Don't Stop Believin'!

This is my new mantra for 2013! Found this sign on the back side of ShopKo in Walla Walla and had my daughter take a picture of me beside it. I know...I know and yes...I am a Glee-k. I love Glee and that '80's group Journey. No matter what happens, don't stop believin'!

Changes are coming to our family in the next couple of months with trials and challenges along the way. God is there and we just need to remember to lean on Him and don't stop believin'. It's nothing bad, just some things happening with work that will be more challenging for the next couple of months while we adjust to a new schedule, being really busy with activities and losing sleep over call outs and such for hubby.

I'm so blessed to have a strong relationship with my husband. If it wasn't for that, I'm not sure how we would get through some things. He is just an amazing man who surprised me daily and is very supportive of whatever adventures I fall into. Most people don't see the "other side" of him because they see him in a professional setting.

Don't stop believin' because you CAN do anything you put your mind to.

Dec 2012 to Jan 2013

I was blessed to do a ride-along with a handsome guy from the City of Athena Police Department for New Year's Eve. I wasn't thrown in the back seat, I got to sit beside him and observe how he works for a few hours. It amazes me how quiet and patient he is on an empty street waiting for the next person to drive by. I love watching him work. I am blessed to be married to this guy and love him immensely!

Remembering to blog

God is so good, he's so good to me...that song pops into my head today as I think back to what has happened this past year. I can't believe it's been more than a year since I've posted anything on my blog! Adventures have been had, one child has gotten older and two more will be getting older in the coming months. My life has been filled with many blessings and activities (mostly my children's activities).

Stephen has played football, basketball and baseball this past year. He is now going to be a 4th grader and will be going to the Middle School (my last one to finish Elementary School). He has done excellent in school and is very creative in his writing and drawings. He's very thoughtful and in tune to people's emotions.





Catie played volleyball last year. At the end of the school year, she was asked to be a writer for the school newspaper (The Blob). She accepted and now has to learn how to interview people. She took a creative writing class from the library this summer and hopefully that will help her be more confident in what she writes. Catie is a "sewing princess". She has made 2 skirts and has 2 more to make. We tried to get her to do Style Review in 4-H, but she feels she doesn't have the confidence (I think once she hears the music pumping through her veins she won't care). I'm hoping she'll do it next year. She has a talent for sewing and I'm so proud of her for doing it (cuz I didn't do very well - she must take after her Grandma Donna who is also a beautiful seamstress).

Becky enjoyed playing for pep band for football and basketball seasons. She has become very social in her group of friends and loves to write Anime stories. She took the same creative writing class at the library this summer and enjoyed talking to the teacher (one of my husband's best buddies from school - there were stories their dad told that were confirmed by Mr. Remington, and the girls LOVED it!). She is still in 4-H and raising lambs. She has a run of bad luck last year, but we're hoping that's all behind her as she pushes on to Umatilla County Fair. She has requested that she and I spend time at Fair together and hope that her siblings will stay with my mom (my dad will be fishing in Alaska with his son-in-laws).

John was working for Milton-Freewater PD and found out there was an opening for Athena PD. It seemed everywhere we both turned, he was asked if he was going to apply for the job and received a lot of support for going for it. He turned in his application and got the job! He is the Sergeant and loves protecting our home town. He and the other officer work wonderfully together! I will admit it's still strange when he stops by for lunch, dinner, or to check-in because he hasn't been able to do that for 15 years. I'll get use to it someday.

Last year, I received a job with the Athena-Weston School District working with students. I love my job and love working with the kids. I'm relearning how to do Algebra and Geometry (hopefully this time it will stick with me). I have gone on 2 scrapbooking retreats and hope to do another this year. I really miss scrapbooking every week, but hope things will slow down a bit so I can touch the paper, embellishments, and stick pictures on paper and finish a couple of books (yes, I said finish). This summer has been very relaxing. I'm so thankful for a job that allows me to have summers off with my kids. It's such a blessing.

Baseball, Ballet & Bathing Beauties

Stephen played for the Cubs this year in Minors baseball. He had fun with the kids and the coaches. He got a few hits and made it home several times. He got to play outfield, catcher, and infield. His new nickname is Missile-Toe because when he was playing catcher, in Milton-Freewater, the pitching machine (at 40 mph) pitched a low ball and hit him in the toe. It tore the nail from the skin and his toe bled. He wanted to get out, but there wasn't anyone to take his place, so he had to "tough it out". He did great this year! Hope he plays next year.

The girls were in Ballet again this year. They performed a Spanish dance and also the Sword Dance with my dad playing the bagpipes. Their Spanish outfits were beautiful and we ordered them through a company. The Scottish outfit was a skirt my mom made from some wool I had purchased, and a shirt I had found in Macy's.





Bathing beauties Catie and her friend Sam... Here they were for the all-school swim day at the Pendleton pool. This was the only picture I could take with Catie's approval (the rest I snuck around and caught her having fun). It was a really nice day and no one got a horrible sunburn that I know it.

Catie has a little lamb

This is Catie's 4-H lamb. As we were driving to the Land Lab, Catie kept saying the lamb was peeking through the slats of the crate, hence the name Peek-a-Boo. This is Catie's first time doing 4-H, but was helping around the lamb pens last year. Now Catie has to get up at 6am to feed Peek-a-Boo on the weekdays and a little later on the weekends. Walking is an essential part of the process, so she's down there after school to train the lamb to walk with her without a halter.

Just bloggin' about Life

I was just surfing and noticed my blog is a little behind.

School was closed because of the 6 ft snow drifts on all sides of Athena Jan. 5th. I wanted to take pictures of the drifts buy the kids wanted to stay inside and enjoy 1 more day of vacation, so John took me out and got a couple of pictures of ME. I was standing on part of the drift to get close.

Miss Becky is now back in 4-H. She has 2 lambs. The boy's name is Max and the girl's name is She-Baa. (Becky gets her humor from both sides of the family so forgive all of us) She has been looking forward to getting new lambs since she sold her last one in Sept. She is also in ballet dancing to a Spanish song. She will be heading to Washington DC and New York when the Pipe Band and Band travel there this summer to perform (I get to go too!)

Miss Catie has been convinced she needs to do a lamb this year also and is excited about it. She was always in the lamb pens at each livestock show Becky was entered in last year and had permission from her friends to be in with the baby bummer lamb. The amazing thing was Catie (who is very shy!) would talk to complete strangers when they would come up and ask about this lamb. She stepped right up and talked to them about it and had no problems. Catie is also in ballet in Becky's class dancing to the same Spanish song.

Mister Stephen is in Cub Scouts this year and plans to play in Minors (baseball). Stephen and John built a Pinewood Derby Car for the Cub Scouts competition. It was a police car (of course) and it actually got 2nd place in his age group. He got to take home a trophy and and is very proud of it! Baseball sign-ups are Feb 4th. Life should be getting really busy here in a couple of weeks.

John and I are getting things in order inside our house during the cold weather so when it really warms up we can spend time outside working on the yard. My roses really need some TLC and John wants to have a garden (hopefully just a small one this year).

I'm an aunt again

Here is sweet Emerin Leona Binder. Born January 9, 2009 at 3:19pm. She was 8 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches long. I haven't gotten to meet her yet, but plan to in a couple of weeks.






In this picture she looks like her brother and my Grandfather (Grampy) around the eyes.

Christmas Vacation & Chicken Pox

Just wanted to let all of you know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth. We've been enjoying snow, blowing snow, decorating for Christmas, celebrating Christmas and chicken pox.

The snow fell and closed school for the kids on Thurs & Fri before Christmas break, so they've had an extended break.

Here's Catie's vacation story...She started feeling sick Monday Dec 22 by feeling achy, dizzy, and a fever. She slept in her room that night. Dec 23, she was okay during the day, but her fever spiked to 102.5 degrees F and there were a few curious spots on her arm that evening, she took some advil and slept on the couch. Her fever broke (thank goodness). John and I decided to call the doctor the next day. Christmas Eve...call the dr at 8am and they want her there at 9:15am - we had to rush and get all of us ready because the kids had a few things to pick up for each other - we made it by 9am and they wanted Catie to walk through the back door. Well - she was diagnosed with Chicken Pox and the dr said to get some anti-itch lotion, benedryl, but not to use the topical benedryl and the benedryl pill at the same time. Unfortunately the dr said she couldn't go shopping either (um we only went to 1 store and she was only in there for 5 minutes to pick out PJ's for Stephen and me). Her 3 most miserable days were the 24, 25, & 26th where she was itchy and didn't get much sleep. John had read up on some anti-itch remedies and we tried them all. The best thing that helped was mixing baking soda and water together, sticking it in the refrigerator and applying to the spots when needed. The next best thing was 2 cups of oatmeal in one of my old trouser socks and putting it in a bath with her in it. She actually got 3 hours of sleep after that. We did Benedryl too, but not at the same time as the anti-itch lotion. John has been working grave shift and will be changing to days in January...so I was VERY thankful his days off happened when she was itching the most. I took care of her during the day and he took care of her at night - God knew (thank you Lord!!). Now it's Dec 28th, she mostly back to herself. I'm still trying to take pictures of her spots, but every time I mention it she yeowls Noooo!!!

FYI: Even if your child has had the Chicken Pox shot, make sure they've had 2 shots. We got the girls shots when they were recommending 1 not knowing they needed a 2nd shot. Catie had a 25% chance of getting it and she got it, maybe she should play the lottery with those odds (lol).

If you have a child with the chicken pox and need some remedies to help them survive, please don't hesistate to ask.

TTFN - I'll be back with pictures of Christmas another time.

The "Gorge"ous Pictures of our Family

Here we are on our adventure coming home from my sister's house. John made sure the tripod was in the van so we could take some family pictures on the Old Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway. He knew I have always wanted to get family pictures and this was the only time we've been traveling together for many months.

(it's either me going to the west with the kids, or him going on business). This was a wonderful gift to me from him and I love him for it, unfortunately, SOMEONE had a cranky-face at the start and made the momma unhappy (look at the 2nd picture). Thank goodness she snapped out of it and actually had some fun! John and I hadn't had our picture taken together without kids since my 33rd birthday - that was 8 yrs ago! It was about time. Hopefully we can do this again when it's warmer and the sun is shining. We stopped and took pictures at The Vista House, Bridal Veil, Wakeenah Falls, and Multnomah Falls.

Thanksgiving

Here are all the cousins as of Thanksgiving. There is one more due, but she won't be here until January. I guess we'll have to get a new picture done next year. They are almost all in order of age. At the top is Becky, Catie, Celia, Stephen, Jonah, Odin, Ezra, and Adelaide. The house was filled with joyous noise of children, booming laughter, and lots of family everywhere. My cousin Kris and I (who are the oldest in our families) each have our oldest daughters as curly hair blondes with blue eyes, our other daughters being the middle, with curly dark reddish-brown hair and dark eyes, and boys that are the youngest. My sister Tara and my cousin Karen (Kris's sister) have boys who are the oldest and now Tara is having a girl. The odds are that Karen will probably have a girl in the near future - WEIRD huh! If I was into all that numbers stuff I'd really look into luck and probability and such, but I'm not. It's just one of those "Nonie things" (Nonie was our grandmother).

Here are those silly girls. The boys were busy doing their own thing. I think 2 of them were either enjoying a nap or a meal.

Here are some random pictures from Thanksgiving. The one that makes me smile is Adelaide's Grandpa taking pictures, and then she's taking pictures too

The guys were hit with that disease after you eat Turkey. They were in a nice, quiet dark corner all by themselves for several hours.

Here are Jonah and Stephen wearing matching shirts.