Karin's World

Chinese New Year

2011-02-04T10:25:00.005-07:00

We went to the Chinese New Year celebration at the local museum yesterday afternoon. The kids got to paint a paper lantern, put a wish inside and send it across the "river" to make their wish come true. They also practiced with chopsticks and got some stickers and a red envelope with a coin. My favorite part was the free Chinese food--egg rolls, wantons and fortune cookies.

My Baby is Two!

2010-12-30T15:18:00.004-07:00

15

2010-11-29T14:08:00.006-07:00

Learning is Fun

2010-10-02T10:24:00.000-06:00

Ethan was given the class teddy bear to take home and record what he did with him over the weekend. I just looked over to see a belt tied around the bear's leg and Ethan saying, "We're gonna get a lot of meat out of this one."

K.C. Zoo

2010-07-08T16:36:00.003-06:00

Ethan is 5!

2010-06-20T16:24:00.005-06:00

1 day

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

5 years

My Little Talker

2010-06-20T16:09:00.002-06:00

Since we got back from our vacation Aaron has decided to add some new words to his vocabulary. Perhaps sitting in a car for hours on end got him thinking. His favorites are go, cool, thank you, two, and three.

Laina's Birthday Cake

2010-05-31T20:20:00.002-06:00

Happy 8th Birthday Laina!

2010-05-31T19:46:00.015-06:00

1 week

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

5 years

6 years

7 years

8 years

Coming Soon

2010-05-10T08:38:00.001-06:00

The Great White Hunter Strikes Again

2010-05-03T09:18:00.004-06:00

Ethan the Butcher

2010-05-03T09:15:00.001-06:00

Ethan went to help Paul butcher a couple of hogs for some co-workers. I was worried he would be traumatized, but apparently he ran around saying, "Go Meat!" and named them before they were killed.

Toothless Ethan

2010-04-19T09:36:00.003-06:00

It wasn't enough for Ethan to make his teeth brown, he had to fall on his face again (a 3 wheeled scooter accident) and knocked one of his front teeth loose. He wouldn't let us pull it, so it came out on its own a few days later. The dentist says that the adult tooth is coming in early anyway because of the previous injury.

Sledding Bloopers

2010-03-12T11:24:00.002-07:00

Aaron's 1st Birthday

2010-01-08T10:56:00.004-07:00

The toy has a button that you push to make the little farm animals spin around. We figured that Aaron thought that he would spin around too if he stood on it.

My attempt at a creative cake.

Cousins

2010-01-08T10:45:00.003-07:00

Aaron is 1!

2009-12-30T11:38:00.001-07:00

December 30, 2008

December 2009

Recent Pictures

2009-12-21T14:57:00.002-07:00

Conversations

2009-12-16T18:41:00.002-07:00

Conversation between Ethan and me:

"Come over and eat."
"I can't. I'm on a mission."
"What is your mission?"
"My mission is to kill wild animals."

Aaron is Walking

2009-12-09T12:29:00.003-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly babies learn something like walking once they take that first step. Last week Aaron was only taking one step before falling to the floor, but this week he is walking all the way across the room chasing the cat.

My Wonderful Daughter

2009-12-09T12:20:00.002-07:00

Laurin had been having a difficult time in school with people making fun of her saying that she looks fat or ugly or her hair is too straight or too curly, etc... (the joys of Jr. High). I told her that this was clearly out of jealousy since she is none of those things. Of course I know that it still hurts even if it isn't true. Recently the ordeal has brought out the best in her. She has told me that she now notices more positive things about people because she knows what it is like to hear only negative things from her peers. She has gone out of her way to compliment people on their beautiful voices, cute clothes, or other things that she never noticed before. And not coincidentally her mood has much improved. Thank you God for the lessons you teach us even if we would rather not have to experience any discomfort to learn them.

The Footprint Leads to the Culprit

2009-10-28T09:39:00.003-06:00

I had just finished mopping the floor in the kitchen and when I came back I found this. Hmmm. Ethan is not very good at hiding the evidence of spilling the baking powder.

Momma's Little Monkeys

2009-10-14T09:52:00.002-06:00

Volleyball

2009-10-14T09:07:00.002-06:00

A Cold Drink

2009-09-20T11:59:00.001-06:00

I heard Ethan opening the door this morning and asked him what he was doing outside. He told me that he was giving the roses and the flowers a nice cold drink because they looked hot.

Understanding Our National Debt

2009-09-03T10:25:00.008-06:00

The U.S. government owes over $11 trillion dollars that WE have to not only pay back but pay interest on as well. How much is 1,000,000,000,000 anyway?

Trillions in Time

One million seconds will pass in the next 12 days.

One billion seconds will take 32 years.

One trillion seconds will pass in 31,688 years.

You could spend $10 million a day and it would still take you 273 years to spend $1 trillion.

Go here to learn more.

Verse

2009-08-26T20:46:00.003-06:00

I think that how you receive this verse says a lot about where you are spiritually and how well you know God. I know that at times in my life this verse would probably have made me cringe because I was not living the way I should have been. I still sin, but now that I know my God better I find great comfort in knowing that He SEES me.

Yellowstone Trip

2009-08-24T12:21:00.002-06:00

Say Hello To My Little Friends

2009-08-20T20:46:00.002-06:00

I got some perennials on sale since it's the end of the season, so we were outside digging out places to put them. Both Ethan and Laina had a good time playing with earthworms we found. Ethan took the playing to a new level when he got out his scooter and gave them a ride.

Thinks That Make You Go Hmm.

2009-08-12T17:57:00.003-06:00

http://www.pacificspiritcatalogs.com/product.php?productid=3164

"When placed in water it enhances the benefits of water by increasing the wetness."

I wonder if anyone has ever choked to death on one when they accidentally swallowed it with their water.

Splash Dog

2009-08-02T22:38:00.003-06:00

Susie took 10th place at her first ever Splash Dog competition. There were over 50 dogs who participated. We entered her just for fun, but it seems that she is pretty good. Her longest jump was 18ft 3 in. It was fun watching everyone's dogs take a plunge.

More Pictures

2009-07-04T17:16:00.003-06:00

Teamwork

2009-06-29T10:25:00.003-06:00

Adult Conversation?

2009-06-29T10:24:00.001-06:00

Ethan to Laina, "Smell my armpits."
Laina to Ethan, "You smell very manly."

Bouncing Baby

2009-06-24T18:35:00.002-06:00

Ethan is 4!

2009-06-24T10:55:00.007-06:00

1 Day

1 Year

2 Years

3 Years

4 Years

Happy Birthday my love.

Rose Garden

2009-06-19T21:04:00.003-06:00

All the pruning I did last fall didn't seem to keep the roses from skyrocketing already. Here a some pictures of some beautiful blooms.

My Baby is 7!

2009-06-07T17:54:00.002-06:00

2 yrs

4 yrs

5 yrs

6 yrs

7 yrs

Laurin's Concert

2009-06-07T16:52:00.002-06:00

Twins?

2009-06-07T16:43:00.003-06:00

I thought that Aaron looked just like Ethan when he was born, but then he started looking a bit different. Looking at this picture I can see the resemblance. I love being able to have them wear matching shirts occasionally.

You Share My Jeans

2009-05-18T18:30:00.001-06:00

I was praising Ethan for eating all of his lunch today and he told me that if he eats all his food he'll be as big as daddy some day. I said, "I don't know. You have my genes too, so you might not be as tall." He looked at my shorts and said, "We do have the same jeans."

I Love Dirt

2009-05-16T21:15:00.002-06:00

Ethan came back from playing in the dirt outside and told me he was totally soaking muddy.

This was after we had been outside and I heard him say, "Look at my dirt hat!"

Motions

2009-05-13T08:47:00.001-06:00

The Motions Lyrics

Verse

2009-05-12T19:28:00.002-06:00

Baby Laughs

2009-05-12T18:07:00.003-06:00

Back In My Day

2009-04-30T10:19:00.001-06:00

I got Ethan a mini candy bar out of my stash and he said, "I used to eat these when I was your age."

Mother's Day Giveaway

2009-04-29T18:51:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday--Happy Trails to You

2009-04-29T10:11:00.003-06:00

Random Pics

2009-04-25T10:32:00.006-06:00

Laina lost another tooth, Aaron is horrified.

He signs I love you when he sucks his fingers.

Daddy turned how old?!?

Oh. If mommy is the same age it must not be too old.

Easter baskets make the best hats.

Ethan loves his new blanket.

There is Hope

2009-04-20T19:51:00.002-06:00

After fighting like cats and dogs for days I was waiting for Ethan to freak out on Laina when she popped his balloon. When Laina asked if he was mad at her Ethan replied, "Of course not. It was just an accident." Maybe they do love each other after all.

An Interview With the Kids

2009-04-17T14:26:00.000-06:00

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Ethan (3) Brush your teeth.
Laina (6) Can you please get me a pop?
Laurin (13) clean the kitchen

2. What makes mom happy?
Ethan Coke.
Laina Me.
Laurin Cheesecake.

3. What makes mom sad?
Ethan Susie (the dog)
Laina Praise and worship.
Laurin When I make you mad.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Ethan Daddy makes me laugh.
Laina By tickling me.
Laurin Being yourself.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Ethan I don’t know.
Laina Working on a farm.
Laurin Smart.

6. How old is your mom?
Ethan Burp. Aargh
Laina 35
Laurin 30 something

7. How tall is your mom?
Ethan Uh
Laina 4 feet tall.
Laurin 5’3”

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Ethan
Laina Watch t.v.
Laurin Go to bible study.

9. What does your mom do when you are not home?
Ethan I don’t know.
Laina. Feed Aaron and watch t.v.
Laurin Have a party.

10.If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Ethan I said I don’t know mommy.
Laina Having lots of money and being rich.
Laurin Singing

11. What is your mom really good at?
Ethan
Laina Having babies.
Laurin Singing

13.What does your mom do for a job?
Ethan Angry grunt.
Laina Watch babies.
Laurin Babysit

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
Ethan Zac and Cody is on.
Laina Salad
Laurin I don’t know

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Ethan I burped mommy and I’m not throwing up.
Laina Marge Simpson
Laurin Marge Simpson

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Ethan I’ll do it later.
Laina Thinking…..sit around in the bed.
Laurin Go to eat at McDonalds

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Ethan
Laina We both wear jeans.
Laurin We um… both like the same sports

19. How are you and your mom different?
Ethan
Laina You have your ears pierced and I don’t.
Laurin So many ways

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Ethan
Laina She hugs and kisses me.
Laurin She tells me.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Ethan
Laina That he saves people’s lives.
Laurin I don’t know. You tell me.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Ethan
Laina To the store.
Laurin Church

gDiapers

2009-04-08T19:01:00.003-06:00

"gDiapers, which stands for green diapers, consist of a washable, cotton outer 'little g' pant and a plastic-free flushable diaper refill. They are made of breathable material just like sports clothing. So, babies stay dry and happy and are far less likely to get diaper rash."

I have pretty much been using gdiapers exclusively for the past two days, and I think I finally have gotten the hang of getting them to fit correctly. We did have one leak but I don't know if any diaper could have contained it. Call me a greeny, but I feel way better flushing away a diaper rather than filling up the trashcan with them.

Snow Paint

2009-03-27T16:10:00.002-06:00

After finally getting some snow (the official total was 8.4") we were able to use the snow paints I got the kids for Christmas. They had a lot of fun. Hopefully it will wash out of clothing like the bottle claimed it would.

The Funniest Clip Ever

2009-03-20T12:44:00.001-06:00

Baby Make Some Noise

2009-03-15T20:33:00.002-06:00

Random Pics

2009-03-13T18:10:00.001-06:00

Grandma Great Visits

2009-03-13T17:48:00.004-06:00

Laurin, Laina, Isabelle, Shauna, Jemma, Aaron, Grandma, Me, Ethan and Jerrilyn

Shaving Already?

2009-02-19T11:48:00.002-07:00

Ethan bought a toy shaving kit with some of his Christmas money and has been having fun acting like daddy. I'm liking that its not hard to get him into the bathtub lately.

Family Tree

2009-02-19T11:28:00.002-07:00

Laina was very proud and excited to have the family tree she made in school be displayed at the local library. We all took a trip to see her masterpiece.

25 Things About Me

2009-02-10T14:25:00.001-07:00

This was going around on Facebook and since not everyone who reads my blog is on Facebook I thought that I would post it here also. Feel free to comment.

Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I never even entertained the idea of being a stay-at-home mom until I had 2 kids.
2. My favorite tv shows of all time are: Comedy--Monk, Seinfeld, Pee-Wee's Playhouse
Drama--Star Trek TNG, X-Files, and Lost
3. I worked as a Range Master at a shooting range.
4. I was sprayed in the face with pepper spray to become certified to carry it. It hurts!
5. I remember seeing John Denver on Grape Nuts commercials saying that he was a naturalist. I didn't know what a naturalist was, but I wanted to be one too.
6. I only got one channel on t.v. growing up. CBS
7. I'm one of those annoying people who sing along to every song on the radio, even the ones I don't like.
8. I once had a midget sheep that wore a dog collar and slept in a dog house.
9. The only bear I've ever seen in the wild was running down the street in a city of 60,000.
10. I cry when people are executed, even Suddam Hussein
11. I have huge feet for my height. I'm 5' 2" and wear a size 8 1/2.
12. I had three kids without epidurals. I finally got smart and got one for my last delivery. It was one of the best decisions of my life.
13. I have never drunk a whole cup of coffee. I took two drinks once and that was enough.
14. When I was young and it was a little too quiet I thought that Jesus had come and taken everybody to heaven but me.
15. I am perfectly fine with eating cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is the perfect food in my opinion.
16. I was carried around in a huge burlap bag in a school play in high school.
17. My dream job would be working at a National Park. Rocky Mountain or a Hawaiian park would be nice.
18. The hardest part about raising a teenage girl so far has been deciding when to bail her out and when to let her fail.
19. I failed Organismic Biology and Computer Science in college and was put on academic probation. It was a form of rebelling against my parents.
20. I love sci-fi and zombie movies.
21. As a park ranger I got to write tickets to people, had to confront people having sex in a car and broke up a fight between two rather large men.
22. I never get everything I want to get done in a day done.
23. I have a little obsessive compulsive streak in me.
24. When my kids get embarrassed by my silliness I ask them if they'd rather have a completely boring mom. They always say no.
25. I haven't eaten chicken for over 20 years.

Squeeky Clean

2009-02-10T14:11:00.003-07:00

We were talking about Jesus and Ethan said, "He's in my heart scrubbing it clean because I ate cheese balls."

Needless to say, I was a bit confused by his answer so I questioned him further. It seems that he thinks that when he eats something his heart gets dirty, so Jesus comes along with a mop and cleans it off. I might be a while getting him to understand what Jesus really does to our hearts to make them clean. Wish me luck.

Funny

2009-01-30T09:15:00.001-07:00

Kids Are Quick
____________ _________ _________ ______
TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America .
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLAS S: Maria.
____________ _________ _________ ______
TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables.
____________ _________ _________ _________ ___
TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile?'
GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D- I-A-L'
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.
(I Love this kid)
____________ _________ _________ _________ _____
TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O.
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
____________ _________ _________ ____
TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago.
WINNIE: Me!
____________ _________ _________ _________ ___
TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
____________ _________ _________ _________
TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with ' I. '
MILLIE: I is..
TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, 'I am.'
MILLIE: All right... 'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.'
____________ _________ _________ __
TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his hand.
____________ _________ _________ ________
TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.
____________ _________ _________
TEACHER: Clyde , your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?
CLYDE : No, sir. It's the same dog.
____________ _________ _________ _____
TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher

Glow Worm

2009-01-23T10:04:00.004-07:00

Here's some pictures of Aaron. When he was using the bili-blanket for his jaundice he was his own night light during the night.

Laina Lost a Tooth

2009-01-23T09:45:00.003-07:00

Laina was super excited to lose her first tooth. She pulled it herself after I told her that there was no way I was going to.

Introducing.............

2009-01-05T13:56:00.003-07:00

Aaron Howard

Born: December 30, 2008
at 8:42 pm

Weight: 6 lbs 15 oz
Length: 20 1/2 in

My Three Lovelies

2008-12-27T18:26:00.002-07:00

Holiday Verse

2008-12-27T18:18:00.001-07:00

A Bit of Melodrama

2008-12-23T22:22:00.003-07:00

I got to go to a Christmas melodrama last night at Heritage Square in Golden, CO for the church nursery workers. It was pretty fun, but VERY cold outside and the seats were pretty brutal on my 9 months pregnant tush. I really loved the guy who played the Cricket and the food before the show was pretty good. It was probably the last time I'll be able to enjoy a night out sans kids for a long time, so I am very appreciative of the time I got to spend away from home.

Sombrero Anyone?

2008-12-15T14:51:00.001-07:00

Ethan the Engineer

2008-12-15T14:46:00.002-07:00

Ethan fashioned this contraption to make sure that the stroller didn't roll down the driveway when Paul was cleaning the garage out. He used a dog leash, bungee cord and some rope. Pretty ingenious if I do say so myself.

Husband Meme

2008-12-02T14:38:00.003-07:00

Shauna had this on her blog and I thought it looked fun. Here goes:

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Some kind of hunting or shooting show or Fox News.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Ranch or Thousand Island

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Sugar Cookies

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? a bottle of beer
5. Where did he go to high school? Shawnee Mission North
6. What size shoe does he wear? 10-11
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? guns

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? turkey and swiss with everything on it

9. What would he eat every day if he could? gravy

10. What is his favorite cereal? I don't know

11. What would he never wear? cool pastels

12. What is his favorite sports team? I don't think he really has a favorite

13. Who did he vote for? McCain all the way
14. Who is his best friend? Me and Jared

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? have cereal for supper

16. How many states has he lived in? KS, AZ, CO
17. What is his heritage? German, Welsh, Irish

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what would it be? German chocolate

19. Did he play sports in high school? no

20. What could he spend hours doing? reloading, hunting, thinking about hunting, working the hunting dog, shooting, (are you sensing a trend?)

21. What's something cool about him? He loves to help people when they are most vulnerable.

Thirteen

2008-12-01T21:37:00.004-07:00

Creation Festival Tour

2008-11-21T23:14:00.003-07:00

I took Laurin to the Creation Festival Tour last Saturday for an early birthday present. There were 10 Christian rock bands there, so it lasted 5 hours. We had a good time even though Laurin had a stomach bug and the baby didn't like all the loud bass rattling him in the womb. My favorite band was Kutless and Laurin's favorite was Capital Lights (because she says they sound like Green Day). We were only about 40 ft from the stage and after the bands performed they would go out to tables in the hallway. Laurin got her arm autographed by Fireflight.

Conversations with Wee Ones

2008-11-14T12:41:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I worked in Ethan's classroom at the church daycare. Here's some of the things I was asked.

"Are you Ethan's mommy, because you look more like Ethan's grandma?"

"Why are you so fat? Is there a baby in there?"

"Are you having a girl or boy baby? If it's a boy will you please, please, please name him Walter?"

I also had one boy come up and kept hitting me in the stomache until I told him that he was hitting my baby. Another boy tried to lift up my shirt to see what was under there. An interesting age for sure.

More from Halloween

2008-11-10T17:02:00.004-07:00

Sleepy Boy

2008-11-10T16:55:00.002-07:00

I woke up this morning to Ethan crying and crying for me. Normally he just wanders to our bed, but I had to go and get him once I figured out he wasn't coming on his own. Once in bed with me, Ethan fell calmly back to sleep and didn't even wake up the whole time I was getting Laina ready for school and lunches together. I woke him up right before we walked out the door for school. He started reaching for the bed and saying, "My sucker, my sucker." With all the Halloween candy that's been around, I decided I had better check to be sure he hadn't hidden one in the bed. He must have been having candy filled dreams about his red sucker, because he made me check the whole bed before he would believe that there wasn't one there.

Gee, I Feel SO Much Safer Now

2008-11-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/11/200811620411903196.html

Halloween Gnomes and a Punk Chick

2008-11-04T14:44:00.004-07:00

Feast of Tabernacles

2008-10-27T11:52:00.002-06:00

Heartburn Anyone?

2008-10-27T11:22:00.003-06:00

My heartburn treatment collection

Whoever said that you wouldn't have pregnancy heartburn after gallbladder removal was insane. I have finally found Prilosec after suffering severe acid reflux for the past couple of months. Hopefully it will continue to work until the baby is born or its on to prescriptions.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-27T11:04:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we visited a local pumpkin patch. Yes, it really was warm enough to wear short sleeves. I don't know when it will finally feel like fall around here.

We Love Crazy Hair Days

2008-10-27T10:40:00.002-06:00

Obama in Ft. Collins

2008-10-27T10:24:00.000-06:00

I thought for about 10 seconds of going just to say that I saw Obama, but I'm sure I would have thrown up within 10 minutes and probably would have started a fight. I already have to fight my instincts to ram the back of cars with Obama stickers and run over his yard signs.

Crowd packs campus - Reporter-Herald, Loveland, Colo.

Lucky Paul

2008-10-20T11:36:00.002-06:00

Paul signed up to work for a shift at the event center before knowing what the event was. We found out Friday that it is for Sarah Palin's speaking engagement. I could have gotten tickets through church, but I couldn't see taking Ethan with me. Paul will have to fill me in when he gets home. It sounds like so far it is a zoo, since they gave 10,000 tickets out to an event that only holds 7000 people.

Wordless Wednesday--Fall at Rocky Mountain

2008-10-15T13:35:00.003-06:00

MicroPoll : Which name do you like best for our baby boy?

2008-10-15T13:04:00.001-06:00

View Poll |View Results

Polls PoweredBy MicroPoll

Midwives Are Funny

2008-10-15T12:37:00.003-06:00

I went to the midwives today for my 28 week appointment (can you believe it?) and saw Heidi, who delivered Shauna's daughter Isabelle. I was reminded of a previous visit when I told her that I breastfed Laina and Ethan for close to two years a piece. Later she asked how Shauna was and I told her that Shauna was now homeschooling Isabelle. It was then that she asked me if our parents were hippies. I about rolled off the table laughing.

Dishwasher Update

2008-10-13T09:53:00.003-06:00

Yeah!. I finally have my dishwasher. Paul was able to move the pipe all by himself and install the dishwasher. (Poo poo to Lowes for not giving us a refund on the installation even though they didn't end up doing it). I have clean dishes and I didn't realize how much better the kitchen would look with a dishwasher with a front cover on it. (The piece of metal that covered the inner workings of the last dishwasher kept falling off, so we just went without it).

Good News/Bad News

2008-10-08T11:21:00.001-06:00

The good news: I have a new dishwasher.

The bad news: It's now sitting in the middle of the kitchen waiting for a hot water pipe to be moved before I can install it.

If You're Nervous About the Economy and Elections

2008-10-06T12:00:00.001-06:00

The Great White Hunter Has a Protege

2008-10-06T11:53:00.003-06:00

Laina, Paul and Laurin went out duck hunting opening day on Saturday. Laurin killed the only duck she shot at and hit it with one shot. Laina came along and slept in the bottom of the boat the majority of the time. (Does anyone else think it's just wrong to be able to wear a tank top on the first weekend in October?)

In Case You Were Wondering

2008-10-02T22:17:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted for so long I figured that I better let people (whoever in the world you may be) that I am still alive and have just been super busy. I have gotten a very part-time job working at the daycare at church on some Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so that has kept me busy. Laurin finally got done with her volleyball season. Sadly they only won one game all year, but I was very proud of the improvements all the girls made as this was the first time any of them had even played volleyball. Susie is getting better each week, but she still likes to chew things up much to my dismay. Paul is getting ready for the opening duck season this weekend, so I"m sure I'll be a hunting widow soon. Laina is doing well, but has started to pick up her sister's bad homework habits. Neither of them can seem to remember to turn homework in even though they have completed it. Ethan is doing well too. I think that he likes being the one who gets all the attention when his sisters are at school. We'll see how that goes when the baby is born.

The Face of Love -- Sanctus Real

2008-09-12T09:51:00.003-06:00

Here are the lyrics. I've bolded my favorite lines.

I've seen your face on stained glass, in colored lights
In pictures of you looking to the sky
You've been portrayed a thousand different ways
But my heart can see you better than my eyes
'Cause it's love that paints the portrait of your life

[Chorus:]
The face of love
The face of love
You look more like love every day

I've read your words in the pages of your life
And I've imagined what you were like
I may not know the shape of your face
But I can feel your heart changing mine
And your love still proves that you're alive

[Chorus:]

You are the face that changed the whole world
No one too lost for you to love
No one too low for you to serve
So give us the grace to change the world
No one too lost for me to love
No one too low for me to serve

Let us see... let us be your face

[Chorus:]

Being Jesus

2008-09-10T08:30:00.003-06:00

Like most parents, I have been afraid of all the pressures a non-Christian society puts on our children to conform to the world. I ask myself if I am doing enough or saying the right things to instill Christian values in my kids. Talking to Laurin last night, the Lord let me know that He is ever present in her life even in these troubling times.

There is a girl in Laurin's school who other kids are terribly mean to. We'll just call her Maggie. Laurin has known Maggie since kindergarten, and she has always been considered an outcast and been made fun of. I remember when they were in about 3rd grade, Maggie invited Laurin over to her house. Laurin was reluctant to go, because she thought that the other kids might make fun of her for going. Well, me being the mean momma I am, I made her go. Laurin and Maggie had fun together and that is a day that Maggie and her mother have remembered to this day.

Well, now Maggie goes to Laurin's middle school. She is still being picked on unrelentlessly by everyone it seems. Laurin has seen this and finally started sticking up for her more. If Maggie has no partner in Science class, Laurin will volunteer. If Maggie offers to trade part of her lunch and all the kids say, "gross, I wouldn't eat food she touched" (I can't believe the immaturity of 7th graders) Laurin says, "I'll trade with you." When Laurin sees Maggie sitting all alone at lunch time she goes to her and just sits beside her.

I told Laurin with tears in my eyes last night that she is being Jesus to Maggie. She is reaching out to the leper like the days of old and Jesus is proud of her. So am I.

Susie Hates Opera

2008-09-09T16:32:00.002-06:00

2008-09-09T16:29:00.002-06:00

He reminds me of the boot wearing monster in the little monsters bedtime book I used to love as a kid.

I Finally Saw One

2008-09-04T13:56:00.002-06:00

We were driving back from Laurin's volleyball practice in downtown Loveland last evening when I spotted a stopped police car and several people stopped looking across the street. I said, "What, are they chasing a bear?" Just then I looked over to see just that, a young bear looking terrified running across the street. Laurin and I looked at each other and busted out laughing. I've lived in Colorado for 10 years and always wanted to see a bear in the wild. I guess one downtown will have to do.

http://www.reporterherald.com/news_story.asp?ID=19047

Drumroll Please...........

2008-09-03T18:42:00.001-06:00

Did Anyone Else Notice?

2008-08-29T16:13:00.003-06:00

..that the spin doctors added just enough back light to give Obama an angelic glow? It wouldn't have surprised me if they had harps strumming in the background.

A Drive to Rocky Mountain National Park--Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-27T09:34:00.003-06:00

The view is in the other direction kids!