Breath of Fresh Air

Whenever I feel a bit restless, easily irritated, or worries have crept in, I know I haven't been spending enough time with God. It's time to get everything back in focus, priorities straight, and my mind and heart back to knowing what's important. So off to the beach I go for some fresh air!

Working full time has been challenging. I thought it would get easier, but it has been getting harder. It seems like there is not enough time, or I don't have the energy to do all the things that I need to do to take care of a family. I am also a person who needs down time, no talking, silence....which can be hard to come by these days :) I do LOVE being a wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, employee, etc., but I'm better at all of these roles when I'm close to God.

Praying all the way to the beach (rather than listening to the radio like I usually do), walking a few miles on the beach (soaking in all of the amazing beauty), and reading my Bible (in the lobby of the Stephanie Inn :) gives me time to be with God and reminds me of how great He is and how much I need Him. I had fun using our new camera to capture some of what I saw. One of my favorite things about the beach is the little archway in Haystack Rock. It reminds me of how I think about my little getaways to the beach to be with God. It is a safe little place in a big world where I just get to talk with Him, journal about things, and read about Him.

Time to take Kelsey to get a cupcake at Bliss. Kelsey loves triple fudge cupcakes as much as I love my time away at the beach!

Signs of Spring

It's hard to believe that it is still winter given the almost 60 degree weather that we've had over the past week. Flowers are blooming, we're mowing our grass, the sun is beautiful. McKenzie took the pictures - I wish I could take the credit :)

Acceptance Letter

We found out this week that Conner has been accepted to Westside Christian High School! We are so excited and know that this will be a great place for Conner. Tonight we will celebrate by going out for dinner. :)

Valentine's Weekend

We have had a wonderful Valentine's weekend. We have been dog sitting which has been lots of fun for us since our family has never had a dog. Kelsey has been amazing - she is extremely responsible and attentive to the dog. The older kids like the dog but aren't as eager to do the work :) McKenzie's friend is also staying with us for five days while her family is in Las Vegas - she is a great guest. We had Mom and Dad over for a Valentine's dinner tonight. We had barbecued steaks, roasted potatoes, prosciutto wrapped shrimp and caesar salad. The best part of dinner was the chocolate cake that Kelsey and I baked this morning. We played Taboo after dinner and enjoyed visiting with each other.

Happy Day

Today has been a great day. We started off the day with Drew and Maggie and the kids waking up after a sleepover. The kids were so happy and fun to be with. Kelsey enjoyed making pancakes for everyone, and then we played Apples to Apples. Kelsey took an American Red Cross class called "When I'm in Charge," and Conner had his interview at Westside Christian today. The interview went great, and we are very hopeful that he will be accepted. Kelsey baked cupcakes (she is quite the little cook). I got to have coffee with my niece who I haven't seen in over 3 years - we had a wonderful time together, and then she came to Kelsey's basketball game. McKenzie is off to a birthday party at the Cheesecake Factory, Conner is off to a sleepover, and Peter and I and Kelsey are off to church and then out for dinner. To top it all off, my mom got a hole in one while playing golf today!!

Cooking Class

Six of us took a cooking class last night from the author of my new favorite cookbook and owner of a great restaurant in Portland. The class was wonderful - I learned how to make homemade pasta, candy nuts, use a spider and a mandolin. I can't wait to go to Mother's Restaurant. She said that 750 people eat there every Sunday for brunch. We ate SOOO much food (pulled mozzarella, stuffed portabello mushrooms, chicken with fettucini, salad, bread, and tiramisu) - I was full for most of the day today. I think they gave us caffeinated coffee - I didn't fall asleep until after midnight, so it was a little difficult to get out of bed at 5:00. Oh well, an easy price to pay for a fun night!