Category Archives: Family

A Gorgeous Day!

Good evening!

It has been an absolutely gorgeous day here in Oregon. It was a bit on the toasty side today, but I just got back from  nice long swim in our chilly pool, which was absolutely refreshing, and we have air conditioning in our little place, so I think I should be able to nod off to sleep quite nicely this evening. It also probably helps that I am beyond tired, from having so much fun with my sister, Jennifer, while she is still in town.

Her and her husband, Austin, are only in town in until tomorrow, at which time they will return home! I have tried, for years to talk them into moving here, but Salem is just too big for them, which is ironic because it is just too small for us!! 😉 Anyway, we have squeezed in some quality time after work this evening, going to their favorite place in Salem to eat, and that is at Mongolian Grill. They make it a point to eat there at least once during every visit, and this time was no different. 😉

I must interject here, I have been part of a support group called Chunky Dunkers. This is basically a get healthy & fit support group that I started with the help of my sisters, Alex, Jennifer, oh, and I can’t forget my sweetie, Jason. Well, Alex has lost almost 60 pounds, and Jennifer has lost almost 40. I am soooo ABSOLUTELY PROUD OF BOTH OF THEM (and a little jealous, if truth be told), and it has caused me to have a feeling of a renewed sense of,

“Ok girl, you have got to get your butt into gear and make this happen for yourself!!”

So, I have eaten extra fruits and veggies today, avoided all calorie-laden drinks, and tracked all of my food that I have eaten, walked the stairs at work, and even got an extra half an hour of vigorous swimming in this evening! Whew!!! Only one day down, and possibly hundreds more to go, which is ok, seeing that it took me literally 16 years to get to the size that I am. I have never really been overly self-conscious of the weight, but I am noticing that the older I am getting the more aches and pains in my joints I am getting, and I am just TOO YOUNG to feel this DAMN OLD!! 😉 So, instead of just pissing and moaning about it, I am going to step up to the plate and take some action – little, by little – baby steps!!

If any of you reading have any hints/tips/ideas/yummy recipe ideas, or even just some motivational support for me and my get fit actions, I would be more than happy to hear from you. Please leave me a message in the comment section above!

Thank you SOOOO MUCH, in advance!!

With that said, I am going to head off to bed for the evening!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

P.S. These pictures were taken in my mom, Linda’s, garden. Aren’t they just lovely? Thanks, Mom!! 😉

My Sistah’s In Town!

Good evening!

My sister, Jennifer, got here early this evening, oh and of course her hubbie Austin too!! 😉 What this means is, there is no way that I am getting to bed on time tonight! I know, she is a GREAT influence on me!! 😉

OH, I know what I wanted to talk about this evening! This morning, I had received a quote of the day on my cell phone and I wanted to share it with you!

“What can you do right now to begin to turn your life around? The very first thing is to start making a list of things to be grateful for.”
~Joe Vitale

So, that is what I wanted to share with you this evening, a list of things that I am grateful for!

  1. God loves me more than I can ever imagine
  2. I have a hubby that absolutely makes me a happy girl
  3. One of my sisters are here for a visit
  4. I have family who love me
  5. I have friends who love me
  6. I have two puppies who make me feel sooooo loved
  7. I am healthy
  8. I am happy
  9. I am free
  10. I have a well paying job
  11. All of my needs are being met
  12. I am creative
  13. I have a lot of books
  14. I have a comfortable roof over my head
  15. I have a reliable car
  16. I love living in the Pacific Northwest
  17. I am loving my walk-in closet
  18. I love my art studio

What this adds up to is one VERY BLESSED girl!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

Happy Anniversary!!

Good evening!

Today is Jason and my 16th wedding anniversary!! Whoo! Hoo!!!

I knew that Jason and I were meant to be together, almost 17 years ago. It was the day that we were both volunteering with a large group of young adults at a young adult fundraiser, where we were raking seemingly thousands, and thousands of leaves from a giagantic farm out in Independence.

We had just finished up for the evening, and Jason had accompanied me on a walk  around the farm. We stopped at this gate, and look across the land, and admiring the view of this little lake that was a ways away. It was a spectacular scene. I realize that I was gazing at the landscape, and Jason was gazing at me. When he caught my eye, I remember not being able to take my eyes off of him. In that moment, I had this jolt of electricity run up my spine, making all of the hairs on the back of my neck rise, and I just knew that somehow, I was going to spend the rest of my life with this man. That moment was like magic! Needless to say, Jason and I were engaged two weeks later. We were married at the age of 19, a little less than 8 months later in a small ceremony attended by our family members, at the church that I had grown up in!! Whew!!

No one was sure we would make it, being so young and all, sometimes we had our doubts too. Marriage is quite literally the toughest job we have ever had, but one that ultimately has brought us both so much love and joy!! I would marry him again in a heartbeat! I really ADORE that man of mine – I know I say that a lot, but I just can’t help it!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MY LOVE!

I thank God for you more and more every day!!!!

😉

Anyway, last night I told you I was going to “go out into the world and find something juicy” to share with you this evening! I am not sure I found anything juicy, exactly, but I did get out into the world for a little while today! I am still not back to 100% yet, having been sick for the past few days, but I am doing my best to just walk it off!!

This morning, I got up early, did my morning pages, which I had been putting off. I then spend a couple of hours on a piece of art work, that is almost done, and my goal is that I will be able to share that finished piece with you tomorrow.

After being cooped up in the house for so long (being home bound for the past 3 1/2 days), I convinced Jason to take me out, even though he knew I wasn’t feeling completely better yet. So, we headed out to Borders where I found a new book series that I dove right into and am now totally hooked on!! It it The Immortals series, by Alyson Noel. The first book is called Evermore, and I am over halfway done with that book this evening! I made sure to pick up the first 3, of the, as of right now, 6 book series, so that way I will be able to keep on reading!!

The premise of this book is that there is this girl named Ever, and  her family has died in a car accident. Ever since that fateful day she can read minds, see dead people, and she can see peoples’ auras. Well, there is this new kid in school that comes along, name Damen, and for some reason she feels this instant, magical kind of connection to him. We are not sure who or what exactly he is yet, but so far we know that there is a definite connection between the two of them!!

I JUST LOVE THESE KINDS OF STORIES!!!

Anyway, I am not going to give any more of the story away, but so far, the book is delightful, and intriguing!! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Jason and I ended our evening with a nice quiet dinner out, and we are now having a peaceful evening at home, which I must admit is rather GREAT!! Him reading at one end of the couch, me writing on the other end with my feet in his lap, and our girls sleeping cozily on both of us!! *SIGH!* The good life!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

Perfect Weekend at the Beach!

Good evening!

What a FABULOUS time we had at the beach!! The weather was picture perfect, the family was so much fun, and there was so much lazing around – it was RIDICULOUSLY FUN!!! 😉

Jason and I left Beverly Beach today to head home! It was surprising too because we just couldn’t get over how PERFECT the weather was! It was sunny all freakin’ weekend, except for the one or two hours of light rain in the wee hours of Thursday morning, which is EXACTLY what we had hoped for!!! So, after packing up, cleaning up our campsite, and giving all of our leftover firewood to a nice family who was staying longer down the way, we headed back onto the road to come home. That is when we realized it, today was the first time ALL WEEKEND, where the weather was kind of cloudy and overcast! We were leaving just in the nick of time!!! 😉

I am sure Jason feels the same way, but I can not speak for him, but what I will say is that I really needed this weekend! To just get away from it all, have some quiet downtime, spend a few days without the concept of time, without obligations or schedules, and without all of the hub-bub that comes with my normal life!!

I had a moment this weekend, one of a few actually, where I was actually consciously aware of just how blessed we were! God has tended to all of our needs, and has even seen to gift us with happiness too!! That combined with some quality time spent with family, what more could a girl want????

As I head off to go to sleep, in my own bed…

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

Enjoying The Ocean!

Good afternoon!

I thought I would try posting a little earlier today than I have been the past few nights!

Today has been an awesome camping day with family, just like the past couple of days have been! However today, we actually got down to my favorite kind of beach, a SANDY ONE!! These pics are all pictures of our family doing various things on the beach, more specifically, Beverly Beach! It is so handy that the our FAVORITE place to camp is close enough to just walk to get out onto the shores to play in the sun and surf!

Here is Paul, Aaron, and Gavin building a giagantic sand castle with moat, drawbridge, and flag.

Here is Taelynn, Gavin, and Alice. Alice has a towel wrapped around her – this is her attempt to stay warm!! Silly girl!! 😉

Here is Uncle Jay-Jay and little Gavin!! He is gonna be a heart-breaker ladies!!! Mamma you better keep an eye out on your son!! 😉 The other heart-breaker in this pic has already been taken by MOI!! 😉

Sister St. Alice, no wait – that is Alice trying to stay warm!! There ain’t no saint here!!! Hee! Hee!! 😉

Here is my sweet beach bum contemplating the mysteries of life!!! Do you like the milk jug tied around his body??? That is his keeper for all of his treasures he plans on finding at the beach today!! THAT’S MY LITTLE MAN!!! 😉

This is me getting some kisses from my sweetie!!! Man, I really love that man o’ mine!! 😉

Here is Alice and Gavin, same red hair, same nose, same toothy grin!! I LOVE ‘EM!!!

Uh, Uncle Jay-Jay, you had better run, he looks small but I think Gavin is going to get you!!! GO GAVIN!! GO!!!

This is Gavin “Treasure Hunting!” He kept yelling it over and over again, “Treasure hunting, treasure hunting, treasure hunting!!” I think he gets that from my side of the family!! 😉

Here is Taelynn hamming it up for the camera!! She sure loves getting her picture taken!! 😉

Heres Aaron, and Paul’s finished sand castle! Didn’t they do a GREAT job???

Ok, well Jason and I are going to head back to the campgrounds now, so we can go join in the fun and mischief that I am sure we are going to cause this evening!! I will make sure to have more pictures to share with you tomorrow!! Seeing that tomorrow is the day that we all part ways and go home, I will be posting later in the afternoon!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!

 

Hanging Out a Yaquina Bay Light House!

Good evening!

Today is day 3 of our camping trip on the Oregon Coast, and we are having some serious fun!! 😉

This morning we got up and all got together for a breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes – I almost felt as if we were at IHOP!! LOL! 😉

Taelynn, Aaron, Jason, and Gavin

Aaron, Gavin, & Taelynn

After breakfast the kids headed over the the playground with Uncle Jay-Jay and Alice and I proceeded to head back into the tents, Alice, so she could ward off a tummy ache, and me to help calm my girls – too many kids, waaay too much attention!! HAHAHA! That is the price they pay for fame!! 😉

Alice, Paul, Gavin, Me, Taelynn, Jason, & Aaron

After accidentally falling asleep while reading, I awoke to find that everyone was gone!! DARN-IT!! I didn’t want to miss anything!! That is precisely when Jason walked up and we decided to take the girls for a walk and then get our Yahtzee on, I think we officially tied, which is a good thing bbecause neither one of us wants to hear about it the whole rest of the day!! *WINK!!!*

Aaron

Gavin

Taelynn

Finally Alice, and her brood got back from their trip to the candy store into town (WHOO! HOO!), and we got it together, took the girls for another quick walk, and then decided it was time to go get some serious picture taking, and playing done over at the Yaquina Head Light House!!

Jason dropped me off a ways up the road so that I could take pictures while I was walking down to where everyone else was waiting. Then We proceeded to walk down the 100 steps or so to get down to the waterfront. The beach there is a rocky one, which is a bit different for us than our average smooth sandy beached, but it was beautiful!! and muscle shells were plentiful, so the kids were happy to start collecting them!!!

What a GREAT day! I am have sun-kissed cheeks this evening, and everyone is happy, and having a great time playing games before dinner!!!

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!!

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉

Day Two Camping at the Oregon Coast!

Good evening!

We have had such a lovely day today. This morning, at about 4 in the morning, I am only guessing at the time seeing that we have no clocks or actual knowledge of time while we are out here, I hear a light pitter pat on the outside of our tent , and then it gets increasingly faster and faster until I realize what I am hearing, it is raining. I LOVE it!! It is not the oh-my-gosh-we-are-going-to-be-soaked kind of raining, but a nice light rain that just makes everything nice and damp when you wake up in the morning! It was very pleasant!

After dozing back to sleep, until the sun finally made an appearance, I got to do some nice quiet reading while my sweetie toodled around our campsite, setting up this, whittling that, and pretty much just have a good ol’ time!! After our respective quiet time activities, we decided to leash the girls up and take them for a walk around the camp grounds. That was fun, and the girls are getting better and better at being leashed, and not freaking out when strangers walk by! I can tell that they are having fun too!!

For lunch today, since Jason and I have had some trouble with our wood being too green to burn, we decided that we would head into Newport for some lunch, and we made it to the Chalet Restaurant. They have THE BEST fried chicken sandwich with sweet and sour sauce that is just DELICOUS!! My mom and I used to love sneaking away for some quality conversation together and we would go and partake in this delightful, but albeit sinful sandwich creation! I have been telling Jason about it for years, but this is the first time that he has ever had the opportunity to eat one, and his verdict is that, “it was excellent”. He can be a man of few words, but how right he is!

Ok, so back to the camping! Beverly Beach has some of the most intriguing trees I have ever seen. I am not sure what kind they are, buy their trunks are all gnarled, and mangle-ey! They look like something out of a Grimm’s Fairytale or something. They are quite breathe-takingly beautiful. I have live in Oregon for more than half of my life, and I have never seen anything quite like them before. That is what the majority of the pictures that I am sharing with you today are of!

Well, my sister, Alice and her family, all got here later this afternoon! I wasn’t sure they were going to make it, and I am like a worried mother-hen when they are on the road, I just want everyone to get here safely and soundly so we can start having fun together!!! It was so good to see everyone, and especially to see how big our nephews have gotten since last we’ve seen them, which was last Christmas!

We spent the evening playing at the park, roasting our hotdogs over the open flame, while the kids all kept playing musical chairs while trying to avoid the campfire smoke in their faces!! LOL! 😉 Then my sissy , Alice, and I ended up making a trip into town so that she could pick up some last minute, forgotten items for their campsite. Sounds familiar, I did the same thing yesterday – there must be something in our genes that make us similar that way!!!

Anyway, I am off to go have some more and s’more fun with my family – HAHAHAHA! Get it?? Ok, no worries! I have no plans to quit my day job!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

Happy Father’s Day!

Good evening!

HAPPY FATHER”S DAY!!

My dad is pretty awesome! He has always accepted his Father’s day gifts of ties, handmade ash trays, and who-all knows what else! No matter how old we get, us girls will always be his babies, and it both makes me blush, and proud EVERY time I hear it!!

You know my dad has been very protective of all of us girls for as long as I can remember. I know that when my sweetie and I got together almost 17 years ago, my dad was as protective as ever! Thankfully, my dad and my husband both became friends, and I have a hard time having them NOT rub off on each other when they hang out!! LOL!!! They are so similar, it is sometimes scary!! 😉

I must say that even though my dad and I have not always gotten along, I am so thankful for the relationship that we have grown, and nurtured! He is someone that I am VERY thankful to have in my life, and someone I love more than he will even know!!!

I love you, Daddy!!! Happy Father’s Day!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!

Some More Weekend Pics!

Good evening!

This is the last evening that my youngest sis in town, so I am going to try and get in some more quality time with her before I have to head off to bed! I wanted to make sure to share some more pictures from our fun weekend!!

After Megan’s soccer game, we had to stop over to mom’s to pick up something, I can’t remember what, but when I had gotten back to the car, this is what I found – Trina reading, “The Witch Has an Itch”. You know there is nothing like some hardcore, intellectual reading for my dear little sis!! HAHAHAHA!! 😉

Trina had been pestering us all weekend to take her to eat at Love, Love! So here we are, and here is one HAPPY girl!! 😉

Next stop, Borders!! Apparently we are ALL BOOKWORMS!!

Reading a cookbook – such concentration!

Next stop our house, and decorating treasure boxes!! Mine is a butterfly!

Trina is making a box to hide a surprise for someone back home! Wink! Wink! 😉

and Megan, made a treasure box for some of her jewelry! 😉

Next, it was downstairs to make french bread pizza! YEAH PIZZA!! 😉

Here is Chef Jason, doling out the ingredients and the instructions!

YUM! Doesn’t that pizza look good??

For dessert, a few rounds of Uno, which I totally got my booty whomped!! Even the 8 year old beat me!! Oh, well! You can’t win them all!! 😉

Finally, we all ended up in our pj’s to watch the movie Tangled!! We were a bunch of very giggly girls!!

SOOOO MUCH FUN!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉

Megan’s Last Soccer Game of the Season!

Good evening!

This weekend we got the opportunity to watch Megan’s last soccer game of the season!!

Here is “Coach Lynette” AKA our sis!! and I just love that in this pictured John and Christopher are wrestling in the background – I hadn’t realized that when I took this picture!! LOL! 😉

This is how we found Morgan, hanging out with Michael, taking pictures – just like Michael!! HOW SWEET!! 😉

Here is my sister, Trina, watching the game!!

 

Trina let me do her hair that morning, and she even liked it enough to wear it for the day!!!! I LOVE BRAIDING HER HAIR!!! 😉

 

Go Pink Panthers!!

Megan’s tongue out is for balance!! She is very AERODYNAMIC!! 😉

Jason and Trina watching the game!

“Hey coach, my shoe keeps coming untied!!” 😉

“Michael, let me help you “Fix” your hat! Can you see now??”

Here are the ‘boys’ playing to get a wooden egg that Uncle Jason has under his foot!

I know it is hard to tell in this picture, but Uncle Jay-Jay is actually spinning Morgan all the way around!!! WATCH OUT CHRIS!!! 😉

This is what the kids call “Tunnel”! Whenever you finish a game, the adults make a tunnel with their hands and the kids run through while everyone is whoo-hoo-ing!! I think the next day I have a bad day at work, I am going to request a tunnel too! That will cheer ANYONE up!! 😉

Here is the entire Pink Panther team!!

Megan and her Uncle Jay-Jay!

Jason and his sis, Nette!! Aren’t they cute?

Here is Megan after her awards ceremony! She won the “Dazzling Defender” medal!! and she is A DAZZLING DEFENDER!! I am just so proud of her – it is always amazing to me to see these pictures of her and realize just how grown up she is getting!!!

Well, I have waaaay more pics of our time together – her soccer game was just the beginning, however it is getting late, so I have decided to share some more of our pictures tomorrow!!

Until then…

Have a FABULOUS evening!