More, more, more!

 It was requested that I answer my own questions from my Random post.  Then a few friends borrowed the idea, and posted their questions, so I am also answering those.

Enjoy!

My questions:

1.  What cheers you up when you are feeling down?

Listening to Colbie Caillat; Journaling; and reading my favorite blogs.
(Nie Nie, Enjoying the Small Things & C.jane)
2.  What is the best lesson you learned from your mother?
-That my thoughts are just thoughts.  When I am having a panic attack, I don't feel completely consumed because I can remember that it's just my body or my mind acting up. That nothing is actually wrong.
-And also to "enjoy the doing, not the done."

3.  What's the hardest part of parenting you least expected?
Not having any time or space to myself.  I long for a quiet afternoon to myself.
4.  How did your spouse propose? Did you see it coming?
Josh proposed while we were on a road trip to Canada after we had gone on a bit of a break.  The break, while heart wrenching, was what allowed me to say yes and know in my heart he was absolutely the one for me.
I picked out the ring, so I'd say yes, I saw it coming.  However, exactly when he did it was a surprise.
5.  What's your bedtime routine? (Not the kids')
Josh and I always go to bed at the same time.  I hate going to bed by myself, especially after having to go to bed by myself for so many months.  So around 9pm we tidy up downstairs, lock the chain on the front door, head upstairs & brush our teeth.  Then we lay in bed either reading or talking until we fall asleep.

6.  What was the proudest moment of your life?
The flight from Bethel to Marshall.  I could see nothing but wild Alaskan tundra for miles, the moon coming up on my right, and I thought, "We did this. We did it!  We are going to live in bush Alaska with our many small children." I felt so proud of us for taking a chance.
7.  Favorite all-time movie? And TV show?
Movie: Armageddon & TV Show: Jon & Kate Plus 8 (don't judge me... I love her.)

8.  What one thing would you change about your childhood if you could?

We would never have moved from our first house.  I loved that house.

9.  What is your favorite name on the planet?
Bailey Kate.  That's our daughter name.  I thought we were having a girl when I was pregnant with the twins, and also when I was pregnant with Wyatt.  No "mother's intuition" here.
10. What do you wish you knew then that you know now?  

• Going to Clark for the Running Start Program would have saved me two years.
• Logan could have breastfed despite his small size.
• Wyatt was going to be born cesarean.
• That, generally speaking, everything always works out.

 

Roxanne's Questions:

 1) What is you and your significant other's song and why?

Ours is Hanging by a  Moment by Lifehouse.
Josh picked it out for us, and I think it was/is fitting.  We both had to let go of all we had held onto before each other (family, church) until there was nothing else to lose.  There was really nothing that was going to change our minds... Just like the song says.

2) What is your most valued possession?
It's a toss up between my camera (& it's ability to capture present-day) and my journals (and their ability to recall the past...)

3) What personality traits and/or hobby did you inherit from your father?
Oh my god, I am so passive aggressive.  And I talk over people.  But on the flip side of that, I love nature, hiking and photography.

4) Do you keep your birthday cards?
Yes. My favorites get stored in the front of my current journal.

5) What style is your home decorated in? (Traditional, country, modern, etc.)
I would say if Josh was decorating it'd be modern, but if I were decorating, it'd be country.

6) Describe your dream vacation.
The Oregon Coast, in late August, really warm, sunny days, spending our time playing on the beach.  Oh, and I'd have a really good book to read with me.

7) If you were an animal, what you would you be and why?
I would be a cat because I love to sleep in the sunshine.

8) Do you have any tattoos? Do you want any?
I don't have any tattoos, no. I thought about getting one once, but Josh doesn't really care for them, and I don't think I could commit to having something on me for the rest of my life!

9) Do you have a statement piece of jewelry that you wear every day?
I always wear my wedding ring (an engagement ring & a wedding band soldered together); the diamond earrings Josh surprised me with on our second anniversary in Rockaway; and my necklace with all four boys' names on little silver plates. {Logan} {Jack} {Wyatt} {Josh}

10) What is one goal you have set out for yourself right now?
To do my ab workout every weekday from now until we leave May 18th.
(And on top of that, I'd really love to get down to 153 pounds by then as well.)

 

Stacey's Questions:

1. What do you daydream about?

I daydream about a day to myself.  Wake up naturally when my body is ready.  Spend some time journaling & meditating.  Workout.  Read a book with breakfast. Take as long a shower as I want to.  Blog or read books & magazines all day long.  Watch a movie in the evening, uninterrupted.  Things like that.

2.What do you wish you could fill your days with?

Writing.  Blogging.  Journaling.  I do it a little each day, but I would love to have hour upon hour at my disposal.

3. If you had to choose one disease or condition to cure, what would it be and why?

After watching Roxanne's in-laws suffer at the hands of ALS, I would cure that.  It's such a cruel way to lose your life.  Slowly, piece by piece. It's awful.

4. What do you obsess over?

Details-- on the blog, in my house, on my children & for our travels.  Life is in the details.

5. When is the last time you rode a bicycle?

I last rode a bicycle before I got pregnant with Wyatt. So, two years ago.

6. Were you named after anyone?

Rochelle was after a little girl my dad knew growing up.  And Beverly was after my mom's mom, who passed away months before I was born. Shelly is just a nickname that came along later.

7. What would you name the autobiography of your life?

worthy : a memoir

8. What story does your family always tell about you?

The time Dalton (my older brother) was going to let his friends into my secret fort that was in the crawl space under our house, and I, racing down the outside steps to stop him, fell down the wet moss covered stairs much to my humiliation.  It's hard to recover when even your own mother gets the giggles when referring to your misfortune.
That, and the time when my dad told me to "wash the fish" and I (channeling Amelia Bedelia) "washed" the fish.  With soap.

9. If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?

I would be one of the little girls in The Little House on the Prairie.

10. What’s your favorite indoor/outdoor activity?

My favorite indoor activity is reading.
My favorite outdoor activity is walking.

*And to answer your question about church, Stacey... It was preached that Mormon's were the enemy.  We were not to date, or even be close friends with them.  But when I met Josh I prayed with an open & honest heart for God to guide me.  God told me that I was meant to be with him.  When my mom told Scott that, he said, "But I told her no."
I left the church after a year and a half of fighting.  I should have left immediately.

 

Nicole's Questions:

(She just started her blog.  You should check it out)

1. What is your biggest accomplishment this far in your life?

Biggest accomplishment? Raising our three children (age three and under) by myself for half a year while Josh was gone.

2. Have you ever lived anywhere else besides where you live now?
Before our move to Alaska, I had never lived anywhere other than Vancouver, Washington.  I am happy to add Marshall to that list.

3. Were you an only child, youngest, middle, or oldest?
I was technically in the middle (second born of four), but any literature you read about the oldest describes me to a T.

4. What's your favorite food?
At a restaurant, Orange chicken from Panda Express or Shrimp Scampi from Red Lobster.
At home, chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven or Tuna with pickles on homemade bread.

5. Who is the most important person to you?
Josh. He is my very breath.  My best friend, my confidante, the person on this planet who knows me best, and loves me anyway.

6. What's your favorite thing to do on a weekend?
Date night (pizza & a movie) on Friday; playing with the kids outside all afternoon Saturday; and staying in on Sunday, lounging with our pj's, watching movies all day long.

 7. Do you have any children?

I have three sons.
Identical twins, Logan Henry & Jack Sawyer, born June 6, 2008.
And a singleton, Wyatt Nathanial, born June 15, 2011.

8. What is your best feature?
My best feature is my green eyes.

9. If you could do anything, what would it be?
Write.  Be a writer.  A published author, preferably.

10. Do you have an iPhone?
No. I have the Samsung Galaxy. It is far fancier than I am comfortable with, to tell you the truth!

Jack Sledding

Wayback Wednesday

Alvin holding Logan

Ethan holding Logan

Isaac, who thought we should name Jack "Jack-in-the-box", because it rhymes, and Julie holding Jack

Isaac & Jack

I love this one!

Brothers holding brothers

---

I was perusing pictures from when the twins were born and came across these of Julie's boys. I can't believe, in four years, how much our nephews (especially Alvin!) have grown.  We miss them so much and are looking forward to all kinds of adventures when we get home this summer.

Random Facts About Me

 Cassie, a girl I admired and attended both junior high and high school with, has an inspirational blog (A Serenade for Solitude) about her life, her family, her thoughts, and a few weeks ago she posted this fun "10 random facts" post which I thought I would copy.

1. Picture

{My 29th Birthday}

2. 10 Random Facts About Me

1.  In high school I declared that I only wanted sons.
2.  When I was fifteen I wrote a 340 page book called The Sun Will Shine.
3.  My favorite poet is Robert Frost.
4.  I regret not having more of a backbone and standing up for what I believed even though my opinion was not popular with my church in high school.
5.  I would never in a million years have believed my life path would land me in rural Alaska.
6.  My favorite candy bar is Butterfinger, even though it gets stuck in my teeth.
7.  I still sleep with a bubba.  It's a white stuffed bear.
8.  I have been journaling since I was twelve years old and have 84 completed journals.
9.  I collect rocks.  Particularly agates.  In another life, I would have become a geologist.
10. My absolute favorite author is Anita Shreve.  Favorite books? Fortune's Rocks, Sea Glass & Body Surfing.


  3. Cassie's Questions:

1.  Do you know your calling, yet?  If so, what is it?  My calling... Hmm... Well, I think my first calling was to be a wife, and I am trying my best to excel at that.  My second calling was to be a mother, and that has been a longer road, with more bumps & a higher learning curve.  And my third calling, I would have to say, is to find my truth and share it.  Be it on my blog, in my journal or in the novels I'm creating in my head (they will find their way to paper someday!) I am working to find who I am and share the journey.
2.  What color describes you?  I think blue.  Like the sky.  It's a color that changes, and I think I am undergoing a lot of change.
3.  Where would you like to visit?  Home. I would like to walk along the Columbia River, roast a Marshmallow in Cougar, and dip my toes in the sand in Rockaway.
4.  What don't people know about you?  All I want in the world is to feel confident. I doubt myself everyday, all day long.  I long to feel confident in my choices, both for myself and my family; I want to feel confident in my body; and I want to feel confident in my abilities.  Whew. That feels better.
5.  What book or author changed your life?  Women, Food & God by Geneen Roth.  This amazing book taught me more about myself than any other single thing in my life.  She taught me that I could trust myself to overcome my emotional eating. To love my body as it is, and allow it to get healthier in its own time.  And to be in the moment along with a million other things.  A great book. I've read it probably ten times!  
6.  What do you hate doing?  I hate calling customer service.  I dread doing it and generally spend more time thinking about how awful it's going to be than it actually takes to make the call!
7.  Are you more an introvert or extrovert?  I would say that I am an extrovert. I love talking to people, am very nosy and have no problem asking people really (sometimes inappropriate) personal questions. Ha!
8.  Name five things on your life Bucket List:
I don't have a bucket list.  So far, I've really done all the things I've wanted to do. (Get married, have children, become a SAHM...)
Except:
Write a novel
Vacation in Hawaii with Josh {& no children}
9.  If you could be anywhere right this moment, where would it be?  In Vancouver, at my sister-in-law Julie's house, with her, her three boys, my sister & her two boys, my three boys and my mom.  Lots of rambunctious boys running about, and plenty of girl talk!!!
10.  What is your favorite genre of music? Country.  JoDee Messina, Tim McGraw... They speak to me!


4. My Questions
1.  What cheers you up when you are feeling down?
2.  What is the best lesson you learned from your mother?
3.  What's the hardest part of parenting you least expected?
4.  How did your spouse propose? Did you see it coming?
5.  What's your bedtime routine? (Not the kids')
6.  What was the proudest moment of your life?
7.  Favorite all-time movie? And TV show?
8.  What one thing would you change about your childhood if you could?
9.  What is your favorite name on the planet?
10. What do you wish you knew then that you know now?


Want to play?  Post a picture, list 10 random facts, answer my ten questions and post ten of yours in a post and link in in the comments section, or you can answer the ten questions in the comments. 

I can't wait to read all about you!

Saturday fun with Grandma & Papa

 Saturday morning Carol & I got the boys set up with some paints & adorable truck hangers she brought for them.

( My camera kept wanting to focus on my Easter Egg tree from Julie instead of Logan. I thought that was funny!)

 The boys took their painting job very seriously.

 Using all different colors and lots of sparkles, they were silent as they worked.

 I love watching them decide what color to use, and how to best spread it around.

 Jack is more meticulous, careful not to mix colors, and very specific about how he brushes the paint on.

  Logan, on the other hand, figures more is better and doesn't mind if his turns into one big rainbow, globs of glitter & mounds of paint everywhere.

They have missed Grandma's neat projects & painting very much. 
It was fun to see them experience that again.

---

{sweet wyatt peeking out at daddy}

 Saturday afternoon we all geared up to head out, hoping to hit the post office & store, as well as let the boys run off some of that energy they are always so full of.

{papa carl is almost ready}

We borrowed the school van to run our errands.

{rugged mama, just wearing jeans}

 The wind had been blowing pretty good Friday and Saturday morning, so our usual path to the van was blocked, and the van had to be parked farther away than normal.

 We finally got loaded up and were headed to the post office, where some boxes were waiting when Josh came upon a patch of unplowed road that had quite a snow drift. 

 After touting to his parents the night before that he had never gotten the truck or van stuck in the snow, he promptly got stuck.  In a huge drift. At the exact epicenter between the store & the post office. 

 Thankfully Tom, who works for the store, came by with a shovel and between him, Carl & Josh, they managed to get the van out. 

 Meanwhile, Carol & I took the boys to the post office to retrieve our boxes, and to the store to look around.

 Then we let the boys play in the snow for a bit, both of them pelting Grandma and I with snowballs at close range. Naughty little boys! Oh, the giggles!

 After the van was un-stuck, the mail picked up and the groceries purchased, we went to the gas station to find some diet soda for Carol. 

 While the guys were inside, Carol and I let the boys climb around on some old construction equipment. They had a blast and were sad to go when the guys got back.

 That night Grandma gave the boys a bath, which they loved, and soon they were off to bed, excitedly talking about all the adventures that are yet to come.