Pretty in Pink

Pink seems to be my Christmas theme this year!

Tickled Pink

Merry Christmas!
Exciting news ... "it's beginning to look a lot like PINK" in our family ... the ultrasound shows a high probability for a granddaughter due in May! That's a first for our family tree in over 50 years.
What wonderful news ... a great Christmas gift.

Zoolights

Yes ... we braved the heavy rain Monday night to share an evening at the Zoo with Colin taking in all the holiday lights and a train ride. This was our first visit to the zoo in years and our first Zoolight experience.

The weather was actually not too bad. The temperature was pretty mild with no biting wind. Our only obstacle for the evening was to dodge puddles while putting the umbrella up and down for intermittent showers. We did not let the rain drown-out our fun.


Colin loved the lights but was especially fond of the costumed elephant character ... not a bit timid!
We ended our fun evening with yummy dinner at Red Robin. I think this may become an annual tradition!

Colin Turns Two

We had fun celebrating Colin's birthday at Sunriver. He had fun gifts to open and a custom Curious George cake created by his mom. We even got to see Santa arrive at the resort that evening. What more could a two-year old ask for???

Thankful

Wow ... things have been moving in fast-forward mode since Thanksgiving. I feel like everyone is going "seventy-eight" and I'm moving at "thirty-three-and-a third." I think you have to be a baby-boomer or older to understand that statement : )

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Sunriver. Here's a view from our window.


Colin had fun getting acquainted with the snow. He wasn't very pleased to see it cling to his shoes but he warmed up to the idea after hearing it make "crunch" noises when he walked on it.


We even built a small snowman. It's awesome to see everything through the eyes of a two-year old.


What a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving! I have been so blessed with such a wonderful family.

Pencil Lines

Do you ever get in a scrapper's slump? Are you too busy to feel creative? Out of new ideas? Then check out this new scrapbooking site I found through del.icio.us It's a blog about using sketches to give you the creative lift you need. Each Sunday evening you will find a new sketch featured by a guest design team member with several examples of how to use it in your layouts. Nancy and I spent a day scrapbooking in November ... and enjoying a delicious crumb cake, I might add : ) yum! I was able to use some of the new ideas on this site in my layouts. Since it had been a few months since I'd gotten my scrapbooking equipment out, it was refreshing to try some new things!
Check it out at: http://www.pencillines.com/

A Cup of JOY

Yesterday I had my first cup of one of Starbucks' wonderful seasonal teas -- JOY. It is a blend of darjeeling, oolong and green Ceylon teas resulting in an awesome cup of pure joy.
I usually make a Starbuck stop every Tuesday between work and Bible study to read and knit. Yesterday as I was placing my order I suddenly realized that my favorite holiday tea is now available. Pure happiness : )
Give it a try before it's too late ... stock up because you wont see it for another year! Check this site if you can't find it at your nearest Starbucks: http://www.starbucksstore.com
I hope Santa leaves some in my stocking!

Do You Hear What I Hear? ...

Tonight on the way home from Bible Study I was listening to The Fish radio station (104.1) and they were playing Christmas music!! I believe it's the first I've heard this season.
It's beginning to look ... and sound a lot like Christmas!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Awesome October

October just seemed to fly by in our household. The weather stayed so mild throughout the month and now, as we flip our calendars to November, it truly feels like Fall has arrived.

Some highlights from October include:
The announcement that Colin will be a big brother in May!

Attending the 2006 Women of Faith Conference – Contagious Joy!

“Laughter has extraordinary healing power. When confronted with life’s challenges we can choose fear or cheer. I don’t know about you, but I would rather be laughing!” –Marilyn Meberg, speaker.
What a wonderful weekend with friends, hearing amazing life stories of faith and trust, being encouraged through laughter and tears and an awesome concert with Sandi Patty. The conference will return again next October. Plan now to attend this uplifting weekend. Check this site for more info: http://www.womenoffaith.com/

Sunriver Getaway


This was our fourth year to vacation in Sunriver for a 4-day escape. Once again we enjoyed beautiful, warm Fall weather … a great time of refreshment and relaxation. It’s a good time to get energized after a hectic start of a new school year. No other vacation can compare to this wonderful, restful time away.


All Hands on Deck
Walt has been racing the clock and weather to get as much accomplished on our deck as possible before winter sets in. We have been thankful for the exceptionally warm seasonal weather we had this month.
Looks like the theme of 2007 will still be “Extreme Makeover” at our house as we have the deck, remaining fence and front deck to complete. We accomplished so much this summer.

Family Cookie Day

Once again we had the whole family over for lunch and cookie decorating. Seems like each year we get more creative and detailed with our designs. We have quite a history making these pumpkin cookies and now it’s fun to share the tradition with Colin. Thanks, Barb for sharing your recipe so many years ago.



Halloween
It was fun to share this holiday with our REACH group this year. We enjoyed pizza together before taking the kids out trick-or-treating. I haven’t done that in over 12 years. It was fun to share in their joy and excitement..

As I flip the calendar to November, I’m anticipating many new adventures ahead!

Season 6

"All over the world "24" fans are waiting to find out the fate of Jack and the CTU team" .... If you're a "24" fan, check out this preview trailer for a sneak peek of Season 6 which starts again in January. Can't wait! You can also enter to win a "24 Prize Pack" at this site @ KPTV.

http://www.24trailer.com/

Trader Joe's "Top Of The List"

I found another product that is soon to be at the top of my Trader Joe's Favorite List: Artichoke Lemon Pesto.
It was wonderful over brown rice penne pasta (thank you, Heather!) Nice to have on hand for a quick-fix meal .... I'm thinking I may add chicken next time.
It sure gave a new tasty twist for those living on a gluten-free diet. Yum : )

Colin's News!

Colin sent us an email Saturday morning with the following message and picture:

Shh... I have a secret to tell you...


Colin will be a big brother May 2007!

What awesome news ... we are so excited!
More JOY and BLESSINGS on the journey!

Great Sites

Last weekend I stumbled across two sites that were new to me. I love organization and I’ve been impressed with these awesome tools.
First I found del.icio.us while saving a picture in Flickr! So what is del.icio.us?
del.icio.us is a social bookmarking website -- the primary use is to store your bookmarks online, which allows you to access the same bookmarks from any computer and add bookmarks from anywhere. On del.icio.us, you can use tags to organize and remember your bookmarks, which is a much more flexible system than folders.
It allows you to keep links to your favorite articles, blogs, music, recipes etc, share favorites with friends, family and the del.icio.us community, and discover new things by checking out someone else’s favorites … saving you time!
Think of the possibilities … research, vacation planning, cookbook, hobbies/interests. Check it out at: http://del.icio.us/

Through del.icio.us I found Library Thing. I love books and this is a powerful tool for cataloging your library, finding recommended reading by other Library Thing users, and discover groups sharing your reading interests.
Have you ever checked a book out of the library and after reading a few pages you realize that you have already read it? After this happened a few times I started keeping a spreadsheet of every book I’ve read including a brief description. Library Thing will be a great tool for keeping track of books I’ve read and sharing my interest with others.
With a little technology help from Tim I would like to add a widget on my blog linking to my profile/catalog.

So far statistics show 87,631 Library Thing members and 6,178,121 books cataloged! If you love reading take a tour of this site at: http://www.librarything.com/

Life Artist

One of my favorite new scrapbooking sites is Ali Edwards' blog. You can find it at:
www.aliedwards.typepad.com
I love her style ... handwritten journaling, great color combinations, warm photography and keeping things "real" ... taking the stress and pressure out of the creative process.
You can subscribe to her AEzine/Life Artist Newsletter on this site. The October 2 issue includes great advice/encouragement/inspiration to make your own words a bigger part of your creative process ..... journaling.
Check it out ... it gave me the creative boost I needed to get back to work on my albums. I'm still working on 2004 ... getting closer to Colin's birth!


capture life + create art

Try It ... You'll Like It

This summer I discovered a new salad dressing ...
Litehouse Tangy Citrus -- found in the produce department of your favorite grocery store.
Since I take a salad for lunch each work day, I've been promoting it with those at my lunch table. One gal said she put it on cooked vegetables and it really added a zesty taste. I have yet to try it but it would be a great sauce for stir frys or a marinade for chicken, pork or steak.
It's a combination of real orange juice & orange peel, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fresh ginger, and a touch of chili peppers to keep it interesting and not too sweet.
Added bonus: Fat free, no added msg and no preservatives.
Give it a try ... I highly recommend it on an Asian salad.

Here Comes The Bride

We traveled down to Yachats to attend Andrew & Lucia’s wedding Saturday. Barb’s prayers were answered …. beautiful weather for a September outdoor wedding on the coast. In fact, unheard of temperatures for this time of year … 88 degrees! The ocean was a beautiful “back drop” for the ceremony.
What a treat it has been to spend some time with this family over the last few weeks … those we have such rich history with and have shared many joys and sorrows on the journey. Seems like so many "miles" ago we were young friends / neighbors raising our children … good memories! It is now a pleasure to share in our children’s joy and celebrations.
Andrew & Lucia, we wish you much happiness and many blessings as you begin your life together. You guys are an awesome couple!
Next weekend … our last wedding of the season :)

Knit one, Cry twice ...

Okay … there’s something genetic with hats and little boys in our family history ..... Michelle knit this cute hat for Colin at Family Camp, her first project beyond dishcloths ... she did an awesome job, I might add. But Colin is having a hard time enjoying the fruits of her labor.
Before the end of camp he ended up wearing it with a smile :)

Refreshed for Fall

Over Labor Day weekend we enjoyed our 23rd year at Wi-Ne-Ma Family Camp. We haven’t missed once in all those years. Our kids “grew up” at this camp and our lodging has felt like “home” over the span of years.
Family Bible Conference has always been a great way to start off our Fall schedule with a renewed mind and spirit. This year’s speaker, Kelly Fried really challenged us with 2 Peter 1:3-11. As he suggested, read it 35 times … it will move you from a life of complacency to living with intention.

Saturday evening the Moore’s hosted a wonderful salmon dinner (Mark, you are the GrillMaster!) and we celebrated Brian’s last birthday of the twenty-something years. Even though the weather was much cooler than we had anticipated, it was a great weekend to hang out at the coast.


Colin did an awesome job of adapting to our family tradition at Family Camp. He’s starting young in helping with clean up. He loves to sweep :)
I hope he will find the joy, spiritual growth, and refreshment this camp has to offer in the coming years.
Carry on, Colin …

Loving it ...

Tomorrow is the last day of summer and as I reflect back over all the projects on our "to-do" list I am so pleased with what we have accomplished.


The weather is causing us to put off a few projects until next spring but I love how the paint, fence and landscaping dramatically changed the look of our house. It's just how I imagined it!


We've started taking the back deck down and hopefully can get a good start on it. Walt is a brave man out there on the beams! He loves demolition projects :)
We'll keep you posted .... pray for a few dry days!

Finally ....

Due to networking issues, we were without internet service for 7 days! You just don’t realize how often you use it until it’s not available! I am so used to communicating through email, reading blogs, updating my blog, searching for recipes, uploading pictures, searching for addresses and using maps, getting ideas for scrapbooking, checking my public library account, visiting e-Bay or Craig’s List ….. I even do my Bible study with online tools! I just never realized how internet-dependent I’ve become!
Well, I am rejoicing tonight to finally have this convenience back. I’ll have to spend some time soon posting and emailing those I’ve lost touch with over the past week.

Stash Tea Store

Well, it's back to work this week so I'm trying to do as many things on my "summer to-do list" as I can before Wednesday. One stop I've been wanting to make for months ... to visit the Stash Tea Store. I needed to pick up a gift so I stopped by while running errands. I was so impressed with the friendly service and variety of items to choose from in the store. They provide tasting samples, free tea bags and a build-a-basket area to put the finishing touches on gifts. They also provide group parties for 5 or more ... to build a basket, a "Tea 101" tea tasting class or an after hours build-a-basket party. I think this would be a fun idea before the holidays ... a "field trip" with friends for unique Christmas gifts for tea-loving friends and family! Never too early to start thinking about that ... there are only 125 shopping days until Christmas : )

Rejoicing ...

Today was my annual Dr. appointment and it made me mindful of how much healthier I am now than three years ago after my surgery. My blood pressure is low, I've lost 4 pounds since my last visit, and given that my cholesterol was 109 last year my Dr. didn't even run the lab tests. I am so thankful for improved health and for those who have journeyed with me through this with support and prayers. I feel very blessed and thankful ......
"I will tell of all the wonderful things you have done. I will sing with joy because of you...." Psalm 9

Up in the Attic

Ahhhhh ... the subject of the attic again ... I haven't been up there in over a decade. That has been Walt's domain : ) I was on a mission to find an old headboard from my childhood but I guess we didn't save EVERYTHING as I have always assumed. BUT I did find several things I've been yearning to find. I have always teased that the attic is filled to the brim but actually I was a little surprised to see that that was not the case.
Despite sweltering temperatures I ventured up there "yellowizing" (organizing) everything. We took a truckload to the landfill, donations to Goodwill and filled our recycling bin to overflowing. We still have some boxes in the garage to move up there but that will have to wait until the cooler Fall temperatures.
Our attic has always been a bit of a joke ... but really, I feel much better about it. It feels good to de-clutter : ) I am so thankful for my summer break and tackling big projects.

I Can't Believe It .....

I can't believe it ... we've booked a 4-day cruise for spring -- our first! We are so excited. I went bargain shopping today and found a great deal on a swimsuit and picked up our passport applications. Next ... I may have to do some research on seasick patches and bracelets!
If you have any great suggestions to pass on from cruises you've been on, we would appreciate your insights and suggestions.

Fun Day with the Girls

What fun it was to spend a day with Michelle & Rachael starting with a pedicure , shopping at the beauty supply and getting caught up at Starbuck's. I think we need to do this more often : )
After the Wallowa hikes and all the yardwork/projects I really needed the pedicure!

Uwajimaya Beaverton

I finally got over to the Beaverton area to shop at the Uwajimaya market today. I've been wanting to stop by there for about a year and a half but I just never seem to get over in that part of town. Now that Kohl's is nearby I have more of an incentive to make the trip.
I've been wanting to try recipes from the Weight Watchers "Take Out Tonight!" cookbook but needed to stock up on ingredients before trying new dishes. The Babers invited us over for dinner last summer and we got to try the Hot and Sour Soup (from the cookbook) and Spring Rolls. It was wonderful!
Seems like this summer I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and trying new recipes. It has been enjoyable and the freezer is getting stocked.
Life is good ... on the way home I stopped at Trader Joe's and bought 8 boxes of Caribbean Fruit Floes. Last time I shopped there they were out. I was down to my last box. This should get me through the rest of the summer. Aaaahhhhhhh.....

Wallowa Weather Station

Back in the 80's Janet made this weather station for Walt ... yes, he really has been interested in weather that long. Each year we hang it up in camp to keep track of the campsite temperatures. She also made several cards to change to reflect the day's weather forecast. This year we only used the sunshine card ... many years we have had to display the one for rain or lightning. Thanks, Janet for sharing your creativity! Throughout our Wallowa years so many campers have enjoyed and relied on this fun weather station.
This year Mary brought a clock and hung it on a tree in their site ... hhhmmmm ... next year we may have to add one to our "hi-tech" camping gear : )

Goodbye Wallowa

Seems like our group of 34 campers arrived and left at different times of the week this year making it difficult to take our traditional group picture. This is the group we left with ... the end of a very fun week!
Until July 2007 ....

P.S. After taking this picture I realized that I was wearing this shirt in last year's group photo. So I have officially named this my "going home shirt."
: )

Play Doh

The week before Wallowa Colin spent a couple of days with me and we had a great time creating things from Play Doh. I found "antique" Play Doh toys in the craft cupboard that had once belonged to Colin's Dad and Uncles. Since he enjoyed it so much, I packed it with our camping gear at the last minute. We had fun at Wallowa creating Star Wars figures to fly a space craft, several varieties of dinosaurs, and a few free-hand creations. It was fun to have some "grandma time" with him : )

Tea Time With Uncle Tim

"Time for Tea Uncle Tim!"
We bought a tea set for Ammy to play with at Wallowa but I think Colin enjoyed it as much as she did ... sorry Brian! The kids loved serving us their "dirt" tea as we relaxed around the campsite.

Floaties

One camping essential right up there with the tent, sleeping bags, and food is our floaties for the lake ... can't leave home without them! This sleek floatation device comes with a backrest and cupholder, giving us the opportunity to lounge out on the lake -- taking in the awesome scenery and enjoy great fellowship with our other floatie friends. Over the years we have perfected our mode of travel on the lake ... using our flip-flops as paddles!
But I must say ... our floaties looked mighty small compared to Steve & Mindy's "Oasis Island" which held their entire family : )
With the extreme temperatures it was a refreshing treat to escape our hot tent sites and leisurely float the day away.

Sad Day ...

Flipping the calendar to August makes me sad ... only 22 days left of my break.
Another sad part of my day ... my last hair appointment with Lisa -- she will be moving to Arizona at the end of the month. She has been cutting my hair for about 8-9 years. It wasn't just about the haircut ... she was more like a friend. It has been fun to share our journeys every 7 weeks and it will truly be hard to replace her. I guess I don't deal well with change : ) ....
On a more positive note -- as I previously blogged about wanting a varigated Hebe plant -- Al's Garden Center called and had one on hold for me. I picked it up this afternoon and now my landscaping project seems complete!

Great Joseph Shopping

Usually we have at least one shopping day in Joseph but this year it was a bit harder with the extreme temperatures. I did make a point to shop at my favorite stores -- Mad Mary's and Simply Sandy's. They seem to have home decor that I just don't see where we live. I did a little shopping with birthday $$$ and picked up a few Christmas ornaments. I always get good decorating ideas at Simply Sandy's. Now that I'm home, I'm in the mood to give them a try.
One hot day bonus: Paula, Jenn, baby Ava and I were just too hot to shop. We found a great root beer float at the R&R Drive-In. It hit the spot ... we felt renewed by the time we got back to the lake.

Ouch!

Seems like each year we have a few physical catastrophies at Wallowa. This year included a few falls and tumbles. Paula fell off a log near the river while walking Petey and fell face first to the ground. She has several cuts and bruises. We were thankful ... she could have had some serious facial injuries with the large rocks on the riverbank. Colin seemed to have one day where he fell or rolled several times. He has several bumps, scrapes and bruises.
Probably our most serious injury involved Brian. He was bit by a Hobo spider and after a few days had to go to the hospital in Enterprise. They put him on prednisone and an antibiotic. I'm glad he didn't wait to see a Dr. until we got home! Now I'll be a little leary while sitting around camp ... since I don't wear long pants all week ... I'll need to be more observant.

My Favorite Cowgirl and Cowboys

Wednesday night is Family Rodeo night in Joseph. Here are a few of my favorites ...

Ember's Brewhouse

One of our favorite spots in Joseph is Ember's Brewhouse on Main Street. It's so refreshing sitting out on the patio ... a nice breeze and beautiful scenery of the Wallowa Mountains. They offer free internet access while enjoying appetizers, drinks and entrees. We highly recommend the Veggie Calzone -- delicious.
At night the trees are lit with small lights and they have several gas fires ringed in rock. A wonderful atmosphere. It would be fun to have one at home.
On rodeo night we had a table for 16 and our server John was amazing at providing great and timely service.
If you're ever in this part of Oregon, check it out. Here's a view from the patio ...