March National Holidays

Here's March National Holidays

March 1-National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
March 2- National Banana Cream Pie Day
March 3- National I Want You to be Happy Day
March 4-National Pound Cake Day
March 5-National Multiple Personality Day
March 6- National Dress Day
March 7- National Cereal Day
March 8-National Proofreading Day
March 9- National Meatball Day
March 10-National Blueberry Popover Day
March 11-National Johnny Appleseed Day
March 12-National Girl Scout Day
March 13-National Jewel Day
March 14-National Pi Day
March 15-National Everything You Think Is Wrong Day
March 16-National Everything You Do Is Right Day
March 17- St. Patrick’s Day
March 18-National Awkward Moments Day
March 19-National Chocolate Caramel Day
March 20-National Ravioli Day
March 21-National Single Parent Day
March 22-National Bavarian Crepes Day
March 23-National Puppy Day
March 24-National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day
March 25-National Tolkien Reading Day
March 26-National Spinach Day
March 27-National Joe Day
March 28-National Something on a Stick Day
March 29-National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day
March 30-National I Am in Control Day
March 31-National Crayon Day

Adventure waits for no one

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." Helen Keller

Well one thing you should know about Shaina is that she's such an adventurous free spirit. There's a saying that says wherever the wind blows and it's kinda her free spirited adventurous soul. She's loves adventure and discovering new things in life. She has energy about her that draws people in and captivates them. She's super artistic and her art reflects how she sees the world. Her craftiness has such beauty in it that you feel mesmerized and lost in it. Conversations with her always have such passion and fire in them creating such life in the conversations. Shaina has a contiguous laugh that makes you want to laugh and laugh. Her love for the lord is shown strongly in her life. Through her worship and daily walk with him. She has a smile on her face all the time. Rarely is there a time when there's not. She is clothed with the joy of the Lord. Clothed in beauty and strength, laughs without fear of the future. Time spent with her is well appreciated and enjoyed.

When you need a friend who is silly often, who'll sit you down and talk with you or just listen, Shaina is all of them. Her heart is full of love for the people in her life. She'll make you feel challenged, accepted and loved. 

When Life gives you lemons, I got You

Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age and dreams are forever." -Walt Disney

She was dropped into my life. When I wasn't looking she was there.  Sometimes I call her the life of the party. The go getter, encouraging outgoing one. She's not afraid to be silly and weird all at once. Tori makes you feel well received and loved when maybe you don't feel it or need it. She's super passionate about the Lord and wants her life fully devoted to him. Such an outgoing, on the run person that she's always up for a crazy, fun adventure. Such a big caring heart she has. Her relationship with her younger siblings is one of the strongest I've seen. She includes them in most of her daily adventures, creating such a strong healthy relationship between her and her siblings. She is such a giver, gives her time, energy and life into people everyday and always has a positive look on life. Car rides with the music blasting and her singing or with us just talking is one of the best times I get with Tori. She lifts me up and comforts me the best way when most people try through hugs, she and I go get sugary sweets. She has your back even when you don't realize it.

When Life gives you lemons it gives me Tori. It gives me her laughs, her hopes and dreams for the future, the moments when I can tease her, when she says something encouraging and we talk about Jesus. Our spontaneous trips around Corvallis. She's better than Lemons for it only turns into Lemonade but she turns into one of the best thing in my life.

Deeply Loved

"Never let someone dull your Sparkle." -Unknown

Sometimes you just meet the person that you knew from the moment you met you guys were going to be great friends. Amy was one of those people in my life. She's one of the sweetest sincere people I've ever met. Sweeter than Honey or in my case Sugar. She never sugar coats her sweetness. She's such an includer and I noticed that about her the first time I met her. My family had just moved across the street when they were doing a fourth of July celebration and though it was Chelsea that had invited me to sit with that posse of girls and I had declined and yet they all decided that they were going to set next to me, Amy was the one that included me in their conversations even when I wanted to be anywhere than there. So glad for that 7 years later. She's also one of the most caring person ever, always asked you how your day was, what about your day that wasn't going great and would go out of her way to make you feel better.Conversing with her is always entertaining and could go on for hours. There's so much life in Amy and I love it when it's presented.

Amy is one of those people that you always want to be around. Someone who always makes life full of life. Never a dull moment with Amy around. Love her heart for others, laying her life down for others every day. 

Blue Eyed one

"Live in the Moment." Unknown

I knew Kianna through my cousins's friend who was Kianna's cousins who I had grown up around. I was about 10 years old when my sister Moriah and our cousins Bethany and Abigail and I had formed this journaling club. But I didn't actually met her until I was 11 years old. Even though we only lived 15 minutes away. Two shy girls met and from there on were the best of friends. Kianna is was smart and funny. She knew had to make one laugh. She has a real talent for instruments, she could teach herself any and learn how to play them.  A lover of nature and through her love for it, it made you appreciate and love the world created. With every conversation we had she poured in it, she invested in you. She strives in achieving her goals and doesn't let mistakes and mess ups get her down, she pushes herself harder with such determination that feels like the world bends at her perseverance. The most patient person I ever came across. Patience was never my strong point but patience was one of the things she really sparked. As well as being a peacemaker. We rarely fought and if we ever did she always found a way to settle our differences to where they both worked out for us. She had such a talent for art that was so appealing and satisfying

We lost touch and drifted away to the point our friendship walks on different paths.  Though we may not be friends, my friendship with her was like no other friendship I had with any other. She made the world come alive and feel real (not that it wasn't) in the way you could feel every emotion. Joyous/Joyful was what I constantly called her. She saw your strengths and weakness and called out the areas you were the strongest and encouraged you to seek them out. Without her, I would not be faithfully be writing after Sarah's death when I felt so much pain and couldn't write without thinking about Sarah. 

A Hidden Treasure

"Clothe yourself with compassion, Kindness, humility, Gentleness and Patience." Col 3:12

Oh such a rare and wonderful treasure found. I remember reading a book about a map to a hidden treasure which when they followed the map to the chest, there was no treasure..It all ended up with each of them having a hidden in each other, a really cheesy book. But what I'm trying to say about about this is that Jill is such a rare and wonderful person placed in my lap. If to be honest when I met her almost 7 years ago, I didn't plan for having her as one of my closest friends in my life. But she is and she became one. Life is like that. Jill is weird, just starting things off there. Her weirdness makes me laugh and comment how weird she is but it's quite enjoyable to be around. She's sincere and affirmative. I think they go together beautifully. Like many of the other people I have talked about she's quite caring, has such a sweet tender caring heart for those dear in her heart. She has God's tender heart. She's a patient listener, and when I mean by that...Most people listen but while listening their brains try to figure out a answer to fix or give advice before the person finishes so then when it's their time to speak they do...I do this all the time... But she waits until you're finished and then when it's her time she speaks. When I started writing I keep thinking about a line in a song that I used to listen when I was middle school aged child and It in some way seemed to fit with Jill. "It just takes one to step out from the crowd and show what Love's about."  

Sweet, Tenderhearted....Maybe a little Baddass...(I'd insert a winky face if I could)  God's heart... Sometimes I look at her and think back to when my first gesture of accepting her was when I asked her to be my mentor after the loss of one who had been mentoring me. She has helped me in so many ways and shown me that Love comes in many forms...Even though the world portrays love so differently. 

She's Beautiful

"Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the Blind can see." Mark Twain

Beloved (Bella) Grace Marr...One of my favorite person in the world. I was so happy when she told me that I could write a piece on her. We have been friends for years, being 8 years older she became a little sister that I absolutely adored, though I adored my little sisters as well. When her family moved closer to me our friendship went from a sister relationship to really close friends. She became my best friend, even though we both had best friends of our age we became each others' best friends. She's amazing and I love how she loves to make others feel just as amazing. Bella has such a tender heart and has such a wonderful heart for other. I always think of this quote with Bella : "She's beautiful, not because of the clothes she wears, She's beautiful for the way she thinks, the sparkle in her eyes when she talks about something she loves. Her ability to make other people smile. She's beautiful deep down to her soul." Rings true about Bella. She  has the ability of making me laugh and smile quite too often. I remember when I was having a hard day and had been crying my eyes out before I headed to church and upon seeing me she gave me a hug. I'm not one who likes hugs but her hug felt comforting and wonderful. We went walking around the church building before I was able to go inside. That's Bella,she'll put you first before anything and make sure you're alright even if it means just standing there and not talking. Such a wonderful creative, talented friend who doesn't let messy art get her down. She'll make it stand out her fabulous way.

There's not really enough words to describe how much Bella means to me. To have her in my life, from the time I babysat her to now when I really respect and feel inspired by her in every way.  She sparkles better than Sparkles themselves.. Love her so much!

When You Give Love A Second Chance

Here's a story I started in 2015 and finished 2 and a half years later:

“What is the Cause of guilt? What does it lead to?” The words of the pastor rang in my ears. As I looked around the church I could see that many eyes were fixed on him. Some nodded with the words he spoke, some squeamishly listening and others lost in thought while their eyes focused on him. “Guilt can cause many things. It can caused harm, destruction and despair. But God is there through all of this. Christ died to take away that guilt and shame. You don’t have to keep holding on to it anymore., let’s pray.” I got up after the prayer had ended and followed the crowd out of the sanctuary and headed towards the classrooms and nursery to pick up my kids. Stepped first by the nursery since it was the closest. Peeked inside and saw my 3 nursery kids, Colton and Areah who were a talking troublesome set of twins, who had just turned 4, After getting some slobbery kisses we went to pick up the other two kids. Mila my shy and sensitive 6 year old looked with relief as she spotted us. Jameson or James as many people call him raced up to me giving me a big hug and a picture he had drawn. My friendly, caring boy who took too much after his dad was only 7 but had a big heart. As I rounded my children up my mind went back to the Pastor’s words “Guilt can cause many things, it can cause harm, destruction and despair.” My life was full of guilt. About from when I was a reckless teen and did stuff I regretted to this day. To my marriage that fell apart because of mistakes. My kids were going to live with my mistakes and their own for the rest of their lives. As I drove away from church I silently prayed that my guilt for what happened in the past would be washed away, I didn’t want to hold onto it no more. We got home and as soon as I stepped foot inside the phone rang. Told Mila to get some toys for the twins to play with while I answered the phone. I answered with a quiet hello and the voice on the other end was a voice I hadn’t heard from since the twins were born….My Husband… I thought of many reasons on why he could be calling. “Evie? I know I’ve been horrible to you and the kids, but the reason I’m calling…” I held my breath, thinking he would say that he no longer wanted to pay child support because he remarried… But they were not the words he spoke. “Let me tell you a story….’

“Once upon a time there lived a this spoiled reckless teen who’s parents loved him so much but he could not see that so he left home with no money, nothing. He found a job at a bar and when he had enough money he left that job and started his own business. He proved to be smart and manage to make the business successful. One day a customer came in and he was head over hears for her. After that meeting he gave her his number and asked for hers. And they began dating. But he never told her anything of his past. Let her believe that he had no one. Two years later they married and God gave them many wonderful gifts, 2 boys and 2 girls who made him proud. But he was not happy and slowly started making others unhappy. He began fighting with the love of his life. And then one day he walked out of the only life that made him happy. He spent the next few months trying to forget about his life, his wife and kids. He thought many times after the divorce papers were final to remarry especially after he had found someone but this person didn’t make him feel special. He later found out that she was married and was leading him on. One night he cried out to God who he had forsaken since he started feeling unhappy. He asked God to change him and help him fix his life. He heard God say “go home,” so he thought back to his wife and kids but then he heard “Make right with your parents.” So he went home. His parents were so happy to see him and they forgave him. Sitting down the second night he was home he told them all about what he did since he left home. And how he had left his wife and kids because of the guilt in his life and now he didn’t know how to make it right with his wife. She still gave updates on their children but never heard anything from her. He had hurt her and was afraid that if he tried to get back into his kids’ lives she would keep them from him. But his mom’s words helped “Goo is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. God Brought you back to us and he will bring you back to your family. He working all things for his good. He loves you and them. He is present with you always.” He prayed that night to God asking him to give him a time he would be able to talk to his wife and ask her for forgiveness. God told him that “she has already forgiven you but needs to hear from you. Call her tomorrow, she will be waiting yet she doesn’t know it.”

So here I am asking you even though I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I want to be a part of your lives again. But because I have messed up, rushing back into something could end up being a mistake so if you’ll allow it, I want to go through marriage counseling with you, we never did it when we were engaged and it would be the best for us. By the end of his story I was crying, no bawling, I missed him and it was true I had forgiven him. I agreed to counseling before he could see the kids.

1 year and 9 months later­

Rocking Vera to sleep I’ve been thinking about the changes my family had been through almost two years later. Me and Kurt got married 5 months after going through marriage counseling. Vera Hope was born 10 months later. We’re not perfect but God is mending this family together an we’re growing stronger together. We’re free of the guilt we had in the past. Made me think of a verse from a song we sing at church “I’m no longer slave to fear, I am a child of God.” Thinking about how I am a child of god and that I’m in his hands. Life won’t always be easy. But I’m confident in know that God is with us in this life and all we got to do is trust him and serve him with our whole heart.

National Holidays

I have been crazy about celebrating national Holidays. There's a holiday for every day.

This Month February has some crazy wacky holidays

February 1st- National Baked Alaska Day

February 2nd- National Groundhog Day

February 3rd- National Carrot Cake Day

February 4th-  National Homemade Soup Day

February 5th- National Shower with a Friend Day

February 6th- National Frozen Yogurt Day

February 7th- National Fettuccine Alfredo Day

February 8th- National Boy Scouts Day

February 9th- National Pizza Day

February 10th- National Umbrella Day

February 11th- National Make a Friend Day

February 12th- National Plum Pudding Day

February 13th- National Tortellini Day

February 14th-  Valentine’s Day

February 15th- Singles Awareness Day

February 16th- National Do A Grouch a Favor Day

February 17th- National Random Acts of Kindness Day

February 18th- National Drink Wine Day

February 19th- Presidents Day

February 20th- National Cherry Pie Day

February 21st- National Sticky Bun Day

February 22nd- National Chili Day

February 23rd- National Banana Bread Day

February 24th- National Tortilla Chip Day

February 25th- National Clam Chowder Day

February 26th- National Pistachio Day

February 27th- National Pancake Day 

February 28th- National Chocolate Souffle Day

When Life is Cheese

 "But the godly are as bold as Lions.' Prov 28:1


About a year ago, I sat down and wrote in a journal about all the people in my life, kinda like this but instead it didn't have much put into it. When I wrote about Adam I always pictured him as the lion in the lion and the lamb story. It made no sense to me now that I would picture that until I read back to what I had written why he was like that. Adam is what we would nickname (the Mandate students of 2014-15 and I) Mama bear, because he would take care of those under his care. And those who he had he protected like a mother hen gathering chicks under her wings. Love his heart for the Lord, and how he's humbly living to serve him.  Let's just get cheesy for a second. Adam is cheesy....Quite cheesy with his weird lyrics....He'll pick up a guitar and sing a cheesy song, though he mostly plays worship music.  He always loves a good challenge and learning new things as well.  With Adam there's always a good, encouraging enjoyable conversation, never feel like they are a waste, even when he may have one with himself (those are just amusing to listen into) he often has those. But he's a great listener and gives some good advice.

There are some people in your life that are there to challenge you, walk with you in your spiritual walk with the Lord and those are become family. Adam came to Oregon moving away from his family and gained a church family and two adoptive families ( My family and the Nichols) and if I was to look back at when I first met him 8 years and  thought that he would become one of my closest friends and adopted brother, I would be a little shocked but the shockness wears off, there's really no shock to this. But I'm really glad this King fellow is in my life, great older adopted brother and friend. 

She's Clothed in Dignity

"There's beauty in Simplicity." -Unknown

What person is selfless, giving and caring of others asking little in return. I read or see daily on social media of people gushing over how wonderful and great their mom is and that's wonderful. I don't do it often or tell my mom often enough. My mom came from a small family, 3 siblings. She's the youngest of 6 years. Met my dad (grew up with him) and married young. After that the kids came and kept coming.. 13 of us, 4 of which including me she did not birth but there's unconditional love for us just the same.  I love whenever I see my mom I think of her as a Proverbs 31 woman. She is a teacher, mentor and friend to many. I've seen many people, ladies mostly be spiritually mentored by her. She gives herself daily, to her kids, her parents, my dad, our church community and friends. And as much as she gives and serves everyone she always finds time to give and spend time with Jesus and sometimes that's hard to do. One of my favorite memories with my mom as a child was whenever she and my dad went on a trip, whether it was for their anniversaries, birthdays or just to get away, they always brought their kids something back. Sometimes it was candy, sometimes souvenirs. I remember one year they gave us girls a flower and a note and the boys got a note and a arrowhead necklace. Don't remember what exactly the note said, but it said "No matter what we love you and are proud of the daughter you're growing up to be." all written in my mom's handwritten but true as if written as well by my dad. Loved the note more than the gift, I always wondered why they always brought back something for their kids so I asked my mom one day. And I came up with the conclusion from her "because I love blessing my kids" answer that her love language to others is gift giving and Acts of serves like me. She loves blessing her kids and people in her life.

13 kids, 4 grand-kids and two children in-laws. Everyone says that she is bless which I agree. But I also think I'm blessed to have such a amazing example of Christ's love. 

Unconditional

"There is no fear in Love." 

"Peet and Repeat were in a boat. If Peet fell out who was left?" I used to try and annoy Peet with that joke.. But enough about that Joke. Let's talk about Peet. A brother from another mother (All my brothers are, since not biologically related to anyone) A friend who loves at all time.. Peter means rock and one things rocks are? Well they're firmly grounded and are unable to move unless moved, Well in a cool way Peet is like that. He's firmly grounded and rooted in his love for the Lord. He isn't easily moved by people unless he chooses to move or persuaded by the.. He's determined in growing deeply more and more in love with the Lord. He has a real and refreshing way of looking at things where sometimes you feel people just make it seem like a fairy tale or you're a horrible person. Genuine like his brother Lu... He's outgoing and spontaneous. His relationships/friendships are deeply invested in. He doesn't just jump in for the ride. He put 100% into each and every one of them. Loves people and desires to love people unconditionally..Which I often have trouble loving people. He has shown me that the verse "Whoever lives in love, lives in God and God in him." He wants God shown in every area of his life and often God gives the people the gift of love.

As I was writing this I just had a happy picture of Peter and Jesus sitting side by side laughing. Jesus is laughing at something Peter said and then it suddenly got silent as they just sat in each other's company. Just content and peaceful. Nothing else needed to be said. That's there is so rich and wonderful to sitting by Jesus's side.  He's one of the rare Gems among gems (I hate using that phrase)  But Peet really is.....