Scrappin Mommy

Busy Family

2011-05-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

I have recently received a request to update my blog so that the first thing seen is not my daughter's Owie from November! OK, I agree that is a reasonable request so here goes!

What had happened since November, hmmmm

The grandbaby arrived December 7, 2010 - Kyzaya Lee and we love her to death - isn't she a doll?

Christmas happened! - we skyped with my parents for Christmas this year. It was a good holiday although bittersweet as it was our first since losing Dave's Mom.

Chase turned 8 in February and he had a bowling party! How is the little chubby boy from Guatemala now a skinny 8 year old who is almost done with 2nd grade?

I turned 40! Yes, had the big birthday in March. My husband pulled off a great surprise party at Grandview on the Lake and my girlfriends pulled off a surprise lunch at Blueberry Hills. Lots of fun memories! And I do love my 40s so far!!Kyzaya spent a few days in the hospital with RSV - thankfully she is recovered and doing great now but she looked so puney!

Mackenzie and Dave attended the Father Daughter Dance complete with limo ride to and from the dance! It was a fun evening for them both!!

I went to Stamp Camp at Camp Ghormley for a long weekend with my BFF Jill!

Spring break showed up with decent weather so we spent a few days fishing with Dad at Roses Lake.

My dad had been living with us since February and is now on his last month here doing some fill-in preaching at Brewster church of Christ. It has been a lot of fun to have him here and the kids have gotten quite used to him around all of the time. He goes home once a month to see Mamma but the kids sure miss him while he is gone - we even had to webcam last week to see him while he was gone (Mackenzie) and to see Mamma (Chase).

The guys have done a lots of fishing at Roses Lake since the beginning of April and my freezer can prove it as I think they are at between 80 and 90 trout since 4/1/11 and they are headed out today for more!!

Mackenzie will be 7 in less than 3 weeks and she is growing like a weed! She is noticeably taller than Chase now!

An Owie

2010-11-30T07:22:00.000-08:00

Almost 2 weeks ago I got to be the Mommy of a big owie. Mackenzie ran back into our house to get her backpack for school. As she was returning to the car, she fell down 2 steps hitting her head on a box and split her head open. She was not crying. She came out to the car with tissue over her left side of her face. She was climbing in the car to "get to school Mom" when I made her move the tissue so I could see the owie. This is what I saw . . .

Being a nurse I shouldn't have an issue with this as blood is never an issue for me. However, on this occasion I did NOT expect this huge gash on her head. Momentarily I got nauseous but then the adrenaline hit. She was concerned about getting to school and I said oh no we were going to the ER. I mentioned stitches and that is when she started to cry. As soon as we go to ER and they mentioned they could glue it instead of stitches the tears stop and she was a trooper. The beauty of a local small hospital ER - we were in and out in 35 minutes and this is how she looked.

It is almost 2 weeks later and she is looking better every day. She did not get a black eye as I was sure she would. She is a tough one! This is what she looks like this morning.

A Carrot, An Egg & A Cup Of Coffee

2010-11-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

I read this on my cousin's Facebook page and had to share it as we all seem to go through trials but we all react different to adversity. Before reading, think to yourself - in times of trial, am I a carrot, an egg or a cup of coffee? Now read the following and see if you change your answer!

A carrot, an egg and a cup of coffee . . . You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about 20 minutes she turned off the burners . . . She fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. The she ladeled the coffee our and plave it in a cup. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its indie became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the eff that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are lik the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everthing; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

May we all be COFFEE!!!

My Litte Soccer Player

2010-10-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Make a free scrapbook design

My Favorite Things Circle Journal

2010-10-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

I am part of a group of ladies that have been doing circle journals for a year now. I did a year before this as well. It is a fun thing but is harder to be unique as you get farther down in the group. Today I did two of them. One was My Favorite Things and I did the following as my creative unique approach. I loved it so had to share.

Michelle's Favorite Things

(to the tune of My Favorite Things)

Hot cup of coffee and snuggles with kiddos

Knitting with fun yarn and sun in my windows

Cool winter mornings with fresh snow and things

These are a few of my favorite things.

Good country music and days at the lake

Scrapping and stamping and cards fun to make,

Quilting and sewing and more fabric things

These are a few of my favorite things.

Pictures I've taken of my family

A good day of worship with Christian family

My favorite Bible and family study

These are a few of my favorite things.

When bills are due,

When the phone rings,

When I'm feeling stressed

I simply remember my favorite things

and then I know that I'm blessed.

The Sound of Music movie is part of my heritage it seems. My dad took my mom to see it on the date he proposed. I have watched it for 35+ years and know that the last Sunday in December it can always be found on TV. I love the song My Favorite Things.

Soccer

2010-10-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

Well it is soccer time of the year and Chase is a very happy boy! They had their first game last weekend and they did great! They got their shirts just before the game. Big thanks to Shoreline for sponsoring them. Chase chose #7 because he is 7 years old and because his soccer PJs from Mamma have #7 on them. He loves his Mamma!

August A to Z

2010-08-30T12:29:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from a dear friend of mine Jane who uses this format to summarize months. I don't get around to blogging often so I think the monthly summary will at least help. So here goes my first A to Z monthly summary post.

Alura - we got to spend the week of camp and a long weekend with our granddaughter Alura - we all enjoyed it a lot.

Busy month - I do not know how we got from August 1st to today (August 30th) as quickly as we have. We sure packed a lot into this month.

Camp - we had a fun week at camp to start off this month. Lots of fun memories and a great week for us all.

Dinner at Lakeview Drive-In - after a fire destroyed park of Lakeview Drive-in last month, we were happy to be able to have dinner from the drive-in on the 21st of this month when they opened. The Drive-In is definitely a summer staple in Chelan.

Eager kids - the kids are very excited to head back to school. Mommy is not quite sure how it happened that they grew up so quick as I have a 1st grader and a 2nd grader this year!

Fair - we made a trek up to Waterville to the NCW Fair last week. The kids loved the animals and seeing thier friends who had animals there to show. Now we have a new craving in our house - to have an animal for fair next year! We will see about that!

Grayson - we have started having a routine family time with Bobbie & Grayson as we prepare for the arrival of our newest grandchild Kyzaya in December

Horses - we have seen a lot of horses this month - Kenzie was sure that we made it to Omak Stampede and to the Lake Chelan Jr Rodeo and that I took pictures of many of the horses.

Ice - the kids enjoyed Tropical Sno shave ice after an afternoon at Kids Club on Tuesdays this month. They love the stuff and conveniently there is a stand on the way out of the park! Hmmm - good planning on someone's part!

Joint duties - My sister and I shared camp nurse duties and both found the joint efforts to be a much easier deal than the one person approach we both did at separate camps last year. We are looking forward to another joint effort next summer.

Kids Club - we spent Tuesdays at Lakeside for our summer Kids Club days to enjoy time with friends and swimming and sand fun

Loss - it has been a month of loss for many people that I know. A short list of the lost ones this month would include Clara, James, and Sharla. That added to the list of those with health challenges this month has made for a busy prayer month. We continue to pray for the families of those lost this month.

Ma's birthday - This month brought the first birthday for Ma (my mother-in-law whom I always called Ma) since her death. It was a hard day yesterday for Dave. He made the trek to Mount Vernon to put flowers on her grave yesterday. The kids (as all kids do) wanted to talk about her all day and didn't seem to understand the sadness for Daddy & I. If only we could all have the simplistic view of death that children do.

New laptop - after Dave dropped a full cup of coffee on his laptop (surprise, surprise - it was dead afterward), he got a new laptop. Not necessarily in the budget this month, but he started video stuff for GoLakeChelan for fall sprts this month so he had to have a working computer. I guess the good news is that prices are pretty good this time of year for laptops.

Omak Stampede - none of us had ever been to Stampeded and we had a great evening this year - I think we will make this an annual event!

Play dates - the kids had play dates with Rylee, Raiden, Bella, Teagan, Grayson, Seth & Soren this month - what a fun way to spend the summer!! Nice to have so many kids around that they can have playdates a lot.

Quite a few pictures taken - this was a busy month for my camera! I took over 800 pictures at camp alone. I don't even want to think about the total number of pictures taken this month as I am sure it is in excess of 1200!

Return of football - Anyone who knows us, knows that football is serious business in our house! Thie month brought the return of NFL football - preseason games several days a week on TV! We have a happy house!!

Slidewaters - had our second trip of the summer to the water slides this month. We usually only go once or twice a summer so we are on the mark and enjoyed this day with Alura at the waterslides. Mackenzie even braved Purple Haze!

Tie Dye - we tie dyed shirts at camp and enjoyed it so much that we did it at home with Daddy and then at Kids Club for an end of summer activity last week!

Unusual weather -We had every sort of weather imaginable this month. LOTS AND LOTS of rain in a short period of time leading to slides, 600+ lightning strikes in one evening, temperatures in excess of 100 degrees and mornings with temperatures under 50 degrees. Wow we have had it all!

Very fun times - I know that the memories of this summer will live in my mind for a long time. If someone had asked what summer I would like the most, I would have never guess with would be the summer they are 6 & 7 years old. They are old enough to have fun without me right there to make it happen but still young enough to want me to be part of it. Dave was dead-set on doing spring cleaning this summer and I said we can do it when they go back to school. The kids will never remember that we cleaned the house this summer but they will remember having a fun summer doing fun things.

Water - We spent a lot of time in the water this month. Our pool, the upper Chelan Hills pool, Lakeside, Chelan Falls, State Park, creek at camp, Waterslides, and Brewster Swimming Pool all this month!! The kids are fish and enjoy anything WATER!!

X-rays - Dave had follow-up on both knee replacements. Thankfully all seems to be doing well with both of them! It is nice to have a year without a knee issue for him - the first of that since 2002!

Young kids with board games - This summer the kids have gotten to an age that they LOVE board games. We have played a lot of Monopoly at any available moment. We have finally moved out of preschool games and can play games for readers!! Apples to Apples Jr, Blockus, Battleship, Monopoly, Hullabaloo, Rummikub, Twister, Pictionary are a few of our favorites!

Zebra Prints - we all enjoyed wearing bandanas including zebra print ones while at camp. It was an easy hair day on the days when a shower and a bandana sufficed!

Cousins

2010-08-30T11:51:00.001-07:00

This month has flown by! We started the month going to Florida College Summer Camp in Turner, OR. My sister and I shared the nurse duties for the week. It was a fun week for all! My parents got to tag along and camp in the nearby RV park so they got to see all 4 of the grandkids together for the week. It was a week of memories for all.

Kids start back to school in two days - maybe Mommy can get back on a routine that involves this blog as well.

Growing Up

2010-05-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well, last weekend was Mackenzie's 6th birthday so we decided it is time (maybe past time) she gets out of the office/nursery next to our room. The room that was an office before we moved in to this house was a perfect nursery as it has a pocket door to our room. That put the kids less than 15 feet from my side of the bed (naturally my side not his). It worked great for Chase and he moved to his own room when Mackenzie was done in the cradle in our room. Well, Mackenzie has been in the nursery since about 3 months old. Her next door is not so much the issue as it is that she comes into our bed about 2 am EVERY night! A king size bed is only so big!

I have had plans - purchased a wallpaper mural and paint several months ago! One thing or another kept me from just doing it! Well, yesterday was the day! My BFF Jill got a babysitter for her 4 year old (who is adorable but would NOT have been much help). She came over and we got a large chunk of it done while the kids were at school. I got the mural up and she came and helped paint. We got half of the room painted. The half we got done is the part with the door, closet, window and mural to paint around. Thus, the remaining half is just open wall that should go quickly. I am also planning to paint the ceiling as ALL of the painting in this house was done in flat wall paint - UGH!

I picked up Mackenzie from school and got her home telling her I had a surprise for her. Of course, she came blazing in the house wanting to know where is the surprise. You see, she had NO idea we were doing the back bedroom for her! She loves horse and I had worked hard to fins a horse mural and match paint to it. Needless to say, she was VERY excited when she opened the door and saw this . . .

Busy Times

2010-05-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy couple of weeks at the Rogge house. As we near the end of the school year, I look at the kids and wonder how it is that they are almost finished with first grade and kindergarten respectively. WOW!! They grow up so fast!

Chase had the opportunity to be involved in the Missoula Children's Theater Production of The Pied Piper at the PAC in Chelan. He auditioned and wanted to be cast as I rat and indeed he was cast as a rat! He had practices after school every day and dress rehearsal on Saturday morning and then two performances on Saturday. He did a good job but was a very tired boy by the end of that week.

Next came a visit from Mamma and Papa for Mackenzie's birthday. They arrived with boat in tow on Thursday the 20th. Mackenzie's choice for her birthday "party" this year was to go fishing it Papa and one of her friends (Hannah) in Papa's boat. Don't know who was more excited - Papa or Mackenzie. The kids hadn't seen Mamma and Papa in 2 1/2 months which is longer than usual. They were so excited that we counted down days for over three weeks and counted hours for the last two of those days. Once we knew they had made it to Entiat (about 20 mintues away) Chase stood on the deck with binoculars in hand watching across the lake to see them come down into the Chelan valley. Alas, they arrived and the kids met them in the driveway!

Mackenzie turned 6 last week - how did that happen? I made ladybug cupcakes for her class and we took them in at the end of the day on Friday. She and Hannah went fishing with Papa and I on Friday afternoon - they caught 6 keeper size Blue Gill. Hannah had never been fishing and was tickled to catch them. We then had "rice & gravy" (stroganoff and rice) for dinner and then watched The Princess and The Frog before I took Hannah home - it was a fun day for Kenzie (and all of us).

Saturday brought with it dress rehearsal and recital for Mackenzie's ballet class. They did a dance to "Fireflies" by Owl City and it was very cute. It was a fun night of dance and music performances by several kids from the valley. All very well planned and executed by Mackenzie's 15 year old dance instructor (she is amazing). While Kenzie was at dress rehearsal the guys took Chase fishing and they caught 8 blue gill! He was excited to have Daddy & Papa time in the boat.

The guys took Monday and Tuesday to go fishing on the "big" lake. Well, fishing it what they did as "catching" evaded them. They spent several hours each day trolling around and trying different things. They reported seeing lots of fish on the fish finder but could catch nothing. I guess the guys are meant to catch only blue gill and only when they have the kids with them.

Alas, it was time for Mamma and Papa to head home so a teary family (the kids and I) stood on the porch this morning waving as they drove away headed back to their home!

Blog Post Makes it to Paper

2010-05-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

I have been participating in a Layout A Day (LOAD) for the month of May. It has been fun and I can happily say the I have done well in getting my layouts done every day so far (12 down and 19 to go). Today our challenge was J is for journaling. As soon as I read the challenge I knew that my post from August "Long Time Dream Fullfilled" had to finally make it onto paper for Chase's scrapbook. I had to share the final product here as most of my friends don't see my LOAD layouts on Flickr. I cried lots of tears as I read this story again and scrapbooked it. I have been doing my layouts on the dining room table but this one I did in the solitude of my scrap room alone where I could enjoy the memories and tears again. I am happy with how the layout turned out.

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T09:52:00.001-07:00

As mothers, we are the family nurse, personal shopper, taxi driver, tutor, seamstress, maid, chef, counselor, etc, etc, etc . . . what a nice honor to have a day dedicated to us. However, the powers that be in Chelan decided many moons ago that the kids fishing derby would be best held on none other than Mother's Day. It is a fun event mind you and the kids love it but really does a Mom want to spend the day at the edge of the pond at the golf course helping her kids become master fishermen? I realize the most Dads will take the kids but in this family, Dave is allergic to fish of all kinds and cannot even help remove them from hooks so this Mom spent yesterday helping her kids get 5 trout from the lake (and got a good sunburn too).

Alas, this Mother's Day was also the first Mother's Day without Dave's Mom so it carried with it some extra emotions. I did this scrapbook page as a tribute to her yesterday as she was heavy on our hearts in this house.

My sister, Dad and I went together this year and got my Mom a new set of pots and pans. The ones she had were the set they got as a wedding gift almost 44 years ago. She was tickled to death with them and is so happy to have pots that are flat (as opposed to warped) on the bottom. She called me the first time she used them to tell me how fast she could boil water in them! As my sister out it in a text message to me, "I think this was a slam dunk" for Mom this year!

My kids flooded me with little gifts from school including a trivet from Kenzie with her handprint on it, a marigold that Chase planted and a few little books they wrote for me. It was a lot of fun. Daddy also helped them to get Mommy a "Mom" bracelet and a pin with their birthstone "kid" charms on it. It was a lovely day and I am so lucky to be a Mom!!

Dinner Anyone?

2010-04-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Well, today was a day that I finally felt like cooking. Antibiotics are an amazing thing in making one feel better.

After posting the Chili Recipe yesterday I decided I was on a roll and wanted some sort of soup today. My kids both LOVE baked potatoes so Baked Potato Soup it is. We have Chase's AFTERS soccer and Kenzie's dance this evening so not home till nearly 6 pm and we usually eat 5 or 5:30 so this will be nice to have ready on the stove when we get home. If you are interested, here is the recipe. I made a half pot as that is plenty for our family of 4. It took less than 1 hour from decision to make it till completely ready just needs reheated when we get home.

Baked Potato Soup

6 medium baking potatoes, cut bite sized & boiled (I leave skins on and use Yukon Gold potatoes)

1 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled (I use costco real bacon bit and about 1 cup of that)

4 stalks green onions, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

6 cups milk

2 cups water

2 cups shredded cheese

8 oz sour cream

1 cup butter

In a large pot, melt butter. Add flour, when mixed together, add onions adn celery and cook till tender. Add milk and stir until smooth. Cook at medium temperature. Stir often so it won't stick to bottom of pot. Add water, and stir to combine. Add bacon, cheese, green onions and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add sour cream and potatoes. Thin as needed with water or milk.

Makes a BIG pot!

Then to decide what to serve with it. hmmmmm! I love biscuits and I have recently found the best biscuit recipe so that is what I am making. Here is the recipe and it is the BEST!

Fluffy Biscuits

2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

3 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortnening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk, stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto flour surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4 inch thick; cut with floured biscuit cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or till golden brown.

Yummy!

Thunderstorms mean warm inside food

2010-04-27T16:09:00.001-07:00

We have been in Florida on vacation for about a week and a half. We got home on Friday and it has been cold and windy since then and then the rain and thunder started today.

On cold wet days, one looks for good warm recipes. Today I will share my Taco Chili Recipe. Easy, quick and loved by all - even the kids like it. I serve it with tortilla chips and sour cream!

Taco Chili

2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained

3 cups tomato juice (or 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce & 1 1/2 cups water)

1 jar (16 oz ) salsa (pick the degree of spiciness you want your chili to be

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained

1 can (15 1/2 oz) great northern beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) butter beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies (can double this for extra spice)

1 envelope taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in big pot and simmer for 15 min. Can be served at this point or I have put it in my crock pot on low for up to 4 hours!

Enjoy!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with some nice and some odd weather in the past week or so here in Chelan. We have had nice sunny days where we were able to enjoy the park but then we had snow on Friday, April 2, 2010!

We took in the local Easter Egg Hunt put on by the local Lions Club yesterday. Somehow we managed to enjoy the 30 second hunt even after waiting outside in windy below 40 degree weather for 20 minutes.

Wishing you and yours a very happy Easter. May you enjoy family, friends, food, faith and fun!

Spring Break

2010-03-31T09:40:00.001-07:00

After spending a weekend away at stamp camp with my BFF Jill, I am back home and enjoying spring break with the kids. The sun is out but it is COLD until mid afternoon and then it is only warm IF the winds doesn't blow up a gale.

We went to Wenatchee and saw How To Train Your Dragon on Monday in 3D. It is a fun time and the kids LOVED the movie. It is a loud movie with some scary dragon fight scenes that I would not recommend for kids under 4 or 5 years old but the 3D is great and neither of my kids (5 & 7) complained of being scared. It is 1 hour and 38 minutes long and the first 20 minutes is a little slow in getting started but think Lilo & Stitch relationship only a Viking Boy and a Dragon. After we saw the movie, we went to Wok About Grill (a favorite when we go to Wenatchee).

Yesterday the kids and I spent a couple of hours at the park until it got too cold to be there. We took our picnic lunch and Rylee came along. We met up the the Dames, Yorgasons, and Schoenwalds and the kids had fun. Adults wouldn't have complained about the cold if we were moving about like the kids were.

Today . . . began with making German Pancakes (thanks Jill for recipe) with homemade Buttermilk Syrup (YUM). Kids were thrilled that breakfast was not cereal! Had to share the recipe as it turned out well and the syrup is definitley worth the time and effort.

German Pancakes

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/2 stick butter

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place half stick butter in 9 X 13 pan and place in oven until butter is melted. Mix eggs, flour, salt and milk in blender until well blended. Remove pan from oven and pour egg mixture in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm with warm syrup.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp vinegar + enough milk to make 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup butter

2 Tbsp corn syrup

1 tsp baking soda

Combine in saucepan (make sure it is a bigger pan and this grows while it boils) and bring to boil of med low heat. Boil for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 tsp vanilla. Stir and serve on pancakes, waffles, french toast . . . The mixture is foamy and cloudly while on stove and once vanilla is added and it cools slightly, it will turn a translucent carmelly color.

Heavy Heart

2010-03-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Every fall I attend a wonderful scrapping retreat that is so relaxing and inspiring in many things. Jane and Deb do a great job of making it a weekend for us. Over the years, you become a part of the family of DJ Scrappin Retreats. I am dedicating today's post to part of the "family". I know that several others of the "family" are doing the same.

Jane is a God-fearing, inspiring Woman, Mom, Wife and Grandma to be who is having to send off her oldest son Abe to Iraq today (pictured about dancing at Cali's reception). He has served a mission for the LDS church and graduated from West Point. He has had his training and has gotten married. He is leaving today to embark on the journey he has been preparing for over the past several years. He is leaving behind a wife, Grace, who is expecting their first child in the fall. May God be with Abe and his family while he is away in the unknown territory of war. May God hold Jane close today as she says one of many goodbyes she has had to say but undoubtedly one of the most difficult.

We love you Jane and pray for you all!

A Fun Story From Erma Bombeck

2010-03-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

I have always enjoyed reading Erma Bombeck as sometimes my life seems to be in the "pits" while others view it as a "bowl of cherries". I got this Erma Bombeck story from a friend of mine on a piece of paper that had clearly been copied a few times. I enjoyed it and thought I would share it today.

Our Family Jewels Sparkle on Film

by Erma Bombeck

There is a small closet in our house where we store the family jewels. There is no safe in the wall and no lock on the door. There are just boxes lining the floor and stacked on the shelves. They contain picture albums, home movies, slides, and packets of photographs.

We hoard them as if they are going to support us in our old age. To five a single print away is unthinkable. It would be like giving up a child. Our entire family had always treated snapshots with a reverence reserved for icons and cars that run.

My Aunt Mildred (God rest her sticky-fingered soul) used to lift one or two pictures every time she was permitted to shuffle through them. She never took anything else - only photographs. When she died (and her pictures were obviously out of probate), her sisters went through her albums and screamed "So this is where the picture of Dad riding a horse went!" Families have split over lesser altercations.

My mother, who is in her 80's, is taking no chances. A couple of years ago, she started dispersing her photos. (We wouldn't want a picture of me, naked at two months, to fall into the wrong hands, would we?)

I am not ready to distribute my wealth until my children show a little more responsibility. At the moment they're too busy living in the present to sift through their past. The longer they live, the more they will need to know who made the trip with them.

How strange that burglars who invade our homes and steal guns, TV sets, VCR's and jewelry, leave behind the only things that have any real value to us - images of our past.

There isn't one of us who wouldn't pay ransom to get back baby pictures of our children. Ask any mother what she would risk her neck to save if there was a fire. The answer is never a piece of silver or a family heirloom. It's always an album or a canister of 8 mm film. Some jewels tarnish with age. These seem to get only brighter and more dazzling with each year.

Blog Swap

2010-02-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

I have never done a blog swap but I was reading Shannon's blog this morning and it sounded so fun I took the leap and will keep you posted on what is going on with it on my blog. My favorite color is Red and that is our "swap topic" - we are to send 5 items to the person we are matched with - one handmade and the others of our choosing. If you are a blogger and want to join, click the "color swap" square at the top and sign up before Monday the 22nd.

Hope to have fun!

My Bare Necessities - Log Your Memory

2010-02-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

Well it is Log Your Memory time for this week. It has been a busy week at my house with my daughter having her tonsils and adenoids removed so if this post seems disjointed - it just might be due to lack of sleep and/or interruptions by the patient!

What Are Your Bare Necessities? The things you just can't live without . . .

(I am going to put a little dislaimer here that I am taking this question to mean the things that make each day complete for me - not the literal necessities of my existance)

1) My Coffee - be it homebrewed cup or my Starbucks - no morning is complete without at least one cup. On Wednesday and Friday mornings my day involves a coffee stop at Starbucks with my girlfriends.

2) My Bible - At some point in each day, my Bible and the guidance God gives me in it are part of my routine.

3) My Car - rarely is there a day that goes by that I am not in the car multiple times for trips to school, the store, my BFF house or some other thing or another

4) My portable DVD player at my bedside - I ALWAYS go to bed with a movie or a re-run of Beverly Hills 90210 in the DVD player by my bed.

5) My Family - even if I am away from home I make time to talk to them and especially to tuck the kids in over the phone with their requested number of night night kisses

6) My Cell phone - as much as I hate to admit it, I am lost without it! My BFF and I can be found on our phones to one another a lot. My kids find me on the phone and say "oh, it must be Jill"

7) My computer - be it email, Facebook, bill paying, news reading or research, I am on the computer several times every day!

8) Chocolate - I very, very rarely go a day without something chocolate (no matter how small) passing my lips (just don't tell my doctor as my high triglycerides I am sure have NOTHING to do with chocolate consumption)

9) Music - I love to make monthly collection CDs from my ipod and listen to music in the car and around the house - my kids are both known to sing along as the CD of the month is usually on whenever we are in the car

10) My neck pillow - though it may seem weird, the contour neck pillow is a life saver after neck surgery - I have bought a new one on more than one occasion when I have left for out of town without mine - my night of sleep is never the same without it!

Take a moment to thing about your necessities in life and if you blog - share those things. I tried to do a "Top 10" approach to mine - how will you do yours?

My Baby is 7 Years Old!

2010-02-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

It seems only yesterday we were waiting so anxiously to be receive the call about a referral of our first little one. We received our I-171 letter, which permitted us to bring a child back to the US, on January 19, 2003. Chase was born on February 6, 2003 in Guatemala City to Reina and was given the birth name of Jose' Valentin Canahui Ac. On February 17, 2003, we received the phone call that changed our lives forever. The adoption agency, Heritage Adoption called and our wonderful Vicky had the news we had waited for . . . a baby boy was born in Guatemala and needed parents. We are ecstatic and all those around us were as well as adoption is a journey for the entire family and friend network. Nine long months later, we finally got to go to Guatemala and get him!

Now he is 7 years old. He is over half way through his first grade year at MOE in Chelan. He is reading very well and was proud to bring home a perfect report card the day before his birthday. Even with his sister home recovering from a tonsillectomy & adenoidectomy, he enjoyed a good day. On Friday, we took cupcakes to his classroom and he and I went out to dinner at his favorite Bamboo Shoot. On Saturday, he got to open his gifts and we had cake and Daddy's Famous Meatloaf for dinner.

Last month, we talked to him about what he wanted for his birthday. Anymore, birthday parties are getting to be bigger and more expensive things by the year. We gave him a choice. He could have the big bowling and pizza party OR he could get a computer for his room. He thought about it and asked several questions to make sure he understood the exchange and all the pros and cons of each side. He concluded that he wanted the computer. We shopped for a desk and chair and then his computer. I was playing nursemaid to Mackenzie on Friday but managed to get his desk and chair assembled while he was at school. I got the computer put together while he tended to his sister after school. He was thrilled. Papa & Mamma got him a printer/copier/scanner for his birthday. Aunt Lissa & Uncle Mitchell got him a Boeing 787 mouse pad and toy plane. Big Sissy Stephanie got him the book Where The Sidewalk Ends. He also got a webcam for his computer. I spent part of Saturday getting him online and setting up the webcam. He loves to email but waits and watches for responses so sometimes I have to call Mamma or Aunt Lissa to get them to respond quickly. He got to try out his webcam with Papa and Mamma with Skype yesterday. It worked great and that comes from someone who has used Yahoo messenger and MSN Live. Skype is the webcam way to go!! (See the above picture of him on the webcam with Papa and Mamma - clearly a happy 7 year old!)

Log Your Memory - Family's Favorite Pastimes

2010-02-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

As I started last week, I am posting from the weekly challenges in my Log Your Memory book. This week's challenge has to do with pastimes are your house. Thankfully my kids are now at reading age so that opens a whoel new bunch of games and pastimes from the non-reading Candy Land and such.

The kids love, love, love to play games and will find any spare moment ro rope one of us into a game. The current favorites at our house are checkers, Twister, Don't Tip The Waiter, Disney DVD Bingo, Uno and the newest is Phase 10 for Kids. It is so fun to see them using their minds for good stuff like that.

Reading is also a frequent pastime at our house. Chase is hooked on the Magic Treehouse Books and reads usually 2 of them a week. I loves to read them to us and it is so great to hear how well he is reading. I have always read to the kids a lot and they love to have me read to them, in fact anything less than 45 minutes of reading is not enough for them. Mackenzie is starting to read too and loves to sit with her Number 1 readers and practice whenever given an opportunity.

We are also a big puzzle family. Quite often in the winter months, there is a large puzzle (500-1000 pieces) on our dining room table. Chase is a natural at puzzles and neither of the kids are afraid of helping out on a big puzzle. If the puzzle is a pretty one that we really like, we use puzzle glue and Papa makes us a frame to put them in and we use them for art around our house (the picture above is one that hangs in Chase's room).

We have an evening ritual that is part of our "bedtime routine" that makes it all go smoothly (most of the time). The kids love to have movie time so after dinner, we all get in PJs and congregate in the living room for movie time. On odd days Chase pics and on even days Mackenzie pics the movie. For a long time we have done Disney cartoons over and over and over but in the last few months, the kids have started to enjoy movies with real people in them. Having Netflix helps to keep a variety of good kid movies available instantly or by mail. The kids currently love any movie about dogs and recently discovered Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory.

During the summer months, our family spends a lot of time at the lake or in the pool as we all love water. The kids would exist in swimsuits all summer if we would let them. It doesn't hurt that we live in such a great area for summer fun in the sun and water.

What are your family's favorite pastimes? Are they the same or different than a year ago? Are there things you would like to add to the pastimes you enjoy?

Taco Chili - Another Winter Warmer Recipe

2010-01-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

Well, it is cold and gloomy in Chelan and we have only seen the sun for little glimpses over the last few weeks. Those cold days certainly put me in the mood for warm soups. I have recently shared Beef Stew and then Cheddar Corn Chowder and today I will share the Taco Chili Recipe.

I made this pot today and we all ate off of it and there are leftovers for this week. We eat it with cheese and sour cream on it and with warm tortillas on the side. Hope you enjoy it!

Taco Chili

2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained

2 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 (16 oz) jar salsa (I use mild but if you want heat use a spicier one)

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained

1 can (15 1/2 oz) great northern beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can (14 1/2) diced tomatoes with juice

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 45 min to 1 hour. Serve with cheese & sour cream with side of warm tortilla or tortilla chips.

Sketch # 3 on Ella Publishing

2010-01-30T10:37:00.000-08:00

Well, the third of six sketches was posted on the Ella blog yesterday so I spent a bit getting a page done using it while enjoying my morning coffee and listening to CMT Video Countdown.

Here is my take on the sketch - these are pictures taken on a Disney Cruise that Dave and I went on in 2005 down the Mexican Riviera. Check out the great sketches on Ella using the Ella elephant button on the top right of my blog.

Hope you all have a nice weekend.

Winter Warmer Recipe - Cheddar Corn Chowder

2010-01-27T07:40:00.001-08:00

On cold winter days, there is nothing like a yummy pot of homemade soup. My kids (as with most kids) prefer cream-based soups to broth-based soups. We have a favorite around our house that is usually made at least once or twice a month for most winter months. This one is an easy recipe that is ready in about 45 minutes from start to finish and I love that part! Also it is a good recipe for a family of four. This pot is perfect sized for my husband and I and our 5 year old daughter and almost 7 year old son. Occasionally there is a small bowl of leftovers but usually it is GONE! It is an easy recipe to double if company or extra leftovers are your wishes. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I usually make rolls or bread bowls with it.

Cheddar Corn Chowder

2 cups water

2-3 cups cubed peeled potatoes

1/2 cup slice carrots

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheese

1 can corn, drained

OPTIONAL - add 1 1/2 cups cubed ham OR 3/4 cup chopped cooked bacon

In a large saucepan, bring water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until veges are tender. Remove from heat, DO NOT DRAIN. Meantime, in a lg saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 min or until thickened. Add cheese & stir unti melted. Stir into the undrained veges. Return pan to heat. Add corn and meat (optional), heat through and serve.

**** DOES NOT WORK WELL IN CROCKPOT ****

** Easy bread bowls - buy Rhodes frozen bread loaf dough, place on cookie sheet to thaw for and hour or so, once thawed enough to divide, cut loaf into either halves or thirds (depends on desird size of bowl), round into a ball, cover with greased plastic wrap, let rise per directions on bag, bake on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes till golden, once cooled cut top off and carefully scoop out inside bread (I keep this bread in chunks on side of plates for dipping)

A New Fun Blog

2010-01-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

I found a new fun blog this past week. www.ellapublishing.com/blog

They have sketches posted once a week and a contest with these sketches. I used this weeks sketch for the above layout of a few of my favorite pictures from the last year!

Take a chance to check out this fun blog by clicking the link in this post or using her button on the top right of my blog! I hope you enjoy!

(My daughter loves this one as it has elephants one its logo)

10 Things That Make Me Happy

2010-01-25T09:12:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine did this post yesterday and although I was not tagged to do it she did leave it open to all to do. Particularly at this time I feel this was a goo dpost for the day as some days it is hard to find the happy!

1) Sleeping In . . . although sleeping in for me is not considered noon or anything, I do enjoy getting to sleep in till 8:30 or 9:00 on occasion.

2) Reading with Kindergarten Kids . . . last year I started volunteering in Chase's kindergarten classroom and this year I am doing the same in Mackenzie's classroom, it is such a joy to see the thrill of success in the eyes of these 5 & 6 year olds and they begin to read - this is a happy part of every school day for me

3) Date Night with Hubby & No Kids . . . don't get me wrong, I love my kids but they are at the fast food and cartoon age and once in a while I do enjoy to each out at a restaurant that doesn't have a drive-through window and to see a movie with real people in it! Nothing feels like the love of a man who truly considers you his Cinderella!

4) Cooking . . . I love to cook and truly enjoy the thrill of finding a good new recipe that is a hit with the family.

5) A Day at the Beach in Chelan During the Summer With Girlfriends & Kids . . . several years ago there was a Kid's Club started with severl Moms in Chelan before our kids were in school, suring the summer we enjoy at least one long afternoon a week at the beach at Lakeside or at State Park with the kids frolicking in the water and the Mom's enjoying the sun and one another's company

6) Family . . . I enjoy all of my extended family and the time that we get to spend with them, after the recent loss of my mother-in-law, it is a renewed commitment with me to spend more time with family as it has not always been prioritized high enough and you never know what life has in store for anyone.

7) Friends . . . particularly by BFF Jill, it is such a wonderful feeling to have the love and friendship unconditionally of a person who is ALWAYS there for you and can turn around an otherwise bad day . . . what would we do without friends

8) Coffee . . . most days cannot be complete without a cup of Jo, I love many different kinds of coffee and my new fav is my Keurig machine i got for Christmas as I can make a cup whenever I want

9) A Good Chick Flick . . . I have several of these that I own on DVD as I know the dialogue well enough that I can be in and out of the room and not miss anything, as a good laugh or occasional cry from a chick flick is good!

10) My Bible . . . I make time daily to take a walk through my scriptures and seem to always be able to find something that is appropriate for that day, much like my necklace from my parents at Christmas that reads - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me - Phil 4:13 - how can one not be happy and have confidence in oneself when God has confidence in us beyond our own.

Well, that was a fun exercise, I am going to tag a few people that check my blog so that they can enjoy this process - so Jane, Megan (I know you don't have a blog but enjoy thinking about it nonetheless), Melissa (post yours on Facebook) and anyone else who feels the desire.

Happy Monday!

Log My Memory - My January Soundtrack

2010-01-21T09:36:00.000-08:00

In early December I ran across a neat website and book www.logyourmemory.com that is a great day planner type book for scrapbookers and mothers alike who are trying to keep track of where they are to be and when but also where they have been and the memories of the year. I personally bought the downloadable version and had it printed at my local print shop and comb bound. I love that it will stay together and include memories that I want to keep. The book also include little prompts and challenges weekly, monthly and for holidays. It is a nice way to remember the details and keep track of what we have done as a family. I am going to use some of those challenges as blog prompts to help keep me in more of a blogging routine. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Every month I make a new playlist on my ipod of songs that are big with me that month. I usually make a CD of them and that is in each car as well. I kind of think of them as the soundtrack of my month. I plan to share my monthly soundtrack sometime during each month in 2010 as I strive to make my blogging more routine and something that logs my memories for future use.

January 2010 Soundtrack

1. Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man - Carrie Underwood & Brad Paisley

2. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

3. Cryin' For Me - Toby Keith

4. Hillbilly Bone - Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins

5. Why Don't We Just Dance - Josh Turner

6. American Honey - Lady Antebellum

7. Alright - Darius Rucker

8. How Far Do You Want To Go - Gloriana

9. Keep On Lovin' You - Steel Magnolia

10. Take Me There - Rascal Flatts

11. The Truth - Jason Aldean

12. Twang - George Strait

13. History In The Making - Darius Rucker

14. You're Gonna Miss This - Trace Adkins

15. Stay - Sugarland

16. Highway 20 Ride - Zac Brown Band

17. Love This Pain - Lady Antebellum

18. Sara Smile - Jimmy Wayne

19. Red Light - David Nail

20. The Man I Want To Be - Chris Young

21. Living For The Night - George Strait

I hope you too will take the time to Log Your Memories in whatever form you choose and time flies and we never know what tomorrow holds. Our written memories will be treasures for our family after we are gone and are completely irreplaceable.

Yummy biscuits on a cold day

2010-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend was Winterfest in Chelan. It is a mixed bag of weather from year to year. We have not had good snow for it the last couple of years and this year was the same. It did snow Saturday night but then rained Sunday afternoon so all of the snow is gone! When it is a cold dreary day there are a host of winter warmer recipes I fall back on as respite inside from the cold doldrum of winter. I recently made by stew (recipe posted on blog in December) and was really in the mood for biscuits but I wanted the real thing . . . no bisquick for me. I went hunting for a good recipe and I found truly the best biscuit recipe I have ever had in my possession. I had to share it with my blog readers as it is a sure winner (everyone loved them) to go with your favorite pot of stew or soup and makes great leftovers (if any are left) for breakfast the next morning.

Fluffy Biscuits

2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

3 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sale

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the misture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto well-floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4 inch thickness; cut with floured biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 1 dozen

Enjoy!

You are missed Mom!

2010-01-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

After 9 days away to be with Dave and family after the death of his mother, we are finally back home. It was sure a tough start to 2010 and I can't even tell you what time I went to bed on New Year's Eve. The last week is a blur but I do know one thing and that is, the memorial was a lovely tribute to a great lady who I was so fortunate to call my mother-in-law. As my brother-in-law Kevin shared at the memorial, she could do a good job of butting in to everyone's business and never thought twice before opening her mouth and speaking her mind, but we wouldn't have wanted her any other way. Now the healing begins as we get back to our routine and learn to not look at the caller ID and know it was her calling on Sunday evenings right as we started a movie or whenever Edgar Martinez was on TV or sometimes even when Chuck Norris was on in Walker Texas Ranger.

I have seen more salt and pepper shakers since her passing and it is nearly more than I can do to not buy them for her as she would scold us if we shared that we saw some and didn't buy them. In the week we spent in Mount Vernon after her passing and leading up to her memorial, I drove past the thrift stores in Mount Vernon multiple times and wondered what treasures she would find in them if she were still here.

She is no longer fighting that awful disease of ALS which robbed her of so many things but left her mind intact. She was trapped in a body that didn't work how she wanted anymore. No more is she trapped!

We were so fortunate to have one last Christmas with her. We originally were to go to my parents' house for Christmas but as we saw her decline, the decision was made that we would bring Christmas to her. My parents brought their tree and ornaments, we brought stockings and gifts and we had a great time sharing Christmas with her. She told me in a note on Christmas Eve that after the holidays she was giving up but I NEVER dreamed she meant 5 days after Christmas.

I love you & miss you Mom and I will treasure forever the memories with you!

Good Bye Ma

2010-01-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

After a long battle with ALS, my mother-in-law Betty Arendse passed away peacefully with her family around her in her home in Mount Vernon, WA on 12/30/09. She was a great lady and loved family, ice cream, collecting salt & pepper shakers and talking on the phone. In the last year of her illness she lost her ability to eat and to talk but she never lost her sense of humor or her independent spirit, determined to the end to live life on her terms. We are so happy that we got to spend one last Christmas with her. She lived a tough life, having buried 2 children and a husband. She will live on in our memories forever.

Yummy Beef Stew Recipe

2009-12-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

For many years I have used the same beef stew recipe. It is a favorite on cold winter days in Chelan. Secretly, I don't tell many people that it is an old weight watcher recipe, because it tastes so yummy you would never guess. I took this stew to a scrapbook event this weekend at my friend Carrie's house and everyone loved it. Toward the end of the day, I was asked if I ever blog recipes and I thought, well, why not so here it is - my favorite beef stew recipe (my family including kids LOVE it).

Yummy Beef Stew

1 lb stew meat (cut into small chunks)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with the juice
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 can (15 oz) corn with juice
1 can (15 oz) green beans with juice
small handful shredded cabbage
2 Tbsp dried chopped onions
3 Tbsp Minute Tapioca pearls
1 Tbsp beef boullion base
3 medium potatoes, cut up with skin on
about 1/2 cup sliced carrots

Place all ingredients in large crock pot and stir. Turn on to low for 8-10 hours. Stir a couple of times toward the last couple of hours.

Hope you enjoy this - we eat with rolls or cornbread and top it with Parmesan cheese

Rubber Duckies & Games

2009-12-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

Good Friday morning! The Rogges hope your holidays are going well!

Ours are staying quite busy as I am making gingerbread cookies with 24 kindergarten kids today . . . should keep me out of trouble for the day! I love working in the class and think that this will be a fun day for them! I have it on good word that Santa may have delivered some more elves to the Chelan area last night so it will be interesting to see if any of our friends got elves for their families.

Our elves have continued to resort to their own devices when left unsupervised (but I am NOT going to stay up and at home all of the time watching them as the kids have asked me to do). When the kids got home from school yesterday the elves were missing from their bed so the kids went looking for them and this is what they found . . .

After dinner we enjoyed a snack of Christmas Popcorn while watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The Christmas Popcorn was a big hit and Kenzie loved helping me make it!

The kids tucked the elves in tight in their bed but alas the elves found something to do and were found this morning sitting on furniture playing the kids' Nintendo DS games! They have clearly been in contact with Candy & Holly at my sister's house as they played with games on Wednesday night! The kids thought that was funny!

The other big news from yesterday is that the University of Oregon (my alma mater sort of as OHSU is an affiliate of UO) won the Civil War Game last night beating the Oregon State Beavers in a nail-biter 37-33! Not only does that make the Ducks the PAC-10 Champions but it secures them a trip to Pasadena to play in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State! I smell Roses!!

Elves on the Loose!

2009-12-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

Well another day . . . another Elf Capade!

Yesterday when Dave got home from school with the kids, this is what they found!

On further investigation, look at the drivers!

The kids got very upset about this one and were sure that I would be very mad about it! Mackenzie again went to her paper and wrote and drew another letter to Santa reporting the mischief.

Evidently Santa is not in much control of the elves when they are away from the North Pole as this is what we found this morning . . .

But on a positive note, I hear that elves have arrived at my sister's house in Bothell and one of the elves, Holly, has been reported by my 2 year old niece to be pooping her pants! I guess I should be happy I don't have a pooping elf at my house!

Hungry Elves resort to own devices

2009-12-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Well the kids learned a valuable lesson this morning as they did not leave out a healthy snack for their elves. We got up this morning and the elves had gotten snacks of their own . . . and made a mess in the process. Morale of the story is that hungry elves will resort to any mean necessary!

The bad behavior upset Mackenzie enough that she wrote a letter (on very BIG paper) to Santa reporting the elf mischief and drawing a picture of the mischief.

Elf Capades continue at the Rogges!

Visiting Elves

2009-12-01T13:39:00.000-08:00

For those who do not know, the kids have requested from Santa to have a visitng elf this year from Dec 1 to Dec 24. They were very excited after I read them this book! Mackenzie even took the time to hide the soap in drawers as the book warns that elves may get into mischief including stealing bars of soap.

Then last night while they lay sleeping in their beds - we got visitors - yes not just one but two elves came to our house. The kids were very excited to see them. They each came with passports and letters from Santa. Bernard Buttons & Belle Blizzard are happy little visitors at our house.

Mackenzie hid her baby elephant this morning before leaving for school for fear that the elves might do something to it (if they value their lives they will leave it alone). Mackenzie even shared her wooden cradle that Papa made her for Xmas two years ago in order to provide a good bed for the elves to rest in while the kids were gone. I was given clear instruction that I was to watch them today so I could be sure they didn't cause any trouble. Well, I did have an errand or two to run after dropping the kids off at school and look at what those elves did - they got paper and big pencils and are sitting ON the dining room table drawing!

The Elf Capades have begun at the Rogge house - stay tuned for more!

Catch Up!

2009-11-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

OK I have been made aware of my delinquency in posting to my blog. I have been busy getting ready for the holidays and enjoying a weekend away scrapbooking with the person who tells me I am behind . . . so this one is for you Megan - Luv Ya!

A New Leaf

2009-11-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

So today is the first post of November, the first school day of November, the first school day off of Daylight Savings Time, AND, last but NOT least, the FIRST day of a new class I am taking found at www.shimelle.com and titled Blogging for Scrapbookers. I have taken a class from Shimelle at Creating Keepsakes a few years ago and I loved it. I have taken a few of her online classes and am continually amazed at how she makes me look at things differently. She is from England and there is a part of her verbage in her posts that I love as it is not the American way to do it.

She works doing things in the industry of scrapbooking and finds it difficult for people to understand all of what she does ass some people (particularly those of the male species) just don't "get it" as I am sure we all have experienced. She recently compared scrapbooking to blogging just using paper and pretty things. From that she developed this class and I am excited to embark on this journey with her.

My blogging is sporatic at best and is complicated by Facebook as it sometimes seems duplicative in nature. My hope through this class is to use my blog more often and to post more meaningful (AKA meaty) posts on my blog as I use it to save memories and things that make my life just that MY LIFE.

I hope you will visit and read my blog as I embark on this journey. I am not setting unreasonable expectations so I am making NO promises to my readers except that I am going to start this journey and see where it takes me.

Here is to a new leaf in my life and fun blog posts to come.

Digital Scrapbooking

2009-10-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

I have recently started dabbling in digital scrapbooking and find that I like it not as a replacement for paper scrapbooking but rather as an adjunct that gives me a little different creative outlet with the ability to do it on my laptop with little to no mess! Sometimes it is nice to sit on the couch and create a little fun with the ease of the computer.

I am at home grounded to the couch with bronchitis so today gave me some free time with my laptop. My little buddy Amos is keeping me company and making sure I stay on the couch . . .

My cousin is married to a now-retired fireman who has a very great relationship with all of my cousin's kids and grandkids. My cousin's first grandson Carson was born with Cystic Fibrosis. He has struggled through some challenges as they get him set with his meds and routine to manage it. Belinda and Wes have done so much to raise awareness and raise funds for CF research. A friend of Carson's mom's took some great pictures of Wes and Carson together in fireman gear. I have loved this picture for a long time -

Today I took a kit I got from http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/ with fireman stuff and used this picture I love and made a fun page of Carson and his hero, his grandpa Wes. I included this poem on the page:

MY GRANDPA'S A FIREMAN

There aren't many kids ~ so I'm led to understand,
Who can really and truly say, MY GRANDPA'S A FIREMAN?
My Grandpa never gets older like kids who grow each day;
He doesn't even have wrinkles 'cause God made him that way.
There's something' special 'bout him, and I know what he says is true;
For he wants me to be fair and honest in everything I do.
He takes me to parades, and I sit in his big red truck;
I push the siren so very loud ~ you'd almost think it was stuck!
At times his clothes smell funny; I hold my nose and say "PEEE-UU!"
But I know it's from smoke and the kind of work he has to do.
On Christmas and Thanksgiving ~ even Easter and birthdays, too,
We visit Grandpa and Grandma where there's so many things to do.
I know I'm really lucky; I'm the happiest kid in the land,
Since I have someone I love and can say, MY GRANDPA'S A FIREMAN.
-Author unknown

Here is the finished product - I love it!! I think it really shows the relationship between them!

Hello Fall

2009-10-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Been a while since a post so thought I would post tonight just to prove I am alive. It is definitely fall here in Chelan. The temperatures have gone down to a high of 70 in the day and the high 30s to maybe 45 at night. Gone are the shorts and the hooded sweatshirts are out.

The kid are staying busy in school. Chase loves first grade and his teacher. He knows his sight words for first and second grade - all 400 of them and is started reading chapter books and loves it. He has gotten 100% on all 5 spelling tests so far! I am so proud of him. He has soccer practice two afternoons a week and had his first soccer game on Saturday. He was a very tired boy after that game. He even took a nap this afternoon which he NEVER does and was still ready for bed at bedtime. Mackenzie is started on her sight words and on her first books in kindergarten. She is tired by the end of the week as she has soccer practice one afternoon a week in addition to full day kindergarten 5 days a week. She has the same teacher Chase had last year and loves that she knows the routine. She really misses being at home with Mommy so we do a lot of encouragement some days to get her going and other days she is ready to go.

We are ready for fall and love the change of weather. Wishing a happy fall to all of you!

Events in Chelan

2009-09-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

It has been an interesting week in the Chelan area. Not only did school start this last week on Wednesday but to add to the chaos, we had a tractor-trailer rig run into the side of the Beebe Bridge which connects the Douglas County side of the Columbia River to the Chelan County side. Our school district has 120 students and 5 teachers that live on the Douglas County side. This is not usually a big deal of a commute but . . .

as you can see in the photo, there is extensive damage to the bridge so the commute has become quite an event. The kids on that side are being picked up about 6 AM in order to ride the 1 1/2 hrs one way back to Chelan via Wenatchee and are not getting home until 4:30 or 5:00 PM. Mackenzie's teacher (Chase's teacher from last year) lives on that side of the river. She and her husband (Steve and Carolyn Burdick) are both teachers in Chelan and have a 4 month old son Jayden who goes to daycare in Chelan. They have a new commute as they began school on Wednesday bycoming to work by boat from Sun Cove area to Chelan Falls thanks to Mr. Blair (the husband of another teacher in the district).

Hopefully they will be clearing the bridge for pedestrian traffic by school on Tuesday. In the meantime there is a long detour and any traffic that needs to go north of the bridge has to be rerouted through Chelan making it a very busy traffic area especially with apple harvest in full swing. If you are from out of the area and want to see more pictures of this accident, which unfortunately resulted in the death of the driver and her partner, go to http://www.golakechelan.com/ or http://www.wenworld.com/.

Here is hoping for a smoother week this week!

Wisdom from a First Grader

2009-09-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

Today after his first day of first grade Chase arrived home with homework. As he sat down to work on it, he asked me "Mommy do you know what homework means?" I replied, "No, what does it mean?" His sweet wisdom-filled reply "It means I am growing up!"

Happy Birthday Gramma Betty - a Great 77 years

2009-08-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my mother-in-law's 77th birthday! She is suffering with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and is no longer able to swallow at all and is only able to communicate in writing. We are all facing the fact that she is failing and this may well be her last birthday. In honor of her big day, we got all of the family possible together for her day. There were in total - 3 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, 7 grandkids, 8 great grandchildren and 10 friends! It was a fun day and she looked so happy to have them all there.

Here's to Gramma Betty - wishing you comfort and peace as you struggle through each day. Know that we love you so much and are so lucky to have you in our lives.

Megan made a fabulous scrapbook page for Gramma about the things she learned from her. i cannot say things better about Gramma so I will just include this picture . . .

Apricots

2009-08-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

My best friend and I have been dealing with LOTS of apricots for a week now. We have a mutual friend who has trees of apricots that they just use for themselves but can never use all of them. She told us we could go pick all we wanted. Well, if you have never picked apricots, it is easy and goes very fast. That is a good and a bad thing. The good is you have what you need (and more) in less than an hour. The bad is that it is hard to stop as it doesn't seem like you have picked long enough.

Between the two of us, we have made nearly 70 pints of freezer jam (thankfully she has a clean nearly empty freezer to keep it in). I made 4 quarts of apricot syrup. I dried a dehydrator full of them. We have eaten lots as well.

We will remember these apricots well into the winter when we are covered in snow and wishing for sunshine!

A Long Time Dream Fulfilled

2009-08-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Many of you know of the time and trials of the adoption of Chase. Being an international adoption it came with ups and LOTS of downs through the paperwork process. Getting his referral 11 days after he was born and then it taking nearly 9 months more to get the travel OK to go get him was tough on the whole family.

I am the oldest child and my younger sister had no children at that point either so this was the first grandchild for my parents. My Dad was over-the-top excited about a grandson to taking fishing, hunting, camping, etc. Mom was excited as well but Dad had dreams of things he would do with Chase before he ever got to hold him.

We lived from one picture to the next for that nine months as that was our connection to this little boy we loved so dearly. We were trapped in the system and had to wait it out. It was stressful for us all and some of us (namely me) were more vocal about the stress we endured. Others (like Dad) kept dreaming of this baby in his arms in silence. Dad had a heart attack summer of 2003 while we were in this waiting period. He spent several days in the hospital getting stents placed and recovering. During this time, we all became more aware of his emotions related to Chase. He worked so hard to recover and get his health in shape to be able to go to Guatemala with us.

Finally in November 2003, we go the plane tickets and Dad told his boss he would be back when Chase was home from Guatemala as he and Mom went with us. We took a red-eye flight to Guatemala City. Upon arriving after a long night of flight, we got to our hotel (Hotel La Casa Grande) and checked in. The agency had told us to call the attorney when we arrived. I did just that. We were told to be prepared as with it being a Friday before the election weekend in Guatemala we may not get to even see him and likely wouldn't get to have him till Monday. I was shocked when Leticia (our attorney in Guatemala) asked me if we would like to "get" him that morning. I inquired for more info as to what she meant. She told us she could be there with him and we could HAVE him that morning. We all raced through the shower (as we were all in one suite so the one shower was busy).

FINALLY we got to have him (we ended up waiting in Guatemala enjoying him in our hotel for 3 weeks while final paperwork was completed for travel home)! After a short visit with the attorney and the foster mother, they left and we were on our own. The poor little guy had just been removed from all he knew and he started crying. We all took turns walking the floor with him trying to calm him. Mom and I took turns singing to him (she had learned to sing Jesus Loves Me in Spanish) and rocking him. Dave took his turn too and finally Papa got his turn. He walked out onto an open landing area and talked to Chase and finally got him settled and he fell asleep on Papa's chest. What a sight as you can see . . .

I NEVER knew until a couple of months ago what Dad had talked to him about while trying to comfort him that day nearly 6 years ago. I now know that he was talking to Chase about the things they would do together and how he looked forward to teaching him to fish!

Chase and Papa have gone fishing quite a few time together and really enjoy one another's company as you can see.

Yesterday (August 17, 2009), Chase (with the help of Papa) caught his first BIG fish. He has caught several blue gill and perch but yesterday was different. He caught a 15 lb, 32 inch KING SALMON on the Columbia River near Brewster, WA. Boy was he proud and so was Papa - I think the picture says it all . . .

A Long Time Dream Fulfilled

A fun card making evening!

2009-08-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

I went to Jill's last night after kids were settled with Daddy and we had a wonderful time making cards and laughing till we hurt from laughing. It was a great time for both of us and a good end to a busy fast week. Here are the creations we made!

Using the CTMH Stamp of the Month to make stripes

Another use for CTMH stamp of the month

A creation using the Sweet Home paper set in the Autumn/Winter 2009 CTMH catalog

Same card but with the new Grace paper and the Childhood Portrait Stamps from new catalog

More stripes with Stamp of the Month

Love this circle card using a template from the CTMH Wishes Book

Love this card with the new paper Grace and Childhood Portrait stamp set

It pays that Jill is a Director with Close to My Heart so she gets goodies from the new catalog early!

My Sweet Little Boy

2009-08-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

As I blogged yesterday, Mackenzie is in KinderCamp this week and next. While I am missing her and the things I am used to her doing around the house, I am also enjoying the reconnecting with Chase that is happening when he has all to himself 1:1 time with us while she is at school. He was only 15 1/2 months old when Mackenzie was born and we had only had him home from Guatemala for 6 months so it has been a long time since there was just him. He is a totally different kid when not competing with Mackenzie over every little thing. While we have not done anything spectacular while she was gone, he has been tickled nonetheless just to share the couch with one of us and not have to share. He is all of a sudden the snuggle bug I remember from those days over 5 years ago. He is so helpful and wants to make everyone happy. We have enjoyed a trip to the park with our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We have played Fishing Master on the Wii. He and Daddy have tossed football and shot baskets with the basketball. He has sat and read Biscuit books to me. He has been right under my feet in all that I do while Mackenzie is gone. What a joy to get to have these special alone times with him that we have not had for so long. Memories in the making . . .

Now, don't be mistaken, he does miss his sister as he is right out there to greet her as she gets off the bus and runs to give her a love but he also loves to snuggle with me and tell me of the fun things we did that just he and I know about! How sweet my little boy is!

My Baby Grows Up

2009-08-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well, as the beginning of school approaches, I am realizing how much the kids have grown up. Mackenzie is spending this week and next week in 4 day a week 9 am - 2 pm KinderCamp at the elementary school in order to get the routine down. She is absolutely loving it and I am having separation anxiety. Chase has been in school at least part time for 3 1/2 years and Mackenzie has been a constant at home. Even last year she was only in preschool for 3 half days - and that 2 1/2 hours flew by for me. In a mere 3 weeks, I will be sending both of them off to full day school. How do they grow so fast?

Mackenzie has really enjoyed her first few days of KinderCamp. On the first day, I drove her to school and when I went to pick her up, she wanted to ride the bus home with her friends. Thankfully Mr. Peck (the fabulous principal at MOE) could quickly arrange for that so Chase and I drove home and waited for her to come home on the bus. I asked her what she did at school and got some fragmented little snippets. I thought a more pointed question would give me the information I was looking for so I asked what her favorite parts of her day were . . . her reply - riding the bus home ang getting chocolate milk for breakfast AND lunch at school. I asked what else she had for lunch - her reply - I can't remember exactly but maybe a corn dog but I DID have chocolate milk. On day two, we waited out front of the house and the bus came down the hill, she was so excited to run out to meet it. She climbed on the bus and sat down. I stood in the driveway waving - - - she didn't even look out the window at me - she was busy visiting with her friends . . . I cried! She arrived safely home on the bus after day 2 - her favorites that day - recess and chocolate milk! She is on the bus on her way to school this morning as I type (again no wave for Mommy, but no tears either). I am sure she will have fun. She comes home and hugs Chase immediately but doesn't seem at all worried about what she "missed" by not being home. I wonder what will join chocolate milk as her favorites today - guess I will find out at 2:45 pm when she gets home. . .

Just a thought

2009-07-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

I got this off of "The Art Of Choosing Joy" blog (Kolette Hall) and it was so perfectly timed with my life right now and the current theme of sermons at church that I just had to share it. Hope it enriches your life like it did mine.

We are having a busy and fun summer with lots more plans for the coming month.

In September, I will have a first grader and a kindergartener - what will I do with both of them in school? I am sure I will find something.

Enjoy your summer

7th Anniversary and Family Pictures

2009-07-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

After a LOT of static from my mother about needing a "more recent" family picture (our last was Christmas 2005 - the kids have changed a bit since then), we finally managed to connect with Richard Uhlhorn at Riverwalk Park today (our 7th anniversary, by the way) and got some pictures done. He did a great job. I will not bore you with all 123 but just a few to get the idea that yes, we have changed since 2005 (some have grown up and others have grown out - Jillian Michaels is working on that part).

My parents came and watched the kids tonight so Dave and I could go out for a nice dinner for our anniversary. We went to The Bamboo Shoot in Chelan and it was delicious!! He got me a pedicure and acrylic nails gift certificate and I got him a salmon fishing pole and the Love Dare book (from the movie Fireproof - HIGHLY recommend this movie to all people). Overall a great day and I look forward to many more happy years to come!

No More Preschoolers

2009-06-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

It is now official, I am no longer the parent of a preschooler. Mackenzie "graduated" from preschool on Thursday evening in a very cute little ceremony. Mrs. Hunter and Mrs. Stevens (and with the help this year of Mrs. Kehl) always do a great job and this was no different. The pre-4 class were so cute in their performance and their moving up, but when did they start looking so tiny - it is hard to come to grips that Mackenzie was that little only one short year ago. The pre-K kids got to wear caps and gowns and were so cute! As any good mother does, I cried at several points in the evening. The kids sang God Bless America (which they had been practicing at home, in the car, in the store, to any one who would listen, etc, etc, etc - for a MONTH) and it was good even though I had heard it way too many times in the practicing phase. The did a few other songs and then got their diplomas and presented gifts to Mrs. Stevens (for her new baby) and Mrs Kehl for helping out all year. Then off to snacks and punch outside and home with tired kids, grandparents and parents . . . and alas no more preschoolers. :(

ABCs of Me

2009-05-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Saw this on several other blogs and thought it would be fun as I usually blog about my kids and family!

Here's ME:

Age: 38

Bed size: King

Chore you hate: folding laundry (thankfully hubby does ALL laundry)

Dad's Name: John

Essential start your day item: COFFEE

Favorite actor(s): Matthew McCounaghey (SP?), Sean Connery

Gold or Silver: White Gold

Height: ooo, do I have to admit it? 4'11"

Instruments you play(ed): Clarinet, piano (minimal)

Job title: Mommy Taxi Driver, Family Nurse, Family Historian (AKA scrapbooker), Card Maker, Teacher . . .all the other things a Stay at home Mom is!

Kid(s): Chase, Mackenzie & step children

Living arrangements: own a home in Chelan, WA and live with my hubby, Dave and my two kids Chase and Mackenzie and two dogs - Lillie (maltese) and Amos (Yorkie)

Mom's name: Dorothy

Nicknames: Minkie (hubby), Mom, Honey - pretty much anything but my name

Overnight hospital stay other than birth: neck surgery, hysterectomy

Pet peeves: ungratefulness

Quotes you like: Put on Your Big Girl Panties and Deal With It

Rightie or Leftie: Rightie

Siblings: Melissa

Time you wake up: 6:30 if kids let me sleep till alarm goes off

Umbrella: of course (hate to get wet and chilled to the bone)

Vegetable you dislike: lettuce

Ways you run late:Getting kids out the door with all that they need, waiting for others

X-rays you've had: neck, sinuses, back, ankle, chest

Yummy food you make: berry tapioca salad, macaroni salad, cinnamon rolls, chicken roll ups

Zodiac: Pisces

Good Read

2009-05-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

First let me begin by saying I LOVE my birthday present - a Kindle 2! I have read more since I got it than in the past 3 years put together. It is so nice and portable. Runs a long time on a charge and I can have several books going at once on it. I know there is a lot of negative media right now about Jon & Kate Gosselin and the Octomom but the first book I read on my Kindle 2 was Multiple Blessings by Kate Gosselin. What a great read and a great look at the human spirit and the good that people all around us have to share. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it. It is uplifting while still real and also shows the love and protective nature of a mother.

Sometimes I feel it is so much nicer to read a good take on life than to get caught up in the negative publicity that our media-hyped world can produce. I love my kindle and just yesterday I got this great travel bag for it that holds the kindle and the charging cord from BorsaBella.com

A good thought!

2009-05-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

This was posted on Stacy Julian's blog today and it was so compelling and hit at the heart of me that I had to post it and am committing to live by it for a day in May and then I will post my experiences on June 1st. Please read and contemplate joining me.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great Cinco de Mayo. Chase came home very excited to tell me about why we call it Cinco de Mayo and carrying a Mexico flag they made at school. It was a windy afternoon so we huddled in at home instead of the park as we had hoped to do.

This little sign was at a local coffee hangout I hit once in a while right before picking up Chase (obviously I did so today) and I liked the sentiment so will share it with you today.

Nurse Kenzie

2009-05-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

It seems that as I get farther from my nurse on the job experience, my 4 year old daughter gets more proficient at helping me "do it right". I (or maybe I should say we) have to change his dressing every morning and when it is time, she is right there to help! If I don't do it EXACTLY like I did the day before she gets upset and fixes it for me. She feels that I am not qualified to provide proper care to her Daddy without her supervision and advice. Thanks Nurse Kenzie for all your guidance (I could do it so much more quickly without you - BUT I wouldn't have the memories like this).

Busy Week

2009-05-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

the kids enjoyed snuggles with Daddy while camping last weekend before his surgery

This was one of those weeks when I feel I should just sleep in the car - it truly would save time and much needed energy.

Dave had his left knee replacement surgery on Tuesday in Wenatchee so I ran kids to school in the AM and raced home to pick them up in the PM on Wed as my parents graciously helped on Tuesday (surgery day) and on Thursday (to bring them to visit Daddy after school) and on Friday (when he got to come home). I put a lot of miles on my little car and it feels like as many on my little feet. Thanks to Mom and Dad and to Jill who helped a lot with Mackenzie this week. I couldn't have done it without you all. The good news is that he is healing well and all looks much better than on any of the three replacements in the last 5 years on the right side. With any luck, he will be up and around and better than before by the time the kids get out of school.

The kids were so very happy to have him home - as am I! They are being very helpful in taking care of our patient (almost to the point of nuisance).

Well, I am headed off to bed soon as Dave had a lot of nightmares last night and was yelling in his sleep which woke me several times and led to me eventually in a stuperous sleep to grab a magazine and swap it across the bed at him as if to swat a fly - seems harse but it worked for the rest of the night (if that is what you call the hours of 3:30 - 6:30 am).

Good night all and may the Lord bless and keep you all safe.

Earth Day

2009-04-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day to All!

Earth Day

2009-04-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

Living in a small community town has lots of benefits (and some drawbacks) but on most occasions I love it. This weekend is one of those times I love it. There is a very large contingent of Earth Day supporters here and we even have an Earth Day Fair on the 3rd Saturday of April every year. It is always a fun place to visit. I love the Friends of the Library Used Book Sale every year (gently used kids books for 25 cents each). You can buy all sorts of plant starts and observe lots of earth saving items/inventions. The kids always love the snack and this year the face painting. The pictures for today are of them yesterday with their faces painted (Chase is a cheetah and Kenzie has a unicorn and stars) right before we got our fruit smoothies & Bubble Tea from Blenderz (http://blenderzchelan.com/) and a hot bag of kettle corn. It was a fun morning walk through Riverwalk Park with the kids before Mom and Dad came for the afternoon to do laundry and give Buddy at chance to run around outside.

Bunny Smores

2009-04-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

The kids love to take treats for holidays to their friends at school. For Easter treats we have assembled "Bunny Smore Kits". Mackenzie helped assemble hers this morning as she has her Easter party today and only has school Tues, Wed and Thurs. Chase will assemble his this afternoon. They are both very excited about these little goodies and they were very easy to do. Here are a couple of pictures, one up close and one of the completed bunch for Mackenzie's school.

Contents: 1 large graham cracker broken in half, 1 small snack pack Hershey Bar, 1 Peep Bunny all placed in bag on a little easter grass.

All stamps are CTMH from the March Word Puzzle set using Sweet Leaf, Creme Brulee, Tulip and Sorbet stamp pads

The Happy Couple

2009-04-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

The reception on Saturday was amazing. They did a great job and are clearly very happy!

Monkey See Monkey Do

2009-04-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Mackenzie decided to choose her own clothes for the day. She is 4 almost 5 years old so her sense of coordinating clothes is limited to wearing her favorite shirt, her favorite pants and her favorite jacket irregardless of whether they even remotely match. Here is her choice for yesterday.

Not to be outdone by her granddaughter, my mother had her picture taken by my Dad this morning in her chosen warm attire for trimming the dog. It takes a lot of self confidence to post this type of picture online and admit she is truly one of a kind . . . My Mom!

PS - I know Melissa (my sister) is in full agreement that Mom's outfit in this picture lacks a little for tastefulness.

Mr. & Mrs. Janson Paro - April 1, 2009

2009-04-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

It was a lovely ceremony and they are clearly very happy! Congrats!

Crafting

2009-04-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

After several months of coloring images with my Copic markers (which I love), I finally managed to make a card with one of them. Thought I would share it - this one is for my mother-in-law who has ALS so it is just a pick-me-up! Hope you enjoy!

Used Life's Delights (CTMH) paper and the stamp is Pink Cat Studio.

Is It A Funny Day or Even Day Mom?

2009-03-30T09:17:00.001-07:00

Out of the mouth's of the little one's come so many things that brighten my days.

After a tough weekend dealing with a bad case of the flu, it is a good morning here at the Rogge house. We are enjoying Spring Break week and the upcoming festivities of Megan & Janson's marriage and reception as well as some fun family time.

At our house, we have a constant challenge over whose day it is to pick things (movies, which way we go to town, who helps out, etc). When I was a kid, my parents solved this issue with Even & Odd Day - the first child (me) got to do the chosing on odd days and the second child (my sister) got to chose on even days. Admittedly this only works well with 2 kids (or at least when only two have the battles). So when this became an issue for us about 3 months ago I thought Aha - Mom knew what she was doing and we insituted her Even/Odd rule. Chase is the oldest and gets Odd days so Kenzie gets Even days. In the beginning this was a much bigger deal for Chase than for Kenzie (not because he wanted to choose but because he was assured it was even-steven between them). Now Mackenzie is the one that wants to know if it is her day to pick (not because she wants it even-steven - she is egocentric and wants to pick naturally). When we get up in the morning, I can count on her asking in the first hour we are awake whose day it is. As she gets ever closer to five years old (how did that happen so quickly), she is more into even versus odd then "whose day" but this morning she hit me with a new one. "Mommy, is it a funny day or an even day?" At first I was puzzled and then realized her question, she now understands that "odd" means "funny" in her book or at least out of the ordinary so naturally a synonym for "odd" should be "funny". The moral of the story for her was it was an even day so she got to chose but I was most amused by her thesaurus in her brain that substituted "funny" for odd in her questioning. Gotta love kiddos!

They Are Engaged

2009-03-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

Well, it is a little delayed in posting but I wanted to wait till first I had a good picture for this post and second till we knew more info. Most of you know of my step-daughter Megan who lives near us and is a good friend of mine. Her boyfriend of over 6 years proposed to her on February 13, 2009. It was a total surprise to her - well not total in that they had been talking about it but the timing was definitely a surprise. They have been raising their respective kids with one another for several years so have chosen a low-key courthouse event for immediate family but I wanted to share with all that we are gaining a son-in-law (we have considered him such for a long time but now it is official) Janson and two more grandkids Zach & Rhianna. Megan and her daughter Alura are very happy for this occasion. Alura has always loved the concept of "family" so she now will have more family. The official date is Wednesday, April 1, 2009.

Congratulations Megan & Janson!

FINALLY A DIAGNOSIS

2009-02-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

After over 6 weeks of testing and normal results and testing and normal results, etc~~~We finally found the problem today. Mackenzie was not getting better instead more fatigued and continuing with the fevers. This week she started complaining of her "brain" hurting. I was done being nice and just taking the "we don't find anything" answer~I called the pediatrician yesterday and got a little (OK maybe more than little) pushy about seeing him and getting answers. We had an appointment this morning at 9 AM in Wenatchee. Up and at 'em early and off we went to Wenatchee. The pediatrician ordered a repeat CBC and C reactive protein and a sinus CT. If all those were normal, we would move to a sedated MRI. We went across the street, had the blood work done and the CT scan done. We went back and waited for results and him to review them. Finally at 11:45 we got the answer - A RAGING SINUS INFECTION!!

Yes, after all of these tests, fevers, missed school days, sleepless nights for Mommy, Daddy, Grandparents, etc - it was a sinus infection. Her right sinus is completely impacted with infection and the left is half impacted with infection. The picture is amazing. Thankfully it is an easy fix and is a self-limiting issue. We start antibiotics and nasal spray tonight and will have yogurt at lunch every day and hopefully we will be on the mend.

Thanks to all for thought and prayer!

Tagged

2009-02-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

OK, I have been tagged (first time ever on my blog so I must be doing something right sometimes) by Heather.http://multiplehats.blogspot.com/

This one started as 6th in 6th - the 6th photo in the 6th folder on your hard drive but she is giving us more flexibility to us whatever number we want.

However, being spontaneous about what folder and picture requires more brain power than I have left tonight so I am sticking with the 6th folder (Camping July 2008) and 6 th picture - dancing part of stage show at Rockin B Ranch in Spokane, WA. If you find yourself over there in the summer and have an evening free, it is a great family experience. The food is fabulous and the show is great with talented folks. I didn't even know which photo was being uploaded till it came on the screen but I am glad I got to share about this little hidden treasure. http://www.rockinbranch.com

Mackenzie

2009-02-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

UPDATE!!

We went to see the pediatrician today for our follow up. She has NOT run a fever of more than 99.8 since Saturday at noon. All her tests from Friday are normal. Her temp was 99.7 at the doctor today. He called the rheumatologist at Children's while we were there and had the call on speaker phone so I got to hear and ask questions as I wanted. With all that has been done, since her fever is coming down, we are going to watch her for another week and see him next Tuesday the 10th. If the fever continues on its path to going away, we will just figure she had a bug of some sort and be thankful it went away FINALLY. If the fever comes back, we will go to a head MRI to look at her hypothalamus. For the non-medical people, we have ruled out problems with the car engine, carbuerator, etc but the car is still overheating so we have to check out the thermostat (her hypothalamus). In a car, we check the thermostat first, in people we check in last when we can't find a reason for the overheating. She was thrilled to get to go back to school after missing 3 weeks. Mackenzie said this morning that her "sick had passed away and she was all better now". Let's hope she is right!

(posted to Facebook on Saturday - copied here for the whole story for those not on Facebook)

After lots of posts about things going on and lots of requests for more information on Facebook, I decided that maybe this was the best way to update now and keep updating as we continue this. She began running fevers of 101-102 four weeks ago yesterday. She is also more tired late in the day and has a varying appetite which is unusual for her. No other symptoms at all!

I let it go for about 10 days then I started with our local doctor (Waszkewitz - love, love, love him). After a round of blood work, UA and chest xray with no finidings, he referred us to a pediatrician at Wenatchee Valley Medical Center on January 23.The pediatrician started with repeating some blood work on Wed the 28th in an effort to rule out leukemia and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis by watching her platelet count and her C-reactive protein. Those remain normal. Her alkaline phosphatase continues to be elevated with no good reason. All he mono screens are negative for mono now however she has indication in blood work that she has had it in the past.

Friday the 30th we saw the pediatrician again and he did more blood work (LDH & TORCH screen), another urinalysis, a repeat chest xray and a thorough abdominal ultrasound. I talked to him yesterday the 31st and the LDH is normal (can be elevated in childhood cancers), chesst xray is normal, urinalysis is normal and abdominal ultrasound is normal (no Wilm's tumor, no neoblastoma, no masses, no liver abnormalities, no spleen, kidney or pancreas abnormalities). We are also doing stool cultures to rule out salmonella and ghiardia.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers and I will update this as we no more information. I tried to answer all of the questions that have been sent but may have inadvertently missed something.

PS - for those who don't know - my mother came up for 10 days to help out through parts of this so that was a HUGE help.

A Beautiful Dinner & Program

2009-01-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

Cali's Proud Parents - Calvin & Jane (isn't she lovely?)

Yesterday, Megan and I took a drive to Moses Lake to attend the reception for Ray & Cali (Payne) Follett. We have the joy of attending Jane Payne & Deb Keeley's scrapbook retreats twice a year. Cali is Jane's oldest daughter and we were pleeased to be able to attend the event and see the Payne family, meet the Follett family and met up with scrapbooking friends we usually only see twice a year.

The happy couple

In true "Payne" style, Cali & Ray's dinner and program was such a nice event with friends and fun. We had a great dinner and enjoy many stories as we got to know more about Cali & Ray and their courtship. - including how Cali had dumped Ray twice before he even knew they were going out. To follow are a few of the fun snapshots I got at the event. Thanks for a great evening!

Father & Daugher - Calvin dances with Cali

Great friends - Tracy & Susan

Cali's brother, Abe dances with Grandma Payne

Mom & Son - Jane & Abe share a dance

Susan's husband Terry dances with his daugher Lillie (so sweet )

Resolutions

2008-12-31T16:48:00.000-08:00

As we enter the time of year that resolutions are so easily and frequently tossed about and in a couple of weeks forgotten about, I thought it appropriate to share a thought about just that.

Recently when my parents were up to visit before Christmas, my Dad preached the sermon on Sunday morning at church. He preached on a different view of the "resolutions" we toss about this time of year. His encouragement to us was to look back at resolutions of the past and measure how far we got in those areas before we randomly throw out more easily forgotten and/or broken resolutions. If we are looking to make resolutions, we are indeed "resolving" to do whatever that goal is. Webster's dictionary defines "resolve" in several ways but the one that applies to resolutions at New Year's is to reach a firm decision about. That to me reads as a decision made with thought and determination not one made for just something to say.

My challenge to you on this eve of 2009 is to think about prior resolutions and what made those not work and commit yourself and "resolve" to do something you will see through to the end. It takes a person of great character to commit and stick to it! A song we sing at church has the following words that I think are appropriate as we look at the coming new year - "I am resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the world's delights, things taht are higher, things that are nobler, these have allured my sight."

Sunday Morning Food For Thought

2008-12-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

As I look out at the snow falling this morning, I had to come up with a thought for my blog this morning. (I am trying to decide how to involve more regular blogging in my New Year's Resolution) As I took my bath, I was reading a bit in the December 29, 2008 People Magazine (one of my vices - guess they could be worse). They were interviewing President Bush on the changes upcoming in his life and his reflections on the past eight years. I know that not all agree with all he has done during his presidency (in fact, I would challenge than anyone totally agrees with ALL he has done). That being said, i had to share this quote as I thought it to be most appropriate for Sunday, a day when we all spend time with God and sharing in our common faith and morals. "I am not going to sacrifice my principles on the altar of political popularity."(George W. Bush) I challenge that we all take this to heart and use it on which to grow in ourselves and our confidence and support of our principles in all facets of our lives.

Been a while

2008-12-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a while since I have found the time to post to the blog world. Today I am relaxing in my chair under blankets with a cold and fever but I can hold my laptop.

It is a very busy time of the year at the Rogges. We have our tree up, Christmas cards were mailed last week, som presents are wrapped, shopping is done, we have visited Santa at Whaley Mansion, we saw Charlie Brown Christmas and Frosty at the movie theater yesterday and most of all - We have SNOW! Didn't get any until Friday but once it started we got about 5 inches by this morning. Today it is very cold and wind chill expected to be below zero in the next couple of days.

I have made a lot of our gifts this year and have a bit of sewing left to do. Mom and Dad arrive on Thursday. Chase has his program Wednesday morning, Mackenzie's is Friday night and Polar Express it at the theater on Saturday. Dave paid Megan to wrap presents for him but all the rest are up to me so I have that to work on this week.

Hope the holidays are going well for all of you

Good Monday Morning

2008-11-17T09:08:00.000-08:00

After a busy week last week ending with two days at Creating Keepsakes Convention in Bellevue, I have been a little slow in catching up the blog. Today I am borrowing a couple of lines from an email I got yesterday as I think they are a good start to the week for me - I hope they are for you too!

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.

When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hand to receive something better.

The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

Have a good week!

Happy Veterans Day

2008-11-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

As I sat at church on Sunday, I reached into my new purse to find a scrap of paper to take a few notes on our excellent sermon on Hope (a welcome message after the elections), no scraps were found as I only move useful things to the new purse and leave all the scraps (trash) in the old purse. What I did run across was a little composition book (the little one that is like less than 3 Inches by 5 inches) that I had covered with cute paper and recorded thought-provoking things in exactly 2 years ago. I cannot tell you what the challenge was in life at that time but my mother had emailed me a couple of things that I felt strong enough about that I created a place to keep them (even hand writing them in it, not just printing and pasting).

Today, on a day we have our thoughts on the veterans that have given tirelessly to keep this country the free one that it is, I thought I would share one of these things from my Thought-provoking Notes book.

"How often do we say we are involved in a project or commited to a project? We may say it about our religious life, our home life, etc. The analogy I came across was both humorous & yet thought provoking. Next time you sit down to an old fashioned breakast of hand and eggs, remember this thought. When you look at the eggs, the hen practiced involvement. When you look at the ham, the pig practiced total commitment!! Are you involved or commited?" (email from Mom 11/9/06)

Wishing you all a thought provoking day as we remember the veterans in the world and those in our families as well.

Questions from a kindergartener

2008-11-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

As most of you know I have a 5 1/2 year old son and a 4+ year old daughter. They never cease to amaze me with the questions they ask. However, lately my son has been asking some very thought-provoking questions that I do not easily have an instant answer for.

We were riding home from church this morning when he asked the first doozy of the day "Mom, if we eat food and fill our bodies with food today, then what happens with all that food so we have room to eat food tomorrow?" That was one that I had to think about for a few seconds before responding that we go potty and get rid of today's food by tomorrow.

Then after dinner tonight, he had to pose another one to me, it goes like this - "Mom, what is the difference between up and down, like when you die down here but then you are alive up there with God?" I went on to answer that your body dies here but your spirit lives up there after you die. Thankfully he was accepting of those answers thankfully.

Mackenzie, not to be outdone by her brother, posed a big one for me on Tuesday. Her's went like this - "Mommy, where do my words come from?" I replied "well, they come from your throat from your voice box and out your mouth." I thought that was a reasonable explanation for a 4 year old. She then added "but they come from my brain first Mommy!" I didn't have a reply to that.

Hope you enjoy the chuckle from these that I get to experince nearly every day.

Sad times

2008-10-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

Just a short note that today is a sad day. My 89 year old grandfather passed peacefully in his sleep last night. He has lived a full life and I have so many many memories from times with him to treasure. May he rest in peace.

Mackenzie's Hair Cut

2008-10-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

Many of you in blogland know that my daughter Mackenzie is 4 years old and has lots of long hair - maybe I should say she DID have lots of long hair. Recently she has come to notice that all her little friends have short hair and of course Mommy has short hair. She all of a sudden started asking to have her hair cut. I made an appt for it and waited the days out for her to make sure she was really sure. After several days of waiting, she jumped out of bed this morning very excited about getting her hair cut. We are done and home. She had enough to put in 4 ponytails that were 10 inches long so she can donate to Locks of Love. She is excited about other kids having her hair. She looks so cute and grown up with the new hair cut. Here are the pictures to prove it.

My Freedom Day 12

2008-09-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

OK, so I fell off the blogging wagon for a few days - I guess the good news is that I did get back on today! Back to my My Freedom Prompts from the summer that I fell behind on mut I had several people who enjoyed them so I will pick them up here again.

Today's prompt is to share my first job experience. I guess there are two or maybe three jobs that I consider "first" jobs of sorts. Ok maybe actually four - 1. the first job I got paid for - babysitting 2. the first job in a real location of employment - filling in summers at Dr. Opdahl's office (oral surgeon where my Mom worked) 3. first real job that I applied for and got on my own - Kentucky Fried Chicken (my junior year in high school through summer between freshman and sophomore in college) and last but not least 4. My first real job after college using the education I worked for and Mom and Dad paid for - Working at Marion Retirement Center as a full fledged RN.

I guess that was the long answer to a fairly straight forward question but I feel that those job experiences all gave me different things. I got the joy of making my own money at 13 babysitting and had lots of school teachers that lived within a couple of blocks that kept me busy most weekends. I liked going to work with Mom and working in a "real" place of employment - besides I got to see classmates of mine getting teeth pulled and I was involved in one way or another (even saw some of the big tough guys from school cry). The job at Kentucky Fried Chicken brought with it several growing steps. Once I got a job, I was able to take my driver's license test and get my driver's license as I had to have a way to pay my insurance and gas money as that was not Mom and Dad's responsibility (I think that is how they put it). I also got to drive to school on days I worked as I couldn't make it home on the bus and then to work on time. That was a big deal to me at age 16 almost 17. Yes, I was one month shy of my 17th birthday when I got my driver's license - February 2, 1988 - sadly February 2, 1989 brough the sudden tragic death of my Uncle Wally so that day carries good and bad thing sin my mind. Lastly, I had been in school for 16 years total (12 of basic education and 4 of college) and was thrilled to get a job making more money since I had a degree and my RN credentials. Funny how babysitting at a dollar or so an hour brought its own sense of accomplishments as did minimum wage at Dr. Opdahl's office and Kentucky Fried Chicken and then breaking the $10.00/hr mark as an RN. All had their moments of grown and pain but all taught me the value of working for what you have.

Share with me your first job moments! Have a good Monday - we are since it is late start day in beautiful Chelan.

Snakes!

2008-09-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

OK, to those of you who know me - you know I really dislike snakes. Unfortunately my children do not share that fear so I have had to become better about looking at them behind glass and that sort of thing. Anyway, for the days prior to Creative Escape I had been rushing around getting kids ready for school and getting my stuff together to go to Phoenix. My mind was a mess and in the following story you will see that my dreams followed that mess . . .

I had never been to Phoenix except to change planes so I only had preconceived notions of what to expect. Several things had crossed my mind - heat, snakes, bug, heat . . . but I hadn't reallly talked about them at all. Well, the night before we went to the airport I was spending the night at Megan's and boy did my dreams go crazy. I dreamt that we got to Phoenix and there where snakes everywhere around the resort Sheraton Wild Horse Pass. They were slithering everywhere, hanging out of trees , crawling in our rooms - literally EVERYWHERE. In the dream, Megan found this to be very funny. I needed rescued badly and Megan was clearly not going to do it so finally someone came to rescue me - of all people it was Ande (lovely Jane's daughter) who came to my aid and rid the place of all the snakes and was ever so caring about me and my fears. I have no idea how Ande got into the picture but in the dream I was ever so glad that she had.

I did share this dream with Megan on the plane in hopes that she would be more sympathetic in real life if a snake did cross our path. She thought the dream was a riot and convinced me that I needed to share it here. Once we got checked into our hotel we wandered outside to check things out and first thing outside the door I see something flash in front of my feet while Megan declares "Oh, look Michelle, a lizard!" I thought I was going to have to go put on dry clothes but I did fine. Lizards don't really bother me if they are small like this little 6 inch long guy. We did survive the days in Arizona with NO SNAKES!!!

Thanks Ande for saving me nonetheless.

My Freedom - Day 11

2008-09-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Well, after a long hiatus known as summer and vacations, etc - I am back to resume the My Freedom blog prompts. Today's prompt is to tell my readers about my favorite game. That is a tough one for me as I don't play adult games much and I do play kid games a lot. So - I think I will give this answer in two ways -

~ My favorite game right now - the kids are at an age that they LOVE to play games and finally are old enough to understand the concept and most of the rules. Our favorite game as a family is a series of DVD BINGO games. We started with the Disney one and soon added the Nickelodeon one. On a trip to Mt Vernon in late spring, I stopped at the Ross Dress for Less (love that store) and in the toy dept they had a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD BINGO game for $4.99 (you have to know that I paid $20 for each of the other two). How could I pass it up when we all love playing this together and the kids are both in love with trains and Thomas is a popular fellow at our house. The concept is simple - big BINGO cards with a character for each number (number is there too) and little round chips to put on the spaces, a DVD that plays and chooses the numbers and keep track of those selected. A WILD comes up once in a while and it shows a clip of a selected movie. The kids love it and it helps them with letters, numbers and finding the characters. They always strategize about which card to pick and each have their favorite characters that have to be on their chosen card. We have played it with my parents as well and they love it for fun time with the kids too. If you have a preschool to first grade child, I highly recommend this game.

~ My favorite game if you are talking adult games - this is likely to be Scene It! There are several versions of it and I like the Disney and TV versions best I think. DVD based game that tests your knowledge of an array of topics. It is a fun couples game but one we only get to play about once a year. I also enjoy the games on our Wii, especially the Wii Fit games. What a workout. The Wii games are the ones I play more often.

If you have a fun game for adults or for young children that you enjoy, please leave me a comment and share your favorites.

Have a great day and I will post tomorrow on My Freedom about My First Job Experience!

I'm Back!

2008-09-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

Not only am I back to blogging - but I just got back from Creative Escape in Phoenix, AZ. Needless to say, I am tired and have lots to catch up on not only here on the blog but at home in general. Chase is at school this morning and Kenzie is playing quietly so I thought I would at least post a quick note that I am alive and that I plan to resume the My Freedom posting tomorrow and finish it out then start on another plan for regular blogging. However, I cannot start with anything other than pictures and news from Creative Escape. For those of you who do not know about Creative Escape (this was the 3rd annual - but my first), it is a scrapbooking event put on by Heidi Swapp and Mr. Bazzill (by the way, Bazzill is not his name, he is truly Mr. Smith, but named the company Bazzill after his mother whose maiden name was Bazzill). They bring in 8 teachers and you make 8 fabulous projects over the course of two LONG days. Hoepfully you will get the feel from the pictures. This year's teachers also put on a trunk show where we got to meet and chat with them and see some of their favorite projects - what and inspiration.

Tim Holtz - taught a great class with an awesome frame and it holds a piece of wearable art

Laura Stamas - taught a class on an album called "Look Inside My Heart - All About Me" using the new Lickety Slip Scrapbook from Bazzill

Kolette Hall (with me) - she has family in Manson, WA & has shopped at Memories By The Lake in Chelan where I work part time

Mr. Bazzill is on the right - he and another attendees husband were being funny modeling the aprons we all got (Mr. Bazzill is a happily married man - FYI)

Janet Hopkins - taught a wonderful Memory Binder book class

Jenny Bowlin - taught a Hodge Podge mini book class in light blue & orange - LOVE it!

Jason & Kolette Hall (and baby on the way) - taught the Good Book class and Jason was our fabulous key note speaker (more about that on a later post)

Kelly Goree - works for Basic Grey & taught a class with 4 12 X 12 layouts, very fun

Here she is - Heidi Swapp - not only did she put on Creative Escape but she taught a class that was amazing and came from China to do it - she also gave us a guided trip to our room upon arrival as her room was just down the hall!

Megan and I had a great time and are now home to the regular grind. I will leave you today with the mantra of Jason and Kolette Hall "Find the Good & Be Grateful"!

My Freedom - Day 10

2008-07-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

OK, actually it is day 11 but we only get prompts 5 days a week so it is prompt 10 written on day 11. Today's prompt is to set a word goal and hen type a blog entry and see how I do in hitting the goal - exactly on, over or under, so here goes - I will set a reasonable goal of 150 words!

Well, let's begin with why I am blogging a day late. We began our week long camping trip yesterday. We left home in Chelan about 10 am yesterday (right on schedule I might add) and headed to Liberty Lake, WA (just east of Spokane & home to my idol - Stacy Julian http://www.stacysbigpicture.typepad.com). We are camping at the KOA her until next Saturday the 26th. Megan and her crew will be joining us today. We plan to take in Silverwood/Boulder Beach for two days, Cat Tales for one day, Spokane's Riverfront Park for one day, Rockin B Ranch for dinner show one night and lots of relaxation and swimming fit in too! We try to do this the last full week of July every year. We arrived right on schedule at 3 pm and got camp set up. Kids played on playground and then at play area at the local McDonald's and then swam for about 1 hour before crashing in bed about 8 pm. They were up bright and early this morning (6:30 am) waiting for Sissy Megan and family to arrive. I will likely post about My Freedom prompts during the time we are gone as well as about our trip and pics from the fun.

OK - for anyone who knows me there is no surprise that I went over my goal. I wrote 208 words for an overage of 58 words. Now the challenge to you - any comments you make, try to hit exactly 20 words without counting ahead of time and see how you do!!

Maya's Blog Candy

2008-07-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

I love to see what people use for Blog Candy! This is http://mayas-hobbyblogg.blogspot.com/2008/07/blog-candy.html and she has amazing Blog Candy. The images she has stamped are from stamps not available outside of the Netherlands. They are so cute and those of us who love coloring want some so bad. Check out her blog!!

My Freedom - Day 9

2008-07-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Yess I am ahead of the game this morning and posting prior to 9 am!! That doesn't mean I am organized, rather I have a busy schedule today so am prioritizing to do this in the early morning rather than not at all!!

Today's prompt is "Things that inspire us are often linked to what we label as quirks in our personalities: things we like that others seem to dismiss. What quirk (in your personality) could you share with your readers to see if they really dismiss it or if it's something you have in common?"

Oh boy - I am a very visual person so things that inspire me tend to be things I can see or touch. I am a definite "scraplift" addict as I love to make my sketch cards from magazine or websites for reference during scrapping. I may not know exactly how to scrap a particular photo or photos but whip out my sketch cards box or an idea/layout book (which I carry in a DJs Scrappin Retreat book bag) and I am inspired to make the fun layouts I enjoy making. I RARELY design a layout from start to finish without one of these resources at hand.

Is this something you share in common or do you dismiss it as no source of inspiration for you?

Please share your inspiration quirk with me in your comments!

My Freedom - Day 8

2008-07-16T16:20:00.001-07:00

I bet there were some of you who think I wasn't going to make it to post today! Never fail - I am here!

Today's blog prompt is share with readers one thing you have accomplished and one thing you hope to accomplish.

Accomplishment certainly has to be the successful adoption of my two kiddos! Chase's adoption was a very long trial with many challenges along the way but we did finally get to bring him to his forever home the day after Thanksgiving 2003! Mackenzie's adoption was a very fast very unexpected turn of events but one we cannpt imagine life without!

My Aspiration is to lose the pounds I have set as my goal in a current biggest loser club by Christmas of this year. My goal is 23 lbs and I am 3 lbas closer as of today. It is taking a lot of exercise and changes to my eating and grazing habits. I will keep you posted on my progress!!

Till tomorrow may your accomplishments bring you joy and your aspirations bring you challenges to keep life interesting!

My Freedom - Day 7

2008-07-15T08:36:00.001-07:00

Well, in comparison, today's blog prompt is so much easier and quicker than the past 6 very thought-provoking ones. Today's prompt is to share a list of link with you for websites that inspire me most so here goes:

www.neighborjanepayne.com - Jane is such an inspiration and a wonderwoman in my book!

www.flickr.com - with the type of a word, this site can take me to anywhere I want to be

www.shimelle.com - it is so neat to follow the life of an American in England

www.nationalgeographic.com - this site can put it all in perspective

www.stacysbigpicture.com - she reminds me that even busy Mom's can do it all

www.biblegateway.com - allows me to focus on my faith

I think that is a pretty good list of what I frequent. There are others if I am on a purposeful mission for something specific but in general this list is my favorites.

Till tomorrow - look for inspiration in the world around you! If you have inspriational sites you love that I have missed, please comment and share them!

My Freedom - Day 6

2008-07-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Today's blog prompt reads - "Share an old photo of yourself and a current photo of yourself with your blog readers. Tell them a little something that has changed and a little that had stayed the same."

Michelle - circa 1972 1st birthday

Michelle - circa February 2008 - cruise to Caribbean

OK, believe it or not the pictures were the easy part. Actually the only hard part of the pictures was dating the first one, but one quick call to Mom helped identify the year and location of that one (her words were "first birthday at the house on the hill").

Something that has changed - RESPONSIBILITIES!! Some days my little ones ask, when are we going to be big and get to be the boss and go to work and stuff, little do they know that when they are big and "stuff" they will have times, as do I, when they wish for the days of leisure and minimal responsibilities. Life changes so much between the carefree days of childhood and the responsibilities and balancing of priorities of adulthood. Instead of being the child, I am charged with the responsibility to raise my children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord". What as awesome responsibility that is especially in the world today. I know that my kids, as I did as a child, question my direction and rules but most days it seems so much less daunting a task to question those rules than to have the fragile lives of two children to raise with the rules as well as living my life as God would have me to live it.

Something that has stayed the same - NAIVETE'! As all children begin very naive to the ways of the world, in a lot of ways I find myself, as does my husband, to remain a bit naive at times. Sometimes that naivete' is a nice hiding place from the world and other times it makes me feel a bit foolish and stupid. I do feel it is nice at times to remain naive about some of the evils of the world but I also realize the naivete' at my age can lead to hurt, disappointment and danger. How nice it would be to live in a world as pure and simple as a child perceives it but we know so much better.

Till tomorrow and another installment of My Freedom! Enjoy the day and take time to enjoy the simple parts of life and forget responsibilities if only for a few moments!

My Freedom - Day 5

2008-07-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

Well, let me begin with the fact that I am so happy to have actually made it on my quest to be consistent with these blog prompts Monday-Friday. Yippee!!

Today's Blog prompt is - "How do you prefer the pace of life? Do you wish things would spped up or slow down?"

What an interesting prompt and once again thought-provoking. I am once again dealing with a dicotomy in my mind as what I like and what I set myself up for in life are two different things. I certainly don't like to be bored and have nothing to do, but I also like things to be slow enough to fit in some spontaneous fun. I do live by a calendar as life at my house is either really busy or really not busy. When the calendar looks not busy, I tend to feel a void and then fill that void up, thus creating for myself a lot of busy times with no down time. I am someone who needs my sleep (not 10 - 12 hours) of at least 6 hours uninterrupted to keep up with life. Lack of that sleep usually results in migraines or tearful melancholy moods, or even both! In my attempts to stay busy (although that woudl not be my choice, rather I feel obligated to be that way), I can submarine myself and not enjoy the things going on around my while I am too busy. I can't say that I prefer particularly slow paced life but I don't prefer being too busy for my home and family. So I guess the answer is that I woul most days prefer it slow down but I and only I am in control of that most of the time!

We are also supposed to illustrate our preference - the best way I know to do that is actually so appropriate for this week. My dearest friend Jill and I have been planning for several months (yes I said months) to clean and organize my scrap room. I am blessed with a home that had a large area for my hobbies but it was a MESS!! I did not even take before pictures as I was too embarassed. Life has been so busy for Jill and I that it took till this week to do this project we began talking and planning for in April. The MESS I referred to was also caused by the fast pace of life around here. I have made decisions about the pace of my life that kept me from keeping it organized so the door usually got opened and things thrown it. You couldn't even walk through the room on Monday morning when we started. Not only that but if I needed or wanted to scrap it was nearly impossible to find what I needed to do it. (No Jane I am not always as organized as the front I put on at retreats) However, we were successful at our mission this week, Jill & I. We spent 20+ hours in three days on the room and it is so nice to know where things are and have a useable space!! Thanks so much Jill!! I went down there last night to do my 2 page layout for My Freedom's prompt yesterday regarding "Time" (are you seeing a theme here) and was able to find coordinating patterned paper, match it to cardstock, found matching letters and embellishments and completed the 2 page layout (no journaling was to be done till today's prompt) in less than 1 hour and that included cleaning up after myself at the end and changing movies for Mackenzie halfway through!! What a great feeling to have taken the "time" to do that project!! Here are a few pictures of the completed room (we still have a few things to find homes for, but the organizing is done).

My Workspace/Desk

TV corner for good chick flicks!

Paper shelves and storage

(white towers have wood stamps in them by theme)

Work Table

Cricut Expression with be set up here and large paper cutter

Have a nice weekend everyone!

My Freedom - Day 4

2008-07-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

OK - here is today's prompt - "Have you ever been inspired by the words of a poem? Share the poem with your blog readers (you) and tell them how you came to value its words.

Here is the poem - I first read it in High School back in the late 1980s. I will let you read it - though most have read it before - then to follow I will tell how I came to value it.

The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost (1874–1963).

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

My value to this poem is that I first read it at a difficult time of a teenager's life. I was in high school and was smart and taking harder college prep classes with a desire for higher education. I was not an athlete, nor was I the pretty one or flirty one. Rather, I was more into books and had responsibilities at home and a job in the later parts of high school. I was also a Christian teenager in school of many different morales and ethics. It was difficult to always make the "right" choice as most often it came with ridicule and teasing or plain ignorance from classmates and sometimes even close friends. I was commited to my virginity till marriage and that was unpopular as well. Face it, high school places many strains on kids that begin their decision-making processes for the rest of their lives so good decisions make life down the road much easier but the good decision at the time is not always popular or accepted. This poem encouraged me to take the "road not taken" by the masses and be proud of my decision. Did I always make the right decisions, no but who does. I kept this poem in my notebooks throughout high school and even college - few even know this fact - as constant reminder of my commitment to making good decisions even when they were not the popular decisions.

Boy, this was a thought provoking prompt but I had no problem knowing which poem to reference.

Till tomorrow my friends.

My Freedom - Day 3

2008-07-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

What's In Your Suitcase? This is the blog prompt today. I will list a few of my necessities for travel and readers can add theirs in comments or blog it themselves.

A good pair of shoes for walking

My camera

My ipod

My Mary Kay Travel cosmetic bag

Sunscreen

A good book - this is what I am reading currently and love it!!

A book of Sudoku puzzles

My Archos Video player

Of course, clothes appropriate for the location but the above items are must haves for my travel - share your must haves and maybe we have similar lists or maybe we learn from one another!!

See you tomorrow!!

My Freedom - Day 2

2008-07-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well, today's blog prompt is "If you could travel in time for just one day, where would you go and what would you do?". I have thought about this ALL day while my dearest friend and I have been cleaning and organizing my scrap room - more to come on that later. I found it difficult to narrow this down as I would love to go back to the time of creation in the Garden of Eden and see the world before sin entered into it, but there are other historical times that I would like to see as well. Throughout the day, I have vascilated a lot through the different options for this time travel and I finally decided to go with my first and constant instinct and that was to go to the Beginning and see the Garden of Eden on day 7 when God rested after creating such a marvelous world. I think that seeing this would be as close as I can come on earth to getting a glimpse of heaven to come. I really don't have nor can I get a picture that is anywhere close to this so I will leave it to your minds as in mine it is so marvelous!!

Enjoy the day and I made it to day 2 with keeping up with the posts - so see you tomorrow!

My Freedom Day 1 - Time & Travel

2008-07-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of an online class at http://www.shimelle.com/ called My Freedom. Each week for 5 weeks we get daily prompts Monday through Friday beginning with photos on Monday, storytelling (AKA journaling) mid-week and 2 page layout construction on Friday. It is a book made to discover yourself and to improve your storytelling from the who, what and where to the story behind the photos and what makes them important to you.

I am very excited about this class and as an added bonus - there is a Daily Blog Prompt so I "should" be able to keep up with daily blog posts (Monday - Friday) for the next 5 weeks and maybe that will help me to get in focus for daily blogging all of the time.

Today's class starts with topics of Time & Travel. We are taking pictures that represent both to us - so my picture for the blog represents time and my plan to "Make Time for My Freedom". Isn't it a beautiful clock - it was my birthday present from Dave & the kids - it plays a song every hour and is animated so this is my favorite "timepiece" as it was given to me with love!

200 Things

2008-06-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

Got these 200 items from Jane and she had higlighted the ones she had done right after her 200th newsletter. Her challenge was for us to do the same - so better late than never! If you enjoy, try it, it was fun!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
(even though my step-son still asks if I know how to change Raiden's diaper)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
(again and again and again)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (what a sight that is)
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game (Seahawks playoff games & Rose Bowl)
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
(yup, there’s nothing quite like your own vegetables. Don’t you agree?)
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping ( in my own pool & hot tub)
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster ( love them)
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (paid if forward at Starbucks)
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person (and got a response in our plight to finally get Chase home from Guatemala)
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes ( Yummy)
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people (I hope so)
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life (performed CPR at work)
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint (tat & needlepoint)
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing (statue of Liberty at sunset)
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Camping Weekend

2008-06-04T19:18:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Recital

2008-06-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

2008-06-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

What a busy time of the year it is with both kids at the end of their preschool year. Chase is done with preschool after his graduation today as he will start kindergarten at MOE next fall and it is full day kindergarten. I can't believe he is that big. He is just growing up so fast. He talks like a little man now and is being Mr. Helpful and Responsible around the house.

Mackenzie had her dance recital last week as well as her "Moving Up" Ceremony from pre-4 to pre-K preschool. She was VERY tired by the end of that experience but she loved it nonetheless.

We took at the new trailer for a "shakedown" cruise this weekend to find out what we needed to do, fix or change before leaving tomorrow for an 11 day trop to Southern Oregon, the Oregon coast and up to Mt Vernon then home. It was a good thing we did the shakedown as we had a broken pipe in the bathroom sink so that got fixed and the trailer is back in our driveway ready to have the final loading done this afternoon.

Hope everyone is enjoying this busy time of year for all!

Kenzie's 4th Birthday

2008-05-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it - she turned 4 yesterday! Seems like yesterday we brought home that tiny little bundle and she is no longer tiny.

She got her cast off yesterday and is walking gingerly but is doing better today than last night. She is sooo happy to be able to not be limited in her activities. I am very happy that we can wash her foot finally!! She had worn all the way through the padding and stockinette down to the fiberglass in the heel of her cast. The cast smells AWFUL but I had to keep it.

I made little boxes with nugget candy in them for her to take to her friends at school for her birthday. They turned out so cute so I had to post a picture of the finished product.

We went to Smallwood Harvest to the petting farm yesterday on the way to her doctor's appt and she and Rylee had a blast as you can tell from the picture. It was a nice day and not busy at all with school still in session. Fun memories for all!

Pictures

2008-05-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

OK, I know I am behind but wanted to post a quick update on the schedule at the Rogge household in the next few weeks. Also wanted to post pictures we had taken prior to the broken ankle in Minnesota.

Tomorrow is Mackenzie's 4th birthday. She has preschool and gets to take treats for her friends. She goes to the ENT in the afternoon to get her tubes out and to the orthopedic surgeon after that to get her cast off. She is very excited about all of that!!

Thursday is her dress rehearsal for her dance recital next week and is the Memorial Day parade here in Chelan which we will watch as Daddy is driving his T-bird in it.

Friday is date night for Chase with Mommy and Daddy. We will pick him up from school at noon and head to Yakima for the Carrie Underwood concert. He loves to listen to her and calls her "My Girl". We will go out to dinner and then spend the night before coming home on Saturday. Kenzie will stay with Rachael while we take him for some special one on one time.

Saturday will bring some friends to town to visit for the day. Then just he usual for the busy Memorial Day weekend in Chelan (this translates to us staying at home as much as possible).

Tuesday Kenzie has a birthday party to attend and herfinal rehearsal for the recital. Wednesday evening is the recital at 6 pm in which she will dance to "I Wish I Was Magic" (cute song available on iTunes) and be a moonbean in her pretty blue dress. Thursday night will be her graduation from preschool (another big event).

Another weekend to try to recover before the busy week of Chase's final week of preschool and his graduation as he starts kindergarten in the fall. After his last day of school, we will take off to Myrtle Creek and the Oregon coast to camp with Mamma and Papa and then up to Mt Vernon for our niece's graduation from Western Washington University and then home on the 16th.

Megan, Alura and I head to Tri-Cities for a scrapbook weekend on the 18th and get home on the 21st. After that we plan to stay home for a while.

Hope all is well for everyone at this busy time of the year!

Home Finally

2008-05-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it is a little late in posting but we are finally home and doing well. We got to Seattle at about 10:30 pm on Saturday night and headed for the hotel for a night of sleep. Dave's knee was very sore from the long flights so we gave him one queen bed, Kenzie and I shared the other and Chase & Mamma slept on the floor. Everyone slept well no matter their sleeping surface (guess sheer exhaustion set it). The next day a dear friend of mine Jill and her husband Keith drove over to Seattle with our Tahoe and their car. We loaded all 5 of us in the Tahoe and some of the luggage and they took the rest of the luggage in their trunk and back seat. It was so nice to walk into our own home. Rachael had been staying at our house watching the dog while we were gone and she had cleaned and straightened the house so nicely, what a thrill it was to be home to a clean neat house.

I almost have everything unpacked. We took Gramma to the airport yesterday and she flew home to Papa. Don't know how I would have survive the flights back and the first few days home without her. She did ALL of the laundry and the dishes, leaving the dishwasher freshly emptied when we left to take her to Wenatchee yesterday morning.

Dave is doing better everyday. He actually was able to start driving yesterday and for those of you that know him, he was thrilled with his wings again. Mackenzie is doing well too!