Who,What, When, Where, and How ?

I don't know what happened, but suddenly I turned around a corner and my oldest daughter is in Jr. High, and she is making social engagements left and right.
Don't get me wrong, I am happy that she is a well adjusted pre-teen who has a lot of great friends. I just want to know when I signed up for more taxi-cab hours? And HOW she got to be so grown-up-ish already?

I don't know when I realized how great, I mean truly great my husband is, but it must have been between now and the last 16 years that I realized just how fortunate I am. He is a man of substantial character and although I know he would say many if not most of his good qualities come from knowing God somewhere in there is a man who chooses God above all things and for that I am grateful.


I am really not sure who taught my daughter Chloe to be so clean but she has got this department in life DOWN. I mean I am learning from her every day better ways to organize and beautify life. She is such a God-send to me in this very busy, very messy family. I truly treasure her for more reasons of course than just this but this one is what I am thinking about right now as I sit and type.



I am not exactly sure how I feel about the fact that my oldest son has a birthday coming up that will mark the last year of his life when he is just a single-digit child. I mean I think that Solomon is really going to enjoy his 9th year of life, it's just that I can't hardly believe that the little boy who made his way into the world with such gusto is now going to be embarking on double digits soon.



And then there is Zed. Well, I could say enough said about Zed and not only would that rhyme but those of you who know him would know that there is just so much that could be said about Zed! WHERE did I get him?



So that takes care of the who, what, where, when, and how of my life right now.

Just in case you were wondering.

Now it's your turn?

One Year Later

I have gone to Pikes Market more times than I care to mention and still every time I am blown away that I live so close that I could shop there for fresh flowers if I wanted to.

I have missed, birthdays, weddings, funerals, baby showers, bridal showers, baby arrivals, and countless other important dates that rip my heart out every time they pass by and I am here and they are there.

I have finally gotten to the point where I am not afraid to drive around here without Gloria Paige Smith aka GPS.


I have come to realize that although I love Seattle, it is just a place.

I have changed I hope for the good in ways that I wouldn't have if I never moved out of the state that I lived in for 35 years. In ways that I never thought were possible. In ways I never knew I was capable of.



I have a husband who has become my one and only truly all over again. I have 4 children who right before my eyes are quickly becoming young/big people. These surroundings are the only ones that are still the same. Everything and Everyone else has changed.

I have a new job. It's a good job. I am thankful for it. It works out perfectly with my other job of being CEO of Scofield international.

I have reinvented what it looks like to be a mother to Emma, Chloe, Solomon, and Isaiah.

I have realized that the older I get the less I know for sure and the more I find myself saying," I don't know" when I thought I would know more.

My Day

Caffiene 6am
‎7am bus drop off,
8:30 bus drop off,
work by 8:45 off by 1,
Library,
Thrift Store drop off,
Oil Change,
Pick up Em early 2p,
Dr-well check for Em to play sports 2:40,
Caffiene 3:30



pick up from bus stop 3:45 appx 5 kids +1 Jr Higher already in tow,
drop off 2 kids that don't belong to me 5:45,
Hubby gets home... pass the baton to go shopping and get Em ready for above sports that start tomorrow,
Caffiene 6:30
back to school Curriculum night for Elementary kids in my house 7p,
Home by 8 ish....
Some minor dental work on Isaiah's front top tooth,
I'd say it was a busy day but the more likely comment these days would be... Welcome to my World!



And What a Beautiful World It Is!!

NO JOKE .....

Back To School Shopping for 4 kids

144 No. 2 Pencils
10 Pink Pearl Erasers(which the town of Redmond has a shortage of)
8 boxes of kleenex
20 glue sticks
4 bottle of Hand Sanitizer
48 crayons or 2 boxes
4 packs of colored pencils
4 scissors
6 red correcting pens (don't teachers use these, I am a teacher and I have to buy my own supplies)
23 notebooks
35 personal folders
2 gallon size Ziploc bags (boys only, I have 2)
2 sandwich size Ziploc bags (girls only, I have 2)
1 very expensive calculator
4 binders all specific sizes (had to search high and low for a 2" binder, what the crap!!)
3 pencil plastic boxes
Disinfectant wipes
Diaper wipes , REALLY ? !!


I haven't even gotten half way through but you get the idea....

1 bottle of wine (instead of the useless, but ever so funny EASY button from STAPLES)

I was tempted to buy the button instead of the bottle but it was more expensive.

Oh and Mom, in case you are reading this I LOVE YOU and thank you, thank you, thank you for doing this 5 times over!

Tid Bits

I have been crocheting up a storm. Mostly just headbands with buttons. It has been a longtime dream of mine and I have attempted several times to learn from different teachers. All to no avail, UNITL... my momma Nash pointed out to me that it was because I was trying to do it with my right hand instead of my left. Total lightbulb moment and now, it is my latest greatest hobby to keep me busy on the grey days. I really enjoy this hobby and it reminds me of both of my grandmothers. I would love to be able to learn how to make more than just headbands with flowers and scarfs but for now, I am happy with that at least.




My daughter went to her open house/ Jr. High/orientation thingy this morning. She got her locker combo. I remember when lockers were a really big deal and my greatest stress in life was not having enough time in between classes to go back and forth between my locker and classes. Sigh.....




My dog has been itching, scratching, and itching some more due to the new climate we live in we now have to worry about things like flea collars and stuff. I remember when I lived somewhere that I didn't even know what a flea collar was nor did I ever have to purchase them for my pets. This reminds me of all the changes that have taken place for us this past year. Adapting to a new place involves much more than just a new zip code.



My other daughter is looking over her shopping list of back to school items that she got from her teacher today. She is making her own list of things she already has and things she still needs. She likes making lists. She is like her mother that way. I love finding her lists all over the house. This reminded me of her list last year that she made for things she wanted to do for her birthday. Her Aunt Jenny loved that list so much she blogged about it.



September 1st is when the FAB 4 all go back to school. 7th, 5th, 3rd, and 1st grade. We are entering a whole new world. Here's to a wonderful summer, a whole new school year, and to Life in general.

What a wonderful world !!

Hope Part 3

“ But this I recall and therefore I have HOPE and expectation;

It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His tender compassions fail not.
They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion or share says my living being (inner self); therefore I will hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him. The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him, inquire of Him, and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word. It is good that one should hope in and wait quietly for the salvation, the safety and ease, of the Lord."
Lamentations 3:21-26

This would be the portion of these past 3 blogs where I would like to take the right to use a little thing called a soap box. If you would be so kind as to let me get up on it for a minute, I promise not to stay there for very long.

In the above scripture the writer says that "It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness" that he has HOPE , expectations, and is not consumed. I too, would like to shout out a HUGE; AMEN,or here, here !, or YES !, or I agree wholeheartedly with that!! There were so many, many things this past year that tried to consume me and yet, I had HOPE. There are so many things these days that come to rob, kill, and destroy the life that God has given us... but IF we hope in Him we won't be consumed.

I would like to say that the above scripture is quickly becoming one of my all time favorites because it talks about not only HOPE, but also the reward for those that HOPE in Christ Jesus, "Safety, Ease, Peace, Salvation" these are all the rewards of hoping in God. He is the only one worth hoping in, because He never fails.

I could easily look back on this past year and think, "How could you have failed me God? Where are you in all of this wreckage that is now my financial situation?" But, I don't see it like that. I choose NOT to see it like that. I SEE that God was there all along. That HE was the one that kept my children from harm these past 2 years when we didn't have health insurance for them. That he kept food on our table, warmth in our cabin, and people around us for support. That he kept Mo and my hearts intertwined, in love, and gave us strength in character when the times got really tough. That HE changed our hearts and minds, and healed our internal emotional wounds, like no Doctor ever could. That HE is still healing, still moving, still alive, and still worth hoping in.

This is the God I serve.

This is why I HOPE in Him.

This is why I wait, expectantly for Him to turn ALL things to GOOD.

After all, isn't He the one that calls a thing "GOOD" - Genesis 1:31

I don't think I could explain better than what this says for the reason of my HOPE. And so that being said, I am getting off my box now. Hope is a powerful God given tool to keep us out of the "depths of despair" . To quote from Anne of Green Gables "to be in the depths of despair means you have turned your back on God". Friends, don't turn your back on God.

You can bank on Him, truly like no other.

HE IS FAITHFUL and so full of HOPE!

Hope Part 2

Hope.

It's something that comes from deep within.

It cannot be moved by circumstance.

It does not easily cave in by popular demand.

It is a word that has been used by politicians, theologians, and poets for thousands of years to evoke a response.

“To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”

We took a risk this past October. It was painful. It is still sometimes painful.

When a move occurs as far away as ours, and under the circumstances that ours did, you sometimes feel like you have to know why?

We hoped for something better.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick"

When the outcome of your hopes comes crashing down around you, you have to reevaluate, restructure, reinvent, and renew what it is you truly hoped for in the first place.

I can still remember the first time in my life when my hopes were dashed. It was one of the most painful experiences in my life. And I still remember the faith it took to hope again. I am so glad I did begin to hope again.

In my life I have come to know and be known for having a hopeful, optimistic spirit. I do believe it is God given. I do believe it is for a reason. I am not always full of hope. I sometimes doubt if this character trait would be described but others as being incredibly naive.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

“Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself... 'How did I get through all of that?”

For me when I look back on the past 2 years and ask the above question; "how did I get through all of that?" I know the answer.

still more to come on this topic....

Hope Part 1

“Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.”

The above quote has got to be an all time favorite of mine now, in regards to quotes that give me Hope.

To me it has always been one of the things I consider to be most helpful in my relationship with God. The fact that He never holds things over my head or brings past mistakes back up again. He is always the one who encourages, ever so gently to move forward. Forward motion, what a beautiful thing!

A while back, I would say it has been almost 2 and half years back now I got stuck on the idea that Hope often gets overlooked in the verse that says, “Now these 3 things remain; Faith, Hope, and Love and the greatest of these is Love.” I am not disagreeing with the manual on this one, I just wondered why for so many years I never really paid close attention to that word HOPE?

It got me thinking about the fact that maybe it’s because I never really in all my 30+ years ever had a reason to really “keep hope alive.”
Maybe when you have love and you have faith, hope just kinda gets lost by the waste side?
Maybe when you are not in a place in your life that seems hopeless you don’t even realize that you need this hope that others speak of?
It’s like being on a boat and until it’s sinking and you are desperately trying to find a way to safety, you don’t realize that there are get away boats all around you and a life vest right by your side.

Until the past 2 years came along the word Hope, the action of Hope was not as necessary. But, this past year I have clung to Hope like a newborn baby clings to it’s mother.

(To Be continued)

Summer 2010

These are just a few of my favorites so far....

Me and Mo at the Georgetown Farmers Market

These are now surrounding our outside porch and garden fence, trying to keep the bugs away

The front outside porch, or The picture of summer here in Redmond WA.

This picture = Leisure

Isaiah Gregory

Happy 6th Birthday Pasty Gangster #2

I have been keeping this list secret for far too long....

Isaiah’s List for His 6th Birthday Party

“First the funnest things go first, okay Mom”

1. Throw pies at each other.
2. Next....We are going to do present sharing. Where everyone gets a present from each other. This is after cake
3. Next... Oh wait I forgot dinner, which we will have pizza I think.
4. Next... A big wedding cake
5. AND NEXT... GO SURFING!! and then a lemon sign. (I think he means a lemonade sign for a Lemonade Stand)
6. And then we are all going to make a ramp which the green the car can go up on and then jump with the green car on the ramp.
7. And then... bowling
8. AND then... I think for one of my presents I will let Dad have the day OFF!!”
(This list was made 2 months ago when Mo was working everyday, now Isaiah would like to make an addendum.)
9. Mom should have the day off.

“Okay On the back let’s “vite” invite the people. It is going to be an (A) (B) pattern. First I choose then you choose.”

(A) Mike and Amoure

(B) John V.

(A) Jentry and Joe

and then he got really close and with big eyes whispered... THEN we could invite INDIANS!!
(B) Andrew and Renata also Big Isaiah and his family

(A)Jonathan from my school

(B) Baby Vinnie and his mom and dad


***I COULD NOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP IF I TRIED!!! MAN OH MAN HOW I LOVE 5 YEAR OLDS. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT A 5 YEAR OLD IN MY HOUSE?

A Few BIG Things in Pictures

Emma's 6th Grade Graduation. I now have a Jr. Higher, IN THE HOUSE!


A much needed visit with family.




Let the good times roll.



Moses is back in the business of drawing on people.

Turning the Corner

It was the first day of summer today.
It didn't feel like the first day of summer.

I worked from 8-5p today and sat there thinking of all the fun things I could be doing with my family and friends.

I am thankful for my job.
I am taking deep, deep breaths regarding this said job.

It was hard to go to work this morning.
It is hard to be a grown-up sometimes.

I am ready for a new tattoo and I am pretty sure that it will have something to do with this past year, a symbol of HOPE.

I am singing, "Oh Mr Sun, SUN PLEASE SHINE DOWN ON ME" an awful lot these days.
I am also singing, a quiet song in my soul that helps me feel better.

It isn't always easy moving 700+ miles away, especially on days like Father's Day.
It is still beautiful, green, and where I want to be though.

I really miss my niece.
I like watching Reno 911, it reminds me of why I moved.

It is funny how I say, "That is NOT okay" so much when I am teaching that only 2 months later my new students are now saying this phrase. Makes me smile.
It is strange how the text, Ephesians 4, keeps popping up and reminding me of so many things I need to remember.

I am amazed at how Coconut Creme Pie can transport one to the heavenly realms. Thank you Gramma Shelle.
I am thankful for words.

It is the first day of summer for me in a new state, with a new job, and a new season of life has once again turned the corner.

A New Thing

This time of year brings a lot of busy to our household. We have two birthday girls and then our anniversary to follow both of those. I remember when I was preggers with Emma and her original due date was for June 4th the day right after our anniversary. I prayed so hard that she would come a little early. Most women want baby to come early just because by the third trimester life becomes quite uncomfortable. I prayed, so that I wouldn't have to share this special date with anyone else beside my giant, and God listened.

Our anniversary tradition for many years now has been to go to a VW show called Bug O Rama in Sacramento. I think we have had this tradition for at least the past 9 years. When the kids were little we brought them with us, until we realized we could camp out and have more than just a family fun day, we could get some "alone time", very hard to come by that with 4 children.
This year we didn't make it to Bug O Rama because well.... we live too far away. When I realized that we wouldn't be going this year it actually brought tears to my eyes. These are the kind of things that when you move away you don't realize you are giving up.

Little traditions here and there have been passing us by now that we live here.

To be quite honest, most of them come and go and it doesn't bother me, but there are a handful of traditions that I have made memories with people over the years that I really have been sad to miss out on this year. And, Bug O Rama is without a doubt on that list.

This event Bug O Rama, I realize now wasn't about the vast amount of VW's that we got to see, or the parts that we could buy for dirt cheap, and it wasn't about the camping either.

It was about the people.

In the end it always comes back to the people.

So this year, instead of going to Bug O Rama my cousins the Farina's offered to take all 4 of our children overnight so that Moses and I could get some "alone time". I can't begin to even express how much we have needed this time together.
We have been in process this whole long 9 months since we moved here. Anyone who knows what that word "process" means knows that being "in process" is not easy. Your feelings and thoughts change from day to day and about the only thing that remains the same(except of course our Creator) is that you are still in process. I feel we are about to birth another baby. A moving baby. What it will be named has yet to be determined. But, that's a story for another day.

We hit Georgetown yesterday to make new memories and maybe even a new tradition. I have to say, that of all the places so far that I have experienced living in the Seattle area, Georgetown is quickly becoming a favorite. We went to a Farmers Market, checked out shops, walked on some old train tracks, talked, talked, and talked some more. We of course brought Vicky, Victoria(our bus) along for the ride. She felt right at home in Georgetown, unlike how she feels here in Redmond.



After walking around it was time for some grub. There are so many places to choose from when it comes to the culinary choices in Seattle. It is almost overwhelming to think of especially without our buddy Johnny V. who knows just about everything there is to know about "Good Eats" in Seattle. In the end, we decided to take the money we would've spent on a nice dinner and we bought something we have been meaning to buy since we moved here, a new Weber BBQ. We couldn't afford a big one so we got a Baby mini Weber and it will work out just fine until we can afford the Daddy Weber. On the menu was without a shadow of a doubt THE BEST blue cheese burger I have ever had in my life. Courtesy of Master Chef Moses. With bbq, and groceries in hand we headed back to most beautiful campground ever 180th Ave NE.

This time of year feels like a graduation for the whole family. This year more than ever. WE have all weathered the storm of a HUGE move and have come out on the other side, still in love, still laughing, still enjoying where we have moved.



Do we have regrets about this move? Sure of course we do. But, anyone who knows me knows that I don't dwell on the negative for very long. I choose not to live or camp out there. I am reminded of the scripture that says, "See I am doing a new thing". It's hard not to look back on what we have lost, but in the end I would like to remember what we have gained.

Sidenote- this was our 15th honey moon and it was GOOD. 15th year is your crystal year, we looked all day yesterday in shops for a crystal unicorn. Yep, that's what we wanted to remember our 15th year. Crystal Unicorn is what we are now on the hunt for :)

If you read this whole blog and insight to my thoughts as of late you are AMAZING and should be given some kind of award!

15 Years Ago...

It started with a glance out of the corner of my eye.



It then turned into a good long stare when he wasn't looking.



Which quickly became a High School girls crush.



Crushes have their way of becoming obsessions.



Obsessions have a way of getting a little out of control and making The Creator of said obsession a little angry.



Which gave some time for The Creator to perfect things.



And perfect things have a way of working out perfectly.



Perfecting something called Love isn't always easy.




Love is so strong it deserves to be recognized with symbols, dates, tokens, and certificates.



But those things aren't what defines this LOVE.





This LOVE multiplied 4 times over.



This LOVE 16 years later looks and feels different than when it first began.



It feels like a thirst being quenched. Like a need being met.




Like winning the lottery. It feels like "a peach, soft, fuzzy, and juicy" says the man I married 15 years ago June 3, 1995.





I met and married a boy who has turned into the man that can still make me smile like no other person I know.


He is now without a doubt my best friend, lover, amazing father of our 4 children and still the one I would rather be with than anyone else on planet earth!