A Delightful Easter

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend. It rained off and on during the two days, but there were some very pretty moments with the sun decided to shine. We had a nice family weekend, with some friends sprinkled in. Friday night, Colin was going to a sleepover ( I cannot believe we are at this age) and Will was hanging out with friends, so Meli and I had a girls' night. We cuddled, ate junk food, and watched the new movie Peanuts (which was cute). Then I laid with her until she fell asleep. I had a good time with her, but was so ready for my "me" time. Had to catch up on my reading (slacking a bit) and on Blindspot (love the show).

Saturday we cleaned up (still adjusting to working) and dyed eggs. We had friends over that night for an Easter dinner (delicious ham, corned pudding, scalloped potatoes, and from the garden salad!) It was so nice to catch up with friends! Also, I got my baby time with sweet Aviel. She is six months and precious!

Sunday we went to a friend's church. They served brunch and had a nice Easter service. Afterwards, we were able to go out and do an egg hunt. There is another church that rents a room from this church for service. The families are mostly from a remote area of Guatemala. Remote enough that they do not all speak Spanish, but a mountain dialect. Some of the kids were in Meli's kindergarten prep class. I believe the group is a Pentecostal church, but they do not celebrate Easter like it is done here. It was very sweet seeing the kids in their traditional Guatemalan clothes doing an egg hunt for the first time.  I was very proud of Colin who gave more than half of his eggs away to some of the younger girls from that group that only found a few. One proud mama.

                                                   ~ Love, Hugs & Kisses ~
                                                               The B Family

Our New Adventure

The kids provided me with little trinkets to decorate my office

So...after almost three years at home with the kids, I am putting myself back into the professional world! Meli starts school next fall and the perfect opportunity came across my path. I am truly excited about this company and position. My title is the IT Business Analyst. A new position to the company and one I have some freedom to mold myself. I am most excited about the company. Their story and work mentality is very inspiring and intriguing! 

I am starting my 4th week. Our family dynamic has changed tremendously.  We are still adjusting to the new routine. Thankfully Meli only has to go to daycare/preschool part day. Definitely a benefit to her at this stage. It is working out nicely to have Will working east coast hours and at home. 

I am still figuring out my new workout routine and trying to be better at meal planning. Will has been so sweet at helping it out with cleaning and cooking. He is getting fairly good with a crockpot! It will get crazier with soccer starting and swimming lessons for both kids! 

The Luck of the Irish...Or not!

Our St. Patrick's Day celebrating over the years

May the sun shine, all day long,
everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
and may all the wishes you wish come true!

This year was a bit of a hectic St. Patrick's day. We love this day of celebrating parts of our heritage, but this time we did not have the luck of the Irish on our side. It did not turn out to be a horrible day. We just look forward to the day so much, that to sprinkle it with any unfortunate events was a little disheartening. 

We started the week, with the purchase of this little guy pictured, Odhran (meaning pale green). I found him at a little trinket shop (I love antique shops). One morning, Meli discovered that he was in a new location (a little curious). So they started to keep an eye out and noticed that each morning he was in a different place (even more curious!. Will and I had no idea what was going on. So, Colin came to the conclusion that maybe Odhran is a magical leprechaun!  Sure enough each morning he had moved to weirder and weirder locations. Then on St. Patrick's Day morning he had a chocolate surprise surrounding him. Colin decided to set a trap for him to see if we could catch him. His first trap was a little scary looking. He had sharp nails poking down a plastic jar. Will helped him with a more safe and humane approach.

Colin woke the next morning to all of our toilet water green and Odhran on top of the shoe box. Not captured like he had hoped. He did discover Meli's Elsa shoe inside the box too!

Colin's trap

That morning was pretty crazy with all of the kids' excitement with the magical discoveries, trying to get both ready for school, and myself ready for my day. I was also trying to start our Guinness Stew in the crockpot. I really need to start reading recipes the night before. There was a lot more that went into it then just dumping ingredients into the crockpot. It was totally worth the extra chaos. So delicious!

Later I came home to Irish music, a clean house and the lovely aroma of the Guinness stew. I opened a bottle of Guinness and started making the champ and traditional Irish soda bread....then Will's phone somehow (conflicting stories from Colin and Will) broke. Well the screen would not unlock and had lines going across it. I googled how to fix it, which involved tools and a suction thing...more work than either of us wanted to do. Sadly, it was Will's work phone and he needed it functional for work the next day. So, after dinner I headed into town to our local AT&T store. Thankfully the employee was very helpful and we were able to get Will added to our plan. I can no longer tease him about his tiny phone, since he got the iPhone 6 like me. He even got the plus, so it is better than mine. Such a stinker. I never get to brag about my phone because I always go for the oldest one they carry. For being in IT, I try to avoid the newest technologies.  The last time I got a phone, they did not have any of the "free" ones, so I got drawn in by the big stature of the iPhone 6. Totally out of character, but I really do like it. Anyways, my mom was also up for an upgrade...and they were having a super good deal on the iPad...long story short I was there quite some time. Until closing in fact. 

So, a bit of bad luck...but Will got a new fancy phone, the kids an iPad to use for educational games after school. If they earn it...that is another story though. At least the food was tasty, the beer delightful, and the company of family wonderful. 

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday!!!

I will leave you with a few of my favorite Irish blessings:

May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.

---

May St. Patrick guard you wherever you go,
and guide you in whatever you do--
and may his loving protection be a blessing to you always.

---

May God grant you always...
A sunbeam to warm you,
A moonbeam to charm you,
A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.

A Wonderful Soul

The kids' drawing

Yesterday evening was the first time I had to tell my kids (Meli did not quite understand) that someone they knew had passed away. Our family has lost some dear family members (Will’s Uncle Ed and my Aunt Kathleen) since the kids have been born; but they were either too young or had not met the person to truly understand what that means. It makes a difference (when that young) to explain that someone they had seen fairly often will no longer be there.

When we first moved back to Oregon, we were staying in Cottage Grove with my dad until we figured out where to next. While we were there, I was told about a program (resource center) that helps families figure out all things "children" in the area. They also had a place where kids could come and play while the parents visited. This place, APC, really was a life changer for me. It introduced me to three very, very special ladies (who work there) and connected me with some fabulous families in the CG area. Most of the people that I met in Cottage Grove were from that one location. I am so grateful for my time there!

One of the ladies, Ms. Peggy, was so helpful with any questions I had about the kids and the stages they were in. She truly was a wonderful instructor, person, and friend. She dedicated her life to children and supporting families. My kids adored her!!! They thought it was awesome that she had white hair with a dyed purple streak (it was pretty cool). Whenever we were in the area, the kids would ask to go visit Ms. Peggy, Ms. Lesly, and Ms.Ana Maria.

I found out a little later that Peggy was and had been battling cancer for several years. You would have never known from her attitude and patience with the kids. She would come back from a chemo session and be so happy to see the kiddos. The last time I saw her when visiting, I could really see a difference in her physical appearance and energy. That was around Christmas time. Now she has gone on to the next part of her journey. I am so sad to say goodbye, but I know that her suffering is no more and she can find peace.

Colin was very sad to hear about her dying. He did say that we needed to say a prayer for her family and friends. He also thinks that she is able to watch us now from heaven and is happy.

Peggy –

My prayer...is that you know how very loved you are. I pray that our goodbyes and tears reach up to you. A little community was so blessed to have been a part of your journey. You will be forever missed. Thank you for your patience, guidance, and love for our children.

Here is a link to her cancer story that she shared. 

An After School Walk...at the Lake!!!

I absolutely love being in an area where just a few minutes drive and we are at the lake, the mountains, the city...just love it!! Yesterday, after C got out of school, we went with some friends to walk around the lake. It was such a beautiful, perfect day for it. Cool enough for a sweatshirt, but not uncomfortable.

We were actually walking on a (somewhat) service road (not a busy one). The path was easy (great for bikes too) and was right along the lake. About a mile down we took the kids to play around the lake. They all play hard and had a blast! I was grateful for a nice way to use their energy up. It can be harder during the winter to tire them out. Even though, this family braves the rain! We love it! Still...I do appreciate the sun when it decides to make an appearance!

     ~ Love, Hugs & Kisses ~  
                  The B Family

The Kids' Reading Corner

Colin saw me writing about some of the recent books I had read and asked why I did not do the same for the books I read to them. So, here it is The Kids' Reading Corner. We tend to read a lot of books as a family. The kids each pick out some from the library, then I will grab some to keep it interesting (or if they need to hear about a specific topic). 

Here are some of their favorites.

They tend to like books by Cynthia Rylant. She does the Poppleton series and Mr. Putter and Tabby. We have read all of the ones at the library, so we may have to order some. They are a good introduction to chapter books. Each one being only a few pages and they have pictures. This allows me to read some that are somewhat more Colin's level and still include Meli. 

Meli loves the Jan Thomas books like What Will Fat Cat Sit On. She likes the simple sentences that she can repeat after me or even memorize. Plus, they are funny.

We all LOVE the Piggie & Gerald books. Mo Willems is amazing!! Will and I will read these together. The kids love our voices for the characters (especially Will's Gerald). Meli loves to be Piggie in these books. Again, simple sentences and art. I highly recommend these books. 

I have to throw in the classics, of course! I also like to choose books that relate to something I can talk about. For example, with Make Way for Ducklings, I can talk about going to Boston and seeing the statue celebrating this book. The kids like what Colin calls "Text to World connection". 

I really enjoyed the Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns book. It is a very simple color book, but it introduces the kids to a different culture/religion. That is something that is very important to me. Especially with the current climate of politics and everything. I want to teach love and respect. Meli picked this one out. She is very attracted to bright colored covers and interesting art. She tends to pick ones that are non-fiction and about religion. 

Until next time....pleasant reading!

                                                Love & Hugs,

                                                 The B Family

My very late Welcome 2016 Post!!

I think this is the latest that I have written my "welcoming the new year" post.

As a family, we all got into making resolutions for the upcoming year. Below are a few of our resolutions for 2016

The B family:
*We need to be better at making family time. Even when life gets busy.
*Keeping our designated family night each week.
*Having the kids help out more with cooking and planning our meals. (They are both learning about GO Foods and WHOA Foods).
*Be even better explorers. (I keep forgetting to post my Portland area hikes. Multnomah Falls, the Columbia River Gorge, and Wahkeena Falls are so beautiful!  I am hoping to move that exploration to the southern parts of Oregon (I love Crater Lake) and maybe some surrounding states. I want Will to see California, Arizona, maybe Utah. It would be fun! 2016 the year for adventure!

Colin:
*Try to finish at least 1-2 chapter books a month.
*Keeping his room cleaner.
*Trying harder at listening and following directions (a tough one for him)

Meli:
*Saying Please and Thank you more often (she has let this one go a bit).
*Using her words when she is mad about something.

We will see how this goes. They both seem excited about it at least.

Sending happiness and light to all the readers, friends and family! I hope that you all have an incredible year, filled with joy and peace!

Big Girl Meli

I cannot believe how big Meli is getting. She will be turning 5 in just a few months! Kindergarten will be starting in September. Oh my! I may just cry when she starts. I really did not think that was possible, but it actually may happen. We were able to start her in this kindergarten prep class. Meli is so excited to go. I think it will be very beneficial for her. Colin turned 6, two months after starting school and Meli will not be 6 until there is one month left of school. I think it really helped Colin being one of the older ones. I remember seeing a big difference in some of the younger kids when he started kindergarten. So, I think any extra help will be good for Meli.

Around Christmas, we went to a local Elk's Club Santa dinner for the kids. It was really neat all that they did for the community. Each kid got to pick a toy and then were entered into a drawing to win a bike. A girl and boy won a new bike for each age group. Meli won!!!  It was perfect timing because her other bike was getting too small. We took her out today to test it out. She did such a good job on the bigger bike! I am so proud of her. 

           ~ Love, Hugs & Kisses ~
                    The B Family

NPR Music's Little Desk Contest

My husband's band, The E.L.P (or The Elena Leona Project) is entering a video in NPR Music's Little Desk contest.

I am so proud of them for taking this step. They are such a fun band to watch and be around. Here is the link to their video on youtube. Check it out! If you enjoy the video, show them the love by liking it on youtube!

Until next time...

Happy Holidays from the B Family (a little late)

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so much love from family and friends. This time of year can really be uplifting. It also can be hard when you are away from parts of your family. I miss Christmas in Virginia. I am hoping that soon we will be able to go spend the holiday back home. Will thinks it is funny that I say "back home", but for almost 7 years it was my home and it felt more so then other places I have lived. That is where we got married, started a family...yes it is "home".

Back to Christmas. We had a lot of fun, memory making moments. The kids and I went to a friend's house to decorate waffle cones like Christmas trees. The kids had a great time being creative and messy.

We had the kids help us paint the beams for their tents. They had no idea what the wood was for (we kept saying it was a secret), but they had fun just painting. 

As a family, we did a lot of baking on Christmas Eve. That was messy, chaotic, and fun!

On Christmas Eve, we let the kids open a pair of pajamas and either a Christmas book or movie. They were excited about their pajamas. I bought the book pictured below for Mae, because I thought the little blonde girl on the cover looked like her at that age. Too cute!

On Christmas Eve, P-Pa and Mi-Ma came over for dinner and desserts. While they were here, it started snowing!!! Kind of a white Christmas! Will always hopes for a snowy Christmas. One of the things I love about him! We sadly had to miss the Christmas Eve Candlelight service at church, but time just got away from us. Next year, Colin and I were very excited about the church Christmas songs.

Christmas morning, I was surprisingly the first to wake up. I was just watching the time go by, wondering when the kids were going to wake up. That was so unexpected.

I know that Christmas is about so much more than presents, but as a parent it is neat being able to watch the pure joy on your children's faces when they see what they got. 

This year seemed to be all about Legos for Colin (and Star Wars). While Meli mainly got My Little Pony (Equestrian Girls) and Frozen. 

They also got some neat techy things from the east coast family. They love their voice changer.

My mom made the kids each a pillow bed. They will only sleep on those now! The things are super comfortable. I kind of want one!

My mom came up for breakfast (pumpkin cream cheese bread) and opening gifts. Later in the day, we headed over to my dads for dinner. It was nice seeing the kids with their younger cousins. Meli was really good with Abel and Miles.

Colin and I keep up with my tradition of hot jello! I got to enjoy it in my new boot mug! Will thinks the concept is so weird, but I love it. Now that I am older, it is a way too much sugar for me- so I just do it the one day a year. 

I am totally stealing Meli's mask!

It was definitely a memorable holiday season. I am so thankful for the time spent with family and friends. 

Happy Holidays! Sending love and hugs!

                               ~The B Family