She Was So Caught Up in the Excitement

Beth's birthday is October 10th and she's been talking about it for months. Back in July, "My birthday comin' up!" She gets so excited about it!

She sends the family her birthday list, talks about what she wants, and when she thinks of something new she tells me to "add this to my list."  

We'll be celebrating on Sunday afternoon but she's been celebrating most of this week. On Tuesday she told some of her friends at All aboard that her birthday was on Friday. 

Then on Wednesday all the bowlers get to go up front and tell everyone their birth date. Then they sing Happy Birthday.

The DART bus was going to be very late so I took her to the bowling alley yesterday and she walked in at 9:59, just in time! I was parking the car and missed her telling her age.

I don't think she saw me because she flew by me and headed down the bowling alley so I followed her. I guess each person celebrating their birthday that month gets to spin the wheel. I don't know how they figure it but she got to spin it three times!

You can tell she's so excited about her cold-hard cash and she walked by me again! She was so caught up in the excitement she never even saw me!

You can see how close she is to me in the photo above but she walked right past me! I had to run to catch up with her and asked if I could get a picture.

She loves bowling so much. Can you guess what she said when I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday?

Today at work she saw the Happy Birthday signs I had hung up, everyone was telling her Happy Birthday, and a co-worker gave her a small bag of gifts. Then on Sunday the celebrations will continue: we'll go to Red Robin for dinner, and then to the bowling alley. Then back here for cake and presents. 

Happy Birthday Beth! 

It's finally here!

Always Going Above and Beyond

Sharaya was born on October 6, she's the second of our three girls.

Beth was just turning two when she was born and she couldn't get enough of her!

Sharaya has a tender spirit and is always going above and beyond what she is asked. When she was young she was helpful at home and at school. 

She's two years younger than Beth and would help her with things when she was really little. I remember when she was four, she helped Beth put a toy back together. When Diana was two, Sharaya was six and would play with her after she got home from school. And she's still that considerate as an adult. She worked at a middle school for a couple years, then due to budget cuts had to move to the transportation department. And you know, she still goes back to that middle school to volunteer where she can! She helps at school activities or makes posters. 

And as a mom? Due to addiction and abuse she became a single mom many years ago and she and Ally have such a close relationship. She has created a bond that is carrying them through the teen years.

She's an incredible woman and I'm humbled to be her mom.

Happy Birthday Sharaya!

A Quick Family Update Post

Good morning,

I woke up really early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so I got up and had breakfast. There were no clouds when I first got up and now the fog has rolled in. It really feels like fall and for some reason I'm excited for it this year. The older I get the more I'm enjoying the cooler temps and rain. Maybe I'm becoming more like a hermit every day!

I finally got Beth signed up for Speech Therapy, something I've wanted to do for years. I needed to get a referral from her doctor and now that's been done. I'm hoping to get her started in the next few weeks. She can talk, but she really struggles with articulation and she knows people can't understand her so she just doesn't talk. I'm hoping this gives her more confidence and helps her interact with people more.

I did some shopping earlier this week and when I came out of one store the sky was incredible! The white clouds against the blue sky with the fall leaves... the colors were so vivid. The trees are a little dark in this picture but they were bright!

We got to video chat with Diana this week. Adelaide is growing so fast and her communication skills are way beyond a two-and-a-half year old. Oliver was asleep so we didn't get to see him this time. We love being able to visit with them.

Sharaya's birthday is on Monday so we'll be celebrating her this weekend. We'll take her out for dinner, then if we don't do gifts at the restaurant we'll come back here for cake and presents. I posted these on our family text a few days ago:

Yellowstone

Sharaya's on the right

At the Grand Canyon

Sharaya's wearing the hat

  Visiting my mom

We went on a long western U.S. road trip through eight states, and it was one of our biggest vacations while the kids were growing up. 

And Sharaya is older now, than I was on this trip. It's crazy to think about!

That's about all for now. I should close this and get my day started. I hope you're enjoying the beginning of fall. 'Til next time! Have a wonderful weekend!

What We've Been Up To Lately

Hi everyone - 

The last couple of weeks have been full. We've been doing a lot and just getting out and about.

Chuck, Beth and I went to see the Sound of Music a couple weeks ago. It was in the theaters to celebrate it's 60th year. I didn't realize it had come out that long ago. When it started I got so excited and when it got to this point:

I actually got butterflies in my stomach and I began to tear up! Just hearing the music again was so nostalgic.

Beth and I sang along, but we were very quiet. Thankfully there was no one directly in front of us. :) We were the first ones there. I like to get there early so we aren't trying to find our seats in the dark. Beth goes to karaoke every week and the week after we saw this, she decided to sing Do Re Me.

Beth and I went out shopping last week and stopped for lunch. Reb Robin's fries are the best and she recently discovered their honey mustard sauce. So good! We decided to take a selfie afterward and ended up laughing so hard!

Let's see, we both went to the dentist. Just regular cleanings.

Next week we're going to get our hair cut. We've decided we just want the same styles we've had, but our hair has grown out, so back to shoulder length.

Chuck and I went to the Mariner's game last night. We were in the nose bleed section but it was fun! Had hotdogs and cracker jacks! Wouldn't be a baseball game without them! And the Mariners won, we're going to the playoffs! And the Seahawks are doing well so the entire city of Seattle has been excited! Everywhere you go people are talking about them. 

The family is all doing well. We celebrate Sharaya and Beth's birthdays next week. We've been shopping and trying to plan things. Beth showed me the birthday cake she wants, and she sent us her birthday list. She told Sharaya she needed to send hers too. Bossy big sister.  :)

I hope you all have a great weekend!

What's Your Favorite?

Hi everyone,

I started to write that there's not a lot happening around here but then I got to thinking of all the things we've been doing lately. I'll have to organize it all in my head and post about it another time. Today I want to tell you about my flowers. I'm probably more excited about them than I should be.  :)

Beth and I continue to do our grocery shopping every Thursday. She's trying to make better choices, some days are better than others.

When we bought our first home back in the early 90's I grabbed some sunflower seeds off the shelf without really looking at the small print. I planted them in the front of the house and they - kept - growing! That's when I looked at the package. I had bought Mammoth Sunflowers! I couldn't believe how big they were. Somewhere I have a picture of a squirrel hanging upside down on one of those flowers, eating the seeds with his two front paws. Those flowers were amazing and we still talk about them today.

Sunflowers are my favorite flower and I grew them for years. These were along the front porch:

Then when we moved into our second home in 2001 I planted them in the backyard against the house:

Then a few years ago I had planted some right where these are, just like I always had. Even after all those years of planting, I would still go out almost every day to check them and I'd get so excited when I saw the little stems about an inch tall. And then one day the stems were gone! I was shocked! I didn't know what had happened. The next year I planted more and saw the wild bunnies eating them! I remember being so crushed.

After that I tried planting them and covering them with mesh, chicken wire, but the bunnies always got to them first. So I eventually stopped trying. It's been a while but this year I decided to try again.

I put them in a pot this time, and only planted a few just in case they didn't survive. I surrounded that pot like a fortress and watched those flowers like a hawk! Then a couple weeks ago I looked out the window to see these beautiful flowers:

 I brought the biggest one inside:

And I took some to work. Every time I look at them they make me smile. There's just something about sunflowers.

Do you have a favorite flower?