This weekend, this was my Facebook status:
Over the last week, I've spent early morning hours making hushed phone calls and connecting online with someone special, making arrangements for a future rendevous. His name is Mickey and he's a mouse! :D
We are SO EXCITED!!!
A few years ago, we mapped out some of our vacation plans for the following years and we knew we wanted to do this trip. But we knew that it would be expensive and we really wanted to wait until Rori was old enough to be able to fully enjoy it, so we penciled it in for this year. We saved and waited and saved and waited. We went on other trips, mostly small ones to see family, but reserved the majority of our vacation funds to be used for a dream vacation to DisneyWorld. It seemed like 2011 was so far away! But good things come to those who wait... we were patient and diligent, and finally, IT IS HERE!!!
Well, almost.
It's happening later this year... but it's so close now! Close enough that we've booked it all - and best of all, we saved enough to pay for the whole vacation package/flights/etc up front! It's such a good feeling! :) We have had a lot of fun looking through the guides, watching our home videos from our last visit, scouring websites for tips and tricks for the best planning, etc.
I really love the planning A LOT! It is so fun for me! I love it almost as much as the trip itself, and all the planning I get to do helps us to enjoy the trip that much more while we're there. So I am in total heaven right now! I JUST LOVE IT!!!
As excited as we are, we also feel exceedingly blessed and grateful! We recognize the many wonderul blessings that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with that enables us to do something like this for our family. A few days ago, I sat pondering the love of our Heavenly Father and I was overwhelmed with the feeling of His desire to bless us. Just as Ryan and I want so much to take our girls on this trip, to give them experiences that we know they will love, our Heavenly Father wants to give it to us, too. I felt like the little girl and that He, my Heavenly Father was the one taking ME to DisneyWorld - not because it's something that is important or necessary, but because He just knows how much I'll love it. That's all. He wants to bless me, He wants to bless us! And when we try to make good choices, the choices He wants us to make, He is able to do that. For some it is a trip to DisneyWorld, for others it's some other wonderful blessing. It is awesome to feel His love in the blessings we are given, whatever they are.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Someone needs a geography lesson.
To protect the innocent, names (not Cadi's) have been changed, but the story is real...
Acadia is playing a game with her friends: Sally and Martha. Martha is reading clues and Cadi and Sally are guessing what she's talking about.
Martha: This is where the Eiffel Tower is.
Cadi and Sally (in unison): Paris!
Martha: Which is in...?
Cadi and Sally (in unison): France!
Martha: Which is in...? You know, the continent...?
Cadi and Sally (in unison): Europe!
Martha: No. It's part of Asia.
Cadi and Sally: What???
Martha: The answer is London.
Cadi and Sally: That's not a continent!
Martha: Yes it is!
Cadi and Sally: No it's not! And the Eiffel Tower is not in London!
The scary thing is that Martha is 3 years older than Cadi, 4 years older than Sally! Sad.
Acadia is playing a game with her friends: Sally and Martha. Martha is reading clues and Cadi and Sally are guessing what she's talking about.
Martha: This is where the Eiffel Tower is.
Cadi and Sally (in unison): Paris!
Martha: Which is in...?
Cadi and Sally (in unison): France!
Martha: Which is in...? You know, the continent...?
Cadi and Sally (in unison): Europe!
Martha: No. It's part of Asia.
Cadi and Sally: What???
Martha: The answer is London.
Cadi and Sally: That's not a continent!
Martha: Yes it is!
Cadi and Sally: No it's not! And the Eiffel Tower is not in London!
The scary thing is that Martha is 3 years older than Cadi, 4 years older than Sally! Sad.
Daddy Daughter Hike
Last Monday, Ryan and Rori decided to go for a hike... in the middle of winter. It was actually a beautiful day and we all would have gone except that Cadi had piano lessons, so she and I stayed behind. But Ryan and Rori went and had a great time! It wasn't quite as beautiful as it would have been if it was later in the year, but it was still pretty. :) Ryan took a few pics, and here they are (the bottom left photo is a picture of their destination: Punch Bowl)...
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Seeing Taylor
My cousin, who we haven't seen in about 3 1/2 years, was coming through town a couple of days ago and I was able to go see him briefly at the bus depot. It was great to see him, he looks GREAT! The rest of his family was there, too and I took pics. :)
Here we are, waiting. (The bus was delayed 90 minutes due to weather.)
Finally, the bus arrived! But because it was so late, Taylor didn't have time to visit for an hour as originally planned. We only had about 5 minutes, then he had to hop onto another bus heading up to Seattle. It was short, but it was still great to see him! And it's great to know he's closer now so we can see him much more often. :)
Here we are, waiting. (The bus was delayed 90 minutes due to weather.)
Finally, the bus arrived! But because it was so late, Taylor didn't have time to visit for an hour as originally planned. We only had about 5 minutes, then he had to hop onto another bus heading up to Seattle. It was short, but it was still great to see him! And it's great to know he's closer now so we can see him much more often. :)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Snow Day/Snow Play
It snowed yesterday so the kids got to stay home from school. I took these pics while it was still snowing...
After the snow stopped, the sun came out and shone brilliantly, it was a beautiful day! The girls had fun playing! Here is a pic with a couple of friends...
Today is another beautiful, sunny day and much of the snow is melting away. Not all though, so there are still more opportunities to enjoy some snow play! :)
After the snow stopped, the sun came out and shone brilliantly, it was a beautiful day! The girls had fun playing! Here is a pic with a couple of friends...
Today is another beautiful, sunny day and much of the snow is melting away. Not all though, so there are still more opportunities to enjoy some snow play! :)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The one that started it all...
I LOVE ACCESSORIES!!! Especially jewelry... and HANDBAGS!
But I didn't always. I admired them, but lacked the courage or confidence to try them myself. And I thought how impractical it would be to have a purse that wasn't able to go with at least most of your wardrobe. I understood that you could have several, so that even if one didn't match a certain outfit, another could... but how inconvenient! And knowing me, I would always forget to switch my ID to the correct handbag before rushing out of the house... or something like that. So I always carried either a black or brown, very neutral purse that matched pretty much anything I would be wearing.
But that all changed one Christmas morning as I unwrapped this gift from my mother-in-law (who has fantastic taste, btw):
My very first (and so far only... emphasis on "so far", lol) Coach! I was in love! I love that it is SO CUTE! And I love that it would match my style easily since I am a blue jeans kind of girl (so still kind of neutral). And I love that it taught me that having cute and even flashy accessories is nothing to be afraid of. I quickly learned that there are just a few things that really must transfer each time you switch your purse, and it's not that big of a deal; just keep it all in a neutral wallet so that is all you have to move. I also learned that a lot of the "extra" little things (like hand lotion, chapstick, mints, etc) are inexpensive and it's easy to keep each purse stocked individually.
That was just over 3 years ago. And while I still haven't acquired any other Coach bags, or Dooney and Buorke, or Louis Vuitton... I have started quite a fun collection of just as cute and fun purses, that are typically more in my price range. Nowadays, these are the handbags you'll see me toting frequently:
(As I look at that picture now, I see a lot of solids; I think I need to keep my eye out for more fun prints now. lol)
I wasn't keep track of how many I have, but out of curiousity, I decided to count them since I had them all out; the total is currently 25. My favorites are in the photo below, and they are all pretty neutral still, so maybe I haven't come quite as far as I had thought. ;)
In the back: a black Nine & Co, next to one of my very favorites - the gold Kathy Van Zeeland. In the middle: three Sienna Ricchi handbags, which I love anyways but the "SR" bling on each is totally icing on the cake. And finally, in the front, a plaid Croft and Barrow sits beside the one Coach bag that started it all. :)
But I didn't always. I admired them, but lacked the courage or confidence to try them myself. And I thought how impractical it would be to have a purse that wasn't able to go with at least most of your wardrobe. I understood that you could have several, so that even if one didn't match a certain outfit, another could... but how inconvenient! And knowing me, I would always forget to switch my ID to the correct handbag before rushing out of the house... or something like that. So I always carried either a black or brown, very neutral purse that matched pretty much anything I would be wearing.
But that all changed one Christmas morning as I unwrapped this gift from my mother-in-law (who has fantastic taste, btw):
My very first (and so far only... emphasis on "so far", lol) Coach! I was in love! I love that it is SO CUTE! And I love that it would match my style easily since I am a blue jeans kind of girl (so still kind of neutral). And I love that it taught me that having cute and even flashy accessories is nothing to be afraid of. I quickly learned that there are just a few things that really must transfer each time you switch your purse, and it's not that big of a deal; just keep it all in a neutral wallet so that is all you have to move. I also learned that a lot of the "extra" little things (like hand lotion, chapstick, mints, etc) are inexpensive and it's easy to keep each purse stocked individually.
That was just over 3 years ago. And while I still haven't acquired any other Coach bags, or Dooney and Buorke, or Louis Vuitton... I have started quite a fun collection of just as cute and fun purses, that are typically more in my price range. Nowadays, these are the handbags you'll see me toting frequently:
(As I look at that picture now, I see a lot of solids; I think I need to keep my eye out for more fun prints now. lol)
I wasn't keep track of how many I have, but out of curiousity, I decided to count them since I had them all out; the total is currently 25. My favorites are in the photo below, and they are all pretty neutral still, so maybe I haven't come quite as far as I had thought. ;)
In the back: a black Nine & Co, next to one of my very favorites - the gold Kathy Van Zeeland. In the middle: three Sienna Ricchi handbags, which I love anyways but the "SR" bling on each is totally icing on the cake. And finally, in the front, a plaid Croft and Barrow sits beside the one Coach bag that started it all. :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Ugly Shirt
Sometimes there are just things that somehow cement themselves into the very fiber of your life. Ryan's ugly shirt is one of those things.
It started when we were first married. He had this ugly shirt. I mean, it's a really, really ugly shirt. And it's old, and holey, and falling apart... and did I mention that it's ugly? Early in our marriage, I tried to get rid of the old thing. Always, my attempts were foiled. Finally, I gave up and promised to never throw it away. Although, I did kidnap it once and left a ransom note explaining that he could have it back after he took me out on a date (my friend and I were trying to be creative in our date planning attempts, lol). Over the years, Ryan has shared this ugly shirt with the kids. When Cadi needed "some old clothes" to paint in, out came the ugly shirt.
So, imagine my surprise when Ryan casually mentioned to me this past weekend that HE THREW THE UGLY SHIRT AWAY!!!
WHAT?!?!?!? You can't throw away the ugly shirt! If I couldn't throw it away, even after multiple attempts, no one can throw it away! And most especially not without me knowing - and being there to witness and document the occasion. I felt totally gyped! I didn't get to say goodbye!
I mean, this is THE ugly shirt! After all these years, getting rid of it now is like blasphemy. I didn't even believe him for awhile, it just didn't seem possible. He loves that dumb, old, ugly shirt! But he did - he threw it away!
But then he said to me, don't worry, I took pictures of Rori with it before I tossed it. Well, at least he did that.
(Please don't look at Rori's mess of a mane, I hadn't been home all day, and no one else even attempts to do her hair. :S)
Farewell Ugly Shirt, thanks for the memories!
It started when we were first married. He had this ugly shirt. I mean, it's a really, really ugly shirt. And it's old, and holey, and falling apart... and did I mention that it's ugly? Early in our marriage, I tried to get rid of the old thing. Always, my attempts were foiled. Finally, I gave up and promised to never throw it away. Although, I did kidnap it once and left a ransom note explaining that he could have it back after he took me out on a date (my friend and I were trying to be creative in our date planning attempts, lol). Over the years, Ryan has shared this ugly shirt with the kids. When Cadi needed "some old clothes" to paint in, out came the ugly shirt.
So, imagine my surprise when Ryan casually mentioned to me this past weekend that HE THREW THE UGLY SHIRT AWAY!!!
WHAT?!?!?!? You can't throw away the ugly shirt! If I couldn't throw it away, even after multiple attempts, no one can throw it away! And most especially not without me knowing - and being there to witness and document the occasion. I felt totally gyped! I didn't get to say goodbye!
I mean, this is THE ugly shirt! After all these years, getting rid of it now is like blasphemy. I didn't even believe him for awhile, it just didn't seem possible. He loves that dumb, old, ugly shirt! But he did - he threw it away!
But then he said to me, don't worry, I took pictures of Rori with it before I tossed it. Well, at least he did that.
(Please don't look at Rori's mess of a mane, I hadn't been home all day, and no one else even attempts to do her hair. :S)
Farewell Ugly Shirt, thanks for the memories!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Sun Showers
I love it when the sun shines through the rain showers! I just wish these pictures could really do it justice (everything was bathed in gold and the raindrops glistened as they fell... but you can't see that in the pics) so you could enjoy it, too. These were taken about a week ago, I'm just really slow putting them up, but just thinking back on the beauty of that afternoon makes me smile... :)
Monday, February 14, 2011
Share some Love
Last week, for FHE, we discussed love. Specifically, Christ-like love. It was a really good discussion. Then we made homemade Valentines and ate a heart-shaped cake that Cadi had made. It was a really fun time.
Last night, we took some of the Valentines and some homemade heart-shaped brownies over to some of our extended family here. The Taylors weren't home when we stopped by, but we were able to leave their Valentines on the doorstep (I put everything in ziploc bags to keep them all dry.). The Hills were home, so we got to visit with them for just a little bit.
It was fun to share some love with people we love. :)
Last night, we took some of the Valentines and some homemade heart-shaped brownies over to some of our extended family here. The Taylors weren't home when we stopped by, but we were able to leave their Valentines on the doorstep (I put everything in ziploc bags to keep them all dry.). The Hills were home, so we got to visit with them for just a little bit.
It was fun to share some love with people we love. :)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Progress Report
We're just over a month into the new year, and I have been making great progress in some of the goals I set, but not all.
Let's review and report:
1.Get Healthy... This is one that I am still struggling with. I've done tons better at balancing and managing my time for just about everything else, but this one is still eluding me. I am trying to keep #7 in mind and not get too discouraged, because as you'll see, I am doing great at many of my other goals... I can't expect huge changes in all areas all at once... but I do want to focus more on this one now that I'm doing better in others.
2.Get Organized... This is going GREAT! I've been playing the 15 minute game with my friends almost daily and it is helping tremendously. My house is always clean now and that makes it so much easier to keep clutter down. Now when we play, I often focus on an area to declutter for one of those 15 minutes, or when we work in a room that I already have clean, I pick a clutter spot/drawer/etc and spend my time there. I am going to keep this going - I love how it feels!
3.Increased Spirituality... This is also going GREAT! I have fallen in love with reading the scriptures again. It's not a chore or a race to see how quickly I can read the chapter, I am focusing on each verse, pondering it, feasting on it... and I LOVE IT!!! I began keeping my scriptures in the family room instead of next to my bed, and I read frequently throughout the day now. Part of that decision was to discourage reading when I'm tired, and part of that decision was the goal to have my children SEE me study them. I have memories of my mom reading her scriptures at the dining room table, I want my children to have similar memories of me; I want them to say "We do not doubt that our mother knew it" when it comes to my testimony. :)
4.Read the Silmarillion with Ryan... We've been doing this frequently. I can't read daily, I have to be alert and in the mood for it, because otherwise, I can't concentrate enough to process it. But I'm really enjoying the story and background information for Middle Earth... Yes, I'm a dork, I don't care. I love all things LOTR and this is a huge part of it! lol
5.Record more songs on my piano... Well... Nothing has been recorded yet. But I've been practicing and I'm even closer to recording two of them, there's still a chance I can get those done this month. I'll keep working on it.
6.Manage money and plan properly so we can take the vacations we want to this year... This is going very well! Thanks to a good tax return and lots of recent OT hours, I have no worries about this. It still requires good money management, we are still keeping that belt tight, but I am confident now that we are going to make it. :D
7.Resolve not to be 100% successful... I did not mean this as an easy out or means to give up on my goals; I mean for this to keep me from getting depressed or discouraged with my imperfections. I want to forgive myself, which includes recommitting, not giving up, when I don't succeed. And I've done pretty well. (See #1, lol) I need to continue with this so I don't give up, especially in regards to #1 and #5, where I haven't met my goals yet. I know that it might be hard for me to find my footing for #1 for quite awhile, as my schedule really is quite busy, but it won't be that way forever and I just need to do what I can for now so I'll be better prepared when the timing is better.
In general, I'm quite pleased with how things have been going lately. I have areas I still need to improve on - greatly! But, I've also seen huge improvements in others, and that makes me so excited to continue. There are still 11 months left in the year and lots of room for improvement. :D
Let's review and report:
1.Get Healthy... This is one that I am still struggling with. I've done tons better at balancing and managing my time for just about everything else, but this one is still eluding me. I am trying to keep #7 in mind and not get too discouraged, because as you'll see, I am doing great at many of my other goals... I can't expect huge changes in all areas all at once... but I do want to focus more on this one now that I'm doing better in others.
2.Get Organized... This is going GREAT! I've been playing the 15 minute game with my friends almost daily and it is helping tremendously. My house is always clean now and that makes it so much easier to keep clutter down. Now when we play, I often focus on an area to declutter for one of those 15 minutes, or when we work in a room that I already have clean, I pick a clutter spot/drawer/etc and spend my time there. I am going to keep this going - I love how it feels!
3.Increased Spirituality... This is also going GREAT! I have fallen in love with reading the scriptures again. It's not a chore or a race to see how quickly I can read the chapter, I am focusing on each verse, pondering it, feasting on it... and I LOVE IT!!! I began keeping my scriptures in the family room instead of next to my bed, and I read frequently throughout the day now. Part of that decision was to discourage reading when I'm tired, and part of that decision was the goal to have my children SEE me study them. I have memories of my mom reading her scriptures at the dining room table, I want my children to have similar memories of me; I want them to say "We do not doubt that our mother knew it" when it comes to my testimony. :)
4.Read the Silmarillion with Ryan... We've been doing this frequently. I can't read daily, I have to be alert and in the mood for it, because otherwise, I can't concentrate enough to process it. But I'm really enjoying the story and background information for Middle Earth... Yes, I'm a dork, I don't care. I love all things LOTR and this is a huge part of it! lol
5.Record more songs on my piano... Well... Nothing has been recorded yet. But I've been practicing and I'm even closer to recording two of them, there's still a chance I can get those done this month. I'll keep working on it.
6.Manage money and plan properly so we can take the vacations we want to this year... This is going very well! Thanks to a good tax return and lots of recent OT hours, I have no worries about this. It still requires good money management, we are still keeping that belt tight, but I am confident now that we are going to make it. :D
7.Resolve not to be 100% successful... I did not mean this as an easy out or means to give up on my goals; I mean for this to keep me from getting depressed or discouraged with my imperfections. I want to forgive myself, which includes recommitting, not giving up, when I don't succeed. And I've done pretty well. (See #1, lol) I need to continue with this so I don't give up, especially in regards to #1 and #5, where I haven't met my goals yet. I know that it might be hard for me to find my footing for #1 for quite awhile, as my schedule really is quite busy, but it won't be that way forever and I just need to do what I can for now so I'll be better prepared when the timing is better.
In general, I'm quite pleased with how things have been going lately. I have areas I still need to improve on - greatly! But, I've also seen huge improvements in others, and that makes me so excited to continue. There are still 11 months left in the year and lots of room for improvement. :D
Monday, February 7, 2011
OMSI
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
That is where we were on Saturday. We have friends with an annual pass that got us all in for free - and that is a price I can handle! ;) We had a lot of fun! We started with the Mummy exhibit, which had just opened and was fairly busy. We weren't allowed to take any pics, but it was cool. And I did take pictures of some of the other things we did, so take a look (click to enlarge)...
That is where we were on Saturday. We have friends with an annual pass that got us all in for free - and that is a price I can handle! ;) We had a lot of fun! We started with the Mummy exhibit, which had just opened and was fairly busy. We weren't allowed to take any pics, but it was cool. And I did take pictures of some of the other things we did, so take a look (click to enlarge)...
Saturday, February 5, 2011
It's a "go"!
But that decision did not last long. Within a couple of days we got our flyer in the mail and we lost our resolve. We decide to MAKE it work. We resolve instead, to not spend extra money on books/clothes/etc to keep our cost down, and I started to ask around for a babysitter for Rori so Ryan won't have to take vacation time. Once we realized we could find ways to go without causing extra hardship on our families, we were so excited! We ran our plans by the husbands and they all expressed that they had been hoping we could go, too. So... Yay!!!
This week we registered, so now it's official! And we can't wait!!! Women's Conference 2011, Here we come!!! :D
Friday, February 4, 2011
3.83
Acadia is doing a great job in school! She is in Excel (Advanced) classes for all of her academics, as well as orchestra, and was honored today, along with many other Excel students, for maintaining a high GPA last term. Her GPA last term was 3.83! Each student received a certificate, shook hands with the principals, and received a Hershey's Kiss and fun pencil.
(Acadia is pictured above with her principal, Mr. Price.)
This term, she currently has straight A's, so she's raised that 3.83 to a 4.0. We're so proud of her! Good job, Acadia!
(Acadia is pictured above with her principal, Mr. Price.)
This term, she currently has straight A's, so she's raised that 3.83 to a 4.0. We're so proud of her! Good job, Acadia!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Build-a-Bear Visit
Over a year ago, my mom and brothers gave the girls gift cards to Build-a-Bear. We used them soon after. At the time that we used them, there was some deal going on; if you spent so much, you would get a $10 gift card. Even though we were paying with gift cards, we still earned the bonus gift cards (two $10) and thought it would be fun to go back and redress their bears at some point. But I kept forgetting anytime we were going to the mall, so we were never prepared (with bears and camera in hand)... until last week.
I took the girls out shopping last week and this time we were ready to use our gift cards. Cadi, once again, opted to make a new (naked) "bear" instead of getting an outfit (she went over budget but used her own money to pay the difference). Rori brought her bear back and got a super cute "love bug" outfit for Valentine's Day. Here are some pics (click to enlarge):
I took the girls out shopping last week and this time we were ready to use our gift cards. Cadi, once again, opted to make a new (naked) "bear" instead of getting an outfit (she went over budget but used her own money to pay the difference). Rori brought her bear back and got a super cute "love bug" outfit for Valentine's Day. Here are some pics (click to enlarge):
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