May Random Tidbits

 May 2019

The weather during May varies, I like that. We will have several cloudy days then the sun breaks through the clouds and it'll be sunny for a day or two then back to cloudy. 

After the rain had stopped we visited a park in Bellevue. It's a nice park. It got a complete renovation a year or two ago. Now, the playground is bigger and it has a splash pad. They added benches next to trees which I love. And that's where I sat, at a bench under a shady tree reading a book while Riley and Jacob played frisbee. 

After the park we went to Pagliacci for some pizza. While we were there a woman with an older lady sat at our large table. After about ten minutes Jacob noticed that the older lady had a dazed look on her face so Jacob asked her if she was ok and she didn't respond. The lady that came in with her was up getting the pizza so she wasn't aware of what was happening so Jacob got up and alerted her while Jacob and another guy laid the old lady down and paramedics were called. They arrived within minutes. While they were assessing her she slowly came to and said she was fine. The caretaker was getting frantic and called the old lady's daughter. I believe the paramedics took the elderly lady. I felt so bad for the old lady that I almost cried. The daughter wanted to know what happened so Jacob told her. She thanked Jacob for his quick reaction and then we left. That was a surreal experience for us. I prayed for her.

I love cats antics. They just do the weirdest cutest things. Riley had left his top drawer out and when I walked in his room I found Sophie laying inside the top drawer, looking straight at me. I couldn't help but laugh.

One of Jacob's favorite ice cream shops is Mora. The most popular location is in Bainbridge Island. We don't often visit Bainbridge Island so when we heard that a Mora was opening up a new location near our home he was very excited. Riley likes it here too, mostly because you can get two flavors in a single scoop. 

I on the other hand am not a huge ice cream fan but when I do eat it I prefer Baskin Robins Mint Chocolate Chip. My other favorite flavors are strawberry and coffee ice cream, and the occasional Rocky Road craving. 

In early May I purchased several new plants for the backyard. I do love gardening but it sure is hard work. However, in my opinion getting sore from doing something you enjoy doing is a good thing. It definitely doesn't feel like a chore and it's not boring .... unless you're picking weeds. 

At Home Depot picking up bags of mulch. After laying all this mulch down we realized we needed more so we purchase more a few days later. When spreading mulch it's important to have good gardening gloves or else the tiny pieces of wood will get inside the cheap gloves and give you splinters. Yes, I've learned from experience, lol. Splinters are a painful nuisance though.

Cats; laptops, notebooks and books. Funny how they seem to be drawn to these things. Here she was staring at the mouse and because she was partially laying on the side of the laptop I couldn't bring it down to my lap to type. She looks so comfortable with her right arm dangling there.

She always finds a spot on my left side to lay next to. Sometimes I have to move over a little so she can be more comfortable. But she always has to have body contact. I think that's the sweetest thing. 

As a graduation requirement seniors have to do a school presentation where they have to dress up as if they are going to a job interview. Nathan cleans up pretty good. Here he is looking so handsome.

I am such a wimp. Whenever my kids have a milestone in their lives I get emotional. Every single time it hits me about how quickly they are growing up. I just can't help it. Whenever they get married I'll most definitely be a total mess.

Books bring comfort to me. When life gets too serious I know I can escape in a good book to get distracted. Like everything in life, I need balance in everything that I do. 

Books also bring a sense of coziness to a room. 

All but one book in this stack are thrillers. I don't believe I have read any of these books yet but I hope to one day.

Sometimes, I find Sophie asleep in Sydna's room. I find that funny. 

Lila doesn't mind sharing her cat tree. 

We've always gone grocery shopping every two weeks which means we buy food to last us two weeks. Several days before grocery shopping day I start a new grocery list. We typically come up with twelve to fourteen dishes for our menu. Sometimes we'll grab one of my cookbooks and look to see if we want to try something new, or we look through Pinterest. Jacob's the one with the talent when it comes to trying new recipes. I stick with the Mexican dishes mostly.

I love that we come up with a variety of dishes. We do this so we don't become bored of eating the same things every week. We do limit our red meats though. Blessed and thankful that Jacob not only doesn't mind to cook but he actually enjoys cooking. He's totally self-taught.

Here he made Kung Pao chicken with a side of gyozas and rice. Kung Pao chicken was made from scratch but the gyozas were store bought. This recipe was definitely a keeper.

For the past several years I've been sort of slacking when it comes to certain holidays. Of course I knew Mother's Day was coming up and I wanted to send my mom flowers but it was only two days until Mother's Day and I didn't want to pay a crazy amount to have them delivered the next day. Thankfully my sister Claudia was kind enough to do me a favor. I Venmo her money and with it she bought my mom flowers and took them to her. That was a relief. Mom loved them. Glad she did.

Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you 

are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think.

Mother's Day 2019

For Mother's Day last year I chose to do something different than just hanging out at home then going out to dinner in the evening.

The weather was just like how I like it, cloudy and fresh. So I thought kayaking at Lake Sammamish would be a great way to spend the first part of Mother's Day. 

Isn't it such a nice drive?

Given that it was a Sunday in May I was shocked to see that the lake was almost bare of people. I saw only two more couples so that made our kayaking experience much more enjoyable. 

Jacob always takes on the duty of having Riley with him when we're out exploring so they shared a dual.

I was over here enjoying my solitude and my surroundings. Oh, it is SO much fun. I was completely in my element and given that it was cloudy just made me so happy! Kayaking is easy to learn. I like it when I have to slow down or turn because of how quickly and smoothly I glide. It's so simple. 

Those low clouds ... just perfect!

Right here Jacob and Riley snuck up on me to try to pass me up. Cheaters!!!

We like to look at the nice waterfront properties. I hope these people realized how blessed they are to live right on a lake. I would like to think that I would constantly be out on my kayak if I lived here. It would be such a great way to destress and exercise.

Both Sydna and Nathan had to work so it was just us three heading out to eat BBQ Pete's for a late lunch. We love this place. The ribs are smoked and so tender. Their Puyallup bbq sauce is very tasty and their ranch is made in house and very good as well. I love it when restaurants make their own ranch. 

One of my favorite desserts that I don't get to indulge in much is a caramel pecanbon by Cinnabon. So delicious right?!

Jacob gave me pretty tulips with irises mixed in, a card and perfume. So grateful for my husband in knowing me so well.

And when Nathan got off work he surprised me with this pretty colorful bouquet. That was very sweet of him. 

Lord God, blessed be Your name 

for loaning me everything I'm able to enjoy.

Mother's Day 2017

First mother's day after losing Reagan.
It surprised me how very mournful I still am and I knew that I would be somewhat sad but I didn't expect to feel so anguished days leading to Mother's day. I would become very sentimental and sometimes I would have to force myself not to cry if I had places to go because my eyes get so puffy and well, crying makes me look horrible.
I believe mourning my child will be a lifetime thing, at unexpected times. I've accepted this and although it's heartbreaking, mourning is evidence of my love for him and that Reagan existed.

Riley's class had been practicing mother's day songs for about two months before the mother's day program. There was a song that he thought was funny. When he told me about it I just didn't get what was so funny about it but I just let him talk and laugh.
He was so persistent about me making sure I got to school early so I could get a front row seat. I'm the type of person that gets to places early so that wasn't a problem. I'm glad that I did find a front row seat. When he saw me he became so excited and began waving. Very sweet.

I loved how he made sure to keep constant eye contact with me even when the rest of the kids were looking at their teacher. I guess this is the part of the song that was funny to him. I couldn't help but laugh along with him.

I took video of all the songs they sang. The last song was very tender. The first part of the song
went good ...

 ... but when they began to sing the last verse Riley became emotional. Naturally that made me cry. I was already feeling broken and when he began to cry it was hard not to cry myself. I had to try my hardest to not cry for long because I didn't want to make him even more sad.

As soon as the song was over he came to me and hugged me and said that he was sad for baby Reagan. In the song they said "I love you" and apparently his baby brother came to mind. It's so crazy how strong a connection he has to Reagan. He constantly talks about him, as do we.
He wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed to have cried in front of his friends. The love for Reagan was so strong that he just couldn't hold back tears.
So heartbreaking isn't it? How unfair life can be? How children shouldn't die or suffer from any form of illness.

I told him that Reagan was/is happy in heaven with Jesus and that in heaven there's no pain and children never feel scared or lonely. I said that baby brother would want us to be happy. I got his mind back on to the moment and he quickly adapted. I love all his crafts. They are such precious mementos of his childhood ... and he was so proud of his art.

His teacher was so thoughtful. They made us mother's so many sweet crafts to take home. I loved that!

As we were leaving the school he asked me if I liked the songs and the book he made for me. He kept asking me several times throughout the day. He's funny.

Sunday, Mother's Day
Jacob got me a card, perfume and flowers. I love flowers, they always make me smile.
I'm grateful that God partnered me with such a great guy.

I'm so thankful for Sydna, Nathan, and Riley ... my earthbound children. I love their company and the every conversations we have. And heaven is extra special to me.
Looking at my children I sometimes can't believe Sydna and Nathan are so grown. I've always loved the age difference between all three. As Sydna is maturing more each passing day she is becoming sweeter and more accommodating towards her siblings.

They sure made me feel special and I thank them for it. I just hope to grow deeper in my relationship with God and ask He provides me with wisdom and self-control on how to continue to raise these children He entrusted me with ... because parenting doesn't stop once they turn 18 or 20 or even when they leave our home. Parenting goes on forever.


Pretty mother's day flowers. Sydna got me the peony bouquet and Jacob the tulips.

It is important to guard and maintain our hearts because as

mothers, our hearts can grow weary. Healthy hearts help 

us love our children well: "Above all else, guard 

you heart, for everything you do flows from it".

Send me Your light and Your faithful

care, let them lead me; let them bring

me to Your holy mountain, to the

place where You dwell.

-Psalm 43:3

I  need this reminder daily.

Definitely because I know that I cannot do life without Him.

Mother's Day

I hadn't noticed the flowers or card as I poured myself cereal and sat down to eat at the dining table. I glanced up at the tv realizing I didn't want to see what was on so I began panning around for the remote ... and that's when I saw these pretty tulips and my card that were laying on the breakfast bar.
I stood up, with a mouth full of cereal, grabbed one of my vases, poured water in it and placed my beautiful flowers to be displayed.
The card, as always, very sentimental ... and ecstatic about my new Amarige bottle as well. Yes, I can smell pretty again!

I thank all my Mother's Day to this guy. It's because of him that I became a mother ... and thankful to God for having blessed and entrusted me with three sweet children that give meaning to my life.

My choice of a Mother's Day outing was to keep it easy and relaxed and not to be concerned with looking perfect. A day out by the water, enjoying some sun, getting sand between my toes, and just being our true selves.

After several hours out by the water we packed up our things and headed over to Pagliacci's. It was wonderful being able to eat the one thing I love the most, pizza ... especially now since I am disciplining myself not to eat it too often.

*****
Jacob and I both called our own mother's and wished them a Happy Mother's Day. We both wished we could spend these important holidays with our loved ones but thankful at the same time that they are still here with us on earth and that they are just a phone call away.

I hope your Mother's Day was a restful and joyful one.

♥♥♥

Father, help us to live together in perfect unity
by loving, honoring and respecting one another and
serving each other for Your glory, honor and praise!
1 Thessalonians 5:13

Sweet Sunday

Honor your father and your mother, 

that your days may be long in the land that

the LORD your God is giving you.

-Exodus 20:12

Along with reverence, we are to honor mothers. Whatever our age, whatever our place in life, our mothers always deserve our honor.

My husband treated me to breakfast ... and bought me a touching card and a beautiful tulip bouquet. We spent the day together out at Safeco Field. Being together in harmony is the best thing I can ask for. Thankful.

The above picture is a close up of the tulip bouquet Jacob got me. That's the same picture I posted on my Instagram. Nathan asked me if I had taken that picture because he said it looked professional. What a nice compliment.
This is an unedited picture of the entire bouquet. Pretty isn't it?  ... I LOVED it!

Have a great week.

                                                                                                                                                                   *mother's day 2014

My Mother's Day

We bought a house.
New construction.
An exit up the freeway, different city.
Two story ... 2.5 baths, four bedrooms plus a den.
Chose the exterior colors, elevation, interior color scheme and upgrades about two months ago.
Foundation done.
Structure and roof done.
Plumbing and electrical done.
Sheetrock up this week.
Approx move-in time mid to end of July.

We are very excited.
The kids are very excited and can't wait until we move in so they can begin personalizing their bedrooms. What I'm most happy about is for Riley. For now the den will be turned into his very own playroom! I'm excited to get started on that.

So this was the good news I wanted to share with you all.


*****
Nathan had been asking to see Iron Man 3 for several days now. So on Saturday we dropped Sydna and Nathan off at the movies. Jacob, myself, and Riley hung out. We first went to World Market to pick up several things for our new bathrooms. By the time we left the store we were hungry. We could smell bbq in the air so we followed the smell and ended up at Famous Daves. We both got pulled pork sandwiches and they were DEE-LICIOUS!
We also stopped at a book store. Jacob wanted to get the Ninja blending recipe book. Totally obsessed.

A father and his son being silly at home ... and like always -Libby photobombed.

The best part about Mother's Day for me was being able to sleep in until 8:30. It's a rarity. I also love to wake up to birds chirping. Such a sweet sound.
Jacob has been wanting to get rid of dish for some time and when he told me that we weren't going to have dish at our new place I got a bit stressed out because all of my Hallmark Christmas movies are recorded on dvr.
So when I saw my mother's day gift I was totally surprised and super happy. Now I only have to buy three more movies to complete my favorite Hallmark Christmas movie collection!

After reading my card that got me all emotional and teary eyed Jacob walks over to the dining room with a yummy breakfast plate and coffee. Mmm! Just perfect. I'm SO thankful my husband cooks.


We got ready and were out the door by 2:30 pm. I also wanted my kids to have fun on mother's day so we stopped at a park first.

Found some pretty flowers ... and those pesky dandelions are everywhere around here.

We had dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. I was surprised that we only had to wait about 15 minutes.

After we ate I wanted to take a stroll along the Puget Sound so we ended up in West Seattle on Alki waterfront and pier. This is an awesome view of Seattle.

I've said this before and I wont tire of saying it again. This guy right here is my greatest helper. He knows his momma well. Emotionally we are very much the same. He knows when I'm in a joking mood and when I'm having a bad day. He knows to stay away just by my face expression ... but yet sticks around and sees what he can help me with without having to ask for anything. He's compassionate and I love that about him.

Just noticed ... this is a bad angle. Makes Jacob appear like he's got midgit characteristics, lol. I don't really ask my husband and kids to pretend to pose for pictures because it just doesn't look natural so I was happy to have captured this moment of Jacob admiring the city and Riley looking at the fish swimming by.

All these pictures were taken with my phone camera so I was a little nervous about accidentally dropping the phone in the water.

He's saying fishies.

This girl. Teenagers are a challenge to raise. Toddlers are a piece of cake and even when my toddler doesn't want to eat or is whiny or is non stop all day long I would much rather deal with one than the stress that the teenage years will put on you. But I wont give up. I wont stop reminding her that the choices she makes in life have consequences. To always put God first and to always respect herself. To never compromise her faith, values and beliefs for anyone because a true friend will NEVER ask that of you. I wont stop telling her that yes, life is hard but if you're determined to follow your goals life is SO worth all the sacrifice and only then will she begin to really enjoy life to the fullest. I wont stop telling her to always remember to stay humble. And to always stay close to her siblings because one day she will be the one her brothers will go to for everything, once we're gone.

I'm excited to see her grow but it also makes me sad. I try not to think about it too much. It's normal and that's the way life goes. I'm looking forward to the day that she graduates college, meets her future husband, gets engaged, married, and has children of her own. I'm a very emotional person {but you can't tell by just looking at me} and I know I will cry whenever something major happens in any of my childrens lives ... but those will be tears of joy.

It was a cloudy evening and a bit breezy but I didn't really get cold. It felt good actually but then again I'm usually always hot. Pre-menopause? Possibly. lol.

Jacob and Nathan decided they wanted to skip rocks real quick before we left and naturally this little guy wanted to do the same ... but I didn't let him. He was not happy.

First, thank you God for blessing me with a wonderful Christian husband. Second, thank you Jacob for our three awesome children. You guys are my world, my priority and what I live for. May God continue to work in me so I can become an even better wife and mother.

I had a very nice and fun weekend.