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Today our precious little grandson is two years old. He is such a delightful, sweet little guy who can usually be found exploring, laughing, running, playing, chattering, and hugging. Wrapping my arms around him is one of my life's greatest joys.

Mark and I made him some wooden blocks for his birthday gift. Mark even taught me how to use the band saw and the belt sander for the very first time ever. Funny how motivating it is to learn something new when you know the result is a gift for such a dear little boy. It was fun!
Happy Birthday, Ayeresam!
Your Grammy and Grandpa love you so very much.

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Thirty-three years ago today, Mark and I became parents. Our Sarah entered the world late in the evening on June 8th, 1978. Her arrival literally changed everything in our lives, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Sarah is such a joy to us. Her heart for God, her passion for teaching, and the many ways she blesses the lives of all who know her are a shining example to us.

Have a lovely birthday, honey! Can't wait to celebrate with you this weekend.
Dad and I love you so much.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!!!

And our baby turns 24 today. Wow. How grateful we are for our sweet Hannah. She is kind to all, she is a loyal friend to all who are blessed to know her, she is a loving daughter and sister. So - happy birthday to you, dear Hannah!

We all gathered together in Salem yesterday morning for a celebration breakfast in Hannah's honor. Ten of us, eating the fabulous food at the Busick Court Restaurant. Yum!

A Good Sport

Mark's school took part in a fundraising effort for a local charity. Mark promised his students that if they came in first place, he would dye his hair pink and purple. Well (gulp!), his class won first place, raising the most money out of all the classes at his middle school, and Mark had to come through on his promise to the kids. Yesterday was the big day: he combed pink and purple tempera paint through his beard, mustache, eyebrows, and the sides of his hair. No hair on top to worry about! :-) Some of the girls in his class requested that he wear his purple and pink plaid shirt, so his clothing would match his hair. And I, for one, think he was a really good sport!
Some of Mark's girls give the "thumbs-up" to his efforts!
P.S. Bonus: tempera paint washes out very easily, and he was none the worse for wear after he washed his hair.

Walk for Water

Today, we walked 5K (3.1 miles) for water. Yet we didn't actually get any water at all. We walked that far in order to approximate the distance most Ethiopian women and children walk each day to get the water they need to live. It was great fun to gather with family and friends on behalf of the Corvallis-Gondar Sister Cities Association to participate in this event, the goal of which was to raise funds for water projects, sanitation, and watershed management in Ethiopia. And, since our sweet grandson was born in Ethiopia, this cause is personal to us. Above, Jake and Ayeresam share some together time.
Ben, his dog Allie, Mark, and Jake on the trail together. Ahead of them you can see part of the multitude of people who took part in this worthy event.
Ben saying, "Mom, you're not really going to take a picture of me picking up dog poop, are you?" And I said, "Of course, Ben."

Mark visiting with Beka's mom Fiona, and her brother Lewis.

Beka's dad Kevin visits with Ben.

Mark and Hannah at the finish of the walk.

Hannah and me. Sorry I look like I just rolled out of bed. I did. What a great day for a wonderful cause. I am so thankful to not only have running water that I don't have to haul, but that it is clean and safe as well.

Mother's Day 2011 - SWEET!

Mother's Day was so special. Sarah and Chris, Ben and Christine, and Hannah joined Mark and me for the day, and they prepared a scrumptious fajita feast!
Admit it - you can almost smell the sizzling chicken and veggies! And yes! That is Mark's John Wayne lunch pail in the background.
Sarah made the tortillas all by herself. I don't think I've ever had homemade tortillas before, and they were SO yummy!

My sweet Sarah!

My sweet Hannah!

My sweet Ben, who prepared some amazing appetizers for us!

My sweet hubby, and my sweet son-in-law Chris!

Ben again, with my sweet daughter-in-law, Christine!

In addition to eating, at which we seem to excel, we also played games and visited. Such an amazingly lovely time. I was also able to Skype with David, Nikki, and Adelaide in Colorado, talk with Jake, and text with Beka. Thank you, dear kids, for making my day so special. Being your mom (or mom-in-law) is the BEST! I love you!

Happy Easter

He is risen indeed...