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.