$1.00 Royalty

Not too long ago the kids and I made a trip to The Dollar Tree. I needed to stock up on some gift wrap, so I let them each pick out a "treasure". Zibby took a while to settle on what she wanted. Hmmm...a pair of twin mermaids with neon green hair? Or, no, maybe that lovely hot pink wig, complete with silver sparkle weave. Wait a minute...there it is...yes, a crown adorned with sapphire stars, not to mention a two for one! It comes with clip on dangly earrings! Yes, that's what she was searching for all her life. On the ride home she kept the visor mirror open and was contiuosly distracted by such beauty.

"Finally I get a crown Mom." she says with relief.

The Princess of Quite A lot.

about fencing...

Ben with his class...(back row, farthest left)

If you have a son who has spent most of his childhood in the backyard with a stick fighting clone troopers, middle earth trolls, or even pesky sisters then you would understand me when I say that fencing is the best sport ever!

Ben has never really been that into throwing a ball around, which is completely fine with us. (yes, even his former NFL dad has never pushed the sports issue.)

We let Ben be who God made him to be. And we will always be his biggest fans.

But when we found out about Salem Classical Fencing we struck gold.

Ben loves it. He can't wait to practice. He even wants to get to class early to work on his technique. Fencing seems to fit his personality like a glove. It's an individual sport that takes concentration and the ability to "read" your opponent. And it's a blast to watch.

Honor, Chivalry, & Respect~ The Fencing Motto...

sounds good to me.

(Aaron's thankful Ben is into a sport that is a little easier on the body too...hopefully that means no arthritis at 34 years old.)

Barrett "Spielberg" Dunn

Barrett came to visit us all for spring break from Missouri. Auntie Jenn couldn't wait to wrap her arms around the first baby she saw come into this world...15 years ago!

Now Barrett is a teenager with a deep voice and the same warm smile.

I love this kid.

AbbySue, Ben, & Zibby happen to worship the ground that their cousin walks on...and for good reason.

Not only is Barrett a blast to be around he just so happens to be extremely good at film making. He has made a number of short films that the kids love to watch. It was their dream to be in one of his movies.

So, last Wednesday, Barrett surprised the kids and brought over his computer already to film a mock movie trailer.

Ben was the star, AbbySue was the assistant director and camera holder, Zibby helped with costumes, even Papa, Uncle Aaron, and Auntie Jenn got in on the action.

Thank you Barrett....you made a memory for the kids that they will never forget.

(note: the actual premise of the movie trailer is a little scary now that I look back on it...but, it's all in good theatrical fun...and the kids are great little actors I think!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg7y5tc1IRM

Green Pancakes & A Family Tree

This St. Patrick's Day Hat has been lovingly worn on all three leprechauns for the past 5 years. (AbbySue~5)

Mmmmm....the traditional green pancakes. (this year)
Okay...this old photo of Zibby cracks me up on a number of levels...first of all she has a huge bump on her head from when she flew off the tire swing and hit a tree root while mommy wasn't paying attention, secondly, the look on her face, "Am I supposed to eat this!?" But, the best part by far...my attempt at a "shamrock" pancake...are you kidding me!?
Green pancakes just before Zibby was born.

The year of the "shamrock" pancake.
This year...my sweet AbbySue head to toe in green...well, almost, she incorporated orange in honor of the Irish flag.
yep, more green pancakes.

Okay kids, just so you know....(because you asked),

Daddy is German & Hungarian, so we dress up on Oktoberfest in our dirndls & lederhosen,

we eat sausages, sauerkraut, & drink beer. We eat paprikash & kolachies at Christmastime, and say "Prost!" when we toast.

Mommy is Irish. I'm sure mommy is other things too, but from what I gather we are Irish and a bit Welsh. So, we have a family shortbread recipe, wear kelly green on St.Patty's day, eat green pancakes in the morning, have an assortment of meat pies for dinner, & drink beer. "Slainte!"

All of these places that our grandparents parents sailed away from to start a new life in America make us who we are today....beer drinkers..."Cheers!"

Here are all the family names I know of that belong to you:

Daddy:

Koch (Austrian/German)

Schmidt (German)

Jerry (Hungarian)

Mommy:

Dunn (Irish)

Harney (Irish)

Henderson (Welsh)

Wheatley (Welsh)

(you can see the whole kookie bunch decked out in our oktoberfest gear if you search the blog archive~it's under october 2009)

A Thank You Card to my new BFF "Pinterest"

What did we do without you Pinterest? We were mindlessly trudging through the doldrums of life and then you came along...with all of your bright ideas. Thank you for making us feel awesome about ice cream alphabets and mudslide nail polish. Thank you for being there for us on an endless rainy day. You rock.

March Memories

When these were hanging from the dining room chandelier I detested them...
So, I took I turned them into something even Pollyanna would be proud of, a prism garland.
March 2 was "Read Across America Day" so I told the kids to dress up as a character from one of their favorite books then write a poem about that person. Jane Eyre was my first choice.
Ben was "Dickon" from "The Secret Garden" (we've been reading this story together for school.)

AbbySue was "Sophie" from her favorite book "The BFG".

And Zibby was "Strawberry Shortcake"...of course.
But, one of my favorite March memories has to be the magic show our kids put on with the "Hurley Clan". Ben was "The Great Bendino" and their show included everything from a disappearing (and, thank the Lord, re-appearing) hamster to "The Girl who was Cut in Half!" Not only were Ronda and I impressed but I can attest to the fact that I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

Two big kids just headed out to Champoeg State Park for "Pioneer Days" with a carload of

home schoolers...and Zibby was invited to play at Papa and Gramma's for a bit, so here I sit in an empty, quiet house.

Weird.

I don't really think I have been completely alone in The Old House for more than an hour since we moved in...(December).

Quiet.

I almost don't know what to do with myself....besides posting a blog.

The whirlwind of settling into Silverton life is finally beginning to pass and we are beginning to feel home again.

So here are a few photos of life lately....everyday, wonder-full, life.

It's never dull...even when it's quiet.

Sister Spring

What is it about little girls and flowers? We love them. We wear them. We give and receive them. I sometimes wonder if it's that longing for paradise lost ages ago in God's garden. Maybe these blooms stir in us an ancestral memory of perfect beauty... fellowship unbroken. And so, we are drawn to their vulnerable loveliness. We wonder as they bud, and bloom, then fade and fall...and we relate to their glory torn. I see my daughters, crowning one another with the softest of spring and I think of Him crowned with thorns, for them, for me. Those ugly, painful thorns...because of me. And He then crowns us with all of this Love?

Spring is Grace.

Boy Feet

Here they are, still smaller than my own,

Covered in sand

Hanging on the edge of the world.

Here they rest,

where sea and land begin and end.

Sky spread out in blues on blues beyond,

and stars begin and end.

The world at your feet,

Eternity above.

Here he stands,

and runs like wind,

still boy and man,

and youth begins and ends.