Nate and Erica

Day 10 Photo

2011-11-10T20:22:00.001-08:00

So day 10 was supposed to be a childhood memory. It took me all day to decide because I had so many things I wanted to photograph. I ended up picking books because so many memories of my childhood involved books. I loved to read so much! The Bobbsey Twins were some of my favorite books and they are so pretty so I chose them to photograph. I actually have more than are shown in this photo!

Photo Day 9

2011-11-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

Today we had to photograph someone we love. I thought about taking a picture of my puppy but I have already used her in two photos so I decided to pick someone new. Mandy was being the sweetest this morning so I snapped her photo as we were walking out the door to go to school. Isn't she sweet?

Day 8 Photo

2011-11-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

Day 8 we had to photograph a bad habit. I originally started taking pictures of my shoe collection. I piled them all in the middle of my bedroom floor and started taking pictures. After a few minutes of looking over these works of art I came to the realization that there was nothing "bad" about this habit and so I walked away. Though I do not drink martinis on a regular basis for some people this could be a bad habit. I took this photo rather early in the morning and Nate came in the room and wanted to know what I was doing with vodka so early. I assured him the kids were at school and therefore it was a perfectly okay time to enjoy a martini! Just kidding! Note the frosted glass as my considerate hubby keeps them in the freezer for such a time that I may desire an Appletini!

Day 7 Photo

2011-11-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

So day 7 we were supposed to photograph fruit. I wanted to do kiwis but when I cut them open they were not that ripe and therefore not the right green color I wanted. I thought this pomegranate would make for a cool photo plus it is yummy!When I first cut it open the juice was a nice blood red color so I yelled ouch and told Nate I cut my finger. He came running into the kitchen and started scrambling for towels before he figured out what I was up to... then he was mad at me. I thought it was funny!

Photo Day 6

2011-11-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today's photo had to be from a low angle. My first attempt was a photo of a Red Shouldered hawk sitting on a power line but I spooked it and it flew off as I was taking the photo. I was trying to think of something super creative to photograph but it was getting late and my puppy is just so darn cute I couldn't resist taking her picture. I would love to photograph Tule but she always scoots closer and closer as I take pictures so Benelli is my go to girl. Isn't she cute?

Photo 5

2011-11-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

So today's photo needed to be from a high angle. Since it is November I decided I would take a picture of some of my fall decorations. I love fall! I again had lighting issues since I spent most of the day hunting pheasants. I didn't get one in case you were wondering.

Day 4 Photo

2011-11-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

Day 4 we were challenged to be inspired by something green. I wasn't sure about this one as this is not the time of year that green really jumps out at you. Than my hubby made me this yummy Appletini! This definitely inspired my taste buds!

Day 3 Photo

2011-11-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of the photo challenge was clouds. I was lucky and unlucky because a storm was rolling in today. Lucky because there would actually be clouds and unlucky because they would look like a grey blob. Nate noticed the great colors outside and suggested I get out and take my pictures as the sun was coming up. I am glad I did. This was my favorite photo.

Photo Challenge Day 2

2011-11-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of my photo challenge was "What I Wore Today". My outfit today was not entirely exciting as I was our and about with my hubby. We went out to his duck blind to get things set up for the season and brought the dogs so they could run. Oh by the way I got a new puppy since I last blogged. She is so sweet and I love her tons! She had so much fun as she has never just been able to run free like she was able to our in the rice fields. Since my outfit was somewhat boring I photographed my super cute boots along with my puppy! It was late when I took the photo and the lighting was poor so I had to use my flash to get s decent photo. I would have preferred natural light but I was still happy because Nelli looks adorable! The rest of the photos are the girls having fun in the rice field.

Has it really been 4 months since I posted?

2011-11-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

Time sure flies when you are having fun! I can't believe it has taken me so long to get back on here! We have had a lot of transition in our lives the last few months so I will give that as my excuse! Ha ha! I will do better from now on I promise! I thought I would add some photos from a 30 day photo challenge I am part of on here. It is a group on facebook but I wanted to share it on here as well. Along with these I will try to add photos from the last few months that didn't make it here on time.

Day 1: Self Portrait

Before and After Mandy

2011-06-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

A baby no more our little one is growing up! Lucky for us she still loves to cuddle with us!

Before and After Abby

2011-06-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

It is crazy how you can't see them changing until you compare the photos! I mean I know they change because I keep having to buy them new clothes but I can't see it when we are in the midst of life!

Before and After Lexie

2011-06-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

So it is time for the annual comparison of pictures from the beginning of the school year to the end! I am always amazed at how much they change over the course of the school year.

Dance Dance Dance

2011-06-19T07:52:00.001-07:00

The glitter is fading and the curls are falling out. The recital is over and we are celebrating! I am so thankful this comes around only once a year! I don't know if I could do this more than once a year. I will try and post the videos of their dance soon.

Is it summer yet?

2011-06-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

So the weather around here has been crazy lately! I keep thinking it is summer and then these storms hit. These aren't just any storms either. I honestly have never seen weather like this in June! One of my friends had to ride out a tornado the other day in her basement as the storm ripped the trees out of her back yard and put them in her front! I don't even have a basement and so far 4 tornados have touched down in our area.

More Birthdays!

2011-06-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

My parents both have May birthdays just like two of our girls so we always have a hard time squeezing everyone in to celebrate. Last year we decided it would just be easier to celebrate everyone together and last night was the first time all of were able to be in one place at the same time. We had a great dinner and dessert and lots of fun opening presents! Below is a picture of the girls with their grandparents!

Birthday's at the Lake

2011-06-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

Besides fishing and pancake breakfasts we always celebrate three birthdays memorial weekend at the lake. Grandpa Mike, Lexie, and Abby always have their birthdays fall on or around this weekend so we always spend part of the weekend celebrating them! Grammy baked some delicious desserts for us to enjoy and the three of them opened some fun presents!

Lake Almanor

2011-06-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to head up to Lake Almanor for our annual memorial weekend trip this last weekend but I have to say it was the coldest it has ever been this time of year! In fact it actually snowed while we were there!!!! So much for the swimsuits I packed. The girls actually begged to put their suits on and get in the bathtub! Poor things. Finally the clouds broke enough on Monday that we could take the boat out for some fishing. Lexie decided to stay back at the house with Grammy and I have to say I wish I had her wisdom because it was freezing! I bundled up and I still lost feeling in my toes! Mandy caught our one and only fish before the storm came back in and we had to rush back to shore!

Mandy's 6th Birthday Party

2011-06-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Mandy had her 1st school friends party this year. The turnout wasn't what I expected but she still had a great time with the three friends that attended. She said she wanted a princess party and I did my best to deliver that for her! We did arts and crafts and had cake so much fun!

Rainy Day Fun

2011-06-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

So after what feels like weeks of bad weather I feel like we are going stir crazy in this house! I knew I had to do something fun when I saw this weekend called for more rain so while the girls were playing upstairs I snuck down and built them a fort! I ran upstairs when I was done and told them it was flooding and we had to get on the boat. They had no idea what was going on until they got downstairs. I made them two bags of popcorn and told them it was their supplies! They have now been playing in it nonstop for the last 3 hours. Now they are trying to talk me into letting them sleep in it!

Happy Birthday Abby!

2011-05-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Our sweet girl turns nine today! I can hardly believe she is already nine! I swear each year goes by faster and faster! She had a sleepover birthday party this year and had asked to have a giant chocolate cookie just like my mom used to make me when I was a little girl. I love carrying on that tradition with my girls! If you are wondering about the candles, Nate unintentionally melted them!

Mandy's Dance Photos

2011-05-19T19:20:00.001-07:00

So sweet! I love her little poses she always chooses! This is her last year in kinderdance next year I am changing her to ballet only. She does well at tap but she doesn't love it like she does ballet!

Abby's Dance Pictures

2011-05-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

Abby is so much fun to take photos of because she always wants to get into character. Today she said she was in a sassy outfit so she wanted to do sassy poses! I love how her beautiful blue eyes just pop out of her face. She is such a sweet girl that even though she is trying to look stuff the gentle soul in her shines through! I also love her dance outfit this year it looks awesome!

Lexie's Dance Pictures

2011-05-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

So today was Lexie's dance pictures and instead of buying them I always prefer to take my own. Lexie is at an age where taking her picture can be very difficult. She doesn't like the attention or how she looks. It is like a huge fight every time I want to take her picture. This time she was in a fairly good mood and her pictures turned out incredible. She is so beautiful and I love that she finally allowed her pictures to capture that beauty!

I'm Back!!!!!!

2011-05-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Just needed a little break from all the technology in my life but now I am back ready to blog! I hope you missed me!

Lexie's 11th Birthday Party

2011-05-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

We had Lexie's birthday party the other night. She chose to have a slumber party so I limited the number of friends she could have over but they still had fun! They made a music video and tie-dyed shirts. I will post the video later because it is definitely worth watching!

Oh Amanda Rose.......

2011-05-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Miss Mandy Rose gets dirty than almost any other child I have ever seen. The other day I picked her up fro school and I almost didn't recognize her she was so dirty! Oh and also she was missing her skirt that was on her when she went to school. Oh to be able to see the thoughts in that little head of hers!!!

Happy 6th Birthday Mandy!

2011-04-27T07:09:00.001-07:00

Happy St Patricks day!

2011-03-17T17:59:00.001-07:00

Looking forward to our corned beef and cabbage!

I am coming home!

2011-03-12T10:51:00.001-08:00

I am so happy to be heading home to my family! I have missed them so much! My dear husband was gone last week and since I was gone this week we have hardly seen each other. He told me today that he may be called away for work next week so I am going to cherish every moment I have with him this week. We have been so grateful for all the grandparents who have helped us out these last two weeks as we wouldn't have survived it with out them! The girls love spending time with everyone but I know they are ready for all of us to be home together. It is funny how as they get older how much they prefer to be home in their own beds. I can't wait to pick all three of them up tomorrow and get back to our normal routine! Here is my favorite picture I took while I was at Sharp Top Cove!

My 1st kill

2011-03-11T06:11:00.001-08:00

So we are doing a lot of training here at camp but we have also added in some fun. One of the things we are doing is playing a game called Spoons. I think it is really called something else but this is Young Life so they try and make it sound better. You are given the name of someone in camp and you have to figure out who they are and smack them with your plastic spoon. Thanks to the help of my roomies I finally tracked my target down and took her out after breakfast! We can't take people out during meals or meetings so you have to be very stratigic. Now I have to go find my next target......

In the Quiet...

2011-03-10T06:51:00.001-08:00

As I sit here in the remote Georgia mountains I am reminded how refreshing the quiet can be. The quiet gives a moment of reflection and time to listen for what we are called to do. As we studied Esther last night I felt released from guilt in my life that I have carried for 11 years. For so long I struggled with decisions I made in my life that led me to become a single mom. But then a verse in Esther that I have heard a thousand times suddenly made sense...."for such a time as this....." The road I took was hard but the lessons I learned prepared me For Such A Time As This! I have earned the right speak in to Teen Moms lives because of the road I walked. In the quiet in the stillness He is there.....

Camp day 1

2011-03-09T11:00:00.001-08:00

I am exhausted. 2 flights and one bus ride since 12:30 am! The best part is it is raining in the bus! Yup there rain drops falling on me as I speak.....or as I write. My last plane ride was miserable. I have been on rollercoasters that were not as bumpy. It was the first time in my life I thought I might get airsick......which someone did on my 1st flight. It was too big a mess to cleanup so they just threw blankets over it for the remainder of the flight. Here is hoping for the rest of my trip to be uneventful!

I love my husband!

2011-03-08T11:00:00.001-08:00

After a week away my amazing husband brought me these!

I need a vacation!

2011-03-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

My handsome husband and I need a vacation! One of the things I think we both realize is that we need to spend plenty of time together just the two of us. I love all three of my girls but the fact of the matter is if we are not refreshed as a couple we cannot be the best parents they need. Sometimes life gets so busy that we forget we are still newlyweds and we are building the foundation to our marriage. So we have planned a cruise. I am so very excited because I have never been on a cruise and I have always wanted to go. Plus I can't wait to have a whole uninterrupted weekend with my husband. We are heading down to Mexico which is exciting because that is where we spent our honeymoon!

She has talent!

2011-02-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

So the past few weeks Lexie has been preparing for an important event... her school talent show! I was so impressed when she said she and her friend Cara were going to perform. She planned to play the piano while Cara sang. I was so amazed that they wanted to do this in front of their whole school. They decided on the song In The Secret which is a very sweet worship song. They practiced for weeks and then had to try out in front of a panel of teachers. They rocked it!! Their music teacher's mouth dropped and she said in the history of the talent show they had never had a student play the piano while another student sang. The girls were so excited. Then the evening before the talent show Cara got extremely ill and was not going to be at school. I was so bummed for them and I knew they had worked so hard. Lexie wasn't giving up though and an hour before the talent show she convinced another friend to sing along with her. They got on stage and performed as if they had practiced many times together. I was so proud of Lexie for not giving up! I taped it... at least I thought I did... until I got home and it wasn't on the tape!!! Ugh I was so mad! I will always have the memory at least.

A Loyal Friend

2011-02-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

The other day we had to say goodbye to one of the most loved members of our family. At the age of 10 our beloved Remington passed on to a place where the ducks are always flying. A couple of months ago Remi was hit with a very aggressive form of cancer and we knew our days with her were numbered. We tried some treatments but on Thursday we realized she was ready to move on. There have been a lot of tears at our house but that just shows how loved she was. Remington loved her family. In the evenings she used to move from room to room making sure all of the girls were fast asleep. She loved all of us but Nate was who she truly adored. Whatever he asked of her she did. She loved to be with him riding around in the truck and hunting. It is he who will miss her the most! Nate took her out a couple weeks ago for one last trip to the duck blind and the pictures below are from that trip.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T07:15:00.000-08:00

So I was so excited the last few weeks to watch these flowers emerge from the ground! They were Valentine's Day gifts last year from my Dad. Every year as long as I can remember my Dad gas always given me flowers on Valentine's Day. Now he also includes my three girls and they love it! We planted the living flowers last year and they died almost immediately. I was so excited to see them return again this year and bloom just in time for Valentine's Day!

Are you ready for love?

2011-02-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

We are ready for Valentine's Day! I had this thought in my head this year that instead of buying Valentine's the girls and I could make them! Sounds like fun right? I sometimes wonder where I come up with these ideas. I mean in my head it looks great... we are laughing and it is all coming together easily... we drink tea and toast our masterpieces. Oh my gosh what work! My fingers ache and my vision is blurry! I even bought kits so I wouldn't have to be super creative. My table is now permanently covered in glue, glitter, sequins, and little bits of paper! To be honest though the girls loved it! I did alone time with each of them to make their Valentines and though it took days I am glad we did it. I was so proud of Mandy because she wanted to write out each Valentine to her friends.

A Little Paint

2011-02-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

I love my husband for many reasons but one of the main ones is that when I want to do something he gets it done! He doesn't just tell me he is going to do it he does it. Most times he even does it with a happy heart! Case in point.. our bathrooms. We have a beautiful home but when Nate and I got married there hadn't been a lot of decorating done. There were white walls everywhere and a lack of things it needed to make a home. Nate had done some things but the house really lacked a woman's touch. Nate has indulged most of my wishes and I feel things are really coming together! My birthday present from him this year was painting two of our three bathrooms. I had purchased new shower curtains for our downstairs guest bathroom and the girls bathroom and he was kind enough to paint them for me. The guest bathroom he even painted twice as he tried so hard to pick out a color to surprise me but it just wasn't what I wanted! I was going to tell you which bathroom I like the best but to be honest I love them both!

Downstairs Bathroom

The Girls Bathroom

A Date

2011-02-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

Okay not a real date yet! She is only 10 after all. It was the best kind of date a girl her age could hope for..... a date with her Daddy! Every year her school as a father daughter dance and I think it is such an amazing time for the girls to bond with their dads! She has gone before but her Dad also brought her step sisters. This year it was just the two of them! It was so special because it is rare she spends time with him all by herself. I think the scariest part is that she is wearing my shoes!!!! Yes, that is my pair of heels on her feet ... I hope I get them back!

A new outfit

2011-02-08T06:43:00.000-08:00

Tule got a new outfit during duck season. Remi has had a jacket and Tule needed one. She had a health scare recently that we had thought was weather related so Nate went and got her a jacket. Doesn't she look cute? She didn't like it at first but then she realized that everytime it was put on she got to go hunting!

Gingerbread Houses

2011-02-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

I bought a gingerbread kit before Christmas for the girls and I to work on over their break. Unfortunately it flew by and we never got around to making our houses until the other day. They were a lot smaller than I thought they were going to be and I think the girls ate more icing than they put on their houses but it was still fun!

Since I last posted..

2011-02-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

... I turned another year older! I had a small party with my sweet family. All the girls made me the most beautiful cards you have ever seen! The best part was no one reminded them to do this it was all on their own. Abby even asked her teacher if she could pick a present out of the treat chest in her classroom. Too sweet! Nate made me my favorite cake and we had a great time!

Field Trip Fun

2011-02-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago Nate and I were able to tag along on one of Abby's field trips. They have been studying birds and habitats so we headed out to Grey Lodge Wildlife Area to look at all these things first hand. We are so lucky to have to have a place like this in our back yard. It was cold but the kids had a lot of fun and we all learned a lot. Well most of us learned things.... Nate already know almost everything there is to know!

I am so thankful....

2011-02-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

..... duck season is over. Now when I open my garage I won't have to see these hanging there!

Have You Missed Us?

2011-02-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

Have you missed us? I have missed posting! Things just have been hectic lately here and I just haven't gotten around to downloading pictures. So I have posted some new photos for your viewing pleasure. This is from a photo shoot Miss Mandy requested. She loves having her picture taken and she probably made me take 50 different poses! I don't know where she comes up with these poses but some of them are super cute!

Hark!

2011-01-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

Nate says I never post pictures of things I do so he is making me post pictures from our church's Christmas Eve service. The above pictures show me singing in our small... very small church choir. I am not really a great singer. I mostly do it because I enjoy singing and I enjoy the social aspect of it! Plus they don't have a lot of people willing to sing so they ask me back every time!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-01-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

It has been forever since I posted sorry!!! I took a mini break and then I had trouble getting my pictures to post! Here are the pics from our New Years celebration. Almost everyone stayed up with me. Mandy tried hard but she finally fell asleep on the living room floor. We woke her up to toast in the new year. The dogs went a little crazy with all the gunshots and fireworks going off. We all wished Remington a happy birthday and then fell into bed!

She tried so hard to stay awake!

Happy 10th Birthday Rem!

Christmas Program

2010-12-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the girls Christmas program at church. It was very very cute! They have been studying life in Bethlehem so they wore cute time period costumes. I completely forgot my camera at home so I had to use my cell phone again!

Mandy's Dance Recital

2010-12-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

Abby's Dance Recital

2010-12-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

Dance Recital

2010-12-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

The other night was Lexie's winter dance recital but I was leading Young Lives Club so I had to miss it! I think this is the 1st time I have ever missed one of Lexie's events! I was really bummed but I had committed to club previously. Nate was amazing super Dad and got her ready to go, fed three girls and video taped the performance for me. Abby was on picture duty and got some great shots. She will be a photographer like her Aunt Alyssa in no time! You can watch the video below.

Guess who loves school.....

2010-12-15T07:05:00.000-08:00

Miss Mandy Rose has not missed a day of school so far this year and has an award to show for it. She was so excited she had to show me know less then 5 times and gave me the play by play of how she got it. School can be overwhelming your first year but she has adjusted well and is loving learning!

A Christmas Wreath

2010-12-14T07:52:00.000-08:00

I had baby shower for my friend Claire on Saturday so my Mom was kind enough to come down and entertain the girls. The girls had so much fun I don't think they wanted me to come home. One of the projects they worked on was a rice krispie wreath. I have memories of making this when I was a little girl so it was fun to come home and see this sitting on the counter. I have to admit it didn't last long as rice krispie treats is one of my favorite sweets!

Candy Cane Lane

2010-12-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

Last night was Lexie's school Christmas program. I love her school because they go all out for these things. I was a little sad because Lexie reminded me that this was probably her last Christmas program!! I am so sad because it feels like she has grown up so fast!

Her amazing music teacher!

Rocking out!

Lexie had a solo and she rocked it!

My dad has given Lexie a flower after almost every performance since kindergarten. He forgot once and Lexie was upset...... he never forgot again!

It's a Gingerbread Christmas!

2010-12-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

Last night was Mandy's Kindergarten Christmas program. We built a gingerbread house and then the kids sang some songs. Mandy was so cute and she had so much fun. She really got into singing the sings and even told us later her teacher missed some hand motions. "I'll let her know tomorrow." She said. Too cute!

One of the best Kindergarten teachers around!!!

Mandy and her little friend Alyssa

Some more favorites

2010-12-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

I talked so much about putting ornaments on the tree that I wanted to highlight some of my favorites! It is crazy how each one of the tells a story and brings back so many great memories!

This was the 1st one I ever received!

I made this one 10 years later

10 years after that I gave Lexie her 1st ornament

And almost 10 years after that I added this one!

I love all my vintage Barbies. Lexie took the head off one of them when she knocked over the tree one year!

Nate and I got this one on our honeymoom

Another hand made one. Thanks for the awesome haircut Mom!

Our trip to Kona in 2008

Our 1st big family trip to Disneyland last year!

My Favorite Things

2010-12-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

I love this decorating our house this time of year so I thought I would share some of my favorite pieces! Some are old some are new but they all bring that Christmas spirit to our house!

These small ornaments belonged to my grandparents!

My Aunt Gail gave this Santa to the girls. You should see him shake his hips!

This belonged to my parents.. then my grandparents.. and now me!

I love wrapping things on the wall! Last year the girls thought these were real presents!

I love the tree and seeing all the presents underneath.

Our stockings hung with care!

I love my Snow Baby collection

This is one of my favorite pieces

This is my absolute favorite! I have always loved Cinderella!

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over so we put up our tree and other Christmas decorations the other day. I love getting the house decorated for Christmas and I especially love putting up all the ornaments. My Mom has given me an ornament every year since I was born and some I have are souvenirs from vacations so it is always a trip down memory lane. The girls love asking about where they got each ornament as well. So much fun!

Abby's 1st Big Girl Haircut

2010-12-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

Abby has been begging to get her haircut for 3 months but I keep putting her off because I didn't want to take her to one of the cheap clips places. I wasn't sure where to take her as I am not familier with any of the hair salons in our town and she is not often in Chico. Today we happened to be running errands in town so I had my mom call her stylist to see if she had an opening. Christine has been cutting Lexie's hair for years and so I thought she would also be great for Abby. We lucked out and she had an opening so I took Abby over for her 1st real salon haircut. She loved it! She was impressed with how nice the salon was and how many women were there. I told her that ladies love getting their hair done in a nice place and she decided she likes this too. Christine put sparkles in her hair and she looked so adorable!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the second year in a row and I have to say I was not stressed at all this time. I delegated a lot of things to other people and prepped a lot a couple days before. I got up early to make the dressing and by early I mean 8am. We threw the turkey in at 11:30 and relaxed until family started showing up. I wish I had more pictures but when you are hosting their seems to be a lot less time for picture taking!

My mom entertained the girls with her ipad

We brought in an extra table and moved furniture so we could accommodate everyone. Excuse my beer...

The traditional dinner photo

All the cousins. I wished they were in a different light but you take it when they are all in one spot!

That Time of Year

2010-11-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

The other day Nate needed to go out to his duck blind to drop some things off so the girls and I decided to head out with him. When we go there the mosquitoes were really bad so the girls waited in the truck while Nate and I waded out. I was much slower than him as I only had rain boots and not waders. Plus I had my camera and I knew if I went to fast I would be going down!

Nate quickly left me behind

I love this picture

Check out all the ducks and I was able to get so close!

Here is where all the action happens

This would be a better picture if Nate didn't look annoyed with me!

This is why I had to walk so slow. I do love this boots though!

Kindergarten- Mandy

2010-11-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

I posted the older girls school pictures but I hadn't gotten around to posting Mandy's picture until today. I was so nervous about Mandy's school picture because she is hit and miss with her smiles. Sometimes she has the most beautiful smile and sometimes she tries too hard and you don't see her sweet personality. I love her smiles because you can see that little bit of mischief hiding there. She loves to do things that make others laugh even though sometimes her stunts get her in trouble! People are always surprised because she is a joker hiding behind a cute little face! I had her wear the dress she wore to the first day of school because she looks adorable in it!

Fall Festival

2010-11-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

Before we went trick or treating we carved our pumpkins and went to our church's fall festival. We had so much fun at the festival. There was chili, hot dogs, and nachos for dinner. We played carnival games and went trick or trunking. There was a cake walk. I may have forgotten to tell my husband how lucky I am at cake walks and he was a little bit bitter about my win. Of course he had a secret of his own ...... he had failed to mention to me that he was an amazing square dancer. Yup you read this right my husband who does not dance, square dances! He knew all the names of the moves and was quite the amazing dancer. Had I known we could have square danced at our wedding. It took the little girls a little bit to catch on but all in all it was a ton of fun. After the festival we came back to the house and I took care of the house while Nate took the girls out begging for candy.

Pumpkins by Mandy, Nate, Abby, Lexie, and Erica

They played games

It was a lot of fun

We did the cake walk.

The girls posed on Hal's motorcycle

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

3rd Grade

2010-10-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

We got Abby's school pictures today and they are so cute! I think we were shocked though with how old she looks in this picture! Abby is always really photogenic but I love how her personality really shines in this photo. I wasn't happy with the shirt she had picked out originally so I picked out a different one but I let her pick out her own hairstyle. She loves the side pony!

Our Little Reader

2010-10-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

So just a couple months into Kindergarten Mandy has learned so much. She is like a little sponge who is just soaking up information. Lately she has really been wanting to read so we have been practicing with words that she knows and then adding new words to her memory bank. Finally last week we picked up an easy reader book and she was able to recognize words and read the majority of the book to me. I was so proud of her and she was so excited. Now every night she comes down with a book and asks if I would like her to read to me! Too cute!

This Time of Year

2010-10-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

First off I am going to say this post is a READER BEWARE post. Not everyone will want to see the below posted pictures. They are part of our life so I am sharing them as this is my blog and I make the rules. I like making rules... just ask my kids!

This weekend had perfect weather for Nate's favorite time of year..... duck season! There is nothing that gets him and our dogs more excited than hunting ducks. Every year starting the first weekend of duck season I become a single parent until the beginning of February. It is on February 1st that I regain a husband and my girls a father. The only evidence that he is even around will be duck feathers floating about my garage and an increasing supply of duck/goose meat in the freezer.

Some people have an issue with hunting but to me it is the perfect way for us to supply our family with organic meat. We know where our meat comes from and we know what it has been eating. The other nice thing is we know that these animals led a good life. They weren't cooped up in a cage or mistreated. I love that we have a supply of venison, turkey, quail, and duck in our freezer to eat.

Now that I have gotten that off my chest here are some pictures of Nate and the girls cleaning ducks!

This is a duck prior to getting cleaned

This is Nate cleaning the duck. I love Abby's face!

Here is Abby helping. It is a requirement to help in this house. Unless you are me of course!

This girl loves this time of year....

not as much as this old gal loves it though!

Another First

2010-10-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Last week was Mandy's first school field trip! I really wanted to go but I haven't submitted the required paperwork with the school district so only Nate was able to attend. He didn't want to take the camera since it was raining so the only photos I have are from his cell phone. Her field trip was to the Book's pumpkin patch and I was so excited for her to go there as I have so many great childhood memories there. Mandy has actually been there once before when we went to spend time there this summer with my childhood friend Leah. She had a lot of fun feeding chickens and making butter out of the cows milk. Her favorite part of course was picking her pumpkins. Thanks Books for creating such a fun experience for the kids!

Pictures Gone Wrong

2010-10-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

So every time I take a bunch of pictures of the girls have of them go wrong. It is so hard to take a good picture of the three of them. It seems like one of them is always doing something in every photo. I am so excited when I have a picture turn out well with all three of them smiling an looking at the camera. Here are some examples of pictures gone wrong!

They have their eyes closed

They make crazy faces

They touch their face

The Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took the girls to our local pumpkin patch. Sometimes it is sooo hard to coordinate all of our schedules to do something like this together. I was so happy we were able to go this weekend and pick out our pumpkins. Nate was the only one to not pick out a pumpkin. I think he was scared to get one as my jack-o-lantern was so much better than his last year. It is okay to have a little fear in your marriage or maybe it is just respect for me superior skills?

There were sheep to pet

And a horse

Pumpkins to pick

I made them take a picture in a caboose

The we sat in another caboose

Finally we rode the train and counted scarecrows. There were 22!

Then we took our pumpkins home!

What's Cooking

2010-10-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

So here is what was cooking last night. I figured since I featured one of Nate's meals last time I would feature one of mine tonight. I made one of our family favorite comfort meals. Since it was raining last night it was the perfect evening for comfort food.... Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes! The mashed potato recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman's cookbook and the meatloaf is my version of my Mom's recipe. I really wanted broccoli to go with it but the stuff at the store looked way past its prime so I opted for peas. We don't normally have peas since Nate dislikes them but he was at work so it was a good time to cook them!

Thursday

2010-10-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Oh Thursday I am so happy to see you! There is so much hope that comes with you. You bring a promise that tomorrow will be Friday and the start of my weekend. You show that I have survived the majority of my week. My question to you Thursday is why can't you be Friday. If you were Friday I would be ecstatic to see you!

Yuck!

2010-10-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

So I wish I could post about what a great relaxing day today was but it wasn't! Today Lexie's dad took me back to court over some financial issues so I spent my day in a courthouse. I despise going to court almost anything more in the world. I have been lucky that I haven't had to go to court in over five years but my luck ended today. It is a stressful process and you never know when your case will be called so you have to sit in a courtroom with a bunch of dirty smelly people listening to how screwed up their lives are. My luck held up and our case was called last! Normally I have an attorney but I decided to go at it solo this time. It wasn't so bad since I never said more than two words and those words were saying I understood they were holding us over for trial!! So it means that I get to go back and do this whole process all over again. I am so thankful that my hubby was there with me for moral support!

School Pictures

2010-10-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

So it is that time of year again when we get the girls school pictures! I feel like it is a gamble because you never know how they are going to turn out. Lexie's are the first ones we got back and I love them. I think she looks great! This was the first year I let Lexie choose her own outfit. I actually tried to talk her out of wearing this dress but I think she made the right choice! Lets hope the other two girls look just as nice!

Dinner for Two

2010-10-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

So this weekend Nate and I had a much needed break from the kiddos. Our life is so busy with work, homework, and shuttling kids to activities. Nate really wanted us to get some time together just the two of us so we shipped the kids off for a weekend alone! Friday night Nate cooked me a great dinner. He stuffed some quail he had hunted earlier in the week with jalapenos and ricotta cheese. He then wrapped them in bacon and baked them. He also made some fried potatoes and an amazing salad to go along with it. I finished it off with a glass of wine. What a great meal!!

The next day we packed up the car and headed to Reno to spend the rest of the weekend in the biggest little city in the world. We stayed at a the beautiful Siena and ate a fabulous meal there at a restaurant named Lexie's. Lucky for me we were also able to fit in some shopping while we were there! It was really nice to get away... but then again it was also nice to get home!

Bacon wrapped quail

An amazing meal

Dancing Queen

2010-10-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

All three girls are back in the swing of dance classes. It is a lot of work for us but the girls love it. Lexie is taking two hours of dance this year to help get her caught up with the girls her age. Most of the girls in our town started dancing at 3 or 4 so Lexie has a little catching up to do as this is only her second year of dancing. I took pictures of her practicing some of her moves so I can help her with her form. She asked me if I was going to put them on the blog and I said maybe. She said she didn't want to and I respect that. I also know that money talks so I paid her 50 cents and she said okay. The biggest thing I noticed with these photos is how old she is starting to look!

Crazy Hair Day!

2010-10-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

So every homecoming week Abby and Mandy's school has class competitions. Everyday the competition is different and today's competition was for crazy hair. I put funky pony's in each of their hair and then sprayed purple hair color in as well. The hair color is temporary but they love having their hair colored. It always comes at a good time of year too because all of the Halloween supplies are in the store so it is easy to find temporary hair dye.

Miss Mandy

Miss Abby

You know your Daddy loves you when....

2010-10-06T07:19:00.000-07:00

he buys you a present for no reason... and its beer! It is not just any beer either it is Pumpkin Ale! Pumpkin Ale is only available one time of year and this is it. Every fall I go on the hunt for some and I always have a problem finding it in stock. Most stores only get a limited supply and it goes quickly! Lucky for me my Dad took care of me this year! Thanks Dad!

Young Lives Newsletter

2010-10-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Some of you know but some of you may not know that I am the new director of Chico Young Lives. I have been a mentor since the beginning but this is my first year leading the charge! I am so excited to step out in this ministry to teen moms. As a young mother myself I have a heart for these girls and their babies. Here is an update on how things are going!

YOUNG LIVES NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2010

Hi Everyone!

This is my first Young Lives newsletter for this year and I am so excited to update you with how the program is running. I hope to update all of you monthly with praises, prayer requests, and needs.

Praises

Our first club went great. My parents Roger and Linda Swanson were kind enough to host a BBQ for us at their home. We had hoped to have a swim party but the weather did not permit it. We had 6 girls attend the first club and I think they all had a great time. We socialized over hamburgers and had a great time playing with babies. The girls had fun going through the donations and took home a ton of baby clothes! I am really looking forward to our next club to see if we can draw in some more girls.

I am so thankful that I have been allowed to meet girls on Fairview’s campus. Twice a month I am even allowed in the Young Parent classroom. God has opened doors for me to meet girls where they are!

Prayer Requests

As I was driving around to pick up girls for club I came across a young couple walking down the road. The girl was pushing a stroller with belongings piled high and the gentleman had a pack-n-play perched on his shoulder. I drove past them at first but then felt God really encouraging me to go back. I did and found through my conversation with them that they and their baby were recently homeless and staying at the local shelter. I invited them to club, checked them out of the shelter, and packed them into my car. We were able to provide some baby clothes to them and I hooked the young father up with my dad and Dan Martin to see about other resources for them. I was so thankful that the two of them were there to minister to this young man. Pray for this family’s journey. I can only imagine what it must be like to be homeless with a baby.

Please pray for Alyssa the 15 year old girl I am mentoring. There has been quite a battle for the life of her unborn child. She has chosen life but the adults in her life have said no. God has been listening to her prayers though, as she was sitting in Planned Parenthood pleading with her relative for this child’s life the worker told them she thought it was best if they waited to make this decision for an abortion. I have never had someone from Planned Parenthood say “Maybe abortion isn’t the best option for you.” I am glad that someone finally heard Alyssa's voice in all of this! I have had more than one person express to me they feel there is an anointing over this child! Please pray for Alyssa as right now she is living in an environment that is very hard. She feels unsafe and has been speaking with social workers about her options. Please pray in the meantime that she and her baby will be safe.

Needs

We need money!!! I love leading this program with all my heart but my gifting is for fellowship with teen moms and not with fundraising. Unfortunately money is needed to run this ministry. Currently I have been funding everything myself and I can just not continue to do this. If God is laying on your heart to pledge a monthly support it will be greatly appreciated! Every little bit will help.

We need child care workers. If you have a heart for playing with babies once a month during club please call me! Club cannot run efficiently without people loving on these adorable children.

We need committee members. Maybe your heart is for working behind the scenes. If this is you then the committee is the perfect place for you. The committee is made up of people I go to when I have needs or wants for the club. They are people who don’t mind helping to put together a dinner or finding resources in the community for a girl in need.

We need food. Once a month we have a club where we provide dinner for the girls and their babies. If you would like to make a meal for about 20 people please let me know a month that will work for you. I am hoping to do a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in November and would probably need a couple people to help with that.

Donations are also greatly appreciated. We spend a lot of time socializing with girls as we dig through clothes and toys. Plus it is an opportunity for the girls to see how much this community cares about them!

Thanks for loving teen moms!

Blessings,

Erica

Send me a message if you would like to help or if you would like to be added to our mailing list!

My Little Artists!

2010-10-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

All three of our girls love creating art so this weekend I came up with a new project for them. They each created an art piece for their room. I can't even tell you how excited they were to paint. I purchased some canvases on clearance at our local craft store and put them to work. I loved watching Mandy paint because it was so effortless. She just had fun with it and loved mixing colors. Abby was very detailed but didn't know where she was going with her piece until she was halfway through her painting. Lexie wanted to paint something to match her room so she painted a flower similar to the ones on her bedspread. The girls had so much fun and cant wait to paint again!

Happy Birthday Tule!

2010-09-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Tule's birthday! She turned 2 and I can't believe she is that old. It seems like just yesterday we were driving home from Grass Valley with her passed out in my lap. We didn't make her a cake this year. We made one last year but she ate it all when we weren't watching. It is pretty funny because she had never eaten food off the counter before and she has never done it since! Just like with all my kids I wanted to get her birthday picture but she made it very difficult for me!

First she did this

Then she did this

She just wouldn't stay still

Remington was just bored with all the antics

She finally agreed to have her photo taken

It was so much easier when she was a baby!

A Visitor

2010-09-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

We don't get a lot of visitors at our house. It is not because we don't enjoy visitors but it is because most of our family and friends live over 30 minutes away so it is a lot of times just easier to go to them. The other day we had visitors. The girls were so excited and waited by the window in anticipation for them to show up. My friend Mel came to visit and brought one of the most adorable puppies I have ever seen. Her name is Maddie and my girls are officially in love! They keep asking when she will come back to visit.

Finally Back in the USA

2010-09-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

So after a lot of driving they finally made it to Alaska. It took some more driving but then they finally pulled into Anchorage. It was a long buggy trip but they had some good brother bonding time. I hope that we can get up there sometime to visit Brandon. I of course will be flying!

More Alaska Trip

2010-09-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

So I realized the other day I hadn't finished posting pictures of Nate and Brandon's trip to Alaska. There are so many pictures that I get overwhelmed looking at them. Some of them are so beautiful that I can only imagine what everything looked like in person!

Another Campground

Funny none of these signs pointed home

It is no wonder their trip took so long

They were lost in a world of signs

Finally they were on they on the road again

I am not sure what this sign means.....

Such beauty!

One last Exploratorium Picture

2010-09-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

We were thinking of our St Louis family while we were in San Francisco. The girls even made the arch out of blocks. You had to put the right blocks in the correct spots on the board. If you did it the right way it would stand up when you are done. The girls had fun and for Lexie it brought back memories of being at the top of the St Louis arch.

The Arch

Jelly Bellys

2010-09-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

The girls were excited to go on a tour of the Jelly Belly Factory

A picture of Ronald Reagan made of Jelly Bellys

Jelly Belly's were everywhere

Nate and I n our Jelly Belly hats we had to wear on the tour

San Fran Continued

2010-09-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

After the Exploratorium we took the girls to Pier 39 to see the sea lions. It is what you have to do when you go to San Francisco. Lexie has seen them before but it was a first for Abby and Mandy. They thought they were so cool. I kept praying for the wind to blow downstream! We also took them for lunch to the Hard Rock but none of them appreciated the lunch after the 40 minute wait. Plus they couldn't understand why there was no memorabilia for Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez on the walls.

The seal lions of Pier 39

Such lovely smelly sea creatures!

There was a nice coastal breeze this day

The other thing we did was take the girls across the Golden Gate. Abby said " Hey they had one of these at Disney Land"

This bridge is what people think of when they visit California

We also went over the Richmond Bridge

And the Bay Bridge among a couple other bridges. Funny thing is the girls weren't too fond of the bridges. I guess we don't go over a ton of them in our neck of the woods!

Exploratorium Part 2

2010-09-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the fun experiments we played with. There were so many but this was the best one I photographed. I was like a kid in a candy shop in this place so sometimes I forgot to take pictures!

This makes you think Lexie is right on the other side of this glass

She was really far away

Fooled you!!!!

Oh happy 100th post by the way!! I should have done something more exciting for my 100th post but I didn't. In honor of my 100th post I will not be giving anything away. :)

The Exploratorium

2010-09-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

One of the places I really wanted to take the girls in San Francisco was the Exploratorium. I have not been there since I was a kid but I knew the girls would love it there. I was right. There were so many hands on experiments the girls could play with and figure out how they worked. I swear at one time all three of them were running in different directions. Luckily with my Aunt Gail with us we were able to keep track of all three girls. We didn't lose one of them... honest! We also had a lot of fun exploring!

The girls were pulled in by all of the hands on experiments

I had to pry Nate away from this game

We had such much fun spending time with Aunt Gail.

Look its me in 3d... okay I guess it is just 3 colors

They had some great geometric play sstructures

Abby loved this

Lexie climbed the one for the big kids

This was always my favorite experiment when I was a kid and now it is Lexie's!

Mandy loved climbing through the different play areas

The Merry Go Round

2010-09-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

After we went to Little Farm we went to one of favorite places in the whole world.. the Merry Go Round. Nate had to stop from jumping out of the car when we pulled in the parking lot! So many memories were made here. I think the last time I was here my Grandpa was with us. My sisters and I rode with the kids ans ate cotton candy at the end. I almost bought cotton candy this time but then I had a vision of my new car and sticky fingers. I don't think I am as patient as my Grandfather was. I actually wish my sisters had been with me as I know this place was so dear to all three of us!

Such a site for soar eyes!

Such detail!

Hi Girls!

I had so much fun riding with the girls and Nate

I loved this giraffe

I advised Mandy not to ride the spinning seat because she would get sick, but here she shows me she survived

Little Farm

2010-09-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

For labor day weekend Nate and I decided to take the girls to the Bay Area for the weekend. My Aunt Gail is always so kind to let us stay at her condo and there are so many things to do with the kids. I figured labor day would be packed in the city but we went anyways. One of the places I really wanted to take the girls was Tilden Park i Berkley. I can't even tell you how many child hood memories I have of that place. My Grandpa used to take my sisters and I there every time we visited. I love that I can now create those same memories with my girls. The first place we visited in the park was Little Farm. It is... well... it is a little farm. There were cows, pigs, ducks, goats, and many other farm animals. I made friends with a cow. She talked to me and let me pet her nose. For some reason though none of the girls would get close to her. It was a beautiful day at the farm and the animals were so friendly!

This cow and I are now good friends.

I couldn't get any of the girls to take a picture with the cow!

Here little pig

This goat was in a trance

The Family

Little Farm

The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round.....

2010-09-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

This year Abby and Mandy are riding the bus to school. The daycare we use has enough kids going to the same school that they have made a bus stop at her house. We were not there to see them climb on board so our amazing daycare provider, Denise took some pictures for us! It makes me a little teary eyed to think of them ridding on the bus with all the kids. It just seems that they are growing up too quickly!

Buckle Up!

All Aboard!

The Girls and their friends waiting for the bus

Caution!

2010-09-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

So finally after lots and lots of driving they saw the wildlife they had been searching for! I could tell Nate was excited due to the amount of pictures he took of them. I know the girls would have been so excited to see all the different animals if they had been with him. Lucky for the boys they did not have to experience this drive with 3 cranky girls in the back!

Caution!

Sheep

Too cute

Bear

Moose

Bison

Alaska Part 3

2010-09-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

I think one thing the guys noticed right away was how much natural beauty there was. The next thing they noticed right away was the amount of mosquitoes there were! At some of their campsites they had to learn to set up the tent in turbo speed! The only thing that really bummed them out is they weren't seeing the wildlife they had hoped to see.

Campsite 2

Beautiful!

What a handsome Guy

Some More Wildlife

Alaska Part 2

2010-09-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

On the second day of their trip they finally entered Canada. I was bummed at this point because it cost additional money to talk on the phone so we communicated mostly by text messages. I also realized that he was only two day into his trip and it would still be a while before he got to come home. It was a good brother bonding trip though and Nate got to see a part of the country he had never visited before!

Finally entering Canada

Thr brothers at the top

Pretty

At the bottom

Wow

Finally some wildlife

More Wildlife

The Trip to Alaska Part1

2010-08-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

So I have been waiting for Nate to blog about his trip to Alaska but at this rate we will be waiting for the cows to come home and I can assure you we have no cows at our house! Since I know nothing about his pictures most of my observations will be "pretty" "cool" and "wow"! In case you missed my earlier post, Nate's brother Brandon recently relocated to Alaska and Nate drove with him to help out. Here are some pictures from the 1st part of their trip before they entered Canada.

The 1st Campsite in Washington

Portland OR

Entering Washington

Seattle

Fair Fun

2010-08-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

The other night we hit up the county fair for some family fun. Of course we picked the hottest day possible! It was 108 and we were sweating! We had a couple meltdowns but all in all it was a lot of fun. I was just happy to get my funnel cake. The girls keep asking to go back but I only have the energy to attend once a year.

Gobble Gobble

Too cute!

Don't mess with this guy

We got balloon animals

There were ponies

We rode some rides

My funnel cake... or what used to be my funnel cake

1st day of School 2nd Edition

2010-08-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

So the young girls had their 1st day of school today. I can't believe we now have 3 children in school! Today Mandy started Kindergarten. She has grown up so fast. She has the same teacher that Abby had so I think she felt comfortable as she has been in the classroom before. I think the teacher was relieved when Mandy didn't cry and latch onto Nate's leg like Abby did the first week of school. Abby likes her teacher as well and was happy that one of her best friends was seated in her group.

1st Day of 3rd Grade

1st day of Kindergarten

Mandy at her desk

Abby at her desk