10 Years

Ted and I celebrated 1o years of marriage in September. We had a beautiful day together. He arranged for childcare and we spent the afternoon at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, kidless. Following the zoo, we went shopping and to dinner at Stanley and Seaforts in Tacoma. Yum-O! I highly recommend the lobster bisque, it's excellent. Why the zoo? The night Ted proposed he brought me to dinner at Stanley's and then to Zoo lights. He was recreating and the intentionality of his plans touched me deeply.

Ted and I met in college and began dating our sophomore year in. We dated 5 years before tying the knot. As we reflect back on the last 10 years of marriage, we are overwhelmed by the goodness of God. Marriage isn't always easy, and ours has been no exception. BUT, God has been faithful to restore us again and again. We have 3 amazing kids together and they are our delight. We both tear up when we talk about them and adore living life as a family of 5. I am so in love with this man. I am so passionate about growing old with him.

Anniversary day was filled with surprises, probably my favorite being some diamonds at home around my neck. I LOVE diamonds. I do. I'm not always the most girly girl, but do melt like butter from those rocks. Beautiful, just beautiful. I can't wait to see what is unveiled in the next 10 years.

artist within

There's an artist hiding within me and I've always known it. In kindergarten a picture of a bunny was sent to the state fair by my teacher, and it won a ribbon. I remember seeing it behind a glass case at school and being sad that the eyes weren't the same size. Oh, did I mention this artist within has a perfectionist nature that's out? In 4th grade a scratch painting of a bug went to state fair, again sent not by me but by my teacher. I won another ribbon and a few dollars this time. The same scenario went down in 5th grade for a collage fish. I won 2 other art competitions in elementary school. 1 through Red Owl where my Grandpa worked and the second from NW Bell where my mom worked. That one landed my in a safety calendar. Don't leave toys at the bottom of stairs! Someone could fall and get hurt. Wisdom beyond my years, I know.

Well, I'm not sure what happened in Jr. High and High school. I never pursued drawing or painting. I did take lots of pottery, which I still love. I took 1 art class in college for my El. Ed. degree and it was torturous. I was nervous and convinced incapable of producing anything that even remotely resembled art. Where did this hesitancy come from?

Today, I just LOVE the process of creating. It lights me up and gets me excited unlike anything else. I like to explore all sorts of mediums so am really a master of none of them, YET. :)

This past spring/summer, I did some contract writing for a Nature Center out of San Diego, CA. Most of the money went to pay off important things which will only digress if gone into detail, but a portion I reserved for an art class. The class was in La Conner, WA at a wonderful studio called HUTCH studio. There, I took a whirligig class. Pictured is my first whirligig. I loved the process and the outcome. It is quirky and blows beautifully in the wind. It graces my fence post and I can't wait to make more! I will note this was really my first experience with a drill. I was a virgin driller. It wasn't always pretty and I learned how to patch metal. Patching metal also is not pretty.

As I've gotten older, I'm more cautious and self conscious to go for it in art and life sometimes. I think back to cliff jumping in Duluth, MN and shiver wondering how and why I ever did that. Yet, there's a part of me that desperately wants to go for life like that again. The truth is life can be so routine sometimes and that can be well... boring. I desperately desire to return a sense of adventure to this 35 year olds grind. So, I am going to make a plan to do that. Not sure what that means, but I KNOW this will be the winter to try some snowboarding. :) Anyone want to join me?

Will's Perspective

We went camping at Fort Stevens in OR a couple weeks ago. I brought Will to the bathroom and he said, "I don't want to use the girl's bathroom mom." I said, "No worries bud we'll use this one for girls and boys." He replied, "and 4-wheelers mom".

Moving to WA 12 years ago

Let me begin by saying I know now that I didn't have a clue. And yes, as you read this I am a college graduate.


Why WA? Well, Ted (My college boyfriend) and I looked at an atlas one day and started crossing off the states we would or wouldn't want to live in. I hope to find that atlas someday with its big X on California and the entire east coast. Well, WA seemed perfect because it had mountains which Ted loved and the ocean which I love. So, WA it was. Just like that. No home or jobs lined up, but with college degrees in hand, the world was ours! Excuse me while I laugh some more....


I wanted to move because I was sick of winter and the adventure too good to pass up. I can tell funny stories about being late to class because I was warming up my car for 45 min. and digging it out of snow. Then when I went up the road it was too icy so I had to slide backwards for blocks and blocks and then try an alternate route. This was not a one time occurrence, this was winter in Duluth, MN . Duluth has spectacular beauty, unmatched and untouched in many ways, but harsh winters. I was ready for a more mild climate. With no job and student loans to start paying, I figured I could start out anywhere. Why not WA?


I moved to WA in Sept. of 1998. My college friend Stephanie made the drive with me and then she flew back to MN. I recall driving out and reaching Eastern WA. I was shocked. I had been to the Seattle area 4 months prior, my first time ever to WA, and everything was so green. I really did wonder what in the world happened and was I really going to live in this dessert like environment. A few hours later, we crossed the mts. and there was the WA I was looking for.


I found an apartment in Port Orchard, WA. I had seen an add online. First months rent was 1/2 off and I was to get a new color television. It sounded perfect so I signed up.

Before Stephanie left, we visited the ocean beaches. Ted, Stephanie and myself greeted the ocean with swimsuits and beach towels. We were prepared for a nice ocean swim. The waves and temperature were a complete surprise to us. The ocean isn't warm here? Who knew?!?!

12 years later and this has become home. I am always amazed by the beauty of this awesome state. There is a never ending list of places to hike and see for the first time, and I love that. WA to my kids is home. They were born here and it's all they know. Deep in my heart, I am a prairie girl from the great state of North Dakota, but have had grand adventures becoming an evergreen state woman.

13 hens

We are chicken sitting 9 hens!

9 + 4 = 13 hens which equals FRESH EGGS GALORE!

If you read my blog you may be wondering who in the world would let us chicken sit? Well, we didn't have to submit a resume, but know we did disclose our parental mishaps in chicken care. We are on the straight and narrow when it comes to cooping up at night and so chicken vanishings are no more.

On a recent camping trip we needed to collect and lock up all 13 before we left. As I had predicted, this is an Olympic event. It took all 5 Bailey's 1 full hour, some tears and a lot of sweat to accomplish the task. Although we eventually did get them all penned up, we declared the chickens victorious. It was fun to see the personalities of each family member during the hour. Fun? Well, fun looking back. Natalie was motivated and then would cry thinking surely we'd never catch them, leave for camping and they'd get eaten. I was queen of frustration. You know those grunting weight lifter men at the gym? That was me! Ted was our hopeful optimist and Will and Lydia gave up and went in the van waiting and watching us do the impossible. Once the 13th was finally in, it was high 5's all around! We all agreed next time we leave before dark, the chickens will just stay in for the day. (They pen themselves at night, usually around 8.)

toilet seat covers

When I first moved to WA in September of 1998 I don't know that I had ever even seen toilet seat covers before, but they were everywhere here. The trend had not yet moved east maybe. My friend Stephanie and I road tripped from Fargo, ND to WA. I had no place to live, but not a worry about it. No job, but that too was not a concern. It was a grand adventure.

I recall using a bathroom at an ocean beach gas station. It was in the back which was quite frightful. Steph and I were glad to be together. The bathroom was ferocious. The door warped so it didn't close and standing water made home on the floor. We treaded slowly in our flip flops hoping the wet wouldn't touch our toes. Just the thought gave us the shivers. As we reviewed our self defense skills, sure we might make the news, we noticed the sink was coming off the wall and neighboring walls had holes and stains on them. It was the worst public restroom I have ever been in. And low and behold, no toilet paper. BUT, there were toilet seat covers in a dispenser overhead. We laughed so hard we nearly wet our pants. 12 years later, I have grown accustomed to those covers. On a recent camping trip I even missed them.

9 new visitors

We have 9 hens that joined our brood on Sunday. We will be watching these 9 hens while some friends build their new home. They are beautiful. Truly. The hen owners built an addition to our coop so there is room for all the hens to stretch their wings. Introductions left only a few feathers plucked. Crossing my beak they accept one another.