Herzog Family: News and Musings

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T08:51:00.003-08:00

Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Springtime at the Herzog's

2011-05-25T07:44:00.005-08:00

Top of the bookcase spruced up for spring/summer

I made new pillow covers to lighten things up

Added spring-y flowers to the arrangement

My newest crochet project

Does anyone know the name of this bush? I love it.

Yum.

2011-05-23T21:36:00.002-08:00

I was getting really tired of winter cooking and my menus had become pretty boring. Spring was just the jumpstart I needed back into the kitchen. I love the variety of fresh ingredients coming into the stores this time of year. I bought some delicious blueberries today!

Here's what the Herzogs are eating this week:

Monday: Sweet Potato Burritos (This is actually left-overs from Sunday lunch.) Such an awesome flavor combination.
Tuesday: Broccoli Quiche with green beans and a salad
Wednesday: Bible Study (We eat there. I'm bringing this cake to celebrate the babies that have been born in our group this year. I might leave out the almond extract and make lemon curd for filling. This cake is super moist and tastes like something special from the bakery.)
Thursday: Sausage Primavera and a salad
Friday: Hot dogs and Hamburgers, corn on the cob, baked beans (I'm going to try making them in the slow cooker), coleslaw
Saturday: Baby Back Ribs, coleslaw, baked beans (Yum, my mouth is watering just thinking about this.)
Sunday: new recipe-Porcupine Meatballs and roasted cauliflower

I probably won't be posting my menus every week, but I thought this week was especially yummy. I love trying and sharing new recipes. :)

Three more hits already this spring/summer:
Unbelievable Chicken
California Grilled Veggie Sandwich with homemade Focaccia Bread
Hawaiian Turkey Burgers

What are your favorite recipes this time of year?

An Awakening

2011-05-16T06:46:00.002-08:00

Last summer, I read a book called Gospel Powered Parenting. It was an impulse purchase, added to my Amazon cart to make the $25 free-shipping mark. I mentioned it last year on here because it was rocking my all too complacent world.

That was just the first voice in a series calling me to a gospel-centered life.

Gradually, I'm beginning to understand how good the Good News really is.

All my life I've been a part of the church. I knew that I needed to believe in God and accept Jesus' sacrifice for me, and I did. I loved God. He was a really awesome Dad who provided for me and worked all things for my good.

I would never have said it out loud, because in my head I knew it wasn't supposed to be true, but I lived on the assumption that I didn't sin, therefore I wasn't a sinner. The problem is a non-sinner doesn't need a savior.

Then, I read a book called Spiritual Depression: It's Causes and It's Cures. (I highly recommend it, with the caveat that it isn't beach reading.) I see myself in every chapter, but the key insight I've found in that book is the idea that sin is not so much the actions as it is rejecting God.

Ouch.

I began to see my ignoring the Holy Spirits nudges as sin. When He was calling me to get off the computer and into His word. When He prompted me to forgive rather than hold on to bitterness against Brad when I knew I was "right." When He showed me that I was being harsh with my children. Quick rabbit trail: one of the most convicting things I've ever read was this quote from Amy Carmichael, "If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cupful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted."

And those were just a few things that happened over and over. Countless times throughout my day I ignore the Holy Spirit and do what feels good to my pride.

Oh, Lord. I am a sinner!

It wasn't until I understood (finally!) my need for a Savior that I really understood the world's need for a Savior.

At the same time that I read Spiritual Depression, I also read Radical, and I began to get excited about the kind of fruitful life I could be leading.

My first priority is the ministry I'm already leading, Mothers of Preschoolers. What an opportunity to reach out to unsaved women! We've totally missed the mark. I've totally missed the mark in my pursuit of the details of making the meetings happen. I've been praying and talking to the other women on my team since February. My prayer is that God would ignite in them the same passion. Would you join me in that prayer?

How is your life different from the world around you because of the gospel?

Lenten fast

2011-03-07T12:22:00.002-09:00

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where theives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other.

Matthew 6:19-23a

I've been feeling great conviction lately about how much time I spend in front of the computer. A good chunk of my morning is spent reading what others have to say, both those I know (Facebook) and those I don't (blogs.)

I'm not denouncing them. I love them. But, I love them a little too much.

I cannot serve two masters.

My time in the morning is better spent reading God's words rather than man's.

With that in mind, I am fasting from the computer this lenten season. I do have a couple exceptions:

-I will be checking email, but only 3 times a day (A significant decrease, believe it or not.)

-I will be using the computer for MOPS work, but only for what is absolutely necessary.

-I have found Scripture Typer incredibly helpful in memorizing passages of scripture and will use this season to memorize even more.

I'm telling you all this for only one reason: I don't want you to think something is wrong and tempt me into getting back online. Hopefully, you will see this and then forget about it. I won't be moping about during this time, either. In fact, I anticipate that my joy and energy will increase as I spend time with the Father. (Matthew 6:16-18)

I've had several people in my family, including my husband, ask me to begin blogging more frequently. After this fast, I may be able to focus my attentions better in that way, but don't expect anything until May. :)

Making cookies

2010-12-01T11:14:00.002-09:00

As I prepared to make Diane's Cherry Cookies today, I remembered this story from a year ago.

So, we were going to have a party this weekend, but nobody can come so we've cancelled. (That's okay; I was starting to stress a little bit about it.) But, I didn't know we were going to cancel this morning when I made a large batch of Cranberry Orange Chex Mix.*

Catie and Nick are eager to "help," so we pull up their stools and I try to think of things they could do without hurting themselves or making me crazy. When I pull out the cereal, Catie remembers helping me make Cherry Cookies for Christmas and starts crunching them. (The recipe for Cherry Cookies includes crushed rice chex.)

"No, no, Catie," I say. "We don't crunch the cereal for this recipe."

"Oh," she replies and sneaks in one more crunch.

I give her another, sterner warning and she resists the urge to crunch again.

I turn around to get the butter out of the microwave, and I hear her say in her Mommy voice, "You want me to get some more cereal so you can crunch it? Okay, I'll get you some more."

Her "Inner Mommy" is so much nicer than me sometimes.

Can you believe that was almost a year ago? Catie has graduated since then. She now uses if/then statements to let us know how she would like us to act.

"If I eat all of my dinner, then you will give me a special treat."

"When this show is over then you will let me pick another one."

And my new favorite, in the middle of a crowded theater in full voice, "Okay, here's my deal: when this is all done then it will be over."

Nick has his fair share of funny things to say too. A couple weeks ago our DVD player gave out, and with the price of Bluerays now it didn't make sense to buy another DVD player.

This thing is amazing. We now have Netflix that streams movies directly from the internet. Knowing how slow youtube videos can be, I have been very pleasantly surprised by the quality, but every once in a while it will stop while it buffers. During one such time, Nick turned to me and said, "It's having trouble. It needs to listen and obey."

I love having 4 year-olds!

Snow fun

2010-11-25T06:36:00.002-09:00

Yesterday the twins were off school and Brad was off work so we headed out to enjoy the snow. We were out the door at 8:15, but after eating breakfast at Spudnut's, trying to put air in our tires at a faulty air machine that ate our three quarters, and going to three stores for snow boots for Nick and sleds, we made it out to White Bluffs Elementary School for some sledding on their big (but not too big) hill.

After a ride down with the parents, both of the kids decided to try it alone. Nick thought it was great! When Catie got to the bottom, she said, "I'm tired and I'm cold. Let's go home." I think she was more scared than anything because she enjoyed more rides down the hill as long as Mommy or Daddy went with her.

The twins favorite part was when Brad or I went down on our bellies with the kids riding our backs. But, when Brad turned a little too much and both of them came tumbling off into the snow the fun was over. We made a few snow angels then headed home. Which was probably good anyway, considering that it was only 11 degrees outside.

I took some really bad pictures with Brad's iPhone while we were sledding that don't really show anything. Here are some shots of the kids that I took with my good camera when we got home.

An edited photo...

2010-11-22T08:02:00.003-09:00

Winter Wonderland

2010-11-22T07:27:00.003-09:00

Last night it started snowing, and this morning we woke up to this:

"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18

A trip to the pumpkin patch

2010-11-02T07:17:00.002-08:00

Last Friday, we went to the pumpkin patch with the MOPS group.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T15:48:00.002-08:00

Nick and Catie are 4!

2010-10-24T12:51:00.002-08:00

I've always wanted to dress Catie and Nick as Mickey and Minnie Mouse for Halloween, and since we went to Disneyland recently and this is probably the last year I'll be able to choose their costumes for them, this is the year. And, since I'm always looking for a way to make the most of every purchase, we had a Mickey and Minnie birthday party too. :)

It started that morning as the kids came downstairs to a house decorated for the party. They each opened up a present with a toy that they could play with during the party (a Mickey Mouse playhouse for Nick and a Melissa & Doug wooden birthday cake for Catie.)

At 10 o'clock we greeted 8 other 3 and 4 year-olds and their parents (plus 2 babies.) It was a full and noisy house!

After about a half an hour of playing, we corralled everyone together for a game of pin the tail on Pluto.

I realized too late that I should have practiced with Catie and Nick. They wanted to go first, but they had no idea what the game was about. There were only a couple of the kids who had played pin the tail on the donkey before, but it was entertaining! :)

After that, Catie threw a fit because I wouldn't let her open her prize from pin the tail on Pluto (a stamp set.) I had to take the birthday girl upstairs for a little time-out.

Crisis averted, we moved on to the pinata. I'm not going to post pictures because 1) they aren't that great and 2) I'm not sure if the other parents want their kids pictures on the Internet. Anyway, it was fun. It was a "safe" pinata where the whole thing has a cardboard shell and the bottom is made of tissue paper. There are a bunch of ribbons hanging on the bottom and one of them when a kid pulls it, will pull that tissue paper off. Catie was not shy about grabbing 2 or 3 times as much candy as the rest of the kids. That's my girl. :)

After the pinata chaos, it was time for lunch. I served chili, hot dogs, fruit kabobs, Mickey shaped cheese (you can buy it pre-cut in Mickey heads) with crackers, and veggies with dip. It was a big hit. I even found Donald Duck orange juice at the store earlier this week.

Not to be outdone, Nicky had a minor meltdown at lunch. First when he didn't get to sit in the chair he wanted and then when he spilled his juice. (I'll be the first to admit that ten 3 and 4 year olds in a fairly unstructured environment can be pretty overwhelming!)

Cake time! Not one to give up tradition, I made their cakes again this year, but I cheated. :) The toppers are painted Styrofoam.

Catie was so cute when we were singing happy birthday. She sang along and said, "Happy birthday to me!"

Yeah!

After the party, we gave the kids a little time to play with their new toys and settle down, then they went down for a nap.

Later that afternoon, they opened presents from Grandma and Grandpa Herzog and Uncle Rusty and Aunt Brittany while we were on the phone with Grandma.

After dinner, we webcammed with Grandma and Grandpa Phelps and opened the presents from them.

Thank you to everyone for your birthday wishes and presents. It was a great day, but I'm glad we only do this once a year! :)

Parades

2010-10-16T12:58:00.005-08:00

Pixar Parade at California Adventure Park

Monster's Inc.

The Incredibles

Finding Nemo

A Bug's Life

This parade included lots of water. The caterpillar in the picture above is holding flower that sprayed water at the audience. I spent a lot of the parade holding my camera away from things that I thought would shoot water.

Some of the floats had people doing acrobatics. These guys were spinning all around the poles while the poles themselves were swinging back and forth.

Toy Story

See the cowgirl spinning on the bar in Rex's mouth?

Celebrate: A Street Party at Disneyland
This parade was different. They actually stopped the whole thing at three different points on the route and had an interactive street party. We were lucky enough to choose the perfect spot right where the main float stopped.

There were lots of people performing as well as the characters.

You can kind of see the people riding bikes with large baskets on the back. The costumed characters rode in the back when the parade was moving.

The parade was tons of fun. It was hard to take good pictures though because it was dark and everything was moving so quickly.

We had so much fun at Disneyland! Thanks for letting me relive it here on the blog. :) Hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures!

Toon Town

2010-10-15T08:50:00.006-08:00

There were lots of hidden surprises around Toon Town. Here's Grandma showing Nick what happens when you try to open this door.

And here's Nick running away because it made a loud noise. :)

This manhole made noises like someone was under there.

There were lots of different cars to sit in.

Grandma and Catie having a tea party at Minnie's house.

Minnie's voice would come out of this well every minute or so, saying little phrases about wishes and such.

There were little plates to stomp on around the fountain with musical instruments on them that would make that instrument make a sound.

Catie's dog tired at Mickey's house.

A second visit with the Mouse resulted in a much better picture. :)

See ya!

Princess Fantasy Walk

2010-10-14T18:57:00.005-08:00

One day at Disneyland, Catie and I spent 45 minutes waiting in line while everyone else rode the train around the park. It was so worth it, because we got to meet three princesses. :)

These were the A-game princesses too. They were all totally patient with my little chatterbox. She told all three of them one of her endless, pointless "stories" and they all three listened and asked her questions. She loved it.

Here she is telling a story to Belle:

And here she is telling a story to Cinderella:

She was so happy to talk to Ariel. At the end she asked Ariel to sing, and since I'm sure she's not supposed to sing Ariel said, "Yes, I love to sing; I sing all the time, especially at Sebastian's concerts." Catie was so charmed by her she didn't even realize that Ariel had dodged her request.

Isn't she precious?

What a fun memory to share with Catie!

I have two more sets of pictures to share. Sorry for the break this week; I was taking care of our MOPS meeting which was today and went very well. :)

One more note about these pictures. Can you tell how hot Catie is? Have I mentioned that while we were there LA had it's hottest day ever, EVER? As in, this is the hottest it's ever been since they started recording temperatures. 114 degrees! We just baked. And sucked down $4 drinks.

More Disney Fun: Rides

2010-10-07T13:14:00.006-08:00

We didn't ride the Ferris wheel (do you see how the cars spin around as the wheel turns? No thank you.) but it did make a great backdrop to the California Adventure park. I took this second picture as we were waiting for the nightly show "World of Color," which was pretty cool, but I didn't take any photos.

This is the carousel in the middle of Fantasyland, the first ride of the trip.

King Arthur's sword is in front of the carousel.

I love It's a Small World. Mainly because it has a short line and it's well air conditioned.

Recently, the ride was renovated to include Disney characters. Here's Alice and the White Rabbit in England.

And Pinocchio in Germany.

They also had Jasmine and Aladdin, Lilo and Stitch, Ariel and Flounder, Nemo and Dory, Woody Bullseye and Jessie, and some others that aren't coming to mind right now. You get the idea.

Here's another carousel; this one is King Triton's, so it's a sea theme.

California Adventure park has a little kids section fashioned after A Bug's Life. It's really cute and well done. Everything is made to look like you're a bug, huge cereal box entrance, a leaky water pipe play area, etc.

Here I am with the kids before the ladybug ride (basically the teacup ride.) I'm pretty sure that afterwords I was as green as my shirt.

The kids loved riding the rides that told a story. Here they are "eating honey" after riding the Winnie the Pooh ride.

On our last day, Catie was pretty sick with a cold. I took her back to the hotel for a nap, and everyone else stayed at the park to play. They rode this pirate ship around the canal in Frontierland.

Obviously, I don't have pictures of all the rides that we went on. Catie and Nick were fearless, though. We rode on pretty much every ride that didn't have a height restriction. Actually, we rode a few that did have height restrictions. (They're getting so tall!)

Like I said before, they loved the rides with stories like Peter Pan's flight, Pinocchio, and the 2000 leagues under the sea ride which has been redone with a Finding Nemo storyline. Catie asked to ride It's a Small World again, and as soon as we finished the Buzz Lightyear ride Nick asked to ride again. I hope they remember some of this trip. It was so fun to see them enjoy it so much.

I still have lots of pictures to come...

Character Meet and Greets

2010-10-04T12:17:00.005-08:00

Catie, Nick, and Ryder had a great time meeting characters around the parks. (Thanks for the autograph books, Aunt Brittany!)

The twins have been on a classic Disney kick recently. They love Alice and Wonderland and were happy to Alice right away on our first day.

Some of the characters were exciting. Some of them freaked the kids out. It seemed like the ones that scared Catie and Nick were the best ones for Ryder and vice versa.

Everyone was excited to see Mickey.

But we couldn't get them to take a good picture! Both the boys were looking down, so Mickey covered their faces. I think it was a trick to get them to laugh and look up. I'm sure it works sometimes. :)

Catie wasn't so sure she wanted to stand with her back to Mickey. I'm thinking that Mickey is trained to try as hard as possible to get "the shot." He did a good job keeping all three kids in the picture.

Here's a good Disney photo trick: give the kids flags to wave in the picture.

We happened to catch a show in a corner of the California Adventure park. The characters didn't have much time afterward so my pictures aren't very good.

We were standing in line to talk to Woody when they announced that he had to keep moving, so we didn't get to really see him, just a quick hello.

Handy Manny was hanging out near the Playhouse Disney show.

Buzz Lightyear was standing near the Buzz Lightyear ride. Catie and Nick thought he was intimidating. Ryder loved seeing him in person.

But Ryder was freaked out by Winnie the Pooh. See what I mean?

Again, I couldn't get them to look up....

I think the characters are a big part of what separates Disney from other theme parks. There's not much that compares to seeing your kids eyes light up when they see their "friends" in real life.

Oops.

2010-10-04T07:08:00.002-08:00

I spent the better part of this weekend nursing my sick family. Catie started it while we were still on vacation. I figure I built up immunity since I spent my nights sharing a pillow with her while we were there.

It's a nasty head cold and Nick and Brad came down with it starting Thursday. Consequently, Brad's been downing the cold medicine and his brain has shut down.

Last night at 7:30, it dawned on him that we were supposed to drop the Suburban off at the dealership. (One of the hydraulic support thingymajiggers burst making it impossible to keep the tailgate up.) We loaded the kids up into the car and I followed him there.

When we got back home, Brad remembered that he didn't have a garage remote in his car. No problem, we'll use the front door. Except, he installed a latch on the door (like the kind they have in hotels) a month or so ago because Catie has a bad habit of opening the door. It was latched. We could only open the door about 4 inches. I tried to get the twins to squeeze in but their heads were too big.

Brad tried the back door. Locked.

I thought we'd drive back to the dealership, but Brad reminded me that we had dropped the keys off and the extra set was in the house.

I started having visions of us spending the night on our lawn furniture.

Finally, Brad reminded me that we had given the garage door opener to a friend while we were on vacation. We had a moment of panic again when we realized that we had no way to call them. (Brad's phone was in the house and I don't have his number on my phone.) But, thankfully, he was home.

So, we drove back home and had the kids in bed before 9 pm (an hour late.) Why does it always seem like something happens at the end of vacation to totally negate all of the relaxation I had saved up?

Ariel's Grotto

2010-09-30T11:26:00.006-08:00

Remember this lunch? I do. It's one of my favorite memories from our trip to Disney World two years ago. Now that it's over, I think it's hilarious.

Anyway, our trip to Ariel's Grotto was similar, except way better. It was an early-ish lunch (11:30) on our first day, so the kids were fairly fresh and happy. The food was delicious and didn't take forever to come.

Catie absolutely loved meeting the princesses, especially Ariel. Nick and Ryder liked them too, but they weren't quite as excited.

I took this picture right after Catie gave Belle a kiss on the neck.

Catie's never seen Mulan. She wasn't quite so sure about this princess, and Mulan wasn't the best at engaging her in conversation. She would ask Catie a question and then look the other way.

I had to show you all the dessert platter. Yum! The perfect ending to a great lunch!

Disneyland!

2010-09-30T11:12:00.003-08:00

We just got back from our long weekend in Disneyland yesterday. Happy, but exhausted. What a fun trip.

We took Allegiant (never again) because they just added a direct flight from Pasco to LAX. Let's just say, we were supposed to get in at 8:30 pm but we actually got in at 1 am. And then we went to Disneyland the next morning....

Grandma and Grandpa Herzog met us there with our nephew Ryder. Here they all are:
There was no way Catie and Nick were going to turn around and look at the camera at this point. Way too much to see!

In case you were wondering after my last post where the extra child came from, this is Ryder, the twins' cousin. :) AKA the triplet. (He's just two months older than Catie and Nick.)

Disneyland was all decked out for Halloween.

I've got tons of pictures to share. I'll try not to bore you with too many words. :)

We're back!

2010-09-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

What do you think?

2010-09-22T15:03:00.002-08:00

At Catie's preschool each child is expected to bring a snack once or twice a month. If a student is having a birthday that month, they try to schedule snacks so that the child can bring in a birthday treat on or around his/her birthday.

There seems to be an unusual amount of birthdays in September among Catie's classmates. Consequently, she's had a birthday treat almost every time she's gone to preschool.

I would be okay if it was just a cupcake or two, but the moms have been bringing in favor bags too. Seriously? That's a little much, don't you think? I mean, it's preschool, not a birthday party.

Then, today, Catie came out of the classroom with yet another treat bag in her hand. I asked her who's birthday it was. (I'm trying to get her to learn and remember the kids' names in her class.) The woman walking in front of me turned around and said that she brought the snacks and her daughter's birthday isn't til December, but that everyone was bringing treat bags for the kids when it was their turn for snacks. Please tell me this lady was confused!

And, what if I don't bring treat sacks for the class on Catie's birthday? Does that make me a bad mom?

Brad's company picnic

2010-09-18T16:22:00.004-08:00

Today was the CHPRC Family Picnic. It was a lot of fun! The food was plentiful (bbq beef, hot dogs, hamburgers, sides, all the Coke products you could drink, snow cones, cotton candy, four Schwann's ice cream trucks, etc.) and they gave away some cool prizes (we didn't win any.)

When Catie heard that there would be face painting, she wanted a butterfly since that's what she got last time. But then, when she saw this design, she had to have "Ariel eyes."

She was so proud. Nicky loved his too. They got all kinds of oohs and ahs from Brad's coworkers that we saw. They were eating it up. Nicky chose the puppy dog design.

The face painter was super talented. She normally charges $7-12 for this, but it was free today. I have no idea what they paid her to show up, but it wasn't enough. The line to her tent was super long. We waited an hour. (We took turns standing in line.)

There were also 4 or 5 different bouncy things. Catie and Nick loved this slide!

As Brad noted on the way home, in a time when companies are laying people off left and right, it's nice to be in a spot where they still have money to put together things like this. We love Hanford. :)

Fun lunches

2010-09-15T07:52:00.002-08:00

Since Nick's preschool ends at 11:30 and Catie's starts at 12:15 on Mondays and Wednesdays, we have to hurry from one to the other. I've decided to pack lunches to eat on our way.

Recently, I've become aware of bento boxes, Japanese lunches, and I love them! You can really get into these things or you can keep them simple. The main principle is that you have little bits of a variety of foods. Making them pretty is fun, but optional.

Plus, making them pretty can get expensive. I chose to buy these Ziploc containers. They come in a two-pack for two dollars and change. Here is Catie and Nick's lunch today (the other one looks exactly the same.)
Clockwise from bottom left:
pretzel sticks in a cupcake liner
cheese shaped dogs (used a mini metal cookie cutter) and ham
alphabet crackers and a few chocolate chips
strawberries and black grapes

I close them up (the lid snaps in and seals each compartment) and put them in a rectangular lunch bag with an ice pack. Easy! And the kids love them.

This is my first week making them, but I'm looking forward to getting faster and more creative with practice. I'll share any that I make that turn out especially cute. :)

First Day of Preschool

2010-09-13T15:48:00.003-08:00

Technically, this is Nicky's second day, but it was his first day taking the school bus. Oh, how he loves the school bus! (Catie's a little jealous still.)

See, this was a smile for the school bus. I didn't ask him to smile for these pictures.

Catie, on the other hand, can't take a natural picture to save her life right now. :)

They both had a good day. Catie enjoyed going to church this morning while Nick was at preschool, and Nicky had a blast shopping by himself with Mommy while Catie was at her class. I think we're going to reap a lot of benefits from having them in separate preschools at different times. Remind me that I said that in January when I'm tired of this schedule. :)

Chatty Catie

2010-09-01T20:55:00.003-08:00

Catie is hard to ignore. She talks all. day. long. Although she is talking more and more like a 4 year old, sometimes she just wants to talk even if she's not making any sense.

Any time a new song comes on when we're in the car she always asks, "What's this song about?" Usually we're listening to K-Love, so generally the song is about God. Then she'll ask, "Why is the song about Jesus?" and I say, "We sing about Jesus because he loves us and we love him." Like clockwork. There's no point in changing it up, because she'll manipulate the conversation until you end up saying the same thing anyway.

Yesterday, I popped in a Laurie Berkner band CD, and a song about dinosaurs came on. Catie asked, "What's this song about?"

"It's about dinosaurs," I answered.

"Why is it about dinosaurs? Because they love us?" she asked.

I muttered something about loving to sing about dinosaurs while trying not to laugh.

Things like this are happening everyday now. When did my baby girl turn into the preschooler who hijacks her gymnastics coach's attention for minutes at a time to tell her about the book that she borrowed from the library?

PS I love my son too. It's harder to describe the things that he does that make me laugh. He has a cold. :( Pray that he gets over it before preschool starts next week and that Catie and I don't come down with it!

Separate Rooms

2010-08-21T20:41:00.003-08:00

After 3 years, 9 months, and 4 weeks of sleeping in the same room, often in the same bed, Catie and Nick have their own rooms. It made me a little sad last night, but they're both really happy. And, I had lots of fun designing their rooms. :)

Brad's mom picked up a bunch of quilts at super clearance prices soon after Brad and I were married. She let me choose any that I wanted, and, despite having no use for it, I fell in love with this one. It's hardly been used in the last 7 years, but I'm so glad that we're finally putting it to good use. I like that her bedroom isn't the typical pink and purple.
The four pictures on the side are close-up pictures of berries and flowers taken by a photographer in Alaska. The ones on either side of the dresser are Women's World magazine covers from 1940 that I found at an antique shop.

I bought the dresser at an antique/art boutique. It had been done up in the shabby chic style, but it was a little too shabby for my taste. I cleaned it up with a couple coats of bright white paint. I'm going to paint the bookcase to match. (I bought that from someone on craigslist a while ago.)

Originally, I made this bow holder with jungle animals to match their nursery, but it's had a face lift.

Catie loves her new room. The first time she laid in her bed, she looked up at the canopy and said, "I love this."

In Nick's room, I kept the animal theme, but I've made it a little more mature so that it can grow with him a little longer.

These prints were made by hand. They are actually greeting cards. We bought them from the artist at Pike's Place Market in Seattle.

I found this sign in a shop in Walla Walla.

Brad bought these Elephant prints in Sri Lanka. I sewed them together to make this wall hanging.

We found these old travel posters in a print shop also at Pike's Place Market.

Sorry I didn't make the bed better. :) You can just barely see that he has animals on his sheets. The pillows are hiding the headboard, but I have to tell you about my deal. I found a headboard and footboard at Goodwill. They didn't have the rails, so I asked for a discount. I got them for $16. Both ends were exactly the same, so when I got them home, I painted one white for Catie's room and one red for Nick's. Two headboards, $8 each. Pretty good, huh?

Plus, I got his dresser from someone on craigslist for $25. I'm picking up a nightstand from someone else tomorrow (also a craigslist find) which I plan to paint red. By the way, the red paint is leftover from painting the front door. :)

I've managed to redecorate both rooms for relatively little money, and I think they both look really good if I do say so myself. :)

Nick wasn't so sure about the big bed at first, and he took a few naps in a pack n play before we did the big switch, but once we put up the side rail he was happy. He loves to talk about the animals in his room.

Catie the ham

2010-08-21T20:34:00.004-08:00

I forgot these pictures were on my camera.

One of Catie's incentives for potty training was a gymnastics leotard. I took these pictures to celebrate the first day that she got to wear her leotard because she was wearing big girl underwear.

Doesn't this look like one of those pictures were you photoshop the head onto someone else's picture?
I laughed at the first picture, so she said, "Let me see it." Then she climbed back on the stool and said, "Take my picture like this!"

She thought that was hilarious. "How about this?" she says.

This is a common Catie expression, but I think it's the first time I've gotten a picture of it.

Silly girl. She is so much fun.

Hello, Internet

2010-08-21T11:47:00.003-08:00

I know, I know. It's been a really long time. There is too much; I will sum up. Bonus points if you recognize that quote.*

My parents came to visit for over a week, we went to Seattle, the kids had gymnastics lessons, we had playdates, we've done some work around the house (more on that maybe tomorrow), we've potty trained Catie (but not Nick...yet), I've taken on coordinating MOPS at our church....

Oh, and how can I forget the highlight of my summer? The two hours of my life I can never get back spent waiting in line at the DMV yesterday.

Really, although we've done a lot and the kids have done adorable things, I've been lazy about the blog. Sorry. I would promise it will get better, but I can't guarantee. :) See you soon with pictures of the kids new rooms!

*The Princess Bride, Inigo says it to Wesley after he wakes up from being mostly dead.

Happy Anniversary to us!

2010-07-06T08:18:00.002-08:00

Brad gave me a call last week to let me know that our friends, Landry and Amy, were willing to watch the kids overnight so that we could have a little anniversary getaway. There was no way I was passing that up after the last couple weeks I've had with the kids. (Catie is in a very clingy phase and Brad took a fishing trip to Alaska last weekend.)

We decided to drive down to Walla Walla, and stay at a super swanky Bed and Breakfast called Vine & Roses. Seriously, you need to click that link and check it out. I'll wait....

We stayed in the Parisian suite, with a four poster king-size bed, see through fire place above the room-enough-for-two jacuzzi tub, and a two person shower with 5 body sprayers. I can't even attempt to describe the beauty that was the kitchen, but let me say that she had about 5 billion cookbooks in a built-in bookcase and I could have sat there all day looking at them. Seriously, you have to click on that link and take a look at the period French antiques. She has a buyer... in France.

Anyway, we got to the B&B around 6:30 pm on Sunday night, changed, and went to dinner at Whitehouse-Crawford. Yum. I'm still thinking about the fried Walla Walla sweet onions. They were light, tempura-style. So delicious. We also had a scrumptious Greek style salad, and they weren't stingy on the olives. I got twice as many, since I ate Brad's too. :) For our entrees, Brad had steak and I had beef stroganoff. He didn't even offer a bite of his steak, so I imagine it was as tender and delicious as the beef in my dish. We had the creme brulee and house-made salted caramel ice cream for dessert. The creme brulee was the only thing we were disappointed in. Brad's is better. The salted caramel ice cream, however, was fabulous. Two and a half hours after we entered, we left fat and very happy.

I'll skip to the morning. You're welcome.

The next morning we had a scrumptious breakfast and nice conversation with the owner, the cook, and the other guests (a couple from Seattle.) The peach scones were to die for. I just finished the ones that she sent home with us for breakfast this morning. Yummy.

When we got home, Nick was excited to see us, but Catie said, "Mommy, don't come back. I'm playing with Landry and Amy." I could have used another day, too, little one. :)

Summer Plans

2010-07-01T11:49:00.002-08:00

Why is it that people get so busy during the summer? I don't understand this phenomenon at all, or at least I didn't until this summer. I've always been really frustrated when all the programs stop once school lets out for the summer. My Monday nights are still free for Bible study; why are we taking a break?

In the past, we've tried to buck the trend. Bible study leader taking a break for the summer? We'll take over for a while. One couple showed up. (Turns out they became some of our closest friends in Colorado.)

Playgroup breaking up? No way; I'll take over. Cancelled week after week.

This summer I decided to go with the flow. I'll have a casual get together once a week. No real agenda, just a group of ladies and their kids getting together to play and share prayer requests. Week one: a good response, 5 ladies. Week two: I had strep throat. Week three: cancelled because no one could come. Week four: One mom showed up, but she's going out of town for the rest of the month. Sigh. Do I stink or something? :)

I said at the beginning of this rant that I understand why people are so busy this summer, at least a little more. When did my life get so full of things that are supposed to be relaxing? My weekdays are full of playdates, gymnastics, and other things to keep the kids occupied. My weekends are full of keeping up with our house. Top that off with a few trips and a couple visitors and I'm ready to take a break from organized programs too.

Let's go swimming in the swimming cool

2010-06-26T10:57:00.002-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa Phelps sent us a new swimming pool. (Or "swimming cool" as Catie says. She also wears a "swimming cute".) The main portions blew up quickly with our pump, but alas I couldn't find the nozzle adaptors and had to blow up the smaller parts by mouth. All I have to say is it's a good thing I don't smoke or have asthma.

They're not so sure about the sprinkler part, but they absolutely love the pool.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Back in the saddle again

2010-06-25T08:00:00.003-08:00

Two weeks ago, we spent the afternoon at Brad's boss's house riding horses and enjoying a delicious dinner. I was getting ready to blog the experience when I ruined my computer. For those of you who haven't heard, I spilled milk on my laptop and it shorted out. Sigh. Here are a few pictures from that day.

Feeding Rosie a peppermint. Catie didn't want anything to do with the horse's head.

One side effect of destroying my computer was that my productivity went way up. :) I had a huge list of different areas in the house that I wanted to organize/pick up/make more efficient. With the exception of the craft room, which I plan to tackle this weekend, I've crossed everything off my list.

I painted the front door before the incident, but I wanted to show you how nice it looks. (It was purplish before.)

Finally, happy belated Fathers' Day!

This book is amazing

2010-06-07T05:54:00.002-08:00

I'm halfway through the book Gospel-Powered Parenting, and it is seriously messing with me, and I mean that in the best way possible. This is what I've gotten out of it so far:

1. We don't need to keep our kids away from the world so much as we need to live in such a way that the gospel (Jesus) is more attractive to them than the world.

2. Making the gospel attractive will include some serious soul-searching/confessing to find the hypocrisies in me that my children will undoubtedly see even when I am blinded to them by my pride.

3. The Bible doesn't have many direct verses about parenthood because living the gospel should lead to good parenting.

4. Good parenting begins with a healthy fear of God. If we don't understand/acknowledge God's justice, why would we need a savior? And why would our children need a savior?

5. The goal of a Christian parent shouldn't be making perfect, well-behaved model citizens. Instead, the goal of a Christian parent should be seeing their children become born again believers.

There is so much more, and I've just started reading the practical half of the book. I'll probably talk about it again, but for now, for those of you who appreciate a little visual, here you go:

PS I got absolutely nothing out of this one. I bought the book for myself and just felt like I needed to share it with you all.

Momology--A Book Review

2010-06-06T05:19:00.001-08:00

About the book:
Mothering is part art, part science, and always a work in progress! Backed by more than thirty years of research-based ministry at MOPS International, Momology is designed to help you be the unique mother God created you to be--because better moms make a better world.

The book is broken into 4 key parts: Core, Finesse, Circle, and Grandscape. In core, the author discusses making sure that you are a resilient, healthy parent. In the finesse section, she talks about doing mothering well--with finesse. Circle refers to the circles of support and friendship in our lives. Finally, in the grandscape section she discusses how our lives as mothers fit into God's grand design.

About the Author:

Shelly Radic is the chief of staff at Mothers of Preschoolers, Intl. As an author, teacher, and speaker, Shelly's passion is inspiring women to respond to God's call for their lives and encouraging and developing women as leaders in their homes, churches, and communities. Shelly graduated from Point Loma Nazarene College in San Diego, CA, with a degree in Home Economics/Family Studies. She lives in Aurora, CO with her husband and four children.

My Review:
First and foremost, this book is practical. It was designed to be read in very short "naptime" segments. I appreciated that I could put it down at a moment's notice without having to stop in the middle of a long chapter. It kept my (often divided) attention also because it is peppered with anecdotes from real-life mothers, as well as questions for thoughtful review, opportunities to go online and discuss my thoughts with other moms, and practical steps for putting theories into practice.

I also appreciated the author's stance on finesse. She makes a point to say that mothering is an experiment and you do what works best for you and your child. This book does not offer specific advice on things like co-sleeping, breast vs. bottle, etc, etc, but it gives you the freedom to decide what you would like to do.

I think my favorite part about this book is how encouraging it is. After reading it, I felt empowered to keep on doing this mothering thing and to continue to connect with other moms who can support me in this journey. As the MOPS theme book for this coming year, I believe it will spark some excellent ideas.

Available June 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Mothers' Day Painted Trivets

2010-06-05T08:55:00.000-08:00

I took these pictures quite a while ago with the intention of posting them here, but I knew I had to wait until after Mothers' Day so that the grandmas' gifts would remain secret. I think I've waited sufficiently long enough. :)

I got the idea from Frugal Family Fun Blog. It was one of her suggestions for Mothers' Day gifts that kids can make.

We started with imprinted tiles from Home Depot. The kids chose three colors each. (I tried to encourage them to pick colors that wouldn't turn into a brown mess when mixed together.) We used regular acrylic craft paint.

Once the tiles dried, I went back over them with a small paintbrush and black paint to bring out the designs. A day or two later, I sprayed them with laquer and put cork pads on the bottom.

I was pleased with how they come out and so were both grandmas. :)

Long overdue and really long

2010-06-04T09:08:00.008-08:00

We recently spent 10 days in the midwest.

On our first day in St Louis we went to Six Flags. It was a little rainy, not enough to really get wet, just enough to be kind of cold and yucky. Good news, though, we could ride whatever we wanted as many times as we wanted.
This picture cracks me up. Click on it for a better view of Nick's face.

Catie with Grandpa:

Nick with Aunt Brittany:

Cousin Ryder with Brad:

Cousin Brindy with Grandma:

On Saturday we drove up to Bloomington to meet my parents and my brother with Baby Wesley. Isn't he cute? He's 1 today!

Petting the goats at the Miller Park Zoo:

The next week, we went to the St Louis Zoo. Nick loves the hippos.

I made the tie on Nicky's shirt. Isn't he cute?

I made this dress for Catie. :)

Did I mention I made her dress?

It looks like Nicky's crying in this picture, but he's doing a really good impression of gorilla noises.

We also got to spend some time with Baby Logan. This is the first time Brad's seen him. Here he is enjoying some water fun:

Daddy and Uncle Brian help Catie down the water slide.

Catie loves jumping in the bounce house.

And Nick loved splashing in the froggy pool.

We also spent a couple days in Kansas City with Great-Grandma Phelps. I wish I had taken a picture of her with the kiddos. That's my one big regret from our trip.

We had a great time with everyone! Thanks for a fun visit home!

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig!

2010-05-31T07:16:00.002-08:00

We flew home yesterday from a 11-day trip to the Midwest. More on the trip to come, but the kids were so exhausted they actually took naps while we were there. We got in yesterday at about 2:00, but by the time we retrieved our luggage, discovered a missing bag, reported the missing bag, walked all the way to the back of the long-term parking, and drove home it was 3:00.

We put the kids down for a nap as soon as we got home, but it didn't seem like they were going to go to sleep. I went in to get them up, but discovered that they had fallen asleep. At six, I decided we needed to get them up to eat dinner so that they wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night.

I got Nick out of bed, carried him to the bed where we change their diapers, and discovered that we didn't have any. I left him there with his eyes open. While I was searching for diapers, the doorbell rang. The pizza was here and I had no idea where our cash was. Thus, the five-minute search for something to pay him with commenced. I wrote him a check. Finally, I got back upstairs and discovered Nick snoring away on the changing bed. I changed his diaper, which woke him up, and then told him that I was going to get Sissy. Catie was literally still sleeping while I changed her poopy diaper. In the meantime, I saw Nicky pass by, and I figured he was going downstairs to play. I decided to peak in, though, and I saw that he had gone back to bed. So, I placed a sleeping Catie back in bed for another half an hour.

To make a long story a little shorter, we got them back out of bed, but never succeeded in waking Catie up for more than a couple seconds. Nick woke up and played for a half an hour, but happily went back to bed without eating dinner.

This morning, Catie is wondering when we're going on an airplane again....

Busy, busy, busy

2010-05-17T08:11:00.007-08:00

There are quails all over the place here. They're such funny little birds. They walk instead of hopping, and they can move fast. They are also excellent hiders.

I heard a quail making funny noises in the irises, and was surprised to find little baby quail chicks. We tried all weekend to get a good picture, but, like I said, they are really good at hiding. At one point, we saw them parading back into the bushes and counted over ten chicks.
Our main project last weekend (Mothers' Day weekend) was landscaping the front yard. It was my birthday present.

Here is a before photo:

We headed to Lowe's and spent a chunk of change on plants.

Then, we got to work. Well, Brad got to work shoveling up the sod.

We stopped in the middle for a science lesson on worms.

"Mommy, are you picturing me?"

At the end of the weekend, this is what it looked like:

Monday was my birthday.

I got a pedicure. :)

Andy and Jenny sent flowers.

Ta-da! The irises are in full bloom now.

The rose bush is also in bloom.

This weekend we ordered rock for the beds. Brad hauled it over and I spread it out.

We'll get some kind of edging at some point, but we can't decide what we want.

She had to get in on the picturing. Excuse her greasy hair. Someone thought it would be really fun to squeeze desitin all over the place and spread it all over her body, including her hair. We shampood her hair twice last night and it still isn't out. Hoping it will work it's way out before we have pictures taken on Friday.

Here's my long-legged boy enjoying some tv. We spent quite a bit of time on the couch this week. About mid-week they both caught colds. There's been a lot of whining around here. Nothing a little Sing Along Songs with Mickey can't fix.

On Wednesday we're heading to St. Louis for 10 days. We're looking forward to a little vacation and seeing family!

Can't pull one over on my three and a half year-old girly

2010-05-06T07:30:00.002-08:00

Okay, confession time. I didn't feel like making and cleaning up lunch after running errands yesterday morning. So, we stopped by McDonald's, picked up some happy meals and ate in the car. The car is the only place I can virtually guarantee that the kids will eat a whole meal. There's something about being strapped in with no toys around. :)

Catie was finished with her nuggets and she was ready to get serious about eating her apple slices. So, she asked me to hold her nugget box. Here's the conversation that followed:

Catie: Mommy, hold this.

Me: Catie, Mommy is driving right now.

Catie: Mommy, don't say you're driving.

Me: But I am driving, and I need to use my hands right now.

Catie: But, Mommy, that one hand is on your leg.

I couldn't argue, so I took the box from her and set it on the front seat. I like to think of it as sharpening her reasoning skills, not giving in to her demands. :)

A P-R-K* in our backyard!

2010-05-04T11:22:00.006-08:00

While I was garage saling, Daddy worked hard this weekend to build a swing set. We couldn't be happier.

* Spelling words in front of the kids only works if it isn't a word that you spell all the time and you don't spell it every time you talk about it.

Garage Sale Season!

2010-04-30T14:30:00.002-08:00

The neighborhood across the street from ours has a neighborhood garage sale going on this weekend. So, I got up early this morning, brushed my teeth, threw on a hat, and drove over there.

Here are my finds:

A healthy hen and chicks plant: $1
Decent looking crocs for Nicky: $2

Luau fabric for the upcoming ladies Bible study brunch from a retired event planner: $2
Seriously, she had 20 sets of everything: vases, candle holders, easels, table cloths, etc.

15 sets of glass drop ornaments: $12
(Brad and I were wanting some ornaments like these for our front tree and this was a great price.)

Quality time with the man I love: $2

Barbie cars: $1 for both

Bag of dress-up clothes: $2

Books and puzzle: $2.50

A cute Christmas shirt and 2 nice dresses for Catie: $5
These prices were a little steep for my garage sale taste, but they were name-brand, barely used. I think all three of these are Gymboree.

Two awesome shirts and a pair of shorts: $6

Crafter's Heaven: $10

Seriously. This lady used to sell craft supplies. I had so much fun going through her books and supplies. They aren't all in the picture, but I got 5 packages of elastic for 10 cents each.

Not pictured:

Booster seat so that we can have a place for our friends' kids when they come over: $2

I had so much fun today. Tomorrow I'm going to be on the other side of the table. Our small group is having a sale to benefit Royal Family Kids Camp (a camp for foster kids.)

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and the rest of our trip to Portland

2010-04-27T15:51:00.007-08:00

On Saturday morning we went to OMSI. Our first stop was the real submarine docked in the river outside the museum. Catie and Nick were fascinated by all the buttons. Brad was fascinated too. Hunt for Red October was filmed on this sub.
Looking through the periscope.

Piloting the submarine. :)

Trying on an oxygen mask.

Inside the museum, we checked out the preschool play area first. Nicky loved the sandbox.

Catie had fun looking at the animal exhibits.

Then, both of them got their sleeves and pants soaking wet at the water table.

We spent a little time looking at the other exhibits, but it was difficult to keep Catie and Nick's attention for very long.

Catie is testing her hearing.

Catie and Nick weren't so sure if they liked the big dinosaur up close or not.

Photo ops:

We ate lunch at the cafeteria and then watched an Omnimax film about the ocean. It was really interesting, and both of the kids were enraptured (and a little frightened) the whole hour.

We went back to the hotel and tried unsuccessfully to get the kids to take a nap. At about 4, we took a walk down to the Saturday Market. We weren't there very long before it was closing time, but we got to see the majority of the vendors and it was fun. Next time we'll get there earlier.

Brad and I couldn't decide on dinner. So, I called down to the concierge and asked for a family friendly restaurant within walking distance. She recommended Mother's Bistro and made reservations for us. Oh my goodness. Delicious. Brad had chicken and dumplings and I had a greek salad. Catie and Nick had the most yummy, gourmet PB&J I've ever seen. And the rolls and biscuits? Heavenly. Even though we were full, we couldn't resist a slice of cake. Yum.

After dinner we went swimming again. (Swimming with the twins is so much fun right now! They love it. I'm thinking swimming lessons will be part of our summer plans.)

On Sunday morning before we headed back home we stopped at IKEA. Not everything there is our style, but I love that store.

So, that was our trip. What a fun weekend!

Oregon Zoo

2010-04-26T15:52:00.006-08:00

On Friday morning we went to the Oregon Zoo. It was very well done; the walkways flowed naturally from one exhibit to the next so that you didn't miss anything. I'm always a little disappointed, however, that the St. Louis zoo can manage to do an excellent zoo for free, but we have to pay $40 or more to enjoy a zoo of similar quality in another city.

The eagles were in a large enclosure with no glass between them and the look out. Impressive until you see the poor things hopping around on the branches with clipped wings.

The animals all looked really healthy and happy.

I'm thinking this elephant is really old. At least I hope so. All she did was rock back and forth and shake her head.

Hippos are so ugly. Nicky says, "It's a Hip-o-poatamus." (I know I spelled that wrong. He pronounces it with a long 'o' sound and with breaks where the dashes are.)

These animals (I can't remember their names) are known for standing on their hind feet to reach food. This one used a rock for a boost.

The zebras were a favorite with Catie and Nick.

I love their enclosure.

The giraffe wasn't out in his exhibit, but their was a window into his house. It was cool to be so close to his head.

We took a ride around the zoo in the train. I'll spare you the terrible in-the-train photos.

That afternoon we checked into our hotel downtown and tried unsuccessfully to get the kids to nap. We walked down to a pizza place in the neighborhood and had some yummy Hawaiian pizza. After dinner, we walked to Powell's City of Books, a landmark in Portland. I wished I had a list of books to look for. Then, we walked back to the hotel, swam, and put the kids to bed.

Portland Bound

2010-04-23T12:01:00.003-08:00

I gave Brad a trip to Portland for his birthday. :)

We headed out last Thursday at about 11 am. On the way down I took lots of photos to show you the beautiful drive, but they all turned out like this:

On the way back, though, I managed to capture this one of Mt Hood.

The first night we stayed at Comfort Inn in Troutdale, a suburb of Portland. We were just down the street from this:

After taking a dip in the pool, we got dressed and went shopping. :) We didn't stay long though, because it was dinner time. We met the wife of one of Brad's coworkers from Doha. He's in Afghanistan now, but it was good to see his wife. Plus, we ate the best Chinese food we've had in a long time. :)

Stay tuned...

Sometimes He keeps us from falling

2010-04-08T07:16:00.000-08:00

The parking lot is across a busy street from the post office. I had given Nicky the job of carrying the box that we were mailing to Grandma for her birthday. Since his hands were full, I grabbed his hood to keep him close. We waited for the signal to cross the street, then halfway across, the box slipped from Nick's hands. I let go of Catie to grab the box and, in the process, knocked Nicky off balance. I was still holding his hood, and instinctively, I pulled it up, keeping him from falling, but choking him a little. We collected ourselves and hurried across to the sidewalk where I stopped and gave him a once over to make sure he wasn't hurt.

As I was driving home, I thought about the sight we must have made, and how I often keep my kids from falling by lifting them up by the hand. I began to get a picture of how God sometimes works in our lives. Yes, sometimes He allows us to fall, but sometimes in His grace and mercy, He lifts us up so that we don't stumble and fall down.

About a month ago I was given the opportunity to do something good and I dove right in. When it came time to decide how it would be done, though, I couldn't get excited about it. I went into a funk for a few days, crying at the drop of a hat, and with no peace about this project. After talking it over with a trusted friend, I was able to back out graciously. I'm not sure why, but I feel like God took me by the hand and said, "This isn't for you," and He lifted me up and over what might have been a stumbling block.

Just like Catie and Nick sometimes, I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I am so thankful for a loving Father who is watching over my steps.

I guide you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.

Proverbs 4:11-12

A Gift

2010-04-07T07:00:00.001-08:00

My dad guessed that my bulbs were irises. We were surprised then, to see this:
Upon closer inspection, I discovered that this was a lone tulip in the midst of irises (which Dad tells me will bloom in May.)

Guess what? The "mystery shrub" at the end of the patio and the two other shrubs in the corner of the yard are lilacs! That makes me so happy.

And, also, because I hate to be wrong I need to say that the tree in our backyard is not a red bud. It's a flowering plum tree.

This is like unwrapping a gift. I can't wait to see what God uncovers next in my yard. :)

My little flower girl

2010-04-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

"Mommy, Mommy, I picked a flower."

I stifled a groan (barely) as I realize Catie just picked the only flower currently blooming in our yard (besides dandelions.)

"Oh, sissy," I say, "that's beautiful, but Mommy doesn't really want you to pick her flowers. But, since you already did, let's take some pictures."

You can't put them back once you've picked them. One more life lesson (hopefully) learned.

Easter

2010-04-05T11:17:00.008-08:00

Easter weekend started for us on Friday. Brad had the day off. (He works longer days during the week so that he can take every other Friday off.) I made a deal with him. I would clean the house completely and he would keep the kids out of my hair. (He ended up doing some vacuuming and he "helped" the kids pick up the playroom, so I think I got the better end of the deal.)

Ahhhh, a completely clean house. I don't think that's happened yet in the four months we've been here. I mean, we've had pretend clean (the quick pick up and wipe down or the bathrooms are clean but I didn't get around to dusting kind of clean), but really clean? I hate doing it, but I love it when it's done.

I can't believe I'm publishing that last paragraph. Please tell me I'm not alone.

Saturday afternoon I started cooking. In addition to Easter fare, I made Ice Cream Delight to take on Monday to celebrate Brad's birthday at small group and a lasagna. (Brad's birthday fell on Easter this year.)

Then, I decorated these with some help from my friend Amy who stopped by.

I baked them in a cake pan that I think my mother-in-law gave me one year. They were fun, but I think I'll go back to cookies next year. These were too much, and (sorry, Amy) I ended up throwing them away today because I didn't need them sitting around. No one really ate them. They were just decoration. Fun, though. :)

We enjoyed a great Easter Sunday service. (I'm still thinking about the sermon and looking forward to the series that will be coming from it.)

When we came home, I tried to take the twins' picture, which you saw in my post yesterday. Hoping to stop the fussing, we gave them their Easter baskets.

It worked for a few minutes.

We bought those baskets this year when we realized they had way too much stuff for the other ones. I'm thinking I'll paint them or sew liners next year.

While I worked on lunch, Brad helped the kids change their clothes and then we opened the goody bag from Aunt Brittany. The electric toothbrushes are a big hit!

Then Daddy took them outside to play "Easter egg hunt" and got some great action shots.

He's a tiger!

We had friends from Brad's work over for lunch. Here are their wives, Selenia and Amy.

We had a super yummy lunch. Here's the menu:

Ham

Devilled Eggs

Salad

Quiche

Scalloped Potatoes

Corn Casserole

Resurrection Rolls

Lemon-Raspberry Mousse

Walnut Brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream

Easter Cakes and Marzipan Candies

After a run in the backyard to burn off the sugar energy, we put two exhausted kids down for a nap, and the adults settled in living room to chat.

It was a lovely resurrection day!

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

Taking a nice Easter photo

2010-04-04T17:24:00.006-08:00

It looks like Nicky's squinting. He's not. He's crying. Squinting would have been a much easier fix.

I give up.

Tulips!

2010-03-31T15:32:00.002-08:00

I love this girl

2010-03-29T11:32:00.004-08:00

Today at Fred Meyer, Catie told the Playland attendant, "My mommy is the best. I love my mommy more than a lot of stuff." Just what I needed to hear today.

Eggs!

2010-03-28T15:22:00.002-08:00

We went to church yesterday for an egg hunt. Here are the kids watching the telling of the Easter story very attentively. I was so proud. :)
Later, when Catie was telling us about the day, she made sure to include the part where she had to wait on the sidewalk.

Holding Nicky back!

Time to hunt some eggs. Catie immediately started grabbing as many as she could. Nick was a little more reflective. He soon got into the swing of things.

Look at all the eggs!

We headed back into the fellowship hall where they got to keep 10 eggs each. The rest of the eggs were donated to a local women's shelter.

We came home and played Easter Egg hunt in the backyard for the rest of the morning.

yard work

2010-03-23T14:43:00.003-08:00

This is our backyard (part of it anyway), and this weekend we spent our time beautifying that corner.
This is what it looked like before:

And this is what it looks like now. We hadn't looked at the plants very closely this winter, and were pleasantly surprised to see that the one on the left is a rose bush. I can't wait to see it in bloom.

The only issue: now that we've cleaned up the leaves and weeds, the irrigation pipe sticks out like a sore thumb. I'm thinking hostas would be a good choice for this corner and would eventually cover it up. In the meantime, maybe a little black spray paint?

We extended this bed around the corner along the fence a little ways to make room for some berry bushes. We planted 3 blueberry bushes and one raspberry. We've also ordered a blackberry bush. Yum.

One section at a time and pretty soon we'll have this yard whipped into shape. :)

A nice morning to go to the park

2010-03-19T15:49:00.003-08:00

The weather has been so beautiful lately (sunny, with highs in the 60's) we decided to go to the park this morning. First, we fed some geese, ducks, and gulls.
Nicky loved it. Zoom in on this picture and get a load of that face. :)

Catie liked the geese until they came toward us. Daddy kept them at bay while he was feeding them, but once the bag was empty they came begging again, and she was quickly in my arms.

"How can you resist this face?" he says.

"The ducks are in the bathtub!" Nicky exclaimed.

Then, we headed over to the playground.

Nicky chose the tire swing.

Sharing the tire and wearing Daddy's hats. These pictures are cute, but I was kind of wishing we hadn't let them wear hats and sunglasses. I wanted to see their eyes.

So much fun. Now I'm really looking forward to summer weather!

Murphy's Law

2010-03-18T16:42:00.004-08:00

Brad bought a battery charger for me this afternoon. Less than an hour later, we found ours, along with an extra battery, in with his junk under his side of the bed. When I expressed my delight in not being the one who lost it, he claimed that he told me to look there. I'll let you decide who was right.

I promptly took my camera outside to snap some photos of the red bud tree in full bloom in our backyard.

The yard is a mess right now, but it's also full of promise. I wonder what kind of bulbs these are?

I'm excited to see what this mystery shrub looks like with leaves. :)

We have our work cut out for us, but I'm so happy it's spring!

Just do it already Edited to add visual aids

2010-03-17T10:03:00.003-08:00

That's what I told myself this morning while changing a load of laundry. Maybe I'm not ready to paint the whole house yet, but I can at least clean out the laundry room.

You see, I love the layout of our house except for one thing: I hate the laundry room. Because it's not even a room. It's a hallway from the garage to the rest of the house. The most used hallway in our house. And a dumping ground.

Here's what I found in there: 563 hangers (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating), an iron, an ironing board, three empty boxes pretending to be important, lightbulbs, a box of gallon sized ziploc bags, an extra roll of glad wrap, two of Brad's extra thermoses, a huge framed map of Colorado Springs, my breadmaker, two folding chairs, a step stool, books from the Bible study we finished a month ago, a Sunday School coloring sheet, my purse and Bible study bag, our books and folders from the membership class we finished 2 weeks ago, a trashcan, assorted laundry supplies and cleaning supplies, suction cup bathroom organizers, a black crayola marker, the twins' art easel, a post-it pad, paint brushes, a carpenter's pencil, dirty dish rags, need I go on?

I'm sure you can see why that "room" stressed me out. Now, admittedly, I just threw whatever didn't belong there into the garage or on the stairs to be taken up next time I go, but I figure if I do one space at a time it will be much more manageable.

I even dragged our bench, languishing in the garage getting dusty, up the garage steps all by myself. It's one of those mudroom benches that has a tall back with hooks.

Here's the plan: Only the most used jackets get to hang on the bench. Mom and Dad can only have one pair of shoes downstairs at a time. The kids' shoes go in a basket next to the bench. Mom's purse and Bible study bag have a home on a hook. Most laundry (dishcloths excepted) stays out of the laundry room except on Wednesdays (laundry day).

If you have a mudroom/laundry room, how do you keep it organized?

PS No pictures because I haven't found my charger yet. That's my next project, I promise, Dad. :)

Ha! Found the charger! Here are some pictures. Wish I had some befores, but you'll have to believe me when I say it was a cluttered mess.

Good enough is not good enough

2010-03-13T10:39:00.003-09:00

I can't find my camera battery charger. After 3 months of living in this house (Has it really only been 3 months?) I'm ready for some organization. So much of what I did when we were unpacking was "good enough" and "we'll figure out what we really want to do later." Later has come. All of a sudden I can't stand the way things are around here.

The laundry room/hallway to the garage is driving me crazy. It's a dumping ground. The same goes for the ledge between the hallway and the living room. And, oh, my computer desk! Junk all the time. Let's not even talk about the playroom. And the craft room? I can't wait to get my hands on that room and really make it functional. Our bedroom is haphazard. The guest room walls have holes in them. The kids' room is unfinished and their curtain rods are bent from pulling on them.

I'm tired of feeling like the house is half finished. I have the sudden urge to start painting immediately. And we have so many more surfaces here for decorating. I'm getting a little overwhelmed.

The problem is, I know exactly what I would do if I had infinite amounts of money, but I don't. So, we'll take it one step at a time. It's going to take longer than I want for sure. And, it will never be completely done. And I need to learn how to be okay with that.

In the playroom

2010-03-10T09:32:00.003-09:00

This post was going to be really fun, with lots of pictures of the kids playing and a couple pictures of Catie's newest hat (even more adorable than the last), but, alas, my camera battery died after this one picture.
Nicky informed me that this potato looks like Grandma. I didn't ask him which one.

Making things (Edited to add more pictures)

2010-03-04T09:26:00.003-09:00

I've started a craft night. Twice a month, I invite a bunch of ladies to come and bring whatever they're working on. Last month was a hit. Last night, not so much. Just me and one friend. There was a scheduling conflict. I'm not taking it personally. :)

Anyway, the thing I love about craft night besides hanging out with like-minded ladies is the accountability. I'm terrible about buying everything I need for a craft and then losing steam somewhere in the beginning. But, I feel like someone else knows what I'm doing now, so I have to get it done. :)

Last night, after a failed attempt at reading another pattern, I started this hat for Catie. Today when she saw it almost finished she asked who it was for. When I told her it was for her, she got really excited. I'm not quite done--I want to crochet a big flower and attach it to the hat--but it's wearable at this point. Here she is:
She wanted to show you her bracelet.

I suppose creativity runs in the family. Here's what Nicky does almost all day, everyday:

Hopefully I'll have a finished hat to show you later tonight or tomorrow. :)

Ta-da! I finished it already. The flower was faster and easier than I expected. Here are some more pictures of my little model:

A view of the flower. Yes, she insisted on wearing two "hats"--her hood and the beanie.

Work it, work it!

And for a bit of reality. Nicky wanted in on the photo shoot. He's standing on a little chair.

God forbid

2010-02-26T13:41:00.005-09:00

I gotta say something. Reading the Bible all the way through is hard. What am I supposed to do with all the information about Old Testament sacrifices and regulations and what to do when you have mildew? I'll admit I completely skimmed Leviticus. But a couple weeks ago, I stopped in my tracks when I read this passage and I've been thinking about it ever since.

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them, and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out of the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

Among those who approach me
I will show myself holy;
in the sight of all the people
I will be honored.' "

Aaron remained silent.

Leviticus 10:1-3

Moses doesn't tell us the reason why Nodab and Abihu burned the wrong incense. The only conclusion I can come to, then, is that it doesn't matter why they did it, but that they did.

I can't help but wonder, though, why such a harsh punishment? They were just getting the hang of this priest thing anyway. They hadn't volunteered for it either. What about second chances?

I have to admit, I haven't completely reconciled this in my mind, which is why I've taken a couple weeks to ponder it, but what I do know is that we have a holy God who expects holiness from His people.

Praise the Lord that He has made the ultimate, perfect sacrifice for us through His Son and all we need to do is accept Him.

All we need to do... Do we take that too lightly? Are we guilty of doing things the way we want, like Nodab and Abihu? Are we taking God's sacrifice for granted?

The more I know your power, Lord,
The more I'm mindful
How casually we speak and sing your name
How often we have come to you
With no fear or wonder
And called upon you only for what we stand to gain

God forbid, that I find you so familiar
That I think of you as less than who you are
God forbid that I should speak of you at all
Without a humble reverence in my heart
God forbid

Lord, I often talk about your love and mercy
How it seems to me your goodness has no end
It frightens me to think that I could take you for granted
Though you're closer than a brother
You are more than just a friend

You are Father, God Almighty
Lord of lords, you're King of kings
Beyond my understanding,
No less than everything

God forbid
God forbid...

("God Forbid", Point of Grace, Life, Love, and Other Mysteries)

Kids....

2010-02-22T10:25:00.002-09:00

My kids are THOSE kids. You know the ones who when left unsupervised for a few minutes while Mommy is in the other room decide to play with the water fountain and get soaking wet.

We went to a MOPS thing this morning tying fleece blankets for the Crisis Pregnancy Center. The kids were in the hallway playing on ride-on toys. My partner and I managed to make 3 blankets before I had to go home. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.

A new old video for you

2010-02-08T05:54:00.003-09:00

Last night, Catie was sitting on my lap at the computer begging for videos and the only thing she likes better than Disney or Peanut Butter Jelly Time is a video of herself. So, we were looking through our home videos and I found this one that I had forgotten about. I took it the week that our stuff came to our new house here (thus the partial chair on the floor in the background), so early December. Enjoy!

Boogie Nose from Erica Herzog on Vimeo.

I know what's important, part 2, or Our week in food: the reviews

2010-02-05T07:13:00.000-09:00

Thursday night: Homestyle Vegetable Beef Soup --This is a favorite of ours, and it didn't disappoint. Jenny got in at 5 pm, so I wanted something that could simmer on the stovetop for a while and didn't have a specific "ready" time. Also, I wanted to feed her something that she wouldn't normally eat with her vegetarian husband.

Friday night: Homemade Pizza--Also a favorite. Here's my pizza dough recipe:

1 cup warm water
1 pkg yeast
1 pinch sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
3 1/3 cups flour

Mix water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let sit 10 minutes, or until frothy.
Add olive oil and salt. Mix in flour until you have a dough that you can work with.
Knead until elastic (10-15 times or so.)
Place in an oiled bowl, covered with a damp cloth, in a warm place until doubled.
Punch down and let rise again.
Stretch or roll out dough, top with whatever you want, and bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes. We like ours baked on a pizza stone, but a baking sheet works too.

Saturday: Spinach Lasagna-- Even my picky husband who "hates" spinach ate this up. We had half a pan left over, which I froze in individual portions so that Andy could supplement his meals as needed.

Sunday: Andy, Mom, and Dad arrived Saturday night after the kids went to bed, so they woke up to a wonderful surprise!

For lunch, we had Mexican Pantry Soup. This is a soup that I made up based on a couple recipes I remembered but didn't have in front of me at the time. It turned out so yummy that I make it on a regular basis now. We served the chicken on the side so that it was vegetarian for Andy.

For dinner, we celebrated my dad's birthday with Unsloppy Joes, Oven fries, and Tomato Soup Spice Cake. The unsloppy joes were a disappointment. The sauce wasn't "sloppy joe" enough (too much tomato, not enough tangy) and the veggies were still crunchy. If I made them again, I would...well...I wouldn't make them again, but if I were wanting a vegetarian beany sloppy sandwich I would just use a can of manwich with a can of kidney beans.

The oven fries, however, are a favorite around here. You just spray a baking sheet with Pam, cut up some potatoes thinly, lengthwise, place them in a single layer on the pan, spray them with Pam, sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, and onion powder, and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, turning halfway through.

The cake was also a hit. Moist, flavorful, yummy.

Monday: Indian night! We had an Indian restaurant that we loved in Doha, and I've been trying to replicate their murgh (chicken) tikka (grilled) masala (tomato sauce) ever since using the recipe on the back of the masala mix with no success. Finally, I found this recipe and it is so much better: Chicken Tikka Masala. I had planned on making Bhindi Masala (which had good flavor, if you care for okra) with it for Andy, but when I looked at the recipe again it didn't seem like enough, so I also made Aloo Gobi (which was absolutely delicious.) I also made bismatti rice and Andy made buttered nan for us.

Tuesday: A family favorite: Roast, Carrots, and Potatoes. Yummy. I also made white bread in our new breadmaker.

Wednesday: Mexican night! Spinach Enchiladas (too much ricotta, tasted like lasagna with enchilada sauce) and Chicken Enchiladas (oh so delicious!).

Thursday: For lunch we had Sweet Potato Minestrone with grilled cheese. The soup was very yummy and satisfying. And, bonus, Mom calculated that a bowl equalled 3 points with Weight Watchers. To balance out all that good for you stuff, we made grilled cheese with colby-jack on homemade rosemary bread.

For dinner, we ate Alsatian Onion Soup, which came from a restaurant cookbook, so I probably shouldn't post the recipe. It was yummy though. Think french onion soup with apples and rye bread croutons with muenster cheese melted on top. We also had cranberry pork tenderloin. Place a pork tenderloin in your slow cooker, sprinkle with a generous amount of Italian seasoning and salt, spoon a can of whole berry cranberry sauce on top, and add about a cup of apple juice. So tender and yummy in about 4-5 hours on low. We made a gravy from the juice and served it with mashed potatoes.

On Friday morning we headed up to Spokane/Ceour d'Alene to visit with family friends and drop my parents at the airport. When we came back Saturday night we had enough leftovers that I didn't have to think about lunch or dinner again until Tuesday.

Now that's a good week!

Out of the frying pan and into the fire isn't exactly the right cliche for this but it's the best I can come up with

2010-02-04T07:41:00.004-09:00

So, after my family left (before, in Catie's case) we all got colds. Ugh. Ironically, I could use a few days of rest, but this wasn't what I had in mind.

Here's where I would have a huge array of photos to show you all the wonderful times we had together. Ummm... but I only took 12 pictures with my camera while they were here. Fortunately, Jenny and Andy more than made up for my lack of photos if I can ever get them to send me some. :)

Catie was so excited to play with her baby cousin despite the fact that he is decidedly larger than her baby dolls. In fact, he only weighs a little more than 10 pounds less than Catie and Nick. He didn't share the same enthusiasm in these pictures, but trust me when I say he loved seeing his cousins too.

Grandma and Grandpa came bearing games and princess dresses. This is where I tell Catie, "You can't throw a fit when you're wearing a princess dress."

And this is where I realize I took absolutely no pictures of Nick.

While my family was here, Dad and Andy transitioned the twins' cribs into toddler beds. They were starting to get out of bed on their own, so it was time. I was a little sad. I think it's easier for me to act like they're still babies. But, it was time.

I have a little mantra for Catie before naptime:

me: Stay in bed. What are you going to do?

Catie: (blank stare)

me: Stay in bed. What are you going to do?

Catie: (blank stare)

me: Stay in bed. Are you going to stay in bed?

Catie: Yes!

Setting clear expectations is the key, they say. This is what I found yesterday when I went in to get her up from naptime:

Yes, she's sleeping on the floor. Sigh...

God's in charge and I'm not

2010-01-21T07:07:00.003-09:00

I always try to put myself in Rebekah's place. Can you imagine? You're taking your daily trip to the well to gather water for your family when you meet a stranger who says he's going to take you back to his master to get married. Cultural differences aside, I don't think that was part of her plan for the day, let alone her life.

After I read that this morning, I started singing "God is in Control." My best friend, Angela, and I sang it together at a church talent competition once and it's always been a favorite of mine, because it reminds me her.

But today I realized the irony of it. Right now, Angela and her family are in Texas, beginning again after a long time of uncertainty in their lives. And you all know the twists and turns my life has taken over the past several years.

I had to laugh thinking about what my teenager self would have said to someone who predicted what my life would look like in 10-15 years: married to Brad Herzog, moving all over the place (or just moving anywhere outside of the midwest!), twins!

All I can say is, I'm glad God's in charge and I'm not.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

I know what's important

2010-01-18T06:08:00.003-09:00

January is such a let-down. I took down all of our Christmas decorations just before New Years, but I haven't brought out all of our other stuff yet. Honestly, I don't think we have much more to put up as a result of my husband brainwashing me over the years into clutterless living and baby proofing. I used to have a huge collection of silver frames. Gone.

Anyway, that wasn't the point of this post. Actually my post has no point except to say that my family is coming out this week to visit. (Jenny and Wesley arrive on Thursday, followed by Andy and my parents on Saturday night.) Because they are my most faithful readers, and the ones that I imagine myself to be talking to when I write, I will probably be taking a little bloggy break. Just in case you notice. :)

And, because it's the most important thing, here's some of what we're going to eat while they're here:

Homestyle Vegetable Beef Soup
Homemade Pizza
Spinach Lasagna
Mexican Pantry Soup (my version of tortilla soup)
Unsloppy Joes with oven fries and Tomato Soup Spice Cake (celebrating Dad's birthday)
Chicken Tikka Masala and Bhindi Masala with rice (maybe saffron or jasmine?)
Roast, Carrots, and Potatoes
Sweet Potato Minestrone with grilled cheese sandwiches
Spinach Enchiladas and Chicken Enchiladas
Alsatian Onion Soup (recipe from a restaurant cookbook) with Cranberry Pork Roast (something I made up a recipe for and changes everytime I make it) with mashed potatoes
Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff with egg noodles

Did I mention Andy's a vegetarian? and that Jenny's going to be here for 10 days?

Holy cow, that's a lot of food.

I've been having too much fun

2010-01-13T13:19:00.002-09:00

Dayspring has a new line of signs available online. Through the Danielson Design Studio you can create personalized signs, plaques, and frames for your home. I've been playing around with them and it's so much fun. I could spend a lot of money on these things...

I love this verse. I can't tell you the freedom I felt when I realized that I don't have to figure out God's will. It's right there in the Bible.
I think this is so cool. This is a pre-designed sign, but isn't it fun?

Of course I had to play with the signs for kids. I had a little trouble fitting the verse I wanted, though.

I would love to hang this by the front door.

In the interest of honesty, since I don't usually write endorsements, I'm totally doing this because I'm trying to win a $50 gift certificate. :)

Catie's "Inner Mommy" is nicer than me

2010-01-07T12:09:00.003-09:00

So, we were going to have a party this weekend, but nobody can come so we've cancelled. (That's okay; I was starting to stress a little bit about it.) But, I didn't know we were going to cancel this morning when I made a large batch of Cranberry Orange Chex Mix.*

Catie and Nick are eager to "help," so we pull up their stools and I try to think of things they could do without hurting themselves or making me crazy. When I pull out the cereal, Catie remembers helping me make Cherry Cookies for Christmas and starts crunching them. (The recipe for Cherry Cookies includes crushed rice chex.)

"No, no, Catie," I say. "We don't crunch the cereal for this recipe."

"Oh," she replies and sneaks in one more crunch.

I give her another, sterner warning and she resists the urge to crunch again.

I turn around to get the butter out of the microwave, and I hear her say in her Mommy voice, "You want me to get some more cereal so you can crunch it? Okay, I'll get you some more."

Her "Inner Mommy" is so much nicer than me sometimes.

*This is absolutely delicious! I made a few changes, though. I used a box of Crispix so that I don't have to buy multiple boxes. It was 12 cups, so I also added a couple cups of stick pretzels and doubled the "sauce."

Jesus, our High Priest

2010-01-07T07:11:00.003-09:00

I'm just going to post these scriptures (one I read in my One Year Bible and the one that it made me think of) and let them preach for themselves. :)

Job talks to his friends while suffering from painful sores all over his body and grieving the loss of his family and wealth:

[God] is not a man like me that I might answer him,
that we might confront each other in court.
If only there were someone to arbitrate between us,
to lay his hand upon us both,
someone to remove God's rod from me,
so that his terror would frighten me no more.
Then I would speak up without fear of him,
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Job 9:32-35

From the New Testament:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:14-16

Amen!

Resolutions revisited

2010-01-06T06:55:00.003-09:00

So, I'm taking this resolution thing slowly, one at a time. I'm thinking maybe focusing on one a month until it becomes part of my routine then moving on to the next (while keeping the old one too.)

I started with Bible reading and it's going well. I have a silly thing I'm not sure if I want to tell you or not, but if it helps someone that would be great. We moved our One-Year Bible to the bathroom. We both like reading in there, so why not? It's a great reminder when I reach for a magazine that I need to read the Bible first.

That said, here's what I read today that made me think:

Blessed is the man whom God corrects;
so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
For he wounds but he also binds up;
he injures but his hands also heal.

Job 5:17-18

FYI, we're reading from the One Year Chronological Bible, and the scholars think that Job was around the same time as the patriarchs, which is why I'm already there in January.

I'm a green golden retriever

2010-01-05T15:18:00.002-09:00

What is so fascinating to us about personality tests? Or IQ tests? Or those silly memes that bloggers do where they answer random questions about themselves?

For some reason lately, I've been taking a lot of tests, not on my own but by others' suggestion. I recently took two tests to find my spiritual gift. (One test said it was Exhortation and Shepherding, the other had a lot more options and it came out as Hospitality, Administration, and Words of Wisdom.) I know God gives us all gifts to use to further his kingdom, but I'm pretty sure anything that furthers his kingdom will be done in his strength, not mine. Anyway, it's still good to have my eyes open so that I can see how he's working in and through me.

Even more fascinating to me, though, was the personality test I took today. I'm a little wary of a test that only has four personality types, but that silly thing nailed me. I'm not a natural leader, yet God is calling me again to lead. Would you pray for me these next few weeks as we begin a new session in our women's Bible study? I need to lay down my insecurities and let God work, and I covet your prayers.

2009: A Recap

2009-12-31T08:54:00.009-09:00

We found a new home and settled in.

We got into a routine and explored our new home.

I blathered on and on about potty training and the weather.

We celebrated Easter and I cut Catie's hair.

Garage saling pays off in more ways than one and Catie eats banana cream pie.

Babies are born and Brad learns a lesson.

My parents come to visit and we find a new job.

We say goodbye to friends and hello to family.

The twins had new experiences: some fun, some not so fun.

I found a new hobby and we celebrated the twins' 3rd birthday.

We fought like cats and dogs and we were thankful.

We found a new home and settled in.

We have been blessed this year! Praise God from whom all blessings flow...

The walk of shame

2009-12-29T11:52:00.003-09:00

So remember this post. Like mother, like daughter.

This morning we headed to Fred Meyer for grocery shopping and an hour of peace. (They have childcare, one of many reasons I shop there even though it's 15 minutes from home.)

I stepped out of the car in the parking lot and looked down at my feet to make sure it wasn't icy. I laughed out loud at the sight. I was wearing two different shoes. Both black, both backless slip-ons, one dressy, the other casual, one high, one shorter. Ugh. Two different shoes is embarrassing, but walking around with two different heels is just annoying.

So, I did what any sensible woman would do. I dropped the kids off at Playland, and I bought myself a new pair of shoes!

What? That's not sensible? I figured painfree hips were worth $17.50 (Clearance!). Plus, they're really cute. :)

New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-27T08:19:00.001-09:00

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. --Galatians 5:22-23a

That last one always gets me. Self-control. Of all the fruits of the Spirit, that's the one that my own spirit rebels against.

I've been thinking lately about New Year's resolutions. For most of my adult years I've decided against resolutions. People never keep them anyway. What's the use? This year, however, I feel a pull toward creating a list. And, that list is centered around my lack of self-control.

The context around the verse about the fruit of the Spirit has another lesson for me, though. Our own striving will never make us good enough. If we strive to save ourselves, we are making Christ's sacrifice irrelevant. We must live by the Spirit, and these wonderful things will be the result, not of our own striving, but of the Spirit's work within us.

So, with the Spirit's leading, I feel compelled to make this list. I will be praying that the Lord would work within me to help me accomplish these things to His glory.

1. Read the Bible every day. I will probably be reading from the One Year Bible.

2. Exercise and make an effort to feed my family healthier meals.

3. Make a budget and stick to it.

4. Find family time activities that don't involve sitting on the couch.

What are your New Year's resolutions?

YouTube is good for me

2009-12-26T17:07:00.002-09:00

So, we like watching funny YouTube videos. This is a favorite around our house as you can see.

it's good for me from Erica Herzog on Vimeo.

I have no idea why this is funny. But, Nick happened to see it once and now he asks for it all the time.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time from Erica Herzog on Vimeo.

Christmas Review

2009-12-26T08:24:00.005-09:00

Christmas Eve afternoon while the kids were napping, we began putting together their larger presents. Was I ever glad that we started early when I opened this box. Three hours later I finally had the play kitchen put together...
We separated all the presents and set up the big ones. It looked so pretty...

Christmas morning Catie and Nick were excited about their toys. They started playing right away.

I found this play house last year on clearance. :) $35! I've been saving it all this time. (It was flat in a smallish box.)

Catie danced from thing to thing...

She keyed in on the kitchen pretty quickly.

After that, I didn't get any pictures of Christmas morning, what with all the unwrapping and undoing all the doo-dads and what-nots that you find inside toy packaging. But, we had the video camera running the whole time if anyone wants to see 2 hours of us. :)

Here's Catie and Daddy playing with their new legos and lego table.

Catie is totally mesmerized by her new DVD, "Snowed in at the House of Mouse." Daddy doesn't mind though; he's having fun.

Here's Nicky playing in the aftermath of Hurricane Christmas.

This is our living room floor right now....

And this is our hallway....

We are so blessed!!!

How was your Christmas?

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

2009-12-25T06:36:00.000-09:00

Identity Crisis

2009-12-21T08:32:00.002-09:00

*I wrote this last year for a talk at MOPS in Doha. I've been thinking about it again lately, and thought I'd share.

My favorite family Christmas tradition used to be one that I merely tolerated until it was time to dig into the presents. I was well into my teenage years before this tradition held much meaning for me. I don’t recall how old I was, but I do remember the feeling the first Christmas that I honestly looked forward to the reading of the Christmas story. We would sit around the living room, my brother and I antsy with anticipation, my mom settling down after bustling around the kitchen making last minute adjustments and preparations for our Christmas morning breakfast, and my dad would read from the 2nd chapter of Luke:
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Can you imagine the loss of identity that Mary must have felt when she found out that she was expecting a child? She was a good Jewish girl, planning to marry a man from her home town that she had probably known all her life, to settle down and have children, but not now, not yet. God had stepped in and changed her plans. All of a sudden, she was an unwed mother-to-be, with an impossible story to tell her family about the child’s parentage. Most likely she had looked forward to becoming a mother, but no one could blame her if she was angry about the timing. In fact, it would have been very easy for Mary to lose herself in this situation. She had every reason to be lonely, scared, and depressed. But scripture tells us that while she was pregnant, she sang, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”

It is so easy to get caught up in outward things, even in our relationships with others. We find our purpose in accumulating money and worldly goods. We define ourselves by our jobs, and when we choose to stay at home, we feel a sense of loss. We crave the attention of friends and acquaintances, a sense of belonging to those we look up to. We depend so much on our husbands for support and love that we never look to any other source. We are tempted as mothers to find our identity in our children, to make our relationship with them the defining role in our lives. Worldly possessions, jobs, friends, spouses, children, these are all good things that come from the Father, but these are also changing parts of our lives. Money comes and goes, jobs can be lost, friends move, husbands are fallible, and children will one day leave our homes, but if you find your identity in the Lord, you will be like Mary, able to sing, “My soul glorifies the Lord,” no matter what your circumstances.

In Colossians 3:2-4, Paul says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory.” Your life is hidden with Christ in God. Because you have believed in Him, your identity is ultimately found in Him, not in earthly things. One day, you will rise with Christ into Heaven, and that is all that really matters, not how much money you have, how fulfilling your work is, how smart your children turn out to be. Your life is Christ’s. Christ is your life. This is an identity that can never be lost or taken away. As a Christian, your identity is completely, inextricably wrapped up in Christ.

This Christmas season, away from all the trappings of our home countries, here so close to where it all happened, I want to encourage you to take the time to evaluate where you find your identity. I’m not suggesting that you are a robot for Christ, each one of us exactly the same; God has given us unique personalities and talents, and you are also a mother, and a wife, and all those other things. But where do you draw your strength? Where are you finding refreshment? What do other people see in you? Remember God’s promise to us in John’s version of the Christmas story, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you are a child of God and nothing can change that. You can rest in that promise. You can stake your identity on it.

Ho ho

2009-12-18T13:20:00.003-09:00

Catie and Nick ran up to sit on Santa's lap, then wouldn't say a word or smile for the picture. Sigh.

Oh well, at least I didn't have to be in the picture this year.

Be careful, Little Ears, what you hear

2009-12-17T06:15:00.002-09:00

It was Thanksgiving. Brad and I were sitting on the couch in our pajamas watching the Today Show while the kids played. There was a segment about keeping the peace with the family over the holidays, and the psychologist suggested that Thanksgiving was not the time to bring up sensitive topics or come out of the closet.

At that point, Brad turned to me and said, "Erica, I have something I need to tell you. I'm a gay."

Nick, who was passing by, looked at me and said, "Mommy, I'm a gay."

...................................................................................................

We went to the dreaded rat hovel (aka Chuck E. Cheese) on Monday. After Catie ate two bites of pizza and we released her to play again, she began to arrange the chairs into a choo-choo train. (There were only about 10 people in the whole place.)

Then she said, "Mommy has a seat. Daddy has a seat. Catie has a seat. Everybody has a seat! Does that sound good?" in her best "mommy" voice.

The mommy voice shows up pretty often around here lately.

"You want a fruit snack? Okay," she says to herself as she sits down at the table.

"Oh, no! I dropped my ____________," she cries out in the car. "Oh, no. It's okay. Mommy's driving. When we stop we'll pick up your toy."

You know what I love most about the mommy voice? It's not that it's funny, but it definitely is and it makes me laugh to hear her answer her own questions. It's also not because she can calm herself down, even though that helps me immensely.

No, what I love most about it is that her mommy voice is soft and gentle and kind. I'm happy to see that (with a lot of prayer) I'm doing it right often enough to leave that kind of impression on her.

Now if I can only keep my husband from saying things we don't want repeated.... :)

Ode to a Mouse

2009-12-10T07:27:00.002-09:00

You were so cute,
Scurrying across the garage floor,
Hiding from the light.

It was difficult to say goodbye.
In other circumstances I might have kept you
And named you Mickey.

But, if you have friends
they aren't welcome here.
So, we had to be sure you wouldn't invite them.

I'm sorry, Little Mouse.
Your life was so short.
Hope you enjoyed the peanut butter.

Look, Mommy! I dressed myself!

2009-12-08T08:38:00.001-09:00

At first she came downstairs with a long sleeve shirt on. That didn't last long with my hot-blooded girl. She decided a tank top was much more appropriate.

Like these shoes? She's got another pair just like them.

More pics of the house

2009-12-07T06:31:00.003-09:00

Catie has been up every night so far at least once crying about not finding her paci. Ugh. I am so poking a hole in it today.

Maybe part of my frustration comes from this:
The playroom after a full day at home.

I really should have taken a picture of this tree as soon as I finished it. It's already looking a little bedraggled.

Here are some rooms that I haven't shown you yet. Here's the dining/living room. Eventually we'll put some bookcases on the blank wall in the living room.

Here it is from the other direction.

Our guest room is ready!

I promise we'll move the pack n play out of there if you come to visit, but for now we have to separate Catie and Nick during nap time.

And here's the family room. I took a close up of the garland and tree, but you can clearly see in that picture that we haven't really taken care of the electronics under the tv yet (thus the computer sitting on the little table in front of the tree still hooked up to the internet through a wire) and nobody needs that much honesty.

So, it's coming together. The master bedroom, garage, and craft room are all disaster areas still, but I'm hoping to tackle the master today. The garage is mostly Brad's territory, and it's not his fault that there's 20 million empty boxes and 50 tons of packing paper in there. As for the craft room, it's not even on my radar yet. Maybe in January.

So far so good

2009-12-03T15:45:00.002-09:00

I blame my last post on sleep deprivation. Catie was up several times last night upset that her paci kept falling through the slats on her crib.

Anyway, thought you might like to see some pictures. Here's the kitchen. It was difficult to fit my stuff. It wasn't as intuitive as some other kitchens we've had. There's a lot of space, but it's mostly vertical.
I love this space behind the sink. I've already filled it with plants. :) Aloe and jade in the big pots, some seasonal poinsettias, and a set of herbs that started as seeds, some of them are starting to sprout already.

I love this desk area, but I think it's going to be a chore to keep it clean, so I had to take a picture now.

This afternoon I worked on the playroom. Why are we buying more toys for Christmas? Ridiculous.

So, those are the two clean areas of the house. I'll take and post more pictures as I finish other rooms.

Just checking in

2009-12-03T10:07:00.003-09:00

Our shipment arrived yesterday morning. I have the kitchen unpacked and put away. I'm exhausted already. The end.

Pictures for Grandma and Grandpa Phelps

2009-11-29T07:26:00.002-09:00

Thanks for the new Christmas outfits!

Black Friday Deals

2009-11-27T11:24:00.004-09:00

I started the morning at 4:17 when I rolled out of bed, brushed my teeth, threw my hair in a ponytail, and headed out the door. Kohl's was my first stop since I knew it would be crazy there, and I had quite a bit on my list. I picked up a kids' digital camera for $25, Candyland, Memory, and Hi-ho-cherrio for $4 each, some bathrugs and towels for ridiculously cheap prices, and other odds and ends that I picked up while in the line for an hour snaking through the store.

Next, I headed to Michael's. I walked in the door expecting a mob but was pleasantly surprised to see it not busy at all. The cashier assured me that it was crazy the night before. I picked up some scrapbook organizers at 55% off and quite a few rolls of the 70% off christmas ribbon, as well as a couple other little items.

We have another craft store in town just down from Michael's called Craft Warehouse. I went there for a couple odds and ends just as they were opening up at 7 am.

My next mission was at Lowe's. Brad spotted some nice garage shelves in the ad for almost half price. Since he was planning to buy some anyway, we might as well get them while they're on sale. I found them pretty easily but there was no sign. Pretty soon a store employee came over, assured me they were the ones on sale, and carried them to the checkout and out to the car for me. 10 minutes!

Next I headed to Shopko where I picked up a couple barstools for $25, some cute track suits for the kids at 60% off (princesses for Catie, Thomas the train for Nick), a Sleeping beauty doll ($10!), a double pack Mr and Mrs Potato head for $15, a few $5 movies, and a set of Pyrex storage bowls for $14.

On my way back home, I noticed that Toys R Us didn't look completely crazy, so I stopped in only to find that everything on my list was already gone. Oh well.

I came home on a shopping high but now I'm pooped! Shopping for 4 1/2 hours and home by 9 AM. Is it naptime yet?

Happy Turkey Day!

2009-11-26T14:55:00.000-09:00

Dumb, dumb, dumb

2009-11-19T10:47:00.002-09:00

A person should make sure that the top of the relish container is firmly in place before shaking said relish jar.
PS How do you get relish out of the toaster?

Insert creative "Idaho" title here

2009-11-19T10:35:00.004-09:00

The kids have colds again, so on Sunday we decided to keep them out of the church nursery and take a drive. It was overcast all day. I had to really fuss with that first picture to make it look like that. :) So, I didn't take many, but you'll have to believe me when I say it's a beautiful 2 1/2 hour drive from Richland, WA to Lewiston, ID. The mountains are so smooth, like blankets over knees.

Lewiston is a town right on the border next to Clarkston, WA. Get it? Louis and Clark. We didn't do much once we got there except eat lunch and drive around saying, "Wouldn't this be nice if everything wasn't closed?"

I can't remember the name of the town, but isn't this a neat building? It was across the street when we stopped for gas.

I guess that's it. :) I can't wait until we move into our new house.

Random Dozen

2009-11-17T05:27:00.002-09:00

I keep thinking that I need to write a blog post, but I can't get anything out of my head except, "I can't wait to move into our new house." So, I decided now is the perfect time to take part in this meme (a game for bloggers) from another blog that I read regularly. Here are the random dozen for this week and my answers:

1. If you could master one sport, what would it be?
When I was younger I probably would have said volleyball, but now I would love to be good at bowling. I think it's so much fun, but it would be even more fun if I could break a 75.

2. When you make a major purchase, do you go with your gut instinct, or do you do research to make an informed decision?
We do a little of both. We look and look and look, but as soon as we find the right one, we jump on it. When we bought our last couch, I was so concerned about finding the right one for the right price, but when we found "the one" I was embarrassed to realize I hadn't paid any attention to the price at all.

3. There is an old kids' game that says you can find out what your movie star name would be by using your middle name as your first name and the name of the street you grew up on as your last. What is your movie star name?
Brooke Lemans (Leh-mahnz) Sexy, huh?

4. Would you rather give up your favorite music or your favorite food?
Seeing as the current requests in my van are "Choo Choo Soul" and Mickey Mouse, I think I could give up music for a little while.

5. There are two types of banana preferences. One is pristine yellow, almost to the point of being green; the other is spotty and more ripe. Which is your preference?
Definitely the almost unripe pristine yellow one. Brown bananas are only good for banana bread.

6. Your favorite tree is?
This is a tough one. I think it's a big maple tree with plenty of shade and beautiful fall color.

7. On a scale of 1-10, how tech savvy are you?
I give myself a 7. Just enough knowledge to be dangerous.

8. Has H1N1 touched your family?
Fortunately, no. Catie and Nick have had the first dose of the vaccine.

9. Are you an analytical person, or do you just accept things the way they are without questioning or scrutinizing?
I'm a problem solver. I'm always looking for a better way to do things.

10. Is your personality more like that of a dog, cat, or Koala?
I think I'm a cat that acts a lot like a dog. :)

11. Do you keep in touch with friends you made years ago?
I am terrible about keeping in touch with friends. I wish I were better, but I can always pick up where I left off with my best friend, Angela.

12. You are checking out at a grocery store. In the express lane, there are more people than the regular lanes, but of course, their load is less than those in the regular lanes. Which lane do you choose (assuming you qualify for the express lane) and why?
The wrong one. It's the Phelps Law of Grocery Line Length. The length of a grocery line does not matter when a Phelps family member enters it. It will always be at least twice as slow as all the other lines around it. Additionally, as soon as said Phelps family member decides to move to another line, all other shoppers in the vicinity will converge upon the checkout.
It's a curse. I accept it. I just choose a line, stick to it, and try to be patient.

Conversation with a 3 year old

2009-11-08T07:05:00.004-09:00

Catie: Mommy, Mommy! I need help!

Me: What are you trying to do?

Catie: I'm trying to get more help!

craft projects

2009-11-06T11:54:00.005-09:00

I found this idea online a months and months ago, and I bookmarked it because I loved it, but I wasn't sure I would ever be able to do it. It's pretty modern looking for our traditional house, but in our new house I'm going to have a craft room that I can decorate however I want!

So, this morning, the kids and I painted these canvases and pressed their handprints. They loved it! Catie wasn't so sure about getting her hands in the paint, but she enjoyed watching it wash off in the sink.

Wondering what the paintings are sitting on? Here's my newest Craigslist buy. $50! Brad and I are going to paint it black and replace the hardware.

I've been spending all my free time thinking about how I'm going to decorate our new house. I can't wait!

Doctor Visit

2009-11-03T04:58:00.002-09:00

Yesterday I took the twins for their 3 year check up. We're getting to be old pros at this "new doctor" thing. We spent an hour with the doctor going over our family history (again), the twins' birth story and subsequent NICU stay (again), and the twins' general health (again) only to spend about 5 minutes on what they're doing right now. Hopefully we won't have to do that again for a long, long time.

The doctor caught the fact that they were given their 3rd Hepatitis B vaccine too early, so we had to give it again so that it won't cause problems when we enroll them in school eventually. We also gave them the first dose of the H1N1 nasal spray.

Catie was up first. I explained to her that the doctor was going to put some medicine in her arm and it would hurt a little, and that he was going to spray some more medicine in her nose. She was a little surprised by the pain, and cried pretty loudly.

Meanwhile, Nick's dancing around at my feet saying, "I want in the arm and up the nose! I want in the arm and up the nose!"

Needless to say, he was not pleased when he found out why Catie was crying. We had to hold him down to get the spray up his nose.

Everyone stopped crying, however, at the prospect of candy. And, after a few licks of a sucker, they both danced out of the doctor's office.

Here are the stats:
Catie 30 lbs, 36.25 inches
Nick 31 lbs, 37.25 inches

Both are slightly below average, in the 40-50th percentile.

According to the BabyCenter height predictor, Catie will be 5'2" and Nick will be 5'10" at age 18. :)

Like Cats and Dogs

2009-11-02T06:50:00.003-09:00

"Hmmm...what's brother got in his bucket?"

Look at him sweetly smiling while she steals his candy.
"Oh, man. It's just a piece of paper."

"Look what I just stole from brother's bucket!"

The Inspection

2009-11-01T20:03:00.004-09:00

The inspection is done. The house looks great--no issues at all. Brad took a few pictures for me. It's a little messy since the renters were in the process of moving out. Good news for us though because we might be able to close a few days sooner and get in before Thanksgiving!
I have a view of this mountain from the kitchen sink and the master bedroom.

When you walk in the front door, there's a formal living/dining room on your left and a den (our playroom) on your right with the stairs directly in front of you. (That's our real estate agent on the stairs.) The doorway to the left of the stairs leads to the kitchen. The hallway to the right goes to the half bath, laundry room and garage and the family room.

Here's the view from the top of the stairs.

This is the master bedroom.

And the kitchen.And the family room.

So, that's pretty much it. There's three other bedrooms upstairs, but it's hard to get a good picture. Once we get settled, I take more pictures. I'd rather not post a picture of the front of the house for safety reasons.

We're getting really excited!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T14:44:00.002-09:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Starring my mom as the Mad Scientist

Nick as Frankenstein's Monster

Catie as the Bride of Frankenstein

my dad as a werewolf

baby Wesley as Dracula

If it's not loading, click here.

I love to crochet!

2009-10-28T14:14:00.003-08:00

I am so enjoying my new hobby (obviously.) :) Here's my newest scarf. This one's for Brad.
I can't believe I forgot to mention on here that we're under contract on a house! It's a two-story, five bedroom house. We know it's going to meet our needs for a long time. The inspection is on Friday. Pending that that goes well, we'll be closing the day after Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday, Catie and Nick!

2009-10-24T06:45:00.002-08:00

Yesterday was Catie and Nick's 3rd birthday. I had big plans for a fun day, but they both have bad coughs so I decided it was best to spend the morning at home.

After naps when Daddy came home, we revealed their big gifts, two giant stuffed animals from us and a spring horse from Grandma and Grandpa Herzog. (Remember my side of the family had a party last month.)

Brad and I have been craving mediocre pizza and crazy children, so we went to Chuck E Cheese. (Just kidding--most of the time I enjoy Chuck E Cheese almost as much as the kids.)

When we got home we enjoyed some cake and ice cream. (I bought this cake from Walmart and I'm not ashamed to say that a major part of my decision was the cool platter it's on.)
Grandma and Grandpa also sent cowboy and girl outfits for them to wear on their new horse. Catie wanted to wear it all night.

Nick started out delicately eating his icing with a fork.

But soon, he looked like this. (Sorry for the out of focus picture. I couldn't get him to look up from the cupcake.)

In other news, the people wouldn't budge on their house price, and we're just too far apart. (The comps are on our side.) So, we're going to look at another house for a second time this morning and probably make an offer on it today.

I've finished another scarf, this time one for me. This one is the most complicated I've made so far. I'm really proud of how straight and even it is. Brad's is next!

Herzog Family: News and Musings

Happy Memorial Day

Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Springtime at the Herzog's

Yum.

An Awakening

Lenten fast

Making cookies

Snow fun

An edited photo...

Winter Wonderland

A trip to the pumpkin patch

Happy Halloween!

Nick and Catie are 4!

Parades

Toon Town

Princess Fantasy Walk

More Disney Fun: Rides

Character Meet and Greets

Oops.

Ariel's Grotto

Disneyland!

We're back!

What do you think?

Brad's company picnic

Fun lunches

First Day of Preschool

Chatty Catie

Separate Rooms

Catie the ham

Hello, Internet

Happy Anniversary to us!

Summer Plans

Let's go swimming in the swimming cool

Back in the saddle again

This book is amazing

Momology--A Book Review

Mothers' Day Painted Trivets

Long overdue and really long

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig!

Busy, busy, busy

Can't pull one over on my three and a half year-old girly

A P-R-K* in our backyard!

Garage Sale Season!

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and the rest of our trip to Portland

Oregon Zoo

Portland Bound

Sometimes He keeps us from falling

A Gift

My little flower girl

Easter

Taking a nice Easter photo

Tulips!

I love this girl

Eggs!

yard work

A nice morning to go to the park

Murphy's Law

Just do it already *Edited to add visual aids*

Good enough is not good enough

In the playroom

Making things (Edited to add more pictures)

God forbid

Kids....

A new old video for you

I know what's important, part 2, or Our week in food: the reviews

Out of the frying pan and into the fire isn't exactly the right cliche for this but it's the best I can come up with

God's in charge and I'm not

I know what's important

I've been having too much fun

Catie's "Inner Mommy" is nicer than me

Jesus, our High Priest

Resolutions revisited

I'm a green golden retriever

2009: A Recap

The walk of shame

New Year's Resolutions

YouTube is good for me

Christmas Review

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Identity Crisis

Just do it already Edited to add visual aids