We made it 3 1/2 years!

Cooper had his 1st ER visit a couple of weeks ago. Daddy's new bike was sitting upside down in our living room and Cooper was spinning the back wheel, stuck his hand in the brake and cut his thumb. In this picture he was just given a stuffed monkey as he was soaking his hand. He loves this monkey and has named it "Muh".


Brody was a trooper and waited very patiently in the ER. He sat in a chair hugging his stuffed hippo "Hippie" while Cooper was getting his stitches put in.


They're in!


Showing off the Go, Diego, Go bandaid.

Mercy for the Cowgirl Coffee shop

The other day I was driving in town and as I was stopped at a light, I heard my oldest son say, "Mommy, what's that girl doing over there with no clothes on"? "WHAT?!", I shouted, looking over to see what he was talking about. Sure enough, there was a girl sitting in a chair wearing a really skimpy bikini (practically no clothes on, right?) next to a drive-thru coffee shop. I don't remember the name of the drive-thru but it was probably something like Cowgirl Coffee or Bikini-Bottom Espresso. :-) Anyhow, this really upset me so I decided to do something about it. The next day I drove through and warned them (as nicely as I could) that if they didn't keep their half-naked employees inside their shop that I was going to make a complaint to the city and that I probably wouldn't have any problems getting other women and mothers to join me. To my surprise the employee was very nice, apologized and agreed that they shouldn't be doing that.

This was a learning experience for me because as I began to calm down from being so worked-up over what I had just done & experienced, I was convicted of the many things I see or hear every day that I don't take a stand for. If I can do something as easy as this why can't I stand up for my Lord and God when someone speaks ill of Him or says His name in vain. Hearing God's name in vain is something that is taken so lightly now and we have become so callous to it. Exodus 20:7 says, Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. I realize that we live in a sinful world and it's impossible to avoid sin but the Bible says that although we, as Christians, live IN this world we are not to be OF it. Romans 12:2 says And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The more I began to ponder all of this I began to feel ashamed for not being more Christ-like to that gal at the coffee shop. Where was my compassion and mercy? At the time all I could think of was how disgusted I was. I need God's grace to help me see people's hearts as He does. People need the Lord and I need to remember that's why I am here...to be an example for Him and be used for the furtherance of His gospel. Thankfully, God forgives and He HAS offered his grace. Ephesians 2:8 says, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

I'm thankful to be a child of the one, true God who shows endless mercy and always brings me back to the big picture. Are you a child of God?

Backyard View

I took this picture on Monday when it was so beautiful outside. We have a great view of the water and mountains outside our back window but there are a few obstructions to the view because of some trees. If you walk through the trees, this is what you see...so breathtaking. Praise God for His beautiful creation! Psalm 148

Oregon Vacation

We had a wonderful vacation with the Piefer family in Sisters, OR last week. Thanks to friends of the Piefers we were able to stay at a charming "cabin" with a beautiful view of the mountains. The kids loved strolling up and down the pathways on their scooters & trikes and throwing rocks in the "creek", not much water. They all got along better than expected for a 5 day vacation!



We took the kids skiing at Mt. Bachelor and it was Brody & Cooper's first time. Brody loved it but he was a little scared of the chair lift. Cooper was quite the opposite. He loved the chair lift but hated skiing down. Why do they always have to be opposite?! Hopefully next year will be better for him. Brody is already begging to go again so maybe we will make another trip before the season is over. Johnny & Craig went skiing another day by themselves and had a great powder day but unfortunately they forgot the camera so no pics to show for it. That same day Diana and I took the kids to this awesome park and trail in Bend, OR and the kids had loads of fun running off their energy. Of course Brody still had some left over. :-)



From fun in the cabin to relishing the outdoors, God's beautiful creation, we absolutely enjoyed this unforgettable vacation!

Exploring Mukilteo

Johnny has been working in Everett, just north of Seattle, for Feb. & Mar. and this is finally his last week. The boys and I have been able to visit off and on so we've been exploring this area a bit. Our hotel is actually in Mukilteo so that is where we have spent most of our time. We have enjoyed all the parks around here but our favorite has been Mukilteo Lighthouse Park, where we found many of the creatures pictured above. Brody & Cooper helped another boy at the park load as many crabs as they could into a water bottle and this kept them entertained for a very long time. Unfortunately the lighthouse is not open until April so I didn't get any good pics of it but here are some if you would like to see.




The Island across the water from the park is Whidbey.



I loved being able to watch the boys play at the park and enjoy the scenery of the water and beautiful mountains all at the same time!



These pics were taken at a different park closer to our hotel. Brody always likes to pretend that he's a "ticket-taker" at parks so he always stands at the top of the slide and demands each kid to give him a pretend ticket before they slide down. He likes to be in control of everthing around him...I don't know where he got that from. :-)

Well, it's been nice here but we are so ready to quit living out of our suitcases for a while and get back home!

North and South

So I finished reading North and South this week and I give it two thumbs up. It was beautifully written and a real pleasure to read. There were a few aspects emphasized in this novel but the main ones are about the social and economical differences between Northern and Southern England in the 19th century. Of course, there is also a love story connected with the various events developing throughout the book that supplement this good read. I definitely recommend this book. Now on to Pilgrim's Progress!

North and South

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

My review

I'm only a quarter of a way through this book but I am really enjoying it b/c I feel like I can relate somewhat to Margaret. Her Milton is my Bremerton. Bremerton is a very dirty, industrial city. Milton begins to appear more appealing to Margaret when she finds human interest. I think that's the only way Bremerton is going to become more appealing to me. :-) You have to make the best of what you have and where you're at, right? My initial impressions of this book are pretty obtrusive but I'm sure there are more covert messages to come from this classic. Looking forward to reading on.


View all my reviews.

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