January 2016

Happy New year everyone! How is your year so far?

Settling back in from our trip took awhile for both of us I think. The two weeks of inactivity and not being able to work around my house inspired me to get lots of stuff done when we got home! We really want to get a small chair to put in the corner and to do so we needed to take the piano out.Saturday morning breakfast...I think this was New year's eve or day. We hiked Highschool Hill with Mom and Dad, Austin and Sarah Beth. It is quite a hike with a really pretty view of SLO.
Austin of course...I thought this picture of Matthew was pretty cool!Okay, kind of an awkward picture, but I want to use this opportunity to say what a blessing my 'little sis' is in my life! Her tender heart, passion for Christ, and love of life despite some daunting circumstances is an example and inspiration to me. I thank God for our relationship.Mom and Dad were celebrating their anniversary this Saturday. We picked SB up and took donuts to Austin and Michael who were having a yard sale. Apparently Michael used to be a lot bigger! :)

RAIN!!!
Sometime that weekend, Matthew and I cleaned out our cars.I don't know what possessed me to want to play this horrid game! David and Caleb used to play it by the hour and I never understood it. But we came across it in the garage and Matthew played a game with me even though he doesn't really like it either (quite a relief!).One Sunday we all headed down to Kevin and Addie's after meeting for lunch and the afternoon. Several hiked Terrace Hill. The guys played basketball and the kids played at the park. I had a fun time chatting with Paige as we followed Bryson on his big adventures wandering around different paths!CassidyHailey is growing up so fast. I think this was for Cherisa's bday. We both turn 1/4 of a century this year!

This is Daisy. She's a medium/big dog but still thinks she is a lap dog! Every time I sat down she'd wiggle into my lap and wiggled right into my heart. She is very well behaved, gentle, and big personality. I was glad she got a home quickly.The stormy weather has made for some awesome clouds, amazing sunsets, and lots of wrecks on the freeways.Addie had been craving sushi and of course we are always up for that! After dinner, they came back to our house for a bit to visit more. Cassi contentedly unloaded the toy basket and moved toys around the living room for probably two hours without a peep, until we made popcorn. She LOVES popcorn!Austin came over to run with Matthew one early evening. He ended up staying for dinner and even washed the dishes for me! Then we had tea and popcorn and watched the prequel Minion movie. Many laughs!helpful kitchen hack : can't get a jar open and don't have one of those fancy round grip things? a rubber band around the lid may just do the trick!So I ignorantly called fried, diced potatoes hashbrowns one day. Matthew said that isn't what hashbrowns are! So one evening when omelets were on the menu for dinner (one of those 'opps I forgot to take meat of freezer for dinner' times) I asked Matthew to make 'real' hashbrowns. He looked up a recipe and followed it to a 'T' and those were pretty delicious hashbrowns!Uncle Dave and Aunt Ruth took us to Guest House Grill for dinner one evening. Afterwards we went back to their house. Matthew fixed something on their iPad, then we played Mexican Train. Uncle Dave won hands down! We enjoyed listening to them speak of yesteryears and old times.Another evening we played Rummikub. Takes along time with just two people.The grass is green!One day at Woods I helped another volunteer who was putting up these sound absorption panels in the dog pods.Yeager - Cambria campThe kids had a blast on Saturday playing in the mud puddles. All the adults had almost as much fun watching them as the kids had IN the mud puddles!The young people had an animated game of soccer on the gravel.Haha! Bit of a story here! So Matthew had to work all day Saturday and I was left single. I had been kind of discouraged and not looking forward to being by myself that day. BUT, Kylie had recently been in town and her thoughtful questions had got me thinking. I spent almost the whole camp asking questions and having deep conversations with a lot of people. Each built on and was intertwined with the others. Anyway, all that to say that even my conversation with these two little ones was quite deep for 3 and 4 years olds. We were discussing the correct consistency of sand for making sand castles! Because wise Bodie knows that you have to have wet sand for it to stick together. But experienced Claire knows that too much water will make it 'melt'!Craig and Lynn provided a scrumptious southern dinner.I thought it was really cute how Brandon and Cameron were anxious to help Matthew set up the sound equipment. The next morning they were up there adjusting the mics and making sure the cords were connected way before Matthew even started that direction.We were really thankful for the young people that came up for camp! We all enjoyed this group having fun late one evening.Notice the yellow helmet. He paused long enough to fuel up for the afternoon!A pretty neat group of young people!So good to reconnect with Becky (and get to know the kids better - notice Robbie's attempt to photobomb!) There is a song I always think about when I think of Becky and some special ladies like her.

"She's on her own, two girls at home
Thirteen years just up and walked away
And left her all alone
With bills to pay and mouths to feed
And every day shes taking care of everybody elses needs

But shes finding her strength in the One love that wont ever leave her
So she works and she prays and she loves and she stays cause they need her

These are the heroes, just ordinary people
Laying down their lives like angels in disguise
They're weak but always willing
They dare to do the hard things
And in the dark and desperate places no one else goes
You'll find the heroes
You'll find the heroes"We have been enjoying some warmer weather. Which is nice except that it would be great to get some more rain!One Saturday we hiked Cerro Alto with Mom and Dad. It was really pretty to hear this creek for a long ways!

So that was Saturday - Austin and Sarah Beth were working and/or doing homework. The next day Austin says, "Hey I'm hiking Cerro Alto with some friends. Want to come?" Why of course! This time we went a bit later in the day and stayed to watch the sunset despite chattering teeth and many goosebumps!This is Luke, one of Austin's friends.Pretty epic picture of Austin

I know this one is blurry, but I took it especially for Robyn! Anyone at SAH, please make sure she gets to see this one! Stanley reminded me so much of Jasper (that is his name, right?) her white boxer. Unfortunately he lost a lot of weight - hopefully he gets adopted soon to a family who can get a few pounds back on him!I went for a little run on the beach after volunteering one day.Matthew asked me to make this dust cover for a machine at work.This picture is especially for Kaitlyn Allan! I remember her requesting Shepherd's Pie for her birthday dinner!

Aiden's birthday was the 31st, so we had a little party Friday evening. I had blast making some decorations and the cake! Not that it was anything fancy or complicated, but I guess I've never done that kind of decorating for a party!Haha, out of all the pictures that the self timer on Matthew's phone took, I accidently selected this one (I can't see the details on the thumbnail) where SB is making a funny face! Thanks for coming all!Matthew and I went for a walk on the beach one Saturday. He asked how far it was to the point of rocks where you have to either climb up and over or turn around. I said 2.5 miles or so. Well, not quite like that, because that is what I THOUGHT he asked. What he really asked was how far was it round trip. We talked and walked and marveled at how the recent storms have changed the beach so much.Little holes where the birds drill in with their beaks.

After we turned around and were coming back, he said something about it seeming farther than about 2.5 miles. Then I realized he thought it was that round trip! It is 5+ miles both ways! Nice walk.And that is the end of January! Lots is happening in February so stay tuned for an update at the end of the month!