Memorial weekend with family

The kids at Aunt Lisa's house. Our trip to Seattle went pretty well. It sure was a site to see all of us crammed into the car. The four of us, our stuff, including a space heater for the little guy, and big dog crate and our dog. It was so packed that Daisy had to get in the crate and finish packing stuff in around her. All in all it was good, we did not have too much trouble with kids sleeping or eating. Sawyer still is stubborn about trying new foods, does not want a thing to do with it! Ashlee loves spending time with Lisa. Hope to be able to go there again this summer.

Look at the camera??!!! Please?!




Check out the animals and fun to be had at the Woodland Park Zoo. We were able to go visit this zoo for no cost, there are great perks to having a Oregon Zoo membership!

Giraffe was trying to get out of the picture... stand still ... would ya?!

We got everything but Sawyer's coat. Had to get this cute little sweatshirt at the zoo, so little man could stay warm in all this drizzle. The zoo was a great trip. We got to see a lot of it before there were a lot of tired looks and or any meltdowns. Lunch was a neat burger stand in the University district, Kid Valley. Yummy milkshakes!

Marykay? love it or not?! Can I borrow your face?

Help! I need your face! I need to get myself out there and practice on more faces! Can you lend it to me?

I have been trying to start my own Marykay business and frankly it is not going that well. I was doing good the first month or two and had alot of success and enjoyed doing the classes.

I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I got to show the makeup and products to all of my friends.

I quit working full time, a couple of months before and I was and still am missing the interaction that I got with my friends at work. I finished a power start my first month and got in my 30 faces in 30 days and even had $1000 in sales. But as almost everyone knows that slow times come and the friends circle runs out and yes, I have hit a dry spell in my business, I do not have any customers, leads or anything! No bookings means NO business!

I have heard so many ways and ideas to get my business going again, but the fact of the matter is I am scared of failure and rejection, so instead of getting out there and getting some new customers I am just trying to hide from it.

Is that a sign that I cannot do this? or should not be doing this? or is it something that everyone goes thru? I know I need to start going back to my weekly meetings and start to get inspired again, but I feel horrible, like such a failure! I am not sure I can do this! it is HARD!

That means it is just another challenge, can I step up and beat that challenge? I hope so, but I need to know how to do that?!

Farm...did you grow up on one?

My family, wheat farmers. Whitman County known for their pea and lentils. Yep that is where I am from. We had over 3000 acres of land. Sometimes all of it was planted to some kind of crop. The main crops that we grew was soft white wheat, barley, and then some alfalfa hay.
Summertime was a busy time at our house. I remember all the kids at school talking about the trips and vacations their had gone on with their family's during the summer. At my house summer was harvest time. Lots of work in the long hot sun.
Harvest would start usually around the third week in July, but before that the combines would come out of storage and get ready for the season of cutting. Replacing the cycles on the headers and cleaning out the mouse dropping from the grain elevators. That was just some of the preparation.
Before I learned how to drive truck I had other jobs to do, I helped out where I could. I remember helping my mom make lunches and do laundry for the whole crew while we were at Starbuck, WA. I even had to get up early in the morning and help wash the combine windows before the crew left for the fields.
The jobs changed after I was old enough to learn to drive and also reach the pedals in the trucks. I ran the auger for the grain elevator and then I moved up to driving the trucks. Trucks was what I liked to do, so for quite a few summers that became my job.
It was hot, dirty work but I really enjoyed working with my brother in the field and also proving to myself that I can do it! To this day that has made my work ethic a lot different than others that I have met and worked with.
So ask yourself... Do you know a farmer??

my Oasis... backyard

When I was younger I would watch my mom work all day and so hard in the yard, and wonder why???

I know now the answer! I love working up a sweat in the yard and having the results show for it. Nothing is better.
I have been at this yard for almost 5 years and am still learning what some of the plants are and how they grow. I have tried to add in my own touches here and there and even some of my favorite plants and flowers, such as hostas, lilies and spring tulips and dafodils.

Each year I try to find some way of improving the color and look of my garden, and each year turns out different but still rewarding. Spring time here is very wet and blah and my yard always has color to lift up from the blah. The rhodies and azealas and even a perrenial herb garden.

My yard is also very colorful from the trees, lots of maple and oaks and even a fir tree and some mountain ash... fall time is busy time, we get enough leaves to build forts in them! so overwhelming if you are not used to the leaf raking!
I hope to be able to pass this joy of gardening on to my kids. Gosh sometimes I sound like an old person.. passing things on to my kids. hehe




That reminds me of when we used to go to my Grandma Molly's in the summer time. Her back yard was always so gorgeous, with iris and roses and so green and lush. I loved helping her pick the fruit trees and water the flowers!

Running?

In highschool the only running I did was when they made us do laps or lines in Volleyball or PE, otherwise NO way. I did not play volleyball very long for I just could not take it, I hated running.

In college, at WSU a girlfriend talked me into running in the annual Bloomsday Run, in Spokane. It is a 12k run. I will not be persuaded to run that far ever again. We trained every week, but the farthest that I ran was 4 miles. Needless to say on race day when I had to run 7.5 miles it was painful. To this day do not understand the thrill that comes from running. It hurts. Somehow though I keep going back to doing it.

I moved to Oregon and found I love hiking! The great outdoors, it is beautiful here! I cannot believe how close it can be to heaven. There is the Mt Hood near by on one side and then the Pacific Ocean on the other... with Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier, Mt Adams, Mt Bachelor, the possibilities are endless and Oh lets not forget the Columbia River Gorge! Hikers paradise! For a few years kiking every single weekend was for me! I could not get enough of it.

Now that I have my two kids my hiking has slowed down some, I am working Ashlee up to though, she can easliy do 2 miles so far. Now it is time to work Sawyer into the mix.

In the meantime a girl friend here has talked me into doing some of that dreadful running. I guess it is not that bad, I do like the feeling I get of accomplishment once we are done. For some reason I feel the need to compete, so we sign up for the local runs around the area, Race for the Cure, The Shamrock Run, Jingle Bell Run, Run Girlfriend Run, Making Strides against breast cancer and I am sure more to follow. So far my pace has not been really fast but I do remember it is better than that first race in Spokane, I remember telling myself it must be faster than an hour and a half, I made it to the finish in an hour twenty nine! haha! My pace is still only about 10 minute miles but who cares I am doing it.

Running helped me drop alot of my baby weight, still got more to go but thanks to the running it will come off too, sooner or later! So here's to all those who say running is that bad! It is not, it can be theraputic! and keep you healthy! Go for it!

Gardens

I love gardening, I am not sure why this is, but I do! Each year I try to think of new plants that I can try to grow and each year I am so excited to break the ground and get things planted.
Each year the weather is bound and determined to ruin my plans of planting and kill off what starts I have. I tell myself well it is going to be different this year. Last year I got too hasty and tried to plant too early. This year I waited until the third week in May to get in my plants and look what the weather decides to do! last week when I did get in my plants it was in the upper 60's and 70's now it is 45 and HAILING! WTF?!! sorry for my use of text but it really makes me mad!
This year I wanted to try my hand at growing tomatos in a "topsy Turvy" and maybe even some peppers! It does not look as though they will make it for as I am typing this entry the HAIL is failing and the ground is white! If that does not kill them, more power to it!
Here is to another year of gardening in the Great Northwest!

go to school again?

Wow something really neat just happened today, I thought of something that I would love to do! go back to school to be a Vet technician! I may not be able to do it for a couple of years still but it would be so great! I would be able to go and learn and do what I always wanted to but just lost the ambition to do!

Back when I graduated from college I wanted to still look into a Vet Tech school but at the time I was looking it was only available in Bellvue WA. That was really not that close or practical, but now I see it is offered here at PCC! wow that is great!

I feel almost giddy about it. I will have to do some more checking and what not to see if I meet all the criteria but I could be a vet or close to a vet someday yet!

Two little words

Why is it so important for us to hear? "Mama" I have repeated that word to Sawyer for the last month a million times a day. I want him to say it so badly. Of course I want him to say other things too, but I do not grill as much on those, but "Mama" repeated over and over and over.

Then I think I hear it... yes, "MAMA" and the novelty of it is over. Ok maybe not over but finally you have suceeded at something! :)I am so excited that Sawyer has finally started to babble. At first I thought oh he is just slower than Ashlee. She was talking and saying "mommy" at 8 months. Sawyer hit 8 months and not even a "Gaga", "ba ba" nothing. I did ask the doctor at his 10 month appointment, I got the normal response, " oh not to worry, boys are slower."
Then one day this last month just after Ashlee's birthday it happened. "BA-BA" came out loud and clear from the back seat! Then again and again! It was not a mistake. Yeah he is normal!
Now it seems all that he says is "Mama" now. Hope he learns something different soon. Ha-Ha!

Sisters and Horses

Sisters, why they are so important but yet so hard to have!??
I love my sister Emily, like no one else, but we can fight more than anyone else, why? who knows?! We are so close in age, 13 months apart, we can be best of friends and then in a second can be the worst of enemies. But no matter what we are family and there is something about that, it cannot be taken away. It is important to me to have my family, my sister, I do not know what I would do without her

I remember our first taste of horse back riding, we were riding the neighbors horse "Codi" I could not wait to go again and well lets just say Em was not as thrilled to go. Then the day came that a pony was living in the pasture behind our house. I think I remember the pony's name to be Cricket. I was about 6 and Emily was 5. I figured out a way to make a bridle out of twine, I showed it to Emily and tried to sell her that with this bridle we could ride the pony and have a great time. We set out to try it out, put it on, got on the pony and she ran us straight for the first tree branch she could find to knock us off her back. That was it for Emily she wanted no more to do with it. Me, I just started scheming a new way to use that bridle to stop her before she could knock me off on that tree branch again. From then on all I wanted was a horse. I am not sure exactly how Emily felt about having a horse but at least for the time being she wanted one of her own also.

Our first horse was Lady, a morgan quater horse. I can still remember the morning that we got her. I woke up looked out the bedroom window and saw this horse outside tied to a post. Dad says, yes "she is for you" you very own horse! We did not have a pasture for her yet so she was tethered around a grain bin that was on the lot by the house. All I wanted to do was ride and play and brush her and then ride her some more. Emily did not really like riding Lady at first for she was pretty tall compared to that pony Cricket that we used to ride in the pasture, so before we knew it Dad got Emily a shetland pony named Cinnamon. From then on we were like peas and carrotts riding our horses all the time. I could not find enough hours in the day to ride. I am not so sure that Emily felt the same passion for riding as I did. It soon wore thin on her and she did not want to ride as often. That is how it goes too, for she was a naturally good rider and it took absolutely no effort for her to look good. On the otherhand I had to work at it. It did not come natural for me and OH how I so wanted it to be that way. I was so jealous of how Emily could look so good and ride to effortlessly.

As the years went by we went through many different horses, did lots of o-mok-see and rodeos, parades and 4-H events, but it was always something that I enjoyed.


The thrill of the butterflies in my stomach, the unknown, was I going to qualify in the money? or would I miss out?

Happy Birthday Ashlee

May 1st was Ashlee's 4th Birthday. We had lots of family and fun the whole weekend.
I still cannot believe how fast they grow, one day she is a tiny little newborn in my arms needing everything done for her, then without notice BOOM, she is 4 and very independent.
I know, I know everyone says that, but it is SO true.
There are so many things that I hear parents say and I think oh I am not going to be that way, not going to think that way, but yes here I am doing just that. I think that my girl is the cutest and the smartest of all, so ahead of everyone else. Look she can sing the alphabet, recognize it front and back, big or small and she can write it too. Now she can write her name, my name, dad, dog and lots of other things. She is so smart. I beleive tht is due to both her parents and pretty smart and she is like a little sponge wanting to learn whatever they can. Part of me wants her to be this independent little girl and learn, learn, and then other part of me wants her to stop growing up so fast and just stay my little girl, that needs me.
This year was a great party, and even a great surprise. The day before her party my sister-in-law Carol and a good friend Thereasa showed up at the house with gifts and to visit for a couple of hours! It was so great to see them. Ashlee loves the Dora microphone that she got. (yes, Thanks Carol that is nice and loud!)
Then for her party there were Aunts and Grandmas on both sides and we had a great time opening gifts and visiting. My Aunt Marlene and Margaret and my two cousins Molly and Vanessa seem to always enjoy our little visits, last year we went to the Rose Gardens and this year we went out to dinner at the Stillhouse pub, wow the Scottish food was great and so was the company!

I know one of these years I will have to do a little more for a party but while she is young, family is so great!
I just wanted to say "thanks to all that came to visit" we had a great time.!

Camping....

I love to go camping. I am not sure why or how this came to be? I do not remember camping a whole lot when I was little with my family. I remember a couple of specific times with my mom, myrtle creek and lake couerd'alene but nothing too special. Oh and the one time I remember camping with my dad was more like this elaborate hunting trip to Dixie Idaho. We stayed in a log cabin and froze in the morning until someone was able to get a fire built.





It is a lot of work to get everything all packed up and stored in the trailer just for a few nights, in our case ONE night. For a few years we had a tent, I hate tent camping, my back always hurts and no matter what I always freeze!
So this year I talked Eric into buying a tent trailer, they have a heater and a fridge and a BED! Wow I was so excited to go camping on our first trip with the trailer.
For the first trip we chose to go to Fort Stevens by Astoria OR. It is a gorgeous park near the beach. The trip over there was two hours and that is long with two little kids, and one saying " are we there yet?" every two seconds. Eric has never pulled a trailer before so the trip is slow and long. We get to the park and our spot is a back in, my husband says you DRIVE I am not parking this thing. I have an audience from behind with the other campers and well I got it in the spot but it could have been better :).
Thank goodness the weather is great! Early May at the beach usually means rain, but we got 65 and sunny the whole time. We went walking on the beach and Ashlee played on a little playground and we had a good evening.
Then it begins; it starts to get dark and we try to get Ashlee and Sawyer to sleep. Sawyer will not sleep if he gets cold so we get the heat cranked up and put him to bed.
Ashlee gets her stories and settled into her bed. All seems to be fine. We have a beer and some chips to relax and finally go to bed also. It is quite warm when we go to bed for the heater has been on for Sawyer. I let Daisy up in our bed to try to help her stay cooler.
About 3am I wake up and wow I am cold, that is not a good sign. At 330am Sawyer is screaming and cold. Eric checks the heater and it is just blowing cold air, the propane tank ran out who knows when in the night, he changes tanks and yes we have heat again. But the damage has been done, with all the crying from Sawyer, Ashlee is awake and whining about every little noise .. there is an owl "Hooting", what is that? so she comes to our bed and needless to say we did not get much more sleep for the next 4 hours.
Eric gets up to make breakfast and notices we had visitors in the night! Our chips and bacon from the cooler are gone! RACOONS!! yes they opened the cooler and took our bacon! great just what we need.
I think the next trip we are going to get better, how can it get any worse?
Awe the love of camping! Ug!

Tulips

I love living in Oregon! I have been here for 10 or more years and yet the spring time here is still my favorite and never gets old. There are so many farms here that strive off of plants and one of my favorites is the Wooden Shoe Tulip farm. Each year that I go it still takes my breath away on how many colors there are and how beautiful the fields of tulips and daffodils can be! wow!
I remember the first year that I took Ashlee to see the tulips, she had pink pants and pink crocs for I could not get her to wear boots. It is Oregon so of course there was some mud from the latest rain shower and she got the mud on her shoes! It was a major melt down moment for her! OH the DRAMA!
This will be the third year that I have taken her and still there is some kind of drama, it would not be an Ashlee trip without it! but oh well that is life and here are some of the gorgeous tulips!

Puppy?! help she needs training!

We got a puppy in March. She was 12 weeks old. Yellow lab and boxer. Ashlee named her Daisy. We have had her for a couple of months now and well ...she does not mind any better than the day that we got her. Ok maybe a little, she goes potty outside.

I think I am the worst dog owner ever. I cannot take her walking without her pulling me, tripping me, and whining and whimpering at every dog she sees. what do I do?
Today on our walk to the park Daisy saw some little chiuauas and wanted to have them for lunch, she proceeded to pull and whine and yelp and yank on me and the stroller. Not only does it drive me nuts but I am sure it looks SO bad!

I have changed to using a harness on her when we go walking for otherwise it became a tug of war on who could pull more. me or her?! At first it was a lot better, now she has just figured out ways to run in front of me and or the stroller and try to trip us, why? WHO KNOWS!

I think I will sign up for an obedience class, but I know that means I have to put some time into her and right now it does not seem like I have a lot of it!


Update: thanks for all the great responses and ideas for the obedience issues; I have decided to sign Daisy and I up for some one on one class at the local PetSmart store. Lets hope she is not encouragable!