End of summer fun

The boys spent the night at Grandma's and Grandpa's this last Saturday night. They had a ton of fun playing games, doing crafts and other stuff.

Bryan and I got a whole evening to ourselves. We went to dinner and a movie. As much as we loved the quiet evening it sure is weird not having the boys at home with us.

Sunday, we went to the Oregon State Fair. The weather was perfect. The only thing missing was Julie, Jaden, Rylee and Nathan.

one on one time - Gabey

I think your oldest always holds a special place in your heart because they made you a mommy. Life gets busy and goes fast so I was thrilled and blessed to spend one on one time with my oldest! || Mommy & Gabe date ||

First, we went to Five Guys for lunch. He talked my ear off and asked a ton of random questions. That's one of my favorite things about him. He comes up with the most random questions and he can always makes me laugh.

After lunch we headed to The Tiki Putt. It's a blacklight miniature golf place that I'd wanted to go to all of us (we'll go again i'm sure). It was a perfect date for just Gabe and I though...SO much fun! So glad I got to spend time just the two of us before school starts. 

I'm BAAAAAACK

Been far too long since I've written in here. Can't believe my last post was over two years ago. Lot's has happened...VERY good things and also VERY hard things. I've probably forgotten a lot that I wish I haven't.
I'm done "not living"!! I am going to take each day the Lord gives me and LIVE! I can't control everything, but I can control how I choose to live each day. Down, depressed, lonely, believing lies, attitude, angry, miserable OR joyful, loved, wanted, unselfish, believing truth, content.

I read this quote the other day with some other thoughts:

"Do what you can with what you have where you are"

1. No ones life is perfect.
2. Chocolate helps most things. (course I'm not a chocolate person but this is true for others :)
3. Set goals. You'll mess up sometimes (a lot if you're like me). but keep setting them.
4. Go for a walk & leave your phone at home! Go to church & leave your phone at home! Go to bed & leave your phone in the furthest room away from you! etc.
5. Everyone poops.
6. We all need Jesus.
7. Stay Humble.
8. Life isn't about you. Or me.
9. Keep running your race!! 

WHERE YOU ARE. I think this really hit me. Well we're waiting, still waiting for almost 4 years, BUT for some reason this is where He has us right now. I can't change it. I don't understand it. I've been allowing that to stop me from living. Not anymore.

I love the other thoughts shared after the quote. Such good reminders!

So onto living and seeing where He leads.

Things I never want to forget #46-#50

46. Jayce has been saying something over and over again. Not sure what it is, but Gabe is convinced that he is saying "brains, brains, brains". He says that Jayce is a zombie looking for brains.

47. Jayce is dancing to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Hot dog song

48. The boy's and I were watching Toy Story 3 and at several occasions specifically when Lotso was being mean. Gabe would look at me start to cry and say "Aw I don't like that. He was really mean" Melts my heart how sensitive Gabe is. I'm thankful for that side of him. It was precious!

49. It is SO cute when Jayce says sorry. It sounds like "Arrrrey" He is talking a lot lately. He says imaginex w and I couldn't figure out that the w part was and one day on the way to school Gabe said he's saying imaginex I summon you.

50. Today: Me "ew Gabe don't drink that it's old."
Gabe "I like it momma my taste buns are different than yours."
Me "your taste what?"
Gabe "we have different taste buns!"
lol

Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

Made this with my boys

 "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD requirer of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." ~ Micah 6:8

These seem like pretty simple requests but they are sometimes easier said than done...

I know I need to examine these areas on a regular basis... and apply them to my daily life.

More pumpkin

oh.my.goodness. hello yumminess. 

happy fall.

Runner?

I think I can officially say I'm a runner now. I have ran 27 times since the beginning of June. 49.88 miles 5031 calories gone, and I run my first 5k this next Saturday the 29th. The Color Run  My friend Marcia asked me to do it with her and I am SO excited. It is going to be SO much fun!

I have always HATED running...I was one of those kids in gym class finishing those runs you had to do almost dead last. I love the e-card that is going around...seen it on Facebook and Pinterest because it is...no...was SO me. 

Brothers

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup light butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. Stevia (or 1 1/2 cups sugar)

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp melted light butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and salt; set aside.  In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and Stevia (or sugar).  Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 tsp. vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.  Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.  To make the glaze, combine confectioners' sugar, milk, melted butter and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Add milk as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.  YUM!

 

Gabe's 1st Train trip to Seattle

My uncle would take me every year on the Amtrak train to Seattle. We would walk all over downtown Seattle. Each year doing something a little different. My favorite memory would be stopping at the bookstore on our way back to the train station picking out a book and reading it the whole way home. I have so many fun memories of those trips.
It's Gabe's turn. We met my Uncle at Union Station at 8am. Got our tickets and some snacks and waited to board the train. Gabe was excited and full of energy.

Gabe was like WHOA that's a big train.

Ready to go. We passed right by Grandpa's work and waved at Grandpa as we went by.

In one of the tunnels. Gabe said, "picture us mamma" lol

We ALWAYS have adventures in my family and I mean adventures. Getting lost, Random snow, 6 hours at one of the stations because of flooding then having to be bused home etc. etc. etc.
It rained the entire time we were there and not just a little rain...A LOT!!!

First thing we did was walk to the Columbia Tower and go to the top. It was cool. I have never been afraid of heights but this actually made me dizzy and kinda nauseous.

Then we went to the Central Library which was fun to see.

We ate at Johnny Rockets for Lunch and hopped on the monorail

This was a random penguin in the mall that Gabe said, "Picture me mamma" :) I LOVE how he says that!

We went up the Space Needle too. Gabe thought we were going to fall out so he hung on to the benches for dear life lol

We walked to the water front. Went to the first ever Starbucks to get coffee and hot chocolate. Went down gum ally Gabe said "GROSSSSSS" (you can tell from his face that he was a little disgusted. I thought it was kinda cool :)

You can't tell but it was POURING DOWN RAIN
It's funny when you're young how time seems to go so slow and as you get older it goes faster and faster. Uncle Min was like we need to get back to the train station. I was like really? Seems like when it was just him and I we fit SO much more things into the day. We did a lot today but it went so fast. We were soaked too. We had to take off our jackets shoes and socks to dry out on the way home. And OH the adventure continues. We were 5 minutes from home when we had to stop because the train hit an abandoned car on the tracks and it was stuck to the train. We were there for 2 hours waiting. They couldn't let us off because we were on an active railway and they aren't allowed. 5 MINUTES FROM HOME! Gabe talked almost the whole way home, both my phone and Uncle Minny's iPod died. Gabe finally passed out around 10 and we came home to snow on the ground. AWESOME FUN day!

Look how big he looks here sniff

Weekly phone dump