Fall vacation day 3-Beach day!

Ram, Ewe, Lamb 2 and 3 (the ones of our family that were not afraid to go in the water)

Our family plus Great Grandma and Grandma

Our family plus Great Grandma and Grandpa

Ewe, Lamb 2 and 3 

Ewe, Lamb 3, Grandpa

Ewe, Lamb 3

On past visits to Great Grandma's house, we spent one day going to visit Great Great Uncle Del and stopped by the beach for a few minutes on the way home from his house. The Lambs have never been excited to go to the beach and Lamb 2 was the only one that went in the water before.
This visit Great Great Uncle Del had other plans for the day that we wanted to visit. You know those people in their nineties have busy social schedules! Great Grandma still wanted to go to the beach. Grandpa expected the Lambs to not want to stay at the beach very long. I didn't even dress the Lambs in swim clothes as it was a little cool.
The first thing we noticed when we got there was the beach was full of shells. This meant there was something for Lamb 1 to do because he didn't want to go in the water. Except for posing for a few pictures he spent over an hour looking for shells with Grandma helping him. When we have been to this beach before there weren't very many shells. Lamb 2 and 3 couldn't get enough of the water. They spent over an hour in the water with the exception of posing for a few pictures. Ewe watched Lamb 3 that he didn't go out too deep, Ram watched Lamb 2 and also took some pictures. When Lamb 3 started chasing the birds was when Ewe was ready to be done. It was cool when we got there but being out in the sun warmed us up quickly.
Great Grandma was so happy they let her borrow the beach wheelchair and she was able to go right down to the beach with us and put her feet in the water too. When we returned the wheelchair Grandma remarked how much fun the Lambs had collecting shells. The man that worked there questioned if she was joking or wanted him to write a ticket. He then told us that as of January 1, the beach that we went to is protected and there is no collecting allowed. He told us there was a sign when we first came in the beach. We had not seen the sign. There were no other signs along the beach. I'll let you figure out if we took our shells or left them. The man did say that they are trying to figure out how to enforce the new rule. But that does make sense why we so easily found shells this time as compared to other years. The man said it just doesn't make sense for every single tourist to take a bag of shells home. So before we go back to CA we need to do some more research of where we can go that we are allowed to collect shells, for Lamb 1's sake.

After washing off the Lambs feet and cleaning them up as best as we could we went to lunch at a nice restaurant near the beach. Most of us had ribs, Lamb 3 had the fanciest grilled cheese sandwich I've ever seen and ate every single bite, and I think Lamb 2 had macaroni and cheese and ate all of it. I should have stopped with the ribs, but I chose to share a piece of lemon meringue pie with Ram. I didn't eat any supper after that big lunch.

Then we went to Target and Great Grandma bought the Lambs some Lego minifigures. She wanted to get them a treat.

After we took Great Grandma home then we rested in our room for a little while. Then Aunt Lois (one of Grandma's sisters) and Cousin Joe came to visit us. We walked over to the bar of a nearby hotel and had a nice visit. We ordered a couple of orders of sweet potato fries and also had drinks. The Lambs sat at this cute little table and entertained themselves pretty well by playing Lego minifigures and even played some card games by themselves. The adults sat near them and visited. It's hard for me to believe that Cousin Joe is now at the adult table, that is what happens after almost 11 years of marriage, the relatives grow up, even the ones you don't see often.

Ram, Lambs, Aunt Lois

Sorry for the poor quality photo from Ram's phone
Cousin Joe, Ram, Lambs

We ended up being up way too late before our Disneyland day, but it was nice to see Aunt Lois and Cousin Joe.

Fall vacation day one and two

Day 1: We flew from ID to Los Angeles by way of Portland. Grandma sat by Lamb 1, Ram sat by Lamb 3, Ewe sat by Lamb 2, and Grandpa got to sit by himself. Grandpa was recovering from being sick with a cold. Ewe was surprised that Lamb 2 was the most work for an adult-he is close to reading, but not quite so he can't read to himself like Lamb 1. He thinks he is too old to just play quietly by himself like Lamb 3. So he chose to do his math (needed help reading the problems) and wanted to be read to for the whole plane trip. Ewe was pretty tired by the time we got there!
We got settled into our hotel and went out to eat at a fish restaurant and tried to get to bed early after a day of traveling.
Day 2: Ram's dad was allergic to something at the hotel and Lamb 1 and Ram were too. Ram's dad worked it out to move to the hotel next door. So we packed up our stuff and moved hotel rooms. This one was much better than the first one. The first hotel had a lot of families going to Disneyland, the second one had more business travelers. There was such a difference, especially at breakfast-we could sit and enjoy breakfast without tons of people and children also at breakfast. We were so glad we moved for the rest of the week.
Because of the move we got a late start, but we finally got over to Great Grandma's house. The boys enjoyed picking oranges off her tree and eating them. They enjoyed playing in her backyard. It was cool when we were there, but we put on sweaters and were glad it wasn't as hot as some of our other visits.
We took Grandma to the mall to do some shopping. Then we all ate at Cheesecake Factory. We were there for an early supper and the service was very slow. Perhaps it would be better to go at normal supper time when they have more help? The meal was delicious though. Lamb 1 had Thai lettuce wraps and ate the whole thing by himself.
It was nice to finally see Great Grandma and spend the day with her.

Eating oranges from Great Grandma's tree in her back yard

Ram and 3 Lambs in front of Great Grandma's house

Away in a Manger

Our church is doing the CPH Christmas program, Away in a Manger, this year. Our former church did this program in 2008. Out of all the Christmas programs we did when we lived in MN, this one is my favorite. I was thrilled that this was the one picked by our church this year. The director of the program asked me about the program-if we wanted to do all the suggested hymns or substitute a few more well known ones for the less known ones. I decided to watch the video I made when we did the program in 2008 to see how we did it then to answer her question.
The Lambs were surprised to see me watching a Christmas movie. Lamb 1 complained right away that it was too sad to watch because that was our former church. I didn't even tell him that it was sad for me to watch too because a few of those members who participated in the program have now joined the Church Triumphant.
Lamb 3 was Baby Jesus in the program, Lamb 1 and 2 were shepherds. They were all very good for the program in this recording, I know they weren't so good for all the Christmas programs. Lamb 2 looks so little in this recording. In the recording, Lamb 1 was about the age of Lamb 3.
We bought our camcorder when Lamb 1 was born and we really haven't used it very much. I have no recordings of Lamb 2 or 3 as babies around the house or beginning walking or anything like that. But we did record all 3 of the Lambs baptisms and each year we recorded the Christmas program. We don't watch those Christmas programs often, but since we have moved away those memories are priceless to me. When the Lambs watch those recordings it will jog their memory to keep those memories of our former church in their minds. Thank you Jesus, for helping us to make those recordings, to have the equipment work, and for having Costco help us get them on DVDs to easily watch.

My turkey cookie cutter frustration

Last week I made cut out cookies for our church bazaar last Saturday. I made about a dozen and a half turkey shaped ones and then my cookie cutter broke. After the cookie cutter broke I made bears and flowers and leaves. Saturday I was at the bazaar helping most of the day. Sunday I rested. Monday I began my search for a cookie cutter went shopping.

I knew Walmart had Christmas things in the place of all the fall/Halloween decorations when I was there on October 31, so I didn't even try there. I tried Target, Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Michaels, Zurchers (a party store), Fred Meyer (like Meijers for my Midwest friends), and Craft Warehouse. A few of those stores had sets with about a dozen cookie cutters that included turkeys. None had just one turkey cookie cutter. I must say the salespeople were very helpful trying to assist me. One suggested some stores in the mall but I really didn't want to fight traffic to go there. I don't even want to think of going to 3 towns and spending 6 hours shopping on Monday! Thankfully I did some other shopping while I was hunting for the cookie cutter.

I tried now even though the bazaar is done, thinking if I went before Thanksgiving I would find one. Oh how foolish an idea that was! Ewe, Halloween is over so they have Christmas in every available space in the stores now. Ewe, forget any fall or Thanksgiving decorations until next August or maybe you would have better luck in July. Ewe, don't forget that the stores are crowded now with people buying Christmas decorations.

Craft Warehouse finally had a cart with a set of 4 fall cookie cutters with a sign that it was $3.37. I didn't want acorn or leaf or pumpkin because I already have some of those or wouldn't ever use them. But after no success at any other store I decided to get them.

When I got up to the register it rang up as $4.99. I questioned and it took a long time to look it up, they discovered that the sign I saw was for the week of Halloween when it was on sale. The price was now $4.99 but they would give me the sale because I questioned it. The cashier kept saying that I said the price was $3.97 and I kept correcting her that the sign said $3.37 as she talked to other salespeople to try to figure out my sale.

Guess what the price on the receipt was when I got home...

$3.97

Good thing my cookies sold so well at the bazaar...

Oh how I wish we still lived in rural MN at times like this. I know exactly which local (20 miles away) drugstore to go to that would have had turkey cookie cutters and they probably would have been on clearance. This shopping in the city is not for me. I also know that next week I will probably see several turkey cookie cutters at stores that I did not try on Monday.

I now have a new turkey cookie cutter. I just hope that the preschool sells cookies at next year's bazaar...

Voting

The last two presidential elections we lived in so small of a town that there was no polling place. On years when the president or governor was elected our ballots were mailed to us and we returned them by mail. Some years there were no ballots or elections.

Last fall we moved too close to the election time so we were unable to vote last November. (You need 30 days of residency.) I was very excited to go to a polling place and vote in this year's primary and on Tuesday.

On Tuesday we had no line although there were others voting at the same time. They also remembered that we had voted in the primary because we brought the Lambs along to vote again.

Our voting place is at the public library. I love our new tradition of taking the whole family to watch us vote and then checking out books afterwards. The Lambs will see that voting is important.

It's the little things like getting an "I voted" sticker that mean a lot to me now.

Happy Birthday to Ewe!

I'm grieving the election results today. The implications of what more people in our country wanted as a worldview is frightening and immoral. Neither the unborn or disabled or elderly are protected with Obamacare or were remembered on election day. The definition of traditional marriage lost the day in our former state.

I have been too busy to plan meals for today so nothing special. Ram's schedule doesn't allow us time to go out to eat for any meals today. Each birthday is a reminder to me that I'm getting closer to the age where it will be impossible for me to hold another babe in my womb.

Our weather has drastically changed. Yesterday was 72 degrees. Today it is 60 and we expect temperatures in the 30's and rain tonight. We don't have rain often in this desert and if it does rain I feel like God will be shedding tears for us.

Yet I have a wonderful mom that wrote me a note for 39 days before my birthday. A sister that gave me chocolate for my birthday. A mother in law that gave me nice tea and other treats for my birthday. A calendar day with nothing on the schedule for me today. I'm thankful that I didn't have to go out in public, I may have said some words I regret later. I'm thankful that the election was not on my birthday. I'm thankful that Ram and I got to celebrate my birthday a few weeks ago with a date to Cherish the Ladies.

So today I went back to bed for a little this morning after I got Lamb 3 off to preschool. We opened presents when he got home. Ram made lunch. I had a nice cup of tea and some chocolate this afternoon. I'm going to make homemade pizza tonight. I'm going to plan my birthday meals for Ram's next day off. I was pleasantly surprised that when I logged onto Hotmail today it wished me a happy birthday!

I'm thankful for a husband that has a good job that he likes even if it keeps him away today and one that doesn't have to travel so will be home tonight. I'm thankful for 3 boys, one which made me a homemade card that was precious. I'm thankful for pretty independent boys now-especially to be done with diapers! I'm thankful for a church family that remembered my birthday. I'm thankful to get along with inlaws, parents, and my sister so well. I'm thankful for good health and a nice home.

And after a night of mourning, I will take a big breath and pray for President Obama and our Congressmen and Senators. I will continue to pray and fight for the rights of the unborn. After a big gulp I'll try to be thankful for the chance to pray for Obama even more than I did his first 4 years.

I know and was reminded on my birthday cards today:

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:17

"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of light." Colossians 1:11-12

My random thoughts before election day

Life has been busy at our house the last few weeks, but the President and his family and Governor Romney and his family are in my prayers. Susan reminded me to not just pray for the election, but to pray for our country no matter what the results are.
When we were in CA, someone spoke to me and the way he spoke I thought he was for Obama. I immediately pounced on that comment and started talking about the economy etc. and why not to vote for Obama. Before I even finished he interrupted that he was joking with his comment and because of Obama not being pro-life there was no way he could vote for him. He said it was that simple-the economy, jobs, the war on terrorism, and anything else that the media says is important does not equal the importance of being pro-life.
I read an article on Mormons that are Democrats. (In another post I would like to comment on this article.) The article said some Mormons are Republican because of the pro-life issue, others are Democrats because of the works for the poor. But that person I talked to in CA is so right. It is that simple. Obama is not pro-life. It doesn't matter if Democrats do charity and welfare for the poor if babies and the elderly are killed.
DakotaPam posted this on her blog. The whole mandate and the whole issue is that simple.

My sister told me she saw on Facebook-don't forget to change your clocks for daylight savings time and change your president on Tuesday. Please don't forget to vote and be prepared for long lines on election day. Be ready to wait in those lines as long as it takes to vote if you haven't voted early.

My eyes and prayers are also on our former state of MN as they vote to keep marriage between one woman and one man. I know other states also are voting on important issues too.

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.