Ramblings

Wow, what a week it has been. We finished up soccer for the boys and just have Zayvn's soccer party tonight. Zayvn has decided that he no longer wants to play soccer. Now he is talking about T Ball. We'll see what next spring brings.

Friday and Saturday Kevin and I helped at the Northwest Fire and Rescue Expo http://www.northwestfirerescue.com/. Our good friends Jerry and Colleen Heater from Silverton run this and it's become a tradition for us to help out. It's our 3rd year there and we are finally getting to know the regulars. It also gives us a chance to catch up with Jerry and Colleen and the rest of their family. Kevin helped out on Thursday getting all the apparatus into the Expo building. He was outside for about 5 hours that day and when he came home he looked like a tomato. He was so red!! Zayvn asked him the next day if he was Rudoloph because his nose was so red. Friday and Saturday Kevin and I worked the floor helping any of the exhibtors that needed help and then the lunch line. We love being there and helping out.

Brittany, Kevin's niece, came and watched the boys for us. What a life saver she was since puppy grandma is gone camping for a couple months. They had tons of fun, although the weather was SO HOT!! It was 97 here on Friday. We have one small a/c in the front room window but to keep the rest of the house cool was very impossible to do. Brittany did her best though and kept the boys happy. She even made them dinner at the house then took it down to the park and ate. Thanks Brit!!

Kevin is continuing to gain his miles in running. Hood to Coast will be here in August and he and the rest of his running partners have had been practicing hard. We had two of our team members step back from the race so we are trying to scramble for two more runners. We were hoping to keep it within the family but at this point I'm not sure that will happen. The team is called Strolling Stollers and consist of Kevin, five of Kevin's cousins, one uncle, and three of his cousins children. I'm in the process of getting volunteers and drivers. With Kevin's family involved it's bound to be a wild time!!

It's back to work tomorrow with 19 days left. WOO HOO!!! I can't wait until summer break.

My Three Moms

I have three Moms in my life that have had a significant roll. My mom Andrea gave birth to me, bathed me, burped me, loved me, fed me, cleaned me and did all those things a mom does for her newborn child. Through my growing up years she was there for support and was always the one who would come and help me when I needed it. Even as I got married I would go to her when I needed questions answered or a specific need. When my children came along she became "fish grandma" and the name has stuck. Mom, thanks for being my mom. I love you and am thankful for you.

My 2nd mom would be my mother in law Karon (also known as "puppy grandma"). There are sometimes when I hear other women talk of their mother in laws and the not so good relationship they have with them. Mom and I have a wonderful relationship and I'm thankful God brought Kevin into my life that I could gain such a wonderful mom. Kevin sometimes says his mom loves me more than she does him. She's a great prayer warrior, awesome babysitter, and most of all wonderful friend. We have so much fun together and if ever you get a chance to take a trip with your mom in law then do it. We flew 1800 miles together to Iowa when Zayvn was just a month old and I couldn't have asked for a better person to come with me. Mom, thanks for all you do for us. Your wonderful and I love and appreciate you so much.

Lastly, but not forgotten, would be my mom in Iowa. When Kevin and I first moved to Iowa in 1997 we knew no one. Bob and Dee became our surrogate parents. We spent every holiday with them and when Renn came along they took him on as their own grandchild. Even when we moved back to Oregon they found time to come visit with us. Dee became my mom who I could go to and ask all those newborn baby questions too. She loved me for who I was and all my faults. She's a woman of God who pours herself into the 6th grade kids at her church. She loves you with nothing in return. When we left Iowa it was with a heavy heart because I knew I would miss this dear lady. Good thing there are phones!! Mom, thank you for taking us in and loving us as one of your own. We will forever be grateful for that. I love and miss you so much!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO MY THREE MOMS!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Today is the day all I hope all moms get treated like a queen. That's Zayvn's hand print he made me at preschool. The painted flowers he made at Home Depot but just painted them yesterday. This afternoon Kevin and the boys gave me my Mother's Day Gift which is this big pot, with four other small pots inside. I have a stand it goes on and looks pretty cool. I've been after Kevin for a while to get some pots and he surprised me with getting them today. Once I get the potting soil and flowers in there then I'll take a picture of it. We will head to my mom's for a bit and then Kevin and the boys will take me out to dinner. Kevin's mom is camping at the coast so we'll talk with her on the phone. We'll also call and talk with Dee who is our mom in Iowa. Today is an extra special day but I have to brag that for the most part "my guys" treat me pretty good all the time. Happy Mother's Day to all you moms. Have a wonderful day.

Graduation Time

Around this time of the year seniors are gearing up for graduation. There are about 14 of these seniors who are graduating from schools in and around the Des Moines, IA area. Last night they had their graduation ceremony at church. I just got done checking out some of those photos and boy was I in tears!! These 14 seniors were just 8 years old when Kevin and I first moved to Iowa to be the children's pastors at Berean A/G. When we left they were just barely teens venturing into the junior high years. Now within a couple weeks they will be graduating from high school and a new chapter will be started in their walk of life. Although I wish I could have been there to see this exciting event in their life sometimes it's just not possible to be able to do that. Monica, Jeremiah, Dominique, Ashley, Kodi, Aaron, Danni, Jordan, Amanda, Kelsey and Aaron we are so very proud of you and wish you all the best as you begin a new chapter in your life. Keep Jesus close and walk beside Him always. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29-11

This and That

We had a very good weekend. Friday night Renn had soccer practice. Two more practices and two more games and we are done for the season.

Saturday morning Kevin took Zayvn to Home Depot to do a woodshop project. The 1st Saturday of each month Home Depot puts these on. It's a great time for the kids and they get a certificate and a little pin for doing the work. Sorry no picture. Can't find Zayvn project. Kevin was able to squeeze in some time to get part of his garden planted. He has been waiting for a while now. I've been waiting for him to get them off my window sills and outside!! Everywhere I turn I see cups with plants growing out of them.

Renn had his soccer game in the afternoon. Unfortunately his team lost 11-4. Renn's coach had him defend one of the bigger players on the other team. He sure didn't look like a 2nd grader though!! All the boys played their hardest.

Saturday night we met my folks and my cousin Susan and her fiance' Shawn for dinner at Billygans http://www.billygansroadhouse.com/ in Vancouver. My dad loves this place because you can eat peanuts and just throw them on the floor. It was a great visit with them. I was especially excited to hear all the details about Susan's wedding. I'm honored as she asked me to stand up for her as one of her bridesmaid. So I'm helping her out with figuring out dresses and cakes.

Sunday afternoon we headed to Safari Sam's http://www.jungleoffun.com/ for my nephew Zachary's birthday. The boys had a great time with playing on the jungle structure and playing with the games. Of course cake and ice cream were good too. After the party we headed to Kevin's cousins house to drop the hay off that we've had in our garage since October. Kevin was glad to get it out of the house. From there we went and had dinner at Red Brick Pizza http://www.redbrickpizza.com/api/Index.cfm/cms.page/i/339/t/About-RedBrick-Pizza/ where we used our coupon that Oscar won on the radio for doing his dog barks. What great pizza they have!! We'll defintely go back there. Thanks Oscar for giving us dinner!