In August We...

Spent lot's of hours riding with Daddy in the Combine or in the Truck, having fun with Harvest!
We spent time outside on the front porch enjoying the heat and eating home-made cantaloupe/Raspberry Popsicles.
Spent a few of the hot afternoons at the aquatics center enjoy time with cousins and cooling off in the water!

Like Mother, Like Daughter.
A group of friends and myself started our Once a Month Cooking Group - we all chip in $100 we buy all the ingredients for 15 meals, spend a Saturday cooking together and then fill our freezer! Has saved our monthly food $$$ alot!
We celebrated my parents 30th wedding anniversary with a surprise dinner at Cedar's Floating Restaurant on Coure D' Alene Lake.... afterwards we went down to the lake to play in the water a bit.... it was freezing!
The Oliver Family
The Sawyer Family
Happy 30th Mom and Dad!
The Whole Gang who surprised them! Thanks so much!
mmmm Mud Pie.
My brother Andrew and I!
My cedar baked Salmon!
Surprise!
August 21, 1981! Happy Anniversary!

The last BIG treat of August was that Hatley and I got to go with my Dad and Older Sister Julie to Kentucky for 5 days! Pictures to come!

Where You At?

Where am I at? Where do I want to be? Where should we be as a family?

Those are the ever on going questions that I have been dealing with. Time for honesty. When Mark and I moved back from Saipan we thought it was going to be a good move. Now don't get me wrong it has been a good move, we are able to spend time with family whenever we want, we get to let the grandparent's watch Hatley grow up, we get to enjoy 4 seasons instead of 2, we have started Young Life here in Garfield-Palouse and now get to continue watch it grow over the years to come... Life here on the Palouse has been good.

BUT...

There is a but.... I want to know where we are supposed to be at? Where am I supposed to be at? I love being a stay at home mommy, more then anything. I love the time I get to have with Roo, I love the fact that I am the one teaching her about life, I love that I can supply my family with home cooked meals and most of the time a clean house. I love that I can help out Mark with Young Life nad the other ministries he is involved in. I love being part of the ministries that I am involved in, Once a month cooking, ladies craft night, etc. But with all these things I am still feeling lost. Where should I be at?

Since moving home from Saipan, I have held 2 1/2 jobs. One was at the school as a paraeducator in the pre-school classroom. I loved working with that age, but when you have gone from a full time 3rd grade teacher to a teacher's aide it is hard, and financially the pay didn't make sense when we are having to pay for child care... So I found another job as a part time administrative assistant in a financial advising firm, I liked my job. I loved the people I worked with... The hours were good, and the pay was okay... but we needed something more. SO, after 9 months, I took on a full time job with a local hospital as a developmental specialist, best part was Hatley was going to be able to go to the same facility I was at while I worked... this job lasted for 3 days. It was hard, Hatley hated it (I know she would have gotten used to it), and the job, well, the job discription was 100% different then what I was actually doing. IT WAS HORRIBLE. So, now what am I doing? I am a permanent sub in our school district in the Family and Consumer science class while they hire a new teacher. I would apply, but I am not certified in FCS.

So the question as always is where am I supposed to be at? Financially I have to work. Mark and I are currently taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class. Mark has taken it before and we have used alot of the methods throughout our marriage, but this is the first time I have actually gone to a class. AND AM LEARNING SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH. And I want to be debt free. I want to be home with my kids, I want us to own our own home, I want Mark to relax and not be worried all the time. I want peace for our family.

I know this sub job isn't going to last forever, and I will go back to those random calls for a sub, but I am praying God has something in store for us, for me that is coming into our lives SOON. My overall dream is to teach again. I miss teaching, and it is a job that I am okay leaving Hatley each day for, and I think when you find a job like that, it is a good job and a good fit....

How are you feeling? Are you where you are supposed to be at? I would love prayers and if you want some, let me know so I can pray for you.... let's figure this out...

So, okay God. Where you want me?

It may be a CRAZY life, but it's OUR life...

I haven't updated our blog for a long while. And not because I didn't want to, I thought about it many times, but i felt overwhelmed by all that we had been doing, and didn't even know if anyone looked at this thing... but last night I was looking back at our blog from the day's leading up to Hatley's birth and the months afterwards. And decided that if no one else reads this, atleast I could do it for her and get it printed at some point =). So here we go! LOTS OF PICTURES.

July 2011.. We celebrated Mark 10 year high school reunion. GO POTLATCH LOGGERS!

His Class 10 years later!

We went to Silverwood Theme Park in North Idaho. Hatley went on her first rides and LOVED THEM! even the roller coaster with Daddy!






After Shock... no thank you. But I am glad Mark and his sister Suz enjoyed it!

Suz and Mark, and Cousins Hatley and Miles.

Pure Joy!
My two nieces from Texas came to visit us for 2 and 3 weeks! One weekend Hatley and I were able to go to Spokane and take them to Green Bluff, one of my favorite places in the world. We picked strawberry's like we were crazy, but came out with a bunch of Strawberry Jam on our hands!
myself, Kristin, Emilie, Hatley, Dad Garry, & Mom Judy.
the three girl cousins!
She could sit in the strawberry bushes allll day! We had to cut her off =)

We hit up a Spokane Indians baseball game while the girls were still here, and Marks parents were able to come along too!
Grandma Betty & Grandpa John.


I had to post this! I don't know what Mark was doing, but look at that belly! =)

Stay tuned for August!

4th of July!

Well the 4th of July has come and gone. But I am still catching Y'all up! =) And sadly to say I only got a few pictures of our 4th of July! We stayed home for the 4th, and it was nice! However, we did have a bbq, and there were about 45 people at our house! It was a blast! Carpet Ball, Foos Ball, badminton, Bachi Ball, food, food, and more food! 

Hatley's favorite part of the day was when Grandpa John let her sweet tooth come out! ICE CREAM!

Our sweet girl certainly had a wonderful 4th of July! That night she had a bath because she was absolutely filthy from playing so hard, and feel asleep without complaint! I say that was a good day!

Tails & Sweet Smiles.

Here are some pics of our sweet girl! Hatley turned 15 months old yesterday! It is amazing to think that 2 years ago, Hatley was a dream of ours, something we longed for, and were heart broken by how hard it was to know that she or he at the time may not be... well a month later that changed! And we are so thankful for our Roo!

 Sweet tails! Her First and super cute!

A little mama already!

 All ready for her first swim lesson =)

Her favorite word to say other then Mama; Hi!

Swim Lessons...

Hatley and I have had such a fun time going to her swim lessons each Monday night! She has done such a good job! This last week we talked Daddy into doing the lesson with her. He wasn't too keen on it, because he didn't want to have to do all the silly singing in the circle thing; he even asked if we could show up late! Turd. However, we got there on time and Daddy sang with the rest of the class! =)

 Learning to jump/

 How can you not love this face!

 Amberly and Blaise Boone, friends from Palouse! Blaise is 7 months old!

 Daddy thouroghly enjoying the singing in the circle =)

 Hatley is a jumping fool!

 blurry picture but look at the smiles!

For some video take a look at the other posts!