Christmas

 

Grandma and Grandpa

 

Dad, Bill, Lori, and Steve

(I'm wearing a Lord of the Rings Scarf that came all the way from New Zealand)

This year was full a different then usual.  Usually we have Christmas and my grandparents house but this year was at my aunts house.  It was different but still great.  It was very fun and was extremely nice to see and be with everyone.  I hope that you as well are going to have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Week 5 and 6

Week 5 and 6

 

11 Miles

 

41 Miles So Far = 324 Miles To Go

The last 2 weeks have been busy.  Bill hurt himself so the second week I only walked 2 miles but it will all work out.  Really I need to pull out my treadmill and start using it more on a regular basis. Anyway, onto the next week.

Week 4 - Walking

Week 4

 

7 Miles

 

30 Miles So Far = 335 Miles To Go

 

Yep I have finished a whole month of walking regularly.  It's been great.  I feel pretty good so far but I just need to get my diet to match my exerise but one step at a time. 

Week 3 Walking Goal

Week 3

 

10 Miles

 

23 Miles So Far = 342 Left

This week was a sucessful week.  I am back on track and a little ahead of schedule.  It makes me feel satisifed.  We haven't been very good working out this week.  Bill hasn't felt good which isn't of course an excuse but when you don't get up at 4:30 and don't get home till after dark it makes it hard to go for a walk.  But I definitely made up for it today.  I walked 6 miles!!  Quite happy about that and it pushed me ahead of the game. 

Week 2

Week 2

 

3 Miles

 

13 Miles So Far, 352 Miles To Go!

 

This week wasn't the best of weeks.  We were busy at night and since Bill was getting sick we didn't end up working out very much.  That's ok though!!  Next week is another week.

Summer Trips

I just had to do another post of summer/fall trips -

1.  Silver Falls

2.  Ashland

3.  Bend

4.  Idaho

5.  Biblecreek (Bill)

6.  Idaho (Bill)

7.  Seattle

8.  Mary Hill (Bill)

9.  Bend

Nine Trips all together.  It was a very busy, busy summer and fall.  I can't believe that already over with.  It went by so incredibly fast.  I'm so happy that we were able to do all our trips this year.  It was nice to go not so nice for the pocket book though.  Well till next time.

Fall Begins

On our drive home from Bend.  We got to see some spectacular sights of fall all around us.  I love fall!!

New Goal



 10 miles so far, 355 miles to go!

Well I have a new goal.  Yes, I know goals.  I usually make them but don't really follow through because I get so bored of them or life happens.  This one though is to walk at least 1 mile every day.  So 7 miles in a week which is 365 miles a year.  It started when I was at work because a customer came in and wanted to faint in the building.  She said that her husband has a goal of walking 1000 miles this year and he is in the 900 mile range right now.  So I decided that I should start my own goal - 365 miles this year starting November 5th.  This is my first week and I have walked 10 miles so far.

Another bonus is that Bill and I are getting up at 4:30 in the morning and working out at the fire station.  I am also extremely happy that Bill is the one that came up with the idea.  I've been complaining about the fact that I need to work out and I would love for Bill to also work out with me but I just couldn't figure out when.  Bill and I are so busy at night that there was never a good time to work out.  So Bill turned to me one evening and said that he was lazy in the mornings and that we should get up early and go and work out.  We have had one successful week so far and I'm hoping that we will continue forever.  So because of the fact that we are going to work out every morning it will help me achieve my goal!!

Rain

 

I love the fall.  Slowly over the years fall as become my favorite seasons.  Let alone that the leaves change and fall to the ground but the rain starts.  Now if you don't know me very well I love the rain.  Beyond love the rain.  The summer depresses me and the rain brightens up my days.  Yes I am opposite of probably most everyone in the world but I love, love, love the rain.  My favorite time of the year is here.  Loving it.

Kitchen Cabinets

So I know that I have posted about this before.  But about 2 years ago I took off the kitchen cabinets and I had the great idea that I would restain them and apply hardware.  (Yes I procrastinate)  The picture up above is of my staining the cabinets.

 

Now ignore the fact that my kitchen is from the 70's but look at the cabinets.  The upper cabinets.  They have doors!!!!!  I finally finished my 2 year project.  However, I have 2 cabinet doors that I have to put back up and apply three more nobs but other then that I am done and that will be done this week before Friday!!!!  I'm so excited to have this done!!!

The nob!!

 

However it has been so long since we have had cabinets that when we finally got them up and hanging tonight we both realized that it made the kitchen darker then we remembered as well as having more of an echo then usual. 

Regardless, I'M SO HAPPY THAT THIS PROJECT IS DONE!!!

My Name

Now for those that know me you know my name and how rare it is.  I'm sorry for those that read this that don't know me or my name but I'm not going to disclose it.  Just know that it is rare.  About a year ago there was someone on facebook that e-mailed me saying that she had my name and just explained a little about herself.  Since then we e-mailed each other back and forth for awhile and then became friends on Facebook.  We actually have mutual friends so it doesn't creep me out as much as just someone out of the blue.  But it's definitely like a kinship having the same name as someone.  Anyway, for months now we have been trying to get together and actually meet.  Her name is spelled exactly like mine so I was really wondering if she pronounced it the same as me. 

Yesterday was the day.  Bill and I went out and met her and her husband and had lunch with them.  They are wonderful people and guess what she pronounces it the same as me!!  So now I can officially say I know another me!!!!!!!!!  I'm so excited. 

Some interesting things are we are similar in age, we both went to bible school, we both got married the same year, and lastly we grew up with in 20 minutes of each other.  Craziness!!  Anyway, just had to share!

Lake Shasta Caves

 

 

Above are shots of the lake.  It was really beautiful the day we were there which provided great shots for my and my camera.

 

LAKE SHASTA CAVERNS

 

To get to the caverns you have to take a boat across the lake (10 minute boat ride).  Then you have to get onto a bus and go up an incline of 17% plus switchbacks to the top of the mountain.  Then you get to climb a few stairs to get to the entrance.  Lastly once in the cavern to go to some rooms you had to go up 80 stairs to get to the 3 floor and the next room.  So incredible!!  Also a great work out. 

 

 

The above picture is for there zombie apocalypse halloween tour they were going to have later that night.  We so wish that we could have been on that tour.  It would have been so fun.

 

 

 

The two right above is the Cathedral room.  All of my pictures don't do it justice at all.  It was absolutely beautiful.  It was amazing to see.  Caverns are so fun to be in.

 

Bill hugging a bear in the information room.

 

Lake Shasta

California Trip

 

California Trip

 

The whole reason of going to California was two fold.  One to tour of UTI - Universal Technical Institute and two just to get away for a little while.  Bill and I have been trying to decide if we would relocate to California for a year for him to get training in auto body repair and take over his dads shop on our return.  The tour and the facility was absolutely amazing.  The program itself sounded amazing and being down there I real wish that we could just do it now.  However, while we were down there we made our decision.  We are going to wait.  With Bill's dad declining as fast as he is we just can't and don't want to go down there for a year and leave his mom alone up here to do things by herself.  So at this point we are waiting and we might look into again in a few years.  I know that God put the answer into our hearts and we get to move onto the next thing.  Slowly closing doors and opening up new ideas for us.  One day we might actually know!!  All we can do is wait and ask for guidance.

Seattle

Mariners Game

September 21st, 2012

Mariners vs Rangers

 

Bill and I had been planning this trip since June.  Bill's father just recently within the last six months got diagnosed with Lou Gehrigs disease.  It became apparent that we needed and wanted to go on a family trip.  We thought of cruises but it wouldn't be until next year and that was and is too long of a wait.  Henry has been going down hill faster then I would have imagined.  So while Bill and I were having dinner at a local bar watching a baseball game it came to me.  A Mariners Game!!!  We decided that we would surprise them with the entire trip.  Hotel, Game, Train Ride.  All they knew was the fact that they needed to pack for 2 nights and take us out to Portland. 

 

The breakdown of what went down. 

 

Thurdsay

Drove into Portland and stayed at the Marriott Hotel

 

Friday

Got up went to breakfast

Then drove to the train station where we revealed the tickets to Henry and Julie that we were going to Seattle

Took the train upto Seattle

Checked into the Hilton

Went to lunch

Jumped in a cab to the Mariners Game

MARINERS WON!!

Went back to the hotel

 

Saturday

Fire alarm went off in the hotel at 7:30am.

Exited hotel to the stairway

All was fine so we went to breakfast

Then boarded the train back to Portland

Then home 

 

 

At the game.  Eating our hot dogs.

 

 

It was fan appreciation night so there are the Mariners waving there thanks to the fans.

 

Beer!!  It is a must as well as hot dogs and junk food.  I finally had my first funnel cake there as well.  It wasn't as good as I was thinking that it was going to be.

 

MARINERS WON!!!!

Train station!!  On our way home!!

Memories

Now I have always heard talk about memories going and losing minds but they having only really been about moms losing their minds with having children around and being tired and all.  Now since I don't have kids let me share my version.  My mind is going and it is going fast.  I can literally not remember anything that I need to do.  I have resorted to starting to write everything down in my day planner in hopes that I won't forget to look at it and do the things that I need to do for the following day.  Therefore you definitely don't need to have kids for you to lose your mind you can just be really busy all the time.

Let me do a breakdown for you...
Summer...summer is always busy for us.  We were going on vacations every other weekend for more then half the summer.  Silver Falls, Ashland, Bend, Idaho.  Each trip was every two weeks.  Then Bill's racing has entered into things.  I haven't been going to them but really only because I have work to do.  But this time it doesn't stop with summer it goes all the way into October.  Labor Day Bill had a race, this weekend Bill and I are going to Seattle, the next weekend Bill has his last race of the season, and the weekend after that we are going to California.  Lot's of wonderful trips!!!  I love it really I do (just busy)!!!

Service Commission...I am the head of the service commission for the church.  Responsibilities include remembering to hold meetings, planning events, picking up supplies for all the events, picking up milk and other supplies for coffee time, and sending out all birthday and anniversary cards to everyone in the church.  (The last one isn't part of being the head of the Service Commission I just love send out cards). 

Work...Having one person go into retirement sending our branch to run one down till we hired someone is that big of a deal however when another person is out for a month with Kidney stones one right after another forcing us to run 2 down becomes a bigger deal.  We ran the branch with just 3 of us.  We did it that way for literally a month.  I took on all the responsibities of both people that were missing as well as my own side jobs and things to do.  Craziness is what you call it.  Lastly, everyone including our new person is there at work but along with that comes all the training that I have to do.  So now, I have all the same responsibilities that I have always had plus training someone and getting to know them and their style of working. 

Decisions...Lastly Bill and I have decisions that we have to make in the coming months.  Who knows what's going to be happening in the coming months.  Maybe in another post I will explain everything that is happening in our life in detail but for now the overview works.

So, to finish off this story and my point it doesn't matter what is going on any anyones life you could still LOSE YOUR MIND!  Because I'm officially there LOST MY MIND.  Can you help me find it?

Summer Trips

WOW!!  This summer has gone by incredibly fast.  The one thing for sure is that for awhile we were taking a trip every two weeks.  Starting in June it was a trip to Silver Falls State Park (a must if you haven't been), then a trip to Ashland (where it snowed every morning), next a trip to the Bend area/Crater Lake, and lastly a quick fast trip to Idaho.  Every part of the summer and there trips were amazing andso much fun. 

SILVER FALLS

There are I think 10 waterfalls in the state park.  Some you get to walk behind so you just walk by either way you see them they are fabulous and breathtaking.  If you haven't gone you absolutely must go.  Be prepared to walk though.  There are many many trails and the hike to see them all is about 8 miles.  Bill and I got to see 4 falls out of the 10.  We can't wait to go back and see them all.

ASHLAND

 

We went there for Bill and Greg to race in a Hillclimb.  It was beautiful there but who knew in the middle of June that there would still be snow.  I would have had more pictures but my camera died and I didn't have my other battery.  It was absolutely cold.  It snowed every morning and we had a fire going literally all day long.

BEND

The top picture is going to be where my next house is.  It is absolutely beautiful.  We went to Bend with some friends of ours and had a fun time.  We hung out around Bend and then Bill and I went to Crater Lake for the morning.  Bill got to go fishing almost every day which he loves to do it now and boy I do love my fish!!!

IDAHO

Idaho.  We left at 5:15pm on Friday and got back into town on Sunday at 7pm.  We got to Idaho on Saturday morning around 2:00am.  We spent the day at the river while it was in the high 90s and then spent the night watching a movie and playing games.  The reason we went was to see one of Melissa's friends.  It was a mini girls trip!!  So much fun!!  However working for 8 hours and then driving for 8 hours is definitely not my ideal of a start of a trip. However it was definitely worth the time.

Our next trip is in October.  We are going to California.  However Bills next trip is next weekend, going to Beaver and then the next one for him is Labor Day Weekend he is going to Idaho.  I slightly wish that I was going with him but he is going to be racing all weekend and it won't be exactly fun for me.  I hope everyone is having an awesome summer!!!

Summer Projects

Finally after years of having the materials I'm finally, finally getting to my projects.  Every time I wanted to do it I either didn't feel like it or it was raining or if it was a nice weekend we were busy doing something else.  But today was the day that I finally started and finished one of my projects and got closer to finishing the other project.  It made me feel good to do the projects that have literally been hanging around the house for years.

So we have had things curtain holders for at least a year.  I finally got them up and I did it almost all by myself.  Don't mind the fake curtains that is my next step is to either buy curtains or make them.  I haven't decided on the color yet though.  But I at least got them done!!!!!

This project has been going on for at least 2 years now.  My kitchen cabinets!!  I just stained 7 of the doors and have I think 4 or 5 more to go.  Once all my staining is done then comes the hardware.  I have had the hardware even longer then I have been trying to stain my cabinets.  Isn't it sad.  Ok not really just slightly lazy and incredibly busy.  Once I get the hardware on I can then go to the final last step, putting them back on their hinges!!!  Yay.  I'm excited about getting things done.