A Well Ordered Life (AWOL)

Back To School 1-3-5

2011-10-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

A month into the school year - still full of smiles

1st Grade

3rd Grade

5th Grade/Agate

It's the last year they'll all be at the same school

Happy 13th Anniversary

2011-06-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

13 years ago I married my best friend.

Fire Station Field Trip

2011-06-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Firefighter Princess

Happy 8th Birthday Blaire Rose

2011-05-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 8th Birthday Blaire Rose!

You bring us such great joy.

Your zest for life is contagious.

Happy 6th Birthday Paige

2011-03-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

You are getting so grown up!

We had a fun birthday party this year - complete with a chocolate fountain

and Pin the Sprinkle on the Cupcake game.

A very special homemade book from our dear friend Jill.

Soaring

2011-02-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 40:31

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

Sew Fun

2011-01-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Do you remember learning how to sew?

The kids had fun with this little craft.

Happy 10th Birthday Graeme

2011-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that you're 10 already. Where has the time gone?

You continue to amaze me with how brilliant you are. May you continue to love God and others as your mature into the person God has designed you to be.

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

A good friend of ours was very generous and did an amazing photo session with our family. Fun!

Maize Maze

2010-10-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of a sunny day off from school and went to the Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch.

The kids had a great time petting the pony & the llama. They climbed the hay bale pyramid, ran through the hay bale maze and led us through the Corn Maze.

Pumpkin Carving 101

2010-10-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

Choose a pattern:

GO FOR IT:

Back to School 2010 - K 2 4

2010-09-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

All set and ready to go.

At what age will my son decide to smile without looking constipated?

I'm just saying....

Paige could hardly sleep because she was so excited for Kindergarten

Blaire Rose knows she's awesome, so she'll have lots of friends

Graeme is excited to have the same teacher in AGATE this year.

Paige knows right where to go -

she is so excited for her turn with Mrs Lyons!

Blaire Rose & her buddy Ellie were happy to see each other after summer break

Mrs Perlattis is such a sweet teacher!

Graeme is blessed to have her again this year.

And mommy & daddy went out for coffee....Aw, sweet time alone together!

What did you do on your kids' first day of school?

Perceptions can be a tricky beast

2010-09-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder at what point you form an opinion about something? It's funny how perceptions get formed. Have you had an impression about something before you ever saw it - based on a perception or assumption - maybe even misinformation - about what or how {it} should look?

Now - there is a phrase I learned soon after meeting Duncan: "Your perception is your reality" - meaning, even if other people don't think you should feel a certain way about something, it does not make it wrong for you to feel that way. Your perception is your reality. If someone hurts you, it does no good for them to say: "That shouldn't have hurt" or "That's silly to feel that way" - this is not to say you don't need to step back and think about why you responded a certain way... it just means that the way you perceive something is going to affect your view.

As we were winding down our East Coast vacation, I realized I had a perception about something. Probably formed at some point in my early education years - it's not a huge deal, but it was interesting to me because it changed how I looked for an item of interest.

We spent some time wandering around Plimoth Plantation -

Taking in all the sites and sounds of an historic replica of the original settlement. Everyone was in character and interacted with the visitors quite a bit. The kids got to see how they cooked meals and trained animals. We were all interested to see the clothing they wore.

We all had a great time. We went back to our car and drove the 3 miles to view the Mayflower II and Plymouth Rock. As we were driving along, I had the map so we could view where Plymouth Rock was and find parking nearby.

I could see on the map that it was before the Mayflower replica, so as we began to see the Mayflower in the distance, I wondered how I was missing Plymouth Rock. I often miss things the first time around, so I didn't mention it to Duncan - not wanting to embarrass myself. We parked and ate lunch in the park overlooking the Mayflower.

I began mulling over the fact that I still hadn't seen Plymouth Rock. Then I realized I had a perception and an expectation that Plymouth Rock would look like one of the other large rocks I have seen:

Haystack Rock - Cannon Beach, OR

After we ate lunch, we put the cooler back in the car and Duncan led us over to Plymouth Rock -

I was quite surprised to find that it was really rather small...

I am not sure at what point my perception was formed of a larger rock in Plymouth. I guess because it was always talked about, I figured it was a large item - like the Statue of Liberty or Haystack Rock - and not just a small but symbolic thing.

What We've Been Up To

2010-08-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

Hanging out with friends

Having spa parties at friends' houses

Celebrating 1/2 birthdays

Getting our picture taken by a 9 year old

Spending time with cousins

Going to the beach

Taking in the view in Bremerton, WA

Losing teeth

Hosting Baby Showers

What have you been up to?

Seattle - June 2010

2010-06-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

We were able to take a trip to the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle today - fun times! The weather cooperated and we didn't get showered on - great since we were walking everywhere! The kids were troopers and did great.

We ended up being able to see a Navy Ship from New Zealand up close. Graeme thought that was great.

Then we explored the shops as we waited for the ferry back to Kitsap County

Happy Birthday to US!

2010-06-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

My friend Deborah and I share a birthday - so, we try to get out for coffee each year on our special day. Fun tradition!

Anniversary 2010

2010-06-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

When we planned our wedding for June 12th, we kept in mind that both our birthdays and Father's Day are in the same month...figuring we would take some time off and just do one special celebration for all of it. Well... small kids, school, and time off don't always coincide.

Now that our kids are getting older - and our anniversary fell on a Saturday - we booked a day-long babysitter and took off for some meandering around small towns.

The drive is so gorgeous!

We headed up to Port Townsend, WA - which - coincidentally - is one of the places we meandered through on our honeymoon. It's been a long time since we've poked around the shops up there without kids. It was so nice to be able to go into any store that piqued our interest and not have to worry about keeping little hands at bay.

Happy 12th Anniversary to us!

We found a parking spot and started walking around. I made it my mission to capture some of it on film... ended up with mostly pictures of food... not a bad thing, right?

Vanilla Coke at the 50's diner

Fried Ice Cream with chocolate sauce

We found some gems on our walk. I needed a purse for traveling - found one at a great deal - with all the features I was looking for. Duncan found some replacement sailboat books for ones he had loaned out - at a 2nd hand book store, so they were cheap. And we got to go to any restaurant we wanted! What a luxury. No worries about kids saying they did or didn't want one thing or another.

I pestered other tourists to take our picture...

It was a beautiful day - and we had a wonderful time just being together. Here's to many more years of marriage!

What do you do to celebrate a special event?

12 on the 12th

2010-06-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to us! I knew I was marrying my best friend, but I had no idea it would be so fulfilling! The hard work we continue to put into making our marriage successful is so worth the outcome! Thank you for being such a loving, faithful husband. I will continue to strive to be the kind of wife you deserve.

Here's to many more years together!

Happy Birthday Duncan - June 7th

2010-06-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 7th Birthday Blaire Rose

2010-05-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

We went for a {windy} walk on the beach and the kids had fun flying their kites.

It was a beautiful day in the PNW. I am blessed to be mom to these kids!

Flower beds in progress....

2010-05-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday - Color Coordinated Friends

2010-04-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

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Wordless Wednesday - Spring

2010-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday - Spring

2010-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

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Diminished Capacity

2010-03-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged about it ~~because I didn't want everyone to say "I told you so" when I failed~~, but I have been working very hard the past few months to shed some unwanted pounds that crept on after the birth of my 3rd child five years ago. I was surprised by the excess poundage since I had no trouble losing baby weight after the other kids. I was always proud of the fact that I fit into pre-pregnancy clothes within 6 months.

Along came the 3rd child. Everything in my life after she was born compounded to make it more difficult that third time around.

a) I love food
b) We sold our house and moved to a new city within the first 2 months of her life
c) We started a new job with a new schedule - don't mess with my routine!
d) I love food
e) I was almost 30

The list goes on and on...most importantly the fact that I LOVE FOOD.

Over the holidays, I was impressed with the progress my friend Heather had made using supplements and meal replacement shakes through Herbalife. We talked about my goals and she encouraged me to get on the path toward losing the 25 lbs I wanted to get rid of. She has been a great accountability partner and supporter of my goals to get back within a healthy weight range for my height. One of the things I like about it is the structure. Having 5 mini-meals a day with 2 of them being a Meal Replacement Shake - talk about easy!

As of March 30th, I have lost 20lbs and I am working towards losing my last 5.

Heather & I - December 2009

Heather & I - March 28th 2010

Happy 5th Birthday Paige Elizabeth

2010-03-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Paige Elizabeth - 5yrs old

I swore I would never call my youngest child MY BABY, but I catch myself doing it and then I begin to understand why my mom used to say the same about me when I was little.

Sometimes we use the length of your life to gauge how long we've been living here. I was 8.9 months pregnant when we candidated at NKBC and then you were only 7 weeks old when we moved. What a whirlwind that was.

*************************************************

You bring us such joy. We are so honored that God decided

to send you to us and we look forward to how God is

going to work in your life as your grow in love and knowledge of Him.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and forever. 2 Peter 3:18

Ready to pop

Graeme & Blaire Rose were so proud

1st Birthday

2nd Birthday

3rd Birthday

4th Birthday

Signs of Spring

2010-03-06T18:47:00.000-08:00

I {love} springtime.

Views & Such

2010-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Happy Valentines Day - 2010

2010-02-14T14:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day to my best friend

We had a lovely dinner out last night - at Old Town Bistro. The food was delicious and the service was very good. We went to see the movie Valentines Day with free tickets we had saved from a family Christmas present. That was fun and felt like such a splurge since we rarely do dinner and a movie due to the cost.

Glorious Sunrise

2010-02-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

Psalm 121

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

² My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

View from my Office - Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-20T14:30:00.000-08:00

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Slacker

2010-01-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

I've been slacking. Not that I haven't been getting stuff done, but now that I'm working 14+ hours at my new admin job and putting in a day or two a week at the preschool.... life gets busy! On top of that, my parents had given me a Tom Clancy novel they had finished reading ... and it took me more than 2 weeks to read it *whew* - that almost never happens. It was a very deep book - and very long. Good, but long.

Happy 9th Birthday Graeme

2010-01-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

2nd Birthday

3rd Birthday

4th Birthday

5th Birthday

6th Birthday

7th Birthday

8th Birthday

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T10:41:00.000-08:00

From our hearts to yours.

He is our PEACE, He calls us to LOVE, He offers us JOY.

I wish every single one of you PEACE, LOVE, and JOY in Christ

Silent Night, Holy Night

2009-12-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

Singing Silent Night at the candle light service.

Early Christmas Celebration

2009-12-19T15:26:00.000-08:00

We let the kids open some of their presents today because we'll be traveling to visit family over the holidays and we didn't want to take all the gifts with us. We didn't tell them until right before time to open presents - so they were super excited. Graeme and Blaire had purchased things for all of us at the Holiday Boutique at school and Paige went with Grandma Dolly to Walmart to get us each a little something. This past week she has been telling us "I got you coffee, but don't open it until Christmas because it's a surprise!" I kept telling her to not tell me the present, but she didn't quite get it.

All 3 kids got Legos this year and the girls were quite thrilled to have their own sets and not have to stay out of Graeme's. He had an interesting experience with that - he wanted to jump in and help them build, but forgot to ask if they wanted his help. It was a great teaching opportunity for him to learn what it's like for them when he has some new creative building going on and they want to be a part of it.

The kids got Duncan a new mouse pad to use by his laptop and a cool tripod flashlight. They got me a blender that I really wanted. I fell in love with the blender while visiting my brother this summer. We couldn't afford the $90 price tag so when I saw one for $40 I snatched it up and told Duncan to have the kids wrap it. While it took some of the surprise out of it, I was happy to keep to our budget and still get what I wanted for Christmas. We're bringing our stockings and one gift to open at Grandma & Grandpa's. Should be fun!

Preschool Christmas Party

2009-12-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

Paige loves her preschool class and was very excited for the Christmas party. She was quite happy during the practice session though she didn't end up singing during the performance,

so I'm glad I shot some video during rehearsal.

Early Christmas Present

2009-12-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

We walked a bit and got to ride the horse & carriage on a quick

tour around downtown Poulsbo on Saturday, December 5th.

We then went home and let the kids give their gifts of homemade trivets to Grandma and open their Christmas present from Grandma Dolly since she was only going to be here for a week visiting us from Rhode Island.

They were quite happy to see that it was a Wii...

...and they put it right to use.

Norwegian Dance - Santa Lucia 2009

2009-12-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Both Graeme & Blaire are enjoying Norwegian Dance this year. Graeme has been picking up the dances quite quickly and seems to have caught up with his class, despite jumping into it in 3rd grade.

They got to dance at the Jules Fest on Saturday December 5th and then again at the Santa Lucia Christmas Party on Monday December 7th.

Santa's Girl

2009-12-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

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Gingerbread Men

2009-12-03T14:29:00.000-08:00

We are headed to quite a few Christmas parties where we need to bring a plate of goodies. I baked about 14 dozen Gingerbread Men yesterday and the house smelled delicious! Later that evening Duncan gave me a hug and exclaimed over the lovely scent of gingerbread I seemed to be wearing... at least it's a nice smell!

What is your favorite thing to take to holiday parties?

GINGERBREAD MEN

2/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
2 tsp ginger
pinch salt
3/4 cup molasses
1 egg
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Cream together first 6 ingredients. Add egg & mix. Add molasses & mix again.

Mix flour, baking powder & baking soda in a separate bowl. Add to the creamed mixture and stir until well blended. Chill 1 hour or more.

roll ti 1/8" thickness and cut out shapes. Bake 9 minutes @ 375.

Wordless Wednesday - Crisp Winter Days

2009-12-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

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Christmas Decorating

2009-11-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

Giving Thanks For:

2009-11-26T10:42:00.000-08:00

I saw this on a blog I read and thought I'd pass it on.

GIVING THANKS
G- God who never leaves us or forgets about us
I- incredible friends
V- voices in my home always singing praises
I- important lessons learned
N- neighbors who bless me
G- godly husband who is hard working, loving, and simply incredible in my eyes
T- three cherished children that bring pure joy to my heart
H- hope in Christ, for salvation and a future
A- anchor, simply the Word of God
N- needs met, provision in the desert
K- kinfolk, family love
S- sustained by God's grace alone during difficult times

Wordless Wednesday - Home Depot Project

2009-11-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

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Haircut Time

2009-11-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

We kept Blaire's hair in a cute little bob for a long time.

It looked so cute on her and we loved it.

Then she got glasses at age 4. We decided to grow

it out because it kept getting snagged on her frames.

She prefers to wear it down rather than in pony tails.

My problem with that is it is messy all the

time and she refuses to wear headbands.

I told her we had to go short again if she wanted to wear it down.

She jumped right on that and we took her in for a cut last night.

She LOVES it. And it enhances her spunky personality.

Wordless Wednesday - Wishing & Hoping

2009-11-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

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Wordless Wednesday - Friends

2009-11-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

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Halloween Memories

2009-10-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

Buzzin' Around
2004

Knight, Fluffy Duck & Lady Bug
2005

Knight & Princesses
2006

Howdy Partner
2007

Soldier, Big Belle & Little Belle
2008

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Blond Mulan & Sleeping Beauty
2009

What a week....

2009-10-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

It has been a very interesting 7 days. Duncan and I went to a Pastors Conference last Fri/Sat. We had a great time away - enjoying time with our Senior Pastor Terry Tharp as well as James & Liz Newman (Worship Pastor).

We came back home to pick up our kids from our friends' house and barely got in the door at our place before we realized that Blaire had a fever. Thankfully it only last 24 hours, but the cough stuck around much longer. Graeme was next... coming down with a fever on Monday night. His cough was much deeper in his chest, but also much more productive than Blaire's. Paige had tummy issues and a mild fever last night.

Duncan and I have been feeling a bit run-down. Especially today. Paige had us up till 2am.

We've been trying to stay healthy - especially because Duncan has a big event going on this Saturday with all the other youth groups in town - expecting a lot of teens to come hear the bands and the speaker at Rock the Corn.

Wordless Wednesday - Favorite Color: Chocolate

2009-10-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Barefoot Park, Germany

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Wordless Wednesday - Read To Me

2009-10-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

Blaire is sharing her love of reading with her sister.

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Coffee Soap

2009-10-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

Question: Does it taste good if you have to wash your mouth out with coffee flavored soap?

We had some guests this weekend and they found out about my love for coffee - they left this little treat for me as a thank-you. Sweet!

Glasses & Power Outages

2009-10-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

We had record breaking rainfall yesterday - 1.12 inches - more than October 16th has seen in a long time. (This broke the record of 1995 where we had .72).

Then we had gusty wind today.

Then a tree went down across the road.

Then we had no power.

Thankfully it came back on only 2 hours later - and the weather is somewhat warm outside, so it wasn't uncomfortable in the house.

We decided to take advantage of a 'free' day to go to the mall to get Blaire Rose some new glasses. We purchased some new ones in August and have had to have them repaired 6 times in six weeks - the lenses just kept popping out no matter how well they shaped them. We finally just picked out a different style and are having them made with her prescription this weekend. Quite honestly, I like this new style better than the one we picked out in August, so it works for me - just a bummer that we've had so many issues with the previous pair.

Fall Harvest - Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

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SMILE - Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

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Wordless Wednesday - Angelic Attitude

2009-09-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

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Little Pictures Have Big Ears

2009-09-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

You know they're listening to you exclaim over how quickly they're growing up when you hear:

"I'm 4 1/2 - almost 5. Isn't that weird?"

Routines

2009-09-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

Now that we are in our 3rd week of school, the routines are beginning to fall into place.

I {love} routines.

All 3 kids are loving their classes at school and we are getting some rhythm in our lives by embarking on another year of Norwegian Dance. Graeme jumped in with both feet and is loving it. His class has quite a few kids he already knows from school, so that is a bonus.

I {love} routines.

With the school routine also comes homework. Both Graeme & Blaire Rose are quite thrilled to demonstrate their study skills, so we have not had any battles in this area {yet}. Graeme is a self-starter and a planner like his mother - so, he has no issue with deadlines. Blaire Rose is going to be an 'oh yeah, I forgot I had homework' kid. We'll have to work on that.

I {love} routines.

We have a bit of a revolving door with other kids coming to/from our house. I watch a friend's little boy 2.5 days a week - he is also in Paige's preschool class, so that works. I work in their classroom one day a week and get the other morning off. Duncan and I have started having mini-dates during that time. Today we went to our local pizza/coffee shop and took our beverages down on the dock and watched some dolphins glide through the water.

I {love} routines.

We also have do some 'before-school-care' 4 days/week for some friends so that their mom can get to work on time. Graeme, Blaire Rose & Paige love this as they are quite thrilled to have other kids in their house.

I {love} routines.

As the Volunteer Coordinator for our school's PTSA, I spend a bit of time on the computer doing correspondence. I was able to get some emails sent and blogs updated today, which always feels good to check that off my list of things to do.

I {love} routines.

What routines help make your week go smoothly?

Fall Decoration or Beauty Product?

2009-09-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

Wooden Boat Festival 2009

2009-09-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday - Singalong Card

2009-09-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

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Back to School Pics

2009-09-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

'Twas the Night Before School Started

2009-09-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

'Twas the night before school started,
When all through the town,
The parents were cheering...
It was a riotous sound.

By eight the kids were washed,
And tucked into bed,
When memories of homework,
Filled them with dread.

New pencils, new folders,
New notebooks, too,
New teachers, new friends-
Their anxiety grew.

The parents just giggled,
When they learned of this fright,
And shouted, "Upstairs!
GO TO BED! IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!"

Thankfully this isn't how my kids feel about school - but I thought it was good for a laugh.

Wordless Wednesday - Preschool Days

2009-09-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

Finally my turn for preschool

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Sweet Love

2009-08-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

We attended a wedding on Saturday that was quite beautiful. The bride was gorgeous and very much in love with her handsome groom. I always love going to weddings - being reminded of the wonderful vows that Duncan and I took 11 years ago and rededicating ourselves to live our lives in tandem with each other.
The wedding was at the Historic Church in Port Gamble, WA. When we first moved to Kitsap County and were sight-seeing, I took one look at the church and wished we could have been married in it. Such a quaint place - so full of history.

I didn't snap any pictures of the wedding party, but took some great photos of fun stuff at the reception.

Candy Bar for the guests to create/fill their own party favor bags

{Character} Goals with Upward Soccer

2009-08-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for
which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14

This is the 2nd year our church has offered a soccer camp using Upward Sports curriculum. We had 76 players - twice as many as last year - so much fun! Paige was allowed to play this year - despite being only 4 years old. She did great - running after the ball with great determination.

Upward Sports offers some great advantages for learning to become a team player. Upward is a fun, reliable, passionate and encouraging sports experience for boys and girls, in K5 through sixth grade. Upward provides first class, organized and detailed sports programming in soccer. Unique aspects of Upward include an evaluation system that promotes equal and competitive teams as well as a substitution system which allows for equal playing time for all participants. Through Upward, children are exposed to quality coaching and sport development. Upward emphasizes character and integrity instead of a “win at all costs” mentality associated with today’s sports world.

Graeme really enjoyed playing this year

Blaire was very focused for {most of} the week

Paige was super excited to kick the ball in the goal

Chief Seattle Days Parade

2009-08-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a quick 2-block walk to downtown Suquamish today to watch the small parade to celebrate Chief Seattle Days. They had a bunch of vendors set up with trinkets and some booths with food.

We enjoy taking quick walks out on the new dock - today was a bit windy and cool, so we were very happy to have sweatshirts with us.

Graeme is getting quite good at taking photos, so it's handy to have him along to snap some of the adults here and there.

I also 'made' the kids hold hands and walk together - it was cute - and I was surprised to see Graeme still smiling when I had them walk back towards me - posing for a picture along the way.

After a quick perusal of all the booths, we waited for the parade and were inundated with candy - lots and lots of candy.

It was such a short parade - over almost before it began - but fun for us to live so close to it and just be able to walk home for lunch.

Cool {braiding} Aunts

2009-08-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

I grew up braiding my nieces' hair. Any chance I got, I would create fun styles with their long blond hair.

My girls always love to have their hair done, but braids have always been out of the question.

Until Aunt Rachel visits, that is.

They saw her braiding her sister's long, curly black hair and had to get in on the action. Now they're hooked. They want it braided and {subsequently} curly as often as possible.

Blaire Rose

*******************************

Paige Elizabeth

Wordless Wednesday - 3 Blond Vikings

2009-08-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Blaire & Paige with Naomi Jones

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Wordless Wednesday - Sand in the Eye

2009-08-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

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Outdoor Toy Box

2009-08-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

We have been needing a box to keep outdoor toys in. There never seems to be enough room in the budget to purchase one, so I was quite pleased to see that the local cedar store had put out a 'free bin'. We raided the bin and found quite the loot - Duncan was able to build this and re-use some hinges we had removed from another broken toy box. We still need to sand and re-seal it, but it's doing the job for the time being.

Family Camp - July 2009

2009-08-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

It was our first year attending Family Camp at Lake Retreat and it was a lot of fun. Duncan was still 'catching up' on lost sleep from his trip to Utah with the teens and World Changers, so he spent the first couple of days resting in the cabin and trying to kick the pesky fever he gets when he's overtired. We enjoyed some quiet evenings of reading while the kids were in bed - that was very relaxing.

The weather was great - upper 80's - exactly what you want when spending a week at the lake! The kids enjoyed splashing in/around the water, (canoe-ing & kayaking) and riding bikes along the trails. Blaire Rose became quite proficient on her 2-wheeler and Paige didn't 'bottom out' too often with her training wheels. A few skinned knees and banged up elbows, but no major injuries.

We took a quick day-trip to the nearby town of Black Diamond -

checking out the local museum and original bakery.

We did a lot of swinging

Cardboard Boat Races

Posing with our *new* friends Shawn & Joanna Newberry and all the kids.

Ping Pong Race

2009-07-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

For more participants, visit WW.

Wordless Wednesday - Cousins

2009-07-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

For more participants, visit WW.

Duncan makes the news in Salt Lake City, UT

2009-07-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

You can read the whole story here.

4th of July

2009-07-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

We had a great visit with family and friends on the 4th of July. We got to see lots of cousins and spend time getting our nails painted red/white/blue, riding bikes, splashing around in the sprinkler and eating a good amount of delicious food.

Perpetual Cycle

2009-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Paige has always preferred the shuffle along method and just learned to peddle this week. She went around the track no less than 3 times. I was so proud of her. Next goal for the summer: to teach Blaire how to ride without training wheels.

For more participants, visit WW.

Vacuuming the grass...

2009-06-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

Why would we vacuum the grass? Well, a certain group of kids thought it was a good idea to dump several boots full of gravel in the yard. The natural consequence was that they had to pick it all back up. After working for an hour, they got quite a bit done - but there was still a lot buried down deep so Duncan got out the shop vac and we got quite a bit more out.

As they were {arguing about} picking them up, they kept saying "This is too hard - we'll never do it again!" They also kept looking at me with a look that said "can't we just have a time-out instead of having to pick all these up?"

Fathers Day Picnic

2009-06-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

After church, we took our packed picnic lunch and headed to Port Gamble for a Civil War Re-enactment. We love Port Gamble and all it's historic charm.

In the 4 years we've been here, this is the first time we've stayed for one of the battle re-enactments - we had a good time sitting in the grass across the street and watching the battle. The cannon was quite the high-light.

I enjoyed using my new {birthday present} camera and had a blast doing some photo editing when we got home. We lasted 6 years on our last digital camera and it was literally dead.

Wordless Wednesday - Turban Head

2009-06-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

For more participants - visit WW.

Grow old along with me - the best is yet to be

2009-06-12T00:54:00.000-07:00

"Grow old along with me
The best is yet to be"
Robert Browning

11 years ago

“I, Duncan, take thee, Suzanne, to be my wedded wife. With great joy and thanksgiving I receive you into my life that we may be one. As Christ leads me in my life, so shall I lead you, remembering that love will be with us always. I promise you my deepest love and devotion. I will care for you whether our way be smooth or difficult, when you are sick and when you are well, to live together with Christ as the center of our home; to love and to cherish till death parts us.”

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I, Suzanne, take thee, Duncan, to be my wedded husband. With great joy and thanksgiving I come into my new life with you. As you have pledged to me your life and love, so I too happily give you my life. As Christ leads you, I submit in confidence to your headship knowing that Christ will be the center of our home. I promise you my deepest love and devotion. I will care for you from this day forward; whether our way be smooth or difficult, when you are sick and when you are well. God has prepared me for you and so I will ever strengthen, help, comfort and encourage you throughout life as an obedient and faithful wife till death parts us. I say “Where you go, I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God, my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

We never live so intensely as when we love strongly.
We never realize ourselves so vividly as when
we are in the full glow of love for others.
Walter Raushenbush

Happy 11th Anniversary, my dear sweet husband.
You have taught me so much about life, love and genuine friendship.
May our relationship grow even sweeter as the years pass.
I love you with all my heart & soul.

Happy Birthday Duncan

2009-06-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

Your ever-present take-charge personality is so charming....

To the best husband and father I know....
I love you and look forward to spending the rest of our lives together.

Wordless Wednesday - Goodbyes are Tough

2009-06-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Shelly is moving far, far away next week. I am very sad;
but count myself blessed to have known her these past 3.5 years.

For more participants, visit Wordless Wednesday

Fancy Nancy

2009-05-31T19:35:00.001-07:00

Blaire Rose has really been interested in Fancy Nancy lately - she picks out a new book every week at the library and pores over it with keen interest. We are a bit new to the Fancy Nancy scene and so is our family. When we try to explain it, we say "Picture a little girl just like Blaire Rose who believes that {more is always better when it comes to being fancy} and loves to dress up and do all things fancy - then you have the idea of what the books are about".

We let our kids do a 'big' birthday party every few years - and this was Blaire's year. She got to pick 4 friends to come over for her special day. Paige also got to be a part of the group.

We curled their hair...

Painted their nails...

Read some Fancy Nancy Books...

Did crafts....

Played Twister Hopscotch

Opened presents....

And had a scrumptious cake

Beach Babe

2009-05-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Girl

2009-05-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

TWISTER HOPSCOTCH

For more participants - visit Wordless Wednesday

Happy 6th Birthday Blaire Rose - May 26, 2009

2009-05-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

What a joy it is to be your mommy. You have made so many changes in temperament in the last 6 years. You began as such a happy, but independent child. At 7lbs 6oz, you were our tiny little thing with a voracious appetite. You were a great sleeper and you loved to socialize.

You've always had a demeanor of "Why wouldn't you love me?" and I hope you never lose that - that you ground yourself in the Love of Christ and continue to be someone lovely to be around.

You became even more independent as you neared age 2. You were quite insistent that you be able to do things your way, all the time. There were a lot of fits being thrown every day.

Paige & Blaire Rose - Fall 2005

You have always showed your emotion(s) on your sleeve and so
we always knew exactly what you were feeling.

Then you started making changes. You were still independent,
but you now had the skills to express yourself through words.
You began to shift towards being one of the most loving children I've ever known. New Glasses - May 2007

Barefoot Park - Germany 2008

Burg Eltz - Germany 2008

Connecticut - July 2008

Now you have such character and love to express yourself through your Norwegian Dances. I look forward to seeing you dance for many more years.

Norwegian Dance - Princesses - May 2009

Fun in the Sun

2009-05-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

We have been making good use out of the glorious sunshine this week. Yesterday afternoon the kids spent sloshing around on the slip-n-slide, while I lounged in my comfy chair; sipping an iced latte. Then I got up off my rear and attempted to teach them how to do cartwheels. Needless to say, we didn't take any pictures of that. Graeme got pretty good at it, but Blaire Rose still has a ways to go. It's been a while since I've done cartwheels... Slip-n-slide

We went to Old Man Beach here in Suquamish today. Our friend Tammy met us there with her daughter McKenna. It happened to be nice and quiet there, so we had a pretty relaxing time watching the kids play in the sand.

Paige

Blaire Rose

McKenna

Graeme

Having a little afternoon snack
McKenna, Blaire Rose & Paige

Graeme sipping a very rare treat

Wordless Wednesday - Double Feature

2009-05-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

I realize I already posted a WW picture today... but I got this Pampered Chef pan for $.50 at a rummage sale and {had} to make banana bread today.... my house smells amazing.

America the Beautiful - Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

For more participants - visit Wordless Wednesday

Dance Your Heart Out

2009-05-15T19:34:00.001-07:00

Blaire's Norwegian Dance class did a performance tonight at Viking Fest in Poulsbo, WA.

I am so proud of her and her dedication to learning the dances.

Then she got to have her picture taken with some Princesses

Wordless Wednesday - Norwegian Dance

2009-05-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

Her favorite part of the dance: "NO NO NO"

For more participants, visit Wordless Wednesday

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

We have been planning to do some raised planting beds along our back and side fence. On Friday we purchased everything we {thought} we needed and got right to work on Saturday morning.

Only 2 trips to Home Depot & one stop @ McDonald's later and we were finished with the back fence portion. Working together as a family was a great Mother's Day present.

All 3 kids were excited and willing to help out.

They had a great time assisting in clearing the 'trench' area and
they loved helping move the landscape timbers.

Friday Favorites

2009-05-08T19:53:00.001-07:00

My dad was able to come up to visit for the afternoon today as he was done working at a camp only 1.5 hours from us. We had a great time - went to lunch at Bella Luna {4-block walk from our house} and then walked around downtown Suquamish for a bit.

After picking up the older 2 from school, Grandpa spent some time working on a puzzle with them and tried to teach them how to whistle. They were all intrigued that he could whistle while he worked on putting pieces together.

Enchiladas

2009-05-07T18:08:00.000-07:00

I love Mexican food. I really do. I think I could eat it more than 2x/week if it was available. Duncan likes it in moderation - mostly due to the spice content and his acid reflux. I have tried to make some recipes at home that are a bit milder so they can be spiced up individually. We also always have sour cream on hand to help smooth out the spice.

I grew up making enchiladas in large batches - dipping each corn tortilla in the enchilada sauce and then rolling the meat mixture up inside of that. I find this to be very messy and hot to my fingers. Plus, when I decided to make them yesterday, I realized I didn't have any corn tortillas; only flour. So, I did a quick google search for 'ground beef enchiladas flour tortilla' (I love google!) and came upon this recipe that I tripled:

BEEF ENCHILADA S

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 pkg. taco flavoring
3 tbsp. water
1 (10 oz.) can mild enchilada sauce
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (Mozzarella or other)
1 pkg. (10) flour tortillas

Brown ground beef, then simmer with taco flavoring and water. Heat tortillas per package instruction. Using beef filling, fill each tortilla and roll up. Place rolled tortillas in 9x13 pan. Blend together the enchilada and tomato sauce and pour over the tortillas. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.

We had this meal tonight and it was most fabulous. Duncan confessed to me that he wasn't that excited about dinner because he usually doesn't care for enchiladas - "They're usually too saucy". So, the fact that these were not dipped in sauce really made them a hit for him! Plus, mixing the enchilada sauce & tomato sauce together really helped calm the flavor down.

Make Shift Pantry

2009-05-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

I am in love with having a pantry. It isn't that big, but I have enough cabinet space in my kitchen to hold my baking supplies so that my pantry only has to have cooking supplies.

(Picture during construction April 2007)

I stock up on deals and love getting a rock-bottom price on items. So... my pantry is often bursting at the seams with canned goods, boxes of crackers, etc.

It appears that we also have ants. You know those annoying little soil/sugar ants that seems to be able to get into any size opening - and you can never tell where they came from?

Turns out they really like honey. Who knew?

(I never knew they were called soil ants until 8 years ago when I called up the exterminator {for the first time in my life} and told them I had an infestation of piss ants in my house... seems that was just a term used by my family ... uggg... Here's to teaching your kids the right names for things so they're not embarrassed when talking to a professional!)

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It's been 10 days since the exterminator was here to spray the crawl space and exterior as well as put down ant bait in the house - I know it has to get worse before it gets better; but in the meantime we had to move all the items out of the pantry so they wouldn't be bothered by the ants... this is just 1/2 of it... the rest is in lidded containers in another room.

I pride myself in being a decent house-keeper. I don't always mop or clean as often as I ought, but my house is relatively clean 99% of the time. One thing you realize when you have issues with ~~piss~~ soil ants is just how dirty they can make you feel! Yuck - I am looking forward to them going bye-bye.

Wordless Wednesday - Tired Swing

2009-04-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

For more participants, check out Wordless Wednesday.

Crafty Names

2009-04-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

I've had these letters for the girls for quite some time. I didn't really want to just hang them on the wall, but I was at a loss for how best to display them. I got the idea to mount them on dowels and then put them on the top of a picture frame or shelf. The only frame I could find was unpainted pine.

So I set up a table in my garage and put many coats of white
paint on these before drilling the peg holes and gluing the dowels in.

I wanted to coordinate with their bedding...

...so I added some wood flower decals that I
painted with some fabulously easy paint pens
A little hot glue and....

- Finished Product -

Now I just need to decide what pics I want to put in them...