Movius Moments

Swapping Rooms

2012-02-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, we decided Luken would begin bunking with Makayla and Sam would get her own room. There were two main reasons for this: One, Sam was getting old enough to have her own room; Two, Makayla needs to rely on herself more than get Sam to do things for her.

This weekend we went about rearranging things. I thought while we were at it we should just shuffle rooms, so we did.

The above room is the northwest corner room. It use to be the little girls room, but is now Bailee's. Bailee was babysitting on Saturday, so she did not get a chance to pick it up.

The is the northeastern corner room, which is now Sam's.

This is the southeastern corner room, which has become the "family room."

And finally, this is the southwestern corner room, which belongs to Luken and Makayla. They now have the largest room. It will be interesting to see how Makayla handles cleaning it on her own.

It took all day Saturday to get this taken care of. They love this new arrangement though.

These pictures were taken by with Jeremy's iPod. It has an app that allows you take panoramic pictures.

Kerry and Theron Jensen

2012-02-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

Kerry Jensen is a British friend of ours that goes way back. She came to Lewiston several years ago to be a part of our church. Now she lives in China with her husband of a year. They are great people that I admire a lot. She sent me this email recently on how they spent Christmas and I thought I would share it with you.

HEY FRIENDS. THESE ARE PICTURES FROM OUR TRIP AT CHRISTMAS TIME IN THE MOUNTAINS. ENJOY!

HIKING THE TRAIL CHRISTMAS EVE TO JOIN THE CELEBRATIONS.

550 BROTHERS AND SISTERS GATHERED UNDER TARPS.

LOCAL MINORITY TRIBE SINGING CHRISTMAS SONGS

THERON AND KERRY WITH A MAN WHOSE PARENTS WHO HELPED THE FIRST MSSNRY FAMILY IN THE 1930'S

KITCHEN PREPARING FOOD FOR ALL 550 PEOPLE.

THERON AND KERRY WITH KIDS WHO RECEIVED CHRISTMAS BOXES.

A VIEW OF THE VILLAGE WHERE THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES TOOK PLACE.

MAKESHIFT CH. FOR CHRISTMAS

SONG BOOK USED DURING P&W.

John Carter

2012-02-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

John Carter is a new movie Disney is releasing in March. Jeremy and I have seen random previews and thought it looked interesting.

Here is the synopsis from IMDB - Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a savior.

The reason I post this is because I did not realize that this is an old series of books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I know his name because he also wrote the Tarzan series of books. I have always like the story of Tarzan, so I am hoping to like John Carter also.

The fun thing about the John Carter series is a portion of them are free because they were printed before 1923. I am adding them to my Amazon Free Books page.

I said I wouldn't add classics, but since they are relevant to the movie I thought I would. I am excited to delve into the world of John Carter. Maybe you will join me. If you do, let me know what you think.

Amazon Freebies

2012-02-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

I decided to move my Amazon Free Books. I have made it a page. It will no longer be found on the right hand side of my blog, but if you look above the post you will see tabs. It will be one of those.

And like I said, some are only for a day. One I posted yesterday is no longer free. Also there are tons of classics. I am not going to post those. They are easy to find on Amazon.com. Happy Hunting!

Amazon Free Books of the Moment

2012-02-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

I have decided to keep a list of some of the free books I find on Amazon. It is on the right side of my blog and I will try to update it often. Just remember, the free books on Amazon change often, so I apologize if I have a link to one that is no longer free. Also I may not have read all of the books listed, they may just look interesting to me. Read and your own discretion.

Physical Activity

2012-02-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot lately on the amount of physical activity the kids get. All of the girls are enrolled in dance classes, which gets them dancing at least twice a week. But it being winter and cold outside, they do not do a lot other than that. I have been wanting to get something that will get them moving for a decent amount of time each time.

I believe I have found it. Sunday was Jeremy's birthday and we were just going to spend the day as a family. Bailee talked Jeremy into getting this game for our Wii. We had so much fun. I think they kids dance for about three hours, while I put in a good, solid hour. I am hoping to get this for the kids and then use it for our school p.e.

I would like to say I could give a great recommendation for the music, but I can't. It is all secular music and depending upon your kids age and your preference, this might not be the game for you. They do "drop" out any inappropriate words, but some of the songs we still skipped because of subject matter.

So with that said, I still plan to get it. In my opinion, there was enough positive to out weigh the negative. Next time we "Just Dance" I will take some pictures and let you in on the fun.

Merry Christmas to Me

2012-01-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I had a very small wish list. Most of the things I want(ed) are out of our price range right now - a KitchenAid Mixer, a Cricut machine, a better lens for my camera, and a Kindle.

So when asked to give a list, I put the few reasonably priced items on my list and then I asked for money.

Family was good and I was able to get myself a Kindle Touch, which I absolutely love.

It is an incredible blessing and it is a great temptation. I am an avid reader. I wish I could find a job where I could read books I liked all day long. I am not very good with things I am not interested in though, so I do not think I will be finding anything real soon.

Back to my Kindle, I never thought I would be willing to buy something like this, because I love books. I thought part of my love of books was actually holding the book, feeling it in my hands, that physical connection. I was wrong. I still love books, but I have found I am very satisfied with my Kindle.

One of the things I love about my Kindle is it can hold over 3000 books. I am getting close to 500 books on my Amazon account right now. Not all of those are on my Kindle though, but about 2/3 are. The rest are held in my Cloud, which I will tell you more about later. I also started collecting these before I got my Kindle. You can actually download a Kindle app on almost anything you have - PC, Mac, iPod, and many other devices. So I had been using my iPod to collect free Kindle books for about a year now.

Another thing I like is its size. It is just the right size to fit into my purse. I take it with me everywhere.

I also love that I can get lots of free books through Amazon. There are other sites online where you can get books print pre1920s, but Amazon has a large selection of current titles for free. I have to admit that I check Amazon at least once a day to find these free books. They will put titles on for free for just one day some times, so I do not want to miss anything. At the end of this post, I am going to include a list of current, free books that I think are good reads.

I will warn I am rather eclectic in my book tastes. I love Christian romances where the author not only gives you a happily ever after, but a solid message to go with it. I like scifi books with action and aliens. I like fantasy that includes other dimensions and traveling in time. I like go old good guys versus bad guys. Some of my favorite authors are Lori Wick, Susan May Warren, Clive Cussler, Michael Crichton, and Dee Henderson. I love the classics. Give me Austen, Montgomery, Alcott, Dickens, Shelley any day.

Well, this was a whole lot long than I had anticipated. I am leaving you with a list of Amazon's current free books that I can vouch for. Like I said, these are sometimes only available for free for one day. If you see something that strikes your fancy, check it out. Each will have its own link. I hope you enjoy a good read on me, well, on Amazon.

Always the Baker, Never the Bride - Sandra D. Bricker

Finders Keepers - Catherine Palmer

Fools Rush In - Janice Thompson

Okay, well, these do not show my eclecticism, but I will keep looking.

Going to Jesus

2012-01-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had a friend leave this world and go to be with Jesus. In my mind, I know she is in a much better place, but my heart wishes she was still here. She was definitely one of the kindest, gentlest people I have ever met. She spoke in a soft voice that you really had to tune in to hear, but it was never a wasted effort.

Please pray for her husband and family. Lynnette, you will be very much missed.

Rain, rain, go away! Please!

2012-01-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

That might sound like an odd way of starting a post about all the snow we have had this week, but as I sit writing this (3:30pm Thursday), it is raining outside. Our snow has been reduced by 1/2, if not 2/3 and I am just sad. It has been raining all day up here on the Palouse so far. It seems rather cruel to give us all this beautiful white, fluffy snow and then kill it with rain.

Anyway, the rest of this post will be about snow and the fun we had while it was here. Below are pictures from Monday and Wednesday of this week.

Not a lot of snow on Monday, but the kids thought it was enough to sled with. They were right.

Luken would not let me take his picture until he pulled the sled over himself.

These are now from Wednesday. This one just shows how the wind moves our snow around.

Luken loves sledding this year. Wasn't so fond of it last year.

You really cannot see it, but she is zipping past me on her sled.

With Makayla, you can see a bit of the snow being thrown up.

This is an idea of the distance we trudge up to sled.

Luken gets a ride up the hill. It is a whole lot easier than carrying.

Finally, one picture of the kids and mom.

Winter Storm Warning

2012-01-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

I thought I would just let you know what our weather is like right now. I will try to get a picture up later today.

Winter Storm Warning for Idaho Palouse, ID from The Weather Channel

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST THURSDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 6 TO 12 INCHES IS EXPECTED TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING... WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS OVER THE IDAHO PALOUSE. ANOTHER 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY.

* ELEVATION: ALL ELEVATIONS.

* TIMING: SNOW WILL FALL AT TIMES TODAY AND TURN TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS OVERNIGHT. ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW IS EXPECTED ON THURSDAY.

Stuff

2012-01-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

Not a very eloquent or interesting title, but I just could not think of anything. I do have more holiday pictures. They are just not ready yet. I am working on them.

I thought I would just take a minute and share a couple of great sites I have found. One via Pinterest. If you are not on Pinterest, you should be. Fabulous ideas on everything. The other because I was researching how to make money at home and save money.

The first is SproutRobot. It is a website for all you gardeners. You put in your zip code and it will tell you when you should be planting. Yeah!!! I am very excited about this. These last years of doing a garden have been challenging for this very reason. I love to simplify my life. They will even send you emails to let you know what should be going on each week.

The second is Money Saving Mom. I have chanced across this site a couple of times. Today I was reading a series of articles on making money and being a stay at home mom. It was very interesting and informative. This site all kinds of money saving ideas though. It is great. Check it out.

On the personal side, we were suppose to start school this week, but didn't. Bailee has had a terrible sinus infection all week. I could use that as the excuse, but the reality is, I was not ready. Our holiday parties were just too spread out this year. The last one being on Sunday. I needed another week.

The younger girls and I did do some fun "school" stuff though and we made sure to read every day. I also had Makayla tell me that she likes reading now. Yes, getting her to read has been like pulling teeth. Not fun.

Next week we will be back to our full schedule with dance and church groups starting again. I am taking a big breath before we jump back into the fun.

On to Grandpa and Grandma Kelly's

2012-01-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

We are blessed with a lot of family. We definitely feeling during the Christmas season. We end the year with abundant blessings.

As I stated, our Christmas Eve is a day of family. We have our family time. Then we head to Grandpa and Grandma Kelly's house. We spend a couple of hours with them before we head over to Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Grimm's. You will get those pictures next. Here is some of the fun we had with Grandpa Mike and Grandma Pam.

This is Luken's forced smile face.

All three of the girls received a ring. I am not sure what Bailee is looking at, but I like this picture.

Luken was so excited to get this rocket out. The minute someone picked it up it started to talk and Luken wanted it out of the box.

Each year the girls also get a collector's Barbie ornament. They love them.

Thank you so much for all that you give us, Mike and Pam, and not just at Christmas. We appreciate all you do for us through out the year.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is a busy day for us each year. On previous Christmas Eves, we have tried to have our family time once we get home from visit with grandparents and great grandparents. I finally had an epiphany and realized that we should do it in the morning before we leave. So this year that is just what we did.

I know so many people who have the tradition of giving their children pjs on Christmas Eve and we are one of those families. I wonder how this got started.

Just so you know, I bought this shirt for myself.

Luken has a very expressive face. He made Christmas so fun this year.

I made Makayla's pants from her robe material from last year.

Same with Sammy's. Now they have matching pants and robes.

I promised Bailee I would not put any questionable pictures up. This was the better one.

Captain America

I had to pile a bunch of books on the back of our couch to get this picture.

Makayla is definitely our shorty right now.

I will share more Christmas Eve pictures in coming posts.

Right now!!

2011-12-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe Christmas is in 10 days. I am always surprised at how fast time goes. Another year almost over, WOW!

Right now, I am sitting on my couch watching the snow come down. It is beautiful, but why can't it wait for few more days. I know it will be beautiful and white up here for a few days and then it will be gone for Christmas.

We get more snow up here on the Palouse than the LC valley does, but it is still rare for us to have snow on Christmas. This will be our fifth Christmas here and we can only think of snow on one. I am praying it will last. I would love a White Christmas.

We have been staying busy on our break from school. We have been trying to do our daily advent activities although I must admit we are behind. Yesterday, we made homemade marshmallows and sugar cookies. The marshmallows were a challenge. The recipes all state that having a Kitchen Aid type freestanding mixer is the best plan and I can give affirmation to that. The girls and I did a whole lot of whipping and I think our marshmallows are going to be a bit flat.

Disappointingly, I did not take any pictures. You will just have to imagine the lovely, white mess we were when all the cooking was done. We had a lot of fun though.

I hope you all are enjoying these days before Christmas.

The Three Gifts - River City Dance Christmas Presentation

2011-12-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

As I told you, Bailee and Samantha had a dance presentation this last weekend. I heard it was great, but I cannot say for myself. We had a terrific, terrible problem. We had more people than we could seat.

The Silverthorne Theatre on the LCSC campus is where we held last year's Christmas presentation and we had seats leftover. We held this year's presentation there also, but there were no leftover seats. We had people lining the walls and filling the back.

I am the administrator for RCD and it is my job to greet people at the door and hand out programs. This year it left me out in the entrance hall. Don't feel bad for me though. Jeremy recorded it and I did get to see bits and pieces. Whenever our girls were performing, I found a whole.

I did not get any pictures of the performance though or of the girls before. They did not get their costumes on until they got there. My sister-in-law, Ange, got a few pictures of the performance and she put them on her business blog. I will redirect you there.

Just a few notes before you get there, the first picture is of my niece, Ysa (Ange's daughter) and my brother-in-law, Justin (not Ange's husband). The next is of our Bailee. The next is (yes, Ange) Rachel Kym. The last is Largent, who were are in-law relatives of, and his wonderful girlfriend, Lori.

Thanks for the pictures, Ange, and to the rest of you go check them out. Ange Movius Photography

SheSpeaks

2011-12-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

I have a possible opportunity for you today. I am a part of program called SheSpeaks. It is a product testing program that I have really enjoyed being a part of. I have received some great products to test and then write a review for. The most recent thing I have receive is a Phillips Wake Up Light, which retails at $99 and I love it.

Here is a url that you can follow. You take a short survey and they let you know if you are who they are looking for. If you are willing to get new products and review them, I would check this out.

https://www.shespeaks.com/secure/join_now/survey/139503

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Makayla was given this great kit to make five different gingerbread houses. Last Saturday, she graciously allowed Bailee, Sam, and myself to join her in making them. We had a great time and they turned out very cute. Thank you so much, Ashley and Mya.

The Village

The pieces

The players

The end product

Decorating for Christmas!!

2011-12-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

We love to decorate for Christmas. Honestly, the kids would probably decorate the house for each and every occasion that comes around.

These were the snowflakes we made from coffee filters.

This is our advent calendar for this year.

Dad has the lights on and now it is time to decorate the tree.

Almost done!

Now we are done and we are happy little elves.

Our #1 elf

Makayla's Christmas Demos

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

As you all know, all three of the girls take dance at River City Dance. This year the older class are doing a special presentation all together. The younger classes did their own small presentations. Makayla's were on Monday and Wednesday this week. Sam and Bailee's will be on Saturday.

She did great. I got just a few pictures of her. She was not being very cooperative though.

Turning 7!!!

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Three weeks ago, our youngest daughter turned seven. It just boggles my mind that she is seven. They grow way too fast.

Blowing out her candles.

Opening gifts - Sam has her gift hidden in her shirt.

I have caught Justin with some of the best faces.

Opening more gifts with Luken's help.

We also had a cookie making party for a few friends and cousins. Thank you so much girls for joining us for all the fun.

Luken does not like to be left out.

My niece, Ros, I love the look.

Decorating their cookies to perfection.

Discussing why that M & M went there.

We had a great time. Thanks, girls. And, yes, Sammy is a whole head taller than the rest.

Bailee and Luken were mixed in the fun.

The Train Park

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Every year in Lewiston, the city takes on the task of decorating a small park with Christmas lights. As I am sure you can imagine, our kids love it.

They put on a presentation each year before they turn them on and Bailee was involved with this again this year. I was on my own this time though, so I did not get any stills taken.

The following day, Makayla's birthday, we went for a visit with Brittney, Justin, and Anjahli.

The Derting Family

Popcorn and Peanut - My new nicknames for the girls.

Jeremy helping Luken ring the bell on the train. Luken loves choo-choos.

Makayla is dancing.

Anjahli was well bundled and had a hard time moving her arms.

The kids loved the penguins.

Right after this, Anjahli lost her balance and fell backwards downhill, but she was not harmed. Like I said, she was well padded.

It took a lot of work to get this picture. Sam was our camera woman this time. Bailee did not get to come for this trip.

In the igloo

Mom and Daughter - Cute, cute

Thanksgiving

2011-12-06T13:52:00.001-08:00

This year I did not host a Thanksgiving meal at our house. We have been so busy over the last few months that I was just not up for hosting anything. We had lunch with some of the Movius/Sagers and then dinner with the Kelly's and Grimms.

It was a full and fun day. Sadly, I did not even get my camera out at Pam's. I am going to have to do better next time.

Luken, Makayla, and Grandpa Ted

Bailee and her dad

Brenda, Bryan, Elias, and Amanda

This little man is so cute, but he is also full of zip and zing. He is not one to allow out of your sight.

Bret

Bailee got a hold of the camera, so I actually ended up in a picture.

All of the grandkids love Grandma Brenda's massage chair.

A Weekend of Snow

2011-12-06T13:14:00.001-08:00

We did get a bit of snow three weekends ago. The kids loved it and are impatiently waiting for more.

Luken is sure that snow is just for eating.

Snowmen and snow angels

Okay, everyone thinks snow is for eating.

I just love to take pictures of this tree with snow on it.

Saying Goodbye

2011-12-04T12:36:00.001-08:00

Not sure why it has taken me this long to get these last pictures us, but here they are.

This was the last day we were with Josh, Rachel, and the kids.

Eliza opened up so much while she was here.

Tekoa loved Sammy and Makayla. He thought they were great playmates.

Anjahli and Eliza trying out the playhouse.

The Brothers - Only wish I had thought to take this picture while Jake was here.

Aunt Rachel and Uncle Josh with their nieces and nephew.

I miss my brother when he is gone.

Four Leister children

Jake and Caedmon join the fun!

2011-11-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

This post is for Mom, Dad, Troy, Dannon, Randi, Addi, Norah, Brandi, ShaeLyne, and Becca. We missed you and wished you were with us. This Leister gathering was on November 6th.

Caedmon was so good at including Luken.

This looks like a very peace talk between uncle and nephew, but really Tekoa is trying to get away from Jake to the best of his ability.

Josh and his son - They are a pair.

Beautiful Eliza

They were all able to spend a bit of time outside.

Look another North American Monkey.

Josh and his daughter.

Leister cousins

The fantastic Derting Family

We made another bonfire and roasted marshmallows.

Just like old times, right mom and dad?

Sadly, Jacob is not praising the Lord. He is just attempting to get cell service.

Anjahli is such a sweetheart.

My cheesy boy

Our cat, Smokey, felt Jake was an excellent perching spot.

Caedmon and Makayla are only four months a part. They have been pals ever since they began to crawl.

Funny kids

The Bonfire

2011-11-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

Every year we give Bailee a party to invite friends to. This year we have this huge pile of branches that I have been dying to light on fire. The fire you see in the following pictures is from that pile. I was not allowed to just set the whole thing on fire. Bummer. And yes, I was the one home doing the fire. Jeremy was out of town at the time.

Sam and Makayla making sure it does go anywhere while the rest of us were inside.

I used last year's Christmas tree to get it started.

Lori, Melanie, Bailee, Bekah, and Sarah

Bailee Is 16!!!!

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is true. Bailee turned 16 in October. You can see how far behind I am. Below are pictures from her party and the last two were taken on her actually birthday. It weirds me out to know I have a daughter who will be leaving home to start her own life soon.

Luken with Great Grandma

This is a common look for Josh.

The fire

She acted afraid of the flame.

She got them all out in one breath.

I lied. This was her birthday morning also.

Fall is my favorite time of year!

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to All! I hope you can think of something to be thankful for this year. I can think of many things. The one I am most thankful for is getting to see my parents, sisters, and brother and his family this year. It had been two years and I enjoyed just getting to be with them.

I love the colors of fall: green, red, gold, orange, yellow. It is just beautiful. It is nature giving its best right before it sleeps for the winter. Love it. This is a little park area on a road that bypasses the main street of Lewiston. This is where I took our younger threes "school" pictures.

North American Monkeys

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

What kid does not like to climb a tree?

Our "kittens"

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Our kittens are all grown up now. We got them in June and I am sure they are full sized now.

They don't really appreciate the cold an this is how they combated it until we put it away.

Josh, Rachel and Kids Stay the Night

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Our tenth anniversary was in the middle of October. Josh, Rachel, and the kids were so good as to come stay the night with our kids while we got away. These are actually after we got back the next day.

Josh was giving Bailee some love squeezes with his legs.

Eliza has finally decided she will smile at me if I admire from a far.

Tekoa can be a wild man. He loves to wrestle. Sammy was never sure if she really wanted to join in.

Thank you so much, Josh and Rachel for giving us this time away.

We have been doing school, honest!

2011-11-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Weather Chart - Mom gave us this great chart that we are using to keep track of our weather. The girls love it.

Indian Animals - One of our history lessons had the girls research these animals and put together a poster.

Terra cotta people - We learned about Emperor Qin of China and the 7500 terra cotta soldiers they found with him.

Enjoying the Sunshine

2011-11-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

They all had a great time taking Uncle Josh down.

Eliza still was not too interested in us. She stayed close to Mom and Dad.

To the Park We Go

2011-11-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Luken was not too sure of the slide to begin with.

He loved going down with his dad though.

He is definitely not afraid of heights and he loves to climb things.

Bailee was sure she would fit.

Eliza loved the wood chips.

I just love the look on Josh's face.

Tekoa thought Luken was going too slow and Luken thought Tekoa was crowding him.

They loved the Pioneer Park fountain. These were one of the last few warm days.

Bailee had almost as fun as the boys did.

Mom's Little Helper

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Luken loves to help. He says, "I help, Mom" for everything.

The Photo Shoot

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am sure that I have mentioned how much Bailee loves photo shoots. So before they left, Troy and Dannon got to be a part of the fun in their tie-dyed shirts.

I love this picture of the three of them. Sam took. Good job, Sam!

My daughter is just a big cheese ball.

More Leisters Arrive in the Valley

2011-11-15T15:38:00.001-08:00

I know I am incredibly behind. I am going to try to get you caught up with what has been happening in our lives. And just so you know, Josh and his family left today. I have been praying all day their travels go well. I have a hard time imagining traveling from here to Kenya with a two year old who says "why" every other sentence and a one year old who can walk now. Crazy

We had one gathering with the parents and Josh's family. I am not sure what Mom is saying , but it must be good.

Tekoa, my nephew, loves Makayla. Any time we were together, he wanted to be with Makayla.

It took Tekoa and Luken a bit of time to warm up to each other.

Mother Leister and myself - Yes, I know, I look like my mother.

The youngest grandson, so far.

Tekoa has one of the most outgoing personalities I have ever met. In this picture, he is giving a concert to one and all. He even took the time to make sure everyone was listening.

Our last night together

Eliza, my niece - It took her a bit more time to warm up to everyone.

Sadly, I did not take this picture. Bailee did. Eliza would not even look at me to begin with.

Goodbye, Mr. Rooney

2011-11-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

For any of you who have ever watched 60 Minutes, I am sure you know the name Andy Rooney. Sadly, he passed away yesterday. And maybe not so sadly, he was 92 years old. His wife, of 62 years, died in 2004, maybe he was ready.

I only write this because I found Mr. Rooney to be thought provoking. Yes, he was an old guy that was behind the times, but he always seemed to bring everything back to the basics - back to what was really important. I can only hope that there is someone out there who can pick up the baton and continue the race Mr. Rooney ran.

Need a Laugh?

2011-11-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

If you need a laugh today, I have the site for you. It is called Awkward Family Pictures Hall of Fame.

Now I do want to put a disclaimer on here, some of them are disturbing. There is some nudity (maternity pictures). You just wanting to ask "Why? No really, why?". Most are just entertaining. That people serious thought it was wise to document some of these occasions with a picture is beyond me.

Pinterest - I love it!!

2011-11-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, I came across Pinterest. It was mentioned on another blog I was reading and my interest was piqued. I signed up, but didn't really do anything with it for a few weeks. As I continued to read these other blogs, they all talked about Pinterest. I got on there and I love it. It is all about keeping track of all the interesting ideas, foods, crafts, etc, you find throughout your internet browsing. If you have never checked it out, do it!

Yearly Pictures

2011-10-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

I got made fun of when I say I am taking the kids' school pictures, so I will call these yearly pictures. Last year, I did this, but the pictures never got into the frames. This year I am doing much better. They were taken this week and are already in the frames.

You will notice a lack of Bailee in the following pictures and that is because her Aunt Ange is going to do a fun photo shoot of her. We will just use one of those pictures. She is so excited. I know they will have a lot of fun.

Here are the other three:

Don't worry Grandpas, Grandmas, Aunts, and Uncles, you will get your copies.

The Tie-Dye Adventure

2011-10-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Mom bought a huge tie-dye kit to take back to Kenya with her. The girls talked her into using some while they were here.

This is Mom's skirt. She was not able to actually be with us when we did the tie-dyeing.

This is the girls making her skirt colorful.

You have to allow your tie-dyed clothing to sit for several hours before you wash and wear them.

The end products - I included this picture because Mom and I are not below.

A Last Visit with the Elder Movi

2011-10-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Life is so busy right now. Mondays through Thursdays just seem to blur. I am sorry I have not been good at keeping this up to date. There is so much left to share of my time with my family. Josh, Rachel, and the kids are still here. In fact, we were told last week that they are expecting little Leister #3. How excited! Sadly, another niece/nephew that I will only get to see at rare times, but they make those times so much more special.

Back to when the Leisters were here:

We got one more visit with Grandpa Ted and Grandma Brenda.

Bailee thought this was her throne since she was wearing her boots.

I just love my Dad's face in this picture.

Mom and Sammy

They thought this was funny. You will understand when you see them together in the rest of the pictures.

I put the rest of these in so you can see how naughty Ted and Bailee were being. I think there is only one with okay faces.

More Catch Up: Nez Perce County Fair

2011-10-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Dad and I at the carnival

Luken catching bubbles. I love that they have the whole kid free section.

Giant pumpkins

The petting zoo - This is one of the kids favorite parts of the fair.

Brittney, Justin, and Anjahli were also with us.

A LLAMA!

Aren't they cute?

More cuteness with Geema, which is the name Makayla gave my mom.

Look at Bailee's face

Bunnies - Bailee has been asking for a bunny for a while.

FOOD - We had some of the best nachos.

Justin is eating tongue tacos, hence the look on Brittney's face.

A whole lot of cheesiness

Dad and daughter

Grandpa Ted and Grandma Brenda joined us.

Riding the carousel - Another favorite

Some of the very first friends my parents made when we started attending RCC.

Luken and Anjahli got in on the carousel action.

Interestingly enough, Makayla loved the dragon and Sam did not.

Brittney, Dannon, and Bailee riding the something or other.

Crazy Story for All You Runners

2011-10-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Check this out: Woman Gives Birth After Finishing Chicago Marathon

From Simple Mom

2011-10-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is a blog I follow. It spoke to me. I hope it speaks to you.

Seldom have truer words been said

Posted: 09 Oct 2011 09:01 PM PDT

This. This was the quote that replayed in my head the past ten days as my daughter and I traveled 6,000 miles to the other side of the world to gather the remaining belongings of our former home. (I didn’t make up that quote, by the way—I first saw it on Etsy.) I braced for a wide range of emotions—from sadness to guilt to relief to a longing to return.
But the prevailing emotion honestly surprised me. I was flooded with peace.
I prayed that God would show me whatever He wanted to show me. We were going to do fun things together, and I was excited about spending quality time with Tate. But we also came to say goodbye—goodbye to a physical place, and goodbye to the life we once lived.
I’ve mentioned before why saying goodbye was important for us, but I still wasn’t surewhat, exactly, to expect. I’m completely serious—the calm flood of peace was unbelievably surprising. It just wasn’t what I really expected.
I don’t think it’s because I’m particularly gifted with wisdom, or because I knew exactly how to process all my emotions as they came. I think it’s because I’ve been blessed with a little experience in living out this quote: that the grass really is greener where I water it.

What does this look like for all of us?

• It means I find contentment when I’m cultivating my own lawn, and not gazing at my neighbor’s.
• I can’t sit around and just hope that my grass stays green. It takes work.
• When I’m watering my grass, I’m investing the resources that I’ve been given, not spending my energy wishing I had different grass.
• Heck, I’m blessed to even have grass.
I could go on with the grass and lawn analogies, but you get my drift.

Illustration by Brad Vetter

At the end of the day, this means:

• I’m focused on taking care of my tangible belongings, my relationships, my health, my lot in life—and not wishing I had something else. My energy is spent on stewardship, not on jealousy or ingratitude, unable to see my blessings.
• My body is healthy, my work is productive, and my relationships are flourishing when I work at them.
• It might seem like there’s always something better, somewhere more beautiful, or some house more functioning… and it’s true. There always will be. We’ll never be content on this earth until we’re grateful for where we are now. And when we finally are, it’s surprisinglyenough.
• I can choose to be content with where God has me, and with what He’s given me.
• Life is good because the Giver is good, and when I make the most of that life, then will I find contentment.
So I sit here on this return flight, slowly crawling back across the Atlantic, eager to squeeze my boys and return home. Home. Exactly where I belong.
Your grass is greener where you water it, too. What does this look like for you?

The Cat Lady

2011-10-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Dannon loved our cats and she was sure they loved her just as much as she loved them.

Marvin Leaves Home

2011-10-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Marvin left in September to make his own way in the world. He has not been living with any family members for a while now, but the Valley is his home.

Dad and Mom were home at the right time. They were able to move him to Coos Bay, OR, where he is looking into working until he has the money saved to go to school.

His girlfriend, Chelan, has also moved there to go to culinary school. Marvin and I have chatted a time or two and it sounds for interesting for Chelan. Marv says she got the weirdest roommates the school had to offer.

He is living on his own in a very small studio apartment, but he loves it. Not a lot of space to clean.

These were pictures I took the day before he left. We are looking forward to his visit around Christmas.

I am not sure what was said, but obviously, it was fun.

BBQ at the Doston's

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much, Don, Chris, and Esther Dotson for sharing you beautiful home. All were invited and these are some pictures of the fun we had.

The kids loved looking down the valley at the river.

Troy with Maddie and Brea.

Mom Leister and Chris have been friends for a very long time.
In fact, I remember the first time the Dotson's came to RCC.
I thought I was going to die because one of my teachers was coming to my church.

Dan-o and Bailee enjoying the grub.

A girly chat time

Mom holding court.

Dad being a part of the gang.

There's that smile again.

Bailee got a hold of my camera and here is what I found.

Mom and Anjahli

Isn't this a gorgeous view!

Dad, Christian, and Jocelyn. We have known Christian since I was 16.
That is getting really close to 20 years now. Crazy!

Dinner with the Schmidts

2011-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

We had dinner with the Schmidts. For those of you who do not know, Bill and Jessie Schmidt are my sister-in-law, Rachel's parents. Marvin also lived with them for two years.

Bill and Jessie have not only been great supports of Josh and Rachel , but Mom and Dad also.

There was time for clowning around.

Luken liked his dinner. I love this smile.

Summer Fun

2011-10-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

Well, they were here and now they have left. We had a great visit with my parents and sisters. The time was too short, but that is how it goes.

I am finally ready to share all the pictures I took over the last month. I will show you a bit of what we did with them.

We took a couple of trips to the beach.

Troy was taking too long to get into the water.

Luken loves the beach. He loves the sand, but now he no longer eats it.

There is much more fun to come.

Simple Schooling Giveaway

2011-10-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

One website I check out for homeschooling stuff is Simple Schooling. They provide a lot of downloadable unit studies and often give one away for free. Right now, they are doing a giveaway for a full year of -

Classical Nature Study: Bugs, Mammals, and Reptiles.

This includes the computer course on CD, coordinating 240 page workbook, and bonus online textbook and parent guide. Go HERE to sign up.

I would check this out if I were you and you homeschool your kids.

Wii Guitar Hero

2011-09-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

Playing Guitar Hero on the Wii is one of my family's favorite things to do. A couple of Christmas's ago, we bought Jeremy the band kit. This allows four of us to participate at one time. As you can see, Luken gets right in there. The kids love when Dad takes time to be a band with them.

Catching Up

2011-09-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hello again,
I know I have been gone a long time. My family is in town and their time with us is dwindling, so I am spending as much time with them as I can.

I have also gotten very behind on reading my email. I am spending this afternoon catching up and I found some great blog posts on homeschooling. I am giving you the links and I hope you take time to read them.

Pioneer Woman - Homeschooling
Simple Homeschool

I also have not been very good about taking pictures while my family is here, but I am going to get better. I am hoping to have a lot of fun pictures to show you when they leave.

We are having a fantastic time together. They are going to missed greatly when they leave.

Simple Mom

2011-09-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

I am very impressed with this website. They had a blog post the other day that was short and thoughtful. It was about what we learn from our parents and what we are teaching our children. It was a personal experience Shaun Groves had. Here is the link: Character On Aisle Nine. Go, go, go.

Tootles

2011-09-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

This kitten can really relax and he loves to be by anyway napping/not moving.

My Next Fermenting Adventure

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Salsa is my next adventure in the pursuit of healthier, easier prepared food. Again I am getting my information from the Nourishing Days and Simple Bites blogs. I am looking forward to seeing how these turn out. The links are below.

Simple Bites - Lacto-fermentation

Nourishing Days - How I Make Lacto-Fermented Salsa

2011-09-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

Perry Noble: Seven Things I Believe About You If You Are In Christ!

#1 – That God’s plans for your life are greater than yours…and success is not found in control but rather through surrender! (Ephesians 3:20!)
#2 – That if God brought you to it then He will lead you through it…He always finishes what He starts! (Philippians 1:6)
#3 – That there will be times in your life that you are going to have to leave your comfort zone and step into the unknown! (Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6)
#4 – That we cannot do life alone…and God places people in our lives to both encourage and challenge us! (Hebrews 10:24-25)
#5 – That God really does work out ALL THINGS for His glory and our good! (Romans 8:28)
#6 – That you cannot separate yourself from the love of God…He doesn’t love us based on our performance but rather our position as His children! (It is an overwhelming thought when we consider that we cannot out sin the grace of God!) (Romans 8:38-39)
#7 – That you CAN DO what you think you CAN’T DO but feel like He keeps telling you that you’ve GOT TO DO! (Philippians 4:13)

Another Day at the Beach

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

She is not always as mature as she looks.

Playing in the sand.

The other two love to be at the beach.

Sammy was riding on Bailee's back.

Bailee dug this hole and filled it with water. Luken thought it was his personal swimming pool. He loved it. And yes, he is drinking the water. YUCK!!

We love the beach. I wish we lived closer.

Oswald Chambers Devotional for Aug. 31st

2011-08-31T08:54:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share this with you. Oswald has really been speaking to me lately.

John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

What was the joy that Jesus had? It is an insult to use the word happiness in connection with Jesus Christ. The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do. "I delight to do Thy will." Jesus prayed that our joy might go on fulfilling itself until it was the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?

The full flood of my life is not in bodily health, not in external happenings, not in seeing God's work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the communion with Him that Jesus Himself had. The first thing that will hinder this joy is the captious irritation of thinking out circumstances. The cares of this world, said Jesus, will choke God's word. Before we know where we are, we are caught up in the show of things. All that God has done for us is the mere threshold; He wants to get us to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim who Jesus is.

Be rightly related to God, find your joy there, and out of you will flow rivers of living water. Be a center for Jesus Christ to pour living water through. Stoop being self-conscious, stop being a sanctified prig, and live the life hid with Christ. The life that is rightly related to God is as natural as breathing wherever it goes. The lives that have been of most blessing to you are those who were unconscious of it.

Fermented Pickles

2011-08-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Three days ago I began an adventure. I had recently read about lacto-fermentation and I decided to take the plunge. I was given enough cucumbers to make three jars of fermented pickles.

Follow the below links to read more on the health benefits of preserving food this way.

Nourishing Days - Making Fermented Pickles

Simple Bites - Lacto-Fermentation: A Healthier & More Sustainable Way to Preserve

Anjahli Stays the Night

2011-08-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, Justin and Brittney went off to celebrate their anniversary. They left their most precious item with us - Anjahli. We had a great time with her. She did so well.

She loved our cats. No, she is not eating the cat food. She just want to be where they were.

Precious Moments - Cousins in the tub.

This was actually the next day and Britt got this picture of her. I guess her dad sleeps much the same way.

We love you, Anjahli, and you can stay the night with us anytime.