Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Baby chicks settled in new home


I drove out to the butcher and picked up the turkey and two chickens this morning. It was kind of freaky looking in a box with poultry ready to cook and realize that they were living in my yard yesturday. The turkey was only 10 lbs, but that is probably perfect for us for Thanksgiving, we always have way too many leftovers. When I got home, I re-arranged the freezer, put the turkey on the bottom (since I will not need until November) and arranged everything else. My in-laws brought us 1/4 of a cow last month and this was the first time I saw all the beef and how much we really have. We also have all the Tuna we bought at the coast earlier this month. We are set for meat.
I also stopped by a roadside stand and bought a bunch of corn that I am going to blanch and freeze. I had a bunch of tomatos, so I cut some up and they are almost dried on the dyhydrator and I made tomato sauce with fresh elephant garlic and herbs from my garden.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Another layout & Off to the butcher

I did a layout today using Study Hall and some doodles from Laura Mcgee designs

We took the turkey and the chickens to the butcher today. We got a big box from a local appliance store and cut it to the right size to transport them and then we took the box out to the hen house and covered the door with the box and David went in to grab them. We went after Allie B the rooster who has a thing for the chicken first since he is the fastest. David then grabbed the turkey since he was easy then we got henny penny. On the drive out there, I thought the car had a problem, then I realized it was just chicken sounds. I dropped the cooler off with the poultry and I will drive back out to take them home and put them in the freezer for some good meals.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Last day for Turkey and Chickens

Today is the last day for our Turkey and chickens. Our rooster (Allie B) made the moves on the Turkey yesturday afternoon on our patio. The sounds of rebuff the turkey made were a riot. Allie B also crows when he gets stressed. It will be a loud day tommorow since they have to stay in the pen and cannot be fed 24 hours before harvesting. I made a little slide show in honor of their time with us. Chickens and Turkey. We have talked to the kids and explained what we are going to do and we have a fresh batch ready to go outside on Wednesday when we get home from picking the others up at the butcher. I hope the transition goes well and most important I hope I have eggs in spring.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

I did not love swimming today

We went to the pool again today to meet friends for open session, then we had lessons. To start this story out, I must first say that Liam ate several carrots and a ton of fruit yesturday. When we arrived at the pool and I went to take Liam's diaper off, he was mid-bowel movement, not a fun place to be. I tried to get his diaper off and run it to the garbage. Some of the deposit dropped on the floor. I went to run to the bathroom to get toilet paper and this lady was standing in my way watching the whole thing and I still had to say excuse me, she did not even think to move or forbid even help me. We got that disaster cleaned up. We went swimming and had fun and then when the break came between open swim and lessons, I smelled a foul smell and I checked Liam's diaper and we had deposit #2. If one had not had an experience of a soiled swim diaper...it is SCARY and picture this with carrot chunks. I forgot to bring wipes in with me, so I had to take Liam out to our bag, naked with chunks of poop stuck to him. I was almost in tears and Liam was crying. I also had to tell the pool officials that they should inspect the pool before starting class. Thank goodness it was clean.
After swimming my friend Meagan and I took our kids to the Spagetti Factory for dinner. They screwed up putting our order in so we waited forever and Meagan finally asked what was up and they found that the order was not in, so we asked for the food in to go boxes, they gave us our dinner for free and gave us gift certificates for a future meal and they accidently gave us meal we did not even order, so David has a snack for later. The kids were making a huge scene, since we were waiting so long, we were ready just the to let them loose in the restaurant.
Tommorow is my 20 year class reunion. I have to open at work and grab a nap, but the rest of the day will be Michelle's day of beauty.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

more swimming and fresh fruit


We went to open swim and swimming lessons again today. The are five days a week for two weeks. The pool is close to a Wednesday Farmer's Market. So we stopped there on the way home, ate dinner and got some produce. My boys think the farmer's market is a buffet and they go from stand to stand eating fruit. I am glad that they get to taste and appreciate farm fresh fruit, but it is difficult to balance their desires to eat with the farmer's desire to make money.

There are a couple of cheese vendors there and my new favorite is Rogue Creamery. I bought this Morimoto Soba Ale cheese last week that was wonderful and this week I bought a Chipotle cheddar I know David and I will enjoy. The peaches are quite wonderful right now as well.

I did a layout today using Bianca by Baers Garten Designs with a couple of elements from Andrea

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

I love swimming lessons


The boys have swimming lessons last two weeks of summer and I have to say that I just love it. I scheduled the lessons so that they were right after and open swim session and the boys have their classes at the same time. Today, I took the boys to the open swim, then they had their lessons. Liam was so tired after class. I just love that it exhausts him.

I did a layout using doodles and paper from Laura McGee Designs. Click on the image to see her store. I am writing on her blog tommorow, so stop by and check it out.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

the best toys




We have found two great toys for the boys


1. An empty, large box from Ikea


2. A Whoopie Cushion


These two toys have given the boys hours of endless amusement. I found the whoopie cushion while cleaning the garage yesturday and tonight, just before I began dinner, I showed it to them and taught them how to use it. Liam was real grumpy before and after they had it...he was laughing away. It was the best dinner preperation time I think I have ever had.

Christian took the empty box and moved a bunch of pillows and blankets in it and is using it as a house.

They just noticed that their kitchen was gone today. When Christian asked about it, I told him that I gave it away, but there is a toy kitchen in his Sunday school classroom, so if he wants to play in the kitchen he can play there or at the Children's Museum.


I did two layouts today using Lavender Bloom by Pyralis design and My Sister's Circus by Digital Designs by Jannylyn.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

scrapwood going



I have some people who have expressed interest in our scrapwood. I would be so pumped if it could leave our yard without my having to do anything or spend any money.

I took the boys swimming today and Liam fell asleep on the way home and did not wake up easily. He was grumpy for about 45 minutes, then started to feel better. By bedtime he did not want to go to sleep and he cried for I don't know how long in his room tonight. I am not enjoying this not really ready to give up naps/will not go to sleep until mid-night if they nap phase. I look forward to kids play safely and independently/mommy reads a book phase. That might just be another way of saying college.

Baers Garten Design has a cute Painted Solid Paper pack and a Doodlelina Flower pack in the store. I did a layout using both of them.
I am reading Through the Painted Deserts (Light, God and Beauty on the Open Road) by Donald Miller. He also wrote Blue Like Jazz. I love his books. He asks such great questions about his faith andhow it relates to the world around us. My favorite part of Through the Painted Deserts so far is where he is talking about trying to get his friends VW Van through the hills of Okalahoma. I love this because many years ago, I had a similar experience in the hills of Southern Oregon driving my friend Michelle's Plymouth Champ and it did not have enough power to get up the hill so we did the exact same thing as Donald and his friend did.
I found a new singer I like tonight listening to Michael Card's In the Studio Podcast. He had Andrew Peterson as a guest. His story telling in his songs reminds me so much of Rich Mullins.

Monday, August 13, 2007

giving things away


Today, I decided to post some stuff we are trying to get rid of on freecycle.com and craigslist. No one seems to want to come get the wood from our old fence. (If you live in the Portland Metro area and you want wood, let me know) I had a plastic Mickey Mouse playhouse that just collects tree needles that I posted and their was a mad rush on it. I responded to the woman who said she ready to drive over right now and I asked her if she wanted our Fisher Price toy Kitchen and she did. When I was trying to set the stuff out front our neighbor started grabbing the things and putting them in their yard. I would be be okay with giving the things to them, but this other lady was driving all the way from the other side of town. I had a few more toys I wanted to get rid of and I put them out and told the neighbors they could help themselves to them. When the lady arrived, her car was too small for the Mouse house and she was going to try to take it apart, but I shared with her that the neighbors were eyeing it and I had to protect it for her and she said that the neighbors could have it since her grandaughter was getting the kitchen. The one draw back to this set up is that my kids will see their old toys in the neighbor's yard, but I figured I would say something like wow they have the same toys we do.
I still have a computer desk, a patio table and tons of scrap wood for any and all!

Sunday, August 12, 2007

dream house

We have found three houses that both David and I like (we have only seen the outside, we have not toured the inside yet). The one draw back is, we are not ready to put our house on the market for about 5-6 weeks and therefore, we do not feel it is right to start putting offers down either. There is one house I just fell in love with after seeing the listing and I drove by alone last night and just love it and so I took David by today and he loves it as much as I do. We will just have to pray that if this is the house for us, it will still be available in a few weeks or that there is something better.
Other then gawking at houses we have had a quiet weekend. I have been busy designing and printing brochures and registration materials for our MOPS group. I just have to have them ready to mail on Tuesday. It is raining a bit today, so that helps towards our attempts to green our lawn again. David took to boys to a neighborhood outreach at a local church where they had inflatable water toys and then we went swimming, so they had plenty of water time.

Friday, August 10, 2007

busy day/busy week

I cannot believe how fast summer is going. Christian wrapped up his week of cooking camp yesturday. Next week is free for the kids and I even have a light work schedule. The last two weeks of summer we have swimming lessons for the boys. We are also seriously considering putting our house on the market, so we are going to start on our household repairs again. I also want to re-seed the front lawn (and water it until the rain starts). We have to put a new roof on as well.
We have been busy this week with work, meeting with the realtor/mortgage agent and Christian's camp. Today I worked on the registration packet for MOPS and this afternoon, I took the boys to the zoo. I got some great pictures of the boys petting the goats. I will try to get a layout this weekend with them. They also enjoyed their ride on the zoo train. We got to ride the old steam engine and Christian was just facinated with the train the entire ride. We played at the Washington Park play structure for a little while and Christian mostly ran laps around the structure while Liam played in the sand box. They both fell asleep quickly tonight.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

on to drying tomatos

Today I roasted the three bags of red & yellow peppers I bought and made a pizza with homemade pesto for my basil plants and I peeled and sliced several pounds of tomatos and they are drying right now. The boys really like the dried blueberries, but I let them eat them while I worked on the tomatos (to keep them out of the kitchen). Liam loaded them up on his trucks and I found them smashed into their toys. He was also covered in blueberry at bedtime. (I gave them the blueberries that were too big to dry and the speed I wanted them to)
Christian had his second day of cooking camp today. He just loves it. They made dutch babies today. We have to do an enrichment class next fall for tax puposes and Christian chose cooking class for that too.
I also trimmed back the nasty shrubs that were growing in my herb garden today, so our yard does not look so trashed.

Monday, August 6, 2007

off to the farm




We went to Sauvie Island today to get some more blueberries to dehydrate, yellow and green beans to freeze and tomatos to dehydrate as well. The blueberries are drying right now and Christian and I prepared the beans and I blanched them and froze them.
We also got to see our rooster that went to live at the farm and he seems happy. He seems alienated from the chickens, but romance needs some time.

I did a couple of layouts today using Study Hall by Laura McGee Designs, it will be available tomorrow at http://www.digiscrapshak.com/ & http://www.treasurestoscrap.com/
I also used Little Frog Prince by Pyralis Designs at www.justtherightscrap.com

I also have a music plug: Sarah Groves. I heard her on Michael Card's in the Studio podcast and I really like what she shared and her music. I bought a couple of songs on iTunes and liked them so much, I bought more yesturday with the gift card I got for my birthday. Her music is Contemporary Christian, but it has depth and substance, spritually and musically. Her voice reminds me a bit of Alanis Moraset (sp?). I was looking at her tour schedule and she will be performing at the MOPS convention this year. I am bummed I will not be there.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Day at the beach

We went to Newport yesturday. We re-joined the Oregon Coast Aquarium and spent some time there looking around. Christian has always enjoyed the Aquarium, Liam is starting to enjoy it more, but he still gets fussy after a while. He really liked the sharks. He yelled out all his statements in the Passages in the Deep section which is a tunnel where sound travels well. He enjoyed looking at the large tanks of fish too. He really likes birds, but David had to take him out of the aviary, because he was dumping gravel in the water and the volunteers that work there do not have much tolernace for such things. I was rebuked for letting Christian climb on a rock and look at the birds.

Afterwards we went to the beach and played for a couple of hours. I never cease to be amazed at how dirty the boys can get. They had fun playing in the sand and rolling down the dunes. We went to the bay front hoping to eat at Moes, but the line was down the street, so we went to another place. We also went down to one of the boats and bought a fresh tuna to bring home.

For dinner tonight we enjoyed the tuna seared with carmelized onions, chili flakes and mint with a fresh salad with lettuce and cheese I bought at the farmers market and cherries I also bought at the market that I dehydrated. I also baked dill bread.

Sale at Baers Garten

Baers Garten Designs at Elemental Scraps is having a sale. Go over and check it out! I have layouts using Andrea, Jack & Mia. Click on my gallery link to check them out.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Early Birthday Presents

Tommorow is my birthday and I have already received two cool presents (one was something I bought with birthday money). I bought the food dehydrator as stated in an earlier post and today I went with my Dad to Fry's, where he bought me a 30 GB external hard drive. I am so pumped. I am drying cherries in the dehydrator right now (they will not longer be pumped) and I moved all my photos, layouts and scrapbook stuff to my new drive. It freed up so much room on my computer.

We are going to the beach tommorow and I told David that as part of my Birthday celebration - he gets temper tantrum duty. (Liam's not mine) If Liam flips out and does not want to do what we are planning on doing, David can sit with him in the car while Christian, Kaori (our exchange student) and I go have fun. If Christian has more kelp issues like he did in Bandon, David can keep him up on the clean sand if we want to do look at tide pools.

This afternoon, I let Christian feed the bad cherries to the Turkey and Chickens. They all get along well, but when the fresh fruit gets tossed it is every bird for him/herself. I also shook the plum tree to get some plums down and when the turkey heard the thumps, he came running.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

One more layout


I was able to complete one more layout tonight using Sweet as Candy, Digital Designs by Jannylyn.


I remembered that tonight was the farmer's market by my church, so I took the boys down. They think all of the produce is "free samples" The farmers are gracious, but there are always limits. That is why I like to go to farms and pick the fruit, but boys can eat as much as they want. I did buy cherries to dehydrate.

missed the open swim time


It is kind of hot today, so I was thinking about taking the boys to an open swim this afternoon. I just wanted to finish up a layout, so I kept saying just a few more minutes to the boys and then when I was ready to go, I started getting everything together and saw that it was 3:30 and open swim would end in 30 minutes. It would not be worth the trip. I told them they could take a bath tonight instead.

I bought a food dehydrator yesturday and am eager to get started on projects. I have some apples on the counter that need to either get dried or become apple sauce. The fruit flies are driving me crazy.

I did a layout today using Splash by Laura Mcgee Designs
I better go make dinner and not put that off too.