Happy Father's Day

Papa with the boys...


Dan with his Dad...



My Dad with the grandboys...


Happy Father's Day!

Summer Vacation Plans

I am leaving tomorrow to start my summer vacation- I will be in California spending time with my family and friends. Attending my high school reunion, going to Sea World and Wild Animal Park, and going to a family reunion [Happy 90th Uncle Orville]. Then I'll be leaving my boys with family [Thanks Aunt Brenda and her family plus my mom] while I fly out to Savannah, Georgia to visit with my husband before he goes overseas. He will be flying out of the States for Kuwait July 8th so keep him in your prayers... I probably won't be posting much on my blog [I don't have a laptop yet] while I am on vacation and look forward to bombarding you all with pictures and stories when I return.

Much Love,
Mab

This is the picture that I currently have on my desktop- I think it captured both of the boys' personalities pretty well and it is hard to post on the blog without a picture [I love showing off the boys and my awesome camera]:

Brighten up!

Before [taken with just natural light from outside]:

After:


Thanks Dad and to my brother for installing under-the-kitchen-cabinets-lights!!! I love the spotlight on my cooking.

Stop and smell the roses

One of my favorite places in Portland is the Rose Garden in Washington Park area and is probably the hardest thing about moving into our house was moving so far from this wonderful garden that the boys and I love take strolls in, play at the Ampitheatre on one side of the Rose Garden, and the playground that we've dubbed "Castle Park" on the other side of the garden... We visited last Thursday:


In case you can't see but there is a bee in the rose...

Solomon using the leaf as a shield.

Me with Solomon and Cyrus

Wrapped in love

At our May FRG [Family Readiness Group] meeting, the boys got to choose a blanket from Project Linus and Solomon picked out a wonderful quilt that seemed to have been made with him in mind and Cyrus picked out a really soft blanket with a Zebra out in the safari on it. The boys are loving their blankets and I wanted to say a public "Thank you" to anyone who is involved with this wonderful organization [I hope to be a part of it in the future].

A sorrowful time

On the day that I posted here last, I received some very sad news that a friend of mine who I worked with had both of her children die and the nature of it is extremely heartbreaking but the details I won't mention here... It is hard to believe that a boy of 8 years and his sister of 6 years are gone but they had love life and God very passionately with their time on earth. Yesterday was their memorial and it is hard to say goodbye even knowing that they are in God's embrace forever...
As a friend of the family and as a mother myself, I have been in a very sorrowful place. My boys seem to understand and are sad for their friends and want to help mom feel better but my own grief will take some time and the boys are being very understanding of that. It is also during this time that I miss my husband as death of a love one always has us hugging those that we love around us a little extra tightly...

I am praying for my friend and the losses of her wonderful children and would love it if you joined me...

“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”
Eskimo Proverb

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (New International Version)

Goodbye Tyler and Kylie

Beach

We went over to the coast to visit some friends of ours. And enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach but still cold enough to wear your clothes into the water...

Pearson Air Museum

Last week I had to go to Fort Vancouver- which is more of a historical place than an active military post but has the capabilities of getting my new military id and to wow the kids. There is a neat museum in the same area: Pearson Air Museum and it has many cool things to see and even do and right now there is a special exhibit: Snoopy As the World War I Flying Ace. There were a couple of the Snoopy as a Flying Ace comic strips to read and look at which the boys loved as they really got into Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and gang this past year.

Weekly Menu

Yikes- been a while since I posted- hope you'll forgive me and here is my weekly menu plan a day late:

Monday [Happy Memorial Day]: We had bbq chicken, grilled asparagus, salad, and watermelon-lemonade to drink.

Tuesday: For lunch it'll be leftover shredded chicken over green salad. Dinner is lamb kabobs, rice, and asparagus.

Wednesday: [Solomon has a field trip today and requested pasta for lunch but I'll make this Tues night] Lunch: Pasta [goat cheese, bacon, aspargus, and roasted red peppers] and watermelon. Dinner: Lox over green salad with garlic bread and lentil soup from freezer.

Thursday: For dinner marinated with an apricot chutney lamb, hummos, veggies, and flat bread.

Friday: For breakfast we'll have a hearty Farmer Skillet- potatoes, veggies and eggs. Lunch and Dinner will be eaten out as we're on a day trip.

Sat: French Toast. Lunch will be leftover lamb in pita sandwiches and for dinnerwe'll have Osso Buco with red sauce over pasta and veggies.

Sunday: Breakfast will be waffles with warmed fruit and lunch will be deviled eggs, veggies and hummos, and any leftovers in the fridge. For dinner, it'll be Roast, potatoes, wilted salad [kale, mustard greens, etc] and asparagus.

Monday: Lunch will be leftover roast on salad- done asian style. Dinner: Taco Salad [ground beef] for me and regular tacos for boys plus pineapple salsa.

Tuesday Dinner: Black bean soup, cornbread, and more pineapple salsa.