Counting Blessings:
God blesses me every day. Sadly, I don't thank Him enough.
-a roof over my head
-a soft, warm bed
-running, clean water
-food in the cupboards
-a loving family
2011 Accomplishments:
-Leader status with Weight Watchers
-Appointed to the Creator Lutheran Church Council
-Trip to Nebraska (without any one of the 4 being injured by one of the other 3.)
-A ring, a date and a plan :))
-Receptionist of the Year Award (for our Weight Watchers Territory)
2012 Goals:
-Marry the man who makes my heart sing
-Use my God given talents to change another's life.
-Hug my kids more often
-Play tourist more often, in my own state.
-Save up for a new car...better yet, WIN one!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Dusting off the ol' blog
Now that we are planning a trip to visit the family, I thought I'd get back to the family blogging business! It is not like I haven't had anything to say. Simply, I just got out of the habit of updating my blog. Sorry, I am not going to write a novel and update everything that has happened over the last two years. If you want to know, just ask...I will either respond with a post or an e-mail. (Somethings are just not for public view on the world wide web!)
The girls are counting down the days and weeks until school is out. It's hard to believe they will both be in high school next year! Personally, I don't know if I'm ready to start up the Entertainment Committee, again. We may have to buy a couple of bus passes to get them to and from the mall. Fortunately, we live on a bus route.
Personally, I'm looking forward to traveling any time! Even a trip up to the Columbia River Gorge is time well spent. Still waiting for it to stop raining for more than a day, so we can go hiking! We didn't make it up to Mt. Hood last year, so that's on the agenda for sometime this summer...if it ever stops snowing! (they got another 18 inches of snow just last weekend!) Needless to say, with such a late ski season, the ski lifts will be working well into August.
As for the visit to Nebraska, I don't care about seeing things/sites. I am looking forward to catching up with friends and family. A couple of Jaydee's friends have had or are having babies, so we are going to meet the new little ones, too.
Off to work, so I can pay for my playing! :)
Blessings!
The girls are counting down the days and weeks until school is out. It's hard to believe they will both be in high school next year! Personally, I don't know if I'm ready to start up the Entertainment Committee, again. We may have to buy a couple of bus passes to get them to and from the mall. Fortunately, we live on a bus route.
Personally, I'm looking forward to traveling any time! Even a trip up to the Columbia River Gorge is time well spent. Still waiting for it to stop raining for more than a day, so we can go hiking! We didn't make it up to Mt. Hood last year, so that's on the agenda for sometime this summer...if it ever stops snowing! (they got another 18 inches of snow just last weekend!) Needless to say, with such a late ski season, the ski lifts will be working well into August.
As for the visit to Nebraska, I don't care about seeing things/sites. I am looking forward to catching up with friends and family. A couple of Jaydee's friends have had or are having babies, so we are going to meet the new little ones, too.
Off to work, so I can pay for my playing! :)
Blessings!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Enjoying the area
I took the girls to the Columbia River Gorge today. Some of the things we saw I have seen before. One new adventure for me was to hike to the "top of the falls" at Multnomah Falls. It's a mile hike each way. Took us about 45 minutes to get to the top and about 20 to get back down. It is quite the steep climb. After lunch at the Multnomah Falls Lodge, we took the Old Columbia River highway, which is a scenic highway that winds along the Columbia River and has multiple stops to view waterfalls. Some waterfalls, like Horsetail Falls is right next to the highway. Others like Bridal Veil falls, which we didn't see today, are a bit of a hike from the parking area. The highway climbs up to Crowne Point, which overlooks the Columbia River. Just breathtaking. Kendra and I walked the short distance from the parking spot to Latourel Falls. Just standing on the path, you can feel the wind which the falling water creates. Kendra was brave enough to walk across rocks to get to the edge of the pool of the waterfall.
The weather was just perfect for hiking...upper 60's and a slight breeze. Beautiful weather to enjoy beautiful scenery.
The weather was just perfect for hiking...upper 60's and a slight breeze. Beautiful weather to enjoy beautiful scenery.
Friday, July 3, 2009
The move
Thanks to an army of angels and a lot of blessings from God, we have made it to Oregon. Saturday, after the garage sale, I had a rude realization that it would take a miracle to completely clean out the townhouse by 4 on Sunday. I sent up a prayer, and started asking for help. God answered with 4 teen boys, one awesome former bus driver, three pick-ups, and two loving friends with vans. This army helped me donate all the furniture which didn't sell at the garage sale, and take care of the "dump or donate" process of my kitchen and storage closet.
Shortly after 4, we were on our way to the airport. If I had known you couldn't go through security at the Lincoln airport until 1 hour prior to your flight, we could have waited an hour. So we grabbed a bite to eat. The flights from Lincoln to Minneapolis, then Minneapolis to Portland were uneventful. We slept most of the flight from MN to OR. We were met at PDX by Terry, Chris and Whitny. After wrangling all of our bags and luggage into two vehicles, we grabbed a late supper/early breakfast, then headed to the hotel.
Monday morning, Terry picked us up and we were off to our new apartment. Herb and Linda arrived just as we finished bringing our luggage and bags to the apartment. Then an army of angels showed up. Chris and Terry's cousin Tammy was available with a pick-up, her husband (Robin) and two teen-age sons(Robbie and Jamie). The trailer was emptied in no time flat! It was like a swarm of worker ants had taken over! Herb and Linda were on their way to re-load the trailer, to head back to Nebraska on Tuesday.
Between Tammy's pick-up, Chris' mini-SUV, and Terry's car, we split up and started the hunt for bed frames and mattresses. The girls got their mattresses set up, then we headed to IKEA (think Nebraska Furniture mart without the electronics, plus a Swedish touch.) Kendra bought a bookshelf and CD shelf, and both girls bought closet hanging organizers. I bought my headboard and frame, along with a tv stand for my room. Back to the apartment, where the electric drills and back up batteries had been charging. By 10 pm we had both beds set up, as well as accessories built and set up. What a huge relief! We were a day or two ahead of schedule!
Tuesday was car buying day. I don't care what the end result is, I simply hate car shopping. It may be stereotyping, but I hate being talked down to, because I'm female. That being said, I did buy a silver 2004 Kia Rio. It's a good little car that's supposed to get great gas mileage. We will need to get used to non-electric door locks. I have to remind myself and the girls to lock the doors when we get out of the car. Terry wanted to make sure the brakes were in good working order, so we had them inspected at Midas. The front brakes were brand new, and the back brakes were in good condition. To be on the safe side, we replaced the brake shoes on the back.
That night, Tammy and Robin invited us up to Vancouver (WA) for a BBQ and swimming.
Wednesday was kitchen supply day. Walmart to the rescue. Pots, pans, plates and flatware all taken care of, as well as a few stock-grocery items. Spent most of the day, organizing and arranging what we had. There are still about 10 totes/boxes sitting in the dining area to go through, but we are getting there.
Thurs. off to IKEA. There was a dining table and chairs on sale for $59 that I decided was too good of a deal to pass up. Also found a good coffee table. Jaydee had found a mirror for her room, and asked for the car keys to put it into the car. The next thing I know she's calling me saying she locked the keys in the car. Knowing those two, I thought she was joking at first. Thank God Chris was available to bail us out. My extra keys were on my nightstand at the apartment. She picked Jaydee up, brought her back to the apartment to get my extra keys and then dropped her off at IKEA. Nothing like a 4 hour trip to a furniture store. We did manage to get the boxes into the car. Kendra was a little cramped in the back seat, but we got back across Portland. Another night of building furniture. Forutnately, these didn't take long to put together. I think Terry is ready to go back to work, after spending 4 evenings here putting furniture together!
Here we are on Friday. There are still a lot of little things that need to be done, but all of the major items have been taken care of. Next week, I will be working on school schedules and appointments related to that aspect. Dusting off the resume' and hitting the help wanted ads are next.
Thanks to all who have been praying. As you can see, I have been beyond blessed!
Shortly after 4, we were on our way to the airport. If I had known you couldn't go through security at the Lincoln airport until 1 hour prior to your flight, we could have waited an hour. So we grabbed a bite to eat. The flights from Lincoln to Minneapolis, then Minneapolis to Portland were uneventful. We slept most of the flight from MN to OR. We were met at PDX by Terry, Chris and Whitny. After wrangling all of our bags and luggage into two vehicles, we grabbed a late supper/early breakfast, then headed to the hotel.
Monday morning, Terry picked us up and we were off to our new apartment. Herb and Linda arrived just as we finished bringing our luggage and bags to the apartment. Then an army of angels showed up. Chris and Terry's cousin Tammy was available with a pick-up, her husband (Robin) and two teen-age sons(Robbie and Jamie). The trailer was emptied in no time flat! It was like a swarm of worker ants had taken over! Herb and Linda were on their way to re-load the trailer, to head back to Nebraska on Tuesday.
Between Tammy's pick-up, Chris' mini-SUV, and Terry's car, we split up and started the hunt for bed frames and mattresses. The girls got their mattresses set up, then we headed to IKEA (think Nebraska Furniture mart without the electronics, plus a Swedish touch.) Kendra bought a bookshelf and CD shelf, and both girls bought closet hanging organizers. I bought my headboard and frame, along with a tv stand for my room. Back to the apartment, where the electric drills and back up batteries had been charging. By 10 pm we had both beds set up, as well as accessories built and set up. What a huge relief! We were a day or two ahead of schedule!
Tuesday was car buying day. I don't care what the end result is, I simply hate car shopping. It may be stereotyping, but I hate being talked down to, because I'm female. That being said, I did buy a silver 2004 Kia Rio. It's a good little car that's supposed to get great gas mileage. We will need to get used to non-electric door locks. I have to remind myself and the girls to lock the doors when we get out of the car. Terry wanted to make sure the brakes were in good working order, so we had them inspected at Midas. The front brakes were brand new, and the back brakes were in good condition. To be on the safe side, we replaced the brake shoes on the back.
That night, Tammy and Robin invited us up to Vancouver (WA) for a BBQ and swimming.
Wednesday was kitchen supply day. Walmart to the rescue. Pots, pans, plates and flatware all taken care of, as well as a few stock-grocery items. Spent most of the day, organizing and arranging what we had. There are still about 10 totes/boxes sitting in the dining area to go through, but we are getting there.
Thurs. off to IKEA. There was a dining table and chairs on sale for $59 that I decided was too good of a deal to pass up. Also found a good coffee table. Jaydee had found a mirror for her room, and asked for the car keys to put it into the car. The next thing I know she's calling me saying she locked the keys in the car. Knowing those two, I thought she was joking at first. Thank God Chris was available to bail us out. My extra keys were on my nightstand at the apartment. She picked Jaydee up, brought her back to the apartment to get my extra keys and then dropped her off at IKEA. Nothing like a 4 hour trip to a furniture store. We did manage to get the boxes into the car. Kendra was a little cramped in the back seat, but we got back across Portland. Another night of building furniture. Forutnately, these didn't take long to put together. I think Terry is ready to go back to work, after spending 4 evenings here putting furniture together!
Here we are on Friday. There are still a lot of little things that need to be done, but all of the major items have been taken care of. Next week, I will be working on school schedules and appointments related to that aspect. Dusting off the resume' and hitting the help wanted ads are next.
Thanks to all who have been praying. As you can see, I have been beyond blessed!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Taking a breather
Coming up for air, really. Classes for the quarter finished last Thursday. I finally got around to checking my grades, last night. My overall GPA is 3.70. There is a D+ in there that won't transfer for credits, which should increase the GPA some. I'll know exactly where I stand with classes and such in about a month. (First, I need to schedule my appointment with PSU admissions office.)
The packing is coming along slowly. Two weeks ago, I cleaned out the majority of the garage. I ran out of time (and energy) as the sun was setting and it's really creepy out there after dark, even with a light on. Jaydee is really being a great help. She can pack more into a box or tote than I ever could, without breaking anything. She even has a white board with a listing of how many boxes are in the garage, empty, half full (or empty...however you look at it! lol) and how many need resorting.
We have found a home for the ferret. Another worry that has been taken care of...and my car has been sold to a friend whose car is worse off than mine. As it turns out God really does know what he is doing. My friend has a co-worker who is buying her car from her, as their car is completely out of commission. The adage of "one man's trash is another man's treasure" certainly fits here!
As for work, we have found my replacement, and I am training her. It turns out our daughters are friends! I am not sure if we had just not met, or I simply didn't remember meeting. She mentioned her 12 year old daughter, who attended the same school as Kendra. That is how we made the connection.
Speaking of Kendra, I have only seen her for about 48 hours since school let out. Before anyone gets any crazy ideas that I have lost her, she is taking advantage of being able to spend time with friends and family. The first night out of school, she spent at a friends. I picked her up there, took her home long enough to pack for a week. Joe and Angela (with Jacob) picked the girls up to spend time at their place, before we moved. Last Friday, I met Angela in David City to pick Kendra up. She was home long enough to wash her laundry and re-pack; this time for a week at camp. Sunday afternoon that's where we were off to. I pick her up this Friday, just in time for the Gatewood family reunion on Saturday.
Jaydee has been hanging out with friends whenever she can, too. Due to already scheduled appointments, she was only able to spend the weekend at Joe's. Then she ended up with Tonsilitis, and on antibiotics. Oh the joys of summer! (Thank God it wasn't e-coli or the Swine flu.)
...had to go back to the last posting to see what I've updated and haven't...
Oh I do have an address to move to! To help the girls get an idea of what it will look like, I printed off copies of the floor plan. Kendra looks at it and says "this thing on the living room wall...is that a tv?" I had to tell her it was a fireplace. We'll be on the third floor, and will have a balcony. The balcony faces Mt. Talbert, and as long as a tree is not in the middle of the view, we should be able to see the peak.
Over the next few weeks we will be making a lot of changes and adjustments. As soon as we are somewhat settled in, I'll post some pictures of the new place (and the view!) For sanity purposes, cable and internet will be set up on the same day we move in. As anyone who has moved knows, settling in and being ready are two entirely different things.
The packing is coming along slowly. Two weeks ago, I cleaned out the majority of the garage. I ran out of time (and energy) as the sun was setting and it's really creepy out there after dark, even with a light on. Jaydee is really being a great help. She can pack more into a box or tote than I ever could, without breaking anything. She even has a white board with a listing of how many boxes are in the garage, empty, half full (or empty...however you look at it! lol) and how many need resorting.
We have found a home for the ferret. Another worry that has been taken care of...and my car has been sold to a friend whose car is worse off than mine. As it turns out God really does know what he is doing. My friend has a co-worker who is buying her car from her, as their car is completely out of commission. The adage of "one man's trash is another man's treasure" certainly fits here!
As for work, we have found my replacement, and I am training her. It turns out our daughters are friends! I am not sure if we had just not met, or I simply didn't remember meeting. She mentioned her 12 year old daughter, who attended the same school as Kendra. That is how we made the connection.
Speaking of Kendra, I have only seen her for about 48 hours since school let out. Before anyone gets any crazy ideas that I have lost her, she is taking advantage of being able to spend time with friends and family. The first night out of school, she spent at a friends. I picked her up there, took her home long enough to pack for a week. Joe and Angela (with Jacob) picked the girls up to spend time at their place, before we moved. Last Friday, I met Angela in David City to pick Kendra up. She was home long enough to wash her laundry and re-pack; this time for a week at camp. Sunday afternoon that's where we were off to. I pick her up this Friday, just in time for the Gatewood family reunion on Saturday.
Jaydee has been hanging out with friends whenever she can, too. Due to already scheduled appointments, she was only able to spend the weekend at Joe's. Then she ended up with Tonsilitis, and on antibiotics. Oh the joys of summer! (Thank God it wasn't e-coli or the Swine flu.)
...had to go back to the last posting to see what I've updated and haven't...
Oh I do have an address to move to! To help the girls get an idea of what it will look like, I printed off copies of the floor plan. Kendra looks at it and says "this thing on the living room wall...is that a tv?" I had to tell her it was a fireplace. We'll be on the third floor, and will have a balcony. The balcony faces Mt. Talbert, and as long as a tree is not in the middle of the view, we should be able to see the peak.
Over the next few weeks we will be making a lot of changes and adjustments. As soon as we are somewhat settled in, I'll post some pictures of the new place (and the view!) For sanity purposes, cable and internet will be set up on the same day we move in. As anyone who has moved knows, settling in and being ready are two entirely different things.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Catchin up/update
It's been more than a month since I've posted anything. That is a good indication of how my life has been. Crazy and beyond crazy, it seems. The Philosophy class (Creative and Critical Thinking) is more work than I thought it would be. (I mean, how difficult could Philosophy be anyway?!) Just a few more weeks of community college! I may have to take one or two more classes so that I can start at PSU as a Jr., instead of a Soph., but that's do-able.
This month, I have discovered that it doesn't matter how much planning a person can do, God always has much better ideas! When I started to plan the move to Oregon, I had 4 "game plans" on how to get the girls, myself and our things to Oregon. About a month ago, I posted a prayer request on facebook. One of the prayers was someone with a pickup and/or trailer to move us, so I didn't have to drive a UHaul. A friend from church comes to me saying "my mom lives in Portland, and I have to go out in June to pick up some antique furniture of hers. They are moving her to an assisted living facility. I'll have an empty trailer going out, you are welcome to fill it."
Cool! Now all I have to do is pack the car, and drive the 3 days with the girls, right? Wrong. In order to register a vehicle in Oregon, it has to pass an emissions test. The "check engine" light cannot be on, in order to pass this test. I brought my car to the mechanic to replace the Oxygen sensor, which I had been told was the reason for the check engine light. He comes back and says it's the catalytic converter that is affecting the Oxygen sensors. One thing leads to another, and the grand total to bring my car up to Oregon standards is $3k to 4k. After a few hours of frustration, God speaks to me through Terry, saying "God is blessing you by not having you on the road with the girls, and breaking down in the middle of UT or WY." The decision has been made to sell or scrap the car here, fly to OR (instead of drive) and buy a car when I get to OR for what it would cost to repair the one here.
Even the "fly to OR" plan has shifted some. I had planned on flying out of Omaha, since it is usually cheaper. Guess again! Out of curiosity, I thought I'd check flights out of Lincoln...maybe there will be a sale, since they have just added a couple of new routes. God has moved again! There was one flight available at a much lower rate than the others in the 3-day frame I was looking at. I really shouldn't be shocked, but it was Sunday night, which is the time-frame I was really wanting to be on. To fly the 3 of us was $5 cheaper than driving to Omaha.
The only thing I need now is an address!
Now it's down to packing and purging. It's amazing how much stuff can accumulate over 10 years. Found a tote of baby clothes in the garage...and the baby of the family is 12! Jaydee went through those and separated the good from the bad. We will be donating some to Goodwill, and the rest will go to a family friend. I think it is finally warm enough to pack away the winter items. The Southwood Youth Group has a garage sale scheduled for May 23. I'll be donating some things there. The rest will be "donated, dumped or packed," over the next few weeks.
Also on the "to-do" list is to hire and train my replacement at work. I never realized how hard it is to write down everything you do on a daily basis. Most often than not, I do things without thinking about the step-by-step how-to process.
I'm sure I'm forgetting somethings which have happened over the last month. But these were the big ones, so to speak.
This month, I have discovered that it doesn't matter how much planning a person can do, God always has much better ideas! When I started to plan the move to Oregon, I had 4 "game plans" on how to get the girls, myself and our things to Oregon. About a month ago, I posted a prayer request on facebook. One of the prayers was someone with a pickup and/or trailer to move us, so I didn't have to drive a UHaul. A friend from church comes to me saying "my mom lives in Portland, and I have to go out in June to pick up some antique furniture of hers. They are moving her to an assisted living facility. I'll have an empty trailer going out, you are welcome to fill it."
Cool! Now all I have to do is pack the car, and drive the 3 days with the girls, right? Wrong. In order to register a vehicle in Oregon, it has to pass an emissions test. The "check engine" light cannot be on, in order to pass this test. I brought my car to the mechanic to replace the Oxygen sensor, which I had been told was the reason for the check engine light. He comes back and says it's the catalytic converter that is affecting the Oxygen sensors. One thing leads to another, and the grand total to bring my car up to Oregon standards is $3k to 4k. After a few hours of frustration, God speaks to me through Terry, saying "God is blessing you by not having you on the road with the girls, and breaking down in the middle of UT or WY." The decision has been made to sell or scrap the car here, fly to OR (instead of drive) and buy a car when I get to OR for what it would cost to repair the one here.
Even the "fly to OR" plan has shifted some. I had planned on flying out of Omaha, since it is usually cheaper. Guess again! Out of curiosity, I thought I'd check flights out of Lincoln...maybe there will be a sale, since they have just added a couple of new routes. God has moved again! There was one flight available at a much lower rate than the others in the 3-day frame I was looking at. I really shouldn't be shocked, but it was Sunday night, which is the time-frame I was really wanting to be on. To fly the 3 of us was $5 cheaper than driving to Omaha.
The only thing I need now is an address!
Now it's down to packing and purging. It's amazing how much stuff can accumulate over 10 years. Found a tote of baby clothes in the garage...and the baby of the family is 12! Jaydee went through those and separated the good from the bad. We will be donating some to Goodwill, and the rest will go to a family friend. I think it is finally warm enough to pack away the winter items. The Southwood Youth Group has a garage sale scheduled for May 23. I'll be donating some things there. The rest will be "donated, dumped or packed," over the next few weeks.
Also on the "to-do" list is to hire and train my replacement at work. I never realized how hard it is to write down everything you do on a daily basis. Most often than not, I do things without thinking about the step-by-step how-to process.
I'm sure I'm forgetting somethings which have happened over the last month. But these were the big ones, so to speak.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Attitude of Gratitude
It has been a while since I have posted my gratitude list, and is long over due.
-God's daily provisions. It may be simple to some, but for those who have lost the roof over their heads, it is a big thing.
-God putting the right people in my life, at the right time. I thank Him daily for those who lift me up with their words of praise and support.
-God has blessed me by opening doors so that I can inspire people to reach their goals, especially in reaching a healthier weight.
-The offer of a friend driving their Suburban pulling their trailer, to move our things to OR.
-Tax refund, instead of having to pay (like I thought I would.)
-The honor to be asked to sponsor a young man for his baptism, as well as Kendra being asked. (proud momma, too!)
-A friend replacing my study Bible, when they found out my old one (literally) fell apart.
-Celebrating with a young lady who has survived a year with a new heart.
-Having a snow storm move north and miss our area (praying for those affected though.)
-(as always) Hugs and cups of coffee from friends.
-God's daily provisions. It may be simple to some, but for those who have lost the roof over their heads, it is a big thing.
-God putting the right people in my life, at the right time. I thank Him daily for those who lift me up with their words of praise and support.
-God has blessed me by opening doors so that I can inspire people to reach their goals, especially in reaching a healthier weight.
-The offer of a friend driving their Suburban pulling their trailer, to move our things to OR.
-Tax refund, instead of having to pay (like I thought I would.)
-The honor to be asked to sponsor a young man for his baptism, as well as Kendra being asked. (proud momma, too!)
-A friend replacing my study Bible, when they found out my old one (literally) fell apart.
-Celebrating with a young lady who has survived a year with a new heart.
-Having a snow storm move north and miss our area (praying for those affected though.)
-(as always) Hugs and cups of coffee from friends.
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