Fun with the Kids at Willamette Valley Fruit Co. Harvest Festival

The kids and I spent an entire afternoon playing at the Willamette Valley Fruit co. Harvest Festival last week after school.  The kids had a great time jumping and running from one activity to another! Huge smiles and lots of fun together as we picked out pumpkins from the pumpkin patch, sailed through the air on a zip line, had ducky races, climbed all over and then slid down huge bales of hay, ate our picnic lunch and then had icecream cones to finish off the day of fun!

Take a look at this picture of the corn maze! There were 3 corn mazes…we attempted and made it through the first and second phase. After spending 30 minutes in the second phase, the kids decided that the 3rd phase might just take too long and so they opted to return to playing and doing the other activities on the farm.

Annie and Nathan LOVED the zip line! It took Nathan a bit of time to warm up to the idea of swinging through the air…but soon he joined Annie in the fun!

Coming soon…

October 22nd I was excited to be invited to Kendra’s ultrasound appointment! Twin A is measuring 5lbs 3oz and Twin B is measuring 4lbs 15oz!!!  They are growing fast and within just a few weeks we expect to welcome these little girls into the world! I am thrilled to be an aunt of twins…though I have to say a little worried about being able to tell them apart at first especially! 

I know Kendra and Jason are excited, yet a little nervous about being parents for the first time (and parents of twin girls)!!!  I know that they are going to be great parents. There is always a learning curve for new parents…I know there was for Ammon and I…but I know that not only are they capable…they will thrive as parents! Their hearts are full and ready to love…that is the most important thing! God will give the strength and help to do the rest!

I can’t wait to post pictures of the twins within the next few weeks! Stay tuned…

Bat Friends

Nathan and Garrett dress up and give their best tough guy, super hero faces!

Women of Faith Weekend

A fun weekend away with the girls: Heidi, Katherine and Rachel! Worship and amazing speakers who shared the theme of the weekend how to be expectant and God can do more than we ask or Imagine!  I think my favorite speaker of the weekend was Marcus Buckingham, a speaker who talked about personal strengths and recognizing who HE made us to be. 

We stayed in Portland on Friday night and had a great time just hanging out and having “girl time.” With all my responsibilities that I have with Hearts at Home ministry, I have been really busy. This time was just what I needed to get “filled up” again and head back home refreshed.

Game day in Eugene…

ESPN Game Day came to Eugene for the Stanford/U0fO game on October 2nd! Ammon got me a “standing room only” ticket for the game and I went down with Craig, Sarah, Uncle Vern and Steve Arzie. Great game… 51-31 DUCKS VICTORY!!!

We went down early to avoid the traffic and had a great time together!  We ate lunch at Chile’s…

…then Rick was able to get us a tour of the newest building on the University of Oregon campus, the Student Athlete’s Academic Building. AMAZING!  The detail they put into this building is incredible. The company that Kim works for, Grove, did a lot of  the impressive wood engraving on the main level of the building that highlight student all-stars…  

There were also funny details that they included…

Sign inside the Joey Harrington auditorium.

Sign on the staircase. Sign inside the elevator.

Besides the funny details that obviously show the rivalry with the school to the north…the academic tutoring rooms, freshman lockers, study areas and the guided tour of the building was impressive!  State of the art in every way. I would imagine that this would be a huge recruiting tool for the university. It was fun to tour. U of O says, “Thanks Uncle Phil.”

The day ended with eating at BJ’s before heading home.  I ended up getting a picture with Greg Oden (Portland Trailblazer), who had been at the game!

What a fun day!

Backyard fun

Following the leader, checking out the bugs/spiders in the bushes, playing football and chase! Annie, Nathan, Garrett and Micah enjoyed playing this beautiful fall afternoon! Cousins just hanging out and having a great time together!

 

Showering Kendra and the baby girls with love!

With just a couple of months to go…we had a great time throwing a twin baby shower for Kendra! Complete with games, food and lots of people who came to shower Kendra and the girls with gifts and love!

Kim, mom and I worked to make a “dessert bar” for the shower. Sarah did a great job on the invitations and decorations. Annie drew a great picture for the girls!  A great combined effort to welcome these little girls into our family…showering them with 

Friends from work and church, family from Washington and Oregon and family friends…a group of almost 40!   I’m so excited to be an aunt to twins! It’s not much longer!!!

Oregon VS Portland State

Ammon and I went to the Duck game this week together. Despite the Autzen Stadium forecast, “It never rains at Autzen Stadium” it rained the entire game and not just a little bit!  Poured. But we still had a lot of fun!!!  Our section even won free “bloomin onion” appetizers from The Outback Steakhouse. 69-0 was the end score!

See that ball in the air?  Another touchdown for the DUCKS!

Oktoberfest at Mt. Angel

Fun, food and friends at the Mt. Angel Oktoberfest!  This was the first time our family went to the Oktoberfest and we had a great time!  I think we have found another couple that enjoys “good food” as much as we do!  Sausage, sauerkraut,  fondue with veggies and bread, fish tacos, corn on the cob, sundaes and deep fried oreos. A sampling of the food our families enjoyed!  

Our superheros!

Annie, Jack, Olivia and Nathan had a great time hanging out.  looking at all the booths, trying on hats and listening to an accordion player were a few of the fun highlights.

A new season…

OK…I am now a mom with two children in school 5 days a week!  Excitement for the “extra time” (that really isn’t there as much as I thought it was going to be) and yet amazement at how quickly the time has flown by!  The big “THEY” say that the first 5 years of a child’s life is vital to their development.  I sit and ponder…have I done enough? Have I prepared them and given them the tools they need?

No longer will I be the person who my children spend the most time with in a day.  Their teachers and their friends will become the influences in their lives in many ways. Again I ask? Have I done enough?

I could be rocked by fear. I could be overcome with anxiety. Yet I feel confident that I, with the Lord’s help, have done the best job I could do, to prepare Annie and Nathan for life inside those school walls. Don’t get me wrong…my job is not over…in fact in many ways I know it’s just beginning.  However, I am learning in this new season of my life that God is good and I can have complete faith in HIM. He loves my kiddos even more than I do and already can see the path that is set before them. I am pleased that both of my children have chosen to ask Jesus to be their Savior at an early age…so as they walk in those school doors…I know that they are never alone! 

My 3rd Grader – Annie

Ready to go with her lunch bag over her shoulder and school supplies in hand…Annie was excited and ready to get to her first day of school!   Mr. Whetzel greeted her warmly at the door to her classroom!

Smiling from ear to ear the entire morning she settled in to her desk and started putting her supplies in the appropriate places.

Annie

  has always been social, ready for school and ready for a challenge. I am praying that this year she will continue seeing school as a place to grow and be challenged.  She has many friends in class with her and I’m sure will thrive in her new classroom! I am also excited that she has Mr. Whetzel as a teacher! He is one of the most organized teachers Annie has had…and I can tell this by the first letter (full of information and detail about his classroom, expectations and what the year will hold for the 3rd graders in his class) he sent home to parents. I love it!

 

My little girl is not so little anymore. I catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye sometimes and I think, “No way…she’s grown up way too fast!” Well it’s true…she is growing up fast and she even reminds me when I am bemoaning that fact, “Mom there’s no way you can stop it!” True…so very true. The book on top of her head won’t really work.

So I get to continue to support her, help her with homework, hear about all the things going on at school (with friends and the work she is accomplishing), encourage her and love her!  I get to be the one to dry tears when she is frustrated, empower her to always do her best and treat everyone with respect.  Most importantly, I will pray for her and with her!

Life for my little girl will only get messier as she grows up. I only hope and pray that I will be able to continue to remind her of Ammon and my undying support and love for her…while directing her back to her Savior who delights over her!