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.