C&C Meerdink Factory

a perfect 10...

2011-11-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

A very Happy Birthday to the sweetest boy on the planet!

Today Steven turns 10 years old- it's hard to believe that a decade has gone by since this guy joined our family.

And a good decade it has been. Steven has always brought a sweet spirit into our home. He is the most thoughtful kid I know. Always making sure those around him are happy and comfortable. What a joy he is, I'm so luck he's my son!

Happy Birthday, Steven!

me. all about me...

2011-11-06T07:38:00.000-08:00

So I don't usually talk allot about myself. I'm kind of a shy person, and I don't like a lot of attention focused on me. But- since today is my birthday, I thought I would fill out a questionnaire that I came across recently... So- here we go, it's time to get to know Carrie:

What was your favorite subject in school? Astronomy
What is your favorite flavor of jelly beans? Black
Which flavor of ice-cream do you prefer? Rocky Road
What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic? I'm totally sincere all the time.
What is your strongest talent? Music
Do you play a musical instrument, if so which one(s)? Piano and Guitar

What do you usually do when you have leisure time on your hands? Play the piano, write music, sew, read.
What is your favorite season and why? Autumn. You can't beat the weather and the colors. Best time of year, hands down!
If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? Backpacking across Ireland.
What is your favorite color? Green. and blue.
Who is your best friend and how did you meet? Becky is my best friend in the whole wide world. We have been friends since kindergarten. I love, love, LOVE her!!!

What is your favorite food? Sandwiches.
Do you prefer to wear pants or dresses? Pants.
How many siblings do you have? 5. Four brothers and one sister.
What is you favorite snack? Toast.
If you could be any animal which one would you prefer to be and why? A sloth- cause they get to chill in trees all day.
What kind of vehicle do you drive? I believe I touched on this in my last post. I have a 1999 Ford Taurus Station Wagon. Yep. That's how I roll.
What is your favorite sport to watch? Roller Derby.
Which sport do you most enjoy actively participating in? Racquetball- though I haven't played in years.
What do you usually do when you meet someone for the first time? Wonder if they think I'm weird.
What is your favorite book? Don't have a favorite- but I love all of Dean Karnazes' books- they are so motivating. Also, I love the Great and the Terrible series by Chris Stewart.
Are you ticklish? Yes. But I hate being tickled. It makes me want to punch people.
What size shoe do you wear? 8 1/2 WIDE.
How many pairs of shoes do you currently own? I think about 15 or 20. I got rid of a lot when we moved.
What age do you consider old? No certain age. I think when you just stop doing stuff- then you're old.
Which birthday are you most looking forward to and why? 40. I don't know- it just seems like maybe by then I'll feel grown up.
Do you prefer pens or pencils? Pencils.
Do you like your handwriting? Sometimes.
What is your full name? Carrie Elisabeth Orr Meerdink
Do you have a nickname? Yes, Basil. It's short for rrohtebasileeirrac. See if you can figure that out. I was also recently given a new nickname: Marvel- based on my slight obsession with comic book characters.
What day were you born on? November 6, 1978. That makes me 33 today. I actually thought I was turning 34, until my husband reminded me of my actual age. So it's like I'm not aging at all this year!
Where were you born? San Luis Obispo, CA
Where did you grow up? Orem, UT
When did you last visit the zoo? Last year, in Portland.
Have you ever stayed on a farm? No.
Have you ever been horseback riding? No.
Have you ever been water skiing? Yes.
What do you most like to do in the snow? Sledding/Tubing with my kiddos.
What is your favorite all-time movie? That is too difficult a question to answer. There are a few- Australia, Count of Monte Cristo, and An American in Paris.
Can you change a tire? I have no idea.
Is your room more clean or more messy? My side is more messy than my husbands side.
Do you prefer a bath or a shower? Depends on my mood. I do love a nice long bubble bath while reading a good book. Just have to be careful not to drop the book in the water...
What do you prefer to drink with your morning meal? Odwalla Juice. Any flavor.
If you had to be stranded on a deserted island with one person who would you want that one person to be? My husband. Cause he would make me laugh, and we could kiss and stuff...

Which animal would you most like for your pet? One that cleans up after itself.
Do you like sweet treats or salty treats? Sweet.
Have you ever sung in the shower? Every day.
Do you find it easy to save money? No.
Which do you prefer you had - straight or curly hair? I think my hair is just fine... It won't hold any curl.
What color eyes do you most like? Green.
What would you say is your normal exercise routine? I have no normal routine right now. Just following doctors orders trying to get my foot better.
Do your pants get hung or folded? Folded.
Have you ever had acrylic nails? Never.
Have you ever colored your hair? Allot in high school. Not so much now.
What do you do when something funny happens? Laugh.
Do you like to dance? Yes, but I look like Elaine on Seinfield.
Did you have a favorite toy as a child? Barbies

Do you like drinking from the cup or a straw? Cup. I hate straws.
Do you like ice in your cold beverages? Yes.
What is your favorite sandwich? Roasted red pepper.
Do you carry floss in your purse? No, but I probably should.
Which family member do you most resemble? Probably my brother Jason.
Which family member are you more like? I think my brother Chris.
What is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you? Probably when I got my toe caught in the escalator at the mall. That isn't something that happens every day.
What is your most embarrassing moment? Okay- this could be a number of things, like the time I peed my pants in elementary school. Or the time I peed my pants in front of a boys house that I liked in junior high cause my friend and I were laughing so hard. Or maybe the time I peed my pants at my brother's house one Christmas cause I was laughing way too hard. But actually, I think is was when I got my toe caught in that dang escalator. I screamed so loud the entire mall heard.
Do you live in a house, trailer or apartment, etc.? House. Me and my husband just bought our first home here in Bend. Absolutely love it!
Have you ever won anything? If so, what did you win? Once. I won tickets to a Tom Petty concert.
Do you prefer fresh air or air conditioned air? Fresh. Nothing like having the windows open.
Do you prefer mountainous or flat regions? Mountains.
What is your favorite childhood memory? My dad telling store stories.

What is your favorite fruit? This seems like an unfair question, as I have never met a fruit I didn't like. I do love nectarines though. And raspberries. And cherries.
What color of clothing do you most like to wear? Black or green.
What is your favorite cereal? Lucky Charms.
What is your favorite breakfast? Toast.
Who do you spend more time with? My husband- well, actually probably my children.
What is the longest car trip you have ever taken? When we moved from Florida to Oregon. That was very, very long.
Do you know how to iron your clothes? Yes, but Carey does the ironing in our house.
Can you sew a button on your clothing? Yes.
Are you creative in any way? If so, which way(s)? I think so. I write music, sew, and can come up with some very entertaining songs to sing to my boys when we are camping.
What is most memorable about your high school years? I try not not remember those years. But one night stands out- sitting in Becky's backyard around a fire roasting marshmallows with some of my best friends. That night literally changed the course of my life.

What word describes you best? I don't know. Maybe the kind readers could answer this question for me in a comment to this blog posting???
What is your greatest accomplishment? My children.
What drives you every day? I want to make my parents proud. I also don't want to regret a single day.
Where do you want to retire? San Juan Island off the coast of Washington. The most amazing place I've ever been.
Where do you like to vacation? Anywhere with a beach.
Who do you admire? My little brother, Chris.
What is your mission? To help people know that they are loved. That no matter their past, they can do amazing things.
If you were invisible, where would you go? To my kids classes at school.
What traits in others are you attracted to? Kindness, honestly.
What is the kindest thing anyone has done for you? Listened.
How do you want to be remembered? As a happy, good, hard working person.
What would you do with a million dollars? Pay off student loans, then maybe replace my dang car. And I'd travel. A lot.

And that's me...

tales from the cell phone cam...

2011-11-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, I go through my pictures on my cell phone and delete all of them. I don't like a lot of clutter. This time, I thought I'd start a new tradition of uploading them here, to my blog, before they are discarded. Maybe it will help me remember why I shot the picture in the first place...

This is Michael looking rather studious in my awesome antique rocker chair. I first saw the chair at a moving sale and instantly fell in love with it, but dismissed said love because I was sure it would be more than I had to spend. So I continued on, looking around, but on my way out I couldn't leave without saying my farewells to the chair. I looked for the price tag and it said "make offer." I hate it when things say that- I never know what to offer. I'm pretty cheap, so I knew what I came up with would be pretty low. I was thinking $75, but I asked the woman in charge what she'd take for it first. She said $15!!! I thought that was great, but I never pay full price for anything, so I said, "will you take $11?" She accepted, but just before I was about to fork over my singles, my dear husband came up and asked what on earth we needed that funky chair for. This was something I could take advantage of, so I quietly asked him if he would go wait for me in the car. Once he left, I turned to the lady and said,
"Well, will you take five dollars for the chair?"
Her reply: "The husband?"
Me: "Yes."
Her: "It's yours."
Sweet!

Next picture:

My sweet Ryan has a little tradition- every time we go to the High Desert Museum, he must climb on each and every statue.

When I visited the Portland temple several months ago, they were just finishing up cleaning it. I always wondered how they cleaned the tops of the spires!

Michael rockin his brand new guitar. He has been taking lessons for a few months now and is getting pretty good. So proud of this guy!

Also a few months ago, my car rolled over 100,000 miles. Not very exciting, I know- except the more miles we get on that baby, the closer she gets to breaking down for good... and then we will have the excuse to get a new(er) vehicle. I'm not complaining- it has been a good, reliable car. And we don't have any payments on it, which is wonderful. I just think it is probably one of the ugliest cars ever...

One day while Michael was at guitar lessons, the other two boys and I walked across the street to the park- we have some amazing places here in Bend, several right in the middle of town. Here are a few more pictures from that afternoon:

Okay this next one is odd, but sometimes you just have to play with your cell phones fun features, so here I am...

I kind of like the green lips.

A couple of weeks ago, Michael and I took a field trip to a corn maze that was right next to Smith Rock. I L-O-V-E Smith Rock, and the view (when we could see it) made the afternoon that much better. It was a fun time.

Finally, a last week we heard about this great little place where we could pick apples- For Free! So we picked to our hearts delight and ended up with probably 60 pounds of apples. Yummy!

That's it for now. Time to de-clutter my phone!

a mighty fine hike, and goodbye snow...

2011-10-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

Today I dusted off my hiking shoes and we headed over to Tumalo Falls for a 3 hour hike. I was so excited to get out- it had been way too long. We kept the hike a little short, just to make sure my foot wasn't killing me by the end of it, and all went well. The foot is getting much better, I'll be running in no time... well, in a few months, I guess.

Anyway, it was absolutely the most perfect day for a hike, and the scenery was beautiful... just check it out:

After the hike, we had the missionaries over for dinner. Elder Snow- who just happens to be one of the most awesome missionaries ever, is being transferred on Monday. Total Bummer! But thats the life of a missionary. The people of his next area will be very lucky to have him, and we will certainly miss him. His Momma should be proud...

day of play...

2011-09-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Bend Parks and Rec put on a family "Day of Play" event at Riverbend Park. It was just what we needed after all that schoolwork... The kiddos had a blast doing canoe rides, archery, football, soccer, frisbee, hand-bicycling, tennis, and wheelchair basketball. It was a fun, sunny afternoon. Did I mention that I LOVE BEND, OREGON!!!

back to school...

2011-09-09T13:22:00.001-07:00

Ryan: 3rd Grade

Steven: 4th Grade

Michael: 6th Grade

a fabulous visit...

2011-09-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last week, to close out our summer, Carey's parents came to visit us from Florida.

It had been over three years since we last saw them- it was great to see them again.

We had a wonderful visit- doing alot of catching up, some shopping, and showing them around Bend.

My favorite day was when we visited the Lava lands and Lava Butte. The view from the top is so beautiful!

Anyway- here's hoping that our next visit with Grandpa and Grandma Meerdink is very soon!

P.S..... Another fabulous sunset from our backyard....

cultus lake...

2011-08-07T09:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we did a bit of school clothes shopping, then headed over to my new favorite place: Cultus Lake...

the rest of july...

2011-08-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

It has been several weeks since my last post, so I thought I'd update on the Meerdink happenings for the last couple weeks of July... It has been pretty low key overall, what with my limited mobility and all, but we still managed to:

Have a wonderful visit with my amazing brother and his family. It was so good to see them- and their sweet kiddos. We don't see each other nearly enough!Put together some rockets for cub scouts, the boys had a blast launching them!Have a campout in the back yard... Well, the kids camped, Carey and I stayed in and watched a movie together. They had loads of fun and have asked to do it every night since.... We headed up to East Lake in the Newberry Volcano caldera last Saturday. It is so pretty up there. I just absolutely love Bend!

One of my favorite things about living in Bend is the desert sunset and the night sky. I get a perfect view of the sunset each night out my living room window. One of the little joys in life, I guess...

our super fun week- the short version...

2011-07-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

No offense to the awesome week I have had- but I'm going to write a super condensed version of our adventures...
It all started last weekend when my parents and baby brother came to visit from Utah. Their primary purpose was to come for Ryan's baptism- which has already been documented on this blog. But they stayed the week and here is some of what we did:
Saturday: I went for a run with my dad, then we planted my garden, and then the baptism.
Sunday: Not much.
Monday (4th of July): Started the day off with a 5k, then a few minutes at the ward breakfast. Saw Kung Fu Panda 2- (super cute by the way), chillaxed, then got a KILLER spot to watch the fireworks (I'm not going to reveal the spot, cause we're going again next year and I want it to be just as awesome).
Tuesday: Floated the Deschutes. So much fun!
Wednesday: Morning jog with my dad, then we headed over to the coast for some camping and beach therapy. The drive from Bend is way longer than I wanted it to be, but worth it once you get the feet into the salt water. Set up camp and hit the beach for a little bit.
Thursday: Started the day with a run along highway 101, and then... Beach day! We landed at Heceta light house- a beautiful little spot along the 101. Spent the day there exploring, laying in the sand, and even threw in a little hike to the lighthouse. After that, we headed back to camp and while the men (Carey and my dad) prepped dinner, I thought I'd try out sand-boarding on the dune. Not a great idea cause I ended up BREAKING MY FOOT!!! Spent the next hour in the e.r., then went back to the campsite, took some pain meds and went to sleep.
Friday: Relaxed in the morning (I couldn't walk, so I decided to sit and read all morning), broke camp then headed back to Bend. The rest my weekend was spent reading in bed. And my parents left this morning.
I really had a great week- aside from the little "broken foot mishap." I'm sure I'll let out the emotions about that on a later post. Some of you know I have been training for a marathon, which is now on hold.... again. I'm not going to get into that right now.

ryan's baptism

2011-07-03T21:33:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, July 2, Ryan was baptised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was a great little baptism- my parents and brother were able to come out, as well as a few amazing people from our ward here in Bend. Carey was able to baptise him, and then confirm him today at church. It was kind of bitter-sweet... knowing that he is the last of our children to be baptised. Sweet because they are all on the right path. They are all such wonderfully amazing children. A little bitter because it means that my kids are not so small any more. They are growing up- and Ryan, my baby- is not a baby anymore. But there is so much to look forward to as they grow. A lot more little steps along the way still to take. What a great start we have had!

the big 0-8...

2011-06-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

Ry-guy.
Ringo.
Chicken Nugget.
Khaki.
Spork.

Ryan.

No matter what we call him, there is no escaping the fact that my baby is now 8 years old. It is hard to believe that he really isn't a baby any more- he's all growed up now!

What a joyous 8 years it has been- there has never ever, not once been a dull moment with Ryan. He always has us on our toes. Often times at night while Carey and I are lying in bed, we will almost dye laughing just thinking about some of the things this child says and does.

I can see a career in drama for this one.

Today we had a pretty relaxed way of celebrating the day of his birth. We started it off with a big bowl of Lucky Charms, then it was time to play with the presents. We watched a movie, ate pizza for lunch, went out to dinner, and built legos to our hearts content.

Ryan created his own birthday cake- as you can see he had quite a fun time...

Happy Birthday, Ryan!!! I love you bunches!

happy father's day...

2011-06-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, to celebrate Father's day, we headed over to the Badlands for a hike. The weather was a bit rainy, which I thought was perfect because it kept us cool. We had a great time strolling along the Dry River Trail- I just love being outside, exploring.
Anyway, as I have thought yesterday and today about Father's Day, I remembered hearing a quip a long time ago about the big meeting we had in heaven before coming to this earth.
There in the meeting, God stood in front of all of us and announced that we would be going to earth.
He then said: "While on earth, half of you will hold the priesthood, and half of you will have the children...
Men, you choose first."
I though that was funny, and reveled in the fact the women have the harder job, but we can handle it cause we are strong, tough, and quite frankly, super rad.
But I have come to appreciate so much more the role of fathers- particularly fathers in the church. They have the responsibility of the priesthood, to live up to those covenants, as well as the responsibility and weight of providing for the family physically, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. The weight on a father's shoulders must be intense. Their burden is great. And a man who successfully fulfills his call, who honors it, is a man to be admired.
I have been blessed by two men who have taken the calling of Father very seriously, and in my eyes they have been very successful.
First of all, my dad. He has always been there, leading me along the way. And I know he always will. I'm grateful for the way he raised me, for his love he has shown me even when I was not so deserving. I'm grateful for his personality, his sense of humor, his store stories, his work ethic... I'm just glad that he's my dad.
The other guy is my husband. Carey has been and is a wonderful father to our children. A great example to them of righteousness, and a perfect example of how a real man should be- always seeking to improve himself and the lives of those around him, always learning, polite, kind, respectful, and fun. The quiet way in which he cares for his stewardship is amazing to behold. Meerdink Manor is lucky to have him as the head of the home.
Happy Father's Day Dad and Carey. Love you both!!!

things that matter most...

2011-06-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

worth sharing...

life in bend...

2011-06-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have already grown to really love Bend. There is so much to do if you are the outdoorsy type- which the Meerdink family happens to be. I've managed to catch a few of our outings on film... Atop Pilot Butte- a little hike in the middle of town.

A walk through a cemetery- yes, we do that sometimes. Smith Rock- awesome place to hike. 20 minutes from our house.Monkey face @ Smith RockKiddos fishing in the pond at Shevlin Park.
Steven was the only lucky one that day.Newberry Volcano Caldera.
We went up on Memorial day, not expecting to find knee deep snow. So much fun!!!Same day- Memorial day. 20 miles away from the caldera,
we checked out the lava lands around Lava Butte.
Here it was sunny, hot and dry.
And equally awesome.

the new meerdink manor...

2011-05-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

YES! We are finally out of that hotel!!! We spent exactly 46 nights at the Holiday Inn Express- and I can't tell you how good it felt last Friday to lay in my own bed, with my own blankets. Ohhhh- the joy!

So above you will see a picture of the new Meerdink Manor (and Steven). I love this house. It really is perfect for us. It needs a little work on the yard, and I look forward to giving the walls some color- but for now, I am very content to just unpack my boxes, and get settled. However- you'll notice at the right of the picture a very large, very ugly bush. Yeah, that was gone the day we moved in. It just couldn't wait.

As I begin to decorate the house, I'll post some before and after pictures. I'm so excited!!!

And grateful. This move came so suddenly and unexpectedly, but it has worked out so well. Carey and I have dreamed of owning our own home for a long, long time. And now it has finally happened. We are just so ridiculously happy!

home sweet... hotel

2011-04-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Living in a hotel has it's perks. 3 to be exact...

1. I have not had to clean a toilet in 3 weeks.

2. Fresh sheets and a nicely made bed every day.

3. Swimming every day keeps my boys boredom away.

We have been living in our humble hotel home at the Holiday Inn Express for almost 4 weeks now. Room 338 is a decent little suite- Carey and I have our own room, we have a kitchen table and a kitchenette. The bathtub is to die for- we could seriously fit our entire family in it, turn on the jets and have a spa night.

But alas, we are getting a little bored. We spend as much time as possible away from the hotel, and to be honest the rest of the time is spent either at the pool or watching TV. I swear, my kids have never watched so much television in their lives! Before moving- we didn't even have TV- that's right... no cable, no basic channels- nothing. Just Netflix. It was nice- but now the kiddos have made up for the last 4 years already. Hope they enjoy it- cause it will be gone soon. It will be gone in 3 weeks...

That's right- in 3 weeks we will close on our new house! I'm so excited- excited because after 12 years of being renters, Carey and I will now be home owners. Our first place! But- I may be slightly more excited about the idea of GETTING OUT OF THIS HOTEL!!!!!

hello from bend, oregon

2011-04-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

Well, to say the last month has been busy would be a bit of an understatement.

It has been a whirlwind of craziness.

It started several weeks ago when our landlord gave us our 45 days notice to move out. Its what happens, I guess, when you start going month to month on your lease. When I first got the news, I was devastated. I just knew deep down that things were going to change... a lot.

I admit that I have felt a change coming for a while. Carey and I were wondering if a new job was on the way- we just couldn't shake the feeling that our time in Sherwood was coming to a close. We just didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

Anyway- back to the original story. Our landlord (who is very sweet, by the way- no issues with her please...) gave us 45 days notice, which meant we needed to be out by April 16th. After talking about it, Carey and I both really felt like we should be packed up by April 1st- just in case. We really didn't know why, but we prepared to move by the first weekend of April. We held a big garage sale and got rid of a bunch of stuff. And I started packing everything else.

At the same time, Carey's work started asking him if he would be interested in taking a transfer. We weren't. We brushed it off immediately. But every time we started looking into another option, the idea of the transfer kept nipping at us. Finally we made the official decision that we were definitely NOT taking the transfer. We decided to fast and pray to know that our decision was correct.

Well, the next day (Sunday) it became very clear to both of us that our decision was not correct. Monday way prayed to know if we should go- and we both felt that we should. Things became very clear to us and started working very smoothly and very quickly from that point on. On Tuesday we prayed to know WHEN we should leave, and at the end of the day we came up with the same answer: Monday the 4th. Six days. Thanks heavens I was already mostly packed.

With a lot of help, we loaded up the truck on Saturday afternoon, cleaned the house that night, rested on Sunday, and took off for Bend, Oregon on Monday morning.

Carey's work is putting us up in an extended stay hotel for the next month until we find a place... but that's a whole different post.

For now, I will say that it has been quite a journey. I loved Sherwood. I don't know if I will ever love a place like I loved it there. Yes it was beautiful- but the people are what really made it special. I will truly miss everyone there. When I moved to Sherwood, I was not in a great place. I honestly believe that I went there to meet certain people who helped me find peace within myself. God placed just the right people in my path at exactly the right time. I am so grateful for my time there, and for those who have made such a difference in my life.

I am also grateful to know that for some reason, I am supposed to be here in Bend now. It makes it easier. I'm sure I will grow to love this place- I just need to get settled in, then hit the trails. Can't wait to get hiking and biking here!

That's it for now- more to come later...

i'm back... sort of

2011-02-01T10:44:00.001-08:00

Here's what I decided- I'm going to keep the blog up, but I'm going to take the pressure off and just shoot for an update post once a month.

So, with no further ado, here's what went on at Meerdink Manor in January...

The new year brought with it the desire for change. Not Barack Obama change, but more of a personal, internal one. I mentioned before on this blog that I have a difficult time connecting with people, and I am very shy. That was the first thing I wanted to change this year. I'm tired of being scared of people, and missing out on relationships and activities that I know would do me some good. Its time to get a little uncomfortable and step out of my bubble. So I have been focusing on that a little, trying to interact with more people and involve myself in more social/community/group activities. I feel really good so far. And I am really hopeful that I'll be able to overcome my obstacles.

One thing I did was join a group called Marathon Makeover. It is a 40 week program that gets you ready and able to run a marathon by October. It has long been my desire to run a marathon- and I don't want to wait any more. Now some of you may remember my training disaster of a year in 2009. I set out to train for a half marathon- but was first interrupted by the need for a hysterectomy, and then injury after injury due to over training. So, I was told by my doctor not to run, or I would cause myself permanent damage. I took 2010 off (for the most part- every now and then I would start to feel better, push myself, and get injured again...) and now I am ready to go. The reason I chose the MM program is because I need the direction and guidance of a coach, and I need to not push too hard or too fast. The program spends the first ten weeks just walking, preparing and strengthening the body for the more strenuous training to come. I've got to tell you the by the second week I was telling myself, "I'm just going to start running, walking is boring..." etc. But my coach is pounding it into me that I am to NOT run yet. If I run now, I'll get injured later on. I am thankful for that- I have a hard time pacing myself, and this is helping me to learn. Anyway, I'm super excited to be doing this. I'm going to be running the marathon with my dad- it will be his first one as well.

We've been able to have a few really nice Saturdays with the boys- getting back to our Weekend Warrior days. Its been great to spend some no-stress time as a family. Our weeks have been full, and January was a very stressful month, but our Saturdays were rejuvenating to our spirits. Walking waterfront park in Portland, feeding the birds, watching a crazy wedding at Voodoo Doughnuts, playing on a giant jungle gym, and just being spontaneous have been the way of the Saturday in January, and we hope it to continue through the year.

I guess that's it for now... I'll catch you next month. peace.

here's the deal...

2011-01-14T09:15:00.000-08:00

This blog and I have decided on a trial separation. Our relationship has been a little rocky lately- something that once brought me joy lately just seems to be smothering me. So we will try a little time apart- maybe a month or so. If during that time, I decide that I miss it, long to type on its keyboard once again, we'll make amends and I'll start posting again. But, if I find that I like my freedom, that I am truly happier without it, we'll make things official and I'll shut it down.

In the mean time, we have agreed that it is okay to see other blogs, and you should feel free to as well. A few that I'd like to introduce you to- of course you may have already met, are the following:

I'm sure you all know NieNie, she is truly inspiring. If you haven't already, check her out.
Also, if you are looking for fantastic writing, wit and beautiful photos, check her out.
And last, but definitely not least, check out the romantic writings of this amazing woman.

Enjoy. See you in a month.

i'm just not that into it any more...

2011-01-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

I am seriously considering shutting down the blog.

Its been fun, but any more feels like just "another thing to do." Maybe its because I have had like three months of writers block, maybe its cause I'm not feeling creative. Maybe I just don't have anything to say.

I started this blog with the intent that it would be used to keep family up to date on us Meerdinks, as an easy way to share pictures and cuties that the kiddos do. But as it turns out, none of the family actually reads it, so... whats the point? I don't say that in spite, I simply don't see the point in continuing something that has not even come close to fulfilling its purpose.

Quite honestly, I'd like to learn to connect with people more personally. That isn't an easy thing for me- in fact, blogging- my own, and reading others- has been sort of a fake way to connect to people for me. Almost a way of convincing myself that I am part of peoples lives without actually having to be. I have been ridiculously shy all my life, to the point where I avoid situations where I actually have to interact with people. It is sometimes so paralyzing.

Now I'm sure that some of you might be thinking "Carrie? Shy? No way!" But I am. When forced to interact, make small talk, etc., I simply pretend not to be. I know it doesn't make sense, but it gets me through. And then when I get home, I fall apart. Over analyze. Isolate and disconnect.

I'm getting tired of it.

Okay, so this post went a completely different direction than I intended it to. But I guess I just needed to get it out. I hope this year to improve my relationships with the few that I have let in, and get to know better those that I haven't. Will this blog be part of that? I'm not sure...

around the house on christmas

2010-12-26T16:00:00.001-08:00

air museum = happy boys

2010-12-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve-Eve, we headed over to the Evergreen Air and Space Museum- we have been wanting to go since moving to Oregon, and finally had the opportunity. It was pretty fun- I couldn't get over the size of the "Spruce Goose." Super cool. Here are a few pics...

how we spent our saturday...

2010-12-18T22:30:00.000-08:00

steven looks so good...

2010-12-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

...in his new glasses.

the thanksgiving spread & our christmas tree

2010-11-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

What I made:
What they ate:

Now- it's time to get ready for Christmas! This is my favorite time of year. We went and chopped down our tree today. Loving it!

giving thanks

2010-11-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

I don't want to bore anybody with a long list of things I am thankful for, but as I reflect on my life the list gets longer and longer. I have been so blessed all my life. I didn't always think so, but as I look back at different stages and events, memories happy and sad, there is one continuing theme through it all- I have been watched over, protected, guided and blessed by my Father in Heaven more than can be numbered. I owe a great debt for that, and yet the blessings continue to pour over me.

The thing I am most thankful for is my marriage to Carey. There is nothing that is more important to me than him. He's my best friend and I love him very much. A close second is my children, of course. I never really looked forward to becoming a mother, and I'll admit that it has been difficult for me. But the joy that those kids bring me is immeasurable. And finally, my family- my parents especially. They have been there for me through it all, always showing love and compassion even when (especially when) I didn't deserve it. I hope to be like them toward my children.

I have had a blessed life- that is what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

steven

2010-11-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Steven!

My sweet Steven is 9 years old. He has been a joy to have as a son. Probably the best sense of humor I have ever seen in a child. He is so sweet, gentle and caring. I love him with all my heart.

where has the time gone?

2010-11-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

another random picture...

2010-11-13T22:50:00.001-08:00

Carey is in Florida right now- which is where we met. Where this picture was taken.
I miss him when he's gone...

today i miss this...

2010-11-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Don't get me wrong, I love Oregon. But today I really miss my Panama City beaches. Warm, soft sand. Sunny. Wish I was there today.

becky-bug

2010-11-05T09:50:00.001-07:00

My best friend in the world and I have birthdays three days apart. Her birthday was a couple of days ago, and it got me thinking about our friendship, and friends in general.

Becky and I have been friends since kindergarten. Through the years we had different interests, different sets of friends, etc., but the one thing that never changed was that we always had each other. Both our lives have been filled with ups and downs, and through everything, I have always felt that I could go to her with anything and everything and not be judged or misunderstood. She is and always will be my best friend.

I can be pretty guarded. There aren't many people who I open up to. In fact- maybe there have been 4 or 5 people in my entire life that I have felt completely comfortable with. My husband, of course, Becky, and a few others throughout the years. I am grateful for friends like these.

So, while a little embarrassing, I had to post a few pics of Becky and me. These were taken in 1996. Ahh, the memories.

Love ya, Becky. And remember- you'll turn 40 before I do!

time to breathe...

2010-11-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

The campaign is done. The votes are in. And I finally feel like I have time to breathe!

Carey didn't win the city council position, but it was definitely a great, interesting experience for both of us. Here's the thing- when he decided to run, we both knew he wouldn't win. Statistically speaking, first timers almost never win. It is simply about getting your name out there and getting experience for the next go-round. We did learn allot. If he chooses to run again, we will have a much better idea of what and what not to do, and what to expect.

Now, about the winners of the Sherwood City Council election- Carey's opponent, Bill Butterfield will do a fabulous job, I'm sure. He's got the chops for it, and I trust he will make decisions based on the input of the people of Sherwood, and not based on whats in it for him. I would have voted for him had Carey not run against him.

The other two, however- ***this paragraph has been deleted so as not to offend anyone***

Okay- that is the most political you will [n]ever see me on this blog. I promise. Just had to get it off my chest.

Now, time to sit back, relax, and finally spend time with my hubby!

don't forget...

2010-10-31T17:56:00.001-07:00

...to vote!

bend

2010-10-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

October has been one crazy busy month- with way too many things going on. Carey had to travel for work every week, and those of us left at home started missing him a little too much. So, when we found out he was going on yet another business trip, we decided to tag along. So this week we had a little r&r in Bend.

The drive over was beautiful, and halfway there we started seeing snow on the road.

As we saw more and more, we just had to pull over and play in it. Our first taste of winter- so much fun!

As we headed to the top of the Santiam pass, we hit a big snowstorm. Steven took a picture out the window while I was driving. Luckily our little station wagon made it through and we settled down at our hotel safely in Bend.

We spent our time discovering the town (which I officially love), hanging out in the pool, hiking, feeding ducks, watching cartoons and playing in the snow. Yep, it snowed in Bend on Monday night.

It was a great trip- much needed family time.

Halloween 2002

2010-10-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

the orr family, circa 1985(?)

2010-10-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

I'm the one in the pink...

at random

2010-10-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

So, I obviously haven't had much to talk about lately. Life is kind of spinning around at whirlwind speed right now, and there isn't much time for much writing. So, I thought that I'd take a stroll down memory lane over the next couple of weeks. Every day or two... or three, I'll post a random picture. Maybe I'll include a small caption, but no guarantees...

Here's picture numero uno... taken at our house in Panama City, FL.

arachnids

2010-10-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

So this morning I opened up my living room windows and found that a family of big creepy spiders had taken residence in my backyard. A mansion of spider webs had been formed and three very content spiders sat there- probably plotting their next move...to the indoors! No thank you.

Well I dashed to the garage and grabbed what I thought was the bug spray.
Nope. It was silver spray paint...

the annual fun run post

2010-09-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

Gotta love the Middleton Fun Run! The boys all did great- I'm so proud of each of them.

i love...

2010-09-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

montana

2010-09-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Carey and I are all for a great road trip. So this last weekend when Carey had a little business to take care of in Helena, we thought we'd make a mini-vaca out of it. It was super fun, and such a beautiful area. We had never been to Montana before, and we both thought it was just an amazing drive...

back to school

2010-09-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

the beach... again

2010-09-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

So, I realize that probably 90% of all my postings are about the beach. I'm sorry if this bores you. The beach is my happy place, and we visit the coast as often as we can. Yesterday was one of those days. It was a beautiful day, and as usual, a great time was had by all..

bright spots in my day...

2010-09-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

My Thursday produce delivery.

And Ryan dressing up his nicest to meet his new teacher.

catching up..... again

2010-08-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last post, so I thought I catch up on the last month. There really wasn't much to it... the first half of the month was pretty quiet- aside from Carey putting in his intent to run for city council. This is his first time running for office, so it should be an interesting couple of months. We won't really start the major campaigning until October, and then it will be a whirlwind till election day. I think it will be a good experience for us, as he intends to get into politics more and more in the future.

Speaking of my husband- the middle of the month marked his first big bicycle accident. He rides his bike to and from work most days, and so far in two and a half years he has had no incidents other than a few flat tires. Well, Thursday morning a couple weeks ago he was heading to work, and only two blocks from the house he braked too fast to avoid a car and he ended up flying over the handlebars. He was pretty scraped up, and hurt his left arm and right hand. But ultimately he is fine. A cracked radial head is the worst of it. We feel very blessed that it wasn't any worse.

Last night Carey and I went and saw A Prairie Home Companion at the zoo. For those of you not familiar- it is an old school radio program that has been on for like 30 years. They record it in front of an audience, and it is just super fun to listen to. Well, they came here to Portland, and we were able to go. The guest on the show was Sara Watkins, who is absolutely lovely! She has a beautiful voice and plays the fiddle- which I love! You should check her out- and listen to the show sometime.

The evening was pretty darn romantic. Its been a little while since we've been able to see a show like that. Living in Portland you'd think we would see more, but with the kids it's difficult. This gave me the urge to try a little harder though.

Anyway- here is Ms. Watkins. She sang this song last night...

redwoods campout

2010-08-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

There are some places on this earth where I feel overwhelmed with gratitude, happiness and peace. The beach, of course, is place numero uno. Second is forested mountains. Combine those, add in some beautiful hikes, nice cool weather, morning fog- and you have a whole lot of heaven on earth. (my mom and dad)

It had been 15 years since I last visited the redwoods, and I had been so looking forward to taking my children there. I will admit that after the very busy and emotionally draining month that was July, I started to look at my campout as "another thing to do," and was not looking forward to it like I had before July happened.

But, it turned out to be exactly what I needed. Stepping away from the world for several days, being surrounded by the beauty of the area totally set my mind and soul at ease. It was a wonderful trip, a true vacation that left me feeling invigorated. It was hard to leave.

my husband is rad

2010-08-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

We all know that my husband is super awesome- and he just keeps getting better! Last week, Carey performed in the musical "The Secret Garden." He played Dr. Craven, the plays antagonist. I gotta tell ya, when I saw him come out on stage, I got butterflies. Chills. He was awesome! I am so proud of him. I wish the show would have lasted longer- I couldn't get enough. I just love seeing him on stage. Here are a few pictures...

I didn't take any video, but there are a few scenes of him singing on my facebook page. I strongly recommend you check it out. He sounds amazing!

only in utah...

2010-07-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Utah. An unplanned visit, me and the boys jetted down for the funeral of my sweet cousin Dusty. I would have loved to go under happier circumstances, but it was nice to have my entire family together for the first time in five years- even if only for a few hours.

Anyway, while we were there, we did something you can only do in Utah: we visited the grounds of 7 temples in one day.

Bonneville

Salt Lake

Jordan River

Oquirrh Mountain

Draper

Mt. Timpanogos

Provo

2 years ago...

2010-07-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

This picture of Ry-guy always makes me laugh!

catching up...

2010-06-30T14:38:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I've been a little lazy. But I wanted to post some pics from our Campout-to-Beverly- Beach-Fathers-Day-RyGuy's-Birthday Weekend.

Not feeling incredibly creative today, so I'm just gonna hit the upload button and let the pictures do the talking...

my baby is seven

2010-06-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, RYAN!

welcome, summer... good to see you again

2010-06-13T13:09:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day, and a wonderful relief from the cool, soggy weather

we've been having

for the last, oh, 8 months or so.

We welcomed the sun with open arms and with a little road trip over to the coast

and down the 101.

he did it!!!

2010-06-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

My sweet Steven has had a terrible phobia of getting on a bicycle. Even with training wheels, the experience was always too traumatic for him. So at his request, we got rid of his bike and got him a scooter.

Well, apparently I am not the only one stepping out of my comfort zone in this house. Today after school, Steven ran inside and told me to come out and look at something. Much to my surprise, and delight, he hopped on his brother's bike and just started riding. No training wheels.

After school, while playing outside, he saw the bike and just decided to give it a try, and ended up liking it.

The rest of us quickly hopped on our bikes to join him on a little ride around the neighborhood. Steven told me that now he likes bikes. And we are all looking forward to family rides this summer.

I am so, so, SO proud of him!

out of my comfort zone

2010-06-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well, for the longest time my hair has been a sort of security blanket for me. Kept me safe. Nothing too exciting, but nice. Still, I felt the urge so many times to cut it. But, as I have done with many things in my life, I didn't out of fear that it wouldn't turn out right, or I would get it wrong, or it would attract too much attention... And the last thing I have ever wanted to do is attract attention to myself.

Well, I don't know what got in to me this morning, but I thought:

Who cares! I have been so boring and so afraid for so long! I need to have some fun. Let go.

Stop being afraid of failure,

and just do what makes you happy.

Okay- I realize that my thoughts weren't

entirely about my hair.

They were about my life in general.

So I decided to take the first step and

cut off my security blanket...

I have mixed feelings about the finished product.

I certainly don't feel like I can hide anymore.

Maybe that's a good thing...

fleet week

2010-06-06T12:19:00.001-07:00

Every year as part of the Portland Rose Festival, ships from the Navy, Coast Guard and the Canadian Maritime Forces sail in to the Willamette River from around the world.

I think that is pretty much the coolest thing ever,

so we decided to go check out the fleet.

First stop after arriving in downtown was Voodoo Donuts,

of course. Then we walked over to waterfront park to check out the ships. The two Navy ships were the USS Bunker Hill and the USS Sampson. Super impressive. Anyway, my boys are now junior recruits, and spent the rest of the day pretending they were in the NAVY. Steven said that nothing is going to stop him from joining the NAVY when he grows up. And Ryan keeps telling us the he "was built to be a Marine!" That's fine with me. Anyway- one of my favorite things about Portland are the street performers. This guy was my favorite. He played the "drums" using buckets and different pieces of scrap metal. He sounded awesome. I could have listened to him all afternoon.

sherwood trail

2010-06-06T09:54:00.001-07:00

Every year the fourth graders at Middleton Elementary finish up their studies about the Oregon Trail by having their own 5 mile trek around Sherwood. So awesome! So they all showed up with their wagons

and braved the wet weather. I'm so proud of Michael- he did such a great job. 6 hours out in the cold and rain, lugging that wagon up and down hills. What a great experience!

guests at meerdink manor

2010-05-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

A month or so ago, we were all excited to see a bird beginning to build its nest on our front porch. The boys got to watch the whole process, from start to finish.
Once complete, the mama settled in. We were even more excited last week when the babies hatched. We would all gather on the stairs in our house and wait for one of them to pop their little heads up out of the nest. They are growing fast, and soon will be ready to fly away... And the moment they do,
I'm ripping down the nest
and getting out my scrub brush...

toothless

2010-05-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

The tooth fairy is broke.

mothers day weekend

2010-05-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

It is becoming a tradition for us to hit the beach the day before Mother's Day. So, that's what we did yesterday. We decided to try a new place, and went to Neskowin beach. It was nice and quiet, with lots of fun things to explore.
The drive over was beautiful, as always. I sometimes daydream about owning one of those vineyards in the Willamette Valley.
We stopped for lunch at a cute little cafe in Neskowin. The weather was great- mid 6os, no rain. Plenty of sunshine.I got to thinking about my children and my husband- the people who made me a mother.When I was pregnant with Michael, I craved cheese sandwiches and Frostys. He was my first pregnancy, so everything was new and exciting and terrifying. He was a big boy- 10 pounds 9 ounces, and a great baby. He started sleeping through the night within a couple of weeks. Always so sweet, from the very beginning. He's so inquisitive, loves to learn. I love being his mother.When I found out I was pregnant with Steven, I was terrified. I wasn't sure about having another child. I wasn't sure how I was going to love another child. I don't remember much about the pregnancy. But I do remember, very clearly, how I felt the first time I saw him. I felt so much love, I could hardly contain myself. Joy swept through my entire body. He is my little sweetheart. He has the best sense of humor of any kid I've ever seen. I'm lucky to be his mother.I found out that I was pregnant with Ryan just after Carey decided to go to law school. I craved egg sandwiches and celery. I broke my foot when I was 5 months along. It was a difficult pregnancy, and I could tell before he was born that he had a strong personality. And boy was I right. This kid is a crack up! There is something so captivating about him- even from the beginning. You just have to watch him. He is so much fun, and I get to be part of it.And Carey... the guy who started it all. I have tried to imagine what my life would have been like if I had gone down another road, ended up with someone else. It is never a pleasant thought. He is my best friend. My soul mate. We have both grown so much since that crazy day when we snuck off and got married. We barely knew each other then, but we knew we were right for each other. He is a fabulous father, and a wonderful husband. I love having a family with him. I love raising his children.

quote of the day...

2010-05-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

Ryan: "I know what the 'B' word is."

Steven: "What is it?"

Ryan: "It starts with 'F'."

first timers...

2010-04-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago,

the boys got to mow the lawn for their very first time. They thought it was pretty darn cool. After an hour and a half, they were finally done. And those of you who know me well won't be surprised to hear that once they were inside, I went over the lawn again so the lines would be straight.

Good times...

ten? you gotta be kidding me...

2010-04-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know how it happened,

but somehow my first born has reached the double digits. This means that I am old.

I am also the luckiest girl in the world to have been blessed with Michael as a son. He has always been the sweetest, kindest, most loving child.

I love him very much.

Happy Birthday, Michael!

happy easter

2010-04-05T07:46:00.001-07:00

thanks, guys...

2010-04-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

(This picture is a little fuzzy cause I took it with my phone.)

What you are looking at is 10 dudes moving my very old, very heavy piano. Many thanks to all those guys who showed up to help us move our stuff. Especially my piano.

goodbye...

2010-03-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

hello...

a great escape...

2010-03-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

Beautiful spot. Beautiful weather. Beautiful day.

ever changing, ever growing

2010-03-14T14:40:00.001-07:00

I feel like I am constantly recreating myself. I think that is because for the last, oh, 30-ish years, I haven't had a clear picture of who I am. Rushing around in this head of mine are countless conflicting ideas of who I want to be, who I think I should be, who I think it is cool to be, who other people want me to be...

And I will concede that I have always felt it had to be all or nothing. If I take on certain attributes of one of the ideals, I must take on all. For example- one of my ideal characters is vegetarian. That being said, I dive in to that persona so deeply that a single mistake, or thought of being something different, can become quite destructive to me. If I "fall off the wagon" and have a piece of chicken, I might as well throw in the towel and not eat a single thing that is good for my body because I strayed slightly from my version of "how I should be." I have never been comfortable to "just be." To allow myself to discover which attributes of which persona I like, or think are important, and which ones to simply let go... I enjoy exercise, so I must run a marathon or I fail. I don't particularly enjoy meat, so I must eat only raw fruits and vegetables or I fail. I am a mother, so I must be perfect and patient at all times or I fail. I am a victim, a rebel, different- so I must be... I don't know. I just fail.

I have had a lifelong obsession with figuring out "who I am." Feeling like I needed to have some particular identity to be somebody. I have always dreaded the question "Tell me about yourself..." Cause quite frankly, I don't know the answer.

Well, I'm tired. I am beginning to realize that what ever adjective I use to try to describe me is of little consequence if I don't come to believe what we have been told since we were in primary. I am a child of God. Yeah, I believe that. Yes, I believe that there is a God in heaven, that His son, Jesus Christ walked this earth, and died for us. I have always believed it. But I don't think that I have fully accepted what being a daughter of God really means. Why is it so important to know? Why do we tell our children over and over that they are a child of God?

Here's what I think: As a daughter of God, I am destined for and have access to greatness. Such knowledge can give us power. Power over the adversary who also knows who we are and what we can become. And so as he tries to keep us from that, as we are weakened every day by thoughts of inadequacy, thoughts of failure, of hopelessness- if we (if I) could just grasp on to the tiniest bit of truth, of light, how much stronger would I feel. How much more would I want to try. How much less would I worry about the little things, and just try to shine. Try to improve myself for the ultimate goal. Who cares what other people think I should be. Who cares what I think I should be. What matters, what identity I should take on is what the Father knows I will be.

As I slowly begin to understand the big picture, who I am is slowly becoming clearer to me.

happy birthday...

2010-02-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

... to my very best friend

in the

whole wide world.

Tree Planting

2010-02-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Mother Earth:
We love you.

Stay green.

Love,

The Meerdinks

Is This Heaven?

2010-02-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that we are all going to be raw foodies in heaven. It just makes sense. Food in its purest, most natural state. I don't think we're going to have red dye #5 up there, or high fructose corn syrup. I'd even go as far as to say that we won't be eating meat there either. Otherwise, the whole lion laying down with the lamb thing doesn't make much sense.

Today is day ten of my 100 day raw food excursion. So far so good. I have been 100% raw for ten days. It hasn't been a walk in the park... on about day four I started going through withdrawals. It was literally like I was coming down from a fix (ummm.. i'm guessing). I had a constant headache, I was irritable, snappy, cold. But I had done my research, I was expecting it. My body was used to getting a daily fix of sugar and processed flour, and suddenly all that was gone.

On the plus side- I really haven't had many cravings.. well, at least not until Tuesday. On Tuesday, I woke up and the headache was finally gone. Ahhhhhhhhh. Wonderful. Then, all I could think about was donuts, cake, and cheeseburgers. I NEEDED some. But no- I knew that if I had even one bite, I'd have to go through withdrawal again. Ain't happening.

I have had several people ask me what I eat. The answer: Whatever I want- as long as it isn't cooked or processed in any way. Fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds are the basics. Here are a few of the things I've put together over the last ten days:

Fruit Salad.

Can't get enough if it. So yummy and fresh!

Holy Guacamole!

I have mastered the avocado. It makes a great dip for any veggie. On this day, green beans and orange peppers. My favorite, though, are cucumbers. Slice them into thick wedges, sprinkle on a little sea salt, and you have "chips and dip."

Smoothies.

Frozen apples, blueberries, some strawberries, a little agave and a handful of spinach. I also throw in a scoop of cold milled ground flax seed. This is my breakfast on most mornings.

Taco Night.

On this night my family had tacos, and I was a little jealous. So I put these together. Good stuff.

Sunday Sundae.

This was sooooo good. I blended up some fresh pineapple, shredded coconut, a little agave and some coconut water. Then threw it in the ice cream maker for some Pina Colada Sorbet. It was heaven.

Not everything was a success. I picked up some nori sheets so I could make myself a wrap. I stuffed it with avocado, tomatoes, peppers, and bean sprouts. Nope. No good. I literally stuffed tissue up my nose because the smell was so bad I couldn't take a bite. The seaweed smell was overpowering. So, once I took away my sense of smell, I thought it would be okay. Wrong. The nori is disgusting. Maybe that is why I have never liked sushi. Anyway. In an attempt to save the meal, I dumped out the filling, threw the nori away-- far away, and tried to eat it as a salad. Gross- the veggies tasted like the nori. Seaweed is not for me. I did, however, eat the fabulous jalapeno stuffed green olives you see in the picture, and they were divine. Whole Foods has a fresh olive bar, and I think I will be visiting it more often.

going raw

2010-02-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

So here it goes. Today is day numero uno of my 100 day raw food challenge.

Yep. You read that right. 100 days, 100% raw.

I found the challenge on a website called rawfu.com while I was doing a little research on the raw lifestyle. You see, I've always been a little bit fascinated by the whole thing, and have always wanted to give it a go, but lacked the total desire to give up all cooked foods. BUT- Members of my family have some pretty wicked medical stuff going on that I will no doubt get myself if I don't do something to prevent it. I have heard and read about the many health benefits of eating raw- particularly with the issues that run in my family. So, I thought now would be a good time to start. I've done the vegan thing, and love it. And raw isn't a huge jump from there. I have been preparing for the last week or so, going a little more raw each day, so I didn't have to go cold turkey- or is that cold tofurky?- today.

I'm super excited about this, but I also know its not going to be easy. I love bread. Warm bread. But ultimately, I think it will be worth it. So wish me luck!

r-u-t-a-b-a-g-a

2010-01-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

Michael participated in Middleton Elementary's first ever oral spelling bee.

He did a fantastic job, and I am so proud of him. He made it to the 5th round. He correctly spelled:

babies

avenue

consonant

tutor

And the word that got him... Rutabaga.

I didn't know how to spell it either.

It got me thinking, though. I had never had rutabaga.

Maybe we should give it a try.

So for dinner that night, we gave it a go.

A little olive oil, salt and pepper, and voila-

It was... okay. Not my favorite, but not horrible.

I told Michael that it was a good thing he didn't misspell babies...

not in the mood

2010-01-19T15:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the last month has gone by a little too quickly, and I just haven't been in the mood to update this blog. I haven't been feeling very creative, and other things have been more interesting to me than this. So now, a quick update on the Meerdink happenings over the last several weeks:

Christmas was great. Nice and quiet here at home. The boys screamed like little girls when they opened up the Wii (Thanks Grandma Joney!). And the rest of the day was filled with golf, archery and bowling tournaments. We all woke up a little sore the next morning, with reminders that perhaps we should hit the gym and work our arms a little more.

We had an unexpected snow storm, and the boys took full advantage of the snowman making opportunity. Now, my car is not a great car. And it doesn't like snow. So I attempted to pick Carey up from work, and couldn't make it there without killing me and my children. I couldn't even make it up my driveway (Someday I'll have a LandRover....), so my dear, adventurous husband told me not to worry- he'd simply walk the 7 miles home. In the snow. In his business clothes. He's RAD! He made it about 5 miles and stopped in at Target to warm up a bit, and found a friend to give him a ride the rest of the way home (Thanks Wendy!). Twenty bucks says he'd do it again in a heartbeat!

New Years Eve was the first time that all of my boys got to stay up until midnight. They were super excited about it, thinking they were pretty hot stuff. We spent the night having a Harry Potter movie marathon and playing Wii. Then we were all in bed by 12:20. Happy 2010 everybody.

On a particularly annoying day, we found out that our car needed some very expensive repairs, and our computer completely crashed. That computer lasted us over 7 years. Got us through law school. So what do you do with a good-for-nothing computer? Give it to the kids, of course! They spent hours taking it all apart, and they were in heaven!

Things worked out just fine, as they usually do. We were planning on getting a new computer with the tax return anyway. Instead, we turned our laptop into the family computer and used the planned computer funds to fix the car. Pretty much broke even. (Thanks Heavenly Father!)

So now we are working on getting back to the grind. In terms of New Years Resolutions- I think I officially hate them. Last year I made one resolution: to run a half marathon. I started the year off alright, training for it. Then in May I had major abdominal surgery and couldn't run until September. Fine, I thought. I'm behind a couple of months, so I decided that as long as I could still meet my goal by January of 2010, I'd still consider it a success. So I slowly started training again. So set on my goal that I ignored the pain in my hip, back, leg, knee and ankle. I refused to even tell my physical therapist that I was running out of fear that she would limit my activity.

You see, I don't like being told what to do, and I don't like sitting on my tush doing nothing. This is clearly evidenced by my previous ankle injury. Almost 2 years ago, I rolled it in a bouncy house while in Utah on Spring Break. Tore the ligaments and tendon. I was encouraged to take it easy, rest it for a while. Yeah right- resting is for wussies! Needless to say, my ankle still bothers me to this day and has played a major roll in messing up other parts of my leg.

So, back to my original story: The pain got too severe, and I finally broke down and told my PT, who of course told me NO MORE RUNNING! I had gotten up to 9 miles, and four weeks from my Half. Typical. I have this thing called sacroiliac joint dysfunction- it hurts. I can't run. I can't bike. No spinning classes. Not even yoga right now. She just gave me permission to try out the elliptical, and I can swim. Well- I have permission to swim. First I need a few lessons. So to sum up this very long story- I didn't meet my one resolution for 2009. The universe had other plans for me. So in order to avoid another year of complete frustration, I refuse to set any resolutions for 2010. Take that, universe!

back seat conversation

2009-12-16T00:28:00.000-08:00

I hate McDonald's.

I rarely take my children there. But Tuesday night means a kid's meal for a buck twenty-five, and my husband is out of town, so there was nothing more appealing to me tonight than the golden arches.

We were waiting in the drive through line when I overheard this quick exchange from the back seat...

Michael: If you eat at McDonald's too much, fur will grow on your tongue.
Ryan: Yeah, just like a duck.

right-e-o. Makes sense to me.

quick getaway

2009-12-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

On Monday afternoon, Carey called me and told me he had to head over to Seaside for a couple of days for work. It was very last minute- he had to leave within 30 minutes. Then he said the words that made my day:

Do you and the boys want to come with me?

um... yes.

So we packed up really fast and hit the road.

I had been needing to get away,

so this business trip of his was heaven sent.

The beach is where I feel the most content. The lists in my mind stop, I'm not worried about what's going on at home, and for a time I am completely at ease.

We swam at the hotel pool for hours, and enjoyed the hot tub after being out in the cold.

Of course we had to pick up some salt water taffy- a Seaside tradition in our family. But mostly, being together and carefree made for a great, spontaneous little trip.

ps- thank you, Kelly, for making this possible!

catching up...

2009-11-28T15:54:00.001-08:00

Wow- we've had a lot going on in the last week and a half. Instead of writing a long, drawn-out posting for each event, I'll just post some pictures... allot of pictures:

Michael's 4th Grade Music Concert

Steven's 8th Birthday

Steven's Baptism

Photo Op at the TempleRaccoons

Camping at Ft. Stevens

My battery was dead by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, but it was a lovely day!

8

2009-11-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Steven!

Honest Blog

2009-11-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

Here are the rules... we'll see how well I follow them:

1) Must thank the person who gave the award and list their blog and link it.
2) Share "10 Honest Things" about yourself.
3) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.
4) Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.

I was nominated by A Day in Our Life. Machelle, that was very sweet what you said about me. I wish we lived closer to each other.

So here are 10 honest things about me:

1. I have been putting off writing this post because I'm not sure exactly how honest I want to be.

2. I am ridiculously shy. I dread going in to public situations. I hate being the center of attention. I fear being put on the spot. And I feel like I never say the right thing.

3. I'm training for a half marathon, and I worry that I'm too lazy to pull it off.

4. I have always wanted to be a rock star. To have my own band, sing lead vocals, play the guitar... That would rule. So far, I sing only in the shower, or as the backup singer to my kiddos, I'm alright at the guitar, but my fingers won't move fast enough to really rock out, and I definitely don't have the right haircut.

5. I hate school. I have done some college- have an A.A. Even graduated with honors with three kids. But I dread the thought of going back for more. I barely went to high school, and I sometimes worry that I will rub off onto my kids, and they'll prefer a spontaneous road trip over a day at school. I hope they'll get their father's love for learning. He would be a professional student if he could.

6. I can't watch the TV if it isn't straight. I can't sit still if a picture if crooked. Life is almost unbearable if a couch isn't set properly. And don't get me started on cupboard doors! Also, if I do something with my right hand, I need to do the same with my left.. have to keep it all fair. Same thing with my legs.

7. I love shoes, but hate wearing them. I would wear flip-flops 365 days a year if I could. My feet are happiest when they are naked.

8. I live for the beach. My soul screams for it. Doesn't matter the weather, I would rather be there than anywhere else. It relaxes me, calms me, re-energizes me. I think I have saltwater running through my veins.

9. I am madly in love with my husband, and feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have him. I feel like I got the better deal in our relationship.

10. I write music. Lots of stuff on the piano, even a couple on the guitar. But I am too shy to share any of it. I wish I could write lyrics so that I could maybe someday figure out how to express myself.

There you have it. I now nominate:
Stephanie, Katie, Kathy, Kelly, Alli, Candice, and Jamie

31

2009-11-08T08:20:00.001-08:00

I'm 31 now. My birthday was on Friday... 2 weeks ago, Michael rushed home from school to tell me that his class was going on a field trip on my birthday to see a play, and it would be a great way to spend my birthday. But I had to hurry and contact his teacher because only 4 chaperones could come. I thought it was so sweet how he thought of me, and he REALLY wanted me to go.

So I started my birthday off on a school bus with 50 4th graders. We saw the Portland Children's Theater production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was glad to spend a few extra hours with my son. He is such a sweetheart. Then, it was off to lunch with this guy... Check out our mad chopstick skills. The plan was to drop the kiddos off at a friend's house in Vancouver overnight. Carey and I were going to go to Portobello, a nice little romantic vegan restaurant in Portland, then a show. I was sooooo looking forward to this, but then I got a call from the kids' school- Ryan had a 101 temperature and needed to come home.

All the way to the school I prayed that I would not be disappointed, that I could still enjoy my day. The boys were mad a me at first cause they were really looking forward to their sleepover, but I couldn't send a sick child to someone else's house.

So we made the most of it and we all went to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner... endless salad bar= heaven for me. The boys love it there too, cause they get as much dessert as they can eat. We had a great time.

Speaking of dessert...YUMMY!

Not your traditional birthday cake, but this beautiful vegantastic cupcake caught my eye at Whole Foods, and I just had to take it home. But the best part of having a birthday... shoes! Check out my new pair...

my month

2009-11-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

I LOVE NOVEMBER!

Here's why: MY BIRTHDAY crisp cool air the fireplace gets turned on family cranberry sauce GETTING IN ONE LAST CAMPOUT sweet smells cuddling under a warm blanket THANKSGIVING egg (soy) nog seeing your breath in the air BLACK FRIDAY ...

and a new playlist with my top ten favorite bands!

(in no particular order)

weezer fleet foxes u2 the killers muse matchbox 20 coldplay

red hot chilli peppers ccr the wallflowers

ryan ate broccoli without throwing up

2009-11-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

Here's how it goes at our house on Halloween: IF the boys eat all their dinner (which is filled with gross things like vegetables and whole grains), THEN they get to eat as much candy as they want to during and after trick-or-treating. Whats left of the candy after that gets sold to the dentist who pays them $1 a pound, then sends it to our troops overseas.

There was a little bit of drama at first because Ry is "allergic to vegetables." But ultimately, he ate his pasta, finishing it off with a big bite of broccoli. In the past, when we have gotten this close to Ryan actually eating something that grows naturally from God's good earth, he either ends up gagging on it for a few seconds and spitting it out, or he just plain throws up. But last night was a success.

No puke = successful dinner at my house.

So then it was off to beg strangers for candy...

The result: 10 pounds of sweet joy.

i hate getting sick

2009-10-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

It seems that all things must have their opposite.

Fall is my favorite season- the most beautiful and yet most fleeting time of year.

It's opposite: flu season- which is ugly and seems to go on forever!

I was doing awesome this year- everyone around me was getting sick. But our house remained uninfected. Then Steven woke up with a fever. It's okay- I can handle this... It progressed (if you can call getting worse progressing), and worked it's way through each of my boys. I was still going strong and feeling somewhat invincible.

I looked at myself in the mirror each morning, congratulating myself on my awesome health. I thought for sure I would come out unscathed. After all, I eat a pretty darn healthy plant-based diet, I get plenty of exercise, and even more importantly, I hate getting sick so much that I could simply will the virus away from me.

I was wrong.

I woke up yesterday morning and felt it. That yucky, acidic feeling in my tummy; headache; fever. NO! This can't be happening! I lost the battle of wills. No more mental high fives for me.

To make matters even worse, I broke my ten year hiatus from hair dye, and dyed my hair for a party I was supposed to attend that evening. Didn't happen. So now I have emo-red hair, and nothing to show for it.

Dang flu!

i am boring

2009-10-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not posted anything lately, but the fact is: I am boring. There is nothing exciting to write about, and if there is, my creative writing gene has taken a vacation. I promise that by this weekend, I will post something that will knock your socks off ... maybe.

And moms: I'll also update my other blog by Sunday.

yeah... that didn't happen

2009-10-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Alright. So obviously I having been posting a snapshot a day. I should have known myself better. Maybe another month, but not this one.

My dear husband had to get his tonsils and adenoids out on Monday. He is doing fantastic after the surgery, but I have been playing nurse all week. I have to say that I am super impressed with him. He's handling it like a champion! Sure love that guy.

Last weekend, Steven asked Carey if he could try light a fire in the back yard. Carey, of course, said "SURE!" What! Wait a sec, honey- you're going to let our son light a fire in the back yard! Okay, I didn't hear the part about Steven wanting to light a MATCHLESS fire. Attempting to rub sticks together. I can handle that. But then, after a little while, Carey came in and grabbed the matches. Ummmm... honey? They had made a small fire pit, and Carey was teaching Steven how to use the matches. Fun.

Well, the smell of the fire got me jonesin' for a bigger campfire, which we could not do. So Carey pulled out the grill, the boys gathered sticks from the greenway, and we made a big fire. Spent the evening roasting marshmallows and eating s'mores. Had a great time.

overheard

2009-10-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

Steven: Hey Ryan, I saw the shoe you made at school!
Ryan: Where was it?
Steven: Right above Hunter's shoe.
Ryan: Where was Hunter's shoe?
Steven: Right below yours.

if i had a million dollars

2009-10-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today's snapshot: my car radio.

I was heading home from the gym,

discouraged after a mediocre workout,

and on the radio came

If I Had A Million Dollars by Barenaked Ladies.

Made my day.

snapshot challenge

2009-10-05T16:49:00.001-07:00

A challenge for the month of October... or what's left of it, anyway: Take a photo each day of something that brings you joy, or makes you happy, or just made your day. Then post it on your blog. I'm going to attempt it. In doing so, hopefully you will be able to get to know me a little better...

On my jog this morning I was in heaven! Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the changing leaves and the chill in the air. It makes me oh, so happy!

covers

2009-10-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Wow. Where the heck did September go?! That went by fast. And now its time for Halloween decorations, costumes, falling leaves... and October's playlist!

As a music freak, there are some songs/artists/bands that I have become obsessed with. With some of them, I shudder at the thought of them ever being redone and possibly ruined. But with most, I usually enjoy a new take on it. I love it when an artist can give an old song a totally new spin. So, this month's playlist is in honor of those artists who have successfully covered some of the greatest songs out there. My top ten favorite cover songs are:

10. ACROSS THE UNIVERSE originally by the Beatles, covered by Fiona Apple: Love this song! I am usually not a big fan of Beatles remakes (you just don't mess with perfection), but I think Ms. Apple did a fine job. Plus, I sort of love her.

9. SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT originally by Nirvana, covered by Tori Amos: Okay, I know I might get allot of flack for this one. Do not get me wrong- I love Nirvana, in fact they are one of my favorite bands. Ever. But Tori brought such an excellent spin to this- plus, seeing it live is incredible!

8. TIME AFTER TIME originally by Cyndi Lauper, covered by Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20: Oh, Rob Thomas! Please come sing this song just for me! I think he nails this song. Actually like his better than the original.

7. TURN THE PAGE originally by Bob Seger, covered by Metallica: YES! This song rocks!

6. ROCKET MAN originally by Elton John, covered by Jason Mraz: I wish I could have found a better download for this song, just ignore the people singing along, and enjoy Mraz's lovely vocals. I love what Jason Mraz can do with a song. He is a fantastic artist. And this is a great song.

5. CARELESS WHISPER originally by Wham!, covered by Seether: I l-o-v-e Shaun Morgan's voice. Something about it just kind of makes me melt. This is one of those covers that just totally blows the original out of the water. Rock on.

4. FREE FALLIN' originally by Tom Petty, covered by John Mayer: Mr. Petty will always be high on my list for kicking out awesome music, and Free Fallin' has always been one of my favorite songs. John Mayer's acoustic version is beautifully done. Still trying to decide which one I like better, I guess it just depends on my mood. Definitely one of the best cover songs ever, though.

3. FEELIN' GOOD originally by Nina Simone, covered by Muse: This song was also covered very smoothly by Michael Buble, but Muse is my favorite band, and this song beats the pants off of the original, or any other version out there!

2. HALLELUJAH originally by Leonard Cohen, covered by Jeff Buckley: In my opinion, this is the most beautiful song ever written. Jeff Buckley really brought out the best in it. Rufus Wainwright made a great attempt at covering this song, playing the piano as the background, but Buckley's guitar trumps.

1. THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD originally by David Bowie, covered by Nirvana: This is my favorite! I love, love, LOVE David Bowie, and am a loyal and devoted fan. BUT- Nirvana ranks slightly higher, and they kicked boo-tay with this song. Wicked awesome.

And now, a few honorable mentions. Several years ago I heard a cover of Suicidal Tendencies' INSTITUTIONALIZED by Black Velvet Flag. Good luck finding it anywhere! It was a way slowed down version, and just super cool. Also, because I love my husband, I gotta put Smashing Pumpkins' cover of LANDSLIDE on here. I like their cover, it's fine. But I don't think anything has or ever will come close to Fleetwood Mac's original. Stevie Nicks got it right the first time, and I just don't think it needed to be messed with. Carey and I will probably differ in our opinions on this for the rest of eternity, but it all comes down to this: This is my list. Oh, and please don't get me started on the Dixie Chick's version.

One last thing. Worst cover song ever: AC/DC's YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG covered by Celine Dion. Yep. You read that right. Look it up if you don't care too much for the lunch you just ate, cause you're gonna lose it.

fun run '09

2009-09-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

vegans need chocolate too

2009-09-22T09:21:00.001-07:00

FHE treat last night:Vegan-tastic Chocolate Cake

*******

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

(I use just a teensy bit more than a cup. If using white flour, use 1 1/4 cups)

1 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 cup Warm Water

1 tsp Vanilla

(I always go a little crazy with the vanilla. I think I actually did 2 or so tsps)

1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

1 tsp White vinegar

***

Mix together dry ingredients, then add the wet ones to it.

Pour in a greased/pammed 8x8 pan (or you can double the recipe and use a 9x13) and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*****

Now it gets even better:

Chocolate Glaze

*****

1/2 cup Sugar

4 tbsp Earth Balance

2 tbsp Soy Milk

2 tbsp Unsweetened cocoa powder

2-3 tsp Vanilla

***

Throw all the ingredients into a sauce pan, bring to a boil stirring constantly. Let it simmer for a few minutes- DON'T FORGET TO KEEP STIRRING! Then remove it from the heat, let sit for about 5 minutes and then pour over the cake. I punched some holes in the cake with a fork so the glaze would seep in.

Then you are going to want to let the cake cool for an hour or so.

I topped mine with the glaze, as well as some smooshed raspberries.

Enjoy!

i love to see the temple

2009-09-21T09:06:00.001-07:00

We had a pretty busy day on Saturday, and by late afternoon, were having a hard time committing to anything for weekend warrior. Our boys were getting antsy because they wanted to uphold the WW tradition. So we tried to come up with a few ideas and nothing flew. Finally, Carey saved the day by suggesting we simply go walk around the temple. And so we did. While we were there, Ryan told us it was his favorite WW so far. Score!

my hubby makes me laugh...

2009-09-21T08:54:00.001-07:00

Last week, my dad was in Portland on business, so we got to visit with him a little. He stayed at our place on Saturday night. When it was time to get dressed for dinner (Claim Jumper... Yummy!), Carey had a pretty good idea of what my dad was going to wear, so he decided to match. Nerd.

When the waitress commented on their matching outfits, he told her they were in an a capella group together.

Never a dull moment with him. Ever.

Mmmmm... Yummy!

2009-09-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

Vegan Banana-Zucchini Bread

*****

2 bananas

2 cups dark brown sugar

(i use dark brown because it gives it more of a breakfast cake flavor...

white sugar would work too, I'm sure.)

1 cup vegetable oil

3 tsp vanilla

3 cups whole wheat flour

(if you choose to use white flour, if you're in to that sort of thing, use 3 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon

2-3 cups grated zucchini (unpeeled)

Blend up the bananas so they are almost liquefied. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla. Mix together dry ingredients and add to wet ones. Then add your zucchini.

Pour into 2 loaf pans and put in the oven at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

*****

Oh my goodness- this is going to be the best after school snack ever!

... if there's any left by then...

back to school...

2009-09-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

all 3 of them.

all day.

what do i do now?

The Death of the Mix Tape

2009-09-04T11:53:00.001-07:00

It was February 14, 1992. I was sitting in my 7th grade health class, when someone walked in the room carrying a rose and a small package. "This is for Carrie Orr," the person said, and then set the items on my desk. What! No Way! I looked down at the small package... it was a mix tape from a secret admirer.

That was my first. I've gotten a few since, and made a few as well, but the first is always the best.

Technology has killed the mix tape. Sure, we can burn a CD, or take 30 seconds to transfer some files to a usb drive, but that is so not the same. Getting a mix tape meant that someone took the time to painstakingly record each song for you, sometimes sitting for hours to catch the perfect song on the radio to get in on tape. We're talking total dedication and devotion!

So now its time to turn up the volume, and feel the love. Some old, some new, some totally sentimental to me... This months playlist is in honor and memory of the mix tape.

10. (Everything I do) I Do It For You by Brian Adams: Come on, people! I had to include this one! It had to be on every mix tape that was ever created in the early nineties. I know its mushy, but isn't that the idea?

9. Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti and Spearhead: Love this song! It is so much fun and just a upbeat way to say hey- I love you!

8. How Can I Tell You by Cat Stevens: First of all, anything by Cat Stevens is alright in my book. This song is for the tortured soul- the poor guy is so in love with the girl who sits in front of him in math class, and he just can't get it out. Don't worry- you can tell her in her yearbook...

7. I'm Yours by Jason Mraz: So perhaps you can tell that I'm drawn more to the happy "I sure think you're swell" songs than I am to the "I need you. I love you so much that I'll die" kind of songs. This one is nearly perfect. Just a sweet song.

6. No One's Gonna Love You by Band of Horses: Okay, I know I've included this song in one or two of my other playlists, but I had to put it on this one as well. It's mine and my hubby's heart song, and if I made him a mix tape it would be numero uno.

5. Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg: When I first heard this song, I just needed to be with someone I loved. It is so simple and soooo romantic!

4. Write You a Song by Plain White T's: This song just tells it how it is. I always thought it would be the best thing in the world if someone wrote a song for me. Next best thing- getting this song on a mix tape...

3. The Luckiest by Ben Folds: This is how I feel about my sweety. Wow- I am totally sapping this post out.

2. Faithfully by Journey: Another oldie- but this one had to be on here. It is the only song I remember from that first mix tape I got. (I sure wish I still had that tape!) Whenever I hear this song, as sappy and mushy as it may be, my mind is flooded by memories of the 7th grade.

1. Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf: The only reason that #2 on this list was not #1 is because of this song. I know its kind of strange for a mix tape, but here's the deal- I love this song. Always have. I always thought that if anybody ever made me a mix tape with this song on it, that was it. I would have found the person to spend the rest of my life with. Well, for Valentine's Day of 1999, Carey gave me a mix tape- and guess which song was on it? Yep. We got engaged that weekend. True story.

Okay- your turn. What are your best mix tape love songs?

Also, I came across THIS. Get it, and give someone you love a mix tape...

quitting my day job...

2009-08-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

I have made the very difficult decision to stop teaching piano- at least for now. I have been feeling very strongly that my boys need me to be available to them. Teaching piano is great because I am able to stay at home and all, but really- I'm not there. The boys are sent outside or up to their rooms to fend for themselves during the lessons. I get frustrated with them if they make too much noise, and they get frustrated in return. It has been okay for the summer, but with school about to start, I remembered last year when they would come home, I'd ask how their day was, and then immediately send them upstairs to work on their homework or for some quiet time while I taught my lessons. Then dinner was rushed, our evenings were stressful, and they constantly fell behind on assignments. I couldn't do that to them this year. They are at such a critical age, with so many ideas and influences coming at them from every direction. I need to be there to help them along.

So, I called the parents of my 17 students that I had just scheduled for the fall. They were all very understanding and so sweet to me. I am very lucky to have been able to teach all those wonderful kids. Now I just need to find teachers for all of them...

...and hope nobody eggs my house.

Plan A, B, C... and Following My Gut

2009-08-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Carey and I were lucky enough to score 4 tickets- PRIMO suite tickets- to the Dew Tour in Portland this weekend. When we got them, we were super excited about going, taking the boys and just having fun. But, well, we had four tickets and there are five of us...

Plan A: We all go and try to sneak the Ry-guy in- maybe they won't notice him. If they do, Carey would just go back home and the boys and I could enjoy the extreme excitement. Don't like that idea...

Plan B: We all go, fork over $35 for a general admission ticket- we're not going to be in the suite the whole time anyway. We could just take turns going over there with a couple of the boys. Sounds like a great idea. WAIT! I don't think Steven could handle the noise and crowds (he has an anxiety disorder)...

Plan C: We get the kids a sitter (for 8 hours), give 2 of the tickets to some friends and go have some fun sans children. Definitely. This will work, plus I love spending one on one time with Carey!

Oh Maaaannnnn! What about that nagging feeling I've been having all week? We have been a little stressed lately, plus Carey was out of town on business the first half of the week. I had been thinking that the boys could really use some stress free mommy/daddy time. But I REALLY want to go to the Dew Tour!

Not gonna happen. I can't leave the kids with a sitter. I need to follow my gut. Cancel sitter. Give away all 4 tickets.

Head to the beach for one of the best days ever.

Stop for ice cream; play in the sand and water; go out to dinner; back to the beach; light campfire; watch the sun set; roast marshmallows; eat s'mores; stay up way past bedtime.
Any regrets? None. So glad I followed my gut on this one. We all had a great time together, and my boys wouldn't stop thanking me for such a great day.

my awesome husband, it's H O T, and goodbye sweet Lilly the beagle

2009-07-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay... I have not been great at posting this month.

Lets go back to last weekend: my totally awesome hubby was in our town's presentation of The Music Man. He played Charlie Cowell, an anvil salesman who is out to reveal the main character as a fraud. Now, I know maybe I might be a little bit biased, but he really was my favorite character in the play. Here are a few pics... (from rehearsal, and right after the play. Sorry, didn't take any during the actual production.) Yes, this is a picture of my husband kissing another woman.

Quick- change the subject!

It's FRICKIN HOT OUTSIDE!!! Dude- 106 degrees is not what I came to Portland for. On top of that, our townhouse does NOT have AC, which is just fine for about 48 weeks out of the year, but when it is this hot... not okay.

So we've been trying to stay cool. Thanks to my dear friend Kathy for letting the boys go over and swim the other day. Lifesaver. Also, we were lucky enough to tag along with Carey on a business trip to Hood River for the last couple of days. Enjoyed a cool hotel room, and lots and lots of swimming. We spent hours in the hotel pool, and also played a little in the Columbia River. Now, we are a beach family. When we want water, we go to the ocean. So my kiddos are not so used to the darker, murky river water. They stood there for 15 minutes trying to decide if it was okay to get in... Then they found a log, and all was okay.

This morning after checking out of the hotel, I was not eager to rush back to my very warm home. So we decided to make a few stops along the Gorge on our way. First up was the Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery. So cool! We checked out the fish ladder which helps the fish get from one side of the dam to the other.
After that, and a little further down I84, we trekked up to Vista House at Castle Rock. WOW! The view was breathtaking! This is the reason we moved here...

And finally, and sadly, we had to say goodbye to Lilly the beagle. Our lease is up next month, and we will be moving into a condo (our first "home"- more on that in a later post, I'm sure). Problem is, it has too many stairs, and Lilly has bad hips. So we set out to find her a good home, and we did on Tuesday. A place with a huge backyard, and super nice people. We sure will miss her. We only had her for six months, but she was part of the family. The other dog in the picture is what the boys picked to help them remember her. She won't easily be forgotten.

sail away with me

2009-07-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Beautiful day.

Beautiful water.

Now accepting

donations for my own sailboat.