Blue Sky

Christmas in Seattle

2011-12-14T22:21:00.000-08:00

My mom and I spent our now annual Christmas shopping weekend in Seattle. My oldest daughter wanted to know how hold she had to be to go- I said that she had to be willing to not get the Christmas presents that we buy for her. She thought it would be a long time before she was willing to agree to that deal. Some highlights: We had dinner at List. On the weekends between 4 and 6:30 the entire menu was half price- amazing food was half price! We shared an assortment of home made gnocchi, bacon wrapped prawns, baked garlic broccoli, and mussels. Everything was between $4-$7. We went back our second evening too. The timing was perfect for going to the Seattle Choral Company's Christmas concert at St. Mark's Cathedral. I hadn't been to the cathedral since Matt and I lived in Seattle ten years ago. It's a beautiful space and the music was perfect. All of the pieces were carefully chosen to anticipate Christ and celebrate the coming of Christ. It was one of those moments where you hope that those singing the words will hear the words. Before we left Seattle we made our way through the Jingle Bell Run (try crossing the street while a 1000 people dressed like elves, reindeer, and santas run past) down to Pike Place Market and picked out some bouquets and a wreath. We got some great coffee at Seattle Coffee Works. Then, it was back to reality, until another year.

Visions of the Sugar Plum Fairy

2011-12-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

When I go to sleep at night, my mind seems trapped in the Nutcracker music. My daughter A. has been performing all week in a local production of the Nutcracker. This is our third year of being a part of the Nutcracker, and I think this year the quality of the production went up a notch. As a proud mom, it's great to see A. grow in her ballet skills and performance ability. For me personally, I am becoming way better at stage make-up and winding those tight hair buns that ballerinas must have. So, if you need fake eye lashes and thick layers of rouge and foundation, let me know! Maybe next year I will have a camera that does a little better with low light and I can provide some more action photos. I have to depend on the moments when A. is not moving to take a picture. There are so many expressions I would love to catch, but it's best enjoyed in person. I'm headed back today for the final performance. And, then I think we're all headed for some winter hibernation. I wish.

Just in from Asia

2011-11-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

I returned yesterday from a week of working in Asia. I visited the places of lived in the past and saw many old friends. Now I'm trying to get back onto Pacific time. Somehow, I totally missed the time I normally get up, and slept until lunch time today. Maybe if it was sunnier outside that would help me. I don't feel inspired to trudge out into the rain and buy the laundry soap and groceries that we need. I'm missing easy food options on every street in Asia and good iced milk tea for my afternoon boost! I wouldn't mind some of the xiao long bao which is in the top picture.

Weekend in Corvallis

2011-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

I took Z. and M. to my parents for the weekend, while Matt and A. were off at university retreat in California. We didn't take many photos, we mostly did nice ordinary weekend things. Z. wanted to make sure we hit the Corvallis Assistance League sale- they make all these soup, cookie, dip, coffee cake mixes that we use all year long. Z. loves the coffee cake mix. My favorite is the beef barley soup mix. I ration out my supply.

My mom, Z. and I walked the Crescent Valley loop, which is close to five miles starting from my parents' house. Every walk that starts from their house ends with a long uphill. I need a walk like that everyday!

We also added a few more pumpkins to our porch. I've been looking for "ghost" pumpkins which not many grocery stores have carried, or if they have they haven't been the greatest pumpkins. But, a neighbor down the road from my parents was selling pumpkins they had grown including some nice white ones. I'm hoping to have a super industrious day in November where I make a lot of pumpkin puree and freeze it. I usually can pull off enough for my Thanksgiving pie, but it would be great to have a freezer full. A friend of mine bought a 398 pound pumpkin, she said they don't even carve it, but they cook the whole thing! That's a lot of pumpkin!

To top of the weekend my parents took us to Novak's in Albany. They serve homemade Hungarian food. Super good. Now we're all home, starting another "normal" week.

Every Girl's Dream

2011-10-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Z. is taking riding lessons, and today was the perfect fall day to be out riding. I love to watch her, but really I want to be riding right along side her. Her horse had a mind of his own today, which is great for Z. She had to learn to assert herself and direct him. It is surprising how much practice she has directing others (particularly her sisters), but how hard it is to make a horse do what he should be doing.

Afternoon at the Farm

2011-10-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

Growing Up- Almost 2 1/2

2011-10-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

Introducing Her Majesty Princess Amber or Kitty

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

Yup, we finally gave in and let our kids have a pet. The name they compromised on is pretty long if you didn't notice, so mostly she goes by Kitty. I think M. is her most committed owner. She's also home all day and able to spend a lot of time petting and holding Kitty. The Kitty rotates betwen the backyard and the garage (she actually just jogs straight from the sliding glass door to the garage door). She isn't much of an explorer yet and her one adventure climbing trees seems to have deterred her climbing spirit. She is very tolerant of rides in the stroller and being carried around by a toddler- in fact not just tolerant, she actually purrs while being "loved" by children. Since I grew up with dogs, I thought pets pretty much ate whatever protein was offered to them. But, Kitty prefers tuna, not cheese or chicken. She must like strong smells, but not strong dairy smells. Maybe the smell of cheese reminds of her of being pursued by a toddler who eats a lot of cheese. =)

Congratulations, John & Amy!

2011-10-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten was a long time ago

2011-09-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten was a long time ago for Z., but to me I remember the first day and the pleas for me to stay until she walked inside with her class. Now she barely has a moment for me to take a picture before joining her other 5th grade pals to talk about what's going on. The slides and monkey bars are only a back drop. A. ran off and found one of her many friends. She insisted on wearing her new sunglasses to school. She said that they make her look like someone from Italy. Fashion has been on her mind since she was born. My saddest girl was little M. A trip to the elementary school without playing on the playground was not what she had in mind. But, we're happy to bring her home, because we know it won't be long before she's lining up for her first day of kindgarten.

Weekend at the Beach

2011-09-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Farewell Summer

2011-09-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in Seaside with Matt's parents and sisters. The weather was gorgeous, which is unusual. The days started with blue skies and ended with lovely sunsets. As I watched my three girls play in the sand, I just wanted to remember the moments forever, when I toddler and her 8 and 10 year old sisters could "work" on the same sand castle. But, the leaves are already changing color, the backpacks are stuffed with notebooks and pencils, and the first day outfits are all picked out. Meanwhile, the forecast is for some record breaking heat. I guess my toddler and I will be hanging out in the sprinklers this week while the older girls sweat it out at school.

Thirteen already? Another Happy Anniversary

2011-08-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

This was my self-timer photo effort. We were given a little get-a-away to Newport. The weather was mild, but our porch gave us some toasty sunshine without the chilly breeze. We also had an amazing view- see the last photo. We loved having 24 hours without interruption. Celebrating anniversaries is a great tradition because it gives a moment to stop and reflect and be thankful for the gift of marriage.

Happy Second Birthday, M.!

2011-08-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

Our baby turned two last week. She is our girl with her own timing, her own plans, and she is trying to grow up fast. She is a creative experimenter. She tries our new uses for food, pens, and just about anything with a cap. She recently found my face lotion (the kind that comes in two ounce bottles because the expense of it requires rationing it out)and tried out finger painting my window with it. Her hands were goopy with lotion and she asked for a napkin. I took her hands and rubs the lotion on my skin. She also likes to "cook" and offer me meals. She took one of her glasses and scooped up some water from the toilet and offered me a drink. She is a quick problem solver. She is also discerning. She will not be fooled into eating meat or vegetables. I always thought that if a kid gets hungry enough, she will eat what's offered to her. M. has proved otherwise. She will find what she really wants. I left her napping in my room last week and checked on her after a couple of hours. I found her laying very relaxed in my bed after finding a dark chocolate candy bar to chew on. She is resourceful.

We love our M. and we are thankful for her. Two years has flown by- I suppose we will need to stop calling her "the baby." It just isn't quite as natural to say "the toddler."

Final Day

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

The Key of C is a coffee shop we stopped in on our way out of Ashland. They serve Intelligentsia beans in a well made cappuccino. We also stopped for pastries at Deux Chats, which I don't have pictures of, but is a must for some decadent well made anything. We also swung through Ashland Farmers Market and picked up an apple pie for our July 4th picnic. I promise we didn't buy any more food on the way home. If we had become stranded on the drive we would have been well fed with Rogue Creamery cheese, Dagoba chocolate and our pie. Not healthy, but well fed!

In Roseburg, I happily got to see Nicole, a long time dear friend. She is home for the summer- she usually lives in Florence (Italy, not Oregon!). We've also been hanging out in Colorado, which is super great.

This brings my Hipstamatic travel log to an end. Back to cute pictures of kids!

Evening Walk in Lithia Park

2011-07-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

This last picture was taken from the outdoor Shakespeare theater. We saw Loves Labour's Lost. I think any play is fun to see just because of the surroundings. I don't have any pictures from the inside because their ushers are pretty aggressive about tracking down people sneaking a picture of the set. So, you'll just have to go their yourself.

Good Eats

2011-07-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

In case you're on Hwy 99 between Medford and Ashland, stop in for tacos at the little stand shown below. They were meaty and flavorful. Matt thought it was super ironic that on this trip that he wasn't with me and I went out for tacos two times. I'm usually the nay vote for Mexican. But a good taco with cabbage, salsa, and a lime- way better in my opinion than a fancy Mexican enchilada plate. The second restaurant was an Italian place a little ways down from tourist central in Ashland. The restaurant was filled with local residents which is always a good sign.

It's the cheesiest!

2011-07-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Creamery has a reputation in Oregon for great cheese, so one day while my mom and I were in Ashland, we drove up to Medford and dropped by the Creamery. We sampled some amazing bleu cheeses, including one that just won a national award. These cheese were all in the $20-$28 per pound range. But, we were visiting during a special annual sale called the cheese vault sale. We went into a room that was a giant freezer and quickly selected packages of bleus and cha\eddars that that the creamery was clearing out for the year. Cheeses were now between $2 and $5 per pound. We filled our cooler with cheddar curds, Oregon gorgonzola, chipotle cheddar, rosemary cheddar, pale ale cheddar, and more. It's mostly divided up into our freezers now, but we easily have a years worth of spectacular cheese.

Colorado Moment

2011-07-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

Night Out in Ashland or Going to the Prom

2011-07-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

We went to the Caberet in Ashland which was performing The Wonderettes. The show was fun and the building was beautiful. It had once been a Baptish church. It was a little strange to see a church converted into a theater.

Jacksonville

2011-07-18T21:25:00.002-07:00

I'm continuing my hipstamatic travel log, and today I have a couple of pics from Jacksonville, Oregon, and then a picture of my mom and her friend Shiela, and a picture my mom took of me.

Medford Farmers Market

2011-07-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

I know it's hard to tell what this is, but trust me, this is one of the best donuts I've ever had. This is a fresh homemade donut topped with chocolate icing, and instead of being filled with Bismark cream, it's got a lovely layer placed on the top of the donut. Mmmm.

My mom opted for the salted caramel icecream sandwich- all ingredients also homemade. She was strategically placed in line to get the last one.

Ashland in Hipstamatic

2011-07-16T13:52:00.001-07:00

At the end of June my mom and I went to Ashland for a little vacation. We enjoyed great plays and a lot of tasty food. I recorded the trip on my phone using the Hipstamatic App. This was a fun way to avoid carrying my heavy camera.

Dagoba chocolate is from Ashland, Oregon. We happily went to the tasting room and tried chocolate. My favorite was the Chai Chocolate.

Homemade Mexican food was a theme of the trip. At the Medford Farmers Market there were a couple of vendors selling incredible tamales.

I brought home a bottle of arbequina olive oil from the farmers market. It tastes so good that I want to drink it. (Not advised for those of you avoiding excessive fat, although you'll probably have glossy hair).

Feeding a Family on Strawberries

2011-06-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

Our strawberries are ripening daily. From the last three days I have 16 pints that I need to decide what to do with. The problem is that we have an oversupply of strawberry jam from last year. I'm thinking of washing them and freezing baggies for smoothies. My other problem is that touching them gives me hives. But, they taste so good that I can endure the itchiness. They are also a reason for a daily dose of strawberry shortcake. We might need to go on a diet after strawberry season.

Summer Reading

2011-06-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

Although summer hasn't started officially around here, I'm gathering the books I'm going to read this summer. You see, this is the first summer that I'm not enrolled in a class and feverishly trying to get through a mountain of pages. Instead, I get to pick a few engaging mindless books to enjoy in my backyard. Most of the books in the picture are books I've picked up over the past couple of years but haven't read. At the top of my list is my husband's newest book. Some of you will be surprised that I haven't already read it. But, I love to read a book in actual book form versus a print out. I've also been hunting through recommendations for summer reads on npr's website and from Dwell's recommendation I will pick up The Girl With the De Meuron Tattoo by Stig Landers. I think I will also try Jane Kirkpatrick's latest The Daughter's Walk: A Novel. I'm a magazine junkie and I am anxious for my July magazine's to arrive. I like sitting out on my patio, surrounded by the garden, and brousing a magazine. Any more recommendations to add to my list?

Sunflowers in my Kitchen

2011-06-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day Matt offered to help the kids make some fancy cupcakes out of one of their cupcake cookbooks. A. chose the sunflowers, and although time consuming, were not difficult to make. The kids especially loved getting several oreo cookies in addition to a cupcake all in one treat.

Spring

2011-06-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

This spring we've been busy going to softball games and a couple of track meets- all under rainy skies and in chilly winds. When Z. was born our friend Lynette prayed that she would be a runner, and pretty much Z. has been running since shortly after she was able to walk. This was her firt year that she was able to join the school track team and she did great. She learned how to do the triple jump, she ran the 50 meter dash and was on the 400 meter relay. She did really well at her first meet which meant going to the "Blue Ribbon Meet." I think it means we will be going to many track meets in the future! I admit that I like the track meets more than softball games. I just hope we have some sunnier springs and that we're not slowly moving into an iceage.

Dancing Her Way Through Cinderella

2011-05-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

A. performed in a production of Cinderella last weekend. She continues to improve and we all have a great time watching her and the other dancers. I think I'm learning I need a vacation day built in after working at the performances. Make-up, hair, and back-stage nerves are no small challenges. I put A.'s false eyelashes on her four times. The funniest result of this performance is that A. has not wanted to wash her eyebrows because she likes them colored brown.

Somewhere Under the Rainbow

2011-05-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Mother's Day at Multnomah Falls. The forecast was bleak, but rain showers always bring the possibilities of lovely rainbows. This rainbow you could only see if you walked up to the bridge, so I felt sad for all the people who missed it. The waterflow is the highest I've ever seen it, and even if it wasn't raining I think we would have gotten wet. My friend Sharon visited us from East Asia. Like the rainbow, she is a wonderful gift from God. We had a great three days together and I will always remember this visit. I hope I can visit her next time. We agreed to go to Huang Shan together (some of you will know where that is).

On the subject of rainbows M. saw a rainbow for maybe the first time from our back window. She was yelling at the top of her lungs, "...bow, ...bow". When the rainbow disappeared she ran back and forth between the windows looking for it, and the next morning demanded that the rainbow come back. She's a fan. Maybe it's genetic, when I was six or seven I ran home from the bus stop yelling to my mom, "God's promise! God's promise!" Hopefully I didn't miss the bus.

What did I do in April? Graduate.

2011-05-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Reading, and papers, and more reading. That about sums up my days in April. All my free time was filled in with birthdays, softball, ballet, and Easter. After my graduation party was over all I wanted to do was sleep. Now that a few days have passed, I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect and remember the significance of my time at Western Seminary.

Seven years ago I started my degree at Western Seminary. Pretty much every semester I thought I was going to quit. A friend of ours was over the party and he started laughing remembering his most memorable moment of me in class. Matt thought of something recent, but I knew exactly the day he was thinking of. I was using a wheel chair after a very recent surgery on my achilles and Matt was pushing me out of the classroom. I was in pain and couldn't stick it out to the end. He made some joke and waved to the class, everyone laughed but simultaneously looked horrified. He had let go of the wheel chair. And with my newly mended foot sticking straight out in front of me I rolled straight into the wall. A painful moment, but apparently very memorable.

That story doesn't tell the true story of Matt's support for me getting my degree. (It does show how much he loves an audience!) I'm not a great multi-tasker and I'm a perfectionist, so starting my degree with two small kids in the house wasn't easy. He has faithfully put the kids to bed almost every night originally so that I could spend a couple of hours doing homework. He has worked from home one day every week to allow me to go to class, the library, and do what I needed to do. This spring he has made meals, cleaned, and bent over backwards trying to give me enough time to finish my degree. He's not the only one. His parents and my parents have always been helpful, but this past year they have stepped in and given me many whole days to finish my work. If you have a toddler around, you know that having more than an hour to focus on something is worth gold.

I loved my degree because it forced me to try new approaches to learning about people. I remember an afternoon spent over tea with my Laotian neighbor as she told me terms for all the people in her family tree. I also got to hear the immigration story of my Russian neighbors and how they became my neighbors. The ending project of my degree was studying how to reach Latino college students with the message of Jesus. This involved a research trip to Long Beach, California, and two days of interviewing students and the staff who lead a ministry there. These were all great opportunities for thinking about how the message of hope and redemption is communicated to people of all kinds of backgrounds.

The challenge was never talking to people or finding people to help me. The challenge was always in attempting to organize and communicate my thoughts on paper. My first summer at Western I took a class on Folk Religion from Dr. Paul Hiebert. He was one of the leading missionary anthropologists in the world. The content of the class was great, but two things stand out from that time. The first is that he kept saying all week, write more, write more. He wanted us to keep putting our thoughts down and sharing them. The second is that Dr. Hiebert was never condescending and he didn't act "academic". Don't get me wrong, he was super intelligent and perceptive. But, he was humble and modelled an attitude of being a life long learner. His humility was exemplified one day in class as we finished discussing a situation that happend in India that didn't appear to have an easy solution. It was a personal experience from Dr. Hiebert's time as a missionary. Someone asked him what actually happened, he told us, but he added that what they chose to do what necessarily the right answer or the best response. He encouraged us to be committed to praying, researching, and carefully thinking through cultural situations. Instead of modelling a decision, he modelled a lifestyle that wanted to see people truly transformed by Jesus unhindered by cross-cultural obstacles.

Last Saturday I walked in Western's graduation ceremony. It was meaningful because of the people who came. The degree is not just mine, but it is shared by all who helped in this journey. Thank you for helping me not to give up.

Our Last Evening At The Beach

2011-03-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

Luckily, there was a sign

2011-03-21T06:54:00.001-07:00

We went to St. Andrews State Park for the morning and found more than beaches. We stopped at Gator Lake, and we found the alligator was marked like an exhibit. The park was full of birds and would be great for exploring on foot and by kayak.

M. Discovers that She Likes the Water

2011-03-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of our trip two weeks ago, M. didn't even want to walk on the beach. She didn't like the way sand felt on her bare feet. Once she started playing in the sand she was terrified of the waves coming in. A dry baby made for easy cleanup everyday, so I've been fine with her staying away from the ocean. Today she turned into a different kid. She tried the water and quickly is becoming the daredevil that we knew she really is. No more relaxing on the beach for her parents. I know that from now on it's going to be all about the ocean and not just about destroying her sisters' sand castles.

A blissful moment or a one year trying to destroy a sandcastle?

2011-03-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

The Sun Came Out: Prelude to a Burn

2011-03-20T09:50:00.001-07:00

Z. and A. discovered how much they love to swim in the ocean. These pictures document that they were happy three days ago. We are avid suncreen users, but on this day they helped each other put on suncreen. By night time it was apparent that they had both missed large areas, like all of their backs and shoulders. The lesson they seemed have learned wasn't, make sure you do a better job next time. No, the lesson they keep telling us is, "I'm never letting my sister put my sunscreen on again."

Jumpers from Red Hills Horse Trials

2011-03-14T18:17:00.001-07:00

At the Tip Top: Red Hills Show Jumping Event

2011-03-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

Karen O'Connor 4 Time Olympian

2011-03-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

At the Red Hills Trials we got to watch the leading riders in America. They rode multiple times as they rode several horses at different levels according to the horse's level. I remember watching eventing at the Los Angeles Olympics on tv as a kid. In addition to dreaming of being a jockey, I started dreaming of riding in the Olympics. Since age doesn't really eliminate you from the equestrian events in the Olympics, I still have a shot. A long one, but a dream is a dream. The equestrian events are also one of the few events where women compete against men. It's a very egalitarian sport, as long as as you have a rich benefactor.

Early Morning Warm Up Exercise

2011-03-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

The Spectator Crew Day 2

2011-03-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Z. and A. joined me for a weekend of watching horses. It was 76 degrees that day, but Z. still wanted to wear her horse shirt. They loved being close to the horses running full out past them. You could feel the ground vibrating as the horses approached the jumps. Horses in these events are huge. They are 16 and 17 hands tall (a hand is 4 inches, you do the math, and it's the distance to wear the front of the saddle lays on the horses back) and fully fit. Very impressive.

Cross Country Jumping at Red Hills Horse Trials

2011-03-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Cross Country Eventing In Motion

2011-03-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is the middle jump of three- one into the pond, one in the pond, and one right out of the pond. I think the name was Huckleberry Finn's Folly. We watched this jump for about an hour at the Red Hills Horse Trials yesterday. Cross country eventing covers about 2 miles with over twenty jumps. It's a serious endeavor- we saw some pretty serious accidents during hour four hours there. The horses move at about 22 miles per hour and essentially are going for the fasted time while clearing all the jumps. I think we easily walked over two miles ourselves, but no jumps for us. Just a long line in the hot sun for icecream. My daughters insisted that they needed icecream- and not the kids' size- to cool them down. I think the icecream bought me a couple more hours of being a spectator at an incredible event, so well worth it.

the Red Hills Equestrian Trials

2011-03-11T18:05:00.001-08:00

I learned yesterday that the Red Hills Equestrian Trials were happening about 2 1/2 hours from where we are in Florida. This is one of the qualifying events for the Olympics, so the caliber of riders and horses is very high. Z., A., and I jumped in the car this morning and spent a couple of hours watching the first day, dressage. The horses were gorgeous and looked perfect doing their routines. By the time we left I had a couple of girls being dressage horses- giving little nods to the judge and prancing around.

Around and Around We Go

2011-02-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

For the President's Day holiday, we took a day trip to Salem, and we met my parents and my aunt at Busick Court for breakfast. From there, it is just a short walk over to the Salem Carousel. Each horse is named, and the kids like to try to be first in line to pick out their horse for that ride. We had a punch card which would have made anyone dizzy after using it up. M. wasn't sure that she wanted to be buckled onto a giant wooden horse, but after her first round she was ready for more.

Frigiliana

2011-02-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

Paella Day

2011-02-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

Really, all you can eat paella is somewhat of a hoax. How much rice and chicken can one person eat? I know how much we wish we could eat after tasting Ayo's paella. A lot. Because you just want to keep savoring all those flavors. The pans of paella are cooked right on the beach- the one on the left was finished and the one on the right was being made. I came for lunch two days in a row. I think this was my favorite meal during my week in Spain.

Blame it on the jet lag

2011-02-11T13:56:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a conference in Southern Spain where we checked in with our interns who are serving in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. These first few pictures were taken during the day that we were waiting for all our interns to arrive and get checked in. During our first morning we up extremely early due to jet lag, and once the sun was up we took a walk around Nerja. As we rounded one corner the air filled with the smell of fresh baked goodies, so we walked over to Rene's to see what was ready to eat. I can go on and on about how wonderful anything made with almond paste is, but really, the croissants with almond paste at the Deutche Bakeria were simply above and beyond anything America has to offer. As the day went on we needed to stay active outside to stay awake. We explored nearby Frigiliana. This little town is gorgeous. Tiny little streets, square white buildings, and lovely views. We stopped and bought some locally made pottery before everyone went on siesta, and then we went to a little lunch restraunt with a nice view. When we got back the conference was about ready to begin with meetings, Bible teaching (thank you Matt), and worship. Exploring a small corner of Spain was a good way to begin the week. (Matt is not in any of these pictures because he sick and down for the count, he's not too into the shopping scene anyways.)

Dolphins Must Really Like Fish

2011-01-04T22:14:00.000-08:00

Matt waited in line for an hour so that the three of us could have the opportunity to pet and feed a dolphin. Because M. was too little, he had to just watch us after all that waiting. What a guy! We each got to feed the dolphin three fish and pet the dolphin three times. You feel like you should go really slowly to appreciate the dolphin and also to get your six dollars worth! They do feel wet and rubbery just like they look. A.'s comment after we fed the dolphin, "Dolphins must really like fish!"

A word of advice: if you take your daughter who wants to be a vetrinarian and loves animals, don't let her see the sign that there are still spots available to get in the water and learn to train dolphins. It's a crushing blow when your parents won't pay $190 for this, and somehow lessens the special time of feeding the dolphin. Getting to pet a dolphin should never be followed by thiry minutes of crying. On the bright side, she did declare it her goal to have her own dolphin training facility where people can affordibly swim with the dolphins. I'll keep you posted.

Hanging Out in the Splash Zone

2011-01-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

Last week we sent to San Diego for the college student conference in the Southwest part of the United States. Matt was one of the speakers. The kids loved being at the conference- they made their own snow globes in the morning childcare, got to go to magic show, and one night thier was a serious drama. I didn't think they were paying attention to it, but they told us that they can play ds games and listen. Their years of listening to Odyssey have paid off. One day we woke up to blue skies and announced that we were going to Sea World. We were given tickets to go and it was just around the corner from the hotel.

The dolphin show Blue Horizons was the family favorite. Z. wants to be the dolphin trainer and A. wants to be the woman who dresses like a bird and does trapeze stunts. We also saw the Shamu Christmas Show, but since it was at night my pictures are just a series of blurry colors. The show was amazingly Christ centered. The audience was even asked to stand up and sing Joy to the World. I didn't even get to sing that at church this Christmas season. It was a great experience seeing whales leap in the air and singing "Let heaven and earth rejoice."

M. was thrilled with the section of Sea World devoted to Sesame Street. Elmo and his gang did songs and dances all day. Matt took her to get her picture with Elmo. He said that she made high pitched cooing noises the whole time. Every time we passed that corner of Sea World she insisted on going over to say "hi." Another favorite of M.'s were the penguins. She's totally into animals, so seeing hundreds of penguins waddling around was right up her alley. We spent a lot of time looking at the penguins, because we were waiting for the older girls to go on one of the few rides at Sea World that doesn't involve getting soaked. Getting soaked is fine if it's 80 degrees, but not when the wind is blowing and it's only about 50. Z. and A. were a little damp after riding the river rapids raft.

We finished our week with dinner in Old Town for New Year's Eve. Our friend Olivia took us to one of her favorite Mexican restaurants- the Old Mexican Cafe. She told me during the drive to dinner that she and sister always say that the homemade tortillas are just like soft little blankets. And, it was true. The tortillas were the best I've ever had and all the food we ordered was fabulous. We have decent Mexican food near our home, but we miss the amazing Mexican food of California.

So Many Little Pets

2010-12-27T18:32:00.000-08:00

We celebrated A.'s birthday today. She wanted dinner at the Spaghetti Factory and donuts for breakfast. Her favorite color is purple, so we decked her out in a purple dress with matching purple shoes. She was thrilled and she added some lip gloss that she received for Christmas. Apparently she is building a littlest pet shop kingdom in her room, so our gifts increased the pet population. Every parent feels this way, but it just seems like she is growing up so quickly. She was our winter baby who brought many surprises into our lives. I look forward to this next year, but only if she could stop growing up so fast!

Christmas Moments

2010-12-26T14:18:00.000-08:00

Although we have five in our family, only four were willing to be in a picture. Maybe next year...

Where did that zhu zhu pet go?

I miss being a kid on Christmas- no cooking, just playing with new Christmas toys!

She may not have made the family picture, but I do have this classic one year old's Christmas moment.

Can I get to church on my tricycle?

2010-12-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

Whipping up Christmas Cookies

2010-12-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

Peppermint Dolls and Mints on the Stage

2010-12-21T17:27:00.002-08:00

Our daughter A. performed in a local Nutcracker production recently. She worked hard in rehearsals and we loved watching her perform her parts. I don't have any great motion shots- I don't have the right lense or maybe camera for low light action shots, but I always treasure my almost eight year old truly enjoying herself as she raced around stage trying to be in the right place at the right time. My new skill this year was putting her false eyelashes on. I was a little intimidated at first, but they ended up being easier, maybe easier than trying to put mascara on her when she didn't want to stand still. She's promised that she will never want to wear make-up, and I've promised that I will try to hold her to it.

A Few Days at Union Square

2010-12-11T16:13:00.000-08:00

My mom and I spent a few days Christmas shopping at Union Square. Typically we go somewhere very cold to shop, which is Christmasy in its way, but this year we enjoyed balmy 60 degree days. The picture of us was taken on Maiden Lane at Mocca right off Union Square. In true Italian spirit we weren't allowed to drink our coffee at any of the indoor tables, but we loved enjoying sitting outside.

My Tourist Moments

2010-12-06T21:59:00.001-08:00

Around North Beach

2010-12-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

We had some meetings in San Francisco this past week, and we made sure that we got a couple of hours to eat and walk around North Beach. North Beach is the Italian neighborhood of San Francisco. We at the Bocce Cafe (later in the week we took 20 people there for dinner, and they seated us and served fabulous food super fast), had coffee at Cafe Trieste, and walked up to Coit Tower. These three destinations seem almost like a pilgrimage in our lives. We started going to these places back when we were dating and living in Walnut Creek. We at at the Bocce Cafe with my parents a couple nights before we got married and we've since taken many friends here during visits to the Bay Area. This visit gave us more memories with dear friends.

A Little Christmas Cheer to Kick Off December

2010-12-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

When our two older girls were toddlers we lived in Asia, and when Christmas rolled around we would pull out a 3 ft. fake tree from our drying porch (we had a room dedicated to hanging and drying our laundry), dust it off, and get out the ten ornaments we had. It was still a magical experience and it seems like yesterday that we watched Z. look up to the top of our 3 ft tree. This year we all got to introduce M. to the tradition, but with a 6 ft. fir. Lights and little toys hanging on the tree are amazing to a one and a half year old. We'll get started on the Advent Book by Jack & Kathy Stockman very soon. Once again, I totally recommend this book for families looking for an easy fun way to keep the Christmas story part of each day this season. For Matt I got him the Angry Birds Advent game, and if that seems like an odd combo, it really is. But, 25 days of Angry Birds fun.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa, but the gift goes to M.

2010-11-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

We celebrated my dad's birthday the day before Thanksgiving. But, the big gift went to baby M. Each of my dad's grandchildren have received a beautiful handmade rocking chair. I need to take a picture of just the chair, but it seemed fitting that she should have her picture in the cheer. This chair has a gothic stained glass patterned back. Z.'s was bamboo themed and A.'s was a classic Shaker pattern with an entire Bible verse carved into it. The chairs are beautiful, and if the house is burning down we grab the children and next the chairs. The picture with M. and her baby doll is funny, because she is about to jump out and remove the doll from sharing the chair with her.

Thanksgiving in the Snow

2010-11-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

A Drop In Family Visit

2010-11-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

My aunts and Grandma took a quick trip up to Seattle today and stopped by to see us on the way. M. showed off her baby doll and teddy bear, A. did some ballet dancing, and Z. explained the solar system science project she is currently working on. After my relatives were on their way, we all went to see Megamind. This was a great family outing for a drizzly day. Now everyone is rushing around finishing their homework for the final day of school this week. It was a little quirky having a Thursday off in the middle of the week, but a nice break.

My girls with their Great-great Grandma. M. enjoyed being showed how the time piece Grandma wore worked.

A Pumpkin, An Owl, & 2 Hermiones

2010-11-03T13:18:00.002-07:00

Round 'em Up

2010-10-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

It's Western night around here, which meant we received a phone call at 5:30 from an Awanas leader reminding us that there was a theme for tonight which sent us into a feverish scouring of the house for Western wear. At least it was an easy theme!

2010-10-27T19:32:00.002-07:00

The leaves are falling around here, and my girls have been impatiently waiting to make a leaf pile. M. joined in the fun and didn't even seem to care about eating dinner because outside was so much fun.

Congrats, Ken & Sarah!

2010-10-27T18:48:00.002-07:00

We had the privelege of helping our friends Ken & Sarah get married last Saturday. Matt officiated. They had a beautiful ceremony and a fun reception. We are happy for them as they begin their lives together. Congratulations! (Photo by Giselle Dineros)

For Your Dining Pleasure in Portland

2010-09-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of years I go I listed all my favorite restaurants around Portland. I thought maybe the time has come to update my readers on my recommendations for food. I put this off because there was one place I really wanted to try.

What better way to kick off my list than with breakfast? Matt and I had the opportunity to have brunch at Simpatica Dining Hall last weekend. Now, dinner here is an ultra-spendy experience that you need to plan well in advance for (reservations required), but brunch on the other hand is a reasonable a la carte menu and no reservations affaire. I had the French toast with blackberries and Chantilly cream served with two tasty sausages. I started with the Stumptown Coffee that available while in the hall where everyone eagerly awaits their spots. Matt had fried chicken and waffles with peach compote. We both were amazed at how great the food was.

Next on my list is the casual “to-go” lunch. One of my papers this last year was on the culture of the Portland Food Cart scene. A big perk of this topic was doing field research. Matt and I spent over an hour trying about eight different carts- main dishes, appetizers, dessert, and coffee. From the group on 10th and Alder we thought you almost can’t go wrong. Eat whatever you are in the mood for. Almost nothing exceeds $6 and almost everything is hand-made and fresh. My favorite was Ziba’s Pitas. I had one of the pitas, which is more like fried bread stuffed with cheese, meat, or veggies served with a great sauce. This is a great taste of Bosnian food. Matt liked the Chinese dumplings at The Dump Truck. There are many more great food carts in Portland (over 400 when I did my paper), and we’re looking forward to trying all kinds of food in different parts of the city.

When it comes to coffee, everyone has an opinion in Portland. I find that many places serve a decent cup of coffee or even a good cappuccino. The competition for customers is stiff. But, only a few can be truly excellent. The first time I went to a Stumptown I wanted to lick my tiny little cappuccino cup clean. It was that good. But, then I went to Albina Press on Albina and found out how truly great a cappuccino can be. One of my friends insists that I will be amazed at Barista, interestingly a former food cart with a store now.

For dinner we still give the double thumbs up to Ken’s Artisan Pizza. A new favorite is Siam Society. A few years ago I walked by the front of this restaurant and thought it looked like an interesting place to try, but we didn’t make it until a couple of weeks ago. The menu goes under the Thai category, but it’s not authentic Thai. We love real Thai food, but what I like about the food here is that it’s like Portland meets Thailand and the result is delicious. We had the pulled pork spring rolls that were lightly fried with red cabbage, hazelnuts, and a hint of vanilla. The beef dish first of all had great beef in it. If you eat Thai food frequently you know that this is a rare complement. The concoction of beef, mushrooms, great sauce, was topped with sweet potato straws. Another element of Siam Society that will only be understood if you’ve lived overseas is that it reminds me of an expat hangout. I think this was because the night Matt and I went the main dining room was closed for a wedding reception and we had to eat in the bar. The bar was super relaxed, a little Asian, and outside in atypical Portland weather was a warm monsoon. The air was sticky and the rain poured. It just reminded me of China.

For my dessert choice this year I will go simple: Mio Gelato. I don’t usually like gelato in the United States (I'm not trying to sound pretentious, I've only been to Italy once, and the gelato was beyond amazing totally ruining most American gelato for me), but I do love theirs, and Matt’s favorite flavor is frequently in the line-up- whipped cream. He first had this flavor in the cafeteria we ate at in Spain. It really tastes like whipped cream just turned into gelato. I’m partial to hazelnut.

That closes out restaurant highlights for 2010. Happy dining in Portland!

Playing with B&W

2010-09-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

My Mini-Vacation to Corvallis

2010-09-25T22:02:00.001-07:00

I was given a 24-hour vacation to Corvallis this weekend. My mom and tried restraunts that we'd never gone to, went for a walk, played Scrabble, and finished with a couple of hours ambling around the Corvallis Fall Festival. As you can see from the pictures, the weather was gorgeous. I drove home today feeling refreshed- until advised by traffic signs in Salem to find another route to avoid an accident. Driving through South Salem was a little nostalgic. The Wendy's we ate every Sunday after church was still there, but the place I had mudpie for my 13th birthday was not. The nostalgia wore off by the time I got to downtown. But, now I'm home watching Community with Matt in a mostly clean house (yes, Matt not only took care of the kids he did some cleaning, too, yes, he's an amazing husband). So, pretty good weekend and it's not over yet.

Out at Maryhill

2010-09-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

For my birthday the past few years, we have taken a picnic out to the Maryhill Winery and then gone through the Maryhill Museum. The day is always beautiful- more sunshine than Portland. We finished the day by picking up a box of peaches from Gunkel Orchard.

Finally, the First Day Back-to-school

2010-09-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

We walked to school through a cold, drizzling rain this morning. It seems that we don't even get to pretend that summer stretches into September. Both of my older girls were excited to start fourth and second grades. We only had one almost crisis while getting ready for school- Z. didn't think her shoes matched her outfit. I assured her that sneakers would work just fine. Did you figure out what her favorite color is this year? I like the last picture, because it has her backpack and lunch box. This year she wouldn't buy anything unless it was blue. It's almost time for me to go pick them up from school and see how their days went. I'm just glad that they're still willing to walk home with me!

Crescent Lake Sunset

2010-09-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

Around the camp site

2010-09-04T21:50:00.001-07:00

Camping at Crescent Lake

2010-09-04T21:47:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we camped at Crescent Lake. The first picture of the kids on the beach was our view from our tent. The campground was mostly empty, so it felt like we had the beach all to ourselves. The baby loved the sand and of course the dirt. By the end of the week she was shoveling dirt onto herself. My older two didn't mind the dirt at all, in fact they seemed to prefer not bathing and wearing the same sweat pants all week. We taught them our camping tradition of playing Pit. They were skeptical before we started, but hooked after one round. I think they also loved having all the meals planned for- lots of yummy breakfasts, lunch food, great dinners, and finishing with s'mores. This is really a stark contrast to our regular offerings at home- oatmeal, peanutbutter, and I hope there's a plan for dinner. Matt and I went on one hike up to the Bingham Lakes. The trail was hot and dusty, the lakes were not worth the work of getting there, and it was the only place we found mosquitos (Matt was promptly bit). Our camp site looked like an oasis when we made it back. We did enjoy the solitude, we saw no one on the trail. It's been a little over a week since we've been back and I think I've almost got everything washed and put away. Now we can relive the adventure through pictures and forget about the dirt and the so-so nights of sleep. Thumbs up to Crescent Lake (off hwy 58 out of Eugene).

Celebrating twelve years at Crater Lake

2010-09-02T18:12:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago, Matt and I spent a couple of days exploring Crater Lake to celebrate our anniversary. Our favorite part of the trip was hiking to the top of Wizard Island. I've done the boat tour a couple of times, but never explored the island. The views from this mini-volcano of the lake were incredible. Matt took a dip in the lake- he said he couldn't pass up the opportunity to swim inside of a volcano. He did three jumps for me so that I could get the picture I wanted. He must love me a lot to repeatedly immerse himself in 50 degree water.

Fun with Hipstamatic

2010-08-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Summer at Bass Lake & Oakhurst

2010-08-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

While Matt was busy being a Bible teacher at a conference, the kids and I made a quick trip to California.

Yosemite Moments

2010-08-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went into Yosemite Park for a few hours. This was not the best day for taking photos- it was the middle of the day and we had a baby with us. Z. and I went for a moderate hike, while Matt's mom stayed with the other two kids. This was one of her first harder hikes. I think she enjoyed it even with all the uphill. She loved using my camera. I'll do a post with the hike pictures later.

This was my last picture that I took in the park. While it is not the best picture I've ever taken of El Capitan, it was a quiet moment when I could look around and enjoy the amazing size of the granite "sculptures." I'm looking forward to returning and having time to prepare for the best light and appreciate another unique day in Yosemite.

Summer Weekend

2010-08-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Next year maybe they'll knit an afghan

2010-08-15T21:48:00.001-07:00

Z. carefully made brownies to enter the County Fair Hershey's baking competition. These were some good chocolatey brownies. In order to enter this competition we had to pay to enter the fair- tricky and clever on the fair's part.

A. was thrilled to find her pickled beans won the best of class ribbon. I later sampled her dill pickles, and I told her that I would need her to make a year's supply of pickles. She wasn't thrilled, but they are award winning.

While A. and Matt took in all the rides, Z. and I walked around the air-conditioned exhibit hall. She wanted to see how many more entrants there were in the Hershey's competition. Some ladies convinced her to take a knitting lesson. They said after she worked for fifteen minutes that she was well on her way to a potholder. Later Z. spent an hour trying to teach herself "casting on" from youtube. I'm no help when it comes to knitting. Maybe I'll get a scarf for Christmas.

View from dinner at Tidal Raves

2010-08-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

Matt & I had a little dinner date at Tidal Raves in Depoe Bay Sunday evening. The food has been consistently great over the last decade and the view is always amazing. We often see whales from the window or at least seals. If you go there, especially in the summer, make a reservation.

Otter Crest Loop

2010-08-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

Beach BBQ

2010-08-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Roll Those Dice

2010-08-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

We went to Newport for a swim meet over the weekend. We stayed with my aunt and had some time at the beach and time to be on vacation with our family. Vacation always mean getting out the dice game. It's sort of like yahtzee but you have to make risky decisions like whether or not to build on each other's scores or keep going to get a higher score. What important is that there's no limit to how many players and pretty simple to catch onto.

Cupcakes Take 2

2010-08-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

We had a weekend family party for M., and this time she knew what to do and what she wanted- the frosting. M. loves lemons, so I made lemon cupcakes. The frosting had fresh lemon juice, and M. was right- we all wanted to lick our fingers.

I think she likes it

2010-07-29T21:38:00.001-07:00

We celebrated M.'s first birthday yesterday. She wasn't sure about the cupcake, but after that first taste she was sold- she loves sugar. At one point A. asked her for a bite and M. turned her head away with the cupcake, a definite, "No, I won't be sharing." The cupcake was especially good, and on your birthday you shouldn't have to share.

What's going on this week?

2010-07-27T21:27:00.001-07:00

The baby has become a careful walker, and I don't think a running toddle is too far off.

Matt is busy finishing his book- in the comfort of his graduation present which just arrived. Ah, the life of a writer...

Z. is off to camp with her buddies. She apparently hasn't talked her counselor into letting her use a cell phone to call home. Last year we heard from her almost everyday.

Today A. and I went to Cannon Beach. While not hot, the day was nice. We had oceanside outdoor seating at Mo's, walked down to Haystack Rock, and A. built sandcastles while I read a book.

Sunset in Denver

2010-07-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

2010-07-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, Dann & Jenny!

2010-07-13T22:39:00.001-07:00

Determined Crawler

2010-07-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

Fireworks Drama

2010-07-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

Picnic

2010-07-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

July 4th Croquet

2010-07-09T20:25:00.002-07:00

Exploring Fountains

2010-06-29T21:20:00.001-07:00

We made two outings to local fountains this past week. Last Sunday we stopped at Jamison Square and packed a picnic along with swimsuits. This is more like a man-made shallow pond with lots of rocks. This park provides plenty of people watching.

Today we went up to our local WSU campus and played in the Firstenburg Family Fountain. The campus was mostly empty for the summer, and the kids had the fountain all to themselves. The baby had plenty of flat safe space to play in and seemed to enjoy getting herself wet. The older two had plenty of grass to roam in and pretend to be horses. I got a quiet hour of research in the library while Matt watched the kids. Apparently I chose an immigrant group to research that has had almost no research done about. Who knew that Russian immigrants particularly to the West Coast are mostly invisible to research?

Summer Pics

2010-06-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

Doesn't She Look Great?

2010-06-24T21:18:00.001-07:00

My mom retired after working for the same company for 31 years. We went to a party held for her this past week with many of her friends from over the years. The evening was beautiful and the party was perfect. Congratulations, Mom!

Congratulations, Kerri & Doug!

2010-06-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

Just Hangin' On the Dance Floor

2010-06-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

Denver Chalk Art

2010-06-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

We recently stayed in downtown Denver. Our first night there we wandered around and stumbled upon artists who were halfway through making their creations. We didn't make it back to see the finished products, but we enjoyed seeing beauty created in chalk. When we left on Tuesday, Matt said it was sad that all those pictures were being driven over. Matt & M. are in the first picture if you look carefully.

Backyard Bounty

2010-06-11T21:32:00.000-07:00