Sigh....

Hey friends.  I thought I'd share some pages with you.  Not much more to report...other than my seething rage at the Supreme Court's decision on Obamacare.  Our country is heading down a dark, dangerous hole. It makes me sad.  But, on a happy note, the sun is shining to day...so that 's good :)



































Here is week 25~

Letting go

Do you have a hard time letting your kids go places on their own for extended periods of time?  I have always had a hard time with this.  I worry terribly about their safety....certain that no one else can keep them as safe as I can.  This last week has been a good exercise for me.  First, Jillian left us for 3 days of outdoor school.  She was up at a camp where cell phones didn't work so for the first time in her life, I didn't talk to her in 3 whole days!  They were LONG days and I constantly wondered how she was doing.  Thankfully, she returned happy and whole and not the slightest bit homesick.

Next, I had to say goodbye to Allison for 2 days.  She was invited to visit The Great Wolf Lodge in Washington with our best friends.  We had a family prayer before she left and I struggled like I did with Jillian...though it was easier because we got constant texts and pictures.  I am slowly learning to have faith that my children will indeed, be okay without me (for short periods of time).  I know it's going to get worse though as they get older and more involved with school and church activities.  Uggh, letting go is hard!

Allison and her friend stopped at the temple on they way to Washington.

Here is week 23

Week 22

Memorial Day

Our Memorial day 2012 started with a hike up to Mt. Pisgah.  We did this last year and had such a great time that we decided to carry on the tradition.  Note to families with young kids:  this is a tough hike.  It's uphill the entire way.  Lydia barely made it...and she only did so by holding hands with her friend Lauryn and cousin Joel, or being carried on Casey's shoulders!  She had a great time though!

A quarter of the way up, the kids were already breathing hard and had to take a much needed rest on a rock pile.

We took several stops along the trail to get a drink, pose for pictures and just rest.  Originally, we were going to do this hike alone, with perhaps, Grandma Walburger.  But, as we were talking about it at church, others became interested and before we knew it, we were a huge group.  It made the hike that much more fun...and it kept the complaining from our kids to a minimum.  Peer pressure will do that for you!

Thank goodness for strategically placed benches.  We had to be careful because the sides of the trail were covered in poison oak.  Apparently, the forest service hadn't sprayed it yet.  

Here is our group at the top!  We were so relieved to make it...and very grateful for the cool weather!

The best part of the hike was the surprise birthday party that the Andersens gave Grandma Walburger.  Eric had lugged up a full cake, frosting, ice cream (packed in ice) and utensils!  What a stud!  Grandma was so surprised and the kids welcomed the energy from the cake and ice cream.  Grandma felt very loved!

After taking a few hours to rest, we all gathered at the Booren's house for a BBQ.  (and yes, the whole hiking group joined us!  It was quite the party)  Casey made these lovely kabobs.

And he brought out the giant slide.  After a strenuous hike, 2 hours of playing on a giant slide sounded exhausting to me but the kids loved it!.  Needless to say, sleep came very easy for them that night.

Charlotte spent her time holding baby Caleb.  She claims him the instant she goes to the Booren's house.

We had more cake and ice cream for Grandma Walburger after the BBQ.  We worked off all those calories earlier in the day right?  All in all, it was a great Memorial day.  We are so thankful to the men and women who serve our country so we can have the freedom to hike, play, and party.

Here is week 21

week 20

Slowly catching up!  Hope you all have a great week!

week 15

Well, blogger's gone and changed stuff again.  It's going to take me a minute to figure it out but for now, here's week 15.  I know I'm a bit behind :)

Spring break fun

 Spring Break was lots of fun!  We were blessed to have our cousin Aubrey come up for the week from Medford.  My girls LOVE their cousin Aubrey.  The three days that she was here just flew right by with tons of fun activities.  The fun started with a stop at Rice Hill.  Have you ever been there?  In the tiny city of Rice Hill, there's an even tinier trailer on the side of the freeway that is always crazy busy...even in the wintertime.  I don't even know the name of the place...just that we always stop there for ice cream.  The picture below is the ice cream sizes.  Can you imagine ordering a large?  We got the girls each a small and despite my doubts, they finished the entire thing!  If you are ever driving down I-5 heading south from Eugene, STOP THERE!

That night, we took the kids bowling.  We went to Springfield's very own "Timber Bowl."  It's the tiniest, most out-dated bowling alley in the area but we love it!  The girls appreciated not only the bumper bowls but the ball launcher.  They racked up some pretty decent scores with these two helps.

The rest of the week was filled with lots of hot tub time, playtime outside (despite the wind and rain) and board games.  We were sad to see Aubrey leave.

For the older girls, Spring Break was all about the Hunger Games.  Casey and Charlotte went to see it on Wednesday.  Jillian flew through the book in one day and I took her (along with Charlotte) on Friday.  It was the second time for me.  We LOVED the movie!  It followed the book really well and kept us on the edge of our seats the whole time.

Now that Spring break is over and the kids are back to school, I'm cleaning my house, catching up on bills, and every other thing that I let go over the week.

Here is week 13!