Things I am proud of:

I know what to do with 30 pounds of fresh tomatoes.

Seeing a gutted deer hanging from a tree in someones lawn doesn't bother me anymore.

I can't remember the last time nylons and high heels were even an option.

A date with my husband is a long walk on a country road.

When I ask what I can bring over for dinner, they always say pie.

I think about my garden in January.

Paul and I used our new snowshoes today at White Pass 

Highlights of our "Portland" Christmas

-Braving the after-Christmas crowds for some cheap sheets with Rebecca.
-Going to the Laurelhurst with Dan (Robinson). Dan is the great movie connoisseur and Portland has more than it's fair share in the theater pub category. We watched "The Constant Gardener". A bit graphic but pretty worth it. I would like to watch it again to understand it better.
-The REI Buyback Sale. One of my great loves in life is the love of the GOOD DEAL. I will garage sale as much as my husband will let me. There is not much that I wouldn't do to get something that I need or want for really cheap including standing in the rain and wind for two and a half hours. This time we were joined my my brother Dan (Tupper)(who scored us some great spots in line by arriving at the sale at 5am, that's right, he stood in line for four hours(it's in the Tupper blood, but that's another story)), Alicia (his girlfriend), and Rebecca (Paul's sister). Our spoils include: two pairs of tennis shoes, two pairs of snow shoes, a bivy sack and snow boots.
-Catching up with "the Paul's" - a family that we love but had lost track of for a while.
-Watching Dr. Phil with Kara
-Lunching with the Tupper's at Kennedy School for my Mom's 52nd birthday
-Walking at Mt. Tabor with Barbara and Paul
-Coming home - as much as I love Portland, it was so nice to come home to our little barn. I stayed in my pajamas all day and just enjoyed that "home" feeling.

Christmas Dinner at the Robinsons: Barbara, Mark and Dan 

Rebecca, Olivette, Imanuel 

Christmas 2005 

Merry Christmas Eve to you!!! 

Frosty fence 

This picture is from a few weeks ago when we had a cold snap. 

The finished product! 

And I though MY husband was crazy about Christmas. (this is a video)

http://media.putfile.com/WizardsofWinter-SM

"Teacher, I sang that song at Temptation Bible School last summer."

-Kindergartener

Dad and Annie sell Christmas trees at church for an Alaska missions trip we are planning for.

Paul cuts down our tree. This is ALMOST Paul's favorite part of Christmas, searching for the perfect tree and cutting it down. Even if there were a perfect tree already cut for the same price, he would still prefer to cut one down. Once we get it in the house he is very protective of it, asking me to please not brush up against it lest it lose it's needles. This is very funny to me. He also likes to sleep by the tree at least one night before Christmas, something that his family did. I love that he loves traditions and holidays so much.

This weekend we went to the Santa parade. You can see the nativity scene in the background in front of the library. I'm glad our town still has one.

I have gone to this parade since I was a little girl and Santa is always the same man. I wonder if he's always looked like Santa?

In the parade in our town, there are many tractors. I actually didn't know there were so many different kinds of tractors. We were behind this man driving home from the parade.

SNOW! 

Our kitchen window 

Our driveway 

I actually have a chalkboard in my room (this is really a thing of the past) but I don't use it that much. Today I went to write an addition problem on the chalkboard and from behind me I hear, "Well, I guess she's a REAL teacher now! REAL teachers always write on the chalkboard."

It's a gift to be simple, it's a gift to be free
It's a gift to come down where we are to be
And when we find ourselves in a place just right
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight

When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend we will not be ashamed
To turn and to turn will be our delight
For by turning and turning we'll come round right

Traditional Shaker Hymn

Just finished reading:

This guy talks about Portland a lot in this book because he lives there. His church is about 10 blocks away from where Paul and I used to live. It's fun to hear him talk about places I love like Palio and Powells. His book is very refreshing. Much food for thought. Know that if I post about a book here I WOULD recommend it, because I never finish books I don't like. On the other hand, Paul is reading "Blue Like Jazz" right now (by the same author), he argues out loud with the book but keeps reading it. I guess it must make him just angry enough to keep reading. I love that guy!

Click here for a great pumpkin muffin recipe:

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2005/11/spicy-pumpkin-pecan-raisin-muffins.html

November 27, 2005 4:00-4:30pm

I carried my camera around for half an hour today and snapped pictures. This is the wreath on our barn door.

The sun goes down. 

My husband takes a nap. 

A cinderella pumpkin outside on our porch. 

I made pumpkin spice muffins. 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

I found this picture on the Mother Earth News website. About two years ago I had to give up cow's milk because of sinus problems. Goat's milk has been my new best friend. I love the cheese and the ice cream. It will probably taste funny to you if you drink cow's milk all the time, but if you don't, you can't really tell the difference. I was recently thinking about getting a goat, but quickly realized that I would have to milk it everyday. Touching the netherparts of a goat everyday is not worth the money I would save by having one. I may feel differently someday though.

Paul and I are considering getting ourselves snowshoes for Christmas. We already have an annual pass to Mt. Ranier. It's something that we enjoy doing together.

Now reading:

Light from Heaven, Jan Karon

My mom just got this book and she's LETTING ME READ IT FIRST (what a selfless lady), but I have been instructed to finish it before thanksgiving break. This is Jan Karon's final book in the series. Never fear, in 2007 she will start a "father tim" series. I have read the Mitford series about four times and it gets better every time. I'm really not one for Christian books because many of them are done soooooo badly, but Jan Karon has a real depth. I see new things in her work each time I read the series.

Two funny quotes from my classroom:

"Teacher, you know what I love about America?"
"What do you love about America?"
"I love that there's no quicksand."

and-

"Teacher, I'm in love with _______, it's kind of like he dug a hole in my heart and burried himself in it."

Paradise Lodge, Mt. Ranier

I thought this was really cute. This parent wanted to make sure I got her note!

I have a question, when you look at my blog does my profile show up at the bottom of the page? Leave a comment or email me, please.

When I cut and pasted this from our local newspaper, The Chronicle, it didn't come out quite right, but you can get the point. My brother, Kyle, is in the newspaper!

Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Youth program raises money, starving themselves so that others may eat
By Aaron VanTuyl
avantuyl@chronline.com

Leaders from three local youth groups got together Monday morning at the headquarters of Love In the Name of Christ in Chehalis, to hand over hard-earned donation checks.The money was raised through World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine program, and on the receiving end were the Lewis County Food Bank, the Mineral fire department and the Salvation Army. The youths involved took pledges from friends and family members, sponsoring them in a 30-hour fast. Most of the money raised goes to World Vision, a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping impoverished children and communities worldwide. Love INC works with World Vision, taking 25 percent of the total donations raised in its service area and distributing it to organizations in the community. Youth leaders Kyle Tupper (Jackson Prairie Assembly of God), Jim Scott (Oakview Church) and Jennifer Rush (Centralia Bible Evangelical Free Church) were on hand to present a check to Ron Wehnau, pastor-administrator for the Centralia corps of the Salvation Army.Tupper and Scott’s groups held their famine back in April, working with the Shoestring Valley Community Church and staying at the Jackson Prairie building. During the 30-hour period, the youths performed service projects in the community to keep their mind off the hunger.“We thought it was important to do stuff right here in the community,” said Tupper. Tupper and Scott’s group also held a scavenger hunt during its fast, gathering certain types of canned food according to a list. This activity brought in about $646 worth of food for the Lewis County Food Bank. Bush said her group held a car wash during its fast, and raised another $700 on top of its donations.“Our kids worked hard,” she said. Among the three groups, $3,695 was sent to World Vision.“Anyone can make a big difference,” said Scott. “We spend thousands of dollars on stupid stuff. If we were to spend $30 a month, we can save a kid’s life.”World Vision raised $1.3 million, nationwide, last year with the 30 Hour Famine program.The Centralia Corps of the Salvation Army received $452.64 from Love INC and the youth groups. Wehnau said the Centralia branch had about $10,000 in applications for help during the month of November, but only around $600 to spend on helping those people.“The poor in Lewis County are very easily our next-door neighbors, who we don’t even realize,” he said. “Gas prices and food prices going up really put a pinch on people with fixed incomes,” said Carol Druckman, Love INC’s program director.Druckman is working to recruit more local churches to the 30 Hour Famine program.“This year, we hope all 97 churches (in Lewis County) do this,” she said.

These guys are saying, "We saved our wives from lives of boredom."

Paul and I went to Paradise on Mt. Ranier yesterday. We brought along some hot apple cider.

Currently Reading:

Yes, I read recipe books. Kara got me this book for my birthday because I told her I was interested in eating by seasons. So far I have made the cranberry coffee cake and it was pretty good.

Jeff and Alysun met us in Centralia for dinner and a movie at the Oly Club on Saturday. We really like it when people visit us (hint, hint). When we came out of the restaraunt we noticed that the wind was really whipping down the street, it actually blew Paul's hat off his head. We had invited them over to our house for pumpkin pie afterwards but when we got home the power was out. We had planned on apple cider so we got our campstove out and heated our cider. It was great fun. My husband is a really big fan of weather, he gets a big kick out of when school is closed for snow or the power is out or anything like that. One time we had an ice storm in Portland and he was bouncing off the walls with excitement. Simple things, I guess.

Dan Robinson on a recent trip to High Rock. This really freaks his mom out. It really freaks ME out. Dan has always been a "quiet daredevil".

My parents take way less pictures now that they have a digital camera. They are still learning how to use it.

My brother, Dan, turns 24.