Easter time

I'm late posting, I know. A lot has been happening, just not making the time to share it all. I am good, just not into blogging. I have taken a hiatus from FB as well, as I was spending WAY too much idle time on it and not getting anything else done in my "real" world.

I am starting school on Monday. I will be done in 9 months and getting a diploma in Medical billing/coding. I am a bit nervous, but happy to be doing something that will improve my life some with the expectation that I will be able to work from home part time eventually. Mom and Sissy will be baby sitting Asa while I'm in school from 8am-12pm.

Monday, Papa and Mama helped me install my raised garden bed. I'm so excited to be starting my very own garden. It took all day. The way my father and mother work just amazes me. I truly think my dad is a super hero. My dream someday is to make my entire yard into garden space and be sustainable on my own food and be able to sell it to our community. A garden co-op of sorts. But right now....I will have to rely on my 4' x 8' raised bed :)

Asa continues to amaze me with how wonderful he is. I can't believe how lucky I am to have such a sweet boy. I really am lucky. Yesterday he told me that I need to continue to eat healthy, because when I eat healthy foods, the baby eats healthy foods. So sweet to me.

Oh, I'm pregnant too. I haven't wanted to get too excited about it since the miscarry, but I am 8 weeks and have had an ultra sound and all looks good so far. My due date is Dec. 2 and final exams are Nov. 23. Talk about close.

I stained my deck yesterday all by myself. I am pretty proud of myself. I still haven't gotten my kitchen cabinets done yet, but they are next on the list, as well as cleaning out the garage and getting the office turned into a baby room. We are cramped for space, but I'm looking forward to the challenge of making it all fit. It's kind of exciting :)

We went to the beach (pictures to be posted tonight or tomorrow) last week and it was heaven. The 8 of us went and we can't wait to go again. I took Asa swimming everyday when he wanted to go. It was 50 degrees and Asa preferred the outdoor pool with 84 degree water, but it was still cool for me. I braved it and he loved it. Asa still says he wishes he was back at the hotel at least a couple of times a day. He and I loved waking up with everyone in the living room to greet us, coffee being ready and just doing a whole lot of nothing. Heaven.

Cousins from Alaska were up a couple of weeks before Easter and had left Asa this giant chocolate soccer ball for his basket. I gave it to him Easter Sunday and he loved it. We are all still eating on it.

Easter, after brunch, Grama Sandi had Easter goodies from Aunt Lori, Aunt Linda and Grama. These kids are so spoiled.

Easter Saturday. We decorated eggs and decided to hide them outside since there was no rain in sight. Asa was so quick. Valentina wasn't really sure on why the urgency and could have cared less about hunting Easter eggs.

Making the cascarones. Asa was able to color, fill and glue the eggs all by himself this year. He is getting so grown up. As he was coloring and filling and gluing, he would announce it. "I'm coloring the egg, now it's done...waiting for it to dry. Now I'll fill it...and glue around the edge and put the wrapper on. Done." I was cracking up. He was like an infomercial.

Me and papa decorating eggs.

The pretty girls of the familia.

Valentina LOVED coloring eggs. She's double fisting here. She would just squeal out of the blue that she was "doing it!"

Easter Saturday Asa had a game. We got beat, but it was still fun.

We went to Goldendale a few days before Easter. There are windmills going up everywhere you look there. They are so cool and enormous.

Asa insisted on wearing his bike helmet in Goldendale when he was outside. Not sure why. He can't get on the tractor when it's going, but he likes to sit in it when it's not. He's styling with a stocking cap + helmet.

I get a picture like this of Papa every time I visit. I love it. Funny thing is, he usually sits down around 9pm after working all day on the property and then sits down to read the paper, but after about 5 minutes, Asa has him playing with him instead. So, I have to take a picture quick.

Asa wanted Beya to read to him, and she did for a LONG time.

Beya colored eggs with Asa.

Grocery shopping in Goldendale. Asa loves pushing the cart even when it's full size, so this is a treat for him at the grocery store. Bad thing is he likes to race it down the aisles.

We stopped at the Stonehenge memorial in Maryhill on the way to Goldendale and it was so windy. Asa seriously looked like he was going to blow away. He didn't like it and was glad when Beya rescued him to the truck.

Stonehenge.

The view of the Columbia river at Maryhill.

an old gas station in Maryhill.

I call this the best sandwich ever. It's filet mignon, with a blue cheese sour cream spread, arugula on a toasted chibata. I got the recipe on foodtv.com and it is truly the best sandwich ever. Mom said that the picture of the old gas station would make a cute little curio shop/cafe I thought of my sandwich being the specialty someday. I'm nuts.

I'm pretty sure this is the cutest thing in the entire world.

Asa riding his "new" used bike that papa and Beya got him at a yard sale. We got some accessories and pimped it out. He loves it. It's his first bike.

Valentina's "new" used bike. The boys making repairs and also pimping it out. She doesn't really like it that much yet.

action shot

Soccer 3 weeks ago.

I was picking up the living room one afternoon and saw that this had been done in one of his puzzle books. It's a code game where you match the fish with a corresponding letter. I have helped him do this once before. I was shocked when I saw that he had completed all 3 puzzles. Josh had been with him earlier in the afternoon and I had asked him if he helped him and he hadn't. I think it's pretty amazing. The joke is "how do fish talk to each other?" answer that Asa completed "on shell phones." LOL

Valentina being completely adorable as usual.

Asa and I on a date at American Dreams Pizza in Portland. He looked at me and said "this place isn't very nice Mum." I asked why? He looked down at the plates and said "the plates aren't nice at all". He did like the pizza though.