drip.drip.drip.

We're a little under the weather 'round here...

Hope to be rid of the achey bodies, feverish cheeks & drippy noses soon...

XOXO

~S

Last Outdoor Swim

Well- our pool is closed for the season.
We'll miss it- but we took FULL advantage from the day we moved in.


Last weekend we attended my "niece" T's (my bff Joc's little girl)b-day in Corvallis.
It was amazing to watch how my kidlets fear and lack of skill have DISAPPEARED when it comes to swimming. They jumped in with glee and never looked back... LOVE it.



T's party was wonderful fun. The weather was SUPREMELY perfect. No breeze until the end of the party- the setting sun was warm and made the pool glisten..it was PERFECT. I know I already said that- but it just WAS! Plus, anytime I get to spend time with Joc is appreciated-- our lives are both so busy, there's never enough occasions and opportunities, it seems.











THIS past weekend was nice too!


We had the hubster's dad over for dinner & a movie Friday night.
Saturday was ANOTHER birthday party- this time for my nephew, at Chuck-E-Cheese.
ALWAYS a hit with the kidlets. They amassed 2500 tickets in a couple hours!! ZOINKS!
I totally spaced out on taking pics there...still kicking myself for that.
Sunday was church, lunch at my parents (DELISH!) & a little bit of visiting (never long enough- esp. that day). Then early evening we headed back to church for Bible study. It was SO good!





Our church has jumpstarted its Women's Ministries and we've begun a Bible Study geared for women. Last night was the beginning of a really, really good thing. The Bible study itself is powerful, and the fellowship we're creating is much needed. Truly a blessing and I can't wait to see the growth of passionate, Biblical women- knitting our church body even closer. VERY exciting stuff.



Have a wonderful Monday, sweet friends & fam.


XOXO
~S

uh...did YOU realize??

Shop Till You Drop!
Originally uploaded by Celestial Charms

I just discovered that there are only *12 WEEKS* until Christmas!
Am I the only one now experiencing mild panic?!?
zoinks.

Friday.

Thrilling blog title entry, yes?

It's dark and rainy out this morning.
The kids are still snoozing away (it's a "no school" Friday).
The dog has been taken out, fed and is now snoring in the corner.
I have hot coffee in my hand and have been catching up on some MP3 messages of Harvest's GREG LAURIE . His teaching is SO good and Biblical- for everyday LIFE. Love it.

On the agenda today:
* Tidy up the house (Bob's dad is coming over for dinner tonite)
* Find my blasted running shoes. They've been MIA for weeks and it's driving me crazy, as I only have one pair of workout shoes.
* Read with the kids for an hour.
* Run a few things to the Post Office.
*Organize my coupons into a usable system

I'm going to give the Grocery Game a whirl in a week or so, once I'm stocked in coupons and organized on how to "play" effectively. I have a girlfriend who is KILLING it every week at the grocery store- and though I've heard about this before- I haven't been interested in trying it until I heard about her savings. It's CRAZY how much she's saving AND how she's stockpiling her pantry so quickly. I'm all about saving money, so I'll keep you posted!


We went out to lunch with the hubster the other day, to a little Chinese restaraunt downtown. The food was cheap and delish and I found a sweet little photo opp spot in the alley. The kids weren't too into taking pics- but I snapped a few to remind myself of what POTENTIAL is there.

Homebodies.

It's been a long, long time since I've posted.
We've been enjoying our new surroundings and just getting into the groove of a new school year and rhythm of daily life here.
It's still a bit surreal to me that we're here. It feels like a hazy dream-- as if this is a temporary vacation stay or...I'm not sure what. Just doesn't quite feel like "home" to me yet but that's not to say I don't enjoy it- I do.

I've had girlfriends ask me how often I've been downtown shopping or what boutiques have I unearthed so far... and I have to admit- I have had ZERO desire to go looking. I've been thrifting a few times and to the library a few times.. but that's about it for "desired" excursions. I think that's a blessing though- because the fewer trips to wonderful shopping locales equals fewer episodes of temptation, yes??

We're going grocery shopping this evening while the kidlets are at their first night of AWANAS, and I'm excited about THAT!!

A.) The kids love AWANAS and have been eagerly awaiting it to start again- so despite the drive down to Lebanon every Wednesday night at rush hour & getting home after 9pm- for them, their excitement and time with friends, and the Bible knowlege they glean- it's completely worth it to me.

B.) Filling our fridge and cupboards with groceries ALWAYS makes me happy. Ever since I was a kid, I've loved looking at a fridge full of food. When I was a girl, my sisters and I would chop up old JcPenny & Sears catalogs and make paperdoll families with fully loaded homes. I'd always pick the BEST fridge with the most "food" inside. And now- once we go shopping and restock- I like to just open the door and look at it. Ok... I like to EAT it too.

I'm going to try and post on a more regular basis now...we'll see how it goes.
Here's a few shots of homelife. Nothing grand, but all special to me.







I *LOVE* watching Matthew read to Josie. One of my favorite things. He's an excellent reader- it's come to him quite naturally, he just doesn't LOVE it. I've yet to find something that grabs hold of him and makes him WANT to read... even Star Wars and Superhero chapter books haven't done the trick. I picked out a few at the library yesterday- we'll see how it goes.

XOXO
S