Trying to Finish Well!

I've been meaning to blog since last Saturday but circumstances have waged against me. Oh well the life of a mom with small kids. Daniel turned 5 last Sat. we had a low key party with some friends from Seminary coming over for cake and pizza. It's hard to believe that he is another year older, seems like just a week ago I had him and brought him home from the hospital. I know many Mothers ask "where did the time go?" I am glad I don't have a new born though and thankful that I'm done having kids thus far. Knock on wood :-) Sunday Shane's parents rolled into town on there way back North to Alaska. Fred got a cold from his latest round of radiation. Otherwise he looked good and we had a very nice visit with him and Marie. The kids were happy to see Nana and Papa... We were able to provide them with some sunshine days but mostly overcast and rain. They fly home to Alaska on Saturday afternoon after being away for 7 months? School is going well for Sha...

We are pleased when relatives come and visit us in Portland. We figured we finally got a place were guest could have their own bedroom and not be in the middle of the activity. Shane's sister Carrie has been to see us twice now which is awesome. She is a neat gal, fun to talk to and easy to be around. She is also an amazing photographer so I love it when she points out something new to my camera I haven't tried. She stayed with us Tuesday morning thru Thursday and hopefully had a wonderful time playing Super Auntie. The kids I know enjoyed her helping them ride their bikes without training wheels and letting her take their pictures. It is fun to have had a break on dishes also, Thanks Carrie! Moving into new routine week, we're making adjustments to Shane not being in school full time and the kids still in school. Shane's folks are coming back up this way to Summerize their camper and head to Alaska for the Summer. From talking to them and reading their blog it...

This has been quite the week leading up to Mothers day. To start from the easiest to remember...to plant a garden in the back yard we had to petition to the school, we got approval three weeks later. So today Shane called his sister Misty since she has some really neat raised gardens at her house in Boise to see what we needed to do. After getting her advice we loaded kids and headed to Home Depot to by the recommended materials, peat moss, compost/manure, and some sort of granulate that helps the soil. Shane went to work using some of the Yellow Cedar boards that we cut when we first moved into the house in Lake Stevens and built some garden boxes. Then we found a nursery not to far from the house and bought some tomato starts, strawberries, zuchinni, cumcumber, and squash plants. The kids were a lot of help and are very worn out by the end of the day. Yesterday was another beautiful day here in Portland, so I broke out my pruning shears to trim the bushes out front. This lead...

Finishing up school for Shane, finished up my first class of DCP handing in my final paper tonight before starting 'Inductive Bible Study' so far so good. Kelli and Daniel still have at least a month before their school is done. Dakota and Seth are doing good and hanging out with Mom. Took some more pictures from around campus of the latest trees blooming.

School is in the final stretch for the students here at Multnomah. Seminary students are turning in final papers and studying for finals next week. Poor Shane wasn't the only one who stayed up very late or early how you look at it finishing their paper last night. This last Sat. Dr. Ayers hosted his students and families for a BBQ. We spent most of the day there and had a enjoyable day. I'm finishing up Pentateuch final paper this week and am fighting the sinus infection that has been blowing through the house. More beautiful pictures from around campus...

Took some more pictures from around campus this last week, it's neat to that all the bushes and plants have there own time table for blossoming. We have been enjoying flowers since March and we will continue to see new blossoms through fall. Plus I thought I should add one of the kids all playing in the sand from March of this year.

It is yet another week gone by in the Portland Lambing Household...I keep checking the blog to see if it has magically updated itself and for some reason the fairy blogger hasn't been by yet. Seth diffently keeps us on our toes, He has the 1" to 1 1/2" reach onto table tops and various surfaces. He also like to climb up stairs and is slowly figuring out the squat to get down stairs. He also loves the toilet and anything to do with water. He is a happy boy bent on destruction and mischievious smiles. Dakota unlike Seth who causes destruction where we can see, does hers silently or with a cute little song. She is playing better with others and entertaining herself. Her and the neighbor girl Brooklyn are becoming fast friends playing all around the houses and out front. It's very fun to see the girls friendship develop over the 9 months we've lived here full time. Daniel like Dakota is silent in his mischief and destruction. He also is loving having his daddi...

Sharing the sights of spring around Multnomah's campus...so beautiful and refreshing. May God Bless Your Day!

Our goal this month is to get through it into May. Shane finished one paper and has two more to go, I believe...He will be done with his first year of seminary middle of May. Then he is taking a couple language classes end of May and some more beginning of August. For myself I wrapped up American Literature and am in the midst of Pentateuch which has been really fun discussing in class...the weather has been spring like some rain, some sunshine and warm weather to fool you into breaking out shorts, we are figuring out the plans for building a raised garden this year complete with fence to keep kids out of it :-)...We are still in the process of getting banks to approve short sale of our house in Lake Stevens, ugh! is the nicest thing I can say..and God is in the midst of all things. The Kids are all doing great, Kelli is a reading maniac now, I'm very proud of her. Daniel is finishing up Pre-school, he still has mass amounts of energy but he can somewhat sit still for lessons ...

So I need something cheery to do today. The best thing for me is to write it out and share with others some of my favorite pictures of my wonderful kids. Who happen to have snotty noses (just Seth)but have been whining and tired today. I would ask for those who read this to send some prayers up on our behalf. We are still jumping through hoops with the banks, and real estate agent working on our behalf. I will refrain from ranting on the blog, you all come here to look at pictures of my kiddos. So here are some more from this past weekend. Shane is writing a rough draft for one of his classes, and I should be working on a 6 page paper final for American lit or doing my Pentateuch homework. But alas that is not happening now. Well I smell my soup and best go put the finishing touches on it. May God Bless you and keep you. I just have to rememeber those words. Right?

We our finishing Spring Break here in Portland. Yesterday we decided we needed to find some sand for the bottom area of the kids fort in the back yard. So we flipped a coin to see if we would be heading East or West in our search. West won so we headed west bound hwy 30 to Astoria,OR, which is about 1hr from the house. Before leaving Saint Helens we bought lunch and some juice and began our adventure in finding a beach with sand. About Astoria the kids said the infamous words "I need to go to the bathroom" so we pulled into the parking lot of the Maritime Musuem. Bought tickets for Shane, Kelli, and I so we could see the exhibits and go to the restrooms. The younger kids were free! So after using the potty chair Shane and the older two watched a short showing of the history of the area, the two younger kids lasted maybe 5 minutes before they were ready to wander. Together we all walked around the museum which was quite facinating historical documentation of the fish...