tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243349893248377152024-03-14T10:57:29.675-07:00Until......we can sit face to face...Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-81430563279331486922011-01-04T23:01:00.000-08:002011-01-05T02:11:23.844-08:00Thanks Hollywood...I've been thinking about this quite a bit over the last couple of weeks, and then Erik's blog pushed me over the edge to do the same thing. (Thanks Erik for letting me copycat...in many ways.)I saw a bunch of movies last year. It's been a while since I've seen that many in a year. I remember the days when it seemed like Steve & I were seeing a movie once a week, or at least 2-3 times per Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-61860031287739453762011-01-03T23:10:00.000-08:002011-01-04T01:38:22.641-08:00A new show --- and it surprised me...Day 3. I found a new show. I know, I know. TV is considered wasting time. It's entertainment that can numb and make you disengage. Tonight I caught a glimpse of one that made me think and look at things, I don't know, different. Call it an "aha" moment like she did, or maybe I just liked the inside peek into what has been so successful for such a long time. I can't say that I always agree Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-26986594990081846262011-01-02T22:56:00.001-08:002011-01-04T01:10:52.880-08:00I know I said I would...The last week of Christmas vacation has been full...of sickness. Sick everyone except me. Steve, Kaylee and Noah each had a run of it - some crisscross of symptoms and some things unique to each. Seeing that everyone felt fine by new years eve I thought for sure I was free and clear. I was wrong. So, I finish the break...sick. In bed most of the day. Wiped out but now not able to sleep (I Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-30389220944480294792011-01-01T23:07:00.000-08:002011-01-02T00:37:55.404-08:002011...Ok...It's 2011. Two thousand eleven. It's a weird sounding year isn't it. I mean we're past the 05, 08, 09 kind of years --- we can just say it's 11. Or can we? At the beginning of a year everything seems so different, but it really isn't. It's a flip of a calendar, the change of one numeric figure in a string of numbers we see often. Yet - when a new year comes we have this opportunity (Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-80394602706404606922010-10-04T01:54:00.000-07:002010-10-04T02:14:30.393-07:00While I'm Waiting...Heard this today and sent me to prayer for many I know who are in just a "waiting" kind of place - some things are exciting, some not so much... either way, my prayers are with you all and I am trusting Him to hold you close...while you wait. I am committed to pray and wait with you... I'm waitingI'm waiting on You, LordAnd I am hopefulI'm waiting on You, LordThough it is painfulBut Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-22140250394309345852010-09-15T00:54:00.000-07:002010-09-15T01:07:37.296-07:00The answers...So, here are the answers...1) What did Noah say what he was looking forward to most about camping last weekend?? Noah said he was most looking forward to "mama being cold." And I was, at night. Actually I stayed up the latest (surprise surprise) sitting by the campfire. I was surprised at the roller coaster of temperatures we had. At the dock in Florence it was 85, but at our campsite - 65. Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-87343521782950406792010-09-07T22:34:00.000-07:002010-09-07T22:46:15.617-07:00Whatcha think?? (A few guesses from you first...)Tomorrow I'm probably posting about the beginning of the school year... the next day I'm planning to blog about camping. This past weekend we took a family camping trip to Florence, Oregon (not Italy). Bu before I post... I'd love to hear your guesses about a few questions...1) What did Noah say what he was looking forward to most about camping last weekend?? (This was obviously a pre-trip Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-12118739640836861682010-09-06T22:56:00.001-07:002010-09-06T23:28:24.978-07:00It comes...and it goes... and I didn't even realize it......And that's ok. I didn't realize until Steve told me that my "40 days of blogging" are over. It actually ended on Friday, September 3rd. I posted that day. And the next. I missed Sunday. And that's ok too. There's no life requirement that I blog every day. But guess what? I realized during the course of this 40-day journey that I kinda like it. It really was a lot of fun. It still isMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-34978567328759794702010-09-04T22:03:00.000-07:002010-09-04T22:04:18.708-07:00It's a little surreal...... that I'm sitting by a roaring campfire, looking at a sky full of stars, and I'm posting a blog by using my phone. I can't be the only one who thinks... Wow. That's crazy. I think we continue to take for granted the technological advances. Just like we take for granted the star-filled sky overhead. To say this sky is beautiful is an understatement. To say it is awe-inspiring is not enough. Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-57458692914897026942010-09-03T14:30:00.000-07:002010-09-03T14:30:00.249-07:00A confession...Somehow during high school I never learned a foreign language. Nope. I got to use my extra elective credits to do more music classes, and yearbook. Last part of my Senior year I had Orchestra, Jazz Lab, Symphonic Band, English, Band Assistant, and Yearbook. That was a rockin' schedule!! Anyway --- I'm "old" enough that foreign language was covered under my humanities credits, and all these music Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-72979839232228213412010-09-02T23:22:00.000-07:002010-09-02T23:36:49.827-07:0010 minute break...So maybe not break... I had a busy day today, and just needed to get out for a little while, so I headed to Kohl's. Normally that wouldn't be a quick break, but I knew I needed fresh air, and I knew I needed to go today. Why? I had a $50 Kohl's Cash credit someone gave us, and today was the only day I knew I could use it before it expired...so off I went.I got the parking space literally right byMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-39855167829916888882010-09-01T23:03:00.000-07:002010-09-01T23:44:56.771-07:00A great celebration...It's official. Steve can now wear this... his new pride and joy... his "retirement" shirt. He bought it to wear EVERY DAY (at least for part of the day) until he gets a new job. Oh, it's a "classic" --- check out the footwear too... He's a walking fashion statement to say the least. So, since it's official... it meant it was a day of celebration. So we met a big group of friends at Adam's Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-10087026997202810452010-08-31T23:59:00.000-07:002010-09-01T01:19:12.434-07:00Emancipation...That's the phrase Chele claimed for Steve's lay-off from Nike. And I like it. Set free. It's not even so much about being set free from something as it is set free for something. I know that sounds kinda weird - really it's both the same thing I guess. But being set free from something has you spending most of your energy thinking about that which has locked you and held you back and kept Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-4857541733146779922010-08-30T23:26:00.000-07:002010-08-30T23:32:34.006-07:00Dear Steve...I love you.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-33205616296757465152010-08-29T21:29:00.000-07:002010-08-29T21:45:49.684-07:00My hubs says...I'm a little competitive. But not with everyone. There is this weird somewhat ferocious ugly side of me that comes out when friendly competition is at hand. Maybe it's because I'm no good at actually participating in sports (can't throw a football, take a shot, make a goal, throw a frisbee...), so I know I'm not going to win anything that way. I was a statistician for basketball in high Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-26262056400356929232010-08-28T23:43:00.000-07:002010-08-29T21:46:22.039-07:00An unexpected visitor...So I was wondering what I was going to blog about today...when God brought us a visitor...Kaylee, Noah & I were in the back yard sitting in a circle playing Hot Potato (literally, potato - going around the circle - laughing and singing Phinneas and Ferb)... when I see something on the patio which is about, oh 5 feet from where we are sitting. Immediately I tell the kids to quickly get up andMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-77918876878950613602010-08-27T23:59:00.000-07:002010-08-28T00:04:26.247-07:008 Minutes...I have 8 minutes until midnight and sure want this posted before the clock strikes twelve. OK, so I don't have a clock that will strike twelve, but it'll be midnight either way... Eight... Eight... Eight... Here we go. EIGHT things I did today1) Slept until about 8 am... =)2) Had a fun Mama/Kaylee day3) Ate at PF Changs for lunch (mmmmm... lettuce wraps)4) Talked with my hubs about a phone Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-5500249336065887662010-08-26T23:50:00.001-07:002010-08-27T18:04:53.940-07:00A little rant...I'm borrowing one of Erik's words... I'm just wondering - why is it that in order to tale advantage of the best sales prices at a grocery or drug store you have to fill out an application and get a 'card.' really?? What ever happened to, and on sale today is...'??? And why is it they ask for so much on the app?? Name, address, birthday, gender... I know- they want to track my every move in Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-58962765331680170802010-08-25T21:38:00.000-07:002010-08-25T21:43:47.460-07:00That reading thing... (Blog A today...)As I've mentioned I've started two classes this week... and here are my textbooks for these classes. I've read a little over half of what I need to read for tonight - yeah, I know...read!!! - ... but I have to confess, just like when I was in high school it's hard to read what you "have" to read versus staring at what you want to read, which is sitting in a pile next to you as well... Don't get Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-88992595247433900862010-08-25T21:30:00.000-07:002010-08-25T22:22:21.082-07:00Blog B --- a sneak peek...Today we had a long staff meeting --- and I have to say - I love them. I love the staff I'm a part of and I love our staff meetings. Today was more of a mini-retreat I think, and an "official" sneak peek into our new community center building, Broadway Commons, 1300 Broadway, Salem, OR 97301 --- Grand Opening September 11-12, 2010!! Let's just say - the layout is amazing, the furniture is so Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-67064828716377865432010-08-24T10:00:00.000-07:002010-08-24T10:00:00.941-07:00School's back...So, summer break for me is officially over. This week I'm starting TWO classes for the next five weeks as part of my time with Crown College getting my bachelors degree. Oh, I only have 16 chapters to read over the next two days (HA!), but I am excited about these classes. They include journaling, interviews, a spiritual retreat (Upper Room here I come!!!), reading an author I've hoped to readMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-75607868599149732662010-08-23T22:29:00.000-07:002010-08-23T22:59:11.714-07:00Cup-cake-paloozaYesterday, inspired by Cupcake Wars, we embarked on Cup-cake-palooza. 4 kids. 7 adults. 144-ish cupcakes. 8 containers of frosting. Nerds. Swedish Fish. Jelly Rings. Fondant. Cool Mist. Enough sugar to make a herd of elephants run wild...Hannah and her turtle...Grace and her cheeseburger...Noah & his Despicable Me minyon & GruKaylee & her rainbow beach...Chele & her gluten free, Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-57367431580649785492010-08-22T23:55:00.000-07:002010-08-23T00:07:51.578-07:00The beginning of getting back to reality...Today we experienced a fabulous church service...We ate a great brunch at Cafe 22...This afternoon we were a part of "Cupcakepalooza" - I'll blog about that later.Tonight we ate Moe's (again) and then... unfortunately gave Jennifer a ride to the airport to fly back to Atlanta. What does that mean?Summer is starting to wind down. Regular world is close to setting in.Two classes start officially Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-60219801795996650102010-08-21T23:57:00.000-07:002010-08-22T00:47:49.241-07:00Mission...(This is kinda a continuation from yesterday. Well, the first part is.)Today we had our annual leader training event - Ignite. This is our first leaders meeting of the year, where all student ministry leaders/volunteers come together for training, planning, and of course fun and food...and there was plenty of that!!In our 2nd session, Brian spent time talking about mission - our mission Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224334989324837715.post-1579008890128449552010-08-20T22:39:00.000-07:002010-08-22T00:33:25.965-07:00Give me Heinz for my burger but not...I'll say it. I'm a ketchup snob. I love Heinz Ketchup. All others are those longing to be ketchup. (Sorry.) But ok, ketchup lovers --- anyone else bothered by this picture?? See anything that just seems a little crazy...I may be about to show my age...I may just be on a rant, but, well, here it goes. Here's my perspective - Social media should be about people and causes...not about Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04894468669742563318noreply@blogger.com2