Oregon Trail...

I am clearly behind the curve on this but I have to share about our trip. Besides having 6 plus hours of drive time to knit, take in gorgeous scenery, and chat with my Honey Bunny...I had these lovely girls to greet me!


Is there anything quite like having beautiful nieces come running out to the end of the driveway, jumping up and down? Budge was literally waiting for us, watching down their long street, just to get that first glimpse of our car turning the corner. Oh, but it sure feeds the ego, I mean the heart!

We went up to celebrate with my brother and his wife. It was their 10th wedding anniversary, and they came up with a plan as unique as they are....Treehouses! We stayed in a Treesort, and had a treemendous time! Hehe...they do that to you there. They put a pun on anything possible and it is contagious.

Here was our original tree house....Serendipitree. We ended up trading with another family member who was solo for the weekend. They told us it would sleep 3, but I don't know how as the bed was a twin! I suppose if you wanted to sleep fetal on the floor, or like an owl on a branch outside...but we actually wanted some sort of bed. Kerri graciously traded us for her house that slept 5 and all was well.


Here is the house we ended up in. It was called Treeloon and is meant to look like a Saloon with the swinging doors. Not only was it bigger but it actually had a sink in it! I did have to make runs to the bathroom in the dark (scary) but I could at least wash my feet before climbing into bed, brush teeth and take out contacts. I'm a simple girl, the sink was perfect!

Here is our view from the deck...


Inside the Treeloon, not where we slept but a bunk that would acomodate 2-3 kids....I was tempted to take a picture of the "special bucket" that was in a cupboard should you not want to walk to the bathroom in the scary night. Since I was mortified even knowing it was there (Honey Bunny told me) it was all I could do to stand its presence. I could not bring myself to even touch the handle of the door. Is this just me who finds this sort of gross? I do have to wonder if anyone uses it, blech!


My sister on the other hand is a bit higher maintenance. So guess what she got? Thank goodness she didn't get the little cupboard with the night time amenity!! Across the wooden bridge from me was a militaryish tent that had a bed in it...Cavaltree. I asked her to model her house and open the flap door. She said a snarky "Model this!" ....then I had to run to the bathroom so I didn't wet my pants. That is how it goes with us.

Above that, on the back of the tree, there were a couple of wooden ladders that lead up to the top tree fort. My daughter and nieces all slept up there and we just hoped no one had to go to the bathroom in the night. The ladder area was dark and sketchy and we didn't need any falls.

The kids loved it. I tell you, if you have little ones this is a place to take them. This is the sort of thing that smaller children would never forget. I know my nephews and nieces will be talking about this for years to come. I would only do it again if it was a family thing like this, or I was taking small children. It is a bit on the pricey side, and I can say that I did it, no need to do it again but I would for an event. It really was a fun novelty adventure.

There was swimming....



Berry picking....



Exploring the 'hood.....



The best part? Family!



Oh, I nearly forgot! While we were there we met a couple from Family Fun Magazine. They were doing a story on the Treesort for an issue next summer. It is in the section called "Worth the Drive". They needed models for the photo portion and our family was who they chose. My brother and his wife were the parents, and while they have two boys only one was cooperative for pictures. So the "family" was my brother, SIL, nephew and niece! How cool is that? So I took pictures of them taking pictures...


My sister looking at the shots the photographer got...


We also got to squeeze in a soccer game during our trip. Is there anything cuter than 5 year old kids trying to make their legs work? I am endlessly amused by this! Poor kids can barely kick the darn thing, and then half way through the game they change the goal sides. Now they have to remember to kick the other direction. The other funny thing is the coaching styles...some coaches really try to instill the rules of the game and others are just about the kids having fun and learning good sportsmanship. I am in the camp of the latter, so I laugh at all the time outs, off sides calls and kicking out of bounds. The kids have no clue, at 5, but the coaches are ready to blow a gasket. So funny! Makes me run for the sani-hut!

Get 'em Bo!

My Son the Eagle Scout

Somebody tell me how it happens. You are in a hospital, tired and sore, and you won't let the nurse take that little baby to the nursery. He's all yours for the moment and you just want to inhale that newborn right back in somehow. No one tells you that this is your son, and you should now love him. You just do. For the moment he belongs only to you, in that quiet time. You are in over your head with crazy love, storge love.

Then that baby grows up. I still wonder how it happened and why it had to happen so fast. It came in steps. I remember each one, and it is bittersweet in my heart. You want them to grow into wonderful productive adults, but each of those steps leads them up and away. I am greatful for each necessary milestone, and did the necessary letting go every time, but it still makes a mom's heart a wee bit sad.


My son has grown up into a fine young man. He has some learning to do yet, but he is kind, honest, wholesome, loves his country, loves his family and loves his Jesus. I could not be more proud. I like him a lot! Oh, I will always love him like crazy, but I sure like him a too.



Not many kids these days commit to something at 7 years old and stick with it. I have a couple boys who did. My oldest has made it to his goal (the 2nd is right behind him) of Eagle Scout.


If you have any involvement with this program you know. Most people don't, and that is alright. We are proud just the same. We are fortunate to have an awesome Troop and it feels a lot like an extension of our family. Camping, hiking, backpacking, summer camp, tree cutting and running a Christmas Tree lot, Pacific Coast trips to Yellowstone, Yosemite and every place in between. Spleunking, snow camping, rock climbing, bowling and golfing. So many things I can't even name them all. Memories, lessons, and moments my kids will benefit from for the rest of their lives.


All leading to the highest award in Boy Scouts. Eagle Scout. Less than 2 percent make this rank, and when my son graduates from Marine basic training he will have earned his first stripe because of it.




Yeah, I am proud, and thanks for reading this far and letting me share this. Just so you know he isn't too big for his britches, at the end of the day all the little girl cousins took him down!

Anyone? Free printer ink!

A couple of months ago I needed a new printer. Of course it doesn't take my old ink cartridges! These are new, sealed, and up for grabs if anyone can use them. HP Black 94 and HP Tricolor 97. Let me know where I can send them off!

Introducing....Greta!

Only 19,998 more posts until I feel caught up on life as it has happened...and yet continues!


We have been thinking about it for ages, and talking about it for months. This was not a surprise. The only surprise was my heart changing (relenting) to get another mini dachshund rather than a German Shepherd. Don't get me wrong, I love Mayzie, my mini that I have now. In fact that is the problem...I love her too much! There is no way any pooch can compete with her, and besides that, I grew up with shepherds so I have a bit of a hankering for a large dog again. (These are a few of her pictures)

Well, Honey Bunny put his foot down! Big dogs = big food storage and bigger poops and it was going to be a doxie if there was going to be a puppy. Period.

So, after lots of searching I found a place that had some puppies. Exactly what I wanted too. A black and tan smooth, female please. She had one left, but as it turned out it was really one available. People had "claimed" a puppy but no one had picked them out, so I actually was first in line to pick from two litters! What luck!

Hours later, and much talking abut my current dog, I was finally on my way home with the baby. So hard to choose yet now I could not wait to introduce Mayzie to her new baby!


Now the drama begins. I pulled into the driveway and my daughter ran out and sad "Bad news"....Apparently my husband had taken the jeep out wheelin' with the dogs, and when he got to his destination only one jumped out of the car. Somewhere in the past 20 miles Mayzie had either popped out from a bump, or jumped out, but either way she was not in the jeep.

He searched for a couple of hours and then came home to load his motorcycle and try some more. His plan was to be out there all night and keep calling for her, but the search area was huge.

Needless to say I was a wreck. I felt like I had traded my much loved dog for this little puppy and it was impossible to be anything but sad. I wanted to take her back and go find my Mayzie. I was up most of the night worried about her and my Honey Bunny. I made flyers, posted on bulletin boards, left messages at all the vets offices in my area and in Reno, and I called all the animal control offices in the area.

At about 4 in the morning I woke up one of my kids and loaded up our other dog. Sometimes you just can't wait anymore and I thought in the quiet of the morning she might come out if she heard us calling. I made a big thermos of coffee and headed out.


The first thing I saw was a coyote crossing my street!! Not a good sign. It only added to my fears of bobcats, mountain lions, eagles, hawks, people who might keep her and the 27 degree night that she might be shivering in.

At about 6 am I came around a corner and saw a small sign posted on a street sign. "Lost Dog?" with a phone number was all it said. My hopes began to soar, and if I didn't breath I seemed to have a cell signal. I left a message, which began a series of cell phone nightmare phone tag from the sketchy signal....but long story short, he had my girl!!

Turns out he saw this adorable little dog trotting down the road and when he opened his door she hopped right in. He took her home and worked as hard at finding us as we were working to find her. She is micro-chipped but had no tags on her collar. From now on all collars will have a Sharpied phone number on the inside, but she has too many collars to have tags on all of them.

My Honey Bunny turned out to be the hardest one to find. Once I knew we had our dog back the quest was to find him so he could stop worrying. He was out roaming the mountains on a motorcycle, trying desperately to return my dog to me....finally he was located and all is well in the end.

I have my Mayzie back, and now I have this new little bundle of cuteness....and she has puppy breath to boot!








The next weekend was Father's Day and Honey Bunny got 3 new harness' to secure the dogs into the Jeep, and this t-shirt from REI:

Life is a blur, and oh so smoky!

These pictures show a glimpse of how smoky it has been, and the fires are insanely far away! I only wish I could use Willy Wonka's Smell-O-Vision so you could fully experience it. My contact lens' are driving me mad!!



So, it is not that I don't have things happening. Quite the contrary! It seems that I have all this stuff to blog about and yet no time, so when I do have the time I could literally make 20,000 posts (all outdated) in a row. Anyone with me on that?

My husband is away on a fire assignment. This is good because it means...well...he is a-w-a-y. It is bad because he is *sniff, sniff*..... AWAY! It is a good assignment because he is actually on a really nice detail and while right in the middle of a fire area, he is relatively safe. He is the paramedic in the camp, so basically, for the time being, he is handing out sunscreen and bug spray. If anyone does need medical attention, they have medics and a bus (ambulance) close by for immediate response. Fingers and toes are crossed that all those firefighters need on this fire is sunscreen and bug spray!!



The other day he called and asked me to bring him some supplies to make life better. I guess the fire camp is set up in an area that gets a lot of sun and fire conditions being hot, dry and windy...life is better with some shade. He was also hoping not to jinx things, yet expected he could be there a while. Lucky for us, Northern California is burning up for a change, and this means he is within driving time from home. We met at a half way point about 45 minutes from home and I delivered our EZ-Up shade canopy, a cot, his sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clean pillow, iPod shuffle, tarp, generator, small television WITH a remote, small selection of "dude movies", a few music cd's that can be played on the tv, red vine licorice, and clean underwear. Phew!! Can I get a shout out with "What a good wife!!"?




What most people don't know is that when these guys get called to a fire, they leave in the clothes they are wearing and in a hurry. The experienced ones have an "out of county" bag with a few niceties in it, but depending on the station they are covering etc, they might not get to grab it. Honey Bunny has gone to fires locally that lasted a couple days and he had nothing. They sleep sitting in their engine or on the ground...in the clothes they have on. He told me about one fire on a hillside where they cat-napped nearly standing the hill was so steep, listening for rocks rolling down towards them so they could roll to the side. Lovely job isn't it?


I am back to the pros and cons. Overtime rocks! We have dishwashers to replace and bathrooms that need help and we're planning to re-do in August. We also have summer camp next week and I am taking 25 highschool kids with me, and I have a new puppy!. Kids home alone with a housebreaking mini dachshund is scary indeed. Yet, overtime rocks! I have tile and bathtubs to pick out. Smoke is hard to breath in for weeks on end, but quesadillas or Cheerios for dinner is awesome! Husbands who call with "honey do's" because he is away and he knows the lawn needs mowing...well that doesn't exactly stink, but the man can sure come up with some lists of chores because he is sitting around all day thinking of things HE does around here...and now WE need to get done, and that? Well that stinks! Holding down the fort as a single mom with 3 teens is actually....not too bad :-)


I have great kids and we are doing just fine. I am off to call the inlaws! Gotta see if they house/puppy/kid sit in case Honey Bunny doesn't come home.........just keep chanting "Over Time! Over Time!"

When the cats away, the mice will play!

Sometimes it is just plain time....and he knew it was coming. I have been telling, clueing and cueing him in for quite a while now, so he really should not be shocked. Yet for some reason I am the one who is in a sort of giddy shock myself.

I went and ordered this:


It is a new Kenmore Elite dishwasher, and they swear it is quiet! The salesman was telling me what I wanted to hear baby! Not like he had to convince me or anything...our 10 year old (199.00) dishwasher is loud and falling apart. It got even louder last year when we put in hardwood floors. It has "features"!! We tend to be the do-it-yourself types and ascribe to the live within (or beneath) your means and so "features" just really makes me jump up and down!

I have been online shopping and researching off an on for the past couple of years. Ours has been on it's last leg for a while but it is really finally beyond just annoying. Things are falling apart, and now it has become dangerous. It won't turn off either, which sucks the utility bill I'm sure....but when it won't turn off that means it just stays on that last heat drying cycle until you realize the house is about to burn down. I did turn off the heat, but that doesn't change the worry.

So, I did it. Honey Bunny is off fighting a fire and I am spending it before he brings it home. The upside is that it was on sale and the installation and take away of the old one is free, so that should make him happy. Hopefully when he comes home it will all be a done deal and that will make him happy. I call it a win/win!

Nothing to do with Knitting!

A friend sent me this email today. I am simply going to post it the way she sent it. It moved me greatly, and I am so glad she responded to the nudge to share this among friends. If you are not someone who believes in this sort of thing....no offense intended, and if you are I hope you are as blessed as I was. We live in troubled times and encouragement can be like a glass of cool water!

Hello Friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord,

This morning I had a devotion that I thought wasn’t just for me so I’m passing it on for whomever these scriptures can encourage.

The truth is: God never lets us down. That’s the truth.

But this morning, I think I found a story about a woman who was disappointed with God because she thought he had let her down. You’ll know the story, so I won’t go into the details, but I’ll highlight the scriptures I personally never paid that much attention to until today.

John 11:20 "When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home."

I don’t think there are ever any unnecessary words or details in the Bible. I believe they all have significance. So what’s the significance behind the information that Mary stayed at home? Is it because she didn’t know that Jesus was nearby? I don’t think so.

I think she knew and she stayed at home on purpose. The same Mary who didn’t let busyness keep her from his feet. The same one so commended by God for seeking him first, is now staying at home. That’s a little unlike her. So what’s going on?

Well a lot is going on. Her brother just died. Before that the sisters had sent word to Jesus to let him know he was sick and asked him to come. But he didn’t. The situation grew worse and more than likely they were probably going to the door frequently and anxiously looking for any sign of him. You know the feeling. "Where IS he?" "Did he get our message?" "What is taking him so long?" And then the rest of the story, Lazarus breathes his last. He’s gone. I have been there. It caused me to start hyperventilating. I ran from the scene. It makes you sick. It makes you start to weep like you have never cried before and all I kept repeating was "No, no, NO!!" Death is horrible and oh so painful. The kind of pain that wakes you up in the middle of the night and hits you all over again like a ton of bricks and it goes on for who knows how long. You don’t know how many days, weeks, months, years it will take for the pain to start to subside. You have dreams where they come back and you see them again and then you wake up. It is painful.

But now Jesus is here. Better late than never?? Not really. What they feared has happened. It almost doesn’t matter now. Or does it?

I think she stayed at home because she was disappointed in Jesus and maybe, yes, just a little angry. We try not to admit it. We know God doesn’t deserve our anger. But we’re confused. We’re hurting and pain can cause us to put our shield of faith down and those fiery darts get through. We don’t have the strength to fend off the doubts and they’re making us question everything we know about God.

So she stays at home. I’ve done it too. We skip the quiet time because we’re secretly harboring resentment against God. Sometimes we don’t even know it. But it’s kind of like we’re giving God the silent treatment. Letting Him know "if you’re not on my side and you’re not going to help me, I’m on my own and I’m not sure I have time for you."

Verse 28 – "The Teacher is here," she (Martha) said, and is asking for you (Mary)."

Hmmm… You think Jesus knew? You think Jesus knew that Mary was staying away on purpose? You think He knew that she was broken hearted, confused, weak, angry? I think so. Does he give her the silent treatment back? No. He loves her. He has compassion. He knows she’s hurting and he wants to comfort her. So he’s asking her to come to him. He asks us the same thing – "Come child. Don’t stay away. I know where you are. I know what you’re thinking and what you’re trying to figure out. And I have the answers. But the answer is really just one thing – ME. So don’t shut me out. You need me right now and I’m here. So Come."

And she does. She falls at his feet, crying, and the questions, half way accusations, start pouring out – If you had been here, my brother would not have died. Make sense of it Jesus. Tell me why this is happening. You could’ve prevented it. Why didn’t you? How many countless others have asked the same question.

When Jesus saw her weeping…he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. And then the famous verse – John 11:35 – Jesus wept. The easiest one in the whole Bible to memorize.

So many people have taken a stab at what he was crying about. Even the Jews that day were trying to figure it out – "See how he loved him!" "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this many from dying?" Was he crying because he loved Lazarus and was sad that he was gone. Umm…. he knew that Lazarus was about to be raised back to life. We’re the doubts bothering him? Yeah, I’m sure they were, but he didn’t cry when Martha expressed the same thing. Call me simple. I think he was crying because Mary was crying. I think he felt her pain and "whoever touches you, touches the apple of his eye." He knows better than we do how much pain sin has caused this fallen world. Romans 12:15 says "weep with those who weep." If that is what God commands us to do, do you think he does anything less? I don’t know about physical tears, but I think God’s heart still breaks when ours does.

So no lecture. No explanation. Tears. Jesus wants us to know we’re not alone. He’ll go through it with us. He’ll carry all our pain not on his shoulders, but in his heart and he’ll get us through. – "What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer."

And then the glorious end of the story. There is no more commentary on it, but you can imagine, can’t you? Mary and Martha running to Lazarus, tears turning not just into smiles, but even laughter as they quickly unwrap him, throw their arms around him, still crying, but this time tears of joy, kissing him and being surrounded by everyone else.

And then the look back to Jesus. I’m sure Mary did. Looking over her shoulder, past the crowd and seeing his peaceful, quiet, loving expression looking back at her. Not condemning her. So pleased that she was happy again. Yet you know what she felt. I’ve felt it. You’ve felt it. That little sting of remorse in our hearts when we realize we’ve doubted God and he once more came through. He always does. He never lets us down. That’s the truth.

No doubt there were other looks at Jesus that day; jaw dropping, shocked, amazed looks like the ones the disciples had after he stilled the storm. There is much to be learned from this story, but this morning God made one more point with me.

What about when He doesn’t raise people back to life again? What about when we lose something and it doesn’t come back or never gain something that we so longed for and even lacked?

Has God let us down? Are his delays his denials? Or is he still telling us to Wait. The end of the story has been written, but not fully revealed, yet this is what God says about it – "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive what God has planned…"

Whatever we lack here will be more than made up for there. Can you think of anything a person would want for in this world that Heaven will not abundantly supply? Love, relationships, health, possessions, purpose, even food! Romans 8:18 "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

God is still coming. He is on his way. Though we may wonder "Where IS he?" What is taking him so long? Be patient. Wait on the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait on the Lord. For when we get to Heaven I know we will all say – "You have not let us down." The Lord is our Shepherd. We shall not be in want.

True story – Myamar – where the cyclone hit and the government won’t allow in any aid – Christians are dying. Terry Sartain, pastor of Calvary Chapel Charlotte went with Jack Monday, director of Rapid Response for Billy Graham Ministries and two others were granted passports – four of only 45 that have been granted since the cyclone. It is absolutely dangerous to be a Christian there. They traveled in separate taxis to the place where they were secretly meeting with pastors from the region. 44 showed up. All of them hungry, grieving and confused. When Terry got there, he said he had no idea why he was there. What could he offer these men. All their rice fields were destroyed. All their water supplies had been salted by the sea. They were not just dying of hunger, but also dying of thirst. Praying for rain water. Asking questions like "if I only have enough rice left for one more meal for my family and someone comes to my door asking for food, what do I do?" All Terry said he could do the first day was stand in front of them and weep and pray. There is that weeping again. The compassion of the Lord. Knowing how much pain they are suffering from the sin of this oppressive government. For the first two days, there was a soberness in the crowd, a hopelessness. But somewhere on the third day, the mood changed. Terry and the others realized they might not have food or water, but they still had Jesus and they could still give Jesus away. The men left not knowing if they were going back to die, but rejoicing that the greatest possession, they still possessed and in heaven all their tears will be wiped away.

Pray for them. Pray for rain. Pray for relief. Pray for hope, comfort, and faith. Faith in a Great God that will gain them rewards in heaven not able to be imagined here on Earth.

God Bless, Kim

Am I the worst or what?!

I am, I know it...but I have "reasons". I just want to say to my friends and family (who know life creeps in) to please hang in there with me. I will get my head together soon.

Knitting, mission trips, vacation, kids, knitting, doctor visits, spring fever, oh and did I mention knitting? More to come....stay tuned!

P.S. Click on the Alpenglow...it gets bigger and is just breathtaking!

Supersnow Sunday!

Sometime in the night I heard the telltale sound of the power going out. For some strange reason my Bose radio does this little clicking sequence in the cd changer, and it is enough to alert me that we are now officially cut off. The satellite has been down for over a month, so no Superbowl for me, but the power? The electricity is salt in the wounds...I just finished all my House seasons 1, 2, and 3 and was moving on to Grays Anatomy!

We wake up early and find that the little storm my husband guffawed at last night has left us laughing out loud. It is that fine line between laugh or cry and we opt for the first. It really is getting to be funny! I also think this kind of winter is what separates the men from the boys ladies and gentleman. So many people are beginning to complain and the upside is that many people move away come spring time and it keeps our small town on the small side. Natural selection?

So, I got suited up and went out to take pictures. Lots of them at my sisters request. She moved away long ago but still likes to laugh along with us. Sort of like when you are due any second to have a baby, each phone call is answered with "Not yet"...Well, my phone is ringing with people laughing and my answer is "Lots!!". Maybe the pictures will help clarify what 'lots' means for all the snickering flat landers. Plus, I was reading on Crazy Aunt Purl how some folks like to be sort of voyeurs and they honestly do like to see into the windows of life that blogging cracks open.


Summer Pond/Winter Pond? (all pictures get bigger if you click on them)






































Summer Side Yard/Winter Superbowl Sunday...I kid you not. See the cute little rock steps and pathway? Well, we call it the Luge Trail in the winter :-)
































Summer Gazebo/Winter Gazebo. What you can't tell very well from either picture is that the front of the gazebo is about 3 feet off the ground.





































Summer nieces/Winter nieces don't come to Aunties :-( Let's all enjoy the summer nieces and recall all that summer fun shall we? Sleepovers in the back yard tent, playing in the blow up pool, home made snow cones. Entire days spent in swim suits!
























This is, in a word, what my shoveling kids have to say!






Especially when I come out to supervise with my nice warm cup of coffee in my new Starbucks mug...thanks to my sis's Christmas gift card! I am evil, that's how I roll....Just kidding!! I did my share! You have to on days like this.






On days where you have to move snow you have already moved so you can move more snow....click here and you will see my macho sons shoveling away the top of the berm so that we can toss more up there.





I know it LOTS of pictures, but it is necessary when there is LOTS of snow. So when you call the house, I will tell you to look at the blog. Fair enough?