one thing leads to another

Garden Harvest

2011-09-03T18:01:00.005-06:00

Our garden in exploding with color right now. This is what we picked this weekend and I think we will be picking more in a day or two. So much yummy, goodness right at our finger tips.

I can't wait to start eating on it all. Tonight we are going to crack open the melon and have some of the tomatoes on our elk burgers. The cherry tomatoes are going into a salad tomorrow for a BBQ at Terran's parents and Monday we will stuff the peppers with cheese and grill them. As for the rest of the fresh goodness I think some canning may be in my future. I love this time of year when all the work pays off from the planting, weeding, and watering.

Enjoying the bounty,

Naomi

Photo Shoot

2011-08-15T18:05:00.009-06:00

My parents, sister and her two girls just left this morning after a spending some time visiting us. We had such a nice time together hiking, swimming, and meeting Lily for the first time. While here my sister, Salome asked if we would take a few photos of her, Kaitlyn, and Lily. So, one afternoon I got to play photographer and take a few pictures of some very lovely ladies. We were all pretty excited about how they turned out. The lighting was perfect and the girls were pretty smiley for the most part. I simply had to share a few of my favorites.

This is the only one I took of all three of them together and it's a keeper.

Salome asked for this pose, it came out so nice and clear. Now I wish we would have done one with their hands in the grass too.

Lily's smile is precious. She loves her Mama!

This is my favorite of the bunch. I love how natural both Salome's and Kaitlyn's smile is. This isn't the pose that we were going for, but worked well.

At this point Lily was tired of having a big grey thing in her face, even so she is pretty cute with her "leave me be frown".

Naomi

Little Friends

2011-07-31T08:20:00.008-06:00

It is the last day of July and I am finally getting to my July post. Yes, this is how far I have fallen in the blogging world; a single post each month is my goal. Now I would love to exceed that goal, but I make no promises to myself or anyone else.

This last Spring for one of my classes I had to give an informative speech on a subject that I researched. My choice was hummingbirds and I am so glad that I chose to study and learn about that little bird, because they have added to our summer.

After researching them I decided to put out a couple feeders and to see what happened. We now have a male and female that fight on a regular basis for the sugar water that hangs outside our doors.

Black-Chinned Hummingbird male enjoying a little sweet drink. He is so shy that I haven't been able to get any other close pictures of him.

The little female deciding whether this is good food or not. Hummers are always on the look out for food, because they burn an average of 10,000 calories a day. Some burn more and some less depending on their size and weight. Because they are always on the look out for food, it makes them quite curious and fun to watch zipping around.

Enjoying God's Creation,

Naomi

Mountain Flowers

2011-06-12T07:58:00.009-06:00

Over Memorial Day weekend Terran partially tore his MCL, a ligament in his knee. We were so bummed over this injury; because we had a weekend full of outside hiking and biking that he no longer could do (he won’t be able to do anything intense for about 6 weeks). The dr. told him to stay off it a week and he could then go back to work, after a couple of weeks he should start walking on it more. We took advantage of that piece of advice and went to the mountains yesterday to look at the wild Iris. There weren’t any blooming yet, but we found other lovely wild flowers, some fun for the dogs, and escaped the garden that needed a little more weeding.

Enjoying the day,

Naomi

Happy 10 Years

2011-05-13T13:19:00.004-06:00

It is amazing to me that we have been married 10 years today. Man and wife, partners, lovers, best friends, and each other’s support for a 10 full years. I keep saying it to myself, because I find it hard to believe. It seems like ages and ages ago that Terran and I were married before our family and friends, another lifetime ago. At the same time I feel like we are just getting started that our life together is brimming with potential and the future. That somehow even with all we have discovered and built together, we have just touched the surface of each other and what our life holds.

Then...

Today...

It is wonderful, one of the greatest joys to look back over the last decade and know that I wouldn’t change a thing. Life has been so rich and so full; I would live every moment again with Terran by his side as his wife.

To the next ten years,

Naomi

NOTE: For whatever reason this post was removed when blogger was doing maintenance. We celebrated 10 years on May 12th and this was originally posted that morning ... just so you don't get confused about dates.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T13:53:00.003-06:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you Mom's out there. This video made us laugh this morning at church and I hope it brings a smile to you too.

Thank you Mom, for all that you have done for me through the years. You gave so much to us children. I love you!!!

Thanks you Mom G. You raised a wonderful son and I am so blessed to live my life with him.

Love,

Naomi

The Property

2011-02-06T08:34:00.011-07:00

Since Terran and I first talked about dreams one of ours has been to own a little piece of land outside of town. We weren’t particular about the city or state this piece land fell into, weren’t too particular about the size of it a couple acres or 50 acres, we just wanted a little space to spread our wings and let our dogs run.

Terran grew up with a lot of space to play in Canada, being able to hunt, run, and explore right outside his back door, so it seemed natural he would want the land. For me owning property was always the ideal dream. To not have neighbors a stones throw away, to have a garden any size one wanted with a few fruit trees was the dream my parents had and it passed to me.

Last fall we bought our property. After looking and looking the last few years and a few false starts on other pieces of land Terran and I found the piece that is all we wanted. Terran wanted some wild area that would stay rough, while I wanted some places for grass, a garden, fruit trees, and a goat. Our place has it all and then some extra.

Standing at our gate. We had to wait almost 6 monthes for our closing to go through. We waited a long time for this moment.

Walking up our long bushy driveway.

Kojo running through one of the wild areas. We haven't exlpored all of the hidden places yet.

Sitting in one of our large cottonwood trees that were a huge draw for us.

We are so glad that we waited for God’s perfect timing and for His best for our future home. It would have been so easy during the last few years to have pushed for something that seemed great to us, but wasn't the best. God really does bless waiting on Him.

Proud owner of 8 acres,

Naomi

The Place I Live

2011-01-15T17:29:00.009-07:00

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the beauty of this area and can’t believe that I call it home. Yesterday was one such day. I went for a hike with the dogs, taking advantage of my last Friday of break, while Terran was working and it was gorgeous.

Perfect hiking buddies

Too lovely to words...

The joy of living in a place where the Yucca blooms in the summer and the snow falls in the winter.

Living in the moment,

Naomi

The Last Weekend

2010-12-10T20:40:00.001-07:00

The last weekend of this semester is upon me. One more weekend of hard work studying for my algebra final, some sacrifice (sorry Jil), and this semester will be finished. It is hard to believe how quickly time has flown. I really can’t think of a fall that has gone more quickly and winter seems to following suit.

One time years ago when I worked at the Credit Union, one of our members was talking about how quickly time was going for him as he grew older. His theory was that a year was a smaller percentage of his life making them feel like they passed more and more quickly. I hope on some level that he is wrong, because he is about 20 years older than I am and I don’t want time to go any faster than it is.

Not only is school filling my time and brain right now, but Christmas keeps poking its head in my thoughts to remind me that it’s just around the corner. Yikes!!! Packages to mail, cards to write, house to decorate, not to mention cookies to bake!

I do have my Christmas cookie list made and decided with Terran that we wouldn’t do as much baking this year. Right now the list is 9 cookies long and I don’t see how we can narrow it down any more than it has been at this point. The ones that are on the list are keepers, not one can be sacrificed. Everyone loves the espresso crinkles, I’ve always made Nanaimo bar and cant’ leave those off. My great-grandma’s buckeyes are a must and I really want to try the new ginger cookie recipe that has candied ginger pieces in it. We also are leaving so many yummy cookies off, peanut butter crunches, white chocolate raspberry cookies, and fudge. Do you see what I mean? Nine really are just a few of all the ones that sound good. I once heard moderation is the key…. I don’t think it is working.

Well, I need to go back to my final Friday studying for the year. That sounds good!

Naomi

Children's Books Part 2

2010-11-26T09:52:00.008-07:00

My Name Is Yoon
Written by Helen Recorvits and illustrated by Gail Swaitkowska

Summary: A young Korean girl has recently immigrated to the United States and is struggling to view herself through the English spelling of her name Yoon. She dislikes how it looks in English, it is not happy like her Korean spelling. The dislike of her English spelling is part of her homesickness for Korea and her fear of not making friends in her new home. Instead of writing her name at school she writes other words and imagines how her life would be if she were that word and not Yoon. In the end after making friends she accepts that she is Yoon in English, happy knowing it still means Shining Wisdom.

Why Read: My Name is Yoon has many good qualities to its story. It asks children to look at the world through an immigrant’s eye as they try to learn about the new place they are living. It draws attention to another language that does not use the English alphabet for its words while also focusing on English words and writing. The teacher is a kind supportive person that helps Yoon feel more at home and the other child that befriends Yoon also helps her like her new place. My Name is Yoon is a lovely story of a little girl finding a place in her new home.

The Tiger Has A Toothache: Helping Animals at the Zoo
Written by Patricia Lauber and illustrated by Mary Morgan

Summary: Animals at the Zoo get sick just like people. How do they get taken care of when they have colds, hurt teeth or broken bones? This book answers those questions and more. Each section is a couple pages long and follows one type of animal through their diagnosis, treatment and healing.

Why Read: This is an interesting book about some favorite zoo animals that kids can really enjoy. It brings a different perspective to the world of animals through the stories and colorful pictures. It is a fun read for thinking outside the animal box.

Ladybugs
Written and illustrated by Mia Posada

Summary: Ladybugs is a nonfiction book that goes through the life cycle of ladybugs. Its brightly colored pages and simple explanations of what is happening make this a fun read for children.

Why Read: Ladybugs are easy to spot and fun to find. This book gives children more information about the little bugs that is easy for them to understand and really brings to life an important part of nature.

Library Lion
Written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Summary: A lion walks into the library one day and loves story time. He quickly learns that certain rules of the library must be followed and strives to follow them. He befriends most of the patrons and the head librarian. To help his friend the librarian the lion one day breaks one of the library rules and leaves. After he is gone he is missed by all, especially the head librarian. The assistant librarian who didn’t care for a lion in the library sets out to find the libraries missing friend and bring him back.

Why Read: Library Lion shows that books are for everyone and the library is a fun place to be. Not only does it shine a bright light on books, but on friendship too. It tells us that friends take care of each other and that friends come in all different shapes and sizes. Also, who wouldn’t like being able to snuggle with a lion and read a good book at the same time?

Make Way For The Ducklings
Written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey

Summary: Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for the perfect place to hatch their ducklings. They fly around Boston discarding different places until they happen upon the perfect island. After the ducklings hatch Mr. and Mrs. Mallard have quite the adventure trying to move their little family across the city to a spot with lots of peanuts to snack on and room to grow. With the help of a policeman the little duck family makes the journey safely.

Why Read: I like that this book values a duck family, a policeman is willing to help and make sure that this little family makes it to their destination. It is also fun to see the different people’s reaction to little family walking across the city. This story leaves one with a good feeling and smile.

Cuddle with someone small and read,

Naomi

Thank You

2010-11-11T21:20:00.009-07:00

by Diamond Rio

I like how this song draws attention to the foundation of our country and to the many freedoms that we have as Americans.

Thank you Veterans for defending our land and freedom,

Naomi

Children's Books Part 1

2010-11-08T12:39:00.012-07:00

I love children's book. I think that they are fun, imaginative and can open up whole worlds to children that they wouldn't know about otherwise. They can help children problem solve, understand relationships better and so much more. Also kids who like to listen to stories are more likely to enjoy reading and children who enjoy reading more often do better in school.

For my Early Childhood Education class we had to put together a list of our favorite 10 children's books and write a little about each book. This assignment was right up my alley, the hardest part, besides taking time to do the writing, was limiting the number of books to only 10.

Here are the first 5 I chose. I didn't do them in any favorite order, but ordered them by which ones I got first from the library. So there is nothing special about the order.

Vera Goes To The Dentist
Written and illustrated by Vera Rosenberry

Summary: Vera has her first appointment with the dentist and things are a little different than she expects. She ends up biting the dentist’s finger, running away and finally has her teeth cleaned after a second try in the dentist’s chair.

Why Read: Vera is such a real character from wearing her favorite skirt to feel strong and brave to her response of running away from her first dentist appointment. I like that Vera overcomes her fear and finishes her appointment with the dentist and finds that things were not as bad as she feared. Vera’s story shows that little people have big events in life.

Not Norman: A Goldfish Story
Written by Kelly Bennett and illustrated by Noah Z. Jones

Summary: Norman is a goldfish who was given as a gift to a little boy who really did not want a goldfish for a pet. After trying to trade Norman for another pet the little boy starts to realize just how special Norman is and decides to keep him.

Why Read: A fun story about how any pet can be special from the little boy’s point of view. This story can open up conversation about why kids think their pets are special and what kind of pet they would choose if given a chance.

Good Night, Gorilla
Written and illustrated by Peggy Rathmann

Summary: A zoo keeper tucks all the animals in to bed for the night at his zoo. He does not realize that a little gorilla is right behind him letting all the animals out so that they can sleep with the zoo keeper and his wife.

Why Read: This book does not have a lot of words and leaves a lot of the detail of the story up to the reader. It can be a very elaborate or simply told story depending on the reader. I like this book, because it has a lot of artistic detail and the children can tell you their own version of the story if they want to, thus “reading” a book.

Firefighters A to Z
Written and illustrated by Chris L. Demarest

Summary: Goes through the letters of the alphabet, matching each letter to some aspect of fighting fires.

Why Read: Children will enjoy this colorful and detailed booked about fighting fires, while hearing the letters of the alphabet, especially those children that like fire trucks. It brings attention to the need for team work and the bravery of those who fight fires for us.

Franklin's New Friend
Written by Paulette Bourgeouis and Illustrated by Brenda Clark

Summary: A new animal moves into Franklin the turtle’s part of the woods. Franklin when he first sees his new neighbors is scared of them, because they are Moose and very big. Franklin learns to not judge by what an animal looks like, but to accept them for who they are.

Why Read: The story of Franklin learning to overcome his fear and get to know his new neighbor and classmate is very sweet. The book brings attention to the fact it is not what someone looks like that matters and that we all can be friends with someone very different from us. The role that adults play in this book is very good too. They are not condescending or controlling, but offer sound advice to Franklin and try to help him have empathy for Moose, allowing Franklin to make his choice to reach out to Moose and be his friend on his own.

Go Forth and Read,

Naomi

Slumber Party

2010-10-18T15:35:00.015-06:00

We had a sleep over at our last weekend with our nephew Kaiser. It was his first sleep over and we had fun. He did such a great job being away from Mom and Dad, just playing and laughing the whole time. Such a delight to have a little person running around the place for an afternoon and evening.

While at our house the dogs and the dog crate were the favorite play things. I think the crate might have just had a slight edge over the bed owner.

Kaiser trying for the Great Escape on our hike, but Uncle Terran was just a little faster and caught him

Throwing sticks into the water for the dogs.

Kaiser was a big help to Uncle Terran pushing the stroller up the hill

Bugs are the best!

Tromping along like the big boy he is

Nothing like an after dinner milk

Nite-nite little buddy. Thank you for only getting Auntie out of bed during the night a few times. You did such a good job sleeping.

Auntie Naomi

Fall's Arrival

2010-10-10T11:07:00.004-06:00

Fall arrived this year with heat, our temperatures were in the high 80’s until the beginning of this month were they have slowly dropped to the 70’s we are experiencing now. I am so glad that summer didn’t leave us in a rush, taking her heat and sun with her. I wasn’t ready to see the end of summer this year, quite willing to keep the illusion of summer break even after school had started, through the heat. Yes, that is the reason I wasn’t ready to see summer leave, because it meant the start of school again. I so enjoy my classes and now that I am in them wouldn’t change what I’m doing, but struggled at the beginning giving up my days of freedom. I have to chuckle, because days of freedom for an adult are very different from children’s days of freedom. My freedom meant gardening, going through closets, canning, freezing meals, all those life details that are very nice to do without the pressure of homework and tests.

Thinking about this past summer along with life details it was dominated by three R’s. Reading, Running and Resting… each one is wonderful on its own and together, make for several lovely months of sunshine and fun. It is always interesting to me how at certain times different things dominate; there really is an ebb and flow to all things.

Now we are enjoying cooler mornings, midday hikes after homework and cool nights good for deep sleep.

Naomi

Saturday Snaptshot : Kaitlyn's Pal

2010-08-14T14:29:00.003-06:00

Our niece Kaitlyn with Kaia when she was a puppy. Whenever Kaitlyn visits or we visit she and Kaia are inseparable. Kaitlyn is so sweet and prays every night for her furry friend.

Saturday Snapshot: Cute and Weird

2010-07-31T11:43:00.004-06:00

CUTE: Bright eyed Kaia

WEIRD: Kojo the earless dog

Saturday Snapshot: Brothers

2010-07-24T11:12:00.006-06:00

Terran and his brothers this past fall. Terran, Wes, and Arlin fell victim to No Shave November. Wade made a narrow escape from the whiskers.

Growing Memories

2010-07-20T20:35:00.005-06:00

I was looking at my garden trying to decide where to start weeding (yes, I have so many weeds I need to pick a spot to start) this past week when I saw a little plant that is not a weed. It was a little watermelon plant tucked in among the onions growing quite happily. I was a little surprised at first, because we didn’t plant any watermelon this summer, but willing to accept the little guy. Then I started looking and watermelon plants were growing everywhere, under the tomato plants, next to the peppers, in the walk way, and with the weeds. How did this happen I wondered, looking around. We’ve never had a watermelon invasion before and I was stumped. Slowly it came back to me…a warm summer afternoon, people’s laughter, good natured teasing, and sweet juicy fruit.

My Mom and brother Ben came to stay at our house while Terran and I were on vacation in May and then stayed the next week with us. We had a lovely time with them and a watermelon seed spitting contest was part of the fun. We all lined up on the patio and spit the seeds into the garden as far as we could. None of us guessed that the seeds would germinate and grow into the baby plants that have claimed our garden as home.

These plants make me wonder what kind of seeds I plant in life. When the seeds I plant start to grow into plants and make themselves known do they bring a smile or frown? What kind of fruit do they bear? Sweet or tart?

Now these little watermelon plants probably won’t bear any physical fruit at all, because it’s late in the season, but they give me a smile every time I see them. Bringing me back the sweet memory of a time shared in laughter with family.

Naomi

Saturday Snapshot: Bird Nursery

2010-07-10T10:36:00.008-06:00

Terran and I in May spent a week vacationing in New Mexico. It was a nice blend of camping and staying in hotels, giving us a bit of rustic and comfort.

One of the nights we stayed in a state camp ground that was a lovely surprise. We had SHOWERS, space to ourselves, and the cool desert night to aid us in sleep. What we hadn't counted on was the bird nursery right outside our tent. 4 am dawned with the screeches, squawks, and chirps that would have done a chicken farm proud. Unfortunately as the sky went from dark blue, to lighter hues of blue and pink our little winged alarm clocks only got louder declaring the day officially started.

After sleep's blurriness had left our eyes we watched the busy parents feed their never satisfied young. Flying back and forth from the nest in their effort to fill growing bellies. When the caffeine from morning coffee kicked in Terran and I agreed it was a wonderful start to the day.

Naomi

July 4th Weekend

2010-07-06T19:29:00.016-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day weekend. Ours was brimming full with three BBQ's starting Friday evening and continuing over the weekend. We also made time for a 9 mile run/bike ride with friends, pie making, and a day to ourselves.

Turkey Flats, one of the most lovely spots we go during the summer. It stays cool and green the whole season making it perfect for a run and some biking this past weekend.

Resting after my run. While Terran and his biking buddies regal each other with their memorable trail moments. Turkey Flats is one of those trails that leaves you with plenty of stories.

Terran holding the new little girl of a friends at the family BBQ. We've known this little ones dad since he was a preteen and are feeling our age a seeing him as a husband and father.

Terran and I on a walk on "our day". I'm so glad after the fun and busy weekend that we set aside some time just for ourselves. Kojo and Kaia also enjoyed the time out playing in the water and wrestling for sticks.

Enjoying the moments,

Naomi

Saturday Snapshot

2010-06-26T13:03:00.006-06:00

This is our nephew Kaiser on his 1st birthday. He had a pirate themed party and loved his chocolate treasure chest with goodies. Personally, I think that he is the treasure, a very sweet treasure.

I'm hoping to make this Saturday snapshot a regular thing. We shall see...I just like being out and living life too much to always take time to write about it. :)

An Opportune Moment

2010-04-25T18:49:00.001-06:00

We have ribs about to go on the grill and potatoes roasting in the oven. Our house is fairly picked up (if the doorbell rang right now I wouldn't be scurrying to hide the mess) and homework is pretty much done. I don't think a better moment to write is going to come along in the next couple weeks.

The news on the bugs is we never saw a one on Kaia or in the house after my frantic cleaning. Thank goodness!!!!

Major count down for the last day of school this semester has begun around here. I have two weeks of classes left and then two final days and I'm finished for the summer. To say I am ready is an understatement. I am VERY, VERY ready to be on my own time again. I don't have a bunch of classes, but our life is a little busier this semester and hasn't had a good flow. Signs of summer break coming... a summer reading list under my math book, a couple races on the calender to train for, a vacation the end of May, and a garden tilled and waiting for more then just spinach and lettuce to be planted.

Times like this when I'm waiting for the end of something and to finish well is going to take time and work. I always think of Paul writing about running the good race. So much of the race is how we finish when we're tired and the end is almost in sight. I want to be a good runner whether in school or running some other race in life.

Sorry to go all serious. I guess it reflects my mindset right now.

Counting the days,

Naomi

PLAN B

2010-03-13T16:27:00.004-07:00

I had not planned on waiting so long before I posted and was all geared up to share stories and pictures, but my plan A fell to the wayside. I got sick, had a couple big tests, and then left for a visit with my family. Now here I am a couple weeks later with the last days of my Spring break slipping away under piles of laundry and baths for the dogs.

I know….sounds like lame reasons for not writing more, but we have a time sensitive issue. Kaia when hiking this past week got into some bugs and now has bites. At least we think they are bites and being myself, this means that ALL the bedding must be washed (even though the dogs are not allowed on the beds or furniture), the dogs bathed, and every bit of carpet vacuumed. The thought of bugs in my house is awful to me and the thought of bugs on my cute little dogs is almost as horrifying. I am on the WAR path and no insect shall prevail!

Wish me luck,

Naomi

A New Beginning

2010-02-21T18:06:00.003-07:00

After months of silence I have decided that I needed a blog face lift and a fresh start. This cloudy, snowy day while Russia beats the Czech Republic in Olympic Ice Hockey is as good a time as any. So here I am to see if there are any readers left and if there aren't to share anyway, because I feel the need to send my voice into cyberspace.

I'm going to post this so I can admire my new look with a current post on it,

Naomi

Remembering....

2009-11-11T21:17:00.008-07:00

I started this blog four years ago today, tough I'm not always consistent about blogging I'm still here. I remember my first post as if it was yesterday and being very emotional about it, as it was and still is close to my heart. I find today that its emotion and heart is still real, I still have the same emotions and thankfulness. Though, now it not only includes my brother who has served two tours in Iraq, but also my sister who is serving there now.

"I have spent more time thinking about Veterans Day today than I ever have before. I've always been grateful to the men and women that have fought for this country, cried during war films, and read books telling of their daring deeds. But today as my brother is on a plane heading for Iraq, I'm humbled by those that would count the cost and go to a foreign country to fight for my freedom. Because of them I can each day get up and lead my life as I feel led not having to fear for my safety or fear a government that tries to dictate what I believe or where I put my faith. What I see today is a little red head boy that I've played with and fought with all my life on a gray army plane going to continue the fight for me, just like he did when we were little and the neighborhood bully (yes, every neighborhood has a bully) would try to pick on us. Because of him, I feel like I have come to a better understanding of this day. It's no longer a date set aside for faceless soldiers fighting wars I don't remember, because my soldier has a face and this war I will remember." November 11, 2004

Thank you Jon, I love you!

Thank you, Salome (and Kaitlyn for not having your Mommy around all these months) I love you both.

Thank you also Daddy for serving so many years in the Air Force and setting a wonderful example of what is to love ones country.

Naomi

Where is your Muse hiding?

2009-09-20T19:26:00.002-06:00

Today at church my Pastor commented that my Muse must have left me, because I haven't posted in so long. It's true that it has been a VERY long time, but like I told my pastor I have had homework. My Muse has been busy helping me to write an essay on the effects of Cholera in the cells of the gut and the body. Not very nice I can promise you and will spare you all the grisly details. While I have stuffed my head full of the organelles of the cell and their functions, read and re-read about electrons, protons, and neutrons, always marveling at the incredible way that God created our body; it's been there.

As I struggle with variables, factors, polynomials it teases me with word pictures, dancing around me with words while I work. It won't let my mind rest only on numbers, but pesters me about all the stories that are waiting to be written. Then we wrestle with me coming out the winner as the alarm buzzes at a 5:40 am and I'm out the door by 7 am with my book bag. Leaving my Muse to watch from the window as I drive down the road to the place called Higher Learning.

Still here,

Naomi

Don't Give Up

2009-08-17T21:55:00.002-06:00

I am going to blog again! Keep checking, because I will return soon. Summer is always a struggle for me. We get so busy living and I don't write about the things that we have been doing or are doing. It's a time when I don't want to just write about life, but want to be out there living life. Hope that makes sense..:)

Getting ready for a come back,

Naomi

Life Is A Gift

2009-06-21T20:19:00.003-06:00

" Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Matthew 6:26

Meeting Kaiser Simon

2009-06-15T07:47:00.007-06:00

Last Monday we drove to Montrose to meet our newest nephew, Mark and Tamara's little one. We have been waiting and waiting to meet Kaiser and he was worth waiting for. Such a precious treasure.

Meeting Uncle Terran ( i love this picture)

Melting Auntie's heart (look at his red hair)

A sweet little bundle

Waving bye bye

Naomi

The Constant Gardener

2009-06-05T12:47:00.006-06:00

I look around in the garden I live in at all the other rose bushes beautiful and full of blooms of life. All so similar yet so unique, each carefully tended by the Gardener. I look at my own bush, bursting full of color and beauty, then I see a grafted branch and I waver, questioning it's need and the scars it's going to leave. I don't see this graft on many other bushes, yet the Gardener is carefully tending this spot on me. He coaxes life into this intruding branch that is so different from all the others. I see buds on it that look to hold a different color from all the blooms on my bush. I struggle within asking should I allow the sap of my life to continue in this area or should I cut it off, allowing it to wither. Then the Gardener comes applying balm to the tender spots of the graft, promising it will all be okay, that He knows the beauty that those tiny buds hold. To cut them off from life giving sap would destroy some of the greatest beauty on my bush. Though those flowers will burst into color with some pain and heartache it will be good, not just good , but the best that He has.
I look to the bush next to me, so closely entwined with mine that there are no longer two bushes, but one and wonder at the pain and joy this graft will bring him. The Gardner gently works the ground around the roots and asks for trust that though these buds will be so different from others, and looked upon at times as lacking or not quite right, they will the most fragrant.
How can the plant tell the Gardener “No”? When He knows what each bud holds, the weather that is coming, and sees the whole garden, not just the few bushes I do. How can I struggle against the Creator when He has promised “ All things work together for the good of those that love Him”? No, I must embrace the graft, even though I don't understand it and all that it may mean. Take the pain and joy it will bring and give Him the glory.

Naomi

Star Crossed Lovers

2009-05-11T15:05:00.009-06:00

All morning I've been watching this little sparrow and robin together. At first I thought that the sparrow was following the robin for the worms the robin would catch and maybe drop. Talking to my neighbor she told me that they have had a little romance going on all last week. After she told me that I saw the whole relationship with new eyes. Take a peak and see what I mean. (You might want to enlarge the pictures to see more details.)

"I'll take care of you, Sweet Wings and find a worm."

"Yep, you and me togther, that's the way its got to be."

"I will follow you wherever you may go."

Enjoying a Spring Romance,

Naomi

Disarray and Life In Between Part 1

2009-04-30T06:58:00.009-06:00

This post is going to be a little bit of catching up,

which is something I could do on lots and

lots of stuff. Thank you for all the well-wishes on

my history test. It went really, really well. I am

now studying for my last test and then SUMMER

BREAK. Yipee!!!!

One morning while we were in the middle of our first big melt (not that we get that much snow, but this year it all stuck around until the middle to end of January) I was in the shower thinking about my first real day of class when I felt IT. A drip of icy cold water fell on my head. I looked up and our ceiling was leaking cold, cold water on me.

When I rushed to call Terran, who was having a vacation weekend working with his dad logging,

a gush of water flowed from our office ceiling on to our printer.

This was the untimely beginning of our disarray and the fun that followed. We called someone after the weekend was over to come out and look at our house, scheduling them to fix it a few weeks later.

We couldn't use our office or our bathroom in the time that followed. I never knew how spoiled I was having a bathroom in our bedroom until it wasn't there. An en suite has become the standard for any house that we own.

Our office was completely empty for the time that followed, delaying taxes, and everything else that one uses an office for. One good thing is that I file in piles of paper and those were quite easy to transport to a different room.

Thankfully all things must come to an end and our house work ended on a beautiful, sunny day in March the middle of at the end of my spring break.

Silver Linings....

1. The men that worked on the house were careful of our things and not one cuss word the whole two weeks.

2. Terran was able to come home and break up the ice that was melting into our house. I have to add to this one, that I was able to get back off the roof by myself when I was trying to fix things on my own. A very BIG deal!

3. Our neighbors through their $10,000 worth of water damage were able to give us the name of a good company.

4. That we had a savings account to pay for this, because our insurance wouldn't have covered it, since it was in two different areas of the house.

5. That our water damage wasn't $10,000 worth.

6. A couple spots looked better after they were through, than when the orginal work was done.

Loving my bathroom,

Naomi

What Have You Been Up To?

2009-04-01T08:01:00.006-06:00

Lots and lots of things seem to be begging for attention right now and I would have a list as long as my arm if I were to answer my own question. I actually think the list would be longer than my arm, because it's not very long.

I am slowly working on a little life update, but have not finished it. I have had feelings of great shame when I think how long it's been since I've posted, especially since my Pastor told me to get busy and post. I decided to just do it and post.

The above photo shows what has been taking up a lot of my time the last little while and a great majority of it this last week. I have a history essay exam on Friday and have my work cut out for me. My last essay was on Ancient Greece and it was alive for me, thus it stayed in my memory for the test. This time it's on the Roman Republic, Roman Empire, and early Europe and I'm struggling. I don't know why, but it's not alive for me the way Greece was and it's taking a lot of extra effort to pound all the places and people into my mind. One consolation is that I LOVE this class and think in the end with a lot of mental elbow grease it'll come out ok.

Hitting the books again,

Naomi

A Life of Thankfulness and Love

2009-02-14T11:20:00.017-07:00

When the new year was upon us I decided I wanted this year to be one of conscious thankfulness. So often we miss little things and some big things to be thankful for, especially when life is busy or difficult. I didn't know the challenges that were coming when I decided this and the last little while has been a bit difficult. I have had to make a real conscious effort to be thankful in some moments.

I thought today as we celebrate love and our loved ones that I would share some of the things I have to be thankful in my life.

My husband, this man adds a great dimension of joy to my life

My nieces and nephews, who are very sweet.

Can't forget the wonderful four legged buddies that add a lot of laughter and cuteness to the days.

Lord, let me breathe deeply of the life You have given. May all the lovely blessings you have given me allow me to see Your love a little more clearly. I also ask that the trials and hard days teach me to rest in Your steadfast shelter. Let me not become blind to what You are teaching and desiring to do in the hard palces. Thank you for Your everlasting faithfulness. I am so grateful that You called me out of the darkeness by name.

Naomi

Hunting

2009-01-26T13:29:00.012-07:00

Both Terran and I have always had some kind of hunting in our lives. For me it was trying to explain beaver carcasses in our garage to my friends from my Dad trapping during my early years, and watching him skin grouse from shooting trips later on.
Terran had a completely different experience. His Dad was a hunting guide during Terran's early years with his Mom cooking for the camp. Later on he would walk out his back door to get deer on their property, and enjoyed long trips with his Dad for sheep and elk.
During our second year of marriage we went on our first hunting trip together. It was cold, long, and successful with us getting a cow elk our last day, since then we have gone some years and not others. Some successful and others not depending on the time of year and our hunting luck. This past fall was a successful trip.

This is my view on most of our trips (quite a good one of you ask me). I follow the Master Hunter carrying our supplies and trying to staunch the flow of the 20,000 plus words I speak on a daily basis as a woman. Yep, hunting is hard work for a girl!!

After walking quite a while we see wild life. Not what we are after, but wild life all the same. Look closely, it's hard to spot.

We keep looking, being diligent to walk miles and miles over the three days it took us this season to find the elk we were looking for.

WARNING - WARNING - WARNING

If you are hemophobic, doraphobic, belong to PETA, marched to save the whales, wear a t-shirt claiming the spotted owl is your cousin, or cried when Bambi's mom was killed please do not scroll down.

After our fruitless days of hunting we finally got a cow elk and worked together to get her skinned and ready to go to the butchers.

After moving all 322 lbs of our cow in only two trips using our special sled we were ready to eat.

Elk it's what's for dinner.

Proud to wear orange,

Naomi

The Originals

2009-01-18T08:00:00.005-07:00

Here are the two photos I posted last time. Now you can see the difference between the photoshopped and the originals.

I think this one of my sweet, niece Kaitlyn in much better with all it's colors. I like her cute pink shirt and her dark hair... all the colors capture her personality.

This photos can go either way. The color is nice, while the black and white draws your attention to the leaves. Terran did a great job with this picture.

Naomi

More Pictures

2009-01-15T07:14:00.004-07:00

We are learning some pictures don't work with photoshop...

And some photos are all the better with it.

Naomi

Thoughts For Today

2009-01-05T08:24:00.004-07:00

"The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked."

Proverbs 10:11

"A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day."

Emily Dickinson

Our Pet Panda

2008-12-26T17:27:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T07:54:00.004-07:00

Wishing you the most wonderful Christmas. May it be full of love and wonder at the gift of Christ.

Naomi

for you mama

Christmas Cookies

2008-12-22T19:34:00.013-07:00

I LOVE CHRISTMAS BAKING!

Even the mess isn't the end of the world, because the end results are worth it. And after how messy everything gets my kitchen feels super clean after the clean up is done.

I include a couple childhood favorites from when we were small. I have a recipe that my great-grandma always made. Terran's family always has these cherry cookies that are waiting for their chocolate sauce. They never last long.

Along with the old; one has to have something new.... White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies are one of this years newbies.

My lovable, huggable, kissable sugar cookie decorator; he does fabulous work

And when the end comes I'm so glad that this only happens once a year. I made 10 types of cookies this season and ended up with 42 dozen cookies that are guaranteed to cling to your hips and enlarge your .... um .... heart.

Thanks for all the comments about the butterfly photo. I hope to post more photo shop stuff in the future. We'll see what T. & I come up with. :)

Naomi

PS. We give almost all the cookies away, I don't want you to think that we are little piggies.

The Butterfly and The Camera

2008-12-03T17:39:00.005-07:00

Playing with photoshop, which is fun and unique.

The original full of color and life.

I can't decide which one I like better. Can you?

Naomi

Thanksgiving Flop

2008-11-27T23:35:00.008-07:00

I love cooking!! Usually what I try turns out ok, not always great, but pretty good. We are celebrating Thanksgiving Friday (tomorrow) with Terran's family, so today T & I went hiking, had yummy pork tenderloin for dinner, and I worked on a cake I asked to bring to our dinner.

I have been drooling over this cake since I saw it on the cover on Bon Appetit Magazine. It definitely is a cake that needs to be shared. What better occasion than a family dinner? None that I can think of until I made the cake. It's a good thing that someone else is bringing pies.

Here's what has been tempting me all month. It's a devil's food cake with chocolate ganache filling and white chocolate peppermint cream in the center. The outer frosting is marshmallow peppermint. It sounds sooo yummy to me. I know it's a bit of a Christmas cake, but Christmas is already such a sweet holiday and I really wanted to enjoy this.

This is my cake!!! Please don't laugh, because I might hear you and start crying.

I have no idea what happened. The whole cake fell apart and frosting billowed out of it.

The first idea was to cover it with the marshmellow frosting and call it good. It would take a lot of frosting to fix this and even then....?

Finally out of desperation I just tore the whole thing apart and...

made a trifle. Lets hope it tastes good. :)

Picking up the pieces,

Naomi

Monday Doings

2008-11-10T18:19:00.003-07:00

Monday is always a busy day. It usually means lots of cooking, catching up from the weekend, and getting the week started. Here is what it took to get this week going.

Made applesauce for the first time ever today. It came out tasting wonderful, but really smooth. It's like eating apple pudding creamy, silky, and truthfully a little odd. Next time....

Made our favorite Beef Stroganoff. The best thing about this recipe is the taste and then how easy it is. Gotta love easy.

Walked the dogs farther than a mile for the first time in two weeks. It's so nice to be feeling better.

Asked my cousin for her address, so that I can mail the baby gift I've had for her since May. I thought I should get it to her before she has grandchildren.

Ate left over Chinese food and loved it.

Started thinking about Christmas baking. It's never too early to think about cookies and cakes. yum

Washed four loads of laundry and will put away six. Don't ask where the other two loads came from.

Here's to hoping that this small jumbled summery of my day wasn't too boring.

Naomi

A Little Cheer

2008-11-05T08:58:00.007-07:00

I have been sick the last week. Yesterday was my first day waking without a fever and headache, which was marvelous. I actually got up and put some dishes in the dishwasher. My sweet Mom decided that I needed a little cheer. She sent these beautiful blooms to brighten my day and they really did.

Thanks Mom, you really blessed me. The house smells so fresh with the flowers too. It's nice to have something bright and beautiful to look at. I love you and your thoughtfulness!!!

Love, Naomi

Look Who Came to Visit....

2008-10-20T21:03:00.012-06:00

Waiting for our special guest to arrive.

Country First! Go McCain and Palin!!!

Palin girls and Hank Williams Jr.

Hank Williams Jr singing a little ditty about Alaska's Governor.

Sharing her views and making her promises; I hope that Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain get a chance to keep them.

Sarah on her way out. She impressed me as a really nice, direct person and very into her girls.

Hello Stacey and Nick. How fun you made into our picture. :)

Naomi

The Guard Dog

2008-10-09T11:52:00.003-06:00

I really count on Kojo when I am home to be the protector of the house and of me, especially against intruders. You'd think he'd be good at it, because he's a big dog for his breed, tries to be the leader more often then I like. And then...

...there are times I wonder who would have to protect who.

Naomi

Fall Colors

2008-10-06T20:41:00.026-06:00

Last Sunday was Color Sunday and we joined the masses reveling in the surrounding beauty. It an incredible day, we drove the Sprite enjoying the sun and wind to the fullest.

The sun and wind weren't the only thing that we enjoyed. The colors this year were beyond what we have seen in past years. I think that we sometimes miss the peak day, but hit it dead on this year.

We took loads of pictures

Cold coming with winds of gold

And frosts of yellow

Colors all aglow

Fall has come

Walking with Trinity

2008-09-24T21:18:00.010-06:00

Ok, I know I said vacation photos were coming, and they are. I first had to share this last weekend and the time we had with Trinity. We spent Friday running errands with him tagging along with us and we had a blast grocery shopping, messing around the house, and fun stuff like that. Before we took him home we wanted to take him to an apple festival that was going on in town over the weekend. Well, the fun stuff ended just before we got there and the evening military music had started. (Not quite what we had in mind) At first we were really bummed, but leave it to an eleven year old to create his own fun and of course we had to join in.

Trinity and the apple on a string.

You can do it!!!

It's harder than it looks. :)

It's hard to believe that we have been spending time with Trinity for two years. He has really created a spot for himself in our hearts.

Naomi

Home Again

2008-09-06T20:26:00.003-06:00

We are home from our lovely, lovely vacation, while it's nice to be in our own place again, it's sad that our trip has come to an end. I keep telling myself that Monday it's back to life as usual. It makes me happy and a little bummed too. I will post pictures later. We have to sort through them a bit.

I went through our newspapers today and found this one tucked in the bunch. We were a little shocked and had a good chuckle.

Naomi

JUST A QUICK REMINDER

2008-07-22T18:36:00.002-06:00

A Great Deal!

2008-07-15T18:47:00.000-06:00

Wednesday on my way home from work I stopped by Target to pick up some dog food that was on sale. I love sales and love them even more when they are on something that we need to buy. I also had a coupon to go with this really great deal.

I honestly was looking forward to the time shopping and have a chance to refocus on my own life. I had just spent the day with two kidos who were projecting the stress of their families move by fighting. It had been a day of shoving, hitting, toy grabbing, and book stealing. Did you know that there are two ways to move to Africa? I didn’t. Did you know that both ways need the same dump truck to move? I do now.

Anyway, I needed to unwind. I walked into the store grabbing a cart while relishing the air conditioner, spent a little time browsing the sales rack, (found a cute pink top that looked good) and headed to the dog food. I found it right away, because of the great sale it had been moved to the main aisle of the store. I smiled at the store stocker working an aisle away from me and grabbed the 40 lb bag of food.

R-r-r—i-p is what I heard as all of the small, crunchy bites my dogs love started pooling around my feet and I was holding an empty bag. 40 pounds is a lot of anything and it most certainly is lot of dog food. It was up over my ankles and spread out all around me. The store clerk just stared, people were poking their heads out of aisles to see what the noise was, some sweet lady walked by telling me how sorry she was, a man told me I needed a pack of dogs, and I had too decide whether I was going to be embarrassed or look at it as funny. The latter won. The difficult part was trying to extract myself and my cart from all the food while a cleanup crew was called. I did have a moments hesitation when I went to grab another bag for my cart, because a repeat performance would have been embarrassing.

Naomi

Birthday Hike

2008-07-13T09:11:00.012-06:00

Yesterday to celebrate Terran's birthday we hiked one of our favorite trails here in the valley. Crag Crest runs about 10 1/2 miles, long enough to challenge, but not completely exhaust. It was a great way to escape the heat, enjoy each others company, and celebrate God's creation.

Starting out.

A bit of beauty on the way.

This is one of our favorite spots. The trail opens up to a boulder field with a small grassy meadow, filled with wild flowers, and a flowing creek. It's lovely.

Local wild life, a Marmot.

The trail follows along the top of the crest a far you can see. It drops down the other side just over the peak covered with trees.

Happy Birthday most wonderful husband.

Some more wild life.

View from the crest, this is one reason we try to hike this each year.

Made it at last. See you later.

Ski Hill

2008-07-13T08:09:00.003-06:00

Terran playing around during our hike this weekend. It was a

beautiful day and lots of fun. :)

What I Learned in Sunday School Today

2008-06-15T13:22:00.002-06:00

"Power Ranger's don't laugh!!!"

Lucky Number Seven

2008-05-12T20:20:00.013-06:00

Seven things I love about you on our seventh
anniversary.

1. Your sense of humor

2. Your sexy good looks

3. Interest in events around the world

4. How you love me

5. Your steady faith in God

6. The appreciation you show for my cooking, because I love cooking for you

7. Your diverse hobbies

My true love hath my heart, and I have his.

sir john philip sidney

I love you Terran,

Computer Woes

2008-04-22T21:38:00.002-06:00

I am going to have to make this quick, because I never know when our lovely computer is going to shut itself down. I just wanted everyone to know that I will be back as soon as T. gets the parts and fixes the Beast. Hopefully the Beast will then turn into a Prince Charming and work like it should.

I'm looking forward to catching up on my blog reading as well as writing.

Smiles,

N.

Green the New Vanilla

2008-03-27T14:49:00.001-06:00

Noticed how a couple years ago or was it last year everything seemed to have vanilla as an added flavor? Vanilla Crunch Cereal, Vanilla Mints (I never understood those), Vanilla Milk and the list goes on. T. & I are always on the look out for the next "Vanilla", curious aboout what the next fad will be (before vanilla it was green tea and right now we think chocolate is it) and if it will taste good.
I have always loved the color blue. It’s been my favorite for as long as I can remember. Lately I’ve been going for green. I wouldn’t call it my favorite, but it’s becoming a close runner up. I have two green jackets, green sunglasses, several green shirts, green earrings, and a pair of green shoes. Anyway, you get the picture of the not quite my favorite color in my life.
While eating dinner the other night I opened an edtion of Bon Appetit Magazine looking for a cupcake recipe and there in bold letters it advertised being the Green Issue. Yep, the Green Issue and they aren’t talking about the food. As I stared at the word Green in bold letters I had a memory flash of all the Biggest Loser contestants wearing green shirts for "Green Week" on NBC, and what about the aricle I read several monthes ago in Runner’s World about the marathoner who reuses his nipple bandaids and carries his own water bottle to stay "green"; I can’t forget about the table at Barnes and Noble selling only "green books". What if green isn’t really kinda, sorta my new favorite color and it’s all a passing fad that I’ve fallen for?

Feeling green around the gills,

Naomi

First Drive!!

2008-03-19T10:49:00.008-06:00

Hi all, the "other half" here. If you remember, back in Nov. I bought a little Austin Healey Sprite. Well for the past few months I have been slowly getting her roadworthy.

This involved replacing all brake components front to back, as well as some rust removal and general "sprucing up" for a car that has sat for 5 years. The motor is in great shape though and runs well too. This past Saturday all new parts were in and Aaron, a friend from work, came over and we bled the brakes and clutch. Then, the moment of truth..................

Success!! After the first little run to warm up, it ran and drove great. Now for license and insurance.

This is only a test. Do not adjust your television set.

2008-03-17T10:53:00.004-06:00

Kaia loves balloons.

What I've Been Reading

2008-03-14T18:33:00.003-06:00

I have been reading the greatest books of late. I love it when I hit a stretch of books that I look back on and can’t find a bad one among them ; I find only good stories that I was sad to leave. I have been wanting to write a blog about the books I’ve read for a long time and realized that it would be wrong of me to put it off any longer and not share these stories with you. I can be such a procrastinator at times; it drives me nuts. Anyway here are the books. Enjoy.

Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris
Yes, this is yet another book about the world that Jane Austen created in Pride and Prejudice, one I have to say does a wonderful job following the tone that Austen set in her original story. Pride and Prescience starts at the newly married Darcy’s wedding party and follows them through the first weeks of their marriage as they become involved in a mystery concerning Mr. Bingley’s sister Caroline. I would put this book in the Victorian Cozy Mystery reads, a genre that I find light and fun, even when dealing with some of the supernatural as this one did. I enjoyed this book so much that I went to the library to find book two, Suspense and Sensibility, and enjoyed it as well, though it delved a little more heavily with spiritualism than the first, changing the tone slightly. Still it was a fun read, that I enjoyed.

The Thief Taker by Janet Gleeson
Agnes Meadows a cook for a family of Silversmiths is asked by her employer to help solve a burglary that has taken place, leading her into criminal underworld of 18th century England. I could not put this book down. It felt like I was back in Old England myself with the descriptions of the area and the people. At times I could smell the food that Agnes was cooking or the open sewers of the city. I felt that Gleeson really stayed true to how the people would have behaved, especially the servants towards the employers. My only warning about The Thief Taker is that it can be a bit grisly when a murdered body or two show up. It didn’t bother me, but if one is very sensitive be warned. I can’t wait to read some of Janet Gleeson’s other stories.

A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin
Lynn Austin is one of my favorite authors; I have immensely enjoyed all six of her books that I have read. She brings both other times and places alive in her stories while creating wonderful characters that are real in their life and walk with the Lord. I have purposely not read all of her books so that they are there when I’m at a loss of what to read and just want a good book. Silly I know, but fall backs are very important in the literary world. When I first started A Proper Pursuit I was slightly taken aback, because it dealt with a young woman out of finishing school in the 1800’s; like so many other books both Christian and non-Christian that are in the market right now. I almost didn’t read it; what a loss that would have been on my part. Instead of finding a silly book about etiquette fiascos I found a really sweet, charming story about a young woman in search of a mother that she barely remembers. While searching for her mother in Chicago during the Worlds Fair in 1893 with her Grandmother and Great-Aunts in tow Violet Hayes finds more than she bargains for (with one or two fiascos) in suitors and the reality of life. I really enjoyed this coming-of-age story with it’s delightful ending.

The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff
Emma Bau becomes a spy for the resistance during World War 2 masquerading as a gentile secretary to a high ranking Nazi official. Written in first person this story does not go into a lot of historical detail, but more into the moral decisions and stresses that Emma has to make to help her people against the devastation of the Nazi’s. Her job places her marriage vows and the people that she loves on the line. While I didn’t agree with all the choices that Emma made in her life, I found the story to be interesting, bringing to light situations that I hadn’t thought about concerning World War 2. I don’t think that Pam Jenoff created a really strong, memorable character in Emma, at times I felt that she really didn’t grasp the seriousness of the war and what was going on around her, but then does one really understand what they are in the middle of each day, while trying to survive. Maybe in writing about a character that felt lost, confused, and a bit selfish Pam Jenoff created a real person. For me personally I wouldn’t call this a great book in writing style or characters,but an interesting read all the same.
There are other books that I would like to write about, but I have been catching up on email and other computer stuff all day and am going a little cross eyed. I will have to write more later and share a little about our daily lives too.

Happy Reading,

Naomi

Terran's New Career

2008-03-10T22:11:00.008-06:00

Terran and I have been talking about him pursuing a different line of work. You know how it is when you have those "what if" conversations. While in Ireland Terran found, quite by accident, his new career. Here for your eyes only is a little peek into what the future holds for us.

Aah, very natural

GQ Pose

Wow, really working it now

Let me introduce you to America's Next Top Model, or is it Canada's?

On second thought, maybe he'll stay in aviation,

Naomi

PS My Husband can be such a clown and I love it.

Superbowl Snow

2008-02-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Terran and I had a delightfully lazy Superbowl Sunday last week. Our favorite aspect of the day was the food and this year featured an Ale we had in Ireland and Mackeral in tomato sauce that Tamara introduced me to over there.

We ended the day by taking a walk and playing outside with the dogs in the snow. We got about four inches that evening. I love it when the flakes are big and fat. It felt like an adventure being out in the dark with the snow falling hard and fast.

After such a great snow fall Sunday I had to get out Monday and do a little crosscountry skiing. It was way too beautiful of a day not to.

The Turds catching their breath.

Enjoying the day to the fullest. It couldn't have gotten much better, other than not having bruised my tush ,when I fell going down a hill.

Hoping for a quick recovery,

Naomi

THE LAND OF THE IRISH

2008-02-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time with Mark & Tamara, Wes and our friend Greg in Ireland. The place is beautiful, with a surprise around every corner. I feel as though we barely scratched the surface of what there is to see.

Naomi

I DREAM OF IRELAND

2008-01-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

I have been dreaming of Ireland these last few night. Beautiful visions of the Emerald Isle fill my head or getting lost in the fog as I look for my hubby causes my heart to pound and then I awake to realise that I am in my own bed and that our Ireland adventure has not begun yet.
Hurray for today, because in about an hour we will be riding in a car with family and friends over the mountains for Denver and then boarding a plane tomorrow that will carry us to my beautiful dream of the Emerald Isle. I refuse to believe that I am going to lose Terran in the fog.

Back in 10 days,
Naomi

Flowers

2007-12-17T21:43:00.001-07:00

The last week and a half I have had a cold, a pretty bad one that has worn me out. Last Thursday the door bell rang with a delivery lady holding this lovely bouquet. When she told us they were for me Terran and I couldn't figure out who they would be from, then I opened the get well card. My parents had sent me flowers to help me along the road of recovery. What a wonderful surprise on the worst day of the whole thing.
Thanks Mom and Dad! I love you!!!!

Yours,
Naomi

A GLANCE AT NOVEMBER

2007-12-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

I feel like I haven’t done a real post for quite a while, though I’m not sure what a "real post" consists of. I guess it depends on what you like to read about other peoples lives. The past month went so quickly for T & I, it was incredibly full of a lot of big , busy things; including several road trips, lots of visiting and some running.

We started off by running a 3 mile race together that supported our local "Girl’s on the Run" program. I loved seeing those elementary girls there running their little hearts out and seeing their pride as they crossed the finish line. I think it’s great that they are teaching girls to set a goal and to meet it with hard work and training. I also think of the great health benefits they are going to have in their life starting to exercize at such a young age. T ran the race in under 24 minutes. I am so impressed with him running faster than an 8minute mile, it may be because I ran an 8:02 mile. The roughly 24 minute run put me in second place in my age group, so now I have a cool orange bag to carry books in and a red ribbon that says "Second Place". I was pretty happy, especially after I saw that the first place girl in my group ran the race in 18 or 19 minutes. A tad fast for me.

We also had a housewarming to go to for Tamara and Mark, T’s sister and hubby that afternoon. It was a fun, fun time visiting with them and their friends. Mark and Tamara are two of the most hospitible people that I know. I love going to their house, because I know how welcome we are and feel. If you ever get a chance to visit them I highly recommend taking the offer. You’ll have some good conversation, see some sweet kitties, and get to drink excellent wine and coffee. Thanks guys for a great afternnoon!!!

The next weekend we were off to Las Vegas with some family and friends for an airshow at Nellis Airforce Base. We had the joy of picking up T’s brother Arls from the airport, he was just returning from China. It was SO good to see him after 5 1/2 monthes.

Because Arl’s had been out of the country for several monthes and really wanted to go climbing on our minivacation T found a place outside of Vegas that we (I use "we" as a very general term,because it should be "they") could climb at.

The Three Amigos and the boulder that they beat. I was really proud of my 30 something hubby keeping right up with his young 20 somethng and alsmost 20 something brother. I have got quite a stud!

The area we were at is called Red Rock Canyons which is a beautiful nature area.Quite worth the 20 minute drive outside of Vegas. I laughed when I realized that this is the only picture of T & I from our trip. We spent time on the world famous Vegas strip and come home with a pic of us outside. I guess you can tell what holds our interest.

After we got home from Vegas it was almost time for us to start preparing for our trip to Washington to have Thanksgiving with my family and pick up a special something.

I was so glad to have the Holiday with my family. This was the first Thanksgiving we have had with them since we were married. It was a great visit, though very short at barely 48 hours.

Playing around at the Boeing Air Museum.

Every holiday has some kind of fiasco and I was the cause of ours. I started a fire with the marshmallow covered sweet potatoes in the oven. I thought they needed to be broiled to finish browning them. It was a pretty good one with flames filling the oven; my Dad had to be the hero and took them out for us. At least it was the only dish of food left in there and was the only casualty of a wonderful day.

Here is the "special something." Terran about a month ago bought this little 1963 Austin Healey Sprite over E-bay and my dad has been storing it for us after picking it up in Oregon.

We are very excited about our little 2 seater joy ride. It does run, but needs brakes and some other work. It wouldn’t be any fun if it didn’t need some TLC. T is hoping to have it on the road this spring for some cruising. I’m very excited for him/us, he’s wanted a classic car for along time.

Well, now I feel like I have written a real post and am feeling much better about my blog. Amazing how a little rambling can make you feel so much better.

Naomi

Kaia's Blankey

2007-11-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

Little kids aren't the only ones that need their special blanket. Kaia sleeps each night on this blanket in our room and on trips. It's so cute to watch her make it in the evening and then find her all curled up on it in the morning. If she could I think she would drag it around with her during the day.

2 MILES, 2000 FT. in 2 HOURS

2007-11-02T21:04:00.000-06:00

Mt. Garfield is our desert mountain; standing 2000ft. above the valley with a 2 mile trail going up the side. It's very steep quite unlike any other trail I've hiked. Terran and I took a beautiful, cool Saturday morning a couple weeks ago & made the climb. It's something that locals can't help but do once in a while. There is even a running race up and down it in the Spring.

A little breathless, but we conquered the mount.

Trying not to let the unease show.

Kaia didn't like being that high in the least bit. Aside from being slightly cross eyed in the picture she had a panicked look on her face while we were on top. While...

Kojo the daredevil just had to see what was at the bottom.

The highlight of the hike was the wild horses we saw on the trail. They were absolutely gorgeous. We love how strong and healthy they looked.

The Horse Whisperer.

This guy looked a little sad we were leaving, or maybe he's just playing peekaboo.

Kojo the Ghost Dog

2007-10-17T20:14:00.000-06:00

Playing the Tourist

2007-10-01T20:15:00.000-06:00

Hanging Lake about an hour and 1/2 drive and a mile hike up a steep hill. Well worth the walk with this at the end. It's a huge tourist hike in Glenwood Springs boasting of 80,000 people a year.

Wes and Terran living on the edge.

My Honey and I

For All You Coffee Lovers

2007-09-23T08:31:00.000-06:00

I have never been a huge fan of low fat foods, especially desserts. I was raised with the motto if you’re going to eat it, it should be the real thing and taste good. No substitutes!! Well, as I grow older and those real foods I enjoy so much try to stick around longer than I’d prefer and in places I’d rather they didn’t, I’m a little more open to light foods. It was with a bit of hesitation that I tried this recipe and found that it is great. It tastes yummy and is gentle to the waist line. Ahh, you gotta love that.

Cafe con Leche Cream Pie

3/4 C. Chocolate Wafer Crumbs (about 15 cookies, such as Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafers or Chocolate Grams work)

4 tsp Butter, melted

Cooking spray

3/4 cup extra strong brewed coffee

1 1/4 tsp unflavored gelatin

1 (8 ounce) block 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1 (8 ounce) block fat-free cream cheese

1 (14 ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

3 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Combine chocolate wafer crumbs and butter, tossing with a fork until well combined. Firmly press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan coated with with cooking-spray. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes; cool completely.

3. Pour brewed coffee into a medium microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle that gelatin over coffee; let stand 10 minutes. Combine cheeses and milk in a food processor' process until smooth. Microwave coffee mixtures at HIGH for 20 seconds. Add coffee mixture to cheese mixture, and process until well combined. Pour cheese mixture into prepared crust. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Spread the whipped topping evenly over filling; sprinkle cocoa powder over pie. Chill one hour before serving.

Yield 10 Servings

Spacial Notes: This dessert needs to be prepared the day before serving for chilling purposes. When I first read this recipe that did not register and our pie didn't set all the way. :)

Bon Appetit,

Naomi

VISITORS

2007-08-31T08:44:00.000-06:00

I am excited as my family is here for almost a weeks visit. My mom, my brother Tim, and niece Kaitlyn drove down from Washington for a end of summer visit. I could not think of a better way to end summer and celebrate the Labor Day Weekend. :)

Kaitlyn was excited to see me and Uncle Terran, but it was nothing compared to her excitement to see the dogs. She and Kaia are best buddies, one following the other every where. You can't see Kaia in the picture, but Kaitlyn would blow the bubbles and Kaia would run after them trying to bite them. Quite cute!!

Naomi

Birthday Dinner

2007-08-12T13:44:00.000-06:00

Last night for my birthday (it is today, but we celebrated last night) my hubby made the most amazing dinner for me. He cooked all afternoon and evening for this dinner. He made stuffed sole, with a roasted onion in a bacon wrap, a cheese and herb bread, and a artichoke, grapefruit salad. I could not believe my eyes or my mouth. He used my Jamie Oliver cookbook for the dinner and then we had our annual chocolate peppermint cake for dessert. I love good food and love my darling man even more. Having both together was wonderful!!!!!

Morning Harvest

2007-08-09T09:13:00.000-06:00

I picked this entire bowl of beautiful red cherry tomatoes this morning. They aren't washed or sorted yet; just fresh from the vine.

Here is our garden this year. It has become a crazy jungle. The ground vines are cantaloupe, two tomato palnts in back ground (the large one is the cherry toms and is taller than my 5'2" height), behind the the toms is our watermelon. Please note that the tire is the tie off for the string holding the tomato plant up. It looks kind of junky, but has a valuable purpose.

Because the plants are so wild it's hard to see if the toms I'm picking are really ripe. These are waiting for the sun to help finish adding the last bit of blush they need to be ready eat.

Enjoying the harvest,
N.

Vacation

2007-08-04T11:08:00.000-06:00

It’s a lovely, lovely cool Saturday morning (it rained last night) and I felt I should share about some of the fun we’ve been having in the sun. Actually I’m going to share about our mini vacation which was super and fairly cool too.
During one of my weeks off last month (Yes, I do mean July, if you can believe it. Time is flying.), Terran also took the week off and we went CAMPING. Hurray, hurray we got out of town and went to the mountains spending five days and four nights just the two of us, plus the dogs. We saw a total of 5 people out there and they were just passing through.

The Camp

2007-08-04T11:06:00.000-06:00

I do not suggest forgetting the pump to blow up the air mattress with, especially when it is a queen size. T & I both spent quite a bit of time using up a large supply of our hot air to make sure we had a comfy bed to sleep on. You have to look through the car to see me blowing.

Our first night out we got barked at by a group of three coyotes on a hill across from camp. You have to look very carefully to see them. Terran was suprised that they would draw attention to themselves so close to us. We think the dogs upset them. Kojo and Kaia didn't know what to think.

Aah, snack time.

Kojo spent much of his time in camp trying to coax squirrels and chipmunks out of the trees. Poor guy, it didn't work. I personally wouldn't have shown my teeth so much if I had been him. You can't see it, but he is standing on a fallen log to get as high as he could.

Camp Causalty

2007-08-04T10:46:00.000-06:00

There always has to be some sort of injury when camping. Out poor tent was the one to suffer this time. We think one the dogs stepped on it and poked a couple holes. The bandaids did work and kept the rain out of the tent duing the afternoon showers.

Beauty

2007-08-04T10:40:00.000-06:00

Terran took both these photos

The Wilderness

2007-08-04T10:37:00.000-06:00

On a hike we saw a gorgeous herd of Elk. It had several bulls and a couple of calves with their moms. I like this one the best. It shows how cute the calf is.

Dogs are like toddlers and are very difficult to capture in good photos together, because they are always moving. We got several great dog photos this trip. I am thrilled! Here's a very cute one.

The hills are alive with the Sound of Music

King and Queen of the Mountain. Kojo and Kaia are obsessed with climbing any rock formation and standing at the top. I think Terran and I are to blame, because we are always hiking and taking them with us, even when we have to lift them up little cliffs and such to make the summit.

Home Sweet Home

2007-08-04T10:26:00.000-06:00

Finally, a really good smore made with the toaster oven. The ones roasted over the fire didn't turn out to well.

There's no place like home to get a good sleep

2007-07-01T00:19:00.000-06:00

Kaitlyn

THE TWO DAD'S

2007-06-17T08:07:00.000-06:00

Happy Father's Day !!!!!!!

Washington

2007-06-16T15:23:00.000-06:00

Finally, here they are, pictures from Olympia of the World Class Hansen Family and One Goodwin. I am proud of myself, because I figured out how to retrieve the pictures myself. I am quite dense about the computer and any step forward is reason to celebrate. Though when Picasa decides to boycott a couple of adorable pictures by not letting me post them the celebration wanes slightly.

Enjoy,
Naomi

2007-06-16T14:27:00.000-06:00

We spent a day at the beach having a blast and
freezing.

Auntie Naomi and Kaitlyn

I love this picture of Salome and Kaitlyn

2007-06-16T14:07:00.000-06:00

My brother Tim and Kaitlyn feeding the birds.

2007-06-16T13:57:00.000-06:00

My Mom Spoiled me rotten by taking me to dinner at the
Space Needle in Seattle. We had the most beautiful day with
nary a cloud in the sky and good company.

2007-06-16T13:53:00.000-06:00

The Space Needle. We are dinner
at the very top. The elevator has windows
all around it making the ride up
is a little nerve racking

2007-06-16T13:47:00.000-06:00

My Mom put together a lovely tea party for just the Girls. It
was quite fun to dress up, eat little sandwiches, and drink tea
together.

2007-06-16T13:42:00.000-06:00

Nisqually, a beautiful wet lands area that I have walked since
I was a little girl. While walking with my brothers Mt. Rainier
showed us her face.

STILL ALIVE AND KICKING

2007-06-04T20:45:00.000-06:00

A month!!! Has it really been a month since I last wrote? I can't really claim the little up date about me visiting my fam was REAL post either, so I will be harsh on myself and admit to longer than a month. Oh, the shame, oh the shame. I have had such high hopes about staying on top of blogging of being a once a weeker or at least a twice a monther. The latter is a little more realistic. Especially for this time of year. :) But that does not seem to be happening. Today I am claiming as a new begining, a clean slate and from this moment forward I will blog (Hmm....we'll see). I love high hopes for the future.

I took many wonderful pictures in Washington that I am longing to share, but can't find where my darling husband put them on the computer. So, I'm afraid that you (if there are any readers left) will have to wait a little longer.

This again is going to be short. I need to head to bed soon and want to have time to read everyones blogs. :)

Catching up in cyber world,

Naomi

Great Northwest

2007-05-04T10:22:00.000-06:00

Just a short note to let everyone know that I am enjoying the cool spring weather of Olympia, WA with my wonderful family. I am here to spend a week with my parents, siblings, and niece. Lucky me! Can't wait to share pictures and stories.

Naomi

WEEKEND DOINGS

2007-04-23T11:32:00.000-06:00

WALKED THE DOGS SUNDAY AFTER CHURCH

HAD TO DELAY WORKING ON OUR FENCE, BECAUSE OF TEMPERAMENTAL WEATHER

HAD A DELIGHTFUL COFFEE DATE WITH TERRAN'S SISTER TAMARA AND HER HUSBAND MARK

CLIMBED AT THE CLIMBING GYM WITH TRINITY TILL OUR ARMS WOULDN'T HOLD US ANY MORE.

TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE V-TECH SHOOTING

PICKED BURRS OUT OF KAIA'S HAIR FROM OUR WALK

WENT GROCERY SHOPPING, WE HAD NO MILK AND NO CEREAL

ATE A GREAT HAM AND POTATO CASSEROLE SUNDAY

HAD LUNCH WITH AN OLD FRIEND

ATE A YUMMY ICECREAM CONE FROM A LOCAL DAIRY AND DRANK A PINT FROM A LOCAL BREWERY (NOT AT THE SAME TIME)

Naomi

Spring Bursting Forth

2007-04-19T20:30:00.000-06:00

My flower garden has erupted in color and beauty

Off Those Sweets

2007-04-07T09:54:00.000-06:00

Last Wednesday while at work eating lunch Micah and I were talking about what kind of cake I would make and she would help decorate for her Mom’s birthday this week. Micah, being 3, loves secret surprises and to help in the kitchen, especially decorating. We decided on chocolate ,it being her favorite and thankfully her Mom’s favorite. I off-handedly asked if her Dad also liked chocolate.

While finishing her macaroni Micah answered, "Well, he's off sweets." I looked up at her thinking I must have misunderstood, "He's off sweets?" I asked.Micah, with a little shrug, "Uh-huh, he's playing Lent."

I laughed all the way home over her answer and her understanding of her dad fasting sweets for Lent.

Naomi

Fun In The Snow

2007-03-19T16:45:00.000-06:00

This is Bubble Eyes, the Dinosaur. We took Trinity for a last sled trip this weekend and ended up snow sculping. It was quite fun and a great thing to do together.

2007-03-19T16:40:00.000-06:00

The sculptures. We were quite proud of our creatation when finished.

2007-03-19T16:37:00.000-06:00

The dino got Trinity. Poor Guy!

2007-03-19T16:35:00.000-06:00

Terran and Trinity, my brave protectors

2007-03-19T16:32:00.000-06:00

Not only is the dinosaur cool to look at, it also makes a good cover for throwing snowballs.