybe she photographs them because she feels guilty for neglecting them the rest of the month. Just a thought)
Sept 4 - Refill bird feeders
Sept 6 - Ocean swim (she obviously has no fear of rip tides either, being the super martha she is)
Sept 6 - Lunch on the porch (she plans WHICH ROOM she will dine in. Odd)
Sept 10 - Yoga with James (he's baaaaack!)
Sept 11 - Turn compost pile (ew.)
Sept 14 - (my personal favorite) Have leaf blower serviced. (when was the last time you had YOUR leaf blower serviced? Nevah? Hmph. I thought so.)
Sept 20 - Make chutney.
Sept 21 - Inspect deer fencing.
Sept 26 - Touch up indoor paint while humidity is low and the windows can be opened (oh dear, I hope it doesn't rain. I'm not sure when she could work that back into her schedule with all the chutney-making and leaf-blowing she's doing.)

So ... pretty much I'm glad that God inspired Proverbs 31, and not Martha, because I wouldn't have the umph to do half these things ... except maybe yoga with James and chatting with the fishmongers.

The 3-year-old Compass

2009-08-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

I have lots of catch up blogging and picture posting to do ... but in the meantime,

Yesterday we were watching a private plane take off from the astoria airport. As it ascended into the air, elaina yells out: "Bye guys! Have a good trip up north!"

And now a few deals to kick off TGIF :)

I have a few 20% off your whole purchase (sale items inc) for Gymboree that I would be happy to give out the codes for ... just message me if interested.

Also, 4 trusty sights for steals:

www.scrapbooksteals.com

www.mamabargains.com

www.babysteals.com

www.gilt.com

The last one offers designer duds (think Splendid, Juicy, Ralph Lauren, Lola et Moi, etc... for kids brands) - they have timed sales, and things sell quickly - and usually at 75% off. Also, if you check around on google, you can get a $25 credit for signing up yourself. And another $25 for every friend you refer. So.... don't hesitate to put my email address in (thesiegmanns AT hotmail.com). It's my go-to place for baby gifts these days. (The free $25 they give you to start with will usually buy you one sweet little clothing piece. You pay the outrageous $9 shipping).

I'm busy trying to sort through craigslist ads for builder surplus materials (doors, cabinetry, etc...) and piecing together the finishes on the house at decent prices. Yesterday, we were drooling over bridge faucets for the kitchen sink, and found this one, priced at $580, that we loved. So we printed it out and thought to look for something similar at the architechtural salvage yard. On a whim, we did a froogle.com look-up on the same model, and found that it was $400-$580 everywhere ... except overstock.com where it was $105 including shipping!!!

Kitchen faucet, come quickly. I can't wait to hold you :) lol.... I'd like to think that this would make doing dishes more fun, but let's be real. It won't. It's just total plumbing eye candy :)

Summer treats ...

2009-08-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of summer is having a regular vegetable still life platter on the table at all times ... pretty pattypan squash, purple carrots, fresh apricots, chanterelle and lobster mushrooms, basil by the bunch, and ... best of all ... a basket-full of we-picked blueberries!

1st Shirley Temple :)

2009-08-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

We included the little imp on a date night, and introduced her to her first sip of high fructose heaven: a shirley temple with extra cherries :)

Afterwards, we headed to the video store and rented an old black and white Shirley Temple movie ...

My mom gave her this little heart shaped ring, and she wears it like a wedding ring, night and day, in the tub, etc....

VBS

2009-08-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

BFF's :) They WUV each other!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2009-08-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

Our church had a facepainting booth at the fair

More Cotton Candy, Please!

I just want to fly ....

2009-08-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Aren't the little Jetson's style rides a trip?! Kelsey hooked Elaina up with these moviestar sunglasses.

She adores them, and told me she can't wait until Baby Julia (her cousin) gets big enough to share them with :)

Kelsey and Laina Dates

2009-08-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

Once a week, I get the treat of a nice 5-hour break ... which usually includes getting caught up on household admin, helping with the business ads, marketing, and gifts, and taking an hour to read the Word at the Coffee Girl, butterscotch latte-style.

I wish this for every mom. In fact, I can remember when I used to nanny, how fun it was knowing that I was freeing a mom for a doctor's appt in peace, or a creative venture, or just to leisurely stroll the grocery store aisles! lol... On my few hours off, our dear day nanny Kelsey watches Elaina ... and introduces her to new things like convertibles, rollercoasters, and cotton candy.

Last week, Kelsey took Elaina to the county fair ... Elaina was particularly smitten with all of the 4-H animals, mostly the bunnies ... and she repeatedly voiced her desire for a "non-dead" bunny to take home.

Coastline Fam

2009-07-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

Our friends son got baptized ... now that is one happy little Jesus-lovin' soul!

Sweet Lana, our date night nanny who will be leaving for So Cal for college soon....

Smores, Worship, Guitars, Fire, Football, Dogs, and Church-on-the-Beach

Ballet - Week 2

2009-07-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

Jumping over the alligator ...

Yeah, still working on the gracefulness of ballet

Her little class of princesses :)

Ballet!!!! aka Princess Camp, Week 1

2009-07-31T17:43:00.000-07:00

Girly things

2009-07-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

Portland Escape

2009-07-31T17:38:00.002-07:00

Some happy sights around PDX ... bridges, bridges, and more bridges ...

the marina, the Made In Oregon sign, Tazo Tea's headquarters, REI, etc....

Anniversary Cont.

2009-07-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

Not a bad way to scratch off the 7-year-itch :)

We make our own elevator music .... Self Portrait Take #1.

Mirror, mirror, on the ceiling ...

Portland Sights

2009-07-31T17:34:00.000-07:00

In Portland, even the commuting is done green-style.

We have a fabulous aerial tram system that boasts views of mt hood for passengers traveling between the university and downtown.

At the very top of this station is my brain doctor. She rocks. And the ride up there is quite zen too :)

We all live in a black submarine

Blues Fest 09 crowds and floating fans

Apparently the recession hasn't hit these people yet.

2009-07-31T17:31:00.000-07:00

Mansions best viewed from the boat ...

i'd be happy with just the little grotto. lol....

i really hope this lady has a maid. or 24.

7 Year Anniversary Getaway

2009-07-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

To celebrate 7 years of marriage, and a decade of togetherness, we put the child in storage, and spent a long weekend in Portland ... the highlights were rooftop dining at Departure, a river cruise, the Blues Fest (which sadly Etta James was unable to attend due to illness), running the city blocks and parks, Aveda body wraps, our fave grilled octopus at Andina's, and staring at the pretty chandelier prisms reflected on the wall. It was a memory to pocket forever!

the breezy hallway to the west balcony at Departure...

(think sunsets taken in while sipping wine in an overstuffed chaise lounge. ahhh..... )

river cruising ....

i always dreamed of dating a boy with a band

in the meantime ...

2009-07-31T12:33:00.001-07:00

a denominational friday-funny for you.

Lainey attended VBS at Bethany Lutheran this summer ... the first "formal" church she's ever been in.

Her jaw dropped open as we walked into the sanctuary.

"Mom! This church has TONS of couches! Can you believe how many couches they have here?! Which one should we lay on?"

And that was her introduction to the word "pew" :)

the prodigal blogger

2009-07-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

i'm back.

f'real.

and i've got pictures to prove it!

gargantuan size blog coming up this afternoon. :)

And Covey Calls it Again

2009-06-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that I know in my head the difference between urgent and important, it doesn't always come out in practice. I have been finding lately that by the time the weekend comes, I'm too exhausted to enjoy it, and "should do" stuff still manages to creep in even on our "off" days!

So this week the Lord has been nudging me to just stop, be still, and know He is. I love when He wonks me over the head these epiphanies of what's really important. It's a mercy that saves me from burnout. Which is exactly where I've been headed these last few months ...

I thought summer would see a slow down, but I still just feel like the "busyness" is overshadowing that which is truly important. Eternally important, near to my heart, and impacting my happiest ministry of all: my family.

I get so bogged down by thoughts like ... "I only have one child ... how can I be this busy? How can I be this exhausted? I should be volunteering. I should sign up for children's ministry. I should bake for the neighbors. I should visit the rescue centers."

And then that still calming voice in my heart reminds me that all these "callings" are things I'm put upon myself ... that the "best place" is on my knees before Him ... basking in His presence, joyfully serving my family, prayerfully training my daughter.

So I wrote down a list of everything I do on a weekly - if not daily - basis. The first half is the stuff that seemingly "has" to be done ... that stares you down until you tackle it, that you want to do, but know it's overstretching yourself, or that needs to be done more efficiently. In other words, the stuff that is taking over my life! lol... The things that are overshadowing and outnumbering the things that are truly worthy of my energy and attention.

So ... here it is. A day/week in the life of a homemaker and mommy of one.

- Keeping up with emails
- Returning phone calls
- Managing family social calendar
- Meal planning and cooking
- Grocery and household shopping
- Correspondance and cards
- Household administration stuff, bills
- Marketing and ads for our business
- Putting together client gifts for our business
- Laundry (I actually like doing it. Putting it away is another story :)
- Cleaning the house
- Organizing and inventorying the house
- Hostessing (every Friday)
- Ebay sales
- Giftgiving, holidays, wedding/baby occasions, birthdays
- Travel planning
- Managing family medical/dental/vision/prescriptions appts

And these are the things I want and need to do more of ...

- Enjoying the Word
- Date nights and daily QT with AJ
- Training and teaching Elaina
- Pilates, Weights, Swimming
- Writing and blogging
- Fellowship, friendships, and retreats
- Preparing for preschool on Thursdays
- Keeping regular family traditions
- Reading, Scrapbooking, Photography

How is it that these most precious, core things can so quickly be clouded over by the seemingly important things of day to day? I'm not using my gifts creatively for Him ... I find myself missing my husband and daughter daily even though we're almost always together. It's easy reading through this list to see how I've spread myself too thin ... I actually ENJOY things like house cleaning and laundry when it's not so time-crunched to do it all ...

So, I'm starting over with just the main things. And I'm drastically changing the way I do the other stuff ... It's hard for me to give up some of these things, because I truly wish I had time to keep up with it all. But I was reminded last night at church that when it comes to serving God, "the best ability is availability ... " meaning, availability for Him. To not have your life so wrapped up in busyness, scheduled to the 15-minute increment that you can't just drop everything and "be still" at any given moment. I've always longed for a life that has my Savior at the center and fits life in where it fits ... instead, I find myself so often having a life that is trying to fit my Savior in. Something feels fundamentally wrong because it is! We weren't made to have our little worlds in the center. And this feeling of exhausting is a wonderful, merciful warning sign that things are going in that direction.

So, I'm doing a lot of re-ordering, carving out a lot of things to make room for a few things. I'm going to just dedicate one afternoon a week to returning emails and phone calls ... I'm getting a sitter for 4 hours every Tuesday so I can efficiently - and without distraction - help AJ with business-related stuff, as well as household adminstrative stuff. I'm not sending anniversary and birthday cards to 3rd removed step-cousins anymore :) lol.... No really, I send out about 8 cards a week for occasions ... many to people we rarely if ever talk to. I do it because I love getting mail, and I imagine it will make their day to have a full mailbox of greetings. But it's just too much. So I'm going to just focus on immediate family and close friends instead.

Gifts. Oy vey. The hours and hours I spend looking for the perfect touch-their-heart thing, wrapping it, searching down a box that will accomodate it, trying to get it wrapped in bubble wrap before Elaina pops them all, and paying twice the gift's value to ship it across the country. Not to mention trying to store a mini-gift-shop in our tiny apartment. Hello Red Envelope.com. Bienvenue REI.com. Bonjour Amazon. AJ set up a gifts debit account for me, so I can find that perfect thing online and have someone else get to search for the styrofoam peanuts.

I'm thinking if I can attack the laundry just one day a week, it won't spread out and reproduce overnight like it's doing now.

Anyway, I'm praying for more ways to radically overhaul the way I've improperly prioritized things lately ... and thanking God that He makes each day new, and that His redemptive nature gives us such hope that even our sorry decisions can be righted with His strength.

I'd love to hear your feedback ... or any ideas you have or already use to keep the things He's called you to at the center!

Psychic Wifely Powers

2009-06-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

So this morning, I was online balancing our checkbook, and noted that our checking account showed a pending charge from a place ending in "Pizza LLC" ... suspecting it was the pizzeria on the ground floor of AJ's office building, I just smiled and calculated it in.

About 10 minutes later, AJ came home to get the mail and have lunch. "Honey ..." he buttered me up with ... "I have something to confess."

Me: "Did that something have pepperoni or mushrooms on it?"

He "HOW in the world did you know?"

Me: "You just looked guilty. Womanly intuition."

Yeah for technology that makes us look smart :)

the Fine Print Disclaimer

2009-06-16T10:19:00.001-07:00

First of all, I thought this guy was smitten with liberals, and was just at the tea party being a punk. Which is why I am laughing in all of the clips. I had no idea he was serious. lol...

Secondly, I had no idea the kid is running for mayor of Seaside with overwhelming support ... yay for grassroots campaigning ... nay for coming off like a complete ... well ... blonde. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Vht86S99M

There were such a diverse group of people at the party - young families, retired vets, neo-hippies, total extremists, and a lot of people just interested in the concept.

To date, there is an overwhelming MAJORITY of Wash. supporting a Fed Audit -- politicians interested in seeing where these trillions (literally) of dollars that are somehow unaccounted for are. Money that we are being taxed the interest on!

Ok, that's all the soapboxing I can handle for a day ... Elaina starts swim lessons tonight, and I have yoga (bliss) and Sonja-date (more bliss) ... and the promise of a Mac arrival tomorrow! (blissing OUT!)

Also, I've been working with a personal trainer for about 6 weeks now ... I love her. She's the perfect mix of encouragement + drill sargeant. The accountability is priceless ... Anyway, I have hour sessions with her 3 times a week. On the off days, I have a cardio and spinning class, yoga, and pilates. Elaina loves to pretend to exercise since she watches me through the windows of the kids room when I go... the other day, I caught her on all fours with a lint roller, rolling it back and forth and stretching her body out, and declaring "I'm working on my abs, Mom." I've lost 7.5 inches so far around my waist and disaster area thighs :) I still have a LONG way to go, but I think the progress thus far has a lot to do with the medicine I'm on too -- that is clearly reducing the intercranial pressure, which has been affecting my metabolism big time (as in ... shut down). I've also been headache-free as the pressure has gone down over the last few weeks ... and hopefully, hopefully! I will someday be able to have at least some night vision to drive again.

I am LOVING the farmer's market bounty lately! One of Oregon's top crops is mushrooms, so we have lovely lobster mushrooms, chanterelles, oysters, criminis, and morels to choose from. Last night we had a fresh catch of wild dover sole and broccolini ... Then we made special smoothies from strawberries, watermelon, mint, and ice chips. SUMMER!!!!

We're her biggest fans :)

2009-06-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Part two of the party ... when the princesses and their dollies actually arrive is coming perhaps tomorrow ... for now, I am DYING to know if anyone else has experienced this: the curious case of the menstrating iris. No seriously, my Iris are bleeding. They're gorgeous, but every night they drip this ink-like blackish purple pigmented liquid that stains ... am I crazy? is this normal? They are totally alive, not even near dead ... and they leak. Weird, huh?!

Maybe I am a princess!

2009-06-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

Birthday Wonderland ... the reaction!

2009-06-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

The best part of the party for me was seeing her inspect and delight over each little thing ...

wow!!!! i've never seen so much sugar!

All dressed up and no place to go :)

2009-06-14T20:43:00.001-07:00

Daddy Love

2009-06-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

Mommy Love

2009-06-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

Mini Party

2009-06-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Birthday Gifts! A bear, a ball, an a pull toy ...

"Balloons" hung from the rafters :)

... and the best birthday present of all! A pink tricycle with Chloe bunny in it!

The Tiniest Tea

2009-06-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

As a surprise for Elaina and part of the party decor, I set up her dollhouse and decorated it for a tea-time birthday party ...

Here's the two essentials for the day: Mommy's d300 and a latte :)

Ladies sipping tea and savoring cake ...

Almost done turbo-photo-posting ... I promise.

2009-06-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

I found these sturdy cardboard letters at our scrapbooking store ... they stayed up with glue dots and now I can re-use them!

All of the tea cups and saucers are real antique pieces ... our local tea shop went out of business last year, and got rid of all of their china for 10 cents each! I scooped up enough to host a party ... it was precious watching the kids light up at getting to use big girl fancy china!

Ten for Tea ...

2009-06-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

Elaina and I spent an afternoon slicing watermelon really thin and cutting out with cookie cutters different tea party themed shapes ...

Rosebud tea ...

Fruit mingling for sangria ...

Sugar, anyone?!

2009-06-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

My parents got Elaina this little bunny bowl for Easter ...

We had watermelon flavored cookies ...

and key lime cupcakes ... the sprinkles were for decorating cupcakes ...

2009-06-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

I used silk flowers to dress up a store bought cake ... I found the candle in the Pearl District in Portland and love it! I'm keeping it for her in her little treasure box :)

This is an antique tea pot I got as a wedding gift ... it was so fun to have a chance to pull it out and put it to use!

We had rosebud tea sweetened with agave nectar and pink hot chocolate for drinks ...

Decking the halls

2009-06-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

We made this little ribbon chandelier with remnant ribbons and a ribbon-wrapped embroidery hoop.

the cake! strawberry white chocolate by request :)

Welcome!

2009-06-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

the outside of our apartment has been sorely neglected, so we spruced it up with some fresh flowers

Doilies, doilies, everywhere!

3!!!

2009-06-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

We decorated the fridge with pictures of Elaina on previous birthdays and cupcake recipe cards :)

My Aunt Donna gave this precious little rosebud tea set to Elaina one year ... so we set up an entire table for the girls' dolls with little chairs and little tea service pieces :)

Bunny the Lucy is modelling a little dress Grammy Cizek picked out :)

Party Prep

2009-06-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

In a tragic turn of events, my Mac was backordered for another week, and won't get here until Wednesday ... so I'm waiting to start posting according to the new themed and structured plan until then ... in the meantime, I have gobs of birthday bliss shots to share!

For Elaina's 3rd Birthday, we hosted a high tea and cupcake party ... at 4pm.
All the little ladies dressed up, and brought their favorite dolly to tea too.
The mommas got to chat sans-child over virgin Sangrias and all things chocolate ...

Party Prep included getting everything decorated and set up while Elaina was napping ... It was so fun to prepare for this party because I wanted to have a waste-not party without bunches of streamers and balloons and paper plates and stuff to have to throw away ... instead, we made our own decorations from thrift store finds and fabric and ribbon remnants ... and a friend found the cutest little polka dot tablecloth on Freecycle that was just perfect for the table! A lady on Etsy made the pennant banners - and another Etsy friend in Portland overnighted us the most divine little chocolate cupcakes .... All the decor is going to be passed around so we'll have a little "sisterhood of the travelling tea party" set since the other mommy's want to make it a regular girl date. It was so fun! And the girls all loved getting to learn the formalities of tea (learning "please pass the ..." and "napkins on our laps" and keeping hands folded ....) It was super fun ...

these were the little favors for all the girls ... cupcake bubble bath, a cupcake cup, and a beaded necklace kit.

Elaina getting "Bunny the Lucy" (her current fave doll) ready for the party ...

Welcome gifts for all the little princesses ... We learned about how we're princesses because Jesus is our King who rescued us!
We used all different scrapbook papers, scalloping scissors, and popsicle sticks to make fans ....

Just Chillaxin

2009-06-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

I walked into the living room the other day to see this ... AJ and E lounging on the couch, both feet up on the coffee table. :)

2009-06-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

But this is her favorite way to sport her sunglasses. She thinks she's all cool when she tucks them into her shirt like this. lol....

More summertime sweetness

2009-06-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

We found this center of a water lily on a hike around the lake last week ... Elaina ganked a pansy for me from the church gardens, and the yellow woody flowers grow wild everywhere ...

Elaina ... all excited and accessorized for her Saturday Daddy-Daughter date

Sunglasses ... 2 cents in your purse ... and a pretty pearly bracelet from Auntie Donna ...
what more could you need for a date when you're 3?!

Flea Market Find :)

2009-06-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

There was a little shabby chic flea market type shop in Seaside that went out of business last month, and I scooped up the sideboard buffet table they were using to house their cash register on ... for $100! It was already painted ... I'd like to get some new knobs for it eventually, but for now, it's the PERFECT for craft storage and supplies ...

I also got this little corner cabinet with a windowpane door on the hutch for $60. It has a beadboard back ... I'm trying to figure out what to store on the shelves without it getting all cluttered ... for now, I have bunches of bud vases stashed in it...

... all waiting for snippings of these blooms fresh from the farmers market!

Mac Anticipation

2009-06-02T10:11:00.001-07:00

In 20 minutes, the man in brown will deliver a precious parcel containing gleaming white glory. I cannot wait a second longer! :)

Starting next week, as I alluded to earlier, I'm revamping the blog to be a mix of (hopefully) useful information and family updates. I'll be blogging 6 times a week (no more turboposting!!!!)
with the following themes:

"Make It" Mondays - craft ideas I've collected over the last 8 years

"Tempting Tuesdays" - favorite sites, steals and deals, objects pour l'obsessions, and other drool-worthy eye candy

"Weekly Update" Wednesdays - photos from our life in action and rambling thoughts from the land of domestic bliss. lol...

"Toddler Antic" Thursdays - after 12 years and 23 families of nannying, sharing a few things I've learned through trial and error, amazing books, and amazing people ... thoughts on raising kids, minus the british accent.

"Foodie Friday" - favorite recipes, wines, and restaurants across the country. From sophisticated dinner-party-worthy to cheater-meals that make themselves ... Ideas for everything from place settings to herbs to centerpieces to 101 things you can do with a cuisinart food processor :)

"Soak it in" Sundays - what God's been teaching me throughout the week ... thoughts on the living nature of His written Word, His faithfulness, and His correction in my life.

i heart trader joes

2009-05-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

trader joes. $5.99. something pretty to look at while you fold laundry: priceless.

Crayola truly is a wonder

2009-05-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

My mom gave Elaina a set of Crayola "window markers" ... for use on car windows while you're traveling.

We found an excellent secondary use for them :)

After a good day of learning and playing at "preschool", a nice nap is always in order.

I walked in to find she had fallen asleep sitting up with a Hanna Andersson catalog in hand.

The Three Muskateers

2009-05-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

While AJ was in Israel, I house and babysat for our friends Jo and Kevin while they took a second honeymoon in Bermuda.

I had my hands FULL.

Thankfully, my mom flew in for a whole week to "aid and assist" and help me keep heads counted, hands washed, and mouths fed.

All dressed in white

2009-05-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

Our hotel was in the U district, so we had a fabulous view of the sound and downtown seattle skyline and queen ann's. it was so lovely watching sailboats all afternoon.

positively glowing. well. at least that's what the post processing button said. lol...

first dance. forever his. can't you tell?!

Getting Ready ...

2009-05-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

Rehearsal night ...

Elaina's first manicure. The lady asked her if she had any brothers or sisters, and she responded...
"Well, yeah, I have a little brother, but we left him at home."
Oh boy.

Out and About

2009-05-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

Dance Party

2009-05-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

Elaina's friend Libby had a dance party for her birthday ... the girls got to dress up and get their groove on

this ain't no dancing with the stars :)

decorate your own cupcakes

Libby opening her sea of pink gifts :)

these are a few of my favorite things.

2009-05-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

Never, ever send your wife unescorted to Home Depot. Two hours later, we were still trying to figure out what kind of beadboard to buy. Giddyness ensued. Plus, Kathy and I had such a hard time manuevering the cart/barge that no one took us seriously. lol...

Sonja and Asher at Top Secret Beach, pointing out Top Secret Conspiracy Theories to us.

Sweet Josephine splashing

Summer is for ...

2009-05-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

Summer is for ... Skipping

... and sand between your toes

... and splashing

... and sandy bums :)

Grammy's Here!!!

2009-05-31T17:50:00.000-07:00

My Summer Girl ...

2009-05-31T17:49:00.000-07:00

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

2009-05-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

beach cont...

2009-05-31T17:47:00.001-07:00

Daddy was MISSED while in Israel

Sweet baby Audrey

Cave woman

short sands beach

2009-05-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

G is for Gravity

Life on the coast ...

2009-05-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

Our weather is so unpredictable... it can be 80, cloudless, and gorgeous one minute ...

and hailing, rainbowing, and dark the next.

mona lisa smiles

Propalooza

2009-05-31T17:40:00.000-07:00

My teensy niece at 2 mos

Kuyasa Choir Cont ....

2009-05-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

Kuyasa Choir

2009-05-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

Our church hosted a choir from South Africa of AIDS orphans ... many of them got to meet their American sponsors for the first time as they toured the country, and they got to squeeze in some beautiful california, washington, and oregon sights.

these were our two girls for the weekend ... Noprah and Wawa ... you tubing themselves :)

One night, we had quite the dance party and breakout kareoke session when they had two of their fellow choirmates over ...

Slime, Grass, and other edible treats

2009-05-31T17:34:00.000-07:00

Sparkly slime from Grammy and Grandpa Siegmann

Her basket overfloweth with fun :)

Genius.

Um, yeah, it's been a while ...

2009-05-31T17:31:00.000-07:00

So.... I kinda still haven't posted pictures from Easter. It was special. We did the usual cinnamon roll cross, and talked about the reality of Easter and what it means to us. We had been talking about for weeks before the actual day, so we reviewed with Elaina:

Parental Units: "Elaina, do you remember that people sometimes give gifts on Easter? That's because Jesus gave us the best gift we'll ever have on Easter ... Do you remember what that gift is?"

Elaina: "Of course. Sin!"

Oh dear. Not sure where Eternal Life fits into her toddler theology ...

Maybe she just had her mind on the peeps :)

She got to open all her cards that came in the mail and she has a special Easter basket from Grammy Cizek, filled with treats that came in the mail ...

How did Grammy Siegmann know I like chocolate?!

Square dancing in the Abbey basement

2009-05-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

Anger Management

2009-05-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this is how they play quite often. AJ tells Elaina that there's a reason some species eat their young, and she responds by terrorizing him :) Can you feel the love?!

I melt for moments like this ...

Reception - Toasts - Cont ...

2009-05-31T17:21:00.000-07:00

Reception cont ...

2009-05-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

Fremont Abbey Pics ...

2009-05-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

These boots are made for walkin' ... down the aisle, that is.

2009-05-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

Rachel chose the most non-bridesmaidy outfits for us ... divinely soft gap charcoal grey sweaters, white prairie skirts, and cowgirl boots. she tied it all together with beautiful robin's egg blue speckled pendants handmade for us on etsy, and big chunky sunflowers.

Rachel is the essence of "unaffected" by the world ... she is all joy, modest beauty, and sweet soul.

It was one of my favorite - and most tear-provoking :) - weddings ever.

Simple. Unabashed. Love.

seattle cont ...

2009-05-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

this is the forlorn expression on e's face when grammy cizek left on a jet.

she was utterly crushed and kept asking if the plane could "follow us" home.

olive 8 coffee bar ... they made their own flavored syrups ...

i was smitten.

i really really really want a pair of sneakers like hers.

looking north toward british columbia

Pappy G. visits - Hotel Incidental Charges - Etc...

2009-05-31T17:07:00.000-07:00

oh dear. someone drew "bunnies" all over the white headboards with an ink pen at hyatt olive 8.

this is her "i'm in deep trouble" look of anguish :)

Pappy G and his Monkey at a Brazilian restaurant downtown Seattle

My dad offered to give Elaina a pen as a "souvenier" of the trip.

wedding weekend.

2009-05-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

This is my lazy way out of posting pics in batches of 4. Does anyone know how to upload more than 4 at a time to a post? For now, if you double click on these, they should come up bigger for better viewing ....

Anyway ... this past weekend, I had the beautiful honor of being part of my college roommate's redemptive story. She married a one-in-a-million godly man named Bryan, and will be enveloped into one of the most loving families I've ever known. She is inheriting 3 amazing sister-in-laws ... all inspiring etsy-shopkeepers and mommies. One of the other bridesmaids flew in from New Orleans for the wedding - another Hillsdale alum - so it was fun to catch up with her too.

four generations of Bryan's family

the lovely bride and the cowgirls that love her most :)

oh yeah ... you should have seen rach's dress. etsy. less than $50. vintage. perfect fit. Gorgeous!

good morning astoria will soon be waking up from it's rather long nap :)

2009-05-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

i could go on and on with the excuses as to why i haven't returned emails, facebooks, uploaded pictures, or blogged lately ...

allow me to convince you that some of these excuses are halfway valid :)

1. no computer since january when i zapped the final p.c. we bought (#6).

2. travels to the midwest and east coast

3. travels to israel, seattle, and portland

4. a small, but rather bothersome, head problem :)

seriously, life without a computer is primitive! lol... i have had no way to look up phone numbers, balance our checking, return correspondance, or edit photos. but it's also been a really productive six month hiatus from technology... it's amazing how much time computers can suck out of your life!

later this week, a little white thing with an apple on it will be arriving in the mail ... with pre-installed photo and workflow software and a 750 gb external harddrive to store masses of photos on. aj has already called dibs on it when his p.c. crashes, and has firmly converted to the white world with me. it will be sooooo good to be back! i haven't worked exclusively on macs since college.

tonight we're going to dinner with another family that aj went to israel with... they're elders at our church, and their daughter babysits for us. she'll be off to college this fall, and will be dearly missed!

i've been jotting down ideas for fun posts for this when i can get back in the blogging groove. so excited to catch up on all of your streams too!!!

I Like Big Brains, and I Cannot Lie ...

2009-04-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

Sooooo. Sort of been doing the horizontal thing lately. Lots of time completely flat. I'm working my way up to a sitting position this morning, crossing my fingers that the spinal craziness doesn't return. AJ is furiously packing for Israel (!!!) so this gives me a few free moments on his laptop (yes, I zapped another one functionless. And now, thanks to heaps of medical bills, I will never see the light of day again, err.. I mean the mac I've been TRYING to save for forever. lol....)

But let me tell you how productive and joyful life WITHOUT a computer can be. It's the small things ... like watching your daughter pretend that her "Pinky Pie" my little pony is really a donkey on its way to Bethleham, complete with Strawberry Shortcake riding on her back, supposedly pregnant with Baby Jesus. And then the next moment, she breaks out in "Let's all go to the lobby, and get ourselves a treat..." a fun throwback to vintage cinema.

In a nutshell, shortly after Elaina was born, I started having problems. Memory problems (read: complete lack of short term memory), Vision problems, Headaches, etc... Finally, this spring, it got to the point where I was completely blind at night. I had stopped driving at night last year, but it became frightening even being in the car with someone else driving, and not being able to see a thing. I went to my doctor, who referred me to an opthomologist and neurologist team, who gave me 3 hours of tests, and the following news: you've most likely got a brain tumor. it could be cancerous, or it could be a "pseduotumo cerebri" ... let's hope for the latter.

These last couple of weeks have been filled with MRI's, MRA's, Orbitz imaging, and most recently... a lumbar puncture where they extracted 5 vials of spinal fluid, and went in to measure the my cerebral pressure. Which was off. the. charts. (30 is on the high end of normal. Mine was 220). The last two days have been recovery from that ... a spinal headache, going on day 3, that has rendered me flat in bed trying to get something, anything, done from a horizontal position :) The best way I can describe this is the worst migraine I've ever had, paired with what feels like poison pulsing through my back, neck, and spine. I would never wish this on anyone, and have great sympathy for post-partum moms who have spinal headaches. There is no drug that will take the edge off ... it's mostly just waiting for your body to replenish fluid.

Soooo ... God is good. So far, all of these tests and specialists have been in-network for our health insurance. And $8,000 later, I have met my out of pocket max, so it's all free from here forward. Meaning, any surgeries, procedure, specialists will be covered at 100% now. Next week, while AJ's in Israel, I will be meeting with 1 of 2 neuroopthomologists in the state through OHSU. It's a 4+ hour exam, and (hopefully) will confirm the diagnosis of a pseudotumor ... a non-cancerous cerebral swelling. Obviously, this impairs everything from your vision, memory, metabolism, etc... It can be treated with medicine, which, if unresponsive, can be corrected with surgery, in which 80% of cases are successful and lead to full remission.

Have I mentioned God is God? I feel like singing the line from "O For A Thousand Tongues" ... "blessings all mine, and ten thousand beside." All these little things ... from my mother in law offering to "be on the next plane out" to my mom flying out for a week to help with everything and watch kids during appts., to flowers to make the scenery love-a-lee ... to AJ learning to pack himself. (hee, hee...). It's a useful skill. I admit, I may have enabled him a teensy bit in this area :) It will be interesting to see if he makes it to Tel Aviv with his deodorant though :)

And best of all ... the other morning Elaina woke me and asked, "mommy is your head ache all gone?"I smiled and told her I was feeling a little better, to which she informed me:"Good, because I prayed for you last night. I just said, 'Dear God, i just pray that you make the ouchie in mommy's head go away. and i just ask that you would take care of her and make it all better.' And do you know what He said, mom? He said, "Lemme talk to Jesus." and Jesus said, "Ok, let's make her better."I loved the way that she perceived God and Jesus being in cahoots and an almighty healing team. Talk about medicine for your soul!

I will have very limited internet access over the next 3 weeks as I'll be living in Cannon Beach watching some sweet girlies while their parents escape to Bermuda for a 2nd honeymoon :) If you have a moment, kindly pray for AJ and all these nasty flus going around, in light of his international travel ... and that he would remember to use Purell and clorox wipes :) lol...

The Favorites Game

2009-04-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite mommy-daughter activities is plopping ourselves on the bed and playing "the favorites game" ... we take turns asking each other about our favorite things. E's change week to week, so it's always a surprise what comes out of her little opinionated mouth :) Here's this week's answers from Elaina:

What's your favorite movie?
A: Bambi

What's your favorite book?
A: Big bad wolf book

What's your favorite color?
A: Green

What's your favorite Bible story?
A: Jonah and the Whale

What's your favorite song?
A: Edelweiss

What's your favorite toy?
A: Saxophone (she doesn't own one. i don't even know how she knows what this is. lol...)

What's your favorite animal?
A: Chloe. Rabbits.

What's your favorite food?
A: Vegetable food.

What's your favorite snack?
A: Honey bee crackers

What's your favorite drink?
A: Milk. And Green Juice.

What's your favorite treat?
A: Grass treats. (she got edible grass in her Easter basket)

Who's your favorite friend?
A: JoJo

Who's your favorite baby?
A: Mary (her baby doll from daddy)

What's your favorite thing to do?
A: Um, help you. (nice answer, brown-noser :)

What's your favorite place?
A: To Seattle

What's your favorite place to shop?
A: The co-op. Because they have little carts. And Farmhouse Funk.

What's your favorite thing to wear?
A: A shirt

What's your favorite restaurant?
A: Pig and Pancake. I love pancakes.

What's your favorite daddy-daughter date?
A: To the museum. There was snakes there. And a whale.

What's your favorite craft?
A: Googly eye crafts.

And there you have it. Elaina Grace's faves ... almost 3 (sigh...) and already full of her own ideas. :)

Last Dose of the City

2009-04-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

Portland Waterfront

2009-04-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Baby, can I have a yacht for Christmas?!

Walking toward the marina

City Sights

2009-04-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

They told us we should get a dog.
No, really.
I would have asked for my money back, but ...
it was free. :)

Mississippi Avenue

2009-04-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

We hit up the RebuildIt Center on MissAve, a vintage/salvage paradise ... we are trying to do our entire house with salvaged materials ... they even have a lumber yard!

2 city blocks of vintage doors and windows

even the background music has a story to it

Two Peas in a Pod

2009-04-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

This ain't no Marine Drive, Apt B

2009-04-11T14:55:00.000-07:00