How does the cookie know???

So, let me start by saying I am not a follower of fortune cookies, but today's lunch out at a local Chinese restaurant left Mark and I both laughing. As some of you know I love to hike and I absolutely love when the moon is full, so when the two are presented as a pair my cup runneth over. Tomorrow night we have planned a hike up Spencer's Butte to watch the full moon rise. Today's fortune's in both my and Mark's cookies said, "Next full moon brings an enchanting evening." Ahhhhh.... how did the cookie know?

Really great picture of Katie that Daniel took.

God's Grace...as revealed to me by Yoshi

I love the nights where our family just hangs out together. Last night our entertainment of choice was in the form of a video game, Mario Kart Wii. Our son had rented the game for the week and had been looking forward all day to a match-up with his sister. My husband and I, wanting to embrace the moments of family time, joined in as well.
Video games can be quite entertaining, if you are of nimble fingers and quick reflexes. I possess neither. I play however, to see my son smile and because I know these opportunities will be gone before I know it. What I didn't expect, was to have God's Grace revealed to me in the form a little green...little green...what is a Yoshi anyway?
For those of you who are not quite literate in the world of video games and I fall into that camp. Mario Kart is a racing game. You choose your player and your vehicle and wait for signal to GO. I picked Yoshi (He has a friendly face), and a very cool looking motorcycle. The game is played with the four of us racing against each other on a track in some remote exotic location...or on some occasions..a mall. So there we were lined up side by side when the clock counted down to 1. "Press 'A' Mom, that's how you go." came the last minute instructions from my daughter. Off we went. Well, off they went, I apparently pressed A too soon and stalled my motorcycle. Yoshi was forgiving and soon we sped off. The track was a blur and I was all over the road. I saw up ahead road signs, big blaring arrows pointing to the right. Okay, I thought, I'm supposed to go right I get it. Thumb firmly holding down 'A' I used my left thumb to navigate the joystick to the right. I made it around the turn with precision only to find a sharp cliff off to my right. A cliff? Why are there cliffs? I didn't know there were going to be cliffs! My children whizzed by the cliffs without so much as a glance. My inexperience with the game led me promptly to the edge and then over. I felt my stomach come up in my throat just as anyone would when they are plunging to their evident demise. "That's it, I'm dead." I announced.
"No, you're not Mom, just wait." Sure enough there appeared a turtle with wings returning my dear Yoshi to the track. "Everyone gets to finish the race Mom." Cool. Yoshi experienced many plunges last night, but always was brought back to finish the course.
As I was falling asleep last night reliving some of the days events in my mind, I was suddenly struck with how my own life is very similar to the Mario Kart game. I have found myself on many occasions speeding through life watching for the turns and cliffs on the roads but not always navigating them correctly. When this happens I will usually run into a wall or veer off the course, or in some cases plunge off a cliff. It's in these moments that my Heavenly Father through His Grace, will pick me up and put me back on the track allowing me once again the opportunity to finish the race, this time learning from my mistakes and slowing down to allow time to safely complete the turns.

Who we are supposed to be..

I am a sucker for sappy movies. I love to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and a box of Kleenex and let the waterworks flow. Without exception the movie that wins the award for most tissues consumed by me is "I am Sam", followed closely by, "Martian Child", vying for 3rd would have to be "The Champ" and " Monsters Inc." (Yes, you read that correctly Monster's Inc makes me cry)

As I scan over my list of favorites I realize that there is a common thread that weaves it's way through each; unconventional relationships that work really well. There's a line in Martian Child that goes like this: "Why can't you just be what we all want you to be?" I love that line because it makes me think outside of the context of the film to the real world. Why do we do this to people? Why should we want to change who God created them to be? I believe we all have a tendency at times to look with a quizzical eye at relationships that for some reason or another seem out of the range of normal to us. What we fail to do is look further beyond what on the surface perplexes us to the underlying reason of why the relationship works.  There are some film makers who are extremely adept at revealing the reason to their audience before the characters discover it themselves.   It's not that the characters have some big revelation or undergo a major personality change, it's that they are coupled with someone who allows them to be exactly who they are supposed to be without rejection or expectations. To watch it on the screen is a delight. To see it unfold in real life....a gift.

Blooper Reel

Dance Dress

Homesource had their end of the year dance last night. Here is Katie pre-dance.

Reflective mood

I was thinking this morning about selfishness, and how we get caught up in living our lives often times oblivious to those around us who are in need.  I know I am guilty of this.  I was reminded this morning of something though, something I will share with you all.  A reason for me to reflect upon how I almost wasn't which in turn would have meant my kids almost weren't..and so forth.

This will require a little work on your part though.  Open this link 

http://www.carnegiehero.org/search.php  then under first name type in Rene.  Under last name type in Charest.  Click submit.  On the next page click the Rene R.  Go ahead..I'll wait...the post won't have the same meaning unless you do. 

Rene (pronounced ree nee) Charest, my dad, at the age of 23 and already with 4 children at home (I was not one of them), set an example for me of unselfishness, before I was even born.  It was quite possible that my dad could have died that day and thus this blog would not even exist as I would not exist.  I'm not sure I have ever really contemplated that or have been grateful to God for protecting my Dad as he gave of himself.  

These thoughts have stirred up in me how I often times become so over-protective of me, my family and my life that I turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to those around who may be drowning. Often rationalizing that someone else will save them.  My Dad, when he recalled the story to a reporter those many years ago, said he didn't think, he just reacted.  I pray God would enable me to develop this trait.

Hmm..I should clarify this.  I definitely have the predisposition to react without thinking, but not in a positive, for others way. So my prayer would be that God would teach me to 'think before I act' when it comes to acts of selfishness..and 'act before I think' when it comes to acts of selflessness.

Adding 'comedian' to my job title

As my children have aged I've discovered that I have the innate ability to make them laugh. Sometimes they laugh with me, but more often they laugh at me.  I have become somewhat of an improvisational artist to them as I navigate through this life often times 'winging it'.  Don't get me wrong, my children love me, in fact I'm quite certain they worship the ground I walk on. Yes, yes I'm sure they said that this very morning.  But with their growing stature has also come their growing awareness of Mom's quirks.

At first these oddities were somewhat obscured from the outside world.  Existing only within the walls of our home and between my two precious ones and myself.  And then they learned to speak.  Mark would chuckle knowingly to himself as they would share with him some of the "Funny Mommy" moments of the day.

 Following the movie, Finding Nemo, my nickname promptly became Dory.  The location of my cell phone is a never ending source of comic material, and whenever I forget what I was going to say my family is quick to chime in with, "It probably started with Has anyone seen my....?"

My sensitivity and overactive tearducts lend themselves to some amusing moments as well. 

My sweet son, curled up on his father's lap last night, could not stifle his snickers as I wept through the movie we were watching.  A very low budget film, entitled Flywheel, which was filled with scene after scene of God's faithfulness.  The acting was mediocre at best, the video quality like that of a home movie, and yet I blubbered. 

What perhaps was the highlight of the night however, was the ability of Katie to recall one of my bigger blunders and to relate it in such a way that we all drifted off to sleep giggling.

We had spent the majority of Sunday and Monday cleaning out Daniel's closets and rearranging his room.  I realized that one of Daniel's favorite stuffed animals was in need of some 'refreshing'.  When he asked about it's location at bed-time I said, "Oh, I've put him in the laundry room to be washed."  Katie chimed in from her bed, "Mom, you can't wash those."

"Sure you can." I snapped back.  Then my beautiful daughter in her sweetest voice filled with encouragement and not a bit of sarcasm responded, "That's what you said about that other stuffed dog, ................May he rest in pieces."   

Yep, I can still hear them laughing.

Blog Tag

My friend Deanna, (I just love having a friend named Deanna), has dangled before me a game for which I have never played but am greatly intrigued and so I will take the bait. It's a game of blog tag and it goes like this:

1. Write the title to your own memoir using six words.
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who tagged you.
4. Tag five more blogs.

My most recent post actually gave me the idea for my memoir title....

I Choose to See Blue Skies-

hmmm..now who to tag...

Bob,Sheila, Jen

unfortunately that's all the bloggers I currently know.

The sun is not shining..but the skies are blue in my world.

Often times I will be a little 'goofy' around my husband and kids and they will say,

 "The skies are always blue in Mom's world". 

 I think for the most part that is true.  There is a God in Heaven who allows me to live under His Amazing Grace, and I have wonderful people who surround me.  I find joy in simple things, like hearing my son play his guitar or the piano, or watching my daughter teach a classroom of kindergartners at church. The gentleness of my husband as he helps me stretch my shoulder. I'm almost certain in those moments I hear Louis Armstrong singing, What a Wonderful World.

God grants us moments to cherish, like the time a few weeks ago when our whole family was venturing up to BiMart to purchase some item that escapes me now.  Our kids were walking in with their arms around each other engrossed in some funny story, and an employee asked if they were really siblings. 

"It's so nice to see siblings who get along", he said.

 Mark and I squeezed each other's hands and just smiled and concurred with the man. "We are blessed".

I love our kids and rejoice in who they are becoming.  God even allows glimpses into what they will be in the future, I don't mean in the career sense, but in the type of adult they will be.  

Two nights ago our neighbor had a near disaster as she came home with her two young boys to find her home permeated with the smell of natural gas. Apparently the cleaning person had accidently turned on two of the burners on the stove while cleaning.  As fire engines lined our streets we invited the two small boys back to our house out of the rain, while their mother talked with the firemen.  It was 10:30 and Katie had already gone up to bed. When she heard us come in with the boys she came down to visit with them.  The youngest boy, who is 5, crawled up on Katie's lap and cuddled under a blanket.  I couldn't help but smile as I watched Katie's 'mothering instincts' come to light.  The hugs from her students at church and the squeals of the little one she babysits when they see her, foreshadows the woman she is becoming.

I've rejoiced in the giving nature of my son, Daniel. He has a heart that is full of compassion.  Whenever we are in a store check-out line and the clerk asks if I would like to "donate a dollar" to this charity or that.  Daniel will always look at me expectedly.  "It's only a dollar Mom".  I'll never forget the time we as a family were walking around the streets of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Daniel couldn't have been more than 5, and there was a man begging on the street. He held out a paper coffee cup and was asking for spare change.  This was Daniel's first experience with this type of thing.  He looked up at us quizzically and said, "What is he doing?" Mark explained that he was asking for money.  Daniel answered, "We have money Dad!" It just seemed simple to Daniel.  The man obviously needed money, so much so that he would ask a stranger for it, and we had money.  Sigh....living here in Eugene has opened his eyes some to the world of panhandling, but has not squelched his spirit of charitable giving.  For the most part Daniel is quiet, but he feels and thinks deeply, as is reflected in some of his lyrics and poems, and the way he plays his music.

So yes, the weather in Eugene today is bleak and gloomy, but in this Mom's world...

The skies are always blue!

Our son....sigh...

Here he is before his performance last week.  Daniel is kind of funny about having his picture taken, and about performing in front of people.  It just really isn't his 'thing'.  Hmmm..wonder which parent he takes after?  Okay, admittedly a little of both.  I do NOT like having my picture taken, but the performing part, well, most of you know I don't have a problem with that part.  Mark on the other hand is very capable of the performing part, but it's not very high on his list of things he likes to do.  As far as having his picture taken he really hasn't had much of a  choice with a wife who is shutter happy!

I'm Tired!

Here I sit,  10:18 in the evening, pretty much exhausted from an over-committed weekend.  The AHHA performance was this past Friday and Saturday nights, which pretty much meant that I spent Friday and Saturday during the day being a chauffeur.  The show was fabulous and Katie played her role magnificently .

 When I wasn't driving Katie to rehearsals I was assisting Mark at the plant with the task of remodeling our lobby area.  We really didn't think it would be too big of a job.  After all he and I have remodeled 6 houses, how hard could one lobby be?  HA! How hard indeed!  There were two things we needed to accomplish; remove the old carpeting, and paint the walls. A three hour job we thought, no problem we quipped, we'll be home in time to enjoy the sunshine before heading to Katie's performance.  Again HA!  As we began pulling up the carpet the first few pieces came up smoothly, all was going according to plan, then a little more muscle was needed to pull up the carpet, soon it was not budging no matter how hard we pulled or pleaded for that matter.  The old glue was playing a game of tug-o-war with us and we were losing!  Hours and I mean many hours (actually it took two days) later Mark had succeeded in getting the last piece of carpet to surrender.  The glue however was not about to give up without a fight.  Off to Jerry's to peruse the aisles for the most potent of glue killers.  (Okay, we know, Thou Shalt not murder..but you had to be there)  Armed with enough chemical warfare to wipe out an entire downtown highrise, or at least it's carpet glue, we set to work.  Carefully donning our safety glasses and protective gloves. (I have to throw that in, just in case my Mom reads this) My job was to brush on the chemicals, Mark's was to scrape it off, and Daniel's was to scoop it into a large dust pan and carefully dispose of it in the trash receptacle.  (It was actually a cardboard box, but that's really not important) Soon we had perfected our process and it became somewhat of a dance.  We had Mark's computer on and used his ITunes library to entertain us while we worked.  We rocked out to Queen, yodeled with Buck Owens, and praised with Mercy Me.  We finally made it home this even at 10:00 p.m.  Next weekend the real work begins, painting the lobby floor, installing the receptionist desk which I refinished a few weeks ago, and the final decorating touches.  And then I think I'm going to need a vacation!

A Better Reason to Run!

Thank you to my friend's Dave and Kay Smith for introducing me to this run! Sadly, after living here for 4 years I am just know learning of this wonderful resource center here in town! I am looking forward to the race as well as helping to further the work that LPSC is doing here in the community!

Ever heard of an incentive picture?

Okay..so here's my, "What I never ever want to look like again picture". Watching the videos with the kids the other day brought back some painful reminders of what I looked like back then. Wow! The picture was taken when we lived in VA, about 8 years ago. I don't even think I realized how out of control my weight had become. There were certainly no 1/2 marathon runs for me in those days. In fact I think the furthest I would walk was to the refrigerator and back. This month I am determined to once again be deliberate in my running. To pick a time and a day and get out there and run!

A trip down memory lane...and Mothers

We spent the afternoon yesterday watching family videos. All 4 of us curled up on the couch. Correction: all 5 of us, the dog joined in as well.

My kids rolled their eyes as I teared up at their baby pictures. There was a video of Katie with Mark's Mom, Kathryne (Katie's namesake) where they were at home waiting for the word from the hospital to find out if Katie had a new baby sister of brother.

I am so thankful for those films. Those moments where I am able to get a glimpse into my child, minus Mom and Dad's presence. Katie adored her grandmother. The two were mostly inseparable when Katie was a toddler. Grandma left us far too soon. We knew Grandma would most likely not see Katie grow up, we knew the day I delivered her. I delivered Katie by C-section and was not with Mark when he brought Katie out to show the waiting family. I wish I could have seen Mom's face when Mark told her our baby's name. It meant so much to us, she meant so much to us, we wanted her to know that she would always be remembered every time we looked at our daughter.

Then there are the videos with my own Mom. My child on her hip, just as natural as could be. Mom was born to be...well..a Mom. She began motherhood so early, just 18. She went on to have 6 other children in the following 9 years. 7 children, no maids, no live-in Nanny. She was and IS remarkable. At 68, Mom is still mothering. She and my Dad have been raising my nephew almost since birth. He is now 16. My mother taught my daughter to love yard sales, showed her how to find bargains and always shows up with some little something for my kids (and sometimes even for Mark and I) everytime she is here. The videos showed our children playing with Nana's latest 'find', their faces glowing and Mom's sheepish grin as she proclaimed, "I got it for 50 cents".

More videos and we are introduced to Grandma Donna. Mark's Dad's wife. Grandma Donna held nothing back. She accepted her new position as "Grandma" with such grace. She doted on Katie and cuddled with Daniel. She spoiled as all grandmother's do. At first, it was hard for Mark and I. Our sadness over the loss of Kathryne was profound. Donna never pushed and we were grateful. She loved Mark's Dad, that was clear and she was prepared to love his kids and grandkids as well. What we have found in this new "Mom" in our life we are so thankful for. I value her friendship, her laughter, her graciousness and our "secret looks".

God has blessed us with amazing mothers..I hope someday my children will say the same.

Mother's Day 2008

Today our annual tradition of hiking Spencer's Butte did not occur. Katie woke up not feeling well and so today I get to be Nurse Mom. And I count it a privilege. I think back over the years to how often I have worn that 'nurse' hat. Katie was an extremely healthy baby, she hardly ever even had the sniffles. She blew through the toddler years fairly smoothly as well. It was however, shortly after Daniel was born that Katie started having some very serious stomach problems. What at first we believed to be nothing more than a stomach bug lingered for weeks. Her coloring was very pale and she often would find herself running to the bathroom after only a few bites of food. At what was probably her 4th doctor's visit she had a stomach x-ray. The pediatrician noticed something 'abnormal' and sent us immediately an hour north to the Children's Hospital. After weeks of tests that a 4 year old should not have to endure, Katie was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I knew the disease well, having seen my father suffer with it for years. Katie was the youngest case in the state of California. She had specialist all over the country conferring on treatments. It began with a strong dose of steroids and antiiflammatories. We noticed only minor changes. Mark and I began praying fervently over her every evening. Our pastor and elders prayed over her sprinkling her with oil. Katie's attitude was phenomenal. She smiled through every blood test which were weekly events. What was the most amazing about Katie however, was her faith. She had known Jesus since she was 3. She had no problem sharing the "Good News" with whomever would listen. Jesus lived in her heart and He was going to see her through. One morning about 6 months into treatments Katie woke and came to Mark and I in the kitchen. She wanted to know if we had come into her room in the middle of the night. We assured her we had not. She replied she didn't think it was us and began to relay the story of someone coming into her bedroom and touching her on the head. With complete certainty she said, "It was Jesus, He came in and touched me on the head. I know he healed me."
Our now 5 year old daughter was looking at us and proclaiming her healing. We smiled and hugged her, but really, how was a parent to respond? That day we noticed that Katie's symptoms were absent. A fluke we thought. Oh, we wanted to believe, but alas our faith was weaker than our child's. A week passed with no symptoms. Katie's appetite returned. A month...could it be? Her follow-up appt. with the specialist left us with a caution of "don't get your hopes up, it (the disease) has probably gone into remission".
Mark's job starting taking us to new destinations. Our first stop was in Los Angeles for 6 months. We met with the specialist at the re-known Long Beach Children's Hospital. The doctor was impressed with Katie's progress and without looking at her original testing would have thought she was a healthy 5 year old. He instructed us to continue with the medicines.
Our next move was to Kansas City. Katie met with the Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Children's Mercy Hospital. Again, the doctor was impressed with how well she was doing considering what a sick child she had been, but cautioned us that remission probably wouldn't last much longer. We continued with the high-doses of anti-inflammatories, but she was now off the steroids. Katie would just grin through it all. The medicine seemed so silly to her. She knew Jesus had healed her.
Virginia became home next. Katie was now 7. We were matched up with a specialist at Virginia Tech's Medical Hospital. This visit however was different. This time we were dealing with a specialist who also was a believer. He perused Katie's medical records then requested we run some tests. We returned for a second visit and the results of the testing. "On the record, your child," he said, was misdiagnosed." Then he began to tell us that unless he had it documented in her records that she was misdiagnosed, she would run the risk of health care coverage and life insurance in the future. But knowing the healing power of Jesus. He trusted Katie's diagnosis. She had been healed. He had seen her original tests, he knew how bad it was. "They don't like us to put 'healed' on the records."
Katie was taken off all her meds and Mark and I learned a humbling lesson. "Unless you have the faith of a child."

I would experience a similar lesson years later, this time through my son Daniel. But this time, I remembered how God had healed Katie and I held onto his promises. Not necessarily that God would heal Daniel, but that Jesus would indeed see him through. Daniel's story started around the same time as this blog began. In fact this blog has it's roots in a venue for us to keep family updated on his condition.(Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome) Today, Daniel is healthy non-symptomatic and has been for over 3 years.

Reflecting back on it all today. I am so grateful for the Grace that God has extended to this Mom during my times of unbelief.

Daniel's Album Cover

So, here is the boy with his new guitar. He is now taking lessons for both guitar and piano. We refer to him as a young "Barefoot Boy" which is the nickname Mark has for Keith Urban. Oh, and his Science Fair project won first place at his "school".

Forty....something???

Okay...so the cake candles give away my age. My children surprised me with a wonderful cake and homemade cards for my birthday. I am so blessed to have such selfless kids.
My day began with coffee being delivered to our room at the Cricketwood B & B in Bend, Oregon. www.cricketwood.com. Mark and I had been over in Redmond for a tradeshow on Thursday and decided to make a mini-vacation out of the trip. We stayed at our favorite Bed & Breakfast on the outskirts of Bend surrounded by horse farms. The B&B boasts phenomenal views of the snow-capped Cascade Mountains. The inn-keepers, Tracy and Jim, know how to spoil their guests. Warm cookies each evening with your choice of beverage is only the beginning. The cooked to order breakfasts are really the Pièce de résistance! My favorite is the Creme' Brulee' French Toast. I had mine with the fresh fruit of the day, strawberries and Kiwi. We chatted with our hosts and visited with the other couple who were staying at the Inn. Paul and Barbara were from the San Francisco area, but are moving to Bend in June. I can hardly blame them, the region is just so beautiful.
Back at the room Mark gave me my birthday present. A much desired running dress! This should provide me with the incentive to continue with my running.
We packed up our item, thanked our hosts and headed for home. The weather was perfect, with blue skies and white puffy clouds laid out in front of us. We enjoyed the sweeping road through the mountains that runs along side the McKenzie River.
We arrived home at 1 p.m. Where I was greeted by my children and birthday cake! I blew out the candles and each of us, forks in hand..dug in! (It was my birthday..so no dirty dishes allowed). At 3 p.m. we decided on an early dinner and visited one of our favorite pizza places, Pegasus Pizza by the university. We had our fill of BBQ chicken and Meatlovers pizza then returned home for some outside activity, namely spreading some mulch around my Blueberry bushes and then reclining on the patio!
A craving for pie somewhere around 6 had us visiting Marie Calendar's for a slice of Double Cream Lemon Pie, which we brought home and enjoyed as we watched October Sky.
We retired early as we had all had a somewhat exhausting day, but not before Mark and I made plans to recommit to our healthy eating the next day!

Painted Hills

Mark and I spent a perfectly beautiful day exploring the Painted Hills in Central Oregon. We were reminded of the world as God's canvas. The name "Painted Hills" is certainly an appropriate one. We were treated to a day of quiet solitude, as we were able to experience the wonder without intrusions. Although the tourists were scarce, a cougar paw-print reminded us that we were definitely not alone.

Daniel's Science Fair Project

After 3 weeks of very hard work, Daniel has at last finished his Science Fair Project. He chose to make a working model of the water cycle. The 'model' is in a fish tank on our back porch. We will be bringing it to his Science class tomorrow. I will take more pictures then. This is a picture of the board that goes with the project.

Katie girl

This is the photo that was used for the actors board during the Shakespeare's class performance of "Much Ado About Nothing."

Global Warming?

When we lived in Wisconsin this was not an unusual sight.  Snow at the end of April.  Here in Eugene, Oregon however, snow is definitely not the norm this time of year.  We are expecting precipitation in the form of a 'wintry mix' all day today.  Please, those of you in California, stop laughing!

P.T. = Physical Therapy????

Or does it stand for Physical "Torture"?  My orthopedic surgeon has dubbed me..."Woman with 'frozen shoulder'."  I have very limited mobility in my left shoulder.  While there may be a small tear it is really insignificant at this time, at least until we can restore mobility to the shoulder.  

So, just how does one go about restoring mobility?  Through P.T. of course.  Picture archaic torture chambers with prisoners strung out on wooden planks being stretched in two.

Okay...it's not that bad.  The Physical Therapist was actually very kind and understanding of my pain.  She still made me do the stretches, but she was sympathetic.  She demonstrated each stretch and then observed my technique as I attempted each awkward position. (Which really weren't awkward at all for someone with full use of their shoulder) I left the office with a printout of my homework; exercises to be done at least 3 times a day, as well as 5 follow-up sessions and a prescription for chocolate chip cookies whenever I feel pain- yes, I made that up.  

And so, my road to recovery has begun.    

Oh the Joys of Growing Old

"The linear signal abnormality involving the posterior labrum is strongly suspicious for a tear."

If you can understand the above, then you are doing better than I.  They are the results of my recent MRI on my shoulder.  Okay, so let me back up and tell you all a story. 

Sometime in early January our family decided to take an impromptu trip to Sunriver and enjoy a weekend in the snow. Two days prior to our departure I was tidying up the house to prepare for our being away. 

We own one of those central vacuum systems, which in and of themselves are not a danger, unless of course you happen to be vacuuming the stairs, and  your name is Mom/Deanna.  The hose was stretched from the bottom of the stairs to the top, as I turned to go down a step my foot landed on top of the hose which promptly caused my foot to roll off of the hose and proceed down the stairs.   I extended my left arm down and behind me to catch my fall.  My legs continued to slide down the stairs as my arm stayed behind secure on the step that I had put it on.  After sliding a few steps I came to a stop and anticipated the pain.  I very slowly pulled my arm around forward wincing with each little movement. I thought I had made quite a commotion, but alas, only the dog seemed to be aware of my circumstance.  

I breathed a few, "Please God, don't let it be broken" and stood up.  So far so good.  Lots of pain, but I could still move my arm so I concluded that nothing was broke.  

Later, I relayed the story to my husband who sympathetically hugged me as he tried his best to assess the damage.  I assured him I was okay to go our trip.  

With a good dose of Aleve in my system I was able to enjoy the snow and even did some sledding.  My husband did all the lifting, and took on the task of helping me to dress myself, as I couldn't lift my arm above my waist.  

After several weeks the mobility returned to my arm, but I still found some movements very painful.  With much fuss and resentment I called my Doctor,  who upon seeing me, scolded me for a good 5 minutes for waiting so long to go in.  An X-ray at the office revealed no break.  ( I was impressed with my self-diagnosis, I knew it wasn't broken).  The next step was an MRI which was done yesterday morning.  The results..(see above) were delivered to me today by my doctor along with a referral notice to an Orthopedic surgeon.  

What???!!!!  Okay fine, so next week I get to once again venture into the belly of the MRI machine, only this time with some kind of dye injected into my arm to determine if in fact there really is a tear.  After that..who knows?  I'll keep you posted. Until then, Mark continues to take in stride the unfortunate job of having to dress his wife.

Is it Spring Yet?

Another Driver on the roads of Eugene

At last the day arrived yesterday!  Katie passed her Driver's license exam.  She made her first solo drive home from her classes yesterday. (I followed behind her in the truck, threatening to push anyone who got too close 'into the wall') Daniel was laughing hysterically.  Why is it so hard to let go?  

Our family is excited about this conference!!!

Katie's 60's Look!

Rain Rain...GO AWAY!!!!!

What is the most frustrating about living in the Northwest is that somehow the rains know when it's the weekend. We have had some glorious weather all week and now as we head into Friday night the clouds have turned dark and the rains are once again coming down! We had hoped to have a beautiful 60 degree tomorrow as it was yesterday. We had yard work planned, walls to move, dirt to dig. Now it looks as if we shall wake to very cold wet weather in the morning without much of a reprieve until Monday, just in time to go back to work. Ahhh the joy.
Daniel has been fighting very unsuccessfully against a cold all week. We have rented the move "Underdog" for tonight and hope to catch a few lines of the film between his coughing. ((((Daniel))))
Katie is primping for the dance. Tonight's dance theme is "Through the decades" Katie found a 60's looking dress and is making her hair as 'big' as possible! What a blast. We tried in vain to find white go-go boots.
I'll try to post some more pictures soon. I've got 3 rolls waiting to be developed. If only I can find the time!

Do you Bird Count?

Beginning today through Monday the 18th one can participate in the Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. www.birdcount.org.
I have followed the Bird Count somewhat in the past, but this year, armed with my National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds, my F100 complete with a new 300 zoom lens, and a checklist, I am ready to add my totals to the Count! My children stand at the ready to assist in flipping through the guide and identifying the birds by their markings.

We are being treated to another day of sunshine and if the weather experts are on target we may have sunshine all weekend.

Valentine's Day

Alas..the sun shines in Eugene! Such a glorious sight. Especially when one is a fair weather runner. Although, I have learned that a little moisture will not melt my running shoes, no matter how much I try to convince my dog to the contrary. But today, I shall gladly lace up and head outdoors and reap the benefits of increased Vitamin D!

As I write I am being serenaded by our son playing Fur Elise on his piano. Our daughter is engrossed in her Advanced Mathematics lesson. Just another day in the life of a homeschooling family.

We have enjoyed an impromptu visit by my parents, who stopped by to drop off a few Valentine goodies for the kids. Mark was home for lunch as is common. On the menu today? The ever popular peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with tortilla chips and salsa on the side. Funny how even at our ages (Mark and myself) we still find a little joy in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Tonight we shall huddle on the couch for a movie night. Undoubtedly there will be a little chocolate involved. I believe we may watch 10 Angry Men. I am preparing for my role in our upcoming Easter play at church entitled "Twelve Angry Jurors". Hopefully the movie will give me some motivation.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Vacation shots

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.