The holiday season for our family gets harder every year. It seems like our family is somewhat jinxed when it comes to this time of the year. It all started when my mom passed away on Christmas Eve in 2005. Our beloved cat Usdi also passed away a few days before that. Since then we usually have some kind of trial right around this time of year.
Well, this year is no different. Tim's grandpa, Don Abbott,  passed away yesterday 11/25/11. He has been sick with Alzheimers and was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. He was 84. I know it was a sweet reunion for him to see his daughter again and his mom and many other loved ones. . He has been a pillar of strength in the lives of his family. A true family patriarch. We will certainly miss him. He was married to his sweetheart for 64 years. I can't imagine how hard this is for her.
I know that the holiday season is hard for a lot of people. I know we aren't alone when it comes to missing those that we love. It just makes it hard to feel any Christmas spirit. I don't want to dread the holidays but I do. I do my best to make it a special time of year for my son. I don't want him to feel the sadness.
Last year, Christmas was only 7 days after Tim's mom passed away and I think we were all kind of still in shock. I barely remember anything about it. This year, the loss will be felt even more I think.

This is a picture of Blake and Tim's grandpa this year on Halloween. That smile just says it all.

I don't think I can even begin to catch up on the months and months that I didn't blog. But for posterity's sake I want to note in my blog that we lost one incredible lady on December 18, 2010. Blake's grandma, Pamela Marie Buerke passed away. She had been sick for many years and her poor little body just couldn't take it anymore. It has been very hard learning to live without her in the last year. She was a HUGE part of our lives and we look forward to the day we will see her again.

I'm baaacckkk....

Well now, I guess it's been a loooooong time. I can't believe I haven't posted in over a year. At some point I will try to catch up with the big things that have happened but for now we'll just start with where we are now.

Blake is now 8 years old and was baptized last December. He will be starting 3rd grade in a few short weeks. This summer zipped by so fast. I can't even believe. I've been in denial I think because just last night, I finally bought all the school supplies.

I have been really busy at work this summer. I've put in a LOT of 50 hour work weeks. I guess that would help explain the summer zipping by to some degree. I have been called into young womens for the first time. I am the second counselor in the presidency. I am over the beehives. I've been in since early April. I'm really enjoying it. The girls are so awesome. (more about that later)

Not much has changed for the hubby. He just turned 40. I'm next so I can't make fun of him too much. We have decided to have a joint birthday party at the end of August. We're having it at his Aunt Kathy's house out in country. It should be a lot of fun.

I am leaving this coming Tuesday to go to Girls Camp with the young women. Laura finally talked me into going. I am going to be a cabin mom. It's the first time I've ever been so I'm excited. I hope it all goes well.

I hope to be able to get things caught up here. There has been happiness and there has been much sorrow but such is life I suppose.

More later.

First Field Trip

In May Blake went on his first field trip with the school. He was very excited. Of course, I had to take the day off and go with him. I live for this stuff. Blake couldn't wait to ride the bus. When you live 3 houses down from the school, you don't get many chances to ride the bus. It was a like a flashback for me. I haven't been on a school bus since high school.

We went to Jackson Bottom Wetlands. I drive by this every day and we had never been there. It's a great place. We went on a hike.


When we got back we had lunch and then the they had several learning stations that the kids rotated through.

Here they learned all about bats and their amazing hearing.

Then they learned all about the eagles that live in the wetland trees and how amazing their eyesight is.


It was a fun trip. We had one "oh my gosh" moment when I discovered that Blake had decided to bring one of his "aquatic" frogs to see his little friends at the wetlands. What Blake didn't realize is that his aquatic frog couldn't really live outside water and certainly not in his pocket all morning. It was really sad once he realized that the frog wasn't "sleeping" in his pocket. It was a hard lesson that he learned that day and especially at night once the gravity of it set in. He had this frog for about 2 years and it really crushed him when he realized what he had done. Uggh, hard lessons.

Mothers Day, Anniversary and Camping

Well obviously I have some catching up to do here. I know I've said this a million times but I truly can't believe how fast time flies. It's been a month since my last post.

May has been a busy month . First was Mothers Day. My boys started my day off with a wonderful breakfast in bed. I had french toast and scrambled eggs and orange juice. The best part was that my son helped to make it and then he ate with me in bed.

Blake brought home a cute card from school and bought me a new giant water jug. Hubby bought me a beautiful hanging fuchsia. Okay, so maybe I bought it but it still counts..lol I was treated like a queen all day. I am so blessed to be Blake's mom. I'll never be able to sufficiently thank my Heavenly Father for sending this amazing spirit to me. I must also thank his birth mom for being selfless enough to give us the ultimate gift.

Next was our anniversary. It's been 17 years. We were barely 21 when we got married. We truly have grown up together. It hasn't always been easy but I would do it all over again. He is my best friend. I know that even if the whole world was against me, I could come home and he would be there for me. No one has ever or will ever love me like he does. He's a great man and wonderful father. I look forward to eternity. We celebrated by having Blake spend the night with grandma and going to see a movie. After the movie we weren't very hungry so we went to Sonic and got Cherry lime-aids. It was a great evening.
Last but certainly not least, we just got home yesterday from our first camping trip of the season. We went to Beverly Beach State Park which is just North of Newport. We stayed 3 nights and went with 2 families that we really enjoy spending time with. The weather was perfect. No rain and sun every day. It did get a little chilly here and there but that made for some awesome campfire moments.

Home sweet yurt. Many years ago we used to tent camp and then we stumbled upon these and have never looked back. They are awesome.

Here are most of the kids getting ready for some fun.

Here is Blake chasing the waves.

Best friends. We're sad that these guys will be moving so it was nice to get to spend time with them before they go.

There was a great hill behind us that was just begging to be climbed. So off they all go.

Rayden and Blake are halfway at this point.

They made it to the top. That is Colin up there with them. He followed them up to make sure no one fell.

Apparently he also came in very handy for a ride back down..lol

Here's Mindy and Bella trying to stay out of the campfire smoke.

We had a silly string war.

Jaycine and Colin. Aren't they so cute!

They had some awesome trees in the park that the kids loved to climb. This one was right behind the yurt so the kids spent lots of time up in it.

Garrett made some delicious peach cobbler in the dutch oven.

Luxating Patella

That is just a fancy name for a kneecap that won't stay in place. Our dog Lexie, who will be 2 in June had this problem in both of her back legs. Genetics are probably to blame thanks to the bow legs from the pug side of her. She had surgery last Friday to fix them both. She is home now. I know that some would say "she's just a dog" blah blah and to that's okay if people feel that way but I don't so be nice if you decide to comment.

She is a part of our family. Would I ever put her over the human members of my family? No. But, if there is something I can do then I will. She loves our family unconditionally and makes us laugh daily.

Hopefully in 4 to 6 weeks she'll be as good as new.

Both legs look like this one.

Easter

A friend of mine showed me a picture of her nieces that live in Florida. They were celebrating Easter and dressed in little sun dresses and no shoes. And get this, they were outside. Can you even imagine? I wonder what that would be like?

Living in Oregon, we may never know. It was a typical cool and rainy Easter. It was also General Conference for our church. I can't remember this happening since I joined the church 8 years ago.
8 years, I can't believe I've been a member 8 years but I digress. Tim had to work Saturday so it was a pretty low key day. Blake and I watched conference then when dad got home he was back out the door to the priesthood session. Blake and I worked a little on coloring and decorating eggs and then watched The Testaments. It was a nice relaxing evening.

Sunday morning we went to a friends house to watch the morning session of conference and then enjoyed a fabulous brunch complete with homemade cinnamon rolls. Delicious. After the morning session, we headed out to deliver some tulips to the 2 great grandmas and grandma. When we got home I got busy cooking dinner. We had ham, scalloped potatoes and green bean casserole. It was delicious and we were so full that we didn't have room for the homemade peach pie and ice cream. It was the first time we have had a dinner with just our family for a holiday and it was really great. We did a lesson during dinner using plastic eggs and scriptures to talk about the days leading up to Jesus Christ being crucified and then his triumphant rise from the grave to live again. It was great. I think Blake actually started to get that Easter isn't really about the bunnies and the chocolate.

I had such a nice weekend that I didn't even realize until it was over that I had failed to take a single picture. Sometimes, I am just too busy living to remember to record it.

Sidenote: I am feeling much better now. It seems the cyst on my ovary has either gone away or chilled out. HOORAY!