Our Week...

 These boys! Playing catch, wiffle ball fun, time in the creek.
We have had some WARM days!! PERFECT for swimming!
These boys have had many evenings at home lately.
High school (freshman team ) baseball has ended  - enjoying a breather before Sun Devils. Willem practices two night a week, typically. But he has tonight, a normal practice evening, off.

 Cabin Cozy

Ernie - our FRIENDLY, darling foster kitty!! 

 We enjoy life on the creek for sure. No  better place to be.

I cannot wait for Oren to catch something on this little pole. He is a determined fisherman.

So much more than a blurter

I have a favorite baseball field in Moses Lake. It is at Lakeview.
Watching Merit and Will play there remains a highlight in my mind. Chasing Hazel, pregnant with Oren at some of these games... and then pushing Oren in the stroller as Hazel played at the park. I would try to watch the game from behind center field while pushing Hazel on the swings.
Merit and Migs were umpires yesterday at that favorite field at Lakeview. My big boys are too old to play there now - it seemed so strange to see my fifteen year old son as an umpire there when not very long ago he was a nine year old playing there.
As I approached the field,  boy in right field hollered "Hi Mrs. Jansen!" I know this boy well from subbing in his class. He likes to try to mess around in class. A pencil tossing, distracting kid, who often blurts... He is a tough one in the classroom. I saw a different kid in right field.
I watched him closely. He looked over several times. He was always in ready position. At the end of the game he hollered "bye Mrs. Jansen!" And I was thankful I had the opportunity to see this child outside of the classroom.
Today I subbed kinder. I am not sure how he knew I was in that kinder classroom, but he came in at the end of the day. We talked baseball for a while and then he told me that his mom recently had stomach surgery, removing masses. He told me he cried when he saw her in the hospital. He told me she felt like she might vomit and the doctors did not want her too because it would strain her stomach and muscles and probably incisions. He told me he is the oldest and that he needs to make breakfast and dinner. He is worried about his mom and he said she says she is in a lot of pain. He is trying to help her. He is trying to help his family.
I had sort of decided two weeks ago that this kid drove me bonkers.
Yesterday and today I saw something very different.
He does not drive me bonkers.
I suppose this is a lesson to never "decide" what I think of someone.
Sometimes we need to see people in a different environment to have a better sense of who they are.
And when we show them we WANT to KNOW who they are, we see a better version of that person.

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Saturday Fun

 I love this little cabin.

 Today was a good Saturday.
LOTS of time outdoors.

Still waiting for bats to move into our bat boxes. 

 It was warm enough for a swim!

This guy is almost five!

 We are definitely enjoying spring. Our weather these past couple of weeks has been wonderful.

Last night, two friends and I drove out to Royal City to New Life Fellowship there.
Lynn Frey (She is a pastor's wife. She lives in Moses Lake) spoke. The topic was loss and grief. She shared a lot about her own journey. I was a bit afraid that if I let a tear slip, many would begin to fall.
She did such a nice job sharing her journey and also talking about the importance of being ANCHORED. Anchored in Christ, hope secured.

The whole evening was special. The desserts were amazing! Each table hostess did a fantastic job on their table. The singing, the prayer, the speaker... it was all really special.

I'm BACK!

I am a little behind on blogging. 

I have lots of pictures to upload and will probably post again later today. 

Spring is busy and fun. 

I tend to blog the fun, the highlights... I want to be real but also want to be respectful of people's privacy and want to be cautious of what I share.

With that being said, prayers are awesome so I can share a little bit of info and ask people to pray. I know God hears our prayers! 

The "matters of the heart" with our family and a couple of our really close friends are important and are considered and concerned about often by those involved. Miles is a really good friend to Oren. He has a special heart. He is doing wonderfully right now! But whispered prayers for continued health are on my heart.

Our friend Maddie has a similar heart. And she too is on my mind often.

She is strong and brave. She played basketball! I think she may be doing softball now. I love how these children are thriving.

My sisters are on my heart often. 

Both of them have an internal difibrillator. They have the same genetic heart defect that our mom had. 

They do such a good job doing life. They are great moms, they enjoy their kids, they both work part time. Prayers for their hearts are so appreciated. Our Aunt Jill also has dealt with a long journey of heart issues. She is enjoying life with a new heart. New heart, new start! 

There are days when this heart stuff feels like a lot. Life throws us so many curves and challenges. Health concerns on top of this can be heavy.

Praying for healthy hearts! Also thankful for the growth in our medical field! For the devices and the progress made with transplants, for medications that can help... 

Matters of the HEART

The heart "aches" and blessings are especially on my mind today. It is my mom's birthday! She would be 63. 

Hazel's spring concert was wonderful!

Tasha, Reese and fam, Matt and Brenda, Lesha, Rob and family, me, Vance and the kids all got together in Yakima earlier this month! We got to watch Lane and Kai play baseball! The cousin fun was awesome and it was so fun to see the fam!!

These two!!! They used to fight. 

Oren would always say "she's too youd" 

Now he adores her! Well, who wouldn't?! 

Kai

Kai

 Lane

On the home front, growing chicks - happy hens -

Miles and Oren!! 

There is something about Willem's team! They have a love for the game! This team is a new combo of kids and finding their groove is a process. They are fun to watch!!

Spring Break

I run out to the coop, in the rain (it isn't supposed to rain during spring break). I grab a chick. No "baby stage" goes faster than with a chick. Babies grow quickly, puppies grow quickly, chicks grow incredibly quickly! Cup of coffee, morning snuggles with a chick, camera out...
Oh and THIS morning also included a game of Monopoly - a game that I think Willem and are are four hours into.

This spring break has included SLOW MORNINGS.

One of my best friends has a birthday today, 40! She is a great mom and wife! A terrific friend too! She doesn't judge me. We are open books when we get together over a quick lunch or coffee or meet up at a baseball field. It dawned on me last week that I need these girlfriends in my life SO much, especially with my mom not being here.And my girlfriends ENCOURAGE like my mom would. ----------Happy Birthday Dear Katie!

This week has been funny. More baseball boys in the car on the way to practice, funny conversations. Yesterday the freshman guys had to be at the HS at 1 to get on the bus for their Eastmont game. I grabbed Migs (close by), then headed out to Mae Valley to get Hazel from Grandma Kris' and Kellogg from his place. Merit panics "I left the team bucket of balls at home!" Ahhhhh! Migs calls his mom she runs the balls to the HS, they get there in time. Kids dropped off, baseballs there... I drive home, an hour later realize I have one of the boys game jerseys in the car. Ahhhh! I text Merit. I head to Eastmont (was part of my plan anyway).We get the kid his jersey (protecting his identity here) and then Hazel, Oren and I head to Old Navy to spend our Old Navy cash! These two who rarely fight are argueing and saying "Stop mimicking me!" ahhhhh! Argueing, fighting over sitting in the cart, Hazel would rather choose something from the new "spring rack" than clearance. If you know me, I am a clearance gal. More mimicking. Then Oren says "Hazel, I am sorry I was being mean at you." And again, for just a bit, all is right with the world. They play GREAT at Merit's game. Imagining, cart wheels, exercise, the good stuff.

Thankful for Spring Break

Coloring eggs with Hazel and Spiderman

 so much Paw Patrol love in this house

Lots of running today!
Willem and I started a game of Monopoly that we would love to finish but I am not sure that will happen.
Our weather is a little chilly but we did do some yard work and chicken duties yesterday, a hike too.
It feels good to have this break.