Urban Cowboys and Girl

Saturday night we had a visit from a friend that lives in Seattle, Matt. He was down this way visiting his parents outside of Vancouver, WA. He stayed the night Saturday at our house, and Sunday he invited us to come out to his parents and go for a horsey ride. I couldn't pass up the opportunity, so Daniel and I put on our long johns and headed out. There has been much build up and suburban sprawl around their home, so we had to ride through some neighborhoods, but we had fun (except for the few seconds that my horse decided to run and I thought I might fall off). Matt's parents were very nice and gracious and even invited us to stay for a delicious spaghetti dinner. I think we might have to make some more visits to that place.

When we were riding through a field, these cute little goats came running over, as fast as they could possibly go, to say hi to us. They were pretty cute. I think I want a goat.

Walk in the Park

This afternoon, Daniel and I went to Forest Park in the hills of Northeast Portland. It is a very big park, we only saw a small portion of it, but enjoyed our 4 mile walk with Beckett through the trees. There is a big wide trail that we walked on and then we saw several little trails going off to the sides, we will explore those next time. We look forward to some more walks there in the future.






Last Saturday we went to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge in Portland and walked on some trails there. We came across a nice paved bike trail that goes through the wildlife refuge along the river. We look forward to using that someday, but I am a fair weather bike rider, so we will have to wait until it is a little warmer.

Marriage

Daniel's parents have been married for 44 years today. 44 years, can you imagine!!! My mind just can not fathom 44 years of marriage. When I got married, I couldn't imagine 3 years of marriage. Now that we have been married for 3 .5 years, I can easily see 5 years and I can even see 7 years of marriage, but 10 years is just beyond my sight.

Congratulations Jerry and Judy and Happy Anniversary. Thanks for setting such a wonderful example for my husband.

Here they are. I stole this picture from their site (without permission), but the only digital pictures I could find are below and of course involve "the house".

Daniel and his dad working on the fence in our backyard this fall. When I came with the camera Daniel started to work for the picture, but really I think the portion of the fence we have currently is really Jerry's doing. And it has not grown since they left.

Judy lining our kitchen shelves this fall.

Heat!

I think we have heat now. Daniel got a hold of an oil company today and we have 200 gallons coming to us, but not until tomorrow. The price has gone done per gallon since last time, so at least that is good. The company said we could use diesel fuel until they come tomorrow. So Daniel went out and got several gallons to put in the tank, but only cold air was coming out when he turned on the furnace. Another call to Carson Oil, and they came out today to fix the crazy old thing, which apparently has several problems. For now it is running... I think I am already starting to thaw out.

Oil Heater

I woke up this morning, to Daniel saying, "Sarah, we are out of oil! What should I do?" I was alarmed, but the warm bed pulled me back to sleep for another hour. When I woke up Daniel said he called all the oil companies in our area and they were all closed on Sundays. Maybe they will be opened tomorrow? I don't know it is a holiday. How did this happen? I wasn't going to let this happen. I watched the gauge on the oil tank very carefully...at first, and the oil really didn't seem to be going anywhere too fast. When I was researching oil when we first moved in, I was told we would need two or more tanks to get through the winter. I didn't believe it. Especially, after the first month with the oil gauge not seemingly moving much at all. The last time I checked it, it was 1/2 full. When was that??? I can't remember, maybe before the blizzard of 2008.

I had just been thinking this weekend, how it is strange that I can withstand the cold temperature we keep the house at. I would always complain when I was at my parents house...they keep it so cold. Why would anyone suffer through such cold in their own home!! Even when I had been paying my own heating bill for years, I still thought, "I am never going to live like that. I am going to have a warm house." Well, after spending $600 dollars in the beginning of November to fill up our oil tank (that bought us about 1/2 a tank, there was already about a 1/4 in there when we bought it), I was okay with no heat at night and five blankets on the bed. And I was okay with not using the heat during the day while I worked, but instead having a little space heater in my office. Maybe someone broke into the basement and siphoned the oil out of the tank. I just don't understand how it disappeared all the sudden.

An old house, no insulation, and an old oil furnace......oh boy. I told Daniel insulation was a priority!!! Needless to say, it is cold in the house. Daniel said, "It's okay, you just have to keep moving." Well, I better go start moving a little more to warm up.

Bagram, Afghanistan

My sister has been in Bagram for a week and a half now. She says (via e-mail) she is starting to feel safer on the forward operating base where she has been deployed. She is a psychologist for the Air Force and has been stationed outside London for the past 2.5 years, with her family. Since October she has been away from them and training in the States. She got to go home to London for about a week and a half for Christmas and then on January 2nd left home, husband, and two adorable little daughters to start her apparently long journey to Afghanistan. In her last e-mail, she was getting ready to start work in the Combat Stress Control Clinic. I worry greatly about her. So add her to your thoughts and prayers.

My Sister and Nieces


Katie

Family picture

Ellie

Carrot and Pumpkin Curry

Daniel made some very delicious yellow curry last night, with some of my favorite things in it...carrots and pumpkin. He used ladybug pumpkin and since it has such a fabulous name and tastes good, I decided in the spring and summer when we start our garden projects I want to grow some ladybug pumpkins. Like all things Daniel makes, it was very spicy, so I had to add a little yogurt to cool my mouth.

Christmas with Chloe

I have six beautiful nieces. Six of the most beautiful, smartest little girls in the world (well one is a young woman). Chloe is just one of them. Here are some pictures of her visit with us during Christmas.

Brunch and Christmas Gift Exchange Game with Nuttbrock's
at Aunt Cindy and Uncle Wayne's House.


It is a good thing we had several holiday parties to go to because
Chloe had several holiday dresses to debut.


Bath Time

Christmas Brunch with Aldridge's at
Aunt Gail and Uncle Wayne's House.


Uncle Daniel



Modeling Another Dress, a gift from Grammy.


Daniel in his new waterproof Kangol hat.


Sunday we visited Great Grandma and Grandpa.
Chloe and Aunt Sarah built a gingerbread house
with Grandma and Great Grandma (Grammy).
Chloe said something funny making Grammy laugh.


Chloe may have eaten more then she put on the house.


My brother, Mark, played himself right to sleep.
Parenting must be tiring.


Chloe and Frosty at Peacock Lane,
a few miles from our house in Portland.


She really liked the little Santa and candy cane lights.


Aunt Sarah, Uncle Daniel, and Chloe


Grandma and Grandpa with Chloe.
(This one is for you Mom and Dad)


My Mom on Peacock Lane,
where she remembers going as a little girl.


Okay last one.
Sunday night we had Sundaes on Sunday
with ice cream sundae supplies
Daniel got in a gift exchange. Yummy!

The New Year

Our House in the Recent Snow

I can't believe it is 2009. I am really going to make this blog public today. It is my priority for 2009. I guess I will stop being shy about it. I can't promise it will be exciting, but that is not the point. The point is just to keep people up to date, especially since our move to Portland.

Halloween 2008

We had Thanksgiving Dinner at our house for my parents, grandparents, and aunt and uncle. Daniel made a delicious Turkey and scrumptious gravy and I made mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. Everybody brought something and we had a nice dinner. And the bathroom was basically done! The contractor was at the house very late on the night before Thanksgiving finally finishing things up. The sad news is that on Christmas Eve, we noticed a water stain on the ceiling of our newly finished and painted bathroom ceiling. We had so much ice and snow for the week and a half before Christmas, that we think the ice caused some trapped water and therefore the leakage. Daniel was up early Christmas morning scraping ice off the roof. He does a lot of work around here.

Grandma at Thanksgiving (Back in the Kitchen of her Youth)

For Christmas, Daniel and I spent the morning by ourselves and my parents and brother, sister-in-law and niece drove down from Seattle for a Christmas dinner at our house. Again, Daniel made a nice variety of fish dishes and soup and my mom's gingerbread for dessert, which seems to have become a tradition around Christmas. My brother and his family, visiting from Ohio, stayed with us (in our newly completed guest room) for 4 days before returning to Seattle with my parents. Chloe, who will be 3 in Feb, kept our house lively. She is adorable and I don't think she stopped talking unless she was asleep. We had fun with family over the holidays, going to several family celebrations.

Here are some pictures of things around here.

Snowy View from Our Bedroom