My Bloghop contribution :D

Hello -
I almost forgot to post my freebie bloghop contribution!!!  I was so focused on getting it all done, I almost forgot to post a link.  Phew!  The bloghop is now over, but I'll be leaving my freebie up for a little while longer.

Click HERE to go to my design blog & pick up my freebie...
Get it while it's hot!

My First Blog Hop Contribution :D

Many of you know that I love digital scrapbooking and have been doing some designing.  Part of that was due to an Art of Digital Design class that I took earlier this year...  Our class is doing a freebie blog hop - where you can download freebies that are made with our Kimono collaboration kit.


It starts at midnight Eastern time TONIGHT!  Come on over to my design blog... to get my freebie and join the hop (9pm Pacific!).  Zindra's Design Blog


Below are pix of the papers and the element that make up the Kimono kit....

Are you ready for a Japanese Kimono themed Blog Hop??  Tonight at midnight Eastern time, the Art of Digital Design blog hop goes live!  There will be freebie quick pages galore, all of them created using papers and elements from the Kimono Kit (see below!), which is for sale right now at Jessica Sprague's website. 

All of the proceeds of the sales will go to the Red Cross to benefit those who suffered due to the Japan earthquakes. You are able to purchase the kit at 25% off until Sunday, June 5th, midnight eastern, after which it will be sold at full price.  So go grab yourself some digi goodness, knowing that you are doing a good thing at the same time! Happy scrapping...see you there!

Be sure to come back here - to my blog to get the Quick Page that I made with this kit!

Swing Batter Batter Swing!

It seems that Baseball has been the highlight of my Spring this year!  Well, it seems that I can stay awake for nothing else!

Pregnancy - at least the first trimester - doesn't treat me very well.  Well, at least it seems that way.  It's been nice that Rod's been home, unemployed, because I haven't had to worry so much about what I'm getting done or not getting done.  But - it's interesting to see how much isn't getting done - because Mom's not the one doing it...

Jaden is playing his very first year of baseball.  He's on the Mudcats.  Well, I have to say, that I never wanted any of my kids to EVER play on the Mudcats!  The two years that Josiah played Minors - the Mudcats were our opponents - and they were the team that always had the kids stealing bases when they shouldn't and took advantage of everything... when it just wasn't called for at that level.  Last year, Josiah was put on that team and we had him switched off.  The coach came up to Rod one day and said something about it - but we didn't really explain.  Josiah's a good enough player that everyone would want him on their team... Rod just shrugged it off.

Back to Jaden.  We've finally got used to the fact that he's a Mudcat.  And he doesn't know why we had a problem with it in the first place.  (The Mudcat - I realized after all these years... is a CATFISH. UGH!)  Oh, he's got such a long way to go in the land of Baseball... but he's doing it so whole heartedly that it makes up for all of the skill!  I think he's somewhat behind physically because of his eye sight.  And right now he's eyepatching and wearing eyeglasses that skew his vision (in the name of making it better in the long run.) But he's having a bit of a hard time to say the least.

This last Wednesday was his last game.  In it, he his twice (woot woot) and didn't need the T.  He was first baseman, pitcher and outfielder.  Rod has him on film... playing with dirt in the outfield :D  Oh to be 8 again!
He can hit, throw and catch - just about as well as any kid on his team.  Way to enjoy your first year Jaden!!

Josiah & Jedediah are on the Pirates.  Let me say that I L.O.V.E. their team.  They've only won 4 or 5 games and then gotten a couple of more through the other team forfeiting.  But... they have the best coaches that a mom could ask for.  The first week or so - I had Rod go talk to Coach Justin about the language on the team... and he told him that if the kids' language didn't improve that we were pulling our boys... Well, needless to say, it was fixed pretty quickly.  Josiah & Logan are the team captains.  The tallest and the shortest kids on the team :D

Josiah pitched every other game this season.  I watched him his his first (over the fence) homerun ever.  Boy that boy is enthusiastic!  And there's nothing quite like the smack of a ball going over the fence!  I was also there the day that he pitched a 14K game.  (Struck out 14 kids out of 18 available outs.)  He got balls from both of those games.  He also played 3rd base.  Which he's really good at.  Just didn't seem like there were many plays at the base for him this season.  (One of the dads from the opposing team bought Josiah a king sized hot dog when he hit that awesome home run.  Should have gotten a picture!  Silly me!)

Josiah & Jedediah's coaches started something new... they got a Pirates flag... and brought it to each of the games.  I really appreciated it because I always knew what side of the field I was supposed to sit on :D  The kids enjoyed it because they ran it around the field when they won a game...  Good times.  (This picture is of the day where the Seahawks mascot came to visit...)

Jedediah started out the year as a really strong hitter.  Something happened along the way where he just wasn't as confident.  It seems that he's going through what Josiah went through for the last two years... everyone knows he can hit - but just can seem to get it off of a kid pitcher.  That's not to say that he didn't get on base and score .. he did.  Just not quite to what he would have like to have done.  He also played mostly outfield (older kids usually play the bases b'c they are better).  And boy did Jed save the team a few different times with his great catching of fly balls.  He really excelled at that this year.  (When I was a kid I wanted nothing to do with fly balls... to afraid of getting hit in the face!)

All in all, it was a really great season.  A bit short feeling with so many games canceled due to rain or overly wet fields.  There's something a bit odd about seeing a guy with a leaf blower out on the field trying to get it dried out enough to let the kids play!!!!

What do the rest of us do doing all of this?  Julia always is great at meeting the sisters of the boys who are playing - so she has lots of baseball friends that she goes & plays with.  Rod & I are usually sitting on the bleachers with Jevonna... oftentimes taking pictures or eating garlic fries (which set well with me for about 1/2 of the season.)  When Jaden was with us for the Pirates games, he was often off playing with Julia.  Or sitting next to Grandma, Granddad or Garrett.. or off to the snack shop to buy candy.  Josiah & Jedediah only got to go to a couple of games of Jadens because of scheduling conflicts.

So the season is now about wrapped up.  After the 15th Josiah will be trying out for the 11-12 All Star team - and it looks like Jedediah may try out for the 9-10 team.  Hopefully it'll be a bit warmer the week of games in July...

Never The Same Again...

(Circa Summer 1991.  My picture from a YD Student Leadership hiking trip in the Cascade Mountains.  See me in the white shirt, on the right, with the poofy bangs??  That's ME!  Yes, there really was a deer in the background at the moment the picture was taken - which we didn't know about until the photo was developed!)

This last year Rod & I became a part of the Skagit Vally Youth Dynamics Steering Committee.  What a neat blessing that that has been.  It's unlike other ministry opportunities that we've had leadership experiences with.  Here, we are the support staff for the YD staff.  We have a few to do's... like we helped put on the YD Fundraising Dinner just this last Thursday night.  (Which was AWESOME, BTW!)  Thanks to everyone who came for all of your support!!!  But what I feel like we really do is provide support and encouragement to the staff.  We have a great Steering Committee that I see sticking together - we share the same heart and vision for the teens of the valley.

A bit of my story...  I have such a heart for YD because I was a student there for two & a half or three years of my high school days.  Two of those years I was one of the student leaders.  I found so much love and support there.  I also learned to walk in and walk out my faith during those days.  Gosh, I feel like SO, SO,  much of my life was shaped out of those couple of years... between my experience, my relationships with the youth leaders, the challenges that they gave us...  My experiences there changed my life & I was never the same again.

(Mission Trip 1992 with YD Student Leaders.  There's me circled.)

We took trips, did mission trips, challenge courses, rock climbing (can you see me out there!?), white water rafting, wilderness hiking trips, Rendezvous in Leavenworth and Chill Out! at Mt.Baker... I've thought so many times since then - that I wish that I could give my experiences to other kids.  (I've was even one of the students in their promotional video... I have a copy on VHS somewhere - I should see if I could find it!!!)

We haven't been involved at YD since about the time we were married.  The last few years though - Rod & I have been going on the white water rafting trips with YD Adventures.  So we've been in touch and have stayed pretty up to date on what was going on locally.

There hasn't been student ministry going on at the log cabin in Burlington for the last couple of years... and my has heart ached.  Then, last year, when we found out that they were hiring an area director, my heart soared.  Months later, we got a call from Bronco asking us to consider being on the Steering Committee.  After seeing how excited I was that there was going to be this youth ministry in the valley again - I just really felt like it is time for me to take part in what was given to me all those years ago.  Rod was on board - so here we are!  (I'd like him to post his own part of the story!)

So, here we are... part of the Youth Ministry that's going on in the Valley!!!  It's so funny, I never knew what went on behind the scenes when I was a teen... Looking back, I would have loved to been a fly on the wall in the Steering Committee meetings back then.  I had no idea that even though we aren't hands on in the ministry, that I would feel such a part of it.  It feels so good to be where God's hand is moving.  And you can just feel it!  It's so exciting!

Because we are on the steering committee - it's given Josiah an opportunity to get involved where he might not have normally been.. at least for a little while longer.  It's such a neat yet odd experience seeing someone else build a relationship with my son - in the way that they built relationships with me back in the day.  

Josiah's been going to Drop in on Monday afternoons and Rock Club on Thursday.  Drop in is where Jonas and the volunteer staff do youth ministry with about 20 kids that show up after school.  Rock Club is a Rock Climbing club - yes, I did say Rock Climbing.   Josiah and about 5 other boys (varies week to week) go with Jonas, Eric and Jared out to Mt. Erie to go Rock Climbing.  Yes, I just said that I've been letting my son climb rocks and repel week after week for the last few months.  CRAZY!  But since I know how particular and that they take every precaution - Rock Club isn't really a worry of mine.  I'm excited to see the kids build relationships and get challenged in their faith.

Josiah's going on a Friction Rock Climbing trip this coming week with Jonas and a couple other boys.  I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures of my son on the Rock!  Looking forward to seeing what the Lord is going to do in his life while his is gone (April 3rd - April 7th).  

If it's on your heart, please lift SV YD up in prayer... God's going something great here with teens in the Valley.  Also, if you could pray for good decisions on the part of the Steering Committee.  And for Josiah & his trip as well.  For a safe trip & that God would show him something - do something in him on this trip!

If you have teens who'd you like to see get involved somewhere - or if you have questions about Youth Dynamics in general, feel free to zip me an email - or leave a comment!

**First Snow**

 I always enjoy the first snow of the year.  This year though, I guess I have some issues - concerned about driving our van around in the snow.  Everyone says that this year is supposed to be worse than it was 2 years ago... Well, I need to give this one to God... but we had a h.o.r.r.i.b.l.e. time with chains 2 years ago.  We went through 2 sets and ended up using something called spider spikes - which were much better.

Besides that - snow at our house revolves around our turnstyle door and the dryer.  Normally, after a few days of snow it takes us, with all of our snow gear, a few days to dry out.  It's one of those things I sincerely don't look forward to.  Mainly because of all of the boots, I suppose. 

Recently, a friend of ours gave us a washer & dryer.  They got a new one, we "inherited" their old ones.  We had had our washer since the beginning of our marriage - so it's at least 13 years old.  Someone gave it to us when we were first married, so I imagine - it wasn't new then either.

Our dryer, we got off of craigslist 3 or 4 years ago.  Loved it when it was working... but it had lint troubles and the heating element went out on probably 3 times since we've had it.  It's just been time to get a new one!


So, anyhow, when these friends of ours asked if we wanted another washer & dryer, I jumped at the chance (mainly b'c of our dryer issues).  It's this cool double dryer.  Drys shirts, sweaters - has racks for stuff - and hooks for hanging things like shoes and gloves.  Didn't know if we'd like it - but we L.O.V.E. it!  Turns out that we use the top all of the time.  Since we've had this dryer - it's the first time in ages - that I've been able to keep up with the laundry!  Amazing!

 It makes days, like yesterday and today, a little more tolerable.  Knowing that we aren't going to have wet stuff hanging over chairs and drying in front of the fire.   I sure do enjoy all of the *joy* that happens just because it gets white outside.  Happy kids.  Smiles.  Red cheeks.  Hot Chocolate.  Everyone all bundled up.  Neighborhood snowball fights.  The beauty of it.  Thanks Lord, for reminding us of the beauty and enjoyment of one of your wonders!

Back to the van.  Well, we still have our spider spikes.  Rod grew up driving in the snow.  He's pretty darn confident.  The Lord took care of us before - and I know He'll do it again!!!