Food for Marriage

Shawn and I attended a Sacred Marriage Seminar this weekend. We enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to everyone. Gary is an engaging speaker and his presentation was full of neat insights and biblical truths. The sun was shinning outside but we were glad we chose to attend the seminar. We still had plenty of daylight left in the afternoon to go to the park and play catch with the boys.

OJ

We have been enjoying some tasty fresh squeezed orange juice! Christian mentioned the other day that he missed making his own juice. In Indiana I would pick up boxes of oranges from the back of semis that came straight from the Florida orchards and we enjoyed fresh juice all winter long. Well, I missed the juice just as much as Christian. When I saw this huge box of oranges in the local market I did not think twice. The best part is that the boys are the ones that love making the juice. The other day I had a glass full of delicious juice waiting for me when I got out of the shower. My boys sure know how to spoil their mother!!

Mom's Weekend Off

What a treat! My friends Olga,Ann, Elvira and I went on our 3rd annual mom's weekend getaway. It sure was a lot of fun as we walked a lot exploring Seattle, shopped a lot and, of course, talked a lot. It was a much needed break and we came back refreshed and ready to tackle our weekly routines again. A big thanks to our dear husbands for making this possible, we love you.

The weather was as weird as it could get, from rain and sleet to sunshine. Not that it surprised us, since we had to brave the Pineapple Express last year in Vancouver. We just focused on our blessings and enjoyed every minute of it. The flowers were plentiful, at least in the Pike Market!

SPRING BREAK

We had a great Spring break week of relaxing, playing and just enjoying one another. I'm a little behind in my entries, since we have been back to our routine for a week now already. But better late than never, right? I had promised the boys a long time ago that we would go to the "Reptile Man". So we loaded our car with kids (6 in total), and my friend Ann and I ventured out to roam among the reptiles. The kids loved it, including our princess Grace, the only girl in the bunch. As a matter of fact, she was the one that did not want to leave at the end of the day.

I was so glad about the cages and glass, but it was not long before they found a way around it!!

On Wednesday we decided we needed some fresh air and exercise after all that humidity and close encounters with the reptiles. We headed for a Chuckanut hike to Raptor Ridge. Ethan stayed with his good friend Noah and we joined our hiking partners, Ann and Christian Davis. We all hiked 9.6 miles with 1600 foot elevation gain in just about 3 hours. We were so amazed at the boys, they did great. They are proud to tell you that they even got down to the car before the moms did. It's a little easier for young boys to run down a mountain than it is for us, wise women!! When we arrived at the ridge, there was actually a raptor flying over. The boys loved that! We were also happy to welcome and meet our cousin's son, Levi Jay Klassen, who was born on April 6. He is so very sweet, it's nice to have a little one in the family again. Grandpa and Grandma came to visit for a few days. The guys had a good time building the pine wood derby cars and working around the house. We also took them to our favorite local trail. Of course, playing games with Grandma is always a favorite. This time she taught them rummykub, the boys really enjoyed it. Our week ended with a great gift, a beautiful warm and sunny day. the boys went out to catch tadpoles for a neighbour's pond. No luck this time, but the fun was so great that I'm sure we will go out again. Later that day we went down to the lake, Shawn took off on his kayak and the boys caught a snake, yes a snake. They were gentle with it and after admiring it for a while they let it go. Then they decided to go in the lake. If you are wondering, yes, the water was very cold. At least that is what Shawn told me, I was not about to try it, but the boys kept from freezing by staying very busy gathering logs and braiding reefs for a raft. We had to leave before the raft was sea worthy. I'm sure we'll be back, and that will be another blog entry . . .

And they Meet Again . . .

These 5 cousins were able to be together again for a few days. Shawn, Nolan and Ethan left for Manitoba last Wednesday and returned on Sunday morning. It might have been short, but from what I heard, it was packed full, with playing and visiting. The boys put their swords, light sabers and creativity to good use by playing all sorts of star wars and pirates game. Shawn enjoyed visiting with his brother again and Heloise took great care of them all. Thank you! Meanwhile, back in Washington, Christian and I had a good time hanging out together. I used the time that he was in school to do some closet re-organization and went on a few little hikes with friends. It was a nice break form routine for all of us.