Tackle It Tuesday

Ok, here is the update. First, here are the girl's beds in the girl's room - this is a minor miracle as dh was too busy to help and when we originally assembled them we somehow stripped one of the screws. Being a handy girl I figured it out!

These are the waves I painted on Jakey's walls - I still need to add the white 'crests' but it's a start!



I'm afraid this is going to be part 1 of a 2 part Tackle. The house overall is looking a little worse for wear. Funny how a week of hospital stuff and a big remodeling project in the kid's room kinda cuts out all the other housework!

I am still painting - I will probably spend the rest of this week preparing Jakey's room ready for the bunk beds that arrive Friday. By next Tuesday I'll have a really great looking tackle completed!




And finally, the kid's and Daddy tackled another dirty project - the car! Here are some cute pics of everyone working on the car.

Mariiage Monday

Well today is the last Monday in the challenge - hard to believe its over almost! What a challenge this week has been too!

That whole 'in sickness and in health' thing is easy to say but much much harder to do when you are living it. Last week was a week where lots of things happened, and I was reminded again why I married my husband and why we 'work.' I also had a few scary hours where I wondered how I would do things if I didn't have him with me to do them. I pray that God keeps him in my life for many many many more years - the look at the alternative was pretty awful. When they called Tuesday night and told me that they didn't think it was a virus and they did think it was something very serious I remember my stomach just dropping. I don't think I slept again until Saturday night in any restful form.

So this week it was mostly a lot of begging and praying for more years, good health, and doctors who could figure things out. I haven't even picked up the book this week about the Power of the Praying Wife.

I guess I mostly see the blessings that came out of this week. First of all, we were given the opportunity to consider some changes in our family, and we were both able to say with a clear conscious that the answer right now is 'no' for us. We didn't shut out the possibility down the road, but right now, we are just the right size. Second, I think dh got a wake up call about some things in his life that he needs to change. Third, we both got a wake up call about our priorities.

Tonight I have an appointment with the personal trainer. One of my priorities both for myself and for DH now is to get in a better state of health. We owe it to our children and to each other.

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Ahhh, Sunday

Well it is Sunday, and it is not a day of rest. We skipped church as dh still doesn't feel 100%, although he is definately on the mend. I've been painting, which is quite a challenge with all the furniture in there! If DH felt better he would help me move it out, but he just isn't quite up to it so I'm working around it.
We did come to a consensus on the bedrooms, which is cool. The best part is he just agreed with everything I wanted to do (love it when it works that way!)
So we are moving all the kid's furniture in Jakey's room to the girl's room. Eventually we'll bunk the beds in there. That will give the girls 2 matching chest of drawers to store clothing, and since they both have legs it will get them up off the heating vents. Currently the dressers in there sit down on the vents and so you freeze in the winter.
We are going to take the chest of drawers that is in the girl's room and is dark wood, and move it to Jakey's room for his storage. Then everyone has about the same number of drawers for stuff.
We have yet to decide what to do with the other dresser - probably see what family wants to do with it or sell it or give it away.
Anyway, we went over to the second hand furniture store today and low and behold they had a brand new bunk bed in the same finish as the dark dresser for $175. They will bring it Friday. With two mattresses plus the sheets and stuff I bought the total works out to $10 more then what I am selling the guest bed set for. We can live with a $10 cost :)
Meanwhile, a very nice woman came today and gave me cash for the bed set. She and her son are coming in 30 minutes to haul it off. By next weekend I should have Jakey's room totally set, and Vi and Emma's room set. Then I can start working on the guest room. I will post pictures of both kid's rooms when I get them done. I may sneak a midway shot in of Jakey's on Tuesday since it is a Tackle It Tuesday that has crept through the weekend! We'll see.
Oh, as a bonus at the used furniture store, we found a piano! I couldn't believe it. We've been looking at the piano store for a piano (silly us/ and here was the one we wanted for about half the price. We'll have to have it tuned, but they will bring it out Friday as well. DH's Mom had left us a little money when she died and we had set a bit of it aside for a piano. With tuning I think we'll be right in budget.
Dh's sister called and she is bringing up our favorite cousins (her grandchildren) when we go on the big family camping trip to Shasta next month. We are excited, we love spending time with them. The kids will be thrilled to see them and we intend to go down and visit with them again at the end of August, so all togheter they'll get lots of play time.
Ok, more pictures soon. I know the best thing about blogs are the pictures!

Weekends, Pirates Hospitals and Craig's List

How is that for a title? It is Saturday, and the family is asleep except for me. Funny how that works as I am probably the one who needs it the most. Oh well, life as a wife, its a glamerous job but someone has to do it!
Picked up dh at the hospital this morning after dropping Boo off at the groomers. Brought him home and then my fabulous friend offered to take Vi for a few hours to play with her daughter. So I am one kid down (yeah!) Put one coat of paint on the upper portion of Jakey's room, hope to have it done by Tuesday. Below are some pics of our 'inspiration room' from Disney - Jake is going for a pirate theme.

Now I do have one complaint on this. Notice the bed. It is pretty cute, right? The Disney directions talk as if anyone can purchase a boat bed, and then just paint it black.
After expensive searching I can assure you that Pottery Barn's $1200 bed is the only one I can find. Disney made a very nice $2,000 pirate ship bed, but I can't see spending very much on something that may yet be another short phase that may not last.
So far we have got the upper blue on 3 walls. It is going to take a few coats as it is such a dark color. Jakey sat on his bed and watched me, it was great.
The other good thing that happened is that Friday a family came over after seeing my note on craigslist. We tore out our old deck and have been replacing it with trex. We had a huge pile of old lumber, so my friend said, 'put it on craigslist.' Sureenough, someone actually wanted it and came and hauled it off! One chore done and no sweat.
Still need to work out, go grocery shopping and beat the sinus infection. Tried yoga stretches the last few nights and it seems to help the back...

The Saga Continues

Wow, so what a day. I went to work and stayed there 7 hours - a record this week! Then dh called and he was as sick as he was before. By the time I got home to get him he was cold and clammy and really really sick. I took him back to the hospital with all the kids, checked him in again and left him once again. The good news is that the doctor on the staff tonight recognized what was going on and offerred us some treatment plans that actually make sense. At this point I'm oddly elated that we have answers to the problems and a way to fix things for him. I think the worst of it was not knowing what was repeatedly making him so ill.
So he started treatment, but they are going to hold him at least a day. Keep us in your prayers, its going to be a long weekend!

What a week!

This week has been a challenge, and it is only Thursday! I have a charming sinus infection (the doctor says its chronic, lovely!) and my back went out over the weekend. I tried to work Monday but the back pain was too much so I went over and got an emergency massage :) Tuesday I drove Glenn to the hospital and spent the night worrying that something awful was going on. It turned out to be stomach flu, but Tuesday night they thought it could be something very terribly wrong with his insides and scared me to death. The rest of the Powell family spent the night piled in my bed wishing they would call with better news.
Wednesday I woke up and called the hospital, only to find out that he was in the Intensive Care Unit. After some discussion it was revealed that he was there because there were no beds available on the regular floor, but for a few moments my fear went up about 100%.
It is Thursday, and I'm hoping for a break! I sat all day at the hospital yesterday hoping to catch a doctor. My back and hospital chairs are NOT friends. Finally scooted out at 4 and did a quick retail therapy run to the Dollar Store. Then home to collect kids and wait for news from the hospital. Turns out they released him and so I drug 3 tired somewhat cranky crying children over to the hospital to pick him up.
This weekend is quiet. Hopefully someone will purchase the spare bed, we can paint Jakey's room, and Boo the dog will get a bath. Fingers crossed that the evil stomach flu doesn't hit the rest of the familiy!

The Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things about Hospitals In honor of Glenn's 24 hour stay in the hospital, I thought I'd put out a list of my observations. 1. No one likes them unless they are delivering a baby. 2. Nursing has a rediculous amount of ick factor to it. 3. Cafeteria food at hospitals is borderline awful. 4. In spite of this the employees seem to eat it. 5. The ER Waiting room is full of unusual people 24 hours a day. 6. You can feel like you are dying but only 'Triage' can get you a room. 7. There is never enough parking. 8. Air mattresses sound like jet engines preparing for takeoff and are hard to sleep on. 9. Hospital gowns were never meant to actually cover anything! 10. You must ride in a wheelchair if you have been a patient, you can't walk out ever! 11. Stickers are available in the ER 12. If an alarm goes off on a piece of equipment in your room, it will take forever for a nurse to come shut it down. 13. When you are ready to go home, it takes a long time to get them to release you! Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Works for Me Wednesday

Let's see, what magic tip do I have for today. Ok, here is one, not very glamerous but it works Do you have slow drains? Take a cup of baking soda and sprinkle it in the drain. Then pour a cup of vinegar down Let it sit 5 minutes then pour boiling water to clear out the drain.

As a bonus, run vinegar through your washing machine once a month, it helps get rid of the buildup and clean the lines :)

Have a good night, more tomorrow. Been a crazy week as dh got the worst stomach flu I've ever seen and so I've been disinfecting like a mad woman!

Tackle It Tuesday

Ok, here is the before - this is the 'girls room' -isn't it a scary dumping ground? It has been the 'shove it in here' room for quite some time. This week it is going to receive beds, get cleaned up and become a haeven for two little girls. Then next week we'll paint Jakey's bedroom and do his room as the Tackle It Tuesday Project. (I'll do the actual painting on the weekend and let all the kids pile in the girl's room to sleep.

Ok, so here is the bedroom. It isn't perfect, but its a start. Still need to do more on it.


As a bonus after seeing someone's amazing pantry, I dug into ours. I have no 'before' pictures, but here is the after. It looks amazing (and believe me, it was so cluttered you couldn't find a thing before!)

Marriage Monday

Well today is marriage monday, and I have to admit I haven't done so well this week. DH has had the stomach flu and my back has gone south (oh, and I got a sinus infection) and so overall I haven't been at my sunny best. Some nights I've fallen into bed and just prayed that God keep everyone safe and not much more. I need to get myself well and get back on course. I haven't even read the Power of the Praying Wife in a few days.
I'm afraid I did shift course long enough to read Harry Potter Book 7 in it's entirety in one day. I'm an obsessive reader, and I've been waiting for this book for a while.
I won't spoiler it yet, but I will say that the epilogue left me with more questions. I want to know what happened to some of the other characters. JK explained some of them, but left others hanging. It was a great book, a wonderful read, and the battle scenes were excellent. I also really appreciated that she made the heros real. They had flaws, they yearned for power in some cases but grew older and wiser. It was interesting. So often fairy tales don't tell the truth about human beings, but I believe this set of books really did.

Don't Ya Just Hate It When...

I've been tagged by my friend Robin for a 'Don't Ya Just Hate It When" 8. That should be easy, plenty of things bug me :)

1. The grocery store all week long has had signs up that say, 'Harry Potter available July 21 at midnight.' When you drive over there at midnight it turns out that they only got SIX copies of the book - who gets six copies? That isn't even a case?

2. Someone cuts in front of you and takes the parking spot you've been waiting for.

3. You go to a playground and another mother is so busy talking that she can't see her kid either risking life and limb or being mean to someone else.

4. Your hubby, who spends every waking moment reading or fooling with his palm pilot, complains that you are on the computer too much (totally blind to how often he is on the computer)

5. You get the house spotless and the dog finds a crayon and chews it up on the carpet

6. You get in what appears to be the shortest line at the grocery store and of course the person in front has chosen an item with no price. To add to complication, the clerk can't find anyone to go check the price.

7. You make big plans to move beds around and move the kids bedrooms and your back goes out.

8. You do a big project at work only to have the people who asked for it decide they didn't need it!

Violet's First Recital

Today was a pretty fun day - Violet had her last day of Dance Camp and had her first recital. I was able to sneak away at lunch and watch her dance. It was really cute. The kids did good for having only had 5 days to learn the choreography. The pace must have been brutal as they learned 6 dance numbers during that time.
We have decided to do ballet classes in the fall.
I never cease to be amazed at how effected I am when I see one of the kids do something on their own. It is such a strange feeling to watch the baby that you held tightly for so long try to do something outside their comfort zone. I find myself longing for them to be really good at what they try. I have to check myself, I can see where the stage mothers come from already! Violet enjoys dance because she has fun. She has wanted to be a ballerina since I can remember.
What I havent' really written about her is that she is a Princess with a capital P. She has felt she is and should be one for as long as I can remember, and the ballet thing fits neatly in with the fairy princess idea.
I think the other thing that brought me joy was watching Violet and her best friend Julia. They have known each other since they were about 1. I worry sometimes that the friendship is waining as they go to different schools. Watching them during dance camp though they were in their element. When the kids had to pair off to spin or do something together, it was Vi and Julia every single time. I hope we can keep that friendship going, I love the idea of them having something for as long as they can remember. Good friends get harder to find as you get older. Julia also envisions a future with ballet, so I suspect we'll keep the relationship going with dance this fall.
Tonight Vi and I did the macarena together in the living room. She was so happy I knew a dance. I even still remember first position from ballet, so I showed her that. Scary what sticks with you.
The other funny thing is that Emma is desperate, simply desperate to dance. She ran onto the dance floor today and we drug her back a couple times. Our Nanny came with us today (thank Goodness) and held Emma to stop her from escaping. I can see that as soon as Em turns 3 she will probably take dance as well. We won't wait as long as we have for Vi.
That is all from the land of ballerinas tonight. 2 hours, 23 minutes till Harry Potter is available, and I'm trying to stay up!

My thirteen favorite romantic movies of all time....

Married To It
I love this movie - I think it is such a realistic view of how different marraiges can be while still working, and how people at different stages learn different things about life.

Steel Magnolias
A great chick flick if ever there was one - I love southern women, I suppose because my Mom was a southern woman.

Gone With The Wind

Other girls had Cinderella, I had Scarlet. I actually really only love parts of this movie (its so darn long) but I love a strong woman, and Scarlet was one strong lady!

Diary of A Mad Black Woman
Another strong southern woman. I get a bit uncomfortable during the scene where she throws her husband in teh bathtub after his accident, she really releases her anger and it is scary to watch. I LOVE the scene where they go into the other woman's closet and tear it up, and when they cut the couch in half. I suppose the biggest reason I love this movie is the relationship that develops between the main character and the moving man she meets, and the way her brother holds onto his love for his addicted wife and in the end she comes out ok. I know, I know, its a movie, real life doesn't always work out so cleanly, but it is nice to think it does for a couple of hours!

Before Sunrise and Before Sunset



These two should go together - they are really a matched set. A great story about the chemistry that can happen to two people in an instant that can change their entire lives. Years later that chemistry holds true, and their lives intersect and reunite.

Music and Lyrics
Sweet show, cute and the look back at the 80s is spot-on. They got the video in the beginning right, and I love how Drew plays this part. It is a sweet watch for a rainy afternoon.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith
This is a violent movie, but it is also a love story. This is the movie where in real life Angelina and Brad found each other. You can feel the chemistry. They are two competitors pitted against one another and it is a turn on!


Hitch
This one has a lot of common sense to it. I always enjoy a good show. I like it when the little guy wins, when love prevails, and when cute men make fools of themselves to prove their hearts. This has it all!

West Side Story
A classic, what can I say? It was a teen flick for my sister and brother's age and it reminds me of the time they grew up. Also it is a nice remake of Romeo and Juliet, and the score is simply terrific.


The Notebook
This should be #1, because it is my #1. I love this movie. I love a good romance, and as I've gotten older I appreciate it when two people stick together forever and don't give up. There are parts of it that remind me of my own teen love - the passion and drive that you have then that is rarely recaptured later in life.

Spanglish
I'm not even sure why I like this movie. Maybe because for once Adam Sandler plays a real person and not some cut-up. Maybe because the romance in it is sweet and innocent. Maybe because I think Tea is a terrific actress. It just struck a chord with me.

Oklahoma

I love musicals, and Oklahoma is no exception. I love so many of the songs on this, and it reminds me of the kinds of things I watched growing up.

1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Works for me Wednesday

Well today's tip is on how to get stinky shoes not stinky anymore. Did you know that the reason shoes smell, especially in the summer, is that bacteria start growing in them? You can kill the bacteria by putting your shoes (or your kid's shoes or your hubby's shoes) in the freezer for half an hour. Freezing them kills the stinky things, then pull them out, warm them up and put them back on!

Tackle it Tuesday Continues

Today I thought I'd tackle the laundry room. Since we got home from the coast (only one short week ago) it somehow has gotten completely out of control. Ok, it was a bit out of control before that, but look at it now!
So I went in and did an intervention, put laundry away, put the kid's clothes in their baskets for them to put away in the morning, even dusted and threw away a ton of junk. Still need to face off with the shelving unit in there, but at least it 'looks' better then it did!

Hard News to Hear

When we adopted Emma, we adopted her knowing that she had a small heart defect. We got her in to see the cardiologist almost as soon as we got home, and at the time they confirmed the measurements and information we'd received from China. We were told that in 3 to 4 years we would need to take Emma to Portland and have a minor catheterization surgery to repair the hole in her heart and make her 'normal.'

Today I had a follow up appointment with OHSU, something routine. I didn't think anything of it, and I took Em alone. It was a different doctor today, who listened briefly to her heart and said everything was fine. I mentioned to him that we had noticed her tiring sooner lately, and he dismissed me and said that that symptom would have nothing to do with what was wrong with her. I explained that the last cardiologist had said in fact that it would be a symptom. To appease me I think he finally agreed to take another look.

Now, instead of 3 years, we have 4 months. It seems little Em's heart is working double over time and enlarging. They want to push her surgery up quite a bit and possibly operate on her this fall. He had a very different approach when he came back in to see us and give me the news.

Please pray for our little girl. The other thing he said was that it could very well be an open heart surgery and not the cardiac cathertization that we had been hoping for. He said until we had more complete diagnostics run in Portland we wouldn't know a thing.

It is one thing to know your baby is going to have a problem years from now, and quite another to find out that the problem is at hand and that the solutions are going to be more invasive and scary then you expected.

'

Marriage Monday

Well it is another marriage Monday, lets recap. A few weeks ago DH and I were definately far down into a valley. We have had a challenging spring, with lots of loss and change and pain. We were taking it out on each other, and I was praying hard that God would give us an avenue to heal through.

Then God sent us to the beach - what a wonderful thing that was, and I found the challenge and I found the book, 'The Power of the Praying Wife" and life has been buzzing along.

I'm about 1/3 of the way through the book, and each night I try to pray for dh about the topic that I read about for the day. Some I already do all the time anyway. I've found myself praying for his safety since we met. Others I hadn't thought to pray about - work, purpose, mind.

I do think it makes a difference. We've been together 10 years as of Sunday. I thanked God last night for giving me 41 years of life, for all the good and the bad, and for giving me a man I could spend the rest of my life with.

Not too bad!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Well I made it, I'm 41 years old! Ta Da. So far its a quiet day. Everyone at work forgot, which is par for the course.
One of my good friends sent me an ecard first thing and sang me happy birthday, and some of my other friends have remembered. I have a promise out of the kids that they will draw me pictures for my birthday. Both the older ones think we should have a beach party tonight. I had to tell them that Mommy had planned a kind of different party for herself, without them. My best friend and I are headed out for a pedicure and a slice of cake. Gotta love babysitters!
The beach trip was my birthday present this year, so I don't expect much of anything else.
Took Violet over to the first day of Ballet Camp today. She was so excited. Of course I win the bad mommy award on that front. I bring her in to work with me this am all ready for ballet. I am rereading the sign up sheet and I notice it says, 'a sack lunch and snacks should be brought along.' Oh my goodness, a sack lunch? So Vi is the only kid eating Subway for lunch today as that is about what I could pull off at 30 minutes before the class starts and no kitchen.
I keep waiting for her to find her 'thing.' When do you find the thing that you can do that you are mad about? Will it be ballet? It was NOT soccer, soccer was a complete bust. Gymnastics didn't seem as 'fun' as I thought it might be. Swimming is not it. Maybe Ballet will do the trick.
I'll post some pics later in the week. They do a little performance at the end of the week for us.

10 years ago today...

I met you nervously in person for the first time. You were waiting for me, carrying a single red rose. We ate dinner and we talked. We laughed. We went for a long walk and talked about the things that were important to us. Within a few short weeks I knew you were 'the one'.

Nine years ago I was the walking wounded. My Dad had died, your Dad had died, and within a few months my Mom would die too. You held us both together when it didn't seem like anything could.

Eight years ago we put on our best clothes and drove to church. We rewnewed our vows, in our own church, with only our pastor and a youth pastor as witness.

Seven years ago we had done our first IVF and it failed. I held in the tears after holding our first grandchild till I made it out to the car, and then we held each other and cried and cried like our hearts would never mend.

Six years ago we were in Portland, on a dinner cruise with our fingers crossed. Earlier in the day we'd transfered the embies that eventually turned into our beautiful twins.

Five years ago we were in awe of the two amazing lives we had created.

Four years ago today we were still in awe of the twins, and starting to talk about how we needed to have more children because they were so amazing.

Three years ago today the twins picked the name 'Emma' for the little sister they wanted.

Two years ago today Glenn's mom had moved in with us after we returned from taking the twins to Italy. It was also about 2 years ago that Violet said, 'Mom, it's time to go get Emma' at about the same time as when Emma was taken to the hospital and registered for international adoption. Our paths were headed towards one another even though we didn't know it.

One year ago today we got the word that Emma was ours forever and we started planning our trip to China to meet her.

Last night you didn't skip a beat. You took me back to the place we had our first date, you had arose waiting, and somehow you did it all without me knowing you had remember at all! I love you honey.

My Green Phase

I'm catching up on all the posts I didn't do last week, in case you are wondering why I'm so verbose tonight. I actually had these done, just not posted.

I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I've started looking into green cleaning. It all started innocently enough. Glenn is now calling it my 'Green Phase' but we'll see if it sticks.

I started out this spring going to see a naturopath that a friend reccomended. She is really a terrific doctor, and I think she has made a difference. Anyway, she started talking to me about how important it was to try to eat foods as close to being whole as possible. About how organics are better for you, how there are so many pesticides and chemicals applied to everything we touch now that we are exposed to lots and lots of toxins which can make us feel bad. I've always been a bit of a skeptic so I listened and figured I'd give her way a shot.

Over time I did see a difference, and so I started adding other little things. For a few years now we've had 2 garbage cans. We got the second one when Glenn's Mom moved in and we just stuck with it. We filled them both up each week. It was costing us a ton of money, and we were diligently filling up the landfill.

So we started recycling. We sent back the second can and we rarely fill the one can completely. It is amazing how much stuff can be recycled.

It is only natural after you start looking around at these kinds of things that you look at the chemicals that you use in your home. I bought a book on Green Cleaning, and I figured I'd give the products a try. I'd been using Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products and Seventh Generation Laundry detergents. Little did I know that I could clean most of the rest of my house with baking soda, vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice!

Do we still use plastic - sure we do. I'm storing kid's clothes in it like mad. I'm not to the point of sleeping on organic cotton sheets and what not, but I like the changes we have made. If nothing else we are saving money now with these small changes. Hopefully we are shrinking our footprint as well!

Beach Pictures

Emma and Vi running in the waves.
The world's biggest club sandwich - we go to a restaurant in Newport called "Shirley's" where they make truely HUGE servings of food. How do you bite on this?
You can't see it very well, but out on Newport docks there are 2 old tires set up on pilings. The leaning one has a group of baby seagulls in it while the Daddy overseas. The waitress said that only one seagull is born each day, I guess they take turns!
At the Hatfield Marine Science Center, Jakey looks for the turtle that simply must be under the shell.
The kids and Daddy checking out the indoor tide pool where you can pet a starfish or a sea urchin.
The kids in front of the mini sub that Hatfield has out front. Hatfield is a division of Oregon State University. They are located right next to the Oregon Aquarium in Newport, and honestly I like them a bit better then the fancier model. They always have an octopus to look at, things to touch, and a great bookstore with wonderful books for you and the kids. They aren't so gimmicky.

Fantastic Friday

I thought that would be a good title. Nothing particularly exciting happened today other then it ended the world's shortest work week (2 days) You gotta love that.
In about 56 hours I turn 41 - that is pretty exciting. As usual I've been pretty introspective the last few weeks, considering what I want to do differently, what I like about what I've become. One thing I've realized is that I want to be a better wife. I saw on a website about the book, 'The Power of the Praying Wife' and I started reading it. It has really given me a great deal to think about.
I have realized over the last few months that I entertain people sometimes at the expense of others. It is an easy habit to get into the mode of not speaking in a completly loving manner about the ones you love sometimes - when they frustrate you, when you are making a joke about how 'men always do' this or that. The truth is, it colors how I view our relationship, and for that reason I've decided to stop. I've married a really terrific guy, and so I should let people know that.
I'm also giddy because Monday night I've scheduled a babysitter after work. My best girlfriend and I are sneaking out for dessert and a pedicure. I'm so far behind on pedicures, the thought of it is simply lovely!
I went out tonight and bought some plastic bins so I can start sorting and boxing more of the kids clothes. I buy way ahead and so I end up with piles of clothing in different sizes. I've been stuffing them in the girls' room since the girls aren't in it yet, but now that I want Emma to move into her own room, I need to clear it out. This weekend's project is to get some of that stuff boxed and put away.
I'll try to add more beach pictures too this weekend, so stay tuned!

The Thursday Thirteen ( a day late)

Thirteen Things about Our Beach Vacation



1. We had beautiful weather for all 8 days! (a miracle on the Oregon coast)
2. Boo experienced his first time in the ocean. It makes him bounce!
3. Emma saw the ocean for the first time and loved it
4. We had a great time planning our trip to Europe
5. The kids and I had slumber parties most nights where we put on our PJs early and watched a movie
6. We went to two aquariums
7. We played on the beach and built great sandcastles
8. We spent many lazy days watching the surf and just being a family
9. The rental house didn't look like much in pictures, but they had just redone it inside
10. It had a dishwasher (yeah!)
11. The kids petted a cockatoo (two houses down had 2 of them)
12. We collected lots of seashells
13. I got to sleep in until almost noon one day!





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