A gorgeous November, my dad visits

Our November has been gorgeous and these Crab Creek hikes are so good for us.

Vance and I take them almost daily. 

Yesterday having my dad join us was good. 

 Our power was out for a couple of hours yesterday so the kids enjoyed a couple of board games by candlelight.

Hoping for more gorgeous November days! My chickens are happy too.

Conference Week

It is conference week this week for our school district. I am watching these parents walk into parent/teacher conferences. It could be good news, it could be hard news, it could be the same ol' news. Things like Skyward help us stay connected. I don't feel like we are ever really in the dark unless we choose to be in the dark. These teachers work hard. They care about our kids and in my experiences they provide better than adequate opportunities for learning. I could be listing names, but I would be here all day and that is a good thing.

A teacher who I respect greatly told me she should keep a box of tissues handy during or after conferences because all children have a story, but many of them may cause one to reach for a tissue.

I also realize that there are parents strongly acting as advocates for their children; maybe because of a learning disability or the possibility of one,  neuro diversity maybe, ADD/ADHD... These parents could be advocating for a mis-understood child. Teachers advocate for students too. I see a lot of people working hard and I wish I could do more.

My hope is that there is a whole lot of GRACE, understanding and working together on all ends.

I have made some dumb mistakes lately as a mom. My friends make me feel like I am not alone in this, maybe because I am not alone in this or maybe just because they are being nice. :-)  I just keep doing my best and pray "Oh Lord, guide me."

A dear friend sends me a pic last night of Merit shaking football coaches hands. She asks "are you coming?!" oh darn, where? Where am I supposed to be? It was the JV, Varsity football banquet. I could have missed an email. I learned later that Merit did not mention it because 1) he knows we are running a lot 2) he did not think he would even be able to attend because of basketball practice/tryouts. The cool thing was, they let the football guys leave basketball early to attend the banquet. 

Merit came home with a big smile, inquired about Willem's first game of the basketball season which is actually happening right now :-) and he tucked Oren and Hazel in as they laughed and giggled. 

Willem looked so sharp this morning. Dress shirt, dress pants and a tie - that is how they dress on game day. He looked a bit older to me as he walked out the door. 

Some days we might ask ourselves
"why is this so hard?" 
other days - brighter days -  we might think "Could it get any better than this?" 
 Some days we may feel tired and weary,
other days motivated and energetic.
And sometimes we feel all of these things within the same day, which I believe is the beauty and the challenge of motherhood.


I am so thankful for God's grace.

A cold November update...

It is cold and beautiful... sun shining. 

I am getting ready to price some very cute Christmas things that will be at the Favored Farmhouse. That store has so much farmhouse charm. I am inspired each time I walk in. 

This evening I really want to be home with Vance, Hazel and Oren. But I would love to be at Willem's first basketball game of the season in Wenatchee! (GO WARRIORS!)

Merit is in his last day of try outs for basketball... 

 Pictures I have been meaning to post and  am finally getting around to it...

 Granny's outfit took some convincing. She even let me give her some rouge! 

 There is a house in the Montlake area that goes ALL OUT for Trick or Treaters! Their displays are not scary, just fun and so festive! It has become a tradition to go to this house each year! We just love it!!

 This cabin has been the sweetest retreat for ten years!

These two and their support for one another is so awesome. I am thankful.

For the Love of Reptiles

Wow~
Thank you Longview PTA for bringing the reptile man to Longview, 7th year in a row - I believe,
We sure had one happy girl!

Autumn Light

More than just a bandaid, Halloween memories, mood boosters...

More than Just a Bandaid


A month ago we were at the Farmer's Market and Oren fell on our way to get in line for Sno Cones. His knee was bleeding a bit and it was worrying him. Usually if my kids can't see blood they think they are fine. Blood = tears.

A woman behind us quietly said "I think I have a band-aid in my purse." She pulled one out and gave it to me. Oren's tears were gone as we carefully applied the bandaid. Hazel expressed how NICE that was. Hazel notices these things and cares. This is a huge blessing to me.

Last year I was without a dryer for probably 4 weeks. Our trips to the laundromat were frequent and memorable. I hated going and spending many quarters. I liked it that the kids helped me. I realized how many people do not have a washer or dryer. Moms coming in with three, four, five kids washing their clothing for the week. I was encouraged to take these moms and dad's a bag of quarters -Vance brought me a hundred dollars in quarters last winter and over the next few months I just dropped off a bag or two here and there at local laundromats in town. Huge mood booster. It blessed my socks off. I take kids with me whenever I can. I sometimes leave a little pile of children's books too with a FREE sign next to them.
This is on my to do list for November and December.

Trick or treating was fun. Willem went as a granny. He looked terrific! This kid is so funny! He was a bit self conscious in the daylight - once the sun went down he had more get up and go! Hazel was a darling scarecrow. She has a had a great week! She got third place in a fun reading competition they had in her classroom. (Ms. Rosenow encourages reading in very fun ways!) She received a trophy and a fantastic bucket of goodies. She also got to attend a party! I joined her class for pumpkin carving and pumpkin math on Tuesday. Then yesterday, she wore her costume to school and they had a fun Halloween party in the afternoon. Oren is soaking it all up! Having fun. We thrifted several costumes for him! He decided to go as Spider Man.

One of my favorite moments of last night was when a boy ran to Merit and gave him a huge hug.
This neat kid had a smile that could light up a room. He has some special needs. He knows Merit from school and quickly introduced Merit to his mom. He said "Mom, this is Merit! The guy I talk about all the time! He is #2 on the football team." His smile and Merit's smile made my night.

Merit is playing varsity tonight! In Sunnyside. We are wishing him luck from home.





Speech and Debate allows young people from all walks to express themselves in a safe environment. For some of them, I believe it is learning the skills to be a better speaker, presenter with a  good teacher and positive classroom environment. For others it is sharing dark truths, hard roads and a desire to be heard. Merit shared with me the content of some of the speeches last night as I was crawling into bed. Kids share real stuff. Some of it is heart breaking.

I laughed because Merit's last speech was on Mariner's post season. Seriously, this kid and sports. He has had a mind for this since he was 4. It all starting with Nascar.
He admitted that his class is tired of hearing him speak about sports.
I encouraged him to broaden his horizons and step out of his comfort zone.