what I liked about oregon

downtown trees

downtown food court

powell's bookstore
bridges, bridges, bridges

so cold I got to wear my new gloves

trees

that turned into snowy tress

more snow

and then I reached the coast

and seaside houses on lewis and clark street

driving pacific coast highway

finding the coastal town manzanita, known as the carmel of oregon, and this cute little inn

a quick tour of the tillamook cheese factory and their sample table

but happy to be home

I Heart Saturday AND....homeschool bloopers

We are studying Roman history. After a stunning lecture of the story of Julius Caesar's highs and lows and and his triumphant cry "Vini, Vedi, Vici" ( I came, I saw, I conquered).....

We played a game where the kids could earn chocolate if they answered correctly.

Mom: "Who can tell me what Caesar's famous phrase "Vini, Vedi, Vici" means in English?"

Both kids stand up excitedly and Mom calls on Matt...

Matthew: "I came, I saw, I vanished!"

this is your life - are you who you want to be?

When Brian and I first met, we talked of dreams and plans and what God might have in store for our lives together. Brian was a Christian music artist. He had been since he was 16. Leading worship, writing songs about Jesus and sharing his love for Him was all he knew. We met while he was leading worship at a youth conference center. I was a political science major on my way to Bible school in Europe and was praying and thinking God was leading me to be a teacher to missionary kids in some other country (yes, I was just a little confused)

I came home six months after meeting Brian and we began to date. We were both still in college and I was also in a real estate finance program related to the appraisal firm I was working for part time. Brian was studying psychology (only due to his love for helping people - though he could not stand the worldliness of the psych world and changed his mind) and in full-time music ministry.

While Brian has always worked full or part-time in music realted ministry work, he has also been a graphic artist, web designer and print production manager for several magazines. He has poured many hours into learning and growing in the field God has put him. But, a web/production guy is not what he wanted to be.

I have had my real estate appraisal certification for 15 years. While I have always been able to work from home and I am thankful, a real estate appraiser is not what I wanted to be. I never became a teacher to missionary kids, or in politics, but I do find so much joy being at home and teaching my kids.

This week Bria (2nd grade) had a grammar assignment. She had to write sentences about jobs her relatives have. Regarding Brian and I she wrote:

My father writes music about Jesus.

My mother is a teacher.

I smiled. Maybe we are who we wanted to be after all.

I Heart Saturday AND........no line on the horizon

simply put

from city girls to island girls - they are cute!

I Heart Saturday AND.......girl scout cookies

delivered last night in a basket by our favorite neighborhood girlscout....have you got yours?

BFF's and Fiction Family

I am a Jon Foreman fan. I was so thrilled to hear he had teamed up with Nickel Creek to form Fiction Family and even more happy to find out they were playing live in San Diego.


They played here, a club called "anthology"

Way cool music venue. Cannot wait to go there again. Seriously an amazing club to go to with friends and family. We had some of the best seats. It is a hip dinner club. You eat over-priced yummy food or order over-priced fancy drinks, sit in white high-back leather chairs and enjoy music in an intimate setting.

This is poet Jon in a cute grey sweater and floppy hair.

This is Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek and Nicki R :)

He came down and sang on the tables.

Here he is on another table and a view of Jessica and Michele.

This is Sarah Watkins of Nickel Creek after the show. I am so happy I got to see her jam on her fiddle - so great.

Two of my all-time fav girls

Me and Nate

Jessica did take a very cute picture of me, Kelly and Michele, but of course I cannot find it. Somehow it got deleted along with a video I was trying to take of Fiction Family's version of Hey Jude.

So, instead I am posting a picture of what we ususally look like when we hang out. Yes, we are very spiritual and are dressed for any occassion.

did i forget to mention he likes sushi?

and the improtu celebration at the Calvi's - he loved being with his favorite friends!

katie is not holding a pipe :)

my little boy is 10 today

He loves his dog, he loves to play guitar hero.....

and we really, really, love him!

(pretzel art randomly made by his little sister one lunch hour)

When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he said "nothing really, you gave me so much this Christmas."

Yep, that's Matt.

We call him "simple man" or "angel boy". He did request a day at Knott's Berry Farm with the family. He loves roller coasters, Snoopy and Mrs. Knott's fried chicken and boysenberry pie.

Happy Birthday my dear sweet boy!

I Heart Saturday AND.....sharing a "hair stuff" drawer with my girl

I think it is time for a new backboard

this is not an action shot - it's just stuck

President's Day Apple Pear Crisp

I don't think it's because it was President's Day. Maybe it was the cold and rain. Nate was home. Oh, it could be because we are reading Farmer Boy. Anyway, we made a really great Apple Crisp today. The recipe came via Costco book, via Mr. Reynolds. His tasted better - no real surprise there.

Here is the recipe:

2 pounds Bosc Pears (4 pears)

2 pounds Granny Smith Apples (6 apples)

1 tspn grated orange peel

1 tspn grated lemon peel

2 tspns orange juice

2 tblspn lemon juice

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c flour

1 tspn cinnamon

1/2 tspn nutmeg

Pre-heat oven to 350

Peel, core and cut pears and apples into large chunks. Place fruit in large bowl and add the grated lemon and orange peel and orange juice, sugar, flour, cinn and nutmeg. Pour into 9x12 baking dish.

Topping

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 tspn salt

1 c. old fashioned oatmeal

1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

To prepare topping, combine all ingrediants in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment (I dont have this so I just winged it with reg mixer and spoon) Mix until large crumbles. Top the fruit in baking dish.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

because it's President's Day.....Bria's log cabin.

I Heart Saturday AND.....a Valentines Bouquet

It totally makes up for the fact that he is taking Nate out to lunch and down to the Apple Store (for mac heads) in Escondido..on Valentines Day! Well, he does not know yet, but he is also taking me to a movie on Sunday night and I get to hold the popcorn.

sweets and treats

Bria loves Valentines Day. She loves to make sweets every year for her friends. This year was especially fun because she is big enough to do so much by herself.

Don't you just love the diva apron...

Dipping pretzels in white chocolate...yummy

sprinkles...
She wants to be Rachel Ray when she grows up and go to cooking school in a big city.

Free breakfast and Chick-Fil-A every Friday in Feburary! Perfect start of our day, in the rain and before heading out to the mall.

We went to the mall for a little Valentines Day fun with Mamaw. We went to the Build-A-Bear store so we could spend our Build-A-Bear gift cards we got this Christmas.

We also looked again at the bedding we want to get for Bria's room makeover this spring.

We went to Cosi and had super yummy soup and flatbread sandwhiches. Mamaw surprised the kids with Valentines cards and In-N-Out gift cards.

Super sweet and yummy treats - and always lots of love.

I Heart Saturday AND.....these honor students

the day the music died...50 years ago

It is an official holiday, named after the famous song written about the tragic event. February 3, 1959 was a story that my dad told me long before the movie "La Bamba" came out. Wow, 50 years ago, my mom and dad were 13 year old. Yeah, if one my son's favorite musicians died in a plane crash today, it would impact him too.

Other music thoughts.....what was the number one song the day you were born? Find out here at #1 Song This Date in History . Mine was "Get Back" by the Beatles. Cool! So I had to go to youtube and check out the London roof top performance about 40 years ago. Here it is for your enjoyment.