Haley's Head

Duck season has begun and it's a rather important time of year in the Brase family. The first game of the season was away, so our family dressed accordingly and gathered in our theater room to watch the Ducks hopefully pull off a win.
Haley was so excited she began doing a cheer dance and in doing so fell back against our entertainment center and bonked her head. She began to cry and immediately ran to us. As John and I were tending to her I realized there was something wet in her hair. It was blood and alot of it. I thought I was handling it fairly well until John asked me politely to calm down. Once I "calmed down," Haley did as well and we began making ER plans. Thanks to our neighborhood nurse, Kim, she was able to determine that Haley would need some stitches. The bleeding stopped, but there was a nice size gash there. So John and Jack stayed behind to hold down the fort and Haley and I drove to the ER where we spent 3 hours. The docs and nurses were wonderful and Haley came home with 4 staples in her noggin. She was amazing. She cried a bit when they stuck a needle in her owie to inject the numbing solution, but other than that, she was a trouper!
I've decided not to post those pics. Best to not relive the experience. She's doing well and has enough long blonde hair that it covers everything. She gets the staples out in 2 days.
By the way, the Ducks LOST..bigtime.

Back To School

Wow, the summer just flew by, but it was one of the best summers of all time. We didn't do much in the way of vacations, but we spent alot of time outdoors staying active, laughing and just having a good time.
Jack learned how to ride his bike without training wheels the very first time he tried. It was amazing. Off he went and now we can't stop him. So, it's been fun going on bike rides with the kids, exploring the neighborhood and playing follow the leader. Both Haley and Jack have met so many great friends in our neighborhood, so summer evenings were a blast. We did alot of cul-de-sac bbqs and marshmallow roasts and enjoyed watching our kids play hide-and-go-seek, play with bugs and snakes and of course get filthy dirty. Hey, that's what summer is all about.
Mac, our black lab thoroughly enjoyed summer as well. We took him on lots of walks and let him jump in the creek behind our house. He's doing very well, but is still in the process of getting leash trained.
So, now it's back to school. Haley started Kindergarten today. She did extremely well and waltzed on in, found her seat and began to socialize and play. I did well myself. I was so busy making sure she had her Bible, her lunch, her backpack and her planner that I didn't have time to cry. I'm just so proud of her. She is such a confident, happy girl. Two of her friends from Clubsport are in her class so it's nice to have some familiar faces, but she will no doubt make lots of new friends quickly.
We are so blessed that Haley and Jack are both able to attend Gaarde Christian. When I first began the whole Kindergarten registration process, I was nervous and unsure how to proceed. I wanted Haley to attend public school at Deer Creek and began the enrollment process. Turns out she didn't make the cut for full day, but half day was just over two hours. That's less than the hours she attended in preschool. I didn't want her going backwards. Not only that, but there are 26 children per class. My fears rose as I worried there would be so little time and too many kids and she wouldn't be properly prepared for first grade. So, I did some homework and realized I was right. Many elementary teachers prefer full day because it allows more time to get through the curiculum and have extra time for math, and other studies as well as child-selected activities. So, I opted to enroll her in Gaarde Christian where she has the benefit of full day kindergarten and only 15 other students. It's also been proven that children who attend full day kindergarten are better prepared for 1st grade. So, I made the right choice. Phew! Also, Jack is enrolled at Gaarde as well and starts his Pre-K program next week and will attend 5 days per week for a little over 3 hours. I'm so excited for him to start. I'm hoping his listening skills will improve and I'm thrilled for him to make more friends.
Life is grand. We are just so happy to be back in Oregon (almost a year now) and are blessed with amazing family and friends. There are some exciting events already planned for the fall, so I'm hoping I can keep this blog up to date.

It's been too long

Wow, it's been way too long since I've blogged, and so much has happened. I'm not sure where to begin.
First of all, we are absolutely over the moon with our home and neighborhood. I loved it when we first moved in, but we have met some incredible people and have built some great friendships. This summer so far has been amazing just hanging out in our cul-de-sac and enjoying our neighbors and watching our kids play.
Haley finished T-ball. She enjoyed it and wants to play again next year. Her next sport is soccer and get this...I'M THE COACH! I love being involved with my children's activities, so this is right up my alley. I can't wait to get started. Haley is also enjoying swimming (all by herself) at our Clubsport pool, riding her bike (like a crazy person, jumping curbs and trying to do wheelies) and is starting to read a little. We started her in the summer reading program through the library and she is enjoying learning new words. I also introduced a little math to her and she's actually doing well with addition and subtraction. She's gonna ROCK Kindergarten this year. We enrolled her at Gaarde Christian private school. Can't wait.
Jack is so tan right now even though I slather him with sunscreen several times a day. He is LOVIN' summer just like I did as a kid. He would much rather ride his sister's scooter than his bike and he is really good at it. My mom got him his own scooter for his birthday. Ssshhh, don't tell. Jack will be in soccer camp this month. He and Haley both did music camp last month and had a great time. He really loves music. His swimming is coming along. I'm signing him up for private swim lessons through Clubsport next week so he gets some one on one time. He does best without the distractions of the other kids.
We went to the annual Slingball Tournament a couple weeks ago at Pacific City Beach. We love it there so much and hope to renew our vows there soon. Slingball was a blast, the weather was phenomenal and the kids had the time of thier lives.
Okay, I can't say enough about our FOURTH OF JULY. Apparently, our cul-de-sac throws a major 4th of July party every year, but I had no idea.....we had the best time. The morning started out with a kids parade through our neighborhood. All our kids decorated their bikes and helmets. With the help of all the neighbors, we pulled off a HUGE parade that ended at the park behind our house. The local fire department and police came to hand out badgtes and give tours of the rescue vehicles. The evening was just as good. We decorated and set up tables and tents in our cul-de-sac. We had a giant jump house, a sno-cone machine and tons of food and drinks. The fireworks show at the end was amazing, even though one of our dud neighbors called the cops. But, we finished our show and it ended with a bang. Gotta love being buddies with the local cops.
Our lives are so blessed. I was offered a Centergy class (FINALLY) at Clubsport and so far it's going well. I've been receiving alot of compliments from the members, so I know I'm doing well. I've backed off teaching as much , but I'm still doing my own bootcamp class (Living Fit Bootcamp) and have been asked to extend it another 6 weeks. Guess that's a good thing.
Well, I'll wrap up for now. Here are some pics...Enjoy.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Girl's Nite Out

Had a great time celebrating Kelly's birthday at Portland City Grill and then Pasha's. I didn't stay out late, as usual. Getting up at 4:30 in the morning makes for very early evenings. But, I did have a blast with all my peeps from Clubsport. Such a fun group of gals.

T-Ball

This is Haley's very first T-ball season. So far it's been alot of fun and she seems to be enjoying it despite the cold weather. My husband, John volunteered to coach which has been amazing to watch. He's so wonderful with the girls and truly enjoys coaching. My friends Wendy's husband offered to help John so that's been good for us as well. Haley has wonderful spirit and can hit the ball really well. She's learning how to throw and getting better. She has a great stance and listens well to directions and tries hard to practice what she has learned. It's a hoot to watch the games. The girls still don't quite understand that they need to hustle to get the ball and throw to first base, but it's fun to watch. I just love it.

Pacific City 09

We had our first beach trip of the year over the weekend. The weather was beautiful and our good friends weren't going to use their beach house (more like mansion) so offered it to us. It's GORGEOUS with a gourmet kitchen and wall to wall luxury. We took the kids and my mom and just stayed for one night. Haley had her tball kickoff ceremonies Saturday morning and we didn't want to miss it. We played Monopoly, which was really interesting with a 3 and 5 year old, but it was alot of fun. After a yummy breakfast we headed down to the beach with Mac our dog in tow. It was his first beach trip and it was hilarious to watch him in the sand and surf. We laughed so hard. John and I threw the frisbee around which we love to do. I'm not as good as he is, but we had fun and got some exercise. Gramma built sand castles with the kids and we all flew our new kite. I wish the weather at the beach were a little warmer more often and less sporadic. I love it there, but only when it's nice. We are lucky to have friends who will lend us their cabin from time to time. We will be going back there in a couple months for the annual Slingball Tournament. BLAST!

Spring Activities

Haley is doing so well with swimming. Her instructor said she is more than ready to advance to the next level. I'm so proud of her and what's great is that she really enjoys swimming. This summer we are gonna spend a lot of time at the Clubsport pool...again. It's such an amazing place. I think Haley is ready to go down the water slide...and hopefully not give me a massive bloody nose this time. Our family really loves Clubsport. Jack especially loves shoot baskets and goof around on the courts when they are open. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed in hopes of picking up some more classes or positions as they come available. Did I mention how awesome Clubsport is? Pretty much the best fitness facility on the planet!!!

Easter

Easter was very mellow for us this year. We had a wonderful Easter service at Solid Rock. Pastor Mark John always inspires me. He looks EXACTLY like Ryan Seacrest. It's uncanny. Seriously, they could be twins. But, he has a fun and fresh take on life and Jesus and I just love hearing his sermons. Of course the music is my favorite. The Worship team is amazing. I get tears in my eyes every time. Jack and Haley stayed with us and were so well behaved. They colored and played quietly. I was so proud. After church service, we had a yummy brunch at John's parents' house. Lee was in Australia doing his ministry stuff, and we missed him a lot. The rain stopped just long enough for us to hide eggs outside and watch the kids scramble around for their loot. It was another great afternoon spent with our loving family.

Mac eats chocolate

I used to be an animal nurse (for about 7 years) and so I know the devastating affects chocolate can have on dogs. I've spent countless hours nursing dogs back to health and even watching some die. Chocolate contains a chemical called Theobromide. It's harmless to humans, but dogs can't metabolize it, so when ingested in certain amounts, it is toxic and potentially fatal. The darker the chocolate, the more toxic. Most of us keep milk chocolate around, and it takes one ounce per pound of dog to be toxic. Keep in mind a chocolate bar is about 2-3 ounces.

So, the other day my dog ate some. I knew this was a possibility, so that's why I decided to keep our bag of Easter candy in the car. Well, while I was upstairs taking a shower, Jack, my 3 year old son decided to go out to the garage, climb into the car and eat the candy. Mac, our 5 month old Lab followed him and dug in. You should have seen the look on both of their faces when I came down and caught them. Later, it was funny, but at the time I was furious. So, I quickly jumped into action. I knew that hydrogen peroxide would make him throw up, so I did the math and gave him 4 tablespoons and shoved him outside. He threw up immediately and for the next 15 minutes. Then I checked his heart rate which was only slightly elevated. I knew he had only eaten about 15 Hershey kisses, so he was going to be okay. Just another day in the life of The Brase Family.

I'M 39 TODAY! One year closer to 40. Ya know what? It's totally okay. I'm in a much better place today than 10 years ago and soooo much better than 20 years ago. I learn something new with each passing year and I feel I get better with age. I have a wonderful family and although we struggle at times and have "those" days, I couldn't be happier. God has truly blessed us. I have an amazing group of friends who encourage me and keep me sane. I love you all.
I have nothing extraordinary planned for today and that's fine. My mom took the day off and will come with us for Haley's swimming lesson. We may head to the zoo or the park, not sure. Tonight I'm helping my good friend Erin raise money for her son's t-ball team at Papa's Pizza. Ya gotta love eating pizza to help raise money. So glad I quit that diet. The weather is fabulous today, I have my health and my family. This day couldn't be better.

I just spent an amazing weekend at Level One YogaFit training. It was held in Hood River which is only 30 minutes from our family cabin in Trout Lake. So, my family spent the weekend there so I could attend the training and not have such a huge commute or be without them all weekend.
I learned a bunch of information that I know will help me in my journey with mind-body. I felt very comfortable because I already have a bit of experience teaching some form of Yoga, so when we had to practice teach, everything went smooth which made me feel great. I have a great deal to learn still and have already signed up for the Anatomy and Alignment training in August. I'm so excited. Now I just need a class to practice on. Hmmmm.
I didn't get the Admin Assist. position, but that's okay. It wasn't meant to be. Something else will come along that is the perfect fit. I feel it.

Looking up

Well, I haven't heard back regarding the position I applied and interviewed for. I should have heard something by now based on my conversation with them, so I'm pretty sure it went to someone else. Am I bummed? You bet! It's so frustrating because I know how well suited I am for this position and I know I would rock it! But, there's no reason to dwell on things I can't control.
I'm heading to my first YogaFit training this weekend. It's in Hood River, close to our family cabin, so we will be staying there and my family can hike and play while I attend the classes during the day and then come home to see them at night. I'm super excited about YogaFit. I've really gotten into the whole mind/body format and hope to broaden my knowledge and someday teach. It's a lengthy process and takes time, but I'm ready for the challenge.
I started selling Avon. I have to laugh because Avon always reminds me of my Grandma. But, the products are pretty great. It was only$10 to become a rep and the perks are great. I love girly girl things like makeup and lotions so this is right up my alley. I've never been the pushy salesman type but I don't need to. I've only been a rep for less than a week and am already getting tons of orders. Fun way to make a little extra cash.
So, even though I'm bummed about the job thing, I'm keeping my head held high and staying positive about the future. I think if God wanted me to have this position, He would make it happen. God has other plans, so I'll just see where He takes me.

Interview

So I interviewed for an Admin Assist. position today. I feel like the interview went well, but it's hard to get a good read on whether or not I'll be called back for a second. I really, REALLY want this position, so I'm staying positive and hoping for the best.
Don't get me wrong, I love being at home with my kids, but I also feel that they are at a point right now where they will be okay being away from me for a few hours each day. In fact I think they need it. The position I am applying for is at Clubsport and they have a phenominal child care center there. I wouldn't even call it a child care center so much as an awesome day camp for kids. There is so much to do and the gals there are very dedicated to the kids. The hours would be M-F 9-1 so absolutely perfect for my schedule. Haley will be in school part of that time and it will be a great way to get Jack used to school next year.
I've always been very lucky that my husband does well at his job and allows me the opportunity to stay at home with the kids, but with the economy the way it is, it doesn't hurt to start bringing in some cash that we can put away for college, retirement, emergencies, etc. Besides, I love working and always have. I feel good when I can help provide for our family financially and it's wonderful to get outside the home and be part of a team. This really is a dream job for me, so keep your fingers crossed for me and add me to your prayers.

Poker Night

Ashley hosted a couple's poker party at her place. It was a blast. John isn't always up to meeting new people and making new friends, but he really enjoyed himself. Ashley and Jesse are super down to earth, cool people. Although I'm not much of a card player, I had fun and even won a hand, I think. There was some drinking happening. I think the card game went a little faster after Ashley and I left the table for some living room dancing. Good times. Phoebe and Trisha from Clubsport (hands down the very best fitness facility EVER) were there and I met a gal named Erika. Her daughter, Stella and my daughter will attend Deer Creek Elementary next year. We are going to plan a playdate so our girls can meet and feel that much more comfortable when they go to Kindergarten for the very first time. I'm trying not to freak out. That's a whole different post. Gulp.

I love John

John and I had the awesome opportunity to go out FOUR weekends in a row. That's unheard of. We lived away from our families for 3 years and rarely had a date. Now that we are back in Portland, we have family to help us out, but still don't really take them up on it very much....until recently. Two of those weekends were overnighters. Oh, we had so much fun. One weekend was a trip to Mt. Hood to ski and stay in our friends cozy condo. The other weekend was a night at Skamania lodge where we got engaged 13 years ago. I think I posted about this before, but oh well. Here are some pics.

Macadoodle

Our new puppy Mac isn't so little anymore. He is growing and growing and GROWING. He's gonna be HUGE. He recently started puppy training which is going very well. He's a smart dog (like most Labs) and responding well. We are so happy with him. Although he wakes me up every morning at 4 to be walked and fed, we love having him as our new family member. He's wonderful with the kids and they are doing a great job teaching him manners, walking him and feeding him. Picking up poop? Not so much. He's just the shiniest, cutest, funniest dog ever. We love you Macaroni, Macadoodle, Macattack, MAC ♥

The Best Girlfriends EVER!

I am truly blessed to have some of the best girlfriends around. I met Erin, Kristin, Michelle, Latsy, Mary Kelly and Wendy over 5 years ago. We were all part of a first time moms support group set up through St. Vincent Hospital where we all gave birth. I distinctly remember the first time I walked (or rather limped) into the room full of moms who had just given birth to their very first child. Although we were all different shapes, sizes, colors, and personalities, we all had one very special thing in common. MOM! We were all completely sleep deprived with gigantic sore breasts and sort of sitting sideways because of the pain "down there." We all had a million questions and a million fears, but we all had the same look in our eyes. We were so in love with our new babies.
After 6 months, we "graduated" from the support group and formed our own "playgroup" which is still going strong. We meet once a week for a playdate with our now 5 year olds and siblings, once a month for Girl's Night Out (GNO) and twice yearly for weekend get-aways. One to Sunriver and one to the coast. I love these gals so much. They are my constant source of support and laughter. No drama, no BS. Just true friendship. I am blessed. Even after moving away and coming back, I've maintained a wonderful bond with these women. It's rare I think. I've watched so many women completely destroy relationships with pettiness, jealousy, drama, backstabbing, you name it. Some women go through friends like water......it's pathetic and lonely. I'm just grateful for my friends. Thank you.
Erin...thank you for your laugh and your amazing patience. Kristin..thank you for making me laugh my head off all the time and for all the playdates at your house. Michelle...thank you for your free spirit and showing me how to live more "green." Latsy...thank you for your funny stories (Kinkers Poon) and all your hard work setting up our adventures. Mary Kelly...thank you for your amazing cooking and bartending skills and your ability to see good in every human being. Wendy...thanks for being so down to earth and easy to talk to. I love you all.
Last night the girls came over to my house for fondue and massages. A gal from Haley's school is trying to get her massage bizz off the ground, so I invited her over to give us 10 minutes shoulder massages and pass out her business cards. It was a fun and relaxing time. The other pics are of us at Sunriver last year. What a crazy time.

Laundry

FINALLY, I got the washer and dryer I have been wanting for what seems like forever. John and I bought a washer and dryer after we got married and bought a house together. It did a wonderful job but had for sure run its course. My husband, bless his heart, was always willing to help out with the laundry, but thought it was perfectly fine to stuff the washer with EVERY single piece of dirty clothing he owned. He did manage to separate whites and darks. BUT, the washer would do a little dance across the laundry room. To top it off, our dryer would get super hot and our clothes would be too hot to fold. Yeah, time for a new set.

So, I did alot of research and found a nice set. I didn't want all those bells and whistles because to be honest, it's just more stuff to break and need repair. We are a family of four (plus two dogs) with alot of outdoor activity and grass stains, etc., so we just needed something that would clean alot of clothes in the most effective and efficient way. So, we found a nice set, had it delivered and the old set hauled away. I love that it cleans so well (our socks come out super white without me needing to pre-treat them) AND our clothes come out almost dry so it takes less drying time which means less energy spent and less $$$$ spent. Yahooooooo! I think appliances are better than diamonds.

Family pictures

My very good friend Jenny Wohrle came to stay with us a few weekends ago. She was attending a photography conference and we were so blessed to have her stay with us. She's an amazing photographer and offered to shoot our family pictures. I'm including just a small portion of her work.

We had a great time during the photoshoot, although it was freezing outside. Poor Haley and Jack were so cold, but they were troopers. Well, Haley was. Jack wouldn't smile for the first half hour but then "warmed up" and offered his amazing grin.