May 27, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

Ruby toward the end of church.

May 26, 2009 - Living for Jesus is Fun

No, Ruby isn't angry...she was just posing thoughtfully and quietly.

May 25, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

Memorial Day picnic with Landmark Church was AWESOME - Bro. Whitley did an excellent job with all of that meat (smoked, slow cooked, etc...then bbq chef) and we had a beautiful day to play in the sun and sand and go for a hike...and see a crazy diver at Shore Acres down in the reefs.

May 24, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

The AWESOME giant flag hanging at the Coos Bay Fire Department for Memorial Day :) Shot through the driver's window of my car (rolled down) while Kurt was driving, I made him go back so I could get this shot :D

May 23, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun!

The version of this photo on my phone is bigger, but I have to bluetooth it somewhere to get it off of the phone - it's too big to pix msg...grrr

But it's cute :D They were dancing and having a show and throwing water balloons...in their pajamas of all things!

May 22, 2009 - Living for Jesus is FUN...in ROSEBURG!!

Sheaves for Christ Kick Off Rally!!! YAHOO!! I drove 4 of our youth down on Friday night for the rally and it was AWESOME - Stan Gleason preached a fantastic message to us about being AMBASSADORS of CHRIST - remember who you represent. Even when you are tired. Even when you are weary. Good stuff! So, out of the photos - The Fossums stole my heart - Pastor Fossum and his beautiful wife praying at the altar with their daughter Nicole :o) - Precious!

May 21, 2009 - Living for Jesus is Fun

Camden cleaned and rearranged his room - if the vacuum worked, it would be perfect :) He's 13, this is nothing short of miraculous.

Don't they look innocent? They think I don't know they have sneaked otter pops between them under the blanket...otter pops are my FAVE - I'd never bust them for that (unless they left wrappers all over and ants got into them and I had to clean up the mess...)

May 20, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

Even if I don't laugh at all of Jay's jokes, right??
Okay, most of his jokes ARE funny - but it's even funnier not to laugh at them sometimes...Wednesday night fellowship outing at Kozy :)

(he posed for this)

May 19, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

I know it looks black. See if you can count the blessings today (did you know that on days when I really just want to kick and scream and cry and chase my children like I am a deranged lunatic, I really do encourage myself by COUNTING MY BLESSINGS??)[try it, it works]

It's our bedroom clock. In the dark, obviously. It's 10:44 PM. And, for about 4 or 5 minutes between - ohhhh, 10:30 and 10:44 sometime, there was QUIET in my house - I even thought the miniature insomniacs had GONE TO SLEEP.

Cam piped up, broke the silence and all three started in again...
We are blessed because (and this is really an endless list, but I will try to stop at 10)

1. We have running water and plumbing that works so EVERYONE can get up out of bed, get drinks, relieve themselves and eventually go back to bed.
2. We HAVE beds for them to go back to, even though no one but myself and Kurt have slept in Abby & Ruby's bunkbeds since putting them together in this house.
3. Kurt is able to sleep through the racket and mayhem.
4. Our heat works, so if your sister steals most of the blanket you insist on sharing with her to sleep on the futon instead of in a bed, you will not be cold.
5. Daddy can still afford to pay the electricity to keep said heat on.
6. Everyone has lots of pillows to rest their weary heads on...I know this because the ones that used to be on my bed are now missing.
7. We have many, many blankets, perfect for building fort like structures around the futon (or cover yourself should heat mysteriously be turned off) so you can feel like you're in your own HOUSE instead of your own room, in your own bed, in your family's house.
8. We have enough cameras in the house to capture just about any photo, any time, whether a few have dead batteries and need charged or not.
9. The internet is NOT DOWN so Mommy has something to do while trying to outlast the children :)
10. We have all lived one more day, enjoyed beautiful sunshine and life giving rain - and are aware that even when things are rough, JESUS STILL LOVES US and WE ARE BLESSED :)
    

May 18, 2009 - Living for Jesus is Fun

I'm driving. I'm driving and taking this photo with my cell phone...no, I didn't cause a traffic accident. I drive to town, Monday through Friday...7 miles each way...either for work, or for church, or for Camden to swim (actually, I probably drive in 7 days a week now that I think about it). Isn't that a blessing? I am able to drive myself, in my own nice dry car, I know it seems simple and silly - and sometimes I don't even want to do it - but there are many people who do not get the privilege of doing something so simple. I am truly blessed.

May 17, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

At the park, after church. We went to DQ with Brenda & Cub, and Sandy, Jay, Becky & Steve (Kayla bailed on us), and Bishop & Sister Bigelow...then part of us went to Mingus Park (Brenda & Cub, with us) and we ran into Sean, Sabina & Alana!! Fun day :)

Here's my little Zip :)

May 16, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

We didn't even have enough wind to fly a kite...which in this community is a BLESSING!! Beautiful day and we even found THESE GUYS on our walk at Bastendorff (we, as in Brenda Sue, Abby, Ruby and I).

May 15, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

Sunshine. Today was full of SUNSHINE - warm, glorious, beautiful SUNSHINE!! Thank you Lord for Sunshine.

And raft wars. No casualties, just a couple boats full of wet kids :)

May 14, 2009 - Living for Jesus is Fun

Laugh with me now, I looked over at the gas sign, and nearly had a cow, $2.49!! Seriously, look at how much gas has gone up in 30 days...then I remembered this time last year when we were paying $4.10 a gallon...and I laughed right out loud. We're so spoiled :D

May 13, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

Blurry. Yes, I know. This child is sooooo...grrr :) I bought a Dutch Bros. coffee, special with half and half, the 4 shots of coffee kind, cool enough to drink. Then, I got to church, set it down, walked upstairs to talk to Sandy, went back down and there was 3 drinks left...and this precious little peanut - she was the culprit. SHE DRANK ALMOST 20 OZ of DUTCH POISON RIGHT BEFORE CHURCH and that's why she's blurry, because she couldn't hold still for 10 seconds...

OY! Naughty (but still cute)

May 12, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

The sails fit. They seem to work on their pulleys and levers (yeah, i know, wrong terms, i'm not the sailor). Anyhow, there they are, the sailors and their rigging.

May 11, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

I saw Sister Carlson's car at Cranberry Sweets today, so I stopped in to say HI and get some blackberries and raspberries - and they were OUT - so what's a girl to do?? That's right, buy a bag of taffy instead :D

Mostly cinnamon with a chance of licorice and a couple caramel for good measure :)

May 10, 2009 - Living For Jesus Is Fun

Happy Mother's Day - I hope you all spent it happy and healthy and for those of you who spent it ILL like ME - I am so very sorry (I hope your lil' ones let you rest). I thought I was just sleepy, and I was late for church because of it, then when I got there, I felt kinda' woozy and realized I also had a fever - but praise God, I lived through it - instead of fancy lunch out, we came home and had pbj (and a supplement of drive through taco bell new grilled chicken burritos and tacos) and a NAP!! Hallelujah, I love naps!

Roses were handed out to all of the ladies at this morning's service...and Camden thought it would be fun to present me with one like this...

May 9, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

Tough choice today, I took over 300 pics. Annie's engagement photos, beach walk, beach fire...so I picked Kurt because he's on a cool rock :) I might post some of my other faves at Drink More Tea after while :) The goal right now is to delete all the really bad and upload the SOC for my sister to view, then go to bed (after ear marking the ones I will process).

May 8, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

So, aside from the DUST I can clearly see on my sensor (upper right corner, gray dot, not a bird) this shot of the lighthouse is AWESOME - you can see the dunes across the bay on the North Spit - way cool - most of the time there's just enough haze to hide this from view!! And the spos on the left side, that's a bird and limbs from a tree, not sensor dust, but man, that bit on my right corner CHAPS MY HIDE :) not in a bad spot, but really needs cleaned off and I always just end up making it WORSE :)

May 7, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

Sooo, let me explain, since it's difficult to see what's going on...

We went to SOMAR to have lunch with Kurt and when his lunch was over, he began to walk back to the yard...and Ruby had opened her door and was shouting, "Daddy, huggie & kissie???"

So he came all the way back to pass out huggies and kissies (and just for free, we all got covered in soot/smoke residue as well).

I wasn't fast enough to get the rebel out and get a photo, but the new phone doesn't do too bad...so you get Ruby in the blue sky with pretty poofy clouds, and you can sort of see Kurt's arms/hands :) - but we know it's him :D

May 6, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

I have FRIENDS that know I have a thing for chilis. I like them in my chocolate. I like them with lime (chili lime chips, pumpkin seeds, salsa...)

Bill & Kord were shopping at McKays and ran into these...one picked them up, the other said, "AmyJo," - and they were AWESOME!! Like little gummy type fruit snacks...they were sooooo good!!

HOOORRRAAYYYY!! I replaced my broken phone today. The screens died right after we got back from Hawaii (like that night, as soon as I got home), then the speakers went and pretty soon, you had to open it, turn on speaker phone, dial and hope for the best...which was a 1 out of 3 gamble at best that you'd get who you were trying to call. ANYHOW, I didn't get a fancy phone, I didn't even get a cool phone, but I did get a phone that ended up being only $10 - and I am happy with that. I dial, it calls, my contacts are already backed up (that contact backup from US Cellular WORKED, Praise GOD - because it's wretched multi tapping that sort of info back in). Lovely webcam photo eh? :D

May 4, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

so, while sorting through a bag of scrap (real scrap), lookie what i found...

awesome rub ons and my cool clear flourish alpha stamps by technique tuesday! (that have never been used...in the 3 years i have owned them, or maybe only 2 years).

May 3, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

I could kick myself for having forgotten to change my settings on the camera - OR I could be absolutely delighted that I captured this photo of Ruby (in her full speed ahead mode) with a cool artistic flair to it!

Which do you think I picked?
Layout will get posted on the Drink More Tea blog :D

May 2, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

Nathan is laughing because Lora is yelling, "Randy, I want to marry your son, no, not that one, the other one..."

She doesn't even know the other one. The Kahler's really are that cool, ALL OF THEM - and Lora just wants to be one.

(so does Abigail, she wants to marry Nathan).

May 1, 2009 - Living For Jesus is Fun

My friends, Billie Jo & Barb cut the ribbon at their grand opening ceremony for Oregon Inspiration - "the Oregon store," as half the community refers to it, and I was there for this awesome event (and am mother to the Cat...). Sorry Kord, somehow I missed Spiderman in this shot...