Dalton Dialogue

Wales

2011-05-09T19:58:00.006+03:00

We went to this amazing place, did a little work, were fed like kings and had a wonderful time. I posted pics on www.picasaweb.google.com/daltons1980 if you wanna see all 500+ in an organized way.

Wales is a beautiful place with incredible landscapes that look over rolling hills until you see tomorrow.

Ron

2011-03-21T20:18:00.001+02:00

I took this picture with a new camera.

FaceBook

2011-03-21T20:16:00.003+02:00

Hey, if Scott can recover from FaceBook-itis then so can I. I'm here to say - - - byebye facebook! This is a place where you only see my thoughts, not all of our shared friends' thoughts. . . this is my world where I can say what I want and if you don't like it. . . .sorry.

Santa Vs. Jesus

2010-12-22T01:11:00.002+02:00

Disclaimer...I did not write this. But I was not able to find out who actually wrote it so if anyone out there knows who wrote it...please let me know! Thanks!

Santa lives at the North Pole… JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh… JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year… JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies… JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited… JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited.
You have to wait in line to see Santa… JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap… JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
Santa doesn’t know your name, all he can say is “Hi little boy or girl, what’s your name?”… JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly… JESUS has a heart full of love.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO… JESUS offers health, help and hope.
Santa says “You better not cry”… JESUS says, “Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.”
Santa’s little helpers make toys… JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but… JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree… JESUS became our gift and died on a tree.

It’s obvious there is really no comparison. We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about. We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas, Jesus is still the reason for the season.
Yes, JESUS is better, He is even better than Santa Claus.
Merry CHRISTmas!

Life to Life

2010-12-21T02:55:00.000+02:00

December 8, 2010 Ron’s mom passed from life to life. She is now with the Lord -probably bossing the angels! It seems to be a hard way to end 2010 but maybe not. Eternal life is great, I’m looking forward to it myself and she is there already! Gosh, knowing she is pain free, able to walk and talk to her hearts content is a great thing!

Thank you Jesus for the peace of know exactly where she is!

Life Changes

2010-11-30T02:12:00.003+02:00

In some ways it's hard to believe it's almost December. Our lives have changed a lot in the last year, so I thought I would just talk about it.

Hmm, I went from working 4 hours a week to working 30. That's not my favorite thing, but it's life and matches my cute red car. When the Honda is paid for - I quit.

Ron still LOVES his job. Some days that's a huge blessing and other days it makes me sad. I used to be the love of his life and now it's "fun" which is what he calls work.

Mom and Dad are still traveling the southwest in search of the perfect tan. I gotta say, if it were me I would be more successful, but they use sunscreen, hats, and sit in the shade. That is no way to get a tan! This Thanksgiving, I wish I were with them because it was cold, wet and icky.

My brother Scott found a new wife, she has the same name but is much smaller. My brother Tim is doing the same thing! Brothers - stick with your women, they are the best! Because they have tolerated you much longer than I ever did.

Well, I have rambled a bit, but the biggest change is Ron's Mom. Lou is in hospice and they are counting her time in days and hours. I never thought this time would come, she is a strong fighter who has defied odds and lived longer than any doctor thought possible. She headed to the hospital for her annual Thanksgiving trip and won't be going home. Or a better way of saying it is that she is going HOME sooner than the rest of us.

More Sunflowers

2010-09-16T06:20:00.000+03:00

Sunflowers

2010-09-16T06:14:00.003+03:00

I have never grown sunflowers before and I'm amazed at how easy it is to do! They are so beautiful!

2010-05-30T21:13:00.000+03:00

Viva Las Vegas!

City of the Rocks Idaho

2010-05-18T03:27:00.002+03:00

We moved on to City of the Rocks National Reserve. Georgous place, dirty and rocky! We set up camp in a wind storm! This is a cool place the wagon trains traveled through. It was considered a great stopping place because it had water, fuel, and feed for the animals. It is a popular place for rock climbers and we could see that they were having a great time climbing. We watched a group of guys, obviously doing some learning and training. They were fun to watch and listen to. We didn't climb any of the rocks.

Farewell Bend State Park Oregon

2010-05-18T03:22:00.004+03:00

Farewell Bend is our farewell to places already known. This is our campsite with our still clean car.

We are having a great trip and enjoy the travel. We listened to Mary Higgins Clark's new book, on audio and finished it. . . lots and lots of miles! It was good.

Happy Birthday to me!

2010-05-18T03:18:00.003+03:00

Happy Birthday to Me

Happy Birthday to little ol' me

Happy Birthday to me!

Ron bought me a great birthday cake and we sang and blew out the makeshift candle but it was a great beginning to my birthday vacation!

Ron's view of camping

2010-05-18T03:11:00.003+03:00

I caught Ron on video - he later admitted that all the camping work was my fault. . . I don't think so. . .

We are in City of the Rocks National Reserve. National Reserve means that they reserve water for the nesting bird! It was gorgeous, but very, very dirty. . . . and very windy!

The Mariners WON!

2010-05-10T23:16:00.003+03:00

So here's the deal, I have NEVER attended a Mariner's game when they lost - so for my sake they stopped their losing streak and WON! YIPPEE!

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T23:00:00.004+03:00

I like surprises! God gave me a great surprise for Mother's Day. Two free tickets to see a Baseball game. IT WAS GREAT!

Words of Wisdom from Tira

2010-05-07T18:00:00.001+03:00

Tira posted this on facebook,

"With time, women gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, Good grief...............look how smart I am!~ Ladies If you agree with me....repost."

I thought I would just post this her here for y'all to share and enjoy. All the time spent worrying about unusual weight gain can now be put to better use of worrying about what the kids are doing. . . or your neighbor. . . or your brother . . .

Crazy Washington Weather

2010-03-09T20:24:00.002+02:00

It's hard to tell, but in the midst of this incredible spring - on March 8 (incidentally, International Woman's Day) it snowed, hailed and snowed some more.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-10T15:17:00.000+02:00

http://www.aroundmd.com/whitechristmas/

Christmas decoration?

2009-12-02T15:40:00.003+02:00

We have this adorable little trunk and I had the brilliant decorating idea to lay the burgundy fleece over it, and set the laughing snowman inside. Just for looks you know. But Molly has a different idea. . . since it has a fleece in it, and all fleece is hers - obviously the trunk is her new bed. So, she shoves the snowman over (like who is he anyway?) and moves in. Comfy huh?!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-02T15:23:00.002+02:00

You know how the day after Christmas all you see are cars obscured by trees that are tied on the top? Well, not to be outdone by the world around him, Ron made the long trip to the storage unit to pick up our tree, tied it on the top, and brought'er home!

Yes, this means my Christmas tree is up and decorated! It appears that we will have a lighting war with the neighbors. Everyday, Ron and Joe are out adding to the externation lighting. May the richest man win!

Interesting. . .

2009-11-24T16:31:00.002+02:00

So, in respect to my last post - here I go!

http://manhattandeclaration.org/index.php

This was interesting, nice to see the verbage. I wonder if the right people will read it, like politicians and their odd friends.

Best Thing About MY Blog

2009-11-11T01:07:00.003+02:00

The best thing about my blog is that I can say what I want without fear of retribution, or argument, or worry of being more tolerant.

Hmmm, did any of you know it was raining here? Yes, rain. I love the rain, I love the fall (and this one was BEAUTIFUL!) and I love living here in Washington.

Hiking Mt. Rainier . . . AGAIN!

2009-09-17T05:47:00.003+03:00

Map reading

2009-09-17T05:39:00.003+03:00

Okay, this is a picture for anyone who traveled with Ron in Europe! He once again has a map and is directing us on our hike. I don't ever worry about where we are because he always knows!

In case you don't know, Ron has an uncanny way of knowing where he always is, where he is going, and how to get back. He also can read and follow any map in any language. I don't get it, he spends a lot of time trying to get me to figure out which way is north, south, east and west. North is up, right?!

Ideas

2009-09-04T23:02:00.002+03:00

I think that having ideas could be detrimental to my sanity. I always have a GREAT idea and then pursue it with single minded determination until I get the next great idea. Sounds kinda sad doesn't it?!

I had an idea about an online bible study, it could be fairly interactive without using any gasoline or finding a babysitter for the kiddies - but in translation I don't know if it's feasible. I know that building relationships requires interaction - face to face. I can't always see other people's faces on the computer (as of yet, I can't see through the wires - but I'm working on it). But with our busy lifestyles we need to have some form of connection that works with our own schedule, so it might not be too bad. . . hmmm. Maybe better than nothing.

It's a bbbbbbbbear in my front yard

2009-08-29T00:01:00.000+03:00

Joe's Wedding

2009-08-26T20:56:00.002+03:00

A friend asked me what my favorite moment of Joe's wedding was - what a lot of thought it required.

One moment, Johanna began her walk down the path to the wedding arch across the green orchard and the eagles began to circle.

One moment, Johanna's dad says, "let's get'r done" and the wedding begins

One moment, Ron dances with Johanna

The wedding was beautiful and you can see the pictures at www.picasaweb.google.com/daltons1980 in the file Joe's wedding

The Wedding

2009-08-25T16:55:00.003+03:00

Joe's wedding was sooooo nice - from her dad saying "let's get'r done" to the clean up! I like this change over from the unity candle to the sand - I don't know what it's called, but they had two containers of different colored sand and poured them together and the blend was unique and pretty - what a nice touch.

This is a picture of Ron and Joe - they clean up very nicely!

FaceBook Faceoff

2009-08-18T19:23:00.002+03:00

I'm finding my way around facebook finally but I'm thinking I would like to "sound-off" just a bit about it. I find the 'what's on your mind' section good. . . and bad. You can only put in a sentance and I find reading snippets of sentances about the minds of others overwhelming. Then I feel compelled to let all these people know what is on my mind - but my mind is a scary place and I avoid fear at all times, so I have little to add.

I love hearing from my friends and stuff, and facebook lets it all be in one place which is convenient, but I could spend an hour just reading down the page to see what each person is doing; which I think is too time consuming - interaction without the interaction. Not my favorite way of being with others. So, call me and we can talk. Better yet, come and visit, I'll offer coffee.

Have a wonderful day!

Our home a year later

2009-08-05T17:24:00.005+03:00

Last year, when I returned from Guatemala, Ron picked me up from the airpot and we arrived here to our new home about midnight. We talked and dreamed until dawn about what we were going to do and how we were going to do it.

Even though we had lived in this location for a year, to have this house here was so exciting. We did some landscaping and enjoyed where we were. This year, we learned how to keep the deer out of the garden, have saved money on catfood since Molly eats the rabbits that would like to have eaten the garden and we have settled in.

First things first, though, we needed to move in. That was a job - let me tell you. First we had to move our stuff out of the fifth wheel RV we were living in, then we needed to go though storage and see what was really there. Once in the storage unit, we found ourselves asking the question, "and why did we keep this?" Since there was no real reason for the keeping, we had a yard sale. Once we were moved in, we needed to paint - perhaps that should have come first, but we were so excited about moving in!

We had trouble with the Dirt King on craigslist, but bought our dirt for more money locally - we got it when we wanted it, not when it was "convenient" to deliver it. Ron spread it and planted grass seed. We decided on one flower bed and set it up, I designed it, spent sometime planning what to plant that would not become overgrown, but could withstand the heat if necessary.

We ended up with two flower beds - no three. Once small one around the ornamental plum tree, one around the only big tree in our front yard, and the one in front of the deck. They are easily maintaned and are very nice. This year, where there were no flowers, I planted impatients but I will fill in the spaces with strawberries.

Thanks for walking with me down memory lane - this was one road without switchbacks!

Mt. Rainier - again

2009-07-24T00:49:00.001+03:00

Does this impress anyone? I love hiking and it feels good to get out there and do it. This is "atop" Sunrise on Mt. Rainier. This hike along the ridge had many of these snow fields that I needed to hike over.

Hiking is a great opportunity of seeing what I can so and how far I can go and at the same time see the beauty that God created.

New Post

2009-07-16T18:46:00.004+03:00

I just realized it has been a long time since I posted here. Sorry about that. I have gone from being employed full time to part time to full time to part time to unemployed to planning employment in the next couple of months again. Long enough to have a cool summer without worry about finding a job in the fall.

Now I confess that my fun this summer has been hiking. The mountain (Mt. Rainier) has a huge amount of snow still, but we have done some lower level hikes and enjoyed new views of the mountain. Since Ron is working 4 - 10's we have one day to work, one day to hike and play and one day to worship. It makes for a fun summer.

There are no real words to understand this. . .

2009-03-06T06:47:00.000+02:00

There are things I don't understand. Why there are mosquitoes - that makes no sense to me. Why they have interstate highways in Hawaii. And why we have a new and expensive traffic light to no-where. Feel free to go - but there is no road and there are trees in the way of the unroad!

Don't go! The red light warns you that it's not safe to drive on the unroad!

Kentucky - Home of the Derby and Chicken

2009-01-07T16:05:00.005+02:00

Kentucky is a pretty place. We rented a car, drove around, got in trouble with the car's GPS and generally enjoyed our trip to Kentucky. We stayed near the capitol city of Frankfort, it's an old city that is working on renovation. I'm happy to say Ron got turned around a bit driving through the city; which means we saw the capitol building at least three times. Once from the front, the second time from across the river, and the third time when we drove under it through the parking garage. Capitol parking is under the Capitol grounds - interesting.

Unfortunately, only the restaurants were open. I guess the holiday just lingered for them.

Our trip was enjoyable, there are few words to explain leaving Seattle in the snow and going to a place where it was warm, breezy, and dry. We were not really ready to return to the snow. To
be honest, we both groaned when we flew into the Seattle and saw that there was still much snow on the ground. Ick. I used to like snow - no more!

About the GPS - it was a weekend special and came with the car rental. We would never have chosen it, but since we had it, we used it. We set it up on the dash, and programed where we wanted to go and watched it. It was better than a computer game or video game. You were signified by a cool truck with big tires and every move you made was mimicked on the GPS. The only thing is - it's real time driving which means you should be watching the road, not the toy. Ron almost ran a red light before I took it away from him.

Brandy's Wedding in Kentucky

2009-01-07T15:45:00.002+02:00

Going to Kentucky to be with Brandy for her wedding was a dream come true for many reasons. It was so wonderful to see Brandy, Steph, and Andrea again. I missed them so much and now so much more. Another reason we enjoyed Kentucky so much - it was like a heat wave there, temps in the 60's and NO SNOW!

SNOW still

2009-01-07T15:36:00.000+02:00

This was not the final total, but I found it fascinating to try and see how much there was at the half way point. The difficult part of snow in Western Washington is that it doesn't stay long. This did stay longer than usual, but it still has to rain. And then the snow puffs up with moisture before going away. We still have snow in our front "yard" but most of it is gone - FINALLY!

Snow and pictures of snow

2008-12-23T00:12:00.002+02:00

Walkin' in a winter wonderland. Wow, the last thing I ever expected here in Washington was to have a mid-west style December. Cold, very cold and snowy. Not that typical sloppy wet snow, no the dry type. The type that doesn't go away. The type that cuts through your clothes and numbs your bones. The type that makes a mockery of Western Washington emergency preparedness. Maybe it will leave in time for Christmas - I'm NOT dreaming of a white Christmas - how about you? To see more - many more pictures - check on our web album. You will find it at http://picasaweb.google.com/daltons1980 .

Let it SNOW!

2008-12-21T04:20:00.000+02:00

It's a winter wonderland! This is before the second snow!

Molly and the tree

2008-12-01T03:12:00.001+02:00

Molly is staying close to the tree, and is in Ron's slipper. I just want y'all to know, she stripped the tree the minute we left the house. UGH! I have now decorated it two times. I will let you know if she learned anything from this experience.

2008-12-01T03:08:00.000+02:00

After taking all the ornaments off of the Christmas tree, Molly needed a nap. She is napping in Ron's slipper - isn't she strange? Having this little kitty is constant entertainment.

WARNING!

2008-11-25T16:36:00.000+02:00

Isn't this great? It's on every picnic table at Staircase. It reminds me of that trip to Yellowstone National Park when we were reprimanded for having our dog off the leash, he could have attracted bears! We told the ranger that was why we brought the dog, Bear Bait! They threatened to ticket us! So remember all food/spices and any smelly items - kids check your socks - can attract wildlife (specifically the wild Blue Jay, Racoon and dreaded Bear - assumed because they are pictured here)!

And probably this is just for the National Park system - protection against the potential lawsuits when a bear attackes little Johnny's smelly socks and the parents sue! Even bears know what to avoid!

Autumn

2008-11-25T16:26:00.001+02:00

Fall in Washington is beautiful when it isn't raining. This is a picture at Staircase in the Olympic National Park. We love going to staircase in the fall, because of the great memories we have of this place. When Matt was two, we came here and he walked with Ron and I holding both hands and "swinging" him through the leaves! And later, as the boys grew, we would come here and they would charge through the leaves yelling "toot toot" for us to lift our held hands and form a bridge to go under.

Part of the campground washed away in the previous winter, so the changes were pretty obvious. It's amazing that a river can so easily reroute itself and not wash away the memories that go with it!

This year has been exceptional, with sunny days and cool nights. The trees have turned slowly and with a great display of colors. We had a few windy days since so there are no longer leaves on the trees.

I started a new job, Ron loves his job and our lives are pretty simple. Oh. . .did I mention we have a kitty? Molly is doing well and growing a ton! When she was tiny she would climb up on my shoulder and rub my face with hers and then would take a nap. She still does this, but she is getting heavy! I can't walk around with her on my shoulder asleep anymore, she is too heavy! And occasionally, she slips off due to gravity and her weight!

Facebook, MySpace, etc.

2008-11-25T16:03:00.002+02:00

Okay, here is my opportunity to vent. What is the deal with Facebook? I have one friend, she signs up and boom! I have fifteen emails from people who want to be my "friend". UGH! I like friends, I really do, but it was a lot! I just seems easier for me to post once, here, then move on. Know what I mean?!

So, today I'm working in a few hours, I'm blogging with a cat sleeping on the back of my neck and I'm waiting for daylight!

Mt. Rainier

2008-10-06T04:58:00.000+03:00

The picture is just so you read the blog. It is used to get the attention of the reader so that the reader can know something more about the writer. Usually the picture and the words match, but this is a test of your cognitive skills.

This is Mt. Rainier from a hike off of Sunrise. Its a different place for us to hike. These a great pics taken while I was resting and Ron was finishing the hike.

The real reason for the post is to update the world on our lives.

Life is good. Let me restate that: Life is very GOOD!

Every day Ron goes to a job he loves with benefits I love. We drive the two most economical cars in the world that don't need solar power to charge or an electrical cord. I am no longer a Target employee (didn't I mention that life was good) and things are going well. Maybe even if things didn't go well, we would still be saying that life is good. We are so blessed to live in this peaceful place. We had a storm this weekend and we just sat and watched the wind blow! I thought a power outage would be exciting, but no problem, it stayed on. We watched the shaggy dog and ate popcorn and chocolate chip cookies.

We have a cute new kitten and are just enjoying settling in here. We are looking forward to the holidays but think our Christmas tree will have to go outside on the porch. Hmmm. Details.

Ron is reading and I'm doing sudoku puzzles. Did I mention life is good? It is.

Issues

2008-09-29T05:34:00.000+03:00

We thought living in this peaceful paradise would have no problems; but the deer, hawks, rabbits, and racoons have shown us that it would be otherwise. Let's see, we have virtually NO garden - and flowers? Very few! The deer even stand over the deck to eat a few geraniums. And can I find someone who is willing to sit around outside here to wait for them to show up so they can be removed? I fear that removing these few will not fix our problem but I have to have some general hope.

The hawks are incredible to watch. There are four of them and they seem young; but I don't know enough about them to be sure but they are cool. The call each other in the trees behind the house. There is about three feet behind the house to the tree and brush line. They fly through that and up into the tallest trees. Whew! I worry about my Molly's future.

So even though the critters have eaten all I have, I love it here and find each day to be a joy to see what or who moves in to share our space.

Our Hike

2008-09-15T05:46:00.000+03:00

Ron and I went hiking yesterday. It was a wonderful glorious day! We did a five mile hike at Sunrise on Mt. Rainier to Fremont Outlook. It was an old fire watch in the past, but it isn't used now. It's just a great destination.

There were cool outcroppings of Rocks. I was impressed by this typical pile. It looks like a castle or a bit of rocks from "The Lord of the Rings.

I love the look!

Mount Rainier in all of it's glory!

Our Yard Sale

2008-09-15T05:40:00.000+03:00

New Arrival

2008-09-15T05:36:00.001+03:00

So. . . not so long ago I blogged about our cat, Buddy, who was missing in action. Well, we have a new kitty, Buddy's half sister - Molly. To be exact - Miss Molly Malone. She is adorable, but hard to control. So here are her new pics - and more to come!

My Yard Sale

2008-08-28T19:18:00.002+03:00

I want to have a yard sale. I put it off because I needed Ron's help going through all 15 boxes in storage. He helped and I now have three boxes of stuff to sell, a ton of questionable stuff, and 12 boxes left. . . not acceptable, I need to do it all over AGAIN and sort one more time. Saving 12 boxes of junk is NOT on my agenda.

As I planned this yard sale, I thought about having it here in the pasture and putting up signs and doing it on Labor Day weekend. Oops, I realized last night this is Labor Day weekend, I have no signs, no tables, and it's going to rain.

So I will sort through the 12 boxes again, make signs, and have the sale next weekend. Maybe.

I know it doesn't sound like I'm looking forward to this sale -but I am. I LOVE selling junk. Life is so good when I can get rid of stuff and have money to get more stuff. Only this time I don't think I'll get more stuff because its my main problem. If I make enough money, I will join a gym for the year (hahaha) or maybe get a cat.

I'm so looking forward to this sale that I'm even selling junk for everyone else! Maybe I'll charge a commission for my services!

Mt Rainier

2008-08-19T16:09:00.000+03:00

So, Ron and I went on a hike two weeks ago. It was a 2500 foot elevation gain in 3 miles. . . and we only went 1.5 miles before my wimpy legs said they might not even make it back much less forward. So we went for a drive looking for beautiful views of the mountains instead. Wild flowers and peaks.

Inside the adorable house

2008-08-19T15:43:00.000+03:00

Okay, we aren't done with Missions - I did go to Guatemala this summer, but we are done with living full time in a non-English speaking foreign country for the time being. Since we are here, why not live where we want, on the back of our property where the deer, hawks and rabbits roam - and eat my vegetables. So we do. We love this house and it's location is great!

Our House on the Edge of the Woods

2008-08-19T15:34:00.000+03:00

Welcome to our new home. 400 sq. feet and we are very happy with it! Come on out for a visit! However if you are coming from a long way away, please bring your tent.

2008-08-19T15:30:00.000+03:00

Our time here in the states has been one of continuous adjustment and seeing what God has planned for our lives. For sure God has encouraged us to settle down and wait through the next few years and see what He wants. And so, Ron has a good job with the Fife School District and I just began working with Media Logic. One thing we have done is hike, enjoy where we live, and we bought a new house. We live on the back of our property and are enjoying the peace and solitude. Not the deer (she is eating our garden) or the hawks (they may be the reason Buddy left) but the openness of the area. I'll post some pictures of the new place.

Team!

2008-07-23T07:27:00.000+03:00

No Tocar means Don't Touch and would it
suprise you to know that her dad put that
sign from a skit on her back! Becca is a blond beauty who drew attention!

Our Team

2008-07-23T07:23:00.000+03:00

We did street ministry and drew a huge crowd! What a great opportunity, there were many people of different nationalities. This was a fun time!

Land marks

2008-07-23T07:18:00.000+03:00

These are various scenes in Guatemala - such a beautiful country! The old ruins are a Mayan sacrificial site. Under the large tree is a school! And this entire country is build on mountains! Every road is twisted and takes forever to go anywhere, but even the hillsides are productive.

Team Guatemala

2008-07-22T00:04:00.000+03:00

Here a few pictures of our team before leaving for Guatemala. We wore our orange team shirts so that we could find each other in the airport. . . what do you think? Obvious?! Thanks that was the plan! I'll blog a bit on this experience with more pictures in the next few days, but what a fantastic time. God was with us, and we had a great time.

Buddy - MIA

2008-06-27T03:20:00.001+03:00

This is just a sad note to express our sorrow at Buddy's disappearance. We assume, since he was a juvenile delinquent, that he ran away to join the circus.

There it is!

2008-05-27T19:59:00.002+03:00

Buddy says, "Good job guys! but wait! What are you doing? You can't leave it in THAT position! I can't lay on it and sleep in the sun!!!!!" "STOP!" And yet you left it like that, not fair.

Doing Buddy's bidding

2008-05-27T19:55:00.001+03:00

Good job, you are all working in the bushes together. . . but what is this? Joe! does every job always have to involve your 4 wheel drive truck????

Video of the rock job

2008-05-27T19:28:00.003+03:00

This is a carefully watched video - the first time I ever had to figure out how to load a video, this ne is fairly simple and you don't have to watch it but it works, I did it and so here it is. I did check to verify that it had no obscene material on it, you know. . . like the result of drooping pants. . . . buddy does not run a tight ship so the pants are rather loose. But it is safe.

Buddy says. . .

2008-05-27T19:26:00.001+03:00

Why are you watching Ron do all the work? Get to it y'all!

and thanks Ron for getting those stickery things out o the way.

who is in charge?

2008-05-27T19:23:00.001+03:00

As I told you earlier, yes there is a rock in here and yes you need to move more of these nasty green things and ah hem. . . I am in charge!

THE ROCK

2008-05-27T19:21:00.003+03:00

Is there really a rock in there? What do you think we should do? Should we move some of the brush? Who should do the hard work? What do you think?

The Kids - not really kids

2008-05-27T19:17:00.002+03:00

Aren't they cute? Matt and Leslie on the right and Joe and Johanna on the left.

We did have a great time

Memorial Day

2008-05-27T19:10:00.004+03:00

Memorial Day 2008

The younger ones came over and we had a picnic - brats, maceroni salad and. . . no rain. It wasn't warm when we got together, but it is only May. We had a camp fire and then Ron and the boys pulled a large rock out of the bushes. Maybe we will use it for landscaping. . . .

Ron's New Job

2008-05-27T18:54:00.002+03:00

Ron is now an employee of the Fife School District. This means he is union, he has benefits, and he has full time work with regular hours.

When asked how he liked he new job, Ron replied, "I have new toys!" and when asked what he does, he replied, "So many lawns to mow and so little time to do them." I think he is happy.

Disclaimer

2008-05-27T18:51:00.002+03:00

Okay - remember my last post? About the joys of working at Target? Well,

There is nothing "official" about anything I said. I am not remarking about an "official" anything regarding Target Corporation. I don't even want to!

So, we have been instructed not to post any video taken while we are at work and not to make reference to any private information on youtube.

Life as a "Target Chic"

2008-04-08T18:51:00.002+03:00

Hey, I thought I would tell you a bit about my life as an employee of the corporation, Target. I love the corporation, I love the opportunity to be with people and just have a good time, but, I have to admit, the hours are hard. So, each day I am just a cashier, at least that's what they pay me for, but often I find I'm a confidant, a counselor, and an ear for others.

I met a beautiful, tiny little old lady, who apologized for the hair on the hat she was purchasing, but she had just begun chemo and her hair was falling out. I had no option but to hug her as she was leaving. She was just a doll! And the mother whose daughter was one phone call away from going to jail; I had no words to say other than, "I'm sorry for you." I hear about marriage problems, children problems, the coming excitement of new babies and the everyday miracles that people face. Oh what a fun place to be. So, while the hours are hard, there is a reward to this crazy job!

Oh, and I have to wear my favorite color everyday to work - RED!

Dungeness Spit

2008-04-01T19:19:00.003+03:00

What a beautiful day. I figured something out, my favorite places in the world include water. . . especially the Puget Sound or it's beginning. . . the Strait of Juan de Fuca and maybe that's because my favorite childhood memories are from our times at Whidby Island at the Granparent's cabin.
So. . . boating on the beach is my fav! yet I STILL got motion sickness!

Dungeness Spit in Squim Washington

2008-04-01T19:10:00.004+03:00

This was a great day, we were tired of winter so we went to Squim, it hardly ever rains there and we assumed that meant that it wouldn't snow there also.

This is Johnathan Livingston Seagul, he posed for this picture. What a goof!

The view is over the wildlife refuge! This place is amazing!

Hi, me again

2008-04-01T19:03:00.001+03:00

Hi! Okay my official name is Buddy, and I am still a baby. But I'm told I am a rather large
baby. I am seven months old and still need all the attention that a baby needs. Yesterday
We had a thunder storm and I was in the barn looking for a dietary supplement when we had a noise so loud that I had to find Ron -NOW! He was rather surprised to find me in his arms! I guess I got scared, I have no idea how I got in his arms!

So I will do anything for Ron, I ride on his lawn tractor, I sit in his boots (they kinda smell) and I follow him everywhere he goes.

Life is good here, I like it! I just wish there was more food. . .

Hi, me again

2007-09-28T06:02:00.000+03:00

This is my first day in this crazy house and already they have taken about a hundred pictures of me! You might think I am a model or something!

New Addition to our Family

2007-09-28T05:58:00.000+03:00

Hi, I don't have a name, and I haven't traveled far, but I now live with these really cool people who are living in an RV! It's a nice place to live, I think I'll like it a lot. All is well except this guy who likes to embarrass me with his "rabbit ears".

Mt. Adams in the far distance

2007-09-18T07:30:00.001+03:00

Mt. Rainier

2007-09-18T07:30:00.000+03:00

2007-09-18T07:28:00.000+03:00

We weren't kidding when we mentioned strenuous, but it was fun once it was accomplished. When Ron said, "Donna stand up and turn around!" I assured him that I was not letting go of my hold on this snow/ice slope! What an experience!

Hiking Mt. Rainier

2007-09-18T07:24:00.000+03:00

One of our early goals when we returned home was to go hiking. Although we walked everywhere in Moldova and Ukraine, we wanted to experience a "hill". The real kind, called a mountain. This was a picture perfect day on a hike that was incredible. However a note to potential hikers - read the back of the map to find out if the hike is strenuous or not - this one was on that particular list! We quickly found ourselves winded, probably because we hadn't be this high without an airplane for two years, but we just took it slow and easy. It was so beautiful. And no wimps turned back!

Culture Shock

2007-09-14T18:01:00.000+03:00

Okay, I am not stupid and yes I can read but who would have thought! So, I go to the grocery store to get some sandwich bags. You can see the top bag is a quart size ziploc bag. I have a box of those, but they are rather large and costly for just sandwiches. I go to the food storage aisle of the store and look rather quickly at the different brands available and in the section of sandwich bags I grab the cheapest model possible. However, when I opened the box this morning I was so shocked by the size of the bag! Then I looked closer at the box. This is a "snack bag"! What is with this "snack bag" and why?! The most important question. . . what type of snack will fit in it? Maybe two small cookies, four carrots, or. . . the only answer? Only in America! The land of the free and the home of the snack bag.

Views

2007-09-13T07:21:00.000+03:00

To the left of our new little home!

Views

2007-09-13T07:19:00.000+03:00

Views

2007-09-13T07:17:00.000+03:00

Some of our view from the front porch!

WELCOME HOME

2007-09-13T07:15:00.000+03:00

Here is a picture of our newest home. I love this spot, always have and living here in this beautiful place is an incredible blessing. So, now you ask, how long will we be here? At least until January and maybe then longer. God does know what the plan is, WHEW!

Many Step Process for Cleaning the Mud from Your Feet

2007-05-30T11:57:00.000+03:00

Choose your places of walking that incorporate the least amount of mud and fecal matter.
Use the open grid and scuff the largest amount of mud from the bottoms, if there is water under the grid you hear the reassuring sound of the rock plop into the water! That’s a cool sign of progress.

2007-05-30T11:55:00.000+03:00

Use the upright things to do the detailed scraping of your shoes. It has the coolest upright thing of metal that not only scrapes the flat part of your shoes, but does a great job on the part of your shoe that picks up the most mud, the section between the heel and the toe of the shoe, even tennis shoes have this section, you have NO idea!

2007-05-30T11:47:00.000+03:00

Then scrape in the grass until there is space around the bucket of water, the bucket will have a long handled scrub brush for a more detailed removal of the mud on your shoes, At this time you work on the top as well as the bottom. Rinse the brush as often as you need to in order to have the clean shininess of your shoe to show.
Next wipe and stomp on the first matt at the bottom of the stairs, scuff the potential drippings off at this time. Do use you eyes, if the matt is extremely dirty you will only compound your problem and need to return to the bucket step.
After this step, you just need to do a neat and tidy scuff of your shoes on the top step with the clean matt and enter the church. Or home, or store. Whatever. Unfortunately you need to repeat this process every time you go outside and take one step on a wet and muddy day.

Our Dranita Family

2007-05-28T11:37:00.000+03:00

This is the family we have been teaching English for the last three months!

Children's program in Dranita

2007-05-28T11:29:00.000+03:00

Our children during their final practice. It's a good thing we are finished, because they are! School is out for them and it's hot, very hot.

Back in Dranita

2007-05-24T17:03:00.000+03:00

Steph rescued this little chick with Ron's help. This little baby was the LOUDEST chickie we have ever had to listen to. However, Steph found his brother and she and Viorica returned them to their mama (we think).

The Holy Sisters

2007-05-24T17:01:00.001+03:00

Early Morning Prayer Meeting in our "jammies" the rest of the team were too chicken to join us holy ones in the picture!

These are our "Sad Faces"

2007-05-24T16:59:00.000+03:00

Good bye Brandy, we will miss you. Brandy has just left for a vacation with her family in the states and we will certainly miss her!

Eastern Europe

2007-05-24T16:52:00.000+03:00

Now, you need to know that living in Eastern Europe is a fascinating place. When we lived in Moldova, a truck came several times a week to pump out the septic tank, but we always had water! We didn't know how much of a blessing that was until Ukraine. Now, every now and then we don't have water and. . . you guessed it, a truck comes and fills the well!

The first well, is the neighbor's house, he is our landlord. The second well is ours for our apartment building. After the big truck comes (it does resemble the septic truck in Moldova) they fill our little well with a garden hose! No wonder they recommended that we not drink the water!

Happy Birthday Stephanie

2007-05-24T16:41:00.000+03:00

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday, dear Stephanie

Happy Birthday to you!

This is a picture from Steph's birthday party, which we had two days early. Stephanie will turn 25 on the 25th! Cool, huh?!

sorry, Stephanie's mom, we are teaching your daughter bad habits!

She said this is her first birthday party away from home and her first carrot cake for her birthday! It was yummy!

Blessings Steph! La Multi Ani!

Our Personal Superhero Family, The "Undesirables"

2007-05-24T16:34:00.000+03:00

Okay, so you need to know the extent of our weird life! This is about our neighbors with the dark brown roof on their house, which was just painted smurf blue. Frightening. Anyway, we have named our neighbors for valid reasons. Okay, the lady is Spandex Mama. Picture this? Well, most of the time she wears a tight tank top and bright purple spandex shorts (with flames on the sides). She has a son. The other night this skinny, muscleless marvel was outside yelling at the neighbor dog (white dog) in his whitie tighties. Only in his white underwear, understand? We call him Underwear Boy. And now there is this young girl, in her late teens. She was hanging clothes out on the line to dry in a tee shirt (I like her tee shirt, it’s larger than her mother's and a bit longer) but it was all she had on. When she reached we got a view of her dark blue thong. Now, we call her Thong Girl. This girl sunbathes in her yard in a tee shirt and socks. And her mother sunbathes in a light colored bra and her dark blue underwear. You need to know the newest members of the superhero family – THE UNDESIRABLES: spandex mama, underwear boy, and thong girl.

We are smiling in the picture, but on this day. . .

2007-05-14T12:19:00.000+03:00

Okay, so I want to vent! Yesterday it was a bit hot. Okay very hot, and everyone in the city was in a nasty frame of mind! A man stepped on my foot and had the audacity to yell at me! Hello – I’m not that small that he couldn’t see me! In the grocery store. . . everyone had a cart and they weren’t afraid to use them! They used them to run into others, to block aisles, and as weapons of mass destruction. It was just plain unpleasant! I say, if you are hot, take off your coat!
On the bus, people stood in the aisle even when there were seats; which makes it hard to see where the bus is! It was just an interesting day to be in the city. People were crabby (perhaps because of the heat) and it made me feel crabby! I hope that being in Eastern Europe where service and kindness are rare doesn't become a habit for me.

Krakow Castle

2007-05-14T12:18:00.000+03:00

Ron is where?

2007-05-14T12:15:00.000+03:00

Ron in the inevitable phone booth! Every country has phone booths in different colors and designs, have you ever noticed that? Well, in Poland they open at the corner and open both ways for a person to step out nicely.

At Church

2007-05-14T12:14:00.000+03:00

So, while the team from Moldova was here, instead of our regular routine of going to the villages, we helped with a youth conference. A team from Romania came to provide this for the youth of the local, Romanian speaking churches. Teens from local villages, including the ones we are working in attended and we had some pretty important jobs. Ron preached to the teens about the need to pray, Mike preached on women (we don’t know why that was the topic), and Lilian (yes, even our visitors from Moldova participated) preached on the value prayer has had in his life. The young people sang quite a few songs, and the rather large church was packed! It was fun to participate in this and to see the desire some of the young people in Ukraine have to follow the Lord!

Welcome Moldova to Ukraine!

2007-05-14T12:11:00.000+03:00

Several teammates from OM Moldova came for a visit. They came on Thursday afternoon and stayed until Sunday afternoon. Our apartment is the home of meals for our team and it was so crowded that we had breakfast outside on the patio. It was a beautiful morning, Brandy and Steph made the pancakes, Mike and Myra made the scrambled eggs, and Ron and I set the tables, set up the situation for eating, and allowed our space to be invaded!

Train Travel

2007-05-10T17:06:00.000+03:00

On the train to Krakow, Poland! We are having fun!