More Cambodia pics by my niece Danielle

Rene in Cambodia

My brother Rene, his wife, Kristi and their children Danielle and Rene Roy just returned from their trip to Cambodia. Every year following Christmas they go to Cambodia to work at an orphanage there. Here is my brother Rene, no doubt teaching the Cambodian children some kind of trick! LOL!

19 years and counting!

We celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary on Monday!

Mom and Dad 50th Anniversary Party

So..did we ever surprise my parents! What a blast! I really love this shot with the grandkids. They are all so grown up now!

Remembering Mark Everett

As is our tradition every year we sent balloons up to heaven today in remembrance of our son Mark Everett who would have been 13 years old today. Today Mark Everett has another relative around him to celebrate. His great Aunt Letha was buried today. Aunt Letha was a beautiful woman with a heart that loved all. I know she will be missed incredibly here on earth, but we look forward to a glorious reunion someday! Letha...give Mark Everett and Mom a huge hug from us!

The rare...Mommy image.

Daniel plays the Saturday Market

So..how cool is this?? Daniel is a member of the Homesource Jazz Ensemble and last Saturday they performed at Eugene's Downtown Saturday Market.

Spencer's Butte at Sunset

We had a great time hiking Spencer's Butte last night. We watched the sun set on one side and the full moon rise on the other. It was breathtaking!

Too Cute

Katie went to the birthday party of a friend who was turning 18. The party had a movie theme. You were to come dressed as a favorite character. Katie chose to go dressed like a "Newsie" from the Disney musical "Newsies". It was so much fun to see how the kids all dressed up!

"16"

Happy Birthday Katie

16 years ago today the Lord blessed us with our first child. A beautiful baby girl! With every passing year we've watched her grow into such a wonderful young lady. She has a desire to enjoy all life has to offer. She is passionate about theater. She is passionate about her family and her friends. She loves Jesus and has accepted Him as the Savior of her life.
We remain humbled that our Lord would choose to allow us to raise this child while she is here on this earth.

July 25th

Yayyyy!!! I heard from Mark and Katie today. They were finally able to get a phone call out from Mexico. It was so great to hear their voices! Daniel and I are really missing them. They said they have the house just about completed and the Vacation Bible School is going great. Tomorrow they are planning on finishing the house in the morning and then heading out to a beach somewhere for some R&R!
Daniel and I have been doing some schooling this week. We've also been going into the office to try to do some of what Mark does everyday. (I'm not very good at it)
When I do have downtime, I am enjoying our back patio!

Sunday July 22

Mark and Katie left yesterday for their mission trip to Mexico. They left at 4 in the morning! They drove halfway yesterday and stayed at a church in Fresno. I heard from Mark just a little bit ago and they are 2 hours from Mexico's border. So far the trip has been going well with very little troubles. There are 23 high school students and 10 adults headed down to Tijuana to build a home and put on a Vacation Bible School. They are traveling in a big yellow school bus. A bumpy ride to say the least plus no air conditioning. They seem to be enjoying themselves though. I heard lots of laughter on the other end of the line when he called.

Daniel and I are 'hanging out'. We've got some home projects planned,some schoolwork, and some time at the plant. It looks like the rain has finally decided to go away, so we are planning some nice bike rides too along with some lengthy walks with Jenna.

Looks like our first project will be mowing the lawn tonight. It's amazing what a little rain does to the growing frequency of the grass.

I really just like this picture.

My brother Rene with his beautiful daughter Danielle

We are back from a whirlwind trip to California. My niece's wedding was absolutely beautiful. She looked wonderful and her new husband is just a joy!
We were on the go pretty much the whole trip. We attended the wedding...went to the beach with Mark's parents and rode the dune buggy...we toured Hearst Castle...we visited friends in Visalia and boy did we swim! We ate..and ran...and swam...and..the list goes on! It was fun seeing everyone and catching up! Now it's time to catchup with all the work here at home!

June!!

Okay, so once again I am behind in posting. Life is so busy right now. Katie's outside classes are ending..she took her AP exam and we are waiting on the results..as well as her standardized tests. Daniel did not have to test this year. We will school some over the summer. We are very much looking forward to our vacation next week. Seeing my niece get married..visiting with Mark's parents...seeing my relatives..going to the beach..and me having my first manicure in years!! (Thank you Donna!)

We are excited that our missionary friends are back from Missouri for the summer. (Okay..so they are not missionaries to the state of Missouri..LOL..they are there for schooling) Sheila is looking so incredibly adorable! (She's expecting in August) They are an inspiration to our family. (So Paul and Sheila..if you are reading this...I just wanted you to know!)

I'm hoping to have some pictures posted soon from our trip to Detroit Lake. Must run for now.....oh..speaking of running..Mark and I are planning on running a 5 mile race in July. We thought about doing the Butte to Butte again this year, but I think I would prefer a flatter course. So we are going to do the Run in the Country race in Coburg.

Mother's Day 2007

Today we hiked Spencer's Butte. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful Mother's Day gift. I really enjoy hiking with my family! Afterwards we headed to the local ice cream shop for some small sundaes!
Things are really starting to wind down. Katie took her AP History exam last Friday! She is so relieved to have that over with. Next week is her play. She is so excited for that. She has really put in a lot of time and effort on the production.
Daniel's piano recital is the first week of June. He also has been working really hard towards the performance. Then it will be just a matter of days before we head to California for my niece's wedding. We are looking forward to some great family time with both my family and Mark's.

Daniel

I took this today on our hike up Spencer's butte. Daniel brought his video camera and was shooting some really fun footage.

Katie

Now if I can just get Daniel to sit still long enough for a picture!

Katie's Head Shot

Working on Katie's hair for her play next week. I just love this shot!!! She's an easy subject to shoot.

Ramblings from a 41 year old.

So today is my 41st birthday. They say, whomever 'they' are, "that time flies." The word flies just doesn't seem like a fast enough term to me. I think I can remember pretty vividly when my own parents were 41 and that seems just yesterday. Although that would make me only 15 today and with obvious recogniton that my OWN daughter is 15 would make it quite impossible.
A wise woman has told me that the 40's are the best years! I look forward to that! My first two years in the 40's have been filled with many many joys. I am beyond blessed to have a husband (who doesn't look a day over 30) by my side everyday, patiently loving me through my middle years. Who has never forgotten that my favorite flowers are carnations, and that at least one week out of the month there should be chocolate readily available in the house. He is my life and without him I would surely crumble. I am thankful for our children who have much better memories than I and are able to point me in the direction of my car keys, cell phone, etc. Who have entrusted their lives to Jesus and live to please Him above all. Oh..and know the correct way to load and unload a dishwasher.
I am thankful that God calls me daughter. That Jesus desires to have a relationship with me and that one day I shall see Him face to face.

Everyday Occurrence

Yes, we see rainbows everyday here....because it is ALWAYS RAINING!!! LOL.

All Alone!

Racing on the Beach

Spent a beautiful day at the beach with the kids yesterday! We closed the plant for the day and the four of us headed over to the coast. We are fortunate to live only an hour away. The weather was glorious..and when we arrived there was not another soul on the entire beach!

Spring!

Yes! Spring is here! Trees and bushes are blooming out all over.

Trying to Keep up!

It seems some of the fans of this blog would like to see it maintained a little more often. ;-)
So. I will attempt to update this on a weekly basis. I don't know whether I can promise pictures every week, but I will try. I had an awesome experience last week attending this coffee class. www.bestcoffeeschool.com. I'm not sure how to provide a link yet. Anyway, there were some folks there taking pictures, if I get any copies I'll post them. I learned so much about coffees and making espressos and specialty drinks! So much to take in. Our church is going to be opening a coffee bar with the new addition and they are needing folks to train people on the machines. I'm afraid that's about all the time I have for today.

Katie's New Do!

Well...spring is here! I am happy to say the sun is shining bright today! The temperatures are in the 60's. We've been taking advantage of the clear days to delve into the yardwork. It's really taking great shape this year! We did not need to do nearly as much clearing of debris this year as last.
As you can see in the picture, Katie has a new haircut. She looks so much older to Mark and me. Daniel is doing great. I think he may have grown a few inches already this year. (Either that..or I'm washing his clothes in too hot of water)
Think I'll go and enjoy the sun for a little longer before night fall.

Off Road

So..it's already the middle of February!! Time has just been flying. We are certainly staying very busy with work, school, and church. The kids are doing well. Katie was very excited to learn that she has one of the lead roles in her troups upcoming production of "Towards Zero". She'll be putting in a lot of rehearsal time in addition to all her studying. Daniel underwent ear surgery again. This time a tube in the left ear and exploration on the right. It's probable that he will need surgery again somewhere in the future to have his right ear drum reconstructed..but for now..it's holding steady.
The picture is from our trip to SunRiver. We went for a little drive in the truck..to test out Mark's new tires.

A Snow Day

Hello All. Well today the kids had a 'snow day'. Yes, here in Eugene, Oregon, where supposedly it doesn't snow. We had a nice full day of snow. The kids had a great time hanging out and playing with the neighbors. Mark went in to work a little late so he could get the driveway shoveled and toss some snowballs with the kids.

A New Year!

A new year is upon us! We look forward to so many exciting things this year. Our 18 year anniversary in just a few weeks. The first of the nieces getting married in June. Katie turning 16 in August. We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for the Harts. The above picture was taken on our return trip from Sunriver. We absolutely love central Oregon and visit as often as we can.

One Week til Christmas

It's hard to believe Christmas is only a week away! Where did this year go? We've been so busy this year with a number of parties/outreaches/ministries/etc. Not too mention trying to get cards mailed...gifts wrapped...and cookies baked. Even with all that is going on..we try very hard to stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas and to remember the free gift that was given to us by God.

Notice Anything Different?

Well here she is! NO MORE BRACES!!!!!!! What an exciting day for Katie. She has had some sort of orthodontics since she was 7 years old! Alas...all that's left is to wear the retainer!

Race Day photo! So here we are at the finisher'sh check in tent. The race was great! The weather in San Francisco that day was just perfect. It was well worth all the hard work and training. My total dollars raised...$3100!

Happy Birthday Daniel

So today is Daniel's 11th birthday! I will post some pictures as soon as I can. He was so excited this morning..he was up at 6 a.m.! He has had a great day so far. His birthday cake choice this year?..... a chocolate pie..with Oreo cookie crust.

Wow...it's already the middle of Sept!

Okay so...very short haircut...it sure helps with the running!!!!
I can hardly believe it's already Sept. The school year has started and we are busy..busy..busy! I've redone the school room this year..with new mission style desks for Katie and Daniel..and myself! I'm very pleased with how it has turned out. Although putting all those desks together certainly took a lot of time! I'll post pictures when all the 'accessories' are in!
Both kids are enrolled in Homesource again this year..which basically supplements the homeschooling. Katie is able to take AP History..and Spanish II as well as volleyball.
Daniel is taking two computer technology classes..one which is focused on design and 3-D drafting. The other is a computer skills class. He is also taking basketball.
We are enjoying cooler temperatures this week and are anticipating rain soon.
My running is going well...I'm up to 10 miles now..yes that's at one time~!!
Business has been great and Mark is extremely busy. He and I are looking forward to a little R&R weekend together..ALONE...very soon!

Very hard to see the magnificence of this place with the haze.

Crater Lake Family Shot

So here we are..playing around at Crater Lake. The kids didn't think I could get a family shot by holding the camera with my left hand..but it worked! Too Cute! We had a fantastic week at Shasta Lake..then drove up to Crater Lake on the way home. Unfortunately there had been a fire in the hills and the lake was shrowded with a haze. Oh..and the cute little girl in the picture is now 15!! Yikes!

A Day on the River

The women of our church had a special rafting outing on Saturday. The men you see in the picture are our guides. We had a fabulous day. The sun was shining and the river was so clear you could see to the bottom. Katie and I went together. The rapids are a level 3 on the McKenzie and were for the most part subdued..with the exception of a few spots. We had one very quick scare when Katie fell out of the raft on a rapid! My adrenaline definitely kicked into overtime and I had her back in the boat in less than a minute. The guide's wife, Kim, also fell in! She said that was the first time she had ever fallen into this particular river..so Katie was in good company! The weather has been fabulous! We have been in the mid 70's to low 80's. We are enjoying lots of outside activities!

Happy 4th of July!

So here it is...my first 10K run. I ran Eugene's annual Butte to Butte. It was fun. Yeah..the guy next to me ran the whole thing in his bathrobe..carrying a coffe cup and his newspaper..too funny.

Mark was taking pictures at the finish line. I managed to run the whole thing with the exception of maybe 20 yards of a very very steep hill. Even with that..I was walking up it faster than most were running it. LOL

We have a relaxing rest of the day planned here at home, with slow-roasted ribs and baked beans for supper! We will light off some fireworks tonight with the kids.

Tomorrow I begin hill training with the Team in Training group. (hill training?--I thought I did that today!)

It's been awhile

Wow...my husband mentioned to me that it had been a while since I had updated my blog. I didn't realize it had been over a month. There is so much happening around here this summer. Most recently..just within the past 2 weeks we have lost both my grandfather and my grandmother. My parents are back in Massachussets. The funeral for my grandfather was a week ago Thursday...and my grandmother's funeral was today. My grandfather died after a very long battle with Parkinson's. My grandmother suffered a massive heart attack just one week after. They will both be missed.
My running is progressing. This coming week I have a 10k run on the 4th of July. It's called the Butte to Butte and you can read about it at. www.buttetobutte.org.
Mark's back is finally getting better after some visits to the Physical Therapist and some oral steroids. He won't be running beside me anytime soon..but he is able to ride along side on his bike. Sometimes the kids join me on their rollerblades.
The weather has been quite lovely here. We have had several days of sunshine and it just seems to lift everyones spirits!

1/2 Team In Training

I am so excited! I have joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. So I WILL indeed be running in the Nike Women's 1/2 marathon in October..and I will be running on behalf of my honored team-mates you see pictured here! What an incredible organization this is. I feel so very honored to be associated with it! It would be so awesome if those of you who read my blog would visit my fundraising website and make a donation! You can get me to goal in no time! Just click on the title of this post!

So what do you do when you are 40?

Alas...I am becoming a runner...a real one. Mark and I have signed up for the annual Butte to Butte here in Eugene on July 4th. It is a 10K race. THEN in October it looks like we may be headed down to San Francisco for the Nike's Women 1/2 marathon. They have a full marathon as well, but honestly I think I can be quite content at 13 miles!

Reflections of a 40 year old

That's right. Two days ago I hit the 40 mark. Hard to believe. I had an absolutely glorious birthday filled with tons of love from my family and friends. I am happy to say that this 40 year old body was still able to get out of bed and go for a morning run..AND spend 6 hours gardening and doing yardwork. Mark offered to take me out for the day and wine and dine me...my preference was to stay home and wrestle with a rototiller!
My sweet husband knows how to lovingly make my birthday special. This years theme was 'cooking' . I received 3 wonderful new cookbooks that I am anxious to delve into and dazzle my family with mouthwatering delicacies! Mark signed the two of us up for a one night cooking class entitled, "A Romantic Dinner for Two". I will at long last learn how to cook lamb. Katie bought me the most darling set of espesso cups and saucers..and my boy Daniel picked out 4 of the cutest little tea spoons I've ever seen.
The second part of my birthday revolved around my running habit. Mark's parents provided the funds for a splurge on new running shoes..plus extras!! Mark also bought me..not 1..not 2..but 3 new running skirts! I have been wanting to try out the running skirts and am so excited about them!
So here I am...40. Happy to be here..excited for what lies ahead...and thankful to My God who has surrounded me with a family that I love!

It Might Be Spring

It's hard to tell for sure..there are a couple of tell-tale signs:
1) weeds are growing faster than the grass
2) grass is growing faster than we can keep up with (which tells you how bad our weeds are)
3) kids are wanting to wear their shorts
4) the sun is out..wait..it's gone..no wait..it's back..no wait..it's gone...no wait..it's back..no wait.....
5) Deanna had her yearly haircut..short..short..short.
6) bathing suits are almost completely sold out at the stores

Signs of Spring! 

Jenna waits for the kids to finish their schooling. 

Some form of lichen..not sure which. 

At the Women's Retreat 

Waters of the Row River