Joy in the Journey

Sunset

2012-01-24T21:47:00.000-08:00

Just sharing the beauty God created in the 'back yard' of Steve's school a few weeks ago.

Walk in the Park

2012-01-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

Gabriel and I enjoyed a walk in the park last week at Champoeg State Park. It was a beautiful and unusually dry day, so we had a good time. Here are some pictures from our adventure.


Gabriel looks so small compared to the huge trees.

Looking at the Willamette River

Hoops

2012-01-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

Last week, we let Gabriel stay up and watch his first professional basketball game on TV. It was the Portland Trailblazers and he loved it! So much so that it took us an additional hour to get him settled down enough to go to sleep afterwards.

Anytime he sees a game (usually on YouTube by his request) he runs and finds his basketball and then proceeds to 'practice' while he watches the game.

I mentioned to Steve that he should start coaching him. He said, "I don't need to yet. He is teaching himself and already has great form." The two of them love playing together. Steve insists that he isn't brainwashing him into loving basketball. I agree. It's all Gabriel. Gabriel has pretty consistent shots in the basket at home. He has really come a long way since September when he got the new basketball hoop. He has figured out that he needs to defend the ball, how to shoot with one hand, he even palms the ball. When we are at Steve's school, after he is done coaching a game, we let Gabriel have the run of the court. He throws the ball at the basket and then immediately starts running to the other side. It is so hard to believe that he knows to do that at 2!

So with that said, welcome to my living room. Here is a video of Gabriel getting ready for the game. Enjoy!

Maybe someday, he and his buddy Brae, will play professionally together. Who knows? Only the Lord does!

P.S. The comment by me about the soccer ball is a family joke. When my parents visited last year, my dad noticed that Gabriel had several basketballs and threatened Steve (jokingly) that he was going to get him a soccer ball. One evening he did get one. Dad brought it in and gave it to Gabriel and Steve calmly replied, "Wow son, isn't that a great black and white basketball?" It was so funny! So we occasionally affectionately call a soccer ball a black and white basketball.

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T11:27:00.000-08:00

Simple Christmas

2011-12-15T22:33:00.000-08:00

Enjoying the simple joys of this season, cherishing the moments the Lord blesses us with along the way.

Zoo Lights in Portland

Perfect night! It was cold and crisp outside but the sky was clear and starlit and the moon was shining. We had hot coco and enjoyed seeing all the lights and some animals too!

Christmas Tree Cutting

The next day, Grandma B made us a breakfast feast and we went and choose our Christmas tree at the tree farm next door. It was a cold crisp frosty morning, another perfect gift.

Decorating the Tree

The tree decorations have been evolving. Daddy wrapped all the branches in lights (Gabriel helped check them ahead of time to make sure they were all working) and Mommy hung all the ornaments (one of my favorite traditions each year). As the days have progressed, our sweet two year old had added his own contributions to the tree...

Some of the new additions...

A 'dirty' sock...

A domino...

He loves steeling the birdies off the tree...

Some blocks...

And a potato!

Didn't you know that potatoes are great to decorate with?

We hope you are enjoying the simple joys this year and cherishing the little moments along the way.

Colorado Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day - Steve and I, Gabriel, niece Joella, nephew Cayden, sister-in-law Laura, my brother Ryan and my parents, Bob and Rita.

We went to my home, Colorado, for Thanksgiving. We had such a wonderful time! The weather was perfect and looked like this every day. It was so nice to see blue skies and sunshine for six days! We thoroughly enjoyed seeing my family and spending many hours of quality time together.

One of our favorite activities together was riding our horses. It was Gabriel's first time. Cami was able to join us which was great.

In preparation for Turkey Day, Joella helped me bake pumpkin pie delight. She is so cute!

Taste testers!

Eating the leftover chocolate cream pie!

Thanksgiving was crazy busy but so much fun with 25 relatives all gathering to eat turkey, catch up with each other and most importantly, to entertain the kids.

My cousin Natalie entertained the girls with a spontaneous fashion show, staring my niece Joella, and aided by cousins Amaya and Cadi.

My brother wrestled with the boys.

Free time was spent playing piano, reading, playing with cars, digging in the dirt, throwing rocks, wrestling with Uncle Ryan, playing in the trees, and, of course, playing basketball.

Dog pile on Gabriel

Marc and Matthew, do you recognize Gabriel's new coat? He loves it!

Note the football, Cami. :o)

We also had time to go visit our dear friends Gregg and Judy and their daughter Hannah. As is tradition, we dined at Asian Cafe and followed that with a trip to Starbucks then home to play cards late into the night. We ALWAYS have the best time with them and I ALWAYS end up with the hiccups from laughing so hard. We love them dearly!

The highlight of the week was going up to Estes Park on Friday night. We ate Mexican food, ordered hot coco to go and went out to watch the Christmas parade. As we did, it started to snow! It was magical! I loved it!!!

We hope you had a blessed and memorable Thanksgiving as well!

Christmas Bazaar and Book Sale

2011-11-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

I will be having an Usborne Books booth at the upcoming MOPS Bazaar in Newberg this Saturday from 10 - 3 pm at Newberg Christian Church 2315 Villa Rd, 97132. You're invited to come! I will have cash and carry books available to choose from. I would love to see you.

Also, Usborne is going to be having a huge black Friday sale online. Just visit my website www.myubam.com/N3621 from midnight Thanksgiving until Monday at midnight to see the sales. I hear they are going to be great!

Autumn Leaves

2011-11-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

The air has turned cooler, even chilly most days and sunshine is becoming more rare once again. Fog often blankets the mornings as the scent of wood fireplaces fills the air. The trees are adorned in their finest colors and we get to play in their fallen leaves.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Ecc 3:1

Fruit Loop Tradition

2011-10-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

It's Tradition! For the past several years my friend Bess and her husband Royce along with Steve and I have enjoyed an annual trip to the Hood River Fruit Loop. It is only an hour away from our home near Mt. Hood. We enjoy going in the fall to one of their festivals, usually the apple or pear festival. This year we opted for the apple festival and we were not disappointed. The weather turned out fantastic and we had a tremendously good time.

On our way, we stopped for coffee and gave Gabriel a treat, hot chocolate. He loved it. The hot coco goatee, makes him look way to old!

We always start our trip out by going to Apple Valley Country Store. They have the most delicious jams and pies around. They usually have dumplings too. They always have a smoked BBQ beef/pork/chicken with pear coleslaw and baked beans. Sitting under the open tent, listening to live music, breathing the crisp autumn air and eating this feast is wonderful, especially shared with friends! This year we took time to play, since Gabriel was with us, and we explored the tractor, tire swing and fall leaves.

From there we drove over to Packer Orchards. They have huge bins of apples and pears to select from along with a large assortment of giant baked cookies inside. What a treat! Gabriel enjoyed having things at his eye level and reach. Don't worry, all fruit touched by his little fingers was purchased and consumed.

Our last stop is one of our favorites. Rasmussen Farms has a huge pumpkin patch as well as a corn maze along with the aforementioned fruit. We enjoyed watching Gabriel run all over in both the pumpkin patch and the corn maze. He had such a great time!

We finished our day with caramel covered apples. They were delicious and the perfect end to our day.

We took SO many pictures, I reduced them by half and made a slide show. Enjoy!

Peek - a - boo

2011-10-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Gabriel and I have had many opportunities to play lately. It really takes intentionality to quit doing all the adult things I need to do and to just play. So my house is a mess. But what joy it is to see him enjoying our play times out side.

He received some sidewalk chalk from Daddy's co-worker, Carolyn, and from cousin Miya for his birthday. He really enjoys drawing, aka scribbling, (and Mommy and Daddy have fun helping him).

The tricycle is on loan from friends of ours. He isn't riding it yet but has fun spinning the wheels and pushing it around.

Balls are, of course, his favorite.

And meeting slimy critters can be quite fun!

This picture is for Nana

I LOVE this picture.

Mr. Drool... 2 yr molars comin' in.

Recently we went to the park and ended up playing peek-a-boo. I captured some of it on video.

My friend, Kris, took this picture of Gabriel and I at the park having fun playing!

I sure do love this boy!

New Discovery

2011-10-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

"Helicopter" Seeds

OUCH!

2011-10-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

First bee sting. On the eyebrow. Ouch!

Twosday

2011-09-27T06:55:00.000-07:00

"Twosday is such a good day to be celebrating TWO," said Pooh. "Indeed it is, P-p-p-ooh," replied Piglet.

Happy Birthday GSB!

Priceless

2011-09-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

Gabriel got quiet, too quiet, this morning. So I went to investigate. This is what I found.

And earlier this morning I captured this...

Pretending to be daddy, playing the guitar.
(Bathed in morning light no less - such joy!)

I am so grateful for the precious moments the Lord allows me to capture 'on film' to share with you.

Crows Stool

2011-09-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sleep deprivation does crazy things to me. I'm sure it does to all of us. Gabriel has been in a consistent pattern, for about a week, of waking up usually between 4 and 5 am and staying awake for a couple of hours before settling back down to sleep. Last night he woke up at 2 am and didn't go back to sleep until 5:30. Today is bible study day, so we had to be out of the house by 8 am. Needless to say, all the pistons in my brain are not firing well right now. I could give you countless examples, but that isn't the point of this post. I have a funny story to share.

So my friend, Holly, writes me today to pick up on a conversation we started by text yesterday. I was stopped at a construction location on my trip home from bible study so I decided I could quickly text her back apologizing for not finishing our conversation yesterday and explaining that it was due to sleep deprivation. As I wrote the last word, the traffic began to move and I hastily hit send as I started going and glanced down as the message was sent and saw the words "crows stool" as the message disappeared from my screen. What? Crows Stool? I didn't write that?! Apparently my phone's auto correct decided to interpret deprivation as crows stool. My message read, "I'm suffering from sleep crows stool." She wrote back asking (in jest) if I had been drinking.

I laughed so hard I cried! Gabriel started laughing too but I think it was more of a nervous laugh probably thinking, my mother has lost her mind.

Yes, sleep deprivation does that to a person.

Really I think we were just so deliriously tired we couldn't help but laugh. What joy!

Reflecting on Summer

2011-09-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up to sky blanketed in soft gray fleecy clouds. The air was heavy with moisture and there was a chill in the air. Autumn has arrived and soon the rains will follow. I love fall. I love hot drinks on cool mornings, the sound leaves make when they're crushed under my feet, the smell of harvest in the air and the beautiful sunsets.

This summer challenged me to find contentment in just being, here, at home. My heart ached multiple times to 'go' elsewhere this summer, to Pennsylvania for a family reunion, to Colorado for our annual summer trip, to San Francisco to visit a friend. However, the Lord had different plans for us.

Last night I decided to make a collage of our pictures from this summer. I had such a great time reflecting on all the fun we did have 'staycationing' here in Oregon and all the wonderful times we were given to spend as a family. And you know what? I feel so blessed. I feel full and happy and content and I can say with certainty, we had a great summer! Thank you Lord!

Just a heads up, soon I will be password protecting my blog. If you want access, would you mind either commenting or sending me an e-mail so I can be sure to include you as a guest? Thanks.

First Day of School

2011-09-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

The first day of school always makes me so nervous. I worry I won't be able to find my locker. So I went early to find it.

Found it!

But can I remember the combination?

Phew! I got it opened!

And it all looks good inside! 

This is going to be a great year!

Elliptical

2011-09-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

I am in need of an elliptical machine. My doctor has told me I need to be doing a cardio work out every day (I have high inflammatory markers on my cardio system and was recently put on a gluten free low carb diet - sigh). Anyway, I have been watching Craigslist, and although they have several listed, they're still a bit pricey for our budget. The thought just occurred to me that perhaps one of my blog readers would know of one that would either be free or super cheap that I could use. So there you have it. I am just putting it out there to see what happens. The Lord can provide in mysterious ways. ;o)

Splish, Splash, Swing, Snack

2011-08-28T23:10:00.000-07:00

We recently discovered a park in a near by town that has water fountains the kids can run through. Gabriel, of course, LOVES it. So that is how we spent our evening tonight. I thought you may enjoy seeing some pictures from our little outing.

I am still so amazed by the size of the trees here.

Did I mention...

2011-08-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

I'm a barista?

Indeed I am... very, very, very part time. My friend Amy owns the local coffee shop and I've acquired quite the little tab there over the months, ahem. I jokingly told her that she needed to train me so I could work off my debt. A few days later she asked if I was serious and I told her I'd love to learn how to make espresso. She said she'd like to take some time off so it would be a win-win for her. So she trained me and I am indeed a barista! I've enjoyed it tremendously. Just a few afternoons a week is perfect, I get out of the house and I get to play with coffee. I will only do this for a few more weeks until Steve is back at school. Then it will only be on occasion on weekends when he is home to watch Gabriel.

So if you're ever bee-bopping through town, stop by and say hi. I just my be the smile that greets you.

First Train Ride!

2011-08-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Steve and I took Gabriel to the zoo and he was able to have his first train ride! At first he was a bit nervous and did stay on our laps the entire time, but he seemed to really enjoy it. We took the train from the zoo to the Portland Rose Gardens, ate lunch, then took it back to the zoo. It was one of those days that creates a memory that is treasured. I can't help but think, "This is what childhood memories are made of." The best part is, this is the same train ride Steve took many times as a kid.

First Show

2011-08-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

I had my first book party last Friday night. Steve and I cleaned ALL. DAY. LONG. to get prepared for the event. We were exhausted but the house looked great! I felt somewhat prepared and even liked how we were able to display the books & cards.

30 Handcrafted Cards for Kids. Only $24 - they come in the cute red box and each card is individually wrapped!

I am super thankful for Steve's support of this business. I've looked at several businesses over the years and he has never been very supportive of the idea of a home business. But he REALLY likes Usborne books and is happy to even help me with this business. That just makes my heart happy.

The party went well. I had four friends show up. I was so grateful for their support. It was a small party but it was good to get my feet wet. I have my grand opening this weekend (Saturday from 1 -3). Please pray that I have a really good party and that the I can get this business rolling. (I'm already feeling a little discouraged). If you happen to be out of town but would like to order some awesome books, you can get them at my e-party through Sunday evening. :o) www.myubam.com/HOS201461.

Open House and Grand Opening of Bonham Books!

2011-08-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

My mother, who lives in Colorado, put a little bug in my ear a few months ago about this amazing company called Usborn Books. She was going to be attending a home party and wanted me to look online at the books and see if there were any I wanted for Gabriel. She knows I LOVE books. So I picked a few and sent her an e-mail with my wish list. :o)

At the party she was really impressed with the books, the HIGH quality, the VIBRANT colors and the relatively inexpensive price. She selected two books and a set of chunky flashcards to send to Gabriel. Then she called me and said, if you ever are considering doing a home business, this is the one you should do. You would love it and would do well at it. Usborn Books and More specialize in infant through middle school age books. They are available in multiple languages. I filed that bit of information in the back of my mind and went on with life. At the time I had no need or interest in working beyond my full time job as mom.

Our books came and needless to say, our boy L-O-V-E-S these books (That's Not My Dinosaur and First Colors)! They are the first he reads and he reads them over and over and over again. What I love most about them is they are SO educational. I enjoy reading them with him. I even captured a video of his enjoyment for you to see...

I was excited too, that my mother-in-law, Jeanne, picked out an Usborn book for our nephew Jacob's birthday (1001 Things to Spot at the Sea). I was able too look at it there and was super impressed with it. Again, confirming the high quality and interactive components of their books. I hope he loves it too!

Well as many of you know, finances are challenging for many of us. Steve and I began brainstorming ways we could bring a little extra income into our home to help us financially, especially since he won't be bringing in his coaching checks next year (the program was cut). I remembered what my mom had said about Usborn books and we witnessed firsthand how much Gabriel loves the books. So after much deliberation (we considered many options) and prayer, I decided to become an Usborn consultant. I am expecting my kit to arrive today!

So, with all that said, I want to invite you to be a part of this new adventure with me. Will you help me? There are several ways to do this.

1. Come to either my Open House (Friday, August 12, 6 - 8 pm) or Grand Opening (Saturday, August 20, 1 - 3 pm) and see for yourself how amazing these books are! E-mail me and let me know you are coming and I'll give you my address & directions.

2. Consider hosting a party for me! This can be done in your home, at a park, coffee shop or even as a quick party at the office over lunch. During my introductory period (from now until October 21, hostesses can earn double free books off their parties!!!)

3. If you need a birthday gift, consider ordering a book from my website: www.myubam.com/N3621. (Just keep in mind you can get many free books off of a good party and can stock up on your gift giving for the year. :o)

4. Tell your friends about Usborn Book and my site.

5. PRAY, I can always use it. This is a bit intimidating to do and is stretching me out of my comfort zone a bit.

If you are willing to commit to any of these things, or just want to give me a note of encouragement, can you post a comment or shoot me an e-mail? I have a new business e-mail :o) bonhambooks@gmail.com. Cool, huh? I love you dear friends. Thank you for supporting me with this!

My hope and desire is to bless families with the gift of literacy and education and to help our family out along the way.

S.W.E.E.T S.I.X.T.E.E.N

2011-08-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

Today was our 16th Wedding Anniversary! 16! Can you believe it? I know, I know, we both still look so young, so I can understand your astonishment. ;o)

With limited funding we had to forgo our usual and customary destination vacation and planned on staycationing it at home. We thought we'd do a theme anniversary celebrating with all things sweet (and Italian) in honor of our sweet 16.

We started the day with SWEET cinnamon rolls from the local White Rabbit Bakery (they specialize in gluten free, although not all things, including the cinnamon rolls, are gluten free). Their cinnamon rolls are the BEST (second only to Grandma Jeanne's homemade cinnamon rolls). Getting them fresh from the bakery, warm, melt in your mouth deliciousness is a heavenly way to start the day. We invite you to try them when you come visit us!

For lunch we opted for a bit of Tuscany! Gabriel went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Bonham. We then went to Macaroni Grill for a late lunch and had amazing meals and topped it off with our favorite dessert...SWEET delicious Tiramisu! YUM! I wish I had thought about taking a picture! I was obviously too distracted by the tantalizing flavors of the sweet dish to pause and capture it. I grabbed a picture from the web in case you don't know what this "taste of heaven" is.

La piece de la resistance of our day came following our visit to Tuscany. We were wisked off for a SWEET flight to Florence!!! Ok, not Italy, but I made you think that for a brief second didn't I? We were given a last minute unexpected gift from our friends Michael and Fawn. They are both pilots and they flew us to Florence, OR for dinner! It was an AMAZING trip! What a WONDERFUL way to celebrate our day! The views were amazing! Dinner was DELICIOUS and the sunset was a glorious site to behold. I took hundreds of pictures, and have chosen a few to share with you! Before I do, I just want to say, isn't it amazing what God can provide if we just let him and we get out of the way. So often I try to control my circumstances and to plan my days. But it's truly in vain. God is so much better at it than we are! Ok, get ready, get a cup of coffee or tea or water or something. I should have put these in a slide show, but they're here now. So there you have it. You're going to be here awhile, and, oh yeah, stretch your mouse finger it's going to get a work out now...

Happy Anniversary!

Fawn and Michael

Mt. Hood

Enjoying the ride!

Oregon Coast looking south towards Newport

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Yaquina Bay Light House & Newport Bridge

Waldport Bridge

Hacita Head Lighthouse

Coming into Florence

Florence Bridge

Dinner at Waterfront Depot

Hacita Head on return trip

Fog rolling in

View of Newport 5000 ft

Last glimpse of Yaquina Head (far right)

Evening over Newport, OR

Heading Home

I-5 looking towards Salem, almost home.

I am so thankful for my husband, Steve, and sixteen beautiful years together. Happy Anniversary!

All Things Beautiful

2011-08-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

"He hath made all things beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart. No one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Lately I have been consumed with noticing the beautiful around our home and in our local travels. I've been capturing pictures of the beauty I see. I thought, perhaps, you may enjoy these images too.

Do you notice God painting your day with beauty?

20 Years

2011-07-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend, my classmates from 20 years ago are reuniting. I am unable to be there but I did run across this picture with my life long dear friends Sarah and Judy. We were so young and idealistic 20 years ago, weren't we? :o) Happy 20th friends!

Yum! Berrielicious!

2011-07-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

Huge Raspberries!!!

Thanks to a post by another friend, I was introduced to Koch's Farm in St. Paul, OR, where you are able to pick strawberries, marionberries and raspberries until your hearts content! So on Tuesday afternoon this week I grabbed my friend Bess and we headed over to the farm to pick berries!

We had a wonderful time. I had never seen such huge raspberries. And let me tell you, they are sooooo delicious! We each picked about 5-6 lbs! Yum!

lovely berry-stained hands...

Onto the strawberries...

Mission accomplished!

Pastime

2011-07-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you are wondering how we are spending our time this summer? I'm so glad you asked!

We enjoy breakfast together and are learning all about sharing all of our food with our never-full son. We often joke about this being his second or third breakfast depending on which parent he is mooching off of.

On rainy days we watch the rain -or-

watch the spin cycles on the washer -or-

perhaps play with finger paints, which have been taste tested...

On sunny days we go outside and play in our new upgraded

(takes up the whole yard, but we love it, recently gifted to us used) pool! It matters not that it's only 70 degrees outside and the water is cold; that it has been raining all day and that it is nearly bed time. To a boy who LOVES water, it's time to play!

With a new pool, comes pool rescues! Tonight I rescued a bumble bee and a dragon fly and Steve got out the two lady bugs. I am so fascinated by insects. I spent quite a bit of time looking at the dragon fly. How often do you get to see one sitting still long enough to look at it? I had plenty of time while he was drying off. I am so amazed by God's great designs.

I think he was praying a prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus that I rescued him from certain death.

Do you see the amber spots on the tips of his wings. It was like stained glass!

Another awesome moment of introducing Gabriel to God's creation!

A final thank you before flying off.

One of our other rescued insects. I can't help but rescue ladybugs. They eat aphids!

While we haven't gone far from home, we have been keeping ourselves obviously entertained! We hope you are finding joy each day as well!

Legacy

2011-07-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

Today is my Aunt Linda and Uncle Russ's 50th Wedding Anniversary. FIFTY. I absolutely LOVE hearing about marriages that last a lifetime.

Today my whole family is celebrating with them in Pennsylvania. I really wanted to be there too! But finances have prohibited us from going. I hear it is sunny and warm and is a beautiful day (unlike here where it is dreary and rainy...may as well be January because it certainly isn't summer...ahem...I'm not bitter).

I saw a sign yesterday that reminded me of our family. It read,

"One generation plants a tree the next generation enjoys its shade."

I thought of love. One generation models love so the next generation can feel its warmth.

Happy Anniversary Aunt Linda and Uncle Russ!

Artwork

2011-07-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

We recently introduced Gabriel to finger paint. And this was his first picture. We (read I) haven't decided what to call it yet. Either "Rainbows Reflection" or "Yellow Bird on Meadows Edge". Steve isn't so much into naming the piece. He just called first dibbs on keeping it for himself to frame and put up in his classroom. He is such a great dad!

I love the picture below. We had to convince the appliance salesman that we wanted to order our black (magnetic door) refrigerator and wait the five weeks to get it in, instead of the stainless steel (non-magnetic) one that was in stock, because we wanted to hang our son's artwork on it. True to our word, we did hang his art work on the fridge and he noticed it too!

Up and Running!

2011-07-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well, this is mostly true. Gabriel has been trying to walk for a little over a week now. When he tries, he goes from kneeling into a run/walk. It is quite cute and has been entertaining us daily.

The most amazing moment came when he crawled up onto a chair, slid off in a standing position and then casually took 8 steps as if he's been doing this his whole life. Both of our jaws dropped and we just stared. We couldn't believe it. Up to that moment he hadn't really walked on his own at all. He's been trying to walk ever since. He still doesn't have the balance thing down, but he sure is trying.

The fourth and some stowaways...

2011-07-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July is a bitter sweet day for me. I've always enjoyed celebrating the day by dressing up in red, white and blue. I love painting my nails creatively, this year with a flag, to commemorate our freedom. I anticipate the BBQ and fireworks that always coincide with the day. It's a fun day.

Two years ago, my brother took his life on this day. I've struggled with his decision over and over and over wishing things were different, but they are not. He is gone. Life goes on. Why did he choose the fourth? I'll never know. All I can do is speculate that it was his favorite celebration of the year and that it symbolizes his own freedom from the things that brought him down. It still hurts though. I still miss him.

My family hoped that we could celebrate the 4th together each year, unfortunately finances prevented us from doing so this year. However, Steve, Gabriel and I did enjoy the day down at the coast. We had a fantastic day enjoying the beach, visiting the light house, walking the marina and watching fireworks.

Rocks, couldn't get enough of them.

Carrying Gabriel across the beach log that acts as a bridge over this stream.

I love this picture.
"Happy 4th of July everyone!"

This boy loves the beach. Do you see the reflection on his sunglasses?

Steve thinks we should buy this one.

Did you catch that I mentioned stowaways in my title? Well, when we returned home we found these in Gabriel's basket of beach toys. I wonder how they got in there?

Summer!

2011-07-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

Oregon has FINALLY caught up with the rest of the country and summer has arrived. Steve always jokes that summer doesn't start here until after July 5, stating "it always rains on the 4th".

A few weeks ago I set up the kiddie pool on a hot sunny day. Needless to say, that was the last time we used it. But I thought I'd share the pictures anyway!

We also went to the zoo with my friend Lora and her two kiddos, Lydia and Conner, who are friends of Gabriel. We had a lovely day there!

A few weeks before, Steve, Gabriel and I went to the zoo. Gabriel enjoyed the elephants the most. I was impressed with being able to put our hands up to the paw of a sleeping polar bear!

'Camping'

2011-06-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

We had our first real 'all by ourselves' family vacation this past week. Although it wasn't entirely a vacation, we made it one and had a blast. For those of you who know Steve, you know he is an avid fly fishing guy. So we chose to 'camp' near the Rogue River, close to Medford, Oregon, so that he would be able to get his line wet and unwind from the school year.

Our first fun adventure was stopping for dinner with a 30 foot trailer in tow. We found a MD along the highway and pulled off. To our surprise, they had a back lot specifically for rigs like ours and we were able to pull right up to a field. We ordered our salads and brought them back to the camper and ate inside. It was perfect. Gabriel enjoyed stretching his legs and getting some energy out. It was safe, clean and baby proof! I really enjoyed sitting as a family for dinner; having such a great view out the window.

After dinner, Gabriel and I took a walk in the field. It was so fun walking along the ripe wheat. He was particularly interested in the farm equipment and he also enjoyed 'playing' in the wheat. I'm so glad we took the opportunity to enjoy this because the fields were harvested by the time we headed home.

As we were getting ready to go again, I caught Gabriel gazing out the window and snapped this pic.

The views on the drive were incredible!

Gabriel enjoyed eating his cereal (dry) on the couch like a big boy! He's been roaring like Simba lately. It's super cute. I'll try to get video of that!

To pass the time, Gabriel played a rousing game of toss (the super huge) pine cones.

We enjoyed the traditional camping meal of roasting hot dogs (they were Gabriel's first). He has been really enjoying all the extra time with daddy!

Our final evening there, Daddy took us down to the river. It was beautiful.

We enjoyed eating some ice cream; which, I believe, Gabriel wore more than he ate.

I grew up on going to rivers, so it was so fun to share this experience with our son. It felt wonderful to pass on the experience to the next generation.

Gabriel did really well riding down and back. He entertained himself with his rabbits (from Nana) and his blanket. Super cute!

D.A.D.A.

2011-06-19T02:14:00.000-07:00

Daddy

I love you because...

You let me play guitar with you...

And you help me reach high places.

You play with me at the park...

And at the zoo.

You like to swing with me...

Or make me swing high in the air.

You blow bubbles for me during my bath...

And you read to me every night.

You take care of me when I am sick

And protect me in case I fall.

You encourage me to try new things...

And you promise to always hold my hand when I need it.

Best of all, you make me laugh!

Daddy, you're the best and that is why I love you so much!
Happy Fathers Day!
Love Gabriel

Happy

2011-06-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Happy is the boy who is surrounded by his favorite toys!
(and they're all basketballs, according to him, in case you're wondering.)

Today

2011-05-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

God has given me today. It is His present to me; to live in the present, fully aware, fully experiencing, fully thanking him for this gift. The gift of today.

Today I tumbled with my son on the bed, giggling with delight as the sun bathed us in its light.

Today I took him for a walk, to bask in the warmth of the sun.

Today I walked hand in hand with him as he stumbled clumsily over the grass at the park.

Today we touched the bark of a tree together.

Today we blew dandilion seeds into the air.

Today I watched my son touch blades of grass in wonder.

Today he noticed a plane over head, he always notices them.

Today we played. He played.

Today he swung, feet high in the air, forest creating a lovely canopy as a backdrop.

Today we laughed.

Today my son fell asleep in my arms content.

The day is not over, yet, I am so richly blessed with its gift. The gift of the present from the Lord.

To find joy, thanksgiving must be given, and I am so deeply thankful for today.

Painting Phase II

2011-05-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

I did this awhile back and am, in fact, working on phase III already. But I promised to share as I journeyed on so here are some picks and a video for you to enjoy.

(Gabriel LOVES his critters...he gives them hugs and kisses goodnight each night.)

Smile

2011-05-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Did your cereal smile at you today?

Play Yard

2011-05-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

Another new addition to our home is a new play yard for Gabriel. My parents came up with the idea of fencing off the main area of lawn we have in the back yard to keep the doggies from using the area to relieve themselves. We went to Home Depot and found a nice black iron fence that did the trick and we love it. It as a gate that makes it easy to access. Gabriel has already enjoyed a few sunny days in the back yard and we're looking forward to many more this summer!

This was his Easter outfit. Cute, huh?

Mother of the Year Award

2011-05-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

I am nominating myself for the mother of the year award. Let me tell you why. A month or two ago, Steve lovingly suggested that he thought Gabriel should get new shoes. I did what any new mother would do, I measured his feet like this (photo taken today, mind you)...

I thought, ya it's getting close, but he should be fine. Well Nana is here and offered to go shoe shopping with us this week. We went to the Stride Rite outlet and had his feet measured. Ahem.

He came into the store in his size 4 shoes and left in size... 7!

oops! Poor little guy! I guess, perhaps, I was in a bit of denial and just didn't want to admit our son is growing up! Such a sad day. He skipped three sizes in an instant and we bypassed several cute shoes that were given to us as hand-me-downs. His shoes are more than half the size of my own, big feet (size 8)!

So we have another big foot in the house. Perhaps one of the reasons Gabriel hasn't just taken off walking yet is because his mama has been forcing him to wear the wrong shoe size!

That is the reason I am nominating myself for the mother of the year award. Thank you for your consideration!

Les Jardins

2011-05-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have always loved flowers. I was raised by a nature lover and a florist. So it is no wonder that I enjoy them so much. I have been so blessed recently by the love of first, my husband, creating a beautiful rose garden in our back yard for my enjoyment. Then the blessing continued from my parents as they surprised us with the gift of plants and flowers for our front yard. I love my new gardens and feel surrounded by the evidence of the love I've been given. What joy!

When we first moved to Oregon we rented a house in Newberg. I fell in love with the roses out front (my favorite pictured above). When the owners returned, they pulled the roses out (they were redesigning their garden) and gave them to me. So these bushes have been carted around in barrels for three moves and they have finally been replanted in our yard. Steve pulled up the grass, planted the roses and bordered them with bricks. It looks so good out there! I can not wait to see them bloom!

Our front yard is in serious need of help. It shows definite signs of neglect. When we moved the roses out back, it felt empty and my parents noticed it right away when the arrived. They took me shopping and surprised me by telling me they were buying plans to start a garden! Whahoo! It was so fun to work with my dad to plant the flowers and to create a garden.

Dad threw dirt on me (planting me, huh?)

So I wiped dirt on his face.


Now we're behaving!

All done! Beautiful!

Here are pictures of all the plants and flowers up close!

Dad didn't want Steve to feel left out, so he purchased this whacky duck for Steve and Gabriel to enjoy. :o)

Hope

2011-04-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

"He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!"

lil' helper

2011-04-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

So this is why you have kids?! :-)

Gabriel decided to help me out. He unloaded and loaded a complete load.

Then he reloaded the washer and started it.

Wow. Wonderful. I love that little guy! He constantly amazes us!

Out like a Lamb

2011-03-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

We finally had a break from the rain today. We've been severely suffering from cabin fever around here lately. Gabriel, just getting over a cold, was anxious to go outside after more than a week of seclusion. So I grabbed my camera, put him in a stroller and headed out to the park!

It was a perfectly beautiful spring day. The air smelled of spring! It was wonderful! I hope heaven will smell like spring; fresh, clean, new.

Gabriel had a delightful time playing at the park, walking around town and hanging out on the grass. Praise God for spring, sunny weather, sweet smells, new flowers and baby boy giggles.

Eighteen

2011-03-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

months, this sweet young boy has blessed our days!

Gabriel is growing up and up and up. He spends his days climbing furniture, standing and circling the ottoman and rocking chair, climbing up and down the stairs, getting into water when ever the opportunity allows and tormenting, I mean cuddling, with the dogs. He still loves books and his balls. All balls are called "ba ket ball". It cracks me up. Why start with a one syllable word like "Ball", no, let's just jump right to "Basketball". Steve loves it, of course!

Speaking of speaking, Gabriel is learning new words regularly and has really taken to signing. We have the baby signs program and he loves to watch the 15 minute shows. He has learned many signs, and words as a result, and is using them regularly. It is so great to be able to communicate and know what he is trying to say.

Gabriel is getting so tall! He is nearly 33 inches tall and almost 27 lbs. He can easily look on top of the table now and reaches the counter! He's going to be a tall boy!

He loves playing with his ball hut. He spends quality time in there each day giggling and laughing. He's recently found out that the hut moves and has taken to trying to roll it over.

Often when I am in the kitchen, Gabriel comes charging in and bulldozes between my legs. Then he grabs onto my legs, stands up and begs to help me wash dishes. I think he really just wants to play with the water, I'm just guessing here...

A funny quirky thing we've noticed him doing this week is crossing his fingers on his left hand (we are beginning to suspect he may be a lefty).

Gabriel is our dear sweet little monkey and he brings us joy and laughter each day with his crazy antics. We are so blessed to have him in our lives.

~~~

Post Script

~~If you (or anyone you know) have any gently used 24 mo/2T boy clothes or 4.5 shoes that need a new home, please let us know!~~

Update: God is so good. Like manna, He has reminded me of His already provision through the generous donations of others. I discovered a bin FULL of 24mo/2T clothes this evening (3/28)! They were given to me by my sister-in-law, Laura, and a friend, Jill, from their sons! Praise the Lord! We have clothes.

Gabriel's Gallery

2011-03-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

I had a moment of creative inspiration last week. You see, I don't like blank white walls, unlike my sweet hubby. They bug me until I do something with them. I've been busily decorating the rest of the house so the blank wall at the top of the stairs has been neglected. I've been contemplating what to do with the aforementioned wall. I have some mirrors that I thought I might hang there. I also thought of making that wall a portrait wall by hanging all of Gabriel's pictures there; I have instead hung them downstairs where we can enjoy them. I've looked online for child friendly art work. Finally, I came up with the idea of painting jungle critters on canvas and hanging them instead. I knew Gabriel would love the animals and it could be called Gabriel's Gallery. Only one problem, no money to buy canvas. Alas, I decided to just use the wall as my canvas and grabbed my paints and brushes and went to work.

I always love seeing what my friends are doing when they blog about their remodels or creations. They're smart enough to take before pictures. Um, I wasn't. At least I remembered to snap a few pictures at the sketch stage before I started painting. So here are a few before shots.

And here are the after! I still need to clean up some of the sketching. Since I did this all freehand, I had to draw some of the critters twice to get the spacing to look nice. :o)

I had a really hard time taking a good after picture that captured the whole wall, so I took pictures from different angles. Hopefully you get the idea.

Most of the artwork was inspired by this bib of Gabriel's...

The greatest reward for me was Steve's reaction, he loved it! And I love seeing Gabriel talk to them all the time. He crawls to the top of the stairs, knees on the last step, arms on the landing, head looking up, and chit chatting away. He isn't very fond of the alligator nor the iguana, but he loves the giraffe, bengal tiger and lion. I love it! When he is in our arms, those are the ones he wants to touch first.

My only regret is that I didn't put the animals low enough for Gabriel to reach. So I just may be adding more animals in the near future. I'm thinking monkeys, a zebra, hippo, some jungle grass and trees...

I'll be sure to post pictures if I do!

TP

2011-03-08T22:07:00.000-08:00

To access our closet you must go through our bathroom. This morning, I was in our closet sorting our clothes in preparation to do laundry. I had only been there a few minutes when I heard the familiar sound of toilet paper being dispensed. My mama radar was immediately on alert and I lept over the piles of laundry and came around the corner in the bathroom to find our son with a pile of TP pooled at his feet; the empty cardboard roll still spinning.

And I did what any responsible diciplinarian would do...

I ran and grabbed my camera!

I realize that I ought not encourage this behavior, and I certainly don't intend too in the future; however this was the first time, and well, Gabriel was in such bliss and truthfully, I couldn't resist letting him have fun.

Our New-to-Us Swagger Wagon

2011-03-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

It has happened.
We've officially crossed over.
We now have the vehicle that screams family...
We are Toyota Sienna owners!
Check it out...

And what a difference it makes on lifting our sweet little nearly 26 lb Gabriel into his car seat. Perhaps now my shoulders can recover! I confess, I absolutely love it!

The sale of our Altima allowed us purchase this from Steve's parents.
Thank you Mom and Dad B! We love it!

Snow Day!

2011-02-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

I LOVE SNOW!!!

The local media has been warning of a pending snow storm, scheduled to arrive today, for several days now. Predicting cold temperatures and nearly 4" of snow, viewers were urged to be prepared! Even our local FredMeyer store was exploiting the possibility of this winter blast by stating on their website,

"Weather alert! Prepare for the coming storm in one stop. Groceries plus
tire chains, shovels, space heaters and firewood are in-stock right now!"

Well the storm did arrive and as promised it did actually snow this time (fourth prediction of the season finally coming to fruition). However, we only manged to get a light dusting, maybe an inch of snow, and the roads were clear by 10 am...but SCHOOL WAS CLOSED!!!

Hip Hip Hooray! SNOW DAY!!!

This has all been so humorous to me, being a Colorado native who grew up with several feet of snow in the winter. As kids we knew that the only way school would ever be canceled was if the superintendent couldn't make it to the office. He had a great SUV 4x4 so needless to say, school rarely got closed. I remember walking to school in 12 inches of snow and the mucus lining of my nose freezing along the way. We affectionately referred to those days as "bugger freezing cold".

I also remember a blizzard that shut down the interstate in northern Colorado. My cousin Mike and his wife Shellie decided to come for a visit to play Settlers. Steve and I made the Chili while they loaded the back end of their little pickup truck (to give it traction over the ice and snow) and they headed our way. What normally took 30 minutes to get to our house, took an hour and a half. That's what we call a snow day back home! And we had a blast enjoying our snow day off work together!

Now I need to be fair here. The Willamette valley doesn't see snow that often. In fact in the six years I've lived here I can think of only four or five times that I've seen snow in the winter (in the valley) and only two of those times had significant amounts of snow. So it doesn't make sense for the state to spend the money on snow removal equipment for the few times it could be needed and the local officials need to base their decisions on the safety of students. So I do get the 'why' behind the school closings here.

Regardless of the amount of snow, I LOVE SNOW. And, I love that Steve had a snow day today! We had such a great time watching Gabriel enjoy it for the first time. He noticed the snow out the window first thing this morning and by 9 am we had him bundled up and out the door so he could enjoy it before it melted.

So here are our snow day pictures, including two from yesterday to see how green the grass is under the snow. (You can tell it is getting cold outside, because Gabriel is able to steam up the windows with his breath and his hands.)

Today...anticipating....

There is such beauty in freshly fallen snow...words and pictures can not quite capture it....

Having "Christmas Story" flashbacks here....

Ready to go!

Diggin' crawling in the 'snow!

Mommy trying to entice me to eat that cold white fluffy stuff, but now way!

Enjoying the snow

Oops, nice hit with the snowball, Daddy. Thanks for the mustache!

Snow prints...a moment frozen in time...

DIRT!

2011-02-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

I've been aching to write this post. I have a new favorite picture of Gabriel! But you'll have to wait to see it until later. I had hoped to post right away, but the weekend was busy and yesterday, well, naturally I wanted to blog about LOVE. But today, I want to talk about dirt!

Last Thursday it was beautiful out and Gabriel and I went to the park. He loves it there. He is getting better about climbing the equipment and loves to swing. This day, however, he wanted to crawl on the ground. I hemmed and hawed and then decided, well it's going to happen someday, so why not today. I watched him start to crawl. He quickly realized that crawling on the bark dust wasn't too much fun. So he just sat and started playing in the bark dust and dirt.

HE LOVED IT!

But what boy doesn't really?

For at least 20 minutes he sat and played. I was impressed that he didn't try to eat the bark dust, although both sticks and pine cones made it into his mouth for a taste. He also was very curious about touching the pine needles on the branches. So many new and exciting things to explore. He was in sensory bliss!

His absolutely favorite part was grabbing the dirt and flinging it. He just busted up laughing and he did it over and over and over.

What a joy and delight it is to see him having such a great time.

So here are some of the pictures from his first dirt experience!

Flingin' Dirt

Tasting a pine cone

Tasting a stick (I'm glad he wasn't standing while doing this, gulp)

Spreading dirt and touching pine needles

And last but not least my favorite picture of the day....

Baby boy bliss!

I am a totally biased mama, but I think he is the handsomest most beautiful boy in the world! I am just wild about him!

L.O.V.E.

2011-02-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

Sprinkled with His rain

Lovingly created for me

A knock at the door

My beloved stands holding the roses

...and coffee

and my cup runneth over with LOVE

Zoo Day

2011-02-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Gabriel and I went to the zoo again. It was supposed to be sunny and 50 degrees, so I thought it would be a great time to get out and enjoy some sunshine! I invited my beautiful and dear friend Jeana and her two boys, Toby and Miles. We met at the zoo and had a great time, albeit the 42 degree weather that seems even colder in the shade. The boys were bundled up well and they didn't seem to mind too much. They were more distracted by the animals, which was great.

What I love most about going to the zoo, is we have a unique fun experience each time. I was reflecting with my husband last night and recalled each visit. When we went with my mama (Nana to Gabriel) it was all about the monkeys. When Steve and I went it was all about the Lorikeets. When we went with Cami it was about the zoo lights. Yesterday it was all about the sea lions. It was a pretty amazing thing to only have glass separating us from them as the performed synchronized swimming acts for all of us. What a joy it was to watch and to realize how HUGE they really are. The zoo was pretty empty, so we had front row seats to enjoy.


Toby, Miles and Gabriel

We also enjoyed seeing...

Lions

Caracol Wild Cat

Painted African Wolf

Cool African Bird - Reminded us of Zazoo from Lion King. Wrong color though!

A Mongoose. Did you know they looked like this? I hear they eat snakes too! Freddie should get one as a pet!

Jeana and Toby looking inside the Mongoose exhibit.

Emerging from the tunnel and having lots of fun!

Gabriel and Miles checking out the Crocodile

Orange Frogs!

Another pic of the Crocodile

Colobus Monkey

Toby saying 'hi'

Polar Bears!
We had such a great time! Thanks for coming Jeana, Miles and Toby!

Finding Joy in the Shadow of Gray

2011-02-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

Living in gray is hard on my heart.

Many days I awake feeling down.

I struggle to find joy.

I feel empty, unmotivated, heavy.

I don't like gray.

I love blue and yellow

The comfort that blue skies bring

The colors all around illuminated by the suns rays.

I take pictures of blue skies with big puffy white clouds.

When the sun's rays break through the clouds and fill my kitchen with warmth,

I stand in them and soak them up.

I am a different person on sunny days.

I feel like the sky is endless and so is my joy!

I feel motivated.

I laugh more.

I pour out joy on others.

I give of myself.

I celebrate!

I feel ALIVE!

I know gray is necessary to bring green

and the many colors of Spring, which I love.

So how do I live in gray. How do I find joy?

Last night I was sitting in Gabriel's room dwelling on things that discouraged my heart as Steve read and Gabriel played. In the middle of my thoughts, I prayed, "Lord give me a heart filled with so much joy that all my fears are pushed out and only joy dwells in my heart."

After we prayed with Gabriel and tucked him in leaving him with sweet kisses good night,

I read something that really struck a cord in my heart,

from the Ann's blog "A Holy Experience".

“To be joy-filled, give thanks.”

This is not new news or something I've never read before, it was just that the Lord was answering me very directly and personally. Rhonda, to find joy, to be joy-filled, give thanks."

So I began thinking of all the things I'm thankful for and you know what, I went to bed happy and joy-filled and I awoke today, under the blanket of gray skies that so often accompany winter days in Oregon, filled with JOY. Thank you Jesus!

I hope this encourages your heart to give thanks today. Please visit the blog, "A Holy Experience" to read her whole story behind giving thanks. It has to do with a horn. Are you curious now? Go!

I am looking forward to purchasing Ann's book when I am able to afford it. It is called,

One Thousand Gifts:
A Dare to Live Fully
Right Where You Are

by Ann Voskamp

I can't wait to read it!