Pics from Jennifer

J’s cousin took a few pictures while we were on vacation last month.  I just got the files, so I thought I would share a couple.  I’m busy with work, the gym, and life in general.  I hope things will be a little less crazy in the next few weeks and I will be able to spend some more time blogging.

Yummy Meatloaf

I started making the best meatloaf.  Hope was super picky about it.  She was terrible about not eating when I made meatloaf.  I started making it with stuffing instead of bread, and she loves it now.  We had it a few days ago, and she wants it again.  That’s an A+ in my book.

Working away

On a fabric basket.  I have joined the crowd and am now trying my hand at this tutorial.  I hope for show & tell tomorrow or Wednesday.  Has anyone else tried it?  Does the seam allowance seem off or is it just me?

Just Checking In

I am back from my work trip.  Things went very well.  I’m just tired, but I wanted to check in.

The girls saw the pediatrician on the 11th and both of them got shots.  A couple of days ago Hope started running a fever and had a rash break out on her face.  It looks like a few red colored bumps on each side of her mouth.  The nurse says it’s a reaction from the chickenpox shot.  Have any of you experienced something similar after the shot?  The nurse said not to be concerned, but just to keep an eye on it and that she is well enough to go to school.  Any one else dealt with this one?  I would love some reassurance.

Out and about

I’ll be traveling for work again this week.  Luckily it’s just one night this time.  J got sick a couple of days ago, and last night Hope had a fever of nearly 103.  I was struggling with being a working mom when J said to the girls…mom’s only going to be gone a little while this trip and then she will be back.  It was comforting to know it’s going to be OK.  J can take care of things for one day while I am gone and the world will not fall apart.

This morning, I read this post that really hit home.  I have been trying to rely on myself when God placed J as my partner to help when I get to the mountain and God is with us both.  I have a much calmer sense about leaving for the night now.

We saw this cool looking tree the other day.  It’s a camperdown elm.  I had to take a picture so I could share it’s coolness with you all.

Busy Saturday

We had a very busy day yesterday, but it was very nice.  My parents were here for the day, and we filled it up.

My parents brought Daisy with them.  The girls had a great time playing with her.

We started out going to Lowes and the girls made pirate ships.  They each got a certificate and new badge for their aprons.

Then we went to the Oregon Capitol building.  There was a fire a couple of weeks ago in the building, so we were concerned that we might not be able to see much.  There were some areas that were not accessible, but a lot of it was open.

I live in Salem, Oregon, which is the state capitol.  I work for the State of Oregon, but I have only been in the capitol once for a brief meeting.  Today my parents were here and we went for a tour of the capitol.  It was pretty cool.

When you enter the lobby, you enter the rotunda.  If you look up, you can see this.   There are 33 stars because Oregon is the 33rd state.

We took the elevator to the fourth floor and then climbing 121 steps to the top of the capitol.  We climbed a normal stairway part way and then crossed over the rotunda and climbed a spiral staircase the rest of the way. We were very close to the golden pioneer.  We were so close that it was hard to get a good picture of him.  The angle was off.

The girls thought it was very cool to be able to see the YMCA from the top.

They were loving their papa.

We went back inside and started back down the 121 steps (did I mention it’s 121 steps to the top?) back to the fourth floor.  Here is Emmy standing on top of the rotunda you saw earlier.

We went downstairs and looked at the House of Representatives chamber.

The architecture is amazing, and the artwork is inspiring, but we can’t be too serious can we?

They went sliding down the banister.

Next to the Capitol building is a park with the walk of flags, a great fountain, and some cute statues and landscaping.

The Beaver is the state animal of Oregon.

After we were done at the Capitol and went for lunch at my favorite El Salvadoran place, we headed over for a ride at the Riverfront Carousel and a romp in the park.

Next up - a nap.

What a day….

I wrote this last night late.  I thought I hit publish, but instead I hit save.  I have taken lots of pics today, and we had a great day.  I will try and post today’s post later this afternoon, but for now I hope you will enjoy last night’s post.

I have had a crazy day today at work.  I had a few things I wanted to get done, but every time I turned around I was getting sucked into something else.  It’s hard for me to just go with the flow on days like today and not get frustrated.

A small town not far from here holds an annual Oktoberfest.  My parents come each year and visit the festival.  They went to the festival while I was working, and were ready to go after I got off.  We went out for dinner and then went to the YMCA for a fun time in the pool.  I realized tonight all of the girls swimsuits are too small.  I just bought them a few months ago, but they have both gone through growth spurts over the summer and now they are too small again.

Tomorrow we will go to a Lowe’s kids build and grow event and the girls will make some sort of pirate ship.  My parents love to take the girls to Lowes.  They hold a build and grow event every other week.  The girls have made some cute things in the past.  They get a certificate and a badge for their aprons after they have completed their activity.  The first time they went, they got goggles and aprons.

We will probably also go to the Riverfront Carousel.  It’s a favorite every time we go.

My parent’s brought Daisy up with them, and the girls were very excited to play with her this evening.  She is getting to be such a big girl.  I will try and get some pics tomorrow of her with the girls.

Oh my achey back

I have been having some trouble with my back hurting the past few weeks.  I finally gave in and went to the doctor this afternoon.  She prescribed me some muscle relaxers.  Hopefully with that and some exercises she recommended, I will start feeling a lot better.

While I was there I explained that I had been really tired the past few weeks and have been having headaches.  My ears have hurt and I just didn’t feel very good.  She took a look and said I have had a virus that has been going around and it settled in my sinuses.  I got meds for that too.  No wonder I have felt so terrible.

The weather here has been incredible the past few weeks, and with all of the travel I have been doing lately, I should not be overly surprised that I am having some sinus trouble.

I can’t remember if I showed you this before, but I took this picture at the carousel when Emmy and I went a few months ago.  Sorry for the odd angle.  The tile is on the wall in the bathroom and I was having trouble getting far enough back to get the whole thing without standing on the toilet.  I just knew someone was going to come walking in while I was taking pictures in the bathroom and I would have to explain why I was taking pictures in the bathroom.  I can hear myself now…”but honest, my blog readers have to see this.”

Read, but no comments

This morning, we took the girls fishing at the lake not far from our house.  We didn’t catch anything, but it was nice to spend some time together as a family without anything to do but spend time together.

I haven’t had a lot of time in the past couple of weeks to read my bloglines and comment like I normally do.  This afternoon I made it through the list.  I am not sure how many hundreds of posts I enjoyed this afternoon, but it was nice to get caught back up with everything going on.  I did not have time to comment as much as I usually do, but I did enjoy reading.  August was crazy insane busy.  Hopefully September will be a little slower.

Labor Day Weekend

We went to see my husband’s grandparents last weekend.  We had a great time.  We spent a long weekend with them.  It’s a couple of hours away, and it’s been quite a while since we have been there.  They still live in the town where we graduated from.  It felt kind of like going home.  While much was the same, there was a lot that had changed.

It was fun showing my girls the building we lived in when we got married, the High School we went to, the park we used to play in, and my favorite beach.  As much as I love where we live now and don’t really want to move back, it was kinda sad thinking we don’t live in such a protected place anymore.

The first night we got there, I went to visit my Aunt who lives a few miles away.  She has cancer, and it has spread to her lymph system.  The doctors gave her less than six months to live 18 months ago, so she counts each day as a blessing.  It was great spending the evening with her.  She looks so much like my grandmother did.

The second day, we took the girls to the beach and fishing. We spent quite a bit of time fishing.

Emily caught two fish while we were on the dock crabbing.  Her first fish was a salmon smolt.  She was so excited.

We caught lots of crab, but only two were keepers.  They were not overly large (red rock crabs), but they were very tasty.

That evening, we spent a great time playing cards and visiting.  J’s cousin came down from Salem, and we had a fun time together.  I am so glad she came.

The next day, we took the girls fishing at a local pond in the afternoon.  Grandpa helped Hope catch a fish.  She was excited to get to bring in a fish.  The fishing was slow, and the girls were getting a little bored, so we went to the beach for a while.

In the evening, we went back to the lake and went fishing with Grandpa again.  This time, Grandpa helped Emily bring in a trout.

After dinner, we played more cards and spent some quality time together.  The girls were worn out and went right to sleep.  They really liked being on the air mattress.

This was a hard weekend in many ways.   We were saying goodbye to many things.  It’s hard growing into adults, and one of the hardest parts is watching those you love grow older and learning to say goodbye.  I am glad we went and have some great memories of this past weekend.