No more hair

Before

After

So after 12 years of his beloved goatee...he has shaved it all off! Thank you husband! Even if he grows it back, it has been fun to have his real chin for a little while...haven't seen it since we were married!

Spring & Easter

The girls in their Easter finery!

Annabelle & Chris...walking back to our car from a community egg hunt

Ella...Easter morning

dying eggs!

Spring has finally sprung in the northwest!

Beautiful silence

Chris and I were invited by the Thoms to the Ochs Family Ranch in Rosewood, OR this last weekend, (friends of the Thoms). We experienced God's beautiful desert, silence, many hikes, and some great adult fellowship. Now that I have doubled the children I care for, I was in need of some serious adult conversation! It was an absolute blast and a blessing! Thank you to the Elders, Ross', and Andi for watching the kiddos, kinda last minute!

Watching a cattle branding.....the whole community comes out and tailgates with drinks and snacks and then they all celebrate with a meal afterwards!

A view of the plateau they call "flat iron", we drove/hiked up to the top!

This is at the bottom of a 20-foot deep cave that we climbed down into in pitch darkness (and a couple flashlights)

Me and my man in the wilderness

Here is a shot of the property...well the house anyway...the whole property equals a couple thousand acres!

From 2 to 4

So due to the fun times with the economy, we have come to the point where I needed to bring in some income. It was a God thing as we kind of just surrendered up our finances, and cut out some unnecessary spending (cable tv, etc...) and then like the next day I got a call from my good friend Amy (whom I used to work with eons ago) and she was in need of full-time childcare for her two boys (3.5 and 6 months). I am still able to stay at home, and have gone from two to four kids overnight. Pretty crazy, but good! They are wonderful boys, and well behaved. I am encouraged! He knows our needs, and provides them! So here we all are in our greenery to show some St. Patty's Day spirit!

A wicked good time

I had the opportunity to go to Wicked this weekend, with a couple girls from church. It was such a blast. Definately a must see if you love Broadway. It has moved to my most favorite Broadway show slot! It had all the elements of a good musical. Great music, a great storyline, and comedy. Loved it! Also, I forgot my camera that night :-( So you will have to settle for just the advertisement as proof that I went!

SOUL Sisters

I have been extremely blessed by this group of girls that I was put on a floor with my freshman year at Biola University in 1994. Some of us bonded through playing girls flag football together on Saturday mornings, none of us really knowing much about football. We had to come up with a team name, and because we lived on Second Odd (second floor in our dorm and odd numbers), we called ourselves SOUL (second odd ultimate ladies). It has been 10 years since we graduated Biola, and we continue to gather together and create some pretty great memories. We had our 3rd reunion in Seattle this last weekend, and I have once again come away blessed by these amazing, godly women.

SOUL, on the field, Biola U. 1995

7 of the SOUL sisters.....Dephanie, Danielle, Renee, Melissa, Amy,Traci and I, Seattle, WA, 2009!

Readin' fool

This girl has developed a love for books, and has mostly taught herself how to read. When I ask her where she learned she says: "Word Girl" (a PBS show). I have worked with her over the last year on her letters and writing them, but she picked up on reading pretty much all on her own! Watch out Kindergarten!