Looking back -- enjoying the snow and these kids!

 Our elf has been so fun! The kids race to see where he is every morning. He has stepped up his game since last year. ;-)

 We learned of an old friends passing yesterday. Ed Stevens was "finer than frog hair" on any day! That was his saying and my oh my that man would ALWAYS greet you with a smile!

Our days in Boardman were sweeter because he was there.
In 2001 we made a big, sort of scary, move to move to Boardman, Oregon. We had built a beautiful home in Moses Lake, on the lake. I had just graduated with my teaching degree. Life was so good. Vance put in for a job in Boardman, Oregon. Milky Way/LTI was starting an operation there. Vance put in to manage it. He got the job! I remember calling my mom, feeling excited! I was not sure why I was excited. I had friends in Moses Lake, we loved our new home and I really liked the school district, but I knew Vance was up for a change. And I suppose it seemed time for an adventure.
My mom died two weeks later. Everything was shook up. Vance found us a house in Boardman. A fixer upper on some acreage. He stayed at a motel there for a couple of weeks and worked as the closing of our house took place. I was in Moses Lake, in a daze. Ed and Vance had been driving truck for Milky Way in Moses Lake. Ed told Vance he wanted to move to Boardman, if Vance would hire him. And so he did. He lived down the road from us, he and his wife Chris.

Ed was one of the first to meet Merit as a brand new baby. Ed and Chris threw us a baby shower after Merit was born. Ed was a great guy to work with. He was a stand up guy.

I learned five things from that move
1) A house is just a house. Big or small, beautiful wood floors or shag carpet... it takes its people to make it a home.
2) Good friends are one of God's richest blessings.
3) When you move to a town where you no NO one, right after one of your favorite people on earth dies, it is good to dig deep to find the joy. And it is pretty cool when a friend decides to follow you there.
4) People die. Every single one of us will die. So, we best know where we are going when we do.
5) Maybe I just learned 4 things

I am thankful that we knew Ed. He was a bright light. His cheer and friendly spirit were contagious.
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 Our home in Boardman, we loved living in the country!

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My chickens have not been loving the snow. I have been bribing them to come out with treats.

Hazel loves to help me in the kitchen.

These two! Buddies!!

Fun December Happenings

We have several little Christmas trees throughout the house... with snow outside and lots of trees and lights inside, it sure is starting to feel a lot like Christmas

This team is SO much fun to watch! Exciting, fast paced basketball!!

Willem and Hazel's Chrsitmas concert at Longview was great! 

A cold, fun, eventful weekend

Six months apart, darling and full of JOY

These three!!

Hazel and I went to the museum and museum gift shop after two COLD photo shoots at Blue Heron.

She was hoping for these jem stones... she was holding them behind her back for the picture! But she ended up choosing a very small handmade notebook. She wrote things in it at church yesterday morning. 

Flips on the bars... of course

oh, We LOVE going to get our tree!! I love having a real tree! I love the smell! 

I love the hunt! This is a favorite family outing!!

More pics to come! I need to get these guys ready for school! 

Life

 Darla is feeling bashful.

soap making fun! I am loving it. 

I clean a lot with baking soda. Cleaning my sinks with baking soda and lemon is my fav. Yesterday I was buying baking soda at the $1 store. But I think I pay 59 cents at the Grocery Store... hmmm anyway, Oren and I were browsing there. It was fun. We left and decided to have a little date at Michael's Bistro. That place is beautifully decorated for Christmas. That morning I woke up a bit weary and needed a coffee pick me up with my favorite 3 year old. I needed a mood booster. The night before there were homework headaches, dinner complaints, fights between two of our kids and Merit was SO quiet after basketball practice.

A dad and his daughter sat at a table near us. The dad was spelling out APPLE JUICE as he poured it into a small cup for his daughter. She was darling, with the cutest crocheted hat. A couple of older ladies commented on how cute she was, how cute her hat was. I was just wrapped up in everyone's visit. Then thinking, why am I not spelling out apple juice. And why am I not counting with Oren like I had been and why isn't he potty trained? I ask myself why, I analyze what's happening but try to remember we all have days when we are "on" and some days we are not. Oren was so quiet, watching me observe. We walked out at the same time as them. Another woman said to the man "your daughter is so cute" right as Oren said "I just farted." My kids keep me humble and they make me laugh and Oren is the best 4th child I could ask for.

Sometimes I am weary and sometimes I am tired. And sometimes Chicken Enchilada soup isn't a favorite. But you know what, all is good. I will keep trying and keep laughing and call my girlfriends and vent. I will say a lot of prayers and I will be kind to others.

Today is the anniversary of the death of our sweet friend Lilly. What her mama is feeling today is hard for me to begin to imagine. --- It is a reminder to pray for all of those who have lost a child. It is a reminder to NOT sweat the small stuff. It is a reminder to hug our babies.



Life is hard, but there is so much JOY tucked in. Some days we just have to look harder for it than others.

2 photo shoots today, so fun!!
And tomorrow, church, family time, maybe get our Christmas tree! I will count m and ms with Oren... or maybe cheerios. ;-)!

Christmas decor, Twinkly lights, Basketball...

I am SO enjoying decorating for Christmas!! 

 This sled is supposed to be decorative, but Oren had some fun ideas for it today.

Last night's drive to Wenatchee was beautiful! The lighting and the sunset so nice!

And the game was awesome!! Frontier with the win!