Simply put

Snow means sledding around here.

2012-01-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

Headed out for sledding. The dogs were super excited!I want to have a dinner party up here someday. Who wants to come? It is like a park.Charlie's snowy butt. The snow sticks to him so he didn't last long:)Eddie loves the white stuff.Hana and Amy friends since Ebenezer Christian School.When it's over it's over. Time to go in and warm up. I hope you enjoyed the view from the top.Thanks for stopping by:)

A Favorite Park...

2012-01-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

Driving home from a shoot on Tuesday I realized I had to stop at Berthesen Park. The sun was peeking through the clouds and the light was beautiful in the trees. Enjoy it because I think it's going to melt!Thanks for stopping by!

Kittens!

2012-01-12T18:30:00.000-08:00

My nieces cat Bella had kittens so I headed over with my camera. I love kittens. We had fun trying to get them to warm up to the camera all the while mom Bella was trying to move them back under the bed. I used to be a crazy cat lady before I became crazy dog lady. All my child hood I had a cat and the occasional batch of kittens..see pic. If I was bored I would ride my bike to my Grandpa and Grandma's farm on the Wiser Lake Road and find some barn kittens and take them home and in brown bag and then "tame" them. ALSO my whole childhood I had a runny nose..see where this is going? In my 20's I learned I was allergic to cats. That explained allot! But I still love the kitties just not for long:) Thanks girls for sharing your darling kittens!

Project time...

2012-01-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

The other day Hana and I created a "craft area" in the basement. We kinda moved in on the man cave:)But it has been great and now I am feeling like doing some of those projects that I've intended to do.I found this old piano front (not sure that is what it is called) So we bought a can of chalkboard paint. This stuff is every where and if you are on pintrest you know there are a million ideas for what you can do with it. What surprised me was how nice it goes on. I barely used any to cover this piano front. I am hoping to leave it on the mantel for now. And I realize it really doesn't go with my 70's house. But some day...oh some day!Thanks for stopping by!

Remember Summer?

2012-01-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

The beauty that shall be eaten! Yeah I do. My brother and Bill caught many crab and we feasted on it. So Yummo! Speaking of yummo what I am getting to is Rachel Rays recipe for Bacon Crab Chowder. I tried it with some of the left over frozen crab and it was delish! Here are some of the pictures of the making of the chowder way back in October. Yes this is bloggy catch up time! On this day I also made Pioneer Womans Beef Stew with beer and paprika. It was outstanding! Then we loaded up my pots of goodness and headed over to celebrate Cash's Birthday with a few family and friends. I sure miss that little guy. Thanks for stopping by!

Our Christmas Cards this year...

2011-12-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night:)

Monday morning Nativity Terrarium..

2011-12-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

I didn't have any work to do this morning. All my shopping is done, my cards are sent, my baking is done and my laundry is totally caught up.....NOT!!! Oh well time for a little craft! I bought this tiny nativity many years ago at the dollar store (i think). I have been growing many plants for terrarium building. Plus I have all the stuff you need...rocks,charcoal, soil, trees and moss. I even had some drift wood for the stable laying around. Oh what fun! I love the tiny world of terrariums! What better way to be reminded of the reason for the season. The birth of our Savior!Thanks for stopping by:)

Doggie card or NO doggie card. That is the question...

2011-11-30T10:31:00.001-08:00

Ok so the past two years I have sent out a doggie card to all Eddie, Charlie and Sadie's dog friends. Some may call me crazy. This year I tried to get some pics of the group when we had our first snow. Was that in October? I think they all look very sweet in the pics I got with Hana's reluctant help. Hana and I were cracking up because Charlie loves his Martha Stewart sweater. But do I go through the trouble of making a card and sending it? Not to mention the expense! There is very little thanks in doing it and none of their dog friends send out cards:( Well you will have to wait and see if "crazy dog lady" strikes again.Thanks for stopping by! (it's been a while)

Cloud crazy...

2011-09-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

I love clouds. They are beautiful. They are heaven.

Now here is a little photography lesson. This picture here is taken at
Shutter speed 90, ISO 400, F.or aperture 2.8. Ugly huh?

This one is straight out of camera or SOOC.
Shutter speed 90 ISO 400 and f. 11 So you see by only changing the aperture a few clicks the color is brought to life. A higher aperture will produce brilliant color.

This is with a little contrast.

Now if you have a camera-learn to use it:)
Thanks for stopping by!

25 years wedded Bliss to Bill!

2011-09-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

A one night get-a-way was in order. Well actually a 10 night vacay in Hawaii was REALLY in order:)

Here is a list of what we did in 48 hours...

relaxed

ate and drank

cruised by Bill Gates house

went to wine country and made wine.

went to the Spa

shopped

walked

and enjoyed each others company...still!

Our kids gave us the a gift of going to a cellar to make wine and eat a 4 course meal with wine pairing. It was so much fun. I recommend this at Covington Cellars. Thanks Alex, Levi and Hana...You really blew us away and we love you!

There is math and science involved and spitting. (if you want:)

it's messy

Three kinds of wine to make your own blend.

Design a label.

mix master Bill

Drink it on our 30th If we are so blessed:)

Starbucks...

Bill and Melinda's

The Heathman Hotel- Awesome!

Sorry I have to run but we are in full photography season and I am editing like crazy. Praising God for my marriage and my job.

Thanks for stopping by:)

Birch Bay take two...

2011-08-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the blogging or lack there of. But I usually like to size my pictures in photobucket so everything lines up nice but photobucket is not cooperating. So we will just do it this way.

We went to the Bay and rented a really nice house. Mom and Dad came out during the day and kids came and went as needed. Bill had off all week so we tried to do some relaxing:) Ill just do my best to describe every picture.

Here are some SNAP sisters....NOT!

Hana is the queen of the "self photo"

Max surprised everyone by coming home from George for the weekend. He missed us.

Our boys and my Dad

Ken's kids:)

Dad and Eddie chillaxin.

All our kiddos.

Levi and Meagan....ahhhh sweeet!

Ken's boat waiting to head out in the morning for some salmon fishing and crabbing.

Ken and Bill brought in some nice crab.

Going to meet the fisherman.

Katie, Carlie and Hana:)

Dogs

Katie and her Toby

Lexi and Cassie came out with Kathi one day.

Nice smile Cassie!

We all loved hanging out on the deck

Beach combing

Sunset

Jeff and Kathi kickin it.

Wyatt had a birthday. 16!

Tami

A dog friend on the beach

It felt very much like home with the coastguard watching us all day.

Just like the border patrol here:)

Wyatt shot his airsoft gun. Charlie did not care for that.

Marley (I mean Kona) and Kathi on the beach.

Sorry if this picture makes you drool.

Salmon cooking on a wood fire. Bill caught a 15 pounder!

Fresh pedi from Carolyn at Mane Styles. She's the best.

Sunset and Bill and Fred chatting.

salmon......mmmmmm

Mom's treasures from the beach

We rented Jeffs uncles place so he did allot of reminiscing about back in the days at the beach house.

All had a wonderful time and we are already planning next year.

Thanks for stopping by!

Family time at Birch Bay...

2011-06-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Remember this? Well this year we went again with Jack, Wendi and boys. I love this place- I could sit on the deck all day -even in the clouds. Fun was had by all:)

Thanks for stopping by!

uneasy feeling...

2011-06-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago our cars were prowled. I am not happy about this as you can imagine. We are slowly realizing what is missing and it's not much. So far the coin tray in my car-which is removable and all the dimes nickels and pennies that were in it. And Levi's cologne that he got from Meagan from Victoria Secrets called VERY SEXY. So we can do without that:) Clearly they were looking for cash. Car doors were left open and things looked like somebody went thru them. The sheriff believes it is kids and that night they went on a crime spree in our area. It is not about losing stuff but more about a loss of security. Now we are locking the doors and we have fired the guard dogs.

Thanks for stopping by!

Our baby Graduated! Let the celebrations begin!

2011-06-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

We are so proud of Hana for her accomplishments and we love her so much! That said- it was a crazy week:) The weather cooperated for an outside graduation and party. Praise the Lord for that! I made my now famous meatball sliders and farm gram made a big pot of potato salad. It was a delicious combo. Marty (Hana's friend) brought puppies to the party-whats better than puppies? Don't worry Hana did not get one for graduation:) Jackjack really enjoyed meeting Uncle Fred- who got off work just in time. David A was in charge of balloons! Charlie got stung by a bee right before the party and required medical attention. He is going to be fine. Whew! That was bad timing. The graduation was good but my favorite is the baccalaureate. It was at Christ the King on tuesday. The messages were great! It's a big world out there and these kids need Jesus:) Thank-you to all of you who came out to support Hana:)

Thanks for stopping by!

Photos of Spring gone by...

2011-06-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

Some lambs Hana and I stopped to take pictures of-wish I could have gotten closer.

Love these pink trees!

My mom's Magnolia.

I made terrariums for my sisters for Mother's Day.

I just love maiden hair ferns. And a little deer in a terrarium.

Falling down house. Found on a shoot.

Oregon Coast...more on that later!

My mom's snow ball tree.

Where we be on the hill.

Fishing across the street. Ken and the kids came for dinner and fishing.

Charlie is so nosey!

Ken's dogs Lizzy and Toby are ready to go!

Best Peanut Butter Chip Cookie Recipe Ever...

2011-05-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

As you can see from this page in my Ebenezer Cook book -I have made this recipe a few times.

Quite a few times.

Always give your dog some peanut butter. Very entertaining.

I use a scoop..it makes a perfect cookie size.

I just got a Silpat at a home party called Demarle. It browned the cookies real nice and you don't need to spray the cookie sheet.

Ahhhh perfection! Try it... you WILL like it.

Thanks for stopping by..I know it's been a while. Please forgive me...

Let's make minions...

2011-04-21T16:49:00.000-07:00

Easier said than done. I found this idea on pinterest. Mom asked us to bring cake for Katies birthday on Sunday. My dad loves twinkies. OK! Let's make minions! Go to this site for better instructions. The whole afternoon and 2 trips to the grocery store later...these cute little guys were done.

Everybody needs a few minions! Thanks Hana and Carlie!

Bittersweet Recognition...

2011-04-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

I am quite sure you have heard of Ree Drummond-Pioneer Woman. If you have not you may be living under a rock. She is a ranchers wife, mother, blogger and so much more. Her down to earth style has captured allot of us bloggers, not to mention her recipes! On her blog thepioneerwoman.com she has a section on photography and contests are held for prizes. Well...I always enter-early and often...faithfully:) This week I entered a photo that is very special to me. The theme of the contest is BROTHERS. I had to enter this photo. It has been a great honor to photograph Cash and his family through his fight with cancer. Brother Jack at age 4 was so tender and loving toward Cash. He needs to be honored as a big brother.

Well I was very excited last night to see that this picture was in group 4, it was bittersweet. Perhaps a few more lives will be touched by this sweet two year olds little life.

Here are two other pictures I entered in "Brothers" Gunnar and Lyla-love this one:)

The brothers three-hands

Here is what I entered in "beauty" My Beautiful daughter and a senior named Jesi

Here is what I entered in "Horses" That was a beautiful group of pictures on her blog.

My friend Carolyn and her colt Cash and some from the Appaloosa Journal shoot.

Stay tuned to her blog to see if my picture makes the finals:)

Lady Bug and Ranunculus...

2011-04-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

No time for words. I bought these Ranunculus's at Trader Joes. The lady bug just showed up. And then she left...flew away home I guess. Enjoy!

A little about Photography apps...

2011-04-01T10:48:00.001-07:00

I am loving all the new photography apps out there and as you know I love my iphone...maybe a little to much:) Yesterday Hana and I had a blast sending each other funny pics. Hey! in this day and age it's something you can do with your teenage daughter. I have Instagram- this is great because its all about pictures and I can follow other photographers who have it too. We see each others pics and can comment on them or "Like" them. But any one can join and I only use pictures I have taken with my iphone. My user name is jodikae and hana is hanabear. Hana takes some amazing pics with her phone and she is always ahead of me when it come to apps. Here is a few fun examples and how I did them...

This was an Instagram shot and then I added labels with Labelbox. It's like scrapping on your phone!

Instagram with vintage frame

Hana informed me its "poppin" not "pop" Not that I listen to THAT song!

Hana sent me this.... ahhhhhhhh...

This I used Pudding Camera -It's all in Japanese but we figured it out. Well again thanks to Hana.

I take way to many pics of these guys.

Instagram effect again. So amazing what it does with the picture!

Sent this to Wendi.. Labelbox and Instagram.

Pudding Camera and Labelbox.

I love this Sunday afternoon shot of my honey. zzzzzzzzzz

Instagram!

ONE MORE THING...PW is on Instagram

So what is the best part of all this great entertainment? IT'S FREE!

Have fun!

Something BIG is coming soon...

2011-03-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

I am in love with Levi's chalkboard bowls and you will be too.

Finding spring blooms...

2011-03-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

I miss flower beds...there I said it. I think I even miss weeding! Here on the hill we just have mud. I used to work in a greenhouse and I had a big yard so spring was a busy time. But now I must go in search of spring blooms. My sis Tami said she had snowdrops so I sneaked over to her beautiful garden and took a few pics. You may know her as theladyinthestonehouse. There I found snowdrops, crocuses and helleborus. I added my own little tiny props to the shots:) Happy Spring!!

It's called a terrarium...

2011-03-09T12:14:00.001-08:00

You will need:

-a terrarium container, you can find these at TJ maxx, thrift stores and garage sales.

-potting soil

-rocks of varying sizes

-charcoal

-moss, Hana and I went out and harvested moss and sticks.

-plants. I love the maiden hair fern in mine. I got it at Safeway.

-mini stuff, There is tiny stuff for your terrarium for sale on etsy.com.

Some of the miniatures we bought on etsy. Also we gathered some sea glass and small shells last summer at Birch Bay so anything goes.

I love the three kinds of moss Hana used in hers. She took these pictures. Lovely.

We are no experts at making terrariums. But it was fun making them together. I just love my crafty little daughter:)

Port Townsend.

2011-02-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

This little town is so wonderful and to think I've never been there. Thanks to my hubby and a business trip, we got to go. Photo's were taken at:

-Fort Worden, Battery Kenzie State Park. This is an amazing park. I recommend a day trip with your kids. There was so much history and beauty including a light house. There is also a fairly new campground right on the beach.

-The Undertown Coffee Shop-You will have to look for this place...it's undertown.

-Spooky old house on the drive to Sequim

*not pictured but we had the best clam chowder in the world at Fins Coastal Cuisine.

As always we had a great time taking pictures:)

Pinterest...read on...

2011-02-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new obsession:) Pinning! A few weeks or more ago I requested an invitation to pinterest.com. You know like when you rip things out of a magazine and pin them to a board. The idea behind pinterest is a bulletin board of all the cool things you find on the internet. So to explain I took screen shots of the site on my computer.

This first shot shows all my boards I have created from my own interests. Photography, cake, dogs, food etc. When you receive your invitation you drag the "pin it" bookmark to your toolbar. (see bright pink arrow) Then you browse all your favorite sites like pioneer woman for example.

This next shot is of the pioneer womans website after I clicked the "pin it" in the tool bar. It then brings up another window with all your boards and you pin the picture to the appropriate board. Like a pictures of a yummy dish to your food board.

This shot shows the must popular pictures on pinterst that day. I love looking at this every day and I can "repin" any of the pictures to any of my boards.

This shot shows my terrarium board. I just searched terrariums in pinterst and found all kinds of cool things for terrariums from sites like etsy, etc.

I am super excited about making a terrarium soon! If you lived in the 70's you know what I am talking about.

This is my dog board. I pinned some of my own pictures simply by going to my own blog!

My photography board of course!

Try it!

It's good to have hope...

2011-01-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

Let me put it this way. It's good to have assurance. Assurance that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and all we have to do is Know, Admit, Confess, Believe and then Trust. How can a family endure a great struggle such as a sick child? I can say it helps to know with certainty that that child will soon be in our Saviors arms. His body will be completely healed and all he will know is joy.

This is from a brochure you get at Bible Study International BSF.

To be sure about your relationship to Christ…
Know that God made you and keeps you. Without Him you would have nothing. He decides what is right and wrong because He is holy, perfect and pure. He is God Almighty. He made you in His image so that you could worship, honor, relate to, and delight in Him. God has authority over your life, and you are responsible to reflect God.
Psalm 100:3
Acts 17:24-31

Admit to yourself and to God that you are a sinner. You have ignored God and wanted to control your own life. You have disobeyed or disregarded God’s law. You have wanted to decide for yourself what is right and wrong. The consequences of your sin are physical and spiritual death because of God’s wrath toward you.
Romans 3:10-12
Romans 3:20
Romans 3:23
James 2:10

Confess your sins and, as much as possible, name them specifically.
Psalm 139:23-24
1 John 1:8-10

Believe that Christ went to the Cross for you, taking your guilt upon Himself and enduring God’s judgment in your place. This means that God has forgiven your sins and you are justified (pardoned and cleared from guilt) in God’s sight.
Isaiah 53:5-6
1 Peter 2:24
Romans 5:8-9
John 5:24
John 14:6
Acts 4:12

Believe that Christ rose from the dead, conquering sin and death, and that He ascended to the Father in heaven to reign as Lord. This means that Jesus is alive today to help you live a new life that is pleasing to God.
Acts 2:22-24, 36
Romans 6:4
Acts 1:9-10
Ephesians 2:1-10

Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin and Lord of your life? If so, would you pray right now? Perhaps you would like to kneel and pray (Philippians 2:10). This position helps to give a sense of reverent nearness to God. You can pray aloud to Him with words from your heart, or you might want to pray this prayer:

O God, I know I have sinned. I have not obeyed your Word. I have tried to run my own life, ignoring you and your will for me. I have tried to decide for myself what is right and wrong. I know I deserve your wrath and punishment and that I am lost unless you save me. I thank you for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to pay for my sin and guilt. I thank you for raising Him from the dead and giving Him authority over my life. I receive Him as my Savior and Lord. I receive your free gift of eternal life in Christ. I will turn from my sinful life to serve you, my Creator and Redeemer.

Continue your prayer by telling God what you are thinking and feeling.

Trust (be assured) that having received Christ into your life, you are sealed with God’s Holy Spirit and stamped with God’s name on you. You may or may not “feel” different, but you don’t need to. Your trust is not based on your feelings but on the authority of the Word of God and His promises to you.
John 1:12-13
2 Corinthians 5:17
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
1 John 5:12-13

Be praying for the Parriera Family. You can read their testimony on Jack's blog www.acashofhope.blogspot.com

Hana took this picture of Cash's hands after he was done drawing with markers. One of his favorite things to do.

Thanks for your prayers:)

Merry Christmas from the Van Straalen's!

2010-12-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

The Christmas cards are out and even the doggies sent one this year. Wishing you the Wonders of His love this Christmas and a very blessed 2011!

Thank-you for stopping by!

Card designs by the amazing Hanajo:)

Christmas treat idea and Tolo...

2010-12-16T13:26:00.000-08:00

Another fun and busy Saturday in December. Hana went to Tolo with Josh- Carlie and Zach had dinner with them before here. What a nice bunch of kids:) That day I also made Peppermint Brownie Bites. Janice told me how and I had to try them. Just stick a peppermint kiss in the brownie upside down when you take them out of the oven. I frosted them and sprinkled on some crushed candy canes. They where a hit at the Dykstra party and so I'm taking them to Enumclaw this Saturday. Let the parties begin! I was trying to achieve BOKEH(In photography, bokeh (pronounced /boʊˈkeɪ/) is the blur,or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of an image, or "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light) with my tree lights!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tree, Cookies and the lighted parade!

2010-12-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

It must be the first of December. Whoa! Carlie and Hana made cookies and they were delicious. I wasn't sure about the color of the frosting but Carlie said it looked vintage. I liked that:) I did not mean to copy The Pioneer Women. She just happen to have the same idea:)

We used the The Betty Crocker Classic Sugar Cookies Recipe. Then we had to get a tree and David A showed up just in time to help. We went to Mantheys Tree Farm on the Axton Rd. TONS of nice trees! As you can see the tree did not get decorated and is still not decorated. UGH! Before we knew it -it was time to head to the parade. We always go to Grams house on front street. Auntie Geri brought the cocoa this year. It was cold but we managed a few pictures. We left the shutter on the camera open longer to get those shots. It was a great family day.

Thanks for stopping by!

My office...

2010-11-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

Arty frog and a painting by Hana. Old cameras and photos.

I just made this arrangement from the picture I took and old frames. A trip to

Treasury of Memories for a canvas and Micheals for Martha Stewart Crafts decoupage glue and sealer.

I paint the sides to make it look like a wrap.

Yep there is always a doggie in my office.

I also just printed up a couple pictures that the Cowbelly took for Eddie and Charlie.

This board just has a few things that make me smile. I know my office doesn't belong in a magazine but it is me:)

Thanks for stopping by!

Thanksgiving!

2010-11-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

Have a blessed Thanksgiving with your family and friends.
Thanks for stopping by!

SNOW!

2010-11-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

The art of photography and Sadie...

2010-11-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

We have a new addition to our clan for now. We call her our foster-dogger. Sadie is a tripod(yes three legs). We took her in for some friends. She is the sweetest doggie. Not very graceful but she can run the hill with the rest of them.
I just love fall. The crisp cool air and the beautiful colors. It's glorious! I took some pictures of Levi's bowl with an apple on a chair and then had some fun with editing it. Love the color! It's fun to see what can be done to a picture. You can certainly make art-maybe I will make a large print for my house:)
Thanks for stopping by!

Soups on!

2010-10-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

I have no idea when the first time I made this soup was. But over the years I have morphed the recipe so much that I think it might just be my own.

Italian Bean Soup
1 tube Jimmy dean sausage (the original recipe calls for wheatberries-but I thought it needed meat instead)
brown it in in a skillet
and then add
1 mediam carrot minced
1 rib of celery minced
1 onion minced
OR just buy the Mirepoix (Mirepoix is the French name for a combination of onions, carrots, and celery) at trader joes in the fresh produce-a real time saver!
Sautee that up for a little while and then dump it in your crock pot.
Then add to crock pot:
I cup dried navy beans (I put them in three cups of water overnight)
4 Large garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cans of diced tomatoes with basil
1 can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
add water as needed
And just today I added that Red pepper tomoato soup in the box that you can get at trader joes, Costco or the Green Barn. I just wanted it to be alittle creamier. About half the box.
Garnish with cilantro, sourcream and cheddar cheese.
So basically I took a pretty healthy recipe and made it yummy!
Let me know if you try it:)
Thanks for stopping by!

Great News!!!

2010-10-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

Remember this? Well today we got great news! Levi and Hana retook the High School Proficiency Exam or HSPE this summer. And well they not only passed but passed with FLYING COLORS! Both scored in the highest level. We are so proud of them! Soon we will receive Levi's diploma and Hana can relax and enjoy her senior year. But It is making me wonder about the efficiency of the proficiency test. I hope our government does away with such tests. No one test should have that kind of power! Thank-you to all of you prayed and had such kind words of caring for Hana and Levi.

Fall is in the air and that's OK with me.

2010-10-12T23:32:00.000-07:00

I took a walk to the green house and saw some amazing colors. Did anyone buy mums this year? I think they are pretty.

Dusty miller.. the only living thing from summer...

The grapes are growing and the view from the top is spectacular!

One incredibly handsome and happy dog!

Keep this little guy in your prayers. He's my super hero:)

Thanks for stopping by!

While no one was looking...

2010-09-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

We are coming up on living here two years. Where does the time go? I miss our house we built allot. Thats the truth . But I am grateful we sold it when we did. Here in this house we have a gorgeous view of Mt Baker-It takes my breath away when I get up on time to see the sun raising over it. The view of Baker from our living room is obstructed by one tall tree that kinda shot out of another smaller tree. For two years I've been saying that I wish someone would go knock down that tree.

Well at some point in my crazy busy summer the tree went down and nobody noticed. The other day I looked up and thought ....Where did that annoying tree go! I ran around the house pointing it out to everyone.

No more tree...now about those power lines:)
Thanks for stopping by!

BFF and BSF...

2010-09-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

I was forced to introduce myself to her. I was told she just moved here and could use a friend. Well God knew I needed a friend like her. She is the one and only Becky Beck. She lived here for four years with her hubby Troy and son Jason. She just moved back to MO in June. Troy got a job there and their other children and grandchildren live there. I was sad to see her go because she really liked having fun and laughing. I've been making a list on my phone of things she made me more grateful for in my life.
So here goes:
the weather-she loved the weather here and reminded me how great we have it here in the PNW almost everytime I saw her.
the mountains- She would text me DID YOU SEE BAKER THIS MORNING?-IT WAS GLORIOUS! GLORY TO GOD!
my family- She would say things like " wow what a great traditions your family has! .. the food, the recipes and we all like to be together:)"
Lynden peeps- She just thought the world of all of us. Out side of Lynden you don't always hear that. She loved places like Edaleens and the Green Barn. It was a another reminder to me how special it is to live here.
Golden retrievers- She loves these dogs and she tolerated Charlie and Eddie.
My kids- She would say wonderful things about Hana-she had a way of making you feel special.
Starbucks- Wait! I think I made HER appreciate the Americano with cream.
Little things like Makeup and scrap booking -Ya know, fun girly things.
Bible Study Fellowship- I had stopped going to BSF and did not know how much I need that disciplined study of God's word in my life. She had been a leader in MO so I think I started up again because she was going. Can't remember that far back. I love this study of the Bible. I have met so many wonderful women there. I remember my mom's lesson sitting the kitchen table when I was a kid. It's a no-frills approach to studying the Bible-no outside sources are used. God speaks to us through His word and its a powerful personal study. So here's my plug for BSF. Call me if you want to know more.
OK So I am not talking about Becky like she is gone forever-She'll be back. Plus... there is this great little thing called texting:)
Thanks for stopping by!

Vacation and other excuses...

2010-08-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

I know you are not sitting at your computer waiting for me to post. I know this because I'm just not that interesting. But I do have to apologize for my blogging absence. Here are my excuses....Camping(see pic of river bar), shooting(pics),editing, cleaning, hubby traveling and three grown kids that don't do SQUAT! I love them- I do! I keep saying "Thank-you Lord for photography!" He knew what I needed in these crazy years I am in. On another note I am asking you all to be praying for Cash Parriera. We love this little guy so much and we are asking God to heal him.
Sorry for the rambling. I will be back when I get my head above water:)
Thanks for stopping by!

2010-07-31T18:54:00.000-07:00

Potato salad wars. My mom makes hers and Bill 's mom makes hers and we all love them both. But they are very different.
There must be a million ways to make pot-sal. I decided to try the Pioneer Woman's recipe. Her recipes do not disappoint. Her recipe for Perfect Potato Salad calls for you to mash the potatoes- I did not do this. I think I like chunks:) Other than that I would say "perfecto!" Visit her blog and try a recipe or read about her interesting life on the ranch. OH yeah...the double burger is Bill's plate. YUM!
Thanks for stopping by!
PS isn't Eddie a cute little bagger!

Friday nights on the deck...

2010-07-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

End of the week review with my hubby, drinks, doggies and some picture taking:)
Thanks for stopping by!

A vineyard on the hill!

2010-07-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

Over the last month or so our landlord has been very busy planting grapes on the hill. I think it takes like three years for them to be harvestable and then he's planning a private vineyard. It's the perfect spot for it. I've noticed cars slowing down to take a look.
It's fun to see the landscape changing. We will have to wait awhile for some wine:)

Flowers for sale!

2010-07-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

Here on the hill there is a flower stand. My sweet neighbor Barb runs the stand and Val was helping her that day. If you have a few empty spots in your garden I suggest you head over. They gave me a bouquet of snaps. Thanks guys! So what do I do? I take pictures of them:)

Pictures tell the story...

2010-06-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

I just lived my dream! For a week anyway:) I stayed at a beach house at Birch bay. It was amazing. I sat in that yellow chair on the deck for a week. Family and friends came and went but I said I'm not leaving paradise! The birds, the sunsets and the beach. loved it! Praising God for a relaxing week!

A recipe and a graduate!

2010-06-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

Yay! It was a great graduation ceremony and we are so thankful that Levi was able to walk with his class. Thanks to all who prayed and sent kind comments to us. God is good. Levi doesn't like his picture taken so I literally chase him around with my camera. Yes almost like a two year old!

At his party he couldn't get off the phone long enough for a picture with his cake.

I decided to make Mom's Tangy meatball recipe for the party and then added my own flair:)
The meatball mixture:
2 eggs
2 cups of quick oats
1 can of evaporated milk
1 cup chopped onions
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 lbs of hamburger- add this last after beating other ingredients together. Then use a large ice cream scoop and scoop them on to large pans. Bake uncovered for at 375 degrees for 30 mins. Drain excess fat from the pans. Place all the meatballs into one pan and make the sauce.

In a large sauce pan mix together:
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Bring to a boil and then pour over the meatballs and bake for 20 min more on 375 degrees.

Here is where is it gets cute:) Costco and Cash and Carry now have slider buns. So we decided to make meatball sliders.
Everyone loved them! Emily, Eileen and mom quickly assembled them before party!

Thanks for stopping by!

Updates on recent posts...

2010-06-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

*********************************
Click here to see the gallery of pictures from Eddie and Charlie's shoot with Jamie of Cowbelly Pet Photography. I am amazed at this photographers talent. The pictures are so adorable and fun t look at -I just wanted to share. Also they are now on her blog. Check it out and leave a comment!
**********************************
And if you have not already heard! Levi is going to allowed to walk with his class tomorrow night! Yesterdays Lynden Tribune had already hit news stands when we got the word from school administrators. I really don't know what to say here other than we are so happy for Levi and the other boy. Praise the Lord most of all and to be all the glory given. Thank-you for all your encouragement, prayers and kind words!

Disappointment...

2010-06-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Usually I post lots of pics and very few words. I told you things were brewing here. I have attached two letters that I have written this past week. There is so much more I could share. Tami wrote a heartfelt letter to the school board and we have received many emails from the state, the superintendent, staff members and the school board. Bill has written letters and checked into the laws. But we have not been able to get them to let him walk in the ceremony. I wish they would take a second look at this. We will not stop this week and we are having his party as planned. On Tuesday night he received an honor for Advanced Ceramics from Mr. S. I am thankful for Levi's strength and courage in this disappointment. I am upset with the adults in this situation.
Here are the letters...

This week we were told by the principal of Lynden High school that Levi cannot graduate with his class on June 11. Levi has met all requirements for the school including credits and senior project. According to them he did not pass the reading HI
SPE(WASL) by 5 points. The state will not allow him to retake the test until August.
He is devastated by this news so close to gradation. As are we for him. He has worked so hard and they intend to not let him walk with his class. This is new territory because in the 6 years that Mr Baglio has been principal this has never happened. Now it is happening to Levi and another boy this year. We want to fight for them to walk with their class. We have written the school board and had many conversations with the superintendent Rick Thompson. The counselor at the school is on our side and so are many of the staff. So far Mr. Thompson's response has been that he would not support advocating against state standards. Our Argument would be that the graduation is a “Ceremony/Celebration” and the school it self puts it on. Actually no one is handed their diploma that night and we know Levi has to wait till August to receive his
We told Levi that this is an injustice and we are proud of all his accomplishments. It does not define him or all his hard work. Also we just received a notice that he will be receiveing an honor on Honors Night.
Now if we could just get the administration to remember why they have a job, for the kids!
Please join us in supporting Levi with prayer and encouragement. And pray that the hearts of those in charge may be changed.
The invitations were already in the mail when this happened but either way we will be honoring Levi on June 12th with a party.
If you have any ideas or questions please let us know. The other boys family has started a petition and we are looking into that and we plan on fighting up until the day of graduation.

Letter number 2

A few thoughts...
Levi should have had his parents present when he was told he was not graduating. Instead he was told in the art room. A meeting should have been called between Mr. Thompson, Mr. Baglio, Mrs Lynch, Levi and his parents.
It is possible this would have started out much better.
Instead a tearful Levi called to tell me he would not be graduating with his class on June 11th. I asked to speak to the principal Mr. Baglio who was very compassionate and sorry for the situation. I asked him to speak to the superintendent and if the answer was still no to have him call me. Obviously I was still thinking something could be done. Mr Baglio called me to tell me Mr hompson answer was no.
After I received no call from Mr Thompson I called him.
I don't remember much of that conversation just not allot was said other than there is nothing I can do its in the hands of the state. At this point I should have demanded a meeting. I regret that. I am not a fan of confrontation and I rarely ruffle feathers. But this is too big of a deal and we care to much to just let it go.
That night we decided to make a plan to fight for Levi to walk with his class. Bill started to email the state of Washington and we started to research online what could be done. We found out the school board was meeting Thursday night and we were told that we could attend and sign in to plead our case. GREAT! (we thought) so Bill called the acting president Gary Vis and he told us not to come because they would not have time to resolve this. Then we learned that the other boys family was there and we wished we had attended also. Now we are told that there are not any more meetings before graduation so it is too late. What, I ask, are we suppose to do? If we send heartfelt emails we are told we are angry. We are not angry but we are upset and sad. Sad for Levi and the other boy that got this information so soon before graduation. The only thing that matters here is these students. I am very thankful for the family members who have taken the time to email the school board members. They just love Levi. I guess in our minds there is still hope even though we have been told no several times.
We are going to per-sue some avenues the state gave us. They have been very helpful, even calling us on friday night and kind emails.
Even if there is no time to help Levi we want to make sure this does not happen to anybody else. We have a Junior at Lynden right now and she also has Dyslexia. How a test score can over ride all their hard work is beyond me.
Today I will be calling the counselor at the school to see if Levi qualifies for something called the WASL/grades comparison.

Attached is the email we received from the state and below that is the email we sent to them.
Chris Barron clearly states that participation in the ceremonies is up to the district and the school board.
Thank-you for taking the time to read though this.

Charlie scored at the auction!

2010-06-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

As you all know the auction for Cash was a huge success. It raised over $55,000 dollars! Not only that but it was allot of fun.
I was bidding on this The Pet Stop(a pet shop in down town Bellingham) donation. And I won! I knew Hana would love this little house and it came with all kinds of dog stuff including a leather and Swarski Crystals collar. He looks good! He sleeps in his bed every night. Sorry Auntie Glen I know you wanted it and so did several other little girls (for their stuffed animals and pretend doggies) Hana said to me later "I just can't believe you bought that mom:)" Sometimes you have to surprise them. There is allot going on here on the hill so I hate the word but.... I'm busy! Full news story is coming soon.

Levi's pottery....

2010-05-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

So I ask Levi "Can I have 5 to 7 more place setting of this?"
Levi "MOM I can only make original items"
Me "bummer!"
But really isn't it all beautiful? Limited editions only here. What will happen when Levi isn't in Art with Mr. S anymore?
I am so thankful for teachers like him! Finding a kids hidden talent. We are closing in a graduation. Today I mailed the invites. WHEW! Now I just need to plan a party....

Doggie field trip!

2010-05-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

It's true...I am a dog lady. I've been called that. At least I am not crazy dog lady! But this was crazy. I love the work of Jamie at Cowbelly Pet Photography. Well through Facebook I volunteered Eddie and Charlie for her Graffiti dog project. We met up in Seattle at this wearhouse with a "free wall". Meaning anyone can tag the wall and its legal. Because as you know vandalism to some one elses property is wrong. That is my disclaimer:) It was fun and she is an amazing photographer. What a treat! I cannot wait to see the pictures! I was like the mom of a two year old at one of our photoshoots. I wanted them to behave so bad and I think they did! I hope you enjoy these pictures I took of the graffiti. I have no idea what the words say and thats a good thing.

On the way home a few stops. The Anemas lovely Seattle home and a check on Wendi. And the answer is "no baby":)
Thanks for stopping by!

Crazy times....

2010-05-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

I have been a little busy lately and some things are suffering. I don't think I ever blogged about Prom-Levi and Meagan-so cute! I can't find my memory card from Mother's day and that's making me crazy! I will have to get pictures from my sistas. I went to Seattle for the weekend and spent time with Wendi and baby to be. Hana came along and built a stroller and caught bugs with Jackjack. We did a senior shoot at the EMP which you see pictured. Everything in my mind just keeps going back to this family. Please continue to pray for strength for Wendi. She is amazing and her faith is unshaken. This is a season of struggle for them but they belong to God and they know he is perfect.
So I am back to Seattle today for a fun surprise which is not a baby...as far as I know:)
Thank-you for stopping by!

Fishing with a view...

2010-05-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

AHHHHHHmazing view! I have said it a million times. The pond at the top of the hill is loaded up with trout. A perfect fishing hole:) The boys were up there fishing so we thought we'd check it out. The fish were jumpin and the bugs were aplenty! Oh and another Killdeer nest. She did not appreciate us on her island! What do you think those clouds look like?
Thanks for stopping by!

Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

Spontaneous 5th of May celebration! LOve It! Becky texted.. I said YES! While Bill enjoyed his daily dose of Glen Beck. The ladies(me, Becky and Hana) sat at the table and caught up. Pico from El Ranchito and chips from food pavilion. I whipped up some chicken quesadillas for any one who was hungry. The dogs where sad because we never did get to that walk. Sorry Charlie!

Protective mama!

2010-05-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

If she just had kept quiet I would not have noticed her and her nest. But instead I heard a loud peep! I looked down and there she sat staring at me. The dogs were obliviously running ahead of me. Thanks-goodness! I took a step toward her and she charged me. There was no way to explain I only intended to take a picture or two of her nest. So she ran aside pretending to be injured. I love all the natural instincts God gave all his creatures for survival. It's just amazing. How can people not see God in creation and just go on believing every thing just evolved? If you know God then you see and that in its self is a gift from God. Also the Canadian Geese trio is back and the goslings just hatched. I stare out my window at them all the time. All day long I hear the Killdeer and Geese peeping and honking at predators. Mom's protecting their young. It's a beautiful thing.

Thanks for stopping by!

A good reason to shop!

2010-04-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

Dave and his crew at Pacific Growers have generously offered to donate 20% of Saturdays retail sales to the
Cash Parriera Benefit Fund. This Saturday April 24th. They are located at 9131 Markworth Rd Blaine. It will be a great time to grab your hanging basket and pick form their huge selection of bedding plants.

New lens where have you been all my life?

2010-04-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

Recently I found a Pentax 50 mm f1.4 on ebay and WON it! This is a fun one. It creates a ton of bokah (the blurriness you see in the pictures) It gives you a super slim depth of field(the area that is in focus)-see picture of decking. This will be a great one Seniors, babies and kids. I tried it out on Lena and Judah when we watched them the the other day. And of course Charlie and Eddie too. OH what fun! Thanks for stopping by!

Will wonders never cease?

2010-04-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

This week has been spring break. Except for Alex who just started at BTC and he is taking Computer techy stuff. He says his classes have allot of nerds in them. But its fun to see him excited about learning! He offered to make dinner for us(us includes Hana Levi Meagan Molly {meagans sister} Alex and Me) Bill is working in Eastern WA again and I am thankful to have my kids around to keep me company. Alex told me what to buy and he made it. I came home right on time from shootin some pics at
Sole Obsession dinner was ready and delicious. Thank-you ALex! Meagan and Levi have taken over my kitchen table to complete their senior projects. It's also wonderful to see my boy Levi studying hard. Thanks Meagan! (sorry meagan is blurry in the pic) It's been a fun week with them. They are very sweet kids and WE love them very much! sniff:.)

restoration in progress..

2010-04-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

This makes me happy. When they took down this original home. My heart sank. But they had plans to rebuild it. Using some of the pictures I took last spring and by numbering the pieces they are putting it back together on a new foundation. They found pieces of denim between the boards. This was insulation back then. They are having to put new shingles on it, which will need to weather a bit. I intend to look into the family that built it. The Markworth family. Very cool. I will let you know what I find out. Thanks for stopping by!

Easter and blessings....

2010-04-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

Aunt Judy-a fav aunt- I remember she could tease her hair and drive with her knees! COOL!

Boot Camp babes! See more!

Again I am overwhelmed with the blessings of having a great family. Today was Easter at Aunt Judy and Uncle Darryl. It has been about 6 years since my Aunt Clarice has passed away. I am going to try to explain why these families get together. You see Clarice is my mom's sister. Clarice was friends in high school with Judy who married my Dad's brother. She is missed. Did you get that? Well for a long time we have all still gotten together on Easter-three families and their children and grandchildren. New babies to crabby teens we got it covered. That is what families do when there is a loss-they fill in the holes. We know Aunt Clarice is in heaven but we will try to help her family move forward until they see each other again. Beyond that we ate, we laughed, we gathered and prayed. All in all...perfect!

I needed this...

2010-03-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

I set out to buy a new rug for my door step. We go through them quickly because of the mud. I found one at Target (LOVE TARGET!) and it became my inspiration. SO rug from Target 12.99, two pots from TJ max 13.99, one glittery frog from Kohls-free because I earned Kohls cash buying groceries. (side note....Bill thought the Kohls cash was a scam to get ladies to spend more at Safeway:) and 5 bucks for flowers from the neighborhood greenhouse. They were glad to sell them to me because they said they WILL die and I can come back and buy some more. WHEW! Walking up to my door and smiling....priceless!

I am married to a contractor and for the first time in 24 years I bought my own hammer. I can NEVER find one when I need one.

From trash to treasure!

2010-03-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

Levi brought home this bowl and was very disappointed with how the outside black glaze turned out.
It was rough and not smooth like it should be. And then outta nowhere Bill comes up with a brilliant idea! He says it feels like a chalk board so why not write on it with chalk. Like a recipe or popcorn. Sometimes failures are stepping stones to great discoveries! Isn't it a beautiful bowl? Thanks for stopping by!

New website and information!

2010-03-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

Just can't get this guy outta my mind! Check out Caring for Cash -a new donation site for the Parriera family. Thank you for your prayers and concern!

Walking-love and hate it.

2010-03-16T00:06:00.000-07:00

I went on a walk with the dogs and asked Hana to take a REALLY far away picture for the blog. She did a great job. Well I am trying to go for a walk everyday. I find that my mind finds reasons not to go. Like...it looks like it might rain or the road is busy this time of day. There are many more. But you see I have Eddie and Eddie watches my every move all day long. If I go to my sock drawer he comes running to see if I am putting on walking socks or dress socks. If I put on chap stick he instantly thinks we are headin out. And you better not say the word "walk" because he loses his mind. He even has figured out how to spell walk. Like if I say I'm going on a W-A-L-K. I swear he knows what I am talking about. He's like my own personal trainer. And so I WALK. Can't wait for nicer days:)

Spring has sprung! (not officially)

2010-03-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

I went for a walk with the dogs and the ground was a little gushy. Eddie and Charlie spotted Kevin and David on the mule and decided to chase them. I thought eddie was going to have a heart attack. He was overheated and not in shape for the bikini season yet:) He decided to cool off in the pond. Needless to say he was very muddy. Oh well! as you can see he was smiling. Get out and enjoy the sun!

What is up with blogger? I cant get the font right...posting anyway:/

Pics of the BOBsled!

2010-02-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

Looking back on a great day. The sights and sounds of the bobsled event. So funny to watch everyone trying to take a

picture of something going 90 MPH.

Thats not easy. The guy in orange was from the homeland. LOL! He said(in dutch) to Bill that two of his sons are on the Dutch team and that one

was the driver. And my kids think I'M embarrassing! Anyway back to reality now and yes it bites.

Thanks for stopping by!

We interrupt Olympic fun...

2010-02-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

I am recovering from food poisoning. Yeah, thats got to be what it was. Tuesday night I had two tacos at Jack in the box and Wednesday I was in bed all day! Sicker than a dog! I know , I know TACOS at Jack in the box? Its like its self inflicted! Tonight I just started to eat again. My poor hubby..It's his first week home. Never again. The tacos. Never again! Sorry for the bad press jack in the box:( But it had to be said! Tomorrow more pics of the Olympics!

It was a beautiful day for an Olympic event!

2010-02-22T20:38:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a whirl-wind day. Starting at 7 am. Jeff and Kathi hosted this Whistler getaway. They own a condo on Blackcomb and made this all possible. We are so grateful to them! Upon arrival we darted to the village in search of souvenirs. Janice NEEDED the red mittens. You had to wait in line to get in the store (see pic of us talking to some interesting Canadians). Then we saw Simon Ammann(Swedish skier) being interviewed and so we decided to catch a glimpse of his DOUBLE GOLD! Hana took the pic of him holding his metals up. Hana also joined a group of Swedes in a song. Then we enjoyed some international cuisine at Mcdonalds. When we got to the gondola we realized our event was delayed. Oh well more starbucks and shopping:) It was sad to see the memorial for the luger who lost his life doing what he loved. This is part one of two...Tomorrow I will post the bobsled event!! TOO MUCH FUN!

The 411 after you've dialed 911.

2010-02-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

"I'm in a car accident" Thats what I remember thinking during those seconds. Yesterday I was busted doing something I've been doing for years. Driving around in my van with no makeup on and improperly dressed. I was going to pilates and I was rear-ended driving in the driveway on the Guide. Here is some vital information about being in a accident in a small town. Bad news travels fast! I kinda thought of this and instantly called Bill who is out of town and I know would freak out. But in the age of texting, twittering and facebooking you need to tell your peeps you are ok instantly! My poor Levi got a text and bolted from school to my rescue. He said "mom you scared me!" So the first thing you need to remember is -drive around in your car prepared to see everyone you know. The second thing-tell your peeps instantly! And the third is you may feel like crap the next day and you will spend the entire day on the phone to insurance adjusters, caring friends(mainly my out of town hubby:), rental car companies and towing companies. BUT this is small stuff because everyone involved is going to be OK! Praise the Lord. I know pictures would have made this post much more interesting but the Golden Chariot(a name my snapsister gave my van) is not looking so good:( *** just got the call from the adjuster... she's a total loss.

It's a vicious cycle...

2010-02-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

worry, panic, pray, peace and comfort. repeat. That, in a nutshell, is the week that was. My snapsister's baby was diagnosed with a brain tumor on monday. At first I thought that this is beyond anything she or anyone can handle. But guess what? God can. He holds us up when we can't stand. We see Him in our friends as they tackle this season in their life. So I will try to worry(less), panic(never) pray(always) and basque in His peace and comfort. Will you pray with me?
****check out Jack's blog for updates.
Thanks for stopping by!

Project Film. Results.

2010-02-03T14:29:00.000-08:00

This was allot of fun! Today I took my film to be developed of the pictures I took with Bill's circa 1979 camera. I like a few of them but there are things I learned and now I want to shoot another roll. In other words the project continues...Let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by!

MOM "you want a photoshoot?" HANA "Yes!"

2010-02-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

17 years ago today....

2010-02-02T10:19:00.001-08:00

Words can't describe what you feel when your baby is born. Hana Jo arrived 5 weeks early on the morning of February 2nd 1993. I remember being overwhelmed with happiness and fear when the doctor announced "its a girl!" Was she OK? They put her next to me for two seconds and then off she went to the premie nursery to be checked out. Later the nurse came in my room with these polaroid pictures. They were not enough I needed to hold her! So I did the cesarean shuffle(if you've had a c-section you know what I'm talking about) to the nursery to hold our new baby. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I held her weak little body. Praising God for a beautiful baby girl! God is perfect and he gave us Hana that day. Hana means "helper" and she is my right hand. She has blessed my life in so many ways. Happy Birthday Sweet girl!

Project Film.

2010-01-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

Im excited about this! I got out Bills camera that he bought in the 8th grade(1979?). We used to use this camera {a pentax K1000} when we were dating and take pictures at the beach, harbor and everywhere. I'm going to see if I can find some that we took in 1984 and post them. Usually black and white film. He would try to explain aperture, ISO and shutter speed to me but I just did not get it then. Well now with my digital camera I can shoot manually so I get it:) This week I got this old baby a new battery(it powers the light meter inside the camera) and a roll of film(B&W). Im going retro! The first thing I did was take a picture and look at the back of the camera. HA! Guess what? no LCD screen to look at! Its kinda scary to tell you all about it because I have no idea how this will turn out. I'm going to manually set up each shot and the best I can and hopefully I will have something that turns out. But we will have to wait...thats a weird concept!

art 101 not exacty!

2010-01-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

Hana and Levi are in Art. In kindergarten everything has to go on the fridge well that has not changed around here. Its been a constant stream of paintings, drawings and pottery coming home and I love it. They have an excellent Art teacher at Lynden-Mr S. he is called and the kids love him. I cant wait to see what's next for them.

Levi did not want to be photographed. Pull yer pants up!

Rice cooker quickie meal!

2010-01-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hana got a rice cooker for Christmas and we have been cookin up the rice lately. I bought frozen pot stickers and then I had an idea. Instead of preparing the potstickers like the bag said I put them in with the rice and water on the top. PERFECTO! Try it... if you have a rice cooker that is.

The Future is in our hands...

2010-01-24T12:29:00.000-08:00

I'm inspired by the excellent sermon this morning at 1st CRC. I need to say just a few words about my passion for life. God has given me compassion for the unborn. For the most innocent and silent of people.

"The gift of life is precious and holy in His sight. We praise God for the gift of life and for the courage to embrace it, protect it and honor it."

Sanctity of Human Life Litany.

I have the pleasure to know two girls who have unselfishly gave of themselves to become young moms and raise their babies. I honor them and pray God will bless them in their choice. For more information go to abortionfacts.com

Oh what a beautiful day!!!

2010-01-22T16:44:00.001-08:00

It's spring..no it's not. It IS spring..no it's January. We went to the top. I hope you all got outside today. Eddie and Charlie were on top of the world!

Useless list

2010-01-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

There is nothing we can do about the negatives in life. They are petty reasons to complain in a world where EVERYTHING is amazing and nobody is happy. But alas I made this list in my phone all year and now it must be published. REMEMBER I know my life is blessed beyond belief. But that does not mean I have to LIKE everything. SO here is a list of things I don't like...

Snakes, spiders and mice
Feathers
half dead plants
Loud casino commercials
Open mouth gum chewers
Last cone mergers
When they screw up my coffee order
When the dog needs to go out in the middle of the night
Car problems
Stainless steel
Mean people
Murder mystery shows
Any show that has gross things on it
Agressive drivers
Literbugs
Noisy trucks in drive thru
Blamers
Cleaning
When my house is dirty. That's a problem
Bathrooms without a hook for my purses
Stainless steel!
Moths, they are silent and dusty UGH! you can't see them coming. creepy

So yeah... there it is.
Here is a short list of things I love...healthy, happy family and friends, a roof over my head, heat and lights, fresh water, food in the cupboard.
Simply put...God is good.

MMMMMmmmmmmm good!

2010-01-11T19:58:00.001-08:00

Today is my Mom's Birthday. She celebrates all week long with coffees and lunches. But she deserves it because she is special and we love her dearly. Yesterday we celebrated at Fred and Tami's with dinner for everyone. It was delicious. I made this cake (with my Bill's help) The filling is my moms raspberry jam and buttercream frosting of course. The best part was the fresh raspberries on top. Grown in Mexico and purchased at Safeway!
AND THEN white chocolate raspberry ice cream on the side. CAKE...i love thee
Sorry about my ugly blog... I want bigger pictures and I am working on it. Tonight I need hana and she is at Young Life.

Eddie's 8th Birthday!

2010-01-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

This is Eddie when we got him as a pup way back in 2002! He was adorable!

On your Birthday do what you love! We gave him a BIG chew bone and a new collar.

This is his spot. perfect...

Blessed Beyond Belief!

2010-01-02T17:44:00.001-08:00

My life is full and blessed in so many ways. As we start a new year and it marks a fresh start. I don't know about you but I start thinking about organizing and goals. I am excited about 2010! I don't know what God has for me out there but as long as He's in charge-I'm good. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings in the new year!
Sharing pictures of just a few of my blessings:)

To many parties soooo little time!

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

Some peace, love and joy! Mixed in with some crabbiness:) Dad got a hat from Sam and Mom got what looks like a snuggie but its not! (it s a bathrobe on backwards) The teens enjoyed singing carols for their gifts...NOT! And of course...TONS of great food.

My crazy love for FB...

2009-12-22T23:19:00.000-08:00

IF you are my friend on Facebook you know my deep dark secret. I love it! Now you won't find me fertilizing my farm or giving gifts or playing any games(I don't like games) But I love to say what I am doing and for some dumb reason I love to see what you all are doing! I really try to be funny most of the time. I do not usually post if I have a cold and feel like poop. I am not a fan of giving the gory details...just enough to make you wonder:) NOW...don't you want to be my friend?

My year in Status....

I wish it included ALL of them:) I will make this into a scrapbook page. Thanks for the tip Jerrie. The first blogger I ever knew.

Mails here!

2009-12-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things is getting the mail this time of year. I cherish all the cards that come our way. Its fun to see the pictures and everyones ideas. I just love it!

All our doggie friends!

2009-12-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

Eddie and Charlie wanted to send holiday wishes to their friends. So we helped them because actually neither of them have very good penmanship. Those are some handsome dogs!

Christmas Decorations!

2009-12-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

The tree!

A beautiful red bowl that Levi made.

My favorite thing...CARDS!

Decorations the kids have made.

A sweet nativity.

My "ode to snow"

Handmade ornaments

Yeah right!

A sparkly bowl of bobbles!

Enjoy your day!

Man cave makeover.

2009-12-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

Well if you have been out here before you have heard of the man cave. I am not going to reveal their area even though we did a major clean down there. But I have collected allot of interesting props and they where all piled up in a corner. IDEA! Create a space from them. After all I have nothing better to do-HA! For your viewing pleasure here is the before...

And here is the after...

Well what do you think? What shall we call this area? Sorry about the crappy picture quality but I was to lazy to get my big camera out:)
Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Tree Farm Tradition

2009-12-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

Most years Hana and Bill have gone to get the tree. This year Bill is working in Eastern WA so we needed to relieve him from that job. Im sure he is very sad about it! So Levi and Meagan, Hana and I OH! and Eddie and Charlie set out to find the perfect tree. It was cold and almost dark. We love the little self serve-u-cut place Kathi told us about. Nice tree at a good price! (it's on the Van Dyk Rd) Now to go home and make it pretty.
Thanks for stopping by!

Late Bloomers, Do-dads,the moon and swans...

2009-12-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know why this would be blooming now or what it is?

Have you ever met this man on the boardwalk in fairhaven?

Did you see the moon set this morning...awesome!

Swans are back!

Remember this...

2009-11-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

I loved it so much and I am hoping for more!

Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair!

2009-11-13T10:41:00.000-08:00

Come to the 4th annual Lynden High School Arts and Craft Fair Tomorrow!
November 14 from 9-5. It's free! (canned food donations accepted) I have seen the stuff they are selling and it's really great...including Levi's pottery and My cousin Tricia's amazing beach glass creations!

Swine flu(H1N1) and a canvas project!

2009-10-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hana is down with what seems like the swine flu. Levi THINKS he has it also. It's affecting so many people I can't believe it!
But on a happier note I finished my canvas project. When Treasury was closing I got my butt down there and bought these canvases and also the vinyl. And then there it laid on my kitchen table for way to long. I just kept looking at it.
Well it's going on the wall soon cause it all finished. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

O happy day!

2009-10-22T16:59:00.001-07:00

Yes Hana bought a car! She saved her berry money and got this little beauty. We got a heads up from Uncle Fred to check it out. And well the price was right. I am sure she will make it her own. Now she just needs to pass the written test:)

LOL that stands for LOTS OF LAUGHS!

2009-10-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry Charlie you are not going scrappin!

The Queen of embellishments!
Laughter is the best medicine. Yesterday we got to meet Becky's friend Paula from MO.

That was fun cause she is a master crafter and she taught us some new tricks. We ALMOST made a run to starbucks at 4:00 and then we ALMOST made a run to Mcdonalds(somebody started talking about Big Macs) at 10:30 pm but I guess we are not as young as we look:) PLUS Julie showed up to make flowers and Kathi showed up to make nothing but ended up making everything. And Tami was a great host as always.

Sorry about the picture quality..iphone pics of course-it's the one always in my pocket:)

Love these fall stormy days!

2009-10-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

God's glory right here for us to enjoy!

Just amazing color and light.

stinkin power lines:(

Thanks for stopping by and hopefully you got to enjoy this today!

I made something!

2009-10-05T17:34:00.001-07:00

I am kinda hooked on these paper bag books. I know they were in about two years ago but I think they are fun and they make a great gift. I made these for my very busy mother of two(soon to be mother of three;)SNAPsister! One is of Cash the day he was born. I was honored to be there snappin some pics. And the other one is of a day we spent at the zoo with them. Our teenagers just love their babies! It works out well. Check them out!

Thanks for hangin in there and stopping by!

A gathering...

2009-09-22T10:18:00.001-07:00

A birthday (my Dads) and a send off for my nephew Sam, he is leaving tomorrow for Fort Sill. Go Army! We are so proud of him! He has wanted to do this for a long time and now it's here and the prayer warriors are ready:) No more playing GI jOE He is GI JOE!

This is my parents home, they have lived here for approximately 42 years. It was a great evening(it was getting a little dark for pictures). But as you know the pictures must be taken!

The girls rescued that little baby bird for that crazy cat. The cat was the star of the show. We think she belongs to the neighbors. My mom does not appreciate her stalking around her bird sanctuary. Jeff told Wyatt to go play in the road... not the first time:) It was Ok because the Hannegan is closed! The inconvenience to everyone is a pleasure for my mom and dad because it's quiet. We all hung out on the front yard. It was a great night!

Thanks for stopping by!

I made a pie!

2009-09-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

Bill brought home a huge box of perfect peaches. He got them from my BIL Fred's mom over there in Eastern Wash. We have been eating them like crazy. I decided to make a pie. First I purchased the crust at the Safeway:) Then I followed this recipe. We will be giving it a try tonight and my sistas are coming over to scrap! eeeekkk I hope it's as good as it looks:)

Labor day get away...

2009-09-08T20:10:00.001-07:00

A family reunion at Silver Lake Cabins. Go to theladyinthestone house for more!

The view from the deck of our cabin. Beautiful!
Cousins who did not know they were cousins!
I have to add some nature shots..
My cousin Kim, sisters Kathi, cousin Trisha and sister Tami.
Ladies checkin out the pics on their camera. My mom in the red.
I think Jewel said don't get dirty.. that worked:)
Very, very camera shy Ruby. I jumped through hoops for this one. So cute!
Cousin Rick and my Dad-Rich. Laughing at me for being snappy
IDK
and nobody went swimming....

It rained and was cold. I had no shoes. Sorry for the white socks and sandals.

Time marches on...

2009-09-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

I admit it. This blog kinda stinks. But My focus this summer has definitely been on theSNAPsisters. We have been blessed with a lot of shoots. Weddings, families babies and seniors. It's exciting! So I have been deleting, editing, cropping, enhancing, uploading and downloading. You get the picture..haha. But here we are September and the first day of school. Today the house is quiet and I am talking to the dogs. I am thinking that I will get a lot done. We will see:)
Here is my feeble attempt at some first day of school pics. The times they are a changin...