eleven years ago today...

 Eleven years ago today, two baby faced kids said 'I do', with tear filled vows.

 People doubted that it was real. People thought we were too young. Some said it would never last...

Eleven years later, we have grown up together, learning along the way, and falling a little more in love each year.
God gave me the gift of marrying my best friend. He knew all along what our story would look like written out.

Dear Matthew, I look forward to growing old with you.
Thank you for putting up with me for the last 11 years, and for making my every wish come true!
Thank you for our amazing life, for our precious babies, and for loving me even when it's hard.


Love you, Manda

become great...

(found on pinterest)


How many times have you found yourself lost in the shadow of feeling belittled, and unseen by those who are around you? Have you then met someone so free, so happy, so great, that they made you feel that way too? Surround yourself with those who make you feel great, because life is too short to feel little! Be that person. Believe you are that person. So that your special God given light, can shine through you!

One of the GREATEST people I have ever had the privilege of meeting, would have celebrated his birthday yesterday. He passed away too soon, and is missed each day,,, but because of his ability to make others feel great, his example, his energy, his love lives on, inside of many who adored him!

Happy Birthday Papa, you are missed! Thank you for making me always feel so special!

I have a third grader....

The other night we took a hike/walk/jog/scooter/bike ride - depending on who you were :)

 ... Bella found a 'fluff ball' a 'REALLY BIG ONE'!
 I suggested she make a BIG wish and that she should make it a good one!
It was two days before school started. Today she started third grade (WOW).
I wonder if her wish that evening had anything to do with her upcoming school day?
I guess I'll never know. If I had a wish I could give her, it would be that she would have JOY inside her so BIG that it would shine out in everything she does! I hope that as she grows she is never too afraid to dream BIG, and go for it. Yes, life is scary (I told her the other day), but it's the scary things in life that make us know we are ALIVE!

On an honest note: I have first day of school photos (one or two) (I was only allowed a couple outside of the house, because outside of the school would be SO embarrassing!) Anyhow, I am too sleepy and tired to download them, so they will come. I promise! Hope you are getting back into the routine a bit more gracefully than I am! :)

Summer 2011

Today officially marked our last day of Summer 2011, in our house. It's back to school for Bella bright and early tomorrow morning, and Meritt follows on Thursday. Holy cow summer sure flies by in a hurry... we had a great summer. We got a lot of our projects done. But, we also spent a lot of great quality time doing all sorts of fun family things. In the grand scheme of life, I'm sure that's what we will all remember most when we think back on our summer this year. The lazy evenings at the pool. Watching daddy play softball. Playing at the park. Eating dinner on the patio. Paddle boating on the lake. Our long weekend in Black Butte. Our hike at Cascadia to see the waterfall. Our boat ride on Clear Lake. The week spent with Grammy D and Aunt Christy. Walks with Lola. Painting pictures outside with Mama. Treats at Starbucks when we've behaved.... and ice cream treats just because. It's been fun summer 2011, but it's time for you to go. It's time for back to school, backpacks, homework, chilly nights, sweaters, and playing in the leaves. See you again next year!

what's your version of beautiful???...

What is your version of beautiful?
Do you see it when you look in the mirror?

Why is it sometimes so easy to feel great in your own skin, and other times it's so hard to live inside your own shell...???

Not feeling too great about myself these days, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the extra 10 lbs I've put on in the last 6-9 months??? Maybe it's the fact that I'm so cotton picking exhausted that I can't even see straight right now...  or maybe that I have to have photos taken of myself tomorrow.

I'm not sure, but my friend made a great point to me today. She said 'you better be careful what you say about yourself - your little girls are going to pick up on it' .

Mmmmhmmmm, yep, she was right, as usual!
 I do need to be careful.
There are little ears listening to my every word, (no pressure) and those little ears are forming what their own version of what beautiful is. I want them to worry about what's on the inside, not the outside. So, why is it so hard to do that myself?

Praying that God will give me peace inside my own skin, so that I can be the example to my girls that will teach them that beauty is more about our character than our appearance!

flippity flop feelings...

 I have approx. 1 and a half days at home with my girls before I work umpteen (8) days straight, we head for a quick labor day weekend getaway, and then it's BACK TO SCHOOL.

I am really not sure if I should feel sad (which I kind of am). Or be happy that we will get back to a routine, and friends, and art projects sent home, and homework, and back to school nights, and this and that, and the other. My feelings are flippity flopping all over the place!

My kids are getting so big, and I sometimes wish I could just freeze them where they are. ENJOY them just as they are in this moment, for a little bit longer. I guess, in a sense,  Summertime gives me this. It gives me endless days just them and me. No routine, just fly by the seat of our pants... I like it!

The girls (well Bella mostly) is getting antsy (actually crabby) - so I know that she is ready to be back at it! She gets bored easily if she isn't kept busy, so I know that Summer and it's easiness has begun to get to her.

One more year of preschool for Meritt, and boy I am going to SAVOR this year! My last year, with a kid at home (at least part of the day) and then she's off to get all grown up too!

Third grade and the second year of preschool, how did all this go by so fast?
They are getting too big I tell you...
What's next college?

Well, I guess, all I can do, is just enjoy them, and this lovely Summer while I can!

no one said this parenting gig was easy...

Where do I begin? When the doctor puts that baby on your chest, and you wait to hear that cry for the first time, you can't even imagine all the phases, stages, and trials you will go through now that you are a parent. That baby doesn't come with a handbook, and no one tells you about all the things you should and shouldn't do.

So, for the most part, it's a trial and error thing this parenting gig.
Most of all for the first child.
Because lets face it, we know nothing before the first kid enters our world.

My sweet Bella is eight. She is a good girl. I mean a really good girl. She has her moments of course, and don't mistake the word good for easy in that sentence up above, because easy she hasn't been, and I'm sure that will only grow as she does. This year, more than any other year of her life, she is stretching her wings a bit and looking for some independence. The hard part as a parent is to know, what you should let them do, and what you shouldn't.

Matt and I talked earlier in the Summer, and decided that she might be ready to walk to school come fall. She has a group of friends, and our plan (if agreed by the other parents) is to let them walk as a group, on the same route each day. We would have 'safe houses' marked along their route of neighbors that we know and trust, just in case they might have a problem along the way to or from school. Since she will be walking several blocks here soon, and had never been allowed to walk farther than around our block by herself. We decided that we would let her walk the 4 blocks to my parents house from time to time.

At first, she would start walking before us, while we were on our way over.
Now, she is walking the dog over once or twice a day... asking permission before she leaves.

I walked to school every day since the 1st grade, and I walked a half a mile each day.
I did fine, and turned out fine. Others would say it's a different world we live in today, and that it's not safe.

The whole thing leaves this lingering question inside of me....
Should I shelter her, just in case something bad could happen?
Or should I teach her to be independent, and responsible, and capable, so that when she enters the real world; in not that long of time, she will be ready!

These decisions are hard.

I'm not sure if I should follow what others are doing; which seems to be playing it safe just in case... or let her fly a little bit?

What do you think?
Does the whole idea of letting an 8 year old walk a few block alone scare you? Or do you think it's a good idea to teach kids a little responsibility bite by bite, so that they are capable human beings by the time they leave the nest?

I know there are probably a lot of you out there reading this that have WAAAAYYY more knowledge and know how in this department. We've got 3 weeks until school starts, and this Mama could really use some advice! Please let me know what you think... What have you done? How do yo feel about this? Anything would be helpful!

I sure wish I would have gotten a parenting handbook when I left the hospital with my bundle of joys! :)

homes tour 2011...

I promised pictures...
So, here they are, a few days late, but I've been a little tired. Sorry.
Everything went really well, and we had a great time.
The best part of the weekend for sure, hands down, was getting to pick up the girls from Gramma D... and bring them home! My heart, and this house just isn't right without them. So glad we did it, but very glad it's over too! Glad to have August to have fun, and be a family, and forget about all the projects for a while! But, I have to say it's awfully nice to have the projects done and behind us!

P.S. I totally forgot to take pics of the basement... my brain was sort of working on the same mode brains work at after having a baby, totally exhausted and spacey.! I'll try to take some pics this week to make it up to you! ;)

Homes Tour 10 years ago...

Click here to view these pictures larger

Ten years ago, when Matt and I were newly married in our little cottage up the street and around the corner from where we live now, we were on the Homes Tour.

A little strange to think we're back here again.

Only we have two kids, and a lot more space, and a way bigger yard, and the whole thing feels like it's on steroids compared to what we did 10 years ago.

It's fun to see these photos again. I haven't seen them or looked at them in a really long time... brings back a million wonderful memories. I can only imagine that when we look back on this Homes Tour experience we will feel the same! 

(Once all the hard work is over - of course!)

A week and a half to go! 

Wish us luck... ready or not, here it comes!

Mister Buddy (A.K.A. Buddy Boy)...

Miss Lola (A.K.A. Lola Bug or Lolee)...

Miss Addie (a.k.a 'KAT')...

look whooo turned eight years old...

One of the happy things that happened while my computer was M.I.A. was that Miss Bella turned 8 years old.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking....
How can that possibly be???
Because my answer is.... I have NO idea.
How did my baby grow up before my very eyes?
How did my shy little girl grow to be so confident?
She is becoming a young lady.
She is smart, and funny, and witty, and likable.
She is creative, and friendly, and sassy, and sweet.
She is lovely, and beautiful, and kind.

We celebrated this year with an owl themed family style party, and then a sleepover with one of her best friends.
It was nice, simple, and easy this year.
It doesn't mean that turning 8 wasn't a big deal, because every year in my opinion is a BIG DEAL! A milestone. A year of memories never to happen again. I try hard to make birthdays special, because I think it's the one day a year that you get to be shown just how special you are!

Dear Bella, I hope you felt special!
I hope you know how loved you are!
I hope EIGHT turns out to be an awesome year!
Love you my sweet sunshine.


XO, Mama

I need to talk... is that okay???

I know that I promised that when I got my new computer that I would be doing so much more blogging, and here we are a week later, and nothing.

Sort of feeling like a total blogger failure. To be truthful I have been so busy every waking hour of the day, that when I do get a chance to stare at the screen of my computer it's usually in the hours I should be sleeping.

Okay, so that is enough excuses for one post, I'll just move on to tell you what's going on...

Work.
Home.
Kids off school and looking for summertime fun.
Yard Work.
Pets.
Friends.
Visiting Relatives.
All really good things.

#1. Work: We made it through Crazy Days (our annual summer sidewalk sale) that is literally CRAZY. Although, it wasn't as crazy this year. I am not sure if we are getting more organized, or if the economy may be a slight factor. Either way it went well, and we lived through it, and the girls had a great time with their babysitter for 3 days straight!

#2. Home: So we are beginning our count down to the homes tour that we are on July 30th... 17 days. Oh boy, there is a lot to do still. Although a lot has gotten done as well. Windows are getting painted and reglazed left and right. Screen doors and doors are getting fixed and painted. Next comes cleaning, cleaning,  and cleaning some more, and making this place look magazine like! :) NO PROBLEM! ;)

#3. Kids off school: Every year I am slightly nervous when school is over, because it's like, oh my gosh what am I going to do to keep these kids happy day and night week after week? Somehow it always works out, and somehow it always surprises me that I LOVE HAVING MY KIDS HOME for the Summer! They really are two of my favorite people. Despite the messes, occasional tantrums, and sisterly fighting, we have so much fun! We have been mostly just hanging out at home. We work in the garden together. There have been art projects, walks, and many trips to the library for books. Next Friday we will be meeting Matt's Mama half way to drop them off with her for 9 days so we can get all of our projects done. It will be nice to have them out of my hair while I get my projects done, but boy I'm gonna miss them. It's going to be WEIRD around here with only us old people and the animals!

#4. Yard Work: Well, we finally got our sprinkler system and irrigation system all in (around late May). Then began the quest to get the grass to grow back over all the trenches, and bald spots, and weeds, etc. All the flower beds are planted, and the four garden boxes are stuffed full of veggies and berries. Trying to keep up with the outside, the inside, and the kids, is keeping me really busy - but, I love it!

#5. Pets: Addiekat our oldest pet, wasn't looking so good about a month ago, in fact we weren't sure if she was going to make it. She had lost tons of weight (we weren't sure why) and was very lethargic. We were pretty much told that at 13 years old we could do testing on her, but there really wasn't a whole lot of point to it... So, we switched her food in a last ditch effort, and it seems to be working! We are so glad. Emma and Lola the doggies are loving laying on the patio in the sunshine daily. Buddy the young cat, is showing to be quite the outdoorsman, he likes to kill birds and mice, then bring us his catch to show off. THANK YOU Buddy! Just want I always wanted a dead bird at my feet! :) At least we won't have rodents!

#6. Friends: We have had a few opportunities to visit and have a few BBQ's with friends this summer which has been a nice break from the to-do lists. Looking forward to MORE of that... SOON. Play dates by the pool wound be good!

#7. Relatives: We had a quick visit from my Brother in June. It's always so good to see him, and the girls adore their Uncle Ansen! He has no kids so he loves to play with them and seems to have never ending patience, which may be why they adore him so much! We also got to visit with my Aunt Lee over the fourth of July. SOOOO good to see her. She hasn't been to Oregon for a visit since Matt and my wedding almost 11 years ago. She hadn't even met my girls before (except for photos) so it was fun to see them get to know one another! My mama was in heaven having her sis-in law around to hang with, and it gave us all a great excuse to have a few BBQ's in her honor. It was a great visit!

All of that = a whole lot of busy go go going and do do doing, but it's all really great! Have to admit, that I am looking forward to homes tour being over so we can do a few other things except for projects, however at the same time, it is so nice having these projects that have been looming over our heads getting done! It's going to be very fun! I am looking forward to sharing all the stuff we've done around here in the last 6 1/2 years!

Well, that about catches you up on all of our happenings...!
Can I ask you something... and please answer or I will feel super lame, what would you like to have me tell you about on here??? Any ideas I need some creative ideas to get me out of my blogging slump!

a good surprise...

I came home after a rousing morning of running errands with the kiddos, to feed them lunch, and Matt was home with a wonderful surprise. My new computer!!! LOVE.

After two attempts to buy a Mac on EBay... and both attempts being fraudulent, he did what I should have done 3 long weeks ago. He went to the Mac store and bought one!

I think I'm in love.
Sorry honey, I'm in love with you too, but this new guy Mac is pretty amazing.
Oh Lordy Be, I think I'm in heaven.
Now all I have to do is figure out how to use this thing! ;)

Thank you Matt, I think you may have given me back part of my sanity! I love you.

Are you a Mac or a PC?