Grateful for SUNSHINE

A Day Trip to the Beach

I took Ben and Nic to "Rockaway Beach", on the Oregon coast,
last weekend. Just a day trip.
The weather was perfect.
The boys had so much fun playing in the waves.
I enjoyed watching them.

"To Infinity and Beyond"

Nic's 2nd grade class, with Mrs. Tochtrop,
had a learning segment about the solar system.
A refrigerator box transformed into a space ship.

A passport was stamped after visiting each planet.

Astronaut Nic

The Black Hole

Each Child was picked a consolation to study.
Nic chose "Leo"

The kids were given the opportunity to have
a male family member join them and help make rockets.
Nic had the privilege of having Chris
help with this project at school one day.
They both did a great job on their rocket.

This was a display that a student made of the "Milky WAY".
This is my kind of display.

The "Life of Christ"

Easter weekend was the annual
LIFE OF CHRIST CELEBRATION
we have at our stake center, here in Vancouver.

The cultural hall is transformed into displays of events
depicting different periods of Christ's life.

The spirit is always so strong as you walk around, looking,
feeling, as if you were truly there during those times.

My favorite this year was Gethsemane.
To know and understand what took place in that spot,
FOR ME...

This sacred event is something I look forward to every year.

Enjoy the pictures
(note: some of them are not in order
as my pc would not allow me to rearrange).

Shopping 101

I have been wanting, for some time now, to learn how to coupon shop. I see that others save a ton of money, but dont really know how it worked. My friend Shauna has been encouraging me to make the first step, and this week she sat down with me to give me my first lesson. To be honest, I walked out as confused as when I walked in. She showed me her system of clipping and storing the coupons in her binder, each section categorized, the coupons in baseball card sleeve protectors. It was over whelming. She also took me online to see the sites she visits daily. There are some great people that find the deals for you, show the sales from each store, highlights the coupons, to get better savings. Shauna helped me make a list of what items, on sale this week and had a coupon attached, putting them in a word document, so all I had to do was come home, print the coupons, and go shopping. My homework, when I got home, was to clip the coupons I had(per purchase of 2 Sunday newspapers), print off the ones online, and orginize per store. I still had my doubts. I am unsure as to describe my feelings. Uncertainty as to it really working, worth it, time searching, clipping, shopping store to store. I am fortunate that the stores I would be using are close, so gas is not too much(ha ha ha) of an issue.

This morning, I gathered all my lists, coupons, and met Shauna at Albertsons. My first lesson (with her holding my hand every step of the way). To be honest, my first reaction was frustrations, confusion, stress, overwhelming inadequacy. I sure hope this gets easier.
The second store we went to was Safeway. A little easier, only because there was less to buy there. Still all the other feelings, but lessened.

I grand total spent, at both stores combined before coupons, was $160.43. Coupons+preferred cards savings was $96.90. Grand total out of pocket was $63.53!!!

I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE

Joshua had the GREAT opportunity to go through

3 temples in 6 days.

First was Portland Oregon on January 19th.

We drove to Idaho where he went to the

Boise Idaho temple January 21st,

and Rexburg Idaho on January 25th.

The Idaho Falls temple was closed for maintenance,

but we did go to the visitors center on temple grounds.

It was truely a blessing to attend these temples with my son.

Oh Christmas Tree

This year I really wanted to have a real tree.
We usually just put up our artificial one, which is nice,
but there is nothing like a real tree.
In the past, when we have had real trees,
we just go to a tree lot and pick one already cut.
They are nice, but this year I wanted the "real deal".
A tree WE cut ourselves.
We allowed each of the boys to take a turn cutting the tree.
So here is the result.
It is a 9 foot Douglas Fir.
I LOVE IT!!!

AND WE CANT FORGET MY VILLAGE.
I LOVE IT!!