Bible stories

Every Sunday, my daughter comes back with her sunday school lesson and tells me what she learned...it's absolutley hilarious what stands out to kids and I can barely keep a straight face as she so intently tells me what the story is...

Here's Noah and the big boat

Morgan : "mommy, here's noah and he made a BIG boat and he had a reallllly long beard!!!! Much longer then Daddy's beard!! I SAW IT!!!!

Me: "you saw it!!!"

Morgan: Yes!!! and it was SOOO Long and white!!!


Jacob and Esau

Morgan: there were 2 brothers, Esau had a REALLY red face and the other had a white face and REALLY HAIRY arms!!

Me: Really? are you sure Esau didn't have hair arms?

Morgan: NO, just a REALLY red face. and Jacob liked to stay home with his mommy and Esau went out and did trips!

Me: oh wow! did he hunt animals like deer?

Morgan: yah!!

Me: do you think he killed bambi's mom (I couldn't resist:)

Morgan: oh no he didn't kill her

So precious. and a big shout out to the preschool team that teaches my daughter these precious lesson :)

random thoughts

I'm being encouraged in the small things these days which is good. A quiet afternoon with both kids either playing peacefully together or sleeping :)

I'm enjoying feeling baby J move inside of me and knowing that after each week brings us closer to getting to know baby J.


I'm enjoying the cooler evenings and the vines on our fence that are already changing colors into red and orange


I'm enjoying God's peace and grace in our lives and how he gives us strength to walk through what seems like a never ending valley


I'm enjoying soft blankets to snuggle up in bed with and a drink when my cat is NOT trying to hump the said blanket


I'm enjoying watching my kids get bigger and Caden speaking in his own language and expressing himself and having to show me everything he has a word for. Example...mama mama...dadda's truck...mama mama....another dada's truck....mama mama....yessssss.....dadda's truck....:)


I'm choosing to enjoy this time in life

Don't bug me

So summer is coming to a close and I'm feeling as my daughter says "bigger and bigger" :)

I also feel the hormones kicking in. Main reason, everyone BUGS me...Everyone, the mail man, the clerk at the store, my kids and for no particular reason. I asked Andy if he thought it was because I was pregnant and before I finished the sentence he said "yes!!"...lucky for him, he's not bugging me ;)


Excited to go for our ultrasound tomorrow, and I'm determined to NOT find out the sex of the baby. I will close my eyes if need to


I'm kinda've felt dry this summer, desert dry, as far as life being stagnant. Same routine, same thing and it's left me feeling frustrated. Well, I kept asking the Lord about it and something jumped out at me while I was in the car listening to the kids bible tapes. Basically it sings specific bible verses. The one that stood out to me was from 1 Peter "exceeding great and precious promises are given unto us" and I cried out " I want to know these promises!! as they apply to me!


so guess I gotta read the bible ;)....In our daily reading plan we were reading out of Jeremiah 31:17 "So there is a hope for your future"


I'll take it!! as one of the precious promises to me

new season

I'm really enjoying this cooler weather. It reminds me that change is in the air. Maybe not just because it's August and a new school year will start and that it will begin to get cold in a month or soo...ok I said it. I feel there is change for the Jones family. Specifically, ( I love when people are specific ;), regarding Andy's job. It will be interesting. We will see.


I almost have a 2 year old. Caden turns 2 on August 18th. I love seeing his personality grow and him express himself more. He's soo different then Morgan in some areas. He is quite a teaser and for this reason I have ventured to guess that boys don't need to be taught to be teasers. Maybe naughty teasers but, just overall trying to get a reaction, they don't need to get taught that.


This pregnancy is going by quickly, but I have enjoying it for the most part. That's easier to say as I'm past the puking stage. Entering now the heartburn stage....oh my


Been finding myself giving to more tendency to worry and become distracted and finding peace in the Bible and thinking about the good things Jesus as for us and actively practicing being grateful. A friend told me, that sometimes she starts to verbally thank Jesus for everything around her when she get's down. For example: thank you Jesus for the sun, thank you Jesus for my car, thank you Jesus that I have food in my fridge. you get the point. I've started to do this when my-self can't see anything to be grateful for.

Looking outside myself

I'm sure it's common knowledge now that I'm pregnant with our 3rd baby. The baby is due end of December/early January. So balancing life has gotten more interesting with being more tired in the morning and morning sickness..

Any huu. I participate in the meals for mommy that our church does for moms that just got home from the hospital or people who could just use a meal due to some form of hardship. The team organized meals for a family just recently that was a co-worker of one of the mom's on the meal team. The family had never come to Hillside but the husband had cancer in the brain that had been taken care of a year ago or so and now it had re-appeared. The husband had to undergo major brain surgery which was the reason our group was delivering meals.

I signed up for a meal and didn't look closely at their home address until of course 10 minutes before I needed to deliver the meal. I was happily surprised to see that this family lived just 1 street down from me. I could easily walk to their house to deliver it. I delivered the meal, or left it on their front door as no one was home. A thought came to me, that I have no clue as to what people live through or are experiencing even people next door to me. Here is a family just down the street that are experiencing alot to say the least and by looking outside of myself for at least 1 hour, I could help complete strangers around me and show them love.

It just really touched me and made me realize how much I need to ask God to help open my eyes to others around me and not be consumed with me and what's happening with me and how me feels and what me is doing today and me is doing tomorrow....too much me

I guess I have a new understanding of the verse "I must decrease so he can increase

Oh the humanity!

Well, it's been a rather unusual fun and sometimes deep breath moments these last few days.

We went camping with Andy's parents this past weekend. They like ultra secret camp sites that are not developed (they have motor homes ;) and then tradition has it that a hike is always taken the following day. This time for camping, we went up Monitor's pass off of highway 89. It's passed Markleville. I'll give away the location but for a price...a small one anyways ;)

They were nice to let us use there quaint little trailer and they have a bigger one that they slept in with Morgan. She was excited to spend the night in their big baby house (baby houses are what she calls motor homes :). We were in the small baby house.

First night was great, camp fire, marshmellows, not to many bugs, gave the kids their tradition milk before bed time. and Caden went to sleep between Andy and I in the small baby house. At 2 am in the morning, he starts coughing, but I can't see him in the darkness and assume everything is ok. Then I hear this gagging sound, and press the nightlight above me that goes on for 3 seconds which is just long enough for me to see him making the lurking motion with his mouth open. AWAKE to say the least. Push him forward to the end of the bed where the kitchen sink is and some of last night dinner comes out. Andy and I are well awake after that and so when 3 am rolls around and he does the same thing, we both leap out of bed and head him towards the sink. No more episodes after that, although with any irregular breathing or sound from him, we're ready to leap to positions. The little monkey then wakes up at 5 am (cause that's when the sun comes up when your camping :) and we order him to go to sleep :)....and he sleeps till 7......1st night

2nd day goes great. Both kids are acting completely normal.We go for a hike and have wonderful quite time reading in the afternoon while the kids sleep and Andy and I go check out the Carson River that is very very full and rushing like people have never seen it, thanks to all the rain this year :).....Getting ready for bed, give the kids their milk and a little while later, Caden is terribly fussy, Andy, me and him are in the trailer again, although not all laying down, and he looses everything he had during the day on the bed that we are sleeping on! I scream (cause that's what girls are suppose to do during moments like these) and Andy is telling me "get him out get him out" (cause guys jump into action). I put him on the ground of the trailer just long enough for Andy to say "no,.... put him outside!!" too late, he looses another round of all that he has ingested on the floor of the trailer.

I just have to say that these moments will later be and kinda've are now, what makes life interesting and having young kids fun and there is never a dull moment.

So I put him outside in time for nothing else to come out. :)....So change over the blankets again and fitted sheets.. and my ever prepared mother in law loans us more blankets. thank goodness. Positive note, is that this all happened before we fell asleep so nothing was left in the poor little guys stomach and we all slept well and even in till 8am!!!


Overall, great camping trip...just some minor hiccups to say the least. Enjoy the pictures above :)

It's finally hot!!

Well today was 88 and so we all played hooky from church and went to the water park to use our passes. It was a very close tie between eating pancakes with friends or going to the water park. It's hard, as in this season of life, with our 2 very mobile and active kids, to finish a conversation with people without having to continually track your kids...no don't get up on the stage....no don't go out the emergency exit!!....no don't go out into the parking lot!...get my drift...



So water park won.



Morgan is at a great age, she's more comfortable with the water and can do the toddle/preschool slides on by her self, while her tired mommy who is busy making yet another baby :) sits in the shade...yes no tanning for this white girl!! and watches Morgan go up then slide down.



Caden is a bit more work, but usually hangs around our spot. So the water park went well and Andy and I agreed to leave at the same time in advance which means we took only 1 car not 2 to accomodate me who likes to leave rather early and an Andy who likes to stay rather late :)


I'm feeling the need for a Tahoe day soon, but we'll have to wait for some really really hot weather before visiting the jewel.


By the way, this picture is at the Sacramento zoo about 3 weeks ago :)

That time again

my my, look at the time...time to blog...

Lot's have happened this last month...We sold my reliable and wonderful gas efficient Rav4 and got another reliable and not quite so gas efficient car, but still pretty good...Honda pilot. Mainly, the reason being is the Rav 4 was just not fitting our growing family any more.


So we sold the old car and bought the new used car on craiglist and both families that we had to interact with where surprisingly nice, considerate, and just like us... just folks living their life and trying not to get ripped off in the process of buying or selling a large item..



I enjoyed getting to know these families briefly and makes me wonder, how many more nice and down to earth people out there in my community that I haven't met? They didn't go to church, but that shouldn't be the only place to get to know people?...right? We did try getting a car from a dealership and that was not such a pleasant experience. In the end, we thought it wasn't the best place to find a reliable car and where people were completely honest....It's rather a long story.



I've pondered how deep and amazing God's forgiveness and mercy is and for the things I hear other people do and I gasp with disbelief or form my own opinion that I really want God's perspective on the whole deal and to not rely or settle for just what I think of something. It's just re-enforced to me how that I'm responsible for my life and how I life it and to remember that when I start to gasp. .....


Still waiting for spring to stay but hey....this variety in the weather can be kinda've nice, or I'll choose to enjoy it.

Our NoooWeez

So our family did it.. We finally got a pet. We had been debating about dog or cat or cat or dog. We picked a cat cause we could leave a cat in the house for a weekend and have the damage of a cat would be less then a dog. So even with a possibility of Andy being allergic to one. We set out!


The Humane Society was having a special last weekend. 10$ for a pet and they come with shots and no baby making machines. So we decided to 'look' ..Well we told the kids we were looking cause we were planning on getting one bust just incase we couldn't find the right one ;)

The Humane Society building was actually very new and fresh with lots of natural lighting. and Lots and lots...I mean lots of cats. Cats were in the hall way in cages stacked neatly. Other cats were in large rooms that had TVs on with fountains and large food basins. Only some cat rooms smelled though, but the majority was very clean. There were just so many cats. A bit of a daunting task. I came with my list of requirements of course :)

1. Cat HAD to be short haired. This for Andy's and for shedding purposes
2. Cat had to be o the smaller side. As we both didn't want a walking 20 pounder
3. Cat HAD to be good with kids. Not scared or overly aggressive.

So after maybe a 1/2 hour of looking around. I spotted a tiny black kitty in one of the cages with another cat. The kitty seemed very energetic. So we asked to meet the kitty and it was brought into one of the meeting rooms with us. It loved the kids and loved playing with the little cords they'd drag along the floor. It wasn't even scared by my Caden who was so enthusiastic to play with it, he would smack the kitty with the toy :)

Kitty found. He fit everything we were looking for. He's small, weights just about 5 lbs and he's 8 months old so he won't get much bigger, short haired, and loves to play with kids great! So we took our cat home and named it Noowheez...that's how to say it. The story behind that is that is what Morgan first called all cats when she was learning how to talk.

Welcome to our home Noweez

that time of year....

It's that time of year in Nevada where the weather teases you with 2 days of spring weather and then it's winter weather for the rest of the week...Monday it starts all over again


That time of year, where my birthday is coming up and this year was awesome already!! I am beyond grateful for the dear friends in my life. Words just brush the surface


Being 28 was a tremendous learning experience and for 29 I'm believing for even more growth and reaping the fruit of lessons learned :)


Being encouraged weekly by other women has changed my life...literally I am not the same person


Some phrases that are said stick to you....


Faith doesn't deny a problems existence. It denies it a place of influence

out of this world

On our way back from our weekend off together, Andy and I stopped at a house at Lake Tahoe that Andy has worked very hard on. It's taken several years to complete but it's finally done and the owners were doing an open house for everyone that had worked on the house to come and tour the finished project.

We got bused up in Q&D's own transport bus and were the first ones there. Were greeted by the owners at the door and toured the house. I can't really find the words to describe the house except to say it is out of this world. One whole side of it is glass that overlooks the lake and it's not a deep house but tall, 4 stories high. Just one of the few examples of the luxuries. It had a glass elevator incase you didn't want to climb up and down the stairs. Complete with glass doors that open and shut as you get in and out. I didn't even know one could build a house like this. Speechless was what I was. Andy was glad that he got to finally show me the house he had been working on for oh so long and the reason for many redrawing of plans.

Andy and I were talking to the bus gal on the way back and we were asking her if she would get an opportunity to tour the house and she said she would rather not cause it's like seeing something but never being able to have it. That got me thinking, even though the house was in a class all by itself and only for a few people in America could build it, and it was breath taking, I wouldn't want to live in it. Plus I couldn't imagine cleaning up all the face and hand marks on the glass that my two children would make :)...

I like my life and am content with our house. I'm grateful for where I am and don't see that the one who dies with the most expensive house wins in life. I want to help build up my house and not tear it down with the words I speak to my children and my husband. I have recently been learning about Proverbs 14:1 " The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."

So we left the glass house to go back to our house that day and our real life with our two wonderful kids who make life interesting and exciting and to my husband that is by my side

6 years later...and still

learning and loving each other more through the years....and coming to a deeper understanding of what one friend wrote for us

marriage is not only enjoying the fettuccine but sharing the burden of choosing the restaurant

just got to do some stuff!

I have recently been seeking employment. I have applied to the 2 hospitals here in the region for a per-dium position. Basically I would make my own schedule and work as needed. I had worked on several floors so I knew what type of patients I would like to care for :). There were some things I did NOT want to do. (work on the medical floor was one in particular) At the same time, I've been listening to this gal speak and one of the topics she talked about was grace.


One of the subtopics was determination and work (everyone cringes). The example was Namaan and how he traveled along ways to seek Elisha to get healing. He put all this effort into going to Elisha and then Elisha tells him to go to the Jordan and dip seven times in the river and he

"became furious and went away and said, Indeed, I said to myself, He will surely come to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leporsy"

in other words

I don't wanna....it's too hard...I want Elisha to wave his hand over me!


and I realized that there somethings that I just have to do and rather then an instant miraculous, wave your hand and it happens, there are some things that I got to physically go out and do.

This really hit home, when finally I got to speak to a real life person on the other end of human resources and she told me that because I have been out of direct patient contact for awhile the hospital wouldn't employ me in a perdium position but I would have to try part time or full time place.

So this is the door that is open, that if I want to work I will have to DOOOOO. Honestly I was hoping for this miraculous phone call from the head of ICU saying "we've waited 5 years for you and finally your here, can you come and work for us just a few times a month!!!".....yah probably not going to happen.

So I think I'll keep things as is for a bit longer but now I know what I need to DOO to get the job :)

another lesson from my garden

I like this kick I'm on about lessons from the garden. :)...So this morning, I decided it's time to prune the roses. When Andy bought this house 7 years ago (wow...been that long), there were already roses planted which was great. When we got married, roughly a year later, I decided to take on the task of learning how to prune one. Fortunately, my mother in law is an expert rose pruner. She has a whole courtyard of roses and they are always looking amazing. She gave me some tips and some basic knowledge.

Last year, I decided to take a class about rose pruning at Idle Wild park. It certainly was an eye opener for how seriously some people take pruning. My teacher was particularly animated and forbid anyone to cut any leaf or stem without his approval. I wanted to shout "they're just roses!!" but kept my mouth shut wisely and learned from the rose pruner guru. It's amazing how much longer it takes to prune my roses now. No longer do I just snip here and there and it's done but I spend looking at the rose, thinking about where I want it to grow and particularly in which direction.
I study it.....
look at it....
then cut off the dead pieces
and angle my clippers and cut exactly 1/2 inch above a new growth bud and cut with the angle pointing down and out. I know that in the late spring and late summer, because of my pruning, I'm going to see some beautiful roses and the plant is going to flower again and again, not just once, thanks again to the the pruning.

It occurred to me this morning, how much this reminds me of what Jesus does in my life. How he encourages me to grow in certain areas and encourages to take away the dead areas in my life. He examines me and is with me and shapes me into the beautiful woman he created me to be. No easy task, but I'm grateful for the pruning cause in a different season......watch out......growth!

deep roots

I really enjoy gardening.. It relaxes me and is one of my favorite hobbys in life. I was weeding the other day (which is quite relaxing....funny as this sounds) and I was pulling out these weeds that were so shallow and no problem just to toss aside and remove. I then came across the roots of the very very large tree in our backyard as the roots run right alongside and now inside the flower bed.. It was like cement. No way I could pull that thing out. I was trying to cut part of it away and it didn't move an inch. It was literally like tying to remove a cement foundation


I thought to myself, I want to be like this tree root. I want what I believe not to change just because I'm around other people...but because it's something that the Holy Spirit is bringing to my attention that needs to change. I want my roots to go deep.....in good things

What a Day!

Yesterday, Monday, was an incredible day. Not so much in the incredible day like chillin with Andy but more like in the incredible whirl wind of excitement!

Caden and Morgan have both been stricken with a cold which produces sniffles plus cough plus really really whinniness! We took the weekend to rest and recharge, so we stayed home from just about everything. Sunday night, I was holding Caden in the rocking chair that is everyone's favorite chair in the family room. I hear this whistle when Caden exhales. I think that's funny, not like a whistle from his nose but deeper then that. Take out his Binkie and I still hear it. I've hear whistling and wheezing from sick patients that are getting breathing treatments at the hospital or about to be intubated but not from my 18 month old that seems pretty healthy. Well, his congestion continued to get worse and in the morning, same sound when I laid him down on his changing table.....this isn't usual even for a cold. Time for call to the MD who is quickly becoming in my mind the best doctor of all time.. Dr. Zucker

Receptionist gives us a 2:10 appt same day... YES!! don't have wait for it to get worse. Call my mom up to see if she can watch Morgan. She says yes without me even asking. Made me realize that I was soo grateful for them and their availability and proximity to us.

Go in, sit in the sick room. See a fellow Hillsider there in the waiting room. Reno really is small, or everyone knows who the best pediatrician is ;)

Get into the patient room.
Nurse asked chief complaint?
Cough and cold...
nurse: ooh just a cough
me...ahh yah..just felt I should bring him in.

Doctor comes in. Asks same thing. I tell him Caden sounded more raspy. He asks me what that means to me. I just said last night and this morning when he exhales his breathing was well.....whistling.

Caden takes one look at the doctor before he listens with his stethoscope and screams bloody murder! Little howler for sure....Doctor asks if he's running a fever. No he's not, I checked this morning. Doctor starts to examine him. Looks in his ears. "hmmmm...he has an ear infection"

I'm speechless, no fever but an infection? Felt like I was in a House episode where bizarre medical things happen that don't follow the usual progression. I ask how he can have a ear infection with a fever? Doc...good question.

Continues examine. He listens to his lungs. Says there wheezing for sure which indicates his bronchioles are narrowing. Illustration he gives, try blowing into a small straw and it whistles. same thing. Not good, and treatment is giving medication directing into the bronchial so they will open more.


Well, I'm relieved that I took the intuitive to bring him in and grateful for a same day appt and that the treatment, nebulizer will help him for sure. Got to get a at home machine to give the treatments but piece of cake. And for the ear infection without a fever? Well Dr. said we caught it really early and so he didn't have a fever yet. Thankfulness just got bigger.


So, we're on the mend. Caden's not quite 100% but, getting there :)

.....

So I've totally hit a wall when it comes to thinking of things I could blog about but I'm going to push through..

random things...


Costa Rica seems like a dream of some sort. It was a good dream though! and when I think of how we took 2 young kids under 5 to another country, I'm still wondering 'how'd we do that?'


I do enjoy sick days for an odd reason, more TV can be watched without any hesitation ;)


Caden is such a trooper, even with this stomach flu he still smiles and likes books read to him. Seriously think he is going to be a book worm, more power to him!


Ever say something to someone and they respond with a statement that isn't even close to what you were saying but you can see that they trying to relate to you......nice to have a connection of some sort.


I watch my retired neighbor across the street from us smoke his cigar every morning. Seems relaxing, never have smoked one but seems like there is a enjoyable slowing down process that is involved. He is probably smoking one of the cigars we got him from Costa Rica as a thank you for watching our house. He wife was less then thrilled to say the least. He's in utter bliss it seems

time going by!

Daddy and big girl Morgan playing on the ground




















Special reading time.
He loves reading books and having books read to him

gotta wait!

I love that Morgan is getting older and I can have actual conversations with her. Of course it's not to deep like politics or the conspiracy of the US government but still, I love the simplicity of talking with her and interacting more with her.


Morgan has this way of understanding that if she can't have it now she "has to wait!!" She says "has to wait" with such urgency and strain in her voice, you would think that she has to wait till the torture is over not just until after dinner. She is beginning to understand the phrases of tomorrow or Sunday but still the term "next week" is so vague to her it might as well be never to her.


She says "got to wait!!" if we tell her that she can't have her candy until after dinner or can't go to school until Monday cause they are closed on Saturday. She get's so anxious and says it over and over again 'got to wait!! got to wait!!!'


The other day, when she was saying this while throwing herself on the couch, I looked at her and said, Morgan, most of life is about waiting.....the thought dawned on me that I need to listen to my own words in areas that I'm anxious and can't wait for it to happen and how I can bug my husband about things I want done now or things I can't wait to happen. But the reality is, I need to have more patience and understanding that in the waiting, that character comes and God's grace changes me..

so I will say with a smile "gotta wait!!!"

Sunny Saturday!

I have missed our sun shine here in Northern Nevada


Saturday it was here and so was the sun! and we loved it!! Soaking up everyminute in the backyard. One particular reason I am grateful for a warm sunny day is our backyard becomes an extension of our family room and I chill in the family room relaxing in the few minutes I have while the kids run and play and can't really get hurt on anything back there :) Ok minus the AC unit which I guess one could get hurt on just not sure how.

So there has been this rock in the back yard, and my in-laws got a rock driller awhile back. My father in law loves collecting rocks and has created a huge rock fountain of his own, so I got the idea of turning our own rock that is just lying there and kinda've large but not to big into a fountain that we could see from the backdoor. You know those one's you see where the water covers the rock and it's makes a nice watery sound. So I was going to endeavor to do this but was a bit daunted when my father in law warnded me that while I was drilling if it seemed to get really difficult to drill to let it go or it would break my wrist...hmmmm...broken wrist. Doesn't sound like that would make life very easy for me.


So I tactfully asked my husband if he would do it for me. Knowing that my love language is acts of service, his said yes! yes!! So this weekend it happened. Took him awhile as the rock was so big that the drill couldn't go through from just the top but Andy had to make two cuts one from the botton and top and connect them. It worked. I'm thrilled!!! Thank you Mike!!! for your rock driller!

highlights of our trip

Arrived back in Reno tonight. IT was raining and we were all so glad to be home! We had a great great time in Costa Rica. There were challenges some days with the kiddos but we over came and did not dwell on these :)


We didn't have to use Benadryl until the return trip home. Caden was totally over the traveling thing the morning we got on our return flight and by some encouragement from our group, ( I think the exact words were, "give that boy an IV of Benadryl!!!") we gave him some. Worked great from San Jose ( capital of CR) to Dallas. I would say the hardest part in traveling with an almost two year old was on the return flight to REno. He screamed yes screamed for probably a good half way through the 3 and 1/2 hour flight. We did every possible thing to make him stop. No could do mi amigos. Some people though must think you purposely want your child to scream in your lap for fun. Yah that's how I like to travel...haha...That's for you lady sitting in front of us glaring at us :p and hufffing and puffing


We stayed at a bed and breakfast in the capital the day we arrived and then the day before we left. It was great. The gal who owned it was German but spoke Enligsh and Spanish. She and her family had lived in Costa Rica for over 10 years. There were cats and dogs wandering around but always well behaved and the eating tables were in a kitchen outside. Yes I can give you the info if you want to go there yourself :). Her name was Margarita which must be one she specifically made for her self and this can be confusing when my husband was asking her for an actual Margarita. She actually owned the house that we stayed at the rest of the trip in the little town of Quepos. The house was amazing. Use to be a restaurant in it's earlier days but the family lived there after that for 6 years. It had a great view of the ocean and the family room /kitchen/ dining room/ didn't have any walls to the outside. IT was like a Robinson Crusoe tree house. It had 3 pools that all connected. It was very nice :)


We sweated like pigs down there and I'm frankly surprised we have skin left. There is no place like home and we were ready to come home. Everything looks fresher and newer coming home. I need to remember to pray for those eyes to have so I don't have to go on vacation to see my familiar surroundings like that :)


Side note: Costa Rica airport security by far the most long and detailed I have been through ever. Pat downs right before we got on the plane. Carry on luggage checked twice, hand searched each time. I was thrilled now but sweating in a bus load of people seeing the search lines and having to drop and pick up our luggage while steering 2 screaming kids, I was not so thrilled at the time.



pictures will follow :)

Excel Sheets

So my husband and I have very different ways of packing. He makes excel sheets on the computer for what needs to go in his suitcase weeks before the departure date. And this is for any minor engagement.

Me on the other, throw things in a bag a day or two before. The thought of being detailed in that area, I just basically don't want to make the effort. Well we usually share a bag which causes several interesting arguments the day leading up to departure.

ON friday we are going on vacation out of the country and I have agreed to the excel sheet packing and planning weeks ahead! It's actually a nice feeling to have the suitcase done. Although I don't know if I'll completely abandon my style of packing, I'm starting to like Andy's style. Not having a Wal-Mart of any Westernized store near by was a motivator to to change my ways :)

I do have to say, my husband gets such energy and satisfaction with going as minimal as possible! He packed all his stuff in a backpack and that's it for him. Me, I didn't want to go minimal but with the airlines charging for a 2nd bag and the fact that we have to check 2 carseats in, I was again motivated to change my ways ! :)

So after last night...the final results is me sharing a suitcase with the 2 kids. 1 bag having all of our beach stuff/diapers/wipes/booster seat for Caden and then a 3rd bag carrying both of the kids car seats.

I do have the say, the most minimalist I did accomplish was live out of a backpack for 2 weeks. Andy and I backpacked Europe right before we had Morgan. I'm wearing the same clothes in all the pictures as those were the only ones I had! Same Orange sweater and jeans....wonder where Erica is in the picture...Oh look for the orange sweater and jeans!

March Madness

It's not March yet, but with all the college basketball on TV it made me have a flash back to 7 years ago.

I had just started to date this guy whose dad I worked for (another story for a different blog :). And I would drive to the yellow house that he rented with his housemate Bradon. We would spend time watching college basketball and there was alot on as it was March. My boyfriend's roommate would talk and talk and talk and talk!! All I wanted to say was...shhhh... I'm trying to watch the game and want to talk with my boyfriend!

Me and my boyfriend didn't hang out much with his roommate after that. Sorry Bradon :)


Wow, now we live down the street from that house, it isn't yellow any more :) and have 2 kids and much more life experience. A world has changed but maybe not so much but I know I have grown to love that man more now then I did then

So life really isn't fair

I've always had heard that phrase while growing up and of course I would agree and would say how sad it was that life isn't fair. Some where along the way, I'd forgotten this phrase and the whole concept that life isn't what you expect and some things that in fairness should happen don't. I was talking to someone about something they had gone through and the situation they were describing it wasn't.....really wasn't fair! and I was indinant! and said well that's not fair! and she looked at me and her look said..."ah yah!!"


My response was something along the lines of...ooh so life realllly isn't fair. The impact of that statement kinda've hit me anew. I had reverted back to thinking life was fair. How silly of me :)



Thank you Jesus that life isn't fair but sometimes it seems that life would be easier if it was fair. But then I think of how Jesus' gift to us isn't based on fairness and I'm grateful that life isn't fair....

Funny Things My Son Does

Caden is such a joy. He fills my day with laughs and some headaches. Here is just a few of the funny moments that I've had recently


Caden took his shoe off and I didn't realize it. He said ah ooh and I thought it was cute as I left the scene of the crime and walked 1/2 mile before I realized this and had to retrace my steps while hauling a whole bunch of bags uphill before I found it


He now knows that you put paper in the fireplace to start the process of starting a fire and he managed to empty out a whole drawer full of paper into the fire place one morning. Guess he wanted a fire


The poop saga is still continuing in the bath tube. Even with swimmers on, that guy still does a job. Why is the water all murky!


After I tell Caden no, he graps my hand and lays his face on it or tries to grap my shirt and lay his head on it. Soooo cute


Anytime someone says horse. He makes this little whinny sound.


It took 3 solo trips out to the church parking lot before his mom got wise and uses a stroller in that building at all times. I got it, I finally got it! Not just a hat rack my friends!!! ;)

Thrift Stores and thoughts

Funny growing up, I never really shopped at thrift stores until I met this gal whose family became close friends to my family of origin. This gal had an amazing gift to see the most curvy appealing stuff in thrift stores. She took the time to look through the shelves and other junk and came out with some amazing treasures. I would always ask her, "where'd you get that?" and she would just smile and say the shop. My jaw would drop as I thought, "you found that at a thrift store!"

So I am taking lessons from her and looking carefully through thrift stores and discount stores. I don't HAVE to shop there but the way I think is the less money I spend on household items and food the MORE money I have for vacations! So I'm willing to make the exchange. I'm thinking about being in Costa Rica at the end of January...Plus I do like finding treasures :)

Me and the kiddos went to a thrift store today and I got Morgan Grave Digger the monster truck. Which is a monster truck that she and Andy went and saw last year at the Reno Livestock Center. 25 cents. ...priceless really though. Made me think of how Jesus takes the time to really look at each person and not in a rush to fix them and then move on. He stays and waits and hopes and encourages and is by my side for the entire journey.