Checking In

Still here, I promise! It was a very jammed packed, wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I hope it was for all of you, too! Things always get pretty hectic here around the holidays. But I am happy to say that the Christmas shopping is ALL done! Yay! The hubby took (and passed) two finals, and only has one more this week. After that I get him for four weeks!

We are going to have a great time baking up cookies for our family and friends, getting the girls dolled up to take their picture with Santa, and making homemade gifts! Love being creative and spending time with my family!! Now that the stress of shopping is done, I can really focus on the deeper meaning of this holiday season.

Still busy, busy. We have two sets of guests coming by to see us. So excited!! We are going to finish the decorating this week, and enjoy some time together.

Workout Update:

Yes, it has been hectic. And yes, my workout regiment has been inconsistent, at best, with all the coming and going. But.......I put on a pair of pants today one size smaller!! And they fit a little loose!! It may be slow progress right now, but it is PROGRESS!! So excited!

I hope you all have a love filled holiday season, taking time to truly cherish all the wonderful things you are blessed with. Thank you, each of you, for being part of my life, big or small. Remember, you are all amazing, loved, and truly remarkable. I am the one who is truly blessed!

Tea time

So this is what happens when I have one of those nights where sleep does not come easily. Making something really helped. Working with my hands and having to put all my attention into the details helped relax me, and by the time I was finished, I was exhausted and my mind was ready for sleep.

I know these are a little rough and amateur, but I am proud of them! And the most important thing is that Becca LOVES these! That made my morning.

It is a rainbow tea set made from FIMO clay. The cups are supposed to be rainbow petal cups. Hard when it is so small!

I love the tea pot! I know Becca is hoping I have many more sleepless nights! Wonder what I can come up with next time I get creative. Open to any suggestions (but it needs to be small). Have a wonderful day full of  color and imagination!

Eggs

Day #11

Today I am thankful for farm fresh eggs. It is so amazing how different farm fresh eggs are than store bought ones. The taste, the color. They are beautiful, and so delicious. I will be honest, when we can't get our hands on some, I am a little sad. I am hooked, and really don't enjoy store bought eggs as much as I used to. Hopefully someday we will have our own, but for now I am thankful for the few times we luck out and snag a carton. Yummmm!

In the kitchen

Today is a kitchen day. I just got done with a double batch of chocolate raspberry coffee creamer, and am currently making a chocolate cream pie (my husbands favorite). On the menu tonight are my green chili chicken enchiladas. So amazing! Maybe I will share the recipe later..... Now, I don't know any other way to make chocolate cream without Dream Whip and Jell-O pudding (if you have a scratch recipe----PLEASE SHARE!), but the crust and whipped cream are made from scratch. As are the enchiladas!

So, needless to say, I am in the kitchen for a good part of today. Which I do not mind a bit. Except for cleaning up. Nobody likes that part. I have my playlist on random, the husband is napping, the girls are keeping themselves happy, and mama is happily baking away. What a great way to spend a Sunday.

You know those songs? You know, the ones that just make you want to dance no matter where you are? Here are a few playing in my kitchen today making my feet tap:

"We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel

"Accidentally in Love" by the Counting Crows

"Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen

"I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas

"The Impression That I Get" by the Mighty Might Bosstones

"Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan

I am dancing away while rolling out pie crust and I don't care who can see! Glorious to be alive! Maybe tonight I will turn on some Christmas music and have a cup of coffee with my creamer, and snuggle with my hubby. Mmmmmmm.....perfect rainy Sunday.......

Warmth

Day #10

Today I am thankful I have a warm, dry, safe place to sleep. Still so many devastating stories from the aftermath of hurricane Sandy. People packed into tents with no heat, thousands without homes and winter on its way. I hope that relief comes soon to those suffering, and may they have a restful sleep. I am blessed to be able to give these things to my family. I look in and see my girls sleeping peacefully and warm in their beds, and I am so grateful.

Two for one (again!)

Wow, I am just on a roll of not posting daily! I really have no reason this time. Wasn't really busy yesterday, I just forgot. So here is another two for one!

Day #8

I am thankful for nostalgia and being able to share the things I loved as a kid with my kid. I decided it was time to have Rebecca see the Wizard of Oz. It has always been a favorite of mine, and I couldn't wait any longer to show it to her. She has never watched an entire movie from start to finish. Usually during slow parts, she will play or color. Or when it gets scary or sad, she just doesn't want to watch anymore. I was a little worried about the Wizard of Oz, because it can get pretty scary. I was just hoping she would at least see a few parts that I know she would love.

Well, she loved it! Glued to it until the end. She cried so hard when Toto was taken away in the beginning  but shouted for joy when he escaped! She loved each of the fellows who joined Dorothy on her journey, but LOVED Glenda and Dorothy. But I have to say what she loved most was the horse of a different color. Aww, just like her mama!

So I sat there with Becca in my lap (when she wasn't jumping for joy!) and saw the magic of that movie through her eyes. It made me think about when I was her age. I wonder if she will think about this when she see's this movie years from now. *Sigh*  Time does go by too quickly...


Day #9

Today I am thankful for the chance to go shopping.........alone. Sometimes it is just nice to stroll slowly down each isle, looking at each product, seeing so much that is usually a blur on any regular shopping trip. You hear a kid asking his mom for cookies, and another complaining about her feet hurting. It takes a second, but you remember their not yours! You lift your head and smile, humming inside as you realize you are only responsible for you at this moment. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I truly enjoy myself. And to top it off, there was not a problem one while I was gone, Becca was so happy to see me and made me a card, and I got treated to a yummy dinner. It may not be much, but I am very grateful.

Two for one

I admit, I got so caught up in the election last night and I completely forgot to write on here. So I will do two in one!

Day #6

I am thankful the elections are over! Maybe a little too easy, but I am serious! I have watched dear friends get very hostile with each other and others about their political beliefs. Now, I am thankful for Freedom of Speech, but it gets ugly sometimes. I love that my friends and family are so strong in their beliefs, I am just glad I do not have to see anything else about these two candidates! Now we can focus on putting the pressure on the president and fixing this great country. Oh, and getting our friends back! =)

Day #7

Today, I am thankful for my girls. Even though one is only mine through marriage, they both make my heart full. Yes, at times they try my patience and push me to the edge. And of course, sometimes I have gone over that edge, too. But each day I have them is truly a blessing. I don't want to live a single day without either of them. Maddie is so smart and beautiful, and is finding herself a little more each day. She has a lot on her mind and heart lately, but she is trying her best to move forward and stay positive. She is excelling in school and on her flute, and we couldn't be prouder. Rebecca is my beautiful, smart, precious princess. She can make you laugh and smile when you are in the worst mood. She is trying to find her place, which can be trying on the patience at times, but she has the kindest, most giving heart! She is so full of life and so creative, and makes me smile everyday.  I love my girls, through the good and bad, and am thankful that I am lucky enough to be a part of their lives.

My love

Day #5

Today I am thankful for my awesome husband. We celebrate eight years of marriage in December, and I love him more today than ever. It has been a rough ride at times. We have overcome obstacles that should have broken us, but together we have weathered it all and come out stronger. I am thankful that he loves me, is the father of our girls, and shares my dreams. I am a better person because of his perspective, thoughts, and love. I am thankful that no matter what trial I may face, I will not do it alone. I love you, Allen. Thank you for loving me!

It's so bright it hurts my eyes

Day #4

Today I am thankful for random sunshine. Living on the Oregon coast during fall/winter can get dreary at times. Now, I LOVE coastal, rainy days. But what I love more is that random break in the weather when it has been raining and drizzling for a couple of weeks, then you wake up and the sun is out and the sky is blue. My husband and I have learned that on days like these, unless we already have plans, we get to the ocean, and quick.

Off we went today and explored farther south than we have been before. What a beautiful, sunny drive with the salt air in the breeze. The kind of day you wish you had a convertible. We saw some beautiful coastline and walked barefoot in the sand.

My beautiful girls!                            

As soon as we headed for home, we watched the grey clouds and fog roll in off the ocean. The rain is back. But that is okay, I enjoy the way it smells here in the morning after a rain. Boy, that sunshine felt good!

A gray day

Day #3

Today I am grateful for gray hair. Yup, that's right. As I was getting ready this morning, I found it.................

(oh, the horror!!)

my first.

gray.

hair.

Right there. On the top of my head, clear as can be. Really? This is truly hard for me to admit. Man, I thought I was ready for this. Okay, it is just one, right? But I pulled it out. Uh-oh, now three will come back in its place! I sulked a little to Allen, and he just smiled and kissed my forehead. I made him promise not to tell anyone.

And to make things better, while I was shopping at the grocery store, I bought some wine. Why is that a problem? Well, the cashier didn't card me. Not even a hesitation. Do I look 35?

While driving home, listening to my step-daughter ramble on about all the things that 13 year old girls think are "oober" cool, it dawned on me. Yes, I have (well, had) a gray hair, but what does that really mean? It means I have made it far enough to get a gray hair. I have survived this game called life for 29 years. I will accept every gray hair, every wrinkle, because it means I am truly blessed. I deserve those gray hairs, damnit. So today I am thankful for my gray hair, and the fact that I am still around to joke about it.

Kind of wished I hadn't pulled it out.......

Day #2

Day #2

Today I am thankful for surprises. I planned, with my sister and mom, to meet today at Chuck E. Cheese in Springfield. We will be in California for Thanksgiving, and we will probably stay coastal for Christmas, so we wanted to see each other for a quick visit. Well, Allen and I decided not to tell the girls. We told them we had to go inland to do some errands, which is not uncommon since we do not have many stores out here. Well, we pulled up in front of the mall, and there were grandma, grandpa, Aunt Ashley and Noah! The girls had no idea, it was great. They seemed a little confused, but had such a fun time. I even got me a little Noah time. He is so cute! It was a nice little change in scenery, and really good to see my family. Surprises keep life interesting! Thanks to my family for a wonderful visit!

Let's do a challenge

I see a lot of people posting some sort of "What I am thankful for" challenge for the month of November. I think that is a neat idea. However, I don't think I will bombard my friends on there with the daily posts....they are all probably getting tired of hearing about all the food Allen is making me! So, I know it is late, but we will count this one as Day 1, and I will do it again later today.

Day #1

Today I am thankful for old friends. Over the years, I have had many friends. Now, the ones who stayed only for a short time are important, too. They always leave memories and lessons learned. Then there are the ones who never really go away. It may be years until we talk, but they are always there. Even with miles between them and me, I know I can always turn to them if I am in need. I am thankful for their understanding, tolerance, and forgiveness, because I know I can fail to be the greatest friend at times. Thank you, old friends.

Under the weather

Okay, I am making myself do a quick post. Been busy here, and now I am sick. Did not do much yesterday except rest, so I could take the girls out for Halloween. I didn't even exercise! I felt guilty all day, even though I could hardly breathe and my head pounded with every step. I am still feeling pretty bad today, but a little better. I think I may try and exercise today. We have a busy weekend and I don't want to miss too many days. Ugh....I just want to go back to bed!

So, some good news. My step-daughter, Maddie, tried out and got accepted into honor band! She has only been playing the flute for 2 months! She is very excited, and we are very proud of her. She has been practicing everyday, and her hard work payed off! She sees this, and it is a wonderful lesson for her. And a first, as well. Lets hope this positive behavior catches!

  Becca was a rainbow fairy princess riding a flying unicorn!

Maddie was a masquerade witchy ballerina 

So cute and pretty!

And of course last night was Halloween! I love the day after, seeing all the pictures of friends kids all dressed up! So fun! My girls were cute and got a TON of candy! Really I don't know how, we only went down a few streets because we were trick-or-treating between rain spurts, but they still got a ton! I even woke up to a sweet thank you letter from Maddie! Even with not feeling well, it was a GREAT Halloween!!

I hope it was a fun and safe evening for all of you, friends! Now to get ready for an awesome Thanksgiving trip! 

Weights and pumpkins

So today marks one week since I started working out. I must say, I did better than I thought I would. Now, I have a long way to go, but I really feel I can do this. I can already feel small changes, in my energy and my muscles. There were a couple times where I started to give myself excuses or put it off until tomorrow. I just forced myself to do it, and I felt a million times better once I was done. I am trying to stay motivated. Lets hope I can stick with it. You know they say that getting through the first week is the hardest. Actually, I don't know if they say that or not. It is just what I say!   =)

My motivation this week comes from my daughter. She drew me this picture. Now, this makes me feel like I have made a positive lifestyle change. She was so excited when she drew this, and so proud of it.

This is me with my weights and the TV playing a workout video. Love it!

Also on my accomplished list this week is my VW Bus pumpkin. I saw a picture of one on Pinterest, and decided right then that this was going to be my pumpkin for Halloween. It looked challenging, but I thought it would be fun. And it was both! I drew it all out freehand (took a couple of times!) except for the VW symbol (I printed a template for that), than carved and skinned away. Took a couple of hours and LOTS of cleanup, but I am pretty proud of it. 

Here it is all lit up.

And just now I pulled out the roasted pumpkin seeds from the oven. Yummmmmmmmmm!

Thunderstorms are here and the leaves are falling. Everything is pumpkin spiced and the decorations are coming out. The smells of rain and homemade fires fill my nose, with an occasional waft of sea air. It is an evening cup of coffee and warm hoodie weather, and I am loving it! I love Fall and Halloween time! I have some wonderful plans next month, and in the coming months, too! Time to think about my holiday baking and shopping lists.

May your homes and hearts be warmer and toastier as the weather gets colder and wetter!

It is a new day!

I can not believe it has been 3 months since I last posted. If I still have any of you left.......Hello! It has been awhile, and a lot has happened! I really hope this is my new start, and I can stick with it for a bit. My goal will be the same....to follow my family and life. But my direction will be a little different. My topics will be ever changing, like my life!

As some of you may know, my husband has started culinary school (and hopes to continue into baking when done). So I am going to try and share some neat things I learn from him on here! It is an exciting new path in our lives, and I can not wait to see what lies ahead for us!

My mind has been on my mortality a lot lately. There have been some recent passing's in my extended families, and it makes you realize how fleeting life really is, how quickly it goes by. I want to cherish everyday I am given, and each amazing person who gives me a piece of their love. Thank you for loving me. There is no greater gift I could ask for.

I am only 4 months away from turning the big 30 (don't laugh...I am freaked out!). I am not happy with myself when I look in the mirror. I want to live this great life that has been given to me. I want to make this next chapter in my life a new adventure! There are so many places we want to see, so many foods to eat, so much to experience! I am ready to make the changes I need to be healthy!

Thanks to the help of a great friend, we are learning about the right foods to feed our family. There is a lot of scary stuff out there, but food shouldn't be one of them! We have a passion for good food, and are going to live that passion. It is hard to change habits and ideas about what we eat, but I think we are up for the challenge.

Today is a grand day! I have stepped out of my comfort zone and taken the first baby step towards a healthy me! I worked out for the first time in a VERY long time. Found a video, pushed myself, and sweated up a storm! I feel great (and very out of shape!), but GREAT! It has been a long time, but now is better than never! I really hope this is a change that can stick around. I am ready to live!

I hope you all have a grand day, full of love and inspiration! It is nice to be back!

The last of the patches?

These are the last pictures I have to post of our eye patch art. It is sad, but I must admit, I am a little okay with it right now. We are very out of routine, and the artwork has taken a back seat. It is nice right now, with so much going on, but I hope we can pick it back up after our move. We will see.

Here Becca drew a unicorn. Kind of hard to see, but she worked really hard on it! She is so cute!

She wanted me to draw Dora and she colored it.

This is the same patch, I just couldn't pick one picture! She is my beautiful little girl!

Here she drew and colored a mama crown and a baby crown. So funny!

She drew and colored a mama doggie and a baby doggie with hearts all around.

She drew and colored two doggies again, with her name and more hearts. These doggies are Pixie and Shorty, her Nana and Papa's dogs. Too much!

Well, I will post when I can! Maybe soon we can start up again, but I am going to enjoy a little break for awhile. I hope you were able to smile at least once!

It's been awhile....

Yes, I am a flake. I don't deny this, I just wish I wasn't right! Life has a funny way of changing and keeping you on your toes. Our family has so much going on right now, and my blog has suffered the biggest from our ever changing life! So if I have any constant readers left, I am sorry. I will post when I can, but can make no promises other than that.

So what is new? Right now we are back in Nevada. We are visiting my in-laws and some friends while we are down here on more serious business regarding the custody of my step-daughter. Won't go into details, but all I know is that it is not finished, and the outcome can go any way at this point. Laws are not as cut and dry as you would hope. Hopefully we can get through this with minimal impact on Maddie. That is most important.

We left the majority of our things in storage here, as we rented a furnished house. We have decided to finally go through ALL of it and get rid of a ton of stuff. I mean, we are finding boxes that neither of us has seen since before we got married! Time to hang on to what is truly important. This will make our moves in the future so much easier as well! 

So each evening (after the temperature goes below 100), Allen and I go to our storage and get to work until we lose the light of the day. It is dirty, dusty, hot, and a lot of lifting. The funny thing is, we are really enjoying it! So far we have gotten to go kid free. We have some portable speakers for our iPod, and work to some good music. It is just us working together, looking through the past. It is nice to go down memory lane for awhile, but a little depressing to see how fast it all has gone. It has been a wild, hard ride for sure, but we have weathered it, together. We still have one another and two beautiful girls. What more is there but boxes of stuff? I am truly blessed.

So our days have been filled with legal stuff, visiting time, and trying to keep the kids from getting bored without a lot of stuff to keep them busy. Our evenings are filled with cleaning out the storage, putting the kids to bed when we get home, washing away the Nevada dirt, and sleeping hard! I can not promise I will post again before our trip back up to Oregon, but I will try!

Sadly, our eye patch art has slowly stopped. I have a few to post, but we are so out of whack and out of our element, a lot of routine things have fallen by the wayside. I do not know if we will ever pick it up again. We will see where our new start leads us. 

We are all missing the ocean quite a bit. We have been spoiled, and don't ever want to move away from the water for a long time! We are enjoying our visit, but all really want to get back and smell the salty air. We are excited to start this new chapter of our lives. I hope you are all here to follow my little family. And please, as always, feel free to share your thoughts, comments, stories, whatever! I would love to read them!

I hope life is a little less chaotic for you. May your memories and future be blessed and filled with love!

Patches and what's ahead

Still going strong with our patches. And getting a lot more smiles out of my little girl! Becca is really digging the help she gets from sissy. Here is yesterday's patch. Maddie drew peace signs and hearts, and Rebecca colored them. So cute.

Today, Rebecca drew heart chips. Yup. I think she was in a hurry to finish so she could go back to playing dolls. She is so funny!

Well, we had a lazy weekend. Tomorrow we are taking a day trip to check out Allen's new school and some places to move. Tuesday our town is setting off fireworks, so we are probably going to bar-b-q and watch the fireworks from the beach. Wednesday it is finish cleaning and packing time. Thank goodness we don't have a ton to pack. Busy, busy for the next few weeks! I can not wait to be in our new place and falling into our new routine. I see great things ahead for my little family!

I hope you were able to relax this weekend, and recharge for the week ahead.

Inspiration

I am sort of catching up. I got caught up a little on my friends blog. Seeing her posts truly inspired me. It has been so busy here, I have forgotten to take time to do what I love. I have found a love for homemade and my blog, and have severely neglected both! So thank you, Trisha, for inspiring me to get back to it!!

I saw this recipe for homemade chocolate syrup on her blog. Uh, yummm! And totally awesome!! Here is a link to her post, the recipe, and the original link: Homemade Chocolate Syrup 

It was easy and really good. I agree that is is better than the store bought. Maddie thinks it is amazing, and can not stop drinking chocolate milk! Passed the test for sure. 

Rebecca wanted pink and purple doggie pancakes. Okay. She asked if she could help make them. She stirred in the coloring. She was such a big helper and was very proud of her contribution!

She was a wonderful help in the kitchen! I will have to think of something that the girls and I can make together. That would be fun!

This is my attempt at a pink and purple "noodle" pancake!

Here is a butterfly with chocolate chips.

A lady bug. I really have way too much fun with pancakes!!

We came across this on Pinterest. And it totally works! 

How to make caramel from sweetened condensed milk

Yummy and rich. Was nice with a green apple. Crazy how that works!

I feel so much better! I got to try some new things. I loved cooking with my little girl. It was great to find something that Maddie likes so much. I think we are going to have a lot of fun together in the kitchen. I hope I am able to make the time to do something I enjoy, and that makes my family happy. If I start to lose my momentum, I know where I can turn for a little inspiration....

I hope you all are a little inspired and try something new!

Patches

Another catch up day. It will probably be like this for a few weeks. Oh well, I will get back into schedule soon enough. Here are yesterdays and today's patches.

Yesterday we had some unexpected visitors stop by. It was an old friend of Allen's from the Navy and his family. It was so great to see them, and I am glad they had just eaten because I was NOT prepared! Becca was so excited to show off her patch. It is a baby carrot, and sissy wrote her name for her. Very cute!

Leave daddy to do the patch and it gets put on upside down! Oh well, it worked and she didn't mind. Maddie drew a bow, cupcakes and hearts. All by request. Too funny!

We are going to Old Navy for the $1 flip-flop sale tomorrow. Maybe that is what she will draw on her patch. We will see.

2 patches for the price of 1

I didn't post the patch picture yesterday, so I will add it to today's post. Yesterday she drew rainbow doggies; a mama and a baby. So cute!

Today she had sissy draw some bananas.

You know, someday I will get a smile out of this girl! I promise she is not always so serious!

Today was a fun filled beach day! I will post a little something more tomorrow, hopefully! After a day in the sun and cooking (amazing) chicken enchiladas from scratch, I am beat! So until tomorrow......

Daily Patch

Her choices in art are always interesting! Today she asked me to draw a camera. So here is a picture of a picture of something that takes pictures.

I love the bright colors. She was attempting to look surprised in this shot. She is just so "siwwy". Love this kid!

Patch Catch (up)

Here are most of the patches that I did not post. Some days we had so much going on that we did not draw on them. We are still going strong with the art, and it still helps her everyday! Hope these make you smile!

She drew Saturn because it has rings. She had Grandma draw a space unicorn. I promise that is what it is! =0)

Here she drew a mama and baby turtle and wrote her name.

This is her mama and baby fish.

I drew her a baby bird in a shell, and she colored it. We make a good team!

She wanted a tree with pink apples.

This one is a collaboration. Nana drew the big flowers and butterflies below, I drew the 4 small flowers, and Becca colored them all.

She asked for a diamond ring. I love the colors she did!

She asked Maddie to draw her a house. It is her dream house.

Becca tried to draw a horse, but gave up. Maddie saved the day and made a horse from Becca's attempt. Pretty nice save!

A strawberry! I love this kid!

Today she drew a mommy and baby butterfly.....upside down. So I guess that means I get an upside down smile. I tried to tell her they were part bat, but she wasn't having it.

That is it for now. I am going to try and post these everyday again. Thanks for bearing with me! I hope you smiled at least once! Good night to all!

I am still here, promise!

Wow. I bet you all thought I was done with my blog. I admit, I was a little worried myself! Life has been very crazy for us, and I was just never able to find the time (or motivation) to sit down and write a new entry. I got used to not writing, and it seemed like my blog slipped further and further away. I sit here tonight, ready for sleep, but determined to get back on here. So here is a brief (as brief as I can be) recap on what has happened since my last post. I will post a catch up eye patch post next.

I have a new nephew! Noah Edward James King! 8 lbs. 9 oz., 20.5 inches long. He is beautiful, and perfect, and I am already madly in love with him. I am going to love being his Auntie! My sister had an emergency C-section and had a seizure. It was scary for awhile. I spent the first couple of hours of Noah's life in ICU holding his mama's hand while she came to. It was so amazing when she finally got to see her beautiful little man. It was hard to see her that way, but I am so glad I was able to be there for, and with, my little sister. You are an amazing mommy already, Ash!

My husbands parents, niece, and daughter came to visit. It was packed, but such a great time. I really enjoyed their visits, and was very sad to see them go. It will be nice to see them again in a few weeks when we go down there.

My step-daughter, Maddie, is with us. It looks like it will be permanent. It is going to be a change for us all, but I know we will get through this and come out better people and a closer family. It may be a long fight ahead, but we will not give up.

We are moving. I may be scarce on here for the next 2 weeks while ironing out all the details, but I will post when I can. I will tell you all where we are going when we get there and I am sure it is our final choice. What can I say, we have been changing our minds so much lately, I have myself confused. So to save us all the headache, we will know when we get there! =0)

Health stuff has been on our minds. Not to go into details, one scare is over, but we are not fully out of the woods. All we can do now is wait.

Rebecca had a follow up for her eyes. She has only progressed a little, again, so now she has to wear the patch 4-6 hours vs. the prior 2-4 hours. She is not too happy with this, but is still hanging on like a trooper. She is awesome.

Rebecca got to fly a kite and eat a s'more for the first time. My husband and I built our fist outdoor fire together (we have done this before, just never together. Thought that was a little odd). Maddie got to run on the beach at midnight and eat roasted marshmallows in the ocean for the first time. It was a fun week!

I think that covers the majority. It has been so crazy, and there is still more to come! I hope I did not bore anyone by going on about things. I hope I can keep updated more often and spare you all the novel! Thank you to all who accept me the way I am!

I hope you all have a wonderful day and catch up with an old friend!

Last minute trip

My sister is expecting, and today we got THE call! Hopefully, very soon, my nephew will be here! I am excited and worried. I hope it is smooth for both baby and mama. We had to pack and head over here right away because Allen had to turn right around and go home. He has to work today.

So now we wait. Becca is awesome, and so excited to meet her cousin. It has been a long day, and the next few will be even longer! So on that note, this lady is tired and I am going to bed! Here is our patch today. Rebecca wanted me to draw (I kind of missed it!). She wanted a picture of a bike, and this is what I came up with.

I like the sun with his sunglasses! I hope you all have a wonderful day, full of pleasant surprises!

Just checking in

Today was a very busy day. I hope it slows down soon so I can get on here more. I put dinner on this morning in the crock pot, and we did not get home to eat it until 6 p.m.! Had some things to do in Coos Bay, so it was a nice little road trip. It was a very rainy day, definitely a coastal day. What I love about here is that even when it rains, it is still so beautiful! We had lunch at Lake Woahink, one of the most beautiful lakes either of us has ever seen, down in Florence. Even though our thoughts were on our tasks, we still managed to take in the beauty of this place. Definitely helped ease our tension.

*Sigh*

The bridge into North Bend/Coos Bay is a very long bridge. It was neat crossing it today, so cloudy and drizzly, the water below was barely visible. I got this neat shot of the bridge as we crossed. Love the raindrops!

Rebecca wanted to draw a seahorse on her patch today. It did not turn out exactly like she wanted, so she said she decided to make it a seahorse fish. You know, half seahorse, half fish. I see them all the time! =0)

I think it is cute. I am glad she took it so well, instead of insisting she do it over (and over) until she got it right. I love all the bubbles! Can't wait to see what she draws tomorrow! I hope you all got to see a little beauty today!

Daily patch

Rebecca drew a rainbow, and that is her standing under it. Super cute!