Wusthof!

Finally Dan and I have bought some amazing knives! :) Silly to blog about, but I've got so much time on my hands! Now that it's summer we've had much more time to relax and enjoy the things we like to do...like cooking! We've had the crappiest knives for years, so finally we splurged on a set of german-made Wuesthof knives. Now we can chop away....!

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How we met Tom Dick and Harry [Mountain]

 Yesterday was one of the best days of summer! Dan and I went on a hike with Marla in the Mt. Hood area. It was such a gorgeous day! While it was 90+ in the city, it was just a bit cooler in the shade of the mountain trees. :) The views were breathtaking, Mirror Lake (aka dan's "secret" lake) was refreshing to swim in and we definitely got a good workout in! We love living in Oregon!

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I can help others be happy by sharing!

Today my lesson for primary (I teach the 7-8 yr olds) was about sharing. When I first looked at the lesson I was a little nervous because I know that my 7-8 years know what sharing is and how to share. How was I to talk for 45 minutes about sharing? Surprisingly this really great story came to my mind from President Uchtdorf during General Conference (find it here). I hardly ever remember conference stories or stories that I read about in the Ensign, so just remembering this story and being able to actually use it was really neat for me.

You may have already heard this story, but here is the longer version I found online:

"Abram and Zimri owned a field together – a level field hid in a happy valley.  They plowed it with one plow and in the spring they sowed.

In harvest, when the glad earth smiled with grain, each carried to his home on-half the sheaves.  And store them with much labor in his barns.  Now Abram had a wife and seven sons.  But Zimri dwelt alone within his house.

One night before the sheaves were gathered in, Zimri lay upon his lonely bed.  He counted in his mind his little gains.  He thought upon his brother Abram’s lot and said to himself, “I dwell alone within my house, but Abram hath a wife and seven sons.  And yet we share the harvest sheaves alike: he surely needeth more for life than I.  I will arise, and gird myself, and go down to the field, and add to his from mine.”

So he arose, and girded up his loins, and went out softly to the level field.  The moon shone out from dusky bars of clouds.  The trees stood black against the cold blue sky.  The branches waved, and whispered to the wind.  So, Zimri guided by the shifting light, went down the mountain path and found the field.  He took from his store of sheaves a generous third and bore them gladly to his brother’s heap.  He then went back to his sleep and happy dreams.

Now the same night as Abram lay in bed, thinking upon his blissful state of life, he thought about his brother Zimri’s lot.  He said to himself, “He dwells within his house alone.  He goeth forth to toil with few to help.  He goeth home at night to a cold house and hath few other friends but me and mine.  Heaven hath blessed me greatly with my wife and seven sons who aid me in my toil and might it light.  And yet we share the harvest sheaves alike.  This surely is not pleasing to God.  I will arise, and gird myself, and go out to the field, and borrow from my store, and add unto my brother Zimri’s pile.”

So he arose, and girded up his loins, and went softly down to the level field.  The moon shone out from silver bars of clouds and the trees stood black against the starry sky.  The dark leaves waved and whispered in the breeze.  So Abram, guided by the doubtful light, passed down the mountain path and found the field.  He took from his sheaves a generous third and added it unto his brother’s heap.  Then he went back to his sleep and happy dreams.

So the next morning with the early sun, the brothers arose and went out to their toil.  When they came to see the heavy sheaves, each wondered in his heart to find his heap.  Though he had given a third, it was still the same.

Now the next night went Zimri into the field.  He took from his store of sheaves a generous share and placed them on his brother Abram’s share and then lay down quietly behind his pile to watch.  The moon looked out from bars of silvery clouds.  The cedars stood up black against the sky.  The olive branches whispered in the wind.

Then Abram came down softly from his home.  Looking to the left and to the right, went on.  He took from his ample store a generous third and laid it on his brother Zimri’s pile.

Then Zimri rose and discovered Abram and took him in his arms, and wept upon his neck, and kissed his cheek.  And Abram saw the whole, and could not speak: Neither could Zimri, for their hearts were full of love and gratitude."

I also shared :) this great story, about what happens when we're not willing to share.

While sharing is such a basic concept, it really is something to think about. I know I could do better about being more compassionate towards others, even to my own husband.

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Help!!...We're house hunting!

Buying a house is a difficult decision. We don't have too many options right now due to our places of work/study being so far apart and the ridiculously low salary educators make. :( 

We've found one house we really like in Woodburn (see photo below), but we're not sure if Woodburn is the city for us. We've never really imagined ourselves living there and would prefer to be farther north (closer to Portland). However, we're not sure if we can pass up such a great deal?!

So help us out...by participating in our poll (top right of our blog!). Buy the newer house in Woodburn that is a great deal? Or wait for a house to go on the market in a more ideal location (it will mostly likely be older and smaller due to our price range). Or a townhouse? Or should we just wait it out in apartment for awhile longer?

Decisions, decisions!!! 

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Summer Reading

So far this has been such a low key summer it has been amazing. I've had a chance to spend time doing what I love the most reading. My summer reading goal was to keep it extremely relaxed and enjoyable, nothing even remotely serious as I've been lost in science textbooks ALL YEAR long. I do love science and reality, but I needed a little fake, easy-to-read, idealistic-world fiction.

The list so far includes the following:

• Bite-Size Science - a fun science book as I was still stuck in science teacher mode....
• Eclipse (okay -so not an outstanding piece of literature, but it was a must re-read before the movie came out!)
• Breaking Dawn (well once I read Eclipse I HAD to follow it up with a re-reading of the last installment of the saga!)
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (now one of my absolute favorites thanks to my good friend Marla for recommending it. Everyone should read this book.)
• The Magicians by Lev Grossman (an older more mature version of a hybrid between Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia - interesting but a hard follow up after The Hunger Games. I didn't love it as much as Dan did)
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (2nd Hunger Games book - amazing!)

Currently reading: True Believer by Nicholas Sparks

Like I said....not brilliant pieces of literature (except maybe The Hunger Games), but they've kept me entertained during this lazy summer that I definitely deserved after the last 9 months of teaching. 

To Be Read List:

• At First Sight - Nicholas Sparks (follow-up to the one I'm currently reading)
• The Short Second Life of Bre Tanner - Stephanie Meyer (again, must read after seeing Eclipse)
• The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan (one that I've been meaning to read and a good follow up to the Nicholas Sparks books as they are about a scientific journalist that tries to debunk the mysterious with true science)
• the last Work and the Glory book - I've been putting it off because I don't want the series to end...
• Re-read the last Harry Potter book (at least before November when the movie comes out)
• The Goose Girl - Shannon Hale
• Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

I know there are others too - but feel free to let me know if you've had any good summer reads or other recommendations!

     

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Leila + Waterfront park

Last week we went to the waterfront park downtown because the zoo was super packed. Leila took out my point and shoot and we had fun playing around with it...I didn't think these would be as cute as they are (and I'm pretty sure some of the pics are sorta blurry on the outskirts due to fingerprints!). Leila is just a doll. She's convinced I am everything girly and wants to be a part of it all. Every time she sees me she asks for her nails done (pretty pink!) and if I'm going to cut her hair (I gave her the bangs look awhile ago). She also wants to try all my lotions and perfumes. Love it.

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The summer of searching

This summer is turning out to be a searching summer.

**We are searching for a puppy/dog. We've visited quite a few rescue shelters and frequented many saturday petsmarts - but have not found our new friend. It's a difficult choice. Mainly because of our other search...

**Our biggest search is for a home....a real one. With a big yard (for our friend we hope we find!), hopefully 3+ bedrooms and in an ideal location since our places of work are about 1hr (add 20 for traffic) from each other. We wish we could stay in Wilsonville, but unless we want a shack we'll have to move elsewhere. We are considering ideally Tigard/Tualatin/Lake Oswego, but more likely we can afford something in Canby/Oregon City and even Woodburn. Also...a difficult choice.

**A car is also sorta kinda maybe on our searching list. Eventually it's going to have to happen, but we are trying to put it off as long as possible. Depends on where and when we move.

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eagle point

Dan snapped these a few days ago around Eagle Point. The sunshine is addicting.

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