...back to school...

This weekend is Mom’s Weekend at Oregon State University.  It's an event that has been held at OSU for many years, in fact I remember when my mom came down and spent the weekend while I was a student there.  It’s a great event with a lot of really fun things to do including attending classes with your kid. 

I’ve gone to Mom’s weekend with both of my girls while they were students. Lots of great memories.  But this year was a little different.  This is the first time I have been to Mom’s Weekend while my daughter, Erin, is teaching there.  She has been teaching  in the Speech Communication department for several years but I’ve never been able to make it to see her teach.  But this year things lined up perfectly and I got my chance.   We come from a long line of teachers so it’s really wonderful to see her continue on with this family tradition.

It was fun to be a student again, but even more fun was watching my daughter take command of a classroom where all eyes (including mine) were on her, pens and pencils frantically scratched notes and hands were raised to ask questions.  Her lecture today was on emotions in communication and believe it or not I learned a thing or two.  The one thing I’m thankful for is that I don’t have any homework…

I drove home thinking that I know that Erin’s grandmother, who was a teacher, would be so proud to see how well Erin is doing in the classroom, following in her footsteps.  I know I sure am.  I sure wish she could have been there to see it too.

...happy easter..

Happy Easter!  I hope you have a wonderful day whatever your traditions are!

...10 years..

It’s been 10 years since my mother passed away.  It’s hard to get my head around this.  It seems like she is still here.  I think about her every day.  I still have times when I think, “I should call Mom and tell her…”  She was a very important part of my life.  

In the 10 years that she has been gone she has missed many things.  She’s missed graduations from college, the weddings of 2 of her grandchildren and the births of her 2 great-grandchildren.  She would have loved these two little people and they would have loved her.  We tell them things about her all of the time, keeping the memories alive.

She’s missed Christmas and Thanksgiving, family trips and parties.  I guess you could say that she really hasn’t missed these things, we’ve just missed having her here with us.  I guess you could say that really she has been with us for all of these things.  She’s been here in our hearts, in the traditions that we carry forward that where hers and in the people we’ve become because of her.

I remember calling her when I was a new wife and later when I was a new mother and asking for advice.  Sometimes she would just listen, sometimes she would give advice, sometimes she just laughed and said, "Good luck."  Now my girls call me.  The great circle of life.  

I remember thinking when I was young and foolish that I hoped I wouldn’t turn out like my mother.  Thankfully, my wish did not come true.  I have more of my mother in me than I realize.  I catch myself saying things that my mother would have said, doing things that my mother would have done, being the person that my mother was.  And these are good things.  

Mom, I miss you everyday and I can’t believe it’s been 10 years.  It seem like yesterday.

...525,600 minutes...

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes

Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes

How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets

In midnights, in cups of coffee

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife

In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes

How do you measure, a year in the life?

-Seasons of Love (Rent-The Musical)

2013 is gone.  It's been a year of many things for me, some happy and some sad.  I'm not going to list them here but let's just say that I am glad to see 2013 go and really happy to see 2014 begin.  

I've always loved the beginning of a new year.  The promise, the possibilities, the future and most of all a clean slate to start over with.  I am really looking forward to what lies ahead for me and my family.  Here's to making the next 525,600 minutes the best that they can be.

How will you spend yours?

...thankful...

I had every intention of sitting down this morning and crafting this post, but here it is 10:00 pm and it's the first time I've sat down all day.

It's been the busiest of days lately.  Shopping, peeling, dicing, stirring, tasting, squeezing, dressing,  basting, baking...you get the picture.  You've all been doing the same thing for the past  48 hours.

My day started off with the 7th Annual Give and Gobble 5K run.

I ran it with my daughter, Kate.  She tried really hard to talk me into running the 10K.  I told her that there was no way.  Then we got to the starting line and I said, "Let's just see how we feel when we get to the split."  We crested the hill to where the race split off to the 10K and I said, "NO WAY."  She said, "Are you sure?".  "Yup, I'm sure."  As we crossed the finish line I turned to her and said, "You're not going to believe this but..."  She said, "I know, you wish we had done the 10K."  Yes, I really wish we had.  I felt great and should have done it.  Clearly, this is the goal for next year.

Home, after the run, to get the bird in the oven and start the rest of the dishes.  Family arrived, we had a great afternoon, ate a beautiful dinner and finally all of the dishes are done, leftovers are put away, and everyone but me is in bed, sleeping off the turkey coma they are all suffering from.  I can hear the snores from here.

How is it possible that it takes a week to prepare, 20 minutes to eat and 2 hours to clean up?  It just does, and you know what?  I wouldn't change it for anything.  I am so thankful that I was able to spend time with each member of my family today and so thankful that we had a great kick off to our holiday season.

Please excuse the lack of photos, I've been a bit busy...

Dear Erin...

32 years ago, almost at this exact time, your Dad and I welcomed you into the world.


And in those 32 years there have been some wonderful memories made.

Like the time when you were 7 and were trick or treating as a bag of jelly beans, your costume sprung a leak and you left a trail of little colored balloons all over the neighborhood.  Or the time when you were 5 and you rode your Big Wheel down our driveway (no small feat if you know what driveway I'm talking about) and the only thing that stood between you and death was our kind, observant neighbor, Larry Westerman, who caught you before you went off the bank and into a blackberry bush.  I think he heard you before he saw you.  You were screaming pretty loud.

Or the time when you were 10 months old and we almost lost you to meningitis.  Three weeks in the hospital, 4 day in ICU and you came through with only minor hearing loss.  It's pretty remarkable, but looking back on that we could see that you were a fighter.

Or the time when you were in 8th grade and you did a back flip off the diving board at the pool while we were on vacation, miss judged where you were and hit the board.  A ride to the emergency room in an ambulance with a cute EMT and 25 stitches later you were telling us that you were fine and asking if you could go swimming again that afternoon.  Sadly, the pool wasn't in your future for the rest of that trip.

Or the time when you were in college and you were lost (or at least I thought you were) in Germany on your way to Spain to study abroad.  This was before cell phones and we had no way of knowing if you had made it or not until you got to your host moms house and called  (several hours late) to tell us that your trip was amazing.  Your Dad told me the whole time we were waiting to hear from you that you would be fine, you knew what you were doing.  He was right.



We've learned a few things about you Erin, in your 32 years.  How you love your family more than anything in the world.  How you will walk across the street to pet a dog, any dog.  How you love sports of all kinds, especially golf.  And you are really good at most of them, especially golf.



How when you put your mind to something there is nothing that will or can stop you.

How you picked your major for college when you were in high school, never changed it, graduated in 4 years and when on to get you masters.  How you found your passion in teaching others about the things you know and love.



How you married the love of you life and have two beautiful daughters and how you strive every day to be the best wife and mother you can be.  Sometimes it's a bumpy road, but as you Dad has said before, you'll be fine, you know what you are doing.

How you have grown to be one of the most inspirational young woman we know.  And how you have taken Dad's words to heart and you "Always remember who you are and who you represent".



Happy Birthday, Erin.  We could not be more proud of you.

love,

Mom and Dad 💗

...Down The Aisle...

One year ago we were celebrating the marriage of our youngest daughter Kate to Chris.  It was a beautiful day and a wonderful ceremony.

the bride and her grandfather

down the aisle 

    When our daughter Kate became engaged, she asked if I would design something for her bridesmaids.   She wanted something lacy, with beads, in different colors to compliment each bridesmaid and their likes and coloring.  Down The Aisle was born! 

Down The Aisle is knit flat, attaching beads or pearls as you go.  The piece is then blocked and finally grafted together using the Kitchener stitch.

Yarn:

470 yards fingering weight

Suggested yarns:

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Marine Silk Fingering

Kollage Yarns Sock-a-licious

Sweet Georgia Yarns Merino Silk Fine

Indigodragonfly Merino Silk 4 Ply Sock

Supplies:

US 4/3.5 mm 24 inch circular

(or needles to obtain gauge)

86 6/0 seed beads

waste yarn

yarn needle

Gauge (after blocking):

23 stitches/4 inches in Down the Aisle Lace.

Finished Measurements:

Circumference:  approximately 54 inches

Length:  approximately 9.5 inches

~ enjoy! ~

  

 It’s the perfect accessory whether you need something casual or fancy.  It is an excellent bridesmaids gift and the perfect way to remember an extra special day!

Happy Anniversary, Kate and Chris!

...POW!...

What do you do when you are turning 3 and love Superheroes?  You have a Superhero Birthday party, naturally.  And naturally, you have cake...

and ice cream...

...and treat bags.

You play on the slide...

...have Superhero fights...

...with Superheroes big and small...

...and show your muscles.

But most of all, there is a city to save...

...and so you do your best to save it...

...but sometimes you need the help of your Superhero family!

Happy Birthday, Paytan!  It was a party to remember!

...Mother's Day, part III...

My Mother's Day weekend was really full.   On Sunday I went hiking with our daughter Kate.  We headed out to Multnomah Falls and hiked the trail to the top and back down.

 It's only a little over a mile to the top of the falls but I'm here to tell you it's a long way up.  There are 11 switchbacks to get to the top and with each one the trail gets more steep.  

 It was a cloudy, drizzly day but the view from the stop was beautiful.  

 It's been more than 30 years since I've hiked this trail and believe me when I tell you I won't be waiting 30 more years before I do it again.  What did you do this weekend?

...52 weeks of happy (2/52)

1.  Elliet and her new blanket.  Pattern soon!

2.  Old Joe.  Loving this pattern and the yarn!

3.  Build-A-Bear!

4.  See that?  That's a shadow and that means that the sun is out!

5.  Funny faces!

Headed to Stitches West tomorrow and more happy things to come!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!  Hope that your 2012 was great and that your 2013 will be even better!

We ended the year at our Sunriver home celebrating with family and friends.  We started with a family Christmas and it was pretty great!  Here's some fun things we did:

               ~walks through the snow to the local coffee shop~



                                    ~sledding~

                        ~more walks in the snow~

                          ~Breakfast with Santa~

                  ~Christmas Eve family dinner ~

                                                ~ a lot of time with these two~

The holidays have always been my favorite time of the year and this year was no exception.  It was really the best to have all of us together.  Now it's back to life, back to reality.....

                                 I wish you a wonderful new year from my family to yours!

...here she is...

Let me introduce to you EllietHarper Cook!





She arrived on June 13th, weighing in at 8 lbs. 13 oz. She is beautiful and we can't wait to get home and hold her! Our daughter is recovering at home now from the c-section and we are so happy for her and her family! And we know that Paytan will be a wonderful big sister!

Welcome to our family, Elliet! You are already loved more than you can even imagine.

...traveling and then some...

I'm off to Italy in the morning for a much anticipated vacation with the husband. We've been planning this trip for about two years.  Little did we know when we were making our plans that not only would our youngest daughter be getting married two months after we got back but our oldest daughter would be having baby #2 any day. So wedding plans are rolling along and there will be another granddaughter when we get back.  What is that quote by John Lennon from the song "Beautiful boy"?  Oh yes.... "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."  That my friends, is a very true story.  

...the last of Christmas...

We have been having a blast at Sunriver.  It has been so great being here, relaxing with family and friends.  And we've doing a lot...

a lot of present opening...

a lot of posing for pictures...

and a lot of walking......





...a lot!

We took a family sleigh ride on Christmas day that was really fun.  The only thing that could have made it better was snow.  But we laughed and had a wonderful time even without snow.

The kids have all gone home and we have had the past couple of days to see friends, do a bit more walking and even get some skiing in.  It's been busy, but the best kind of busy!!