Random Adventures

Retreat 2011

2011-05-16T13:12:00.001-07:00

This year's retreat was stellar!

Guest speakers and a focus on

Loving the Lord your God with all your

heart. mind. and strength!

Retreat Friends

2010-05-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Our seventh year of a weekend of fun and fellowship!

God is perfect love.

Nothing can separate me from God's perfect love.

God pours his perfect love into my imperfect heart.

Accessed, I can love anyone through anything.

It is sticking . . .

2010-04-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

If April showers bring May flowers, what do April snows bring? When I woke up it was raining with snow mixed in. Then snowing, sticking, and sprinkling the flowers with powdered sugar and now back to rain. Beautiful while it lasts.

Picnic time

2010-03-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

The sunshine invited us to go for a picnic. We stopped by a store and picked out our treats and headed for picnic bench number one. It was so windy and the wild flowers were not as evident as we had hoped. We drove on and walked up to picnic bench number two, aka hard rock. It overlooked a carp pond and my hubby seemed to think that was spectacular. It also overlooked a loud train and I-84. We decided to try picnic bench number three. We drove and walked, then crossed a stinky waterway. I waited, hubby explored and we decided the Mosier sewage treatment center must be close by and we could still hear the freeway noise. We paused, thought of our back yard with the birds, the pond and a table with chairs that have backs. We drove home with our treats. It only took us an hour to find our perfect outdoor picnic location.

Zoey

2010-03-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

We traveled south last week to Roswell, New Mexico to visit with family and were privileged to meet this little great niece for the first time. She is almost 15 months old and weighs just 16 pounds. She is very thoughtful and has a beautiful smile!

She hung out on the floor with her great grandma and they shared some laughs. Or perhaps great grandma was hanging out on the floor with her!

Then we played with a puzzle . . .

and read a book. She is a delight!

Eagle Hunting

2010-02-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

We headed up the Klickatat River today to see if we could find any of the eagles that are migrating through our area. Last week, sixth grade students from Horizon took a field trip and saw dozens of them in the trees.

We found a pair. One eagle sailing around in the air and one across the river, resting in a tree, and looking the other way!

New Granddaughter born!!

2010-02-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

Introducing: Asha, born Feb 13, 2010. This is our first granddaughter.

Love the expressions on these two big brothers' faces!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T20:45:00.001-08:00

Here's the family gathering for the day. My aunt quickly went from shock, hugs, and tears of joy when three of her grandchildren (with their parents) unexpectedly walked in the door. The surprise visitors flew in from California!

Snowman Humor

2009-12-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

Favorite Pics from last Saturday!

2009-10-20T08:48:00.001-07:00

Four Boys and a Boat

Down the Slide

Up the Slide

Small Spaces

Yet another slide!

Short break with mom

Climbing,

Standing, so close to walking . . .

End the day with a Bath!

A good day on the River

2009-10-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

Eighteen pound Chinook caught on the White Salmon. "Surf and Turf" dinner plans for tonight.

Fishing with Grandpa

2009-09-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

Three generations of Spotts boys trout fishing on Northwestern lake!

A One Year Old

2009-09-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

I can crawl,

explore,

and even drive.

Sharing cake with Camp Morrow family

How do you get this package open?

The boxes are really the best!

Family Fun

2009-08-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Almost a year old

and I can leap like a frog.

Actually I just like to hang out . . . with grandpa,

. . . or grandma,

and I especially love hanging out with my mom or dad!

No Fruit

2009-08-25T08:37:00.001-07:00

As my hubby was getting ready to eat his cheerios this morning, he commented, “no fruit.” He has fruit every morning on his cereal. I chuckled. There are 28 jars of freshly canned peaches next to ripening peaches, but we froze the ripe ones last evening. The bananas range from ooh, brown ready for banana bread to green, but nothing in between. The last of the fresh blueberries I had mixed with the last of the mango and that is not a combination he enjoys. All the fruit in the house is either frozen, canned, ripening or overripe. Frozen strawberries were thawed and breakfast was redeemed.

Playground action with Shane!

2009-08-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Shane had the whole playground to himself.

Check this out.

Resting with the sawdust.

Run, run, run

Oh, the joy of the day.

On the Floor!

2009-08-05T21:30:00.001-07:00

The best place for grandpa and Luke to hang out!

Blueberry picking with Shane

2009-08-05T21:20:00.001-07:00

Find Berries

Um, um good!

Hey, how come there are no berries in my bucket? Do you have any in yours gramma?

Saving Money

2009-07-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

It’s what we all are doing. Right? Finding ways to trim our budgets and save a few dollars. Therefore, I cut out the $10 off coupon from Safeway. It’s seems a simple task. Check the paper for the deals. Cut out a coupon or two and begin making a list. Add a few items that are special for a new recipe and head out to the store. All is well, until I am almost at my $50 threshold, the amount needed to spend to save the $10, when I realize I have my $1.49 milk coupon, but not my $10 off coupon. I remember exactly where it is on the dining room table. I leave a phone message for my husband who is out running and ask him to call me ASAP. Now what? Do I keep shopping and make it to $50 or do I wait and make sure Bob gets the message, calls and is willing to drive to the store with the coupon or do I leave my whole basket and drive home and get the coupon myself? Bob calls and is willing to drive down with the coupon. Whew! I think all is well. I am so wrong!

I am also trying to buy the “mix or match” items that will reduce to $4.99 each if I can find the right ones and if I buy three of them. The first item is obviously popular as the shelf is empty. The next one is confusing. The one advertised in the paper is listed for a higher price, but there’s another one with the $4.99 price. No problem, I can adjust. It is just paper towels. The dryer sheets are listed as advertised and I’ll just swap something else in for the first item.

At the check out stand, the food and other items are quickly scanned and double quick shoved into the bags. Dryer sheets in with loose produce, but I can pull that out at the car.

A crash sounds from the direction of the sweet young bagger girl. She says to the checker, “I dropped one of her bags on the floor and broke the eggs. What do I do?”

While asking this question she picks up the bags and drools the egg whites and yolks on my bag and then sets the oozing dozen on the counter. The checker instructs her to go get me a new dozen of eggs. As she leaves I ask the checker if she will know what to get me. The checker says she’s not sure. It is the bag girl’s second day on the job. When she returns she tosses (and I do mean tosses) the eggs into my bag. I cringe, thinking of the vegetables that have just been smashed, but realize it wasn’t that hard and so move toward the door. Just before exiting I think to check this dozen eggs and sure enough one is broken. I do a 180 with my cart and meet her as she is trying to find a mop. I show her the broken egg and she takes it to the back of the store and returns again. This time I open it in front of her to check for breakage and incredibly find another broken egg. She took that dozen to the back of the store and returned quickly with another dozen. It took four tries to get me one dozen intact eggs. But my shopping experience wasn’t over yet.

After I unloaded all my groceries into the car, I decided to check the receipt and make sure that the prices looked correct. One of my $4.99 items had rung up at $11.29. Oh, my! That meant the rest did not ring down to $4.99 either. I picked up the two that I thought were wrong and headed to customer service. The woman obviously thought I was trying to pull a fast one, until she and I both looked at the tag on the shelf and she agreed with me that it said $4.99. Now what? The tag might say it, but the computer was not going to ring it up. Truly I no longer care. Give me something else for the $4.99 price. Any old paper towel will do! I don’t know if you noticed, but I said I brought in two of the items. I needed all three items in order to return the originals and then ring up the new ones. I went out to the car, parked far at the end of the parking lot, to get the dryer sheets. All three were successfully returned. Two new items and the dryer sheets were then purchased. The three items all went down to $4.99 each and I saved a whopping $10.50 on those three items.

Total savings for the trip: $32.85! And I only spent $47.37. But is my time worth anything?

I do NOT love shopping.

Another Fishing Trip

2009-06-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

Jennifer didn't mind being up close with her fish.
When she didn't have any bites for a while she reeled in her fly to see what was wrong and this is what she found. A new record in tiniest fish caught!

Another graduate

2009-06-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

This super senior graduated Saturday, June 6th.

Diep and Amy have a developed a strong friendship.

Her table and board to celebrate accomplishments and share photos of family, friends and adventures.

One of many gifts from a friend.

Jenna has graduated

2009-06-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

This beautiful young lady, my niece, graduated last weekend! After a weekend of many celebratory events she came to Hood River and spent a couple of days at our school. She will attend Texas Christian University next year, majoring in education and wanted to spend a couple of days shadowing a principal. She loved our students and had met them all by the end of field day.

Adventures with Diep

2009-06-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

Tuesday while we sat outside, enjoying dinner on a warm evening, we heard the sounds of the ice cream truck. I looked over at Diep and asked, “Do you know what that sound means?” She did not, but when I mentioned ice cream, she was quick to run into the house for money while I ran to the street to flag down the vendor before she drove on to the next neighborhood.
Megan, our other housemate, deciding if she too will indulge.
Then on Wednesday, Diep cooked us a scrumptious Vietnamese dinner. My job, sous chef, chop, chop, clean, clean. Ooh, such good food and what a treat not to cook!

Diep goes fishing

2009-05-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I asked each of the girls that I mentor to tell me some of their dreams. Diep is an exchange student, a super senior, from Vietnam who recently moved into our home. She had some ideas of activities that she wanted to try while still in the Pacific Northwest. She wanted to collect eggs from under hens, gallop on a horse, and try wind surfing and golfing. A few days after she moved into our home, we went to a friend's home for dinner. As we drove in, twenty-four hens greeted us! I did not even know that they were raising chickens! Thank you Lord! Diep collected the eggs and nervously reached under “Sylvia,” the only hen with a soft topknot of feathers gracing her head. Sylvia was not inclined to give up her eggs easily and let Diep know that she was setting on them. Although not on her list, Diep agreed to try fishing. She had never caught a fish. Here’s one of her eight catches from last Sunday afternoon!

Party Gifts!

2009-05-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what to take to a party? My sister challenged all of the guests who celebrated with me last Friday to bring 50 of something. Some chose useful gifts and some chose for the laughter.

50 tea lights
50 pennies
50 petals (on a zinnia)
50 smarties
50 dum dums
50 plants in my planter (yah it’s packed!)
50 cupcakes
50 lottery tickets
50 colorful pencils
50 high performance mint flavored “flossers”
50 colored markers
50 coffee beans and a whole bag of more!
50 stick-on fish
50 seeds for my victory garden
50 jelly beans
50 smooth rocks surrounding three peaceful candles

The pennies came in handy for the lottery tickets and the cupcakes were delicious and we all devoured most of them. Diep, our exchange student, learned about smarties, dum dums, and lottery tickets! What great fun! I just want to know who is going to plant, weed and harvest my victory garden?

50!

2009-05-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Today, I am turning 50 years young! Wahoo!! It is so fun to see how creative my friends are! It's only 8:30 in the morning and already I have roses, a strobe card, a caricature, e-cards and a fun necklace (from Vietnam). I am looking forward to a day full of surprises. I am going to start with doing community service/school service with a young boy = weeding for a couple of hours at our school! Tonight we are having a party at the house! Lots of family and friends will be arriving!

Sixth Year

2009-04-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
Psalms 73:28

The nine of us had a great time together this weekend. It was our sixth year of retreating to catch up on each other's lives and kids, study God's word and pray together. And did I mention eat and snack. We did walk and shop, played some games and lots of sleeping for tired moms in a very busy season of their life.

Published

2009-03-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

At-Harvest Prediction of Gray Mould Risk in Pear Fruit in Long -Term Cold Storage

"Crop Protection," an international scientific journal, chose to publish our paper. I am one of nine authors on this work and did get to travel to New Zealand twice to do some of the research in the pear orchards and in the labs at Nelson Research Station and Lincoln University. Surprising, I am sure for you, I was not the brains behind this paper, just technical assistance. Some of my high level techniques included:

Picking boxes and boxes of pears in six sunny New Zealand orchards.
Punching holes in a nice little pattern on perfectly good fruit.
Cutting pears stems in half and then into little pieces with a scalpel.
Sonicating & shaking to death perfectly good fruit to get the mould spores to drop off.
Holding petri dishes up to the light and counting different colonies of spore growth.
Handing the "first author," R.A. Spotts, well, whatever he needed for whatever task he was accomplishing.
Reading & editing drafts of the paper.

Enough of my work . . . what does this model do for you? Well, orchardists can use the use this information to predict which of their fruit will spoil in cold storage and must be sold to you soon after harvest and which of their fruit will last well in cold storage and can be sold to you later. More good fruit for us all to enjoy in the middle of winter!

Stairs ~ They trip me up!

2009-02-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

I have a love/hate relationship with stairs.

They are certainly good exercise! I can remember running up and down the three flights of stairs in our high school for basketball conditioning. I remember falling down cement stairs at a restaurant a couple years ago which resulted in a broken ankle. Just as it was getting better, I overused it and strained other parts of my foot. That led to tarsal tunnel foot surgery a year ago. I have tripped on our steps--fallen to the bottom only a couple of times. I usually catch myself because I have learned that I MUST hang on to the bannister. The whole Christmas season is rough because we decorate the banisters with lighted greenery and I then must hang onto the spindles. I have not broken a spindle yet.

Tuesday I received my new glasses! Yahoo!! I don't have to look over the top of my reading glasses anymore. I now have progressives! Clear on the top ~ middle section for computer work ~ and the bottom for reading! I was warned that it takes two weeks to get used to them and be careful with depth perception-especially on stairs. I have clung to our bannister for these two days and have not stumbled or tripped.

Yesterday, I threw caution to the wind (OK, I just forgot) and started walking swiftly down the bleachers at the school. Can you picture what happens next? I looked down and the steps got all fuzzy, but my momentum was moving forward and down! And so although I could not see where the next step was, my body kept moving in that forward, down motion. I grabbed for the railing and held much of my body weight off of the ankle turning at a funny angle under me and managed to get the other midair foot onto a flat surface.

I am really quite well for such a feat! My neck and right shoulder hurt a bit from the wrenching they received and the front of the foot that was turned under me is a bit sore. A few other sore spots from strain or stretching, but all in all, great disaster averted! Thank you Lord!

When I got home I had a phone message from a friend who fell down 13 steps at her home yesterday, broke her ankle in three places and is having surgery this morning. I am even more thankful. That could have been me! My ibuprofen size pain is nothing compared to her surgery recovery! (Feel free to pray for Janice as you read this!)

Snow, snow, snow

2009-01-03T12:47:00.001-08:00

Another two inches came down overnight and blanketed our street and the golf course greens!
We took off snow shoe-ing. Did you know it is hard to run in snowshoes, turn and smile before the self timer runs down? Any guesses on how many "takes" we had?

Fun framing with downed trees and snow covered branches.

New Year's Celebration

2009-01-01T18:10:00.001-08:00

Christmas Day blessed us with a boatload of snow and I-84 was pretty dicey, so we decided we would have to forgo the family gathering in Portland. Instead the two of us had a low key day and played in the snow and kept warm in our home. Then today, New Year's Day, we met up with the family for a belated celebration and were joined by some cousins and kids from Washington and California. Here are all the children and teenagers.

Then we added in all the adults. The two matriarchs of the family who married the Conan brothers are in the center back. My mom had all three of her children, their spouses and five grandchildren at this gathering. My aunt had one of her three kids and three of her four grandkiddos in attendance.

Outtakes

2008-12-30T11:46:00.001-08:00

From little Luke's perspective, the first day we met him . . . "Who are these people? Are they going to drop me?"

From Shane . . . "Slow down for a picture? Are you crazy? I am on the roof and I can run, run, run!"

Two cameras! Which one do we look at . . .the one on the left or the one on the right? How about two of us look at one camera and two of us look at the other camera?

What's up with the small helmet? Can't we afford one that's my size? Shane is not going to grow into this one for many years!

Enough already of the family pictures! I want down!

The Best Toys

2008-12-28T15:26:00.001-08:00

Some of the best toys are made from cardboard boxes.

12 days of snow

2008-12-26T08:49:00.001-08:00

Twelve days of snow and below freezing temperatures have created beautiful icicles hanging all around our home. These, four deep icicles, are what I see out my kitchen window.

Twelve days of snow create many opportunities, daily, for shoveling snow. Bob has pathways to the hot tub, the bird feeder and out to the road. Our neighbor has been snow blowing our driveway.

Each day Bob has been knocking down the icicles on our front porch. And 24 hours later they are back again!

Our neighbor sent over this picture of our home. The view from their front porch.

Here's a view from our front porch.

Grandpa's helper

2008-12-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

When we were in India, Bob had a list of chores to complete and one was pruning this guava tree in the front of Ben and Libby's home.
The ever present helper, held the ladder.

Shane really wanted to be part of the action and when he wasn't allowed to climb the ladder, well, he hung out on the bottom rung

with his stick.

Lukas and his parents

2008-12-21T19:59:00.000-08:00

My mom and I, we hang out together all day long.

Here I am in my Thanksgiving outfit!

Dad hangs out with me too.

Lukas and his Grandpa Spotts

2008-12-21T11:36:00.000-08:00

Grandpa had some nice long conversations with me.

He sure knows how to make me laugh.

And sometimes he just puts me to sleep.

Car Washing with Shane, Dad and Grandpa

2008-12-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

First we need to fill up the buckets.

How do we get water from my bucket into your bucket? I seem to be wearing a lot of water.

Just checking to make sure there is enough suds.

Keep working guys. I am just checking out things.

All done? Can I use the stick now?

Grandson Shane in India

2008-12-20T12:28:00.001-08:00

We loved getting to know our two grandsons when we visited Ben and Libby over Thanksgiving. Shane loves playing his instruments!

He is great help working on those house projects.

As long as he has his ball in hand, he is one happy go lucky little/big boy

Five Wonderful Years

2008-11-14T22:06:00.000-08:00

We traded cards today . . . mine made from an envelope (yup there's a story there) and his searched for at the store. The first year we were married, we were out of the country on Valentine's Day and I had remembered to buy some chocolates and tuck into my suitcase for my husband, but I did not remember a card. He had purchased a beautiful card and so after I received the card, I nabbed the red envelope to make a card for him. Now I almost always use his envelope to "make" the card he will get for special occasions.

We enjoyed a dinner out at one of our favorite restaurants. We read our marriage vows to each other and we are ever so thankful to God for bringing us together.

Cross stitch for baby

2008-11-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

I was waiting to finish this post till we met our now, 3 month old, youngest grandson. The oh, so cute boy that was prayed for the many hours that it took to finish this piece! Thought I might try to post from India, but that didn't work out. It's December and we have returned safely to Oregon and miss the cute smiles of our grandchildren! Here's the youngest having a great conversation with me. Not sure I quite understood much of it, but it was quite entertaining!

Am I getting old?

2008-10-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today, a big announcement was made at our church. Our new senior pastor was introduced. He is younger than me. I am thrilled that he will be our new pastor. He has been our associate pastor and his wife is a good friend of mine. He will lead our church well, but I have never had a senior pastor that is younger than me. I think this marks a new crossing over point in my life . . . crossing over to the older group.

I must be careful not to become the old lady at church who frowns and criticizes those younguns in funny clothes or crazy piercings or tatoos. The tats don't seem to bother me, although I have no interest in getting one. Most of the piercings don't bother me either. I almost got a nose stud at a few years ago. A couple of friends at work had them, but about that time I met the man who is now my husband and he didn't really like the idea. I just have to say, the nasal septum piercing, bull ring, is another story! The young girl I know with one has what looks like long thick staple ends hanging out of her nose. I just don't see the beauty in it and maybe that's the point. Maybe this particular bull ring is part of her expression of how she sees herself.

But the bigger point is what I need to learn from this. Am I critical of what is different than me? Have I become more critical of exteriors as I age? God, help me look at the heart as you do!

We Voted . . .

2008-10-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

We voted today and we know no matter the outcome, the Lord reigns.

"Say among the nations, 'The Lord reigns.' The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the Lord, for he comes . . . "
Ps. 96:10-13a

Rejoice, be glad, resound, be jubilant, sing for joy . . . the trees of the forest will sing for joy . . . what a great picture that brings to mind.

The Lord does reign!

Rough Seas

2008-10-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

It was a tough launch. The ship was ready to go out across the sea, but was being held back and rough seas were pounding on her hull. The crash of the disease on her shell took its toll. With her eyes facing toward the heavenly shore, my aunt finished her fight with ALS and yesterday peacefully set sail. Although we on this shore are sad to see her go, we are also confident that she was greeted with great joy and the open arms of Jesus and family and friends on heaven’s shore.

Steelhead

2008-10-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

"It's a hatchery fish."
"It is fin clipped."
"It's good to get it out of the gene pool, so say the guides."
"I guess it doesn't hurt to keep one once in a while."

These are all comments that my husband muttered as he cleaned this gorgeous catch. He doesn't like to eat fish, but this steelhead made a fabulous dinner tonight!

Beautiful Gig Harbor

2008-09-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

One week ago today we were looking out over this view! I grew up spending a week or two each summer visiting my grandparents and my aunt and uncle who lived in this area. Thirty-five years ago there were not as many boats floating on the water and not as many marinas. The mountain looks about the same!

Here is a sunset on Mt. Rainer, as we viewed from my aunt's front deck on Saturday evening.

My Aunt Wilma hosted us for our weekend trip to Washington and we sure enjoyed our time with her!

Joel and Melinda

2008-09-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

We celebrated this weekend with Melinda and Joel as they married in Sequim, Washington.

This young lady and I had many fun, growing days as she spent her ninth grade and part of her junior year living at my home.

What do four young boys talk about in the middle of a wedding ceremony?

Four of these five young ladies were teenagers, struggling with life issues, about ten years ago in my middle school classroom.

Let the fun begin!

Lukas Todd joins the family

2008-09-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hey who's the new guy? Big Brother Shane has welcomed his little brother Lukas Todd into the family. Lukas was born in India on Sunday, August 31, 2008! 8 lbs, 4 oz., 20 and ¼ inches long.

Visit

2008-08-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

Bob's son came to Oregon for a two week visit and his girlfriend joined him for the second week. We went to the coast for a few days. They helped pick up the food bank donations from the Farmer's Market, they visited with friends, they hiked and they cooked for us. We think Nate may have hiked close to 80 miles during this visit to Oregon. Yes, he did have some blisters, but he didn't seem to complain.

After I had a tough day at my new job and a difficult time juggling my schedule (somehow I had to be in two places at the same time, or was it three?), they came home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers to cheer me up. Thanks guys!

August

2008-08-24T12:34:00.001-07:00

means peaches, cobblers and canning.
The best part is the pop when the jars seal! Ten for 10 on these two batches!

Skim Boarding

2008-08-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

He's up. He's moving.

He's got it!

Ohh, he's on his way down. The last body part to hit the sand, the chin, bruised beautifully!

Oh, this board is slippery!

Ah, that's a little better.

The youngest up on the board.

Hey, how did the board get back there?

The safest way to pose with the skim board.

Craig's skimming.

But for a short time.

At the end of the day the oh, so cute nieces, treated us to brownies.

Father and Son Hiker Dudes

2008-08-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

The two dudes, full of energy, at the trailhead, ready to begin their overnight hiking trip.

After they hiked 12 miles downhill, from Rainy Lake down to the Columbia River, I had a view of what my husband and my stepson will look like when they are 85. Nate did hike an additional 40 miles, before I saw him try to maneuver the stairs in our home, but both of them held tightly to the railing and eased themselves up and down the steps. It seems there is tremendous burning of the thighs and pain in the knees, when one walks downhill for two (or more) days!

3-0

2008-08-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

We fished. I caught a fish. Bob hooked the bottom! We fished some more. I caught another fish and Bob caught a rock. Hee, hee!! I am married to a master fisherman, but he had too much line out and his sinking line sunk too far! I caught another fish. Then Bob caught a fish and the magical 3-0 was over. We ended our trip to Laurence Lake 5-4 in fish and 1-3 in bottom snags.

Off to Las Vegas

2008-08-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

Not us, but our friends Katey and Paul. And not for a visit, but to live there.

This could be them.

What a beautiful bride and a fun celebration!

I am not your momma

2008-07-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

This plant hangs just outside my mom's sliding glass door.

Each day she takes it down and waters it. Last weekend, when I visited mom showed me her little surprises. A couple months ago she was watering around little eggs in a nest and now she waters around the fluffy birds in the nest.

Occasionally, one or all three of the fledglings wake and request food. My mom only delivers water!

Here's the real mom, keeping a close eye on us.

Spoiled

2008-07-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Yup, I am sure that I am spoiled! I have had all of these gift cards for several months and have not had a chance to spend them. What a problem! But all of these stores are at least an hour away. Some of cards are from birthdays, some are thank yous from friends and then two of them are from returns. You return a perfectly good, unused item to the store and they do not give you your money back, but give you a gift card.

This last Friday and Saturday, I went to Portland, with two goals. The first goal was to visit with my aunt who has ALS and the second goal was to shop, preferably at stores where I had gift cards. I must go into stores and just shop until I find something that I can use. Here’s the pile that I accumulated from gift card purchases.

Bob chose the cookbook for a healthy heart. I have new calendar for school, some new music, a pair of sandals, a fiction book, kitchen towels, a tablecloth, lotion, soaps and perfume. My new purse didn’t make the picture, but it is probably my favorite purchase. Only two gift cards left!

Sticky Fingers

2008-07-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

Sticky fingers, dirty soles and blue tongues all add up to berry picking. We picked and froze about 20 pounds tonight. We are set for a winter of blueberry pancakes and berry cobbler!

Melon Salsa

2008-07-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

Actually, it's Pork Medallions with Melon Salsa & Grilled Limes

I tried out a new recipe tonight and we thought it was delicious. It was the first time I prepared a pork tenderloin and the first time for making melon salsa. Bob grilled the pork tenderloin on the BBQ. The Caribbean sizzle was full of vitamins A and C and low in calories!

Dinner Outdoors

2008-07-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

We enjoy sitting outside for meals anytime we can during the spring, summer and fall. It was in the upper 70s or low 80s tonight, shady and perfect for relaxing! I always wish I had my camera with me as a spectacular oriole or finch flies into the area. During the lunch hour we often see seven or more varieties of birds, including flickers.

In the evening we get the bigger animals. One day we had a raccoon come through and then a couple weeks ago we had a deer. That was a new one! Tonight it was just butterflies and baby quail! There were probably 27 or so of the fluffy handfuls. They are very skittery, so this is the best picture I have been able to get of them.

We are still enjoying roses too.

Horizon in the Parade

2008-07-04T13:29:00.003-07:00

Horizon Christian School had a couple of entries in Hood River parade today! The preschoolers rode in the back of a truck with their teachers.

Here are some K-12th grade students on the flatbed.

Friday the Fourth

2008-07-04T12:45:00.001-07:00

We went to the Hood River Parade today. Candy is a huge attraction for the kids! The experienced ones all come with a bag ready to fill.

We saw many friends in and about. Here's Kathleen helping advertise her church's Adventure Camp.

Chelsea on the drums.

Caleb and Brennan whizzed by with their capes and scooters.

These cute bugs were at our house for dinner the other night. Great bikes Eli and Sam.

Other entries included llamas

patriotic children tossing candy

and even the Statue of Liberty!

Earthly Tents

2008-06-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

Our bodies are not going to last. Several examples of this have been “in my face” the last six months. First, I had surgery and am surprised that my body is not bouncing back. I may always have some foot pain. It is certainly more manageable now, but still a pain. Then Bob had tightness in his chest and is diagnosed with coronary artery disease, and last week I visited with my dear Aunt who is fighting ALS. She has less than six months left in her battle. These are the verses that I read to her last week when Bob and I stopped by for a visit.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” II Corinthians 4: 16-5:1

Her “earthly tent” is being destroyed by this disease. She is wasting away in front of us. We all know that any day we could die, but sitting with someone whose days are numbered makes it tangible. Yesterday, as I was out deadheading roses, (she loves roses), I could only pray that God would give her peace and take away her pain. Looking over at my husband, who could easily have died a few weeks ago, makes me thankful for every day we have together.

Insurance Nightmare

2008-06-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

Other people have ridiculous insurance nightmares, but I had never experienced an insurance company telling me that needed medicine prescribed by a specialist was not covered. After several calls to the doctor, numerous trips and discussions with the pharmacy and several cash buys, 5 pills at a time at $5.50 a pill, we received a four page document from our insurance company telling us how they knew better than our doctor what medicine Bob should be on to prevent further arterial blockage and therefore extend his life.

I was appalled.

The cardiologist, who specializes in heart disease and who looked at the amount of plaque in Bob’s heart prescribed a particular medicine and now the insurance company, who has not looked at Bob’s arteries, feels that a different medicine should be tried first. If it fails, then the other medicine can be tried. But we don't have a prescription for another medicine.

And, if it fails . . . how much do we risk on this? If it fails will Bob have another blockage? If it fails, will he have a heart attack? If it fails, will . . . . well, let’s not go there! We decided that our plan of attack would be to get the doctor to write a scathing letter to the insurance company and try to help them understand why this medicine is critical for Bob’s wellness.

Today, a different solution was found. The cardiologist chose a medicine that will accomplish the same objective and is on the approved list for the insurance company. Now, why didn’t he do that 14 days ago, when we first called him and told his office that we were being denied coverage? We spent over $80 in pills, because we didn’t have a prescription for an approved drug. I don’t really like this new world that we have entered.

What have I learned?

I guess I have learned to call the doctor's office everyday instead of every few days.
I know better what question to ask: Is there an equivalent drug that is covered by my insurance?

I am also thankful that we could afford to buy the drug prescribed for Bob while all this was sorted out.

Happy Birthday Bob

2008-06-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

We are ever so thankful for living, breathing, heart beating, birthday Bob! We had a low key celebration this year. We skipped our annual frog hunt, because last year’s hunt wiped out all of the frogs for the whole summer. We have a few croakers serenading us already this spring, but they are not keeping us awake at night. If we need a reduction in population, we can have a special event mid summer.

Nose in the new book!

Good Bye Flowers

2008-06-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

A week ago, I finished my job at the church and along with this gorgeous bouquet, I received "Congratulations" and "You'll Be Missed" balloons and a generous gift certificate for dinner out at Stonehedge Gardens. I am going to miss the Karola, Kim and Holly team. We had a great time and together really got things done! They may have to come over to my new office for arranging and color coordinating!

Friday Photos

2008-06-07T08:45:00.001-07:00

The last Friday in May, Bob and I attended the Horizon Formal and I had the privilege of taking photos. Of the hundreds of photos that I took only a handful are without the gorgeous students and here are a few of those.

Mt Hood received eight more inches of snow last night. Is it summer yet?

The students had many pictures on this walking bridge!

a little atmosphere

Tuxedos strawberries were a favorite.

The Widow Maker

2008-06-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

Those were not the words that I expected to hear on Monday, when the cardiologist followed the gurney holding a living, breathing Bob out of surgery. Several weeks ago, Bob began to feel a tightness in his chest. He first noticed it while jogging. When he stopped jogging the tightness went away. Then it returned when he mowed the lawn or walked briskly. It even reappeared while watching the battles scenes in latest Narnia movie. Bob never had pain, nor shortness of breath, but any time his heart rate was up, his chest got tight. A treadmill EKG, last week, indicated a blockage. That felt like a kick in the stomach for me. Bob was not as surprised. He knew something was very wrong.

An angiogram was scheduled for Monday, June 2nd and we were advised that a stent would probably be inserted if the affected artery were reachable. For seven days, Bob’s task was to stay calm and not raise his heart rate. He successfully avoided strenuous work and never created any situations that would result in tightness of his chest.

Monday morning at the hospital went quickly and Bob was out of his hour and a half procedure by 11:00am. The next shocker came when the doctor told me that his left anterior descending artery was 90-95% blocked. This artery is one of the three main arteries to the heart and is also known as the “widow maker.” The doctor also told me that he saw diffuse soft plaque throughout his arteries, which indicates coronary artery disease. Since Bob has never smoked, eats healthy, gets regular exercise, and has low blood pressure, his only known risk factor is his cholesterol or LDL number. In an effort to lower that number below 70, Bob is on strong medicines for at least a year. There may also be a hereditary factor and in a few months a blood test will give us that information.

The good news is that Bob’s heart muscle is strong and has no damage. The blockage (or stenosis) was opened up with a bare metal 4.5 x 28 mm stent and Bob is fine! He was back to work for most of today and will be running again in a few weeks.

That may have all sounded quite factual, but there is another side too. Bob and I both know that God is in control of our lives. He knows the exact number of our days and we are thankful that we will spend more together here on earth. Although there is a part of me that knows I will probably be a widow some day, I am thankful that day was not this week!

Big Change, Part Two

2008-05-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

The day after I made my decision to resign from children’s ministry leadership, I saw an opportunity at a private school in our town. I made an inquiry call to set up discussion of the leadership needs at the school. At the beginning of the week, I was looking at the possibilities of volunteering to do some teacher training, observation and evaluation. By the end of day two, I had put together a resume. Day three, I had a long phone conversation about the elementary principal position. Day four, I received a job description for the principal position and had a face to face conversation with the superintendent and day five, I interviewed with the search committee for the elementary principal position. I could now see God’s leading in when and why I was to resign from the church ministry position. I was appointed as the elementary principal of Horizon Christian School last Monday night at their board meeting. That was just one week ago today! I love being in the center of God’s will and am excited about what he has in store for me as part of the Horizon team.

Big Change, Part One

2008-05-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I felt God moving me. He was gradually getting me ready for a change in my life. I had the distinct message that I was to finish up my work in children’s ministry at our church and step out of that position. But why? I love my team and I love making things happen so that children learn about God, his plan for their life and for the world.

Two years ago, God told me to step into children’s ministry for a time. The director’s mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and her assistant was moving to another state. God showed me clearly the need and gave me the desire to be a part of the leadership. I applied and have enjoyed working with the team that God put together. We all have different strengths and it has been stretching to see how that is the best plan to get the job done. In just the last year, our attendance is up 15% and we have many new classes and 109 volunteers (including all the youth helpers and the substitutes). God has melded us together as a team and I have loved working with both Karola and Holly.

God nudged me, but I didn’t really want to step out of the position. Some of it was truly selfishness. I like being on staff at a church. In some ways, I felt like I had arrived. Finally, I was working with children in a way that would impact their eternity. But I knew I was supposed to resign. God did give me peace when I made my decision. Then he confirmed it in a Bible Study the next day.

Sometimes what is good for a season, is just that, good for a season. When God moves us on to the next purpose he has for us, we need to let go of what was great for us last year. It is a part of pruning and if I hang on to what God is pruning off of me, it is as though the I have a hold of the thorns on the branch being snipped off. Do I really want to hold that branch and have those thorns rip my hands as God is snipping this off? Of course not!

And so I wondered: “What does God have next for me?”

Wednesday nights

2008-05-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

Wednesday nights a community group meets in our home and Bob usually leads the study. We just finished a year long study of John and this week started James. Bob sits in our new chair with his commentary and his Bible and we read and talk about a chapter.

We all chime in with what verse really spoke to us and why. We talk how to apply the truths.

Once in a while Bob really gets inspired.

WE COWER.

WE RUN FOR COVER.

Want to join our group? We were having a little too much fun last night!

Surprise Brunch

2008-05-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

This morning at our Bible study, some friends of mine surprised me with a birthday brunch. Since my birthday is not until Thursday, I guess I get to celebrate all week long.

A walking, talking little boy

2008-04-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple current pictures of our grandson who lives in India. He is growing up so fast. In these pictures, taken in March, he is just over a year old. For more pictures and videos of Shane walking check out the Spotts Family website.

Happy Birthday Kathleen

2008-04-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

Twelve of us celebrated with Kathleen last night! This chocolate cake with a gnoche icing was to die for! Her mama makes the best desserts!

What a Retreat!

2008-04-27T14:41:00.001-07:00

These friends and I just enjoyed a weekend together. This was our fifth annual retreat and was such a blessing to all of us. We stayed up late playing games and slept in each morning. We studied some scriptures together and read of God’s workings around the world. We shared what God has been doing in our lives. We prayed for each other and our families. We received updates and prayed for several families that we love and care about who live overseas. We traded books, ate salsa and swapped some recipes. We relaxed, napped, walked, ate too much, read books and of course did a little bit of shopping. Ah, the fellowship of friends.

A New Friend

2008-04-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Today, our new friend, Cynthia leaves Hood River. Cynthia is in the middle and Katey is on the right. (Bob took the picture.)

Cynthia visited our church in March while in town on a work project. Having a common bond in Christ created an instant friendship. Although she is Canadian, she spent much of her childhood in Nigeria. We loved getting to know her, hearing a bit of her story and sharing several meals together. We had the privilege of celebrating on her birthday with dinner and a concert. The concert pianist happened to be from Toronto. It really is such a small world and although we may not see her again in Oregon, we are blessed to have met her and know we will see her and be with her for eternity.

Fly Fishing for Carp

2008-04-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

My husband loves to fly fish. Last weekend was the first time he went fly fishing for carp and this is what he caught. These big ole fish put up a great fight, but are not good for much but crab bait.

Busy, Fun, Friends and Food

2008-04-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning Becky stopped by after an all-night shift at her work. She slipped into one of our guest rooms and slept while I went to my friends’ home to help them with taxes. After a few hours I returned to make lunch for my husband and wake up our sleeping guest. Then Mythraie, our weekend guest arrived. We chatted for a while, changed sheets on the bed and sent Becky off east for her weekend plan. That was just the beginning of a crazy, but fun filled weekend.

Friday night 10 singles joined Bob and I for dinner. I was so thankful that Mythraie was here to help with the preparations. We dubbed her sous-chef and she washed and chopped most of the afternoon, while I ran around the house like crazy. Visualize random trips here to there, moving piles of mail, magazines, to do lists, and project piles, figuring out how to use the new ice tea maker, making ice tea with the new contraption, adding leaves to the table, finding more chairs, confirming people who are coming, asking about allergies and food preferences, among other details. Also, throw in conversations with Mythraie to catch up on her last six months. You get the picture.

We had a great time Friday night, but Bob was way outnumbered with the 11 women in the room. We all got to telling stories and Bob even told some BK (Before Kim) dating stories on himself. We laughed till our cheeks hurt.

Bob and I both had 8:00 commitments Saturday morning, but eventually we returned home so Bob could prepare our traditional blueberry pancake breakfast for Mythraie. It was the least we could do, after all her chopping and prep work. Saturday night we had the privilege of meeting Tracy’s husband, Dennis and enjoying dinner and conversations with them.

Then Sunday, after church, we invited a couple from our small group to join us for a casual lunch. We picked up pad thai from our favorite thai trailer and sat back and relaxed for the afternoon. Kicking back only lasted a short time. Then Mythraie headed back to Portland, I returned to my friends’ home to finish their taxes and Bob went out and edged the WHOLE yard!

I am officially canceling all obligations this morning. I am drinking coffee and answering a myriad of phone calls and playing catch up with all those piles that were “moved” on Friday. We served up 27 plates to guests from Thursday noon to Sunday noon. We connected with 19 different people. We slept well last night!

Three nights in a row . . .

2008-04-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Pulling me out of a deep sleep is the chunky roar of the orchard fans. For the last three nights, we have had below freezing temperatures causing alarms to ring in the valley. Jumping into action, the orchard owner or their field men light smudge pots and turn on the fans to raise the orchard temperatures by a few degrees. Protecting the unfurling buds is one step to ensure we will have pears, apples and cherries this season. If they sleep through these alarms they run the risk of losing their whole crop. Do they sleep at all when freezing temperatures are predicted or are they on edge all night anyway? Thankful for the warmer temperatures predicted, I am looking forward to a full night's sleep tonight.

Still snowing

2008-03-28T10:55:00.001-07:00

A Spring retreat

2008-03-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Last week, I stepped into the brisk morning air to find some flowers on display. I found crocuses, daffodils, hyacinth, and heather all blooming.

The first day of spring:

Today we woke up to snow, yes, lots of snow.

March 20th

March 28th, Friday of Spring Break!

Saturday Lunch Satay

2008-03-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I found a recipe for Indonesian Satay and decided to put it on our menu. I had not made the recipe before and there were a few ingredients that I would need to buy, but I was sure it would be a cinch. Thursday afternoon, the day for which the meal was planned, I realized that I had forgotten to thaw some chicken. No problem, I would just run to the store and buy some fresh. When I returned home, I reread the recipe and realized that the chicken needed to be marinated for 4 – 24 hours and we were planning to eat in just an hour or two. This meal would have not be ready, so Plan B for Thursday: out to dinner. Friday we already had other plans for dinner, but I began the satay dish by combining ingredients to make the marinade. Saturday, as I began preparing the coconut rice, I realized that I did not have enough jasmine rice. I have begun buying less “white” food items and so mixed some brown rice in with the “white” rice. I think the cooking times were different for the two varieties of rice, but we did like the result. FINALLY, today we grilled the chicken and enjoyed delicious chicken satay for lunch. That goopy looking stuff under the chicken is the coconut rice and, of course, there is peanut sauce drizzled over everything.

Mondays

2008-03-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

On Mondays, Bob heads back to work and I have a catch up and clean up day. I don’t work on Mondays and so I try to organize my week. I often have coffee with a friend. I have extra time to read blogs. I do laundry and plan the week’s menu. I find a new recipe to try, pay some bills, run errands and go shopping for groceries. I have more time for personal devotions and usually drink more coffee than other days. Some Mondays I steal away a couple of hours of pleasure reading. One Monday each month, I organize a group of people that fill food boxes at the food bank. These boxes are delivered to shut ins around town. Sometimes I scrap all this getting stuff done, and head into Portland to see friends, family or do some shopping. In the evening, we get to have a conversation with Ben and Libby on the video cam and see our grandson. Ahh, Mondays feel good.

The Shack

2008-03-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

I just read a book that challenged some of my preconceptions. I cried, agreed, questioned, felt conviction, and knocked down some walls containing my view of God. The book is fiction, but full of so many truths. I don’t want to write a book report or give away the plot, so decided to share some quotes with you. Maybe these will intrigue you enough to cause you to pick up and read this novel.

“A child is protected because she is loved, not because she has the right to be protected.”

“Tears can be healing waters and a stream of joy. Sometimes they are the best words the heart can speak.”

“But your choices are also not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice you make for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome.”

“Grace doesn’t depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors.”

“Rules cannot bring freedom; they only have the power to accuse.”

“We are in a circle of relationship, not a chain of command . . . relationship without any overlay of power. We don’t need power over the other because we are always looking out for the best.”

“You must give up your right to decide what is good and evil on your own terms, choosing to only live in me. To do that you must know me enough to trust me and learn to rest in my inherent goodness.”

“So many believe that it is love that grows, but it is the knowing that grows and love simply expands to contain it.”

“You have judged them worthy of love, even if it cost you everything. That is how Jesus loves. And now you know Papa’s heart, who loves all his children perfectly.”

“I don’t want to be first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything.”

“Just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn’t mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don’t assume that my using something means I caused it or that I need it to accomplish my purposes.”

“live in expectancy”

Here’s the a link to find out more: The Shack

Single Friends

2008-03-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

Last night we had an out of town, over night guest who is dating a single friend of ours. This is the second time in as many months that we are a testing ground for new found friendship. Both times, with both friends, our role has been a combination of looking for red flags, checking out how the guy treats our single friend and analyzing, oh, anything about him we choose to explore. This ranges from spiritual gifting and spiritual maturity, to sensitivity to others, listening ability, competitive spirit, and perfectionism. This weekend sure was more relaxed than the other one. I think it was because these two have had quite bit of conversation and are in the process of deepening their relationship. The previous weekend had been an e-harmony connection and the two had only met for coffee one time previous to us meeting him. Long distance relationships can sure be difficult to cultivate!

Total Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

Waiting for the shadow of the earth to cover the moon, I stood outside tonight shivering and snapped over 100 pictures. After the first several blurry pictures, I ran inside, found my tripod and remote and continued my quest.

Almost there

Blood Moon or Red Moon -- Full Lunar Eclipse

The shadow moving past the moon.

License Information

2008-02-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

I threw it away. I knew the day was coming, but I did take in my breath sharply before I tossed my renewal forms into the recycling. The toughest part of the decision was really last summer when I decided not to sign up for the classes that I would need to have completed to renew my license. So, it’s official. When my teaching license expires in May of this year that part of my identity is gone. I will no longer be a licensed teacher.

I LOVE teaching! But I also love the freedom of not teaching. I enjoyed going on vacation last week and not writing sub plans. I am enjoying today without any papers to grade weighing heavy on my mind. I love that I get to teach and work at my church. But, I still have a big sigh, now and then, that I am not a teacher anymore.

Cold Winter Days

2008-02-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

Sweeping out the bulk of the seeds from the feeder to find the sunflower seeds, this scrub jay is a welcome friend to the quail. It was 18 degrees the day this picture was taken.

Another snowstorm has descended today, creating white lawns and slushy roads.

Looking a bit romantic, this pair of junkos rest on the pampas grass, waiting their turn at the feeder.

Icy footing for the quail and sparrow as they rummage about for seeds.

Chewing off the hull of a black walnut, this squirrel found a resting spot on the top of the trellis post.

Almost a Year Old

2008-01-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

Although Shane is just eight months old in this picture, he will be a year old next week! (Yes, every seventh entry is about our grandson :)

Let it Snow . . .

2008-01-27T12:25:00.000-08:00

As we fell asleep last night, it was still snowing. We already had about 12 inches on our picnic table.

This morning our bird feeder was dwarfed with the snow and our hot tub was covered.

Bob shoveled his way through 20 inches of powdery white to the hot tub for a dip.

Ahh . . . the life . . .

Wooley Buggers

2008-01-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

“Dreaming about springtime and feeding trout,” Bob answered when I asked what he was thinking about this morning. It is a beautiful sunny day in Hood River, but 23 degrees out. The geese are flying over our house honking. Bob and I are inside. He is tying up flies for his spring fishing trips.

The black wooley bugger is my favorite. I caught my own backside one lovely day while fishing in Colorado. I am sure the hook was bigger than these tied today. Bob says I put up quite a fight. I just remember yelling really loud and laughing so hard I thought I was going to wet my pants. I am still a novice and a fair weather fly fisherwoman. Bob just corrected me and said I am an intermediate, but I think he is just encouraging me so that I will fish more often with him.

The Heavens are Rockin’

2008-01-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

As the second and third graders came in the door, I was excited to see so many children that I recognized. We started with a game in which every child had a list of activities to complete. I intentionally called time before everyone could finish. All got the same reward even though only some of the children finished all the activities.

Then we opened our Bibles to Matthew 19:27 and 20:1-16. After Peter asks what their reward will be for giving up all that they had and following him, Jesus tells a parable. As a class we acted out the workers coming to the farmer’s vineyard and working. Some workers come at the beginning of the day and work all day, some come at 9:00am, others at noon, a few at 3:00pm and last workers arrive with just an hour of daylight left to work. At the end of the day all the workers get the same pay. The farmer was generous to all the workers.

We discussed whether or not this was fair. Then I shared that this is how God works. He is generous. If someone accepts Jesus and becomes a believer at the end of their life, they too get the reward – life forever with Him.

"My grandfather did not accept Christ until he was 72 years old. I can always remember him saying that he didn’t need God. Near the end of his life he became very ill and the doctors told him he only had a few weeks to live. My dad spent time at the hospital with him, read the Bible to him and prayed with him. My grandfather accepted Christ two weeks before he died. He was 72 years old. I accepted Christ when I was five years old. I get to live my whole life for Christ and we both get the same reward -- life forever in heaven."

At this point, one of the girls raised her hand and said, “I’ve prayed to God, but who is Jesus?”

Another boy (first timer) verbally agreed and said, “I haven’t heard about Jesus.”

I took a breath, looked at my adult helper (my husband), breathed a quick prayer, and explained how God is perfect and the things we do wrong (sin) separates us from God. God sent his son, Jesus to take care of the wrong things we have done. When we say we are sorry and ask for forgiveness God wipes them away because of Jesus. Jesus died because of our sins. All we have to do is believe in Jesus and accept him.

The “first time” little boy raised his hand and shared that he had asked God for super-hero powers and wanted to know if God would give him those. “Nope,” I said, “God will give you eternal life in heaven after we die here on earth, but not superpowers.”

Surveying the room of eager faces, I knew that at least a couple of children were very interested in knowing more. So, I asked everyone to join me in a prayer. If they had already asked Jesus into their life, they could pray along with us and if they wanted to accept Jesus for the first time, they could pray the words with me.

At the Amen, I looked up to many excited faces and thought, I have to know how many new believers have joined the family! So, I asked if anyone had prayed that prayer for the first time today. Four hands shot into the air and one more slowly rose. I was shocked! Ok, I know, this is what I am here for, but FIVE new believers!! Wow!!

God was moving in lives today! So if there is a multitude of angels singing in heaven for one new believer, the heavens must be rockin’ with five!

Heirloom Locket

2007-12-29T11:32:00.000-08:00

We have a locket in our family that is passed down to the oldest daughter. My great grandmother received it on her sixteenth birthday. She passed it to her daughter when she, my grandmother, turned sixteen and since my grandmother did not have any daughters, she gave it to me when I turned sixteen.
Since I do not have any daughters, I had the privilege of passing it to my oldest niece, Jenna. She turned sixteen this year!

That is my Great Grandmother Michael's picture on the far left and Grandma Ann on the right. They are both sixteen in those pictures.
There's space on the back of the locket for Jenna to have her initials and the year of her sixteenth birthday engraved. Someday when she is a mom, she can pass it to her oldest daughter.

Our Advent Wreath

2007-12-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

Although I had been a part of lighting Advent wreath candles at church, this was the first year we had our own advent wreath at home. Each candle has a special meaning and we lit one a week leading up to Christmas. The part I like best is that this good news of Christ's birth is for ALL people!! God loves all of his creation!

Hope: We have hope in Jesus our Messiah (Isaiah 60:2-3)

Peace: Prince of Peace born in Bethlehem (Romans 15:13)

Joy: Celebrate the good new of great joy that is for all people (Isaiah 35:10)

Love: Joining with the angels we say “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and good will toward men." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Christ: Love entered our world through the birth of Jesus Christ. (Luke 1:68-79 and Luke 2:1-20)

We made these with many of the children at church and we brought one home too. Bob cut all the greenery for about a 100 of these and I cut the ribbon and twisted together the berries. Holly and Karola did the bulk of the buying and the actual assembly with the children.

Adding Insult to Injury

2007-12-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

Adding insult to injury or perhaps I should say adding infection to surgery. Almost unbelievable that I could get such a tough infection in my “good” foot during this recovery time, but I did. I fought the ingrown toenail infection for four days and just could not get it under control. So, at yesterday doctor’s appointment for the recent surgery, he checked out my other foot and removed the two sides of my big toenail and added a drop of acid on each side to the growth plate. Thankfully, once the infection clears, it will be a quick recovery. It already feels so much better. Walking is hilarious at this time. I must wear a high heel to match the boot height, but can’t have a closed toe, so yeah for high flip flops. And I had always thought this pair of flip flops had been an impulse buy and a waste of money! Now I really appreciate them.

Choose Me!

2007-12-18T19:18:00.000-08:00

Do you see the sign at the top of the picture? Choose me. First you must choose which bear you would like. Then fill it with stuffing and put a heart in it!
Oh, more choices. What clothes will be best?
And then the happy smiles with completed new friends, Kitty and SpiderBear! Bob and I had a great time on Saturday with these two friends visiting here from India.

Grandpa and Grandson

2007-12-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

I noticed that the pics of our grandson have scrolled on down to the "older posts" and so felt the need to sprinkle in a snapshot. This picture is from October when Shane was 8 months old, sitting on his grandpa Bob's lap at our home.

diet pepsi be gone

2007-12-13T20:31:00.000-08:00

Six months ago today, I stopped drinking diet pepsi. Those who know me well, know that I used to drink a diet pepsi every day and sometimes it was a couple of cans by the end of the day. It did cost a bit and I am sure that added up, but that is not why I removed it from my diet. The artificial sweetener in it, probably wasn’t good for me, but that was why either. Last June, I did a 10 day cleanse and during those 10 days decided to make a couple of dietary changes. One was to remove a scrumptious, creamy, non-dairy, creamer from my coffee—it contains partially hydrogenated oils and the other was to delete the diet pepsi. I just was drinking it too much. It seemed to have a hold on me and water is so much better for me. It has been six months and I still have two cases of diet pepsi in the pantry. I guess I am safe now. I have broken the habit. I don’t even think about reaching for one any more.

Have Boot, Losing Crutches!

2007-12-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

Today I began walking without crutches. It is so exciting . . rather slow and cumbersome with my big ole moon boot, but nevertheless, much better than the crutches! And yes, my foot is in that boot. Perhaps they gave me (sold me) a larger one than necessary.

First Outing

2007-12-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

For my first trip out of the house on crutches, I braved the snow and slick sidewalks to go to a fabulous "tea" complete with a tablescape, and wonderful friends. There were gingerbread houses and cream puffs made in the shape of swans with chocolate dipped noses that swam in blue rivers of chocolate. The friends were fun and the day quite delightful.

Correct Foot

2007-11-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

This little arrow, drawn by a nurse, made sure the doctor operated on the correct foot. That arrow, as well as at least three papers that said the same thing, and several checks by the doctor, assistants, and nurses, all ensured the left foot received surgery. I am really glad that the news last night of a hospital in another state making THREE "wrong side" mistakes during this past year was aired AFTER my surgery. I did not know to worry! My latest wrap was this lovely shade of green.