Random links

If you haven't seen I am Facing Foreclosure, you need to check that out. Wow! Take a page out of his book for "What Not to Do, Ever!" Aaron doesn't believe me that this guy is for real, but he even has his own Wikipedia page.

Short story: Basically Casey Serin was making about $50K /year as a website designer. He decided that his true calling in life was to be a real estate mogul. So he fudged a bit (alot??) on some loan docs and bought 8 houses in 8 months with no money down, looking to fix and flip. Well, if you don't sell the house within 30 days, then guess what? The mortgage payments comes due. Now he is about $2-3 million in debt. Go here to read the full background. The funniest thing about this site are the comments. After all that has happened to him he still does not have a real job and continues to think he can "get into" real estate.

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We have recently checked out the Highlights (kid's magazine) website. Lots of games, stories and crafts. The best part so far are the interactive hidden pictures. They are addicting, even for me!

Now I know why...

Have you come to the point in your life when you realize why ... your mom made stir fry? I reached that point tonight. Don't know what's for dinner? Hmmm, lets see what I have in the fridge and toss it in the frying pan. What do you call it? Dinner!

(I think only Jodi and Richard will find this mildly amusing, but maybe Daphne too)

Glimpses

We had some friends over to play the other day, Josiah (age 5) and Luke (age 3 1/2). They also have 2 younger brothers which makes for a busy momma!

They dressed up as cowboys and ran around with the stick horses. I gave them sheriff badges which were left over from Micah's birthday party. Too cute! The had a good time together and I had a good time catching up with my friend.

When it was time to go home Josiah mentioned the he wanted a stick horse too. His mom said that he could save his money to get one. Micah ran to his room and got down his frog bank (it is NOT a piggy bank, don't try to call it one) and told me he was getting money for Josiah so he could buy a stick horse. How could I say no to that? He gave Josiah two nickels, one for him and his brother.

Micah's generosity reminded me of my mom because that is something she would do. If she heard of a need she would think of a way that she could help. And sometimes if Micah looks at me in just the right way I catch a glimpse of my mom; something I just noticed a few months ago.

Prayer Gratefully Accepted **UPDATE**

UPDATE:
I talked to Jodi this evening and they are all home from the hospital. No one really knows what is wrong, BUT there is nothing they can do for him at the hospital. His oxygen levels are at 100 and there is nothing wrong with his heart or lungs. They are under orders to just watch him. He continues to have labored breathing and an accelerated heart rate. Please pray for REST for the whole family and that Daniel's respiratory system would mature so the scary breathing noises would cease.
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Would you take a minute and pray for Jodi's new baby Daniel? I talked to her on Sunday when she told me that he was laboring to breathe and his heartbeat was elevated. The took him to the ER where they admitted him and ran all the usual tests which came back normal. They are still at the hospital and they haven't figured it out yet.

You can check her blog (link at the right) for more info.

In Wonder

Written by Ric Knott, Steve Taylor and Peter Furler

So much wonder carved in your coral seas
So much wonder shaded by ancient trees
I consider all that your hands have made
Every newborn’s eyes, every new sunrise
No power can tame your presence
No light can match your radiance

LET ALL CREATION SING IN WONDER
EVERY SEA, EVERY CREATURE, EVERY STAR
YOU OPENED UP MY EYES TO WONDER
WHAT A VISION, WHAT A WONDER YOU ARE

Such a wonder, ordering time and tide
Such a wonder, bridging the great divide
I consider all that you had, all you gave
And all that you endured from this rebel world
What a wondrous cross you chose to bear
What a wonder you would even care

LET EVERY ROCK CRY OUT
LET EVERY KNEE BOW DOWN
YOU OPENED UP MY HEART TO WONDER
WHAT LOVE, WHAT A WONDER YOU ARE

No power can tame your presence
No light can match your radiance
Such a wonder... Such a wonder...

LET EVERY ROCK CRY OUT
LET EVERY KNEE BOW DOWN
YOU OPENED UP MY HEART TO WONDER
WHAT LOVE, WHAT A WONDER YOU ARE

Weowna Park

We have a beautiful old growth forest with trails that is a city park and is just outside our neighborhood. Not in the sense of a park with a playground, more like a national forest, but smaller and the city maintains the trails. There is a waterfall there too. When we first moved here, I was so impressed that we lived down the street from a waterfall. Last summer while doing training for the 3-Day walk, I learned that it was not a "real" waterfall, but a man-made waterfall. I was crest-fallen. The City of Bellevue even won an award from the American Society of Civil Engineers for the waterfall. Instead of paving over the ditch and making an ugly, normal drainage ditch, they made it into a stream with a waterfall. It looks very real!

Try saying Weowna Park out loud to yourself. Once I was telling a friend about the park down the street from us. She had this strange look on her face. Then she said, you own your own park?

Yesterday the boys and I went on a walk to the waterfall. I took pepper spray with me, just in case. Micah saw me get it out and wanted to know what it was and what it was for. I explained that it was called pepper spray and that it was in case any bad men came along. On the walk down there, Micah says "I think all the bad men are sleeping", because he was expecting to use the pepper spray since we were taking it along. We walked along the trail in the woods and an older man came running by us. Micah saw him and was scared. "Mama! Where is the pepper spray?" I was very embarassed until I heard the man laugh. At least he has a sense of humor!

Book meme

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback? I don't think I care too much

Amazon or brick and mortar? Brick and Mortar... when I have time to get there.

Barnes & Noble or Borders? I would have to say library. I guess B&N (ducking from Jodi) since I don't know where Borders is here.

Bookmark or dogear? Depends on what you define as bookmark. I use random pieces of paper lying around.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? Okay, anyone that knows me at all would know the answer to this question. RAndom!

Keep, throw away, or sell? I keep it if it is written by Jane Austen. Most books I get from the library. I would never throw a book away, however. I would give it away.

Keep dustjacket or toss it? Toss it. Definitely. Especially for kids books

Read with dustjacket or remove it? I would read with it until it gets lost or torn. It makes a good bookmark! Then throw away.

Short story or novel? Novel. Short Stories are too short for me. I always want more detail. =)

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? see above.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? I'm proud to say i've never read a Harry Potter book. (gasp!) (Now I'm ducking from Julie) I've actually never read Lemony Snicket either. Not interested. Is that kind of like saying you've never seen Star Wars ?

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? tired.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? Once upon a time. I used to like mysteries but haven't read any in awhile.

Buy or Borrow? Borrow, see above comments about library.

New or used? Used, whenever possible. Preferably from the library.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? recommendation

Tidy ending or cliffhanger? Tidy ending. Cliffhanger if it is a series.
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Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading?Afternoon and Nighttime. I try to read the Bible in the morning but usually by the time I'm awake enough my kids are awake.

Stand-alone or series? I think series because I don't like a good book to end. I tend to read one book from an author I like then reading everything that author has written.

Favorite series? Chronicles of Narnia

Favorite children's book? Goodnight Moon-I remember reading this before bed when I was a child. Miss Nelson is Missing--this is a hoot! I love you Forever--always makes me cry. Dr. Seuss, because I remember learning to read with Green Eggs and Ham. Micah loves Dr. Seuss now.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? hmmmm...

Favorite books read last year? The Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll, one of the few non-fiction books that I have read. I highly recommend it. A Grief Observed by CS Lewis was also a good one.

Favorite books of all time? Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

Least favorite book you finished last year? If I don't like it I don't finish it, or really start it. I can't remember any that I didn't like.

What are you reading right now? Maui Revealed. We're going to Maui next month, woo hoo! If you ever go to the islands, I would highly recommend this series. They have some sights in their books that even the locals didn't know about. Their candor about different things have led to their books being pulled from shelves at some island bookstores. The author throws in humor, local legend and history which makes it very interesting to read.

Movie adapted from a book that you enjoyed more than the book? I'd have to say the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I don't know how many times I've tried to read them. So many. I could never get into it at all. I loved the movies, however.

Consider yourself tagged!

We have a winner!

So Daphne was correct and she is now crowned Queen of the Blog for today. Aren't you honored?

Our state does not have state income tax. yay!
But since Aaron earned $63 for "being" on The Office, (for standing around a convention hall and taking picts with John Krasinski), we had to pay $1 in state income tax to California. It cost $1.10 to mail the paper work in!

Cookie Anyone?

Remember this? Well it has come back to haunt us. I'll give a cookie for the first person to guess how. Well, not really, but you'll get praises and lauds and be crowned "King of the blog" for today.

I'll give you a hint. It involves a dollar.

Here's another hint:

Maybe "haunt" is too strong of a word. A better description is "annoyance". Its not really a big deal, just wanted to see if anyone could figure it out.

Happy Birthday!!

And another round of congratulations goes to Jodi!

Happy Birthday!

I hope that you find rest soon from your little baby birthday present. I wish I was there to hold and rock him for you!

Another 2boysmama!

Congratulations to Jodi and Jay, proud parents of a new little boy!!



Can't wait to meet him!

Chinese Broccoli Slaw

I couldn't resist posting this recipe because EVERYONE in our family inhaled it. Joel (1 year old) had 2nd and 3rd helpings. I couldn't believe how big of a hit it was. It called for chopped cabbage (coleslaw), but I substitued a premixed bag of broccoli slaw. This is a great way to get those green veggies in!

1/2 T soy sauce
2 t fresh ginger, grated (or you can use the powdered ginger)
1 1/2 T rice wine vinegar
1 t chopped garlic
2 t sesame oil
2 t lime juice
2 T mayonnaise

Mix all the ingredients well. Toss together with :

10 oz bag of broccoli slaw or shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
2 green onions, chopped

Cover and refrigerate (30min-1 hour) to let flavors meld.
Optional: before serving toss in some toasted almonds.

(source: Saving Dinner)

At Bedtime

"Do you want me to rub it in (my goodnight kiss) so I can keep it in my heart and then I will remember you love me?"

DaVinci Code, part deux

The director of Titanic strikes again. If you haven't heard, he has filmed a documentary that claims, among other things, to have found a box containing Jesus Christ's bones, and the bones of his son. Read here for the story and here for a short rebuttal.


The documentary airs March 4 on Discovery Channel.

Sad Day for the Tree

Before (The doomed tree is the one in the foreground)
During. They cut the branches off, then he climbed up and cut 3 foot sections off all the way down.
I couldn't resist slipping this one in. Cowboy Joel.


Yesterday we had to cut down a Theodora Cedar in the front yard. During the wind storm the trees that fell towards our house sheared off the limbs on the front of our cedar tree. The cedar was precariously leaning and it was on a mound that was welling up on one side. We had an arborist look at it and he said we could prune it to balance out the loss of branches. BUT... we would need to keep pruning it every other year and never let our kids sleep in their rooms during a wind storm. Sadly, we decided to take out the tree then take a chance on it falling on the house.

A Theodora Cedar should have never been planted there in the first place. We looked it up and their limbs get to be 40-50 feet....it really spreads out!

Pictures soon!

A book not by Dr. Seuss???

The Exodus by Leon Uris

Yes, its true. I have finally read a book that is not by Dr. Seuss. I'm sure you're all wondering if I read anything else.

I have been trying to finish this book for about 2 1/2 years now. I would get stuck in the middle where it bogs down a bit and not finish. This time I plowed through and made it all the way to page 626!

I am not very good at book reviews, so bear with me. In high school I watched the screen adaptation of this novel and loved it. Years later, a friend and I were talking about the book and she let me borrow it. I since have bought a copy.

The Exodus is the story of the re-birth of the nation of Israel. The story is told through the eyes of an American nurse and several Israelis. The book takes place in post-war Europe where millions of displace Jews have no where to go because no one wants them. They are placed in refugee camps that are only slightly better than concentration camps.

The first half details the history of the Jews. First the holocaust told through a German girl who escaped to Denmark, and then told through a Polish boy who survived Auschwitz. Next it discusses the history of the Jews in Russia during the late 1800s, told through two Jewish brothers. There is so much rich history of Palestine that makes one understand currents events so much better.

I highly recommend it, even if it is 626 pages. The history is so easy to read since most of it you read through the eyes of characters, and there is a love story! =) It made me realize how persecuted the Jews have been throughout history. It wasn't just the Holocaust, that was just one of the many tragedies.

One thing I found very funny. Remember during the fall of Baghdad just a few years ago, that Saddam's minister of communications ( I forgot his name) got on the TV and announced to the world how Iraq was "winning" and they were "blasting away all the US tanks". All the while Iraqi soldiers were surrendering en masse. In The Exodus, numerous battles are detailed between the Israelis and surrounding Arab countries. Almost every time the Iraelis beat them handily and the Arabs would be broadcasting about their "great victory" , even after everyone knew they had lost mightily. I did not realize this great pride.

Reading about how Israel became a country makes you understand the conflicts that continues today.

Happy 10th Anniversary!

We have been married for 10 years today! What a difference a decade makes! I love you now more than ever. Thanks for being my friend, confidant and love.

Micah's new glasses

If you'll remember Micah was diagnosed with esotropia. He says that he can see better with his glasses and he doesn't squint anymore. Doesn't he look cute!!

Public Service Announcement:

Esotropia and amblyopia can be hard to diagnose. The literature I received from the ophthalmologist says that all children should have an eye exam by an ophthalmologist by age 4.

Milestones

Today Micah had his first official away-from-Mom playdate. He's been at friends' houses before, but it was because *I* needed to go somewhere, like the dentist. Today he is at his friends house so that *he* can play. Without me. I'm not sad... just seeing him grow up. The other day he told me he was almost 5.

"What?? You just had your birthday!"

"It's okay, mom. When I'm 5 I'll still give you snuggles, 6, 7, 8, 9 , 10 , 11, all those numbers I will give you snuggles. 12 14, 14, 16, 17 all those numbers too."

Sniff.

Joel's favorite toy is now a Gordon train from "take-along" Thomas the Train. He carries it around everywhere. It *almost* rivals tiger blanket. Almost. When he finds tiger you can see the dillemma going through his head. "I don't really want to put the train down... but it is my tiger...how can I carry all 3 things... I know! I'll put tiger in my mouth!" Then he joyfuly toddles around carrying one train part in each hand with tiger in his mouth. He calls Gordon "my guy". I am trying to get him to say train or Gordon instead. I think its working. Today at lunch he would say "bye bye twain" (or a g-word, maybe gordon?) and then move it back and forth like it was going somewhere.

Two sweet boys!

Check THIS out!

Oklahoma City-based Rocketplane Kistler will launch Temple into space as part of his grand prize for winning "Vanishing Point,” an interactive online puzzle created by Microsoft and Advanced Micro Devices.
"I never even thought I would actually win,” Temple said Monday. Temple received word that he won last week, and after making sure the call was legit, he started celebrating.
"I Googled Aaron's name,” Temple said of Aaron Coldiron, Microsoft's senior product manager and the mystery caller. "When I realized it was real, I stared dancing around my office saying, ‘I won, I won... The Daily Oklahoman Feb 13


Aaron was in Oklahoma City yesterday giving away the grand prize of a trip to space for the Vanishing Point game.

Read the rest of the article here.