my new hobby!

Some of you may already know, but my mom and I started something new this year we have never done before! WE joined the Tri-City Outrigging Canoe Club. My boss was telling me about it and it sounded like fun so we decided to go try it out for fun, and decided we both really like it and became members today (which just means you have to pay money). It goes from April to October and its 3 times a week. Today was my third practice and i think I'm going to die! Thursday we paddled a little over 4 miles, and today was just under 4 miles. Our practices are Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 8:45!! For those of you who know me well, know that I am NOT a morning person at all, but i decided what a better way to start your day than being out on the beautiful Columbia River. It sucked, it was kind of cold, and way to early in the morning, not to mention the hard work, but for some reason i am enjoying it so much i can't wait for the next practice. They are 6 person Canoes with an outrigger on the side so you do not flip (well at least not in the Columbia. There race in the George is a different story.) My mom and i decided at this point not to do any races, so we can just work on getting the technique down, but we may join to do some races latter on in the year depending on how it goes. Who would have thought that canoeing will use every muscle in your body! It is a great group of people to go out with and i have a blast every time. What a great way to get into shape and to be on the river when its so sunny and beautiful, and its cheaper than joining a gym :) If anyone in the TC is interested come check it out!

On a happy note: I am leaving Thursday to see my best friend and we are going t o PALM SPRINGS where i can relax and just let my muscles rest. Will post pictures when i get home :)

I Love You!

I was hanging out with my nephew today... as I love to on all my weekends, and it amazes me what you can learn from a 2 year old. I said something to him that i say EVERY time I talk to him or see him and today was the first day it dawned on me that what he was saying was something we should all say. I gave him a big hug and kiss today and said "I love you" and he looked at me and replied "Thank You". I stop and thought about it for a second and realized that when you say "I love you" the most common response is "I love you too". But I think "Thank You" is even a better answer. I think we need to Thank the person who loves us, for loving us. We say thank you to people all day long for many different reasons, but when was the last time you said "Thank You" to the person who said "I love you". So I think the next time I hear someone say "I love you", I think my new response will be "Thank you, and I love you too". Wow- 2 year olds are amazing!

Now one to the rest of our day. I decided to get my sprinkler in my yard running and Ethan was so happy to help me :)

Ethan playing in the sprinklers. The small one to the left is a waterfall sprinkler and he loved it!

He also LOVED the regular sprinklers!
Thank God mom and dad didn't see him :) He was so wet, he stuck his entire face in the sprinkler and soaked himself! What a fun day we had together :) Thankfully it was a nice day and he was able to dry off before i took him home.

Happy Easter.... a little late :)

So I'm a little late posting about Easter, but here's how my day went: Started with dad cooking LOTS and LOTS of food :)



What i choose to have:
Coffee
Cinnamon Roll
Ham and Cheese omelet

YUUMMMYYYYY :)

Ethan being a Easter Boy :) With mom

Aunt Amy got Ethan a Golf set:

Here I am trying to teach him how to do it properly before it turned into a pa ton swirling contest :)




Riding an Easter Basket is so much fun:



The Easter Egg Hunt...He got so good at it





Dad and Ethan Flying his new Kite he got from the Easter Bunny


The True Fun of Easter.... Opening all the Eggs!! He got quite good at that after he found out there were things inside :)

What a fun day that was...WE all had a wonderful dinner that night of Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, bread, broccoli dish and many other things along with some great company...

Hope everyone had as great of an Easter as i Did!

God is in the small stuff!

I have been reading a book the past month that brings your spirits up and remides you things about life.. When i read this chapter I felt this feeling that i need to post about it... I think mostly cause it deals with Marriage and so many of my friends and family members are married... and than so many of them end with a snap of the finger. So I just want to pass this on to encourage all that are married to love your spouse. The book is called "God is in the Small Stuff..and it all matters" By Bruce & Stan. I am quoting from Chapter 33 "How to REALLY love your spouse"

"There are four ways to love your spouse. But only one way will keep your marriage together.

You can have affection for your spouse. You can consider your spouse your best friend. And your sex life can be great that Dr. Ruth wants to hear all about it. In fact, it's possible to have all three of these feelings for your spouse, which is great. There's only one problem. Feelings come and go, especially in a marriage. One day you and your spouse are best friends, and the next day you can't stand each other. It happens, And marriages fall apart because couples base the whole thing on feelings.

Which brings us to the fourth love, the love that will keep your marriage together, as long as both of you take it to heart. It's that love with the funny name-agape love- which is the love that desires the best for the other person. This is unselfish love that seeks to give rather than take. This is love that takes work.

Here's another way to look at it: love is in the details. For a husband this means paying attention to the small stuff. It means remembering and planning special celebrations for anniversaries and birthdays (hint: she loves flowers, dinner, and weekends away). It means helping around the House, especially if your wife has a career outside the home. And it means (okay guys, here's a tough one) actually sitting down and having a meaningful, interactive conversations.

For a wife, love is in the details means showing interest in his work and hobbies. It means taking a breath between sentences so you can hear what he's thinking, even if he merely grunts (learn to interpret his grunts-- there are many shades of meaning). And it means offering your support and encouragement (let's fact it, your husband is more insecure than he lets on- all men are).

If loving your spouse unselfishly is a challenge for you, think about the way Jesus love you. The Bible says that Jesus willingly "Made himself nothing" in order to completely serve those he loved. And now he asks you to love your spouse in the same sacrificial way.."


".....In the Small Stuff

*Loving your spouse is not enough. :earn how to demonstrate your love
* Compliment your spouse with elegant words
* Think back and remember one ting you really admired about your spouse when you were dating
* Be as enthusiastic to stay married as you were to get married
* Remember when you got married
* Remember where you got married
*Remember why you got married
*Trade in your car, not your spouse..."

( -I Left some of the small stuff out but if your interested in the others let me know)

I think this is something that every married couple should read- if your husband wont read it, maybe you should try to read it to him.. Being married is something so special and they often end way to fast without a fight. I'm not married but one day when i am I will come back and re-read this again... I hope all married couples can keep this is mind as they go though life everyday!!

I love being a BITCH

I got this in an e-mail and thought it was to good not to pass on... There are several names I don't like to be called, "a Bitch" is not one of them :)


When I stand up for
myself and my beliefs,
they call me a
bitch.

When I stand up for
those I love,
they call me a bitch.

When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts
or do things my own way, they call me a
bitch.

Being a bitch
means I won't
compromise what's


in my heart.
It means I live my life
MY way.
It means I won't allow anyone to step on me.

When I refuse to
tolerate injustice and
speak against it, I am
defined as a
bitch.

The same thing happens when I take time for
myself instead of being everyone's maid, or when I act a little selfish.




It means I have the courage and strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won't become anyone else's idea of what they think I "should" be.


I am outspoken,
opinionated and determined. I want what I want and there is nothing wrong with that!

So try to stomp on me,
try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me.
You won't succeed.

And if that makes me a bitch ,
so be it.
I embrace the title and
am proud to bear it

B - Babe
I - In
T - Total
C - Control of
H - Herself