2020 = Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Dad is great he makes chocolate pancakes. It's a song mom sings when Dad makes me this for breakfast EVERY DAY! Everyone around me wants 2021 to come fast, but 2020 for me has been a great year for Dad and me! During lockdown Dad would take us for drives to get out of the house every night, I get to do school from home, and I've got the entire kitchen table for my toy horse arena! Mom is very busy doing mom stuff, so's dad. But dad always takes breaks to help mom out and clean! It's nice having everyone home until it's not. Every night I get upset because of something my older siblings said or left me out of. But Dad always ends my night with Uno and a prayer. 2020 was not a good year for a lot of people, but for me, it was a year of Dad and chocolate chip pancakes. 

 

Family video 2012 - 2020

 

Willamette River Fun

Nice relaxing day boating on the Willamette all the way past downtown Portland. We couldn't have asked for a better day!   

River beach spot in downtown Portland where "Riots for Revival" baptized many newcomers for Christ!  

All the pretty little horses!

Hushabye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep, ye little baby
When you wake, you shall have,
All the pretty little horses
Dapples and Greys, Pintos and Bays
All the pretty little Horses

Way down yonder
In the meadow
Poor little baby cryin' Mamma
Birds and the butterflies
Flutter 'round his eyes
Poor little baby cryin' Mamma

Hushabye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep, ye little baby
When you wake, you shall have,
All the pretty little horses
Dapples and Greys, Pintos and Bays
All the pretty little Horses

*This song was apart of bedtime CD that I played for Christian and Maddy when they were little tots. 

Emma asked me to take pictures of her Shleich horse set up! She uses her imagination every day to bring these toys to life. Every horse, rabbit, dog, and handler have beautiful names and personalities to match. 

What's your John Wayne moment?

M* had her "John Wayne" moment this afternoon. What do I mean by John Wayne moment? Well 2020 has brought a number of tragedies into people lives... COVID-19 pandemic, shut down of schools, loss of jobs, protests, social justice, and the latest cancel culture. But some event will affect someone to the core. Dane one night came to me in a tantrum like state, "That's it they've gone too far!" Followed by an emotional "They took John Wayne down.... at the John Wayne Airport, they took down his statue and are renaming the airport!" Being a huge western movie fan this shook him to the core. Every time we traveled to Disney we would visit the statue and take pictures.

For my Grandma L*, I imagine her moment was the threat to cancel the play Hamilton. For her 90th birthday she was treated to a showing of the play with her closest friend. I listened to her play that soundtrack over and over again last time I visited her. Me, having never been to the play, I was sure to watch when it came out on Disney+ last week (better late then never)!

So what was M* John Wayne moment?  At Starbucks drive-thru this afternoon I ordered her usual Pink Drink w/o the berries. EEEk they were all out of the main ingredient (Strawberry Acia). Not only were they locally out of this ingredient, ALL Starbucks in our area were not getting any new shipments. Nope, she didn't order an alternative drink, we tried our luck to scavenge a Pink Drink from MANY locations only to hear they too did not receive everyones beloved strawberry mix. Her go to response.. "I hate 2020!" First world problems..... it's a real thing!

https://www.hungry-girl.com/go-to-guides/four-things-starbucks-pink-drink

*note find personal pictures from our trip

21st Anniversary!

I had so much fun making this art project for our room! String art birds, hot glued branch, hand painted lettering. 

Verse read at our wedding

 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

https://mypeartreehome.com/diy-sign/

https://candyribbonsweets.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/string-art/

Tapping into that right brain!

With the summer downtime, Christian tried his hand at painting!  This is the second of three paintings he did this summer. 

Helping on the trail - Wenzel Fantasy Trail

 

www.fantasytrail.com

You are my sunshine!

 

Gold Rush 2019

Sam - too sick, with comedic timing

Sam stayed home from school today sick. This afternoon while laying on the couch he asked me to get him some juice, I gave him the look (what's wrong with your legs). His response verbatim....

"I'm afraid that in my weakened condition, I could take a nasty spill down the stairs and subject myself to further school absences."

Who's the boss?

 

Desert Trip 2018

 

4th of July at Bop Bop's house!

 

Precept to live by

I preach this motto to my kids often when they smart-mouth their siblings. Watching this movie tonight makes me wish, pray for more ppl to get this concept! This train of thought would make our world such a better place! Next time you feel you have to "win"  at politics, relationships, faith, etc.. etc.. etc... Give this precept a chance to transform your words and actions! We all have our worldviews. The phrase "Walk a mile in their shoes" should be reviewed often. It's up to us parents to change the future with purpose and love. 

She fills my bucket up

Sam enjoying science!

His scientific brain that asks a million questions baffles me! Beware: If you attempt to answer one question, there will be AT LEAST 10 more! Even then he is not satisfied, unless he can tangibly understand said concept. Favorite subject seems to be physics. 

Favorite YouTube channel: King of Random

Here... watch a bit! 

Sam typed personality ENTJ

Last Sunday at Tebo's

For years my mother in law brought us together as a family to eat Sunday dinner at Tebo's every so often. A tradition I learned many families had.  http://www.tebos.net/news/a-message-to-our-customers-tebos-closing/

John & Craig cooking at the grill. Most of our family always ordered a hamburger, theirs were the best! I'm so said they are going out of business! But will always remember the memories there! 

Snow fun!

His world magnified