I got to wake up in the city that doesn't sleep

cute couple in the streets of NY.

ah...broadway!

kung fu hubby. this is why I love him.

construction at ground zero.

central park.

Jeff's most recent business trip took him to New York City and, well, I just had to accompany him on this one :) (I passed on Nebraska the week earlier. no offense to any Nebraskans reading this blog. I just don't know you yet, so didn't have a reason to go...)



Four days in the Big Apple doing...well...nothing. It was wonderful. Shopping, eating, people-watching (extremely interesting anywhere, but I have to say ESPECIALLY there!), taking in a Broadway show (Spam-a-lot), seeing the new Indiana Jones movie, walking in Central Park, going to Battery Park, visiting the WTC memorial.



In these most difficult years of young child-rearing, I have to say, we have been really blessed with many unexpected moments (some moments even extending for days at a time!) of just him and me time.

Senior Prom...and the story behind it

The pictures seem to say it all...gorgeous gal, handsome guy, many friends, huge limo. It's beautiful and perfect on the surface.

And yet, it is all the behind the scenes stuff that you don't see here that make such a lovely evening truly interesting :)

Like the fact the way that Nick asked Shell to prom. She got a call from him at 11pm one night, saying that she should go outside down the back road to our house. We peeked outside and could see lights down the way, so she bravely strode out in the darkness to check it out. He had spelled "PROM" on the road using many tealights, and was there holding a dozen roses for her.

So sweet. But after she said yes, he confessed that he now needed help getting his mother's car out of the ditch by the side of the road. He had parked it there so as not to be spotted (?--um, we live in the middle of nowhere--but anyway...) and, unfortunately, got it stuck. After Jeff unsuccessfully attempted to free it, we had to call AAA, and a couple hours later, he was on his way back home with a very muddy car to explain to his parents.

Or the fact that Shell and I hunted for her prom dress down on Portland's 23rd Street eclectic collection of shops and boutiques in hopes of finding a unique gown that wouldn't be on every other gal at the dance, and ended up finding the PERFECT dress for $21!!! It was enough to bring tears to my bargain-hunting eyes :)

And let's not leave out the fact that two of the other passengers in the limo for the evening were her best friend, Maria, and Maria's date for the evening, who was none other than Shell's ex-boyfriend and last year's prom date, Brek. This could have proved quite awkward since they haven't been super friendly since the break-up, but instead the two couples had a wonderful

time together.

Maria and Shell

There's also the day last week when Shell had decided not to go to prom because of too much stress involved in working out the timing of everything...Nick had two baseball games in Seattle (2 1/2 hours away) the same day. The final game did not even begin until 4pm, so in the first pics of the whole gang with the limo picking them up, she is dateless!

And all this does not even begin to cover the fact that her nails have zebra striped tips and that she had to look like this before evolving into the final picture of loveliness...



So, you see my point? Much more interesting once you know...the REST of the story. (my humble attempt to emulate one of my favorite radio personalities: Paul Harvey).

More Disnosaurs...

The cries of the prehistoric creatures preceded their appearance as we walked up the newly created path to the special exhibit visiting our zoo. Not exactly what you expect to see across from the elephants and just up the way from the penguins, but there they stood, shifting their feet, opening their mouths (even spitting in one case!), and watching us as closely as we watched them, through their life-like eyes. The huge, audio-animatronic beasts were quite a sight to experience up close.




Most of the trail, we were as tight as a four-headed creature ourselves, with the children plastered as close to my legs as possible while still moving forward. Gabby and Ian stepped out just far enough to allow me to capture photos of them in front of several of the dinos, but Evie's feet never even touched the ground. It was not until we were well below the display that she allowed me to set her down. She is much like those toys whose hands and legs fly up and out simultaneously when the pull-string is tugged. If she does not want to be set down, her legs extend out and up beyond normal leg range of motion making it nearly impossible to detach her.



very loud!

"I do not want to be here!"

The T-Rex at the end was our favorite, of course. They have a special 'exit slide' set up just before you reach his fence that allows anyone wishing to avoid passing in front of him to slide down and away to 'safety'. Gabby, Ian and Evie slid away to safety 9 times. The older two also braved a photo with Rexie (ears covered, of course, to muffle the terrible roars!) after all those trips down the chute.

A Trip to Disneyland

Sleeping Beauty Castle at night

waiting to ride the 'new' submarine ride

enjoying the Jungle Cruise

smiles while waiting to ride Splash Mountain

one last trip down Main Street

Spring Break at Disneyland. How cliche'. How unlike our family, who having visited Disneyland so many times, knows to avoid the park in peak times like say...spring break! And yet, what fun we had :)





Although not the sunny SoCal vacation we were dreaming of (it rained, and we were careless in our packing...while we managed to bring the precipitation down, we forgot our warmer clothing!) we were able to enjoy the park all week and had great fun visiting with mom and dad gove, as well as Jeff's brothers' families.





While always difficult to leave behind loved ones, each visit down there brings a stronger reassurance to both Jeff and I that God has blessed us with such an amazing home up here. From the natural beauty of the land to the unpretentiousness of the residents, we are thankful that, for now...our brief time on earth...our place is in the Pacific Northwest.


And anytime we need it, a "Mickey-fix" is just 1,000 miles away!

introducing a fabulous young ADULT!

Shell and her friend, Maria, and boyfriend, Nick.

at Joe's Crab Shack doing a birdy dance.

Shell is 18 years old today! It is with both joy and sadness that I mark this occasion. First, and primarily, joy because she has entered this world of young adulthood with grace. Save a few, minor missteps(oh, now, even I know she's not perfect!), she continues to amaze me with her ability to think for herself, lead a crowd, bless her friends, and cherish her siblings. The twinge of sadness comes from the part of me that wants to rewind and hold on just a bit longer. That this beautiful person will no longer be living under my roof, asking my advice on a certain outfit, borrowing said outfit out of my closet...!, in just a few, short months.



A Chinese proverb says that a parent gives their child both roots and wings. My prayer is that her roots will be strong enough, her wings will be long enough...and that she will soar.



I love you, Shell.

Easter Bunnies

all my bunnies!

gab and ian admire their work

Everyone always looks so precious on Easter. This year was no exception. Gabby decided that she wanted matching dresses with Evie, so that was really cute! Ian picked out his own outfit for the second time. It was more casual than last year...no tie this time.



Church, of course, was packed. Even with 3 instead of the usual 2 Sunday morning services, it is difficult to fit everyone that shows up for the "important" church days. :) No matter, we celebrate a risen Lord that knows our hearts and loves us. He loves everone, even those who only make it to church twice a year. Even those who never go.



Now, a few days later we have 2 dozen multi-colored, hard-boiled eggs that probably won't get eaten because not enough of us around here like them, mounds of chocolate eggs that probably will get eaten because, of course, we all do like them, and fun memories of another blessed Easter.

Who Moved My Cheese?

Life with a two-year old, spicy girl is never dull.

Evie has learned how to open the refrigerator...yes, that is a huge block of cheese.

...and, yes, she is enjoying it while standing on the table.

Really enjoying it.

At least mommy got some pretty cute pictures out of it. And a good laugh.