Here's a rare occurance: our boss told us to close the office and go home at 2pm today! Since I've lived here, we've never had a snow day, only the occasional close early days. We got about 10 inches in 4 hours...that's a lotta snow!
It feels like Christmas out of a movie here. There is something about this time of year that draws reflection...reflecting on the past year, and looking forward to the New Year. Sadly, part of my job is notsofun – I see a lot of foreclosures come across my desk and I can't help but feel sadness for those families. A home lost, a dream spoiled. As I sit in my comfy, overstuffed chair, next to the Christmas tree, I can’t help but feel blessed. Sure, I have struggles and times when I can truly feel the weight of the world on my shoulders (good thing I have Curtis to rub out those knots), but I am one lucky girl. I have a roof over my head, a job to pay for that roof, a husband to share things with under that roof, friends to entertain under that roof, family to host under that roof, pets (who just want to love us and be ascloseaspossible) to keep warm under that roof, and memories to make under that roof.
My mind drifts to the Doxology:
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
3 Degrees
Yes, that was the temperature as I left this morning for work. My car didn’t even get warm enough on the way to work (and I was nice to her, let her warm up for 10 minutes before leaving). I drove to work on a sheet of ice…we were eating dinner at a local diner with some friends last night and the de-icer truck went by. Curtis joked that maybe they were spreading water to make it look like they’re doing something. J We didn’t’ get quite as much as the weather forecasters said we would (10-12 inches, we got maybe 3-4). I guess we were overdue for winter. I kept saying that all the nice weather was making me nervous for what it would be like when winter actually hit. Then, when I left work tonight, I'm pretty sure my car started spitting ice crystals at me out of the vents when I started her!
Yet again I’m behind on my blogging, so here is a bit of a catch up (sorry for the lack of pictures, the camera died a very sad death, involving stairs, and the new one hasn’t arrived yet…did you get that one, Santa?)
It seems like Curtis and I lead a pretty unadventurous life, we have friends we hang out with on the weekends, but we rarely go anywhere other than Bend. We’ve been having MarioKart tournaments (it’s a whole new experience on the Wii!) and Curtis is currently perfecting his pool game on WiiPlay.
We got some high elevation snow the first weekend of November, yes, higher than we are at 4200 feet, so Curtis and I, along with our friends, Scott and Star decided to take the quads up to the lakes and go for a ride. We went up past Little Cultis and rode the quads up to Irish and Taylor lakes. The boys got their fill of snow for a while and I, well, I got to bundle up in my snow gear.
Back in mid-November we said goodbye to a friend who was headed out to boot camp for the Marines. In proper form, we all played one last round of MarioKart and listened to Elvis and Ray Charles’ Christmas (2 favorites of the boys…yes, we listen to Christmas music over the summer).
Nov. 16 I drove over to Portland for a surprise party for Marisa. She was very surprised and it was so nice to see college friends again. After dinner, several of us went back to Hannah’s and played Rock Band. I am a TERRIBLE drummer! I could keep the rhythm, but couldn’t manage to hit the drums at the right time.
My friend Star and I have been reading the Twilight series (seriously, you need to read the series if you haven’t yet) and we went to see the movie on the weekend it opened. There were LOTS of girls there and a few board looking boyfriends/husbands who had obviously been forced there against their will. I’m guessing they would have rather been at the new Bond movie.
Thanksgiving: we hosted again this year, 14 people! My parents and brother came up for the long weekend (yea!). Also in attendance were Curt’s parents (Don & Martha), Curt’s cousins (Rick, Linda, and Ricky), our adopted “grandparents” Irv and Pat, and our friends, Scott and Star. The boys (Curtis and Scott) had decided they wanted to fry a turkey (yeah, I’m thinking it, too: BAD IDEA: boys, fire, hot oil…), but they did a really good job. We had plenty of turkey as I roasted another one in the oven “just in case.”
Friday we didn’t get up early, but we did go see the new Bond movie and wandered around Fred Meyer a bit. We had all been watching Food Network in the morning, as if we hadn’t eaten enough the day before, we had to watch people make more yummy food. Rachel Ray made Turkey Croquettes with Mushroom Rosemary Gravy, so mom and I thought we’d try our hand at them. We modified her recipe a bit….for the breading, we added chili flakes for some heat and we just used what leftovers we had in the fridge. They turned out pretty, pretty good!
Saturday mom and I picked up Curt’s mom and we hit some of the sales. I think we thoroughly wore Martha out. We made it home just in time for the Civil War to start.
Sunday my parents left pretty early…mom needed to finish her lesson plans and they needed to visit Grandma since she’s stayed home to visit with my aunt and uncle who came to visit from Virginia.
All in all, it was a great weekend, but I was exhausted! Monday rolled around and Alli emailed me to see if their visit Dec 5-7 was still on, yeah, sorry, Alli, I totally forgot you were coming! So, all week, Curtis was put to work helping me get the house ready for guests! We took them down to the big city of La Pine on Saturday night to watch the Trucker’s Light Parade. Basically, people decorate their trucks with Christmas lights and we have a parade. Lots of the local businesses get involved, so it’s lots of fun, even if it was about 30 degrees outside. There was much Wii playing and movie watching and good times. Well, except for the part when the dogs decided not to like each other. We love hanging out with them and the kids, they are so much fun.
All week last week we were gearing up for winter to hit. At about 1pm on Friday it hit. It’s a good thing and this year I found myself not really dreading the arrival of snow. I’m sure my tune will change when it’s May and I still can’t plant flowers, but hey, at least it’s pretty.
On Sunday, Curtis and I joined some friends on a Christmas Tree Hunting Expedition (we already purchased ours at a lot…it was for a good cause, La Pine HS Baseball). There was about 19-20 inches of fresh powder on the Cascade Lakes Hwy, but we all have trucks and just plowed our way thru the snow. Curtis and Scott brought their quads so they could take the kids on rides. We built a fire to defrost our toes and fingers after hunting for the tree, which was found, chainsawed down, and transported safely back to “camp.” Ike and his family brought a Coleman camp stove and heated up the homemade chili they’d made…YUMMM. So, after the kids were thoroughly and completely tuckered out, although I’m not sure who was more tired, the kids, or the dad who had to drag the kids around on the sled, we packed up and went home to warm up and relax and get ready for another work week.
Yet again I’m behind on my blogging, so here is a bit of a catch up (sorry for the lack of pictures, the camera died a very sad death, involving stairs, and the new one hasn’t arrived yet…did you get that one, Santa?)
It seems like Curtis and I lead a pretty unadventurous life, we have friends we hang out with on the weekends, but we rarely go anywhere other than Bend. We’ve been having MarioKart tournaments (it’s a whole new experience on the Wii!) and Curtis is currently perfecting his pool game on WiiPlay.
We got some high elevation snow the first weekend of November, yes, higher than we are at 4200 feet, so Curtis and I, along with our friends, Scott and Star decided to take the quads up to the lakes and go for a ride. We went up past Little Cultis and rode the quads up to Irish and Taylor lakes. The boys got their fill of snow for a while and I, well, I got to bundle up in my snow gear.
Back in mid-November we said goodbye to a friend who was headed out to boot camp for the Marines. In proper form, we all played one last round of MarioKart and listened to Elvis and Ray Charles’ Christmas (2 favorites of the boys…yes, we listen to Christmas music over the summer).
Nov. 16 I drove over to Portland for a surprise party for Marisa. She was very surprised and it was so nice to see college friends again. After dinner, several of us went back to Hannah’s and played Rock Band. I am a TERRIBLE drummer! I could keep the rhythm, but couldn’t manage to hit the drums at the right time.
My friend Star and I have been reading the Twilight series (seriously, you need to read the series if you haven’t yet) and we went to see the movie on the weekend it opened. There were LOTS of girls there and a few board looking boyfriends/husbands who had obviously been forced there against their will. I’m guessing they would have rather been at the new Bond movie.
Thanksgiving: we hosted again this year, 14 people! My parents and brother came up for the long weekend (yea!). Also in attendance were Curt’s parents (Don & Martha), Curt’s cousins (Rick, Linda, and Ricky), our adopted “grandparents” Irv and Pat, and our friends, Scott and Star. The boys (Curtis and Scott) had decided they wanted to fry a turkey (yeah, I’m thinking it, too: BAD IDEA: boys, fire, hot oil…), but they did a really good job. We had plenty of turkey as I roasted another one in the oven “just in case.”
Friday we didn’t get up early, but we did go see the new Bond movie and wandered around Fred Meyer a bit. We had all been watching Food Network in the morning, as if we hadn’t eaten enough the day before, we had to watch people make more yummy food. Rachel Ray made Turkey Croquettes with Mushroom Rosemary Gravy, so mom and I thought we’d try our hand at them. We modified her recipe a bit….for the breading, we added chili flakes for some heat and we just used what leftovers we had in the fridge. They turned out pretty, pretty good!
Saturday mom and I picked up Curt’s mom and we hit some of the sales. I think we thoroughly wore Martha out. We made it home just in time for the Civil War to start.
Sunday my parents left pretty early…mom needed to finish her lesson plans and they needed to visit Grandma since she’s stayed home to visit with my aunt and uncle who came to visit from Virginia.
All in all, it was a great weekend, but I was exhausted! Monday rolled around and Alli emailed me to see if their visit Dec 5-7 was still on, yeah, sorry, Alli, I totally forgot you were coming! So, all week, Curtis was put to work helping me get the house ready for guests! We took them down to the big city of La Pine on Saturday night to watch the Trucker’s Light Parade. Basically, people decorate their trucks with Christmas lights and we have a parade. Lots of the local businesses get involved, so it’s lots of fun, even if it was about 30 degrees outside. There was much Wii playing and movie watching and good times. Well, except for the part when the dogs decided not to like each other. We love hanging out with them and the kids, they are so much fun.
All week last week we were gearing up for winter to hit. At about 1pm on Friday it hit. It’s a good thing and this year I found myself not really dreading the arrival of snow. I’m sure my tune will change when it’s May and I still can’t plant flowers, but hey, at least it’s pretty.
On Sunday, Curtis and I joined some friends on a Christmas Tree Hunting Expedition (we already purchased ours at a lot…it was for a good cause, La Pine HS Baseball). There was about 19-20 inches of fresh powder on the Cascade Lakes Hwy, but we all have trucks and just plowed our way thru the snow. Curtis and Scott brought their quads so they could take the kids on rides. We built a fire to defrost our toes and fingers after hunting for the tree, which was found, chainsawed down, and transported safely back to “camp.” Ike and his family brought a Coleman camp stove and heated up the homemade chili they’d made…YUMMM. So, after the kids were thoroughly and completely tuckered out, although I’m not sure who was more tired, the kids, or the dad who had to drag the kids around on the sled, we packed up and went home to warm up and relax and get ready for another work week.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Yikes!
I have no excuses for not blogging for the past few months...well, maybe just one...after staring at dual monitors all day at work, the last thing I want to do when I get home is play on my computer and I can't do any posting from work.
So, without further delay, here is the big ol' update:
The remainder of the summer consisted of:
Visiting Crater Lake with our friends.
We hiked down the trail and the boys took a swim and the girls stuck their feet in.
A visit from our friends, Erik and Allison and their 4 beautiful children.
Watching the Olymipics. I heart my DVR.
Our 4 year wedding anniversary.
Visiting my family for Labor Day Weekend.
A visit to Erik and Allison's at the end of September. Reunificaiton with my friend, Faith. Playing at a park in Newberg with Allison's kids and Aj's kids.
The UCLA vs. Oregon game.
An impromptu trip to the valley to participate in cider making! That was a great trip, there was lots of reunification with college friends and their spouses. It was nice to interact with my friends and thier kids, rather than watching the little ones grow up over their mama's blogs.
I think I'm now officially ready for fall. I've been drinking cider, making baked goods with apples, and buring my Pumpkin Spice candle.
So, without further delay, here is the big ol' update:
The remainder of the summer consisted of:
Visiting Crater Lake with our friends.
We hiked down the trail and the boys took a swim and the girls stuck their feet in.
A visit from our friends, Erik and Allison and their 4 beautiful children.
Watching the Olymipics. I heart my DVR.
Our 4 year wedding anniversary.
Visiting my family for Labor Day Weekend.
A visit to Erik and Allison's at the end of September. Reunificaiton with my friend, Faith. Playing at a park in Newberg with Allison's kids and Aj's kids.
The UCLA vs. Oregon game.
An impromptu trip to the valley to participate in cider making! That was a great trip, there was lots of reunification with college friends and their spouses. It was nice to interact with my friends and thier kids, rather than watching the little ones grow up over their mama's blogs.
I think I'm now officially ready for fall. I've been drinking cider, making baked goods with apples, and buring my Pumpkin Spice candle.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Floating
Sunday afternoon was so nice that we decided to float part of the Deschutes near Sunriver. Seven of us packed up and headed out. The girls pumped up the rafts while the boys shuttled the cars to the take out point. There is a nice current going, so you don't have to paddle if you don't want to, and the river is still high and cold. There are no rapids to speak of where we were, but the float was nice and relaxing. Some of us are a nice shade of lobster, even though we bathed in sunscreen.
A side note: Curt's mom recently had a bone tumor removed and we just found out it is NOT cancerous! Praise the Lord!
A side note: Curt's mom recently had a bone tumor removed and we just found out it is NOT cancerous! Praise the Lord!
Poor Maverick!
Last week I noticed a boo-boo on our cat, Maverick’s arm. He’d been licking away and was creating a nice bald spot. I thought it might be ring worm (although, he is an indoor cat, so I’m thinking one of the dogs must have brought it in…I’ve been washing everything!), so I made an appt with the vet for Saturday morning. She took a look at it under the special blacklight and figured it is a mild case, so we were given some antibiotics to give him and this lovely accessory:
Poor guy has to wear the collar because he won’t stop licking it. He is constantly running into the walls and just looks so pathetic. If you sneak up on him and call his name he gets all confused because he can’t see you. I’ve been giving him extra treats because he just looks so sad.
Poor guy has to wear the collar because he won’t stop licking it. He is constantly running into the walls and just looks so pathetic. If you sneak up on him and call his name he gets all confused because he can’t see you. I’ve been giving him extra treats because he just looks so sad.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Man, I’m tired!
Where do I begin, I guess where I left off, eh?
I completely forgot to mention our celebrity sighting while we were at Belknap. Saturday night, we went to the Holiday Farm Resort for dinner. This restaurant/resort, as well as the local General Store, another restaurant, and an Inn are all owned in part by Kail Harbick, who just so happened to be on Big Brother 8 last summer. The bar tender/office manager called her to come over and meet us. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me, which I seem to be doing a lot lately!
The weekend of June 21 and 22 we spent in Grants Pass at a cousin’s reunion. Many of my mom’s 18 cousins on her dad’s side got together. I think there were 10 or 11 of the 18, which is pretty good! Saturday morning Curtis and my dad went to a classic car show at my parent’s church while mom and I headed over to cousin Jill’s house on the river. My mom is #3 of 4 kids and we were only missing one of my 8 cousins. We now have standing invites to visit Marsha in Kauai, and my cousin Emily and her boyfriend Steve in NYC! Our camera and my parent’s camera failed to make appearances at the reunion, but I’m trying to get some from my aunt and cousins.
My great aunt Nita is the only one left of her 4 siblings and spouses, so it was a great treat to visit with her. I’d forgotten how much she likes to talk! I haven’t seen her in years, probably since high school or college. When we used to take trips to Southern California, we’d always stop by aunt Nita’s and uncle Charles’ place in Oceanside. Nita’s son, Neil has been working on our family tree. He’s discovered that we have an ancestor that was one of the minutemen during the Revolutionary War. Then, when it came time for the states to ratify the Constitution, he voted “no” because he thought it gave the government too much power. But, it was approved on Feb. 6, 1788 and Massachusetts became the 6th state. This stuff is so fascinating. I think he’s gone back about as far at the 1300s.
Good times were had by all and there was even a pig roast (I may never eat pork again after seeing the little piggy on a spit with his little hooves tucked up under his chin-y chin chin.)
Fourth of July: My parents came to town and we had a blast. Thursday night we took them to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. Friday we went to town and watched the La Pine parade, then everyone came over to our house for a BBQ (Curtis is perfecting his Tri-Tip, so yummy!). One of Curt’s co-worker’s dad has box seats for the Bend Elks (a collegiate summer team), so we went to the game and then they let us out on the field so we could watch the fireworks from Pilot Butte.
Friday we got up early to go rafting, just a quick trip through some great rapids – the trip is called the Big Eddy Thriller. I can’t believe we’ve lived here 3 years and this is the first time we’ve gone rafting. I’ve discovered a couple other places to float, and we have plans to do that soon. After rafting, we took a much needed rest and then met up with Curt’s parents and headed for the Crooked River Dinner Train. It was enjoyable, and we saw lots of nice scenery.
Sunday we went to church and then met up with Curt’s parents and headed into Bend to eat at Pilot Butte Drive-In. My dad had wanted to go there all weekend, so we made a special trip into Bend just for him. On the way home, we stopped by Lava Butte and did a quick “hike” to Benham Falls. I use the term hike loosely as it is pretty much just a walk down a dirt path. When we were coming back, we met several Sherriffs and Forest Service personnel. I figured something was up, and unfortunately, I was right: a local ER Doc drowned in the falls.
I think that just about catches you up on the latest Bauman adventures. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but there is lots of linky love. :)
I completely forgot to mention our celebrity sighting while we were at Belknap. Saturday night, we went to the Holiday Farm Resort for dinner. This restaurant/resort, as well as the local General Store, another restaurant, and an Inn are all owned in part by Kail Harbick, who just so happened to be on Big Brother 8 last summer. The bar tender/office manager called her to come over and meet us. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me, which I seem to be doing a lot lately!
The weekend of June 21 and 22 we spent in Grants Pass at a cousin’s reunion. Many of my mom’s 18 cousins on her dad’s side got together. I think there were 10 or 11 of the 18, which is pretty good! Saturday morning Curtis and my dad went to a classic car show at my parent’s church while mom and I headed over to cousin Jill’s house on the river. My mom is #3 of 4 kids and we were only missing one of my 8 cousins. We now have standing invites to visit Marsha in Kauai, and my cousin Emily and her boyfriend Steve in NYC! Our camera and my parent’s camera failed to make appearances at the reunion, but I’m trying to get some from my aunt and cousins.
My great aunt Nita is the only one left of her 4 siblings and spouses, so it was a great treat to visit with her. I’d forgotten how much she likes to talk! I haven’t seen her in years, probably since high school or college. When we used to take trips to Southern California, we’d always stop by aunt Nita’s and uncle Charles’ place in Oceanside. Nita’s son, Neil has been working on our family tree. He’s discovered that we have an ancestor that was one of the minutemen during the Revolutionary War. Then, when it came time for the states to ratify the Constitution, he voted “no” because he thought it gave the government too much power. But, it was approved on Feb. 6, 1788 and Massachusetts became the 6th state. This stuff is so fascinating. I think he’s gone back about as far at the 1300s.
Good times were had by all and there was even a pig roast (I may never eat pork again after seeing the little piggy on a spit with his little hooves tucked up under his chin-y chin chin.)
Fourth of July: My parents came to town and we had a blast. Thursday night we took them to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. Friday we went to town and watched the La Pine parade, then everyone came over to our house for a BBQ (Curtis is perfecting his Tri-Tip, so yummy!). One of Curt’s co-worker’s dad has box seats for the Bend Elks (a collegiate summer team), so we went to the game and then they let us out on the field so we could watch the fireworks from Pilot Butte.
Friday we got up early to go rafting, just a quick trip through some great rapids – the trip is called the Big Eddy Thriller. I can’t believe we’ve lived here 3 years and this is the first time we’ve gone rafting. I’ve discovered a couple other places to float, and we have plans to do that soon. After rafting, we took a much needed rest and then met up with Curt’s parents and headed for the Crooked River Dinner Train. It was enjoyable, and we saw lots of nice scenery.
Sunday we went to church and then met up with Curt’s parents and headed into Bend to eat at Pilot Butte Drive-In. My dad had wanted to go there all weekend, so we made a special trip into Bend just for him. On the way home, we stopped by Lava Butte and did a quick “hike” to Benham Falls. I use the term hike loosely as it is pretty much just a walk down a dirt path. When we were coming back, we met several Sherriffs and Forest Service personnel. I figured something was up, and unfortunately, I was right: a local ER Doc drowned in the falls.
I think that just about catches you up on the latest Bauman adventures. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but there is lots of linky love. :)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Belknap Hot Springs
Last year, Curtis and I spent the weekend at Belknap Hot Springs for our 4th anniversary. We loved it and had a blast. My parents surprised us at Christmas and gave us a gift certificate to go back, so we decided last minute to spend the weekend of my birthday there (my 29th birthday was on June 7th). Last year, we hiked up to the Blue Pool (as suggested by the firendly Forest Service man). We didn't make it up there this year, but a couple we met hiked up there and emailed us some pictures.
A little history: EWEB (Eugene Water and Electric Board) diverted the McKenzie River about 6 miles above the Blue Pool for electricity for Eugene/Springfield. At the Blue Poole, the McKenzie popped up out of the ground and started running down it's old riverbed. Last year this is what the Blue Pool looked like:
Looking directly at where the waterfall should be.
Where people would come out after hiking OVER the waterfall.
The view from the top of the waterfall.
This year, we've had such a wet/snowy winter, this is what it looks like:
We had a very nice time, just relaxing. It rained part of the time, so we watched PS I Love You - I haven't cried that much during a movie since watching The Notebook.
A little history: EWEB (Eugene Water and Electric Board) diverted the McKenzie River about 6 miles above the Blue Pool for electricity for Eugene/Springfield. At the Blue Poole, the McKenzie popped up out of the ground and started running down it's old riverbed. Last year this is what the Blue Pool looked like:
Looking directly at where the waterfall should be.
Where people would come out after hiking OVER the waterfall.
The view from the top of the waterfall.
This year, we've had such a wet/snowy winter, this is what it looks like:
We had a very nice time, just relaxing. It rained part of the time, so we watched PS I Love You - I haven't cried that much during a movie since watching The Notebook.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
May Recap
The first weekend of May, Curtis and I ventured over the mountains to Newberg/Dundee/Lafayette to visit two of my college roommates. The visit was a long time in coming, it was in celebration of one roommate’s insignificant, non-milestone birthday that was in January. Yes, it really did take us 3 and a half months to get together and we were literally in town for 23 hours. The girls ate at our favorite lunch spot, Rice Bowl in Tigard, and spent some quality time at Boarders in Bridgeport Village. The boys were in charge of watching the children and BBQ-ing. It was so nice to visit, I miss them lots!
Mother’s Day Weekend: Curtis and I hosted Mother’s Day at our home. Guests included Curt’s parents, Don and Martha; Curt’s cousins, Rick and Linda and their son, Ricky; friends Irv and Pat. The menu consisted of tri-tip, salmon, roasted veggies, salad, and pasta salad. We had to tear the boys away from the TV (obviously there was some sporting event on, basketball, maybe?).
We spent the next weekend fretting over the lawn…in 90+ degree heat. (Woo Hoo! for the warm weather – FINALLY). It isn’t coming back as quickly as someone would like...I think it is because we had a pretty harsh winter and this was the first winter that the grass had been planted, but that won’t stop him from obsessing over it. It’s looking a lot better now, but there are some patches that will have to be re-seeded. Thankfully, all our plants and trees have recovered and are blooming nicely.
On Friday before Memorial Day Weekend, we woke up to SNOW. GRRRR. Maybe I’ll never get used to the unpredictable weather here….anyway, after work, we packed up the dogs and headed for my parent’s home for the weekend.
Saturday morning we hung out for a while and then visited my grandma in her new home (she broke her hip a few months ago and her recovery hasn’t been that great, so she’s in a foster care home now, but she LOVES it). We drove through my brother’s work (Dutch Bros.) and made plans to see the new Indian Jones movie that night. For lunch, I got my second taste of Sonic (one just opened in Bend a couple weeks ago). We met up with my brother and his girlfriend, Carleigh for the movie. After, my dad had a hankering for Strawberry Pie from Sheri’s, so we went there for some dessert.
My dad took Sunday off from preaching and got a real taste of retirement will be like. He drank coffee and read the Sunday paper Sunday morning before church and kept saying, “Isn’t this nice?!” Sunday afternoon we went up to my aunt and uncle’s home for a BBQ. My cousins were in town from Tacoma and Portland, so it was great to see them and see how big their girls are getting.
Monday we visited Grandma one more time and headed to the river to watch the boat races. We took the dogs down to the river, too. They barked at all the other dogs and adults that walked past, but just wagged their tales at all the kids, wanting them to play. Overall, the weekend was lots of fun, but it went by way too quickly.
On Friday, May 30, the day before my 3 year anniversary at work (wow, that means we’ve been living here for 3 years), I received a promotion to Escrow Officer!
I leave you with this:
Mother’s Day Weekend: Curtis and I hosted Mother’s Day at our home. Guests included Curt’s parents, Don and Martha; Curt’s cousins, Rick and Linda and their son, Ricky; friends Irv and Pat. The menu consisted of tri-tip, salmon, roasted veggies, salad, and pasta salad. We had to tear the boys away from the TV (obviously there was some sporting event on, basketball, maybe?).
We spent the next weekend fretting over the lawn…in 90+ degree heat. (Woo Hoo! for the warm weather – FINALLY). It isn’t coming back as quickly as someone would like...I think it is because we had a pretty harsh winter and this was the first winter that the grass had been planted, but that won’t stop him from obsessing over it. It’s looking a lot better now, but there are some patches that will have to be re-seeded. Thankfully, all our plants and trees have recovered and are blooming nicely.
On Friday before Memorial Day Weekend, we woke up to SNOW. GRRRR. Maybe I’ll never get used to the unpredictable weather here….anyway, after work, we packed up the dogs and headed for my parent’s home for the weekend.
Saturday morning we hung out for a while and then visited my grandma in her new home (she broke her hip a few months ago and her recovery hasn’t been that great, so she’s in a foster care home now, but she LOVES it). We drove through my brother’s work (Dutch Bros.) and made plans to see the new Indian Jones movie that night. For lunch, I got my second taste of Sonic (one just opened in Bend a couple weeks ago). We met up with my brother and his girlfriend, Carleigh for the movie. After, my dad had a hankering for Strawberry Pie from Sheri’s, so we went there for some dessert.
My dad took Sunday off from preaching and got a real taste of retirement will be like. He drank coffee and read the Sunday paper Sunday morning before church and kept saying, “Isn’t this nice?!” Sunday afternoon we went up to my aunt and uncle’s home for a BBQ. My cousins were in town from Tacoma and Portland, so it was great to see them and see how big their girls are getting.
Monday we visited Grandma one more time and headed to the river to watch the boat races. We took the dogs down to the river, too. They barked at all the other dogs and adults that walked past, but just wagged their tales at all the kids, wanting them to play. Overall, the weekend was lots of fun, but it went by way too quickly.
On Friday, May 30, the day before my 3 year anniversary at work (wow, that means we’ve been living here for 3 years), I received a promotion to Escrow Officer!
I leave you with this:
Monday, April 14, 2008
Shout Out Time
Welcome to the world, little E!
Happy belated birthday to my hubby - he turned 32 on April 7. We BBQ'd in the snow!
Happy belated birthday to my grandma - she turned 87 on April 9!
We had friends over on Saturday before Curt's birthday....we had leftovers, so we invited our neighbors/friends across the street, and some neighbors/friends down the street over this last Saturday to finish up the food. This time, it was warm enough to pull out the patio furniture and eat outside. Somehow the mosquitos found us. I didn't think we'd been thawed out enough for mosquitos to have hatched yet, but I have several bites to prove it!
Bring on Spring!
Happy belated birthday to my hubby - he turned 32 on April 7. We BBQ'd in the snow!
Happy belated birthday to my grandma - she turned 87 on April 9!
We had friends over on Saturday before Curt's birthday....we had leftovers, so we invited our neighbors/friends across the street, and some neighbors/friends down the street over this last Saturday to finish up the food. This time, it was warm enough to pull out the patio furniture and eat outside. Somehow the mosquitos found us. I didn't think we'd been thawed out enough for mosquitos to have hatched yet, but I have several bites to prove it!
Bring on Spring!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Happy Easter!
We spent last weekend at my parent's home celebrating Easter and my mom's birthday (March 25). It was a fast weekend, but, as always, nice to get out of snow land for a little bit. Mom and I shopped on Saturday while Dad and Curtis planted roses (hee hee). We watched "I Am Legend" on Saturday night and dyed Easter eggs and made a carrot cake. We had dinner at the parent's house on Sunday with my aunt and uncle, cousin, and brother after church.
It's been snowing off and on for the past couple days...the Spring Breakers in Sunriver are loving it - as long as they ski or snowboard.
Two weekends ago, we got together with some neighbors down the street for an impromptu BBQ. The boys decided we needed a bonfire since it was pretty chilly (I was wearing several layers and a heavy winter coat). What is it with boys and fire? There was no couch burning this year, but this BBQ was with different neighbors. I love that we have friends so close!
Jesse and Chester have now been part of our family for a year! We adoped them on March 24, 2007. Weren't they cute when they were babies?!
It's been snowing off and on for the past couple days...the Spring Breakers in Sunriver are loving it - as long as they ski or snowboard.
Two weekends ago, we got together with some neighbors down the street for an impromptu BBQ. The boys decided we needed a bonfire since it was pretty chilly (I was wearing several layers and a heavy winter coat). What is it with boys and fire? There was no couch burning this year, but this BBQ was with different neighbors. I love that we have friends so close!
Jesse and Chester have now been part of our family for a year! We adoped them on March 24, 2007. Weren't they cute when they were babies?!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
It's All a Matter of Perspective
I mentioned that I went to a girls night this last weekend. While I had lots of fun, I did have a very enlightening conversation with one of my friends/co-workers. She and her hubby are trying to get pregnant and have been for a couple years. We were talking about all the stuff they're trying and how frustrating it all is. See, there isn't any medical reason she and her hubby can't get pregnant, they just simply aren't. She's given up her daily coffee, alcohol and made lots of other lifestyle changes. She's been poked and prodded and examined. He's been checked, too. We were talking about my PCOS and how I'm just not in a place, mentally, to subject myself to all this stuff that I know will come up when Curtis and I decide to start a family.
For the last 6 months or so, I've been in a funk....I think the reality of my condition finally was settling in. I look around me and see babies EVERYWHERE. I had a conversation with a very close friend last fall about my condition and the frustrations of wanting desperately to have a baby, but not being able to. She had suffered a miscarriage prior to having her two beautiful girls and she said something to me that really hit home. She said that even though she had suffered the extreme loss of a child, at least she had hope that she could get pregnant again. I don't even have that small hope. After my conversation this weekend with my friend, I realized how self-centered I've been. At least I have a medical reason I can't get pregnant, she has no reason she can't and it's devastating. So, thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes to my selfishness.
For the last 6 months or so, I've been in a funk....I think the reality of my condition finally was settling in. I look around me and see babies EVERYWHERE. I had a conversation with a very close friend last fall about my condition and the frustrations of wanting desperately to have a baby, but not being able to. She had suffered a miscarriage prior to having her two beautiful girls and she said something to me that really hit home. She said that even though she had suffered the extreme loss of a child, at least she had hope that she could get pregnant again. I don't even have that small hope. After my conversation this weekend with my friend, I realized how self-centered I've been. At least I have a medical reason I can't get pregnant, she has no reason she can't and it's devastating. So, thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes to my selfishness.
Catch Up Time
Let's see, what have we been up to the past 6 weeks or so?
Feb 9 we headed over to Milwaukie for a funeral for a friend/co-worker of Curtis'. As we started down the west side of Santiam Pass, a smallish avalanche happened right before our eyes! 12 feet deep and it blocked the entire road. We were stuck for about an hour and a half.
Feb 14 - we used my boss's reservations at Pine Tavern in Bend for dinner (he had to help his son study for a big test the next day.) We splurged and got Mud Pie for desert - yum!
Feb 16 was "seriously, we need to clean this house" day because it was my turn to host Bunco on Thursday, Feb 21.
Feb 21 - hosted Bunco!
Feb 22-24: took a quick trip to Portland to visit with friends. We were there for a surprise 30th birthday party for a friend's hubby....we tried to see as many people as we could because we don't often make it over to Portland. It felt like all we did was eat! I quenched my thirst for Chevy's margaritas (it was way too late to have fajitas, so a taco was second best). Thank you to everyone who agreed to meet up with us at the last minute - we had a blast visiting with all of you!
March 1 - Curtis dragged me to the Sportsman Show at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds.....let's just say, um, NEVER AGAIN. So boring. Why do I want to pay good money to look at a bunch of stuff that doesn't interest me and that I could see for FREE at the places where the stuff is sold? Plus, they sell beer there, so you have a bunch of rednecks walking around drinking and looking at guns and other "sportsman" stuff.
March 8 - I went to a "girls night" at Eagle Crest with a bunch of my female co-workers. Ah, good times: booze and highly stressed out women. It was lots of fun, we played rounds and rounds of Catch Phrase (I was told many times, "You're SO good at this!) and even a game of Pictionary. I think things finally quieted down around 4am (that's taking into consideration that we lost an hour in there). I can't remember the last time I was up that late, but it was a much needed girl time.
I can hardly believe it's March already - we've been enjoying the fabulous weather we've been having. Don't worry, we still have plenty of snow in our yard - mostly because we had the snow pushed off our roof. Here are the piles that will probably be there until June:
Feb 9 we headed over to Milwaukie for a funeral for a friend/co-worker of Curtis'. As we started down the west side of Santiam Pass, a smallish avalanche happened right before our eyes! 12 feet deep and it blocked the entire road. We were stuck for about an hour and a half.
Feb 14 - we used my boss's reservations at Pine Tavern in Bend for dinner (he had to help his son study for a big test the next day.) We splurged and got Mud Pie for desert - yum!
Feb 16 was "seriously, we need to clean this house" day because it was my turn to host Bunco on Thursday, Feb 21.
Feb 21 - hosted Bunco!
Feb 22-24: took a quick trip to Portland to visit with friends. We were there for a surprise 30th birthday party for a friend's hubby....we tried to see as many people as we could because we don't often make it over to Portland. It felt like all we did was eat! I quenched my thirst for Chevy's margaritas (it was way too late to have fajitas, so a taco was second best). Thank you to everyone who agreed to meet up with us at the last minute - we had a blast visiting with all of you!
March 1 - Curtis dragged me to the Sportsman Show at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds.....let's just say, um, NEVER AGAIN. So boring. Why do I want to pay good money to look at a bunch of stuff that doesn't interest me and that I could see for FREE at the places where the stuff is sold? Plus, they sell beer there, so you have a bunch of rednecks walking around drinking and looking at guns and other "sportsman" stuff.
March 8 - I went to a "girls night" at Eagle Crest with a bunch of my female co-workers. Ah, good times: booze and highly stressed out women. It was lots of fun, we played rounds and rounds of Catch Phrase (I was told many times, "You're SO good at this!) and even a game of Pictionary. I think things finally quieted down around 4am (that's taking into consideration that we lost an hour in there). I can't remember the last time I was up that late, but it was a much needed girl time.
I can hardly believe it's March already - we've been enjoying the fabulous weather we've been having. Don't worry, we still have plenty of snow in our yard - mostly because we had the snow pushed off our roof. Here are the piles that will probably be there until June:
Thursday, January 31, 2008
So. Much. Snow.
Ok, ok, I know what you're thinking: "Great, another post of complaining about the snow!" But seriously, there is So. Much. Snow. 2 weeks ago we got just over a foot:
Then we had freezing temps (try MINUS 18 with a high of 12). It hurts to breathe when you go outside. Needless to say, the dogs couldn't stay in their kennel last week, so we left them in the house. My dear mother in law came over to let them out for a potty break once a day. They were so naughty. Let's just say it's a good thing the temps are back up and they can go back outside in their (sheltered) kennel.
It's been snowing pretty much all week, so now we have at least a foot on top of another foot, which is now ice on our roof. How much snow can these "snow-load" roofs hold? I don't think I want to find out.
I actually do like the snow - it's very pretty....until I have to go outside in it. Driving around here is terrible/horibble/no good/very bad. I know there is pavement under all that snow and ice...I used to be able to see it. Deschutes County - not so much with the plowing - I think they went over budget the week before Christmas. All this snow is giving me cabin fever, even though I leave my house every day. It just seems like the roads are getting narrower and narrower and the snow banks keep getting higher and higher. The poor dogs can hardly pee cuz the snow is as deep as they are tall. They're not very bright dogs - they haven't yet figured out if they go to where some trees are, the snow isn't as deep. But boy howdy, do they love to romp and play in it. It's kind of a wrestling/boxing free for all. Pretty hilarious.
Last weekend we went out with some friends. First stop, a charity event at the St. Francis McMenamins, then off to the Roadhouse for dinner. Finally, a stop by Sun Mountain Fun center for some bowling. It was the first time their kids had ever bowled (they are 6 and 3.5). I know you're wondering who won, don't worry - I won. I even beat Curtis who has his own bowling ball and used to bowl on a team! I'm not competitive at all :)
Then we had freezing temps (try MINUS 18 with a high of 12). It hurts to breathe when you go outside. Needless to say, the dogs couldn't stay in their kennel last week, so we left them in the house. My dear mother in law came over to let them out for a potty break once a day. They were so naughty. Let's just say it's a good thing the temps are back up and they can go back outside in their (sheltered) kennel.
It's been snowing pretty much all week, so now we have at least a foot on top of another foot, which is now ice on our roof. How much snow can these "snow-load" roofs hold? I don't think I want to find out.
I actually do like the snow - it's very pretty....until I have to go outside in it. Driving around here is terrible/horibble/no good/very bad. I know there is pavement under all that snow and ice...I used to be able to see it. Deschutes County - not so much with the plowing - I think they went over budget the week before Christmas. All this snow is giving me cabin fever, even though I leave my house every day. It just seems like the roads are getting narrower and narrower and the snow banks keep getting higher and higher. The poor dogs can hardly pee cuz the snow is as deep as they are tall. They're not very bright dogs - they haven't yet figured out if they go to where some trees are, the snow isn't as deep. But boy howdy, do they love to romp and play in it. It's kind of a wrestling/boxing free for all. Pretty hilarious.
Last weekend we went out with some friends. First stop, a charity event at the St. Francis McMenamins, then off to the Roadhouse for dinner. Finally, a stop by Sun Mountain Fun center for some bowling. It was the first time their kids had ever bowled (they are 6 and 3.5). I know you're wondering who won, don't worry - I won. I even beat Curtis who has his own bowling ball and used to bowl on a team! I'm not competitive at all :)
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