If Only We Could Write a Book!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Graduation Day!

Mom (Karren) and Dad (Brian), Jacob and Elizabeth... wait a minute...where's Connor?

Jacob and Becky. Becky was Jacob's interpreter since he was in 6th grade. Seeing them speak to eachother and knowing how much they will miss eachother brought tears. What a remarkable relationship. Jacob was a lucky man to have her. Thanks Becky!

and a GREAT pic of Jacob with Grandma and Grandpa... Clay is that a smile I see?

Graduation Day!

Eric, Mariel and I went down to southern Oregon for Jacob's graduation from high school. Jacob is our nephew, and we are SO proud of everything he accomplished in high school. Especially that he graduated 4th in his class, and won State Championship Wrestling at 103 weight class.

He graduated on June 6th, and the next day, Eric's parents reserved a trip for the entire family to ride the Hellgate Jetboats up the Rogue River. I highly recommend the trip... true fun and what a great way to see the river. Here's the website www.hellgate.com. We went on the brunch trip, and got to see LOTS of Osprey and a couple Bald Eagles.

A few more Fort Rock pics... we had fun!

Fort Rock Trip

Mariel and Eric doing a little rock climbing.

Maya (left) and Reggie (right) making sure all is well ...

Stopping for a little break...

Way up high on the edge...

Mariel hiked up about 500 ft to get to the overlook. Way to go kiddo!

This is just too cute.

My little nature girl and her daddy.

Mariel's 4th Birthday

As of March 24th, Mariel is no longer our baby... she's a full fledged "kid" now and doing all the hilarious and not so hilarious things that 4 year olds do. She comes up with the funniest stuff and has a very vivid and crazy imagination. All in all, she's perfect.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Wow

Ok, I'm pathetic. It's been officially at least a year a half since I even posted a picture on this website. Well, as many of you know, I'm unemployed and so I do have SOME time on my hands.
I'm going to get as many pics as possible on here and get this thing somewhat up-to-date.
I've also set up a Blog for my weight loss efforts... see www.iamnotonadiet.blogspot.com.

It's going to take some time, so be patient.

Update? you ask...

Eric is now 36, soon to be 37 in May (ouch, did I just say that?... sorry Eric). I'm 33, and our dearest little Mariel is going to be 4 YEARS OLD next month. WHERE DID THE TIME GO?
She's a handful, but we love her for everything that she is.

Eric is attending school full-time working on a Business minor to go along with his fairly useless Bachelors Degree in Geology. His hopes are to graduate and get a full time job this spring.
Last April, 2008, Eric was laid off from Ricks Custom Fence after 4 months of employment as a Yard Operations Manager. He was formerly employed at Lumbermens in Outside Sales.

Me (Allison) is unemployed right now too! I worked for Lumbermens for 4 1/2 years as a Branch Credit Manager and was permanently laid off in November '08. I've been searching for a better job, but again, no luck and more jobs are being lost everyday around here. It's pretty bleak to say the least. So I'm venturing into returning to school at OSU and seeking a Masters in Counseling. My eventual goal is become a Doula (Birth Coach) and run my own business or do community/school counseling for women and children. I was looking into Nursing, and becoming a midwife, but through the wonderful advice and counseling of my career counselor at OSU, she's helped me really tap into the root of where my passions lie.

Mariel, as I said, is turning 4. She can spell / write her name, the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and is just about the most intelligent little girl I know. However, with the smarts comes the challenges of raising a little girl who thinks she's about 9.
She's taking swim lessons and LOVING it.. she asks me everday if it's the day to go to swim class. We're looking into pre-schools, mostly to get her socialized and learn to function in groups of kids her own age. She'll be very ready for kindergarten before she's 5, but we know that there's still a lot for her to learn before then. All in all, she's a kid.. no longer a baby... heck, I couldn't even classify her as a toddler. She's funny, crazy, goofy, stubborn, independent, creative, imaginative and outgoing. She's a handful.. did I mention that?

As a family, we're doin' alright. We're trying like H**L to save our house. It's facing foreclosure... and we really don't want to move and have to start all over. We filed the big "B" in the fall mainly because we couldn't afford to pay any of our bills after losing 1/2 our income. It SUCKS... no health insurance, don't qualify for programs and are faced with the inability to find decent paying jobs. We're definitely stuck in the middle of a rock and a hard place.

BUT... we are all healthy, and thankful that we get to spend so much time together as a family right now. For the last 3 1/2 years of Mariel's life, we were both working full time and felt like we were letting other people raise our child. So to be able to be with her everyday, while crazy and overwhelming at times, is the best gift unemployment could have given me.

Anyway, getting late. I'll be posting pics and updates as I said... would love to hear comments so drop a line!

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Where have you been?

This might be the question running through everyone's head right?

Well, I don't even know myself where the last...YEAR?... went. Ouch, that just doesn't even sound good. Well, I'm back to make good with everyone and update a VERY underused Blog about Mariel, and well, like the title says "mostly Mariel". Some good things have happened to Eric and I too, but I know that Mariel is subject most questioned.

So here it is...at last... a small update to start with of pictures of her most recent adventure to the pumpkin patch last weekend. She had a blast... enjoy!

Sunday, November 19, 2006

November Rain

Ah, the Oregon Coast... after 2 1/2 years, we FINALLY got to go to the beach. However, in true Oregon fashion, it rained NONSTOP for the entire weekend, with 40-50 mph winds. So we didn't get to do a whole lot, but Mariel got to see the ocean, some seals and go the Oregon Coast Aquarium and see sharks, seals, puffins, crabs and LOTS of fish. The picture to the right are some harbor seals that Mariel was calling out to going "argh, argh, argh" they were quite intent on watching us.

November Update, lots goin' on!

At last! I have time to post some pictures of our trip home in September...some Halloween pictures...and our trip to the coast at the beginning of November. Thanksgiving is coming soon... where does the time go? Is it me or does having a child simply put your life in 5th gear?
Mariel is going to be 20 MONTHS OLD! I can't believe it! She's nearly 2!

Personality wise, she's 3. Intelligence wise, she's about 2 1/2... the only way you'd know she's not even 2 is if you knew her birthday. She's talking in sentences...describing things like "big dirty truck!" and "pretty cute huh?" and "dude...sweet!(that's my favorite)". She knows a few colors and shapes, and knows her numbers 1-9...she can identify her name and knows how to spell it if you show her the letters. I think it's pretty incredible!

Anyway, she's working on the potty training.. (she poo-poo'd on the big potty 3 times last week!...thanks Betty), and we have her wearing her own undies at night for an hour or two so that she gets used to feeling what it's like to go potty.

She is rid of the BINKY... YEAH! However, now she insists on having a book in bed with her to read before she naps or goes to sleep. Her FAVORITE books are "OLIVIA" series... she can't get enough of them.

Enjoy the pics...as always, thanks for being patient!

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Mariel's First Sprinkler Experience

These are a little out of order, since I last posted pictures from our getting ready to go to Illinois ... but they are so fun that I had to share them. Mariel had such a BLAST learning about how the sprinkler worked. It took a few turns, and the sprinkler got her quite a few times smack in the face, but she loved it. It was so great to be able to go out and enjoy our new yard.

Mariel's First Sprinkler Experience

We got such a kick out of watching Mariel play with the sprinkler! We had put in our new backyard, and were so happy to see Mariel being able to enjoy it. She had a BLAST!
These pictures are out of order, compared the one's that I've already put in... but I had to share these... they are too cute. :)

One cooled off, wet, summer baby.

All Eric and I could do was close our eyes and say "OUCH" and "OHHHH"... she quickly learned that the sprinkler moves from side to side, therefore she had to get out of the way.

But it got her again... and again...and again.