A Few Days Off

Our funny shot from today.....



Bill & Ryan were both off this last week for Spring Break. While we just had two weeks away from here, it was not a vacation by any means. So, while we spent the last few weeks catching up, we decided we still needed some down time. While I was scheduled to have the whole week off, we decided it best to cancel that idea, and just have a few days off.

Mon-Wed, Bill & Ryan worked on wood (the shed is empty!), while I worked. Even Kristin helped some. She was excited that she is finally big enough to keep the tractor running, so she could drive the loaded trailer full of wood to the shed, dump it, and head back for another!

Bill got his grades, and being off two weeks did hurt them, but not as bad as he feared. He still ended up with 3 B's and 2 A's....not bad for 18 credits, and two weeks off the week before finals. It was tough catching up, but we are all very proud of him for a job well done! Ryan too, had a lot to catch up on, and although he has one class to complete some work in, the teacher is being kind enough to allow him another week or two, and will change his grade for the class. It was a lot of work to catch up on in a week. We'll keep you posted there!

I took off Thursday & Friday...making it a long weekend. Thursday, we pondered what to do...we wanted to go to Sisters, but the forecast was snowy....and the coast forecast was rainy, so we headed to the pass, and took a drive back toward Eugene. There are some pretty waterfalls there, that have some great hiking trails. What we didn't realize, was the altitude was higher than we thought and there was WAY too much snow to hike. We'd have been better fitted with snow shoes or ski's.



However, the drive was beautiful, and we did get out in the fresh air, and enjoy the sun, snow, rain & hail that we had!! We rounded out the day with a trip to Dickijoe's for burgers & dogs, to help support our friend Nate, as they were doing a fund raiser. We headed back home the long way, and took an old logging road from Marcola to Sweet Home! Once home, we finished up our puzzle we started the night before, and called it a day...a good day!!




Friday we slept in, got a few jobs done, worked on the taxes, and enjoyed a lazy day. We anticipated rain again on Saturday, and woke at 7 to rain, so rolled over, woke later to sunshine. We showered and headed off for the coast. While we got plenty of rain, we also had plenty of sunshine, some pretty rainbows, and a lot of fun. We hit some favorite spots, hit the outlets, and got an early anniversary gift from Bill...an awesome flash, that is mount, or stand alone for additional light...it's incredible!!





We rounded out the day with dinner at the Sea Hag, and headed for home, taking some nice sunset pictures on the way with some new filters I got a few weeks ago. FUN!! Got home around 9, played with the new flash...and am VERY pleased with the lighting....awesome. Thanks Bill!



Check out the pictures from today...and Thursday!

March 3, 2011--Saying Goodbye with Friends

Today, March 3rd, 2011--we said goodbye to Bob. There were more people at the church than I could possibly count, but while working on the thank you notes, there must have been more than 200 people. It was amazing to see the support that the family had, and we are so grateful for those prayers, hugs, cards, calls, emails, and the "just being there". Bill & I are especially grateful for those friends of ours who made the time to come out and support us. It means so much to us.

We enjoyed visiting with so many that we haven't seen since our wedding. Friends of Bill's that he hasn't seen since since before we got married. It was a beautiful service with a nice message from an old friend, and a teaching/sermon from Mom's pastor who did an awesome job of pulling all of "Bob" into the message. After, we gathered in the fellowship hall to enjoy some of Bob's favorite desserts.

Once the service was over, we headed back to Bill's Mom's to have dinner with the immediate family that was in town. While the reason to be together was sad, the evening was enjoyed by all of this family, who are more like friends, and enjoyed our short time together. Beth (Bill's oldest sister) made Dad's favorite cheese fondue and everyone had a toast to Bob. It was a great evening, and an opportunity to visit with those who we don't get to see often.

Unbelievable Week

< If anyone told me last Monday that we would be traveling through many states to get to Michigan quickly, I would have told them they were crazy.

On Monday, Presidents day, we got a call from Bill's sister saying we had better head home. Bill's dad had fallen on Friday night/Saturday AM, and broken his hip. He was scheduled for surgery, but due to his potassium levels due to kidney function, it was delayed. However, sometime during the night on Sunday, he had a heart attack, and things headed from bad to worse. We tried to get a flight in on Monday, or at least Bill out on Monday, and due to the weather in Michigan, we were unable to get a flight until Thursday. Bill could have gotten out Wednesday night, but we didn't figure we would gain much. Long story short, we found flights on Expedia, and arrived Tuesday night, after taking three planes, and two airlines.

We went straight to the hospital, and were able to see Bob. Long story short, things were not good. We had a family meeting the next day, and it seemed that things were going in a positive direction, so we held onto hope. Thursday, Bob was breathing on his own, and we really had hope. Unfortunately, on Thursday night, things turned, and he was back on the respirator on Friday morning. The doctor stated that she would pull him off all pain and sedation meds to see if they could get any response. Unfortunately, by late afternoon, there was still no response. Bob had been on continuous dialysis for 5 days, along with the heart only functioning at 50%, and the respirator, things were not moving in a positive direction. The Dr then suggested that we meet with the Palliative team and decide what to do next. Bob's patient advocate stated that he did not want life support unless it was short term, and there was hope for recovery. The palliative team informed us that they had tried all forms of treatment, and that he was not responding. Being that this was against his wishes to continue keeping him alive by machinery and medication, the family honored his wishes and had all the "stuff" removed. Pastor Dave was with us, and all of the family was there, and after a few short hours, he drifted quietly off to sleep, and was finally at peace. It has been a few tough days, but we are thankful that we are all together.
The last few days have been busy with planning for the service on Thursday. We spent Saturday at the funeral home and florist, and Sunday, we stayed home, going through pictures and paperwork. Bill & I found a great photo of Dad that none of us had seen. It speaks volumes of Bob's character and it is now a favorite of ours.
Monday, Kristin & I snuck to Ohio for a few hours to visit with my grandparents. It was three hours and a smidge down, and about 4 hours back with a dinner stop....all worth it. It was a surprise for Grams & Gramps...and we stopped to get flowers for Grams, as her birthday is Thursday. It was a nice day, and Kristin got to see her Big Papa. Ryan & Bill stayed here and worked on some things for Thursday. We were able to change our tickets to fly back to Oregon on Sunday, and are so thankful for Jenny who is watching the house and all the animals for us.



Today we did some cleaning...some running around, and then spent a nice evening with some life long friends of Bill's. It was a nice change, and the place we met in Ann Arbor was full of character, and great food!





I have also posted a few pictures..I guess it's not all been a drag. Ryan is tired of shoveling snow....we did get some REAL chili dogs, and cribbage has been played with Grandma.



Off to bed, a few things to do before Thursday....and hoping to sleep in tomorrow!

Thanks to all for your prayers, your cards, your calls, your e-mails and your face book messages...it means so much to us.

Bittersweet?

Today was a bittersweet day. It started off normal, heading to work, getting lots done before everyone showed up at 8:00---and by 10:00 am I was ready for my break, to walk with my good friend Katie. Not only are we walking a mile in less than 15 minutes, we get to visit too. It's a win, win thing!! We headed out, and not even one full lap around the building (which is 1/4 mile), I twisted my ankle, and down I went....VERY hard, right on my knee. After getting over the "Why am I on the ground" feeling, and the dizzy nausea that took over because of the pain, I had Katie help me back into the building, and proceeded to do a damage check. After sitting a few minutes, I headed to the bathroom, yep, skinned knee....thankful I was in jeans (we can wear them on Friday), and not in dress pants that would have been ripped. I bandaged up, and the girls in the office fixed me up with ice. After about 20 minutes, my adrenalin was slowing down, and the pain began, along with the throbbing. I wasn't sure which hurt more, my knee or my ankle. So, at the encouragement of my coworkers, I headed off to urgent care, praising God that I now had insurance! Needless to say, after an exam, x-rays and a few ace bandages, I was on my way home to ice and elevate. The doc told me that since nothing was broken, and only muscles in my foot were pulled and my knee very banged up, he suggested some weight on it tomorrow, but light walking for the next few days. No power walking! I'm hoping an easy weekend will have me back walking by Monday.

The reason it was so bittersweet today, was while I was out walking/falling...this following article was published at work via email. When I came into my office, everyone was chatting about it....and I was a mess having just fallen. Talk about a crushed ego!! The nurse told me today, he could fix my knee with bandaides and an ace, but the pride was all in my department! I just think this was one more way of God showing me how I need to be more humble. Here's the article....,

ROCKING AROUND THE

BLOCK

OCCU Beat Reporter, Ima

Gettinfit, caught up with Shawnna Richards on a stroll

around the Corporate Office Campus. Ima noticed Shawnna making her tour a couple of times a day and thought she would inquire:

Shawnna says that she began walking in an attempt to lose weight after her husband approached her with concerns for her health. She started hitting the sidewalks during her breaks and at lunch, and when Weight Watchers came to the Credit Union and PacificSource started offering a reimbursement for attending meetings, she signed up. She believes that the primary reason for losing over 30 pounds in four months is the fact that she joined this support group and was held accountable! She encourages others to do the same.

When Shawnna isn’t at work she spends time with her husband, of more than 20 years, and her two teenage children. She stays busy tending to her countryside property, her pets, and just trying to be outdoors as much as possible. She hopes to double her weight loss by the end of Spring, for the Summer Season!

Way to set an example Shawnna!

Written by: Ima Gettinfit (aka Josh Masterson)

January Events (and a few February too!)

Has it really been a month since I've updated the blog. Goodness! Time flies when your life is upside down!

It's been a tough month. It seems that trials and tribulations have been all around us. Friends, family, friends that are family, and our church body has seemed to be under tremendous stress these last few months. Is it because we are growing in the Lord, and the devil is trying to sabotage us? I think so. I do know that lots of praying has been happening. We've started a bible study after dinner with our own family, in addition to Bill's & my morning study, in hopes to keep us strong through the week, to keep us focused, and keep our minds in the word, and not to be pulled down when the devil is on our shoulder. We keep praying for our family, as well as those around us. If you need prayer...tell us!!

NOW, back to the fun stuff. The month of January was pretty much work, eat, sleep, school, and church activities. Ryan is involved in two youth groups, plus school, and that keeps him on the go. Kristin has been busy with homeschool group, quilting with the ladies in town, and she too is involved with youth group. It seems we are always getting someone, somewhere, and are blessed when we can't that we have wonderful friends who get them there. (Thanks Dana, Troy, Dylan, Grandma Alice & Grandma Betty!)

The month started off with the kids doing a pancake breakfast as a fund raiser for youth trips that were coming up. We spent a lot of time running kids to & fro, Bill spent a lot of time in his books, as he has 18 credits this term (two math classes), and Kristin did get to head out on her youth camp over MLK weekend, which gave them three nights away.
It was quite an experience for her. She was touched by the spirit, and certainly brought home a lifelong memory.



We are all enjoying Bill's popcorn maker that he got for Christmas. I can't tell you how much better we like it rather than the greasy stuff from the bags. One tablespoon of oil, and 1/2 cup of kernels...makes for A LOT of pop corn! No butter needed...almost like the theater, without the goo on top! This is a typical sight while waiting for the popcorn to pop!!
It seems Bill has spent time at his desk after bible study and most free moments on the weekends for weeks now. He is overwhelmed with school right now...so prayer is welcomed!! On the positive side, he made the honor roll!!! Very proud of him! We had parent teacher conferences for Ryan, he is doing great...4 A's and a B--which is very close to an A.....we are very proud of him too!

In February, Shawnna will be a blip in a Healthy Matters article. Since late September I've been going to Weight Watchers, and up to Dec 20th, had officially lost 20 lbs. Being the group did not have enough to continue after the first of the year, I have still continued on with the program, but am not attending meetings. This last weekend, I hit an official 30 lbs.!! If feels good, and I've lost 6 inches from my waist, and gone down two pant sizes!! Yahoo! I will post the article when it is published...I believe it comes out this Friday.

This last weekend was packed with "stuff".

On Friday, The kids had a youth concert, featuring Benjiman and The New Divide (who we met at our seminar in September). It was a great evening, and filled with fun for the kids. The crowd was smaller, but we were all filled. If you want to see more...check out the full post by clicking HERE.

On Saturday Bill & I headed off to Eugene...dressed like we haven't been in a while!! It was a work function, dinner, dancing, etc. It was fun, but we've both become uncomfortable with that stuff...and didn't stay long. Thankfully, Nate & Katie were with us, and it made it more fun! These last few days have been low key for me, as I came home from work yesterday with a tummy bug of some kind, and have been down for two days. Feeling better tonight, and hoping to head to work tomorrow.

Will be back soon...hopefully, it won't be a month!!

Christmas Camping Trip

It's been two years since we've been camping at Christmas. This work & school thing keep cramping our style!!

I was fortunate enough to get 4 days off between Christmas & New Years...just enough time for us to get out for a few days. Bill & kids did a great job getting us ready to go, while I was at work on Monday. The kids were giddy beyond description, as it had been almost 7 months since we'd been out camping. Tuesday morning came,and we finished getting ready, and piled in the truck and headed west then North, up the coast. We stopped at Tillamook Cheese Factory (of course we needed cheese) and found that we had a dog that did not travel so well. I neglected to think that Lexxi had not traveled with us yet. Poor girl lost her breakfast. So, while Kristin & I stayed behind to clean her & her kennel up, Ryan and Bill went inside to check things out. After getting Lexxi cleaned up and settled, we all headed in for our cheese/ice cream fix.

We continued North, and our destination was Ft Stevens, but it had rained all day,and was starting to get dark and we were tired....so, we stopped at Nehalem Bay State Park, another nice park. What was even nicer, unlike Ft Stevens, was that it was almost empty! We got set up and had a nice dinner, followed by a few rounds of scrabble before bed. It was POURING!

On Wednesday, we woke to rain, but headed out, stopping at the Seaside outlets, to make an exchange, and let Kristin have a field day in Claires. The bargain shopper she is, she got 47.00 worth of merchandise for 14.00!! She waits for the clearance stuff....and has a blast. Sorry for us...she has 11.00 left on her gift card, so that means another trip to Claires! We then headed to Astoria, where we hit an Old English restaurant for lunch. Kristin had Sheperds Pie, and Bill had a Meat Pasty, Ryan & I both had some great fish & chips. All was VERY yummy.

After lunch, we headed to the Astoria Column, and it was SO cold that they kids decided they didn't want to climb it, and Ryan & Bill didn't even get out of the truck!



From there, we headed downtown, to the Historic Flavel House. Mr. Flavel was a River Guide....who guided ships into the dangerous Columbia River from the Pacific Ocean. He built his wife a BEAUTIFUL retirement home, and only lived there a few years before he passed away. The kids and I had a great time exploring the grounds, the carriage house, and the main house. It had beautiful mahogany woodwork and doors, that we later found out was local douglas fir wood, but had been treated to look just like mahogany. It was an incredible old house, and we enjoyed the history, as well as having fun looking at it as it seemed like the perfect setting for a Nancy Drew Mystery! Both Ryan & Kristin found many "clues" and "puzzles" as we walked the garden and through the house. After a full day, we headed back to camp. It was a stew dinner inside...too wet for a campfire.

On Wednesday, we woke to a beautiful sunshiny day. It was cold, but pretty. Bill was not feeling well, so he stayed behind while we headed to Ft Clatsop, where Lewis & Clark spent the winter of 1802 on their trip to explore the Louisiana Purchase. On the way there, it was so pretty, we stopped at some of the scenic pull offs, and I had a chance to play with my new camera lens. After a few stops, we were off to Ft Clatsop. They were having some special things happening, as this was the time of the year Lewis & Clark were in Oregon. We watched a neat film, learned how to write with a quill and watched a gun be loaded, shot and learned a ton!! We enjoyed checking out the new fort (the old fort had burned down a few years ago, and had since been rebuilt.) It turned out that it was not arson as thought, but a spark from a fire. The Fort is unable to burn to this day because of that fire. The ranger told us that they were "close" to getting their burn permit back! We decided not to do the river walk with the ranger due to the ice on the ground down the hill, and the fact that we didn't have gloves or hats with us. It was a 45 minute walk, and we'd already done about an hour and a half of programs and hadn't done the visitor center yet.
It was a fun day at the Fort.

We headed back through town, stopped to pick up some things for dinner, and headed back to camp. On the way back down the coast, the sunset was SO beautiful, and of course, with a new lens, you have to try it out...so we stopped several times on the way back to camp.


Chili for supper, and it was decided that we should head home early. The weather was not the best...the kids really wanted to help with the pancake breakfast for their youth groups, and it simply was not one of the better trips we have had.

It was a blessing we came home when we did, as our breaker box in the house was having some issues. Bill found that we had a bad breaker, and all the lights were dimming, and the box was making some strange buzzing sounds. Very thankful for a husband who can troubleshoot & fix. We spent the night (New Years Eve) with out electricity, but were thankful to be safe! We headed to the pancake breakfast while Bill hit Home Depot (YES, they were open New Years Day). and he had us back up & running by 2ish. We did enjoy our time at the pancake breakfast, and the kids loved being a part of their group. Everyone was TIRED when we got home, but dinner with Nate, Katie & the girls agave us something to perk us up!

We spent the rest of the vacation just prepping to get back into the swing of things for the coming week. Back to the usual routine...hate the end of vacation time!!


Enjoy the pictures!

Christmas 2010

The last few days have been full of giggling silly kids, as well as a husband who has spent some time right in there having fun with them. It's been tough getting up and going to work this week while everyone is on Christmas break having fun.

Bill & kids went shopping this last week to finish up some last minute items and get some things done around the house. It seemed it was a hat Christmas. Ryan bought himself a hat as well as Bill. Of course it only got sillier as the night went on....




Christmas Eve started off with a great ride to work with my good friend Katie. Being we work different hours, we can't ride together, but shorter hours on Christmas Eve permits us one ride a year to work together! The hour drive seemed like minutes while we caught up on the ride in. A short day at work, and then home early to finish up a few things, get a nap, and head to Christmas Eve Service.

Christmas Eve Service at Creekside has been great the last two years. While it's usually Silent Night that sends tears down my face, I was totally taken off guard while Pastor Tom was reading the Christmas Story. He related how Christ was born in a barn...among all the other sacrifices. Sheep, Cattle...what a lump I got in my throat, and my eyes filled up to spilling within seconds. It was a beautifully simple service, and I am ever so grateful for our Calvary family. It is always nice to slow down, and spend some time remembering the real reason for CHRISTmas.

After the services, we drove around to look at some Christmas lights, and then home to get settled and head to bed. It is the first time in the last 15 years that we have been to bed before Midnight! We also slept until 7:30 before Kristin was meandering through the hallway. I knew our kids were growing when they said "Mom & Dad, we want you to open your gifts to each other first". I quickly found their motive, when I opened up a beautiful new lens for my camera. Oh man was I happy!

We continued opening, and Kristin got her boots, and her comforter, as well as a manicure set and a foot bath, and a hat from her brother.


We surprised Ryan with all the accessories for the guitar he's been saving for.



Bill got the tabletop popcorn popper he's been looking at for awhile,as well as the family got a nice amish popper from my parents.After all was said and done, we had some happy kids. We watched a movie, had our traditional cinnamon rolls, and then we took a break to clean up and get dinner in the oven. Ryan went upstairs, and it appeared that Santa left his guitar in his room!!

For those of you that don't know, Ryan has been saving for his guitar since before his birthday. Many of you sent him checks for his birthday, and his dream is now complete. We kicked the rest in as his Christmas present, and got a great deal on the coast for the package set.



We got dinner in the oven, and Bill & I settled in for our Christmas nap! We woke to the wonderful smell of ham and cream cheese potatoes!

After a great dinner, Bill & I headed out to the trailer to take inventory for our upcoming trip. The kids & I are so excited to get out camping again....as school & full time work, have kept us home. June was our last trip out....and we are so anxious!

The rest of the evening has found Kristin painting with her new watercolor set, Ryan & Bill both reading (Ryan got the last three books in his favorite series), and I've had a blast with my new lens today, putting pictures online and blogging. I hope you enjoy the pictures! I've also shared my special gift from Kristin below the slide show.