We Woke Up to These This Morning...

When Peter and I came downstairs this morning, we were greeted by this sweet note and delicious cookies. Now that the kids are older, they are staying up much later than we are...I didn't even hear them making cookies - I guess I'm not as light of a sleeper as I thought!

Pie Class

I have wanted to learn how to make a pie for quite awhile. I saw that a class was being offered at Pacific Pie Company in SE Portland, so I asked my mom if she would come with me. After driving for an hour through tons of traffic, we finally made it and had a great time (besides both of us sweating profusely because of the heat in the kitchen). My mom and I were joking about me being the "problem student" because I was the only one in the class who requested not to make a strawberry rhubarb pie, we were late to class, I didn't bring a pie plate, I changed my mind part way through the class about what kind of crust I wanted on top of my pie, etc. The instructors were actually very nice and helpful, though, and seemed to put up with me. They taught us how to make fruit pies, cream pies, and pies with graham cracker crusts. Mom's pie turned out beautifully (as you can see in the picture) even though she wasn't quite sure about it when she put it in the oven. Mine was pretty before it went into the oven, but then the blueberries bubbled over through the cutouts on top....so much for the pretty hearts! It looked even worse when I got home as even more fruit ran out on top of the pie. It actually was really funny when I opened the box to show them what I made at class - they weren't very impressed but were still supportive of my efforts :). Conner and I split a piece of their peanut butter and chocolate pie which is to die for if you ever have a chance to go there!

My Dad

I love spending time with my dad. Whenever I see him, I feel happy. He has such a great sense of humor and makes me laugh over the silliest comments. He is so devoted to his family which always amazes me because he had to persevere through so much when he was younger. On Wednesday my sisters and I took him out for lunch as part of his Father's Day gift. We always have such a nice time together, just visiting about all that is going on. I'm really looking forward to his retirement at the end of next month, so that we will get to spend even more time together. I love you, Dad!

Something I'm Learning...

I love learning new things. One of the most recent things I've been learning about is the positive effect gratitude has on our bodies. I attended a training through my job a couple of months ago that was so eye-opening to me. Scientists can actually see through brain scans how to stop the stress hormone (cortisol) from being released into our system right in the midst of a stressful situation. The two easiest ways to shut this off when we feel that "fight or flight" feeling, is to breathe deeply from the bottom of our lungs or to think of a few things a person likes or is grateful for! Isn't that easy? It only takes 3 deep breaths to slow down the cortisol that can run through our bodies when we feel anxious or worried. I thought I was attending this training so that I could help the families I work with as they are in some very stressful situations raising children with special needs, living in poverty, etc. I was pretty excited to discover how this training could help me in my own life, as I have struggled with my own anxiety. I cannot tell you how much these two simple ideas of breathing deeply and noticing simple things I like or am grateful for have helped me. It is something that I can do anywhere - at my desk, during a meeting, before I give a presentation, when I'm feeling frustrated with the kids, to start out my day, while driving, while falling asleep, etc....When I spotted this journal at Barnes and Noble a couple weeks ago, I just had to get it. I have always loved journals, and I hadn't seen one like this. It is a 5-year journal where you can write one thing that you are grateful for each day. I have really enjoyed taking time to reflect on what I have enjoyed about the day and notice a difference in how I feel when I spend my time thinking about things for which I'm grateful, rather than thinking about my worries and anxieties. So if you ever feel stressed or anxious, you may want to try to notice things around you that you like or are grateful for - it can be as simple as the color of your walls, the coffee you are drinking, or the picture on your wall. Or just take a few deep breaths. That's my in-depth science lesson for the summer.... :)

Father's Day Weekend

We had a great father's day weekend! It started off with Peter and I going out for a date on Friday afternoon. We walked around a neighborhood in Lake Oswego, and then we had coffee at St. Honore which is near the lake. We sat outside and drank lattes, and we felt like we were on vacation in another city because it was so beautiful! The girls babysat on Saturday and Conner had a sleepover, so Peter and I went on another date, which, of course, included walking and eating. While walking around, we saw a restaurant that we had been wanting to try for a couple of years. They are well known for their biscuits, so we went in and had one. It is a great little restaurant, and we sat at the counter and watched them make lots of biscuit sandwiches. We also went to Cork (a wine/chocolate/beer shop) and bought a piece of chocolate and a couple of beers for our Father's Day dinner. This morning our family worked in the Village Cafe, serving coffee drinks to people at church. After listening to McKenzie and Kelsey complain about having to get up very early (6:30 on a weekend), we all had a great time. The first 2 1/2 hours of our shift were very easy, and then it was SOOOO busy for the last 1/2 hour. After lunch we gave Peter his father's day present - a hammock for the backyard. He really likes it, but I think the kids like it even more. They spent almost the entire rest of the day outside. Peter and I stopped by to wish my dad a happy father's day - he said that he wanted to go out for lunch this week for a father's day celebration, so we didn't do anything with him today. Peter barbecued delicious steak for dinner, and for dessert Peter enjoyed molasses cookies (his favorite) that Conner made for him today. At dinner the kids commented on what a great day it was, and I really think it was because we started off having fun by serving together as a family. Now we are watching the Heat/Thunder basketball game. It has been such a great day today - we are truly blessed.

Strawberries!

Last year Peter and I planted strawberry plants on the side of our house. We had all of the ivy removed and decided to use the space to actually grow something we like. It has been fun seeing them grow. We've been picking a few ripe berries over the past week, but today there were a whole bunch of bigger, ripe berries. They're not as sweet as we'd like, so we just add a little bit of sugar :). I have also been picking strawberries at the field near our house - I picked almost 20 pounds this week. I wish I could get the kids to pick more berries with me, but they spend most of the time being freaked out if they see a bug or complaining that it is too hot or time to go. It kind of ruins the relaxing atmosphere of berry picking. Conner and Marisa helped me pick one day this week which was nice to have help. Last year the berries we picked lasted us about 6 months, so I'm hoping to pick a little bit more this year. Kelsey loves having frozen strawberries for snack (which is better than the Cheez-its, Lays potato chips, and heavily buttered popcorn that she usually eats!)

Last Day of School!

Today is Kelsey's last day of 6th grade. Several weeks ago she planned out everything that she was going to do this morning, including what time she would be straightening her hair :). She went over to her friend's house to get ready, and then I took them to Starbucks for a treat for their last day. Sixth grade has been quite a year for year - she is definitely growing up and becoming her own person. This year she has become very organized in her school work (maybe some day this will carry over to keeping her room organized :). We rarely had to ask her about homework, and she was very driven to get projects done ahead of time which has been great. She now has her own opinions about lots of things and continues to be a very sensitive, kind, and thoughtful girl.

Conner and McKenzie's last day was Thursday - Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture. McKenzie had a great first year of high school. She made some very good friends and really enjoyed playing soccer. She is happy that the school work is over but will definitely miss seeing everyone at school each day. This year's learning experience for her was balancing having fun and leaving enough time to get school work done.

This year Conner became better friends with several kids and really enjoyed spending time with them on the golf team. The highlight of Conner's golf season this year was winning the 9-hole tournament at Quail Valley. He also loved playing ping pong during lunch with his friends. Balancing school work, sports, and a girlfriend has been a learning experience for him!

So here comes summer! So far we have a camping trip planned to Scout Lake the beginning of July, a Sunriver trip the beginning of August, and Family Camp with our church the middle of August. Kelsey is also going to summer camp with her youth group and is very excited - she's the first of our kids to want to go to a summer camp. Conner will be spending lots of time driving this summer, to get his 100 hours in so that he can get his license. He would like to get a job this summer (actually, all of us would like for him to do this :) - he is taking a class so that he can become a soccer referee in the fall. McKenzie is hoping to do lots of babysitting to earn money for the things she wants to do this summer and will also be doing some fitness training to be in shape for soccer.

I only work 15 days during the summer, so I'll have lots of time off with the kids. Peter and I have planned to go out on dates every Friday afternoon since he only works half days on Friday. We're looking forward to eating at some new restaurants, finding new walking trails, and discovering new coffee shops.

There will be lots of things going on this summer! I will do my best to start each day by reading my Bible, so that I can always be aware of what God sees as important for my day and to be reminded that everything he created is for our enjoyment.