COLD

I'm a big fan of sweaters, gloves and turtlenecks.
I love choosing the perfect scarf.
I'm a huge fan of hot chocolate and a fire in the woodstove.
Winter is beautiful and I love being WARM.

I'm not such a big fan of COLD...
and...
I'm really not enjoying this "cold" snap that has currently taken over "in our neck of the woods" as Al Roker would say.

Why? you ask...

Well...

The water troughs are frozen.
The pickup has to be plugged in...and I usually forget.
The pickup needs to be "warmed up" before going anywhere.
The milk I bought at the store yesterday morning froze in my pickup.
The buses are still late every day after school... even when it's cold.
The mailbox freezes shut.
The air chills you to the bone.
The cows still have to be fed.

I could go on and on... but won't.

Just know that I'm cold and trying to make the most of it!

Happy COLD to all of you...
and enjoy the fact that we are able to be WARM!!

Friendship Questionnaire

Got this from my mom yesterday...
I've seen it before...
Thought I'd reply through my blog...

1. What is your occupation?
Elementary Teacher/Librarian
2. What color are your socks right now?
Brown
3. What are you listening to right now?
Kenny G
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Blueberry Bagel w/ Cream Cheese
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
I hope so.
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
A solicitor from New York trying to sell me books
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Love, love, love her!
8. How old are you today?
30 - and loving it!
9. Favorite drink?
Ocean Spray Cran-Grape Juice
10. What is your favorite sport to watch?
College Football
11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Sure have...
12. Pets?
2 dogs (Jack & Jill) 1 cat (Sniffles)
13. Favorite food?
Tacos!!
14. What was the last movie you watched?
The Breakup
15. What is your favorite day of the year?
My birthday - always been a great day... it means I'm alive!
16. How do you vent anger?
Cry
17. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Fisher Price "Little People"
18. What is your favorite - fall or spring?
Fall & Spring... can't decide... love them both.
19. Hugs or kisses?
Hugs
20. Cherries or Blueberries?
Blueberries
21. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Yes
22. Who is most likely to respond?
???
23. Who is least likely to respond?
???
24. Living arrangements?
3 bedroom farm house miles from anything
25. When was the last time you cried?
Last weekend - I was so tired & exhausted!
26. What is on the floor of your closet?
Lots of shoes
27. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this
to?
My mom
28. What did you do last night?
Fell asleep singing "Silent Night" to my son
29. Favorite smells?
Cookies hot out of the oven
30. What inspires you?
Life, Friends & Family
31. What are you afraid of?
Not sure how to answer that...
32. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
Cheese
33. Favorite dog breed?
Blue Heeler
34. Number of keys on your key ring?
2
35. How many years at your current job?
9 years
36. Favorite day of the week?
Sunday
37. How many states have you lived in?
1
38. Favorite holiday?
Christmas

The Last Load

Arrived in Ukiah yesterday afternoon to get the last 6 heifers.

It was beautiful.

The snow was crisp.
The air was fresh.
The scene was breathtaking.
Ian & Mason headed up the mountain on the 4 wheeler looking for the strays and I walked with my camera.
I hadn't touched my camera for a week.

It was wonderful.
I captured some great photos of the beginnings of winter.
I caught the magic that Ian feels every time he's with the cows.

Love winter...
Love that warmth is never too far away...
Love that we live in a beautiful Eastern Oregon.

Today

Having an interesting morning...

Not much of a voice.
Not much spunk.
Not much energy.

I slept well.
I had a great vacation.
I enjoyed time with my "boys."
I ate lots of good food.
I saw good friends.
I rested.

but... today... back at work...
I'm tired.
I'm overwhelmed by questions and not many answers.
I have a cold.
I was late.
I am confused by several things.
I guess that means I'm alive.

Praying for peace & a refreshed spirit...
preferably before 9:05... when my first class of kindergarten kids arrive ready to hear a great story!

Thankful

This is written on the wall in my home.

This is my slogan.

A slogan is something that is real.

A slogan is something that is alive.

A slogan is something others see.



A slogan is just a slogan unless you put it into practice.

A slogan is something you're known for.

A slogan is what draws others to you.

A slogan is just a slogan...

until you make it real and alive for someone else.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I'm blessed beyond measure with so much!

Your words of encouragement make my day.

Your willingness to share your thoughts brings a smile to my face.

Your love is irreplaceable.

Your support is unbelievable.

Your comments are a great source of joy.

Life is good - because of each one of you!!

Blessings to you this Thanksgiving!!

(click above)

A Fat Lip, Cheerios, & Rest

I'm pretty sure that weekends weren't created for rest.

It's a good idea, but not realistic at all.
There is no day of rest at our home...

why?! why oh why is it so hard to "rest"??

Even when nothing is planned - something always happens... the cows get out, the water troughs freeze, the phone rings, the relatives come, the feed truck gets stuck, there is fence to be built, there is laundry to do, the dishwasher is always running, and life still goes on. It just goes on & on& on... and we continue to get up every day and live.

I've been reading a book called Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life by Joanna Weaver.
I started it several months ago.
I read a chapter, try my best to apply what I've read in my daily interactions and relationships, and then read another chapter a week or two later.
This weekend, I read a chapter about how all the "stuff" we have in our lives is like trying to hula-hoop with 25 hula-hoops at once, and still remain calm, focused, and "centered."
Now, I don't know about you, but as I mentally view this illustration, I don't see calm, collected, or centered.

I see frustration, anxiety, stress, and lack of focus.
I can barely do it with 1 hula hoop, let alone 25.
It describes a woman - a mom - who is doing everything to make her family "run."
It's me.

It's a picture of me trying to do so many things at once.

It's me piling one thing after another... although, lately I've been throwing some of those things to the side.
It's a wife, a mom, a teacher, a coach, a friend, a sister, a daughter - making things happen, making life happen, making the most of what life hands her.
It's me... and I'm just beginning to figure out the "calm, focused, & centered" part and what it means for "me."

It's such an awesome picture of what life is really like for so many of us!
We all try to juggle and spin and maneuver our way through life and are often not "centered."

I want to be centered, I want to be calm in the midst of a storm, I want to be that woman.

I'm learning that I'm becoming that woman.

I'm learning that becoming that woman takes time.

I'm learning that if I don't take time, it's not going to happen.

I had time this weekend.

I made time this weekend.

I enjoyed "friendship tea" and cinnamon rolls with my mother-in-law.

I visited with my mom on the phone - about life & love.

I watched my son "play" with his cousins and then kissed (he wouldn't go for sucking on the ice cube) his fat lip (3 times its normal size) because he "played" so hard.

I slept for 2.5 hours instead of trying to get everything done.

I scooped up a giant bag of cheerios that exploded as they were dropped down the stairs.

I watched a great movie as my son fell asleep next to me on the couch at 7:30.

I had great conversations with friends on the phone.

I built a giant tower of jumbo legos and laughed with Mason as we knocked them down.

I prayed for wisdom in raising my child.

I read another chapter in my book.

I worshiped God with a grateful heart.

I praised Jesus for His faithfulness and mercy.

I played outside in the fog.

I welcomed my husband home with a hot meal, a kiss, & a hug.

I did all of this... and it happened because I made time for God.

I'm not trying to preach - that is not my gift.

I'm not trying to say I'm any better than anyone else - I'm not.

I don't have this hula-hoop thing down.

I don't have all the answers to all the questions.

I'm letting you know that when I made the time that I thought for sure I didn't have...

great things happened.

I'm letting you know that a fat lip, cheerios, and rest are things that life hands you... and what you do with them... well... that's the test!

Life...

What a week!

I don't think I touched my camera once.
I'm sure that I haven't swept the kitchen or mud room at all.
I know that there is a LOT of laundry to do.
I'm disgusted by our bathrooms.
I'm positive that I'm ready for a weekend.

Life has been busy.
Life has been tiring.
Life has been challenging.
Life has been emotional.
Life has been fun.
Life has been rewarding.
Life has been good.

God's Love is Unfailing...

and I'm so very thankful for that!

Enjoy your life... no matter what it may bring!

CAN!

WARNING!!

This will make you cry.
This will make you value life.
This is a true picture of love!

Here's the story... and the link to the video is at the end...

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons.
Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.
Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike.
Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father?
Not much--except save his life.
This love story began i n Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.
"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;" Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution."
But the Hoyts weren't buying it.
They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room.
When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate.
"No way," Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain."
"Tell him a joke," Dick countered.
They did.
Rick laughed.
Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.
Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate.
First words? "Go Bruins!"
And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that."
Yeah, right.
How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles?
Still, he tried.
"Then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says.
"I was sore for twoweeks."
That day changed Rick's life.
"Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!"
And that sentence changed Dick's life.
He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could.
He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.
"No way," Dick was told by a race official.
The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor.
For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially:
In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following
year.
Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?"
How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon?
Still, Dick tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own?
"No way," he says.
Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.
This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon , in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters.
Their best time'?
Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.
"No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century."
And Dick got something else out of all this too.
Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race.
Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago."
So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.
Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Massachusetts, always find ways to be together.
They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.
That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.
"The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

grab some kleenex and watch at

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryCTIigaloQ

Noise Makers

Mason is infatuated with noise.
He loves to yell at the cows.
He loves to honk the horn.
He loves to shout "boo" at himself in the mirror.
He loves to blow into the empty paper-towel rolls.
He loves, loves, loves to blow his whistle.



Why did I ever think a "whistle" was a "fun" idea??

It was cute at first.
It was funny at first.
It was amazing at first. (he caught on so quickly)

Now... well, let's just say that I'm thankful it's a whistle and not one of these:

Pacific City

There is something magical about the beach.
The sound of the waves crashing on the sand.
The smell of the salty air.
The taste of clam chowder from Mo's.
The feel of the mist rising from the sea onto the shore.
The sight of a little boy loving life, smiling as he runs from the approaching waves and building sandcastles with his daddy.

We had a great weekend. It never seems to be long enough, but I've come to the realization that some is better than none. I can't say that it was totally rest & relaxation due to the fact our sweet boy doesn't really understand the "lazy naps and sleeping in" part of vacation...

but we made the most of it.

Thankful for the rain, the breaks of sunshine, turkey dinner with mom & dad, old war movies, and the beautiful Cape House.

Happy to be home!

Oh, and I thought it was so appropriate that I saw a total of 10 rainbows along the way... the 10th being here:

with the pot of gold at Spirit Mountain Casino... gotta love it!

(I'm thinking they might pay me for this picture.)

Rain Rain...

GO AWAY!!

Why, oh why, does this great state of Oregon have to be experiencing flood watches/warnings when I'm going on vacation??

Yes... it's all about ME... and the weather is not cooperating!

There is a reason I choose to live in Eastern Oregon...

there are approximately 357 days of sunshine,
there is relatively no chance of flooding,
and highways rarely close (except for blowing dust).

Please pray for sunshine...
or at least a break in the record amounts of rain that are falling on the Oregon Coast right now! We really, really, really need a vacation... and if we don't go now... it won't happen.

Maya Angelou says:

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way she handles these 3 things:
a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."

Well, I'm being tested today... by the rain... but I know there is a rainbow...somewhere!

Monday Morning

6:05 AM
It started a little something like this...

• I hand Ian his ballot and calmly remind him that he needs to vote.
• I quickly finish folding the clothes that he has so kindly brought from the laundry room and piled on the couch... you never know who might show up at my house today (probably no one, but I just couldn't leave it...I just couldn't)
• I head back down the hallway and hear Mason saying "watch" "watch" "watch"... turn the corner and find markers, batteries, & gum EVERYWHERE!
• Ian is in the room with him - totally focused on voting... oblivious to the rest of the world.
• I "choose" not to scream and calmly pick everything up while Mason stomps around in his boots saying "no mommy" and "why" when I calmly tell him that he can't play with those things right now.
• Ian is still voting.
• I finish packing the diaper bag, start working on lunches, and realize that Mason has unpacked the diaper bag... I firmly say NO MORE! and Ian looks up.
• Ian continues voting.
• Mason puts his boots on, gets his hat and says "out" more times than I can count.
• Ian is done voting!
• He grabs his hat, Mason's cup, and heads out the door saying "he's just like me... can't wait to get outside"
• I stand at the sink watching out the window, questioning myself, my sanity, my life.

7:05
I'm late... we're supposed to be gone by now...

• Ian has started my pickup.
• Mason is inside with chips and a cookie.
• The dogs are sitting in the front seat.
• The windows are down and the wind is blowing the papers that were on the dash all around the pickup and out into the yard.
• I pick everything up... turn on "Positive Life Radio" and begin my Monday!

Happy Monday everyone!
Enjoy this ... I got it from a friend this morning... seemed appropriate.

Men Are Just Happier People --
What do you expect from such simple creatures?

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans takecare of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth..
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
Your belly usually hides your big hips.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives
on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

"Terrible Twos"

Mason is there.

I always thought that the "terrible two" thing was something that I (the perfect mother) would never experience. I'm pretty sure that I was wrong - totally & completely wrong.... about the "perfect mother" thing and the "terrible twos."

He tests ALL limits.

He pushes every button.

He knows exactly what NOT to do.

Most days are good.
But one bad day seems like 10.

I read books on discipline.
I pray for wisdom.
I try to come up with creative ideas.

I ask for advice.

I'm consistent... or at least I try to be.
I'm at a loss.

Parenting is not easy, and today... is one of "those" days...

Hoping & praying that tomorrow is better... it has to be - right?!

Hallmark

Opened my mailbox yesterday and found this:

Hallmark Magazine - Celebrating Your Life

Love it!
Love that it's real.
Love that it's what Hallmark is all about...appreciating life's best moments!

the editor writes:
"This magazine is about the joy of lives that are busy and full, and about taking the time to appreciate them. I'm sure that, like me, you've noticed all the so-called experts glumly telling us that women's lives are chaos. Between kids and jobs and partners and friends, women like us just don't have a moment, they say. Poor us.
I think they're wrong. I think they'be simly overlooked the good stuff. These may be the busiest times, but they're also the best times. It may be chaos, but we can handle it, and the chaos can be joyful."

it has sections like:

Inspire - the things that make you feel, think, laugh
"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
- Albert Camus

Renew - the take-care-of-yourself stuff
"People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder...I say the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder."
- Salma Hayek

Nest - the place life happens
"A good home must be made, not bought"
- Joyce Maynard

Connect - the people in our lives
"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, only with what you are expected to give... which is everything."
- Katharine Hepburn

Nourish - the taste of good times
"It's fun to get together and have something good to eat at least once a day. That's what human life is all about- enjoying things."
- Julia Child


It's Hallmark.
It's life.
It's what connects people.
It makes you think, it makes you smile, it makes you laugh.
Check it out...

Happy Thursday Friends & Family!

I'm thankful for all of you and

blessed because of you!

The Un-Halloween!

You guessed it ... not one trick-or-treater at the Windy M!
Can you believe it?
All that candy... and now...WE HAVE TO EAT IT!

Actually - the real story goes something like this...

I had very good intentions of dressing Mason as a "cowboy"... but his little pants with fringe from Aunt Bryn didn't fit anymore and his hat had seen better days.
The more I thought about it, the more I just seemed to turn into a Halloween Scrooge.

I'd failed to do the "trick or treat training seminar" with him and didn't want him to embarrass himself. How could I send him into the cold, dark night without proper training on how to "beg" for candy?
It was way too cold to have him as a cowboy in capri pants and I don’t think his dad would have gone for that...so... we went with option # 2 – no costumes, no worries… just eating pizza & passing out candy to one of the busiest neighborhoods in town with our good friends John & Neely, Randy, Tammy, Roarke, Susan & Alexis.

Roarke & Alexis - The Little Lions!

It was fantastic! As Mason waited for the trick or treaters, (sitting atop the pumpkins on the porch) he seriously contemplated whether or not to actually give the candy away... again, he has had no training – really!

My son had turned into Simon Cowell of American Idol.
He carefully looked over each piece of candy and then each trick or treater ...sometimes the candy went into his pocket, sometimes he'd drop it in, and sometimes (I hate to admit), he'd even come out with a treat or two for himself... depending on his attachment to the candy or infatuation with the costume.
Honestly, it was fun just to watch him... can't say that he's not entertaining!!

All in all – it was a great Halloween!
We even got to see our friends "the Super Heroes" - check them out here: WINK

And Mason did...kind of, sort of, almost have a costume ...

maybe he's the next "drag queen" in dark sweats and high heeled boots ...

or...

maybe a "little devil"...

Either way...
he's cute and he makes his daddy laugh!