AnswerMeThis

1. What's currently on your To Do list?
Clean out garage, help my mom with her garage sale this weekend, fold laundry (always), plan built in bookshelves for the homeschooling rm, give Mike time to finish the chicken coop, plan last camping trip for the summer, get the girls signed up for co-op, order books, and clean out/organize freezers and fridge.

I wish!

2. Better type of superhero: magic/radioactive powers? Or trauma/gadgets/hard work?
Haha; I laughed that Kendra wrote so much on this question! Makes me curious to try out Arrow and the Flash on Netflix. I know Mike would be happy if I suggested it! I do like superheros though. My favorite is Batman. I like to re-watch the Batman movies from time to time. I like all of them but Batman Begins and the Dark Knight Rises are my two faves.

I don't know if the appeal is so much the gadgets/work ethic vs. magic/radioactive powers, as it is the aesthetics of their surroundings. Gotham, of course, is a dark city. It represents, as I understand it, a moral darkness; a fallen city clamoring for redemption. I like how this theme is played with. Also, Batman is so mysterious and dark, too. Brooding for sure :)

I read the Harry Potter books but magic still does not appeal to me all that much. Lord of the Rings, Narnia magic appeals to me, I guess. But I don't seek it out as much as I do more real-life styled heroes/stories.

3. Finding out if baby is a boy or a girl before birth: Good idea? Bad idea?

Mike and I always find out! We love it. We usually have the baby named by the time we are driving home from the 20 week ultrasound. As we always say: "it's a surprise at 20 weeks or it's a surprise at 40 weeks!"

Also, it helps me get through the second half of my pregnancy, when I'm starting to get really uncomfortable and complain-y. I like to know my baby's name. I like to talk to him or her and talk about them with my other kids, and it just seems to help knowing. For me.

4. Have you ever appeared on a stadium jumbotron?
Yes. Safeco field at Mariners games. A couple of times, but just in the periphery with other folks.
Mmm...this question is making me crave garlic fries(!) Now if only those Mariners can get their act together.

at a Mariners game in 2010!

5. Are you more book smart of more street smart?
Um, neither? I don't feel like I'm particularly knowledgeable about stuff from reading books, nor do I find that I can navigate "the streets" very well. I am certainly friendly and good at asking people for help, if I need it! I tend to think of myself as still pretty naive, in general. Not street savvy.

I don't read as much as I used to (high school and college) sadly, and also, I'm very forgetful, so that doesn't help things. Writing this, I'm making myself sound kinda ditsy. But actually, I can be scrappy, too. Poopy/explosive diapers with 2 wipes left? I can make it work. Lost with phone battery at 2%? I'll find a way. Deciding to go camping at the last minute and have barely any supplies? Let's go for it.

In conclusion: I'm not sure if I'm understanding this question very well, but there you go.


6. Have you had that baby yet?
ahh. No preggers at ze moment. But, I was just telling two of my friends on Sunday that my arms are a longing......

quick takes friday - Lou's photos

Louisa asked if she could take some pictures today around the house. I kind of like her eye. I thought I'd share my quick takes using her photos, and writing about my week. So - here goes my peeps!

-1-

I feel like we had a really good week. It was a very social week. I ended up participating in two playdates, one at my house, meeting a friend one-on-one (and talking for over three hours!), and one more meet up coming on Sunday. I get like this. I go a couple of weeks as a total homebody, mostly just texting or facebook messaging people, and don't make plans to see anyone. Then usually it hits me that I need socializing! So, I go a little crazy and start texting all my friends and asking who wants to meet up? :) Probably drives Mike a little crazy, but he's a sport and goes along with it.

So, with all the social visits the week went by fast. I also managed to keep the house very tidy, the kids pretty happy, and my meals mostly healthy. Though we did eat at Zeeks on Thursday. (side note: we picked Mike up from work and went to West Seattle afterward. Is it just me or is downtown getting REDICULOUS? What are those city leaders doing to our city? It's a total mess down there :( ugh. Seattle, you've lost our business. Bellevue is where we're going to shop and eat from now on. I used to love going downtown but I can't deal with the traffic, lack of parking, the pot smoking, and the construction everywhere. Get it together please my formerly-favorite-city!

-2-

This week I made an effort to go to bed early but failed miserably all but one night.

We really need to cut ourselves off from the internet off sooner at night. I have been getting in facebook debates that are just so not worth it. A while ago I got into a good routine of shutting off my phone at 8pm. Best start that up again. Starting tomorrow night ;)

-3-

"Husbands never call her simply by her name, but with terms of endearment, with honor, with much love.  Honor her and she will not need honor from others she will not want the glory that comes from others, if she enjoys that which comes from you.  Prefer her before all, in all accounts both for her beauty and her discernment and praise her."
St. John Chrysostom

I posted a little meme on my facebook page this week and it got me thinking romantic thoughts.

Here is another of my most favorite quotes, pretty much ever:

"I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you in such a way that we may be assured of not being separated in the life reserved for us.... I place your love above all things, and nothing would be more bitter or painful to me than to be of a different mind than you"

Also by St. John Chrysostom.

aaannndddd.....now I really really want a date night. It's been a long while since we had one.


-4-

I am actually getting really annoyed and tired. This computer just decided to restart and do updates, and I'm in the middle of blogging, Windows!! Argh. I should just stop but I caaannnn'tttt....I already started and it would drive me bonkers to wait until tomorrow to finish.

Must...keep....blogging...

-5-

How are you liking my 6 yr old's photos? Like I said, I think she has an eye. You might wonder why I'm brave enough to post a photo of what is essentially my backside...but I think it's actually a sweet moment she caught. I did not know she was photographing us. But I'm comforting Josie after her nap. You know how sometimes you wake up from a nap and you just feel like the world's all wrong? It takes a little while to wake up. It's just nice to have someone to snuggle with while you are doing that.

-6-

ridiculous chickens eating my blueberries. So mad at them! They BETTER start laying some eggs here soon, because they need to start pulling their weight around here....

-7-

Some day soon here, I need to plant a couple of trees back there to shield our yard from our back neighbors. Our yard is actually quite private...with that one exception. The neighbors on either side of us have a very limited view into our yard. Both are just retired people who are very sweet so I don't even mind. But those guys back there have a stay at home dad. No big deal really. They are also quite nice. But I think it would be even nicer to have the added privacy. I sometimes feel bad if he has to look at all our toys sprawled out and our chickens running around. I'm sure it's an entertaining thing, to see our family. But yeah. My grandma suggested putting some trees there and I'm like, wow, why didn't I think of that. 

But trees are expensive at the nursery! Going to have to save up, I guess!

Now I need to get to bed. Hope whoever is reading this has a great, grand, and wonderful weekend!!!

Read more quick takes at Kelly's place!  (I totally agree with her on the Klondike bar assessment.)

Emmett & Lou

Adorable Louisa playing with Emmett pics

he loves her

Another great trip to the beach.

Emmett would run STRAIT for the ocean. Look at that look of delight!

Mike took Louisa up on the sand dunes and got some cool panoramic shots.

There he goes again ;)

Josie looooooooooooves dandelions!

Looking for rock crabs at this campground near the beach that Mike used to go to as a kid.

My kids love the Oregon coast. And so do Mike and I. Until next time!

{p,h,f,r} grandma and grandpa's house edition

{pretty}

picking grandma's raspberries

 {happy}

picking huckleberries. My kids are obsessed over this huckleberry bush!

{funny}

She jokes that people might feel like they need to genuflect when they walk into the house. My mother in law paints icons! Isn't she amazingly talented? I love her icons so much.

uh oh, papa. You're running low on gumdrops.

(Yes, my kids love the sugar aspect of visiting nana and papa as well)

{real}

 It's nap time at nana and papa's! 

(how I was able to blog :)

It's no secret that we spend a lot of time at my in-laws home. Ever since we moved to our first house, which is only 5 miles away from the house my husband grew up in, we've made it regular thing to spend time over here. We have dinners here, we come to the "mom and pop shop", and just come to hang out. Our kids feel very comfortable at nana and papa's. In a lot of ways, it's like their home away from home. A few months ago, they even got bunk beds set up for when they sleep over! Perhaps funniest of all is that we even come over here when they are out of town sometimes (!)

My kids feel at ease here. I feel like I get in a break when I need it. They have ac. So yes, basically it is awesome that they are here and we are very blessed. And I cannot thank them enough for always having the door (and their hearts) open to us.

{Having this home away from home contributes very much to my everyday contentment}

Go see what else is going on at Like Mother Like Daughter, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend~!